//------------------------------// // Five Months Later // Story: Chronicles of Bon Bon // by Anonimoose //------------------------------// As the season of winter began, Bon Bon entered the cave, her lunar uniform tattered and her mane unkempt to the state where her signature curl was no more, instead she wore a brown trapper's hat to keep her ears warm from the chilling wind, as she entered the cave Aniseed woke from her sleep and sneezed, "Hey Bon Bon! Find anything useful?" Aniseed asked curiously wiping her nose as Bon Bon reached into her pilfered EDI saddlebag, "Just the usual rations from the patrols," then digging deeper into the bag she pulled out a bag of medicine, "and I figured I'd dig around in town and see what I could get." giving the giving it to Aniseed who scowled at first but took the foul tasting medicine. Aniseed propped up on from her makeshift bed, Bon Bon put her hoof on Aniseed's forehead to check the temperature, "Slightly warm, but better than a few weeks ago, the forest isn't the best place to be in the winter!" She said happy that Aniseed was feeling better, she handed her a ration and the filly began to chomp down on the bread "So have you seen your parents yet?" Aniseed asked with her mouth stuffed with the ration, "One. Don't eat with your mouth full, and no, they have my family on watch since my escape, the minute I step near them I'm a goner." "So how long do you think the war will last?" "I dunno Anni, Hopefully it will end soon, I'm running out of things to teach!" Bon Bon said rustling the mane of the filly. "Ugh, but math is SO BORING!" "Yeah, but one day this war will be over and you need math even with this war you use math everyday!" "Nuh uh." Aniseed shook her head, "Oh so, you don't use math when you make candy?" "Well that's different!" "Is it?" Bon Bon asked as Aniseed rolled her eyes. "Fine, math is important!" she said in defeat "You'll thank me later." "If you say so.." "I know s-" she was cut short by the sound of rotor-blades flying over the cave echoing throughout, as she peered outside she saw the War-birds fly into the city limits, "See anymore of those magic powered ones?" Aniseed whispered "Not as frequent, they need to recharge every few weeks and it takes too much energy to fully charge, so I think they only use them for emergencies now." "As long as they don't go on another hunt for us that's fine by me!" Aniseed said remembering the day they were almost found. "That makes two of us!" she breathed a sigh of relief, "Though we still need to be careful, If the radio chatter is correct, the Wonderbolts and some mercenaries are going to be searching the woods for us again. "What did you do to make them so determined?" Aniseed asked why tilting her head. "They think I killed one of their own, Soarin'." "Why not tell them you didn't!" she stated, "It's not that simple, I've tried to but they're too blind to listen to reason." "Well I believe you!" Aniseed said with a toothy grin, "That's all that matters." giving the filly a hug, the moment was cut off when a buzzing sound of multiple motors zipped over in the distance, then a large explosion was heard and could be heard from inside the city, flicking on the radio Bon Bon heard nothing but static. "What's going on!?" Aniseed asked Bon Bon replied with a shush noise and rotated the dial a few clicks, "This is Shadow-1, "Full Effect! making a second pass!" the sound of sirens could be heard in the distance followed by loud explosions of flak cannons. after a few minutes of explosions the radio cracked back to life "THIS IS SHADOW-1, I AM GOING DOWN, MAYDAY MAYDAY, I'M GOING TO TRY AND LAND TH-" static echoed through the cave, Bon Bon snatched up the old lever-action rifle Rifle she found in a raided convoy of confiscated weapons, "Aniseed, I'm going to go investigate, you know the drill." "Yes Ma'am," She said giving a salute and grabbed a small remote with a button, then she ran over to Bon Bon and gave her a goodbye hug, "Be careful." "I'll do my best, see you soon kid." Bon Bon then lifted the cover from the entrance and stepped out into the cold gust, looking into the sky she saw a trail of smoke going off into the distance, the wreckage would be swarmed by EDI soldiers soon, so Bon Bon made haste to the wreckage. After a few hours of travel she made it to the wreckage the small aircraft was torn into two pieces by a tree the tail was stuck in a tree, and the cockpit of the small bomber was buried under a pile of snow, walking over to the cockpit brushed away the snow and saw an unconscious pilot in Shadowbolt attire wearing an oxygen mask and helmet, opening the cockpit she shook the pilot, who awoke and seeing Bon Bon tried to reach for her sidearm, but before she could Bon Bon had her rifle pointed at her, "You best think long and hard on your next option.." She stated in a cold and merciless voice, "Alright I give EDI scum." The Shadowbolt said putting her hooves in the air "I'm not EDI, the names Drops." She said offering a hoof to the pilot who accepted. "Drops!?" She said in surprise. "We thought you were dead!" "Well you thought wrong, now we can talk about the current situation later, but for now, we gotta get out of here." "Agreed, lets get out of here." as the duo took the long trip back to the cave night had fallen, the Shadowbolt was about to enter the cave first but Bon Bon stopped her, "I wouldn't do that if I were you." "Why's that?" The Shadowbolt asked as Bon Bon shouted into the cave "Anni, I brought some candy." she said using a cryptic code. "and what kind of candy is that?" a small voice replied, "Peppermint, the best kind." various clicks were heard from inside the cave as the all clear was given, the two ponies walked into the cave, the Shadowbolt looked up seeing two shaped charges on the roof and then three to her right. "I see what you mean.." The Shadowbolt said as Bon Bon walked over to Aniseed, "Alright fun times over, it's time for bed" she said to her getting a groan in response as she tucked in the filly who went to sleep a few minutes later, eventually the Shadowbolt took off her helmet and mask and set them down, her opal coat and amber mane were matted down by the helmet, Bon Bon went next to Lightning Dust and sat down, "The names Lightning Dust, thanks for saving my flank." "There's no Lunar forces in the area, what are you doing here?" Bon Bon said jumping to the point. "I've been sent to block the communication in the area, after Celestia lost the amulet we've been pushing them back." "So how long until the army arrives?" Bon Bon asked "Currently we've taken back Ponyville but Appleoosa is taking longer than expected." "Why Appleoosa?" Bon Bon asked "We believe Time Turners main plant is located there if we can take that out the Guardian Tanks assembly line will be crippled, I was sent here to see if I could disrupt communications." "So it's going to be a while I assume?" "That's the way it seems." "So where are the Patriots?" "As far as we know the Patriots were dissolved in the Lunar Coalition not soon after Luna emerged from hiding." "Do you know anything about Lyra heartstrings, Sifty, Backfire?" "Lyra and the Changeling, Rips I think, went AWOL soon after the battle, Sifty and Backfire are running classified missions looking for the vault Celestia is hiding in." "AWOL? Why?" "Dunno, they just got up and left without warning stealing a cargo ship with a prototype tank, and left with the transmission of 'shove off', we are ordered to shoot on sight." An awkward silence took over the cave as Lightning Dust looked at the sleeping filly, "So whats with the kid?" Dust said, "Excuse me?" "She's a hazard, she could compromise your position." Lightning Dust said about to say something else about the mission she was cut off by Bon Bon, "I owe her my life, and if anypony in this cave is a hazard, it's you." Bon Bon coldly stared into the eyes of the Shadowbolt. "ME?" Dust said pointing to herself, "I scored top marks in the survivalist courses at the academy!" "Good, then we shouldn't have a problem, but," walking over to dust whispering in her ear, "If ANYTHING happens to her, you will WISH I left you there for the EDI." she said without hesitation. Then she put on a smile, "Now, you should get some rest," handing her a blanket as Bon Bon scooted under the covers of the makeshift bed next to Aniseed who immediately closed the space between them as she had for the past months to Bon Bon's amusement. Then the two fell fast asleep, Lightning Dust was wide awake making a mental note to herself not to cross Drops.