Metro: Canterlot Line

Corroded Sprocket opened his eyes and looked around his room. The tattered furniture and faded posters were a faint reminder that life could never be as it was before his time, he looked at his favourite poster of the Pegasi named ‘The Wonderbolts’ and was reminded of the stories his father had told him before he passed away. Of how The Wonderbolts were a few of the fastest Pegasi in Equestria, and was then reminded of the bitter fact that now Pegasi were used primarily for messaging other towns quickly of events such as rebellions and shortages of supplies, the only time Pegasi were allowed to fly.

Unicorns had their power limited as well; they were to be used as what is best described as a living torch. They were branded the ‘guides of the metro’ but the truth was barely any Unicorns left their home stations and instead stayed there to perform tasks such as the restoration of literature and teaching other ponies how to read and imparting the knowledge of writing to other Unicorns.

And as for Earth Ponies, life remained as it always had. Performing manual labour and the harvesting and growing of crops, despite the fact they were now growing but a few apple trees and usually a large patch of edible mushrooms and irradiated wheat. An apple was considered a luxury in the metro, many bidded against one another in auctions for such a luxury as an apple and a few had been known to give away everything just for a bite of the favoured fruit.

Sighing and taking his sight away from the poster Sprocket trotted towards the small, tattered cupboard in which he kept the food. As the door creaked open he took out a loaf of bread and placed it upon a smashed white plate, it would have been a seemingly normal and boring morning for Sprocket if it wasn’t for the small envelope tucked neatly under the remnants of the plate and surprisingly enough there was a royal seal on the back, why in Equestria would royalty want to communicate with a run of the mill earth pony on the border of the Canterlot line? Shrugging and deciding to find out he tore the envelope open to reveal a tattered piece of parchment and upon it read:

‘Dear Corroded Sprocket,

My pupil, Twilight Sparkle, has pointed out to me that you have an unmatched talent for... put simply, killing things.

And so it is with that I request your presence in the ranks of the Royal Canterlot Guard in Canterlot Gardens station.

Yours faithfully

Princess Celestia’

Reading over the letter a second time Sprocket took a bite from the slightly irradiated bread and thought over this

“Canterlot Gardens is over a fortnights worth of walking” thought Sprocket “But if I could catch rides on the tram systems between cities I might be able to arrive in a week, and I don’t have any way to decline this offer anyway... or any reason to either. I’m stuck in a border station with no job and a lack other ponies to stop me from becoming insane” he took a glance at the duct taped covered bolt action rifle near the door of his room and the, mainly empty, ammunition boxes surrounding it.

“Not nearly enough bullets to keep me alive through a fortnights worth of travel” He continued to think as he took another bite from the bread “And I’d need food and a source of light anyway...” he glanced over to the gas-mask placed on the bookshelf near his bed

“I’d need more filters to even leave the station anyway” He pondered and with that there was a knock on his door, wandering towards it he continued to think over the situation. As the door opened a cyan Pegasus was floating in the doorway with a package on the ground below her

“You’re Corroded Sprocket right?” Inquired the Pegasus

“Yeah...” Replied Sprocket hesitantly “And you ...”

“This package is for you” She replied, cutting Sprocket off mid sentence

“Alright then...” Resumed Sprocket, once again cut off but this time by the Pegasus flying into the tunnels towards the Canterlot line, the package was damp and wrapped in stained brown paper with string holding it down. Sprocket slowly pulled the string and revealed the contents of the package, inside were 2 filters and a box of rifle ammunition. Not exactly enough to reach Canterlot Gardens, but still enough to reach the next market station down the line towards Canterlot, so it was official now. Sprocket was about to leave for the Canterlot Line leaving behind his home and family history for a job working in the royal guard, that was if he even made it to Canterlot Gardens.