"Yo anyone out there? If you are you ain't alone, others are still in this shit and we aint gonna go quietly. We got a shelter set up in the Greylock Neighborhood community center, if you can get there we got guns, food and even some doctors from the hospital to help if you're hurt, Old Man Broadside wants everyone to know the doors open. This is Crash out."
--Broadcast from abandoned KXDS radio studio Fillydelphia.

Date: August 9th, 1666 CC
Time: 20:54
Name: Shadow Mark
Location: Pinkie Pie Funtime Land

Shadow ate a microwaved burrito along with the others hiding in the employee break room of the amusement park. They had been here for hours yet it had only been a couple hours since they heard any sort of fighting.

“Think after dinner we grab what we can and try to get out of the park.” Card Trick, the employee who let them in said.

“What? Why would we leave, we are safe here.” Charging Visor, a large earth pony guest said.

“For one this is the last of the food and while we can make supply runs, the nearest real food stall is in a far off location assuming it's even standing still but also the simple fact if the park loses power then the locks will deactivate and the door will simply swing open. We are safe as long as we are hidden.” Card Trick said.

“Why in tartarus would it do that?” The stallion asked.

“Safety, don't want people trapped if the power goes out.”

Charging grunted.

“I think it's a good idea.” The large stallion's wife Platinum Haze said as she helped their daughter, Gram, eat.

“Very well.” Charging relented.

Shadow had to admit Card Trick was doing a remarkable job keeping calm in this situation being barely out of high school.

“Lucky we can avoid some of the open areas by using employee tunnels.” Card said as he ate.

“Wait there are tunnels under the park?” Shadow asked, she had been going to this park most of her life and she didn't know that.

“Yeah, the entrances are hidden like the breakrooms, they let us travel around unseen, something about giving us a small break and also letting us pop up out of nowhere.” Card Trick chuckled. "This place has some weird ways of working.”

“Sounds like it.” Haze said.

The group drifted back to silence as they ate.

All too soon the meal finished and Card stood up. “Alright, I'll grab the water and the snacks. There's a small sheriff's office not too far from the park, figure we head there and try to get some help….if we can't then we should be able to get supplies.”

Shadow nodded as she stood as did the others going to wait by the door out of the room.

Soon enough Card joined them hoofing each of them a water bottle. Once each of them had one he opened the door and they stepped out into the cool night air of the deserted park.

“Well……at least the Princesses are still standing….that's something…” Haze said.

“Yeah….anyways come on I'd rather not stick around in the open any longer then we have to.” Card said before starting to walk.

“Where are you going, the entrance is the other way.” Charging said.

“Yeah it is, and if anyone is looking for survivors they’d be there, and I don't mean our guys.” Card said as he kept going. “We are going to use an employee entrance on the far side of the park as its hidden.”

The group looked at each other and then followed the young stallion as he walked.

It was creepy to Shadow to be walking through the empty park. Most of the lights were off as no one was around to turn them on but some of the others were on, Shadow assumed they were on timers or sensors.

The ground was littered with abandoned food items and random stuffed animals or other souvenirs. Shadow looked to the city and could see very little light but much to her concern she saw one of the skyscrapers was a raging inferno at the top. It looked like a match that had been struck as at least the top 20 floors were burning out of control lighting up the buildings around it.

As they walked they heard a very distant explosion for Baltimare and what almost sounded like gun fire, at least Shadow was choosing to hear it as such as it would mean there were still people besides them.

The group passed an overturned snack food cart and Card stopped to search it, pulling out a few packs of dried fruit to add to their supplies. “There is a shop near here, we should stop there and get some saddlebags.”

“Lead on.” Shadow said as the other two nodded before they diverted their path. They eventually found the shop and entered it.

A few minutes later they all came out with saddlebags, all Pinkie Pie Funtime Land branded merch but still it made carrying things easier.

With that they started walking again and eventually reached a small hedge wall. “Here we are.” Card said and Shadow looked around confused before Card spoke again. “Open sesame”

With that a section of the hedge opened up revealing a ramp down to a tunnel. Card wasted no time heading down the ramp and the rest followed.

As they passed a certain point the hidden entrance silently closed behind them and now they walked down a well lit tunnel that looked like it was also for general maintenance as there were pipes along the ceiling.

“What prevents others from hearing the password and getting places they shouldn't be.” Charging asked.

“It's keyed to recognize employees only so they can say it till they are blue in the face and nothing will happen as only employees have access to these areas.” Card replied as they walked through the maze, luckily there were maps at every junction so they could figure out where they were going. There were also posters with motivational quotes directed at staff to encourage them as well as remind them to drink plenty of water and take regular breaks when needed.

Shadow paused when she saw one post that looked old and didn't fit the rest.

It showed the Founder as a young mare looking down a the world with the caption “Remember, Pinkie Pie is Always Watching”

Okay that was creepy.

“Yeah that's something put up a long time ago apparently as a silly joke and to remind us there are cameras so not to do anything against the rules.” Card explains apparently seeing her looking at it.

"Ah.” Was all Shadow said.

They walked for a bit till they reached a door and Card opened it to reveal more of the park. He stepped out looking around before motioning for them to follow.

Outside was the main thrill ride section of the park, there were more food items discarded here then other items. “Alright the next tunnel isn't too far from here then one after that and we reach the employee entrance.” With that Card started to walk through the park again trying to watch down the dark paths for threats.

“Hey! HEY YOU!” Someone shouted.

They all froze and looked around confused.

“Yeah you up here! Help!”

Shadow's eyes looked up and she saw one of the thrill rides, the one that launched itself up really high several times, it was stopped about halfway to the ground with several ponies still strapped to their seats waving frantically.

To get to them they'd have to deviate their path and Card was already moving that way.

“What are you doing?” Charging asked.

“Going to get them down.” Card said as he kept moving.

“We don't have time and that might draw those things to us.” Charging said. “We should keep moving.”

“Maybe, still doing it.” Card said casually as he kept walking.

“Fine, but we are leaving.” Charging said turning to continue the original path.

“Your choice but good luck getting far without my employee access.” Card reminded him casually once more. Shadow almost chuckled as she followed Card.

Charging gave a snort and reluctantly followed Card as they headed for the ride.

It was a short trot to the ride and soon Card was at the control looking it over. “Okay….looks like the emergency brake engaged….luckily the keys are still in it….”Card muttered as Shadow looked at the buttons and switches.

“Can you get it down?” She asked.

“In theory…I'm not trained on this ride but I should be able to figure it out…” Card said as he clicked a couple switches. “I hope….”

He clicked a few switches and dials and eventually the controls lit up. “Got it.” He said and pressed a button.

Slowly the ride started to lower back to the station and soon arrived.

Card went and started to remove the harness from the riders who dropped to the ground and panted. “Sweet Celestia….it's good to be on the ground again….we've been stuck up there for hours…” One said and Shadows said seeing they appeared to be high schoolers. Card started hoofing out his bottles of water to them and they drank greedily.

“Easy….we need to make sure that lasts.” Card said.

“What the hell is going on?” One of the mares asked.

“Not a clue, whatever it is, it's bad,” Card said. “We are heading for an employee entrance and sheriff office after that.” Card said. “You're welcome to join us unless you got some other plans.”

“Probably should stick with you….splitting up never goes well in the movies….” One of the high schoolers said.

Card nodded and the now larger group left the ride behind eventually reaching another employee tunnel, this one was a code and soon they were walking down the tunnels, the new additions looking around in amazement as they had never been in such an area before, granted it wasn't very impressive but still.

In a short time they reached another door and this one opened up to an area lit by a flickering orange light and there was all sorts of debris here and a large gouge in the ground.

“What the…..” Shadow said as they walked out and looked around.

The gouge extended for a long way and there were multiple small fires scattered around among the debris….wait was that luggage? And a wheel?

“Damn….this is where it hit….:” One of the high schoolers said.

“What hit?” Shadow asked.

“A plane……it got shot down and crashed into the park….”Another answered.

“Oh….” Shadow said

“Come on….it's this way…” Card said starting to head the way the gouge went.

Shadow hesitated a moment before following. As they walked they saw more pieces of the plane and it wasn't very far till they found their first body, a mare in a flight attendant uniform and not far from her was the partly burned body of a stallion in a suit.

Haze shielded Gram's eyes as they walked among the destruction and bodies.

The further they went the worse it got till they had to walk round a large section of the fuselage, there were many bodies here and Shadow had to cover her nose do to the smell and she was thankful when they turned off this path to head down a non destroyed path to a mural that opens to the next tunnel and they escaped that sight. Though Shadow knew she would never forget this and was thankful when they left the park behind.

Author's Note

Whelp this reaches the end of what I planned out so I'll be increasing the gap between the points in time so the fic doesn't get too drawn out.