Second Wind

The Hacker was the first one hit when the doors opened. Bullets ripped through his flesh like a knife through warm butter. He was hit through his neck and his upper torso. He thrashed about wildly on the ground, both of his hands around his throat. In a panic, he removed his hands, and tried to pick himself off of the floor, but failed to muster the strength. He fell back to the ground. His gas mask had shattered, and his eyes were completely visible. They were pale blue, and filled with fear and panic.

"IT HURTS! OH MY GOD, IT HURTS!" He screamed, pounding his fists against the ground in pain. Blood flowed from his neck and torso, and you could see blood streaming from underneath the gas mask, down his neck, joining the blood all over his wounds.

He must be vomiting blood. Poor bastard.

You didn't know if you could save him, but you weren't going to let him die alone. You peek out from the wall beside the door.

"GRENADE, FUCKING MOVE!" You yell. You pull the pin, and throw it down the hallway.

"SHIT! OH SHIT!" You hear voices down the corridor scream. After the boom, you threw yourself from the cover, and started a fast paced walk down the corridor the doors opened to reveal. The shock from the grenade in such an enclosed space must have been brutal, as those who weren't killed from it were struggling to get back to their feet. You put your rifle up to your shoulder, aimed down the sights, and squeezed the trigger, killing anyone that moved. Within moments, the corridor was filled with the dead. You waved your hand in a circle, barking orders at the 60 soldiers with you.

"MOVE, MOVE, MOVE! GET DOWN INTO THAT BUNKER! YOU!" You pointed at a medic. He looked at you, and snapped to attention. "STAY WITH THE HACKER! IF HE DIES, MAKE SURE HE ISN'T ALONE!" You started to run backwards, watching the medic tend to the hacker, before turning around to run properly.

The rest of your men were already far down the corridor. Your gear clunked and echoed off of the hallway, as did your sprinting footsteps. You radio buzzed.

"THIS IS CARTER! THERE'S A GOD DAMN ATTACK HELICOPTER OUT HERE! WE THINK IT'S TRYING TO EVACUATE THE CHAIRMAN!"

No. Not now. Not after you've come this far.

You pick up your sprint, running so fast that you feared tripping over your own feet.

You soon began to hear gunfire and shouting from down the corridor. That's when you arrive at the end of the corridor. It opened up to reveal an enormous room, one that looked like a helipad, but built into the side of a mountain. The roof was nothing more than a frozen cave, but on the sides of this room were small, house like structures, and cement was on the floor. The room itself was about the side of a football field, and on the far end was a helicopter that just flew in from the outside, attempting to land at the helipad also at the far end. Rage almost overflows inside of you.

"FOCUS FIRE ON THE MOTHERFUCKING HELICOPTER! I WANT EVERY WEAPON TRAINED ON IT! SCARE IT THE FUCK OFF!"

You see figures assembling under the helipad, obviously waiting on the helicopter to land. You knew it was The Chairman and the IMO board. You had half a mind to shoot them from back here.

No. They don't deserve to die that easy.

You smile wildly under your gas mask, and shout as loud as you can.

"I'M COMING FOR YOU, FUCKERS! YOU HEAR ME?! I'M COMING!"

_________________________________________________________________________________

I'M COMING FOR YOU, FUCKERS! YOU HEAR ME?! I'M COMING!

You stop dead in your tracks, feeling goosebumps pop all over you. You heard that voice clear in your head. It sounded so angry. So familiar. You feel Trixie bump into you, your stop too sudden for her to dodge.

"UMPH! Hey!" She objects. You pay no attention to her. You felt funny. Almost like you had achieved a higher state of existence. Somewhere out there, something big was happening. You could literally feel it. You snap back to reality, noticing Trixie standing in front of you, slowly waving her hoof. "Hello? Alan? Are you okay?" You blink, and she sighs in relief. "Trixie has plenty of water. Would you like some?" You rub your eyes with your palms, working them over to both of your temples.

"No thanks. Just had a little moment there, is all." Trixie smiles big. You liked seeing her smile.

"Well, if you need anything, anything at all, the generous and caring Trixie can help! She may not be as great and powerful as she once thought, but she'd be happy to help!" You return her smile, running your fingers through her mane.

"I'll be sure to alert Trixie the moment I need her." She smiles, and motions for you to continue your walk. Bakir and Mala didn't seem to notice this little stop you had taken, and were ahead quite a bit. You follow Trixie, both of you picking up your pace ever-so-slightly. Bakir and Mala stop at the edge of another dune, looking down at something. You and Trixie both catch up, and take in the sight.

Below the dune, still quite far away, was Dodge City. You could see it from here. It didn't look like any city you knew of. It looked more like a very small, stereotypical western town.

"The Junction is just up ahead. If we pick up our pace slightly, we may be able to catch a train TONIGHT." You immediately smile at that thought.

"BAD. ASS. C'mon, let's go!" You slide down the dune, the others following suit. You had never been more excited to get anywhere in your life. You were actually about to see something OTHER than the desert! Mala and Bakir soon catch up, as does Trixie. The sound of feet and hooves cracking and crunching on the sand was broken by Trixie's voice.

"Trixie would like to make a...request."

"Sure. Whatcha need?" You ask.

"This was the last town the lamenting and regretful Trixie visited before losing herself in the desert. The ponies in town may not be too happy to see her."

"No worries. Like I said, just stay near me. I'm an alien from another dimension, remember? I'll constantly mutter gibberish or something if it'll keep the attention on me. Maybe eat some sand." You snicker at the thought. Trixie didn't seem to catch on to the joke.

"You...You'd do that for me?" You've learned over the past day that you've known Trixie, that any time she breaks that 3rd person way of addressing herself, she usually really serious about whatever the subject may be.

"Well, I won't be eating sand. But, in all seriousness, if eyes become too focused on you, I promise I'll find a way to get the attention to me." Trixie looks at you, smiling. The smile quickly fades though, and she begins to look frustrated.

"Wait. Why are you doing this? Do you want money? What do you want?" She asks.

"What? No!" You immediately respond. "Look, I'm an amnesiac, right?" She eyes you cautiously, and nods her head. "So this is kinda like my second chance. I can go back, and do right where I may have done wrong. I can act with high morals, and it feel pretty damn good, because I don't remember ever doing anything bad. Does that make sense?" Trixie sighs.

"Sorry. The lonely and depressed Trixie doesn't have any friends right now. It only makes sense that you would arouse her suspicion. But..." She looks up at you. "She trusts you."

Your party was nearing Dodge City. You could make out figures moving about outside and inside the city.

You look at the members of your party, making sure they were ready for this new adventure. Everybody seemed eager, so, with reassurance in your steps, you enter the city.

In the back of your head, you KNOW you can hear screaming and maniacal laughter.

_________________________________________________________________________________

The torrent of bullets launched at the helicopter cracked the glass windows shielding the pilot, and it was forced to retreat. It wasn't going to be coming back until the helipad was clear. You laugh maniacally as the group that was gathered on the helipad retreated back into one of the house structures on the far end hangar.

Your men come down the huge concrete ramps on both sides of the corridor, running directly into this new battlefield, this hangar built in the side of a mountain. Guns blazing, they took cover in various positions around your end of the hangar. You throw yourself against the wall of a stone road block, kneeling down, reloading your rifle.

You can't believe what you had become. You used to be so innocent. So quiet. And now, here you were, killing other human beings. The IMO had broken you. They had broken you, and they had turned you into what they saw fit, this gross, unforgiving killing machine.

You snap out of your thoughts, bringing yourself back to the battle. You steady your rifle on the roadblock, and squeeze off several shots.

This was your final stand. You were either going to fix this entire situation, or you were going to die trying. If you were a broken man, then this was your hymn.

You notice a very quick glare in one of the towers at the far end of the hangar. You knew what it was immediately.

Light reflecting off of a high powered scope.

"EVERYONE, HEADS DOWN!" You shouted, pulling yourself behind the roadblock.

_________________________________________________________________________________

"EVERYONE, HEADS DOWN!"

You dove off of Lyra's bed, and took cover behind it, one hand on your head, the other hand scrambling for your weapon.

That's when you realize you had no weapon. This was Lyra's house, not a battlefield. A voice in your head screamed that. The voice in your head was just that. A voice in your head.

But it sounded so close. So real.

Lyra was looking at you, terrified.

"Is everything okay? Do I need to get down too?" She asked quickly, jumping up. You shake your head.

"No. No, I just had a memory, I guess. Sorry about that..." You look at her, trying to make sure she was okay. She was still slightly on edge, but had relaxed back down onto the bed. "Still want that massage?" He frown immediately lifted itself to form a smile. She nodded, and laid back down on her stomach, sprawling herself out on the bed. You get back on top of her.

You take your hands, and start at what you would call her shoulders. You press down slightly, and work your fingers into her flesh gently. Your mind began to wonder as you did this repetitive task.

Was that Max's voice you heard? Max didn't give orders. Was that a flashback? Was your mind playing tricks on you? You know for a fact you heard the voice. Perhaps you were going insane.

You stop the kneading of your fingers on Lyra's shoulders, and begin to work your way down to her hips. You rub gently, pressing your hands slightly into her coat. You begin to repeat this motion, over and over again. You force your mind to stop wandering, and focus on the task at hand. Lyra was an amazing girl. Amazing pony, rather. She deserves the best you can give her. Which was kind of funny, now that you thought about it.

You can infiltrate enemy lines without a single person noticing. You can collect information, stick to the shadows, and get in and out of any complex, no matter how "secure". You can defuse bombs and rescue hostages. You can take 3 men in hand to hand combat at once, and come out on top. You REALLY hoped you could give a quality massage.

Lyra seemed to be enjoying herself, however. She was smiling, her forelegs crossed under her head. You work your hands down to her lower hips and lower back, continuing your process of kneading and rubbing. If you were massaging anyone other than Lyra, your inexperience would be shining through. But thankfully, in Lyra's eyes, you can do nothing wrong.

You work your way back up to her shoulders.

"Feel better?" You ask.

"Mmm...yeah. Thanks Alan." You gently pat her back, climbing down off of her.

"Not a problem." You stand up off of the bed, and hop onto your feet. "I guess I'll see you in the morning." You begin to walk towards the door. "Goodnight, Ly-"

"WAIT!" She almost shouted. You turn around, and lean against the doorway.

"Yeah?" You ask.

"Do you think you could sleep in here tonight? I don't wanna have any bad dreams..." She mumbled the entire sentence. She was actually very cute when she was being shy.

"How will I prevent you from having bad dreams?" She looks around the room, trying to avoid eye contact with you out of being shy.

"Well, I just kinda feel safe around you..." You smile. Lyra really unknowingly boosted your self-confidence over the past few days.

"Sure Lyra. Lemme go get my stuff, and I'll be right up." She squeals with excitement as you exit the room. You walk downstairs, down the hallway, and into your room. You grab all of the blankets you have, your pillows, and another blanket from a chest inside of the room. With your hands and arms completely filled, you go back upstairs. Lyra was sitting up in bed like a human would, watching you as you made a makeshift mattress out of blankets. You put your pillows down next, and laid in this new bed you had created.

It was actually really comfortable. You pull up the blanket you were actually going to use as a blanket, and get yourself in a comfortable position.

"Well, I was gonna say...you could have slept...well. Okay. Goodnight Alan."

"Goodnight Lyra." You close your eyes, and float off to sleep very quickly.

In the middle of the night, you wake up.

You feel something against you.

You pull back the blanket, and sure enough, there's Lyra, wrapped around you, fast asleep. The chill of the air outside of the blanket makes her shiver in her sleep.

Aww...

You pull the blanket back up, and wrap your arms around her, pulling her as close to you as you can get her.

"Mmm..." She smiles and hums in her sleep. You really hoped she was comfortable. You didn't want to rush things with this pony. You really liked her. She nuzzled against your chest, her horn facing up, and not impaling you.

You still can't believe she abandoned her bed for this. For you. You were going to be exploding with self-confidence by the time you wake up.

Well. We could start sleeping together. That's not too fast, I guess.

In the back of your head, you can hear someone shouting. You shake it off, and hug Lyra while she sleeps.

This was more important.

_________________________________________________________________________________

You were out of ideas. You look around at your men, ducking and hiding between various forms of cover, not wanting to get their heads taken off of their shoulders by a sniper. You notice one man has an AT4 strapped to his back.

"YOU! AT4 GUY!" He looks up at you, hearing you over the gunfire.

"SIR?" He shouts back.

"I'M GOING TO CREATE A DISTRACTION. USE THE AT4 ON THE TOWER!" He nods, and unstraps the shoulder-fired missile launcher. You peek over the cover quickly, looking for the next spot you can take cover behind. Part of the roadblock you were currently behind exploded in your face, followed by the loud crack of the sniper rifle.

"FUCK!" You scream, ducking back behind what was left of the roadblock. You take a deep breath, and leap over the crumbling roadblock. You hear something whiz just past your head, followed by another clap. You throw yourself into a slide, ending up behind another roadblock. You look back to your men. The AT4 Pathfinder was taking aim.

You needed to keep the Sniper distracted. You went to poke your head back up, and felt something in your head jerk, followed by another loud crack of the rifle. You immediately fall back down.

Oh shit...

You pat around your head briefly.

You weren't hit. But the right lens of your gas mask was completely shattered. The Sniper had shot at you, and grazed your head so close, that it hit and broken out the lens.

The AT4 Pathfinder pulled the trigger, sending a missile flying towards the tower. The missile hit, and exploded on impact, completely obliterating the top of the tower. All of the chunks of stone and concrete fell onto the nearby house-like structure, causing it to crumble, as well.

It was safe to say that the Sniper was dead.

"MOVE UP!" You shouted. "THIS IS IT! IT ENDS HERE!"

_________________________________________________________________________________

"MOVE UP! THIS IS IT! IT ENDS HERE!"

You didn't break the kiss you and Rainbow Dash had been sharing. You had been hearing voices for awhile now, so this wasn't really a good reason to withdraw your tongue.

To be honest, you were certain you were losing your mind. Now that you were recovering your memories, you began to notice something very odd, something that bothered you quite a bit. These two worlds, Equestria, and Earth, while their inhabitants and range of colors were different, were both VERY alike. You unbutton your shirt and throw it aside, and slide your pants and underwear off, flipping Rainbow Dash over on her back. You climb back on top of her, pulling her towards you by her waist.

The cities were a good example. Los Pegasus? MANEhattan? DODGE CITY? The inside of females was also something that felt really similar. You almost laugh, entering inside of Rainbow Dash, who lets out a very loud sigh as you work your way in. You go back to this thinking. The parallels were very odd. The cities were named similar, they had the FRENCH language here, similar food, and while they wrote in a completely separate alphabet, they SPOKE ENGLISH.

You slowly pull yourself in and out of Rainbow Dash, slowly building your speed. She responds by moving her hips accordingly. What got you the most about this entire place, however, was just how accepting they were of you. You appeared, and then right there and then, you were considered normal. You were then appointed an Honor Guard, and are currently having sex with one of the inhabitants of this universe. If it wasn't for Adam's sudden appearance, you would start to believe that this universe was one of your own design, that perhaps you were in an awful accident, and now you're in a coma, attempting to comfort yourself.

Rainbow Dash has her head leaning back against her pillows, her eyes half-way rolled back into her head, her cheeks flushed, and her tongue hanging out of her mouth. You can tell she's on the edge of a climax, so you pick up speed even more, intending to finish with her.

Unless...

What if you really are dead? What if you died, and now, this is the afterlife? Obviously, Ponies can die here. But with the presence of magic and what-not, maybe this is the TRUE afterlife. Just, rather than angels, you have pegasi. You grip Rainbow Dash's headboard, slamming yourself into her, while she moans and screams in pleasure. You release, pumping  inside of her, her hips bucking with each pump. You slide out, and fall back in the bed beside her, putting one arm around her, and pulling her close.

Rainbow Dash was breathing hard and fast, but was smiling.

"That, was....I love you..." She panted.

You weren't sure exactly if you were dead or not. But what you were sure of, is the fact that you made plenty of mistakes while on Earth. You weren't going to take life so seriously here. You were going to relax, and enjoy what time you had left on Equestria.

You smile even wider, nuzzling Rainbow Dash. In the back of your head, you can hear a voice shouting, and to be honest, it felt good. Submitting to it felt good. Somewhere, something really good was about to happen. You could feel it.

You kiss Rainbow Dash again, and stare into her eyes while she stares back. Tonight was a good night.

_________________________________________________________________________________

This was it. The IMO Board and the Chairman were both trapped. They were going to die. You were going to see to it that each and every single one died. The IMO soldier you were shooting at stopped to reload, backpedaling and panicking with his weapon. You smile wildly under your mask, feeling the pure embodiment of War taking you over.

This gonna be MESSY.

"CHAAAAARGE!" You screamed. All of your men abandoned their cover, and began rushing what little IMO resistance remained. Tactically, this was suicide. But on the battlefield of the mind, this was genius. You ran forward, dropping your shoulder. You slammed into the IMO soldier that was trying to reload as hard as you could. He fell on his back, attempting to scramble backwards. You put a foot on his chest and fired rapidly all over his body, killing him instantly.

You watched your fellow men trample and run over the bodies of the men they had just executed. It was now just you and the IMO board members.

"Fan out." You said. "Kill them all." You head to the house structure on the far end, determined to find and kill The Chairman. You walked over to Carter, who was now in the hangar, and whispered very specific orders to him. He nodded his head, and took cover outside of the structure, aiming his rifle at the door.

You reach the structure, and open the door. It was pitch black inside. You begin your search, walking up the staircase and checking each of the dark rooms.

Nothing.

You back down the staircase, and just as you were about to leave, you heard a click, and the lights flicked on. Someone grabbed you from behind, and placed a gun on your temple. The cold steel of the gun pressed firmly against your hair, chilling your skull.

"You stupid sack of shit." The voice said. "You think I haven't had my fair share of rodeos in my day?" You don't respond. You only smile under your gas mask.

"You're an idiot. You're going to die." You said. You hear the voice laugh.

"I don't believe you're quite in the position to declare anything of that matter. Now, beg for mercy." You smile even harder under your gas mask.

"Carter. Now." You hear his rifle fire several times, feeling each of the bullets tear through you. The Chairman, standing behind you, was also being shot. You feel him slip off of you, and hit the ground. You were beginning to feel very weak. You turn around, and stumble towards him. You pick him up by his collar using your left arm, and slam him against the wall. You draw your knife, pull it back, and as hard as you have ever slung your arm, slit his throat. You then hold him up, and let him bleed. He struggled briefly, but quickly stopped. When he was done, you limped out of the structure, and began to walk towards the open hangar doors. When you reached them, you cocked his body back, and threw it out, letting it fall into the chasm.

You submit to your injuries, fall to your knees, and then onto your stomach.

It was over. He was dead.

Aaden. Alan. Adam.

It's over.

Rest in peace, brothers.

Rest in peace.

You can hear several Pathfinders running over to you, yelling and shouting, but you couldn't understand what they were saying.

You start to feel very sleepy.

You decide to rest your eyes.

Just for a moment.

_________________________________________________________________________________

You wake up feeling amazing. You hadn't felt this good in as long as you could remember. You sit up, and grab Lyra's sleeping figure, squeezing her. Her eyes open slowly and over the duration of several blinks. She yawns, and returns the hug.

"Good morning to you too. What was the hug for?" She asks. You smile, and give her another hug.

"Lyra, I can't explain it, but I feel AMAZING. I just kinda woke up that way." She laughs. "Lemme show you." You grab her, and kiss her. No tongue yet, but it was certainly deep. She hums under the kiss, and when you release her, she hugs you.

"I like you a whole lot, too." She said, stuffing her face into your shirt. You still can't believe that you slept with clothes on, but you were in WAY too good of a mood to care. You still had a bunch of bits from your work with Chrysalis.

"Lyra, c'mon. Wanna go get some breakfast, maybe go back to the orchard?"Lyra smiles widely, and begins to blush. "Lyra. I like you." She giggles.

"I like you too. Let me take a shower, and we'll head out! Sound good?" You nod your head.

"Sounds great."

_________________________________________________________________________________

You feel peace sweep over you. Your party had missed the train for the evening, and had to wait for the afternoon to come before you could board. You breathe deep, savoring this feeling, and to your pleasure, it doesn't leave. It remains, and you decide to continue drinking it all in.

You were put up in a hotel on the edge of town. Surprisingly, you and Trixie both received no harassment or evil stares. You hear a knock at the door.

"Who is it?" You call.

"The annoying and friendless Trixie." You sit up off of your bed.

"Come in." The door opens, and Trixie trots in. "Trixie?"

"Yeah?" She said while closing the door.

"I wish you would stop saying you have no friends. I'm your friend." She looks at you in disbelief.

"R-really? You mean it?" You smile.

"I do. How're you holding up?" She sits on the bed next to you.

"Nobody has been mean to me yet. But I'm still scared." You put an arm around her, giving her a side hug. It's amazing how much you bond with someone while walking through the desert. Maybe all of the talking you were pretty much forced to do had something to do with it.

"Look, Trixie, we're friends, right?" She nods her head bashfully. "Sleep in here tonight. Go get Mr. Fuzzykins and your blanket." Trixie lights up with excitement and joy.

"I...I'll be right back!" She darted out of the room, and you could hear her hooves clop all the way down the hallway. You scoot over in your bed, making room for her return. A few moments later, she returned with her rabbit and blanket. She climbed up in bed next you, curled up under her blanket, and began to snuggle Mr. Fuzzykins.

You really liked this pony. While she was the first one you had seen so far, and the first one you've befriended, something about her really tugged at your heart. Maybe it was her hopeless nature, or her disposition in seeking redemption that attracted. Maybe you were just one superficial son of a bitch, and you found her physically attractive.

You made no attempt to fall asleep right off the bat. Rather, you decided to lay back, and enjoy this feeling of peace and comfort. Trixie began to stir in her sleep. That's when she did something that made your heart burst at it's seams.

Trixie knocked Mr. Fuzzykins off of the bed, and began to whimper. You gently reach your arms around her, securing her against your chest. She turned around, and returned the hug. Her whimpering quickly died down. She seemed to awake, but was very sleepy.

"I hope you don't...mind...you're better than Mr. Fuzzy...kins..." She mumbled. You didn't exactly know if she was talking in her sleep, or if she really was awake, but you hold her close anyways. This poor pony seemed to be very lonely and scared of going back into this Canterlot place. She could use a hug.

And truth be told, you could too.

You hold her close, and decide to let yourself sleep.

_________________________________________________________________________________

You awake feeling like God himself had breathed life into your lungs. You awake feeling extremely well rested. Rainbow Dash was sitting up in bed, already awake. You wrap your arms around her from behind.

"Good morning, Dashie." You cooed. She put her hooves over your hands, and leaned back and forth in the hug. "I'm feeling amazing right now. Wanna go get some food?" You hear her stomach rumble. "That's a yes." You laugh, and keep hugging her. You hear someone yell from the ground below.

"AADEN! AADEN, YOU UP?" You get up out of bed, and look out of the window. Alan was standing on the ground below the house, with Lyra ridding piggyback. "ALRIGHT, GOOD! WE'RE ON OUR WAY TO BREAKFAST, YOU HAVE A JACKET I CAN BORROW? IT'S KINDA BRISK OUT!" You grab the sweater you had off of the coat hanger, and throw it out of the window, watching it twist and turn in the wind. Alan had to run back and forth like a madman attempting to balance a chair on his nose, but he caught the coat out of the air, not letting it fall to the ground.

"THANKS! ALSO, YOU'RE AN ASS!" You see Lyra snicker, covering her mouth with a hoof. You lean back out of the window, and cup your hands around your mouth.

"HEY, RAINBOW DASH AND I ARE GOING TO EAT, TOO! WE'LL COME WITH YOU!" Alan simply gives you a thumbs up. You look back at Rainbow Dash, who was smiling and stretching.

"How about it, babe?" You ask. She nods her head.

"Let's do it!" She exclaimed, flexing her wings out.

_________________________________________________________________________________

It was hard for you to believe that Max was gone. First Alan, then Adam, then Aaden, now Max. It hurt. It hurt you deeply. You watched as several Pathfinders picked his body up, and placed it on a stretcher, covering him with a blanket. They removed his gas mask with the shattered lens from his body, and handed it to you.

You walked over to where his body was, and retrieved his rifle. It was his favorite. An L85A2, a weapon which hailed from the United Kingdom. He had several things scratched into his, along with a skull he had carved into the right side of the rifle. You walk over to the side of the hangar, and fire several shots with his rifle into the air.

If you had ever felt lonely before, it was now.

You were the only original Pathfinder left.

All of your friends were gone.

Pull it together, Carter.

Be strong.