//------------------------------// // Study, Understand, and WHAT THE HAY IS THAT?! // Story: The Rest of Us // by Ron Jeremy Pony //------------------------------// The Rest of Us Study, Understand, and what the HAY IS THAT?! The small group of five Equitra that came through turned to six, then seven, and finally eight.  Bill breathed, trying to remind himself that these folks obviously cared about Twilight, and apparently no one told them that showing up naked, in his basement, was working on every single nerve he had.  The last one through, a large white one with flowing hair… Bill had to look at it again. Her hair seemed to flow like it was water, or blown by a light breeze, and it never stopped. He shook his head. It wasn’t important. There was so many of them, all talking, and it felt like the damned walls were starting to close in.  He sighed, looked at them, confident that Twilight would let them know not to touch his stuff, and he walked up stairs.  It was quieter here, and at last he could finally try to come to grips with what he had seen. Officially Twilight was not some kind of Government project.  He had been certain of that before, but it had stayed on the back burner for a while. Honestly there just wasn’t that much that described her.  He heard the door opening behind him, and his hand rested on the handle of the blade beside him.  The sound of steps similar to Twilight’s caught his attention and he relaxed. At least he relaxed as much as one could in a world filled with the infected and people that would kill another person for what they thought they might have.  He waited until the sound stopped, felt a soft touch on his arm, and turned around to look at dark, nearly midnight blue, Equitra that was similar to Twilight. She motioned toward the seat, and he nodded. She took a seat and watched as he fumbled with what looked like a foal’s toy. “Going to take her back?” He looked at her, and he didn’t see an overly warm and happy smile, nor was there was a look of someone attempting to disarm his hostility, but rather it was an empathic face. “It is part of why we are here.  The other part is to see this world.  Twilight has spoken of you already. I believe she described you as a big brother.” He shook his head, “Figures.  Look, just make sure not to take anything…” he slumped his shoulders, “I’m not good at this.  Don’t know why I got attached. After Frank… Fuck it. It doesn’t matter. Better off on my own anyway.” She looked at him, “Perhaps you misunderstand.  We wish to leave the portal open. Perhaps trade with your kind.” He looked back at her, “Twilight tell you about what’s out there?” She shook her head, “Not yet.” He got up and walked toward the window, opened it, and pointed outside. “The quick version is the stuff of nightmares.” The rather large white mare, with the oddly flowing mane, looked out through the opened window.  Bill could see her trying to see the dangers that weren’t present from the window of the church. It was going to end up being like Twilight again.  He knew it was. He was going to have to lead some of them out there, into his town, and let them see what was waiting out there for anyone foolish enough to step through.   He prepared himself to attempt to explain when a distant shrek caught his attention.  He looked in the direction of it, knowing it was a Clicker. He took a moment and looked at the larger mare. “I’m sure that Twilight could explain this better.  Hell, I’m not that good at talking to folks, but there’s things here…  We call them the infected. They roam around, attack anything that’s moving, and they do their damnest to kill what they find.  Most of them are quick, and if any of them can get a hold on you they will tear you apart.” He saw her studying in the direction the Clicker had called out from, “And you fear that we would be prey to the… infected, as you call them?” He studied her a for a moment, “Miss, I’m not afraid that you might be, I know you would be.  I’ve seen those things take out armed patrols. They normally move in packs, and they attack like ants swarming.” Celestia considered his words.  It was obvious that he had been here far longer, and he had managed to keep Twilight alive.  If what he said was true then this world was indeed in peril. It only made sense to help them.  Diplomacy often went far smoother if one was willing to show that they would gladly offer a hand.   “Perhaps we could help.” He studied her for a moment, and then he shook his head, “I know about the things that Twilight can do, and I’ve even seen her use some of it against a couple of those things once.” He looked out the window, “Just here in this town, just here, there’s likely to be well over a couple thousand of those things,” he shook his head, “I’ve made sure they can’t get to the parts of the town that I usually go to, and they help keep would be bandits and hunters out of my town,” he turned from the window and made his way toward a pew, “That doesn’t mean that one of them won’t try to rip my throat out if it can, and it certainly would do everything in its power to do so.” In all honesty he wasn’t exactly sure why she seemed so determined to want to help.  Maybe it was just how they were, but he could see several individuals wanting to take advantage of her giving nature.  There was a time, before the infected, that he could remember people being like that. But now he wasn’t sure that was the case anymore.  Living each day with the very real threat of your last breath went pretty far in making a person not want to extend a giving hand. “Are they able to fly?” It was a simple question, and it was one that he was able to answer easily, “No, none of them have wings, and thank God none of them are smart enough to figure out how to build gliders.” She stood, looking out at the cemetery, “Perhaps we may be of more help than you realize.  There are a good number of us that have the ability to fly, and I am quite certain that we could help contain the threat.” He shook his head, “You don’t contain the infected.  You don’t try to lock them up, or restrain them. You have to end them.  I’ve seen it when they were contained before. There was a hundred of them that came spilling out of a containment area, and they overran the soldiers that were attempting to keep them there,” he looked toward her, trying to ignore her lack of clothing, “They’re not people anymore.  If anything the people they were would want it ended,” He shook his head, “living a life with nothing other than an unstoppable need to kill everything and everyone. Can’t say that I know anyone that would want that.” She gestured to a pew and he took a seat next to her.  She held herself in a regal sort of way. She gave him a slight smile before she looked back toward the open stain glass window.  Her horn glew a soft golden color for a moment and he watched as it form a complete wall around them. He could see the faint glow outwardly, but that was about it.  It stayed there, and then he watched as brick came flying from across the room and smashed against it. The brick actually broke into pieces and fell lifelessly to the ground. “We want to help,” she smiled what appeared to be a motherly smile, “And I believe you on what must be done.” Bill felt that there had to be something else, but if there was it never came.  Instead the golden light faded out, and she stood, “Would you mind if we begin here, in this town?” He wasn’t sure on how to answer that.  In truth he wasn’t sure if she understood exactly what it was that she was signing up for.  Knowing that it was unlikely that he would really be able to convince her otherwise he gave a nod.  He could only hope that Twilight would be able to help explain the dangers here. Sure, the infected couldn’t fly, but all it would still be dangerous.  The hunters and bandits still occasionally attempted to come into his town, and he was certain that they would be more than happy to take a few pop shots at any of them.  Hell, the Hunters would more than likely convince themselves that it was fine to eat them, since they already eat other people. “Before you do anything you need to listen to what Twilight has to say about this place.”