Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer

Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.

~The Raven - Edgar Alan Poe~

It's a wicked game, survival. You start out none the wiser, then everything turns upside down within an instant. The rules of the game that is life changes. Where you once fought to protect each other, now you fight to protect yourself, sometimes from those closest to you.

My world turned upside down two months ago, when an Archaeological team discovered an underground cavern. The cavern itself was not something to be feared. What lay waiting inside however, was. Monsters, the likes of which had never been recorded in the Equestrian Archives emerged. They took some, and they ate others. Those that were privy to neither fate like myself ran, hid and escaped.

I'll never forget the look on my friend's face as one of the monsters dragged him away. He broke his fingers trying to claw at the ground, desperate for escape.

Here I sat, in an old barn, its finish decayed due to lack of upkeep. The chipped paint still held a semblance of bright red. Overall, the barn, like the rest of the world, looked so sad. A barrel of rotting apples was my place of choice to rest. My back against the barrel, I sprawled my legs out to the side and leaned my head back, touching the metal frame that kept the wood together. I closed my eyes, for a few moments, letting the silence seep in. I didn't know where I'd found myself. Drifters didn't tend to check maps.

Amidst the breeze, there was a light whistling from the wind as it blew through the second floor window. Overall, rather peaceful for such a desolate place. But the feeling of danger never truly escaped my thoughts. The wind blew something into my face. I knew it was a piece of parchment before I even went to open my eyes. The sound was unmistakable. It was a note.

To anypony who reads this letter,

Something came up from underground just north of my home. My brother and Grandmother are gone. I don't know what's happened to them. It's just me and my sister now. I can hear screams from beyond the farm, and terrifying sounds the likes of which I'v never heard before. I don't think we're going to make it unless I can keep my sister quiet.

We have to get the hay out of Ponyville. I'm gonna take my sister and look for my friends as best I can. I can't take the sounds anymore, Oh Celestia, the sounds! I'm gonna look for Fluttershy first, if she hasn't already been taken, she's probably having a heart attack.

My name is Applejack. If you're reading this; get the buck out of Ponyville!

As I read the note, I heard a familiar groaning sound from outside. I knew exactly what it was. With a light sigh, I stood up and hurried over to the ladder, I climbed with haste and went to the nearest barrel I could find, hiding behind it. A few seconds later, the sound entered the barn. I just remained quiet and resumed my light slumber. The groaning sound did little to disturb me. I knew that they couldn't climb. They weren't smart enough. Nevertheless, I felt I should have taken the precaution regardless and hoisted the ladder up with me, out of reach of the creature below. I didn't dwell on the thought too much. Even now, there was such a thing as too much paranoia. I looked out the barn window and noticed that the sun was setting. They would emerge soon.

I awoke to the first sound. A terrifying cry of pain and malice. One of them was nearby. From the sound of things, it was at the house, across from the barn. It no doubt expected somepony to be resting there instead of here. Needless to say it would check the barn afterwards.

Using what time I had, I snuck a glance at the floor beneath me. The creature I'd climbed up the ladder to get away from had moved on. Fortune smiled upon me. I jumped down from the second floor and landed as quietly as possible. Sneaking out of the barn, I flashed a glance over at the house. I couldn't see it, but I heard it. It was inside. I understood how they worked. This one was a straggler, having stayed behind to examine what was here. The others would be in the town South of here. I crept as quietly as possible to the house and chose a spot beneath one of the windows to sit and wait. I heard it searching the place for somepony, like a bear searching for honey. I tucked myself into a ball and waited for it to be finished. Naturally, it would depart out the nearest window to the barn to save itself time.

It took only a few minutes before the sound of a window broke on the opposite side of the house. It was time for me to make my move. I rose from beneath my window and tested it. It was unlocked. Gently, I slid it open and hopped through, closing it afterward. I crept upstairs. The house seemed barely touched, even after it had been here. I picked a room to enter and found myself in a rather snug little bedroom. Everything was relatively tidy, there were no clothes hanging from objects, or on the floor. The bed was made. It looked like somepony still lived here, but I knew better than that. I walked over to the bed and sat down on it. I then leaned to the side and kicked up my legs, turning to lay flat on my back. My bones crackled, grateful for the release of stress. I stayed like that for a moment before turning to my side and curling up. I needed all the sleep I could get. Remaining awake through the screams of those things would serve me no purpose. And I'd recently gotten used to the sound, so it only woke me when it was within close proximity such as inside the house.

The sun shone through my face, waking me up. I used to hate the morning sun, but now it was a relief to wake up to. It meant that they were mostly gone and the danger had been divided considerably. I sat up on the bed and stretched myself, hearing nearly every bone in my upper body crackle with joy. A yawn escaped my maw and I was grateful for it. I heard nothing within the area, which was excellent news for me. Leaving the bedroom, I descended the stairs and made my way straight to the kitchen. I didn't expect to find much, but something was better than nothing.

Being an apple farm, the kitchen was expected to contain mostly apples. Fortunately, there were other things that often went with apple based foodstuffs. There must have been a foal living here as there were some long lasting sweets in storage. They were the first thing I saw. My teeth might not thank me, but my brain and taste buds certainly would.

It was as I sat down to eat that I heard something underneath the sink. I stopped what I was doing and looked cautiously over to it. The door rattled slightly as whatever was behind it pushed weakly against it. 'A rat maybe?' I thought, standing up to investigate. As I approached, a gentle whine reached my ears. It wasn't like the familiar groaning sound I'd grown accustomed to. Whatever was behind that door was still alive, if barely.

Steeling my resolve, I gripped the door with my hand and prepared my horn for attack. Throwing the door open, I spotted a disturbing sight. A brown and white Border Collie was laying on her side, her ribs sticking through her barely intact flesh. She was struggling to breathe. I knew instantly that she was close to her last legs. There was something about seeing animals like this that infuriated me. Ponies I was used to, but animals?

I removed my overcoat and wrapped it around the poor animal and pulled her out as gently as possible. Holding her in my arms, I remembered seeing some dog food in one of the pantry doors. Remaining gentle, I placed her down on the kitchen table and hurried over to the pantry. I spotted the dog food and used my magic to get it down from the top shelf. I grabbed the nearest bowl I could and filled it to the brim with the stuff. I took the bowl and its contents over to the dog and placed it next to her. She gave the bowl a light sniff, weakly lifting her head up to do so. She moved closer to take some, but her muscles failed her. I lifted her head for her and grabbed a piece of the food. I held it to her mouth, which she opened. It fell to the back of her throat. She didn't bother chewing it, she just swallowed.

That one bit of dog food was enough to give her survival instincts a kick start. I tilted the bowl towards her, proceeding to let some of it fall onto the table. She went for those first, each bit giving her just a little bit more strength. As I left her to her devices, I went to grab another bowl and took it to the sink. Turning the tap, it let out maybe a cup full of water before it stopped. That had to do. I brought the bowl of water over to the dog and placed it next to the food bowl.

It was a slow process, watching the dog eat and helping her to drink. But in the end, she was feeling a little better. It would take a few hours before she was up to scratch, but at least she was out of the red. This meant that my stay in this town was extended slightly.

"Why don't you come with me? I always wanted a dog." I suggested. The dog responded with an affectionate lick against the back of my hand. "Attagirl."

It was several hours before my new travelling companion was well enough to walk. But even with what I fed her, she wouldn't be able to walk far. That left us with one option. To explore the town downhill and find a safe place to sleep. We had about five good hours of daylight left.

The walk into town went by fairly well. There were loud groans in the distance, but we went by virtually unnoticed. It wasn't until the dog barked at a tree that I turned to look at it.

"Golden Oaks Library? You know this place?" I asked. The dog simply responded with a bark and proceeded towards the front door. With a shrug, I followed her, opening the door with caution. Taking a few quiet steps inside, I was reassured that the place was empty. Even if it wasn't anything inside wouldn't be able to catch up to us. I closed the door behind me and looked around. The place was a mess. Books were missing from their shelves, some of which could be found on the ground. I noticed a particularly clean book on a nearby table and went to examine it.

Picking the book up, I examined the cover. It held the seal of Princess Celestia herself. Curiosity got to me and I opened it up. Inside were numerous entries written to Celestia like a diary. All had something in common besides to whom the entries were for and the handwriting. The one who wrote them was none other than...

"Twilight Sparkle?" I said aloud, after which I heard something shuffle from behind me. I turned around and caught the sight of a pony. She was easy on the eyes, despite her state. Her deep purple mane was messier than an unsorted bale of hay. Her violet coat was ruffled, her clothes were torn in various places, some slightly revealing. And she had the most paranoid look in her bloodshot eyes. The dog just stood beside me and wagged her tail happily at the mare.

"Who are you and what are you doing with my Friendship Journal?!" the mare demanded.

Author's Note

So this is the first chapter. Here's what he's wearing.

Pants:

Shirt:

Jacket:

Overcoat: