//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 - Memories // Story: Pony-Z // by Black Light //------------------------------// Memories The castle was quiet, not a sound could be heard… except for, you know, the loud shouting and sounds of conflict. In the center of the barracks for the Royal Guards there was a fight. You could see a person running around with short spiked black hair. He was running through the guards dodging and blocking the attacks of the royal guards. He was moving around quickly, and then he found a sword pointed at his heart and he stopped. He looked down at the pony who held the sword and saw Shining Armor at the other end. Pete gave a sigh and looked at Shining Armor. “Dead.” He said calmly. “What?” Shining Armor asked. “Dead, you would be dead.” Pete answered. “But I’ve got my sword at your heart.” Shining Armor countered. “Do you think that will stop a zombie?” Pete asked. “A zombie doesn’t care about his well being. They will pay injuries no mind regardless of the severity. You could cut off all their legs, and tear out their heart. He won’t care; He’ll use his head to drag himself to get to you. You can’t aim for any other part but the head.” Pete said tapping his forehead. “All right, that’s it for today!” he shouted out, and all the guards sheathed their weapons and left heading for the mess hall for lunch. Princess Luna, Twilight, Matt, Jay, and Liz were all sitting off to the side watching the training session. Luna was watching carefully. She then turned to Matt. “I’ve been trying to understand, but Pete still confuses me. What can you tell me about him?” Matt put his hand to his chin in thought. “Well, he’s smart and quick. He doesn’t like to leave people unprotected, and he doesn’t trust guns. His clothes make me think he was some businessman, but his actions and demeanor don’t really fit that.” “That’s all you know. You have travelled and defended each other, but you don’t know anything about each other’s pasts?” Luna asked. “Well yeah.” Jay responded. “When the outbreak started we left our old lives behind. Our pasts don’t really matter that much, so we don’t talk about them. I mean heck, I know that Matt is ex-military but he’s never actually told us.” Jay said indicating to the large man. “So you think that the past is pointless?” Twilight questioned. “Not pointless, just… not really important in this world.” Liz answered. Pete was wiping his forehead off with a rag as he walked over. “They’re getting better, but they still lack the reaction time that they need to survive. I suggest that you don’t let them out to go scavenging for a while.” “Scavenging?” Luna asked. “Yeah, scavenging. You know, looting houses for food and supplies you need to survive.” Pete answered. “That-that’s not right. You can’t just go taking things.” Twilight said recoiling slightly. “Well if you follow that belief then you’re going to die.” Pete told her. “You can stay shut in one spot as long as you want, but eventually you’ll run out of food and will need to get more.” “We can grow our own food; we don’t need to take food from others.” Luna countered. “You can believe whatever you want, but eventually you will change. Everyone does at some point. You’ll have to give up the morals that you kept before: That world is gone now.” Pete said turning his back on them. “I’m gonna go check the gates. Call me when it’s time to eat.” Pete said tossing the towel on his shoulder and picking up his belt with this knifes in it. He then walked off in the direction of the gate checking his knifes as he went. “Something’s… different about him.” Luna said to the four still with her. “Yeah, that happens sometimes. He’ll act strangely every so often. He’s still the same Pete that we’ve always known, but it seems like there’s something dark below his skin, where we can’t see.” Jay responded watching Pete as he walked away. “Does it have anything to do with his past?” Twilight questioned. “Possibly.” Matt answered. “I wouldn’t worry about him. Just give him some time to himself and he’ll come back the same as always.” “He looks like he’s letting something fester inside of him, and you’re just going to let it eat away at him?” Luna asked accusingly. “You think we haven’t tried to find out?” Liz countered. “Whenever we try he tells us he just needs some time to think, and sure enough he comes back later and he’s gotten over it.” “How can you think that way?” Twilight started. “I’m going to find him.” She finished walking off towards the gates. “He’ll tell you the same thing he’s told us!” Jay called after her. Twilight walked along the base of the gate looking around for Pete. She spotted him sitting on top of the wall staring out into the trees at nothing. Twilight teleported up to the top of the wall and started walking towards him. “If you’re here because you think you’re going to cheer me up you should just go.” Pete said not even turning to look at her. “I’m not really here to cheer you up.” Twilight responded. “Though I would like it if you did cheer up, right now I just want to understand why.” Pete finally raised his head and looked at her. “Why what?” He asked. “Why you change so suddenly. Right before you left something about you changed, and I’ve seen it even before that. When we first got to Canterlot you met my brother, and for a moment when he said I was his sister your demeanor changed. What is it that causes these changes?” Twilight questioned him. Pete turned away. “I don’t want to talk about it.” He said. “Just leave it.” “Well I can’t just leave it.” Twilight responded. “Something inside is hurting you and I want to know what it is. It’s what friends do for each other.” Pete looked back at her. “Friends?” “Well yeah, the four of you saved my life. I’m pretty sure that I should at least call you friends for that, and I always try to help my friends.” Twilight said before she let a saddened expression come through. “Of course I haven’t seen my other friends in a while. They’ve been so busy with their work that we haven’t been able to get together in a while.” Pete paused for a second before speaking. “Tell me about them.” Twilight looked at him. “Your friends tell me about them.” Twilight was silent for a second then she smiled a little. “Well, there’s Rarity, she’s been helping with maintaining the armor of the guard, and she’s always been willing to help lend a hoof in help. Applejack has been supplying food to the city, she would never even think of lying to a friend or even a random pony on the street. Fluttershy has been working in the clinics, she’s probably the nicest pony in all of Equestria but also probably the shyest as well. Pinkie’s been throwing parties trying to keep spirits up, probably the happiest pony you will ever know and it just seems so infectious. Rainbow has been working with the Wonderbolts to look for any uninfected, you can always count on her to come through for you in the end. Finally there’s Spike, he’s basically like a little brother to me, he’s been working with the nobles to relay messages around Equestria to anypony still out there. They’re doing so much for everypony, but I’m just here. They say I’m doing good work by keeping track and organizing everything, but it just doesn’t feel like I’m actually doing anything.” Twilight said lowering her head. “… You trust your friends very much don’t you?” Pete asked her. “I would trust them with my life.” Twilight answered proudly. Pete chuckled a bit. “I wish I still believed in that.” “What do you mean?” Twilight asked. “You’ve got your friends and it looks like you trust them.” “Yes I do trust them, but I also trust that if they have to choose between trying to risk their life to save mine or getting out of the danger zone. They’d probably choose the latter.” “What?!” Twilight said surprised. “How can you just say something like that?” “For the same reason that I reacted to your brother.” “What do you mean?” “I’ve already said more than I planned on saying. You should just leave it be.” Pete answered “Well I can’t. You saved my life so I want to trust you, but if you keep so many secrets I don’t know if I can.” Twilight told him forcefully. “Well then I guess you just won’t be able to trust me.” Pete said looking away. “Why is it so hard to say? What happened to you that you can’t seem to trust another?” Twilight asked before thinking it through. “It’s because someone you trusted broke your trust isn’t it?” Pete flinched a little turning away. “I’m right aren’t I?” Twilight asked. “…Yes, you are.” Pete answered before turning back to her. “However, this is not a topic up for discussion, so leave it.” “You’ll never get over it unless you talk about it.” “And I won’t get over it even if I do.” “You’ll never know unless you try.” Pete looked at Twilight. “You’re never going to let this go until I tell you aren’t you?” Twilight nodded and Pete gave a sigh. “Fine, you want to know why I can’t trust anyone anymore. It’s because my brother tried to kill me.” Pete said turning away from Twilight and starting to walk away from her down the wall.