Our APC was built with regular ponies in mind, so fitting three alicorns as well as three ponies was a very uncomfortable undertaking. With Longeye being the smallest of us she had to sit in the turret a position she hated due to the 90mm auto cannon and Hydra missile control computer, with her specialty Longeye was only able to use the Auto cannon.

“Ugh, Gunner why do I have to sit up here” She whined poking her head down into the crew compartment.

“Long, you’re the smallest of us and besides I don’t think any of our guests could fit up there.” I said with a deadpan, after that she retreated into the turret with a grumble and a few choice words. I looked over at my best friend Blast, in order to sit in the driver seat he had to take his suit off. Blasts coat was a few shades lighter than it used to be. Ever since he was given that suit of his he never took it off not even for the mechanics to work on it. All of the repairs and upgrades were done by Blast himself if the war hadn’t of happened he would have been an inventor it was his dream. I place my hoof on his shoulder and told him to keep us heading in the right direction. I had stepped into the troop bay and looked around Shadow or Nightingale wasn’t there.

That’s when I noticed a strange pony sitting on the bench with a book in her hooves, disregarding the strange new pony I looked down on the floor to find Necro sleeping on her back sprawled out. Looking away with a furious blush I heard a quiet sob come from the hatch to the roof. Stepping past the sleeping alicorn on the floor was an undertaking in its own right. Every time I neared her legs we’d hit a bump and she would stir, not wanting an awkward situation I decided to use my wings. I really don’t like using my wings I prefer to stay on the ground where I don’t have to worry about getting shot in the gut from below that and I have a fear of heights. Its funny really a pegasus with a fear of heights, giving them a few test flaps I looked at the strange pony again to find her more interested in my wings than her book.

I quickly lifted myself out the hatch to see Shadow sitting against the turret with tears falling from her face onto a photo in her hooves. I quietly walked over to her and sat beside her, the picture in her hooves was of her as a filly with a small emerald wolf pup curled up beside her while she slept. I placed a wing gently on her back causing her to flinch and look at me with those soft purple eyes; looking into those orbs I felt all of her pain. After a minute I finally spoke.

“Shadow is there something on your mind that’s causing you this heartache?”
She looked at the photo then to me and said,

“When I was a little filly back before the bombs fell, I ran into the woods around my home to get away form the bullies at school. While I was there a strange mare gave me an egg and told me to take good care of it, for weeks I took that egg with me everywhere I went. When the egg finally hatched I felt something small land on my horn, that little creature was my lifelong companion Umbrage. The funny thing about him is that he is an Emerald Phoenix a very rare and wise creature.”
Looking at the photo once more I asked her where the wolf pup came from, She let out a small laugh and said.

“Oh Midnight, that is Umbrage you see an Emerald Phoenix has two forms their avian and a wolf form. Their wolf form is only shown to those they trust or connect with,”

I looked at the serene expression that she had on her face when something in my head clicked. I opened my sketch book after retrieving it; I turn the pages until I found what I was looking for I pulled out a photo and gave it to her. The photo I gave her was of to little ponies one colt and one little filly with a small bird poking out of her mane. The filly was leaning against the colt with a happy smile while he held her with his wings and a deep smile. Written on the bottom of the picture in sloppy hand writing that faded overtime was “Shadow + Midnight forever”. She started to tear up as she looked at the photo, placing my hoof on her should I spoke.

“You were the first to ever see that I wasn’t bad at all. We went every where together along with your companion Umbrage.” She looked at me with those tear filled eyes and asked

“What happened to you all those years ago?” I looked at her my face full of regret and resentment.

“After I left school and lost touch with you and Blast, I drifted from town to town living on what I stole and what little money I earned doing very regrettable and illegal. When I was caught by the guard I was given a choice, Jail or the Royal Equestrian Army. I chose to join the Lunar Marines; boot camp was very tough almost half the class washed out in the very beginning. I reconnected with Blast when I was assigned as the replacement officer. After our little reunion we were shipped to a little border town to take care of zebra pirates. My first combat action as a commanding officer was a disaster, four of us killed the rest wounded and not a single zebra killed.” Shaking with anger and resentment I punched the turret of the LAV. She hugged me and rubbed my back speaking softly.

“Rain, you have been through so much and seen so many things I wish to help in any way I can.” I said nothing as I held her tight; I was too scared to tell her how I really felt about her. We sat there for an hour or so just catching up when Long stuck her head out of the turret

“Gunner, some idiot keeps hailing us, something about the Steel Rangers.”
Grumbling I took the headset she offered me I asked the voice on the other side.

“Who are you and how did you get this frequency?”
The voice responded back it sounded like a mare or a very effeminate buck

“You will stop your machine and turn over it and any and all tech you posses by order of Elder Sweetlick”. Rolling my eyes I started to get irate.

“Listen here asshat, im not doing a damn thing you say.” I heard a scoff and a deep intake of breath before she came back.

“By order of Elder Sweetlick you will comply or I will hunt your down you drugged up raider shitbird.” I blinked and looked at Long and Shadow both were snickering pulling the mic away I said

“Did she just call me a shitbird?”They nodded still giggling that’s when I went off on the mare on the mic cutting her off.

“Listen here you ground humping bitch, I don’t take orders from anypony anymore and last I checked that included you and your Steel Fucktards. You should really watch who you insult because they might break your legs and shove a grenade up your ass then laugh at your face before it when off.” I slammed the headset on the turret and took a deep breath to calm myself. The giggling stopped after I had slammed the headset. Shadow was the first to speak.

“Midnight since when did your wings smoke?” still fuming about the mare on the radio I spoke with a hint of irritation.

“It happens when I get really happy or extremely pissed, it doesn’t matter really because right now I want to find that bitch and knock some sense into her thick skull.”Just then I noticed a flash behind me, when I looked my cutiemark was now a five pointed star. Both mares noticed and stared.

“Well that’s new.”I droned, just then four power armored ponies stepped onto the road in the LAVs path causing us to skid to a stop. Growling I jumped down and approach them, t stopped a few meters from them and one stepped forward removing their helmet revealing a black mane and a silver coat. These belonged to a quite tall and burly mare, I continued to glare at her and she spoke with a smile.

“Well well if it isn’t the Shitbird, you gonna give up your toys?” snarling I yelled at her,

“Apparently your mother was to busy being a whore to teach you manners ground pounder.” She didn’t seem effected but she did darken a bit when she spoke.

“Birdie better watch his mouth and play nice, now are you going to hand over my APC or do I have to take it from you.” She cocked her head when I started laughing.

“Oh, that’s priceless you really think T-44 power armor will stop a ninety mike mike slug then you really are dense.”

“You’re bluffing that gun doesn’t even work, even if it did you don’t have the ammo for it.” She smiled smugly when she finished which only made me smile darkly.

“Oh Long, do me a favor and dust that wagon over there.”

“Aye, aye Gunner” the turret swung towards the wagon and the barrel lowered at it. Long slapped the trigger and let of several rounds at the wagon turning it to bits and pieces wiping the smug look right of that bitches face.

“Am I bluffing now?” I said with a hint of insanity in my voice as the turret swung back to target the group of rangers. She put her helmet on and clicked her guns on, I watched as two miniguns pooped up and pointed at me the other three done the same thing all having dual miniguns just like their leader. The mare barked at me through her helmet.

“You think im scared of three wasters with a piece of prewar tech then your mistaken. “My vision started to turn red as I started to get annoyed with this mare.

“Listen and listen carefully, my Companions and I are not wasters. I am Midnight Rainstorm of the fourth Lunar Marines second special operations division and commanding officer of Serpent squad and these ponies here are my friends and squad mates any and all threats towards their safety is a threat towards me and I don’t take kindly to threats. I suggest you leave now and don’t look back, you’ll live longer.” By the time I was finished speaking my wings had started to smoke profusely and everything was red. The mare and her lackeys had taken steps back; I could hear murmuring form all but her. I heard a voice in my head say

~Good, embrace the darkness let it consume you and guide your hoof.~ I was about to answer back when I felt a hoof on my back, glancing over the hoof belonged to Shadow she had a sad look on her face when she spoke she sounded hurt.

“Rain, please let them go you don’t need to let the darkness consume you.”

“Not with out a warning Shadow, Long target the one on the far left with a SLAP round, make it bloody.”I said darkly as she did what she was told, the gun went off and the pony in question was hit the slug passed trough his armor tearing his hindleg off making his screams of agony music to my ears as I laughed.

“You sick fuck what’s wrong with you.” The armored mare screeched as she ran towards her fallen comrade who was curled up clutching what was left of his leg.

“What’s wrong with me; let’s see I was betrayed by the mare I loved, forced to fight a war I didn’t believe in, shot and killed my own brother in a fit of insanity oh and my best friend shot me in the back, now I have some stuck up mare in power armor wasting my precious time I could be using to hunt the bastard who shot me in the back so I can give him a slow and painful death.” I was in tears screaming as I ranted taking a step forward with each statement, the ground below me darkening as I walked.

“you’re a monster nopony should be so fucked in the head to be as insane as you, you make raiders look like kittens.” One of the other rangers said backing away slowly.

“You haven’t seen a monster yet tin can.” I rounded on him and grabbed his air hose driving my combat knife between the plates of his armor eliciting a scream of pain as I flapped my wing surrounding me and him in a cloud of obsidian smoke. When the smoke cleared I was covered in blood while all that was left was pieces of his armor on the ground with no trace of him. I licked my blade clean then my muzzle and cackled.

“This little birdie has a song to sing will you open your ears and listen because the reaper is calling, death is at your door will you be a dear and gets that for me, I have to get ready for the angels to come over, ill see you soon Silver Moon but death is at my door and he shouldn’t have to wait to take me to the angels.”I never seen the hoof that connected with the back of my head but I did hear somepony say

“Rain, you are broken and ill help you pick up the pieces”