“Wall, what wall?” - Applebits

Well, the Enclave soldier had led us into a very dark chamber, and then he had suddenly frothed at the mouth and died.

“Just to make certain, nopony did that to him from our group, right?” I asked, looking to our new companions.

Rage merely sniffed, in an almost animalistic way, in response. As if he was catching to a scent, just as a predator might do when tracking prey. “No…” He whispered, before growling such that the chamber echoed with the intensity of his vocalization of anger. “Cowards..Failures..Foes!”

Rage’s sudden outburst shook the chamber, and caused several large stones to fall down and collapse around the immense space. “I can see you, none can hide from Death’s Sight!”

Silence seemed to have disappeared. That was, of course, until I saw her leave a single flash of her rifle’s glint from up inside some alcove high in the rafters and structural supports.

“Come from hiding and face me like a true Warrior!” Rage snarled, as his back hooves stomped the ground and he seemed to literally be steaming out of his nostrils. His hoof-mounted minigun was spinning madly, as his crimson eyes searched the cavernous space instinctively.

“Lightning, see anything on your visor or EFS?” I asked my pegasus friend who was busy looking at our dead captive.

“Nope, nothing, nada, wait… yeah, north west, two contacts, no visual though… also I don’t know range.” He replied before turning back to the body, “Must have been a remote failsafe, saw a few back during the war when we used captured Zebras to take us to their camps… never did like em, always left a bad taste in my mouth.”

“Noted, I recommend we fan out to the north westerly and hunt them.” I stated as I began to march, my hoof-falls echoing in the dark subway.

“For this death, there will be sevenfold more…” Rage muttered, as he came to a crouch beside the fallen Enclave soldier for but a moment. He whispered but a few cryptic, ancient words, as he placed a hoof and closed the eyes. His hoof came back up with a small crimson stone, which he deposited into a pouch at his belt before getting up and screaming in primal anger.

His hooves were outstretched, and he set off like a freight train in the direction that was ordered with his howl still echoing the massive space.

Silence, I could see, had since started shifting among the rafters. Just as her name implied, she was perfectly quiet and unnoticeable save perhaps to the fact that she seemed to purposefully leave small clues that we could only see to follow her movements. Most of this involved her eyes flickering into reality from the shadows, or the glint of her scope for a fraction of a second.

“TRAITOROUS SCUM!” Fresh steam scorched the air from the nostrils of the raging train engine, as his feet cast him forward faster and faster until he was a blur. Not even a normal crimson blur, as expected; but rather, now a holy light appeared to take his form, as Rage slammed straight into a wall that was several feet thick.

His body went through like a proverbial knife through butter, and made the cavernous space shudder as if in agony as smoke wafted from the place he had smashed into.

I heard a scream, two, and then saw his massive form through the cloud. I saw him lifting somepony high into the air, before his other hoof bashed through his skull with a sickening sound of metal and bone snapping. His hoof was out the back before he withdrew it slowly; all the while he was screaming ferally. Rage’s last action brought the poor creature down upon his knee, breaking his back, before he was tossed back and into the light.

All I could see was what amounted to a bent and crushed tin can, leaking its contents to the ground as it lay there before me, features obliterated by the hole through its face.

My attentions were brought forward when I heard the echo of heavy fire; and I saw the opening of yet another act. Plasma. Hot, boiling plasma; the kind that stripped armor from bodies and flesh from bones, leaving only goop behind.

A hail of this greenish-hued shot fell upon that of Rage, and to my surprise, he actually staggered back into the light himself. Interestingly enough, it did not fell or phase him even further; moreso it seemed only to anger him even more as he stomped his hooves hard into the ground. His immense body shook the cavern again, as he came to a halt. His clothing had indeed been scorched from him, and left his overly-muscled body bare to all. The Ranger’s face was caught in a permanent snarl, and his eyes were wide and insane. His right forehoof extended out to his side, as he was peppered endlessly by hellfire.

What met next to his hoof, was a rift that tore open like a hungry maw into realspace. A dark, foreboding dread accompanied this, with the feeling that literal Death itself had clawed its way into the realm of the living.

“From the darkness, I call upon ye.” Rage frothed, as a frightening black blood leaked from his lips. “In the blackness, do I tread, never to see thy Holy Light again.” He spat, as a shape of pure shadow tore steadily from the inky murkiness. “But with my Last Ungodly Breath, Thy WILL BE DONE!”

I finally saw what the obsidian thing was; and it was ridiculously massive. Even for the might of Rage, this blade looked like it were built not for him, but a God. Twas a Greatsword, built stately and strong. Shaped though, into a resemblance of a Nightmarish chimera of its former self. Forged with palpable hatred that radiated from it, I began to sense my own blood boil as this horrific thing was cradled in his hoof and dragged across the ground.

“By His Word, THEE WILL DIE” Rage howled, as his eyes glowed hot as lava, and he uprooted himself and charged once. The plasma seemed to deflect from him, now, as a pervasive darkness bent to his body like armor weaved of shadow.

Once more, Rage led attack. This time, I could see Silence leap down from the rafters. She had been passive, not even firing a shot; but now, her blood-colored eyes were alight with bright fury. Similar to that of her husband, whom she now rushed to join. Her rifle chambered and fired, each time rewarded by a scream as she barreled forward without care for stealth now.

If anything, I think she was more frightening than that beast she had married; for her rage was without words. Yet, I heard something rip, something tear. The sound of flesh being torn asunder.

Her lips, once sewn shut, now pried open. Given way as black blood poured down her open neck, to a shrill, ear-piercing cry. One filled with agony unimaginable; rough and rattling that my very bones were chilled.

As her scream filled the chamber, even Rage fell silent to this, and halted his advance just as whatever had been encountered was obviously retreating.

“Beautiful…” He murmured, as he turned about as if entranced. He watched his wife, as well did, pursuing towards the stairwell that the opponents had fled to. Surprisingly, he reached out for her with his open hoof, and caught her about her midsection. He spun her in close, and scored a deep, blood-filled kiss before whispering. “Leave them now...my love.”

The two had come to a pause, and the entirety of battle had fallen silent. A calm seemed to seep back into the world, as the two joined together in a heartfelt embrace.

“I love you…” I could hear the ragged, yet soothingly soft voice of Silence barely whisper.

“And I love you.” Rage breathed in return.

It was only now, as we made approach, that I realized the two were standing atop a pile of Enclave corpses. The blood staining their boots and the ground in a wide pool that, weirdly enough, formed into the shape of a heart. I mean a literal heart, not the symbolic heart that most might associate with this moment.

“Well then, at least we found the way out…” Lightning stated, surprisingly carrying the dead trooper’s body.
“We should bury him.” I said, looking from the two gore entrenched soldiers and my friend who was trying not to take not of the many dead pegasi.

“I will give unto ye aid in your endeavor, young friend.” Silence whispered, as she reluctantly tore her eyes from her lover and looked to me. “The colt was a valiant soldier, and has earned his rest.”

“I will dig his grave...I owe him that much.” Rage muttered, as he nodded to Lightning while shouldering that wicked demonic-looking sword and released his wife from his hoof. As he did so, I felt that anger that caused my blood to heat up fade to a dull roar.

“I would offer my blessings to his soul as best I can…” Silence gently rubbed her torn, exposed throat muscles; as if they were extremely sore from the meagre effort to form basic speech. Likely, I could suppose it had been ages since she had spoken. “But I am not like my shield-brother, Sorrow… His word carries far in the ears of Lord Adam’s Scribes…”

“Anything would be appreciated.” I said, recalling that this pony had only wished to see his family again, “I know what I shall engrave on his stone.”

It took little time for us to finally get out of the subway and into the cloudy light of the world above. We set him down in a clear patch of dirt and I let them go to work digging the grave while I obtained a proper chunk of debris. I happened across a large piece of concrete which would serve our purpose well and began engraving it with twin angel wings by way of metal hoof. They had him buried a good hour before the stone was completed.

Skull, who had been silent this long and had been the last to come into the light smiled, “That seems to fit him well.”

“It’s the best-bzzt beeeeeeeeep.” I adjusted my throat, “I can do.”

“Wish we could have given him a better spot.” Lightning spoke, his wings covered in dirt.

“To be buried in bloody battlefield dirt, where your comrades have fallen…” Rage mused, quietly, from a small pile of rubble that he had taken to sit down upon. “That is the best place to be left. With your brothers and sisters...that we will never be able to rest aside.”

Silence appeared beside the monstrous pony, and placed a hand calmingly on his shoulder before she nodded to the stone. Her voice, once ragged and horrid, now had warmed into something splendid and soft.
“You go now, to the pastures and fields. To rest your weary head, and find solace from the darkness of this bitter world. I know not the future, nor what time holds for us...but you have seen your life and lived it well. As a warrior, as a friend, as a stallion of kindred heart and soul. Though many weep for your loss, and know it true, you will find your rest young one...in the shadow of the valley that you dwell. The fields will part to you, and bring you peace. For mine word is Death’s, and he hungers not for ye this day.”

“So what now?” Skull asked, looking to Applebits.

“Now, now we go find the General.” I replied, my modulator buzzing the entire time making it sound as if I was speaking through a poorly maintained intercom.

“I’ll scout ahead, see if I can’t locate him and a safe passage for us to use.” Lightning stated as he took off, careful to avoid being spotted by any Enclave.

“Follow him.” I stated, giving chase at a walking pace with Skull by my side.

“To the shadows love,” Rage bid farewell, as he took off to match our pace and regroup with us. Silence, I saw only a glimpse of, before she was gone.

The Ranger walked astride us, his shoulder-mounted cannons raised and defensive. His massive sword was dragged behind him in one hoof, and the other that bore his minigun was absent-mindedly sweeping the area around us. His eyes were alert and intent though, as his expression became blank. It was as if he were no longer here, but yet some unearthly creature had taken his place as he breathed; or rather, he hardly breathed at all.

“So.. zzt… care to tell us more about yourselves? Zzzt have.. Beeep.. Feeling it is gonna be a long… blurp…” This modulator was beginning to cheese me off.

“Do you ask of our younger years…” Rage rumbled, though his voice sounded as if it were from a distance, a long way off. “Or do ye wish to know of our times in the Army? Perhaps I could tell the countless times your own life was saved by those nameless soldiers you never quite noticed?”

“Anything that is relevant.” I managed to get out within a field of static as I stepped over a body I barely noticed within the rubble beneath our hooves.

“In a far gone age, to a time long forgotten, there was a village that resided in the darkest depths of a woodland. Many remained clear of this place, for fear of the monstrous creatures that guarded its approach; hidden they were, within the foliage and trees. Within this village, there were six foals that were born.” Rage began, his voice emerging from afar and resonating in my bones.

“Six foals to grow to friends, to family.” Silence murmured from above, though her voice carried as loud as her husband’s. “To love and live the years, united by the purpose of the sword. To form a shield to protect hearth and home.”

“Yet to be struck down by the trial of fire and death… To die though, with honour.” Rage seemed to look skyward, his expression becoming a grimace as he stared at something perhaps only he could see. “And be Risen again, denied eternal slumber. To fight forever, as a pact made with a final breath.”

“To preserve hearth and home, and take up the sword evermore in a Crusade Eternal.” Silence whispered, her voice though resounding as if she were right by my ear. “So it is Ages passed, and the Warriors of old faded into myth and legends. So it was, the wars that came and unsettled the land time and again. But not one touched our home so Everfree.”

“With weapons of the times, clad in the garb of the soldiers of the age, the Battles were fought by the six.” Rage shook his head, as if things that surprisingly disturbed him were to be dismissed. “Until the time came for you youngers to think you could wage World War. To destroy yourselves wholesale. This could not happen. So it was that High Death-Knight Gladius bade us grow stronger in body and mind to take up the task.”

“So going into our war?” I asked, my EFS locking to a target as I fired a singular rocket into a group of Raiders who were thus vaporized.

“I believe it was a secretive project...one that failed, but didn’t. The six of us, were the only survivors and how we obtained our, ‘unique’ strengths and prowess was deemed too unstable to be used to make more like us.”

“So they sent us forth...with word not to speak to a soul of our true identities. The Ministries, as you called your Government, gave us great power to invoke only in dire circumstance. Otherwise...we were to fight like soldiers, be heroes, and win the war.” Silence sounded bitter about this part.

“Gladius led us valiantly, and we battled without rest or respite for the whole of your, insignificant squabble.” Rage chuckled now, as his anti-tank cannons targeted upward to a ruined building automatically before blasting a specific room on the third floor. Several screams echoed in response, as he continued, “I remember seeing you little one. I remember saving you and your General’s lives countless times when you were being overwhelmed.

“I remember the troops giving you and those pitiful new ‘Rangers’ all the credit for the victory. Not us, or the soldiers we led to protect you so that that Victory could come to pass.” Silence whispered.

“Then you idiot younglings launched those damnable hellish creations. Lucifer himself could craft no fire better to burn the world. I believe he was quite pleased, to see Lord Adam’s holy works torn asunder by the foolishness of his own creations...”

“I’ll be honest with you, the General and I were against the idea of the missiles, we would have preferred the more direct approach.” I stated, the very thought of the weapons of mass destruction making me sick, “To say as he did, there is no honor in killing innocents.”

“There is no honor in warfare in general, youngling,” Rage gave a faint nod, “Personally, I’d have condemned both sides in the Great War, but Gladius had, ‘personal attachment’, to your side.”

“If it were not for the young Niece and the General, he might’ve done well to annihilate both sides in the war in order to secure the peace we keep for our hearth and home.” Silence echoed, as she leapt from the windowsill of one building to another further down.

“Peace is where we find honor, among our friends and families, and our few enemies that spring up from time to time.”

“And peace has been gone for too long…” Silence concurred. “I have a scent on the far wind. It smells...Joy?”

“Closer than we know then, if you can smell her through the chems and stink of rotting fools.” Rage laughed, openly, heartily, “Follow by the steps of Silence, she knows the way.”

“Understood.” We picked up the pace and both my old friends and new ones learned that not even solid brick walls could withstand my headstrong approach.

“I can hear that laughter,” Rage said, as he increased his pace a bit. “That irritating, annoying, mind-numbing, laughter...How I’ve missed that!” I watched this beastly stallion rear up before charging forward as he did before with the Enclave Troopers.

He slammed straight through several walls head first, bearing to my own idea of how to reach our objective.

When the remainder of us followed through these holes and emerged through the other side of the ruined building, I came to see the massive crimson warrior laughing. His voice was so hearty and full of life and...I think the ground was shaking by the intensity of his sheer enjoyment as he seemed to be lifting up two shocking figures that I seemed to faintly recognize.

He spun around a bit while holding them, and when they were turned to me I managed a quick glance and saw them for who they were.

One was an ethereal creature, who scarcely bore and resemblance to a military Chaplain from the days before the Great War had ended. He wore a dark cloak over his digital camo uniform; but his horrendously mauled face was fresh to view as he was spun in the death grip of Rage. His mane was short cut and black, and his tail seemed to have been gnawed apart in places and hung limp in the manufactured wind. The spectacles on his face remained passively attached though, as milky eyes stared at Rage.

The other whom he held was a yellowish-gold mare who seemed to be laughing along with him as she had embraced him back. Her mane and tail swished happily in the wind, and her toned body...well to say it was partially on full viewing for everyone mattered little at the moment. But I suppose I appreciated the natural beauty she possessed, I guess? Otherwise, she had the similar look of a soldier.

Joy! Sorrow!” Rage shouted gleefully, “It’s been too long old friends!”

“Aye, so it has,” The Chaplain hissed, in a voice akin to Death itself.

“Oh my old buddy, been too long since I’ve had good fun with you!” The mare tossed back, “Well I can feel and see you’re happy to see me!” She squealed, before suddenly jumping up to a broken light pole after squeezing free of the bear hug. She crashed into where Silence had been. The two tumbled to the ground, where I watched an awkward moment where this strange mare forcefully pressed her lips to the sniper I knew.

A slight bit to my surprise, she fought back just as furiously, battling a duel of tongues as vigorously as one might battle a well-equipped army. Her hooves wrapped around the neck of the other mare, and she rolled her over using all her strength, but never did she break lip-lock.

“You’re not the only one who’s missed having fun,” she said, before she gave a ghastly grin and got up abruptly after minutes of this kissing. “But my fun is making you squirm with desire, just for a bit I promise.”

“You’re the most horrible lover...I like it.” She got up, a glint in her eyes as she breathed rather heavily. “My, my,” She seemed a bit surprised when she suddenly looked in our direction. “Rage honey, you didn’t tell me you had such sexy new friends?” She grinned so wide it shouldn’t be possible at us, with rows of pearly white fangs that looked like she might well rip our throats out as well as greet us.

“Now, now,” Rage placed a meaty hoof on Joy’s shoulder, as if halting her. “Fun times later. Report.”

She moaned in disappointment and stomped her boot once before smiling and sending a kiss in our direction with a wink. “We found our lost friend, turns out he’s made a good life out here in this paradise. Got himself quite a few friends and a family.”
“You found….Mortem?” Rage seemed as if he could scarcely believe what he had heard, as both his brows raised and his eyes grew large.

“Yeah, he’s headed this way last I checked. I think he had four with him. Some rust-bucket with quite a handsome face and a damn big gun, and two fine mares I wouldn’t mind to lay. I don’t even mind the mechanical doodads one’s made out of.” She paused, glancing back as if finally remembering something. “Oh yeah! And we found good ole Gladius and our old time pal from our Knightly days!” The two she was especially referring to was that of Gladius and the General, whom I saw the former supporting the latter as they came to a pause near Joy.

What looked like a Steel Ranger was also walking beside Gladius. She seemed if anything a bit embarrassed, and her face was almost completely red.

“General, are you alright?” I asked, rushing up to his side with all my static voiced glory, honestly we looked like quite the interestingly beat up duo.

“Not as spry as I used to be kid.” He replied, looking to his right as a metal dragon walked up to us and stood idle.

“And who is that?” I asked, gawking at the metal monster.

“My armor…” He replied as it opened up for him, “Should help me move a bit faster.”

“I still need my old power armor…” Gladius mused, as he looked over the dragon with a nod of approval. “Sadly it’s likely a rusted-out relic of a bygone age in the old Company bunker down south…”

“Now there’s my big brother, right there!” Rage laughed again, shaking the ground once more as he finally released the Chaplain and charge for Gladius.

The resulting event caused me to raise an eyebrow, as I saw the broken, stitched wings of the old ghoul unfurl to an immense span. The face of the stallion that just a second ago was thoughtful and calm, now seemed thunderous and dark. Those slits of crimson and midnight black glared deeply to the bloody warrior, in in a blink Rage was completely still.

“I...understand...Chief Ranger, sir.” Rage murmured, as he closed his eyes and shuddered as if in pain.

“You four,” Gladius spoke, his voice filled with such an undeniable authority. “Get suited up. It’s time the Rangers reminded these heathens of their places.”

Silence was the first to vanish, as she slipped into shadow. Sorrow followed suite almost immediately, as his ethereal form faded away into nothingness.

Rage opened his eyes and looked skyward, seemingly lost in thought for a moment. “It will be a good day to die...for the enemy.” He gave a genuine smile our direction, and waved, before he began to liquefy into what appeared to be a dark blood that pooled at his boots. “We will be back, for the end times...Keep the General and our Niece safe until our return. Or you, will, suffer.”

Joy gave a grouchy look and stomped her boot again as if frustrated before she sighed and nodded. “I’ll be back soon Chief,” she said, before looking dead at us and grinning ear to ear again. “I still need to have my fun, especially with you young one,” She winked, though it seemed meant more for Skull than me I noticed, now.

The yellow mare bounced once into the air before she unceremoniously charged smack into a building, collapsing it around her. The only trace of her left was that of a lingering laugh that haunted the air.

“So General,” Gladius’ voice seemed to marginalize that title, as he turned back to face the two of us with that same stern, unwavering expression. “Old friend,” He corrected himself. “Where do you think my Niece is?”

“North, there is a cloud fortress built within a mountain… there are also enemies attempting to breach her defenses… is that Securitron seriously painted like a turtle?... okay yeah it is…” Tempest seemed lost in his own thoughts as he slipped his new skin on and began to run diagnostics.

“So, how can we help?” I asked, looking back to see my own crew readying their gear.

“You can stand with us in the fight. There is no more to ask. I am through with subtlety and subterfuge.” Gladius said, his voice distant yet booming. “It is the way of the Knight to meet his foes on the field of battle. To face his fears with courage and determination, in spite of the odds laid before him. To protect his hearth, his home, his family, to the last breath in his broken body.” His voice was echoing now, as he seemed to brace slightly; though he did wince as if in pain as his wings stretched out even further and broke most of the stitches. “I swore this oath ages ago, and by Adam, I will be damned to Hell if I break it today.”

I’ve hardly seen a pegasus take flight as swiftly as this stallion did. Despite the oozing blood that came from his freshly opened wounds on his wings, he lifted skyward with that same determination he spoke of. Regardless of his own body’s limitations or hindrance, he went to the dark heavens in seconds and wavered far above us.

He looked proud, he appeared strong. No, he wasn’t just seeming powerful, he had become powerful. His own reminder of his past, and the knowledge that his family was in danger, forced him to be so.

“To the mountain soldiers!” He decreed, “We wage our final war today, for eternal victory tomorrow!” A flash of dark and light green mixed with grey, and Gladius was gone. Only the after-trail was left behind as he made his way north, towards the mountain.

“Well then, that explains a lot…” Tempest stated before taking a step in his armor and falling to a knee, “I am coming my love.” He spread his wings and unleashed a painful roar before he too was off into the blue yonder.

“Lightning, follow them but don’t lose us!” I shouted as we all began to sprint, thus making the ground shudder with our sheer weight.

Author's Notes:

Climax soon... sheesh it took me thins long just to complete this... The Transformers is next!