Black Sun Nation

by Crysis Commander

Chapter 3: Hollow Shades

“A-are you sure this is a g-good idea?” Maverick asked, struggling to hide the fear in his voice. Though he tried his best to understand why his brother and Arcane wanted to go into the dark, spooky-looking forest before them, he couldn’t quite wrap his head around why they’d want to go in rather than run away. “Isn’t there another path to this Hollow Shades place?”

“If there was, we would’ve taken it,” replied Arcane, “but we need to get there one way or another. There’s a pretty good distance between here and the mountain pass, so we need to see if we can stock up on more supplies.” He winced, his wound making itself known. When he saw Maverick look to his injury with a curious eye, he tried to turn away, but deep down he knew he couldn’t keep the truth from Maverick forever.

“It’s okay, Maverick. We’ll be fine. Just pretend it’s Nightmare Night and we’re going to get some candy,” said Sunny, giving his brother a playful nudge.

“But will there be candy, Sunny? You said that the time you wanted me to come get rations with you, and they didn’t have any.”

Sunny pursed his lips, looking this way and that, not meeting Maverick’s eyes. “They were probably fresh out. This time will be different, I promise.”

Maverick looked suspiciously at his brother, but raised an eyebrow. “You promise?” When he received a nod as an answer, he returned the gesture. “Okay. I trust you.”

Smiling at the two brothers, Arcane looked forward at the thick line of trees. “Ready, boys?”

With a deep breath and a glance between both Sunny and Arcane, Maverick nodded firmly. “Let’s go!”

Entering the woods, the ponies found their path darkened significantly, the thick treetops blotting out any light that tried to seep through. The unicorns’ horns lit up, illuminating the path a few feet in front of them.

“Hey guys, I think I’m - ow!” Maverick exclaimed, his snout colliding with a tree in the darkness. He groaned, rubbing his nose gingerly. “Hey, Sunny, could I walk behind you? I can’t see anything in here and this place gives me the creeps.”

With a throaty chuckle, Sunny gestured his brother to follow, which he was more than happy to oblige.

The farther into the forest they ventured, the darker it seemed to get and the less effective their horn lights became, eventually fading to little more than candlelight. Despite the light’s limited pervasiveness, the animals of the forest began to stir, the surrounding area echoing with the sounds of various insects, bats, and whatever else lurked in the darkness.

Though Sunny had never been afraid of the dark, the strange new sounds put him on edge. In his youth, neither he nor Maverick had ever seen such undisturbed nature, even in the park held in Baltimare’s town square. Looking down, he saw grass, green grass, something he hadn’t seen in years. It felt crisp and plush under his hooves, comforting his aches and brushing gently against his coat. The taller patches tickled his stomach, as if reaching upward to embrace him, but not quite having the length to do so. He considered that perhaps it was trying to pull him down instead of push up, prompting another thought that, given his actions, it may be trying to drag him to Hell. He pushed the thought from his mind.

“Hey, Arcane,” said Maverick, craning his head to the right in the direction of the only other light source. “Why’s the grass green here? Wouldn’t the big bang thing have turned it yellow like the rest?” Sunny glanced back at his brother in surprise. He was more observant of his surroundings than he gave him credit for. Maybe there was still hope that he’d recover, after all.

“Like the town with the frozen ponies, there may have been a pocket of magic from the Canterlot blast that settled here.”

“If that’s the case, it looks like it had a hell of a different effect,” replied Sunny, still trying to grasp that he was touching living, growing grass again. His brief comfort was interrupted by the sound of a twig snapping behind them. His ears perked, he looked back towards the source. “You hear that?”

“Hear what?” asked Maverick, looking to where his brother was, fear creeping its way into his tone. Silence. The birds ceased chirping, even the bugs shut up; the only sound came from the beating hearts of the increasingly wary brothers, a light breeze rustling through the trees, and Arcane’s hoofsteps continuing forward.

“Hey, Arcane, how much farther do we have until we reach Hollow Shades?” asked Sunny, gesturing for Maverick to get in front of him, putting him as far away from the noise as possible without him leaving the light.

“Not sure, actually. These forests were thick even back then, so if the blast’s magic got to it, who knows what could have changed.”

“You don’t think that the creatures could have been affected, do you?”

Arcane stopped, turning towards the flicker of light provided by Sunny’s horn. “Not that I know of, why?”

Before Sunny could answer, a brown blur leaped out of the darkness and tackled him to the ground, knocking the air from his lungs. When he opened his eyes, he saw a glowing-eyed, snarling dog standing on his chest, its teeth dripping with drool. As it was about to lunge for his throat, Maverick grabbed it and threw it against a nearby tree.

“Get off him!”

When it hit the tree, it yelped as it fell to the ground. It turned and ran back into the darkness, moving much slower than it had before. From the grass, another creature leapt at Maverick, this time a raccoon with the same glowing eyes as the dog. Maverick yelled in surprise, cowering as the beast came towards him. A field of golden magic enveloped the raccoon, tossing it far into the darkness.

Arcane galloped up to the other two ponies, casting a shield of magic just as the dog came back for a second charge. “Both of you, run!”

Sunny took off with Maverick not far behind, the heavily smothered light from Sunny’s horn allowing them to weave around trees just as they were about to collide. From behind them, they could hear the faint struggle of Arcane attempting to follow them while trying to fend off the attacking creatures.

“You think he’ll be okay, Sunny?”

“Should be… he’s faced worse,” Sunny replied, trying to convince himself that he hadn’t just left the old stallion to die. With every step he took, his mind screamed for him to turn back, to keep Arcane from getting himself killed. Deep in his mental conflict, he didn’t notice the tree in his path until it was too late, slamming into it with a hard thud.

“Sunny! Are you okay?” asked Maverick, looking over his shoulder towards Arcane’s flickering light as it slowly but surely approached.

Rubbing his forehead with a hoof, Sunny got back to his hooves. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. Let’s keep mov-” he was cut off when a great roar came from his right. Fearing the worst, he turned and shot a bolt of magic in the direction of the sound. The blast provided a dim light as it whizzed past the creature barreling towards them from the darkness. Before he could fire another shot, an enormous brown bear charged out of the brush.

“Maverick, get behind me!” Sunny shouted, casting a shield in front of him, bracing for impact. When the bear collided with his shield, the unicorn dug his hooves into the ground, doing all in his power to keep the shield up. The bear clawed at the magical field, slammed its body into it numerous times with unnatural strength.

Sunny knew he couldn’t keep the shield up for long at that rate, but options were limited. As he tried to think of a plan in his panicked, racing mind, a collective feral shriek came from his left. Before he knew what hit him, a group of weasels pounced on him, breaking his concentration, and with it, his shield. He tried to get up, but the weasels seemed to hold him down, digging their teeth into his skin.

“Sunny!” cried Maverick, his eyes fixed on his brother and not the bear headed straight for him. Following his brother’s gaze of terror, he noticed the bear by the time it was within ten feet of him. His eyes went wide, like prey just before the predator strikes.

Just as the bear was about to grab Maverick, Arcane ran up from the side and jumped on the beast, tackling it with all his strength. They both fell to the ground, the unicorn crying out as he landed on his injured side. The bear quickly recovered, growling at the pony still laying on the ground.

Still trying to shake off the weasels, Sunny lit up his horn, prepared to push them all back in a single pulse, until a set of small teeth bit down, cancelling his spell. He drew breaths in through clenched teeth, the pain from the bites only increasing. When he tried to cast the spell again, he found himself unable to. His heart raced more than it had before, knowing without magic and unable to move, he was powerless to stop the bear from ripping Arcane to shreds. All he could do was scream. “Get up, Arcane! Please!”

Grimacing, Arcane shakily got back to his hooves, fresh blood dripping from his side from under the bandage. His eyes tried to focus on the bear slowly approaching him, but his vision blurred, his eyelids drooped slightly, and his hooves barely kept him stable. The light from his horn flickered, threatening to give out at any second. Despite this, he remained standing, staring down the bear with as much of a scowl as he could muster.

As the bear began to charge, a field of magenta magic enveloped the creature, stopping it in its tracks. In the distance, the sound of galloping hooves echoed through the forest, growing louder as the approaching pony drew closer.

“Off of him, now!” yelled a voice. Suddenly, the weasels let go of Sunny, darting their way back into the shadows. In the faint light of the magenta ball around the bear, a light-purple unicorn mare with a faded-yellow mane appeared. She walked up to the trapped bear, her hoofsteps indicating irritation. “Clyde, stop it! These ones aren’t dangerous.” Releasing the bear from her bubble, she gestured for it to run along, which it did in shame. Looking between the three ponies on the ground, she walked up to Maverick and held out her hoof. “You folks alright? We heard fighting and thought it was an army headed our way. When I saw it was just three travelers, I came to save your hides.”

“H-help him,” groaned Sunny, pointing a hoof towards the unicorn who was barely standing, blood dripping at an alarming pace from his side.

The mare’s eyes went wide. She enveloped the older stallion in her magic and helped Sunny to his hooves. “Come on, we’re not far from town. Follow me.”

Trotting as fast as he could behind the mare, Sunny looked over his wounds. The weasels had managed to break the skin in several places, painting his fur red in uneven patches all over. Luckily, his horn only stung a bit from the bite; he didn’t feel any damage would be permanent. Maybe he’d just try and take it easy on magic for a day or two. He laughed at his own thoughts. As if not using magic for a couple days was going to happen, given the evident hostility of the world outside Fillydelphia.

“Hey, Sunny,” whispered Maverick, easily keeping pace with his brother with much less effort, “are you going to be okay?”

Sunny looked back at him and forced a grin across his lips. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. Just kinda stings, is all.” He turned his head forward again just as he winced in pain, the sting of the bites making its presence known more than it had before.

“Almost there, just hang on.”

Sunny stopped cold, his momentum carrying him forward to the ground. The last thing he saw before he fell unconscious was Arcane’s bleeding form held in the unicorn mare’s magical grip.

---

Groaning, grunting, and screaming; these were the sounds Sunny awoke to. Opening his eyes slowly, his ears twitched, trying to pinpoint the direction of the sound. Looking up, he saw a roof made of thick, sturdy logs held together by tightly-woven rope. A wall of white brick made up the walls of the dimly-lit building. When his eyes moved to his right, he saw Maverick standing in the far corner, looking in jaw-slacked shock at what he was witnessing. He followed his brother’s gaze to a cot next to him, the unicorn mare standing over a writhing figure on the bed.

Maverick noticed Sunny was awake and rushed over to him. “Sunny! Something’s wrong with Arcane!”

“What?” Sunny replied groggily, trying to get a better look at what the mare was doing. She levitated a bottle of alcohol over to the bed and tilted it downward, the chugging sound accompanied by a familiar scream. “Arcane!”

Pulling off the sheet over him, Sunny got out of bed and shambled toward the mare, only to fall to the floor a few steps after he started. The mare turned around, rolling her eyes and picking him up with her magic. “Normally, I’d tell you to get the hell back in bed, but I may just need you right now. You’re actual injuries aren’t terrible, and the weasels’ saliva should have run the worst of its course by now, so you can help hold this one down since softy over there won’t do it.” She pointed to Maverick, who sat on his haunches with his hooves firmly over his ears.

“Wh-what do you mean hold him down?” asked Sunny, his words slightly slurred, though he was fully aware of the situation.

“I’m going to cauterize the wound, and I can’t have him squirming too much.” When she saw the bitten unicorn’s gaze turn to the dagger, blade immersed in the fire of a lantern on the table by the head of the cot, she sighed. “Look, if I had anesthesia, I’d put him under for this, but that’s not a luxury we have right now. We need to do this or he’ll bleed out.”

“If you so much as bring that near him, so help me I’ll-”

“You’ll what? Watch him die slowly without knowing what the hell to do to stop it?” Taking in a long deep breath, the mare tried as best she could to calm her nerves. “You want him to live, yes? Then hold him down. We don’t have a lot of time, here.”

Looking from the mare to Arcane and back, Sunny nodded solemnly, trotting over and placing his front hooves on the old stallion’s shoulders. His mentor lazily looked at him, a smile crossing his lips. Sunny couldn’t bear to return the gesture.

“Sir, I’m going to need you to put this in your mouth,” said the mare, levitating over a cloth near the lantern. She placed the fabric between the stallion’s teeth, a brief pang of remorse overtaking her. When her gaze returned to the stallion, she saw him looking at her with the most determined, fearless eyes she’d seen in years. She nodded firmly, levitating over the dagger, its blade red-hot and sizzling. “Ready?”

Arcane said something indistinguishable around the cloth, but it sounded as though he was ready. Sunny nodded slowly, knowing what was about to come.

As soon as the burning metal touched flesh, Sunny felt Arcane try to thrash about, his teeth clamped tight on the cloth, his eyes wider than he’d ever seen them, and a muffled scream trying in vain to escape him. It took all of his remaining physical and emotional strength to hold Arcane down, but he knew what would happen if he let up for even a second.

Every few seconds she’d take the blade away, only to press it back on the wound again, causing another strain on Suny’s muscles and psyche at hearing his mentor scream, feeling him try to struggle under him. Before long, Sunny shut his eyes, trying to block out the screams as best he could. There was only so much blocking out his mind could do.

The minutes dragged on, nopony saying a word as the cauterizing process continued. At some point in the procedure, Arcane had fallen unconscious, no longer screaming, but still grimacing with every application of the heated blade.

“Okay, you can let go of him, now,” said the mare, taking the blade away for the final time.

Sunny sat back on his haunches, looking at his shaking hooves. Who am I? he thought. I killed a mare with these hooves, then I held Arcane down as he was tortured. How can I look at them again?

A gentle hoof tapped his shoulder. Jerking his head up, he saw the unicorn mare, smiling gently at him. “He’s going to be okay,” she said. “You did what had to be done. I think he owes you one when he wakes up.”

It wasn’t until then that Sunny noticed how beautiful the mare was. Her purple coat reminded him of irises, a flower he’d seen only once or twice in his lifetime, though he had never appreciated them as much as he did in that moment. Her two-toned yellow mane looked so soft, so plush, as if he could lose himself in sensation of it brushing against his face. Eyes golden like the most precious of metals looked down at him, soothing whatever discomfort he may have had and sent his heart soaring into the sky. In his entire life of wartime and strife, he’d never seen something so calming, so… heavenly.

“Haven’t patched you up, yet. Get back in bed and I’ll have a look at ya.”

Sunny obeyed, not wanting to question or displease such a magnificent creature. He couldn’t help but watch her every move as she examined his bite marks, applying a splash of alcohol to every one that broke skin. Though the liquid burned to the touch, it paled in comparison to the nervous pit in his stomach forming at the sight of such beauty. He’d never thought of a mare this way, before. In his younger years, none of the mares in Fillydelphia - both in its current state and previous - caught his eye, let alone any in his childhood in Baltimare; the only truly beautiful mare he had known was his mother. Now, as he looked at the mare before him, beauty had received a new definition.

“Never really had time for introductions, did we? What’s your name?” she asked.

Snapped from his thoughts by the mare’s angelic voice, Sunny shook his head, trying to form a cohesive sentence among the jumbled thoughts. “S-Sunny. How about you?”

“I’m Dinky. Pleased to meet you.” She extended her hoof for him to shake, which he immediately obliged. “Your bites should heal in a day or two, but it’ll take a bit longer before that one recovers. Had the starting of an infection, there. Good thing you got him here when you did.” She sat down on the bed next to Sunny, gesturing to Maverick, who had moved to Arcane and was looking the sleeping stallion over. “What’s his deal?”

Sunny’s heart went from fluttering to freefalling, nervous tingles replaced by anger. “Nothing’s wrong with him. He’s just fine. Right, Maverick?”

“What?” Maverick turned to look at the other ponies, looking between them as if he didn’t know who they were.

With a heavy sigh, Dinky shifted so she looked Sunny directly in the eye. “You understand that I’m not an idiot, right? You’ll find I’m no stranger to medical conditions, both physical and mental. I know an issue when I see it. Just tell me, maybe I can he-”

“Nothing’s wrong with him! He’s fine!” Sunny spat. Realizing who he’d spoken so irately to, he swallowed hard, trying to find the right words. “I just… don’t bring it up, again. Ever. Please.”

Dinky nodded. “Okay. I won’t.”

Looking to the floor, Sunny wanted to clear the palpable tension from the air, but he wasn’t sure how. Gods, why am I so nervous? I’m not fighting, so why am I… “So… how long have you lived in Hollow Shades?”

With a smile Dinky walked over to the bedside table, rearranging the medical tools. “We came here about five years ago. My mother and I were in a group of travelers from Ponyville and happened upon this place.” She chuckled to herself, dipping her hooves in a bowl of clear alcohol, most likely for sterilization. “I can still remember he reaction when we found it was occupied by Royalists. Mother launched herself at one of the guards and hugged him so hard he could barely breathe.”

A small smile crossed Sunny’s muzzle. “Reminds me of my brother.” He gestured to Maverick, who still stood at Arcane’s side, moving his jaw and putting words in his mouth.

“You’re brothers?” she asked, sounding genuinely surprised.

“Sure are!” Maverick exclaimed, trotting over to Sunny and sitting next to him, wrapping him in a tight embrace.

Dinky humphed. “You twins?” she asked jokingly.

Maverick shook his head. “Oh, no. He’s the older one, I’m the younger brother.”

Dinky looked between Maverick and Sunny, unsure of what to say. “Well, it’s good to have somepony watching your back out there, especially family.” Her eyes lit up, turning to face the brothers. “Speaking of family, my mother always likes to meet travelers - we get so few, it’s always a treat when any come around. Would you two like to have dinner with us tomorrow night?”

Sunny raised an eyebrow. “Are you asking us on a date?”

With a grimace, Dinky brought a hoof to her face. “No, it’s not like that. I’m just wanting to know if you’d like to meet my mother over some food. Not a date, just having dinner.” As she watched the brothers look to each other and back at her, she wondered just what kind of experience the two had actually had with mares wherever they came from.

With a nod, Sunny stepped forward. “Yeah. Sounds good, but would we be able to bring Arcane?”

“Well, if he’s awake by then, I suppose we could bring him in if we carry him, but we’d have to be really careful.”

“Good enough for us!” Maverick glanced back at Arcane, then back to Dinky. “We never eat without him.”

“All right, I’ll let my mother know.” Dinky turned to the door. “In the meantime, you both are free to browse the town, see if there’s anything you’d like to trade for. We may have a good amount of odds and ends, maybe something will catch your eye.”

With a collective nod, Sunny and Maverick gathered their saddlebags and walked to the door, but Sunny turned back to Dinky with a stern expression. “You’ll make sure he stays alive, right?”

Dinky smiled warmly. “Don’t you worry ‘bout a thing. He’s in capable hooves.”

As Sunny stepped out of the door, a held breath he didn’t know he had escaped him. A path of grassless dirt greeted him, brushing against his hooves as he followed his brother. The buildings of the town had a similar makeup to the one they were in: stone brick walls with log roofs. The structures formed two parallel lines, in the center of said lines sat a marvelous fountain, a statue of Celestia with her wings spread in vulnerability standing tall above the water. Though some parts of the statue had been crudely reattached and noticeable cracks remained, the fine-cut stone remained in fair condition.

From above them, even though the sun still hung in the sky, a sort of unnatural darkness blanketed the town, creating an air of unease. Thick treetops blotted out most of the light the sun would have provided, though not much would have been given in its eclipsed state. The windows of every building flickered with the light of lanterns, some having posted them on the outside by their doors. The few ponies that walked along the path between buildings all had some form of light, unicorns with their horns lit while pegasi and earth ponies carried lanterns on their sides.

Sunny watched one pony in particular, noting the gold armor that adorned his back. He didn’t look to be in the right shape to be a Royalist guard, though maybe standards were different elsewhere in the country. His gaze followed the armor-clad pony to a tall log wall. The wall surrounded the entire town, the only exit being the gate not too far from where he and Maverick stood. The pony ascended a flight of stairs to a catwalk that followed the length of the wall, allowing ponies to watch the forest encircling the town.

“Oh, Sunny! Look at that one!” Maverick exclaimed, pointing to an open-faced, building, the light coming from it much greater than the others. Before Sunny could respond, Maverick already galloped his way over.

With a sigh and a crooked smile, Sunny followed. When he reached the entrance, a warm rush of air greeted him. The lights of a roaring fire danced about the interior and his coat, adding to the sense of unusual calm he felt. The smell of burning metal filled his nostrils, reminding him of the Fillydelphia armory when he first received his guard armor. On the stone walls hung various sets of armor; several looked to be of a lighter variety, though Sunny couldn’t tell what they were made from. Only three sets of plate armor sat on the wall - two bearing Rebel colors and one familiar golden set.

Under the armor on a couple racks sat a fair amount of weaponry. Several swords, shields, spears, and maces sat neatly together, each shining brightly in the forge’s glow. Standing by a tall wooden counter was an earth pony as big as if not more so than Maverick, looking to the younger one in confusion. Seeing Sunny walk in, he turned. “This one with you?” he asked, his voice gravelly and rough on the ears.

Fearing Maverick had said something out of line, Sunny walked over and bowed his head. “I’m sorry, sir. I really should keep a closer eye on him, he tends to just -”

“It’s quite alright, lad. He’s got an air about him, an air of a potential warrior. What do you think?”

Discouraged by Maverick’s growing smile, Sunny swallowed hard. “I suppose… maybe…” he said, barely masking his disgust at the idea.

The stallion laughed, leaning over the counter to support himself. After taking a minute or two to regain his composure, he looked behind him to his forge. “Anyway. My name’s Fletcher, and welcome to Gladiator Depot. Anything specific you fellas were looking for?”

“Well, I suppose I could use a set or armor, seeing as I lost my last set,” said Sunny, thinking back to his armor that remained in Fillydelphia.

Fletcher’s eyes beamed. “Say no more, I’ve got just the stuff for ya!” He walked back to the hung armor sets and grabbed one of the lighter pairs. “Ya ever seen hemp armor, boy?” He laughed when he received a head shake as a response. “Not too many have. While the Royalists and Rebels liked to focus on their heavy, most protective armors, the ponies in Saddle Arabia came up with a technique to weave a plant into armor strong enough to protect from arrows.”

“A plant? You’re kidding,” Sunny replied with a scoff.

“Swear on my life! It may not protect from as much as the standard plate armors for the war factions, but it’ll keep ya nimble enough to dodge what it can’t protect against.”

Sunny pondered for a moment. While it was tempting to go for the gold set, giving himself a sense of familiarity, he wasn’t the biggest fan of the weight. He had to admit, the plate of the Royalists did weigh him down, making evasive maneuvers fairly difficult.

“Could I try it on?”

“By all means!”

Taking the armor in his hooves, Sunny noted the texture, noticing the beige cover didn’t feel much different than a normal garment. Using magic to slip the armor on, he nodded slightly as it hugged his torso, pressing against his chest running down to his flank. He moved each of his limbs, amazed at how much he could move despite wearing armor. One question remained in his mind, though. “Would this really stop an arrow?”

In one swift motion, Fletcher reached behind the counter, slammed a crossbow on top, and shot at Sunny. Before Sunny could react, the arrow struck him in the side, the force pushing him a few inches away. After his heart had restarted, he wondered why he didn’t feel any pain. Then he looked to where the bolt hit him. While it was lodged in the armor, the bolt hadn’t even touched his fur.

“I-I suppose that’s one way to demonstrate it,” said Sunny, laughing nervously. That was a little too close for comfort, he thought. Let’s just get the armor and get out.

“Sunny, can I get some armor, too?”

Sunny turned to Maverick, giving him a sour look. “Maverick, you’re not going to fight anypony on my watch, okay?” Though his brother frowned and kicked his hoof on the ground, Sunny didn’t waver. “I won’t have you putting yourself in danger.”

“You may as well get him some armor, then,” Fletcher chimed in. “Even if he ain’t fighting, the armor will protect him.”

Sunny had to admit, Fletcher had a point. What kind of security did Maverick have in such a hostile world with nothing to protect his hide? He nodded to his brother, signalling his permission had been given.

Despite Maverick’s pleases to get the plate Royalist armor (to finally be a guard, he said), Sunny picked out a piece similar to his, but with a chainmail shirt overtop, adding an extra layer of protection while still allowing Maverick the maneuverability to dodge and escape if a situation became dire.

As Sunny reached into his saddlebag for rations to trade, Fletcher shook his head. “I’m afraid I don’t take those. Food ain’t my jurisdiction. I take metal for metal.”

Ears folded back, Sunny looked back towards the building Arcane and Dinky were in, wondering if he could trade Arcane’s set for these two. The thought immediately left his mind, remembering just how much the armor meant to Arcane. It wasn’t just armor, it was a symbol of who he was; a reminder of where his loyalties were.

“Is there some other way we could pay for it?” Sunny asked.

Fletcher pondered for a moment, face scrunched in concentration. Suddenly, his eyes lit up and a sly grin crossed his muzzle. “One of the wall-guarding shifts was assigned to me a few days ago. For the next week, I have to keep watch for a few hours during the night. However, if somepony were to, I don’t know, fill my position for the week, I may consider negotiating with rations.”

With a slow, understanding nod, Sunny smirked. “Okay. I’m sure I can find somepony who can.”

Maverick looked confused. “Couldn’t you do it, Sunny?”

Pursing his lips, Sunny turned to his brother. “Yeah. Yeah I could,” he said flatly.

“Splendid! First shift is tomorrow after sundown. Once the shifts have been completed, I’ll give you both your armor.” He paused, shooting the brothers a chilling glare. “But if either of you so much as sets hoof outside the wall with my armor before the payment is made, the animals won’t be the only things you’ll have hunting you down.” As the others left, he wished them luck in their travels, reminding them to return if they ever needed protection or weapons in the future.

“That guy seemed nice,” said Maverick, taking a second look back at the blacksmith’s shop.

“He was interesting, I’ll give him that,” Sunny replied, looking to the side where he’d been shot. Though it had proved Fletcher’s point, it had also put Sunny on edge. Was he not the only weirdo in this town? I guess isolation hasn’t been kind to them, he thought. His thoughts went back to Dinky. Hasn’t been kind to some.

To his left, Sunny saw another shop with its door open, a lantern flickering in the window. In the dimming light of the early evening, he could barely make out the words of the sign above the door: Bonnie’s Bits and Baubles. “Hey Maverick, want to check that place out?”

Maverick nodded vigorously.

Inside the shop, two display cases sat near the center, glass covering the contents within. On the left wall hung several ornements most likely salvaged from battlefields: a Royalist war horn, a Rebel general’s tunic, and a pair of goggles labeled to belong to the legendary Spitfire, to name a few. On the right wall hung various hoof-knit scarves, blankets, and hats. Some bore Royalist colors, others with Rebel ones. Hanging on the back wall of the store, a Royalist Air Force flight suit sat pinned to the stone; despite the fading color, the blood stains remained clearly visible. Near the suit lay a wide wooden counter, an aging bonnet-clad mare sitting behind it, her head resting on the surface.

When Sunny approached, he noticed the mare was sleeping, deeply, at that. Thinking to come back later, he jumped when Maverick tapped firmly on the countertop. The mare bolted up, speaking in gibberish and flailing her legs. Once she was aware of her surroundings, she glared at Maverick. “It common where you come from to wake ponies when they’re nappin’?”

Sunny stepped up to the counter, putting a hoof on Maverick’s shoulder. “Sorry about that, he can be a bit eager at times. However, we were wanting to see what all you had available.”

Looking the two stallions over, the mare narrowed her eyes. “Yeah. I got items if you’re looking to trade.” She reached underneath the counter, mumbling to herself as she rummaged around. Before long she placed a faded scroll onto the counter along with a golden watch, a pearl necklace, and a patch of worn cloth. “These are just a sample of what I’ve acquired over the years. This right here” - she pointed to the watch - “belonged to the Captain of the Royalist Armed Forces, Shining Armor, himself! It’s stopped at exactly 3:50, the time when he officially returned the Rebellion’s declaration of war.”

“Woah,” Maverick whispered, his eyes alight like the lantern in the window.

“And this here,” the mare continued, “is the necklace Princess Celestia wore to Princess Flurry Heart’s funeral. Sad day, that was. Truly sad. Genuine pearls on this one, though!”

Sunny looked to Maverick then to the items on the counter, his skepticism growing.

“Oh but this here! This is something I rarely show anypony that steps in here. You two are lucky to even know this exists!”

I’m sure, thought Sunny.

“This cloth was once part of the blindfold the Rebels had around Spitfire’s eyes when they… you know…”

Recoiling a bit, Sunny thought back to the stories he heard in Fillydelphia about Spitfire. It made the tales he heard about her as a child all the more gut-wrenching. How ponies could commit such heinous acts against other ponies, he would never know. “You just… keep something like that around?”

“Hey, it was traded to me years back, boy,” said the mare, her tone indicating she had gone on the defensive. “Besides, the stallion who traded this to me threw in the goggles and flight suit. I couldn’t pass up such an offer!”

Looking to the goggles and suit on the wall, Sunny’s stomach turned at the thought. Were there ponies that had such little respect for the dead, let alone the tortured? Sometimes he wondered how growing up in Baltimare hadn’t made him a crazed lunatic like the Rebellion had to many others. Not to say the Royalists didn’t have their fanatics, as well, but even stories of the Spitfire Incident left a sour taste in his mouth. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the scroll. “What’s that?” he asked.

“That? Oh, it’s a spell. Something only few unicorns have ever been able to master.”

Sunny’s ears perked. “What could I trade you for that?”

A wide grin crossed the old mare’s muzzle. “Let me think about that one. This kind of spell isn’t available for just any eyes to see.” From under the counter, she brought a small, sugar-coated object to her mouth.

Maverick froze. “What’s that?” he asked, his voice low and anxious.

“This? It’s candy,” the mare replied, bringing another piece up as she chewed the first.

“Did you say… candy?” Maverick’s smile looked as though it would grow beyond what his muzzle was capable of handling, his legs shaking with glee.

“Yeah, that’s what I said.”

Nearly squealing with delight, Maverick bounced up and down on the tips of his hooves, dancing like a lunatic. “How much for the candy?” he asked once he had run out of breath from dancing.

Noting the earth pony’s enthusiasm for her treat, the mare smirked. “Oh, I don’t know. It won’t come cheap, I can tell ya that. Don’t see candy too often, anymore - quite a rarity, it is!”

Sunny looked between his brother and the candy before letting out a long sigh. He reached into his saddlebag and placed a small but unmistakable pin on the counter: his coat of arms. “Will this cover it?”

For a brief moment, he noticed the mare’s eyes light up. “Mmm, yes. That should do just nicely.”

As she reached for it, Sunny withdrew the pin in his hoof. “Throw in the scroll and it’s yours.”

With a grumble and an eye roll, the shopkeep nudged the scroll closer and handed over her bag of sweets. When Sunny put his pin back on the counter, she snatched it up immediately, not taking a second glance back at the brothers as they left the store with their items.

Sunny and Maverick walked back to the building where Arcane and Dinky were and sat down outside the door. Maverick wasted no time in opening his bag of newly-acquired treats and popping one into his mouth. Audible “mmm”s and “mhm”s accompanied the noisy sounds of his chewing as he ate one piece after another. Glancing to his right, he saw Sunny giving him an odd look, causing him to stop. Looking from the bag back to Sunny, he held it out. “Did you want some?” he asked, his mouth still full.

After taking a brief pause, Sunny smiled crookedly. “You know what? Sure.” He reached into the bag and took a piece in his hoof to examine it. A black, sugar-coated ball rolled back and forth across his fur. As soon as it touched his tongue, he couldn’t help but join in Maverick’s eccentric approval. He couldn’t remember the last time he had candy - let alone sugar. As he chewed the morsel, he looked up at the sky, counting what stars he could see through the treetops.

“You know something?” said Maverick quietly, taking breaks between his words to eat another piece of candy. “That Dinky girl is real pretty.”

Sunny’s eyes widened. He slowly turned his head to meet Maverick’s eyes, an eyebrow cocked. “Maverick? What makes you say that?”

“I don’t know. She is, isn’t she?”

Swallowing hard, Sunny tried not to let his brother see his reddened cheeks. “I… guess so. But honestly, Maverick, mares are the last thing you should be worrying about.”

Curious, Maverick turned to Sunny after eating the last piece of candy in the bag. “What makes you say that?”

“Well,” Sunny started, rubbing the back of his neck nervously, “mares take up a lot of time. While they may be… pretty, as you said, you have to consider if you have enough time to devote to them.”

“But don’t we have all the time in the world, now? If all we’re doing is walking, don’t we have all the time we need?”

Sunny internally cursed at himself. “I suppose, but out there, ponies can…” he paused, debating whether he should tell Maverick what can happen to ponies in Equestria’s current and former war-ridden state. “Just… try not to think about it too much, brother. A marefriend won’t keep you safe or help you out here.” Looking back to the sky, he paused. “It’s getting late. Why don’t you sleep on one of the beds in there and we can talk more in the morning.”

“Okay, Sunny. Goodnight.” With that, Maverick got up and walked through the door.

Sunny grimaced. Idiot, he thought. The hell kind of thing to say is that? You couldn’t just tell him, could you? You don’t even want to tell yourself! With a heavy sigh, Sunny walked back into the building. The first thing he saw was Maverick laying on one of the cots, already fast asleep. Big surprise there. Farther to the left, he saw Dinky standing over Arcane, her hooves over his chest.

When he approached, he noticed her magical magenta glow enveloping her hooves as she slowly moved them up and down Arcane’s body. “What’s that you’re doing?” he asked.

When Dinky turned to look at him, he couldn't help but glance away, hoping she didn’t see his reddened cheeks in the lamplight. “Oh, I’m making sure everything's running smoothly on the inside. See?”

Through Dinky’s magic, Sunny could see the various internal workings of Arcane’s body. His veins, his muscles, his organs, and his nerves were all within the highlighted space. “Dear Celestia…”

Taking her hooves away from Arcane, Dinky looked at Sunny, puzzled. “Celestia? Where are you from, anyway?” She turned back to the table and rearranged her medical tools, making sure none were out of place or unsanitized.

“Fillydelphia. Well, I was born and grew up with my brother in Baltimare, but that was a long-” He stopped when he heard the tool in Dinky’s aura hit the floor with a light clanking sound. She turned her head towards him, eyes wide, mouth agape. “Is… something wrong?” he asked, unsure why it looked as though Dinky had seen a ghost.

Realizing she had been staring at him for an uncomfortable amount of time, Dinky laughed nervously “It’s nothing, really,” she assured after noticing Sunny’s questioning gaze. She gestured to the cots after trotting to the doorway and peeking outside.

“It’s getting late. Why don’t you get some rest? Your bandages should be able to come off tomorrow.” Though her voice landed pleasantly on his ears, Sunny couldn’t get past the look she’d previously given him.

With an uneasy nod, Sunny walked to the cot next to Maverick’s and laid down, watching as Dinky blew out the lamp on the table and trotted towards the door. He tried as best he could to keep his eyes open, but the events of the day hung not only in his mind, but on his eyes, forcing them shut and lulling him to sleep.

Dinky looked to Arcane’s sleeping form and sighed heavily. She was about to say something, but stopped when she realized it would fall on unconscious ears. Shaking her head slightly, she opened the door and left the newcomers to their sleep.

Comments

[Crysis Commander]

7742294
Yeah, the whole thing with the mare was intentional. Not sure if it adds or detracts from the feels. The intentions of the factions are more deeply explained in chapter 2. As far as the guard assaulting them, I'll admit I'm not 100% certain about keeping it how it is, because as you said, it does seem confusing even in context, but I'm not entirely sure how to alter it in such a way that the bit with the mare could be kept.

[Truthseeker]

7742345 The thing with the mare has the feel of a Post Traumatic Stress flashback, yes. It is beyond heart-wrenching too. The Guard assaulting them seems to just be happy to be killing children. His motivations feel off. He was going to kill them so the Rebels never had the chance to indoctrinate them? Seems to me that a Guard would want to shelter them so he could persuade them to join his own side. A viable reason might be that they two were wearing Rebel colors? Or perhaps the Guard was drunk... extremely drunk Guard would work well with the current motivation. Impared judgement could be a factor easily.

The part with the mare needs to be in there I think. Sad as it is. Maybe have her thinking that Sunny is trying to do something and she lashed out at him, or have her be a Rebel or something. The effect would still be the same and her colt would still not understand what was going on. Only that his mother was dead.

[Truthseeker]

“But will there be candy, Sunny]?

Spot the typo.

The weasels had managed to break the skin in several places, painting his fur read in uneven patches all over. 

Spot the typo.

[Crysis Commander]

7742377
I'll re-work the part so the guard is drunk, since the guard is from the actual city, not one from the invading force. The part with the mare is definitely staying in, as it pertains to a few major plot points later on. Personally, I feel that it's current state is fine (except for the motivations of the guard in the flashback, but that was already mentioned), but if you think it would be better in some other way, I'm more than willing to listen.

[Moon_Fire]

Hey there! Just saying hi and letting you know that your friend contacted me about reading this and trying to give you pointers on how to improve your story. If it's good enough I'll even point some people this way!

.... Not tonight, though. And possibly not tomorrow either since I'll be gone all day. Literally. Still, I'll get to it this week for sure.

[Truthseeker]

I'll read more when you start reading my story. Hopefully my comments have helped a little.

[Crysis Commander]

7743073
Issues were fixed! Thank you for pointing them out.

[Crysis Commander]

7743139
They most certainly did! Never noticed those typos or issue with motives until you pointed them out.

[Truthseeker]

7743883 I finished the third chapter and only found those two typos. Other than that, I see nothing wrong. Enjoy The Unity Pact.