Rebels in Equestria 6

 

>You feel a surge of pain erupting from your right arm.

>The pain jolts you awake

"GGAARRGHHH, SHIT!"

>Your voice is dry and you cough up some blood in the process

>You try to move but you can't, someone is pinning you down.

>Instinctively you begin to struggle against your suppressor

>"Anon! Anon! Stop moving! Calm down!"  Someone barks at you

>You do as ordered

>The voice sounds familiar

>”Good, now just hold still for a sec. This might sting a bit”

>Yep, that definitely sounds like your comrade Mac.

>Knowing you’re in good hands you relax for a moment

>A quick check of your surroundings reveals you’re not in the throne room anymore

>Your left eye is completely swollen and sore to the touch

>With all your strength you focus the vision of your good eye

>To your right there is a burning Police Car

>It reads "Tarvo City Police Department" on the side door

>The sound of fighter jets zooming above fills your ears

>The moon and stars hang above the skyscrapers around you

>Even during a warzone the city is still beautiful

 

>You finally come to your senses.

>This is another night from your days in the resistance, embedded deep in your memories

>You can't shake the feeling that someone else is in your subconscious watching this with you

>It doesn't feel like the same presence that the White Alicorn had when she delved into your past

>In fact, it doesn’t really feel hostile or ominous at all, just [spoiler] curious [/spoiler]

>Fuck it

>You ignore the presence and decide to go with the flow.

>Your dream flows once more

 

>"Just hang in there Anon, you’re gonna be fine”

>You find it hard to move or even talk right now

>He loads you onto a make shift stretcher while another Resistance Fighter, the squad medic, tends to your wounds.

>There's blood running from the back of your head, you can feel a large lump forming where you impacted the concrete

> It’s pretty sore to the touch

>Your arm is still torn up as well.

>You can feel bits of shrapnel lodged in your forearm and your torso.

>When you try to flex your arm jolts of pain erupt in response.

>The medic is working on extracting the shrapnel

>Your clothes completely bloodstained.

> You reek of gasoline and blood

> The medic constructs a makeshift tunicate on your arm and wraps your head in a bandage

>That bullet took a chunk of flesh out of your arm.

> Despite their best efforts, you were still losing a lot of blood

"M-Mac. Wha-"

>Mac cuts you off

>”Save your breath, Anon.”

>Mac then turns his attention to the medic

>”Hey man, ready to go?”

>>”Yeah he seems stable. I think we can move him without too many complications”

>By now your throat has cleared up a bit

“Mac, where are we going?”

>”Anon, it’s not safe here. We think there are bombers headed over here. I mean look, there are enemy fighter escorts already clearing out the skies”

>Mac points to the jet fighters engaged in dog fights up above

>”We need to get out of the streets”

>You are carried away from the enemy checkpoint

>They carried you a few blocks before you blacked out from the pain

 

>You fell in and out of consciousness a couple of times

>It felt like you were out traveling for hours

>When you woke up you were in the kitchen of an abandoned Burger Town

>The smell of freshly grilled burgers filled the air

>”Get Anon. You need some grub in your system!”

>Mac hands you this double stacked bacon cheeseburger

>Maybe it’s the fact that you haven’t eaten a hot meal in days, or maybe it’s the fact that you were completely exhausted...

>But holy shit, fast food has never looked or tasted so good!

“Hey Mac, where’s everyone else?” Between each word you stuff your face with your meal

> ”They left to go to the munitions depot. They were going to leave you here and pick you up on the way back. But I didn’t like the idea, it seemed too risky. I told em’ I’d stay with you and take you back to base in one piece. The Boss didn’t really like the idea, but he didn’t have much of a choice. We already lost the element of surprise for tonight, so we needed to get this shit done fast.”

> Fucking Mac, always got your back

“Thanks Mac. I’m glad I can count on you”

 

> Mac begins to work on redressing your wounds

> The worst part was when he rubbed alcohol in your wounds to prevent infection.

“Fuck! You bastard just fucking kill me now Mac”

>Oh god the pain.

> "Anon, I'm not going to lie. When I saw those rockets explode right next to you, I thought you were fucking toast. You're pretty lucky if you ask me"

"Lucky? I got this shit all over me man. How the fuck do you consider this lucky?" You point to the various bits of shrapnel still embedded in your body

> "Awww quit your bitchin’ Anon. You’re still alive aren’t you?”

“Yeah, well fuck you too Mac. This shit hurts”

> "Sorry Anon, but you’re just gonna to have to deal with it. We administered our meds to those who need it more than you."

"Well shit Mac. What the hell am I gonna do now?"

> "Don't worry! Your buddy Mac always carries a little somethin’ somethin’ for all kinds of pains! Here take a swig of this”

> Mac pulls out a large flask from his coat. He takes a drink himself before handing it to you.

> "Drink the rest Anon. It's good for you, I promise."

> You drink from the flask....

> Of course Mac would have vodka on him.

> You're not used to the burn of hard alcohol so it takes you a while to finish the flask.

> You can already feel the effects

“Godammit Mac, you’re gonna get me shit faced drunk!”

> You both share a couple laughs

> Being the drunk bastard he was, Mac hands you another flask from his bag.

> This time you share it

> Booze and Burgers

> This is the good life

> Maybe it was the alcohol, but for a moment you felt at ease

> For a minute you just didn’t give a fuck about anything in the world

 

> The ground suddenly shook and a barrage of explosions could be heard far off in the distance

>Those bombers are giving it all they got

>That brought you back to earth

>Shit was serious

> “Come on Anon, we gotta get moving. We gotta get the fuck out of here. Can you walk?"

"I think so...just give me a sec."

 

>You eventually get to your feet and grab your backpack

> It looks pretty wrecked

> You rummage inside, worried about its contents

> Some of your gear was destroyed by shrapnel

> You frantically search the bag

“Come on. Come on! Where is it?”

> Finally you found it.

> Your old school Gameboy, you turn it on praying for its survival

> The startup sound is like music to your ears

> It has survived the blast without a single scratch

> [spoiler] Fucking Nintendium [/spoiler]

>With your most important asset safe, you were ready to head out into the fray

 

> Due to your wounds you arm was completely immobilized

> The bandages reached from your chest out to your forearm

> Fortunately the bleeding has stopped.

> You sling your rifle across your back.

> There's no way you could use it in your condition.

 

> Mac himself is equipment various weapons.

> He owns a modern AK-47 variant. On his back you can point out a Mosin-Nagant Rifle.

> [spoiler] /k/ would have been proud [/spoiler]

> He gives you a look of disapproval when you pull out your Glock pistol from it's holster.

>"Anon, you're going to need to defend yourself in case shit hits the fan. Luckily for you, I've got just the thing. Here."

"Mac, what do you think I have this for?"  You gesture at the pistol in your grip.

> "Anon, that shit’s going to explode on you.”

> Mac rummages through his bag and pulls out a Revolver and some ammunition.

> "Here, you can use this. It's never failed me once."

> You wield the weapon in your free hand.

>> [spoiler] You know, looking back at it, you have no idea how the fuck you were going to reload that thing [/spoiler]

"Thanks Mac. I appreciate it."

> Mac's right.

> That Glock was a time bomb waiting to go off

 

> You both traverse the city heading for the rebel base.

> You quickly do the math in your head

> It took you 30 minutes to get here via pickup truck

> Therefore it would take you fucking forever to get back on foot

> The rest of your squad has already moved up ahead to the depot via the sewers.

> The pickup would be waiting for them at the depot

> Lucky bastards

> Because of your condition, you were unfit to traverse the sewers

> So instead you started walking down the roads.

> At this hour, most streets would be completely empty

 

> The sound of bombs going off in the distance echoes in the air

> It wasn't long before Mac stirred up a conversation

> "So tell me Anon. What was your life like before the war? What did you do?"

"Mac you’re looking at Tarvo City’s finest engineer.”

> ”Somehow I have a hard time believing you Anon.”

“No I’m being serious! I study here during the fall and winter. During the summer I work for some company in Gracemeria.”

> ”Gracemeria eh? I’ve never been to the capital city before. Tell me, how’s it like?”

“Eh. It’s just like here. Same shit different place. The only difference is that the rent is higher over there. Luckily I’ve got some family over there. They let me stay with them during the summer.”

> You pull out your cell phone and show him a few pictures of the Capital City and you family

“How about you Mac? Any family?”

> ”I used to have a family Anon. But that’s all in the past now.”

“What happened to them Mac?

> Mac seemed hesitant, but answered your question anyways

>"Ehh you know the Estovakians?"

"You mean the bastards that invaded our country? Yeah I know of em."

> "Well actually I used to live in Estovakia. I had a home and beautiful family. Life was good! Haha.”

> Mac pulls out his wallet and shows you various photos of his wife and children

> "I lived a happy life Anon. I worked as a contractor. You know fixing homes and shit. My wife, she worked at a bank. I had a daughter as well. She was about your age when..."

"When what Mac?"

> ”When things took a turn for the worse. When the government began to crumble. Our country was recuperating from a collapsed economy. People wanted answers and they couldn’t find any. It wasn't long before fighting broke out. Next thing I know, we’ve got a god damned civil war on our hands."

>At this point Mac's eyes are welling up.

> "It wasn't safe Anon. We tried to leave Estovakia before the fighting became serious.”

> You can hear him sobbing softly between each word

> “But...things got complicated on our escape. They didn't make it Anon."

"Who Mac? Who didn’t make it?"

>You already knew who he was talking about

> "My family Anon. My fucking family."

>You've never seen this side of Mac before.

>"Finally having the Estovakians come and invade here? It's real fucking ironic when you think about it. I mean I've been fighting all my life Anon. I have nothing left in my life. Sometimes I just wonder why I’m still fighting. Why I don’t just put a bullet right through my skull"

> You notice Mac fiddle around with the wedding band on his finger

> You place your arm on his shoulder to comfort him

> Before you could say anything to console him he shoved you onto the sidewalk. You trip over a pile of corpses rotting on the sidewalk

> They were probably the bodies of civilians caught in one of the raids

> The stench of rotting corpses reaches you

"Oh what the fuck!?"

> Mac has quickly regained his composure

>"Shh! Look!"  Mac points down the street

 

> Far in the distance you spot a pair headlights coming your way.

> “Those aren’t friendly Anon.”

"Damn! Well shit! You think they saw us?"

> "Probably not, but we need hide fast."

> The two of you frantically begin searching for a hiding spot

> You’d be surprised on how difficult it is to find a hiding spot in an urban area

 

> "Here Anon! Quick!"

> Mac gestures at the pile of dead bodies.

> Surely this was one of Mac's sick jokes

"Oh what the fuck man. Seriously?"

> "Just fucking get in!"

> You both slide in the middle of the pile of bodies

> The stench was unbearable.

> The cold skin of the bodies gave you shivers down your spine.

> You could feel the maggots running along your skin

> You couldn't hold in your lunch

 

> "Shhh Anon! They're stopping."

> The lone patrol car truck right in front of you

> Several people exited the truck

> You could make out several enemy troops

> “Don’t do anything stupid Anon."

> Mac's right, there were too many troops to take out on your own

> Several prisoners were also disembarked from the truck

> The enemy troops where all speaking in Estovakian

> You didn't have the slightest clue of what they were saying

> One thing was clear, they were all shitfaced drunk

> One of the prisoners, a woman, spoke in English  "Please! No please! Just let us go! I'll give you anything you want. Anything! Just let us go!"

> The soldiers laughed cruelly in response, talking amongst each other

 

“Hey Mac. What are they saying?" You whisper

> Mac gives no response

> He looked very disturbed

> Perhaps the soldiers said something offensive?

> Mac was too busy watching the situation unfold

> An Estovakian officer grabbed a little girl and brought her over to the pile of bodies.

> You could smell the alchohol on him from here

 

> She looked no older than 10 years old

> Poor bastard probably didn't know what was going on

> She was handcuffed and blindfolded

> "No! No! Leave her alone! Stop! Please! Please! I'll do anything!"  Her mother yelled from the line of prisoners

> The other prisoners remained silent

> They all tried their best to ignore the situation

> The Estovakian officer said something in a taunting manner to his comrades before turning his attention to the girl

> He pulled out his pistol from its holster

> "NO! NO! PLEASE! NO! NO! NO!"

> The mother's desperate cries echoed throughout the cold streets

> The Estovakian Troops only laughed at her cries

> The officer loaded the weapon and held it to the girl's forehead

> From your concealed spot you looked into the officer's eyes

> Do you know what you saw?

> [spoiler] Nothing.  No remorse, no sympathy, no mercy [/spoiler]

> The officer pulled back on the weapon's hammer

> You can only imagine the horror the mother is going through right now

 

> Everything from then on seemed to happen in slow motion

> The girl’s face was emotionless

> She had probably caught on what was going on

> You both knew what was going to happen next

> Tears are flowing against your will

> You can't bring yourself to watch

> [spoiler] “Anon, I remember why I'm still here. I remember why I’m still fighting in this shit hole” [/spoiler]

> The gunshot was heard for miles in the silent night

 

> You awake in a startle

> You struggle and thrash about on the floor instinctively

> In your struggle you hit something hard

> It takes all your mental power to calm yourself down, but you managed

> The clothes you’re wearing are completely soaked in a cold sweat

> You're hyperventilating and you’re still trembling

> You begin to hack up a mix of mucus and blood

> It feels like your throat is on fire

> Your voice is extremely choppy right now

> Whenever you try to speak you are met with a burning pain

 

> A quick look around confirms you’re not in the city anymore

> Once again you find yourself in the throne room

> A sigh of relief escapes your mouth

 

> You can still hear the gunshot sound ringing in your ears.

> A cold shiver is sent down your spine

> To your left you can see Twilight knocked down on her side

> [spoiler] Whoops! [/spoiler]

> “Oh my! Twilight! Are you alright? Did he harm you?”  The white pony’s horn begins to glow

> “No it’s alright Rarity, I’m fine. I’m sure it was just an accident.”

> “Accident or not. You really should be more careful around this..this thing.”

 

> “Ya sure ya’ll alright sugarcube? You hit the ground there mighty hard”

> “Applejack I’m fine! Honest!”

> Twilight gets back on her feet and gives a warm smile

 

> It takes your mind a second to process what just occurred in front of you

> The world around you fades away as you become lost in thought

> Your mind is flooded by the questions you keep asking yourself

> How did you just understand what they were saying?

> Exactly how long were you knocked out?

> What the fuck did that alicorn do to you?

> You search your mind for answers

> Desperately trying to make sense of the situation

 

> “Anonymous! Hello? Can you hear me?”

> You snap back to attention, by now Twilight has turned to speak to the white alicorn

> “Celestia, I don’t think the spell worked.”

> Spell? What the fuck is she talking about?

> “It does seem that way Twilight.”  Celestia’s voice is verdant and puts you at ease for a bit.

> Celestia steps forward.

> “Princess I think we should try it one more time.”

> You can spot a lone tear falling from Celestia’s eye

> “Celestia. Are you alright? What’s wrong?”

> Celestia responds with heavy sobbing

> “Nothing Twilight. You’re right. Let’s proceed.”

> She is still sobbing in her speech. It’s hard to understand her

> Her horn begins to spark and glow.

> Every time she makes eye contact with you, she loses her concentration and her spell fades

> Fighting tears, she shuts her eyes and tries again

> You can feel the weightlessness of telekinesis once again

 

> Oh fuck.

> You knew where this shit was going

> Celestia’s power has a tight grip on you

> Your struggles only make her tighten her grip

> It’s becoming difficult to breath

> This telekinetic sensation is similar to the pressure you experienced when you went diving in the ocean.

> Except here you can’t breathe and the pressure was much, much greater.

> You made this soft wheezing noise as the air was squeezed out of your lungs

> You could feel your face turning blue

> Most of the ponies looked away

> Celestia’s glowing horn is drawing nearer and nearer

“NO! STOP!”

> By some miracle you found the strength to speak

> The princess didn’t expect you to yell out like that

> She releases her grip on you

> You hit the floor with a loud “THUD”. Your ass takes the brunt of the fall

“Please. Stop. Not..not that shit again. I’ll do a-anything but th-that.”  

> It’s difficult to speak when you’re coughing out your lungs

> The ponies help to your feet.

> Crisis Averted

 

> Twilight was as happy as a small child on Christmas day.

> “It worked! I knew it would! Celestia! The spell worked!”

> Celestia on the other hand was still lost in her emotions

> She can’t even look you in the eye anymore

> [spoiler] Does she feel guilty about nearly suffocating you? If that’s the case you should let her know you forgive her. [/spoiler]

> The rest of the ponies don’t seem to notice Celestia’s breakdown, you have the limelight right now

> “Well ah’ll be, honestly ah didn’t think yer little spell there would work. After the way you had this poor fella was I thought he was a gonner for sure. How do you think he’s holding up? He doesn’t look too good ya know.”

> Before you could say something you were interrupted by the white pony

> “I’ll say. Just look at his outfit! It’s absolutely ruined. This is unacceptable! I cannot stand by and watch anypony walk around in such rags. As soon as we get back to Ponyville I’ll start working on a new change of clothes, free of charge!.”

> “Forget your silly old dresses, Rarity! What he needs now is a huge welcome party! He’s gotta make some friends!”

> The pink pony runs up to you and holds up her hoof.

> She kinda smells like Cotton Candy

> “Hiya there! I don’t think I’ve introduced myself yet! I’m Pinkie Pie! You must be Anonymous! Nice meeting you!”  

> With all your strength you finish her handshake

“Pl-Pleasure’s all mine Pinkie Pie”

> “Well in that case I’m sure Anonymous here would like to meet the coolest Pegasus in all of Equestria!”

> The Cyan Pony butts her way in front of everyone else

> “Name’s Rainbow Dash. Don’t wear it out!”

> She strikes this pose in front of your face

> You can’t tell if she’s trying to look good or something’s wrong with her.

“Nice meeting you too Rainbow Dash, you definitely seem pretty cool.”

> “Hah! You got that right Anonymous! The coolest all around!”

> You put on a weak smile at her shenanigans

“ And I already know your names. Applejack, Rarity and Twilight. It’s a pleasure to meet you all”

> The three blush at your introduction

> “My my such a well mannered gentlecolt. You know I think I’ll get along just fine with you Anonymous.”

> You turn your attention to the Yellow Pony who’s been avoiding you the entirety of this scene

> You hold out your hand for a handshake, which she does not meet

“H-How’s it going?”

> She only quivers in response

> God, you aren’t that scary looking are you?

> “Why that’s Fluttershy! Don’t worry Anonymous, she’s the kindest mare you’re ever gonna meet! She’s just a bit shy is all. Don’t worry, she’ll warm up to ya’ll eventually”

“Well I’m glad to meet you either way Fluttershy.”

> You pat her on the back, her body becomes stiff at your touch

 

> You hear this voice from behind you

> “Allow me to introduce myself.”

> [spoiler] Oh shit, she startled you! [/spoiler]

> You turn to face the Alicorn

> She’s staring into your eyes once again

> Except, this time she’s not staring daggers

> What you see in her eyes is not hate, nor fear

> But instead sympathy

> “Anonymous. I am Princess Celestia, alongside my sister we rule these lands.”

“Your majesty, it’s an honor.”  You struggle to kneel down before you

> She struts away for a moment and stares off into the distance

> “Anonymous, earlier we had received reports of a creature scouring the forests near Ponyville. The reports included strange sounds that sounded like explosions. I had expected some sort of monster. In response I sent out the Elements of Harmony to investigate. The last thing I expected was to find an actual Human in the flesh.”

“I-I don’t understand”

> “Anonymous, right now you are in the land of Equestria. I don’t think you realize I yet. Here, humans are nothing more than an old pony tale. Their last known existence was several centuries ago. And even then I’ve only met a handful in my entire life. As a young filly I’ve always been told humans are an intelligent race. But I’ve never gotten the chance to see it for myself.”

“I-Is that why you-“

> “I needed to Anonymous. As ruler of these lands it’s my duty to keep my citizens safe. I needed to see whether you had other intentions. I need to protect the things I care about Anonymous. I’m sure you’d understand”

“Yes Princess. I understand”

> “I had to learn more about you Anonymous. More about your past. I needed to.”

> Celestia begins to tear up again

> “I peered into your mind, into your past life.”

> She begins sobbing

> “I. I saw everything Anonymous.”

> You maintain your deadpan stare

> The princess wraps her wings around you and leans her head on yours.

“Pr-Princess I-“

> “Say nothing Anonymous.”

> She holds you close, her embrace makes you feel safe and welcomed

> “Your heart and mine were as one, however briefly…

> She breaks the hug

> “Such suffering you had endured.”

> Your deadpan has been broken

> You can’t hold back the tears

> All those memories you tried to forget are coming back to you.

> [spoiler] Why can’t the past ever stay the past? [/spoiler]

> “I’m sorry Anonymous. I’m sorry for everything.”

> All those buried feelings are coming back to you

“It’s…It’s alright Princess. It’s not your fault.”

> You maintain your embrace for what seems like an eternity

 

 

*AN*  Kudos to whoever can spot out the Twilight Princess reference.