The Runners (the beginning)
When you were born, your mother was a famous author in Canterlot named Twilight Velvet. Your father was Night Light, a light bulb factory worker and part time engineer. You had a younger sister and an older brother. The younger sister was Twilight Sparkle. Your older brother was Shining Armor. You were the middle sibling, named Clank Silvermane, named because you liked to play with tools and for your silver hair. You grew up different than most ponies. While others walked on their two legs, you would defy gravity from age six, always finding things to climb and jump over. The very act got you a nickname at age eleven. 'Air walker,' they called you at school. So, one day, a mark appeared on your back. It was a stallion, high in the air, jumping to a rail.
That got you some real enemies, like Hoops and his goonies. They always picked on you for always doing it, claiming it was a trick only freaks of nature do.
And then, Reddened Chaos showed up.
He was the MVP of your school's little league baseball team. And the most popular colt in school. He saw you about to get beaten and he stopped Hoops. He then beat up Hoops and his clique. Using nothing but a simple fist and a foot. Miss Cheerilee saw the whole thing, from beginning to end. She told the Principal, and Hoops got suspended for trying to beat on a fellow student. You had thanked Reddened Chaos the very next day, and he in turn became your friend. You two were practically inseparable. He taught you how to fight, and you taught him how to 'run' as you called it.
You and Red went to the same high school, named 'Canterlot High' and met a mare named Vinyl Scratch. Who also happened to be a DJ. Red took an instant liking, which you thought was funny. Then, in College you three applied and went to 'Royal University'. Vinyl immediately found someone to be with who was in her politics class. His name was Silver Quill. He was into politics and parkour, which Red and you learned was the proper name for what you did almost your whole life. He even joined you in training sessions. He became better than the three of you.
Then, life went on. You and Red both got jobs as couriers and rented a crappy one bedroom apartment in Ponyville. Vinyl married Silver Quill and eventually, moved to Ponyville. One day, Mayor Mare had finally done her terms as Mayor of Ponyville. So, Silver Quill decided to run. He won, and became new Mayor of Ponyville. Everything seemed perfect.
Until one day...when everything changed...
You were to deliver a letter to Twilight from Princess Celestia. You were running along the rooftops of Ponyville's apartments, houses, and buildings. The cops were chasing you from the ground, seeing as some of them were not built nor experienced for the rooftops. Those who were were hot on your tracks, hopping over, going through and going under all the obstacles you did. You then decided to try out the new device the Ponyville Mail Express gave you. They called it a 'grapple & pull hook'. You jumped off the edge of Ponyville's tallest building, the Ponyviile Bank of Equestria. You then threw the hook at a ledge and immediately felt pulled to it.
Within seconds, you were grabbing onto the ledge, pulling yourself up and kept running, glad to have lost the police. You reached the Kingdom of Friendship, where Princess Twilight resided. You climbed up the castle, and came in through an open window. Twilight, who was half naked, noticed you and yelped. She then closed the curtains that separated her from the view of the window, leaving you to blush heavily and think about what you saw. She eventually re-opened the curtains, now dressed in an olive green blouse and jeans. She approached and handed you a pouch filled to the brim with bits. You in turn handed her an envelope with the wax seal showing the sun.
She then smiled at you, and gave a modest little feminine bow as she said in French, "Mercí." She then pulled you in, asking you to stay for a little while.
You came home with your shirt in tatters. That Twilight sure knew how to 'play'. Anyway, Red was in the living room watching the TV. The show that he was watching was 'A-Mare-Ican ninja warrior' and he was eating left overs from last nights' dinner. His eyes were practically glued to the screen as he sat on the couch. You coughed, getting his attention. He turned to you, then laughed. "Wow! You got rekt." He said matter of factly. You shushed him before we could keep talking. "Not another word," you tell him afterwards.
He remained silent as you sat down beside him. He snickered, then said, "Was it good at least?"
...
You tackled him, choking him playfully. He made fake gagging noises as you say to him, "I'm gonna kill you!" Then, a letter came in the mail. You approach the letter after getting off Red and you open the letter. It reads;
'We have noticed your actions...we are, simply put, a secret group. We would like to have you among us, Clank Silvermane. But we will not force you. You will have to simply find us when you're ready. In the meantime, enjoy your life while you can.
Because it's all about to change.'
You thought about what it could possibly mean. Who sent the letter? Why was your life about to change? All these questions flooded your mind.
And then it happened.
You heard three gunshots fire off in the distance. About three minutes later, the show Red was watching was interrupted by the Ponyville News. A mare with papers stacked in her hands was crying as she said, "We hate to interrupt this televised broadcast but...in a recent turn of events, the newest Mayor of Ponyville, Silver Quill...has been shot and killed...we will be dedicating the rest of this broadcast to any new information on the killing..."
That was when it clicked.
Your life has just changed...
And you would find the one responsible for changing it...
And end them permanently.
The Runners (The aftershock)
That evening...
Chaos broke out on the streets as ponies began to argue that there was some conspiracy behind the death of the Mayor. Some people even blamed the Ponyville Police for either killing the Mayor or not taking proper courses of action for protecting him. You believed it was a bit of both? Still, you hoped it was wrong. Because if you were right...
All hell would break out. And that...would be disastrous.
You and Red looked to the TV, then to each other. He started to tear up, eyes watering as though they were ready to form pools beneath his feet. He tried to speak to you, but all that came out were choked out noises. You walked to the table in the center of the living room, put on your messenger bag, buckled it up over your chest, and ran out the window, getting onto the fire escape and climbing up onto the roof. When you got there, it was a whole new scene of Ponyville.
Within hours...flames were upon some of the small homes and stores of Ponyville.
Suddenly, you heard a ping coming from your messenger bag. You pulled out a radio and heard a voice coming through. It was Daring Do's voice. There was poor connection, so all you could make out was "Safe house...go...Red...Luna..." You immediately turn vault over the fire escape and drop down a level until you reached level 3 and grabbed Red's arm. You then lead him to the fire escape and you both hopped down the steps to level two. Then level one, where you both turn vault over the fire escape and drop down, where you performed a PK roll and began running.
As you both ran, ponies noticed. One of them was a thug, seeing you run into an alleyway. You reached a dead end. He approached slowly. "Hey...you gonna...just stand where any random pony can mug you? Not very wise, you know..."
You noticed the knife behind his back. That's when you breathed calmly. Suddenly, every sense was heightened significantly. You got into fighting stance, and everything seemed...clearer. Your sight, which was normally 17/20, had suddenly been increased so far you saw every detail in everything your eyes could take in. Your hearing became crisp and clear, you could even hear the faint sounds of wind howling. You somehow tasted tensions in the air, dark and stormy. You felt every dead of sweat on your skin, and you smelled fear. Very strong. Coming from the very thug facing you.
He laughed nervously and yelled, "If that's supposed to scare me, kid, you got another thing coming!" He charged. You simply awaited him, then struck.
You ducked while turning, and roundhouse kicked him across the back of the head. Using your momentum from the kick, you ran faster than ever. Red followed after you, close behind as you both headed towards the destination.
"You aren't serious," said Red as you stared down.
Before you both was an entrance into the sewers.
You shoved him in and came in behind him. Then...you closed the manhole, sealing you off from the rest of the Ponyville district.
You're on the floor, bleeding from a stab wound to the shoulder. You're on the roof of the very building in Canterlot that started It all; The Canterlot Bank of Equestria. Red was out cold, from a good blow to the head with what seemed to be a baseball bat. Rainbow Dash and Daring Do were both struggling to get up. You try to get up, but you're stopped by a hammer just above your head. Above you is the very stallion you wish to kill for everything he has done. He stared down at you with a fury never seen in any pony's eyes. You stared up at him. He stared into your eyes, a cold fire in his own. He gave off a toothy grin, and said, "It's a shame you couldn't join me. We could've ruled together over this junk-like place we call Ponyville."
"FUCK YOU!!!" you yelled into his face, spitting up at him immediately afterwards.
He closed his eyes and scrunched his face as the saliva flew onto his face. He reached up and wiped it off and then raised the hammer. And then...your life flashed before your very eyes.
For after all, this isn't how things began...and hopefully, it isn't how it ends...
The Runners
written by Music the Traceu