Author's Note
This story will switch between multiple characters Point of View (pov) or third person omnipresent (a form of pov writing) it will say the characters name above where the story is when it's from their pov, or for third person there will be no name.
Prologue: Disaster
This can’t be happening
This can’t be happening
This can’t be happening
Despite the flame licked wreckage littering the streets and homes of the Residential District, she still could not believe what was happening was real. It simply had to be a nightmare, and any minute now Princess Luna would grace this horrific war zone with her presence and banish this wicked dream away. But no such saviour would be arriving tonight.
So, still in shock, she just stood there. Unaware of the ponies rushing past her in a frenzy, desperate to escape the threat which looms closer to them now more than ever.
They are here. And they are engulfed in a blind rage.
Eventually though, her focus returned as the face of a stallion came into view. He stood before Fluttershy, shaking her shoulders in an attempt to snap her out of her daze. She could see his mouth moving, but it was as if her ears were stuffed full of cotton. Everything was muffled, everything was blurry. Everything was wrong. She shook her head rapidly in an attempt to regain her senses, causing them to slowly return to their full functionality.
“-Miss Fluttershy!” The stallion shouted in her face.
Finally regaining her senses, Fluttershy looked to the guard whose face appeared as if it’d been permanently contorted into an expression of fear. No signs of any other emotion but fear was plastered onto his, and the panicked citizens, faces.
“Miss Fluttershy,” He exclaimed once again, hoping that this mare would finally respond to his voice. “We need to go now!”
Fluttershy only nodded, turning her head in the direction of the next District. But as she prepared to run alongside her fellow ponies to safety, a thought ran through her mind. Her body immediately tensed up, and her eyes widen in distress.
“Rainbow,” She mumbled at first, causing the guard to turn to her as he attempted to flee with the others.
“OH MY GOODNESS, RAINBOW!” Fluttershy hollered. “I need to go back for her!”
She turned in the opposite direction of safety, and started to bolt towards where she last saw her rainbow maned friend. But before she could even get that far, the stallion stood before her again, blocking her path back to her friend. It only now that she registered that this actually rather young stallion is also a pegasus, a white one with bits of a cyan mane sticking out form his helmet and covering one of his sky blue eyes. He is adorned in a full suit of armor (which seemed a bit to large for him) with the towns logo over the hip, and brandishing a fairly well crafted crossbow and a rather worn out looking quiver with several bolts sticking out.
“What are you doing! I need to go help my friend!” Fluttershy demanded, taking a moment afterwards to cough lightly as the smoke from the fires have started to get worse.
“I’m sorry but it’s way to late to save your friend miss!”
Fluttershy stopped her hoof in aggravation, glaring at the guard and saying in the most determined voice she can muster; “IT IS NOT TO LATE!”
For a brief moment, a bit of sympathy flashed on the guards face, but it was quickly consumed by his continuing fear over the current situation.
“I’m sorry but it is! I saw her, on the rooftops with the others! She’s already become one of them so it’s to late!” He tried to reason with the distressed yellow pegasus, but she was not having any of it.
“You don’t know that! I’m sure there's a cure! I just need to find her and...” She sniffed. Tears began to build up around her eyes, a mix of both her emotions starting to overwhelm her as well as the continuously growing amount of smoke.
The guard opened his mouth to protest, but was cut off by a strange howl. One that the ponies of this town are all to familiar with. A howl that strikes fear into their hearts, and signals to them that trouble will soon be brewing. The guard, with a well practised motion, attaches his crossbow to a latch on his armors back and grabs Fluttershy's hoof and starts to run from the now louder howls of this looming threat.
She follows him, only because she is unsure of what to do now. She knew she had to try and help her friend, but staying in this burning part of the town while they’re being hunted down isn’t going to really help Rainbow at all. First thing to do is get to safety, and then prepare herself to find Rainbow Dash and save her dear friend from what has befallen her. So, with that in mind, she ran alongside this guard. Pushing their way through the wrecked towns streets, they stealthily dodging fights as other guards fended the corrupted off as the ponies fled to safety. After what felt like running a marathon, they crept into a maze like alleway system in hopes of avoiding possible threats. If they dared to try and fly over this chaotic scene, they’d surely be stopped by those poor corrupted ponies clambering atop the rooftops of this District. They'd be pounced on from the roofs and either die on the ground by their hooves or become one of them. Fluttershy honestly couldn't tell which fate would be worse.
All of this grizzly violence and all consuming smoke was starting to make her feel nauseous. She needed a distraction from the pain, and what would be a better distraction than a casual conversation with the stallion sneaking through the alleyways beside her. So she took a moment to think of a good way to start a conversation and whispered to the stallion.
“Umm...T-thank you for helping me.”
The stallion was startled by the sudden noise, but was relieved that it was just Fluttershy talking to him. He flashed a faint grin towards her.
“No problem miss. After all, it’s my job.”
The near silence returned. Both ponies did not speak for a moment, and only listened to the horrifying sounds of chaos surrounding them. Filtered only by the many building walls that surround them.
“My names fluttershy, what’s yours?”
The guard looked at her quizzically as they walked.
“I already knew your name,” Fluttershy’s face grew red and she looked to the ground, causing the guard to chuckle. “But my name’s snow storm.”
Fluttershy looked up and smiled at him, her blush slowly receding.
“Nice to meet you snow storm.”
He chuckled, but it didn’t sound very jovial.
“I wish it were under better circumstances.”
The two continued on in silence for some time, occasionally passing by another guard or citizen. Eventually the sounds of chaos grew louder, and the two then saw it; A Divider. A gigantic several story high wall with a large metal gate. This one in particular helps separate the Residential and Resource Districts. The two ponies picked up their pace as they eagerly wanted to get to safety alongside the other ponies.
But a large shadow glided over them, and in the darkened alleyway, one of them landed in front of the two. This corrupted pegasus growled at the two ponies, shifting their stance into a defensive one. Snow slowly gestured Fluttershy behind him as he kept his gaze locked with the beasts.
“Slowly. And calmly. Back away.” He calmly ordered the mare, and soon the two began to cautiously step away from their possible assailant.
The corrupted one saw them slowly retreating, and decided to copy their actions by slowly stepping out of the shadow in a snails pace pursuit of the two pegasi. And as this pony stepped out from the shadow, the two got a good look at this poor pony and what has become of them.
Fluttershy gasped as she recognized that messy Rainbow mane anywhere.
“Rainbow.” She desperately whispered. This caused Rainbows ears to twitch, as she registered her name was spoken but didn’t act on it. Instead Rainbow Dash continued her slow pursuit of the two, growling in a low tone as she did.
Fluttershy felt her legs tremble as she continued to walk backwards, tears freely flowed from her eyes as she now fully see’s what has happened to her friend. She wanted nothing more than for this to be some sort of cruel prank Dash was playing on her. She knows Rainbow would never pull a stunt like this though, but in her mind she begged to the Princess that this was just some cruel joke. But as she saw Rainbow closing in on the two, new canine like fangs glistening in the moonlight, sharp claws scratching the surface of the concrete alley floors, she knew this wasn't a joke. And she hated that.
She also hated that Snow was slowly reaching for his crossbow.
“What are yo-” Fluttershy started, but was cut off as Rainbow pounced at the two.
Everything was going in slow motion for fluttershy. She saw Snow getting ready to shoot her friend with no hesitation, and panicked. She screamed for him to wait and did the only thing she could think of; shoving the weapon to the side as he fired the it.
A pained pony like howl and a terrified mares plea echoed through the alleyways.
