Chapter LII: A Thought Never Dreamed
“WHAT?!”
“You heard me.” Luna said calmly. “I can’t risk that Bunker falling into enemy hooves. Therefore, it must be destroyed.”
“But..but.. that’s BARBARIC!” Twilight yelled. “How can you possibly do that?”
“It’s very simple really.” Luna said, turning her back to them. “A simple excitation in the nuclear reactor. It will be quick and painless. A better death that our enemies can promise.”
“There has to be another way!” Lightning yelled. “You could evacuate them or--”
“No. This is the safest and most effective way to rid ourselves of this problem.” Luna said, still not facing them.
“But...but..”
“I have made my decision, Lightning Storm. I think you better stop before I make a decision about you.” Lunar was shaking his head furiously, mouthing “Don’t do it.” Lightning turned back to the others, disgusted. They wore similar expressions of fear and surprise. But Pinkie’s was the worst. Tears were welling up in her eyes, her lower lip trembling. She did not what to see her home for eleven years disappear in a flash and a mushroom cloud. Lightning felt a small spark in his chest. He turned back to Luna.
“No.” He said loudly. Lunar face-hoofed, while Luna tensed up slightly.
“What did you say?” she asked, voice as hard and cold as her metal armor.
“I said, no.” Lightning said, voice quiet. “I was abducted into this army. I was prepared to live my life here if I couldn’t escape. I helped you carry out the task you had been waiting to complete for over a decade. I stood up for you, when all of my friends wanted to desert you. I responded to your every beck and call for as long as I have known you. I have sworn complete loyalty to you. And you still won’t HEAR ME!” He slammed his hoof against the table. The small blue flags flickered, then faded out of existence. Utter silence fell on the crowd.
Slowly, Luna turned to stare at him. She walked towards him, metal scraping on stone the only sound. Lightning felt the others back away slightly, giving them some room. She reached him, towering over him. Ice cold eyes stared down, absorbing any form of heat from his soul.
“What did you say?” she said, voice as cold as her eyes. It was warning him that he was right on the edge.
“Evacuate them.” Lightning said, not backing down. “Do that, or we will leave.”
“Is that a threat, Lightning Storm?”
“It might be. If you do this, then you are no better than who you are fighting.” he said, taking a step forward. “You have no idea what you could gain by evacuating them. How many ponies do you think are in there. A thousand? Two? How many would stay at your side when they see who saved them? Evacuate them, and gain prestige and warriors, or destroy them and lose us. Your choice.”
Silence met this statement. Lightning looked past Luna. Lunar was standing, his mouth hanging open. He closed it and shook his head. He made a series of motion that Lightning took as, “If you survive this, I am buying you a drink.” He turned his eyes back to Luna.
An obvious battle was waging in her mind. Conflicting expressions of anger, pride, and fear crossed her face. Her mouth opened and closed several times, but no sound came out. Lightning was afraid he would just be blown into dust just to end this fight. But she took a different route.
She let out a long, slow breath, closing her eyes. When she opened them, they were focused and sharp once more.
“Leave me.” she said, quietly. “I need to think about this.” Lightning nodded, backing away slowly. The others followed him, as did Lunar. They all climbed the stairs first. Lightning was the last to leave, turning back to look at the princess.
She was sitting on her chair. Her rested her head on one hoof, staring at the table. The floating sun and moon threw bands of yellow and white over her. Her horn was glowing, and several spots on the field were glowing. As he watched, a small nuclear cloud erupted from the spot where the Bunker was above. But as it dissipated, a floating insignia rose above it. Her insignia. But she just shook her head, letting her head sink into her forelegs. Lightning had never seen anything like it. He turned and climbed the stairs, leaving the troubled Alicorn in peace.
When he reached the top of the stairs, Lunar and the rest were waiting for him. The setting sun cast long, dark shadows behind them. Rainbows of colors shone through the windows, turning the floor into a painting. They were still wearing the expressions of fear, but they were mixed with hope. Lunar walked over and smacked Lightning on the back.
“I have never seen anything like that before!” he said, smiling at him. “I can’t believe she didn’t just kill you!”
“That was very foolish, Lightning.” Twilight said, shoving Lunar aside. “You could have gotten killed! What would Applejack had done then? What would we have done then?”
“I would prefer not to think about it.” Lightning said, walking past her. “I just want to sleep, if that’s OK with you guys.” He turned back to Lunar. “I REALLY don’t want to share a room with Luna. Can I stay somewhere else?”
“Sure! You guys can have the officers quarters!” he said, directing them outside. “Don’t think they will mind, as they are all away.”
“That would be awesome!” Rainbow said, flying above them. “Do they have cloud beds? I am SO tired of those regular beds. How can you guys sleep on those?”
“We get by, Rainbow.” Rarity said.
“No, none of them have clouds.” Lunar said. Rainbow’s smile dropped. “But if you would like..” he grinned at her. He spread his wings and took off into the sky. They watched him fly towards a large cloud, slowly cutting off a small section. A moment later, he returned, pulling a small cloud behind him.
“Here you go!” he said, propping it next to her. Her face lit up as he dropped to the ground. “Should work for a couple days. Just hope it doesn’t rain in the house. They would get really pissed.”
“Oh, thank you!” Rainbow said, dropping down onto the cloud. “Where are the houses?”
“Down this road and to the le--.” Rainbow dashed off before he could finish his sentence. Lunar just smiled. “That should hold her for a while. If you guys want to go pick a house, you can go ahead. Lightning and I have something to discuss.”
The others nodded and said good night, then headed off the way Rainbow had flown. When they were gone, Lunar turned back to Lightning.
“I said If you survived, I would buy you a drink.” he said, smiling. He took Lightning by the shoulder and directed him to a low building. The inside was dimly lit, and a large table rested to one side. Smaller tables lined the sides, and several racks with bottles rested behind the bar. Lightning felt his jaw drop.
“Why, in the hell, didn’t you show this to me when I was here the first time!?”
“Didn’t cross my mind.” Lunar said, laughing. He jumped and flew to the bar, leaning against the table with a rag in his hand. “So, what will it be mister.” They kept straight faces for three seconds, then they both laughed. Lightning walked over and sat down on one of the stools.
“Been so long since I had any. Give me something strong.” Lightning said, as serious as possible. Lunar nodded.
“I know just the thing.” he turned and looked over the rows of bottles. His eyes landed on a pitch black bottle. He took it down from the shelf, at the same time pulling a shot glass out from under the bar.
“This should knock you out.” he said, uncorking the bottle with his teeth. He tipped it over and poured a small amount into the glass. It was deep red, slightly transparent, and very pungent. Lightning had to sit back as the smell his his nose. Silvery smoke rose from it, curling into odd shapes at it rose. Lightning looked from the glass to Lunar several times.
“Trying to poison me?” he asked, a slight smile at the corners of his mouth. “You think this’ll kill my past? I could use that.” Lunar just looked at him, no emotion on his face.
“Try it and find out.” he dared. Lightning licked his lips, raising the glass to his mouth. He silently counted down from three, then swallowed the liquid. Almost immediately, he regretted it.
His throat felt like it was on fire. His tongue felt like it was melting in his mouth. As it fell down his throat, the feeling spread like wildfire, engulfing his whole chest. As it struck his stomach, the fire spread across his whole body. But soon, the fire died, leaving in its place, a tingling coolness. The coolness soothed whatever had been singed by the fire. Finally, the cold warmed, leaving him wanting more.
*****
He looked up at Lunar from the ground. eyes half closed. He guessed he had passed out for a few minutes and had fallen off the stool. He stood up slowly, trying not to blush under Lunar’s gaze. “W..what the hell was that?” he asked, coughing. Lunar laughed out loud, pouring another glassful.
“That, was the best unicorn enhanced whiskey in all of Equestria! A triple fire spell, combined with a double ice spell, and with a small spice spell thrown in, just for that extra kick!.” He drank the glass that he poured, shivering as he did. “Takes a while to get used to.”
“So what did you want to talk to me about?” Lightning asked, clearing his throat.
“I just wanted to say, that I am amazed by what you did.” he said, pouring another shot. “It takes nuts of steel to stand up to Luna like that, especially now. Believe me, even I wouldn’t have done that.”
“Well, what would you have done?” Lightning asked, picking up the glass. “Just let them die?” He tilted his head back and downed the shot. Once again, the fire and ice raged through him, but he managed to stay seated this time. Lunar nodded.
“I trust her completely, and I can see where she is coming from. If we evacuate them, that leaves us open to attack, many times over. It puts us and them at risk. But..” He poured a shot and drank it, blinking several times.
“But, what?” Lightning urged him.
“I can see where you are coming from as well. Many of them might join us, add to the group. And having you seven here is great for morale and for actual fighting. Having a couple medics is great too, especially Cora.”
“Just to let you know, I wasn’t going to leave.” Lightning said, smiling. “I knew I could change her mind, so I just bluffed.” Lunar stared at him for several seconds before he said anything. Then he just laughed.
“You...you bluffed the princess of the moon and queen of our army?! You, good stallion, do have nuts of steel!” He poured another shot, and that was as much as Lightning could remember.
*****
Sun blared through the open curtains, slowly sliding across the floor. The beam fell across Lightning face, who turned over, trying to escape it.
“Applejack...” he mumbled. “Could you turn off the light?!” When nothing happened, he opened eyes. Pain shot from his retinas to his brain. He shut them instantly. Instead, he slowly climbed out of the bed, front hooves on his head.
“What happened?” he groaned. His head ached and his eyes burned. Even his nose tingled slightly.
“About fourteen shots of unicorn enhanced whiskey.” a voice said. Lightning jumped, falling off the bed. His head burst into pain, and he let out a very embarrassing whimper. He opened one eye a tiny amount to see Lunar leaning in the doorway, smiling. He was twirling a pair of sunglasses in his hooves.
“How many!?” Lightning asked, sitting up. Lunar sighed and walked over.
“Fourteen. Give or take three.” he said, still smiling. “I think you will need these.” he said, tossing the glasses into Lightning’s lap. “Got a big day ahead, can’t have you walking around with your eyes shut, can we?”
“What are we doing?” he asked, standing up slowly. “And, how did I get here?”
“Well, I guess I should answer the second one first.” he said, looking out the window. “I carried you here after you fell out of your chair, snoring. And, but the way, you weigh like a thousand pounds. What is in that Bunker food?”
“You aren’t the first pony to ask.” he said, smiling. “And what about the first question?” Lunar smiled mischievously.
“I guess your bluffing worked, ‘cause Luna said yes.”
“Yes to what?” He really didn’t want to think right now.
“Yes to evacuation. Did you really drink that much?” Lunar asked, leaning against the doorframe again. He started to tap his back hoof, as he always did when he was standing still. He pushed his light blue mane away from his face. Even though all the other soldiers had theirs cut short, his was still long. “She decided that you were right, and wants to proceed immediately.”
“Really?” Lightning asked, completely taken aback. He didn’t think she would actually change her mind. “And she wants to do it now? Like right now?”
Lunar nodded. “So if I were you, I would fix that mane, and get your flank to the Temple.” He walked over and opened the window. Morning light filled the room, making Lightning yelp and cover his eyes. Lunar hopped out and floated in midair, smirking at Lightning. “I would also put those glasses on.” he said, winking. Lightning rolled his eyes, reaching down and putting the glasses on. When he looked back up, Lunar was just a small speck in the distance.
Lightning looked around the room. He was on the second or third floor, as a flight of stairs ended in the corner of the room. Painting of a past Equestria, one he could not remember, hung on the walls. The bedspread was midnight blue, with pillows that were pure white. The whole room smelled of fresh pine. His armor was hanging off the side of the bed. He hadn’t even realized he wasn’t wearing it anymore. He walked over and put it on, trying to ignore the pain in his head. As soon as he was finished, he walked down the stairs and out into the street.
He looked up and down the street, squinting against the sun. He could see Twilight and Rainbow walking out onto the street a few houses away. The smiled when they saw him, but he could only manage a weak grin. Twilight teleported and Rainbow flew over to him. When she reappeared, Twilight was frowning.
“You didn’t get drunk, did you?” she asked, looking at his glasses. Lightning shook his head, but stopped when a sharp pain in his temple.
“OK, maybe a little.” he said, turning away from her. “But let’s not worry about that. We have an evacuation to do.”
Twilight and Rainbow’s faces lit up. “She agreed?!” Twilight said loudly, causing Lightning to raise his hooves to his ears.
“Fuck, filly... Yes, yes she did. Not so loud next time.” he said, starting to walk away. Twilight and Rainbow walked next to him, talking excitedly. The pain was slowly receding from his head, but he still had to squint against the morning sun. He walked slowly, a fact that was annoying Rainbow, who decided to fly off without them. Twilight watched her go, then looked at Lightning. But he just waved her off, as she followed Rainbow towards the Temple.
When he reached it, he found that a small crowd had gathered. Luna stood regally, her black armor creating a negative space in the morning light. Lunar stood at her side, helmet tucked under one of his wings. His platoon waited at attention, flanking Luna and Lunar. Twilight, Pinkie and the others waited patiently, watching him as he approached. He took his place next to Twilight, turning his attention to Luna. She smirked slightly when she saw him, turning to look at Lunar, who just smiled innocently. She shook her head, then smiled down at them.
“As you have probably guessed, I have decided to follow Lightning’s advice.” she said, starting to pace again. Her wings were flared out behind her, and Lightning could see the scar on her right one. “As we speak, a portion of the army is being sent to the Bunker to aid in the evacuation. They will return to our western base with the refugees. And those that want to fight will be given the chance to.” She stopped pacing and looked them over.
“As for you eight. I will be sending you to our western base to prepare for the full invasion. You will meet up with Fluttershy and Cora there. Is there any questions?” she asked. They shook their heads. “Good. Lunar and his platoon will accompany you there. The full invasion starts in a week. I hope you are prepared.” They nodded. Luna smiled. “Good, then I shall see you when this is all over!”
As one, they turned and walked away from her, back towards the gates. Lunar and his platoon followed them, walking several feet behind them. Lunar walked forward, catching up with Lightning
“Hey man, you ready for this?” he asked nonchalantly, as if this happened everyday. Then again, it probably did. Lightning nodded, but then shook his head.
“What happens if we die?” he asked, his true fears breaking through. “We all have things to do back home, family to get back to.”
“We all have to bear that cross.” Lunar said, looking straight ahead. “I have had to deal with that thought many times. But you have to know, if you do die, we are right here. We will carry on for you, and we will heal the wounds in your absence. That is what friends do.”
All Lightning could do was smile and put his leg over Lunar’s shoulders. “Thanks man.”
“No problem.” Lunar said. Then he punched Lightning in the arm. “Now don’t go dying on me, you hear? I still want somebody to replace me if I die!”
“Wouldn’t even dream of it!” Lightning said, laughing. By then they had reached the gates. Two of Lunar’s platoon walked forward, grabbing the heavy ropes with their teeth. They pulled on the ropes, their bodies straining against the heavy, steel doors. But finally, they gave way, and they walked out into the open forest. The gates closed behind them, then the two army members flew over the walls and landed at attention next to Lunar. Lightning looked them over. Their eyes were hard and unyielding, looking straight through him. From what he could see of their fur, scars ran over their skin. One even had a long scar going from his hoof to his thigh.
“Are they under your direct control?” Lightning asked Lunar, who nodded.
“First air force division and personal guards to the queen.” he said, puffing his chest out. They would normally stay behind and protect the queen. But in cases like this, they fight to protect the whole army.” Lightning nodded, turning to face the forest.
“Which way is it?” he asked. The forest looked the same from every angle. Lunar put his helmet over his head, leaving only his muzzle and eyes visible. He jumped off the ground and floated a few feet above the ground, the wind pulling his spiked blue mane and tail out behind him. Every move he made seemed to be calculated, thought about minutes before he actually made it. Lightning had never really admired somepony before, but he found himself admiring Lunar.
Lunar dropped back down onto the ground. “It’s this way.” he said, pointing west. “If only you guys could fly! This would be so much easier!” For some reason, Rarity and Rainbow looked over at Twilight, but she shook her head.
“I can’t do it this times, girls.” she said, looking down at the ground. “Putting wings on Rarity was hard enough, but four other ponies? I can’t do it.” Lightning looked up at Lunar.
“How about this? The pegasi can go scout ahead, while we walk behind. That sound good?” Lunar thought about it for a moment, then nodded.
“Yeah, sure. But holler if you need some help, alright!” Lightning nodded. “Rainbow, Phoenix, you’re with me!” he said, jumping off the ground again. His platoon, composed of two stallions and two mares, jumped off the ground in perfect formation. They turned as one and flew off ahead, leaving The unicorns and earth ponies behind. Lightning turned back to the others.
“How long do you think it will Take us to get there?”
“I would say a day or so.” Twilight said. “It didn’t look to be as far as the Bunker.” Lightning nodded, because he didn’t have anything to say. He turned and walked in the direction that Lunar and the others had flown. Soon, they were swallowed up by the shadows.
*****
Unlike that last time, their journey was not silent. Twilight and Rarity exchanged stories from their times in their selective Bunkers. Only Rarity was unhappy to talk about her past. Pinkie questioned about the heart on her chest and the scars across her eye, but she said that she would give the full story some other time. Lightning couldn’t blame her. He understood where she was coming from.
Pinkie’s Bunker seemed to have taken the brunt of the attacks. Their soils were still irradiated, therefore they couldn’t grow any food. They had to rely on food from the surface, which is why so many ponies were dying. A strict Overseer was in control, leading to a harsh system of government. Birth rate was declining, and their population was falling.
“It is good evacuation came now.” Pinkie said, hair falling flat next to her side. “I doubt that we would have lasted much longer if things had kept going the way they were.”
“Why didn’t you try to leave before?” Rarity asked. “If it was that bad, you should have just left!”
“I would have, but I was so scared.” Pinkie responded. “Ponies were dying. My friends were dying. I wanted to stay inside where it was safe.” Their conversation dissolved after that. In the sky, specs that were army members traveled back and forth, making sure that evacuees made it safely to the base.
*****
By the time the sun was setting, they were worn out. Lunar and the others dropped out of the sky just as they were making camp. Rainbow shook her wings out, making and audible clicking noise with her metal one, them sank down to the ground.
“Whew! It’s been awhile since I’ve flown that much!” Her eyes were half closed and she seemed ready to drop at any moment. Phoenix was about the same. Lunar walked over and put her hooves around their shoulders.
“Ya’ did really good!” he said, beaming. “I am really surprised that two non-army members could have survived that much!” Rainbow beamed with pride, but Phoenix’s stomach just growled.
“I hope you brought some food with that praise.” he said, standing up and walking over to Lightning, who was trying to start the fire. Lunar nodded. He stood up on his hind legs, bringing the front to to his lips. He breathed in, then let loose a whistle that caused several birds to fly into the sky. It slowly faded away, leaving a deafening silence once more.
Thirty seconds later, five pegasi dropped out of the sky. Just as the night before, they produced containers of food and water, just enough for them all, then took off again, after a salute to Lunar. Lunar smirked at Phoenix. “Yes, yes I did.”
They dug in, conversation starting again. As they ate, the four pegasi calmed down, removing their helmets and jumping into the conversation. The mare’s name was Honey Graham. She has soft yellow eyes and amber fur. Her voice was sweet, just like the honey she was named after. Rarity instantly took a liking to her, talking about clothing and fashion. The stallions introduced themselves one by one. The other mare was the complete opposite, She had dark blue fur, similar to Lunar’s. Her mane was a startling pink, and Lightning had a feeling it was dyed. Her eyes were a soft green, almost teal. She spoke the least, but they all seemed to like her. She introduced herself as Shine.
A stallion with light blue fur and a bright yellow mane and tail introduced himself as Orion. His eyes were pitch black, reflecting the stars above them. The one last one said his name was Ace. He had yellow mane and tail. His fur was a light orange. His eyes, however, were odd. They seemed to shift colors, depending on the direction of the light. He was the one with the scar running from his hoof to his thigh. Rainbow asked if he was related to Spitfire, but he said no. She seemed disappointed when he said that.
Conversation split into small groups. Rarity and Honey stayed to themselves, talking about designers they used to wear. Lightning and Phoenix talked to Ace and Orion. Twilight Pinkie and the others talked to Shine. She seemed almost as shy as Fluttershy was. But as the night wore on, she opened up a little.
One by one, they fell asleep. Lightning, who was used to sleepless nights, took the first watch. Pegasi were still flying above, and he could hear whispers of voices breaking through the trees. The evacuation was in full swing. And tomorrow he would be able to see the results. His eyes closed as the moon was just reaching its peak.
*****
He was the last to wake the next morning. The others were already awake and prepared for the trip. Lunar was smiling down at Lightning.
“Had to sleep off that hangover, didn’t ya?” he asked, smirking. He stepped to the side to avoid lightning’s hoof, but he was laughing. “Calm down! I think you will be glad to know that we are close. Probably will be there by noon.”
“Well that’s good to hear.” Lightning said, standing up. “But you could wake me up next time.”
“Aww, but you looked so cute!” Lunar said. “I just couldn’t wake you up!” He dodged another hoof, then jumped into the air. “Alright, OK. Not in a joking mood.” He turned and looked down at the others. “Alright, same thing as yesterday. Those who can fly, do it. Those who can’t. I’m sorry for you. See ya at the base!” Then he took off into the air, followed by the other pegasi. Lightning looked over at Twilight and the others.
“Ready?” he asked. They nodded, and Lightning started to walk off in the direction that Lunar had taken. This time around, they were quiet. Nopony wanted to talk, because they knew what they were walking towards. They also knew, if they talked, they might be found by anything that might be hiding nearby. So the day passed in silence. The sun slowly climbed over head, and the whispers of voices slowly grew. Until, finally, the trees began to thin. Light filtered in, illuminating the plants. The ground began to feel less soft. Lightning could feel his pace quicken as he got closer. Eventually, he reached the end of the trees. He had to blink a couple times to clear his vision. But when he could see again, he stopped in his tracks.
A clearing had been cut into the forest. It spread in a circle that was two miles wide. In the center, almost taking up the whole circle, was a gigantic wall. Behind it, Lightning could see the tops of houses and towers. Flags atop the towers proudly displayed Luna’s symbol, proudly waving in the afternoon wind. Pegasi flew in the sky, while unicorn and earth ponies stood in the watchtowers. He turned his gaze towards the far end of the clearing. Slowly, ponies were walking out of the trees, carry saddlebags on their backs. A soft thud sounded just next to Lightning. he turned and saw Lunar standing there, smiling. The other pegasi landed next to him, looking beat.
“Pretty good, huh? he said, walking out in front of the group. “Took three months to build, with almost all of us working on it. Pretty damn good base, if you ask me. And this is where you will be staying for the next week.”
“Are those the evacuees?” Lightning asked, pointing to the ponies with saddlebags. Lunar nodded.
“Most of them are already in the base. Those are just the stragglers.” He turned back and smiled at them ‘Well? What are you waiting for? Let’s go!”