Chapter 101: Awake
Part 1: Cross-Contamination
TIME: 09:00 ERST
DATE: War Day 870/24 Octavius, 1004 C.S.
LOCATION: Ponyville, Erie, Equestria
I woke up.
I sat bolt upright in bed, half-naked, with Applejack partially draped over me.
-I remembered.
I remember everything..
Applejack: "HONEYBUN! Y..yew okay?"
Her words drifted through my ears like a white noise. I turned on my butt, pulled my socks on mechanically.. it felt good to have socks again, not foot wraps and bandages.
-But, I've always had socks.
Pants.. clean, untattered, pants with no patches in them. It felt so good putting them on.
-I've always had nice pants, though.
I stood, and grabbled my pistol belt, feet finding boots.. boots that weren't taped up, with plugs in the soles.
-I've always had great boots. Rarity makes most of my clothes especially for me.
I chamber-checked my..
-Dager. It's a Dager, based on the Glock 19.
..weapon and marched out.
It was all her fault.
I could hear..
-Applejack, my wife.
..calling to me, but all I could hear was noise.
I marched to town, grateful to see Ponyville being rebuilt after all that destruction. Piles of bones swept away, no black smoke from burning corpses. There wasn't even a sign of the shell holes and fire..
-A tornado. No, a Tornado came through here. No one was hurt, here, though!
..and over to that purple mare's new house.
-Twilight Sparkle. She's got a crush on Flash Sentry.. they'll make a cute couple, some day.
SHE would be there. SHE was the one that did this to me.
-Starlight Glimmer. She's a threat, she needs to be dealt with.
SHE NEEDS TO DIE! She killed them all. She killed Twinkie, she killed Core.. she killed ALL of them!
-She's a time-bending mage that's shown hostility to Equestria and us. She needs to be dealt with, and fast, before she does it again.
There's the house. Out front, there's a Royal Guard. One of my troops, he's carrying a sub-machine gun.
-A Gendarmes with a Ridgway II.
I hold out my hand for it.
Watchstander Checker Stripes: "OH! K! Sorry, I didn't see you, there." He nodded back towards the house. "Twilight called us, said there was someone here that needed to be watched carefully.."
I made the 'gimme' motion for his weapon.
Watchstander Stripes: "Oh.. uh.. sure." He shrugged, and unshouldered the weapon, handing it to me. "Gonna go take a look?"
All I can think of is their faces. Their starving, gaunt faces.. the fillies that went hungry when Tirek bombed the grain silos in Sinknechtady, and Pitchfield.. the field hospital outside of Dallas that he sent Suicide Bombers to.. Bravo Company, 4th Platoon, that stood before the retreating civilian convoy, only to be overwhelmed by Pork Warriors..
-They're Porcine. They're called Porcine.
..and killed, along with many of the unarmed civilians. The brutalities the Goblins did to them.. hearing their screams, not even being able to end their suffering.. crying into Twinkie's shoulder..
..seeing her WRAPPED AROUND TIREK'S TRIDENT like a MEAT SACK!
Watchstander Stripes: "K? You.. okay?"
-I'm not okay.. what's wrong with me?
I kicked the door in so hard, it flew off its hinges.
There, seated at the table, across from Twilight, was Glimmer.
It was all her fault.
-She needs to be stopped before she does something like this, again.
Twilight: "AH!? What.. NO, K----, WAIT, DON'T!"
*PACH-A-CHA-KA-CHA-KA-CHA-KA-CHA-KA-CHA-KA-CHA-KA-CHA-KA-CHA-KA-CHA-KA-CHA-KA-CHA-KA-CHA-KA-CHA-KA-CHA-KA-CHA-KA-CHA-KA-CHA-KA-CHA-KA-CHA-KA-CHA-KA-CHA-KA-CHA-KA-CHA-KA-CHA-KA-CHA-KA-CHA-KA-CHA-KA-CHA-KA-CHA-KA-CHOOOM!!*
All thirty rounds, center of mass, turned her into hamburger.
-No.. no.. wait, what am I doing?!
K: "TWINKIE! THAT'S FOR TWINKIE!! THAT'S FOR CORE!! THAT'S FOR THE PRINCESS!! BRIGHT EYES!! YOU EVIL BITCH!! FUCKING DAMN YOU TO TARTARUS, YOU FUCKING MURDERING BITCH!!" I staggered over to her corpse, and slammed the weapon against her skull over and over and over again, until I felt hooves on me.
-Why am I so angry?! Who are those people!? WHY CAN'T I STOP!?
Watchstander Stripes: "GENERAL! GET AHOLD OF YOURSELF!"
Twilight: "K----! K----! STOP! STOP! PLEASE! FLASH, HELP ME!"
Flash Sentry: "SIR! PLEASE! STOP!"
Applejack: "AW, SWEET CELESTIA! GRAB HIS ARMS!"
K: "GET YOUR HOOVES OFF ME!" I thrashed. "SHE KILLED THEM ALL! SHE DID IT! SHE'S RESPONSIBLE! S-"
I suddenly had no strength.
I collapsed.. and vomited..
..blood?
K: "..fuck."
-Hey.. that's not a good sign. Something's very wrong, here..
Applejack: "OH, TARTARUS, NO! GIT CODY! GIT CODY, DAMNIT!" She just about THREW Stripes out the door.
I fell over on my side.. everything.. I could only hear ringing in my ears..
-Help me.. help me.. I know these symptoms.. no.. NO! It can't END like this! Why can't I TALK!?
Dr. Whooves and Derpy ran in at this moment, with Dr. Allcome right behind them. I wasn't really registering much, visually.. everything was getting very blurry.
-WHY!? HOW!?
Dr. Whooves: "Oh.. OH, NO!"
I could hear voices.. things are.. getting dark.
Dr. Allcome: "I'm here.. Stripes said K was vo-" *Pause* "-Celestia help us all.." I felt his hooves on me. "Celestia Praised, what IS this?! K! Can you hear me!?"
Dr. Whooves: "Cody, no, let him go.. he's.. that's Radiation Poisoning! He's DYING!"
-HOW DID I GET *THAT*!? WHAT HAPPENED TO ME!?
I was right next to the bomb, of course. The last thing I saw was blinding light.
Applejack: *WAIL!* "NOOOOOOO! NO! NO! NO!! NOT MAH HUSBAND! CELESTIA, HELP US!"
-Yes! STAY AWAKE! Damnit all, DO NOT GO TO SLEEP!
Twilight: "Oh, CELESTIA! Damnit, the HYDROGEN BOMB! Doctor Whooves, K and I were.. well.. we were in an alterante timeline caused by Starlight Glimmer over there! She.. she.. it doesn't matter - he was just a few feet away from a Hydrogen Bomb when it DETONATED the VERY INSTANT that we were able to re-cast the TIME SPELL and FIX all this!"
Dr. Whooves: "Cody.. if that's the case, he doesn't need your kind of Medicine. I.. don't think.. any of YOUR medicine could help him."
Dr. Allcome: "Whooves, please!" *Sob* "PLEASE! He's.. my FRIEND! I.. I'm POWERLESS!"
Applejack: *LOUD sobbing* "NAWT LAHK THIS! NAW-HAW-AHhhhhhhhhhh! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!*
Dusty: "What's going ON in here!? Stripe- OH, FUCK NO! K----!! K----!! AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"
Dr. Whooves: "Derpy, darling, grab his legs, and HURRY! And you ALL need to TRUST ME!"
Twilight: *Sobbing* "Please, Doctor! We do!"
I felt myself lifted up.
I felt myself carried.
The world was a dark, shadowy blur.
-My friends..
Then.. I was smelling good tobacco, and hearing Chopin.
The First: "WHOOVES! What in the name of-!?"
Dr. Whooves: "STUFF IT! He's dying because of Time Line Cross-Contamination!"
Mr. Smith: "Oh.. dear me. Sounds like something only we can fix. But.. how did this happen? And why is SHE here?!"
Dr. Whooves: "LATER!" *Hiss* "I'm going t.. WE.. are going to intervene and SAVE him!"
Four O'Clock: "Are you DAFT?!"
Dr. Whooves: "Twister, give me a hand.. and go get my Sonic Screwdriver."
Time Twister: "No problem."
Derpy: "Is.. he going to live, honey?"
Dr. Whooves: "If.. I can do this.. yes. But a.. a LOT of it depends on K----."
There was a long pause.
Mr. Smith: "FINE!" *Snort* "I suppose we may as well. YOU had ISSUE after all! But, this and NO FURTHER!"
Dr. Whooves: "Fine by me. But.. Gentlemen.. just how many of our companions did we get killed that we could have SAVED!? Call this PENANCE! OUR penance."
Time Twister: "He-He's right, you know. Here's your Screwdriver. Need a hand?"
Dr. Whooves: "No.. I think I've got this. But, help me stabilize the field, okay?"
Mr. Smith: *Chuckle* "Fine, you! I'll help! I'll help." I saw him enter my vision. "Only because I kind of like this human, and without you, dear boy, I'm going to be TERRIBLY bored!" But, he smiled.
Everything faded again.
[End of Part 1]
Part 2: Cross in the Middle
TIME: It doesn't matter
DATE: This doesn't matter, either.
LOCATION: Somewhere timey-wimey.
I was floating in a blue-hued nothingness. All kinds of different colors and shades of blue, with little bright spots, swirling and cascading.. it was strange, but comforting.
Was I dying? Was I dead?
Then, David Tennant walked up from nowhere.
Dr. Whooves: "AH! There you are." He put his hand on my shoulder.
K: "D..David Tennant?!" I blinked.
Dr. Whooves: "No, K, it's me." He nodded. "I just.. well, this'll be easier to do with hands." He chuckled.
K: "So.. you took the form of the Actor that portrayed you.. because that's familiar to me." I nodded.
Dr. Whooves: "AH! Very good. I see your mind is clear, in here." He gave me a pat, and paced over a few feet.
K: "What's going on? My.. my head hurts." I rubbed it.
Dr. Whooves: "Pay close attention. You're suffering from Magical Time Line Cross-Contamination. In one time line, your body absorbed an insane amount of Alpha, Beta, and Gamma Radiation the instant the bomb went critical mass. One PICOSECOND more.. and.. your dear Applejack would have woken up next to a corpse." He shrugged. "But, the radiation didn't immediately kill you. Twilight Sparkle and Starlight Glimmer cast the Time Spell a mere instant before it would have."
K: "And that means.. what?" I tilted my head.
Dr. Whooves: "Because of your vulnerability to magic, your body internalized both timelines. Your mind is the link. Ehm.. have you ever had a tooth extracted without anesthesia?" He waved his arm upwards, and two beams of light emerged.. then intertwined before becoming a single point of light beam. "Never mind, seems that you have." He nodded. "What we need to do, is, divide your mind and body from that.. ENDED timeline. If we can't, you'll die of Radiation Poisoning within a few minutes.. out there." He nodded to the void.
K: "I have to survive." I said, through grit teeth. "I have to. I have to save them."
Dr. Whooves: "And that is precisely why we're going to do this. But, I'm not going to lie to you, K----. This is going to hurt. Cutting away this melded and merged time line from your inner self? It's like cutting out organs." He focused the two beams, and I could see.. like.. crystalline nodules, linking them together. "These points represent traumatic events. You need to ACTIVELY THINK about the CORRECT timeline.. and then, I sever the incorrect one from the correct one.. with this." He held up his Sonic Screwdriver. "Heh.. yes, we have them. No, you will never see them again, no you can't touch it, and no, you will not discuss this."
K: "..it's still pretty cool." I smiled. "Now, I want to watch your adventures." I shrugged. "Least I can do."
Dr. Whooves: "Don't worry about THAT!" He chuckled.. but grew serious. "Time for a Demonstration. Let's start with the beginning. Lone Hoof Ridge." He nodded.
K: "Lone Hoof Ridge. 6 Octavius, 1002." I nodded. "Twinkie, Carlisle Thisleweed, Pixie Parasol, Amethyst Star, Cordon Blue, and Colgate and I.. we went to negotiate with the Buffalo to use their land to build an Arsenal." I paused. "No, wait, that's not right.. Rainbow Dash.. Fluttershy.. Pinkie Pie.. Twilight Sparkle, but she was just a regular Pony... Applejack.. and Rarity.. and Spike.. were there." I found myself pacing. "We were ambushed.. Tirek sent hordes of Bird Brains after us." I looked up. "No, Raptorians. They're called Raptorians."
Dr. Whooves: "See what I mean?" He nodded. "Continue."
K: "We fought hard. We didn't have enough ammo. We.. they came over the ridge line. We didn't have a choice. I had to take the healthy Buffalo, and jump off the back cliff face. We.. we had to leave the wounded. Strongheart was FURIOUS with me.. but.. Carlisle was down, too.. so was Colgate.. she got killed trying to help him. Then, Pixie was injured.. Amethyst was crushed by a rock.. it was just me and Twinkie.. Twinkle Shine. We.. we retreated into the wilderness with the Buffalo. We circled back to Appleloosa.. but it took us a couple days. Pixie barely made it." I shrugged. "No.. that's not how it happened! No. TRIXIE was there.. SHE led the attack. And we put together a Prism Cannon. We fought them OFF! We were WINNING! And.. we only knew they were going to attack because Pinkie and AJ scouted it out.. and.. Dash arrived at the last second with reinforcements." I looked up at him. "Trixie was badly injured, but.. we all survived. Even Thunderhooves. And.. we built the Arsenal." I looked down.
Dr. Whooves: "Okay, now.. focus on that. STRONGLY!" He insisted.
I focused my memories on the REAL events of Lone Hoof Ridge. The relief I felt seeing Spitfire flying overhead..
..I could hear his Sonic Screwdriver activate.. and.. it sounded for a moment like it was cutting through something.
PAIN! PAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIN! The most indescribable pain I'd ever felt, like getting a TOOTH extracted, but over my WHOLE BODY! I screamed, and fell to the.. ground? Whatever, I fell over. I writhed, and twitched, and screamed, and cried like a little bitch.
Then, it was gone.
Dr. Whooves: "There we go. That's one Point successfully separated. We have.. about fifty big ones and several dozen smaller, to go." He nodded. "How are you doing?"
K: "Ahh.." *Pain sobbing* "..it HURTS! GOD, HELP ME!" I hugged myself. And my first thought was Applejack. "..k-keep.. keep going." Then, my children. "We have to keep going." I said through tearful, pained sobs.
Dr. Whooves: "..if only the rest of me could see just how brave you're being right now.." He lamented. "Next point!"
[End of Part 2]
Part 3: Cross-Correction
TIME: 09:17 ERST
DATE: War Day 870/24 Octavius, 1004 C.S.
LOCATION: Exiting Private Social Club, Ponyville, Erie, Equestria
Derpy: "..and Doc says, you NEED to take it easy!" She pointed a hoof in my face as we exited the door. "I knew my Kay-Kay could take it.."
EVERYONE was outside.
There was also a lot of talking all at once. And.. I was so weak. So terribly weak. I was quivering like a bowl of Jell-o in an earthquake. But, Derpy sat me down on the bench outside the club.
Derpy: "ALL YOU MUFFIN-HEADS! COO-OOL IT!" She said in an EXTREMELY DI-like voice. "Now, listen up! Because this is a SECRET! And it needs to STAY that way!" She nodded as everyone shut up. "Glimmer made a time line where Dash never made the Sonic Rainboom. Now.. everyone think.. if you saw it, how did it change your lives? It did. It changed ALL of us. But, when K got here to Equestria, NONE of us were where we should have been. Because of that.." She lowered her head. "..you can't imagine the things he's seen. Tirek rampaged over the whole world. So much killing, so much.. other stuff." She held herself a little. "..the problem is, when Twilight and Glimmer cast the spell to fix all that and stop that time line from existing.. they did it the very instant K set off a Hydrogen Bomb in Tirek's face!" She smiled a bit. "Like we didn't all think he wouldn't!"
There were some giggles, and titters in the crowd, along with tears.
Derpy: "Problem is. We KNOW how vulnerable K is to magic. Well, he internalized both time lines. That on its own could drive anypony completely mad." She shrugged. "We know he.. ehm.. kinda executed Glimmer.. but I'm pretty sure that was the other 'him' that did that. My Muffin-Love said that for the time he was awake, there were likely two K----'s in there. The one from the apocalypse time line, and the one from this one.. and the apocalypse one was so overcome with rage, the K we know and love so much, couldn't stop him." She shrugged. "Problem is, that side, that HALF of K brought with it a lethal dose of radiation. And becuase he was still partly linked to that time line, the radiation was killing him." She patted my shoulder a bit. "So.. my husband and his friends.. fixed that." She GLARED at everyone (and they actually pulled back a bit). "NONE of you are going to ask exactly how! But, he's been separated into OUR K, and the OTHER K has ceased to exist. Thing is? Doing all that was like having a tooth pulled, across your WHOLE body.. about a hundred or so times. He's magically injured. Badly. And he's VERY, very weak." She nodded.
Forest Spirit: "...anyone object if I take over as C-in-C for a bit?" He shrugged. "Just until K gets better. Eh.. he WILL get better, right?"
Derpy: "He needs a while." She shrugged. "Really, it's not too many humans that could even SURVIVE-"
K: "-It's because of you." I looked up at all of them, tears streaming down my face. "I.. I survived and I didn't go mad with the pain.. because I was thinking of all of you." I was crying. "My friends! MY family! I love you all SO MUCH!" I reached out, and pulled Applejack to me. "My wife." Then Rolfe, who was in tears, too. "My son." Then Pomme, Koringo and Starlight Mint. "My daughters." Then.. Rainbow Dash. "My friends." Then, Forest Spirit. "My.." *Sniffle* "..best bro!"
He.. hugged me back after a moment.
K: "All of you.. each in your own way." I nodded. "Spirit, yeah, take over as C-in-C for now. Two weeks. I'm taking two weeks before I do anything. I can't even tell you what it was like. Like.. as in.. I have.. no actual words that fit what it was like." I wiped my eyes, sniffling. "As for everything else.. just.. we're taking a break." I nodded, then frowned in anger. "Make sure Glimmer's corpse is sent to her parents. Make sure they know.. exactly.. what she did." I locked eyes with Twilight. "And don't you DARE.. try to defend her."
Twilight: "B-But..!"
K: "She was a goddamn SOCIOPATH!" I was suddenly animated, but it HURT, so.. I sat back down. "And I mean that clinically." I looked at Balindra. "She only cared about herself, and she.. she did horrible things to other people.. FOR herself." I shook my head. "Socipaths never change. The only thing you can try to do is pacify, distract, and perhaps.. give them things that they see as lifting themselves up, and hope it satisfies them. This world.. as it is right now.. there's.. we can't entertain someone like that." I nodded a bit. "If it wasn't today, it would have been some time in the future.. Tirek would offer her something that pleased her a LOT MORE than.." I gestured. "..than WE ever could. Power. Those people crave POWER above all else." I shook my head. "This is one case, I don't care what you all think. I saved you from someone that might've one day tried this, or something worse, again."
Twilight: "You didn't talk to her, K! You don't KNOW her! You didn't hear-"
K: "CROCODILE TEARS?!" I stormed at her. "No, Twilight! NO! You are WRONG!" I just about screamed, and Dusty held me down. "THOSE.. THOSE kinds of people MANIPULATE others, they're EXPERTS at deflection.. and I'm sorry, Twilight, I love you dearly as a friend, but you are SO SOCIALLY NAIIVE!" I pointed at her. "You are the PERFECT target of manipulation by someone like that!" I sniffled, and started crying agian. "She killed you all once.. I would not.. could not.. let her do it again."
Applejack: *Snort* "'Bout time someone called you out about that, Twi." She stood beside me. "Ah DO love ya like mah sister! And even *I* gotta say, you'd git TOOK by someone like that!" She shook her head. "We ain't sayin' that t'be mean, sugah. We're sayin' it cuz we loves ya, an'.. we don't wanna ever see ya' git hurt 'cuz'a that."
Twilight: "AJ! Not you, too!" She seemed.. well, understandably hurt and offended.
Flash: "..no, Miss Sparkle. Twilight. They're right." He moved over to her. "That's.. part of where my desire to protect you comes from. I.. I've had to deal with ponies exactly like her, before. It.." Tears rolled down his snout. "..they can destroy you, if you let them. I.. I saw what your father was like, and I was.. I couldn't bear the idea if.. something horrible like that happened to you again, because you couldn't see things that way. And at the same time.. I didn't want you to STOP seeing things that way." He smiled a little. "It's part of who you are.. you're open and inviting to others.. it's part of the reason I'm.. so attracted to you." He shrugged. "But, if.. if having to address a.. a weakness.. means you don't like me any more.."
Twilight: "Flash.." She paced up to him, and looked at Applejack.
Who gave her a sis-bro-nod of 'you got this.'
Twilight backhanded him across the muzzle!
Twilight: "THAT'S for calling me out!"
He recoiled, but then, she grabbed him and KISSED HIM IN FRONT OF EVERYBODY!
TWI-FLASH IS A GO!
Twilight: "That's for caring." And she embraced him.
Healing is sometimes painful. Healing.. takes time. But, when you have really good friends, it can hurt a whole lot less. And as we all know, well?
Friendship is Magic!
[End of Part 3]
Part 4: Cross Bearer
TIME: 09:25 ERST
DATE: War Day 870/24 Octavius, 1004 C.S.
LOCATION: Apple Farm, Ponyville, Erie, Equestria
I was slid into bed by.. well, my whole family. All of them. Applejack, Rolfe, Pomme, Starlight Mint.. even Koringo pushed at me.
I just laid there.
K: "If I'm lucky enough to see you all grown.." I sniffled. "..I could never thank you all enough."
Rolfe: "We'll always be here, Dad!" He smiled.
Pomme: "Oui! But, PaPa needs to rest! I go get you some tea, and somesing to eat." She took charge, and trotted off. "Come, Koringo! I need zee extra hooves!"
Koringo: "Coming! Love you, papa-san!" She toddled off.
Applejack: "Our kids, hun." She slid into bed with me.
JUST as Celestia teleported into the room.
Rolfe? Immediately grabbed the Ridgway next to the bed, aimed it up, but.. PARTWAY lowered it when he saw it was her.
Rolfe: "You gonna try'n' hurt my dad?" He puffed himself up.
Celestia: "I-" *Laugh!* "GENERAL!" She smiled, warmly. "It seems if I'm ever cross with you, I'm going to have to be a LOT more sneaky!" She nodded to Rolfe. "It's fine, little one."
He didn't move.. and I could not be prouder.
K: "Disarm, son." I nodded to him.
Only THEN did he re-safety the Ridgway and put it back in the rack.
Celestia: "GOODNESS!" *Happy laugh!* "Such a loyal family!"
K: "I have a feeling, Cel, if it ever came to it.." I shook my head. "..what's up?"
Celestia: "Well.. after having a good cry with my sister.." She shrugged. "..I got a.. report.. from a little birdie that said you.." She nodded to me.
K: "I remembered everything, Cel. You didn't die well." I shrugged. "How's your head?"
Celestia: "Mmmm.. bit of a headache." She shrugged, and tapped her horn. "Right about there." A smirk.
Applejack: "You mean.. y'all remember that timeline, too, Princess?"
Celestia: "To.. an extent." She sat on the bed with me. "I remember that you and I were not close at all. On the contrary, I kept you at lead's length." She shrugged. "But, even still, in our final minutes, you defended me with your life. Even if Tirek DID get me." She looked at Applejack. "My sister was still imprisoned on the moon.. I was severely weakened. And, I'd had a wing amputated. He.. simply caught me at a disadvantage." She wiggled her brows.
Applejack: "Uh-huh." She smirked. "Funny way'a sayin' yew got showed up by mah stallion." She hugged me.
K: "Actually, honey, I was.. I was banging Twinkle Shine. Remember her? Had a thing for Carlisle?" I nodded. "And our relationship was a secret. Unlike here.. no one would have approved."
Celestia: "Indeed. That time line was.. very dark. But, I know now.. more than ever before.. I really DID pick well, to make you Equestria's General. Over there.. I don't.. know how much you still remember.. but.. you confounded Tirek time and again, with but a fraction of the force you have, now. Yes, many.. many ponies died horribly.. but.. you kept us going. You kept the kingdom from falling.. for over three years. This with nothing but scraps of food and cloth, poorly trained troops, and never enough weapons or ammo.." She looked down. "..and even though I kept you distant, you still cared about me." She sighed. "I heard about Glimmer." She raised her head again. "You say she was a Sociopath." She shrugged her wings. "I don't know. I didn't get to know her very well at all. She might've been. The only thing we know for certain is that she.. hurt ponies.. twice. Once, the first one, wasn't so bad.. but the second?" She shook her head. "If you'd let her live, given what we've seen in this war, I would have ordered her horn cropped and her magic tampered. Not removed, but significantly weakened." She nodded. "If the decision were mine alone, that is."
K: "I executed her." I nodded, gravely. "I'd do it again. Even with my head clear, all I can see is a bundle of Hero Mistakes, given how this world has become." I shook my head. "She was a threat. Not an ally of Tirek's, but.." I shrugged. "I bet he's over there right now, having the same reflective memories, and.." I looked at Rolfe. "Ears!"
He covered them.
K: "Jacking himself off to the thought of how he almost got us. IF he got the same reflective memories you and I did. And I'd say that would be a SURE thing, unless I see something different." I wagged a finger. "He's no 9-to-5 villain. He has a miniscule-" I looked at Rolfe and nodded, and he uncovered his ears. "-sense of fair play. More like.. fair dealing. Other than that, he's ruthless, needlessly violent, sadistic, and just plain mean for the sake of meanness." I shrugged. "He also, now, probably knows the Sword of Rainbow's Light can reflect magic, and he didn't seem to know that before. Because of her fuckery - don't repeat that word, son - she let slip a secret that HE didn't know." I nodded. "At the very least, that's depraved indifference, and a treasonous act." I shrugged. "I won't deny what I did was, still, just a horsehair's breadth beneath the Murder needle. That's a.. a sin I'll bear the rest of my days."
Celestia: "You.. can recognize that, though." She nodded to me. "I'm not sure the other version of you, would have. He seemed.. more.. defeated. Beaten down. Pained."
K: "Yeah." I shrugged. "Thing is, I don't remember that version of me at all. Whatever little fragments I have of that world, are like photographs. I don't remember my mindset, either. I just have.. like.. memories of what happened, but they're fragments. Incomplete."
Pomme, Starlight, and Koringo came back in with some tea and.. a full breakfast.
Pomme: "Now, now.. Mon Princesse. PaPa needs his rest." She gently shoo'd her. "He may conduct his business later, when he has regained some stren'th!" She nodded firmly.
Celestia: "Well!" *Ha-ha!* "Who am I, not to listen to your appointed caretakers?" She stood up and bowed to me. "Don't worry about that other time line, K. It didn't happen to YOU. That's what's important."
For the rest of the day, I was set to rest at the behest of my children. MY children. Even if I was sent back to Earth, they would always be mine. For all time.
Later that afternoon, though..
Forest Spirit: "Hey, bro." He slid into the chair next to the bed. "How're you holding up?"
K: "My whole body feels like every muscle and nerve fiber was stretched like a rubber band, tied in knots, untied, and twanged like guitar strings." I shrugged. "Anything?"
Forest Spirit: "Everything's quiet as a tomb out there. Moon Dancer got a report on what happened - she's theorizing that Tirek might've suffered a similar injury. If so, he'll be hiding himself for a few days, from his own cronies, no less. Just because he's the baddest of the bad, doesn't mean he doesn't have someone right under him, wanting to replace him." He nodded. "That's what you get with a regime of fear."
K: "Yeah." I nodded. "Oh, I saw your dad and your brother in Texas, I never got a chance to tell you that. They're good peopl-Ponies. HUGE family. Love them all. Your MOM is a fantastic cook.. I gotta say."
Forest Spirit: "Thanks." He nodded. "If you need a 'your side' of the family, if you get to stay here, you think of us, you hear me?"
K: "Always." I patted his shoulder. "Even if I don't, you'll all always be family to me." I nodded.
Forest Spirit: "Thanks, bro." He smiled, and hugged me.
First time he's volunteered one of those. It felt good. Like he really WAS my brother.
I needed to rest. If Tirek got fucked up, too? All the better - it means I hurt him just as bad as I hurt myself. And for minimal overall loss. Hopefully, that meant he'd be offline for a couple weeks.
Either way, I was going to take a long overdue rest.
[End of Part 4]
Part 5: Cross of Iron
TIME: 19:25 ERST
DATE: War Day 870/24 Octavius, 1004 C.S.
LOCATION: Apple Farm, Ponyville, Erie, Equestria
I needed to walk. My muscles were twitching like I'd been still for far too long. So, I decided to take a long walk. Achy, but it was worth it.
Oh, yes, and I was toting my Type-34 SMG on my thigh. With two spare mags. I was NOT going to be caught flat-footed. Far too many things had happened to me, recently, for me to relax in any way about my personal security. Considering this is more or less a Mini-Uzi firing .38 Super Automatic rounds.. it was a potent little machine.
I spotted the Cutie Mark Crusaders coming back from a.. day trip? They had Sherman-6s on their backs. I could only surmise.. and hope.. if they did anything with live ammo, they had supervision.
K: "Hey, kids!" I nodded. "Have a hike?"
Apple Bloom: "Big brother!" She beamed. "Yeah! We left a bit after y'all had that thing happen."
Sweetie Belle: "We had this planned, but we didn't want to take off just because you were.. magic-injured?" She shrugged.
K: "Pretty much what happened." I nodded. "I needed a walk, though." I pointed to the Shermans. "Do some target practice?"
Scootaloo: "Yeah, we went to the range! We have a whole training regimen set up." She looked back at them. "The mags're empty, chambers clear. We gotta take 'em back and clean 'em, now."
K: "Alright." I nodded. "You three signing up as Cadets next year?"
Scootaloo: "Sure are. I'm pretty sure if Auntie Dusty got her Mark being in the Gendarmes, we can get ours in the Army! Or Air Force." She beamed. "And even if I can't fly well with my wings, I can Pilot an EAGLE!" She tapped her hooves on the ground.
K: "That you can." I nodded a bit. "You know, you thr-"
Sweetie Belle: "GET DOWN!" She tackled me.
Five shots fired up over my head.
K: "WHO FIRED?! WHO WAS THAT?!" I called out, rolling over, and drawing my Type-33.
Apple Bloom: "K! They's RAPTORIAN!" She was loading her Sherman with a live magazine. "ENEMY CONTACT, FRONT RAIGHT! FIVE TARGETS SEEN!"
K: "Shhhhit." I wasn't in ANY condition for this. "We need to fall back!" I nodded. "Get ready to run, I'll cover!"
Scootaloo: "Yes, General!" She aimed up at the brush where the shots came from. "READY!"
K: "COVERING FIRE!" I started pulsing the trigger.. strings of 3-4 rounds at a time, just peppering the bush.
The girls started to fall back, and stopped at a huge rock.
Apple Bloom: "COVERIN' FIRE! FIVE ROUNDS!" She started firing on semi-auto, giving ME cover!
I took that. I got up, and went to start falling back. Realizing I was empty, I ejected the spent magazine, and went for a full one, backpedalling the whole way.
They charged out of the bushes, then. Not five, fifteen of them. All with prominent wings. Flyers! The kids downed two.. five.. seven of them before they got close to me.
I just managed to get the magazine out of its pouch, when one of them GRABBED ME! And ROCKETED into the sky!
Raptorian: *SQWAK!!* "YOU DIE, HUMAN! YOU DIE FOR HARM GREAT TIREK!"
K: "FUCK YOU, BEAK BREATH!" I had dropped my Type-33, but I still had my knife. I clocked him in the face with my left elbow, got my knife free, and started shanking him in the gut. "DIE, FUCKER!" I reached over with my right arm, and jammed my knife into his neck.
He died.. and released me..
..at about 8,000 feet (2435+ meters) in the air.
K: "Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck!" I started falling. "Oh, I'M SO DEAD!" Great. I survive a Nuke, and I die from an assassination team turning me into street pizza.
I grabbed my radio.. maybe..
K: C> "This is K! I'm FALLING OUT OF THE SKY! About one klick north of town! Along the Peppercorn Trail! SOMEONE come HELP me.. considering I can't FLY! AT ALL!"
Suddenly.. I saw a point of light from the ground. Right where the kids were. That point of light glowed for a moment, and the next thing I knew, I watched as a SONIC BOOM tinted ORANGE rocketed into the sky directly FOR me! It was followed an instant later by a SECOND boom, in rapid succession.
And I saw her.
I saw Scootaloo.
Rocketing into the sky like an orange streak.
Right for me.
She reached me in about one second from the time she left the ground. If any of you folks are thinking about the math, she travelled about 5,000 feet (1500+ meters) per second. From the ground. That's MACH FOUR AND A HALF!
Scootalooo: "I gotcha, Uncle!" She slowed to an almost hover, matching my speed.
Her wings.. were.. glowing. So was her Flank.
I slid my arm around her neck, not questioning this. I clung to the teenager for dear life. She arc'ed over, and we descended at a slower, but still amazing, speed. We levelled off at about 100 feet/30 meters.. and she nodded to the small collection of Raptorians behind the tree line.
K: "Let's make a GUN RUN!" I nodded, taking her Sherman 6.
We buzzed the deck at probably 50 kph, and I fired as fast as I could, and scored 14/30 hits. We circled around, and landed by her friends.
When we landed, her mark fully appeared. A shield with a wing over it. Her friends, too, had marks on them, now, as well.
About then, most of the town came running this way, with over two dozen Pegasi in the air.. the shooting was brief.
Spitfire zoomed to a stop right next to me, with Dash.
Rainbow Dash: "What the TARTARUS was ALL THAT?" She asked.
Scootaloo: "D-Dash?! I DID IT!" She hugged her. "I FLEW! I saved K.. and.."
K: "She broke the sound barrier. At MACH FOUR." I emphasized.
Spitfire: "WHAT!?" Her eyes bugged.
K: "Yeah.. she.. made a Scoot-a-Boom." I smirked. "These girls are heroes. They defended the town - and ME - from an assassination attempt." I shrugged.
Applejack: "APPLE BLOOM!" She picked her up and hugged her. "MAH LIL' SIS!" Tightly.
Apple Bloom: "Awww! Applejack!" She hugged back.
Applejack: "Ma' an' Pa'd be.." *Sniffle* "S-So proud, raight now.."
Big Mac: "You saved our brother." He nodded.
Rarity: "Sweetie Belle!" She hugged her, too. "You.." She shook her head.
Sweetie Belle: "I.. I got the Mage that was trying to get Scootaloo when she took off. Like you taught me - I did a counter-spell and an inversion spell!" She nodded to the fried corpse. "Only, I managed to make a Magic Bubble instead, and his magic bounced off the inside and FRIED him!"
Spitfire: "I still can't get over what Scootaloo did! And LOOK at your WINGS!" She beamed.
Scootaloo: "They're as big as Dash's!" She flexed them, gracefully. "I CAN FLY, NOW!"
It wasn't just healing. This was evolution. Our Ponies were getting stronger, better, and faster by the day. And Tirek was growing weaker. If these three girls, troubled long by their inability to find their Special Talents, could evolve like this, and save lives like this.. anything was possible.
Victory wasn't just 'not in doubt' or 'assured' - Victory felt like an inevitable, clean, thing.
{End of Chapter 101}
