//-------------------------------------------------------// Game's of Flummox -by Introvert- //-------------------------------------------------------// //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter 1-New Beginning (Perplexion) //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter 1-New Beginning (Perplexion) She begins opening her eyes for the first time. Darkness was all over her. Drooping from the exhaustion she had, She couldn’t move or speak. She didn’t have a clue where she was at, who she was, where she was going. She could hear herself being dragged in front of her by what sounded like two figures clip clopping down to who knows where. Panic begin to arise in her body. She attempted to struggle but was far beyond weak and vivid. One of the figures seemed to have noticed her waking up. One of them slammed a blunt object on the back of her head which sent a short moment of pain, knocking her out cold. She woke up again, Light’s began to turn on but we’re too dim to shine the hallway. Down the corridor she could see a steampunk door that was full of rust with a wheel in the center that can be turned to open it. The walls were full of grey and blue metal color’s. Dust filled the atmosphere which came with a burnt metal smell to it making it hard for Amber to breathe. “Amber” She thought.  “Is… that my name?” Confusion and curiosity began filling her mind. Her eyes finally getting used to the dark, She can see much more better than she did before she was blunted on her head. Walking beside her were two ponies dragging her to the door from her front forelegs. Her hoof’s we’re chained on the side of the two ponies making it impossible for her to move her upper body. Glancing up one more time to the door. The smell had gotten stronger and repulsive. They had reached the door. The pony on the left side of Amber moved towards the door and began opening it with her horn. The sudden burst of loud mechanism coming from the door made amber want to jump but was to weak to move. The door had began opening with a shrieking sound to it making it annoying and irritating to hear. Amber’s heart began pulsing fast, She didn’t have a clue what was beyond that door. “St… Stop” She said. The door was almost at it’s fullest peak of opening. Beyond the door she could see another steampunk door that was already opened by the other pony which led into a dark, dim room which resembled a restaurant freezer with a door at the end without the cold freezing temperature in it. The two ponies walked forward past the two doors and threw Amber into the room. Pain slipping into her body as she hits the floor on her side making her squeeze the air out of her body making her cough and struggle for air. The two ponies had set her free and have wandered back into the hallway where she was dragged in the first place. “Hey, come back!” She said. Amber looking at them, She stood back up and began running towards them. But the door slammed shut before she even had a chance to get near the door. She stumbled backwards onto the old, hardcover flooring beneath her giving her another glimpse of pain on her back. She stood back up to see her surroundings. “Hello?” She said. “Is there anypony here?” Amber’s mind began questioning on what was going on, who she was and why she is here. Her heart still beating at a pace of panic and worrying what yonders in the dark. Walking carefully through the door she had seen earlier, She finds herself in a old kitchen with a wide window in front of her full of pots and tools that seemed of no use to her. The place was flooded with darkness. Amber contrasting to the darkness she stood quiet for a moment but began exploring the area. In a corner, She finds a half eaten chocolate bar full of dust and dirt around it with the wrapper peeled off completely. Glimpsing at it, her stomach rumbled. “If it’s going to be anything I’m eating, It might as well not be this hunk of junk in front of me.” She said. She glanced at the rottened bar one last time and pushed it away underneath a table so it may never be found again. Walking seamlessly to another room past the window she had seen through. The room looked similar to the one she had just exited but the room was full of tools scattered around and what looked like big refrigerators lying silently on the ground with no power to consume. Down at the end of the room was a door leading to another room with light casting out of it. Amber taking a good glimpse of her surroundings, All she saw were garbage through her eyes. Pile of pots laying on the ground sideways, spatulas hanging from the side of the walls and dirt all over the place. “Well this place is certainly dead isn’t it” She said. “Might as well go see what’s through that door and peek whatever it is out there that’s shining. It might even be celestia shining her butt out there to who knows what.” Amber felt abnormal talking to herself like that. But what made her feel different that way was how she knew that name. Amber shivered for a moment but began her exploration once again. She began approaching the door in front of her but stumbled on a hard but soft surface in front of her foreleg and fell making her faceplant to the floor. A short moment of pain shot through her face but vanished quickly. “Stupid trash!” She said. “Why don’t you go and make yourself actually usefu-” Her words were cut off. Her attention began focusing to the object that made her fall in the first place. Glancing at it, She realized it was a saddlebag that had holes on the side but was in good condition. “Oh. That’s what tripped me, Good for me” She said “Might as well take the thing and carry it around anyways.” She approaches the saddlebag and began searching what was left to scavenge in the bag. She found what looked like a big rock shoved inside one of the sides of the saddlebag with the sentence “M.P. Pet Rock” on the side Amber was viewing. Not knowing what it meant. She removed the rock out of the saddlebag and placed the saddlebag firmly on the back of her body leaving it dangling as she moves. It felt discomforting for her for a moment but she began getting use to the feeling. Moving towards the door again, She begins walking down to the door while she is constantly looking down on her front hoofs so she finds something that makes her trip again and avoids it. Luckily she didn’t, Instead she had found a dining area with a plentiful amount of chairs scattered around the room with big round and square tables standing without ever having to move. Some on the ground laying quiet and still while others are not along with a set of completely barricaded windows, One had light shining out of it lighting up the ground beneath her lightly. She realized she was in a restaurant that was abandoned for what look liked dozens of years. The place looked old and felt completely abandoned with no sign of life whatsoever. Amber looks to her right and finds an ordering counter area with cash register’s opened while others are not. One had a bobby pin stuck into it’s keyhole but looked like it was broken and jammed in it’s lock. “Huh… Lockpicking” She said “Gotta learn some of that myself if I ever want more goodies in this place, whatever this place served anyway.” Looking at what the menu’s offered, A majority of them had been decayed or ripped away from the menu. She squints her eyes to see the menu more clearly and carefully. On the left of the menu’s was an image of a big bun filled with hay, tomatoes, lettuce and ketchup along with a side of fries on the right with the words above it saying “Big Macs Hayburger Combo Meal! Served with Hoof Fries and a Medium Soft Drink! 6 Bits.” Glancing at the food, It made Amber’s stomach grumble again just by looking at the delicious food. Looking away as if she hadn’t seen it,  She’d had completely forgotten about the light outside the boarded windows. She approached the small hole the light was beaming out of and decided to take a peek on what’s outside but when Amber put her eye’s in the small bright beaming hole peeking through it. Bright Light shot into her eyes leaving her temporarily blinded for half a minute. “Damn that’s bright!” She said She backed out of the way the light was shining and began rubbing her eyes with her hoofs to regain concentration. Being able to see again, She turned to her right side and found what look liked a door filled with wooden barriers all over it with a small pinch of tiny light poking out of it and a big wide rusty chain with a lock in the center locking it from the outside. As she takes a closer look to the lock, There was a key underneath it that was already placed in the keyhole. Amber felt excited and terrified at the same time not knowing what may lie behind that door. Animals? Vegetation? Other Ponies? Amber was filled with curiosity and ecstasy. As she disengages the lock, The key suddenly breaks apart into two making it useless and unrepairable. “Oh crap.” She said Amber as she foolishly begins to converge the two broken pieces together. She began reinserting the pieces back into the keyhole unwelded and forcefully began to try and turn the lock. But no luck. Amber letting go of the key parts to fall to its descent, She began scavenging the area once again to find anything useful to remove the lock on the chain. Back to the ordering counter area that she’d had gone, she inspects the area carefully to find any sort of tool to her aid. To her luck, she finds a safe underneath one of the cash registers in a cabinet with glowing number pads on the front. Amber felt a little frustrated and let out a loud sigh not knowing what the code was. As she gently begins to put her hoofs on the number pads, The safe all of a sudden began opening slowly creaking as it did. Amber to a surprise felt relieved she didn’t have to go search for an object to help her open the safe. She glances at the safe again only to snap her eyes at what looked like a lock gun designed specifically for earth ponies along with a small match box with six or seven needle picks and a book with a lock gun on the front cover with words saying “Equestrian Weaponry Guides: Lock Guns for Earth Ponies. Beginner's Edition!” Amber began to felt vigorous, knowing she’d had found something useful to aid her. “Oh yes!” She said. “This I'm definitely stashing in here!” Amber as she returns back to the padlock she grabbed the utilities she had found in the safe. Surprisingly the gun itself felt lighter than she thought it would be. Analyzing the padlock, Amber inserted the lock gun into the padlock and began pushing the trigger on the gun. She holds her breath for the suspense, a loud clang sound was made from the padlock. It was unlocked. She removed the weapons needle out of the keyhole, The lock fell to the ground making a loud metallic thud sound when it hit the ground. “Yes!” She said.  “It worked!” The moment the padlock had been removed, The chain’s themselves have fallen to the ground as well to suffer the same fate the padlock had. Amber glancing at the door, her mind began facing something that didn’t quite feel right. She began to back away from the door and felt worried and afraid. Not knowing what it was, Amber wanted to ignore the feeling but the force of it was too strong. Trying harder and harder to ignore the feeling, she just couldn’t resist the force of this unknown thing. She was beginning to face fear. Amber tried to ignore what lies behind the door. As she did, she begins walking to the door in a uncomfortable manner. Hating the feeling she is suddenly having, she felt rigorous and began to turn that fear into a small handful of anger to use. Amber giving a glance of the restaurant one last time, She runs straight towards the door at half speed looking down on the floor charging at it and broke the door down completely. “Gah!” She yelled as the charged outwards. Amber as she stumbled to the ground after charging through the door with her forehead, a shot of pain went through her head leaving her cringing with her hoofs rubbing the pain away on her head. “Oh man.” “That definitely hurt, hope I don’t try that stupid move again anytime soon.” Amber contrasts to the light on the outside. She still couldn’t see leaving her temporarily blind. But as she began to regain her concentration back into her eyes, she began feeling small things pinching and poking into her skin, it felt uncomfortable and began shaking her whole body around like a dog. Finally her eye’s being able to see again, she looks back up and to see her surroundings. What she see saw left her speechless and dreadful. //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter 2-Welcome to the Wasteland //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter 2-Welcome to the Wasteland All around her what she saw were trees with no leaves hanging from the small fragile branches it, Home’s destroyed while others are still standing, The yellow light green grass with a small amount of sand beneath her that seemed to be dead and the blue sky full of white puffy clouds with the sun beaming into Amber’s eyes. It was a wasteland. She’s never seen anything like it. It was both a beautiful and terrifying moment for her to see. Laying still and quiet with the wind breezing through her body, she snapped out of her daze and began planning what to do next. Before she did anything, Her eye caught something shining off brightly near the door she had rammed through. It was a mirror that was almost in perfect condition with a small amount of broken mirror glass beneath it. Amber decided to take a good glimpse of how she looked like. When she did, she felt a moment of shock when she saw herself. “Oh my.” She said surprisingly. “I… I look… amazing.” Gazing at herself with such aw, The first thing she notices are her eyes. One eye had the color amber to it making it beautifully orange and red with a plush of yellow and the other brilliantly white with a drop of sky blue near her pupil. The coating of her body filled with a light grey brown shining from the sun, her black mane glistening in the sun with a white thunder looking image on the middle of her mane and three white curved hairlines on her left ear along with the back side of her mane blowing gently to her side from the rusty old winds and her long curvy black tail looking all polished and cleaned with the sand from the ground hitting her body. Amber couldn’t believe how astonishing she looked, especially how the 2 multi colored eyes was the only thing in her body that made her look different. “But why do I have two different colors in my eyes?” She said curiously. “Did I get my other eye injure?” It seemed stupid and foolish to her that something like that could ever happen to her, even though what she’s been through so far after what those two ponies did to her, she doubted something like that would happen but left a little bit of it undoubted within her. Looking away from the mirror, the wind had indefinitely gotten stronger when Amber was looking at herself with such “Aw.” Along with that, the sand that blew underneath her began to blow onto her coating much more harder than it had been just a few minutes ago but has partial effect to Amber’s physical health. The sky had taken a sudden turn of change, The sky became less blue and more grey and dull leaving a shot of shivery down Amber’s spine. “And now things take a turn… Great.” She said. Amber didn’t have a single clue where to go to explore. Near the restaurant was a roadway to what looked like an exit out of the town with two schools on it’s left side and what looked liked a police station on the right that was surprisingly big but both seamlessly destroyed with debris lying around both of them. Amber not wanting to know what laid in the town, she chose to leave instead and follow the path outside of it rather than exploring what the town held for her to discover. As she begins walking down the roadway, things began to look gloomy and dusty. Amber not wanting to know what would happen after dark, She begins jogging down the roadway passing the two schools and the police station she’d had seen earlier. A few minutes later she’d had already left the town and began her journey down the roadway to wherever it takes her. Passing by a couple of trees that still have leaves on them, Amber was about a mile away from the town. All she had seen down most of the road we’re more trees, wrecked homes, and more dust stinging into her eyes. Amber began to regret leaving the town but notices something in the distance. There was a cornfield that looked like it stretched on for miles with the roots still intact into the ground but with the corn stalks removed everywhere. Behind all those crops was a big cloud of dust the size of an average tsunami blowing wind harder onto Amber’s face as it began closing in to the town slowly. She didn’t worrying about it since it’s only a couple of miles away, She continued her journey but it ended sooner than she thought it would. Just after jogging up a small hill behind her, In the distance she sees a tall fence with barbed wire from top to bottom surrounding the whole town spreading down to the sides almost making it look like it went on forever. Behind the other side was a small destroyed barn and a 4-way intersection that had 3 more roadways that led to who knows we’re. What got her attention though was the gate in the middle of the roadway with a sign above it that said “Gate 077.”          Amber stares at it for a bit knowing what it could mean. “What could that mean?” She said. Amber looking around the concrete walls of the gate, she wondered around looking for some sort of button controlled keypad of some sort somewhere hidden on the walls. Rubbing her hoofs on the walls she found a keypad that was full of dust and hidden in sight but it required a twelve digit passcode to open. “Really?” She said. “No way I’m going to figure this old dank code in front me.” She began typing in random codes into the keypad, not only did it seem stupid but it became frustrating for her to have to wait every 5 seconds each time she gets the code wrong. “Err” She moaned. “I’m not going to be able open this stupid door with this thing getting in my way!” “Screw this.” She had given up on successfully opening the door with her own luck, sadly that did no good to her. Letting out a sigh, she turns around back to the road she had came from only to see the big dust cloud looking three times its size just a mile away from her. “Oh my…” Her heart froze in shock seeing how big the roaring dust of clouds was in front of her. She didn’t think it was that big until to see in front of her own eyes it had gone closer than ever before. It was a foudroyant moment for her to see. Standing still in shock, her mind only focused what the big cloud of dust would do to her if it consumed her whole body. It sent a chilling and horrifying image in Amber’s mind. Her mind set straight, she starts to gallop her way back to the town with every second ticking down before the big roaring clouds consume her. She didn’t stop moving, with every burning muscle she could move it felt like a hot rod being shoved in her forelegs with every burning pain bursting through her body with the sound of the clouds getting louder andlouder traumatizing her bit by bit as she ran. Her lungs struggled for air constantly making her breath heavily more and more down the road when all she could do is breath in the dust and sand that the big cloud kept on blowing into her lungs. It felt horrible. She had arrived back at the town with the storm closer than ever before. Panting faster than her heart could beat, she looks around her surroundings for any sort of building she can take shelter in to. The only thing that was closest to her was the school that was partially destroyed with doors wide open in the vicinity. Amber had no choice but to take shelter in the school as the clouds have already consumed the police station behind her. With one final try, she began running towards the open doors of the school as the rushing winds behind her we’re catching up to her. Closer and closer as the big wall of dust began catching up to Amber, she pushed herself to the max and was almost at the door. With every muscle burning in her gave her a shot of pain with her lungs striving for air. With that, She had finally reached the door. Immediately when she did, she closed the door on time just before the big wind pushed the door lightly but was unable to burst open. Amber filled with relief, she collapsed to the ground as she panted for air. Her muscle’s still burning and aching from all the running she had done made her tired and lightheaded. Still breathing for air, she looked around her surroundings to see what stuff had laying around the old school. She sits back on a wall giving her time to rest before exploring the old gloomy place. “I hope I never try something like that again” She said         While she was resting on the floor, her curiosity began to fill her mind again. “Why am I here?” “Why would they put me in this place?” She said with a sniffle. Staring down at the ground, she let out a small droplet of tears dripping to the floor while she sniffled more and more, almost turning into a sob. “Why” She said. Just as she was about to give up and rest herself, a loud metal thud was heard in the hallways. Amber's heart jolted when she heard it. “Who’s there” She shouted. As the air was filled with silence, she could hear something breathing heavily and slowly down the hallway. “Hello?” She said. She peaked through the hallway to see what was there. She could hear the sound of breathing down the corridor but it was too dark for her to see. She exited the room standing still and vulnerable in the hallway. Not saying a word, the breathing can be heard just a few feet down in front of her sounding more heavier and damper. “If you can show yourself please, I won’t hurt you or anything” She said calmly. When she spoke those words, a clop sound was made in the darkness. Amber backed up a bit feeling worried that what lurked in the darkness is not what she had seemed. The clopping sound got closer and closer down the hallway. She began to regret calling out who was lurking in the dark. “Is somepony… there?” She said hesitantly. Out of the dark she sees a figure approaching to her slowly. “Oh thank you celestia!” “I thought I would never… find… somepo-” She stopped mid sentence when she realized the figure wasn’t what she thought it was. It was something worse she could have imagined and it filled her with fear. Lurking in the shadow’s was a pony with it’s skin completely removed revealing it’s rottened open muscles with no eye’s and bloody eye sockets open in front of what used to be it’s face, It looked deformed. Approaching Amber, it wailed in the atmosphere piercing Amber’s ears sending a terrifying feeling down her spine. She couldn’t move, she stood still in shock and fear after the thing pierced her ears with it’s wail. She began to back away from the thing leading her back to the room she had been resting in. She had trapped herself. Not knowing what she could do, she looked around the room for an exit. There was a door hidden in slight darkness that was barricaded with a metal cabinet on the other side. With no other choice, she started pushing the door with her body. She was too weak to push the door. “Open Dammit!” She began ramming onto the wooden door only to have it pushed open slightly, leaving an open crack to see through. With the thing closely approaching her, She tried harder and harder to push the door open with her body ramming at quarter speed. With each ram she did, it opened the door slightly more and more. “Come on you stupid door!” She yelled. “Open!” The thing was just 6 feet away from her. With one final ram, she finally pushed the cabinet out of the way causing it to fall to the ground opening the door. Without glancing back, she sprinted out of the door leading her to another hallway that had a barrel lit down the corridor. Passing the barrel, she had stepped on a bear trap causing it to snap and chomp into Amber’s right rear foreleg causing her to scream in pain. “AH!”she screamed. The pain was unbearable, It felt as if a hot rod had been hammered into the bone of her leg that burned her from the inside. She began to squirm her way out but it only sunken the trap’s teeth deeper into her leg causing her to scream even more. With the undead thing moving slightly faster than before, Amber started pulling on the trap’s teeth with her left rear foreleg and right front foreleg making it wide open for her to lift her leg out. With that, she had set herself free only to see her leg is full of blood from the bleeding wound she got rendering it useless and incapacitated. Adrenaline was filled all over her body but it wasn’t enough to even numb the pain slightly. She whimpered with tears of pain sprouting out of her eyes. With the hideous thing already around the corner, Amber tried to runaway but her leg prevented her from doing that. She was unable to run anymore. “Get away from me!” She shouted. With her leg in pain, she did a certain short paced sprint walk down the hallway doing it in a squirming look. Down the hallway was a staircase with another barrel lit below it that led into another corridor. Since her leg was incapable of going down the staircase, she did a slow careful step by step method down the stairs. It was working well until the thing had shown itself just above a quarter of the stairs. Amber panted when she saw it take steps down the stairs. She increased her pace even more a quarter down the staircase but stumbled and fell down the staircase giving her moments of pain as she fell down. At a point, she hit a broken concrete beam on her injured leg that made a loud snap in the air causing her to scream louder than ever. She had finally reached down the staircase with pain and slight inches of blood all over her body as she laid still and quiet moaning with pain. She nearly passed out with all the pain thriving in her meanwhile the thing was already almost down a quarter of the stairs, she struggled to regain her strength but was already too weak to even move. “N...No” She said weakfully. It still moved towards her. Amber filled with panic turned to see a hallway leading to two different directions with a lit barrel in one of the corridors. She starts by moving hoof to hoof dragging herself with small pile of debris beneath her piercing and poking her skin. Adrenaline sweeped in like a missile giving her enough energy to move before she tires out completely. She’s gotten weaker by the minute due to the blood loss she has in her open wound but that didn’t stop her from moving away from the atrocious being. Finally being able to run at half speed, she takes the right side of the hallway leading her into more corridors with lit barrel’s in it. Not even thinking twice before entering, she headed straight to where the hallway led her. It’s the same as any other hallway she had seen here. filled with lit barrel’s, debris on the ground and dust roaming everywhere until she had reached a dead end with two doors on each side of the hall. One was locked while the other had the knob off completely. “Dammit!” she said         “Why!” She turned to reach back to the other hall she had been in but the thing had already made it’s way down to the hallway Amber was in. Running away into the room with the door with no knob, It was actually a long closet that was filled with complete darkness. She couldn’t stay open in the light with the monster coming to her. So she ran into the darkness, when she did she hit her face straight on into a wall giving her another brief moment of pain. “No” She said “No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!” It was a dead end. She panicked more than she had before. Death was ticking for her. She calmed to stay hidden in the darkness so the monster thing didn’t see her. The door had been shut and Amber prayed to celestia she’d make it out alive if the thing doesn’t catch her. Who knows what the thing would do to her. Eat her? Take her? Turn her into a thing? Amber had never pictured such a horrifying thing in her mind. Before she began picturing more, The door opened with a chilling creak sound to it. The thing was at the door staring at Amber atrociously. With it’s distorted breathing and disfigured body, it slowly began walking towards to Amber. As it did, she panted faster and faster as it came towards her. She just accepted the fact fate had to take it’s way. “Fine!” “Go ahead and fricking eat me will ya?” The thing still kept its pace towards Amber. Amber didn’t want to see what it would do to her, so she shut her eyes closed tight and accepted the fact she was going to die.         Bracing for death, she concentrated so much on keeping her eyes shut, she collapsed to the ground nearly passing herself out to the darkness. She laid still on the ground looking at the monster approach her just a couple of inches away.         “Just… put... me... out” Closing her eyes slowly, She heard a loud gunshot in front of her. Her eyes widened and alert but still laid still. The thing stood still with blood dripping from it’s forehead, then it dropped to the floor. Amber looking at the thing finally actually “dead,” she see’s a dark short figure at the door with what looked like a gun holster on her sides. It looked like a midget. “Are yo-” Amber’s hearing began to fade into the darkness and so did the rest of her body as well. She closed her eyes and set to sleep. //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter 3-Little Onion //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter 3-Little Onion Darkness consumed her. She couldn't see a thing. The place had no atmosphere, no signs of life anywhere in the pitch black darkness and no sounds coming from anywhere, It was just… lifeless. It began to make Amber’s sanity drain out of her brain. Where am I? She thought. Not even checking her whole surroundings, she had just realize she is floating in the big dead space she was in. It felt a little weird. Am I… Dead? Amber felt scared knowing she was probably dead and the only thing in the afterlife is the darkness that filled her eyes. Out of nowhere, a light appeared in the distance she was looking. Now is not your time Amber. A voice said in her head. All the way at the shining light, she sees a tall white figure coming towards Amber with a long looking sharp horn on top and big spreaded wings with a colorful green, pink and light blue mane and tail magically sweeping in the light and a set of golden fashion worn on her hoof’s and chest. It felt odd knowing how she knew her name and what she meant by what she said. Then things took a turn. Everything around her, The darkness, the figure and the light began to whiten and widen all around Amber, then something started pulling her. When she turned, she saw a big beam of light casting onto her that was glowing intensely in the distance. It brightened Amber’s eyes and shut them. Her speed increased more, she began to hear a few things near the light and that’s when it hit her. She had woken up in a nice sleeping bag with warmth filling her body making her feel comfortable and sweet. Around her we’re walls filled with cracks and dirt along with a barrel lit near her with a lantern turned off beside it and a small saddlebag including hers with a couple of cans of soup outside of it with an onion badge attached on the other saddlebags sides. A door was open in the room she was in and it shined a small red yellow orange light out of it. Amber laying still and quiet, she checks her leg after what the damage the trap and concrete beam had done to her leg. She felt surprised, It was completely covered in bandage rolls with a few red marks showing signs of blood in it but no actual bleeding was actually showing and a set of three poles with a long cast attached to two of them also wrapped with bandage rolls around her leg. She felt grateful to whoever patched her up like that and for some reason saddened due to the fact that she can’t run for a while. Even though she’d been cared by someone who she doesn’t know, something still didn’t look right before she dazed into the dark and went to sleep. The figure she had seen, the short small figure holding a gun that shot into the monster’s head saving her, and the mid-high pitch voice she had heard before everything turned dark. She began to wonder if the figure she had seen is actually a-         “Hello?” Said out of nowhere.         “You awake in there?” Amber feeling a little suspicious on who it is, she’s heard that voice somewhere before.         “Wakey Wakey sleepy head” The door being opened a quarter way in the room Amber was in, she saw a white coating color pop on the side of where the door was opening. Amber taking a good look on her leg before she glances back at the door. She was surprised tremendously, the short figure she had remembered earlier that saved her wasn’t really a midget at all. Instead, it was a really young mare filly with a nice glossy white mane and tail with her coating looking like grey puffy clouds filled with dust and sand, her short legs fitting well in with her whole body, and her eyes, her eyes were marvelous, it was a bright yellow color that was covered in light grey that sparkled near the lit barrel. The eye’s almost looked like they glowed. Monstrously. And her voice, it had the sound of a southern accent and an eastern both combined. One thing that standed out to her was a small golden heart locket on her neck that was attached to a necklace dangling back and forth as she moved. It made Amber curious what it could be.         “Hi” The little filly said.         “I can see that you're finally up sleepy head” She said it in such a childish way.         “Had a good sleep while I dragged your butt over here after saving you by one of those Stranglers?” “Stranglers?” Amber said curiously. “You mean that thing that tried kill me?” “Yep, those old runts that always come out when a sandstorm passes by? Yeah, those stupid runts.” Those few words made Amber feel worried for a bit. The fact if the storm had consumed her, those “Stranglers” would’ve popped out in the storm and eaten her possibly. She tried not to think about knowing it could have gone worse if she hadn’t acted so quickly and relied on her instincts. “I saw you busted your leg pretty bad back there in the closet. How exactly did you end up like this?” “Oh yeah.. Well, I-” A loud thump was heard outside the wailing winds. “What was that?” said Amber “Probably just one of those Stranglers trying to break in here” “But don’t worry about it, Those ol nabbin runts can’t get through these strong brick walls… I hope” she said. “What do you mean you “hope”?” Amber began to increase her voice “Are you saying that they can break through this that's behind me?” A pinch of anger began to build inside her but quickly vanished by how sceptic the little filly can be. “Shhhh! No! That’s not what I’m trying to say. Tone your damn voice down or else they’ll hear us.” “Oh, my bad.” “Good that we settled that down, I’ve forgot to ask one thing to you whoever you are.” “And that would be?” “Uhm. Your name of course?” “Oh, riiiight. My name’s Amber.” “Amber is it now huh? Not too shabby for someone like you.” What is up with this girl? Amber thought. “I didn’t get a chance to get your name instead” “The names Onion, it’s stupid I know” She let out a loud sigh, Amber snickered. “Well I guess that’s all the ‘appreciation’ I get don’t I right? No, thank you and all that, yeah I’m ‘definitely’ fine with that” Onion said sarcastically. “Oh right. Thanks for patching my leg up nice and tight. But one problem.” said Amber “How exactly am I going to walk again in this thing!” “Don’t you worry a darn bluff thing about it, the thing was made out of clutches I found in the nurse's closet in here. “ “It won’t do much but it’ll keep your leg and hoof off the ground. But at least it works am I right?” She grinned in a awkward way that made Amber feel a little discomforted. “You do have a point there I guess” The wind outside had calmed down into a nice little breeze sound along with the sounds of thumping from the Stalkers already ceased. Amber and Onion stood quiet as they tried to hear the outside. “Guess the winds calmed down outside, and so did the ugly thumping sounds those things made. I guess it’s safe to say, we’re good to go now.” “You sure I’m alright walking with this on my leg?” Amber said “You wanna walk don’t ya?” “Or do you wanna drag yourself wherever you go?” “Okay I get the message. Jeez, no need to get so hasty on me” Onion laughed. “Oh man, you’re a lucky cracked nut I’ll tell you that.” “Now come on, we gotta get goin soon. We don’t wanna stick around here again and have you set off another trap on one of your hind legs again.” “Pick up your saddlebag so we can get going and take whatever that was in your bag.” Amber removed herself out of the sleeping bag and stood up to her surprise, her leg wasn’t in so much pain as it was before so it made it easier for her to walk and the broken crutches beneath her hoof helped her as well. “Man, after all that pain I went through. I get knocked up in this.” Amber said to herself. “Wonder if she took any of my things.” When Amber moved her body forward, she felt an aching pain all over her body again but lightly did it annoy her. “Dammit, I’ll just have to ignore this until I’m freaking well good and walking.” The pain was considerably miserable to her, even after all the running she had gone through it still felt horrible to walk, even the slightest inch would ache her body. “Look in your saddlebag dummy!” Onion said Amber peaked inside her saddlebag and found a canister full of pills with the words “Analgesic” around it and a sticker with a description of what it does. “Uhm. What exactly are these suppose to be?” Amber said “They’re pills, ya drink em.” “Sooo is this suppose to do something to me or what?” “I think it takes away the pain for a while, I don’t know. I read the thing on it but I actually never took one of those things and actually swallowed it just to get the pain away.” “It can do that?” Amber questioned “I guess so. All you do is get water, put the pill in your mouth and drink it into your body.” “Here’s a bit of water from by bottle.” “So do I take all of them, then I’m fine?” “No. I think if you do that, that will kill you actually.” “So wait, if I drink it, will it kill me?!?” Amber panicked a little. “No! That’s not how those things work you halfwit. If you take like only one or two, you should be fine. Anything else then that would kill you I think.” “Uhm. Alright then. So I only take one or two and I should be fine?” “Yes! It’s not that difficult. Just take my water and just drink it so we can get going.” “Ok then, if you say so “Onion”.” Onion shot a nasty old glare to Amber giving her a warning to shut up before anything bad might happen. Amber uncapped the bottle filled with soothing wet water and placed the two set of pills in her mouth and dranked the freshest water she had ever dranked. The soothing water pleasuring her tongue and senses, the wet fluid water hydrating her body and mind and the glorious feeling of it flushing her mind away with pleasure. She wanted to drink more of it. “Ok, that’s enough.” Said Onion “You don’t want to go wasting our resources and go vomit it out for nothing” “Sorry. It’s just that after all that running from the gate when that storm got closer somehow, I died for water.” “The gate?” Onion questioned “Why the hell would you go over there in the first place? The big damn door’s are blocking the exit so what gives?” “I didn’t know, I just thought going that way would take me somewhere else instead of this old town. Whatever it’s called anyway.” Amber said. “Shouldn’t you already know that those gates have been already locked for who knows how long exactly?” “Everypony in this town knows those gates have been blocked and will always will be. Not one pony has ever opened it, Never!” “Not until the day it was first made I guess.” “But… I wasn’t raised in this town.” Amber said. “Wait, you weren’t raised in this old goot town?” “Then where’d you come from then?!?” Onion said. “I don't know.” Amber said weakley “All I can remember was, being dragged by two ponies, throwing me in a room in a restaurant that’s nearby here and here I am right now.” “That’s nearby? Show me, I gotta see this myself.” Onion said excitingly. “Then let’s head there right now.” “But first, where’s the exit out of here?” Onion shot her a look then turned to her left outside the door. Amber peaked outside the door. “Oh, that’s we’re the exit is.” “Yeah but it’s locked.” Onion turned to Amber and gave her a smile that creeped up Amber’s spine. “Uhm. Why are you giving me that face?” “Oh you know what I’m talking about.” She pointed her hoof to Amber’s saddlebag. “That little toy of yours in there.” “You mean my Pick Gun?” “Yeah, the pick gun thing whateve micbob… You get the point.” Amber dropped her saddlebag down on the floor and searched for her pick gun. It was in the same spot near the book she had found earlier, just dusty and old looking. “Here it is!” Amber said. She walks toward the door and begins picking the lock. “Just gotta jab this in here and.” The door made a loud “click” noise and slightly opened in a creepy way revealing light at the other end. “There. Open and free.” “THAT’S AMAZING!” Onion shouted. “Do you have another in your saddlebag that I didn’t find?” “Please I know you got to have one!” “Just one! I promise I won’t break it or anything.” “I just want it to open them doors like you did!” “And and” Onion’s words reached a point where she began talking so fast Amber couldn’t understand a single word from her. The only things she would hear from Onion we’re the constant blabbing and nagging for the pick gun she had. It annoyed her, a lot. Almost wanting to find a pair of duct tape and wrap it around all over her mouth, but that’s just plain mean. Even after thinking about it and after getting patched by Onion, it only made her feel heartless and rude. “So do you have another pick gun for me?!?” “Huh?” Amber questioned “Do you or nah?” “No, I don’t have another pick gun for you.” “Are you sure?” “Yes! I’m sure!” “Are you really really really sure?” “YES! For goodness sake, I don’t have another pick gun for you!” “Aw. You're no fun, butthead.” Amber sighed. “Well it’s no better than your gun that you have in your bag” “Look, where are we gonna go exactly?” “Well if you ask me, I suggest we go to the central square here in Woodcult. That’s where most of the ponies are at in the settlement.” “Wait, you’re telling me that in this very town… there’s a settlement?” “Yeah. Butthead.” Onion snickered. “Fine let’s just get this over with and head over there.” said Amber. “Woah not so fast Amber” Onion said. “You can’t just walk over there like nothing.” “How so?” “If the settlement’s security and people we’re to see you, they’d be flipping balls all over their heads.” “And that would mean?” “If the security we’re to imprison you. There's a good chance you’re going to end up dead rather than alive.” “Crap” said Amber. “So what are the odds of getting me in?” “Well, if there’s anything I know of traveling around the here, it’s either the sewers or above ground here in the dump we’re in.” “The sewers are known for their huge wide connections throughout the town, they can connect from here, to somewhere else in the town.” “Sooo where can we find one?” “They’re in the streets like the one out there, but the old rust on them made it impossible for them to open.” “So I guess there’s no chance of me getting in then?” “There is actually. Not too far down the road, inside an abandoned old liquor store I know, there’s a sewage entrance hiding somewhere in there that will lead us into the underground sewage.” “Well what are we waiting for then, let's go!” Amber shouted. Amber and Onion rushed out of the door and began to jog to their location, they first checked the restaurant Amber was in then only a quarter way down the road did they begin to get tired and started walking their way down to where they had to go. “Maybe we should walk they’re don’t ya think?” Onion said. “I guess so. Let’s just stop and walk, I’d like that more instead.” Both panting and tired, they began walking to their destination. With the warm breeze of the winds, the heating sun boiling the ground and the destruction view of the town. It made Amber feel whatever made the town as of today. Why is everything destroyed? It only filled her mind even more with questions. Then came the shining flare from Onion’s necklace. The necklace, it’s gold shiny refined edges and it’s beautiful shining light with the resemblance of a heart perfectly detailed on it’s front. “So uhm, Onion” “Yeah?” “I’m just wondering. Where’d you get that necklace of yours there?” Onion stood quiet. “Well, where’d you get it from?” “That's none of your business Amber.” “Why?” “It’s… something personal I don’t like to talk about.” “What exactly? Can’t you tell me?” Onion kept walking but stood quiet, then she spoke again with a sigh. “Fine.” “It wasn’t too long ago when I was younger. Me… and my mom, just having a fun time in the old Woodcult square in our home. Perfectly quiet, warm and good. It was an amazing place to be, especially in that town. Every night she’d tell me a story of my ancestors up in the heavens watching over me, being there.... whenever I’m in danger, The goddess and her warriors... sweeping from the clouds, killing all the evil that’s on this planet. It made me happy and comfortable, my mother would be there for me whenever I needed her. That only time that I needed her the most was when my father died.” Amber walking silently with her ears sharpened to Onion’s words. Onion still kept on talking. “My father was one of the patrol guards in the settlement. He was one of the best dad’s you could ever want in the whole world.” “He’d bring you your favorite treat each week, teach you new things you thought didn’t exist, played games and stuff with you whenever you needed to.” “He was the best dad ever, until came a sandstorm one day.” “Everyone still outside while others went inside, shop’s closing and still staying open, the amount of guards patrolling the area increase and the sounds of the Stalkers trying to break their way into the walls around Woodcult.” Amber still listening and walking. “But this one was different and one I won’t ever forget, the sandstorm’s winds were as hard and windy as water splashing hard into your face, the dust and sand hitting every part of your body felt painful sting by sting.” “It was terrible, but on that same day was when a filly somehow got outside the town’s walls and went walking around the outskirts of town.” Onion begins to snuffle. “So… the town sended orders to the guards to find the missing filly around the area, one of those guards was my dad.” “He was head the leader of his group, Group B-25.” “I heard of it myself when the people began rumoring that a filly went loose and left the town.” “When I heard them say my father’s group, I started worrying if he might not come back from the storm.” “I saw him myself leave the town when the town’s gates started opening, a wave away to me and my mom then… he and his group went into the storm, two hours later, we still haven’t heard or seen them returned after that long.” “My mother sitting in her chair worrying if he might not come back or not, the crowd outside quiet and still… waiting for some sort of sound or… a signal from my dad’s group. And they did hear a sound, a terrifying one.” There we’re screams outside the walls. Me and mother rush out to look and run to the gates.” Both are still walking while Onion snuffles even more. “When we looked closer into the storm, We saw three people come out of the storm, one was a guard filled with blood around his armor, the other my dad with blood coming out of his leg and the lost filly they went looking for on his back.” “I screamed for him to run, but no response.” “The winds were too strong for him to hear anything.” “I kept yelling, but the winds fierce wind power didn’t budge.” “Behind them was a large horde of stalkers, tons of them all around them surrounding them.” “My heart paced we’re it felt like it was going to burst out.” “And it almost did, when I saw my father collapse to the ground.” “He was too weak to move on, the filly fell as well but the other guard picked him or her up and ran.” “I screamed even more for him to run. But still no budge.” “Behind him we’re the ugly Stalkers creeping up to him, my eye’s turning watery red.” “He looked back to me with his bloodied face and eyes.” “It was a sign from him telling me he gave up.” “He stood still laying on the ground, not moving once.” “The stalkers we’re approaching him more, the two survivors managed to pass through the gate, but as they did, the gates began to close.” “I started screaming and running towards my father until my mother grabbed me by my hoof.” “He gave me one last look on his face telling me “Goodbye”.” “A stalker was just inches away from him, it’s mouth began to widen and go over my dad’s head.” “Before I even get to see what happened, the gates closed just when it… it…” Onion started snuffling loudly and stopped dead in her tracks. “Onion” said Amber. “Onion?” Silence surrounded them until Onion bursted out in a loud cry causing her to lay on the ground sniffling and sobbing. It made Amber’s heart break seeing her like this. So she walked towards Onion and laid down near her and decided to comfort her. “No, don’t… even” Onion replied. She paused for a brief moment and resumed her crying facing her head to the ground only to pierce Amber’s heart again. “Onion I… I didn’t knew… I just-” Seeing Onion in a state like this only saddened Amber even more, it made her feel guilty of herself of putting her back through what she’s been through in the past, even though she never knew about it. “It’s alright” She replied with a sniffle. “Just hurts me to see my past. What I’ve been through, with my parents.” “Just stop right there Onion” Amber replied. “I don’t want to hurt you again… mentally I mean.” “It’s fine. Really. I just need to relax and get going to where we need to go” Onion replied. “Besides, there’s other things to worry about than in the past.” “Let’s just go where we need to gooo… It’s right there.” Onion said awkwardly. Right in the side of the road where Onion and Amber we’re standing was the old abandoned Liquor store with it’s own big side standing beside them. Beside it was a small restaurant that had the picture at the entrance saying “3 starluck’s restaurant” with every window and door barricaded and they both looked dead and abandoned. “So this is place?” “Yep” Onion replied. “So how do we get in?” “Follow me” Walking between the two buildings, Amber still felt a little ashamed to what she manage to do with Onion. “Poor thing” She thought. Between the alley where the two buildings stood, there was a body of a Stalker laying down dead with it’s head all blunted and gory. The stench that came from it made them knew it was killed a long while ago and it smelled horribly that it made Amber gag twice, it almost made her vomit. Passing the dead body, behind the building lied a door that led into the liquor store and another which was barricaded at the restaurant. “I’m guessing it’s locked?” Amber asked. Onion slowly walked towards the door and puts her hoof gently on the door causing it to creak open with a raw metallic sound coming from it. “I guess no then.” “Come on” Onion replied. The building was a mess just like the restaurant Amber had been into, old, dusty, messy, dirty, dark and unclean. It felt the same only this time the place had more dust than the other place she had been into and things we’re scattered everywhere. She’d hate to pick it all up as a job. “Job” She thought. “What could that be?” “Hey Amber!” Onion shouted. “Remember why we’re here, we can scavenge some stuff here if you want to but the place looked like it’s already been cleaned out.” “Doesn’t hurt to try right?” She replied. She shot an awkward smile to Onion making her feel stupid what she pulled off. “Oh man it’s dark in here.” Onion said. “Let me take out my lantern.” With a twist of a cap, the lantern lit fire in it’s core shining the room they we’re in. “There we go!” With the lantern lit on, the shallow creepiness that crept up Amber’s spine disappeared. The lantern gave her heart a warm feeling of hope. Down through the door they haven’t went through yet, they’ve entered a whole place filled shelves used in aisles, cardboard, newspaper, old dirty goods on the ground and possibly anything anyone else could imagine in these kinds of places. “Wanna start searching?” Onion asked. “I think we both know the answer to that.” Amber replied. “Now that’s what I like to hear from you... I like that” Onion replied. So they both scattered around the place, walking over dirty papers, cardboard and another stupid half-eaten chocolate bar. Amber searched vigorously for anything she could find that’s good. But luck wasn’t on her side at the moment. Scavenging aisle to aisle in the shelves, all she could find we’re papers, opened wrappers, plastic bags and an old broken broom that looked burnt on the ground. She started thinking if Onion was right, what if this place we’re already scavenged by a previous group. That is until she found an old red bandana lying near the shelves she was in looking in good condition. “Cool. A red rag I can wear.” She said. In it was a set of trail mix, a small bottle of water, and a unopened candy bar of some sort all looking dusty but delicious to eat. “Sweet!” “Hey Onion!” “Onion! Look what I found!” With silence floating in the air, Onion didn’t respond to Amber’s call. “Onion.” “Onion are you there?” “Did you find the sewage pipe and went in it without me?” Still no response. Amber decided to investigate where Onion was in the store. All dark and gloomy in every corner of the store besides where the light shined in Onion’s lantern, it concerned Amber why she didn’t respond. “Onion.” “Come on, this isn’t funny.” She started walking to Onion’s Lantern glowing across the aisle. “Please Onion, say something.” “Uhhhh.” She finds Onion’s saddlebag near her lantern closed and safe in one peace. “Onion!” Amber shouted. Amber stood still in fear only to see a black figure staring at her at the end of the aisle vigorously. “Who are you?” “Stay back!” When Amber started taking steps backwards, she heard a scream that made her jump almost near the surface of the roof. “RARGHHH!” A yell out of nowhere. “Ahhh!” Amber yelled. It was Onion in a old white ragged clothing covering her forehead making her look like a ghost. She was laughing her butt off hysterically in a way that made her look like she was going to choke on her own air. “Why did you that?” “That’s payback for making me whimper back there on the street.” Onion replied. “Are you serious?” “You made me almost hit the damn roof!” “Look I’m sorry alright?” Onion said. “Just a little joke I like to play on people sometimes, figured you’d want one too.” She smirked. “Like “I” needed any of it.” Amber replied. “Wait but if you’re here, then what’s that down the aisle?” “That’s a mannequin I found in here. Creepy but awesome.” Onion replied. “That’s uhm… kinda creepy that you found one in here.” “Hey, where’d you get that red bandana from that you're wearing on your neck?” Onion questioned. “It was in one of the aisles, it had stuff in it when I found it.” Amber replied. “Cool.” Onion said. “By the way did you find the sewer tunnels yet?” Amber questioned. “Yeah, just behind the counter under a carpet that look’s really old.” Onion replied. “Just watch where you step in.” Both walking to the counter’s gate, a smell hitted Amber’s nose, an old smelly and rotten smell that begun creeping up into Amber’s nostrils. “Smells like a pack of old nasty Stalkers in here” “You don’t say?” Amber replied. “Whatever. Let’s just get this rug out of the way.” Amber grabbing the right side of the rug with her mouth and Onion grabbing the other both begin to pull on the rug until they reached a stop near the walls. The dusty and dirty tasting rug made Amber want to cough and gag but she resisted. “Plah!” Amber shouted. “No way am I grabbing anything like this with my mouth ever again!” “Hey, at least we found the thing here.” Onion replied. “So how does it open?” “You lift it” Onion replied. “But how exactly? We have stubby hoofs that can’t even fit in that tiny hole there.” said Amber. “See that crowbar in the corner?” “Grab it and open it.” Amber turned to be surprised, what Onion had just said turned out to actually be a crowbar sitting in a corner in the counter they we’re at. “How come you didn’t say a thing about it being here?” “I didn't. I just noticed it when it reflected the light off my lantern here.” Onion replied. Amber went to the corner of the room and grabbed the crowbar and returned to the same spot she was standing and began shoving the crowbar’s end underneath the sewer drain cover and began lifting it with both her hind legs on the crowbar. “This things heavy! Jeez!” Amber said. “Help me out here Onion!” Onion moves and pushes down the crowbar. “Come on, one last push!” With the sound of metal rusting against the floor, Amber and Onion fell to the ground when they didn’t pay to much attention of their own safety and ended nearly faceplanting onto the ground. “Holy crap! We actually got it open!” Onion shouted “But there’s no ladder or… staircases.” “What’s that sign say? And how do we get down there?” Amber said. Amber looked in on closer on what the sign said “Pegasi Pony Sewer Tunnel Entrance-PEGASI ONLY! PROCEED WITH CAUTION!” “Aw shoot! It’s a tunnel for damn pegasi ponies!” Onion shouted. “They don’t even exist anymore!” “Pegasi?” Amber replied. “What are those?” “Ponies with wings.” Onion replied. “But no one’s actually seen one before, not even me.” “Wow.” Amber said. “A pony with wings…” “Now don’t lose me here Amber, don’t go thinking you can go make yourself a pegasi.” Onion said. “My bad, anyway how do we get down there?” Amber said. “By jumping I guess” Onion replied. “Well I see no other way in here… Let’s just go with it” Amber replied. “Who goes first?” Onion gave her that same smirk she had seen earlier. She sighed. “Fine I’ll go” The hole Amber peaked in was dark and vivid, she could hardly see anything deeper in it other than total darkness covering up the whole hole. “Oh crap, that is dark.” “Here goes nothing.” Jumping into the hole, Amber nearly shrieked for a moment but the fall ended quickly and her flank hit the bottom ground. “Ow!” She yelled. “Amber, are you alright?” Onion questioned. “Yes! I’m fine.”  Amber replied “Just landed on my butt too hard.” “Come down I’ll catch you!” “You better hope you will Amber! Or I’ll be smacking you with the side of my gun!” Onion shouted. Amber snickered. With every sound they made, it’d echoed through the dark long tunnel Amber was in. “CATCH ME!” Onion shouted. Amber looking above her, Onion had jumped and landed on Amber making an “Oomph” sound when it happened. “You mind telling me why’d you did that?” Amber said. “So you can catch me silly!” Onion replied. “Either that or you’d have a gun slapped on your face right now.” “Well whatever, let’s just get to where we need to head to.” Amber said. Around where Amber and Onion had just landed, the whole tunnel was filled with brick walls covering the dirt outside of it, rotting green colors around them, the dirty old water that was left untouched for what looked like centuries, the darkness that filled the whole tunnel and the horrid smell that filled the whole place. It was a rotting feeling to Amber, it felt like it was decaying her skin every time she’d smell it into her own nostrils making her want to puke every time she’d think about it. “Know where to go Onion?” “I uh… Uhm…. I don’t know where to go in here.” Onion replied. “Say wha?” Amber said. “You mean you don’t know these parts of the tunnels?” “No I don’t, I’ve only been in the ones near the settlement.” Onion replied. “Maybe if we head down this part of the tunnel where it points to the town, it might just take us to the settlement.” “Sound like a plan to you Amber?” “Definitely does, and I hope it works too.” Amber replied. “Let’s just take it slowly down here, I’ve got a feeling we’re not the only things down here looking for a way out.” “Good Point, anyway let’s get moving before it turns nighttime and those things come down here.” Onion said.