Author's Note

Hello!

The Spread

MetalSmith. You ask him to do something, and it'll be done. Thats why he's loved by his boss. He's the only Pegasus in the train yard who can get work done faster than a unicorn.

"SMITH!" His name blasted from the P.A. system. Upon hearing his name he turns off his welder and lifts his visor. Hanging the Oxyacytiline torch he was just using on the bottles, he takes off the visor aswell. Able to see easier, he looks up at the boss's office, and the blue stallion waves him up.

"Coming!" He yells, knowing completely well that his boss can't hear him. The stairs that went up to the train yard Foreman's office were clear on the other side of the building. Meaning Metalsmith had to dodge all the other workers to get there. But No flying. The office had a strap that can only be taken off by a guard with a certain key. The foreman had them made to prevent any accedents from a flying Pegasus.

Being a welder, his coat and face had scorch marks from the slag that would fly up and hit him. Even if he wore a mask, they would still find their way under.

When he was younger, his mother would always compliment him on his perfect bark Brown coat. Or his black mane. But those compliments stopped once he went into this field. He knew he was going to be a welder once the torch Cutie Mark popped up. He thanks the welding class in school for that.

BUMP!

MetalSmith kicks the bottom step, lost in thought. Shaking his head bringing himself break to reality, he starts up the steps. 56 steps. He's counted a multitude of times.

53

54

55

56

Smith reaches the top. Walking over to the door, he knocks.

"Come on in!"

Complying, he turns the knob and swings the door inward. Walking in, the door automatically closing behind him. Directly across from Smith was his boss, Foreman.

Foreman's office is extremely bland. No pictures of family members. Nothing to show he has any life outside the office aside from the Celestia bobble head on his desk.

"You called me? Boss?"

"Yes!" The blue stallion says, turning around from the window and looking at Smith. Metal walks over to the desk and sits in the client chair. Foreman sits in his chair across the desk from Smith.

"I wanted you to talk about your tendency to finish stuff early." Foreman tells him. And is responded with a confused look. "Don't get me wrong. I love it! It's great! But I'm afraid it's too great. Ponies over at the main yard, the one in Canterlot, want you."

"Oh. I can't go there, I live here. My family is here. I can't make that commute." Metal tells him. Foreman nods.

"I know. That's why I told them no. But I'll only be able to do that for so long before they start screwing up my yard."

"What do you mean?"

"They'll start firing ponies at random, stop the steady flow of materials. They'll basicly shut me down." Foreman says, slamming his hoof on the desk angrely.

"All because they want me?"

"All because they want you." He nods.

"Dammit... Mabey, I could screw something up. Then they won't want me. You have anything I could screw up without damaging The company?" Smith asks. Foreman shakes his head.

"No, all I have is essential. Don't worry, I'll work something out with them." He says, standing up. Metalsmith hops out of his chair and walks towards the door, Foreman behind him.

"Thanks boss." Metal says, opening the door. Foreman nods.

Metal walks through the door and starts to close it, but Foreman stops it before it closes all the way.

" Smith."

"Yes boss?"

"Celestia smile on your family." He says.

"Thank you, sir." With that, the door closes.

"Smith!" A voice behind him yells. He lifts the torch then his visor. He turns around to see why his name was yelled. An H beam suspended by one wire is swinging towards him. Tossing the still burning torch and diving out of the way, the front end of the beam slams into the train car he was working on. The back end of the beam swinging away from Smith, hitting his gas bottles. The acetylene bottle knocked over and the cap being broken off. Landing next to the burning torch.

"IT'S GONNA-" Smith's cut off by the ear splintering boom of the acetylene gas combusting. The flash and noise disorienting Metalsmith and the others around him.

Taking deep breaths and rubbing his eyes, Smith manages to get his heart rate and sight back. He looks up at where the beam came from just in time to see Ironsmith, another welder and lifelong friend, get his throat torn out by Lumberjack. Or, what he thought was lumberjack. Still unable to hear from the explosion, he gets up and runs up the scaffolding stairs. Getting to the top end of the scaffolding, he looks over at where Ironsmith was. He's dead on the ground, his intestines bring torn out and eaten by.... Something that's not lumberjack anymore.

"Hey!!" Metal yells at the thing. It turns it's head slowly to look at him. Looking it in the eyes, Smith sees that it's eyes aren't normal. They're glazed over. The eyes of a dead pony.

Putting it's front hooves into the carcass of Metal's friend to push itself up. Stumbling while it Turns around, it starts limping towards Metalsmith. While it slowly makes its way towards him, he notices another thing off. It's missing half of it's face. Surrounding the wound is what looks like tares and bite marks.

It sounds odd. The breathing raspy and liquidey. Like breathing in and out with mucus in the way.

"L-Lumberjack! Hey! It's Metalsmith." He yells at it, hoping it's just some horrible joke. But the creature just keeps walking. Closer and closer. "Dammit..." Smith says, running back down the scaffolding. Stopping quickly, he see his boss in his office, looking through the glass, concerned. But not daring to come down.

The whole shop was in chaos. Things falling, others yelling. Walking carefully to the stairs, Smith sees others knocking down the things. Some using pipe wrenches. Some using just pipes. Doing their damndest to defend themselves.

Seeing a Pegasus he decides that the wing restraints were a good idea after all. Looking ahead he beelined it to the stairs.

55

56

Sprinting over to his boss's office and rushing through the door. Slamming it closed behind him.

"What the hell is going on!?" Metal yells. Foreman turns around.

"I have no idea. But we need to get the hell out of here." He says, somehow calm.

"Boss! You have a key to these damn things! Please take it off!" He shouts, running over to the desk. Swollowing nervously, Foreman nods. He walks over to his desk and opens the top drawer. Taking it between his teeth he walks over to Metal. Placing the key in the lock, turning it and the strap falls to the floor. Stretching his wings he smirks.

"Now we can properly get the hell out of h-" Smith's cut off by the sound of the creatures slamming themselves into door. Looking back in time to see a horn puncture through the door. Soon blood running down the horn. Smith guesses it pulled the horn right out of its head.

"Damn! The window!" Foreman yells. Turning to his desk he picks up the bobblehead in his teeth. He whips around violently, letting the bobblehead fly from his mouth and break the window. Smith runs over.

"Go Smith! I'll keep these Luna damned things back. Get to your family." Foreman tells him.

"No! Sir, I can carry you!"

"No! I'd just weigh you down!" Foreman tells him, going to the door.

"Sir! What about y-"

"FUCKING GO!" The blue stallion opens the door. Three of the creatures come in. One having a gaping hole where the horn used to be. "Go dammit!!! FUCKING GET OUT OF HERE!!"

Coming back to reality, Smith turns around and runs to the window. Guilt washing through him he turns back around. The only other unicorn thing's horn is glowing. Looking over to his former boss, he sees one of his back legs glowing the same deathly black. Foreman trys tugging at his limb, only to hear a loud pop in return. Foreman yells In pain, but continues tugging. Soon snapping can be heard, and flesh tearing. Foreman's leg stringily tearing off.

Holding down his lunch, Smith turns back around and this time jumping out the window, extending his wings. Dodging the equipment hanging from the ceiling. Managing to stay high enough, out of the sight of the unicorns. Looking for a way out, his eyes manage to settle on the window on the other side of the shop. Thanking Celestia it was a high window, he heads straight for it.

Getting close, Smith tucks his wings against his body, squeezes his eyes shut and sticks his front hooves out. A quick second later he feels the glass break against his hooves. Soon enough he's outside. Opening his eyes and extending his wings, he sees smoke rising into the hazy Manehattan sky. Looking down he sees a whole bunch of the things swarming the shop. Looking out ahead, he can barely make out the apartment building where his wife and son will be.

"I'm gonna find you. I love you both."

Halfway there. Smith is halfway to the building. Flying over a hoofball stadium he notices something odd. The ground seems to be moving. Until a whole bunch of them take flight. Soaring right at him with deadly speed.

A whole new shot of adrenaline sent Metalsmith twice as fast forward. Looking around desperately for a building to dodge into. The creatures gaining, he manages to see what he's looking for. In the woods that separated the hoofball stadium from the city was a small shack.

Closing his wings he dives towards a stack of hay.

Hitting it hard.

Black.

The smell of cooking meat woke Metalsmith. Jerking up, resisting the urge to throw up again, he looks over at the source. On his right were Two Griffons sitting around a hearth. Cast iron pot hanging above the stove.

He moved all of his appendiges to make sure what he smelled wasn't him.

All six limbs present.

"Look who's awake!"

Smith looked to his left to see another griffon sitting aside him.

"Where am I?" Smith cautiously says, sitting up. The other two Griffons turn around to look at him.

"You're in our little cottage." The one on his left says.

"You took quite a hit. What were you thinking?" The one on the right of the two by the hearth says. Smith turns and gets out of the cot. Once on four hooves, Smith speaks.

"I was thinking of getting away from a flock of creatures."

"Creatures? You mean the Trotters?" The left one by the hearth asks. Smith nods.

"I guess." Long pause. "Wait... How long have I been out?"

"A day." The one left of the cot says.

"A DAY!?" They all nod.

"I need to get to my family!" He shouts, running towards the door. The griffon that was left of the cot runs to the door, blocking Smith from leaving.

"Now hold on. You leave and you walk right into a swarm of the flying Trotters. Best we wait it out."

"I need t-"

"He's right." The female says, walking over to him. "Doesn't matter how urgent you gotta go to is. You leave now, and your dead in seconds."

Smith looks from her, to the one still at the hearth, then to the one at the door. He growls angrely.

"Fine!" He shouts, then stomps back over to the cot. The female snickers, walking over to Smith.

"I'm Gabby, by the way. That there is Tristan." She says, pointing to the one by the hearth. "And he's Cameron." Another claw goes in the direction of the one still by the door. "And what's your name? Mysterious stallion?" She giggles.

"The name's Metalsmith."

"Okay, looks their clear." Cameron says, looking out the slightly open door. Metal jumps up from the cot and runs over to the door.

"Okay, well than. Looks your free to go." Gabby tells Smith, walking over to him. He looks over to her and she smiles.

"Wish me luck." He says, dread obvious in his voice.

"Remember, the flyers look up. You see a group of them, drop to the ground and walk your way around them. Otherwise your screwed." Tristan says, still over by the hearth.

"Thank you. All three of you. You sure you don't want to come with me?" Smith asks them. They all nod.

"We're sure. Better us stay here. We've got food and shelter." Cameron says, looking out the door again.

"Tell ya what." Gabby says, getting a bit closer. "If you find your family. Come back here. Even if you don't. You got three more friends who could help ya along." She gives him a reassuring smile.

"Thank you." He looks down. Breathing deeply he turns to the door.

"I'm ready."

"Your ready?"

"I'm ready." He nods. Cameron nods back. Putting his right talon on the door, he turns the nob. Swinging the door open, Smith runs through, extending his wings. Flying high into the sky.

He looks over to the apartment building in the distance.

"I'm coming Swift."