Terminus

Chapters

Chapter 1: A Night to Remember
Chapter 2: We're Leaving
Chapter 3: Fish in a Tunnel
Chapter 4: Open Fire
Chapter 5: Underground Again

Chapter 1: A Night to Remember

“We’re here! We’re here!”

Twilight Sparkle and her friends stepped off the train and into the breezy Manehattan air, soaking in the late afternoon sunshine. Twilight smiled, happy to have finally arrived in the big city.

“Aw, yeah,” Applejack said as they walked off the platform and into the main station. “No matter how many times ah come here, ah’ll never get tired of it.”

“Likewise!” Rarity exclaimed. “The glamor, the culture, the size and scope! Isn’t it just the most wonderful thing?”

“Manehatten’s a wonderful place,” Twilight agreed, extending her wings and feeling the cool breeze ruffle her feathers. “Now, does anypony see them?”

They looked through the many faces of the crowded station, until…

Pinkie Pie pointed to the information kiosk in the middle of the station. “Ooh, ooh, there they are! I see them!”

Sure enough, there were two familiar-looking ponies who were standing patiently by the kiosk, as if waiting for somepony.

Twilight gasped. “Yes! It’s them!”

They all approached the two ponies, who also gave a gasp of delight when they saw the group.

“Cadance!” Twilight exclaimed. “Shining Armor!”

Everypony gathered together and shared warm greetings and hugs. Shining Armor embraced his sister happily. “It’s so great to see you again, Twily. Cadance and I are so glad you could make it out here.”

“How was the train ride?” Cadance asked.

Twilight shrugged. “Not too bad. Pinkie got her head stuck in the lavatory toilet at one point.”

“Long story,” Rainbow Dash added, shooting an annoyed look at Pinkie Pie. “Don’t ask.”

“I was thirsty!” the pink party pony said indignantly.

“Anyway, besides that little bit of fun, the train ride was fine.” Twilight said, rolling her eyes. “How are things going with the party?”

Cadance smiled. “Wonderfully. When Mayor Maneroe invited us to be the guests of honor at the Mayor’s Ball, I didn’t know what to expect. But everything seems to be going swimmingly. Well, mostly. I promise you won’t be disappointed tonight.”

“I should think so!” Rarity exclaimed happily. “Oh, a ball! How magnificent!”

“Well, we only call it a ball as a formality, but I’m sure you’ll like it nonetheless,” Shining Armor chuckled. “So, you girls ready to head out? Got your bags and everything?”

They all nodded, and Shining Armor beamed. “All right, then. I’ve got a cab waiting outside. Shall we?”

***

“Thank you so much again for inviting us to attend the Mayor’s Ball with you, Prince Armor!”

Shining Armor smiled. “Please, you don’t need to be so formal, Miss Rarity. ‘Shining Armor’ will do just fine. And it was Cadance here who convinced the mayor to add your names to the guest list.”

“It seems the mayor was eager to meet Princess Twilight Sparkle,” Cadance added. “And I told him that unless she could come with whomever she chose, neither she nor I would attend the ball.”

Twilight’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

Cadance smiled warmly. “Of course. I know what your friends mean to you.”

“Oh my, that’s so sweet of you, Princess Cadance,” Fluttershy said, smiling kindly.

The other ponies professed their thanks as they passed through the streets of Manehattan. The sun was already beginning to set as they passed by street after street, each with something new and refreshing to look at.

“Is it true?” Rarity piped up, her eyes glittering. “Is it true you’ve booked the reception at the Trotsford Hotel?”

Shining Armored nodded. “The penthouse, no less. We’ll get a great view of the whole city tonight.”

“Yes! A party at the top of the city!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed. “A penthouse pony party! That sounds amazing!”

“Oh, it will be amazing, Pinkie Pie,” Rarity said dreamily. “So amazing…”

Shining Armor chuckled again, wrapping his arm around his wife’s shoulder. “Yup. I’m sure it’ll be a night to remember.”

***

Upon arrival at the Trotsford Hotel, all the ponies gazed at the massive skyscraper in utter awe. It had to be at least twenty stories high, with plate glass windows dotted in a grid pattern up and down a facade of marble and stainless steel. At the main doors, twin alicorn statues flanked either side of a set of marble steps that led up to the entry canopy. The evening sun washed the building in fiery orange light, making it look even more beautiful.

The ponies were speechless, but Shining Armor and Cadance just chuckled. Rarity was amazed most of all, frozen stiff in awe at the hotel’s exterior. Breathless, she fainted to the ground from the sheer elegance of the building. Applejack rolled her eyes, then craned her neck to look at the top of the building.

“We’re stayin’ all the way up there?”

“Mhm,” Shining Armor replied, paying his fare to the cab driver. “It cost a hoof and a leg, but I think it’ll be worth it.”

As Twilight turned around to thank her brother once more, she momentarily caught sight of Cadance with an odd look on her face. Her lips were curled and her brow was half-narrowed. Her eyes seemed to dim for a brief moment, as if she were recalling some saddening event. But upon realizing that Twilight was looking at her, Cadance’s odd look vanished, replaced by her familiar smile.

“What do you think, Twilight?” she asked. Twilight noted the slightly hesitant tone in her words, but didn’t think much of it. Perhaps she was merely stressed. Twilight smiled back.

“It’s wonderful. I can’t believe how wonderful it is.”

Shining Armor grinned. “If you think that’s cool, wait till you see the inside.”

***

Sure enough, the interior of the Trotsford was even more elegant than its exterior. In the lobby, crystal-glass chandeliers hung over a floor of painted marble, with ornate stone pillars supporting the upper balconies. A fountain stood in the middle of the lobby, decorated with ten small, bronze statues of cherub ponies that encircled the water. Rarity, who had recovered from her faint, passed out once more upon seeing the beautiful lobby of the Trotsford Hotel.

Twilight gazed in wonder at the lobby and the many ponies around them, but then was suddenly dismayed. All the mares and stallions in the Trotsford were wearing luxurious clothes, everything from gold lamé tuxedos to elegant dresses of silk and ribbon.

“Um, Shining Arm—”

“Fabulous!” Rarity suddenly exclaimed, breaking from her stupor. “Simply fabulous! The decor, the feng shui, the wondrous attire! I simply must get the names of the designers for some of these dresses!”

“Speaking of fancy clothes,” Twilight interrupted, looking at her brother, “we didn’t bring any formal attire, Shining Armor. I’m sorry.”

She thought Shining Armor would give her a look of disappointment or frustration, so she was surprised when he simply smiled. “Not a problem. While Cadance and I will obviously be dressed to impress, I’m sure the mayor and other guests won’t have a problem with you coming as you are. This isn’t the Grand Galloping Gala, after all.”

“Ah sure hope not,” Applejack said. Shining Armor looked over all of them.

“Yeah, I still remember what a disaster that was,” Rainbow Dash agreed.

Shining Armor nodded. “Well then, come on, everypony! The bellhops will bring up your luggage in a bit. But I want you to see the penthouse before the guests begin to arrive. Plus Cadance and I have to change.”

Twilight smiled at Cadance, but suddenly noticed that the odd look from earlier was back. It was as if something that Shining Armor had said made her uncomfortable and annoyed, but Twilight couldn’t see why. Once again, the look vanished the moment Cadance noticed Twilight looking at her. She averted her gaze, instead focusing intently on a potted plant by the reception desk.

“All right, everypony. To the top floor penthouse. Let’s go!”

They all piled into the ornate golden elevator as another bellhop pressed the button to the penthouse suite, and up they went, all of them looking forward to a fun night.

***

Though Twilight and her friends knew the penthouse would probably be just as posh and luxurious as the rest of the hotel, but they were still taken aback once they stepped out of the elevator. The penthouse was huge, big enough to hold a herd of bison with room left over. The walls were decorated with old oil paintings as well as new-age pop art. The wall that ran parallel to the dining hall and reception room was covered in floor-to-ceiling windows, offering a beautiful view of the setting sun over the skyline of Manehattan. The floor was carpet and wood, and the rest of the walls were painted with various colors, each one different depending on the particular room.

“Wow,” they all said together, transfixed. Rainbow Dash stopped Rarity from fainting before she even began to fall.

Shining Armor grinned at their reactions. “Yup. Master and guest bedrooms, two bathrooms, a dining hall, a reception room, and a kitchen. Isn’t that view great?”

“It’s amazing,” Rarity beamed.

“Darn tootin’.”

“So when’s the party, huh?” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, bouncing excitedly in front of Shining Armor and Cadance. “When’s the party? Will it have cake? Balloons? Huh? Huh? Huh?”

Cadance smiled. “Don’t worry, Pinkie Pie. The party will start soon. The mayor should arrive within the hour, along with the other guests.”

“Oh, but I don’t see any decorations!”

“We may call it a ball, but it’s not a huge affair,” Shining Armor said again. “It’s simply a honorary reception for the mayor. No need for all that pomp and circumstance. There shouldn’t be more than fifty or sixty guests.”

“An’ this house will be enough fer all o’ them?” Applejack asked, sitting down on the couch.

“Yes. Normally the reception would be held at Town Hall, but since Mayor Maneroe invited us, I offered to lend our penthouse for the party.”

Rarity gasped. “Wait, this is your penthouse?”

Shining Armor nodded. “Yup. Well, kind of. Cadance and I spent part of our honeymoon here. We were only there for a few days, but…”

His words trailed off as the look on his face turned from jovial to awkwardly apologetic, and he stared for a moment over Twilight’s shoulder before averting his eyes and clearing his throat. Twilight remembered that Cadance was standing behind her, but did not turn her head around. Everypony else seemed oblivious, entranced by the little things across the suite.

“Er, anyway,” Shining Armor said sheepishly, “yeah, this is the penthouse. Feel free to look around. Cadance and I are going to change for the party. Food and drinks are set up just around the corner. If anypony answers the door, invite them in and entertain them for a bit, okay?”

Without another word, the couple went together to the master bedroom down a short flight of stairs, each shifting uncomfortably as they walked side by side. Twilight cocked her head in confusion.

“Uh, any of you guys notice something kinda odd about those two?”

“Nope,” Applejack said, munching on an apple she’d found in the adjoining kitchen. “Ah thought they seemed just as good as ever.”

“You didn’t see the looks they were giving each other?”

“Now that you mention it, I did feel like they were acting a little strange,” Fluttershy said quietly. “Maybe there’s something going on between them.”

Twilight sighed. “Maybe, but what? Asking them directly would be rude. Maybe it has something to do with the Crystal Empire?”

“But there’s nothing wrong with the Crystal Empire,” Rainbow Dash piped up. “Nothing that I know of, that is.”

“Exactly. Nothing that we know of. I dunno, they’re just acting—weird. Like they’re uncomfortable around each other.”

“I wouldn’t worry too much ’bout it, Twi,” Applejack said, finishing her apple. “They’re a couple. Couple’s don’t always get along.”

“Yeah, but—”

“Oh, come now, you mustn’t worry yourself too much about it, darling,” Rarity mused, gripping her hoof pompously. “There’s a party to be thrown! Don’t let some silly bad feeling get you down!”

“Yeah!” Pinkie Pie agreed. “C’mon, everypony, let’s get ready to par-tay!”

They all laughed and cheered—all except Twilight. She gazed with worry at the staircase. Her friends were wrong. Something was up between Shining Armor and Cadance, and she had to find out what.

“Would you all, um, excuse me for a moment?”

Nopony was listening. They were all busy lounging, bouncing, or walking around, admiring the decorations or chomping on some of the party food. Twilight sighed and quietly tiptoed down the stairs. She opened the door at the bottom and entered a long hallway, with purple walls, a white ceiling, and blue carpet. Twilight crept carefully down the hall, trying to see if she could find where they were. Then, as she neared the last door, she heard muted, frustrated voices. She leaned closer and pressed her ear against the wood of the door, catching snippets of a low but heated argument.

“...don’t want to talk about this now, honey.”

“Then when will we talk about it?”

“Not now!”

“Why do you keep stalling? You know the longer you stall, the worse it gets for both of us!”

“Sweetheart, I love you, but this is not the time to be talking about this.”

“You’ve said the same thing for three months, Shining Armor, ever since I brought it up. What is wrong with you?”

“What’s wrong with me? You’re the one trying to drop this on me now when it’s the last thing either of us should be worrying about!”

“But it shouldn’t be something we should be worried about at all! And yet you make it so much more difficult.”

“We’ve talked about this, Cadance. And we’re going to talk more. I know what it’s like, having to deal with all those—”

“No, Shining Armor. No, you don’t know what it’s like. Constantly being asked the same question day after day, whether directly or unbearably subtle. I’m sick of it. And I’m sick of your stalling!”

“Why now, sweetheart? What prompted this?”

“Don’t play dumb with me. When I said this wasn’t finished back on the train, I meant it.”

“And I believed you. But now is not the damn time.”

Twilight stifled a gasp. Her brother rarely cursed, and to hear him swear at his own wife was even more shocking. Behind the door, Cadance sighed.

“It’s never the time, is it? Well, just wait until half the Crystal Empire is breathing down your neck because they think you’re an incompetent mule!”

“Sweetheart—”

“No, Shining Armor. I—”

“Sweetheart!”

A tense moment of silence followed. Twilight had never heard a more endearing name said in such an angry tone.

Another sigh. “Okay. I promise when we get back to the Empire, we’ll settle this whole thing. I promise.”

“And will you finally grow up and be a stallion?”

“I am a stallion, Cadance. I’m just not—”

“You’re just not what?”

Pause.

“I’m just not ready.”

Silence, then the sound of approaching hooves. Her eyes widened and her body tensed as she frantically searched the room for somewhere to hide. Finally spotting a woven basket of laundry, she dived in among the fresh towels just as the door burst open. There was Cadance, dressed in her finest Crystal Empire dress with her mane tied back. She’d have been absolutely stunning had it not been for the ugly look of frustration and anger on her face. She fumed as she stomped up the stairs. Twilight held her breath as Shining Armor followed soon after, standing in the doorway wearing his finest tuxedo, an exasperated look on his face. He sighed and kneaded his temples with his hooves, as he often did when he was nervous or stressed. Twilight cringed sadly. What was going on between the two of them that made them feel like this? What could it have been?

Shining Armor sighed again and closed the door, walking back into his room. After a minute, Twilight silently removed herself from the laundry basket and snuck up the stairs, where it seemed that the first guests had arrived. She gulped and composed herself, knowing that she too would be getting a lot of attention during this party.

Don’t worry, she thought to herself. It’s all right. Everything will be fine.

Taking a deep breath, she trotted forward to greet the guests with the rest of her friends.

***

“So how are things in the Crystal Empire, Princess Cadance?”

It was a quarter to ten, and the party was in full swing. Guests stood all around the reception and living room, talking and sipping from glasses of apple wine as soft jazz music played from a record player in the corner. Twilight was standing by her brother and Cadance, both of whom were addressing the pudgy mayor of Manehattan. Outside, night had fallen completely and the sky had been lit up by the buildings and skyscrapers of the city. The guests seemed to be entertained by the fine decor and cool jazz. Mayor Maneroe had been positively delighted to meet Princess Twilight Sparkle, though Princess Twilight blushed every time the mayor called her that. However, the hosts were the only two ponies that did not seem to be enjoying themselves, and the mayor’s new question only seemed to make things more awkward.

“Well, um,” Cadance stuttered, trying to keep up a smile, though her eyes betrayed her true feelings. “It’s good. Um, yeah. Good.”

“Good?” the mayor repeated pompously. “Good? Pray tell, how can an empire of ponies simply be good? Surely you must have more to say!”

“Er, what my wife means, Mayor,” Shining Armor interrupted, “is that all is well in the Empire. No international dilemmas, no life-threatening situations. Good.”

Mayor Maneroe seemed satisfied with that answer. “Very well, then! The Crystal Empire is good! Ah, they do say that brevity is the soul of wit.”

"Well, anyhow," Shining Armor said awkwardly, "how have you been, Mayor?"

"Oh, swell, swell! With this ball tonight and yesterday's centennial celebration of the Statue of Freedom, I couldn't be better!"

"The Statue of Freedom?" Twilight asked. "On Freedom Island?"

"Yes indeed, Princess," the mayor replied heartily. "One hundred years, and still she stands! You know her story, of course?"

"Of course. The Griffons of the North gave it as a gift to the original Manehattanites when they won the Griffon War, right?"

"You know your history! Very good!" the mayor said, impressed. "The griffons carved the statue themselves and gave it as a present to the proud fathers of Manehattan. And there she stands in the bay, greeting all newcomers to the largest city in Equestria, one hundred years and counting..."

The mayor trailed off, and there was a moment of awkward silence. He then smiled. "Well, it was such a pleasure talking with you all! I will be sure to chat at least once more this evening! If you will kindly excuse me..." He walked off to greet another guest.

Shining Armor grunted something, and Cadance looked at him indignantly. Neither seemed to have been entertained by the mayor's story. Another pair of guests caught their attention, and they went over together to greet them, both with smiles so forced that their teeth seemed glued together. It pained Twilight to see them like this, to know that something was hurting them but not knowing what. She’d helped her brother countless times before in much more dangerous situations; yet when it came to something as simple as this, she felt helpless. What was causing them so much trouble?

She was broken from her thoughts by Pinkie Pie, who, as always, was the life of the party. Behind her, Shining Armor and Cadance walked away unhappily.

“Woo-hoo!” she exclaimed, bouncing around the room to the delight of some partygoers and chagrin of others. “Isn’t this exciting?! Are you excited, Twilight? Are ya? Are ya?!”

“Pinkie…”

“Oh, don’t be such a grumpy-pants! Have some fun!”

“Pinkie…”

She stopped bouncing for a moment. “Yeah?”

“Could you please tone it down a bit? This isn’t a birthday party, it’s the Mayor’s Ball.”

“Indeed, darling,” Rarity added, swooping into the conversation. “Show some class!”

“Class? Blegh, I hate class! School is so booooooring!”

“Pinkie Pie, that’s not what I meant…”

They continued with their conversation, but Twilight was no longer listening. Instead she wandered off, wondering where Shining Armor and Cadance had gone. Unfortunately, she could hardly go anywhere without being hailed and greeted every five seconds by enthralled partygoers. She politely accepted these greetings and thanked them warmly, but was secretly irked. She needed to find them. She needed to find—

BAM!

A door near the end of the room burst open as though it had been mule-kicked. Out stormed Cadance, a look of bitter anger on her face that, if looks could kill, would have decimated the entire penthouse. Twilight was actually frightened by just how enraged she was, and though she wanted to help, she refrained from speaking up as the princess stomped past her and the rest of the partygoers. Moments later, Shining Armor came out of the door as well, looking exasperated and worrisome.

“Cadance? Cadance, darling, please! Don’t do this, sweetheart! Please!”

But Cadance would not listen as she magicked the penthouse door open and got on the elevator, staring sourly at them all through the doorway as she descended. Deafening silence settled over the guests, only broken by the light sounds of jazz music from the record player. Shining Armor breathed heavily. He gulped as everypony stared at him awkwardly, wondering just what the heck had happened.

“Um,” he stuttered, trying to find the right words. “Don’t worry, everypony. Princess Cadance is fine. She just, uh, needed some air. Yeah. She needed some fresh air. Go on, go back to what you were doing. Everything’s fine. Everything’s just fine.”

Very slowly, the party resumed, although the overall mood was much less jovial. The other girls came up to Twilight as Shining Armor turned around and headed down the stairs.

“What in tarnation was that all about?”

“Didn’t I tell you?” Twilight replied indignantly. “There was something going on between them, something even worse than I thought. They’ve been fighting all night.”

“Oh my,” Fluttershy said, frowning. “What could they be fighting about?”

“I don’t know…but I’m going to find out. Stay here, all of you. Okay?”

She bounded down the steps before they could answer.

***

“Shining Armor?”

Twilight slowly opened the door to the bedroom, poking her head in. Her brother was sitting on the bed with his back turned to her, holding his head in his hooves. Concerned, Twilight walked into the room and up to the bed.

“Shining Armor?” she said again, placing a hoof on his shoulder. He sniffed and turned around, his eyes dim with sadness.

“Hey, Twily.”

“What the heck is going on?” she asked, trying not to sound too forceful. “What was that all about?”

Shining Armor sniffed again, trying to compose himself. “Nothing. It’s nothing. Cadance and I are just...just having a little bit of trouble, that’s all.”

“A little bit? A little bit? What’s going on, really?”

Finally, he seemed to get himself under control, blinking away the tears and breathing deeply. “Twilight, I’m sorry, but it’s really none of your business.”

“What?!” she snapped. “None of my business? I think it’s everypony’s business now, seeing as she just stormed out of the penthouse!”

“Twily…”

She could hear the exasperation in her brother’s voice, and felt guilty for adding to his stress by bothering him like this. But still…

“I’m sorry, Shining Armor. I didn’t mean to be so nosy. It’s just that Cadance looked so angry. I was concerned for both of you.”

Shining Armor forced a smile on his forlorn face. “I appreciate the concern. But it’s nothing, really. It’ll blow over. How’s the party?”

Twilight was taken aback by the sudden change of subject. “It’s, er, fine. What about Cadance? Isn’t it dangerous to be out on the streets this late?”

Shining Armor’s eyes widened, as if he had just now realized that his wife was absent. “You’re right. But she couldn’t have gone far. If worse comes to worse, I’ve got a way to contact her.”

“How’s that?”

“Instant communication spell,” he replied, pointing to his horn. “Learned it in the Crystal Empire.”

“Wow, I haven’t read anything about that spell in my books!”

“Well, maybe when I get home I’ll send you a copy of the spellbook that I used.”

Twilight smiled and gave her brother a hug. “Thanks, brother. I’m sorry for prying. But I know you two can overcome anything, especially after everything you’ve been through in the past few years.”

“Yeah, even though most of the stuff I ‘overcame’ involved you saving my rump.”

“Well, maybe I can help you now, if you just tell me what’s going on.”

For a moment, Shining Armor looked incensed that Twilight had brought up the altercation again, but after a few moments he sighed.

“Okay, okay, you win.” He cleared his throat. “You see, Cadance and I—”

Suddenly the room shook violently, and the two ponies were nearly knocked off their hooves. The lights momentarily went out as a strange rumble echoed from outside, followed by a loud boom. As the building finally stopped shaking, they regained their balance and looked around in confusion.

“What the heck was that?”

“I don’t know,” Shining Armor said, looking out the window. “Sounded like some kind of crash or something, but I can’t see anything different.”

“Maybe an earthquake?”

“I don’t think so…”

Then, as the lights continued to flicker, a voice came from outside in the hall.

“Twi? Twi, ya down here?”

Twilight and Shining Armor hurried out the bedroom door and into the hallway where Applejack was waiting, her face pale and her eyes like saucers. Twilight ran to her.

“Applejack? What’s going on? What was that?”

“Is anypony hurt? What happened?”

Applejack waved her hoof forward frantically.

“Y’all gotta come see this.”

Chapter 2: We're Leaving

Chapter 2: We’re Leaving

Twilight, Shining Armor, and Applejack rushed up the stairs to the reception room, where everypony was talking among themselves and gazing out the floor-to-ceiling windows. The jazz music was no longer playing, and a few of the guests were asking if there was a radio anywhere in the penthouse. They all sounded worried, confused, and even frightened, but at the moment neither Twilight nor Shining Armor could figure out why.

“Applejack, what’s going on?” Twilight demanded. She wasn’t the only one asking questions.

“Did you see it? Did you see it?”

“What happened?”

“Oh my goodness!”

Applejack unceremoniously pushed a pair of guests out of the way, clearing a space in front of the window. She then pointed out at the cityscape. “Look.”

Twilight and Shining Armor looked together at where Applejack was pointing, and their eyes widened in shock and horror. In the distance, a huge plume of dirty black smoke billowed from downtown, right next to the Hoofson River. It couldn’t have been more than a few miles south of the hotel. Twilight could see a few smaller structures by the waterfront already enveloped in flames, and the smoke plume was enormous, rising higher than all of the skyscrapers in Manehattan.

Shining Armor blinked, trying to process what he was seeing. Twilight, still confused, turned back to Applejack.

“AJ, what is that?”

“Ah dunno,” Applejack replied, staring out the window uneasily. “Ah didn’t see what happened. Ah just heard the bang an’ felt the shakin’. Then ah saw the smoke. Y’all think it was an earthquake?”

“No,” Shining Armor said. “Earthquakes don’t go boom. Where’s the Mayor?”

“He left,” a partygoer said. “Him and his advisors. He didn’t know what was going on either.”

“Then what the heck—”

“Hey guys! We found it!”

Everypony turned around to see Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie. Rarity was holding a radio. As they set it on the counter and turned it on, the room grew silent as they all gathered around to listen. Rainbow Dash fiddled with the knobs and dials, trying to get it to play something other than static. Finally, a voice came through the speaker.

“...Manehattan News Radio. Current time is 10:27. Breaking news out of Lower Manehattan, where unconfirmed reports of a massive explosion are pouring in. Witnesses say that about ten minutes ago, a fireball of unknown origin erupted at the edge of Buttery Park City. There are no confirmed reports of casualties at this time. Police and firefighters urge all citizens to remain calm, and that anypony near the site of the explosion should evacuate and stay away from the river. We’ll have more details available as they develop…”

“An explosion?” Fluttershy gasped. “Oh, no…”

“I saw it, I saw it!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, giggling. “It was humongous! Like a dragon belch!”

“Pinkie, this isn’t funny!” Twilight snapped. “Ponies could be hurt out there!”

“Did anypony see what might have caused it?” Shining Armor asked.

They all shook their heads. “Then what the heck do we do?” Applejack piped up. “We can’t just stay here!”

“Why n-not?” Fluttershy said quietly, trying to avoid eye contact. “It’s p-probably safer here.”

They argued among themselves as the other partygoers began to grow restless. Some just got up and left, while others tried to send magic messages or letters to their friends and loved ones.

“Shhh!” somepony scolded as the news report came back on. They all stopped talking and began to listen.

“...an update on the events currently unfolding in Lower Manehattan. The Manehattan Fire & Rescue Agency released a statement moments ago that at least ten have been confirmed dead in the Buttery Park City explosion. The MFRA declined to comment on the possible cause of the incident. Meanwhile, Manehattan Harbor has been closed by order of the Department of Transportation. A spokespony from the DOT also confirmed that Manehattan airspace is now restricted. Until further notice, all non-authorized pegasi flying above the island will be detained and subject to possible penalty.”

“What?!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed angrily, slamming the countertop with her hoof. “They made the whole island into a no-fly zone? They can’t do that!”

“They can in a time of emergency,” Shining Armor replied. “It’s probably because they don’t want anypony flying into that smoke and fire.”

“Oh please. I’ve flown into the middle of tornadoes! I can handle a measly little—”

Suddenly the room shook again, this time more violently. The overhead lamps swung and flickered out, momentarily throwing the room into darkness. Partygoers cried out in surprise and fear as paintings fell from the walls and dust fell free from the rafters. After a few seconds, the lights came back on and the shaking stopped. Rainbow Dash looked around.

“All right, just what the heck is going on here?” She ran over to the window as the other ponies tried to remain calm.

“Somethin’ ain’t right,” Applejack said, beads of sweat rolling down her forehead. “There’s somethin’ goin’ on. Ah don’t think we should stay here.”

“But where else can we go?” Pinkie Pie asked.

Rarity snootily huffed. “I can tell you one thing. I am not abandoning the safety of this penthouse to run about on the dirty streets in the middle of the night simply because of an accident that happened miles from here!”

At this, Shining Armor’s face tightened in anger. “Are you serious?! There are ponies dying out there! There are foals and mares and stallions probably scared out of their minds running on those dirty streets! And my wife is—”

His anger turned to horror as the realization slowly sank in. “Oh no. Cadance…”

The radio started buzzing with static as the newscaster tried to speak through the distortion. “...seem to be having...difficulties…”

“What? What’s it saying?!”

“Quiet!”

“...reports of...major...coming from…”

Then, just as the newscaster’s voice faded entirely into white noise, the room began to tremble once more. Confusion among the party guests finally turned to panic as they rushed to exit the building, piling into the elevator or fleeing down the stairs as the lights continued to flicker and the rumbling noise grew louder and louder. When the shaking finally stopped, the penthouse was a mess, and all but empty of partygoers. As they tried to get their bearings, Rainbow Dash gasped.

“Guys! Guys, did you see that? Did you see that?”

Twilight coughed as cloud of dust billowed around her. “What? What is it, Dash?”

“I saw something, I saw something! Something was moving, Twilight!”

“Huh?!”

“I...I...I gotta check it out. I know I saw something there! Hang on, I’m going to the roof!”

“Wait, Rainbow Dash! Stop!”

But the pegasus would not listen, instead zipping over to the stairwell and making her way to the roof of the hotel. Shining Armor groaned.

“Damn it!”

“Hey! Watch your language, Shining Armor!”

“C’mon, everypony!” Twilight called as she raced to the stairwell. After a moment’s hesitation, they all followed suit, leaving the disheveled penthouse behind.

* * *

Twilight burst open the access door and looked around. The rooftop was huge, and she was momentarily taken aback by the smell of smoke in the air and the sound of a cacophony of sirens in the distance.

Applejack pointed. “There!” Sure enough, Rainbow Dash was hovering by the edge of the roof, gazing out at the southern tip of the city. They ran over to her, their hooves clopping loudly on the concrete.

“Rainbow Dash, get down from there!” Twilight demanded angrily. “We have to go!”

“Hang on! I know I saw something!”

“So what?!” Applejack yelled. “We gotta get outta here ’fore another quake sends this whole buildin’ down!”

“No, you don’t get it! Something...was moving! Among the buildings! I saw it just before the lights went out!”

“Your eyes were most likely playing tricks,” Rarity said. “What exactly did you see?”

“It was big,” Rainbow Dash replied, slowly returning to the ground. “Really big. And it was moving. That’s all I could see.”

A moment of silence, and then Rarity scoffed. “Oh my. Somepony call the presses.”

“Girls!” Twilight snapped. “This is no laughing matter, for crying out loud!”

“She’s right,” Shining Armor agreed. “We need to go. We need to find Cadance and we need to get out of here. Rainbow Dash…”

“But I saw…”

“I don’t care what you saw!” he shouted, causing Fluttershy to jump in surprise. “We’ve got to go before—”

BOOM!

Everypony gasped and stared in horror as a huge ball of fire rose from the middle of downtown Manehattan. This explosion was even larger than the first, sending out shockwaves that nearly knocked the ponies to the ground. The sky lit up as flames bloomed like flowers over the city. While stunned by the sheer size of the fireball, Twilight noticed that it was nowhere near Buttery Park City, but looked like it was closer to Tribucka. What could have—

“Oh my gosh, LOOK OUT!”

They all looked up to see what they thought at first were shooting stars, before realizing that they were, in fact, pieces of flaming debris flung from the explosion—and they were heading right for the hotel.

“MOVE!” Shining Armor screamed. “MOVE, NOW! MOVE!”

They all scrambled to the door as fiery rubble smashed down around them, knocking them off their hooves and sending them tumbling down the stairs. The fire alarm began to ring as the debris continued to smash into the hotel, knocking the ponies down once more. The lights in the stairwell flickered, threatening to go out and plunge them into total darkness.

Shining Armor gasped heavily, trying to regain his breath as he sat up and rubbed his sore haunch. “Anypony hurt?”

As he looked up he blinked and coughed, realizing that the stairwell had filled with smoke. Coughing and half-blind, he covered his nose and mouth with the sleeve of his battered suit jacket and slowly moved forward, trying to use magic in order to clear the smoke away.

“...uhhh…”

“Twily!” Shining Armor ran to his sister at the bottom of the stairs, who was trying to stand up. “Twily, are you okay?”

“Yeah...I think so…” She shook her head free of dust and coughed. “Where...Where are the others?”

Shining Armor looked around, but could barely see through the smoke or hear over the ringing alarms. “I don’t know...I can’t see…”

“Down here!” yelled a familiar voice from below.

“Applejack?!” Twilight cried, also using her magic to try to get rid of the smoke.

“Yeah, we’re okay! Shaken up, but okay! We’re down another level, musta fallen farther than we thought! Y’all good up there?”

“We’re fine,” Shining Armor called out. “We’re coming down.”

“Be careful!”

“Is everypony with you?” Twilight yelled. “I can barely see through this smoke.”

“We’re all here, Twilight!” yelled out Rainbow Dash. “We’re all okay!”

“Fluttershy? Rarity? Pinkie Pie?”

“They’re fine!” Applejack shouted. “Fluttershy’s just really shaken up. Rarity an’ Pinkie Pie are tryin’ to keep her calm down here! But we’ve got to hurry! Ah think this buildin’ is startin’ to fall apart!”

“We’re coming, we’re coming! Hold on!”

They carefully made their way down the staircase. The building rumbled again as Twilight’s senses seemed to overload. But she kept going, refusing to stop until she saw her friend through the smoke.

“Twilight! Shinin’ Armor!” Applejack cried, giving them quick hugs of relief. “Thank goodness. C’mon, we gotta go.”

“Uh, Applejack?” Rainbow Dash suddenly said from one flight down. “Something’s blocking the stairwell! I think the wall collapsed!”

“Ah, ponyfeathers,” Applejack cursed to herself. “Wait a minute…” She went over to the exit door and pushed it open. It led back to the penthouse. “In here, everypony!”

They all gathered themselves and piled into the penthouse, trying to remain on their hooves as the building continued to shake. It was completely deserted. Portions of the ceiling had fallen, and debris was strewn all across the floor. Looking out the windows, they could still see the massive fires raging through lower Manehattan, as well as the smoke and light of flames and coming from somewhere in the lower floors of the hotel.

Shining Armor sat on the couch, burying his head in his hooves. “Son of a parasprite. What the heck is going on?”

“Those poor ponies…”

“Don’t worry, Fluttershy. Everything will be all right.”

“No it won’t!” Rainbow Dash cried. “We’re stuck in a burning building with no way out. The stairwell’s blocked. We’re trapped.”

Fluttershy squeaked in fear, but Shining Armor stood up. “Don’t say that. There’s always a way. Maybe there’s another stairwell, or an emergency exit—”

“Perhaps the elevator?” Rarity inquired. “It’s right there!”

“Are ya serious?” Applejack said crossly. “Ah ain’t gettin’ in no elevator when the whole buildin’ is on fire!”

“But it may not be!”

“I think Applejack is right,” Rainbow Dash said. “The elevator’s probably too dangerous to use now. But we need to make the decision quickly.”

Another rumble in the distance, and then something else: a strange bellow, like that of a guttural whale, echoing off the buildings of the Manehattan skyline.

Suddenly, Rainbow Dash gasped. “There it is again! Between those two—”

“Enough, Dash!” Twilight snapped, startling everybody. “We’ve no time for that. We’ve got to get out of here.”

“But the elevator…”

“Forget the elevator,” Shining Armor said, standing up. “There’s another stairwell on the other side of the penthouse. We can use that. C’mon!”

It took a few minutes to finally collect themselves, but they eventually all ran together to the second emergency stairwell, tucked downstairs at the far end of the hall, just opposite the master bedroom. They found it was much less smoky, and began their long descent without further hesitation.

* * *

“What floor are we on now?”

Applejack huffed, her mane matted with dust and sweat. She wiped her brow with her hat. “Tenth, ah think.”

“I don’t know...if I can...go on...anymore…” Rarity swooned.

“We’re almost there, Rarity,” Rainbow Dash said, using her wings to clear away the smoke in front of them. “Just hang in there.”

Suddenly Fluttershy, who had been near the back of the group, cried out as she slipped and fell down the stairs, landing in a heap at the bottom. She began to cry as Twilight and Shining Armor rushed to her aid, with the rest of the group not far behind.

“Fluttershy! Are you all right?”

Though tears glittered on her face, she nodded. “Yes, I th-think so. Please...let’s just go…”

“Just a little bit more, Fluttershy,” Applejack said comfortingly, offering her a helping hoof. “C’mon, sugarcube.”

Sniffling, Fluttershy took her friend’s hoof and stood up, just as the building rumbled again.

“Damn it,” Shining Armor cursed. “We can’t keep stopping.”

“Right,” Twilight agreed. “Let’s get moving.”

After several agonizing minutes, they finally reached the ground floor. Pinkie Pie bounced with joy as they ran into the wrecked lobby. “We’re free! We’re free! We’re gonna be okay!”

But then, just as they were running across the marble, a loud cracking noise stopped them in their tracks. The sound came from above them, and as they looked up, they gasped. The ceiling was collapsing. Giant chunks of flaming steel and stone fell and slammed into the floor, knocking all of them off their hooves again. Screaming, their covered their heads as fiery debris rained down all around them, kicking up even more dust and smoke that filled their lungs and eyes. It was over in a few seconds, but as they shook their manes free of dust and coughed away the smoke in their throats, they heard an even worse sound: Rainbow Dash’s screams of pain.

“Rainbow Dash!” they yelled in unison, running to her. They gasped in horror as they saw that a large chunk of ceiling had landed on top of her, pinning her underneath. She was bleeding from her forehead and struggling to get out, all the while moaning and screaming from sheer agony.

“Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy cried. “Oh my goodness!”

“Hang on!” Twilight yelled, positioning herself in front the wreckage. “We’ll get you out of there! Shining Armor, help me!”

Her brother nodded, and they both cast beams of levitation magic from their horns. The magic combined and enveloped the chunk of ceiling, raising it into the air. Grunting and gritting their teeth, Twilight and Shining Armor managed to float the rubble far enough out of the way, dropping it next to the information kiosk. They panted as the magic dissipated, swiping sweat from their foreheads. The others encircled Rainbow Dash, wide-eyed in fear.

“Rainbow Dash…”

Her body was bruised and beaten, and blood dripped from open gashes on her back, but that was not the worst of it. She weakly raised her head. “I can’t...feel my wings…”

Sure enough, her wings were bent and broken, snapped like twigs and pointing at disjointed, awkward angles. The feathers were stained with blood, and bits of skin had been sheared off the base of her back, exposing parts of her sinewy wing muscles.

“Oh, Dashie…”

Shining Armor gingerly stepped over the wreckage around her and removed his suit jacket. “Can you move, Rainbow Dash?”

She winced in pain as dirty tears dripped from her eyes. “Yeah...my legs...yeah. But...my wings…”

“You’re hurt. We’ve got to get you to a hospital.”

“Can you...use magic...or something?”

Twilight and Shining Armor gazed forlornly at each other. “We don’t know any healing spells. We never learned those. Rarity, did you?”

Rarity shook her head. Rainbow Dash groaned. “Oh...it hurts...so bad…”

“I know, Dashie, I know,” Twilight said comfortingly, kneeling down by her brother. “We’re gonna get you out of here, and we’re gonna get you help. I promise.”

Shining Armor carefully tore off bits of his suit jacket and wrapped them around the bleeding cuts. “Here, this should help—”

Rainbow Dash screamed in pain as Shining Armor’s hoof brushed her wing.

“Oh, jeez, I’m sorry!” Shining Armor exclaimed. “Here...can you stand?”

After a few moments, Rainbow Dash slowly got up on her hooves. “Yeah…”

“Here, ah got ya, sugarcube,” Applejack said, propping Rainbow Dash up and holding onto her. “Just take it nice ’n easy.”

Rainbow Dash coughed, then gave a weak smile as she gently pushed Applejack away. “I think I’ll be okay. Thanks.”

“Ya sure?”

The pegasus nodded slowly, just as the building rumbled again. Shining Armor looked up. “Let’s go, before the ceiling caves in completely.”

* * *

Outside the hotel, the streets were a mess. Police and fire vehicles flashed their lights and blared their sirens loudly as they tried to get through the massive crowds that blocked their path. Ponies were screaming, running, and flying away from the fires. Overturned carriages littered the intersection on which the Trotsford Hotel stood. Above them, a whirring helicopter buzzed over their heads, on its way to the scene of the explosion.

“Oooh, a helicopter!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, her high voice barely audible over the sound of panicking ponies all around them. “I’ve never seen one of those up close before!”

“C’mon!” Shining Armor yelled, hurrying to the sidewalk. The others followed suit, with Rainbow Dash limping behind. But they realized there was little they could do. The emergency vehicles had finally pushed through the crowds, and dozens of police ponies were trying to restore order. One of them stood on top of a police carriage and yelled through a megaphone, but his words were drowned out by a sudden, horrifying sound. Everypony froze as the sound echoed through the streets and rattled the windowpanes of the adjacent buildings. It wasn’t an explosion, but rather a roar, low and booming like some demonic whale call. It was the same sound Twilight and the others had heard back in the penthouse.

“What...was that?” Applejack asked, her voice quivering.

The air grew deathly still. The emergency vehicles had moved off, their sirens now far in the distance. All the ponies who had been running for their lives were now standing listlessly in the street, not sure of what to do. But they were then frightened by another roar, this one high-pitched and harsh like sharp claws on steel. The ground began to rumble, and some of the ponies began to run again, but it was still relatively quiet. The streets were emptier, but they could all still hear the sounds of sirens, screams, and whirring helicopter blades.

Another roar, closer and louder. More ponies began to run, but Twilight, Shining Armor, and the rest of their group remained standing on the sidewalk just outside the hotel. Pinkie Pie turned around and suddenly gasped, and the others followed. They saw that the hotel’s facade had been nearly gouged out by the debris of the explosion. The once-beautiful Trotsford Hotel was now a burning wreck.

“Oh my goodness,” Fluttershy stammered.

“What do we do?” Rarity asked frantically.

Twilight opened her mouth to answer, but was interrupted by another roar, this one even closer. Then another sound met their ears; a strange whirring noise, like something spinning through the—

“LOOK OUT!”

SMASH!

They all looked up in time just to see a huge, misshapen object obliterate the side of an apartment building just down the road, causing another mini-fireball. The object then careened off the building and slammed to the ground, skidding down the road with an ear-piercing screech. Everypony screamed and manage to duck out of the way, just in time as the massive object slid to a halt right in front of Twilight and the group.

The air grew deafeningly silent. For a moment, nopony moved. They stepped forward, trying to process what they were seeing, trying to comprehend. But the harder they thought, the harder it became to believe what it was they were seeing. The other ponies around them stopped panicking and also approached, transfixed in horror and wonder. They were speechless. They couldn’t believe it. They couldn’t begin to fathom what it was that lay before their very eyes.

The head of the Statue of Freedom.

It stared at them with its lifeless metal eyes. Looking down momentarily, they saw the copper wiring and jagged edges of its neck. It had been torn clean off the statue’s body—the body that stood on Freedom Island, miles away from where its head now rested. Twilight vaguely recalled her conversation with the mayor earlier that night. Yesterday the statue had turned one hundred years old. And now...its head. Lying in the street. Staring at them. Why? Her thoughts were crashing into one another like waves. She didn’t know. She just didn’t know.

As everypony in the street stood frozen in terror and awe, Shining Armor swallowed his fear, turned to the rest of his group, and spoke.

“We’re leaving.”

Chapter 3: Fish in a Tunnel

“Look, all ah’m saying is we should head to mah aunt an’ uncle’s place! It ain’t too far!”

They were walking briskly among a sea of frightened ponies, trying to make themselves heard over all the commotion. Above them, a helicopter shined its spotlight on the streets as the pilot spoke through a megaphone, telling them to keep calm.

“No!” Shining Armor shouted. “We’ve got to find her. We’ve got to find Cadance!”

“What?” Pinkie Pie yelled.

“I said we have to find Cadance!”

“Ah can’t hear you!”

“What did you say?”

“What?”

“Oh, for crying out loud,” Shining Armor muttered to himself. Spying an empty alleyway, he motioned for the others to follow him as they pushed through the crowd. They entered the alleyway and tried to catch their breath. Thankfully it was quieter here, and Twilight spoke up.

“Okay, so what do we do?”

“Find Cadance,” Shining Armor said sternly.

“She could be anywhere, though!” Applejack protested. “Ah mean, ah ain’t sayin’ we shouldn’t look fer her, but ah don’t think we’re gonna find her with all this stuff goin’ on!”

“Applejack is right," Rarity agreed. "Didn’t you hear the pilot? He said to go to the Horseland Tunnel!”

“But ah wanna make sure mah aunt an’ uncle are okay. If we could get to their apartment…”

“Rainbow Dash can barely walk, Applejack! We need to get her medical attention.”

“Shouldn’t we help Shining Armor find Cadance, though?”

“We must get off the island!”

They began to argue among themselves, and Shining Armor stepped away, leaning against a dumpster as he tried to calm down. Fluttershy broke away from her friends and approached him.

“Mr. Shining Armor? Are you okay?”

Shining Armor looked up, his eyes bloodshot with exhaustion. “Not really, Fluttershy. My wife’s missing, everypony’s panicking, the Statue of Freedom…” He sighed. “No, not really.”

Frowning sadly, Fluttershy placed a hoof on his shoulder. “Me neither. But can we all be not okay together? Maybe then we’ll be okay.”

At this, Shining Armor couldn’t help but smile. He stood up, wiping sweat from his brow. Outside of the alley, ponies were still moving en masse toward the Horseland Tunnel. Despite his fears and doubts, he knew that he had to keep the rest of the girls safe. He turned once more to the little yellow pegasus.

“All right, Fluttershy. Let’s be not okay together.”

Fluttershy smiled softly, happy to have helped. However the others were still arguing.

“...just need to follow the directions!”

“What about Cadance?”

“What about mah aunt an’ uncle?”

“Quiet, all of you!” Shining Armor shouted. “Listen up. We’ll head for the Horseland Tunnel.”

“But what about Cadance?” Twilight asked. “Can’t you contact her with that communication spell?”

“I already tried that,” he sighed. “Several times. She hasn’t answered.”

Twilight gasped. “But...what does that mean?”

“She’s fine, Twilight,” Shining Armor said sternly. “She’ll meet us at the tunnel. I know she couldn’t have gone far from the hotel, and since the tunnel seems to be the closest evacuation point, I know she’ll head there.”

“Ya know for sure?” Applejack asked.

“Yes. I know for sure.”

Twilight knew that this was untrue, that her brother was just as doubtful as everypony else of Cadance’s fate. But they had no choice. They had to get off the island.

“We must hurry,” Rarity exclaimed. “Who knows what madness will happen next?”

* * *

“Attention all citizens. A citywide evacuation is in effect. Proceed quickly and calmly to the nearest designated evac point. Police and MFRA officials will be waiting at the evac point to assist all injured ponies. Remain calm and proceed with caution.”

“He’s been saying that for the past half-hour,” Rainbow Dash shouted, looking up at the helicopter. “I think we get it now.”

“Yeah,” Applejack agreed, turning to her friend as they walked. “Y’alright, sugarcube?”

Rainbow Dash winced and looked forlornly back at her broken wings. “I think so. For now. It still hurts.”

“Least you can walk on yer own now.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Don’t worry, Rainbow. There’ll be medics at th’ tunnel to help ya. We’ll get there fine.”

The rest of them walked in silence among the crowds that choked the streets. They barely spoke, as the noise had gotten so loud that it seemed pointless to try and have a conversation now. Thankfully, by that time they had reached the edge of the island, with the Hoofson River to their right. Police officers directed them south in the direction of the tunnel, and a sense of relief washed over the group.

“We’re almost there!” Rarity yelled happily.

“Yeah!” Pinkie Pie screamed. “Woo-hoo!”

However, not everypony was as elated. Shining Armor kept scanning the crowds to see if Cadance had made it, but with the sheer amount of ponies around him, along with the poor light and loud noise, it was nearly impossible to concentrate. He had attempted to contact her again via communication spell, to no avail. As he neared the tunnel with no sign of Cadance anywhere, he looked about ready to cry.

At last they reached the mouth of the Horseland Tunnel, which was swarming with evacuees and emergency officials. Applejack started toward the nearest medical tent with Rainbow Dash, but they found that the mob of ponies flocking toward the tunnel entrance was too thick to push through. She cursed loudly as a stallion stood on top of a scaffold and yelled through a megaphone.

“Remain calm, everypony! The situation is under control!”

“Hey, Shining Armor,” Twilight piped up, “isn’t that—”

“Yeah,” he replied, his eyes widening in realization. “QDF.”

Sure enough, the stallion with the megaphone was clad in black combat fatigues and armor bearing the insignia of the Equestria Defense Force, or QDF, as it was more commonly referred to. He carried with him a weapon that Shining Armor recognized as an MCR-42, a carbine rifle that harnessed unicorn magic and processed it into lethal and nonlethal ammunition. These types of weapons were heavily restricted throughout Equestria, and only special military forces such as the QDF were allowed to carry them. Even the Canterlot Royal Guard had nothing but spears and horns, something Shining Armor always found quite aggravating. But if Equestria’s finest military force had been deployed in Manehattan, armed to the teeth with restricted weaponry…

Shining Armor gulped. This was worse than he thought. Much, much worse.

“Make your way into the tunnel in an orderly and calm fashion,” the QDF soldier continued. “Remember, no panicking!”

“Ah can’t get to th’ medical tent!” Applejack cried, holding onto Rainbow Dash. “There’s too many o’ them!”

“Son of a…” Shining Armor began. “I’m sorry, but we don’t have any time left. We’ve got to go. Now!”

“But—”

“Now!”

Everypony jumped a little. Shining Armor gritted his teeth and motioned his head toward the tunnel. “I’m sorry, everypony. But we don’t have time. We can get Rainbow Dash help when we get across the tunnel. The QDF and MFRA are bound to have some kind of emergency center set up in New Jockey.”

“But Rainbow needs—”

“No…” Rainbow Dash moaned. “It’s fine. I’ll be alright.”

“Ya sure, sugarcube?”

“Yes.”

“Then that’s settled,” Shining Armor said flatly. “We’re going now.”

Twilight gave her brother a scathing look, but he ignored it. He knew their number one priority was to get off the island. Something bad was happening, something that warranted a full-fledged military response. He would have questioned one of the QDF soldiers had the massive crowd of escaping ponies not impeded him. So they all had little choice but to enter the Horseland Tunnel, descending into the cold and dark, scared out of their minds.

* * *

“Emergency. A citywide evacuation is in effect. Please proceed to the nearest designated evac point. This is not a drill. Emergency. A citywide evacuation is in effect…”

The warning played in a loop on a mobile loudspeaker, echoing up and down the tunnel. It was nearly drowned out by the uncomfortable mutterings of the ponies that briskly walked through the tunnel, desperate to get to the other side.

“This isn’t good,” Shining Armor said, frustrated as he bumped against dozens of other mares and stallions.

“What do you mean?” Twilight spoke up. “We’re getting out of here.”

“I know that, but the way everypony is choking the tunnel like this…”

“Yeah?”

“If one pony panics, then everypony panics. We’d all be trapped like fish in a barrel.”

“More like fish in a tunnel!” Pinkie Pie giggled. Everypony else looked at her with great annoyance. She smiled sheepishly and kept walking. At that moment a large group of zebras, all wearing foreign garb, surged forward and rudely pushed through the crowd. The others tried to protest, but the zebras did not listen as they cut through the sea of ponies, babbling on in strange tongues as they went. Pinkie Pie cried out as she was practically carried away by the striped mob.

“Pinkie!” Twilight cried.

“It’s okay!” Pinkie Pie yelled back, kicking off one of the zebras and landing on the side of the tunnel, only to be swallowed up by the rest of the agitated crowd. “I...now...”

“What?” Twilight yelled back.

“We can’t hear ya, Pinkie!” Applejack shouted, much to the annoyance of the ponies surrounding her.

“I’m okay! Okay!” Pinkie bellowed, bobbing up and down in the crowd a long way away from them.

“We gotta get to her,” Applejack said to the others. “We gotta stick together!”

“Yeah, let’s—”

Suddenly, Shining Armor jerked. He stumbled and grabbed his forehead as his horn glowed green. Twilight rushed to his side.

“Shining Armor? What’s going—”

Then, from out of a nowhere, a magical screen appeared in front of them, startling several ponies around them. It was an instant communication spell. A strange scraping noise echoed from the screen as it floated in midair, flickering in and out of existence. The screen showed nothing but gray and white static. Shining Armor opened his eyes and gasped as a familiar voice came from above.

“Shining...Armor…”

Even with the distortion, it was clear who was speaking.

“Cadance!” Shining Armor shouted. “Cadance, are you okay? Where are you?”

“...help...Bridleway…”

“Bridleway? Where on Bridleway, sweetheart? We’re in the Horseland Tunnel. Are you safe?”

“...I...move...help…”

“What? Cadance, you need to speak up!”

Twilight looked from left to right. “There’s too much interference!”

“I know that, Twily!” Shining Armor yelled angrily before turning back to the blank screen. “Cadance, I can’t see you! Where are you?”

More static and scraping. A full minute passed before Cadance spoke again.

“...trolley...Bridleway...help...I…”

“Trolley? Bridleway? Honey, you need to—”

The screen disappeared in a flash, and suddenly the tunnel began to shake. Everypony stopped and looked around worriedly. The police urged them to keep going as the shaking stopped. Rainbow Dash lifted her head weakly.

“Guys...what was that?”

“Ah don’t know,” Applejack said, just as Shining Armor turned around sharply and began to push his way through the crowd.

“Shining Armor!” Twilight yelled. “What are you doing?”

“We can’t stop!” cried Rarity. “We must keep going!”

“Where’s Pinkie Pie?”

“She’s up ahead, but ah can’t see her!”

“Pinkie!”

“Shining Armor!”

Despite his best efforts, Shining Armor could not break through the mass of ponies that filled the tunnel. Twilight managed to pull him to the side of the road.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she asked indignantly.

“What does it look like I’m doing?” Shining Armor growled. “I’m saving my wife!”

“But we can’t go back!” Rarity said. “We must keep—”

“Hey, guys!” cried a shrilly voice farther down the tunnel. “Guuuys!”

Applejack whipped her head around. “That’s Pinkie Pie!”

Sure enough, Pinkie Pie bobbed in and out of sight down the road, trying to get through the crowd. For the first time that night, she seemed genuinely scared. But the others could not get to her, and Twilight could barely hold onto her brother as he tried to break away.

“No, Twily, let go of me!” he screamed angrily. “I have to find her!”

“We will, Shining Armor! But let’s get out of here first, before something bad happens again!”

As she finished her sentence, the tunnel shook once more—then began to collapse. Everypony gasped as the ceiling crumbled and the walls began to crack open. Thousands of gallons of river water cascaded and crashed into the tunnel. Something roared loudly, but whether it was the roar of the water or something else, nopony knew.

For a fraction of a second, everypony froze as steel, concrete, and water flooded the tunnel.

Then the panic began. The crowds surged backward, tumbling over one another and screaming in terror. Some tried to fly and were struck down by falling debris. Others were swept away by the cascading water. Another roar ripped through the tunnel. The water was fast approaching.

“GO!” Shining Armor yelled at the top of his lungs. “GO, GO, GO! RUN!”

They galloped at lightning speed back the way they came, desperately trying to avoid the fallen ponies and rubble of the tunnel. Stallions and mares were tripping over each other. Some were trampled underhoof.

“Where’s Pinkie Pie?! Rainbow Dash?!”

“Keep moving! GO!”

“I can’t...I can’t…”

“Just run!”

Everypony was screaming, flailing. It was madness. Everything was failing. Everything was—

“Hey, look!”

Rarity pointed at the mass of panicking ponies as a navy-blue stallion broke through and galloped toward them. On his back was an unconscious Rainbow Dash, bleeding from a gash on her head. The stallion was dressed in a police uniform, and motioned frantically at the rest of the group.

“Don’t just stand there!” the stallion shouted. “MOVE!”

Without further hesitation, they all pushed and fought their way through the fleeing crowds as the tunnel collapsed around them. Finally, just when it seemed that they weren’t going to make it, the mouth of the tunnel came into view. Gasping, they galloped and burst into the nighttime air. Behind them, the tunnel finally stopped collapsing as water spilled onto the streets. Dozens of ponies screamed and cried and ran in all directions. Twilight and the others broke away from the crowd into an empty alley, where the police officer was waiting for them. Rainbow Dash was laying next to a dumpster, still unconscious. The officer was trying to catch his breath.

Twilight slowly limped to him, gasping with relief. “Thank you...sir…”

The officer smiled mirthlessly. “My pleasure. I saw her on the ground and picked her up before the tunnel collapsed. Those other ponies…”

His words trailed off as he frowned. Shining Armor stepped forward. “Thank you, officer.”

“Blu Badge,” the stallion said, extending a hoof. “Happy to help.”

They stood around awkwardly for a moment as the chaos in the streets began to slowly die down. Applejack shivered.

“What the heck was that all about? Why’d th’ tunnel collapse?”

“I don’t know,” Blu Badge replied, dusting off his uniform. “But there’s got to be ponies trapped down there.”

“Wait a minute,” Fluttershy said suddenly. “Where’s Pinkie Pie?”

They all looked around suddenly for their pink, bouncy friend, but she was nowhere to be found.

“Oh no,” Twilight gasped. “Oh no, oh no, oh no…”

“No, she could be okay,” Applejack said worriedly. “She might’ve gotten out. She could…”

She trailed off as her eyes grew wide as saucers.

“I saw her farther up the tunnel,” Fluttershy said, dirty tears running down her cheeks. “When it collapsed...she disappeared…”

They all looked back at the remains of the tunnel, now completely sealed off by water and debris. The realization slowly washed over them, and they sank to their knees and onto each other’s shoulders, weeping. Shining Armor sat on his rump with a stunned expression on his face as Blu Badge looked around nervously, unsure of what to do. An orchestra of sirens and screams filled the night, but all they could hear was the sound of each other’s sobbing and the slow lapping of waves.

Chapter 4: Open Fire

“So...what do we do now?”

Shining Armor sighed, his brow bathed in sweat and dirt, his jacket and shirt sullied. “I don’t know. I mean...Cadance, but…”

“Ah still say we should go back!” Applejack cried out indignantly. “Maybe Pinkie Pie made it out. Maybe she—”

“She’s dead, Applejack,” Rainbow Dash said, limping and wincing. “She didn’t make it out.”

“Now how the heck do ya figure that? She coulda gotten out, maybe…”

As she trailed off, her face gave her away. Even she didn’t believe what she was saying.

They were walking down Westhoof Street in Ardennes Village, barely a mile away from what was left of the Horseland Tunnel. Though the streets were empty, the night was alive with the sounds of emergency sirens, helicopter blades, and—

“Gunfire?”

Blu Badge, who had tagged along with them, listened closely as loud bangs echoed through the air. “No. That’s heavier stuff.”

Shining Armor’s eyes widened. “You don’t mean—”

“Artillery rounds.”

Rarity cocked her head. “How do you know this, Officer Badge?”

“My brother’s in the QDF,” Blu Badge answered. “I learned a thing or two from him before joining the force. And Blu is fine, Miss Rarity.”

Fluttershy shivered as the artillery fire continued. “It sounds close.”

“Yeah.”

“What do ya think they’re shootin’ at?”

“No idea.”

Blu Badge wiped his brow. He’d lost his officer cap in the tunnel collapse, and his snowy-white mane was matted and thick with grime. “Sounds like they’re using HMO.”

“HMO?”

“Heavy Magic Ordinance. Unicorn magic at its deadliest.”

Applejack looked at him uncomfortably. “Officer Badge, ah don’t mean to be rude or nothin’, but are ya sure ya shouldn’t be helpin’ any o’ these ponies ’round here? There’s gotta be more hurt ’n all…”

“My job is to serve and protect. I’ve served you and now I’m protecting you. Well, as best as I can, given the circumstances.”

“But…”

“We all appreciate it, Officer Badge,” Twilight interrupted. “Thank you.”

“All in a day’s work, ma’am.”

They walked in silence out of Ardennes Village, exiting onto Halifax Avenue. As they made their way down the deserted streets, the artillery fire seemed to lessen and the ground shook momentarily. The sirens continued to blare and blend together like a loud, annoying symphony. After a few minutes, Rainbow Dash winced and broke the silence.

“So what’s going on? Why’d the tunnel collapse? Do you know what’s happening, Blu?”

Blu Badge sighed again. “No, I don’t. Nopony does.”

“What?!” they all exclaimed. Blu Badge bristled.

“I don’t know, okay? The MFRA said at first that it was an earthquake, but then I heard about the Statue of Freedom, and...well…”

“Well, what?” Rarity asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Blu Badge wiped his brow again. “I was up ahead in the tunnel trying to direct traffic, when I felt something hit the tunnel walls. And...well, I saw it. I saw something crash through the concrete like it was tissue paper.”

“Wait, what do you mean?” Shining Armor asked.

“I mean that the tunnel didn’t just collapse by itself. Something destroyed it. And whatever it was, they think it also destroyed the Statue of Freedom.”

“So it wasn’t an earthquake?” Twilight asked.

Blu Badge shook his head. “No. It wasn't.”

“Hang on,” Rainbow Dash cut in, resting on the sidewalk as they all stopped to catch their breath. “What did you see in the tunnel? Before it collapsed, I mean.”

He turned to look at her, his eyes dogged with exhaustion. “Something big. Something alive.”

They stared at him in shock and horror as an eerie quiet settled over the street, broken only by the continuous sounds of sirens in the distance. For a few minutes, none of them said anything, until Fluttershy began to cry again. Rarity tried to comfort her as Twilight and Shining Armor confronted Blu Badge.

“What do you mean, alive?”

“What do you think I mean?” Blu Badge replied. “It was alive. I saw it smash through the tunnel. Whatever it was, it was big. Really big. And I think it had scales.”

“Like a sea dragon?” Twilight said.

Blu Badge shook his head. “No. Something else. Something worse.”

“Well, what?" Shining Armor demanded, stamping his hoof in frustration. Blu Badge took a step back.

“I don’t know! All I know is what I saw, and I don’t even know exactly what it was I saw. And…” He checked his walkie-talkie, but all he heard was static. “Damn it. I thought that might happen.”

“What?”

“Communication blackout,” the officer replied. “With so many ponies trying to call for help and so many officers spread out over the city, I guess the comms got overloaded.”

“But wait,” Twilight said suddenly, “can’t you use your instant communication spell, Shining Armor?”

Shining Armor frowned. “I don’t know. I tried a little while ago, but got nothing from Cadance. The spell makes my head really hurt. I don’t know if I want to try it again.”

“Then what th’ heck do we do?” Applejack said again, her voice laden with fear and frustration. “We can’t stay here. We gotta find someplace safe!”

“We will,” Shining Armor answered. “We’ll get onto Bridleway and follow the trolley line. Then we can find Cadance and get out of here.”

Blu Badge nodded. “If we’re on Halifax Avenue now, I think I know a route we can take to get to Bridleway.”

“Okay then. Let’s go.”

Shining Armor started down the street, but Twilight ran in front of him and spoke up. “Shining Armor, stop. We need to come up with a plan.”

“We have a plan, Twily. Find Cadance and go home.”

“And what if we don’t find Cadance?” Twilight snapped. “What if something else happens while we’re out here, and more ponies get hurt? Pinkie Pie is dead, for Celestia’s sake! And look at Rainbow Dash! She needs help!”

“No…” the pegasus said weakly. “I’m fine…”

“You’re not fine. You’re hurt badly and you need medical attention.” Twilight turned back to her brother. “Shining Armor, I want to find Cadance as much as you do. But we can’t just go rushing through the city without some idea of what we’re going to do in case things go wrong again.”

Shining Armor gritted his teeth, trying his best not to yell. He knew his sister was right, and it infuriated him to no end. After a few moments he started to breath normally, his eyes losing their glimmer of rage as he hung his head sadly.

“Okay, Twily. But what do we do, then? We’re in the middle of the city with no way of contacting anypony. Blu Badge’s radio won’t work and I can’t get any word from Cadance via magic.”

Twilight frowned. “If Spike were here I’d be able to send a letter to Princess Celestia.”

“I don’t know if there’s anything Celestia would be able to do here, Miss Twilight,” Blu Badge said, taking out his flashlight and shining it up and down the dimly-lit street. “I mean this isn’t the kind of—ah, damn it.”

The others gasped. Almost every store on either side of the street had been vandalized. The windows were all broken, with broken glass strewn everywhere. The remains of store goods and other debris lay scattered across the pavement. A light pole had collapsed, tearing into the awning above a fruit stand. It looked like a war zone.

Blu Badge cursed under his breath. “Looters. Son of a parasprite.”

Fluttershy cringed at the officer’s swearing as Shining Armor looked around forlornly. “Already? Do these ponies have any sense of decency?”

“You’d be surprised how much ponies change when they feel their lives are in danger,” Blu Badge muttered, carefully examining some of the broken glass. “Watch your step.”

“Are we still on Halifax Avenue?” Rarity asked, looking around.

Twilight nodded. “Yes. Do you know how far Bridleway is from here, Blu?”

The officer looked up and pointed north. “Several blocks in that direction, I think. I can help you get there to rescue your wife, Shining Armor. But I can’t guarantee everypony’s safety. I’m not sure I can protect you all.”

“Hang on, ah I thought ya said that ya were gonna protect us!” Applejack said indignantly. “Now yer saying ya ain’t gonna?”

Blu Badge turned to look at her, his face lined with exhaustion and latent fear. “I am going to protect you. I’ll protect anypony we find. But whatever it is that’s causing this mess, it destroyed Tribucka, the Statue of Freedom, and the damn Horseland Tunnel. If we come across it, whatever it is…” He paused, gulping and looking away. “I won’t be enough.”

Deafening silence settled over them. The shaking and gunfire had ceased, and even the sirens now seemed muted. Rainbow Dash shifted on her hooves, moaning softly as Applejack tried to comfort her. Fluttershy hiccupped as she tried not to cry again. Rarity sat on her rump, ignoring the broken glass, a blank expression on her face. As the sounds of the night began to fill their ears again, Twilight stepped forward and looked Blu Badge in the eye.

“Thank you, Officer Badge,” she said with genuine warmth, extending her hoof. “I know I already thanked you, but honestly I can’t thank you enough. Your service means so much to us. Without you, we might have all died in that tunnel. We owe you our lives. I’d say you’ve done a good job of protecting us so far.”

At this, Blu Badge blushed and smiled for the first time that night, albeit awkwardly. “Gee, er...well, it’s my pleasure, Miss Twilight. Thank you as well.” After a minute or so, he cleared his throat. “Okay, then. What’s the plan?”

“Find Cadance and get the heck out of here,” Shining Armor replied quickly.

“And if we run into trouble?” Rarity asked, snapping out of her funk.

“We run. I don’t care where to, we just run.”

“I’m...not running…” Rainbow Dash said, but Applejack shushed her.

“Yer stickin’ with us, sugar cube. We’re in this together, and ah ain’t leavin’ you. Nopony is.”

“Alright then,” Blu Badge said. “We find Princess Cadance and then get off the island. If anything bad happens, we run with our tails between our legs. Great plan.”

“You got a better one?” Shining Armor countered, cocking an eyebrow. Blu Badge looked away, blushing again. Shining Armor then turned to the rest of the group. “Okay. Everypony good?”

Though none of them felt good in the slightest, they all nodded, and Shining Armor gave a half-smile. “Then let’s get going.”

And so they set off down Halifax Avenue, drawing closer to Bridleway with every step.

* * *

The streetlights were flickering on Bullion Boulevard as the group walked on the trash-littered sidewalk. The night was still alive with the sound of sirens and the occasional burst of gunfire. But the group was growing even more nervous, in light of Shining Armor and Blu Badge confirming that the gunfire was, in fact, getting closer.

“How close, ya think?” Applejack asked the officer, looking around uncomfortably.

Blu Badge strained to listen at the crackles and bursts. “Too close. There’s the rumbling, too. If you’re all gonna make it to Bridleway, you might wanna go a different path.”

“Does that mean you’re abandoning us?” Fluttershy said quietly.

Blu shook his head and smiled. “Absolutely not. Like I said, protect and serve. And who better to protect and serve than members of the Royal Family!”

Twilight blushed, but Shining Armor did not seem to share the sentiment. “Look, sir, we appreciate the fact that you saved Rainbow Dash, but don’t you think it’s—”

RRRRAAAAAAUUUGGGHHHHH!

One block down the street, a building collapsed in a pillowing cloud of dust and smoke, and from it emerged a large, dark shape that was partially masked by the dust. The group stared in horror as the shape seemed to looked up at the moonless sky, and another ear-piercing roar rattled the night, loud enough to shatter the storefront windows. A fireball blossomed as another building went down, and for a brief moment, in the light of the fire, they saw something moving among the dust clouds. The fireball dissipated before they could get a good look at it, and just as they all managed to snap out of their terror-induced stupor, somepony cried out behind them.

“OPEN FIRE!”

Suddenly a hail of magical bolts flew over their heads, smashing into the thing in the clouds with bursts of multicolored energy. They whipped their heads around and saw black-camouflaged QDF soldiers moving swiftly down the street, their weapons pointed high and blasting. The blinding light momentarily confused the group, until one of the soldiers shouted and waved with his hoof for them to move out of the way. They were all too happy to comply, ducking behind abandoned carriages on either side of the street.

All except one.

Applejack screamed and pointed from behind the carriage. Several of the soldiers were tripping over something that was lying in the middle of the road. Horror struck them as they realized that it wasn’t something, but somepony. It was Rainbow Dash, lying in a heap on the asphalt. The soldiers were trying to avoid her as best as they could, but some of them, too focused on shooting the thing in the clouds, kept tripping and trampling over her.

“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight screamed, desperately scrambling from underneath the carriage. Shining Armor yelled in protest and pulled her back just as more QDF soldiers made their way past them, firing at will. More smoke and dust filled the air, but the only thing Twilight could see was her beloved friend being stepped on carelessly by the soldiers. Tears rolled down Twilight’s cheeks as she and Shining Armor clung to one another, while Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rarity cowered in fear on the other side of the street. Blu Badge was nowhere to be seen. Another roar ripped through the air as more and more soldiers fired, lighting up the sky like a Hearth’s Warming Eve tree. An explosion followed the roar, and then another. Neither Shining Armor nor Twilight could see what was going on, as they had their eyes closed and heads covered to protect themselves from the falling debris. But as the gunfire seemed to momentarily subside, Twilight opened her eyes and gasped.

A soldier was standing over her, dressed from head to hoof in black camouflage. His face was hidden behind a black gas mask. In his hooves he held Rainbow Dash, limp and bleeding with bruises all over her body. Her wings were askew and she was covered in ash and grime. Her eyes rolled lazily in their sockets as dirty drool leaked from her mouth. The soldier bent down and placed her in front of Twilight and Shining Armor. While Twilight pulled her friend in behind the cover of the taxi carriage, Shining Armor looked up at the soldier. Though his face was covered, he could see the soldier’s eyes behind the plastic lens of the gas mask. They were bright blue, bloodshot, and wide with fear. Shining Armor wanted to thank him, but as soon as Twilight settled Rainbow Dash into proper cover, the soldier grabbed his shoulder.

“Stay here and keep your head down!” he shouted, his voice muffled from the mask and just barely audible over the chaos unfolding around them. Shining Armor gulped, nodded, and hugged Twilight tightly, who in turn wrapped her hooves around Rainbow Dash.

The soldier stood up, took a step back, and then suddenly looked up. For a final moment, he stood there on the street, frozen like an action figure with his eyes to the sky. Then the world seemed to turn upside down as something huge slammed into the ground and crushed him, kicking up blinding clouds of dust and bits of asphalt. Twilight and Shining Armor screamed, the latter covering her and Rainbow Dash with his body to shield them from the debris. After several agonizing seconds, Twilight opened her eyes and coughed, still sandwiched between her brother and Rainbow Dash. But she had a clear view of the street, or what was left of it, and her eyes widened as the dust began to settle, revealing a truly horrible sight in front of her.

Where the gas-masked soldier had been moments before, there was now a gargantuan foot. The foot was gigantic, covered in chipped black scales and ending five sharp talons, like the foot of a dragon. As more dust settled, Twilight saw that the foot was attached to an even bigger leg, bulging with muscle and curved like that of a reptile. Another leg emerged from the smoke and slammed into the other side of the street, mere inches away from where Fluttershy, Rarity, and Applejack were hunkered down. Shining Armor opened his eyes just as another roar tore through the air, right over his head. The sound nearly burst their eardrums and shook the few remaining unbroken windows around them. The other soldier ponies began to shout frantically and fire their weapons in all directions, just as the two legs seemed to kneel and an even bigger shape emerged from the smoke. Twilight and Shining Armor saw it for only a fraction of a second: the colossal body of a monstrous creature, covered in black scales with a bloated, disfigured face. But then the dust and smoke kicked up again as the creature lifted its legs and disappeared, smashing through a nearby building. Debris flew everywhere as they cried out again, shielding each other as their lungs filled with smoke, their eyes burned from the dust, and their bodies shook as they were pelted and smacked with bits of wood, concrete, and glass.

Several minutes passed, an eternity too long for the cowering ponies on the side of the street. The gunfire had stopped, and all was eerily quiet. Twilight and Shining Armor slowly opened their eyes again, coughing and panting as the dust finally began to clear. Twilight stood up, brushing herself off. Her mane was filled with wood chips and flecks of paint, and her body was bruised and covered in ash and dirt. She looked around and caught sight of Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rarity on the other side of the street, all coughing and trying to stand up. Shining Armor also got up and stepped out onto the broken road, just as a stallion popped up from behind an overturned newspaper stand. It was Blu Badge, his uniform grimy and his brow glistening with sweat. Slowly, they all convened in the middle of the street, with the exception of Twilight and Rainbow Dash. Nopony said anything, not until Twilight called out behind them.

“We need to get her to a hospital!”

They turned around to see her cradling a broken, beaten Rainbow Dash in her hooves. For a moment, they all stood in stunned silence. Finally Shining Armor turned to Blu Badge.

“Hospital. Yeah, we need a hospital. Do you know where one is?”

Blu Badge seemed to be having a harder time collecting himself than Shining Armor, but soon shook his head free of dust and blinked to attention. “Um, a hospital...I think there’s a hospital not too far from here, on Neighville Avenue.” He pointed north. “Just down there, I think.”

“You think?” Shining Armor repeated.

Blu Badge shrugged uncomfortably. “Yeah, I think. Sorry, it’s just...yeah, there’s a hospital on Neighville Avenue. You’re going to take Rainbow Dash there?”

They nodded. “We have to,” Twilight said, still holding Rainbow Dash behind the carriage. “She needs help. She’s hurt bad.”

“Oh no,” Fluttershy whispered, tears welling in her eyes. Rarity comforted her with a hug as the others looked around awkwardly. Shining Armor sighed.

“Okay,” he said, his eyes narrowing. “We’ll get Rainbow Dash to the hospital, then we’ll find Cadance. Is everypony else okay?”

Thought they were far from okay, everypony slowly nodded. Shining Armor took one last look at the destroyed street, then turned back to the others.

“Let’s get going, then. I can carry Rainbow Dash on my back, and maybe we can find something else to stop her bleeding. We should—”

“Now hang on just a darn tootin’ minute!” Applejack snapped. “Ain’t none o’ y’all gonna talk about what the flippin’ heck just happened? What in Equestria was that thing?”

Several seconds passed in silence. In the distance, more sirens echoed up and down the city streets. A fire had broken out in a grocery store just down the road from where they stood, throwing oily smoke into the air. But they could do little else than stand there in shock and awe, trying to remember what they had seen, yet at the same time trying to forget.

“I don’t know, Applejack.” Shining Armor said, his voice quiet and uncertain. “I don’t know.”

Chapter 5: Underground Again

A fire hydrant had burst on Jade Street, just a block down from Bullion Boulevard. When they saw the gushing geyser of water, the group cried out in relief and galloped toward it. They took the opportunity to bathe in the water, washing off the dust and grime from their clothes and skin. Careful not to get too close to the gushing hydrant, one by one they scooped up water in their hooves and drank as much as they could, cooling their parched throats. Fluttershy made sure to give water to Rainbow Dash, who was drifting in and out of consciousness. After a few minutes, they were all soaking wet, but at least they felt a little bit better.

“Alright,” Shining Armor gasped, wiping his mouth and coughing up a bit of water that had gone down the wrong tube. “Alright, we keep moving. C’mon.”

“But Shining Armor…”

“We can’t rest now!” he snapped. “Not with Rainbow Dash hurt, not with Cadance still out there, and not with that...that thing tearing through the city. Neighville Avenue is just a few blocks down this road. That’s what Blu said, remember? We can get your friend some help there, and maybe get a little breathing room. But we still have to keep moving. So come on!”

Reluctantly, the rest of them obliged, picking themselves up and shaking their manes free of water. They immediately regretted getting their clothes wet, as they were now soaked to the bone and felt worse than ever, despite their quenched thirst.

Everything had grown eerily quiet. The constant howl of emergency sirens was now a dim whine in the distance. Only the sounds of the wind and tumbling trash on the streets met their ears now. Shining Armor licked his dry lips and looked around. The street was empty. No ponies, no carts, nothing. The group was completely alone.

“I know this probably goes without saying,” Blu Badge said, breaking the silence, “but I don’t like this at all.”

“Ah don’t think even Pinkie woulda liked anythin’ at all in this tarnation,” Applejack replied, hanging her head sadly.

“Don’t say that,” Twilight snapped. “She...She would have. Pinkie Pie always...she always found a silver lining…”

“Always knew how to make a bad thing better,” Fluttershy agreed quietly.

Silence, and then Rarity spoke up. “I miss her so much.”

“We all do, Rarity,” Twilight said, sniffing. “We...we all do.”

Shining Armor felt a pang in his heart, and Blu Badge bit his lip uncomfortably as he walked. Silence filled the air again, along with the smell of sulfur.

* * *

They met a few other survivors while walking down Jade Street. Some were covered in blood and dirt. Others were just shambling down the road, their faces blank and their eyes twitching. The few that chose to speak to the others all said basically the same thing: nopony knew what the heck was going on. Blu Badge would always offer assistance to passing survivors, but all of his offers were either politely rejected or ignored entirely. One pony told them that Mayor Maneroe had declared a state of emergency, and that Princess Celestia was to make a statement concerning the situation in Manehattan. Twilight felt better knowing that Princess Celestia was going to help him, but the pony that had informed them wasn’t so sure. As far as he was concerned, the city was on its own.

They were three blocks from Manehattan General Hospital when Blu Badge suddenly put up his hoof, and the group came to a halt.

“Why are we stopping?” Shining Armor demanded. “We have to—”

“Quiet!” Blu Badge snapped. “Hear that?”

They all listened carefully, and sure enough the sounds of commotion met their ears.

“…paws off, you dirty mutt! It’s mine!”

“Finders keepers, cow! Now get outta my way!”

“What the…” Blu Badge said, drawing his police baton. “Stay here, everypony.”

“Are you kidding me?! We need to move!” Shining Armor shouted. Blu Badge ignored him, rounding the street corner and disappearing from sight. Cursing, Shining Armor galloped after him.

“Wait, Shining Armor!” Twilight called, but her voice fell on deaf ears. Ignoring Blu Badge’s order, she went after her brother, and the others reluctantly followed suit.

When they rounded the corner, they gasped. Blu Badge had dropped his baton and was now shouting and holding his revolver in his shaking hooves. Shining Armor was standing behind him, unsure of what to do. Twilight looked at where Blu Badge was aiming, and her eyes widened. Standing in the street was a Diamond Dog and a minotaur, both covered in dust and grime. The minotaur held a piece of broken glass in his hand, while the Diamond Dog was carrying what looked like a bag of jewels from the nearby jewelry shop.

“You, bull! Drop the glass shard now!” Blu Badge demanded. “And you! Put that bag down and get on the ground!”

“C’mon, cop,” the Diamond Dog sneered. “Ain’t you got better things to do? The damn city’s goin’ to Tartarus and you’re gonna shoot me over a bag of diamonds?”

“They’re mine!” the minotaur roared. “I found them first! This mutt stole them from me!”

“Both of you shut the heck up! You will both comply or I will be forced to detain you!”

“Detain us?” the Diamond Dog laughed. “You mean shoot us? C’mon, officer, go ahead! There ain’t no law in this city no more. Every pony and dog for himself!”

“I said shut up and get on the ground!” Blu Badge screamed, cocking the revolver. “I’m not going to ask again!”

“Well, since you asked so nicely, go soak your head,” the Diamond Dog sneered. The minotaur was shooting daggers at the dog, but then he sighed.

“Okay, okay,” he said, dropping the shard and sinking to his knees. “Look, just don’t shoot, alright? I didn’t mean anything by it.”

“Ha!” the Diamond Dog cackled. “You pathetic coward!”

“Shut up, mangy cur!”

“ENOUGH!” Blu Badge roared, stepping closer. Meanwhile Shining Armor, Twilight, and the rest of the group were frozen in fear, shock, and awe.

“Get off the streets and get off the island,” the officer continued. “Now.”

The minotaur nodded while the Diamond Dog cackled again, but his laughter ceased when another sound ripped through the air. A familiar, earsplitting roar…

“Go,” Blu Badge ordered. “Go, now!”

Too late. The monster rounded the corner and stomped onto the street, bellowing at the top of its lungs. Before anypony could get a good look at it, another sight caught their eyes: a trio of blue-suited pegasi flying in formation, encircling the monster at incredible speeds.

Shining Armor gasped. “Are those…Wonderbolts?”

Rainbow Dash lifted her head. “Wha? Somepony…say…”

The minotaur and the Diamond Dog ran for their lives, completely ignoring Blu Badge and the others. The monster, which resembled some kind of misshapen dragon through the haze, roared again and tried to swat the Wonderbolts out of the air. Suddenly the air seemed to explode, knocking everypony off their hooves. Looking up, they saw a fireball blossom from one of the nearby apartment buildings. Another Wonderbolt positioned herself above the monster’s head and raised a glowing glass sphere above her head. As the group watched, the Wonderbolt threw the sphere with all her might, but the monster managed to duck its head out of the way. The sphere instead hit the ground at full force, and another explosion ripped through the air, leaving a giant smoking crater in the middle of the street.

“Magic bombs!” Twilight cried. “They’re dropping magic bombs!”

“Yeah, no kiddin’!” Applejack replied. “We gotta get outta here!”

“But where do we—”

“Watch out!”

Looking up, they saw the monster tear off a chunk of the burning apartment building in its hands and toss it in their direction. They scattered like roaches as the flaming debris smashed into the street. The monster roared again, rattling their bones. The Wonderbolts’ attacks were having no effect on the gargantuan beast. In fact, they only seemed to be making it angrier.

Blu Badge looked up as the dust settled, then gasped and pointed. The chunk of the building had ripped through the street, exposing the sewer tunnel that lay beneath. Immediately the rest of them understood. It was their only chance.

As the monster bellowed once more, they all darted for the opening in the road. But as they reached the hole, a magic bomb slammed into a nearby tenement and blew it to pieces. The fireball blossomed like a flower in the sky and rained down flaming debris around them. Twilight screamed and dove into the sewer hole just as the burning hulk of what was once an apartment bathroom crashed into the ground above her. Then, with a loud groan, the road caved in above them, sending dust and rubble everywhere and sealing the hole.

Minutes passed, though they felt like years. The girls coughed and wheezed as they tried to stand on their hooves. Shining Armor shook his mane free of dust and looked around.

“Great,” he growled. “Underground again. Is everypony okay?”

His voice echoed off the walls of the sewer tunnel, as did the groans and coughs of the others. It was pitch black, but suddenly a small orb of purple light illuminated the tunnel. Twilight hocked a wad of dusty spit from her throat and gasped for air. But then, as she looked around, her eyes widened in horror.

“Wait a minute…where’s Rarity?”

Shining Armor looked around, but there was no sign of Rarity. Just as he was about to try and console his sister, a timid, frightened voice interrupted him.

“Twilight!” Fluttershy stammered, her eyes full of tears. “It’s Rainbow Dash! She’s…She’s not breathing!”