Death City

I’m happily back with another chapter of this fanfic. This chapter will now focus on Rarity, which I think have mentioned before, is now conscious again. Apparently somepony finds her and helps her regain consciousness. Now, let’s begin the chapter.

Chapter 16 – Haunting Visions of the Past

“Rarity? Rarity?” A familiar voice was shouting. To Rarity, all she heard were muffled screams as she was in some sort of deep sleep. As she began to open her eyes, Rarity had noticed that her vision had been one big blur. Her vision soon began to clear up and began to come into concentration. What she saw above her was an orange earth pony with a dirty blonde mane and tail. The two were practically centimeters away.

“RARITY!” The earth pony screamed for the last time, startling the white unicorn. Once Rarity had calmed down, she spoke up, warning the earth pony of her presence.

“I’m awake, I’m awake.” Rarity repeated herself. “I think I lost an eardrum because of you.” She shot back.  “Oh Celestia. I have a massive headache right now.” Rarity reached a hoof yup to the top of her forehead where it hurt the most, only to find a huge bump there. “What the hay?” Feeling the bump at every angle, she soon realized what had happened. She knew that when Snake had hit her in the head with a frying pan, a bump had made its way onto her forehead. Realizing this, Rarity began to faint again, her body falling to the floor afterwards.

“RARITY!” Applejack tried shouting out loud again, but it was useless. Rarity was known for passing out due to even the littlest tings. Realizing Rarity would be unconscious at least for the next hour, Applejack knew that she had to do something. She couldn’t just leave Rarity all alone by herself in the Ark with all those guards roaming around. Not at least after she saw what really happens to intruders found on the Ark. Taking the unconscious unicorn by the hoof, Applejack swiftly swung Rarity onto her back and began galloping down the hallway. No longer was Applejack stuck in a vent anymore, rater she had found a hole in the vent and managed to escape the pipes. From there, she noticed Rarity on the floor and had rushed to her aid. All this had led up to where she was right now, carrying Rarity on her back and galloping for her own life.

Nearing the corner of the hallway, Applejack had accidentally turned too early around the sharp corner, and as a result, had chipped the tip of Rarity’s horn. The tip had fallen to the ground, and to Applejacks surprise, hadn’t made even the littlest sound.

“Son of a.” Applejack had mumbled to herself quietly. Knowing that unicorns couldn’t perform any type of magic without their horn being in full tact, Applejack had bent over to the ground and used her mouth to pick up the small, chipped off bit of her horn, still being careful to let Rarity drop off of her back. Once the horn had been in her mouth, Applejack resumed galloping down the hallway, tis time taking more precautions than before. Going in random directions, Applejack was getting more and more tired of the Ark and didn’t care anymore if she got lost. All she cared about was avoiding the guards, finding her friends, saving Dusk, and getting the hay out of the Ark. With the chipped off tip of Rarity’s horn in her mouth. Applejack began tasting the marrow on the inside of the point of the white horn. She didn’t know why, but for some reason the marrow inside it had a sweet, tangy taste to it. Applejack knew what she was going was wrong, but being trapped in the Ark for the past few hours had made her hungry as ever. Her stomach grumbled loudly as she galloped down the slopes of the hallways.

Just then, as Applejack, still carrying Rarity on her back, neared another corner of the hallway, she soon collided with somepony else. She soon heard a light “oof” afterwards, hinting that she had ran into another pony. Applejack was also knocked back and Rarity was knocked off of Applejacks back and was flung to the side of the hallway. Applejack had a huge feeling that she had ran into another guard and fear soon consumed her entire body. As she got up and began to look upwards, expecting to see a guard or something, she was taken aback at who she saw.

“Pinkie?!” Applejack asked the fuzzy pink earth pony who she had ran into. “Where were yall?”

“Applejack!” Pinkie Pie screamed, tackling the southern earth pony to the ground. “Oh goodness. I’d never thought I’d ever see you again. I actually thought I’d never see anypony ever again. That was until I found Lightning Flash.” She said all in one breath, pointing a hoof towards Lightning. Applejack had to lift her head in order to get a good glimpse of Lightning Flash, and boy did she like what she saw. A silence spread between the ponies as Applejack had gotten a good look at Lightning Flash, who had averted his eyes the entire time. As always Pinkie Pie was the one who had broken the silence.

“Gasp, you found Rarity!” She yelled, charging towards the unconscious Rarity thrown towards the corner of the hallway. “Oh, and she’s still unconscious. What happened?”

Applejack began to get up on all fours again after Pinkie Pie had jumped off of her and began explaining. “When I found her, she began regaining her consciousness. But when she felt that bump on her head, she had passed out. She’s a real drama queen if yall ask me.”

Pinkie Pie began kicking her front hoof towards Rarity’s head, trying to see if she was breathing or not. To her luck, she was, but Pinkie didn’t know when she would wake up.

“We’d better get a move on before any of the guards find us.” Lightning spoke to the group for the first time.

“Agreed.” Applejack looked directly at Lightning again. “Last thing ah want is tah be killed, cut open, and have mah insides turned into soup.” She had blurted out

“What?!” Pinkie yelled. “What are you saying? I thought I was the only one who said the weird things around here. I mean really, being turned into soup. Ha! That’s the silliest thing I’ve heard all day. Right Lightning?” Pinkie chuckled at Applejacks statement.

“I’m afraid she’s telling the truth.” A depressed Lightning Flash responded, turning his head downward.

“W-what do you mean?” Pinkie had stopped laughing and became extremely concerned in less than a few seconds.

“Heh, it’s been a long time ago.” Lightning began trotting to one of the many windows in the Ark.

Tomorrow - SR-71 (open link in new tab)

Lightning had jumped up onto his back two hoofs and had pressed his front two hoofs against the Plexiglas windows. Leaning towards them, he let out a huge sigh as he looked out into the dark, distant space surrounding him. All Applejack and Pinkie Pie did was stare at him in a confused state as he began his story. “A long time ago, when I was just a colt, I had this prison mate that I loved and adored. What was special about her was that she had the exact same feelings for me too. That was until, the day came. The day that I had been so foolish as to lose her forever.

Is it any wonder why I'm scared?

If I was a little younger would I care?

Feeling like the walls are growing stronger

I don't know if this cage can hold me any longer

Lightning began to shed a tear as sadness had consumed his entire body as memories of his past ran through his mind.

You never dreamed you'd have to live your life so guarded

Cause they'll find a way to make you feel discarded

“A breakout of the prison had occurred that day. Apparently, a massive amount of creatures that were a combination of not only water but also fire had broken out of the labs of the Ark and had gone on a rampage, eating away at all the walls of the prison.” Lightning continued.

I'm not afraid of tomorrow

I'm only scared of myself

Feels like my insides are on fire

And I'm looking through the eyes of somepony else

“We both knew that this was our chance to escape and start a new life all over again, just the two of us. So we escaped.” Lightning’s memories had taken full control of himself as he let the story play out as if he was experiencing it all over again.

I never thought they'd want me to go even faster

Never thought I took my hoof off the gas

Everypony loves to be in on the pressure

But I know they're all waiting for the crash

“What happened then?” Pinkie Pie had asked. Her curiosity getting the best of herself

“We galloped as fast as we both could. All the guards were distracted with the breakout of the watery creatures, so we knew we were in the clear. But that was what we thought.” Lightning added, his voice tone turning low. “Not everything you think is really true.”

You never dreamed you'd have to live your life so guarded

'Cause they'll find a way to make you feel discarded

So changed, you've become a complication

Can't make it through another day's humiliation

“Right as we neared the shuttle room filled with escape pods, we were stopped by a large set of guards blocking the entrance.” Lightning Flash added. “Then, my prison mate and only friend had done the most stupidest thing ever, something that I’ll never forgive her for doing.”

I'm not afraid of tomorrow

I'm only scared of myself

Feels like my insides are on fire

And I'm looking through the eyes of somepony else

“W-what did she do?” Applejack had asked Lightning.

“She forced me to go back to the cell while she would cause a distraction.” Lightning gave out a huge sigh and the continued. “At first, I refused and told her there was no way I’d just leave her alone by herself, but then she told me to look into her eyes. Those big, beautiful, astonishing eyes. Right then and there she used her front hooves to hug me and then swiftly turned around and began charging towards the guards. Remembering her words, I galloped back towards my own cell before I got stopped by another guard.

Somepony else

Somepony else

Somepony else

Is it any wonder why…

The answer keeps me petrified?

Is it any wonder why I'm scared?

“Ever since then, I haven’t seen her since.” A saddened Lightning mentioned. “Then, one day during lunchtime, I had been given by one of the guards a bowl filled with something that was supposed to look like grub. It had a note attached to the side of the bowl that literally scarred me. I can still remember the note word for word.”

I'm not afraid of tomorrow

I'm only scared of myself

Feels like my insides are on fire

And I'm looking through the eyes of somepony else

“What did the note say?” A scared Pinkie Pie asked.

“Dear Lightning Flash,” Lightning began reciting the contents of the note. “We’ve realized how depressed you’ve been over the past few days and we decided to give you a little ‘treat’ to cheer you up. Your treat is none other than your cell mate, or what used to be her, at least. This is a warning to you and all your prison friends. Escaping this place is never an option. So sit tight unless you want to be grounded alive and made into a puree.”

Is it any wonder why I'm scared?

(I'm not afraid of tomorrow)

If I was a little younger would I care?

(I'm only scared of myself)

Feeling like the walls are growing stronger

(Feels like my insides are on fire)

And I'm looking through

The eyes of sompony else

Is it any wonder why I'm scared?

‘So your saying that if we are found, we’ll be killed and turned into food?!” Pinkie screamed as she began hyperventilating. Applejack tried to calm Pinkie Pie down, but she wasn’t even listening to her one bit. Soon, noises from across the hallway began growing louder as the shadows approached the four ponies. Pinkie Pie couldn’t control herself anymore and began crying obnoxiously loud. The three ponies knew that this was the end and that they were going to not only be found, but also killed. This was until they realized who was approaching them the entire time.

“Pinkie Pie?” A familiar voice asked from the distance. As Pinkie suddenly stopped crying and looked up, she saw none other than Snake and Raymond.

“Guys!” She screamed while charging up to them and giving them a big hug. “I thought we were going to be killed and made into food.” Pinkie Pie said with relief.

“Wait, what?” An extremely confused Raymond had asked. “What do you mean killed and turned into food?”

“It’s a long story.” Pinkie replied.

“Heh, looks like we arrived in good timing.” Snake poked his head away from Pinkies. “We’ve already got Rarity, who for some reason is still unconscious, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, me, Raymond and….” Snake suddenly stopped as he was suddenly looking directly at Lightning Flash.

“Oh, Snake and Raymond, this is Lightning Flash. Lightning, this is Snake Evergreen and Raymond.” Pinkie jumped in, introducing the three ponies. All Lightning did as a response was wave his front hoof at the other two ponies then resumed looking out the window.

“Great, now all we need to do is find Twilight, Thunder, Seamus, Rainbow, and Fluttershy.” Raymond added. “If we can find Fluttershy, she can surely help us find Dusk and get the hay out of here.”

“Well it’s settled then.” Pinkie confirmed. “Let’s go find the rest of the group and go save Dusk!” Pinkie Pie yelled, taking control of the group. “Onward!”

As the group began trotting down the hallway, Pinkie Pie had put Rarity on her back just like before and the group was off, with Lightning Flash all the way in the back as he began to mumble some words behind everyponys back.

“I’ll find you, Jessica.” Lightning mumbled to himself. “I know your still alive somewhere out there, I can feel it.”

Done with chapter 16. I should consider myself really lucky to be able to update even during testing week. I know for sure that I won’t be able to update for tomorrow but I do know I will be able to update the day after. As always, I’m still looking for new character OC’s as well as songs too. The song used in this chapter was Tomorrow by SR-71. I know from now that this won’t be the last time I will be using that band in this fanfic. With that said, I command you to review or be turned into food and be fed to prison mates. (that sounded extremely lame, lol)