We stand united 1x1 Maple Bat

[MickeyAdaptus 2,211]

"Glad to have you here! I realized that this tunnel must have been full of those things, and it seems when one hatched the rest of must have followed, but if we kill all of them here, we have made ourselves a safer passage, since we then have a safer route that leads a bit under the city!" Jack said.

To his dismay, some of the creatures were starting to throwing stones at him while others were using obstacles to boost themselves on the train cart.

One of the stones landed straight in Jacks faced, which caused a big bruise to form on his forehead.

But Jack recovered himself quickly as one of the creatures suddenly appeared from behind.

He jumped straight off the train cart before he would get caught in the detonation.

As he made a painful tumble when landing on the ground, he started firing at the creatures who had been trying to swarm him before.

 

[Maple Bat 3,568]

Ember threw her third and last javelin "I wish I could've been able to make more but I had to leave in a hurry..." She said to herself. Seh noticed one of those things walking up behind Jack... She hesitated then made a choice She tackled jack from the side The creature exploded right when Ember covered him. The acidic goop got on her back and wings. She didn't cry out however she just grit her teeth.

"Ember! Jack!" Festus shouted when he saw what happened "I've seen enough of this!" He shouted stabbing his weapon into the ground He shot fire, igniting several infected, after which he jumped off his sword's hilt and he glided across the room igniting more of them. Something was off about Festus' flame, it was blue and seemed to be just as hot as Ember's but he was a lot younger.

[MickeyAdaptus 2,211]

As Jack opened his eyes again, he realised what happened.

"Ember, you ok?" He said to her with worry

But he then noticed that more were coming their way.

He started shooting at them again, these shots actually having a better accuracy because of the close range.

While Jack was guarding Ember, the flames that Festus had created where starting to ignite the leftover fuel from the trainwrecks, wich created a fire sea wich killed those the very few who had been out of reach from Festus his flames, but the ones who did get hit earlier had exploded violently.

[Maple Bat 3,568]

After all the fuel ignited he landed. "Ember!" He shouted seeing her on hands and knees. "Oh my Celestia! Are you ok?!"

"T... To be honest... It hurts..." Ember said. "Burns... But... I'll be fine." She said standing up weakly "I... I'd be much more proud of yourself there Festus, that flame of yours is very unique."

"My flame?" Festus said. "I... didn't really see what happened." He quickly looked at a burning infected and saw the blue flame. "What does that mean."

Ember shrugged. "Jack? You alright as well?"

[MickeyAdaptus 2,211]

"I  am feeling pretty off... but other than that and a bruise I should be fine I think.." Jack said as he scratched his head a bit.

"You think you can walk Ember? We need to get back, it is not safe here."

He then looked around.

"Hate to say it, but this is going to be a common routine for all of us, i went trough these situations 2 or 3 times per day, and it is going to be the same story again, because you could say everything has reverted back to a *wilderness* type of state, perhaps it's a thrill for some who like the rush of battle, but for others its just another reason to suffer."

[Maple Bat 3,568]

"I'll be fine... Maybe we should wait for a while... Rather than getting ourselves killed." Ember said, "We don't really have any idea where we're going nor do we have the strength to make it there..." Ember said "I know you don't like just sitting around, but it's much better than constant danger. I meant to ask you something, why is it so important to get a bullet out of a wound like that... I know it'd suck to keep it in there but I'd assume you could live."

[MickeyAdaptus 2,211]

"True... It would be pretty bad to act now.." Jack said.

He did look up from Embers question.

"That is a rather interesting one, while i am not sure if this is really true, i could only summarise that having the bullet still in your body could actually intercept a bit with the bodies healing process, while it is somethimes diffren't for some species, it could be very bad for your health as well."

"You could compare it with a splinter, you would rather get it out of there rather then having it stuck in your body, i guess its just a natural reaction from most to not wanting to have a some sort of metal object stuck in their body. And i guess you could actually get very sick since those bullets are dirty, and those things would get straight into your blood." Jack explained.
 

[Maple Bat 3,568]

"Lets get back to the others." Festus siad looking, once again, at the blue flame. "I... need a minute once we get there."

Ember nodded. "Let's get moving then. We've got a bit of ground to cover before the sun comes up. I worry that more of these... Things are going to show up when the sun rises so we do need to hurry back to the small camp we made." She grunted as she started to walk away but seemed fine after that.

[MickeyAdaptus 2,211]

Jack nodded.

"Keep the same route as we came, that way we will less likely have an encounter with any more creatures." He said.

 

After a while, they finally arrived back, which he greeted the others.

"Looks like we have actually found a tunnel that might be able to get us through a good part of the city, we already cleared out most of the creatures hiding in there." Jack said mildly.

"Tough it didn't come without injuries.." He said

[Maple Bat 3,568]

Ember had sat down. "I'm fine honest. There's no reason to worry about it now." She said waving it off.

Fluttershy looked sadly at her and walked around without her noticing looking at her back what she saw scared her to the point where she almost fainted. Ember's scales were fine but the skin between them was red, almost as if they were bleeding. "F... Festus can you hand me the water I was drinking?" Festus nodded and handed it to her. Fluttershy poured the half bottle of water down her back.

Ember flinched but sighed relieved from her burning pain "That feels nice... Thanks."

Fluttershy nodded and watched what happened most of the redness washed away but some of the spots had burned deeper and left red spots. While the pegasus was busy both Festus and Jack noticed that she herself was bleeding a bit but nothing too bad and Jack saw a bullet laying on the table by the radio.

[MickeyAdaptus 2,211]

Jack looked at Fluttershy carefully, and then he noticed it.

"Fluttershy, did Celestia get that bullet out of your body? I see one laying over there, but I was just want to be sure. This... was not exactly that lightly of a wound you had." Jack admitted.

[Maple Bat 3,568]

Fluttershy nodded looking at Ember's back and concluded that it was ok now that the ooze was off it "She used magic. It hurt... a lot... But She got it."

Celestia nodded to her "It wasn't easy for either of us, Would've been easier if you would've kept a bit calmer." She chuckled a bit "Though I know you couldn't help it. Jack come here I'd like to talk for a minute, Most about what happened."

[MickeyAdaptus 2,211]

"I can imagine, I am insanely glad you managed to get through this." Jack said with a smile.

He looked up when he heard Celestia.

'It doesn't happen often she wants to talk to me in private like that, come to think of it, not many in general have this question to me, I am pretty distant from others after all.' Jack thought.

But he nodded and followed her.

[Maple Bat 3,568]

"Jack, I don't want to offend you with this but perhaps it's best if you want to do something to have someone else do it." Celestia paused letting that first sentence sink in "You seem to say you don't like the danger but you seem to easily disregard any safety we may find in this wasteland to go do something, especially when Festus is willing to do something too. I'd like to know how you honestly feel about all of this. Be honest with me and yourself here, do you really hate all of the fighting?"

 

Star approached Ember and sighed "I know we started off on the wrong foot earlier but knowing Windphasers alive... I feel so much relief I was trying to get all the worlds weight off my shoulders and now that it's gone I feel better. Can you forgive me?"

[MickeyAdaptus 2,211]

Jack sighed, he knew he had to be honest here.

"I am going, to be honest with you here, I hate it, I hate having to fight my way through everything but... I just don't know much better, the moments where I want to have a normal life and not be in constant danger, I end up being forced by either the situation or because i feel very guilty. Because while i do despite having to fight, i sometimes feel like it is my duty to do so, perhaps its because i grew up in an environment like this where it is, either fight for your life and perhaps make a change or do nothing and end up dead. Now it might be a bit easier to stay safe because in most cases we are able to hold our own, but back then.. all i could do was mimic what my friends were doing, there was no hope, no safe haven that was able to keep us hidden, no additional help. All we had were each other and the wilderness that was trying to destroy us at any given opportunity."

"I am just at a big impass, either i fight and perhaps die in the end, or I sit back and feel like I am abandoning all those who have given their lives for me. While i would love nothing more then just start a normal life, i am bound by a promise that i just cannot break. Fighting is perhaps what my species are only good at, and i feel like i am slowly being forced to suffer that same fate to, regardless of my own wishes."

[Maple Bat 3,568]

Ember sighed "Fine... one last chance, after that... I'll see you back to where you came from..."

Fluttershy smiled "I'm so happy you two made up. Come here both of you." She said as she hugged both of them.

In unison, the two said "Alright... That's enough."

 

"When... Someone fights for you Jack you don't have to feel like you're abandoning them." Celestia quickly thought of a good example "When Maple fights for Luna's name, Luna never feels guilty for it because what Maple is up against is strong but she's used to fighting, she's strong and is much better prepared than Luna is. You have to realize when you can't-do something and when you can't you need to find someone who can. Like I have done with Twilight and her friends sometimes when you do find that person who will risk themselves for your sake..." She looked over at Fluttershy who was smiling and hugging Star and Ember "You feel the way they do, both in defeat and victory. I'd recommend all of this at least, I know that you have the same complex as Maple where you think you have to do it or no one will, but I'll tell you what I told her, That's not true."

Edited September 18, 2017 by Maple Bat

[MickeyAdaptus 2,211]

"You are right but.. i wish it was it this simple for me, but choosing something like that is something i am unable to do. When i first escaped, i promised some things, and i was told to do some things, some of these things sounded good to me, i had no family, most i cared about were either dead or doomed, a demon was bound to overtake me sooner or later. i had nothing to lose at that point. But then I met you guys, i started to get more used to the feeling where it didn't involve me trying to go on impossible task for the sake of liberation. But this feeling of dread still remained over the course of months, because the task i had been planning on completing for so long, was left in the dust."

"But while everything has been going on, especially the latest events, i have been more desperate, as my feelings were starting to get unshackled.

And when it started to overwhelm me, i injected myself with something, it's those inhibitors i recovered from that slave center, but in reality its a DNA structure from my mentor taken straight from his body, and implanted into these injections." Jack admitted, much to the horror of everyone.

"I don't know why, but he told me that i had to inject myself after the escape. I just cannot figure why he would want to put his own DNA in my body, but i just dit not wan't to question him on that subject." Jack said with shame.

[Maple Bat 3,568]

"Perhaps so he could fix something about you... I can't quite put my hoof on it but there's something about you jack which says one extreme or another. I'm not sure why that is but it is there... I don't mind it of course. That's all I wanted to ask you about however. We should probably get moving again." She said "We need to get back to Equestria and get you back to Luna."

[MickeyAdaptus 2,211]

"Actually.. i am not sure if i can move alot myself at the moment, i have only slept for 50 minutes last time, and i haven't really had the chance to rest down. Atleast.. i haven't been able to lie down anywhere comfy i guess, rocks and concrete are starting to make my head feel sore." Jack said with a bit of a guilty expression.

[Maple Bat 3,568]

"Oh! Me and Fluttershy talked about that while we were working on her bullet problem... It helped keep her calm... Anyways you and her have gotten no sleep for a long time Fluttershy only slept a bit due to losing consciousness which isn't exactly sleeping. So you two can rest, she'll have more details on it if you go speak with her She wanted you too have a good sleep though. I think she had a great idea."

Fluttershy was trying to get Star and Ember to make up meanwhile Festus was gone. No one noticed his absence, however.

[MickeyAdaptus 2,211]

Jack nodded.

'I wonder what it is?' he thought.

he then walked over to Fluttershy

"So.. Celestia said you had this idea regarding sleeping. What is it may i ask?" Jack asked with her with a curious look in his face

[Maple Bat 3,568]

Fluttershy turned to look at him "Oh! So... I was looking around this place and there was a lot of random strips of cloth and other... Similar materials I did my best..." She said as she walked into an intact room gesturing for Jack to follow her into the room.

 

Festus had jumped off of a high buidling again and hit the ground with a slight thud. "Why... Why can't I get them to be useful... I'll just keep trying."

[MickeyAdaptus 2,211]

As Jack was following her, he was in deep thoughts.

'Celestia's reaction was rather calm, very calm to what i would have expected at first.. Wich is perhaps a good sign, normally i would pretty be sad when they don't tend to really notice anything about me, but now? Everyone is so busy and worked up on their own problems that i am still good.' He tought.

"So, what did you make?" he asked her.

[Maple Bat 3,568]

Fluttershy smiled and stepped out of the way. It was a bed, It was small had no blanket and the mattress itself "I... Did my best... I know you haven't been sleeping comfortably recently and... this is all the stuff I could find for it." She sounded a bit disappointed. "But... I really did my best." Upon closer inspection, the random pieces of cloth and similar materials were stitched together by Fluttershy, it was decent work and would hold. "Well? What do you think?"

[MickeyAdaptus 2,211]

"It looks good! It really shows how good you are at these things Fluttershy, we do have to work with the things that we find after all." Jack said with a smile.

He then looked a bit around.

"Do you prefer to sleep first? I don't mind if you do." he asked, not really knowing what else to say.