//------------------------------//
// Chapter 11: True Power 
// Story: After the Surge: Las Pegasus 
// by Nanrite 
//------------------------------//

“Sorry honey,” Nurse said to the unconscious young stallion at her hooves. “Poor boy,” she thought for a moment while she undressed him. He no doubt had much different plans for what was going to occur in this bathroom, but all he got was a syringe to the neck. It was non-lethal, but he wouldn’t be getting up for a while. She carefully slipped on the stallion’s outfit—a little big on her, but close enough thanks to his small frame, so she’d have to make due. Nurse put on a smile and spoke into the small walkie talkie strapped around her wing. 
“Snow? Delta? I have the suit.”
In the alley beside The Trots casino, Snow and Delta stood in wait. 
“Good,” Snow replied into the other walkie talkie. “2nd Floor, as soon as you come out of the elevator there is a locked window. Unlock it and we’ll climb in.”
“Roger,” Nurse replied. 
Snow turned to Delta who was smiling devilishly. 
“Back in the day this would have been impossible,” Snow told her. “Imagine the security systems.” 
Delta smiled at him. “It’s almost a shame, this’ll be too easy,” she laughed. Snow was silent as he looked around again. Nothing but trash and rubble down this dead end alley of New Las Pegasus. “So,” Delta asked. “You know I don’t like you going off on your own.”
“Understandable,” Snow replied. “But you saw the case Six was carrying. That was the case Blue Mane wanted me to retrieve. Whatever is in there, Blue Mane really wants.” 
“So being the star employee you are, you’re gonna trade her a bullet to the brain for it eh?” Delta asked in a chuckle. 
“That’s the plan..” 
Delta gave him a serious look for a moment, then smiled again. “Don’t take too long.” 
The window above them clicked and slowly opened. It was do or die time. 

Six looked out the window from Lucky’s office.
“You worry too much,” Lucky told her with a chuckle. “Whatever was in that case was, and is, none of our concern.” 
“We should have looked inside,” Six said while still looking out the window. 
“If you’d done that, you’d have been fired like your buddy Snow.” 
“I don’t like it, Lucky. Whatever is in that case caused my family’s deaths.”
“No, raiders led by Snow did. I thought you talked to Blue-”
“I did,” Six interrupted, finally turning to face him. “The orders came from Blue Mane.” 
“The boss just wanted something retrieved that that Gus guy stole. Snow is the one who  involved the raiders,” Lucky responded, sounding slightly annoyed. “Just move on!” Six glared at him. “We’ve all lost-” 
“Lucky. Stop,” Six ordered firmly. 
The stallion sighed and looked away. 
“I’m going to go talk to Blue Mane,” Six said quickly as she trotted out the door. Lucky stood up to protest but he sat back and watched as the brown unicorn left his office. 
Thoughts of what was in that case swirled around in Six’s head. What was so important to cause all this? She tapped at the elevator panel to Blue Mane’s floor and stepped inside, already thinking up a plan. If Blue Mane wanted her to know, she’d have told her. This whole thing was very “hush-hush”. Even Lucky was in the dar-
The ceiling vent above Six suddenly crashed to the ground along with something else: a blur the size of a stallion. In one quick motion, the stallion had her pinned to the floor with a suppressor against the back of her head. Six struggled, but the mystery stallion was far stronger. She couldn’t turn her head to look at him, but as he spoke, she knew. 
“This makes things easier,” Snow said atop her. 
“This elevator is heading to Blue Mane’s floor, Snow,” Six chucked in a cocky tone. 
“I’m aware,” Snow said coldly. “I had hoped I’d run into you beforehoof though. Now, I’ve got a favor to ask.” 
“I don’t have a whole lot of choice with your new pistol pointed at me.”

“You sure this is a good idea Delta?” Nurse asked as they climbed up the dilapidated staircase. “I thought we were going down to the vault?” 
“Nurse,” Delta said as she came to a stop. The white pegasus stopped in her tracks and turned as Delta spoke again. “This boss of Snow’s, Blue Mane. She has all the bits in Las Pegasus, yet still is up there with that briefcase instead of down in the vault. Whatever she has, it’s worth more than bits can buy. Besides, Snow will be up there… maybe even the bitch who took my eye.” 
“So we’re after the briefcase then?” 
“And sweet sweet revenge,” Delta smiled. Nurse grinned back to her and started again back up the staircase. 

Blue Mane peered down at a scroll displayed neatly inside the open briefcase in front of her. It had felt like a lifetime, so many mercenaries sent out to recover the scroll. She thought of them now, Gus the thief, Snow the failure, and now Six, the rookie who actually recovered it. As if on cue, Blue Mane’s office doors opened slowly, the older mare peered up to see the employee she had just been thinking about. 
“Yes Six?” Blue Mane asked with a grin. 
Six just stared at her. “What was in the case ma’am?” 
“The secret to world peace, of course.” Blue Mane said, as she stood up from her desk and started walking closer to Six. “In that case is what is known as a surge scroll. It’s the artifact used to end the war years ago.” She stopped just a few feet away from Six. “The same scroll that ushered in this new age of death.” 
“Was it worth it?” Six asked. 
“Every bit, so many hired guns to recover something so… so simple. A single piece of parchment.” 
“I mean,” Six’s horn began glowing. “Was it worth the deaths of my family and friends?”
“Six…” Blue Mane simply smiled. “Of course it was, that’s not a problem, is it dear?” 
Six twitched for a moment, her rage boiling. “No,” Six said calmly, her horn sparking at this point. “Not a problem at all.” 
In one quick motion, Six ducked, Snow turned the corner into the office and fired before Six had even hit the floor. Blue Mane’s head snapped back as the bullet found its mark, sending the crystal unicorn tumbling backwards into her desk and the briefcase. 
“Good timing Six,” Snow said smiling. Six turned but didn’t return his smile. “Wait…” 
Snow raised up his gun at the fallen Blue Mane. Six turned only to see the mare slowly get up from the headshot. 
“I guess you could say...” Blue Mane began as she popped her neck, the bullet hole seemingly gone from her forehead. “I was like a filly on Hearth's Warming when you gave me that scroll Six, I just had to see how it worked… and boy, does it work!” 
Suddenly Blue Mane vanished and reappeared right in front of Six delivering a strong right hoof to the young mare’s face. Six flew nearly 10 feet and collided hard with the right wall of the office. 
Snow opened fire but Blue Mane vanished before the bullets could make contact. But as quickly as she was gone she reappeared again in front of Snow and delivered a powerful headbutt to his muzzle, breaking it. Snow fell onto his back but not before sending two bullets into Blue Mane’s chest. 
Blue Mane stepped back a few feet, stunned that the bullets still hurt after her little test with the scroll. As the holes healed and sealed themselves at rapid speeds, she turned her attention back to Snow who was getting to his feet. 
“You’ll pay for that one Snow…” Blue Mane said before disappearing again. This time, Snow was ready and rolled out of the way, taking aim at his previous position. Without even thinking, he fired as quick as he could. As Blue Mane reappeared she was greeted with a barrage of bullets, all hitting her in the side. 
“Enough!” Blue Mane screamed, her horn bursting to life. 
Snow tried to fire but the familiar click from his pistol told him he was out. He ejected the old magazine but before he could grab a spare, he was hoisted into the air by magic. He looked down to see Blue Mane smile up to him. A bullet hole that hit her jaw was healing before his eyes. 
“Looking for this?” Blue Mane said, while using her magic to pull a fresh magazine from Snow’s tactical vest. Blue Mane slid the clip into the gun and pointed it right next to Snow’s head. Snow struggled but couldn’t even budge. “Say goodnight.” 
Snow closed his eyes and then heard a loud blast, far too loud to be his silenced pistol. Snow fell to the ground, no longer held by Blue Mane’s magic. When he opened his eyes there were two more mares in the room. 
“D-... Delta?!” Snow exclaimed. The raider pony just smirked at him, Nurse quietly standing behind her. Snow quickly looked back to Blue Mane, who was clutching her side on the floor in front of him. 
“Tell me Snowy,” Delta asked trotting over to Blue Mane. “This the bitch you left me for?” 
“Delta she’s not dead!” 
Delta took aim with her wrist gauntlet and fired but gasped as her target just vanished before her eyes. 
“Where the fu-”
“Delta!!” Nurse screamed. Delta turn but it was too late. Blue Mane grabbed the raider by the head and violently threw her face first into the wooden floor. The impact cracked the polished wood sending splinters flying upwards. 
“Your blood is getting all over my floor,” Blue Mane said in a calm tone as she used her magic to hoist up Delta like she did Snow. Delta smiled with a bloody grin, showing no fear. Almost instantly Blue Mane sent a powerful right hoof to Delta’s chest. The raider cried out, her scream masking the sound of her ribs breaking. 
Blue Mane smiled widely as the blood dripped out of the filthy raider’s mouth, until she felt a pony grab onto her and send a sharp object into her neck, a needle. 
“Get the fuck away from Delta, you bitch!” Nurse screamed as she pulled the needle out, only to attempt to send it in for another round. Blue Mane teleported before the needle could stab her again, causing Delta to fall in a heap on the floor. Nurse knelt down next to her marefriend. 
“Be…” Delta said weakly. 
“Shhhh, just save your strength okay?” Nurse suggested. 
“Be… behind!” 
Nurse had no time to react as two powerful hooves grabbed her by the jaw and back of the head and started to turn. 
Delta’s eyes went wide as she watched helplessly. In one quick motion, Blue Mane snapped Nurse’s neck. The white pegasus fell just inches from Delta, lifelessly. Delta looked into her marefriend’s open eyes. The pony that had been by her side after Snow left was now gone. Killed right in front of her. 
“Y-You…” Delta managed, slowly rising to her hooves. Blue Mane laughed as the blooded raider stood up to her. 
“You’re pathetic!” Blue Mane said. Delta slowly raised her gauntlet and took aim, then Blue Mane was gone. She appeared again to the right side of the wounded Delta. Blue Mane quickly raised a hoof and brought it down, severing Delta’s gauntlet from the rest of her leg. 
Delta watched as half of her front leg and weapon fell to the floor. Then so did she. 
“Summer!!” Snow yelled. Blue Mane had all but forgotten about the stallion until he was screaming and firing her pistol into her. Five of his bullets hit but Blue Mane had vanished before he could land anymore. 
Taking a guess, Snow quickly swung his hoof as hard as he could. As Blue Mane appeared again she was greeted this time by a punch to the side. The mare just smiled and gave Snow a punch of her own, sending him falling to the left of her. 
“You all have been good fun,” she said aloud. “But it’s time to wrap up our playdate.” 
Snow rose to his hooves quickly and charged the mare. Blue Mane laughed and uppercutted him as he neared her, sending him flying backwards. 
“Pathetic, Snow!” Blue Mane taunted. “You’re supposed to be my best employee. It’s time I properly fired you.” 
“Blue Mane!” a pony yelled from behind her. The crystal pony turned with a smirk to see Six up again, the young unicorn’s horn glowing fiercely. 
“You’re not going to hurt anyone else.” 
“Oh, are you going to stop me?” Blue Mane asked calmly. “You’ve got a spark of magic in you, it’s strong girl… but your spark is nothing compared to my fire.”
Six was silent, she just closed her eyes and focused everything she had into her horn. 
“That’s it girl!” Blue Mane laughed. “Power up that horn, hit me with everything you got!” 
The light around Six’s horn became blinding as electricity shot wildly from it. In one quick motion, Six raised herself off the ground and stood on two legs before bringing herself down again and firing the supercharged bolt of pure magic from her horn. As it connected, the room was filled with a blinding light and a deafening ringing noise. 
Six spit, panting from overexerting her magic. When the light cleared she could see a pony… Blue Mane had survived. 
“I-Impressive,” Blue Mane said. The crystal pony’s horn and right ear were blown completely off, along with that were burns all over her body. As Six watched, all of the injures she dealt to Blue Mane were slowly healing. 
“How…” Six was shaking as she looked around for a weapon, seeing the fallen ponies all around her. Each one of them were down, it was only her. 
“You have no idea how much that hurt,” Blue Mane taunted. “But you’ll soon find out!” 
Before Six could even think, Blue Mane had teleported in front of her and quickly grabbed her by the neck. Six struggled, kicking and pulling, but she was an infant compared to the strength of Blue Mane. Six felt the powerful mare’s grip on her neck tighten, nearly crushing her windpipe. 
Six could see her life flash before her eyes. The times with her family, her father’s death, her mother and brother’s deaths, Reins’ death. It was then, as she was faced with her own demise, that Six knew death had finally come for her. Blue Mane tightened her grip. Six could no longer breathe but it didn’t matter. She had given up on life long ago.
Just as she was ready for death to finally take her, she felt Blue Mane’s grip on her throat give way. She slowly opened her eyes and saw a group of ponies at the office doors. All were dressed in military uniforms. In front of the group were two ponies, one she knew—Lucky. The other was a purple unicorn with a greying purple and pink mane. Six’s vision faded, “Is this it?” she thought to herself. She smiled and slipped away into the darkness.