PonySide

by Puzzle Piece

Chapter Sixteen: Fight for Your Future

The standoff lasted for many long moments, all three sides waiting for the others to take the initiative. Gadrik took full advantage of the ceasefire to work out his next few moves with Rainbow. He quickly informed her that Pinkie Pie, as Rainbow called her, had taken his weapons. Though the Pegasus was put off by the revelation that another of her friends had chosen to support the other side, she kept a cool head.

“If we get rid of these two hostiles,” she said, regarding the NC and VS soldiers arrayed against them. “I’m sure my friends will back off. But they’ll pose a challenge trying to do that.”

Gadrik considered her for a moment. “What if they get hurt in all this?”

Rainbow didn’t respond right away. She looked at Gadrik and then back to her friends, weighing the possibilities.

“Please don’t hurt them,” she said at last. “They’re on the wrong side but they’re still my best friends.”

“It’s hard to make promises like that,” Gadrik replied ruefully.

“But, you won’t try to hurt them, right?” she asked apprehensively.

“I’ll tell you what,” Gadrik offered. “You get them out of the fight and I’ll make sure I’m checking my targets. We’ll each do our part and you won’t have to worry about a thing.”

Rainbow nodded resolutely. “I can do that.”

“What’s the matter, Major?” the Light Assault shouted, cutting through the stillness of the ceasefire. “Don’t you have a plan that includes more than running and hiding?”

“Rich talk coming from behind that wall over there!” Rainbow yelled back with a growl.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” the NC replied in a mocking tone. “I didn’t realize I was running this through your pony proxy. Can’t manage to retort on your own, Major?”

Rainbow almost yelled something else but checked herself and looked to Gadrik.

“I thought you’d appreciate me allowing my allies the freedom to respond of their own accord,” the Major returned as evenly as he could while shouting. “But if you want me to override them, I could.”

“Yer barkin’ mad if ya think ya’ll have any authority over us, Major,” Applejack snorted.

“He’s got the authority over me that I give him, AJ.” Rainbow shot back. “I’m choosing this! It’s a choice to serve the right side.”

“If the right side is the one locking us up and trying to control what we think, I’m too damn happy to be on the wrong side!” The Light Assault practically sang out. Then his tone turned sour. “Sociopathic control freaks. Can’t think for themselves long enough to realize what it is they’re actually working for.”

“At least I’m not a slave to a paycheck,” the Major retorted.

“Oh, right,” the NC replied sarcastically. “Because being told where to go with no choice at all is better than putting cash in your pocket for all the trouble.”

“I chose to follow the Republic. I chose to serve and to fight. And I haven’t regretted it for a minute!”

“That’s because you’ve been brainwashed by all the propaganda the Republic is so great at spreading. You don’t know any better because you’ve never even known what freedom is!”

“You are both victims of that same trap,” the VS soldier interjected from across the street. “You were both born into ignorance and thus have never known true knowledge. If you could but see a fraction of that truth, you would realize that all of your petty ideals are insignificant in the light of humanity’s inevitable future.”

“Petty ideals?!” both of them shouted in unison. They both voiced a rebuke at the same time, raising their voices to be heard over the other.

“Those ideals are the foundation of an empire that pulled humanity back from the brink of annihilation. You would not even be here if it were not for the efforts of those who believed in these ‘petty ideals’. You owe it to the Republic that you have the opportunity to conduct your research!”

“Letting go of those beliefs would mean giving up everything that makes us human! If that’s your goal, than you’re sick and need to be put down. And don’t even start with that bullshit about it being ‘evolution’. It’s cybernetics and alien technomancy! I might not know much, but I know that’s not the same as the evolution of the human race!”

“You forget, both of you, what the reality of the situation is.” The Vanu soldier responded coolly. “Major, the Republic was founded and led by those who recognized the need to move past the old ways. They knew that the ideals that had driven the wars of old Earth could no longer be trusted to guide our race’s future. Tom Connery, one of your Presidents and also the leader of the original expedition through the wormhole, knew this better than anyone. It was his effort and initiative that led to the discovery of Vanu! He even encouraged his friend, Henry Briggs, to pursue his work with Vanu technologies, where Briggs eventually came to lead the Vanu Science Division. There is nothing the Republic stands for that Vanu did not bring into being.”

She paused briefly to let him absorb her words. He was silent, so she continued.

“And you, Mathew, don’t seem to recall the reason for our advancements over the last few hundred years. The entire reason your little company exists at all! Technology that was developed as a direct result of humanity uniting behind the discovery of the wormhole and the Vanu artifact was the basis of commerce in the Terran solar system for centuries. And before that, it might interest you to learn, the brink of annihilation the Major mentioned was a result of those ideals driving humanity down into the mire of barbarism. So whatever value you might place on them, the results they produced cannot be ignored.”

“This is bullshit,” Mathew said in exasperation.

The Major thought long and hard about the other’s words before responding.

“The wormhole was the catalyst for the events that led to the formation of the Republic. Humanity pulled itself together of its own accord, proving that those values were what we needed to survive; unity above any personal achievement or advancement. We were strong because we stood together. Only later did we discover Vanu’s influence. We did all of this of our own volition.”

Mathew spoke up before the VS soldier could respond.

“I think you’re both missing an important aspect of this. I. Don’t. Care! You can go on for days about history and philosophy, but I’m not going to buy it. And I shouldn’t have to! Why can’t you just let people think differently than you?”

“You can think differently as long as it isn’t causing problems for others. Armed conflict is one such problem,” the Major said. He then motioned Rainbow lower to speak in a whisper.

~*~*~

Katie was silent in the wake of the other soldiers’ comments. She realized that there was merit to what they’d said. It bothered her that she could be starting to agree with anything said by the materialistic rebels or the outdated warlords. But she couldn’t shake the feeling that she should give it serious consideration. Given everything she’d been though today, she was unsure what she believed anymore. She didn’t think she had any tears left in her, even though the thought made her feel like she would succumb to them again.

In that argument, she’d been speaking automatically, saying what she’d believed before and saying it because it came naturally. Like a machine; input in, output out. She’d spoken with conviction born from long years of study and defiantly enduring the ridicule of the other factions for her beliefs. Now, seeing that she may have missed something in all of her studies, something she might just have found in these ponies, she couldn’t be sure who had been brainwashed.

The NC soldier poked his head around the corner he was hiding behind and Katie shifted her Phantom’s sights toward him.

Whatever he might believe, she thought. I’ll kill him if he’s going to be stupid enough to put himself in the open like that. Right or wrong, I’ll be able to sort out his words whether he’s alive or not.

The Light Assault ducked back before she could line up the shot. She let out the breath she was holding and eased off the trigger.

Just as well. It means he’s not that stupid. And if he isn’t, then I’m not stupid for thinking he might be right about something.

She kept watching the corner in case he decided to make the mistake of taking a second look. No such lapse in intelligence seemed forthcoming. She relaxed marginally and let her mind wander to the subject of Rarity. The Unicorn had surprised her with whatever trick she’d pulled. It had been some sort of hologram over a telekinetically controlled construct composed of gemstones. And Rarity herself had been invisible the whole time. Even now, Katie was unsure if the Unicorn standing in the open was the real Rarity.

Katie smiled at the other’s ingenuity. Not only was it a brilliant plan, it was a shining example of the kind of magic that intrigued her so much. She would have to make a point of asking more about it when this was over. Then again, she still needed to complete her research on finding a way home. She’d been gone too long already. She had to get back to Auraxis and the war. And the endless killing. And the blind, unyielding, senseless hatred.

She suddenly couldn’t remember why she wanted to go back. She lowered the rifle slowly. This fight was pointless. And after it was done, there would only be a more pointless fight to return to. The only difference was that this one would end, one way or another. The war on Auraxis would not. She could admittedly tip the scales in her empire’s favor by returning and even more by eliminating these two before they could return to the battle, but all she would really accomplish is to make the battles marginally easier to win. Day after day, they would have to worry about facing two fewer soldiers while relying on one more of their own. In the grander scheme, it was a negligible difference.

The only way there could be a real end to the fighting would be if the other two factions gave up. And the chances of that happening were slim to none. Even if they could be pressed to the breaking point, they would still never surrender. They would only be motivated to fight harder. Admittedly, if she were placed in a desperate situation such as that, she would never have considered surrender to be an option. So what could be done to end it all? She thought back to the merit in the others’ words.

Could the key be hidden there? she asked herself. Is there some part of all of this that we’ve missed until now?

A pink pony bounced casually out of the NC’s hiding place and Katie shook herself back to the present. The pony headed for the TR’s position as the Light Assault broke cover as well. Katie swore under her breath at not having her rifle ready and swung it back up to track the NC soldier.

~*~*~

Mat risked a quick look out from behind his cover. Rainbow was hovering close to where the Major was hiding, apparently listening to something the other was saying. He leaned out a little farther and saw the barrel of the VS weapon still protruding from their place of concealment. It shifted toward him and he ducked back. That Vanu soldier was waiting over there, looking for the opportunity to take one of them out of the picture. Then he realized that every pony except Pinkie was standing out in the open at that moment.

None of us are shooting at them, he thought with vaguely cynical amusement. Must be nice to be a pony right now. Pick whatever side you want and earn none of the enemies.

He then realized that if, and more likely, when Rainbow attacked on the Major’s orders, and if he tried to hurt her, every pony would probably turn on him. In fact, he’d fired at what he’d thought had been the Unicorn and Rainbow had been on him right away. He glanced back at Pinkie nervously and then shook himself mentally. He wasn’t about to make that mistake again. Instead, he was going to take the initiative and win this fight before it got any more messed up.

“Hey, Pinkie?” he asked in a whisper.

“Yeah?” she replied, also lowering her voice conspiratorially.

“That Pegasus Rainbow Dash is your friend, right?”

“Yep, she’s one of my bestest friends,” Pinkie nodded.

“We don’t want her to get hurt,” he said slowly. “So we need to get her out of the way while I take out the Major. Can you do that?”

“I sure can!”

“Okay, when I say…”

Pinkie bounced cheerfully into the square.

“…Go,” Mat finished despondently. He shook his head as he steeled himself for the charge. That pony has no low gear. Just one, hypersonic on button.

After a couple quick, puffing breaths, he dashed for the fountain. Applejack looked over questioningly as he surged into view and he gestured wildly.

“Flank him! Get him from the other side!”

She nodded and charged as well, headed for the far side of the fountain. Rainbow still hovered above the Major’s hiding place, but when Applejack started moving, she sped to intercept her.

“After telling me not to get involved, you’re not going to-oof!”

Rainbow never got to Applejack because Pinkie launched herself into the speeding Pegasus and dragged her into the ground in a heap. Applejack bypassed the struggling ponies without breaking stride and continued to close on her target. Mat ran as hard as he could, ducking the two shots the VS sent chasing after him.

“No! AJ, stop!” Rainbow yelled.

The desperation in her voice caused the other to slow marginally to look back at the prone Pegasus.

“It’s not what you think,” Rainbow yelled again. “Get out of there!”

“That’s an odd taste,” Pinkie said suddenly, sitting up and releasing Rainbow. Pinkie looked in Mat’s direction as she considered something intensely.

Mat caught the words as he leapt the last few feet to where he would see the Major. Only, the Major wasn’t behind the fountain. As Applejack slowed down, having reached the same conclusion, Mat realized what Rainbow had meant. He stepped into the claymore’s faint red motion detecting laser the same moment he saw it pressed back against the base of the fountain. He threw himself backward, his jets sputtering to life briefly, as the click of the mine told him he’d triggered it.

The explosion tore his shields apart and shrapnel cut into his leg and side, but he managed to avoid the worst of it. Once the ringing in his ears died down, he pushed himself back to his feet and looked around. The wall of the fountain was damaged and water spilled out from the fractured hole.

“No! AJ!?”

“Oh dear! Applejack!?”

Rainbow and the Unicorn rushed to their friend’s side with Pinkie following apprehensively. As the fountain flooded the surrounding ground, the stricken pony was lying in a darker pool. Her eyes were wide and staring as her chest rose and fell rapidly. The claymore’s shrapnel had ripped deep into her foreleg, exposing bone. Her face was bloody on one side and she was bleeding from multiple other smaller cuts. Slowly, a cry built in her throat and she let out a panicked scream of pain.

While the Unicorn and the Pegasus tried to assist the fallen pony, Mat spun around to look for the Major, determined to get him back for this. Instead, the Major seemed to have found him. Mat saw his arm flash out from an open doorway, throwing a small object that bounced once and rolled to his feet. Pinkie looked over at him. She smacked her lips as if testing an aftertaste. She considered the phenomenon briefly before suddenly grabbing Rainbow and throwing her behind what was left of the fountain.

“Take cover!” Pinkie yelled, jumping directly into the water.

Rarity dropped down between Applejack and the grenade, shielding her from further harm with her own body. Mat followed Pinkie’s lead and dove into the fountain. The grenade went off, sounding like a muffled drum beat from under the water. He surfaced again, spitting water and gasping for breath. He pulled himself out of the water and dropped onto the ground, dripping and chilled. He didn’t have enough time to take stock of the others around him because he saw the Major winding up another grenade and aimed straight at him. He took off running farther into the square, emptying a magazine blindly behind him as he fled.

Comments

[Cosmalone]

Jesus this is really intense now o-o. Love your style of writing by the way :P

[Puzzle Piece]

6977291 I'm glad to hear that you are enjoying my work.
And what, may I ask, would you say you enjoy about it?

[Cosmalone]

6977406 Just the characters, setting, intense scenes... pretty much everything :D

[Puzzle Piece]

6978010 It's good to hear I'm doing something right.