As I'm Falling to Pieces

Chapters

Act I
Chapter XXXIV: A Treasure Inside
Chapter XXXV: Shine Like Her
Chapter XXXVI: Rememberance
Chapter XXXVII: Lost, But Not Forgotten
Chapter XXXVIII: What Doesn’t Kill You, Wounds You For Life
Chapter XXXIX: Integration
Chapter XL: Clair de Lune
Chapter XLI: Midnight Star
Chapter XLII: Reine de la Purge
Chapter XLIII: Ensemble Nous Vivons. Ensemble Nous Allons Mourir.
Chapter XLIV: Home Front
Chapter XLV: Indebted
Chapter XLVI: Rebirth by Encryption
Chapter XLVII: An Outsider
Chapter XLVIII: Her Puppets
Chapter XLIX: Plan of Insertion
Chapter L: Forgetting To Breathe
Chapter LI: Her World is Black
Chapter LII: A Thought Never Dreamed
Chapter LIII: Sighting
Chapter LIV: Mending a Broken Soul
Chapter LV: The Calm Before
Chapter LVI: Volitile Times
Chapter LVII: At War
Chapter LVIII: Ragnarök
Chapter LIX: Every Tear a Waterfall
Chapter LX: After it All
Table Of Contents

Act I

Use the table of contents to find the chapter you were on previously.

“Chapter I: Everlasting Pain & Mourn”

The walls, covered in plated steel, counter tops fixed with fake rubber plants, the
corridors everlasting and endless. The ponies, oh the depressed and twisted Ponies, wandering the endless corridors finding there place in the Bunker to start their shameless, sunless morning. Wearing their Friday Casuals’ Jumpsuits, getting to there ‘jobs’ as fast as possible, while also under the Overlord’s law to ‘walk’ in the halls. Pinkie, the clumsiest pony of the six, the six that was forever disbanded from each other in the constant bombing. With Pinkie’s slow demise of happiness, she walked, slowly but surely still moving, head hanging as she to, walked to her morning ‘job’, flattened hair with depression and crude reoccurring images of dieing fillies and Mares.
By memory, Pinkie walks through the Corridors with ease, never forgetting her everyday path. With the occasional shove to the side as the twisted, sad ponies do the same as her, and make there way to their ‘jobs’. In seconds Pinkie had finally arrived at the Cafeteria, slowly looking up at all of the frowning, hungry faces of the ponies that gave her the occasional slight shove in the Corridors. Turning to her right, she saw her co-workers prepping the food for breakfast. Too her left, she saw her boss, with a clipboard and pen in hoof. Writing her every move and mistake. With that, she made her way to the kitchen. A hour passed as Pinkie mixed the ingredients for her ‘special’ veggie burgers. While her co-workers prep and cook the mutated squirrel meat that their Bunker’s Hunting Group scavenged while looking out over the unknown, the unknown outside. Oh Lord, our savior, Pinkie desperately wanted to see Celestia’s beautiful sun again.
It took Pinkie only a few minutes to realise she was soiling the veggie burgers with her somewhat endless and painful tears. Attempting to stop the very small whimpers, she couldn't hold it anymore, she burst into tears. Rushing for the door, everypony looked towards the galloping pink blur that rushed towards the Cafeteria’s entrance door. Soon after, Pinkie rushed into her chamber, jumping on her bed and repeatedly whimpering and soaking her pillow in tears and depression. No less then 20 minutes later, Pinkie counted every second, a very familiar face slowly opened the door. Pinkie’s eyes were blurred by her tears, she couldn't figure out whom the very familiar but somewhat anonymous colt was. Wiping her tears away and looking up slowly to confirm the intruder, Pinkie comes to her senses and notices it was her very close friend, the only pony Pinkie could trust throughout the entire Bunker. Silver Tooth, his grayish coat shimmered as he enter the room. With his white and yellow mane blowing in the wind created by the loud fan, pushing the off-button, Silver made him self comfortable on Pinkie’s somewhat comfy and roomy bed. Following with a big bear hug, as shocked as Pinkie was, she enjoyed the company her close friend gave her.

“Why are you crying Pinkie?” Said Silver in a soothing, comfortable tone. Wiping the little drops of tears streaming down Pinkie’s face.

“You know why Silver....” Replied Pinkie, attempting to look away from the Colt.

“Actually, I don’t, what seems to be the problem?”

“None of your business...” With that Pinkie let out a big sigh, and lied her head on the edge of the bed.

“You’re my friend Pinkie, friends don't hide secrets from other friends” Silver replied.

“I-...-its just so hard living down here...! I have never been in such a in-closed area my entire life, nopony laughs, nopony smiles, nopony even likes it when I attempt to throw parties in there living rooms!” Pinkie continued. Tears still covering her face.

Silver let out a large sigh, and hung his head. Keeping one eye on Pinkie. “Its not you, its noponies fault... were just in...... hard times right now.” The only thing we can do is survive while we still have purpose.

“What purpose?” Pinkie replied, sitting up. “Our lives mean nothing anymore, were just walking dea-....” Just then, the horrific images struck Pinkie’s mind again, sitting straight up, she couldn't resist but let the memories flood back in from the past. The dead, walking on all hooves. Mouths wide open, blood covering every inch of their rotting corpse. Eyes rolled all the way back into their heads, mindless ponies, infected ponies.

“PINKIE! PINKIE PIE! Snap out of it! Its just a dream!” Silver yelled loudly into Pinkie’s ear. Soon after, Pinkie snapped out from her horrific nightmare. Laying on the floor with Silver over her, checking Pinkie’s pulse to make sure she hadn't gone into a serious panic attack.

Instantly standing up, Pinkie rushed into Silver’s hooves, bear hugging the hell out of him. Showing him how much she was afraid. Silver, in a short shock, gave her a hug as well. Breathing heavily and crying in Silver’s mane, Pinkie began to calm. Not ever letting go of the colt she seemed to be most comfortable with.

Silver, rubbing Pinkie’s back softly and slowly; “Its okay... They’re not here, they wont be anytime soon, there is no need to worry... Don't worry Pinkie, its alright... every things okay....”

“Chapter II: Lightning Storm”

Almost intoxicated by the horrible stench of death around him, Lightning flipped on his gas mask to inhale as mush fresh air as the dead wastelands of Equestria had left of its own. Looking around he noticed, through the grim dark light of the sun peaking through the acid rainclouds, was a Pitstop Shop. Curious, as Lightning usually is, he went to investigate and planned on scavenging anything of use. Food, water, ammo, anything. Flicking on his flash light he began to scourer every corner, every shelf, every single empty box of Corner Flakes. Even the card board box of cereal was of use to him. Hell, he even took the cigarette 12-packs, if he can use it to start fire, it was of use. Inspecting his M9 Beretta Pistol, he noticed his clip was running out, and he didn't have much of any sort of ammo left. Using common sense, he decided to not bother with ammunition, hence how this was only a Pitstop Shop.
After a half an hour of scouring the shit hole that was this Pitstop, he decided to leave. But just then, a small glare of light behind the cashiers counter caught the corner of his eye. Once again, being curious as Lightning casually is, he decided to investigate further into the random source of light. Getting closer, Lightning noticed the ‘light’ was reflecting off of some type of steel, or metal. but it wasn't just a steel plate, it looked more like it was hoof carved. Shining his flash light unto the weird, what seemed to be, scrap heap, turned out to be a mouth watering... Gorgeous... M1014! Holding the newly found weapon into the light of his flashlight, he noticed it was in rough shape. Most likely tossed around by the Redneck ponies that used to run this joint. Then, with that thought in Lightning’s mind, he realised; “If the ponies had guns, and this one was stranded lone behind this counter....” Soon enough, right where he found the gun, he saw a trail of blood go all the way out through the back closet. Pumping the M1014, holding it in a ready stance at the door, he slowly opened the storage closet door, slowly, to make sure that if whoever, whatever, was back here, didn't hear him. Breathing heavily, he put one hoof in front of the other into the storage closet. Checking both his corners, nopony was there. Further inspecting the blood trail, he noticed it went behind a stack of crates. Almost completely insane now, Lightning gripping the newly found M1014 tightly, ready for ‘almost’ anything checked behind the crates.
What Lightning saw was indescribably unpony. A redneck pony.... wearing a paled shirt, not sure if the shirt was red or just completely stained with the otherponies blood, whom which was being devoured by the ugly abomination. Lightning couldn't process it because of his shock, but he ‘thought’ could hear a very loud growl coming from the infected pony right in front of him. The infected pony then slowly turned his head facing Lightning, the front of his face was more disgusting then his greased up mullet, with stained red teeth, senselessly grinning at Lightning with his blanked eyed stare of horror. Lightning couldn't stand the sight anymore, before the redneck pony could even get a quick strike. BOOM! Brains splattered across the storage room. Looking at the infected ponies friend, Lightning without hesitation pulled out his pistol and without even a second thought, blew the head off the redneck ponies friend. Rushing to the exit door, hoping he didn't make to much of a distraction with his guns. Lightning escaped the Pitstop Shop, quickly starting his motorcycle and drove off into the distant wastes of Equestria.

Chapter III: The Apple Family’s Demise

The rain, the rain burned. Big Mac attempted to take a sip from the grayish green cloud that was storming over him as he constantly stumbled on his front hooves. The rain, the rain tasted like poison to Big Mac, he had never tasted anything so... so vile in his life. But it was the only source of water in miles, he had to drink it if he ever wanted to make it back to Bunker 18. His family was there, the Apple Family. Waiting for him everyone he knew, and loved was in there. He had to make it.

He was determined.

The pain, he couldn't hold it anymore. He finally collapsed, the sensation of death was overwhelming him, he began to black out. His vision began to blur, he thought it was just a dream at first. But he could make out a watch tower over the hill. Attempting to stand up, the wound on his back was seeping blood and puss down his flank, not to mention he was walking on hot sandy dirt that had been sitting in Celestia’s withered sun. With all of his energy he finally made it to the top of the hill. He looked back, if he knew what time it was, he could have told it took him literally twenty minutes just to get up here. He collapsed.
Lying half dead in the rays of Celestia’s might, he could hear faint foot steps coming from in front of him. Looking up, eyes half blurred. He could see three other ponies in dark green camo tight suits. Fixed with gas masks and each carried a Glock 11. One of the three held out there gun pointing it straight to Big Mac, they obviously thought he was infected.

“Don't sho-....ot....” Big Mac said in a painful voice. The pain of just talking made Big Mac groan painfully.

“Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now, infected scum!” Replied the apparent ‘leader’ of the three, whom which Big Mac might have guessed was the security patrol that spotting him at the watch tower.

“Because im not, you prejudice prick.” Big Mac replied in a angry tone.
The ‘leader’ was in shock for a second, then growled towards Big Mac. “What is this giant struggle mark on your back then?” The leader replied, while pointing towards the giant mark on Big Macs back.
“Don’t fucking remind me! That was my sister, Applejack,attempting to grab onto me when we tried to escape from those... those things!” Big Mac groaned in frustration, depression, and in pain.
“Was your ‘sister’ infected before this struggle?” Replied the ‘leader’ like he was some detective, but instead acting like a smart-ass.
“Don't even bother, shes tougher then you think. Number one athlete in ponyville, she could run faster then me, she ought have just taken a alternate route.” Big Mac replied to the overly prejudice jackass.

“Don’t get smart mouthy to me, you forgot who’s the one that's standing.” The apparently rock hard pony replied.
Big Mac sprung unto his hooves in complete disgust and anger, “Hey! Shut your little pussy mouth alright! You don't know whats out there! How about you stop acting like the alpha-male and help me find my goddam sister!!!” Big Mac replied with all of his energy, overshadowing the now scared group of three.

“Sheesh, such a loudmouth... fine. Boys, bring him to the Bunker... Mr. Big Mac, I presume?”

“Ee-yup.” Big Mac gave his signature saying to the three, this time in a much calmer voice.
Walking into the Bunker with the three patrol units helping him balance and keep pace, he noticed something wrong. Not everypony in the Apple Family was waiting for him. The only ones there was; Granny Smith, Braeburn, and Carrot Top.

“Where’s everypony else?” Big Mac asked in a confusing and somewhat shocked voice.
Everypony in the room sighed, except Big Mac, still confused. “Big Mac...” Braeburn walked towards Big Mac with eyes of drenched in sadness.

“Ee-Yup?” Replied Big Mac.

“Everypony either... Left...” Replied Braeburn.

“Died...” Said Granny Smith sitting in front of the fire place.

“Or died fighting against the Death Hunter invasion.” Said Carrot Top in a very depressing and sad voice.
“Wha... what?! Who in this living hell is... Death Hunter? Invasion?” Big Mac startled with the new information, stomping his hoof in anger.

“They are not a person, but a group.” Said one of the guards that dragged Big Mac into the Bunker.
“Fine, they’re a group, who and what the hell are they though?” Big Mac continued the conversation to find out what the fuck happened to Bunker 18 while he was gone.
“A terror group. Not the ones that set off the nukes, there just... really fucked up people, they resort to cannibalism when they have vegetation right in front of them. They KILL ponies without purpose what-so-ever. They take and invade Bunkers for shelter and food. I'm surprised you haven’t heard about Bunker 32 or 15.”
Big Mac huffed and stomped in frustration at the fact that his family was going into a slow demise. If only he knew what was happening to Applejack right now, he couldn't stand loosing another pony he loved with all of his heart, no, he couldn't. He had to go look for her and save her.
“I’m leaving!” Big Mac stormed off, almost out the door, right as Braeburn and the group of guards stopped him at the Bunkers opening.
“I’m sorry Mr. Big Mac, we cant let you do that.” Said the ‘leader’, in a almost whimpering voice, as if he was afraid for saying this Big Mac would squash him.
“Step aside, nothing is getting in my way of saving my sister.” Pushing the four to the side and swiped the card that was given to him by Granny Smith that aloud him to enter and leave the Bunker.
“Mr. Big Mac, our weather channels have predicted acid rain for the next couple of hours, unless you want to burn to death. I suggest you stay here and let our medics treat your scars.”
Everypony of the Apple Family, what was left of them that is, gave Big Mac the saddest face anypony could imagine. They obviously didn't want to loose another pony from the, once great, Apple Family.
Sighing, Big Mac loosened his muscles and let them rest, almost trembling to the floor the guards caught him and brought him back to his balance. Keeping him leaning on their sides, they slowly hauled him to the medical station.

Chapter IV: Today I Met a Warrior

The wind, a cold breeze, blowing through Lightning's mane as he drove off on his Suzuki GSX-R motorcycle. Hearing nothing but the loud scream of the air rushing past his ears and the constant but faint groan of the ‘zombie’ ponies over the hill. Not caring what lane he was in, Lightning kept driving on the deserted highway, thinking about nothing but the image of the infected pony he killed just ten minutes before he left the PitStop shop. The scarce image burned into his brain, forgetting about it was impossible. Even if he tried, he couldn't, everywhere he looked was death and despair. Wasteland, all over the world, very small population still yet lived on this fiery hell pit that we, for some reason, still call ‘Equestria’. Speaking of Equestria, newly brought information Lightning had recently discovered: There seemed to be a new ‘clan’, calling themselves; ‘The New Equestria’, they sound like they mean piece and are attempting to bring salvation to the survivors of the ‘fall’. With Lightning’s info, the source apparently believes they’re here to kill us all, to ruin the world further, to rain the skies again with bombs. Lightning’s head was full of shit, he didn't want to think about this anymore. Letting go of the newsletter he was reading while driving of this new found ‘clan’, letting it blow into the wind.

Without a care, Lightning drove if into the distant road, he couldn't tell, but in the distance, he could hear screaming. Not sure if it was his imagination or just another helpless pony being devoured, not letting the matter get the best of him. He has heard enough screams for one day. But as Lightning continued down the road, the screaming became more frequent, and louder.

Finally growing an interest in this apparent screaming, he stopped his motorcycle outside of a abandoned farm house, which seemed to hold the source of the screaming. Taking a good look at the barn, he got enough detail to infer that no one has used this place in years. The barn doors were hanging lopsided both being held by just one hinge, the right door was so weather beaten that it looked like it was just about to come flying off. The once bright red paint had faded to a dull pink and was peeling in some places. Shingles were missing and there were holes here and there in the roof. Windows were broken and plants were dead. This is what most of the Wasteland looked like.

Lightning entered the barn, the constant scream of lost hope echoed through the condemned barn. The sound of screaming was coming from the far corner, behind a bale of hay. He pulled out his gun and slowly edged around the hay. There, hidden from sight, was a 4X6 hole in the ground. The screams were emanating from that cellar! Speeding his pass, Lightning hurried to the cellar doors. He proceeded to remove the barricades that were highly makeshift, they were obviously were made in a hurry. Although, the barricades seemed stiff enough to hold a small attack, they still broke. But this action wasn’t from something that was pony. Reminding himself, he pushed through the broken barricade and rushed through the crude, broken stair well. He turned and was greeted with a terrible sight.

Three zombies, eyes bloodshot, broken skin, blood mixed with their saliva, were advancing down the hallway towards and young mare. She was desperately trying to open the the door at the end of the hall. With a mighty heave the door flew open and it revealed.....gardening supplies? Quickly she riffled through the closet and pulled out a hoe. She turned to face the oncoming zombies. As soon as one was in range she pulled back and struck with all her force at its head. The sharpened edge of the hoe sliced through the flesh and bone of its skull. Blood spurting everywhere, the zombie pony stumbled, then fell. Just for good measure, she crushed its head with the flat side of the hoe. She then sliced the legs out from under the second and third zombie, crushing their heads just the same as the first. All Lightning could think was “Damn.”.

After she was finished, the Mare looked up and saw lightning standing there.
“So there’s another one of you?” she said, her voice trembling. She readied her weapon and charged at him. She planted her hooves and swung the hoe, aiming for his jugular. He watched it arc with his eyes. Before it could even scratch him, Lightning grabbed the hoe, below the sharpened head, and pulled it from the mare’s grasp. He grabbed her wrists so she wouldn’t run. Her bright green eyes widening in fear and surprise, and she scrambled to regain her balance.

"Hold the fuck on for two seconds!" he shouted, “I'm not a zombie!”
The apricot mare shook her head twice and then looked at Lightning with confusion. Releasing her, she stumbled back a couple steps, attempting to wipe blood from her face and mane, but all she did was smear it worse so that she looked like the former-ponies that she had just slaughtered.

“Where am ah?”, she asked with a southern accent.

‘A better question would be, who are you?”

“Who am ah?”, she repeated. She stopped and thought about it for a moment.

“Ah’m Applejack, and who are you? Where am ah?”, she stopped suddenly, panic rising in her eyes.

“WHERE IS MY BROTHER?!”

Chapter V: The Victim

Lightning looked at the orange and blonde pony with pity. Obviously her mind had been damaged by the months of living in the land of the dead.
“I don’t know who your brother is.” Lightning responded, quietly. “What you need to tell me is how you got here and where you came from so I can take you back.”

Applejack took a deep, shuddering breath. “Well mah brother and ah left our bunker to look for some supplies. We found this little place called the PitStop shop. But a pony had already cleared the place out. That’s when.....They attacked.” she said with a shudder. “They surrounded the store and attacked me and mah brother. He told me to run and not look back.....so...so... ah did...” Tears welled in her eyes. “Ah don’t even know if he is dead! It was so sudden! All I remember was attempting to flee on mah brothers back but ah slipped.... ah hope the wound ah gave him didn’t get him killed....” She began crying, breaking down into whimpers and tears.

Lightning shook her by the shoulders. “Calm down!” he yelled. “Now I need to know.....were you bitten?”

Applejack looked him in the eyes. More tears came to her eyes, then brimmed over. Her whole body trembling she lifted her left rear hoof and Lightning saw the tell-tale red, raised, and inflamed mark of a bite from one of the infected.

Lightning shook his head. He really didn’t want to have to shoot her, but the alternative was worse, for her. He hated this part. He reached down and began to un-holster his gun. When Applejack saw what he was doing, her eyes widened.

“Wait!” she yelled, backing up and throwing up her front legs, as if that would protect her from the bullet. “Th...they....have a cure!”

Lightning had heard rumors that the scientists in the Bunker 118 was creating a cure, but he had dismissed that for just some shred of Wasteland hope. But now apparently it was true...
This goes against every rule he set up for himself....

~“Come with me.”

~“What?”

~“Come with me, we can find the cure.”

~“Ah don’t even know you...”

~”Your not dead yet. That should be enough to tell you I wont hurt you.”

~”You could just be....saving...me for later...”

Lightning put his hooves on either side of her face and made her look straight into his eyes.

“I promise, on my life, that I will not hurt you, nor will I let anyone else hurt you until you are out of my care. Do you understand?”

He held out his hoof to the apricot pony. She took it with her own, rather reluctantly, then followed him out of the cellar, and back out into the barn.

“Now tell me, where did you come from?”

“Ah came from Bunker 18. Its a ways away but its not that far, because this....” she stopped and looked back at the broken and roting barn. “This used to be mah home...” she voice trailed off, her mind back in happier times.

“Which way is it?”

“Its about a two week walk that way.” she pointed over the hill, back the way Lightning had ridden. That meant its about a three day travel on motorcycle. Would she last that long? Even though the bite mark looked terrible, she wasn’t even limping yet. He really didn’t want to have to shoot such a beautiful and able-bodied Mare....

“Well then we better get going.” Lightning said. He helped Applejack onto the bike and strapped her in. He pulled out a couple rags and made a makeshift gauze for her wound. He started the bike and looked over his shoulder.

“You better hold on, I tend to speed a lot.” he said with a smile. He gunned it and they roared down the highway. Applejack, holding tight on to his waist, had never been this excited, or scared. Was he really who he said he was? Was she really being taken back to Bunker 18. Also....

~“Whats your name?”

~“Lightning” he said, staring straight ahead. “Lightning Storm.”

Chapter VII: Home Is Where The Heart Used To Be

After three days and nights on the road, with a couple misadventures, the two had grown closer as friends. Applejack no longer distrusted Lightning, he had saved her life one too many times. They had lost his bike, so she was riding on his back and resting her head on his neck when they reached the Bunker.

It looked terrible. Bunkers were make so that just the top was exposed. The top was a low, ten by ten building make of one foot thick steel. The door was bolted from the inside with giant steel deadbolts. But the most amazing thing about the Bunkers was what lied underneath the ground. Miles and miles of tubes and hallways made to house whole towns and generations afterwards. But this one....it looked like a bomb was dropped right on top of it. Scorch marks, gouges in the metal skin, and the door....the door looked like someone had poured something on it that caused it to decay.

Applejack stared at the bunker. She slipped of his back and started walking towards it in a stupor. She stopped after a few feet then fell to her knees in despair.

“What happened here!?” She asked Lightning in complete confusion, her sadness completely ruining the happiness she had once felt.

“The hell happened...? Fuck! Did this place get hit too?!” Lightning turned to Applejack, his expression was in complete disbelief.

She looked back at him with confusion and fear. “Hit by what? HIT BY WHAT!?” She scrambled to her feet and ran over to him. The wound in her hoof was starting to cause her to limp and there was blood staining the rags. She slumped against his side.

“The Death Hunters, I know how they work, they burn the doors with acid to force them open.” Lightning stomped his hooves into the ground in frustration. “When did you leave this bunker? How long ago?”

Applejack stopped in thought, but Lightning could see the panic in her eyes. “Almost three weeks ago” she replied.

“And you were out for 2 weeks before They attacked you?” Lightning asked, loosing patience.

“Yes, ah was in the cellar for about two days before you found me”

“Shit, anything could have happened here in that ti-” Lightning was quickly interrupted by some other pony far off in the watch tower, suddenly a bright white light shone over them.

“Who in the hell is that? Hey you! Do you have a permit to be on this property?!” The pony asked through a loud megaphone.

“He- Hey! Applejack! Someones here! He looks official too, that means the people in this Bunker could still be alive!”

Applejack looked up at the shouting pony. “Who is that!” she yelled so that he could hear her.

“Better question is; who the fuck are you two and why are you here? We already have been raided, so scat, you nasty reavers!”

“We are NOT reavers, and if you do not mind, this young Mare lives here and she would like to go HOME. You got that hard-ass?” Lighting boasted.

“Hu.... um.... What family group? And you are required to have a signed passport to enter this Bunker, which is under lock down from Bunker raids just recently.” The unclassified pony began to stumble over his words, and just continued to mutter.

“The Apple Family.” Applejack replied.

“The... the Apple Family? You wouldn’t happen to be... Applejack, wou- would you now?”

“Ye- yes! That’s me! Please tell me everyone is okay!” Applejack demanded a good response.

“Everyone of the Apple Family is OK and well... but... not everyone of your relatives are here, they distrusted this Bunker, some either left or stayed, and waited for you.” The pony replied, still stuttering his words.

“Left!? How... how many are left?” Applejack asked.

Lightning could tell Applejack was scared to hear the answer, she was putting a lot of pressure on his side now.

“I’m afraid... Only four waited for your return.” The anonymous pony said, almost too quietly for them to hear.

Applejack released all of her weight onto Lightning, she was stunned by the fact that her entire family has disbanded. Catching her, Lightning pushed her back onto her hooves. She then fell to the ground, bawling, not caring how she looked while doing it. She stayed like this for a while, Lightning not knowing what to do. Suddenly, a southern accent was heard across the open field. Applejack slowly stopped crying when she heard the familiar voice. Applejack instantly realized who it was. She stood up and faced the melted door, hope in her eyes.

“Couz’? Is that you?!”

Chapter VII: Crisis

Applejack ran up to her cousin and embraced him. When she finished hugging Braeburn, she held him out at arms length to get a good look at him. He had received a few scars from the raid and it looked like his nose had been broken. He looked slimmer than she remembered, but Applejack was still so happy to see him.

“So who all is left here?” she asked, fearing the answer.

“Granny Smith, Carrot Top, me, and...” he paused, “...and Big Mac.”

Applejack’s face lit up with joy when she heard the news. “HE MADE IT!?” she gleefully lifted up her front hooves and waved them around in pure joy. Letting out a happy; “Yeehaww!” Then she let out a cry of pain and collapsed as her leg gave away from under her.

“Cous’! Are you alright?” Braeburn asked reaching down for her hoof.

Lightning rushed forward. “Don’t touch it!” He pushed Braeburn’s hoof away from the bite, and picked up Applejack. He pulled the rags off of her leg and saw the bite underneath.

It had gotten much worse. The bite itself was a ghastly green and had become inflamed. it had risen and inch from the rest of her skin. Tendrils of red has started to snake their way through the veins closest to the bite, a sure sign of blood poising. The rags were stained with her blood and puss from the wound. In the distant hallway, everyone could hear somepony gagging and then quickly throwing up. Lightning just looked at it. he had no idea what he was going to do, the transformation had taken its time originally, now it was speeding up. How much time did she have?

Braeburn looked at lightning. “And who in the hay are you!”

Lightning looked at braeburn. “My name is Lightning. I’m the one who saved this young Mare, now if you don’t mind, she needs medical attention.” and with that he walked past Braeburn, still carrying Applejack.

“Ah can walk!” she protested, so Lightning put her on her hooves. She took two steps, then collapsed. She let out a cry of frustration, then looked at Lightning. “What does a Mare have to do to get some help around here?” Lightning just smiled and shook his head. he picked her back up and turned to braeburn.

“Where is the hospital?”

He pointed to the corner of the room, where two doors stood. “Take the elevator down three floors and then second door on your right, but Ah’m coming with you.....”
When they reached the hospital, Braeburn went ahead to tell the doctors what was wrong with Applejack. After carrying her for a couple minutes, Lightning could feel heat radiating off of her. She was burning with fever. How could she have taken all this without even letting him know? She was definitely a strong Mare....

Suddenly, a white suited nurse walked out of the hospital doors. When She saw Applejack her eyes widened.

“OH MY GOD!” the nurse yelled, back-peddling away from the two. “its worse than I thought, please bring her this way. And hurry!” She turned and galloped down the hallway towards the doors at the end. Lightning followed her as fast as possible. when she reached the doors, she flung then open. “Doctor! Doctor! Where are you!”

Another white suited pony stepped into the room. She was a purple unicorn with a deep blue mane and tail, with a pink and purple stripe running down the middle. Her eyes were kind and intelligent, though hardened from months of living underground with the wounded. the name on her lab coat said “Dr. Sparkle”

“What is going on here?” Twilight asked.

Chapter VIII: Reunion

“We have another infected to treat!” said the nurse.

“OK, OK. Calm down” said Twilight, gently touching the nurse on the shoulder. “It’s not like this is new...” she stopped when she saw Lightning. Her eyes moved to the patient in his arms. She let out a scream when she saw who it was

“APPLEJACK!!” she rushed over to her, and her eyes instantly found the source of the problem.

Applejack, who until now had been resting, opened her weary eyes and slowly focused on the unicorn in front of her. “Twi... is that you?” she asked, then let her head fall onto Lightning’s chest and passed out.

Twilight turned to the nurse. “Prepare the operating room, NOW” The nurse rushed off to carry out her task, and Twilight turned back to the other two. She looked at Lightning, breathing heavily, and asked, “How long has she been like this?

“She was fine until this morning” he reported, “Then it hit hard.”

“Well its good that you brought her now, we will be able to halt the infection.”

“What, you don’t have the cure?” he asked, wondering if this trip was a waste.

“No. But we have antibiotics that can halt the infection until the cure can be administered.

“So this trip WAS a waste! I could have gotten her to 118 by now and had this infection cured!” He stomped his hoof on the floor, awakening the sleeping Applejack

“...BIG MAC!!” she woke with a start, fear and panic in her eyes. She tried to escape Lightning’s arms. “AH NEED TO SEE MAH BROTHER!”

“NURSE!” Twilight called, “We need a sedative!”

The nurse came galloping out of the doors to the operating room, carrying a syringe in her teeth. She dropped it in Twilight’s outstretched hoof.

“I need you to hold her still.” she said to Lightning, over the cries of “BIG MAC” coming from Applejack. “Very still. Do you understand?”

Lightning nodded and held Applejack’s two front hooves tight. The nurse grabbed the back two, being very careful not to touch he bite wound. When they were ready, Twilight pushed the needle into Applejack’s upper thigh and hit the plunger, emptying the contained fluids into her blood stream. Immediately her eyelids began to flutter. With one last “Ah want....mah...brother....” her head hit Lightning’s chest for the second time and she was gone.

Twilight withdrew the needle and let out a loud sigh. “Well that was eventful.” she turned back to her nurse. “Miss Redheart, is the room ready?”

“Yes ma’am, everything is prepared.”

“Good, get a gurney for this Mare please, and also someone bring in Mr. Braeburn to the room as well. If i am right we will need him.”

“Yes ma’am” and the nurse was gone. A minute later she returned with a gurney and Braeburn with her. Lightning put Applejack down gently on the stretcher, and then put the blanket on her. He turned back to Twilight.

“Will she make it?”

“I am positive that she will.” she responded. “Now please we must hurry, but I would like to talk to you after the surgery. Will that be alright?”

“Of course, I have nowhere to go until she is healed.”

“Thank you.” and with that she turned and pushed Applejack into the operating room. Lightning sat down on one of the comfortable, yet slightly mushy, chairs in the lobby and waited. That was how he was for the next hour. Until Twilight re-emerged with a sad look in her eyes.

Chapter IX: A Life For A Life

Lightning saw the look in her eyes and instantly felt heartbroken. She couldn’t be...it wasn’t possible.... He opened his mouth to ask but she just shook her head.

“It wasn’t her. Someone else lost their own battle against the infection.”

Lightning’s heart re-inflated. She wasn’t dead! She survived! But...

“Who died?”

“One of our local ponies named Bon Bon. She was a great help down here, always talking to the patients and bringing joy to this level....” she stopped and wiped a tear from her muzzle. She took a shuddering gasp, then continued, her voice trembling. “Well, would you like to see Applejack?”

“Yes I would”

“OK. This way please” she held the door open and he walked in. They passed the mortuary almost immediately. Through the open door Lightning could see a cream colored Mare with a pink and blue mane, lying in a bed. It looked like she could have been sleeping, but Lightning knew otherwise Sitting on a chair next to her was a light green mare with a turquoise and white mane. Her eyes were red and puffy and it looked like she was crying, but no tears were coming. How long had she been there, without being able to cry anymore?

He had not realized but he had stopped in the doorway, starring at the scene within. Months of living above had rendered any show of affection or emotion, except pain and hate, alien to him. He didn’t know how long he had been standing there before Twilight took him by the arm and led him away.

“Was that...?”

“Yes that was Bon Bon.”

“And who was the other Mare?”

“Her partner, Lyra. They’ve been together for years now, even before the initial infection. She had changed after Bon Bon was bitten, but she had almost returned to normal. Now...we might need to medicate her so that she doesn’t try to.....” she paused on the words, but Lightning knew what she was going to say

“Kill herself.” he finished.

“Yes” Twilight looked him in the eyes, a strange look in her own. “We call the ones who have been bitten, but are on antibiotics, “The Walking Damned” because we never will know if they will reject the drug, or take it for a while, just to have it get rejected later. Sometimes it works perfectly, other times.....” she looked back at the mortuary door, where they could hear Lyra’s dry sobs coming from. “That is how life is down here.” They stopped outside a closed door, and Twilight opened it with her I.D. badge.

“She is in here, but let me come in to show you what has been done.”

“Of course.” Twilight nodded and walked in first, then Lightning followed. What he saw almost made him collapse.

Applejack was in a bed just like the one Bon Bon was in, but this time the occupant was alive. Her fur was a paled version of before, like the inside of an orange. Her eyes were shut, but he could see them moving beneath the lids. Wires connected her to various machines, and her heart was beeping faster than it should have been. She looked more machine than Mare now, and Lightning hated it.

Twilight looked at him as he steadied himself. “So what did you do?”

“Well...we opened the bite wound. Then we removed the infected skin and drained the puss. But we ran into a problem. The infection causes wounds to not heal by them selves, so we needed a skin graft to cover the wound. We looked for the best color match but no one in the bunker is the same bright orange as her, so we went with the next best thing....”

“Which was......?” Lightning asked, fearing the answer.

Braeburn stepped in front of him and removed his hat. Then he pulled back him mane from the right side of his neck. There Lightning could see a three by three inch bandage on his neck, which meant....

“You donated?”

“Yes I did. I would do anything to help my cousin. I would die for her.”

Twilight jumped back into the conversation, sensing the tension. “The fur won’t be the same color anymore, but it was the best we could do. After the surgery we administered the antibiotics. We will keep her under for a couple days until the antibiotics completely fills her system because we have found that it causes intense pain if they are awake, so we knock them out.”

“How long until she can wake up?”

“Maybe.....three or four days. Would you follow me please, we need to talk.” she walked out of the room and Lightning followed her, leaving Braeburn to watch over Applejack. As they walked down the hall they passes the mortuary. Lightning looked in and saw that Lyra had, once again, found tears.

Chapter X: Discovery

Lighting followed Twilight out of the hospital and into the waiting area. From there they made a right turn and when into her office. She sat down behind the desk and looked at him with a concerned look in her eyes.

“Thank you for bringing her back to us. After she disappeared a week ago, we thought that she had died up there...” she paused, trying to place her next words carefully. “I don’t think we have introduced ourselves yet. I am Twilight Sparkle. I am the person in charge of the infected civilians. And you are?”

“Lightning Storm.”

“That’s a nice name. Where did you find Applejack?”

“I found her in her old barn... home, being surrounded by zombies, but being the strong pony she seems to be, she killed them all off, with a hoe.”

This caused twilight to chuckle. “Typical Applejack, strong to the finish. How long ago was that?”

“Four days, maybe.”

Twilight’s eyes widened. “Four days!. Most of the patients succumb to the infection much sooner. But that is like Applejack.”

Lightning suddenly had a question. “How do you know so much about the infection? Wouldn’t it be hard to get near the zombies to study them?”

Twilight smiled. “You would think so, wouldn’t you? But, please, follow me.” She led him out of her office and down to a couple of thick doors, guarded with an I.D. scanner. Twilight pushed her I.D. against it, and the doors opened. Inside was a laboratory filled with banks of computers and tables of liquids. All different types of ponies were running around, carrying out experiments and typing on the computers. Lightning looked at the closest one and saw the complicated spiral of a Double Helix. The rose colored Mare at the computer was using a strange looking glove to interact with the computer, deconstructing and examining, small parts of the DNA.

Twilight pushed him passed all this and led him to another pair of door, this time guarded by two I.D. scanners. She looked around, and she spotted someone.

“Doctor Whooves! Could you help me with this?”
A light brown stallion with a spiky, dark brown mane answered the call. He nodded at Twilight and they pushed their I.D.s on the scanners at the same time. The doors hissed, then opened, revealing a dimly lit room behind them.

Doctor Whooves looked at Lightning, then looked back to Twilight. “Do you really want him to see this?”

Twilight looked at him with determination. “Yes he needs to know how this is done.”

“OK, Just remember last time...” Whooves said as he walked back to his post.

Lightning looked quizzically. “Last time?”

Twilight shot a mad look at Doctor Whooves, then sighed deeply. “Never mind, just follow me...” she walked into the room and Lightning followed. Inside there was two computers, and a large button on the wall under a keypad. Twilight pushed the button and Lightning gasped.

The wall opposite the computers fell away and Lightning could see that a thick wall of plexi-glass formed a window. Beyond the window was just black, until Twilight punched in a code on the keypad. The room beyond filled with light and Lightning gasped even louder.

Zombies. Dozens of them. All wondering around in a giant room. A few near the window noticed them and charged, but they just bounced off the plexi-glass. However they continued to scratch at the window in vain. What was this?

“This is our testing facility. Here we study them, conduct experiments, and try to find out what started this.”

Lightning could not believe his eyes. Months of killing these things, just to find that these ponies are...protecting them! This wasn’t right! These monsters should have been killed! he was about to turn to yell at Twilight when he noticed something.

A lone zombie was in a plexi-glass cage of his own, separate from the rest.

“Whats up with that one?” Lightning asked pointing at the lone zombie.

“I’ll show you” Twilight said. She punched a code into the keypad. C42. A hatch opened up in the ceiling of the “testing facility” and a side of raw beef dropped in. The reaction was immediate and terrifying.

The zombie closest to the meat fell upon it instantly. They ripped and tore and ate. as the smell of the food spread around the chamber, other zombies galloped towards the meat, but within seconds the entire thing was gone.

“You see how these react, now watch that one.” she punched in another code. A99. This time the hatch over the lone zombie opened, and a bunch of apples dropped in. Just like with the other zombies, he immediately fell upon the food and, within seconds, it was gone.

“That is why he is separated from the rest. He is the first vegetarian zombie we have encountered. We nicknamed him “Crocker”. The ponies here are tying to figure out why he is not eating meat. What makes him different? What...” she stopped when she saw Lightning looking at her. “You hate us don’t you?”

“I don’t hate you, I just don’t see why you are doing this though. These things are monsters and they need to die!” he finished with a yell, causing Twilight ti shrink back towards the computers

“I thought you would understand. I didn’t want this to happen again...” she looked crestfallen. She took a deep breath and continued. “The last time I showed someone this, they decided to leave the bunker, and they got attacked I had to operate on them just now...”

Lightning took a minute to understand this. “You mean Applejack....”

“Yes, my best friend is now one of the Damned, AND ITS MY FAULT!” she yelled, and bucked the table, causing the computers to crash to the floor. Dead silence, in and out of the observation room. Lighting felt really uncomfortable.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know....”

“It’s not your fault. If you would like to go see Applejack again you can, just get a nurse-” her voice broke on the word. She swallowed and tried again. “Just get a nurse to open the door to her room.”

“OK” he started to leave the room

Twilight called back to him. “Wait, can you shut the door, please?” He nodded and did as he was told, but just before he thought he heard a small sob...

Lightning walked back down the halls to Applejack’s room. When the door was opened, he saw Braeburn asleep in one of the chairs, next to her bed. Lightning smiled and looked down at Applejack. In her sleeping form, she looked so calm and peaceful. Her lips twitched slightly, her dreams pure and calmed....

Chapter XI: Dreams

Pain. Blinding, searing, roaring pain.

Calm. Easing, soothing, replenishing calm.

Then pain.

Then calm.

Pain.

Calm.

The pain brought with it red.

The calm brought blue.

The pain brought every bad day she had.

The calm brought every good day.

The pain brought fear.

The calm brought happiness.

The pain brought the zombies.

The calm brought her family.

Pain.

Calm.

Pain.

Calm.

She didn’t know how long this was going on for. The last she remembered was being shot with the sedative. Was this what the antibiotics were like? And how long was this going to go on for?

Pain.

Calm.

Pain.

Calm.

Pain.

Calm.

Pain.

Calm.

Pain.

Calm.

She opened her eyes and she saw the white of the hospital fluorescent lights. Then she saw a smiling face take its place. She recoiled before she could see who it was.

“Couz!”

Chapter XII: Farewells

Applejack raised her head off of the pillow, groaning. “How long was ah out?”

Braeburn looked worried about answering. “About four days”

“Four days!” her eyes flew open with panic. Four days and she still hasn’t seen Big Mac yet! Then she remembered who brought her here. “Where is Lightning?”

Braeburn stepped out side, “She wants to see you.” Lightning walked into the room. he met her eyes once, then looked away. Why? He turned and whispered something into Braeburn’s ear, who shook his head.

“What is it?” she asked, was there something wrong with her? Braeburn shot Lightning a dirty look, then took a deep breath.

“Ah don’t know how Ah’m gonna say this, but.....You have to stay here.”

Applejack looked at him, clueless. “What do you mean?”

Braeburn looked at Lightning for help. Lightning walked up and sat down next to Applejack, and took her hoof in his own.

“You know how I said I was going to take you to Bunker 118.”

Of course she did, it was where the cure was. It also meant being able to spend more time with him.... But what was this look in his eyes? Sadness, pity, grief? What had happened?

“I spoke to twilight. Even if you are on the antibiotics....you wont be able to travel. I’m sorry.”

The whole world stopped as she processed this. She couldn’t go with him? She was confined to the Bunker now? For how long? Was she ever going to see him again? But the only thing she could say was..

“Huh?”

“I’m sorry, but I have to do this alone. I will be back with the Cure, but until then, this is goodbye.”

She still could not process what she was being told. He was leaving her, possibly forever. Why would he do this?

“Your leaving me?”

“Yes, for now. It is the only way... I’m sorry.”

She was angry now. “No it’s not! You could take me with you! Ah don’t CARE what Twilight says! Its mah life, and ah’ll do what Ah want to do!” and with that she swung her legs out of the bed. Lightning saw the piece of skin that had once been Braeburn’s, stitched to her leg. The moment her legs hit the floor, she collapsed. The I.V. ripped out of her arm, making blood fall onto the floor. Her heart rate monitor started going mad, and her breathing rapidly sped up.

Braeburn rushed to her side and put her back into the bed. A nurse entered the room, panicking, and replaced her I.V. and the bag of blood attached to it, then she injected a sedative into her arm. When this was done Lightning looked into her eyes.

“This is why you have to stay here, you are too weak. I don’t want to bring you along, just to have you get hurt more, or...or...die...” He got up to leave, the sedative already taking effect. he turned when he heard her call.

“Wait! I just want you to know...I...I..love....” and she was gone. Her head hit the pillow and the heart rate monitor slowed down. Lightning looked down at her, the Mare he had risked his life to save. This could be the last time he would see her.

His eyes fogging over, he walked back over to her, knelt, and kissed her on the forehead. Then he stood up, shook hooves with Braeburn, and left the room.

Chapter XIII: Relations

Lightning hung his head, as he walked through the depressing hallways of the bunker hospital, the constant yelling between the doctors and the nurses roared in his ears as he kept on his course towards the exit door. Frequently, newly arriving patients came bursting through doors and throughout the corridors and hallways, ignoring him, the nurses pushing the endangered ponies sped passed Lightning.

“Lightning!” A familiar voice yelled across the noise of the nurses and doctors around them.

“Dr. Twilight, is that you?” Lightning requested an answer as a purple unicorn came galloping towards him.

“... I’m probably certain the news wasn't good to either of you...” Twilight suggested.

Lightning let out a deep sigh; “No, shes... shes pissed. But I guess it was the only way, besides, what would happen if she ‘were’ to come along? She would have dropped dead, shes too weak for sudden action.”

“Yes... Of course, lets just hope this Bunker 118 mumbo-jumbo isn't a complete myth.”

“Yeah... lets hope... Now, about this expedition. Is there any place I can resupply my ammunition?”

“As a matter of fact, we do have a Armory. You should see it on the maps scattered around the Bunker.”

“So, I guess I’m going at this all on my lonesome?”

“That seems to be the case, Big Mac is injured, no pony has the experience, and I can’t go, to many patients to attend too.” Twilight said looking at the passing patient carriers.

“Well, that isn’t a big problem. I have handled myself for ten years alone in this shit stain that we still call Equestria.”

“That’s great to hear! At least now I can tell I won’t be losing yet another friend.”

Lightning was puzzled by the fact that Twilight thought they were friends. He felt more like acquaintances, and just thinking about dieing in Bunker 118 brought Lightning back to his depression. Twilight would loose, yet another, friend.

“Dr. Twilight! You are needed in the E.R, QUICKLY!” A nurse quickly appeared by Twilight’s side and directed her towards the hallway leading to a door with a glowing neon sign, saying; EMERGENCY ROOM.

“Confound! This looks like where we part ways Mr. Storm. Good luck, friend.” Twilight quickly said, shaking Lightning’s hoof, then quickly galloping off into the doors with the nurse.

Lightning proceeded walking towards the exit of the Bunker. As he stepped onto the, dead lying, grass. He inhaled deeply. Resulting with his lunges giving out. He began to severely cough. “For fuck sake...” Lightning yelled out, walking back down into the Bunker, towards the Armory.

Following the maps leading towards that armory. Lightning finally discovered the hallway leading to it. It was guarded by two ponies covered in dark leather armor, both holding a M14, with a holstered M9 on their thigh. He approached them and asked if he could enter. After a frisk, they let him pass. The room was dim, but light enough to see all of the metal crates and boxes scattered around across the walls. In front of him was a long-going row of gun caches. Protected by a metal grate, the only thing separating him from the glorious possessions that awaited inside.

“Let me get that for you.” A sudden voice came echoing through-out the metallic room. Suddenly the grates separating Lightning from the rows and rows of weaponry slowly raised into the ceiling.

Lightning turned around to find the source of the kind gesture. “Who is that?”

A Pegasus stepped into the cast by the barely lit light bulb. He was the same red as the sun when there is a fire. His mane was red stripped with yellow. His eyes were the same red as an open flame and, even thought the chamber was dimly lit, he seemed to have a reddish glow.

“You must be new, I’ve never seen you before. I’m Phoenix. Phoenix Fire, nice to make your acquaintance. Phoenix reached out for lightning’s hoof in an attempt to establish this sudden impression, Lightning gladly took the offer and shook his hoof, which felt warm to the touch.

He looked around at the wall of firearms. “So what all do you have here?”

Phoenix smiled as if Lightning had told a joke. “Whatever your heart, and hoof, desires. We got civilian, military, and custom weaponry here. Anything from handguns to hand grenades, and everything in between” He said this as if he had said it many times before, which he probably had.

“Oh shit! Is that a classic Remington 1187?! Oh! A 40. Cali!” Lightning began to manically laugh as he ran through the glistening assortment of weapons.

Phoenix began to chuckle along with him.

Chapter XIV: Synergy

“Oh man... I don’t know which one to pick... Lets narrow it down... Um... we got the AK-47, oh! A PSG! Um... what else? Some Beretta M.781’s...” Lightning was to distracted by his fascination with weaponry he almost completely forgot Phoenix existed until he attempted to make a conversation.

“So... What exactly are you using these weapons for?”

Suddenly, depression swept into Lightning as he remembered what he had to tell Applejack. “I... I’m going on an expedition to Bunker 118. I’m doing it for... lets just say... um... My...um.. friend.”

“Oh?” Phoenix said, then it dawned on him. “Oh, I get it, for someone special, that’s cool”

“No! It isn’t cool! Shes dieing! Shes... Infected!”

“So you’re going to get the cure?”

“Yes. Precisely, and I’m going alone.”

“Alone? You do realise a ton of shit has happened down in Bunker 118 right?”

“Um, no shit Sherlock Hoovlems. That’s why I'm going alone. No one else well loose their lives but me.”

“Dude, you need someone to watch your back. Other wise you’ll just die quicker, not to mention, in vain.”

“Still. I want to do this alone, casualties is the last thing I want... Although, you seem like the type of pony that has experience.”

“Indeed I am, I know my way around a gun, and a Mare.”

Lightning and Phoenix began to chuckle and exchange jokes.

“Haha... Alright, that’s enough” Lightning finally said, passed all of the immature jokes. Walking back to the gun caches. “Your pick.”

“Well I would recommend the USAS 12, for quick crowd control.”

“What else?”

“Well for shooting from a distance, I would suggest a M14, might want to silence it if you happen to bring it along.”

“Um... I know what you mean, but we are talking about corridors here. Turning and handling a sniper in short hallways would be a bad idea and might just slow us down.”

“Good point, might want to get a supply of pistols then. For swift movement around corners and room breaches.”

They both soon found realized they both were exchanging useless information, which lead them to continue chuckling. Phoenix held out his hoof, Lightning gladly took it again and brohoofed. Lightning suddenly realized Phoenix put pressure on his hoof, he quickly grew the instinct he wanted to hoof wrestle. He had met a new friend, that didn’t happen often.

Chapter XV: The Waters of Purity

Phoenix withdrew his hoof. “Now that you have your guns, you are going to need food and water. This way.” he started walking towards the back of the room. As Lightning followed, he could see a pair of doors in the back with a picture of silverware and a picture of a drop of water. Phoenix pulled a key chain from his jumpsuit. He opened the door and Lightning stared in wonder.

Inside was a room bigger than the one with guns. One wall was lined with crates of water. Ten feet tall racks with three cases on each shelf. On the other side was a wall lined with crates of preserved food. Lightning felt his mouth starting to water. Years of drinking out of his own muddy hoof-print. Years of eating dead grass and weeds just to stay alive. As he was starring he heard Phoenix laugh.

“That’s the typical reaction from an outsider. They think that the Bunkers are a terrible choice to make because its not “free”, but then they see this and, well, they look like you. You should see the look on your face.” He started laughing again, and Lighting had to join in.

“I guess we should just take some rations, nothing processed... It’ll spoil to fast down there.” Lightning recommended, grabbing a foam cup from the counter and filling it to the tip with water from the cooler in the corner and took a giant swig from it, letting out a loud “Ahhh”. “you know, a stallion could get used to water this pure”

“Well don’t think about it to hard. Every drop in that water has been drank and then pissed many times.” Lightning stopped drinking and looked back into the cup.

He just shrugged his shoulders. “Meh” and he went to get another drink. “I’ve had worse.”

“Oh?” Phoenix asked as if demanding Lightning to tell his worst drink in his life.

“Haha... You really don’t want to know.”

“Ah man, it’ll be nice to ‘NOT’ resort to cannibalism for a chance” Lightning said joyfully, walking towards the food counter.

“Wait... what!?”

“I’m joking, haha!”

Phoenix looked relieved. “OK good. I don’t know how many people HAVE committed cannibalism, that I HAVE shot. It’s actually kinda disturbing when you think about it...” he paused for a moment. “Anyway off topic! It’s a ten day journey to Bunker 118 on motorcycle..”

“...And I lost mine”

“So that means we need to get you a buggy, then load it up for a long journey with two people.”

“What about gas?”

Phoenix started to laugh. “Gas is obsolete. We have solar now, with enough battery power to last all day and night.”

“So where is the buggy?”

“It’s back up on the surface, and its really boss how we get to it. Follow me.” Phoenix led him back to the stairs and up to an elevator. He pushed the button labeled 1B. When the doors opened, Phoenix led Lightning down a hallway, and to another set of doors with a I.D. scanner. he pulled out his I.D. and pushed it against the scanner. The doors hissed and then opened. He walked inside and stood on a plate on the floor. Lights flared up and illuminated what was in the center of the room.

It was a tank. At least that’s what it looked liked. It was six feet tall. Armored like the Bunker itself. It had a crate on the back for food and water. Holders for guns were attached to the sides. The roof was the bright blue of a solar array. It was colored the same color as the Wasteland, but Lightning didn’t think that would matter if you are being watched by Death Hunters. Lighting looked back to Phoenix

“I think I’m in love.” This caused Phoenix to laugh.

“It’s ready to travel when you are.”

Lightning noticed something. “How do we get this out of here?”

Phoenix looked at him, a smirk spread onto his face. “Like this.” and with that he pulled a lever on the wall.

The room started to shake. Suddenly the roof started to retract into the walls. Then the floor started to rise. When they reached the top of the floors accent,Lightning just stared with awe at Phoenix.

“Like that” he said with a smile.

Chapter XVI: Preparation

“OK, I can dig this” Lightning stared at the Buggy.

“We can leave whenever you like.” Phoenix said, then he looked over his shoulder. “I think you are being called.”

Lightning looked where he was pointing. He saw Braeburn and a large red stallion standing outside of the entrance to the Bunker. Braeburn was waving him over. “I’ll be right back.” he said to Phoenix and trotted over to Braeburn.

“What’s up?” he asked Braeburn. He looked over the red stallion standing next to him. He was bandaged heavily. His left front leg was in a sling and he had stitches over his right eye.

“Big Mac here just wanted to thank you.”

The injured stallion took a painful step forward. “Thank you for bringin’ mah sister back to us. She would have died if it wasn’t for you, and Ah couldn’t do anything to help. If you ever need help, Ah’ll be there for you.”

Lightning didn’t know what to say. “Thank you.” he said, looking for the correct words. “It wasn’t a big deal, really.”

“No, it was, at least for us.” said Braeburn. He reached out his hoof and Lightning took it. “If you ever come back, please stop by and say ‘howdy’, OK?”

“I’ll make sure to take you up on that.” Lightning said as he shook Big Mac’s hoof. Then he said ‘goodbye’ and walked back to the Buggy.

“Who was that?” Phoenix asked as soon as Lighting returned.

“Just some people I know. I did them a favor, so they were just thanking me.”

“A’ight, so, you ready to leave?” he asked. “I have never actually driven this, and I really want to.”

Lightning turned back to him. “You’ve never driven this?”

“Nope. So lets do this.” He walked over and opened the passenger door. He waved his hoof at the door. “Your ride has arrived, sir.” he said with a smirk.

Lightning walked over to the door, punched him in the arm, and got in the Buggy. Phoenix just laughed and walked to the other side of the Buggy. He shut the door and pushed a small, bright green button on the dashboard, Lightning expected a roar, like when he started his bike, but what he got was just a soft hum. He looked at Phoenix and raised his eyebrows.

“Solar, you don’t make a ton of noise and attract attention to yourself. Its safer this way.”

“If you say so.” Lightning still wanted the roar of an engine.

Phoenix stopped. “Oh! Wait.” He got out and galloped back to the Bunker and opened a small metal box on the side. He pulled a lever and the floor where the Buggy rose up, started to retract back into the ground. When it was shut Lightning could see why he hadn’t seen it before. The ground covered it perfectly. The dirt and plants that were on the roof, which might have been fake, blended perfectly with the rest of the ground. If he didn’t know that something was there, he would have, and did, over-looked it.

When Phoenix returned, Lightning just said “Damn, that’s cool”

Phoenix chuckled. “That’s why I designed it that way.” and with that he pushed the accelerator, and they began their journey.

Chapter XVII: Memories

They had set off for Bunker 118. Lightning just looked out the window as they sped down the broken highway. Phoenix talked about his life in the Bunker, but Lightning wasn’t listening. He was thinking about how had had left Applejack. She hated him now, he was sure of it. And he knew what she was going to say before she passed out. This day had pretty much sucked. He decided to close his eyes for a moment.

As he laid his head against the window, he thought back to when he woke up in this world...

He opened his eyes, and above him he saw the yellow halo of the sun being covered by rain clouds. He closed his hand and felt something metal and cold. He looked and saw that he had a .357 Magnum in a contraption attached to his hoof. Standing up, he instantly felt dizzy and fell down again. He looked and saw that where his head had been there was a large rock with blood on it. His blood. He stood back up, slower this time, and looked around him. He was in a town, a small town with maybe one-hundred ponies in it. Or at least there had been.

Bodies littered the ground. Some had harnesses and weapons like him, others didn’t. He walked over to the nearest one, and instantly gagged. It looked like it had been devoured. The throat had been ripped, the stomach was gouged open, and the ground below it was stained a dark brown with the blood of its owner.

Lightning fell to his knees. His stomach tried to relieve itself, but there was nothing inside, so he just retched for a moment. When it stopped, he got off his knees and looked around. He saw his reflection in a window, at least he thought it was him. He now realized he couldn’t remember anything. He looked at the unknown stallion in the window. The stallion had a pure white coat and sky blue irises. His mane and tail were stripped. His mane had one side turquoise and one side a soft yellow. His tail was the same yellow bordered by the turquoise. His left ear had a tear in the top, like a piercing had been ripped out, most-likely from the blow from the rock.

How had he gotten here? What had caused this?

He started backing up from the window, panic setting in. The stallion in the window shared his expression. He turned and galloped away, tripping over the bodies. He didn’t know what he was running from, he was just running. Suddenly he heard a noise from behind. he turned, and his breath left him.

A pony was approaching him. Its coat was a pure grey, as was its mane and tail. Its eyes were pure and bottomless black. so muck so that the pupils was invisible and the stallion could see his terrified expression reflected back at him, upside down. The creature’s saliva was stained with red, as was its muzzle. It bared its teeth in a growl, and The stallion could see bits of meat stuck in its teeth, and the stallion was positive where they came from.

The creature took a step forward, and the stallion raised his right hoof, holding his holster readily, in case of any sudden action.

“Stop! Stop or I’ll shoot.” he took another step back. The creature took another step forward.

“OK then! I warned you... you.... What ever the fuck you things are!” he aimed the Magnum and, with the other hoof, he pulled back the hammer and then let it go.

The gun exploded with sound and fire. The bullet flew out of the barrel. It struck the creature above the right eye. It entered fine but when it struck the back of it’s skull, the whole top it’s head ripped off. Blood and brains splattered the wall behind it. It stumbled forward, then fell to the ground at the stallions hooves.

The stallion retched again, then took of galloping. He ran out of the town just as a storm started. A bolt of lightning stuck a few miles off.

Well, the stallion thought, if I can’t remember my name, I should make one up. He looked around at the the storm.

I am, Lightning Storm.

Chapter XVIII: Secrets Within

His eyes flew open, and, suddenly, all of Lightning’s air was instantly kicked out of his lungs. He began to heavily gasp for air as he gripped his chest cavity.

“Shit dude! You OK back there?!” Phoenix jumped a mile, as he looked back at the source of the loud gasping. Suddenly realising to keep his eyes on the road, swerving the car back onto the road.

“Goddamn! Can... We call it a day? My head feels like crap...” Lightning demanded still gasping and holding his torso tightly.

“Uh... No prob, but... Oh” Phoenix poked his head out of the buggies window and looked up at the grim, dark sky. The sun was faintly peaking out from the acid clouds, slowly dipping into the horizon. “Let me pull us over, ill get camp ready. You just sit back and rest up.” Phoenix replied, looking at Lightning as he jumped out the window of the buggy. Running to the backside of the buggy, Lightning saw Phoenix taking out two small cargo boxes, as he watched, Phoenix dropped the boxes down onto the flat smooth field of grass just a bit off the road. Lightning could only faintly see through the fogged window, but he could only guess what was inside the two boxes. Lightning instantly inferred the first box held a tent, as he saw Phoenix pull out a large pile of ragged, leather-ish type of material, as he set it aside from the other box. Still following Phoenix with his faint vision, Lightning could make out Phoenix trotting towards the second box. What seemed to be inside was a plastic type of handed held device. Lightning could make out a trigger near where Phoenix was holding the goofy looking thing, he saw him begin to put pressure on it, suddenly, on the other end of the plastic device, a large spark illuminated. Soon enough, a blast of gasoline flame roared. Putting the fire-starter aside, he went back to the box and pulled out log, after log from the crate. He then huddled the firewood into a makeshift circle, and commenced to set the wood pile aflame with the fire starter.

By the time he was finished, Lightning had caught his breath. He opened the passenger door and helped Phoenix put up the tent. It was a five foot by six foot bit of leather, but it was much better that what Lightning had slept in sometimes. Once that was finished they sat around the fire in silence for a while, until Phoenix spoke up.

“So, how long have you been out here? You know, in the Wastes.”

“As long as I can remember.”

“What’s it like out here?”

“Terrible, disgusting, and painful.”

“Why didn’t you join a Bunker?

“Because I didn’t.”

“Why did--?”

“Do you always ask this many questions?”

“Yes”

“OK, thanks for the warning.”

“Your quite welcome.”

They looked at each other, as serious as possible, until Phoenix cracked a smile. Then they started laughing. Lightning could feel that this was going to be a great trip.

The fire was starting to die down. Phoenix looked up at Lightning. “Could you go get some food from the car? I’ll deal with the fire.” he was looking at it with a strange look in his eyes.

“Sure” Lightning got up and went to the back of the car. Underneath a camo-colored tarp, was a crate labeled with with a drop of water and silverware, like back in the Bunker. He opened it and pulled out some dried oats and a bottle of water. He closed the crate and started walking back towards Phoenix.

When he sat down he noticed something. The fire, which had been dying, was now raging. He looked over at the pile of wood but nothing was moved, it was the same. He looked at Phoenix, questions in his eyes.

Phoenix took a deep breath. “I didn’t know how to tell you this, so I thought I would just show you.” He took another deep breath and focused on the fire. it started to flicker more rapidly. Then, suddenly, it died. Phoenix let out his breath and it started again, just like it had been before. Lightning looked in confusion at Phoenix.

“How..did...? What?!”

“I found out I could do this one day when I was a colt. A spark hit some oil and it ignited. At first I panicked, but then I remembered my fire safety training. So I took a breath and calmed down. But the weirdest thing was, the fire did as well. It shrunk when I took a breath. So I let it out, and the fire started back up again! I tried a couple more times, and it worked each time. So finally, I took a deep breath, and held it. The fire started to flicker, then died. It was like I had cut off its oxygen supply! I never really got to test it again because there are not any fires in the Bunker. But I never stopped thinking about that day.”

“So...you can control it?”

“No, it’s not control. It’s more like it....obeys me. At least to a point.” He pointed down to his flank and Lightning saw that his Cutie Mark was a Phoenix flying out of flames, ash still clinging to its tail. He looked back at the fire. “However, there is something I’ve always wanted to try...” He was holding his left wrist in his right hoof, and was looking at the fire with determination.

“What...What are you doing..?”

With no warning he thrust his hoof into the fire. He let it sit there for a few seconds. Lightning jumped up, yelling, and pushed Phoenix out of the fire. He knelt down to look at Phoenix’s hoof. he looked all over, but there wasn’t and scorch marks or burned skin. He looked up at Phoenix, who smiled and odd smile.

“Guess I was right....” then he passed out.

Chapter XIX: Hiding Regret

“Phoenix! Phoenix!” Lightning shouted. Phoenix slumped backwards and landed with his hoof back in the fire. Lightning pulled it out as fast as possible. He laid Phoenix out on his back and put his ear to Phoenix’s heart. Yes he was still alive, but unconscious. Lightning let out a sigh of relief. But, what was he going to do now?

He pulled Phoenix into the tent and put him in one of the sleeping bags that were inside. When he was safe. Lightning stepped back outside. He zipped up the tent, grabbed a gun, and settled in for the night watch. It was going to be a long night.

The next morning, Phoenix had still not woken up. When Lightning opened the tent, he could see how pale he was. Why had he done that? How COULD he have done that? He needed to ask these questions. But, of course, he couldn’t. Plus, he didn’t know the way to 118, so he was stuck until Phoenix woke up, if he woke up.

“Dammit Phoenix!” Why did you have to do that!?” He walked back to the car, and pulled back the tarp again. Inside was the crate with food and water. Another with ammo and weapons. One was filled with wood for the fire. He was replacing the tarp, then he noticed a small, grey box in the back on the truck. He pulled it out, and on the top it said “Property of Phoenix”. Lightning looked around, then realized that Phoenix was passed out. Face-hoofing, he opened the box. Inside was a necklace, a bracelet, and a picture. He pulled out the picture.

On it was a picture of Phoenix...and a Mare. Phoenix was dressed in a tuxedo and the mare was in a wedding dress. She had a dark blue mane and tail. Her eyes were a soft purple and her coat was rose colored. The picture looked like it had been taken right after they kissed because her lip-stain was still on his own lips. They were cutting the cake that had “Phoenix and Celia Live a Happy and long Life”. Around her neck and left, front hoof was a necklace and bracelet, the same ones that were in box. They looked so happy...

Lightning heard a sound come from the tent. He looked around the car and saw that Phoenix was stirring. He shut the box and replaced it. then he put the tarp back over the crates and ran over to Phoenix.

Unzipping the tent, Phoenix crawled out, then stood up, slowly. Lightning rushed over to help hold him up.

“What...What happened?” he asked, holding his head.

“You stuck your hoof into the fire, then passed out.”

“OK, remind me not to do that again.”

“Sure. Do you think you can drive?”

“Yeah, I feel better now” he took Lightning’s arm off his shoulders and started walking towards the Buggy. “Let’s go to 118”

Chapter XX: Arrival

Phoenix and Lightning had been driving for a couple more days. According to Phoenix, 118 was only 2 days away, this morning, so they should reach it tomorrow. After the mishap, Phoenix had not tried to do anything with the fire, and he was no longer pale like he was that one day.

The weird thing was, they had not seen a zombie since they set off. They had found a town a few days back. But it had been completely destroyed, and all resources taken. Now they were sitting in the Buggy, and Lightning finally built up enough courage to ask...

“So...where is Celia?”

Phoenix’s eyes darted over to Lightning, then fell back onto the road. “You looked in the box, didn’t you?”

“Yes”

Phoenix sighed heavily. “She..she left me.”

“Oh...I’m sorry...’ he didn’t know what to say.

“It’s not your fault. I would have looked in there as well if I were you.” He paused, his eyes a million miles away. “She was the best thing that ever happened to me. She was smart, beautiful, and kind. We met one day after I cut my hoof working on the Buggy. She was the receptionist in the hospital that day. If that saw hadn’t slipped, I never would have met her. She was an extremely intelligent Mare. She had majored Pathology, the study of diseases. Kinda ironic if you think about it. Then one day, she was called into a meeting. They told her that she was being shipped off to to another Bunker. Bunker 12, I think.”

“Well, when we are done here, Why don’t you head over there and see her?”

“Yeah, you’re right! You know what, I will.” Phoenix looked happy now. “We are still married, but we haven seen each other in four years. I really miss her...” his voice trailed off. “Did you leave anyone behind?” he asked.

Lightning thought back to the beginning, well what was the beginning for him, because of his amnesia.

“I don’t think so..” he said

“What you can’t remember?”

“To tell the truth, no I can’t. I woke up in a town, and I couldn’t remember anything. That was my first experience with the infected. I have been wondering ever since. So, no, I can’t remember.”

“Wow. That really sucks, man. How long?”

“Ten years.”

“Damn. So, why didn’t you join a Bunker. It’s got to be better than what’s out here.” he gestured around to the wasteland.

Because...it’s not what in wanted for myself. I would rather just roam. Plus, if I had been in a Bunker I would have never met Applejack....”

Phoenix raised his eyebrows. “And who is that?”

Lightning could fell himself blush. “She is the Mare that is infected. The one that I am doing this for. I met her while I was wondering “out here”.” He turned to look out the window. Did she hate him now? He was sure she did.

“You didn’t leave under the best terms, did you?”

Lightning sighed. “No, I just left her there, in the hospital. Now I’m sure she hates me”

Phoenix shook his head. “She doesn’t. Anyone willing to risk their life for a Mare, is going to get them in the end.”

This made Lightning smile. “Thanks, man.”

“No problem.” he looked up at the sky. “Its getting pretty dark. Why don’t we make camp here?” he pulled the Buggy over and unloaded it, just like they had done the past few nights.

Lightning grabbed a gun and pulled up a rock. “I’ll take first watch, you get some rest.” Phoenix nodded, and entered the tent. A few minutes later Lightning could here him snoring. Lightning smirked. How could Celia even sleep with that noise? He Liked to take the first watch. this was his favorite time of the night. he could also be alone with his thoughts. But not this night.

He was sitting on the rock, thinking about Applejack, when he heard a twig snap behind him.

Not turning around, he said, “Phoenix?. Is that you?”. No answer. “Alright. If you get shot its not my fault.” He vaulted off the rock and turned around, gun at the ready.

It was a zombie. But, as his eyes adjusted to the dark, he could see more clearly. It was a whole swarm. Thirty of forty of them.

“PHOENIX!!” Lightning yelled, as he took off, running and shooting. “PHOENIX!! WAKE UP!!”

He managed to hit a couple in the head, blood pouring from the wounds, but they just kept coming. Phoenix stepped out of the tent, his eyes widening. He took off galloping at full speed towards the Buggy. When he reached it, he yelled “COVER ME!!” and her started rifling through the ammo crate. Lightning started to fire at the zombie coming their way.

“What are you looking for!!” he yelled at Phoenix, who was still searching in the crate.

“THIS” he yelled, and pulled out a SMG. He pulled the trigger and the barrel exploded. Zombies fell left and right, their heads and chest exploding. But was it going to be enough?

The gun stopped firing. “Why did you stop!?”

“Its out of ammo!! Cover me again!” he dived back into the crate. Lightning continued to fire, but he was almost out of ammo as well.

“What now!! What else could you have in there?!”

He pulled out the USAS 12 out of the crate. He pulled the trigger and the nearest zombies head exploded, showering them with blood and gore. Phoenix turned to the next one and it’s head exploded as well. He turned his head to Lightning, who had stopped firing.

“What the hell are you doing!? Help me!”

Lightning realized he had stopped, then took aim and started firing again. After a few minutes the last zombie was dead. They stood there, breathing heavily, for a few seconds, then slumped to the ground, exhausted. After a moment, Phoenix got up and opened the Buggy. He came back and tossed something small, and plastic to lightning.

“Open it. You can get the blood off.

Lightning looked and saw that it was a wet nap from Appaloosa Fried Oats. He opened it and wiped the blood off of his face and chest. When he was finished, he stood up and walked over to Phoenix. He stuck out his hoof. “Good job” he said, still breathing heavily. Phoenix smiled and shook his hoof.

“Same to you.”

As phoenix turned to shut the car door, something landed on him, growling and spitting. It was a zombie. Before Lightning could pull out his gun, a shot roared across the plains, then slowly echoed away. The zombie fell to the side, its head pouring blood onto Phoenix. He pushed it aside, and ran a couple feet away.

“That was a nice shot Phoenix.” Lightning said, just now re-catching his breath.

“It wasn’t me.”

“Well it wasn’t me.”

“Then who was it?”

They heard a footstep behind them. They turned and drew their weapons. But what they saw wasn’t a zombie. She stood their holstering her MP5. By the firelight, they could see that she had tinted white fur, teal irises, and a light blue mane. Her tail was the same color but with a purple stripe down the side. Her mane was held back by a hair band that was the same color as the stripe on her tail. She was also a unicorn.

“Who are you?” Lightning asked.

“My name is Cora Vance. I would ask yours but your friend is injured.”

Phoenix looked up. “What!? No I’m not!” Then with no warning, he yelled out in pain and grabbed his wing.

“That’s what happens when adrenaline wears off. Just hold still.” She started to walk over to him. So he started to back up, tripping over the zombie’s corpse.

“Do you think I would save your life, just to hurt you?”

“Well..no...”

“Then hold still.” her horn began to glow. She pressed it against his wing. His face clenched in pain, then it relaxed. His wing glowed, the same pure white as her magic. She remover her horn, and the glow slowly faded from his wing. When it did, he extended it, then flapped it. Laughing, he jumped off the ground. He hovered for a moment, then did a couple loops in the air before landing next to Lightning.

“Show off.”

“Shut up.”

Cora looked pleased. “Now, where were we?”

“Our names.” offered Lightning.

“Right!.” She looked at them.

“I’m Lightning Storm” said Lightning Storm

“And I’m Phoenix Fire.” said Phoenix Fire

“I am, as I said, Cora Vance.” she looked at Phoenix.

“What? OH! Right. Thanks for saving me.”

“It was no trouble. I’ve never seen anyone survive an attack like that. Well I’ve never seen this before, either.” she walked over to the Buggy. “Where are you two coming from?” she asked while investigating the car.

“From Bunker 18.” answered Phoenix.

“And where are you heading to? she asked as she turned back to face them.

“Bunker 118.” answered Lightning. “We are getting some of the Cure to bring back to 18.”

“Well that’s a coincidence. I am heading there myself. Would you mind if I tag along?”

Phoenix looked wary. “Well..”

Cora looked down at the zombie that had almost ended his life. “It looks like you could use a hand.”

“Well I guess that settles it. Yeah, you can come along.”

Phoenix looked over at Lightning. “Are you serious.”

“She saved your life. We could use her.”

“Whatever.” he started walking back towards the tent.

“Sorry about him, I don’t think he trust people out here,”

“It’s not his fault. But I think we should move, we would have attracted more of them.”

“Your probably right. Phoenix! Cora thinks we should move.”

“Fine, fine” he started packing up the tent.

“I’ll be right back.’ he said to Cora, and trotted over to Phoenix. What’s the matter with you?”

Phoenix threw down a bit of the tent. “She just walked in here, and you want us trust her!”

“She fixed your wing.”

“So! That doesn’t mean anything! She could still kill us later! What do we have to say that she won’t do that?!”

Lightning took a deep breath. How was he going to explain this. “Out here, you can rely on yourself, which is fine, or you can rely on yourself AND others. That is a little more dangerous, but the rewards are much greater. To rely on others is to place your life in their hands, and the reverse is also true. To rely on others is the best, and worst, thing to do out here. That is what she wants to do, so we must honor that.”

Phoenix looked up at Lightning for a second, then averted his eyes. “I guess..”

“‘I guess’” Lightning quoted. “I need something better than that.

Phoenix stood up, the tent was now disassembled. “If you are willing to trust her, than so am I.”

“There we go!” he picked up the tent and carried it over to the car. Then he noticed a problem. “Phoenix? Where is Cora going to sit?” The Buggy had two seats, plus the trunk.

“Oh, don’t worry about me” Cora said. With that she closed her eyes. Her horn started to glow. The sand and dirt in front of her rose into the air and started to swirl and collect. It formed itself into the shape of a chair. Then, as suddenly as it began, it stopped. Floating in front of her was a fully formed car seat, just like the ones in the Buggy. She set it down gently, then looked at Phoenix. “I would assume that you have some rope in there?”

Phoenix was just staring at her. Lightning nudged him with his hoof, and he came back to reality. “Huh? Oh, yeah. I do have some.’

. “Well, tie this into the trunk, and I’ll be fine.” she started to walk away. “My stuff is just over the hill, I’ll be right back.” and with that she trotted up the hill, and was gone from sight.

Phoenix looked at Lightning. “Shit man, did you see that!”

“Yeah, I have never met a unicorn as strong as that.”

Phoenix walked over to the Buggy and began to secure the newly formed car seat. “I think we can trust her now.”

“Why”

“Because she just gave us a spare part.”

Suddenly, Cora popped into existence at Lightnings side. He yelled and ran a few steps away, causing Phoenix to laugh. So Cora popped HIM into existence, twenty feet into the air. He plummeted about fifteen feet before he caught himself, then he slowly returned to Earth.

“That wasn’t funny.”

Lightning looked at him, then started to laugh. “Yeah it was.”

Then Cora started to laugh as well.

A few moments later, Lightning broke the laughter. “I think we should be on our way.”

Phoenix nodded. “Yeah, the noise will bring other zombies here.”

They got in the Buggy, and drove off.

The next day, they reached a mountain. Phoenix got out of the Buggy and pulled out a piece of paper. “Well this is where the maps said that Bunker 118 is.” He looked around. “I guess it’s up at the top.” He looked back to Lightning. “Shall we?” and with that he started to walk up the mountain. Lightning looked back to Cora

“Is this right? he asked her.

“Yeah, I remember it from the last time I was here.”

Lightning looked at her, confused. “You’ve been here before?”

“I grew up here, then I decided to leave. I really didn’t like it down there.” she looked at the side of the mountain. “But it’s time to go home.” She sighed, then started to climb. Lightning watched her go, shook his head, then started up as well.

When they reached the top, they were greeted with a familiar sight. It was a ten by ten steel building. However, this one looked almost new. They walked up to the door, and pushed to pad next to the door. No one answered. Phoenix pushed the pad again. Still nothing. Cora pushed the door, and it opened.

Instantly they were hit by the smell of death and decay. They looked into the doorway, and saw that plants have overrun the entrance chamber. Skeletons littered the floor. The reserve generators were on so the light was extremely dim.

Cora gasped and teleported. She reappeared down by the Buggy. She grabbed a bag and then teleported again. She reappeared next to Lightning.

“What’s in the bag.”

“If I need to use it, you will see.” She un-holstered her MP5 checked the ammo, and then replaced it. “Lets go.”

Chapter XXI: Bunker 118

Cora took step into the shade of the bunker. She turned around on the spot, slowly, scanning every crevice in the room. When she was finished, she waved Lightning and Phoenix in. Drawing their weapons, they followed her.

“What the hell do you think happened here?” asked Lightning, staring, dumbfounded, at the plants growing out of the walls.

“Well, if I were to take a guess,” Cora said, “I would say that someone brought in Patient Zero, tried to cure him or her, and failed at it. They went on a rampage, biting and killing, and causing more zombies to be made. Eventually, the entire place was overrun.”

“And you GUESSED this?” Phoenix asked, looking at Cora questioningly.

“Well not guessed, I witnessed it. Back when I was seventeen, one of the doctors brought in a zombie to test his new Cure. It was supposed to heal them faster, with less trauma when they woke up, but whatever he did to it, it neutralized the Cure. He went on a rampage. I barely escaped.” she paused for a moment,lost in the memories of that day.

She finally spoke up. “When we find the Cure, we want the one with the pure white label. If it has a yellow stripe down the middle, break it. No one will ever have to make this mistake again.” She waved her hoof around the hallway. “If I remember correctly, the labs are down this way, but we will have to take the stairs. I don’t trust the elevators.” She started walking down a set of stairs, then turned around.

“Phoenix? What are you doing?”

Lightning looked over to Phoenix. He was looking off towards some of the plant life. He was looking at the biggest mass of it in the room. When he heard his name, he looked up.

“Huh? Oh, I thought I saw something. Nevermind, which way, O fearless leader?” he saluted Cora, who rolled her eyes.

“This way.” she took off down the stairs, the other two trotting to catch up. They continued down the stairs in silence for a few minutes, until Lightning tripped on something, or someone.

Skeletons littered the stairs, some looked intact, others had broken bones that signified that they had been trampled by their fellow bunker mates. How could one zombie cause all this? Was Cora not telling them something?

The stairs opened onto a landing. Three hallways led off from the landing.

“This is where we slept.” Cora said. She started to walk down the hallway on their right. She stopped after twelve doors and brushed the dust off the copper “24”. “This was my room...” she reached out and turned the faux-brass handle. The door was sticky from years of disuse, so she threw her shoulder against it. It finally opened, with a cloud of dust. When the dust settled she walked inside. It looked something like a nest. Her bed was tucked behind a curtain in one corner of the room. On it was most of her belongings. Toys, stuffed animals, clothing, all hidden behind the curtain. The only thing that was outside of the bed, was a dresser with a mirror on top. She walked over to the dresser, Lightning and Phoenix following a ways behind. When they were close enough, they could see that photos were taped to the mirror. She pulled one off.

On it was a a stallion and a Mare with a smaller version of Cora. The stallion had the same coat as her, and the Mare had the same mane and tail.

“That’s me and my parents. This was taken shortly before.....before....they were shipped out.” her voice broke on the last word. A single tear fell onto the picture. She sniffed and replaced the photo.

“They were shipped to another Bunker just before I turned fourteen. That was a great present.” she said sarcastically. “ I had to fend for myself for the next three years, at least until the outbreak..” Phoenix walked passed Lightning and up to Cora. He took her hoof in his own.

“I know how you feel. My wife was shipped off to another Bunker shortly after we got married. It was a terrible, terrible time. Do you remember what Bunker they were sent to?”

“Of course I do. I wouldn’t forget. They are in Bunker 18.”

Phoenix’s eyes widened. He turned to look at lightning.

“What? What is it?” Cora asked, scared now.

“It’s nothing,” Phoenix said. “Its just...that’s where he came from, he pointed at Lightning, and that is where my wife was shipped off to. We are also going back there when we are done here.”

Cora’s face lit up with joy. “Could you take me there?”

Phoenix looked happy. “I don’t see why not”

Cora jumped up and hugged him. “Thank you! I just need to get some stuff first...” She trotted over to her bed and pulled aside the curtain. She pulled out some toys and clothes and put them into her pack. Then she went over to the mirror and started to pull of the photos. She stopped on a particular photo. She looked at it, then tore it up. Lightning watched the pieces fall to the ground.

“What was on there?”

“Just someone who deserved....this” She Gestured around to the dark and depressing Bunker. “Just an old Bo-” she stopped herself. “Just an old friend.” Lightning could tell with the tone in her voice that the matter was closed. She finished taking the photos, the trotted over to the door. “Alright, lets get on with this.” She walked back done towards the stairs, the others at her heels.

They reached the stairs and continued down, stepping over skeletons as they went. They passed more landings, but didn’t stop at anymore. They passed the kitchen, the washrooms, and an amphitheater. Finally, they reached the lab doors.

They were sealed shut. The I.D. scanner still glowing a faint blue. Cora approached one of the skeletons lying on the ground. She pulled out his I.D., looked at it, then tossed it aside. She continued to do this until...

“Yes!” she cried triumphantly. She showed them the card. In the top right-hand corner was a small black box.

“He has the highest level of clearance! Now we can get in any of the lab rooms!” She galloped over the the scanner and pushed the I.D. against it. The door hissed, and moved slightly, then stopped.

Cora looked over to the others. “Could you help me with this?”

They rushed over and grasped the side of the door. They pulled and, inch by inch, the door opened. Finally they opened it enough for them to squeeze into the room.

Instantly, Cora gagged. Thanks to the lab’s airlock and preservation system, the scientists that had died in here had not decomposed. They lay on the floor, throats ripped out, intestines hanging and devoured, and heads shattered. This was not new to Lightning, so what caught his eye was not the scientists. It was the plant life. How could it be down here as well?

Cora regained her composure and, after swallowing a couple times, she opened her mouth. “Remember: White label. If it has a yellow stripe, break it.” She gave the I.D. to Lightning and searched around until she found another with black clearance.

“You go check that store room, I’ll check this one. Phoenix, guard the door.”

“Yes ma’am!” he saluted again and she rolled her eyes, again.

Lightning walked over the the door and pressed the I.D. against it. This was not a normal lab door, so it hissed but didn’t open. He turned the handle, and looked inside.

Crates. Lots of crates. They had Bio-hazard and, what scared him the most, the nuclear symbols on them.

“Cora? What am I looking for exactly?” he called.

“It should be in a light green crate with the Bio-hazard symbol on it. There should be a “Z” inside of the symbol.” she called back.

After a few minutes of searching, he found it. He brought it out into the lab. “Cora I found something!”

She came into the room carrying a box of her own. “As did I” She set it down next to his. “OK, open them.” She threw the lid of hers, and so did Lightning.

Inside were three small boxes, six in total. Lightning pulled the lid off of his. Inside there were small vials with a white and yellow label. Cora picked up the box.

“I thought so..” she pulled out a vial and threw it at the wall. It exploded against the hard metal, its contents dripping onto the floor. She continued to do this until the last vial was gone. Then she pulled the top of one of her boxes. It had a pure white label a pure white label. “OK, good they had the REAL cure.”

“Lightning looked at the tiny vial. “How many can be saved with just one of these?”

“Five. So altogether, three-hundred people can be saved from just one of the crates. Luckily...” she ran back into the store room. When she emerged, she was carrying another crated. Opening it she saw that there was another pure white stock withing. “...We can save six hundred people!”

All Lightning could think was, Applejack was going to be one of those. That thought made him smile. Cora took out the vials, she pulled a small case out of her pack, opening is, Lightning saw that it was padded, and would store the vials with out breaking them. Lightning could see a couple syringes in there as well. When she was finished, she looked up at Lightning. “We gotta get out of here.”

“Yeah, your right. Phoenix!” No one answered. “Where did you go!?”

“FFFUUUUUUUCK!!!”

“I think we found him.” Cora answered.

Phoenix galloped into the lab. He had been in the same room that twilight had shown him back in 18.

He skidded to a halt in front of them, his eyes wide and panicked. “We...have...to get out of here!!” he said, out of breath.

“Whats the problem!!?”

Phoenix looked over his shoulder. “THAT!!”

Walking out of the room, was a abomination. It was a zombie, obviously, but it was so different it was almost unrecognizable. It was tinted green instead of just pure grey. Its eyes were bright red, and it had tentacles. But on his second look, Lightning realizes that they were vines.

Lightning now noticed that the plant life in the lab, was not plant life. Every “plant” was one of these things. They were surrounded.

Cora stood up and drew her MP5. Lightning pulled out the USAS 12, and Phoenix drew the SMG.

They waited to see who was going to make the first move. Suddenly a shot rang out and the first zombie they had seen dropped dead, green blood splattering the wall behind it, and pouring on the floor. Lightning looked at Phoenix. “Sorry, slipped.”

Now it was chaos. Bullets flew and zombies died. They ran to the stairs. Lightning was at the front, clearing the way with the shotgun. Zombies stepped in his way, then their heads exploded. His face and mane was covered in their blood. They seemed never ending. Every plant they had passes, was now a mutant.

Suddenly, Cora called out. “THIS WAY!!” and she changed direction. They started to run down the stairs, but before she did, she threw a grenade behind her. They were down the stairs when it exploded, but that didn’t stop the blood splatter from hitting their backs.

“Where are we going?!” yelled Lightning

“To the reactor core! I have an idea!”

They kept running down the stairs, shooting as they went. They finally reached a pair of giant steel doors. Cora pressed the I.D. against the scanner and the doors opened.

A blast of heat greeted them. The reactor core was in the center of the room. It was a giant metal dome, with a single plexi-glass window on the side. Lightning looked in. There was a metal container, three feet by two feet, with water pouring over it. It glowed faintly in the dim light of the Bunker.

He turned to ask Cora why they were here, When he saw her opening her pack. She brought out a small block of white substance. She stuck it to the side of the reactor. She moved down a couple feet and did the same thing. She continued until there was a ring of wires and blocks around the core.

Phoenix walked up. “What is all that?”

Cora continued her work. “Its C-4.”

Lightning suddenly realized what she was going to do. “You can’t! It will cause a nuclear explosion!”

“That’s my plan.”

“But..why?”

You saw what those things became. How many more “Cures” like that are there down here that’ll “stabilize” those freaks? We don’t need another breed of zombies, or two, or three more! I’m ending this now!” she connected the wires that went from one block of C-4 to the next. She pulled out a small screen and plugged it in as well. It turned on and said “ARMED”. She turned back to Lightning. “I think I would like to take the elevator now.” she said with a small smile.

They rushed over to the elevator and pushed the UP button. It took several moments to reach their level, and when it opened, three zombies were waiting for them. Phoenix opened fire with the SMG. Their heads and chest exploded, splattering the elevator with blood. Lightning kicked them out then pushed the “LOBBY” button.

Soft music played until they reached the Lobby. They readied their weapons, and waited for the doors to open. When they did, Lightning opened up with the shotgun. Zombies fell, their heads flying apart. He was the first to reach the open door. Cora was next, holes being punched in them by her MP5.

Phoenix was last. He darted across the room, but tripped on a vine growing out of the floor. “Shit!” he yelled as he hit the floor. Instantly a Zombie was on him. He threw up his arm to protect himself, but the zombie chomped down on it. Phoenix screamed in pain. Lightning shot the zombie, then grabbed phoenix. He hauled him to his hooves and threw him to Cora. “Get him to the car!”

She nodded and pulled Phoenix with her, him arm trickling blood.

Lightning ran out after her but stopped at the door. Pulling with all his strength, the door shut and locked in place. He ran down the hill after Cora and Phoenix.

When they reached the Buggy, Cora jumped into the back seat and buckled herself in. “Come on lets go!”

Phoenix jumped into the passenger seat and looked at Lightning. “Your gonna have to drive. I’m in no shape to.” Lightning got in to the drivers seat.

“OK, now just... just push that button there, then step on the pedal! God damn it, Brony! They’ll break down the door any minute!”

Lightning floored it. The Buggy shot forward and in a few dozen minutes they were at least a few quarter miles away. Cora, watching the mountain disappear, waited for the right moment. When she could no longer see the mountain, she hit the button. There was a pause, then...

A flash. A blinding, searing flash. Then the mushroom grew from the top of the mountain, silent and monstrous. She could see bits of the mountain and the bunker flying away from the explosion. Then the shock wave reached them. The sound of the explosion pounding in their ears, the pressure wave pulling the air from their lungs.

Cora was the first to pass out from the strain, next was Lightning. When he lost consciousness, the Buggy lost control. The only one awake to witness the crash was the wounded Phoenix. He experienced every moment of the crash. When the car finally came to a stop his head hit the dashboard. He attempted to resist the force of the blast and the crash, but eventually he lost, and the world went black...

Chapter XXII: Healing and Curing

A day and night passed before there was any movement. Vultures flew overhead, and ash rained down. The next morning, the passenger door opened and Phoenix crawled out. He had taken a beating in the crash, a faint taste of metallic echoed through his mouth. His wing was broken, again, he had cuts running up and down his fore-legs, and he had a gash above his eye that was tricking blood into his eye. He crawled away from the wreckage, leaving a trail of blood drops in his wake. He reached a large boulder and, gritting his teeth against the pain, stood up. When he put his rear left hoof down, he let out a sharp cry of pain, and collapsed. It was broken as well.

He looked over the broken Buggy and saw Cora hanging upside down in her seat, and Lightning the same in the drivers seat. Looking back at the way they had come, Phoenix saw a trail of boxes and glass. His small grey box was lying open just a few feet away. He started to retrieve it, then he looked back at the others. They were his top priority.

He limped back over to the Buggy, keeping his broken leg curled up against his stomach. When he reached the back of the Buggy, he unbuckled Cora from the seat. He caught her before she could hit the ground. He then laid her on the ground, then assessed the damage. She was bleeding from a cut on her head, but other than that she was alright. He pulled her a safe distance from the car, then went back for Lightning. He opened the driver’s side door and reached up to unbuckle Lightning. That’s when he noticed it.

About four inches up from his wrist, was the bite mark. It was red and inflamed. Blood still trickled from a couple spots, and in others, a bright yellow liquid seeped out. How long had he been unconscious? A day? More maybe? He didn’t know. What he did know was that he was infected, and he didn’t know how long he had.

He pulled Lightning out of the car and looked him over. He was worse than Cora. Blood flowed from a gash in the side of his head, just above his right ear. He had cuts on his arms and legs. His muzzle was slightly smashed in, it looked like his nose was broken. He laid Lightning next to Cora, then went to retrieve the supplies.

After he was finished setting up camp, he went to retrieve his box. Looking inside, he saw that everything was still there. Breathing a sigh of relief, he shut the box and put it inside the tent. He grabbed a gun and settled in for the night.

The next morning, he emerged from the tent to see Cora stirring. He rushed over.

Cora was just starting to sit up, She looked around, then jumped when she saw him.

“What happened...!?”

“We crashed when Lightning passed out.”

She reached up and felt her head, then recoiled when she felt the gash.

“Yeah your pretty messed up, so don’t move to much.” Phoenix said, smiling.

“I’m messed up!? Look at you!” she pointed at his various cuts. She stood up, despite Phoenix’s protests, and walked over to him. “Now hold still...”

She closed her eyes and tightened her face in concentration. Then her horn started to glow. She opened her eyes. She lowered her horn and touched his forehead with it. Phoenix’s eyes widened as magic coursed through him.

“Wow.” Cora said. “I’ve never seen this much hurt on somepony in a while. This could take a couple minutes.”

“I don’t mind.” Phoenix said, feeling the power flow through his form. Then, before his eyes, the cuts on his forelegs healed slowly, the swelling going down. New skin reached across the bloody gap and pulled it together. When the two sides met, white magic flowed across and created new skin. He was staring at his arm when he felt his leg, the broken one, straighted out. He felt the broken bones grinding together and let out a scream of pain. Then, it went numb. He watched as it slowly started be come back into shape. He found that he could bend it again, though it was still numb. Looking over his shoulder, he watched his wing flex and, once again, felt the grinding of broken bones. He didn’t scream this time, though his teeth probably lost about a centimeter of enamel. When that was finished his wing folded back into place, good as new.

Cora pulled her horn back, its glow subsiding. Phoenix stood up and patted himself down, checking for injuries. He couldn’t find any. He let out a yell and flew into the air. He perched on top of the overturned Buggy, and looked down at Cora.

She smiled, then closed her eyes again. Her body started to glow, then the gash on her head closed, just the way the cuts on his arm did. When she finished, she opened her eyes, and took a breath. “That’s better.”

“You really need to think about staying in a Bunker. You could do so much!” he threw his arm up, the let out a cry. Looking down, he saw that the bite was still there, and was just as red as it was a minute ago. He looked back at Cora. “What about this?”

Her eyes fell. “I have never been able to heal those. I have tried, but never.”

“So...”

“You are still infected. But if you will come here, I can fix that.” she started to walk over to the pile of crates. Phoenix followed her, curious about what she was going to do.

She opened one of the crates, then pulled out her bag. She pulled out a small box. Opening it, she pulled out a small vial and a syringe.

“Is that the....”

“The Cure, yeah.” She opened the vial, the inserted the syringe through the thin membrane covering the liquid. Pulling up the plunger, she filled it to a certain point, then pulled it out. “Now hold still. This will sting slightly.” She inserted the point into the spot just above his Cutie Mark. She emptied the entire syringe, then removed it. Phoenix felt a small point of pain where the needle went it, then it slowly spread until it was covering his entire flank.

“Now what?” he asked, looking over his shoulder at his flank.

“Now, you go to sleep.”

He turned back to Cora, just in time to see her glowing horn touch his forehead. The he blacked out.

Cora looked at Phoenix’s sleeping form. She had to put him out. If she hadn’t, the pain would have spread until it reached his brain. From there, he would have been in pain for days, begging to be put out. This was just skipping a step. She carried Phoenix back to the tent, then went over to Lightning. Placing her horn on his forehead, She focused her magic on his wounds. They sealed just like her and Phoenix’s wounds had. After that, she walked over to a rock, and collapsed. That had taken so much out of her. She just wanted to close her eyes. Just for a moment....

She was awoken by someone shaking her. Prying open her eyes, she looked up into the blurry face of Lightning. He was saying something, but she really wasn’t listening.

“Cora! Can you hear me?” he looked worried. Why was he so worried?

“Yes. Why are you shaking me?”

“Because you have been out for a half a day. And so has Phoenix.”

“Well that’s normal. The amount of magic I used should have made me pass out. As for Phoenix....he should be out for another day or two.”

“Well what the hell happened?!”

“I had to heal all of us first, then I had to administer the Cure to Phoenix. After that I knocked him out so that he wouldn’t be in pain while the process took effect. Then, after all that magic, I passed out. That’s what happened, OK?”

“So you’re saying we are stuck here until Phoenix wakes up?”

“Pretty much, yeah.”

“Great.” Lightning stood up. He trotted over to the Buggy. “Can you at least help me get this on its CORRECT side?”

“Are you kidding?” she scoffed. “Even with magic, it would take a lot. It has got to weigh at least 2000 kilograms”

Lightning looked at her. “English please.”

She roller her eyes. “Two tons. I would pass out trying to help you lift this, then it might fall on you. No. We wait until I get some sleep, and Phoenix wakes up.”

Lightning walked back to the tent. He looked at the sleeping form of Phoenix. “How much longer did you say until he wakes up.”

Cora had walked over to the supply crates. She was rummaging through fire arms crate. “Another day or two,” she said when she emerged. She was carrying the SMG and a saddlebag of clips. She handed them to Lightning.

“Since we are stuck here, why don’t we take turns doing some scouting. Just walk about a mile that way....” she pointed east, ninety degrees from where they had come. “..and see if you find anything.” she finished.

“And what are you going to do?” he asked, staring at her.

“Me? I am going to catch up on my beauty sleep.” she started walking back towards the tent. When she reached it,she looked back over her shoulder. “Just, whatever you do, DON’T GO WEST.” then she disappeared into the tent.

*****

Lightning watched her until her breathing slowed. Her demeanor was completely opposite while she was slept. When she was awake, she was closed and, generally, she didn’t expose much. While she was asleep, she was much different. Her permanent frown eased and, sometimes, became a smile. Just by looking at her face you could see what she was dreaming about. He had only seen that once before, with Applejack.

Applejack! Lightning suddenly remembered the reason for this trip. What was she like now? What if she was already dead? Lightning stopped himself there. No. She was not dead. He refused to think about it that way.

He reached down and picked up the SMG. He plugged it into the harness on his wrist. Then he put the saddlebags on his back, and turned west. He wanted to see what scared Cora so much. He took off walking.

*****

He had been walking for a couple hours and he had found nothing. Just a couple burnt down towns. They didn’t even have anything to salvage. By the time it was noon, he had reached a canyon. Looking both ways, he saw a bridge that was still intact. He started walking towards it. Suddenly, a thought worked its way into him mind. Why would this one bridge be intact, while the others were broken and burned? But he answered it with a logical thought. Maybe somepony rebuilt it so they could cross. Somepony like him. Yeah that was probably it.

He reached the bridge, it looked strong enough. He tested it first. He put his left hoof on first, then his right. It creaked, but it held up. He started across. Was this what had made Cora scared? No, it couldn’t be.

He was about halfway across when something caught his eye. He turned and looked over his shoulder. There, standing at the entrance of the bridge, was a pony. But not just any pony. He had blazing, hate filled eyes. He wore a pure black tunic, and around his neck was something that made Lightning realize who it was. He was wearing a bit of string with a unicorn horn around his neck.

It was a Death Hunter.

Lightning knew them well. He had run into them before, out here in the Wastes. They rarely attacked first. So Lightning just started to back away. The pony stayed where he was, but pulled something out of his belt.

It was a small, curved blade. Before Lightning could react, he had leaned down and cut the support from under the bridge. The bridge tilted sideways, spilling Lighting out into open. As gravity took effect, Lightning started to fall. Looking up at the pony who did this, all he saw was a ghastly smile spread onto its face.

A single word ringed through Lightning’s subconscious;

“Fuck.”

Chapter XXIII: As Damaged As Me

Lightning turned and saw the ground rising to meet him. He could see metal stakes pointed up towards the sky, as if falling to his death wasn’t bad enough. He realized that he had failed in his mission. He had not saved Applejack. He died on the way! Taking one last look around, then closing his eyes, he whispered two words. “I’m sorry.”

Just as he had accepted his own death, he was hit from the side. His breath was knocked from his lungs. After a moment of coughing, he realized that he was no longer falling down. He realized, with some confusion, that he was moving sideways. Felling pressure on his chest he looked down. A pair of cyan forelegs were clamped around his chest. He tilted his head back to see who it was, but all he could make out was a bright cyan face, with a pair of goggles on. Who ever it was positioned their face so that it was right next to Lightning’s ear.

“What have you been eating? Rocks?! I have never picked up someone as heavy as you!”

Lightning could tell now that it was a Mare. “Well, it’s been a while since I needed to work out.” Lightning said, a sly smile on his face.

The Mare laughed. “Which way did you come from?” They had left the canyon, and were now circling the bridge. Lightning could see the Death Hunter galloping off towards the far end of the canyon.

Lightning tore his gaze away and pointed towards the east. “That way, just keep flying until you see the wreckage of a buggy.”

“Alrighty then.” Lightning’s body tilted as the Mare picked up the speed. It had taken him a couple hours to walk this far, but the Mare covered it in just a half hour. In no time he could see the Buggy below him.

“Right here. My camp is right below.” The Mare started to drop altitude. Finally Lightning could feel the ground again. The Mare let go of his chest, and he fell forward onto all four hooves. The camp looked just like it had when he left. Even Cora was still sleeping. He turned to look at the Mare who had save him.

She had a bright cyan coat. Her mane and tail were the exact same colors as the rainbow. Through her goggles, Lightning could see rose colored eyes. She was a Pegasi, but something was wrong with her left wing. Attached at the shoulder bone, and strapped around her stomach, was a weird contraption. It was seem to be designed to look like a wing, but it was brass. Her real wing was hooked in with leather straps. When she flapped them before folding them, the contraption flapped along with them. It folded perfectly along her side, just like a normal wing would have. The Mare noticed him staring.

“Hmm...? Oh, this old thing. It’s nothing, just something to help my fly. My name is Rainbow Dash by the way.”

“Lightning Storm.” he replied, still looking at the metal wing. He couldn’t help himself. “Does it hurt?”

“Oh no. Actually, it’s quite comfortable. I’ve had it for so long that I don’t even notice it anymore.” She looked over Lightnings shoulder at the tent. “I see that you have someone here. Maybe I should leave...” she started to fly away. Lightning realized what she meant.

Blushing, he called after her. “No! It’s not like that! She is just a friend!”

Rainbow turned around and floated back to stand in front of Lightning. “OK, good. You do not what to know what I have seen out here...” she shook her head. “Anyway, from the direction that you came from, I would say that you set of the explosion.”

Lightning hung his head. “Yes, we did.”

“Why did you do that?”

“Well, we had gone exploring, and we found a whole new breed of zombie down there. Really nasty type to. So Cora had a thought to explode the reactor core and get rid of them in one blow.” He had left out the part about the cure. He still didn’t completely trust this Mare.

“Cora? Oh, that’s your friend.” She peered back at the tent, now noticing the second sleeping bag. “You know, it’s rare to find a group of three out here, even more rare is a group of four.” she looked at Lightning with a odd stare.

“You want to join?” he finally figured out.

“If you would have me, then yes. You look well equipped, that means that you came from a Bunker, right?” Lightning nodded. ‘Well, I really need to settle somewhere before something bad happens, and a Bunker is, basically, the only place to do that.”

“Well we were actually heading back to a Bunker, Bunker 18.” Rainbow’s expression changed for a split second, as if she had remembered something.

“What is it?” Lightning asked her.

“It’s nothing. I just...I remember that number for some reason...” her voice trailed off.

“Anyway, we are stuck here for another day or so until both of them wake up.” he pointed over to the tent. “So if there is any supplies that you need to get, you can do it now.”

“OK. I’ll be back in a couple minutes.” She unfurled her right wing and, with some metallic clinking, extended the left wing. She took off and was soon out of sight. Lightning watched her go, then turned back to camp. He opened the tent and shook Cora awake.

She looked much better than she had a couple hours ago, and she even greeted him with a “What the hell do you want?”

‘We have a new member. She is a blue and rainbow Pegasus Mare. She will be back soon so listen. We were at the Bunker for exploration, not the Cure. Don’t mention it, don’t even hint at it. I don’t want it to be gone one night, OK?”

“Sure, whatever you want.” she put her head back down. “Did you go west?”

“Yes.”

“I knew you would.” she yawned. “At least we got someone out of it.” she closed her eyes and fell asleep again.

Lightning looked at Phoenix next. He was pale, but he looked well. The bite on his arm had drained of the red, inflamed look. He frowned slightly, then it eased into a smile. Lightning was sure that he heard Phoenix whisper “Celia”. He smiled as well. He left the tent, and sat down next to the Buggy

Had it been a smart idea to bring Rainbow Dash into the group? Could they trust her? Cora had shown her worth, but what about her? A though worked its way into his brain. She had saved his life, just as Cora had saved Phoenix’s life. He decided he would give her a chance.

With the sound of the wind and the scraping of metal, Rainbow Dash returned. She was carrying a small box under her arm. “This is all I have. Just a few things.”

“OK, good. Just put it in the pile over there.” he gestured to the pile of crates. He watched her walk over. She opened the box and placed her goggles inside. Lightning could see a poster taped to the to of the box. It had a couple ponies with bright blue suits with lightning on the chests and down their stomachs. They had goggles just like the ones Rainbow was wearing. His curiosity got the better of him.

“Who are they?”

Rainbow looked over her shoulder, then back at the poster. She sighed. “It’s nothing, just a stupid dream I once had. It’s not like it can happen now, but it keeps my spirits up. That’s all it is...”

Lightning nodded, understanding what she meant. He turned away, but before he did, he saw Rainbow kiss her hoof, then press it against the symbol in the bottom corner. She shut the lid, then walked over and sat down next to Lightning.

“So how come you are not armed?” Lightning asked when he didn’t see a harness on her wrist.

“You don’t need to fight if you can fly.” she said, flapping her wings as she said that, creating the sound of clinking metal again.

Lightning pointed at the metal wing. “Can I..”

“Sure.” she turned so that her left side was facing Lightning.

It was ingenious. Perfectly formed to cover her wing and fold in on her side, without cutting her skin. Her wing fit inside, the bones in the wing sliding inside special sockets, with the feathers creating padding for comfort. When it folded in, the brass feather clinked together and formed the exact shape that her regular wing did. Whoever made this knew Pegasi really well.

He pulled out her wing, small metal pistons on the wing extending as he did so. He looked at her wing and saw a few holes going straight through. He reached out to touch them, but Rainbow pulled her wing back in, cutting him on the sharp brass.

“I’m sorry.” she said.

“No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. What happened there?”

Rainbow looked at the ground. “I...I don’t really want to talk about it, is that OK?”

“Of course, I wont push you.”

Rainbow smiled at him. “Thanks, it was just a horrible time and I want to forget about it...” her voice trialed off, her mind back in time.

Lightning heard a noise behind him. Turning, he saw Cora walking out of the tent, lookng like she had before the crash. When Rainbow saw her, her eyes narrowed. Lightning stood up and cleared his throat. “Um..Rainbow Dash this is Cora Vance. Cora, Rainbow.”

The two Mares walked up to each other. They circled, looking one other up and down. They came to a stop, a harsh stare in Rainbow’s eyes.

“Cora.”

“Rainbow.”

“It’s good to see you again”

“As with you.”

“I see the wing I made is still working.”

“Yeah, I never got to thank you for that, because you ditched me the next morning.” she spat the words.

“I had to.”

“Did you really? First, you get me injured, then you craft this thing.” she fluttered the metal wing. “Then you leave! With, might I add, all of our supplies!”

Lightning broke in. “Wait! Cora, you know her?”

“Of course! I traveled with her for a few months.”

Lightning looked at the metal wing. “Why didn’t you just fix her wing like you did with us?”

Rainbow looked up in surprise. “What do you mean “fix her?” she asked.

“Well a day ago, we were in that crash, and we were all busted up pretty bad. Then Cora just fixed us with magic.”

Rainbow looked at Cora with disbelief. “YOU COULD HAVE JUST FIXED ME?!” she yelled, rising into the air. “YOU COULD HAVE HEALED ME?! WHY DIDN’T YOU?!”

“I didn’t know how to at the time.” she said as calmly as possible. “That was something I learned just recently. The prosthetic was the best I could do....”

“But why did you leave me? I was injured and you left me! Do you know how many times I fell out of the sky because this thing jammed?! I had to sit there for DAYS and try to file it down! I have only just got it to a point that it works right! Do you know what it was like, for someone like me, not to be able to fly?! It was terrible!”

“I..I didn’t know...” Cora started, tears in her eyes.

Rainbow touched back down to Earth. “You wouldn’t know, because you left me!”

“I thought it was for the best. I had gotten you hurt, so I thought that you didn’t--”

Rainbow interrupted. “You thought I didn’t want you around?! Of course I did! You were my best friend out here. Just because I got hurt didn’t mean you have to leave.”

“Well, I didn’t know..”

“Whatever.” she opened her wings, the left hitting Cora because it was a little longer than the right. Turning to Lightning, she said “Be back in a while” then took off.

When she had disappeared, Lightning turned to Cora. “Well, this has been an exciting day.”

Chapter XXIV: Looking In

Rainbow was gone for several hours. When she returned she was sweating and looked tired. Cora had gone back to the tent to sulk, while Phoenix was still asleep. Lightning was waiting by the fire, package of freeze dried oats sitting on the rock next to him.

She walked up to him, taking off her metal wing as she did. Now that it was free, Lightning could see that the wing hung limply by her side, not folded perfectly like the other was. He offered the oats to her.

“I’m not hungry.” but her stomach told a different story. Smiling, Lightning offered the oats again. One corner of her mouth tilted up. “Thanks.” she sat down next to him.

“Do you want to talk about what went on back there?” he asked looking at her.

“Not really.”

“How did she get you injured?”

“Lets just say that we got into something we couldn’t handle, and I took the worst of it.”

Lightning nodded. “Do you still want to come with us?”

“Of course I do. I need a home, and this Bunker sounds like a place to start. I will deal with Cora until then. Hell, maybe I will come to forgive her. It’s just a matter of time.” She took a bite of the oats, savoring the taste. Lightning wondered how long it had been since she had a good meal.

Lightning looked up at the night sky. This was his favorite type of night. Just cold enough to raise goose-bumps on his arms. The moon was full, casting a slight blue glow over the wasteland. A slight wind blowing his mane back. He was very content to just sit here, letting his mind run wild, which is what he decided to do.

“Why don’t you take the night off, I’ll take the watch.”

“I would rather not sleep in there tonight. She might put my legs on backwards while I sleep.” a small smile appeared on her lips.

“Sure, no problem. Just hold on” Lightning walked over to the tent, and pulled out his sleeping bag. He laid it out next to the fire and, after clearing away some rocks, he gestured for Rainbow to take it.

“Thank you.” She got in and stared at the fire for a few moments, then turned over and faced out into the Wastes. A few minutes later, her breathing slowed and she started to snore slightly. Lightning looked out into the Wastes with her, preparing for the long night ahead.

*****

The next morning, the group woke up, including Phoenix. He looked great. The bite mark was almost completely gone, it was just a pale white mark on his fore leg now. He looked well slept, and in perfect condition. Luckily he woke up before Rainbow, and didn’t yell at Cora loud enough to make her wake up. Cora pulled him aside and explained their situation, how there was no Cure, he was never bitten, and they hated one another. He grasped it quick, with only a couple interruptions of “WHAT!”. When Rainbow woke up, they had formal introductions.

After that, Rainbow put her wing on, and Phoenix’s eyes widened. “Where did you get that?!” he rushed over and started examining it. “This is flawless. Perfectly fit, and awkwardly light, how did you make this?”

“I didn’t.” Rainbow said. She pointed at Cora. “She did, a long time ago.”

Phoenix looked at her. “How did you make this?” he asked again.

“I specialized in metalworking back in the Bunker. When she got hurt, I had a few pieces of brass lying around, and I made it. It’s no big deal.”

“No big deal? This is huge! It could help so many pegasi!”

“This is nothing compared to what I made back in 118. But let’s not talk about that. We need to focus on fixing the Buggy.”

“But we cant let this idea just slip to nothing! Do you realize what could happen if we mass produced these!? We could get all of the handicapped pegasi back into the sky! We could restart the Weather Teams.” Phoenix said, tinkering about with Rainbow’s fake wing.

“Quit bickering... Shit! Looks like we need a new solar panel...” Cora sighed deeply, peeking her head into the front hatch of the broken down Buggy.

“The wires seem to be seem to be intact though, the last thing I want on my mind electricity, finding a engine out here is going to be challenge as well.” Cora continued shifting herself under the buggy, checking all of the smallest scratches.

Lightning stepped out a ways from the camp, and squinted his eyes down passed the hill. “Hey, there seems to be a scrap yard down there. Phoenix and I can go down there and scavenge it.”

“I can give you guys an aerial view, for hostiles.” Rainbow Dash insisted hovering next to Lightning.

Phoenix looked at Cora. “Can’t you just magic us some parts, like you did before?”

She shook her head. “It would be too much strain to create such a complicated part. Our best bet would be the scrap yard.”

Phoenix put Rainbow’s wing back on. “You have some clipping issues. When we get back, I can fix those for you.”

She smiled at him. “Thanks for the offer, but I have it just how I want it.” and with that, she took off, slowly spiraling into the air. Phoenix watcher her go, whistling.

“Man, if I wasn’t married..”

Lightning punched him in the shoulder. “Focus man, we have work to do.” he started walking down the hill, towards the scrap yard. Cora called after him. “Wait! You will need these.” She pulled her saddlebags off and set them on the ground in front of her. She started to rummage through, but stopped when Phoenix gasped.

“Cora when did you get that!?”

“What?” She looked around. “What?” she asked again.

Phoenix pointed at her flank. She looked over her shoulder and gasped. Where, previously, just white fur had been, was now covered with a Cutie Mark. Looking at it for a moment, Cora realized what it was.

It was Caduceus. The same symbol that the hospitals use. It was a symbol for health, for curing. Cora just stared at it. “No way.” she finally said.

Phoenix smiled. “Well now you cant get out of healing us. You are kinda forced to now.”

“That doesn’t stop me from hurting you first.” she took a step towards Phoenix, lowing her horn.

Lightning got in the way. “Why are you so pissed? You should be happy that you got it!”

“Because I always thought I would get this from metalworking, something I actually enjoyed.”

“You don’t enjoy healing people?” asked Phoenix.

“I do. I do.” she protested. “It’s just, it’s kind of a disappointment to find out my special talent wasn’t metalworking..”

Rainbow Dash took that moment to drop out of the sky. “We got a problem. There are...” she stopped and looked at Cora. Looking down, she noticed the Cutie Mark. “Well, it’s about time!”

Chapter XXV: Seeing Red

“Anyways, back to my report. I spotted roughly three patrols inside the perimeter. Each in a group of three. Outside the supply yard, I saw two groups circling, both of only two guards. Then I spotted some sniper towers. One facing north, and the other facing south. Thankfully, were on there eastern wall, meaning we can hit them in their blind spot.” Rainbow Dash briefed the three, pacing in a line, almost as if she was a Drill Sargent. “Got it?”

“Yes ma’am!” Phoenix yelled, saluting. Rainbow grinned towards Phoenix, she seemed to like his enthusiasm.

“I watched them for about ten minutes now. The outer patrols seem to have a pattern. Every three minutes they rotate. If we can move in quick enough when they aren't rotating in their eastern position, we can get in quietly, and smoothly. My guess is, we may need to take out some patrols. Cora, do we have silencers?”

“I may need to check my things, but we should have at least two that fit both Phoenix’s and Lightnings M9s.” Cora gestured both Lightning and Phoenix as she walked towards the weapon caches.

“Good. If things get rough when getting in there, don't hesitate to use your pistols boys. I’ll give you constant feeding up in the air through this walkie talkie, Cora has the other. If you need support, just give me a call. The frequency is A-432, Cora, give it a test go.” Rainbow pulled out her walkie, as well did Cora. Suddenly, a loud sound burst of interference came both of their talkies. “Good. Alright boys, go gear up. If we want to get to Bunker 18 quickly as possible, we got to finish this by tonight.”

“Yes Ma’am!” Lightning and Phoenix gestured, walking towards Cora with their silencers.

When they took off, Cora turned back to Rainbow. “Having fun, are you?”

Rainbow gave her a mischievous smile. “Just a little. Been a while since I did that, so I thought it was time to bring out the old Dash.”

“Well don’t get too cocky. Remember what happened last time.” she poked Rainbow’s wing with her walkie talkie. Suddenly, Rainbow turned serious.

“I will not. I will never forget.” With that she walked over to her box, pulled out a pair of boots, and put them on. Cora remembered them well. They had metal inside, coating the part where the hoof met the leather. They were designed so that when Rainbow touched a cloud, she wouldn’t get burned by the acid inside. That was another thing Cora had created for her while they were together.

“And congrats on the Cutie Mark.” Rainbow said, turning back to her. “I don’t like to make fun of Blank Flanks, but it was getting ridiculous in your case.” She jumped up and flew off into the air, leaving Cora wondering what Rainbow really thought of her.

She grabbed her MP5 and ran after Lightning and Phoenix. She caught up to them, hiding behind a rock, watching the guards. She could now see what Rainbow had left out of her report.

Death Hunters. The scrap yard was overrun by them. They all had on the same think, a jet black tunic. However how they chose to decorate it was completely different from one to another. Some has unicorn horns around their necks, other had them on bracelets. Cora could even see a couple of them with Pegasus wings stitched to their tunics. She pulled her walkie talkie up to her lips. “We could have been told that it was Death Hunters.”

Rainbow’s sharp voice flowed from the communicator. “Does it matter? They don’t use guns do they? This is much easier.”

Cora rolled her eyes. “Thanks.”

“You’re quite welcome. Now get to work, I can’t fly all day like I used to.” her voice faded away with a brief flash of static. Cora looked at Lightning with annoyance.

“She is impossible.”

“Anyone who can piss you off that much is a friend in my book.” he gave her a sly smile. “But we really need to do this” he gestured for the communicator. “Where is this solar panel Rainbow.”

“It’s on the far east side, just behind the compound.” she paused for a moment. “The blind spot opened! Go NOW!!”

Cora vaulted over the rock and took off galloping, closely followed by Lightning and Phoenix. She reached the fence and threw herself on, quickly climbing to the top in no time. When she reached the top she stopped and helped the others over. When they were over, she jumped off and ran to the nearest pile of parts, then hid behind, waving over Lightning and Phoenix. She pulled out the communicator, breathing heavily. “Were in.”

“Good. Next blind spot is in another three minutes.”

Cora turned to the others, and found them staring at her.

“What?”

“How did you do that?” asked Phoenix.

“This is what Rainbow and I used to do. This is just like old times for us.”

Suddenly, Rainbow’s voice came through the walkie talkie. “You are still transmitting, and this is not like old times.”

“Shut up.” Cora said into the communicator. “Anyway, this is how I found the C-4. It was in a compound like this, only not Death Hunter.”

“So you guys were like..” Lightning started, looking for the right word.

“Thieves?” Cora finished. “Yeah, that’s pretty much it.”

“Next blind spot in ten.” Rainbow’s voice told them. Cora counted silently, then ran out from behind the pile of parts. She galloped towards the building in the center of the camp. She hit the wall and ducked down, followed a second later by the others.

“Were good.” she told Rainbow.

“Great, and Phoenix, I saw you trip.” Her smile could be heard through the walkie talkie.

Now it was his turn to tell her to “Shut up”.

“So where did you meet each other?” asked Lightning.

“We met one day out in the Wastes. I was walking and found a camp. I was going to steal from it, but it was a trap. Rainbow had made it to capture people like me. But we started talking, and eventually, we paired up.”

“Five seconds.” Rainbow told them. Cora jumped out from their hiding spot. She ran behind the building, ending up right next to the solar panel. “We are here. How are we going get this out of here?”

“Like this.” Rainbow dropped out of the sky in front of them, holding a net in her hooves. “I may be injured, but I can still carry things.”

Cora looked worried. “Are you sure? Remember what happened last time..”

“I can do this. OK?” She reached out and grabbed the solar panel, causing the pile of parts to fall to the ground. The earsplitting clatter of metal on metal seemed to go on for an eternity. But when it finally subsided, they could her pounding hooves heading their way.

Rainbow Dash looked over to Cora. “Oops.” Cora just glared at her.

“Well what are you waiting for?” Lightning yelled. “Get the part!”

Phoenix rushed over and began to tie the solar panel to the net. When it was secure, Rainbow jumped up into the air and began flying away. “I’ll see you at base!” she called back. That was when the first Death Hunters came around the building.

Pulling out their guns, they started to fire into the crowd. However, when one fell, another took its place. Soon, the ground was littered with bodies, blood, and bullet casings.

Lightning looked down at the ground and noticed something. A black fluid was slowly trickling downhill towards them. That’s when he noticed that they were standing in the only dip in the ground that he could see. The black liquid hit the dip and slowly made a circle around them. He looked up and saw a Death Hunter with the something in his mouth, standing by the start of the fluid. Lightning realized too late what that something was. He touched it to the liquid, and it ignited, fire spreading rapidly down the trail of, what Lightning now realized, oil.

He stood up and pushed Cora and Phoenix out of the way, just before the fire hit the dip. It circled around him, completely encasing him in a cage of fire. He realized what it was; a trap.

Cora and Phoenix pulled themselves off of the ground to see Lightning stuck behind the flames. Cora, panic in her eyes, turned to Phoenix. “Do we have any water?!”

“No!”

“Do we have anything?!”

“Yes.” he said, with a steel determination in his eyes. “We have me.” He took a step towards the fire, then another.

Cora looked at him like he was crazy. “What are you doing?!”

“What I am supposed to do.” and with that, his hoof hit the fire. He let out no cry of pain. He walked through the fire as it it was just air, and the whole time, he looked like he was having the time of his life. When he emerged on the other side, he took Lightnings hoof and looked into his face.

“Do you trust me?”

Lightning looked confused. “Of course.”

“Good, ‘cause I don’t know if this is going to work.” Still holding Lightning’s hoof, he galloped at the fire and threw them through it. Lightning screamed when they hit the wall of flames. But he felt only a slight tingling sensation, maybe a little warmth. When they hit the ground on the other side, Cora was staring at them. She looked from one to the other, finally stopping on Lightning.

“Did you know...how did he....WHAT?!”

“I’ll explain later, now GO!” Phoenix yelled, galloping towards the fence. But he was slowing down. His walk through the fire had taken too much out of him. A few feet from the fence, he collapsed. Cora ran over to him.

“There’s only one chance. I’ve never tried this with other ponies before, so it might not work.” her horn started to glow.

“What are you going to do?” Phoenix asked. Cora did not answer, she just grabbed his hoof. A second later, she disappeared, and Phoenix with her.

Lightning looked at the spot where they had been. Then he remembered where he was. Looking up, he saw the Death Hunters running at him. He jumped up on the fence, and began to climb. He was a hoof away from the top when he felt it. A searing pain run from his thigh down to his hoof. He looked over his shoulder and saw a gash that was pouring blood onto the Death Hunters below. When they saw the blood, they opened their mouths, letting the blood fall in as if it was a summer rain.

Lightning used his other leg to crawl to the top. He jumped from the fence, hitting, and collapsing, on the ground. Suddenly, he felt arms grab his waist.

“No! let me go!” he yelled, fighting against the grasp.

“It’s me, you idiot!”

Lightning recognized Rainbow’s Voice immediately. He stopped fighting and let her carry him. “That’s twice now that you saved me.”

“Who’s counting?” she said. Then after a pause, “I am!”. This caused Lightning to laugh. He looked back at his leg. His white fur was now stained red, and he was feeling light-headed. He looked down at the ground, then closed his eyes.

Rainbow landed back at camp, depositing Lightning gently on his sleeping bag. Cora rushed over, immediately pushing her horn to his head. His leg glowed, and the skin sealed itself. Rainbow watched with a look of awe and hate. “Do you think you could do that to me?” she held out her wing.

“It only works on fresh wounds. There was nothing I could do for you.”

“Great. How long will they be out?”

Cora looked at Lightning. “Considering the blood loss, I would say a couple hours. As for Phoenix...” she looked back at the tent, where he was lying unconscious. “Hell, I have no Idea.”

“That was really strange wasn’t it.” Rainbow sarcastically.

“We don’t have much time before they spot us again, we have to get moving.” Cora anticipated, trotting her way towards the buggy with the Solar Panel.

Rainbow Dash looked at the Buggy. “Do you know how to get it working?”

“No idea. But how hard can it be?” she reached into the hoof compartment and pulled out the manual. She flipped to the part about the solar panel. Pulling out the schematics, then she just stared. Rainbow walked over the the schematic.

“Apparently, really hard.”

Cora threw the paper to the ground. “Great! We are stuck here until they wake up. Plus, we could have Death Hunters up our ass at any moment!”

“So this IS just like old times.” Rainbow said, not looking at her.

Cora glanced at her, surprised that she would admit it. They sat in silence for a few moments, until Cora asked Rainbow something.

“So... what was life like after I left?” Cora finally decided to change the subject.

“Hard as hell...! If you didn't notice, I had no idea how to use this fucking thing until I got used to it. Half the time, I had to use my feet!” Rainbow Dash replied quickly, in a sterned tone of voice.

“Well I... Guess I should have at least wrote you down a vague manual...” Cora suggested, slowly filling with guilt.

Rainbow let out a heavy sigh; “Well.... I understand that you couldn't stay in one spot forever.... I just wish that you could have said “Goodbye” before you left.”

“I really wanted to, but it would have been worse for both of us. This was the best way.”

“If that’s what you think.”

Cora changed the subject again. “What did you do after I left?”

“Well, mostly I just freelanced. Did jobs for ponies that required it. But after a while, I just started to wander, scavenging whatever I could. I was just passing through when I saw Lightning walking. I was going the wait until he fell asleep, then steal his stuff. But he almost got killed--”

Cora’s eyes widened. “What!? He almost died?!”

“Oh, did he not mention that? Well, he walked into a Death Hunter trap. I saved him. No biggie. After that I kinda felt bad about trying to steal from him, and when I saw the camp here, I thought it was time to get back to civilization. Time to stop wandering. Time to settle down again.” She kicked a rock with her hoof, then looked up at Cora. “What did you do?”

“Oh, where to begin? Well I first just wandered, same as you. Then I started to strike at Death Hunter camps. Now that I think about it, I think it was a way to get revenge for your injury.” Rainbow looked down at her wing, hanging limply to the side. “I got hurt bad one time. I started to walk out into the desert, looking for a place to die. Then this unicorn found me. He healed me, just like I did with Lightning and Phoenix. He took me in for a while, taught me how to heal. After that I started to wander again, scavenging when I could. Then, one day, I was walking and I found, a camp. I was going to steal from it, but the people were there still around. So I decided to wait until they fell asleep, but then they were attacked. I saved Phoenix’s life, just as you saved Lightning’s. They decided that they could use me. That’s about it.”

“Sounds like you had a worse time than I did.” Rainbow said, glancing at Cora. She took a deep breath. “Well I am glad that you didn’t die.”

They heard a sound behind them. Turning, they saw Lightning emerge from the tent, still half asleep. “Glad that who didn’t die?”

“Nothing, nothing.” Cora said, winking at Rainbow. She smiled and winked back, then burst out laughing. Cora held a straight face for a moment, then followed her lead. Lightning just stared.

“What did I miss?”

Chapter XXVI: Hide Your Tears

Lightning stared at them , then shook his head. “Whatever.” he said, walking past them. He picked up the schematics, looked at them, then put them back down. “Guess we will have to wait until Phoenix wakes up.” he said, sitting down next to Cora.

“That’s what we figured.” Cora said. She looked over to Rainbow Dash. “You got any ideas on how to pass the time?”

“Well, normally I would try to do a Rainboom, just for the hell of it. But, I have never tried it with this wing, so I don’t know if I can still do it.”

Lightning looked confused. “What’s a Rainboom?”

“WHAT!?” Rainbow stood up, looking shocked. “You’ve never heard of a Sonic Rainboom!? Well now I HAVE to try!” She grabbed a walkie talkie, then spread her wings and took off. Soon, all Lightning could see of her was the yellow-white glint of her wing, and even that was faint. They heard her voice through the other communicator.

“You ready for this?” she asked.

Lightning looked at Cora. “Ready for what?”

She smiled at him. “Just watch.” She put the communicator to her lips. “We are ready. Let’s see if you still got it, or if your to old now.” She said the last part with a sly smile.

“To old!? I’ll show you!”

The yellow-white speck started to drop altitude, gaining speed every second. Lightning could see a rainbow colored trail following her decent. She picked up speed until she was just a blur, then kept on going. Lightning wasn’t sure what he was looking for, but he figured he would see it if it happened.

Cora watched her decent. She had traveled about a mile vertically. If it was going to happen, it was going to happen soon.

Then, it happened.

Lightning watched as Rainbow seemed to create a rainbow around her. It started small then grew until it detached, creating a ring of spectrum that was growing in the sky. It was like she had taken a rainbow, and gave it life. When It reached their camp, Lightning watched it with awe as it passed over head. Light passed through it, creating waves of color on the ground and on them. Lightning looked at Cora, who was glowing blue, and smiled.

Just when he thought it was over, a noise assaulted his ears. It was like a bomb had gone off a few feet away, creating a shock wave that reverberated inside his skull. He dropped to the ground, then looked up when he heard laughter. Cora was standing over him, laughing.

“Get up.” she said. “There’s nothing to be worried about.”

He stood up, slightly embarrassed, and watched as Rainbow Dash landed in front of them. She stood up on her hind legs, and gave a large bow. “Yyyep. I still got it.”

Lightning just stared at her. “How did you do that?!”

“Simple.” Rainbow said, trotting up and down in front of him. “When a Pegasus, such as me, breaks the sound barrier, it creates what is know as a “Sonic Rainboom”. That is when a sonic boom and a rainbow are created in the same second. As far as I know, I am the only pony who has ever accomplished it.” She leaned in next to Lightning. “I hope it stays that way.” then she trotted off in glee towards the tent.

Lightning, dumbfound, glared looked at Cora. She laughed when she saw his expression. “Yeah, that’s the usual reaction. It wont seem as cool pretty soon. Now that she knows she can do it, she will be doing it A LOT from now on. Trust me, it will get pretty old soon.”

Lightning just shook his head. How could that get old? He would ask her to do it again, but she looked really tired when she got back. He suggested to lay off on the request for now, Rainbow seemed like she should probably just rest.

That moment, Rainbow stuck her head out of the tent. “Hey guys! Guess who is awake!” Phoenix walked out of the tent, looking a little lost.

Lightning rushed up to him. “How are you feeling?”

“A little dizzy. What happened?”

“Well, you walked through the fire, twice, then you passed out.”

Cora walked up to him, her horn glowing. She pressed it against his forehead, closing her eyes. However, even through the lids, Lightning could see her eyes moving. It was almost as if she was walking through his body.

“Uhh...Cora? What are you doing?” phoenix asked, his whole body glowing.

“I’m searching for a reason that you would be able to walk through fire. There has got to be a reason!” She spent another couple of minutes mentally walking. Then, with a sigh of frustration, she gave up. The glow around Phoenix disappeared. “I can’t find anything! Your genes are perfect, your alleles are as they should be, and your skin is just normal skin! There is no logical explanation for this!.” She sat down, defeated.

“I really don’t know myself.” Phoenix said, looking down at his hoof, the same one that he stuck in the fire a few weeks back.

Cora suddenly jumped up. “Have you ever spent a prolonged time with one of the scientist unicorns?”

Phoenix thought back. Suddenly, his eyes widened. “Yes! I went in one time for a really bad cut I got while working on the buggy. They sent me down to the scientists. When I got down there, they knocked me out for a while, they said it was so they could implant a chip that would help me with my work. But when I woke up they said it was incompatible. I really never thought much of it. He looked at Cora, eyes filled with fear. “Are you saying that they did this to me!?”

‘It’s possible.” Cora suggested. She touched her horn to his forehead again. Her expression changed to that of fierce concentration. Phoenix’s body didn’t glow this time, but a spot over his heart turned a bright green.

Cora eyes flew open. “There! That’s where it is!”

“What? What is it?” Phoenix asked, afraid now.

“That is what it looks like when another unicorn leaves a spell on you. This must be how you are safe in fire.” She looked up at Phoenix. “Would you like me to remove it?”

“Are you kidding?! Hell no! I like it. I wouldn’t have been able to save Lightning if I didn’t have this. No, I want it to stay.”

Cora stood up. “If you say so.” She walked over to the Buggy. “What we really need to focus on repairing this.”

Phoenix smiled. “Great, my favorite thing to do. Do we have the solar panel?”

“Yeah.” Cora said. “We wouldn’t go to all that trouble just to walk away empty handed.”

“Great.” he threw up the panel unto his back and walked over to the Buggy. “This could take a while.”

*****

A couple hours later, the solar panel had been replaced, and they were on their way.

Phoenix looked at his maps, then said, “We should make it back to 18 in a couple of days, but if we drive through the night, we can reach it by morning.”

“Is it safe?” Rainbow asked.

“Oh, sure! Nothing can stop this, unless the driver passes out.” he turned and smiled at Lightning.

“Shut up. You passed out to.”

“Yeah, but I wasn’t driving, not mentioning I was bleeding out.” Phoenix smirked.

Cora decided to intervene. “The faster we get there is the faster we can be safe. I think we should just keep driving.”

“Same here.” Rainbow said. Instead of sitting inside, she flew beside the Buggy because they didn’t have another seat, and because she preferred this more.

“Alright, lets do this.” he floored the accelerator, and the car shot forward, a trail of dust rising into the air.

*****

Lightning was awoken the next morning by Phoenix. He looked around and saw that they were still driving.

“Aren't we supposed to be there by now?” he asked looking out the window.

“We will in a few minutes. I had to make a pitstop.” he pushed something at Lightning. It was a syringe and a vial of Cure. “When we get there, I want you to get to the hospital as fast as you can. I know what it is like to be bitten, and with that special somepony on antibiotics, that’s worse.”

“Thanks, man.”

Phoenix smiled. “I know what it is like to lose somepony. I don’t want you to know as well.”

Lightning looked out the front window. On the horizon, he could see a mountain. On the mountain he could just barely make out the shape of a Bunker. His heart sped up when he saw it. I’m here Applejack. I’m coming to save you.

The Buggy raced up the mountain. Phoenix brought it to a stop on the same patch of dirt where they first left the Bunker. He got out and galloped over to a box on the wall. Opening it, he pulled out a communicator.

“Bunker 18, this is Expedition 34. We are requesting access into the Bunker.” There was a pause.

Access granted Expedition 34. You may enter.

Phoenix pulled a lever next to the box. The ground slid open and the Buggy started to descend. Phoenix jumped down and landed on the roof, waking up Rainbow and Cora.

Rainbow looked around, still mostly asleep. “Are we there yet?”

Lightning smiled. “Yes we are. Yes we are.”

He was out of the Buggy before it reached the floor. He sprinted down the stairs until he reached the hospital. He burst through the doors, yelling “Where is Dr. Sparkle?!”

The nurse looked up, startled. She she pressed a button on the desk in front of her. “Dr. Sparkle, you are needed at the reception desk. Dr. Sparkle to the reception desk.”

A moment later, Twilight walked around the corner. “What is it Ms. Redheart.” Then her eyes found Lightning. Her face broke into a huge grin.

“You’re here! Oh, dear Celestia you’re here!” her smile dropped. “Did you get it?”

“Yes we did. Six hundred doses.”

Her jaw dropped. “Are you kidding!? We only need twenty to save everyone here!” She looked at the syringe and vial that was clenched in his front two hooves. “I think I know who that is for.”

“Is she alright?”

Twilight didn’t answer. “I think you need to see this.” she started to walk down the hall, Lightning at her hooves. She led him to the door marked with “CRITICAL”. “This might be a shock.” she told him, then opened the door.

Lightning gasped.

Lying in the bad was the Mare he had risked all this for. But she looked more machine than Mare now. Her skin was no longer the bright apricot it had once been, but was now the same pale color as the inside of a orange peel. Her bright green eyes were shut, and dried tears had left marks down her cheeks. An I.V. was in her left fore-leg, and a blood bag was attached to her right. A tube and mask was taped to her muzzle, with a machine that was pumping air into her lungs. A heart rate monitor was sitting next to her bed, beeping faintly and constantly, however much slower than it should have. Her blonde Mane was ratty and displaced, floating around her head like a halo. Lightning wondered if he was too late. He looked at Twilight.

“Can we save her?”

“Yes, if you will give me the Cure.” He handed her the syringe and vial. She pulled some liquid out with the syringe, then walked over to Applejack. She pulled down the covers, exposing her Cutie Mark. She pushed the point into the place right between the three apples on her thigh. Then she pushed down the plunger, filling her blood with life. Lightning watched the whole thing, not wanting to ever forget it.

“How long?”

“Approximately three days until she wakes up, then another two until she fully recovers.”

Lightning walked over to Applejack. “Is there any way to get another bed in here?”

“You’re not going to stay here, are you?”

He turned back to her, determination in his eyes. “I am. I will until she is recovered. Do you understand?”

Twilight nodded. “Yes. I will get the janitor to bring in another bed. In the meantime, why don’t you walk around. We need to do some tests.”

“Of course.” Lightning left the room, a slight trot in his step. He had saved her life. He had succeeded.

Chapter XXVII: Only You

His head hanging, Lightning walked back up the way he came. He reached the level with the Buggy and walked into the room. Phoenix was there, packing up the Buggy. A medical team was there as well, taking inventory on the Cure. Phoenix looked up and waved him over.

“Are we going somewhere?” asked Lightning, who was looking at the crates being loaded into the trunk.

“We aren’t, but I am. I told you, I am going to see Celia.”

“How long do you think you will be gone?”

“I should be gone for around five days. I let Cora and Rainbow have my room until they get one of their own. If you need to visit them, it’s number 136.” Suddenly, a voice came over the intercom.

Expedition 35, you are cleared for departure.

Phoenix sighed. “Well, I guess I will see you in a couple days.” he started walking back towards the car, then turned around. “Oh, I forgot!. How’s the special somepony?”

Lightning smiled. “Applejack is still in critical, but, she is cured.”

“That’s great. At least somepony was saved for our efforts. Well, I’m happy for you.” he turned back to the Buggy and climbed in. “Would you mind pulling that lever for me?” he pointed to the lever that raises the Buggy. Lightning obliged.

The roof retracted, and the Buggy started to rise. Phoenix waved at Lightning, then he disappeared from view. Lightning waved back, even though it was too late. Lightning sighed, them walked out of the room.

He found the stairs leading up to the Dormitory levels. He walked down the halls until he reached 136, then knocked on the door. The doorknob glowed white, then the door opened. Lightning walked inside, closing the door behind him.

Cora was lying on the bed, a book propped open in front of her.

“So how is that special somepony?” she asked. Lightning looked at her, not remembering a time when he had told her.

“Phoenix told me.” she said when she saw his confused look.

“Oh. Well, she is in critical, and wont wake up for several days, but she is alive and cured.”

“I am glad to hear that. When she wakes up, you will have to introduce us all. I mean, we did risk our lives for her- and, you know, five hundred and ninety nine other ponies.”

“Sure. But until then, what is there do do around here? Last time I was here, I was bored as hell.”

Cora smiled. “Tomorrow morning, I will show you around. If you just ask, there is a lot do do in a Bunker.”

“Alright.” he couldn’t wait. He laid down next to her on the bed and looked around the room. It was so different from the one Cora had in 118. Everything was spread around, nothing had a specific spot. A dresser stood next to the bed. He trotted over to it. There were photos of Phoenix as a colt and Phoenix as a Stallion. Next to those were photos of Phoenix and Celia. All the pictures were centered around a picture of Phoenix and Celia on their wedding day, the same one Phoenix had back on the Buggy. Lightning now realized how much Phoenix loved her.

Cora walked up and stood next to him. “He is different than I expected. I never thought that he would be one to settle down.”

“Me too.” he broke his gaze away from the photo. “Where’s Rainbow?”

“She’s out flying. She says that she can’t stay down here too long. However, I have yet to show her the indoor flying range.” Cora smirked.

Lightning smiled, but it faltered quickly. “I guess I will see you tomorrow.” then he walked out of her room, and down to his.

*****

Over the next couple of days, Cora showed hm what the Bunker had to offer. On the first day, she took him the the firing range. He had spent an hour just walking down the rows of guns, deciding which to choose.

The next day, they went to the Greenhouse. When she opened the door, Lighting almost passed out. The smell of the flowers was overpowering. He walked down the isles of flowers. He had rarely seen a flower, and even then they were wildflowers, lacking in beauty, and taste. However, here there were row upon row of beautiful, delicate flowers, of every color.

Next day, she brought him to the areal section. Lightning stared in awe at the lines of sleek, shiny vehicles. With a special request, Cora was able to get him up in one of the planes. They took him higher than he had ever been. He looked down at the ground, through the clouds, and saw the Bunker. It was a tiny grey speck against a brown and green backdrop.

Then she took him to the library. He had never actually read a book before, however he did know how to read. He had only used books for fuel on a fire before. He walked down the isles of pristine tomes. He watched Cora as she pulled out a couple and sit down in a chair. He had a feeling that this trip was more for her than for him.

On the fifth day, he walked down to the hospital, and into Applejack’s room. In the past four days, all the machine, except the heart monitor and I.V., had been removed. Today was the day that she was supposed to wake up, and he wanted to be there for it. He spent the day in that ward, however, she didn’t wake up.

He walked back to his room in despair that night. What if she couldn’t wake up? What if she was too damaged for that? No. He refused the think like that.

The next morning, Phoenix returned. Lightning galloped to the garage. Phoenix was just getting out of the Buggy just as he arrived.

“How was it?” he asked, when he had caught his breath.

Phoenix smiled at him. “Let me tell you, It was great. I promised her I would stop by as often as possible. And, I have some amazing news. She is pregnant.”

Lightning’s jaw dropped. “That’s great man!” he reached out and shook his hoof. “You will have to-” He was cut off by the intercom. Twilight’s voice came through the speakers, and she sounded happy.

Lightning Storm, please come to the hospital. Critical room number 42, immediately.

Lightning’s eyes widened. “She’s awake! Phoenix, she’s awake!” He started to gallop out of the garage. But he stopped and turned around.

“I need you to get Cora and Rainbow, then meet me down there, OK?”

“Sure, no problem.”

“Great! Thanks!” he yelled as he galloped away. He made his way down the stairs, almost running into other ponies as he did. He burst through the hospital doors and ran towards the Critical ward. He passed her old room, and stopped outside room number 42. He took a deep breath, and opened the door.

When his eyes found her, a grin lit his face. Her skin had returned to the bright orange it had been when he found her. Her green eyes were bright and, more importantly, were open. She was talking to Twilight when he walked in, with an expression of discomfort on her face. But when she saw him, it changed to one of joy.

Lightning walked up to the bed. He put his hoof on hers. “How are you doing?”

“Ah’m doing fine, ah guess.” she turned to Twilight. “How am ah doing Doc?” she asked with a smile.

Twilight looked at Lightning. “She is perfectly fine. She is completely cured, and should be able to leave in a couple days.” She took some readings from the heart monitor, then said, “I’ll leave you two alone.” and she backed out of the room.

Applejack looked up at Lightning. “Ah feel like ah got hit by a train. But at least ah am cured.”

“And that’s all that matters.” Lightning said. Then, there was a knock at the door. He got up and answered it. Phoenix and the others were standing on the other side. Cora looked excited.

“Can we see her?” she asked.

“Sure.” he said. “Just hang on.” he shut the door again. Turning back to Applejack, he said, “these are some people I would like you to meet. They helped me on the trip.” and he opened the door, calling them in one by one.

“This is Phoenix Fire.” who replied, “Damn, man. You didn’t say she was hot.”

“This is Cora Vance.” who nodded and said, “Glad to see that you pulled through.”

“And this is--”

Her eyes widened and she yelled, “RAINBOW DASH!!”

“Applejack!” The rainbow Mare ran up to the bed. “Oh my god! I didn’t know it was you!” she turned to Lightning. “Why didn’t you tell me!?

Lightning just stared at her, then shook his head. “Wait. You know her?”

“Of course I do! We were best friends before all this happened. It’s so good to see you again!”

Applejack smiled at her friend. “It’s good to see you again too.” She looked her over. “Wait. What happened to your wing!?”

“Oh, this.” she extended the metal wing. “It’s nothing. I got hurt a while back. I’m good now-”

Cora interrupted her. “I think it’s time we told what happened.” she said looking at Rainbow. Rainbow closed her eyes, then re-opened them and said, “Fine.”.

Cora took a deep breath. “OK, it started out like what happened back at the scrap yard. We tried to infiltrate a Death Hunter camp. And we succeeded! It was practically the same plan that we used back at the scrap yard; hit them in their blind spot. So I got in and found the stuff we needed. I loaded them into two packs, one for each of us. I was just about to leave when they discovered us. I started running back the way I came, towards the fence. But, they were gaining on me. So Rainbow decided that it was a good idea to take both of the packs by herself.” She took a breath, then continued.

“I knew, I KNEW, that it would slow her down, make it so she couldn’t fly as well. But, I took my safety over her own, and gave her the packs. I was just over the fence when it happened. One of the Hunters had gotten his hooves on a gun. I could only watch as they put five holes in her wing. I could only watch as she fell to the ground, bleeding. I could only watch...”

There was a moment of silence, which was eventually broken by Applejack.

“So...you let her take the stuff, even though you knew she would be in danger?”

Cora nodded slowly. “I did.”

“WHY?” Applejack yelled, causing everyone to jump. “WHY WOULD YOU RISK HER OVER THE SUPPLIES!?”

“We needed them...” Cora said quietly.

“DOES IT MATTER? she yelled. “You could have just left it behind! If you are a team, you don’t risk a friend for profit!”

“I’m sorry. I wouldn’t have done it if I had known....” she said, close to tears.

“It doesn’t matter! What matters is that you did it, and it can’t be fixed!” Her face was bright red, eyes filled with anger. “Get out! Get the hell out of mah room! NOW!”

Cora hung her head. She turned and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind her. Lightning turned back to Applejack, who was breathing heavily.

“Only you can make those words cute.” he said with a small smile. She returned the smile, then passed out.

Chapter XXVIII: When You Can’t Run, You Crawl

Lightning left the room after Applejack’s tirade. As he left he saw Big Mac walking down the hall towards her room. Lightning nodded as he passed by, but didn’t say anything. He walked out of the hospital and headed up the stairs. He had to go see someone.

When he reached room 136, he stopped and knocked on the door. There was no answer. However, when he pushed his ear against the door, he heard the sound of crying.

“Cora, I know your in there. Just open the door” She stopped crying for a second. Lightning stood back and waited for the door to open. However, a glow surrounded him, not the door. He watched, helpless, as he rose into the air. Floating down the hall, he yelled, “Cora! Cora, let me go! I just want to help!”

The light surrounding him vanished and he fell to the ground, landing on his flank. The door opened and Cora stepped out into the hall. Her eyes were red and puffy. Tracks in her coat showed where the tears had travelled.

“Help me? How can you help me if I am not in trouble?” she sniffed, stepping back into the room. Lightning followed her in, shutting the door behind him. He could see exactly where she had been, because her tears had left marks on the bed spread. He took a deep breath, trying to find the right words to say to her.

However, she interrupted him.

“Look, I know what you going to say.” She said, wiping a tear from her muzzle. “You are going to say how this is not my fault and I should just shake it off, right? Well it IS my fault. All of it. So just save your breath.” She walked back and threw herself on the bed. Lightning walked up and sat down next to her.

“Actually, I was going to say this was your fault and you should shake it off.”

Cora looked up at him with confusion. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, yeah it was stupid of you to risk a friend and partner like that. Yeah, it was stupid of you to ditch her right afterwards as well. But you shouldn't let that bother you. If they were as good friends as it sounds like they were, of course she is going to be protective! But give her time and I’m sure that she will come around. You and Rainbow became friends again, and she is the one that you hurt! Just give her time.” He looked her in the eyes. “I really like her and I want you to like her as well.”

Cora smiled and stood up. “I’m the one who is supposed to give the advice, not you.” She jumped off the bed. “But you are right. You know what? I am going down there and apologizing to both of them, together.” She walked towards the door, which glowed white and opened. She turned back to Lightning before she walked out.

“Thank you. This meant a lot to me.” then she shut the door. Lightning waited until he could no longer hear her hoof falls, then walked out of the room. Walking down the halls, he thought about how none of this would have happened had he not chosen to go down that side street that day. He never would have met Applejack had he not seen that zombie and made a left turn. He was so lost in his mind that he almost didn’t hear the announcement that was blaring from the P.A. system.

Lightning storm, please report to Dr. Sparkles office immediately.

When he heard the announcement, he panicked. Had some thing happened to Applejack? Did she attack Cora? He ran back the way he came, down the stairs and into the hospital ward. He burst into Twilight’s office, breathing heavily.

“What..what is it?” he asked as he tried to catch his breath.

Twilight stared at him for a moment, then she realized the problem. “Ohhh. Don’t worry nothing is wrong with AJ. I probably should have come to find you. I am sorry to have scared you?”

Lightning sighed, then sank into one of the chairs in front of her desk. “It’s alright.” he breathed. “What do you need?”

Twilight stood up and walked around her desk a couple times before she spoke. “I hate to ask you this so soon after your arrival, but there is no other way.” She looked him in the eyes. “I need you to go out again. We are running low on medical supplies and our next shipment is not for another couple weeks. I am sure that we cam make it, but I don’t want to take chances.”

“So what do you want me to do?” Lightning asked, averting her eyes.

“I need you to go to a hospital a couple cities over. If it hasn’t been scavenged from then it should have some supplies. All I need you to do is go there, and then come right back with the supplies.” He eyes looked hopeful. “Do you think you can do it?”

Lightning hesitated. He had just come back not a week ago. He had been looking forward to spending some time with AJ, as Twilight called her. One question crossed his mind.

“How long will this take?”

“It shouldn’t take more that three days.” Twilight said. “The hospital isn’t that far.”

Lightning thought about it. He really wanted to spend time with her, but she also had family. It would be selfish to keep her all to him self and away from her family. He didn’t speak for a couple minutes.

“I will do it.”

Twilight’s face lit up with joy. “You will? Thank you! When can you leave?”

Lightning sighed. “Immediately, I guess.”

“Great! I will alert Phoenix that you are going, I am sure that he will want to come along.”

“I just have one thing to do.” Lightning said. “Do you have a pen and a notepad?” She pushed a pen and piece of paper across the desk. He picked up the pencil in his mouth and wrote:

Dear Applejack

I am going on a short trip. It shouldn’t be more than five days. Just have fun with your family until I get back, then we can have some fun.

Sincerely, Lightning

He walked out of the office and down to Applejack’s room. When he reached the door Cora walked out, looking happy. She saw him and smiled.

“Well, it looks like you were right.” she said. “We really got along. Thank you.”

“No problem, it was all I could do.”

“What did Dr. Sparkle want?”

“She wants me, you want to go on another trip. A short one this time. You are invited if you want to come.”

Her smile grew larger. “I wouldn’t miss it.” then she walked down the hall and out of sight. Lightning turned back and opened the door. He peeked his head inside. Applejack was asleep in the bed, the covers moving with each breath she took. He walked inside and laid the note on the table next to her bed. Then he leaned down and brushed her lips with his own. He straightened up and walked out of the room, quietly shutting the door behind him.

He took the long trek up to the garage. When he arrived, Cora and Phoenix were already there, packing up the Buggy.

“Do we even know where we are going?” Lightning asked when they saw him.

“Dr. Sparkle gave me a map. We should be back within the week.” Phoenix responded.

“Great.” Lightning said. He climbed into the Buggy. Phoenix fitted in the last crate and climbed in after him. Cora ran over and pulled the lever on the wall. The floor rose up, and they started their journey

*****

They had been driving for about a day when they saw it. The body was lying be the side of the road. It had a dark blue tunic and helmet on. When they rolled it over they saw that the tunic had a black patch with a crescent moon emblazoned on the chest. Lying on the ground next to him was a USP.45 TAC. Phoenix instantly picked it up and put it in his bag.

Cora stared at the body. “Who do you think he was?”

“I have no idea, but whoever he was he can’t have travelled far from a headquarters without water and food.” Lightning said, looking over the surroundings. “We should watch out for more.”

“What should we do with the body?” Cora asked. Phoenix walked over to the Buggy. He pulled out a red, plastic container and a book of matches. He poured some of the liquid onto the body then struck a match and let it fall.

The match landed on the crescent moon. Flames jumped from the match and spread across the tunic. Soon, the entire body was covered in flames. A horrible stench of burning flesh spreading over the Wasteland.

“This is the best thing we can do. We should get out of here before this attracts to much attention.” Phoenix said, turning back to the Buggy. Lightning and Cora climbed in with him. They took off, smoke rising from the corpse that was disappearing over the horizon.

*****

That night they stopped in a burned out town. Phoenix unpacked the tent and set up the fire. Lightning walked through the charred remains of the buildings. He was lost in his own thoughts. Who was that pony before? What was he symbol on his chest? He was out of reality so much that when he stepped on a small glass frame, he almost didn’t notice it. Reaching down he pulled out a small picture with a golden frame around it. The glass was cracked and broken, making the picture hard to make out. He squinted at the picture. Then he saw what it was.

Twilight stood in the middle of a group of other ponies. Lightning could make out Applejack and Rainbow Dash, however, the other three he did not know. He started to search through the ashes and debris. After a few more minutes of searching he had found five more photos. They all had Twilight with one of the other five with her. Lightning realized what this place was. This was Twilight’s house and her home town.

On the way back he decided not to tell the others what this place was. They didn’t need to know where they were. He sat down next to the fire, feeling cold despite the heat from the flames. They sat in silence until Cora stood up.

“I am going to hit the hay, see you in the morning.” She walked into the tent, leaving Lightning and Phoenix alone.

“OK, what is going on?” Phoenix asked.

“What do you mean.” Lightning asked, badly lying.

“Stop with the lies. You found something out there. Something that freaked you out. now, what is it?”

Lightning sighed and pulled the picture out of his pack. He handed it over to Phoenix, who’s eyes widened.

“This is...”

“Twilight, yeah I know. This is her home. I found that back in one of those houses.” Lightning reached and took the picture back. “I am going to give this back to her. I think that she has probably missed it.”

Phoenix smiled. “When did you become so sentimental?”

“I think when I met Applejack. She has kinda rubbed off on me.”

“Well, I have to say, it sort of suits you.” he stood up and stretched. “I will take the watch.”

Lightning nodded and walked over to the tent. He stepped into his sleeping bag, and as soon as his head hit the pillow, he was gone.

*****

The next morning, Phoenix woke him up and they were off. The maps said that they should reach the hospital by midday.

The hours slipped by as the landscape changed from brown to green and back again. The silence was finally broken by Phoenix.

“Look!” He pointed out the passenger window. Rising from the Wasteland was a building. It was at least fifteen stories tall, with all of its windows broken. Its, what seemed to be, white exterior was charred and broken, turning it a dull grey.

“Do you think that there is anything still there?” Cora asked, looking at the building. “I mean, it looks pretty bad.”

“I am sure there is still something there.” Lightning said. “There is always something left. You just have to look for it.”

Phoenix began to drive towards the hospital. The road was covered in large craters, as if things have exploded. Lightning had a sudden thought.

“Stop! Stop the Car!” Phoenix slammed on the brakes. The buggy screeched to a halt. Lightning jumped out and began to pick up rocks lying by the side of the road.

“What are you doing?” Cora asked, watching him pile rocks next to him.

“Just wait.” he said, and began to throw rocks at the road in front of them. It took a couple times, but eventually, something happened.

A rock hit the ground a few yards in front of their car. With a small metallic click, the ground below the rock blew up, showering them with bits of dirt and stone.

Lightning smiled. “I thought so. This area is rigged with mines. We have to find a way over it, or risk getting blown up.”

Cora nodded at him. “I believe I can help.” Her horn started to glow. A white aura surrounded both Lightning and Phoenix. Together, they rose into the air and floated towards the hospital doors. Within moments, they were on safe ground. The glow surrounding them faded and they fell to the concrete.

Phoenix shook his head and stood up. He turned back to Cora, who was still standing on the other side of the mine field. “What are you waiting for? Come on over!”

Cora closed her eyes and teleported over to the other side. She smiled.

Lightning looked at her. “Is there anything you can’t do?”

“No.” she smirked, then turned to the building

It looked even worse up close. Bullet holes and acid stains covered the front of the building. Whoever had owned this had put up with a lot, but finally lost it.

“Where do you think the supplies will be?” Phoenix asked, poking his head inside the doorway.

“If I were to guess,” Cora said, “I would say that it would be underground. In a storeroom probably.”

Lightning took a step into the lobby, instantly falling into shadow, flipping on hes belt flashlight. “Well, let’s get started.”

After about an hour of searching, they found the storeroom. Inside they found crates of medical supplies. Not knowing what to get, they took as much as they could carry. They walked back up to the lobby, and into a strange sight

All along the walls on the first floor, were small packages. Lightning realized that they were the same thing that Cora hap affixed to the core in Bunker 118. C-4 she had called it. That’s when Lightning saw the guns being lowered.

He pushed Cora and Phoenix to the ground just as bullets started to fly. He pulled them behind the desk in the lobby, then pulled out his own gun. Looking around the side of the desk, he saw that all the ponies, about twenty of them, all wore the same tunic as the body they had burned yesterday.

There was too many to fight. Lightning looked around in panic, and he noticed the door in the back of the hospital. It was their only escape. However, it was in full view of the other ponies guns.

Then, Lightning had an idea.

“Phoenix, can you carry Cora out of here?” he shouted above the noise of the guns.

“Of course, but what about you?” Phoenix asked, fear in his eyes, but with a hint of confidence.

“Don’t worry about me, just get her out of here. Get to the Buggy and go!”

Phoenix nodded, a solemn expression on his face. He stood up and opened his wings. He grabbed Cora around the chest, then lifter her into the air. Cora was now riding on the wing that she had repaired so many times. He hoped she knew what she had been doing. Lightning watched as they flew through a window a couple stories up, and were gone from sight.

It had worked perfectly except for one thing. The guards did not chase them as he had wanted. Instead, five or six went in pursuit, leaving the others to keep him pinned down. He pulled out his gun and began to shoot over the top of the desk. He heard a couple bodies hit the ground, but they continued to fire. He knew he had one chance.

He burst out from behind the desk at full gallop. He ran as fast as possible towards the back door. He had almost made it when he felt the bullet hit his shoulder. Looking down he saw the hole that the bullet had made, the blood staining his white coat. Then he was hit again, this time in the back of the thigh. His leg seized up, and he tumbled through the back doors of the hospital.

He lay on the ground, blood starting to form puddles next to his body. Now that the shooting had stopped he could hear the sound of the Buggy driving away. The sounds of Cora’s screams as Phoenix hit the accelerator, facing the direction they came from. The sound of rubber tires screeching against the ashplat.

Through the blood pounding in his ears, he heard a voice.

Demolition in one minute! Clear the area!

Lightning heard that and panicked. He tried to stand up, but his leg gave out. He cried in pain, falling to the ground again. He began to crawl desperately, attempting to get away from the from the building. He had to move or get crushed by falling cement.

A minute later, he heard the same sound that he heard when Cora blew up 118. A small, metallic beep. Turning, he watched as the hospital started to crumble, cement falling to a pile that used to be a building. He watched until the dust cloud obscured his view. The sound of the cement and glass and metal was almost deafening, but Lightning tried to block it out. He needed to get help from someone. But who? Who would help him out here?

He continued to crawl through the dust cloud, leaving a trail of blood as he went.

Chapter XXIX: And When You Can’t Crawl

He stared up at the sun, which was just a small yellow circle hidden behind the clouds. he looked behind him, at the trail that showed which way he had arrived. The blood flow had stopped a few hours ago, but the crease in the ground still showed his path.

It had been about three hours, and he had travelled about a quarter mile. Through the pain and through the heat. He continued for one reason. That was to get back to Applejack.

But he had to stop. he pulled himself over to the shade under a tree, then rolled over onto his back. He looked up at the tree. It was a small tree, about five feet tall. But that wasn’t what caught his eyes. Nestled in the branches were bright red apples. Just looking at them made Lightning start to drool. If he could just stand up...

He cried out in agony. His left hind leg crumpled and he fell to his side, landing on his wounded shoulder, awarding him another scream of pain. He looked down at his thigh, and saw that blood had started to flow again. It was the same story for his shoulder. He looked up at the tantalizing fruit.

“Fuck you.” then he started to crawl again.

*****

A couple hours later, he was still crawling. The sun had dipped towards the horizon behind him, casting a long, dark shadow in front of him. He was dehydrated, starving, and tired. He looked around and saw a couple rocks the formed a natural roof. He crawled towards it. He pushed himself into a ball and put his pack in front of him to stop the wind. He knew he was not going to sleep well.

The next morning, he pried open his eyes. Luckily, he had not been attacked during the night. He tried to swallow, but when he did he was just met with pain. He had to find some water quick. He started off again, wounds no longer bleeding.

He had been crawling for most of the day. His wounds were filled with dirt and his vision was going fuzzy. He looked up at the sky and saw that the vultures were already circling. If he had his gun he would shoot them down, but he had lost it back at the hospital. He closed his eyes and continued forward.

An hour later, he collapsed. His vision was going dark and his throat on fire. There would be no hiding spot tonight. He passed out in the open, with the vultures still circling.

He opened his eyes and saw something that made him gasp. A giant lake had formed next to him. He crawled over to it and tried to drink. But wherever he went, the water retreated from him. he tried to crawl into the water, but it just moved away from his body.

He continued into the lake, thinking that he will get it eventually. finally, he reached the bottom of the lake, a bubble of air surrounding him. He screamed in rage and jumped at the water, causing his wounds to re-open. The water moved away from his touch.

The air bubble began to shake. Droplets of water fell to the ground next to him. Then it disappeared completely. A thousand tons of water fell on him, pressing the air out of his lungs and replacing it with some of itself. He struggled and gasped for breath, but all he could find was water. His eyes closed, and he floated upward....

He awoke with a gasp, clutching at his throat. He looked around, seeing no water. He sighed and began to crawl away. His vision was blurry again, and his lips were cracked and bleeding. He knew he was going to die, he just didn’t know where.

All he could think of was that he hadn’t said goodbye to Applejack. He had left her with only a note and a kiss. Now he was going to die.

“Well, this went great.” he rasped. Then he coughed. Even talking caused him pain. He looked down at his fore-legs, which were bleeding from the constant crawling. His shoulder was on fire. He looked at both sides and could see that it had entered, and then exited. Luckily it had missed his heart. His thigh was another matter.

He could feel the bullet sitting in the muscle. Every time he moved, his muscle pulled against it. He looked and saw that it had penetrated right above the shield cutie mark on his flank. The blood had flowed down the thigh, coating his leg in red. Flies were trying to get at the blood and wound. He constantly had to flick his tail to get them away.

For the first time in his life, he contemplated suicide. It would be better than this death, he reasoned. But then an image of Applejack surfaced in his mind. No. She would not want it to end that way. So Lightning continued, crawling through the Wastes.

He had been going for another half hour when he collapsed again. His face fell, not into dirt, but into grass. Grass? He opened his blurry eyes and saw that he was in the middle of a field of grass. But all the food in the world would do no good without water.

He rolled onto his back, feeling the grass pull at his fur. His vision was fogging over. He was going to pass out again, and he didn’t know if he was going to wake up afterwards.

Then, he heard the sound of soft hoof-falls coming towards him. With his last glimpse of light, he saw a pair of kind, but worried, aquamarine eyes. With his last conscious breath before he passed out, he asked one thing to the yellow pony above him. He put all his suffering, all his pain, and all his longing into the two simple words.

“Help me.”

Chapter XXX: You Find Somepony To Carry You

When Lightning next felt consciousness, he thought he was dead. With his eyes still closed against the thought of death, he used his other senses to get his bearings. He felt warm, comfortable, hydrated, and fed. He felt that he was lying in a bed, with blankets on top of him. He heard the soft sound of singing somewhere in the distance. He tasted something like the remnants of oats.

He finally decided to face what was beyond his eyelids.

He was looking up at a ceiling made of straw and wood. The sun was shinning through multiple covered windows. Raggedy make shift drapes covered over them. He tried to sit up so he could see more, but something stopped him. Looking down, he saw a small, white animal sitting on his chest. When he moved again it stuck his head up and looked at him. It was a small white rabbit. It looked at him for a moment with curiously intelligent eyes. The rabbit tapped its large white feet on Lightning’s chest. Lightning, grunting in pain, scared off the animal as it jumped off his chest and disappeared from his uneven sight.

Lightning sat up to see where it went. He saw that a door stood a few feet away. Through the open door he heard the sound of singing stop, only to be replaced by the sound of small squeaks. Those stopped after a moment, and Lightning heard the sound of hoofs coming closer. The door opened more and a Mare poked her head into the room. As if she was afraid to wake the already half awake Lightning.

She had a soft yellow coat and a pale pink mane stripped with black. Her eyes were the same color as the sea, a light blue, full of care and love. Lightning watched the Mare enter the room. He opened his mouth to ask where he was, only to be interrupted by the growing pain in his shoulder. Gritting his teeth, Lightning gripped his shoulder and roughly threw his head back into the fluffy pillow, letting out a painful grunt as he tried to remove the covers, as if to get out of the bed.

“Please don’t move so much!” The yellow mare demanded, in a very amateur tone.

“I-if... I mean.... If you’d rather get up... I think the wounds are already healing.”

“No... I think I just broke a stitch...” Lightning grunted again. “Dammit! Yeah, I just opened the wound...” Lightning slumped back into the bed, attempting to stop the small flow of blood, trickling down his shoulder.

“Le- let.... Oh... my.... s-so much blood.... Let me get another stitch and a bandage before it gets all over the floor!” The yellow mare did as she said she would, galloping into the room next to his.

Lightning looked towards the table the bed was lying against, on it laid an assortment of items; surgical scissors, medical taping, and a large bundle of fresh carrots. Looking over the other end of the table. Lightning noticed a collapsed bullet, the bullet was drenched in blood, could it have been the bullet from his shoulder? He didn't take the chances of breaking more of the stitches by flexing his front leg to check if he could still feel the bullet.

But wait, a BUNDLE of fresh carrots?! Where could anypony find such large quantities of FRESH food?! Lightning suggested to himself that the carrots were for him. Taking a carrot from the bundle; He shoved it in his muzzle with his good leg. He savoured the flavor in his dry mouth. Smashing the carrot with his tongue against the top of his gum. He closed his eyes, enhancing every other sense, the intense flavor of the carrot filled Lightning’s shrunken stomach almost instantly. Ignoring the intentions of his belly telling him to stop eating, he continued to eat from the bundle.

Out of nowhere, Lightning felt a spontaneous force hit his lower jaw. He felt no pain, but the momentum of the kick sent his head back onto the soft pillow. Regaining his thoughts, he looked to his side. The same animal that had been his chest when he had awoken was there again. Constantly stomping his soft paw on his chest cavity once more. This time, in a more vigorous motion. The enraged animal soon began to settle itself, hopping itself to the table and into the pile of carrots.

Not a second afterwards, the rabbit peeked his head out of the assortment of carrots. With a vigorous throwing arm, it began to chuck sharp pointed carrots at Lightnings face. Taking quick action, Lightning shielded himself from the veggie artillery with his good hoof.

“What the hell!?!” Lightning yelled in self defense. What seemed like a never ending barrage of sudden assault by carrots, the attack began to some how subside as the sound of galloping echoed once again through the small room.

“No Angel! Stop it! He may be a stranger, but he never did anything to you!” The yellow Mare took an assertive account as she extended her front hoof towards the white rabbit, whom seemed to be named ‘Angel’.

‘Angel’, as the yellow mare called the rabbit, looked into the Mare’s eyes with saddened eyes. Sniffing the dry air, Angel hopped off into the dark foreshadows of the makeshift drapes.

“I’m so, so, so sorry he assaulted you. He hates it when some other pony touches his food.”

“It wasn’t a problem, but... Uh.... I got to ask, where in Equestria, did you all of these FRESH carrots!?” Lightning abruptly blurted.

The mare’s face blew up with startled expression, as she took cover under the table.

“Are you OK? I didn't meant to startle you. I just wanted to know, considering ‘good’ soil out here in the wastes is nearly impossible.” Suggesting the start of a conversation, Lightning peeked under the table to see if the pony was still in her sudden explosion of shock.

“I’m sorry, it seems we’ve gotten off on the wrong hoof. My names Lightning, Lightning Storm.” Lightning lent the mare his hoof, in a gesture to pick her up from the flooring. Cautiously taking the gesture, the mare began to rise again softly back to her hooves.

“H-hi.... My names... um... fluttershy....” The yellow mare muffled.

“I’m sorry, what was that?” Lightning asked, inching closer to the mare.

“My name is.... fluttershy....” Once again, she mumbled, this time, closer to his ear.

“I kinda got knocked up in the head lately... So my hearing might be awkward at the moment, repeat that for me please?”

“My name is Fluttershy.” This time, the mare spoke fluently, and loudly. In Lightning’s eyes, she seemed to delicate for such a place like the Wastelands.

He decided to ask the question again, but this time in a smaller voice. “Where did you get all this food?”

Fluttershy smiled, pushing her pink and black mane away from her face. Now that Lightning could see her more clearly she seemed to be familiar. But he couldn’t place where he had seen her before, if he had.

“I have a small garden in the back.” she leaned over him and pulled down the covers from his shoulder. Lightning saw that she had a needle,surgical thread, and bandages in her pack. She gripped the needle in her mouth and began to add stitches to his wound. When she was finished she put a gauze over the wound and wrapped some medical tape around his shoulder. She leaned back and pulled the covers back more, exposing the hole in his thigh.

This wound looked worse. It was inflamed and bright red. Lightning was pretty sure it was infected. He gagged just looking at it, but Fluttershy seemed unfazed by it. She reached over to the table and brought over a small scalpel. She looked Lightning in the eyes.

“I’m..I’m sorry. T-this may hurt.” Lightning realized what she was going to do a second before she did it.

The scalpel entered the wound and Lightning cried in pain. As fast as she could, Fluttershy cut the wound open and reached for a bucket. She positioned the bucket under the wound just as blood started to flow. But it was not all blood.

Flowing out of the cut was also a thick, yellow-white pus. As it exited his body, Lightning could feel the pain in his leg recede slightly. Soon, about a pint of the pus had come out of his leg, and Fluttershy pressed a gauze against the cut, stemming the flow of blood. She taped the gauze up just the same as his shoulder.

“I’m really sorry I had to do that.” Fluttershy said, not meeting his eyes. “But if I don’t, then the infection will spread..and...” Her voice faded out, but her lips were still moving.

Lightning went to flex his leg. When he did Fluttershy let out a squeal and hid under the table again. Lightning just stared at her.

“I’m not going to hurt you. I would never hurt you. I just want to stand up is all”

Fluttershy said something, but it just came out as a muffled sound. Lightning took that as a ‘yes’. He, slowly, stuck his legs out of the bed putting his weight onto the un-wounded leg.

“I-it isn’t fully healed, but I think I can still move around again.” Lightning grunted a bit at the easing pain in his shoulder, flexing the leg slightly.

“Oh! That’s wonderful! But please, you need to rest before you go anywhere.” Fluttershy suggested, softly pushing Lightning back down to the bed.

“Uh... I guess you’re right. I’m shit tired....” Lightning agreed, giving away, falling back into the bed.

“Oh yes! Please, lie down. I am cooking some Vegetable stew, it will make you feel better...! That is, if you’d like.... some.” Fluttershy then trotted her way to the door she had kept coming and going from.

Lightning took this opportunity to look around the room some more. It was painted in bright pastel colors. Floral prints wrapped around the door frame, which had light streaming in from the outside. Sitting next to the door, with mud still on them, were two pairs of combat boots. On the table next to the door sat his saddlebags. One side was open and Lightning could see the picture that he found back in the ruins. It was close enough that he could make it out clearly. Something caught his eye.

Right between Applejack and another pony Lightning didn’t know, sat a Mare. She was the same color and had the same smile as Fluttershy!

“I have your soup. It’s kind of hot...if that’s OK.” Fluttershy walked back into the room. Despite the new black stripes in her hair, it was the same exact pony. Lightning just stared at her. She pressed her ears against her head and looked away towards the ground.

“I guess that’s not OK...”

Chapter XXXI: For The Greater Good

He didn’t know what to say. His eyes flashed back and forth between the pony in front of him and the one in the picture. Fluttershy was avoiding his eyes, still thinking he was angry at her. She started to back out of the room.

“Wait!” he called, which caused Fluttershy to jump and freeze in place. He pointed at the the picture. “That’s you isn’t it?”

Her eyes followed his hoof and landed on the photo. When she saw herself in the picture she turned back to Lightning and nodded.

“I was going to ask...um...where you got that. But then I remembered that Ponyville isn’t to far away.” she walked over and pulled out the picture. She brought it over and showed it to Lightning.

“What did you do to your mane?” he asked when he saw that it had once been all pink. Her eyes fell and she backed up slightly.

“You don’t like it?” she asked, running her hoof through her hair.

“No, I do.” he backpedaled. “It’s just...different” He knew that talking normally with this Pegasus was going to be difficult.

“Oh,” she smiled. “I thought that you hated it. I had always wanted to do something with my mane, but...” her voice trailed off. “I don’t think you know this, but I am really shy. So I never did anything with my mane because I was afraid that my friends wouldn’t like it. But now...” she gestured out the window, at the Wastes that lay beyond. “No pony is around to not like it.” She said the last sentence in such a depressed voice, that Lightning couldn’t help but feel sorry for her.

She looked out the window for a few moments, until she shook her head and looked back at the picture. She started to point out the ponies in the photo.

“That’s Rarity, she was a big dressmaker before. That’s Pinkie Pie, she always threw parties for us. Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, and Ap--”

“Applejack.” Lightning interrupted her. Fluttershy looked shocked.

“You know Applejack!?” she asked, her soft voice gone.

“Yeah. Actually, I know Twilight and Rainbow too. They all live in a bunker a day or so from here.”

Fluttershy’s eyes lit up. “Oh, that’s just fantastic! We can go see them!” she reached out and crushed Lightning in a giant hug. She stopped when she realized what she was going. “Sorry.” she said, but she was still giggling. “After you get better, we can go there. If that’s OK with you..?”

Lightning smiled. “Well I live there, so I would like to go back.”

Fluttershy’s face was pure joy. “Great! I can’t...” She was interrupted by the appearance of Angel, who was frantically squeaking and stomping his foot.

Fluttershy looked up at Lightning, all the happiness gone. “We...um...have a problem.” She walked over to the window that Angel had been hiding on and pulled the curtain back. Lightning gasped.

The view beyond the drapes was spectacular. Fresh, green grass grew from the ground, dozens of apple trees were in bloom. After a short drop, Lightning could see the rest of the Waste, spreading out around them. Her house was on top of a mountain, which was surrounded by a white picket fence. It was beautiful, except for the zombie trying to tear down the fence.

Lightning automatically went for his weapon, but remembered that he had lost it. he looked at Fluttershy. “What are we going to do?”

She hung her head, and started to walk out of the room. “Something that I hate to do.” then she disappeared. Lightning could hear some movement in the next room. When she reappeared, Lightning couldn’t believe his eyes. Slung on her back, its perfect leather strap formed to the shape of her shoulders and chest, was a Bravo 51 sniper rifle! He ran his eyes up and down it’s length, taking it all in. Under the barrel was a six inch bipod, it had indents on the stomps, gripping the surface it was lying on. Insuring that it wouldn’t slide of the table from the recoil. From what it looked like, the harness that went around the trigger was specially modified. With one backwards twitch of her hoof, it would fire, with a quick movement, she could spontaneously pull back the bolt in an instant and return fire. This was something for professionals.

Fluttershy walked over and cleared the table of the surgical tools and carrots. She pushed it under the window, then opened the widow itself. A blast of warm air hit Lightning. It was scented with apple blooms and flowers. He had never smelled anything like it before.

He watched as Fluttershy pulled the rifle of her back and positioned the bipod on the table. She took aim into the scope and waited. Lightning watched as the zombie did more damage to the fence. Finally, it had grown bored and stopped struggling. It paused for a second, as if thinking of what to do next. Fluttershy took the opportunity.

She twitched her hoof, and the barrel exploded in fire and sound. Lightning watched as the zombie fell to the ground, it’s head almost disappearing, nothing but a stump. It had seemed that it’s death had been almost simultaneous with the guns discharge.

Fluttershy moved away from the gun, her eyes downcast. Lightning didn’t know what to say. He had never seen anyone so depressed after killing a zombie. He watched as she left the table and stepped outside. When she came back in, she was holding, in her mouth, a perfect rose. It’s red more vivid than anything that Lightning had seen before.

She walked over the the fireplace. Lightning could see a small bowl, made of clay, sitting in the center. It had some wood chips in the bottom. She dropped the rose into the bowl, then reached up and pulled down a striker from the mantle. She touched the striker to the wood chips and clicked it. The wood ignited, and Fluttershy stared into the flames, a tear falling from her muzzle. Lightning watched as they slowly burned away, burning the rose along with them. Neither of them spoke until only ashes and smoke was left.

Fluttershy stood up and walked away from the fireplace. She turned to Lightning.

“Do you know why I did that?” she asked, her voice quiet. Lightning shook his head.

“I did it because it didn’t deserve to die. Everything has a right to live. And when you take that right away, you have to give something back. I would have preferred to let it live, but I had no choice...” she looked like she wanted to say something else, but she stopped. She looked at Angel, who was watching her from the table. He was sitting on the scope of the rifle.

“Thank you for warning me, Angel.” Fluttershy said, handing him a carrot. The rabbit took it and jumped Up on the table next to the window. Fluttershy sighed. “I am going to have to fix that fence tomorrow.” She stared out the window. “OH!” she gasped, then ran into the other room. She came back with a bowl filled with steaming liquid. Lightning could see bits of carrots, potatoes, and tomatoes floating in the broth. “I’m sorry, I forgot you soup. You are probably really hungry.”

Lightning hadn’t noticed it, but his stomach was yelling at him. He took the bowl from her grasp. He tilted it up and downed a few gulps before he even chewed anything.

“Oh..my...you must have been hungry. I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.” he said when he could talk again. “I haven't eaten in a few days. This is amazing by the way. Did you grow all this?”

Fluttershy smiled. “I did. Everything in there I grew out back.” she said with pride. Lightning had finally found a subject that she wasn’t shy about. He downed the rest of the soup. Fluttershy took the bowl back and went to get more. Lightning looked over at Angel, who was still sitting on the rifle. When Fluttershy came back he pulled out a carrot and tossed it to Angel.

“Truce?” he asked. Angel walked up to the carrot, sniffed it, then grabbed it and ran outside. Lightning smiled. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

Fluttershy smiled, then looked out the window at the sinking sun. “It’s getting late, and you need to rest.” Lightning nodded. As with his hunger, he had not realized how tired he was until she mentioned it. He took a look at the sunset, which was staining the clouds bright pinks and yellows, then rolled over. He was asleep before Fluttershy left the room.

Zombies. Bullets. Death Hunters. They filled his dreams that night. A bullet hit his head and he awoke with a gasp.

The room was still. Moonlight poured through the windows, staining the room a soft blue. He reached up and felt his head. He let out a sigh when he felt no wound, letting his head fall back onto the pillow.

Flexing his leg, he checked to see if the stitches would hold, which they did. He just put his leg out when he heard someone else breathing. His head snapped up and he found the source of the sound.

A second bed had been moved into the room. Fluttershy was asleep in the bed, moonlight playing off her face. Her bright eyes were closed, although they fluttered with each breath she took. Her mane was spread across the pillow behind her, making it look like she had a pink and black halo. One stripe of the black fell across her face, hiding one of her eyes. She was curled into a ball, her front hooves above the covers. Lightning saw that between her hooves, Angel slept. He breathed with the same pace that she did. A long, deep intake, held for a moment, then released in a quick breath.

One of her back legs poked out of the covers. Lightning watch as she twitched, then settled. He wondered what she was dreaming about.

He stepped out of bed, keeping his weight on his uninjured legs. It was extremely awkward, with one step using both the wounded legs. But he finally made it to the door. Opening it as quietly as he could, he walked out into the night.

He stopped with his hoof still on the door. Fluttershy had said that it was a ‘small’ garden. He gasped at the dozens of apple trees, the yards of carrot and potato gardens. Fresh grass poked up around his hoofs. He walked through the garden, his eyes trying to take in all the beauty around him.

He stopped under a couple of apple trees. They formed a natural clearing with a hole in the foliage. He sat in the light cast by the moon. He wondered if this would be a better life than living in the Bunker. Then he remembered. Fluttershy knew Applejack! Maybe they could move in when she got better. That thought cheered him up as he stared up at the moon.

He remembered the tales he had learned over the years of living in the Wastes. Tales of two mighty Alicorns, sisters, who ruled over the sun and moon, and kept all ponies safe from chaos. How one betrayed the other and was banished from the world, only to return a thousand years later, looking for revenge. How six friends used the Elements of Harmony to stop her. He wondered who those six friends were, and if they survived the bombs and the zombies that ravaged the world.

He stayed out under the trees until the crack of dawn. He watched the sun rise over the hills in the distance, and it’s light hit the garden. It was even more beautiful in the light. Apples as red as possible, flowers so bright they glowed. He looked in the window, making sure Fluttershy was still asleep, then he pulled up one of the flowers. It was a light purple lilac, not unlike the color in Fluttershy’s mane.

He sniffed the flower, bringing the pleasant aroma to his nose. Then he pulled the flowers off, one by one, with his mouth. He savored the flavor and it hit his pallet. He had not tasted anything this good in a long time. He finished the flower, then took one last look at the sunrise.

He walked back into the house and settled into the bed. He looked around the room, imagining himself living here with Applejack. He stayed on that thought until he felt something touch his hoof. Looking down he saw Angel standing on the bed. He pulled a carrot from behind his back and held it out to him. Lightning kindly took it from him, and Angel curled up on his chest. Lightning stroked his fur, waiting for Fluttershy to wake up.

It took a while, but eventually, she woke up. Her eyes fluttered open, at least the one Lightning could see. She stretched her legs and pulled the one that was hanging out back under the covers. Moving the black stripe out of her eye, she stepped out of bed without making a noise. She walked over the the door and stepped into the combat boots that lay on the rug next to the door. She opened the door and walked outside.

Lightning could hear her singing as she walked through the garden. Gently picking up Angel and setting him on the bed, Lightning got up and walked over to the window. She was moving from plant to plant, picking what was ready and checking the rest. She flew up to the apple trees and pulled the finest, and most red apples off. When she was finished, she took all the produce and walked it back in the house. When she saw him standing in the window, she smiled.

“How are you doing? Do you need anything?” she asked, dropping the food in a basket next to the door.

“I would say that I am good. How long was I out after you found me?” he was worried about the answer.

“It was...um...three days.” she said, sorting the fruit from the vegetables.

“Three days!” Lightning blurted, causing her to jump and drop a few apples. “I’m sorry.” he said, bending down to pick them up. “it’s just, I have some friends that I am supposed to meet, but they probably think that I am dead now.” He thought about Applejack, who probably thought he was dead.

Fluttershy took him by the shoulders, saying ‘Sorry’ as she did. She gently pushed him onto the bed, ‘Sorry’, and removed the bandage from his shoulder. The stitches had done their job, and the wound had started to seal itself. However, when she pulled off the bandage on his leg, it was obvious that stitches were not going to fix it.

It looked how it did yesterday afternoon. Red, inflamed, and slightly throbbing. Fluttershy repeated the same process as she did yesterday, by draining the wound. Only this time she drenched it in alcohol when she was finished, earning Lightning a cry of pain and a, ‘I’m so sorry’.

“Alcohol is going to help, but it is not going to fix it. We need to get you to that Bunker.” her eyes were wide and scared. How long had it been since she went outside this house?

“Should we leave now?” Lightning asked.

“That would probably be best. It would take less time and we could get farther before we have to stop. If you don’t mind of course.” she said, shrinking back slightly.

“Not at all. Your right, I need to get home. And as soon as possible.”

Fluttershy nodded. “I will be ready in a few minutes, just wait here....if that’s OK..”

“It’s fine take all the time you need.” Lightning gestured with his hoof, shooing her off in the direction of the other doorway, Fluttershy smiled then walked out of the room. Lightning got up and walked over to his bags. He packed up the photo and the rest of his possessions. Then he walked over to the basket that sat by the door and began to pile apples and berries into his bags. Bunker 18 was only three days away, but they would need all the food they could get, and had. When he was finished, he sat back down on the bed and waited for Fluttershy. When he heard her boots coming down the hall he stood up and waited next to the door.

She emerged in the doorway, looking very skittish. Her saddlebags rested on her back and the buckle was the same shape as her Cutie Mark. Lightning could see a few clips for the sniper rifle sticking out of the top of the bag. Resting on her head was a pair of sunglasses. The lenses were tinted pink with yellow rims. Hanging off the side of her bags were a pair of canteens, each about eight inches in diameter. Compared to her, Lightning was carrying the bare minimum.

She walked into the room and waved at Angel, who hopped down from the rifle. He jumped up onto her back, then settled on her head. She grabbed her rifle and slung it over her shoulders. The barrel was just a few inches off the floor. Lightning could see how it conformed to where her collar bones and shoulders extended.

She looked back at Lightning, pushing down her sunglasses. “Are you ready?”

Lightning nodded, then opened the door and held it open for her. He shut it behind them and they began their journey west.

*****

Half a day later, they reached the place where the hospital used to stand. Lightning walked around it until he found the crease in the ground and the trail of blood that he left. Fluttershy walked over to him, looking at the blood, but she didn’t say anything. After a few moments Lightning walked away, turning back to their path.

*****

That night, they settled in the ruins of the town, ‘Ponyville’ Fluttershy had called it.

Lightning looked around at the destroyed town, taking in how open it was, how beautiful it must have been. They had not really talked since they left her house, and Lightning had something to ask.

“How did this happen?” he asked, breaking the silence and causing Fluttershy to jump slightly.

“What do you mean?” she responded, stroking Angel, who was asleep in her arms.

“I mean this.” he gestured around at the village. “How could anything like this happen?”

“You know how.” she answered. “The bombs fell, then the Plague started. Don’t you know this?” she looked at his questioningly.

“No. Like, I know how it happened. I want to know, if they were so powerful, why didn’t the Alicorns who were in control stop it from happening?”

Fluttershy looked confused. “You mean Princess Celestia and Luna? They did try to, don’t you remember?”

Lightning shook his head. “I can’t remember anything before ten years ago. I woke up with my memory gone. So, no, I have no clue what you are talking about.”

Fluttershy looked taken aback. “Oh...well...they tried to stop the bombs, but their magic couldn’t stop them. Eventually, one hit right on top of Canterlot, and...”

Lightning interrupted. “Where?” Fluttershy pointed up at the mountain in the distance. Silhouetted against the moon, was a castle. It clung to the side of the cliff, it’s many spires and towers broken and destroyed.

“The bomb hit the castle, and the princesses disappeared.” Fluttershy finished, looking depressed. Lightning didn’t know what to say. He had heard stories about the Alicorns being immortal, living for thousands of years. How could a single bomb kill them after time could not?

Looking at Fluttershy’s sad expression, he decided to change the subject.

“Where did you all live?” he asked, instantly regretting the question. Fluttershy’s expression grew even more depressed.

“Everything was destroyed when the bomb hit. I wouldn’t even be able to tell you where I lived.” She sighed, and Angel reached down to rub her shoulder. “I think that I am going to go to sleep.” She rolled over on her bed roll, and inside of five minutes she was asleep.

Lightning however wasn’t tired. He watched the fire burn down slowly. The had a thought. He grabbed her rifle and positioned it on a rock. He aimed it at the castle and looked through the scope.

It looked even worse up close. Towers had completely fallen in, burying whole buildings. Paint had long since faded, leaving it a ghostly grey. He moved the scope until he was looking at the Great Hall. He slowly moved the scope down the side. But all he was was broken windows.

Window, window, window, white wing, window. Wait, what? Lightning pulled the scope back. But all he saw was just another broken window. He pushed the gun away from him, scooting closer to the fire.

He was sure it was nothing, just the moon reflecting on some glass. There was no way that was a wing...

*****

The next morning they set out. They would reach the Bunker today, and Lightning was getting prepared to be slapped and hit by his friends. He didn’t tell Fluttershy about what he saw. There was no need to worry her over nothing.

They stuck to the road, and by about ten, they reached the spot where they had burned the body. All that was left was a charred mark in the ground and a couple blackened shards of bone.

Lightning knew he was close, and he picked up the pace. However, the wound in his leg was killing him, and they had no way of draining it. But he pushed on, despite the pain.

By about three, they reached the Bunker. Lightning couldn’t contain himself as he galloped up the slope. Luckily, the guard was not on duty. He wasn’t sure Fluttershy could handle that. He reached the top of the mountain and walked up the the steel door.

He pushed the small button next to the door, and a voice came through a speaker.

State your name and I.D. number for clearance.

“Storm, Lightning. Number 1856.” There was a pause.

You are cleared.

The door opened and he walked inside.

Only to be hit in the face by a white hoof.

Chapter XXXII: Affirmations

His head snapped back and he stumbled backwards, finally falling to the hard-packed ground. Fluttershy gasped and ran back a few feet, staring at whoever had hit Lightning. Lightning opened his eyes and stared at his attacker.

Cora was on her hind legs, shaking out her hoof. Apparently the one that she had hit him with. She looked at her hoof, then at Fluttershy, then at him. She stared at him with such contempt that he was afraid she might shoot him with the MP5 around her shoulder.

“You bitch!” she yelled, walking closer to him, making Fluttershy back away farther, whimpering slightly. “You piece of shit! How could you do that to us?!”

Lightning was confounded. “I...I..” he stammered.

“Shut. The. Fuck. UP!” Cora shouted. “Do you know whats been going on here the past week?! We had a memorial service! YOUR memorial service!” Her voice was rising, yelling right into Lightning’s face.

“Applejack was devastated! She hasn’t left her room except to eat, and she isn’t even doing that!” She turned and walked back towards the Bunker, then turned around again.

“Then you just WALTZ up here, like it’s no big deal, with...” she stopped, her hoof pointed at Fluttershy. “Who the hell is this?”

Fluttershy had backed down the mountain so much that only her mane was visible from where they were standing. When she saw Cora pointing at her she said something, probably her name, but they couldn’t hear it.

Cora shook her head. “Whatever.” she pulled her left hoof up to her mouth. Lightning saw a small device on a wire wrapped around her wrist. “Com link Phoenix.” another pause, “Phoenix, get up to the surface, now. I have something to show you.” After a pause, Phoenix’s voice came through the device.

“OK, but it better be good. I am really busy.”

Cora smiled savagely. “Oh, don’t worry. It is.” then she lowered her hoof. Lightning stared at the device.

“What is that?” he asked.

Cora turned back to him, her fury returning. “Just something they invented, while you were DEAD!” she walked back up to him, they were almost muzzle to muzzle. Lightning could see the strange silver specs in her irises.

“You could have given us a sign! You could have just come back! But NOOOOOO! You had to go on and adventure!” she stopped yelling long enough to look Fluttershy up and down. “And I suppose you cheated on Applejack while you were gone. That would make everything SO much better.” She put her hooves on her temples and closed her eyes. She stood like that for a few moments. Then she opened them and looked at Lightning with disgust. “I can’t deal with this right now.” she started to walk away, back into the Bunker. Lightning rushed over to her. He grabbed her shoulder and spun her around, pushing his face up to hers.

“You know, you know, I would never, ever, do that to Applejack. Ever.” he pushed her away from him, pointing at Fluttershy. “Fluttershy is here because she saved MY LIFE, and because she is Applejack’s friend. I brought her here to make Applejack happy, if that’s OK with you.”

Phoenix walked through the door. “Who’s yelling?” he asked. His eyes wondered from Cora, to Fluttershy, and finally landing on Lightning. He shook his head slightly, the looked back. His expression grew changed from one of curiosity to one of confusion.

“What the hell?” he said, walking up to Lightning. He walked around Lightning, then touched his shoulder, then looked at Cora. “Is this a dream?” he asked stupidly.

She smiled mischievously. “Nope, this is real. He has come back to us, the big hero.” she said sarcastically.

“Where the hell have you been?!” Phoenix yelled. “We thought you were dead!”

Lightning wasn’t going to do this again. “Do you want to know where I was? I will tell you.” He looked them straight in the eyes. “I was DYING, OK? The only reason I am here, is because SHE found me!” He walked over and took Fluttershy’s hoof, bringing her towards the group.

‘If it wasn’t for Fluttershy, I would be dead, and we wouldn’t be having this lovely conversation.” He walked passed the others, Fluttershy in tow, who was blushing furiously. He reached the door of the Bunker. “And if you don’t mind, I have a bullet hole that needs to be looked at.” With that, he walked into the Bunker, leaving Cora and Phoenix to just stare at him.

*****

Fluttershy, her eyes wide, stared around at the interior of the Bunker. She squeaked slightly every time she hit an oncoming pony, but she kept on forward. In a few minutes they reached the hospital. Lightning pushed through the doors to be greeted with the familiar smell of antiseptic and plastic. He walked down the halls, knowing exactly where to go. He reached a door marked with DR. Sparkle, D.V.M. He knocked on the door, and was met with her familiar face.

Twilight stared at him for a second, not realizing who it was. Then her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. She stuttered a couple times, but finally got a couple words out.

“YOUR ALIVE?!”

Lightning shook his head, he really hoped this wasn’t going to keep happening. “Yes I am alive. And the reason for that is standing behind me.”

Twilight looked confused. Lightning stepped aside to allow Fluttershy to walk into the room. She looked at Twilight, who just stared back. Fluttershy remembered that she was still wearing her sunglasses, and took them off, putting them in her bag. Twilight looked into the eyes that she knew so well, unable to speak. Finally, Fluttershy broke the silence

“Hi Twilight...” she said, scraping her hoof along the laminate floor. Twilight seamed to unfreeze when she spoke.

“FLUTTERSHY!” she yelled, rushing over and crushing Fluttershy in a bear hug. “Oh dear Celestia! You’re here! You’re actually here! Where did you find her?” she asked over Fluttershy’s shoulder.

“Well, she found me actually. She patched me up after the accident out there.”

Twilight released Fluttershy, giving Lightning a dirty look. “Yeah, about that. Why did you let us think that you were dead?” she asked with malice.

Lightning rolled his eyes. “I am not going through this again. I just need your help.”

“And why would I help you now” she asked. “I should just--”

She was interrupted by Lightning removing the patch on his leg. The wound looked even worse then it had before. The infection had spread, and the wound itself was seeping blood, pus and plasma. The veins around the wound stood out through his white fur, showing that he had blood poisoning. His cutie mark, normally a bright blue, had started looking dark green. He looked Twilight in the eyes.

“That is why you should help me.” he said, putting the patch back into place. Twilight swallowed, then sighed.

“I guess I have to help you now... of course. Follow me.” Twilight let out a depressing sigh, trotting her way slowly out of her office and down the main hallway where the operation rooms were held.

“So, Fluttershy. Where did you disappear to after what happened to Ponyville?” Twilight turned her head to face the pony falling behind the two. Completely averting any eye contact with Lightning.

“I um... well... The explosions happened so quickly and fast, I can’t really remember... But what I do remember is right after everything, I found Angel. He lead me to the outskirts of Ponyville, near the Everfree Forest. And well, we just started our lives over again I guess.”

“Well you have no idea how relieved I am. We almost have the group back together.” They had stopped outside a room. It was labeled ‘Operating Room’. Twilight opened the door, pointing Lightning in.

“You’re going to have to wait in the lobby, Fluttershy. Doctors only.”

“That’s OK. I think I will go find some food for me and Angel.” Lightning had wondered where the rabbit had gone. But when his name was called, he poked his head out of her saddlebag, a carrot in his mouth. Fluttershy smiled when she saw this. “Well..um...food for me then.” She hugged Twilight and waved at Lightning, then disappeared down the hall.

Twilight sighed, still standing in the door way. “Well, let’s get this over with.”

*****

Two hours, a local anesthetic, lots of blood, and seven stitches later, the wound was sealed. He was given antibiotics and sent on his way. He walked down the hallways, not knowing who to see first.

Letting Applejack know he was alive was a priority, but he didn’t want to see her just yet. He didn’t want to face her anger. He decided to go see Rainbow Dash first.

He slowly walked down the stairs, getting of at the landing labeled ‘Pegasus Flight Training’.

The indoor flying track was amazing. It had been made for Pegasi that had gotten claustrophobic during the time that terrestrial travel was impossible. It was a mile long by three miles wide by half a mile tall. Completely furnished with plants, trees, ponds, and even a movable sun. It was normally full of Pegasi. However, only one was flying around the ceiling.

The cyan Pegasus flew around the fake sun, then dipped towards the ground. She flew past the trees and shrubs, pulling leaves along in her slipstream. A rainbow trail seemed to follow her, creating the illusion that she was stretching. She flew over the pond, dipping her hooves in, spraying water out behind her. She flew back up towards the sun, circled twice, then looked down at the ground. She saw Lightning standing there and her eyes widened. But that didn’t stop her from finishing her routine before she landed in front of him, her metal wing clinking slightly as it settled.

She took a deep breath, sweat coating her fur. “So it’s true. You are alive.”

“Yes I am. Can I assume that you hate me too?” he asked, knowing what was coming.

She shook her head. “I don’t hate you. I am pretty mad, but I don’t hate you.” she reached up to wipe sweat from her forehead. Lightning noticed that she had one of the devices on her wrist as well.

“What is that?” Lightning asked, pointing at the jumble of metal and wire. Rainbow looked where he was pointing.

“Oh, that. It’s a W.I.C. system.” she pronounced it as one word, wic. “Wireless Intercom Communicator. It lets us talk to each other, weather we are down here or up near the surface.” Rainbow Dash explained, flashing it in Lightning’s face, as if it were the new fashion of today. “Cora rang me after you got back, told me to expect someone, with a friend of mine.” she gave Lightning an odd look. “Who would that be?”

“Fluttershy.” Lightning responded. The reaction was instantaneous. Rainbow’s eyes widened and she took a step back.

“No way?! She is here? Where?!” she looked almost panicked. Lightning could tell that they had been really good friends.

“She’s in the mess hall. She was--” he was interrupted by Rainbow taking off and flying through the door he had just come through. Lightning sighed. That did not take as long as he thought it would, and he still didn’t want to face Applejack. He decided to go up to Administration and get one of the W.I.C. things.

The stairs seemed more crowded then they normally did. Or maybe it was because he had spent the last week out in the open. The Administration office was back near the surface, and Lightning was taking his time to get there. When he told them who he was, they were very surprised to see him, but they took it in stride. After updating his status to “Alive” they gave him a W.I.C.

The device was about the size of a Bit. A small speaker was visible through the metal. The wires created a natural bracelet that was held up by his hoof. He was instructed on how to use it. He decided to page Twilight to thank her for healing him. She didn’t sound to enthusiastic, but at least it didn’t sound like she hated him anymore.

When he could think of anything else to do, he decided it was time to Stallion up, and see Applejack. He walked down the halls in a stupor, thinking about what she would say to him. She was probably going to hit him, he was sure about that. But what else? Dump him? They weren’t technically together. All she could do was avoid him, and yell, of course. He sighed and continued walking.

He reached her door in what seemed like no time. A small “Do Not Disturb” sign was hanging from the door knob. Lightning looked at it, for a second thinking about taking its advice. But then he shook his head. He needed to do this now.

He grabbed a bouquet of fake flowers from a shelf in the hall. Real ones would be better, but he didn’t have time.

He brought his hoof up and knocked on the door. A small muffled voice answered.

“Please go away...”

He was not going to let that stop him. He turned the knob and opened the door.

Chapter XXXIII: Love Through Pain

He peeked his head around the side of the door. He had never been into Applejack’s room before. It was furnished in a way that complimented her southern roots. Soft green and white striped wallpaper covered the normally neutral grey walls. Pictures of what must be her family were hung here and there. A hoof-crafted wooden bed sat against one wall. The bedspread matched her coat color, and had a giant red apple in the center of it, with an apple on each of the pillows.

Applejack lay in the center of the apple, her front legs pulled close to her chest. The fan above her was on, blowing her mane slightly. She looked thinner than he remembered. Then, Lightning remembered. Cora had mentioned that she wasn’t eating. She was staring at the ceiling. Without looking away, she spoke.

“Ah told you to go away.”

“I couldn’t do that, even if I tried.” he answered, talking around the flowers. He slowly moved toward the bed, but stopped himself. He didn’t know how she would react.

Applejack stayed put, but he could see that she was trying to place his voice. He knew what conclusion she had come to, and a small shiver ran down her spine, but she didn’t look. “No, this isn’t real.”

“AJ, please look at me.” he begged her, moving closer to the bed. She turned her head in his direction. She looked at him for a second, then jumped off of bed.

She walked towards him, her eyes wide. When she was three steps away, she suddenly rushed him. She pulled the flowers out of his mouth and wrapped her legs around his neck, giving him only a split second of eye contact. Before Lightning could react, she pressed her lips against his. Lightning was caught off guard and stumbled back a few steps, Applejack following him.

This was not the reaction Lightning was expecting. But he gave into it. He closing his eyes and wrapped his fore-legs around her waist, pulling her closer to him. Her lips were soft against his. He tilted his head, kissing her deeper, and she responded in the same way. He twisted her mane gently in his hooves, loving how soft it felt against his own fur. He could feel her breathing, her chest rising and falling against his own, breath hot on the back of his throat. He tongue danced on the edge of his lips. The kiss lasted only a couple seconds, but it felt like a lifetime to Lightning. Finally, Applejack broke it off. Still holding each other, Lightning dug his muzzle into Applejack’s mane, taking deep breaths, the sweet aroma of apples filled his lungs. Applejack gently stroked his mane, nuzzling his neck. Letting the sweet moment fade, Applejack gently pushed him away.

Then slapped him full in the face.

Lightning stumbled back, his hoof flying to his cheek, which still stung slightly from when Cora had hit him. He looked at at her, confused. The love was still present, on her face and in her eyes. But something else had joined it, and Lightning knew what it was; Pain.

Applejack watched him walk back up to her, take her by the shoulders. “Why did you leave me?” she asked, her voice thick. Small tears fell from her eyes. “Why did you have to die?”

“I didn’t die, I’m right here.” he said soothingly, pulling her into a hug. She stayed limp, not wanting to respond to his touch. Lightning gave up and let her go.

“But you did die.” she said, more tears falling. “You died and left me alone. You left me here, with only a note telling me where you went.” She pointed at her dresser. Lightning looked and saw his note, the one he wrote before he left, sitting there. Next to it was her Stetson western hat. Letting go of Applejack, he walked over to it. It looked like it had been crumpled up, then hastily flattened out again. He saw spots where his writing had been smugged. Lightning feared that it was because of tears.

He turned back to Applejack, who had sat down on the edge of the bed. She was looking at him, like he should understand her pain. But he didn’t. Walking over he sat down next to her. He started to put his arm around her, but stopped.

“I didn’t mean to have any of this happen.” he said, looking at the floor. “I just wanted to help out Twilight.”

“Did you think about what Ah wanted?” she asked, making him look into her eyes. “Did you think, that maybe, Ah would want to spend some time with the Stallion that saved me? You could have just stayed.” Her vice was rising slightly. “Twilight even said that you didn’t have to go.” she dropped her gaze back onto the floor. Lightning, opened his mouth, but didn’t know what to say.

“I thought that you would have wanted to spend time with your family.” he responded, standing up and walking around her room.

Applejack snorted. “What family? All Ah have is my brother, a delusional grandma, and a couple of distant cousins. Ah used to have so many relatives, but they all died or chose to take off. Now all Ah really have now is....” Applejack took a brief moment to gather her words.

“Is you.” she looked up at him, tears fogging her eyes. Lightning stared at her. What was she saying?

“Do you mean....?”

“Ah mean, Ah love you, you big idiot.” She jumped off the bed and galloped back over to him. Lightning caught her and pulled her close. He felt her break down into sobs.

“I love you too, more that you know.” he kissed her neck, which was all he could reach. “More than you know.”

Applejack sniffed, Lightning’s shoulder wet from her tears. “Just...just don’t leave me again. Pinkie promise me that.”

“I wont, never again.” he pledged, wondering what a Pinkie Promise was.

He didn’t want to let her go. He pulled her in close, enough that he could feel her heart pumping through her chest. They stood like that for what seemed like forever, until applejack was finished crying, and Lightning’s legs had gone numb. He gently peeled her off his shoulder and looked at her tear stained face. He wiped away a tear that was hanging on her eyelash. He kissed her on the lips, then took her hoof in his own. With his other hoof he picked up one of the flowers off the ground and placed it behind her ear. A bright red rose that stood out perfectly against her hair.

“I will never leave you.” he repeated, stroking her blonde mane. “Before this, I was falling to pieces. Then you found me, and you put me back together. You are the only one who I love.”

Applejack gave Lightning a bear hug and rubbed muzzles, then walked towards the door, pulling Lightning along. “Come on, we should go see the other ponies, show them that Ah am OK, and that they don’t have to hate you.”

Lightning smiled.”OK, but first, I have a special surprise for you.” He brought the W.I.C up to his mouth and turned around. As quietly as possible, he called up Fluttershy.

“Fluttershy, could you come down to room 234, please.” Lightning turned to face Applejack, her expression slowly turning into an explosion of happiness.

“Applejack would like to see you.”

End of Act I

Chapter XXXIV: A Treasure Inside

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Chapter XXXV: Shine Like Her

Ponies screamed, running every direction. They fell over one another tripping, and crashing to the floor. Sirens blared, and bright, red lights split the darkness. Lightning looked around in panic. He grabbed Applejack and stood up, wrapping his leg around her to shield her from anypony that could trip onto her, careful to not move her to much or to fast.

Phoenix yelled above the cacophony. “What the fuck is going on?!”

Lightning was wondering the same thing. All he saw was panicked civilians screaming and galloping towards the nearest exit-way. A voice came over the intercom system, and Lightning pricked his ears in the direction of the transmission to hear it better.

Remain calm. All civilians report to the lowest levels and await further instructions. Repeat, all civilians report to the lowest levels, IMMEDIATELY!!

The panicked ponies began to re-form some sort of order as guards along the sides screamed at them to merge into a single file. They started to file down the stairs or pile into elevators. Within a few minutes, the only people left were Lightning, Applejack, Phoenix, Fluttershy, and Rainbow.

“What should we do?” Lightning asked, fear still in his eyes.

“The last time something like this happened, it was a Death Hunter attack.” Phoenix assumed, he then turned to one of the guards watching them. “Lets just hope our guardspony grew a pair in the past seven months.” Phoenix muffled at one of the guards, in disgust.

“Come on. Lets get going.” Lightning said, leading Applejack towards the exit. They were halfway down the first flight of stairs, when another explosion rocked the Bunker. The lights flickered and ponies screamed.

Applejack screamed and fell against the wall, holding her belly. Lightning rushed over, eyes panicked.

“Applejack! Applejack, are you alright?!” He pulled her to her hooves, very carefully.

“It’s..it’s nothing. The baby just kicked again.” she smiled at him, ashamed.

Lightning sighed relieved. “It’s OK, I’ve got you.” he pulled her into a hug, kissed her, then put his fore-leg around her shoulder. “Everything is going to be OK.” They started to walk down the stairs again. Lightning turned back and saw Phoenix smiling mischievously. He walked up next to Rainbow, then suddenly threw his legs around her shoulders.

“I’ve got you, Rainbow Dash.” he said, laughing. “I will protect you.” Rainbow pushed him away and rolled her eyes. However, even in the dim lights, Lightning could see that she was blushing.

Eventually, they reached a pair of doors. Two security ponies stood by the doors, a check list in their hooves.

A cloudy eyed, light green unicorn walked up to the guards. “Name?” one of them asked gruffly.

“Ummm...Lyra.” she responded after a short pause. The guard checked his list, then pulled a small plastic bracelet out of his pack. He slipped it around her left front hoof. Lightning could see a couple words written on it. ‘Heavily Medicated, Special Quarters.’

“Nurse!” he called. After a moment, a white suited nurse walked up and led Lyra away. Lightning heard her as she past.

“Look at the lights, they’re so pretty!” she said wistfully, her head tilted up at the ceiling.

Applejack’s head dropped when she saw that. “Ah didn’t know that she had gotten that bad. No wonder Ah haven’t seen her in a while.”

The line moved painfully slow, inch by inch. Finally, Applejack and Lightning were at the front. “Name?” the guard asked in a bored voice.

Applejack stared at him, confused. Then she looked at Lightning. “You know, Ah haven’t really thought about it since we got married. Should it be Applejack Storm, or Apple Storm?”

“Ma’am, just give me your first name and your husbands name.” The guard pony said in a deep, serious tone of voice.

“Applejack, and this is-” Applejack was cut off by Lightning.

“Lightning, Storm.” Lightning said loudly and clearly. He didn’t how the guard was treating Applejack. “Just tell us where to go.” The guard checked his list.

“Section S, Area 4, got that, Hot Shot?” the guard asked, staring at Lightning with contempt.

“Yeah, I think so.” Lightning spat, then carefully walked Applejack over to their assigned section. When they reached it, Applejack reclined against the wall, letting out a sigh of relief. Her hooves instantly went straight to her belly, which was more prominent now that she was sitting.

Lightning sat on the ground next to her. “How long do you think we will have to wait?” he asked, worried for her safety.

“Well, the last time something like this happened, it lasted all day. But they didn’t get in. Now that the Bunker is weakened.....Ah don’t know.” She wrapped her hooves around her stomach, caressing the bulge.

Time seemed to slow, but eventually, all the ponies were sitting in their assigned slots. When they were finished, an announcement came over the P.A. system.

All able bodied Stallions are to report to the Armory to help defend. Repeat, all able bodied Stallions to the Armory.

When the announcement was finished, shouts of anger and outrage rose from the crowd. These shouts were instantly stopped by the guards. Applejack looked up at Lightning as he stood up.

“Your not going are you!?” she asked, fear in her eyes.

“I have to go, you heard the announcement. And last time I checked..” he twirled his neck around to look at himself. “..I was able bodied.” Applejack’s eyes fell. Lightning reached and took off his wedding bracelet. It matched Applejack’s in every way, down to the last diamond. He grabbed her left hoof and slid it on. It stood outwith her own.

“I will be coming back for that.” he said with a smile. He bent down and kissed Applejack’s freckles, then on her lips. He reached down and patted her belly.

“I will be back for that as well.” he stood up, looking Applejack up and down. His eyes noticed the odd yellow patch on her left hind leg. The patch where Braeburn gave up his skin to help her heal. That seemed like forever ago.

He walked away, falling into the line of Stallions. He saw Phoenix and called him over. “What do you think we are going to have to do?” Lightning asked.

Phoenix shook his head. “I have no idea. But this is like old times, isn’t it?” he said with a smile. Lightning couldn’t help but smile back.

The line moved slowly as the Stallions made their way up to the armory. When Lightning and phoenix finally reached the stand, they ordered their own guns. Phoenix decided to pick up the M4 and Lightning got the SMG. The guards, recognizing them from their expeditions, decided to send them to the front line, AKA, the top of the Bunker.

They took the elevator up. When they reached the lobby, they saw that a sort of blockade had been made over the door. Phoenix and Lightning set up behind an upturned table. Sounds of growls and screeches were coming through cracks in the outer hull of the Bunker. Light streamed in through the cracks, illuminating the room.

“That door wont hold much longer, Stallions.” the Bunker General said, as he paced between the ponies. “And when it does fall, short, rapid bursts of fire. Try to block the entrance with their bodies.” he settled behind one of the blockades, holding his pistol.

Sure enough, with in three minutes, the door caved in. The room exploded into fire and sound. Death Hunters poured in, but were immediately shot down by the assembled Stallions. Blood started to pool as more and more Hunters were shot down.

However, the Generals plan did not work. As soon as one was killed, another would pull its body out of the way. Blood started to trickle towards where Lightning and Phoenix were hiding. Lightning had fired two clips into the door way, but they kept coming. The Stallion next to them was hit by a thrown blade, its edge sinking deep into his shoulder. He fell to the ground, screaming, blood flowing down his shoulder. Lightning saw him being dragged away by two Mares. One was yellow, the other was a white tint.

“Cora! Fluttershy!” Lightning yelled. They looked up to see Phoenix and Lightning standing there, their eyes widened.

Cora didn’t have time to talk, she pulled the blade out and pressed her horn to the Stallions wound, instantly closing it. They gave him back his gun and sent him out.

Slowly, ever so slowly, their numbers thinned. Finally, the last of the Hunters was killed. carefully, the Stallions stood up. Lightning walked a few steps away, shaking blood off his hooves. Tentatively, he edged towards the broken door. He poked his head out, not seeing any Hunters. He walked out a little farther, and was instantly knocked over. His gun flew away from him.

A Death Hunter landed on him. Its hood fell back from its face. All Lightning saw was white fur and purple mane, covered in blood and grease. Teeth and blade bared down on him. He kicked the Hunter off of him, reaching for his gun. He took aim just as it was standing up again. From behind him heard the sound of pounding hooves. Fluttershy’s voice hit his ears.

“Lightning!! DON’T!!” His gun was knocked from his grasp as Fluttershy rushed passed him, a syringe in her hoof. She rushed up to the Death Hunter, flew over it, and jabbed the syringe into its side. She pushed the plunger down and emptied the entire vial. The Hunter screeched, then fell to the side; unconscious.

Lightning was furious. “Fluttershy!? What the hell was that!?” he yelled, spinning her around to face him. “It could have killed you!”

Her face was determined, and she didn’t back down like she normally would have. “SHE is not and ‘it’, Lightning. And this broken mound of a pony, is my friend.”

Lightning just stared at her. “Wha....what.....WHAT?!” he finally managed to get out.

“You heard me.” she walked up and knelt down next to the Hunter. “This is my friend. Her name is Rarity.” She looked in the broken door of the Bunker. “Cora! I need some help with this!”

Phoenix and Cora carried the unconscious body of Rarity down the stairs, while Lightning and Fluttershy walked behind them.

“What do you mean? How can, that, be your friend.” Lightning asked, still bewildered. Fluttershy gave him a dark look.

“Stop calling her that. Do you remember that picture you found back in the ruins of Ponyville.” she responded. Lightning had to think back.

“Um..yeah. Yeah I do.”

“Well, do you remember the white unicorn in the photo. This is the same pony.” Fluttershy finished, remorse filling her eyes as she stared at the Hunter. Lightning brought up a mental picture of the white unicorn and compared it with the one in front of him.

Besides the colors, there was almost no comparison between the two. The Mare in the picture had a perfect, flowing mane. The Hunter had a grease and blood filled mane, hanging limply to the side. The unicorn in the picture had a flawless coat. The Hunter’s coat looked terrible.

Three bright, red scars ran the length of her left eye. On her chest was what looked to be a heart. But it was not a tattoo. It appeared to be burned into her skin and fur. More scars adorned her arm and her ears were tagged with what appeared to be bones. That was all he could see without removing her cloak. He didn’t want to know what was underneath.

This was going against all the lessons he had learned from living in the Wastes. You never take prisoners, most importantly, never a Death Hunter. They should have shot her back on the surface. But now, they were carting her through the empty halls of the Bunker, towards..

“Where are we going?” Lightning asked Cora.

“We are taking her to the Psychiatric ward. They have a solitary confinement cell there. We can hold her there until we find a way to fix her.” Cora said, straining under Rarity’s weight. “Or at least until she kills us.” she said under her breath.

“What will Applejack say when--” he stopped, his eyes widening. “DAMMIT! Applejack!” He brought his W.I.C. to his mouth and called Applejack. “I’m alright Applejack. We made it.” Her voice came through the device, high-pitched, but relieved.

“Oh thank Celestia! Where are you now?” she asked.

“Well...we are heading down to the hospital. Phoenix got hurt.” he lied. But don’t worry, he is fine. I will be back as soon as possible. I love you.”

“I love you to. Hurry back.” The call was shut off. Fluttershy was looking at Lightning.

“Why did you lie?” she asked.

“Because I don’t want to tell her that one of her best friends is a murdering cannibal.” Lightning said, harshly. Fluttershy shrank back slightly. Lightning felt terrible about that, but what was he supposed to say? He didn’t wan to tell Applejack until it was absolutely necessary.

After what seemed like a hundred flight of stairs, they reached the hospital. Doctors and nurses were running around, tending to the patients who were to sick or weak to transport. When they walked in the hospital, holding Rarity in their fore-legs, a couple nurses screamed. Lightning walked up to one of the doctors.

“Where is Dr. Sparkle. We need her, now.” he said, not caring about being polite. The doctor tore his eyes away from the scene and pointed down the hall to one of the rooms. Twilight was just walking out, holding a clipboard in the air in front of her. Lightning ran over to her.

“Twilight, we need you.”

*****

Twenty minutes later, Rarity was enclosed in a solitary confinement cell. Her legs were held to the bed by straps. The doctors said it was for her protection, but Lightning felt that it was for their own. Twilight was taking some vitals, then walked out of the room. She sighed when she shut the door behind her.

“Well, for a diet of pony flesh and blood, she is surprisingly healthy. Her vitals are almost normal. I even think she weighs the same as she did back in Ponyville.” she dumped the clipboard in a box next to the door. “I don’t know how we are going to fix this though. No pony has ever tried to rehabilitate an Death Hunter before.”

“You are going to try, right?” asked Cora. She felt the same about bringing Rarity in as Lightning did. “Your not just going to tie her up.”

“No we are going to try.” Twilight responded, hurt by the question. “We just don’t know where to start. However, the best thing you can do is go back to your daily life. We don’t know how long this will take or if it will work, so don’t worry yourselves with it.” She walked over and held the door to the hospital open.

“Check back in a week.” and with that, they were ushered out of the hospital. Cora and Fluttershy stayed behind, as they were now employed by the hospital. So Lightning and Phoenix walked back to the lowest floor alone. They didn’t have anything to say, so the walk was silent.

When they reached the room, Lightning was tackled by Applejack. “What happened? What’s going on? He doesn’t look hurt.” she pointed at Phoenix. Lightning sighed.

“I have something to tell you.”

*****

She didn’t take the news well. Neither did Rainbow Dash. At first they refused to believe it. But then Twilight showed them that indeed Rarity. Afterwards, they did all they could to help Twilight, but nothing seemed to be working. If anything, she seemed to be getting worse. One day, twilight called them all in.

Her expression was one filled with pain and grief. Lightning looked in the window that showed Rarity’s room. She was still struggling, her wrists and ankles bleeding from the leather straps. “I only have one more idea, and if it doesn’t work, we have to make a choice. We can keep her like this, or...” she reached into a cabinet standing next to her. “..We can give her this.”

It was a dark green bottle. The label on the outside said, ‘Warning: Lethal Substance’. “You guys will have to make that choice. Think about it while I am in there.” She opened the door and walked in.

As soon as Rarity saw her, she started spitting and growling, struggling against her bonds. Twilight walked up as close as she dared. “Hello Rarity.” she said. Rarity gave no indication about weather or not she understood her.

“Rarity, I would like to talk to you about somepony.” She pulled something out of her lab coat. It was a picture with the old Rarity and someone else on it. A young filly with white fur and a pink and white striped mane. Twilight held it in front of the white unicorn.

“Rarity, do you know who this is.” Rarity continued to fight and growl. “Rarity, this is your sister.” she pushed the picture closer to Rarity’s face.

“Rarity, where is your sister.” The fighting stopped when she said this. Rarity stared at the picture, not comprehending.

“Rarity, where is Sweetie Belle.” Twilight asked, pushing further.

A spark filled Rarity’s eyes. She opened her mouth, however, no growls came out. This time it was real words. Words filled with pain and fear. But something else, something Lightning knew well: Regret. Tears rolled down her muzzle, landing in the middle of the heart on her chest.

“Help me. Please, just help me.” Her eyes rolled back inside her head, and she collapsed back onto the bed.

Chapter XXXVI: Rememberance

Chapter XXXVI: Remembrance

Twilight just stared at her, not believing what she heard. Applejack and Rainbow stood in the doorway, their jaws hanging open. Twilight pocketed the photo, then walked out of the room, shutting the door quietly behind her. She looked at the assembled ponies for a moment.

“Umm...” she started, not knowing what to say. “Well, you all saw that.” She was completely bewildered.

Applejack’s face was a mixture of worry and joy. “Do you think she will make a recovery.”

“After that, I think she will.” Twilight said, beaming. “All we have to do, I think, is bring back strong, emotional, feelings and memories. Luckily, I saved the photo album from Ponyville, so we have a lot of memories to experiment with.”

“How long do you think this will take.” Rainbow asked, looking through the window into Rarity’s room.

“Now that we know this, I would guess about a month. It shouldn’t take too long if I can hit the correct memories.” She turned to Applejack, Rainbow, and Fluttershy. “You three are going to play an invaluable roll over the next couple months. I need you to be accessible at all hours of the day, even in the middle of the night. Do you think you can do that?”

“Yes.”

“Yeah.”

“Umm...OK..”

“OK then. We should let her rest, then start tomorrow.”

*****

The next few weeks were the worst the Lightning had for a long time. Applejack was called away almost everyday, not returning until late at night. When she would return, she would collapse into the bed, falling straight into sleep. He barely had time to talk to her and ask how Rarity was doing. One day she came back in tears, rushing into Lightning’s embrace. “She doesn’t even remember us.” she had cried into his shoulder. “How can she heal if she doesn’t know who we are?”

It was the same or Fluttershy and Rainbow. Both looked tired and depressed every morning when they ate breakfast. Immediately afterwards, they would be called back down to the hospital, and Lightning would be forced to wander the Bunker. No other pony was available. Phoenix had left to help Celia with moving, and he probably wouldn’t be back for weeks.

He mostly spent his days on the range, getting a feel for the weapons that he had not tried yet. He even tried a bow and arrow. He liked the feel of perfect control over both weapon and projectile. At the end of that day he traded in his old M9 Beretta pistol for it.

Other days, he walked through the greenhouse, smelling,and occasionally, tasting the flowers. He wondered what Equestria was like before the bombs and Plague.

About a month into Rarity’s treatment, Applejack had once again returned, but she seemed a hundred times overjoyed and happier then before, galloping into the room, a huge smile on her face. “IT’S A BOY!” she shouted as she ran in, tackling Lightning. “It’s going to be a boy!” She had grown a lot in the last month. It would be pretty hard to hide her pregnancy now.

“How do you know?” Lightning asked, after he had kissed her.

“Ah had Twilight examine me. We will have a full genetic make-up in a week!” she was practically screaming with glee. The next few days seemed infinitely better the previous ones.

Then, it got even better. Twilight told Applejack and the rest that they were no longer needed. She would try to rehabilitate her on her own. Lightning rarely left Applejack’s side for the couple days.

Rainbow had started regrouping and training the weather team. Lightning and Applejack watched as Rainbow and her recruits, all wearing military grade black gas masks, and boots with metal soles, took the sickly, green clouds out of the air, cleared them of acid, and put them back into place. Without the depressing gloom of the clouds covering the sun, the surface started to look like a happier place.

Then, over the hill, Phoenix peeked his head out towards the Bunker. Lightning and Applejack was laying on the ground watching the Pegasi fly around above them, when he stuck his face directly into their view.

“So, getting serious are we?” he asked, a huge smile on his face. He stepped back, staying out of the way of Lightning hoof. He walked up and knocked hoofs with Lightning.

“So where is Celia?” Lightning asked, looking around.

“Oh, she was felling kinda sick, so she went down to my room.” he winked at Lightning, earning himself a sarcastic look from Applejack. “So, what’s been going on here?”

Lightning turned to look at Applejack, not knowing where to begin. “Ah guess we could start with Rarity.” Applejack finally said. Lightning turned back to Phoenix, taking a deep breath.

Over the next couple of minutes, he explained the situation to Phoenix. How she was a Death Hunter, and Applejack’s friend. How Twilight was trying to rehabilitate her. And how they might have to give her the lethal injection if she didn’t get better. Phoenix snorted when he said that.

“Don’t see why you didn’t give it to her in the first place.” he said, nudging the weapon that hung from his thigh. Applejack looked taken aback.

“She is MAH friend!” she yelled. “You have no right to talk about her like that!”

“How many of other ponies friends has she killed?! This is a terrible idea, bringing a Death Hunter into our Bunker.” He trotted in a circle for a moment, then returned to his old spot.

“Other than that, what’s been going on.” he sighed.

“Well, we are having a boy.” Lightning said, still annoyed at him for angering Applejack.

Phoenix’s face broke into a smile. “No way! We are having a girl!”

Lightning gasped. He turned back to Applejack, face-hoofing. “Should have gotten the report from Twilight a week ago!”

Applejack’s eyes widened, and she jumped up. “Oh Pony-feathers! You’re right!” She galloped back towards the Bunker. Lightning was close behind her, yelling over his shoulder.

“Sorry Phoenix! I will see you at dinner, tonight.” and he disappeared into the Bunker.

A couple minutes, and several downed ponies later, they arrived at the hospital. They burst into Twilight’s office. Applejack immediately fell into a chair, wrapping her arms around her stomach.

Twilight just stared at them, her eyes wide. “Umm... can I help you?” she asked.

Lightning took a deep breath. “Could we see the report on our child?’ he asked, breathing heavy. Twilight smiled when he said this.

“I was wondering when you were going to show up.” she typed something on her computer, then turned the monitor towards them. “I have run through both of your genetic make-ups, and this is the most plausible result of a genetic cross.” She clicked a small folder, and brought up a 3D image of a small Colt.

He had the same coat and hair color as Applejack, but his eyes were the same bright, reflective yellow as Lightning’s. They stared at the image for a few moments, not saying anything. Then Applejack, who didn’t appear to be breathing, reached out and touched her hoof to the screen. Then she looked down and ran her hoof along her belly, as if she was touching the child that was growing inside. She looked up at Lightning, tears fogging her eyes.

“Ah love you, so much” she said. She turned back to Twilight. “How much longer do Ah have?” Twilight turned around and checked the calendar on her wall.

“I would say, another five months. The earliest he can be born is at ten months, and that would still be back to be born that early. But as long as you stay here, don’t do any exploring,” she looked at Lightning when she said that. He decided to play innocent, pretending to not know what she was talking about. “...Then you should do perfectly fine.” she finished, turning back to Applejack.

“What about Rarity?” Applejack asked, her voice taking on a worried tone. Twilight’s expression faded, turning from happiness to anxious.

“Well, she has stopped screaming, but that is about all. The last relapse she had negated any effect of our treatment. It might take another month now, or it could take two weeks, we are not to sure.”

Applejack nodded. Lightning could tell this was not the answer she wanted to hear. Her hoof dropped back down to her belly, caressing the bulge. “Well...that’s good...Ah guess.” She touched the colt on the screen again, then stood up. “Thank you again, Twi.”

Twilight stood up and trotted over to Applejack. She placed her hoof on her shoulder. “Don’t worry about Rarity. We are treating her better than some of the other patients here.” she said with a smile. “Trust me, you will be the first person I call when she is better.”

Applejack sniffed. “Thanks Twi.” They embraced each other, the Applejack walked out of the room. Lightning thanked Twilight as well, then followed her. Applejack was standing down the hall slightly, looking into one of the rooms. Lightning walked up next to her, peeking into the room with her.

Two ponies were in the room, a Stallion and a Mare. The Mare was lying down in the bed holding a small filly in a blanket. Next to her stood the Stallion, his eyes filled with pride and love. The Mare had a grey coat with a blonde mane. Her eyes were yellow as well, but they were slightly crossed. The Stallion had a tan coat with a dark brown mane and tail, with light blue eyes. The filly had the same coat and mane as the Mare, but the same eye color as the Stallion.

Applejack was watching the tiny filly’s movements as she fretted inside the blanket. Before Lightning could stop her, she took a step into the room.

“What is it like?” she asked the Stallion. He looked up, noticed the bulge in he belly, and smiled.

“It’s the greatest feeling in the world. Nothing compares to it.” he turned back to the filly, Applejack forgotten. Applejack walked back to Lightning, and he put her arm around her. He started to lead her towards the door, but she pulled him away, pulling him towards Rarity’s room.

Lightning didn’t understand why she was going there. It was just going to make her upset, but he followed her anyway. They reached her room, and Applejack looked through the window, at the sleeping Rarity.

“Ah just can’t believe that she is like this.” she said, her voice thick. “She was always so proper, so stuck up. She was the complete opposite of me. What would cause her to change into...” she pointed at the broken pony in front of her.

Lightning took Applejack in his arms. “You need to stop worrying. If I know Twilight, and I think I do, then she is doing all she can to fix her. What you need to worry about, is us and our family.” he bent his head down and kissed her freckles, on both sides.

Through the window, Rarity was stirring. Applejack and Lightning watched as she slowly woke up, her eyes opening to the bright, fluorescent light. She tested her bonds, but they held tight. With a small wail that made Lightning feel sad and scared at the same time, she dropped back down onto her pillow.

Applejack reached up and tapped on the window with her hoof. When she got no response, she tried again. This time, Rarity brought her head off the pillow, looking straight at them. Applejack waved at her, a hopeful look on her face. Rarity cocked her head slightly, her eyes flicking back and forth between the two of them. Lightning was sure she was trying to figure out who would make the best lunch.

Then, slowly, she mover her front right hoof. She brought it up and moved it from side to side, exactly the way the Applejack had done. After that, she cocked her head again, then fell back onto the pillow.

Chapter XXXVII: Lost, But Not Forgotten

After what had happened in the hospital, Applejack was ecstatic. She was positive that Rarity would make a full recovery. Lightning wasn’t so sure. He felt that Rarity was just copying what Applejack did, not responding to it. But he didn’t say anything. Applejack was at her happiest since the wedding, and he didn’t want to ruin that.

The next morning, they walked, hoof in hoof, towards the mess hall. One again, the sounds of hundreds of ponies eating and talking, blasted out of the doors. Pushing the doors open, Lightning looked around for everypony. He finally spotted them, including Cora, at the table near the far wall. Phoenix spotted them and waved them over. He was smiling so much, Lightning was afraid his jaw would break.

They made their way over to the table, avoiding ponies carrying food trays in their mouths or in the air with magic. They finally made it, without any serious accident, and sat down next to Rainbow Dash. Lightning looked around the table, and saw a Pegasus sitting next to Phoenix. Phoenix noticed him looking.

“Oh, yeah! You two have never met.” he wrapped his front leg around the Mare’s shoulders, kissing her on the cheek. “This is Celia.”

Even Lightning had to admit it. She was stunning. Soft pink fur that glowed in the dim lighting. A violet mane that pooled on her shoulders and fell down her back. Soft purple irises that showed love, but also a hint of mischief. Lightning couldn’t help but stare at her. Applejack noticed, and elbowed him in the ribs.

“Celia, this is Lightning and Applejack. They are the ones I was telling you about.” Phoenix said, beaming at them.

“It’s good to meet you.” she said. Her voice was a mixture between a soft tone, and clipped syllables. Lightning had never heard a dialect like it. He wondered where she was from. “Phoenix has told me so much about you.” she leaned over the table slightly, getting Applejack’s belly in view. “Including that. Do you know what gender it will be?”

“It will be a colt.” Applejack said, clearly loving the attention. “Phoenix said that you were having a filly.”

Celia dropped her hooves to her own stomach, caressing the slight bump. “Yes. I was so happy when I found out. It had been so long since I had seen a baby.” she sighed. She looked up from he belly, her eyes filled with remorse. “12 has a selective breeding experiment in place. They are trying to bring down the population, but also make the babies who are born, stronger and healthier than their parents. Even if I hadn’t have gotten a transfer, I would have been kicked out because it was an unauthorized pregnancy.”

Applejack looked horrified. “They can’t do that! How can they do that? That’s...disgusting!” she said, for lack of a better word.

“It is, but I had seen it happen before. So I transferred as soon as possible.” she dropped her head onto Phoenix’s shoulder, smiling. “And, I guess, it could have been worse.” she said, jokingly.

The rest of breakfast went by fast. Questions flew back and forth. Conversation, jokes. It was probably the best breakfast Lightning had been to for a while. All the while, he saw why Phoenix loved her so much. She was kind, caring, and funny. She even had the same sense of humor as Phoenix did, pretend flirting with Lightning just as Phoenix did with Rainbow. It was impossible not to like her.

Finally, Celia looked up at the clock on the wall. She stood up. “Sorry, but I have to go to the lab. I will see you guys at lunch.” she winked at Lightning, causing Phoenix to burst out laughing. She walked through the door and disappeared. Lightning turned to Phoenix, his eyes wide.

“How, in the hell, did you marry her.”

“The truth?” phoenix said, leaning over the table sightly. “I don’t even know myself. We just sort of, work. It’s like you and Applejack. No pony knows why, but it just works.”

“And what is that supposed to mean?” Applejack said, standing up. Phoenix put his hooves up in a sign of surrender.

“Nothing, nothing.” but he winked at Lightning. “Anyway, I have to take off. Gotta do some repairs on the Buggy. See ya at lunch.” he got up and walked through the same doors that Celia did.

Over the next couple minutes, the rest of the ponies left, eventually leaving Lightning and Applejack alone. Lightning sighed. “Man, I really need a job around here.”

Applejack laughed. “Trust me, a job isn’t that great. All Ah used to do is work. Now, Ah can relax.” sh wrapped her fore-legs around Lightning’s neck. He kissed her, then pulled her to her hooves, walking back towards the doors.

“Well, let’s relax then.”

*****

Three days later, they walked around on the surface for a while, watching the Pegasi fly around. Rainbow Dash waved at them when she saw them. She had slimmed down slightly over the past couple weeks. Exercising was doing wonders for her.

The surface was starting to look like it had before the bombs, according to Applejack. Plants grew out of the depleted soil. The sun shown down, unhindered by acid-filled clouds. Real animals wandered around the Bunker, brought by both the vegetation and Fluttershy, who was sitting against the Bunker, feeding them. She was singing the same song that Lightning had heard her sing when he first woke up.

I lay down, in a field of blue

wondering what to do about you

suddenly, a bright flash of white

brilliant, shocking light

When next the world, I could see

there you were, standing next to me

down in the valley, the fiery mushroom grew

together, you and me, in a field of blue

Lightning turned around to look at the Bunker. Mechanics were working non-stop to try to make it more resistant to attacks. The door had been reinforced and given added security. He wondered if they had ever thought of posting guards or adding traps around the Bunker. But it didn’t matter. They had survived two attacks, so he wasn’t worrying about another.

They lay down in a patch of newly-grown grass. Lightning picked some, blade by blade, savoring the taste of the new life. Applejack was watching the sun slowly move across the sky. It had been a long time since she had seen it, uncovered and blindingly bright. It seemed like forever since she had felt it’s warmth. She might spend more time up here now. She might even start a small farm, just to have something to do.

Lightning wondered what his life would have been if he had not stopped to save Applejack. What would he be doing right now? He probably would still be wondering the Wastes, or he could be dead. He didn’t know, nor did he care, but he was glad that he had stopped for Applejack.

A loud, piercing scream shattered Lightning’s thoughts. He looked up to see Rainbow plummeting towards the ground, a rainbow trail following her. Her normal wing was flapping uselessly, her metal wing was standing still. One of the brass feathers had slid over another, jamming it. With fear and desperation playing off her face, she looked at Lightning for help. She screamed as the ground was rushing up to meet her.

Suddenly, she was surrounded by a purple aura. She stopped screaming as she noticed the glow, but her eyes were still panicked. Her decent slowed, until finally, she hung in midair. Then, she disappeared. With a slight pop she reappeared next to Lightning, who jumped and galloped a few feet away. She stumbled a little, then fell to the ground.

Applejack rushed over, pulling Rainbow to her hooves. Rainbow brushed herself off, then gave a half-hearted, “Thanks.”

“What happened?” Lightning asked, adrenaline still running through him. Rainbow swore.

“It’s the damn wing again. Hasn’t jammed like that in a long time.” she said, trying to straighten the metal feathers. With a scraping sound that made Lightning grind his teeth, the feathers separated. She flapped her wings, and the metal one moved with the normal one. Rainbow sighed, then looked up suddenly, her eyes wide.

“Wait! Who saved me?” she looked around, then her eyes fell on the Bunker. “Ohhhhh...”

Lightning followed her gaze. He saw what she saw, and he smiled.

Twilight was walking towards them, a small smile on her lips. Her horn was still glowing from saving and teleporting Rainbow. When she reached the group, she shook her head and looked at Rainbow Dash.

“I really wish you would let me work on that wing. Some reconstructive surgery and you could fly like you used to.”

“How many times do I have to tell you, Twilight. I don’t want it to be operated on.” she said, rolling her eyes. “Anyway, what are you doing up here?” Twilight grinned, and turned to Applejack.

“I told you that I would tell you if there was any improvement.” she said, the small smile returning. “Well, there has.”

Applejack didn’t believe what she was hearing. That soon? What has changed? “How did it happen so fast? You said that it would take a couple more weeks.”

“Well, I decided to try to bring up some more Sweetie Belle memories, since those seemed to work the best. I brought up the memory from the Sisterhooves Social.” Twilight paused for breath. “Almost over night, she was better. Now, she is ready to talk to you.”

Rainbow Dash took off into the air, yelling,. “AHHHHHH YEEEAAAAAHHH!!! Can we see her now?” she asked, touching back down to earth.

“Yes, she said as soon as possible.” Twilight smiled. “You two did a good job with helping me.”

Fluttershy suddenly appeared at Twilight’s shoulder. “Umm.. what’s going on?”

“Rarity is better!!” Applejack yelled, causing Fluttershy to squeak and retreat slightly. When she had regained her composure, she turned to Twilight.

“Is that true? Is she really better?”

“Yes, she is. And if you guys would hold on a second, I can get us down there fast.” She waved them all in closer, pulling them into a circle. She had them put their fore-legs on each others shoulders. When they was accomplished, she closed her eyes. Her horn began to glow, and lightning felt the feeling of weightlessness. A purple aura surrounded them, and Lightning felt the ground disappear from beneath his hooves.

When he next opened his eyes, he saw the clean, white, sterile floors of the hospital. Looking around he saw that they were in the space outside Rarity’s room. The curtains over the window were shut, so he could not see in. Lightning looked at Twilight in confusion.

“She said that she wanted some privacy. She is a little self-conscious about her appearance.” she smiled at this, as if it was a joke. She walked over and stood next to the door.

“Now remember, she is still very fragile. So I don’t want any loud noises,” she looked at Rainbow, “Any sudden movements”, she looked at Applejack, “Or any touching.” she looked at Fluttershy. “If we can keep that under control, this should go swimmingly.” She opened the door, allowing them to enter. Lightning couldn’t believe his eyes.

Sitting on the bed was a completely different Mare. Gone from her eyes, was the look of murderous rage. Gone was the struggling and screeching. She sat there, hair and fur washed, without bonds, watching them slowly file into the room. She smiled when she saw Twilight, who smiled back. When they were all inside, Twilight shut the door behind them. Applejack walked over and stood next to her bed, her hoof on Rarity’s.

“How are you felling, Sugarcube?” she asked, eyes and voice filled with worry.

Rarity smiled, pulling Applejack into a hug. Twilight looked worried, but she didn’t move. When they broke apart, Rarity opened her mouth.

“I know. I look hideous.”

Chapter XXXVIII: What Doesn’t Kill You, Wounds You For Life

Applejack just stared at her, uncomprehending. Then a small smile stretched across her lips. A small, worried laugh escaped her. “You look lovely.” she said, pulling up a chair to sit next to Rarity. “Ah am glad to see that you are alright.” She certainly didn’t look ‘alright’. The heart on her chest stood out more now that her fur was washed. It was the same story for the three scars that ran across the left side of her face, jumping over her eye socket. Without the cloak on, Lightning could see scars across her arms and stomach.

Rarity smiled. “I feel better then alright. I feel better than I have in a long time.” she returned Applejack’s smile, then looked down at the hoof that was on her own. Applejack’s left hoof. Her eyes widened when she saw the bracelet. “Oh darling, that’s amazing! Who is it? When did it happen?” she looked Applejack up and down, then she noticed the small bulge in her stomach. Her eyes lit up. “And is that what I think it is?”

Applejack blushed. “Yes, yes it is.” She walked over to the side of the room, where Lightning was standing. She pulled him over, even though he was resisting. She made him stand next to the bed. “This is my husband, Lightning Storm.”

Rarity looked him up and down. He felt that she knew what made a good husband, and she was going to tell him so. But instead, her face lit up. “This is fantastic! I’m so sorry that I missed it.” she looked worried. “Who was your designer? What colors did you use?”

Lightning looked at Applejack, mouthing, “Is she always like this?” Applejack nodded, and Lightning sighed. Applejack snorted.

“We can discus that later, it’s about you right now.” she pulled the others closer to the bed. Rarity looked nervous. Rainbow Dash flew over head, a slight breeze landing on Rarity. They were coming closer. She was feeling closed in, trapped. Her breathing started to accelerate, she was hyperventilating. She closed her eyes, her heartbeat pounding, pounding in her ears. She pressed her hooves against her ears, trying to block out the sound. Applejack looked at Twilight scared. She reached out to touch Rarity. Just a small touch on her front leg.

Rarity’s eyes flashed open, the sanity gone. With a snarl, she struck out at Applejack. “I’LL KILL YOU!!” she yelled, her voice loud and deep. “I’LL CUT YOUR THROAT OUT!!” She jumped out of the bed, teeth bared, lashing out at Rainbow Dash. With a yell of, “WHAT THE HELL!?” she surged out of reach. Rarity turned her attention to Fluttershy, who was cowering under a table. She started to advance, when a purple aura surrounded her. She was thrown back against the wall, then fell into her bed. Leather straps appeared, tying her legs down.

She snarled and struggled, pulling at her bonds. But either they were to strong, or Twilight’s magic was strengthening them. Finally, the snarling stopped, and the light came back to her eyes. She looked around the scared faces, and worried expressions. Lightning was pulling Applejack to her hooves, a death stare focused on Rarity. She blinked several times, then realized what happened.

“Oh dear Celestia!! I’m so sorry!” her eyes were panicked. “I didn’t mean it!” She turned away from them, her voice trembling. Applejack looked at Twilight, her eyes full of pity.

“Isn’t there anything we can do?” she asked. Twilight nodded, walking over to a cabinet on the wall. She pulled out a vial and a syringe. She pulled out some of the liquid, holding the syringe out in front of her.

She walked over to Rarity, still keeping her magic on her. She made her looked at her, peering into her eyes. Then she used her magic and pulled Rarity’s left front leg out. Still holding her other limbs down, she pressed the syringe against her skin. The reaction was immediate. Rarity shrieked, her eyes rolling back up into her head. She thrashed twisted, but the magic bonds kept her in place. She pushed the plunger down and pulled the needle out, galloping back a few steps. Rarity’s breathing started to slow down, and her eyes returned to their correct position.

Rarity sat up in the bed, holding her head. She looked at Twilight, who looked nervous, biting her bottom lip. “How do you feel?” she asked.

“Better, much better.” Rarity answered. “What did you do?”

“That was a type of drug that suppresses your anger emotion. It will wear off in a couple hours.” Twilight responded. Rarity nodded, turning back to Applejack.

“I’m so, so sorry.” she said, her eyes overflowing with emotion. “I didn’t mean to, or want to, do that.”

“Ah could never hate you, Sugarcube.” she said, her voice filled with sadness. “But there is one thing Ah, and the others, would like to know.” she took a deep breath. “How did this happen?”

Rarity’s eyes dropped, along with her head. She shook her head, lower lip trembling. Applejack saw this and backpedalled immediately. “Well, if you don’t want to you don’t have to.”

Rarity shook her head again. “No, it will be good if I tell you.” She looked at Twilight who nodded.

“Her mental health will probably be benefited by that. She needs some sort of closure.”

Rarity nodded, then took a deep, trembling breath. “OK.” she said, looking for the words. “I guess it started when we were attacked. Bunker 31 was just a simple Bunker. About four hundred ponies were sent there. Mostly we were just farmers or dexterous laborers like me.” she said, her eyes far away.

“We didn’t have many fighters. Or many guns for that matter. It was a peaceful Bunker. The citizens lived life as best as they could, which meant they tried to live their old lives. I was still a dressmaker. I made dresses for weddings and...and...funerals.” she sniffed, then smiled. “I guess it’s kind of ironic. Me making funeral dresses for ponies how would never get to use them.”

“Anyway, it was about three years ago. I was making a special order. The Director’s daughter was getting married, so I was making her dress. I can still remember it.” she said wistfully. “White silk with light yellow Forsythia flowers around the bottom to match her eyes. I had just finished it, and was packing it up for delivery, when They attacked.”

“It started out as just an explosion, and I thought that bombs were dropping again. The P.A. system told us to go to the bottom layer. But we didn’t make it there.” Her eyes started to fog over. Lightning understood why. Death Hunters were attacking, and they had no way of defending themselves.

“I found Sweetie Belle, and we hid in our room, trying to get away from the mass of panic.” Rarity said, her voice starting to sound strained. “Then, we heard the door break down. We....they flooded into the Bunker. They killed almost everypony immediately, those were the lucky ones. The ones they didn’t kill, they....did things to them.” Tears started to fall from her eyes, her fur absorbing them.

“I put Sweetie Belle in the closet in my room. I told her to stay there and not make a sound, even if they got me.” she sniffed, looking around at them all. Applejack was crying as well, Rainbow Dash was staring, aghast. Twilight felt that she should not have told Rarity to tell the story. But Fluttershy was the worst. She had her hooves pressed against her ears, trying to block out the story, but the tears streaming down her face showed that it was not working. Lightning could only listen. He knew the stories of the Death Hunters, but he had never talked to one. He wanted to listen, no matter what she said.

“I turned to find something to protect myself with, even though I knew it was useless. Then......then they found me.” she said, openly crying now. “They didn’t kill me, and I didn’t know why. They just knocked me out. When I woke up, they had me chained. I didn’t know what they were going to do.....” She let out a trembling breath. “I would have preferred to die, I would have preferred any of the other things they did in the Bunker. But what they did was so much worse.”

“They brought in Sweetie Belle, and I have to give her credit, she wasn’t crying. She was more worried about me. They stuck her down in front of me. They made us talk, for about an hour. The whole time, we both knew what was going to happen, and we were just trying to prolong it.” The fur on her face was soaked with tears, and they continued to flow down her muzzle.

“Then, they started to advance....and I turned away. I didn’t want to see what was going to happen. But a couple of them grabbed me. They turned my head around, forced me to watch. They forced me to watch as...as...as they...” She broke down, tears falling onto the heart in the center on her chest. She cried for almost five minutes. The whole time, no pony said anything. Finally, Rarity brought in a raged breath.

“The last sane thought I have, was staring down at her broken, bleeding body. Staring and knowing, that I failed to protect her. That I failed my own sister. After that, all I have is....is dark....and hate...” she closed her eyes, tears still falling through the closed lids. Twilight looked anxious. She pointed at the door, and everyone nodded. Quietly, they left the room, leaving the broken pony behind.

When they were in the other room, Twilight just looked at them. No pony had any words for what they had just heard. The silence was deafening, only the sobs coming from the other room could be heard. Finally, Lightning broke the silence.

He cleared his throat, a burning feeling was there from holding back tears. “Ummm...I still don’t understand. How could that, as disgusting and terrible as it was, turn her into one of them?”

Twilight just shook her head. “I don’t know. This is completely new territory. We will have to study--”

“I think I know.”

They all turned at the sound of the voice. Cora was walking towards them, wet patches under her eyes showed that she had been crying. “I think I know.” she repeated. Twilight looked confused.

“Were you listening?” she asked, a sharp tone in her voice. Cora nodded.

“I know, it was violating privacy. But I couldn’t help myself. I needed to hear how it happened.” She hook her head, remembering what Rarity had said. Twilight sighed.

“Well, tell us what you think.”

Cora took a deep breath. “The brain is fragile, impossibly fragile for what it does. It only listens and sees what it wants to. When it sees something it does not comprehend, it forgets it, or shoves it aside. But what happens when it is sees something that it cannot comprehend, and is forced to accept what it just saw?” She looked at Twilight, who just shrugged.

“I think you all just saw what happens. She was forced to accept something that was impossible to comprehend. Her mind broke, and she had no choice, but to become what she had just seen.”

Silence as the information sunk in. Silence as varied expressions molded themselves onto each of the ponies expressions. Fear, disgust, hate, anxiety, among others. Each pony just stared at each other. They didn’t want to believe, but that was the only explanation.

Fluttershy ran past Cora, tears still streaming. Applejack had stopped crying, but her lower lip was trembling. Lightning pulled her towards him, and she latched on, burying her face in his mane. Cora took a step back, her eyes downcast.

“I’m sorry for what you, and Rarity, have suffered. I hope that she gets better.” she turned and walked back down the hall, wiping a tear away.

Lightning felt Applejack start to sob again. He stroked her mane, rubbed her back. He tried whatever he could to comfort her. But she was beyond comfort. He pulled her off his shoulder, making her looking into his eyes.

“I promise, I will protect you. I will never let that happen to you.” he vowed, pulling her back against him, feeling her heartbeat. “I will always be there for you.”

The sobs continued to bleed through the closed door, as the broken pony poured her soul out, with no pony to return it to her.

Chapter XXXIX: Integration

Rarity stayed in the hospital for three more days after her breakthrough. Twilight said it was for her own safety. But Lightning knew better. She was still afraid Rarity would snap like she had before. She wanted to see if She was completely cure or not. Applejack went down everyday to see her, along with Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. Their presence seemed to help her.

On the third day, Applejack called him down to the hospital. He walked down to Rarity’s room. When he got there, he saw Rarity and Applejack standing outside the room. Rarity was leaning on Applejack, and she looked tired. Twilight was standing off to one side, her expression a mix of joy and sadness.

“What's wrong with Rarity?” he asked as we walked up to her. Twilight sighed.

“Well, she hasn’t walked in about a month, plus the medicine we have been giving her have taken a toll on her muscle mass. We are going to let her leave today. But she will need help walking for at least two more days.” She shook her head. “I didn’t think that it would have gotten this bad. The change in diet seems to have hit her the hardest.”

Lightning couldn’t help but laugh. “Blood? A bad diet? NO?!” He snorted again. Twilight nodded.

“I think that I should have just fed her blood for the first week, then slowly changed her diet. This seemed to have done more damage than keep feeding her blood.” she shook her head. “But this was an experiment, and it worked. That is all I care about.”

Lightning smiled. Her heart was in the right place, and the fear for her friend showed before his doctoral nature. They watched Applejack help Rarity around the room a couple times. She stumbled and tripped and was getting frustrated with herself. At one point she yelled,” Why the hell can’t I do this?!” scaring Fluttershy, who had just walked into the room. Rarity had been in shock when she first noticed Fluttershy’s hair. But she had come to realize that it was a good look for her. However, Rarity’s own looks were another problem. When she laid back down in the bed after walking for a while, Twilight walked up to her.

“Ummm...” she started, not knowing how to say it. “If you would like...I could do some reconstructive surgery to get rid of the scars and....” he voice trailed off. She didn’t want to say self-inflicted wounds. Rarity smiled at her, knowing what she meant.

“I would like that.” she said, beaming. But then the smile slipped off her face. “But I want you to leave this,” she pointed at the cauterized heart, “And these.” she pointed up to her eye, where the three scars ran the length of the side of her face. “I want to be able to remember what happened, I just don’t want to look like it.” Twilight nodded, understanding. That night, Rarity was taken into surgery. In the morning, when Applejack pulled Lightning down to see her, she was covered in bandages. But Twilight said that when they healed, she would look good as new. Rarity wanted to talk to Applejack about something, so Lightning waited outside. He could hear laughing and whispering, which only annoyed him. When she came back outside, she was looking cheerful.

“What did you talk about?” he asked, curious. Applejack beamed at him.

“Just the day we got married, that’s all” Lightning sighed, remembering the day. Suddenly he felt the bracelet around his left hoof, weight he never really felt anymore. Together, they walked towards the mess hall, meeting up with Phoenix and Celia as they did. Lightning noticed that they were both wearing bracelets again.

*****

Every day since Rarity had broken through, Applejack had gone down to see her. Lightning didn’t understand how they could be friends. They were polar opposites. But then again, he and Applejack wasn’t exactly one of a kind either. He would follow her down sometimes, just to see how the recovery was going. The bandages from her surgery were gone, and her legs and stomach looked a million times better. Slowly, the bags under her eyes shrank, until she looked about as normal as any ex-Death Hunter could look. Lightning understood why she had left those two marks on her skin. She wanted to remember, she had even said that. But there was something else. She wanted anypony who looked at her to know, she had lived a life that they would die to get out of, and she had survived. Those scars showed a tale, showed that she was strong, and she was a survivor.

She hadn’t had any more ‘eruptions’, as Twilight called them. But then again, she hadn’t left her room, and they had decided to take turns being in the room with her. She slowly started to understand life in the Bunker more. Applejack would help her by telling her stories about what went on in the Bunker, and would please her by telling her stories from their past. Finally, about a week after her initial breakthrough, Twilight said she could be released from the hospital.

She was given her own W.I.C., which at first she hated. But she figured out that she could decorate it with some ribbons to, ‘Match her eyes!’. She was given her own room, which was actually just down the hall from Fluttershy’s. And last, she was given a hospital bracelet with her name, age, blood type, and finally, “Heavily Medicated” written on side. She stared down at it, then looked at Twilight.

“Is that all you think of me?” she said, a fake pout on her lips, which quickly changed into a smile. Twilight smiled back, then opened the door to her room. Rarity walked out.

It was the first time that she had ever been outside of her room. She stared around at the blank grey walls, the white, cold linoleum floors. The bright fluorescent lights. Then she turned back to her room, which was painted a bright blue. She looked at Twilight, her expression worried.

“Is this what the whole thing looks like?” Twilight nodded. “Any chance I can live in that room?” she asked, a sly smile on her lips. Twilight shook her head

“No, you need to be a big Mare and face the world.” Rarity nodded, then walked towards the doors at the end of the hall. Doors that led to the rest of the Bunker. As she walked, doctors and nurses avoided her, moving to the sides of the hall to allow her to pass. Twilight shot them all hateful looks, then continued to follow Rarity. When they reached the doors, she held them open for Rarity, who walked out into the hall for the first time. Applejack and Lightning when with her, but Twilight stayed behind.

“Take her up to the mess hall. Get her something to eat.” Twilight said to Applejack, who nodded. Applejack put her fore-leg around Rarity’s shoulders, directing her up the stairs. As they walked, they talked. Talked about what happened after Ponyville, then their lives in the Bunkers. Cautiously, she told Rarity that she had been infected, but Lightning had saved her. Rarity turned back to Lightning and thanked him. He just nodded in return. He didn’t like to talk about that trip. It brought back painful memories of Applejack.

Slowly, the sounds of the mess hall met their ears. Rarity stopped when she heard it, her eyes shut tight. Applejack looked concerned. “What is it?”

Rarity waved her away, her hooves pressed against her temples. After a couple seconds, she lowered her hooves. “It’s....it’s nothing.” she finally said. “Just some....memories. That’s all.” she started walking back towards the mess hall. Applejack looked at Lightning, worried. She trotted to catch up with Rarity, who was almost at the doors.

Rarity’s eyes widened when she walked into the mess hall. “Wow” was all she could say. Lightning had never realized how big the Bunker was until she stared. About a thousand ponies lived in the Bunker, but that was more than twice what Rarity had. She slowly started walking towards the food counter, through the sea of ponies.

Every time she was bumped, Applejack flinched. She could tell something was going to happen, but she didn’t know when. She just watch Rarity get jostled around. Finally, it happened. One Pony bumped into her her, hard. She turned her face towards his. “Oh no.” said Applejack.

The hope gone from her eyes, Rarity pulled back and punched the pony straight in the stomach. He doubled over with a muffled cry of pain. The she brought both of her front legs down on his back. The pony went sprawling. A circle had formed around her, as ponies tried to get away from her. She prowled the outside of the circle, growling and shrieking. With pounding hooves, guards ran into the circle, tazers ready. Rarity dodged the first strike, pulling back and kicking the guards arm out of the way. Lightning heard the sound of a bone snap. The other guard tried to come up from behind. But Rarity kicked him straight in the chest. All the air left his chest, and he went down gasping. Rarity stared down at the guards, breathing heavy. She looked up and saw Applejack and Lightning standing a few feet away.

Slowly her anger fell from her face. Hate turned to nothing, which turned to fear. She looked around, saw the ponies on the ground. She looked up and saw the faces around her. Tears formed in her eyes, and she galloped past Applejack, back out into hall. Applejack started to follow, But Lightning caught her front leg. He shook his head. Applejack turned back and watched Rarity disappear from view.

“Why don’t you stay here.” Lightning said, starting to walk away. “They will probably want to do a report on this, and you can give them the full details.”

“Where are you going then?” Applejack asked, annoyed.

“I’m going to see Rarity.” he said as he took off down the hall.

*****

Lightning knew exactly where she would be. Since she didn’t know where her room was, she would have gone back to her old room. He galloped down the halls, passing ponies who still had confused looks from when Rarity passed them. Finally, he made it down to the hospital.

Doctors were running back and forth. Trays of pills and syringes were spilled on the floors. It looked like Rarity had given them a fright. Lightning smiled when he saw this. Carefully, he picked around the syringes and turned down the hall leading to Rarity’s room. Twilight was standing outside, talking to the door.

“Rarity! Please let me in, I can help!” All that met her calls were the sounds of muffled crying. Lightning walked over, Twilight taking notice. “Do you know what happened?” she asked as he stood next to her. He nodded.

“She had another eruption.” he said, his tone low. “She broke a guards wrist and probably broke a rib on another.” Twilight looked shocked.

“What caused it?” she asked, worried now.

“A Stallion bumped into her, and, I think, all the noise in the mess hall. I think it was too much, too soon.” Twilight nodded.

“I should have brought her in slowly, letting the experiences build on each other.” she said, her head bowed. “Now she wont even let me in.”

Lightning looked at her, confused. “Aren’t you a unicorn?” Twilight nodded. “And isn’t that a patient in there?” Another nod. “Well, do what needs to be done.” He pointed at her horn, then at the door knob. She bit her bottom lip, but then her horn started to glow. A small click rose from the door. Lightning slowly opened it, ready to fight if he had to.

Rarity sat on the bed, her hooves over her eyes. Tears fell from the side of her muzzle, and she hiccuped occasionally. When she heard the door open, she looked up, eyes red and puffy. “I told you to leave me alone.” she said with a trembling voice. But when she saw who it was, she sniffed. “Oh, hi Lightning.”

“Hello.” he said, very uncomfortable. He turned back to Twilight, motioning for her to shut the door. She nodded, still biting her lip. The door shut with a small thud, and they were alone. Lightning walked over and sat down on the bed next to her. He was going to put a leg around her shoulder, but then he remembered. Instead, he crossed his fore-legs over his chest. Rarity sniffed again.

“You must hate me.” she said, not looking at him. Lightning shook his head.

“I don’t hate you, but I’m not going to lie either.” he said, his voice a mixture of apology and sternness. “I don’t trust you. I see no reason to trust you, yet.” She hiccuped when he said that. “But from what I have heard, you were a great friend to Applejack and the others, and that is good enough for me to give you a chance.” Rarity sniffed, bringing her eyes to his.

“So you don’t trust me because I was a Death Hunter?”

“Exactly.” he said, shifting slightly on the bed. “Less than two months ago, we were prepared to kill each other. I would have killed you if Fluttershy hadn’t stopped me.” She gasped when she heard this.

“Fluttershy recognized me?” she asked, her eyes wide.

Lightning nodded. “Yes. I don’t know how, but she did.” He stood up, facing her. “That shows me that, even through the scars and blood, she could see a friend. That kind of devotion shows that you were a good friend, and a kind friend.” He held his hoof out to her. “And I am willing to try to meet that pony.” She looked up at him, a smile at the corners of her mouth. She took his hoof, bringing herself to her hooves. She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, then she smiled for real.

“Thank you, Lightning.” she reached out and hugged him. She let go and walked towards the door. Opening it, Lightning could see Twilight, he eyes foggy. Rarity stepped out into the hall, and Lightning could tell that she was a changed Mare.

Chapter XL: Clair de Lune

His eyes flashed open, instantly aware of his surroundings. A dark, grey ceiling was above him, lights not turned on. Lightning propped himself up in the bed, looking around the room. A dresser stood next to the bed, with photos on top. He turned to his left and smiled. Applejack was curled up next to him. Her eyelids were closed, but he could see her eyes move through them. A small smile touched the corners of her mouth, but then disappeared. The sheets rose and fell with every breath she took. Her blonde mane was braided down her back, with her tail pulled in next to her body. Lightning bent down and planted a small kiss on her forehead, then got out of the bed.

He stretched out his legs, trying not to make too much noise. He walked over to the door, opening it as quiet as possible. It was in the middle of the night, so no pony was in the hallway. He decided to go to the surface to see the sunrise. It had been almost eight months since he had seen one. On the way, he saw the workers cleaning up the Bunker. He waved at them as he passed by, but they didn’t respond. He took the elevator, and was at the surface in a few seconds. The lobby was ponied by only a mare, sitting behind the desk. She nodded at him as he passed, and he did the same. He opened the door, stepping out into the night air.

The first thing he noticed was the moon. Bright white, hanging in the sky. It cast a soft blue glow over the lands beyond, and making the plants like seem to stand out from the ground. The second thing he noticed, was a white unicorn sitting on the ground a few feet away from the door. The moon made her fur glow brighter than usual. However, it made her scars stand out garishly from the white. Rarity was watching the moon set, her fore-legs crossed over her chest. Hind legs pulled in close to her body. She rested her head against the Bunker wall. When she heard the sound of the door opening, she looked up.

“Oh, hello Lightning.” she said, her voice far away. “Good to see somepony else awake.” She moved to the right slightly, patting the ground next to her. Lightning took the invitation, sitting down next to her. She turned back to the moon as it slowly dropped out of the sky.

“What are you doing up?” Lightning asked, his eyes on the moon as well. It would be another hour before it set. He heard Rarity sigh.

“Ever since..” she paused, looking for the words. “I..woke up...I haven’t been able to sleep. Every night, I wake up. Every night, I dream about what I did. Every night I see Sweetie Belle....” her voice broke off, the moon reflecting off her eyes. “I just want to be able to sleep without having to re-live that.” She dropped her head onto her knees. Lightning didn’t know what to say.

“I can’t say that I know what you are going through, but I can say this. It will get better.” he said with confidence. “You just have to forgive yourself.” Rarity sniffed, bringing her head off her knees. The three scars across her eye shown, black against white. Lightning had to pry his eyes away from them.

“I know you are right, but I just can’t bring myself to do it.” she said, not looking at him. “I should have protected her. I don’t know how, but I should have.” Her gaze was fixed on a point next to the moon. Lightning followed her gaze and found a constellation. From what he could remember, it was Ursa Minor.

“We used to look at the stars.” she said, her voice filled with pain. “Every night, we would come outside, just so that she could see the stars. I don’t know why, but she loved to look at them.” She turned back to Lightning, standing up at the same time. “When I am out here, I feel closer to her.” She started walking back towards the Bunker door. A couple bandages still clung to her hips and sides. The scars must have been the worst there. When she reached the door, she turned back to him.

“I hope that you do not judge me to hard. I didn’t want any of this.” Then she was gone, leaving Lightning alone with his thoughts. He looked out over the Wastes. Life was returning, at least around the Bunker. Rainbow Dash had wanted to start to expand the weather team’s reach, so that they could slowly bring life back to the world. Lightning didn’t know how long that would take, but it would be amazing when it happened. His thoughts stopped when he saw the moon hit the top of the mountains. He got up and walked to the other side of the Bunker. A soft glow was touching the land. It would only be a matter of time.

He watched, and waited.. The glow grew until the entire sky was a bright pink. What few clouds were around had turned orange or yellow. Finally it broke free of the horizon. Light poured through the valley, flowing across his fur, warming him. The orb of fire slowly rose from the horizon. The pink glow disappeared as it rose higher. He smiled, enjoying the feeling. It had been too long since he had seen it.

A faint beeping broke though his thoughts. Looking down at his wrist, he could see a red light flashing on his W.I.C. He brought it up to his hear, saying ‘Hello’ as he did. Applejack’s voice flowed through the speaker.

“Lighting, where are you, Sugarcube?” she asked, her voice slightly worried. Lightning smiled when he heard it.

“I’m outside. Be back down in a couple minutes.” his voice broke off as he looked over the horizon. “And I have something to ask you.”

*****

Two minutes later, he was entering the mess hall. Looking around, he spotted Applejack sitting with Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Cora, Phoenix, and the rest. Walking over, he tried to think of how to phrase this to Applejack. He sat down next to her, putting his fore-leg on her belly. It had grown a little, but it was slowing down. She smiled up at him, but then saw his expression.

“What is it?” she asked, worried now. Lightning looked around at the ponies at the table. Phoenix was watching him curiously. Fluttershy was pretending not to. He leaned in next to Applejack ear.

“I don’t know how to say it, so I am just going to.” He took a deep breath. “I want leave the Bunker, and take a small trip.” He sat back, waiting for it to sink in. Applejack just looked at him for a few moments,then nodded.

“Yeah, that would probably be a good idea.”

“I know you don’t want me to-” Lightning started. “Wait, what?”

Applejack laughed, Lightning’s favorite sound. “Ah think it would be good for you. Ah have lived down here for ten years, and Ah am fine with it. But you...” she kissed his lips. “You need to be outside. The last eight months must have been torture for you.” Now it was Lightning’s turn to laugh. It was never torture with Applejack. But he had been wanting to go to the surface, and STAY there for a while, for a long time. There just hadn’t been a good time.

Lightning looked over at Phoenix. “Is the Buggy fixed up?” Phoenix nodded, his mouth full of oats and apple. He swallowed, then cleared his throat.

“This would be a trip by yourself. I want to stay here this time.” he looked to his left at Celia. “Can’t afford to die, can I?” Lightning nodded.

“I just want to drive around, nothing major. Can I leave today?”

Phoenix nodded. “Just let me get supplies for a couple weeks, then you can go.” Lightning nodded, smiling. He was finally going. It had been forever since her had been out of sight of the Bunker.

Applejack stood up. “Can Ah talk to you in the hall?” Lightning nodded, confused. Phoenix started to laugh.

“Busted.” he said, smiling. Lightning punched him in the shoulder, then followed Applejack out of the mess hall. When the sound of ponies eating and talking faded, she stopped.

“Ah only have one thing to ask.” she said, her face serious. Lightning was still confused. “Just, don’t die this time, OK? Ah don’t want to have that happen again.”

Lightning sighed. He walked over and hugged Applejack. “I wont die.” he said into her mane. “I am just going out for a few days, nothing dangerous. I promise.” He let Applejack go. “Anything else?”

“No, just be careful.” she said, eyes worried. Lightning snorted.

“I always am.” he said pointing at the scar on his shoulders and sides.

*****

The rest of the day passed in a blur. By the time lunch rolled around, the car was ready. and Lightning had said goodbye to everypony. He practically jumped into the car when he saw it. Phoenix snorted, then pulled the lever on the wall, raising the car.

“Come back in one piece this time, OK?” he said, smiling.

“I’ll try.” Lightning replied, then phoenix was gone, and Lightning was facing the Wastes. He pressed the accelerator, and took off.

*****

Several hours, and about a twenty miles later, it was getting dark. He had decided to go south, as that was one direction they had never travelled. He was hoping that something might be hidden away there, but it was still the same Wastes. He pulled over next to a grove of trees.

The sun was setting, causing the shadows to grow longer and longer. Getting out of the Buggy to stretch out his legs, he decided to set up camp here tonight. He went to the back and opened the truck. Inside were three crates of food and water. One crate of ammunition and weapons, and one with a tent inside. After a few minutes, and a few curses, he got the tent up. The sun had set by now, and he needed a fire. Breaking a few branches off the trees, he made a small campfire beside his tent. He found the striker inside the tent, where Phoenix must have left it last time they were out. He lit a small leaf on fire, then tossed into the pile of twigs and

The light cast by the fire made the shadows of the trees stand out garishly. Lightning let out a deep breath, letting it take away all of his tension and stress from the last eight months. He was back in his old home, and it felt like he had never left. He pulled a packet of freeze dried oats out of a crate, and settled down for the night. The moon was rising again, bright and clear and huge. It was bigger than it had ever been. He started to wonder how that was possible; How could it be so much bigger than it had last night? He had only travelled thirty miles. But he stopped worrying about it. It didn’t matter.

Looking around he felt at ease. He was back in his element. This was something he understood. He stayed and watch the moon until he couldn’t keep his eyes open anymore. Finally, when the moon was still rising, he went to bed.

*****

Next morning, the sun broke over the horizon, bringing with it the heat and the sounds of animals. Opening his eyes, he saw the seam of light slowly move up his tent. He smiled, knowing he could do anything he wanted today. That’s when he heard the sounds of cursing. Instantly awake, he bolted out of the sleeping bag. He silently yelled at himself for not bringing a gun into the tent. Carefully, he poked his head out of the tent. What waited for him outside surprised him more than it scared him, which was a bad idea.

Ten ponies stood around his fire, looking around. All but one was dressed in the same outfit as the one pony they cremated eight months back. A dark blue tunic and helmet, with a black patch and crescent moon on the chest. However, one of the ponies wore no helmet, and he had five small crescent moons emblazoned bellow the main one. That ponies ears pricked up, and he turned to face Lightning. Lightning felt a chill go down his spine.

The Stallion had white eyes. Bright white, like the moon. Even his pupils where white. He had a dark blue coat with a lighter blue mane and tail. He was accented across the muzzle and hooves with white fur. When he saw Lightning, his scowl turned to a smirk.

“Well, you finally decided to join us.” he said. His voice had a slight drawl to the words, not unlike Applejack, but he had no accent. He waved his hoof in Lightning’s direction. A second later, Lightning’s fore-legs were twisted behind his back, making him stand on his hind legs. He felt a look of shock move across his face. he struggled against the grasp of the pony, but he couldn’t get free. He turned his attention back to the Stallion with the white eyes.

“Who the hell are you? What do you want with me?” he asked, still struggling. The Stallion just smiled. He walked up to Lightning and began to circle him.

“Who am I?” he repeated. “No pony ever asks that first, so I guess I will grant you an answer.” He stopped in front of Lightning. “I am Lunar Glow, general of the Midnight army.” he said, pride in his voice. “And what do we want with you? Personally, I don’t want to have anything to do with you. But the laws state that any pony found in our territory must be brought back and put into service.” he finished, his smirk returning. Lightning was furious, unable to believe.

“Fuck you! I’m not serving in any army!” he yelled directly in Lunar’s face. Lunar took a step back, the smirk fading. It was replaced by a look of disgust. He raised a fore-leg, and back-hoofed Lightning across the face. A metallic taste of blood exploded in his mouth as he bit down on his tongue. The pony holding him released his grip, and Lightning fell to the ground. Lunar walked up and stood over him.

“You WILL have a more civil tongue when you speak to the Queen.” he said , resuming his circle around Lightning. “And you WILL behave when you are brought back to the Bastion.” he said forcefully. He stopped his circle and turned back to the other ponies. “Tie him up, we don’t want any trouble from him.” he said, looking back at Lightning, an evil smile playing across his white muzzle.

Chapter XLI: Midnight Star

Two minutes later, Lightning’s fore-legs had been tied behind his back, and he was shoved roughly into the passenger seat of the Buggy. Lunar opened the door and slid into the seat next to him. He started up the car and drove away, heading in the direction Lightning was last night. Lightning just stared at him with the utmost hate.

“Now don’t look at me like that.” he said, making a fake pout. “This is a better life than just living in the Wastes. You get free food, a roof over your head, and the companionship of 1,264 ponies.” he said smiling. “Oh, wait, 1,265 ponies, including you.”

“I told you before, I am not joining your army!” Lightning yelled, his breath fogging the night-chilled windows. Lunar just shook his head. He continued to stare of of the window. Outside, the dunes gave way to plains, which gave way to a forest. Looking above, Lightning could see that all the clouds out here had been cleaned and moved away from the sun. Plant life grew in abundance, and animals played in the shade. It reminded Lightning of the first time he saw Fluttershy’s garden, full of life that he had never seen.

Unable to stop himself, he turned to Lunar. “Why is this area so clean?” he asked, feeling stupid. “Did you do it yourself?” He looked at Lunar’s wings, which were folded in tight next to his body. Lightning could see a small hole in his armor where they poked out. Lunar snorted when he heard the question.

“No, no. Our Weather team handled the preparations.” he said, looking out the window at the forest. “These trees supply the food for our army, and the wood for our homes. Most of our Bastion was made from these trees right here.”

“And where is this ‘Bastion’?” Lightning asked, still furious. He looked around but all he could see was trees. A look of pride crossed Lunar’s face.

“Just over the next hill.” he smiled mischievously at Lightning. “I would prepare yourself. It comes as quite a shock to our... visitors.” he paused before he said ‘visitors’. Lightning turned his attention back to the road. It looked like it had been cut into the forest. Slowly, the trees started to close in on the sides of the car, and Lightning began to feel claustrophobic. They climbed the hill, and the nose of the Buggy blocked the view of anything below them. Slowly, the car began to level out, and the nose began to drop. Finally, it dropped enough for Lightning to see into the valley below. What he saw made him stop breathing.

In the valley below, tucked inside the forest, was the largest building Lightning had ever seen. Walls fifty feet tall, with towers stretching higher than that. Small buildings sat within the walls, all built around a single, giant structure. Stained glass windows adorned the structures sides, with a giant glass roof pressing down on it. Small specs, ponies, walked to and from between buildings. In the distance, behind the Bastion, sat a clearing in the forest. A track ran the length of the perimeter, with sand pits and trenches inside. A giant metal gate stood twenty feet tall, and was sealed tight. A symbol, the same as on Lunar’s armor, had been maliciously carved and painted above the gates. Just looking at it, Lightning felt that the symbol had power. He could tell that he had seen it before, but he couldn’t place it. Underneath it, written in some language, was “Luna Nobis Custodit”. Somehow, he understood what it said. It said, “New Lunar Republic”. He turned back to Lunar, who was smirking at him.

“You live here?” he asked, unable to believe a place like that existed. Lunar just nodded, still smirking.

“And, now, you do too.” He pressed the accelerator and the Buggy slowly rolled down the hill towards the Bastion. As they got closer, the walls slowly started to grow larger. Soon, they were in the shadows of the Bastion. Lunar pulled up next to the Bastion, next to the gate. As soon as he did, guards ran up to the ramparts, yelling down at them. Lunar just shook his head and opened the door. As soon as he stepped out, the yelling stopped. Lightning looked through the window and saw a couple guards running down the wall towards the gate. Lunar stepped back into the Buggy, smirking.

“It’s nice to have authority.” he said, driving the car towards the gate. Lightning looked down at the five moons emblazoned on his chest.

“So you really are the general.” he said, looking up at the giant gates. Lunar nodded.

“Five moon General.” he said, puffing his chest out. “I only take orders from one pony, and that is the queen.”

“And who is this queen?” Lightning asked, feeling nervous. Lunar smiled, still looking out the window at the gates.

“You will meet her in a few minutes, we have just been admitted.” Lightning looked around, not knowing what he was talking about. Then he looked back at the gates. They had started to shudder, then began to move. Slowly, they were pulled inwards, leaving a trench in the dirt where they moved. When they reached their apex, Lightning could see ten Stallions, five on each side, pulling the gates open. Lunar pushed the accelerator down, and they rolled into the base.

Lightning looked around, his eyes wide. The buildings seemed so strange to him. Wood instead of metal. The ponies, since they were all staring at the Buggy as it rolled in, all seemed well fed and happy. He could see fillies and colts running around and playing. Shops and carts selling their wares lined the streets, which were paved in gravel. As the Buggy rolled down the streets, others pulled their children away from the road. Lightning noticed that they were all wearing the same thing. The dark blue tunic with a black patch and crescent moon on the chest. However, these clothes did not have the extra armour as Lunar’s did. Lightning could feel the ponies staring at him, but he didn’t turn his head. He just kept staring at the largest building in the base, which was dead ahead.

Lunar drove the Buggy directly to the front of the building, then got out. he walked over and opened the door for Lightning, who climbed out. He stood on his hind legs as his front ones were still tied behind his back. He looked up at the structure in front of him.

At least sixty feet tall, the building towered over them, casting a shadow on the shops closest to it. The stained glass windows reached almost to the top of the building. Light poured in from the glass ceiling, making the windows glow blues and greens and reds. Pillars rose up from the ground, giving the entrance a very ominous fell. Lightning continued to stare at it until he heard the sound of a knife being unsheathed. Turning around, he saw Lunar holding a M9 bayonet in his mouth. Afraid, Lightning took a step back, tripping over a stone. His landing knocked the breath out of him. When he opened his eyes, he could see Lunar standing over him, the knife still in his jaws. He shook his head and rolled his eyes.

“I was just going to cut the ropes.” he said, talking around the knife. Even with the obstruction, his voice was full of sarcasm. Lightning stood up as best he could, then turned his back to Lunar. With one smooth motion, he placed the knife on the ropes, the pulled down. The ropes were cut, and Lightning fell forward onto all fours. He turned back to Lunar, anger building.

“Thanks.” he said, turning back to the structure. “Does this place have a name?”

“We just call it the Temple.” Lunar said, walking up to stand next to Lightning. “It is where the queen lives.” he raised a hoof and pointed inside. “And where you will meet her.” Lightning nodded and started to walk towards the doorway. He could feel Lunar walking right behind him, keeping him in check.

They passed through the doorway, and instantly they were hit by sunlight. Light was flowing through the glass roof, creating shadows under them. Looking around, lightning could see more guards, each armed with a gun, standing in the Temple. He hadn’t realized that he had stopped until Lunar pushed him from behind. He started moving again, looking towards the front of the room. Places at the far end, was a magnificent throne. Cast from what looked like real gold, it shown in the bright sunlight. Sapphires and Emeralds were placed just so, creating the illusion that the throne was alive. But lightning was not looking at the throne. He was looking at it’s occupant.

Sitting in the throne, as is it was meant for her, was an Alicorn. Dark blue coat with a flowing blue mane and tail. They moved in spite of the absence of wind. Stars seemed to burst to life, and die almost as fast within the folds of he mane. She wore a tiara and necklace that were as black as night. The necklace had a crescent moon on the front, just like Lunar’s armour. On her thigh rested a Cutie Mark that was the exact match of the painting above the gates. Just looking at her gave Lightning a feeling of inferiority. Like she had been better than him from birth.

As he walked closer, a smile spread over her face, showing perfect, white teeth.

“Is this a new recruit?” she asked in a soft, sweet voice. She cocked her head slightly, still looking at Lightning. Her light blue eyes moved over his form, taking in all his scars and cuts.

Lunar nodded. “Just found him this morning.”

“This one looks like he has fought before.” she said, still smiling. “What is your name?”

“Lightning Storm.” he replied, looking her straight in the face. “And may I have the privilege of knowing to whom I am speaking?” he asked properly, trying not to anger her. The Alicorn just laughed. A sound like the tinkling of bells, but with the sharp undertone that came with a psychopath.

“I am surprised you don’t know me.” she said, her voice curious. “Most ponies do. I am queen Luna, ruler of the Midnight army.”

Chapter XLII: Reine de la Purge

The name struck a chord in the back of Lightning’s mind. He had heard that name before, and he new it was important. But the memory was shouting from behind his wall of amnesia, and it couldn’t break through. He just stared at her, waiting for her to move. She cocked her head slightly, watching him.

“You don’t know who I am?” she asked, her voice quiet. She said it as if it was something absurd, as if everypony should know who she was. Lightning just shook his head. Luna pursed her lips, shaking her head.

“Well, we will have to fix that.” she said, a smile crossing her lips. “In the meantime, we need to get to know our new recruit. What is your name?”

“Lightning Storm.” he responded, looking Luna in the eyes. “And there has been some mistake. I don’t want to join your army. I just want to go home.” He tried to plead with her. Luna just laughed.

“This is your home now. Why would you want to go live in the Wastes?” she asked, rolling her eyes. “This is better than living out there.”

“But I--!” Lightning started. But he was interrupted by Luna.

“Trust me, you will learn to love it here.” she said, leaning forward. Her voice soft and seductive. “We have special amenities that you cannot find anywhere else.” She turned to Lunar. “We will have to find him a house. Check to see if any are open. Until then, he can stay with me.” She winked at him, then got up out of the throne. Her wings were folded in next to her body, and Lightning could see a patch of feathers missing on the left wing. The patch was about five inches long and an inch wide. Lightning suddenly realized that it was a scar.

He was just about to ask, when Lunar hit his side. Turning, Lightning saw that he was shaking his head. “Don’t ask. At least, not yet.” he whispered. “And be polite, always. You don’t want to know what happened to our last recruit.” Then he was gone, out the front door. Lightning turned back to Luna. She was standing next to a doorway, waving at him to follow. Slowly, Lightning walked towards her, not knowing what else to do.

Inside the doorway, a flight of stairs rose towards the ceiling and disappeared. Luna unfurled her wings and flew to the top of the stairs, leaving Lightning to climb them. When he reached the top, he was greeted with a strange sight. A bedroom sat atop the main hallway of the Temple. Dark blue curtains were pulled over the windows, creating the look of dusk at noon. A large bed sat at the head of the room. Its spread had the same mark as Luna’s Cutie Mark. A carpet sat in front of the bed with a full moon sown into it. Lightning looked at Luna, who was smiling.

“I will have to get a second bed in here for you” she said, a mischievous look on her face. “But this is where you will stay until a house opens up for you.”

Lightning was speechless. He tried to think of some way to get her to listen, but he couldn’t think of any. “Thank you, Queen.” he said, turning to look at her.

“Oh, no need to call me Queen.” she said, chucking. “It just gets in the way. Please, call me Luna.” Lightning nodded.

“So, what does--” he started to ask. But a blinding white light interrupted him. he shielded his eyes, turning away from it. When the light faded, he looked around to find the source. A male Unicorn was standing a few feet away. He stood at attention and saluted.

“Queen.” he said in a stiff voice. “Outpost 12 has confirmed a sighting.”

Luna beamed. “Wonderful! Are they withing distance?” The Unicorn nodded. “Wonderful.” she repeated. She turned back to Lightning.

“You joined on a good day. Now you can see what our army does for the world.” she was grinning ear to ear. But it was not a happy grin. No, it was an insane one. “Tell them to get prepared and I will be there momentarily.” she said to the Unicorn, who nodded. With another flash of blinding light, he was gone. Luna turned back to lightning.

“Have you ever teleported before?” she asked, her horn glowing slightly. Lighting nodded. “Good, now come and stand by me.” lightning did as he was told. Luna extended her wing, laying it over his back. He could feel a slight tremble through the wing. It was as if her magic was making every cell in her body shake. Lightning started to wonder if she was safe or not.

“Ready?” she asked, looking down at him. Unsure if he was or not, Lightning nodded. The familiar feeling of weightlessness filled his body. Then, his vision started to tunnel, and everything went black. Then, the world exploded in front of his eyes. His feet slammed into the ground, and he could breath again.

Looking around, he saw that they had left the forest and were back in the Wastes. Feeling the wing leave his back, he looked up at Luna. “Where are we now?” he asked, looking out the windows. All he could see was the familiar dunes and dirt of the Wastes. They were at least ten feet off the ground, inside a wooden structure. About six ponies stood at attention inside of it. They were all wearing armor like Lunar’s but without the extra moons.

“About fifty miles from the Bastion.” she said. She turned to find the Unicorn who she had spoken to earlier. “How far are they now?”

“Less than five minutes north.” he responded. “Our snipers picked them up.” Luna nodded.

“Well, we will have to wait then. Is everypony in position?” The Unicorn nodded.

“Good work, Private.” she turned back to Lightning. “You don’t mind waiting for a few minutes, do you?” Lightning shook his head, curious now. He didn’t mind waiting if he could figure this all out.

The next few minutes passed in silence. Lightning could feel the tension and anticipation in the air. What was going to happen? He was just about to ask, when somepony shouted.

“There they are!” Luna rushed over, looking through the window. Lightning followed her, but stood a few feet back. Through the window, he could see a group of specs moving in the distance. He could count at least thirty at one glance. Slowly they moved across the dunes, with purpose but not grace. Their movements were erratic, but they stayed in one direction. He could see Luna smiling, a crazy smile. She reached over and pulled a pair of binoculars off of a table. She handed them to Lightning.

“Want to take a closer look?” Lightning took them and walked over to the window. He put the binoculars to his eyes, looking for the group. When he saw it, he inhaled sharply.

“Death Hunters.” he breathed. A whole swarm of about fifty of them were walking across the Wastes. Blades hung over their shoulders, cloaks covering their faces and bodies. He watched as they would break into fights, then stop just as sudden. He pulled the binoculars away from his face, handing them back to Luna.

“What is going to happen now?” he asked, almost dreading the answer. Luna walked over to the Unicorn again.

“Are we ready?” A small nod. “Then give the order.” Another nod. The unicorn pulled a small communicator from the side of his armor.

“Snipers, take aim.” he said, savoring each word. A couple metallic clicks came through the communicator. When they stopped, the Unicorn said one word.

“Fire.”

A moment passed with nothing, then the air exploded. Blasts of sound from all side filled the room and the space beyond. The blasts continued, one after another. Lightning’s ears were being tortured by the cacophony. He looked around frantically to find the source of the blasts, but he couldn’t find any. It sounded like it was coming from everywhere at once. Slowly, painfully slow, the blast died down. Finally, the last shot was fired, and it slowly ringed away into silence. The Unicorn raised the communicator back to his lips.

“Report.”

“All targets neutralized. No escapes.” A smile spread across the Unicorns face, the same for Luna. She handed Lightning back the binoculars.

“Take a look.” she said, pushing him towards the window. With a deep breath, he raised the binoculars. What he saw made him gag.

Bodies. Fifty bodies. Blood. Pools of scarlet. Destroyed or missing heads. Giant, gaping holes through chests. Some were still moving, left out to die and rot. All fifty, killed in less than a minute. He picked one out that looked like a teenager. She had cream colored fur and a bright red mane and tail. A red bow sat atop her head. She was one that hadn’t died immediately. A hole through her chest showed where the bulled entered and exited. A pool of blood was starting to encircle her body. And tear streaks showed the pain that she had felt. Orange irises, glassy and cold, looked towards the sky.

Lightning pulled the binoculars away, unable to take anymore. He turned back to Luna. “Can we go back now.” he said disgusted. She nodded, laying her wing over his back again. As the weightlessness filled his body, all he could think of was Rarity, and how one of those could have been her if she hadn’t been saved.

When he next felt the ground, he rushed away from Luna. He didn’t want to admit it, but he was afraid of her. Something felt wrong with her, something was off. She just looked at him, her head cocked.

“What’s wrong.” she asked, her voice worried. How could she not understand?

“You just ordered the death of fifty ponies, and you don’t even care!” he shouted, anger returning. “How can you not think this is wrong!?” Luna just shook her head.

“I do care. I feel personally responsible for each pony out there.” she said, her soft voice back. “That is why I did that. I am trying to end their suffering, and their pain.”

“You still don’t have to kill them. There is another way!” Luna snorted with laughter.

“Rehabilitation!? It is impossible, and what would they gain with it?” she asked, her wings flaring out behind her. “They would still have to live with what happened. No, this is the best, and only, way.”

Lightning felt that arguing with this Mare was going to get him nowhere. He just nodded. “You are probably right.” Luna smiled.

“That’s a good soldier.” She turned and flew down the stairs, Lightning following her. When they reached the bottom, Lunar was standing in the doorway.

“Queen, there are no houses available. But a new sub-division will be finished in a week.” He turned to Lightning. “If you will follow me, I will give you the tour of the Bastion.” Lightning looked up at Luna, who nodded. Lunar turned and started to walk towards the door, Lightning on his tail.

But he could not shed two thoughts. One was the need to get out, to get home. To be with his friends and Applejack again. But the other was sending a chill down his back. It was the teenage Death Hunter. The cream colored pony who had died in pain.

Chapter XLIII: Ensemble Nous Vivons. Ensemble Nous Allons Mourir.

Lunar was walking slightly ahead of him. His brisk pace showed that he took every step decisively and with purpose. Lightning had to trot to keep up with him. They left the Temple, walking back out onto the main road. The Buggy had disappeared, but tracks showed where it had been taken to. Lunar continued to walk ahead of him, not checking to see if he was following. He caught up to Lunar, his curiosity reaching the surface.

“So how long have you been here?” Lightning asked, looking around at the ponies in the streets. They all seemed to be avoiding him. He guessed it would take a long time to gain their trust. But he planned to never gain it.

“Eight years.” Lunar responded, looking to his left at Lightning. “Luna found me when I was just a colt. She raised me, taught me to fly, to fight.” He spoke with pride, but with a soft undertone. Lightning could tell he cared about her.

“How did this all start?” Lightning asked, looking around at the Bastion. “I mean, how did she come up with the idea?”

Lunar stopped, and Lightning almost ran into him. “It all started with the Death Hunters.” he said, eyes far away. “My Bunker was attacked. My parents were killed....” His voice broke. “Then suddenly, Luna was there. She saved me, took me away. I lived with her ever since.” He turned to Lightning. “She got that scar saving me. And ever since that day, she has been trying to rid the Wastes of the Death Hunters.” He shook his head.

“But there are so many. And they seem to know what we are doing.” His pure white eyes looked out at the walls of the Bastion. “There are more of them then ever before. We will need to expand our ranks if we want to end this war.” He stayed silent for a few moments, Lightning watching him the whole time.

Finally, he looked away from the wall. “Anyway, the tour. Down this road,” he pointed to his left. “Is the mess hall. Three meals a day at seven, noon, and eight.” He pointed to his right. Lightning could see a road that went all the way to the wall. A smaller version of the main gates stood there. “Out that way is the training camp. We train three times a week, all day. Sundays we have off.” He paced in a circle for a moment. “I think that is all you need to know for the first week. Any questions?”

Lightning thought for a few seconds. “Is that the only way out?” he asked, pointing at the main gates. Lunar nodded.

“Yep. Plus, it is guarded all day, and all night.” he responded, giving Lightning a curious look. “I think that is all you need.” He started to walk away, then turned around again.

“Oh, yeah!” he said, walking back over to Lightning and taking him by the shoulder. “We need to get you fitted for armor!” He started to pull Lightning towards the road leading to the mess hall. Lunar looked him up and down as he did.

“This is going to be interesting.”

*****

Five minutes later, Lightning was standing in a building, a pony measuring his shoulders and withers. Lunar was standing next to the door, not looking at him. Lightning hadn’t noticed it before, but he was never still. Some part of him was always moving. Whether it was tapping a hoof, or running a hoof through his mane, or just shifting his weight. The constant movements made him seem unbalanced, like he didn’t belong.

Lightning also took this time to observe his physical properties. Heavily muscled, it was obvious why he was General. He was scarred, almost as much as Lightning was. Several scars crossed his face, one just under his right eye. That brought him to his eyes. Irises and pupils that were silvery white. Lightning had never seen anything like it before. It was obvious that he wasn’t blind. Lightning made a note to ask him about it later.

When the pony was done, he went into a back room, leaving Lightning alone with Lunar. He was still looking out of the door, his left front hoof tapping. He looked up when Lightning walked up to him.

“So, who are you?” he asked. Lightning didn’t understand what he meant.

“I told you, Lightning Storm.” he said, confused. Lunar shook his head.

“No. Who are you? Where are you from?” he asked, looking at Lightning’s eyes.

“Oh. Well, I don’t know my past. Amnesia.” he said looking out at the walls. “The first memory I have is waking up in a destroyed town, and getting attacked.”

Lunar looked him up and down, surprised. “Shit man, really? That fucked up. How long ago was that?”

“Ten years.” Lightning said, turning to look at him. “I have no idea who I was, but I made a life for myself afterwards.” He rose up to his full height. “And I plan to get back to it.” he said, turning back to the other pony, who had just returned. He was carrying a pile of dark blue material in his hooves. He gave it to Lightning, then went to the back room again. Lightning looked down at it. It felt weird, an almost solid, but it was still fabric.

“What is this?” he asked Lunar, stretching out the fabric in front of him.

“It is your armor.” Lunar said smiling. “Kevlar. Made to stop bullets, and blades. Try it on, I want to see this.” he said, holding back laughter. Lightning shook his head. He pulled the fabric over his front legs, then over his head. It was cool on his fur, and pulled tight. He looked down at his chest and saw the same insignia that was on Lunar’s chest there. Queen Luna’s Cutie Mark.

He looked up to see Lunar staring at him. “Well?”

“Not to bad. It actually looks good on you.” he said, walking around Lightning. “Didn’t think you would be able to pull it off, but you did.”

“Thanks.” Lightning said, walking towards the door.

“Wait.” Lunar called. Lightning turned around and saw he was walking towards him with a combat rifle in his hoof. He handed it to Lightning.

“This is yours until you die. Better take care of it.” Lightning looked at the M4 in his hooves. It was brand new, metal shining in the dim light. Perfectly balanced, sleek, wonderful. Lightning pulled the strap over his shoulders, letting it rest on his side.

“Thank you.” he said. “Anything else you need?”

“No, not really. The rest of the day is yours.” he said, walking out of the door. “Dinner is at eight. See you there.” Then he was gone. Lightning looked around the Bastion. He didn’t want to get too familiar with the place, since he planned on leaving soon.

All he did for the rest of the day was wander. He walked past homes and shops. The ponies avoided him less now that he was wearing their colors, but they still seemed a little uneasy. It seemed that they were selling anything that you needed. Food, furnishings, materials for housing. It seemed like a real home. Lightning felt that if he had not been dragged here against his will, he might have enjoyed his stay.

When eight O’clock rolled around, he trotted over to the Mess Hall. To his delight, it seemed just like the one back at the Bunker. Ponies eating, talking, and joking around. He guessed that some things just didn’t change, no matter where you were. Lunar saw him and waved him over. He introduced him to some of the higher ranking officials, told them how Lightning was going to replace him as General one day, which caused a round of laughter. Lightning started to feel a little less angry and annoyed, and slightly more happy.

When dinner was over, he walked back to the Temple. Lights glowed, creating paintings on the ground from the stained glass. He trudged up the stairs and into Luna’s room. To his surprise, a bed had been moved in next to Luna’s. He walked over and saw that his saddlebags and belongings from his camp the night before had been brought back. The soft sound of wings folding made him turn around. Luna was standing on the top of the stairs, a small smile on her lips.

“I thought you might want your belongings back.” she said, walking towards her bed.

“Thank you, Luna” he said, looking through his pack. He found something that Applejack must have put in right before he left. It was a picture from their wedding. Applejack was wearing her dress, pearls around her neck. Lightning was standing next to her, beaming. Something that made Rainbow laugh, her Stetson hat was on her head, slightly tilted because of their kiss. Lightning looked at it, a pain hitting his heart.

“Oh my god.” Lightning heard Luna say. He turned around and saw her staring at the picture. “You...you married her?” she asked, eyes wide.

“I did.” he said, watching her. “Is there something wrong with that?” he asked.

Luna started to pace. “This is great. Just great.” she said, circling Lightning.

“What is wrong?” Lightning asked, extremely confused. “Did she do something wrong?”

“No, no.” she said, stopping in front of him. “She, and her friends, saved me. We have to get you back immediately!”

Chapter XLIV: Home Front

“What do you mean?!” Lightning asked as Luna rushed him down the stairs. “How did she help you? Why do you need to take me back suddenly?” He tripped the last couple steps and fell on his face. A blue aura surrounded him and pulled him to his hooves. He shook his head slightly, the trip doing nothing to help his memory.

“You really don’t know do you?” she asked, looking him in the eyes. “OK....how to explain this.” She paced for a few seconds, then turned back to him. “Have you heard the tale of the two Alicorn sisters?”

“I have.” Lightning said, looking Luna up and down. “But they aren’t true. Just old Mares tales. Foals stories.” he said definitely. Luna just stared at him. She couldn’t believe this.

“They are real.” she said, looking down at him. “They are real because I am one of the sisters.” she said, wings flaring out. Lightning back up slightly, fearing her. He tried to think back, past the wall. He struggled and strained to find the connection. Suddenly, a memory broke through, and he realized his situation. He looked up at Luna with new eyes. He sank down into a deep bow. How could he have not remembered this?

“Princess. It is amazing to see you.” he said, avoiding her eyes. Luna smiled.

“Rise, Lightning Storm, we are not done.” she said, the smile fading. Lightning stood up, still avoiding her gaze. “Tell me, do you know anything about the Elements of Harmony.” Lightning thought back, but just shook his head. Luna sighed.

“This is going to be difficult. Well, before all of this, back when Equestria was whole, I ruled with my sister. But I grew jealous. I tried to overthrow her, to rule by myself.” She was no longer focusing on him. Instead, her aquamarine eyes were looking back into the past. “I turned into a creature of pure hate and darkness.”

“Nightmare Moon.” they both said. Luna blinked, brought back to reality by surprise. “Yes. I tried to take the throne. And for my insolence, I was banished to the moon for a thousand years.” She looked out the nearest window. Suspended on the sky was the bright white orb, bigger and brighter than ever. Lightning now realized why it had been so large a night ago. He was moving into Luna’s territory.

“One thousand years will make anypony bitter, and resentful. I hatched a plan to take my revenge. But when I returned, one thousand years later, I was stopped by six ponies. Six friends.” She tore her gaze from the moon to look at him. “Do you remember now?” she asked, like her life depended on it. Lightning strained his memory, finally bringing up a faded thought.

“Six friends used the Elements of Harmony to break you free of the curse.” he said, looking up at her. New emotions flooded his form. Should be be afraid of her, or grateful that she “saved” him. “And you ruled at your sister's side until the bombs fell.”

Luna nodded. “And do you remember who the friends are?” she asked, as if waiting for something. Lightning tried to think, but could remember no name. But then Luna has said that Applejack saved...

“Are you saying Applejack and her friends are the Elements?!” he said, memories and thoughts clicking into place. “That can’t be possible. She would have said something, i would have noticed!” he paused, another thought entering. “I married a hero of Equestria!” His mind, which had just glued itself together some, was blown apart. Luna just nodded at him. He tried to come to tears with this new information.

“That is why I must return you.” Luna said, starting to walk down the main hall. “She helped to saved me, and I have been trying to return the favor ever since.” She stopped next to the throne, turning back to look at him. “How did you not know. I would have thought she would have told you, being the Element of Honesty.”

Lightning chuckled. “There is a lot I don’t know.” He walked up to stand next to the princess. “But we do not have to leave now. I told her I was going to be gone for a week or two, and it has only been two days. If you really want to return me, it can wait until tomorrow.” Luna nodded.

“I understand. All your belongings, including your vehicle, will be returned to you. On one condition.” she replied, her expression dead serious.

“What is that?” Lightning asked, wary now. This was the catch, was he going to be able to accept it?

“You take me with you, so I can say thank you.”

*****

It had only been three days since Lightning had gone, but Applejack was already worried. She tried to get her mind off of him by helping out with Rarity, who was taking major steps toward full recovery. She also tried to get permission to start a farm, but it was denied. Mostly she just walked around the Bunker, trying to stop thinking about him. She told herself that he would be fine. That nothing would happen to him. But she kept having a small voice in the back of her head speak up and tell her that he could be dead right now.

Rarity was another problem on her own. She seemed to be getting better. But with “better” came depression. She would spend hours locked in her room, or spend nights sitting on the surface, looking at the stars. She stopped talking to the others, except Twilight, who she was almost forced to talk to. She was losing weight, and seemed to not be able to sleep. Every time, when asked if she wanted medication, she would just shrug it off, saying “I don’t need that. I am perfectly fine.” Applejack was almost tempted to give it to her herself.

One day, Rainbow Dash called her up to the surface. She had sounded excited over the W.I.C., so Applejack hurried as fast as she could. She grabbed a pass, which would allow her to enter and exit the Bunker as she felt like, then went outside. To her surprise, and joy, the sun was completely obscured by clouds. But not dark green, infected cloud. White and grey clouds filled with water. She walked farther out, a grin slowly spreading to her cheeks. She looked up and saw Rainbow floating in the sky, a smug look on her face. She flew down and landed next to Applejack, her brass wing almost hitting her head.

“Thought you might want to see this.” she said, still looking smug. She raised her wrist to her lips, bringing up her W.I.C. “Let it rain, my friends.”

With the sharp crack of thunder, and a blinding flash of lightning, rain began to pour out of the clouds. Applejack’s smile grew wider, walking through the falling water. She spun around, feeling the water flow down her mane and face, letting it soak into her tail. She sighed and closed her eyes, feeling the tensions and pain of the last couple months falling away, dripping off her with the water. She opened her eyes and turned back to Rainbow, who was watching her, grinning. Her mane was plastered to the side of her head, and her tail hung limply behind her.

“I thought so.” she said, walking up to stand next to Applejack. “The first normal rain in ten years. We are making progress.” She raised the communicator again. “Good work team.” Applejack looked down at Rainbow’s wing.

“Is it good for that to be out in the rain?” she asked, worried for her friends flight. Rainbow just snorted.

“Never underestimate Cora.” she said, extending her wing. “It never gets wet. She put some sort of spell on it, see?” She turned slightly so that Applejack could get a better look. It seemed that the wing was enclosed in a bubble of air, with the rain just curving around the wing. Even though she was soaked, the wing was completely dry. Applejack nodded, then looked out at the rain again. The world seemed less frightening now. But something caught her eye.

In the distance, something large was moving towards the Bunker, fast. She pointed at it, and Rainbow turned, her eyes widening. “What do you think it is?” she asked, fearing another attack.

“I can’t tell.” Applejack responded, walking forward slightly. As it moved out of the gloom, she realized what it was. She turned back to Dash, her smile reappearing.

“It’s Lightning!” she said, jumping in place. “He came back!” She turned and watched the Buggy come towards the Bunker. But something felt strange. There seemed to be some power that she couldn’t place coming from the car. Whenever she looked at it, she felt small, inferior. But she shook off the feeling, wanting to see Lightning again.

Finally, he pulled up next to her, smiling the same smile as when he left three days ago. He jumped out of the Buggy, running over and grabbing her around the waist. Then he pulled her into a kiss, setting her back on her hooves as he did. But something was wrong. This was not his typical, careful self. She could feel his longing, as if he thought he would never see her again. She pulled away from him, uneasy now. She looked at his face, and she saw anticipation and love reflected, along with her own image, in his eyes.

“What happened?” she asked, slightly worried now. “Why are you home early?” Lightning stepped away from her, taking a deep breath. He had only been out in the rain for a few seconds, but he was already dripping. He was wearing a dark blue outfit with a crescent moon on it. Applejack remembered the moon, but she couldn’t place it.

“Well...I had a meeting with an...old friend.” he said, eyes flashing back and forth between the Buggy and Applejack. “Took up most of my time, and I thought you would like to meet her.”

“Well, who was it?” she asked, walking towards him. As she said that, the passenger door opened, and she heard somepony step onto the wet dirt. dark blue legs appeared on the other side of the car. The steps came closer, then she walked into view.

The rain creating a shell of dry air around her, ground drying instantly as she walked over it, Luna appeared, regal and proud. She walked over to Lightning, smiling at Applejack and Rainbow that whole time. Her mane waved and turned even more in the storm’s grap, but she always regained her royal composure. She looked up and smiled at the sky, the rain falling on the air bubble around her. She extended it slightly until they were all inside. A muffled sound, like rain hitting wood, was all they could hear for a few seconds.

Applejack’s eyes were the size of plates, she looked back and forth between lightning and Luna, then sank into a deep bow. A few seconds later, so did Rainbow, a slight squeal escaping her as her mane hit the dirt.

“Princess.” Applejack said, not looking at her. Luna walked over and placed her hoof on Applejack shoulder, making her look up.

“Hello Applejack, Rainbow.” she said, eyes softening as she looked at them. “It has been a long time. I just wanted to stop by, see you and the others once again.” she said, touching Rainbow on the shoulder as well. She looked up at the princess, mane hanging in front of one of her rose colored eyes. She looked nervous, almost afraid.

“I also wanted to say something that I was never able to say before this.” Luna said, pulling them to their hooves.

“What would that be?” Rainbow asked, swallowing slightly.

Luna took a deep breath, then looked down and smiled. “I just wanted to say, thank you.”

Chapter XLV: Indebted

Applejack was clueless. She had not seen the princess in over ten years. What could she have to thank her for? She looked up into the aquamarine eyes she had come to know, and even fear. She sank into another low bow before she dared to speak.

“W..what would you have to thank me for?” she asked, voice trembling. Luna laughed her sharp laugh, causing Applejack and Rainbow to shrink back slightly.

“What don’t I have to thank you for?” Luna responded, trotting up next to Applejack and Rainbow. “But I would like to wait until all of the elements are gathered. Where are the rest?”

“Well, Twilight, Fluttershy, and Rarity are down in the Bunker” Rainbow responded, avoiding Luna’s gaze. “But, we don’t know where Pinkie Pie is yet.” she said, eyes downcast. “No pony knows if she survived the bombs.” Luna nodded, understanding.

“Well, this is a solemn time. There is almost no place for an Element of Laughter” She started to walk towards the Bunker, then turned around. She took in both of them, not speaking for a moment.

“You have both suffered so much.” she said, eyes falling on Rainbow’s wing. “And are expecting so much.” Eyes landed on Applejack swollen stomach. “For both of you to have survived is incredible.” She turned to the door, looking for the communicator. Finally, she found it and pressed the small red button.

Name and Identification number, the voice said. Luna just smirked. She closed her eyes, horn glowing. With what seemed like no effort at all, the door opened. She stepped back and gestured inside. “After you.” she said, a sly smile on her lips. Applejack just looked at Lightning, who raised an eyebrow at her. She stepped inside, followed by Rainbow and Lightning. Luna was last, closing the door with a flick of her horn.

“Now, where are the others?” Luna asked. She was staring around at the inside of the Bunker. Lightning wondered if she had ever been in one before.

“I can call them if you want me to.” Applejack said. Luna nodded after she said that, smiling kindly at the pony behind the security desk. He seemed at a loss for words, eyes wide as plates. One by one, Applejack called everypony else to the surface. A couple minutes later, the elevator dinged open, and they stepped out into the lobby.

Their reaction were almost immediate, and almost exactly the same. The smiled at Lightning, then froze when they saw Luna. Identical expressions of shock crept onto their faces. twilight was the first to speak, after almost a minute of silence. She bowed deep, followed by the rest of the group.

“Princess.” she said, not looking up. “I can’t believe you are alive.”

Luna snorted, walking to stand in front of them. “Who do you think rose the moon every night? It would take more than a couple bombs to end me.” she said cockily. “But that is not what I wanted to discuss.”

“And what do you want to discuss.” Twilight asked, standing up. She looked nervously over to Lightning, who was still wearing the Midnight Army tunic. He smiled at her, letting her know there was nothing to worry about. He could see the tension leave her body, and she grinned slightly.

“I just wanted say something I was never able to say all those years ago.” she replied, looking over the five of them. “I wanted to say I am proud of all you have accomplished, and I wanted to say thank you.”

“Thank you for what?” Rarity asked, peering around Twilight shoulder. Luna’s eyes narrowed when she saw her.

“What happened to you?” she asked, a strange edge creeping into her voice. Lightning’s breath caught in his throat. He had not thought of her reaction to Rarity, obvious signs of her ordeal still showing. Before anything could happen, he intervened.

“She....had a run in with the Death Hunters.” he said, voice high. “She barely got away.” Luna stared at him for a moment, then nodded. It was obvious that she did not believe him, but she was willing to play the lie.

“Anyway.” she said, smile returning. “I wanted to show my deepest gratitude for saving me all those years ago. I was never able to say my thanks, and after the bombs, I thought I never would be able to.” She looked over them, her smile slipping slightly as her eyes hit Rarity, but it returned after her eyes left the scars.

“My life, and all of my achievements, are because of you, and I thank you.” She sank down into a deep bow, knees touching the floor. Twilight was blushing furiously, almost as much as Fluttershy was.

“There is really no need to thank us.” she said, her smile saying otherwise. “We were just doing what we had to.” She looked over at Lightning, who was watching them curiously. They exchanged a small conversation with gestures, saying that they would talk about this later. She looked extremely happy, like something else had gone right. Luna stood back on her hooves, towering over them.

“And without you, I would have been destroyed by my sister. I was jealous and power crazy, and you broke the curse. If there is anything you need, ever, just tell me, and consider it done.”

“Thank you princess.” Twilight said, bowing. The others did the same, as did Lightning. “I will remember that. And I might be needing something very soon.” She smiled a sly grin, leaving Lightning to wonder what had happened while he was gone. Luna just nodded. She turned back to Lightning.

“You are an honorable member of the Midnight Army. If you ever need a safe place to stay, you are always welcome at the Bastion.” Lightning bowed.

“Thank you princess, for your generous offer.” He looked up at applejack, who smiled sweetly at him. “But I think my safe place is here.” Luna nodded, seeing the glance they exchanged.

“I need to return now. Be safe Lightning Storm.” She turned back to the others. Be safe all of you. If you need to contact me, Twilight, you know how to reach me.” She grinned, tapping her horn. Twilight smiled back, nodding. She took a step back, body glowing. Then, with a flash of blue light, she disappeared. There was silence for a few moments, then Applejack ran over and hugged Lightning.

“I was so worried about you!” she said, clutching at his waist. “But you didn’t die, you didn’t get hurt. And you found our princess!”

“Trust me, it was by accident.” he said jokingly. But then he remembered the Elements, and his joking stopped. “Why didn’t you tell me you were one of the Elements?” he asked, prying her off his waist. She looked up at him, biting her bottom lip.

“I didn’t think it mattered. You couldn’t remember anything, so I didn’t say anything.” She looked away, not meeting his gaze. “I thought it would make you... not like me.”

“Why would I not like you for that?” he asked, making her look at him. “I love you even more for it.”

“I hate to interrupt.” Twilight said, pulling them apart. “But, I kinda need you all to come with me.”

“What is going on?” Rarity asked, walking up next to her.

“I have a major announcement to make. Something that will change our lives.” she said, a proud look on her face. She raised her hoof to her mouth. “All call; Intercom.” she said, the paused for a second.

“Will all available ponies please come to the amphitheater. I have an announcement to make.” Then she pulled the device away from her mouth. She waved them over the the elevator, and they piled in after her.

“What is it?” Lightning asked, starting to get annoyed at the secrets, but Twilight just smiled.

“You will have to wait.”

Chapter XLVI: Rebirth by Encryption

Chapter XLVI: Rebirth By Encryption

The elevator Doors opened to a mass of moving ponies. They were all going on the same direction. Twilight turned to the others before they walked out.

“I have to go now, but you will see me later.” she smiled mischievously. Her body began to glow, and the next second she had teleported away, leaving them to stare at the spot in which she had been standing. Rainbow shook her head and let out a sigh.

“I hate it when she does this.” she said, walking out of the elevator. “It is always about something she did.” she said, rolling her eyes. Despite himself, Lightning had to laugh. They fell in line behind the wall of ponies, all moving in one direction. Lightning had never been to the amphitheater, so this would be new. Finally, they reached a set of metal doors, and walked into the room beyond.

Lightning gasped. The place was enormous. A thousand seat, enough to fit the entire population of the Bunker, were set out in rows, all facing a massive stage that was set into the far wall. Already, most of the seats were filled, and some of the pegasi were flying around, not wanting to be part of the moshpit. There weren’t six seats next to each other, so they split up, Fluttershy and Rainbow taking to the air. Lightning finally found a seat, and sat down next to a pony with cream colored fur and a red and pink striped mane and tail. After a few minutes of confused talking, the lights dimmed, and all the ponies stopped talking.

Twilight, dressed up in a lab coat, walked out onto the stage. She had a small headset on with a wire going down her back. She walked out into the middle of the stage, then turned and faced the ponies. She had a look of happiness plastered on her face. She cleared her throat, and smiled down at the crowd.

“I am here, to report something magnificent and amazing.” she said, the smile growing larger. “We have done something that we thought we would have never accomplished. Fillies and Gentlecolts, we have created a Cure!”

The audience erupted into noise. Ponies cheering and yelling. Twilight just laughed and began talking once the noise had stopped. “I know what some of you are thinking. You are thinking that we already have one, why do we need another. But you would be wrong. We have a Cure that stops the virus before it spreads completely. But now, we have one that can reverse the effects, once the virus has taken over the host. Now, we can heal our friends and neighbors who were struck down with this terrible disease!”

A new round of yelling and hoof clopping rose from the ponies, including Lightning. Twilight smiled at him when she saw him, then looked around at the ponies. “Many of you are probably sceptical, and I understand that. You want proof. Well here you are!” She waved her hoof towards the side of the stage, and a pony limped out to meet her.

He was a pegasus, the pile of gauze and surgical tape on his right wing showed that. He had a deep purple coat, and a dark blue mane and tail. A white stripe ran down his mane and tail, just over his left eye. He limped over to twilight, who helped him to steady himself. He looked out over the crowd. Even from where Lightning was sitting, he could tell he was shaking. Turning back and forth between the crowd and Twilight, he seemed to be much younger then he seemed. Twilight nodded reassuringly, and he nodded back, swallowing. Lightning couldn’t place it, but he looked very familiar.

“H..Hello.” he said, voice shaking. “My name is..is Sky Spark. I don’t suppose many of you know me. I am from...from Baltimare, or what used to be Baltimare. And..” he turned to Twilight. “What is the date?”

“September 19, 2013 A.L.” she replied, watching him carefully. He nodded, turning back to the crowd.

“And six years, three months, and twelve days ago, I was bitten.” Small gasps and yells came from the audience, and Sky shrunk back a bit. But Twilight put her hoof on his shoulder, and he stood up straight again. “I was transformed, living a hell without death. But one this had not changed. I did not eat others. I did not crave pony flesh.” he said, staring out into the crowd. “An expedition found me, and brought me back to the Bunker.”

“There, I was experimented on. They tried to find what kept me...somewhat sane.” he said, a sly smile on his lips. A scar ran from the bottom of his right eye to his top lip, making him look like he was always crying. “Finally they found it. It was...was...” he stopped, looking back over at Twilight. “Do you want to explain this part.” he said. laughing. Twilight nodded, smiling as well.

“Well, the virus enters your system, and begins to re--work your DNA. If left un touched, it will completely change your DNA, turning you into a new species. What we still don’t understand, is how most of Sky’s DNA was left untouched. All he would eat, was apples.” she said, laughing. “We had to separate him from the other infected, as they seemed to know something was off about him.” Suddenly, Lightning remembered. This was the pony from the lab. Twilight had called him “Crocker”.

“We were able to extract a Cure.” Twilight continued. “A solution of his DNA and other chemicals, which, when injected, would re-write the already overwritten DNA. This would, over the course of a couple weeks, return a pony to normal.”

A sudden, sharp, angry voice rose from the crowd. “He is a danger to us all! How can you believe that he is cured?!” Murmurs rose from the crowd. Some in agree ment, others in defence. Soon, ponies were arguing with the ponies next to them. Sky stepped back from the podium, looking over at Twilight. Twilight walked up to the podium and banged her hoof on the wood, several times. Slowly, the ponies began to quiet down.

“I can’t believe you ponies!” she yelled. “How can you even think that I would put you in danger?” She pointed over at Sky. “Of all the things to worry about in this world, you are worrying about this?” She shook her head. Some of the ponies in the audience were hanging their heads. Twilight walked away from the podium, pointing Sky towards it. He slowly walked towards it, looking apprehensive. He cleared his throat.

“Where was I?” he asked. “Oh, right. I won’t say that this will be enjoyable. The feeling of your DNA being changed, feeling it move under your skin. It makes you wish you were dead.” he said, staring gravely around at the ponies. “But, trust me. Living, is the greatest feeling you can have.” Twilight walked over and laid a hoof across his shoulders. She seemed to melt into her fur, almost as if he belonged there. Lightning assumed that she was probably like a messiah to him, saving from a living hell.

“This is still under heavy development. This was just a test to see if we were headed in the right direction. I know some of you have family down there. Give us time, and you will soon be able to reunite with them!” At this, the loudest round of cheering broke out. Ponies stood on their hind legs, hooves clapping together. Lightning could feel the sound deep in his chest. He could see the pegasi in the air doing flips and spins. Sky smiled down at the crowd, bowed, then limped off stage. A thick scar ran down the side of his leg, cutting his cutie mark, a light blue lightning bolt with white stars floating around it, in half. He almost fell one time, and Twilight rushed over and helped him off the stage.

When she left, a small murmur in the crowd rose to a swell of talking. It seemed like everypony had something to say, and they were all going to say it now. Lightning looked around, spotting Phoenix, Cora, and the rest walking out of the amphitheater. He trotted over to them, feeling happy and light.

“I can’t believe this.” Phoenix said when he was within ear-shot. “Looks like we are out of a job now.” Lightning punched him in the arm, but he was smiling as well.

“Yeah, I guess so. But how are they going to be able to fix everything?” Lightning asked, his mind bringing up visions of the surface, Infected roaming everywhere. “Can they possibly cure all of them?”

“It is possible.” Cora said, turning to look at them. “Putting the cure in some form of gas, or creating a type of delivery system, like a syringe rifle, could make this an easier task than anticipated.”

Lightning felt something brush his side. Looking over, he saw that Applejack had trotted over. She smiled up at him, then looked around at the others. “I think we should go see him.” she said. “He probably doesn’t have any friends, and I think most of the ponies here don’t like him.”

“Why would that be?” Rainbow asked, looking back down at the stage.

“Well, he symbolizes the reason that we are still down here.” Applejack responded. “If we could make them see him as just another pony, they might be more accepting.”

“I guess.” Rainbow said. Lightning could tell she was not one for making new friends.

“I think it is a wonderful idea.” Fluttershy said, already heading towards the door. “He probably wants somepony around right now.” And with that, she had exited the doors, leaving the others to gallop after her. But Lightning couldn’t help shake a feeling. Something in the back of his mind was nagging at him. Telling him, that everything had just changed.

Chapter XLVII: An Outsider

They walked out of the amphitheatre, followed by most of the Bunkers population. Most we talking excitedly about the opportunities that this cure would allow them.

“We could finally leave the Bunker!” one mare said to her friend as they passed. Lighting smiled when he heard this. it would be a long time before they would be able to live on the surface. But it was good to know some hope had been restored in the ponies.

They started to turn towards the stairway, when Fluttershy suddenly broke away.

“I need to go see if Angel is alright. I will be there in a few minutes.” then she trotted up the stairs and out of sight. Lighting watched her go, then walked over to the elevator doors. They piled in and rode up to the hospital. The doors opened to the familiar scene of doctors rushing around. Cora walked up to the receptionist desk and asked what room Sky was staying in.

“Solitary. Room Twenty-Four.” she said when she returned to them. “That is strange. They only keep mental patients in solitary.”

“I guess they wanted to make sure that he was cured.” Rainbow said, starting off down the hall, the others on her heels. After a couple minutes of searching, they found his room. Lightning knocked on the door, and Twilight’s face answered him.

“Oh, hi!” she said surprised, opening the door more. “I thought you would want to stop by and see him. I just teleported him back up. He didn’t look too good after the presentation.” Lightning nodded, looking at the single bed in the room.

Sky sat in the bed, eyes closed. He was awake, but just resting. He looked slightly pale, and, now that they were this close, Lightning could see large bags under his eyes, like he hadn’t slept in days. But other than that, and the scars, he looked as healthy as any other patient could be. Cora walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed. Sky opened his eyes and looked around.

“H- Hello.” he said. Talking quietly, his voice was slightly raspy, as if his vocal chords had been damaged.

“Hello.” Applejack said, walking over to his bed as well. Lightning could tell she was thinking of the time that she had been infected. “How are you feeling?”

Sky chuckled slightly. “Well, besides the massive headache and the healing wounds, pretty well. But I guess that is to be expected.”

“How did you get here from Baltimare?” Lightning asked.

“I honestly don’t know.” Sky said. “I guess I just walked here...” his voice trailed off. “I’m sorry, maybe I should know your names.” They introduced themselves one at a time. Sky nodded at every name, but his eyes stopped on Rainbow.

“What happened to your wing?” he asked, eyes wide. “Did you get attacked?”

“Oh, no.” she said, extending the metal wing. “Just got shot a couple times. No biggie.”

Sky continued to look at it for a few moments, then shook his head. “Sorry. So, is there anything I can do for you?” he asked, not looking at them Lightning couldn’t tell if he was worried what they thought of him, or if he just wasn’t social.

“No, we just wanted to see you.” Rarity said walking towards him. “Just wanted to see if you were OK.” Sky didn’t respond.

“Oh, dear.” he said, taking in her appearance. “What...What happened to you?” Rarity backed away slightly, not looking at him.

“Oh, well...” she said, looking for the right words. “I had a run run in with some.... unpleasant ponies.”

“Oh.” Sky responded. “Well, it is a shame they had to hurt such a lovely pony. And you wanted to see me? Aren’t you afraid that I will, like... eat you?”

Phoenix chuckled. “No, we aren’t. If there is one this we learned, it is to trust Twilight’s work.” Sky smiled slightly at that.

“Ok, well..... Sorry, I am not good at this sort of thing.” he said, avoiding eye contact. He opened his mouth to say something, but then the door opened. Fluttershy poked her head in, smiling at them. Sky looked at her for a moment, then looked away, blushing. Lightning raised an eyebrow. Could it be?

“Umm... Hi.” she said, walking into the room. “How’s umm... How are you doing?” she asked, not looking at him either. Sky didn’t look up, but his blush had faded away.

“Good. W- What about you?”

“Fine, I guess....” she said softly, dragging a hoof along the floor. Lightning looked back and forth between Applejack and Fluttershy, silently having a conversation the whole time. They seemed to agree upon the same thing.

“Well, it was nice to meet you.” Applejack said, trotting over to Lightning. “But we have got to go.” Cora and Phoenix nodded, getting the idea.

“Yeah us too. Fluttershy, why don’t you stay and talk with Sky.” Cora said. “I think he would like to talk to somepony like you.” They all filed out, even Twilight. Shutting the door, leaving a helpless look on both Fluttershy’s and Sky’s face. When they were a far enough distance away, Rarity turned to face them all.

“Well this is wonderful!” she said, beaming. “They should really hit it off.”

“Yeah, but would either bother saying anything?” Rainbow asked. “Neither of them are the bravest of sorts.”

“Well, we will have to wait and see how this pans out.” Applejack said, walking down the hall. “So, Twi. Why didn’t you tell us about this cure? I think all of us would have liked to know.”

“I would have, but it was under extreme secrecy. We just were able to announce it.” Twilight said, trotting to catch up with Applejack. “And like I said before, it will be awhile till we can put it into full production.”

“How long will that be?” Phoenix asked.

“Another couple months or so. The transformation process takes awhile, and to see if they survive it...” her voice trailed off. The conversation seemed to stop after that. They walked down the halls until they were back in the lobby. Twilight said she had to run some test, and she left the group, as did Cora. It was almost her shift at the hospital as well. One by one, everypony left, leaving Lightning and Applejack alone.

“Well. This has been an interesting day.” Lightning said, smiling. “I wasn’t expecting that when I got got back.”

“Yes, I have been meaning to talk to you about that.” she said, looking up at him. “What all happened out there?”

Lightning sighed. “Want me to start from the beginning?” Applejack nodded. “Alright. it started out with me getting captured...”

*****

The next week passed without any sort of interruption. Fluttershy was spending more and more time with Sky in the hospital, sometimes the whole day. Twilight was also gone most of the week, but for different reasons. Making the cure safe to use was taking up most of her time. All the other ponies also had some excuse to be away. Phoenix was working on some project he had planned for awhile now. Rainbow was working with the weather team. Cora had taken up a couple new shifts in the hospital, as had Fluttershy. All this left Lightning and Applejack alone, which they didn’t mind.

They did the same as they had in the months during Rarity’s recovery. They walked on the surface, hoof in hoof, talking about whatever they felt like talking about. Leisure like this was in their lives, so they took full advantage of it. But one day, something cause Applejack to begin to worry.

“What do you think happened to Pinkie?” she asked, her voice showing the worry her expression would not allow.

“I don’t know.” Lightning said. “But I would think, since you five survived, she would have as well.”

“I really hope so. I just hope that--” She was cut off by a sudden light shining from behind them. They turned, shielding their eyes from the glare. it looked like a blue ball of magical aura, floating in the air. It swirled and turned for about thirty seconds, then disappeared, dropping something to the ground beneath it.

“What the hay?!” Applejack said, backing away from it. But Lightning could only stare at it.

It was a scroll. About a foot long, written on yellowing parchment, and seal with a blot of wax. But that was not what caught Lighting’s eye. Not, it was the symbol that was cut into the wax. Luna’s symbol. He slowly walked over to it, bending down to pick it up. He popped the wax off with the tip of his hoof. He unfurled the scroll, eyes slowly moving down the page. The whole time, Applejack was watching him closely. Finally, he stopped reading, and turned to face Applejack.

“We need to talk to Twilight. Now.”

Chapter XLVIII: Her Puppets

They burst through the hospital doors, scaring an elderly pony that was walking through. After a short apology, the rushed towards the lobby desk.

“Is Twilight here?” Lightning asked, out of breath. The receptionist nodded.

“She is down in the mental ward.” They thanked her and ran off. Nurses and patients stared at them as they pounded down the hallways. Finally, they passed through a set of doors that led to the mental ward. They peeked in each door that was open. Ponies of all colors and sizes rested in the beds. Most were just asleep. Others stared at them as they passed. A couple were even shackled to their beds. Finally, they found Twilight.

She was walking out of a room, a clipboard held by her magic in front of her. She smiled when she saw them, but the smile slipped when she saw their expressions. “What is it?” she asked when they reached her. Lightning just handed her the letter. She pulled in into her magic, clipping it to the clipboard. Her eyes slowly slid down the page, widening as they went.

Dear Lightning,

I hope you had a pleasant time since we last met. You didn’t think that I would forget about you so easily, did you? But this is not a happy letter. I am here to tell you that another Bunker has fallen to our enemies. Your Bunker will probably hear about it in a day or two.

I am going to give you a quest. I know your friends can fight, as can you. I have seen them, as nothing can escape my moon’s gaze. I want, no, I demand, that you and your friends return to the Bastion at once, as we have much to discuss. I await your response.

Your Queen,

Luna

Twilight looked up from the note. She licked her lips a couple times before she spoke.

“When did you get this?” she asked, voice low.

“Just now.” Applejack responded. “What do ya think we should do?”

“I am not sure. I don’t even know what to think.” she said, pacing in a circle. “We have to go. I mean, she is our princess, even if she has gone a bit....you know nutty.” She moved her hoof in a circle next to her head. Applejack laughed under her breath

“Yeah, Ah get what yer sayin’, but do you think... AAHH!” She was cut off mid sentence. Another ball of nimbus appeared in front of Applejack and Twilight. Another scroll fell from the aura, then it disappeared. Lightning looked at the other two, then walked over and picked it up and read it out loud.

Dear Twilight Sparkle,

I heard that.

Your Queen

Luna

Twilight’s eyes grew wide again, then she blushed, not looking at the letter. “Sorry.” she said quietly. “What do you think we should do, Lightning?”

“Well....I think we should listen to her.” he said. “If another Bunker has been attacked, then we really should go and see what she needs us to do.”

Twilight nodded. “True. But before we go sprinting off, I think I should go talk to Administration. See if this is even true.” She turned towards the door they had just come through. “Can you guys gather the others, and I will see you later. Meet in your room.” Then she was gone. Applejack looked up at Lightning.

“Do ya think it is true?”

“I see no reason for her to lie to us.” Lightning said.

“Yeah, Ah guess so...”

“Come on. Let’s get the others.”

*****

On their way back to their room, Lightning and Applejack called the others up on their W.I.C. They didn’t tell them what had happened, just they they needed to come right away. They all seemed curious, if not a little annoyed, at the secrets. But soon, they were all waiting in Lightning and Applejack’s room.

“So, what’s going on?” Rainbow asked. She had taken off her wing and laid it on the bed. Even after all these months, he still couldn’t stop looking over at the wing, limply hanging by her side. The feathers stuck up in several directions, making it look like she had just flown through a storm.

“OK.” Lightning said. “Well...we got another message from Luna.” An audible gasp filled the room. “She tells us that another Bunker has been attacked by Death Hunters. And that we are supposed to return at once.”

“Are you going to go?” Cora asked. She was sitting in a chair, balancing one of the magic books Twilight had given her on her knee.

“Well, when I say “we”...I mean all of us.” Lightning said, not looking at them. They just stared at him.

“All of us?” Phoenix repeated. “Why does she want all of us? You are the one enlisted in their army!”

“I know.” Lightning said, walking in a circle. “She said it is because you all know how to fight, and she could really use the extra stallion-power.”

So she just wants us to drop everything and go help her?” Rarity asked. Under this lighting, her scars stood out immensely. Lightning nodded.

“But before you start saying no, I think we should wait for Twilight to get back.” Just as he said that, the door opened and Twilight walked in. She had a grave look on her face.

“It is true.” she said, looking at each of them. “Bunker 43 has been attacked. No survivors.” Silence fell over the group.

“Are you sure?” Fluttershy asked. Twilight nodded.

“All communication lines are down, and scouts from other Bunkers say the same thing.” She looked at Lightning. “I guess she was right.”

“That is terrible.” Cora said, standing up. “But why should we help? She has an army. There is only eight of us! How could we help?”

“I don’t know.” Lightning responded. “But I think, since she requested our help, then we should honor her.”

Cora shook her head, as did Phoenix. “She has done nothing to help us in the past ten, eleven now, years.” Phoenix said. “Now, suddenly, she thinks that she can get us to follow her again? I am not doing it.”

“Same here.” Cora said. A couple of the others nodded. Lightning looked around, feeling separated from them.

“Please guys. I just need you to--” He was cut off by the appearance of a third nimbus. It’s light filled the small room. A third scroll fell from within and landed next to his front hooves. Lightning bent down and picked it up.

“What does it say?” Twilight asked, nervously. Lightning just stared at it. “Lightning?” Twilight asked.

“It says...oh Celestia...” He said, unable to find the words. “It says, that if we do not join her, one of your friends will perish.”

*****

As it turned out, that was the deciding factor. By the end of the day, they were packed and ready to leave. Twilight had gotten permission from the officers. Phoenix had done some modifications to the Buggy since the last time they used it, and it was now ready to seat nine ponies. Lightning and Phoenix were packing supplies into the back when Applejack approached them.

“Can Ah talk to ya for a second?” she asked Lightning. He nodded and walked over to the corner of the room with her.

“What is it?” he asked innocently.

“Why is mah bag still in the room while yours, and everypony elses, is in the car?”

Lightning sighed. He had been dreading this moment since he made the decision that morning. “You aren’t coming.” he said shortly. She stared back at him.

“What do ya mean?” she asked, not understanding. Lightning smiled. He walked closer to her and dropped a kiss on her forehead.

“You are a smart mare. I thought you would have figured it out.” he said. “I don’t want you coming along, because you are due in a little more than a month. I don’t want anything to happen to you, or the baby.”

“But what if ya need me?” she asked, stamping her hoof. “Ah should be there with you!” All Lightning could do was smile and kiss her.

“I will be back.” he said. “I promise.” Phoenix had finished packing the Buggy, and the others were already inside. He hoped in next to Phoenix. He looked out the window and waved to Applejack. She smiled and waved back, a tear falling from her eye. She pressed the button on the wall, and the Buggy rose to the surface. She kept waving until he was out of sight. She knew he would be safe. But something kept nagging at her. She knew the next time they would see each other, everything would have changed.

Lightning had to squint as the Buggy rose to the surface. The sun was slowly setting in the west, producing a cascade of spectra along the clouds. He just wanted to keep staring at it, but Phoenix turned the Buggy around, pulling his gaze away. He brought it up to speed, and soon the Bunker, and Applejack, was just a spec in the distance.

He turned around, looking at the others packed into the back of the car. Cora, Rarity, and Rainbow were sitting in the front row, while Fluttershy and Twilight were sitting in the back, an empty seat between them. They knew that Lightning was not going to take Applejack, but they stiff felt bad about lying to her.

“How long till we get there?” Rainbow asked impatiently.

“About a day.” Lightning said. “We will probably have to spend the night out, then continue tomorrow morning.”

“Should we have sent a letter to Luna?” Twilight asked. “Shouldn’t she know we are on our way?”

“Naw, it’s fine.” Phoenix said, looking back at them. “I bet that she--” He was cut off by the appearance of another ball of blue aura. “Yep.” he said, smiling. A scroll fell next to Twilight, then the orb disappeared. Twilight picked it up and read it.

“‘I already know you are coming.’” Twilight read. “‘I am glad that you decided to join us. We will be meeting at noon tomorrow, so don’t be late.’” She looked up at them. “Did she really think that we would let one of us die, just so that we wouldn’t have to go?”

“I don’t really think she was going to kill one of us.” Cora said. “I think that was just....motivation.”

“Still, it was a terrible thing to say.” Twilight finished, crossing her hooves over her chest. The car dissolved into silence. Each pony was thinking their own thoughts. One by one, they dozed off. Finally, it was just Lightning and Phoenix awake.

“I am sorry you had to leave her behind.” Phoenix said.

“No need to say sorry.” Lightning responded. “You had to leave Celia as well.”

“Yeah. It just seems to be worse for you guys. We have been separated for a long time, so we know the feeling. For you guys...” His voice trailed off, but Lightning knew what he was talking about.

“How is it going with her?” Lightning asked. “Have a name for the filly yet?”

“Not yet. But Celia said she would think of one while we are gone.” He opened his mouth something else, but closed it. “Do you think all of us are going to come back?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, if what you said is true, then we are heading towards an army.” he said, turning to look at Lightning. “And I will assume that we will have to fight the Death Hunters. And if I have learned anything from the last eleven years, it is that ponies can bleed. So, do you think we will all come back?”

Lightning had no answer. He hadn’t really thought about it. But Phoenix was right, they would have to fight. And, if Luna was telling the truth about this, then they would be fighting a lot. Lightning had learned the same thing. Ponies die.

“I can’t say.” was the only answer he had. Phoenix nodded. “I think we should stop here for the night.” He pulled off the road, tires raising a cloud of dust.

“Should we wake them?” Lightning asked, pointing back at the others. Phoenix shook his head.

“Let them sleep. If they wake up, they can join us in setting up the camp.” Lightning smiled at this. He hopped out and followed Phoenix to the back of the Buggy. Pulling back the tarp exposed the supplies that had. Crates of food and water, enough for a week, and supplied for setting up a camp. Phoenix pulled out the tent as started to lay it flat on the ground. Lightning started to make the fire. Soon, the camp was set up.

Phoenix laid down next to the fire, staring up at the stars. Lightning sat down next to him. He was close enough to feel the weird heat coming off his body.

“It’s just like the first time, isn’t it?” Phoenix said, not looking away from the sky.

“First what?” Lightning asked.

“The first time we went somewhere. We were going to 118. And we didn’t know what was going to happen.”

Lightning laughed. It was true. But there was something Phoenix was leaving out. One of them had almost died.

“I will take the first watch.” Lightning said. Phoenix nodded, but did not close his eyes. He continued to look up at the stars. The moon, bigger than it ever had been, was reflected in his red irises. Finally, they closed.

Lightning watched the fire that night. He didn’t really feel like waking up Phoenix for his watch, so he stayed up all night. Slowly, the moon passed by over head. It seemed to pass slower than usual. But, finally, it sank below the opposite horizon.

The first to wake was Cora. She stepped out of the Buggy, quietly closing the door behind her. She stretched and walked over to Lightning. She smiled when she saw Phoenix.

“How lazy can you get?” she said. “How long has his leg been in the fire?”

“About an hour.” Lightning said, turning away from Phoenix. “I didn’t feel like getting up. So, anything new?”

“Nothing much. Just wondering what we have gotten ourselves into.” she said, looking out over the Wastes. They had slowly turned into plains, so Lightning knew they were getting close.

“A whole lot of shit.” Lightning answered, standing up. “I think we should get going.”

Cora nodded. “But first, I want to try something.” She quietly trotted over to Phoenix. She bent down and carefully lifted his other leg and placed it in the fire. Then she gently pulled him into the fire, until his head was in the middle of the flames. “I want to see his reaction.” she said, suppressing laughter. She nudged Phoenix’s hip. “Hey, wake up!”

His eyes opened and he blinked a couple times. Then he realized where he was. “The fuck!” he yelled, jumping straight to his hooves. She galloped a few steps away, checking over his arms and chest for burns. Slowly, he realized what was going on. “I really hate you guys.” he said, which was the breaking point. Lightning and Cora both fell to the ground laughing. He stared at them for a few moments, then began to laugh as well. The only sound they could hear was their laughter, something they had not heard in a long time.

It was good to be home.

Chapter XLIX: Plan of Insertion

The others, awoken by the sound of laughter, piled out of the car. They stretched and looked around. Cora and Lightning we just picking themselves off the ground, huge smiles on their faces. Nopony spoke for a few moments. Then Rainbow spoke up.

“Are we almost there? I hate sitting in that thing.”

Lightning nodded. “Another couple hours, I think. We should be there soon.”

Rainbow sighed. “Would anypony care if I flew? I need to stretch my wing.”

“No, Rainbow.” Rarity said. “If it will stop your complaining, then do it.” Rainbow smiled and jumped into the air, metal wing glinting in the sun.

“Shall we go then?” Twilight asked. “We should probably be early.” Rainbow laughed from above.

“Wow, really Twilight? We are heading off to a possible war, and you want to arrive ON TIME?! You never change.” Twilight blushed when she said this.

“Well, still....” her voice trailed off.

“I agree.” Lightning said. “We should probably get there soon. I really don’t want her to get angry at us.” The others nodded and headed back towards the Buggy. Lightning was just opening the door when a bright blue nimbus appeared next to him. Almost not even caring anymore, he bent down and picked up the letter it dropped.

Dear Lightning,

Wise choice. I am looking forward to seeing you again. We will have much to discuss.

Your queen,

Luna

Feeling slightly self conscious, he turned and looked over his shoulder. But all he could see were the ashes from the fire. He shook his head and got into the Buggy. Phoenix pulled out of their campsite and was at speed in a minute.

The plains passed by in a blur. Soon, small trees were popping up. Eventually, they were back in the forest, the plants pressing in on them. The others stared out the window, mesmerized by the life. And Lightning knew the feeling. Seeing real life for the first time in eleven years was an incredible feeling. A mountain was rising in front of them, and Lightning knew what was waiting for them. He leaned out the window and waved Rainbow down into the car. She dropped down and flew in, landing on Lightning’s lap. She cocked an eyebrow at him, and he shoved her off, laughing all the same. They rolled up the mountain, finally reaching the top. Then they dropped down, facing the valley.

An audible gasp filled the car. The Bastion rose from the trees proud and beautiful, just as it had before. But something has changed. No ponies trained in the field. In fact, no ponies walked on the streets. It seemed deserted. The Buggy rolled down the hill. Just as it reached the bottom, a loud siren sounded. Several ponies, all wearing the dark blue armor, appeared on the top of the wall. They dropped to the ground, wings spreading as they did. Phoenix pulled up just as they touched the ground. They got out and formed a line in front of the car.

“Welcome, Lightning Storm.” They said as one. One of the ponies walked up and removed his helmet, silver-white eyes shining.

“Good to see you again.” he said, face serious. The his face broke into a grin. Lightning smiled as well, embracing him. The others just stared at him.

“Oh, sorry.” Lightning said. “These are my friends.” He introduced them one by one. “Guys, this is Lunar Glow. He was the one that...umm...talked me into the Midnight army.” Lunar laughed at this.

“That is one way to put it.” he said, smiling. “Anyway, we have a lot to do, so we can talk later.” He started to walk towards the gate. “Follow me, please.” The gate opened, and they walked in.

Lightning turned, smiling at the others expressions. Had he looked like that the first time he had been here? He hoped not. Looking around, it turned out he was right. There were no ponies in the streets or in the shops. It was completely empty.

“Where is everypony?” Lightning asked.

“All civilians have been evacuated to a safe location.” Lunar answered. “As for the army, we have been moved to our camp more west of here. The other officers, I, and Queen Luna are the only ones that are left here.”

“Why the move?” Lightning asked. “Are you afraid they will attack here?”

“Yes.” was all that Lunar said. Silence fell as they walked through the empty streets. Finally, they reached the Temple. The stained glass throwing magnificent colors onto the ground. The normally bustling square stood empty. The Temple stood like an abandoned home.

“She is inside.” Lunar said, pointing. “Take the stairs to the left down. You will know when to stop.” he said, smirking. Lightning nodded and walked up the steps, followed by the others. But he was stopped by Lunar’s voice.

“Hey, where is your armor, Soldier?” he asked. “Are you going to disgrace us by not showing your pride?”

“Oh shit, sorry.” he said, turning to Twilight. “Can you get it for me? It is in the back in a black case.” She nodded, teleporting back. A moment later, she appeared holding his dark blue armor and a M4. She handed it to him, and he put on the armor and slung the M4 over his shoulder. Lunar nodded at him.

“Much better.” he said, smiling. “You can go now.” Lightning nodded and continued to walk up the stairs. He reached the top and looked around. What seemed to be a new set of stairs had appeared to the let of the doorway, and he followed them down. As he went, the air seemed to grow colder. Dark blue lights were embedded in the walls, casting an eerie glow on them. The stairs finally reached a stop, and they emerged into a large chamber.

It was almost two stories tall, with several columns supporting the roof. A large table rested in the center, ten chairs surrounding it. A soft carpet, emblazoned with Luna’s mark, sat beneath the table. But the most stunning feature of all, was the floating model of the moon and sun. The sun and moon intertwined, turning in a never ending dance. A blur of yellow and white light flowed over every corner of the room, illuminating everything.

Luna sat at the head of the table, a soft smile on her lips. She was cloaked in armor as black as night. The armor covered almost every inch of her body, from the tip of her horn to the bottom of her hooves. A lone, pure white moon shone from her chest plate. Her mane and tail, normally so beautiful and free, was tied back in a braid. Her face was the only thing that was exposed.

As one, they dropped down into a bow. Lightning heard the sound of a chair scraping stone, then heavy metal hoof falls coming towards him. He raised his head and looked into the aquamarine eyes of the queen.

“Lightning Storm.” she purred. “It is good to see you again.” she said, holding out her hoof. He took it and laid a small kiss on the tip of the hoof.

“As it is to see you, Luna.” he said, standing at his full height. “We have come, as you asked us to. What is it that you require of us?”

“Yes, of course. If you could, take a seat around the battlefield.” She said in a cocky tone of voice. She directed their attention to the table. Inlaid in the surface, was what seemed to be a map of the immediate area.

“‘The Battlefield’? Are you really planning for a war, Queen Luna?” Twilight said, scepticism and questioning emotions swept across her face.

“Yes, Twilight Sparkle. I may understand if doesn’t sound like the best option to you, but we don’t see any other logical option of ending this everlasting fight.” Luna said, loud and commanding, almost demanding to have all questions silenced.

“If you could all please, hold questions when they are appropriate and direct your attention to the western side of the ridge over here.” Luna commanded, this time giving more intimidation then in her previous words.

On the battle map, where Luna was pointing was a foresty area right next to a ridge. But in the center of the forest was a un-natural circle in the middle of the forest, supposedly meant to resemble it was pony-made. Soon as everypony pointed their attention towards her point, a small flash of light suprised the seven of them. When they regained attention, sitting where she was pointing was a glowing spectrum of Luna’s magic. It seemed to somewhat resemble a tall building, just barely peeking over the Ridge.

“I’m... Guessing that’s the Bastion?” Lightning inferred, looking back at Luna for confirmation, but who wasn’t paying much attention to his question.

“That, is the Bastion. Our sole sector in this, soon to be, war. Everything west of this ridge is our territory.” Luna said. Soon after, more flashes popped in between every few seconds. Every flash embedded more glowing spectrums of her magic. These looked more of a flag, waving on it was the moon, all sitting along the top side of the ridge.

“These are our watch towers. They, as you would guess, take anything that is suspected to be an enemy from the east, down with lead.” She smirked in a eerie voice, giving off strange, chilly, vibes through everyponies spine.

Luna began to move her hoof more towards the center of the board. Almost as if everypony was now used it, they weren’t at all shocked by the new sudden flash of light. This time, it looked more like a Bunker. Just like the one Lightning lived under. This one was caught right in the middle of something that could potentially turn into another nuclear fallout.

“Bunker 26, we are uncertain if they have gone under the influence of the Death Hunters just yet, our recon has yet to go this far out from the Bastion. This is why you are here, Lightning Storm.” Luna turned her gaze towards Lightning, whom held a serious emotion throughout the entire briefing, looked right back.

“We need you, Phoenix Fire, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Twilight Sparkle, all to scout out the eastern side of the ridge. We are almost completely blind beyond this line.” Again, a few feet away from the Bunker, which most have resembled miles, appeared a flash that showed a stretching line across the battlefield.

“Do you think you can flank the enemy lines and feed us intel?” Luna asked calmly, for once, actually waiting for a response.

Lightning peeled away from her strong gaze, and looked back towards Phoenix and the rest. Mouthing them a question that could change their fate; Yes, or No?

“Yes.” Phoenix, being the first to speak loud and clear, he pushed his chest high to show his pride. Leaving Lightning in a trance of both relief and confusion.

“Yes.” Rainbow Dash, the second. Impersonating Phoenix.

“Yes.” Even Twilight spoke and agreed.

“Yes.” Rarity, the last. He gaze was determined, and held a small amount of contempt. She had not forgotten what they had done to her.

Lightning, letting a small sigh, and gave his answer: “Yes. Queen Luna, we will help our best in the war.”

“It is settled then. Thank you, thank you all for giving your part in our aid to push against the relentless rebellion. Lunar Glow will return here shortly and will show you, your armor and weaponry. You will depart tomorrow night, at O-one-hundred hours. If you do not have any further questions: Dismissed.”

With that, all seven emerged from their seats and turned away from Luna. Lightning and Twilight turned a quick wave to say good bye, the others kept on their way. Leaving Luna in the debriefing room, alone.

Leaving behind the Temple, they continued to trace back their steps to the Buggy. Hopefully to again meet Lunar. As they did, Lunar sat up leaning against the Buggy with his helmet slung over his eyes, probably napping on the watch. But as they lost distance between each other, the seven’s hoofsteps on the pavement gave off a loud chatter that snapped Lunar from his quick power nap.

“Done so quick? I was expecting it to last longer than that. I suspect you agreed to aid us then?” The serious face he had before was slowly returning, overshadowing his baggy eyes. Lightning looked him up and down.

“Something the matter?” he asked, walking over to him. Lunar shook his head, but then nodded.

“I have gotten about ten hours of sleep over the past week. All of my attention has been focused on protecting Luna, and planning this war.” He took a small, shuffling step away from them. “I assume you wants you dressed in out colors?” They nodded. “Alright, follow me.” Lightning stepped in front of him.

“I know where to go. If you want to rest, I can take them.” Lunar looked at him for a moment, then smiled.

“Thanks. Just make sure the armor fits, and they are given the correct weapons.” He looked back at the Buggy. “Are those seats comfortable?” Phoenix nodded. “OK, see you in a couple hours.” He walked over, opened the door, and hopped in. Pulling the helmet down over his eyes, he was snoring before they were twenty feet away. Cora smirked at Lightning, and he returned a smile.

He led them down the empty streets. Somehow, he knew them like that back of his hoof. He didn’t know why. Maybe it was because it was the only place where he had felt at home. But he led them straight to the armory where he had gotten his own armor. The pony that had been there was absent, so Lightning walked them into the back room. Inside were rows of shelves, all covered in dark blue fabric. He rifled through them, pulling out tunics he believed were the right sizes and throwing them to the others. Finally, they were all clad in the same armor he was. Rarity let out a small groan.

“The color matching is terrible!” she said, picking at the fabric. “I would have gone with a soft yellow to combat the dark blues. Maybe a...” she stopped when she realized everypony was staring at her. “But, nevermind.” she said, blushing. Lightning looked around. A small door was set into the back wall. He walked over to it and pulled the handle. When he did, stark white lights blinked on.

Rows upon rows of weapons hung on the walls. Lightning felt his jaw drop as he walked forward, almost magnetized to the guns. He took a Mk18 and slung it over his shoulder. He pulled a Glock 18 down and tested its weight. It was heavy, but not too heavy. He handed it to Phoenix, who took it with glee. He looked and saw that Cora was carrying her MP5 around her shoulder. The others began to meander down the rows. Lightning pointed out weapons that would complement them.

Twilight packed an old M1911, as she wouldn’t be on the front lines as much. Rainbow picked a RH Kriss with a rectile Aimpoint along the attachment rail. She would need the sight, as she would be fighting from above. Sense she would be fighting from a far distance, Fluttershy picked a Equestrian M110 SASS, 7.62x51 millimeter in caliber. The bigger the bullet, the faster the death she presumed. Rarity choose a TMP small machine gun as she had the least experience. Lightning also had changed in thought of his weapon of choice; A standard RH Mk18 with a red dot rectile, fixed with both a flashlight and a laser target. Underneath the barrel of the gun was a grip for more balanced shooting and accuracy.

“Yo’ guys, don’t forget your suppressors. We’re not going out guns blazing or anything, this is Recon. Vigilant and silent.” Phoenix redirected them back to the accessories cases spread along the wall

Once they were all equipped, he led them outside. The sun was just starting to sink in the sky. He told them to go wait by the Buggy, as he needed to talk with Luna.

He entered the briefing room, finding Luna in the same spot as she had been before. She looked up when she heard his hoof falls. “Is there something I can help you with?” she asked, that steel edge still in her voice. Lightning nodded.

“I want to know what you hope to accomplish by bringing us into this.” he said, walking towards the opposite end of the table. Luna nodded, front hooves resting on her upper lip. It was a moment before she spoke.

“Do you want the truth, or the story that will make you sleep better tonight?”

“The truth.” he answered. Luna nodded again.

“There are two reasons.” she said, standing up and walking towards him. “One, you are an excellent fight, as are most of your friends. We could use you here, both for the war and for morale.” She laid her wing over his back and directed him towards the stairs. “Second. I assume you know that the others share the same power that your wife does?” He nodded. “Well, there is somepony that I wish to see. One that I have not been able to in eleven years.”

“Who is that?” Lightning asked. They had reached the stairs and here beginning to climb.

“My sister.” Luna answered after a pause. “By having them fight in a battle, with the possibility of death, I hope to bring my sister out of wherever she has been.”

“Why do you want to do that?” Luna looked at him as if he had grown a horn.

“The first step in putting Equestria back together again, is erasing our enemies from the world.” she said, a hard look in her eyes. “The second, is uniting us together again. My sister and I can bring peace back to this shattered world.” They had reached the top of the stairs. Light from the setting sun filled the Temple, creating the illusion that everything was coated in fire.

“Is that all you wanted?” Luna asked, turning to face him.

“One more thing.” he said. “You said, that if we didn’t join you, that one of our friends would perish. Was that a threat, or just something to spur us on.” Luna cocked her head, a small, seductive smile spread across her face.

“You will have to wait and see, Lightning Storm.” she said. The she turned and flew off towards her bedchamber, leaving Lightning filled with dread and, annoyingly, more questions. She shook his head and walked out into the evening.

Chapter L: Forgetting To Breathe

They slept near the Buggy that night. But Lightning couldn’t sleep. He just stared at the stars, watching the moon slowly travel across the sky. His back was facing the car, so all he heard were hoofsteps. He turned around, smiling as he saw Phoenix walk over and sit down.

“Can’t sleep either?” he asked. Lightning shook his head. “I can see why. Ever wonder why we are doing this?”

“I have since we set out yesterday.” he answered. “What if we don’t make it? What if we all die?”

“Then we all die. There is nothing we can do about it.” Phoenix said. Lightning sighed.

“I just wish we had some choice in this. Would you have thought that we would ever be doing this?”

Phoenix laughed. “Not a chance. I thought I would be living a normal ponies life. Well, as normal as it can be in an underground Bunker.”

Lightning nodded. “Any ideas about tomorrow?”

“I was thinking, the shortest way to a point is a straight line.” Phoenix said. “We should just point out selves at the Bunker and hoof it. I doubt we will have to do any fighting.”

“Yeah, that’s what I was thin--” His voice cut off. Phoenix just stared at him.

“What is it?”

“I thought I heard something.” he said, standing up. He pulled his Mk18 to his front, twitching at the trigger. He looked around, all the others were in the car, sleeping. The fire had died down, casting a circle of light three feet wide. Phoenix got to his hooves as well.

“I didn’t hear anything.” he said, walking to stand next to him. Lightning stood still for a moment, then shook his head.

“Yeah, maybe I heard something.” he said, walking back over to the fire. “Nerves probably.”

*****

Fluttershy opened her eyes slightly. She had been leaning against the window when she fell asleep. She looked out the window, seeing nothing but the black of night. She turned away, looking at the rest of the car. Rainbow and Twilight were curled up in the back seat, Rainbow snoring slightly. Cora was sitting next to Lunar, who was still asleep. Rarity was splayed out on a seat, her mouth curled into a frown Every now and then she would twitch and let out a small noise. She was having a nightmare.

Fluttershy got up and walked over to her. She gently stroked her mane, singing softly in her ear.

Just close your sleepy eyes

Lay down your tired head

Wait for the dawn to wake you

Let sleep take away your fears

All the monsters in your head

All the fears in your dreams

Let your love scare them away

And free you from their hold

Slowly, the frown faded, and the twitching stopped. Fluttershy smiled and walked back over to her seat. She laid her head against the window and closed her eyes. She wanted to get as much sleep as possible before tomorrow. A tapping noise made her open her eyes.

And look directly into the eyes of a zombie. She let out a sharp gasp and fell out of her chair, hitting her head on the floor of the car. She could feel blood on the back of her neck. She threw her eyes around, but none of the others had woken up. Inching towards the front of the car, she searched for a weapon. In the dark, her hoof found the handle of Twilight’s pistol.

She stood straight up and pointed the barrel at the window. The infected pony had started to scratch at the window, a low growl escaping its throat. Her hoof pulled down on the trigger. The pistol bucked back in her grip, its bullet flying towards the window. It pierced the glass, a spray of red obscuring her vision as it hit its target. The blast slowly echoed away, only to be replaced by screams from the other ponies.

Lightning and Phoenix rushed towards the Buggy, hearts pounding. They could see the others inside the car, panicking. They could see Fluttershy holding a gun. They ran to the other side, just to see a dark lump laying on the ground. Phoenix took a step forward, but Lightning held him back.

“Wait a minute.” He leveled his gun and put a few rounds into the lump. It didn’t make a noise or a sound. He nodded at Phoenix, then walked towards the pony. Cora bolted out of the Buggy, running towards them. “Do you think we could get some light?” Lightning asked. Cora nodded and closed her eyes. A second later, a bright white glow erupted from her horn, illuminating the area.

The zombie was lying on the ground, a small red pool starting to surround it. Lightning turned it over, the light playing off the blood. They could see, right between its eyes, a large, jagged hole. Phoenix whistled.

“Wow. Nice shot Fluttershy.” A moment after he said that, a soft thump came from the Buggy. Twilight rushed over, then stood up.

“She fainted. I think she might have a concussion.” She waved Cora over and together they carried Fluttershy out of the Buggy. But Lunar ran over to them.

“I think we should get inside. The smell is going to attract more of them.” The others nodded. Twilight and Cora carried Fluttershy inside, and Phoenix drove the car in. A couple of Lunar’s guard helped to shut the metal gate. It closed with a clang behind them.

Twilight and Cora were gently laying Fluttershy on the ground. “We have to get her awake.” Twilight said. “If we don’t, she could go into a coma.” Lunar walked over to them.

“Let me do it.” he said, brushing them aside. Cora looked irritated.

“We are both trained professionals! I thinks she needs a doctor, not a soldier!”

“And you don’t think a soldier knows how to deal with injuries?” he asked, his pure white eyes almost glowing. Cora stared back for a moment, then broke her gaze.

“Fine. But so help me, if you hurt her--”

“I will start flying away immediately.” he said, smirking. Cora took a deep breath, but stepped back. Lunar knelt down next to Fluttershy. Lightning hadn’t noticed it, but she wasn’t breathing. Had she hit her head on the second fall? Lunar started to flap his wings slightly, a cool breeze flowing over her form. Then he pressed his mouth against her, gently blowing into her lungs. He pulled away and pumped her chest a few times, expelling the air her had put in.

“You say she can go into a coma?” he asked, looking up at Twilight. She nodded. “How long would she have to be out for that to happen?”

“An hour maybe. It can happen faster than that though.”

Lunar breathed into fluttershy again. This time he was rewarded with a small exhale upon removing his mouth. Her chest slowly moved up and down. But her eyes were still closed.

“I think I can get her up.” he said, smiling. He reached back and pulled a feather out of his wing. He leaned over and tickled the bottom of her hoof. Fluttershy’s eyes flashed open, a loud giggle escaping her lips. But then she blushed and looked around.

“What happened?” she asked, looking at Twilight. “Did I pass out?”

Twilight nodded, smiling as well. She reached down and helped her to her hooves. “Good thing you are staying here tomorrow. “I want you to take it easy for a day or two.” Fluttershy nodded. Lunar stretched, walking away from them.

“I don’t know about you, but I am beat. See you tomorrow.” He took off and flew towards the Temple. Lightning shook his head as he watched him go. He turned back to the others, who were shaking off their scare.

The rest of the night passed without interruption. The moon slowly crossed the sky, and sank below the horizon. Then the sun followed. However it didn’t seem as spectacular as the moon had. It seemed to be wavering.

Lunar floated down to the ground, landing as softly as possible. After the zombie incident, they had decided to sleep in the car. All except Fluttershy, who was still awake. He winked at her as he went by. Then he walked to the side door and pulled it open. They were all asleep inside. Lunar began the delicate procedure of yelling them all awake.

“Up and at ‘em soldiers!” he yelled, causing several of them to fall out of their seats. “We have a big day ahead of us!” He proceeded to bang his hoof against the metal, shattering the morning silence. All the while, a sly smile was spread on his lips. When they were all awake, they slowly filed out of the Buggy.

“Was that really necessary?” Phoenix asked, yawning. Lunar walked over and put his hoof around his shoulders. He feigned thinking about the answer.

“No, but it was fun.” he said, smiling broadly. Lightning had never noticed it, but his incisors were pointed. More like a dragon’s than a ponies. “Anyway.” he said, dodging Phoenix’s hoof as it came towards his head. “You have a big day today, so I thought I would get you up bright and early to see you off!”

Lightning laughed at this. “How thoughtful!” he said, walking passed Lunar. “Thank you for thinking of us! And just what are we going to do again?”

“I think I will let the queen refresh your memory.” he said, turning and walking down the gravel street. Lightning and the others followed him. A few minutes later, they reached the Temple. Luna, he shadow falling over them as they walked closer, stood on the peak of the roof, her wings thrown wide. Her braid and come undone, and her mane and tail were being thrashed in the wind.

As one, they bowed. Lightning could hear the sound of something falling, then wings unfurling. The teeth-grinding sound of metal on rock heralded her approach. He looked up in time to see her stop in front of them.

“Warriors.” she said, her tone almost made of silk. “You have given so much to be here, and I thank you for that. But you will sacrifice more than that before all this is finished.” The last part caught them off guard. What did she mean?

“What is it that we must do?” Cora asked, standing up.

“You must go to the north, and decide if that Bunker is a threat, or a valuable commodity. After which, you will report back to me your findings. I will then see what action i must take.”

“Is that all you wish of us?” Phoenix asked, standing up as well.

“As of now, yes.” she said, looking him straight in the eyes. Lightning saw something reflected in them. Pride? He couldn’t tell. But he nodded along with the others. Luna reached back and pulled a few items out of her pack. Small, grey plastic headsets. She turned back around and handed them to the five that were leaving.

These will let you stay in touch up to a mile.” she said. “If you get separated, push a small button on the earpiece, and it will direct you to the nearest member.” When they had all put the headsets on, she smiled down at them. She produced one last thing. A small light grey box with a lens on the side. She handed it to Lightning.

“It is a camera. If you find their base, I want you to take as many pictures as possible. Understand?” He nodded.

“The perfect soldiers, wouldn’t you say?” she asked, turning to Lunar. He looked them over for a second, then burst out laughing. Luna just shook her head.

“Is there anything else you would like to say before I send you on your way?” Luna asked, pacing in front of them. Twilight stepped forward.

“What if this Bunker is under control of the Death Hunters?”

“Then get back here immediately and report your findings.” she said, eyes and voice filled with malice. “If it has fallen into Death Hunter hooves, we must destroy it.” Twilight nodded, not sure what to think. “Anything else?” Luna asked. They just shook their heads. She smiled again. “Alright. Good luck, my soldiers.” They bowed one last time, then turned and walked back to the car. Lunar was walking behind them.

They retrieved their weapons, then waited at the gate. The stallions pulled open the metal doors, and they walked out. All they could see was the forest that waited beyond. Lunar walked over and stood next to Lightning.

“You will be going that way.” he said, pointing north. “It should be a couple days journey. Air support will deliver food each night, but that is all we can do.” He held his hoof out, and Lightning took it in his own. “Don’t die on us.” he said, smiling. “You are a good fighter, and we need you.”

Lightning smiled back. “I will do my best.” he said, dropping Lunar’s hoof. “Watch out for Cora and Fluttershy, alright? I want to see them untouched the next time I am here.”

Lunar’s eyes widened. “Oh, right! I forgot to tell you! We plan on moving them to our base to the west. They will be there when you get back. I think Luna, me, and my platoon will be the only ones when you get back.”

“That would have been good to know.” Lightning said. “Alright. Just, see that they are safe.” Lunar nodded.

“I will do my damndest.” he said. “Good luck.”

“Same to you.” Lightning said. Lunar nodded, then walked back through the gates. They shut behind him with a clang that shook their bones. Lightning turned around to face the others, who each had varied stages of anxiety on their faces. He pulled his Mk18 around to his front, nodding at them.

“I think we should get going now.” he said, taking a few steps forward. The others followed, their steps slightly hesitant. Besides Phoenix and Rainbow, none of the others had much combat experience. This was going to be interesting.

***

Before long, they had entered the forest, and lost sight of the Bastion. The thick, lush trees and plants closed in on them, shutting off most of the light from the sun. Their hoof falls, normally so loud against the quiet of the Wastes, we muffled by the soft, wet earth. Small scurrying sounds occasionally broke through the silence, scaring them all. One time, Phoenix lost his nerve, shooting into the brush. A search revealed a deer, shot multiple times, dead on the forest floor.

“Let’s not tell Fluttershy.” Rainbow said. Twilight nodded in agreement. They continued in silence after that, only the wind and animals making noise. The sun slowly set in the sky, and they could feel their stomachs growing empty. By the time the sun had completely set, they were starving. They found the softest patch of earth, and laid down. Lightning had just closed his eyes, when the sound on wings made him open them again.

Floating to the ground in front of them, were three pegasi. Each was dressed in the Midnight army’s blue tunic. They landed almost soundlessly. One stepped forward, looking down at Lightning. Lightning stood up, saluting as he did. The pegasi nodded and reached into his pack. The other two did the same. They produced two metal containers a piece, laying them on the ground in front of them. They nodded again, and then took off, leaving Lightning and the others to stare after them.

Phoenix walked over to the containers, lifting one open. Inside sat three small, plastic wrapped bars, and a canteen of water. He pulled out one of the bars and unwrapped the silver plastic. He sniffed then, then ripped off a bite.

“How is it?” Lightning asked.

“Not bad.” Phoenix said, talking around the food. “Could use some salt, but it’s alright.” He tossed the others a couple bars and then pulled out the canteen. The others dug in, actually enjoying themselves. All except Twilight. She was looking curiously at the six containers.

Why aren’t you eating, darling?” Rarity asked, waving a bar at her. “You have to be starving.”

“I am.” she said. “It’s just...there are five of us, and six packs of food. Does anypony else think that is a little weird?”

“Not really.” Rainbow said, opening the sixth container. “Just more for us.” She was just about to grab a bar, when Twilight slapped her hoof away. “What they hay, Twilight?”

“I think we should just leave that alone for now.” she said, pulling it away from the group. Rainbow stared after her, shaking her head.

“Whatever.” she said, jumping into the air. “I am going to fly around for a couple minutes. Don’t wait up!” Then she flew away, the sound of her metal wing fading into nothing.

One by one, the others fell asleep. Finally, it was just Lightning and Rarity awake.

“Still can’t sleep?” he asked. She shook her head.

“I can. I have gotten better in the past couple weeks.” she said, looking up at the stars that were peeking through the leaves. “I just....I just want to stay awake tonight. Something, I don’t know what, is making me want to just go by myself. Go find their base and destroy it.”

“I know what you are feeling, but revenge like that is just going to get you killed.” Lightning said. “You are better off leaving the fighting to the army.”

“I guess you are right.” she said, tearing her gaze away from the sky. “I just--”

“GUYS!!” a loud, panicked voice broke into her conversation.

“What was that?!” Rarity asked, standing up. A second later, a blue and rainbow blur crashed into her, knocking her to the ground. Rainbow jumped off of her, not even apologizing.

“Guys! You have to see this!” she practically screamed. By this time, the others were already awake.

“What is it?!” Twilight asked.

“It’s...you have to see it.” Rainbow said. She jumped into the air and grabbed Lightning under the front legs. Before he could protest, she picked him up off the ground.

“Hey! What are you doing?!”

“Taking you to see it.” she said. “Be back in a few!” Then they flew off into the sky. Lightning could see the campsite shrink behind him. They flew straight up into the sky, then turned and flew farther north.

“Where are we going?” Lightning asked

“You will see!” she replied. “And you weigh more then the last time I picked you up! Seriously, rocks?” Lightning just laughed. They flew in silence for a few minutes. Trees passed under them. Occasionally, some feature would stand out. A clearing, a pond, river. Landmarks that looked so unnatural to the Wastes, seemed to fit this place. The silence was finally broken when Rainbow cleared her throat and pointed. Lightning looked at the exact point, and felt his heart drop.

A soft glow had appeared on the horizon, growing as they flew closer. Slowly, buildings and towers came into view. Large, metal gates formed out of the blur of shapes. Rainbow dropped them down closer to the trees, until Lightning’s hooves were barely brushing the top leaves. Finally, maybe a mile from the buildings, she dropped him down onto the tallest branch of a tree.

It was now as clear as day. Patchwork, metal fences ringed the entire structure. Watchtowers and guard towers were placed every so often. Guards themselves patrolled the outside of the fence, black cloaks swishing behind them. Giant searchlights pointed towards the sky, looking for Celestia knows what. A giant building, made of the same patchwork metal, sat in the center of the ring. More patrols, maybe twice as many, walked along the outside of it.

Lightning’s breath had caught in his throat. But he was able to breath two words.

“Death Hunters.”

Rainbow nodded. “I think we might have found their base.”

“But...but..” Lightning stuttered. “It’s right here! Why didn’t Luna do anything about it?!” Then he remembered what Luna had asked of him. He pulled the camera out and began to take pictures of the base. He was caught off guard by a small burst of static in his ear. Twilight’s annoyed voice came through the speaker.

“I swear, if you don’t tell me what is going on, I will teleport you back here right now.”

Lightning smiled at Rainbow, who had overheard her voice. “We found the headquarters of the Death Hunters.” A brief pause met his statement.

“Are you sure?” Twilight asked slowly. Lightning nodded, then remembered that she couldn’t see him.

“Yeah, pretty damn sure.” he said. “But that means, if we are this close to this, then the Bunker shouldn’t be far off.”

“Alright. I want you guys back here. We don’t need you getting hurt or blowing our cover.”

“Roger that!” Lightning said, then cut her off. “She wants us back.” he said to Rainbow, who shook her head.

“I have been waiting for so long for her to stop being so uptight and bossy.” she smiled. “Guess I will just have to wait longer!” She flew over and picked Lightning back up, carrying him away from the base.

“Do you think we will have to go in there?” Rainbow asked a couple minutes later. Lightning shook his head.

“I really hope not. But if we do, we better have the army.” Rainbow nodded, and they dropped into silence for the rest of the flight. The campsite finally came into view, and Rainbow dropped down, letting Lightning fall the last three feet. He gave her an annoyed look, but she just stuck her tongue out. The others were waiting for them to return.

“So, what did you see?” Rarity asked when he had finished brushing himself off.

“Well.” he started. “A huge shit-storm that we are probably going to have to wade through.”

“We have had worse odds.” Phoenix said, walking up next to him. “We will pull it off like we always do!”

“I don’t know, this one seems pretty tough. I think we should set out at dawn tomorrow.” Lightning said, walking over to his specific spot. “We should spend as little time as possible out here.” The others agreed, and one by one, they fell asleep. Lightning’s eyes finally closed, thinking about the Death Hunters the whole time.

*****

He opened his aching eyes to nothing but black. He lifted his head off his chest, head and neck burning with pain. Groaning, he tried to move his legs, but found that he couldn’t. Confused, he looked and saw that they were chained down. Thick leather strap attached to metal chains held him to...something. Looking as far over his shoulder as possible, letting out a scream of pain as he did, he saw that he was strapped to a large wood table.

He tried to looking into the black, his eyes slowly adjusting. Shaped loomed out of the darkness. More tables? And what was on top of them? He blinked a couple times, trying to speed up the adjustments. When he opened them again, he felt his heart leave him.

The other four were strapped to tables. And they were most certainly dead. Blood stains covered their normally once bright fur. Faces were screwed up in the pain that they had felt before their deaths. Rivers through the dirt on their faces showed the tears they had cried. Cora was on the table closest to him, and he could only stare at her blood stained body.

The chest, from the neck down to her pelvis, he been cut open. The rib cage had been broken open. And it seemed like all the organs had been pulled out. Rivulets of blood had fallen down her white fur. Died tears streaked her face. And it looked like she was reaching out to try to touch him.

He tore his gaze away, unable to take it anymore. Minutes passed, with nothing happening. But, finally, heard a door open. Hooves were coming closer, until he was looking up at the face of a Death Hunter. It looked him up and down, a grizzly smile spreading across its face. It reached back, pulling out a long, wickedly curved blade. It positioned the tip right over Lightning’s sternum. And with one final look at him, brought it down.

*****

He woke, clutching at his chest. He bolted straight off the ground, panicked breaths escaping him. He threw his eyes around the camp. Everyone was still asleep, and safe. He took a few deep breaths, silently cursing his dreams. But he did do one thing. He walked over to Cora, who was sleeping farthest from him. She was sleeping on her back, front legs pulled close to her chest. He let out a small sigh.

He decided it was probably a good thing to get everything ready before they woke up. He packed the left over food and water into their packs. He put the one container, the one that Twilight had pulled away, in with the others. He didn’t know why, but he felt like she was right. They should probably save it.

By the time he was done, the others had woken up. They didn’t seem to be any worse for wear, unlike him. As soon as Rarity, who was the last one, woke up, they set off again. The sun was still blocked by the trees, and they walked in the shade.

The others struck up a conversation. It was mostly about their lives before. Twilight, Rainbow, and Rarity told stories about their time in Ponyville. Phoenix talked a little about where he grew up, San Foalsisco. But Lightning was unable to say anything about his past. He had never thought about it much, be he began to wonder. What was he missing? What life had he lived before? Maybe he had a family? Maybe a wife and children? He had so many questions, but no answers. Rarity broke into his thoughts.

“Hey, what’s that?” she said, pointing ahead of them. They had been walking for most of the morning, and the sun was almost right above them. Lightning could see light hitting the ground ahead of them. It looked like a clearing. He galloped forward, breaking through the last line of leaves and foliage.

A clearing. A circle maybe thirty feet across met his eyes. In the center sat a familiar sight. A Bunker, seemingly untouched, waited there for them. And sitting next to the door, eyes downcast, sat a pony. She looked up and saw him, eyes widening. Her pink mane hung down by her shoulders, and her soft blue eyes had no life in them.

The others crashed through the trees, trotting to stand next to him.

“Don’t do that Lightning!” Twilight scolded. “There could have been a trap or...” Her voice trailed off when she saw the pony sitting there. The pink mare saw them, and her eyes grew even wider. She stood up, walking a couple steps forward. But she stopped and shook her head, blinking several times. Twilight, Rainbow, and Rarity took a few steps forward as well. Lightning and Phoenix watched them go, not sure what to think.

The four ponies stared at each other, not saying anything. But finally, the pink mare opened her mouth.

“Is it really you?”

Chapter LI: Her World is Black

The silence was deafening. The four ponies stared at each other across the field, none of them moving. The wind ripped at the strands of the mare’s mane, pulling it across her face. She didn’t even seem to register it, just brushing them out of the way. She visible swallowed a couple times, then took another step forward.

“Is it really you?!” she asked again, her voice slightly panicked. That was the breaking point. Almost as if somepony had fired a gun, the three friends rushed forward, tackling the pink mare. The four embraced, letting out laughs and squeals of happiness, and in Rarity’s case, tears of joy. Finally, the laughs subsided, and they broke apart.

“It really is you guys!” the pink mare said. “I can’t believe this!” The life had returned to her eyes, and he coat and hair had turned a brilliant, fluffy, pink. Something about her tugged at memory in Lightning’s mind, but he just couldn’t place it.

“Umm, Twilight?” he said, pulling her over to him. “Who is this?”

“This is my friend Pinkie Pie!” she said, a smile from ear to ear. “She was one of my friends from Ponyville!” She turned back to the others. Phoenix walked over to stand next to Lightning.

“Mares” he said simply. Lightning nodded.

I can’t believe it’s you!” Rarity said, hugging Pinkie. “How long has it been?”

“Eleven years.” said Pinkie, her eyes dropping. “The worst eleven years of my life.” She seemed to lose any sort of energy, falling on her haunches. Her hair blew out, falling around her shoulders in a lifeless bunch. Twilight, Rainbow, and Rarity rushed over to her, while Lightning and Phoenix hung back, watching the whole scene.

“Everything that made my life worth living, back in Ponyville, I can’t do here.” she said, wiping her nose on her arm. “I can’t throw parties, I can’t make cupcakes or any sort of treat. I only had one friend, Silver Tooth. And he...he..” her voice trailed off. She pointed to the side of the clearing. None of them had noticed before, but lining the side of the clearing were small crosses, each no more than a foot tall. One looked fairly new, with flowers covering the ground near it. “That’s him.” she squeaked, large tears falling from her eyes. While the others comforted her, Lightning and Phoenix walked over to the cross.

Engraved on it, along with his name, was a pair of dates, and two letters. D.H.

“What do you suppose that means?” Phoenix asked. Lightning felt his heart sink. He bowed his head and waited a moment before he spoke.

“Death Hunters.” he said firmly. Phoenix nodded.

“Poor bastard.” he said, touching the cross. His eyes worked his way down the line of crosses. “Shit, look at these. D.H., D.H., D.H.... How close to that base are we?” he said, looking around. As soon as he said something, Lightning felt a tingle run down his neck. He felt like he was being watched, a thousand eyes peering through the brush at them. His hoof twitched towards his gun, but he pulled it away. He was being stupid.

“So who are they?” he heard Pinkie sniff quietly. Twilight trotted over and pulled Phoenix and him over to them.

“This is Lightning Storm and Phoenix Fire.” she said, pointing at each of them in turn. “They are friends from our Bunker.” She winked at Lightning. “And Lightning, is AJ’s husband.”

Pinkie’s eyes opened as wide as possible. She jumped straight to her hooves, her color returning. “I missed it!?” she yelled. “How long ago? Where was it? What food did you have?” she asked, running back and forth between them. Finally, she stopped, panting slightly. She turned to Lightning.

“Well, it’s good to meet you.” she said, sticking out her hoof. Lightning smiled and shook it. She looked down at the emblem on his armor, then at the others. “Ummm...What are you wearing?” Lightning heard Phoenix laugh from behind him.

“It’s complicated.” he said, walking over to her. “Basically, we have been enlisted, against our better judgement, into an army.”

“And why is that?” Pinkie asked, looking back to Twilight.

“The reason, is to destroy the Death Hunters.” Twilight said. “And, conveniently, Phoenix left out the most important part. We are under the orders of Princess Luna.”

“If it was possible, Pinkie’s eyes widened even further. “Luna!? Are you kidding? I can’t believe this.”

“Well, it’s true.” Rarity said, walking over to her. “And, now that we see that this Bunker is safe, at least for now, I think we should head back.” That last part was addressed to Lightning.

He nodded. “Yeah, we probably should. It will probably be another day back.”

“Take me with you!” Pinkie almost screamed. “I have nothing here. Please, take me with you.” Her face took on a more serious expression. “If you are fighting them, then I want to fight with you.” Lightning smiled at her.

“I wouldn’t think of leaving you.” he said. “If you have anything in the Bunker, get it now. It is probably not safe for us to stay in one place for very long.” Pinkie nodded, rushing back over to the Bunker.

“Be back in a minute!” she yelled over her shoulder, then disappeared through the door. Twilight, Rainbow, and Rarity instantly crowded around each other.

“I can’t believe we found her!” Rarity said, hopping up and down. “It has been so long since we saw her!”

“Too long.” Twilight agreed. “I am just glad she is OK.” Her eyes drifted towards the row of crosses. “Aren’t you glad we saved that ration, Rainbow?” she said sarcastically.

“Shut up.” was Rainbow’s only reply.

“Just hope she will be able to make the trip.” Twilight said. “She looks a little--” Her voice broke off suddenly. Lightning heard, his neck swiveling around to face her.

“What is it?” he asked, adrenaline kicking into his veins. She waved him away, placing a hoof on her lips at the same time. She stood completely still, ears turning from one direction to the other. Then Lightning heard it too. The complete silence. Not a minute ago, birds had been chirping in the trees. Now, nothing.

Twilight took a step in one direction, then another. Finally, she smiled slightly, her eyes closing. Her horn started to glow, the air around it shimmering. A bulb of light grew from the end, growing until it was a half foot in diameter. Then, with a small twitch of her back leg, she released it. The ball of magic flew into the trees, lighting them up as it flew. Three seconds later, a burst of purple color filled the clearing and forest, bursting through the tops of the trees. The air around Lightning’s ear pressed it, making him feel slightly seasick.

When the light cleared, Twilight started walking towards the trees. Lightning galloped over to her.

“What the hell was that?!”

“A concussion spell. Causes any pony in the near vicinity to fall unconscious from the force of the blast.”

“And why did you do that?”

“I thought I heard something.” she said simply. They reached the treeline, and she started to pick her way through the underbrush. Everything Lightning touched tingled, as whatever magic was leftover slowly left the area. Turning, Lightning could see the others had walked over to the edge of the trees, watching them. A couple minutes of searching produced something that made Twilight gasp when she found it.

Laying in the plants, blade drawn, was a Death Hunter. It’s eyes were tightly shut, and his hooves were near his head, almost as if he had been covering his ears. Lightning nudged it with his hoof, and it didn’t move. A small trickle of blood was falling from its ears.

“Do you think it’s dead?” he asked Twilight.

“Well, I did ramp up the spell a little.” she said, biting her bottom lip. “Just to be safe. But...it might have been enough to kill...” Her voice trailed off.

“Well, if he is, that saves us the trouble.” he said, leaning down to feel for a heartbeat. He found none. Standing up, he turned to face the others. But Twilight didn’t move. She said something under her breath, but Lightning couldn’t hear her.

“What?”

“‘If you do not join us, one of your friends will perish.’” she said, turning to face him, eyes wide. “That was in Luna’s letter. If we hadn’t been here, he would have killed Pinkie!”

“You don’t know that.” Lightning said. “He could have just been a scout or something.” But Twilight just shook her head, walking away from him.

“She knew. Somehow, she knew.” was all she said. Lightning watched her go, then trotted towards the others as well. Twilight told the others that the Hunter was dead. They didn’t seem to notice what Twilight had. They were only glad that none of them had gotten hurt. They were still talking when Pinkie returned.

She had on a pair of saddlebags, buckles in the shape of her Cutie Mark. A happy smile was spread across her face. She cantered up to them, jumping around when she reached them.

“Can we go now?” she asked, jumping around Phoenix, who only stared at her. Lightning nodded, but had a sudden idea.

“Luna knows where we are, and what we are doing, right?” he said, looking at Twilight. She nodded. “Then I bet she can hear this.” He looked up at the sky. The sun was just falling to the west. “Are you going to make us walk all that way?!” he said to the sky. The others just stared at him. “Mind giving us a little help?”

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, a small tingle ran through Lightning hooves. He looked at the others, and they were slowly being enveloped in a dark blue halo. He felt the feeling of weightlessness reach his chest, then the world disappeared. Lightning could see nothing but pure, fixed, blank scapes going for miles. The next second, the gravel roads of the Bastion slammed into view. He slipped to the side, landing on his haunches. his head ached and stars flew into his vision. When they cleared, he looked up into the smiling face of Queen luna.

“You could have given me a little warning.” she said, smiling. She was still wearing her pitch black armor, but her mane was down, waving in a non-existent breeze. She smiled at each of them, then walked over to Pinkie. Pinkie dropped down into bow, but Luna just tapped her shoulder.

“That can wait. We have much to discuss right now.” She motioned them to follow her, then walked over to the Temple. Pinkie could only stare around at the buildings. her eyes were as wide as plates. Lightning smiled, knowing he had looked like that the first time he had been there.

Luna led them down to the room he had been in before. Lunar was waiting patiently next to Luna’s chair. He nodded when Lightning walked in, but that was all. To his word, Fluttershy and Cora were not there. they detached from Luna and stood at one end of the table, while the Queen walked to the other. Lunar pulled the chair out for her as she came near. She sat down, placing the tips of her hooves on her upper lip.

“I am glad you returned.” she said, after a pause. “And I am glad that your friend did not die.”

“So you did know about that Death Hunter!” Twilight yelled. Luna nodded.

“I did. And I used that to get you to come out here.” she said, placing her hooves on the table. “I apologize for using you like that, Miss. Pie. But it was the only way to get your friends out here.”

“It-t-t’s OK.” she said in a shaky voice.

“Now, for the reason you were sent.” she said, looking straight at Lightning. “What did you find?”

“We found the Bunker, like you asked. It is of no threat to you.” he reported. “We also found their base.” he said, pulling the small camera out of his bag. He slid it down the table towards her, and she picked it up in her hooves. Her horn started glowing, and a puff of smoke rose from the camera. Within the smoke, pictures formed. Lightning realized they were the pictures of the base. Luna watched them keenly as they flashed before her. Finally, the smoke dissipated, and she turned back to Lightning.

“Anything else?” she asked. He shook his head.

“That was all.” Luna stood up and started to pace around the chair. Sharp clangs rang out with each step she took. She began to mutter to herself. A few moments later, she stopped and faced them.

“I have made a decision. And I don’t think you are going to like it.” She took a deep breath. “If that Bunker is as close to the base as you say, then it poses a threat, whether friendly or not. And that leaves me with no choice.” She looked them over one by one. Finally stopping on Lightning again.

“I will have to destroy the Bunker.”

Chapter LII: A Thought Never Dreamed

Chapter LII: A Thought Never Dreamed

“WHAT?!”

“You heard me.” Luna said calmly. “I can’t risk that Bunker falling into enemy hooves. Therefore, it must be destroyed.”

“But..but.. that’s BARBARIC!” Twilight yelled. “How can you possibly do that?”

“It’s very simple really.” Luna said, turning her back to them. “A simple excitation in the nuclear reactor. It will be quick and painless. A better death that our enemies can promise.”

“There has to be another way!” Lightning yelled. “You could evacuate them or--”

“No. This is the safest and most effective way to rid ourselves of this problem.” Luna said, still not facing them.

“But...but..”

“I have made my decision, Lightning Storm. I think you better stop before I make a decision about you.” Lunar was shaking his head furiously, mouthing “Don’t do it.” Lightning turned back to the others, disgusted. They wore similar expressions of fear and surprise. But Pinkie’s was the worst. Tears were welling up in her eyes, her lower lip trembling. She did not what to see her home for eleven years disappear in a flash and a mushroom cloud. Lightning felt a small spark in his chest. He turned back to Luna.

“No.” He said loudly. Lunar face-hoofed, while Luna tensed up slightly.

“What did you say?” she asked, voice as hard and cold as her metal armor.

“I said, no.” Lightning said, voice quiet. “I was abducted into this army. I was prepared to live my life here if I couldn’t escape. I helped you carry out the task you had been waiting to complete for over a decade. I stood up for you, when all of my friends wanted to desert you. I responded to your every beck and call for as long as I have known you. I have sworn complete loyalty to you. And you still won’t HEAR ME!” He slammed his hoof against the table. The small blue flags flickered, then faded out of existence. Utter silence fell on the crowd.

Slowly, Luna turned to stare at him. She walked towards him, metal scraping on stone the only sound. Lightning felt the others back away slightly, giving them some room. She reached him, towering over him. Ice cold eyes stared down, absorbing any form of heat from his soul.

“What did you say?” she said, voice as cold as her eyes. It was warning him that he was right on the edge.

“Evacuate them.” Lightning said, not backing down. “Do that, or we will leave.”

“Is that a threat, Lightning Storm?”

“It might be. If you do this, then you are no better than who you are fighting.” he said, taking a step forward. “You have no idea what you could gain by evacuating them. How many ponies do you think are in there. A thousand? Two? How many would stay at your side when they see who saved them? Evacuate them, and gain prestige and warriors, or destroy them and lose us. Your choice.”

Silence met this statement. Lightning looked past Luna. Lunar was standing, his mouth hanging open. He closed it and shook his head. He made a series of motion that Lightning took as, “If you survive this, I am buying you a drink.” He turned his eyes back to Luna.

An obvious battle was waging in her mind. Conflicting expressions of anger, pride, and fear crossed her face. Her mouth opened and closed several times, but no sound came out. Lightning was afraid he would just be blown into dust just to end this fight. But she took a different route.

She let out a long, slow breath, closing her eyes. When she opened them, they were focused and sharp once more.

“Leave me.” she said, quietly. “I need to think about this.” Lightning nodded, backing away slowly. The others followed him, as did Lunar. They all climbed the stairs first. Lightning was the last to leave, turning back to look at the princess.

She was sitting on her chair. Her rested her head on one hoof, staring at the table. The floating sun and moon threw bands of yellow and white over her. Her horn was glowing, and several spots on the field were glowing. As he watched, a small nuclear cloud erupted from the spot where the Bunker was above. But as it dissipated, a floating insignia rose above it. Her insignia. But she just shook her head, letting her head sink into her forelegs. Lightning had never seen anything like it. He turned and climbed the stairs, leaving the troubled Alicorn in peace.

When he reached the top of the stairs, Lunar and the rest were waiting for him. The setting sun cast long, dark shadows behind them. Rainbows of colors shone through the windows, turning the floor into a painting. They were still wearing the expressions of fear, but they were mixed with hope. Lunar walked over and smacked Lightning on the back.

“I have never seen anything like that before!” he said, smiling at him. “I can’t believe she didn’t just kill you!”

“That was very foolish, Lightning.” Twilight said, shoving Lunar aside. “You could have gotten killed! What would Applejack had done then? What would we have done then?”

“I would prefer not to think about it.” Lightning said, walking past her. “I just want to sleep, if that’s OK with you guys.” He turned back to Lunar. “I REALLY don’t want to share a room with Luna. Can I stay somewhere else?”

“Sure! You guys can have the officers quarters!” he said, directing them outside. “Don’t think they will mind, as they are all away.”

“That would be awesome!” Rainbow said, flying above them. “Do they have cloud beds? I am SO tired of those regular beds. How can you guys sleep on those?”

“We get by, Rainbow.” Rarity said.

“No, none of them have clouds.” Lunar said. Rainbow’s smile dropped. “But if you would like..” he grinned at her. He spread his wings and took off into the sky. They watched him fly towards a large cloud, slowly cutting off a small section. A moment later, he returned, pulling a small cloud behind him.

“Here you go!” he said, propping it next to her. Her face lit up as he dropped to the ground. “Should work for a couple days. Just hope it doesn’t rain in the house. They would get really pissed.”

“Oh, thank you!” Rainbow said, dropping down onto the cloud. “Where are the houses?”

“Down this road and to the le--.” Rainbow dashed off before he could finish his sentence. Lunar just smiled. “That should hold her for a while. If you guys want to go pick a house, you can go ahead. Lightning and I have something to discuss.”

The others nodded and said good night, then headed off the way Rainbow had flown. When they were gone, Lunar turned back to Lightning.

“I said If you survived, I would buy you a drink.” he said, smiling. He took Lightning by the shoulder and directed him to a low building. The inside was dimly lit, and a large table rested to one side. Smaller tables lined the sides, and several racks with bottles rested behind the bar. Lightning felt his jaw drop.

“Why, in the hell, didn’t you show this to me when I was here the first time!?”

“Didn’t cross my mind.” Lunar said, laughing. He jumped and flew to the bar, leaning against the table with a rag in his hand. “So, what will it be mister.” They kept straight faces for three seconds, then they both laughed. Lightning walked over and sat down on one of the stools.

“Been so long since I had any. Give me something strong.” Lightning said, as serious as possible. Lunar nodded.

“I know just the thing.” he turned and looked over the rows of bottles. His eyes landed on a pitch black bottle. He took it down from the shelf, at the same time pulling a shot glass out from under the bar.

“This should knock you out.” he said, uncorking the bottle with his teeth. He tipped it over and poured a small amount into the glass. It was deep red, slightly transparent, and very pungent. Lightning had to sit back as the smell his his nose. Silvery smoke rose from it, curling into odd shapes at it rose. Lightning looked from the glass to Lunar several times.

“Trying to poison me?” he asked, a slight smile at the corners of his mouth. “You think this’ll kill my past? I could use that.” Lunar just looked at him, no emotion on his face.

“Try it and find out.” he dared. Lightning licked his lips, raising the glass to his mouth. He silently counted down from three, then swallowed the liquid. Almost immediately, he regretted it.

His throat felt like it was on fire. His tongue felt like it was melting in his mouth. As it fell down his throat, the feeling spread like wildfire, engulfing his whole chest. As it struck his stomach, the fire spread across his whole body. But soon, the fire died, leaving in its place, a tingling coolness. The coolness soothed whatever had been singed by the fire. Finally, the cold warmed, leaving him wanting more.

*****

He looked up at Lunar from the ground. eyes half closed. He guessed he had passed out for a few minutes and had fallen off the stool. He stood up slowly, trying not to blush under Lunar’s gaze. “W..what the hell was that?” he asked, coughing. Lunar laughed out loud, pouring another glassful.

“That, was the best unicorn enhanced whiskey in all of Equestria! A triple fire spell, combined with a double ice spell, and with a small spice spell thrown in, just for that extra kick!.” He drank the glass that he poured, shivering as he did. “Takes a while to get used to.”

“So what did you want to talk to me about?” Lightning asked, clearing his throat.

“I just wanted to say, that I am amazed by what you did.” he said, pouring another shot. “It takes nuts of steel to stand up to Luna like that, especially now. Believe me, even I wouldn’t have done that.”

“Well, what would you have done?” Lightning asked, picking up the glass. “Just let them die?” He tilted his head back and downed the shot. Once again, the fire and ice raged through him, but he managed to stay seated this time. Lunar nodded.

“I trust her completely, and I can see where she is coming from. If we evacuate them, that leaves us open to attack, many times over. It puts us and them at risk. But..” He poured a shot and drank it, blinking several times.

“But, what?” Lightning urged him.

“I can see where you are coming from as well. Many of them might join us, add to the group. And having you seven here is great for morale and for actual fighting. Having a couple medics is great too, especially Cora.”

“Just to let you know, I wasn’t going to leave.” Lightning said, smiling. “I knew I could change her mind, so I just bluffed.” Lunar stared at him for several seconds before he said anything. Then he just laughed.

“You...you bluffed the princess of the moon and queen of our army?! You, good stallion, do have nuts of steel!” He poured another shot, and that was as much as Lightning could remember.

*****

Sun blared through the open curtains, slowly sliding across the floor. The beam fell across Lightning face, who turned over, trying to escape it.

“Applejack...” he mumbled. “Could you turn off the light?!” When nothing happened, he opened eyes. Pain shot from his retinas to his brain. He shut them instantly. Instead, he slowly climbed out of the bed, front hooves on his head.

“What happened?” he groaned. His head ached and his eyes burned. Even his nose tingled slightly.

“About fourteen shots of unicorn enhanced whiskey.” a voice said. Lightning jumped, falling off the bed. His head burst into pain, and he let out a very embarrassing whimper. He opened one eye a tiny amount to see Lunar leaning in the doorway, smiling. He was twirling a pair of sunglasses in his hooves.

“How many!?” Lightning asked, sitting up. Lunar sighed and walked over.

“Fourteen. Give or take three.” he said, still smiling. “I think you will need these.” he said, tossing the glasses into Lightning’s lap. “Got a big day ahead, can’t have you walking around with your eyes shut, can we?”

“What are we doing?” he asked, standing up slowly. “And, how did I get here?”

“Well, I guess I should answer the second one first.” he said, looking out the window. “I carried you here after you fell out of your chair, snoring. And, but the way, you weigh like a thousand pounds. What is in that Bunker food?”

“You aren’t the first pony to ask.” he said, smiling. “And what about the first question?” Lunar smiled mischievously.

“I guess your bluffing worked, ‘cause Luna said yes.”

“Yes to what?” He really didn’t want to think right now.

“Yes to evacuation. Did you really drink that much?” Lunar asked, leaning against the doorframe again. He started to tap his back hoof, as he always did when he was standing still. He pushed his light blue mane away from his face. Even though all the other soldiers had theirs cut short, his was still long. “She decided that you were right, and wants to proceed immediately.”

“Really?” Lightning asked, completely taken aback. He didn’t think she would actually change her mind. “And she wants to do it now? Like right now?”

Lunar nodded. “So if I were you, I would fix that mane, and get your flank to the Temple.” He walked over and opened the window. Morning light filled the room, making Lightning yelp and cover his eyes. Lunar hopped out and floated in midair, smirking at Lightning. “I would also put those glasses on.” he said, winking. Lightning rolled his eyes, reaching down and putting the glasses on. When he looked back up, Lunar was just a small speck in the distance.

Lightning looked around the room. He was on the second or third floor, as a flight of stairs ended in the corner of the room. Painting of a past Equestria, one he could not remember, hung on the walls. The bedspread was midnight blue, with pillows that were pure white. The whole room smelled of fresh pine. His armor was hanging off the side of the bed. He hadn’t even realized he wasn’t wearing it anymore. He walked over and put it on, trying to ignore the pain in his head. As soon as he was finished, he walked down the stairs and out into the street.

He looked up and down the street, squinting against the sun. He could see Twilight and Rainbow walking out onto the street a few houses away. The smiled when they saw him, but he could only manage a weak grin. Twilight teleported and Rainbow flew over to him. When she reappeared, Twilight was frowning.

“You didn’t get drunk, did you?” she asked, looking at his glasses. Lightning shook his head, but stopped when a sharp pain in his temple.

“OK, maybe a little.” he said, turning away from her. “But let’s not worry about that. We have an evacuation to do.”

Twilight and Rainbow’s faces lit up. “She agreed?!” Twilight said loudly, causing Lightning to raise his hooves to his ears.

“Fuck, filly... Yes, yes she did. Not so loud next time.” he said, starting to walk away. Twilight and Rainbow walked next to him, talking excitedly. The pain was slowly receding from his head, but he still had to squint against the morning sun. He walked slowly, a fact that was annoying Rainbow, who decided to fly off without them. Twilight watched her go, then looked at Lightning. But he just waved her off, as she followed Rainbow towards the Temple.

When he reached it, he found that a small crowd had gathered. Luna stood regally, her black armor creating a negative space in the morning light. Lunar stood at her side, helmet tucked under one of his wings. His platoon waited at attention, flanking Luna and Lunar. Twilight, Pinkie and the others waited patiently, watching him as he approached. He took his place next to Twilight, turning his attention to Luna. She smirked slightly when she saw him, turning to look at Lunar, who just smiled innocently. She shook her head, then smiled down at them.

“As you have probably guessed, I have decided to follow Lightning’s advice.” she said, starting to pace again. Her wings were flared out behind her, and Lightning could see the scar on her right one. “As we speak, a portion of the army is being sent to the Bunker to aid in the evacuation. They will return to our western base with the refugees. And those that want to fight will be given the chance to.” She stopped pacing and looked them over.

“As for you eight. I will be sending you to our western base to prepare for the full invasion. You will meet up with Fluttershy and Cora there. Is there any questions?” she asked. They shook their heads. “Good. Lunar and his platoon will accompany you there. The full invasion starts in a week. I hope you are prepared.” They nodded. Luna smiled. “Good, then I shall see you when this is all over!”

As one, they turned and walked away from her, back towards the gates. Lunar and his platoon followed them, walking several feet behind them. Lunar walked forward, catching up with Lightning

“Hey man, you ready for this?” he asked nonchalantly, as if this happened everyday. Then again, it probably did. Lightning nodded, but then shook his head.

“What happens if we die?” he asked, his true fears breaking through. “We all have things to do back home, family to get back to.”

“We all have to bear that cross.” Lunar said, looking straight ahead. “I have had to deal with that thought many times. But you have to know, if you do die, we are right here. We will carry on for you, and we will heal the wounds in your absence. That is what friends do.”

All Lightning could do was smile and put his leg over Lunar’s shoulders. “Thanks man.”

“No problem.” Lunar said. Then he punched Lightning in the arm. “Now don’t go dying on me, you hear? I still want somebody to replace me if I die!”

“Wouldn’t even dream of it!” Lightning said, laughing. By then they had reached the gates. Two of Lunar’s platoon walked forward, grabbing the heavy ropes with their teeth. They pulled on the ropes, their bodies straining against the heavy, steel doors. But finally, they gave way, and they walked out into the open forest. The gates closed behind them, then the two army members flew over the walls and landed at attention next to Lunar. Lightning looked them over. Their eyes were hard and unyielding, looking straight through him. From what he could see of their fur, scars ran over their skin. One even had a long scar going from his hoof to his thigh.

“Are they under your direct control?” Lightning asked Lunar, who nodded.

“First air force division and personal guards to the queen.” he said, puffing his chest out. They would normally stay behind and protect the queen. But in cases like this, they fight to protect the whole army.” Lightning nodded, turning to face the forest.

“Which way is it?” he asked. The forest looked the same from every angle. Lunar put his helmet over his head, leaving only his muzzle and eyes visible. He jumped off the ground and floated a few feet above the ground, the wind pulling his spiked blue mane and tail out behind him. Every move he made seemed to be calculated, thought about minutes before he actually made it. Lightning had never really admired somepony before, but he found himself admiring Lunar.

Lunar dropped back down onto the ground. “It’s this way.” he said, pointing west. “If only you guys could fly! This would be so much easier!” For some reason, Rarity and Rainbow looked over at Twilight, but she shook her head.

“I can’t do it this times, girls.” she said, looking down at the ground. “Putting wings on Rarity was hard enough, but four other ponies? I can’t do it.” Lightning looked up at Lunar.

“How about this? The pegasi can go scout ahead, while we walk behind. That sound good?” Lunar thought about it for a moment, then nodded.

“Yeah, sure. But holler if you need some help, alright!” Lightning nodded. “Rainbow, Phoenix, you’re with me!” he said, jumping off the ground again. His platoon, composed of two stallions and two mares, jumped off the ground in perfect formation. They turned as one and flew off ahead, leaving The unicorns and earth ponies behind. Lightning turned back to the others.

“How long do you think it will Take us to get there?”

“I would say a day or so.” Twilight said. “It didn’t look to be as far as the Bunker.” Lightning nodded, because he didn’t have anything to say. He turned and walked in the direction that Lunar and the others had flown. Soon, they were swallowed up by the shadows.

*****

Unlike that last time, their journey was not silent. Twilight and Rarity exchanged stories from their times in their selective Bunkers. Only Rarity was unhappy to talk about her past. Pinkie questioned about the heart on her chest and the scars across her eye, but she said that she would give the full story some other time. Lightning couldn’t blame her. He understood where she was coming from.

Pinkie’s Bunker seemed to have taken the brunt of the attacks. Their soils were still irradiated, therefore they couldn’t grow any food. They had to rely on food from the surface, which is why so many ponies were dying. A strict Overseer was in control, leading to a harsh system of government. Birth rate was declining, and their population was falling.

“It is good evacuation came now.” Pinkie said, hair falling flat next to her side. “I doubt that we would have lasted much longer if things had kept going the way they were.”

“Why didn’t you try to leave before?” Rarity asked. “If it was that bad, you should have just left!”

“I would have, but I was so scared.” Pinkie responded. “Ponies were dying. My friends were dying. I wanted to stay inside where it was safe.” Their conversation dissolved after that. In the sky, specs that were army members traveled back and forth, making sure that evacuees made it safely to the base.

*****

By the time the sun was setting, they were worn out. Lunar and the others dropped out of the sky just as they were making camp. Rainbow shook her wings out, making and audible clicking noise with her metal one, them sank down to the ground.

“Whew! It’s been awhile since I’ve flown that much!” Her eyes were half closed and she seemed ready to drop at any moment. Phoenix was about the same. Lunar walked over and put her hooves around their shoulders.

“Ya’ did really good!” he said, beaming. “I am really surprised that two non-army members could have survived that much!” Rainbow beamed with pride, but Phoenix’s stomach just growled.

“I hope you brought some food with that praise.” he said, standing up and walking over to Lightning, who was trying to start the fire. Lunar nodded. He stood up on his hind legs, bringing the front to to his lips. He breathed in, then let loose a whistle that caused several birds to fly into the sky. It slowly faded away, leaving a deafening silence once more.

Thirty seconds later, five pegasi dropped out of the sky. Just as the night before, they produced containers of food and water, just enough for them all, then took off again, after a salute to Lunar. Lunar smirked at Phoenix. “Yes, yes I did.”

They dug in, conversation starting again. As they ate, the four pegasi calmed down, removing their helmets and jumping into the conversation. The mare’s name was Honey Graham. She has soft yellow eyes and amber fur. Her voice was sweet, just like the honey she was named after. Rarity instantly took a liking to her, talking about clothing and fashion. The stallions introduced themselves one by one. The other mare was the complete opposite, She had dark blue fur, similar to Lunar’s. Her mane was a startling pink, and Lightning had a feeling it was dyed. Her eyes were a soft green, almost teal. She spoke the least, but they all seemed to like her. She introduced herself as Shine.

A stallion with light blue fur and a bright yellow mane and tail introduced himself as Orion. His eyes were pitch black, reflecting the stars above them. The one last one said his name was Ace. He had yellow mane and tail. His fur was a light orange. His eyes, however, were odd. They seemed to shift colors, depending on the direction of the light. He was the one with the scar running from his hoof to his thigh. Rainbow asked if he was related to Spitfire, but he said no. She seemed disappointed when he said that.

Conversation split into small groups. Rarity and Honey stayed to themselves, talking about designers they used to wear. Lightning and Phoenix talked to Ace and Orion. Twilight Pinkie and the others talked to Shine. She seemed almost as shy as Fluttershy was. But as the night wore on, she opened up a little.

One by one, they fell asleep. Lightning, who was used to sleepless nights, took the first watch. Pegasi were still flying above, and he could hear whispers of voices breaking through the trees. The evacuation was in full swing. And tomorrow he would be able to see the results. His eyes closed as the moon was just reaching its peak.

*****

He was the last to wake the next morning. The others were already awake and prepared for the trip. Lunar was smiling down at Lightning.

“Had to sleep off that hangover, didn’t ya?” he asked, smirking. He stepped to the side to avoid lightning’s hoof, but he was laughing. “Calm down! I think you will be glad to know that we are close. Probably will be there by noon.”

“Well that’s good to hear.” Lightning said, standing up. “But you could wake me up next time.”

“Aww, but you looked so cute!” Lunar said. “I just couldn’t wake you up!” He dodged another hoof, then jumped into the air. “Alright, OK. Not in a joking mood.” He turned and looked down at the others. “Alright, same thing as yesterday. Those who can fly, do it. Those who can’t. I’m sorry for you. See ya at the base!” Then he took off into the air, followed by the other pegasi. Lightning looked over at Twilight and the others.

“Ready?” he asked. They nodded, and Lightning started to walk off in the direction that Lunar had taken. This time around, they were quiet. Nopony wanted to talk, because they knew what they were walking towards. They also knew, if they talked, they might be found by anything that might be hiding nearby. So the day passed in silence. The sun slowly climbed over head, and the whispers of voices slowly grew. Until, finally, the trees began to thin. Light filtered in, illuminating the plants. The ground began to feel less soft. Lightning could feel his pace quicken as he got closer. Eventually, he reached the end of the trees. He had to blink a couple times to clear his vision. But when he could see again, he stopped in his tracks.

A clearing had been cut into the forest. It spread in a circle that was two miles wide. In the center, almost taking up the whole circle, was a gigantic wall. Behind it, Lightning could see the tops of houses and towers. Flags atop the towers proudly displayed Luna’s symbol, proudly waving in the afternoon wind. Pegasi flew in the sky, while unicorn and earth ponies stood in the watchtowers. He turned his gaze towards the far end of the clearing. Slowly, ponies were walking out of the trees, carry saddlebags on their backs. A soft thud sounded just next to Lightning. he turned and saw Lunar standing there, smiling. The other pegasi landed next to him, looking beat.

“Pretty good, huh? he said, walking out in front of the group. “Took three months to build, with almost all of us working on it. Pretty damn good base, if you ask me. And this is where you will be staying for the next week.”

“Are those the evacuees?” Lightning asked, pointing to the ponies with saddlebags. Lunar nodded.

“Most of them are already in the base. Those are just the stragglers.” He turned back and smiled at them ‘Well? What are you waiting for? Let’s go!”

Chapter LIII: Sighting

Together they walked towards the base. As they walked, they could see more and more pegasi flying through the air. And more refugees standing at the front gates. Slowly, they were being filed in through the gates, two at a time. Guards stood at the gates, asking them what their special talent was, and whether or not they wanted to fight. Many seemed to be apprehensive, shaking their heads at the question. But some, mostly the ones with scars or wounds of some sort, seemed ready to fight.

As they approached, the guard at the gated waved them in, not even sparing them a glance. Lightning felt his jaw drop when he walked inside. If he thought the Bastion was large, this was even more. Gravel roads lined with apartments stood proudly. Larger building stood in the center, rising above the small apartments. Guard towers lined the walls every few hundred feet, with a pony stationed at each one. Guards and refugees walked down the roads, occasionally walking in or out of a house. More pegasi flew in the skies, watching everything unfold beneath them.

“We are going to have to glue that shut.” Lunar said, shutting Lightning’s mouth for him. “Anyway, your houses will be close to the center, since you are honored guests.” He whistled for a guard. One walked over to them, standing at attention.

“These are honored guests.” Lunar informed him. “I want the best lodging for them. Understand?”

“Yes sir!” the guard said. Lunar nodded, turning back to them. “Alright, I will see you guys later! Meals are the same as in the Bastion. Training is everyday now. Since we have so much extra room, we just train out in the open.” He spread his wings, jumping into the air. The other five pegasi flew up to join him. He did a midair salute, then flew off towards the center of the base, the others hot on his trail. Lightning watching him go, wondering how many more times he would see him.

“Follow me.” the guard said, leading them down the gravel road. The followed, not saying a word. They didn’t have anything to say. Lightning just looked around at the base. Unlike the Bastion, which was more luxurious, this base seemed to have been made with only the bare essentials in mind. Curtainless windows stood open to the wind. Doors were made with wood no more than an inch thick. And as far as Lightning could tell, there were no lights anywhere. The gravel crunched under their hooves, and the sky was growing cloudy above their heads.

The guard stopped walking a few streets from the center. He pointed at a row of four houses. “This is your lodging. The others are already here.”

“What others?” Twilight asked, but stopped when Fluttershy poked her head out of the door. She smiled when she saw them. Then, it burst open, causing a squeal from Fluttershy. Cora walked out, smiling at them. She was wearing a light blue tunic with a red cross in the center instead of Luna’s mark. Fluttershy was wearing the same thing.

“Well I’m glad to see that you made it!” she said, embracing Phoenix and Lightning. “But a little warning of the transfer would have been nice. Getting us up in the middle of the night, what was that?” The question was directed at the guard, who chose not to respond.

“Talky bunch, aren’t they?” she said, smirking. “Anyway, choose a house! They are all the same, so don’t go all crazy.” She was looking at Rainbow when she said that. Rainbow just stared innocently back.

“So what’s been going on here?” Rarity asked.

“Nothing much.” Cora responded. “Just the training. Getting us ready for the fight. They made me cut my hair, can you believe that?!” Her hair was indeed shorter. Instead of the typical braid down her back, it was now floating around her shoulders, the wind pulling it behind her occasionally. Shorter in the front than it was in the back, so that you couldn’t see anything behind her without moving slightly.

“Actually the short cut works wonders for you, darling!.” Rarity said. Cora blushed.

“Aww, thanks! Anyway, you guys probably want to get settled. I assume that since we are all here, they will want to brief us soon.” The others nodded, dividing into groups. Lightning and Phoenix too the house next to Cora and Fluttershy’s. Rainbow and Pinkie too the next one, and Twilight and Rarity took the last.

Lightning got the feeling that these were identical, just like the ones in the Bastion. But unlike the homes in the Bastion, these were just the bare minimum. A small bedroom with two beds was off to the right, while a small bathroom was to the left. The main area had a single couch, a smaller chair, and nothing else. It was obvious that these were created to be used in a time of war, not something to be used like a real home.

Lightning and Phoenix dumped their saddlebags off in the bedroom, then walked back outside. Rainbow and Pinkie were already waiting, as was Cora and Fluttershy. A couple seconds later, Twilight and Rarity walked out as well. The guard had disappeared, leaving them alone on the empty street.

“Wait, so what do we do now?” Phoenix asked, looking around.

“Now.” a voice said. “You get to training.”

Lunar dropped out of the sky, wearing his armor and helmet. But even though he looked ready for war, he was smiling. “I can’t wait to see you guys in training. This is going to be great!” his eyes fell on Rarity, and the smile dropped.

“Oh, right...” he said, biting his bottom lip.

“What is it?” she asked, looking frightened.

“It’s nothing...I am afraid they will give you a worse time than the others.” he said, not looking at her.

“But, why?!”

“Because you were, you know...”

“A Death Hunter.” Twilight finished for him. Lunar nodded.

“Well, then I just won’t tell them!” Rarity said, looking slightly scared. Lunar shook his head, reaching out his hoof. He lightly traced the heart on her chest, the cold metal of his armor making her shiver.

“Rarity...You are smart. I can see that. So you should have figured this out.” He took his hoof off her chest and placed it on her cheek, right under the three scars. “You never told me you used to be one.”

Her eyes widened for a moment, then she looked at the ground. “Is it really that easy?” she asked quietly. Lunar nodded.

“For us, yes. So just a fair warning, your looks and grace are not going to get you out of this one. You will have to be tough.”

“OK.” she said. Lunar tilted her head up.

“They don’t know you, but I do. You are so much better than you used to be. You are braver than any of them. So just hold your head high, and don’t even look at them.” Rarity smiled, saluting him.

“Yes sir!”

“That’s my girl! Now, training has been canceled for today and tomorrow, on account of the evacuation. So if there is anything you think you can do in that time, do it. Just don’t go AWOL on us!”

Rainbow suddenly perked up. “I can’t believe I haven’t thought of this before! I want to go see Cloudsdale.”

“You think you can do that in time?” Lunar asked. Lightning got the feeling that he was just asking this because he had to, not because he doubted her.

Rainbow looked at him, pushing out her bottom lip slightly. “I may have gotten older, but I can still fly just as fast!”

“Alright then! Permission granted. Just make sure you’re back on ti-”

Rainbow had leapt into the air, and within ten seconds, had flown into the open window of her house, gotten her saddlebags, and flown back out. “Don’t worry I will!” she yelled as she flew by. A second later, she was just a spec in the sky. Suddenly, Twilight laughed.

“What is it?” Lunar asked. Twilight shook her head, smirking.

“Just wait. In three...two...one..”

Almost magically, Rainbow reappeared next to Lunar.

“Hey, where can I get some food?” she asked, a little embarrassed. Twilight winked at Lunar.

“Two blocks up is the cafeteria. Just ask for two days travel rations.”

“Cool, thanks!” She shot away from them, leaving a rainbow blur behind her. Lunar looked Twilight up and down.

“You ever played poker? I think you would be good at it.”

“I don’t like having an unfair advantage.” she said sweetly. Lunar laughed, then jumped back into the air.

“Alright. Next two days are yours. Now I understand we might not have a lot of luxuries here, but I think you will be able to occupy your time.” He shot away into the sky, leaving them alone.

“So. Anypony want to play some poker?” Twilight asked, innocently.

*****

Lightning broke away from the group, who were just staying at their houses. he wandered the base, trying to stay away from the other soldiers, or the refugees. He finally found his way to the firing range. The stallion behind the counter looked pleased to have a pony there, as the place was deserted. Lightning’s eyes wandered over the weaponry. But nothing jumped out at him. But then his eyes found a bow, and a smile lit his face. He pulled it down and had the stallion set up targets. it had been a few months since he had shot one, and he was looking forward to it.

He pulled an arrow out of the quiver, aiming it a few inches above the target. He pulled the bowstring back. he took a couple deep breaths. Then, just as he let out his third breath, he let the arrow fly. It flew true, hitting the bull’s eyes with a dull thunk. He smiled, reaching back to pull another arrow out.

“I didn’t know you could use one of those.”

Lightning spun around. Twilight was leaning against the railing in the stall next to him. Lightning replaced the arrow, hooking the bow around his shoulder.

“I can, a little. Not really the best at it.” he said. “What are you doing here? Not really the type for guns, are you?”

“Straight to the point. Fine.” She walked away from him slightly. “You know that Applejack is alone, away from all of this. And we are right in the line of fire. More importantly, you are.”

“Where is this going?”

“I want to know what you expect to happen with her if you die.” she asked, turning back to him. “The chance of that is high, and you know it.”

“I don’t know.” he answered lamely. “I really can’t do anything about that.”

“What do you expect me to to tell her if you do die!?” Twilight asked, her voice rising slightly.

“Tell her I am sorry.” Lightning said. “Tell her I have been a terrible husband, constantly leaving her like that. Tell her she deserves someone who will stay by her side, unlike me.Tell her I am sorry for leaving her and the foal like this. I shouldn’t have done it. And I am sorry.”

Twilight was silent. She tried multiple times to say something, but failed. Lightning had turned back to the targets, pulling an arrow from the quiver.

“I didn’t mean...” Twilight said.

“I know what you meant. And that is my answer.”

“I didn’t know....I’m sorry.” Lightning heard her walk away, her hooves grinding against the gravel under her. He hadn’t meant to snap, but he was tired of thinking about it. Tired of all the death. It was all he had ever known. He notched the arrow and let it go. It landed just above the last one. But any of the joy he had felt was gone.

After he had shot the entire quiver, he went to return it to the clerk. But he said he could keep it. Nopony ever used it anyway. He walked out of the range, feeling worse than when he had entered. He walked away from the center, towards the outer walls.

Something caught his eye. A flash of white appeared in the corner of his eye. He turned, trying to see what it was. But as soon as he thought he saw it, the sun flashed in his eyes. As soon as he could see again, it was gone. But that was not what troubled him. Something odd was going on.

There were clouds covering the sun.

Chapter LIV: Mending a Broken Soul

When Lightning returned to the others, he was still quiet. Twilight avoided his eyes and distanced herself from him. The others, who were all crowded in Lightning and Phoenix’s small house, watched as he just sat down on the couch, not saying a word. Cora and Phoenix exchanged glances.

“Is everything alright?” Cora asked.

“I thought that I saw...” his voice trailed off. He shook his head. “Nothing. It was nothing. So what is everypony doing?”

“We are just discussing what we think the training will be like.” Cora answered.

“I keep saying it will be hell.” Phoenix said. “But they don’t believe that.”

“It probably will be tough.” Lightning said, standing up. “But, what do you expect from an army?”

“I saw Lunar on my way back from talking to you.” Twilight said. “He said that each type of pony has different exercises. And medics have even different training from all of us.”

“Well, at least you get it easy.” Rarity said to Fluttershy, who had started to look worried.

“He didn’t say it was going to be easy.” Twilight said. “I think the exact words he used were, ‘Why do you think we have so few medics?’.” Fluttershy’s expression turned to fear, but Cora wrapped her arm around her shoulders.

“Don’t worry! We will be fine. I will be right there next to you.” Fluttershy nodded, but didn’t look any less scared.

“So what are you guys doing tomorrow?” Pinkie asked. She was laying upside down on the small chair, looking up at them all.

“I was just going to see if they had any hospital or something here.” Cora said. “See if there are any healers to learn from.”

I was going to sleep.” Phoenix said, smiling. “This is probably going to be our last day off in a while, why waste it?”

“I second that option!” Pinkie said, holding out her hoof to Phoenix. He banged his against hers, laughing.

“I was going to see if they had some sort of library or reference books. I am sure that Luna has some sort of history written down.” Twilight said. She looked like she was waiting for someone to say something. But then she remembered that Rainbow was gone, and smiled slightly.

“Nothing else to do but take a really long walk.” Rarity said. Lightning nodded. That was the only thing he wanted to do as well.

“What do you think Rainbow will find?” Phoenix asked. Lightning knew he was worried about Cloudsdale, even if he didn’t show it. It was his home after all.

“I can only imagine it looks like everywhere else in Equestria.” Cora answered. “Really, really, fucked up.”

“That’s what I was thinking.” Phoenix said, looking at the ground. “They have a range here?” He asked lightning, who nodded. “Good, I might go there if I can’t sleep.”

Lightning looked around. They were all tired from the trip, and he was even more tired from everything that was happening. He said his good nights, and walked into the bedroom. He didn’t even bother to take off his uniform. He just fell into bed and passed out.

*****

The dim light from the open windows shone in, and Lightning opened his eyes. The sun was still covered by clouds, and they were getting darker. He stretched, and turned over. Phoenix was still sleeping, his front leg thrown over the side and his mouth hanging open. Lightning smiled, sitting up in the bed.

“You know you talk in your sleep.” someone said. Lightning turned and saw, once again, Lunar leaning in the doorway. He had bags under his eyes, and his smile was a little smaller than usual, but he looked happy none the less.

“You really need to stop doing that.” Lightning said, standing up.

“Oh, I don’t mean any harm by it!” Lunar said, walking over and standing next to him. “What else can you do when you can’t sleep, but watch someone else who can?”

“You’re creepy as hell, anyone ever told you that?” Lightning replied. Lunar ran his tongue over his dragon-like incisors, still smiling.

“Normally they don’t want to, since I am usually right next to Luna.”

“Well, you are.” Lightning said, walking towards the doorway. But he stopped and turned back, grinning. “And it’s been a long time since I had just plain creepy in my life.” Then he walked out of the house, leaving Lunar to stare after him.

*****

He couldn’t tell what time it was. But he judged from the brightest patch of clouds that it was nine O’clock. Looking around, he didn’t see many soldiers or guards out. There were only a couple refugees, walking around, trying to get used to their new home. Trying to be friendly, he waved as a pair walked by. They gave a small half-hearted wave, then walked on, leaving him behind. Lightning sighed. He knew how they felt. This was not the first time he had to flee to a new home.

A flash of blue caught his eye. Turning, he saw Lunar fly out of the window of the bedroom, saluting as he saw him. With a small loop, he flew off towards the center of the base, a trail of blue following him. Lightning decided if he was going to waste the rest of the day, he might as well get started now. Looking up and down the lane, he picked the direction with less ponies, and started walking.

*****

He had been walking for about half an hour, when he came to a small park. Gravel walkways wound between tall trees, apples hanging from their branches. Their shadows causing the park to be even darker than the rest of the base. If it was possible to have an even gloomier place, Lightning couldn’t think of one. So he wasn’t surprised to a see a familiar white and purple pony sitting on one of the benches, completely alone.

She didn’t notice as he walked up next to her. She just stared at the ground, only blinking occasionally. Her eyes were fixed, not on the ground, but somewhere else. Somewhere far away. He took a seat next to her, and only then did she notice him.

“Oh, hello Lightning. I didn’t hear you walk up.” she said, managing a weak smile.

“How long have you been sitting here?” he asked, noticing the bags under her eyes and the goosebumps on her fore-legs.

“Since I woke up a few hours ago.” she said, pulling her front legs close against her chest, obscuring the heart from view. Lightning pulled off his tunic and gave it to her. She took it with another smile, pulling over her head.

“You don’t have to do this, you know.” Lightning said. “If it is driving you crazy like this, you don’t have to do it!”

“I told you I have to.” she said, not looking at him. “For her sake, I have to.” She was talking about Sweetie Belle.

“So you are going to drive yourself half mad, let the soldiers here torture you, just to get revenge?”

Rarity looked up for a moment, her eyes showing pity, then she looked away. “You wouldn’t understand.” she said.

“No, I wouldn’t.” Lightning said, holding in his anger. “I have never lost anyone, that I can remember. So help me understand why you are doing this!”

Rarity took a deep breath, sitting up in the bench. She turned to face him. “Imagine that, right in front of your eyes, somepony, some evil disgusting husk of a pony, killed Applejack. They killed her while they made you watch. But they didn’t kill her fast. No, they wouldn’t do that. They killed her slowly, excruciatingly slowly. So that less than halfway through, you feel that you have wept all the tears you can. And when it is all over, they leave you in the room with what used to be your sist- wife.” she corrected herself. “They lock the door, so that you can’t go anywhere, you have to stay right there, with the pony you used to love. And you can feel your sanity slipping as the minutes tick by. And the last thing you can remember, is her blood on your hooves.” She pauses, taking a deep, trembling breath.

“And then, years later, after all the horrors you have committed, you are awoken. Friends sit by your side, helping you through it all. But you know, if the right button is pressed, or the right switch is thrown, you can kill them all without even realizing it. I live each and every day in fear of hurting my friends, or just anypony. I have to distance myself from them. I don’t even like sharing a room with Twilight. If I were to have a flashback, and she couldn’t get away...” Her voice trailed off. A single tear fell from her muzzle, landing on the gravel below her. “Do you see why I have to do this? They didn’t just take my sister from me. They didn’t just take years from me. They took myself from me. They made it so I can’t control myself. I have to do this, even if it doesn’t bring closure.”

Lightning didn’t know what to say. He just sat there, staring at her. A couple soldiers walked by. Their gazes lingered on Rarity. She blushed and turned away, not wanting to be seen. She stood up looking around the dark and quiet park. “Come with me please. I don’t feel safe by myself.” Lightning nodded, standing up and walking with her. “What are you going to do after this is all over?” Rarity asked.

“I don’t know.” Lightning answered. “But with the cure on its way, and the Death Hunters gone, I think it will be safe to live on the surface again.”

“So, you are thinking of building a home?” Rarity asked, stopping under a tree. The shadows fell over her face, darkening the scars.

“I guess. It is probably a good idea to get out of the Bunkers once and for all. I am really tired of those.”

“I don’t blame you.” Rarity said. She looked up, watching one of the apples sway in the breeze. She closed her eyes, her horn glowing. With a flick on her head, the apple was sliced in half, falling in two parts on the ground below. She bent down to pick it. Lightning stared at her as she bit down.

“What was that?” he asked, astonished.

“Just something I remember...from before.” she answered, swallowing the fruit. “I didn’t block out everything, just most of it. Anything that can help me fight them, I remembered. That was only a fruit. Imagine if it had been a pony” She took another bite out of the apple, continuing down the path. “And would this house be just you, Applejack, and the filly?” she asked, looking sideways at him.

“I suppose not. Having the rest of you there would be nice.”

“Are you sure you would want someone like me around a filly?”

“I think having you and a filly in the same room would be beneficial.” Lightning said. “Give you something to love again.”

“You’re probably right.” Rarity stated, looking away from him. A group of four soldiers were staring at her. “I think it is probably good if I got back now. I don’t want anything happening to you.” She started to turn, but Lightning pulled her back. Her pulled her into an embrace, looking over her shoulder at the soldiers the whole time. He let her go, giving her a broad smile. She smiled back, then turned and walked back the way they had come. He gave one last look to the soldiers, then walked the opposite way, shaking his head.

*****

By the time he returned to the house, the sun was setting, and he was extremely tired. Phoenix was walking out of the house, and he motioned Lightning over.

“What did you tell Rarity?” he asked. “She was in a pretty good mood when she got back.”

“I just told her what she needed to know.” Lightning answered. “Now let’s go to the mess hall, I am starving.” As they walked, they caught up to Twilight and the others, who were heading in the same direction.

“Did Rainbow get back yet?” Phoenix asked when they had caught up.

“Not yet.” Twilight said. But I bet she is going to make some big appearance during dinner.” And she was not incorrect.

After Lightning and the others had sat down, and their conversation dissolved, Rainbow flew in through the open windows. Her fur was matted and dirty, as was her mane. She landed in a seat next to them, dropping off her saddlebags on the table. Despite her typical, showoffy entrance, her eyes were downcast.

“What did you find?” Phoenix asked, anxious to hear the response.

“Nothing.” she said, her voice low. “Everything is gone. All that is left in half the Cloudesseum and a few acid clouds. Everything is gone.”

“I can’t believe it.” Phoenix said, slumping back in his chair. Fluttershy shared the same expression, as well as tears in her eyes. “Was there anypony there?”

“There was some crazy old pegasus. He thought I was some angle trying to kill him. But other than that, nopony.” She shook her head. “That city has stood for centuries. Pride of pegasus everywhere. Model city for the rest of the world! Now...it’s nothing but shit.” Nopony said anything after that. They just ate in silence.

When they were walking home, Lightning started to feel nervous about the next few days. He really wasn’t one to be ordered around. Especially from ponies he didn’t even know. he he knew he was going to have to deal with it if he wanted to stay here with his friends.

When they reached the houses, Lunar dropped down in front of them.

“Hey guys!” he said, his ever present smile still there. “I just wanted to tell y’all to get some rest before tomorrow. You aren’t going to like it.”

“Well thanks for the words of encouragement.” Cora said, rolling her eyes.

“No problem!” Lunar said, completely ignoring the sarcasm. “Hey, can I talk to Rarity for a moment?”

“Sure.” she said, walking forward slightly. He put his fore-leg over her shoulders and directed her away from the others, until they were out of earshot. They didn’t talk long. Just a few sentences and strong looks from Lunar, and a single nod from Rarity. But she still looked slightly happier from the whole thing. She walked back smiling, Lunar behind her.

“Alright. I will see you guys in the morning!” he said, taking off into the sky. Lightning watched him go, but the others turned back to Rarity.

“What did he say to you?” Twilight asked.

“Just that if any of the soldiers made my life miserable, to come find him. It makes me feel a little better to know the soldiers are afraid of him.” She walked back to her home with a small smirk on her lips. Twilight shrugged and followed her back to the house after a wave goodnight. Rainbow and Pinkie said their byes, as did Cora and Fluttershy. Finally, it was just Phoenix and Lightning left out in the street.

“Are you ready for this?” Phoenix asked, starting to walk back to the house.

“Hell no.” Lightning said, following him “But then again, Lunar might just be getting us all hyped up and it could be as easy as pie.”

“Do you really think he would lie about it?” Phoenix asked.

“Not sure. But if it was just some joke he wanted to pull on us, I wouldn’t put it passed him.”

“Well, I guess we will see tomorrow.” Phoenix said.

“I guess we will.”

Chapter LV: The Calm Before

“RISE AND SHINE SOLDIERS!! WE HAVE A BIG DAY AHEAD OF US!!”

Lightning’s eyes shot open, and he sat bolt upright in bed. Phoenix was looking up at him, apparently from where he had fallen out of his own bed.

“The fuck?!” he said, walking over to the window. He looked out, and he rolled his eyes. “You are not going to believe this.” he said, waving Lightning over. Lightning walked up next to him and looked out. He shook his head as he did.

Lunar was standing below, his full set of armor on, and a megaphone in his grasp. He looked up at them, a broad smile on his lips.

“The hell are you doing?!” Phoenix yelled. “The sun isn’t even up yet!”

“Well, you are up.” Lunar said, opening his wings and flying up to them. “We will have to work on the shining part. I hope y’all are ready for the five days of training you have! Cause I can tell you now, it won’t be pleasant.”

“Oh, please!” Phoenix scoffed. “We have been living out here for as long as we can remember.” He nudged Lightning’s shoulder. “I think we can handle us a little training. How hard can it be?”

*****

Five days later

“I shouldn’t have opened my fucking mouth.” Phoenix said, pushing open the door to their house. He made it three steps inside before he fell to the floor. Lightning made it to the couch, collapsing and letting out a sigh of relief.

“I should have knocked you unconscious when I had the chance!” he said, laughing slightly. He looked out the window at the sky. Stars were gleaming in the night sky. All the other soldiers had returned an hour ago. But not them.

“But come on! Calling us Colt Chasers!? The hell was that!?” Phoenix yelled, standing up and walking over to the chair. He sat down and hastily tore off his uniform, throwing it to the other side of the room.

“Still, you didn’t have to insult his mother like that. And it was still better than what they called Rarity.”

“How was I supposed to know his mother was dead!?” Phoenix said. “And what did they call Rarity?”

“From what I can gather from Twilight, they called her ‘Whorse’ and ‘That DH Bitch’. So I think we got it easy with our little nickname.”

“Damn...I can’t wait till all this is over. Most of these guys are stuck up pricks.” Phoenix said, walking over and standing next to the window. Suddenly, Lunar popped his head into the window, smiling at Lightning.

“I hope you don’t include me in that.” he said, causing Phoenix to jump a few steps away. Lunar rested his fore-legs on the windowsill, smirking like usual.

“Lunar! Don’t...Don’t do that!” Phoenix said, breathing heavily.

“Best to be afraid now, cause you will be tomorrow.” he said, jumping in through the window. His armored hooves landed on the unpadded carpet with a loud ‘clang’. “I wanted to talk to you for a while.” he said to Lightning. Phoenix looked at both of them, then got the idea.

“Oh...I will be back in a while.” And he jumped out of the window and flew out of sight. Lunar took Phoenix’s spot on the chair, looking at Lightning. He stared at him long enough to make Lightning uncomfortable.

“I try to memorize every ponies face in this army, and I have almost done it. Maybe not some of the new recruits, but most of them. But yours....I have known you longer than that recruits, and yet I still can’t remember it clearly. Something about you makes it impossible to.”

“Is this going somewhere?” Lightning asked, feeling really uncomfortable.

“Not this, but I have something to ask, and I don’t want you to answer immediately. You should think about it.”

“What is it?”

“I have only ever lived in a Bunker. When that was destroyed, I had only here. And after this war is over, I won’t even have that. And I heard you were planning to start a home.”

“You heard that?” Lightning asked. “Were you following me?”

“No, but I did hear it. Luna did something to my hearing when I was small. As a result, I can hear much better than normal ponies. I could hear you, even though I was just flying by. And I know Phoenix is in the tree next to this house.” As soon as he said that, something rustled the leaves, and Phoenix poked his head in through the window.

“Damn. So I guess you want me to leave again?” Lunar nodded.

“Go to the park or something. And I will know you you don’t.” Phoenix nodded, flying off again. “So, as I was saying, I heard you were planning to start a home.”

Lightning nodded. “Yeah, we were. Maybe have the nine of us there.”

“And by nine you mean Cora, you, and the rest?” Lightning nodded again. “Would you maybe, possibly, consider having ten ponies there?”

Lightning looked at him for a moment before he understood. “You?”

“I understand if you don’t want it.” he said, standing up. “Some pony you hardly know in a house with your wife and foal. But just remember, I have never had a real home. This has been my home for my whole life, and in a few days, that will be gone.”

“Of course you can stay!” Lightning said, standing up. “We may have met in a very...unorthodox way.” Lunar smiled at this. “But you are a friend none the less. I see no reason for you not to.” Lunar smiled, and he walked over to him..

“Thank you, but like I said, don’t answer right now. Your opinion might change over the next few days. So just think about it.” He walked over to the window and jumped out, hovering in midair. “See you tomorrow Lightning.” And with that, he flew away. A few moments later, Phoenix flew into the same window.

“Was that anything I should know about?” he asked.

“Not really. I will tell you after all this is over.” Phoenix nodded, walking into the bedroom. But Lightning stayed where he was, staring at the stars.

*****

Phoenix walked out into the living room, stiff and sore. The training had been tough, but they felt it had been good for them. He smiled when he saw Lightning, asleep, in the same place he had been the night before. He shook him awake , then walked over to the window. Lightning raised his head off the pillow, looking around. The morning sun and singing birds were canceled out by what today was.

“Ready for this?” he asked, standing up and walking over to the window with him. Phoenix shook his head, but didn’t say anything. Lightning understood perfectly.

“Shall we go then? Lightning said, retrieving Phoenix’s uniform from where he had thrown it the night before. Phoenix nodded, taking the uniform from him and slipping it over his head. Lightning walked out the front door, closely followed by Phoenix.

Ponies were already on the streets. Flying and walking, they made their way towards the gate, out into the field. Looking around, Lightning saw Twilight and Rarity come out of their house. He waved them over, glad to be with someone familiar.

“We should probably wait for the others.” Twilight said when she had reached them. She turned on the spot and looked at the walking crowd. She had never seen anything like it before. A sea of blue, waves heading in a single direction. “Probably a good idea to stick together right now.” As soon as he said that, Rainbow flew out of the window. She saw them and smiled, dropping to the ground next to them. It looked like the metal wing had ripped the hole for her wing, and a large slit ran down the side. But she just turned so it was out of sight. Pinkie came out of the house as well. Her hair was flat again, and she looked nervous and scared. She slowly walked over to them.

Cora and Fluttershy came out a few moments later. They were both dressed in their medical uniforms. In addition, Fluttershy had her sniper rifle around her shoulders, and Cora had her MP5. Cora looked strong and stable, meeting their eyes as she walked towards them. But Fluttershy was the complete opposite. She was dragging her hooves, walking as slow as possible. Her eyes were angled towards the ground, and you could tell she was on the verge of crying. She reached them and gave a squeak of greeting, then closed her mouth again.

“We should probably get going.” Cora said. “Just get this part over.” The others nodded. As one, they turned and walked into the crowd. They tried to stay in a ground, but they slowly got seperated. Eventually, Lightning was alone in the sea. But he kept going straight, following the other ponies. Looking up, he could see Rainbow flying, Fluttershy staying as close to her as possible. Rainbow looked down and saw Lightning. She pointed to a couple different spots, letting him know where the others were. He nodded, then continued on his way.

They reached the gates and slowly filed through. As soon as they passed through, the sea opened up. Lightning could breath again as he wandered trying to find the others. At last, he found them. They were standing close to the middle of the group, standing close together. They waved him over when they saw him.

“What do you think is going to happen?” he asked when he reached them.

“I would guess some sort of morale speech.” Rainbow said. Lightning nodded in agreement. Slowly, the field filled with ponies. Most were in uniform, while others weren’t. Lunar had been right. Some still didn’t want to fight. Eventually, the sea of ponies ended, and they were all in the field. They waited for something to happen.

Lunar rose from the ground. All other pegasi, including Rainbow, dropped to the ground. He circled near the from of the ground, a hundred yards from where Lightning was standing. He could see the megaphone from the other day in his grasp. Finally, he stopped and looked down at them. Even floating in the air, he couldn’t be still. He was still pushing his hoof through his mane.

“Soldiers!” he said into the megaphone. “Today, is the dawn of a new era. Today, we take one more step towards peace in our world. Today, we fight for every pony alive!” A cheer rose from the crowd, shaking the ground under them.

“For far too long, they have been terrorizing the land.” Lunar said, pacing in mid air. “Killing and converting simple ponies trying to rebuild. They, single-hoofedly, stand in the way of a proper reconstruction. They have destroyed harmony in our land, and for that, they must pay!” Another cheer rose from the crowd. Lightning looked around at the others. They were focused on Lunar with varying expressions of nervousness and fear.

“The time has come, to end this. They outnumber us two to one, that much is true. But what do we have? We have firepower. We have loyalty. We have friendship.” He stopped pacing and turned and looked over the crowd. “And, most importantly, we have a cause worth dying for!” The loudest cheer yet rose from the crowd.

“And when this is over, and every last fucking one of them is dead, you will know. You will know, that together, we made the world a safer place for all of pony kind. We ended the plague that was keeping this land broken. We, helped to restore harmony.” He lowered the microphone and dropped to the ground. It was a moment before anything happened. But soon, a swell was rising in the crowd. And the loudest single cheer that Lightning have ever heard, broke forth. A wall of energy and happiness crashed down on him. He turned back to the others, and was stunned to see them cheering along with the soldiers.

And cheering the hardest, a look of pure joy on her face, was Rarity.

Chapter LVI: Volitile Times

Chapter LVI: Volatile Times

The midday sun, still covered with ever darkening clouds, shown through the trees, creating bars of light that reflected off their armor. Their hoof steps were silenced by the soft ground as they walked through the underbrush. The small ground, made up of twenty ponies, crept through the forest, trying to stay out of sight. Lightning and Phoenix stayed towards the middle, letting the more experienced soldiers take the front and sides. Birds above their heads had long since stopped chirping. A warning that was not lost on any of them.

“You think they are around here?” Phoenix asked quietly. Their eyes had not been able to adjust, as they were constantly shifting between light and dark.

“Wouldn’t doubt it.” Lightning responded. He took a deep breath. “I just hope this is over soon.” Phoenix nodded, but didn’t say anything. They fell back into silence.

After the speech by Lunar, they had returned to their homes just to grab their weapons, then they met back in the field. From there, they were split into groups of twenty and fifty. Lightning and Phoenix were paired together, which neither complained about. Cora and Fluttershy were put into a medical team. But Fluttershy was also made to be part of the sniper team, much to her dismay. The others were separated into other groups. It seemed like they wouldn’t know how the others faired until it was over.

They had been told to follow their orders, which were to surround the Death Hunter base in their groups, then wait for the signal to attack. Only the officers knew what the signal was, and that was something Lightning didn’t like. The sound of thunder, although far off, rumbled through the ground. It was going to rain, and what a day for that.

They had been walking for a few hours. The base had seemed so much closer when Rainbow had carried him. But now, he wasn’t sure they would make it before sundown. But as it was, he wasn’t sure he would be able to see the sun when it went down. Occasionally, a pegasus, dressed in a blue tunic, would fly by overhead. But other than that, they were alone in the forest.

Their officer, a pegasus, held up his hoof, and they stopped immediately. He told them to make camp, while he went to see where they were. He jumped into the sky, and the soldiers dropped their saddlebags onto the ground. Each of them carried part of the supplies. Whether it was food, or tents, or fire starters. As they didn’t know how long they would be staying, they just started a couple fires, and brought out some food.

They weren’t very talkative. Even though most had been training for this for years, they seemed extremely nervous. Lightning didn’t blame them. This kind of fighting, against a foe who could actually think like you, was the complete opposite from fighting the infected out in the Wastes.

Phoenix was nervously preening his wings. He would extend one wing, pull the feathers straight, row by row. The he would fold it, and extend the other one. Lightning sat down after helping start a fire.

“You are going to pull your feathers out like that.” he said, smiling.

“What?” Phoenix said, looking up. He hadn’t even realized he had been preening. “Oh, sorry.” he said, folding his wing back. The red of his feathers and fur was faded in the green of the forest. He looked washed out. Like a half recalled memory. His eyes seemed somewhere else. Somewhere far away.

“All we can do is wait now.” he said, poking his hoof into the fire in front of him. Lightning nodded, looked around the camp. The soldier’s eyes widened when they saw him keep in in for seconds on end. But soon they turned away, lost in their own thoughts. The fire shown in his eyes as he picked up a flaming stick and broke it in his grasp.

“I’m tired of running.” he said, pulling his hoof out of the fire. “I have been running since the bombs fell. It’s time I stopped and turned around.” He spread his wings and flew up into the nearest tree. He sat down on the branch, looking up at the sky. Lightning watched him for a few moments, then turned back to the fire. He hadn’t realized how cold it was, and he moved closer to the flames.

A few minutes later, their officer dropped out of the sky. He told them that they were now only a few miles away from the base, and they they should proceed with caution. The pegasi blew out their fires, then they started moving again. Lightning and Phoenix took their spot in the middle again, keeping their officer a few steps ahead.

As they walked, the air became more dense. A mist started to move in, and every now and then, a single drop would land on a leaf or their muzzles. The thunder was closer now, less than a mile away by the sound of it. Lightning and Phoenix exchanged glances, worried about what the storm could mean for the attack. Lightning just adjected his tunic and continued walking.

*****

An hour later, the officer held up his hoof again. The ground came to a halt. Listening, Lightning could hear the sounds of hooves, lots of them, in the distance. He knew they were close. The was about to fly into the air again, when Lunar dropped out of the sky and landed next to him. he removed his helmet, and, for the first time since Lightning had known him, he looked nervous. His eyes flashed over the faces in front of him, not lingering on one for more than a second.

“Soldiers.” he said, starting to pace in front of them. “This is it. All you have trained for. Don’t disappoint me. Do your damndest for this fight. And if you die, die knowing you aided a glorious cause. The bettering of ponies lives everywhere.”

“We are going to wait here until daybreak. I don’t want any wandering off, understand? 2 guards, every hour. We attack at dawn. Let’s hope we are ready.” And with that, he took off into the air again, leaving an ominous silence behind him. After a few glances at each other, they began to unpack. This time, Phoenix lit the fires and Lightning helped to put up the tents. When the camp was set, they each chose a tent. Three ponies had to share a tent, and Lightning and Phoenix shared it with a young stallion with soft green fur and a dark blue mane. They didn’t talk much. None of the soldiers were talking.

The sun, well, the lightest patch of clouds, sunk in the sky. As it did, more and more of their group retired to the tents. Lightning nodded to Phoenix, who nodded back, then went to his tent. He didn’t know how he was going to sleep. After about twenty minutes of staring up at the top of the tent, his eyes finally closed. Phoenix had not yet come in, and he doubted he would for a while. The last time Lightning has seen him, he was sitting with his back hooves in the flames, looking up at the cloudy sky. he just turned over, tried to block out the other soldier’s snoring, and closed his eyes.

*****

The next morning, he was awoken by his fellow soldiers walking around, putting out the fires and packing up the tents. Suddenly, he knew he didn’t want to be there. Today was the day. He walked out of the tent, nodding at Phoenix, who was stamping a fire out. The officer was watching them all. He looked at each soldier as they passed as if it was the last time he would see them. When the camp was disassembled, they formed a single line. The officer walked up and down in front of them. he didn’t say anything for a few moments, then he turned and faced them.

“Are you ready?” They nodded. “Alright. Let’s get this over with.” And as one, they walked towards the Death Hunter base.

Chapter LVII: At War

“This wasn’t what you were expecting, was it?!” Phoenix yelled as he ran after Lightning, firing over his shoulder. He saw two Death Hunters hit the ground, but didn’t care if they were dead or not. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw a flash of metal. Tucking his head in, he dodged to the right. He could hear the blade that had been thrown hit a tree nearby. He turned and shot in the direction the blade had come, and he heard a body hit the ground.

“Not at all!” Lightning yelled back, just trying to keep himself from tripping. They were crashing through the forest, not even trying to be stealthy anymore. Looking over his shoulder, he could see a group of Hunters, maybe ten or so, chasing after them, blades grasped in their mouths. Looking back ahead, he saw a small clearing coming up. He pointed at it, and Phoenix nodded.

“Go right.” he said. “I’ll go left.” Lightning nodded, making sure he had a full magazine in his gun. When they reached the clearing, he tore right, not daring to look behind him. Phoenix took off left. The Hunters kept going straight, startled by the sudden change. Phoenix jumped into the air and began to pick them off.

“Keep running!” he yelled at Lightning. “I got this!” Lightning shook his head, but kept running. he circled the clearing, while the Hunters began to panic. Whenever one would stray close to the edge of the clearing, Phoenix would land a hit on it. The smell of hot metal and smoke started to fill the morning air. Lightning turned and saw bodies littering the ground. Only two of the Hunters were still alive. He turned around, shooting them both down before he had even stopped. His back legs planted themselves in the soft ground, and he came to a stop. Phoenix landed next to him, folding his wings back into place.

“Nice one.” Lightning said, breathing heavily. “Did you just think of that?”

“No.” Phoenix said, leaning against a tree. “I had to use that one time before I moved in with Celia. Works on either the infected, or the Hunters.”

“Good thinking.” Lightning said, bumping his hoof against Phoenix’s. The two smiled, proud of their small victory. They looked out into the forest, and Lightning saw a flash of metal.

“Here we go again!” he yelled as another group burst into the clearing. Phoenix smiled as he jumped into the air.

“Work, work, work! We aren’t done till we’re done!”

*****

“Bring the tape over here!” Cora yelled at one of the medics. The pony galloped over with a roll of surgical tape in her mouth. She dropped it into Cora’s waiting hoof. Cora took a deep breath, closing her eyes and pressing her horn against the ponies wound. Slowly, it started to seal, the sides coming together again. But about halfway though, she removed her horn, starting to wrap the gauze around the wound. She couldn’t completely heal every wound that came her way. She would pass out before she even got through twenty ponies. Even as it was, only healing them halfway, she was feeling lightheaded and queasy.

“How you doing over there, Fluttershy?” she yelled over her shoulder. Fluttershy whimpered something as a response. Cora looked and saw her hooves covered in blood, just as her own were. She had started to look a little green in the face, but she kept working. She had to. It seemed like every minute, air support brought in more wounded.

They were in a makeshift camp half a mile away from the Hunter base. Large tents had been set up to accommodate the wounded. Medics were running back and forth, tending to the injured ponies. But there simply wasn’t enough of them. Cora found herself wishing twilight was there to help her. Any extra magic would do miracles. She bit down on the tape, breaking it off from the roll. she reached behind her, grabbing the ponies gun.

“Get out there!” she yelled, and the stallion saluted, galloping out through the tent’s flaps. She turned to the next pony, and began to pour her magic into him. When she was finished, she did the same as before. Cover the wound in gauze, and tape it. She had begun to fall into a rhythm. Magic, gauze, tape. Magic, gauze tape. It was simple, yet she found herself wondering if she would be able to heal the next time. She just wasn’t sure.

She handed the pony his weapon, and he too galloped out of the tent. As soon as he did, Lunar walked in. He looked around until he spotted Fluttershy. he flew over to her, a somewhat worried look on his face.

“We need you to snipe.” he said, taking her by the shoulders.

“But...I...I am working here..” she said, not meeting his gaze.

“I know that, but we need you. We can’t fly pegasi over, or they will be attacked. We need your support Fluttershy!!” Fluttershy’s eyes flashed back and forth between Cora and Lunar. She didn’t know what to do.

“Go Fluttershy.” Cora said. “I can hold the fort.” Fluttershy bit her lip, but nodded. Lunar let her go, and she walked over and grabbed her rifle and saddlebags.

“Just tell me where to go.”

*****

Rarity was in the closest thing to heaven. Her lungs gasping for air. eyes stinging from the rain and wind. But she was happy. Finally, after all these years, she could have her revenge. And she was taking as much of it as possible.

She laughed, the type of laugh that made her seem crazy, but she didn’t care. Lightning flashed overhead, and the rain poured down relentlessly, but that was beyond her concern. She bound through the forest, the twigs and shrubs scratching at her, and the muddy, rain soaked ground coating her white fur. She looked over her shoulder, seeing the group that was following her. Her gun floated in the air in front of her. But she hadn't used it yet. She had found other ways of getting revenge.

Before they left camp, she had Twilight teach her a few new spells. Just simple spells, but she had been able to turn them into weapons. And these were weapons the Hunters were not expecting. She looked ahead, seeing a large tree with a low hanging, but thick branch. She got and idea, and her eyes narrowed. She picked up the pace, gaining some ground on the Hunters. She quickly ducked under the branch, circling around the tree. She circled a couple times, the Hunters following her every move. Finally, she was ready.

Her horn glowed soft blue, and so did the branch. She circled one more time, trying to get her timing right. There were two Hunters side by side, at the back of the group. Three of four feet separated them from the rest of the group. Rarity smiled. This was going to be fun. She waited until the right time, then acted.

The branch, bending to her magic and will, lowered itself in front of the two. At the same time, she caused it to snap forward. She heard two impacts, then two more as they fell to the ground. But that wasn’t what she was happy about. She was happy about the loud snaps that rang out when the branch collided. The sound of broken necks. she laughed again, breaking away from the tree and fleeing into the forest.

Over her shoulder, she could see the rest. A now smaller group of three Hunters. Up ahead was what she had been waiting for for this whole time. Lunar had shown her this little feature of the forest. And he had planted the idea in her head. From the angle they were running, it looked like nothing. But from up top, it was obvious what was going to happen.

One vine, that was all she needed. a single vine, at the very end. And she knew exactly where one was. She turned and saw that she had been losing speed. The Hunters were gaining, their screeches growing louder. But that didn’t matter. In fact, it was just what she needed. she slowed down even more, until she could practically smell them. Then she saw the vine. She took a single leap, her own adrenaline, and some magic, aiding the jump. She flew through the air, grabbing the vine with her teeth. She let out a groan as the vine pulled at them, but she stayed put. Under her, the Hunters ran by, surprised. They crashed through the brush, and the next second, Rarity heard screeching. The screeches echoed back up to her, and she smiled. She dropped back down onto the ground, and walked towards the brush they had run through. She moved it aside, laughing as she did.

A ravine, carved from the river that flowed at the very bottom, stood there, like an open mouth. She leaned over the edge, but she couldn’t see any bodies, nor could she hear any sounds. She let out a sigh, looking down into the ravine.

“That was for Sweetie Belle, you heartless bastards.”

*****

“I did not sign up for this!” Rainbow yelled at the sky. She was sagging under the weight of Pinkie. Her wings, especially the injured one, were burning. And the worst part was, she didn’t know how much longer she would have having to do it.

“Why aren’t you fighting?” Rainbow whined at Pinkie. She was carefully following Twilight with her eyes, watching her back as she ran through the forest. She seemed able to take care of herself, shooting or using her magic to keep the Hunters off of her.

“I told you! I don’t know how to fight! And plus, isn’t this more fun for you?” she asked, laughing. Rainbow just looked at her. She turned back to Twilight, who had decided to take a complete turn and head back the way they had come. Sighing, Rainbow turned as well, still following her. But then she saw something that made her gasp.

Twilight, who was only watching the ones behind her, was heading right into a second group. The second group was just waiting, like they knew she was coming. Rainbow looked for a way out, but she couldn’t find any.

“Twilight!” she yelled, as loud as possible. “Twilight watch out!” But she didn’t hear. She just kept running in the same direction.

“What are we going to do!?” Pinkie asked, voice filled with fear.

“The only thing we can do.” Rainbow said, picking up the speed. She dropped close to the tree line, depositing Pinkie on a treetop. She poured on the speed, but she knew it wouldn’t be enough. She had been too far away. she watched at twilight broke through the brush, and right into the second group. Rainbow could hear the gasp where she was. And she watched as a blade sunk itself deep into Twilight right shoulder. her scream pierced the air, spurring Rainbow on. She unholstered her gun, taking aim as she flew. She reached the small clearing, just as the Hunter was raising his blade, the tip coated in Twilight’s blood. Rainbow pulled the trigger, and the Hunter fell to the ground.

The others jumped back, letting out surprised screeches. In that moment of confusion, Rainbow rushed in, grabbing Twilight and flying back up into the air. She heard a knife fly passed her ear, but she didn’t dare turn around, she just kept flying. She could feel the blood from Twilight shoulder seeping into her fur, and she looked down at her friends violet face. Her eyes were closed tight against the pain, but she was alive.

“You’re going to be alright.” Rainbow said, flying back to Pinkie. “We are going to get help.” She hovered above Pinkie, wagging her tail at her. She got the idea and grabbed hold. Rainbow lifted her up and flew away, heading towards the hospital. She prayed she would make it in time.

*****

“How much longer do you think we have to do this!?” Lightning yelled as they continued through the forest. They had run into another group of Hunters after a couple hours of silence. They had hoped it was over, but they still had to fight. Phoenix looked up at the sky. The brightest patch of clouds, where the sun was, was closing in on the west horizon.

“Well, considering it has almost been a day, I would think not long.” he said, blinking and shaking his head to get rid of the rain that was falling on their already soaked fur. Lightning looked back at the Hunters.

“We have to get these guys off our tails.” he said, breathing hard. “I am not sure how much longer I can last, we literally had no ammo left.” Phoenix nodded, looking around the forest. There was nothing, no clearings or anything.

“Plan B?” he asked, looking at Lightning.

“Which is?”

“We get as much space as possible, then just turn and shoot.” Phoenix answered, that crazy glimmer back in his eye. Lightning smiled, nodding. He pointed at a tree about a quarter mile up the path.

“Plan B.” he said. Phoenix smiled, pouring on speed. Lightning did the same, ignoring the pain in his thighs and calves. Looking over his shoulder, he could see the Hunters falling behind. He counted seven of them, but that couldn’t have been right. He had counted eight a moment ago. He shook his head, turning around. It was not the time.

They reached the tree, and Phoenix flared out his wings, bringing himself to a halt instantly. Lightning had to skid to a stop in the mud, but her turned around, taking aim as Phoenix started to fire. One by one, the Hunters fell. But they didn’t fall easily. They ducked and dodged, but they weren’t fast enough. Each one fell, landing in the mud with a splash. The mud began to turn a slightly darker color, a dark maroon.

Lightning lowered his weapon, breathing heavily. Phoenix did the same, turning to look at him. “Well, that was exciting.” he said, smiling.

Lightning nodded. “How long do you think we have before he have to do it again?”

Phoenix laughed. “I don’t know, but--” his voice broke off mid sentence, and his eyes grew wide as plates. “Watch out!” he yelled, rushing forward and pushing Lightning over. He fell into the mud, and he couldn’t see anything. The next second, he heard a gunshot, and a body fall to the ground.

Chapter LVIII: Ragnarök

The sound of the single bullet faded away into nothing. Slowly, Lightning pulled his head out of the mud. The pouring rain washed away the dirt almost instantly, but he still shook his head to clear more of it. He slowly got to his feet, looking around. He felt his heart drop when he saw it.

The single Hunter, number eight from the group, was laying dead a few feet from them, fore-leg outstretched, like it had just thrown a blade. Blood was mixing with the dirt and water around it, and it was clearly dead. “Hey, Phoenix, that was a pretty good sh--” a noise behind him made him stop short. He turned, looking at Phoenix, who just stared back at him, eyes wide as ever. He dropped his gun, and it fell to the ground with a splash.

“Phoenix! What is it?!” Phoenix looked down, as did Lightning. Then, Lightning saw it.

“Oh, Celestia no...”

The steel hilt of the blade the Hunter had thrown was emerging from Phoenix’s stomach. Blood was falling from the wound, soaking his lower half. His breathing was rapid and shuddering. He looked up from the knife, back to Lightning, and he collapsed on the ground.

“No!! No, no Phoenix!” Lightning yelled, his heart breaking. He galloped to him, dropping down into the mud, rain falling off his muzzle. Phoenix had curled into a ball around the knife, and he was coughing. Lightning helped him lay out normally. Phoenix looked up at him, shaking violently.

“I...I didn’t think it was...going to end like this.” he said, voice quiet.

“No. You aren’t going to die.” Lightning said, looking around for something to help him. “We are going to get you out of here.”

Lightning, I am going--”

“NO!!!” Lightning yelled, tears falling from his eyes, mixing with the rain. “You can’t leave....you can’t...” he said, his voice breaking. Phoenix licked his lips, taking a deep breath. The ground around him was turning red, but the determination is his eyes showed he wasn’t done yet.

“This is it, Lightning.” he said, looking up into the rain. “I had a good run, but you have to go on. Don’t die because of me.” He coughed loudly, and his lips turned red with his blood. The smallest of pain strained smiled appeared on his face. “I never thought it would end like this. I thought we were gonna die together doing something incredibly stupid.” Lightning smiled down at him.

“This is incredibly stupid, Phoenix. But you aren’t going to die! You are coming with me.” He looked around again, but there was nothing. “CORAAAAA!!!” he yelled, as loud as he could. “Somepony help!!” Phoenix touched his shoulder, bringing his gaze flashing back down.

“There is anypony coming.” he said. “Just, listen to me, OK?” Lightning nodded, his whole body shaking. “Tell them I died saving you, not for some stupid reason. Tell....tell Celia I am sorry. So, so sorry. I never wanted this to happen. If you are still around when she is born, tell my daughter about me. I don’t want her growing up not knowing who her father was...” He took a deep breath, pausing for a minute.

“I don’t know if the spell will end after I die, but if it doesn’t, get Core to remove it. I don’t want to be buried. Too many ponies have been buried. I want to be burned.” he said, looking au at Lightning. Lightning could see how much he wanted this, and he nodded along. Take my ashes and spread them at San Foalsisco, where I grew up.”

“I know you were planning on a home out here. I can just ask this; Take care of celia. She will be lost after this. You take care of her, alright?”

Lightning nodded. “I will. Don’t you worry.” Phoenix nodded, light starting to leave his eyes.

“I thought of a name for her, my daughter.” he said, looking up at the sky again. “Cinder. I think that is a beautiful name.” He took a single breath, and his fore-leg fell off Lightning’s shoulder. Lightning nodded down at him, his one true friend.

“No...no Phoenix please.” he said, blinded by tears. “Don’t leave..please come back! Please...” He fell on Phoenix’s chest, tears breaking through the dam. He didn’t know how long he was there, but eventually he was brought back by somepony’s voice.

“I heard you yelling. What is--” the voice was cut short. Lightning looked up through foggy eyes. Cora was standing on the edge of the clearing, hoof over her mouth. She opened her mouth, but Lightning just nodded. He stood up and walked over to her. She let out a single sob and fell into his embrace, crying into his mane. He let go of her, making sure she was steady, then he walked back over to Phoenix’s body.

He pulled his tunic over his head, covering Phoenix;s torso with it. Then he grasped the hilt of the blade and pulled. It came free, his blood dripping from it. Lightning looked at it, almost ready to throw it into the forest, but he held onto it. He knelt down, sliding his fore-legs under Phoenix’s limp body. He lifted his off the ground, turning back to Cora, tears still falling.

“Let’s take him home.” He said. “Home one last time.”

*****

“This war has been won by the strength and courage of all of you combined!” Luna’s last speech still rang through his mind. He didn’t want to think about it, but driving through the barren Wastes, it was all he could think about.

“Today, an enemy fell, and we took another step towards peace and harmony once more!” The crowd had cheered, but none of them did. They just looked up at the princess. “While it’s true that we had our casualties,” she looked directly at them when she said that, “compared to what could have happened, they were the best we could have hoped for.” That was when Lightning left. He didn’t turn to look, but the others told him that Lunar dropped his armor and weapon at Luna’s hooves, then turned and followed him out. He turned and looked out the window. Lunar was flying next to them, as he didn’t want to sit in the car. He and Lightning met eyes, and he nodded, understanding exactly how he was feeling.

Lightning looked over his shoulder, back into the car. Cora, sitting next to him, as silent as she had ever been. The rest sat in the back. Twilight’s shoulder and arm were a mess of gauze and tape. By the time she had been brought, Cora was magically, and physically, exhausted. She hadn’t been able to heal it, so she did the best that she could with cloth and stitches. But other than Twilight, they each seemed to be fine. But the most significant change, was Rarity.

She seemed more calm, like the anger and hatred had left her. While she was as somber as the others, Lightning could tell she was a changed mare. she looked up and saw him looking. She gave her weakest smile, but then it was gone. Lightning turned back to the road.

It was getting light, and Lightning could see the mountain ahead, with the Bunker silhouetted against it. Lightning didn’t know how he was going to do this, but he had too. When they were in reach, he had cora tell the Bunker to get Applejack and Celia. When she tapped off the communicator, she turned back to Lightning.

“How are you going to do this?” he voice small and monotone. Lightning shook his head.

“I don’t know.”

Finally, they reached the top of the of the mountain. Applejack and Celia were waiting. Lightning’s heart fell into his stomach when he saw that Celia was no longer pregnant. She carried a small pile of blankets in her front legs, and she beamed as they rode up. Lightning pulled it to a stop a few feet from them, and they piled out.

Applejack ran, as fast as she could, over to him. She embraced him, burying her head in his shoulder.

“Thank Celestia you are safe.” she said. She broke away and looked up at him. She saw the look on his face. “What is it?” she asked. Lightning shook his head, pointing around at the eight of them. Applejack finally realized. “Oh no..Oh god..” tears filled her eyes. Lightning rushed forward and embraced her, kissing her on the cheek. He let her go again, turning to look for Celia.

She was still standing by the Bunker door, waiting for Phoenix. Lightning took a breath, and walked towards her. The blade, which he had kep, was burning a hole through his bags. He pulled it out, holding it in his front hooves like a prized sword. Celia turned to him, a curious look in her eyes.

“Where is Phoenix?” she asked. Lightning handed her the blade, pressing it into her hooves. Then he just shook his head as the realization struck.

Chapter LIX: Every Tear a Waterfall

Chapter LX: Every Tear a Waterfall

The nine of them were sitting in the car. Nopony had anything to say. There was no reason to say anything. They all knew what they were going to do, and why they were going to do it. The only pony that might have questions was Pinkie, but she kept quiet as well.

Lightning was sitting in the driver’s seat, Cora next to him. It felt unnatural. It felt wrong for him to be sitting here. He should be here, laughing and making jokes. Anything that would help them get through the long trips they used to take. Lightning looked over at Cora, and she nodded. She knew what he was feeling.

They had been driving for almost a day, and they would be driving for a lot longer than that. The sun was already dipping below the horizon, but Lightning didn’t want to stop. He just kept driving, staying on the line he had memorized from the maps. Soon, he was the only pony awake in the car. As Luna’s moon rose in the sky, he could feel his eyelids falling, but he kept them open, and kept on driving.

*****

Cora was the first to wake. She could feel the car still moving under her. Looking up, she saw Lightning at the wheel, eyes almost shut, bags under his eyes. She gently touched his arm, enticing a jolt from him. She smiled softly and turned the wheel slightly. The car dropped off the road, slowing down. When it came to a stop, she got out and walked to the other side. She opened the door, gesturing Lightning to get out. He shook his head. But she shook her head, walking up and embracing him. She understood why he was doing this. But he didn’t have to do it by himself. She broke the hug, and Lightning almost fell out of the Buggy. Cora walked him over to the passenger side, and he crawled in, eyes closing as soon as he sat down. She smiled and walked back to the driver’s side. When she got in, Lightning was already asleep. She pulled the car back on the road, and drove off into the dawn.

With the sun slowly rising, the others woke as well. Once again, nopony spoke. It seemed to be an unwritten rule. Nopony would talk until it was over. Cora’s eyes never left the road, and her mind never left their goal.

Slowly, the land began to turn from the parched yellow, to a dull green. The air began to feel less dry. Clouds, real clouds, awaited on the horizon, and they knew they were getting close. Cora reached over and gently shook Lightning’s shoulder. He looked up at her and she pointed to the horizon. He looked, taking a deep breath as he did. It was almost time.

*****

Three hours later, they arrived. Stepping out of the car, they looked around. The hills and ruins of what used to be San Foalsisco surrounded them. What was left of the morning fog was rolling over them. A muffled sob came from Celia, but she kept her poise. Lightning started to look around, looking for the correct spot to do this. Off in the distance, what had been the Golden Stable bridge rose out of the water, rust and vines clinging to it. Finally, he found a perfect spot.

He walked back to the car. He pulled the tap up, revealing a single crate. He opened it with a key that he wore around his neck. Inside, a beautiful vase sat. All the colors of fire and life had been painted on it, and it seemed to blaze and shimmer as he held it. But the fire didn’t hurt, as it hadn’t hurt him. Lightning walked back to the others, the vase held in his front hooves. He pointed to where he wanted this to happen, and started to walk. The others formed a line behind him.

They climbed the hills, all energy going towards this one task. The sun was beginning to drop again, and Lightning knew it was almost time. Finally, they climbed the last hill, and reached the spot.

A sheer cliff dropped off towards the water, a hundred feet below. This mountain looked over all of the city, and out into the ocean. And Lightning knew, that when the sun set, it would light this mountain with all the colors of fire. He wanted to give him a good death, after such a terrible life.

Looking at the others, he unclamped the top from the vase. Inside, grey dust and ash swirled, upset from their climb. He reached inside, pulling out a hoof-full. He let the wind carry away the stray ashes, while leaving some still in his grasp.

“Phoenix Fire.” he said, voice choked. “You were my first true friend. The times we shared were the best I ever had. If there was some way that I could get you back, I would do it. I just want to be able to see you again. To tell you what an impact you had on me, on all of us. But I will never be able to say that now. All I can say is this. Goodbye, my best friend.” He raised his hoof, letting the rest of the ashes leave with the wind. He turned and handed the vase to Cora. She took it and walked up to the age of the cliff. She reached in and pulled out some ashes.

“Phoenix. The first time we met, I saved your life. And you didn’t trust me.” she started, her voice thick. “But so much has happened since then. We had grown as friends. We shared our time, and our laughter with each other. The times we spent together, I will always cherish. One day, we will all see one another again. But until then, goodbye.” She let the ashes go. she turned, eyes watering, to Rainbow, who took the vase.

“I just wish we had more time to spend together.” she said. “I don’t think any of us had ever met a pony like you. You were funny, and smart, and a brave fighter. It is terrible that you had to be taken away from us so soon. There were so many things we could have all done.” She released more ashes. “I hope to see you again someday.” She wiped her nose on her elbow and handed the vase to Fluttershy. She looked panicked, but to the vase anyway.

“Phoenix...ummm..” Her mouth was moving, but there didn’t seem to be words coming out. Her eyes were filled with tears, and some had already spilled over her cheeks. Lightning walked over and put his arm around her shoulders. She nodded, pulling out more ashes. After, she handed it to Twilight.

“It is the most terrible thing that you had to taken from us. You were an amazing friend, a loyal fighter, and a loving husband. Fate seemed to be smiling on you. But, I guess all smiles turn to frowns. All the times that we just sat and laughed. To take that away from this world, it is wrong.” She pulled out more ashes and cast them into the wind. “You were one of the best ponies I knew. We shall meet again.” She took a deep breath and handed the vase to Pinkie.

Pinkie’s mane had drifted passed from her once happy curly hair back into long darkened pink strains of hair. Even her coat had shifted into a different shade, expressing her everlasting sorrow. She picked up the vase from Twilight and gave Phoenix her final words. “I-... I haven’t had much time to ever talk to you, or get to know you, but I could always tell every time I looked into your eyes you always had that... that... exciting jolt of energy. You reminded me of myself, before all of the chaos and the carnage. Always happy, excited, restless. It... It kills me to see somepony like you slip from our lives and drift into some place where we might all see ourselves again someday...” A tear slipped from under her eye, and down her cheek. Grief and despair was consuming her whole. She could barely take the pain anymore, gracefully letting go of the grip she had so tightly had in her hoof of the ash, she released and let the remains go with the wind. She turned and handed it to Applejack, who gently embraced her for a moment. When she let go, she walked and stood on the edge.

“I knew you from the Bunker, Phoenix. I never talked to you until you left with Lightning. Now, that seemes like my worst sin. To lose a friend like you, after all you have done for us, is...heartbreaking. I was never able to say it, but thank you. Thank you so much. You saved Lightning’s life, at the cost of your own. That, I know, is your greatest gift to us all. I just....I wish that you could be here with us, just so that we could hear you laugh one more time.” she voice broke on the last word, and her head tilted towards the ground. The ashes slipped from her grasp. Lightning walked forward and embraced her. She buried her face in his mane, breaking down. Rarity walked forward and took the vase.

“I don’t know what all to say.” she said, looking out at the setting sun. “I did not know you for long. But in those short couple months, I had no doubt that you were an amazing friend. When I couldn’t even walk, I was so depressed, you were there to make it better. You made life for me worth living. You made all of our lives a little better, and now that you are gone...I don’t know what we will do. When you left us, I think you took a peice of all of us with you. Now, we have to find some way to fill that jagged hole.” She let her ashes go. “Wherever you are now, I hope you are happy. You deserve that, at the very least. Goodbye, Phoenix Fire.” She turned. The only pony that had not spoken was Celia. She walked forward slowly, taking the Vase gently from Rarity’s grasp.

“Phoenix...my beautiful husband. I...I can’t believe that you are gone. To have just gotten you back, and you have you ripped away from me again... it was almost more than I could bear.” She sniffed, then continued. “I just wanted you to know, even all those years that we were separate, I still loved you. I want you to know that. I never stopped loving you, and I never will. You gave so much to help make this world better, both for us and for our child. I feel that it is the worst crime that you won’t be able to see what your work brought to this world.” She stopped, tears falling down her face.

“I lived my life alone before you. I had never let anyone get close enough to let me love them. But there was one thing missing from my life. And the one thing I needed was the one thing I couldn’t find. Then you crashed into my life that one day. You were such an amazing pony. You could make me laugh, no matter what was wrong. You could show me love, when there was only hate. No other pony could ever be like you. You were truly, one of a kind. And you were the best thing that ever happened to me. I love you, so much. And I miss you even more. One day, we will meet again. But until then, know that I will never stop thinking of you. Goodbye, my love.” She released her ashes and turned away from the cloud. Lightning walked forward and took the vase from her grasp. There were still some ashes.

“I just have one more thing to say.” he said, facing the ocean. “Of all the things you did for us, I will never stop thanking you. Our time on this earth maybe be short, but you shone with a thousand of our lives. Nopony will ever live like you again.” He turned the vase upside down, letting the final ashes blow away into the wind. “Until we meet again, my dear friend. Goodbye.”

The sun had set, and the moon had started to rise. The sound of somepony teleporting made them turn. Luna stood there, her eyes downcast. She had come to pay her respects as well. Her horn started to glow, and a beam of pure white light descended from the moon. It landed on the spot where Lightning stood. He could feel the the ground shook slightly, and he moves out of the way. Cracks spread in the ground, and small shoots started to grow. But as they reached their full length, white flowers started to appear along the stalks. Soon, the whole cliffside was bathed in a beautiful garden. Luna nodded at Rainbow and Lightning. Rainbow flew over and picked Lightning up, carrying him into the air. As the ground shrank beneath him, he could see a pattern in the flowers. Phoenix’s Cutie Mark, emblazoned into the earth. A lunar Phoenix, rising from the white ashes. But that was not all. Luna pointed them towards the moon, which had just fully risen.

Engraved on its surface, were the names of each of the ponies that had died in the fight. At the very top of the list, twice as large as any other pony’s name, was Phoenix Fire. Rainbow dropped him down next to Luna. “Thank you. Thank you so much.” She nodded slightly. Then she stepped back, her horn glowing. One last, haunting smile, and she was gone. Lightning turned back to the others. Celia was standing at the very edge of the cliff, hooves surrounded by flowers. She was looking up at the moon, eyes wide. She pulled something off her wrist. It was Phoenix’s wedding bracelet. She bent down and laid in in the middle of the flowers. It reflected the white light that the flowers were giving off. Gently, Lightning pulled her away from the edge. She seemed to move in a trance. They walked back to the car, still silent. Cora pulled Lightning away from everypony else.

“What do you think is going to happen now?” she asked, her voice slowly returning to normal.

Lightning looked up at the moon, its surface forever to hold the name of his best friend. They had so much to do to make the world right. But they knew they could do one thing now. He looked at Cora, a small smile spreading on his lips.

“Anything. Anything that we want.”

Chapter LX: After it All

Epilogue

Three months later...

“He is so handsome.” Applejack said. Lightning nodded, smiling down at his son.

“He looks like you.” he said. Applejack was holding him in her arms, beaming.

“Yes, but he has your eyes.” she said, walking over to look out of the window. Beyond they could see the sun rising over the horizon, lighting up the ocean and the clouds. Lightning wrapped his front leg around her shoulders, pulling her close. They watched the sun slowly rise, cresting the mountain that marked Phoenix’s grave. The only sound was he waves crashing against the cliffside. But that didn’t last for long.

A small knock brought them back to reality. Lightning walked over and pulled it open. Cora was standing there, levitating a book in front of her. She smiled when she saw Applejack.

“Finally, he is asleep.” she said, smiling. “The others are already working outside. They are waiting for you.” she said, gesturing down the hall. Lightning nodded, turning and waving at Applejack, who smiled back. He followed Cora out into the hall. She turned and walked passed the line of doors. Each door led to a separate room. Each one belonging to one of them. It had taken them almost a month to build, but it was worth it.

As they walked, one of the door opened. Out stepped Celia, carrying a small bundle of blankets in her forelegs. Cinder, her bright red fur contrasting with the white of the blankets, was fast asleep. She smiled at them as they passed, then walked down the hall to Applejack and Lightning’s room. At the end of the hall was another door, and Lightning held it open for Cora. Sunlight spilled in, and Lightning could feel the warm morning glow on his fur. It seemed like ages since he had last been in a Bunker, and he hoped her never had to be in one again.

The sun shone down on their house, nestled against the side of the cliff in San Foalsisco. The ruins of the city still stretched out before them, but they didn’t really see it anymore. They just saw each other and their new lives. The sun was just rising over the top of the cliff, and Lightning turned to watch it. Cora stood next to him, watching him just as he watched the sun. He turned and smiled, walking towards the back of the house. The others were waiting for them.

When she saw them, Rainbow called down from the clouds. She was clearing away the polluted clouds and bringing clean ones in from the north. In the past months, she had Cora fabricate a new wing for her. It was still metal, and it still made sound as she flew, but it was less noticeable, and Twilight had conjured up a cyan cloth to cover it. Lightning waved at her, just in time for her to fly off towards the ocean with a cloud. He looked back at the ground, seeing the rest of them standing at the back of the house. Fluttershy and Twilight had been hard at work the first month getting a garden to grow in the wasted soil. But finally, one had grown, and it was Fluttershy’s job to tend to it. She hovered a few feet off the ground, Angel on her back, watering and looking over all the plants that had grown.

Twilight was sitting off to the side, reading one of the scrolls she had taken from Luna’s library. She looked up for a brief moment to wave at them, but then looked back down at the paper. Pinkie was following Fluttershy around, trying to get Angel to chase her. But the temperamental rabbit wasn’t listening to her. Finally, Rarity was sitting off to the side, watching the whole scene. She had gotten much better in the past few months, but she could still fall into a state of depression from time to time. Lightning nodded at Cora, and went to help Fluttershy in the garden. Cora went over to Rarity and sat down next to her. Lightning watched her out of the corner of his eye. And after a few moments, Rarity smiled and stood up, walking over to sit next to Twilight. Cora and Rarity had created some sort of bond, and she was always able to cheer her up when she was depressed. Lightning looked around, noticing one of their number was gone. But he would come back later. He always did.

Minutes passed, and they slowly stopped what they were doing, falling into their own conversations. Lightning turned to see if Rainbow was coming back, but he saw something else instead. Flying towards them, somewhat clumsily, was a pegasus. The sun was behind them, so he couldn’t get a good look. By the time the pegasus reached them, the others had noticed as well. They stood up, already put on the guard. But they didn’t move, waiting to see who it was.

He landed on the ground in front of them, a deep purple coat shining in the sunlight. He looked at them with bright yellow eyes, ove covered by a dark blue mane with a white stripe flowing through it. He smiled at them, a car stretching from his lip to his eyelid standing out against his fur. They could only stare at him.

Fluttershy was the first to move. “SKY!!” she yelled, galloping over and nearly tackling him. She pulled him into a hug that Lightning was sure could crush bones. But as soon as she realized what she was doing, she back away, blushing furiously. Sky was doing the same thing. He cleared his throat several times before he spoke.

“Hi..hi Fluttershy. I am glad to see you are OK.” he said, voice quiet as always. “As with all of you. Glad you found a place to settle down.” Twilight stepped forward, eyes wide.

“How did you...how did you get here? How did you know where to find us?”

“You have been out here a while, so I wouldn’t blame you for not knowing. They are clearing out the Bunkers and rebuilding the towns. The Cure is stable, and ready to be administered to those who need it. The world is falling back into place.”

“As for me, they said that I had to leave. I have no family, I have no home, and I don’t know anypony. So when I stepped outside, I knew where I would have to go. I had to find you.” Lightning noticed that when he said ‘you’, he was looking at Fluttershy. “I asked if the administrators knew where you had taken off to. And they said here. As for the how, I flew. It wasn’t fun, but I did it.”

“Are you completely sure the Cure is stable?” Twilight asked. I remember the first couple tries..” Her voice trailed off. Sky nodded, walking forward and embracing Fluttershy.

“I wouldn’t put her at risk unless I was absolutely sure.” he said, looking into Fluttershy’s eyes. “The cure is stable, and none of the subjects have reverted. I was there to oversee the entire process.”

“That’s fantastic.” Twilight said. “Do you know where all the ponies are going?”

“All I know is that they are going back to the ruins, trying to pick up where they left off. It will be tough for them, but easier without the threat of Hunters or infected. And I guess that brings me to my real question. Will you let me stay with you?” All eyes turned to Lightning. Fluttershy was practically pleading with her stare. He couldn’t turn him away. It wouldn’t be right.

“Of course you can stay.” he said. Sky let out a sigh and smiled.

“Thank you so much.” he said, holding out his hoof. Lightning shook it for the first time, knowing it was a moment he wouldn’t forget. This was a pony who, before the Cure, he would have killed out in the Wastes without a moment’s thought. But now, cleansed and healthy, he was welcoming him into his home.

“We don’t have an extra room, so you will have to bunk with somepony.”

“He can bunk with me!” Fluttershy practically screamed. Sky smiled down at her, wrapping a fore-leg around her shoulders.

“I guess that settles that.” he said. Lightning nodded smiling.

“Lunar should be back in a while” Lightning said. “We will have to introduce you then. But until then, Fluttershy, why don’t you show him around.” She nodded enthusiastically, leading Sky towards the house. Lightning was glad he came. Everypony needs a home.

*****

Lunar indeed showed up, and he welcomed Sky in like a brother. They seemed to like each other well enough, and there was no air of distrust about Sky’s past. The sun was setting in the sky, falling behind the mountain that marked Phoenix’s last resting place. Lightning watched it go, glad to be with his friends, even if one was missing. Fluttershy had her head in Sky’s lap, smiling up at him. Pinkie and Twilight were telling stories from their time in Ponyville, occasionally being interrupted by Rarity or one of the others. Their memories may have deteriorated, but their friendship stayed strong.

“So these two salesponies showed up in town. Singing ponies, mind you, and they brought this giant machine with them.” Pinkie said, talking as fast as she could. “The said that they could make the best cider in Equestria, but of course, that title is held by Applejack, who didn’t like these two busting in on her sales. So what happened next is awesome. Applejack--AHHH!” Her words were cut off with a scream as a blinding, white light filled the room.

When he could see again, Lightning looked around the room. Everything was as they had left it. Except Twilight. She was staring at something on the ground, her mouth open. Lightning followed her gaze, and he saw it. A papyrus scroll, maybe 8 inches in diameter was laying on the ground. A red ribbon and golden seal where the only markings on the outside. Twilight stood up slowly, walking towards it.

“Is that...is that what I think it is?” Rarity whispered. Twilight nodded, levitating the scroll off the floor. Lightning just looked on, not sure what to say. Twilight opened the scroll, her eyes slowing moving down the page. Her expression remained stone cold, but her eyes showed the surprise she was feeling. She finished reading, taking a deep breath at the same time.

“Does somepony want to tell us what’s going on!?” Cora yelled, exasperated. Twilight turned around, her eyes landing on Lightning.

“I never thought I would get one of these again.” she said, her voice quiet. “This is a letter from Princess Celestia. She wants to talk to you immediately. She said she can tell you about your past.”

The End

As I’m Falling To Pieces

Story By;

Phoenixbrave/Pinkamena Diane Pie

Lead Writer;

Connell Crocker

Updated Every Monday & Friday (Same Week)

Current State: Incomplete

Synopsis:

Lightning Storm must survive and fight through the perilous Wastelands, as he must look for a cure for his beloved, whom which is diagnosed with a serious infection that is spreading across Equestria. Causing everypony that is infected with the said disease, turning them into mindless flesh eating zombies! While also accompanied by his companions, Lightning must discover the source of the bombings and the origins of the terrorist group: The Death Hunters whom seem to have relations between each other in the cause of the zombiepony outbreak.

Table Of Contents

When in a specific Act, hit Control + F then copy and paste either the roman numeral or the chapter name to find the chapter.

Act One:

I: Everlasting Pain & Mourn

II: Lightning Storm

III: The Apple Family’s Demise

IV: Today I Met a Warrior

V: The Victim

VII: Home Is Where The Heart Used To Be

VII: Crisis

VIII: Reunion

IX: A Life For A Life

X: Discovery

XI: Dreams

XII: Farewells

XIII: Relations

XIV: Synergy

XV: The Waters of Purity

XVI: Preparation

XVII: Memories

XVIII: Secrets Within

XIX: Hiding Regret

XX: Arrival

XXI: Bunker 118

XXII: Healing and Curing

XXIII: As Damaged As Me

XXIV: Looking In

XXV: Seeing Red

XXVI: Hide Your Tears

XXVII: Only You

XXVIII: When You Can’t Run, You Crawl

XXIX: And When You Can’t Crawl

XXX: You Find Somepony To Carry You

XXXI: For The Greater Good

XXXII: Affirmations

XXXIII: Love Through Pain

Act Two:

XXXIV: A treasure Inside

XXXV: Shine Like Her

XXXVI: Remembrance

XXXVII: Lost, But Not Forgotten

XXXVIII: What Doesn't Kill You, Wounds You For Life

XXXIX: Integration

Chapter XL: Clair de Lune

Chapter XLI: Midnight Star

Chapter XLII: Reine de la Purge

Chapter XLIII: Ensemble Nous Vivons. Ensemble Nous Allons Mourir

Chapter XLIV: Home Front

Chapter XLV: Indebted

Chapter XLVI: Rebirth by Encryption

Chapter XLVII: An Outsider

Chapter XLVIII: Her Puppets

Chapter XLIX: Plan of Insertion

Chapter L: Forgetting To Breathe

Chapter LI: Her World Is Black

Chapter LII: A Thought Never Dreamed

Chapter LIII: Sighting

Chapter LIV: Mending a Broken Soul

Chapter LV: The Calm Before

Chapter LVI: Volitile Times

Chapter LVII: At War

Chapter LVIII: Ragnarök

Chapter LIX: Every Tear a Waterfall

Chapter LX: After it All

If any chapter numbers/names are out of order, please contact Pinkamena Diane Pie or Connell Crocker ASAP.