Z-day: Equestria
By: Superbal-117
Chapter 1: The Beginning Of The End
As the dead closed in around him, a thousand different images raced through Clouded Signals’ mind. Images of the things he had seen, the ponies he had met, each picture hurting him a little more than the last, when suddenly his mind settled on the one image that would pain him the most; a dark blue unicorn that he would never see again.
Three months earlier…
Daylight flooded into the bedroom of the dark Manehattan apartment, shining onto the closed eyes of a dark form on the bed. As the Pegasus slowly woke, he raised a hoof to shield his eyes from the coming sun. “Damn it, why does Celestia have to get up so early?” he groggily asked as he rolled out of the bed. Noting the lack of a peach Pegasus in the bed, he stumbled his way to the bathroom. Looking into the mirror, he saw the same thing he saw every morning. Same black coat, same red mane, same dark green eyes. Just as he was about to start running a shower, the phone rang. “Who the hell is calling me?” he wondered aloud, even though he was the only pony in the apartment. Picking up the phone with one hoof, he said “Clouded Signal here, who is this?”
“Where the hell are you?!” a light voice half-cried, half-screamed at him from the other end.
“Cloudy Weather, is that you? And what the hell are you talking about?” the black Pegasus asked, looking up at the clock for the first time that morning. 12:30. “Aw shit, I-I-I’m sorry, I-I overslept.”
“Just forget it.” The mare on the phone said with anger and tears in her voice.
“Cloudy what are you saying?” he said with the utmost fear and concern.
“I’m saying it’s over Signal! I won’t be coming home tonight.”
“Cloudy please, I’ll be right there just don’t leave, please!” Signal pleaded, now closer to tears than her.
“No Signal! It’s over! Just forget it!” she yelled, hanging up as soon as the last hate-filled syllable left her mouth.
A few hours later
“Dude? You in here?” the grey stallion asked into the darkness of the downtown Manehattan apartment.
“Yeah, I’m here Wheat Chaser.” Clouded Signal said weakly.
“I came as soon as you called. What’s wrong man?”
Clouded Signal looked up at his friend through tear stained eyes and said in a low, quiet voice filled with regret, “she dumped me.”
As Wheat Chaser looked at his friend, puzzlement, then understanding, crossed his face. As he crossed over to his friend, he let out a sigh. ”what happened?”
“The same thing that happened with the last two.”
“Overslept?”
“Yeah.”
“How late?”
“12:30”
“When was it scheduled for?”
The Pegasus looked up guiltily, “8:00”
“Damn it man! How many times have I told you to get an alarm clock?” He said, only half joking.
Signal looked up at the Earth Pony with a glare in his eyes. “And how many times have I told you to shut the hell up?”
“Whoa, okay, too early for jokes.” Wheat Chaser said, wincing a little at his friends’ bitterness.
“No, I’m just peachy.” He said with a sarcastic tone.
“Okay, look, tonight, we’re going to go out, and you’re going to forget about her.
“I don’t know man, what if she calls? I wouldn’t be here.”
“She WON’T call, and YOU aren’t going to be here moping all night! You already know how this sad song goes, you really want to hear it again?”
“No, I guess not.” Signal sighed.
Later that evening…
Wheat Chaser walked into the bar, half expecting to see a large crowd of ponies, but instead finding it deserted except for himself, the bartender and one incredibly drunk unicorn.
“Hey Mixer.” He said to the unicorn behind the counter.
“Hey Wheat! How’s it going?” Mixer said joyfully while washing out a mug. “You know you still haven’t paid the tab you and friend racked up the other night?” he said, only half-asking.
“Oh right, how much was it?”
“Fifty bits”
'Damn it Signal, you owe me.' He thought to himself while reaching for his wallet. “Here, and open up a new tab.” He told Mixer while counting out the money. ”Two whiskeys.”
“You got it, and here comes your friend.” the bartender said while pouring the drinks.
“Hey Wheat Chaser, Mixer.” Clouded Signal said, weakly nodding his head in acknowledgement before retrieving his drink and sitting down.
“Signal. What happened? You look like shit.” Said Mixer, still cleaning glasses.
“What the hell do you think happened? I’ve done this every two months for the past six.” He said, downing the whiskey immediately afterward. “Just give me the bottle.”
“Again?! You ask me you’re better off not trying.” the bartender said levitating the bottle over as he got an angry glare from Wheat. Quickly noticing Wheat’s eyes burning holes into the back of his skull, he retorted, “but that’s just one stallions opinion.”
Releasing his gaze, Wheat trotted over to his friend. “Don’t listen to him, you’re bound to find some pony who doesn’t mind you being lazy.”
With an angry stare, Signal said. ”you two in on this shit together or something? Sit the hell down and drink.”
“Still too early for jokes huh? Fine, but I meant what I said about forgetting her.” Said Wheat, his voice filled with genuine worry and concern. “It’s for your own good.”
“I know, I know she was a bitch, bla bla bla. Like I said, sit the hell down and drink.” He said with a certain bitterness that only heartache can bring. “Who the hell do you think you are? My mother?” He asked, downing the last drop of whiskey in the bottle and motioning for another.
“I agree with Wheat, you should just forget about her, and all the others for that matter.” Mixer piped up for the first time in what seemed like ages. “They were nothing but trouble.“
“By Celestia, does nopony understand the meaning of ‘just drink’!?” Signal shouted, nostrils flaring, wings spread in rage. “It means ‘shut up and don’t talk’!”
“You forgotten about her yet?” Wheat asked, smiling slightly. His smile went away when Signal shot with a death glare. “I’ll shut up now.”
Six bottles later, Signal blacked out.
