Linkin Pony - Recharge: Revamped

by Kaciekk

Chapter 50

After the battle.

Team Xero, the camp workers, and the sentries all returned to the camp. The buildings were unharmed, but all of the ponies had some sort of injury. Above all, they had lost a pony to the Hybrids.

CharmingRhythm stood in the middle of the street, just watching the ponies move around. SunSwirl had gone to retrieve her medical supplies. FeatherTune brought out those they had stored in the base. Iridescent was helping EchoBeat take out the cacti spines in his back. Rhythm was too stunned to say anything to anyone.

“Rhythm,” Serenity’s voice called from behind him, startling him back to reality. He turned to face her as she trotted up. “Do you want us to take LilyMist to Los Pegasus with us? We could take her to an orphanage there.”

Rhythm thought for a moment. “I don’t know. I feel so bad- I want to help somehow. They should have been safe here.” Rhythm’s words were scattered just like his thoughts.

“Do you really think the ponies here will know how to care for her?” Serenity challenged. “She needs proper care, and taking her to Los Pegasus is our best bet.”

Rhythm nodded. “I suppose so.”

“Alright,” Serenity said. One of her sentries stepped up next to her.

Rhythm looked to them. “Thank you Ren - and your team- so much for your help. Without you, I’m not sure we could have protected our camp, and- we could have lost more ponies.” But we still lost one, he condemned himself. One too many.

“Of course. And I promise to visit, off duty, if I have the chance,” Serenity told her friend. She peered over at the sentry next to her. “I think we better be going.”

Rhythm gave a curt nod, and the Pegasi fluttered off, meeting the others near the center of camp.

For a moment, Rhythm was unsure what to do, feeling defeated. At the corner of his eye, he saw SpinningNote standing there, waiting to grab his attention. Next to him was FeatherTune.

“So, are we going to continue our meeting?” Feather asked when Rhythm pivoted to them.

Rhythm sighed. “Let’s leave that till tomorrow.”

The next morning.

Team Xero gathered in the meeting room. They played a repeat of the day before, however today, spirits were more somber. We gotta stay focused on our job, Rhythm had told himself.

They discussed much of what they did the day before. They had all come to an agreement that their camp was ready to be reviewed. Still, Rhythm was a bit hesitant to go forward with it.

“You gotta stop being such a perfectionist, dude,” Blazing said.

“Yeah, what’s the worst thing they could say? It’s not ready and they’ll come back later?” Feather pointed out.

“I know, I know,” Rhythm let out. “It’s just… we’ve been working on this so hard for so long. It’s almost the end of the year now. And… What are we doing after the camp is done? Are we all really staying here?”

The rest of the stallions were quiet for a moment, all exchanging glances. Spinning was the first to speak up. “I mean, I don’t see why not.”

“Yeah, I thought we all agreed we’d stay,” Hyper said. “I think it’d be cool if we all lived so close together.”

“And we could always pick up missions from headquarters and go out if we want to,” Echo added.

“Although I’m sure you’d prefer staying here and gardening,” Feather teased Echo.

Echo shrugged. “You’re not wrong. But,” he then looked to Rhythm, “I’m always ready to come to help. We’re a team.”

Rhythm nodded, feeling a bit more confident now. Still, many thoughts swirled in his mind, threatening to weigh him down.”

“You alright, Rhyth?” Hyper asked, noticing his odd, silent behavior.

“No,” Rhythm admitted. “We lost a pony yesterday. How can we call this a camp if we can’t keep ponies safe?”

“We didn’t have full defenses,” Spinning recalled. “It’s… unfortunate that happened. We can’t change the past though. But we can prepare for the future, and learn how to fend off Hybrids if they try to attack again.”

Rhythm’s mind continued to wander into the past. “I’ve never seen a pony do that before. I’ve seen plenty of ponies taken off against their will, but… to go with the Hybrids willingly?”

HyperBlitz sighed. “You don’t see that much in the Resistance. We’re taught to be completely against the Hybrids. But, there are ponies out there who aren’t. Or, they find themselves in such a hopeless situation that they don’t see any other choice.”

“And I truly think some ponies believe it’s a better choice. Some like the idea of having metal bodies and weapons,” Echo told, grimacing.

For a moment, Rhythm took that in. For the longest time, since he was a colt, he’d been living in the bubble of the Resistance. Their way of life was fighting Hybrids, keeping each other safe. Recently, he’d seen not all the world was that way. There were so many ponies out there that needed their help.

First step, set up a camp. Another safe spot for ponies to retreat to.

Sitting up straight, Rhythm addressed his team. “Alright. Let's focus on the future. Spinning, send a message to headquarters. We’re getting our camp reviewed.”

Two days later.

A Pegasus from headquarters had met with the team in the early afternoon. The mauve mare introduced herself as TurningDial. She was in charge of camp inspection. CharmingRhythm was more than willing to show her around camp, but she insisted that she review it on her own.

From the side of a street, Rhythm watched from a distance as Dial fluttered around the edges of an apartment. She used a hoof to tap on an electronic tablet held in front of her. She landed and went to enter the apartment. CherryBomb exited before she could try. They exchanged a few words, then Cherry let Dial inside.

“So, uh, inspector, huh?” Cherry said as she trotted up to Rhythm

“Yep,” Rhythm replied, then quickly changed the subject. “You feeling any better?”

“Yeah, I am. It’s still a little sore, but the swelling’s gone down,” Cherry explained as she glanced at her side, which was covered by the bandages around her torso.

“That’s great!” Rhythm said.

He noticed TurningDial exit Cherry’s apartment. She was traveling to the apartment nearest to the two conversing ponies. Rhythm spoke up. “Dial, you may want to knock on the doors just in case. Especially in the buildings on this side of the camp. There aren’t any residents on the other side.”

“Understood.” Dial dipped her head, and proceeded to knock on the door of the next apartment.

It took the rest of the afternoon for the inspector to go all around camp. Rhythm was pacing around the path in front of the base, his team watching him. HyperBlitz stepped in his way and placed a hoof on him to stop pacing. Hyper pointed with his muzzle behind Rhythm's shoulder. Rhythm glanced behind and saw TurningDial fluttering towards them.

The Pegasus stopped just before them, slightly above the ground. She analyzed the tablet in her hooves. She took a look at Rhythm, then her eyes settled back on her tablet.

She began listing everything she surveyed. “At least eighty percent of the apartments have clean beds. Most debris has been removed. You have a sustainable water source- although I still need to take a water sample to test its quality.”

“Oh, I already did that,” Spinning interrupted. Everyone stared at him, Rhythm glaring. Dial only raised a brow. “What? I’m not lying. I have the results, I can give them to you.”

“Very well,” the inspector continued. “I see you already have a decent food supply source, and are working on adding more. You have plenty of energy sources and generators. However, there are a few apartments that need to be rewired to the new system. I’m sure that won’t be any problem for you. And as from what I’ve heard, you’ve done well on defense, ridding the area of Hybrid problems.”

Rhythm’s heart sank when she said that. But not good enough, he ridiculed silently as he remembered RoseTwist. He was glad that the inspector thought well of their defense, but he would never forgive himself for losing a pony.

“So, does that mean everything’s good?” Rhythm spoke up.

“Your camp is around eighty percent done. And since I’m sure it’s no issue to finish that, I’d say that’s enough to call it official. Let me see those water test results, and I’ll tell you for certain.” Dial fluttered to the ground, then met with SpinningNote. He directed her towards the base.

The heaviness in Rhythm’s chest lightened a little. In a few moments, all their hard work would be verified. He impatiently waited for the inspector to come back outside. The four other stallions exchanged excited glances with him

When Dial returned, she met Rhythm with a polite smile. “Congratulations, Your camp will be added to the Resistance’s radar as soon as possible.”

“Awesome!” Rhythm beamed, and had to stop himself from hopping like a cheerful colt. “I mean- thank you so much!”

“You’ll need to meet with the president tomorrow morning to discuss your assignment’s completion.”

“Tomorrow?” Rhythm was surprised how soon it was. “Alright. We’ll be there.”

It took a few moments for TurningDial to leave, but once she did, team Xero had their own little celebration together. Happy dances and excited hugs. Hyper pulled Rhythm close to him with a wing, then added his foreleg to the hug.

“We did it! This is awesome!” Hyper grinned.

“Yeah- holy shit,” Rhythm let out. “We actually made a camp for the Resistance.”

“And a new home,” Blazing added.

Rhythm nodded, trying to think through his elation. “We still have a few things to work out.”

That evening.

All of the ponies in camp were called for a meeting. CharmingRhythm stood on a stack of wooden beams, just high enough to see everyone in the clearing. His teammates stood just behind him.

“Alright everyone! I want to thank all of you for your hard work these past months. I’m sure some of you have already heard; our camp is official!” He paused, a few ponies cheered. “We’ll be working out rewards after tomorrow. Also… we need to know how many of you are staying or leaving. It’s completely up to you. We won’t force you to stay.”

“I think I’d like to go home,” said the quiet voice of Terra, who was scuffing the ground with a hoof.

“That’s completely alright,” Rhythm assured.

“I need to check with Rain first,” ForestWind spoke up. “Then I’ll let y’all know.” Rhythm gave him a nod.

Ash and Jet stepped up to the front of the crowd. “Jet and I are going to be working some missions from out of Los Pegasus,” Ash said, “but we’ll make sure to come check in with you guys often.”

“Sounds good,” Rhythm replied “Thank you for staying as long as you have.”

“It grew on her,” Jet teased, poking Ash with a wing. She just rolled her eyes.

“Anyone else?” Rhythm asked. “Berry?” He looked at the shy stallion.

“Well… I was going to go home when I was done,” Berry spoke, “but I made some friends. So I think I’ll stay.”

“Glad to hear it!” Rhythm smiled.

As the ponies began to disperse, Rhythm stepped down to meet up with some members of the crowd. He faced the siblings, Iridescent and Blackout.

“Well, we don’t have anywhere else to go,” Iridescent thought aloud.

“We’ll stay, but don’t expect me to do any of your Resistance work,” Blackout grumbled.

“Not expecting you to,” Rhythm responded. “But, you don’t have to keep up that tough guy persona.” He smirked.

Blackout only glared stubbornly. Iridescent gave him a smile, a conceding look in her wide eyes. He only looked away and snorted.

Rhythm passed them and found AgileArrow and CherryBomb. “So, what’s the verdict with you two?”

“Well, I was assigned as defense right?” Aggie said. “May as well stay here and stick to that. Besides, Cherry really likes it here.” Aggie fondly turned her gaze to Cherry. The red mare leaned her head against Aggie’s.

Rhythm rounded back around to his teammates. They didn’t speak, but Rhythm acknowledged them with a grateful glance.

The next morning.

Several sets of hooves filled the hall with the sound of hoofsteps. CharmingRhythm led team Xero through the main Resistance building.

“You really think they’ll let us all in?” FeatherTune was asking as they rode the elevator up.

“If they don’t I’ll just refuse to go in,” Rhythm replied, smirking.

The group got off on the president’s floor. Rhythm made his way, which was very familiar to him by now, towards the meeting hall. He stopped in front to address the security guard that stood to the side.

“CharmingRhythm,” he announced. “I have a reservation today.”

The earth pony guard lowered his head, peering above glasses. “And the rest?”

“This is my team. They’re with me.”

The guard pondered that for a moment, and then slid into the double doors behind him. Rhythm glanced at his teammates and gave an excited nod. The pony returned, holding the door open.

“Go ahead,” he invited.

“Thank you,” Rhythm said graciously.

The six ponies filed into a row through the door. Rhythm was surprised to see several council members sitting at the meeting table. He recognized the pink Pegasus that he was sure was the mare who referred Jet and Ash to him. President Clarity was standing up, looking directly at them.

“I see you brought your team.”

“Is that alright?” Rhythm asked.

“I suppose so. Please, sit, there’s plenty of chairs for all of you,” Clarity addressed.

As they sat down, Clarity spoke to them, still standing, with a hoof on the table.

“I want to congratulate you on your camp’s success. In record time as well. I knew I chose well when selecting a team to complete this mission,” she stated. “Rewards will be distributed shortly. We will also connect you with the Resistance’s train system so you can have access to it.”

“Wait, we’ll be able to have access to the trains?” Rhythm wondeed.

“Yes. You can export supplies, and even ponies to and from your camp,” the president explained.

“That would be useful,” Rhythm mumbled, and silently wished they could have had that resource much earlier.

“We will also be giving you a communication line with other camps in the southwest sector. You will be informed of Hybrid activity seen by other camps. You may also be transferred refugees,” Clarity told them.

“Sounds good,” Rhythm responded dutifully.

“And because of that, we will need a name for your camp. No need to rush it, you can always report back to us later.”

Rhythm nodded. “Right.” He caught a glimpse at SpinningNote, looking as if he was already brainstorming name ideas.

“Overall, I’d like to personally thank you for taking this assignment and following it through. I know it wasn’t easy, but the Resistance greatly appreciates your effort,” Clarity spoke, eyes only on Rhythm.

“Well, actually, I’d like to thank my team. They deserve the credit too. They helped me all the way through, and I couldn’t be more grateful.” Rhythm’s eyes traveled between his companions. SpinningNote, BlazingFlair, FeatherTune, EchoBeat, and then finally to HyperBlitz, who was sitting right next to him. “They’re going to help me run this camp. That’s why I brought them here.”

“Of course.” Clarity nodded, the ribbons in her hair waving. “Thank you, team Xero. Your work is greatly appreciated. And I look forward to your camp’s progress. Is there anything else you’d like to discuss?”

“Actually,” Rhythm began, “I’d like to bring something up- um. It’s a bit off topic, but I’ve noticed the defenses in the city are running a bit thin. I think you- we may need to work on them more, to keep more ponies safe.” Rhythm cursed himself for sounding so unprofessional.

“I agree,” Clarity said. “We’ve had to focus on several security issues, but will be addressing defense soon enough. I’m glad you seem concerned. While it may not seem related, your camp will help with this city’s safety.”

Rhythm never thought of it that way. He replied, “Huh, well, I hope things go well. And if you ever need some extra recruits to help with Hybrid breaches, you know who to call.”

“Will we actually do that,” Hyper whispered in his ear.

“Yes!” Rhythm quipped.

“Very well. Now, I think that’s all. You’re all dismissed.” The president gave a courteous smile.

Later that week.

Ponies were all begging to settle down in camp as well as continue work. Rhythm was happy to see so many ponies stay. This would turn into a nice little community to live in. He knew that would be perfect for Heartfelt, who he was meeting up with after he had invited her.

Out near the south edge of camp, Rhythm met up with the cab that was pulling up. BlazingFlair had driven with him his wife, GoldenRay, as well as SweetHooves, JumpingJolt in her hooves, and Heartfelt. The latter met Rhythm with a gentle nose touch.

“It’s so good to see you again,” Rhythm breathed.

“I missed you,” Heartfelt said, then gave Rhythm a quick kiss.

Rhythm could tell she was feeling better. Her posture had more energy, and there was a sparkle in her eyes.

“You’re going to love it here,” Rhythm claimed. “Well, there’s a lot to get used to, and we have things to arrange but…” He trailed off, looking for the right words. His eyes set on Hyper who was greeting SweetHooves. “I couldn’t be more happy to live with my closest friends.”

“I’m so sorry for being so difficult before,” Heartfelt acknowledged.

“You don’t have to be sorry,” Rhythm said softly. “I know you weren’t feeling well, but I’m so glad to see you happy again.”

Heartfelt leaned the side of her head against Rhythm’s chest. “I don’t know how you put up with me,” she sighed.

“Because I love you.” He placed his hoof around her back. He tilted his head and kissed the top of hers.

Letting go, Rhythm backed up. “C’mon, I want to show you the apartment I picked out.”

Heartfelt levitated a luggage bag over to her side. “We still have a lot of stuff to move, but this will get me through a few nights.”

“Don’t worry,” Rhythm was saying as they began walking, “We can always go back and get our other stuff. We got a train now.” He grinned.

“Oh yeah?” Heartfelt raised her brows.

Rhythm continued to lead, attempting not to burst from happiness at the thought of starting their new life.

Later that night.

CharmingRhythm sat the meeting room of team Xero’s base. A radio played softly in the background as he wrote down notes. While he wouldn’t be living in the building, he still enjoyed the space, especially as a meeting place for his team. He was already thinking about renovating the spare bedrooms for passing by refugees. Like a little hotel.

The door across the room opened. HyperBlitz stepped inside, looking as if he knew just where to find Rhythm.

“Hey, what's up?” Rhythm greeted.

“Just checking in with you. How are you?”

“I’m doing fantastic,” Rhythm smiled at his friend.

“Thinking about turning one of these rooms into a recording studio?” Hyper inquired.

“Oh, for sure! Maybe even two of them. One for recording, one for mixing.” Rhythm’s mind turned with new possibilities. “We do have that storage room as well. I want a few of these rooms to stay as bedrooms.”

“Of course,” Hyper agreed. He sat down next to Rhythm. A smirk broke across his face.

“What?” Rhythm prodded.

“Oh, just thinking about JumpingJolt. He’s having such a great time exploring the camp. We already lost him a couple times. Too bad this camp isn’t foal-proof,” Hyper laughed.

“We may have to figure that out,” Rhythm said. “Think there’s gonna be at least a few foals here.”

There was silence for a few moments. Brown eyes on Hyper, Rhythm studied him for a moment, his gaze ultimately settling on his prosthetic wing.

“You alright?” Hyper asked.

“It’s just… I really appreciate you, and the rest of the guys, for doing this mission with me. It really means a lot, even though a lot of bad things happened. You… lost your wing.”

“That wasn’t something you could control,” Hyper justified, his even tone surprising Rhythm. “You can’t keep blaming yourself for it.

“Yes but… if we never did this mission, you would have never lost it,” Rhythm lamented.

“I’m not going to pretend it doesn’t upset me, because it does. It fucking sucks, but,” Hyper sighed, “We got to build a new home for ourselves. Doesn’t that count for something?”

“Of course, it- it means everything to me,” Rhythm admitted. “I’m looking forward to living with my best friends.”

Hyper stood up. “Then, let's keep looking forward.” He gave Rhythm a bright smile, that same smile that suggested just the right amount of Hyperness. Warm, cheerful, and just a hint of mischief. “C’mere.” He extended his hoof around Rhythm’s shoulders and pulled him in for a hug. “Love you, brother.”

“Heh, and love you back,” Rhythm grinned, his face full of chest feathers.

He looked up as Hyper pulled away. “Alright. We’ll run this camp as a team,” Hyper announced. “We’re going to help the Resistance, and make kickass music together.”

“Sounds fucking awesome,” Rhythm agreed.

Their journey had come so far. Rhythm had seen Hyper at his worst, but he still bounced back. His friends all had challenges thrown at them, some life threatening, but they still prevailed. The task of running a camp seemed minuscule compared to that.

Equestria may still be far from the paradise it once was, but there was still hope within the Resistance. CharmingRhythm was proud to be part of it, and even more proud to be team Xero’s leader. They were ready for anything that crossed their path. Their camp added to a better tomorrow in the Resistance, and Equestria.