CHAPTER 20: RESPONSIBILITY

If you can't bare the burden of responsibility, then you do not deserve to have it.

The whole town was suddenly stopped with panic as the sound of a single bomb boomed above the city in a flash of light. Ponies scrambled out of their homes and places of comfort into the cool night air to see what had caused the explosion.

The lookout on the wall traced the small trail of smoke that lead back down to the hills off in the distance. Neo and his brother came bolting down to the gate lookout to see if the watch pony had spotted the Legion.

Red Glare pushed several ponies out of the way as he raced over to the look out pony with panic and urgency in his eyes. "What the hell was that!" He cried up to the lookout pony on the wall.

The lookout pony scanned the hills around the town desperately trying to find the Legion. Though beyond the hills were the smoke trail ended he could not see anything.

"It's the Legion!" One pony screamed in terror.

With that single act of fear, many more of the townsfolk out near the gate started to act edgy, and anxious. That was, until the lookout cried out in a sudden declarative shout. "I see somepony over the ridge! Seven of them!"

Breeze Heart pushed her way out of the crowd she was in and dashed up to the top of the wall. Though once she had started most of the other town officials started up to the wall as well. That was, all except the Mayor.

Neo, and his younger brother stood next to Red Glare and Breeze Heart who stared hard at the shadow like figures coming to the town in the distance. All their minds raced as each thought of the Legion, and all the things that they could want, or need.

Red Glare had a hunting rifle ready at his side as he ordered the lookout pony to have his own rifle ready. Neo and his brother couldn't speak, as fear overtook them. Holding their breaths, they saw the shadow like figures take form as once dark faces became visible in the early night.

The ponies coming out of the night closed in on the town gate and generally halted their sprint as they came up to the gate. One of the ponies out of the seven was Captain Cyrus, and he was proudly positioned in the center of the group. Quickly the group of Legion soldiers came to the town’s entrance, and gradually slowing their pace they stopped twenty feet from the metal gate.

With an evil insane smile he looked up to the ponies who watched him from atop the gate. "Ah, my subjects." Purred the Captain.

"This town is overdue for its supply taxes, and as your protectors, I demand your pay!"

The towns ponies from behind the wall could hear him and his demands clearly. Adam and Neo looked down at them from the wall with suspense at the Legion soldiers below. Though it was Breeze Heart of all the ponies who spoke out first. "Well, we aren't rather excited to be part of the Legion today!" She taunted him.

Red Glare tried to intervene with her, and the stupid sense of patriotism that fueled her hate for the Legion Captain. "Breeze Heart! We need to think about th-"

"No! No more trying to talk and forgive. I'm through with that!"

Cyrus chuckled to himself. "Heh, so the one-winged bitch has some fight in her after all! I'm just surprised you didn't show the same spunk when I took your filthy wing!"

Her attention was redirected to him. "And you! Why in the world should we give you our supplies? What have you done for us?!"

Retaining the same demented smile, Cyrus shouted at her, "Because I said so! That is why! You are mine, and our lords property! You'd do well to start realizing this you sad waste of flesh!"

"Oh, look who's talking, you soulless prick! Me and the rest of the town would rather die before subjecting to you again!"

The Captain chortled softly to himself in an insane, devilish way. "And why should I show you any respect? You’re just a stupid pegasus who has no other purpose but to be crucified in the name of the purity of our lord!"

"Respect?" She called leaning over the wall, smiling. "I haven’t had any respect since the day I was born!"

Cyrus had started to laugh uncontrollably before giving her a stern determined glare. "Rightfully so. None of your race deserves to have any respect at all. You and your friends might as well just pay your taxes, because you stand no chance of surviving!"

"Alright," She said with a nod, "We'll give you what is due."

With a quick rough gesture she took Red Glare's gun and pointed it at the Legion Captain's head. "And to start off, you can have some of our very own Arkcannon lead!"

Two shots came down around the Captain as he evaded them quickly, but not before having one clip his cheek. In pain he recoiled himself, and put a hoof to large bleeding scare that now rest horizontally on his cheek.

In awe, Cyrus looked down at his blood covered hoof. It was as if he had seen blood for the first time, as hate furiously churned itself in his heart.

In a slow motion Cyrus’s hoof lowered itself down to the ground. A small whisper of laughter formed, and with every passing second the uneasy laughing grew louder. "Y-you think... You've d-done well by hurting me, haven't you?"

Red Glare angrily took the rifle from the mare, who with a smug look stared down at the insane Legion Captain. "Why yes. Yes I have."

"H-heh..." He chuckled once more.

Without saying another word he turned to the hills with his back to the town. In a slow movement he motioned for the few Legion soldiers to follow him back over the hills. Though, before Cyrus made his way back he whispered to himself. "So it begins then..."

The ponies on the wall quickly made their way down back to the crowd of ponies that had gathered at the gate. Red Glare went up to Breeze Heart and smacked her right behind the head in agitation. "What the hell was that Breeze!? We're trying to help our people, not kill them!"

She rubbed the back of her now sore head, "And you consider talking to that psychopath to be helpful? No! We're past the point of negotiation! Either we hold our ground till we can get out of here, or get massacred for the pleasure of that sadistic bastard! I don't know about you folks, but I'd rather fight than die!"

The townsfolk, though scared of the idea of dying had little choice. It was either they fought, or gave up and died. And the odds were against them, but all that talking Breeze Heart had been doing influenced them in some way or another.

They all nodded at her with determination, for there was no other option. It was do or die. Neo came up to Red Glare, who facehoofed at how bad things had just got. "I hate to say this, and I don't know how well we'll fair, but she's right. At this point we have little choice."

With a heavy sigh Red Glare agreed with him. "Fine... Let's just hope those miners can pull overtime down there. If not we’re in a whole heap of trouble."

"And let’s hope they can." The Neo stated.

Cherry overheard the two and gave both of them a nod of her own before addressing the whole of the crowd. "Everypony to the barricade! Those with positions, set up and get ready! Get your weapons and barding on! We prepared for this, so let's go! Move!"

Ponies throughout the group scrambled off into various directions, getting their weapons and armors together as some helped fortify the barricade they had set up in the middle of town. Cherry went over and stopped a mare before she had taken off, and told her to inform the miners to work harder as the Legion was attacking soon.

"Neo," Cherry said urgently. "You and your brother get ready. Adam, get those mines ready to blow. I'm going to check on the clinic ponies and see if they've got everything they need to tend to the wounded during the battle."

The two brothers looked to her and nodded at her. She smiled briefly before taking off to the clinic. "Well Adam, hurry and get those mines set up, I'll go get our gear and help build up the barricade."

"Okay, I'll meet you there." He said before galloping off to the town hall, which was almost no longer visual in the center of the main road.

Neo did his best to watch out for ponies as he made his way to the inn. Though as Neo made his way to the small two story building they had stayed at while in the town, he prayed. He prayed for a miracle. Because it would be a miracle if they got out of this alive.

All the troops were ready to move as they stood prepared for the coming battle. The power-armored iron wagon ponies, and the footponies all checked their weapons carefully. Each had their full sets of dark green armor with a large gas mask attached to each of their helmets. It was practically moments before the battle, and the Captain had just made it back from the town.

Fury stirred in the stallion's heart. He paced himself back and forth in one spot murmuring his plans quickly, and quietly to himself. Then, in a sudden halt, Cyrus stared towards the Lieutenant who looked at him nervously.

"Lieutenant..." He coughed, "Are all the men prepared?"

The Lieutenant gave him a quick, single nod. "Yes s-sir."

Smiling profoundly, Cyrus marched over to a large army of soldiers who stood ready to move. The Lieutenant followed him up to the army and stood by his side as he addressed the army before him. "Tonight, is a special night." He called out, "One that the town below us will not forget. And let me say, it is us, our lord's chosen ones, who will pave the way to a more brighter future!"

The crowd did not respond but let him go on with his speech. "We are all loyal to the Legion, and those peasants down there dare turn away the beauty of being in our legion! I say no more! We'll go down there, and burn, raze, and kill all those who had dare consider rebellion against us! For this is the end of it! The end of this insane procrastination! All the while those ponies down there mock and taunt us! So, this night, is the last night of guarding that accursed little town!"

"So, soldiers! Be strong! Be brave! And remember who you are, and what we fight for!" With a strong motion of his hoof he ordered the army to advance down to the town.

"For victory! For honor, and for our lord march to war in his name!" The army obeyed, and the iron wagons screeched and squeaked as every Legion soldier marched onward towards the town below.

The Captain smiled while watching the army move to the town, the Lieutenant stood there thinking to himself. Two guard ponies had stood next to the Lieutenant and the Captain, though it was clear they did not seem to notice their leaders blind obsession. But, watching the Captain stand there. Smiling. Thinking how well he had done, by committing this selfish act of self obsession. In his mind he tore and hacked at the wall fear had built in his mind desperately to gain free will to do the right thing.

As each second passed, more and more of the army had already started to make its way to the town. Some five hundred soldiers had been gathered for this very moment. He needed to act fast. The emperor would be here hopefully tonight, and that was his only hope at possibly calming the storm of chaos Cyrus had created.

"You need to end this. "A voice cooed to Covert inside his mind.

He answered silently in his mind. "B-But, he's more stronger than me... He won't hold back on me if I turn on him now."

"You need to do this, for the good of the Legion, and for the honor of your position. Because if you let that town die, all those dreams of honor in this legion are gone."

Those words he heard in his mind, they rattled and festered as the wall fear had made in his mind began to weaken. He could feel himself being opened up, but only slightly. So, seizing the moment, Covert pulled out his pistol on the Captain.

"C-Cyrus!" Barked the Lieutenant while holding the pistol towards him. "Your plans end here! I-I won't allow this insane chaos to go on any longer!"

The once beaming smile the Captain had, died as Cyrus faced the scared pony with the gun. "Heh..." The Captain chuckled.

Holding out his hooves open, he exposed his chest to the Lieutenant without fear. "Is this what it's come down to?"

The lieutenant did not answer. "Well?" Cyrus asked once more.

"I-I-" Covert stammered.

"Shoot me!" He yelled keeping his hooves open for the shot.

"End this! I said shoot me! End it! Here, right now! SHOOT ME!"

The gun the Lieutenant had shook furiously as sweat ran down the sides of his head. A clammy feeling went throughout his body as Covert motioned his head uneasily to the guards next to the Captain.

They nodded to him, and each guard took the Captain by one foreleg and held onto him firmly. "W-what? No, not me! Him!"

The two guards had managed to get a good hold on the Captain as he whipped around in a frenzy of confusion and anger. "Let me go! I'll kill him! I'm the loyal one! ME! I am of the pure in our order! Our lord shall honor me as a hero!"

The Lieutenant's stuttering had subsided, yet a small shake in his voice and hooves we still present. He holstered his weapon and went up to the Captain's face looking into his deranged wild eyes with pity. "Put him into custody private. And contact the Emperor of our whereabouts, I'll try and lead the troops as best I can until he arrives to help clean up this whole mess."

Instead of saluting Covert, the two guards just nodded to acknowledge his orders. The two guards drug the Captain away buy the forelegs as Cyrus shouted madly back to the Lieutenant. "You think you've won? Ha! You! Can't! Win! I am the hero! Me! Ha! Ha! Ha!"

His shouts became more silent as the soldiers and the Captain slowly faded into the night. With a heavy sigh, the Lieutenant breathed in a fresh lung of air. The feeling of repressed fear was gone. And like a great burden it had lifted itself, and for a moment he felt at peace.

"Now..." The Lieutenant sighed looking to the dimly lit town below. "How am I going to solve this mess?"

Ponies hammered, piled, and added to the barricade in the center of town anyway they could. And the now eight foot high wall of assorted furniture and items laid ready in the center of the town. The barricade itself span from one side of the main street of the town, all the way to the other. There was small secluded areas about one pony large so that if needed, ponies could easily go to the other side of the barricade while still having the ability to defend it efficiently.

Neo was on the opposite side of the barricade which faced the town hall in the center of town. Everypony hoped that this, along with the many different positions they had set up to defend the town; would hold them off long enough so that they could escape. But it was completely dark out now, and the standard Legion soldier wore dark, heavy covered armor which would make them harder to spot.

The only source of light for the townsfolk who defended the town, was the lights that were strung from building to building. Though it was not much light, it was better than nothing at all.

Every now and again, they would hear a motor shell go off above the town. None of the bombs actually hit the town, but the sudden boom of explosion the bombs would make over them was startling enough.

The children had been moved to the safest place they could think of, which at the current moment, was the town hall. Mothers who dare not fight and children, who could not hold weapons, were not present amongst the resistors preparing for the coming battle.

Neo was on his belly looking over the top of the barricade as the last few ponies positioned themselves for the attack. He was waiting for his brother to get back, and during Adam's absences, Neo had managed to get ammunition for his combat shotgun, and a small rifle. Neo had got the rifle for Adam, because he saw the state of both his laser pistol and his shotgun were not in any sense of the term in perfect condition. In fact, Neo would be perfectly happy if his gun didn't jam up on him while he was in the middle of thick combat. It was sad that most of the other townsfolk had taken all the other working weapons. Though, was his main reason for getting Adam the rifle, for his laser pistol he had kept for so long was worn, and to make it work effectively would take a miracle at this point.

Ponies were lined up all behind the barricade as they watched intensively at the metal gate ahead of them. Cherry was below Neo to the left with a small semi-automatic rifle surrounded in a pinkish aura that levitated calmly at her side. She watched as Adam came up from the town hall with a small box in his mouth.

Cherry smiled at him as he gave her what seemed like the detonator. "Is this it? Will it work?" She asked.

Adam nodded to her. "It should."

Neo noticed his brother and slid down to him from his position on the barricade. Adam saw his brother wondered as to why he had two medium sized weapons at his side. "Brother? Where's my pistol?"

"I looked both of our weapons over before I went to go get ammunition from the salvage cart, we had brought back here through the barricade before it was done. And let's just say our weapons aren't in the best of shape at the moment. But this rifle I found seems to be okay. I couldn’t find my self anything, so I’ll just have to settle with what I have. "

Neo held the small rifle out to his brother, who took it hesitantly. "Thanks..." He said with a sigh.

His older brother blinked at him. "What's the matter?"

"It's just..." Adam paused for a moment, "What if we don't make it? What if we just end up dying here?"

Neo gave him an unsure stare. "I don't know... I'm trying my best to not think about dying. Because we still have to find her, and dying won't get us anywhere."

Cherry didn't move from her position on the barricade as she gave them both a motherly look. "I think we can do it. Plus I don't think there are as many Legion soldiers as we think there are. When they came here all those times there were a hundred at most."

The two brothers looked up to her with appreciative air about them as Neo spoke to her. "You're probably right, we can do this an-"

He was suddenly stopped when the sound of a large metallic bang came from the gate. All noise had ended leaving only the now faint ring of the metal bang that had been made. All of the towns ponies look towards the gates as they readied their weapons. Even Neo and Adam climbed up to the barricade to watch the gate.

There was another loud boom that followed.

BANG.

Sweat ran down the brothers necks and brows as another boom came.

BANG.

Every heart raced as they felt the air in the town thicken with anticipation. Ponies got to their positions along the upper stories of the buildings, and along the top section of the barricade.

BANG.

No soul in the town bothered to blink, for they dare not turn away from the gate that was before them.

BANG.

All eyes and weapons stood ready as they waited. Waited for their gate to fall and the Legion to rush in at a moments notice. They could only imagine what it would be like to defend the town against the iron wagons on the wall. The wall was made only to keep out and defend against small groups of raiders, not a full blown well equipped army.

Though, the quiet hum of the bangs was still present in the dark nighttime air, they listened further to see if the bangs had stopped.

But just as the bangs had ended, a faint drilling sound took the place. This gentle drilling noise only lasted for a few moments before becoming quiet again. Just as soon as it ended, the sound returned, only it sounded as if it were coming from one of the opposite corners of the gate. Sure enough, the drilling had stopped moments later, and started on the last corner of the gate.

Neo levitated his combat shotgun closer to his right eye aiming down the divided iron sights. "Adam, stay close to me." He whispered feeling the tension grow.

A loud explosion followed as the town gate was cleanly blown apart leaving the outer frame the gate was once sitting empty. A large thick cloud of dust and dirt cloaked the town entry. The breeze churned, and twisted the dense cloud calmly as a single dark figure emerged from the cloud.

Without warning, a mare on the barricade snapped as the tension was too great for her. She screamed violently taking the small rifle she had and fired madly at the figure in the cloud.

More shots from the townsfolk on the barricade shot randomly into the haze. Even Neo and Adam shot a few times into the murky dust. The cloud twisted and turned as bullets shot down into the unknown. Then, as the mare who had shot first stopped her frenzy the whole of the town stopped their barrage. She was panting heavily, straining her eyes to look deeper into the now thinned out cloud.

There was the sharp squeal of old iron wheels being pulled as a large dark object took form in the light cloud of dust. But, halfway into the cloud the machine stopped, as two armored ponies could be faintly made out pulling the large machine. As they stood there though, the large gun on top of the machine moved towards the barricade. And with a loud hum it spat out a hail of hot metal bullets at the townsfolk along the barricade.

"Duck!" Cried out the sheriff as the machine tore boarded up windows and other objects in its range to pieces. Neo and everypony that saw it went behind the barricade. Within moments the machine stopped its attack, and the sound of tens of ponies charging into the town could be heard from behind the barricade.

Breeze Heart picked up the sen-automatic weapon at her side and screamed taking aim at the on coming ponies. "Fire!"

In quick retaliation the towns folks in the second story of buildings overlooking the road in the center of town opened windows and pelted the Legion soldiers below with bullets.

The Legion soldiers in the town took what little cover they could along the sides of town's buildings. It did the soldiers no good as the Arkcannon militia fighters pelted the soldiers with a heavy stream of gunfire. And like shooting fish in a barrel, the soldiers out in the street were torn down.

The ponies on the barricade climbed to the top to get a better view on the Legion soldiers in the road, and while many of the barricade members climbed to the top, Neo watched from a lower position. His eyes went wide as he leaped down from the barricade grabbing Adam as he fell. "Get down!" He shouted.

For the hum of two iron wagons was now present, and the ponies along the top of the barricade did not see them. In a loud rattling bang the ponies on the top of the barricade were ripped to pieces. Their screams echoed through the town as the bullets from the wagons subsided. In the end, those unlucky few along the very top of the fortification were almost nothing, but a shredded lump of mutilated flesh.

Neo helped Adam up as ponies took their positions along better placed areas on the barricade returning fire. Cherry, who was up on the barricade, watched as several Legion soldiers broke through a two story building outside the barricade. Each Legion soldier carried heavier weapons, and as they went into the building she realized what their intent was.

If those soldiers got to the gatling ponies on the second story they would lose a key weapon in the defense of the town. "Neo, Adam!" Cherry called to them.

"Quickly, get in that building to the right and take out those soldiers. Hurry!"

The order she had given was sudden, and though more detail would have been good Neo did his best to follow the order. "Come on Adam, and remember, stay close to me!"

It was dark in the town, with only the dim lights above and the muzzle flashes coming from ponies guns as the fighting continued. Neo and his younger brother poked their heads from the corner of the barricade. From the corner of their eyes they could see the few Legion soldiers move into the building twenty feet from the barricade.

Bullets hit the wood where their heads were causing them to flinch backwards as debris from the splintered wood shot out everywhere. But it didn't take them long to come back to the corner and peek out into the battlefield. At the current moment most of the Legion soldiers seemed preoccupied with the ponies along the top of the barricade, which given their current objective was good. In the long run though, it would mean less attention would be drawn onto them.

They both gulped nervously, as they sucked up the gut tearing nervousness inside them. And with a heavy exhale of air they both looked to each other, nodded, and booked it to the building the Legion ponies had made their way into.

Bullets flew past them like lighting, and the gunshots echoed off of the buildings loudly as they came to the now bashed in door of the building.

Jumping quickly inside they readied their weapons swiftly, before they looked inside for the Legion soldiers. The two story brick building itself looked as if it were somepony’s home. Tables in the corner and all over the room had been flipped over to provide cover. And normal household objects became barricade like items for the defending ponies to use.

The brief sudden flashes from the gunfire outside leaked into the room in thin beams of light from the creases in the boarded windows.

In a saddening look on the two brothers faces they looked over to a single pony body in the room, which lay upon the ground. It was blood covered, with a huge bloody hole through one side of the poor souls head.

There was a small staircase at the end of the room that lead up to the ponies using the gatling weapon above. Both of them could hear the creaks and squeaks from the old floor above indicating somepony’s movement.

In a urgent rush they both tread lightly making their way to the staircase. The shadows from the assorted items flashed on the walls from the fighting. Neo and Adam felt fear and tension build inside their chests while making their way up. Both had their weapons ready, and just as they reached the final step up to the second story, both brothers jumped at the sound of several loud random gunshots.

In an almost instant reaction they charged up into the room above and went straight into SATS. The world around them froze as three large Legion soldiers stood over the now blood covered ponies who were operating the gatling gun.

Neo took his highlighter and marked one soldier's head and the other's legs, which was less protected. Adam did the same to one of the other soldiers, before switching over to the less protected places of the next pony.

In a fast decisive series of gunshots their guns fired directly at where they had targeted. The Legion soldiers screamed out in pain as blood shot out from their necks, heads, and legs. Within an instant all three soldiers fell down to the ground.

One of the three ponies manning the station rolled around moaning to himself holding one of his forelegs to his blood covered side. The two brothers didn't say anything, and instead acted swiftly to help aid the injured pony.

"It's alright,"Neo cooed reassuringly to him while helping the injured pony up, "We'll get you to the barricade."

Adam was just about to help Neo get the injured pony up, when he saw from the corner of his eye one the Legion soldiers move. The lone surviving Legion soldier in the room ripped off his mask hacking and coughing out blood, and with a heartless demented glow in his eyes he took a grenade from his side.

Just as Adam had noticed the soldier, the armored Legion pony pulled the pin and let out his last chest bursting cough. "Brother, look out!" Adam screamed before out of nowhere the whole room boomed in a flash of light as shrapnel and dust filled the room. A invisible shock wave pounded Neo in the chest sending him falling to the ground.

The warm blood from the suicidal Legionnaire sprayed all over Adam's blue coat. But the shock didn't end there, the floor creaked and moaned as Adam shook his head to clear his mind of the event. His senses were blurred as the dust in the air burned the buck’s eyes and lungs.

Neo coughed horsley getting up, "Adam what happ-" He didn't even get another word out before the floor beneath their hooves weakened.

With a loud powerful snap the old floor they were standing on fell down at an angle. Causing them to tumble and roll down into the pile of assorted barricaded items on the first floor. Neo had rolled down and hit the end of a table, while Adam had landed against a flipped desk with his back to the old piece of furniture.

Both brother’s bodies ached, and their vision dazed. It hurt to breath as now all the dust had made its way right down to them on the first floor. Adam had just opened his eyes, and was getting a grip on what was happening. The bodies of the ponies they had tried to save landed right on top of him.

One of the dead ponies faces was right up to his, and as Adam’s vision became generally more clear, Adam looked directly into the eyes of a pony with one of the most horrified expressions he had seen.

In panic, Adam threw the bodies off of him. Backing away from the dead corpses, he looked down at them and their lifeless faces. Adam's eyes were wide with panic, and with a trembling hoof Adam felt the warm liquid that now covered his body. Falling back onto his haunches, Adam just stared at the lifeless ponies as Neo got up from the rather horrific fall.

Neo himself coughed loudly again while trying to find his balance. "A-Adam?" He said in a hacking cough.

His younger brother did not answer. Terror filled him, he had realized looking down at those ponies that they were too slow. They couldn't save them fast enough, and it was their fault they were now dead.

"Adam?" Neo grunted feeling the soreness all over himself as he trotted groggily to him.

Adam didn't say anything, as tears in the corners of his eyes began to form. While trotting to his brother he picked up his and Adam's gun. "Adam? Are you okay? Is anything broken?"

Neo before asking again, looked to the bodies that lay before his younger brother. Adam though after a moment of sulking shook his head whilst wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes. "No.. I-I'm fine."

Neo sat Adam's weapon down on the ground as he tried to ignore the soreness that was spread all over his body. "Come on." Neo said offering a hoof to his younger brother with a reassuring smile.

"If we don't help fight, those ponies will have died for nothing. And then we can truly be sorry."

Looking up to his brother with a mournful look in his eyes Adam took his brother’s hoof and got up. Take his weapon from next to him, Adam tried to rub the dust out of his eyes. "Right, let's just head back the way we came. We'll be able to get back to the barricade from their. And hopefully, we can prevent the gunners on the other side for suffering the same way." Neo stated.

Adam gave him a gentle nod, though the feeling of guilt had not entirely left his mind. They both trotted over to the door which was loosely opened letting in a thin line of light from outside the street. Just as they came up to the door Legion soldiers could be heard just outside.

"Hurry, take up the next position! We need to over take the barricade!" One of the ponies near the outside of the door cried out.

"Damn it!" Neo swore quietly stepping back from the door.

"That screws that idea. See anywhere else we can go Adam?"

Adam looked around, and saw that the gatling gun lay next to the dead ponies who manned the station before. With an idea forming in his mind, he went to the gun and levitated it to his side. Neo gave him an odd, puzzled look at first before catching on to what Adam was doing.

"Might as well go the way we came." Neo said with a impressed grin.

Levitating the gun up to his side, Adam got ready for the dash he and Neo would make to get back to the barricade. Neo had also picked up a small wooden table, which he thought would act as a temporary shield from oncoming fire as the two brothers went back the way they had came.

There was tens of little red lights on both of their EFS’s. And just the mere sight of the dots made them nervous. But, if they wanted to get back this seemed to be the only decent way.

Adam hadn't worked with a gatling gun before, and he tried working it to the best of his abilities. It did take him a moment to get it started, and once he'd figured that out, the firing part was clear.

Both brothers looked to each other before making their way out into the battle infested street. The large gun at Adam's side hummed as the barrels spun ready. And, with a deep breath, and a bit of courage they ran out the door into the street.

The main road through the town was covered in the bodies of dead soldiers from both sides. Some had no limbs, while others crawled away bleeding by the gallon. Bullets flew by hitting brick, wood, flesh, and armor as the terrible battle continued.

Though, what the two brothers didn't suspect was the fact that there was now twice the amount of soldiers than there was before. Out of pure shock and surprise, Adam let loose a storm of hot metal onto the nearest Legion soldiers he could see. It was hard keeping the gun still as the recoil caused the gun to bounce around wildly.

Turning back to the barricade Adam shot randomly while Neo did his best to provide cover with the small table he found. Then, with a loud bang, Neo tripped and fell to the ground roughly. A bone splitting pain was spread all throughout Neo’s left hind leg. Blood sprayed itself in a red mist as whatever had it him sunk deeper into his flesh.

The sudden pain caused Neo to drop the table and his gun. Neo screamed and put his hooves to the now huge gushing wound on his leg. A Legion soldier was right in front of them with a large single shot shotgun. Adam noticed that the gatling gun had little to no ammunition left. So with the last of his bullets he fired at the shotgun soldier, severing the soldier's left foreleg completely from his body.

Adam dropped the gatling gun and went to his brother trying to avoid incoming gunfire. Getting low he looked at Neo's wound. The look in his brothers eyes cried out in pain as more and more blood came out of the wound. Adam took off his brothers head cloth and put tied it tightly to his wound to slow the bleeding.

"A-Adam..." Neo moaned.

"Shh, I'll get you out of here." Adam said trying to calm him.

Neo's breathing became slower as Adam picked him up from the ground. Adam slung his brother’s metal foreleg around his neck before putting Neo fully on his back. "We're not going to die here... We've still got a chance, and I'm not leaving you behind!" Adam grunted now barring the full weight of his brother on his back.

Though it made him slower, he tried with all his strength to dodge bullets. Adam made a dash away from the barricade, as there was now too many soldiers for him alone to take on. His mind racing, everywhere was dangerous, and no place seemed safe. Legion soldiers threw bombs, and fiery weapons which exploded small doors and windows. Soldiers rushed everywhere, distracted by the ponies on the barricade, or on the upper stories of the buildings to directly notice him for the time being.

And just as Adam had felt like there was no way out of the cruel hell, a few orange lights appeared on his EFS. The lights came from inside a building, not more than twenty feet away from him. Without a second thought he seized the opportunity for his brother's sake.

With his small rifle he shot the best he could with Neo on his back. And once he had made it to the door Adam pounded on the door fiercely. "Open up! Please! I need help!" He cried hoping that the ponies inside would hear him.

The door swung open as a militia pony pulled him in before closing it swiftly behind him. "What the hell were you doing out there kid!" The stallion who had pulled him inside shouted.

Adam shook his head to help clear his mind before answering the militia pony's question. "They took out one of the gunning positions. Cherry sent us to stop them from doing so, but... We weren't fast enough."

The stallion in his lightly armored barding stomped a hoof on the ground in anger. "Damn it! The fighting just started and they’ve already got the first gunning position down!”

There was four other ponies in the room, each of which was a mare who, like the stallion, had light barding as their only means of protection. Upon hearing the Adam's report the mares started going about fearfully mumbling to each other.

"Well, I hope it doesn't get worse out there," The stallion grunted putting several large chairs back against the door. "Or they'll start going for the ponies above us who are pelting them down their."

"So you're their defenders?" Adam asked laying Neo on the wooden ground.

The stallion came over to Adam and looked at his injured brother that lay before him. "Yeah, and I thank Celestia in heaven they haven't decided to bust this door down and come in here."

"What happened to him?" The militia stallion added.

Adam was getting out his saddlebag while checking the medical supplies he had on his Pipbuck. "He got shot pretty bad in the leg. The shock from the injury knocked him out, but I think I managed to stop the bleeding good enough to keep him alive."

"Well, I hope you two guardians know that you can't go out there again. It's a fucking shit storm, and by the sound of things it doesn’t sound like its getting any better."

Adam found a half roll of magical bandages, which he started to apply to his brother's leg before answering the militia fighter. "Then what are we supposed to do? We need to get back to the barricade, and it doesn't look like you guys are prepared to defend this place if a bunch of Legion soldiers come busting in."

Adam was right, and the stallion thought about what he had said. "Well, you know the town has back alleyways. Though most of them are loaded up and blocked by all kind of crap. I should know, I helped block them up."

The thought of having to traverse the blocked up barricades with Neo on his back was unnerving. He didn't want to have to hurt himself trying to get back to the central barricade, and even if he did make it over a few of the alleyway blockage piles; what then? Though Adam was much more keen to the idea of climbing piles then running in odd patterns to dodge bullets.

Adam put Neo's old bloodstained head rag in his bag once he had applied the last bandage to Neo's leg. "There. That should help him. Now, I'm no doctor or medic, but I think my brother will be fine."

"Well, does that mean you're just going to leave us here?" The stallion asked.

"Would you rather come with us?" Adam replied still sitting on the ground next to his unconscious brother.

The militia stallion looked around the little set up he and the few other mares had and smiled proudly. "Nah, the least you could do is tell Cherry we're doing fine here, and we've haven't seen a single soldier try to break in ye-"

Before he could finish a voice from the second story down to them scream urgently to them. "In coming!"

A loud booming hum was soon heard, as giant holes burst through the walls, windows, and door. Adam out of pure instinct fell flat to the ground. In an instant, the clueless stallion and two of the three mares had their sides, or limbs blown clean off in a sudden horrific manner.

It didn't even take a second. The mare who had survived covered her mouth with her hooves dropping her weapon to the ground in shock; as the two friends she had, who a moment ago were just living, lay dead. Dead, with large sections of their bodies blown completely off. Tears formed in her eyes, pools of fresh warm blood formed in the cracks and swirls of the old wooden floorboards.

Even the militia stallion who had been just spoke to Adam had been hit in the side of his body. His half busted organs lay slouched and shredded while the body unnaturally twitched.

At this moment another surprising thing had happened. Large fire like orbs had been thrown into the large gaping holes in the windows. And, on contact they shattered causing a large raging fire to form where the bombs had landed.

Adam didn't feel emotion as adrenaline pumped through his body. Mourning the now dead defenders was useless as the flames grew all around the inside of the building. Putting everything in his saddlebag, Adam quickly put his brother once again on his back and looked for the exit to the alleyways.

Still in complete shock the lone surviving mare now held one of the dismembered ponies she once knew in her hooves, rocking back slowly crying softly to herself.

"How do we get out of here?!" Adam shouted to the surviving mare amongst the sound of the loud crackling of the growing flames.

She didn't answer, and Adam didn't have time to snap her out of the shock she was in. He needed to act fast. Because not only his, but Neo's life rested literally on his shoulders. The flames grew brighter with every passing moment, as the flames continued to gradually consume the old building.

Adam could feel the blazing heat grow, and in a urgent panic he scanned the room for the door to the alleyway. Within moments his eyes spotted it at the very end of the room, covered in several dancing shadows from the flames, the door to the alleyways. Or, at least Adam hoped it was the way out.

Galloping at full speed Adam approached the door. Trying to open it though, was a different matter altogether, for the door itself was locked tightly. With little time left, taking his hind legs he beat the door furiously. The heat burned while the timbers above him creaked while burning. The whole building might come down, and since the ponies in the upstairs hadn't come down from the second floor he assumed the flames had already got the crew above.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Went his back legs. For the more effort Adam put into bucking, the more tired he felt. Until, the door hinges started to splinter and crack. And, with one more powerful kick the door swung open powerfully.

Feeling the cooler air from the outside Adam did not even think a second thought. Jumping into the darker cool alleyway he could feel the almost instant change in the temperature.

Panting tiredly, the barricade blocking the alley way was now visible. It was roughly eight feet high, and consisted of mostly old barrels and metal boxes. With a determined look in his eyes, Adam pounced onto the alley barricade, and began his way back to the barricade.

It was hard. His brother felt heavy on his legs, and he himself was coughing having breathed in some of the smoke from the building he was just in. Neo moaned once or twice, but Adam didn't pay any mind to it. Either it meant he was getting better, or Neo felt more pain while gradually regaining consciousness.

As the blue coated buck reached the top the barricade objects wobbled from atop the pile of stuff. And, with the greatest of care he made his descent down, taking one hoof step at a time. With a relieving sigh he made it down to the midsection of the alleyway. There were still a few more piles like the one he had just climbed to get over, and there was no telling if the Legion had bypassed the barricade or not.

So, without wasting a second he started his climb up the next one muttering to himself, "I won't let you die here. I won't let you die here, you're all I have left out here. And I won't let you die out here!"

Finally making it over the second pile, Adam felt the soreness in his legs. And, with every large breath the struggling buck continued to quietly mutter, "You can do it Adam... I know you can. You're... strong, and you won't forgive yourself if your brother dies... Just keep going...”

However, once he reached the top of the third alley barricade, one of the boxes was loose. In a heart jumping instant, Adam screamed tumbling down to the hard dirt ground below. With a thud, Adam and his unconscious brother lay silently together in the narrow alley.

Adam coughed, feeling the soreness increase as he recovered from the fall. Rubbing the back of his brown mane, Adam stiffly got up.

He felt pain in his legs and all over his body, even his lungs faintly burn at the smoke in the air. The dark sky above was orange, with embers and smoke stacks towering high above the town. With the best of strength the young buck had, he took his brother once more and placed him on his back.

The world was fuzzy, and hazed. Adam's sense were blurred, the only way out from where he stood in that narrow alleyway was a door to a building. It hadn't been burned down yet, or damaged. At least, that was how it looked from the back of the building.

In a groggy, exhausted walk, Adam came to the door. Leaning desperately against it, he pushed. It didn't move. He tried again, and just like before nothing happened. Almost stumbling back Adam tried the simplest, but most risky thing he could think of. He knocked on the door.

With three slow, sluggish knocks Adam waited. For a moment he tried the lock, no luck. It was locked which was no surprise to the tired pony. His legs were too tired and sore to buck at the door, and more than likely the door was barricaded. But, after waiting a few moments, there was still no answer.

Breathing heavily, his throat dry and irritated. Adam drew Neo's shotgun and put the barrel to the lock. He didn't care if there was possibly a barricade. He needed to get Neo help, and no door on heaven or in the wasteland would stop him from completing that goal.

Levitating the gun limply to the lock he fired one shot. The gun kicked back, as a small torn up hole was now where the lock had once been. Despite what Adam had originally thought the door, with a gently push, creaked open.

Several ponies with rifles ready stood aiming right at him from behind all sorts of turned over furniture. Adam just stood there, staring at the militia ponies who looked back at him in shock.

"Heh." Adam chuckled under his breath.

And with a single slow step Adam fell down. The ponies in the room lowered their rifles and rushed over to them urgently. Two ponies came by to Neo and picked him up, while another stallion came by to help Adam up.

"You okay there? Sorry for the uneasy welcome, didn't expect somepony to blow that lock off and come in from the alleyway."

Adam regained himself and let the stallion help him regain his balance. "I.. I'll be fine," Adam coughed, "Are we behind the barricade?"

The militia stallion nodded, "Yeah kid. We're just repairing weapons for the ponies on the barricade, and you gave us quite a scar popping in behind us like that."

"Good," Adam cooed, "My brother needs medical help..."

With a quick understanding nod, the militia stallion next to Adam motioned his head to the ponies who were carrying Neo. Turning his attention back to Adam, the stallion asked, "Is there anything you need?"

"Yeah... Just one thing..."

"What is it kid?"

"Water... Would be nice." Adam said before falling down on the ground again.

The gunfire raged on, not nearly as much as it had before, though it was still present. Ponies on the top of the barricade ducked and leaped from side to side, and all over to avoid oncoming fire. They had done a fairly decent job keeping the Legion from climbing the barricade. And even though the iron wagons, which kept their distance from the rest of the shooting, still fired at them in a loud periodic hums.

Adam sat down and rested on the porch of a building behind the barricade. The town behind the barricade was like a small camp. Ponies running back and forth from building to building doing a whole assortment of things. From weapon repair, to medical attention to the wounded, to switching out places on the barricade. Everypony tried hard to maintain their position the best they could.

Motor shells that had yet to officially hit the town continued to burst above. The town in front of the barricade glowed bright orange as flames poured out of the buildings closest to the gate.

Three iron wagons stood there at the gate side by side, blasting anypony that dare come out from behind the barricade, and unto the streets. Adam would look across the street to the clinic and sigh heavily. The few medical ponies who worked there did their best to handle all the injured they could. In fact, the inside of the clinic was so full of wounded ponies, that some had to lay on mats or old busted up cots outside on the porch.

Neo was one of those ponies who got to stay outside. He had been awake for a few minutes now, and some of the medical ponies gave him a potion or two to heal up his wound. Though, someone had told Adam it would be an hour or so before Neo could get back up and help the other in the fight.

Red Glare was up in the second story of a building behind the barricade sniping with a scoped rifle, and announcing Legion cover positions to the ponies on the barricade. If there was a place a Legion soldier hid in the road, Red would know where it was, and have somepony on it with in moments.

Cherry came down from the barricade and motioned for another pony to take her place. And sure enough, another pony rushed over to where she was previously, and continued to retaliate in her spot.

Cherry made her way to Adam, who sat there with a half full glass of water in between his hooves. Sitting down next to him with a loud relieving, blissful grunt, she stared at Adam curiously. "He'll be fine." She said.

Adam hadn't noticed Cherry had said something, "What? Oh, yeah... They said he'll be fine."

Cherry cocked her head to the side. Adam looked more like he was thinking about something else, than his brother. "Then, what's bugging you? There's a fight going on, and you're alive for the time being. I'm not sure there's too much to think about."

Adam drank the last of the water in the glass before answering her. "It doesn't matter... I just wish we could’ve... Never mind."

"Alright, you can keep it to yourself. Just know that the more you keep things to yourself, the worse the thing will feel. Especially if those thoughts hurt."

Adam managed to give the mare a small smile. Though the smile itself died away into a solemn content look that was there before. "Thanks, I just hope this will end soon, and maybe we'll get out ali-"

Before Adam could speak, Red Glare bolted down to the barricade with several other armed ponies following him. "Cherry, and Adam! Hurry! We need to blow the gate! Now!"

Looks of sudden confusion were spread on the two sitting ponies faces. "But why!? We've got it under control we don't need to-"

Red Glare and the several ponies had already started up the barricade to position themselves. "No time! This is the first time a most of them have gathered at the gate! If we blow it now, it could change the whole battle!"

Cherry and Adam both got up and trotted to the barricade towards Red Glare's position. They didn't climb themselves, but instead looked up at the ponies fighting on top the barricade. "Damn it! This isn't the time, Red! We need to think about this!"

"Look," Red Glare grunted. "Three of the iron wagons, and half the infantry are all amassed at the gate! If we blow the mines now, that whole force that could take the barricade is gonna go! We need to do this now!"

Red Glare kept his head low to the barricade, with his body laying against the structure as the yellow stallion looked out at the Legion army amassing at the gate. "We've got them! Cherry, get the detonator out! Hurry!"

Cherry looked in the pockets at her side for the detonator for the mines, though once she had it in her hooves everything around her suddenly felt... Different to her. Red Glare's heart was pounding madly with anticipation, they had them right where he wanted them.

"Okay, do it!"

The little box with a red button and lever sat there in her hooves for a moment. Flicking the small lever upwards made the button flash red. Blinking off and on, the button signaled it was ready to explode the mines. Adam didn't watch her arm the mines, and instead went to the corner of the barricade to watch the explosion take place.

Several other militia ponies watched from the small opening in the corner of the barricade they guarded. It was all exciting for them, as this could be the thing that scared the Legion off, and if luck was with them, it would end the attack altogether.

Though, as Adam gathered there at the edge and looked out to the ponies at the gate, he felt guilt build inside him once more. Adam wasn't sure why this feeling had found a away in his chest again, but it had, and it bothered him. Rubbing the faint pain he felt build inside around his heart Red Glare yelled out the order to fire.

Cherry hesitated. For a few seconds she questioned the decision, but a large section of her wanted to see the townsfolk survive. And if this little box made that reality that much more real than she needed to do it. So, with the gentle press of the flashing button the mines went off.

Time was slow, or it seemed that way to Adam. It was like watching flames from the very pits of hell unearth themselves from the earth below. The armored bodies of the soldiers were consumed by the light. Sparks, dirk, metal, and everything near the gate was consumed in the bright flames.

It was his fault they had to die. He had said the mines should be set up remotely, and now his very work was being done before him. There was no pride to be felt, and in moments, the slowness faded and time resumed as it had always.

Limbs and bodies went flying, and the once monstrous, invincible iron wagons that stood undefeated were now reduced to nothing more than twisted torn metal husks. The echo from the explosion still rang off in the distance, and those Legion soldiers that had survived away from the gate looked back to see what had been done.

In anger, several of the soldiers turned to the barricade, and in a vengeful frenzy they cried out charging up to the barricade from the safety of their cover. "Cherry, Proverb, Breeze, we need help up here!" Red Glare called out.

Charging up the barricade, several Legion soldiers took their weapons, and shot rounds from their rifles at almost four feet away. In retaliation, the ponies on the barricade pushed and shot the climbing Legion soldiers who got near the top. One of the Legion soldiers was a higher ranking officer, who had a pump action shotgun levitating at his side.

With revenge blazing in the commanding Legion soldier he put the shotgun to Red Glare's head. Red Glare hadn't noticed the soldier, and saw the barrel point at him from two feet away. "Stop!" Red Glare screamed to the Legion pony.

Though there was no way to tell what expression the Legion pony had on his face, because of the gas mask he wore. But it was clear that the sudden command from Red Glare was received as the pony had stopped. "Tell me why I shouldn't kill you right now!" Demanded the Legion soldier.

Holding his rifle ready at the Legion soldiers head, Red Glare stared deeply into the dark eye pieces of the mask the soldier wore. "If you don't fall back, I'll blow the barricade as well!"

Adam and Cherry were shocked, and while making their way closer to the standoff between Red and the Legion soldier neither of them interrupted the two ponies. "You liar! You'd just take out you, and all your mates as well!"

"It wouldn't matter, at least all you would be dead."

"You're bluffing!"

Red Glare motioned his head for Cherry to come to him. "Look down there, see her? She's already got the next set of bombs ready to got off."

Looking down at the mare from on top the barricade the Legion soldier thought hard about the current situation he and his fellow soldiers were in. "You're fucking crazy..."

"What'll it be, hmm? If you fall back, we won't blow it. If you move so much as take another inch further she'll take this barricade to the moon."

The Legion pony stood there in deep thought, his gun pointing to Red Glare's head. Putting the shotgun down, the Legion soldier motioned for the rest of the troops who had started up the barricade to fall back. "Fall back! Fall back! Fall back!"

As the Legion troops got down from the barricade Adam climbed up to the top to see the soldiers go back towards the gate. Smiles, and cheers of victory echoed throughout the ponies on the barricade as the Legion ponies fell back. Though the cheers and victorious spirit did not last long. For the now destroyed iron wagons still served the Legion, even when destroyed.

Each blasted iron wagon shell lay together side by side, and the Legion soldiers had noticed this advantage. The Legion soldiers had managed to fall back, and use the three destroyed iron wagons as a barricade of their own. Only their barricade, unlike the Arkcannon militia's, was made of metal, and they had access to reinforcements. Red Glare looked back at the ponies who had fled from their barricade, only to gain a better position than they had before.

"Ah, hell..." Red Glare swore in shocked awe at what had just happened.

Jumping down from the barricade Red pointed over to two ponies with larger rifles and gestured them to go up on a higher position. "Get up there and watch them. If they try anything, don't hesitate to warn us!"

After sending the two ponies off to a higher spot to oversee the Legion's movement, he rubbed the sides of his head to relieve some of the frustration that had built up inside him. The whole moment was sudden, and it didn't go the way he intended at all.

Cherry came over to him and hit his already sore head. "Hey!" He moaned.

Cherry gave him a stare only a mother would give to a child who had screwed up bad. "What was that!? Telling them we've got bombs on the barricade!"

"It worked didn't it?"

"Yes it did, but now they'll try and find a way to blow it up with those bombs, which you told them are there!"

"I'm not following..."

She hit him once more. "It means they might try very hard to look for weaknesses in our defenses. Even more so than ever now that they think there's something there!"

Rubbing the spot she had hit his head, he calmed himself before addressing her. "Listen, we'll just have to watch them. Make sure they don't rush us while our guard is down. In the meantime, we can heal up what ponies we can, and prepare for another fight."

She glared viciously at him. "You better not say anything else stupid like that, or we all might suffer worse." And in anger Cherry trotted off to help ponies recover from the battle before.

Adam came over to Red Glare who, at the current moment was both annoyed, and frustrated with what had just happened. "Adam," he said with a sigh, "Please, to make this easier on my nerves could you please go check on your brother and the other injured ponies. I need someone up here who isn't a mare nagging at me like my mother at the moment."

"But you've got me, and-"

"Just go and get the sheriff or something... I need a second to cope with the headache she gave me."

Adam didn't want to question his decision. And to be honest with himself, he didn't really want to talk about it anymore. That faint feeling of guilt lingered inside him. It festered inside quietly, not bad enough to be an annoyance, but still present to feel hurtful. Though, the buck tried his best to not think about it, and instead went over to the clinic, and with some luck Neo could help relieve the thoughts from his mind.

Neo was on the porch of the clinic building, sitting up with his back against a wooden porch support. There was several small layers of bandages covering the leg he had wounded when they were out in the street. Though, Neo himself seemed awake and fairly well. The clinic ponies haven't removed any of his cloths, minus his saddlebag which lay next to him, and the white head rag that normal was atop his head.

Adam sat down next to him with the somber expression that had developed on his face. Neo gave him a gentle smile as Adam placed himself by his side. Not looking at Neo, Adam sat there, trying to relax.

Neo noticed Adam's look, and trying his best to shuffle in his sitting position Neo put a hoof on his little brother's shoulder. "Adam, what's wrong?"

Adam just shifted himself a bit in the place he sat. "I... Well... I-I just..." Adam said in a stutter trying to explain how exactly he felt before ending in an irritated sigh.

"Hey." Neo sternly said taking Adam's head and making him look at him directly.

"I don't like getting injured and end up getting visited by my little brother when he's all mopey about something."

Adam didn't answer him, and tried to avert his gaze from Neo's. "Adam. What's the matter? You don't normally act like this. Hell, I'm the one who got shot, and I'm not holding anything back."

"Well, it's... It's about the bombs at the gate..."

"What about them?"

It took him a second to find the right way to say what he was thinking before actually saying it. "Have you ever felt guilty about killing a pony... I mean, really guilty, even if you didn't know them?"

Neo chuckled for a moment, "Well it's a little late to say if it bothers me a whole bunch now... But, in the beginning, when I killed that raider that was going to kill you, I felt guilty.... But I wasn't going to let that pony kill you; and nothing at that moment could have stopped me from thinking about doing what it took to keep you safe."

"But did it bother you to kill them, right?"

Neo's rather warm glow vanished as he thought back. "Yes... Yes it did. But I've learned that, out here if you hold on to it, that it just makes life worse. You get this terrible realization that you took life, and I know when you shot the Professor you felt something, but you had to keep me and everypony else safe. Which you did, and that’s what mattered."

"That explosion though... All those ponies dead... Even if they were attacking us, they had lives, a-and they had loved ones..."

Taking Adam firmly, Neo looked him in the eye with a calming smile. "You were protecting the ones you loved. Me, the kids in the town hall, and everypony else. And, I know it must feel bad at first. And you don't want to let it go, but just think about it. They were doing what they were ordered to do, and all you were doing was protecting us. And Adam I can tell you, you're no murderer."

The small, gentle smile Neo had on his face made a small section of that awful feeling leave. "We've all we got left, remember." Neo said playfully nudging him in the foreleg.

"And when my leg here gets better we'll get out of here. You'll see."

Cherry was watching them from across the town while leaning on the wall of a building. With a deep sigh Cherry thought about what she was seeing. Just watching the two made her mood feel better, and even with the sound of bombs going off above them, and the orange glow of flames from across the barricade burn, life seemed at peace. Even if it was just for that single moment.

Breeze Heart trotted up to the entranced mare and waved a hoof in front of her face. Snapping out of the trance she was in, Cherry straightened herself out. "What is it, Breeze?"

There was a look of sorrow about her. "I just got back from listening to some of the boys who just got back up from below the mines talk about the tunnel’s progress. The good news is they think they could have the tunnel done by morning."

"So? Isn't that good?"

"That's not the worst part. The Legion's setting up defenses on their little barricade in the front of town. If any of us step out there, well you ain't going to be around much longer. Though we've got them pinned too. If they step out onto the road, they'll be cut down too."

"I'm not seeing the problem here. You look like something's wrong."

"We're low on ammo. Dangerously low. Not only that, but the moment the Legion find out we're bluffing they won't hesitate to storm over the barricade."

Cherry put a hoof to her chin in thought. "This little stalemate we've got here is good. It'll keep them stalled for a while. But if they do try and take this part of the town we'll basically be fucked..."

"I had an idea though."

"And?"

"I thought that maybe one of the upper story buildings past the barricade might still have some ammo stashed inside. You know, from the ponies who were inside there before. If the building isn’t completely on fire, or burnt to the ground that is."

"And how do you plan to get to these buildings if there is some ammo left inside them?"

Breeze Heart gave Cherry a quirky grin. "Remember the alleyways? Well I figure that since they're blocked up, a team of two or so on both sides can go through each building. Not only would be under the Legion's nose, but we could get some guards watching the alleyways, and maybe do more."

Cherry pondered the idea. It could work hypothetically, and in the situation they were in ammunition was needed... So, it was either risk it, or risk the compromise of their defenses. But, if they had the ammo, it would make their lives a hell of alot better.

"Fine. I'll leave that up to you to organize that. I'll tell the sheriff and Red about it too, just because he deserves to know."

Breeze Heart shook her head furiously. "No way sister, the moment he finds out that I've got an idea like that is the day hell freezes over."

Cherry gave the cocky mare a disapproving stare. "I really think he and some of the others deserve to know."

Smiling slyly at the mare Breeze Heart fixed up her gear in a rather generous fashion, while giving her a convincing look. "Look. Red and me don’t really see eye to eye. Plus, we'll be in and out like that. He'll never even know we were gone, and that the ammo was never low."

"But I-"

"Hey," Breeze Heart had a friendly smile on while trying to convince her. "It'll be okay, you know me Cherry. I'll be in and out, ten minutes tops. Cross my heart."

With a disappointed tone she sighed and nodded to the mare. "Fine, just fine. But if you're gone longer than ten minutes I'll tell him all about you're little idea." She scolded the cocky pegasus.

With a victorious pat on the cheek Breeze Heart smiled. "I had hoped you'd agree."

Silence.

It was quiet. Hardly any sound had come from the town in minutes, and no bombs went off above it either. The motor team had stopped their scare tactic and waited. However, the almost calming glow of the fires from some of the burning buildings could be seen in the far off distance. It was the only thing visible in the vast empty distance, or at least it was the only glowing noticeable thing in the distance.

The Legion camp established outside the town was quiet. Tent flaps ruffled and flapped calmly in the gentle breeze of the nighttime air, and crickets chirped merrily away as the night went on.

Cyrus was in a tent. An empty tent, with only the darkness and the dirt to comfort him. The guards had took him and tied his hooves to the thick iron tent support. He was imprisoned, and all the mad pony did was stare endlessly at the only source of light in the dark tent. The light in question was a single crack, not more than an inch wide letting in the dim blue light from the outside.

Two guards were outside the tent speaking to one another while guarding the pony inside. They didn't seem to care if the Captain heard anything, because in their minds Vladimir was coming, and he'd soon deal with the pony soon enough.

"I swear, I'm gettin’ worried. I haven't heard anything come from the town in five minutes." Said the guard on the right side of the tent entrance.

"You think we won?" Replied the other guard.

"Maybe. I wouldn't get your hopes up. Besides, our job isn't on the battlefield. It's ere' guardin’ this phyco."

"Did you think the Captain would ever be batshit insane like he is?"

"Heh, well I frankly didn't care. So long as I'm gettin’ food, and my pay; I don't give two shits if he's tellin’ us he fucked the princesses for a hundred years."

"Well, that's true I guess. As long as we get our stuff, we're set."

The guard to the right laughed, "Ha! Ain't that the truth!"

"Can't say the same 'bout that pegasus though."

"Wot? The one with the stripes?"

"Yeah, that one. Shady character he is. Wouldn't want to be stuck in a room all alone with that fella."

"Where'd that guy go anyway?"

"I heard he took off. Probably for the best, they might'ave shipped'm off to the front lines in the town or somethin."

"Well good riddins I say! That bloke looked like he'd gut ya in your sleep if you was alone."

"Heh, I agree to that. I hope the emperor gets ‘ere soon though. I'm gettin’ awfully tired of guardin the Captain."

"Hey," The soldier to the left chuckled nudging his companion. "Don't worry, hopefully within the hour we'll be done with this whole guardin business."

"Why's that?"

"I 'eard from some guy takin’ a mare back with an injury that the emperor’s almost here. And they says that within the hour, he'll put an end to this battle once and for all."

The soldier to the right smiled in a devilish manner, and while putting his head to the crack in tent flaps he said, "Hear that mate? You'll get what's comin’ to ya in no time at all! Ha ha!"

Cyrus adjusted himself where he sat. Never once did the stallion break eye contact with the crack of light. Like a moth to a light Cyrus stared into it as he thought. It took him a few moments to adjust himself to where he was the most comfortable, but once the former Legion Captain did find the right spot, an evil grin inched its way across his face.

The disadvantage to his predicament was that being an Earth pony you didn't have the benefit of magic, or the agility of a pegasus. However, he did have something better. The will to withstand pain. And the only way a pair of tight rope bondings would let his hooves slide out was if one hoof was broken.

So, taking his hoof he bent it against the dirt floor, and the poll against his back. While slowly applying pressure, his left hoof became sore. With a few seconds of pressure in a sudden sharp instant Cyrus's wrist cracked. Trying not to moan, or give away the fact he had broken something, Cyrus quickly bit his lip hard.

Letting the pain subside for just a moment, the Legion pony wiggled the rope bond on the left side of his foreleg to get the broken hoof through. It was limp, and the more he moved it the worse the pain would become. Yet, using only the will to escape, Cyrus took his hoof out of the ropes.

Quickly feeling the cool air touch the place the ropes had once been, he rubbed the spot gently. Cyrus used his mouth to help undo the last rope on the right hoof, and after a few struggles with it the stallion had managed to free himself.

Grinning, the former legion captain chortled quietly to himself. Freedom was his, and no pony, not even the Lieutenant, Breeze Heart, or even the whole of the Legion could stop him from seeking his revenge.

Sitting back down the now freed Legion Captain put the ropes behind his back, and got in the most convincing captured position he could make. With a quiet laugh to himself Cyrus called for the guard ponies.

"Can you two give me some water? Am I not entitled to the basic rights of a prisoner?"

One of the guards just his the side of the tent and shouted at him in an agitated tone. "Oi! Quiet you. And no, you can't ave’ water so shut up!"

"But," Cyrus moaned. "If I am to die here I at least require something to drink. Anything really. That's all I ask."

"Will you shut up if I give you something?"

"Oh yes." Cyrus purred. "It could be wine or ale, anything will do."

In an annoyed tone the guard sighed, "I'll give him some water from my canteen. I'll be right back, and then we can talk about where we want to be station next."

With a nod the other soldier agreed as the first guard came inside the tent.

It was dark inside the tent, and it was the perfect amount of darkness that gave one the ability to have decent stealth. "Oi, here you go." The guard said taking his water filled canteen and going down to him. Though the guard felt odd, as he could only make out the faint outline of a smile on Cyrus's face.

"What the... Hfm!" In a swift motion Cyrus locked the pony in a headlock with one foreleg, and with a powerful squeeze the guard to lost the ability to scream or call for help. And with his non-broken hoof Cyrus put it at the base of the guards head and twisted his captor’s neck quickly.

The once living guard pony’s neck crunched like a snapped twig before Cyrus caught him falling in the air. The sound of the ponies neck snapping soothed him, and while gentle lowering the body to the ground Cyrus did his best to imitated the guard's voice.

"Oi! This is real odd, you might need to come and look at this mate!"

Curious, the other guard poked his head inside the dark tent. Unable to see much the soldier stepped fully inside cautiously. "Are you alright? What's the matt-"

Before the soldier could finish Cyrus had already taken the first guards short sword, and had rammed it straight into the second guard's neck. With a trembling hoof to his stabbed neck the guard felt death pass over him. Cyrus took the opportunity to finish the kill and sliced the rest of the pony's neck open before letting him fall to the ground dead.

The guards heart was still pumping. Blood jetted out small shorts of blood, oozing and spraying out of the huge laceration across the now dead guard's neck. Cyrus looked down at the two ponies who had once guarded him. "Pitiful." He grunted.

Looking over to the pony whose neck he had snapped, Cyrus got an idea. Taking the armor the limp pony had on by his right hoof, and with a unnatural grin the former Legion Captain smirked. "I don't think you'll be needing these anymore."

Cyrus struggled to get the armor on. But with it, sneaking past the army into the town would be simple. Or it should be, because if all didn't go well while Cyrus tried to get into the town, then a small fraction of himself would never live peacefully with those he hated still living in this world.

Determination pulsed through his veins. It was the war he started, and if those who Cyrus thought needed to die lived, he wouldn’t rest till they were dead. And he would savor every moment of horrific murder he'd perform on them. The screams, and moans. Warm blood running through his fur, tears of fear or of pain made a smile appear as he thought joyfully about it.

Putting the final piece of armor on, Cyrus was ready to move. With the gas mask covering his face, and the green iron barding shielding his cutie mark all was ready. That is, except his hoof. For, the stallion could not move it, and unless something was done about this not much could be accomplished.

Poking his head outside the tent flaps into the dark night air, Cyrus looked quickly around the general area before moving on. Once the cost was clear, the stallion did what came first to his mind, and that was to find the medical tent. The Legion, especially the Arkcannon perimeter, was always supplied with the finest medical equipment in the province. And he knew this all too well. Cyrus figured if the tent had a brace, and a healing potion, the two together should fix the broken hoof issue quite quickly.

Trying not to seem inconspicuous, the former Legion pony limbed through the camp in search for the tent. Passing by tent after tent, Cyrus desperately looked harder for it. Finally, after a going through multiple lines of tents, there with a large red cross on it, was the tent he had been searching for.

Picking up the pace of his limping, the Captain hurried himself along into the tent. It was dark, and cramped with metal boxes and first aid kits stacked on top of each other. Each box was loaded with an assortment of healing tools and potions. From curing burns, to sickness somewhere in the tent was a treatment for what ailed you.

He dug through box after box. And it wasn't until the third box Cyrus had found a brace. A small one, and for the time being it would do just nicely. The pain whilst moving the limp hoof onto the brace felt sharp. Biting his lip, and drawing blood from it to resist the pain paid off, as the brace not supported the hoof in place. Though, he particularly liked the fact that the brace supported hinges on the sides, allowing him to move his hoof freely at will.

But in its current state of limpness, it still wasn't any good to him. Now after a healing potion, the Captain went through the first first aid box. Two potions were neatly placed in the first box he had chosen. And, with a smile of demented joy behind the thick mask; Cyrus used the right hoof to remove the mask.

In huge gulps it took seconds to consume the two now empty bottles. Dropping the bottles were he stood, the left limp hoof slowly healed. A tingling sensation spread itself throughout the injured area of the bone, as the potion worked its magic. The pain left, and feeling began to make its way back. Though even the potions could not completely heal the wound instantly, and the brace would help support his hoof until it did heal up all the way. Though time was short. The battle could be over soon, and with the emperor close his quest for revenge seemed almost impossible. That was, unless he acted fast.

Sparing no more time, Cyrus chuckled quietly while putting the gas mask back on. In a sing-song tone the Captain hummed to himself, "Oh, my pretty little Breeze Heart. It is you I crave first... For we have to have a chat... H-heh... A lovely little chat... Yes, that will do just fine. So dance, and sing your songs of freedom. For the wolf will come when you least expect it! He he!"

There were several ponies in the standard Legion garb sitting and watching the Arkcannon barricade from behind the safety of their makeshift one. Several Legion soldiers kept their heads down with their weapons at the ready incase of a random fight were to break out. It was clear that the Arkcannon townsfolk did the same, as neither side had fired a single shot in more than an hour. Several of the buildings were gone now. Reduced to nothing more than collapsed piles of rubble, and smoldering embers. Some buildings had fires still burning, and for the most part produced the general lighting for the current moment.

Lieutenant Covert, hunched over a piece of paper on an old beat up table marking down the dead. With both hooves to the sides of his head the Lieutenant rubbed both sides in a slow clockwise motion.

Two ponies from a radio next to the barricade came marching over to the stressed leader. "Sir. We have news from the emperor."

Halting the pain relieving motion the Lieutenant lurched over his shoulder to see what the soldier wanted. "Yes? Can't you see I'm trying to get our numbers together?"

"I see that, sir, but we've got news about his current position."

The news seemed to have perked Covert up, as his ears and face gave off a sudden joyful expression. "Oh? How far is he away from our position?"

In a stiff, orderly posture the soldier stated, "Less than an hour, sir. He also says that he'll take over command upon arrival."

"Splendid..." Sighed the Lieutenant. "I've struggled to maintain this army here... But, it's grown too hard for me... At least this stalemate will offer some relief from the fighting..."

The first legion soldier saluted sharply before snapping to attention. "That is all the news from his highness. Permission to dismiss?"

With a lazy wave of his hoof Covert dismissed the soldier. Right after the first pony left the next took a step forward and presented himself. "Sir, what are your orders? Some of the ponies, and myself would like to know what it is we're supposed to do, sir."

Closing his eyes and laying back Covert sighed, "We wait."

"For whom, sir?"

"Who do you think?" The Legion Lieutenant sighed sarcastically.

"Right, sir.... What about positions? Is there anything else we can do while we wait?"

Looking towards the soldier in the eyes, Covert spoke in a rather agitated tone, "Well, if you really want to do something then you should-"

In mid sentence he stopped. For in the corner of his eye there was a Legion soldier making their way along the town wall. Of course there were soldiers everywhere, and it was nothing new to see one near the wall, but this pony... No, this pony was special. And Covert couldn't put a hoof on it, but there was a significance about that pony.

"Sir?" The guard interrupted, looking in the general direction Covert was gazing.

Shaking his head suddenly the Lieutenant snapped back to full attention. "Oh, well... Umm, just gather ammunition, and tent to the wounded. You know, that sort of thing."

"I-Is that it, sir?"

"Yes, now please, I've got a headache and talking won't help much."

With a less formal salute, the soldier went off on his own to tell the others of the Lieutenant’s orders. Though, once the soldier was gone, Covert turned his attention once more to the pony who was along the gate. However, there was nopony there. Had he seen things? There was a pony there, that was certain. Or, maybe there wasn't. Shaking his head and dismissing the thought the Legion Lieutenant sniffed the cool night air and sighed heavily once more.

"Once this is all over, I'm done with the front lines."

Ponies along the barricade kept their heads low, with their bodies pressed firmly to the large roughly configured wooden structure they had built. Red Glare and Cherry were side by side, watching the Legion soldiers scurry about behind their own cover. At this point, neither side wanted to start something, and for the townsfolks, this sudden stalemate was possibly the key to their freedom. That was, as long as the Legion thought they had the barricade rigged everypony was safe for the time being.

Tattle and Tale had managed to sneak out of the town hall, where most of the non-combatants stayed during the fighting. With the flag they had found, and the song in their heads; the young ones sneaked up to the side of the barricade to catch a glimpse of why the fighting had stopped. And once the two young ones found a place small enough for them to remain hidden at the barricade’s side, they waited for what would happen next.

Adam sat down on a porch, waiting for Neo to get better. While he had waited, Adam ate a can of something that looked like meat. Though it took some getting used to, the meat's old oily taste of the pinkish stuff soon settled with the young blue pony.

Breeze Heart came up quietly behind Adam, and taking her left hoof she tapped the unsuspecting pony on the shoulder. In a surprise Adam swiftly turned to Breeze, Adam sighed with relief seeing just who had snuck up on him.

Putting a hoof to his fast beating heart Adam said, "Breeze, you surprised me."

The one winged pegasus chuckled quietly before answering him. "Heh, sorry kid."

"Hey kid... There's something I got to ask you," Breeze Heart looked to Red Glare who lay on the barricade watching out into the now calm street.

Adam cocked his head to the side curiously. "You need me? For what?"

Keeping her voice low, the pegasus whispered leaning closer to him. "A supply run."

The request puzzled Adam. "A supply run?"

"Yeah, and Red Glare wouldn't be too keen as to how I'm going about doing it."

"So, you're going to just sneak off somewhere and get supplies?"

"Exactly, and I need your help."

"Where exactly do you plan to go? With the Legion everywhere, there really isn't many places we can just walk to with stuff we can use."

"Now that, my boy, is not entirely true."

Raising an eyebrow the buck asked, "What do you mean?"

"The few buildings that haven't fallen yet, might still have ammo and supplies from the ponies who were positioned there."

"But, how are you going to get over there without stirring up the Legion?"

The pegasus smirked. "The same way you got your brother over here."

Adam blinked. "Are you serious? Through the alleyways? But we'll have to climb over all that stuff just to get anywhere. And if we're coming back with a lot of stuff; you might as well haul large amounts of iron in your bags, cause that's what the trip will be like."

"Pfft ha!" The cocky pegasus chuckled, "It'll be a short trip, plus we're only grabbing a few things. If things start to look bad, then we’ll take off."

Adam unsurely rubbed the back of his head, and in a undecided tone of voice he said, "I don't know. I went through those already once tonight. Plus, won’t Red Glare, you know... Not approve of it?"

Nudging Adam playfully in the foreleg the pegasus gave the blue colt a friendly convincing stare. "Ah, come on! We'll be in and out in ten minutes tops. Plus, what Red doesn't know won't hurt him."

"Well..."

"Come on Adam, we can do this. With you and me together, they'll thank us for getting them that stuff."

Adam sighed; based on what his brother had said about protecting the ones he cared about, this seemed to be one of those moment. If they were to find some ammunition from those buildings for the town, it would make protecting everypony that much more easier.

"Fine, but ten minutes. If we're gone any longer than that, it's straight back to the barricade." Adam said sternly.

With a crossing motion from her hooves on her chest, and an angel like smile Breeze Heart sealed the promise. "Ten minutes. I swear."

Getting up and patting himself down Adam looked up to her. "So when do we head out?"

Breeze took the buck by the shoulder and turned towards Red Glare. Red Glare seemed to be talking to Cherry on the barricade on the Legion's movements, and to Breeze this seemed like the best time to move out. "Let's head out now."

Her reply shocked Adam. "Like right now? But I thought you would want to wait a bit or something?"

Trying to gently push him towards the building Adam had come from with his brother she whispered quickly. "You know, I would but I think now is a good time."

"Okay?"

"Yeah, come on kid, like I said, ten minutes. No more, no less." She said nudging the Earth pony buck to the building.

On the way to the building, Breeze never broke eye contact on Red. There was not one move Red Glare made that she didn't see. Though to Adam it was odd as to how she was able to get both of them to the building without actually looking where they needed to go. But once both of them were inside, the one-winged pegasus scanned Red Glare, and his movements. Once it looked like they would be clear to move out, Breeze closed the door softly.

The building they were in for the moment was empty. It was the place ponies who cleaned and fixed up weapons worked. So naturally, gun cleaning tools and cleaners were scattered around several the place. With tables and other furniture used as cover incase somepony were to come in through the front or alley. Though based on the a second glance at the interior, it had seemed as if the building before was somepony’s home.

Moving over to the door, Breeze Heart opened it for Adam into the back alley way. With another cautious look around, she herself went through after Adam. The crickets could be heard chirping their merry tunes in the night as the two ponies stood outside in the narrow alleyway.

To their left and to their right were large stacks of barrels or other assorted items blocking the way. Fortunately for them, climbing these piles was not impossible.

"Come on Adam, let's hit the building after this one. It should have something good in it." Breeze Heart whispered.

She had already started up one of the piles leaving Adam down below. Staring back at the piles he remembered how much of a pain these things were to climb with Neo on his back. Though, at least this time there wasn't anything heavy to carry which would make the trip that much more easier.

Climbing up the small alley barricade himself the two gradually made their way up. Once on top of the pile, they descended it slowly. As some of the items were not stable. Finally coming to the next barricade the two did as they had before. Climbing up it, before going down carefully.

Adam was amazed at how much more easier it was this time around. Not only that, but they didn't go as far as he did the last time he had come through these alleyways.

From the back of the building they had considered going into, it looked relatively intact. Which was a good sign for the most part. Though the whole building could not be judged officially from the back, and in the dark it was hard to tell which building it was. The one thing Adam did know was that the now mostly collapsed building just a little more down the alleyway, was the place Neo and himself had taken refuge from the fighting earlier.

Breeze came over to the door and tried opening it. Unfortunately, the door itself was locked, and within moments the pegasus mare went to lockpick it. Most of the doors in town had fairly simple locks, and since very few ponies knew how to lockpick in town it made Breeze a very special pony.

Adam got closer to her nervously. There was sounds of faint hoofs tapping off the sides of the alley. "Hey Breeze?" Adam whispered in a cautious tone.

'What?" Replied the mare, not breaking her focus on the lock.

"I thought I heard something on the other side of one of the barricades."

Still not losing her attention to the lock she said, "It's probably nothing. Just remember, it's probably the sounds from ponies on the Legion barricade being carried off the walls or something."

Scanning the area around them for other mysterious noises, Adam gulped a bit. A terrible anxiousness settled in his stomach. Though, why he had got this sudden feeling was beyond him. So, rather than try and question it, Adam just shrugged dismissed the feeling as best he could, and try to cope with the random feeling.

With a quick, metallic snap the door was now ready to open. Breeze Heart gave herself a faint victory grin opening the door to the building.

With Adam following behind her, both ponies took light steps entering the place. It was dark, and from the little light that came from the opened door they could see they were in a storage closet of some sort. A drink storage closet to be exact.

Keeping her voice to a low volume Breeze Heart whispered, "Oh, I know what this place is. I worked here once. This is the that old liquor store Vineyard used to run."

Adam didn't say anything, but instead followed her timidly, as the feeling of fear and anxiety grew with every step. At the end of the narrow storage closet was a drape covered doorway leading out into the main room.

Most of the items that would normally be stored inside this particular closet were gone, with only a few empty bottles and dusty shelves left.

Taking the utmost care with stealth, the two peaked behind the old dusty drape, that covered the doorway. From where they were the sounds of ponies calling out, and shouting muffled things could be heard. But that didn't seem off to them, as they were near the Legion fortifications, and there was bound to be some noise from them.

Now coming into the full room, Adam and Breeze looked started to look around. Beams of orange light leaked in through the larger gaps in the boards on the windows. Tables were turned over on their sides, and old furniture was thrown aside by the ponies who had once been there.

The whole room itself was fairly large and open. Excluding the turned tables and furniture. A crooked old wagon wheel chandelier hung loosely by a few wires on the old wooden supports above. A small business counter could also be found right next to the drape covered doorway, with a cash register perched neatly at the end. Towards the side of the room was a staircase leading upstairs to where the pony Vineyard would have probably been living.

Still keeping her low tone Breeze said to Adam, "Spread out and look around for any kind of ammo or weapon. We've only got a little bit to search so, let's try and make it count."

Adam nodded to her, and began to scout the place for something of worth. Breeze went over to a few drawers near the front door and poked around inside, while Adam went over to the counter to check for items. Though, some of the ground seemed wet for some reason, and with the dim lighting it was hard to tell that there was some kind of liquid.

Adam's heart skipped as his hooves lost control. Almost falling over, he managed to catch himself right on the edge of the counter before falling over completely. "Whoa... That was close..." Adam muttered in a relieving tone.

Breeze just looked to him as Adam recovered himself smiling. "Just try not to kill yourself, okay?"

"Yeah... I'll try." Adam replied shyly.

Breeze Heart gave him a faint chuckle before going back to her own search. Upon investigating the counter, Adam found a bottle of water, with a small portion of water still inside. This puzzled Adam, as the bottle itself was on it's side dripping periodically to the floor. It was as though somepony had been in the building before them. But who? The door was locked, and it didn't seem like there was anypony inside.

But for the moment it didn't seem to matter, so he just continued on with searching for anything useful. Getting low to the ground Adam inspected the inner section of the counter. There was a few boxes under the counter, and a few small holes letting in some of the dim orange glow from the outside peak through them. But, once again, due to the lack of lighting, Adam slipped on the liquid covered floor.

Adam hit his head on the floor, with his entire body sprawled out. Moaning, he felt the pain in his head throb, before putting a hoof to it.

Breeze had turned to see what had happened, and with the same playful smile she sighed and went back to searching. And having heard him moan once or twice, it gave her an idea that he was alright.

Without turning around she spoke out to him in a whisper like tone. "You know, so far I haven't found anything... Damn I was really hoping there would be something in this blasted things..."

She heard the sound of a heavier body moving down the stairs, and with her same childish smile she looked towards the place the sound was coming from. "Now now, I thought that we could-"

Her expression turned sour, as shock and fear suddenly overcame her entire body. For it was not Adam at the stairs, it was a Legion soldier.

Quickly pulling out a small pistol from a holster on her leg she held it tightly in her mouth. With a intimidating stare Breeze Heart stood ready for him, and if even for a second the soldier pull some ritzy stunt, she would not hesitate to draw attention to them by shooting the stallion.

The stallion just stood there, still with the one winged pegasus mare staring at him. Anxiety, and adrenaline pumped itself through her body, as the anticipation between the two grew.

The Legion soldier cocked his head to the left, as if he were curious about who she was. Though within moments the stallion started to laugh.

At first though, it started as a low chortle, and generally building up into a full laugh. It was an insane sort of laughter. The kind that only a pony driven to the brink of insanity more than once could utter. And it was spine chilling. Sending a sense of fear down the mare's spine.

Adam watched the two, and he was frozen. He lay there behind the counter, one of the holes in the wood gave him an almost clear view of the two, and their every action. And yet, that great sense of tight freezing fear overcame him. At this point, there was not much he could do.

"Heh..." The soldier squeaked, his laugh having died down. "Is that you, Breeze Heart?"

She didn't reply, and instead stood her ground. With another loud laugh the soldier cocked his head to the side once more. "You really don't know who I am, do you?"

"Well..." He cooed playfully, "First, let me get rid of this old thing..." Taking his left hoof the Legion soldier removed both the mask and helmet from his head.

Letting both the mask and helmet drop to the ground Breeze Heart finally got a look at the dark face of the soldier. With a wide, demented grin Cyrus gazed deep into her eyes.

The intimidating stare she once had on him vanished, only shock could be found where the courage had once been. Dropping the gun from her mouth in panic she backed away slowly from him. With every step she moved back, Cyrus would move two closer. Never breaking his stare on the terrified mare.

"B-but I thought..."

"You thought what?" The stallion said encroaching onto her. "That these walls would keep you safe? Oh, no no no, my dear child... For you see, this is something more personal..."

"W-what do you want from me? I-I'll-"

Halting his advance Cyrus put a hoof to his chin and thought. "Oh, my dear Breeze! I don't want something from you..." Not moving the rest of his head the deep terrifying pupils of the stallion’s eyes locked onto her once more. And, drawing the sword he had found of the guard's armor, Cyrus put the blade's tip to the wooden floor. "I want to give you something."

Now taking smaller hoofsteps forward to her, the once courageous mare now stood with her back to the wall. With each step Cyrus made, the knife dug deeper into the wood as he moved forward. "Yes... Yes... I seem to remember this little present you gave me earlier tonight." Cyrus said in an edgy tone, pointing to the healed scar on his cheek.

"Or all that trouble you gave me in my town before... This...."

Looking at the gun she had dropped, and fearing for her life the mare perked up and spoke, "This isn't your town you bastard!"

Cyrus chuckled madly. "Oh really? And why is that?"

She didn't bother to answer, and instead jumped for the gun. For a moment the sudden move took Cyrus off guard, but he was keen to movements like this. "Not so fast missy!" He shouted tackling her before she could reach the gun.

With him on top of her, and the sword next to them both, Cyrus pinned her to the floor. Smiling down at her, his left eye twitching. "You thought that was rather clever of you, wasn't it?"

Breeze gritted her teeth, and spat in his face. Though Cyrus didn't seem to notice, nor care that she had done so. Instead of replying, Breeze felt the hooves on her forelegs weaken for just a moment. In a quick motion she slid her left foreleg from his grasp and turned the tides of the situation. With this action, the two now fought each other furiously. Pulling, punching, biting, and beating the other relentlessly.

Though, it was Cyrus who had once again managed to overcome her. With his haunches on her back, and her head in a headlock; the Legion Captain used the only other free foreleg he had to wipe the blood dripping down from his mouth. "You did think that was clever, didn’t you?"

Her only other wing flapped violently as she tried resisting Cyrus. Once again, the stallion smiled. Only he leaned down to the mare's ear and whispered into it. "I commend you for your fight against me... And I can truly say I hate you... I hate you with all the hate I posses. Though..."

Cyrus gave her wing a lustful glare. "You still need to pay for your crimes, Breeze Heart... H-heh..."

"You know... When I was a young raider, my parents loved pegasi... especially when we'd eat them. Though the best part of it all was when I got to see them carve them alive..."

Thinking about his old memories Cyrus licked his lips in hunger. "Oooh, the sounds our food made... The tearing of the tendons, the splash of the blood, and the moans and screams of the live gutting... Oh, I miss those days..."

Still trying to struggle from her captor Cyrus continued. Only this time, moving her head closer to his. "But... There is one thing I always remembered from those days... It was a song. A song my mother would sing as I helped carve the victims. Would you like to hear it?"

Breeze didn't respond and continued to struggle. "I said... Do you want to hear it!"

The mare stopped her struggling, as she realized what he wanted to do. Her first thought was to call for Adam to help. Because if Adam didn't, there might be no chance for her. Trying to call for help, Breeze Heart only managed to get wheezes out, as the stallions foreleg around her neck proved too strong. And this is what it was now... She was in the hooves of fate now. If Adam was watching, she prayed he would help... No, she begged in her mind to the goddesses above for help.

"I'll take that as a yes!" Cyrus exclaimed cheerfully.

Breeze's wing flapped furiously, and though it was hard Cyrus had managed to pin her head to the ground, while one hoof caught and laid the wing flat on the ground.

"Now... Mother always said, that if you don't want food to run, get rid of the legs..."

Taking the sword next to him, the pony hummed to himself merrily while using the knife on her forelegs. Breeze Heart had tears build in her eyes. Shaking all she could wouldn't help... It was her time, and Breeze knew it.

Stabbing, cutting, and tearing away the flesh from each foreleg the mad Captain sang each verse with every limb he sliced.

"Chop, chop, chop goes the knife!"

Breeze Heart moaned, and tried to cry for help but it was hard, as the pain was unbearable.

"Chop, chop, chop goes the strife!"

In short.. Whimpering wheezes filled with pain, "Pl... Please... Ad.. A... H-h..."

Stabbing ferociously at where her cutie mark was Cyrus started to carve the Legion insignia where her special talents mark lay. In a low, rasping scream she cried out, feeling the knife bury itself deeper into her flesh.

"Chop, chop, chop goes the knife! To make the make the flesh taste right!"

Adam watched... Frozen in terror. Inside his head, he cried out to himself to help her. To stop it before she died. But his legs and body were frozen solid... W-why can't I move? I-I need to help her! Breeze, don't die! Fight him! Get up! Please! Get up! Get up! I-I can't help... I-I can't do anything...

Tears trickled down his face... Blood was everywhere... And the stallion performing this insane act of murder on her chuckled with every swipe. It made Adam feel helpless, for the moment, he was the spectator... And it hurt him inside.

"Chop, chop, chop goes the knife! Lick the bone and bite!"

Now finishing with her legs and body, Cyrus's turned his attention to the single wing left on her mutilated body. Eyes twitching, excitement pumping through his body, and a lust to see her die Cyrus put the dullest part of the blade to the base of her wing. Without breaking the rhythm of his merry tune he continued, and with each word sung one chop from the sword would come down onto her wing.

"Chop! Chop! Chop! Goes the knife! Watch the blood spew!

The skin was tore, and the veins and blood vessels were now exposed at the wing's base. "Chop! Chop! Chop! Goes the knife! Because we're having a sweet pegasus stew!"

With the final word, the bone split. And with a strong pull on the now loosely connected wing, Cyrus tore it off. As it came off the tendon it made a horrible shredding sound, that seemed to please the stallion.

Breeze was covered in blood and tears. Only faint breaths, and soft sobs came from the mare now. On top of her though, Cyrus gaze upon the wing he had just brutally ripped off in awe. "Heh..." Cyrus chuckled. "It's... It's glorious..."

But the awe of his victory did not last long. Slowly turning to the dying mare before him, Cyrus flipped her body over. Breeze's underbelly was soaked in blood, though it was relatively cut free.

Beaten, mutilated, and dying, she coughed horsey, with blood coming out in huge globs with every cough. But instead of digging straight into her, Cyrus calmly put his head to her chest, and listened to her heart beat. It thumped fast, as her body worked hard to keep up body functions with the lack of blood.

"Do you hear that, my dear?"

Breeze only coughed up more blood, and did not reply. "Doesn't that sound just bug you? That constant thumping... Thump. Thump. Thump. Bleh! The sound irritates me to the core!"

In a rather innocent manner Cyrus lifted himself up and shook his head disapprovingly at her. "Now, I can't do anything with that sound bothering me. Y-you don't mind do you? Of course you don't. I'm sure you'd be more than happy to get rid of it by now. Am I right?"

Outside the sounds of soldiers screaming to each other, and Arkcannon townsfolk calling out could be heard. Yet, nopony in the room cared nor, paid any attention to it. Not even Adam, who in his mind prayed it was quick...

Putting a hoof to his sword Cyrus leaned closer to listen to what Breeze had to say. "What was that? You hate the sound too? Oh, what luck! Then, let us be rid of it. For both of our sakes."

And, in a slow, robotic like motion. Cyrus took the sword, and like a stake being driven through the ground he positioned it over her heart. "Long live the Legion." Cyrus muttered with a huge merry grin across his face.

Though just as the sword came down, Breeze stopped him just above her chest. The former Legion Captain was taken back by this sudden move on her part. "Ah ha! So the bitch does still have some bite left in her after all!”

But her hooves were weak. The pain, and light headed feeling caused the strength that she had summoned to quickly vanish. Shaking, with tears running down her cheeks, Breeze resorted to the last thing she could do. Plead for her life.

"P-Please... Please..." She sobbed feeling the strength in his grip over the sword increase.

"Oh? What is it that you want?"

The sword came closer to her chest with her heart beating faster than before. "I-I.. I don't want to die..."

The tip of the sword now touched her flesh, and with every second it came closer to touching the beating heart below. "I... I... Please... I don't w-want to die.. Ad... Ad.. Ada... H-help..."

"There's no one to help you dear.Only me, and by ridding you of that awful noise. I am helping you."

The sword pierced her flesh, and a sharp pain made its way to her mind. In a desperate last second attempt she tried to beg, "Ple-please... No..."

"Shhh, child. Now let the noise..."

Adam felt himself feel the fear grip him harder, but this was it. If he did nothing she would die, and remembering how far he'd come to ave his brother he wouldn't let another pony die today because of him. So, in a loud sudden shout Adam shouted, "Stop!"

Cyrus stayed his blade and looked towards the counter in puzzling awe. He hadn't known that there was another in the room with him and Breeze. "W-what?" He muttered.

Adam trembled violently getting up from where he was laying. It was hard, for his joints and limbs felt weak and loose from the event he had watched take place. Breeze turned her head to the side and with a hopeful tinkle in her eye she smile at him. "A-Adam..."

"I said... S-stop!"

"Heh," Cyrus chuckled staring wildly at the young buck before him. "And who the hell are you to tell me to stop!?"

Adam leaned against the bar trying to get stable, all the while not taking his gaze off of the deranged stallion on top of Breeze. "I'm Adam, and I want you t-to leave her alone."

Cyrus eyed the buck more carefully before answering him, and upon further inspection he saw the small sun badge on his collar. Though it was covered it dust and blood Cyrus could still make it out, and it pleased him to know that the pony before him was one of the two guardians that had been reported in the town.

"Hah! Isn't this wonderful! I get two! And here I thought it was going to be hard to find you!"

Moving his gaze to Breeze Cyrus smiled. "You're not going anywhere my dear, so do not fret. I'll be back to you shortly."

Breeze wheezed and grunted trying to tell Adam to run, and leave her but the pain that was all around her body made it hard to speak. Adam went over to his Pipbuck secretly, putting a his hooves under the counter he worked the small personal wrist computer from underneath the counter staring determined at Cyrus. The former Legion Captain grinned with his blood stained sword attached around his hoof. In slow movements he prowled over to Adam in a smooth light walk.

Just as Cyrus came within five feet of him Adam pulled out his laser pistol fro his bags, and even though Adam knew it was in terrible condition there was not many other weapons he could use. He levitated it to his face swiftly ready to fire at the stallion in front of him. Cyrus's insane grin faded just before he stopped and looked at the scared buck before him. Raising an eyebrow Cyrus looked deep into his eyes.

"You're not a killer are you?"

Adam's hooves trembled in fear as the gun levitated itself in front of him, not giving the captain a reply. "No... You've killed before... But you don't like to, do you?"

A look of joy found it's way cross Cyrus's face as he looked more at the buck. "Ah! So you don't like to kill then do you... To be honest when I heard guardians were in this town I actually felt generally threatened. But now... No, just look at you. You're not even a fully grown stallion are you?"

Cyrus spit down on the ground before Adam, "It's sad that the Coalition has to send children to help fight their battles! Where is the fun in killing them when they have no fight left in them!"

Adam levitated the pistol closer to his face as the things his brother said echoed in his mind. This was to protect Breeze, and everyone else whose been murdered by Cyrus. Before this, he was nothing but a scared kid, but now was not the time to be weak. Not anymore. It was his duty now, and his alone to help her.

Spreading out his hooves and opening himself up to him he smiled again at Adam. "Well guardian shoot me! Kill me, and be the killer I can see inside of you!"

Adam took the pistol, feeling the suspense between the two of them grow. The warmness in the air evaporated the sweat that ran down his brow and neck. "I-I won't let you hurt anypony ever again!" He shouted.

"The kill me! Let's see if you can do it!"

Adam saw Breeze bleeding on the floor and felt in his gut what to do. "Do it! Kill me! Or I'll-"

Before Cyrus could finish Adam shot at three red beams at him. Though because of the condition of his weapon the shots were not straight, and hit different places on the Captain's body. Falling to the ground in tremendous pain Cyrus coughed blood feeling the lasers burry themselves deep into his flesh. Adam lowered the pistol and looked at what he did.

"I... I did it..." Adam whispered under his breath in shock at what he had done.

Breeze coughed hoarsely while on the ground. Adam shook his head and noticed her. Quickly jumping over the counter he went down to help her. Tear's built up in her eyes as she looked up to him hopefully. "Adam..." She wheezed.

Adam wiped some of the blood off of her with his hoof before speaking softly to her. "I'm... I'm sorry Breeze, I didn't act fast enough... But I won't let you die here. Not tonight, and we came in her together, and we'll leave here together."

Taking her with his hooves he put her on his back. "I let so many ponies die today because of me, and I won't let another die tonight."

With Breeze now on his back Adam, shifted her on his back to make sure she was secure on him. "Now, let's get you back before we run into anymore problems." Adam said with a grunt.

Though just as he made his way out to where they had come from before Cyrus moaned once more to him. "Kill me... I deserve my death... Give it to me... I-I demand it..."

Adam stopped for not even a moment to look down at the poor wounded captain on the blood stained floor. And saying nothing, Adam turned back to the back entrance of the building with Breeze on his back and left.

Cyrus watched as the two left the room back into the alleyways leaving him all alone in the room. The burning in his chest and body was terrible. It hurt to live, and Cyrus moaned and cried out in anger as his kill got away from him. Rolling there on the floor the Legion Captain felt he'd die, and it sadden him for his death would not be that of a glorious warrior. And that feeling of failure scratched his soul and heart raw.

Though, after screaming and moaning in pain, and fury he heard something that took him by surprise. The front door to the building broke off its hinges. It took a second for the door to fall down to the ground, and when it did it made a loud wooden thud. Rolling over to see what had happened he prayed it was a rebel, or something to kill him. Maybe then he could get a death that would satisfy him.

But in the front doorway there was a figure. A large dark figure with green colored armor covering his legs, torso, and hooves. A long dark green cape was on his back, which rest neatly and still. It was Vladimir, and in a feeling joy Cyrus spoke out to him in a raspy dying voice.

"My lord... Help me..."

Vladimir just stood there staring down at the blood covered stallion, who was slowly dying on the floor. "When I arrived but moments ago, I expected you to be under custody. Instead I come here to find you screaming and moaning like a little foal."

"Please, lord... Kill me..."

Vladimir continued to gaze at him with pity. To see one of his most fear soldiers reduced to no more than a whining sad creature was troubling. "I had such hope for you. You showed such promise, and when I chose you those many weeks ago, I thought you could do all that I asked of you and more."

"Pl-please... D-don't let me die like this..." Cyrus coughed.

Looking at the pistol that lay on the ground Vladimir focused on it. A dark red aura engulfed the side arm and levitated in the air. Aiming carefully at his head Vladimir was ready to kill the sad creature that lay injured and dying before him. "I'll give you your death, and this Legion can finally be rid of you, and the trouble you've brought it."

Smiling with tears running down his eyes Cyrus said in a dying tone, "Yes... Please, m-make it glorious..."

Just as Vladimir stood there ready to kill the cause of all the troubles this town had the voice in his mind purred softly to him. "You really shouldn't kill him..."

"And why is that?" Vladimir replied agitatedly.

"Because, you said yourself that he had to pay for his crimes. Killing him now Little Red wouldn't do much. It would just make him happy. And to punish a criminal with giving them what they want... Well, I thought your father taught you better than that."

Lowering the gun slightly Vladimir glared down at the Captain once more. "But look at him, it's sad to watch him exist any longer! He needs to die, and what I say is what will be done."

"No. I think he should be deprived of that which he wants most."

"But, I need to kill him. I am the one who needs to punish him!"

The voice screamed at him, "No! Stop acting like an ignorant child! I have never lead you astray before, and now is no different! Leave him. It is only fair for what he has done..."

"Now..." The voice purred, "put the gun down."

Vladimir dropped the gun on the floor while staring down at Cyrus, who was dying second by second. "Now, let the mad pony die, we've got other pressing matters to handle..."

With that the voice left his mind, and in its place a sudden sharp headache took form. With a swift motion Vladimir took a canteen at his side and drank its contents quickly. Feeling the pain leave his head was relieving. Though it didn't seem right, or at least Vladimir thought it wasn't, to just leave the pony to die in a building like this was wrong. But the voice in his mind said otherwise, and despite the fact he thought differently of the situation the voice was right.

So, with a calm sway of his body Vladimir turned around and faced the outside of the building. He paused for not even a second before going to into the street to handle the townsfolk.

Cyrus looked out at the doorway with wide eyes as seeing the orange light come in from the outside world. The burning in his chest got worse, and his vision became darker. And within moments the life slipped slowly away. And in moments the spark of life in his body was gone, and the pony who had caused so much trouble for the town was dead.

Foot Note: Level Up

New Perk: Heavy Liftin Pony: Big Guns now weigh 25% less when picked up.

Foot Note: Level Up

Would you like to level up Adam as well?

Yes-

No

New Perk: It's a Bug Hunt Now!: Insect enemies now show up on your EFS farther away, and you gain a 20% critical bonus every time you engage in combat with an insect.

Proofread by:

Noakwolf

LyonAzakura

Reggie the Griffon

Author's Note

This chapter was, for me, hard to write. As I had completely jumped out of my comfort zone on this one. Because up until now I had never wrote a large scale battle like this before. But, I digress. I really did like this chapter, and I hope you enjoyed it too. And as always thanks for reading!

• Noakwolf