Lightning used her right wing to point a revolver at Kleft. It was puny compared to the other guns around her, but it was all she had. When the force field was put around her, she didn't protest. Lighnting didn't really want to get involved.
Dark, seeing the situation in front of her become extremely tense, jumped from her bush, yelling, "WAIT!!" after making sure she had everypony's attention, she contiuned, "Look, we cannot fight like this! We survived where others did not, and if you wish to STAY that way, I suggest that we all put away our weapons, and come to some sort of agreement, WITHOUT VIOLENCE!" she looked at the ponies around her through the visor of her helmet, waiting for them to agree, wings at ready in case things got dicey.
Grey Mane began laughing, no longer caring about being unseen. "hahahahaha! No violence?" She smirked as 2 knives slid out from her mane. "Now where is the fun in that?"
Dark cooly levied her rifle at Grey Mane, "Save it for our real enemy kill-jockey, I have personally seen what we are up against, the cult may be dead, but their still roving the country in mass. I would suggest for us to find a proper base to discuss this in, because I have been in one too many ambushes to trust open territory."
Lightning pointed her gun at Gray Mane, "Back up, friend. I'm all for peace," She said looking towards Dark, "But when folks are a threat, I start shooting!"
Looking towards the pony who he had previously thouht totally idiotic for revealing themself, Kleft remarked "Do this all without violence? Finally! A pony with some sense around here!" He looked towards his assaulters. "I used mask magic, nothing harmful. If you count that as a threat, I feel for you. Since I obviously mean no harm, how about you put those away before you DO cause harm!"
Dark looked around nervously, she was feeling a bit too exposed in the middle of this group and in flat grounds. "Well, I suggest we find shelter soon, I have a bad feeling about this place." Just then lightning shoot across the sky and it starting pouring torenchel rain. "Or we gonna go are not?"
Kleft conjured a shield above himself to block the rain. He hated getting wet. "If you don't mind, I'm coming along! I wish to know more of your conversation just now." The 'if you don't mind' was purely aesthetics. No matter their answer, he was gonna stick to them like a bur on clothing. Something about these ponies...intrigued him.
Dark looked around for possible shelter, when she suddenly reconized the place she was at. She stopped in her tracks, "Ponyville." She stood there, staring at the ruins, memories flooding back to her, "My home." Then her last truely happy memory played in her mind, she was at a picnic with all her friends, on leave from the Guard, the day was bright and happy, then it took a turn for the worse, a massive explosion, screams, gunfire, the smell of blood and smoke filling the air, then the last truely gut-renching part, the memory of her best friend Snow, charging the invaders, killing a great many of them before right before Dark's eyes, a bullet lodged itself in Snow's skull. For some reason as she cryed over the death of her friend, she was left to live. In the real world, tears streamed from behind Dark's helmet, as she collasped to the ground as the weight of the memories over powered her. She took off her helmet in fear that it would flood from her tears. "This is were she died." was all Dark said.
Lightning watched as Dark began to cry. She felt sympathy for Dark, Lightning lost a few friends who went out to fight the cult. Their bodies were bloody and mangled, it made her sick, sad, and mad all at the same time. Lightning did her best to hide a few tears.
Nova and Akula followed the others, but a variable distance as they sitll did not trust the others in front of them. Back in the Shadowed Forest they knew life went on without a hitch, though the civilians knew a war had raged in Equestria it had not come anywhere close to their home. Even if the war had chosen to close in on the shadowed forest those attacking would have been annihilated. The brother and sister duo did not even speak a word, both knew that silence would only help them in any case.
Dark blinked away the tears, "I remember a place that I had here, it should have been able to survive. Here follow me." Dark lead all how followed her to the ruins of her house, and after a little digging, found a hatch. Dark opened it and a decending staircase was revealed. Dark proceded to lead the group down the stairs where they found themselves face-to-face with a wall. Dark proceded to place a hoof on the wall, and after a few seconds, the wall split to reveal a large elevator. Dark got in and faced the group, "Coming or not? Oh, and by the way, the moment you enter this elevator, your weapons will become useless, one of the remaining accomplishments of my close friend Snow. All guns will no longer fire, blades will be magically dulled, and anything heavier than ten pounds or made of metal will not be able to hurt other ponies, got it? And don't worry, once you leave you will be able to use them good as new again."
"Sounds good to me." Lightning said as she flew into the elevator, "Where is this thing taking us, exactly?"
"Underground, deep underground. it will also go to a private island of mine. It is very strongly defended by walls and cameras and such and is surrounded by Lake Miracle, a lake that filled up in ten days and is over two miles wide.
Nova and Akula decided to wait outside for the others to return and to also watch the others backs so that nothing could sneak up on them.
Upon mention of an island, memories of Lunar Island flooded into Kleft's mind. On the inside, he was bawling like a baby, but if you looked upon his body, he would appear totally neutral. After that incident with the pegasus Rashall, Kleft was unable to display total emotion. 'Damn you Rashall...' he thought. 'Of all the unecessary things you've done, that was the worst.' He kicked a stone and frowned. If he ever met that pegasus again, they would have one heck of a bloody reunion. But Rashall had left Equestria on his fancy ship. Kleft knew in the back of his mind they would never cross paths again. (If your confused, Rashall, I'm just assuming something happened towards the end of Infinity Gate that rendered Kleft incapable of displaying emotion.)
