As morning came, the birds began to whistle.

“Wake up, Dashy!~” called a female voice from the other room.

Rainbow Dash slowly stirred, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She took a moment to collect herself before getting out of bed. “Coming...” she mumbled.

She walked to the door and rotated the knob, rainbowdash stepped out of her room and close the door. Now walking down the stairs she smelt the delicious scent of eggs and... butter? Maybe it's the hint of someone making pancakes or rather yet the blueberry flavored ones.

Rainbow Dash quickened her pace down the stairs, a soft smile spreading across her face as she entered the kitchen.

“Good morning, champ,” her mother greeted her.

“Take a seat with your father,” she added.

Rainbow Dash nodded. “Yeah, Ma.” She quickly sat across from her father, who was sipping his coffee and reading the newspaper.

“I’m hungry, Mom. I have to train and fly soon,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Not yet, sweetie. You’d better be patient, or you’ll end up with pancakes raw in the middle,” her mother replied sternly as she flipped the pancakes.

“Fine...” Rainbow Dash groaned.

Moments later, Windy Whistles approached her with a freshly prepared stack of blueberry pancakes and a separate plate of eggs.

Rainbow Dash’s eyes eats up the image of the food. She looked at her mother and father with a bright smile. “Thanks, Ma, Pa.”

She glanced down at the plate.
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Her smile instantly vanished, replaced by horror as she saw her parents’ faces staring back at her from the plate. Her breathing quickened, her heart pounded, and sweat trickled down her face as if she had been doused with a bucket of water.

She looked at the other plate to see a bloodied knife.

She looked up at her parents to see Windy Whistles’ head disheveled, the right side of her skull smashed in, her eyes hanging out of their sockets, dangling as she moved.

Rainbow Dash glanced at her father, who lowered his newspaper to reveal that half of his head was missing, leaving only his jaw intact.

The world around Rainbow Dash turned red as her parents glared at her.

YOU LEFT US

"Aaah!" Rainbow Dash sprang up from her bed, her forehead damp with sweat and her hands trembling. She groaned in pain, rubbing her forehead to ease the growing headache.

"It was just a dream... a dream," she mumbled to herself. Getting off the bed, she almost tripped but caught herself by leaning against the wall. Sunlight flooded the room, highlighting the morning.

Downstairs in the living room, the rest of the girls were gathered. Rarity chatted with Fluttershy on the couch, while Applejack leaned against the wall, looking out the window.

Twilight, however, was slumped at the table. She had barely slept for five hours, staying up almost all night fueled by coffee, waiting for calls from other survivors. She groaned, resting her head on her arm. Her mind buzzed with questions: Were they the last creatures alive? Was Shining Armor gone? Was Cadance gone? What about Pinkie? Was Spike... gone? The overthinking made her brain feel like it was overheating, and she groaned again.

Applejack, noticing her distress, walked over and gently patted her back. "Twi, don't stress too much, okay? Ponykind and all creatures are strong in their own unique ways. We'll still get calls."

Twilight straightened up and looked at Applejack. "I know, but I can't help but worry. Not just for everycreature but for our kind as well..."

Applejack sighed, giving her another comforting pat. "Twi, just don't stress too much, okay? I don't want you losin' your sanity."

"Okay, okay... I'll try not to stress out too much," Twilight conceded.

Rainbow Dash descended the stairs and entered the living room. The other girls turned their heads towards her, their faces etched with concern.

"Rainbow Dash, are you okay?" Fluttershy asked, walking over to her.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit of a headache... Anyone got coffee?" Rainbow Dash replied with a weak smile.

The girls looked at each other and smiled softly, relieved that Rainbow Dash seemed okay. Applejack spoke first. "There's some coffee in the kitchen. The Doom slayer's sleeping there, but tip: don’t wake him up."

Rainbow Dash looked amused for a moment before shrugging it off and heading toward the kitchen.

Fluttershy walked alongside her, her tone filled with concern. "Rainbow Dash, are you hurt anywhere? Feeling sick? Is your headache still there?"

Rainbow Dash stopped and looked at Fluttershy. Given the state of the world, Fluttershy had every right to be worried. "I’m fine, Fluttershy. And if you’re worried that I’m infected, I promise I’m not. Just a slight headache from my sleep." Rainbow Dash smiled softly, gently patting Fluttershy's head.

"Okay... I'm just worried about you, okay?" Fluttershy cupped Rainbow Dash’s cheek and smiled softly, pulling her hand back and turning towards the kitchen entrance.

Rainbow Dash continued towards the kitchen, followed closely by Fluttershy. They both entered and were surprised to find the Doom slayer leaned against a wall on the floor, his body motionless.

Rainbow Dash, having had enough of the strangeness, walked to the counter and started preparing her coffee. Fluttershy, filled with curiosity, approached the Doom slayer and kneeled down. She looked at his visor, tilting her head slightly as it reflected her image. She squinted, looking closer.

"Hello, sweetheart."

"Kya!" Fluttershy jumped back as Vega’s voice suddenly spoke. She hurried behind Rainbow Dash to hide, peeking out cautiously. Rainbow Dash, not fazed, sipped her coffee, finding the situation amusing deep down.

"I apologize for the sudden response... The slayer is fast asleep, and I recommend you don’t wake him up unless absolutely necessary,"

Fluttershy nodded shyly and slowly stepped out from behind Rainbow Dash, her pink hair partially covering her face.

"Let’s go back with the others, Fluttershy," Rainbow Dash suggested as she headed towards the living room.

Fluttershy glanced at the Doom Slayer one more time, concerned for him seeing him sleep in such an uncomfortable position. She sighed and followed Rainbow Dash.
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Rainbow Dash leaned on the table, watching Twilight fiddling with the walkie-talkie. Applejack sat on a chair, cleaning her axe with a rag. Meanwhile, Rarity and Fluttershy were on the couch, with Fluttershy combing Rarity’s hair as she admired herself in a handheld mirror.

Applejack set her axe against the chair and looked at Twilight. "Twi, should we start on the tasks we're supposed to do?"

Twilight put the walkie-talkie down and looked at Rainbow Dash leaning on the table, sipping her coffee. She then glanced at Rarity and Fluttershy before meeting Applejack's eyes. "Are you all ready, girls?"

"I am," Applejack replied, with the others nodding in agreement.

Twilight was silent for a few moments before she spoke again. "Okay, Fluttershy will stay here with me. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity will go look for supplies." Twilight’s voice carried a hint of hesitation, almost as if she didn’t want them to go out, still wary of the dangers despite Vega’s reassurances.

Rainbow Dash placed her empty cup on the table, next to the transmitter. She stood up and stretched her arms. "Twilight, don’t worry... we’ll stay alert," she said with a small smile.

"Yes, darling. Plus, I know some support magic. All we need to do is be cautious and vigilant," Rarity added.

Applejack stood up and rested her axe on her shoulder. "Okay, better start early while it’s bright. I’ll wait for y’all outside." She walked to the front door, opened it, and stepped out, leaving it ajar.

Rarity turned to Fluttershy and kissed her forehead. "Thank you, darling. Make sure to help Twilight with whatever she needs." Rarity stood up and followed Applejack outside.

"Twi, see you later. We’ll gather what we can find," Rainbow Dash added before following Rarity, also leaving the front door open.

Now, it was just Twilight and Fluttershy left in the living room. They looked at each other from their seats. "Fluttershy, take a seat here beside me."

"O-okay." Fluttershy got up, moved a nearby chair next to Twilight, and sat down, smiling softly at her.

"So, what are we doing?" Fluttershy asked.

"We’re staying active," Twilight said, still fiddling with the walkie-talkie. "I’m trying to receive any signals... if there’s anyone out there." Twilight frowned slightly but quickly replaced it with a soft smile, looking at Fluttershy. "Are you doing okay?"

"Y-yeah, I’m doing fine. I’m at least happy to have you girls... and the Doom Guy," Fluttershy said.

Twilight chuckled softly, reaching over to tuck a strand of Fluttershy’s hair behind her ear. "I’m glad you’re at least happy," Twilight said in a comforting tone.

Fluttershy had also lost many loved ones, even most of her animal friends. Twilight felt a mix of relief and gratitude each day that Fluttershy, the most shy and vulnerable in the group, had not broken. She silently thanked Faust for Fluttershy’s unique strength.

"U-umm, how about you, Twilight?" Fluttershy asked.

"Me? I’m doing fine… Trying to be strong for you girls. I'm never wasting this opportunity to save all creaturekind!" Twilight declared, lifting and balling her right fist with determination.

Fluttershy giggled softly, looking at Twilight. "Okay. And—"

The walkie-talkie crackled to life with a raspy, grainy voice.

pssst

"H-hello. Hello~" spoke a female voice with an accent.

Twilight and Fluttershy quickly turned their attention to the walkie-talkie. Twilight held it and pushed the button. "Yes, yes! I'm Twilight Sparkle. May I have your name?!"

"W-we need help. Please. My name is Anya Pri- and I have anoth- his na- is Mikhail Sta-"

The radio seemed to bug out. Without hesitation, Twilight immediately spoke.

"W-where are you?!" Twilight practically shouted into the walkie-talkie.

"Huh??" replied the buggy female voice.

"Where are you?!" Twilight repeated slowly.

"W-we're in Vanhoover, under the building—Global Medicine and - ugs Corporation..."

"Can you repeat that?" Twilight asked urgently.

tsssst

The only response they received back was static and emptiness.

Fluttershy, shocked as well, calmed herself and looked at Twilight. "I'll go get him."

Fluttershy stood up and hurried to the kitchen entrance, bumping into the Doom Guy. She rubbed her nose and looked up at him.

"We have heard," Vega said said, the doom slayer pats Fluttershy's head apologetically, not gonna lie he felt bad to see this mare hurt because of him. He then walked over to Twilight.

Twilight stood up and confronted him. "We received a radio transmission. There are two survivors. They're located in Vanhoover, under a building named Global Medicine and Drugs Corporation."

"Thank you... We'll leave now," Vega said.

Twilight grabbed his hand, stopping him from turning around to walk to the front door. "W-wait! V-Vanhoover is not a small city, and t-the population there is close to five hundred thousand!" Twilight said with worry. "C-can I trust you? P-please promise me, Doom Guy, please... promise me that you'll live." Twilight clutched the Doom Slayer's hand tighter, tiny tears beginning to fall down her cheeks.

The Doom Slayer silently looked at Twilight for a few seconds before lifting his hand to pat her head, reassuring her.

Twilight closed her eyes at the touch and calmed down. She released his hand and wiped her tears. Fluttershy walked beside Twilight and hugged her comfortingly.

The Doom Slayer turned around and walked to the front door and outside. He saw the boxes on the front porch filled with some supplies. He walked down the wooden steps, the morning sunlight reflecting off his armor.

He saw Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity approaching. Applejack held a bag in her right hand while her left gripped her axe. Rarity and Rainbow Dash were lifting a cardboard box.

The three saw the Doom Slayer, sensing something was going on. They hurriedly walked closer to the house and set the bags and boxes down in the shade.

"What's goin' on here?" Applejack asked.

Suddenly, Twilight and Fluttershy emerged from the front door, looking at the Doom Slayer with worry.

"Opening portal to Vanhoover in 3...2—"

The three exclaimed in unison, "V-vanhoover?!"

Rainbow Dash quickly stepped onto the front porch stairs, looking at Twilight with worry while holding the rail. "T-Twilight, what's happening?"

Beside the Doom Slayer, a portal opened.

"T-the Doom Slayer is going to rescue somepony," Twilight said, her voice filled with hurt, as if she didn’t even want to talk about it.

Rarity stepped forward with Rainbow Dash by her side. "D-darling, you’re sending him out on a s-suicide mission?!" Rarity said, worried and in disbelief.

Twilight clenched her fists and looked away. Fluttershy stepped in front of Twilight to defend her. "G-girls, it's true, b-but the Doom Guy promised he'd come back."

"B-but it's... Urgh!" Rainbow Dash turned around in frustration and walked away.

Fluttershy visibly shook at Rainbow Dash's frustration, clenching her heart, questioning herself if she done something wrong. Rarity walked up the front porch and hugged Fluttershy, pulling her head to rest on her chest. "Shh. Darling, you don’t have to talk now."

Before the Doom Slayer could step into the portal, Applejack held his hand. "Are you sure you’re doin' this, sugar?"

"The Doom Slayer said yes, and that all of you must not worry," Vega reassured in his usual AI voice.

Applejack hesitated but then pulled back her hand. "Be careful..."

The Doom Slayer stepped into the blue portal, which closed and disappeared, leaving the girls alone on the island of Trottingham.
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The Doom Slayer emerged on a building rooftop in Vanhoover. The portal behind him closed and vanished. He walked to the ledge, looking out over the city.

The sight reminded him of the first demon invasion, fueling his anger. He wanted to leap down and rip and tear every last one of those ants.

"I have detected your heart rate is increasing rapidly... I suggest we prioritize our rescue mission first," Vega said.

The Doom Slayer stood motionless, staring down at the streets littered with infected, buildings on the verge of collapse, and the sky covered with nimbus clouds.

The Doom Slayer leaped to another rooftop, using his meat hook to traverse the buildings swiftly. He shot the hook at a distant structure, pulled himself up with great force, and dehooked, landing on another rooftop before running to the edge.

"Wait... I am receiving faint radio waves from that building with the planet logo... Though I am not sure, I suggest you get closer so I can decipher if the radio signal has an active user."
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“Cuka blyat.” An earth pony with light green fur and short grey hair, appearing to be in his twenties, cursed in annoyance as he kicked the table. He wore a lab coat over a white shirt and long pants. He then turned to look at his sister.

His unicorn sister, also in her twenties, had light purple fur and a blonde mane. She wore the same clothing as her brother. “Calm down, Mikhail. T-they said they will save us,” Anya reassured him, though she herself was hesitant to believe that rescue was possible.

"Who? Vy znayete, chto etot gorod - beznadezhnoye delo." he responded.
Translation:You know this city is a lost cause

"M-mikhail... I—" The walkie-talkie in Anya's hand crackled to life.

"Hello, I am Vega, the Doom Slayer's AI assistant. The Slayer is inside the building. Please provide me your location.

The two siblings exchanged disbelieving looks. They had only just spoken to Twilight, and now, in under half an hour, the Doom Slayer was in Vanhoover. Mikhail nodded with determination at Anya.

Anya spoke into the walkie-talkie. "Privet, we are in a lab under this building, but the elevator is not working." She said in her Prussian-English accent.

A disgusting splat sound came through the walkie-talkie, followed by Vega's voice. "I apologize. The Doom Slayer has killed three infected. Any other ways we can find you?"

The siblings were in disbelief. This pony had killed three infected alone. Anya composed herself and spoke again.

"Da, there is another way, but the stairs are blocked and locked. If forced open, it will trigger an emergency alarm. I suggest you wait for us by the other side, and we will open it..."

Mikhail, worried and fearful, approached Anya. "Sestra, this lab has ten infected roaming. It's dark and tight. It's dangerous to get outside this room."

"I-I know, but... we have to, brat," Anya replied, though she too dreaded the thought of leaving the room and encountering the infected.

They looked at each other with brief sadness and care until the walkie-talkie spoke again. "We are now in front of the orange double doors."

Anya and Mikhail nodded to each other, hesitant but resolute.

"Blyat... Guess we're really doing this, huh," Mikhail said, smiling sadly as he caressed Anya's cheek.

Anya put her hand over his. "Mikhail, I love you... I love you so much. We'll die of old age, okay? Obeshchat?"

"Obeshchat," Mikhail promised, kissing Anya's forehead before pulling back. He searched the cabinet and retrieved two hatchets, handing one to Anya.

"Here, take one," Mikhail said, tossing her a hatchet, which she caught.

He then grabbed another hatchet for himself. "Mister red emergency hatches... If he's alive I could pecker his face with kisses."

Anya huffed and rolled her eyes, a small smile on her lips. "Oh, you... Mikhail, you'll stay by my side, watching the back, while I take the front. If something happens... we're in this together."

The candle began to dim.

Mikhail approached the door, holding his hatchets ready. Anya followed, her horn glowing brightly in a light purple hue. She peeked around the corners, seeing nothing but blood streaks on the walls and a faint rotting smell similar to rotten egg mixed with decaying rat.

Anya nodded to Mikhail and walked out first. Mikhail quickly followed suit, walking alongside Anya, watching over his shoulders to ensure nothing was behind them.

They passed a dead body laying around, the smell of rotting almost made them throw up. They walked past it and continued walking.

Their only source of light was Anya's glowing horn, illuminating a limited proximity in the long, tight hallways. They walked faster, peeking around the corners to ensure the path was clear.

They needed to take two more right turns before reaching the door. The clacking of their hooves on the tiled floor echoed in the silence, the only sounds being their slow breathing and hoofsteps.
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"A-Anya, run!" Mikhail shouted in alarm.

Without hesitation, Anya began to run, followed closely by Mikhail. The sound of footsteps behind them grew louder and more frequent.

"Ru!" Mikhail stopped and turned around, gripping his hatchets tightly.

Hearing Mikhail stop running, Anya turned around to see him standing in the middle of the hallway, confronting the incoming infected.

"Mikhail!" Anya cried out, using all her magic to light up a large area of the hallway. She directed her magic at Mikhail, causing his body to glow with her aura. As an infected pounced on him, he dodged and beheaded it in a single slash. "Vy, ublyudki!!" he yelled.

Mikhail turned to the other infected, screaming in rage. He blocked a bite, pushing the infected aside, and then beheaded another that was coming his way. The infected he had thrown aside almost bit his face, but with Anya's help, she accurately threw her hatchet at the infected's neck, decapitating it and spraying a bit of blood on Mikhail's face.

"I can't leave you, Mikhail," Anya cried.

Mikhail turned towards the approaching infected and slashed at them, severing their limbs and drop-kicking one, sending it back into the others. The infected at the back screamed ghastly, the sound echoing through the hallways.

More distant screams responded, sending both Mikhail and Anya's fear into overdrive. Mikhail bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. "Anya! The sooner you get to this Doom Slayer, the sooner we get to safety. Idti!"

Anya, exhausted from using all her magic to support her brother, bit the inside of her mouth for strength. She created a levitating ball of light and left it near Mikhail. "I-I'll be back!"

"Hehehe. Idite ko mne, ublyudki!" Mikhail taunted, as more infected approached. One particularly large infected leaped at him, knocking him to the ground before running off towards Anya.

"No!" Mikhail shouted, quickly standing up to chase after the infected, but the others behind him were closing in fast. He turned around and screamed in fury.
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SFX: Clack, clack, clack.

Her breathing is short and gasping, her adrenaline is running through her blood.

Anya ran as fast as she could towards the double doors leading to the stairs. Turning the last right corner, she saw the door's window illuminated with a white light. A hopeful smile crossed her lips as she sprinted towards the door, bumping into it before quickly opening it.

She flung the door open to reveal a 6'10" tall creature wearing green, bulky, and intimidating armor. In its hand, it held a tube-like object, she can see what's inside.

SFX: BANG!

Her ears rang from the loud noise, and she stumbled to the side. The Doom Slayer lowered the tube, the light on his helmet visor shining directly into her eyes, causing her to squint.

Behind Anya the infected that was gaining on her has its head obliterated by the combat shotgun.

"Where is the other named Mikhail?" a voice asked from the armor, barely audible over the ringing in her ears.

"Behind," Anya replied weakly, pointing back down the hallway.

The Doom Slayer stepped past her, closing the double doors to protect her from the infected outside. He then moved quickly, heading further back to search for Mikhail. A faint, raging scream grew louder as he jogged, turning a corner to find Mikhail pinned to the ground. His left arm was missing, and his right arm protected his neck as six infected tore at his flesh.

The Doom Slayer's face contorted with anger. He dashed towards the infected, grabbing one by the neck and lifting it effortlessly with his right hand. His left arm's Doom blade extended, stabbing the infected's head before he slammed it against the wall, painting it with blood.

The other infected stood and leaped at the Doom Slayer. He stabbed one in the face, grabbed another's head with his other hand, and squeezed until its brain and flesh oozed through his fingers. Regaining his footing, he punched another infected's head, obliterating it entirely.

An infected pounced on the Doom Slayer, who caught it mid-air and inserted his fingers into its eye sockets, ripping its head in half. The last infected clung to his left arm, trying to bite his forearm, but its teeth shattered against the Praetor suit's armor.

The Doom Slayer grabbed its head, lifting it high, while the infected clawed desperately at his arm. He threw the infected against the wall with such force that it crated and flattened against the surface.

[Music end]

"Mikhail!" Anya cried, running past the Doom Slayer and kneeling on the floor beside her brother. She gently cradled his head, tears streaming down her cheeks and onto his face. "Oh no... please, Mikhail," she sobbed.

Mikhail was severely injured. His right arm was gone, and his left arm and other parts of his body were covered in deep bite wounds and torn flesh.

He smiled weakly, reaching up to caress his sister's cheek, smearing blood on her skin like a canvas. "Anya, I love you... Since I was adopted, I've been afraid to say this, but I love you so much, more than a brother should. I want to be with you forever, moya lyubov."

Anya's sobs grew louder. "Stay a bit longer, please, Mikhail. Stay with me." She leaned down and connect their lips in a gentle emotional, kiss, tears still streaming down anya's cheeks.

The hand that caressed her cheek fell to the floor, lifeless.

Mikhail's body slowly went limp in her arms.

Anya pulled back, her face filled with sorrow and tears. "Mikhail! M-Mikhail, please!" She shook him as if trying to wake him from a deep sleep. "No! Please! You promised we’d grow old together. Please!"

The Doom Slayer watched silently, his rage simmering as he observed Anya clutching Mikhail's body.

"Creating portal to Trottingham in 3... 2... 1,"

A blue portal materialized behind the Doom Slayer. He approached Anya and gently patted her back.

"We have to leave now. There's a chance that Mikhail will turn into one of them and hurt you. If you two made a promise to each other, then you must fulfill it for him."

Anya's sobs gradually subsided. She gently laid Mikhail's head on the floor, kissed his forehead, and stood up.

"Proceed to the portal," Vega instructed.

Anya looked down at Mikhail's body, noticing the hatchet beside him. She picked it up, clutching it tightly as if it were her lifeline.

She looked into the Doom Slayer's visor, the light from it illuminating her face. "Spasibo," she whispered.

The Doom Slayer nodded. Anya walked through the portal and disappeared. He glanced at Mikhail's body one last time. The cannon on his shoulder fired a molotov grenade, engulfing the body in a fiery explosion.

"Farewell..." he muttered, his voice heavy and gruff.

The Doom Slayer turned and stepped into the portal, which vanished behind him.
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Rainbow Dash and Applejack sat on the front porch, waiting anxiously for the portal to appear. The others were still inside, gathering supplies from the shops and houses.

Suddenly, a blue portal materialized near the house. Both Applejack and Rainbow Dash jumped to their hooves.

"Um, girls! The portal is here!!" Rainbow Dash called out.

The front door burst open, and Rarity, Twilight, and Fluttershy stepped outside. They all moved toward the portal just as Anya stepped through. She smiled at the girls, but her eyes closed, and she collapsed.

Rainbow Dash quickly caught Anya, supporting her in her arms. "She's not moving."

Applejack rushed over and took Anya from Rainbow Dash. "I'll carry her to the guest room," she said, lifting Anya into her arms.

"W-where’s the other? There should be two," Twilight said, her voice filled with worry.

The Doom Slayer emerged from the portal, and it vanished behind him. He turned to face the girls.

"W-where is the second one? T-there should be two of them," Twilight repeated, looking at the Doom Slayer with concern.

"I apologize, girls. Due to the circumstances, we had no choice but to wait outside a door and let them find their way to us and open it from their side. If we had opened the door ourselves, an alarm would have gone off, and the infected would have swarmed inside," Vega explained.

The girls’ faces fell into expressions of disbelief and sadness, realizing that the other pony was likely gone. Their ears drooped low.

Applejack nodded somberly and carried Anya back to the house. Rainbow Dash followed closely behind. Rarity stepped closer to the Doom Slayer, placing a hand on his chest. She felt the cold metal of his Praetor suit before pulling her hoof back and looking up at his visor. "You did what you could, and that’s what matters," she said softly, then turned and walked back to the house.

Fluttershy looked worriedly at the silent Doom Slayer. Her instincts screamed at her to comfort him, to ease the pain he carried, but fear held her back.

Twilight spoke gently, "We’ll wait for you back at the house." She mustered a small smile for the Doom Slayer before turning around and heading inside.

Gathering all her courage, Fluttershy hugged the Doom Slayer, feeling the cold material of his suit on her skin. "It's okay," she whispered.

Twilight glanced over her shoulder, smiling softly at the sight. Fluttershy slowly pulled back, giving the Doom Slayer a sweet, gentle smile before jogging back to Twilight.

Now alone, the Doom Slayer looked up at the sky and took a deep breath. "If we had opened that door, we wouldn’t have had enough time to search for Mikhail and Anya. I calculated that before we could find them, thousands of infected would have gathered inside, and the chances of saving them would have been almost zero, as the infected were strong enough to break down doors."

The Doom Slayer clenched his fists, looking down at the ground. His posture was stiff and trembling.

"I understand if you’re angry. I suggest you take a nap while the girls attend to Anya," Vega said soothingly.

The Doom Slayer relaxed and began to walk towards the forest. Once there, he sat down and leaned against a tree. The sound of birds filled his ears, and he could see the small town in the distance.

"Shall I turn on anc mode?... No? I understand,"

The Doom Slayer closed his eyes, his body relaxing as the tree provided shade and the birds offered a soothing melody for his rest.
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The sound of childlike laughing entered his ears, the shine of the morning light hugging his skin gently. Feeling the grass brush against his legs. He glanced down and smiled softly.

"Papa! I wuv you! One day I wanna be like mama and be with you forever!" A little girl innocently said as she smiled brightly. She then turned around and began running in the grassy fields.

A woman stood by his side, trailing her fingers on his chest. Feeling his muscles through his shirt. "Honey, be strong for our pumpkin okay?" She turned her head towards the child and giggled softly. "She's our world, our life... And our memory."

The woman turned towards the him and cupped his cheek. He felt the ring on her ring finger touch his cheek. Her gently hands bringing him comfort. "And I wonder why everyone keeps calling me the quiet one... Promise me okay?"

I promise

On the next chapter

Art by Holivi

Author's Note

Can I have your thoughts on the story?

Also, while the story is early and no romance is being made.

Should I include sex and romance? Or romance only? Or nah?