The Brotherhood of Anarchy
By Red Velvet
"Fear is only as deep as the mind allows."
-Japanese proverb

'This is it.' I thought happily as I aimed my gun at the guards below.

It had been three months since I joined the Brotherhood. Three mother bucking months of hard, physical training. It had been a nightmare. Although, in the three months I'd been training I got close to Velvet.

Shaking my head to focus on the mission at hand, I looked through my sniper rifle's scope, and saw my target.

His name is General Red. He's Celestia's most valuable general, and EXTREMELY hard to kill. If he were to die it would change the tide of war in the Republic's favor. And it was the Brotherhood that decided to end him.

The radio in my pocket began screeching. "Ray! Ray, has the falcon been spotted?"

I sighed. "Yes, Blue. I have the General in my sights."

"Dammit, Ray! Why can't you just play along?" The radio beeped again. "Cage that bird!"

"Umm, what?" Most of what Blue said was stupid stuff like this, and it always confused me.

"Cage the bird. Didn't you pay attention to the mission briefing?"

I sighed. "No, Blue. I wasn't paying attention."

"Too busy starin' at Velvet, I bet." Blue's voice came through the radio.

"Maybe, but it's none of your business. Just tell me what caged birds means."

"You're no fun at all, Ray. Know that? 'Cage the bird' means you gotta shoot the General."

Pointing my gun at the general, I laugh. 'Almost TOO easy.' My brain laughed with me. Which, I have to say, is really creepy.

I pull the trigger.

But, to my dismay, the bullet hits him in the shoulder. Knowing he's under attack, he gets up and runs into the building.

"You've got to be bucking kidding me." I hear West's voice from the radio.

"He, uh, got away...?" I add a nervous laugh to the end.

"What's going on, West?" It's Silver talking.

"Ray only hit the General's arm. He just ran by me a moment ago."

I heard Silver sigh. "New plan. Everyone inside the building, West, Dawn, Dusk, get out. NOW! Once you get outside, meet me in the van two clicks east from the building."

I nod to the new order, knowing Silver can't see me. I grab my sniper's case and click it open, looking at the familiar holes my sniper easily fits into. After putting the gun away, I get up and run towards the van.

I decide to check in, so I grab the radio and call Silver. "Sorry I missed the target back there. I'm almost at your location, just checking in now."

No response.

As I near the van, I hear gunshots, so I pull my gun, a .44 magnum, out and get ready for a confrontation.

Three men in Solar uniforms are standing outside of the van, guns raised. I hear a shot, and one of them falls to the ground. Silver Shield jumps out of the van, and shoots another one of the guards. He fires his gun at the third guard, but nothing comes out. He quickly shoves a new clip into his gun, but it's too late. A bullet rips through Silver's chest, and he falls to the ground.

"NO!" I scream, and I fire three times at the man who shot Silver.

A moan comes from his lips, and he falls to the ground. His eyes already glazed over with death.

I run to Silver's side, tears penetrating my eyes. "Silver? Are you alright?"

Silver's lips bend up in a smile, but it quickly fades. "The general... is on his way... to Ponyville. End him."

I nod to my captain, vision blurry from tears. "I'm so sorry!"

No response.

I wipe the tears from my eyes, and look down at my dead captain. 'Holy buck, he's dead...' My brain tries to sound sad, but it just sounds mocking to me.

"Silver...?" The shocked voice of Black Shadow sounds from behind me.

"He's dead." I sob.

Black gives a sad sigh, and sits next to me. Putting an arm over my shoulder he says, "I'm sorry. I know the two of you were close."

I cry loudly, sinking my face into Black's shoulder. "He was my bucking mentor... and I couldn't save him."

Black lifts my head and looks deep into my eyes. Tears beginning to form in his. "Listen here, Ray. Don't you dare go blaming this on yourself. I'm positive you did everything you could to save him."

"General Red's going to Ponyville."

"How do you-"

I cut him off. "It was the last thing he said."

"Well then," Black stood up. "I guess we're going to Ponyville."
****************************
When Blue had found out about Silver's death he cried. Velvet's eyes were a bit blurry. The Star brothers just said "damn." West slammed his fist into the side of the van a couple times. And Big Mac just shook his head sadly. All in all, no one was as sad as me.

West had decide to drive, and he cruised along the road nicely. Our only problem was that we really weren't sure where Ponyville was. We had a general idea, but we could be miles off, and not know it.

Velvet put her arm around my shoulder, and smiled at me. "It'll be alright, Ray. We'll get through this."

Smiling, I hug Velvet. "You've been a great friend." After saying the words I immediately regretted them. I had just friend-zoned Velvet.

"So, I heard a rumor Celestia was gonna start inviting Changelings to the Solar Empire." She quickly changed the topic, trying to hide her disappointment.

"Seriously? That could end us..." I look over at her beautiful black hair, and I'm overwhelmed with love. "I wasn't trying to friend-zone you." I add.

"Friend-zone? As in your interested in me?" She smiles at me with that amazing, beautiful smile.

I try to hide my blush. "Well that's not what I meant. I was actually trying to say-"

An explosion cuts me off, and I realize the van is flying through the air. I'm lifted off my seat as the van tumbles, barely held down by my seatbelt. Looking around, I see Blue, who wasn't wearing a seatbelt, tumbling from ceiling to wall to floor. Then, as quickly as the shaking began, it stopped. Jerking us around in our seats.

"What. The. Buck!" Blue jumps, shakily, to his feet and pushes a dirty finger into West's face.

"Should've worn yer seatbelt." Dawn says laughing.

Shaking my head, I get out of my seat and turn to Velvet. "Are you alright? Did the crash hurt you?"

"Just shut up and get me outta here." She mumbles through clenched teeth.

Using my full body strength, which isn't much, I manage to pick up Velvet, and carry her outside. "There ya go." I set her down on the grass.

"Well hot damn! Didn't expect you to be THAT strong." Black says slapping my shoulder.

I smile faintly at him, but my mind is elsewhere. 'You need to find the man who set off that bomb, and kill him.' My brain was right. Whoever placed that bomb had endangered both me and my friends. I wasn't about to let that stand.
************************
After everyone was out of the van, or what was left of the van since most of it had come off during the explosion and the crash, we walked back to the road, and began to continue our path on foot.

"Who do you think put that bomb there?" I ask no one in particular.

Blue responds with a yawn. "Prolly the Gunslinger. He controls most of this area."

"The who?"

"The Gunslinger. He dresses like one of them cowboys, and he does whatever he wants. He's a big problem to us since he works for Celestia."

"Maybe we should kill him?" I suggest hoping my friends will agree.

"Yeah! I could do with a good killin." Dawn says nodding

Dusk nods his agreement.

"Eeyup." Big Mac says, showing support for my decision.

West steps froward, shaking his head. "No. I'm afraid I can't allow that. We need to focus on the mission at hand, which is taking out General Red."

"What do you mean you can't allow that? You think you're in charge, because Silver's dead?" Velvet had stepped forward and she was staring directly into West's eyes.

"I-I..." West looks down at the ground.

"That's what I thought." Velvet, with a bright smile on her face, walks back to me and puts her arm through mine, gripping me tightly.

I smile.

"So, uh, who is in charge?" Dusk asks with a confused look.

"Maybe we should vote?" I offer my suggestion to the group.

"Yeah," Black nods. "Democracy."

After everyone had voted, and the polls were in the results were as follows:

West Snipes: 1 vote
Ray Hope: 2 votes
Black Shadow: 4 votes
Big Mac: 1 vote

"Wow. Never expected I'd be the next leader." Black smiles and looks over at me, as if to say 'better luck next time.'

West, looking very unhappy, stepped towards Black. "So, are you gonna have us waste our time going after the Gunslinger?"

Black put his hand to his chin, and thought for a moment. When he finished thinking he nodded. "I think... we're gonna go after the Gunslinger."

'Yes!' My brain was shouting happily inside my head. I just smiled at Black, knowing I would get my revenge.

"Great! Just one more detour to completing our ACTUAL mission."

Author's Note

Remember, kiddies. Always wear your seatbelt!