Chapter One: Rude Awakening
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Dinky dreamed of a valley with an open sky. Celestia’s golden sun peaked over distant mountains, lighting up the beautiful valley. Trees grew tall and full as crisp and fresh air flowed around her and pushed at the small daisies under the grand trees.
“Wake up, Dinky.”
Dinky looked down and saw the blurred shape of a pony standing in the tall grasses. Its blurred shape began to faced her.
“I'm going to count to three,” a voice, kind and soft, asked. It was almost like a mothers.
She looked back up at the sky; it was bright without a cloud in its majestic view, stretching from horizon to horizon.
So beautiful.
“One,”
So untainted.
“Two,”
Dinky awoke to a bright light shining directly into the light purple unicorn’s eyes. A mumbled apology and a click later the offending light vanished. Dinky glared at a maroon earth pony standing at the side of her bunk.
“I thought I had till three,” she said, giving a great yawn. Dinky stole a quick glance at the schedule beside her cot. “I have today off, Dirk -” Dinky grit her teeth “-Its Bright’s shift.” She rolled off her bunk, shaking her straw colored mane, and began working out the kinks in her joints. ‘No point in going back to bed now’ she thought grumpily. Dirk shrugged, looking at the stretching mare.
“Yeah well Bright hasn't returned from patrol,” Dirk stated.
Dinky’s room could be describe as closet sized. A single light bulb hung from the low ceiling and gave off a dull yellow light. The corner near the door was occupied by a tall dented locker and across the length section of wall, a shelf stacked with small boxes. The other wall had a rusted foot locker pressed against it. She walked past Dirk to her food cache in the decaying foot locker, passing by a pile of laundry. Her nose scrunched against the stench and she quickly kicked away the offending articles of clothing. She opened the foot locker which held her food and looking in it she found most of it to be moldy. She found a chunk of bread with only the corner containing some mold; Some basic telekinesis scraped it off. She was still amazed by earth ponies ability to grow wheat underground. “What happened?” Dinky asked through a mouth full of bread.
“A patrol was sent to investigate a possible tunnel collapse down towards the main rail, ” He took off the steel bowl shaped helmet,turning it in his hoofs, “ An entire patrol is still missing, so you need to buck up and fill in.”
Sighing, she moved toward her equipment locker and opened the door with a screech. She pulled out her kevlar vest, beaten and patched, slinging it on with practiced ease. Next came out her dented and cracked mask; she needed to get a new one soon. She slung it to the side of her kevlar. Two worn and patched saddlebags floated out and onto her back, packed with extra filters, ammo and other essentials. A beaten and slightly rusted lighter shaped like a bullet found its way into a pocket sewn into the vest. “I'll need to stop by the armory and pick up my guns from repairs, if their done,” she said, turning back to her bed.
“Be at the guard station in fifteen, Dinky.” Dirk turned back to the door, “There is a Crusader here, Beacon or something like that. He should be in the market. Find him and bring him with you.” Dirk quickly trotted away.
Dinky went to her bed and flared up her horn to grab her prized possession from the wall; a burnt and crumpled piece of paper. It showed a fabulous city suspended on the side of a mountain. “Welcome to Canterlot” it read across the top. The bottom only had “grand” visible. The city wasn't what was precious about the picture to Dinky. No it was the grand blue sky, any that wasn't burnt black, that Dinky prized. Hundreds of photos of the sky dotted the wall next to her bed. She had been always fascinated by the sky, and many ponies had sold or given her these photos. This one though had been the first and it was quickly tucked into her kevlar vest. A quick check of her equipment and she quickly trotted out the door into New Ponyville.
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New Ponyville wasn't exactly glamours. Smokey air pushed between two-story wooden shanties. The “streets” were covered in a film of muddy water that almost constantly gave off a dreadful stench. Shops cluttered most of the first floors of buildings and merchants hawked their wares loudly as Dinky trotted by. Bread, guns, teddy bears; all were available in New Ponyville market, for a price of course. Magic crystals were the currency of the Metro. Trading was practiced, but for the good stuff, only crystals were accepted.
A group of fillies ran past her, one even sliding under her to escape their pursuer’ another foal chasing them screaming at the top of his lungs as he gave chase.
“Best carrots in the whole Metro!” somepony cried to Dinky’s left. “Filters too!” Dinky wondered if he had masks. “I'll give a discount to the pretty purple unicorn!” She looked over the sale pony; he winked and she nearly tripped, causing the merchant to laugh loudly from behind his stand. “Watch your step, beautiful mare.”Composing herself, again she continued walking.
Dinky finally reached the center of the market. Voices of a dozen ponies blended into each other ; a pastel ocean of dirty citizens trotted or stood paused at the store fronts. Dinky pressed through the crowd. Friends called at her and she waved back to all those she could find in the seething crowd. Not a simple task; but in a station as small as New Ponyville, you knew just about everyone.
Then she saw the Crusader.
He stood a hoof or two taller than most of the dirty citizens of New Ponyville. A bright, sky-blue mane stood out among the crowd of bland colors around it, a sandy coat barely visible under a heavy armored parka. The saddlebags on the pony’s back bore the famous Crusader symbol; a rearing golden filly inside a blue shield. Dinky pushed through the crowd to the Crusader.
“Are you Beacon?” Dinky yelled over the roar of the crowd. Yes mouthed the Crusader and then pointed to a side alley of the market. Both ponies struggled over to it. Some gave Beacon a small distance noticing his saddlebags. Most just shouldered they way past, looking for the greatest deal on the item they needed. The alley was slightly quieter than the market main street. Dinky smiled a, or at least hoped it looked like, a welcoming smile.
“Welcome to New Ponyville, Crusader Beacon.” All gaurds were told to be extra super nice to Crusaders as if they were here some bad something was about to go down. He looked questioningly at her kevlar.
“Who are you?” Beacon curiously asked.
“Dinky.” She extended her hoof and, after a moment of hesitation, Beacon bumped it. Dinky smiled, a hoof bump in the Metro is a contract to not stab each other in the back. “Dirk sent me to get you and bring you to the guard station,” she said in what she hoped was her best guard voice. She took a look at her watch on her foreleg. “We really need to hurry.”
“Oh good, i couldn't find the ceiling in this station.” Beacon said giving her a gleaming smile.
“Obviously comedy wasnt a requirement for the Crusader entrance exam.” Dinky thought as she held her smile
“I'll follow your lead.” Beacon motioned for her to take the lead.
She started down the alley towards the security station.
“So what do you do as a Crusader?” Dinky asked as they left the cacophonous market; she had never had a chance to talk to a real Crusader before. Ponies told tales of their great feats, the saving of Veneigh station against a buffalo stampede, the countless assaults on known bandit strongholds thought to be impenetrable, and countless other acts.
“I'm somewhat of an peacekeeper,” he said with a sad smile “I rarely am actually in the fringe stations, mostly handling disputes between the inner factions of the Metro.” A pony wearing what looked like rags of discarded clothing appeared out of a door, a mask obscured most of their face.” I actually just got back from Veneigh station.” The dirty ragged pony shouldered their way past without so much as sorry. Dinky looked back but Beacon just kept walking. She continued walking.
“Must be hard to keep the peace with a war going on,” Dinky chuckled at her own joke. Beacon fell silent. “Sorry.”
“Its fine,” Muttered Beacon, stopping to look at the ceiling. “We try our hardest to get them to sit down and negotiate, though,” He paused and shook his head. “If Solar and Lunar got together for just one day, imagine all the good they could do.” He sighed and continued walking. “We’d have a better chance at getting a Centurion to speak equine then getting representatives to talk to each other without using guns.”
The two ponies rounded a corner and made it to the guard station; a basic shanty with iron bars over many of the windows. A sign, hanging on by a single bolt, read “Station Security.” A sign propped on the doorframe also read, “Lost and Found.” They made their way past the main desk and to the back room that served as a briefing room. Chairs in varying states of decay were scattered and mostly filled with off duty guards and those just arriving for their shifts. Beacon and Dinky squeezed in near the door. Dirk nodded at Dinky from the other side of the room.
“Sit down and shut up,” Captain Flak, an elderly stallion of significant size and weight, which is to say that he had never skipped a meal, scowled at the group. Everypony gave a laugh, Forcing a smile. “Its good to see your smiling faces, but now it is time for business,” He looked down on the clipboard. “The Lunar Guard have taken more ground, so we can expect Solar recruiters and traders in the next few weeks,” Everypony groaned as Solar recruiters were loud and annoying, as were the traders. Flak turned the paper over. “We also have a Crusader among us, Bacon.”
“Beacon, sir” The Crusader raised his hoof. Everypony snickered into their hoofs.
Shaking his head as he muttered into his clipboard, Flak turned the paper once more. “It seems we have a patrol missing , possible cave in or bandits,” He tsked and looked out at the group. “Any volunteers?”Dinky was the first to raise her hoof.
Flak squinted at her and looked back down at his list. “Miss Dinky Doo I thought you had today off?”
“I did but Bright was supposed to take my shift,” She really missed her bed. “So he better be dead or captured otherwise he will be.”
Six other ponies raised their hoofs and Flak took down their names. “We still need two more,” Flak looked over the assembled guards. “Those with sentry duty can't go.”
Beacon's hoof went up hoof went up. “I was actually sent here to investigate some strange deaths around there.” He pulled a revolver from inside his heavy parka and spat to the ground. “ My aim is ok.”
Dirk sighed from the side. “I'll come too to make sure you don't kill yourselves.”
Flak looked at the assorted guards for the team. “Alright two squads of 4,” He looked at Dinky. “You will lead squad one with Buckshot, Canvas, and Mist,” He turned to Dirk “You will lead squad two with Alessia, Cable, and Beacon .” He looked at the now two squads “Squad leaders can pick up maps and other notes at the main desk.” He frowned and said with a unusual soft tone “Bring them home safe.” With that he left with the next shift of sentries. Dinky observed her team.
Buck shot was former bandit turned to the law after witnessing a foal being raped and butchered before him. An average sized buck but stocky;with a dark blue mane that had a streak of yellow. A dark red coat, almost the color of blood, was scarred heavily; especially heavy scarring around a clouded right eye. To noponies surprise his cutiemark was shotgun shells, three to be exact. He looked around with an excited eye and within that eye you could see the hope that they would find bandits to punish.
Summer Mist had formerly been a trader until her caravan was destroyed near New Ponyville. She had been found surrounded by bodies of Skinners having killed them with a piece of pipe, their purple blood soaked heavily into her navy blue coat and mint green mane. After she recovered she was invited to stay with the guards. Although physically smaller than most other guards, she had earned a reputation as best boxer, wrestler, and all time, undisputed, queen of bar fights in New Ponyville. She was also somewhat of the towns top alcoholic.
Canvas was the best engineer this side of the Metro. Electric, motors, pipes, and anything or everything in between, nothing was beyond her ability to repair. Canvas was a kind hearted pony with an destructive hobby. Her know-how of how things work led her to also become the best explosive expert as well. Nopony built a grenade like Canvas. She always wore a helmet that was a size too big and hung down near her purple eyes. Part of her braided two toned hair was tucked behind a light brown ear.
All were armored in some way. Buck shot had been made a breastplate out of steel. Mist had thick leather coat that covered most of her, a keepsake of her trading days. Canvas had her helmet and a improvised flak jacket, small squares of steel having been sown into her barding. Dinky of course had her military strength kevlar
vest that covered her chest and a good portion of her midsection.
Beacon caught her eye as she surveyed the assembled patrol and trotted over.
“What do you bring to the table?” He asked arching an eyebrow.
“Marksmare,” Dinky was a decent shot above most of the guards. “ and im kinda good at sneaking.”
“Kinda good?!” Mist bumped herself in the conversation. “Our girl here crawled past a pack of steel wolves without one being any the wiser.” she declare matter of factly. Dirk raised an eyebrow at that from across the room.
“Well the tunnel was on fire.” Dinky blushed and looked into the ground.
“Still an impressive feat,” Beacon gave her an appraising look.” You should be more proud of your accomplishments.”
Dirk cleared his throat and the assorted guards looked at him. “Well we’re not getting any younger.” He herded the teams to the table. Dinky nodded and walked to the other side.
“Alright listen up,” turning to the assorted teams she spoke with her business attitude on. “ We’ve got some ponies to rescue,” she layed out the map in front of her. “ Tunnel TEM-012....”
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The two teams moved down to the armory. It rested in between the gate and the market incase of an attack so that guns were readily available. This required them to pass through the edge of the market.
“Well well,” a trader called out. “If isn't the most beautiful guardspony in the whole Metro.”
Buckshot walked up to the counter and batted his eyelashes. “You're too kind,” He brushed his hoof across the trader’s face. “I get off in a while,” with a slight tilt of his head. “Maybe later..Ow Mist!”
Mist proceeded to grab his ear with her mouth and began dragging him away. “What have I told you about behaving in public, Buck.” Buck Shot continued to complain as he was dragged away.
Canvas scooted up to the counter and gave the trader a quick peck on the lips. “Sorry about Buck Shot, he doesn't get out much,” She turned to the other guards. “This is my fiancé, Georgi.” She walked around the counter and they hugged.
“I have a present for you, lovely,” He broke the embrace and ducked under the counter and pulled out a box with a torn strip of fabric used as a makeshift bow. Canvas opened the box and it was filled to the brim with art supplies. “It cost a pretty crystal but it was worth it, for you.” Dinky and Alessia simultaneously let out loud daws, while Dirk rolled his eyes.
Cavus blushed and gave him another kiss. “Its wonderful,” another peck. “I love it.”
Dirk stepped between them. “ Not to cut in or anything, but we need to get moving.”
“Ill see you later, honey,” One final kiss and an embrace. “Don't stay up for me.” and she rejoined her team.
“Mist could you get lovercolt back over her so we can get going,” Dinky called out to the pair. “ We’re late enough as it is.”
“Come on you big embarrassment,” She said as she tugged his ear. “Maybe after the mission we can get some lipstick and a dress for your date.” The group laughed.
With that they continued on to the armory.
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The Armory could do with improvement or any renovation the station could afford. Like fans or anything to move the stagnant air in what used to be a traincar.
Old Powder Keg was sitting as his bench, tinkering with a long rifle saddle that had a particularly nasty stovepipe jam, aka the end of the round was stuck in the back of the slide. The stallion was the oldest in the station and many questioned why the station council entrusted such a dangerous occupation to a elder pony. But if you wanted repairs for firearms done right; Powder keg was the one to do it. And New Ponyville was still standing as far as Dinky could tell.
“As I sit and breath, young people coming and going all day,” He shook his alabaster mane and dropped the tools from his magic. “Always in a rush, sure as sure.”
“Look Keg,” Dirk sighed with a scowl. “We don't need a lecture; just arm us up and away we will go.” He finish with a dramatic sweep of his hoof.
“Eh, none of you would learn nothin’ anyways,” Powder Keg creakily walked to the back of the shop to the finishing area. “Always in one ear out the other with the new generation,” He open a big metal box laying on its back. “You young ponies sure do love to talk though.” Out he withdrew guns.
To Dinky he floated a couple guns. One bastard gun, the barrel unbent and the slide unexploded, with a wire folding stock. Next a revolver with a shortened barrel and new mouth grip that Dinky would never use. Lastly a assault rifle with the custom red dot sight and silencer attached to it. Dirks bastard gun came out next along with a freshly cleaned and sharpened twelve inch knife that shares his name. A shotgun with four barrels and a kind of shock built in to the butt of the gun floated to Buck shot, who eagerly looked over it in fascination. Mist was given a two barreled shotgun. Her pair of brasshoofs was her only other weapon. Canvas was given only a bastard gun. Most of her weapons she made herself in a room next to the armory. The other two in Dirks group were given a assortment of medium ranged weapons. Powder Keg look at Beacon with a puzzled expression.
“Who’s the badge?”
“Crusader Beacon,” he said with a smirk. Powder Keg simply shook his head. “At your service.” He gave a bow. Powder Keg looked at him with skepticism.
“You look like a runt that is barely out of his home station.” The group blanched at that. For his part Beacon just blinked in surprise.
“And you look like a cranky old stallion well past his expiration date.” Keg’s eyes nearly jumped out of his skull as he took a step forward, but his the anger quickly evaporated and a quiet laugh began in his chest. It quickly rose to a hearty laugh that shook his shoulders.
“I like this runt,” He turned back to his crate “He’s got some kick with him,” He swung back around with a small assault rifle and threw it at Beacon. “Take this to protect yourself better, Runt,” Beacon caught it by its specially designed grip for earth pony operators. “I want her back after the mission.”
Beacon quickly tucked it to the strap on the back of his parka. “Thank you, sir,” He offered his hoof for a bump and the aging stallion returned it. “She will help me greatly if there are bandits.”
“Now get going,” Keg walked back to his station and lifted the battle saddle back in his magical grip. “You've got your guns now go use them.” The group left the train car armory with half hearted goodbyes.
“You're gonna need all you have,” Keg gave a final tug at the slide action of the battle saddle and the jammed round flew free. “Something in my gut tells me its gonna be bad,” He took to wiping the newly freed breach. “Sure as sure.”
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The Gates were the only means of entrance and exit in a station. The Metro builders had made a great amount of stations in the construction years and fire doors were emplaced at the edges of terminals to prevent an underground fire or flood from spreading. The Gates were impressive slabs of steel and hydraulics and no station lasted long without properly working gates. New Ponyville’s were well kept by the engineers of the station who diligently cleaned and maintained the doors inner workings. They opened with a loud high pitched screech that turned every unprotected ear down and away. About halfway up it came to a grinding halt and, with a grumble of a hacking generator, bright shafts of light shot up and swept over the opened gate. With a tweet from the foreponie’s whistle, the patrol began. The group nodded to the operators and passed through the barricade check point, nothing more than stacked junk with stakes of steel magically welded to them. Guards milled around looking at the passers by with mild interest. They were probably appraising which they should bet on to come back in one piece. They crossed the threshold as behind them crystals were placed on their lives. The door fell behind them with a resounding thud that shook loose dust from above that filtered through the bright shafts of light coming from two flood lights.
“And so begins another fabulous day on patrol,” Buckshot grinned and loaded four new rounds into his monstrous shotgun.
“And by fabulous you mean filthy and decayed tunnel ride.” Dirk spat as he fooled around with the knife attached to his shoulder.
The outer door was caked in a different level of grime than was imaginable. Junk and trash from two eras laid scattered and strewn. Graffiti, past and present, was etched or painted onto the door and walls surrounding it. Most of it hysterical nonsense of a few dying ponies, but on a sign that at once said ,“Buy from the best, Sweet Apple Acres” , now on it, in what Dinky hoped was red paint, was “Death ahead”. Another improvised sign read “Don’t eat anything that glows”. Painted across a section of wall “In the absence of light, darkness prevails.”
A stone sat on a raised platform before the gates. On it was etched the names of those forever lost on their patrol, as burial was none existent in the Metro. All patches of dirt were especially reserved for food. You either were burnt or left where you lay, the scavenging creatures of the Metro made quick work of most bodies.The group passed the memorial quietly, hoping that they would escape it for another day.
Flashlights clicked on from the patrol as they stepped out of the floodlights range , illuminating all that the small, dull, red lights installed into the ceiling of the rounded tunnel failed to. They trotted down for about fifty feet and turned into a maintenance tunnel. A skeleton huddle around the corner, laying in a fetal position. A few steps led them to a room that housed the small pony powered maintenance carts used to travel by the guards. The carts had seats for four each and were powered by alternately pushing down of a bar. Not exactly a luxury carriage but they got the job done. A decaying sign sat on a box on a stool in the corner of the room read “Stay alert, stay alive”.
“No wiser words have been written down here.” Dirk said as he threw his saddlebags in the back of the cart.
“Ain’t that that the truth.” Mist said taking the flask out her saddlebags and downing a quick swig.
Dinky stepped up next to her and leaned down into her ear. “No repeats of the last time I worked with you, am I understood?”
Mist hoof rubbed the back of her head sheepishly as the flask disappeared into her leather coat. “How was I to know concentrated magic can burn.”
Dinky arched an eyebrow at her and shook her head. “Just stay sharp for the team please.”
The two teams embarked upon their carts. Dinky was first up to pump for her side with Mist. Buckshot and Canvas would push after ten minutes and so on and forth. The front cart, Dinky’s, moved with a screeching start that reverberated against the tunnel walls. It sounded like a wail of a dying animal.
With another great screech behind them the patrol rolled slowly away from the chair and its box and the sign.
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They had changed two times before they heard it, a skittering screeching sound, that filled the tunnel.
“Skinners!” somepony yelled as dozens of fast moving creatures rushed around the tunnel. Gunfire barked from the carts. Dinky aimed up on one on the ceiling with her bastard gun and squeezed the trigger with her magic. Blood beat the body to the cart in a spray of purple fluid. The body fell with a meaty thump on the the luggage back on the cart, its hairless pink veined flesh quivered with its shuddering last breath, a neat hole marred its chest. Dinky quickly moved to the next target. Buckshot’s shogun gave a deafening blast as it disintegrated a Skinner mid air, leaving Dinky hearing nothing white noise in its place, all that was left was feeling. The buck of the gun in her magical grip and the shuddering of the cart as Mist kept it moving by herself.
Canvas sprayed the walls with the bastard gun on full auto, shaking her line of fire all over. Her gun stopped suddenly as the slide jammed on a round. She quickly ducked into the cart as she fought with the slide. Dinky kept pouring on the fire as the fight came back into hearing slowly. She heard the screaming and screeching that filled the tunnel. The cart began to buck under her and she looked to Mist to see her attempting to apply brakes and failing even with her strength. The pack was left behind as the cart sped out of control.
“Hold on to something!” She heard as the cart lost traction with one of the rails and Dinky found herself floating in the air, as if she were flying free. She could almost see the sky before her, the wind pushing at her hair.
With a crash of tearing steel , darkness enveloped Dinky.
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A bustling market street moved and shifted around Dinky, the smell of crisp clean morning air. She walked through the swarm of faceless pedestrians. The warm sun rays beat at her back as she heard friendly chatter in the air. A voice called to her from an alleyway.
“Thissss way, young one.” It hissed at her; oddly clear against the suddenly clear and quiet street. Her legs automatically moved to enter the weirdly dark alley.
As she entered, a dark depressing feeling settled in her gut and with all her might she tried to pull her legs and exit this forbidding alley. Two pupiless sickly green eyes locked onto on hers.
“Got you.”
