Equestria 2028: Friendship Still Exists

Chapters

A Long Night
Justice at the Justice House
Blood Loss
Suited for Success
The Threat

A Long Night

She faded in and out of conscientiousness; trying to make sure no one would sneak up on her and surprise her. Her eyelids grew heavy as she surveyed the area, "Maybe I can take a couple minutes nap," the green mare granted herself permission.

The scene before her slowly faded to black, as her eyes failed to stay open. As soon as the young mare hid her dark orange eyes from the land, she began to breathe slowly and silently. The memories of her friends and family she knew before that fateful day played on lop as she slumbered. But only one memory kept haunting her dreams every time she slept. The wind blew in the night and kicked loose unfertile soil into the mane of the peaceful mare, but only her ears seemed to notice it's intrusion.

Before we continue on with the scene that will happen, let us learn a little more about a sleeping hero.

Her name is Windy skies, and she is a dark green pegasus with a cherry red and periwinkle mane, and her cutie mark is a pair of wings going through a finish line. Windy may have a pegasus lineage, but she is incapable of flight, due to the need to have her wings clipped. Windy was born with a disease that has only affected one other mare... Six-hundred years ago.

The disease only affects the wings of a pegasus. It makes the wings grow twice the size as they are suppose to be, so a four year old filly could have the wings of an eight year old filly. Her parents thought she was going to be a strong flier, they found out the truth at her flying academy tryout.

She lined up at the starting line to begin the entry test; the judges were anticipating her tryout for a long time because her parents had talked her up so much. After nine seconds of waiting, a bullhorn sounded from the judge's area. Windy uncased her wings, which extended far from her petite body, and she pushed off the cloud she was standing on with great velocity. When it was time to move forward, she found she couldn't. Instead she fell straight down. Everyone in attendance gave a collective gasp, and her parents immediately lifted out of their seats and flew for the test area. They flew fast, but they were not fast enough to catch her before she fell straight through the puffy cloud.

"Windy!" Her parents called with concern.

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!" she responded. Tears formed in her eyes as she plummeted, out of fear and the wind drying out her eyes. The ground approached faster and faster.

Her parents flew as fast as they could, but the filly fell faster than them. She was two hundred feet off of the ground before a large boom sounded above her, the crying filly looked up to see a rainbow heading right for her.

"At least I can see something beautiful before..." Windy didn't have time to finish her sentence. She was falling anymore, instead she was flying up.

"Don't worry kid..." a mare's voice that cracked one in a while reassured her, "You'll be okay."

Windy Skies turned to see if she could tell who saved her. "Rainbow Dash!" Windy squealed in delight.

The sky blue mare with the rainbow style mane smiled, "That's right kid, the one and only! Rainbow Dash is here to save the day!"

"Oh my Celestia!" Windy excitedly called. "I can't believe the mayor of Cloudsdale is saving me!"

"Believe it!" Rainbow Dash answered.

Rainbow Dash returned Windy Skies to her fretting parents and they immediately went to the hospital. The doctor said she made a mistake. In order for Windy to have normal size wings, she had to clip them.

"But will she be able to fly?" her mother asked nervously.

The doctor looked depressed, "She will have normal sized wings..." the doctor paused and began to mess with her mane, “but she will be incapable of flight."

It was a decision that took four days to make their minds up, but in the end they made the best decision. They took her to the doctor the next day, and when she left, she had no chance of being able to fly, ever again.

A rustle in the loose soil stirred her awake. "Hello?" Windy asked the darkness. There was no response. Windy picked herself up slowly and gazed into the darkness, "Look if you're here to freak me out..." she fumbled around and picked up a rock awkwardly with her hoof, "You better knock it off! It's not funny and I got a gun!" She made a poor attempt to make the sound of a shotgun being pumped.

More rustling was heard, there was tow or three creatures present. Windy started to back up slowly and the creatures sounded if they were getting closer. Her wings fluttered in freight, "Okay, maybe it's time to go," she told herself in her head. She dropped her bluff and backed up a little till she was at her saddlebags and bent down to pick them up, a satisfied groan could be heard. "Okay I need to get the hell out of here!" she yelled at herself in her head.

She flicked her head and threw her saddlebags over her back; she was ready to run for the hills. Then the call came, 'Get her!" The hooves of three ponies sounded in the darkness, as the outlines came closer, Windy saw the stallions' outlines.

"I can't wait to get my hooves on that flank!" on of the stallions with a deranged voice shouted.

"Not until I'm done with it!" another one answered. "You and your candle wicked penis can go play in the dirt like always!"

"Oh, shit!" Windy squeaked. "Now's the time I wish I could fly!" she began to run in the direction away from the voices.

"Would you two brain rotten idiots shut up and get the whore!" the leader called. "Plus I get all rights to that unexplored ass!"

"I'm not a whore!" Windy retaliated, then realized her mistake and ran faster, while sinking slightly into the soil.

"Over there! I can smell her!" the deranged voiced stallion called. Their hoof beats bean to follow her direction.

Windy skies continued to run in one direction, never once looking back to see if her pursuers were still following her. She has had phenomenal conditioning due to her life on the land and figuring out she was a better runner, than any pony who lived on the land. She had over twenty running awards before the day when everything went to hell.

For an hour she ran, and fifty-four minutes ago she escaped her pursuers. Windy skidded to a stop and listened closely, there was no sound besides her soft breathing. "Good, I'm safe for now," she said to herself and continued to walk.

Ideas and thoughts ran in her head, "Will I ever find a stallion who isn't crazy? Where's the next town? I wonder if anypony in Ponyville is alive? Is there anypony else in these wastelands that isn't crazy? Maybe one day I'll be able to fly." She frowned at this statement and unfolded her wings so she could examine them. "Why did this have to happen to me?"

She put her winds away and walked over a hill and became relieved. There were buildings, candle light, and a few other ponies that she could see. "It's a town, and I know crazy ponies can't build towns," Windy reassured herself. She took a deep breathe and released slowly, then sprinted towards the city.

After a few minutes, Windy arrived in the city and slowed to a walk. A stallion wearing a worn out cowboy hat leaned on a building and bowed his head. "Howdy mam," he greeted her in a thick Appleloosan accent.

"Oh, um... Howdy," Windy bowed her head awkwardly.

He went back to his leaning and Windy kept walking, "Meet a nice stallion... Check," Windy giggled.

"Hello there!" a stallion called from beside her in the shadows.

"Oh... Hello!" Windy answered.

The stallion stepped closer to her. He was scarlet with a grey mane. "I saw you walking into town, and I just had to meet you."

"Well, thank you," Windy responded a little fear in her voice.

"How stupid of me," the stallion put his hoof to the side of his head and acted like he shot himself, and began to fall, but caught himself and laughed. "My name is Scarlet River and I'm the mayor of this town," he put his hoof out.

Windy hesitated to bump her hoof on with his because she didn't feel safe around him, but she did. "My name is Windy Skies and I'm..." she thought for a second, "A traveler? I guess."

Scarlet River laughed obnoxiously loud and the leaning stallion turned his head. "Well that...Is...Funny. Hey do you need a place to rest?!" he immediately asked.

"Well..." she stumbled on her words, "yeah, but I don't really need a nice bed that bad."

Scarlet laughed more, "Ah, fiddlesticks! Come on you are staying in the Justice House tonight!" the stallion commanded and grabbed Windy's front leg and tried to drag her.

Windy retracted her leg, "Wait! What's the Justice House?"

"It's my place of residence," he explained. "I have plenty of rooms, you can have one."

Windy thought for a second as she stared at the creepy smile on the stallions face, "Well as long as we don't share..."

Scarlet's face became serious and he raised his hoof like he was taking a pledge. "Nope!" he interrupted. "You get your own room and bed."

"Okay then," Windy gave in. "I'm really tired and I need my beauty sleep," Windy joked.

"Believe me, you already are beautiful," Scarlet came closer to her and stared creepily in her eyes, Windy retracted. "Now let's go!" he ran for his fortress.

"What did I get myself into?" she questioned herself, and followed the over enthusiastic host.

The leaning stallion stood up straight. He began to walk into the alleyway next to the Justice House, "More than ya'll know mam."

Justice at the Justice House

The Justice House is a two story building with ten rooms surprisingly and actually brilliantly painted yellow, which seemed to show brilliantly even in the dark. Scarlet River lead her down a hallway and past two doors, then stopped at the last door on the right.

"This is your room!" he kicked open the door. "Just yell..." he laughed at this, "If you need anything!" he ran down the hallway.

Windy looked down the hall with a concerned look on her face, then quickly entered the room. "Okay first thing tomorrow, I'm outta here." she told herself and closed the door quickly. "No breakfast, no "friendly" goodbye."

She took a step away from the door and turned around, and saw where she was spending the night. Old oak boards decorated the walls, a queen sized bed sat at the far end of the room, with white bed sheets, and a thick brown blanket that looked warm. Then there was a strange blue night stand next to the bed, "I wonder what's in it?" Windy questioned herself in her mind. She walked up to it and slid the top drawer open, "Damn, nothing," she cursed. "Maybe the next one then?" she closed the top drawer, then slid open the second one.

Two small metallic objects lay there. Upon closer inspection, Windy saw that the metallic pieces, were two small pistols. "I might need these, even though I've never shot one before," she scooped the pistols into her saddlebag, and closed the drawer. She noticed the third drawer, "Maybe..." she opened the last drawer, six magazines were ready for her new weapons, she scooped them into her bag with a clank and the crumpling of paper. She gingerly put her saddlebags on the floor, and jumped up on the bed.

"Wow!" Windy expressed her surprise. She flopped around on the bed and found it soft on her sleek body. "Finally, four days of searching and I found a comfortable bed!" she relieved, and placed her head on the pillow. "Oh, wow!" she rejoiced as she rubbed her head deeper in the pillow, "You're so soft," she complimented the object.

Orange objects flickered about creating light, Windy turned her head towards them, "Ough, dumb lights just blow yourselves out!" Windy cursed the candles that were doing their job. She rose to sit on her haunches, and uncased her wings and flapped her wings hard in order to create a gust to blow out the weak flames. "Much better," Windy relieved when the flames died and crawled under the blanket, and placed her head on the pillow. "The perfect combo," she yawned. The dark room became pitch black as her eyes closed.

Two hours and twenty-three minutes later after Windy fell asleep, the door to her room opened slowly.

There she is boys," Scarlet River showed a crowd of stallions who lined up behind him.

They crowded in the doorway to examine the sleeping mare. "Scarlet, you sure did pick a hot ass flank this time," one of the stallion congratulated.

"Thank you. I'm glad somepony finally agrees," Scarlet appreciated. "You don't know how much work I go through to find such great merchandise. Now lets get on with the biding. How about five stamps?"

"Glad I saved mine up," a stallion waved his hoof.

"Eight!" another stallion responded.

"Fifteen!" the first stallion retaliated.

"Shush!" Scarlet River tried to quiet them down. He peeked in the room, and saw that Windy rolled over in her sleep and exposed one of her hind legs. "If she wakes up this whole bidding thing is going to be ruined."

"Sixteen stamps," a stallion whispered.

"There we go," Scarlet agreed. "Come on, let's keep going..." he moved aside, "just look at her." The stallion looked into the room and noticed the exposed leg.

"That flank is mine, twenty-five."

"In your wet-dreams Flash, forty!"

Dimmit, I'm out!" the stallion named Flash stomped off.

"Hehe, she's mine," the highest bidder celebrated.

"Forty stamps going once... Forty stamps going twwiccee..." Scarlet called, “and so..."

"Sixty stamps!" a familiar Appleloosian voice made an input.

"Shit, who has sixty stamps?" the ex-highest bidder asked.

Scarlet looked towards the back of the group and noticed the familiar cowboy hat, and gave a deadpanned enthusiastic response, I didn’t think you were interested, Sure Shot?"

"I ain't," Sure Shot answered. "I just want her to be safe from you rapist pigs."

"Now that's harsh," the forty stamp bidder seemed to take offense. "But hell if it’s not true."

All of the stallions laughed except the blue stallion with the orange mane peeking from under his hat, "Ya'll better leave her alone or ya'll will regret it," Sure Shot growled.

All of the stallion stopped laughing, and stared at him, "And what if we don't?" a stallion casually walked up to him.

"Well..." Sure Shot pointed a hoof at him, "I'd break your flimsy neck..." he moved his hoof to the unicorn behind the one he pointed at before, "I'd jab your throat before you could use your magic and pull out your gun, then slam your head in this loose floor. That would either kill or stun ya." Sure Shot placed his hoof on his chin, "Then I'd tackle you, take your knife and throw it through Scarlet's throat."

The stallions stood there dumbfounded, and stared at the serious face on the Sure Shot's scruffy face. After a few stiff seconds of a stare down the stallion in front spoke, "Yeah, I highly doubt that," he lunged for Sure Shot.

Sure Shot did not hesitate; he side stepped and caught the stallion by his neck. The stallion tried to buck free, but Sure Shot's grip was to strong, he didn't wait long, he jerked the neck of the stallion and a sickening snap could be heard. The stallion went limp, Sure Shot dropped the body of the former stallion and charged the next stallion.

"Shit! Kill him!" Scarlet commanded.

Just as Sure Shot predicted, the stallion's horn began to glow in a magical hue, and his gun began to rise out of it's holster. Sure Shot jumped to cover the rest of the distance from him and the gunman. He pulled a hoof back, and then rushed it forward into the stallion's throat, the unicorn stumbled back while his gun hit the floor, and put his hoof on his throat as he tried desperately to breathe. The blue stallion grabbed the choking stallion's neck and fell straight down, driving the head into the floorboards, a little blood could be seen, and immediately Sure Shot stood up. The third stallion charged with a wicked war cry with a knife in his mouth.

Windy awoke with a fright, and she toppled out of the bed with a thud. "Hey! What's going on?"

Scarlet turned to her in surprise, "You aren't supposed to be awake!"

"What do you mean? I'm wake right now," Windy explained dumbfounded.

Scarlet River began approaching her with a look of intensity, "You brought him here!" he began screaming. "You whore! You brought him here to kill us all, didn't you?!"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Windy stood up and backed away, a thud could be heard in the hallway. Her flank hit the back wall, she was trapped. "And I'm not a whore!"

He approached her and was almost upon her shouting the same thing, "You must learn your place in this land bitch!"

She cringed and put her wings in front of her face, "Please don't hurt me!"

A Knife came flying into the room at a fearce velocity with enough accuracy and force in order to pierce through Scarlet's spine and out through his jugular. Blood began to gush everywhere, and covered Windy's wing in the warm crimson liquid. Scarlet began to gurgle and slowly stumbled in a circle spraying his blood everywhere.

He finally turned in a complete semi-circle and his eyes met the eyes of the knife thrower, who approached him. "Scarlet, it’s about time somepony shoved a knife in your throat..." Sure Shot came closer. "And I'm glad it was me."

Scarlet tried to respond, but it only came out as inaudible gurgles and blood spurts. His eyes rolled to the back of his head and he fell to the floor in a puddle of blood that expanded by the second.

Windy took notice of the warm liquid on her wings and examined them. Her eyes grew wide and she began to flap her wings ferociously, "What the hell?!"

"Now mam we don't have much time, we have to go!" Sure Shot instructed.

Her eyes wandered from her wing to the stallion, then to the blood corpse, "You killed him," she said in a whispered terror. The blood began to drip off of her wing and stained the sheets of the bed, "Oh my Celestia, this is his blood," she screeched and flapped her wings again.

"Look I know you're scared..." Sure Shot came closer, Windy squeezed herself even closer to the back wall, "I ain't gunna hurt ya. I'm only here to save ya."

Windy gave a hysterical laugh, "Right you murdered a guy for no reason, and say you'll gelp me. Hay, I bet you are going to say, they were going to rape me, to get you some sort of brownie points!"

Sure Shot gave her a cold stare. "Mam this ain't no place for mares!" Windy opened her mouth, but Sure Shot stopped her. "What I meant was, this ain't the type of place for a mare. The stallions here haven't seen a mare in a while and they will do anything to get their hooves on one."

"And what makes, YOU, any different?" Windy stared right into his eyes.

The blue stallion never broke eye contact, "I ain't like them."

At first Windy tensed up, but then she relaxed. "I don't know why..." she stepped off of the bed and stepped into the pool of blood, she cringed as is splashed on her leg, "but I believe you."

"Good," his voice was softer now. "Now get your things and we'll be on our way!"

Windy picked up her bags in her mouth and threw it over her back, "Where are we going?"

The stallion moved to the door and peaked his head out of the doorway, then pulled it back in, "Out of here." He walked away from the doorway and across the room. Marching through the crimson puddle, he stopped at the body of his former foe and leaned in close. He whispered something to the corpse, then extracted the knife from the neck, with a sickening squishing, and snapping of the vertebrae.

"Ew," Windy felt the lining of her empty stomach toss.

"You're going to need to get use to it," he kept walking to the window. "We need to go out the window."

Windy gave a look of confusion, "Whyyy?"

He threw open the window, "They most likely heard all the commotion and are comin'. This window leads to an alleyway, they won't expect that escape."

"Just wondering..." she began, "but how are we going to survive?"

Sure Shot turned to her, "We'll watch each other’s flanks, that's how. And plus I know a lot of survival skills I can teach ya."

"Okay!" Windy accepted. "Let's go!"

"Good!" Sure Shot readied himself to hoist her out of the window. Windy trotted up to him and positioned herself on his back, and Sure Shot pushed her through the opening. As she was exiting, her back hoof bumped the window frame and lost her balance and fell on her back in the alley with a hard thud.

"Ow," she complained as she stood up and turned to the entrance of the alley. There stood a stallion with a look of surprise. "You escaped?" it was Flash, he approached her. "Yes! You're coming, with me!"

"No, I'm not!" Windy backed up. The stallion approached faster. "Uh, Sure Shot, I could us some help!" she called.

The stallion laughed, "I sure know a few spots where I'd shoot you."

"Wow, that's really creepy!" Windy stated.

Flash continued to approach faster and almost tackled Windy, but Sure Shot jumped out of the window and dove on Flash. Sure Shot landed in the middle of Flash's back, breaking his spine in half and making it protrude through his skin. Flash howled in pain. Sure Shot recovered and dug out a saddle bag, with an apple within a crosshair, and threw it over his back. "Let's go!"

"How much of this will I see?" Windy held back her vomit.

"A lot, now come on!" he began to make his way out of the alleyway; Windy followed stepping around the broken earth pony.

"One day you bitches!" Flash threatened. "One day I'll find you, and I'm going to listen to your screams as I slowly cut you apart!"

Windy became frightened, and Sure Shot comforted her, "Don't listen to him, once we're out of town they won't look for us! They aren't the brightest apples on the trees."

They exited the alleyway and took a hard left and broke for the town's exit, "There they are! Shoot their asses!" a command came form behind them.

Clnk!PffPff!Clnk! Various sized guns sounded behind them as they ran for the city's exit.

"Come on!" Sure Shot encouraged Windy.

Wind sped up and passed Sure Shot, "Come on lets go!" she mocked.

"Smart ashuhn!" he began to respond, but was interrupted by a bullet piercing through the meat of his hind leg. "Dimmit!"

"Are you alright?!" Windy shouted over her shoulder.

Sure Shot limped badly as blood trailed behind him, and held back his grunts of pain. "Yeah! Just keep on running!" The guns continued to fire, but they never hit their mark. The two escaped from the town and entered the waste lands.

Blood Loss

They slowed down a few minutes after leaving town, and settled down for the night.

"Your leg is bleeding real bad," Windy noticed as the observed the obvious.

"You don't say? I thought I was just pissin' my leg?' Sure Shot snapped, and Windy got a defensive look. "Sorry it's the blood loss, I feel like an ass."

His saddlebag opened with a magical outline of blue and some medical tape, a blood pack and a pair of scissors rose from within. "Now I'm goin’ to need your help," Sure Shot laid on his stomach.

Windy came closer, "Sure. What can I do?"

"Hold my legs..." he took off his hat, and his mane fell just a centimeter above his eye, "That bullet has got to come out."

"Okay, I'll hold down your hooves," Windy took a few steps until she was at Sure Shot's back hooves. She studied the stallion's haunches; his legs were in excellent shape, besides the bullet hole. Windy felt herself get really warm, "Damn look at that flank!" she exclaimed in her head.

"Are you ready yet?" the bleeding stallion asked impatiently.

Windy shook her head, "Focus!" she commanded herself. "Yeah," she put her front hooves on his back hooves.

Sure Shot turned his head and gave a small smile, "You may want to put your whole body on there," he stated. "I'm part of the Apple family and we're strong buckers."

"Oh, okay," Windy acknowledged and sat on the stallion's legs. She then asked, "How are you going to remove the bullet?"

He gave a slight chuckle, "Magic of course."

His forehead began to outline a horn, but it is not in the typical cone shape of a regular horn, it was jagged as if it were broken, the hole in his leg also began to glow, Wind stared into the glow.

"You're a unicorn?" she asked.

"Yeah..." he responded dryly, "Why do you ask?"

"Well, you have an Appleloosan accent, and..."

"I'll be happy to chat after I'm not bleeding out."

"Sorry, I'll shut up."

The impatient stallion let out an exaggerated huff, "Sorry for my attitude..." he apologized, "It's just loosin' all this blood. Ahhhh!" he screamed as more blood came out.

"What's happening?" Windy asked off guard.

The sound of tearing muscle tissue and the squishing of blood could be heard. "I'm pulling ouwwwt that damn bullet!" he exclaimed. "Alright..." he began with a loud huff, "I'm goin' to pull hard, be ready!"

Windy squatted on his haunches because she thought it would make her heavier, "Okay, I'm ready."

More squishing and tearing was heard, but only faintly over Sure Shot's loud screams of pain. Windy began to jump violently, so she wrapped her front legs around his back legs and held on tightly. "He wasn't lying about being a bucker!"

A few seconds of furious bucking, Sure Shot laid still and breathed heavily.

"Did you get it out?" Windy asked while still holding on.

"No!" he breathed exhausted. His horn lit up a little duller and so did the hole, "One more pull! Ready?"

"Yeah!" she answered. "Wow, willing to stick out even the worst pain," Windy admired, "and he is pretty cute."

The squishing continued, and the bucking began. A sound of a low pressure faucet sounded and a liquid his Windy's face. Wind fell off of him with a terrified scream and furiously whipped the warm liquid off her face. A small piece of brass floated up to Sure Shot's weary face, and he examined it.

"Forty-four..." he whispered exhausted, "Lucky that didn't blow my leg off." The bullet slowly hovered to the fire and was placed inside.

Windy finally felt all of the of the blood leave her face, unaware the blood stained her green coat. She noticed the bullet in the fire and immediately jumped back and threw a wing over her face.

The dreary stallion put his tired eyes on her, "What, in the name of... Old Celestia are ya'll doin'?"

"You put a bullet in the fire! It's going to explode!"

He gave a weak laugh. "It's not goin' to explode. It’s already been shot, the gun powders gone and all that jazz." He was quiet for a second, then said, "That wing wouldn't have protected ya, that bullet would have gone right through your feathers, and buried itself in your brain."

Windy got an eerie chill up and down her spine and she retracted her wing. He tail twitched nervously, "Thank you fro putting me in a calm mood!" she scolded as she twitched.

"I didn't mean to upset ya..." he defended, "I'm just not myself because of the blood loss. I'm usually a good gut." He smiled and it made Windy's heart beat a little faster as she smiled back. He slowly lifted his hoof and pointed at the blood pack, "Can ya set that up?"

Windy walked up to the blood container, "Uh, sure." Her ear twitched a little as she thought about how she was going to retrieve the crimson liquid container," That is not going in my mouth," she said aloud and Sure Shot chuckled. Then she got a brilliant idea, she would scoop it up with her wing, "That could work. Good thing Wind," she congratulated herself. She unfolded her wing and bent it down to place it underneath the container and made a bowl shape with her wing. Her wing felt warm again, she felt another cold chill as she lifted it shoulder level.

The fire began to hiss. The brass bullet rose from the orange fire and flew slowly towards the fading blue stallion, "Finally!"

Windy walked towards the stallion and coked an eyebrow, "What are you doing?"

"Closin' the wound,” he explained. The bullet hovered above the small crater in his leg; he looked up at the confused mare. "You may not want to look." he insisted. "When the screaming stops, stick that tube in my leg and lightly squeeze the pack."

"Wait, have you done this before?" Windy wondered.

Sure Shot didn't answer he shoved the bullet in his wound and howled in pain, "Fuuuuck!" The leg meat began to sizzle, Windy felt a warm sensation in her throat, she turned her body and emptied her stomach. Sure Shot took short, choppy breathes as the wound slowly began to close, and the glow from his horn faded to a barely visible black blue.

Windy felt terrible after regurgitating the meal that may have remained from two days ago. She stood up straight, but did not turn around in order to avoid seeing the cooking wound. "This is awful, I can't let him suffer alone," her conscience kicked in.

Windy turned around and saw the screaming stallion crawling towards a boulder. Windy met him there, blood pack in wing, "Are you okay?"

Sure Shot continued to crawl, but looked at her, "Field Runner? I thought you were dead sweetheart?" he wondered in excited astonishment.

The bullet dropped in the sand. Windy gave him a concerned look, "I'm not Field Runner..." she stated, "I'm Windy Skies remember?" She leaned in closer to inspect his fading eyes.

Sure Shot raised his head up high and kissed her for four seconds, then lay by the rock. "Runner you know you can't tell a lie good," he closed his eyes.

Windy had a goofy grin on her face, "He kissed me!" While staring at the stallion she noticed it was silent, "The screaming stopped!" Windy immediately jumped into action. She took the end of the tube in her mouth and jammed the end under his skin and lightly squeezed the pouch by folding her wing. "Don't die! Please! Don't die!" she ordered Sure Shot.

There was no answer or movement from the stallion. Tears formed in Windy's eyes as she stared at the motionless stallion, his breathing became slower, and shallower, until his stomach stopped rising. "No!" Windy shouted. "No! You said we'd watch each others' backs," she squeezed the pack harder. When no improvement was seen she moved closer to him, "You were going to teach me skills to survive." It was still silent as Windy talked to Sure Shot's motionless body, Windy began to cry and she wrapped herself around Sure Shot, "Please wake up..." she whispered, "I love you!"

Windy's tears stained Sure Shot's coat. Sure Shot's heart began to beat up to speed. Sure Shot opened his eyes, and began to breathe, he turned his head, but it couldn't move all the way due to Windy being right there. "Uh, Windy can ya'll give me some elbow room?" he asked weakly.

Windy hopped up with a burst of energy, "You're alive!" She fell on Sure Shot who gave off a painful gasp of escaped air. "I thought you were dead!" Windy explained.

Sure Shot looked desperate, "Please get off me, I can hardly bre..." He was cut off by Windy pressing her lips onto his, and she positioned herself on top of him. Sure Shot weakly pushed her head away from his. "The hell are ya doin'?!" he complained.

Windy smiled, "Well, I thought we could celebrate you being alive," she explained.

Sure Shot smiled, "Please get off of me."

"Why?" Windy quarreled.

"First of all: I need to wrap my wound, I'm too weak for a sex tumble, you're crushin' my tumbleweeds, and I ain't gunna have sex with ya in the first place," he explained.

Windy huffed and jumped off of him, "Why wouldn't you have sex with me?!" Windy had a stern look, but then turned her head, "Am I that ugly."

Sure Shot's horn lit up dully and the tape and scissors came to him. "No, ya ain't ugly..." he explained as the white tape wrapped tightly around his leg, "If I were into mares I would ride you like a stage coach."

Windy blushed and turned her head back, "Wow, you know how to... Wait! What?"

The scissors snapped closed and the white tape stayed in place, "What?" Sure Shot wondered.

Windy laughed hysterically and slowly walked up to the wounded stallion, "Did I just hear you say, 'If I were into mares."

Sure Shot chuckled softly and laid flat on his back, "And I said I'd ride ya like a stage coach, but I think you want to know the truth."

Windy extended her wings in anticipation, "Yeah, I want to know why you won't have sex with me!"

He smiled broadly, "Well ain't it simple Windy? I'm gay, and ain't nothing gunna change that fact."

Windy's wings fell to her sides, her mouth flew open and her eyes widened. "Wha...What?!" she stuttered. "You are gay. Like you like to look at stallions and..." she swallowed her saliva, "touch them?" Sure Shot nodded. Windy sat down in astonishment, "So, Field Runner is..."

"Was my partner," he corrected Windy's question. Wearily he turned his head up to the stars. "Do you ever wonder what ever happens to the ones we love the most when they die?" Windy folded her wings and returned to her normal face, and didn't respond. "My mom always told me they moved into the sky and watched over us and protected us," he explained. He released a big breathe, "I loved that stallion with all my heart; every pony knew we were madly in love and saw a future together. But hell if that damn purple mess we called a princess fucked everything up."

Windy let her body slump into the warm earth, and grew really interested, "Did you two ever have sex?"

Sure Shot took his eyes off of the single star he was interested in and shifted his head to look at Windy. His face grew a concerned look, "What the hell is with you an' this sex thing?" Windy shrugged. Sure Shot turned his head back to the same star he was observing before, "Well to answer that... Yes, a couple of times, we enjoyed each other’s company more, but hell we'd do it anywhere." He began to smile and rub his hooves as if he was embarrassed.

Windy imagined Sure Shot and this Field Runner tumbling over each other on a bed made for one, she felt her temperature rise. "So what happened? Did he die in the blast?'

Sure Shot lay silent and stared at the star; Windy thought he was dead until he blinked. He then struggled to get up, groaning while working against the exhaustion. When he was on his haunches he leaned his back on the rock and looked dreamily at Windy. "Yes, well I think," Sure Shot answered. "I'm not so sure," he put his hoof on his chin, but it fell back down, "I looked for him for three days, trying to find some sign of him. I couldn't find remains, no sign that he ever existed. There were remains of friends I could point out..." he got quiet, "I just couldn't find him."

"I'm sorry," Windy apologized.

"It ain't your fault..." Sure Shot slowly began to slump down the rock, "Every pony lost some pony in the blast." He now laid on his back with his head uncomfortably positioned on the rock.

Windy nodded, "Yeah that's true... My parents are most likely gone." Windy felt a tear come to her eye, and when she looked at Sure Shot, her tears poured out of her. "I miss them so much!"

Sure Shot watched the crying mare and felt his heart hurt. "You know... I know my parents are gone." Windy rubbed her eyes as she looked at the drowsy stallion. "They were both mares, and they were visiting Ponyville," he looked at the stars, "So they were with her when she casted the spell."

Windy sniffed, "Your parents were gay, too?"

Sure Shot chuckled, "Is that all you heard?" Windy smiled, and Sure Shot noticed two stars flash brightly, "Well yes, they were their to meet cousin Apple Jack. They were Apple Fritter and Cherry Blossom."

Windy perked up because she remembered when she visited Applelosa and had one of Apple Fritter's, apple fritters, “Did you say Apple Fritter?"

"Eeyup, "he answered. "The best fritter maker this side of the wastes was my ma, and so was the nicest cherry picker."

Windy's smile faded and turned to confusion and curiosity, "Wait were you adopted? Because if I've learnt anything in biology, two mares can't have a baby."

"They can if they have a doaner," Sure Shot retorted.

Windy scratched her leg with her hoof, “But I thought they didn't like...You know stallion parts."

Sure Shot laughed, but then coughed in agony. "Okay, don't laugh too hard," he instructed himself. "They didn't have to have sex with a stallion in order to get his sperm. They went to the sperm bank, picked out the baby they wanted, and planted me inside of Cherry Blossom."

"Oh, that makes sense," Windy realized. She thought back to the day when she was in high school, and they were in Applelosa after a track meet. She had just placed first in her division and stopped at Apple Fritter's stand to buy one of her famous fritters, "I wonder if she liked me?" she wondered to herself. Sure Shot moved his head from the rock and laid it beside the rock. Windy stared at the stallion as he laid there, “Whey did you save me?" she asked quietly.

Sure Shot didn't respond, he just made a slight snoring sound. Windy smiled, "You can answer that when you aren't dead," she joked to him. She crossed her legs and placed her head on top of them and closed her eyes. "I never thanked you," she said with a yawn, "but thank you for saving me." With that she was asleep.

A couple of minutes later Sure Shot raised his head and forced himself to roll over. "Come on! Git up!" he commanded his weary body. His body ached and shook as he rose, "If I make it through the night, I would of wished I was dead," he cursed himself. His horn lit up brighter than before, but is still not to its total hue, and his blood pack floated beside him as he limped over to Windy. He made it over to her, and collapsed next to her, "Thank Celestia, it was like running through the Saddleion deserts," he relieved. He placed the blood pack on another rock that was smaller than the boulder, but still tall enough to elevate the bag, and he scooted his back against her's, "It was cold over by that damn rock," he explained. "You'll see why I saved ya pretty soon," he whispered. He closed his eyes and yawned, "Night Windy."

Suited for Success

"Windy it's time to wake up!" a familiar voice called to her from behind a closed door.

A young Windy flashed open her eyes and jumped out of her bed with an excited smile on her face, and ran to her door. She reached her hoof out and wrapped it around the brass knob and pulled, she stepped out of the way avoid being hit by the red painted oak door. Once the door was fully open she ran down the hallway passing three doors and turned left into the living room.

In the room sat a stallion, who was reading the Hoofpekan Stall. Windy slowed to a walk, "Hi daddy!" she greeted.

The stallion looked up from his newspaper and smiled, "Hello sweetie. How do you feel today?" he asked.

"Well if I could stretch my wings," she grimaced as she tried to uncase her wings under her wraps. "Other than that, I'm doing fine."

The stallion stepped off of the couch and put a hoof around his daughter and kissed her on the forehead, "I'm sorry honey. I know it's hard on you, but it's also hard on us, too."

Windy frowned, "I don't want to be a burden."

"You aren't going to be a burden," he explained. He wrapped his hooves around her mid-section and tossed her over his head. She squealed with delight as she flew through the air and landed on his back. "Come on! Let's get some breakfast."

Windy bounced a little, "Do you think there are banana nut muffins?"

"And maybe some hay tots?" he added. Windy giggled and her dad laughed also, "Come on."

He trotted with her into the doorway across the room, giggling and being happy. They entered the dining room, and saw Windy's mom placing a plate filled with muffins and one with hay tots. She looked off of the table and smiled, "Well good morning Windy," her warm voice greeted.

"Morning mommy," she jumped off of her father's back and ran over to her mom and hugged her.

"My my, so fast," her mom said surprised.

"Well, I'm not a pegasus anymore," Windy answered. "So I have to be a good earth pony."

Her parents were shocked. "Windy you're still a pegasus, no matter if you can fly or not." her mother comforted.

"Really because I don't feel it, and the other fillies and colts don't either," Windy said sorrowfully.

"Windy..." her father said in a soft voice as he walked up to her, "You may not be able to fly. But wings do not make a pegasus." He reached his daughter and wife and put his hoof on Windy's chest, "It's the heart you possess, the pegasi are known for their hard work and determination," he smiled. "It's been two days after you've been clipped, and look at you. You're running about, keeping in high spirits, and not letting it get you down," he hugged her tightly. "You are the bravest pegasus ever, even braver than the pegasi who are Canterlotian guards."

Windy squeezed her father, "Thank you daddy," she began to cry.

"Windy..." her mother addressed her. Windy's dad loosened his grip and so did Windy, he walked to his seat at a weak smile, "No matter what happens to you, or whatever you do. We will always love you. And you will always be the best flyer in all of Equestria." she kissed her on the cheek and hugged her.

Windy squeezed her mom back, "Love you, too."

They released their grips, "Lets eat," her mom insisted.

"Yeah, I'm hungry," Windy agreed.

They turned and looked at the table, to see Windy's dad sitting there eating two muffins and a pile of hay tots, "Breezy!" her mom scolded.

He looked up with his cheeks puffed, "Yes?"

"Those are my muffins!" Windy playfully said as if she were mad.

He swallowed, and leaned on the table, "And what are you going to do about it princess?"

Windy growled and charged her father, who caught her and pretended to hold her captive, the family laughed as they spent time together.

"Shit!" Sure Shot's voice entered the room.

Windy flashed open her eyes, and saw Sure Shot standing over her. Windy blushed, "What are you doing?"

Sure Shot leaned next to her and her leg felt like it was tight, "Upgrading ya."

Windy looked at her leg and saw what appeared to a strap, "What is this?"

"Well, if ya didn't move, it's you trigger," he explained.

Windy realized that all four of her legs were spread apart and her wings were uncased. She burst into a cold sweat, "Tra, trigger for what?" she stuttered.

"For your guns," he answered confidently.

"Do you have to install them like this, though?" she asked embarrassed.

He looked down at her and laughed, "Do I make you..." he flipped his mane, "nervous?"

She turned a brighter red, "Dammit! Stop!"

His laugh turned into a chuckle, "Just let me get this on." He took his front hooves off of her legs and put his head down past the left side of her ribs, his gruff brushed her ribs and she shook with excitement. He pulled out a strap attached to green fabric, he did the same to the other side. He put one strap through the loop of the other and pulled until it wouldn't come loose. He stood up straight and smiled down, "There we go, now you're ready to go!"

Windy looked at her wing and saw the familiar shape of the gun she stole from the Justice House. "Wait, did you...?" Upon closer examination she realized that the pistol was attached to straps to keep it steady on the wings, and the string on the trigger lead down to her hooves. "No way!" she exclaimed. "This is completely badass!"

Sure Shot stepped over her and offered his hoof, "Glad ya like it,” Windy accepted his offer and reached her hoof out. He carefully pulled her up to her hooves and he began to inspect her, "Hmmm, not bad. Can't believe it actually fits ya."

"Really?" Windy checked herself out. She extended her wings and saw that her other pistol was also attached to the other wing. She giggled and reared up, Sure Shot's eyes grew wide and he jumped out of the way with a scream of freight. Windy stomped down and two loud bangs went off on both sides of her. She fell on her back, "What the hell just happened?!" she asked through her ringing ears.

Sure Shot lifted his head and chuckled, "Yes! It works!"

Windy took an angry attitude, "That's not funny!" I could have been killed!"

The blue stallion rose to his hooves and limped to her, "Like hell, you were aiming at me!" His horn lit up brighter than last night, and Windy raised in the air and turned right side up. "Okay put your wings away," Windy obeyed, and her wings went to her sides. "Now time to explain," he began as he set Windy on the ground gingerly, "You have been fitted with a new way to defend yourself. It's simple really: just stretch your wings out, aim, and stomp."

Windy stared at her new fashion statement, a green vest with a plow on the side with small pullies on her sides with tightly pulled strings entering and exiting them. "Will I be able to run?" she wondered.

"Yes?" he answered unsure. "As long as you keep them wings closed. But why don't ya just fly? It's much easier, isn't it?"

Windy gave a cheesy smile, "Yeah of course, but... No."

Sure Shot's jaw dropped, "Ya'll can't fly?"

Windy nodded, “I’ve been clipped."

"Wow, I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"It's okay," she reassured, "It had to be done. I think I'm a better runner than a flyer anyway." She looked at her wings, "Sooo, how do I put more bullets in these when they run out?"

"You mean reload?" Sure Shot asked with doubt in his voice.

"Yeah reload!" she tested out the new term.

"Well to unload, just flap your wings really hard down..." he explained, "but I'm still not sure about entering the magazines."

Windy's eyebrow slowly rose, "What's a magazine?"

Sure Shot threw a hoof to his face, "Dear Celestia! What have I gotten myself into?"

While they sat down to breakfast, Sure Shot explained to Windy all the parts of a gun. When Windy asked how he knew so much, he said he was in the Canterlotian Royal Guards; this is also where he met Field Runner. When they were packing up to head out, when Windy finally asked, "What happened to your horn?"

Sure Shot opened his bag and placed his cooking pan inside, then closed it, "After I couldn't find Field Runner, I went to a bar to drown my sorrows. Well after six shots of one of the last bottles of Hard Apple Cider, four stallions entered. They were punks lookin' for a flank for the night."

"Hey! Old man!" the stallion with shades called to the barkeep.

"Ye... Yes?" the barkeep answered shakily.

"You got any mares around here?" Shades asked in an interrogating way. The rest of the group chuckled evilly.

Sure Shot turned in his stool, and pointed his hoof at Shades, his hoof continued to drift from him to the door behind him, "You! *hic* What the hell do you want?" Sure Shot slurred.

The stallions began to laugh, "Look what we have here boys..." Shades pointed his hoof at Sure Shot. "A hero."

"Damn right! Three yeaars in the Royal Guard to kick your asses." Sure Shot jumped down from his stool, and stumbled about. "Damn floor! Stop moving!" he regained a slanted posture, and wobbled.

"This clown wants a fight," one of the stallions predicted from behind Shades.

Shades chuckled, "Come in boys, we need to discuss!" Shades commanded his group and they obeyed by getting in a huddle.

Sure Shot's horn lit up and his gun levitated off the ground, it rose to his face and he took aim. He held it there until the Shades broke the huddle.

"Alright you dru..." Shades began to say, but was cut off by the eruption of the gun. The bullet flew from the gun and pierced through the skull of the stallion. The bullet traveled through the stallion brain and exited from the back-side of his skull, splashing his goons in red.

"Holy shit!" one goon expressed his fear.

"Get him!" the stallion to Shades' left ordered.

They hesitated for a moment, then gathered enough courage to charge. Sure Shot didn't even give it a second thought; he dropped his gun to the ground and charged back. Everyone in attendance scooted away from the fight, but watched intently.

The stallion who gave the order threw a punch and hit Sure Shot's jaw. His head jerked sideways and the stallions stopped to gloat, "That's just the beginning, there's plenty more to come!"

Sure Shot's head turned back around, he stared the stallion in the eyes. Sure Shot rammed his head just below his horn into the stallion's forehead. The stallion fell to the ground, with a bloody skull, "There's more to come if ya'll want it!"

The other stallions looked at their fallen friend, then growled, "You're dead!" The bigger stallion lunged at Sure Shot and tackled him to the ground. The other stallion came up and began stomping on his mid-section.

Sure Shot thought through the escaped breathes and blows, he quickly hatched an idea. He swept his rear legs and tripped the stomping pony, who fell with a large thud, then he rammed his head forward pointing his horn at the bigger stallion's eye, the horn protruded through his eye and he fell back with a loud scream.

"Damnit! He blinded me!" the big stallion screamed.

Sure Shot tried his best to get up quickly, but only came up groggily and heavy due to his injured ribs and drunken state. Despite his dull pain, he jumped on the big stallion and began barraging his in punches. The stallion dropped to his knees, and tried to endure the pain.

A large wooden object smashed against Sure Shot's head, he stopped his assault and stared blankly at the wall on the other side of the bar. He fell off the stallion and laid on his back. The smaller stallion helped his friend up and they limped over to Sure Shot and stomped on him, but he didn't take notice of it, he only saw the tip of his horn laying on the ground. The other patrons ran out of the bar quickly, but the stallions continued their beating.

Sure Shot began to glow, and the furious stallions backed away from him. He began to levitate and his eyes turned bright white. His attackers exchanged concerned glances with each other, and the stallion with the bloody nose began to rise.

"Is he dead?" he asked his friends while shaking his head.

"Uh, do unicorns levitate and glow when they die?" the smaller stallion asked.

The stallion with the bloody nose looked at the center of the room, his face filled with freight. He quickly turned and began to run for the exit. "Where are you going?!" the one eyed stallion yelled.

Sure Shot cringed in pain, then released all of the energy in a mighty yell, virtually vaporizing his attackers and the bar. Twelve minutes later, Sure Shot woke up in a four foot deep hole and the entire town was staring at him. He slowly rose to his feet, and stared back, "Do ya'll know where I can get a drink 'round here?"

"And that's why I have a broken horn," Sure Shot concluded.

"So we have a team of" a broken unicorn, and a flightless pegasus..." Windy pointed out. "Now all we need is an earth pony afraid of dirt and we'll have a full band of misfits."

Sure Shot laughed while throwing his saddlebag over his back, "You know Windy, you may not understand jack squat about anything. But hell if you ain't entertaining."

"Thanks... I think,' Windy smiled awkwardly. She grabbed her saddlebag and threw it over her back. "So where are we going?"

Sure Shot limped slowly towards her, "South," he answered. "There's an old friend I want to see. It's been a while and I want to make sure she's fine." He began to limp past her.

Windy turned and followed him, "She?" she wondered. "Is it a sister...? Or a mare you dated before you knew you were gay?"

"Sorta both really, I'll explain on the way."

It took them three days to arrive at their destination. A town that was built in between the old towns of Quillsyvania and Coltcinati. The town was excellently built: high metal walls that cannot be scaled, with guard towers to overlook the barren land, there were also two story metal buildings that were sturdy enough to withstand another devastating blast from Twilight's spell.

Windy stared at the fortress in amazement, "So mares built and live here?'

"Eeyup," Sure Shot agreed. "Built by mares for mares."

"Wow," Windy admired. She then questioned, "Does she still remember you?"

Sure Shot reached his hoof to his head to feel his hat, then placed it back on the ground when he was sure, "Wearing the same hat like I was wearing two months ago." He looked at his body, "And the same body, and..."

"Okay I get it!" she interrupted. "So we can just go in?"

"Should be able to," he answered.

Windy deadpanned, "Well that's reassuring."

A loud crack went off in the distance, a small dust cloud appeared in front of Sure Shot and a clump of earth smacked him in the face. Sure Shot jumped back and winced when he landed on his bad leg, but maintained his composure, Windy screamed. "The hell is wrong with them?" Sure Shot wondered.

"They obviously think you're a treat!" Windy stayed away from Sure Shot.

Sure Shot snarled, "Damnit let us in!" he demanded. He began to limp forward again, "We need to see Golden Beacon!"

Another Shot was fired, but Sure Shot continued to walk, he looked up at the tower on the far right and saw the sniper. "No stallion will ever enter these walls!" the sniper threatened.

Sure Shot laughed obnoxiously, "That's were ya'll are wrong! I've been in your city before! It has a bronze statue of Princess Luna in the center of town!" The sniper took aim, the crosshairs sitting on his head. "My name is Sure Shot, the only stallion to enter these walls!" he tapped the steel wall with a thunk.

The pegasus sniper took a deep breathe, and began to pull the trigger, "Goodbye, you waste of skin," she said to herself.

"Stop!" a mare commanded from behind.

The sniper lowered her weapon, "Not when I'm about to kill a threat to our sisters!" She turned her head, "Now run along and..." the mare sniper straightened up, turned around and lowered her weapon to her side, "Sorry mam, I didn't mean any offense."

"It's okay," the obviously high ranking mare forgave her, "Let them in and don't! Let this happen again!"

The sniper saluted, "Yes mam!" She turned to her left, "Open the gate!" she demanded the gate keepers.

The two mares whom operated the gate’s controls, began to turn the wheels and the gate began to break in two. The two metal doors began to disappear into the wall. "Carry on!" the high ranking mare said as she began running down the stairs.

"Yes mam!" the mare sniper saluted and began scanning the environment for threats.

The gate began to slide open, Sure Shot turned to Windy and smiled triumphantly, "Told ya they'd let us in."

Windy deadpanned, "Yeah, you almost got killed also," she trotted past him into the city.

"They're called results," Sure Shot followed.

They entered the city, and saw the giant metal buildings with window gardens decorated with brilliantly colored flowers. "It could us some more color," Windy suggested.

"I told 'em the same thing when I came here," Sure Shot explained. He began pointing from building to building, "Blue here, some yellow there, and maybe some green..."

"How the hell did you get here?" a lone voice came from the side of them.

The pair turned to see the high ranking mare walking down the steps, "Walked for three days," Sure Shot answered.

"Is that Golden Beacon?" Windy asked.

Sure Shot examined the random mare closely, "No." he answered. "I don't ever remember seeing her in town."

"Well she sure seems to know you," Windy observed.

The mare came closer, stopping right in front of Sure Shot. "I still can't believe Cousin Apple Jack gave you her hat."

Sure Shot looked confused, "How do you know that my cousin was Apple Jack?"

The mare wrapped her front legs around Sure Shot's neck, "Duh, look at me! You idiot, it's me Cherry Petal."

Sure Shot's face turned to surprise; "No way!" he hugged Cherry Petal back. "I can't believe you're alive."

"I can't believe you are!" Cherry Petal buried her face in his chest. "I mean I've heard rumors you were in town before, but I just couldn't believe it."

Sure Shot gave a hearty laugh; "I'm so happy you're still alive!" he pulled the mare out of his chest and looked her in the eyes. "Look at you! You took that damn ribbon out of your tail."

Cherry Petal laughed, "Yeah the mares around here treated me like I was a little filly, but I showed them I was somepony not to mess with."

"That's my girl!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Windy imposed on the reunion. "I don't mean to interrupt, but who is she?"

Cherry Petal and Sure Shot smiled at eachother, then at Windy, "Well Windy," he began, "This here is my sister, Cherry Petal."

The Threat

Cherry Petal lead the pair to the dome towards the middle of town. Sure Shot stuck close by and chatted with his sister, while Windy followed closely behind. Mares all around town stared at the trio as they walked through town; some were impressed, while others were disgusted. "How did ya survive?" he asked in surprise. "Weren't you with our moms in when the spell went off?"

"Yeah, but they had me at Cousin Jack's farm," Cherry Petal explained. "I was with Cousin Apple Bloom in the basement of the barn helping her move the apple cider they were about to sell. How did you survive?"

Sure Shot looked away at the bronze statue of Princess Luna as it approached them, "Field Runner happened."

Cherry Petal felt her brother's pain, "What happened to Field Runner?"

"He sacrificed himself in order to save me," Sure Shot frowned. "We felt the rumble of the blast from were we were. Everypony was scared and ran into the environment protection cell in Canterlot, thought it was an earthquake. But we stayed out and saw the explosion from where we were, and we immediately escorted citizens into the cell." Windy began to move faster to get closer to the story. "We helped as many ponies as we could into the cell, there was still room for two more. We began to enter the room, but then a cry came from behind us," Sure Shot turned to face Windy, "It was a little filly."

The young filly was crying underneath a picnic table, the two stallions began to run to the crying filly.

When they got there, Field Runner stooped down, "Hey, there little filly," his voice was calm, despite the approaching flame. The filly retracted farther under the table.

"Field, I don't think she's going to budge," Sure Shot concluded.

Field Runner looked up at him, "You know that I love children. And I hate to see one in pain, or dead," Field Runner scolded his partner.

Sure Shot nodded his head and stooped down, "Hey, there sweetie," he comforted the frightened filly, "Come with us we want to make sure ya'll will be safe."

The filly began to cry louder, "Mommy!"

A mare inside the cell raised her head, "Toffee! Oh, no! Where are you baby?!"

Toffee screamed, "I want my mommy!"

"Don't worry Toffee," Field Runner's soothing voice reassured her, "We're here to make sure you'll be alright."

Toffee looked up at the two stallions with tears in her eyes. She began to slowly crawl out from underneath, and whimpered. When she was fully out, Sure Shot used his magic to levitate her onto his back. The pair began to run for the cell, the flames came closer and closer Sure Shot entered the cell first and returned the crying filly to her fretting mom, "Oh thank Celestia you're alright!" she rejoiced.

Sure Shot turned around and saw his lover operating the control panel on the outside of the cell. "What the hell are you doing?!" Sure Shot demanded an answer.

Field Runner continued to tap the panel, "Saving your lives!"

"Git your ass in here!" Sure Shot commanded.

A light yellow aura appeared in front of him, "There! You guys will be safe from disaster."

Sure Shot punched the aura, but it rippled and he couldn't get past it, "Damnit I'm not leaving you!"

Field Runner approached the aura and stared Sure Shot in the eyes passionately; tears came from both of their eyes. "I love you, and nothing will ever change that," Field Runner place his hoof where Sure Shot's was.

"Don't say goodbye!" Sure Shot commanded silently.

"I have to," Field Runner removed his hoof and began to run out of the cell's vision, "I love you..."

"NOOOOO!" Sure Shot screamed as he watched his lover disappear. The flames hit the field and the world went dark.

Cherry Petal hugged her brother tightly, "I'm sorry that he's gone, I know how much you loved him," she sympathized. "If it means anything whenever I talked to him, we always talked about your embarrassing moments."

Sure Shot wiped away a tear that escaped his eye and hugged his sister with a chuckle, "It ain't your fault. Like I told Windy, everypony lost somepony."

Cherry Petal unraveled herself from her brother and walked up to Windy, "I'm sorry we never really met," she extended her hoof out. "My name is Cherry Petal, Sure Shot's sister."

Windy placed her hoof against Cherry Petal's, "My name is Windy Skies, Sure Shot's friend."

Cherry looked Windy right in the eye and examined it. "Hmm, you like him don't you?"

Windy turned bright pink, and laughed hysterically, "Haha! Me? No, I don't! I mean he's not even into mares. Why would I even try to go after him?"

"With that response, you aren't hiding anything," Cherry explained. "Anyway it's okay. You'll get out of the little crush mode. All of the mares do eventually, but it did take Golden Beacon a while." She turned around to her brother, "She still talks about you as if you two did it or something, and it was the best thing ever."

Sure Shot gave a small humph, "We need to have a talk."

"Do we now?" another voice came from the statue.

They turned around and saw a gold colored mare with a soft white colored mane. She stood triumphantly in front of the statue, mares all around smiled as they walked past her. Sure Shot walked up to her and they stood eye to eye with each other. Windy thought they were squaring off for a fight, until the two began to hug. "Golden Beacon, it's good to see you’re alive."

"And it's good to see that your touching me now," Golden Beacon joked.

Windy leaned into Cherry Petal, "That must be Golden Beacon."

"Yup, that is the leader of this sisterhood," Cherry answered.

Windy examined the scene in front of her, the stallion and the mare hugging each other. "So she turned him gay? Huh, she is beautiful though," Windy thought to herself.

The pair retracted from each other and smiled, "Come let's go somewhere more private," she said this really provocatively.

"Well that seems like a good ol' idea," Sure Shot agreed.

Golden Beacon began to trot then followed closely by the stallion, then Windy and Cherry. Golden Beacon began to interrogate Sure Shot about the wound on his leg and then they got into a full fledge argument.

"Has it always been like this?" Windy wondered.

Cherry thought for a second, "I don't ever remember Sure bringing her home." She went silent and thought, "Actually, Sure never did bring home any mares, he only brought over Field Runner for Hearth's Warming Eve," she chuckled, "Imagine everypony's face when Sure Shot brought home his coltfriend for the holiday."

Windy tried to act like she didn't know about their family, "I bet they were really shocked."

"You would think that wouldn't you?" Cherry asked confidently. Then she looked at Windy, "If Sure didn't tell you about our moms."

Windy snapped back, "How do you know that Sure Shot told me about your parents?"

"Magic," Cherry Petal explained as mystically as possible.

Windy immediately looked at Cherry's forehead, "But you don't even have a horn?"

"I was born an earth pony yes, but..."

"Are you afraid of dirt?" Windy interrupted hopefully.

Cherry looked at her concerned, "Uh, no. Why?"

Windy looked discouraged, "Damn, never mind."

"Okay," Cherry shook off the weird question. "Lets see, I was telling you about why, okay. I was born an earth pony yes, just like mommy Cherry Blossom, but it appeared that I also born with a little magic from a unicorn."

"So what?" Windy questioned, "You're like a psychic or something like that?" Cherry smiled and nodded her head. "Whoa... That is pretty cool."

"Yeah it is!" Cherry agreed. She looked at Sure Shot, "See he's thinking that it was sort of a mistake coming here because Golden Beacon just talks and talks," she whispered so the pair in front of them wouldn't hear. Then she looked at Golden Beacon, "And she just wants his love."

Windy looked at Cherry in amazement, "You have to be the coolest mare I've ever met!"

"Thanks," Cherry accepted the compliment. Cherry looked around at the wall, "So what's it like out there now?"

Windy watched all of the mares at work, trading and selling merchandise, "Well it's hell really." Windy watched a couple of fillies playing with a ball in an outlined court. "Stallions trying to get your flank, some funky looking bunnies, war between towns, death no water, insanity, loneliness."

Cherry didn't look phased by the list, "Still seems better than life within the walls."

"What?!" Windy asked shocked. "It seems like a great life being: protected, feed, and loved by others like you."

Cherry shook her head, "Not for me." She stopped and Windy did also, "Most mares hear about this place and immediately seek shelter here, but this place isn't exactly what it's cracked up to be." She began pointing at the walls, "Look, I can't even see the landscape. I mean sure it's desolate and burnt, but what if a tree were to bloom in the distance?" Cherry looked at Windy with a sad look. "How would we know?"

"Well you could go up the steps right?" Windy explained.

Cherry shook her head, "That doesn't solve the problem of not always being able to see that tree every day." She began to walk again and Windy followed, "Do you understand what I'm saying Windy?"

Windy nodded her head, "But haven't you already been out there?"

"Yes. But now that I've lived here for a while and I've made my way through the ranks," Cherry stared at the fillies playing with the ball, "I want to explore more. That's me Windy, I'm not suppose to be trapped in some wall, with the same ponies every day. I'm supposed to be adventuring, discovering new places, and meeting new ponies."

Windy took this to heart, "So what are you just going to leave?"

Cherry looked at her with hope and opened her mouth, but was cut off by a mare approaching from the dome.

"Madame Beacon, we have an emergency!"

Golden Beacon acknowledged the fear, "Is it him again?" The messenger mare nodded. Golden Beacon turned around and made an announcement, "Alright everpony get ready! Wooden Cage is back and we need to fight again!"

"But we lost so many last time!" a mare responded.

A large commotion began to envelope the mares in attendance. Cherry scaled the statue, "Enough! Listen to our leader!" she commanded.

Everyone grew quiet, and she climbed off of the statue and apologized to it. "Thank you Cherry Petal." Golden Beacon thanked her. "Now I know we've had loses, but if we stick together. We can stop anything, including Wooden Cage and his marauders!"

The mares were silent for a minute, but then began to run to their homes with talks about retrieving their arsenals. Some mares began escorting little fillies to the dome where it would be safer for them.

"Now follow me Sure Shot and I'll get you somewhere safe!" Golden Beacon commander her friend.

Sure Shot chuckled and began to trot to a staircase that lead up to the top of the wall, "Like hell!" he called as he trotted. "I have a little score to settle!"

"That damn stubborn headed mule!" Golden Beacon cursed as she watched him go up the stairs. She turned to Cherry Petal and Windy, "Well what are you two waiting for? Get to your posts."

Cherry saluted, "Yes mam." She began to run, but then looked back at Windy, "What are you doing?"

Windy shrugged, "I don't have a post."

"You've got guns right?" Cherry questioned. Windy stretched her wings out in order to show her arsenal. Cherry nodded and motioned for Windy to follow her by jerking her head back, "Come with me!"

"Oh, okay,” Windy folded her wings up and followed Cherry.

Golden Beacon began to trot to the dome, "I swear some of these mares are dumber than the mutants."

Cherry Petal lead Windy into the back to the front of the city where they first met, and opened a door that blended in with the walls, "Come on we have to get out there!"

Windy entered the open door, and Cherry closed it behind her. It was dark, Windy tried to feel her way around, but then a bright light turned on. "Okay, a little warning next time?" Windy asked trying to regain sight.

"Sorry," Cherry apologized, "But you have to wait until the door's closed to turn the lights on." She began to run down the hallway past Windy, "Lets go!"

Windy began to run after her, "What exactly are we doing?" she questioned.

Her guide didn't look over her shoulder, but answered, "We're going to fight back!"

"How are we going to do that underground?"

"Easy, we're going out in the field," Cherry answered.

Windy's eyes grew wide, "You mean, we're actually going out there to fight?"

"Hell yeah!" Cherry laughed.

Windy began to slow down, "No," Windy objected. "I can't go into that fight. I'm not fit for war."

Cherry noticed she was the only one running still and turned around quickly, "Why not? You have weapons and you even have a little blood on you."

"Yeah Sure Shot put them on..." Windy stopped her retorting, "What do you mean I have blood on me?"

"It's on your chin," Cherry began to move closer to Windy, "It's actually stained."

"Eeewww," Windy complained. "See, I freak out when I see blood, and I plus I haven't even really shot a gun before," Windy explained.

Cherry put a hoof around Windy's shoulder to comfort her, "Look I know what you're going through. You don't have anything to fear. When I first came here, I didn't want to kill anypony either," she began to walk Windy deeper into the tunnel. "But then I had a thought. Why do we go to war?"

Windy continued to walk not even knowing she was walking, "Well ponies usually do it for resources or for land most of the time."

Cherry shook her head, "Maybe back then, but this is now. Sure we need resources, I mean they're scarce, but we do this in order to protect the ones we love, to save our sisters and to defend the only place that won't do us any harm."

Windy began to trot. "Are you and you're brother usually this inspirational?"

Cherry began to trot with her and chuckled, "Only when it's really needed. Let’s go meet the rest of the team!"

Sure Shot reached the top of the stairs and was met by four mares who held him at gun point. He smiled at them, "Think about it ladies. How mad would Golden Beacon be if she found out you killed her old flame?" The mares exchanged glances with eachother, then stepped aside. Sure Shot began to walk past them, "Thank you for your cooperation."

He began to trot along the wall, and picked up a sniper rifle that was leaned against the wall. He continued to trot until he arrived at the tower where the sniper was shooting at him earlier. He entered the area and whistled, the mare sniper turned around and stared coldly at him, "You!" she hissed.

Sure Shot smiled, "The name's Sure Shot miss."

"Don't call me miss!" she snapped. She pointed a hoof to herself, "The name's Heat Secure, and I don't deal with stallions."

Sure Shot trotted to the edge of the tower and began to set up his rifle, "You think you can shoot as many as I can?" he challenged.

Heat Secure brushed him off, "I don't make deals with stallions." She readied herself away from him.

Sure Shot pulled the trigger with his magic and the rifle fired, a stallion in the distance fell in a pool of blood. Heat Secure turned to Sure Shot, who was smiling with a huge grin, "That's one."

Heat Secure growled, "You're on!" She took a shot, another stallion fell, and the two officially started their competition.

Cherry led Windy into a room at the far end of the tunnel, in their stood a small group of mares, readied to the teeth with a variety of weapons. They stood appraisingly when they saw Cherry, "We are ready when you are mam!" they said in unison.

"At ease," Cherry ordered. They relaxed, and Cherry began to walk past them, "Ladies this is our new sister, Windy Skies, she will be joining us today." she hoped up on a small flight of stairs. She turned around, "Any objections?"

One mare examined Windy closely and snorted, "She won't last five minutes, and she barely has any muscle."

Windy looked her in the eye, "I bet I can knock down just as much as anypony here! That includes you."

The mare laughed, "Big talk..." she turned for the stairs, "two minutes."

Windy felt her body get warm and her blood boiled, another mare came up to her, "Don't mind her..." she said calmingly. "She always does this to newbies. She's a major bitch and nothing will ever change that."

Windy nodded as she began to walk to the stairs, "I'll show her what I can do."

Cherry cleared her throat in annoyance, "If we're done squabbling, lets get a move on!" She turned back to the door, "We've dealt with these cutthroats before and we know what they do. So lets show them no mercy." The mares gave a great war shout, while Cherry threw open the doors, and everypony charged out of the room into the barren lands.

Windy took one step outside and instantly felt her stomach churn as she saw the corpses of the stallions and the mares who have already took to the field and have been shot down. "Oh... Celestia, what have I gotten myself into?" Windy questioned herself.

A dreadful shout came from in front of her, she looked up and saw a stallion charging her, with a knife in his mouth. Windy's breathing increased rapidly, and her eyes widened, she didn't know what to do. What could she do? She closed her eyes and stretched her wings out. She thought of Sure Shot and what he told her before.

"Just stretch your wings out, point and stomp."

"Just stretch my wings out... Point and..." she felt herself rear up and stomp on the ground. The sounds of her pistols were added to the sound of the war. She slowly opened her eyes and saw the stallion lying on the ground surrounded in crimson that sunk into the parched landscape, with his eyes looking up at her. "Oh, Celestia. Oh, Celestia," she breathed. She took a step back and fell down the stairs, her head bouncing off the ground, the world faded to black.

"Windy, ya better not be hurt," Sure Shot worriedly threatened her. "And I really need to teach ya how to aim."

"Haha, take that impregnating asshole!" Heat Secure taunted her kill. She turned her head and stuck her tongue out at Sure Shot. "Make that twenty-two."

Sure Shot took his eye from behind his scope and grinned at her. His rifle jerked back and the crack of his gun went off. Two stallions standing side to side fell to the ground in convulsing, "Make that twenty-three."

Heat Secure gave a small smile, "There's still plenty more where they came from!" She aimed her rifle at the wall and pulled the trigger with her wing, two more stallions fell in a pool of blood. "Twenty-four."

Windy slowly opened her eyes, and put a hoof on her head, "Ough, my head." She began to pick herself up. Once she was fully up she wobbled up the stairs, her gaze met that of the stallion she thought she killed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." she apologized to the corpse. Her eyes began to wander around the field as she looked at the other dead bodies, "Why?"

A great force hit her from the side and she fell to the ground, her head bounced off of the ground, even though it was on a softer surface, it was still enough to create a gash, causing her blood to pour out of her head. She wearily looked up and saw a deranged stallion with a rope in his mouth. "You're just the one to get me a raise!" he said through the rope. He began to tie Windy up, and she weakly bucked with no effect. A yellow streak crashed into the side of him, the stallion fell off of her and lay next to her, he tried to get to his feet again. Once he was on his feet he was met by more mares, who came and began to beat him savagely, his howls of pain pierced Windy's ears, it pained her to watch and hear, so she turned her head.

Windy tried with all of her might in order to rise to her hooves, but was only met with failure. After a couple of attempts, she felt herself rising from the ground. She was in the sky.

"Damn, not even a minute!" the yellow pegasus who saved her taunted.

"Thank you," Windy thanked her savior weakly.

The mare chuckled, "If you want to thank me, why don't you waste some of these impregnators." Among the shots on the battlefield, one shot rang with the most volume. "If you really want to save me, why don't you lose a couple of pouooonds!" the mare grunted.

They began to decent, from the sky. Luckily, they were only about ten feet off of the ground, so Windy wasn't injured any more than before, but her savior was dead before she hit the ground. Windy rolled a few feet, while the yellow mare landed on her face right into the dead soil.

Windy laid on her back, wings outstretched looking at the sky. "Stop it!" she whispered to the ocean in the sky. The clouds began to form a mouth and a pair of eyes, and they began to laugh at her. Windy felt warm, "I said, STOP IT!" she demanded louder. The clouds continued to laugh, Windy began to cry, "I've always wanted to fly... But I won't be dead when you get me."

"They're retreating!" a mare called from close by. A great cheer came from all around her.

"Windy!" Cherry Petal began to run up to her. "Windy, please still be alive!"

Windy smiled as Cherry Petal came into sight, "Did we win?" she asked raspily.

Cherry Petal kneeled down beside her, "For now," she comforted with a smile. She turned her head; "Somepony get a medic over here this instant!" she turned back to Windy. "Don't worry Windy, we're going back to behind the wall."

"Oh, that's good," Windy responded dazed. "I'm just going to take a nap now before I pet the puppy."

"No! Windy stick with me, you have to stay awake!"

"But I'm tired," Windy whined.

"I know Wind," Cherry said calmly, "you can take a nap as soon as we get that nasty wound checked."

Two mares approached with a stretcher and began to place Windy on it. They strapped her in and began to cart her off. Windy's eyes closed as the mares took her back into the wall with Cherry Petal close behind. "Windy! Windyyy!" this was the last thing Windy heard from Cherry Petal, before everything went black.