Don't Go Outside...II...

by Wolokai

First published 16th of April, 2012

The 'Ravage' Virus continues its murderous rampage as Macintosh sets out to look for Twilight.

The sequel to Don't Go Outside, with twice the horror, twice the mystery, and too many Afflicted to count!

Ponyville has been evacuated and destroyed, but at a terrible cost. The shield holding back the infected, murderous horde of 'Afflicted' has fallen, unleashing the terrible Ravage Virus across all of Equestria. Towns and Cities fall left and right, only adding more and more numbers to the diseased army.

The last stand is Canterlot, situated high up in the mountains and defended by the most elite of The Lunar Guard. It is here that Big Macintosh sits, safeguarded and caged behind the walls and defenses set in place against The Afflicted. He wants to know what's happened to his Twilight...why she left...where she went...why she hasn't come back. It is these questions that will drive the work horse to take drastic measures...measures that will change the fate of the 'Ravaged Equestria' forever.

From one end of Equestria to the other, and with the odds horrifically stacked against him, Big Macintosh is determined to find Twilight Sparkle...or die trying.

(First Story: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/18203/Don%27t-Go-Outside...)

Prologue - On the first day...

"In the year of our Princess Celestia, Twentieth Seed past Midsummer, The Gryphons declared war on Equestria. Overpopulation and rampant disease have driven the eagle-lion beasts out of the domains, forcing them to conquer new lands in the hopes of preserving their species.

With a limited defense force, and not enough resources to fully support a full scale war, Celestia was forced to pursue other methods to eliminate the Gryphon Threat. With repetitive weapon tests that often ended in failure, Celestia turned to science to solve her cries for help, entrusting most of Canterlot's treasury to an elite team of scientists. Through a careful process and immoral, under the table procedures used to test their weapon, the 'Ravage Virus' was born in the first of many ponies. We're still digging up the graves of those who were infected...studied...then killed...

This virus was transferable easily through bodily fluids, passing rapidly in an enclosed area. Its nature was murderous, driving the mind of the infected into an unstoppable rage. They would pursue and kill, without reason or conscious. Originally intended to infect the Gryphon Populace, the 'Ravage' would (according to the science team) quickly decimate the overpopulated, crowded domains of the Gryphons, thus destroying the threat of war.

However...one small glitch destroyed this plan.

A unicorn...named Twilight Sparkle.

Magic was an unknown variable in the creation of 'Ravage', as the scientists discovered that the virus acted differently in a unicorn's blood more than any other race. A Carrier...that was the abnormality. They discovered Twilight Sparkle was the first carrier, but before further study could be done on her...she infected a pony. It wasn't long before the entire underground facility housing the 'Ravage' was compromised, the virus spilling out into the world of Equestria.

With her memory wiped and her body delivered back to Ponyville, the Royal and Lunar Guard began a quiet, undercover battle to eliminate 'The Afflicted' before they had a chance to attack the cities. However...when the Affliction hit Ponyville and Ponyville only, Celestia immediately quarantined the town, sealing it off from the rest of Equestria, and abandoning it to the disease.

Her original plan had been to kill everypony...but then she decided to build up the affliction...to use the ponies infected in Ponyville to attack the Gryphons. When we rescued the innocents of Ponyville however...Twilight ran off. We didn't know where she went or why...but whatever happened, it ended up in the capture of a de-horned Princess Celestia.

We've secured Celestia in the dungeons of Canterlot, and have effectively sealed off the city from the rest of Equestria. We know about the shield's falling around Ponyville...and all we can do now is send quick warning and word to every major and minor city and town in Equestria...and tell them to hide...tell them to run...

......tell them...Don't Go Outside..."

-Captain Shadow-Mane in a debrief to Princess Luna.

"TWILIGHT!!!" Macintosh shouted, causing everypony to stir in the caboose car. The panicked work-horse galloped towards the back of the car, hastily shoving open the back cars and moving out onto the balcony.

The two guards posted on the rear jumped as he came charging through, their shocked cries ringing out into the windy night. "Whoa nelly! Easy there! He's trying to jump the rails, stop him!"

"Macintosh what in the hay are ya doing!?" Applejack shouted as she tried to help the guards pull a flailing Macintosh back over the back railing of the caboose.

"Twilight teleported outside! She ran off towards the Everfree!!!" Macintosh cried, his voice barely carrying over the roar of the train "Twilight!!! Twilight come back!!!!"

No matter how loud he screamed...no answer was made to him. Twilight...was gone. "Come on darn it!" Applejack groaned, pulling the weeping Macintosh back into the caboose "Pull yerself together Mac! Twilight wouldn't go runnin' off unless she had a real good reason!"

"That's right...she wouldn't!" Interjected a startled Rarity, who was shaken from her deep beauty sleep. "Twilight always goes in with a plan...she knows what she's doing."

"But what IS she doing!?" wept Macintosh, his tears flowing down his face "Why didn't she say where she was going!? Why did she leave now, of all times!?Just as we finally escaped Ponyville she goes n' throws herself back into the fray!?"

The two mares looked at one another for a moment, the same questions written on both of their faces. Where...did she go? Why would she go? Did she see something...say something? "Macintosh," Applejack whispered to him, putting a gentle hoof on his shoulder and giving him a slight shake "What did Twi' say to ya'll before she up and left...she say anythin' at all?"

Macintosh sniffed, wiping his eyes for a moment before whimpering towards his sister "She asked if ah remembered when ah told her that ah would come back for mah heart...and if ah would wait for her like she did fer me...ah started to say 'yes' but then she...she left!"

Rarity narrowed her eyes and went into deep thought as Applejack helped a weeping Macintosh to his bunk, whispering to a drowsy Catie and Spike who were staring over at them "Ya'll go back to bed now...Big Macintosh was just havin' nightmares is all!"

"But..." Catie whispered, watching as Macintosh rolled into his bunk reluctantly "Where's Twilight?"

Macintosh involuntarily kicked the side of his bunk as the words left the filly's lips, drawing a sigh out of Applejack who turned towards the two little ones and whispered "She just...she went somewhere right quick. She'll be back soon, don't ya'll worry!"

This seemed to put the worries of the young ones to rest, the both of them curling back up to sleep. Applejack let out a weary sigh, looking back to make sure Macintosh was alright. He shivered slightly, his back turned to Applejack. "Will he be alright?" Rarity whispered as Applejack sat next to her, staring towards the ground.

"Ah don't know Rarity..." she sighed, tilting her stetson up and rubbing her forehead "He's never been too taken with a mare before, ya know? What ah wanna know is where in the hay Twi' ran off to?"

"I have a theory..." Rarity muttered, putting a hoof to her chin. "Twilight's no fool...she wouldn't just run off for no reason. Considering we're on a train...I'm thinking she saw something outside...something that was worth going after..."

Applejack's eyes widened, her breath a panicked whisper "Oh mah stars, you don't mean to say Celestia or somethin' mighta been out there!?"

Rarity looked up towards Applejack, a serious look in her eye "It is a possibility...remember when Shadow-Mane said the outbreak may have originated near Ponyville? I think Twilight knew exactly where the facility was, she went to go stop this once and for all."

Applejack looked back towards the floor and whispered "Then why did she go alone...? We're her friends, the Elements of Harmony!"

"Maybe she was scared..." Rarity sighed, leaning back against the train car wall "Scared that we might ourselves get infected with the disease. There's no cure Applejack...it's better to risk only one Element then three, don't you think?"

Applejack shook her head "No, I don't. What if she gets herself bit? She's outside of the quarantine zone Rarity. If they got infected ponies locked up in that facility, and she goes n' unlocks all the doors trying to kill em all...she could spread the damn thing across all of Equestria!"

"AJ..." Rarity whispered "We're talking about the most powerful unicorn in existence, third to Celestia and Luna. I have faith in her...you should to."

"Hey...ah have plenty o' faith in Twi'!" Applejack grumbled "Ah just wish...ah wish things could be different."

Rarity nodded, and for awhile the two of them sat in silence.

Not all silence lasts forever...

The train gave a sudden lurch as a distant 'boom' was heard echoing across the land. Applejack's ears perked up as she heard several train cars opening, the flapping of wings whooshing in the air. She ran over to one of the windows and quickly peered outside, gasping as she waved a hoof over at Rarity. "C'mere, quick!" She whispered, drawing the diva to quickly make her way over.

"What is it?" Rarity gasped "What's out-...oh dear." They were staring at several chariots, pulled by bulky Pegasus ponies, that had flown to the side of the train, picking up several of the Lunar Guard. The squadron hovered for only a few moments before veering away, turning in the direction of Ponyville and flying back. In the far distance...Applejack could see what looked like the glow of a rising sun.

"That can't be..." Applejack breathed "There's no way it's mornin' already! It was only getting past dusk about an hour or so ago!"

"Celestia..." Rarity growled, staring towards the reddening horizon "It's Princess Celestia...she's raising the sun for some reason..."

It wasn't long after that...that a even larger boom, a thunderous one, shook the train with considerable force. "Whoa! What's going on!?" Spike cried out, sitting up as Applejack stared in horror towards the direction of Ponyville. From here, she could see the yellow shards of the magical shield that once held Ponyville captive...flying through the air.

"Oh no..." Rarity gasped, her hooves flying up to her mouth.

"What is it?! What's wrong?!" Catie whimpered, drawing a questioning stare from Big Macintosh as well.

"The shield..." Applejack whimpered "Ponyville's free....."

"....and so are they."

Macintosh - Life as he knew it

Big Macintosh didn't want to wake up. He would have preferred to stay asleep. Anypony would have wanted to stay asleep on a Monday morning...but he remained awake regardless. He opened his eyes slowly, staring towards the far, cream-colored wall that made up a fourth of his cramped room. Or should he say...'Apartment'...

He grumbled, rolling onto his back and staring up at the ceiling fan that turned rapidly overhead. Some days he wished it would just break...fall from its secure hold on the ceiling and come crashing down onto his unsuspecting head. It would sure be a hell of a lot better than staying in this utter shithole.

He sat up slowly, his eyes drooped and his lips pursed in a grim frown. He looked more angry, or upset, than he did tired. It may that he had been used to restless nights since his stay in Ponyville...or that Twilight was still missing. He knew Applejack was full of shit when she said the unicorn would be back. She could be in danger right now, in need of help! What if she was in need of a rescue, or medical attention!? How could he get to her from behind this 'new' cage he found himself in!

It was simple...he couldn't.

He turned his head slowly, looking over the tight confines of his 'Apartment' carefully. It was a single-room apartment, no bigger then a small kitchen, with a small bed pushed up in one corner of the room with a massive pile of cider bottles in another. There was no bathroom, no living room, not even a closet. A small desk and a tiny lamp rested against one side of the wall, and a dresser took up the other. He cast a disgruntled look towards the digital clock on the nightstand, the gleaming red numbers displaying the time 4:21 A.M.

He sighed, pushing off the covers and getting to his hooves. Another early start...as always. His body seemed to have gotten used to the sleep abuse he was giving himself, waking up at the slightest hint of noise or getting up to start his chores at Sweet Apple Acres.

With a tired groan, Macintosh made his way over to the door, pushing it open with a hoof and stepping out onto the ramparts of the apartment complex. The city of Canterlot looked beautiful at night, with the full moon casting its eerie glow across the marble surfaces of the buildings. The towering pillars of towers were glowing with a hue of midnight blue, cast from the massive shield that covered just about half of the mountain.

How they managed to keep that up...he'd never understand. He was a pony of physical proportions, not magical. He put his hooves up on the railing, looking over and down at the fountain that rested in the courtyard of the 'U' shaped apartment complex. He thought about a lot of things as he stared towards the fountain, his mind and body too bored to do anything else. He couldn't really complain about the apartments...after all, most of the populace of Equestria was flocking to the mountain. Trains came in day and night...although there was a noticeable decrease in their amount as the weeks went by.

That meant that either everypony had saved...or that there wasn't anypony LEFT to save...

In the first week since the shield fell...Macintosh hadn't heard a word about any movements of the infection. But after Applejack and Rarity returned from the royal castle from a meeting with Princess Luna, bad news followed with them. There had been reports of attacks near Hoofington, as well as Phillydelphia. No news of Manehatten or Appleloosa though, not even of Cloudsdale, the city that Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy had gone to to help with the evacuation...the city everypony referred to nowadays as 'The Hornet's Nest'.

He grimaced, looking up at the moon. Was Twilight up there...watching over him? Was she dead? Was she...one of them? Why couldn't Luna do something...a fancy spell or a search party would be just fine! He sighed, bowing his head and perking his ears to the sounds of a door opening nearby.

"Can't sleep?" came the weary voice of Applejack, the hatless mare rubbing at her eyes as she quietly walked towards her brother from next door.

"Ee-nope..." Macintosh sighed, staring towards the fountain.

"Ah hear ya...it's bout this time that you n' me would be gettin' up to rouse the chickens n' start the buckin'" Applejack replied, a small smile on her face. "Ah miss those times..."

Macintosh nodded slightly, remembering the good times on the farm...back before it was a smoldering, ashen wasteland of burnt trees and grass "Eeyup...ah do to."

Applejack stared out towards the distant shield, wondering how life was for any remaining survivors outside. Were they surviving like they did all those weeks ago? "Ya know..." Applejack sighed "Ah can't wait for all this to get back to normal, ya know?" Big Macintosh looked over at her, an eyebrow raised and a questioning look etched on his face. "Seriously," Applejack said, a defensive tone in her voice "Things always go back to normal eventually, don't matter what the setback is! Just you wait Macintosh...give it a month, maybe two, and we'll be back on Sweet Apple Acres plantin' trees n' makin' cider, just like we used to!"

"You said that about Twilight as well..." Macintosh grumbled, looking back towards the fountain "And we all see how that's working out..."

Applejack frowned, her brow furrowing as she growled "Hey now, ah said she'll be back, and ah mean it! Ah'm the Element o' Honesty Mac, ah wouldn't lie bout that!"

Macintosh stayed silent, not bothering to push it further. It wasn't worth it...not right now at least. He turned his attention back to the sleeping city, taking a moment to look up at the shield and mutter "How do they keep that shield up Sis?"

"Hmm?" Applejack asked, looking up at the shield as well "Oh the shield? Luna's got some kinda crystal thingy or what not powerin' the sucker. Ah don't get any of that magic mumbo jumbo, ya know that."

"Your sure that'll keep em out?" Macintosh whispered, his eyes centering on a single spot of the shield.

"Yeah...why do you a- oh..." Applejack began but suddenly stopped, looking up to where he was. A Pegasus Afflicted was hovering over the shield, buzzing around a single spot like a vulture circling its prey. Blood and saliva dripped from the diseased pony, sizzling and disintegrating against the magical barrier. "Huh...well ah'll be" Applejack whispered in awe "One of em actually made it up here. Well there's yer answer Macintosh, as long as we're in here, and they're out there, we're safe."

Macintosh scoffed as the Afflicted flapped away, flailing about in the air as it struggled to stay airborne. "Yeah..." he grumbled "That's how it all went for Ponyville to...we all saw how long that one stayed up..."

Applejack groaned, facehoofing and throwing a glare towards her brother "Would you cut that shit out Macintosh? Try some optimism for once, for fuck sakes! Yes, the shield around Ponyville went n' fell, yes, it could very well happen to this one to! Am I worried about it!? NO! Ah have faith in Luna's hocus pocus n' the strength of The Lunar Guard! Try letting the sun through the clouds sometime Mac, you'll feel better."

She sighed, looking at his distraught expression and scooting closer to him, pulling him into a side-hug. "It's gonna be fine Macintosh...ok? Ah promise it's gonna be ok. Ah swear it on mah status as the Element o' Honesty."

"Ah believe you..." Macintosh whispered, nuzzling the top of his sister's head "Ah always do...go on, get back to bed. Ah'll wake you when the morn' comes round."

Applejack nodded and gave her brother one final squeeze around his middle before turning on her hooves and heading back to her room. "Macintosh?" she called out as she reached the door, drawing the workhorse to look over and raise an eyebrow. The country mare put a hoof against the door, looking at him with concern for a moment before giving him a small smile and whispering "Ah love you...goodnight, and get some sleep for Luna's sake."

Macintosh smiled, nodding to her and whispering back "Ah love you too Sugarcube, g'night."

He waited until his sister had gone back into her apartment before turning and walking down the concrete ramparts of the building. Some air...yeah...some air would do him good.

~*~

Macintosh sat quietly in Canter-trot Park, laying out on one of the wooden benches in the center of the wooded area. A small central fountain trickled quietly with the sound of flowing water, adding a sense of calm to the area. A port in the storm...as it were. He chuckled, thinking back on the old refuge he and the others had in Ponyville, right across the street from Twilight's Library. The nights where he huddled close with the mares and Spike, keeping each other warm and company in the darkest of times. The times where he and Carrot Top cracked bad jokes...before she was beheaded in the streets. Or the time where Junebug made him the best bowl of canned soup in the world for him...right before she went crashing out of the house and into the hooves of the Afflicted.

He sighed, snuggling up on his belly and staring into the trees. Fireflies fluttered and floated about in a peaceful, graceful light show. It was so cold out...cold without his dear Twilight...cold in his heart, with no lavender unicorn to share it with.

"A beautiful night, is it not?" whispered a voice from the darkness, causing Macintosh to jump from the bench, standing at full alert as the sound of hooves against cobblestone drew closer. "Be at peace, dear Macintosh...I meant you no fright."
Macintosh turned his head towards the sound of the voice, his tension immediately subsiding as a flowing mane of stars caught his eyes. He knelt slowly as Princess Luna stepped out into the moonlight, her eyes weary but twinkling with energy. She held out a hoof out and whispered "Oh Macintosh, you need not kneel...come, rise. What brings you to the park so early in the morning?"

He rose and let his eyes wander over her, the fitting of her lunar armor, the black metal of her tiara, the bags under her eyes from lack of sleep. Seemed to be an unpopular trend going around...ponies losing sleep. Then again, with the way things were in today's day and age, who wouldn't lose it? "Milady" Macintosh breathed "Ah hope ah'm not intrudin'...just needed some air."

Luna smiled, her mane flowing quietly behind her as she said "Worry not dear, it is technically the middle of the day for me and I needed a quiet stroll myself. A break from all the dreaded worries and concerns of the kingdom." The stallion nodded as Luna motioned towards the bench, her royal hoof-shoes making soft 'clinks' against the ground. "Come, sit with me" she whispered, moving towards the bench.

The two of them sat, staring into the trees for a good long while, silence wrapping around them. Macintosh couldn't complain, despite all the questions he had for her, sometimes a good silence was therapeutic for those under stress. Considering Luna was facing the total loss of all of Equestria and the loss of her sister's sanity...Macintosh could tell that her stress was more than likely extreme.

For several more minutes the two of them sat, watching the fireflies floating about, and then Luna spoke "So Cloudsdale has fallen..."

Macintosh blinked in surprise at the Princesses sudden outburst, looking over at Luna whose smile had faded slightly "What about all the ponies still livin' there?" Macintosh whispered "Miss Dash n' Miss Shy?"

"On their way back, I believe" Luna muttered, rubbing at her forehead gently "Shadow-Mane reports that around seventy or so survivors have made it..."

Macintosh frowned as he heard this, whispering quietly "How...many ponies originally inhabited Cloudsdale?"

"Over two thousand" Luna muttered, looking up at the star-filled sky. "How did it all come to this Macintosh?"

"What do you mean Princess" Macintosh asked, shifting his weight on the bench.

Luna sighed, staring across the various constellations she had often called her 'paintings'. "Four months ago," she began "I was studying modern Equestrian Politics. Three months ago I was keeping the throne warm for my sister as she went about trying to savagely murder two entire races in Equestria. One month ago I turned Canterlot into a fortress and a refugee camp." She shook her head, looking over at the work horse and whispering "How...how did it all come to this? How did we let it get this bad?"

Macintosh shook his head, sighing "Ah don't know Princess...all ah know is that this is the present. We can't change the past....but we can change what happens in the future. As long as we do our best to keep our loved ones alive...we'll all have a good future."

The princess nodded, putting a hoof on his shoulder and whispering "Thank you Macintosh."

"For what?" he asked, an eyebrow raised.

"For keeping me company." Luna muttered "It is good to have a relaxing talk with somepony from time to time."

Macintosh chuckled as he replied "Not to sound disrespectful princess but...ah hardly think anypony is gonna have any time to relax with the danger that's lurkin' just outside ya'lls big shield...thingy. That and...well ah wish ah had a certain sompeony's company right now..."

"Twilight Sparkle..." Luna whispered, drawing a slight wince out of Big Macintosh "You miss her..."

Macintosh sighed "She hasn't come back still...ah don't know if she's alive or dead out there...how can anypony survive out there?"

"You did." Luna pointed out, giving him a tender smile "So did Rarity and Applejack, Spike, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. Even Pinkie Pie and the Cake's twins who now reside in the Royal Quarter of Canterlot Castle. She makes an excellent dessert specialist...top of the line foods." The two of them shared a chuckle as Luna went on "Think about who you're worried about dear. Of course you should be worried...but do not forget that this is the same mare who, forgive me if I miss a few things...defeated Nightmare Moon, Discord, led Cerberus back to Tartarus, and defeated Princess Celestia herself. I do not thing she would let a few diseased ponies get in her way."

She could see that some of the worry had dissipated, but not all. She gave him a light nudge and made sure that he was looking him in the eye before she spoke "I have The Lunar Guard searching for her night and day Macintosh, from Ponyville to Manehatten. It's hard, of course...with the monsters out there, but I have them search regardless. If she's out there, we'll find her, ok?" Macintosh nodded as Luna got up, her smile fading fully as she looked up towards the castle and said "I thank you for the company Macintosh...I'm afraid I must depart. The sun will require its...service soon. Good day." With a nod from the stallion, Luna took off, leaving him alone with the fireflies.

As soon as she was gone, he scoffed, shaking his head and laying back down on his belly on the bench. Searching night and day...searching for her...yeah, bullshit. The Lunar Guard had their hooves full with survivors and fighting The Afflicted to deal with a search and rescue, regardless of who the target was. Hell, he'd be out there looking for her himself it that damn shield wasn't in the way. He groaned, putting his front hooves over his eyes. He felt so useless, stuck in this stupid little cage. Sometimes he felt like the protections were reversed...that he was trapped inside rather than The Afflicted outside.

With no choice in the matter, Macintosh rolled over on his back and stared at the stars...watching as the orange tint of the morning began to stretch and glow across the sky. What could he do, trapped in this place? What could he do to help Twilight, help Equestria? What the hell was he even supposed to be doing? Living? Walking? Sitting in his apartment waiting for nothing to happen?

He couldn't do anything.

Nothing except sit on his fat, stallion ass and wait.

It was official...life as he knew it, was completely over.

But if it was over...what would happen now? What would he do? He shuddered at the thought...

Shadow-Mane - Battle: Cloudsdale

The Air-Docks of Canterlot were an interesting thing to see, according to tourists. A sort of 'ship-yard' if you will, but more air-based than anything. Balloons, zeppelins, air-boats, chariots and their many varieties. All housed in a gigantic warehouse situated next to long wooden piers suspended in the air, anchored to the mountain with several supports. While in past times the Air-Docks were used for convenient trading and tourism...the drums of war were beating, and the Air-Docks ferried soldiers instead of civilians.

It was on one of these long piers that a calm looking Captain Shadow-Mane sat, his yellow eyes fixated on the far horizon. His wings were restless, fluttering at his side slightly in anticipation. If he wasn't a veteran, he would have said it was out of nervousness...but no, merely eagerness. Eagerness to get out into the sky, to dive, to soar....to fight. It would be his tenth combat drop this month, more action then he had ever seen in his entire military career. Sure there were a few skirmishes to be had here and there...a rebellion, a police action....but this. This wasn't any simple war. No...it was much more personal this time.

It was Cloudsdale....his home.

Behind them, a flurry of activity was taking place. The docks swarmed with Pegasai who ran about, checking and rechecking gear and making sure the Air-Boats and chariots were ready to go. The Air-Boats looked like any ship you'd see in the water...only fitted with some internal, magical crystals imbued with a levitation spell, and slightly less sails. Quite ingenious, if you had an extended knowledge in that sort of arcane knowledge. Shadow-Mane remembered that day and scoffed, thinking back on his Arcaneium 101 classes. Those crystals were life savers...the only known piece of rock able to be charged and manipulable with magic.

He turned his to watch the preparations at hoof, watching as several of the Pegasai were fitted with small, metallic frames on their back. They flapped their wings comfortably through the slits of the frame, the buckles of the harness attached to it being buckled around their belly.

Shadow-Mane scoffed, looking back forward towards the horizon. Ah yes...another weapon of war for the Pegasus ponies who were helpless in combat while flying. Shadow-Mane often had never seen the use for them...but I guess somepony got tired of lugging around unicorns in a chariot for any sort of ranged combat. From behind, one of The Lunar Guard heaved up a long, metal sort of contraption. It consisted of a small box with a long barrel on the end of it, with two sort of metal arms dangling from the side that had a hoof shaped cover on the ends of them, like shoes. The contraption was fitted onto one of the metal frames worn by the other soldiers, the sounds of clicking indicating it had been secured. After the box and barrel were fitted, the pony wearing the frame fit his hooves into the metallic shoes attached to the arms, flexing slightly and getting used to their feel.

'A simple device...', Shadow-Mane thought, his eye looming and looking towards the rear. 'A case of bullets loaded into the metal box...a heavy push forward with your hooves...and the rifle goes kaboom...' Sure it added a weight issue...but after wearing it for so long, you learned to get used to it. They called it a 'Wing-Cannon'...but he preferred the title 'Pain in the Fucking Ass'.

"Captain, I've got your rig!" said a voice, one familiar to the Captain.

"Bring it here Nightfire...let's do this quick." Shadow-Mane sighed, turning to face the other Pegasus who was trotting up to him with a Wing-Cannon of his own on his back, pulling a disassembled cannon in a wagon behind him. Shadow-Mane had often admired Nightfire's spirit, the colt willing to do just about anything for his fellow pony or his Captain. He often remembered the times when Nightfire had saved his flank, always keeping an eye out for danger that that everypony else may have missed. Careful and precise, but humorous and likeable...just the kind of soldier Shadow-Mane needed.

The Captain said nothing as Nightfire fitted the Wing-Cannon across his back, checking its cleanliness and functionality. There was no use in having a gun if you couldn't even fire it. "Nightfire..." Shadow-Mane suddenly said, looking up into the sky.

"Sir?" Nightfire replied, fitting the metal box and cannon onto the frame.

"Do you ever get scared before a drop, or any kind of mission that you know will combat?" Shadow-Mane muttered, his eyes vacant of emotion.

"Course, you'd be an idiot not to sir" Nightfire replied, opening up a small panel on the back of the cannon. "I always get scared. The possibility of dying up there is always constant...but as long as you watch your back and your buddies, everypony will go home at the end of the day."

"Good words Nightfire..." Shadow-Mane whispered as Nightfire slid a metal box of ammo into the slot located in the cannon box, closing it up tight and giving it a few taps with his hoof. He then proceeded to pull a large, blue-colored knife in a sheath off the table nearby, strapping it to the Captain's leg. He also handed him his pair of flight goggles, stringing them around his neck.

"Course sir, all ready to go!" came the Seargent's gleeful cry, the Pegasus sitting on his haunches next to the Captain.

The two of them were quiet for a moment, simply staring out into the horizon before Nightfire spoke up. "Captain...," he began "Are you scared?"

Shadow-Mane didn't answer right away, letting the words sink in along with the sounds of groaning wood and metallic clanking. "Yes, Nightfire, I'm scared." He finally replied "But I'm more angry than anything. Angry and eager..."

"Because of Cloudsdale sir?" Nightfire whispered.

Shadow-Mane nodded and muttered "Indeed...I may not be a pony of many emotions...but you know how soft I get when I start thinking about home..."

Nightfire put a hoof on his shoulder as the commanding shouts of other Captains and Seargent's filled the air. "We'll take it back Captain...we will!" He whispered as he got to his hooves, the roars of the soldiers growing louder and louder.

"Onto the ships!!!"

"Move it up! Get on board!"

"Fall in! FALL IN!!!"

The two got to their hooves, turning and clambering forward with their weapons. They moved towards one of the filling Air-Boats, climbing the wooden ramp upwards and onto the ship. After finding an empty spot on the deck, Shadow-Mane lifted his hoof and shouted as Nightfire sat on his haunches next to him.

"Shadow Company, over here! Form up on me! Moon-Lance, Sky-Driver, Wind-Weaver, over here!"

Several ponies moved out of the steadily moving line in front of the Air-Boat, clambering aboard quickly and moving over towards the Captain. They all snapped to attention and gave him a proper salute as the rest of The Lunar Guard swarmed onto the other ships. "Listen up..." Shadow-Mane growled, his eyes narrowing in determination. "We've done these drops before, we all know the drill. They don't have guns so they can't shoot back, but they will swarm so keep a steady eye on your ass, got it?" The ponies nodded, jumping slightly as the Air-Boat gave a lurch forward, floating towards the shield.

"Open er' up!" came the shout of somepony at the head of one of the boats, the blueish shield dissipating in a large section on the side. Guns were cocked and aimed towards the hole, unicorn crew members doing the same with their horns. They couldn't afford to let anything get through as they got out...they couldn't let the last stand fall. It was a tense set of minutes as the Air-Boats passed through the hole, and as they did, the shield quickly reformed behind them. As the shield closed up behind them, Shadow-Mane grimaced and looked at the passing mountains.

It was funny...the common joke around some of the guards had been a friendly mockery of the rules many Ponyville Citizens lived by during their imprisonment three months ago. 'Don't go outside!!!' they often hissed, watching as the boats or soldiers left Canterlot. The Captain couldn't really blame them...just being outside the shield made him feel dirty.

"All right..." Shadow-Mane grumbled "Dismissed...take some time for yourselves...get loose, get comfy." His squad nodded, dispersing quietly to attend to their own business. Prayers, letters to home in case the battle left them no longer amongst the living...or one of them.

There we no letters to be had from Shadow-Mane...he had no family. The last of his kin, The Captain did not waste time with such trivial matters. He was too busy for love...too bloody for comfort. War was his mare, and he fucked her like a plow would a field. Prayers though...were not beyond him. He walked quietly to the port side of the ship, kneeling slightly and closing his eyes. His words were quiet, a hushed whisper as he prayed to Luna.

"My Lunar Princess...watch over me this day. Watch over my soldiers...let them come home. If a pony needs to die today, let it be me. Guide my aim, guide my blade, guide my spirit. Let my wings carry me forward once more into the fray, and into my once cherished home. Please...allow it to be this day...the day I atone for all my sins. In the Moon's name, I pray to you my Princess, Amen."

Minutes passed at first...then hours...and then finally...

He stood up as the first of the Captain's shouted "Form up! Prepare to drop!". Shadow-Mane quickly waved a hoof in his air, signaling his ponies to move towards the side of the ship. Ponies flocked to the wooden railings of the air-boats, getting into formation and turning their flanks towards the open sky. "Just like scuba-diving" one Pegasus said, drawing a chuckle out of his friend.

Shadow-Mane took his position next to Nightfire and grimaced, getting his mind as battle-ready as he could. He knew what he was going to be facing down there...he always did. The words from the others weren't helping him at all however...

"You hear what they say about Dale?"

"Whole fucking place is a diseased hornet's nest now..."

"Yeah, and we're about to buck the shit out of it..."

"How many they get out again?"

"Around seventy something I heard..."

"Leaves about...two thousand plus?"

"Oh shit...there's that many?"

"Ah fuck it, Phillydelphia had more"

"Wait, Philly was hit!?"

"Shit wasn't that one of the last cities to go?"

"Poor bastards...maybe we'll get to drop there too."

"Quiet..." Shadow-Mane growled towards his right, looking at the watch that wrapped around his hoof, opposite of his knife.

"Red Signal, drop is in standby! Thirty Seconds to wing-off!" Shadow-Mane barked to his ponies, the other Captains mimicking his words to their own squads.

This was it...the calm before the storm. Already he could hear the crackle of magic from below as the Air-Boats and chariots combated their soaring assailants, distracting them from the drop crews.

"Yellow Signal! Prepare to Drop! Safety's off!" Shadow-Mane shouted, twisting his right hoof and pulling backwards, making the metal arm push up against a switch marked 'Safety'. Clicks were heard all around as the cannons were armed, a small machine inside the box loading a round.

This was it...this was the end...once more into the fray...into the clear blue skies...into the beautiful ocean of air.

"Stand by!!! STAND BY!!!!" Shadow-Mane barked, pushing a whistle in his mouth that Nightfire had handed to him, flicking his flight goggles down at the same time.

5....

4....

3...

2...

1....

"FOR CLOUDSDALE!" Roared The Lunar Guard, whistles blowing shrilly in the air. "Green Light! DIVE DIVE DIVE!" Shouted the Captains, the ponies standing on the side of the railing leaning backwards and falling through the air. Captain Shadow-Mane sucked in a breath as he stood on his back hooves, extending his front hooves outwards and letting himself fall back. Seconds became years as he slowly let out a tired breath, his mind as free and clear as it would ever be that day.

He fell through the air with his fellow soldiers, his eyes open and staring downwards into the chaotic hell they were diving into.

Cloudsdale...the very city he grew up in...was in utter chaos. Bolts of magic flew this way and that, the tracers of bullets visible in the air. The city itself looked to be in utter ruin, with swarms of Afflicted rushing through the air. "Shadow Squad, break formation and form attack pattern Omega! On me, now!" Shadow-Mane roared over the wind, fanning out his wings and banking sharply to the right. His squad of four quickly followed from behind, forming into a V-shaped pattern of ponies.

All around, the rest of the mass broke off, forming their own units and squads and soaring down towards the city of white. "Clear the skies and prepare a landing zone! We need to secure the middle square for the unicorns!" came the order from Shadow-Mane, the group angling their front hooves in preparations to push them forward and open fire. A group of ten afflicted Pegasai had turned from the main swarm, their eyes gleaming with the color of red and their snarls echoing across the air currents. "Single out your targets, do not panic and steady your aim!" Shadow-Mane commanded, looking up at the cannon over his head and aiming it carefully with a slight adjustment of his body.

As the Afflicted drew closer, Shadow-Mane waited until he could see cutie-marks before shouting "OPEN FIRE!!!" His ears rang as his and his other squad-mates' cannons went off. Five Afflicted went down with bullets, their bodies falling out of their swarming formation and tumbling down through the air. Shadow-Mane pulled back his front hooves and the machine clicked, shooting out the bullet casing. He threw them back forward with a heaving push, firing off another round which struck home. All but one of the Afflicted remained, and he had come too close for rifle fire.

"I've got him!" Nightfire roared, banking hard to the left and doing a barrel roll as he pulled his leg-knife out with his teeth. He caught the Afflicted in mid-air, falling back behind the squad as they surged forward. Shadow-Mane took a glance back and watched as Nightfire gutted the Afflicted in the throat, shoving him away with a buck and re-sheathing his blade. With a quick surge of his wings, Nightfire was already well on his way to catching up. As the group got lower, the streets of Cloudsdale opened up to them. A large section had been blocked off, with Pegasai trying their best to barricade and cut off the streets while defending their overhead position.

"Down there!" Shadow-Mane barked, pointing with a hoof towards the middle of the barricades were several Lunar Guard were already holding the line. Shadow Squad dove quickly, coming down with a quick landing as they galloped forward with momentum onto the ground. "Form up! Secure the perimeter and prepare to move out!" Gunfire rang out everywhere as bodies fell from the sky, tumbling towards the ground far below.

Afflicted rained down from the sky in troves, with bullets meeting them halfway. "SHOOT UP! SHOOT, UP!" Roared Shadow-Mane who reared back on his hooves, aiming his cannon upwards and firing. Afflicted fell around their hooves, but it still wasn't enough to thin the horde that was slowly building up in numbers. "Take cover! Get into the alleys!"

Shadow Squad rushed into one of the alleys between the cloud buildings, hunkering down and aiming their cannons towards the entrance. As Afflicted landed on the street, they were quickly dispatched by the ambushing squad...but the numbers still did not let up. "Fucking hell!" Moon-Lance screamed "There may as well be two MILLION of em'!"

"Shut up and get your head in the fight Lance!" Wind-Weaver barked, gunning a bullet into one of the Afflicted's eyes.

For two minutes the slaughter continued, bodies piling higher and higher in the street. It wasn't until a charred body fell that Shadow-Mane shouted "HOLD YOUR FIRE!" With careful hoof movements, Shadow Squad slowly made their way towards the front of the entrance, looking up and taking a moment to stare in horror and awe.

"Holy shit..." Nightfire wheezed, putting a hoof over his mouth.

All around, unicorn's in pulled chariots used their combine magic to ignite and launch fire through the skies. Flame and molten fire was thrown about the sky, crashing into several swarms of the diseased ponies. "Oh that's just sick..." Moon-Lance groaned, his stomach heaving.

"Better them then us" Sky-Driver grumbled, shifting the weight of Wing-Cannon to his left side.

"Alright cut the chatter" Shadow-Mane grumbled "Let's get moving to the main district. The sooner we take Cloud Square, the sooner we can establish a forward command and get the 'Cloud-Crete' crystals up here." The Cloud-Crete crystals...just another twist of unrestricted magic...a crystal with a powerful aura enough to allow unicorns and earth ponies to walk on clouds as they would the ground.

It was the only way they could properly secure Cloudsdale...the only way to save it, despite the many arguments that Shadow-Mane threw towards the subject. The crystals were still a fresh form of new magic in Equestria...they were too unpredictable. If that crystal suddenly decided to shit out on them...they were going to have to find quite a few more body bags to pick up all the broken unicorns strewn about on the ground below Cloudsdale.

"Alright...let's get moving" Shadow-Mane muttered, moving up the street quickly with his squad. It had only been ten minutes since Shadow-Mane first dove backwards out of the Air-Boat...and it'd be another two days until Cloudsdale could be taken...considering everything went well.

With the lines drawn and the blood raining down from the sky, The Lunar Guard began their vicious struggle to retake the sky.

Macintosh - Taking Candy from Strangers...

"Yes little one...one day, when you're big and strong. All powerful unicorns have to start somewhere my sweet filly.

Now...close your eyes...take in a deep breath....relax.......good night my dear."

- A goodnight from Twilight's Mother.

Macintosh stared up at the ceiling of his apartment, his eyes fixed so intently on one section he was afraid that he'd pierce a hole through it after too long. He turned his head slowly the door and sniffed, the aroma of cider clogging his nostrils. The neighbors were probably drinking again...that's all they really ever did anymore. Drink and party like it was the end of the world...which Macintosh of course said was ironic.

Right now, the only thing Macintosh could really hear that was any sort of 'party' worthy was the steady 'Thump, Thump, Thump' against the wall right behind his head and headboard. The shrill shrieks and screams of pleasure echoed through the thin walls, causing the red stallion to grimace and pull a pillow over his head. Of all the times to Tussle...the bastards had to get it on right when he was trying to take a nap.

He tried his best to tune it out, and for a moment he thought they might be done as the screams suddenly stopped. But no...screams turned to low, hot groans, pissing off the stallion even more. He sat up in bed roughly, turning his body slightly and banging on the wall with his hoof. He waited for any kind of reply or a voice of question...but only groans answered him.

With a loud snort, Macintosh whipped off his blankets and quickly trotted to the door. With a shove out of his door and a quick turn to the right, Macintosh lifted a hoof and banged heavily on his neighbor's door. He waited with an annoyed expression on his face, sitting back on his haunches. After ten seconds, he banged on the door again, harder then before. He could have sworn he heard a splintering sound emitting from the door after his third knock...

It wasn't long after that until Macintosh heard the rumbling of curses and 'What the fuck?!' from behind the door. He listened at the sounds of a few locks being unlocked and finally watched as the door opened slightly. An average sized, sweating colt with a white coat and a blue mane answered, looking Macintosh up and down for a moment. He narrowed his eyes and growled "The hell do you want, I'm busy!"

Macintosh growled back "Can ya'll keep the tusslin' down? Ah'm trying to catch some sleep and it's a bit hard if ya'll are makin' all that racket!"

The colt simply laughed in his face and barked "Why do you have to be so intent on ruining other ponies' fun? I'm enjoying a casual afternoon with my wife and I'd appreciate if you kept your dumb hic nose out of it. Now piss off you fucking imbred." With that, he slammed the door in Macintosh's face, locking it back up swiftly.

Macintosh stared at the door with a blank expression on his face as the sounds of his neighbor's love-making intensified, reaching as far as the front door now. "So much fer a nap..." Macintosh grumbled, turning away from the door and heading towards the complex's stairs.

"What a load a shit..." he sighed, descending the stairs.

Today was going to be a long one...he could tell.

~*~

"Should a seen the flank on that one...hoowee!"

"I've actually hoofed that...not too impressive."

"What?!"

"Can you believe this foal?"

'I'm serious, did it right in the back of the chariot shop!"

Macintosh stared down at his daisy sandwich, his ears drooping at the idiotic conversation between three colts going on behind him at a table. He was sitting in a lunch bar at one of the front counter's stools. He figured if he couldn't sleep...some food wouldn't hurt. Just as he was about to take a bite out of it, however, the colts behind him started their dumb conversation. He dropped his sandwich promptly after that, staring at it for a moment before holding up a hoof and growling "Check please...ah'll take this to-go...."

~*~

Downtown Canterlot was a nice little area, filled with all sorts of neat little shops. Antiques, general stores, jewelry, and countless others! The streets weren't crammed, but they were definitely busy. Macintosh strolled calmly down the right side of the street, walking behind a group of four ponies while his sandwich bounced around in a styrofoam box on his back.

The weather was fairly nice...nice and cool. It reminded the stallion of the spring days where he and Applejack would sit with Granny Smith and Applebloom in the orchard and enjoy a nice picnic. Apple fritters...apple pie...apple cider...and the soothing spring wind blowing gently across his face and mane. It was this thought that brought a slight tear to the stallion's eyes...wishing he could go back to that time...wishing he could enjoy it with Twilight as well.

It wasn't until the sound of a gleeful cry that Macintosh looked up, his train of thought broken. "Heya Big Macintosh! What are you doing on this side of town?" The stallion smiled at the sight before him, his worries boiling away as he beheld a set of pink and a set of yellow hooves approaching him. The hooves belonged to none other than an ecstatic looking Pinkie Pie and a weary Fluttershy.

"Well hey howdy Miss Pie!" Macintosh exclaimed, stopping in front of them "And a mighty fine hello to you Miss Shy, you just back from Cloudsdale?"

Fluttershy smiled weakly and nodded slowly, whispering "Um...yes, Rainbow Dash is still out on a recon mission so...I got to come back."

"Yeah! They came back with a whole bunch of new ponies! I was coming down here from the castle to get supplies for a 'Happy Rescue Party' and then I found you!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, her body vibrating with excitement. Macintosh chuckled at this, always finding it amazing that even in their predicament, Pinkie was still as bubbly and as happy as ever.

"Well ah hope you find what ya'll are lookin' for" Macintosh began, clearing his throat before going on "Have ya'll seen Applejack or Rarity?"

"Oh..." Fluttershy said, putting a gentle hoof to her chin "Applejack went with Rarity and the crusaders to the park. I think they were going to have a picnic...which we're going to after we get Pinkie's supplies." She smiled a warm smile towards the stallion and muttered "Would you like to come with us?"

"That's ok..." Macintosh said, an apologetic look on his face "Ah'd rather be alone today, if that's alright."

"Oh no that's perfectly fine!" Pinkie said, giving the stallion a big hug before jumping back "We'll be in the park if you change your mind!"

Fluttershy watched as Pinkie bounced away before turning and giving Macintosh a shy smile. "Um...see you later..." she whispered, walking around the stallion and leaving him amongst the busy street.

It was good to see them, Big Macintosh thought. He knew the past three months had been hard on them, what with them being trapped outside Ponyville...wondering if any of their friends were still alive. They seemed to be in high spirits though, a lot higher than his. It seemed to him as if the rules never really changed after they left Ponyville...like they were still being followed as if they were burned into the back of everypony's mind. Well...at least some of them anyway.

Rule #6: Keep yourself Sane...

Keep yourself happy, keep yourself in bright spirits. A pony's sanity was just about as precious as their barricaded home or fortress. It seemed that Pinkie and Fluttershy were having no problem in keeping theirs...but ever since Twilight ran off on him...he could feel his mood slipping piece by piece. He wanted to leave...he wanted to go outside. Emotion was starting to play on reason...with logic failing and his heart taking the reins. What point was there in being stuck inside a bubble? What point was there in waiting?

He simply sighed, moving down the street quickly in the hopes that he could get to a peaceful spot to eat. Somewhere quiet...somewhere peaceful. Somewhere that nopony would want to go...

...somewhere like the shield...

~*~

Macintosh stared at the humming shield that glistened in front of him, the midnight blue color dimming and glowing every few seconds. There was nopony around here, a secluded section of trees and an empty street which led towards nothing but the cliff of Canterlot. It was the perfect spot to eat his sandwich, alone and away from the stupid, pointless discussions and the loud, obnoxious love-making of ponies.

His stomach growled as he sat back on his haunches, laying the styrofoam box in front of him. It was time...time to devour his delicacy of daisy goodness. He put a hoof on the bottom part of the box and a hoof on the top, gently popping the small tab out of its holding. He slowly pulled back the lid, as if he were opening a rusted treasure chest filled with precious goodies and priceless artifacts. His eyes grew wide as he beheld his perfectly preserved daisy sandwich sitting there, begging to be devoured by the big pony.

He had never seen a more beautiful sandwich in his life.

The daisies were pristine, the crust of the bread was crisp and cooked to perfection. It was like Luna herself had blessed this beautiful morsel. It was all his...all his for the eating. There was no stopping him now! He gently lifted the sandwich from the box as if he were lifting a baby from its cradle, being careful to keep it in a firm hold and to make sure it didn't drop. The aroma of his lunch gently wafted over him, filling him with a sense of joy.

Just one bite...that's all he wanted, was one bite. He slowly brought the sandwich up to his lips slowly, opening his mouth in preparation to take that first, delicious bite. He put his teeth over the sandwich and...

...a glob of white splattered onto the top of the bread.

A bird...had shit on his sandwich.

... Macintosh stared forwards with wide eyes, pulling the sandwich away from his lips and back down into the box. He closed it gently, pushing the box away from him and staring down at it. For awhile Macintosh simply stared down at the box, his stomach quietly rumbling. At long last though, Macintosh's inner walls broke and he let out a wailing sob. Tears streamed from his eyes as he bawled, falling on his side and curling up in the tightest ball he could. He shook and shivered as he wailed, punching the ground with a hoof several times.

What a load of SHIT! How could he just SIT there! Why couldn't he do anything!?

The shield...that damn shield!

He got to his hooves quickly, rounding on the shield and growling loudly. With a furious shout he charged towards the shield and threw a hoof at it in utter rage. He immediately howled in pain however as his hoof throbbed wildly in pain. It was like punching a brick wall, the stallion flying back and cradling his hoof in his other leg. He glared towards the blue barrier and sniffed, wiping a few tears away.

That was it...that was all Macintosh could do. With no way out and nothing else to do...he got to his hooves. The pain in his throbbing hoof at all but subsided, becoming a dull pain as he tried to limp away. As he neared the street however...a voice called out to him

A voice with an ethereal grace...but one of power.

The voice of a stranger...

...from BEYOND the shield...

"Hey...wait!"

Macintosh froze, his eyes widening and his ears perking. Slowly...he turned his head and looked on towards the shield, gasping as he beheld the figure standing just beyond the barrier.

It was a mare, he could tell, but who she was...that was something he couldn't. She wore a large brown cloak with a hood that concealed her body and head, with a white mask covering her face. Her legs were clasped with blackish armor, leading Macintosh to believe her whole body was adorned with it as well. A brown cloth was wrapped around what appeared to be her unicorn horn...and with that, Macintosh couldn't even tell the color of her fur.

"Holy horsefeathers, what the hay are ya'll doing out THERE?!" Macintosh shouted, rushing towards the barrier.

The mare shook her head quickly and spoke with quick urgency "Please, there is not much time! I have come at the request of-"

"Forget that!" Macintosh interjected "It ain't safe out there! Just stay put and ah'll go get the guard, we'll get you in here to safety!"

Just as he turned to leave, the mare shouted "Please, don't! I've come at the request of Twilight Sp-"

Macintosh was back at the barrier before the mare could even finish her sentence. A look of utter shock was splayed across Macintosh's face as he stuttered "T...Twilight?! She's alive?! Where is she, why isn't she with you...who ARE you!?"

The mare shook her head again and whispered quickly "I haven't the time! The Afflicted will be coming soon and I must return to her in Appleloosa! She asked that I retrieve you from Canterlot and I am bound to honor this!"

Macintosh had so many questions...so many answers he wanted...that he needed. The only one he had though...was that Twilight was alive. "How do I get out o' here then?! This barrier's thicker than a cow's ass!"

The mare looked up into the sky, scanning the clouds for danger before looking back down and whispering "I can get you out, but the spell will take time. I need you to gather as many supplies as you can for the trip, and meet me back here in half an hour! Don't let the Lunar Guard or anypony know you're coming!"

Macintosh nodded, turning and beginning his gallop off, taking a moment to shout back "Ah'll be back! Don't ya'll go nowhere!"

The mare nodded, smiling behind her mask as she hissed "Oh don't worry...I won't."

~*~

Macintosh bounded up the stairs to his apartment complex. He had to get his saddlebags, some food, supplies that would allow him to gather more supplies outside. He had gone on plenty of hiking trips before, he knew how to live off the land. It shouldn't be a problem...despite the fact the land was swarming from diseased, ravaged ponies...

As Macintosh ascended the stairs, the same questions began to burn in his mind. What was Twilight doing all the way down in Appleloosa?! Why didn't she come to Canterlot herself!? Was she hurt, was she in need of help? If that was the case, why didn't the mare she sent allow him to alert the guard? In fact...who was that mare? How did he even know she was sent by Twilight?

He stopped as he neared his floor, frowning. How...did he know if it was the truth or not? What if it was a trap...? Macintosh quickly shook his head, shaking off the thought. Trap or not, if Twilight was in danger he had to rescue her! That and he was tired of being cooped up anyway, stuck inside the same monotonous cycle of living in a cage for the past three months.

He stepped up onto his floor, dashing down the ramparts. He immediately cursed however as Applejack closed her own door, looking over at Macintosh with a frown and shouting "Well howdy Ma- whoa nelly, where's the fire!?"

"No time sis', ah can't explain!" Macintosh shouted back, throwing open his own door and rushing inside his tiny room.

"What do ya mean 'you can't explain'?!" Applejack shouted, poking her head into his room. "The hay has got ya'lls flank worked up?!"

"Ah'm leavin' Applejack, alright!?" Macintosh barked, throwing his saddlebags up and on "There's a mare outside the shield, says she knows where Twilight is. Ah'm bustin' out o' here!"

Applejack stared at her brother with a look of horror and sorrow, her voice catching in her throat. She couldn't do anything except stare as the work horse threw several items into his bags, shifting the weight about and getting it comfortable. When her voice finally bubbled out, it came off as terrified and saddened "N...now you just hold on a minute! What do ya mean you're leavin'!?"

"Ah mean," Macintosh growled "Ah'm leavin'! Ah am gettin' out of this damn city and ah am gonna DO something! Ah'm tired of bein' stuck here all fuckin' day n' night, ah have to get out, ah have to go outside!"

"Macintosh see reason dammit!" Applejack roared, moving inside and slamming the door behind her. She rounded on him, pointing a hoof up at his nose and drawing his attention "There ain't no way outside o' the shield! That magic stuff is too strong! How the hay were you plannin' on even escapin' Mister Earth Pony?!"

Macintosh sighed, pushing back Applejack and pushing two full cider bottles into his saddlebag. "There's this wrapped up mare outside" He muttered "She said Twilight sent her from Appleloosa, she's preparing a spell to get me outta here and outside." He turned on her, pointing a hoof at her and shouting "And ya'll know why ah ain't told the guards bout' this! They're all too busy savin' Cloudsdale and the other cities. They ain't gonna care bout' one filly!"

"They will if it's the Element o' fuckin' MAGIC MACINTOSH!" Applejack roared back, running in front of him and blocking the door. "Ah ain't gonna let you go gettin' yourself killed over this Mac! Ya'll done lost your marbles!"

"Get outta the way Applejack!" Macintosh roared in her face, drawing a slight shiver out of her. She was terrified of her brother's temper...but she held firm.

"NO! Ah ain't gonna let this happen! You ain't well Macintosh! Your just homesick is all, that's all!" Applejack said, her voice still tinged with anger.

The stallion looked at her for a moment before his face fell, turning into one of sadness and sorrow. He turned slowly, sitting on his haunches with his back to her. Applejack watched him as he pulled one of the empty cider bottles in front of him, the small clinking of it audible to her as he played with it in his hooves. "Applejack..." he whispered, his voice breaking slightly.

"Yeah brother?" Applejack whispered back, a tinge of concern in her voice.

He sat there for a moment...unmoving...and then... "Ah'm so sorry."

It happened too fast...all too fast. Macintosh pushed the top of the bottle into his mouth, whirling around and crashing it down over Applejack's head. It shattered loudly over her, the country mare dropping to the ground and landing firmly on her side. She was out cold in a single hit, her brother standing over her with the broken bottle in his mouth. He quickly spit it out and dragged her towards his bed, gently laying her upon it. He pulled the blankets up over her with his teeth and gave her a tender kiss on her cheek before whispering "Ah'm sorry...ah am so...sorry. Please forgive me one day AJ...goodbye."

He turned on his hooves...and quickly made his way out.

~*~

"About time, are you ready?" The mystery mare asked, her horn glowing with a purple-ish glow.

"Eeyup, ah got everything" Whispered Macintosh, a pained look on his face. He felt horrible about what he did to Applejack...but it was the only way she was going to let go, the only way he could get out. He was determined to find Twilight now...he couldn't come back empty hooved...he couldn't let Applejack have the right to scream 'AH TOLD YA SO!' and proceed to make his life a living hell.

"Alright, stand back!" Barked the mare, her head bowing and her horn aiming towards the shield. With a loud cry, the mare unleashed a beam of pink light at the shield, the magic surface bubbling and hissing at the contact. Macintosh watched as a hole started to appear in the shield, small at first, but steadily growing. It took all of about 30 seconds for the hole to become 'Macintosh-sized', and in that instant, the mare cut off her spell. "T...there!" she gasped, staggering back "Hurry, before it closes!"

Macintosh nodded and took a galloping start towards the hole...and with a firm kick with his back hooves, he dove right through the breakage...and into freedom. The sweet mountain air greeted him like an old friend as his belly hit firm ground, the hole in the shield closing up behind him. He let out a laugh of joy and started to speak "Alright! Thanks for that...now...all you gotta do is teleport me t-"

But she was gone...vanished in a teleportation spell used on herself...and not him.

"W...wha...oh horseapples." Macintosh growled, getting to his legs. "Maybe it was a trap after all" he muttered, looking back at the smoking shield. Somepony had to have noticed that up at the castle...the crystal or shield had to have given off some kind of warning of a breach. He quickly turned and galloped off towards the mountains, leaving a trail of dust behind him.

The door to safety had been shut...there was no going back now.

The mare had disappeared, but she had at least gotten him out and given him a direction.

The country town to the south...the home of his (Hopefully breathing...) cousins Braeburn and Caramel.

The town that may be housing his true love...

Appleloosa.

Rainbow Dash | Shadow-Mane - The Sky is Falling.

"If there anything in Equestria that I enjoyed...it sure as hell wouldn't be more enjoyable then flying. The wind through my mane, the crackle of thunder beneath my hooves as I skirt by the thunder clouds near the Rainbow Factory, the cheering of all the ponies in the Cloudsdale Arena when I do my amazing stunts. It was all such a simpler time back then...back when flying was so enjoyable..."

"Rainbow Dash! Twelve o'clock high! GET THOSE PONIES MOVING!"

"Now...I'm not so sure..."

Rainbow Dash barrel rolled out of the way to her left, letting out a sharp gasp and a squeak as an afflicted soared right through the air that she only just occupied a second before. Like an arrow the afflicted flew, hellbent on cracking Rainbow's spine with a single collision. A crude...yet effective tactic, crippling your foe and waiting until it hit the ground before stomping out the rest of the remains.

The cyan Pegasus righted herself quickly, looking to her left and checking over the small convoy of three large chariots that were being pulled by The Lunar Guard. She was circled all around by other Guards in an 'Atom' formation, taking potshots and swipes at any Afflicted who got too close. From the chariots, a panicked cry echoed out across the sky, a mare's cry. An Afflicted had broken through the formation, darting straight for one of the survivors.

Rainbow Dash swore as she veered to the left, trying her best to reach the chariot in time. Alas...the wind was against her today, the currents reducing her speed and forcing her to watch in despair as the Afflicted took a chunk out of the Mare's cheek with a quick, savage bite before being blasted in the head by a quickly-aimed shot by one of the Lunar Guard. "PUSH HER OUT!" Shrieked Rainbow Dash as the bitten mare began to squeal and holler in pain. The other four survivors who took up the rest of the chariot were frozen in fear, their wide-eyed expressions locked on the mare who was writhing on the floor of the golden vessel. Rainbow gave two hard beats of her wings, pushing herself through the difficult current and towards the chariot, her mouth opening and closing quickly on a large chunk of the mare's tail.

She tilted her wings against the wind, 'hitting the breaks' as her speed slowed and the chariot pushed forward. The mare was dragged quickly out of the chariot as Rainbow Dash released her tail, sending the mare tumbling down through the air. No more than five seconds had passed until the mare gave a violent lurch in midair and spread out her wings, her gleaming red eyes snapping up and locking on Rainbow Dash's. She gave a great howl of rage and flapped her wings rapidly, pushing herself back up. Rainbow let out a sharp gasp and quickly barked to one of the guards in front of her "SIX O'CLOCK LOW!" The guard turned his attention downwards, narrowing his eyes and dipping his body forward. His form turned as he somersaulted forward, his wing-cannon lining up a shot and firing.

The mare took the round in the neck, the bullet exiting out through her spine. Her wings fell limp instantly and with it, her body. With a grimace, Rainbow Dash forced herself to look away from the tumbling body. "Dammit...." she swore to herself "How many more will I have to lose?"

It was only by the stupidity of her own choice that had caused Rainbow Dash to return to Cloudsdale. She was supposed to be on a simple recon mission towards the Everfree Forest...but the amount of pony-power needed in the Battle of Cloudsdale was greater then had been previously predicted. When she passed by the first assault group on her way out of Canterlot, she had heard their target was Cloudsdale...and thought that since it was her hometown, then she had at least deserved a right to try and fight for it.

Yeah...some idea that was.

When she had arrived, shrieks and roars and blood were all that was left of the city. It was like watching a pissed off swarm of bees circle a hive of white, with a massive swarm of Lunar Guard diving down from Air-Boats high up in the sky. Many hours had passed since the Battle of Cloudsdale had begun...and already the situation looked grim. The numbers of Afflicted kept growing and growing and growing since the beginning of the operation, the fighting and chaos drawing them all in like a moth to flame. Rainbow Dash looked back towards the city as the sun moved into its evening position.

With a shuddering breath, Rainbow turned her head back forward and continued onwards with the rest of the rescue group. Like ripping off an old band-aid...the faster she got away from Cloudsdale...the faster the pain of losing it would go away.

"Hours....hours that feel like days....days that feel like years....years that feel like centuries."

"HOLD THE LINE, GODDESSES DAMMIT IT ALL HOLD!"

"How much longer must this go on...? Why does this have to go on? It's not fair...it's just....not....fair...."

"Fall back!!! FALL BACK!!!!!"

"Can I die now....please?"

Captain Shadow-Mane swore as he heaved his Wing-Cannon off of his back, his last shell spent. He charged forward towards an oncoming Afflicted, each delivering to the other a savage roar and a look of utter rage. What the Afflicted didn't see coming however, was the sudden leap the Captain made, the colt 'leap-frogging' over the ravaged pony towards another behind it. With a quick draw of his knife in midair, Shadow-Mane landed and swung his blade with a quick whip of his head. The second afflicted took the blade across the neck, going down quickly as the Captain turned to face his first attacker. The Afflicted colt stopped, turning quickly to charge back. With a brace and a kick of its hind-legs, the Afflicted dove towards the Captain...only to be blasted away by a sudden impact to its side. Shadow-Mane turned his head towards a panting Nightfire, his dark mane matted with sweat and his eyes wide and panicked.

The two nodded towards each other, regrouping in the square with the rest of Shadow-Squad. The main center of the city, Wind Square, had been turned into more of a last stand then an actual command post. Tiny cloud-walls, like sandbags, had been erected around the large perimeter, with little more than fifty Lunar Guard fighting hoof and nail for every square inch of cloud they took up. Reinforcements weren't coming...everyone had been cut off from one another...and more and more Afflicted were arriving by the second. The Cloud0-Crete Crystal had been set up in the middle of the square, its purplish aura pulsing outwards and providing a stable ground for the Unicorns to walk upon. Magic bolts and fire lit up the sky and square as five unicorns surrounded the tiny pillar the crystal was situated on, their flanks towards the pulsing gem.

It was as if they had flown into a trap...and were paying for it with their lives.

"Ninety-Nine Wind-Weaver!!!! And you can suck my- ONE HUNDRED, YES!!" Moon-Lance hollered in delight, firing off another round of his Wing-Cannon, felling yet another Afflicted who came dive-bombing towards them.

"Fucking cheater!" Wind roared back, his front hooves moving back and forth quickly as he launched round after round towards the swarms above.

"Can you both quit that shit!?" Sky-Driver screamed, bucking backwards and catching an Afflicted in the throat "Focus on FIGHTING, not some stupid ass score!!!"

"Ah don't be such a sore loser Sky!" Moon laughed, firing off another round into the fray.

Two more Lunar Guard fell to the Afflicted, their allies nearby quickly turning and putting a bullet in their fallen comrades heads before turning back towards the chaos. Just in-case they changed....risks could not be taken. "Dammit this isn't getting us anywhere!!!" Sky-Driver cried, ripping off his own Wing-Cannon as his ammunition ran out, his teeth clamping over the handle of his leg-knife and pulling it free.

"We've got to try!" Nightfire hollered, bucking in an Afflicted's face while swinging the barrel of his Wing-Cannon into another in front of him.

From behind Shadow Squad, Shadow-Mane pointed his hoof in every which direction, hollering and barking orders as fast and as loudly as he could "Reinforce the right! Theta Squad, twelve o'clock high! Nightfire, put more pressure on that street there! Magis Team, I need more FLAMETHROWERS!" The screams of the Afflicted and their death cries were loud as they were numerous...but as the minutes dragged by...they were slowly being replaced by those of the Lunar Guard. Ponies begun to fall left and right, the lines being pushed further and further back by the increasing waves of Afflicted.

Forty Lunar Guard....

Thirty....

Twenty....

"CAPTAIN!!!" Nightfire screamed, his hooves carrying him faster then the wind as he watched an Afflicted push Shadow-Mane onto his back, the Captain pushing on his enemy's belly and doing his very best to keep the lethal creature at bay. Nightfire dove with a savage roar, tackling the beast off of his commanding officer and quickly gutting it in the neck.

"Ah DAMMIT!" Moon-Lance swore "I fucking lost count! Was that two hundred?! SHIT!"

A tight circle is all that remained of the Lunar Guard, the Afflicted towering high above them and circling them like a tornado, creating a cyclone of bodies and ravaged flesh. Shadow-Mane gave a loud cough and pushed himself back up to his hooves, nodding to Nightfire who had just finished looking over him for any injury. "Gentlecolts...." Shadow-Mane began, looking up into the oblivion of diseased ponies "I believe our time has come...."

Sky-Driver threw off his Wing-Cannon, unsheathing his own blade and backing up with the rest of the Lunar Guard. A ring of twelve ponies remained, with five Unicorns standing in the middle...marking a final number of seventeen defenders in all. "Well...we're fucked..." Sky grumbled, staring into the thick wall of Afflicted that surrounded them, watching as the invaders crept slowly towards them from all sides.

"At least we'll go down fighting..." Wind-Weaver scoffed, his eyes darting to the left and right, his brain drawing up every single close-quarters-combat maneuver he knew.

Shadow-Mane turned towards the Unicorn's, his eyes shifting from them to the crystal as he asked "Can you still overload it?"

One final act of rebellion on his part...his refusal to go down without taking as many as he could with him. The only fail-safe to the potential failing of a crystal...overloading it and destroying it with an intense, magical explosion...the magnitude dependent on the amount of magic poured into it.

"Of course...how big of an explosion do you need?" asked one of the hooded Unicorns, the rest of the Lunar Guard gulping and muttering quick, final prayers to their family and Luna.

"As big as you can give...in the quickest amount of time possible." Shadow-Mane answered, turning his glare back towards the masses before him "We'll give you as much time as we can..." He cleared his throat and barked to the remaining Guards that stood with him "Seems this is it! Remember your duty, and remember who you're fighting for! Though we die here today, our memory will live on in eternity! We died fighting for Equestria and her ponies! We fought against the odds of impossibility, and butted heads with the reaper of death, daring him to come after us! Let us dare a little further! Look your enemy in the eyes as you draw your last breath, and hold with them a gaze of the darkest malice you can conjure! If it's our time to go...then let's see if we can use what little time we have left to beat Moon-Lance's high score, and die fighting for the future of Equestria! TO BATTLE!!!!"

The Lunar Guard let out a unified battle-cry as Moon-Lance scoffed, grinning widely as the masses of Afflicted let forth their own shrieking, horde like cry, charging forward towards the group.

"Here we go...HERE WE GO!" Wind-Weaver hollered as they drew close, the Guards bracing for impact. Just as the first Afflicted dove towards Nightfire....a voice rang out across the sky, amplified and booming with an aura of magic.

And the Afflicted...did just that. The tornado of bodies slowed...the charging beasts stopped, some in mid-dive who fanned out their wings and retreated back slightly. The Lunar Guard blinked in shock and awe as the Afflicted...stopped. Shadow-Mane himself could only stare towards the mass of death before him with a limply hanging jaw and a pair of wide eyes. Never before...had an Afflicted ceased in its tracks. Never had the Afflicted stopped once they had targeted their prey. There was only attack...kill...infect....there was no stop!

"That'ssss better." hissed a voice from above, drawing the eyes of The Lunar Guard upwards. What Shadow-Mane saw...brought a shuddering gasp from his lungs. A mare...wrapped in a cloak and shrouded by a mask, floated high above one of the ruined cloud buildings, her horn aglow with a magic colored in pink and purple. her hooves and legs were wrapped tightly with cloth, and from her back sprouted two pick colored, ethereal wings of magic that flapped gently through the air.

"By Luna's Mane...is that..." Nightfire whispered in horror, drawing a deep glare out of Shadow-Mane towards the mare above.

'So they still exist...damn it all...' The Captain thought darkly to himself, his voice echoing out through the sky "So it's you that's in charge of this horde, is it?!" This drew several confused glances out of The Lunar Guard and the Unicorn's...all of them whispering except Nightfire, who seemed to be the only one who understood the Captain's question.

"This horde?"

"What's he talking about?"

"Who is that?"

"Whoa...those wings."

"Why's she all wrapped up?"

More questions bubbled quietly from the group as the mare above cocked her hooded head slowly to the left, her voice light but full of power as she spoke "That is not your business Slaver, I have come for your crystal, and your removal from MY city. You were a fool to even bring that device here...with as much magic as it expels I'm surprised that you didn't alert every Precious One in Equestria."

"Captain...what in the hell is this crazy bitch talking about?" Moon-Lance muttered, his eyes locked on the hovering figure above.

"Not now Moon...." Shadow-Mane growled to his soldier before shouting back up to the mare "This city belongs to the un-diseased, innocent Pegasai of Equestria! You and your heretical, diseased mutants have no right or claim over it!"

"You WATCH YOUR MOUTH!" roared the mare, causing the Afflicted surrounding them to let forth a low, unified growl. "My Precious Ones are ponies just like...yours. It was because of YOU and Celestia that we've ended up this way! Your mistake, your blindness! Lost and misguided were the ones you call 'Afflicted'...lost until I showed them the way, showed them that even though rage boils in their heart, that they're still ponies like you and me. But the consequences of your actions are too severe to leave unpunished....give me the crystal, and I'll promise a quick and painless death for you and the rest of your Lunar Guard!"

The group looked slowly over towards Shadow-Mane who kept his gaze on the mare above for only a few moments longer before turning his attention to the Unicorn's behind him. "We can't let them have the crystal...but I can't leave Canterlot unwarned." he whispered, a look of sympathy in his eyes.

The Unicorn's nodded, the one closest to him muttering "We understand Captain...we'll hold a shield as long as we can...you and the rest of The Lunar Guard push down through the clouds...get out of here."

Shadow-Mane nodded, putting a hoof on his shoulder and whispering "You will not be forgotten...the ponies of Equestria will sing songs of praise for your noble sacrifice." The Unicorn's gave one final nod before flaring up their horns, drawing in as much magic as they could.

"Fools..." growled the floating mare, amplifying her voice yet again and speaking in her hiss-like voice "KILL...." The Afflicted let out a unified howl and dove towards The Lunar Guard...only to be met by a glowing half-sphere of Rainbow color.

"NOW! Through the bottom! STOMP!" Shadow-Mane roared, the guards stomping on the cloud beneath them and quickly breaking it away. The Unicorn's clenched their eyes tight as they poured as much magic as they could into the gleaming crystal, the guards burrowing down into the cloud.

"SSSSTOP THEM!!!!" Shrieked the mare, who covered herself with a pinkish aura, vanishing with a quick teleportation spell. The Afflicted battered and dove into the shield as The Lunar Guard broke through the bottom layers of Cloudsdale, fanning out like a freshly bucked hornet's nest.

"Split up! Fly as far and as fast as you can away from here and regroup at Rendezvous Post Golf! FLY!!!!" Shadow-Mane roared, turning in a random direction with Nightfire at his side. The two of them pumped their wings as hard and as fast as they could as the rest of the guard took off in a 'shotgun' like pattern, scattering everywhere. "Get out of here Nightfire, I'll catch up with you later!" Shadow-mane barked, drawing a firm head-shake out of Nightfire.

"With all due respect Captain, but I think you and I both know that the game's just changed for everypony in Equestria. I haven't abandoned you before and I'll be damned to the moon if I do so now! Brothers to the end sir, as always since Operation Anchor-Wing!"

Shadow-Mane let his lips curl up in a small smile before nodding and pushing harder with his wings through the air. Moments passed, with nothing but the heavy beating of wings for sound. And then...the sky fell. Cloudsdale erupted in atomic, magical flame as the crystal finally overloaded, a mushroom cloud of purple color flaring upwards as a shock wave of rainbow magic and energy blasted outwards, obliterating Cloudsdale and the Afflicted swarming it. The pulse and wind of the explosion slammed into the two fleeing guards, their flight interrupted and their bodies tumbling through the air as pieces of Cloudsdale and bodies of Afflicted that weren't vaporized fell from the sky.

The Captain and the Seargent finally manged to right themselves after a few moments, the two coming to a stop and hovering in the open air. Their armor was broken and mostly in shambles, drawing the two of them to finally discard it completely and let it fall through the air. Shadow-Mane's dark purple mane and Nightfire's black mane flapped about in the high altitude winds, their dark fur matted with sweat and their eyes weary and tired as they stared towards what used to be Cloudsdale. "Captain......Shadow," Nightfire wheezed, looking towards his best friend "I'm so sorry..."

"It's alright Nighty..." Shadow-Mane sighed, looking away from the falling city "We're alive...and we've confirmed that The Carriers are still in existence....we need to get to Rendezvous Post Golf and then back to Canterlot as soon as possible."

"But sir," Nightfire asked as they began their flight south "Wouldn't that be counter productive? Post Golf is way far South at six hours flight and Canterlot is only a three hour flight from here. Why don't we just go home from here?"

Shadow-Mane looked over towards his friend as they flew through the air, explaining as they went "Because Night, that Carrier could be following any one of us. You heard what she said about the crystal, it was emitting too powerful of magic...it was drawing more and more Afflicted there like bees to honey. The last thing we want to do is lure her to Canterlot and the other crystals...which makes me wonder why they haven't been discovered already...." He furrowed his brow for a moment before shaking his head and sighing "Either way, we need to get the hell out of dodge just in-case she's following us anyway. I don't need them opening the shield for us if she's following us with an army of those things. Safety first, as always."

"Yes sir, of course" nodded Nightfire, the two of them diving towards lower altitudes and disappearing quickly into the cloud bank. It wasn't until they were completely hidden in the mass of white that Nightfire asked "Sir...do you think Post Golf will have any of that cider we always used to drink?"

At this...Shadow-Mane simply laughed and said "Well you know Appleloosa and their Cider mottoes....enough is never enough. They'll be plenty there, I'm sure."

The two of them dipped further downwards, appearing out of the bottom of the clouds. The air was slightly warmer, more comfortable at that height, and allowed them much more visibility...visibility of a plume of smoke that was immediately spotted by Nightfire.

"Sir, down there!" He shouted, pointing a hoof towards the ground. Below, a group of three chariots had crash landed, magical fire and bodies littering the area. Whether or not they were Afflicted or not had yet to be seen, and from their height, Shadow-Mane could spot a few glints of midnight armor.

...and a mane of Rainbow.

"The Element of Loyalty's refugee group! Come on Nightfire we got to get down there, on the double!" Shadow-Mane barked, dipping downwards with a nodding Nightfire and soaring down towards the ground.

"Please...please be alive" Shadow-Mane whispered to himself "Please let something good come of this day...something good out of all this bullshit."

Just something good....please.

Shadow-Mane & Company - Variant

Rainbow Dash's heartbeat throbbed in her head, her breath coming out raspy and labored. Her wings and belly hurt, but not as painfully as her head did. She was still unsure of what exactly happened following the sudden stop the group had to make due to a guard's cramped wing. It all happened in such a blur...the screams...the shrieks...the sounds of slicing flesh and the gurgles of death bellowing out all around her.

She let out a weak whimper as she took a steady breath outwards, her ribs flaring up with pain and stilling her movements. She was only vaguely aware of the voices calling her name...their sound muffled by the ocean-like sound humming her ears.

"-is Dash!"

"-ight? Ca-...hear me?!"

"Wake up! Come on wake up!!!"

Their voices started to become clearer as Rainbow Dash opened her eyes, a blurry patch of grass appearing in her vision. "Miss Rainbow, are you ok? Please, wake up!" Nightfire begged, gently nudging her in the side with his nose. Shadow-Mane, who stood next to Nightfire, looked all around them cautiously. An attack happened here...that was obvious...and by the looks of the carnage, it looked like it was done by a monster he recognized all too well...

"Nightfire..." Shadow-Mane growled, his eyes scanning the tall grass around them.

"Sir?" Nightfire asked, turning his head away from Rainbow Dash.

"Look at the grass....look at these bodies....notice anything familiar?" Shadow-Mane asked, looking around at the shredded clumps of grass and bits of pony that were scattered about the area.

Nightfire took notice of this as well, drawing in a breath staring towards the body of a mare (what was left of it anyway...) that lay torn apart in the back of one of the chariots. Wide open, deep gashes adorned most of her bodies, blood dripping down the sides and back of the transport. "Shadow...you don't think...?"

"I certainly hope not..." Shadow-Mane whispered "Because that would mean it's still in the area...and that's a place that we really don't want to be in right now."

"Hnnng....w...what?" Rainbow groaned, weakly putting a hoof to her head. The two colts turned their attention back to the awakened Pegasus, unaware of the rustling in the grass to their left.

"Whoa now...easy does it," Nightfire whispered, putting a gentle hoof on her side as she rolled over onto her belly. "It looks like you took quite a beating there...what happened?"

Rainbow Dash let out a sharp hiss of pain as she flapped her wings once, looking up into the faces of the guards. "Nightfire...?" She whispered in awe, her eyes widening "Captain Shadow-Mane? What are YOU two doing here?!"

Nightfire simply chuckled, getting up to his hooves and helping Rainbow up as well as he said "Glad you still remember us from the Ponyville Incident." He looked her over for a moment "Anything broken?"

She shook her head and muttered "I don't think so...just bruises and a bit of a sore rump."

Shadow-Mane dipped his head slightly as he asked "What happened here Miss Rainbow? Were you attacked?"

Rainbow slowly moved her eyes to look into Shadow's, her memories slowly coming back one by one "I...think so. We were away from the danger zone and descending down into the cloud bank for cover when..." she stopped for a moment, her eyes widening as she let out a gasp "Holy shit, we WERE attacked! It came out of nowhere! All I saw was this red streak come blasting down out of this cloud, soaring right past one of the guards! It looked like the guard was fine for a second, until his head suddenly came off!" She shivered as the visions of the attack quickly flooded back in troves "Ponies start falling all around me, some in bits, some with large gashes on their bodies. The chariots went down, one hit me on the way down and knocked me out...and when I came to, you guys were here."

Shadow-Mane swore under his breath and turned his head away, Nightfire giving her a sad nod and looking out towards the grass. "Um...what's wrong? Do you guys know what that thing that attacked us was?" Rainbow whispered, the colts scanning the grass slowly."

"We think so..." Nightfire said, his voice low "The Captain and I have had our fair share of Afflicted encounters...we think it may be a Variant."

"A...Variant?" Rainbow Dash squeaked "You mean...there's different types of these fucking things!?" A single nod out of Nightfire drove more frantic words from the mare's mouth "H...how can that be?! How come I haven't seen any before? How come they weren't at Ponyville, or reported anywhere else?!"

"Because the Virus is once again hitting a stage in maturation....which means we're running out of time" Shadow-Mane growled, his head snapping to the left as movement was caught just out of the corner of his eye.

"Maturation...? Again? What are you talking about!?" Rainbow whispered in panic, her heart starting to thud loudly in her chest.

"I'll explain later..." Shadow-Mane hissed, his ears fully perked and turning slowly.

Rainbow Dash looked around nervously, the two colts giving every spot of grass they could a hard stare. "So...if this is some kind of...Variant, what type is it exactly?" She asked, her heart still throbbing and a cold wave of fear spreading over her slowly.

"Well..." Nightfire began, taking a peek back at Rainbow Dash "These gashes and large lacerations are the biggest clue...but what really seals the deal is that you were attacked in the sky...which can only mean that it was a-"

"RAZOR-WING! HIT THE DECK!!!" Shadow-Mane shouted, dropping to his belly. The two other ponies followed suit quickly as a shrieking cry blasted forth from behind them, a gust of air and the sounds of blades through the air whooshing just above them. A blur of red had come blasting out from the tall grass, streaking right past them and disappearing back into the grass.

"Holy SHIT!" Rainbow Dash cried, staring after the lightning-fast figure. "What in the hell was THAT!?"

"That..." grumbled Nightfire, mimicking the Captain's rising movements "...was a Razor-Wing. It's an Afflicted Pegasus that's been mutated by the Ravage...a Variant. It turns their wings, mostly their feathers, into razor-sharp blades. Their shoulder muscles are strengthened considerably which means they can swing their bodies violently and effectively to the left and right to slash and slice in front of them. Their two most common attacks however are their dive bomb and their dashing attacks."

"That thing's got blades for wings?!" Rainbow gasped, the Captain retreating backwards to one of the chariots.

"That it does..." Shadow-Mane growled "Luckily for us, the mutation makes their aim too precise, which will allow us to escape it if we move in erratic patterns. It's a straight-aim beast...only able to attack in perfectly straight lines." Rainbow Dash nodded as the Captain went on "Don't even attempt to fly in an escape...this thing is built to slaughter anything in the air. Our only chance is to gallop as fast and as hard as we can out of the area."

"Are you kidding me?!" Rainbow hissed quietly "How are we supposed to out-gallop THAT thing!? Won't it just chase us relentlessly like the other Afflicted?"

"Not exactly..." Nightfire muttered, his eyes scanning the tall grass for the beast "The Razor-Wing is territorial, unlike its common cousins. See that chopped up mare over there? See how her fur's matted on one side? It peed on her, which means it's made this spot and a two hundred meter circle around it its territory. We get out of that circle, we get out of danger."

Rainbow Dash nodded, quietly moving behind the Captain in preparation to run her flank off. "Alright..." Shadow-Mane whispered "We'll wait for its next attack...I know which direction we need to run...so once I say to, follow me and don't stop running for anything!" The group fell into silence, a light wind picking up across the grassy plains. The sounds of a heartbeat were heard, the adrenaline of all three ponies rising as the sounds of rustling reached their ears. "Steady....steady...." whispered Shadow-Mane, his legs ready to give out for the dive.

All was calm for a few moments...and then, the Razor-Wing struck. Rainbow Dash caught a quick glimpse of the pony as it came blasting out of the grass in front of them. It was a large colt, its eye color as red as the other Afflicted...but different. Swirls and spots of yellow drifted in the red sea of color, tears of blood dripping down the Razor-Wing's face. "DROP!!!!" Shadow-Mane hollered, the three of them falling towards their bellies.

A piece of Nightfire's mane was sheared off as he went down, causing him to cry out in shock "WHOA NELLY!"

"Come on!!! GET UP, RUN!" Shadow-Mane barked as the Razor-Wing disappeared into the grass behind them, leaving the three ponies to break off in a desperate run to the south.

They ran...and ran...and ran. Sometimes they dropped to avoid the Razor-Wing that charged at them from every direction, and sometimes they simply dove out of the way. Whether by pure luck or a simple miracle...200 meters had been galloped, and the shrieks of the Razor-Wing thundered in the group's ears. Even after they had escaped the territory, they continued to run. They ran until Nightfire wheezed "I have to stop, I HAVE TO STOP!"

They collapsed in the grass, rolling onto their backs and gasping loudly for air. "F...fat-ass!" Shadow-Mane laughed "Where'd all that training go!? You used to be the fastest when it came to outrunning a Razor-Wing!"

"Y...yeah?" Nightfire grumbled "You try living ten plus years on the guard's diet and see how you fair! I couldn't put up with that healthy shit forever, and you know that!"

"I can't believe we made it!" Rainbow Dash whooped, a smile spreading from her lips as she continued to pant "That was awesome! Did you see that!? We were all like 'whoosh!' and 'dive!', definitely cool!"

"Yeah well..." Nightfire sighed, putting a hoof to his forehead "It's an experience I would have liked not to have to go through again..."

Rainbow Dash frowned slightly, turning her head towards the other two guards "Where have you two seen one of things? Didn't you say you were going to explain this all to me?"

"Perhaps when we get to Appleloosa, Miss Dash," Shadow-Mane answered "I promise...answers will come. I know me and Nightfire owe them to you and the other Elements as well for our...dishonesty." The mare rose an eyebrow as Shadow-Mane sighed, looking up into the clouds. "I lied..." he began "...when I told Twilight Sparkle that I didn't know that much about the virus. In truth, me and Nightfire have probably seen more of it than anypony alive, besides the others that were as well..."

"What do you mean?" Rainbow Dash whispered, a tone of uncertainty and nervousness in her voice.

"Later...I promise, I'll explain everything after we've regrouped with the rest of the guard in Appleloosa." Shadow-Mane sighed, getting up his hooves and helping Nightfire up as well

"Well...could we walk for a little bit, at least?" Rainbow asked "My wings are still hurting slightly."

With a nod and a reacquiring of direction from Shadow-Mane, the three set off at a steady walk towards the south. They were quiet as the minutes dragged by, the only sounds audible being the light wind and the crisp sound of hooves on grass. After awhile, Rainbow Dash finally asked "So...Razor-Wing is a variant of the Afflicted...are there any more?"

"A few..." Nightfire answered, Shadow-Mane looking back for a moment with his eyes before pushing on. "Razor-Wing is certainly one of the most dangerous, but there's a few others that are worse. There's the Lurker....nasty little Unicorn that's regained some of its magical ability, but only just enough to be able to shroud itself in some kind of...invisible field. It stalks ponies and kills them quietly with a grappling hold, biting into and tearing out their jugular to they can't scream for help." Rainbow Dash shivered as Nightfire went on "Then there's the Hurler...it's one of the more regular Afflicted, with one added little perk...it can spit its own blood and saliva like a spitting cobra, infecting at range."

"By Luna's stars...." Rainbow whispered in awe, her eyes widening at the idea of those kinds of monsters existing.

"Oh that's still not the worst of them..." Nightfire growled "There's one in my opinion that's even more dangerous than the Carriers."

Shadow-Mane winced as Nightfire mentioned them, causing Rainbow to cock her head and ask "Carriers? You mean ponies who are immune to the Ravage but who can still...think? Function? Be aware?"

"Precisely..." Nightfire sighed, shaking his head "Unfortunately...the Ravage re-wires their brain. They become shells of their former selves...obsessed with the infected around them. They begin to refer to them as their own children at some point, calling them 'Precious Ones'. They're unicorns of incredibly powerful magic, able to control hordes of Afflicted, armies even if they get strong enough. They can only control a small number of Variants, so that's at least a good thing. They're basically the leaders of the Ravage Virus...and we thought that they were all dead, until we were confronted by one at Cloudsdale...."

"Sheesh...sounds like a total bitch" Rainbow scoffed "So what about the one that you think is more dangerous?"

Nightfire was quiet for awhile, his form shivering slightly as he was forced to relive the memories of their last encounter with that monstrosity. "Nighty...you alright?" Shadow-Mane asked, a concerned tone to his voice.

"Yeah Shadow...it's just...hard to remember it is all, you know?" Nightfire responded, drawing a nod out of the Captain.

"It must have been pretty bad for it to give you P.T.S.D. or something." Rainbow muttered, drawing a light chuckle out of Nightfire.

"Oh trust me...if you were attacked by that thing, you'd have nightmares too." Nightfire said, looking back towards Rainbow as he walked "Imagine a beast, large and bulky in size. The Ravage has mutated its muscles and body to a size five to ten times bigger than its original, and its hooves are MASSIVE. They're built to trample and crush and smash. Its speed is even greater than a Razor-Wing's when it gets enough momentum...and when it finally gets to that speed, it doesn't stop for ANYTHING until it hits something solid. It's easily avoided out in the open...but in close, confined quarters...good luck getting out alive."

"Shit..." Rainbow gasped "The hell kind of monster is that?!"

"A Thunder-Hoof" Shadow-Mane grumbled "Aptly named for the thunder-like sound it makes as it thunders across the ground. Don't worry though, you're able to hear it long before it actually gets to you. It's easy to hide if you know how to outsmart it, so we should be....perfectly.........oh no."

It was only as Shadow-Mane finished his statement...that the soft sounds of thudding were heard in the far distance. "No....way...." Nightfire gasped, looking off to his far left "That's so not right!" He turned his attention to Shadow-Mane and hissed "You jinxed it dammit! How many times have I told you not to bring up the thunder sound! It ALWAYS summons one of those things somehow!!!"

"It's not my fault, you're the one who brought them up in the first place!" Shadow-Mane barked back, the sounds of hooves pounding away at the ground growing louder.

"Guys, focus!" Rainbow shouted "We need to get moving, NOW!" Indeed, the sounds of the thundering hooves began to get louder, drawing a panicked squeal out of Nightfire.

"Alright, run! Let's get moving!" Shadow-Mane hollered, pushing forward into a gallop.

They galloped for a solid three minutes...but still the sounds of the Thunder-Hoof grew louder, its deep, baritone like roar echoing across the plains. "SHIT! It's catching up!" Rainbow shouted, drawing a fierce growl out of Shadow-Mane who continued to gallop.

"Don't remind me dammit!!!" Nightfire squealed, his nose nearly bumping into Shadow-Mane's flank with as fast as he was going.

"We need a plan, some method of escape!!!" Rainbow yelled to Shadow-Mane, the Captain responding with louder volume as the thundering got louder

"We've got no cover out here!" Shadow-Mane shouted "We need to keep running until we can find some kind of high ground or a patch of trees!"

Rainbow Dash was just about to retort when Nightfire suddenly shouted "Does anypony hear that!?"

"Hear what, the sound of impending DEATH!? Oh don't worry I'm way ahead of you!" Rainbow shouted in sarcasm, drawing a furious shake of the head from Nightfire

"No not that dammit, THAT!" he roared, looking around.

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow, straining her hearing to hear past the sounds of the Thunder-Hoof and their own hooves. It took a moment...but Rainbow Dash finally heard the faint words being carried across the wind

'-is way!!!! Ov-...ere!'

"What IS that!?" Rainbow Dash asked, leaving Nightfire to shrug his shoulders and for Shadow-Mane to squint his eyes and stare into the far distance.

"Wait...I see something! I think that's a pony, up there on that hill!" Shadow-Mane shouted, drawing the two ponies behind him to look around him.

"I see him!" Nightfire said, squinting his own eyes before asking "Who is it, can you tell!?"

Rainbow Dash strained her eyes as much as she could, looking up at the large hill that rested before hill, and at the figure of the pony waving at them with a large....red....hoof.

She gasped loudly, making the two colts in front of her turn their heads and stare with wide eyes as she exclaimed.

Big Macintosh, the workhorse of Sweet Apple Acres, was at the top of the large hill, a pair of saddlebags strewn across his back and a large assortment of bandages covering his body. He looked like he had been through two hurricanes and a rodeo gone wrong, his mane an orange-colored mess and his eyes weary. He put a hoof up next to his mouth and took a deep breath, shouting "Head up this way! Ah got a way to lose that big behemoth lookin' thing behind ya'll! Just don't, stop, runnin'!!!!'"

At this, Rainbow Dash felt the overwhelming urge to look too powerful, turning her head to look behind her as they ran up the hill. Her irises shrank in fear and her lungs expelled a high-pitched squeal as she beheld the Thunder-Hoof some good distance behind her. It looked to be maybe a third of the size of the Ursa Minor that Twilight had put back to sleep all that time ago, its muscles overly huge and ripped in nature. Its mane billowed down around its form, dragging its tail on the ground like an over-sized blanket. Its eyes looked to be the same as the Razor-Wing, except that these gleamed like orbs of pure color.

If there was one thing that Rainbow Dash was thinking about at that moment...it was that Nightfire wasn't bullshitting.

That thing was definitely worthy of nightmares.

The Group - AAAAAAppleloosan Discoveries

Time seemed to slow down.

Nightfire's hooves kicked up small plumes of dirt as his legs slowly pumped and pushed him forward. His eyes were wide and frantic as the deep bellow of the Thunder-Hoof behind him sent a wave of pure, cold fear through every inch and fiber of his body. He could see the three ponies in front of him waving and shouting frantically "Jump! JUMP!!!!" He turned his head slowly, looking behind him as the Thunder-Hoof drew in close. The behemoth roared as it reached the top of the hill with Nightfire, the brute swinging wide with one of its massive hooves. Nightfire could feel the wind soaring past his tail as the swipe came up short, the Pegasus turning back forward with wide, panicked eyes.

He looked down as the deep ditch before him came into view, the steep face of the other side proving to be what could be a formidable barrier against the Thunder-Hoof. With a mighty cry, Nightfire reached out with his front hooves as he kicked off with his back legs, his wings fanning out and carrying him over the pit. The Thunder-Hoof roared as it tumbled into the ditch, landing on its back with a thunderous 'BOOM!' It flailed on the ground, roaring and banging its hooves into the ground and dirt wall. Above, Nightfire hit the ground in a roll, coming to a sliding stop and heaving for air.

"Nightfire! Are you ok!?" Rainbow Dash gasped, rushing to his side as Shadow-Mane carefully peered over the edge towards the Thunder-Hoof, grimacing as it panted with ragged, rotten breath. It stared back up at Shadow-Mane with such hate in its glowing eyes, that the colt could have sworn that if it stared any harder, it'd burn a hole in his head.

"W...water!" Nightfire wheezed, clutching his chest with a hoof and pushing another against his head. Macintosh reached into his saddlebags, producing a small canteen that sloshed with the waters of life that Nightfire was begging for. With a quick unscrewing of the cap, the canteen was pushed into Nightfire's hooves.

He took two large gulps before coughing, moving the canteen away to retch and get the burning sensation out of his throat. "Fuck a DUCK!" he hollered, tears in his eyes "This thing's spiked with cider!? The hell Macintosh!?"

Macintosh blushed slightly and shrugged "Heh...sorry bout' that. It helped with the pain of mah wounds...."

Shadow-Mane sighed, moving away from the edge and muttering "Alright, let's keep moving. I want to put as much distance between us and this Thunder-Hoof as we can before it discovers how to get up here."

With a hard nod and a grunt, Nightfire got up to his hooves with a little help from Rainbow Dash and Big Macintosh. They set off, Shadow-Mane and Nightfire taking the lead with Big Macintosh and Rainbow Dash settling for the back. As they walked, Rainbow turned her head to the workhorse and asked "What ARE you doing out here anyway!? I thought you were in Canterlot?" At this, Shadow-Mane and Nightfire both turned their heads to listen in, their curiosity peaked as well. Macintosh frowned at the question, a look of guilt passing over his eyes and causing Rainbow Dash to whisper "Oh no...Canterlot wasn't...it wasn't hit was it!?"

Macintosh shook his head, drawing a sigh out of all three of them as he said "Eee-nope. Canterlot's was still standin' when ah left. Although...ah can imagine Applejack has probably torn apart the city herself already lookin' for me."

"And how...exactly is that possible anyway?" Shadow-Mane asked, his voice low with suspicion.

"Well...erm...." Macintosh began, trying to find a way to sugar-coat his reason without making himself look an irresponsible ass. "Ah may have...gotten a little too carried away with the idea of finding Twilight. You see...there was this wrapped up mare outside the shield, and-"

"Stop right there." Shadow-Mane growled, turning to face the work horse "Tell me every little detail you know about this, 'wrapped up mare'."

"Well," Big Macintosh began, putting a hoof to his chin "She was about adult size, was covered all up in bandages, had this funny lookin' mask on and-"

"DID SHE LET YOU OUT OF THE SHIELD!?" Shadow-Mane suddenly roared, getting into the stallion's face.

"Whoa, WHOA!" Nightfire shouted, putting his hooves on Shadow-Mane and attempting to pull him back "Go easy Shadow! Go easy!!!!"

"Answer the question!!!!" Shadow-Mane barked at a frowning Macintosh, Rainbow looking on in confusion.

"Well...yeah, she let me outta the shield, but it looked like she had a REAL hard time doin' it. By the time ah got out, she had gone n' teleported herself away."

"Luna DAMMIT it all!" Shadow-Mane groaned, bowing his head and pushing a hoof up against his face.

"Shadow, come on!" Nightfire whined "Cut him some slack, he didn't know! And besides, it's not like she was plotting an attack on Canterlot anyway. According to him, she had too much trouble even getting the shield open!"

"That's not the point Nighty!" Shadow growled, looking up at him "The point is that she was able to! What if getting him out was just a test to see if it was within her power to!? She could have already attacked Canterlot by now!"

Nightfire let out a low 'hmmm...', scratching his chin with a hoof before looking up at the work horse and asking cautiously "Exactly how big was the hole that she made to get you out? And what color was her magic, do you remember?"

Macintosh looked up for a moment, recalling the instance in which he had escaped from the city. After a moment he whistled and muttered "Oh...not too big, bout the size of a market cart, just enough for me to slip by. Her magic? Well...if ah recall it had a sorta' pinkish glow to it."

Shadow-Mane let out another frustrated groan as Nightfire sighed and whispered "Dammit...I should have known."

Finally, Rainbow Dash spoke up, her impatience finally becoming too great to handle. "Alright, that's it!" She growled "You two have been hiding information from me, Twilight, and the rest of us this whole time! It's time to start coming clean with what you know!"

"I told you I'd give you answers dammit!" Shadow-Mane shouted, looking up as the Thunder-Hoof bellowed from some distance away "All I can tell you is that things have just gotten a lot more dangerous for the lot of us! The mare that released you from Canterlot, Macintosh? She was a CARRIER of the Ravage Virus, and based on her magical aura, it could very well be the same one that we lost Cloudsdale too! Did she say anything to you before she let you out, anything at all that might give us a lead on her or her plans?!"

"Well she did say something about Twilight bein' in Appleloosa," Macintosh explained, drawing a gasp out of Shadow-Mane and Nightfire "That's why ah was travelin' in this direction when ah ran into ya'll"

"Oh SHIT, Shadow you don't think...!?" Nightfire squeaked, looking towards his wide-eyed Captain

"I think we better get to Post Golf...Appleloosa, on the double and fast. It may very well be in danger. Shadow-Mane growled, turning and breaking out into a gallop.

"Oh come on...more running!?" Nightfire groaned, his hooves aching as he chased after the Captain "Can't we ever WALK to someplace?!"

Macintosh's jaw dropped as he learned the identity of the mystery mare from Canterlot, him and Rainbow Dash running after the two. "Whoa, you mean to tell me that Macintosh was freed by a carrier!?" Rainbow hollered "If that's the case, why didn't she just attack Macintosh then?! Why would she want him to go to Appleloosa?!"

"I couldn't tell you Miss Dash," Shadow-Mane shouted back to her "Carriers are a nasty business, witty and smart, not to mention lethal. She wanted Macintosh to go to Appleloosa for a reason, and I'm scared to find out what that reason is."

"Maybe Twilight really is in Appleloosa!" Macintosh gasped, his spirits rising and a smile passing over his face. It faded slightly though, as Nightfire shook his head, the sounds of their galloping carrying across the wide-open plains.

"I don't know..." he said, looking back towards Macintosh "The Carrier could have very well been lying about Twilight's location. Hell, we don't even know if she's ALIVE Macintosh...there's been no word, sighting, or anything concerning her since she left that train."

"Ah know..." Macintosh sighed, a frown returning to his face "But ah gotta have hope. If she's out there, ah'll find her! Ah won't go back until ah've either found her or her body! Even if ah end up dying, ah won't quit!"

"Oh good, no worries then..." Shadow-Mane mumbled under his breath, the four of them pushing onwards across the land. For a good solid hour, the four of them galloped over the land, stopping repeatedly to rest and get some energy back before pushing on.

Eventually, the four of them came across a long, straight set of railroad tracks, drawing Big Macintosh to speak through large gasps of breath "Ah think....this is....the rail-line...to Appleloosa!"

Shadow-Mane nodded with a smile, pointing further down the track "I think so to. And look, I think we're in luck!" The group looked over in the distance to where Shadow-Mane was pointing, the group smiling as they spotted a sort of rail-cart with a two-pony operated lever. "Me and Rainbow Dash will take the lever first" Shadow-Mane said "That'll give Nightfire a chance to rest his fat ass and for Big Macintosh to tell us a little bit more about how Canterlot's been doing."

"I keep telling you Shadow..." Nightfire growled as they made a go for the cart "If you got stuck on this Guard's diet, you'd let yourself go to!"

One Hour....

Two Hours....

Three Hours Later....

"If I EVER, see another rail cart again, I'll throw a fit." Nightfire groaned as he practically fell from the rusty vehicle. They had come to a stop at a junction where the tracks changed, the four of them having the misfortune of discovering that the tracks they were on had been torn apart. The main track was still in one piece however, a sign nearby displaying the message <==APPLELOOSA-MANEHATTEN==>, the other message right underneath it reading <==APPLELOOSA-PONYVILLE==>.

"Well...at least that makes a little bit more sense" Macintosh noted as they began their walk across the tracks leading towards the western town, the grassy plains now dry sands with large, towering cliffs and rocky pillars.

"What makes sense?" Nightfire winced, his hooves giving little aches as he walked beside a weary looking Rainbow Dash and behind a determined looking Shadow-Mane.

"Twilight could've run from Ponyville and gone to Appleloosa via train." Macintosh said, drawing a slight frown out of Nightfire. "What?" he asked, seeing this "You don't think so?"

"I have no clue," Nightfire said, a tinge of sympathy in his voice "I don't know where she could have gone after the train Macintosh. Better yet, why would she even go down to Appleloosa? Wouldn't it make sense for her to travel to Canterlot instead? There's too many mysteries and no answers to any of them Macintosh...we should just focus on getting to Appleloosa first before we start determining anything."

"Ah...ah suppose yer right..." Macintosh sighed, lowering his head slightly.

"What I'd like to know..." Rainbow Dash began, suspicion still dripping in her voice "Is what Shadow-Mane's hiding from us. I'm going to keep pushing till I get SOMETHING! You already told me you lied to Twilight, which means you've lied to all of us as well!"

"Say what now? You lied to Twilight?" Macintosh asked, a tone of angry surprise in his voice. The two of them had stopped, causing Nightfire to stop as well.

"Shadow...?" he asked, watching as his Captain stopped and gave a heavy sigh.

"Alright...you wanna know the truth?" he growled in annoyance, turning around to face Rainbow Dash. With a firm nod from her and Macintosh, the Captain began to speak. "The truth is, me and Nightfire have been involved in the 'Ravage Project' for years, even before the incident in Ponyville. I lied to Twilight because I needed her to trust me, I needed her on my side so I could make sure the evacuation ran smoothly. Me and Nightfire were there in the war room when the Gryphon Threat was discussed. That was when we first learned of 'Ravage'. Luna knew about it as well, and pleaded for Celestia to stop this suicidal project, but as we all know, she didn't listen. It was only by sheer dumb luck that myself and Nightfire were allowed to accompany Celestia during her tours of the royal castle's science wing. That was before the Virus was moved to its classified location. While there, we learned about the Variants, its maturation, its capabilities. The Ponyville incident was only just the beginning, which is why we had hoped to kill it when we destroyed the town! We wanted to nip the problem in the bud before it got a chance to mature and start producing Variants! IS THAT ENOUGH INFORMATION FOR YOU!?"

Rainbow Dash was taken aback as Shadow-Mane pushed his forehead against hers, shouting at the top of his lungs. "I've fought and killed more of these bastards then you could ever COUNT! I'm sick of this shit, and I don't like it anymore then you do!" He took a few steps back, leaving Rainbow Dash and Macintosh to simply stare at him in wonder. Nightfire simply turned his head away, a look of sheer guilt written all over his face.

"Well...I..." Rainbow Dash stuttered, trying her hardest to piece her words together. "If...if that's the case, what about the Carriers, how did you know so much about them?"

Shadow-Mane seemed to get stuck on this question, his mouth opening but no words coming forth. He closed his jaw slowly, looking away as Nightfire sighed and spoke his own words "It's because we knew one...way back in the day."

"We don't have time for this!" Shadow-Mane barked suddenly, cutting off Nightfire before he had a chance to say more "We need to get to Appleloosa, NOW! Once we've determined the town is safe, THEN we can provide some more answers, alright?!" Shadow-Mane growled, turning back towards the correct direction of travel.

"Alright...you've bought some time Shadow!" Rainbow growled in warning "But I'm still expecting an explanation after all this!" Shadow-Mane merely grunted, and with that, the group continued through the rocky passages.

~*~

"Well ah'll be damned" Big Macintosh whispered as he looked out over the wide expanse of open dessert "It's still standin'!"

Nightfire narrowed his eyes and stared far off into the distance as the town of Appleloosa sat over towards the horizon, shadowed in the shade of the rocky pillars surrounding it. He spotted a pony thrashing about near a cactus further down the field, his voice low and filled with warning "Yeah...and it looks like the Afflicted are here t-"

'BANG!!!!'

The loud crack of a gun echoed out from Appleloosa, the thrashing pony by the cactus falling still as the shot pierced its skull. "Or not..." Nightfire muttered in surprise, drawing a sharp whistle out of Macintosh.

"Alright then..." Shadow-Mane sighed "Everyone just act normal and keep a steady pace towards the town. It's being watched by armed sentries, obviously, so we need to make sure they don't mistaken us for Afflicted." With a nod from each of them, the group started their casual walk towards the small town.

"Oh boy...oh boy! I can already taste the cider now!" Nightfire squeaked in delight, licking his dry lips in anticipation.

"Cool it Nighty...we've still got our duties as Guards to fulfill before we take a break." Shadow-Mane chuckled as they moved past the cactus and the dead Afflicted's body. "We need to make sure that the other Lunar Guard, as well as the rest of our squad, made it here alive."

"I know...," Nightfire sighed "But still, cider!"

Rainbow Dash simply chuckled at the colt, a smile spreading across her face. Macintosh however, looked over the town with a heavy frown and a thudding heart. 'Could she be in there...?' Macintosh thought 'Could my sweetheart really be in there?'. As they approached the edge of town, the clicking of a rifle could be heard as well as the loud shout of a colt from one of the rooftops.

"Hold up now!" shouted the colt "Ya'll best state yer names n' business here for ah go lettin' ya in!"

"Let me handle this..." Shadow-Mane muttered to the others before shouting up at the roofs "I'm Captain Shadow-Mane of Her Majesty, Princess Luna's 142nd Lunar Guard, Shadow Squad! I'm here with Seargent Night-Sky Fire with the same company designation and squad, as well as two civilians! We're regrouping after the Cloudsdale assault and are seeking food, water, rest, and the regrouping with our colleagues!"

There was a pause for a few moments until a shout came from above "Alrighty then...it seems ya'll ain't the first Guard fellers to come on through here anywho. Ya'll enjoy your stay in Appleloosa now!"

"Dammit Joe!" came a sudden, second voice "That's not the way ya'll say it!"

"Wait..." Macintosh gasped "Ah know that voice!"

"Oh come on, not now!" Joe, the first voice, whined before the second voice broke out in a loud (and not to mention annoying...) exclamation of:

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAPPLELOOSA!!!"

"Cousin Braeburn!!!" Macintosh hollered, galloping up towards the building that Braeburn was situated on, his head peering up over the roof.

"Cousin Macintosh!?" Braeburn exclaimed, his eyes wide and his smile massive "Well call me a jack-elope and paint my ass red, what in the sam hell are ya doin' way out here!? It ain't even July Cousin, it ain't no time fer a visit yet!!!"

"You two...are family?" Nightfire asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Yep!" Rainbow Dash answered for him, watching as Braeburn jumped from the roof and landed just in front of his cousin, getting scooped up in a crushing hug "The two of them are cousins in the Apple Family, Braeburn's in charge of the apple farming down here."

Nightfire simply nodded as he and Shadow-Mane made their way past the reunion, heading over towards the other pony, Joe, who had hopped down off of the roof as well, their intentions set on asking about the status of the other Lunar Guard.

"How ya'll been, ya sly rascal you!?" Braeburn chuckled and gasped, finally getting released out of Macintosh's crushing embrace.

"Survivin', like always" Macintosh said back, plopping down on his flank and chuckling.

"Well ain't that the truth about everypony round the world nowadays!" Braeburn said with equal happiness, "Ya'll came about the right time, things have been gettin' purty sad around here without anything to spice the place up. What even brings ya'll down here anyway, the Lunar Guards or whatever?"

"Sorta..." Macintosh started, scratching at his ears with a hoof "Ya see, ah kinda went and got busted out of Canterlot because ah heard Twilight might've been down here...ah ran into Miss Dash here and the other two ponies back out in the green fields. Apparently Cloudsdale went all up in smoke, and the rest of their friends were supposed to meet em' down here. Lucky fer me ah guess."

"Twilight..." Braeburn muttered, tipping back his stetson "Isn't that the girl you were all smitten with when ah visited last?"

"Eeyup," Macintosh nodded "Me and her made it official just before we escaped from Ponyville, which is why I gotta ask...Braeburn...is she here?"

There was a tense moment in the air as Braeburn looked towards Macintosh with a glint of sadness in his eyes. The workhorse's face fell slightly as his cousin shook his head and muttered "Nope...sorry Cous, she ain't here. Ain't been nothing but some of those Lunar boys flyin' in here and that runaway train that keeps going back n' forth. Nopony's been comin' round these parts before that, what with that disease lurkin' around."

Macintosh nodded sadly, but Rainbow Dash wasn't too keen on letting the conversation fade away so easily. "Hold on..." she muttered "What was that about a 'runaway train' Braeburn?"

At this, Braeburn simply groaned and rolled his eyes before growling the words "Well...it's a bit of an ass pain to be honest. There's this damn train that comes down from the Manehatten line, and blows right on through the town. Doesn't even make a stop here! It won't stop fer nothing, nearly ran down two of our boys who volunteered to stand on the track to see if it would keep goin'. That ain't the weirdest part though...."

Macintosh and Rainbow Dash went wide-eyed though as Braeburn revealed to them the next part. "The weirdest thing is...the train comes in through town every six hours, and at the front of the train, on top of the engine car...there's this weird pony all wrapped up in bandages and some kind of mask-n'-cloak type deal. We tried calling out to the bastard but...it won't respond to us at all. That, and the train's got this weird looking mark painted all over the sides o' the cars. Damn weirdest thing ah've ever seen..."

"What...mark, exactly?" Rainbow whispered, a sudden fear gripping at her heart.

"Well..." Braeburn began, scratching his chin with a hoof "It looks like it's painted in red. The mark itself looks like some kinda magic wand lookin' thing over this crescent moon. Don't know what to make of it...never seen it before in mah life!"

At this...Rainbow Dash's jaw dropped, and she let out a low, frightful

"Oh....no..."

The Group - Reminisce, Revenge, and Retaliation

"AHHH! Finally! Cider! CIDER!!!" Nightfire squee'd in delight, chugging back the brown froth with enthusiastic vigor. He hiccuped as he dropped his mug, flashing a cheesy, but happy, smile and looking across the table towards Shadow-Mane who simply shook his head at the colt.

"Go easy on that Nighty" Shadow warned "We're still on duty, technically!" Nightfire simply grunted at him, leaning back in his chair and looking around the saloon casually. They were resting in the 'Lone Hoof' Saloon at one of the tables towards the back. Shadow-Mane had already met up with around ten of the Lunar Guard, their reports all similar. Each of them had flown as fast and as far as they could away from Cloudsdale and had come to Appleloosa in hopes that orders or some kind of direction would await them. All that Shadow could say to them though was simply "Take as much rest as you can and await further orders, Canterlot should send along some kind of word to us once the destruction of Cloudsdale reaches their ears. Everyone just sit tight and relax...it may be the only time we can."

"Don't be such a party pooper," Nightfire grumbled, sliding the mug out of his way and propping his chin up on a hoof. "You keep up this attitude and you're gonna become a sour old windbag."

At this, Shadow-Mane let out a hearty chuckle and shook his head, sipping the small glass of water before him and letting out a quiet sigh. "I think I'd be alright with that..." he muttered sadly "After all you and I have seen...I think maybe it's time for retirement."

"Heh...I'm with you there." Nightfire whispered with a single nod "There's still a war to finish though Shadow, we've got to see this thing to the end." He turned his head towards the main area of the saloon, watching many towns-ponies and Lunar Guard interact and trade news about the world and the war against 'The Afflicted'. "Once we wipe out the last of them...then you and I can go vacationing in Zebrica, how's that sound?"

"Too be brutally honest Nightfire...I'm rather tired of being hunted of savage animals." Shadow grumbled with a roll of his eyes "Zebrica is the number one capital of predatory animals...I think I can do without a safari or two under my saddle-belt."

"Your loss...I heard the zebras there are really...really cute." Nightfire gave a childish chuckle with a wink of his eye, drawing another sigh out of Shadow and a firm shake of his head.

A few quiet moments passed between the two when suddenly the wooden, shutter like doors of the saloon burst open with a loud 'BANG!', a loud holler passing through as three Lunar Guard stumbled inside "Make way! I got an injured guard here! Bring up a table!!!"

Shadow-Mane whipped his head towards the voice and gasped "I know that vo- MOON-LANCE!". The rest of Shadow Squad: Moon-Lance and Wind-Weaver had stumbled in the bar, with Sky-Driver draped across Wind's back. It looked like the Guard's armor had been shattered in several places, his face scrunched up into a look of pain and droplets of blood dripping from his wings.

"Holy shit! What the hell happened to you three!?" Nightfire shouted as several guards dragged a table up towards the trio. The Captain and Seargent quickly made their way over to their comrades as Sky was gently eased onto the table.

"Thunder-Hoof..." wheezed Moon-Lance as a Lunar Guard approached the side of the table, his saddle-bags stamped with the mark of a red cross. The guard began to treat the injured Pegasus as Wind-Weaver gingerly took a mug of water offered to him, drinking is heavily before letting out a heavy sigh and gasping "Bastard caught us off guard when we landed to rest. I'm surprised we didn't hear him coming...it was like he came out of nowhere. We were getting away just fine until the shithead thew a ROCK at us. Sky-Driver took a hit...he's lucky to be alive."

Nightfire shivered as Shadow-Mane put a hoof on Moon's shoulder "Anything else soldier? Afflicted movements? Any message from Canterlot?"

"None Captain..." started Moon-Lance, his voice slightly hoarse. He muttered as Wind passed him his mug "As far as we could tell, the plains and skies were empty. The Afflicted around Cloudsdale took off in a mighty big hurry to the north after the city went up in a poof of magic."

Shadow-Mane facehoofed and let out a low grumble as the medic draped white bandages over Sky's injured wings. "Well..." Shadow said after a moment "It's good to have you three back with us, we're back to full strength!"

Moon and Wind nodded with narrow eyes and a smile just before a groan was breathed through Sky-Driver's lips. The group turned their heads towards him as the Pegasus weakly whispered "Are we there yet...? I think...I smell pie..."

"Sky!" Moon exclaimed with glee "You ok bud? How're you feeling?!" Sky opened his left eye slowly, the whites cracked with bloodshot red. He drew in a shuddering breath and winced as the medic continued to patch him up. "I've...been better," Sky whispered "Hurt's a bit...but I've taken worse. Won't be too long...until I can...get back up on...h...hooves..."

His eyes drooped slowly as Nightfire put a gentle hoof on the top of his head and muttered "Take it easy soldier...rest...you're safe now."

Sky finally let his eyes close, sleep taking him in a warm embrace. Shadow looked towards the medic who continued his work and asked "Will he be ok?"

The medic, waiting until he tied off one of the bandages, looked up towards the Captain and nodded "Yes sir, it was only a few lacerations on his wings and a bit of a concussion. He looks to be slightly dehydrated, so a steady dosage of water, food, and rest will have him on his hooves within a day or so."

The Captain nodded as the wooden doors once again banged with the hurried entry of a pony. It was a panicked looking Rainbow Dash this time, the cyan mare being closely followed by a confused looking Macintosh and a bewildered looking Braeburn. "Miss Dash?" Shadow asked, raising one of his eyebrows "Is everything alright?"

"No, no it's not alright!" Rainbow said, a worried tone clearly audible in her voice "Braeburn told me about a runaway train that's been going back and forth past Appleloosa...there's a mark on the side of the train that, from what Braeburn describes, is a mark that I know! I know the identity of one of the Carrier's, possibly the one who attacked Cloudsdale!"

Nightfire's eyes widened as Shadow-Mane's narrowed. Moon-Lance looked between the mare and his Captain for a moment before muttering "Um...did I miss something?"

"Later...Moon," Shadow said quietly. He diverted his eyes back to Rainbow Dash and whispered "We should head back to our table...we'll be able to talk there."

"Ah gotta get back to the roofs n' check the outskirts again...you stayin' here cous'?" Braeburn asked, drawing a simple nod and a 'Eeyup' out of Big Macintosh. With Braeburn's departure, the remaining six headed back towards the rear table and took a seat.

Once they were all comfortable, Shadow asked quietly to Rainbow Dash who was sitting across from him "Alright...let's hear it."

"Oh no you don't..." Rainbow growled "You want information? Then we TRADE for it! You start talking like you promised you would, and then I'll fill you in about The Carrier's identity."

Shadow-Mane sighed heavily, facehooving for the second time that day as Moon-Lance muttered with wide-eyes "She knows about The Carrier's?"

"She knows a lot more than that..." Nightfire whispered "Just...let the Captain explain."

Everypony at the table turned their attention to Shadow-Mane, who sat with his stare fixated on the table before him. The colt was quiet for a few moments before finally he sighed and looked up towards Rainbow Dash. With a sad tone in his voice, he muttered "I suppose I do owe you an explanation...or at least a better one...after all this time. Alright..." He leaned back in his chair and looked up towards the ceiling as he began.

"I've lost count of how many years it's been since me and Nightfire...hell...all of us, encountered 'Ravage'. It was back around the time of the formation of Shadow Squad...I was just getting out of officer academy as a Seargent and was only freshly assigned to Shadow Squad under Captain Night-Mare. She was a fiery lass...stubborn as a mule but tough as nails. Nightfire was a fresh transfer as well, and together us three formed the basis of the squad. Night-Mare had tested us to the max, trying her hardest to determine our greatest potential and to see if we really had what it took to operate in her squad. Of course, we passed with flying colors, and were granted the privilege of selecting three other members to join our squad. After much deliberation, me and Nightfire settled on Moon-Lance, Wind-Weaver, and Sky-Driver. Together, us six became the toughest of the tough, and the most elite of all The Lunar Guard."

He paused to take a drink of water, clearing his throat and staring towards Rainbow Dash who was staring back at him with a look of intensity. "Anyway," he continued "I was doing a bit of desk work one day when Captain Night-Mare summons me to the Royal Chambers in Canterlot Castle. I go with haste, and make it just in time to meet up with Nightfire, who was also summoned. The Captain wasted no time in having us stand on her left and right and to have us escort her to the science department of the castle. Upon arriving, we were met by several different scientists, and Princess Celestia herself. It was there that we were introduced to the 'Ravage' Virus, and..the first Carrier."

At this, Rainbow Dash held up a hoof and muttered "Hold on...'first' Carrier? I thought this thing escaped from a bunker in the Everfree forest, that's what you told us back in Canterlot!"

At this, Shadow-Mane bit his bottom lip and looked towards the mare. "Rainbow Dash...I have to choose my next words carefully as they are...well...they're magically tabooed...."

"Um...taboo-whatty?" Macintosh asked, scratching his head.

"It means that the information was so classified, that if I uttered it to improper authority...Princess Luna and Princess Celestia would know about it...and I'd be executed for treason."

"Holy shit..." Rainbow gasped "No wonder you didn't want to talk! Your life was on the line!" She paused to receive a sad nod from Shadow before whispering "I'm...I'm sorry, if I had known so much was at stake I wouldn't have pressured you so much to talk."

Shadow-Mane simply shook his head and sighed "No...it's ok. Somepony has the right to know...The Element of Loyalty included. Anyway...I can't tell you much...but I can tell you this." He paused for a moment, his voice and tone one of carefulness...as if he were treading on thin ice. "Rainbow Dash..." he whispered, leaning his head in slowly and staring deeply into her magenta eyes as he uttered the words that drove a shiver through her bones:

Rainbow Dash's jaw dropped slightly as Shadow-Mane leaned back in his seat and sighed "The mission that Shadow-Squad received a few days after we were briefed on the virus was a kill-order. It was more of an experimental attack than an actual tactical move. I cannot detail the exact orders...but it concerned the Gryphons. They've been encroaching on our lands longer than anypony actually realizes, even before the second defeat of Discord by the Elements." He gave Rainbow a grim look as he went on "There was a fail-safe...believe it or not...to the 'Ravage'. All Carriers have a deep, magical ability to purge the virus itself and purify it. Granted, the Carrier would have to be a pony of EXTREME power to pull that kind of magical discharge off, and nine out of ten times it ends in their immediate death. A bubble of gigantic magic pulses outwards from the Carrier when it's launched, purifying and curing any Afflicted that is touched by the magic. It's the only known cure to the 'Ravage', and because Carrier's brains are so warped and demented by the disease...it's almost impossible to get them to use their Purge."

"But...but what about the Carrier that you met? What happened with your mission?" Rainbow Dash asked, her eyes wide.

"It failed..." Shadow-Mane whispered, his eyes flicking off to the side "...it was quite a miserable end...and it was around that time we were ordered to retreat. We so nearly succeeded too...until somepony screwed it all up. It was just as we were getting home that the Ponyville Incident was just starting to take shape. The 'Ravage' Virus and its experiments were moved to the Everfree Forest, away from prying eyes and concerned citizens. It was actually a fluke that it escaped into the world...nopony's still sure how. As for the Carrier that we met in Canterlot...that's classified."

"So...were the Gryphons immune?" Rainbow Dash asked "You said your orders were a kill-order, and that it concerned the Gryphons. As devastating as the 'Ravage' has been to us, how bad was it for them?"

"Like I said...the mission ended in failure Rainbow Dash...I couldn't tell you what exactly happened to the Gryphons...only that they're still around. Why they haven't attacked us in our weakest state...I still don't know. I was lying when I said they didn't want our diseased land. They still would have attacked regardless of what's been happening in Equestria. The rest...well, I can't say. It's all strictly classified." Shadow-Mane finished with a heavy sigh, allowing Rainbow Dash and Macintosh to soak in the information.

After a few moments, Rainbow Dash nodded and whispered "Thank you Shadow-Mane...it's very brave of you to speak about things like this when your life is at stake." He nodded, taking a swig of his water before she went on "And now...about my end of the bargain. Based on what Braeburn's told me about the mark that's covering the runaway train, I think the Carrier is a mare named Trixie, a unicorn who I thought was supremely weak in magic...but if she's a Carrier, that can only mean she's extremely powerful. You said all The Carrier's were incredibly powerful with magic didn't you?"

Shadow-Mane nodded and said "Indeed, you'd have to be a very powerful Unicorn to be able to control the 'Ravage' Virus. Are you sure that The Carrier is this...'Trixie' mare?"

"I'm about...twenty percent positive" Rainbow Dash sighed with a shrug "I'm only going on what Braeburn described to me. If we're going to get any real answers...we're going to have to either stop that train, or take a ride on it..."

The Captain nodded and turned his head to Big Macintosh, asking "Macintosh, does Braeburn know when the train will be coming back?"

"Ah'm...not too sure" Macintosh began, scratching his head "Ah'm sure we could ask him...last ah heard him speak of it, that train was going to be on its way from Manehatten this time around, then it's gonna come back after a few hours n' go back to the city."

At this, the Captain nodded and turned his head to the rest of his squad before saying "Right, then it looks like we've got a train to catch. Let's go talk to Braeburn."

~*~

"The train...? Oh...should be here in about...thirty minutes or so by mah count, why ya'll ask?" Braeburn told the Captain, tipping back his stetson and looking up towards the colt.

Shadow nodded and replied "We're planning on flagging down that train...see if we can't contact The Carrier controlling it. If that fails...then we'll board the train itself as it travels back towards Manehatten."

"Well...alright, don't get yourself killed now, ya hear?" Braeburn warned, turning back towards the small ladder propped up against the house and beginning his slow climb upwards.

Shadow-Mane trotted back towards Shadow Squad, Rainbow Dash, and Big Macintosh. "Alright...we've got about half an hour before that train shows up...Rainbow dash, you ready?"

"Yeah, no problem!" Rainbow exclaimed "All I'm doing is calling out her name. If she reacts, then we'll know it's her. If not...well then I don't know, guess I would be wrong."

"Alright then..." Shadow muttered "let's get into position."

~*~ Thirty Minutes later... ~*~

Shadow-Mane peered out from behind a rock next to the graveyard, his eyes scanning the railroad tracks and the station carefully. Beside him, Nightfire shook his head "This is so not a good idea...what if this...Trixie, reacts badly?"

"I don't know how she'd react negatively Nighty..." Shadow muttered "Unless of course her and Rainbow Dash weren't the best of friends. Either way...everything should be ok."

From the roof of the train station, Moon-Lance and Rainbow Dash waved their hoofs, and from a small bush across the railroad tracks from Shadow-Mane, waved Wind-Weaver and Big Macintosh. With a simple nod, Shadow-Mane slunk back behind his rock and waited. "Captain..." Nightfire suddenly asked in a whisper, drawing Shadow-Mane to turn his head. "In case things go sour..." he began, but was hastily cut off by the Captain

"Don't..." he muttered, shaking his head "Think positive Nighty, like always since Anchor-Wing."

"I know Captain...I just wanted to say..." Nightfire sighed, taking a moment to draw in a breath before looking into Shadow's eyes to say "It's been an honor, sir."

"No Night..." Shadow said with a smile "The honor was all mine. Thank all four of you, for being the best squad that there could ever be in Equestria...and thank you Nightfire...for being my best friend."

The two shared a quick brohoof before the sounds of the train reached their ears, the steady 'clackity clack' of the steel wheels on the tracks growing louder and louder by each second. "Here we go..." Shadow whispered, peering his head over the rock with Nightfire's and looking down the tracks. The train looked as if it had been through a hurricane as it drew closer. The wood of the cars looked slightly rotted and untreated, the engine car vomiting out black clouds of choking death. It appeared Braeburn was right, as the train was absolutely smothered in the mark that he described, painted in what Shadow-Mane hoped wasn't blood.

"Captain...look!" Nightfire gasped, pointing with a hoof. Shadow looked to where his hoof pointed, to the roof of the fourth car, and his eyes widened. There, standing with all four hooves planted firmly against the roof, was The Carrier. Her horn was aglow with pink magic. "Her magic...that's got to be her! It's the same mare!"

As the train drew closer, Rainbow Dash leaped from the roof of the train station and fanned out her wings, hovering as she turned towards the train and drew in a deep breath. She waited until she knew The Carrier was within earshot and was able to scream above the sound of the train before shouting at the top of her lungs "TRIIXXXXEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!"

The Carrier aboard the train snapped her head upwards, her horn gleaming with pinkish magic. She took a good look at Rainbow Dash before she let out a piercing cry and stamped her front hooves against the car. She hollered at the top of her lungs as the train passed through the station, her back flashing and two magically-pink wings emerged from her back. She took off as the train barreled through the town, passing by and continuing down towards the south. She flew up and hovered at least thirty feet away from Rainbow Dash, her voice dripping with malice and hate "You! How DARE you speak to me after the misery and shame you put me through! You and the rest of your Elements deserve to BURN for what you've done to me and my Precious Ones!"

"You're CRAZY Trixie!" Rainbow Dash hollered, pointing an accusing hoof towards the mare "You tell me I should burn!? What about you!? You're the one who destroyed Cloudsdale, slaughtered countless innocents and made a heap ton of ponies homeless! It wasn't even our fault for that day in Ponyville! You were the one who boasted and ranted like she was the number one Unicorn in Equestria! Newsflash kiddo, that ain't you! That title belongs to Twilight Sparkle, and you had no right to say different! How could you even use the excuse of that day in Ponyville to commit mass Genocide against all of Equestria!?"

At this, Trixie simply laughed, the mare dropping back her hood and removing her mask. Rainbow Dash gasped as the mask fell away and her face was revealed, the whites of her eyes gleaming with the color of her blood along with the gleaming violet of her eye color. Her cheek was adorned with three slash-like scars, and her mane was messy and disheveled. "Twilight Sparkle you say....?" Trixie said with a sinister smile and a knowing tone, ignoring the jab about that fateful day in Ponyville "How long it has been since I've seen her...I can't recall really the taste of her from Ponyville...I truly wonder how she's doing."

"What are you talking about?! What did you do to her!?" Rainbow Dash screeched, drawing an evil chuckle from the depths of Trixie's lungs.

"Silly girl!" Trixie roared, her horn flaring with magic "I did what you all could not! I gave her friends that wouldn't abandon her in the world, like you did! Not one of you came for her, not one of you searched! I was there for her, and I helped her rise to a power that she only thought existed in her dreams! Some Element of Loyalty you are, not even pushing to form a search party for her great, 'benevolent' leader!"

"C...Captain..?" Nightfire whispered with a shiver "She...she doesn't mean that she...she didn't!"

"I think so Nightfire..." Shadow whispered with wide eyes, peering over carefully towards the bush where Big Macintosh had been hiding. The workhorse's eyes were wide with horror and his jaw was agape, the meaning of the mare's words making sense to him as well.

"What...what did you do to her!?" Rainbow Dash screamed, tears brimming in her eyes "What did you do!? ANSWER ME!!!"

"I gave her freedom...freedom and her own city to play with and rule with as many friends as she wants." Trixie answered with a sneer "And for you...I give you death." Before anypony could say more, Trixie's horn gleamed with a bright light, the mare launching a ball of magic outwards and hurling it towards the graveyard near Shadow-Mane. It exploded with intense force, pushing the two colts in hiding against the rock as the magic it released seeped into the ground. "Perhaps you'll thank me one day, Rainbow Dash." Trixie giggled as she enveloped herself with magic "Until then...I'll see you at the gates of hell themselves, right after I begin the siege of Canterlot!"

She vanished with a spell of teleportation as Rainbow Dash hollered "No! STOP! COME BACK!" She was already gone however, drawing Rainbow to swear and to fly back towards Shadow-Mane. She was joined shortly after by the rest of Shadow Squad and Big Macintosh, who had tears running down his face.

"T...tell me that mare didn't mean what ah think she meant! Tell me it ain't true!" he cried, staring into Shadow-Mane's eyes.

"M...Macintosh." Shadow began, his voice shaky as he tried to break it to the stallion as best as he could "Trixie...The Carrier, said she couldn't recall the taste of her. The Virus is passed through bodily fluids...saliva being one of them. And with Twilight as powerful in magic as she is...it can only mean that she's a Car-"

"NO!" Macintosh roared, getting in Shadow-Mane's face "TAIN'T TRUE! NONE OF IT! Ah don't believe a word that damned mare was spoutin', not one!"

"Take it easy Macintosh!" Nightfire said, trying his best to put some distance between the two "We don't have time for this! Didn't you hear what Trixie said, she's going to BESIEGE Canterlot, our last stand! We need to hightail it back to the city before she gets there, we need to warn Princess Luna!"

"Ya'll can go..." Macintosh growled, turning his back on the group "Ah'm goin' after that mare, and ah'm boarding that train!"

"WHAT!?" came the unified shout of the group, followed by Rainbow Dash's weak cry "No Macintosh, that's suicide! We need you in Canterlot!"

"Don't ya understand Miss Dash!?" Macintosh hollered as he turned to face the Rainbow Mare "Ah've come too far to just give up now! Didn't ya hear what that Trixie mare said!? She said all of us abandoned Twi', and that ain't true at all! Ah've come out in search of her, ah haven't given up on her! Ah love her Rainbow Dash, and ah ain't gonna quit lookin' till Ah've found her or until ah die tryin'!"

Shadow-Mane stared towards the stallion with a look of admiration on his face and nodded "Alright...then I'll go to."

"Captain!?" gasped his squad mates, the colts unsure if they heard him or not.

"You heard me!" Shadow barked, looking amongst his fellow soldiers with narrowed eyes "I owe it to Twilight Sparkle, if what Trixie says is true, and Twilight is now a Carrier, it can only mean that the night she disappeared, she had left to combat the Afflicted at its source! I bet you more than anything that it was HER that de-horned Celestia! She made the ultimate sacrifice in the hopes that she could stop the bloodshed, and end this madness! I won't let her sacrifice be in vain! If she's still alive and she's still a carrier, then we still have a shot! We could reason with her, get her to use her Purge! WE CAN STOP THE RAVAGE VIRUS ONCE AND FOR ALL!"

"But...Captain that could kill her!" Nightfire gasped "Nine times out of ten, remember!?" Shadow turned his head to Big Macintosh, who had a sorrowful look in his eyes. He knew it was true...he knew that Twilight could be the only way to stop the Ravage, to finally put Equestria back to the way it was.

"Macintosh..." Shadow whispered, drawing a nod out of the stallion before he went on.

"E...Eeyup...," he said with a shudder "All ah want is to see her again...ah'm not too sure about the Purge but...all ah want is to just see her again..."

Shadow-Mane nodded, but suddenly...his ears perked. The sounds of the train were coming back in the distance, causing the group to turn their heads towards the tracks. "Odd..." whispered the Captain "Didn't Braeburn say it was an interval of six hours between the train visits?"

"Perhaps we forced her hoof?" Nightfire offered, listening to the train far off in the distance.

"At any rate," Shadow Mane growled "I'm going with Big Macintosh, the rest of you will take what Lunar Guard we have here and head back to Canterlot. If there's anything we've gotten out of Trixie today, it's that Twilight may be in Manehatten. It's the only other major city in Equestria, so-"

He was cut off by a voice nearby "Count me in too!"

The group turned their heads and gasped as Sky-Driver made his way over, his wings and right leg covered in bandages. "Sky, what are you doing up!?" Nightfire hollered "You're supposed to be resting!"

"Ha!" laughed the injured colt "And miss out on the greatest battles of Equestrian History? Pfff, with all due respect Sarge, but fuck that noise. I'm going with Captain Shadow-Mane and Macintosh."

"Sky-Driver..." Shadow said with concern "You sure you're fit to travel and fight? Luna only knows how many Afflicted are going to be swarming in Manehatten."

With a firm nod, Sky winked and said "You can count on me, I won't go down without a fight! Besides, three is a lot safer than two!"

The group looked towards Shadow, who for a moment bit his bottom lip and turned the idea over in his head. Finally, the Captain sighed and nodded "Alright Sky, you're in. The rest of you, get to Canterlot as soon as po-"

'CRACK!!!!'

The group grew still as a thunderous cracking noise echoed out from behind them, towards the graveyard. Shadow-Mane slowly turned his head towards the site and his eyes fell upon a cracked gravestone. It was only then that they remembered the ball of magic Trixie had launched towards the graveyard. "No...way..." Nightfire gasped as another grave stone cracked "Shadow...NO WAY!"

"SHIT!" Shadow-Mane cursed, turning his head towards the group and shouting "You need to warn Braeburn, NOW! Nightfire, get to him and tell them we've got imminent danger!"

"No need!" came the familiar shout of Braeburn as he trotted over from near the Train Station "Ah saw that light show from all the way across town! What's all the fuss about?!"

"Braeburn," Shadow began with a tone of warning "You need to get your people out of this town, now! My Lunar Guard are leaving back towards Canterlot, it's in danger! You're in danger as well here, there are Shamblers on the way!"

At this, the Appleloosan colt raised an eyebrow and muttered "What in the sam hell is a Sham-"

"Nnnnnnnnnnhh......"

The group slowly turned their heads towards the Graveyard as the sound of earth splitting reached their ears. A hoof had pushed its way through the ground, rotten meat and bone visible across its length. All around, the other sixty or so graves began to shift and move as well. "Those...are Shamblers" Shadow-Mane growled "Undead Afflicted, almost impossible to kill. I need to move my ponies out of here, now! I suggest you do the same Braeburn!"

Braeburn, however, simply chuckled and shook his head as he hollered "Aw hell naw! Ya'll must not know that much about us. We've spent too long and shed too much of our own blood to keep this here town alive and on the map! We ain't just gonna' abandon it now! Ya'll can up n' leave back to Canterlot...but we...we're gonna fight for OUR land!"

"Cous', that's suicide! Listen to the Captain!" Macintosh spoke with urgency as more rotten hooves began to burst from the ground, the first of the Undead Afflicted beginning to pull themselves out of the ground. Rainbow Dash nearly hurled as she saw the first full hunk of one, a mare with a tiny amount of mane, her body shrunken and rotting away. Her eye sockets were filled with two orbs of bright red light, and her teeth were dripping with blood.

"Don't argue the fact with me Cous'!" Braeburn hollered back, a determined look on his face "We're gonna stay in fight! Somepony's got to take a stand against all this, right? Well, here's ours! Ya'll take care now, and ah hope ya find Miss Sparkle! Good luck out there Cousin Macintosh!"

After a moment, Macintosh simply gave him a small smile and nodded, whispering "You too...Cousin Braeburn."

Shadow-Mane wasted no time in turning towards Nightfire and ordering quickly "Night, take the squad and the guards to Canterlot, we'll meet you there...hopefully not too late after the siege has begun. Go!"

The group nodded and swiftly departed, leaving Sky, Macintosh, Shadow, and Braeburn alone near the graveyard. "Anything ya'll know about em...to help us fight?" Braeburn asked the Captain, to which he nodded.

"Plenty" Shadow muttered, turning his head towards Braeburn and saying "They're slow, but devastating in numbers. They may look like the zombies you've read about in bed-time stories...but these won't go down with a simple bullet or stab to the skull. You gotta cut their entire head off, and then burn it." Braeburn's eyes widened as the Captain went on "Exactly, it's the virus itself keeping the entire body alive, it becomes its new brain. The virus can control muscle movement while it still has a path from its head downwards to the limbs. You cut off the head, you stop em from walking! Just be careful when approaching them, alright?!"

Braeburn nodded and with a tip of his stetson hollered "Will do, ya'll get on outta here now, we'll take care of this!" Without another word, Braeburn scampered off, hollering towards the town to ring the alarm bell, and to prepare for a pretty tight scuffle.

"Alright..." Shadow muttered as he turned back towards the tracks "Let's get this over with, shall we?"

"Eeeyup!" Macintosh hollered, followed by a "Aye Captain!" from Sky-Driver.

The train had returned, except this time, Trixie was not on top of it. It seemed to be moving slower this time, making Shadow-Mane smile as he turned towards Sky "Alright...I'll carry you aboard, we'll enter in from the caboose." He then turned his head towards Macintosh and asked "You think you can catch that back bar on the balcony of the caboose car?"

"Eeyup," Macintosh answered with a chuckle "Done it back before all this blood n' stuff. Was late for a mighty few train rides down here to Appleloosa, had to catch the back end plenty o' times."

"Alright then...here we go." Shadow-Mane muttered, feeling the weight of Sky as he clambered aboard the Captain's back. The train passed by quickly as Shadow fanned out his wings and took flight, strained only slightly by his soldier's weight. They landed firmly on the Caboose card as Macintosh took a stunning leap forward, hooking his front two hooves on the back bar of the balcony. He steadily pulled himself onto solid ground as Shadow dropped down onto the balcony himself, depositing Sky right next to him. After the three had situated themselves and caught their breath, Shadow-Mane whispered "Ready?"

With a nod from the both of them, Shadow-Mane quietly slid the door open to the caboose, and the three of them crept stealthily into the interior of the train.

The door closed quietly just after them.