My Little Airman pt 34 Snow Storm

Part 34 Snow Storm

 

>It took you eight hours to make your way out of the tunnels

>Although they weren't as elaborately designed as the ones outside of Ponyville, they still were challenging

>You actually got the feeling that these tunnels were built hastily, and were more of a simple Forward Operating Base, which means the Main Operating Base is somewhere else

>Somewhere possibly more hospitable

>New Objective: Prevent the invasion of Equestria by the (improved?) Diamond Dog army

>Main target: Boss Paw

>Permission to die killing him?

>....

>...Yes

>You've accepted your new mission: Protect the country you love, despite your banishment

 

>Finding yourself at the entrance that you found earlier, you pause

>Carrying Snow Storm's body is tiring, but you can't let it go

>He needs a proper burial

>In your other arm, you have your rations, also not exactly light

>You've gone at least 56 hours without sleep so far

>The night outside is cold, blowing snow

>However, you can see some light from the moon

>With your new coat, you're actually quite warm

>You go to make a step, and suddenly weakness engulfs you

>Dropping your rations carelessly, you try as hard as you can to not drop Snow Storm's body as recklessly

>The body lands softly, and you go to your knees

>That lack of sleep is catching up to you

>No, come on, this is no time to sleep...

>You cannot bring yourself up

>Closing your eyes, you're already asleep

>Slowly, you fall face-first into the frozen ground

 

>That familiar black background fills your eyesight

>It doesn't surprise you when you hear that voice

>"Didn't I tell you she was bad for you?"

>Awwwww not this shit

Yeah, you did.

>"Didn't I tell you that the princess didn't trust you?"

>....

Fuck you.

>"Didn't I warn you?"

....Fucking A-...Yes alright!

>"But you still seem intent on being loyal to Equestria..."

Yes. What of it?

>That voice laughs maniacally

>"What a fool you are! Have you forgotten all your service to Equestria?"

No...

>"There was the Diamond Dogs the first time-"

Yes, and Gilda with her rebellious Griffon Army after that..."

>"Your imprisonment with the Griffons..."

 >You can't help but shudder from that reminder

>The Griffons weren't kind to you behind the cell

>That was one hell of a POW experience

>"And the Changlings..."

Your point?

>"Where has it gotten you so far?"

.....

>"In a frozen mountain range. That is how your precious ponies thank you."

So?

>"Does that not infuriate you? Does that not make you wish for vengeance?"

Honestly, no. I do wish things didn't come to this. I do wish that I could have learned what was going on, because clearly something happened. I was either framed, or...magically coerced into...

>"Killing all those ponies."

Yes, that. I will atone for it, and I will find the truth. So I will protect Equestria.

>"But letting it fall to the Diamond Dogs would be so easy."

Which is why I must protect it.

>You can feel yourself waking up, and feeling angry. It's a rather unpleasant dual feeling

>"Have it your way, Anon. But you know that the battlefield is full of...chaos..."

>That voice screams laughter into your ears

>As you start to regain consciousness, one thought remains with you:

>What is with your subconscious with disorder?

 

>You wake up to a still-dark night

>Anger, hatred, fury...

>All those negative emotions fill your being

>You can't tell what it's towards...

>The Diamond Dogs?

>The Changlings?

>Your own subconscious?

>Or...is it against the princess?

>Or even...Twilight Sparkle?

>The answer: Yes

>You pick up your rations

>Fucking rations, taking up your fucking space

>You then pick up Snow Storm's body

>Fucking Snow Storm. Had to die like a bitch-

>You catch yourself

>What the fuck? You normally wouldn't think like this.

>Snow Storm was a comrade. He died in pain, and it's not his fault he did.

>In fact, you yourself took up the burden of giving him a proper burial

>Your anger slightly subsides...

>...Whoa....

>Where in the fuck did all this hate come from?

>You cannot determine, but you quickly decide to move forward

>Your body feels rested, at the very least, and you can now proceed on your path

>With the Head Crusher's pelt, you feel much warmer

>Moving forward, you can barely see what appears to be disturbed snow

>With the surrounding area looking rather settled, you deduce that you've found where the Diamond Dogs ran off to

>Luckily, it appears that they were running towards the base of the mountain

>Anger still envelopes you

>You need to find some Diamond Dogs soon, to get rid of some of this pent-up emotion.

 

>Hours later...

>You don't seem to be making progress, but that's not possible

>Another thing is wrong

>It's still dark

>You check your watch

>1123...

>Is your watch wrong?

>Your stomach growls

>Apparently, your body seems to agree with the time displayed

>Still angry, you settle Snow Storm's body with care

>You drop your rations with attitude though

>The wind starts to pick up

>Picking out a nice slice of unidentifiable meat, you notice the weather getting colder

>The meat is frozen, but you bite into it anyway

>It takes a tremendous amount of effort to consume a rather small part of it

>It tastes fantastic, being the first meat product you've consumed for a while

>However, it feels like you're chewing ice cubes, and you feel your teeth freeze

>Enraged, you scream, dropping your meal

FUCK YOU CELESTIA! GODDAMN BITCH!

>Understandably, you were frustrated. She did send you here without a second thought

>Icy wind pierces every inch of exposed skin

>Your delusional screaming continues

WHEN I GET YOU PAW, I'M GOING TO MOUNT YOUR HEAD ON A PIKE AND PARADE IT ALL ACROSS THE LAND SO ALL MAY FEAR ME!

>Though the weather was dramatically getting worse, it felt really good to just yell at the sky

I WILL FIND YOU GILDA, AND WHEN I DO, YOU'LL WISH YOU NEVER CROSSED MY PATH!

>Rapidly, you start losing feeling in your fingers, your hands, your arms...

>Screaming at the sky never felt so relieving...

>You see movement in the sky

>Close examination in the dark reveals only a slightly familiar form

>Pony-like, but a bit bigger. More like a horse...

>Coat color blends with the night(?) sky

>No wings...

>Oh shit.

>Windigo...

>You remember reading about them in the library with Twil-

FUCK YOU TWILIGHT! YOU'RE THE REASON THAT ALL THIS HAS HAPPENED!

>Your legs lose feeling, your waist, your chest

>The only part of your body you can feel right now is your head, and even now you are becoming numb

>You only have seconds left before you lose consciousness

>Taking a deep breath, you relax

>You force yourself to let go of all negative emotions

>And you laugh

>You laugh at the sky, feeling being regained

>Remembering some of the good times in Ponyville, you laugh

>Times drinking with Dr Whooves, fun as hell

>Flying in your jet with Rainbow Dash

>Working on Applejack's farm

>Being taken care of at Fluttershy's

>Designing your uniform with Rarity

>Pinkie Pie's crazy parties

>Twilight-

>You stumble a bit

>She really was a lot of fun, no matter what you did, whether it was studying, being studied, or helping out with her experiments

>Hell, walking with her was an exhilarating experience

>You can feel yourself warming up

>The Windigo trots down from the sky at an alarming speed

>You've had such a wonderful time in Equestria

>Even the battles you've fought... You'd be lying if you didn't enjoy the thrill of combat

>Resisting the torture wasn't fun, but getting back at them was

>Earning the nickname "Beast of Sparta" had meant you were accepted, and that's what you wanted

>Now the wind starts to die down

>The Windigo is closing in on you

>The feeling in your body returns, and you try to take a step...

>Success!

>Lifting your arms, you feel ice crystals breaking

>Warmth is back in your body, and the weather is cold, but calm

>With that, you take another step...

>And the Windigo is in your face

>It glares at you with hateful eyes

>You smirk back, taking note of its strange appearance

>This particular one is definitely black, and though it is still ghostly, it's rather opaque

>It howls right at your face, and you smell its rancid breath

>Hatred becomes a corporal substance, and you feel tempted to give in

>Thoughts return to your friends, and the fun times you've had

>The torrent of loathing stops, and you stand your ground

I know what you are, and what you want.

>It seems startled, surprised at your blunt resistance to its hateful aura

I am so full of anger and hatred, or rather, I was. That's what you want. But you won't get any more of that from me. I know I'm going to be fucked over, but I'm going to defend Equestria anyways.

>The Windigo takes a step back

What a pitiful creature you are, a parasite for negative emotions. Never knowing a happy moment for your own life. I'm not afraid of you, but I see you're afraid of me, afraid of what I can do.

>It takes a few steps back

I'm not going to kill you. That would be too nice. You get to continue living, surviving in suffering.

>You turn, feeling its presence leave you

>Picking up Snow Storm's body and your rations, you notice your shadow

>Turning your heading, you see the sun has come out of the previously pitch black sky

>The Windigo is nowhere in sight

>Facing forward, you see the mountain range continue in that direction, but to your left is the path down towards the base

>With the way that the sun is facing, you determine that it is this direction is south, the direction you need to go down

 

>It takes a little more than an hour, but you make it to the base of the mountain, and fuck it's awesome to see living trees again

>Immediately, you look for a clearing for Snow Storm

>Without much effort, you find one, and lay his corpse down and the rations not too far away

>Taking out your bigass knife, you start digging

>And digging

>And digging

>And fucking digging

>It's inefficient, but you manage to dig a hole five feet into the ground in two hours

>Climbing out, you take one last look at Snow Storm's body

>He looks like he's at peace, no longer suffering from his wounds

>No tears fall, but you feel the anguish of failing to save a life

>Slowly, you take his bloody helmet off, revealing a messy brown mane

>Up close, you see the wound that claimed his life

>Lowering his body into the grave, you can't help but feel sorrowful that you couldn't give him a proper burial

>His body in the best grave you could dig with the tools available to you, you cover him with the dirt

>You spend another three hours looking for stones to make a cairn atop his grave

>As the sun starts to set, you place his helmet on top of the cairn

>You stare at the cairn

I didn't personally know you Snow Storm, but you were a brother-in-arms. I should've been able...to save you, but...I couldn't. I'm sorry. I am so sorry I couldn't save you.

>Weakness grows in your legs, and soon you collapse onto your knees

I swear your death will not be in vain. I will keep the Diamond Dogs from succeeding in their plans. Equestria will survive, even if I have to sacrifice myself in the process. Please, rest in peace, Snow Storm of the Foal Mountains. I will not let you down.

>You get up, and weakly gather your rations

>You start your journey southward, the sun to your right

>What a beautiful sunset...Snow Storm would probably enjoyed seeing this

>You stifle a tear, and continue going