Discordient Earth

   Walking into the building, I am in a central lobby with a flight of stairs on both the left and the right of me, a desk in the back of the room, and two elevators. Walking over to the other side of the desk, I pull up the layout and surveillance cameras for the first floor. The cameras were all dead but it seems that the cafeteria isn't on this floor. Moving the layout up to the second I floor I see the cafeteria across from the stairs and that a few of the cameras don't work. However, one of them in the cafeteria is still operating. Damnit. Looking into the cafeteria I see a gang of at least 30 reforms. It looks like twenty of them are standing around a platform of tables near the elevator entrance with ten of them at the front entrance to the room. Looking over the map again I see there's a second entrance from the kitchen. Alright. I'll enter the kitchen and clear it out, then sneak in though the kitchen entrance, throw my two smoke bombs, and then hopefully take them out before he comes up. Simple. As simple as teaching a panda to make stir fry.

   Programming my destination into my gas mask, I fit it on and walk over to the stairs. As I walk up the stairs I turn on the path finder and a light green line appears to show me my path. Making sure to take out my newer knife and click it on; I walk around following my path until I reach a corner and around it is an iron door with two reforms by it. Checking back to the map I downloaded I don't see any other ways around to the door closer to them but there is one farther away and only a short run from me. Clicking on one of my older knifes I leave it a few feet away from their corridor. I turn around and run as I hear them being to move towards the sound. Getting back to the hallway with the iron door I see the two of them almost to my knife. Taking out my new one, I make sure that it is glowing a dirtied orange colour. Sneaking out into the hallway I try to remain quiet as I make it down to where they turned. Seeing them I grab the one the closest to me; I proceed to slice his head into halves. Before the other can notice I bring an upward slice up though her back and up out of her head. Grabbing the knife I left; I click it off and put it away.

   Walking over to the door, I take out one of my knives and cut a small hole in it to see into the kitchen, no more than a few centimeters long and wide. Looking in I see 5 more reformers standing casually near the door. Walking in I make sure to slowly close the door and keep my knife in a backhanded fashion. Grabbing the mouth of the one closest to me, I proceed to calmly remove the head and lay the body to the side. Luckily for me this one wasn't heard or seen, but the others are a different story. They're all too close to each other for me to just pick them off unnoticed. However, I do have an idea. Checking the body of the own I killed I find a small shiv made of old steel. It'll work. Walking up behind them I take the crude blade and stab as far as I can into the head of one of them. Grabbing a second knife from my belt, I click it on and drive them though the head of two of the reformers that turned around. Punching the only one left in the face, I then proceed to drive my blade up though his torso and head.

   Moving the 'mess' out of my way; I proceed to look through the windows in the door to the cafeteria. Damnit, they must've heard me. Across the room from the door, I see about five of them with their rifles raised and waiting for me. Knowing my steal would have no use; I take out my rifle and load it. I take out one of my older knives and tie it to the end of the barrel and click it on to be used as impromptu bayonet. Well, I can run away and go back to my day by day, or I can attack. There isn't room for error in there. Wait... Is this fear I'm feeling? Why am I afraid? Because it's 35 on one? Yeah probably. I'm afraid of dying alone. But if I don't save him, he'll face that fear.

"Just try and make me live out my fears... Just try and make me run... Just try and make me die." I whisper say gripping the rifle and preparing to run out.

   Running through the doorway, I fire a collection of shots towards the reformers across from me. Continuing to use my pulse boot to give my jumps a slight boost, I hop around shooting shots off into the hordes of reformers, but regretfully I can only hit a few in the head to actually stop them. Deciding this effort is useless I toss the rifle like a javelin into the horde and manage to actually take out a reformer with the bayonet.

   I take out my other two knives and click them on seeing a familiar orange hue envelope the blades, one of them giving a slight spark upon glowing. Switching to a more direct approach, I bounce off one of the walls and past about 4 reformers taking their heads with me. I bounce off the next wall and twist as I go past another three but as my blade connects with the first one a cascade of sparks comes forth from the blade and tore apart the metal. Shit. Bouncing off the walls I examine my left hand, which is now covered in burns and some of the charred skin is falling away. Ignoring the pain I turn back to a reformer and lunge forward taking off her head. As I jump again I look at the blade in my right hand, it still seems to be doing fine. Turning on the wall I feel an impact and I look over to my right hand. Fuck. As I look over all I see is the handle of the knife and the shattered blade on the floor around me. How am I supposed to kill someone without my knives? Wait... Looking around the floor as I jump, I see my rifle sitting near a corner with the blade still attached. Landing next to it, I pull the blade from the barrel. Hearing a piercing notice below me I look to see that my boot as been shot in the reaction core. Shit. Now I don't have my mobility. Hearing more bullets fly past me I begin to run, hoping to avoid any shots. Taking off and looking at the boot while running wildly, I notice that it is still operational, but since the core was shot it will most likely react abnormally when used. Perfect. I take aim on one of the groups of reformers and I switch the boot to respond to pressure rather that instinct. As it hits the face of the reformer the core siphons the energy within the force of the hit and the surrounding area and expels it in it a small blue explosion, killing the reforms within its rather small diameter.

"FUCK! MOTHER FUCKING SHIT STAIN!" I scream feeling pain move though out my right shoulder and arm.

   After slashing through the reformer next to me I examine my arm. Seven bullets pierced my arm around my shoulder and the wounds had begun to bleed profusely. Tearing off what was left if my left arm's sleeve, I wrap the wounds and am able stop most of the bleeding. I need to finish this. I think as I turn back to the last ten of the reformers left while coughing up a little blood. I lunge forward gripping my knife as tightly as I can and throw it at the closest reformer to me. I then feel a blade pierce my leg as a crude sickle impales my right leg.

"Hey. What's the matter buddy? Weren't you going to call me to come up?" As I hear this my eyes widen from the nature of the voice.

"Frank?" I whisper turning on my good knee to face him.

"Weren't you going to kill them all and save me? Huh?" He says looking at me with the black eyes of a reformer and the red irises of a fallen Silent Screamer. He had turned.

"WELL LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING ASSHOLE. I DON'T NEED ANY SAVING."

"You changed when you were down there, didn't you?" I say looking up into his abominable eyes.

"Oh no. I've been in control of that Frank asshole for a while now. No one noticed my eyes though because I didn't terminate his existence until I was down there. I tricked you all. That stupid pony, my stupid teammate, Princess Luna and most of all I fooled you, probably the smartest survivor there ever will be in the Rebeginning. And how did I do that?" He says while grabbing my face," I played you're weakness. I played your stupid need to save those around you from a reality you're doomed to live out. I played your generosity to help them, your honesty with them, your loyalty to their escape, your laughter to raise their spirits and your kindness to care for them. I played your heart, your weakness." He says with a maniacal grin plaster over his screw of a face.

"Do you think that is a weakness?" I say looking at his eyes with disgust.

He then slaps me across the face and shouts, “OF CORSE IT IS. LOOK AT ME. I COMMAND THIS ENTIRE GANG WITH NO HEART, I CONQUERED THIS ENTIRE AREA WITH NO HEART, I KILL WITH NO HEART! Be like me, let Wanderlust take over. Let him make you strong. Let him run wild." He says trying to coax me into releasing Wanderlust's true urges.

"No. I am not like that and neither is he." I say retaliating against his grip and biting his accursed hand.

"Then die a heathen." He says jabbing his sickle back into my wounded shoulder, as I fall to the ground he turns and walks away from me.

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What happened? Why did I stop? Why am I dying? Where did my reasoning go? There were only eleven left, why didn't I push through? Why am I so fearful? Why won't I move? Why won't...I....fight..?

"Yes, why won't you?" Hear a voice come from my mind. Wanderlust?

"Bingo. So tell me, why aren't you fighting back?" He says coming from the back of my mind.

"I'm scared."

"Of what? Death?"

"Yes, how couldn't I be? I've lost my weapons, my mobility and most importantly my power to save them."

"What do you mean 'you lost your weapons and your power'?"

"You should know. My knives are broken, my boot is gone and I have no means to kill them." I say on the brink of tears.

"And just when did you lose your means to kill them?"

"I lost it when my knives failed me."

"Have you forgotten, about your true weapon?" Uhh?

"What do you mean 'true weapon'?"

**"You know what I mean. That which swings your blade, that which pulls the trigger; that which kills your enemies."* He says becoming more prominent.*

"My body."

*"No beyond that. Your willpower, the purpose that gives you the strength to swing your blade and attack." As he says this I see a black mist begin to flow from my left hand.*

"My purpose is my power." I say growing in confidence.

"Yes, now get up. Purpose is useless if not channeled. Rise!"

Gaining confidence, I stand up and face Frank as he walks away and the mist flowing from my left hand becomes more potent.

"What is this Wanderlust?" I say looking down at my hand.

*"That, my little friend, is me. I think I let a few details slip. I was made defective in more ways than one. I don't care about taking over you; I like pandas and, this being my biggest defect, and I never did bond to your body entirely. Rather than merging entirely with your body my combat prowess merged with your own drive. However, this was never presented to you because of your lack of drive. You were always afraid and you never had real determination. Every split has a large power storage linked to them so that they can conquer their host. Mine was lost when I mended to your body and thus, has been stored within your own determination. Those black tendrils are the excess power releasing itself through you. Just grip them and you'll see." He says in an approving tone.*

"Heh. Doesn't seem like it could get any worse." I say gripping the darkness with my charred hand.

The vines of darkness immediately wrap around my arm covering my entire hand and half of my forearm in it with snake heads at the edge forming an image of biting me. then what is left of my clothes are surrounded in it and form a set of black dress shoes with a pair of gray pants with a white sleeveless shirt and a body length trench coat over me with silver coloured stripes going down the length. My mask is then enveloped and changed into silver plating over my face with black rimmed glass over my eyes. A spear with a chain connecting it to my hand then shoots out from my grip forming a crude midnight black scythe, which then turns out into a more sleek version of the former. *Badass.*

*"See what I mean?" Wanderlust says with his pompous nature leaking though.*

"It didn't occur to you to tell about these ten years ago?" I say giving it a few casual twirlers.

*"You seemed to be doing well so I didn't find it necessary until now. Do you even know how to use a scythe?" He says as I cut the top of my remaining shoe with it.*

"Not really. I just swing it right? Maybe hit people with the blunt end a few times?" I say examining the blade.

*"You really are helpless. You see that chain going into your wrist? It will extend when you want it to and retract when you want it to. This means you can also throw your scythe. Also don't just swing wildly from the side, an upward thrust can be just as effective.  But, for the most part, you're on your own with it. Now, go kill them and get out of here, just because you've got a scythe doesn't mean you're not bleeding." He says only final time before I feel him receding from my mind.*

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"Frank."

"Hmm? Now just what the hell happened to you? I don't recall you wearing anything like that or holding a scythe. So what the hell happened to you?" He says holding his pompous attitude and waving down his gang.

"I learned a thing or two. One of those being, I don't have tolerance for people like you who can't appreciate generosity, honesty, loyalty, laughter or kindness. This scythe is the embodiment of my will to spread those" I say then pointing it at him, “This scythe is a weapon to bring harmony to people and ponies alike. This is a scythe to bring peace."

"You really think a weapon like that can bring peace? How naïve can you be? That thing will kill and take, for it to bring peace is improbable." He says gaining a disgusted tone.

"I cannot hug a child with a weapon in my hands, which is true. But I cannot protect the peace that child has without holding a weapon and fighting. So while I cannot bring peace to everyone, I can protect it from those who would endanger it. That is why my scythe is one of peace. Now, come at me. I'm done listening to you." I say running off to the right.

"Get him. I have no further patience for such a heathen." Frank says arming his own rifle.

   I can hear the bullets whining past me on into the wall. Instinctively, I place a foot on the wall on push off toward another. Surprisingly, I successfully push off just as if I was using a pulse boot. So if that foot worked, then... Placing my other foot on the wall, I being to run sideways along the wall using the attraction function that seems to also be a feature of these shoes.  Diving low past the legs of one of them, I twist and swing the scythe upwards though his midsection, killing him. Regaining my position on the floor I run towards another three of them from the side and, before they can turn, I've already slashed though their heads. Hearing the shots going past me, I make the scythe dissipate. Let's see what else I have at my disposal.

   Swirling the mist in my hand I condense it into a few small hollow casings and then I fill them with the mist. Throwing a handful of them into the last group of reformers. The pellets explode into a spray of gray smoke over them as I reform my scythe and dash forward into the smog. Extending the chain slightly, I grab the chain and begin to spin the scythe while crouching, dismembering them and killing them.

"It's just us now Frank." I saw walking out of the dissipating smoke holding my scythe in hand with a shortened chain. Oh shit.

"You're sure it's just us?" He says holding an all too familiar mare.

"What the hell?" I say looking in horror at the mare he's holding. But she was shot, just earlier. How?

"Surprised are you? That was a fake of mine to distract you. She actually was there but I teleported her before the shot to use as a last resort, and I'm glad I did. Go on say hello, Stellar." He says waving the barrel around and nudging her.

"Is this really the kind of person you are? To use a tactic like this to succeed? Don't answer. Your're scum and I'm going to skip the bullshit. Let her go and you can kill me." I say lowering my scythe.

"Right to the point. Alright, goodbye." He says pointing the gun back at me.

"You're really not human. A human would've seen through this. I say rotating my arm upwards and throwing my scythe vertically at him.

"Oh I saw through it." He says swerving to avoid my scythe as it flies past him as he laughs.

"I didn't mean that one. I meant," I begin to say, grabbing the chain and pulling my scythe back reversing the rotation and direction of my scythe," this one." I say as the scythe turns horizontally taking off half of his head as his body drops to the floor.

   Walking over to the mare I help her up, while making my scythe dissipate again. Looking into her eyes, I see an all too unfamiliar look in her eyes, the look if someone who just lived to see the next day after such terror. Far too many people who get into something like this don't get to see the next day.

"Are you ok?" I say holding my hand up to my mask and pulling it apart into more of the mist and absorbing it back into my left hand.

"Y-y-yeah... I guess so." She says getting back up on her hooves.

"Well good. Now, we need to get out of here. Do you still have your communicator?" I say dissipating the trench coat back into my left hand.

"Yeah give me a second. I'll contact Luna for some support. How are you?" She says as I hold my left arm back up to my new pants and shirt to finish removing my clothing and I begin to absorb them.

"Oh I'm fine, don't wor--" I begin to say but I then fall onto my face as the last of my cloak dissipates. Fuck, looks like my time ran out.