Sekhayet

I nod, "Agreed. We meet in here after finishing our searches." I turn around and walk into the next room labeled Baggage Processing. I do not worry about ambushes- my senses did not register anything inside the building after killing the zomponies in the waiting room. Baggage claim has a large number of suitcases, as can be expected, and I sigh before starting the tedious task of opening the baggage and checking contents. After a few minutes of fruitless searching, I finally reach a bag that is packed with more food than clothing. A stroke of good fortune in the next bag reveals a set of first aid supplies. The set has two packages of complete supplies vacuum-sealed and sterile for use. I continue through the rest of the bags but find nothing of real use except a set of unicorn enchantment tools I cannot use. I doubt Peachy can either considering her young age, so I simply set them aside and return to the waiting room. (@Queen Syannax)

"Mmm..." I hum distractedly while I try to figure out what in the name of the Throne she is. Obviously not pony, though it doesn't really bother me. I shake my head at her question and close my wings. The feathers vibrate the slightest bit to maintain my senses within the room. "They are a manner of extrasensory organ. Their interface is magically fused to my body." I reply. After a few moments of silence, I walk by her and close the door behind us. I think for a moment before suggesting, "We should search for supplies... food, water, something for defense perhaps though i do not believe we will have much luck with that last one." My warpony mask finally slides away and I am able to express my emotions again. I attempt to smile reassuringly.

I roll to my feet and flap my wings a bit to flick the blood off. I take a moment to catalog my physical state: no scratches save a small one on my back from when I fell on the wood, slight bruising to the side from the fall, muscle ache from holding my wings in place to block the zompony's attack. "I am combat effective." I finally reply emotionlessly, "Are you alright as well?" I methodically examine the parts of her I can see and find nothing wrong. I am still worried that she might be injured elsewhere. I let my feathers spread unnaturally and let my full range of senses wash over her. I am slightly alarmed when in stead of flesh, I sense something different: it is hard and tough like hooves but all over her body, even her face. My emotionless mask hides my worry. @Queen Syannax

I calmly step forward and shoulder check the zombie chasing Peachy. I follow up by snaping out a wing as it stumbles back and I spin to slash it across the legs above the knee joints. It falls to the floor with a thud and I stomp on it's face a few times until it stops moving. My senses relay the general direstion of the final zompony and I walk toward the signal. It is on the other side of the door. I kick it in just as it surges faster than I expected and tackles me. It screeches as it stomps down on my wings that have protectively wropped around my barrel. My emotionaless mask remains is place and I call out in a disinterested tone, "Assistance would be appreciated, filly Peachy."

Broken considers the shop owner for a moment and the self-proclaimed Dashite, whatever that may be. "I am willing to work for you to pay you for weaponry and equipment. You do not need to bribe me for silence. I have no idea of what it is you speak of. What is a Dashite?" Broken looks at the map and orients himself correctly. He stares at it until he is sure he will be able to navigate correctly and return.

While Peachy is dealing with the three inside, I cover her back and gently leap up to the roof. From here, I can see that one is close to rounding the corner toward her. I take off for a moment, climb, then dive into a controlled spin. At the last moment, I snap my wings open and use my stored speed to slice through the zombie's foreleg. It goes down with a quiet thud and begins moaning. I flip around and flap back toward it before planting a hoof and using it's stability like a fulcrum to whip my wing around and decapitate it. I quietly trot back to Peachy to help her clear the building. It didn't seem like the other zombie was close to walking around the building to our side. I gently pat her back to signal I am back and ready to help.

Broken considers Peachy's question for a moment. He snaps out his wings and starts walking toward the train station. His senses expand outward and he examines the building. There are two necrotic signatures outside and three within. His indoctrination quickly pulls up suppressed hand to hand combat techniques for unarmed pegasi. He thinks they can handle the five dead. "There are five contacts in the train station. We should be able to take them silently. Once we have secured the building and I have sweeped the area, I will take first watch and allow you to sleep peacefully." Broken bites off each sentence in a monotone voice. His warpony mask is secured more strongly in anticipation of a fight.

Shameless plugging of my random story I started writing. I suck so it's just really small. https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11103110/1/The-Great-Journey-The-Way-is-Open Edit: Starting small is always the best way to go about learning something. You wouldn't start learning Piano with Beethoven, you start with chops.

I don't feel happiness so much as satisfaction. I think the most satisfied I've ever felt was the first time I dominated my classes and crushed that GPA.

I take the filly's hoof and shake it. My expressionless mask doesn't show my surprise that it doesn't feel like a normal hoof. Sure, the sensation of touch is the same, but magically it feels lie walking on a cloud. Like there is an invisible boiling of magic just below the surface of the filly's skin reacting to the inherent cloud-walking ability of a pegasus. "It is a pleasure to meet you, miss Peachy. Perhaps we should find shelter or survivors? I saw a unicorn fighting a giant earlier. Perhaps they survived?"

Stupid. When I was 16 I was stupid.

Offer him services in trade.[\i] The buzzing returns but not the pain. Broken getsbto his feet an is thankful his helmet can hide his expression. When the pony inserts his feather, he decides to follow the voice's command; it doesn't seem out of order. While he decides how to address the subject, a cheerful stallion walks in and out of the door after a whirlwind of talk. However, the pegasus mare left behind seems more normal. Her possession of blueprints for powerful weaponry does not bother him. "Ah... I am not with her group. We are just coincidentally in the same place."

Bottle Bottle Bottle. Crush all that negative emotion shit into a small box and ignore it. Occassionally drink to ease the pain.

Ponyville Outskirts: Train Station, Boutique, Crossroads I raise an eyebrow. Ponyville? Isn't that supposed to be a megatropolis? I take a moment to consider everything now. The necrotic ponies and this primitive version of Ponyville really have no rational explanation. I am shocked at her last question. Something is very wrong. "You don't know what an Endoc is?" I feel an icy feeling of unease. This isn't my world. It can't be. My warpony mask and indoctrination rise up and crush my building panic before it can control me. I don't know what my expression was but the abrupt transition to emotionless mask can't possibly look good to a child. I try to cover up my slip. "I am Broken. Broken Physicality. I am a Pegasus of the Diarchy's Deep Space Combat Division."

Above Ponyville Residential I nod and angle toward the ground. After a few moments of silence I backwing neatly and land on my back hooves. I place the filly down before landing completely. I partially fold my wings and allow the feathers to slow their vibration until it is a barely audible hum. My senses are confused by the filly before me but I don't allow my expression to change. She is heavier than should be normal and her resonant profile is all wrong for simple flesh and bone. It is higher pitched than I expect it to be and she triggers ghostly sensations of damp and spider webs around my ears, nothing at all like any unicorn I've felt before. I file her unique signature away for later. We are temporarily safe here on the other side of town but there is no guarantee that those necrotic ponies will not find us. "What has happened here? Where are we? Where is the nearest Endoc Station?" I fire my questions quickly but try to soften my tone to avoid startling the filly.

All aboard the Hype Train. Choo choo, motherfuckers. This train has no breaks or seatbelts.

@@Chip Circuit Broken considers the pony for a moment. He seems to be friendly, if too bit trusting. His pointing a lethal weapon at his face is disconcerting but not an issue unless they are in combat. He decides to let it go for now, especially if he has a pegasus to ship energy lance. He nods his head and directs his helmet to fade to transparency so the pony can see his face. "I... have no means to pay you. What is the currency of this place?" Broken feels nauseous for a moment and his implants spasm momentarily. His wings snap out and one of the razor feathers detaches from its socket. It is flung across the room and buries itself in a wooden cabinet door. His senses are returning non-sense sensations of high pitched whistles and whispers. He tastes blood when he bites his tongue to chase an inclusive feeling of acidic burning. He feels a vast intelligence pressing down on him for a moment and he suddenly knows the answer to his question. He collapses and groans quietly, "What...?"

Broken shakes his head again. This mass teleportation is physically irritatin his implants but he hides his discomfort. He shifts his wing a little to bring his rifle into view and fidgets with it. It seems like nopony really knows what is going on and they just received the most powerful magical artifacts known to ponydom. He cannot see how this could possibly end well. "Then we should visit your Grandfather. Now. Before you ponies jump to the next problem."

Broken shakes off his momentary unease at the pony's examination of his wings. While it is not uncommon to have somepony curious about his wings, he is not used to scrutiny. It is common knowledge in the Dynasty that they are magical in nature and not pleasant to make. Most ponies find them unsettling. His words take a moment to register. Two? He looks to his side and doesn't quite manage to hide his startled reaction to another pony next to him. He thought he had arrived before the others. He quickly tries to cover his surprise to avoid suspicion, "I require weaponry. I am looking to trade this primitive projectile weapon for an energy lance or perhaps recoilless magnetic accelerator."

Broken watches the group below split into two groups. Two seem to be going to a bar- uninteresting for now. The other two walk in another direction, the same direction where he picked up his rifle. he flies ahead of them and lands in front of a shop, what seems to be a shop, anyway. The amount of filth around his in these ruins is astounding and he is happy he is sealed in his radiation suit. He knocks on the door of the shop to find if its owner is home. (@Chip Circuit)

Above Peachy, Ponyville Proper I circle around at the scream and curse. My timing is terrible. I quickly accelerate back toward the filly; my wings continue their musical tone. Just as I reach her, I snap roll and let the leading edge of my wings slice through her trapped tail. I pick her up in my hooves as the roll completes and I flap up into the sky. I try to make my voice calm and soothing, "Are you alright? Are you injured?"

Broken watches from high above, the confrontation in the town below. He is unsure how to approach, unarmed as he is and face hidden by his suit's blank mask, he does not like his chances of entering their perception and remaining unscathed. He circles wide to the other side of town and stretches his senses for something to use as a weapon. As distasteful as the primative projectile weapons are, they are far better than nothing. There- peppery taste mixed with a taste like bitter root- some sort of rifle. He silently glides down at the edge of town and alights next to the weapon. His senses map the weapons internals and he identifies a chamber bolt. The caliber registers as lethal at long range. It has extensive damage to the barrel and a few parts but seems to be in working order. It has a bullet in the chamber and it is accompanied by ammunition at its side. It was obviously placed here for some kind of static defense. Broken gathers everything up and flies back up before who ever placed the weapon returns. He returns to watching the ponies below and waits to introduce himself.

The feeling of necromancy is everywhere and my senses feel like they are being crushed by its insane power. I force my indoctrinated warpony mask to the fore and calm. I have no weapons but my wings have sufficient power to serve as blades. I have no formal training but my instincts should suffice for now. My senses expand and I know how many sources of motion are in the town. Currently there are four thousand separate signature of unique origin. I move toward the closest concentration that I feel I can handle, a small group of three signatures that are moving slowly in an unsteady path. I hop to the rooftops and silently glide on slightly humming wings behind the ponies. The sensation of necromancy is stronger around them now that I am closer. They are death given form and I almost lose hold of my mask in shock. How the hell... zombies? What... in Tartarus...? I quickly re-evaluate my position and rocket straight up into the sky. From my vantage point, I can see the true horror of this place- dead ponies re-animated and dangerous are everywhere. I look toward a sudden burst of magic. There at the edge of a forest, perhaps the Everfree?, are two ponies fighting the dead with magic. A pony is running toward them and seems to be terrified. In the middle of town, there is a adolescent filly wandering with a knife. Idon't even hesitate before angling toward her; the mage and two ponies can take care of themselves. A street ahead and to the filly's left here is a concentration of six dead. They seem to be still and are sitting on the ground in confusion. I consider my options for a moment before riskinga small noise above the filly and I vibrate my metal feathers more violently to create a clear musical tone to get her attention. (@Queen Syannax)

SHE IS AWAKE. SHE IS AWAKE. SHE IS AWAKE. The message has repeated itself in my mind for days now as I've floated in vacuum. It torments me- I don't know who she is or what she is but in the act of awakening she has stranded me to die of dehydration. The pain is excruciating; my limbs scream and my throat feels like fire. I can feel death coming for me. I never imagined that death would feel so heavy and hot. Hot... HOT... I'm burning. I am suddenly hurtling down through atmosphere. The pain from dehydration is suddenly switched with the burning agony of immolation. I do not know where I am. I blinked and I am in a crater; around me is scorched earth. I feel my wings for the first time in days. Their power source was shattered and yet, impossibly, they have retained function. The implants rapidly bring my interfaces online and the storm of sensations that tell me everything I need to know about my body report optimal operation. Ghostly sensations of touch, taste, and sound all assure me that my body is alive and yet... and yet I should not be. My metallic feathers vibrate and a rough map is translated onto my tastebuds.