Same Old Fight

Chapter 1

Return

Dano sucked down a deep breath as he wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. The survivor stood on the shallow pitch of his home, having replaced some of the green colored shingles that had cracked or broken during the winter months. The sun was a constant heat on Dano’s shoulders, and his short brown hair was covered in perspiration. His white t-shirt, blue jeans and black SWAT cut boots carried the dirty stains associated with this kind of work, and his hands were covered in the dirt that had accumulated under the shingles over their long life.

“Are we done yet?”

Dano turned around and looked over the lip of the roof to see a bored teenager wearing a green t-shirt covering his upper half with purple shorts encasing his legs to right below the knee standing by the extendable ladder that allowed accesses the roof. Purple skate shoes with green laces adorned his feet, and his hair was shaved into a green mohawk.

“What? You have a date or something?”

Spike sighed and shifted his weight as best he could, seeing as his left knee had lost most of its range of motion when he had caught a round almost a year ago.

“In fact I do have one.”

Dano raised an eyebrow and smirked.

“Who’s the lucky lady?”

Spike suddenly looked at the ground, a little embarrassment showing in a blush.

“Sweetie Belle.”

Dano chuckled.

“Well, I won’t keep you waiting then.”

With that Dano picked up the roofing hammer he had borrowed from the Apple Family and tucked it in between the black leather belt around his waist and jeans. The unused shingles the survivor had brought up with him went over his shoulder and the extra roofing nails went into his pocket before he mounted the ladder leaning up against the house. After moving down a few rungs Dano placed his feet on the outside of the ladder, and slid the rest of the way down. With a slight thud the survivor came to a stop on the ground, and turned to see the teenager crossing his arms with a look of contempt on his face.

“Show off.” Spike grumbled.

“That’s not what your mother said last night.”

Dano chuckled as Spike rolled his eyes.

“That is the third time you have used that today. It’s getting old man.”

Dano sighed.

“Kids these days.”

Spike rolled his eyes again.

“Can I go now?”

Dano turned and began to collapse the ladder.

“Yeah, you’re free to go.”

Spike thanked Dano and said his goodbyes as he began the walk back to town, his limp showing.

Dano turned to watch him go with a sad frown. He remembered when Spike had been hit in the opening shots of a two week war between the residents of Ponyville, New York and the being known as Discord. The survivor had lead a team of five men and a wolf to combat him and they had won, but at a cost. Every member of the team carried the scars of the fight, and one of them didn’t make it back. Dano sighed as he remembered the battle, and the death of Carrot Cake.

Eventually Spike disappeared behind a small bend in the road, and Dano pulled himself back to the real world. The survivor returned to his task, and collapsed the ladder before placing it by the house, he would return it later. Dano moved to the front of the abode he had been busy maintaining, and took in all of his work.

The structure was two stories tall, but contained a small amount of floor space. The brown painted exterior walls were covered in nicely trimmed vines that climbed their way upward around the windows and many bird houses attached to the building. A simple stained wooden door blocked the entrance, and the whole structure sat in a clearing that Dano had been taking care of. Behind the survivor a small foot bride spanned a babbling brook that ran in and out of the forest surrounding the house.

The area was covered with animals of every size and shape enjoying the weather in their own way. Any herbivore that called the Appalachian area home was there, from deer to rabbits to song birds. Even with all of the life and growth there was still something missing, and Dano knew what it was.

The original owner of the house was out with a litter of puppies and their parents. Dano smiled as he remember the woman called Fluttershy helping the husky named Jenna through her labor a month ago as the survivor and the father watched on. The wolf named Echo practically beamed with pride as his children were born, one by one, until six small wolf-dog pups yelped and barked as they began their lives.

Dano’s smile grew at the memory as he moved into the house, for he needed to go meet his friend and woman soon. The survivor pushed through the door and into the living room of the abode. A small brown area rug with pink hearts covered a bit of the floor in the center of the room while the rest remained hard wood. A small decorative hearth made of stone lay embedded in the right wall to the right to a threshold that led to a small kitchen/dining room combination. A wooden door rested in the middle of the left wall that lead to a guest bedroom, and a stairwell sat in the left corner that was parallel with the left wall. The rear wall was covered in small animal housing as well as pictures of Fluttershy and Dano’s friends. The interior space was made up of two tone stained wood that added to the simple feel of the place.

Dano moved quickly through the living room to the stairs, and climbed them to the top where he then took a left through another wooden door. Behind the portal rest the bathroom of the house, a small white tiled room with a white porcelain tub parallel with the back wall underneath the only small window. A pale pink sink basin rested in a darkly stained cabinet on the left wall below a large mirror, and a pair of small white doors covered a small closet in the right wall that held towels and other bathroom essentials. The walls remained their light stained wood color with dark stain highlights.

Dano moved into the room, turned on the sink and washed his hands under the cool well water until they were clean then splashed some on his face. The survivor looked up into the mirror as water dripped off of his features to see the four faded pink vertical scars on his face. He had received them at the hands of Discord at the battle of Fort Security.

The dips in his skin weren’t the only scars Dano carried. On his right bicep rested a bite mark from a wolf he had fought to save Fluttershy, and he had several scratch marks on his chest from the same battle. A bite mark also graced his left thigh from a feral dog in the abandoned city he had awoken in about a year ago, after he had died.

The whole reason Dano was in the position he was in was because of his death at the hands of an electrical explosion. He had been saved by technology, but it had failed when the human race began to die out from an epidemic of biblical proportions. His body had been preserved, and after two women named Celestia and Luna had returned power to the hospital he was revived only to find himself twenty years in the future.

The women lead and taught the survivor about the town known as Ponyville, and why its existence was crucial to the world around him. With nowhere else to go Dano accepted his task, and became a guardian of the magic of harmony that the town produced.

Dano shook his head, and water flew from his face. He needed to stop reminiscing and get to Fluttershy before she thought he had stood her up. She had a tendency to over react when it came to things like that.

With his hands and face clean Dano left the bathroom, descended down the stairs, crossed the living room and moved out of the house. Without waiting any longer the survivor began to walk away from his home, crossing the footbridge as he went, and began the trek to town and his destination.

The path Dano moved down toward Ponyville cut its way between a small rolling plain to his right and a lush forest to his left. The trees and grass shifted in the light summer breeze that made its way across the earth, and the calming sound of rustling leaves reminded the survivor why he loved his new life so much. Before his accident everything was rushed, but now the world spun at a much slower rate. Dano had watched the sun rise, the moon set and the seasons change for the first time in his life, and he wondered how he had missed these natural wonders before.

After a good amount of time the town of Ponyville in all its splendor appeared behind a low hill that had blocked Dano’s view. Each building sported a different paint and shingle color that made looking at a rainbow bland. Every hue ever invented was there, and that wasn’t the only colorful thing about the town. As Dano pushed past the first buildings of the village he began to see the residents, just as colorful as their town. Each person carried a different hair and eye color, and they each smiled as they went about their day.

Dano waved at the people he knew as he moved through town, and they reciprocated with vigor. Eventually the survivor reached the center of Ponyville, a large open area with a statue of a sun with eight tendrils of fire sprouting out of it next to a crescent moon surrounded by a small fountain. The two symbols were the emblems of the towns founders, the immortal beings known as Celestia and Luna. Their ability to manipulate the magic of harmony that emanated from the town’s people gave them powers that one would think impossible. Dano had adjusted to the strangeness of the post-apocalyptic world eventually, and he even accepted the change.

The survivor moved quickly through the town square and past the other half of town to find himself on the verge of another rolling plain that dwarfed the one Dano had passed earlier. A single hill caught his attention, and without waiting began to climb it. As he reached the top of the rise the sound of high pitched barks and giggles reached the survivor’s ears, and a smile grew exponentially on his face until he reached the top.

Lying on her back with six puppies climbing on top of her was Fluttershy and the parents of the pups lying next to each other a few feet away. The shy woman’s long pink hair lay sprawled out on the grass as she squirmed and played with the small dogs. She wore a canary yellow top with tight blue jeans, and pink flat soled shoes completed her outfit.

Echo and Jenna noticed Dano first, and they both rose their head to look at the intruder. The wolf sported a dusty brown coat with feint streaks of red, and the bottom of his muzzle and his chest was a nice tan. Echo’s body had a couple furless scars on it, the largest one being a large pink line that ran across his throat. Black eyes acknowledged Dano quickly, and he returned to his reclining. Jenna wore a red and cream coat, unlike her husky heritage. Her chest, face, underbelly and legs from the knee down sported the creamy white color, and the rest of her coat was a deep red. Her tail was half and half. The top portion being red, and the bottom cream. Jenna continued to eye Dano a little longer than Echo did, but returned to her reclining just like her mate.

Echo wan an anomaly in the world, for he was once human turned a mythological beast known as a Diamond Dog before returning back to this plane of existence as a wolf. Celestia and Luna had also come from this different Earth in order to watch over the human race. With his human intellect Echo and Dano had become great friends, and had long conversations about anything and everything. Although the wolf only spoke with barks, growls and whines Dano could get the gist of what he was saying out of familiarity.

The six puppies that belonged to Echo and Jenna shared the coats of their parents, and had yet to be named. Fluttershy planned on letting them get adopted by some of the town’s people, and they would name the pup they picked. Echo had shown a little sadness at the coming loss of his children, but he agreed with the shy woman. The puppies had not inherited his intelligence, and were just wolf-dogs that deserved a loving family.

Fluttershy tensed at the sound of Dano coming over the hill, her shy nature taking over. The puppies that played around her felt the change in their jungle gym, and put on their fiercest look as they growled and hopped around looking for the intruder. They received a laugh from Dano as their high pitched growls were more cute than fierce.

Fluttershy heard the laugh, and looked up to see Dano moving towards her. The couple locked eyes, and the survivor felt the joy he always felt when he looked into the deep cyan pools of his girlfriend move through his body. Without a word Dano moved to Fluttershy and laid down next to her. The puppies, happy that their play space had increased, began to crawl over the survivor as they nipped at each other. The survivor chuckled as they ran up and down his body until the sensation of Fluttershy pulling herself close to Dano made him shift so he was flat on his back. The shy woman took the opening, and placed her head on his chest while wrapping an arm around his abdomen. Dano wrapped his arm around Fluttershy’s shoulders, and the feeling of her breath could be felt through his shirt.

Just as quickly as the puppies had changed from playful to serious to playful again they became tired, and the two they had been running on proved to be the perfect bed. The puppies found a place to lay in the crease where Dano’s body met Fluttershy’s, and formed a small pile of puppy flesh as they reclined against each other. Following the pup’s lead Dano began to drift off to sleep, his breath becoming slower as his mind began to shut down. Fluttershy also appeared to be on her way out of her consciousness, and the couple soon found themselves napping in the summer sun on the side of a hill covered in puppies.

=====================================================================

Dano awoke to the setting sun and the missing sensation of the puppies atop him. Echo and Jenna must have taken them home, the survivor thought to himself, and after confirming that the wolf and husky had indeed left the thought solidified into fact. He blinked the sleep out of his eyes, and began to stir until he realized that Fluttershy was still passed out next to him, her arm still across his abdomen and head on his chest. With a chuckle Dano began to poke and prod the shy woman until she began to awake.

“Get up Fluttershy, the sun is setting.”

Fluttershy mumbled something incoherent as she pressed her face into Dano’s chest, attempting to steal a few more moments of sleep.

“I need to get to work, and you need to get home. Remember the last time you had to walk back in the dark?”

Fluttershy let out a frustrated moan as she opened her eyes.

“That’s my girl.”

Dano sat up with Fluttershy still resting on him, effectively forcing her to sit up with him. The shy woman, getting the hint, pulled away from the survivor so he could rise. Dano did just that before offering Fluttershy a hand to help her up. She took it, and with a minimal amount of effort, the survivor picked up his partner and pulled her into him. Fluttershy giggled like a little girl as Dano wrapped his arms around her, and the couple found themselves sharing a small passionate kiss before releasing each other.

“I love you Fluttershy.”

Dano stared into her perfect eyes, and she returned the gaze without falter.

“I love you too Dano.”

Dano pecked Fluttershy on the lips before wrapping an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. The couple made their way down the hill toward town with smiles on their faces as they enjoyed each other’s company.

Dano and Fluttershy walked slowly through Ponyville as the shadows grew long, and the small street lights began to come to life. When the couple reached the town center they separated, Fluttershy bound for home while Dano moved off to work. He really didn’t need the job at the bar called The Punch Bowl, but he was good friends with the owner, Berry Punch. He also needed to keep a close eye on her.

During the battle of Fort Security Dano discovered Berry Punch living as a prisoner in the compound. She was treated horribly as well as ‘used’ by the men for their own pleasure. The survivor pulled the bar owner out after killing Discord, but the chaotic being haunted his dreams along with Berry’s. Discord’s plan was to over throw Dano’s conscious and take his body, but the survivor had thwarted this plan. Berry seemed to have here nightmares under control lately, but Dano was still worried that she could break. He would have to put her down to save the town from Discord’s resurrection if that happened.

It didn’t take Dano long to work his way through town to The Punch Bowl, and he spotted the red brick exterior before he could even see the sign above large windows taking up the façade. Moving inside just as the sun set the survivor walked into the familiar bar.

The Punch Bowl was split in the middle by a walkway that separated several maroon cushioned booths with wooden tabled inside of them to the left and a long darkly stained wooden bar to the right. Behind the bar rested dozens of bottles of every kind of alcohol in a large rack, and in front of the counter rested stools with maroon cushions and darkly stained wooden legs. The walls of the bar matched the dark stain of the counter, stools and booths, and, when coupled with the dim, orange glow of some simple chandeliers hanging above the passage way, gave off a homey vibe.

Berry was already behind the bar preparing for the coming night, cleaning glasses with a cloth. She wore a simple black t-shirt with blue jeans and black sneakers, her usual ‘behind the bar’ get up, and her messy pale grey-purple hair rested atop her head. Matching the color of her hair, Berry’s eyes carried a missing spark that everyone else in town held, one that she had lost from her time in the hell hole she was held in.

“Afternoon.”

Dano smiled at the bar owner as he made his way behind the bar.

“How was your day?”

Berry shrugged as she placed a clean glass down and picked another up.

“Pretty normal, you?”

Dano chuckled.

“Those puppies have spent more time with Fluttershy today than I have all week.”

The two bar tenders laughed.

“She does love animals.”

Dano let out a happy sigh.

“Yeah.”

Berry gave him a playful elbow.

“You sound like you’re some teen who’s talking about their crush.”

Dano raised an eyebrow as he smirked.

“I  feel that way to be honest.”

Berry chuckled.

“Well, just keep it down. Some people here are extremely traditional.”

Dano pretended to pout.

“Fine.”

Berry gave him another elbow, this one more forceful as she gave him a fake scowl.

“Aren’t your friends coming today?”

Dano looked at his watch. Its date read ‘Wednesday, 7/6/33’.

“Yeah, they should be around at the usual time.”

Berry nodded.

“Sounds good.”

With that Dano and Berry got around to preparing the bar for the night.

As the moon and stars rose in the sky the bar filled with the usual farm hands blowing off some of the stress that came with the occupation along with some random customers who decided this Wednesday was as good as any to drink. Time moved along as Berry and Dano served drinks and made sure everybody was safe as they drank. Eventually the time came, and four men stepped into the bar together.

The first wore a blue pinstripe suit with a white dress shirt underneath the suit’s jacket. A maroon tie rested around his neck, and matching Converse shoes covered his feet. Somewhat short brown hair decorated his scalp, and a pair of trimmed sideburns stretched down the side of his face. The man’s azure eyes were filled with compassion as well as knowledge, and they could be seen taking in the bar with delight. Dano knew the man as the Doctor, and the physician had patched him up more times than he would like to admit.

Next came the giant of a man known as Big Mac. He wasn’t extraordinarily tall, but he was wide. Massive shoulders and logs for arms were contained under a tight red t-shirt that carried grass and dirt stains gained from a hard day’s work on his family’s farm. Blue jeans with the same stains encased the large farmer’s legs, and were tucked into large cowboy boots. Dirty blonde hair covered Big Mac head, and a single wheat sprig jutted out of a calm, almost expressionless face. Green, honest eyes emanated composure, and fit in with his demeanor flawlessly. A scar that the farmer had gained from participating in the battle at Fort Security stretched across his right cheekbone back, his missing right earlobe joining in the scar.

Following Big Mac came his cousin Braeburn. The smaller of the two Apples wore a simple cowboy hat on his head over blonde hair, and his eyes matched his cousins in color but not vibe. He put out an adventurous, almost cliché western movie, vibe, and his eyes reflected that lust for far away escapades. A button up yellow long sleeve work shirt underneath a leather vest covered the farmer’s upper half while dirty jeans and cowboy boots made up the rest of his ensemble.

The last man in, known as Soarin, wore a leather flight jacket, despite the heat, over a simple blue t-shirt. Dark blue jeans concealed his legs, and ended in black boots that shone in the light. Messy navy blue hair sat atop Soarin’s head, and his light green eyes beamed with curiosity and energy, much like a young child’s. Soarin was the youngest of the group, and always wore a stupid smile on his face no matter the situation.

With everybody here Dano moved out from behind the bar after grabbing six beers, and made his way to a booth that the group had already moved into, only slowing to pick up an unused bar stool for himself. The survivor planted the stool at the end of the table before climbing on and taking a seat. Dano handed out the beers, one to each member, and one to himself. He opened the sixth and placed it on the table in front of no one, a silent tribute to Carrot Cake and his sacrifice.

“How’s life gentlemen?” Dano asked after he took a sip of beer.

“Dinky has been rebelling lately,” lamented the Doctor, “she got in another fight with her mother the other day, and it ended with them both in tears.”

The team nodded sympathetically.

The Doctor had married his longtime girlfriend Ditzy ‘Derpy’ Doo a few months back, and her teenage daughter had been anything but happy about it. The news of her reacting this way wasn’t new, but she seemed to be getting bolder as the year went on.

“I don’t really know how to handle it.” The Doctor finished before taking a sip of his drink.

“Hopefully she will grow out of it before she gets knocked up.” Soarin interjected, and the group chuckled at the glare he received from the physician.

“What?”

Dano resisted the urge to face-palm at the ridiculousness of Soarin’s thought process.

“You know, the whole ‘daddy issue girl’ thing.”

Dano shook his head ever so slightly.

“She’s only sixteen Soarin.”

Soarin shrugged, his signal that he was giving up on the conversation.

“Anyway, how is Rainbow?”

Soarin perked up at the sound of his girlfriend.

“She’s doing well. Her jaw isn’t bothering her as much anymore.”

Dano smiled at the good news. He was happy that the broken jaw Rainbow Dash had suffered from a grazing bullet was becoming less of a problem.

“Working her mouth out Soarin?” Braeburn asked with a raised eyebrow and a smirk, and the group chuckled at the obviously pointed question.

“Not as much as Pinkie Pie’s.”

Soarin took a sip from his bottle as Braeburn began to blush slightly.

“I heard she is really good with her tongue, licking up all that icing all the time.”

Soarin finished his rebuttal to hear the group laugh slightly louder than was socially acceptable in a places as small as The Punch Bowl.

“T’aint fair.” Braeburn mumbled to nobody in particular.

The farmer lacked the thick southern accent of his cousins, but those two words seemed to drip with it.

“Ah recon’ that Braeburn be mighty lucky to have Pinkie. She keeps him tuckered out and quiet.”

Big Mac’s slow drawl mixed with his deep voice would give off the façade of stupidity, but to anyone who knew the large farmer could account for his knowledge of his occupation as well as mathematics.

“This is coming from the guy who stays up all night ‘reading’ with Twilight.” Braeburn retorted with a bit of a sharp edge to his voice.

Big Mac simply shifted his wheat sprig to the other side of his mouth, a simple gesture that meant he was either annoyed or frustrated.

“Alright guys lets calm down. No one needs to start a fight over how much or how little they are getting, okay?” Dano said with a chuckle, even with all of their history they were still a bunch of competitive guys.

The team answered positively, and Dano moved on.

“Have you guys been visiting Mrs. Cake at all lately?”

Dano’s simple question changed the mood of the conversation in an instant. Bringing up the widow would do that.

“Yeah.” They all said quietly.

“Good.” Dano smiled. “Now which one of you wants a puppy?”

The team’s response was quick and decisive, as well as filled with a plethora of words that would make Granny Smith cringe. Dano got the gist, no one wanted a wolf-dog pup no matter how many times he asked.

Dano and his friends continued to talk for hours before the time had come to go home. The group dispersed after wishing the survivor a good night, leaving them to pick up their mess. Dano was about to begin collecting the bottles his team had left behind, but he was stopped by Berry’s voice.

“I can take care of that for you Dano.”

Dano turned to see Berry still behind the bar, a piece of cloth in her hand, and that the establishment had emptied without him noticing.

“Alright, but I have to take care of Carrot’s myself.”

Berry nodded as she understood the gesture before returning to cleaning the bar with the cloth in her hand.

Dano left the five empty bottles and the stool he had been sitting on, and made his way behind the bar with the single full beer in his hand. The tradition of pouring the drink down the sink underneath the counter had been used since the team had started their meeting many months ago, and the survivor wasn’t one to tamper with tradition.

As soon as the bottle emptied Dano discarded it into a recycling bin by the end of the bar on his way out from behind the serving area before wishing Berry a good night and making his way out of the establishment. The cool night air felt great on the survivor skin as he made his way through the dimly lit town toward home. The sky was clear of any clouds, and the stars watched Dano go as he left Ponyville, taking a path he had used hundreds of times before.

The small dirt path eventually lead to the small cottage on the edge of the woods where Dano laid his head at night, and he wasted no time crossing the small bridge in front of it, moving up to the stoop and quietly letting himself in. The house was dark save for the dim glow of the moon where it pierced the many windows of the house. Using his memory the survivor crossed the living room without bumping into anything, and climbed the stairs before moving through the door on the right of the landing.

The bedroom that Dano and Fluttershy called their own was small, but cozy. The doorway rested in the corner of the room, and the left wall ran perpendicular to the threshold. An ornately carved wooden queen size bed rested perpendicular to the left wall, and jutted out into the dark room. A wooden vanity made of light stained wood with a large mirror and matching stool sat with its back to the right wall. A pair of small, full bookshelves flanked a darkly stained wardrobe on the far right wall, and those were flanked by a pair of square windows. The far left wall was bare, save for some small round windows and some pictures of the couple. In the far corner where the back walls met rested a glass gun cabinet, with the bottom half made up of drawers for ammunition and the case proper holding a single MK-14 EBR, a Magnum .45 in its leather holster and a M9 pistol in its synthetic cloth holster.

Dano sighed when his eyes fell on the gun case. Fluttershy had, at first, hated the prospect of the weapons the survivor had trained with and used in Fort Security inside of the house, but with a little coaxing Dano had gotten her to agree. He never told her why he needed them though, and he never would. The survivor had been charged with the defense of the town, and as long as Berry carried Discord’s conscious she was a dormant threat. Dano hoped she would win out against the chaotic soul in her brain.

The survivor made his way into the dark room and took a seat on the edge of the bed. Fluttershy’s silhouette could be seen in the light as she slept in a canary yellow tank top and pink panties, and it made Dano’s breath catch, it always did. He was head over heels in love with that woman, and the prospect of simply sleeping next to her made his heart rate increase. Dano quickly removed his boots, pants and shirt, tossing them on a pile to take care of later, before climbing into bed, pulling the covers up to his waist. Fluttershy lay on her side facing the other way, and the survivor slid in behind her, wrapped an arm around her abdomen and slowly pulled the shy woman into him. Fluttershy fit perfectly, and she let out a content sigh as she subconsciously pushed into Dano.

Dano let out a soft sigh of his own as he felt the warmth of the woman in his arms resonate off of her, and the scent of her hair waft into his nostrils. The smell of the world after a thunderstorm and mowed grass intermingled in Dano’s nose, and he buried his faced gently into his girlfriend’s hair as he inhaled more of the intoxicating scent. Sleep began to pull on the survivor’s conscious, and he let it take him willingly. Before long Dano fell asleep with the woman he loved in his arms and her hair in his face.

=====================================================================

Dano suddenly regained consciousness, and immediately felt a horrible vibe move through him. The survivor’s brain picked up the presence of another being nearby. There is someone in the house! Dano shot his eyes open to find himself on his back, and his own revolver pointed at his face. The stainless finish reflected the pale moonlight, and the sound of the hammer cocking echoed through the dark.

“Nice of you to wake up for me Daniel.”

Dano followed the right hand holding the revolver to an arm then a face. The survivor stifled a gasp when his eyes fell on Berry’s features, but she had changed. Instead of pale grey-purple eyes, she looked at Dano with blood red irises, and a sly grin that showed off an overly large top right canine. Once the shock of a gun pointed in his face left his mind, the survivor scowled at his friend turned enemy.

“Discord.”

Berry released a chuckle that had haunted Dano since he had last seen the being.

“The one and only, just with a different look.”

Dano glared daggers at the corrupted Berry Punch.

“Give her back, now.”

Berry laughed again.

“You aren’t in the position to make demands Daniel.”

Berry’s finger moved to the Magnum’s trigger.

“You can’t believe how much I have wanted to do this.”

Dano’s muscles tensed as the familiar feeling of adrenalin pumping through his veins reached his brain. His body prepared to move, to fight and to survive.

Time slowed as Dano watched Berry squeeze the trigger, but as the round made its way down the Magnum’s barrel a shadow leapt at the corrupted woman, and caused her weapon to shift. The large round impaled itself into the head board to the right of Dano, and the world began to turn at its normal speed as Berry was knocked off of the bed by the shadow.

Dano didn’t waste any time, and hopped out of the bed as Berry hit the ground, the shadow growling and snapping at her neck only to be held back by her arms. The survivor crossed the room in a few bounds, pulled his M9 out of the open gun case, turned and pointed it at the fight taking place on the floor, both hands on the weapon. Dano knew the pistol was loaded, it always was.

By now the survivor had figured out that the shadow was, in fact, Echo, and he held his fire as to not hit his friend. The struggle between the beast and the woman lasted for a few more seconds until Berry managed to get her left arm under Echo’s chest and lift him enough to get the revolver in her right hand under him, and unleashed two rounds into the wolf’s chest.

Echo yelped in pain as he was knocked off of Berry by the power of the rounds pushing through his flesh. Dano didn’t feel anything as his friend died before he hit the ground, for he was concentrating down his pistol, his mind only thinking about his coming shots. Berry sat up once she was clear of the wolf, and attempted to point her weapon at Dano. She didn’t get far.

Dano released three quick rounds into Berry and in the dark he couldn’t see where his bullets hit, but the sound of the rounds hitting flesh told him he had scored all three hits. The woman collapsed back on her back, and the world fell silent as Dano continued to aim his weapon at the deceased woman as he closed on her and picked up his Magnum, the stainless finish shedding the blood that had begun to pool on the floor underneath it. Dano placed it on top of the footboard of the bed, making sure that it was a safe distance from the woman he believed to be dead.

Suddenly Dano realized that Fluttershy was in the room, and he quickly looked over to see the shy woman sitting up in bed, tears in her eyes as she stared at the two bodies on the floor. The survivor quickly moved to her side of the bed, and placed his hands on her shoulders.

“Fluttershy, look at me.”

Fluttershy continued to stare until Dano shook her a bit.

“Look at me.”

Fluttershy turned her head to face Dano, but her eyes seemed to focus through him.

“Get downstairs to the guest bedroom. Don’t come out until I come and get you. Understand?”

Fluttershy nodded slowly before climbing off of the bed and walking out the door, still in her stupor. Dano sighed as he watched his girlfriend go, she was going to need a lot of help after seeing what just happened. The survivor moved around the bed to the left side of the doorway where he flicked a switch. A small incandescent light embedded in the ceiling came to life, and illuminated the mess on the floor by the bottom right side of the bed. Dano returned to the foot of the bed and sighed as he looked over the two bodies lying in their own blood.

Berry had three holes in her chest that formed a tight cluster, and a small bit of Dano congratulated himself on his aim. With the adrenalin slowly leaving his system the survivor looked at Echo’s lifeless form, and he felt a deep sadness form inside of him. His first friend after his awakening lay dead at his feet, and Dano crouched so he could pet the rapidly cooling wolf. The survivor choked back tears as he mentally said his goodbyes, but was pulled from his mourning by a muffled explosion.

Dano’s heart rate increased once again as he moved to the window by the right side bookcase, and felt his heart drop as he saw a cloud of smoke ascend into the night, lit by the large glow of the fire that was causing it. The survivor’s mind switched from its normal mode to one dictated by his training. Every emotion disappeared, and was replaced with clear, rational thought. Save the town.

Without wasting any more time Dano moved to the wardrobe and opened it. The interior of the closet was colored the same as its exterior, and a single metal pole rested underneath a pair of drawers. The pole held dozens of hangers holding clothing, most of it Fluttershy’s canary yellow and pink hued wardrobe. The survivor moved to his section of the closet, and found his old combat fatigues next to his dress uniform and normal everyday clothing. Dano pulled the forest camouflaged uniform out of the wardrobe, grabbed a pair of black socks from the right side cabinet and an old pair of brown, faded blood stained boots from the bottom of the closet before moving to the bed. The survivor made sure to not step in the slowly expanding puddle of blood as he got dressed.

Dano pulled on a grey cotton t-shirt before a pair of forest camouflaged pants with a fanny pack attached to the back portion of the thick black belt that wrapped around his waist. An empty canteen on his back left hip and an eight inch blade on the point of his left hip joined the pack on his belt. The survivor removed the blade, and inspected its razor sharp edge as he slipped his fingers into the brass knuckles that accompanied the handle. The clean iron blade reflected the light well, and once satisfied that knife was in working condition Dano put it back into its leather sheath. The black socks and brown boots went on next in that order, and the bottom of the survivor’s pants were tucked into the footwear.

Next came the camouflaged jacket over the t-shirt, and both items of clothing were tucked into the pants before the belt was tightened. A bullet proof vest that carried brown and grey urban camouflage went over the jacket, and a black tactical vest went over that. Both item’s straps holding them against the survivor were tightened, and with everything on Dano twisted and stretched to see if everything was secure. Nothing came loose, and the survivor was satisfied.

Dano was fully clothed, but not armed. After picking up his M9 and Magnum the survivor moved to his gun cabin, and returned the two handguns to their holsters before placing them on his person. The M9’s holder was buttoned to the survivor’s belt on his right hip and strapped to his right thigh. The Magnum’s brown leather holster was attached to straps that resembled a backpack’s, and went over his shoulders. The revolver was strapped tight to the left side of his rib cage with the barrel pointed behind him.

With his side arms equipped Dano took his rifle out of the case, and, after opening the top drawer, slid a twenty round magazine into the receiver. The metal clicked when it hit home, and the bolt was pulled back to chamber a round. Dano was a bit surprised on how fast his hands moved after all this time away from his guns, but was happy he had retained the training.

Dano began to fill the pouches on his vest with ammunition, and the four main pockets around his stomach carried two clips for his EBR each. As many Magnum rounds that could fit were thrown into a small rectangular pouch over his right breast, and several pistol mags went into holders on his belt.

Now fully loaded Dano quickly left the room, only stopping at the door to look at his deceased friend one last time and turn off the lights. The survivor ran down the stairs, taking two at a time before he trotted across the dark living room, and moving through the front door out of the house. Dano jogged away from his home at a steady pace. He didn’t need to tire himself out, but he still needed to get their quickly. The survivor hoped that Big Mac and Braeburn had heard the explosion and were on their way from their farm, and that Soarin and the Doctor were already fighting to protect the town. The eerie quite coming from Ponyville told him neither was true.

Dano rounded the last bend in the trail before Ponyville, and his soul hardened at the sight. Parts of the town were burning, and what looked like bodies strewn around the streets could be seen. Whoever Discord was using to take the town were massacring the people inside. A few feet from the first building Dano ran into something hard, and fell backward as he ran headfirst into whatever was blocking him. The survivor looked up to see empty space where he had collided, and guessed that some sort of magic that the leaders of both factions, both harmony and chaos, like to use were in play. As Dano rose to his feet the familiar voice of Celestia echoed through the back of his head, but it lacked it bouncy, light tone.

“Daniel…”

What is going on Celestia?

“Listen to me… there isn’t much time…”

Dano stayed silent as he let the magical being continue.

“Discord has taken Luna, and she is destroying the town.”

Dano’s jaw dropped as he processed the news.

What do you mean Discord has taken-

“Daniel, please…”

Celestia’s voice was filled with desperation, a tone that unnerved Dano immensely.

“Please stop her…”

I promise

With that Dano felt a surge of a familiar pain shoot from the back of his mind, and it flowed through his veins causing every muscle in his body to clench. Just as quickly as the pain came it went, and the survivor felt the tingle of energy move through his body. This had happened before in Fort Security, but this time there was a difference, a vibe Dano couldn’t explain. It was as if the transfer of energy didn’t cut off, but diminished slowly until it simply ended.

The survivor pushed the feeling aside quickly, he didn’t have room in his mind for things that. Believing that he was now able to move past whatever force field had been erected Dano placed a hand on where he had collided, and it pushed through with a little resistance. The survivor forced the rest of his body through the field, and began to trot the last few feet before town.

Dano couldn’t believe his eyes as he walked through the village, a dumbstruck look on his face. Everybody he knew, everybody he loved had been systematically butchered. The survivor found people cut in half at the waist, their entrails in a pile below them. He found men, woman and children lying in a puddle of their own blood, and a silent wind carried the smell of burning flesh to Dano’s nose.

Dano finally lost it at the sight of Rainbow Dash outside of her apartment door, her head cleaved open.  The woman’s once rainbow colored hair was now a constant crimson as blood continued to flow from the hole in her head, and the survivor, while leaning up against the same building, vomited. As he wretched a rage that he had not felt in months exploded inside of him, and it drove the survivor to finish puking, pick up the pace and find the ones responsible for the murders of the town’s people.

Dano entered the town center and looked around. Only corpses could be seen in the glow cast off of a nearby burning building, one looking a lot like Twilight Sparkle with her head missing, and there were no clues present to indicate the location of the intruders until the sound of a door being kicked in echoed through the night along with pained screams. The survivor took off at a sprint toward the quickly fading sound until he found himself standing in front of the confectionary known as Sugarcube Corner.

The once pleasant looking shop looked disgusting in the glow of the fire behind Dano. Long shadows were cast over the cream pained walls, and the large windows decorating the establishment were smashed in. The story tall brown shingled roof that provided the walls for the second story appeared darker in the lighting, almost looking like it was in the process of decay. What looked like blood seeped out of one of the broken windows, and for an instant Dano could see pink, poufy hair before his attention was drawn to the entrance.

Walking out of the doorway dragging the unconscious owner of the shop, Mrs. Cake, behind him was one of the people responsible for the massacre, but upon closer inspection Dano discovered that the man was really a woman. She wore something that resembled medieval armor, with a navy blue breast plate that accentuated her curves and matching shoulder pauldrons with massive spikes protruding out of them. Small, segmented hip guards, also colored navy blue, rested on both sides of the woman’s waist, and a long hand and a half sword rested on her left hip in its black leather scabbard. Navy blue grieves with large purple gems on the knees attached to matching color metal boots on the lower part of her legs, and navy blue vambraces that extended over her lower arm to the back of her hand finished the armor on the woman’s body. Atop her head rested a helmet with a large black spike combined with curved cheek guards framed her face, and long ever shifting night sky colored hair dotted with white star like dots flowed with a long black cape behind her. Where not covered in armor, the woman wore tight black clothing of unknown material, and she stared at Dano with pitch black irises when she caught sight of him.

“Nice to see you Daniel.”

Dano’s jaw clenched as he heard Luna’s voice.

“Where are the rest of your pets Luna?”

Dano’s voice was filled with rage.

“This is all my doing Daniel, and I have never felt happier.”

Dano started to see red, but before he could raise his rifle Luna lifted Mrs. Cake into the air effortlessly.

“I would like to thank you for killing Discord for me. He ordered me to enslave the town, but with his influence gone I can do what I want.”

Luna flashed a toothy smile, and Dano could see pointed teeth in the place of flat, normal ones.

“Put her down Luna.” Dano ordered, his voice forceful.

“So be it.”

With that Luna threw Mrs. Cake like a doll through the shop behind her, the sound of breaking wood and bones resonating through the night.

“And one more thing Daniel. My name isn’t Luna anymore, its Nightmare Moon.”

Dano had followed Mrs. Cake’s trip through the air, and returned his gaze to ‘Nightmare Moon’, blood lust in his eyes.

“It doesn’t matter what you are called, I’m still going to kill you.”

Nightmare Moon let out a sadistic laugh.

“You can try.”

Dano raised his rifle, flicking the fire mode to full automatic as he went,  just as Nightmare Moon charged him, drawing her blade. The survivor poured hot led into the charging being, but either her armor or sword deflected the incoming rounds. As Dano fired the last round in his clip Nightmare Moon reached striking distance, and swung her weapon horizontally at the survivor’s neck. Dano ducked under the blade, and after it had sailed over his head rose while releasing an uppercut with the butt of his rifle. The magical being caught the strike with her free hand, and ripped the weapon free of the survivor’s grip as she smiled.

Dano took a defensive step back as Nightmare Moon threw the EBR behind her carelessly. The survivor had lost his primary weapon, and before he could draw either of his secondary’s the magical being swung her sword downward with both hands on the hilt. Dano side stepped the powerful blow, and, while the blade buried itself in the dirt, hit Nightmare Moon in the face with a quick right handed jab, knocking her back a few steps. To the survivor’s dismay the magical being managed to keep her weapon in hand, and quickly recovered before counter attacking with a lunging stab. Dano spun out of the way, and unleashed a right handed elbow to the side of his enemy’s head as she over extended herself.

With the combination of the magical strength he possessed and Nightmare Moon’s lack of balance Dano’s blow caused the woman to tumble from the momentum of the strike, her sword flying from her hands out of reach of both combatants. Nightmare Moon quickly regained her balance, and charged Dano as he quick drew his M9. The survivor could only get one round off before his enemy closed the distance, and, like all of the bullets before, managed to catch armor instead of flesh. Nightmare Moon knocked the pistol out of Dano’s grip with a backhanded blow, and followed up with a strike to his chest. The ceramic plate in the survivor’s armor caught the majority of the blow, but its momentum smashed into Dano with its full force, knocking him a few steps back.

Dano threw a defensive right hook as he tried to create some space between himself and his enemy, but Nightmare Moon simply ducked under the strike before rising with an uppercut. The survivor caught the blow to his chin, and was nearly knocked off his feet by the punch. Dano continued to stumble backwards until he finally found his footing just as Nightmare Moon threw another strike. Dano side stepped as he pulled his knife out of its sheath, and sliced upward at the magical being’s face. Nightmare Moon leaned back to dodge the blade, but the tip caught her on her right cheek bone. A small amount of blood began to flow out of the two inch wound on the magical being’s face as she took a few steps back to regain her footing.

Nightmare Moon scowled as she steadied herself, and she squared her shoulders just as Dano did the same.

“Even with the last of Celestia’s magic you can’t hope to beat me.”

Dano glared at his opponent.

“You killed her didn’t you?”

Nightmare Moon gave Dano a toothy smile as she ran her tongue over her sharp teeth.

“She was my first tonight, and she won’t be my last.”

Dano clenched his jaw and squeezed his hands closed as rage and adrenalin continued to flow in his veins.

Without another word Dano charged, his knife held above his head preparing for a strike. As the survivor swung his blade downward Nightmare Moon deftly side stepped, but Dano was ready. With a quick change in direction he planted his right side elbow on his enemy’s throat, causing her to cough and gag as she reeled from the blow. Dano continued with a punch to Nightmare Moon’s chest using his empty hand, and it only caused her to take another step back. With the finality of an executioner the survivor landed another blow, with his brass knuckles, on the side of Nightmare Moon’s face, and she collapsed to one knee as she faded from consciousness for a split second.

Dano stood over his enemy, knife held high with the point facing down. He was about to strike when Nightmare Moon looked up, their eyes meeting. The survivor saw deep blue pools for eyes instead of black ones, and they screamed sadness.

“Please, don’t kill me.” Nightmare Moon’s voice was soft and tinted with pain, and it caused Dano’s guard to drop.

With a flash Nightmare Moon’s eyes returned to their normal black as she smiled. Dano couldn’t react in time, and as his arms began to fall the magical being thrust her right arm forward. A sharp pain emanated from Dano’s chest, and as his arms fell uselessly to his side he looked down to see a thin blade jutting out of Nightmare Moon’s vambrace and sticking into him. Every breath the survivor took sent more pain into his brain, and a bit of him believed she had missed his heart by mere millimeters and pierced his left lung.

Nightmare Moon retracted her arm with a quick pull, and without anything holding him up Dano collapsed on his side, the pain of falling barely acknowledging in his mind. The survivor’s vision began to fade and constrict as he saw a navy blue metal boot fill is vision.

“You are weak Daniel, you always were.”

Nightmare Moon’s voice was a distant echo to Dano, and he strained to hear it.

The survivor’s vision continued to fade as the pain of his wound continued to bombard his brain. A single tear escaped Dano’s eye, not one of agony, but one of guilt. I have failed. The survivor’s vision faded until all that was left was a pinprick of light, and as he felt his finial breath exit his lungs, that small sight of life flashed white before becoming black.

Well, that was a huge chapter Logic.

It was, but i needed to be. this is a sequel, so background information was needed for new readers

of course, but that fight scene was cool.

you just ignored me didn't you

what?

*facepalm*

you know, you kill brain cells every time you do that.

im in your head i don't have brain cel-

*hears knock on door*

who could that be?

*walks to door, opens it and sees a pair of ponies*

Sup

hey! Rainbow Dash! and Rarity

Twilight and Pinkie told us that they had a good time here, so we decided to take a vacation

Great!

you do realize these are your two least favorite of the Mane 6 right

SHHH!

Who are you talking to?

no one

*bad poker face*

Hey everybody

welcome to the sequel!

if you have read the original, welcome back

if you are new, and you like this chapter take a look at the original

lets have fun with this, shall we?

don't forget to rate and comment

that is all

kthanxbai