//------------------------------// // 15. The Tipping Point // Story: A Wilting Flower // by Terran34 //------------------------------// The Verrazano bridge now cut a particularly strange sight to the various people upon it. The sheets of ice coating the asphalt surface were steadily melting in the rapidly warming temperature. This also held true for the haphazard lines of ice that criss-crossed the road; the result of the heated battle with Frozen Soul. Stranger yet would be the ranks of motionless undead that appeared to have stopped mid-charge. On one end of the road, Kristoff and several soldiers were attempting to smash through the wall of sheer ice that surrounded them on all sides; courtesy of Frozen’s cunning trap. They were using whatever they could find, whether it be the butts of their rifles, lengths of metal pipe, or other assorted blunt objects. Aven and Avil were there as well, contributing to the effort with their wrenches. Amaryllis, now that the fighting was over, was standing morosely beside the pile of frozen shards that had once been Samuel. Despite their victory over Frozen, she couldn’t bring herself to feel any joy in it. The loss had simply been too great. Mary stood beside her quietly, one hand resting on Amaryllis’s shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. Yet she had no words to say that could make the situation any better. Together with Jennifer and Emma, the four of them stood in a respectful yet solemn silence. The whole situation appeared to be weighing heavily on William, who stood with Kent near the burning wreck of the tank. The latter spoke comforting words to the younger man as he attempted to come to terms with the many deaths he had witnessed in such a short period of time. Yet, there were not only humans on the bridge: Nascent Shade rested on her haunches near Frozen’s lifeless body, surrounded by Raul, Travis, and Fabian. The former two had their weapons angled towards the unicorn; the three of them now knew full well of what unicorns were capable. They weren’t taking any chances. Fabian was busy applying first aid to the extremely severe burns covering half of Shade’s body. “Why did King Sombra choose to attack New York?” was Raul’s first question. The soldier believed that he already knew the answer, but he wanted to hear it from Shade, one of Sombra’s ponies. “Isn’t it obvious? It’s because it’s one of the most densely populated areas in all of America,” Shade answered, squirming with discomfort as Fabian cooled her burns with water and wrapped them with gauze. “If you’ve a brain, you’ve already figured out that the more people we kill, the stronger we get.” “Of course. But I want to know why attack here and now, rather than conclude your invasion in Russia?” Raul pressed. “You know that we attacked Russia?” Shade asked, her eyes widening slightly in surprise. Raul didn’t answer, choosing instead to stare at her expectantly. “We took every precaution such that we would not be discovered.” “Answer the question,” Travis insisted. “We’re not stupid. We know the balance of power in the world as of right now. Russia, America, France, the United Kingdom, and China are the powers that be, and each are huge figures in the United Nations,” Shade pointed out, revealing just how much the common unicorn knew about the human world. “If we focused all our efforts on one of you, and one of the others caught wind of it, you’d have all this time to prepare.” “So you’re striking us all at once…” Raul reasoned, earning a nod from Shade. He cursed under his breath. “Where did you get all the troops for this?” “Please, do you know how many humans there are in and around Russia? Hundreds of millions. Well over a billion, if you count the surrounding countries,” Shade reminded them. “We know what we’re doing. If we make quick and precise strikes, we can score several thousand undead in a single attack. You don’t even want to know what’ll happen once we take Moscow.” “Bastards!” Travis’s grip shook on his gun. “These are human lives you’re talking about! We aren’t just sacks of flesh to use as disposable shock troops!” “As if you’re any better. We’re at war; if we stopped to care about every enemy we fought, we’d never get anywhere. You’re a soldier; you should understand that,” Shade retorted. Travis’s fingers turned white as he clutched his gun even tighter. “Now, unless you’d like to discuss morality with me more, I’m sure you have other questions.” “You seem awfully willing,” Raul noticed with a hint of suspicion in his voice. “What’s your game here?” “You think I might be feeding you false information?” Shade correctly surmised. She sighed and shook her head. “I could, but what would be the point? I helped kill one of King Sombra’s top scientists; my life means nothing now.” “Why did you help us? You don’t sound like you’re switching sides out of the goodness of your heart.” Shade scoffed. “As if. I don’t care about anything except my… my mate, Rays. And he’s…” She looked down, despair and rage slowly starting to contort her face. “He’s gone. This piece of garbage killed him!” Shade’s body suddenly lit up with magic, causing Fabian to leap away. From her horn, a beam of magical power burst forth and blasted Frozen’s body, burning the skin away easily and pushing it several feet away. “That’s enough! Try something like that again and I’ll put a bullet through your skull!” Travis shouted; the very sight of magic was enough to frighten him, as he knew he could be killed instantly with a single blast if she was anything like Frozen. “Do it, I don’t care. I don’t have anything to lose.” Shade returned defiantly. Travis lifted his rifle butt as if to hit her, but Raul caught his arm, holding him back. “But to answer your question, I helped you so I could kill Frozen Soul.” “Even if it meant turning against your king?” Raul prompted. “Why do you think I served him in the first place? I wanted a safe place to spend my days with Rays… and this mission was the perfect opportunity to do that once all you humans were gone,” Shade replied bitterly. “Without him, there’s no point to any of this.” “I see. Then, if I said we wanted to use your ability to control the Oppressed, would you resist?” Raul asked after thinking for a moment. Travis and Fabian looked at him in shock, and then they looked at one another. “Oh, so you’ve figured out I can do that?” Shade responded. Her horn blinked briefly, and one of the Oppressed behind her fell over. “You’re not worried that I could reanimate this horde?” “You could. But you can’t control them if you’re dead.” Raul’s words were spoken with the same calm tone as before; Travis couldn’t help but shudder beside him. “True. By the way, what did you call them? Oppressed?” Shade questioned. “Why call them that?” Raul indicated Amaryllis with his thumb. “We have a source of our own who knows all about your king and the undead. She calls them Oppressed,” he explained, careful not to use her name. “She even knew of your attack on Russia.” “How could she know? That hardly seems possible,” Shade demanded. “It’s not important,” Raul emitted. Just then, a cracking noise could be heard from behind. Raul turned to see Kristoff’s group finally breaking through the weakened wall of ice. “Alright, it’s about time to get moving. I have a few more questions for you.” “Whatever.” “Tell me everything you know about the attack on New York. I want to know how many undead you brought, how you entered the city, how you managed to turn so many of us right at the start, and who’s leading you,” Raul snapped a barrage of questions her way. “It’s already over. The civilians were easy to kill and turn, and we’ve already surrounded the military bases. It’s just a matter of time before they run out of ammunition,” Shade replied with a shrug. “We attacked from Staten Island, the Bronx, and Queens, from below and above. Honestly, by the time we even arrived, over half the population had already turned. You’ll see just how outnumbered you are when you make it into Brooklyn.” “But how did you turn so many?” Raul pressed. “I don’t know for certain. All I know how to do is control them; not how to create them. King Sombra is the one who created the spell, so I’d imagine only he and his trusted magicians know it,” Shade continued with a shrug. “I can probably tell you who knows how in the city. That would be the one who leads us… D-” “Doctor Valeric Pallor,” a cold, reedy voice sounded out loud enough to be heard by everyone on the bridge. Eyes turned and weapons were trained on the human figure that now stood with his back against the wall of ice that blocked the way back into Staten Island. The man was clearly Russian, possessing fair skin and a rounded face, as well as a bulbous nose and thin lips. His hair was as white as bone, and was neatly cropped to avoid falling in front of his eyes. For attire, a pair of circular spectacles sat neatly on his nose, and he wore a neatly pressed lab coat decorated only by the sewn image of a distinct purple flower with five petals; a flower known as bittersweet nightshade. Shade’s eyes grew wide with fear and her entire body began to tremble. She turned her head slowly. “It’s… It’s him…” she stammered with fright. Amaryllis recognized him immediately as the scientist she had seen in the papers; the one Raul had suspected to be the source of the Oppressed breakout. She leaned down and grabbed Samuel’s gun, wielding it along with her own. She had no idea what to expect, but she could tell by just looking at him that he wasn’t their ally. “Stay right where you are, doctor!” Raul commanded as Valeric began to walk towards them, his shotgun pointed directly at the scientist. “Take one more step, and I’ll order all of my men to open fire.” “Now, is that any way to talk to the one who saved you all from a deadly virus?” Valeric returned with smug confidence radiating from his every pore. He raised his hands to show that he was unarmed. “Come now; I expected a warmer welcome than that.” “You can drop the act, doctor. We know full well just where your loyalties lie,” Raul responded without even a hint of amusement in his voice. “I had a feeling it was you.” “Did you now?” Valeric didn’t seem all that upset that his thinly veiled ruse wasn’t very effective. The scientist turned a knowing smile onto Shade. “Nascent Shade, I’m disappointed in you. Not only did you kill my scientist, but you also spilled your guts to the first human who asked?” “Would you have let me live even if I hadn’t?” Shade asked, gulping and facing the scientist despite her fear. Valeric laughed as if that were the funniest thing he’d heard all day. “Absolutely not. Frozen was very talented… I would have preferred him alive.” A dangerous edge entered Valeric’s voice, his eyes narrowing. “They’re just nowhere near as capable when they’re dead; rest assured, you will pay for your betrayal.” “What exactly did you come here to do, doctor?“ Raul demanded, his grip tightening on his weapon. Valeric returned his attention to the soldier, an unreadable expression on his face. “We know you are behind the attack on New York and that you work for Sombra. Didn’t you think that-” “How dare you refer to His Majesty in such a disrespectful manner!?” Valeric suddenly flew into a rage, his eyes flashing violet and the ground shattering beneath his feet. “He is King Sombra, rightful sovereign of the Crystal Empire! You will refer to him as such or I’ll rip your corpse limb from limb!” Raul’s eyes widened, slightly taken aback by the previously calm doctor’s sudden change in demeanor. His grip tightened on his weapon; that display of rage was enough to tell him that Valeric also possessed magic to some degree. The soldier turned his gaze to Travis, Fabian, and then Amaryllis in turn. Each of them met his gaze, recognizing that they were likely to be drawn into combat once more. “Now then…” Valeric regained his composure almost immediately, as though he’d never lost his temper in the first place. Amaryllis was beginning to suspect that he wasn’t entirely sane. “I came here to collect my subordinates, of course. You will relinquish Nascent Shade and Frozen Soul to me.” He spoke not as one giving a command, but of one speaking a fact...as though the outcome had already been decided. “Frozen soul is dead. You said that yourself,” Raul pointed out, indicating the fallen unicorn’s mangled body. “Besides; you’ve seen what we did to him. Do you think you’re in a position to be making demands?” “Look at you, talking so tough. It’s almost as if you think you’re even worth the grime on my hooves!” Valeric snapped. He shifted his posture ever so slightly, a violet aura seeping from his body like a wound oozing blood. It began faint, but steadily grew more apparent, such that everyone could see the power he emitted. As Amaryllis watched, she could swear she could see the faint shadowy forms of skulls both human and pony weaving in and out of his aura. She felt a chill from the air; a chill independent of the ice remaining on the road. This was a more primal feeling: the natural fear the living held towards the dead. She wasn’t the only one who could feel it. Emma was shaking terribly, clinging onto her pale-faced mother, who was hiding behind Amaryllis. William was down on his knees, holding his head in his hands with the despair clearly visible on his face. They all could instinctively feel that this doctor was a force with which they could not contend. “You humans are truly ignorant to the power we possess,” Valeric declared, lifting a hand to the air. A small orb of shadowy violet magic formed in the palm of his hand, the power seeming to suck the very life out of the air. “Your struggles and achievements are nothing in the face of my necromantic might. Allow me to show you…” Valeric bent his fingers into a claw shape, the orb suspended between his fingertips. He extended his hand downwards, towards the ground where Frozen still lay. From the orb, tendrils of darkness snaked through the air towards the fallen form of Frozen. As they reached him and began to infiltrate his body, Frozen began to shudder and shake, visceral growls and grunts emitting from his throat. The confused and frightened soldiers watched with baited breath as life returned to Frozen’s eyes, and the unicorn slowly and steadily rose to his hooves. The unicorn’s wounds remained, but Frozen was very clearly alive once again. “You… but how…?” Amaryllis stammered. Helpless anger filled her up as she realized that her desperate fight against Frozen was all but pointless before the face of such an ability. She’d tried so hard; she’d even lost Samuel fighting that unicorn. It began to seem as though nothing she did meant anything. “You, fallen one. Tell me your name.” Valeric addressed the reanimated Frozen softly. “I am Frozen Soul, your faithful and loyal scientist,” Frozen spoke, his voice sounding somewhat hollow. Frozen dipped his head with deep respect. “I’m sorry I failed, your Excellency. I didn’t expect Shade to have betrayed us.” At that, Frozen shot a hateful glare towards Shade, who was now furious upon seeing Frozen back on his hooves again. “No, you underestimated them. Never make that mistake again; I will not extend this gift to you a second time,” Valeric corrected him with a disapproving stare. Frozen nodded, looking at the ground with shame. “That power… ‘your Excellency...’” Even Raul was unable to keep his growing anxiety from showing in the face of such logic-defying power. When he spoke again, it was in a sharp, demanding voice. “You’re not human…. who are you!?” “I’m glad you asked,” Valeric stated as though he had been waiting for that question. He slowly raised his hand and clicked his fingers. With that simple action, the scientist began to change all at once. His body lurched forward, forcing him onto all fours as his arms and legs shortened and thickened into four legs tipped with hooves. Dark fur sprouted from his skin, a tail emerged from his rear, and his face contorted into that of a pony’s. When the transformation ended, they were staring at another unicorn with cold violet eyes. “Allow me to reintroduce myself,” Valeric announced, dipping his head in a mocking bow. “My name is Vanta Pallor, Governor General of the Crystal Army and second in command to His Majesty King Sombra himself. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” “I’ve heard that name before,” Amaryllis suddenly said, remembering her conversation with Seth several months ago. This revelation surprised those that heard her. Even Vanta raised an eyebrow, noticing Amaryllis for the first time. His eyes widened upon seeing her, and then an amused expression formed on his face. “This whole time… it was you. Why did I never see it?” Vanta suddenly broke into laughter. “Is this… can it be? What delightful… delicious irony this is! To think that you of all people would be among this small group of survivors… fate is such a fickle mistress,” the general proclaimed, clapping his hooves together. The revelation that Vanta and Amaryllis seemed to know one another caused all eyes to focus on the two of them. Yet Amaryllis seemed confused; she didn’t remember seeing anyone like Vanta before. “How do you know who I am?” Amaryllis demanded, closing the distance between the two of them by several steps. “I’ve met your king, but not you.” “That’s precisely why I know you! Do you think we came to your school all those years ago simply by chance?” Vanta revealed. “In fact, you would be in stasis right now if it hadn’t been for your clumsy boyfriend.” “His name is Seth,” Amaryllis gritted out, rage filling her at the disrespectful way Vanta referred to him. However, she knew exactly what Vanta was talking about, as she had heard it from Seth. But this meant… “I was your target?” “That’s right! I do have to thank the both of you for being such negative individuals and drawing us to you…” Vanta expressed. Just as Amaryllis was about to try prying more information from him, an explosion sounded from somewhere deeper in the city. Vanta glanced back in that direction, scoffing lightly. “Tch. You humans are nothing if not stubborn. It’s about time I wrap things up here. Shade… do come along.” “Go to hell! I’m not going anywhere with you!” Shade snapped back, her body shaking with rage. Vanta paused, looking surprised by her sudden defiance. “You resurrect the very reason I betrayed you in the first place, and you think I’ll just come crawling back to you with my tail between my legs!? I’d rather die fighting!” Vanta turned to look at her wordlessly, his violet eyes fixed on hers. Despite her defiant words, Shade couldn’t help but quail somewhat beneath the weight of his gaze. Eventually, Vanta shrugged uncaringly. “Very well. You can simply die with the rest of these humans. But don’t think death will save you from me,” Vanta decided, his body beginning to glow with magic once more. Upon hearing that, Raul realized that talk was over and that he’d gained as much information as possible. Raul gave the command with a quick hand signal, and every single armed soldier fired upon the general all at once. Even Amaryllis unloaded with both of pistols. Yet it was all an effort in futility. Unlike with Frozen, the bullets never even reached Vanta. Upon entering his aura, they froze in mid-air, surrounded by the violet glow of his magic. Vanta’s eyes narrowed with annoyance. “What do you take me for? I am not some game animal for you to gun down!” Vanta grinded his teeth together, and all of the bullets converged upon a single point in front of him, bending and deforming into a twisted ball of metal before him. He crushed the ball with his magic, resulting in a metallic screech that hurt the ears of those listening. “A question for all of you; do you know how I managed to throw your populace into disarray so quickly?” “The cure and vaccine for the HAED virus. Anyone who had received the cure or had the vaccine administered could be turned into your shock troops at will,” Raul answered, motioning for the other soldiers to conserve their ammo. It was clear that their weapons wouldn’t be enough to deal with the likes of Vanta. “Those who didn’t fall prey to the virus are immune.” “Very good!” Vanta clapped his hooves condescendingly. His horn lit up, and everyone could feel the evil magic filling the air. One of the soldiers standing near Kristoff clutched his throat, making a horrible choking sound. “What in blazes!?” Kristoff demanded as the soldier doubled over, his fingertips starting to bleed as though the edges of his nails were cutting into his skin. Another soldier began to experience the same symptoms, and then another, until over half of their number were suffering and changing. Their fingernails grew rapidly, splitting through their skin and forming deadly talons. Their legs twisted and snapped, forcing them over on all fours as the bones rapidly rearranged themselves. “No… no!” “You were wrong about one small thing,” Vanta explained in a casual tone, ignoring the agony filled screams of the rapidly transforming soldiers. “The virus didn’t have a perfect infection rate. It was possible that one could come into contact with the virus, but not experience any symptoms. Thus, no cure seemed necessary.” “You don’t mean…” the meaning behind Vanta’s words became deadly clear to Raul and all others who were not suffering from the deadly transformation. “The vaccine was just a means to spread the transformation catalyst among a larger number. Simply carrying the virus is enough to make one susceptible,” Vanta explained with a triumphant grin. “You didn’t think I’d show all of my cards right away, did you?” “Damn! Everyone, stay away from them!” Raul called, putting some distance between himself and one of the nearest transforming soldiers. The soldier, as Raul passed, jerked his head up to stare at him, his neck breaking in the process. What had once been a man opened its mouth and roared, its teeth already elongating into vicious points. Raul immediately turned his shotgun upon the newly made Oppressed and gunned it down in an instant, helpless rage showing on his face. “Full retreat! Everyone across the bridge!” “You think I’ll let you escape!?” Vanta screeched. With a wave of his hoof, the ice behind him shattered into pieces, revealing a fresh horde of Oppressed beyond, the undead waiting in orderly rows. With a single gesture, they began to swarm across the bridge like the tide. Amaryllis immediately found herself confronted by two of the newly transformed soldiers at once. Despite their hideous new appearance, it wasn’t hard to recognize them as soldiers who had been in the command vehicle with them. One of them attempted to pass her and head straight to the terrified Mary and Emma, but she wouldn’t let them. She turned and aimed her pistol directly at the side of the creature’s head. Using the last of the ammo in the magazine, she blew a bloody hole through its head, sending it right to the ground. Then, she bashed the second Oppressed with the butt of the empty gun once, and then she clasped her fists together and slammed them down onto its head. That wasn’t enough to kill it, so Amaryllis grabbed the metal pipe she’d used before and finished it off with several swift whacks. Unfortunately, she had no time to revel in her victory. The horde was coming; and there was an army the likes of which she’d never seen. Cursing fate for putting her in this situation, she turned back to Mary, Emma, and Jennifer “Don’t just stand there; get moving!” Amaryllis urged them, stashing the empty gun back in her pocket. “I won’t let them lay a finger on either of you.” “I don’t believe you’ll have a choice,” Vanta appeared directly in front of her in a burst of violet magic. Amaryllis’s eyes widened, and she broke out into a cold sweat as his deathly magical aura swept over her like a chill breeze. She couldn’t even blink before Vanta’s hoof slapped her aside. Amaryllis felt as though she’d been hit by a truck. One moment she’d been standing in front of Vanta, and the next, she was hurtling through the air, dropping the pipe in the process. She tumbled across the ice and hit the ground multiple times before her back hit the guardrail at the very edge of the bridge. She hacked and coughed, attempting to recover the air that had just left her lungs. The Oppressed that she’d been keeping from Mary, Emma, and Jennifer advanced upon them the moment Amaryllis was out of their way. Mary and Emma screamed, hugging one another and pressing themselves up against the vehicle. Jennifer, her eyes wide with fright, picked up the pipe and attempted to fend them off, the girl managing to beat one of them down. Amaryllis cursed and rose to her feet. She had to get to them. Yet as she took her first step, Vanta appeared behind her and wrapped a hoof around her neck, constricting her airway painfully. “What’s this? What has you in such a hurry?” Vanta asked her with a mocking ring in his voice. He easily held her tight despite her desperate struggles. She even tried to get free by biting into his hoof, but it was like biting into metal. Vanta followed her gaze over to where the three women were about to become food for the Oppressed. “You mean to tell me that you care about these people? What happened to little the infamous ice queen, Amaryllis?” “I promised to save them!” Amaryllis gritted out as she gasped for air. “I’m not… a liar…” “Once you give your word, you keep it, is that it? So this is just a matter of pride to you,” Vanta reasoned. She froze for a moment, his words cutting through her deeper than any claw. She began to feel sick to her stomach, even as Vanta laughed with delight. “You were an excellent choice! Such negativity and cynicism! I bet they trust you completely; but you don’t really care about them. Surrounded and outnumbered, you used them to keep safe.” “Shut up… that’s not….” Amaryllis couldn’t bring herself to refute him; his words had the cold ring of truth to them. When she first banded together with the others… she had indeed thought of them as a means to an end. “You may say that you promised to save them, but if they were to fall, you’d tell yourself there was nothing you could do; and you’d leave them behind without a second thought. That’s the kind of person you are; otherwise King Sombra never would have put his eyes on you,” Vanta continued relentlessly, forcing her to watch as Jennifer fought desperately to keep the Oppressed away. She was outnumbered and overpowered; the undead steadily closing in. Vanta leaned in close to whisper into Amaryllis’s ear. “But, that’s not a bad thing. You have potential; King Sombra recognized that when he chose you in the first place. The skill, bravery, and wit it took to defeat Frozen Soul; that's more than enough to prove yourself to me.” “What are you…?” Amaryllis demanded.Over where Jennifer was fighting, there was a loud clang as an Oppressed claw collided with the pipe she carried. The girl was knocked off balance, the pipe sent skittering away towards where William and Kent were hiding behind the burning tank. It was clear to her that she wouldn’t last much longer. “Forget about these humans, and instead join with King Sombra. With a little bit of magical training, you could become a force to be reckoned with,” Vanta offered her. “Join with the Crystal Empire, and you’ll become part of a regime that will last for eternity. That’s what you want, isn’t it? The power to change the world to suit you?” Amaryllis ceased her struggles for a moment, Vanta’s words ringing in her head. She had to be honest with herself. A long time ago, she would have accepted Vanta’s offer in an instant. Having power like Frozen’s would put her above all of humanity, a state that she had more than once wished to attain. With power, she wouldn’t have to deal with the scum that she once believed humanity to be. With power, she could live her life the way she chose, departing from the rails upon which her life was set. “I…” Amaryllis stammered. Vanta’s grin widened, his grip loosening somewhat. His offer was tempting, and for one moment, she allowed herself to imagine what life would be like with power like his. “Don’t give up.” She returned to reality almost immediately, the words of a certain little girl echoing in her mind. A girl that, in the midst of death, destruction, and despair that no little girl should ever have to endure, declared her unwavering faith for Amaryllis, even after she’d admitted that she was using everyone to get out of the city. “I think you are nice. You shouldn’t say mean things about yourself.” “Snap out of it, Amaryllis.” Another voice came to her, this time of a particular latin male that had stood by her side since the attack began, choosing to aid and trust her despite common sense telling him otherwise. “You’re supposed to be our leader. We need you, now more than ever.” “Somebody! Please help!” Jennifer screamed as the Oppressed approached. “Not my daughter!  Take me instead!” Mary wrapped her arms around her child, attempting to protect her with her body as a last resort. “Amy! We need you!” Emma’s voice cried out desperately. Amaryllis couldn’t wait any longer. She didn’t know how she could have even entertained Vanta’s words in the first place; the mental image of the Oppressed’s claws ripping through Emma’s little body was more than she could take. “Go to hell!” Amaryllis fired the last bullet from her remaining handgun directly into Vanta’s chin. Vanta’s barrier was too strong to be broken, but taking a shot from such close range knocked his head up and loosened his grip just long enough for her to break free. She ignored Vanta and dashed for the three girls as fast as she could, disregarding the fact that she had no weapon with which to fight. “Tch… you disappoint me!” Vanta spat with rage. “You humans are nothing but husks of useless sentiment! This is exactly why you’ll be trampled beneath our hooves!” Despite running as fast as she could, there was just too much ground to cover. Amaryllis realized with horror that she wouldn’t make it to the girls in time. She reached for the gun on her belt and attempted to fire it, but the weapon merely clicked, devoid of ammo. She could only yell in frustration as the Oppressed descended upon Jennifer like a wave of undead flesh. Suddenly, with a wordless cry, William leapt over the vehicle and slammed the metal pipe he’d grabbed down on the skull of the Oppressed closest to Jennifer. He did so with enough force to crack the monster’s skull, but not enough to finish it. The timid man screamed with horror as he struggled with the Oppressed… but that bought just enough time for Amaryllis to reach him. “Hrrrah!” Amaryllis dropped her heel onto the cracked Oppressed’s skull, shattering it and knocking the thing to the ground. With William by her side, the two of them combated the horde together. “I don’t believe it. You actually have a set of balls after all!” William didn’t answer. It didn’t seem like he was thinking at all; his eyes were bloodshot and his mouth was open, constantly letting out a terrified scream. Even as an Oppressed lunged at him, William tackled it and beat it down with the pipe repeatedly. Once it stopped moving, Amaryllis ripped its claw away from its foreleg and wielded it as a weapon against the other Oppressed. The fifty caliber machine gun on top of the aid vehicle roared to life once more. The soldier who had lost his leg had managed to crawl into the gunner’s seat and was unloading everything they had left into the opposing horde. Doing this allowed Amaryllis and William to escape from the encroaching Oppressed, joining Raul and the other soldiers that were retreating as quickly as they could. “What a pointless effort,” Vanta scoffed, the unicorn teleporting to the top of a nearby vehicle. From here, he had a clear shot to both the aid vehicle’s gunner and the retreating soldiers. He began to charge up his magic, his horn sparking with violet energy. He intended to leave nothing left of the foolish humans who had thought to resist him. “It’s time to end this. In the end, you saved no one.” Just before Vanta fired off his attack two of the Oppressed suddenly stopped in their charge. Without warning, they turned and lunged directly at Vanta, roaring and extending their claws to rip at him. “What!?” Vanta exclaimed, firing the blast at the Oppressed attacking him. To his horror, the powerful magic splashed against the undead like water on rock, not even leaving a mark on their flesh. They were upon him before he could recover, their claws cutting into his hooves. Vanta teleported a short distance away, behind other Oppressed that he was certain served him. After a quick check, he noticed that he could no longer sense half of the Oppressed. “What is the meaning of this!?” “You’re not the only one who can control the Oppressed.” Nascent Shade stood steadfast at the rear of the retreating soldiers, magical tendrils emanating from her horn and momentarily connecting with each of the Oppressed that began following her orders. Her Oppressed collided with Vanta’s Oppressed in a vicious melee, the undead tearing each other apart with visceral fury. “Nascent Shaaaade! What in His Majesty’s name do you think you’re doing!? How far do you intend to fall!?” Vanta shrieked at the opposing mare, his own magic reasserting control over the Oppressed still coming through the breach in the ice wall. “You don’t possibly think you can win, do you!?” “Are you kidding? I’m a dead mare; I know that. But I’m a dead mare with nothing to lose,” Shade snapped right back, standing her ground despite her knees visibly shaking. She turned her head to see Amaryllis and the other humans escaping across the bridge due to the time her distraction had bought them. She shook her head wryly, speaking her next words to herself. “I never thought I’d die like this, Rays. Missing half my fur and saving a bunch of humans.” Shade flipped back what remained of her mane with one hoof, putting on a smile one last time. “Let’s do this, Rays. I’ll be joining you shortly.” With a burst of power, Shade broke into a run, a battle cry leaving her throat as she and her Oppressed charged directly towards Vanta and Frozen Soul. Amaryllis and the other survivors made it through the ice wall and continued, running as fast as they could. It wouldn’t be long before they made it to the other side of the bridge. Looking back, she could see Shade and her Oppressed keeping Vanta and his Oppressed from chasing them. She knew that Shade wasn’t doing this for them, but without her, Amaryllis knew that they would all be dead. She closed her eyes, offering a silent thanks to the brave unicorn. Perhaps, in a different situation, she could have gotten along with that mare. “Once we’re across the bridge, our first priority is to find a place to bunker up for a short time!” Raul shouted back so that everyone could hear him. “Vanta will be chasing us, so we can’t afford to slow down!” Amaryllis was tired, but she still had some strength left, so she was able to keep running just fine. She also couldn’t help but look at William, who had lifted a hand to help them fight for the first time since the attack began. She felt a bit of grudging respect for him. “William, you did a good job back there,” Amaryllis complimented him, deciding to give credit where credit was due. “I couldn’t have saved the girls without you.” “Y-Yeah… I just… wanted to… I couldn’t…” William seemed to be having trouble breathing. At first, Amaryllis attributed it to the shock and fatigue from fighting for the first time, but then William stumbled, the color draining from his face. “I… I don’t feel so….” Amaryllis stopped, catching William before he could hit the ground. She felt something warm and sticky on the arm holding his chest. She recoiled with horror as she discovered it to be blood. A red stain on his shirt in the shape of a line stretching from his shoulder to his waist was slowly starting to form. “Fuck! William!” Amaryllis knew she couldn’t tend to him here; the others would leave her behind. She had no clue how William had managed to run as far as he did with a wound like that, but there was no way he could keep that up. Gritting her teeth, she lifted him clear off the ground and ran quickly to catch up with the rest of the group. “Dammit. Dammit! Just hang in there, you hear me? You’re not allowed to die!” As the survivors finally entered the burning city of Brooklyn, the situation only began to look more bleak. Amaryllis clutched the half-conscious William to her chest tightly. It wouldn’t be long before they had a place to rest. She only hoped it would be in time; both for William, and for them all.