Just Over the Horzine

Wilkes ran away from his initial lookout spot, weaving through a demolished area of town as he fired off two shells before vaulting over a large chunk of an old brick wall. He sat behind his cover, adrenaline keeping his senses on high alert as he listened to the ambience. The sound of a chainsaw grew louder with each passing second. God damn it, the bastard just won’t go down! The security guard tried to control his breathing as he waited patiently. When the chainsaw’s engine sounded a comfortable distance away, he slowly peered his head over the cover to get a look at his predator. Thanks to the moonlight, he saw the silhouette of a scrake examine piles of bricks and wood. Fresh blood seeped from the few bullet holes on the specimen’s right side, though it continued the search for its prey unabated.

He brought his head back under cover as he examined his shotgun. Wilkes applied slight pressure to the weapon’s magazine, allowing it to slip off without making a sound. He looked into the canister and saw a lone bullet resting within. One bullet. Just my bleeding luck. Almost immediately, the gears began to turn in his head as a plan came together. It’s risky, but it just might be the ticket. After snapping the weapon back together, he looked around and saw a sizeable rock near him. He reached out and grasped the object before tossing it in front of him. The rock landed loudly, and the chainsaw sounded higher in intensity as it grew closer.

Wilkes slowly pointed the shotgun’s barrel upward, making sure he still kept out of sight. Just a little more... He dared not blink or breathe as he could now smell the exhaust from the blade. The scrake’s head was finally in sight, peering over the wall as its gaze slowly lowered to Wilkes’ position. Say goodnight! he thought as he squeezed the trigger.

Unknown to both the hunter and its prey, Applejack was the first being to come around the street corner. She looked at the smashed houses along the sides and eventually saw Wilkes hidden behind a chunk of rubble. She also noticed the lumbering specimen standing over him. “Look out!” she yelled. This shout attracted the specimen’s attention, and it quickly turned to face her. As a result, Wilkes’ final shell missed its target and went directly into the specimen’s left shoulder, nearly severing its arm. Both Applejack and Wilkes stood frozen while the scrake stared momentarily at its dangling limb. Blood began to quickly escape its body, pooling into a crimson puddle at its feet. The scrake immediately ignored the hanging limb and turned its attention to the human cowering behind the debris. It swung its chainsaw, just missing Wilkes as he dove to safety.

The security guard pulled himself onto his feet as his comrades rushed into sight. “W-what the hay is that!?” Rainbow stammered as everyone looked on in shock.

“A scrake!” Gary replied as the creature stared at the newcomers.

The specimen began to advance, its left arm dangling freely. “Open fire!” Masterson ordered. Each soldier used what was left of their ammunition, keeping the scrake in place by sheer force of the barrage. When the dust settled, the specimen stood still as examined its surroundings, seemingly unfazed by the damage done to its body. Nobody dared move, both out of fear and anticipation.

Without warning, the scrake sprinted towards the soldiers and ponies. “Look out!” Rarity yelled.

Everyone dispersed across the debris covered street, dodging the specimen’s slash by a hair’s breadth. It charged again, this time grazing Pinkie Pie’s mane. As it readied for another attack, the sound of incoming footsteps made the scrake to turn around. Twilight and Corporal Lewis arrived on the street, and the scrake wasted no time in closing the distance between itself and its new targets.

“Twilight! Get out of there!” Rainbow Dash shouted. Her necklace glowed its red glow, but before she could do anything, Twilight had instinctively lifted the specimen into the air and threw it into a brick wall on her right. Lewis wasted no time and unloaded the last of his ammunition. Everyone stayed silent, listening intently for any signs of life. The scrake’s bloodied body lay slumped over, lightly coated with chunks of red brick, but the chainsaw’s engine stayed alive.

Rainbow Dash took initiative and slowly walked towards the scrake. “Rainbow, don’t!” Pinkie Pie protested.

“I’m going to check if that thing’s still alive,” the flyer reasoned.

“By yourself?” Twilight asked.

“I’ll approach slowly and get out if that thing moves.”

“I’ll go with you,” Schneider offered. He and the blue pegasus crawled towards the scrake, hesitating every so often.

Rainbow Dash was mere centimeters away from the body when her breathing became increasingly shallow. Her heart drummed in her throat, and her body tremored as she slowly moved to touch the scrake. After a quick prod to the head with her hoof, she leapt into the air, breathing heavily as she anticipated any retaliation. When she saw no reaction, Rainbow set herself back down and, still cautiously, attempted to touch the specimen again. When another tap produced no result, she let out a sigh of relief. “I don’t think it’s getting up,” she declared as she turned her attention to the Private.

Schneider knelt down and closely inspected the scrake. After a quick look, he nodded in agreement. “Its dead.” He turned around. “Nice work, Twilight and Wilkes!”

In that instant, Rainbow Dash’s left ear twitched. She snapped her head towards the scrake, whose eyes were now focused on the distracted soldier. “Look out!” she yelled as she dove into Schneider. Her actions helped the Private narrowly escape death, but she wasn’t fast enough. The scrake’s blade sliced a chunk of flesh off the speedster’s right hind-leg, leaving her to shriek in agony as she gripped her oozing wound.

Thinking quickly, Schneider grabbed Rainbow Dash and carried her as they ran from the scrake, which was now rising to its feet. It limped as it still menacingly swung its chainsaw at whatever was closest.

“How is that thing still standing?” Twilight demanded as she avoided another swing.

“Ah don’t know,” Applejack replied, “but we’re takin’ this thing down!”

“We’re open to suggestions!” Briar yelled as he stayed on his toes.

Powers rushed right towards the scrake and swung his axe into the back of the its neck, but its thick skin prevented the blade from doing much damage. He ripped the machete off of his back and swung again, but the weapon was deflected away from the chainsaw.

Rainbow Dash struggled to keep her eyes open as her injured leg turned a shade of purple. She shook herself out of the Private’s grip and hovered in the air, shaking her head to distract herself long enough from the pain.

“What are you doing?!” Schneider asked.

Rainbow panted as she replied, “I can still move, and we have to think of something! Powers is buying us time for a reason.” As the specimen still dueled with Powers, Rainbow noticed the axe embedded in the specimen. “Twilight, hold that thing still with your magic!” She flew a distance away from the specimen before staying in the air. Her vision began to sway, but she lightly hit her cheeks to stay awake. Stay awake, Rainbow. You’re only going to get one shot at this!

At that moment, Powers tripped backwards over empty bullet casings. Twilight then did as she was told and froze the scrake in place. Twilight grunted as she stood her ground. I’ve never felt resistance like this before! Whatever you’ve got planned, Rainbow, do it fast!

The Sergeant jumped right up and ran to grab his axe, but stopped. He looked to the distance to see Rainbow Dash covered in silver once again. He stepped away in time to avoid Rainbow barreling towards the scrake. She connected to the axe with a loud crack, sending the blade into the back of its head. The specimen was sent careening along the floor until it finally came to rest several meters away. The chainsaw’s engine slowed until its engine was silent.

Rainbow set herself down as her body returned to its usual blue color. She looked at her friends with a weary smile and a chuckle before collapsing on the floor.

“Rainbow Dash!” everypony shouted as they ran to their friend.

The speedster’s eyes slowly opened as she looked at each of her worried friend’s faces. “Wow... I didn’t think that would work,” she huffed.

“Don’t talk, save your energy!” Twilight chastised as she attempted to heal her friend.

“S... sorry about that,” Rainbow replied with a pained smile. “How bad is it?”

Masterson shined a small light onto her leg. “It’s not too deep, but we need to patch you up quick. You’re losing quite a lot of blood.”

Twilight’s magical glow covered Rainbow’s leg, but something was amiss. She sighed hard. “I don’t know if I can stop the bleeding. I’ve never dealt with open wounds before!”

Masterson looked around until he locked his gaze onto Fluttershy. “You. Are you fit to heal your friend?”

“I... I can try,” she responded.

“But what if something goes wrong again?” Twilight asked as she made her way into the conversation. “You started to bleed profusely when you attempted to heal Thorne. What if something worse happens this time?”

The distant sound of a wailing specimen interrupted all train of thought. “Of course,” Davin muttered, “those bastards are probably coming right for us.”

The Lieutenant walked into Twilight’s line of sight. “Listen, Twilight. We can either take a risk with the spot of time it takes to patch up your friend, or we can risk everything by running out into the middle of a horde. They might follow the blood trail back to wherever we go.”

“If you’re going to make a decision, make it really bleeding quick,” Briar added as he started to inch away. Pinkie Pie snickered, which went unnoticed.

Applejack scanned the surrounding area. “Ah don like how this is lookin’, Twilight. We might not have a choice.”

Twilight Sparkle looked at her injured friend, then back to Fluttershy. “Do it, but be careful.”

The caretaker knelt next to her injured friend, but Rainbow Dash stopped her. “If it starts to hurt, just... just stop, okay?” Rainbow insisted. “I... I don’t want you messing yourself up for my sake.”

Fluttershy hesitated before nodding. She then closed her eyes as a pink field of energy illuminated the area, engulfing the two pegasi. One uneasy minute later, the light dissipated. Fluttershy opened her eyes and wobbled before steadying herself back on all fours. “Are you okay, Rainbow Dash?”

Rainbow looked over her injured leg, noticing the new patch of flesh and fur. “Looks good as new!” She stood up, but suddenly winced. “Okay, kinda stings, but I can shake it off.”

“Brilliant, you’re fixed,” Briar congratulated, “now let’s get the fuck out of here!” When another cry ran through the air, everyone gathered their possessions and quickly got the fuck out of there.

*********

Kevin Clamely scratched his chin as he re-watched the footage from the camera he previously implanted within the scrake. “Looks like there’s still some work to do,” He said to an antsy Drew as he turned around and walked out the door, his subordinate following behind him.

“I must say, sir,” he added, “the improvements to the scrake model were quite apparant in that footage. It took a barrage of bullets and still ran out swinging!”

“They’ve got to become stronger.”

“We’ll work on it right away, sir.” Drew continued to blindly follow Kevin, but had too many questions to keep quiet, especially the most prevalent one. “So... were those actual horses back there?”

“Doesn’t matter, Steve, they’ll all be dead soon enough,” the CEO answered as he began to walk at a slightly faster pace.

“Well, that purple one seemed to have tossed the scrake with ease.” Drew quickly caught on to the implications of what he’d just said. “N-not to say t-that the scrake is inferior, but perhaps we should have a plan for if any of our specimens encounter that group again.”

Kevin suddenly stopped, his subordinate narrowly missing a collision. “Let’s get one thing clear,” he hissed. “These are not our specimens, they’re my children. Never forget that.” Before Drew could answer, Kevin continued. “Furthermore, how soon until those are ready?” he asked as he pointed to a barred off door at the end of the hall.

Drew nearly broke into a cold sweat as he uttered, “A-are you sure that’s wise, sir?”

“I didn’t say I was gonna let them loose, I just want to know how soon until they’re ready.”

The husky scientist swallowed the lump in his throat. “W-well... they need some time to adjust to their surroundings, but the flesh pounds should be fully independent within a day’s time.”

Kevin looked back at his subordinate. “A day, huh? Make it less than that, and maybe there’ll be something extra for you.”

Drew stood dumbfounded as his boss walked away without another word. “I’ll do my best, sir!” he added before scurrying away. He took off so quickly that he didn’t hear Kevin snicker as he continued down the hall.

**********

The makeshift brigade slumped against their home base as most of them gasped for breath. “Anyone...” Gary huffed, “anyone see if we were followed?”

“Ah don’t think so,” Applejack added. “We got outta there purty darn fast.”

“F-Fluttershy,” Twilight gasped, “are you feeling alright?”

“I’m fine,” she replied. “I... I was just a little dizzy.”

Lewis walked into the house. “What do we do now?” he asked as he moved to lie down on the floor.

“What can we do?” Briar said. “We used every last bullet on that thing back there. We’re easy pickings!”

Pinkie Pie bounced up and down. “I have an idea! I have an idea!”

“Yes, yes, go on,” Masterson said. “What’s this idea of yours?”

The party pony inhaled. “Well, I was remembering when we first landed here. Do you remember that, because I sure remember it! Then we fought the specimens and zombies and met all you super spectacular humans and almost lost Fluttershy and found her again and fought our way out of the labs to safety and—”

“Is there a fucking point to this?” Davin interrupted.

She nodded. “Why don’t we go visit that other human who offered us those things you humans liked so much? She seemed like a nice person!”

“Pinkie Pie actually has a point,” Wilkes added. “That scrake is sure to have gotten us a nice bonus.”

“So we resort to killing for sport?” Rarity countered. “How can you speak so casually of such a vile act? When is it going to stop?”

“If you haven’t noticed, we don’t have powers like you ponies do,” Davin replied. “We just might have to commit a ‘vile act’ if we want to survive.”

“I agree,” Rainbow said. “Besides, if we want to help the humans, then we should at least help them protect themselves.”

“This is all wrong!” Schneider said. “If we join that woman’s interest group, we’ll be playing into their game and forced to depend on them for survival.”

“What other choice is there?” Applejack remarked.

Twilight turned to Masterson. “That’s right. Are there any other options?”

The Lieutenant crossed his arms and sighed. After a moment, he said, “Oi, Trader, I know you can hear us, speak up!”

Shortly after, a sound of static came on, followed by a familiar voice. “Hello, darlings,” the Trader responded over the loudspeaker. “Seems to me that you’re in a tizzy. Have you all come to your senses?”

“Depends, are you open for business?”

“Only for so long. I’ve updated your GPS to my new location. Come get me.” The loudspeaker clicked again, and then silence.

Masterson reached into his top-front pocket and pulled out the small device. It turned on with a beep before showing an arrow and a timer counting down from ten minutes on screen.

“New location?” Twilight asked. “What is she talking about?”

“The Trader has likely set up shop elsewhere, and I’m guessing we’ve only got ten minutes to find her,” Masterson informed the group.

“Ten minutes?! Then what are we doing here? We’ve gotta go now!” Rainbow Dash yelled.

“Quickly,” Masterson commanded, “gather as much food, water, and supplies as you can carry, we might not be coming back here. Double time it, everyone!”

Everybody ran towards the pantry and gathered a fine quantity of various food, drinks, and survival gear. All items were checked for their integrity and condition before being tossed into whatever storage the soldiers and ponies could muster. When everyone was fully packed, Masterson took another look at his GPS. Six minutes and twenty seconds remained.

The Lieutenant took point. “According to this GPS, we’re seventy-six meters away. Rarity, you’re going to have to look out for anything that could be coming our way.” With this command given, the brigade moved as a unit towards The Trader. Luckily, they only had to reroute once during their run. Masterson slowed as he approached an abandoned bookstore on the street corner, making everyone else stop as well. The navigator pointed directly past the boarded up windows, demolished chairs, and ill-prepared wooden barricade towards a metal door. The front door opened. “This must be the place,” he said while catching his breath. Everyone filed in.

“Four minutes, forty-eight seconds. You sure know how to keep a lady waiting,” the Trader smugly replied. “I must say, that was a rather shameful display back there, wouldn’t you agree?”

“I’d like to have seen you do better,” Davin remarked.

She looked at the policeman, giving him a critical glance. “You’ve got a quick mouth, yet the only one of you to score any profits is a pony. A pony, for crying out loud. And at that, in a fashion that puts you all to shame.”

Rainbow slightly blushed and looked to the side as she whispered, “Just doing what anypony else would’ve done.”

Masterson ignored The Trader as he stressed, “Let me make one thing absolutely clear. We’re not doing this because we like the sound of your little game. We’re doing this because we have no other choice.”

“My employers completely understand, but time is money, and you’re wasting a lot of it right now. Four minutes thirty-three seconds.”

Briar stepped to The Trader. “Just tell us how this works.”

“At this point,” she began as she typed away on her calculator, “You’ve officially killed a whopping one specimen. Granted, my employers hadn’t heard of the specimen you defeated, so they’ve established a fair price of sixty-three quid per kill on those... scrakes, I believe you called them.”

“Is that a lot?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“It depends,” Lewis answered.

“At this moment, that’s all you’ve got for credit: sixty-three quid. Honestly, you really should’ve tried to kill at least one other specimen before coming here.”

“What will that get us?” Schneider queried.

“A few clips of ammunition, nothing major.”

“That sure don’t sound like much,” Applejack commented.

Twilight stepped forward. “Can’t you lower the price just a little? We’re working towards the same goal, right?”

The Trader shook her head. “No can do. These prices are non-negotiable, darling, and you’d better hurry it up. You’ve only got a little over three minutes now.”

As others tried to convince The Trader to allow some leeway, Sergeant Powers removed the machete strapped to his back and scanned the weapon. He gave himself a small nod before walking to the gated window and placing the smaller blade on the counter. “How much?”

She hesitated before reaching through the lower slot and taking the weapon. The Trader looked at the weapon thoroughly as she replied, “Since the blade shows plenty of wear and tear, and not being the best quality weapon right now, I’ll buy it from you for seventy five.”

Rarity looked shocked. “You mean to tell us that a dead specimen is worth almost as much as that blade? How in Equestria is that even a reasonable trade?”

“Are you really going to make me repeat the obvious, dear?”

After a small moment’s silence, Powers murmured, “Deal.”

The Trader stocked the machete in the cabinets behind her. “That brings your total to one hundred thirty-eight quid. If you’re going to make a decision, make it fast.”

Masterson scratched his chin. “How much for a clip of ammunition for all my men?”

She noted each weapon all men had before adding up the prices. “One hundred thirty.”

“Then give each of us one mag.”

She quickly dispensed the ammunition, allowing each soldier time to load their weapons anew. “One and a half minutes left. If there’s anything else you’d like to sell for a quick buck, now’s the time.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Schneider walked to The Trader and placed one of his Handcannons on the counter. “How much for this?”

Her face flashed for a moment with surprise before she inspected the pistol. “Now this is a very nice piece. I’ll buy it for... three hundred seventy-five quid.”

“Done.”

Schneider took initiative and quickly ordered another round for each of the men.

Fluttershy asked, “Should we be going now?”

“Not yet,” the Lieutenant responded. He turned to The Trader. “Give me a nine-millimeter and two clips for it.” With his order fulfilled, he walked to Gary and handed the weapon to him. “You’re going to need this sooner or later.”

The scientist held up his hands in protest. “Woah now, I’ve never even used a gun before.”

Davin remarked, “Shit-for-brains has a point. You’re really going to give him a gun?”

Ignoring the scathing remark, Masterson pressed the matter. “The more of us that are trained with firearms, the better.”

“This is probably your shittiest idea yet. You realize that, right?”

Masterson smiled. “Well, since you’re so concerned about Mr. Glover’s experience, you get to teach him!”

The Police Sergeant’s head drooped slightly. “You’re kidding.”

“While it’s entertaining to watch you all squabble,” The Trader interrupted, “there’s one last thing you need.” She reached into a drawer before her and placed several ear pieces into the slot below. “We’re going to be seeing a lot more of each other, so I figured this is a much more subtle way for you to find me.” Each human walked up to the counter and took an earpiece.

“What are those for?” Rarity asked.

“I can broadcast my voice to their ear pieces. In this case, I’ll be giving you boys general updates as the lot of you continue to clean up the streets; Such as when I’ve changed locations, when I’m open for business, et cetera.”

“What about us?” Rainbow Dash asked.

The Trader opened her mouth to speak, but several beeps interrupted her. She snapped her head to a spot nobody else could see, eyes widening for a moment. She turned her head back to the brigade and sternly said, “Time to ship out, all of you.”

Everyone traded confused looks before Masterson said, “Alright, lads. Let’s get going.”

“Just like that?” Briar asked incredulously.

The Lieutenant turned to face the Constable. “Just like that.” He then kept walking outside, his fellow soldiers following suit.

Briar and Davin looked at each other before sighing as they reluctantly left.

As everypony followed the humans out the door, Fluttershy remained. “Ex-excuse me,” she quietly said, getting the woman’s attention. “I just... um... I wanted to thank you... for helping us.”

The Trader stared before her lips cracked into a slight smile as she gave one nod.

When Fluttershy exited the small area, she looked back to see a metal door slam shut in her face, making her yelp before heading to the security of her friends.

As Twilight helped steady her friend onto her hooves, she felt a nudge in her side.

“Hey,” Applejack asked, “shouldn’t we have gotten some stuff ta protect ourselves?”

Twilight shook her head. “I thought about it, but the humans need those weapons much more than we do. We can still fight on our own, but they need those things to survive. Besides, I don’t think any of us can even use their weapons.”

“Even so,” Applejack pressed, “y’all either got unicorn magic or the elements t’ help ya. What about me n’ Pinkie? We dunno what our Elements can do yet, and we just got the skin o’ our hide to fall back on. Hay, Pinkie ain’t got a violent bone in her body. what’re we supposed ta do?”

Twilight looked away, as if stuck in thought.

“Ahm sorry. Here ah am, throwin’ all these questions at you, and ya probably don’t even know the answers yerself.”

Rainbow Dash moved next to Applejack. “Don’t sweat it, AJ. We’ll figure something out.”

Everypony walked into the street, seeing Masterson lead a huddled discussion amongst his soldiers.

“What’s going on?” Twilight asked Wilkes.

“Sounds like we’re heading back to Horzine,” he replied.

Fluttershy quietly gasped. “W-w-we’re going b-back there?”

“I suppose it was only a matter of time,” Rarity remarked, ears slightly drooping.

Gary moved into the conversation. “It looks like it’ll be morning soon, but it’s going to be hard finding our way through the debris.” He looked at the fashionista. “Can we count on you to navigate us past trouble?”

“You don’t even have to ask, darling.” She walked to where Masterson stood. “I understand we’re heading back underground?”

The Lieutenant stopped his conversation to meet her gaze. “Not quite. We no longer have the element of surprise on our side. Clamely’s not stupid, I’d bet he’s got a plan in store for us, should we go back anytime soon. We’d be overwhelmed in a matter of minutes, unprepared as we are.

“What we’ve got to do first is inspect the offices above ground. There’s no telling how big a scheme Horzine’s got planned for England, let alone the world. We can’t head back in there blind as bats. There might be something hidden away that can tell us just what Clamely’s plotting.”

“And what if we find nothing?” Briar spoke up. “What if we walk right into a trap? You said it yourself, ‘Clamely’s not stupid’. What if Horzine is just one big ambush and we’re killed the second we set foot in there? What do we do then, huh?”

For the first time that day, Masterson looked away in thought. “I... I don’t know. But it’s our only sure fire bet to get a grasp of what’s going on.”

The Constable tutted as he turned around. “You bark like you’re the supposed ‘leader’ of this group of shit heads, yet you can’t even think up one decent idea.”

“And all I hear from you is a bunch of complaining!” Rainbow Dash interjected. “I sure as hay don’t see you coming up with a good idea.”

“I actually do have an idea,” Briar answered. “We all get the fuck out of England, and go our separate ways from here.”

“We’re not leaving!” Rarity said. “Our only way back home is in there, and there are still plenty of humans around the city that need our help. You can’t just abandon fellow humans like that!”

Davin cocked his head back. “You really have no bleeding clue how we humans work, do you?”

“Maybe we don’t,” Applejack intervened, “but where we’re from, everypony helps out anypo-”

“Pony, pony, pony,” the Police Sergeant cut in. “That’s all I hear from the lot of you. News flash, this is Earth! A place where humans are the dominant life form, and the law of the land is survival of the fittest! To everyone else here, you ponies are just a bunch of worthless animals.”

“You take that back!” Rainbow Dash shouted.

The two groups soon broke out into aimless bickering, instigators and negotiators trying to get their point across.

Eventually, Twilight Sparkle yelled “Everypony be quiet!” silencing both parties. “Senseless arguing like this isn’t going to get any of us anywhere. We’ve need to work together if we want to make it through this alive.” She turned to Masterson. “You’re certain that we’ve got to get into the offices to make any progress?”

He nodded. “It’s the only place that would make sense to look into.”

The purple unicorn turned to Briar. “And your gut tells you there’s a trap waiting for us?”

He shrugged. “It’s what I would do.”

“And this Clamely is a very smart person?”

“Smart isn’t the word I’d use, exactly.”

“You’re sure he’s thought of everything?”

“For the thousandth time, yes.”

“Everything... humanly possible?”

Briar hesitated before answering. “What are you getting at?”

A small smile cracked on Twilight’s face. “You were right about what you said before. We’re not in Equestria, we’re on Earth. Humans are the dominant species, and ponies are, to you, dumb animals. That Clamely human might be prepared for you humans to come back, but things are different where we’re from, and I can guarantee you that we’ve got a trump card he’ll never see coming.” Twilight paused, waiting to see if the humans would catch on. She then lit her horn. “Magic.”

Lewis pointed at Twilight. “Of course. You’ve probably got quite a few tricks up your sleeve, don’t you?”

The mage nodded. “Get us to the facility, and I’m sure I’ve got enough magic in me to teleport all of us in and out without incident.”

Briar stood still, arms crossed. He glanced at Davin, who seemed as contemplative as his fellow officer. He looked back at Twilight. “I’ll admit, he probably wouldn’t expect that. Still doesn’t change the fact that we’re walking into the giant’s maw.”

“It could be tough, but we have the capability to do this, if we work together.”

Masterson spoke up. “Tell you what. You help us in the offices, and then you and officer Davin can go on your merry way. We won’t stop you.”

The policemen looked at each other. Eventually they broke their seemingly telepathic communication. “Just this task, then we see where we stand from there.”

Pinkie Pie jumped in the air as she let out a small cheer. “Let’s go on an adventure!”

Applejack chuckled. “I wouldn’t call it that, sugarcube.”

Davin moved next to Briar and murmured, “We’ve just signed our death warrants.”

“Agreed,” the Constable replied.

“Now,” Masterson began, “our only issue at this point is to find our way back to Horzine.”

Fluttershy quietly peeped, “Um... excuse me,” but went unnoticed.

Rarity pointed out, “I can still help keep an eye out for any specimens.”

“And Twilight can help light the way, right, Twilight?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Excuse me...”

“Sorry, Rainbow,” Twilight replied. “I’m going to have to conserve as much magic as possible in order to get in and out safely.”

“No worries, we’ve got our own lights.” Schneider replied, holding several torches in his hands.

“I think I can-”

“‘Course, this still doesn’t help us if we get lost,” Davin pointed out.

“But... I...”

Masterson turned on his GPS. “Damn thing won’t point us anywhere right now. Guess it’s locked on wherever The Trader opens up shop. Does anyone remember the exact route to the laboratories?”

“I can faintly remember the way,” Wilkes added, “but I can’t say I’m absolutely certain.”

“Oi!” Powers bellowed, immediately silencing everyone. He slowly pointed directly across from him to Fluttershy. “She’s got something to say.”

The yellow pegasus unfroze herself from the direct spotlight and said, “I know how to get to Horzine from here.”

Masterson tilted his head. “You do?”

“Yes.”

“And you’re certain of it?”

She nodded.

The Lieutenant rubbed his chin. “How do you know?”

Twilight spoke up. “Allow me to explain. Pegasi have a natural sense of direction in a given area. They only need to visit an area once from the sky before the location becomes pin-pointed in a pegasus pony’s memory.”

“Not all pegasi are good with it though,” Rainbow Dash added. “N-not that I’d know any ponies who are like that, but Fluttershy here’s a real pro with directions, aren’t ya?” She nudged the other pegasus’ side, causing her face to redden under the praise.

“I can help guide everypony back, i-if that’s okay with you, that is.”

Masterson huffed. “You’re our best bet, Fluttershy. Lead on and we’ll follow.”

Fluttershy took point, Rainbow Dash and Powers following close behind for protection. Behind them was Rarity, who was actively using her Element to search for trouble. The remaining humans formed an outer shell for the remaining three ponies who stood within. Everyone stood attentively as Fluttershy guided everyone through a series of twists and turns. “We’re almost there,” the navigator eventually called out. “It won’t be farther now.”

“Wait, stop!” Rarity exclaimed. “There’s something approaching in front of us, something big!”

Everyone hid near chunks of rubble or anything they could use for protection, readying their weapons.

“When you say big,” Gary nervously asked, “Is it something bulky as well?”

“Whatever this thing is,” she answered, eyes still closed, “I would argue that it is the definition of bulk.”

The scientist’s hands started shaking. “I was afraid you’d say that.”

Masterson held his hand out, keeping his men in place. The footsteps began to grow louder and louder as they slowly approached.

Just when the sound neared the corner, Rarity whispered, “Don’t hurt it! I know what that is!”

As she said that, a tall masculine figure stepped around the corner, adjusting his gloves as he trodded on. Suddenly, the figure stopped, eyes growing wide. He sniffed the air several times, rolling his eyes when he finished. “You should really do a better job at hiding. I could smell all of you from a mile away.”

Carefully, Masterson stepped out from his space. He shined a flashlight onto the figure, revealing a dusty, blood-stained figure. His eyes locked with the man standing before him. “Thorne...”

Thorne only gave a slight nod. Everyone slowly crept out of cover to get a glimpse of the scene before them, keeping their eyes on the sadistic madman before them.

“I figured you’d be long gone by now. What brings you here?” Masterson asked.

Thorne pointed backwards with his thumb. “Horzine. Looked for Clamely. Ended up killing a lot of those shit-headed zombies.”

“Did you find Clamely?” The resulting scowl and growl told the Lieutenant enough. “What about the facility?”

Thorne refocused his gaze on Masterson. “What about it?”

“Did you destroy it?”

“No.”

Wilkes said, “What do you mean ‘no’?”

“Do I really have to explain it to you? If it’s not Clamely, I don’t care.”

“What about those zombies you killed?” Schneider asked.

Thorne shrugged. “They got in my way. Wouldn’t have cared otherwise.”

Twilight hazarded a thought. “You mean you’re willing to completely ignore the suffering of hundreds, maybe thousands of humans, just so you can find Clamely?”

Thorne immediately said, “Yes.”

The sudden response left Twilight dumbstruck.

With the conversation at a standstill, Thorne resumed walking away.

“What will you do now?” Masterson asked without looking at the guard.

“Killing Clamely is all there is to do.” Not once did Thorne turn to look back as he advanced further away from the brigade. When he was out of sight, everyone let out a sigh of relief.

Lewis held his chest. “Does this mean we’re not convincing him join us anymore?”

Masterson massaged his forehead. “I don’t know, but it looks like we’re on our own for now. Let’s keep moving.”

Everyone lined back into formation and moved on. Several alleys and corners later, the group finally stood outside of Horzine’s front gate.

“I don’t believe it,” Lewis said. “You’ve got quite some memory, Fluttershy.”

“Oh, uh, thank you,” she meekly replied.

Masterson said, “Now that we’re here, let’s get to work. Rarity, can you scan the building for hostile forces?”

She nodded, her hair slumping out of place. “I’m a tad worn out from scanning the area to and fro, but I think I can manage a look at the building.”

“How about in the laboratories?”

Her eyes widened in shock. “Underground as well? I can try, but I’m not guaranteeing anything.”

“If you think you can do it, then try.”

Rarity reflected on this request. “I can,” she said with a nod, “but I need full concentration.” Everyone stepped back as she got to work. As her Element came to life, her brow furrowed, her eyes clamped shut, and her teeth clenched tightly as the seconds dragged on. In her intensified state of focus, Rarity saw the faint glow of the underground complex and the enemies who lay in wait. “There don’t seem to be many specimens in the offices,” she explained between shaky breaths. “Underground, however, I’m seeing quite a lot of movement. Possibly from Thorne’s rampage, but I’m not sure.” She gasped. “No, no, no! It’s fading!” Rarity struggled to keep her gaze active on the laboratories, but dejectedly sighed as she hung her head. “It’s gone... I’m sor-” She turned her head up as she opened her eyes, but froze. She looked around, dazed and confused. “Please... please tell me the lights are out.” Her lower lip quivered and her breathing picked up its pace.

Everyone exchanged concerned glances.

“Rarity, there ain’t no light’s out,” Applejack informed.

The white unicorn’s began to tremble as she raised a hoof in front of her face, waving it between her eyes.

Twilight asked, “Rarity, what’s wrong?”

Her breathing quickened. “I... I think I’m... blind!”

Everypony gasped.

“B-b-blind? But how?” Fluttershy queried.

Rarity held her hooves against her head. “I don’t know, I just... I can’t see anything!”

Applejack brushed herself against Rarity’s side, who jumped and yelped upon contact. “It’s okay, Rarity. We’re here, ya jus’ gotta calm down, y’hear?”

Twilight attempted to put the pieces together as everypony else moved in to console their distressed friend. Okay, this is important. Think, Rarity has been around us this entire time, and hasn’t been attacked once by any wayward specimens. She brought a hoof to her forehead and closed her eyes. She’s been using her power ever since that scrake was defeated, and now she’s become blind. This could be an over-exertion of magic, but that doesn’t make any sense! I’ve only heard of unicorns becoming too exhausted to stand, not complete blindness. Her eyes shot open. Wait a second...

Twilight turned around. “Fluttershy, when you first discovered your power, did anything happen to you?”

The yellow pegasus was caught off guard by the sudden question, but replied, “I think I fainted afterwards.”

So when I saw her condition after using her healing ability, that must’ve drawn her power in excess. “Rainbow. You said that you used your new ability just moments before falling out of the sky, right?” Twilight questioned.

“Well... yeah,” Rainbow Dash remarked.

“And that was the first time you used it?”

“Uh huh.”

“What about the second time, when you assaulted the scrake?”

Rainbow crossed her forelegs. “I passed out, but that might’ve just been from blood loss.”

Twilight slightly averted her gaze as she nodded her head. “I know what happened,” she said to everyone else. “It’s actually quite simple when you really think about it. I can’t explain how we received our powers, but—”

“I’m all for a scientific lecture,” Gary interrupted, “but perhaps we could pick this up when we’re not in the open?”

“Oh, r-right,” Twilight bashfully replied. “I almost got carried away there.” She cleared her throat. “Alright, everypony, gather closely around me. I’ve only got enough for one trip in and out, so there’s no room for error.”

As everyone did as they were told, Twilight’s horn glowed. It shone brighter and brighter as the seconds dragged on. Suddenly, a spark shot out of her horn, briefly enveloping everyone in a magenta light before they vanished, leaving a scorched area where they once stood. Then everyone appeared on the top floor of the building, trying to gather their bearings.

Briar examined his surroundings in disbelief. “Did that just happen?”

“Yes... yes it did,” Davin added.

Rainbow hovered next to the officers. “What was that again about us ponies being a bunch of worthless animals?” she spat with a dose of venom.

Both officers just ignored the pegasus, who smirked before heading to her fellow equines. “Cocky bitch,” they both wheezed.

“Well, look at that,” Wilkes noted as he scanned the room they were in, “they really were doing renovations.” The top floor’s red and white colored walls had been clad in transparent tarp, spreading across the eight rooms spanned across the area. Ladders and paint buckets could be seen across the hall, right next to what could possibly be considered a final coat of paint. “Course, it means nothing now with all these specimens running around.” He noted the many overturned desks and broken windows in the few rooms along the floor. He also saw the now-familiar smears of blood on the wall and floor. “Poor bastards probably never stood a chance.”

As Twilight described the surrounding area to Rarity, Pinkie Pie asked, “What happens now?”

“Now we search these rooms for documents,” Masterson answered. “There’s no telling what could be up here.”

“Actually,” Wilkes said, “It’s pretty likely that there’s nothing important up here.”

“Nothing?”

He shook his head. “Unless you’re looking to microwave or refrigerate some food in the lounge. There are only a few rooms up here, and most of them were for storing chemistry materials. Even then, these rooms had been cleared of any important materials just before renovations happened. I’m not suggesting we ignore everything up here completely, but if we’re looking for efficiency...”

The Lieutenant nodded. “Understood. In that case, where’s the best place to look?”

“That’d be the floor underneath us. If there’s a document you need, it’s probably in the cubicles below. Unless, of course, you want to go back into the laboratories, which I understand isn’t an option.”

Masterson scratched his cheek. “Right. Here’s the plan: Gary, you’re going with Davin, Schneider, and Powers to inspect the second floor. You worked here, so you can discern what’s important and what’s not. Make sure you look through everything. We can’t afford to miss anything vital. Wilkes, you’re going to take Lewis, Briar and myself through every inch of these rooms. As for the rest of you,” he continued as he turned to the bunch of ponies, “I don’t know if or how you want to split up, but you’ve got to make a quick decision.”

Twilight looked at her friends, who appeared just as lost as she was. “Any thoughts, girls?”

“Ah think maybe we should split up too,” Applejack answered.

Rainbow Dash cocked her head. “You think so?”

“We wanna help the humans too, right? Ah think it’d be better fer all of us if we worked more with ‘em. It’d jus’ be three n’ three.”

“How would we go about this?” Rarity asked. “I still can’t see, so I feel I’d just be in the way.”

Twilight sat down. “If we’re splitting up...” she began as her mind got to work. “Applejack, Fluttershy, are you two comfortable looking after Rarity?”

“As if ya even need ta ask,” Applejack replied with a nod and a smile. Fluttershy also nodded her response.

“In that case, how about you three go to the second floor? The rest of us will stay here with the other humans. How does that sound?” Twilight asked, looking at Masterson.

“As long as we’re all sorted, it shouldn’t be a problem,” he answered.

“Good. Then we-”

“Wait a tick, Twilight,” Gary interrupted. “Just in case one of you ponies pass out again, you mind letting us in on this explanation you have for your Elements?”

“Oh, right!” she said, ears slightly folding back. “Well, after giving it some thought, I believe the Elements are acting as an amplifier for the magic within each of us. I still don’t know how these powers came to be, but that’s just one of many questions left unanswered. As for what we know, the key is noting how Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash’s bodies react to this magic compared to Rarity,” she continued. “Rarity was arguably the first one of us to discover her ability that the Element of Generosity bestowed upon her. She’s been using her power for quite some time, and is only now feeling the effects. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy felt the backlash almost immediately after finding their powers.”

“Get to the point,” Briar remarked, earning him a slight glare from the scholar.

“My point is that Rarity is a unicorn, while Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash are pegasi. A unicorn’s body is regulated and structured to handle magic usage, but pegasi and earth ponies don’t have that luxury. The magic they use is second nature, so for either race to actively channel magic like a spell would throw their system into disarray. Their bodies don’t know how to conserve magic, so it ends up being dumped at an alarming rate. I’d bet that when the magic is gone, the Element resorts to drawing life force from its user. This explains why Fluttershy began to bleed excessively, and why Rainbow Dash was rendered unconscious in the air.

“As for Rarity, she’s been fine, but that’s only because she’s used to controlling magic.” She stood in front of her blinded friend. “You know your limits, Rarity, so you know how to control how much magic goes into a spell. However, you’ve been keeping at your spell for all this time, and this recent push just seems to have been too much. The Elements are not only more powerful than I could’ve imagined, but they’re dangerous if used improperly.” She placed a hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “If what happened with Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash is any indication, then your sight should return in time. Just try to keep calm for now, okay?”

Rarity reached out her hoof and said, “Thank you, Twilight. I’ll try.” She moved it around a bit until Twilight guided it to her own shoulder.

“What happens now?” Pinkie Pie asked.

Masterson stepped forward. “Now we get to work. Everyone knows where they’re going, and the sooner we leave, the better.” Everyone exited the storage room, some splitting off to venture down the stairway to their right.

Rainbow asked Twilight, “You think they’ll be okay?”

She nodded. “I think they’ll be fine.”

“Well, it’s time to get searching!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she ran off to begin inspection.

“Wait, Pinkie!” Rainbow Dash called out. “You can’t just run off like that!” She flew away to catch up to her friend.

Twilight wistfully shook her head. Some things just never change. She started to walk towards a room at the end of the hall when she stopped herself. She noticed the faint outline of her shadow on the wall before her. Twilight turned around to see a dim light shine through the broken window in the room everyone appeared in. She stepped closer until she could see the skyline above the chaos and destruction below. Memories soon raced into her mind as a sad smile formed on her face.

“Something wrong, Twilight?”

She jumped and quickly turned around to see Lewis peering into the room. “Oh, I-I’m sorry. I was just getting a good look at London, that’s all.”

The Corporal moved to the window, also taking in the scenery around him. He dryly chuckled. “To think so much has happened already.” He noticed that he caught Twilight’s attention and continued. “We’ve been sent into battle against creatures the likes of which we’ve never seen, fought... valiantly against them, banded together with the most unlikely of allies, watched some of those allies nearly die several times over, escaped death by a hair’s breath... and it’s only day one.” He crossed his arms. “Whatever it is that Lieutenant Masterson’s looking for, I can only hope that we find it soon and end this.”

Twilight nodded. “I couldn’t agree more.”

“Come on, then. It’s time we helped out.”

As they walked out of the room once more, Twilight took another look over her shoulder. I wonder if it’s morning in Ponyville now. I hope you’re doing alright, Spike. I’ll be back soon, I promise.

Ponyville, Equestria, September 1, 2009

Spike slowly opened his eyes as he started to sit up in his bed. He shielded his eyes from the morning’s sunlight that crept inside through the window and he laid himself back into bed. He looked at the larger bed next to him, hoping to see the sleeping form of a purple unicorn huddled under the covers. Unfortunately, the bed lay as vacant as it was when Spike managed to finally go to sleep last night. What did you expect? he asked himself. Twilight left you here, remember? He pulled the covers over his head, hoping the world would ignore him for now.

They’re gone. They’re all gone... and who knows if or when I’ll see any of them again. Spike continued to lay there, slowly becoming engrossed in self-pity. A tear nearly squeezed its way out of an eye when both of Spike’s eyes shot open. He sat himself up. What would Rarity think right now, seeing me like this? He could picture it now: the unicorn of his dreams would walk into the house and happen upon a sniveling, pathetic shell of a dragon. He’d reach out to her with a hand, only for it to be batted away. She’d likely be disgusted at the mere sight of him and leave Spike with nothing but the quick lash of her tail as she stormed outside, ignoring any pleas for her to stay.

“No,” he told himself as he ripped the covers off his bed and stood up. “I can’t just sit here all day long. Twilight and the others are risking their lives out there to save the humans. What good would I be if I did nothing?” He walked downstairs as he continued his self-support. “Everypony will be back before I know it. I’ve gotta have faith in each of them!” He stopped before the kitchen cupboard and reached inside, pulling out a handful of rubies that he ate in a hurry. “I’ve gotta get on my morning chores, then I’ll... think of something else to do.”

Spike scurried around the house while completing remedial tasks, such as organizing each book in the library, updating the check-in/check-out list for any inaccuracies, and cleaning up the rooms within the house. When his tasks were finished, he looked outside and saw the sun was nearly in the middle of the sky. It’s almost noon. I should go pick up some food for later. He grabbed a bag and headed to the front door. As he opened it, however, he saw a familiar grey pegasus standing before him with a bag full of letters on her back.

“Oh, hi, Spike!” Ditzy said as she greeted the little assistant. “I was just about to leave your mail here.”

“Hi, Ditzy,” he paused as he looked at the area around her.

This caught her attention. “Uh... is something the matter?”

“No, it’s just... you’re alone.”

Ditzy perked an eyebrow before reaching into her mailbag. “Yes, I am... should I not be alone?”

Spike shook his head. “Nah, I just thought The Doctor would be hanging out with you or something.”

She stopped suddenly and looked into Spike’s eyes. “Say that again...”

“What?”

“That name you mentioned, say it again, Spike.”

He hesitated before he repeated, “The Doctor.”

Ditzy shook her head and looked away, sitting on her haunches as she crossed her arms. “Who is this Doctor, Spike?”

He shrugged.

“Is there something going on that nopony’s telling me?” Ditzy accused. “First Twilight mentioned some Doctor when I dropped off that package yesterday, and-”

“You gave Twilight a package?” Spike interrupted.

The mailmare’s attitude immediately brightened. “Oh, yes! It was an emergency package to deliver, but it was really really heavy. My wings almost couldn’t hold out long enough to- hey, wait a minute! You can’t change the conversation just like that! Are you sure you don’t know anything about The Doctor?”

“Yes, I’m sure!” Spike insisted. “He randomly appeared at Sugarcube Corner for a bit, and it looked like he was really eager to leave, then you suddenly crashed through the window and talked up a storm with him. The Doctor wouldn’t tell us anything, said that if he said too much, something would ‘go terribly wrong’ or whatever it was he was talking about. Then you both left really quick before saying something about spoilers. He showed in Twilight’s library later and took some books, but that’s all I know, honest!”

Ditzy’s eyes widened as her mouth hung slightly open. “Did you say... spoilers?”

He nodded his head.

“Twilight told me that when I asked her about The Doctor...” She laid her head in her hooves and groaned. “So there is something going on that I don’t know about!” Ditzy glared at Spike. “And what do you mean I crashed into Sugarcube Corner yesterday morning? I gave everypony a notice that I’d be in Phillydelphia for most of the day! If this is some prank you two are pulling, it’s not funny.”

“I swear, that’s exactly what happened!”

“Do you pinkie pie swear?”

“Yes, cross my heart, hope to fly, that’s exactly what happened!”

Ditzy snorted as her gaze cut right into Spike’s psyche. “I’ll believe you... for now. But something’s going on around here, and I’m going to find out what. Anyways, I’ve got some letters for you.” She reached back into her bag and placed a bundle of envelopes into Spike’s awaiting hands. “You’ve got quite a few this time. Looks like somepony’s becoming Mr. Popular over here.”

Spike blew a raspberry. “Nah, they’re probably just a bunch of letters to Twi-” He stopped as he read the face of the first letter, eyes growing wide. “Hey, I’ve gotta get back to work. I’ll talk to you later, Ditzy.”

She tilted her head to the side and said, “If you say so. I’ll see you the next time you get mail!” She lifted herself into the air, flying towards his next destination.

Spike quickly shut the door, inspecting the envelope’s face once more. There was no postage stamp or return address, but what was written is what caught Spike’s attention most:

To Spike

From Twilight

Open Immediately

He did as he was told and took off the small rubber band binding the letters together pulling out the first envelope within. As he opened the parcel and read what was written inside he slowly sat himself down, trembling gently.

Spike,

If my calculations are correct, you should be receiving this letter the morning after we left for London. You probably have a million questions, and I wish I could answer them, I really do, but I’m afraid I don’t have such a luxury. All I can ask of you right now is to follow my instructions carefully. The fate of Equestria is riding on this.

You should’ve received several letters along with this one. Each envelope is marked with a date and time on it. Do not open these letters out of order or before their assigned time, there’s no telling what could happen if you do. On each letter, I’ve written a task you need to complete before that day’s end. Some of these tasks will seem trivial; hell, I don’t even know why I need to write what I’ve written, but each job is as equally important as the last.

You will come across several ponies in the time to come. Some of them you know, some you don’t, but each of you will play a vital role in what happens next. You should’ve heard The Doctor go on about how wrong it is for me to write this, but he reluctantly agreed to it once he realized this is a fixed point. You probably don’t even know what that means, but I’ll explain it to you later. To be honest, I’m surprised how fast you’ve grown since we last met, but I suppose anybody would, given the circumstances.

I’m going to level with you, Spike. We’re not going to see each other for a long time, and things aren’t going to be the same when we do. There will be tough times ahead, and you might feel like giving up is the only way out, but you need to stay strong. I wish I could tell you what’s going to happen, how to prepare for it, or maybe even how to prevent it. If I had, then maybe nopony would be in this mess right now. But I can’t. For some reason, all I ever wrote were these few tasks. I don’t know my reasons yet, or if I ever will, but this is the way it has to be.

It looks like I’m almost out of time, so I’ll leave you with this. I have the utmost faith in you. I know that you can do this, because you’re the best assistant I could’ve ever asked for. Never give up, no matter how bleak things look. I’ll be waiting for you.

Twilight

When he finished reading, he gently set the letter on the floor. Spike quickly looked at the rest of the letters. He spread them apart, noting nine envelopes arranged with different days and times, as promised. He looked over Twilight’s first letter again. This is definitely her hoofwriting, no mistaking that. He slowly walked to the window on the door’s left. Spike stared longingly at the clear sky above, gently resting a hand on the glass.

“Everypony’s going to be okay... right?”