Equestria: The Last Of Us

by Dashie_Luff

Rating: mature
Tags: Gore, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Spike, Adventure, Princess Celestia, Crossover, Main 6, Princess Luna
Length: 11545

An advanced breed of mutated fungi has begun to infect Ponykind, causing Equestria to fall into a world-wide pandemic. This is a story of survival, as one mare fights to stay alive; no matter the costs.

A mutated breed of fungi throws Equestria into a world-wide pandemic. No-pony knows where it came from, only that a stallion; known as Patient Zero, had found it in the Everfree Forest.

Equestria has been quarantined, cities have become heavily guarded and quarantined hubs for civilization. Outside of the walls, lie independent settlements and nomadic groups, fighting for their own survival. The infected are spread throughout the Equestria, even inside a few quarantine zones.

This is the story of one mare, living inside the Manehattan quarantine zone. Through an unforeseen circumstance, she manages to be put into a situation that leads her outside the walls; where she must learn to survive and live to see another day, or end up as another statistic

Published 2014-02-21 23:10:13 UTC
Last updated 2014-09-04 16:07:45 UTC

Prologue

Prologue: The Beginning of the End

If there was ever a time I read a story, it usually started with the words 'Once upon a time...'. Every time I heard that phrase, I would always groan, due to it being the most overused phrase in the world. When it came to that phrase, nine times out of ten it was the Equestrian Story.

'Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria'. I heard that story so many times as a filly, I got sick of it. If I'm gonna make a story of my life, I sure as heck will not use the phrase, 'Once upon a time'.

Oh I'm sorry, I'm getting ahead of myself. My name is Skylight Shadows. But you can call me Skylight, or Sky for short. You might by wondering why I was ranting about making my own life story. Well, I'm hoping to give you an answer. But instead of giving it right away, I think it will be best to start of from the beginning, so you can understand what I've been through; and everything that happened as a result.

/ * * * * \

Patient Zero, the stallion known as the beginning of the end. After exploring the Everfree forest, this stallion stumbled out. He was severely sick, but the doctors were unable to discover what caused it. Then two days later, the stallion died. He had no known family, or even a name, since the stallion was found passed out on a pathway. The mortician took the stallion and began to look for any record on his family. He was hoping to find somepony related to him by using DNA samples. However, as he was opening the cabinet to pull the body out, a cloud of toxic spores was released into the air. The doctor died within hours after contact...or so they thought.

Turns out, the doctor never actually died. He 'awoke' during an examination of his own death, and had bitten the autopsy ponies in their forelegs...That's when it spread. Ponies were getting bit left and right, becoming ill; infected if you will. The ones who didn't survive getting bitten became hosts for the spores, which were discovered to be a mutant string of cordyceps. It acted just like the fungi which killed insects by the numbers. The infection would go to the brain, turning the host into nothing but a mindless husk with only one objective, eat. When the host died, the body would then grow stem-like fungus, which would explode and release thousands of airborne spores, infecting anything within breathing distance. Eventually, the Equestrian CDC called for a world-wide pandemic.

That's when Equestria's Royal Guard stepped in. They began to create quarantine zones within all major cities, attempting to save any healthy pony they could. Arms research was developed, as the Princess realized that spears and swords weren't enough to kill the infected. This marked the point in history where Equestria became a super-power of its own, with the new weapons that were called 'Firearms', integrated into the Equestrian Military. No-one ,not even the Changeling Army, was bold enough to attack Equestria in its time of despair.

Soon, Everypony began to turn for help from the Princess and her Elements. They all hoped that the Elements of Harmony would be able to push back the infection, and make Equestria pure once more. The newly dubbed Equestrian Guard, armed with their weapons, escorted the Elements on a mission to the area where Patient Zero had been located, in an attempt to nullify the infection. All hopes were high as word was received that the Elements made it to their destination safely, thanks to the Guard.

That's when the Elements had failed. All Hope was lost, as Celestia ordered the Guard to return and take control of the major cities, closing them off from the outside world. Celestia knew that if the Elements couldn't stop it, no pony could. The last city to close off completely was Canterlot. A pink shield formed around the city, in an attempt to keep everyone safe inside, and infection free.

Soon afterwards, Celestia and Luna stepped down, putting the Equestrian Military in charge. With this new power, they declared Martial Law on all quarantined zones, while a cure was to be found. Twilight Sparkle had been hired on to be the head of research, and stayed inside Canterlot. She hoped to be able to develop a cure to give out and purge the country from infection as soon as possible

Even though they were given the choice to stay, the rest of the Elements went back to their own families. Equestria had finally gone dark, and soon, the rest of the world went with them. The last recorded death-toll before the government shut down, was up to around 3 Million

Fast-forward to 20 years later, the search for a cure had all but been given up on. An anti-government militia group known as 'The Fireflies', began to call for Princess Celestia and Luna to restore themselves to power, and help guide the country back into its Golden Age, and help with the search of a cure. The leader of the group however, remains mysteriously anonymous for unknown reasons.

The Military does not see the Fireflies as a friendly group, however. The Military labels the group as terrorists and tyrants. They refuse to cooperate with a group that has shown hostilities to their own kind, and anyone caught as a Firefly will be shot on sight. This happens to be the main reason why the Fireflies are fighting a losing battle. Their numbers are dwindling fast, and soon they will be all but dissolved.

Now we jump 5 more years, and here I am...living out my miserable life inside the Manhattan quarantine zone. A mare with no parents, or any family living with her. I'm all by myself, with only one other friend. She happens to be the only one I can look up to as a motherly figure, and I have lived with her for as long as I can remember. We may not be perfect, but its the best we have.

So there you have it, I've told you everything that has led me to the next point in my life. Sadly, this part happens to be the longest. So go grab a comfy spot, sit back, eat some popcorn, and let ol' Skylight here tell you the story; the story of how we became....

...The Last Of Us

Author's Note

Here it is! This is an idea that I came up with one day while playing The Last Of Us. If you haven't played this wonderful game, I suggest you do. Even if you haven't played the game, don't let that discourage you from reading this story. It may follow loosely with the storyline of the game, but I will ensure that this will be, for the most part, spoiler-free to anyone who has played it.

I also would like to thank Kkat and her awesome story, Fallout: Equestria. That wonderful masterpiece was what inspired me some to write this. I may not have high hopes that this story would one day rise to the category of Fo:E, but I do hope that you enjoy this story, and that this story just might get somewhere, maybe even inspire others to try something like this out as well.

In conclusion, I welcome you readers to this story. Strap yourselves in, because this may turn out to be one wild ride.

1. Welcome to Manehattan!

Chapter 1: Welcome to Manehattan!

Soft light poured in through the stained window. The sounds of ponies moving out and about had begun to gradually fill the air. A cool breeze flew in through the open bedroom window. Curled up in my bed, I dreamt of delicious, fluffy pancakes, covered in delicious syrup. Granted, the pancake box was WAY past its expiration date, and the syrup was acquired through a pretty amount of ration cards, but that breakfast seemed to always sneak into my dreams, even if it was on a single day, many years back. I hummed as I slipped deeper into slumber, the light seeming to fade off of my eyelids.

That was when I felt a nudge. How dare someone interrupts my pancake filled slumber. I growled and turned to my side, squeezing my eyes shut when I realized I turned towards the window. I heard a soft flutter of wings before something heavy landed on me, making me release a breath that I somehow been holding.

"Come on now Sky, it's time to get up. We need to get moving soon." I heard a voice that I registered as a mare's, pour into my ears. I folded my ears shut and flailed about, trying to knock the unknown sleep assailant off my bed. I heard a soft thud as I realized my task was completed, before there was shuffling of hooves on the floor, and the pony had plopped itself back on top of me. "Skyyyliiiighhhhtt...Geeeettt uuuuppp." The mare said in a singsong voice.

"No, go away. Give me five more minutes of pancakes..." I mumbled back, fidgeting to get comfortable. There was a soft chuckle, before I felt the weight lift off of my body.

"Still dreaming about those stale pancakes Sky? Maybe if you would get your lazy flank out of bed, we can get an early spot in the ration line." She voice said in a promising tone.

My ears perked at the mention of pancakes...but I stopped myself. This was one of her tricks, and Celestia damn it, I was not going to fall for it this time. "Go away..." I mumbled some more. "Let me sleep."

My ear felt warm as I realized she leaned in. "Mmmmm..." She cooed. "I can just taste the pancakes. So fluffy, with a side of staleness, covered in sticky, maple syrup...and topped with-" She gasped "-what's this, butter you say? Yummmm, so good." She began to make chewing noises in my ear, to which my stomach growled violently in response. I immediately turned over to face her, opening my eyes as I was blinded by the sudden light.

When my vision came to, I saw a well aged, light blue pegasus with a black mane, looking at me with a smile. A quick glance to her backside and there, adorned on her flank was a cutie mark of a raincloud sporting a happy face, and a assortment of colored raindrops raining down. I glared at her.

"Raiiiiiinnnnnnn" I moaned at her. "How dare you use my one and only weakness to get my out of bed. It's probably not even ration day." I pouted.

Rain laughed again. "Sky, its Thursday, of course its ration day." She said, tapping my head with her foreleg. "Now come on, if we leave now, we might get a good spot in the line." She said, turning around and heading for the door.

I groaned. "Yeah, that is if the line is open this week..." I said back. Rain just looked behind her as she walked out.

"You will only know if you go...." And with that, she was out the door.

"Ughhhhhh" I moaned, pushing the covers off of me. Stumbling over to the mirror, I rubbed the sleepy out of my eyes. Once they were open, I came face to face with a mare in the mirror. Staring back at me was a silver colored unicorn, with a violet blue mane. Her mane was a decent size, but was somehow styled in a upwards fashion. Her emerald green eyes stared back at me, where they drifted to my flank. Turning to the side, I stared at her cutie mark. The cutie mark, to put it bluntly, was a solar eclipse. The sun was there, but it had been shaded in on the inside, as if something was blocking it. Sighing, I thought back to the day I got my cutie mark.

/ * * * * \

Coincidentally, this solar eclipse happened on the day I got my cutie mark. I had a special skill that allowed me to enhance my hearing, as you will. This, along with a little bit of unicorn magic, I could sit in a room, up against the wall, focus my hearing and close my eyes, and I could actually pinpoint somepony's location exactly. It were almost as if I could see them with my eyes shut, being outlined by the sound they were making.

So here I was, in the middle of the center, during the Solar Eclipse, or the Sunlight's Shadow as they first called it. I had somehow lost Rain when it all happened, and no pony around me looked familiar. I began to freak out, to say at the least. Remembering what I could do, I managed to focus my hearing, and listen for Rain's voice. After a few minutes of searching, I had found her walking around, asking ponies if they had seen me. Weaving through the crowd, I found her. I was all teary eyed and everything, you know...since I were just a filly and all. After Rain managed to calm me down, she asked me how I found her. I told her all about my hearing ability, and she said that was some talent I had. I nodded my head, and hugged her. That's when the cutie mark appeared on my flank. According to Rain, I was so awestruck by the Solar Eclipse, i didn't notice it till I was home.

/ * * * * \

I laughed to myself, thinking of how irrelevant my cutie mark was. It had nothing to do with my special talent, and yet...it turns out to be this. All because the Princesses forgot to mess with the sun and moon one day.

Grabbing my brush, I quickly ran it through my mane and tail, making sure it was still nice and kempt. Setting it back down, I made my way into the living room where my pancake-less breakfast awaited.

I trotted over to where Rain was, sighing. "I hate you, you know that?" I asked jokingly.

Rain just laughed as he handed me a bar. "Yeah, sure you do. Now hurry and eat, it's good stuff." She said as she bit into her granola bar.

I opened the package and bit into mine. "You and your granola bars Rain, what are you going to do when they run out?" I asked her.

Rain just smiled at me. "Oh I'll just go postal and lose my shit, killing everypony in my way to find a granola bar." She said sarcastically. We both laughed.

"Hey, are those cupcakes still around?" I asked her. Rain just nodded, pointing to a cabinet.

"Yeah, still in that plastic wrap and everything. They might be stale though..." She said as I rushed over and grabbed one from the cabinet. "...not that you care of course." Rain muttered afterwards.

"Of course-" crumbs sprayed out of my mouth "-when it comes to living off of food, you tend to look past the staleness. Now mold on the other hand, that's only if absolutely necessary. I would rather not have to deal with an upset stomach for a week." I said, before swallowing the last of my cupcake. Wiping off the extra crumbs, I made my way to the door.

"Sky, where are you going?" Rain called after me.

"Well, you were so eager to leave...so lets go!" I called back as I grabbed my saddle bags. Rain trotted up beside me, grabbing hers as well. "You know..." She began. "For some pony who didn't want to get out of bed earlier, you sure are eager to go outside now."

I turned to glare at her. But of course, she just stood there with that sickeningly sweet smile of hers, staring right back at me. "You know what...just...just shut up!" I stammered, before walking outside into the fresh morning air.

Rain followed me outside, shutting the door behind her as she just laughed. Rolling my eyes, I began to trot down the street. Ponies moved about around me, heading back and forth doing their own thing. Occasionally a soldier or two would walk by, their keen eyes watching for anypony suspicious. Although the city of Manehattan was large, the quarantine zone was small, only housing around 3,000 ponies. The zone itself was divided into three sections; East side, West side, and Central. Ponies had to walk through checkpoints to reach each division. Rain and I lived in Central, although we have been in the other two zones for a short period of time in our lives. Of all the places to live, Central was the best area.

As we turned the corner for the ration line, we came across a commotion in front of one of the nearby apartment buildings. There happened to be a squad of armed soldiers, and two CDC ponies there. They had a group of ponies lined up in front of them. two of them were earth ponies, male and female, along with a pegasus mare and a unicorn stallion. The area was barricaded off with two guards standing in between the barriers. The other two were trained on the ponies. There were also two Guard wagons nearby.

The two unicorn CDC ponies were checking the citizens for infection. One would hold up the device to the back of the ponies head, and it would scan for cordyceps. If they were there, the pony was put down. I personally never saw one of these, as most of them happened in the East or West side. I had only been checked once, and that was before we moved into our building inside central.

The pony holding the scanner scanned the two earth ponies. "Clean" He called out, before moving onto the pegasus. She looked over to the unicorn before the scanner pony jerked her head back forward. "Keep your eyes forward." The gruff pony said before scanning her. "Clean..." He said again before moving to the last pony, the unicorn.

"I'm getting tired of this..." The scanner pony's partner mumbled, before the scanner beeped. This beep was different from the last three. "Wait, we got a live one." The scanner said. His partner nodded, as he turned to reach a box. The unicorn stallion began to fidget, and squeezed his eyes shut. "Just keep still, and don't make any movements." The scanner said, as he used his magic to grab the needle from his partner. The stallion began to move more, before I noticed a faint glow come from his horn.

His eyes shot open, as a knife came out from under his saddle bags. "Fuck this shit!" He said, stabbing the scanner pony in his Foreleg. He got up and began to rush the closest soldier, lunging at him. The stallion was able to stab the soldier before the second one turned and shot his rifle. The bullet tore clean through his head. The stallion immediately hit the ground, dead before the bullet even left his head. "Man down!" The soldier yelled into a radio, as the others rushed to the injured soldier.

I didn't move. I felt frozen as the scene replayed in my head over and over. I didn't even flinch as a soldier ran up to me, telling me to move on. My eyes were just glued to the stallion, the gaping hole in his head oozing blood, as it began to pool on the pavement. My body finally responded, and I began to move away, but my mind only thought one thing...

...I'm going to lose my breakfast.

/ * * * * \

We were walking back down the street as I recalled what I saw to Rain. She had a sad look in her eyes as she paid attention. "He was dead Rain, that bullet just tore through his head. I've never seen a pony die Rain, and I don't think I want to anymore..." I said to her, images of the dead stallion flashing through my mind. Rose sighed.

"Sky, this world isn't like it used to be. Not everything is in harmony like the Equestrian Story. Ever since the Elements failed 25 years ago, this place has gone down the hole. I tried to keep you from experiencing something like that ever since you was a filly, but it would seem this had snuck up on me." We stopped, and she placed a foreleg on me. "I can't protect you forever Sky, you're an adult now. You are going to be exposed to some things you might not be used to, like death. You just got to keep on going...never let it overcome you." She said, before embracing me.

"Thanks Rain" I sniffed. "I'm glad you are here for me." I said, returning the hug. Looking up, I noticed we were at our building.

Rain smiled, as she broke the hug. "Come on, lets go see what we got in the rations bag." She said, turning and heading inside. I smiled, following her in.

2. Look for the Light

Chapter 2: Look for the Light

Sweat formed on my brow as I stared hard in concentration, carefully choosing my next selection. If I chose right, I would have this in the bag. If not, everything was over. I ran my tongue over my lips as I began to re- "Don't try to hard Sky, you might pop a vein or something..." I heard a Stallion's voice come from the left of me.

I turned and gave him a hard glare. "Can it Dusty..." I said, before looking over to Rain. "Got any twos?" I asked her.

Rain smiled and shook her head. "Nope, go fish"

Growling, I picked up my card. Luckily it was the two I needed, so I took the pair and set it down. Rain looked over the both of us. "Alright....Dusty. Got any kings?" She asked. Dusty shook his head, "Nope, go fish" He said. I looked over to Dusty as Rain drew her card, and gave a frustrated sigh. She was only one card away from victory.

Dusty turned and looked to me. "Alright Kiddo, got a king?" He asked with a smirk. I slowly nodded my head. "Yeah...but-" I stopped when Dusty set down his last card, which was a King of Spades. Glancing over to Rain, she definitely looked like a nerve was broken.

"You...You dirty, lying....Firefly!" She yelled at him. Dusty threw up his hooves in defense. "Hey, hey, Fireflies don't cheat..." He said with a smile.

"Then what the hell do you call that?!" Rain fumed, pointing at his card. "That sure doesn't look like a joker to me!" She added. Dusty just laughed, as he stood from the table. Rain glared at him. "I want a rematch!" She hollered. Dusty looked like he was about to say something before a lavender pegasus stuck her head inside their room.

"Hey, Trails...got a Firefly who needs her pistol checked." She said to the brown earth pony.

Dust Trails looked relieved. "Saved by the bell..." He muttered, before addressing the pegasus. "Yeah, I'll be right there Rose!" He said, before turning and looking at us. "Duty calls, Ill see you two around. I'll take that rematch some other time Rain." He said to her, before turning to me and ruffing my mane. "See ya, kiddo." He said to me, before turning and walking out.

"I'm not a kid anymore!" I yelled back at him. Dusty just laughed and turned the corner, the lavender pegasus following behind.

"Why of all the-" Rain began, before exhaling and visibly calming down. She turned around and looked at me. "This is why you should never trust a Firefly, Sky." She said, before heading outside.

/ * * * * \

When we got close to the checkpoint for Central, I turned to Rain. "Rain, what do they mean when they say 'Look for the Light?'" I asked her. Rain slowed down, looking to me and then her surroundings, before answering. "I don't know why they say that...their 'mysterious' leader of the group said it one day, and I guess they kept it as their motto." She said, before realizing we were coming up on our gate. "Now, don't mention this till we are away from the gate." She said, as a guard motioned her over.

"ID's..." He said, no emotion in his voice as all. I telekinetically pulled out my ID; and extending my magic to grab Rain's from her, moved them over to the guard. Using his horn, he grabbed them from me. Nodding his head, he looked over to me. "Where are you coming from?" He asked.

"Oh, just came from visiting an old friend that lives here." I said, as he nodded and handed me the cards. "Alright, go on through. Don't lollygag either, Curfew starts in fifteen minutes." He said as he waved us through. I set the IDs in my saddle bags and walked on through.

I made sure I was out of earshot before I opened my mouth. "Curfew already?" I asked, looking up into the sky. "I swear, it seems they put curfew into effect earlier every month..." I commented with a sigh.

"It's the Fireflies..." Rain said, as we walked down the street. I took note of how empty the streets were becoming.Guess its because they know Curfew is coming.... I thought to myself.

"Why do you say that?" I asked Rain. She looked behind at me, before answering. "Because, the Fireflies have been getting desperate lately, and have been attacking the Guards more frequently." Rain began to explain. "Since they have been risky, the guard put in curfew so they can have all the soldiers they need in the event of an attack. It ensures that the Fireflies can't escape without major casualties." She told me, before stopping at an intersection. "Can't trust the Fireflies. They are already dead."

I frowned. "But what about Dusty?" I asked her. "He's a good friend" I responded.

Rain sighed, before turning left and going down the next street. "Dusty is a Firefly, so no; you can't trust him" She said. I opened my mouth to argue, but she stopped me. "Now I know Dusty treats you like his niece, and you looked up to him as a filly, but you can't trust him."

I grunted, as we reached the door. "You shouldn't judge a pony by their title Rain..." I said as I began to walk inside. "Even if they are apart of a bad group."

That was the end of that conversation.

/ * * * * \

I stood in the kitchen, glaring at the bag containing our rations for the week; which wasn't much. It made sense that we only got half-rations again, because we had been getting half-rations for 2 months straight now. Not to mention, there is already talk of the line only opening once every two weeks soon. Rain was right, this zone will die out soon. But if that happened, what would eveypony do? Where would they go?

I really didn't want to think about it.

Grabbing some apples, a bottle of water, a can of tomato soup and some noodle, I searched for a semi-clean pot. Finding the pot I had used last time, I took the water and poured it into the pot. I threw the noodles in with it, and set it on a stove. I turned around and went to find Rain. "Hey Rain!" I called.

"Yes Sky?" She answered from another room.

"I'm making some tomato soup and noodles, turn on the generator for me!" I called back.

There was a pause, before the sound of a magic generator game to life. Oh the things unicorn scientists come up with. Turning back to the stove, I noticed it was on. Finding another pot, I grabbed another bottle of water, and poured it into the pot. Then I set that on another burner. I hummed to myself as I prepared dinner for Rain and I.

Suddenly, a voice began to resonate through the city. Attention. Curfew is now in full effect. Anypony caught outside without proper authorization will be arrested and prosecuted. Additionally, harboring or aiding wanted criminals is punishable by death. Do not place yourself at risk. Report any suspicious activity immediately. The message repeated itself, before shutting off.

After a couple minutes, I came back to the second pot, the water in it boiling. Grabbing it with my magic, I went over to the sink, which was starting to turn green, and poured the hot water down the drain. Ensuring that the pot was somewhat clean, I opened the tomato soup can and poured it in. After setting it back on the burner, I turned to do other things while everything cooked.

Rain came in a little while later, and went over to the pots. "Do we have any bowls for this...?" She asked me. I turned and nodded, pointing to the two bowls on the side.

"Yeah, I rinsed those bowls out with some of that bottled water. We used them like, 3 days ago" I said to her. She shrugged and sniffed at the soup. "Well, it smells good at least" She stated, as I moved the pots off the burner.

"Yeah, fix up some bowls would you? I'm going to shut off the generator before the Guard gets pissy and decides to fine us again for 'overuse'" I said, as I trotted out the room.

I made my way over to our generator room, humming a song to myself as I thought about things. Mainly, I thought about what Rain said. I never understood why she didn't trust the Fireflies, or the bottled anger she had towards them. She had been meaning to ask Rain about it, but it didn't cross me mind untill just now. Rain was old enough, so something obviously happened.

Now about it I think about it, she never talked about her siblings. Anytime I brought up her sister, she always avoided the question. I should ask her over din- I paused as I heard a knock at the door. *thunk thunk thunk*. Turning off the generator, I sat near the wall and closed my eyes. My horn glowed with an indigo aurora, as I focused my hearing.

"...taking you in for questioning. You and Skylight Shadows are under suspicion of aiding the terrorist cell known as 'The Fireflies'. If you don't comply and tell us where Skylight Shadows is, we will be authorized to use deadly force." A gruff voice commanded.

"On what grounds do you have this suspicion?!" A voice, belonging to Rain, asked. There was something that sounded like shuffling of parchment.

"This. We have photographic evidence of you leaving a building we had suspected as a hideout for the Fireflies. After raiding said building, we had confirmed it as a Firefly hideout. Now, tell us where Skylight Shadows is, or I will use deadly force." The gruff pony said in a threatening tone.

I opened my eyes. I needed to get out of here and find Dusty! I sure hope that he wasn't taken down in that raid.

Sneaking out of the room, I looked around for a possible exit point. Down the hall, I heard a shout. "Spread out and find her! No one leaves this building alive." A voice commanded.

"Shit..." I muttered, silently making my way to the nearby stair well. My bedroom was up there, and there was an open window! I can escape there.

I quietly moved up the stairs, turning down the hallway to my bedroom. Levitating my saddle bags onto my back, I made my way to the window.

Quietly opening the window, I peeked outside. 'Fuck...' I thought, as I saw a squad of armed ponies at the front door. Even if I made it outside, I would risk getting spotted by the ponies. Putting a hoof on the base of the window, I leaned out some more. I looked around for something I could climb on for leverage.

Bingo... Looking to my left, there was a ledge big enough for me to squeeze and shuffle along. As long as I used my magic to balance myself, I could get over to the roof of the building beside us. Placing my other foreleg on the base, I began to climb my way out.

*Click* I froze, slowly turning my head to look behind me. I came face to face with an Assault Rifle barrel. A white unicorn dressed in military gear grinned back. "Skylight Shadows, I presume?" She asked. I slowly nodded.

"Good," She smiled. "Now, you are going to climb out of that window sill and come with me. If you try to resist, I will fucking shoot you; If you try to climb out, I will fucking shoot you; If you say even one word, I will fucking shoot you. Catch my drift?" She asked. I just nodded again.

"Good girl, now come with me." She said, waving her rifle to the door. I slowly climbed back inside and made my way to the door. There was a forceful shove, and it motivated me to move faster.

Well... I thought. Were screwed.

/ * * * * \

We were brought to some old, run down police station. There was overgrowth everywhere. Moss growing on the walls, old terminals broken and misused, rusted iron everywhere. They through is into a cell room, which honestly looked like it wouldn't hold much. Luckily for them, not us, they put us in a cell that didn't have a huge gaping hole in. The only hole to the outside was a barred off window near the back.

As I sat there thinking about my escape, my stomach began to growl. All of my plans came to a halt as I realized...we didn't get to eat dinner! I groaned and laid down on the ground as my stomach growled in agreement. I swear, the next pony to come down here is going to hear it from me.

Speaking of the devil, I heard hoof steps coming down the hallway leading into this room. The minute the door opened, I was up against the cell bars, slamming my hooves against them. "How dare you, you monsters! Trowing us down here without food. Is that how you treat your prisoners?! You should be ashamed!" I yelled at the guard pony.

Looking back at me, unfazed by my outburst, he cleared his throat. "The Sergent is going to see you for interrogation." He said, looking at me. Stepping off the bars, the door was opened and I was led out, and taken to another room.

Upon entering, I saw the gruff unicorn from before, who arrested us in the first place. "Ah yes, Skylight Shadows. Please, have a seat." He said, before sliding over a couple granola bars to me. "Please, eat. Wouldn't want you to go without an empty stomach." He said in a tone that was too sweet to be trusted.

My assumption was correct. For not even one second after I finished the bars, I felt the room get colder. "Now Skylight, I am Sergent Steeltread. I'm about to ask you a few questions on what you know about the Fireflies. Answer them, and I might let you off and forget this incident. Dont. Piss. Me. Off. I am not afraid to throw you in a cell and schedule you for the next Firefly Firing Squad." Steeltread said coldly.

"So, lets get started. Are you a Firefly?" He asked. I shook my head no. "Alright, well tell me what you were doing at that house." He asked.

"We was over visiting a friend, having a nice game of cards and some sodas." I said to him. He said he wanted me to answer them. Never said about being true. I can just be partially true, and all will be fine. I thought.

"Oh really? Did you know that your friend was a Firefly?" he asked me.

I shook my head again. "Nope. Just thought he was an ordinary friend." I lied. Steeltread glared. "Really now? Playing a friendly game of cards inside a room that turned out to be their operation room, with a weapons armory next door? How come you never saw it?" He asked me.

"Uhh....they hid it." I said blatantly. I heard somepony stifle their laughter, before another one nudge the stallion.

Steeltread blinked. "Alright then, fine. Take this one back to her cell. Shes not giving anything" He said, before turning to me. "You better hope your friend is more giving of information, for both of your sakes." He said to me, before leaning in. "If I find out you or Ms. Rainclouds over there is a Firefly, I will personally tear you a new one." He said coldly, before I was grabbed and taken back to my cell. Thus ended the shortest interrogation ever.

I must had dozed off when I returned, because it was hours later when I awoke to the sound of a cell door opening and shutting. Rain came up next to me, and waited for the guard to leave the room. "Well?" I asked expectantly.

"Were slated for execution first thing in the morning..." Rain said, visibly disturbed. "I told him everything I could, but I guess he didn't believe me. Going to use us as an example of why you shouldn't aid criminals." She said, laying on the ground. "I..I don't want to die. Not like this..." Rain said, on the verge of tears. I put a hoof on her shoulder, feeling a lump form in my throat as well.

"Well, Well, Well...If it isn't the two mares I've been looking for." I heard a voice say from behind us. Turning around, I looked out the small cubby window I had, and saw a familiar face staring back, smiling. "Dusty!" I said, trotting up to the window. "Oh thank Celestia you are here. They are gonna execute us!" I said to him. Dusty's smile faded.

"I overheard your arrest from one of the patrols heading into Central. I had to take the long way into here, but I am glad I found you two." Dusty said, as Rain came up next to me. "So, how about I get you two out of here. Hopefully Steeltread won't mind postponing that execution...indefinitely." He said.

Rain scowled. "How? There are guard all over the place. You wont make it past the front door." She said to him. Dusty just smiled. "I got this covered."

Thirty minutes had past before I heard commotion at a door on the other side of the cell area. It sounded like something was forcefully shoved into the weak lock, and then broke it. The door opened to reveal Dusty, a shiv in his mouth. He trotted quietly over to our cell, and put the shiv inside our cell lock. Turning, he kicked a hoof onto the handle of the shiv, forcing it into the lock. He then went over to the side, grabbed the handle in his mouth, and turned until the handle broke. He spit the handle out and opened the cell door. "You have got to teach me that." I stated, making him smile at me.

"Sure thing, but lets get out of here first." He said, heading back for the door he entered in. "This tunnel leads to the Metro Security station in the underground tunnels. We can escape through there." He said.

Rain stopped. "Hold up, the tunnels? You do know that those tunnels are riddled with infected, right?" She stated.

Dusty nodded his head. "Yeah, but not the route we are taking. The Fireflies use it all the time. It's clear of infected. Trust me on this one" He said to her.

Rain frowned. "Yeah, trust you like I did on that card game..." She said. Dusty turned to look at her.

"Rain look, I know you don't trust us...but its not our fault your sister left. She did that on her own terms. She left us too you know" He said to her. Rain opened her mouth, but didn't say nothing. Dusty turned and went down into the tunnel, with us following. I took note again to finally ask Rain about her sister later.

I grabbed the door with my magic, making sure to close the door behind us; not that it really did any good. "So, you broke us out. Now what? We fight back, hide?" I asked Dusty. "What do we do?" He turned his head to look at me.

"The Fireflies are leaving the city. You're coming with us." He explained, as the three of us went down into the dark Metro tunnels.

Author's Note

Wow, I'm glad to see the feedback so far. I know its not much, but it helps motivate me to continue with the story. If you have anything you want to say/tell me, do it in the comments. And and all feedback is welcome.

Now, don't get used to these updates. They will come as fast as they update. I try not to follow a schedule because I can never keep up with it. So an update comes when it comes. I thank you guys in advance for the patience.

3. Leaving the City

Chapter 3: Leaving the City

The Metro. The dark, danky tunnels that run under the city of Manehatten. All my life I had been told to never go down into the tunnels, no matter what.

So why in the hell of Tartarus's Pits am I walking down here?!

I let out a sigh of distress. Calm yourself Sky. You're a wanted criminal now, so you have to leave the city. I thought, as I followed Dusty. He had a gun in his mouth, and was looking back and forth throughout the tunnels. His ears flicked on occasion, picking up on any sound he heard. I looked to my left and saw Rain walking next to me, lost in thought. I remembered the brief confrontation she had with Dusty, and wondered what she was keeping from me.

Rain and I had a history. We told each other just about everything. We were like sisters, only that I looked up to her as an elder. She taught me everything I know.

And yet, she never told me about her sister, her true sister. It made me very curious. Dusty mentioned that she left them too. Who did she leave? Was she a Firefly? Is this why Rain doesn't trust them. So many questions ran through my head, it hurt. Rain and I are going to have a nice, long talk about this.

"We are just about there..." Dusty said, breaking the silence. "Just a few more steps down this hall. When we get there, I want you two to stick with me." Dusty turned his head to look at me. "Still remember what I taught you about weapons kiddo?" He asked me.

I nodded. "Yeah, for the most part...why?" I asked.

Dusty just turned his head and continued walking. A minute later, we came up to our destination. A guard walked up to Dusty, making us stop.

"Name and Designation." The guard said in a tone less voice.

"Dusty Trails, Weapons Handler" he said back. The guard dropped his stern face and smiled.

"Dusty, I thought it was you. Glad to see you made it...and with friends?"The guard asked, looking towards me and Rain.

"Yeah, these two are close friends..." He looked back at Rain, "...Or maybe at least one of them. They need to get out of the city, wanted criminals now, basically." He said.

The guard laughed. "We're heading to 'The Nest' Dusty, I'm pretty sure Rose wouldn't like them coming with us, especially since we're meeting up with the Firefly Princess herself." He said.

Dusty nodded. "I know that. I'm going to take them to Ponyville. I got a few relatives that are living there. They can be safe" He told the guard.

The guard raised an eyebrow. "Ponyville? That's really out of the way from Seaddle. To get to Seaddle from Ponyville, you have to pass by-"

"-I know, Canterlot. I've done it before Gyro. Don't worry about me." Dusty said, cutting the guard pony, now known as Gyro, off.

Gyro stepped to the side. "Alright, but you be safe. You still owe me that Cider" he said, before nodding. "Head on in. Rose wanted to see you, by the way. Said it was urgent." He told Dusty.

Dusty nodded, and motioned us to follow him. We walked into the cubby that was made for the Fireflies. There were ponies everywhere. Each and everyone of them armed. It was as if they were all ready to attack the Guard right here and now.

But that wasn't the case. These ponies were outlawed, and were only fighting to survive. The need to find a cure was the goal for the group. They didn't want this fight...they were only defending themselves. Every pony here, although armed, looked like they were under-equipped for a fight. I began to question what I thought of the Guard and the Princesses. Because right then, I didn't see the Fireflies as the bad guys, they only wanted the best for pony kind.

As I thought of that, a group of ponies in lab coats walked by, carrying crates of lab equipment. It amazed me that all this was being done for a cure.

Not paying attention, I accidentally bumped into Dusty, who seemed to have stopped. Rain had seemed to be looking around as well, because she stopped just short of bumping into me.

"Alright, you stay here. I'm going into this room over here to see what Rose wants." He said to us, motioning to a room across the way. "Feather Dust here, is going to help you two get equipped." He told us, looking at the Pegasus next to him.

Rain spoke up. "Equipped? Equipped for what? We aren't going into a fight, are we?" She asked,

Dusty shook his head. "No,we are going outside the walls. That's much more dangerous than a firefight. I may be armed, but you two need to have some protection as well. One armed pony isn't enough for what's out there...not by a long shot." He said, nodding to Feather. "Get them taken care of, I'll be back for the finishing touches." He said, before walking off.

Feather nodded, looking at us. "I'll start with you first." She said to Rain, motioning her over. Looking to me she said, "you can go to that take over there. It has your things. Dusty says you should know what to do with them." She explained, pointing to a table on the far right. I nodded, walking over to it.

On the table was a variety of things, including a gas mask, a flashlight, what looked to be a bigger saddlebag, strangely customized to my taste, a weapons harness, and a pistol, along with 3 clips, each filled with 10 rounds. Lifting up the pistol with my magic, I pulled back the lever, checking the barrel. Snapping the lever back into place, I held the weapon in my hand.

Growing with Dusty, he had taught me a lot about weapons.Their use, their safety, and why they should be taken with respect. Dusty also made sure that I knew to only use the weapon in the most dire situations. Never harm a pony with a weapon unless it in self defense. I sighed, hoping I would never have to actually use this on another pony.

Pulling back on the slide again, I inserted a clip into the pistol, before snapping it back into place. With the gun loaded, I turned on huge safety and slid it into my holster. Grabbing the other two clips, I inserted them into a pouch used specifically for carrying extra clips.

After taking my old saddlebags off, and placing it on the table, I levitated the harness onto me, tightening it where needed. I grabbed the flashlight, and slid it into a front pocket on my harness.

After doing that, I dumped the contents out of my old bags and began putting them into my new bag. The saddle bag was a grayish-black, and had two big pouches, each with there own compartments for organizing things inside. One after another, I began putting my things into the bags. All the things I had packed in my bags was all I was taking. We never got to stop by my house, I was only told to bring my saddle bags with me when we was taken into custody. Everything I own, now lost to the next poor pony who gets assigned the house.

Sighing, I finally put in the last thing, and closed my bags. Levitating them onto my back, I grabbed the last item, my gas mask, and clipped it to the right side of my bags, near the harness.

As I was making sure I grabbed everything, I heard a sniffle behind me. Turning around, I saw Rain looking at me with tears eyes. She was all dressed up in the same fashion as me. She looked so different. She must have thought the same thing because she walked up to me and gave me a hug.

"I had hoped, that I would never see you dressed like this. I dreaded the day I would see this, because it would mean that we were leaving. And now here we are...even if it's under different circumstances. The outside is a dangerous place, and your not ready; I'm not ready." She said, hugging me tighter.

Nuzzling her neck, I responded. "I know...I'm scared too. The things I've learned from Dusty, it isn't enough to prepare me. One bite, or even the smallest scratch from an infected, and we are dead. And don't forget the lack of food, and countless other animals out there." I began. Leaning back, I looked into her eyes. "I know you might not trust Dusty or the Fireflies, but just this once...make an exception. He knows what he is doing." I told her. Rain paused, before nodding.

"Okay, I will, just for you." She said, hugging me one last time before letting go.

Not even a second later, I heard Dusty clear his throat. We both turned to him as he began to address us. "Okay...I talked with Rose. As much as she despises the idea and thinks its dumb, she agreed to let me do this. We are leaving at midnight, along with a squad of Fireflies. The squad is only a scouting group for the rest, so once we get away from the walls, they will leave us. I want you two to listen to everything I have to say. Don't do anything stupid, and don't wander off. If everything goes well, you can make it to Ponyville in three days." Dusty said.

I nodded, before I stopped. "Wait, you said 'You can make it.." I thought you were coming with us." I said. Dusty rubbed the back of his neck.

"Sorry Kiddo, I tried, but Rose wont let me go all the way. I can follow you through to Fillydelphia, and a little ways after that, but then I have to split off and join the group near Canterlot. I argued the best I could..." He said to me. "But don't worry, you have this. You and Rain make a great team, and I taught you myself. Just believe in yourself Sky." He said, putting a hoof on my shoulder. "Now, you two go get some rest, we got around four hours before its time to go." He told us, motioning to the cot room not to far from where we was. "Go on, your gonna need it." Was all he said, before his attention was turned to somepony else.

Me and Rose just shared a look of worry, before we both trotted off to the cots, not saying a word.

/****\

I laid there in my cot, watching the shadows go underneath the curtain separating the room from the hallways. I heard the slight snoring on Rain, coming from my left. I smiled, glad that she was at least getting some sleep. I, however, could not rest one bit. My mind was wandering, thinking of what would happen once we got out of the city walls. I had never been outside before, only seeing it and hearing the stories Dusty told me. He said the infected ponies were more than rampant outside, and that there were a ton of different kinds. From stalkers, to Bloaters, and even the most dangerous...Clickers.

Dusty once told me a story about a run in of Clickers he had once. He said the ponies head was non-existent, no eyes, just some mutated ears and a nasty mouth. You couldn't charge a Clicker like a normal infected pony. The only way you could take it down was by shooting it, in the head, or sneaking up behind it and shiving it before it had the time to turn and bite you. The thought of having to face that...I couldn't take it.

I was also warned of the Scavengers outside the walls as well. Some groups live in civilizations, having a safe group, such as Ponyville. Thanks to the Elements having family there, the Equestrian Guard didn't set a quarantine zone there. It was too small to keep up, and the Elements of Harmony that lived there...well they can take care of themselves. If they are still in Ponyville now, or even alive for that matter, nopony really knows.

As for scavengers outside of those kinds of Civilizations..well, you gotta be careful. Some of them are just living for themselves, but there are also groups. They rob, rape, and possibly even kill the ponies that cross into their territory. Thirty years of anarchy has changed a lot of ponies..Equestria isn't like it used to be.

And yet we were going out there, traveling a few hundred, maybe a thousand miles, across unknown territory, with limited supplies, to get to a town with ponies that I don't even know? Excuse me if I sound a little skeptical, but sometimes I wonder if I would just be better of taking my chances and staying here.

Turning and burying my head into the cots pillow, I sighed very loudly. Right now, I just wished my brain would shut off so I could sleep. Shutting my eyes, I sat there, my face in the pillow, hoping that I can just fall asleep within the time before we have to leave.

After about ten minutes of silence, I felt my body finally drift of to sleep. Sighing on the inside, I relaxed more. Finally, some shut-

Light suddenly poured into the room, as the curtain was slid open. Dusty's voiced came in after. "Alright girls, lets get going. We got a long travel ahead, hope you had some good sleep." He said, stomping his hoof on the floor. I heard Rain moving from her cot.

Dusty....you son of a bitch.

/****\

I sat at the table, my harness, sling, and saddle bags on me. Geared up and ready to go. That is, everything but my brain was ready to go. I yawned yet again, as I took a bite of my granola, which Rain had gladly gave to me. If I could take a pot of coffee as well, that would be great.

Suddenly, my prayers were answered, as a small cup with the black liquid came into my view. I looked up at the carrier, and Dusty smiled sheepishly back at me. "Here, I figured you would need this. I don't need a small tantrum with the cot pillow to tell that you didn't get any sleep." He said to me, as my violet blue aurora surrounded the cup. Bringing it to my lips, I slowly, but greedily drank the liquid. Although I hated black coffee, I didn't care as I felt the warm liquid travel through my body. Finishing the cup a minute later, I looked back to Dusty, as he shook his head. "Come on, they are waiting for us." And with that, he walked off.

I got up and followed, waving in and out of the ponies that were still up and packing. Realizing they had a more dangerous quest than we did, settled my thoughts a little. Just be glad we aren't a Firefly. We don't have a reason to be shot on sight. Well, at least outside of this city that is. I thought, as I came up behind Dusty to our traveling group.

Standing all together, was Dusty, Rain and I, and three other Firefly ponies, a Pegasus, Unicorn, and Earth Pony, respectfully. Listening to the conversation, I learned the names. The black pegasus buck, with a green mane and blue eyes, was called Thunder Burst. The lavender unicorn mare, who had a pinkish red mane and brown eyes, was named Lavender Mist. And then the brown earth pony buck, with a messy blond mane, was known as Quick Shot. Personally, I wasn't sure that was his name, but Dusty said he was the fastest earth pony in the group when it came to the trigger, so I figured I would believe him.

"Alright, listen up. Here is the plan. As soon as we step outside, we will take the alleyways all through. We will hit a sewer area soon, which is where we will go down, and then get past the wall. I was everypony to keep their weapons at bay. We don't fire a single shot while inside the city, unless ABSOLUTLEY necessary, and I mean it. We don't want the whole Guard riled up in this city, it will make it much more harder for our group to move out behind us. So, weapons ready, and stay very quiet. Single file line Ponies, don't mess this up." Dusty commanded, before turning to the door, and opening it.

Soft moonlight poured into the room, and the cool night air softly blew into the room. The flight of stairs made their way up, to what looked to be the top. Looking at the door itself, I took note that it was a Fire Escape from the Metro.

The three Firefly ponies took point, going out first with their weapons trained. Dusty went out next, motioning me and Rain to follow. Shutting the door behind us, Dusty took up the rear, as we quietly made our way to the top. The stairs felt damp, even with the air blowing through. As we reached the top, the line stopped, as the ponies up front took cover from the window.

Listening carefully, I heard the soft trot of hooves outside, and the sound of rolling wheels on the pavement. A brief light shined through the windows, as the presumed carriage passed by. Thunder, who was at the head, quickly peeked out the window, before bringing his head back. "Armed Patrol." Was all he said. After what seemed like a lifetime, we finally began to move again.

Stepping hoof outside, Thunder motioned to the alley across the street, before darting off. Once he reached the other side, he motioned to Quick Shot, who was next. The action was repeated once Quick made it past, then Lavender, then Me, then Rose, and finally, Dusty.

The alleys were not a welcoming place, as I came to find out. Even with the moonlight, everything seemed dark and dangerous. That and it didn't help that every 30 seconds the sound of hooves passing by made everypony tense with anticipation. Sneaking around armed ponies tended to make everypony's stress meter rise a little, and I learned I was no exception.

We came to another street crossing, and Dusty quietly pointed out that we were almost there. "The sewer entrance is just around that corner ahead." He whispered, before looking at Thunder. "Peek around, make sure there are no patrols." Thunder nodded, poking his head out into the street. Quickly pulling his head back in, he turned to Dusty. "Two patrols. I think we drifted too close to the checkpoint for West Side, because I saw floodlights and a fence nearby. One patrol is moving, and the other happens to be watching this street." Thunder whispered. Dusty grunted, not looking happy.

"Okay then, well we have to get by somehow...but we can't alert the guard. That would complicate everything." Dusty said, sitting in thought. There was a faint buzz and talking, before Lavender came up to Dusty. Looking closely, I just realized she had some kind of piece in her ear, and a cord that led down to some kind of arcane box. It only took me a moment to realize it was a radio of sort. "Actually, Dusty. I think we do have a plan." She said to him.

Dusty looked at her. "What do you mean?" He asked, His eyes also landed on the earpiece. "Wait, you have a radio with you?" He asked.

Lavender nodded. "Yes, Rose gave it to me. She figured it be best I have the radio, since we are technically scouting ahead for the Fireflies. But thats beside the point. Rose has a more direct way to the wall, but the Royal Guard have learned this, and have set guards all over the trail..." She paused, shuffling a hoof across the ground.

Dusty stared at her. "So what are you implying...?" He asked, his eyes widening a bit as he came to a realization.

"Well...." Lavender began, taking in a breath as everypony listened. "...Rose wants us to be a distraction." She said to Dusty. Dusty gave a long sigh, before turning and looking at her.

"A distraction? Rose wants us to be a fucking distraction? She realizes we are horribly outgunned, and if we set a distraction..it would hinder our progress of getting US out." Dusty said, stomping a hoof. He began to walk in place. "Celestia damn it Rose...." he mumbled.

Quick stepped foward, clearing his throat. "Dusty, we might be able to do this. Thunder here tells me he has the trick." He said, looking to Thunder. We all turned as well.

Thunder stepped foward, setting his bags down. Lavender opened them up, revealing some tin cans filled with sharp objects, like scissors, knives, and nails. Taking them out, she smiled. "Thunder, I am so glad you came prepared." She said, setting them down. I peeked into the bag, also noticing a small bag that was closed off with tape, but had a fuse coming out. I grabbed it, pulling it out. "Whats this?" I asked.

"A smoke bomb..." Dusty answered, looking at it. "So, you got smoke bombs and nail bombs. Thunder, I am glad you are the demoltionist on this expedition." He said, before eyeing the bag one last time. "Wait....whats that?" He asked, grabbing the bag and turning it over. A small, white brick rolled out, and Dusty dropped the bag. "Is that...?"

"A shape charge...yes." Thunder said, nodding to lavender as she carefully picked it up. "It has a detonator too. This...was a last resort incase we come across a full mob of infected. Id rather die, killing a bunch of infected than get bit." He said, nodding to the explosive. "I figured this, would be a good enough distraction, and the smoke bombs would cover our advance. I think a building exploding would be enough cause for the whole guard to come." He explained.

Dusty sighed a long sigh, sitting down. "Wow...okay. Remind me to never piss you off Thunder. But..how did you make it?" He asked. Thunder shrugged. "I had the hornhead scientists mix it up. Gave them the last of the explosives we had, told them to give me something that went boom. Its something a tad short of a Twilight Megaspell. Like the one she used in the battle with Tirek." He said.

I gasped, remember hearing that story. That was how Princess Twilight defeated Tirek, and kept him from turning Equestria into his own personal throne. Granted, the megaspell wasn't what defeated Tirek, it was the Elements, but the people who managed to witness the battle, her megaspell was very powerful, and destructive. Leveled a forest when she and Tirek collided.

Dusty gasped as well. "Wait, its that powerful?" He asked. Thunder shrugged.

"Probably not THAT destructive, I'm sure its enough to blow a big hole in a wall and cause a pretty light show. The hornheads don't know much about this explosive, since its one of a kind. They..guesstimated I guess." He said, grabbing the explosive with this hoof, and slowly placing it back in the bag.

Dusty nodded. "Alright, then its a plan. Here, lets put this inside the building here, and everyone else get ready. Thunder, when we throw the smoke in the road, as soon as we are across...blow it. That should get the Guards attention. Everypony else, once we are across the street, make a break for the sewer. The entrance is an obvious gate. If you aren't sure....just follow me." he explained. We all nodded.

Thunder opened the side door and zoomed inside, and we all got ready. Dusty handed me and Rain a smoke bomb. "I cant light these without a match, so it will be quicker for you guys. Lavender here will tell you how to light the fuse, and then you throw it. Just aim for the street, preferably the left side. As soon as you hear it puff, you run behind Lavender, and dont stop, because if you do...you will either get shot, or that bomb Thunder has might do more than he says it will, and you will get hurt. Got it?" He asked us. Rain and I nodded. Dusty patted my back, and went over to the door where thunder went in, I guess to tell him when to exactly blow it.

Lavender walked over, getting our attention. "Okay, its pretty simple. Just use your magic to create a spark at the tip of the fuse. But only the tip. Any lower, and you might risk it going off quicker, or it automatically going off on its own. Smoke bombs may not sound harmful, but if you are holding it and it goes off, it will hurt and burn." She explained. We nodded.

Dusty came back to us. "Alright, Thunder is ready when you are." He said, nodding at us. I looked at my smoke bomb, and my magic lit up around the tip of the fuse. Waiting for Lavenders signal, I chose a spot where I would throw it.

"Okay, light it...now!" Lavender said, and all of our magic sparked. a loud FSSSHHHH noise was heard, before we all chunked the smoke bombs into our chosen locations. Suddenly, they all went off, and a big cloud of smoke covered the entire street.

"Huh? Hey! Get over here, someone is smoking the street!" I heard a pony say, before the sound of rushing hooves and wheels got closer.

"Run!" Dusty yelled, as we all darted across the street. Suddenly, there were a bunch of loud clacks as about 3 automatic rifles and a mounted gun on the carriage began to fire into the smoke. I felt a bullet singe past my tail, and I yelped, running faster. We was way past the street, and I could see the sewer gate ahead. Looking back, I saw thunder fly above the street, crossing. "So...when is the signal supposed to be for blowi-"

KAK-KA-BOOOOOOM!

I squinted my eyes as I saw the building suddenly light up in a glowing cloud of smoke and flames. The windows were all blown out, and from what I could see, a whole section of the bottom wall was all but obliterated. Thunder flew down to us and kept pace.

I looked up at him. "You had that shit in your bag this entire time?!?! What if it went off?" I yelled at him.

He shrugged, looking back. "Well, it worked when it was supposed to, didn't it?! Now lets go, get in the sewer!" He said, as he rushed ahead, landing at the gate.

Dusty ran up behind, kicking it open. "Come on! Lets go." He commanded, guiding us all in.

The last thing I saw as I looked behind me was a pillar of smoke rising from the building, as a siren began to sound throughout the city, and the sound of at least a thousand hooves rushing to the building.

Author's Note

And that's that chapter! Sorry for the long delay, I was on a hiatus, because of graduating from school and doing summer stuff. I should be back into writing frequently now. This story should be making way now. Tell me what you guys think! Anything will help, and will be taken to consideration