Finding peace

Flying over the destroyed buildings I finally reach the top of the tower. The scene is as same as before only the ponies were missing this time. The bonfire was five logs leaning close to each other forming a star shape from above. I swoop down and landed on my four hooves. There was a really big stain between the bonfire and the makeshift kitchen that is made out of scrapped wood and metal. In the middle of the blood stain there lay a single revolver. I had a difficult time opening its chamber but managed to get a quick look. The gun was empty, all it had was a small beeping red light. I quickly galloped and dove behind the bonfire but nothing happened. I came back with caution holding up the revolver with a hoof and a wing. I brought it over to the side of the tower and tossed it. After a while of looking at the falling gun I looked at staircase behind the kitchen.

Once I took one step to the staircase. Bullets fired past me from behind. I take a look behind me and saw a helicopter just hovering above the tower its side open and one figure holding one huge gun aimed to me. My muscles tense at the sight of it.

"Stay where you are. Don't move a muscle or else you might end up loosing your muscles"

My wings twitched. I wanted to fly away so bad but I don't think I'd want to get shot again. Without thinking, I fled down the stairs. Bullets fired past me as I ran. A bullet grazes me on my left cheek and my neck but I was in a panic I didn't have time to whine and cry. Thrashing around furniture that was in my way. I escaped the helicopter. With a clear sense of thought and a feeling that everything's gonna be okay. The first thing I looked at was the staircase. Then up the staircase. I must've went down five or six floors in such a hurry that I barely even noticed. I looked around the corridor and I can tell that this building is a hotel. Before whatever hell this place came through. I entered the nearest door from the staircase. Room #356.

As I entered the room was large, paintings covered the left wall as if I was in an exhibit. To my right was a huge bed maybe possible to have most of my friends fit there and there was a huge window at the opposite side of the room. I gasped in awe as the orange sun came into view of the window. It was almost night time. Looking around, I lay on the huge bed. The bed was slightly dirty as I begin to jump on it. At one foot of the bed there were closed luggage next to the king-sized bed. I tried to open the lock but I couldn't. Instead, I started bashing the lock open with the only tool I have. It worked miraculously and inside the briefcase was a set a black hoodies. I tried putting them on me and one of them that is just too large, another one too small and this hoodie that is just the right size for me. I liked it so I decided to keep it on me. The warmth of the hoodie was comforting. Like I was just in a sauna but not that hot. Damn it, now I want to go back to ponyville and get a sauna but the prices is just a little bit over my budget. As I looked out the window once more, something blocked my view. The helicopter again. It's motor blades blew wind through my face. The bullets started to sweep the room flinging paintings and rip through the bed. I ducked just in time when that happened. I fled back to the staircase but mid-way it was stopped short when an explosion caught me off guard and rang my eardrums. As I regain my sense of hearing. I was looking at the helicopter. The gun aimed at me once again. I looked to my right. There was another room with the room name #366. I quickly picked myself up and barged in the room before the gun started firing at my direction. With the bullets ripping through the room like butter I galloped towards the window quickly turning to my side and smashed the glass. I opened my eyes and felt the wind blow against my mane and my brain finally understood that I was plummeting down. I tried to stabilize myself but only ended up getting dizzy. I tried again and this time I flew. I was just inches above the ground. My heart started pounding heavily until it calmed. I hid at a shop near my location to seek for shelter. The sign on top of the shop was "7-11" with the number 7 underlapping the words 'ELEVEN'. To my surprise, Sean was there too searching for goodies.

"Thunder? What happened to you?" Sean asked shockingly looking at all my cuts

He inspects the cuts first then he sizes me up and takes a good look at my hoodie

"Where'd you get that hoodie?" He points the hoodie then puts his hands on his sides

"In an old suitcase I found in the building. There was one that almost looked like it could fit you"

"You'd want to remove it though people might mistakenly call you a loner"

"Does it matter anymore?"

"No"

Accompanying Sean we both scavenge both useful and useless. Sean was searching behind the counter then let out a triumph yelling:

"We're rich"

He is looking at the cash register with a big smile on his face.

Boom

Thunder roared outside. The rain trickled down one intact window of the shop. It's gonna be one hell of a night. As I bunker down I hear gunshots. I hid behind the counter. The sound scared me still to this day. I never heard what a gun sounded like before, the way a bullet can pierce through skin, where innocent ponies or humans get shot down. Now I know now. I cried on the floor for probably less than 2 minutes until Sean picked me up and cradled me. I did not like the way others treated me as a child or gave me one too many cautions. But this, I needed this. The horror was too much.

Meanwhile in the location of the first portal...

"There are humans coming princess. What shall we do?"

"Guard the main entrance. Once they start firing, attack. Do not attempt to reason" the white coated princess replied

"Yes your highness"

The royal guard left the briefing room or what was once a briefing room before it got raided. Princess Celestia pondered on the table until her younger sister came in.

"Sister! My base at appleloosa has been overrun. I had to close the portal before more humans came"

"What happened to Applejack?"

Princess Luna lowered her voice in sadness.

"She saved me from a bullet. I saw her get taken and all the others that's the last thing I saw before leaving"

Princess Celestia sighed then looked at one of the glass pane windows. The rain outside was heavy and thunder erupted the silence

"How was the report on searching for Twilight today before you got overrun?"

"We are certain that they have kept Twilight in a large building. Preferably a prison. It is approximately 73 miles away from here though"

"Is there a portal that is nearer?"

"There is, the one in cloudsdale. But as you said, the clouds are not the same here"

The older princess stands up and walks toward Princess Luna.

"Send the best fliers out there. I will be with them" She walks past Princess Luna

"Take good care of my people okay?" she added before walking out the room

***

"Where are we going now?" I asked after jumping over a puddle

"To a trading area. That's where I get my things. I usually bargain and plead for the things I need but this?" He holds up the bag of bills with faces printed on them "That won't be a problem. I'm gonna need to get there so I can fix the holes in the safe room then re-reinforce the door then probably if I get more wood in one of my later scavengings I might just make a landing platform in my apartment. If you didn't know already then a hammer and nails are one of the most essential things in protecting yourself, your most valuable professions and others"

"But you can't fix the holes in your heart" Sean stops then continues anyway

"That's true. I couldn't save them. Hey Thunder... wait... No, nevermind"

"What's wrong?" I picked up my pace

"Nothing"

The noise we only hear are from our footsteps stepping onto rocks and wires. I stopped when I noticed a large banner stapled to a building nearby. 'The Red Dragons'. There were two trucks right next to the entrance.

"What's that?" I pointed a hoof at it

"The red dragons?! Shit they moved? We need to go"

"Why?"

"They're dirty bastards that's why"

I crouched. We weaved through broken down cars and fallen down lamp posts. Scouting from debris I looked at one of the trucks. One human dressed in red and black came from the building to the back of the truck and opened its contents. From what I hear after that was a lot of muffled voices and crying. The human came inside and took two ponies from the truck. They were both whimpering and crying. The human then closed the door. He walked back to the building. When he came back out again he saw me. He shouted and pointed at me. I hid behind the car even though it won't help me as much. I looked over to Sean who is quietly scavenging one of the cars with a huge hole at the side of it. I trotted beside him and motioned him to move. He nodded and we started moving away from our old location.

Fwoosh! Boom!

Behind us chunks of cars and concrete fly. Some of the chunks were heading in our direction and we can't dodge it if we're moving this slow. So we ran and ran. Until we were way ahead of range from them. From minutes of walking we come upon a T-Junction with a large building catching my eyes. It had large holes on it's right. It looked like it was sliced multiple times exposing more of it. On the very top was large printed letters that I can't make out on. There were logs scattered almost everywhere. I assumed this place had trees but because of the chaos, not a single tree is unharmed.

"Ah, this place really brings back memories" Sean takes his backpack off and sits down on a wooden stump admiring the half exposed building

"What is this place?" I pointed a hoof towards the building

"It's a convention center. The place where I used to go to before all of this happened" He raises his arms then flops it back down.