The Night Guard

So, you want to know why I follow her? It's not an easy story, but if that's what you want...

My homeland was near the edges of Equestria, A place people only spoke of in whispers; the Waste. the Waste was a land that hand only two rules: do whatever it takes to survive, and that there are no rules. I adapted quickly.

"Buckshot, get your flank moving. we need to get these supplies to the Waste survival center before it gets too hot." my only child hood friend, Snowsong, said, shrugging her saddlebags back into place.

Already, the sun was blazing through the dry air of the Waste, cooking me in my armor barding.

"Well, they won't get the supplies if we don't survive first!" I shouted over the caravan of earth ponies and their cargo.

The idea was stupid, honestly. a Waste "survival" center? surprisingly, the building was made by some higher-up in Canterlot. Somepony noticed us struggling, at least. I Levitated my pistols up and cleaned the sand from their barrels, cantering along the side of an earth pony named Cluster-bomb, who worked with explosives.

"So, that yer fine piece of flank up there?" he asked, nodding towards Snowsong's retreating plot.

I glared at Cluster-bomb and punched his shoulder with a hoof, then trotted to the front of the caravan, just in time to see the building in the distance.

"Looks like we're here. I'll go on ahead and let hem know we're coming." I yelled over my shoulder.

The scene was garish, even for a Waste event. bodies littered the ground around the survival center like trash throughout the rest of the waste. I let Snowsong puke and lean against my side as I observed the first body. a well groomed blue unicorn with a bullet through her head. signs of rape littered her plot and other areas, as they did with the other female bodies, and some male ones. I levitated most of the bodies from our path as I led Snowsong and the other highers hooves into the building. then the first shots sounded. everywhere around me, the dry air filled with the red mist of the other ponies blood. I ducked and looked around, then noticed something. I was the only one left.

I levitated Snowsong's body into the building with me and set her down. six shots, all to her head. I felt the tears flow over my muzzle, and I raised my dual pistols in front of me. they would die. whoever they where, they where dead ponies. My mad canter out the door of the center was noticed, just as I had planned. The first few bullets rattled off into the sand behind me, but the sniper ponies where getting smarter. thirteen or fourteen rounds rattled off of my armor barding in succession, filling me with more anger. I charged the hill and found the sniper ponies, basic bumpkins of the waste. they didn't last long.

I laid in the sand as the night took over, chilling me to the core. I dug my hooves in and waited for the inevitable; death. two ribs had cracked and pierced my lungs, but I had still kept fighting, fueled by rage rather than air. my spine had fractured in seventeen different vertebra, but still I had smashed each snipers muzzle in with my bare hoof. my magic had ran dry, and still I buried my comrades. as I waited for death to take me, I heard the flapping of mighty wings, and a voice told me, in a way that made me believe, that I was worth everything to her. I looked up, breaking another vertebra, into the eyes of a light blue alicorn.

"lady...Luna." I said, with the last of my breath, and she nodded, then her horn glowed.

I awoke two days later in a comfortable bed, then trotted down the pearl white halls, exploring. I walked towards a room at the end of the hall and knocked with my hoof. inside, Luna's voice pierced through me. "Buckshot, I'm glad your awake. I have an offer for you. would you like to be my bodyguard?"

"Yes, My queen."

fin