Chapter 9: Forgotten

“Nothing changes where you are from, but everything changes who you become...”

Worst. Idea. Ever….

Lucky took to the sky as I sneaked around the outskirts of the farm. Lucky made his way to the roof of the farmhouse, where a pair of sentries were standing by with scoped rifles. One swoop and a well placed kick to both of them out.

I came upon two raiders stalking the backside of the barn bar, looking beaten and ragged more then usual, probably got thrown out. I shifted to the back of the farmhouse, motioned Lucky to follow, and pushed open a broken window. We slipped through right before the two ejected Raiders turned the corner, discussing how they were make the bouncer pay.

We fell into a decrepit bedroom, torn apart from rot and neglect. The dusty bed had dark, red stains blotched all over it. The wallpaper was peeling off the riddled wood. Hoof-cuffs and chains hung from the ceiling, chilling and rusted.

Lucky turned towards the doorways, weapon at the ready. I pulled my 10mm and advanced through the doorway. The hallway was clear with three out of five doors closed. I motioned to Lucky to push forward. We snuck past the moaning and pleadings of mares and stallions. It killed me inside that we couldn’t do anything for them, But we had a mission to finish.

We came to a set of stairs leading both upward and down to a basement.

“I’ll take upstairs, you take the basement.” Lucky whispered to me. I replied with a nod and proceeded down the stairs. The basement was cold, damp, musty smelling, like week-old food chips jammed up in a recycler…. Like home. Boxes full of rotting paper and folders stacked to the floor above were shoved up to the walls, making a makeshift maze like path. It seemed that nopony had been down here for a long while beside the pathetic-looking blue pegasus in the broken mirror on the far wall.

I heard shuffling from behind a stack of boxes beside me, making me jump a little and tighten the grip on my pistol. A small radroach scuttled from the boxes and scurry under me, disappearing underneath the stairs, I let out a sigh and looked around the room.

Only one thing looked out of place. A small brown wooden box laid on top of the stack of crates nearest me. I carefully opened the box with a wing, revealing a dark blue, glowing orb seated comfortably in red velvet. The inside of the box of clear of dust and rot, showing it hasn't been opened for centuries. Tiny little stars swirled inside the glass sphere, like fire from a boiler. I reached out to pick up the orb to collect when a sudden creak above me caused me to stop. I remained motionless until no sound besides my shuddering breath was all that remained.

“Goddesses above, if it isn’t raiders that’ll kill me, it’s my damned paranoia-” a bright flash of light took over my sight and thoughts, swirling into different colors and shapes until a booming mare’s voice broke through…

“We proudly introduce our newest Captain of the guard, DJ Harmony, with prestigious honors, and new command of the Lunar guard. Captain, Step forward.” The booming voice resounded through my skull.

My eyes snapped open to the sight of evening sun through the mosaic windows. A heavy weight bore down on me in the form of polished armor. Cheering ponies stomping and whistling filled the grand hall as I trotted towards the stage. The clacking of silver horseshoes underneath me felt awkward. The two alicorns at the top of the podium, seated on thrones of gold and silver. I knew these two from the history books and tales, but the comparison was far from accurate to their actual beauty and elegance. Both Luna and Celestia stood as I approached them. Luna stepped forward as my host bowed to her at the top of the stairs. The Princess bowed in response.

“Captain, I trust you will show and prove yourself worthy as much as you have in battle as you will in your new station.” Celestia announced. I puffed out my chest and saluted.

“With Courage and Perseverance, your Highness.” my host dropped the salute and stood at attention. Celestia bowed her head and smiled as Luna trotted up to me and pinned a bright silver and blue medal on my chest with her magic.

“You have achieved much since your arrival.” Princess Luna spoke softly. I curled the corner of my lip slightly, trying not to smile widely.

“Thank you, your Highness.” I replied.

The feelings that followed were a flurry of joy and honor. Confusion and fright. Puzzled and mystery.

What in the name of the Goddesses divine was going on here? The reflection off the polished marble floor revealed the same pony, but clean and well kempt. The blue coat, the red and black mane, the same shade of piercing violet eyes. The ponies around me as my host trotted around and gave greetings and thanks to the guards and gentlefolk. They were happy and content. Joyous even!

This can not be real at all. No way. So why did it feel so? And why did it all feel so familiar that it scared me? And why did my ears hurt?

The ceiling above me exploded in a shower of white light with screams and shouts. The bright light filled my sight and mind once again as I heard my name being hissed like it came from a snake.

Lucky’s voice broke through ever slightly. “Elric! Wake up!” He sneered. A hoof poked into my side. “Why are you sleeping here in all places?! Get up! We don’t have time for this.”

I groaned as I sat up from the dusty floor, rubbing my head.

“Wha… What happened?” Lucky grabbed my leg and helped me up. My head was spinning in circles. I was back in the farmhouse basement. Dust now circled around us in the shallow moonlight from the broken windows.

“I didn’t find anything upstairs that worth mentioning. Just disgusting raiders and their… antics.” Lucky reached out to pick up the little blue orb from the floor. My eyes went wide and I hissed “No!”. Lucky put his hoof on the orb and looked at me with confusion. I just looked at the orb with bewilderment. Nothing happened? But why…?

“What is this?” he asked. “And you still haven’t explained to me why I found you passed out on the damned floor!” He whispered harshly.

“I- I don’t know. I just touched that orb and everything vanished in light and… a dream? Or...something like a dream?” I stammered.

Before Lucky could respond, the ceiling creaked and groaned from hoofsteps. Laughter and snickering could be heard from the stairway. We looked at each other in worry.

“We got to find this weapon and get out of here before they find us.” Lucky picked up my gun from the ground and pushed it into me. “Let’s go.”

Aside from several small items that seemed worth enough to trade for caps ( which still irked me to no end why bottle caps were a currency) and some ammo that didn’t fit either one of our weapons, nothing out of the ordinary popped out.

As carefully as we could, we moved back up stairs, my thoughts drifting back to that orbs secret. Who was that DJ pony? Why did he look like me? Was he a ancestor? Just a copy of me to place me in the past? Or…. no. I shook my head. There was no way it could be a clone or a twin of me. That would be ridiculous. Plus the fact I’m not 200 years old, born in a STABLE, and certainly not a captain of a old royal guard.

We sneaked past several more rooms before we came to another flight of stairs going up. I looked to lucky and pointed up with a questioning look. He just shook his head. We scurried up up the stairs with lucky in the lead, up to the attic space. The attic wasn’t as dusty as the basement , but no less filled with musty, moldy cardboard boxes and filth. We picked a side and continued our search.

“For Celestia-sakes, where in the fu-” I whispered as stopped on a small, green egg shaped bomb sitting inside a nasty box. I turned to my friend and poked his butt. He turned to me with a screwdriver in his muzzle and a puzzling look. “Wha is eh?” I pulled out the egg and showed it to him, “What is this?” I asked.

His ears went flat to his head in a instant. “ A balefire Egg?! Here?!” he exclaimed. I put a hoof over his mouth and glared at him with as much ferocity I had and hoofed it over to him.

“Here. you know what it is. You handle it.” he gulped, took it gingerly, and placed it into his saddlebag. I continued to look around for the artifact.

And found it. And the giant heavy armored pony with his frothing mouth around the trigger as it pointed the gun at my head. “Echelon” was scored on the side of the Bale-egg launcher. If there was a weapon that could destroy a town, this was it. I looked over to my partner and nudged his rump again as I continued to stare down the giant barrel of the launcher.

“What is it n-” Lucky let out a small yelp as soon as he saw the raider. His eyes turned into pinpricks.

A gruff voice chuckled around the trigger.“Well well well, what is this? Fresh meat? The boys will LOVE to see you-”

My mind went blank. My legs moved with a purpose as I grab sides of the gun, pulled it into the ground, flipped up and grabbed the brutish pony’s head in my hind-legs and twisted my body, and snapped his neck. It all happened so fast. I landed next to his limp body as he fell down the stairs, making so much noise. There is no possible way somepony didn’t hear that. I blinked as I watched the limp body crash to the floor below. Echelon laid next to me as I breathed heavily. I looked over to lucky, who’s mouth was agape with astonishment.

“How? What? When?!” he stammered.

“No idea.” I replied shakily.

Yelling sounded from the staircase as we heard the bandits coming. We heard doors being slammed open. We wouldn’t be able to go back the way we came. I looked around the room, trying to figure something out. My eyes stopped on the cracked, circular window in the back of the room, letting in the last rays of moonlight.

“Lucky. Here!” I yelled over the sound of maniacal laughing and screaming from below us. I threw the launcher to Lucky and pushed him towards the window. “Get this to Whipleash. Go through the window. I’ll distract the raiders.”

“But, what if-” I cut him off before he could finish.

“No time, Lucky! GO!” I screamed. I drew my pistol and turned towards the stairway. Lucky hesitated a little bit, but did what needed to be done. He crashed through the window with the weapon on his back. The raiders still outside took potshots at my friend, but nothing seemed to hit him.

A bullet tore into my barding as a shot rang out from the darkness below, taking the breath out of me. I turned around and replied with three rounds. A wail sounded and a crashing of something heavy falling down. A sickly, blood covered mare with a pool stick came up. A bullet to the dome. Down she went. A stallion with seemingly fresh blood around his back legs came up with a knife. Two more rounds to his chest and one to his neck. He went down with a gurgling noise. More bullets came at me from the entryway. I checked the wound and determined that it was nothing significant. I reloaded and took a deep breath. This…. is gonna hurt.

Goddesses, why do you curse me with the inability of flight right now?

I dived out of my pathetic cover as I bolted towards the window. Shots went off behind me, one finding its mark in my backside, producing a small involuntarily yelp from me. I went sprawling out the window back into the moonlit morning. Two raiders below me became very uncomfortable cushioning as I fell down into of them. I felt something snap under me and inside me. E.F.S showed severe damage to my torso. One of the bandits was laying still as I got up, the other crying out from a fractured leg. I didn’t take the time to finish the job. I galloped as fast as my lungs were going to let me. My lungs burned, my ass hurt, my head felt like a bomb went off inside it, and my back was aching.

But I was alive for now. Gunshots fired off behind me, but nothing found its mark. I took off away from that forsaken farm and never looked back. I heard raiders trailing behind me, trying to catch up, but I wasn’t letting up. I was going to gallop till I died if that is what it took. We found the weapon. Got it away from the bad ponies. I finally did something good. Something my parents would have been proud of.

But as I headed back towards my home, the orbs visions came back into my head.

Level up! Your stealth has improved!