Dawn Star: Manehatten Mare

I woke up to the sun again. Got up after another moment of stretches and stood up. I looked at the window to see I had drawn my curtains for once. Last night I had such a strange dream. There were Changelings, Stone Force was dead. It was so weird. I stepped forward to open the curtains only to receive great amounts of pain my from left front leg. I screamed a bit and nearly fell. Tears forming instantly. That hurt, a lot. I looked down to see my leg was swollen and in a brace. Yet it didn't numb the pain at all. I started to panic a bit. Had yesterday happened? Or just some bits. I had broken my leg somehow and due to the medication I was dreaming things that I thought were real? I shock my head and limped to the window, taking a lot of weight of my leg, yet it still hurt. I reached the windows basically in tears and opened with my magic. The dark blue curtains pulled back to show the wall sized window overlooking Manehatten. I looked on the ground, there seemed to be a few more armed soldiers, but nothing unusual. Until I looked up. There was a huge, pale orange coloured shield covering the city for as far as I could see. I nearly fainted and limped toward the door. I needed to get to my work, see what in Equestria was going on. I reached the door and fell. My leg hurting so much. I looked around my white, plain walled room looking for an answer to my pain. On the side table I noticed a small box with a note attached. I fell down and began to crawl toward the table, thinking on it, that wasn't the best idea but I sure as hell couldn't walk any further. I reached the table and practically pulled it down. The box and note both falling to the ground, along with various other things, a now smashed glass cup, a photo of my family and I when I was a filly. I hated to admit it, but I was pretty adorable back then. Now I was on the floor, dragging my body across the light blue carpet to get a strange box and a note because my leg was broken. I picked the note up and read.

'Medication for [Dawn Star], to be used for healing/cure of [Left Foreleg]. To be taken [Once every five hours]. Then in brackets (Or if leg is playing up so bad you have to take them. Doctor Ares. Still waiting for you to be free) followed by a small smiley face and love heart. I looked at the box and it said to be taken once every five hours, how strong it was and when it would affect me. Apparently I could take one now and it would affect me after twelve to fifteen minutes. I popped open the box and took a pill. Not drinking any water as my cup was broken. Thinking on that matter I picked the shards of glass up and put them in the bin. Still crawling, levitating the glass over my head. Again, not the best idea. I then pondered to myself about yesterdays events, if they had happened, if not why was the city on defensive. How did they know. What was going on out there. Why were the Changelings attacking. Stuff like that, and before I knew it my leg was without pain and I found myself to be able to limp again.

It took nearly half and hour to get from my apartment to work today, half an hour, in what should have been a five minute wall (My fastest time was three minutes, twenty-three seconds). I limped in, everypony watching as I walked, or whatever I was doing all the way from my lobby to work. I finally reached the office to be greeted by one pony on my team; Firestarter. He watched my limp through the door with a shocked and confused face.

"Dawn?" He asked. I looked at him with a 'go-fuck-yourself' look and he blinked a few times. "Dawn Star, what are you doing here? You have been given full leave until your leg is better. What the hell happened yesterday?" The younger stallion asked, he was younger, and smaller than me so I had to look down on him normally, now I was fairly level with him, having to limp and keep weight of my leg.

"I have no idea. That's why I came here. Is Stone in?" I asked. Firestarter looked away from me, his dark red hair moving slowly with him. He had a look of sadness on him. And at that moment I realised all of yesterday had happened. Stone Force was certainly dead and there were Changelings in the city.

"I'm sorry Dawn. Force is dead. You were there. I thought you would remember." Fire muttered. I looked down to the ground.

"I do Fire. I really do, I thought that had all been a dream. In that case then Manehatten really is under attack from Changelings." I replied. Firestarter nodded slowly.

"It is why the shield is up. The whole city is on high alert. I am surprised you weren't checked. There have already been five executions of Changelings. They are kicking any and everyone of them out. Even the peaceful ones. But there are defentitly spies in the city, some won't leave and are attacking guards and ponies. Its why they are being killed. The streets, mainly in the less developed areas are under attack, wars are going on all through the city Dawn. This is the time your team is needed most, and half of us aren't in today due to the attacks, are dead or wounded. Seriously Stone isn't the only one dead. Changelings are genuinely attacking ponies in the streets. Word is said that they are already breaking at the shield and could be in in a matter of hours. They may already be inside the city. I don't mean the small forces that are here now, I mean an army."

"The city isn't safe and no pony can leave or enter?" I asked.

"They are letting ponies leave, there is a secret underground tunnel system that had trains going straight to Canterlot. The Princesses are apparently on their way."

"Where are you getting all this info Fire?"

"Town hall. They are holding a meeting all day discussing the battle. If you want answers, head there Dawn. But we need to evacuate the city, and soon. War is coming."

"Okay then. I will head to town hall. You coming?" I asked, despite knowing Fire had already been I was about five minutes away from breaking down into tears again due to knowing a lot of my team was dead and a good friend since fillyhood was certainly dead and it wasn't some sick dream. So it would have been nice to be with a friend.

"No no. I need to talk to the remaining five who turned up today. Tell them where to head for news and what to do."

"Do you know what to do?"

"No. But I can't just tell them they may be dead by weeks end. If you aren't rushing come with me. You are team leader. But a few of us thought you were dead, so you may get some reactions from ponies."

"Yeah I understand. Okay, where is everypony?" I asked.

"Our cell block, as usual. I will say now that only seven aren't at work today. So figure the maths yourself." I did. Seven still alive, six at work. Plus me, that's six missing. Six dead from my team and it wasn't as if the enemy had it out for my team. As me and Fire walked I realised the true count of the deaths. Apparently there was no fourth team anymore. Delta had been wiped out. And the CEO was dead. Hundreds of ponies were laying on the streets this morning and battles had been raging all through the city. Just not on my apartment block apparently. Although I didn't see Mrs Cone today either. I hoped she was okay.

As we made our way down to our cell block Firestarter explained to me how the Changelings had no mental shield so they could just try to get into their heads and would find no resistance. He then proceeded to check mine. To find, obviously, the shield that I had placed. I checked his to find a shield. I then waiting for us to start moving again and checked, the shield was still there. It isn't that I doubted the fact the Changelings didn't have any shields. But I still had to be careful. From yesterdays experience I couldn't trust anypony. And I had a feeling things were just getting started. We walked in silence for a bit. Fire occasionally mentioning how many were dead and then going back to silence as if it were his fault. It took us a while to get to our area, mainly because we kept stopping for Fire to say something or for me to say something. We didn't see a single pony on the way there and it was making me feel a bit on edge.

We finally made it to our block, I opened to door to get a plasma spell shoot into wall above me. I looked toward my attacked to see seven ponies huddled together behind a table, all had horns glowing. I knew everyone of these ponies before me.

"Stay right there! Raise your shield and move to the side." One pony ordered, presumably the one who shot me. I knew him as Crash, a red coated pony with green and yellow hair. A sparking circle as a cutie mark.

"Hey hey. It's me." I said calmly, limping to the wall, Firestarter following. I felt a magical scan in my head and from Fire's expression so could he. It quickly passed as always and the horns stopped glowing.

"Dawn Star, you are meant to be on leave." Crasher said, standing up from behind the table.

"Not whilst you guys are stuck here. Besides, if the CEO is dead it doesn't look like I will get payment any time soon." I replied. Crasher nodded and smiled. Giving a low laugh off.

"Well that being said, what's the plan?" Crasher asked.

"We make our way to town hall. Met the Princesses and see what we can do to help the battle. If we can, and if you are up for it." I replied quickly.

"Yeah of course. These Changelings attacked my city. I wanna kill a few." Crasher said. Fire and a few others also nodded

"Well, let us get moving then. Don't want to miss out on the battle, or the princesses." I smiled and we walked out of the room toward the exit.