>The howling wind from outside the mouth of the cave brings with it the same stench of death and decay that you still have yet to get used to, even after all the time that's passed since it became common place.
>Even now, as far back in the cave as the two of you could get, the smell hung in the musky air; stabbing at the insides of your throat, making your stomach do short flips.
>Chunks of black ashes carried by the winds whistle past the entrance, some of them being blown a few feet through the mouth and landing on the floor like leaves being carried by an autumn breeze flowing through an open doorway of a house.
>In the light of the waning fire, you can see her face scrunched up in quiet concentration at the task at hand. Strands of red and yellow hair, matted with dirt and grime, dangle in front of her eyes.
>Stubborn as a mule, this one is. Even after you tell her this probably won't work anymore and is just going to waste supplies, she still goes for it.
>Still tries. Still stands just as strong in the face of a minuscule obstacle like this as she has before the face of death.
>Grabbing another roll of tape, she uncurls a big strip and wraps it around the tattered strap of the backpack.
>That backpack. It has definitely seen better days.
>More tape than cloth now. Really shocking that it can still hold all the shit that it carries in it without falling apart.
>"This is as good as I can get it," she finally sighs and puts the tape next to the pile of stale bread, half-emptied bottles of water, bandages, and other assorted junk that the two of you have gathered from the ruins.
>Not looking forward to trying to cram all that shit back in the backpack. That's for sure.
>Stifling a groan, she rises up to her feet and hobbles over to you, then takes a seat on the cave floor to your right.
>Wordlessly, you raise your arm and wrap it around her gently pull her close.
>As you do so, she hisses in pain and pulls back for a brief second, before leaning into you on her own.
>"Sorry, it still hurts a little..."
>You frown at her, looking down at the fresh series of cuts in her side, and see the blood-stained bandages starting to dampen with a fresh round of blood.
>The attack was a fast one. Too fast for you to stop. Or her to stop. For the first time in months, she's been hurt.
>And it's kicking your inner white-knight into overdrive. It's also making you feel like shit for not doing a better job of protecting her.
"We really should find something for that. We can head back into town and hit up the store we saw and—"
>"No. We need to keep going forward."
>Not surprising at all that she said that. You've tried before to convince her to turn back for a variety of reasons, but she refuses. Says 'we aren't going back until we've fixed this mess' or something along those lines.
>Stubborn as a mule indeed.
>With that in mind you don't press the issue further. Instead you just silently pray that the walk through the scorched wilderness will lead you both to another town or city to scavenge. One with a CVS or something.
>Or preferably, one with people in it. Though you know that won't happen. As far as you know, you're both the only ones left.
>Haven't seen a single living soul in months.
>All you have is each other.
>Looking at her again, this creature that is the only piece of heaven you have in this hell, you think to yourself that that isn't such a bad thing.
>... And then you feel like a dumbass, because there isn't anything good about any of this, with or without her.
>Pushing these thoughts aside, you settle for taking this rare moment of peace and running with it as long as you can.
>It's these little moments of quiet with her, these moments of peace and relaxation, that you allow yourself to pretend that the world outside isn't a mess, and that none of what has happened is real.
>So that's what you do for the next ten or so minutes.
>Sit with the last human on Earth(well, pony-turned-human that is), and take solace in her company.
>"Anon?"
"Yeah, Shimmy?"
>She huffs.
>"Told you not to call me that..."
>Grinning, you run your fingers through her hair, which in spite of not having been washed in a while now, still feels just as soft and silky as it always has.
>The gesture has the same effect it usually does; her features soften and you feel her breathing slow to a steady rhythm. She melts into you, pulling herself even closer.
>Her tired eyes close, and you see a now rare sight: A soft smile. It appears just long enough to make your heart skip a beat before falling back into that same frown.
>"Do you think... do you think we have a chance?"
>Jesus... The sound of it — the way she said it — it's like someone has kicked you in the gut. You hate it when she sounds like that. Breaks your heart.
>Tired. Full of dread. Hopeless...
>You can relate of course, seeing as to how you feel these things almost every waking moment now, but...
>She usually doesn't ever sound like that. She's the one with her head firmly on her shoulders, the one keeping you straight. The light in the dark, blasting the shadows away like a miniature sun.
>Occasionally though, it does pile up on her in moments of quiet such as this, which is to be expected.
>Not even she can go through all this and still find the light.
>So it's up to you to show it to her again. Just as she has shown you.
"There is not a single doubt in my mind that you can do this. Every fight with these things, you get even stronger than before. Compared to when this first started, you must be three times as powerful as you were then. You've made it this far, and we're about half-way to where we need to be. We're close to him now, Shimmy. We'll find him, and you'll kick his ass back to where he came. Everything will be set right."
>You now rest your hand on the torn sleeve of her jacket and give her arm a reassuring squeeze.
>She shakes her head.
>"That isn't what I meant."
>Her eyes open and you see that they now border on tears, which breaks your heart yet again. You hate it when this happens.
>There's something different this time though in her sad eyes. Something that you can't quite place, but it makes you feel nervous.
>"I mean... will *we* have a chance?"
>Huh. Wonder why she said it that way. Or even what she means by that.
"What do you mean by tha—"
>Her hand snakes its way to your left hand, which rests in your lap, and grabs it. Upon making contact with your hand, her eyes glow a brilliant white.
>Your head shoots up straight like an arrow as a sudden flash of an all too familiar memory plays before your eyes.
>A memory of the shadows themselves coming to life and crawling towards you.
>In this memory, the ashes blasting across the Earth from the wind ripping through the air block your vision from any and all except the shadows, and the maelstrom of ashes. They enter your nose and mouth before you can invoke the shield, stinging your eyes and burning your lungs.
>In the distance, you can hear Sunset's wavering voice screaming your name, followed by ground-shaking explosions which make you lose your footing.
>As you stumble forward and fall to the ground, one of the shadows takes to the physical world and looms over you in a tall, human-like shape, staring down at you with bright red orbs of malice and hatred for eyes that gaze into your soul in a manner that paralyzes you to your core.
>What happens next is a blur, but you remember taking a nasty cut to the collar bone, one that could have easily been a cut to the throat had it been a few more inches higher, along with having the skin on your arms nearly ripped off in sheets.
>Only the swift arrival of Sunset is what saved you from death.
>Just as soon as the memory flash began, it ends, throwing you back into the present moment with her leaning into you and the fire pit in front of the two of you now a pile of smoky rotting logs.
>You look over at her right as the white glow in her eyes fades away, and feel her tremble and quake. Her eyes are even glassier now, red and puffy as well, and her bottom lip quivers.
>She holds onto you as though you're going to be torn away from her at a moment's notice.
>Tears now trail down her face as the dam breaks, and she breaks eye contact, gazing into the dead fire pit.
>The implications of what she showed you, and the connection it has to what she said and the way she said it become clear now.
>That's why she's been so quiet lately. She's been thinking about that again.
>Out of the two of you, you've been harmed the most. She's only taken three or so hits at the most. You though...
>Nearly every part of your body now has an ugly scar on it, or a fresh cut which still oozes blood.
>When this first started, this walk down the unending road into hell, she cried every single night.
>Weeks in though, she stopped. Her eyes grew a tad colder. The warmth and joy that was once in them was shattered, and with it went a piece of your soul.
>The only time she ever cries anymore is when you get hurt.
>And you're very ashamed to say that you make her cry at least once every week.
>You're all she has left. At least until this is all reversed.
>She's tried to get you to stay behind before in places like the cave you're in. Places where it might be safe. But you always refuse, for obvious reasons. Even with your skills being what they are, you want to stay at her side and make sure she's safe. You couldn't give less of a damn what happens to you even if you tried.
>You couldn't sit idly by in safety while she trudges on in the ashes, alone.
>Raising your left hand, you narrow your eyes in concentration.
>Your hand begins to grow warm, as small bands of sparks dance around your fingertips.
>Outstretching your arm, you raise your palm towards the dying fire pit and let go right as the heat in your hand starts to burn.
>A short arc of electricity blasts from your palm into the fire pit, which instantly gives new life to it, illuminating the gray stalagmite-toothed interior of the cave in dancing orange light.
>Lowering your arm, you smile at her.
"Don't you worry about me, Sunset. I'm not going anywhere. We'll make it. That monster is going down, and I'll be with you every step of the way."
>You give her arm another squeeze.
"And then, we'll go back to the way things were. I promise you, we'll both make it through this. Alive. Both of us."
----
>The wind is gone now, mercifully taking that god-awful smell along with it, and the aftermath of the storm is apparent as you step out onto a literal carpet of fresh ashes.
>That infernal sunless sky, redder than a ruby, glares down on you once again, and the general feeling of exposure and unease sets in.
>There could be some watching you, right now. Waiting for you to let your guard down.
>Your fingers twitch in anticipation.
>To your right, you can see the desecrated remains of the town you both went through in the distance; a dark jagged silhouette leaning against the fiery horizon.
>To your left — nothing.
>Just an endless carpet of black ashes and grass-less scorched-earth peaking out from underneath.
>You wrestle with the backpack for a second, trying to get it into a comfortable place on your back, but quickly give up when you hear and feel some of the tape starting to give way.
>Sunset exits the gaping maw of the cave, her eyes at-once setting towards the endless road to the left.
>She stands firm there, staring defiantly in the face of the troubles no doubt lying in wait ahead of you. She quite literally exudes light, as an amber glow bleeds out around her form, wrapping her in its protective aura, and cutting through the dead silence with a low pulsating hum.
>With a curt nod, she sets off, walking towards fate.
>And true to your word as always, you join her and walk side-by-side with her into whatever danger there is to come.
>Together.
>Together you will both continue on your path, searching for him.
>We have to find the Star-Rider.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbfsALc7pPc