//------------------------------// // Chapter 22 - The First One to Say- // Story: Pony-Z // by Black Light //------------------------------// The First One to Say- Twilight and Pete had returned from the garden, Twilight with some swurved walking. "You are the lightest drinker I have ever seen." Pete said. "Yeah well just how many have you even seen drink before me?" Twilight asked. "Including Liz, Jay, Matt and myself. Four." He answered. Twilight rolled her eyes. "I'm gonna go back to my room and go to sleep." She said trotting off. "Drink plenty of water." Pete advised turning towards the throne room. He walked in and found Luna, Liz, Jay, and Matt all standing around a small map. The four looked up at him. Luna looked sligtly worried, but the other three just nodded in greeting. "So, what's happening now?" Pete asked as he looked at the map. "Manehattan... of course it's called Manehattan." "Yes, we've recieved reports of refugies there. We want to send out a contingent to see if we can't bring them here." Luna told him. Pete got a pondering look. "How many ponies can the sky chariot hold?" He asked. "Without counting the ponies pulling it around fifteen if it's packed." The princess answered. "And how many survivors do you predict there are?" Pete continued to questoin. We beleive somewhere from ten to thirteen, possibly more." Luna told him. Pete gave a small nod of accnolegment. "Alright prepare two chariots. I'll go pick some guards to accompany us." Pete said starting towards the barracks. "How many are you going to ask to come?" Luna asked with some hesitence. "Four or five." Pete said walking off. "And just so you know, that's also the number I plan to come back with." He said over his shoulder as he left. Within a few minutes Pete was in the courtyard with the five selected guards, six other guards, all pegasus, were getting hitched to the two chariots. The princess, Armor, Cadence, and the girls were all there to wish them luck. Pete was addressing the guards. "Alright listen up, The pegasi will land near the outskirts of a town. You'll dehitch from the chariot and all but two of you will go with us and the rest of the guard. The two remaining will watch the chariots. If anything happens one will fly out and find us to give a report. The guards with us will be on escort duty. We find the survivors, get them moving as fast as possible, and leave before things start to go south. Understand?" He finished. A chorus of 'yes sir' answered him. "Good, we leave in fiftenn minutes collect any gear that you think you may need, but don't let it weigh you down." The guards saluted and went to fetch their gear. Armor walked up next to Pete. "You're sure you were never in the military?" He asked. "Matt asked the same thing the first few times I came up with plans. Granted there was a lot more shouting and more use of the word 'bullshit' involved." Pete said. Matt reached over and slapped him on the back of the head. "What it's true." "I've only ever said the word 'bullshit' to you once, and it was to describe your cooking." Matt told him. "I thought we were done with this. It's not my fault you found expired beans." Pete responded. "Expired beans don't make someone bedridden for a week." Matt countered. Jay just tapped Armor on the shoulder. "You probably aren't going to get to say much more to him. The bean story is a very touchy subject for those two." He said. Armor just rolled his eyes. "How did you survive this long?" He asked chucking. Jay just smiled. "Because no matter how crazy and silly we act, when our lives are on the line we're all we have left to trust." He said. Armor just stared at him. "Hey, I can have my deep moments too." "You're sure that he's okay to go?" Twilight asked walking up looking at Pete. Jay sighed. "I can't really say, but I can say that if I was willing to put my life in anyones hands it would be his." Twilight looked towards Matt and Pete arguing. "Does he really not consider anypony his friend?" She asked. Jay chuckled. "He may never call someone his friend, but he can sure act like one. Pete's helped a lot of people, and many would call him their friend, but I don't think he calls anyone his friend." Jay answered. "And what about you?" Twilight asked. Jay was silent. "I know him well enough to call him friend. He wouldn' t feel comfortable about it, and friends don't try to make their friends uncomfortable." He said as he started smiling again. "You realize that brings up more questions than answers." Twilight responded. "That's because it's fun." Jay told her. "Liz! Jay! We're leaving!" Pete called out, and the two made their way to the chariot. The group left Canterlot and made thier way to Manehattan. When they landed they started to do what Pete had explained to them earlier. Two pegasi waited behind hidden watching the chariots, while the others started to make thier way into the town. "Where were the survivors seen?" Pete asked one of the scouts they brought along. "Along the northern edge, just a few blocks away from where we landed." He answered. "Alright, you're on point with me. Lead the way." Pete told him. The guard nodded and started to walk through the town. The group stuck to back alleys and shadows to avoid attention, making their way towards the northern edge. "This was an industrial type town wasn't it?" Pete asked the guard. "That's right, why?" He answered. "Because I would expect a place with as much population as this city had before to have more zombies roaming the streets." Pete told him. "Isn't that a good thing?" The guards asked. "Maybe, just remember this, if the majority of the population isn't here, it's somewhere else." Pete told him. The guard seemed to understand and didn't speak any more of it. The group walked out from one of the alleys the guard leading the pack. "We saw them somewhere around this street." The guard said as he looked up and down the street for any signs of ponies. Pete nodded and scanned the street. His gaze stopped on a house. "There." He said pointing to it. "Look at the windows, they've been intentionally covered by blankets. That's a good sight that someone's living there." Pete explained. The guards nodded and made heir way towards the house. As they reahed the Pete jiggled the handle quietly. "Locked, Liz you're up." Pete said backing away from the door. Liz stepped forward pulling a pin out of her hair and crouching down to the lock's level. Within a few moments the small sound of a click was heard. Liz backed away and Pete stepped up bring out his knife. "Living coming it." He said into the house. He opened the door and walked in. As he steped in he brought his knife up quickly and stopped a frying pan that was about to smack his head. There was a large earthpony grirpping it in his teeth on the other end. Pete sighed. "What part of living coming in didn't you understand?" He asked as the rest of the guard filled into the building. The ponies inside, fourteen adults and four children, were releaved to see the guard, but they were still apprehensive around the humans. As the guards began expianing the situation to the survivors. Pete made his way to the door and watched the road. A few moments later he felt a small tapping on his leg. He looked down and one of the young colts was looking up at him. "Um e-excuse me, but what are you?" He asked in a nervous voice. Pete put on a small smile. "I'm the guy who's going to make sure you get out of here safe." He answered the small foal, who smiled as Pete answered. Pete stood up suddenly and looked out the window. Some movement had caught his eye. He looked out and saw a lone pegasus guard flying above the street. Pete opened the door and reached out an arm until the guard notice it. The guard flew down quickly and came innside. "What's going on?" Pete asked him, as the others inside gathered around to see what the commotion was. "Sir," The guard started. "We have a problem."