Mountain Scramble
"Sir, here are five of the best I could find amongst the lines" said Maverick lined p with them in the courtyard. "They are the remnants of Charlie Company and have been assigned as support units" said Maverick.
I looked them all up and down and was not happy with what I saw, malnourished sleep depraved ponies whose armour was dirty, blasted, torn and weapons in no better condition. "They'll have to do" I said finishing my inspection "follow me and get ready to enter a shit storm I said as a gruff voice now perpetrated my ears saying "not inviting your Captain along now are we Chad".
I looked up at my comrade in arms who was the closest thing to a brother I and ever had and saluted the big Red and sand coloured hair pony who was cover in muck and held the Captains emblem on his shoulder."Captain Jets I was simply forming together a strike team to defend the attack on the north-east wall". "I see well I'm hurt I wasn't invited lieutenant, now let's go kick some ass" he exclaimed grabbing a shotgun from a nearby dead pony and taking lead of the men Maverick had gathered and me bringing up the rear.
I blinked suddenly and looked into the pony's eyes that were shut in preparation for his upcoming demise. I brought the knife down on the pony and stabbed him right through the ear. He screamed and I cut him off with a right hoof, followed by a left hoof.
So I started hitting him relentlessly, beating the shit out of him until his eye became puffed up and his mouth had no teeth remaining in them. "You threaten Luna like that and that's what you get" I shouted at him as I got off of him and delivered a large kick in the ribcage.
He moaned in pain as I walked over and retrieved my gun and started circling him. "You know how this works; you will die because you are too much of a security risk and because I wouldn't let a piece of shit like you go free anyway but I am a merciful pony and will give you a choice" I stated.
He looked up at me through his one good eye and I pointed my sidearm at him. "Death instantly or I can tie you to a tree and slowly gut you like you deserve"! He looked at me through fearful eyes his spirit truly broken and that croaky voice he had once had spat out "fuck you" even though he regretted in straight afterwards.
"So be it" I said and went over to him, pulling him up by his horn I smashed his two back legs in. He screamed in sheer agony as I tied dome cord to his feet and then began tying him to the tree until he was hanging upside down by his broken legs.
"Now I ask you again, will you co-operate or do I gut you" I said drawing my knife. "Ok I'm sorry ple-please don't kill me I swear I didn't mean to s-say those things about Luna!" he cried out swinging violently to try and get away from my knife.
I looked at his eyes and saw that the battle was won but suddenly they focused which took me by surprise until I figured it out.
I dove to the right as a pulse round smashed into the Staff Sergeant, breaking through his armour and killing him instantly. I saw the gruff pony with his rifle stand and take aim again but didn't give him a chance. I flicked my wrist and sent my knife straight between his eyes for a second time. This time the knife came through the back of his helmet along with his brain.
"God damn it" I shouted frustrated. "You should have killed him" came a voice from behind me and I looked back with my gun raised in surprise to see Luna standing looking at the dead Staff Sergeant hanging from the tree looking like he had been torn to pieces by a pack of vultures.
Judging by the disgusted look on Luna's face pointed at me she wasn't happy. "I thought you were a moral pony who had honour, but you're no better than all the assassins trying to kill me". "Your just another sick minded soldier who will stop at nothing to carry out a mission, why I bet if you were ordered to you'd skin me alive!" she shouted, turning away and running off.
"Luna wait" I cried preparing to go after her trying to think of anything to get her to stop and comeback. "Let her go" said Red "she won't go far and her trust in you has just been shattered, in fact I don't think she will want to ever talk to you again" said Red not even the satisfaction seeping from her voice.
I began to walk back and forward agitatedly trying to think of something to do before I vented my frustration on a nearby tree, punching it until both it and my hand were messed up pretty bad. I then slowly slid down with my back supported against the tree trying to not let my emotions spill over and descend into a sobbing wreck.
Her words echoed in my head how she looked upon me as a monster, someone who killed relentlessly and did whatever it took to get what they needed. I didn't descend into a sobbing wreck but tears did spill over my eyes as I stood up and began to collect important things from the U.A soldiers.
I recorded all this as I worked, first dragging their bodies and packs back to the river with extreme effort. Luna wasn't there but Chad was. I looked over at him ludicrously; he was still hiding behind the same rock I'd told him to hide behind half an hour ago.
"You've been here all this time?" I said. He looked up from the rock and shrugged stating "you told me to stay here and well... that's what I did" he said to his defence. Since he technically had followed orders I couldn't yell at him so I simply grunted and put the dead unicorns with the other.
"What are you going to do" asked Chad. "Record what items I find from their dead bodies and then burn them" I said as I took off the U.A armour and stacked it to one side. "You should really help me, help you learn how to do this" I told Chad.
He looked a little green and stepped away clearly trying to think of a reason to go. His head suddenly snapped up and he questioned "where's Luna"? I looked down before solemnly saying "she's just gone for a long walk". "But her need protection with her at all times" said Chad. "No she's going to be fine, besides she doesn't want me to be around anymore, in fact I wouldn't blame her if she's flown halfway back to Canterlot by now.
Chad scratched his head in miscomprehension but I simply ordered "get over here and help me!" and he dropped the subject entirely and came over to help me.
"So how do we do this" he said. "First we remove all their armour sets and stack them in one pile, then their weapons and finally their backpacks must be searched" I told him beginning to take the armour off of the Staff Sergeant I had so brutally and foolishly tortured.
"What happened to him" gasped Chad. "I did" I said quietly as I began moving his armour to one side. "Remember to state what you remove and its current state" I told him. "Why" he asked. "So that I can look back on the current recording that's being played if I ever need to" I said "now get on with it"!
So we quickly began setting stuff into their piles, ending up with a large stock of things. Two of the rifles had been destroyed but one of them still remained intact and as I checked over it I saw it was like the one I'd taken from the first unicorn. I found one small sidearm which looked similar to mine and also set that aside.
The armour we found was also mostly wrecked with once more the first unicorns set intact whilst the others had holes in from pulse blasts that had ripped through them.
Finally the backpacks contained supplies such as medical and food which we set to one side and a couple of crude scanners and trackers which were obsolete to the ones I carried but none the less swept to the side.
"Ok we're done here" I said looking at the fine set of armour, weapons and supplies procured from the bodies. I looked over at Chad who despite looking a bit queasy seemed fine and had an idea that he would not like at all.
"Take your armour off" I ordered him. He seemed taken by surprise and wheeled round to face me. "What...why" he questioned with a look of distrust in his eyes. "Just do it and hurry up" I told him. "Sorry man but I'm not into-that" he said backing away and turning red slightly.
I looked at him with a facial expression that was a mixture of anger, embarrassment and outrage. "Listen here you very dumb son of a bitch, I am a violent pony by all means, a terrifying warrior who has a cold heart but I do not want anything to do with...THAT, NOW HURRY UP AND TAKE YOUR ARMOUR OFF"!
He practically jumped out of his armour at my final words and terrified he looked up at me. "Now get dressed into this armour" I told him. He looked at me as if I was insane and had multiple horns growing out of my head. "But a pony died in that armour". "Yes and now it is yours" I told him sternly "now get in the armour before I make you regret it" I said menacingly.
The situation had turned really awkward as Chad began to suit up in a dead pony's armour, it was alien to him and he didn't quite understand the fastenings or buckles so I had to help him get dressed like he was a foal.
Finally he was in and immidielty he began wobbling around because of the unbalanced helmet on his head. I immidielty took it off and through it in the pile saying "It would throw you off balance anyway".
Next I began to fasten a backpack onto him which he also struggled to understand since he was used to a saddlebag. "Why is it on your back like that" he asked. "Well after the war started they found that saddle bags unbalanced the holder so placing it dead in the centre of your back is far better for your back support and combat effectiveness" I explained.
He nodded as I explained this, trying not to squirm as I secured the buckles tight. "Okay, now try holding one of these" I told him, handing him the unicorn rifle. He took it and immidielty looked down the barrel. "No!" I shouted pointing it away from him, "Like how I hold mine see" I told him showing him how I held mine.
He tried to mimic me but his posture was all terrible and his hooves looked very clumsy around it. "Err yes like that" I said trying my best to sound convincing. "Now sling it over you back" I told him. He did so and felt odd at the weapons added weight on his back.
Finally I added all the supplies into his backpack and looked him up and down. "You look good kid" I said as I observed what could pass as a soldier back in my time. "Now walk around a bit and get used to the difference, the armour should be lighter than your standard steel armour but your back is probably strained a bit more form the extra weight I said.
"Also take this" I said giving him his final piece of costume "it's a weapons belt, it's where you strap your knife, grenades and sidearm all of which you don't have right now" I told him.
He strapped this onto his lower back and looked at himself in the river, admiring the odd new armour as if he was a colt being given a brand new toy to play with.
"I plan to teach you how to use all the equipment, including your body effectively eventually but for now get used to the weight and the feel of the hardware" I told him.
Suddenly the bushes rustled and Luna came strolling through as if nothing had happened. "Luna please" I began but the look of loathing she gave me quickly silenced my tongue. She looked over at Chad ad furiously looked at me "so you gave him the armour of a pony picked clean, do tell was it the one who's throat you slit or the one who you tied up and tortured" she said outraged.
I looked down at my hooves as she said this and slowly tears began to well up at this again as my damn emotion flared up. "You disgust me with your actions Asimov; you are just a disgusting pony who should have never been born"!
Now I deserved a lot of things but since I found out I'd never had any parents I had been touchy on that subject. I rose up and strode forwards to her angrily, so fast that she actually shrank back slightly. "What of you, did you not once used to torture and kill ponies over the jealousy of the love your sister received whilst you got none, you and I aren't so different Luna we were both monsters but I promise you that I will do my best to never repeat what happened today!" I said looking down on Luna who had her knees bent so low I towered above her.
She began to tear up and I amazingly stopped crying and embraced her in a long hug. "I'm sorry I did that, nopony deserves that to happen to them". "I'm sorry too" she said sniffing "I judged you when I am equally as bad as you".
I arched my eyebrows and she giggled slightly, Chad just seemed to stand there not knowing what to do and feeling awkward.
"Come on Everypony let's get to this mountain, we really are now behind schedule" I told them. "But what of the bodies" asked Chad? I had set them all of a pile of gathered wood and I now told them all to go on and that I'd join them in a little while.
They seemed reluctant but moved off, Luna this time realising that what I had to do was necessary. I lit the fire and watched it burn for a minute, making sure nothing would remain except ashes before I turned away, whispering a soft "sorry" under my breath as I ran to catch up with Luna and Chad.
We all had mixed emotions and expressions for the remainder of our journey through the Everfree Forest. Chad looked elated with his new armour and constantly fiddled with the straps despite being wary at first that it was taken from a corpse. Luna had not a sad expression on her face but a generally depressed aurora around her; the way she walked looked and occasionally talked.
As for me, I was still coming to terms with what I had done in the woods. The rational part of my mind told me that I had done the right thing whilst my new emotional side was telling me that Luna was right and that I was a monster.
I began to develop a headache so decided it was better to stop thinking entirely and focus on marching. We kept moving forwards, only taking a break now and then so that Chad could rest from the new weight on his back.
I was trying to keep my mind from Luna but I kept thinking about how things could have been different and that our friendship could have remained undisturbed. These thoughts vanished however when we reached the edge of the Everfree Forest and came into sight of Ponyville.
"I've always wanted to go to Ponyville" said Chad with a whine in his voice "I hear the mane six live there you know the elements of harmony that-umm..." he stopped not knowing how to proceed. Luna helped him out here stating "it was they whom defeated nightmare moon with friendship yes Chad it's quite alright I'm, different now".
Chad seemed relieved to have gotten out of it but I quickly informed him "we aren't going in, there's too many witnesses and a crazy pink pony in there that has my identity and seems to be able to pop up out of nowhere, plus there is a certain Pegasus who I saved and I'm not too good on receiving thank you favours".
Chad seemed disappointed but Luna at least smiled when she heard my depiction of Pinkie Pie.
"Okay we're going around the town through a much brighter forest and it should only take an hour which gives us plenty of time to reach the foot of the mountain before sun down" I said beginning to move quickly north towards the nicer forest.
It seemed to be a much more relaxing walk on account that the bird's chirps were extra sweeter and the tree branches didn't look like they wanted to kill you. The walk sadly was brief and very soon we had arrived at the huge mountain which seemed to go on forever but I realised must only be less than five hundred metres tall.
I looked at the others and they nodded for me to proceed. "Don't you want to rest first" I asked them but Chad said "I'm ok Captain" much to my surprise that he addressed me by my title. "I as well, I can just hover over you as you climb that way I can rest my legs" stated Luna which I thought was fair as long as she didn't stray too far.
"Ok then well, since we made excellent time we don't really need to camp out here but we all deserve a. "Suddenly my voice was drowned out by the trundle of some machine which would sound alien to Luna and Chad but to me sounded all too real and terrifying.
"How could they send one of them back!" I asked in astonishment. Luna and Chad looked at me with expressions grim and questioning eyes but I quickly told them "get up the mountain, run up it but stay together I will try and hold them off here".
"But Asimov" Luna said but I interrupted her saying "no time just go and Chad you better keep her safe or I'll haunt you till the day you die".
He no longer had fear in his eyes just a determination possibly bolstered by the high-tech stuff he now had.
I turned around and unstrapped my rifle making sure it was ready for action when Luna's voice perpetrated the air. "Be safe" was all she said before Chad tore her away and they began running up the mountain without looking back.
I breathed heavily as I strapped four grenades to my holster belt and waited. Suddenly the trees of the nice forest exploded and out of the smoke and crushed woods came a motherfucking TANK!
I just had to... ok so yeah R&R plz and thanks for reading this chap, got a bit gory than usual but yeah what you going to do...well what... hello... yes I'm asking you... fine be that way...