Saddle Arabian Accented Voice: This is Red Sands Flight 338, initiating emergency take off, return to Saddle Arabia, escape, survive"
--Red Sands Flight 338 was shot down half a mile from Vanhoover International, no survivors were recovered.

Date: August 9th, 1666 CC
Time: 9:37
Name: Shadow Mark
Location: Pinkie Pie Funtime Land

Shadow trotted alongside her coltfriend through the ever swelling crowds at one of, if not the largest amusement parks in all of Equestria. The park had been here for decades, ever since the Founder had begun to grow old to travel around and bring laughter and joy.

So she had founded Pinkie Pie Funtime Land, where fun and parties never end with the help of her friends.

That was if the plaque under the bronze statue at the entrance was to be believed.

Shadow didn't know if it was true or not, she'd never really seen the point of looking into whether it was true or just marketing.

Either way the park slogan was accurate she knew as the place was one of the best places to go to have fun.

And the perfect place to go on a date with her coltfriend. She had been so happy when he asked her to go here as shed not been here since she was a filly but always had fond memories.

Her coltfriend was a blue pegasus with a green mane by the name of Strum that she started dating last year when they shared the same digital arts class at Baltimare University.

Shadow had always liked working on artistic things, especially 3d models and she hoped to get into game design or movies, either would work. Either way, getting to work with 3d models had always been the gray unicorn’s dream since she had seen her first movie with CGI back when it was still somewhat new.

These days it was common and the technology had been rapidly improving.

For now though Shadow was enjoying the last few weeks before she had to return to BU for the next semester and she couldn't think of a better person to spend them with then Strum or a better place to go.

Things had been getting rather serious between her and Strum, definitely serious if he brought her here, while admission was very low for a park of this size it was still more than a movie not to mention getting her from the campus was a trip since it was at the edge of the city while campus was more towards the center.

“So what you want to do next, maying the Floom of Doom?” Strum asked as he looked towards the massive log floom.

“Hmm….sounds fun, though we better hurry before the line gets too long.” Shadow said as she started to make her way towards the ride.

“Yeah, really want to get to the good rides before the place gets too busy.”

“Implying there are any bad rides.” Shadow said with a small laugh.

“Yeah…” he said as he walked alongside her.

The couple reached the queue easily enough to find it was growing slowly as teenagers and families all wanting one last hurrah at summer's end were quickly arriving. Without hesitation the couple joined the line.

“Hmm so….where to after this.” Strum asked.

“Hmm...Deep Drop is always good if you don't mind the dark.” She said,

“Heh isn't that coaster that spends half the ride underground?”

“Bingo, next to no lights, just the unknown rush of darkness.”

“Sounds fun.”

Shadow nodded, smiling as the line slowly moved.

“Hmm...so a couple weeks before classes.” Strum said, making a gagging sound.

“Yup!” Shadow said more cheefully. Unlike Strum who was in the class mostly for the credit, Shadow actually enjoyed the class a great deal.

“Yeah, I still can’t figure out why you have so much fun with wire frames and all that fun though I guess the errors can be amusing at times.”

“because it's fun.” She rolled her eyes, this was a common disagreement they had about the class which usually resulted in Shadow doing their project alone.

The two chatted about meeting up with their friends again and getting ready for the semester till it was their turn.

They placed their electronics and other items one doesn't want to get soaked in the special waterproof lockers then boarded.

By the end of the ride both of them were soaked from head to hoof just as the ride was designed to do.

Retrieving their phones they begin to wade through the other ponies and occasional park employees, identified by the bright pink vests that were the uniform.

“Hey did you hear that?” Strum asked when they were half way to Deep Drop as he looked around.

“Hear what?” Shadow asked as she looked around as well, ears flicking to try and catch the sound, Strum always had an ear for sounds no matter how small but then he was a musician.

As Shadow strained her ears she thought she heard something that sounded almost like a distant thunder clap followed by another.

“Bad Weather?” She asked.

“Maybe….” Strum said. “Come on, I don't want to get caught in the rain.”

“Come on, what’s a little rain going to do, we are already wet.”

“Wet from a ride and wet from rain are two very different things.” Strum said, slightly annoyed.

“but we’ve only been here for a couple hours.”

“We can come back another time when it's not going to rain.” Strum said, already starting to march towards the distant entrance of the park.

Sighing Shadow followed as a date wasn't exactly fun by herself.

As they walked Shadow noticed some of the employees on their radios talking quietly and some rides looked to be being shut down.

Guess it was rain though she was sure the park was open even during the rain only closing certain rides that would be unsafe.

Granted she only had memories of when she was a blank flank so she could be wrong or they changed policies.

Either way others seemed to be heading for the entrance as well, other ponies not wanting to get wet it seemed.

There was a loud roaring sound as a jet flew over the park causing the ponies ears to splay back due to the noise.

“Ah what the hey…” Shadow said as Strum rubbed his ears, his hearing being more sensitive made the roar even worse. “Hey you alright?”

Another jet flew overhead, followed by another and Shadowed looked to the sky as did others. “What...those look like military jets….” She said her Dad had been a historian and as such collected a few models of things and had one of a military jet that looked very similar to what was flying off towards the city.

“Training is probably a bit dickish of them to fly so low.” Strum said annoyed as he started trotting with annoyance.

“yeah….I guess….”

There was another boom of thunder, closer now and others seemed to have heard it as they looked around confused and employees started ushering the guests towards the entrance.

Okay that was odd, employees encouraging people to leave the park? Something was up.

“Somethings wrong…” She told Strum he just shrugged.

“ITs just rain, parks are open during them.”

“This one is.”

“Don’t be stupid what sort of place like this would be open with their paying customers getting soaked?”

“This place.” Shadow said.

Strum rolled his eyes and trotted faster as there was an even closer clap of thunder.

Shadow looked to the clear blue sky, well mostly clear as there were a few clouds here and there, but nothing that would produce a storm.

“Something is wrong….where’s the storm?”

“It’s there you can hear it..” Strum said. “Now shut up and come on.”

Shadow frowned but followed.

There was then an even closer boom.

That...was not thunder.

“Strum…”

“What!?” He said looking at her just before the ground shook with the sound of a massive explosion. “What the?” Strum looked towards the blast as the music from the speakers cut out.

“Attention all Funtime Land Guests, there has been an accident and the park is closed, please proceed in an orderly fashion to the exits.”

The hairs on Shadow’s back stood on end and she and the rest of the guests started to move.

Foals were yelling they didn't want to go, or they wanted one more ride while others cried at having to leave and parents either carried them or tried to explain they needed to go.

Then there was an even closer explosion and Shadow could see smoke rising in the distance and...were those more in the city?

What was going on?

As if in answer an odd buzzing/whining sound started to over take the sound of the crying foals and in a moment a plane Shadow had never seen flew over head.

It appeared to have no wings and almost looked like a helicopter just without rotors, no it did have wings, small ones...ones that couldn't possibly keep it airborne.

Many others watched as the silver...plane? circled back and started to head towards another part of the park.

Then all at once light ran along the side of it towards the wings and a yellow beam launched it towards the ground causing a massive fireball to head skyward where it hit.

“Holy shit!” Someone yelled as more of the strange planes flew overhead firing their lasers and causing more explosions.

Almost at once everyone started running as there were more explosions from elsewhere in the park as the planes fired on the amusement park.

Shadow ran with them trying to keep up with Strum.

“Strum, wait! Slow down!”

“Keep up!” He yelled not even looking back.

She pushed herself hard but she wasn't exactly athletic and there were ponies running in every direction and screams of kids and adults alike as the explosion happened closer.

Shadow got hit hard by a massive stallion that crossed her path sending her sprawling.

She tried to get up but felt someone's hoof collided with her chest, sending pain through her ribs and driving the air from her lungs.

She gasped for breath as she looked to try and see Strum but couldn't see him anywhere..

She took deep breaths to try and force air into her longs as she got kicked again by a fleeing pony sending more pain through her flank.

Shadow became terrified she was going to be trampled and tried to get to her hooves but her lungs still weren't working right and she was having trouble getting to her hooves because of the pain.

“Ma’am, ma’am get up!” Someone yelled and she felt her mane gripped and being pulled to her feet.

Thanks to pony biology that didn't hurt and now that she was standing she was able to get air as she saw a green pony with a yellow and orange mane wearing a pink vest by her side.

“Ma’am come one we have to get out of here, follow me!” the employee said as he grabbed one of her fore legs and semi dragged her behind him as he ran for it.

there were more explosions and screams as the sky filled with the strange planes seeming to fire at random.

“This way come on!” The employee said as he ran towards a side path that was just as filled with panicked ponies. any sense of orderly going towards the exit was long since gone to the wind.

As they ran past a Ferris wheel that looked to still be being evacuated Shadow was nearly thrown from her hooves as one of the lasers lanced overhead and hit the base of the giant wheel, the heat washing over Shadow as she barely stayed on her hooves.

“Look out!” The employee yelled as the Ferris wheel started to tip and almost in slow motion toppled over.

Shadows eyes locked in horror to the people still strapped into the chairs till the employee grabbed her and dragged her away.

She tried to block out the crash and sound twisting metal behind her as the employee dragged her through the crowd.

“This...the exit isn't this way!” Shadow yelled.

“The exit is going to be a bottleneck, it's a death sentence!” The employee yelled as they pushed through ponies amid the explosions.

“We got to get to cover….follow me!”

He ran towards one of the painted walls with a large mural of the park seen from the air the day it opened.

The employee used a key to unlock a small panel and reveal a keypad.

Quickly inputting a code a crack appeared in the wall beside the pad and it swung open revealing a hidden door. “Come on!” The employee ran in and Shadow quickly followed.

The employee started to pull the door shut.

“Wait wait wait!” Someone yelled and a stallion in a souvenir shirt and hat slammed into the door to hold it open.

A moment later a mare in the same hat ran in with a terrified filly on her back and the stallion dove in.

The employee grabbed the door and slammed it shut, closing off the sunlight leaving the only light coming from a door next to them.

“in here come on.” The employee said Shadow and the other three followed them into what looked to be a break room as there was a microwave, coffee pot, fridge and a couple of tables and a counter. The only light came from a fluorescent light on the ceiling. “We should be safe here…” The employee said as the light flickers when the room shook from a nearby explosion. “I hope….”

“What is going on…” The stallion asked as the mare tried to comfort the scared filly.

“I have no idea, does this look like something I'd have a clue about?” The colt, for her, was a colt as he looked like he was in his older teens. “All I know is we got a call from security to gently shut down the rides and encourage people to leave in a quiet evacuation and then all the Tartarus broke loose.”

“I can't get a signal.’ They are sad holding up a cell phone as high as she could.

Shadow took hers out and saw she was off network as well.

The stallion's face made it clear he was the same.

“The towers may be overloaded with others trying to call out.” The employee said as he picked up a phone off the wall and placed it to his ear. “Landlines are out too.” He hung up. “I’m Card Trick, I work over at the swinging ship.”

“Charging Visor.” The large purple earth pony stallion said.

“Platinum Haze…”The silver unicorn mare said. “And this is our daughter Gram….”She said about the blue unicorn filly who was clinging to her mothers back sniffling.

“I’m Shadow Mark…”

“Well….id say nice to meet you all but given the circumstances….” He said and walked over to the fridge and opened it. “Get comfy folks, it’s not safe to go out there, way too much chaos and we’re likely to get trampled at the main entrance or worse.”

Shadow nodded and went to take a seat at the table along with the others.

A moment later a can of soda was placed before them by all of the employees before he took a seat.

And their wait began.

Author's Note

Very little if anything is safe.