//------------------------------// // Chapter 27 // Story: Light Wanderings // by ed2481 //------------------------------// Sorry if this is riddled with errors, my editor is really busy right now and I felt like you guys needed a chapter desperatally Chapter 27 Ethan and Twilight sat across from each other in the train car which they’d gotten reserved. The man was in the middle of cleaning each and every one of his current weapons from top to bottom and a multitude of plastic and metal parts were spread out over one of the seats. His shock sword sat next to his red sword that Jonathan had given him along with the blue bladed knife. He was currently oiling his light machinegun and his Anti-Material rifle was next in line. Vengeance was already lubed up and ready to go as was his 12.7 submachine gun. “Ethan, if Sombra and Nightmare are working together, then I doubt that there’s much that your guns can do,” Twilight told him. “I’ve yet to see anything withstand having enough bullets or laser bolts put into it,” Ethan replied with a shrug. “Ethan-” Twilight began but he cut her off. “Twilight we are killing our way to your nephew, and once we get there we’re going to put down this ‘Nightmare’ and her buddy Sombra, and then I’m going to go home and have mindless sex with Cassie, got it?” He asked. “Got it,” Twilight said with a nod. “Just to let you know, you’ll have to race me for the right to kill Sombra,” She told him with a devilish smile. “As long as you let me have Nightmare then that’s fine with me, Sparky,” Ethan replied with a savage grin of his own. The two companions stepped off of the train and looked out at the frozen wasteland before them. Ethan had his power armor’s heating function turned on so he was nice and warm while Rarity’s creations kept Twilight warm as well. The man looked like a mobile armory. The red bladed bastard sword was slung across his back, his shock sword slept comfortably on his hip, and a knife in a sheath across his chest. The half assembled frame of Vengeance was also visible on his back along with its power supply and his modified anti-material rifle. His LMG clicked against the 12.7 mm submachine gun on his other hip as he walked. To say that the man was intimidating would be an understatement. A cold wind swept around them making Twilight’s white cloak flutter and spin as snowflakes danced around her face. The purple mare didn’t even flinch. Instead her horn began to glow slightly and the cold north wind decided that it was best not to trouble her with its embrace. “We know where we’re going yet?” Ethan asked her. “Yes, I can feel a huge amount of necromantic energy,” Twilight said calmly. “English, please,” Ethan told her. “Energy that comes is used to bring the dead back to life, the long dead in this case,” she replied. “Well then, it’s zombie killing time,” Ethan replied as he unslung his bastard sword from his back. “Ethan, they’re over twenty miles away, having your sword out at the moment isn’t going to help you at all,” Twilight told him frankly. Before their conversation could get any farther a quartet of sparkling ponies in blue crystallized guard armor trotted up to them. Each had a large halberd strapped to their backs along with a short handled war hammer at their side. Every one of them was an earth pony. The guards were led by an officer wearing a white officer’s cloak gilded with gold lining and a long bladed, almost machete like sword hung at his side. He had a glistening green coat and a ruby red mane. “Miss Sparkle, we’ve been expecting you. I’m General Falchion,” the officer said as he stepped forward. “Sparky, why do I suddenly have the feeling that if I look to long at these guys that I’ll go blind?” Ethan asked the mare. The crystal guards and the officer glared at him and Ethan gave them an evil smirk. “Girls, I’m really not someone that you want to be glaring at right now.” The guards however remained unperturbed and glared right back at him. “And this must be the idiotic creature who believes himself to be untouchable,” the officer said, his voice cold. “Yes, this is Ethan,” Twilight nodded simply. “It’s good to see you again, General,” “And the same to you Miss Sparkle,” Falchion replied with a smile. “Excuse me?” Ethan asked, not used to being ignored. “Yes?” Falchion asked with an annoyed tone in his voice at being distracted from his conversation with Twilight. “What the hell makes you think that you can ignore me like that?” Ethan asked as he gripped the hilt of his sword. “Boy, I’ve seen things that would make your soul barricade itself in a closet as it wept until its eyes were dry,” the General told Ethan harshly. “Have you now?” Ethan asked, raising an eyebrow. “Yes,” the general replied coldly. “Well I-” “I do hate to hate to cut the formalities short, but do you know where the in the hell that mass of necromantic energy is coming from?” Twilight asked interrupting the byplay. “Unfortunately I do, in fact it is the reason that I came to meet you two myself to escort you within the Heart Shield,” the stallion answered gravely. “I was wondering about that,” Twilight muttered as her robotic eye scanned the area around them. “It isn’t exactly normal for the general to meet ponies fresh off of the train.” “Right then, come along. Just stay close and we’ll keep you both from harm,” the general told them. Ethan snorted at the thought. “We hardly need the help, but it’ll be nice to have an audience,” Ethan told him. The general either didn’t hear him, or more likely simply didn’t care. They set off towards the large glowing shield in the distance at a light trot that ate up the distance but before they could arrive a black haze descended on the group. “Well, well, well, if it isn’t the little general,” a dark voice said with a mocking laugh. “How do you like the badge of office, boy? I hope your father didn’t leave too many stains on it when I killed him” The voice asked with a chuckle. “Get out of our way Sombra, you have no power over us anymore,” Falchion growled. “MWA HA HA HA HA HA, I have more power then you could ever dream of!” Sombra laughed. “Sparky, what’s going on?” Ethan whispered quietly to Twilight. “Ethan, this is Sombra, one of the most evil beings who’s ever walked this planet,” Twilight said softly. “He’s using an illusion of some kind to distract us. Expect an attack at any second.” Falchion just gritted his teeth and scowled up at the black cloud. Two of the guards drew their halberds while the other two drew their warhammers. Ethan readied his red blade and prepared for anything. Falchion simply tensed. The darkness suddenly engulfed them and from out of it charged several shadows. Ethan couldn’t see his enemy but he automatically brought his sword up to block a vicious downward stroke from a rusty axehead. The impact rocked the man backwards but with a quick flick of his wrist he sent the sword skittering off of his own. He then slashed downwards and chopped straight into something hard and metallic. The blade of his sword was stopped for a moment before it tore through the metal and into something soft and squishy. A groan reached his ears and he caught the briefest glance of pony shaped silhouette before he was forced to block another swing of the rusty axe. A powerful blast of purple magic suddenly smashed through the black cloud revealing their opponents. They were indeed ponies, but they were far different from any that Ethan had seen before. The tufts of fur that showed from beneath rusty armor once blue armor was ragged and torn revealing petrified grey flesh. Rotten teeth gripped an aged axe in its mouth and sightless white eyes stared at Ethan. Twilight’s blast of magic seemed to have stunned the zombie soldiers. Taking the initiative the man swept blade through the zombie pony's neck and sent it rolling to the ground. The guards had wasted no time and their halberds and warhammers had already sliced through or smashed the necks of the opponents that they faced. Falchion on the other hand had his now blood covered falchion grasped firmly between his teeth and five decapitated corpses lay at his hooves. Twilight was holding one of the zombies in her magical grip, her head was cocked to the side as she evaluated it, then with a simple flare from her horn the zombie was crushed like a tin can. “We should go now before more appear,” Twilight said, her voice detached signifying that she had split her mind into several fragments, one of which was doing the speaking. “Move out, now!” Falchion ordered, somehow managing to talk despite the heavy blade in his jaws. The group took off at a sprint towards the large shimmering shield in the distance. An angry scream rose up from the black and the mist raced towards them but the group managed to keep ahead of it, just barely, and passed through the shield. The dark mist tried to smash through the shield but it was violently repulsed and sent flying backwards revealing fifteen of the zombified warriors behind. Unlike the mist the warriors were not immediately repelled but instead passed about halfway through the barrier before they disintegrated, frozen flesh spiraling away in grey strips. Ethan sheathed his sword in one clean motion and turned to regard the general with a newfound respect. “That was quick work,” Ethan told him. Falchion shrugged. “Easy, they were just low level zombies, no real intelligence behind them,” Falchion replied simply. “Now come on, you’re both needed at the palace.” He and the other guards set off at a brisk pace, leaving Ethan and Twilight no choice but to hurry after them.