//------------------------------// // Chapter 15- A Nation In Despair [CO] // Story: Equestrian Psycho // by BlakeCorman //------------------------------// Chapter 15- A Nation In Despair “There it is! Zebafrica!” cried one the pegasi flying the carriage that Sam and his new team were in. Sam had managed to escape the cow’s grasp after she woke up. Thankfully, she didn’t pound him, but she gave a rather solid punch to the arm that left a nice bruise. Regardless, they all glanced out the window to see a sight that made them all pity the zebras. There was nothing but a rundown village, right in the middle of the desert. The sun shone harshly on the world below, seeming to not care that zebras were struggling to survive on the earth. “Damn,” Sam muttered. “This doesn’t look good at all. We’ve got to get down there.” “Yeah. You remember what we told you on the way here about the situation?” Basker asked. “Em…,” Sam muttered while he thought back to the conversation. “So here’s the situation. The Cultists are ransacking every village and town they find, plundering food, water, and any material they can get their hands on. In particular, they are taking ancient treasures from the major villages, and there are only five or six left untouched. Furthermore, the war is costing a lot of resources, and both sides are hungry. Which is both good and bad for us,” Shining Armor told Sam. “So our objectives lie in protecting the villages and taking out the Cultists?” Sam asked for clarification. “Basically, yes. But there’s more. His armies are spilling out of portals all over, made by the Cultists. If we can figure out how they made them, then we can learn how to take them down,” Basker added. “If it’s anything like the games, obsidian portals are built before they set the center on fire and poof,” Sam clapped his hands together for emphasis. “Portal to hell.” “Alright, but where did they get obsidian? There aren’t any volcanoes around for miles,” Final Will noted. “Probably transported from somewhere with lava,” Sam said with a shrug. “They probably hardened the lava, cut it into blocks and moved it to Zebafrica. Although, this is just me spitballing. It could be something completely different.” “Hmm… Alright, let’s get some more rest then. We can discuss our game plan when we get there,” Plessius said. “Right,” Sam confirmed. With that, he had leaned back and gone back to his training with Chris. “You didn’t forget already, did you?” Final Will teased. “No,” Sam replied, giving a small grin at the tease. “Chris just hit me a bit too hard in the head, that’s all.” “Good, we need you in tip-top shape for what lays ahead,” Basker said. It was then that Sam noticed Plessius and Tiny, as well as Mag Pie, had not spoken up. “What’s worrying you three?” He asked, looking at them curiously while his voice grew a bit concerned for the three. “Hm? Oh, apologies, I was absorbed in thought,” Plessius said apologetically. “What about?” Basker asked. “Well, I just find it weird that the Queen of the Zebras still came to the meeting despite her nation being in turmoil…” Plessius pointed out. “Yeah, it is rather strange,” Mag Pie agreed. “Indeed. Suspicious, even,” Tiny concurred. Sam thought this over and found little gap in their logic. “This could mean two things,” he said. “Either she was really desperate for our help…, or she’s playing us.” “What should we do? Send a letter?” Final asked. Sam thought for a moment before he nodded slowly. “That would be a smart move,” he stated before a second thought occurred. “But… it might be best to encrypt it. Do any of you have a special code you share with your leader?” “No, but Plessius is an assassin and a spy, she should know some codes,” Basker noted, before turning to the changeling in question. “Do you?” “I do, not much, but it should be enough,” Plessius said with a nod. “Alright, then what do we do if she intercepts it and she figures out the code? Or if she suspects the letter has something hidden in it?” Final wondered. “We could booby trap it,” Sam suggested with a shrug. “I’ve been working on generating sealed spells. We could rig it to… discourage her from opening it. We could also send decoys, scramble them around so she can’t tell which is which.” “Hmm...alright, I’ll get started on that letter as soon as possible, but for now, we must turn our attention to the fight ahead,” Plessius pointed out, as the Pegasi called that they were about to land. “Agreed,” Sam said leaning forward. “Any suggestions on how we handle this?” He looked around at the faces before him. “Carefully. The locals are likely afraid, and I imagine having a battalion of soldiers around only reminds them that they are in danger,” Mag Pie pointed out. “Our presence may make the locals uneasy, noted,” Sam said, nodding to the Griffon for his input. “Anyone else?” “We should be discreet. He might have spies around,” Plessius said. “That I’m going to say is a given,” the young man replied. “I’d expect nothing less from Him. Alright, last call, anyone else?” The group looked around at each other, before shaking their heads. Sam nodded before clapping his hands together. “Alright, get ready to go. When we set down, we need to secure the town and assure it’s populous. Our priority is keeping civilians safe.” “Got it, boss man,” Final said with a thumbs up. “Understood, sir,” Plessius concurred. “Alright then,” Basker said, and they could all sense he was grinning maniacally. “Let’s get to business!” Sam grinned as well, not as maniacally but grinned all the same. “Have I told you guys how much I love this team?” He asked. “Not yet, but thanks, boss man,” Final said as she clapped him on the shoulder. Tiny simply grunted while Shining Armor smiled. Sam’s grin graduated to a smile before he took a look at his morpher in radar mood to start getting a feel for the area. He found no red dots yet, quenching his lust for battle. They landed, the other carriages landing as well until the full battalion assembled in front of the group of officers. The village was only a few dozen yards away. Sam took a look around him for a moment at the battalion in front of him. “We need to begin setting up a perimeter,” he began. “I want two companies working on setting up this perimeter while two more watch their backs. The last company will begin to make a presence in the village. Remember that the locals are sure to be nervous, so try to be friendly and be a calming presence. Everyone stay on alert, we have no idea when He will attack. If you see any sign of His presence, call it in immediately. Let’s get to work.” With that, the forces moved out, two companies doing as instructed and securing a perimeter, with two more watching their backs. These four were the Minotaurs, Griffons, Changelings, and Diamond Dogs. The last company, the Ponies, set about making themselves known in the village. Meanwhile, Sam and his team decided on their next course of action. Sam let out a long breath as he turned to face them. “...That was terrifying,” he murmured before looking up. “What’s our next move?” “Now? All we can do is wait,” Tiny said. “Not true. We could lead an incursion into the enemy territory, weaken them and free any captives from surrounding villages. Maybe even recover those artifacts,” Plessius pointed out. “Too risky. They outnumber us ten to one, and you never know what the Pack Destroyer will do next,” Basker told the changeling. Sam took a moment to think things through. “I think Tiny’s right,” he finally said. “He is going to be unpredictable and the fact that I only have fragments of His strategies doesn’t help.” “Well, then what do you know?” Final asked. Sam looked towards her for a moment before looking down and closing his eyes, searching Herobrine’s memories for any useful information. There were several images that flashed by, almost giving him a headache before he gasped for air and opened his eyes wide. “Oh… that’s heavy…,” he muttered before looking up at his team. “I saw rituals… lots of them. And… kidnappings. So many kidnappings. The Tree of Harmony… burning… melting away…. Then-” He cut off and looked towards Mag Pie. “What?” Mag Pie queried, quirking an eyebrow. A hint of concern laced his voice. Sam looked at him for a moment before he took a breath. “I… watched the Griffon Empire fall….” “Oh… Well… Shit,” Mag Pie said, dumbfounded. “Shit indeed,” Basker concurred. “Sounds like something he’d do,” Tiny commented. “The Tree of Harmony? Burning? Melting? That… Is actually quite terrifying,” Shining added. “Did you see how, sir?” Plessius asked. Sam shook his head sadly. “I don’t know how, but he somehow managed to scramble the information I got from him,” he explained. “That seems to be part of them.” “Probably his insane resistance to attacks on the mind. It’s honestly a miracle you got anything at all. He’s gonna be after you for that,” Final Will noted. Sam frowned at that. “That means our chances of getting attacked just skyrocketed,” he said. “...But maybe we can make it work to our advantage….” “How so, sir?” Plessius pressed. “Yeah, how? You got some amazing plan, boss man?” Final said with a grin. “I play the bait.” “That...would be the riskiest thing we could do,” Shining said lamely. “That’s a gross understatement,” Plessius said. “You do know how important you are to this operation and war, right?” Basker asked. “Yeah, that’s a bit out of left field...but I like that plan,” Final said with a grin. Sam raised his hands. “Just hear me out,” he said. “Of course I know how important a role I play, and I don’t plan on dying anytime soon. I also know I’m one of very few that can cause almost as much destruction as the princesses. All I’m saying is that we get a feel for his strategies before setting a trap, and I won’t put anyone’s life on the line before my own.” “Hmm…” Shining hummed in thought, thinking deeply. The others looked deep in thought as well, before sighing, aside from Final Will. “Alright, let’s do it,” Basker conceded. “I’m in. Anything to stop that monster,” Mag Pie agreed. “Here here,” Plessius concurred. “You got my vote,” Shining said with a smile. “I’m in,” Tiny added. “I’m going to enjoy this,” Final said with a large grin. Sam smiled. “I’m going to enjoy putting Him in his place as well,” he replied before he became serious. “But, when I do this, I need you guys to keep the troops back until I come back and join back up. I don’t want to hurt any of our people by accident.” “If you’re sure, boss,” Final said. Then, a pony soldier approached the group, saluting the officers. “At ease,” Sam said to the soldier. “What do you have to report?” “Sir, the perimeter is secured and there is no sign of the enemy as of yet. Furthermore, we have managed to get the locals out of their homes and establish connections,” the soldier reported. “Well done,” the ranger said, nodding. “We’ll start rotating watches from here on out. Ponies and Minotaurs will take the first watch, followed by Changelings and Griffons, and finally Dragons and Diamond Dogs. Rinse and repeat.” “Yes sir!” the soldier said with a salute, before running off to inform the other companies. “So, what should we do first, boss?” Final asked. “Meet the locals?” Shining suggested. “That would be a good idea,” Sam said. “Get to know who we’ll be around.” “Then let’s find the village chief, get some information,” Basker said as the group walked through the streets, searching for the chief. Sam looked around as they walked, taking in every detail he could find, both from the town and populous. The zebras seemed scared, but not overly so. Children hid behind their mothers, whom, Sam noticed to his embarrassment, most of the women did not wear tops, much like the tribes in Africa back home. The officers around him noticed this and grinned. “Yeah, only the higher class wear tops. Neat, huh?” Final teased as she saw the man’s erratic blush. “...Eeyup…,” Sam replied, trying to keep his gaze away from the zebra mares’ bare chests. “Sir, should we provide them with tops?” Plessius queried. “Nah, that’d be like an insult to them,” Mag Pie replied with a grin on his beak. Sam nodded. “I agree with Mag on this one,” he said. “We’re here to protect them, not change their culture.” “By the way, Mag Pie, I’ve been meaning to ask, are you related to Pinkie Pie?” Shining asked the griffon. “Pinkie Pie? Yeah, she’s my cousin-in-law,” Mag Pie responded. “Why you ask?” “Just wondering,” Shining said simply. “How are the Elements anyway, Shining?” Sam asked, curious. “Not good. That bastard has been plaguing them with night terrors for a while now. Twily’s had it the worst. She doesn’t even respond to my letters,” Shining said with a frown and a sad look. Sam frowned. “Is that so?” He questioned, a dangerous undertone in his voice. “Note to self, make payback a bitch.” Finally, the group arrived at a hut with supports made from the bones of some gigantic creature, and if the ridges and ribs were anything to go by, it was long and serpentine. The rest of the hut was covered in scaly pelts and hides, no furs whatsoever. An oddity that did not go unnoticed by the group. “So… there are only serpentine monsters around here?” Sam assumed, pointing at the skins for a second. “Those are Golenian worms, they’ve always harassed the people of these deserts. You should see the zebra hunters fight them, it’s amazing,” Basker informed Sam. Sam thought this over before he nodded his head side to side. “Maybe I would like to see that,” he said. “Who knows, I might pick up some new moves.” It was as the group was talking that they heard what sounded like a scuffle going on in the hut. Sam threw a look at his group before running towards the hut. They arrived to see a Nether Portal in the hut, with what must’ve been the chief on the floor, bloody and battered and covered in sand. The young man rushed to the chief’s side, checking their pulse. None. Slowly, Sam got back to his feet and walked up to the front of the portal, visibly trembling as he did so. The portal swirled and made vorping sounds, aloof to the man’s condition. With a roar of rage, Sam threw his fist forward, shattering the obsidian side with no assistance from his Static, causing the vile work to collapse. “Oh ho! Is the little warrior angry?” taunted a familiar, dark voice. The officers tensed considerably at the sound of the voice. Sam, though, was anything but cowed. He slowly turned his head to where he thought he had heard the voice come from, his face blank for the moment. “Oh? No rage filled retort? My my, seems I struck a nerve!” “Coward.” “Hmhmhm, so I’m a coward, am I?” He chuckled. “Well, why I don’t I show you how cowardly I can be?” With that, Sam felt something bite deep into his leg, forcing him to the ground. “Oh come now, I’ve barely begun!” Sam silently reached to his leg and tore whatever had hit him out, Pink Static rushing over the wound, healing it. “That’s good,” he whispered, only just loud enough to hear. “Means you’ll put up a fight when I find you….” The only reply was a cut to the cheek, a diamond dagger embedding itself in the sand across the hut. “Show yourself!” Final demanded. “Oh I think not, cow. I’m having far too much fun with you all,” with that, the group was forced to dodge a barrage of daggers coming at them from a portal. Sam dodged back to the chief’s body, planting himself there and using Black Static around his hands to divert the daggers away. That was when they heard the screams. “Oh, I forgot to mention, I invited this tribe to the game as well,” Herobrine said, voice sickeningly sweet. “If I walk outside and see any of my men or the zebras hurt, I will show you what I can do with your powers,” Sam threatened quietly, his voice unnaturally neutral. The only response was laughter. Sam turned and walked outside, expecting the worse and hoping against hope that he was wrong. He was. The huts were aflame, and the bodies of many of the zebra, no matter if they were children, men, or women, were piled high and burning in piles, where zombie pigman were tossing them with throaty laughs while yet more chased screaming, crying villagers down. The soldiers were fighting and protecting to the best of their abilities, but the portals were all around, the armies of Herobrine pouring out of them by the score. Sam watched all of this before he let his newly acquired Herobrine Static burst forth violently. He raised his hand, fingers splayed before clenching it into a fist. Every pigman was suddenly stabbed through the head with a diamond sword. They all let out squeals, before falling to the ground with a wet splat, the blades still sticking out. “Well, you’re just a mood killer, aren’t you?” Herobrine said disdainfully. Sam changed his Static to Green before turning his gaze to the fires. Winds picked up around them, sucking away the oxygen until not a single flicker of flame was left. “When I find you, Herobrine,” the ranger said. “You’re going to wish I was only a mood killer.” “Oooh, feisty! But I’m afraid…” Herobrine began before a portal opened in front of Sam. “You won’t be getting the chance.” With that, he felt a crushing blow hit him in the back and heard a resounding crack as he fell into the portal. All he could think of at that moment before he passed out was how much he hated Herobrine. Sweetie Belle felt a hand on her shoulder and jumped. “Sweetie,” Firefly began slowly, bringing her hand back while a worried look covered her face. “You okay?” “Oh, y-yeah,” the unicorn stuttered in response. “He just kind of… caught me by surprise….” “I’m not all that surprised, honestly,” Cobalt said from where he had been standing, fiddling with his grappling gloves. “What I can’t believe is that he didn’t make a move sooner.” “You can’t tell me that you saw this coming,” Firefly countered, giving the bigger stallion a deadpan look over her shoulder. “Oh, come on,” the thestral exasperated. “Have you seen the look on his face when he’s with her?” “‘Her’ is standing right here,” Sweetie said, a bit more irritably than the mare’s usual attitude. “And if he was really that into me, how come I didn’t notice?” “Probably because you’ve been looking at him the same way,” Fly pointed out, lifting a finger. “How could you notice her but not him!?!” Cobalt questioned in disbelief. “How do we know he wasn’t just, you know… teasing?” Sweetie asked, concern creeping into her voice. Firefly went to make a response only to be interrupted as the portal Chris had gone through suddenly reopened. Although, instead of calmly walking out, the young man came shooting from the gateway, his body landing with a hard thump. “Chris!” Sweetie shouted in worry, running over to his side and going to her knees. The young mare rolled the human onto his side, checking his breathing. After a moment, she let out a relieved sigh. “It’s okay,” she assured her teammates, Cobalt having come to stand close by while Firefly was already halfway out of the room to get someone. “His breathing is-” The man’s eyes shot open and he lurched up into a sitting position, tearing himself from Sweetie’s hold. He looked around rapidly before his gaze settled on Sweetie, a wild look in his hazel eyes. His eyes widened as he saw the mare and he quickly looked away and towards the closing portal he had been shoved through. “No…,” he said lowly as the portal continued to shrink. “NO!” He yelled, rushing to his feet and trying to jump back through the portal, only to fall to his knees as he was just too late. Sweetie and the others stayed back as they watched human in his frantic state. After several moments of no moving from the human, the off-white unicorn got to her feet and started to move towards the kneeling ranger. “...Chris?” Sweetie said tentatively, reaching down her hand towards him. “...It’s not fair,” he suddenly murmured, causing Sweetie to stay her hand. The young unicorn looked back at her winged companions, Cobalt and Firefly both returning very confused looks. “Whaaat’s not fair, Chris?” Sweetie questioned slowly. “It’s not fair,” the young man said again, his tone becoming… irritated. The tone was so off that Sweetie took a nervous step back. “Chris-” “IT’S NOT FAIR!!!” He suddenly shouted, effectively interrupting Sweetie Belle as he slammed his fist into the floor. A wave of cracks spider-webbed out over the ground, the unicorn mare jumping back at his fit of rage. “TAKE ME BACK!!!” He slammed his fist into the ground as he let out another yell. “TAKEMEBACKTAKEMEBACKTAKEMEBACK!!!” With every new shout, he slammed his fist back into the ground, a bloody crater starting to form as his knuckles began to crack alongside the stone floor. “TAKE. ME. BACK!!!” A black aura suddenly burst around his arm, dark red and blue Static arcing as he slammed his fist into the ground. A new voice suddenly screamed out in pain as several splits suddenly spread out of the young man’s aura covered arm, blood spurting from the wounds. A ball of silvery, iridescent light shot from him and towards Sweetie, hitting her in the chest. Sweetie let out a breath as she wrapped her arms around the sphere, catching it. “St-stop him,” a pained, yet familiar, voice said. The unicorn’s eyes suddenly widened and she looked down at the sphere in her arms. “Chris!?!” She questioned, her face and tone shocked. “Y-yeah,” Chris replied, his tone strained as black lines curved over his spherical form. “Sam’s… out of control… he’s hurting my-” Sam and Chris suddenly both let out yells, one of rage, the other of pain, as Sam once again activated his Obsidian aura and slammed Chris’ fist into the ground, causing even more damage to the floor and limb. Sam reached his arm back to slam it back into the ground, his face contorted in rage as the sound of heavy, pained breathing emanated from the silvery orb. Sam swung his brother’s arm down again, only to be suddenly stopped as Cobalt grabbed his arm. “Sorry, bub,” the stallion said before raising his shadow covered fist and slammed it down into Sam/Chris’ temple, knocking him out. The human’s body slumped down, the thestral holding him up and preventing him from hitting his head on the hard stone floor. “Th-thank you,” Chris gasped, the black lines fading from his form. “Don’t know… what I’d… do without you… Co….” Chris trailed off as the sphere he was inhabiting began to fade away. “Chris…?” Sweetie questioned as the silver orb finally disappeared completely, her eyes widening in fear. “CHRIS!” “SWEETIE!” Cobalt’s shout rocked the panicking mare out of her shock. Sweetie looked up to see the thestral supporting Chris’ body as blood dripped down the injured man’s arm. “We need to get him to the med hall,” he added calmly. Sweetie stared for a moment before she shook her head to clear it and rushed over to help support Chris. Together, they began to quickly make their way to get the young man the aid he needed.