My Little Pony: Exiles of the Empire

by Hikarikurai24587

Finding Survivors

Chapter Twelve: Finding Survivors

Hunter was leaving the remains of the ship with some survivors he found and was eyeing the rest. Someone was still missing. Someone he was with.

‘Applejack.’ He remembered back to the little filly that was with her leaving to find the filly’s mother, but neither of them were present. In a way, he felt responsible for them. Just then a pile of debris exploded and a mint green unicorn with an orange and black mane coughed. The black in her mane looked more like soot splotches and her eyes were yellow. She looked around in confusion before rifling through the debris picking up a saddle bag. Using her magic she placed it on her back not even paying attention to Hunter.

Hunter noticed the unicorn from the explosion and approached her. “Hey. Don’t think I’ve met you.”

The Unicorn stuck her head in the debris before lifting it up, her messy mane now having items in it. She turned around saying. “Hallow Glow, pleasure to meet you. Have you seen my quill? I’m sure I had it with me while I was taking notes on the fascination of space travel.”

“Hunter. Can’t say I have, just left the ship bringing out survivors. You seem awfully in good spirits after the crash.” Hunter mentioned, folding his arms. Hallow Glow binked in confusion before looking around. “Crash? There was a crash? I merely thought I blew something up… not that it happens often. Just when I’m experimenting or one of my potion flasks that I use to create a smokescreen had the wrong measurements.”

Hunter went silent as his eyes widened and his arms fell down to his sides. “...Hey. Hallow Glow you said? You didn’t even know there was a crash? All this carnage, all this death? You thinking you blew something up...could you be the one responsible?!”

“Nope. I was just reading. Must have been under there since everything started collapsing. It was sudden, like whatever was holding the ship together suddenly vanished.” Hallow Glow said before looking at Hunter closely. “This is why you don’t use magic to hold structures together. One must make sure it can hold without it. You know, there is something off about you.”

She then began to look around saying. “There might be more survivors and you look like you can move rubble. Something doesn’t seem right….”

Hallow Glow stared at Hunter blinking a few times before shaking her head. “I can’t put my hoof on it.”

Hunter rolled his eyes as he responded. “I don’t know what you think of me but I can’t say I trust you. I’m going back in to look for some survivors, a few in particular. You’re going to come with me.”

“Okay.” Hallow Glow said before summoning a flame. “Not hot, but it would provide better light. Shall we Hunter? I must say that is an unusual name you have there. Most ponies wouldn’t go for it.”

She began to walk into the rubble while still talking. “But who am I to judge most ponies? I mean look at me! I dropped out of Celestia’s School For Gifted Unicorns, still live with my sisters, and have a Sphynx for a pet. Cute little thing though, grumpy, I will be sad when we part. Yet it must be done, I must say travelling through space is a rather unique experience. Yet being on a new planet, this is just wow!”

“You sure talk a lot.” Hunter said moving some more rubble out of the way. “Don’t you feel anything for what happened?”

Hallow Glow began to look around surveying the damage. She sighed. “I don’t know how many ponies survived or what state they are in. But we all signed up for this, surely we are aware of the dangers. I wasn’t even aware we had the ability to travel through space just yet. By my calculations it would have taken us over a thousand more years. I am sad for the lives we lost and will be sure they get a proper burial. Yet if we don’t keep our spirits high then what are we out here for?”

Hunter looked back at Hallow Glow, not saying a word before continuing on. He knelt down on the ground noticing some rubble shifted in a way matching some hooves moving forward. “This way.”

“Not much of a talker, are you? Dusk Oath is the same way. I haven’t seen her recently.” Hallow mused following behind Hunter. Her ears twitched and she looked around asking. “Did you hear that?”

Hunter paused a moment hearing it as well. “I was beginning to wonder if there would be a use for you, your hearing is definitely something.” He said as he walked towards the noise, moving around debris here and there. Hallow Glow closed her eyes listening carefully. “Quadruped, low to the ground, large lizard, I can hear the claws, slightly webbed feet. Something has found its way into the wreckage.”

Blaster at the ready, Hunter inched forward when they came across a small hole in some debris. “The noise is coming past this part but it’s going to take some time getting this stuff out of the way without risking possible damage to other areas. You could fit though. Maybe you could lure it out and I can try to kill it if it’s a hostile creature.”

Hallow Glow examined the hole before crawling through saying. “Reminds me of a time when I went to the Crystal Caves. Beautiful, anyways, Luminous Song decided to see if there were any….”

She came face to face to a strange looking large lizard. It hissed at her and lunged only to get a face full of fire as she teleported out creating a larger hole. She appeared next to Hunter as it came charging out hissing angrily. Hunter aimed his blaster carefully and shot it square in the head casuing the creature to collapse to the ground. He eyed it’s remains closely seeing if he could recognize it. “A Sleen, didn’t expect to run into one here. We better move quickly incase there’s any more on board.”

“Bound to be.” Hallow Glow said wanting to take measurements of the Sleen but chose not to. “Now, let’s go find those survivors.”

Hunter nodded as they pressed on back to following the trail he was following when he came to a section of the ship he hadn’t explored yet. Debris everywhere, but enough room for the both of them to fit through. “You probably shouldn’t look down.” Hunter told Hallow Glow as he came across some of the departed.

Hallow Glow just looked like she was about to be sick. She kept on her brave face listening for any sounds of life. That was when she saw another Sleen go near one of the deceased and ended up blasting it. The spell was of a pumpkin on fire.

“Told you.” Hunter said when he came to the entrance of a room where the door had collapsed. He could hear a faint voice beyond along with what sounded like crying. “Please don’t be dead.” Hunter pleaded as he moved into the room. Hunter let out a sigh of relief seeing Applejack and the little filly, but beside them...was a rather grim sight. The mother of the filly was pinned under rubble. Her breathing getting fainter and fainter as Hallow Glow ran forward saying. “Spring Rain, right? I remember you, I’ve got a potion.”

Spring Rain shook her head and grabbed onto Applejack’s leg with her hoof saying. “You take care of her… I am sorry.”

“Hey now, we’re gonna git you out of there.” Applejack said just as Spring Rain’s head dropped. “No, no! Come on, stay with me!”

“Mommy?” the filly sniffled and moved forward only to be held back by Hallow Glow. “Mommy!”

Hunter lifted up the rubble and held Spring Rain in his arms. “I’m...sorry, I don’t know what to say. I’ll make sure she gets a proper burial.” He started to regret some of the things he said to the ponies before. “Listen, Applejack? I’m sorry I didn’t come with you, I might have been able to do something. I know that there were supplies to get, but…” His mind flashed back to the Clone Wars, fighting alongside his brothers, some living, some dying. He was bred for battle and could bear the pain, but seeing the little filly break down…

“I was the one who suggested we split up to cover more ground.” Applejack said looking at the ground. “I don’t think any of us actually knew what was going to happen. I’m just thankful that I managed to protect little Summer Bloom here when it happened. Don’t think I could have handle losin’ both of them.”

Hunter approached Applejack and said. “We should probably get out of here, creatures are starting to get into the ship.” His eyes turned to the little Summer Bloom. “I’m uh...not very good at this but I need you to be strong. Strong for your Mother. We need to be brave and get out to survive.”

“We could look for Princess Luna, she’ll probably be able to help defend the survivors a lot better.” Applejack mumbled and Hallow Glow gave her a confused look. “You shouldn’t sell yourself short, from what I hear you’re one of the best defenders we have. I’m just confused on why you’re here.”

“You really don’t know what is going on, do you?” Applejack pointed out and Hallow Glow just stared at her. “You’re not confused by any of this? About Hunter?”

“Mommy and her friends would always call her leader, saying she would focus on us.” Summer Bloom pointed out and Hallow Glow looked at her saying. “Leader? I only know them because they talk to me. I honestly don’t know what is going on, just we were on a vessel in space and that there is something weird about all of this… and Hunter. I’m not sure what is strange about him.”

“Before we continue this conversation or look for others, we should get out of the ship while we can so we can have a burial and get Summer Bloom to Celestia, if she managed to get out that is.” Hunter mentioned as he turned towards the door. Hallow Glow’s brows furrowed as they began to head out.

The group exited the ship as Hunter began digging a grave for Spring Rain and laid her in there. He turned to Summer Bloom and knelt down patting her head. "You were really brave earlier. Your Mother would be proud. If you need anyone to talk to well, uh, you got me."

Summer Bloom ran forward and hugged Hunter’s legs nodding her head. Applejack looked at the wreckage around them asking. “What are we gonna do now? We don’t know where anyone is.”

"Leave that to me." Hunter said as he pulled out a small gun. He pointed it towards the air and shot it, leaving a red trail of smoke in the sky. "Would probably be easier for them to find us."

“Good thing you have that.” Applejack said before looking at Hallow Glow. “Why didn’t you send up a signal?”

“Because mine isn’t really noticeable during the day. I’m working on it though.” Hallow answered seeing a few more signals shooting into the air. “I’m hoping they are in large groups and not that….”

The light of teleportation filled the area as Celestia appeared a sleigh with a few ponies, Rex, and Echo appeared. Soon after was Discord, Tech, Wrecker, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershly flashed before them as well. Celestia looked around seeing the signals knowing that they had to get the ponies together. Worry began to settle in as she asked. “It is good to see you all well. Have you seen Luna?”

“No, come to think of it, I haven’t seen Spike either.” Applejack pointed out feeling the panic rise once again.

"Seems like General Skywalker is still missing as well." Hunter noticed looking at the group. Celestia frowned, glancing at the wreckage. “We need to find the bridge.”

Anakin awoke in a darkened room, his head pounding. He reached for his lightsaber to illuminate the darkness but it had gotten damaged. "Great, just great." He said to himself. "Anyone else here?!" He shouted out as he rose to his feet. A silvery blue light filled the air as Luna spoke. “I am, what happened?”

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