//------------------------------// // A Shogun Named Ellis // Story: Name's Ellis // by MAGO5 //------------------------------// The day started as well as any other. Beams of sunlight gradually ghosted into his room as the big yellow star began its subtle progress into the sky. The light would niggle at his eyelids until they lethargically fluttered open. After that, he would enjoy the comfort and warmth of his bed for a few more minutes, but he knew he had to get out of it eventually. He had to work today. Ellis messily pushed off the blankets. The cool morning air caused him to shiver, but he didn’t make a fuss of it. He stretched, popping his joints and sighing loudly. Suddenly tense, the human scanned his room for any signs of Apple Bloom. Finding an absence of the nosey filly, he proceeded to don his clothes. On went his coveralls, his t-shirt, his worn socks and shoes, and finally, his cap. He took a moment to inspect the position of the sun. He judged that he had a bit of time before he had to jaunt down to Ponyville, so he used it to clean his gun. From a nail embedded in the wall hung the scabbard that held Zoey, and next to it, hanging in a similar fashion, was his machete. From his bed, he could see the shimmer of the golden inlay that gave the gun its namesake. He strode towards it and carefully took it out of its sheathe. The mithril barrels seemed to have a mystical sparkle to them. Ellis turned it over in his hand, taking in every detail yet again for what seemed like the hundredth time. He still couldn’t believe he was able to find a way to make something like this in this world, where everything seemed so simple and old-fashioned. Shit, he owed Wrought Iron and Fob a lot of money. And the gal who did the stock. He forgot her name. Ellis didn’t necessarily need to clean it, either, but he insisted. It was such a beautiful gun, why shouldn’t it be kept in perfect condition? He opened the breech and threaded the cloth-rope through both of the smooth barrels several times over, making sure that all the dust and carbon build-up was wiped clean off of the inside. He did more test-firing yesterday with the new shells the Dominic fellow gave to him, the same shells that sat in his pouch--a small, old saddle bag that was re-tailored to fit his form--with a dozen in number. With the results he was getting from the target practice, he shouldn’t need any more than that. As he tugged the cloth through the gun, though, he found that it came back completely spotless. Last night’s polishing yielded only a little black residue. Ellis guessed that Mithril wasn’t fond of being dirtied. He smiled as he realized that he was the only human that owned a gun made with an imaginary material. Not imaginary here, he supposed, a lot of things were possible here. Regardless of the redundancy of it, Ellis ran the rope-cloth through a few more times. Such a beautiful gun. Reminded him of the girl he name it after, Zoey. He stopped cleaning and slumped his shoulders as a pang of sadness passed over him again. He knew that she was just another thing that he would never see again, on the count of him being in Equestria with no means--or desire--to get back home. Ellis reached for a soft rag and began to wipe the outside surface, purifying all the blemishes it may have acquired in its short existence. As his reverence for the thing grew, so did his guilt of having no means of payment for its creators. He’d pay them back in full, but making this was so much to ask for. Ellis won’t be able to pay them back anytime soon. Not to mention he already owed Mayor Mare a good fistful of gold. Well, at least the town was currently in high demand of repairmen/ponies, so there was no shortage of work. And, since he got paid in cash, so he could just go straight to Wrought, Fob, and all the others and give them a slice of his paycheck immediately. He’d do that for as long as it takes. It’s not like he desired anything beyond food, a bed, and bowling. There was a tiny knock at his door, followed by a pre-pubescent voice. “Ellis! It’s time fer breakfast!” He listened to the sound of Apple Bloom’s tiny hooves trotting away. “Well, that’s mah cue.” Ellis stood up and sheathed the gun into its scabbard, but his had stayed fixed on the stock. After a moment of spacing out, he let go. That whole moment confused him. He held his head and blinked a couple times. Why the hesitation? He guessed he felt Zoey would get lonely in his room, all alone. Ellis quietly chuckled to himself. Treating a gun like it was a living thing? Living in a land of pastel-colored ponies has certainly taken its toll. Still, he felt kinda bad for leaving such a pretty thing to collect dust, even if it was only for most of the day. He took one last look at the shimmering yellow inscription on the stock and quietly promised that he’d be back before she knew it. Then, Ellis left the room and closed the door behind him, leaving only silence. +++++ Applejack greeted Ellis as he sat down on the table next to her bouncing sister. She had made breakfast again for everypony, save Big Macintosh, who had eaten his own breakfast and set off to work early. He was eager to start finishing up collecting the last of the apples, for harvesting season was quickly coming to a close. Soon the hustle and bustle of cider season would start, and then winter would be trailing close behind it. After breakfast, she’d have to mosey on out to the field as well. The day waits for nopony. Granny Smith snored softly in her rocking chair in the next room. She have to wake her up again in a few more minutes and hope that she’d stay awake. Applejack was still puzzled why she asked to be roused from her sleep in the morning. She always woke up in time to make apple jam, apple pies, and other homely apple-flavored confections, regardless of whether or not she was nudged into the waking world. The only difference is that she’d nag her for not doing it. She trotted on over to the breakfast table with a steaming pot in carefully held between her teeth. It’s warm scent carried through the room as she set on the hot-pad that kept it from damaging the table. “Oatmeal’s on, everypony!” She cheered and plopped a big wooden spoonful of it into Ellis’s bowl first, much to the chagrin of Apple Bloom. She grouched even as her food came to her bowl shortly after. “Wah does Ellis get his food before me? Ah was here first!” Applejack rolled her eyes. “Sis, ya know we go from oldest tah youngest. That’s how it’s always been.” Why she’d suddenly ask that now after sharing breakfast with Ellis for the past two weeks was another question she’d like to ask, but she concluded that her sister just needed something to gripe about one way or another. “But you don’ even know how old he is!” She pointed her hoof at the human, who was just calmly cooling his oatmeal with his breath, trying to ignore her bickering. “Ellis, how old’r you?” The older sister asked. “Twen’y-six” He clipped and re-focused on his food. Apple Bloom gawked. Applejack, however, could help but chuckle a bit at her little sister’s reaction. Having her fuss promptly snuffed out, the little filly just shoveled food into her mouth with smoldering chagrin. For the rest of the meal, the trio ate quietly. After Bloom had swallowed her last spoonful of oatmeal, she washed her dishes, grabbed the sack lunch on the counter that was prepared for her with her teeth, and clopped out of the room. “Don’ ferget tah do yer chores before you go off to school, Bloom!” Applejack called after her. Her sister only offered an unintelligible grunt as a response before she exited the house via the front door. All that was left was her and Ellis, both scraping the last of their bowls. The human was worryingly quiet. Over the past few weeks, he seemed to talk less and less, probably on the count of having less and less to talk about. Sure, his ramblings really weren’t something Applejack looked forward to, but it did her good to have some indication of cheeriness from him. In contrast to how he used to prattle, all he really did these days was eat, sleep, and work. He was starting to turn out like Big Macintosh! She loved her older brother, but ‘Tia knows she didn’t need another quiet one. She tried to fill the silence with a bit of talk. “Twen’y-six, eh? Ah reckon yer a bit older than me. Heh...” Her voice trailed, but she fought to keep the noise going. “‘Less, ya know, yer years are longer ‘r shorter than Equestrian years. Then that’d be real confusin’...” Ellis only nodded as he chewed. Applejack’s smile faded to a somber gaze as she stared at the remnants of her breakfast. The two sat in silence for what seemed like an hour. Ellis finally finished his oatmeal, cleared his throat, and spoke. “Ah think tonight’s the night, AJ.” The farmpony stifled a small gasp. She knew what he meant. She knew this day would come, though the peace and quiet that had lasted for the past two weeks had given her the hopeful illusion that there was no problem that needed to be solved. A dour taste bit her tongue. “Now don’ go lookin’ all mopey.” He turned to her with a smirk. “We still gotta get through the day first.” Seeing Ellis’s smile perked her up a bit. Then she remembered something she had to tell him. “Oh! Ah made ya lunch fer today!” She exited her chair and trotted over to the kitchen counter, where she opened a cupboard and withdrew a brown paper bag. “Kept it in here so Apple Bloom wouldn’t take it by mistake...” She paused, then added: “...Again.” Ellis chuckled, recalling that particular incident. “Thanks, AJ.” He gratefully took the paper sack in his hand and set off his place, washing the bowl of leftover oatmeal in the sink. After placing the bowl on a wire rack to dry, he went for the door. Applejack watched him go, wanting to say something, but not knowing what to say. Before the human opened the door, he turned back to his generous equine hostess and smiled. “Don’t you worry ‘bout me. I’ll be back before sundown, ‘kay?” The farmpony half-smiled back and nodded, trying her best to mask the worry in her eyes. The front door opened with a clack and a rush of cool morning air. Ellis stepped out and closed it behind him. All that was left was silence. Applejack bit her lip and shut her eyelids tight. She knew that it was only the start of the day, that the sun would have to make its pass across the sky before it was time to take action, but that did little to ease the heartache that tormented her. She just knew that something bad would happen, one way or another. She felt it like a rock in her gut. It was her own form of Pinkie Sense, one that wasn’t something to be ignored. She just hoped that, by the end of this ordeal, Ellis would still be alive. If anything deserved to live, it’d be him. She admonished herself. She was starting to worry too much again. Applejack cleared the table and washed the rest of the dishes. Today, she would go to work out in the fields and forget about her worries. There was no sense of living in fear of what happens next, nor was there any reason to cry over it. By Celestia, she was an earth pony, and she would carry the world on her back if she had to. Taking one last glancing look at the kitchen table, she exited via the front door for a long day of labor... Applejack nearly galloped back into the house. She almost forgot to wake up Granny Smith! Trotting into the living room, she caught sight of her grandmother snoring rather vehemently in her slowly oscillating rocking chair. The young farmpony gently touched her foreleg and spoke in a soft voice. “Granny. Time tah wake up.” Smith gave a start. “Doohh my gosh! What time is it?!” Applejack gave a sigh. “It’s alright, Granny. It’s still morning.” “‘Course it’s still mornin’! Do ah look like one’a them sloth-folk?” She grumbled and shifted in her seat, popping and straining her old joints. “Ah was raised a farm gal, an’ I ain’t fergettin’ it anytime soon! I can wake up so early I’d put that dadgum rooster to shame!” The younger sighed and rolled her eyes. “Alrighty. Well, ahm off to the fields.” She began to canter out of the room. There was plenty to do, and she only had the light of the day to do it by. “Sweetie?” Granny Smith’s voice stopped her in her tracks. She looked back. “Yeah?” “Do try an’ smile some today.” She said amiably. “Does nopony any good tah see you all glum.” Applejack’s mouth gaped slightly, at loss for words. Had her sour mood really been that noticeable? Maybe it was just Granny. She had an uncanny gift for reading ponies’ thoughts. She attempted to put on a faux smile, but if she was worse at anything besides lying, it’d be pretending. “Ah... Ah’ll do mah best to do that.” Without skipping a beat, she gave her reply. “You should keep that Ellis fellow around more. Ya really seem tah light up ‘round him. He’s such a nice stallion.” The elderly pony leaned forward in her chair with a playful smirk. “You got’cher eye on him? Ah wouldn’t mind some great grandkids, ya know...” The youth gave no more words. Hurriedly, and red-faced, she left the house and set to applebucking, leaving Granny Smith chuckling quietly to herself. +++++ With a dirty scrape, another layer of mortar was applied, followed by a bright-red brick, followed by yet another scrape as the excess was removed. Ellis evaluated his work for a split-second before repeating the process. Another scrape, plop, and a scrape. Next to him, Sawdust did the same, his orange aura of magic gripping the brick and trowel. Ball-Peen was busy hauling around the materials, his ashen face bright from the exertion. Between the lot of them, it was rather quiet. They weren’t know to work in complete silence. Sawdust, furrowing his brow in annoyance, decided to change that. “Hey, Ellis.” “Hmm.” The human grunted in response. “Got any more cool stories, bro?” Ellis exhaled a gush of air and turned his attention inwardly, trying to find something interesting to tell. He looked at the brick in his hand. “I can’t think a’ anythin’ right now...” The ocher unicorn was unconvinced. “Horseshoes, man. What about that time in the swamp I never got to hear the rest of? You know, with the moonshine?” The bipedal return with a quizzical look. “What? Ah don’ remember tellin’ ya that one!” “That was when you were drunk.” Ball-Peen added as he landed with another pallet of bricks. “Oh.” He took off his hardhat and wiped the sweat from his forehead, brick still in hand. “That was weeks ago, man. Y’all still remember that?” “It was the highlight of my week.” Saw replied with a slight snicker. “Fine. Where were we with that?” “Uhh...” The unicorn scratched his chin with his hoof. “You said a Hunter pounced on your friend. What happened after that?” “Ah blew the Hunter’s brains out.” Ellis deadpanned. Silence struck the group. Neither Sawdust nor Ball-Peen, who stopped to listen to the rest of the tale, could conjure any words in response. It was only after a few more applications of masonry did the human realize the assery of his reply. “Ahm sorry, man.” “No, it okay.” His sandy-haired friend said immediately. “I asked for a story, I got it. You’ve just been so quiet these past few days.” Ellis sighed. “I’ve just been thinkin’ a lot.” Sawdust expelled a bark of laughter. “Hope you didn’t hurt yourself!” “Oh!” He shot back. “It’s nice tah know ya care, Nick.” “Dude, did you just call me ‘Nick’?” Ellis shrugged. “Yer startin’ tah take on his most prominent quality.” Sawdust grinned to himself. “This guy must have been pretty darn handsome, then.” They both laughed boisterously. Even Ball-Peen, who was still listening in on their conversation, joined in with a few quiet chuckles of his own. After the laughter had died down, and they had stacked a few more bricks, the mechanic spoke again. “Ah kin see why Rum gives ya shit most of the time.” He turned to the pegasus behind him. “Speakin’ a’ which, how’s she holdin’ up?” “She’s doing fine.” Peen replied apathetically. “That’s awesome.” He turned back to the wall. “But seriously, tonight’s the night ah go and kill the Tank, an’ I’ve been thinkin’ a’ how I’m gonna do it.” Another scrape-plop-scrape. He sighed. “The last time ah had three other guys with guns an’ a shitload a’ ammo!” “I dunno how to help ya, man. Zombies are your area of expertise, not mine. I just cut wood.” He turned towards the human. “Why are you even doing it? Nopony asked you to.” “Actually, one did...” He thought about Fluttershy and how broken she looked lying on the hospital bed. Guilt gripped his chest. He knew that the presence of the Tank wasn’t his fault, but remorse was still felt all the same. “But still, ah just thought it was the natural thing tah do. Like ya said, zombies’r mah thing.” “I hear ya.” Saw glanced at the small, dirt-speckled clock propped up on the workbench to his right. As it silently ticked away, he began muttering a countdown. “Five... four... three... two...” “PAYDAY, BOYS!” Shouted Big Boss, vociferous as ever, as he came up behind them, right on schedule. Ball-Peen still yelped at the sudden noise and nearly dropped a load of cement. “Bits all around! Good job so far!” The boss tossed a hefty bags of coin from his saddle bag to each of the employees. First to Ellis and Sawdust, who caught theirs, then to the timid pegasus, who fumbled and almost dropped it. The human was the first to look inside his bag, getting a good gander at the shimmering gold. He was interrupted by a forceful pat to the back that knocked the wind out of his lungs. Big Boss’s gravelly voice filled his ears. “I’m proud of you most of all! You’ve really proven yourself to be a true workhorse!” Ellis blinked. “Uh... thanks?” “I also heard that you were gettin’ ready to do away with that monster that attacked the town.” The bulky earth pony narrowed his eyes. “You better come back in one piece, you hear me? It won’t do the town any good for you to end up eatin’ dirt.” “I’ll keep that in mind, Sir.” He said before Boss gave him one last breathtaking jab. “Alrighty then! Carry on!” The burly boss trotted back to his trailer to complete some more paperwork. After Ellis heard the screen door slam shut, he rubbed the spot where he had been hit tenderly. “Gawddamn, man! What’d they feed him as a kid?” “Bricks.” Sawdust spoke plainly. “Whole bricks.” Ellis turned his gaze back to the pile of red stone blocks. “Wouldn’t doubt it for a moment...” He shoved the bag of bits in his large coverall pocket, then stiffened, as if he just recalled something important. “Hey! Jus’ remembered! Ah gotta make some a’ them incendiaries from Rum’s stash!” Ball-Peen turned his head at the mention of the bartender’s name. “Hm?” “Made a promise tah Rum Run, an’ you know ah don’ go back on those. Told her Ah’d use some of her stock tah make some firebombs to use ‘gainst the Tank.” He paused to apply another brick. “Y’all kin come with me if ya want. Jus’ gotta drop off a few bits before we get there.” Both construction ponies agreed to come with the human. Sawdust was particularly interested in seeing Rum’s booze store without the danger of meeting her blade. Ball-Peen would follow Saw wherever he went, so he was going too. The trio set back to their labor without much conversation. Ellis told an occasional quick story, but they were mostly resolute on completing the brick wall as quickly as possible. They would continue to do so for about another hour, when they put the last brick in place, and then proceed to The Prancing Show-Pony. At the time, though, none of them noticed the streak of cyan leave its perch directly above them--a low-hanging stratocumulus--and zip into the distance without a sound. +++++ “No... No... No, no, NO!” Things were not going well for the alabaster unicorn at Rarity’s Boutique. Turmoil permeated the atmosphere. Frustration hung in the air. The room itself was dark and stuffy, dresses and fabric clippings strewn about in an unsightly hodgepodge. In one corner, the disheveled fashionista endeavored in her craft by dim lamplight. Patches, sheets, and textiles of all colors hovered around her, enveloped in an aura of sparkling blue magic. They seemed to move at an insect-like speed as they were compared and floated in front of the mannequin like paint swatches. Sweating with chaotic indecision, Rarity placed and withdrew each one of the bits of cloth, finding none that would match. “No... Still no... Ugh! I’ve seen sightlier cat vomit!” Opalescence, who was busy preening herself on a pile of soft, unrolled fabric, looked up. She gave a confused meow, unsure of how to feel about her mistress’s statement. She’s had no customers that morning, nor the days before. Business for the boutique had ground to a standstill over the past couple weeks. In the wake of the Tank attack, nopony had considered it necessary to visit the dress shop. They considered fabulosity and fashion a commodity for happier, more peaceful times. In that time, the store had grown cold and dusty. The racks and hangers of clothing and other finery sat untouched. Even the decadent mare herself had fallen into a state of disrepair. She couldn’t recall the last time she looked into a mirror. Her usually meticulously tended mane had split off into wild violet curls. It was truly a sorry sight to see. The unicorn only noticed the urgent tapping of glass the second time around, provoking Rarity from her self-deprecating stupor and trotted up to the window. The blinds were closed, the dimness adding to the forlorn motif of the room. Without much a thought, she carefully and deliberately unlatched the lock on her expensive window... “About time!” Said Rainbow Dash, accompanying her statement with a technicolor entrance, sending a burst of cold wind through the stuffy boutique. A vast miscellany of scrap cloth churned in the air like leaves, adding to the existing mess. Opalescence released a panicked caterwaul and dived for cover under the nearest piece of furniture. Rarity hissed at the sudden intrusion of blinding sunlight, shielding her face with her foreleg. The cyan pegasus brought herself to a hover and rolled her eyes. “Geez Louise, Rars, couldja stop acting like vampire or something? You’ve locked yourself in here for days! What gives?!” “It’s all I knoowwww!” She wailed into her hooves. “I was born in this house, and shall DIE in this house!” Dash merely sighed, used to her friend’s overly-dramatic antics. “Could you at least try and look like a regular pony?” She bolted into the bathroom and returned with a small mirror. “It’s like ya took a bath in your own sweat and dived off Cloudsdale again.” The unicorn took the mirror with her blue aura and gazed into the reflective surface. Her half-closed, drowsy eyelids shot wide open. +++++ Across the land, all ears bore the unholy noise that sounded from Ponyville. It rang out like a high-pitched thundercrack, causing ponies to stop and press their ears to their hooves, stuff them with whatever absorbent substance they could find in a moments notice, bury their heads under the dirt, anything to deter the screech that assaulted their skulls. Lyra fell out of her now ill-fitting bed and held her head with her hands, wincing in pain. The sound made the house itself vibrate. From the same bed, Bon-Bon fell on top of the centaur with a squeak. Afar in the city of Canterlot, Princess Luna’s weary head perked up from her desk teeming with parchment scrolls and royal documents. She whipped in the direction of the small town bordering, a perplexed expression crossing her face. She wondered what could possibly cause such a disturbance. Across the vast multiverse, upon the great Forgeworld of Kirrac, two figures sat facing a glowing cogitator screen. One, robed in red and absolutely unmoving with many metallic, augmetic limbs sprouting from his body, clacked away at the runes of the interface panel, causing multitude of symbols to appear on the screen. His gleaming optics never left the monitor. The other, clad in a Mechanicus tabard, watched, placing head almost right next to his cowled companion’s. Finally, the robed one shifted in what seemed like irked discomfort, causing the censer chained to the boom protruding from his back to swing in a trail of dissipating smoke. He spoke in a tinny, artificial voice, derived from his voxcaster. “Is there something you require of me?” “Heard the astropaths caught a strange ripple in the Immaterium today.” Said the nosey acolyte, ignoring the tech-priest’s prompt. “Very strange. They say it originated from reality, though. What could create such a thing?” “That has nothing to do with my work at the moment. Remove yourself from my personal space.” He did not. He merely continued to stare at the screen with a goofy grin plastered on his face as the priest typed away in silence. “So...” The acolyte spoke after a minute. “Do you think you could explain to me exactly why ‘bipedalism ru-’” He could speak no longer, suddenly finding a bloody, bladed dendrite embedded in his eye and through his medulla oblongata. The body slid from his tentacle-limb and hit the metal floor with a meaty thump. The priest kept clicking away, even as his servitor came to dispose of the leaking corpse. “It just does.” He said finally. +++++ “Agh! Dear sweet Celestia!” Dash smarted as her hooves were clamped over her ears. A small trickle of blood ran from under them. “Could you warn me the next time you do that?” Rarity had fervently scooted away to the other side of the room, pressing herself against the wall, far away from the voice-shattered mirror. She tried to cover all of herself with her forelegs, failing, only managing to obscure part of her face. So, she wrapped her body with silky emerald cloth from a nearby spool. “Don’t look at me! I’M HIDEOUS! I’M A MONSTER!!!” By that time, the pegasus recovered from her splitting headache and the pain of possible permanent hearing loss. She wafted over to the pile of cloth and festering self-loathing and tugged at one of the edges. “Rarity-” “GO AWAY!” The cover was pulled closer. Dash flinched for a split second. “Rarity!” She huffed. “You know that I of all ponies don’t care if you look like a trainwreck!” In hindsight, not the best choice of words. “SAVE YOURSELF! DO NOT SUFFER UPON THE BEHALF OF THIS ABOMINATION ANY LONGER!!!” Rainbow Dash ground her teeth together. “Alright! That’s it!” Flexing her wing muscles, she sped around and around the cloth pile, causing it to unravel along with the torrential chaos the pegasus-made tornado was adding to the room. Once Rarity came floating out of her cloth cocoon, she was swiped up with blistering speed and carried to the bathroom. The door was slammed and the shower faucet squeaked, carrying additional sounds of violent conflict and painful protests from both sides. Steam seeped from beneath the door, which creaked and bulged with the rhythm of the battle. After a minute of this, a moment of silence ensued. Then, the bathroom door swung open, billowing warm mist. Out walked Rainbow Dash and Rarity, the latter of which looked her normal self: impeccably clean with her grandiloquent, curled mane. “There!” Dash hovered above her, hooves on her hips. “Feel better?” Even though the dumbfounded unicorn was still trying to figure out how her hoydenish friend managed to compress the meticulous process of styling her hair from half an hour, at the very least, to several seconds, she still had the composure to sputter a reply. “Y-yes... I suppose...” “Good, ‘cause we got work to do tonight!” The cyan pegasus put up her forelegs and threw a few mock jabs into the air. “We’re gonna fight the Tank!” Rarity blinked. “What? Tonight?!” “Yeah! Heard Ellis talking to his buddies! He says tonight’s the night we’re gonna kick that monster’s oversized butt!” The unicorn’s heart rate increased and it suddenly became a bit harder to breathe. “A-and you expect me to come with you?!” “Well... yeah.” She ceased her pseudo-fisticuffs gave her sumptuous friend a perplexed look. “I mean... he’s our friend now, Rars. Of course we’re gonna help him!” “It’s too dangerous!” She blurted. “For any of us! We could easily be... be killed!” “Oh, don’t tell me you’re scared!” She glided down to her level. “Remember the first time we all went into Everfree Forest looking for the Elements? You went up and bucked that Manticore in the face!” “That was different! You weren’t there that night!” She tried not to recall those images, those emotions, but pictures of yellowed eyes, a putrid, drooling maw, and necrotic, pustulent skin all twisted together in a revolting parody of life flashed through her head regardless. She had to concentrate and hold her gut together. The mere thought made her want to purge the meager contents of her stomach. “There are no words to describe just how... horrible it was!” Dash narrowed her eyes. “Well I don’t care, and you shouldn’t either! Who cares how scary it is! All the more reason to come! Ellis is gonna need all the help he can get!” Rarity clenched her eyes shut, trying to block out the pervasive shadow of the monster; the very thing that had stolen her sleep for the last couple of weeks. How could she possibly build the fortitude to face it again? She was but a humble fashion designer. She had no business with all this... this monster hunting. “I... I’m sorry. I just can’t do it again, Rainbow Dash. I can’t bear it.” She sullenly trotted over to her paper-caked sketch table. “I’m not brave like you. I’m no fearless individual like Ellis. I... I can’t even think about that nightmare anymore!” A “harumph” sounded from the pegasus. “Fine! Don’t come! See if I care!” She whirled away from the despondent mare and started to drift towards the open window, her wings flapping softly. Halfway there, she slowed to a halt, sighed, and turned back around, her short-lived anger had evaporated like it was never there. “What happened to you, Rarity? You’d never turn down a friend in need, and right now, we need you! Bad!” Dash, once again, swooped down to meet her companion at her level, this time landing. After several painful seconds, Rarity managed to meet her eyes. “Please don’t think less of me. There only so much a lady can take. I... wouldn’t be of much help to you, anyhow.” “Horseapples!” Dash exclaimed. Her vulgarity caused the alabaster unicorn to draw herself back an inch or so. “You’ve got more spunk than everypony gives you credit for! I know that for a fact! You might not believe in you, but I do!” She placed her hooves on Rarity’s shoulders. “I know you can help us! You’re our friend, and we’re your friends! Together, we can do anything!” The fashonista’s eyes went to the floor. “I’m not so sure... I... I left her... Fluttershy...” “Yes! Think of Fluttershy! You gonna let that jerk get away with that?” Her jaw tightened. She turned her head. Rippling illustrations of broken friends and broken promises coursed through her mind. “No...” “You gonna let it waltz around knowing that it put our best friend in a hospital bed?” “I don’t need any more convincing.” Rarity faced Rainbow Dash, her expression set in grim determination. “I’m coming.” A grin spread across the speedster’s face. “Atta girl!” She removed her hooves from her shoulders and corkscrewed into the air. “I already got Twilight coming. Jus’ need to get two more on the team!” The unicorn didn’t seem to be listening as Dash made for the window once more. “We’re gonna meet at the same path at the edge of Everfree that goes to the old ruins. Ya know, the one with the bridge.” Before she closed the window, she peeked around for one final question. “By the way, have you seen Pinks? She’s not in her room.” Rarity raised her eyebrow quizzically. “I haven’t seen her for weeks. Not since that night...” The technicolor pegasus didn’t wait for her to trail off. “Well, see ya later!” She pumped her wings and sped off in a blur of rainbow and another gush of wind, leaving behind an almost closed window. Rarity stood still for another moment, sitting on her haunches, thinking. She thought about that fateful night. She thought about the crushing fear of being near that abomination, how it roared and desolated everything in its path. She thought about Fluttershy and how she put her life on the line for her sake, for the sake of the entire town. Rarity grimaced. She owed it to her friend, to herself, to do nothing less. Not to mention that she had to make sure that Ellis would come out of this ordeal in one piece so she could truss him up in appealing attire. That was a promise she had to personally see to. She mentally berated herself for not pursuing this endeavor earlier with all this free time spent wasting away. Had he been wearing the same set of clothes for these past few weeks? Ghastly! She drifted away from her thoughts and took a look at her chaotic surroundings. This being the first she was lucid in days, the sight made her blanch. “I supposed I better tidy up...” +++++ The hours passed by and the bricks stacked higher. They had the wall repaired by quitting time, earning the trio a congratulatory auditory assault from their boss. After massaging their ears and recovering from hearing damage the second time today (that included the soul-rending shriek of unknown origin from earlier), Ellis, Sawdust, and Ball-Peen set out into town together. The first stop was Mr. Fob’s workshop, being the closest. Pipsqueak was there to greet Ellis as he knocked on the door. The playful colt had no pirate attire on today, but still spoke in a seafaring dialect. Much to his disappointment, the human was only here to pay his father. Seeing his crestfallen face, Ellis ruffled his brown mane and promised him that they’d play some other time. He entered the shop, spoke with Fob for a couple minutes, and gave him his due. The next stop was the woodworker’s shop. Turns out that her name was Buckeye. It was such an uncanny name that it baffled the mechanic that he failed to remember it. That, coupled with her uncommon mottled brown-and-black coat and emerald-green mane had Ellis mentally kicking himself for his forgetfulness. She wasn’t as warm as most Ponyvillians, but polite nonetheless. Ellis paid her and went back outside, where Saw and Peen were waiting patiently. The last stop before Rum’s place was the smithy. Entering the balmy forge shop, he saw that Wrought Iron was out running errands, as the note on the counter declared. Ellis left fifteen bits on the counter, scrawling out his name on a piece of paper in his best Equestrian, which, given he only started learning a few days ago, was not very legible. His regular handwriting wasn’t spectacular, anyhow. Finally, they traversed the town and arrived at The Prancing Show-Pony. Ellis hated walking by here. It was a disheartening sight. The rusted, weathered sign squeaked in the wind. The gaping hole near the door was boarded up with with a slab of plywood. It looked like an ugly stain on the rustic decor, one that bore an aura of pain and strife like a sticky, grimy film. Ball-Peen fluttered up to the door. “Rum gave me a few things to do with the bar while she was recovering. I usually do them later, but I might as well do them now, if you don’t mind.” He said while he pushed the door open, courteously beckoning his co-workers to enter first. The tavern interior was even more depressing than the exterior. The place was a complete wreck: split furniture was strew around the room. The floor was dotted with massive divots and splinters, the origin of which they knew all too well. The far wall exhibited a another hole, similar to the first in size and jaggedness. That, too, was boarded up with plywood. The hearth sat cold and unused, black ashes spilled onto the stone surface before it. As the group followed Ball-Peen behind the counter, the faded, yet still harsh smell of all kinds of alcohol wafted into their nostrils. At the very least, most of the glass had been cleaned up, but the pungent liquids had already soaked into the woodwork. The musty smell of mold and wood-rot was starting to take precedence over the booze. With the absence of Rum Run, the usual patrons had to find some other place to drink. Hardly anypony had been through the door since. The human and the unicorn followed the achromatic pegasus as he oversaw various things around the bar. He dusted off the counter, checked the drink-stocked cabinets, gave the mouse traps a once-over. Finally, with the addition of a few other things, he made his way to a large wooden trunk by the wall, palpably labeled “Ice”. Ball-Peen drifted over and rapped the lid with his hoof twice. “Wake up! It’s the afternoon already!” To add to Ellis’s confusion (and alarm), a rustle emanated from the icebox. The lid squeaked open, revealing a drowsy, tinted-glass pony. Dark liquid visibly sloshed within her as she toss the lid open the rest of the way and rubbed her eyes. “Wha...?” She yawned with a strange, fizzy voice. “It’s, like, 3:00, Coke. I think it’s time for you to get a move-on.” “Oh, fine.” She sighed and climbed out of her frozen bed, watery ice slipping down her glossy body. She somehow tidied her red glass-mane, shook off the last of the ice, and trotted for the door, her insides splashing about as she moved. “Hi Saw. Hi Ellis.” She bubbled before pulling the entrance open and disappearing behind it. The human’s jaw was practically on the floor. “How...? What...? Who...? Fuh...?” He turned to each of his co-workers, face contorted into bewilderment, making wild hand gestures. To say they didn’t understand what he was so rustled about was an understatement. Finally, he exhaled and pinched the bridge of his nose, eyes clamped shut. “Ah need a moment here...” They all sat in uncomfortable silence. Ball-Peen, shifting awkwardly and clearing his throat, spoke up. “It’s really not that hard to explain. She’s a-” Ellis held his other hand up, silencing him. Another moment went by. The human took a deep breath in, a deep breath out... “Alright!” He exclaimed. “Movin’ on!” “You okay, dude...?” Sawdust attempted to press. “Movin’ on!” He urged with a wavering smile planted on his face. He placed a balled fist on his hip and raised his other arm, pointing forward. “Show us th’ way, BP!” +++++ The heavy wooden door groaned open, carrying the warm odors from the dark into the air outside. An oil lamp was the first to appear, peeking out from the widening doorway and painting the room a flickering, sunny amber. Ball-Peen, flapping his wings, hovered inside, followed by his comrades. The pegasus began lighting the wall-mounted lamps, transferring the flame from his to theirs, slowly brightening the stone-walled interior. At last, it was revealed to them. Oak barrels of mead, brandy, whiskey, ale, and grog. Bottles of wine: red, white, and everything in between. Shelves went clear to the ceiling, holding vodka, tequila, tiswin, cider, gin, rum... more drinks than anypony could possibly name. The multitude of colored glass glimmered in the lamp-light, casting subtle hues across the shelves where the light touched them. A single tear fled down Ellis’s cheek as he beamed with something that could only be described as pure, childlike joy. “It’s Christmas...” As Sawdust filed in, stricken by open-mouthed awe at the raunchy bar-pony’s grand collection, Ellis clapped his hands together. His demeanor shifted instantly to a sort of mirth the two ponies haven’t seen in days. “Alrighty, boys! Welcome tah molotovs one-oh-one!” He declared. “We gonna hit the ‘sauce’ an’ make some ‘hot-sauce’!” The human sauntered in and perused the shelves while Saw raced from one end to the other, his eyes wide and hysterical. “Look at this stuff, man!” He pointed to a dark, squarish bottle. “35-year gryphon bourbon! Those guys would peck your eyes out before they’d let you have this stuff!” Ellis peered through the shelves. “Whaddarya, an alcoholic?” “Hey, I know a bit about drinks, man.” “What’s this stuff?” Ball-Peen raised his voice from another part of the cellar, holding a particularly dusty, squat bottle filled with a semi-cloudy, eggplant-colored fluid. “It says ‘Skoljinn’.” “No way...” The sandy unicorn bolted to where his friend was in almost an instant, nearly yanking the bottle away from Peen’s hooves with his levitation. “This is a Horsic spirit made from herbs and basilisk blood!” “Isn’t that poisonous?” “Not if you do it right. But nopony knows how to do it anymore. This must be hundreds of years old!” He carefully placed the bottle back on the shelf. “Where the hell did Rum get all of this?” Ellis called. “Some ponies say that she used to be a smuggler. The seafaring kind. She knew how to get past any customs, taxes, and restrictions the world over. Had her own ship, her own crew...” Ball-Peen started to shift uncomfortably again. “Don’t you think that’s a bit... ya know... out there?” “You tell me.” Saw smirked at his friend. “You’ve been sitting at her side in the hospital every chance you get.” While Peen face went noticeably pink, Ellis squinted at a few more labels, trying to make them out as best as he could. “She never struck me as the kinda gal who’s been livin’ quietly all her life. That’d be pretty freakin’ awesome if it was true.” After passing a few more shelves, he gave up trying to decipher the obnoxious Equestrian characters. “Alright, y’all gonna hafta help me with this. Ah can’t read fer shit.” The human whirled around and faced his quadrupedal companions. “We’re gonna need vodka ‘er some other strong drink. Saw, try an’ find some in bottles that kin be tied an’ hung on a belt. Peen, ya know more ‘bout where Rum keeps her stuff ‘round here. Find a bowl, a couple a’ dish-cloths, an’ sugar.” When the two were dispatched, Ellis spied a small table and a stool in the corner the room. He dragged them out into the open and brushed off the substantial layer of dust from the table’s surface, which immediately sent him into a small coughing fit. As he cleared the air in front of his face with his waving hand, Sawdust came trotting back with two bottles held in an aura of red-orange. They were a bit slender for his liking, but they both had a deep, edged crevice that stretched all the way around the bottle before the upper half dramatically tapered off into the neck. Ellis imagined he could string around that and hook it to his belt. The crusty, tan-bordered label was so worn that he couldn’t make out half of the words even if he could read them. . “Perfect.” He removed the bottles from the air, the levitative glow disappearing. The human turned them in his hands, scrutinizing them. “This seems like real fancy stuff.” “Yeah.” Saw agreed. “Bit of a waste, but at least I don’t drink vodka. Makes me sick.” After another moment, Ball-Peen fluttered back into the room, his forelegs precariously cradling several objects. Ellis and Sawdust helped get the medium-sized metal bowl, the pile of clothes, and the sugar onto the table. The dish-cloths all ranged from whitish and thoroughly worn to a dull brown, the latter looking like it was torn from a rucksack. And he also brought not a bowl of sugar, not a small container, but a half-full heavy paper bag of it. “Damn, man, Ah told ya tah bring me some sugar, not all a’ it!” The pegasus shrugged. “Well... better we have extra than not enough.” The mechanic sat down and went to work, procuring a corkscrew from the other room and opening the two glass bottles. He put two dry rags into the bowl and tipped the bottles into it. The pungent, stinging smell of alcohol made itself known. When both bottles were emptied to about the crevice line, Ellis patted down the cloths, soaking every inch of them. He pushed the bowl aside, letting them sit a while. Next, he reached into the crumpling bag of sugar, brought out a handful, and prudently poured the white substance down the opening of each. He explained that the sugar would help the spread. He took both the bottles in each and shook both simultaneously, dissolving the sugar as best he could. “Alrighty. That’s about all there is to it.” He set the slender vials down with a double-clack. “Now we jus’ gotta wait fer the rags tah soak up. Thanks fer all yer help, guys.” “Happy to be of assistance, man.” His red-orange eyes surveyed their creation. “I almost feel sorry for the big guy. These ought to burn it to a crisp.” “These?” Ellis barked. “They’ll jus’ get ‘em real pissed off, but every little bit helps.” He leaned back in the dirty stool. The uneven legs thumped on the floor. “Funny thing, though, once ya set Tank on fire, they don’ seem tah ever stop burnin...” He wrested himself from his musings and turned back to the two stallions. “Ah know it don’t seem like it, but killin’ one a’ them monster trucks on legs ain’t a walk in the park. I wish ah had a big ol’ machine gun right about now. Or a chainsaw.” He paused, as if recalling something from his time in the deep south, then his face scrunched into a grimace. “Nevermind that. Tried it once, didn’t work out too well.” “Well, we’d like to help you out more, dude, but we’re just not cut out for that kinda work.” “Good luck, though.” Ball-Peen pipped half-hearted. “Or happy hunting. Or... Well... What do you call it when you go out to... ya know... kill a big monster?” Ellis smiled. “Tuesday.” +++++ Applejack trotted along the trail with Ellis in complete, choking silence. It was nearly evening. The sun was starting to sink behind the horizon, the air was beginning to cool, chirping insects were purring out their nighttime hymn, and the air took a humid, almost metallic smell. the farmpony’s head was turned downward, eyelids half-closed in moroseness. It was as if she was already mourning. After what seemed like hours of clopping along the dirt trail, she looked back at the human tramping behind her. He didn’t notice her turning her head. His eyes were focused ahead to the dark forest not too far from where they were now. His machete scabbard was slung over his right shoulder, his shotgun over his left. The criss-crossing straps formed an “X” over his iconic t-shirt. On his belt was a pouch which held Dominic’s shells. Next to that, on the other side of his hip, were two clear, clinking bottles, their mouths stuffed with drooping rags. She was watching as he prepared back at her house. She saw him put the lighter and the adrenaline shot in his pocket. He carried nothing else, save the clothes on his back and the hat on his head. Honest to Celestia, seeing him all dressed up like that, it frightened Applejack to her very core. This was the Ellis she was afraid of. This was the Ellis that fled through her mind when he first whipped out that machete the day she first met him. This was the grim, fate-tossed, zombie-slaying Ellis that, through a relentless will to survive, a handful of lost souls, and the purest of dumb luck managed to hack and shoot his way through miles upon miles of blood, rain, bombs, and infected flesh. This was the Ellis the mare hoped she’d never have to see again, but fate still called him to put one last tortured being to rest. Applejack turned back to the path ahead. She had to be strong! She had to be brave! She wasn’t about to let this last obstacle stare her down and make a foal out of her! She would see that Ellis got through this whole ordeal alive if it was the last thing she did! The orange mare nearly fell over when she realized her hooves were touching the rickety surface of the old bridge. She drew herself from her distracting thoughts and cleared her throat. “Well... here we are.” Ellis took a look around at the imposing, dark treeline that lay before them. Shadow hung around it like a fog, swallowing the sunlight. Thick, twisted vegetation, the sort that appeared almost alien to the human reared over the burbling stream like a glistening, open maw. Usually, squawks and screeches would be baying forth like a plainsong, but for the past few weeks an eerie silence had taken hold of it. It was as if the forest itself was holding its breath in fear, hiding from a massive predator, as if even the smallest sound would bring about its doom. Applejack could feel the forest’s terror prick at her skin. The human paced past her, pulling out his shotgun. From his pouch, he withdrew two milky shells, opened the barrel, thunked them in, and closed the gun with an echoing clack. “Thank ya kindly, AJ.” He half-smiled. “Welp, see ya later. I’ll be back ‘round midnight.” Whistling “Save Me Some Sugar”, he began to nonchalantly promenade over the creaking wood of the bridge. It took Applejack nearly four seconds for her brain to catch up with her. “W-wait... What?” Indignation flared in her chest as she galloped up and put herself between Ellis and the forest. “Just where the hay do you think you’re goin’, mister?” “Well whaddya think?” He gestured. “Ah’m off tah kill me a big ol’ zombie!” He tried to take another step forward, but the farmpony’s hoof slammed down in his intended path, blocking him. “All by yerself? Un-uh. Ah don’ think so.” Ellis scowled and let his arms rest at his sides. “Don’ make this harder than it has tah be-” “How it has to be?! I’ll tell ya how this is gonna be!” She raised her voice. “I’m comin’ with ya, an’ that’s that!” The human put his hand to his forehead and sighed. “Look, this ain’t-” Something that sounded like a whistling blip came from behind, interrupting Ellis and causing both of them to wheel around. In the center of a slightly singed circle stood Twilight Sparkle and Rarity. A faint residue of lavender still hung around them. “Are we here on time?” The librarian said to herself, peering around aimlessly before catching sight of the duo on the bridge. She smiled and waved heartily. “Ellis! Applejack!” “Ah shit...” “Good to see you, darling!” Vociferated Rarity as she trotted to the tall biped alongside her friend. “Is it working well for you? Erm... the holster, that is.” “S’fine! Really! But this... this ain’t gonna work out...” “What isn’t?” Queried Twilight. “Did we forget something?” “No, it’s-” Applejack intervened. “This here blockhead was gonna go in all alone!” “What?!” “Ludicrous!” “Alright, now y’all just listen here!” Ellis shouted over them. “Yeah, Ah’m goin’ it alone! Without ya! That’s the end of it! Go home! Good! Bye!” The human began stomping across the length of the bridge and towards the forest, gun in both hands. All of the sudden, his vision was filled with purple and he was twenty paces backwards from where he was an instant before. He yelped as he lost his balance and keeled over, face-first into the dirt. “And what makes you think we’re going to let you do that?” Twilight converged towards Ellis as he picked himself up from the ground. The rest were close behind her. “One,” He spit the earthy taste from his mouth. “Ah got the gun, the machete, the molotovs, an’ all the means a’ killin’ a Tank, an you don’t.” He brushed the dust off of his shirt and re-affixed his hat back onto his head. “Two, Ah’ve done this before. More times than Ah kin count. And three,” He gave the unicorn a hard look. “Y’all don’ know the first thing ‘bout killin’ somethin’. Sure, you’ve fought yer share a’ monsters an’ bad guys, but you don’ know blood-’n-guts. Ya ain’t qualified.” She gritted her teeth. “Is that so?!” “Yeah!” “You think I can’t handle it?!?” “Go ‘head an’ tell me the last time ya shot a monster dead!” Twilight looked to her left, where a small pile of sizeable rocks lay. Using her magic, she lifted three of them and tossed them high into the air. Then, her horn charged with intense light as she fired three bolts of concentrated magic in quick succession at the projectiles. They each hit their mark and the rocks were disintegrated to dust and pebbles. The unicorn crossed her forelegs with moxie pride. Ellis watching the display of marksmanship, and despite his intention to deny them, couldn’t help but remove his hat in awe. “Goddamn Annie Oakley...” He shook his head and flung his cap back on. “This don’ change a thing! Ah still can’t take all three of ya!” “My tall friend, your count is untrue. It seems that your party has grown by two.” Across the bridge, from the forest itself, emerged two figures: Zecora and Dominic. The aged stallion had, strapped to his body, a strange array of pouches and corked vials, while the zebra carried a slim saddlebag. “Greetings.” Dominic rasped in a lukewarm voice. “I pray we aren’t notably tardy.” “Oh! Great! Awesome! They wanna come too!” Ellis whirled around and faced the librarian. “Hey Twi, why don’cha gather up the entire town an’ bring ‘em along while yer at it! We’ll all go on a big fuckin’ field trip!!!” “Twas not Ms. Sparkle who has arranged this congregation. She may have many talents, but the ability to inform us all within half an hour’s time is not one of them.” The alchemist raised his voice considerably while still looking in the human’s direction. “And, despite your best efforts, Rainbow Dash, you are doing a marvelous job of existing today!” A rustle emanated from a nearby tree. A cyan pegasus poked her head out, grinning sheepishly. “Uh... Hi, Elli! Nice weather we’re having!” He facepalmed. “Great, jus’ great! Now you’re workin’ against me, too!” “What the hay are you talking about?!” Dash darted from the tree and lingered in front of Ellis. “We’re here to help you!” “Ah don’ want yer help! Ah don’ need yer help!” He shouted. The speedster flinched and scooted back a few feet. “This is my fight! Mah personal slice a’ hell that’s followed me here!” “Listen here, you smarmy faust-head!” Growled Dominic as he approached him. “That very beast is the same one who obliterated our town and slaughtered nine of our kin! I’d say that this is our fight now! Even without that fact, we still have a stake in the outcome! I, for one, would rather not have this abomination knocking down my door and destroying my life’s work in an instant!” He took a deep breath. “But, if you would rather do without our assistance, then I’ll be reclaiming those shells I’ve made you.” “Ya can’t-” Rarity interjected. “I’ll also take back the holster. I’m sure the fabric could be put to use for other things.” “Now hold up-” “And your gun, Ellis,” Twilight glared. “Since I helped make it.” The human drew back, hugging the double-barrels of the shotgun in his arms, protecting it like it was a child. After a moment of thoughts churning in his head, he finally relented. “Alright.” He sheathed Zoey. “You win.” The strap came loose. The gun and holster clattered to the bridge’s wooden surface. Everypony gasped as he undid the saddlebag full of shells and tossed it to the ground alongside the fallen firearm. Dominic’s eye widened and he dived to catch the volatile ammunition. A ring resounded as Ellis drew the machete and spun it around in his hand. “Tank burgers it is.” He stated and headed back towards the forest. “Hey, HEY!” Rainbow Dash zipped right in front of him, forcing him to stop. “Wrong answer, bub! I didn’t get everypony here so you can ditch them!” “Then why’dja do it then, huh?!” He retorted. “Ya got some kinda death-wish?!?” “Look who’s talking!” “IT WAS ME!!!” All heads turned to the direction of Applejack. In turn, she gazed into the eyes of everypony present, then set her stern sights on Ellis. She cleared her throat. “It was me. Ah told Dash tah get everypony here. Ah did it because ya need help. Ya need every little bit of help we kin wring from this whole situation. We didn’t spend all much time gettin’ tah know ya so you kin square-dance yer way into an open grave.” He faltered. “But-” “Don’t you dare back-talk me, mister! We’re comin’ with ya whether ya want tah ‘er not! Even if Ah hafta hogtie you an’ drag ya along the whole way!” An ill-suppressed snicker came from the floating cyan pegasus, which subsequently turned to a giggle as she pedaled her hind legs in the air. The farmpony glared at her, irked. “S-sorry...” She gasped between laughs. “That looked funny in my head.” Another moment passed. Ellis exhaled audibly and sank to his knees. He planted the tip of the machete into the wood and leaned on it. “Ah just... It’s just that... You guys have put up with mah shit longer than mah own mom would be willin’ tah do. Y’all’r callin’ me yer friend, even though none a’ ya never seen a human before, an’ jus’ two weeks ago, Ah was the one who put the entire goddamn town in lockdown ‘cause’a me being so damn big an’ scary. God, we hardly know each other. Ah’ve done nothin’ tah deserve all that you’ve done fer me.” He looked at Twilight. “Ah didn’t mean all that shit ‘bout you girls not being good ‘nuff tah help me. Ah think y’all kin hold yer own ‘gainst any monster. It’s just... ‘bout five months ago... Ah was stupid as kin be... an Ah got mah best friend killed because of it.” “Ellis!” Applejack scolded. “Ah thought we talked ‘bout this! That wasn’t yer fault!” “That don’t matter!” He shouted over her. She was struck wordless. “All Ah’m sayin’ is... Ah don’ want me bein’ stupid tah be the death of you all.” He stood up. “Each one a’ ya... You’ve got yer whole life ahead a’ ya. Me, Ah’ve been livin’ on borrowed time. Ah knew these zombies would kill me one day. In a way, they already have, An this one’s come back tah finish the job. Well, if that colossal brain-dead zombie wants tah take me down, then Ah’m dragging his fat ass tah Hell with me!” All was silent, save the sound of the human’s heavy breath and the gurgling stream below, the whisper of the wind and the rattle of grass. Then, Applejack bowed her head, adjusted her stetson upon her crown, and spoke deliberately. “Ellis...” He met her gaze with her own. “Yeah?” The pony looked long into his pupils, taking in his expression, his conviction, his stubborn determination to whatever he feels is fair and just. She met his demeanor with her own, matching the force of her soul with her voice, pouring every inch of her being into one last statement, one that would break his will, one that would ultimately save his life: “That is the biggest load of horseradish Ah have ever heard in mah entire life.” A smirk grew on his face as he slipped his blade back into its place behind his back. “It was worth a shot.” “As if!” Dash said, excitement surging through her blood. She spun through the air as Ellis picked up his shotgun, muttering a silent apology for the way he treated it, and slung it back over his shoulder. The rest of them buzzed with the same jubilation, mixed with a bit of relief. As the human went to pick up the pouch of shells, an ebon hoof caught his hand. He looked up. His eyes met the cold, ultramarine stare of Dominic. “Don’t you even think about handling these so flippantly again!” He hissed. “Especially not around me! I would much prefer my skin intact and not completely melted off!” “...Okay.” He stood up, strapped the pouch and addressed everyone present in a loud voice. “Alright, kiddos! All aboard fer a one-way ticket to th’ possibility of a painful death!” He withdrew his shotgun once more and gripped it eagerly. “Ah hear Hell is nice this time a’ year!” “Our duties and deeds carry us to and fro.” Zecora contributed. “If that is our path, then to ‘Hell’ we shall go.” “I believe it is much like your homeland, Zecora.” Dominic commented sardonically. “Miles of empty plains and not a drop of courtesy from the locals.” The zebra’s eye twitched. “Or perhaps it is more akin to your lair, a stench-riddled place of untidy affair.” He rolled his eyes. “Comments about my woefully mephitic estate? As much of a creative response as I expected from one of... your kind.” She clenched her jaw. “Sour wash-rag...” “Striped jezebel.” “Crusty relic!” “Blithering ham!” “DECREPIT HACKNEY!” “HOODOO-FLINGING ZIH-!” “STOP IT, BOTH OF YOU!!!” “Harumph!” They both turned away from each other as Twilight silently facehoofed. After another short while, she turned to the human. “Alright, Ellis, lead the way!” He saluted. “With pleasure!” He set off across the bridge with Applejack, Twilight, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Zecora, and Dominic in tow, ready to face whatever danger awaited them in Everfree Forest. Twilight trotted closer to the lead, striking up a conversation with the biped as their voices were slowly swallowed by the forest thick canopy and growing darkness. “So, how are we gonna find it?” “We’ll jus’ keep on walking ‘till we bump into our little friend.” “That... that’s it? Don’t you have a plan? Don’t you have some foal-proof way of finding that it and getting it for good?” He chuckled. “Girl, you have a lot tah learn ‘bout zombie killin’...”