More Than Mere Remnants

A gasp escaped her lips as her senses returned to her, a rather deep pain throbbing through her body as she blearily took in her surroundings. Her mind was hazy, unable to remember what happened. A shaky glance down told her why she was in so much pain, a jagged piece of debris through her side, fatal if left unattended for too long, but salvageable if given proper treatment and time.

Slowly looking around, she recognized where she was, Manehattan's Train Station, the actual name eluding her at the moment. Her fur was a mess, mane too. Not really that important, she realized, just wandering thoughts at this point.

Her name... It... Her name was... White Night, yeah... She was just getting ready to board the train for Canterlot, to see if she could join the Royal Guard. But then she heard a shout, then there was an explosion, a blinding flash, then... Then she woke up like this.

Oh sweet Celestia, was this some kind of Terrorist attack? It had to be... Why else... No, she shouldn't assume, she won't forget the assumption, but she shouldn't jump to conclusions until she had more information, she was literally trying to become a Royal Guard, might as well put the training for it to some good use now that she was here.

Slowly moving her hands to the jagged debris in her side, she gave it an experimental tug, electing a sharp gasp of pain. Leave it, then, at least until someone with enough medical knowledge arrived. Another quick glance around made her wince and turn her normally grey cheeks green at the sight that she could see more clearly now. Bodies, most of them already dead.

Dear Celestia... She really wasn't ready for this.

Forcing down her breakfast's attempt of jumping ship, she managed to maneuver her hand behind her, and was actually relieved that the piece of debris wasn't a completely through job. So, with a careful appliance of pressure, she slowly slipped out of what might as well be her personal coffin had she died.

Instantly falling a whole floor due to the explosion having launched her into a section of the ceiling, she yelped in pain as one of her ankles gave a sickening snap upon landing. Taking a moment to get the pain under control and forcing back her tears, she slowly supported herself to a standing position with the aid of the wall, limping over to the door, while keeping her ears open in case she heard anypony.

Reaching the door, and taking a shuddering breath, she slowly tried to push it open.

This proved to be fruitless.

With a frustrated shout, she shoved the unmoving door one last time before turning around, looking for any possible alternatives. There weren't any fires... In fact, she felt her eyes widen at the fact that the small specks where she could see outside revealed that the sun was no longer in the sky.

Where in Celestia's name were the Royal Guard?! If it was night, then why hasn't anypony come to check yet?!

Forcing back her desire to scream at the incompetence of the ponies who should've been here by now, she limped over to one of the spots she had lain eyes on earlier, a section in the wall that would give way with a small amount of pressure.

A well placed hit with some debris she collected from the floor managed to do the job, allowing her to slip through the hole, giving a short scream as she rolled through, applying unwanted pressure to the debris in her side and ankle, before landing into a pile of rocks that earned a high pitched scream from her.

Finally out, and after a moment to let the pain settle, she forced herself to a sitting position, and felt the color drain from her face as her pupils dilated at the sight before her.

Manehattan... Was in ruins...

Corpses littered all around, most being her fellow ponies... But... Some of the corpses weren't ponies, or any of the known races either.

They looked like some horrific nightmare to her, jagged horns protruding from their heads alongside a sick joke of a Unicorn's horn, wings that were made only of bones and the miniscule needed muscles to keep them connected, claws ripping from their fingers, even a horrific set of bloodies hooves with claws at the end.

Her eyes strained at a sudden light above, making her look up and blink in surprise at the sight of one of the recent creations by ponies, helicopters, shining a bright flashlight down on her.

Witnessing some ropes falling down from the sides, she watched a couple Royal Guards drop down before one ran over to check her wounds. The other had his spear ready though, making White feel uneasy at the look he had on his face.

"Wh-Where were you guys?" She asked, her voice incredibly raspy from the lack of water.

The guard didn't respond, making her unease double down on her.

"She's not carrying any of it." The guard who was checking her said, making the other nod.

"Anything else?"

"Some entered her system."

What did he mean?

"You know the order."

What? Wait...

White barely had enough of her mind working to manage to force herself to a roll, dodging the attempt at impaling that the guard she thought was a medic executed.

When the other guard tried to swing down the sword he unsheathed, which left her looking at him like an idiot considering the spear he had in his hand, she quickly flung her left up, her hoof hitting him in a spot that left the colt crumbling to the ground with the most girlish high-pitched scream she ever heard a colt release. Snagging the spear, she rammed it into the other guard's throat before he could take another swing.

Green her face was at this, but her time training left her with the ability to cut off her normal bodily functions to allow the mind to have most control. It was why she even believed she had a chance as a guard, because she had an easier time in combat than most. When the battle was over, though, well, a few floors stained in her now empty stomach's contents were answer enough.

Taking the sword of the 'medic', since he was now graciously holding her borrowed spear, she rammed it through the throat of the first guard, the action causing the floor beneath them to groan and collapse, making her yelp as she, and the two corpses, fell a couple floors before landing harshly on a catwalk.

The catwalk groaned and lost one end of it's supports, jerking as it nearly collapsed, but caught onto a pipe, preventing it from fully falling.

Releasing a slow, agonized, and pained groan, White Night forced herself to her knees, raising her head in time to see the guard impaled by the spear. Her cheeks instantly puffed up before she jerked her head over the railing, releasing her stomach's contents down into the sewers below.

Releasing a couple coughs, she forced herself to lean her back against the wall, shuddering slightly as her mind worked on overdrive, attempting to understand just what in Tartarus name was going on. Manehattan in ruins, Royal Guards attempting to execute her for something she apparently contracted, and, most likely, her now being an on the run fugitive if this was an isolated case here.

Please tell her that Celestia herself wasn't the one allowing this to happen.

She jerked at the sound of a can hitting the ground. "Who's there?!"

Her answer came in the form of another pony, a colt she guessed, wearing what appeared to be a armored jacket, a gas mask over his face, and some baggy pants that held a couple daggers attached. A sword strapped to his back too now that she noticed.

She was about to raise the sword she still had in her hand, when he raised his hands placatingly. "Easy, I was just checking. Heard the collapse while I was scavenging."

Her face scrunched up in displeasure. "Scavenging...?"

His eyes may be all she could really see, but they were pretty expressive considering the amount of disbelief he held in them. "You're kidding, where've you been these past two weeks?"

That short-circuited White's mind, her emerald eyes wide and her jaw dropped as she stared at the colt. "T... Two weeks?"

With a look of concern, he nods. "Yeah... Wh... When did you wake up?"

Swallowing nervously, she muttered. "An hour ago at least, in Manehattan's train station."

"Damn..." The colt knelt down and started checking her side, making her uncomfortable. "Sorry to say, but from what little I gathered these past two weeks, a lot had happened."

"What... Exactly DID happen?"

He looked at her a moment, then glanced around. "Let's head back to my camp first, I'll tell you while I patch you up." Seeing the conflict in her eyes, he added. "You can leave at any time, and considering the two corpses there, you could actually kill me if I try anything, so I think there isn't much for you to worry about here."

After a short period, she released a sigh. "Fine, but I swear to Celestia-"

"Don't say that name."

White jolted at the venom in his tone when he spoke, making her stare at him in silence.

Releasing a breath, he explained in a slightly strained tone. "I don't know about the rest of Equestria, but most all of the survivors here in Manehattan have developed a deep hatred for her after she ordered Manehattan into quarantine, especially after the order last week where all residents of Manehattan where to be executed on sight."

A heavy and tense silence permeated around the two after that. White refused to say anything as the colt wrapped one of her arms around his neck, lifted her up, and began to lead her to his camp. Her mind was actively running a hundred miles a minute, but one specific thought kept coming back to her.

"What happened since that explosion?"

Ethan hummed to himself, watching one of his shards aid a young mare to his base, likely to heal her wounds. He remembered a time when he traveled Equestria, but that time was... Hectic, and he never actually got the chance to know anyone. Regardless, he felt a sense of relief to see that one of his shards held the same desire to help that he did.

It will be nice.

No longer being the one that fixes everything.

He just hoped that his... 'Children', would be able to handle the burden that came with bearing his own blood.