Chapter Three: Hazards

Room 10 was a pretty dismal looking place. The wallpaper didn't match the color of the cracked ceiling, the floor had multiple sticky stains, and the bathroom was rather small and dirty. The smell wasn't too bad, but it wasn't great either. As for the bed... well, it wasn't pleasing to the eye, but anything is better than sleeping on the floor.

I'm not staying here for very long. I just need some rest. I told myself.

The lighting was just as mediocre as the lobby. The only source came from a single, flower shaped lamp attached to the wall, which lit up about a third of the room. There were no windows here, which made me feel a little anxious. Instead, there was a loud, rectangular air conditioner close by the bed. It was a pretty rusty and old looking model, which was probably made a very long time ago. The old machine did its job though. Cool air flowed throughout the entire room, making it feel a little chilly.

It reminded me of how cold it was in the forest, but thankfully it wasn't that cold. Since the room was rather small in size, I walked over to my bed in a matter of seconds. I dried myself off before I even entered the room, because who likes to sleep to sleep cold and wet? Not me. I got myself onto the bed which felt better than the sand, but it could have been softer and much more comfortable. I pulled the covers over my body and proceeded to rest right where I lay.

The only ambiance to be heard was the air conditioner's low hum. It wasn't too loud to be annoyed by, and it wasn't too quiet not to be heard. The hum was actually pretty relaxing to me for some reason, I couldn't explain why. It made me think little about everything that transpired and allowed me to stay calm. As for how long it will last, I didn't know, but I enjoyed every moment of it.

Eventually, it seemed as though the air conditioners hum lulled into closing my eyes. There was nothing. Nothing but the hum... my bed... and the pitch black. I was so tired, and now I can finally get a better rest.

However... in the darkness, I saw a faint glow. A shining light came towards me, becoming brighter by the second. The shape of the light began to morph into a spiral. As it did, the light's color began to shift into a dark purple. Then I heard voices; all indistinct and unknown. They began to groan as it got closer, pulling my body towards it. The light morphed again, but... I couldn't tell what it was. The amorphous light was getting even bigger with each passing moment. My body shook vigorously at the sight of it. Even though I didn't know what the hay it was, I knew it wasn't good.

YOU... MUSSS... I heard it say in a chorus of voices.

Before it could finish its sentence... I awoke.

Sweat covered my body from muzzle to hoof. I was panting out of fear for whatever the hay that thing was. It was relieving to awake from that... brief as it was. Needless to say, I was a little more than shaken by that dream. The air conditioner still hummed, and the flower lamp was still on. It seemed like nothing has changed all since I slept. That didn't worry me as much as the dream however.

That light... what was it?

It swam in my mind almost as much as Stargarde, the stallion, Canterlot and the rest of the world. What remained in the back of my skull was the thought of the star symbol on the tree, and dark aura surrounding a group of trees. There was so many questions to ask, but there was no way of having every single one answered.

I think I've spent enough time here. I told myself, Now to get outta here.

It didn't matter how much I slept, I had no strong desire of staying any longer than necessary. I needed to find somewhere else; a place where I might find more answers to the questions that bothered me so. This place doesn't seem to trustworthy enough to house said answers. While Stargarde is probably out of my reach, It most likely won't matter as much.

After I got myself out of bed my hooves led me straight for the door. I made sure I grabbed my bag and fastened it to my waist before I did. As I was about to turn the knob with my magic, I noticed something wasn't right. Looking down there was a shadow of somepony standing just behind the door. Without hesitating, I got my knife out in case if it was the stallion who tried to kill me. I breathed quietly as I slowly turned the knob. The knob creaked more loudly than intended which made me cringe.

I held my knife upwards in front of me in case this pony was eager to try something. I opened the door as quickly as I could, knife pointed directly at the unknown pony. I then heard a girly squeal come out of a green stallion that was before me. He cowered in front of me, shielding his face.

"Oh, goodness! Please, spare me!" The manager sobbed fearfully.

I couldn't have been more embarrassed. "Crap! I'm so sorry, I thought y--"

"For Celestia's sake, you almost killed me! Why do have a knife with you, eh?!" He broke away from his cowering and stood up.

"It's a long story. Anyway, I was about to check out of this place and be on my way."

His frown faded into an uncomfortable smile. "Check out? Already?"

"Yes. I wasn't planning on staying very long."

"B-b-but you just got here. A-a-a-and we haven't had many guests staying for such a minimal amount of time. Are you really sure you want to check out so soon?"

What the hay's this guy doing?!

"Listen," I tried to be as tranquil as possible, "As comfortable as this place may be, I have to be somewhere else."

As I exited the room the manager kept getting in my way, even going as far as to walk backwards while in the hallway. I tried walking around him, but he incessantly blocked my path. He still had that nervous smile across his face which was making me uncomfortable. The terrible lighting made the hallway seem more ominous than it should, combined with this green stallion made every hair on my neck stand on end. I was getting annoyed with this guy quickly, and had to tell him off.

"I don't know what you want, but seriously, get outta my way!" My patience was tested, and I couldn't take it anymore.

"P-p-please, sir! We have decent food, and it'll fill you up before you go!" He insisted, eyes widened with nervousness.

"I'm fine! I don't need to eat, I need you to quit backing up and stop stalling!"

"Where do you plan to go?"

If it meant getting this guy to stop, I figured I may as well tell him. "Somewhere where I can get information on dark aura."

He stopped dead in his tracks and looked at me with a confused gaze. "Dark aura, you say? Well, sir, I'm afraid that nopony here or anywhere else knows anything about that sort of thing." He twitched his lip when he said that.

"Really? Then why are you acting so fidgety then, huh?" I interrogated, "There has to be somepony who knows about it."

"Why are you so interested in that sort of thing? It's pointless if you ask me." He backed himself to the corridor wall.

"Cut the crap, and quit hiding something! I know you're not telling me something important."

"H-h-how could you suspect something like that?!" He brought back his uncomfortable smile.

"Well, you're making it seem obvious." I pointed out.

The manager bowed his head. He must have realized that what he was doing was unprofessional. That was probably the first time I ever backed somepony into a corner, and I hoped it would be the last. The once cheery and kinda creepy manager, now hung his eyes low to the floor. I almost felt bad for him, if not for the fact that he was lying to me about something.

When he composed himself, he said, "Alright. Alright. I'll talk."

I wasted no time. "Okay then. What do you know about dark aura?"

"Well, I know a pony who--"

All of a sudden, a loud blast filled my ears as some kind of laser shot the manager. His body convulsed as he collapsed, coiled in what looked like black electric tendrils. My jaw dropped and eyes widened at the sight of it. I turned to the direction of the shooter, and saw something I won't ever forget: A cloaked pony, who's horn was engulfed in black aura. He wore what looked like skin-tight, metal armor underneath his dark cloak. As he glared at me, I saw that he wore a mask that concealed his entire face; white with crescent shapes on it's sides.

Oh, crap!

His horn glowed brightly as he was about to shoot again. When he did, it looked like a bolt of black, swirling lightning. Luckily for me I moved quickly to evade the blast. By then I was making way down the hall, being chased down some masked assailant in a cloak. This was more than a good reason to get the hay out of here!

I got to the lobby and almost tripped over the rug and coffee table. I thankfully kept my footing before that could happen. Not long after that, the masked pony caught up and tried to attack me again. I galloped to the door as he shot another dark bolt, which destroyed the table into small, splintered pieces. The wooden shards scraped my coat, causing me to bleed slightly. With my magic I was able to open the door quickly before he could catch up.

Once I was out the door, the rain had ceased and all the puddles were almost dried up. When I turned back, the masked pony was nowhere to be found. This had me very worried. I didn't know who it was but it wasn't somepony friendly, that's for sure. Whether or not he was still after me remained unknown. I practically debated whether that's a good thing or not.

I have to be vigilant this time. In case that masked figure or vengeful stallion comes around, I must be prepared.

The faint sun dared glow behind the overcast sky. I've spent more time than I needed to in this town. My reasoning was to make sure the masked assailant was nowhere close. How could I have known? I wasn't prepared to deal with something like that! I was able to fend off the angry stallion, but how was I to face off against that guy, who used dark magic?

I hid myself in an alley behind two buildings. It sounds pansy, I know. I had eaten at least two more cat sandwiches, and drank from the thermos in that span of time. It felt pretty humbling to hide from a threat you don't know how to face. It made me feel... weak. I knew I can't be weak and expect to survive a dangerous world.

If only I had a better weapon than this knife. I contemplated.

As I took another bite of succulent sandwich, I noticed a fluffy animal began to approach me from out in the streets; a brown dog with white underneath and on its snout. I don't think I've ever seen a dog before, until now. He didn't seem too big thankfully, so if he was aggressive I could intimidate him away from my food. The animal was sniffing the air towards the alley with intent on finding food. When the dog came closer he began to wag his tail and pant, his tongue sticking out. I was a little hesitant at first, yet he didn't appear aggressive at all.

Hmm... should I, or should I not?...

The dog got within two feet from me as he began sniffing the air again. His tail wagged more frequently as he stared and whined at me. He really wanted my sandwich. He then sat upright, big brown eyes gazing at me, taunting me to give up at least a sliver of food. Every time I looked at him he still fixed his gaze on the food.

"Here." I said as I offered some of my sandwich with magic.

The dog got himself up and went over to the floating cat sandwich. He seemed reluctant to take it after all this time, until he took a bite out of it and proceeded to tuck in. Within two bites he gulped the whole thing down. After he ate it, he wagged his tail vigorously and rushed up to me. Instantly he was on top of me.

"Oof!" He may not be big, but he sure felt heavier than I thought!

He incessantly licked my face with his incredibly slobbery tongue in appreciation. While it was disgusting, it was much better than almost getting killed... twice. I pushed him away lightly to stop licking me, and it seemed to work. I was grinning from the dog's level of affection. It made me feel comfortable that at least something isn't trying to kill me.

"Well, you sure are friendly." I said aloud, "I wonder if you have a name."

The dog cocked its head to the side. He seemed to stare elsewhere, and then bolted off. I didn't what came over me, but I decided to follow the dog to wherever it was going. I did my best to keep up with him, despite being much faster than I was. He turned the corner on a dime, and took off into another alley. I followed him in to see why he came here.

"Why the hay would you come here?" I talked to the dog.

He stopped at a particular spot next to a trashcan and started digging. Both his front paws moved back and forth in a rhythm as he dug them into the dry earth. I wasn't sure why he was doing it, but I was curious to see what comes next. Once he stopped digging, he stuck his head in the recently dug up hole, and took out a leather band with his mouth. The band had a gold tag on it, which means this band is actually his collar. He came over to me and placed the collar on the ground before me. He nudged the collar towards me and panted happily.

I picked up the collar with my magic to look at the tag, which read: OUR PRECIOUS LITTLE BOOMER

"Boomer, huh? So that's your name?"

The dog made a throaty bark in response to this, as if he was happy about it. He started to run and jump around me for whatever reason. Obviously this dog knows his own name. He eventually stopped front and center, and sat upright. He stared at the collar I held with magic intensely. At first I didn't understand but then it came to me...

"Oh! You want me to put it on for you." I realized.

I hovered the collar over his head and placed it around his neck. Carefully I fastened his collar to make sure it wouldn't fall off. Once the collar was placed, I dismissed the levitation spell. After that he barked several times with excitement, pleased with the endeavor. A strange yet warm feeling arose in my chest. I was glad I made this dog's day.

"Well, Boomer, it was nice meeting you." I said my farewell to him.

However, as I went to exit the alley, Boomer followed me out. As I got into the street, Boomer continued to follow. It's like he didn't want to leave me or something. I tried to out run him but he would always catch up. When I got close to the entrance, I stared back and saw one of the most pathetic sights ever: Boomer laid himself down and stared forlornly at me. As an added measure he even whined sadly too.

Aw, crap! I can't just leave him behind! And I don't want to be alone again.

"Alright," I decided out of sympathy, "you can come along."

When I said that, Boomer sprung out of his depressed state and got back to being himself. He sprinted towards me with blinding speeds, kicking up the dirt with his paws. He almost bowled me over if hadn't stopped himself as he got near. I pet him with a hoof on his head, which he absolutely loved.

"Let's go, Boomer."

When Boomer and I came to the gate, the two guards quickly took notice. The stallion glared at me, still suspicious of me. He eyed me and Boomer with contempt. The larger, female guard was still a bit more pleasant than he was.

"So," he taunted, "Had enough dawdling for today, Mr. Vagabond?"

"I came here to rest, and I did just that." I explained, "Now I shall be on my way."

"Oh, looky here. And you decided to take that mutt with you, eh?"

Boomer started to growl lowly.

"I'm seriously getting tired of this, Swift Pansy!" The female guard scolded.

I did my best to stifle a laugh. "Swift Pansy?"

"Daisy!" Swift was notably embarrassed, "Why did you have to say my name?!"

"'Cause I'm getting sick of your suspicions and wild accusations, like: 'they could be wanted criminals', or, 'he could be patient from a mental institution', and my personal favorite, 'she's probably a street walker!'"

"They could've been true! Ya never know!"

Just ignore them. It's not worth it. I told myself as I just kept walking.

Boomer caught up with me within a few seconds after leaving the two guards to quarrel. While I could still hear them, I paid no mind and went straight ahead. However, I planned to go in a very different direction, away from the lamppost. I decided that I would go around the walls of the town and head out beyond it. Before I did so, I looked over to Boomer who was cleaning himself with his tongue.

"Let's go, Boomer." I told him.

Boomer got up, shook his furry coat, and went to my right side.

Glanchester was far out of sight and out of mind at this point. Good thing too. If it gives me a chance get the hay away from that masked pony, I don't care! The best part of getting out was knowing that I was not alone. Sure, he's a dog, but it doesn't matter. He's the only friend I have at this point.

Boomer and I have made a stop nearby a small flowing stream. While the water seemed clean enough to drink, I wasn't taking any chances. Especially since I had a thermos. It was possible that there parasites in that water that could most likely make me or Boomer Ill. Or maybe I'm just paranoid.

I saw Boomer walk towards the stream to drink. I rushed over to try and stop him, but he was already lapping his tongue into the stream. I grit my teeth for fear he may have made a mistake. However, the dog seemed alright, as if the water had no effect on him.

"Huh. Maybe I'm just paranoid." I pondered aloud, relieved nothing happened to Boomer.

The stream wasn't completely desolate however. I've noticed that there were a few small animals close by. They looked kind of like squirrels but without long bushy tails, as well as tufts of hair on their ears. The "squirrels" were eating what looked like brown nuts next to a small plant. Every time Boomer looked at them he would stand still, and his fluffy tail would stick up high. I did my best to deter him from doing anything and he seemed to obey.

"Just leave them alone." I continued to persuade him.

I wasn't sure where to go from here since there were no signs of civilization out here other than Glanchester. Oak's town and Stargarde are the only other places that I know about, but are far from my reach. The stream seemed to be over a mile--possibly more--and it did harbor some life around it, and most likely in it. It is possible that there might be fish swimming in the water, considering the amount of bubbles on its surface.

You know, for a wasteland, it seems there's still a natural beauty to it.

I called Boomer over to me when he seemed like he was about to chase after one of those "squirrels". While him retrieving food isn't exactly a bad thing, but I'm pretty sure ponies don't eat meat... right? That and I'm sure I won't like the sight, or smell, of a dead animal. I admired the sights for a little while longer until I felt it was the right time to move on.

"Boomer, come on."

Faster than expected, he beckoned my call. He kicked up a bit of dirt as he ran to me. Boomer lolled out his tongue happily once he came to my side. Without another word I made the decision to walk along the stream. Boomer followed at my side, lolling his tongue in and out as he strode.

I wasn't sure exactly where this stream will take me the more I follow it. Regardless, there was no point in turning back. When I sniffed the air I noticed there was a slight odor coming from the brook. It was probably nothing to worry about; rivers have strange smells, right? Either way I won't let a smell flood my thoughts for the time being.

I thought about the recent events that had occurred earlier; like the masked pony. Thoughts of Canterlot also alluded me.

What really happened to that kingdom? If it really was destroyed, how did it get that way?

It seemed pretty pointless to ponder on it at that point, so I did what I could to put the thoughts aside. Focusing on what lay ahead was much more important to me than wondering what happened to a castle. With two ponies out for my blood, and possibly bigger creatures, having to think about anything other than survival would be foolish.

Though... if fate would be kind, perhaps I'll find somepony who knows about dark magic. Well, somepony who won't kill me, that's for sure.

A few dead willows came into view, drooping just above the stream. Surrounding them were hundreds of smaller grassy plants. At first it didn't seem like there was any creature to be seen... at least, until three came out into the open. They were like giant weasels with brown fur and long sharpened teeth. Their eyes were large but beady. A chattering noise resonated through their vocal chords. The moved together in a pack, as if they're out hunting. I looked over to Boomer, who was getting pretty antsy at the sight of the enlarged polecats. His tail was still, much like when he stared at the rodents.

Perhaps they won't bother us. I thought nervously.

The chattering erupted into a growl as they began to approach us, unfortunately. I used my magic to grab the knife from my bag. Unlike the masked pony who had dark magic, these big weasels have teeth. As long as they don't have poison or carry disease, I'd be fine. As for Boomer however, I wasn't so sure. They looked a little bit bigger than he was and could probably overpower him. As they stalked towards us, trying to threaten us with their growling, I had my knife out to jab at whichever one comes at me.

"Easy, boy." I told Boomer, who was growling lowly at them.

One of them barred their teeth and let out a trilling noise. Without warning, it sprung towards me. Right when it came close to my muzzle, I swiftly swung my knife. The blade cut across its throat. The over-sized stoat squealed in agony as it was flung to the side, just a few feet away. The other two weasels sounded enraged for what happened to their fallen member. They both sprinted--which looked awkward considering their elongated bodies--towards us. Boomer rushed to the one on the left while I stood my ground. Sadly--and stupidly--my timing on my swing was off and the weasel was on top of me, and I accidentally let go of my knife. The creature tried to bite at my throat, gnashing teeth inches from my neck.

For Boomer-sized weasels, they sure are strong!

I tried to push the creature off of me but it was determined to eat my flesh. It also had particularly sharp, hooked claws which latched onto my fur. The sound of trilling and Boomer's vicious growling flooded my ears.

Is this it? I asked myself, Am I going to die and be eaten by a bunch of overgrown ferrets? It's so hilarious, it's terrible!

I looked over at Boomer who was also being tackled by the other weasel, biting chunks of brown fur away from his body. Boomer was trying to bite at its throat. The weasel on top of me was persistent, longing to kill me as I tried to push him away again. I turned in the other direction to see my knife lying on the ground a few feet away. And then it came to me...

No! I'm not gonna die by some weasel!

While I struggled to keep him away from my neck, I lit my horn to levitate the knife. I positioned the blade in the direction of the weasel.

"Get off of me!!!" I exclaimed.

I sent the knife hurling towards the creature with my magic, darting at it like a missile. The blade struck through his head at blinding speeds, killing it instantly. The knife severed its brain as dark blood poured out of its head. As I got the dead animal off of me, I pulled the knife from the weasel's skull. Boomer continued to struggle with the weasel on him, though the dog did manage to wound the weasel back. I still levitated the the knife, so I did what needed to be done. I launched the knife at the assailing stoat, sending it flying as fast as before. The weasel squealed its last breath. Boomer got the lifeless off him and ran to my side, stopping a few times to lick his bleeding wounds.

"Come on, Boomer, lets get going."

Boomer started whining every time he licked the bite marks. He was genuinely hurt, yet I didn't know what to do about it. I tried searching in my bag for bandages or something to stop the bleeding. Shuffling through the bag, the only thing I could find were a stack of small square napkins.

Hopefully this will help.

I levitated the napkins towards Boomer, who was still attempting to cleanse his injuries. The dog was rather nervous seeing, what to him, looks like small strange sheets of paper. Every time I try to place a napkin over the bite marks, Boomer would immediately shy away from it. He probably wasn't familiar with what was doing, hence his reaction. If the napkin came within inches of the wound Boomer would snap at it.

"Hold still," I did my best to coax him, "I'm trying to help."

For a long while it seemed like he wasn't gonna cooperate, but then he seemed to calm down as I came closer. I dabbed at the wounds on him with the napkins, to which Boomer winced and whimpered. The napkins quickly became drenched with the red sticky substance. It stopped some of the bleeding, but napkins would only do so much to help. He needs bandages, but there are none to be found.

He didn't whimper as much, which was good. Boomer was still in pain but at least he's alright. As long as those creatures didn't have any kind of disease, he should be fine. He could still walk, thankfully.

"Alright, pal, lets see if we can find a town close by. If they have first-aid kits maybe I can get you patched up."

He only wagged his tail, and lolled his tongue out in response.

"And should there be a town somewhere, maybe I'll find the answers I'm looking f-"

At that moment something then made a snapping noise, and grasped a hold of my neck. It coiled around my throat, like a snake. I gasped for air as something strong pulled the leathery thing down, forcing me to the ground. As I struggled for air, Boomer barked ferociously at something but I couldn't see what it was, since all I could see was the gray skies above.

All of a sudden I hear an assemblage of shouts and voices all around me. I could only make out a few shapes moving around me, couldn't distinguish them. I then heard Boomer yelping helplessly, scraping the ground as if he was being dragged. I tried to call out to him but I couldn't.

Instantly, a figure loomed over me. A unicorn stallion by the looks of him, with a long protrusion coming out his head where his mane should be. He leaned back a little, which revealed this protrusion to actually be his mane. His coat was a orange clay-ish color. His long standing mane was a darker shade. He stared into my line of sight with red-orange eyes. His grin was long and spread from one cheek to the other.

"Nighty-night, sprog!" He said in a thin, raspy voice.

He raised a hoof above me and then... darkness took over me.

My head was pounding when I awoke, and my vision was blurry. The sounds of voices rose as my vision cleared. By then, I realized I was somewhere else entirely.

"Look," I heard somepony's voice, "he's waking up!"

"Wh-Where am I?" I said aloud, unaware of anypony staring at me.

"Not anyplace you want to be, unfortunate as that may be." A yellow stallion in front of me informed.

He was tied up with rope, as well as everypony else. I scanned my surroundings and noticed I was not in a desert. Instead, I seemed to be in some sort dark brown wooden room, filled with a large number of tied up ponies. It looked more like a trashy garage than a room, though. The wood which made the place up appeared worn and old, as if it had been here for a decade or so. A single light bulb dangling from the ceiling, illuminated a quarter of the area.

"Why is everypony tied up?" I asked the stallion, "What is happening?!"

"Shh, quiet down!" He hissed, "Listen, they can hear you from outside!"

"You don't want that to happen." A mare said, frightened.

"What?" I lowered my voice, acquiescing to be quieter, "Tell me what's going on. Please."

The yellow stallion sighed deeply before he explained, "Those guys out there are dangerous. They kidnap anypony naive enough to venture out in the wastes alone, or have serious bad luck. Either way, that's why we're here."

He must be talking about those stallions who knocked me out. I assumed.

"They're outlaws--I think." He continued, "I couldn't tell you much more than that. So far they've done nothing but keep us captive for some reason, but I don't wanna know what they'll actually do."

"How do you know so much and yet so little?"

"I'm just theorizing, that's all. But if I had to make a guess, we're all gonna face some serious trouble soon."

I squinted to try and see anything that was beyond what's illuminated. The most I could make out was a shoddy door in front of me, a desk on my left, and what looked like a large rectangular box with a door on my right. The box could have been like a small shed or something, which could have some stuff in there.

"Psst! Excuse me." I whispered to the yellow stallion.

"Yes? What is it?" He asked quietly.

"Do you know what's in there?"

I couldn't point with my hooves since they are bound, so I turned my head over to the box to help him understand.

"Oh," He understood, "there's some weapons and ammunition in there. Unfortunately, there isn't a way to open it. The key to it is out of our reach, and since almost all of us are Earth ponies we can't use magic to get'em. Unless..."

"Unless? Wait. I'm a unicorn, I can use magic to levitate the key."

He smiled slightly, "Oh yeah. If you could use a levitation spell, then you can open up the shed." His smile then faded, "But it's only good for that. I don't those would be good for much else."

Oh, I've got an idea!

"Very well. Do you know where the key is?" I then asked.

He tried leaning in, but he could only go so far before the rope would stop him. "it's on a hook above the desk."

When I looked back over to my left the desk, I saw a gold key above it on a hook as he said. I concentrated on using my magic, since the object was far from my reach. My horn lit up with aura reaching for the key several feet away. I struggled to lift it off the hook, straining in doing so. The key became illuminated in my aura, but was slowly being lifted of the hook. I grit my teeth as I was getting closer to getting it off. Every inch had been tough, yet in spite of the strain...

I got it! I said in my mind when I completed my goal.

"I got the key, sir!" I repeated.

"That's great and all," He didn't seem amused, "but if they catch you floating that key, they'll shoot you dead."

I was already one step ahead, however, for I then let my aura go and tossed the key towards me. The small key flew right before me right down to my hooves. I was panting since it was incredibly exhausting to do that. I let myself rest for a little before doing anything else. Once I caught my breath, I prepared myself to levitate the key again. This time however, I placed the key behind me when I heard the door slammed open. Everypony jumped in fright at the sudden sight of the of the pony who opened the door; the orange clay colored stallion.

"Everypony comfortable?" He seemingly asked nicely in his thin, raspy voice.

The captives shook their heads like they were saying "no".

"No? Well too bad! You sprogs are gonna be here for the rest of the night until we find something to do with you!" He then looked over at me, "And as for you, don't be trying anything... or..."

He levitated something with peach colored aura. It looked like a strange contraption, like a long cannon with a handle and two barrels...

It's a gun! Wait, how do I know what a gun is?

"...You'll have to meet a good o'l friend o mine, Mister Shotgun!"

The captive ponies were panicking at the sudden sight of the weapon; screaming, crying, they were in terror. I was a little anxious when he pointed it at me, but nowhere near as frightened as everypony else. It was also rather strange how I knew what a gun was, but not my own name.

The commotion was so overbearing that the psychotic stallion aimed his gun at the ceiling. He shot the ceiling which made a loud BOOM, reminiscent of a roll of thunder. My ears were pinging after the blast, dust and dirt fell on top of those below. Everypony became silent and didn't utter a word.

"Ha ha ha!" He cackled maniacally, "Shuts 'em up every time!"

He put his gun away and slammed the door shut. By then, everypony shivered in fear. I swallowed a bit of saliva, afraid of what to expect next. I knew I couldn't cower down, not to that crazy pony. I know I'm stronger than that. I never backed down from that vengeful stallion, I got away from that masked pony, and Boomer and I fought off those weasels.

I'm getting outta here, and I won't let that sicko kill me or any of these ponies!

"Let's face facts," The yellow stallion stated hopelessly, "we're all screwed."

I levitated the keys behind me, lifting them up in front of my face. I narrowed my eyes and floated the key over to the small shed on my right. The keyhole was a bit difficult to see, so I squinted to get a good view. It was just below the handle. I floated the key towards the hole with some struggle in doing so. I managed to get the end of it deep in the keyhole, but I had a bit of trouble turning it. A bead of sweat ran down my face as I strained to unlock it. If it was closer it would be much easier, but since it was at a further distance... well, it's harder than it looks.

"Hey, mister!" The yellow stallion whispered, "I think you ought'a be quicker!"

"I'm... trying!" I grunted.

Right as the lock was about to click, I started hearing yelling and screaming from outside. I ignored the ruckus, and the lock clicked. I let go of the key which stuck to the lock.

Now, for the rest.

The thunderous sound of gunshots rang in my ears, and the vile ponies screamed in agony. It made me wonder what was going on, but I had to finish my task. I focused on the door handle to turn it, which did so easily. I pulled the door open to which everypony in here started staring at me. I could make out a few things inside, considering most of the contents were hidden in shadow. However, I saw something gleam below; a long reflective object.

Just what I was looking for. I smiled widely.

The sound of gunfire became rather frequent as I levitated the object. I floated it towards me to get a good look at it. It was much bigger than the knife I had, and looked sharper. I lowered the weapon towards the rope that bound me. I worked my way quickly to cut through each coil rope, which took a shorter time than I thought. The blade sliced through with incredible ease. Everypony watched in awe as the rope that once trapped me, now dropped to the floor. They all gasped in surprise and delight.

"I love this knife!" I said as I kissed the flat of the blade.

Just as I was about to cut the yellow stallion free however, the clay colored stallion burst through. He had lacerations across his face and body, the blood dripping out from his wounds. His face was in horror, his mouth gaping.

"Don't. You. Frigging. Dare!" He sputtered as he aimed the shotgun at me.

Suddenly, a long blade came through his throat, causing him to gag. The blade slid out with surgical precision. Blood poured out of his neck like a cascading waterfall. His eyes rolled back as he collapsed on floor beneath. The mares shrieked as blood was leaking out. My eyes widened at the sight of it. The weapon that pierced him was a spear with a long shaft.

"Oh my goodness!" A mare squealed.

"He's dead!" Another cried.

"Is everypony alright?" A voice asked, which sounded like a mare.

A silhouette of a figure outside emerged, and came into the light. The voice came from a tan pegasus mare with a short scarlet mane. I stood my ground as she stepped in, wary of her presence. Her eyes were as red as the flames that burned in a pit outside. She opened up her right wing and grasped the spear protruding from the stallion's lifeless body. She unsheathed the weapon from his neck, and tucked the weapon under her wing.

I didn't know pegasi could do that!

She began to eye everypony in the room. "Do not worry, everypony," She announced confidently, "The scumbag criminals who imprisoned you are dead."

Everypony cheered in delight at the mare's announcement. I was rather surprised to hear it as well. She had to have been the cause of the commotion all this time. She then made eye contact with me.

"I see you have gotten yourself free." She observed, "That's a good thing, I need some help doing the same for these folks."

At first I was speechless, but then I uttered out, "Who are you?"

"I am Red Yarrow." She answered with a sharp tone.