"I know I said that I'd do anything but I don't think I can do that and you damn well know it!"

Iron Brigade understood the request well, but didn't want to follow through with it.

"You did say anything, and I do need a place to stay."

"What happened to the shithole on the far end of town?"

"I didn't like the wall, the art, and the toilet paper."

"What's wrong with the toilet paper."

"Had some weird picture of a foal staring at me while I took a shit. I decided it was satanic and shot it 5 times."

"What? You shot it five times?"

"It was speaking to me, it wanted me to praise the dark lord Satan and surrender all my bedsheets to the dark goddess."

"You're... insane..."

"Well if Yakyakistan doesn't do that I'm not sure what will. So you're taking me in whether you like it or not."

"Says wh-. Oh wait that's right you have legal immunity. You'll stay in the bunker."

"You already set up a bunker?"

"No it was here when we first came, long story. Down the first three flights of stairs and it's the door at the end of the hall on the left."

He wasn't lying, there really was three stories below ground in Starlight's old house. The first story down was being used as troop housing, as it was a long corridor with rooms lining the hall. In each room they could fit ten to twenty bunks. I guess I could say they're going to be here for a long time. The second floor was used for MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) specific jobs, such as radio communications. I could hear the shouting through the door and it echoed down the hallway. As I walked down that hallway there were things like rooms for non commissioned officers and even mechanical works. The mechanical works was working on a backup generator and water filter.

The third floor was dark, there wasn't much power going to this level. That probably was one of the reasons for the backup generator. There was two lone lights, one of them had a prison sign under it, another had a intelligence surveillance officer's symbol on it. I stuck to the left end and scraped my hoof against the wall until I hit a door. Although I passed over many doors, I knew that none of them were bunkers. Bunker doors are much thicker and generally made of concrete or steel.

Octavia hugged close to me, making sure to not break off. My hoof slammed against a barrier, no doubt this was it. I grabbed the handle and pulled as hard as I could, which made it budge just enough to pry my hoof between it and force it further. This gave just enough space for Octavia to slip in, which she helped push the door while I pulled. It swung open, smashing my face against the concrete wall.

I woke up on the bed, Octavia staring down at me. I guess this meant I was fine.

"You should really stop getting concussions."

"That's a helluva good morning."

"It's not morning anymore, you've been out for three hours."

"Oh, well then what work do you have?"

"Well... I need to find out how to cook MRE's, they gave us a box of them."

"Open it up, pour water in the bag, slip the MRE in. Let sit for an hour. Anything else?" It was surprising that I still had that down by memory. I just remember eating my entire platoon's ration of the 'Southern Style Gravy and Chicken Biscuits' MREs.

"Uhm, okay... Well I turned the AK over to the quartermaster. The armorer said that there were no outside weapons allowed."

"I have a job for you, get me another rifle, if not give me a hammer."

"Why a-"

"Just do it!"

I fell unconscious again, with an overwhelming migraine it was almost peaceful. This time I didn't have a PTSD filled dream but instead though of home. Long ago with my family, I was a church colt. I still remember those words my Dad told me.

'Be a true Stallion, love good, help the weak, and hate evil. These are what makes Equestria what it is. Sometimes we need to fight evil to keep the good safe. There's nothing that God ever said against death, as the Lord once said: 'There is no greater act of love and kindness than to lay your life for the love of others'. This is what we live for my son.'

I woke up, his words still dangling in the back of my mind. It only brought a thought I dared not think ever since I left that home.

'Is my family proud of me?'

I couldn't think of an answer. On one side I had that memory, I'd never let go of it. On the other, however, did I really do the right thing? Have I brought shame to them? Did I hurt them? It was hard to believe, but I think I did what they wanted. It wasn't bearable to think of what must be going through their minds. A little piece of me died.

I think there still was a way for me to find them.

I pulled that gem out of my jacket pocket, I could feel it poking my spine.

I pressed it, and Twilight came up in front of me.

"What do you need?" the entirety of her 'council ' was there, and Applejack wasn't too happy to see me.

"Hey AJ tell Crimpson I said hi will ya?"

The whole group looked in at her, nopony dared say a word. I broke the silence.

"Hey, I was wondering if you could put other ponies on the screen, is that possible?"

"Well they'd need to be here, why you ask?"

"I want to see my family."

"I'll need their names."

"Mist Dasher and Circular Karma."

"Well the second's an ironic name, since I'm pretty sure they're both church ponies right?"

"Spare me the lecture on my family, you know where I can find them?"

It didn't take long, she was talking with her associates back and forth. It didn't even take a minute.

"We're pretty sure they're at their home in Canterlot. If you want us to get their address we can assure you the safe delivery of their letter with the princess stamp should you use it."

"I don't ha-"

"Oh yea that's right, you'll need to borrow Iron Brigade's. I'll explain the situation to him."

"Well that's awfully kind..."

"Well you're doing me a big favor, just keep that in mind."

"Alright, speaking of favors do you need anything else for me."

She looked from back to forth among her friends, applejack took her hat off. Something wasn't right. The saddest of all of them was Twilight.

"Well you see, there's a reason we're all bunched up like this. There's a pony on our trail."

"On yours or mine?"

"Both. The assassin you killed was the second of three, one recently was captured. The captive is number three. We're trying to get Starlight's location using him. The first, however, was assigned to you. She was last seen in your area."

"She wouldn't happen to also be a high ranking official with Starlight would she?"

"Yes..."

"And Starlight hasn't gotten word from her for a while?"

"So far we can't confirm but tracking transmissions from radios she hasn't made a peep."

"Sounds about right, she's dead."

"What makes you so sure?"

"I shot her in the head just about a few days ago, she stuffed a shaving razor in Octavia's muffins."

"Are those two incidents... related?"

"I guess. It was inevitable but the razor made a bad situation worse."

"Oookay... Well then you see she was spotted leaving the city unharmed."

"Yea I never did really make an effort to get anything but her eyes memorized, what does she look like?"

"She is a blonde on white pony, her cutie mark is a heart."

"Ohh yea that's why she was red when I last saw her."

"Well that's a little graphi-"

"To be fair there were white spots."

"Okay if that's all I'm hanging up!"

"Yea that's good, ring me this time tomorrow."

She hung up without a goodbye. I guess it was the first time her friends thought she was capable of something like that. They never knew what power did to ponies. Even the good are turned evil. In the end there is no right or wrong. Which really threw a wrench in my dad's religion...

Author's Notes:

Yea, I made a bible reference deal with it.