From the Ashes of the Phoenix (Part 1)

by ChappyYoung

Phoenix Crops. Rising

On a bright and sunny day, it was finally the day I’d get my cast removed and I felt really good about myself ever since I’ve been off of alcohol and painkillers, and my mood greatly improved too. I’ve been able to walk on my leg for a while now and I felt little to no pain and being able to walk on my leg I’ve been helping Twilight a lot around her house it was the least I could do for since she’s been taking such good care of me, it was all simple stuff like cleaning up after myself but it felt good helping out whenever I could. And I’ve been letting go of my past maybe I could finally start a new life here in Ponyville and make a decent living.

The clock had recently hit noon and I had made my own lunch, Just a simple sandwich, I didn’t feel like anything too big, because we would be having a dinner party to celebrate my recovery. Spike was out getting the things needed for the party while Twilight stayed and cleaned the house, I offered to help but she told me just to relax while she handled everything. I sat down in the recliner in the living room and switched on the T.V. and started on my sandwich, Twilight was in another room vacuuming. There was new report about the rise and fall of stocks, I knew there was nothing else on so I just left it on. I ate my sandwich and relaxed back into the chair, I was about to fall asleep when I heard the vacuum switch off. Twilight came into the room I was in, went up the the TV and turned it off. She then came up to me blushing and a grin on her face. She crawled up on my lap rubbing her face against mine and stopped at my ear and whispered.

“nopony will be over for awhile let’s have some fun.” She then started kissing me on the cheek down to my neck.

I should have stopped her but I was under her spell now. I almost didn’t notice the silver cylinder come crashing through the window, there was only one thing it could be. I grabbed Twilight and threw her off me and onto the floor, then used my body to shield her. Everything went white and my ears had started to ring and I couldn’t hear anything but the ringing. slowly my vision returned to me just in time to see the second grenade, It started spitting out a cloud of thick heavy smoke. as my hearing return I could hear the rattle of gunfire

“STAY LOW AND FIND A PLACE TO HIDE!” I yelled.

“What the hells going on!” She cried

“I don’t know! Just go hide!” I yelled.

That was a lie I had some idea what was going on, whoever was firing at me wanted me dead. Twilight did as I said and hid, If we had any chance of living I had to find my gun case. It was hard finding my way with all this smoke everywhere and even more difficult crawling with a cast on. I found the closet where it had been kept I opened the door and managed to find the guitar shaped box with my hoof. I reached into my jacket pocket and pulled out the key and unlocked the box, just as suspected was my two pistols, crossbow, a hunting knife, and my disassembled sniper rifle. I grabbed my knife and with no other choice I started cutting off my cast, a few time I ended up cutting myself by accident, after a few minutes the cast came off revealing my leg it was a lighter color than the rest of my body at this point and it was bleeding at the point I had cut myself. I shut the case and headed to higher ground.

Upstairs there was a lot less smoke and I could see our assailants, they were all wearing black uniforms with black helmets and mask covering their faces and all wielded assault rifles, whoever hired these guys had money and lots of it. I went over to the balcony and continued to stay low, they were still unaware of presents on the second floor balcony. I assembled my sniper rifle, I decided to put on the silencer, I wanted to keep this vantage point as long as possible. I looked though the scope I aligned the crosshairs to the furthermost solder there wasn’t any sort of badge or anything telling me who they worked for. I moved the crosshairs up to his forehead, none of his face visible. I took a deep breath, and took the shot, the shot exploded the black glasses on the helmet and went straight through his head with an explosion of blood followed behind. the other ponies were still unaware of my presents, the feeling returned, the feeling I got when killing the wicked. “POP POP” I quickly took out two more, but there were still four more. I took out one more this time they were aware of where I was, the gunfire quickly moved up to the balcony and I had to keep low. When I heard a break in fire I took two more shots missing both times I went for a third shot “CLICK” I was out of ammo and I didn’t have a spare clip on me.

I grabbed my two pistols and stuffed them into my pockets, and grabbed my crossbow. I slung my bolt pouch over my shoulder, I had about 30 bolts and 18 rounds in each pistol. I hurried back down the stairs took aim out of one of the broken windows, I sent a bolt flying though the closest soldier neck. I switched windows and took out two more. I aimed of the last guy this time in one of his back ankles, He fell over in pain and grabbed his ankle and pulled out the bolt, I meant to hit him in the leg, I was pissed and I wanted answers. I galloped over to him as he tried to crawl away. I went up to him and ripped of his helmet revealing his face, he was a young stallion no older than twenty, he had started to cry.

“TALK” I yelled. “WHO DO YOU WORK FOR!”

“I can’t tell you they’ll kill me if I do” he cried out.

I pulled out one of my pistols “I said talk! I’m pissed and I have an itchy trigger finger right now!”

“What the point if i tell you they kill me, if I don’t you kill me, I’m a dead man either way.” he said

“If you don’t tell me I’ll kill you alright.” I moved the pistol to his uninjured knee “but I’m gonna make hurt first.”

“Okay! Okay!” he cried with tears and snot running down his face “I’ll talk, I’ve been hired by Phoenix Corporation to take you out!”

Phoenix Corp should have known they wanted me dead. Back when I still did mercenary work I was hired a huge sum of bits to take out the president of Phoenix Corp, it may seem odd but they were more than the friendly corporation they seemed to be, but deep down they were full of crooks and drug dealers. That’s how they made their real money, with organised crime, they processed and sold drugs, they had several prostitution rings, even had an underground fight ring. The job was simple I went to Manehattan were the main offices were located, I took preach on an adjacent building, and took out the president when he was in a business meeting. It was meant to send them a message but within a few week they got a new president, the old president's son. They must have found out I was the killer and sent a squad to track me down and kill me.

I couldn’t stand seeing a young pony like this, I put away my pistol, reached into my pocket and pulled out a bag with 500 bits in it and tossed it at his lap.

“here.” I said “Just take this get out of here, start a new life and never let me see you again understand.”

“Thanks.” he said “Just one more thing we were just the first squad there are more coming they might want to get out of here.”

I galloped back to the library and Yelled “Twilight!”

“In here.” she said faintly

She was hidden In one of her storage closets.

“Thank Celestia you're okay!” I said

“W-w-What’s going on please tell me?” she said, I could tell she was in a bit of shock.

“I will, but first we need to get out of here.” I answered.

“W-why?” she said.

“Look I said I’ll tell you everything, but first we need to get tell hell out of here.” I said with a bit of temper in my voice.