“This open wound is like a crimson rose. This hatred lodged in my heart begins to bloom”

“Storm, you can’t just leave.” Predious Grumbled as he trotted after me.

“Yes, I can.” I couldn’t have Fruit’s death be for nothing. “We came down here to stop Filius, so that’s what I’m going to go fucking do.”

“Storm!” Predious snapped and tried to stop me. The moment he put his hoof on me, I wheeled around. With all of my strength, I’d grabbed him and hurled his body through the air. With a yelp, he smacked into the floor ahead.

“Don’t you fucking touch me.” I growled back, stomping up to him. Small gouts of blue flame erupted from each of my steps. “You can either get behind the fact that I’m doing this, or stay the fuck out of my way.” I glared into his pained eyes. In them, I could see a pair of furious blue rings staring back. He’d never had them before, and the longer I stared, the more I came to a realization. They were my own eyes, burning with a hatred that I tried to keep locked away deep inside myself. It gave me pause long enough for Pred to collect his thoughts.

“You think that any of us don’t want to stop Filius?” Predious yelled up at me from the floor. “The only reason we’re here is because of you.” He pointed his hoof back to the control room door. “Fruit is dead because of you.”

“I didn’t want to fucking be in charge!” He knew that I hadn’t asked for any of this shit. “You know what? Who the fuck are you to tell me it’s my fault?” I was angry, and I couldn’t see anything but red anymore. “You’re the one who didn’t want to take over, which means that all my mistakes are on you.”

“I’ve made plenty of mistakes, and I’ve owned up to every single one. You can’t run from your responsibilities like a scared filly. Buck the hell up, Storm.” He got up and trotted towards me again. “The wasteland is under siege, and the best hope of stopping it is in this place.” The closer he got, the more I’d thought he’d reach out again. Thankfully, he’d refrained from making the same mistake twice. Instead, stopped in front of me and stopped me with an outstretched hoof. “You think you can finish this on your own? You wouldn’t have made it this far without any of us!”

I was about to retort when his horn flashed. In an instant, I was weightless and tumbling backwards. With a meaty thwack that filled my vision with stars, I bounced across the floor. How dare he fucking do that.

“Okay, fine.” I’d shouted as I picked myself up off the floor. “You want to do it this way, I can oblige.” I’d tensed up and lowered myself on my hooves. If he’d wanted to stop me from going on, I planned on making him sorry he’d even tried.

The grin that pulled across his muzzle matched the smug look that he wore. He’d always thought he was better than me, and the air in which he carried himself proved it. He wanted a cold hearted leader? I’ll show him how cold I could be.

With a grunt, I pushed off and charged at my former friend. Being the arrogant prick he was, I’d expected that he’d dodge out of the way. Unlucky for him, this isn’t my first rodeo. When he moved just before I hit him, I planted my forehooves on the floor and skidded to a stop. I arched and kicked out in a heavy buck, solidly connecting them against his side.

The pained whine that met my ears from it brought a smirk to my muzzle, but only for a moment. A bright flash and soft pop preempted a heavy object landing on top of me. His four hooves connected with my back and slammed me to the floor. Not to be outdone, I rolled over. He hopped to the side, but I hooked my forehooves around his rear hooves and pulled them out from under him.

He pointed his horn at me and emitted a blinding light. I shielded myself from it momentarily, but it didn’t seem to help. I rolled away and instead tried to get back onto my hooves. My vision returned after a second or so, along with the sound of galloping.

Predious grunted as he pushed off and rammed into my side. As he did, I hooked my forehooves around him and used the momentum to roll him under me. I used my weight to my advantage and swung hard, catching him right across the jaw. Before I could line up another swing, his horn glowed again. Instinctively, I tried to cover my eyes, but when I did, he wrapped his magic around my forehooves.

I screamed out as he twisted them. The tighter he did, the more I arched my back to attempt to relieve the pressure. The position I was in kept my rear hooves from helping, and I was running out of time.

Without warning, a striped hoof shot past me and smacked Predious in the horn. With that, his magic fizzled away from my hooves. I reared up to use my advantage to strike him. A pair of powerful hooves wrapped around me and pulled me back. The force was strong enough that it ripped me right off him.

“What the fuck?” I screamed as my mind raced to understand what was going on. I struggled futilely against the new threat, while I watched Ficha hold down Predious. “Let me fucking go!”

“Storm, you have to calm down.” Shadow spoke as he held me tightly. As strong as I was, I couldn’t rip myself from a power armored grasp. Didn’t stop me from trying though. “You saved me from the wreck of my Vertibuck. I owe you my life.” He continued talking into my ear. I didn’t care. All I wanted was for him to drop me so I could go kill Pred. “Not only that, but you’re the most amazing mare I’ve ever met.”

“Then fucking let me go!” I growled and kicked at him.

“I’m sorry, but that isn’t going to happen.” His calmness about holding me had really gotten on my nerves. Without any warning, he planted a small kiss on my neck. It sent a shiver up my back. Normally, I’d geld any fucker who pulled that shit, but not Shadow. The momentary shock of the kiss sent my brain for a loop and I stopped fighting. When I did, I started to shiver. “Storm, you’re freezing.”

“What the hell has gotten into you two?” Ficha snapped as he looked back at me. “Did you two suddenly forget who we’re supposed to be fighting?”

Because Shadow had mentioned it, I couldn’t take my mind off the fact that I was cold. Even though I’ve been running, fighting, and my heart’s not slowed once since we got down here, I was genuinely cold. I couldn’t stop myself from shivering in his hold.

“Storm? What’s wrong?” Shadow asked as he loosened his grip on me.

“I…” I couldn’t even stand as he let go of me. I collapsed onto the floor in a chattering heap. My coat and jacket had always been enough to keep me warm in the winter. It wasn’t even cold in here, so how the hell was I freezing?

“There’s something wrong with her.” Predious grumbled as Ficha stepped back from him. As they used to say before the war, ‘those were fighting words’. I didn’t want to fight again, not while freezing, but if he wanted to go another round I’d get up and fight. “It’s why I provoked her out here.” He got up and cast a seething glance at me. “I don’t think she’d ever normally attack me. Something is affecting her, and it’s getting progressively worse.”

“Is it part of the whole ‘blue flame’ thing?” Shadow asked fairly bluntly. “Maybe we should get her somewhere warmer than this.”

“I don’t think so. I’m not convinced she’s actually cold.” Predious sighed and walked over to me. The anger he’d worn before the fight was gone, and he now only stared down at me with eyes filled with pity. “I think it’s different. Maybe magic in nature, something that finding warmth wouldn’t fix.” If I could speak, I would have told them to at least try.

“Magic?” Ficha spoke as he walked over. Quickly, he’d slipped himself out of his lightly armored shirt and laid it over me. It didn’t help against the feeling of cold, but I guess it was the thought that counts. “What makes you say that?”

“There was something odd I felt when we fought, a spark of magic coming from her that I’d never felt before.” He sat down and looked over me. His horn glowed softly as he reached out with his magic. It tingled as he swept it over me. “I don’t know if it’s there anymore, but I know what I felt.”

I didn’t care what it had been, I just wanted to feel warm again!

“Storm, don’t worry,” Shadow smiled as he looked down to me, “We’ll find a way to get you warm.” He reached down and pulled me close to him. He was so warm, I couldn’t help but press myself back into him.

“I’m sorry.” Predious said, placing a hoof on my shoulder again. “I know that what I said wasn’t the best way to say it, but it’s true.” I wanted to get angry with him again. I wanted to, but like usual, he was right. ”That wasn’t you back there fighting me. I don’t know what’s going on, but you’re a better mare than that. The Storm who got me through the other orchard is a better mare, a good mare.”

“T-thank y-y-you.” I managed to get out through my chattering teeth. I tried to focus my mind on the memories of going through that place. What I did, how I felt. It all felt so long ago, and I can’t help but see the difference in how things have been since. Maybe that place changed me, maybe fighting with Filius did.

The more I focused, the less the cold affected me. Slowly but surely, the cold had started losing it’s grip on me. The warmth of the air worked it’s way through my body from my head down, spreading down to my hooves as I relaxed.

“I think it’s wearing off.” I spoke softly as I still pressed myself into Shadow. I know why he thought he saw me as a kindhearted and brave mare to follow around, but I wasn’t that mare. Nor was I the ‘good’ mare Predious spoke of. “I’m sorry I haven’t been the leader you all deserve.”

“I’d follow you to the ends of Equestria if that’s where you’ll be.” He let go of me and gently set me down. “You don’t have to ask any of us to follow you. We’ll all help you take the necromancer down, no matter what.” With a soft smile and an assuring nod, he took a step back to let me get up.

“Yes, about him.” Ficha chimed in and cleared his throat. “Before your tussle drew us out here, the monitors showed that he is swiftly making his way towards the artifact wing.” He nodded his head back down the hall. “Cheese and I will stay here to monitor him and relay any changes to you.”

“Then we need to get going.” I sighed as I pushed myself back up. The sooner we fixed this, the faster we’d be out of here. “We’re headed straight for him. If any of you see him, I don’t want you to hesitate in taking him out. Got it?”

“Bullshit!” Gauge practically roared from the control room door. She gnashed her teeth in seething rage, and grunted heavily through her tears as she hobbled down on a working cyberleg. “There won’t be any helping once I get my fucking hooves on that bitch machine.” Her leg seemed to be oddly sized, throwing her gait off. When she got closer, I could see that she actually wore Tasteless’s leg.

“Gauge, please, wait up.” Tasteless almost sounded like she cared about something. Funny, as she hadn’t seemed to like anything at all the whole time she’d been with us. “Gauge, you have to take it easy on that leg. It’s not calibrated.” Almost lazily, Tasteless flapped her wings and hovered out of the control room after her. She wore Gauges crumpled leg in place of her own, keeping it tucked up under her.

“I do agree.” Predious sighed. “Tempest needs to be dealt with first, lest she finds a way to get around the lockout.” He stepped forward and put his hoof on my shoulder. This time, I was at least calm enough not to throw him. “Besides, I think we all want to see her burn for what she’s done.”

My pipbuck crackled and the readout shifted to the regular pink of Pai.

“Tempest’s core lies not too far up ahead in one of the warehouse rooms.” Pai spoke softly and with weavering words. “Rip her server racks out one by one, it’ll make her suffer.” She gave a sniffle that caused my vision to momentarily shift to blue. “Give her hell for Frosty and I, alright?”

“Fine.” I sighed. “For Fruit, Filius can wait.”

Compared to the journey so far, the walk to the mainframe core was far too easy. The quiet halls echoed more than before as we walked through them. The dormant and decrepit labs seemed to be in much better condition the closer we got to Tempest’s home. Even the bridge to the next research arm seemed brighter and in better condition. One thing to catch my eye were the bold letters written across the watertight bulkhead at the entrance to the next section.

The hallway leading to Tempest was full of faded warnings about the dangerous equipment that lay ahead. Multiple brightly colored signs also forbade the use of any surveillance equipment, including pipbucks, past this point. The pair of rainbow striped Ultra-sentinels that sat dormant next to the doors drove the point home that they had been serious about keeping the things in this wing a secret.

“It’s interesting.” Predious spoke up, finally breaking the silence between us.

“What’s that?” Tasteless sighed tiredly as she hovered next to Gauge.

“From what I understand, this place was a secret to even most of the government.” He kept his uneasy gaze locked on the Ultra-sentinels as we walked closer. “If that’s true, why did they have such robust security here?”

“You heard the major,” Shadow shrugged as he flew ahead to the steel door for the chamber. “This place was under constant threat of attack.”

“I was just as surprised to find this down here as anypony else!” The Major himself gave a lighthearted laugh. “Actually, the resort itself was what we’d been protecting. None of us even knew we were sitting above this place for the last hundred and fifty years almost.”

“Spies?” I tossed in my own suggestion. I had no idea if that was even a problem here for the war, but I’d heard it mentioned in passing when I was just a filly in the labs. Of course, I didn’t know what it entailed back then, but even my orchard was constantly on the lookout for spies.

“I don’t think so.” Predious shook his head as we all reached the door. “It’s just puzzling to me. This doesn’t feel like they’re trying to keep spies out.” With a flick of his magic, the door pad lit up and gave a short beep. The steel slab of a door ground it’s way back, slowly opening to show us something unexpected.

This warehouse room was nearly twice as big as the last two, in both height and length. All the way at the other end, sat a spiked spire that had silver tubes coiling down it’s form. At it’s base, was a large terminal screen that held the grinning face of the goddess of the night. More interestingly, along each wall of the room sat different mechanical creations. From small tracked vehicles, to large and heavily armored walkers, the war was going to be won from the developments in this room. All over the floor were crates and pallets of raw materials and components. Spare parts for weapons too complex for me to even begin to understand. This place looked less like a research station and more like a factory or an armory.

With a heavy thrum, one of the machines roared to life. At what felt like twenty feet tall, the tinted blue metal of a giant mechanoid pony stepped away from the wall. Sharp metal wings sat folded on it’s side, and the tapered horn the size of a steel beam adorned it’s forehead. Across it’s chest, was the cutie mark of the princess I adored the most as a filly.

“Sweet Luna… maybe it’s not to keep us out,” Gauge gasped in a mix of horror and awe, “but to keep that in.”

The machine stepped toward us. Each thundering step shook the floor. Even without weapons, the imposing sight sent a shiver of fear down my spine. I really hoped that Predious’s trick for these things would work twice. Interrupting my thoughts, the machine stopped and straightened up. With a hiss, a seam formed along the crescent moon on it’s chest. The metal panels folded outward, revealing a hollowed space in the center. In it, was a control seat that looked as if it bound Pallet to the controls themselves.

“It ain’t flying,” Pallet called out to us. Each little movement she had as she did, was mimicked by the machine itself. “,but without my wings, this’ll have to be close enough.”

“Do you feel nothing for what you did?” I’d hissed while I unslung my rifle. I hadn’t had a proper chance to use it yet in here, but I’d use it on her if I had to. “Skyline was your mother for goddesses sake!”

“Oh boo hoo.” She waved the massive forehoof of the robot in dismissal. “The old bitch had it coming. Besides, there’s no room in my masters world for the heroes of old,” She hunched the robot down and grinned at us. “But I wouldn’t worry about that, Storm. Monsters like you will have their place.”

With an angry grunt, I pushed myself up onto my rear hooves. It had been quite some time since I balanced myself to raise my rifle. The scar on my chest, as well as the healed bone in my foreleg felt odd as I pulled the gun close and eyed down the sights. As I did, the metal plating on the robot slid shut again with a heavy slam. Pallet’s incessant giggles now pumped through a set of speakers on the massive machine. Her overconfidence gave me time to aim my first shot.

With a pull of the trigger, one round sailed toward the head of the robot. In a spectacular display, one of the glowing eyes on the machine blew out in a shower of sparks. It cut her laughter on the spot, while the machine’s engine gave a low growl.

“Oh, you want to do it this way then?” Her voice crackled through the speaker. A flashing light on the horn started up, and the tip started to glow red hot. “Well, two can play at that game.”

“Everypony, move!” Predious screamed.

None of us had to be told twice. Really though, I think I had been the only one who’d had to worry. With an oddly toned zott, a thick red beam of energy fired out from the spear of a horn. It swung in a slow arc after me, scorching a line across the concrete floor just behind me as I fled for cover. The smell of ozone filling my nostrils only pushed me harder. With all of my strength, I pushed off my hooves and dove behind the hulking form of some sort of tank. The beam heated the metal intensely, but didn’t cut through it.

“Come on, Storm! Stop running! You can beat me if you really tried.” Pallet cheered as the beam cut out. With the drone of the laser gone, I could hear the sizzling of the concrete. The beam had liquified it, turning it molten along the path I’d run. “And hey, even if you can’t, it’ll be a less painful death than the one you gave me.”

“Stop this, Pallet!” I didn’t want to fight her. “This isn’t you!” Whether or not she’d heard it, I had to believe that Skyline was right. If she said that some part of Pallet was still in there, I couldn’t lose the hope that she could come back to us. “You can still help us stop Filius from killing even more innocents!”

“And why would I care? Hmmm?” Her monstrous voice resonated around the chamber. “Just so you could fuck me over again and leave me for dead?” Her machine stomped it’s way closer. As great as a tank may have been, it wouldn’t have lasted long against that thing.

“I wasn’t the one who fired, up on that roof!” I snapped back. Time wasn’t something that’d be on my side much longer.

“It’s all your fault!” She screamed. The drone of the horn returned, building up as it had before. Out of options, I lept out from behind the tank, and charged up the open isle. A whistling woosh preempted the sound of rending metal, and a scream from Pallet. A bright explosion flowered from the side of the metal monstrosity.

The rocket that came from one of the machines on the other side was followed by another, then another. Each hit made Pallet’s ride stumble. Her horn beam traversed wildly around me, scorching and melting through steel and concrete. Something that the beam hit exploded behind me. The wave of force slammed into my back like an out of control skycarrage, sending me tumbling and flipping onto the floor.

I was surprised by a yank that stopped me dead and wheeled me around. With a ringing clang, my head and neck smacked against what felt like a metal beam. I went down hard, stunned for the moment as my brain tried to catch up to the pain all over my body.

“I don’t think pissing her off any more would be advisable!” Predious shifted uneasily over me.

“You tell me how to stop a giant metal goddess, and maybe you’ll get a say in how I do things!” All of me hurt, but seeing as nothing immediate was missing or torn up, I figured it would be in my best interest to get back on my hooves.

“Fucking annoying metal cunt!” Pallet’s angry voice filled the air. The sound of crushing metal didn’t put any pretty images to mind. The symphony of sounds that came from the rocket truck as it’s crushed form cartwheeled down the center aisle didn’t comfort me either. “Where the fuck did you go?”

A black blur flew past my view. Shadow weaved between the taller projects and piles as his own energy weapon let out shot after shot. Both Predious and I peeked around the edge of what turned out to be a pallet of what looked to be stacked artillery barrels. Mildly thicker than the tank from before, it might hold up for a few seconds under that heat beam. A flash of silver and green caught my eye.

“The fuck are you doing?” Tasteless yelled as she too zipped through the air. “Fucking take her down!”

“With what!” The major yelled.

“Really?” She snapped as she arced up and hovered for a moment. “Not like this place is an arsenal or any-!” She was abruptly cut off when another hunk of metal flew through the air. The airborne pallet of steel basically exploded as it hit the ceiling above her. She let out a scream as the twisted and tumbling metal slammed into her.

Pred and I both watched in silent horror as the whole mass fell to the ground. The floor shook, and the clatter of the heavy steel beams resonated through the air more than Pallet’s machine so far had. As the noise dropped off, I heard Gauge’s horrific scream.

“Oops.” Pallet spoke with villainous chuckle. “Did I do that?” The heavy machine Stomped it’s way towards the pile that covered Tasteless. “Here, let me help.” She stepped past Predious and I.

“Hey!” Gauge’s voice boomed through the air as well. “Get away from her, you bitch!” A few heavy thumps met my ears before a black machine thundered past. The heavy looking, four legged machine barreled into Pallet’s machine. The metal plating on the rear leg crumpled in from the impact, and the rest of the machine tumbled onto its side. I wasn’t sure if she’d planned it, but I was damn happy to see it collapse the other way from us.

Now that it wasn’t moving, I could see the black machine. Composed of a latticework of steel tubes and hydraulics, it resembled a pre-war boar. Inside, I could see Gauge sat in a similar set up to how Pallet was. Out from the front of Gauge’s machine, jutted two flat lifting bars that seemed spaced enough that they could lift the heavy parts around her.

“We need to find a way to bring her down.” Predious for once, stole my job and stated the obvious.

“No shit! Can’t you just do what you did last time?” I spoked up and looked around. Tasteless was right, there had to be something useful here to use against her!

“No, it’s too big.” Predious spoke quickly before he took off down the aisle. “But I think I can find something! Keep her busy!”

I grumbled and turned myself back the way I’d come. The sound of Pallet’s machine clambering back to it’s hooves rang heavy through my ears, and I knew I’d have to hurry. With quick hoofsteps, I galloped back toward the half melted tank. The concrete under my hooves still radiates the heat from the beam attack here, and now I risked it again.

“Insolent whelp!” She growled before there was a heavy slam. The black form of Gauge’s machine gave off sparks as it slid quite rapidly past me It slammed into a wheeled vehicle against the other side of the wall, crumpling the front of it in. From the way the suit sat there and didn’t move, I really hoped that Gauge was simply unconscious inside it.

“Can’t think of that now!” I muttered as I turned around the backside of the tank. I crept toward the other end of it, looking over to that side of the arsonal. The vehicle that Gauge had hit had a flatbed on the back. On it, was a mounted turret that looked like it was meant for shooting down zebra flying machines. The coils around the barrels looked magical in nature, and that was exactly something that would be needed to bring Pallet down.

“Why do you persist on dragging this out, Storm?” Pallet’s booming voice sounded more annoyed than it had before. Maybe with a bit more work, she’d slip up and give us an advantage we could use.

The whine of her monstrous horn built up, emitting the zott as it tore across the room seemingly at random.

“Flying won’t work against me, little stallion.” She sneered at Shadow. As the beam stopped again, I took it as my chance to go.

My hooves again pounded heavily across the floor. My heart raced, and my vision tunneled in on that turret. In my mind, I prayed that somepony else would stop her. That Predious could shut that machine down so we could maybe just talk to her. I knew that if she was just given the chance to stop for a moment and think, Pallet might come back to us.

Without incident to either Pallet or I, I reached the flatbed. There was no hesitation when I climbed up on to it. The pristine gun post sat armed and ready. The gun was designed to be fired using forehooves from the rear hoof standing position. Hopping up onto it felt natural, and as I pressed myself against the cushion that sat on the gun mount, I felt like it became an extension of me. The way that I wrapped my forehooves around the two grips on either side, and the way that the two magical cannons changed their alignment as I got comfortable felt alien.

Carefully, I spun the guns towards Pallet. A soft hum built up in the guns themselves, and a dim yellow line slowly drew itself along the coiled barrels. I watched as Shadow darted through the air, constantly firing at the monstrosity’s horn. Each hit made the armored appendage glow, but it ultimately wasn’t doing anything.

It seemed that an eternity passed me by as the magical cannons charged. Each moment, I hoped and prayed that somepony else would intervene. I didn’t want to have to do this. Pallet had already died from my actions once before, I didn’t need to have it happen again.

There was a short click as a pair of levers uncovered the triggers for the guns. They sat against my fetlocks, ready for a single twitch to depress them. The yellow bar reached the top, and the hum quickly built into a whine. I sat there, watching, hesitating to move a muscle.

“Please…” I whispered softly to Pallet. “...forgive me.” I pulled both triggers.

Sparks erupted from the twin barrels as the magic inside them grew. Bright beams of blue burst forth and streamed toward Pallet’s machine. The pitch of the guns changed tone, and through the middle of the blue beams, shot pulses of yellow. Just as the beam struck the enormous robot’s underside, so did the first pulses. Pallet’s machine locked up, the four legs of it buckling and twisting as each yellow pulse slammed against it.

Without warning, the guns themselves twisted and buckled. With a surprised yelp, I yanked myself away. With a heavy whack, my head bounced on the flatbed as I flopped down. Again, I saw stars, and again I’d barely escaped grievous harm. The gun mount sparked and crackled with magical energy as it very nearly looked like it imploded in on itself. Smoke and the crisp smell of baked ozone would surely stick in my nose for the next few days to come.

A thunderous crash shook the whole complex, then, there was silence.

“Good shot!” The major called out. “She’s down!”

“Storm!” Shadow gasped as he sailed down towards me. “Are you alright?”

“Yes, check the others.” I grumbled as I picked myself up and shook the stars from my vision. “Help Tasteless first. Your armor can lift the beams.”

“And Pallet?” he asked, lifting a wing to brush my mane from my eyes.

“Leave her to me.” I didn’t want to have to deal with her. I wanted to scream at him to go and finish her for me. Without another moment of hesitation, I hopped down from the flatbed and trotted toward the smoking hulk of the two story tall machine.

The body of it was more or less intact, but it’s legs were bent and fractured to pieces. Walking up to it, I could see black scorch marks adorning every seam in the metal. The smell of burning wiring and burnt steel was heavy in the air. The once bright and proud symbol of princess Luna was now blackened and boiled.

The walk up to it filled me with so many emotions. Fear, hate, relief, and sadness. For what seemed like the millionth time today, I wanted to break down. To collapse and just never get back up. That wouldn’t save the wasteland, so I couldn’t give in. I needed to stay strong for this.

With a soft hiss, the armored plates on the chest of the machine split, slowly opening. With a labored grunt, I’d pushed myself up onto my rear hooves. With my gun raised firmly in my hooves, I waited. Inside the suit, Pallet struggled to free herself from the control chair. In it, her legs were just as twisted and broken as the machine’s. With panicked eyes, she looked up at me. A smile pulled across her muzzle, and a cackling laugh followed.

“So.” Even though she wanted it to sound haughty, it came across as more nervous than anything. “Finally going to live up to being the monster you are.”

“It doesn’t have to be this way.” I shook my head. “I believe in what Sky said. There’s some part of you in there still, there has to be.”

“You’re a fool.” She sneered, looking down at her legs. “That bitch was wrong, there is no soul left in this body.” With a sharp laugh, she shot her angry gaze up at me. “Besides, all you know how to do is kill. Everything you ever do only ends in death, so why not get it over with?”

I pulled my gun up and aimed it at her head. From between the barrel, her eyes stared blankly back at me, holding the same soulless expression that every other of Filius’ pawns did. And there I sat, motionless. As much as I told myself to pull the trigger, I was paralyzed.

“You can’t do it, can you?” A wider wicked grin parted her muzzle as she spoke. “You’re too weak to win this war, Storm.”

“I…” My hooves wavered as I listened to her words. She was right. I’d gotten Sky, Fruit, and countless others killed already. I couldn’t handle this war if I couldn’t even kill the one pony sitting in my way.

“Everypony will die, because of you.” She giggled and wrenched herself against the harness. “Shoot me, Storm! Do it!”

“No!” I screamed and stomped down in anger. Blue flames rolled in a towering wave out from me. Bucking and shouting, I wrestled with myself. Everypony was counting on me to finish this fight! Why couldn’t I have the strength to just fucking do this one thing? More and more gouts of flame rushed out as I flailed myself. Until I was too weak to continue my own self fueled tantrum, I screamed and fought. Finally, panting and crying, I lost the will to do even that.

“The flames… Storm?” Pallet’s voice hit me with the delicacy of a flower. I looked over to her, finding a different sight than before. She looked back at me like she had the years I’d known her. Sadness filled her eyes, and she cried as she looked at me. “I… I don’t have long before he regains control over me.” She grunted and whined, forcing her eyes shut. “Filius, he’s going for an amulet. It’s stored here.” Her eyes shot open again. “He cannot get it. Do you understand me?”

I was dumbfounded. Was it another trick? Why would she tell me this?

“I’m sorry, for what he’s made me do.” She cried softly as she stared at me. “Oh goddesses I’m so sorry.” She whimpered and slammed her head against the inside of the machine. “Storm, you have to kill me for good this time. He can fix my body, he’ll make me kill more and more until there’s nopony left!”

“Pallet, I...” My vision blurred, and the warm tears flowing down my cheeks stung the wounds I didn’t know I had on my face.

“I forgive you, Storm.” She showed me a soft smile as she gave one last look up to me. “I don’t blame you for anything. Just, promise me this one thing.” She stuttered and torqued at her bindings, wrestling to keep control of herself. “You take him down. Make sure he can never hurt anypony again.”

“I promise.” I whispered as I held up the gun again, aiming it at her head. “Goodbye, Pallet.”

And with a pull of the trigger, she was gone forever. It was a small mercy that she’d forgiven me, but the pain inside me burned hotter than my flames of rage. I’d killed my friend again, and even though it may have saved lives, it didn’t make it hurt any less.

However, maybe now she’d finally be able to rest.