Sunny Starscout sighed and let her head thump onto the bar table. The lights above her flickered for a bit before stabilizing. She would have been worried, but she was just too tired today. Everything seemed to be a drag.
"Hey, Sunny. The usual?" The bartender, Alphalittle, took over the bar after Alphabittle died in the first attack. Nopony really knows his real name, just that he took on that name as a legacy. Sunny could respect that.
"The usual." She grumbled. It only took a moment and soon enough, a carrot and potato soup was placed in front of her. She took a bite and sure enough, it was barely warm. The vegetables tasted plain.
Nearly two decades ago, the mining company started mining the resource-rich mountains to supply them of everything they would ever need and want. Sunny and her friends even helped, spreading awareness of the diminishing supplies and hosting fundraisers to help the workers. It was a huge success. Too huge.
The mining company got too greedy and dug too deep. An army not seen for a millennia awoke and ravaged the world. The masses spread across the skies, leaving Equestria in darkness. The changelings, attacking anypony in sight drove the three tribes underground where they keep their supplies, food, and heat to a minimum.
Sunny finished her flavourless soup and left a few bits on the counter before cantering away. She trotted through earthen tunnels, dug by earth ponies and finished by pegasi and unicorns. Walls supported by scrap metal beams and rocks, the ceiling was covered in snakey electrical wires, providing electricity and heat. Hollowed out rooms were occupied by various ponies, one a school with a terrifying amount of children, one a recreational room, one a meditation room, and so forth. Sunny has seen Hypogean grow from the very beginning and the mere thought reminded of how old she was and as if on cue, her back asked her why she was trotting around.
"Sunny! There you are!" The mare in question groaned and slowed down. The caller, Princess Rip Ride, the daughter of a very dear friend. Sunny never did approve of the name though and she made sure she mentioned that every time she met her. If only she could still do that.
"Yes?"
"I'm really sorry to bother you, but is there any possible way you could come come to the reactor and use your alicorn magic to boost it up again?" The longer the sentence went, the higher her voice went as if she knew she was asking for the impossible.
"You know just as everypony else that my alicorn powers no longer work. They haven't since the wendigoes." Sunny closed her eyes trying to keep the painful memories at bay. "I'm tired now. Goodbye Rip."
Sunny continued on her way, leaving the disappointed Princess behind. She quickly but calmly made her way through a secret tunnel only six ponies ever knew of. Only one was still alive. She quickly geared up and opened the hatch that went to the outside. It was just as horrific like the last time she went outside.
Buffeting winds at freezing temperatures ravaged the cold desert, the black swarms that dominated the skies were no longer there, no doubt seeking warmth, but one could never be sure. Making sure nocreature could see her, she noiselessly closed the hatch and went on a trek.
Everyday, for many hours, she would journey. Hopefully find something new, something helpful. Something to get rid of the guilt gnawing at her nearly frozen heart. In the past she would journey with her friends, but that was no longer the case. Taking a deep breath, Sunny flared open her translucent wings and flew upwards. She was selfish, she knew that, but her powers were the only things that still felt like hers. Nopony was going to take that away.
Tackling the strong winds, she made her way westwards. In recent weeks, she's been getting more daring. The closer areas have been picked clean. Below her, roaring creatures scuttled after her, attracted to the warm light her powers gave off. She paid them no heed.
She dared herself to fly for an hour straight. She had never felt as cold as she felt now, but it was all worth it. In the distance, she spotted a warm light. The contrast between the blinding snow and the sudden orange nearly made her lose focus and tumbled downwards. She caught herself and beelined for the light.
Grotesque creatures of changeling origins chased after her, shrieking and growling, but stopped at the light's edge. Sunny didn't question it and quickly ducked inside the house, the center of the light. She was greeted by a cozy living room and a lit fireplace.
"Hello, it's been a while since I've had visitors." The calmness of the delivery caught Sunny off guard. The mare who had spoken sat down in one of the sofas and invited her to sit as well. "Would you like a cookie?"
Sunny sat down and dumbly nodded. Her chilled bones felt amazing in this chair and her stomach was satisfied from actual flavor.
"My name isn't important, neither is yours."
"What'd you mean?"
"None of this is real. I exist for you to have this conversation. You exist because of a toy company. This world exists because of an idea."
"You're not making any sense."
"But I am, just not to you. I shall explain more clearly. What is your favourite story?"
"Princess Twilight and her friends, how she saves the world."
"Ah, but did she? These stories are history, yet the world looks like this. This frozen hellscape. Did she save the world? You escape this world by going into the past where similar dangers appear and consequences just as similar. Perhaps it is not the past at all, but another world. Escapism, what a beautiful concept. Perhaps you are a story yourself, Sunny, and we are all looking in."
Author's Note
A quite curious story. Hoped you liked it!
