//------------------------------//
// Pull the pin and count to three 
// Story: Ten Rounds: Tales from the last of man 
// by Da Bunnana King 
//------------------------------//


Pull the pin and count to three
By Da Bunnana King



= + = + = + =

I quickly peered around the corner of the broken building, looking for anything on four legs or anything that moved.

The compound was clear and that’s what scared me. Not even four days ago the compound was populated with what was left of an Army stronghold trying to CASEVAC civilians out of the town. There were tents full of wounded families as paramedics, doctors and surgeons worked on them to get them stable enough for transport to a fort or a base. Sandbags near the entrances that were guarded by soldiers and riddled with barbed wire and the small entrance where I stood was where the communication satellite sat with a loud generator powering it.

Now it was empty. Like real empty. No tents, no sandbags, no barbed wire and not even a satellite dish for communication.

Just empty and quiet.

I let out a short breath and backed slowly away from the corner making sure I didn’t make a sound or a cloud of dust. Looking down at the ground I could see my black boots that I scavenged from an old gun store along with a rusty knife and a cleaning kit for my M1 Garand.

Sure it was an old rifle that my family kept for sentimental reasons but now it was the only thing keeping me human. According to my grandpa it was used by my great great grandfather when he stormed the beaches of Normandy during World War Two, he even made a notch in the stock of the rifle for every Nazi he killed.

The clothes I wore were the same set that I wore when I ran out of this compound from a potion blitz. A pair green army fatigues and a green shirt with bloodstains on it. It wasn’t my blood,  just whomever I was trying to stabilize before the potion raid sirens went off.

I wasn’t a soldier like the rest of them, I was just a paramedic from the hospital when the ponies began shelling us with this new type of potion gas. It was deadly, well from a human perspective. One breath full of the potion would very much knock you out and as you breathed it in you would slowly turn into a pony. The worst part was that it was that it stayed there for a long long time. It made me carry around a gas mask all the time but in the rush of evacuating the base I left it behind in my room. All I had time to grab was a small emergency pack I was told to make when I first arrived here, my rifle and about ten en bloc clips for the rifle. I had already wasted four trying to fight my way out of the compound and another one scavenging in the deserted city.

Luckily I had found a silencer and a mountable flashlight for the M1 but the light made it hard to look through the sights so I just taped it to the side with a roll of duct tape I had found lying around. 

To say the least the rifle was the only thing keeping me up right and on two legs.

‘Alright,’ I mentally said as I gasped for a breath of fresh air, ‘Run to the closest door and then make a beeline for my room and get out.’

I peeked around the corner making sure the massive courtyard was clear. 

“Now,” I said as I broke into a dead sprint towards an open door on the far side of the courtyard.

I looked left for a second as I was halfway across scanning along the windows. Nothing in them but I swear I saw shadows moving on the top floor, I couldn’t make them out but I prayed to God that they were some sort of resistance. I looked right as I was about to run into the door. A light in the top floor! But it didn’t seem to move, perhaps there was someone left here and was still waiting for a Heli to evac them.

But I ran into the building and very quickly skidded across the linoleum floor and ran away from the door to make sure no one would see me.

But I had made it. I was inside. I hoped that I had made the right decision to come back here. It was well defended with soldiers, had a massive supply of ammo, meds and food. Now it was just empty.

Sighing I began to walk down the dimly lit corridor towards what was left of my room. The halls were empty now, all I could hear was the noise of my boots hitting the floor as it echoed off of the walls.

The ground was covered in a fine layer of dust from either the walls being hit with a barrage or whatever those ponies threw that day but everything seem so settled and still. There seemed almost a peace in it. Nothing moved, nothing made a noise, no one around to disturb the quiet.

I looked at the fine layer of dust to see if there were any trails left by anyone. I could barely make out the pair of boot tracks ahead of me but it was hard to tell from the little amount of light that there was. So I turned on my light and it lit up the corridor like it was the Fourth of July.

Although the site that greeted me was greatly disturbing and filled me with horror.

The walls weren’t the cream color I remembered them but a mix of red and purple amongst bullet holes that scattered across the walls. The ground ahead was littered with dragging marks, mixed with blood that caused the silt to look like grains of red sand.

“What the heck happened here?” I silently questioned myself as I shakily raised my rifle up to light up the entire hallway.

All I could see was blood mixed with purple stains of potion bombs along with large stains of blood where I assumed ponies bled out once someone put them out of their wretched lives. I needed to stop thinking and get my mind straight. If no one was here I needed to be on guard, I was here for one thing only. My stash of medical supplies, spare ammo and what little amount of MRE I had saved up during my very short stay here.

Gulping I set off down the hallway to the nearest flight of stairs. Thinking about my small room I called home was in the basement as regular rooms had to be used for the people that had to be prepped for either emergency surgery or were in intensive care. Sure I had to sleep next the boiler room but at least I had a comfy cot and I was kept warm during the cold nights.

I kept on quietly creeping through the corridor while I checked my corners, yet one door caught my eye. No it wasn’t the door itself, but it was what hanging out the door. It looked like a pair of boots hanging out of the door, I didn’t know who the boots belonged to but I knew they weren’t going to be needing their stuff.

I walked up to the door and looked in. As sure as the sun rises there laid the dead soldier with the back half of his head blown off and his arm half turned into a disfigured forehoof.

‘Poor guy,’ I thought as I bent down to begin looking through his chest rig. He didn’t have much on him that was worth while, a few magazines that didn’t fit my rifle, although I did find a gas mask and one hand grenade.

“Pull the pin, count to three and throw,” I said as I read off the small yellow instructions on the side of the green grenade. Giving off a small chuckle, I placed the grenade into my pocket and continued on my way.

= + = + = + =

I stood at the top of the stairs that led down to the basement of the old building. The staircase was as dark as night, and the odor reminiscent of grape.

I knew that stench well. I had smelt it when the hospital was hit with the ponification gas or whatever those ponies had cooked up. I could risk going into the dark unknown without a mask but I didn’t want to test my luck.

I pulled out the mask and fastened it to my face. It smelt like death but I guess it was better than breathing down a lung full of that gas.

I raised my rifle and began to descend down the stairs using the flashlight to guide my path.

The basement was filled with a fine mist of purple and it was evident that anyone down here didn’t survive. It was depressing thinking about the patients and other medics who lived down here. Did any of them make it out and escape or did they meet the same fate as some of my friends in the hospital.

Shrugging off the thought I continued towards my small room at the back. Although feeling uneasy about it. Usually when I moved around the basement there were cots for people to sleep on or to lay on it they needed bandages or rest but now it was empty and nothing was left.

“I don’t like this,” I said as I did a quick three sixty to make sure the room was  clear.

“Did you say something Glitter?” asked a voice in the dark.

“No but did you see that light?” replied another voice. Though it sounded like a girl talking but it didn’t sound right. I don’t know why but I didn’t like it and I have never met a person called ‘Glitter’ in my life.

‘Shit,’ I thought as I quickened my pace towards my old room, ‘I knew this place was too quiet and too clean to be the remains of a base. I bet they’re going to use this place as a base or something.’

“Hey, I think I see somebody.” said the voice as a glowing ball of light attached itself to the ceiling, “Its a human!”

“But I thought you said this place was clear,” the pegasus stallion said as he reached behind its back to grab something.

I didn’t even react to them bickering each other and instantly raised my rifle, blinding them a bit before I shot them with a few rounds.

"Hey we have a human over here!" Yelled the unicorn mare as she galloped for cover.

"Just come with us and we'll help you join the herd. You'll love being a pony!" Shouted the stallion as he threw a potion bomb near me as it exploded on the ground.

I began retreating for cover but I could already hear a clatter of hooves approaching me.

'Shit. I knew it was a bad idea to come here. I got to find a way out of this mess,' I thought to myself as I hid behind a pillar while blind firing in the general direction of the noise.

"Embrace the gift that Celestia is offering, throw off the shackles of humanity and embrace your new life,' yelled a new voice. 

As I squeezed the trigger the clip shot out of the rifle making an ear ringing ping. Then again my ears were already rigging from the rifle going off.

I fumbled to find a clip in my pocket, I felt the sharp tips of the bullets poke me in the figure but as I pulled it out along went two fresh clips into the puddle of purple goop that was next to me.

I quickly saw the rounds dissolve into the goo but my attention was elsewhere. Tried to quickly reload the rifle but my hands trembled as I tried pushed the clip in. I ended up forcing the clip in but I could hear their voices draw closer.

Another potion flew past my cover and landed near a passage covering it with goo. I was going to use that passage to escape or at least give myself some more time to plan a better escape but now I was relatively trapped.

"Please join us, you'll be able to live in Equestria without fear and be able to start a family of your own!” shouted another pony before I shot around the corner causing a terrifying scream.

I kept on blind firing around the corner trying to hold their advance but my mind was elsewhere.

‘Come on Kevin, think. What is a good way out of this death trap,’’ I quickly thought as I scanned the darkened room for any other exit.

The pickings looked slim but I could see the outline of an archway in the darkness. It was a slim chance that it would lead to my freedom but it was a chance I was willing to take.

Gulping, I began to fire the few rounds I had in the rifle before I burst out in a desperate sprint towards the door but I felt something warm hit the back of my leg. 

“Guah!” I screamed as my face hit the cold hard concrete ground, shattering one of the eyepiece of my mask. I could barely move from the pain in my leg, it felt like someone had dipped my leg into molten metal and decided to start hammering nails into it as well.

“I think we got him! Quickly we must help him transition!” yelled a mare as I rolled over onto my back to see my lower leg covered in purple potion. I couldn’t do anything as I watched it eat through my clothing and absorb into my skin.

“Fuck,” I said as I began to feel... odd, ‘but I could pull through. I just got to fend them off and get to my room. I can then treat the leg, I’m not turning into a stallion here. I mean horse.’

My thoughts raced as I looked down the aperture sights of the rifle and began to shoot as many ponies as I could but I kept on missing. I aimed for them but the bullets were always a hairline off.

“NO!” I yelled as I began to shuffle back. I fired one more shot at them as the clip sprung from the rifle and landed somewhere behind me.

“Shit,” I said as I fumbled in my pocket for a clip. I thought I found one but all I pulled out was the grenade.

The thought of me pulling the pin and not letting go entered my head. Time slowed down as I carefully thought this over. A part of me wanted to so I could be done with this torture of being turned into one of them but another part of me wanted to drop it and let myself join the herd.

I knew what I had to do.

“Forgive me for what I’m going to do,” I uttered as I pushed my finger through the pin. I gave the pin a forcefully pull as it slid out of the pin slid out from the primer.

“One,” I said as I could see a small herd of ponies approaching me with each drawing breath.

“Two,” I said as one of them approached me on my left. It was a tan colored mare with a light brown mane and deep blue eyes. I could hear her utter something as she waved her friends to come over.

“Three,” I said I could hear more of them rush over. The mare that hovered her head over me, it was almost like she was making sure I was alive and well.

“Four,” I whispered as my world grew dark around the edges. Who ever the make had called over was now helping her to rip off my cloths and trying to pry the grenade out of my hand.

“Five,” I said as I slowly began fading out but it was strange I felt at ease with all of this. I actually was kind of excited to see what awaited me on the other side. The mare however poured stuff over my chest trying to do something but it didn’t matter now. Soon everything would be gone along with me.

Then it grew dark. 

= + = + = + =

I couldn’t hear, see or even smell anything as I floated in darkness.

I felt pain though, so much pain that emanated from my chest and spread out all over my body. A pain that felt like someone had replaced my blood with fire and had begun hitting my bones with hammers. It was so much pain I couldn’t take another second of it and then it all stopped. It was strange, it was almost like I had stopped it myself just by wanting it to.

I felt at peace with everything. I almost felt stronger and that I could take on the world. I actually felt amazing for once in this whole ordeal of Celestia going around and turning everyone into ponies.

‘Heh, ponies,’ I chuffed. It was almost funny now about her going around and doing that 
to everyone.

Though, in a way it was almost kind of a good idea, in a messed up sort of way. It solved the economy since people were too busy trying to run away from the inevitable, stopped the homeless problem really quick smart and no one was sick anymore. Injured sure but never heard a case of cancer when I worked at that hospital or someone dying of a terminal illness.

But I felt bad about it. A lot of people got turned against their will but it’s what Princess Celestia wanted.

Even as I thought of her name I felt sad as I had very much thrown away my life because she just wanted to give me a second chance with this gift. I was alone and scared in the darkness but I did feel one thing in this void. I felt... different.

Then a bright gleaming light began to beam from above me. It was the light at the end of the tunnel. I always thought it was a saying when you die but I guess that was a lie.

I began moving towards the light I became warm and happy, finally able to leave this purgatory. The light was within my grasp, I reached out for it, my hand blocked the light but I grasped it with both hooves.

= + = + = + =

“Come on sleepy bones, it’s time for work, not rest,” said a gruff voice as I was uneasily woken up by a hoof flipping my hat off my head.

“Hey what was that for,” I snapped back as I caught my hat with an idle hoof.

“We got to harvest the western field today,” said a massive earth pony with a dark brown coat. I was probably the same height as him but he was stronger than me but unlike me I could actually plow the entire western field by myself.

“Alright, well lets get to it,” I said as I accepted his extended hoof to help me up.

Once I was up on my four sturdy hooves, I looked over my golden brown fields of hay. It was strange how it matched my coat and my mane was as dark as the heads of barley that I grew.

It was strange. Six years ago this all used to be a small town that I used to live in. But now, now it was my field.

Even after all I had been through I was glad Princess Celestia shared her gift with me and they were right about one thing.

“Man I love being a pony,” I said as I trotted towards the golden fields of hay.

= + = + = + =