Equestria 2033

Chapters

Prologue: The Canterlot Waterworks
Chapter One: Venice
Chapter Two: Twisty
Chapter Three: Upriver
Chapter Four: The Shadow
Introduction - 2033

Prologue: The Canterlot Waterworks

"We were approaching the surface through the waterworks; the tunnel felt colder and the howling wind was audible from above. Demons and Radiated Phoenix's were surely waiting in their nests. But I did not care for that. My journey was approaching its end - the enemies of ponykind were to fall. But would I still have the willpower to see it through?"
-Moondust's diary, 24th December 2033

Rain.

Despite its wildly-known life-giving properties, many Metro dwellers feared it. For obvious reasons. It was probably polluted beyond being drinkable and in some places it'd eat through even the thickest of metal as if it was a hungry filly who had just found some discarded food on the floor. All in all, rain was useless and unneeded unless it fell within range of water-treatment. Right?

"Should've packed an umbrella, Moondust," joked Bright Horizon, not-so-long time friend and tension killer. "Maybe then we could enjoy the beautiful holiday destination you booked us."

"And miss out on the lovely downpour? You're too enclosed Horizon - learn to embrace nature!" I tried to come up with a witty remark to come back, but to no avail. "You're the leader of the group anyway."

"If I was the leader," started Bright Horizon, his visible blue eyes giving an unreadable impression on me as they stared through the gas mask. "We would definitely have gone sightseeing in Los Pegasus. Mountain climbing into the nest of Demons? Not really my style if I'm honest."

Both were uncharted territory anyway.

We stopped and looked at our watches. Both had roughly the same readout; less than one minute on our filters. A quick exchange allowed us to breathe easy once more!

The floor underneath our hooves gave off a metallic ring with every step. I tried making music - replicating classic tunes like Way Back Home wasn't easy - but an odd look from Bright Horizon stopped my attempts short.

Music. That was one thing I had to remember for our return to the Metro. The wastes had given me a taste for beats already lost to time, twenty years old and an age away.

We reached a dead-end. The waterworks maintenance tunnels leading up to the very top of Canterlot mountain were twisty and illuminated in an annoying red glow. Twenty years hadn't yet got to the finite electricity, but the structure surely wasn't holding out. The fact most of the ladders were rusted and destroyed didn't help the cluttered situation either - we'd been relying on Horizon to ferry us up and down each wall or drop. We.

"Better wait for Courage," Horizon said, gesturing to the tunnel behind us. "I doubt she can climb as well as she can hide."

Sometimes - just sometimes - I felt Horizon hated Courage and saw her as a burden.

"You'd be surprised what that pony can do!"

"I'd be surprised if there was anything she couldn't get herself into."

Ignoring the remark, I took a few steps back down the tunnel and called out. "Courage! We've reached another climb if you're still with us! It's, ehm, pretty high! And... stuff...?" I fidgeted and gently tapped the ground with my hoof. "Okay, Courage! Take your time. We'll be here, okay?"

No answer came. I looked at Horizon, he looked back.

"She's not gonna answer, is she?" Horizon groaned.

"No, probably not," I smiled, not that Horizon could see it anyway. "You know what to do."

"Tie her to a leash?"

Horizon trotted past. I drew my makeshift revolver to cover him, just in case. Despite my poor shot... it was better than nothing for the cunning leader of our group! This atomized world did not hand out breaks to anypony. For all we knew, a pack of tunnel trash could have been lurking in the vents between walls. In fact - they probably were.

I could hear Horizon's voice, distorted by our radio's now. "Celestia be damned, Courage, I simply cannot wait to get you back down to Exhibition after this..."

I continued to focus down the tunnel, looking for any signs of movement. Camouflage being used by animals was not uncommon. At least that stayed with us into the new world, even if it was probably the most annoying thing we could've possibly kept.

"Courage, I swear..."

Complaining never got anypony anywhere though. You just made do with what you were given and tried to scrape an EPP to buy a decent slice of bread. Anything else was just a bonus. Whether or not this ridiculous, self-given journey was a bonus is beyond both my understanding and reasoning; I just do.

"...next time we'll have to push you ahead of us, I'm sick of this..."

I knew what was a bonus though; the two ponies that have stuck with me in my rag-tag journey through all the challenges we could possibly face. Courage, Bright Horizon, and all the temporary companions I've had. Friendship was rare in the new Equestria. As if the world became a complete opposite to what once was just twenty years ago.

"...Moondust? I thought... whoa, holy-!"

I cared about someponies. Not many could say that.

That was my final thought before my vision turned deep red, and then blank.

Chapter One: Venice

"But my story truly started three months earlier, back in my home Metro station located in the northern Manehatten line - named Venice affectionately by its inhabitants. It was full of water and thus thrived on a large fishing industry, and the remains of the city above still held treasures waiting to be looted. I was one such looter. A Stalker. It was there, in that one station that held a gateway to the past, I made a decision that changed the Metro forever."
-Moondust's Diary, 21st September 2033

Sunlight.

I don't recall having ever seen it; the almost permanent cloud cover blanketed the frozen wasteland below, trapping us all with it. Pegasi no longer controlled the skies. Nuclear winter had taken hold of the world and did not seem to be letting go anytime soon.

It was grim, of course. Nopony could say otherwise. But it is not like many ponies were missing much; they were all safe underground, looking at grey walls similar to the grey skies, with grey floors and grey guns and grey stew. In fact, everything was grey, so I was cursed to crave colour - fillies seemed to be the last of our imagination, with their crude paintings of the stories the elders said around a fire; talk of beautiful skylines and beautiful ponies.

I loved their paintings. The colours they used made life seem more vivid.

Entranced, I stood there, looking at one such painting - it depicted a place named Ponyville, a former small town in central Equestria. There, the three pony races were said to live in absolute Harmony, personified by six such ponies who laughed and played in the wide open fields and small shops that littered the stone streets. It was beautiful, if not slightly messy. Green grass, blue sky, and six ponies and animals - thankfully, harmless and lovely creatures.

I loved it. But, being me, I had to find at least one problem! Another curse of mine, but it was something valued in the Metro; one problem could be the death of an entire populace.

Personally, I found it a pain in the flank.

"The ponies - they're grey," I muttered under my breath, finally allowing myself to inhale the musty and salty air of wonderful Venice. "Can there be one living moment in my life without any grey?"

"Lighten up, Moondust. I had Sea Swirl paint it just for you!"

"Wait, what? Sea Swirl was here?"

The stallion beside me simply nodded.

"Are you screwing with me again, 'Fire?" I asked, still in disbelief. Sea Swirl, the young filly who took all of Venice into her heart and Venice took her right back, had been here?

Usually I did not care for other ponies on a personal level, but Sea Swirl had the sort of innocence, courage and a hint of adventurousness that was needed in the Metro. Venice loved her for finding the missing water filter pieces - even if she was the one who took them away to "play with" in the first place.

The merchant I usually sold my loot to, Campfire, feigned shock.

We had a decent bartering relationship, and had even played blackjack a few times. It usually resulted in me winning back a book I had looted, or me giving him his EPPs back. It was all in good fun, and it was rare to see any kind of friendliness in the Equestrian Metro. Even if it wasn't really friendship.

"Why would I ever do such a thing!" his mouth dropped and he put on a rather silly sad face. "The only bad I ever do is charge too much and pay too little - but such is life, no?"

Laughing, he turned away from the dimly-lit painting and back towards the blue light. There, he sat at his merchant table and examined my findings once again. Books, clothes, toys, even a water filter - all items from our mass-producing past, waiting to be bought into our new world once again.

I bet if they had a voice, they'd scream and shout at us; and the only words would be " I'd rather stay up top to be honest."

Well, maybe with a few more swears if they're like the ponies in the Metro.

Grim and grey existence, terrible for even the inanimate.

Campfire decisively grabbed one book and examined it. 'The Survivor' was on the front cover, the faded Equestrian typeface merely days of exposure away from hiding its identity for good. The author - unknown. Just another in the countless wave of lost names, only their creations living on with us, down here where no one wanted to be - but such is life! No?

The more I said Campfire's phrases, the better I felt in the Metro.

"You know, Moondust, not many of these books were printed," he began, still marveling at the book in his hoof. "'The Survivor' - tells the tale of a young stallion in a post-parasprite world, living off whatever he could scavenge from the places they'd devoured through. Lonely, cold, grey. Sounds a lot like us, buck, I'm almost tearing up."

He was actually grinning.

"The author was somepony named A.K. Yearling, wrote the famous Daring Do series. Moved onto writing darker materials as the Great War reached its peak. Her last novel, 'Road for Two', was intended to be the sequel to 'The Survivor', but of course that never happened. She vanished midway through the war; some silly rumour she was actually Daring Do herself and some old accomplices came to settle a score! Ridiculous, but when you look at her coat and mane... it makes you wonder."

He put down the book and finally looked at me.

"So! All things considered, and like a good comrade - which I am, kiddo, don't ever doubt it - I'll give you twenty EPP's for the lot! Maybe even one extra if you beat me during poker night."

I rolled my eyes. His red coat gave him a menacing appearance, and for good reason - he scraped every last Experimental Penetrating Projectile he could. The rare, pre-war ammunition was scarce and served as money. And ponies thought these merchants weren't rich out of their minds.

"It's better than last week, Campfire. I'll take it."

"Haha, yes, good!" Campfire reached into his armoured cases slowly and pulled out the promised twenty EPP's, handing them to me. "Enjoy, comrade Stalker Moondust the First, ma'am! I'll see you at the Salty Sailor," I swear he winked. "Happy travels."

I left the silly old colt to his business.

Travelling through Venice Station was always tricky. Despite the lovely appearances and something-for-everybody style in its creation, it was right in the center of Bandit territory. Some even claimed it was a Bandit station in itself, especially because of the sheer number of ponies in the connecting Metro lines going "missing". Nopony was safe anywhere in the Metro. Even in the central stations we christened 'Polis'.

Ponies went about their business. Fishing, playing - it was all 'part of the plan' as our mayor, my adoptive father, would say. He never did explain the plan.

Still, Venice was my home. The furthest I ever went was to the surface, and even then it was into an enclosed building just off the Metro entrance. I never went into the tunnels, had never been on a railcar - all I knew of the outside world came from stories.

Distorted, terrifying stories. One said the Communist Movement was gearing up for war. Another said Exhibition Station had fallen. But the most terrifying of all was of the Darkest Ones. Creatures made to destroy us - having the ability to reduce a pony to nothing with just their hooves.

Of course, they were just stories. But like Campfire would say... it makes you wonder!

Thankfully enough, the merchant tables and the Salty Sailor were a few hoofsteps away, so I quickly and casually strolled in and sat in the usual spot. The familiar sign opposite me read:

The Salty Sailor Bar & Restaurant

One stop for all your needs!

We accept many payment methods!*

*On-the-spot payment only

I sighed and leaned back contently as the waiter approached me.

"Hello Madame! How may I help you today?" her accented voice hit me again, just like the first time.

If the death of civilization bought one good thing out of the ashes, it was multiculture! So many accents, ways of life, tastes, religions and ideology's - you could walk from one end of the platform to the other and have learned all about the Communist ideology and the Single Goddess religion.

It did have negatives, however. When it came to Manehatten's bars, ponies from countries other than Equestria would greet you. Because there was so few of them, they'd work cheap just to avoid being discriminated against. Tolerance does not exist in the Manehatten Metro.

"Just the usual, Miss DeLise," I replied casually, slightly smiling. "Strongest you have."

DeLise stared at me for a while, as if she was trying to decipher a message. Then, she gasped. It was loud enough to make everypony present stare in out direction. "I am so sorry, Miss Moondust! I did not recognize you!" DeLise trotted over to my side of the table and forcefully lifted me off my seat. I was too shocked to react with anything but obedience. "Mister Belle informed me you'd be arriving; he gave me explicit instructions to escort you to the back room upon your arrival."

I shrugged off her hoof. I was about to raise my voice, but then I saw DeLise's face; she was scared.

To add to my earlier analysis of foreigners, keeping jobs was hard. One slip up, and they'd be complained about. Bosses did not want disliked employees. So they would be given the sack. They'd have to move stations; word traveled quickly in our cluttered world. One slip up and even an entire Metro empire would outcast you.

Realizing this, I leaned over and whispered, "It's okay, he wont know."

Her eyes went wide. I was expecting a slap. All that greeted me was a beaming smile, showing well-kept teeth. I swear, her eyes had welled up with tears.

"Thank you..."

I saw myself out and into the backroom. The door was bullet-proof and required the turning of a large wheel to open. Many ponies questioned why the manager of this fine establishment would put himself through such hassle every single day. They were ill-informed, of course, of what happened behind that doorway - just a few hoofsteps away from where they took their fillies and colts to have a nice night out.

The door swung open with its characteristic screech once again. I stepped into the dimly lit porch area and knocked one, twice - three times on the simple lock-and-key doorway leading to Belle's office. Mister Belle had ground rules, and whilst usually I'd just waltz in, I honestly could not be bothered to make a scene that day! Could have been the storm up on the surface that made me less enthusiastic.

"Come in!" said the light, bouncy voice of old-stallion Iron Belle.

His appearance, voice and personality did not match his profession.

I walked in and was greeted by a... smell. It's not like hygiene nor cleanliness was revered in the Metro, but this was a new low. It was like a body had been rotting inside the small room.

And then I looked to the side. Followed the scent.

I would have screamed if it weren't for Mister Belle's hoof being pushed into my mouth.

"Shh shh shh, it's alright comrade Moondust. Our good... associate here is slightly decomposed. Might not be in a talkative mood, you see!"

Mister Belle's charm never wore away, regardless of any situation.

He stood tall and proud, his yellow coat and light blue mane giving a sense of... comfort, perhaps? The colour he had naturally always cheered me up, even if his words did not! I had a feeling this'd be another one of those times - so I decided to stare at his mane as we both sat down at his desk.

The chairs were those I had looted personally; up above was the remains of Manehatten dam, and its advanced technological capabilities left a lot of ponies with office jobs. The revolutionary yet simple 'office chair' provided comfort and flexibility to flank-bound ponies! It always felt strange, seeing my own findings again - this time, out of my possession but oh-so in reach. Made me want to turn to criminal activity.

Belle raised his hoof in my direction.

It confused me, to say the least.

"Take it," he rectified simply. It was then I stared closer to his additional explanation. "It's a key."

I summoned my magic to remove the small key from his grasp, and slid it into the back pocket of my surface suit. I had yet to take it off. Some would say I was forgetful, others would proclaim I was just comfortable in the protective gear I'd grown to almost live in. In reality, I was ashamed that I complained about a lack of colour - with my coat being as colourless as the Metro.

We stared at each other for a few moments. Seeing Belle would not speak any more, I decided to fish for answers.

Haha, fish. Puns.

"What's it for, Comrade Belle?"

He smiled. Belle always smiled. "Listen, Moondust - do you remember what it was like, up top? Before the final day?"

The million dollar question which I was always reluctant to answer.

"No," I hesitantly replied, looking off behind him. It was a sensitive subject for me, and I usually had a way to change the conversation. "All I remember is falling down the escalator and seeing the fire raining down through the glass pavilion."

Grunting, Mister Belle had got up and leaned in close to me. "Take the key to Polis. Tell them it is time to open up the Library. If I am not there when you arrive - make up some fancy story about my last moments," then, as an afterthought, he added, "Ever heard of the Dark Tunnelers?"

The name rung a bell, but didn't have a clear meaning to me. "I... think so?"

He chuckled, stood up once more and walked. "The second Judgement Day is coming. I already have an escort caravan willing to provide a cover story to get you further down the Northern Republic Line. From there, though, it's all up to you."

I wanted to say no, to simply say this was too far, even for Mister Belle. Outside of my little looting world in the dam and the station of Venice, I was terrified. No survival skills, hardly any money. No weapons. Nothing. But... Belle had something about him. His words echoed in my mind. It tormented me. Struck home in ways I could not imagine were possible.

The second Judgement Day is coming.

I didn't want our new world, as grey as it was, to suffer the same fate as civilizations gone by. Even if a few flames would make things more interesting.

A mare can dream!

"Okay, Belle - what do I get in return?" Business was business. I did not work for free, nopony did - payment was a requirement, and fair payment was a plus. A plus I did not usually get.

Again with the raised hoofs. "Adventure, some EPPs, weapons - and something more personal."

Mister Belle smiled and briskly walked out of the door. "Don't bother locking up. Goodbye, Comrade Moondust."

"Before you go, sir," I quickly asked the retreating stallion. "Is your associate involved?"

He winked. "You'll see."

I decided not to stick around the rotting body and left the Salty Sailor. Something big was coming.

I knew I would have to purchase some equipment. A small piece of parchment provided me with a means to make a list; guns, ammo, filters, food. A little too much? Maybe. Better safe than sorry, however, and besides - Belle was counting on me. Venice was counting on me. The entire Metro was counting on me.

Although... I wasn't quite sure why.

Back in the main hallways of Venice, ponies went about their business. A sea of colour against a sea of grey. At least the actual water wasn't grey - it was a polluted green instead. But the Aqua's - our affectionate name for whatever mutated animal we hunted - loved it. Some fishermen did it for business, other for survival of their family. One such survivor caught my interest.

Underneath the Salty Sailor was a dark alleyway, where the water filter for the entire station was. A mare and her child, presumably only old enough to start thinking about getting a cutie mark, sat on the edge. Rods in hoof, determination on their faces. Nothing out of the ordinary - not really. Just a mother and her child, fending for themselves in a world without forgiveness. But their words, their voices...

I leaned against the wall, just out of the illumination of the gas lamp they were using.

"Do you think they'll bite, mama?" asked the filly, her voice high and innocent.

"Not yet, darling. But your father always said patience is a virtue!" came the reply, as the mother wrapped the filly in a hug. "I promise we'll eat well tonight."

"Do you think father will ever come home? You said he was going to beat the big bad mutant and come home with a medal for me," so innocent, so naive - yet so heartwarming. Bittersweet.

I could feel the rise in tension though. Through almost gritted teeth, the mare replied, "Yes, soon. His best friend said they had run into a little trouble. But fear not! Your father is the strongest around. He and he alone beat the rats at Exhibition! Saved the whole Metro from losing tea."

"You do like tea."

I left the two coloured ponies to their troubles. I didn't bother to tell them there were nets preventing Aqua's from reaching the water filter.

Equestria 2033 - Chapter One: Venice

Chapter Two: Twisty

"The choice had been made for me, no doubt; I was to go to Polis for a pony I did not know too well but certainly respected. Was I cut out for exploring the deepest parts of the Metro? And more importantly, was I skilled - or lucky - enough to go it alone?"
-Moondust's Diary, 21st September 2033

Smells.

Whilst usually bad, the Metro was full of them. Rotting corpses or the alluring aroma of food would always be there to greet the life of the tunnels. Appreciating them was hard, however. They weren't exactly welcome when one was feeling queasy. My newly found acquaintance, who wanted to be referred to as Twisty, perfectly demonstrated this.

We'd met near the tents on Venice's flooded platform. Water levels had been rising as the artificial winter subsided, and Twisty was not happy.

"Bloody hell, I'm hyper sensitive to the smell of the water anyway! What's the big idea, flooding my only safe haven! It's like... oh Celestia... I'm going again -" she hung her head over the railing and let out another mouthful of vomit.

Pleasant sights to see all year round! Come travel by Manehatten Metro - a unique way to get around with an additional hint of danger and sickness!

Twisty was to be my resource for all things survival equipment. Upon leaving the lower levels of the Salty Sailor, Miss DeLise had troubled me once again and handed over a note saying all my 'expenses' were payed for. It's as if Belle knew I'd blindly accept anything he threw at me. In a way, he was right - but it still lit up a flare of anger whenever the thought popped into my head. Never in control, always just controlled.

But I digress, I was never much of a leader anyway.

The note led me to a young colt who offered to direct me to Twisty for one measly EPP. I accepted. Cheap labor and the kid could do with some good in his life regardless!

It's a shame though. Experimental Penetration Projectiles were still a rarity for me.

"How'd you get stuck in the one place full of water, then?" I asked gently, curiosity once again taking hold. "No offence, but you'd probably be better off further down the Line. Maybe even with the Reds? I hear they hate water too."

With what seemed to be the last of her strength, she held her head high and looked at me mockingly. "Commies? Pff!" she spat into the water. "Would rather be caught trespassing the Reich than end up joining them! Bucking Stalkers... always bringing up our pleasant neighbors."

There was a sting to the last sentence.

"What's wrong with the Red Line?" If I was going to make it to Polis, the Red Line was my only option unless I wanted to chance the surface. "I mean, uh - "

Twisty once again emptied her stomach before flopping back onto the hard wood floor. She looked exhausted, but not tired enough to pass off the question.

"Communism is terrible. Good on paper, yes, but in practice! Tsk tsk tsk, sometimes I wonder if the Red leaders knew how terrible it truly is for the ponies under their rule and just wanted the wealth. What do you think, huh? It's not like we've never... encountered a Communist nation... before - " she turned and the loud sound of retching finished off her explanation.

I did not know much pre-apocalypse history, but everypony seemed to know the ideology of the Red Line was based around a long-lost civilization, atomized by the one-day war that drove us into the Manehatten underground. And everypony - except the Red Line, of course - hated them. I suppose they were our enemy from times gone by, and that's why we were harshly ripped from our reality; communism was our destroyer, and they were back again; now just a tunnel away.

If the aim of the nuclear exchange was to rid ponies' lives of communism, the leaders of Equestria and her allies alike failed that objective miserably.

"Well, I'm sorry, but I don't get out of Venice much."

Her ears shot up and she looked at me in a mix of surprise and disgust. "You're supposed to be the little Metro hero Belle has given the key to? A low-life dam Stalker who has probably never been on a boat?" She laughed, harshly. "You need to learn when to keep your mouth shut, kid. Or maybe not - you're gonna need some good guns. Big guns!"

"Uh, thank you...?"

"Don't mention it! You're so fucked anyway. Ahaha! Now, where was I? Oh yes, so... communism - "

Another minute, another vomit puddle.

"I'm gonna need my meds for this, shit!" Twisty was definitely a foul-mouth. "Come on, kid. Help me up. We'll get you some equipment, I can nap way way way away from the water. Everyone's happy, yes?"

I silently agreed, and put a hoof forward to help the unlikely resident of Venice up. She grabbed it and leaned into me as I pulled up with all my might. She rose perfectly, but a little too fast - the sheer force pushed me back, and I landed back-first into the water.

My first thought was how... quiet it was. Not the unnerving quiet of the remains of Manehatten Dam above us, or the not-so-silent silence of the small station library that had been compiled over the course of twenty years. No, this was true silence as water filled my ears and refused to let go.

It was so tranquil that I forgot what it meant to be underwater. I closed my eyes and sighed contently, allowing gulps of water into my lungs.

Oh sugar! I screamed internally.

Struggling, thrashing, splashing - any word that could be used to describe a drowning mare would have fit me. I silently pleaded for an end. My lungs burned, threatening to force my mouth open once more. I raised my hooves to try and grab the edge of the platform blindly, but something grabbed me first.

"Moondust! What. The. Buck?!" Twisty's voice assaulted my draining ears. "Can you not even swim? Celestia, girl, even I can. Are you sure Belle didn't set you up for a death sentence?" Twisty's hooves carefully lowered me onto a boat moored at the platform. "Here, sit. This is your convoy anyway. I'll go and run along, grab some stuff for you. Medkits, guns, filters - the whole shebang, as some more annoying ponies would say."

I was too weak to even look in her direction, never mind reply. At least Twisty seemed to be feeling better, even if it was probably just the adrenaline rush.

Instead I just nodded and let the cool embrace of darkness embrace me.

The tunnels of the Metro had never been well lit. Our brightest light source, the sun, has been obscured from our view for as long as I can remember. If there was any doubt that the surface was unfit for pony life, it was the lack of life-sustaining light.

Instead of earth ponies powering our food supplies, unicorns now had the most vital role. Once, the most common of spells for unicorns to perform was the manipulation of objects. Now young fillies and colts alike are taught how to cast light spells. Small at first, before having the power of a miniature sun at their disposal. Underground farming of mushrooms, potatoes, and other easy-to grow food stuffs took off relatively quickly.

These farming areas were very few and very well hidden. So the tunnels stayed dim and lifeless, regardless of our magical potential.

I never thought I'd be happy by lack of light.

The boat seemed to have all sorts of ponies onboard from what I could hear. I had kept my eyes shut as I slowly came to my senses, my body regaining strength - as slow as the transition was, I was thankful I had survived. For all her bluster and 'charm', Twisty seemed alright!

"I didn't think the day would come where we'd be hired to escort tea down from the Northern Manehatten Line to the Reds! What's the deal with that, anyway?"

"Dunno, wasn't in the job description. Which is good. A little bit of mystery is sometimes best in these tunnels."

"Pff, say that to me when a Watcher has you pinned to the floor because no one told you about their nests!" the almost inaudible sound of exaggerated spitting followed.

"As if! it feels like the NML and the Red Line have made this whole area a no-mutant zone. Something about them not wanting a repeat of the rat incident."

"Rat incident?"

A snicker. "Were you born yesterday, Time Turner? The rat incident! The news about it traveled down the tunnels like wildfire! Some say even the Great Phoenix heard about it."

"Oh, and I was born yesterday, with you bringing up a rumoured group that apparently does the most ludicrous of things? Bah!" more laughter. "You're a riot, my friend. Why didn't you join this detachment sooner? The southern defenses can get a bit... eh... boring at times."

"I'm serious! The Great Phoenix Cult - child nappers from the broken tunnels of the abandoned south!"

"Enough of your horror stories! Cut to the chase about these rats - unlike you lot I was born yesterday!" a new voice chipped in. It sounded much more girly than the others. "You know how they are about us joining the defenders."

"Oh, ha, we know alright!" I stood up and looked on at the unfolding conversations. I was at the back of the boat - which was more of a glorified and bulked-up raft - and in complete darkness. The tunnel ahead was dimly lit by lights hanging from the ceiling. The boat felt safe, and almost homely with all the good cheer and friendly banter! "If we're going to talk rats, though, we better clear up some things on this cult - so! About these Phoenix guys..."

I sat back down and listened in. This was gonna be good!

"Nopony really knows how they came about, except that they originated under Manehatten's university district. The tunnel from the universities to the 'Ring around the Metro was cut off after the highest point in the tunnels decided to collapse. Again, nopony knows why - but what is known is that the students were left behind when it happened. Did the Republic send out any help? Of course not! The Metro Ring Republic has their own issues!"

That last bit seemed like mockery.

"A few years pass, and no word comes from these trapped students. The Republic eventually sent out a search party - just to see if anything was worth saving. They have a voting system, you see, and they could not put up the permanent closure of those tunnels up to vote without proper evidence to back up the claim. Frankly, the leading powers wanted the tunnel forgotten; conspiracy theories had already cropped up. Some being as ludicrous as the Red Line, the Republic, and Polis hiding secrets down there.

"So out goes this search party. Their first radio messages were run-of-the-mill. The typical military shit, you know? 'We've arrived on scene,' or, 'Search commencing. The Republic were certain they could close it off, dispel the rumours, and keep the peace in the 'Ring.

"Before long, though, radio contact was lost. They thought nothing of it - the day had been filled with a lot more radio traffic than usual, after all - "

"Bull. Why would they? Wouldn't it just be an average day for everyone else?"

"Ah," replied the story teller. "But it wasn't. Even the Reds had got involved to try and keep the peace in their own area of the Metro. A temporary alliance, if you will - the last before the first war broke out. That's another story, though!

"So they wait an hour. And then two. And then three. Then six, twelve, a whole day - nothing. Nada. Zilch. Naught. Not a single bit of contact. Worried, another party was sent out. The leaders were adamant they could get this vote passed. Perhaps to get more support in their armed forces, or maybe they really did care - either way, the first party wasn't coming back.

"And neither was the second. They suffered the same fate. An entire platoon was eventually sent to give them all cover. And one message came through..."

A rather long silence fills the boat-raft-thingy.

"Well, aren't you gonna continue? What about the message? Can't you remember?!"

"I can't remember the exact message, no! But it was something along the lines of, 'Nothing worth saving - blood everywhere! Fall back, everypony! Oh, we're all so bucked. Including you, boys back home! Including you - '"

"Enough with the bullshit, man!" the sound of a hoof colliding with a leg filled the air - gently. Playful. "Don't scare the new girl."

Silence fell. As did darkness. A few murmurs spread across the boat.

"Uhh, sailor-guy? Are we supposed to be going this way?"

"I... don't think so. I didn't even know the tunnel branched off this way!" came a new, light, feminine voice. "Where's Captain?"

"Down here! And neither did I, Pipsqueak. And that means something's up," a pause, a loud screech, and then the boat's movement ceased. "Do any of you lot have a flashlight? These candles are terrible."

Somepony was heading towards me. I didn't feel up to talking, so I gasped, laid back down and shut my eyes.

A loud bang greeted my ears and shot my eyes wide open again. Shock filled me; enough to make me truly take in the surroundings. The tunnel was indeed very dark, too dark to see past the small makeshift boat. A pony's hoof was just a meter away, its owner rummaging in a chest behind my head. More bangs, a few clangs, a little tinkle...

Sounds were always nice and varied. Wonderful.

"Nah, just a charger for one," Pipsqueak's voice broke. "I am sorry, Captain."

"Don't you worry, Private! Do any of our guards and passengers have a flashlight?" the pony I shall name Captain for now said. Captain and Private sounded like friends; actual friends with actual feelings of care for each other!

Unfortunately, a resounding chorus of "nuh-uh" came from everypony else on board.

By this time I had regained enough composure and began to stand up again. I had yet to fully recover from my near-death experience back in Venice. With the last bit of energy I had, I tried to speak out.

It came out as more of a squeak, however; "Unicorn here. Not the best with magic, but I can cast a simple light spell to - "

"Perfect!" butted in the Captain, who was an earth pony, and began trotting over to me in a hurry between the compacted mass of ponies. He reached me and grabbed my hoof. "To the front with you, lass! Let there be light in our lives once more!"

His voice reminded me of your typical sailing pony. And it comforted me during my first trip on a boat ever.

The ponies made room to allow the two of us to pass quicker; despite the general easiness of them all, they were not born yesterday. They knew that every second spent impaired to the environment could well be a pony's last - even from my limited outside experience, this fact was buried deep inside my mind too.

We reached the front. It had a small seat, some drinks and a pack of cards randomly placed all around. A small hatch led to the area below; probably to where the engine laid. Captain nudged me, and gestured to the dark tunnel ahead. "You know what to do."

I nodded and wordlessly began casting. Things were going pretty well until fatigue once again took over me. After a lot of groaning and straining, I managed to cast a single orb of energy which sailed through the tunnel, illuminating it. It fizzled out quickly, however, but it was enough to give us a view on our surroundings.

Now, I am not one to exaggerate, so believe me when I say - we were well and truly screwed!

The Captain dropped everything and angrily shouted out to the heavens. "Are you bucking kidding me?! Here? Now?!"

Mutants were more common around the Metro than we liked to admit. But for Venice and the surrounding waters, only the Aqua's which we hunted bothered us. Until now, that is...

"For the last time," said Private, visibly sweating but trying to maintain composure. "Does anypony have a flashlight?"

Spiders - small creatures. Eight legs. Some venomous, but most were just annoying - or, that's what the elders say.

For these creatures weren't just spiders. They were something bigger, deadly, and would do more than just annoy a pony. These were the famed spiderbugs!

"Well, so much for Polis," I muttered. I knew years of listening in would become useful - and one particular conversation from the far-out traders of the Metro proved to be a valuable resource of all things related to deadly mutants.

Panic gripped even the apparent tough-pony guards. Those who were talking spoke in hushed whispers now, the boyish confidence gone. Passengers began rocking the boat, screaming help to an entity unknown. And I just sat there, watching the chaos unfold. There was nothing I could do. My magic had burned out. For the first time since my small journey began, I felt hopeless. And I was probably only mere hours into it!

"All we need is a light, the things hate it!" said a grey stallion, with the voice of the storyteller from before. "They seem to be waiting for something though. Does candle light really affect them that mu - "

A loud bang rocked the boat. A terrifying screech came from the stallion as his hoof shot up above the mass of ponies, followed by a pool of red dripping into the murky green below. And a single scorpion-like tail shot up, accompanied by a screech and some scuffling.

The chaos just got a little bit more chaotic. A few ponies even went overboard.

This is the end.

In that moment, the small hatch swung open, allowing a flowing beam of light to travel straight up.

It was like the heavens had just ascended from beneath us! Maybe there is still an afterlife - the two areas had just been reversed!

The light angled and shone right in my face, startling me for a few moments. But the screeching and falling of the tunneling spiderbugs gave me the adrenaline rush needed to get up. I grunted with the effort, but it was worth it to see none other than Twisty emerging from the hatch, light bulbs attached to handheld charger in her hooves.

She looked at me for a moment, and then set about removing the spiderbug that had landed on the boat. The light visibly burned the outer-armor, weakening it. Twisty drew her weapon to fire, but the mutant scuttled too far and fell off into the depths. It'd either die from drowning or be eaten by an Aqua. Or both. For a brief moment I wondered if I'd be the one to eat that Aqua, as if fate or something similar would guide us together!

Silence fell on the boat as Twisty continued to shine the light around. She gestured at me to go down below and re-activate the engine. Captain and Private's roles as leaders had been unofficially handed over. They sat cowering at the back of the boat where I had previously rested.

The musty engine room was well-lit too. It was here I found a bed, an open diary, and some equipment - was Twisty hiding onboard?

A simple, generic switch with two options - on and off - greeted me. I pushed the lever up; a loud roar shook the boat momentarily before the boat trudged onwards. I ignored the equipment and climbed out of the hatch to see the end of the boat ride.

We eventually crossed the tunnel boundary and out of the stray spiderbug territory. Our situation wasn't much better; we had no idea where we were, or what to do - but we were alive and away from the heavy-hitting beasts!

I stared at Twisty, dumbfounded. I had so many questions, and she could probably tell.

She smiled and said, "I couldn't leave rookies like you lot out here to die now, could I?"

And then she threw up.

Equestria 2033 - Chapter Two: Twisty

Chapter Three: Upriver

"It's as if Twisty was a guardian angel, bursting forth from the heavens - or the engine bay - in a beam of light. The light that saved us all! I owe the irritable pony. Everypony aboard that boat does. I don't know how I will repay her... but at least I am sure I will be safe in her company."
-Moondust's Diary, 22nd September 2033

Grey.

Again.

I was starting to see why Venice was always grey. The tunnels surrounding it were, too! Apart from the occasional red streak of blood or the dripping of polluted water, the vast and expansive Metro seemed to be just that - grey. Grey rubble. Grey tracks. Grey walls. Dull and boring does not do it justice. It's a whole new breed of headache. If the Metro was a living, breathing entity... I have to say, I hate it's fashion sense.

The boat was going to sail us as far as it could; apparently, up ahead was more of a stream than a river. Signs that read Watch Your Step, or Please Disembark On The Correct Path For Your Journey adorned the final few meters of the boat ride. They were red, bold, and stood out - not that it took much to stand out anyway.

Still, at least the gun Twisty had chosen for me was enough to make me grin. It was enough to bring colour - literally - into my world. It was bucking pink.

"She's not really suited for camouflage," Twisty had explained, finally resting after letting Captain and Private retake their duty's as sailors. "Unless you're a party-goer-assassin type, and you look like you'd be more of a waitress than a guest at a Polis party."

She tapped "her" and hoofed it over to me. Indeed, it would not be a very good camouflage weapon. But then again, the sheer size of it would make it hard to conceal anyway. If anything, it was more of a cannon then an actual hoof-held weapon!

"Like I said, big guns. I've fitted the old thing with a tracker, so when a mutant finally gets ya I can retrieve this beauty," Twisty grinned. "It isn't cheap. So be happy you get to use it for free. Nopony else will be so generous - then again, I am being payed a few thousand EPP's for my services to Belle."

Charity doesn't exist in the Metro.

I attempted to grab it in my magical grasp, focusing hard. The boat squealed as the cannon was lifted, the glow of my horn illuminating the small section of the back softly. Soon, however, it became too much, and down went the pink cannon - and the boat, too.

"This is way too big! Twisty, I'm sorry, but - "

She shook her hoof at my face. "Ah ah ah, no buts!"

I looked at her, biting my lip. Was she truly crazy or just wanted me killed? Twisty's face was a study in calm, as she stomped her hoof once, twice, three times - and then the pink cannon of doom dismantled, folded, and packed itself away. It was gone, it was small, it was compact. It... it was...

"Ridiculous!" I exclaimed in disbelief. I lifted it in my magic to be sure, and it was indeed lighter. "How does that even work?! It defies every scientific thing ever!"

Twisty laughed. At least she had a sense of humour. "Your guess is as good as mine. Got it off some hooded mare, she left it with me - saying its use for her was gone - and vanished up to the surface. After examining it, I was amazed, so I awaited her return. She never came back." Twisty turned her attention to the cannon again, smiling at it as if it was an old friend. "Remember, also do triple hoof-beats when you want to open it again."

So one big gun that was pretty portable, and was pink. Well! I guess you could say I was well and truly set to face anything in my path. Just blow everything up, and triple tap my hooves to walk away without straining myself at all. Checkmate Red Line!

Wait... the Red Line.

If I was to stand any chance of survival, even with a weapon the size of a whole pony, I'd need to know what I was walking into. Whether or not I could walk through or would have to resort to more... violent means...

For the first time, what I had agreed to - willingly or not - hit me. I would have to kill. And not just a mutant or the remaining cattle. No, I'd have to kill a fellow pony. The thought made me sick to the stomach. Apparently, during the pre-war says, pony and pony would go head-to-head, fighting over the dwindling supplies. Blood would commonly be shed.

I didn't want to repeat the mistakes of the past... but if I refused, what would happen to Polis? To the remainder of ponykind?

I sighed. I had to continue on.

"Hey, Twisty", I started, looking down nervously. "We never finished our talk about the Reds. I was wondering - "

"Alright, here we are lads and lasses! The boat can't travel further, please use the walkways located on either side of the water. Have a safe journey!" Captain shouted, catching everypony's attention. "Thanks. Leave your payments on the way off."

Providing before being payed? Captain sure had a heart, even if he did tend to be slightly irritable. I wondered for a brief moment if I'd see Captain and Private again, before Twist shoved me ahead.

"I'm escorting you to the one-thousandth meter before Revolution Square. After that it's all you."

I silently nodded and disembarked off the boat in the direction Twisty pushed me in. The other ponies had gotten off on the other side, walking down what seemed to be a more twisty route through the crumpled tunnel section. It was, however, in better shape; I felt the stone and metal under my hooves buckle slightly as I stepped onto of them.

Captain had already begun heading back, his lovely little raft now a bundle of light to fend off the spiderbugs. I didn't know boats had reverse gears! The sound of the engine filled the tunnel for a few minutes longer, before it too had become nothing more than a distant memory.

Focus.

By this time Twisty had stepped ahead of me. She made an effort to avoid looking at the water, and she stopped a few times to catch herself. I had totally forgotten about Twisty's problem with water. Although, it made me wonder... what exactly does she drink?!

"I admire your efforts," I said, trying to find something to talk about.

Twisty merely grunted, not breaking her new-found pace. "Adrenaline, kiddo. The greatest anesthetic ever," she halted, turned to me and half-smiled, half-scowled. "If I throw up before I get back to Venice because of you, you're gonna get it."

I decided not to ask what get it meant.

The small pathway led us all around the tunnel. And, oddly, wood was very common in the passageway to the Reds. It appeared to be supporting the ceiling, and large, makeshift pillars held up a patchwork of rubble above. Water trickled down, and even the ponies on the other side of the river - who were now ascending a small stairwell to reach an illuminated door - looked up with every groan it made.

I tried to ignore it, fearing what was trying to get into the Metro that badly. Instead I shifted my focus onto the jagged floor beneath our hooves. I didn't question why we broke off from the rest of the ponies, who had now disappeared through the door. No, all I wanted to know was the situation with the Red Line.

The loose rocks and sharp edges of broken wooden planks were a new feeling; Venice was well maintained, and the Manehatten Dam up above was not directly hit by a missile - or, that's how it looks. It was in good condition, with the only destruction inside from shootouts or the natural course of lack of maintenance.

But here, on this route, nothing was cleaned up. My sensitive hooves felt every stone press against them, and for a while I wondered if a particularly sharp rock would knock me off balance, plunging me into the water beside us.

It didn't look deep, no, but water has always been deceptive.

The walk lasted a few more minutes of total silence and aching hooves, before Twisty held out her leg to stop me.

"This is it, the final stretch," she said happily. She then grabbed my face firmly and pushed a mask over it, pushed the side of it and stood back. A soft light illuminated Twisty's face, coming from the top of the mask.

"Gas masks and flashlights," Twisty explained. "Never leave home without 'em!"

I breathed in deeply, testing the filters. The usual smell of semi-polluted air vanished. "Thanks."

"You better be - there's no way you'd get to the Red Line without these. This water is from the surface after all - and you could say we're at the source.

Ah, so it really was a stream!

There were no words for me to add, so I merely nodded and allowed Twisty to once again lead the way. The path became narrower, forcing us to literally put one hoof in front of the other. My side brushed against the tunnel wall, the sharpness of the loose stones digging in. And this time it hurt. A lot.

"Ow!" I gasped loudly. "Does nopony maintain these tunnels?"

Even Manehatten Dam was fairing better.

Twisty chuckled. "Ah, the stupidity! We're at the source, but this little stream isn't enough to fill little Venice, or the good old Commonwealth! Haha, no. This place floods regularly, bringing new paths with it. Why do you think the roof looks like it'll fall on us any second now?"

Buck. This is a death trap!

I nudged Twisty's flank. "Can we move along, then, please?"

"Oi, watch it back there! We can't exactly run along this path now, can we?"

"We could swim..." I began.

"Oh, because that went brilliantly the last time you did it."

"I was surprised!"

"You almost drowned!"

"Look, what is your problem?"

Twisty was taken a-back. "Me? Problem? My my my, and here I thought you'd value my services in keeping you safe through the darker waters!" her hoofsteps became more erratic now. "And to think, Belle said you were one of the nicer ones. Kids these days - all the same!"

It was as I breathed in deeply, ready to retort, when Twisty mis-stepped.

I was vaguely aware of being wet before i realized what happened. Water - disgusting, foul, sometimes even deadly - bought me to my senses. My reactions were delayed, and I simply stared forward. Paralyzed. I was better than this, right? All this arguing... and death...

The more I thought on it, the more my morals were challenged.

Either way, there was no Twisty to be seen. Just a large splash and frantic hoof waves coming from below me, slowly being dragged along by an unseen current. Twisty could swim! She could survive!

A few more seconds passed, and Twisty did not emerge. Buck, I screamed internally. What do I do? I could grab some wood - make a pole for her to grab! But what if it triggered a flood from the rickety ceiling? I could reach out my hoof and grab her, but she was already too far. I could use my magic to haul her, but soon even her hoof went down. Aiming blind with magic was a brilliant way to fail.

There was nothing I could do. But I had to at least try! Nopony deserves to die, especially like this!

That's when I dived into the water after her, grabbing her waist with my hooves as we were dragged into the abyss, the current pushing us towards light.

...wait a minute. Light?

Equestria 2033: Chapter Three - Upriver

Chapter Four: The Shadow

The light subsided, and I was welcomed with a sense of amazement.

There was blue above with a golden orb in the corner, and fluffy white things moved across it all, giving it a sense of fullness. Below me was a sea of green; solid, unlike the rivers of toxic green in the Metro. My hooves were experiencing an alien - yet pleasant - feeling. It was unfamiliar yet... familiar. I'd seen it before, only with a different portrayal. It had been described many many times. I'd longed to see it for so long -

"Uhhh," Twisty's voice groaned out. "Bloody water, I'm gonna..."

I looked back down, and slowly shuffled my hooves around to pull myself up. The greenery below waved slightly, as if saying goodbye.

What it all was hit me. The paintings of Sea Swirl instantly gave me a comparison.

I could hardly contain my excitement. Imagine, seeing actual grass!

"Twisty!" I shouted in glee. "Look! Sky! Grass! Sunlight!"

A sensation of coolness brushed against my fur, an invisible force of wind; not the usual, strong wind I am subjected to when it breaks through the shattered remains of the Manehatten Dam. No, this was a lovely contrast to the heat beating down on me. Not too hot to be like a fire, but much much warmer than the usual coldness of the nuclear winter.

Twisty slowly got up, her eyes blinking in disbelief as she found the strength to stand up straight. She wobbled slightly, and I let her rest her weight against me.

"Easy now, don't want you falling down again," I said simply.

Twisty just stared ahead.

Neither of us moved, captivated by it all. A lone tree stood out in the field, and the silhouettes of several ponies were resting underneath it. All of different race; pegasi wings, unicorn horns, and the simple yet effective build of the earth ponies. It was harmonious,

My vision flickered as they rose up, hugging, and the sound of rushing water began

Twisty and I coughed together as we washed up on the dull shoreline of the Metro, the stream behind us. The lighting wasn't very good and my vision was blurred anyway. The strange sensation of waking up from... whatever that was, filled me. It was filled with longing, but it didn't feel like my own thoughts.

Twisty was the first up, drawing her weapon immediately at the sound of distant hoofstep. She sure was twitchy - but I followed suit anyway, semi-instinctively, preparing the pretty pink party cannon to fire. I just hoped I could shoot straight!

She moved ahead, waving her hoof backwards cautiously. Stay here.

Her movements were slow and careful, each one precise - borderline robotic! Definitely trained. Almost textbook, if there were any books on the subjective at all. Perhaps Polis would have some material on sneaking for me to read if I got there.When I got there.

Have to stay positive, Moondust.

My armourer, saviour, guide and - maybe - friend, cautiously stepped onto the tracks. I had no idea what she was following, but it had caught her attention. She stopped when the unconfirmed hoofsteps did, and she drew a large red stick and threw it into the tunnel. My usual merchant had told me they were called flares, and would light up anything! We must have both been thinking the same thing, or perhaps we both were on edge after the spiderbugs. Whatever the cause was, we both reacted in harmony at the shadow in the center of our vision.

"Darkest Ones!"

Twisty immediately shot at the dark pony form, but it simply vanished, reappearing behind her. Time seemed to slow down as it grabbed Twisty. It looked at me, almost with a sad look on its face. In an instant, I heard a splash behind me, and an alien voice filled my head.

It would haunt me forever.

I ran back, ignoring the Darkest One moving down the tunnel once more, casually and emotionless . Twisty was nowhere to be found.

"Twisty!" I screamed, loud enough to alert the entire Red Line to my location. There was no answer, however. No bullet was fired. No caution given. No Twisty answering.

Just a pool of green.

"Twisty..."

I sat for a while - I don't know how long - before getting up. The words still ringing in my head.

I still had a job to do. Twisty's gun was beside me, in the spot where she vanished into the abyss. Small, handheld, and much more versatile. I grabbed it sadly, and put it in my equipment sack with the rest of my items. I assumed I was still on the right track, so I flicked the flashlight on, tears in my eyes, and walked along the lonely path to certain death.

The true enemy was the Darkest Ones. Cold blooded creatures, who shall perish.

"She did not understand."

Equestria 2033: Chapter Four - The Shadow

Introduction - 2033

They say fire rained down from the sky, that the very earth beneath our hooves shook violently with the waves of terror that gripped us all. And that we had planned for it. We had planned to hide, deep underground where nothing but ourselves could harm...

I was just a filly when judgement day came and the goddesses abandoned us, leaving us to fend for ourselves on this discarded wasteland. I used to live on the surface, above these tunnels in a place named Manehatten. I do not remember anything of this time... except looking at the sky and seeing it a smokey red. For we hid from fate’s sight in the Metro, the deeply-buried stations ponies had built to get around the city quicker. Doubling up as a shelter, they spared us a fate worse than death.

The Metro became our home. The young ones continued to be educated, fed, and played. Adults found jobs to do to maintain security and society in the Metro. We believed we were all that was left of life. But the surface was not dead. It was alive, and set forth a new era of animals - horrible, mutated versions of their past selves.

Instead of banding together, the remnants of ponykind - and the other species teeming in the tunnels with us -became enemies. Factions. War machines. Fighting for supremacy and survival in the Metro, and the surface as well.

Few of us retained hope we’d once more roam the surface freely and without fear of the radiation and new wildlife that faced us. But recently a new threat has emerged, and we’re no longer fighting each other - we are fighting the impossible too...

Equestria 2033