Exasperated sobs filled the Equestrian sky with unnatural sorrow. The bloodied, white pegasus keeping Blitz afloat stayed warily silent. His wound was a minor dent in his problems. The unending tears still fell down Blitz’s face as memories, reality, and questions all flooded his mind. “Clyde…”
“Mister Blitz, I’d advise keeping quiet on the trip back home,” Clyde said emotionlessly.
“I failed-”
“No!” Clyde jerked mid-flight as he exhaled his distaste for Blitz’s statement. “I am the one who failed, Mister Blitz! I failed! I am the true one who could not stop this madness. I am the one to blame, not you,” he said angrily. “The fact that I couldn’t even scratch or damage or even stall anyone in that forest proves how useless I am!”
“Don’t say that, Clyde!” Blitz said tugging at the pegasus. “You don’t mean that.”
Clyde slowed down his pace and looked back at Blitz with dishonor in his green eyes. “I do…I honestly do. That’s why the royal guards are being called in because I cannot do my own job right.”
“Don’t say that,” Blitz said losing his confident edge over Clyde’s despair. “That’s not true.”
“It is what it is, Mister Blitz. I’m incompetent. It’s just that simple-”
“Shut up,” Blitz said forcefully. “Just shut up you stupid idiot!”
“Mister-”
“I don’t ever want to hear you say things like that again, do you hear me you big dummy!” Blitz said now crying again. “It’s not positive!”
“What?”
“A mare once told me to always be positive no matter what. Even now, after what I’ve found out, I’m still trying to come back! I’m not gonna turn into some big crybaby and hope for a solution. I am the solution and so are you!”
Clyde closed his eyes tiredly and took a deep breath. “Mister Blitz. I am sorry, but we are not going back. That is final.”
Blitz’s cries died down and so did conversation. The dawning sky filled both their hearts with red dread. Soon enough, the greenery below disappeared and society’s welcoming layout came into view. Flying lower, Clyde made a clear landing next to Twilight’s tree house and let Blitz depart from his back. Blood still dripped from his abdomen, but he just walked forward with a stone face.
“I swear to Celestia,” Clyde said peering into the empty sky. “If they didn’t make it…”
“Clyde! Ya, Clyyyde!” a raspy voice said from above. Clyde’s face softened with relief as the Dozer Brothers flew towards him.
Blitz did not pay much attention to the guards; he stared at the ground alone. ‘Fuzzy Fry is in that forest. When Clyde told me about the train crash in Appaloosa…I never would have thought that Fuzzy would be taken. How is that possible-’ Blitz eyed the bleeding pegasus viciously. “-Clyde!”
“Mister Blitz-”
“You said that everybody on that train made it out okay, but how did you know?”
Clyde shook his head. “I don’t see-by reading a report of all listed personnel aboard the train.”
“But not by head count. That’s why nobody was missing because everyone had a ticket. Everyone but Fuzzy.”
“How can you know?”
Blitz shifted uncomfortably. “I don’t. I just know him enough that he’d do that. How else would he have gotten with that sick freak doctor? The crash, him going to Appaloosa, the time; it just makes sense-I don’t know! I’m trying to make sense out of all this,” Blitz yelled starting to feel heavy in his heart again.
“I see.”
“Hey, everyone alright here?” Brass Dozer said walking over to Blitz.
“No.”
“Huh?”
“It’s complicated. I just-I need time alone,” Blitz said. He turned abruptly and dragged himself towards Twilight’s house. About a few steps in, he stopped and sat on the ground. He never turned his head to look back, he kept staring blankly into the dawning sky.
“What’s his problem?” Brass Dozer said scratching his head.
“His friend…it really is complicated. It would be better if you didn’t know, Mister Brass. No hard feelings.”
“You know me. I enjoy being ignorant and oblivious to all around me.” Brass Dozer chuckled a bit. “Say, where’s Gray?”
~~~~~~~~~~
“Are you done yet?”
“…”
Gray Shark blocked another hurtling saw blade with minor difficulty. His opponent shook its head in frustration. Masquerade Blade reared up and launched two more blades to which Gray Shark simply jumped out of the way. “Its physics, boy. You can’t expect those things to fly and hit me just like that,” he said teasingly. “I have too much time to calculate where they’re headed.
“...” Masquerade Blade ignored the statement and continued hurling rotary blades at his aggressor. Gray Shark made a prominent sigh before dodging again.
“I’m telling you, you’re gonna chew through all of them by the time we’re done. Then, where will we be at?”
Masquerade Blade hesitated and Gray Shark took initiative to close in on his combatant. With each step, Masquerade Blade retreated back, still deciding on whether to throw his last two blades or not. Gray Shark remembered this weakness and managed to pin his sword straight into Masquerade’s shoulder. Dark blood stained the silver sword red.
“Looks like this is where it all ends for you. Good fight-” As he still kept himself in the air a chain wrapped around his leg and dragged him backwards.
“What?” Gray said trying to grab the ground unsuccessfully.
“Sorry, am I interrupting something? I thought my associate could use a little girl power,” a voice said.
“And who is this dragging me to my demise?” Gray said grabbing the chain.
“Platinum Chain, at your-”
“Service.” Gray struck his sword in between a chain link and stopped the silver snake abruptly. Platinum Chain was pulled forward and Gray used the momentum to swing the mare over to a nearby tree. He slashed at the chain, breaking it and watched Platinum smack the tree with a distasteful thump.
“Sorry to you, but don’t steal my lines.” He turned to Masquerade Blade. “And don’t steal my style.” Gray surveyed his two opponents and scoffed. “Well this seems hardly fair-or maybe it is. Two on one?”
“Make it three on one you one-eyed beast of legend,” Bull It Buster said perched atop a tree.
“WHAT THE HELL? Who you calling one-eyed-”
As soon as Gray let his guard down, a shower of blue bullets rained upon him. “Here I come I am Bullet-Mon!”
“Great.” Gray managed to barely sweep by the barrage of bullets all while snaking past the approaching chains. He backed up against a solid tree and ducked as a saw blade missed him by inches. ‘Three on one? Now that is hardly fair.’ He jumped back in short leaps in order to stay quick and diligent. “Maybe if you all took turns…”
“No time to turn, time to dance!” Bull It Buster said still firing his cannons.
“...”
“So what if it’s three on three?” Platinum Chain said. “If you can’t handle that then how can you call yourself a good fighter?” More chains were inbound on Gray’s position.
“I ain’t a stupid one that’s for sure,” Gray said sprinting eloquently past all projectiles. “Plus, that’s not how a fair fight goes down.”
“Fair fights don’t necessarily choose the better fighter,” the mare said tilting her head with confidence. “A fight is a fight, stop being such a wuss.”
“Big talk.”
“Big cock!” Bull It Buster crouched before leaping towards Gray all while firing his guns. Like an arrow, he stuck and drilled the ground with his spinning hooves and grunted with dissatisfaction. “Fudgicles.”
Gray reached for one of the stallion’s outstretched legs and promptly kicked him in the stomach. With momentum, Bull It Buster went flying upwards. Gray then managed to chuck the psycho’s whole body in an overhead toss. In a panic, the pony started flailing his arms and sending streaks of blue zipping everywhere. Gray reached into his jacket and pulled out a small pellet. While Platinum Chain and Masquerade Blade raised their hooves in natural defense, Gray threw the pellet onto the ground and a shroud of gray smoke burst out.
“What the heck? Smoke?” Platinum Chain said covering her face redundantly.
“…” Masquerade shook his head before hurtling his last two blades at the puff of smoke. A crunch was heard and the pony faltered at his wound. Regardless, he sprinted to the spot of darkness. The haze cleared and pinned to the ground were two saw blades that had missed their mark.
“Wow, you suck,” Bull It Buster said flat on his face. “Suck balls.”
Platinum Chain giggled as Masquerade retrieved his blades gingerly. “I’m sorry-it’s just the way he said it…hehe,” Platinum Chain said putting a hoof over her mouth.
“Ahhh, yes! Girl loves my jokes. Finally!” Bull It Buster said jumping to his feet vigorously.
“Don’t get too excited,” Platinum said still trying to muffle her laughing. “You’re not really my type.”
“Poopy.”
Masquerade ignored the two and walked to his other blades in defeat. He looked at his own reflection in the metal blade and silently cursed. “…”
~~~~~~~~~~
“You have to let me go back,” Blitz said now rejoined with the guards. Blitz said now rejoined with the guards.
“And you know I can’t let you do that, Mister Blitz.”
Blitz stamped his foot. “Clyde, I don’t believe you! He’s my friend-”
“I can’t believe you, boy,” Brass Dozer said. “You have a death wish?”
“If that wish gets me back my friend, then yes!”
“Oh, unbelievable!” Brass Dozer shrugged in frustration before walking away.
“Mister Blitz,” Clyde said now fired up. “Enough-”
“I finally figure out where and what the heck my friend is. I need to go back, I need to save him!” Blitz said now riling up in tension as well.
“Hey, knock it off. The guy’s doing his damn job so calm down,” Brass Dozer said halting his descent away from conversation. “Just chill-”
“Don’t tell me to calm-”
“Enough!” Clyde yelled in pure anguish. “Please!” Everyone stopped and stared daintily at the guard pony. “Mister Blitz, going back would be utter suicide. For all of us.”
“It’s my damn friend!”
“And it’s your life-”
“I don’t care about my life!”
“Then what are you waiting around here for?” a voice said. Everybody looked about until Gray Shark stepped quietly into the chat. “If you really care, follow what you believed is right.”
“But, Clyde won’t-”
“So?” Gray Shark eyed Blitz hardly.
“Mister Gray Shark, how can you say that?”
“He isn't a little kid anymore. Not after what he realized today and what he’s been exposed to. You can’t expect him to sit still, even I don’t.”
Clyde paced around slowly to keep his wound from reopening. He sighed and frowned. He pulled at his mustache in irritation. “No, I’m sorry, but no. I simply cannot allow another victim-”
“I’ll stay,” Blitz said nonchalantly. “Its fine, I’ll just stay.”
Gray Shark raised an eyebrow of genuine surprise. He considered Blitz’s conclusion before nodding approvingly. “Very well.”
“The royal guards arrive tomorrow; they’ll take over the situation we couldn't handle.” A tint of defeat and disappointment littered Clyde’s words. He spoke in a broken manner. “Surely they will fix what I can’t. What I couldn’t handle.” The Dozer Brothers shifted uncomfortably as they accounted for the failure they Clyde was addressing. “I want you all to just…” Clyde started to lose his voice in an emotional struggle.
“Everyone should take it easy for today. Forget what happened for now and just rest up,” Gray Shark said reassuringly. “Really.”
Brass Dozer twitched his head and chuckled. “Yep, I’m hitting the café. C’mon, bro, let’s get some relaxin’ going on.”
“Okay.” The two brothers left and both Clyde and Gray watched Blitz shuffle with debilitated steps towards Twilight’s house.
Gray watched Clyde with antsy condolence. “Listen, Clyde, you did what you could-I did what I could.”
Clyde looked back in doubt. “And I still failed. What kind of guard am I?”
“The bets one, the one this town needs. You just want to do what’s right,” Gray gazed off into the distance. “Sometimes it takes more than that.”
“Like what?”
“You-don’t wanna know,” Gray said tipping his hat. “Hey, uh, get that wound checked out before it gets infected or something.” He waited for a response, but glanced at Clyde one last time before heading off into the sunset. Clyde just stood in place, his breaths quiet and his spirit destroyed. A single tear formed and dropped, its moist trail left a permanent, suffering mark on Clyde’s anguished face.
~~~~~~~~~~
“GD, man. What the hell is that stuff?” Joltaire said walking around Doctor Rivet with a smug smile creeping across his face. He watched the doctor open a suit case full of green-bluish syringes.
“Why, it is the serums that our little young lady used just the other day,” the doctor replied gesturing towards Sweet Pop. The mare looked at Joltaire coyly and winked, sticking her tongue out. Joltaire growled with a mechanical hum through his helmet.
“I see…” he said trying not to look at the posing mare. She made multiple stances that caused Joltaire to stare unwillingly. “Goddamn horses! No! I ain’t into that!”
“Hmm?” Doctor Rivet closed the case and turned to a now stammering Joltaire. “What about horses?”
“Oh come now, Jolty,” Sweet Pop said wiggling her body. She pursed her lips and batted her eyelashes. “Come on.”
“NOOOOO!” Joltaire fell to all fours and buckled to the ground. His helmet started to heat up. “My dick isn’t being right. That wood ain’t right!”
“Ewww.”
“Interesting.” Doctor Rivet grabbed his case and shouted for Fuzzy Fry. Within seconds, the beast came hobbling over. “Hold this.” The creature complied without hesitation and struggled to grasp the case with its claws. Barely making success, the pony staggered behind the doctor clumsily.
“So, uh, what just happened?” Platinum Chain said waltzing gracefully over to the group. “Is that guy causing you more troubles again, Sweet Pop?”
“Nah,” Sweet Pop said with a giggle. “He’s more crazy over me than I thought!”
“Shut up, you who-agh!” Joltaire couldn’t will himself to say the insult. “Goddammit! Goddammit, you vixen! You succubus!” He put a hoof to his helmet and groaned. “Dammit!”
“O-kay,” Platinum Chain with a small chuckle. “So, um, Mister doctor guy. You said you needed help?”
Doctor Rivet tipped his glasses. “Why yes, Miss…”
“Platinum Chain,” the mare said proudly.
“Miss Platinum Chain. I require some sort of assistance-you will all act as my escorts.”
“Escorts?” Sweet Pop said focusing her attention to the doctor. “Wait, why me?”
“Yeah, why her…” Joltaire said still shaking his head miserably.
“I need all the help the Misfit Marauders can offer. We have had a great deal of losses lately,” Doctor Rivet said with slight tribulation.
“Scratch that. Cut it.” All eyes turned to Cutter X walking confidently towards the group. “We’re still going. I see only one shot at this, so I’m deciding to bring the whole gang!” He fist-pumped to counter the non-enthusiastic reaction he was receiving.
However, Doctor Rivet smiled and raised a hoof to the statement. “Well, if you insist. I will prepare the train.”
“Holy hell,” Joltaire said finally reaching his senses. “This is gonna be good, man. Holy crap, haha!”
“You bet,” Cutter X said digging at the ground with his exposed blade arms. “In a few, wee hours, that Ponyville will be swimming in a sea of red. On top of all that, Enzo’s head-”
“Is gonna be on a silver pike? Dude, c’mon, where have I heard that before. Get original.” Joltaire’s blue eyes lit up in a tease.
“Let’s just say it’s not going to be pretty-”
“Like your face.” This time, both the mares giggled and Joltaire shrugged. Doctor Rivet simply sighed and started to walk away.
“One day, Joltaire, one day you’re going to get it,” Cutter X said before he made his way behind the doctor. He waved his sword arm in the air gently before retracting the device entirely.
“Huh. We’ll see about that,” Joltaire said aiming his arm cannon at Cutter X’s head. “We’ll see.” He lowered it and watched as the two mares were still laughing silently. “I don’t even.” Joltaire refused to look back as he trotted away to reduce his torment.