Metaphorical Future

The silence didn’t last long.

“Holy sweet merciful Celestia! I…I…I can’t believe I just did that! I could have died! No no no no no! I need a drink, for the love of Celestia give me a drink!” cried Berry Punch as the realisation of what she had just done finally dawned on her.

“Berry snap out of it!” shouted Junebug as she grabbed the earth pony and gave her a firm shake.

Berry went silent but she was shaking from mane to tail and promptly fell on Junebug in a tight embrace. Apple Bumpkin meanwhile had her head pressed up against the door in an attempt to hear what was going on outside; between the whistles of the wind she could make out the growling snarls of the timberwolves that lurked just beyond the stone wall. She checked the door again to make sure it was securely closed.

“Try not to move!” said Helia sharply as a groan emanated from the pile of limbs that was Octavia.

All of the others quickly looked their way but the darkness made it impossible to see what was going on.

“I can’t see a blind thing in here,” said Berry Punch quickly, “Do we have anything we could use for light? Anything?!”

“Calm down Berry,” instructed Bumpkin, the earth pony thankful for one small mercy, “When myself and Helia went to collect wood I didn’t take my saddlebag off. I should have something in here, give me a moment.”

The earth pony quickly slung off her saddlebags and started rummaging through them. It didn’t take her long to find what she was looking for, a torch and two pieces of flint. Being careful not to miss the torch she clipped the two pieces of flint together sending a few sparks onto the torch end. It ignited quickly and she picked it up, taking a moment to illuminate the room they were in.

It was small as it had looked from the outside. The walls were all made of uninteresting brick and mortar, the door indeed being metal and housed in a large sturdy albeit rusty frame. Other than a lot of plant roots and mud though there wasn’t much else to see in the flickering light.

“Get that light over here,” instructed Helia quickly as she pointed to Octavia.

Bumpkin didn’t argue, moving the light closer to them. As she did she couldn’t help but gasp, a reaction copied by the other ponies around her too. Octavia was in bad shape; her right front ankle was badly bruised and swollen from her trip and three long red cuts had been sliced into her stomach and up her right side where the timberwolf had struck her. There was a lot of blood, the light of the torch showing the small pool that was forming under her as she lay there. Berry Punch nearly fainted on the spot and even Junebug looked visibly sick.

“S-Sweet mother of Celestia!” exclaimed Helia as she did her best to hold back the urge to throw up as well, “Oh my…this is…we have to stop the bleeding!”

Helia looked over Octavia once more before acting quickly. Grabbing Octavia’s torn cloak she pulled it off and began tearing it into small pieces. With haste she quickly placed them against the open wounds and pressed hard. Octavia cried out in pain and Helia bit her lip hard as she watched the fabric slowly turning a darker shade of brown. Junebug was quickly at Octavia’s side as well, sitting herself next to her head and gently hugging her warmly.

“Shh, it’s alright Octavia, we’ll get you fixed up,” she cooed gently as Octavia herself gave another cry of pain.

“Keep her steady, if she moves too much she’s going to rip these wounds right open,” said Helia quickly, “Bumpkin hold that light a little closer, Berry I need you to hold this cloth right here whilst I get a proper bandage sorted.”

The ponies around her quickly followed her instructions. Berry Punch, still looking slightly nauseas, knelt down next to Helia and placed a hoof against the mass of cloth, Bumpkin quickly found a better place to stand where the light would be best used and Junebug continued to quietly reassure Octavia who now had her eyes closed tight as she tried to control her own breathing.

Helia meanwhile had a firm expression of determination on her face. She worked quickly, tearing up the shredded cloak and laying out strips of it on the ground. Next she dived for Bumpkin’s saddlebag, rummaging through it for anything she could find. Giving a large sigh of relief she pulled out a small pouch of herbs from the bag.

Without a grinding tool however she was left to use the next best thing. She almost retched at the taste as she stuffed the herbs into her mouth and started to chew them. Whilst all herbs could be medicine they couldn’t all be food and this particular herb was proving that point quite clearly. After a moment she spat them out onto her hoof, the mass of plants now reduced to a rather sloppy looking gunk.

“Ok Berry, take the cloth’s off, slowly now,” she instructed.

Berry did just that, slowly peeling the bloodied cloth away from Octavia’s wounds. It was now possible to see them a little clearer, the three long gashes not quite as deep as she had feared but still deep enough. As the wounds began to seep again she quickly pushed the chewed up plant matter into each one. Octavia gasped as the herbs stung a little but otherwise managed to keep calm.

“Right Berry, I need you to lift her a little so I can pass these bandages under her. Again easy does it.”

Berry just nodded, taking the instructions from her friend very seriously as she carefully lifted Octavia’s hind quarters allowing Helia to pass the bandages under her. As Berry lowered her back to the ground Helia began wrapping the fresh bandages around Octavia’s midriff. She used a few extra pieces to make a thicker mass around the wounds themselves and then secured them in place with the bandages. As she tied each one and pulled them tight Octavia’s hind leg would twitch in pain. By the time she was done though Octavia’s wounds had been completely bandaged and, despite a little leakage, looked dry.

Helia breathed a sigh of relief, “Just hope that heals properly.”

“Where did you learn that?” asked Berry in astonishment, “You looked like a proper nurse.”

“I’ve spent a little time working with Lotus looking after the kids,” replied Helia, “You know helping bandage up cuts and stuff.”

“We’re…lucky to have you along then,” came a croaking voice to their side.

Both Helia and Berry looked towards it to find Octavia smiling weakly at them. She looked tense and the pain was evident on her face but at the same time she was smiling slightly. Helia quickly looked away though, her ears drooping as she shook her head.

“I’m the reason all this even happened…” she murmured quietly.

“What do you mean?” asked Junebug.

“When Helia and I went off to collect firewood she got really angry at something I said,” replied Bumpkin with a small sigh, “It was her raised voice that attracted the timberwolves.”

Junebug gave a small gasp, “Oh no…”

“That’s why I came running,” coughed Octavia quietly, “I heard her voice and knew something would hear it…four timberwolves was not what I had expected…”

They all looked at Helia, the mare looked like an entirely different pony compared to earlier. Octavia knew why, she had finally realised just how dangerous their new world was. Ever since the Overload it was a rare event that a pony would go out into the world without a definite purpose. Most took shelter in holes, caves and other such places, hiding from the teeth that Equestria now bore.

“Speaking of those timberwolves though,” said Berry after a moment, “What is with those things? I’ve seen them before before…well before, but they weren’t as aggressive then…and certainly not as big!”

“We don’t know,” replied Junebug, “Ever since everything went wrong it just seems that everything with a shred of magic in it has gone berserk…apart from us of course.”

Junebug looked down at her flank and couldn’t help but shed a tear. There was nothing there, her shimmer bug cutie mark absent from her fur. Of course she wasn’t alone, none of them had a cutie mark any more, not since the Overload. For a moment a silence fell over the group. None of them knew what to do next, all except one that was. With a grunt of exertion Octavia pushed herself to her hooves. She stood with clenched teeth and a shivering body as she looked at the door but her eyes burned with resolve.

“Octavia?” asked Bumpkin curiously, “What are you doing?”

“What a guardian must,” replied Octavia through laboured breathing, “If we stay here we’re as good as dead. We have no supplies and no pony will come looking for us. The only chance we have is to make a break for it.”

“Woah woah woah! You mean we have to go back outside? Those timberwolves are still out there, shouldn’t we wait for morning?” protested Berry, her face aghast.

“Timberwolves will never leave their prey once they have found it. We stand a better chance at night when their vision is impaired,” replied Octavia factually.

“Even so we barely made it in here before being caught, how we are going to get past them?” asked Helia slowly.

Octavia didn’t reply, she simply stood looking at the door. As she took a step forwards Bumpkin quickly intercepted her, blocking her way forwards the door.

“Out of my way,” ordered Octavia as she glared at Bumpkin.

“No!” replied Bumpkin as she returned the glare.

“I said out of my…”

“You’re going to sacrifice yourself aren’t you? You’re going to distract those timberwolves so we can escape.”

As the other ponies around them gasped Octavia let out a slight growl.

“And what if I am?” she replied, “It’s the duty of every guardian to protect those ponies under them. If I can keep their attention on me long enough then you should be able to sneak past them and escape, or would you rather we all sit here and slowly die of starvation?”

“Isn’t it also the duty of a guardian to never leave a pony behind? Let me let you in on a little secret. When Noteworthy was still alive he had me promise that whatever happened I would watch over him…he made me HIS guardian! He entrusted his life to me as every pony else entrusted theirs to him.”

As Bumpkin spoke she began to shake, raw emotion beginning to pour forth like a swelling river.

“When he died…I…I promised myself that whoever he chose as his successor would be granted the same promise I made to him,” continued Bumpkin, “So no, I will not move! I won’t let you throw your life away. If we are to die I would rather we died together than have to watch somepony who has watched over us and been like a mother to us all torn apart by a thousand hungry teeth. I know you are only doing what you feel is right but being a guardian is more than just fighting off dangers…it’s about being the anchor that holds us together. Other ponies don’t say it but just your presence has been enough to give us all strength.”

Octavia felt as if a sudden weight had been lifted from her shoulders. All her worries and doubts about her previous decisions seemed to vanish in a puff of smoke. In that moment the memories of the last few weeks flooded back to her but not in the way she remembered. Before all she could think about was the problems she had faced; protecting those in her group, whether the children would have enough to eat, whether other ponies respected her like they had Noteworthy. Now though the only thing that filtered in were the small smiles she had missed, the kind words whispered on a departing shoulder and the rekindled hope in the eyes of a small foal.

Her knees shook, her body finally losing the last of its strength as her mind finally realised what it should have been seeing all along. Slowly she lowered herself to the ground and began to cry, sobbing openly as repressed emotions flooded to the surface. Bumpkin was at her side immediately, wrapping a hoof around her as Octavia started to cry into her shoulder. The other three ponies simply sat in silence, each stunned by the scene that had played out before them.

It was some time later, the moon now high in the sky outside, when one of them stirred. Berry Punch, unable to sleep, got up and looked around. The other ponies were all asleep, or at least they appeared to be. In a corner Octavia slept soundly against Bumpkin, the two ponies having not separated since their earlier altercation. Berry was still a little shocked by everything that happened but her earlier desire for a drink had subsided for now. At the other side of the room Helia and Junebug slept separately, both ponies seeming somewhat calmer that before.

As Berry looked around the bare stone walls of the room they were in she couldn’t help but sigh. She didn’t know what was going to happen next. They had no supplies and the timberwolves were still waiting for them outside. Worse still even if they managed to get away from the timberwolves they were still lost, all of their navigation equipment having been left behind at their trampled camp. It was doubtful they would be able to find it again never mind their home.

She shook her head and walked over to the torch that sat by the wall burning brightly and picked it up. As she waved the flame slowly around the room she realised that none of them had actually explored the room they were in; not that she imagined there being much to see. The walls were all cracked and showing signs of extreme aging, the floor was cold concrete and the roof matched the floor. Just what was this place anyway? Why would somepony build a concrete box in the middle of nowhere?

Sighing to herself she slowly began to walk around the small room, exploring the darkened corners to see if there was anything of interest at all. What she found was unremarkable at best; nothing more than dirt and chipped plaster. That was about to change though and in a rather painful way for poor Berry Punch. As she neared the back of the room she found that the concrete floor gave way to wood. She frowned slightly wondering what it could be as she stepped onto it.

Unfortunately, the worn and rusted hinges that held the trapdoor in place were not prepared to support her weight and fragmented into pieces. Berry could do little but yell out in surprise as the wooden trapdoor gave way under her sending her plummeting down a short flight of metal stairs before she hit a landing. The stairs groaned under her weight but not as much as Berry did as she slowly picked herself up, bruises covering much of her body.

“What was that?” cried Junebug’s voice from above her.

“Sounded like Berry!” replied Helia, “Berry?! Berry are you alright, where are you?”

“Down here!” called Berry as she leaned over to pick up the torch she had dropped during her fall.

She looked around quickly. She was stood on a set of metal stairs, her fall being only a small section of a much larger staircase that descended down into the darkness below her. The stairs were housed in a concrete shaft, circling around the edge in a spiral.

“What in the hay is this?” she said out loud to herself.

“Good question…” replied Bumpkin as her head appeared over the edge of the broken trapdoor, “What were you doing?”

“I couldn’t sleep so I decided to have a look around the room,” replied Berry as she looked up at her, “Didn’t realise that was a trapdoor, it gave way right under my hooves.”

“Good thing those stairs were there to catch you…where do they even lead?”

Both ponies looked down into the gloom below them as the rest of the group arrived at Bumpkin’s side.

“What do you think Octavia?” asked Junebug slowly.

“I would say it’s a better option than going back outside,” replied Octavia, “Still we have to be careful. Berry are those stairs secure?”

“Well they didn’t collapse when I fell down them,” replied the earth pony as she rubbed her bruised flank, “Groaned a bit mind you.”

“Then we’ll take it slowly and carefully, Junebug can you help me down?”

“Of course.”

After gathering together the few supplies they did have into Bumpkin’s saddlebag the group slowly began to descend into the darkness. Bumpkin and Berry led the way, Berry illuminating the walls as Bumpkin watched out for any trouble. Next came Octavia, the earth pony supported on her kin Junebug but still moaning in discomfort with every step. Last came Helia, the Pegasus keeping a sharp eye on all of them as well as casting glances back up the staircase from time to time. The stairs themselves seemed to go on forever, winding downwards in a spiral. Perhaps it was because they couldn’t see the bottom but it felt like they were descending into the pits of Tartarus.

“Is anypony else feeling really creeped out right now?” asked Junebug quietly.

“Totally,” replied Bumpkin as she looked back for a moment at her, “Where does this staircase even go? We’ve been walking for ages.”

“Keep it down,” interrupted Octavia quietly, “We have no idea what we are walking into.”

The others nodded and fell silent as they continued on. Eventually though Berry paused causing everypony else to stop and look at her.

“I think I see the bottom…” she said quietly as she waved the torch over the edge of the guardrail. Sure enough there seemed to be a bottom to the otherwise bottomless staircase. Even so beyond the glimmer of light that the torch provided there was little to see. Cautiously they continued to the bottom of the stairs and looked around. There wasn’t much to see, just more concrete and cracked walls. However as they peered further into the darkness something appeared, a small red light flickering in the darkness.

“What do you suppose that is?” asked Bumpkin curiously.

“Only one way to find out isn’t there,” replied Junebug, “Let’s go see.”

Slowly they approached, the blinking light becoming clearer and clearer as they did. They soon found themselves stood in front of an electronic device set into the wall. The single red light was the only thing on the panel apart from a single button set beneath it. For a moment they all stared at it in confusion.

“Um…I don’t mean to sound dumb here but…does any pony know what this is?” asked Bumpkin, “I know fancy thingamajigs exist, or at least used to, but down on the farm you don’t tend to see a lot.”

“It’s a button Bumpkin, surely you must know what one of those is?” replied Octavia.

“All I know about stuff like this is you shouldn’t go pressing it if you don’t know what it does,” she replied with a huff.

“It’s not so much seeing it that surprises me,” commented Helia, “It’s more the fact it’s still working! I thought most machines were powered by magic.”

“Same here,” added Berry as she leaned forwards and sniffed the panel curiously, “What do you suppose it does?”

Octavia looked at the machine in front of her with a slight frown. The questions of what it was for, why it was here, how it was still working and other floated around her head as if they were stuck in a whirlpool. They had descended quite some distance already and the thought of climbing back up again wasn’t one she really wanted to entertain not to mention the timberwolves still waiting for them outside. No there was only one way to go now, forwards! Whatever happened they would just have to deal with it as best they could but it was still better than the alternatives. She took a small step towards the button and looked around at her companions for a moment before looking back and pressing the button.

Bumpkin looked like she was about to say something but fell silent as the area was suddenly flooded in light. Such was the brightness that every pony found themselves shielding their eyes from it. The light only lasted a moment though as the sudden surge of power blew out ever bulb in the area. It was a moment later that a steady red tinted hue filled the air as the emergency lights flickered to life. As they managed to look up again though all they could do was stare at the sight before them. Even in the dim light they were able to make out an assortment of piping and ventilation ducts that ran through the ceiling as well as the stairs they had walked down. None of this mattered though because in front of them was a door; not a normal door, a large cogwheel like door that towered over them as if they were ants. Black and yellow markings were strewn across it and in the centre the words ‘Emergency Exit – Proteus Lab Beta’ could still be made out.

“Emergency lockdown disengaged!” came a crackling voice that forced all of them to jump in fright, “Releasing door seal, stand clear!”

“What in Equestria is going on?!” cried Berry as she looked back and forth as if she was about to be attacked.

“Everypony calm down,” urged Octavia before wincing hard as her wounds throbbed.

A sudden hissing sound filled the air that caused them all to look towards the door. A gas was leaking out from around the edge of the door as some sort of seal was broken. A moment later the door shuddered and then began to slide back in its mountings causing a waft of dry air to billow into the small room. Helia and Bumpkin turned green and nearly threw up, the others all looking slightly nauseas as well as the two airs mixed.

“What…in Equestria…is that smell?” hissed Junebug with her mouth covered, “Smells like…rot…but ten thousand times worse…”

Despite her condition Octavia was still stood at the front of the group as the door slowly slid back. She didn’t like the smell either; it was unlike anything she had smelt before and that made her even more nervous, what was on the other side of this door? They could do little but wait though as the door slowly slid back allowing them to look into the room beyond. It was lit, emergency lights illuminating various gantries and metal walkways criss-crossing over large machines. However, as the door reached halfway Octavia wished she had never opened it, the source of the smell was now completely apparent to all of them. Helia’s stomach finally giving up as she turned and began upchucking what little food there was in her stomach.

The bodies were piled several deep, each pony stretched out and reaching towards the door. Their rotting bodies had been partly preserved by the dry atmosphere and lack of insect life and that only made the sight even more horrifying. Octavia felt her own stomach churn as she looked at them and finally had to tear her eyes away from the sight. She instead set her gaze on Helia, who was currently being cared for by Berry Punch.

“How are you Helia?” she asked after a moment.

Helia was shaking from the violent retching but otherwise seemed alright. She looked towards Octavia slowly and raised a hoof in reply to which Octavia simply nodded. Helia looked away again and continued to breathe heavily. Bumpkin and Junebug stepped up next to the former musician, both looking a little unsettled.

“We should go back…” murmured Bumpkin quietly.

“And do what?” asked Junebug, “There is nothing to gain from going back. Besides…we can’t leave them like this…”

Bumpkin gave a small sigh, “you’re right Junebug…but it’s not like we can bury them.”

“We should at least say a prayer then.”

Bumpkin nodded and together with Junebug turned and set off towards the doorway. Octavia stood still, looking back and forth between the two pairs of ponies. It was the two sides to dealing with situations like this. Whilst Helia and Berry comforted each other in their hooves Bumpkin and Junebug were slowly dragging the bodies away from the door and arranging them on the metal flooring. Sadness and determination; the two constants that ruled every moment of their lives…just for once Octavia wished that she would find something to give them hope.

After a time the group had reformed and now stood just inside the large doorway. The bodies that had once been piled up in front of the door were now laid out neatly next to it, each covered with the lab coat they had been wearing. Junebug had said a prayer for them, wishing them all safe passage to whatever world existed beyond this one and granting them peace. Helia herself still looked a bit unsteady and the smell of death still hung in the air although not as strongly as before. Octavia had taken a little time to rest, her wounds still paining her and the exhaustion from her earlier actions still clung to her.

As she took her first steps into the unknown laboratory she couldn’t help but wonder what the place actually was. Science wasn’t something new of course, ponies had experimented with chemicals, machines and such things before…but none of them had ever seemed very important, at least not whilst magic existed. Nearly everything mechanical had been powered by magic, small energy cells charged by unicorns powering everything from lights to ovens to the recording device she had been using the day before. They did of course use steam power in abundance, especially for transportation. Thinking back she realised how much of a hodgepodge it was.

As they walked past the lines of machines and piping the temperature slowly began to rise. Octavia felt her body shiver as it was warmed; she had become so used to being cold that such warmth was actually a little unsettling. The air itself hummed with a background noise interrupted only by the occasional pop or rumble, all mechanical noises but she still remained on guard.

“What is all this stuff?” murmured Helia almost to herself.

“Geo-thermal power…” replied Berry with a slight hint of astonishment, “When I ran my vineyard back in Ponyville I used the stuff to regulate the temperature in my wine cellar.”

“Guess that explains the rise in temperature, these must be steam pipes,” added Junebug.

“And why it’s still working,” continued Berry, “Heard this stuff can run for years completely unchecked.”

“Not sure if that’s a good or a bad thing,” finished Bumpkin as they continued their journey through the maze of pipes and machines.

As they rounded a corner a set of regular double doors came into view at the end of a long gantry. For a moment Octavia paused to examine the doors.

“What do you think?” asked Junebug curiously.

“It’s the only doors we’ve seen so far,” replied Octavia, “Doesn’t seem to be anything in this area but machines so I guess this is our best route.”

“I’ll go check,” cut in Bumpkin as she trotted ahead of the group.

She edged up to the doors, flattening herself against the wall and then reaching round to push one of the doors open. Whilst the machine room had been high ceilings and full of machines the corridor beyond the door was small and painted in a light beige colour. Along the roof a number of emergency lights flickered intermittently, some of them had gone out entirely but not enough to plunge the corridor into darkness.

Bumpkin looked back at her companions and nodded. They approached slowly and Junebug stepped up to open the second door. Together they all looked down the corridor, Helia nearly vomiting again as she saw another dead pony lying on the floor. Slowly they pressed on, examining every aspect of the corridor as they walked.

“Have you noticed anything about these ponies?” asked Berry slowly as they passed another corpse.

“No unicorns,” replied Octavia quietly as she cast her vision over the dead pony.

“It’s odd…” added Junebug, “What exactly was this place? What happened here?”

Octavia didn’t reply this time and instead looked to her side where a single door led off the corridor. They had already passed another door but it had been locked from the other side, this one however seemed to be hanging open slightly. She reached out with a hoof and pushed at the door, jumping back in fright a moment later as the handle fell off and clattered to the ground. The door itself did open though leading into a large room with intermittent lighting. She poked her nose inside, listening and sniffing for potential threats but soon gave a small nod.

“Seem safe enough,” she said to herself before turning to the others, “Alright everypony here is the plan. We need to find a way out of this place, the sooner the better. I know it’s risky to split up but we can cover a lot more ground if we do. Everypony pick a door and start looking but keep your guard up. We will meet back here shortly and if anypony hasn’t returned in five minutes we’ll go looking for them. Agreed?”

The others nodded in agreement, it was the best plan they had at that time. Taking a deep breath Octavia turned back to the room and stepped inside. The room was dirty and still, each hoof step she made sending a small puff of dust into the air. A steady thrumming noise filled the air from a machine in the corner but otherwise there wasn’t a sound. Worktops lined the outside wall, each covered in half full beakers, distillation equipment and containers of various items. It was almost eerie, like she was walking into a world frozen in time; had this place been like this since the Overload?

Octavia was still musing on her questions as she rounded a piece of machinery in the middle of the room and stopped dead. Her eyes went wide in shock, her lips quaking as she backed away slightly. Ahead of her stood a pony, a unicorn…or at least what was left of one. It stood rigid on the spot, its body reduced to a blackened skeleton.

“N-No…” murmured Octavia, “…Vinyl…”

…

“Oh come on Tavi, at least admit you had fun!”

“Oh alright…yes it was…rather entertaining.”

Vinyl sat back in her seat with a smile that could have blotted out the sun such was its size. Octavia rolled her eyes as she picked up her drink and took a small sip, the red wine in the glass glinting with a ruby sheen.

“Tell me Vinyl,” she said slowly, “Why do I put up with you?”

“Because I’m the best roommate ever?” replied the unicorn as she looked at her over the top of her shades.

“Not quite…I put up with you because you are the only pony I know that I can truly relax around without feeling like I’m being judged.”

“See, best roommate ever!”

Octavia shook her head and took another sip of her wine. They sat at a small table outside one of Canterlot’s many cafes. In truth it was the first time they had seen each other in several days, at least in a conscious state. Most days Octavia awoke to find Vinyl snoring on the sofa and got home just in time to see her leave in the evening. They did indeed lead quite different lives but occasionally they made time to talk to one another, this was one such time.

“So do you think you’ll be able to make it to my next show? I’ll get you front row seats!” grinned Vinyl.

“Vinyl I know full well that there are no seats of any kind at your show…never mind front row ones,” replied Octavia with a chuckle, “But I will see what I can do, my ensemble is still practicing for our performance at the Canterlot Theatre next week but if I’m still awake I’ll try.”

“You should totally come; the place is always alive when I’m at the decks! Ponies dancing until the break of day!”

Octavia smiled slightly, Vinyl was always so hyper…considering she spent almost every night at the club she was amazed she managed to stay awake during the day at all. Looking down she took a final sip of her wine, swallowing the last mouthful before looking back at the café. She was about to call a waiter for a refill when she felt a shiver run up her spine. It was as if somepony had dumped her in an ice box. She hugged herself hard as if trying to warm herself up as she looked up at Vinyl.

“Did you just…”

She stopped mid-sentence as she looked around. Everypony around her was shivering where they sat, some even looking a little faint especially the unicorns. Vinyl herself looked like she was suffering from a major hangover. Her body shook like a leaf and she held her head in her hooves.

“M-Make it stop…” she murmured quietly.

“V-Vinyl? What’s…wrong?” asked Octavia, the earth pony finding that her strength seemed to have disappeared.

“Pounding….like….drums….”

Just then something swept past them like a gust of wind. Cries of pain erupted from many of the ponies around her and Octavia felt as if her very soul had just been sucked from her body. She curled up in her seat and tried to control her breathing but the pain that was sweeping through her body was unlike anything she had felt before. It was almost as if her blood was on fire, every vessel in her body burning with some unseen energy. It was only Vinyl’s scream that cut through the pain and caused her to look up.

Her friend was sat rigid in her seat as magic pulsed from her horn like a fountain. As she watched Vinyl’s scream fell silent but her mouth remained open in as silent call of anguish. Octavia couldn’t understand…what was happening to them? Then it happened.

In a blinding flash Vinyl’s magic flashed like a match and she suddenly erupted into flames. Octavia’s own pain seemed to vanish into the ether as she watched her best friend burn before her. Her fur blackened and burned away, her flesh igniting a moment later and melting from her form. For a moment Octavia managed to catch the look of absolute pain in Vinyl’s eyes before they turned to jelly and evaporated into the air. Still the fire burned hotter and hotter as Vinyl’s form vanished before her eyes leaving only a blackened skeleton in its place, fused together by the blazing heat.

She didn’t even notice the other ponies around her; not those writhing in pain, not those paralysed by fear…not even the other unicorns who had just suffered the same fate as the pony in front of her. It was a dream…it had to be…it was all just a dream…

“Octavia!”

“Octavia!”

“Octavia!” cried Bumpkin as she shook the earth pony.

Octavia finally snapped from her memories and looked towards Bumpkin in shock. Her gaze flashed back to the charred unicorn skeleton before her and a moment later she fell into Bumpkin’s hooves, her tears flowing forth as she began to sob. Bumpkin just held her, casting her own glances at the blackened skeleton. When the Overload had happened she had been working on the farm surrounded by other earth ponies. She had never seen what had really happened.

“Octavia? Are you alright?” she asked at length.

“No…no I’m not,” replied the earth pony, “Why did any of this have to happen?”

“I don’t know…I…” Bumpkin slowly released her and stood up, “…I think you better come see this.”