‘Survival instinct, it is something that we all have, even we don’t know it. We will do almost anything to survive even kill. Just to survive to see another day.’
Fire, it is warm and loving. But, it has a dark side. It burns, it harms and scolds. The swarms of ponies, that tried to get out of the cities. The ponies running for their lives. The ponies trying to escape the horrors of being captured by the enemy. The enemy dropped bombs in the city, destroying buildings and killing anybody inside. It was a day that I will never forget or forgive. It was just a normal day when it happened. I came home after a busy day of work as a dishwasher at a fancy restaurant and decided to switch to the news to see what the latest news of Baltimare. I switched it one but, instead of the news channel was a emergency broadcast with a Unicorn head. Then, a message came on the bottom of the screen. Please, don’t panic. Please, stay calm. If possible please, stay in your homes until help arrives in your area. If any pony tries to enter your home, please don’t harm them. Just wait until the authorities arrive to assist you and your family. It repeated it message. What the hell is going on? I thought to myself as the message repeated several times before I heard the sounds of explosions and ponies screaming. I went to my window to see what is going on. There were ponies running what looks like for their lives. Some ponies were going house to house telling them something and pointing at the sky. I looked up to parachutes with tiny figures underneath them. I looked higher to see the planes dropping the parachutes and some were dropping bombs on the city.
“Shit.” I said to myself as I watch ponies running, this wasn’t good. I heard my TV switch to the News and the newsmare appeared, her green mane was frizzled and her blue eyes were tired and filled with sorrow.
“Please, don’t panic but, the Zebra nation is now invading the entire eastern seaboard of Equestria. Do not panic and do not make contact with any of the Zebras as they are extremely dangerous and well armed with military grade firearms. If you are contacted by the Zebras please do not resist and comply with them.” The newsmare paused for a moment and turned to her left like she was trying to hear something. Then, gunfire. “They… they’re attacking the news station. Dear, Celestia…” she paused. She rested her head on her hoof and stared at the desk as the gunshots got closer. I couldn’t get my eyes off the screen. She looked back at the camera, the sounds of gunfire is getting closer. “They are going to kill us all. To my husband and children in the city of Baltimare, I love you and I always will.” She was crying now as she said that. “May Celestia have mercy on my soul.” The sounds of screaming can now be heard by the camera, Then, the door was busted in and Zebras in military uniforms and body armor covered in blood walked toward the newsmare. The Zebras were wearing balaclavas and had a red star on their chests. The Zebra that seemed to be the commander of the team pulled out a pistol and placed the barrel on the center of her forehead. The mare’s lip quivered “Why…” She never got the answer as the Zebra pulled the trigger, splattering her brains across the desk. It almost made me throw up.
“Have some fun boys and kill the them when your down. You’ve earned it. But, collect any intelligence for any Equestrian troop movements, placements and resources.” then, the sounds of gunshots began to yell out along with the terrified screams of the ponies that are being slaughtered and raped. The Zebra looked at the camera and pointed the pistol. “Show’s over.” then, the TV went back to the emergency station and repeated it’s message.
This confirms my fear and I’m balls deep in shit now. “FUCK!” I yelled as gunfire rained down through the streets as Zebras were slaughtering the ponies without mercy or remorse. Some bullets going through my home, nearly hitting me. If I didn’t duck I would have had air where my head would have been. I began to panic as I tried to find cover from the fire. I ran to my kitchen behind the fridge a bullet grazed me in the leg, it pain shot up my leg with a burning sensation. I began to limp as I got to the fridge. When I got there pressing my back against the fridge moving it a little , gunfire ripped through my house, tearing up everything that got in the way of the bullets. A bullet managed to pierce all the way through the fridge and hit me in the side. The pain surged though my body, it burned like a forest fire. Then, I began to feel cold as the blood began to flow out freely. I looked around for something to help stop the flow of blood. I noticed the dish towel on the counter, nice and folded. I took it with my magic and pressed it against my side. The gunfire stopped and my ears perked up as I heard the sound of the Zebras taking down my door. I heard silence for a moment. Then, I could hear one of them going through my house looking for any trace of me. I heard a Zebra just outside the door to my kitchen get on the radio.
“Bravo 1, this is Bravo 2, I have blood.”
“Copy, Bravo 2. Follow it and kill the source. We can’t let that many ponies leave the city’s borders. Take prisoners, when you get your count of ten dead. Copy?”
“I copy and will follow. I’m at nine. Bravo 2, out.” My eyes widened when the Zebra, said that. I could hear the hoof steps of the Zebra as he came closer to the door. I was starting to panic when I noticed that I moved the fridge when I was pressing against it earlier. I saw a thin grate, that looked like it could be taken out with a some force. I looked at the door and saw that it was slowly beginning to move open. I could see the gun barrel sticking out, and it had a bayonet covered in…blood. I flared my horn trying to get the grate open, but it was a little tougher to get loose then, I thought. The door was halfway open. I couldn’t get the grate open in time. I was looking up and down the kitchen for something to defend myself with. My eyes fell upon a pan that was hanging on a hook over the counter. The Zebra would almost see me and my magic floating the pan. I pressed my side where the blood was starting to seep though the dish towel and started to pool on the hard wood floor. I took a deep breath as I flared my horn. I concentrated my magic through the pain around the pan, taking it off the hook. Luckily, the Zebra didn’t noticed this as I floated it behind the door as quietly as a possible. I was never all that good at levitating like my sister or brother. Finally, the door opened all the way and it was a buck in full body armor and was wearing a balaclava. I could tell that he was smiling under his mask when he saw me with the towel being pressed against my side. “Well, well. What do we have here?” he said with a cocky tone
“F…fuck you.” I was barely able say anything as the chill from the lack of blood constricted my lungs.
“Aw, you are trying to sound like a Stallion that’s nice. Well, I can see that you are in pain. Just so I can cross my one nice thing in my life; I‘m going to take you out of your misery. Any last words?” he said leveling the rifle to my head.
I stared in the eye. “Yes, I do.” I said just barely able to suppress the glow of my horn as I levitated the frying pan.
“And what would those be? It would be nice to know them before you bleed out.” he said fire control selector to a different position.
I levitated the frying pan behind the Zebra’s head getting it into swinging position. I looked at him dead in the eye. “Fuck off, asshole!” I yelled as I smashed the frying pan into the Zebra’s head; resulting in a sickening crack.
I sat there for a moment catching my breath, I was about to work on the grate again when the Zebra’s radio went off. “Bravo 2, this is Bravo 1. We have secured the entire block. What is your status on the pony? Report.” I froze when the Zebra said those word. Fuck. I thought as he continued. “Report or we’re coming in.
My eyes widened and I began to move faster as a mixture of fear and adrenaline went through me as I heard hoof steps start going though my house. I took the rifle of the Zebra from his battle saddle and slammed the butt stock against grate. After about five or six hit’s the grate gave in and fell into a drainage pipe. It turns out that the noise from the grate falling into a drainage pipe can attracted the attention of other Zebras. I heard them cocking their weapons as I looked at the unconscious Zebra’s pack. It had a white cross symbol on it. I was about to take it and the rifle but, before I could get anything they started firing into the kitchen. When I got a hold of the med pack with my magic, several bullets grazed me in the upper left leg and my face. That’ll scar. I thought as I tried to crawl in the drainage pipe. When I got in and began to slide down with the sound of my kitchen door fallen from its hinges, I realized a little too late as I drug in the still uncurious Zebra; he fell right passed me into the darkness of the pipe. Giant ass pipe. I thought. I cringed when the sound of a sickening crack along with some metal hitting concrete echoed to my ears. I began to slid down when I heard the voices of the Zebras “Where is that son of a bitch! And where in the hell is Bravo 2?!”
I don’t know if it was the sound of my hoofs grinding against wet pipe or the sound of there friend hitting pipe and concrete, I don’t know but, I heard them yell about it. But, I was distant as continued to slid down the pipe to the bottom. “He went down the pipe!” one of them yelled.
“Shit!” I yelled as I was sliding down as fast as possible without going into freefall. I hit a corner pipe with another grate with a grunt as pain shot up my side. “Fuck, that hurts.” I groaned as I looked down at the fallen grate pressing my side with my magic. Well, that explains the metal hitting concrete. I thought. I looked down and to see how far the fall was. It appeared to be about nine or ten feet. Fuck me. I thought as I jumped down again. I hit the floor hard making me fall on my side from the pain that burned through my body. The dish towel was just soaked to the point that it didn’t really matter if I had it or not. I landed in a pool of cold blood, which I discovered it was the dead Zebra’s blood when I looked up. “Fuuuuuck me. Today is not my day.” I got up blood dripping from my side and still aching from the constant dull pain. It still burns like a bitch but, I’m becoming numb to it. I froze when I realized that. I was losing to much blood and becoming numb. I’m surprised that I haven’t gone into shock. I thought myself as I got to the dead Zebra, I heard something fall in the pipe. When it hit the count it sounded like a dull thunk. I looked to see what appeared to be a metal apple, rolling toward me. I raised an eyebrow at this. “What the hell?” I looked at it for a moment.
My mind thought about this for a brief moment then, it clicked “Shit!” I yelled. Before I knew I threw the Zebra with a strength that I didn’t know that I had left. The body covered the grenade just as it exploded sending gore and blood across the my face and wall. “Gross.” I said wiping away the blood and gore from my face. I looked down at the Zebra to see that his lower half was blown clean off leaving the upper body armor intact but, just barely. When I flared my horn, I noticed that I could only hear ringing and my thoughts. I staggered toward the Zebra to see if I can recover anything. I turned his upper half over with my magic to see that his kit was still intact. I breathed a sigh of relief and immediately regretted as more pain shot up from my side.
His kit was covered in blood but, I really didn’t give a shit as I took it off and placed it next to me against the wall of a corridor. I froze when I saw the kit laying against the wall like I set it. Can I really do this? I thought as I looked at the dead Zebra. I looked at his eyes, which one was missing. I felt the bile building up in my throat but, I pushed back down. I looked at the stupid smile on his face. You know fuck it. He tried to kill me. So, he deserved to die like the way he did. I thought as took his rifle. Plus, he won’t be needing this now. I thought taking his pistol, that had fallen from his holster on his leg for a quick draw. I looked at the kit and med kit that was all I could salvage. I opened the med pack and found some stuff that survived the blast.
A bottle of morphine in pill form, some pads of gauze, a bottle of anti-bacterial gel, several rolls of bandages, a roll of magical bandages, a stitching kit and a bottle of pink liquid in a glass bottle with a inscription on it. It said: Experimental healing potion. Use if necessary. I decided that I would save it for later. I was surprised that the morphine and the healing potion survived the blast. I decided to use some of the regular bandages and some gauze. I slathered gel on two things of gauze then, placed them on the two wounds made by the bullet that struck me. I then, wrapped the bandages around the entire diameter of my body several time to secure the gauze. I could still feel the blood soaking in the gauze but, it held. I sighed, sitting against the wall with the rifle between my legs and pointing forward. I looked at the vest kit that I got off the Zebra. It might fit. I thought as I put it on. It was cold from the blood and gore. I cringed on the inside thinking about it.
But, I didn’t have the strength to do it on the outside. It fit nicely but, I only had about four magazines and the one in the rifle which it felt lighter then the others; so, about half the weight. I used the rifle as a crutch a little to get to my hoofs. I looked at my watch. It was eight forty-two. Damn, time sure flies by when you are fighting for your life. I thought with a chuckle. The pain still shot up my side but, it wasn’t as bad as before. But, it still hurt. I looked up and down the corridor trying to find out which way I should go. I decided to follow my gut and went to the right side of the corridor. As I walked the thoughts of today’s event went through my head. “Wow, it is just amazing that one moment that I was eating with my brother, then the next I’m fighting for my life during an attack by the Zebra nation. I chuckled at the dark humor as I turned right at a cross section leading with the pistol in my magic.
I continued down the dark corridor to a metal door that had seen some use. I opened the door and it slid down into a slot in the frame. The moment it fell a mare with a green coat had a pistol in my face. It was the same kind I had. Then, everything went into a haze. I remembered saying “Help me.” Before I blacked out.
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About an hour according to my watch. I woke up on a bed that had been used before for many different reasons from the stains and smell coming from it. I looked up to the mare with a pistol aimed at my head. She was a clover green coat with a navy blue mane. She stared at me with annoyance mixed with curiosity in her eyes. I sat up with the pistol following me. “I see that you’re awake. Now, before you say anything, I want to ask some questions; Like why do you have blood on the bayonet on your rifle?” she asked calmly sitting on her bed.
I was confused for a second until I realized that I was still alive. “What?” I asked still confused on where I am.
“I said why do you have blood on the bayonet on your rifle? Don’t make me ask again.” She said cocked the hammer on the pistol. Her voice sounded a little irritated.
I froze for a moment then, I felt warm for some reason. I looked down to see that I was bandaged better then, I did. I looked at her and it seemed that she was starting to lose her patience. “It was already there when I killed the Zebra.”
She raised an eyebrow. “You killed a Zebra?” I nodded in response. “What’s your name?”
I gulped. “M…My name is J…Jack rabbit.” I said stuttering very hard. “N…Nice to met you.” I said moving a little winched from the sharp pain that shot up my side.
She noticed that and started to look at my hoof that was pressing my left side. “You’ve been shot, several times.” She said with a concerning motherly voice but, that changed quick as she made a correction. Her eyes starting to ease but, her body language I was still tense. “Come over here and sit in the chair” She said with a mid-way of the motherly voice and hardened soldier; while waving the pistol. I complied to the demand and sat down in a chair next to the bed. She came closer to me still with the pistol at my temple. She sat down on the bed. “ Stay still.” She said as she started to remove some of the bandages to show my wounds. I had no choice but to let her do what she is going to do. When she saw the wounds that I received. “So, you mean to tell me that you killed a Zebra, by accident?” She said taking off the rest of the bandages making me winch. I nodded my head. “It looks like you were telling the truth from the away your wounds look. It seems that you have pieces of what looks like the outer shell of a fridge, plus you‘re covered in somepony else’s blood and a little brain.” the bile began to build in my throat but, I fought it down but, twisted away if I lost the battle. She looked up at me when I made to twist away from her. “Don’t be a baby at least is not your’s. But, You are covered in tiny bits of shrapnel, a clean bullet wound and several grazed cuts. You know from how dry your blood is that you’ve been bleeding for about an hour before you collapsed in from of me.” She paused a moment before looking at the kit that I took from the Zebras then, back at me. “I want to ask you a question, Rabbit.”
I looked at her in the eyes, making the pistol point to the right side of my forehead. Her eyes were brown walnut. “What is that?”
She stared right into my eyes, hers were filled with fear mixed with anger but, tired. “What the fuck are doing down here? And why did you kill the Zebra?” she said pressing the pistol hard into my forehead.
I gulped. “I…I had to or I was going to die. I had to slid down the drainage pipe behind my fridge in order to survive the bullets that the Zebras were shooting through my house. I only survived because I got out. I was panicking, and I just took a frying pan and smacked the Zebra in the back of the head when he was about to execute me . When he was supposed to report in, his team came in and started tearing up my house. I didn’t even mean to kill him. When I began to slide down, my magic was around his rifle. But, his sling was still around his body. When I was going down, his body followed me. I guess his buddies saw this and began to fire on me. When I got to the bottom, I was questioning should it steal from this Zebra. Then, I heard something fall and hit the ground with a dull thunk. When I realized that it was a grenade, I pushed the Zebra onto the grenade, which I think is where I killed him. As for why I’m here, I don’t know. I just wondered into here just trying to find a place to rest for a bit before I could see if I can find my siblings.”
She looked like she was in deep thought and with her magic de-cocked the pistol. “Alright, I believe you. But, that doesn’t mean I trust you. No pony I know can kill a highly trained black ops Zebra with just pure luck and a frying pan. Plus, I heard the grenade go off.” She said putting the pistol in her vest holster. She looked back at me before laying on the bed. “You can sleep same bed that you did earlier. But, if you come near me in anyway other then to wake me, if we are being attacked. I. Will. Shoot. You. Dead.” She said rolling away from me. I looked at the bed that she was talking about, it was kind of dirty but, I really don’t give a shit right now. I laid down and took a deep breath. I tried to sleep but, it never came. Everything from the last few hours rushed through my head like a raging river. I closed my eyes but, nothing. I sighed. And laid there for a few moments in silence. “The name is Velvet. And you’re not the only one that has to kill to survive today.” I sat there for a few moments and closed my eyes. Thinking about what she said. Then, about an hour later according to my watch I had fallen asleep but, I woke up to sounds of sobbing. I just barely turned my head and I saw that Velvet was crying with a picture in her hoofs. I couldn’t tell what it was but, I could see a green blob along with two other ponies. One was bigger then, the green and it was a whitish color but, what got me was the smallest one that was on top of the bigger one. It was a bluish color but, before I couldn’t see anymore as she put it in her vest and laid her head back down on the pillow
I sighed and closed my eyes then, laid on my back with my front hoofs on my chest. “What a fucking day.” I said closing my eyes, waiting for sleep to come.
“Tell me about it.” Velvet said in response with a sigh.
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Chapter end.
“Alright, you’ve just escaped the execution squads during the main invasion. When you killed one of their members, you slid down a pipe to the underground metro maintenance. Then, the Zebras threw down a hoof grenade after you. And when it exploded it She asked you what you doing in there. When you told her that you escaped the Zebras and they thought that you were dead. Then, she told you that you can sleep there. What’s going to happen next? What was that photo you saw? Tell us everything.” the pony in a sharp olive suit said to the pony wearing full body armor with a smoking cigarette in his mouth.
“Calm the fuck down and have your de-caf. I’ll tell you everything but, that takes time.” the buck said named Jack rabbit levitating the cigarette and flicking the ash in a ashtray.
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