“The world might end, the night might fall, raining down to cover us all and drown us with the burden of our sins. Maybe I’ll look you in the eye, tell you you don’t want to die. Maybe I’ll hold my breath and jump right in, maybe I’ll hold my breath and jump right in.”

Dodge sat in still silence as the morning fog seemed to thicken by the minute. I steadily swung the crosshairs in my scope down along the wall Ficha and the other ponies had spent a good portion of the night building. It had taken nearly every piece of furniture and loose board to build, but it was a wall. I leaned back with a sigh and pulled my eye from the scope I’d been gazing down for hours.

Hoofing open the canteen I had been drawing off of all night, I was disappointed to find it empty. I looked over to Harmony, who even though she was staring down the optic of her own rifle, she instinctively pushed hers over toward me. Casting my gaze skyward, I couldn’t even see the shadows of Pallet or Shadow Dasher. I’d still been surprised that Harmony traded her last repair talisman to him, and I’m even more surprised that he’d given one of his power armor energy weapons for it. Not that I wouldn’t have made the same trade in that situation. I’d rather have working armor and one gun, than two working guns that are useless when I’m dead.

Still, this fog was horrendous. If I didn’t know her as well as I do, I’d be worried that Skyline got lost. Which reminds me, I’m not quite sure where Predious had gone off to. I looked around as much as I could at the empty streets. Unfortunately, our rooftop perch was chosen for it’s line of sight south, and not for it’s view of the city streets. My stomach gave out a grumble and I sat back down on my haunches.

There was a slam from behind Harmony and I, and instinctively I pulled my rifle around to face whatever waited. Predious cocked an eyebrow as he floated a couple of jugs of water along side him.

“A bit jumpy, are we?” He jested as he pulled himself up the ladder.

“If you knew what was coming, you would be.” I groaned and turned back around. Resting my rifle on the roof’s edge, I squinted as hard as I could. Just barely, I could see Tasteless’s trench past the wall. She and a few volunteers dug it after the wall was completed, and by the looks of it, it spanned the entire southern entrance of town. Call it old fashioned tactics, but anything that slows what’s coming, is good. “I’m actually glad we convinced Short Staff to leave under the cover of darkness. If anything, this fog buys them extra time to get away.”

“Well, I’m ready to defend you two when the time comes.” Pred said matter-o-factly. Both Harmony and I shared a snicker before going back to scanning the horizon. Predious huffed and set the water jugs down. “What? You don’t think I can protect you?”

“Calm yerself princess.” Harmony jested lightheartedly. “We’re earth ponies, an tougher than a two bit brahmin steak.” She winked at him. “Just make sure ta keep yah head down and leave tha fightin ta us.”

“Oh come on. I am not that…” Pred stopped abruptly mid sentence. I swiveled my head and watched as he turned his gaze to the way south and squinted. I returned my eyes to my scope and looked in what I thought was the general direction he was looking. Perking my ears, I could hear a soft wail on the wind. It didn’t sound like the enemy, but more like a crying child. Tightening my hoof around my rifle, I saw a flash of movement from Tasteless’s trench. A bright red mare climbed out of it and walked forward.

I could barely make out the calamitous cursing that Tasteless was doing, but I knew that this was odd. Something in the back of my mind nagged me. Had we left survivors behind in Chasm? Has this foal been walking for the last day in hopes of help?

Keeping my view on the mare, a small dark shape started to show through the fog. The mare came up to it and put a hoof around it, pulling them close. Squinting, I could see it was a dark red colt, with a mane as grey as the fog itself. This was all wrong and I knew it! He looked just like...

“Get away from him!” I shouted out before pulling the trigger. My shot wasn’t well aimed, and it struck the dirt next to the mare’s hooves. The colt’s head snapped up towards me with a deranged smile. Through the fog, he had picked me out from this distance.

Then he disappeared in a flash. He and the mare exploded with a resound crack, a plume of dust and a ring of gore were all that remained of them. I’d hesitated. That’s why my shot missed. Somewhere in my head, I had been afraid to shoot this colt because I knew he had been an innocent.

It all happened so fast. From the fog, hundreds of shapes appeared. Tasteless’s line opened fire first, followed quickly by those on the wall. I fired at the shapes emerging, but I just kept losing my focus. The few that fell didn’t impact the others quickly approaching. Firing my last shot, I shuddered as the first of Harmony’s split one of the closer attackers to meaty bits. With her position compromised, Tasteless hopped out of the trench and made a firing retreat back towards the town.

It was about then that I noticed the black mass descending through the clouds. I had been so surprised to see it, I fumbled the .44 rounds out of my hoof and across the roof. Slowly the mass materialized into Shadow and Pallet. The two of them were carrying a bloody and bruised Skyline, gently setting down on the rooftop. Quickly, I tried to scoop my ammo back toward me.

Somepony screamed from the wall and I jumped. I’d seen the worst the wastes had to offer. Innocent ponies gunned down by bandits, others torn apart by wild beasts, and even ponies who had become nothing other than ash from the magical energy weapons of the old world. I was no stranger to standing fetlock deep in blood, so why couldn’t I stop my hooves from shaking?

“Predious, do you know healing magic?” Pallet snapped as Shadow Dasher stepped back and bolted for the edge of the roof. With a flash of his armored wings, he rose into the air and disappeared into the fog.

“I don’t, but I know a bit about patching up wounds.” He said, walking over to Skyline. “What happened to her?”

“Some sort of airburst grenades.” She spat out, taking off her battle saddle. “The fuckers knew right where she was. But… she’s tough. She’ll make it… right?”

“Storm.” Harmony shouted. Swinging my gaze, I found her shoving another round into her gun. “They could use some help on the wall.” As she glanced at me, I could see the fear in her eyes.

I found the coordination to slip the rounds into my rifle and I swung my aim back towards the wall. The ponies approaching it were unarmored, and the shots that were hitting them did little to slow them. Aiming at a dead eyed stallion, I fired and took the cap of his skull off. Slumping to the ground, he didn’t move again.

A burst of gunfire from the fog sent a few of the ponies on the wall running. The first wave had reached the wall, and were now systematically tearing it down. From the fog, a line of combat armored acolytes stepped forward. Slowly they swept their guns along the top of the wall, and more than a few shots started chipping away at the building we were on. Harmony fired again, all but vaporizing one of the acolytes.

“Down to one round.” Harmony shouted as she yanked the bolt on her rifle back. “I think I’ll save the last for…” She was cut off as one of the rounds from below sparked off her rifle and hit her in the chest. She screamed and stumbled backwards onto the roof. Writhing in agony, she desperately tried to put pressure against the wound.

I locked up again. This was worse than I could have imagined, and I should have ordered everypony to just go. Running to Harmony, I hooked my leg under hers and dragged her back from the edge. They came for me, so that’s what I should have given. It wasn’t too late though. I couldn’t save them all, but I could save the ones I care for.

“Pred, take them and go.” I shouted, slinging my rifle up. “I’ll do my best, they won’t kill me but you need to catch up with Short Staff.” Raising my hoof, I spoke as he opened his mouth. “Don’t argue. You owe me your life, so you owe me this much.”

He nodded and levitated Harmony up onto his back. Pallet hooked her battle saddle to Skyline and did her best to lay her up onto her own back. Slowly, they made their way back down into the shop. I stood up and walked to the edge of the roof. The wall wouldn’t last much longer, and the only ones left on it who weren’t dead or dying, was Ficha and Tasteless. A few rounds ricochet off the building’s edge, but I knew from my dream that I was needed alive. Not just me though, but Predious as well. As long as he and the others made it out of the city, I would give them one hell of a fight to remember.

Once the others had gotten down the ladder, I made my way down as well. Keeping our heads low, we all made our way down the stairs and into the shop floor. It was about then that I heard the low drone of a minigun start up. We all flattened to the floor, but none of the shots cut through the walls. Spared, we hastily made our way to the door.

Skyline groaned and opened her eyes slowly. “I’m… sorry.” She spoke out softly.

“Shhh…” Pallet whined softly, looking back with a nervous smile. “Everything will be fine mom, you just need to rest.”

As we swung the door open, Ficha and Tasteless galloped down the street towards us. The guns had gone silent outside the town. No pony had been left to shoot at I guessed. Predious maneuvered himself and the whining Harmony through the doorway. He turned north and started off at a walk, quickly moving up to a gallop. Pallet soon did the same, stopping as Ficha and Tasteless reached the shop.

“Oh, we are well and truly fucked!” Tasteless shouted. “Let’s get the fuck out of here already.”

“I need you two to make sure the rest of us who made it out meet up with Short Staff.” I snapped, trotting around them. If one of those rangers made it over the wall first, I wanted to make sure they had to shoot through me to hit them.

“You can’t stay, it’s suicide!” Ficha shouted and waved his hooves. A stray shot hit the second floor of the shop, and he let out a surprising yelp. I knew we were out of time.

“They need me alive.” I shouted, spinning around to take aim. Time then seemed to crawl to a stop, and a green highlight outlined the ranger who was halfway through jumping over the top of the wall. Not one to waste the SATS function I had forgotten, I cued up a single shot to his head. 80% was high enough I didn’t want to waste two shots. Time started up again, and I pulled the trigger. The ranger’s eye exploded and he dropped down along the wall limp. “Just fucking go!” Screaming, I worked the action to my rifle, and kept it ready.

“Take my mom.” Pallet shouted. “I can still help.”

Before any of us could object, she slid Skyline into the dirt and spread her wings. She was in the air and on the roof in ten seconds flat. I glanced back to Ficha and gave him a nod. He picked Skyline up, and gave me a sorrowful smile before galloping off with Tasteless. As their hooves beat into the distance, a new, more troublesome sound fell over the town.

The silence was crushing. There were no screams of wounded, and no cries for help. The dead lay scattered along the wall, and for a moment, I feared that they had called off the attack to go around the town. We couldn’t lose the others, not after what’s been given to protect them.

“To the grey mare.” A booming voice from beyond the wall shattered the quiet. “Surrender yourself and the violence ends. Fight, and we kill those who stand with you.”

“I almost have a shot. Just needs to stop moving.” Pallet spoke in a harsh whisper. Looking up, I found the barrel of Harmony’s rifle drift slowly along the rooftop.

“Pallet, don’t do it.” I spat back. I didn’t think that they could hear us, but I didn’t want to take any chances. “Just get out of here.”

“Let it be stated that resistance is futile.” The voice spoke up again. “You have two minutes to comply.”

Shit. I had to get them to back down somehow. I wish that I knew more about military history! All of those nights spent reading daring doo does nothing… no, there was something. In book two, she made the case for helping the injured villagers. Even if Ahuizotl didn’t fall for it in the book, it might just buy us some much needed time.

“Give us time to tend to our wounded first.” I shouted back. “What cause do I have to believe that you will let them go?”

“Because you have no other choice.” The voice answered. “It does not matter, seeing as you have no wounded. You have one minute to comply.” How could he say that with such confidence? It’s not like he knew…! I’m a fucking foal. There’s no screaming, no cries for help! I even noticed that.

“Got ya.” Pallet spoke up.

“Pallet, no!” I shouted up at her. She didn’t hear it over the report of the rifle, her shot whisking away the fog in it’s trail. I hadn't known whether or not her shot hit, but I knew what was coming next.

In a chorus of fire, the Rangers opened up on the shop with everything they had. The siding and beams instantly exploded into streams of splinters and wooden chunks. I screamed and ran towards the wall. If I could get in the way, maybe… maybe there was still a chance. I didn’t get more than a step before a pair of black contrails zipped overhead and slammed into Harmony’s shop.

The building exploded in an enormous fireball, and I was thrown back from the blast. I blacked out of a moment as I tumbled along the dirt, but I came to a rest with nothing but ringing in my ears. Looking up, through the black smoke, and the burning fires, there was only half a building left. I made the mistake of slowly pushing myself up to my hooves. Laying in the dirt was the half charred, and unmoving form of Pallet.

I cried out and collapsed.

Everything hurt. My body, my mind, even my very soul. She was fucking gone, and they had taken her from me. I was going to make them pay, if it was the last fucking thing I’d do, they were going to pay. It wasn’t just about Pallet either. My justice would be for Tabasco, the innocent colt. For Touchy Feely, and everypony they killed in Chasm. For those who gave there lives here to protect Dodge!

With the flames of anger burning hotter than the pain I felt, I found it easy to stand. I shrugged off my rifle. Taking my revolver, I dumped it in the dirt. Guns weren’t going to bring them down. No, I had to do it with my own hooves. They needed me alive, and I was going to rip them to shreds for that mistake. Pushing myself, I leapt straight into a gallop.

I’d reached the wall in no time. Climbing it was a simple task with the bodies of the dead providing stable hoofing. Stopping on top of the wall, I looked out in the fog. Standing on three legs was a ranger in power armor. A bloody patch lay beneath him, and most of his entrails lay exposed under him, but he turned his head to look at me. At a hobble, he started to walk towards me. Pallet’s shot hadn’t even killed the fucker!

She’d died for nothing.

Looking down, I found the nearest pony and leapt at them. She had been a young mare, but that just meant that her bones broke that much easier under my hooves. Keeping my momentum, I lept forward onto a middle age mare, and grabbed ahold of her head. With a grunt and a quick twist, her neck buckled. Once again, I moved on.

A stallion with an already broken back leg and several gunshot wounds stood in my way. I spun and bucked out against his good rear leg and felt it snap. He dropped down to the ground and I lept into the air, dropping down with all four hooves onto his head. His skull collapsed into gore, and I panted heavily. None of this was enough. Pallet was worth more than just this, her life was worth more than this army ten times over.

“Bring her down. Just don’t kill her.” The armored stallion boomed out. “Master’s orders.”

“Fuck you!” I screamed and charged at the fucker. The faster I charged, the more it fanned the flames I held inside. Faster and faster I pushed myself, until I felt like I was the bullet that would end him forever. As I lept into the air at him, the world exploded in a blue light, and I screamed as what felt like my very mind was nearly ripped from my body.

Tumbling down out of the air, I yelped and rolled through the dirt. My skull felt like it was going to explode, and my back felt like two spikes had been thrust through it, but I was alive. The urge to kill them was gone, sapped out of my body along with all the strength I had left. The fog cast an eerie blue glow across it, and the only thing that met my eyes were the burning bodies of the attacking ponies. They crackled with a blue flame, all of them smoldering and unmoving.

Heavy hoofsteps came through the fog behind me, and my hopes sank. It wasn’t just one hoofstep, but dozens. I was too weak to run, and too done with this to care anymore. Slowly, a midnight blue of power armor stepped past me, walking just far enough that I could see the helmet. The horned helmet of the elder barely turned my way, only giving me enough to see the glowing blue eye cast a glance in my direction.

That was it. Pallet was dead. Dodge had fallen.

I had failed everypony.

“Wake up.” A familiar voice spoke up.

After only a moment, a cold liquid washed over me. It was as cold as ice, and it hurt enough I cried out. Opening my eyes, I found that I had been tied up inside Casks bar. The fog had cleared and the normal light of day streamed through the open doorway. Before me stood a pony completely cloaked in robes. He faced the town, and a famine imposing face held a bucket in his muzzle.

“Your task is completed Maze, you may leave us.” The pony who I had dreamt of spoke sternly. Maze simply obeyed, heading off out into the town without a single word. “Now tell me. Just what are you.”

“Fuck off.” I grumbled. This asshole didn’t deserve the time of day, and I didn’t have to say a goddess damned thing to him.

“For somepony who’s been in my head, you’re not very smart.” He let out a rasping chuckle. “Here, let me show you something.”

I felt the tingle of magic wrap around myself and the chair. Slowly, I lifted into the air and floated toward the doorway. Even without seeing his face, I followed his gaze across the street. On the old apartment building at the edge of the market was a grotesque sight. Just over the entryway, hung Pallet’s corpse.

“Why…” It took my breath away. I didn’t understand why this had to happen. What did she ever do to deserve this.

“When we found her in the street, she was still fighting for her life. An admirable, but futile struggle.” He let out a sigh as he let that soak in. It hurt, more than any bullet or broken bone I’ve ever had. “She was a strong pony that fought valiantly, so she is displayed as such.”

“Your a monster.” I snapped at him. That was all the anger I could muster. Earlier, it fueled my rampage, but I just couldn’t get past the pain now. I had gotten one of the closest ponies I could consider family, killed..

“You erect monuments for your hero's in the wasteland, don't you?” He raised a grey hoof to me and cupped it under my chin. “I've done you a favor by building it for you is all. Or don’t you think she deserves to be remembered?”

I pulled my muzzle away from his disgusting touch. “Take her down, now.”

“Why? Do you think she cares now? If she were still alive, I wonder…” He paused and put his hoof under his cloak in thought. After a moment, he canted his head towards me just slightly and continued. “Do you think she would beg you to end her suffering, or use her last words to curse your name? It is your fault she died of course.”

“If she were alive she would be by my side.” I tried to say. It didn’t come out right, because I knew he was right. The only reason she died was because she stood by me. “She'd never have turned against me, even if she were dying.”

“An interesting answer…” The pony bobbed his head as he mulled over my words. “Interesting indeed.” His magical aura faded from around me, and I dropped down. One of the legs of the chair I was on splintered, sending me down to the floor. “Not nearly as interesting as how you destroyed my minions.”

With little time to react, his magic picked up one of the other chairs and smashed it to bits on the floor. He took one of the pieces and swung it at me. I couldn’t do anything to avoid it, whining as the thick doweled leg smacked against my head.

“Now. Tell me how.” He snarled, swinging the broken club at me again. It snapped my head to the side, and I saw nothing but stars for a few moments. “Still don’t feel up to talking?” His voice came through my spinning world in harsh tones. I felt the jagged end of the wood press against the exposed skin of my foreleg. Slowly, he pushed it down harder and harder. I whined when it drew blood, and I screamed out when it plunged deeper.

“Oh, you’re a screamer.” He laughed. “Well, I find that they are always the funnest to deal with. It really boosts my confidence when I know my technique is working.” Enveloping my hoof in his magic, he twisted both it and the wooden spike. “Answer my question.”

“Fuck off!” I screamed. I writhed as hard as I could against the bindings, hoping that some way I could get out of them. He simply responded by picking up another piece of wood and hitting me with it.

“For every answer that isn’t the one I want, I will destroy one settlement that surrenders to me.” He twisted my hoof more and I felt something in my leg give out painfully. I screamed again and pressed my muzzle against the floor. The tears streaming down my face made the dust and dirt stick to my coat, and I couldn’t get the taste of it out of my mouth. “That’s one settlement.”

“I…” I gasped out. “I don’t know.”

“Two…” He growled and swung the wood at me again. The world dimmed momentarily, but came screaming back as he pushed the spike in my leg deeper still. “I am running out of patience.”

“I don’t know…” I shouted out. “It just happens!”

His grip untwisted my hoof slightly, and some of the pain went away. I thought that what I said had been good enough, but I was wrong. Instead, he twisted my leg around the other way. Instead of hitting me with the second board, it clacked heavily against the spike as he used it like a hammer. I wretched and pulled against my bindings as it struck bone, screaming out again.

“Liar.” He snarled again, stepping up close and throwing his hood back. Even through watery eyes, I saw him for the first time. He was only my age. His coat was as grey as the sky, and his mane was as purple as aunt Twilight herself had been. His eyes glowed a blazing green, and behind them I could see nothing but hatred. “Tell me how you did it!”

“I don’t know!” I cried out. I didn’t care what happened to me, I just wanted this to be over! There was nothing more that I knew about who I was and how things happened. “Daddy… help me.” I whimpered, wishing for nothing less than to see him again. I’d do more tests, I’d fail all over again, just to see him again. He could take the pain away.

“Minion!” The stallion shouted out. After a moment, a heavyset mare showed up at the doorway and stared blankly at him. “Get this garbage out of my sight.” He scoffed, tossing the second piece of wood to the floor. “Take her to holding. She’ll be more cooperative there.”

I couldn’t do anything other than lay there and cry. In the back of my mind, I knew that I hadn’t done the best I could. We’d fought and failed, all because of mistakes I made. Mistakes that had I been better, wouldn’t have gotten Pallet killed. As I was lifted off the floor, I didn’t fight it. How could I, when all it’s brought me was pain.

Pain, that hadn’t been at all worth the cost we’d paid.