Chapter 31
I looked down at the far away ground as we materialised above the ruins of Ponyville. There was no hope for me as I fell, weighed down by several weapons. At least Cloe can just teleport to the ground, which she did. What a bitch…
I spread my wings in an attempt to slow myself down. What I ended up doing is gliding across the ground, still not slowing down. After a minute of listening to screams and watching the fire and light fly around, I was finally slow enough to land safely. As soon as I touched down near the smouldering remains of Carousel Boutique, I changed my form from that of a pony to my armoured human self. Readying my rifle, I nodded to the already prepared Cloe and moved deeper into the warzone of a town.
The first group of imps we encountered were mowed down mercilessly, but not before we noticed their focus. Sugarcube corner was in fairly good condition, considering the circumstances. The reason soon popped her head up from the window.
“Hey!” Ana yelled at us, her sniper rifle in hand. A weapon that shoots laser beams.
“Where’s everyone at?” I asked, hoping she would tell me where the most secure place is.
“Ana, you still there,” the built in radios crackled to life.
Ana raised her hand to the side of her head. “Sugarcube is good, got helped out by the others.”
I took this as my cue and activated my radio broadcaster. “Sup.”
“Andrew, your back!” Sam shouted.
“Bit sore but ready to kick ass, where are you at?”
“I’m at Flutters cottage with a few guards, Tim is holding the library.”
“Thanks,” I end the conversation and look to Cloe. “Cloe, hold Sugarcube. Ana, to the library.”
“Why?” she asked me, waving the sniper rifle around.
“Because you don’t have a best pony, now come on.”
I left Cloe behind, letting her guard the house that Pinkie lives in, which seems logical since people fight harder for things that they value more. Ana left the building and followed me to the library, or the giant flaming tree. Once we made it there, there was already a massive battle going on. A small army of demons were advancing through several streets to take on the one man that felled them in droves. What surprised me the most is the fact that only the leaves on the tree were burning. I pointed Ana to a good vantage point where her skills would be at their best, one of the still intact houses with a balcony.
I proceeded to jump into action, sweeping the advancing horde with gunfire. Hitting one of the seemingly well placed carriage for cover, Tim ran up to me, taking down any creature in his way before he shouted something at me.
“How did you get here so fast?” he asked as the clicking sound of reloading could be heard over the fighting.
“Teleport,” I answered as I gunned down another imp.
“Where’s the army?” A beam of light cut through the enemy ranks.
“A day away, at most.” More corpses faded to dust as they fell.
“They’re running,” the radio crackled out, the tone of Ana’s voice familiar in the distortion. She was right, the demons attacking turned tail and began to run. Many were shot in the ass on their way out. As suddenly as it began, the fighting stopped.
“Huh,” Tim started. “Seems you scared them off.”
“See you inside,” I told him as I turned around and headed indoors. Walking through the door, a bullet zipped past my head.
“Hey!” I shout at my assailant, who was actually little Spike. Who gave him a gun?
“Sorry!” he apologised.
I smiled. He just wants to help. “Don’t worry about it.”
The little green guy lowered the pistol in his hand as Twilight ran out of the basement door.
“Hey,” I greeted the unicorn, startling the poor thing. Totally worth it. “Where’s everyone at?”
As she calmed down from the scare, she answered. “In the basement.”
I thanked her as I ran down the stairs, but not before stopping at the door. “Also, make sure he doesn’t shoot me again.”
I left a red faced dragon and a purple unicorn to do whatever as I checked out what’s happening downstairs. The sight seemed almost depressing. Half the town was down here, a fair few burnt or painting the room red. I saw a few familiar faces. Rarity and Rainbow were helping the hurt, cheering them up if they could. What concerned me was the lack of fillies.
“Hey, sir,” Chirp shouted up to me as he saw me. He sported several wounds along his body.
“Looks like you got cut up pretty bad,” I said, feeling sad for the poor guy.
“Heh, yeah,” he began before coughing. I swear he just coughed up blood. “Got ambushed by some of the damn things while me and Twi were heading to Fluttershy’s.”
Huh, first names already? “You did your job well,” I told him, walking up and giving him the greatest man hug ever. He deserves one. He groaned in pain.
“Sorry about that,” I apologise.
The radio crackled to life again. “You there, Andrew?” Sam called through the waves.
“I hear ya,” I answer back. “What up?”
“Uh, we may need some help here,” he stated before a familiar boom resonated out of the internal speaker. “Get Down!” then there was nothing.
“Gotta go, bro,” I tell chirp and speed run up the stairs and out the door, catching a small argument about a gun between Twilight and Spike. “Keep it up!” I shout to Tim as I sped past him and down the road. Burnt corpses were strewn around the place. The sound of madness returned as gunshots popped through the town, followed by screams. That didn’t matter now.
The way to the cottage was fairly clear, the living unlucky enough to not be a pony. That was, until the structure came into view, or what was left of it. The entire thing was ablaze, a dead guard laying at its still intact door. Aegis, it seemed. He was my favourite guard.
A knight and his buddy, a huge and fat flame cannon wielding thing stood at attention, observing their work. Luck was with me as I managed to hide behind a tree, one that wasn’t on fire. I saw a glimpse of Fluttershy’s face as something carried her. At the sign of movement, they attacked simultaneously. A green charge and flaming projectiles sizzled through the air, hitting their target dead on. It was obvious that whatever was pulling her out of the blaze wasn’t their own. Soon, the door flew off its hinges at deadly speeds, sliding to a stop a metre away from my position. Fluttershy appeared first, followed by whoever was carrying her.
Sam was hit immediately, the green charge thrown by the hulking knight sending him back in and one of the two fiery bullets burst off his armour. Where the other one hit accelerated my plan. Little Flutters was hit directly between the wings.
“Oi!” I shout at the unwitting enemies as I charged the fat demon, my sword drawn and ready. By the time his guns came to bear down on me, I was too close. Using his own weapons I kicked off the ground and slashed at his most vulnerable point. The gurgled growl told me its throat was shredded successfully as I landed in front of the demonic knight. Before either of us could react, the knights head was shorn clean off, light passing through it as the rest of him faded.
I looked to the cottage and saw Sam, Sniper rifle in hand as he stood over Fluttershy’s whimpering form.
“Get her to the library,” I tell him, turning and looking out at the forest, the source of all this pain.
Sam silently picked her up and walked past me. I readied my rifle and followed him, covering him and the pegasus in his hands.