Never Again

The cold wind blew through Rainbow’s mane and tail, the only parts of her not covered from the freezing snow around her. She looked down at a city, a city she once knew very well. Looking through the binoculars, she scanned to see the entrance guarded by ponies. They were stationed there so that no pony could get in or out. Not that they wanted to be their also, it was their job, one that she knew they dreaded.

    She switched her vision from the gate to the interior of the city, looking at what was once a great growing city. Now, it was a frozen wasteland covered by soldiers, taking aim at anything that moved. She could barely make out the shape of what was a great castle, one that had been torn apart by storms and earthquakes. It was hard to look at, such a great place torn apart by an era of endless natural disasters. Deciding to look away, she turned her attention to a different location.

    The sewers, that’s where she would enter. Not only was it unguarded, it would also keep her below the magic field above the city for as long as possible. However, no matter where she entered, she would not be able to escape the field. She could only take the sewers so far until she had to head onto the main surface of the city. When that happens, she would have to say goodbye to her current body. No one outside the city knew why you lost your identity, but it was the reason it was so heavily guarded. The only reason guards were there at all is because of how dangerous it’s become.

    Rainbow Dash put down the binoculars, looking at the snowing expanse around her. A snowstorm blew around them, but it wasn’t ending anytime soon, and this was the best it was going to get. She had to be inside the city and in a secure place where the storm couldn’t hit her, it would get ugly when it picked back up. She heard a snap from behind her as she turned to see another pony take a band off her left hind leg.

    “You’re off the radar Rainbow,” The pony said, barely hearable over the sound of the storm. “But they knew where you’re going, and that you aren’t dead. You’re on your own from here,” The pony pulled her neck warmer down to reveal a icy cold yellow muzzle. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”

    “Why the hell do you think I would be here if it was?” Rainbow Dash yelled over the storm, also pulling her neck warmer down. “I’m about to go into a city that’s been falling apart for Celestia knows how long, why the buck would anyone want to go in there,”

Rainbow Dash turned around as Fluttershy turned away. She looked down to yet another band on the same leg. It was a radar, and if Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy was going to live through this, they had to get them off. Rainbow Dash took a knife that was holstered on her front right hoof and quickly cut the other band off, watching as the monitor on it faded, meaning that it was off.

“Your good,” Rainbow Dash said, smashing the band for extra measure. “Head back to the cabin, radio me when you get back okay,”

    Fluttershy nodded, “Where do you think Scootaloo and the others are?”

Turning back to the city, Rainbow Dash pointed at the faint silhouette of the castle off in the distance. It was probably the most guarded place in the entire city, and it was where she had bet Scootaloo and the other survivors would be. The subway also seemed likely, since it was where she had last seen them.

“I’m going in,” Rainbow Dash, “And I won’t be coming out the same pony I once was. Fluttershy, you’re the only friend I may have left, don’t do anything stupid, please,”

“I’ll be safe,” Fluttershy assured her friend “Just… Please come back to me, okay,”

Rainbow Dash nodded and watched as her friend made her way into the snowstorm. It would be the last time she would ever see Fluttershy with the same eyes again, and it was a moment she would never forget. Rainbow Dash slid down the ridge in front of her, spraying snow as she turned and hit flat surface. The wind made her once again put her neckwarmer on as she made her way past the bridge leading inside Canterlot. Luckily she wasn't spotted, and had managed to catch some of the conversation between the two guards.

“Come on man, I’m talking about those refugees that have been holding ground inside the city. Heard that there's an alicorn amongst them,”

“The fuck, I thought the only alicorns alive still were Celestia and Luna,”

“Yeah, I know, but we have proof of it now. Heard one of the guards managed to snap a picture of her during a patrol,”

“And he didn't shot at her,”

“Dude, it’s a Celestia damned alicorn, not a fucking earth pony or pegasus. You can’t shoot something like that unless you want to have your head chopped off,”

“I guess we know how they have managed to survive for this long then. Shouldn't we tell somepony?”

“They won't believe us even with the picture, no use man,”

So Twilight is alive, just like Scootaloo said. Rainbow smiled as she walked out of hearing range of the two soldiers posted out in front of the city. As the sun began to sink into the horizon, she quickly rushed to the open sewage pipe. It was able to fit a pony, but just barely. She would not have that long until she’ll have to breach the surface, but she wasn't worried about that for now.

She squeezed herself into the pipe, finding it very uncomfortable to walk in. Not only that but the ice made it hard for her to even move inside once she got fully inside. She inched forward as she came into the actual sewer, which wasn't that much more spacious as the pipe. That being said, at least it was easier for her to move.

As she made her way in, she took a moment to listen to the quiet and peace around her. It would be one of the few times she would have the liberty of silence from the storm in her search, and she took every chance she got to enjoy it. As she moved, she watched as the sewer ceiling got lower and lower, until she found herself crouching in Order to move.

It was time, she knew it. She took a few steps back in order to look around for the nearest exit from the sewers. When she found it, she grabbed the ladder - her wing were inside her jacket - and climbed up, removing the top to the sound and sight of the snowing buildings of old Canterlot. She was back, after so many years she was finally back, and it felt terrifying.

She took a step outside, and slid the entrance to the sewers back. As she stepped back, she started to feel a little dizzy. Her head hammering her as a soldier came up from behind her and grabbed her by the neck. Not knowing what was going on, Rainbow Dash gasped for air as she struggled to knock whatever it was on her off.

“Attention all unit, attention all unit! A pony has just managed to enter the city, I repeat, a pony has just-”

Before he could finish Rainbow Dash flung him off, throwing him onto the ground before stomping on his face. She had no idea what she was doing, but then again, she had no idea where she was anymore. Her vision blurring as she held her head in pain.

She tried to speak, but as she did she ended up coughing up blood. She fell to the ground as the pain became too much to. She held her stomach, feeling it twist and turn, almost making her almost throw up. She looked down to see her mane change from Rainbow colored to different shades of red and orange. She watched, terrified as her tail followed the same fate. It was true! She really was changing into an entirely different pony.

She was brought back as she felt something burst through her heads as well as something shrink into her back. Her head fell forward looking to blood dripping from above her. She tried to move a hoof to find where she was bleeding from, but her muscles were to tired to move. Slowly, Rainbow started to lose consciousness. She watched as everything blurred out of her line of vision, before finally falling unconscious on the snowy alleyway.