Last Night A DJ Saved My Life

by 2D

Prologue: Demise

Thin torrents of murky water ran across my window during the period of time that I trotted about my shambled and messy flat, the wooden floorboards creaked like a symphony underneath my heavy hooves, an intoxicating mixture of booze and shottle-pops lighting the world into a flurry of colours. The rain could only just be heard through the dull haze that had overtaken my mind and with each step I could feel my grip slowly loosening, the last bottle of vodka in my magic grip teetering.

It fell to the rough oak floor as I turned a corner into the lounge if I could even call it that, the tattered wall paper dripped slog onto the floor and made nearly everything in here damp. The windows that were supposed to look down on the city were blocked by cardboard and news papers which flailed around in the wind. A few specs of rain burst through on occasion, but otherwise the soggy cardboard was doing fine. The floor around the window was stained a dirty black from the hazardous weather but the rest of the room seemed okay.

On the back wall was the only piece of furniture in this room and it was my pathetic bed, made of cardboard and bedding thrown atop one another on the damp floor. The mixture of rain, shame and industry that had made the planks so sodden had a pungent smell that was enough to make most ponies vomit. However I had something stored in between the floorboards that would help... lots and lots of alcohol.

Continuing on through the shamble of a flat I turned left into my bathroom and instinctively shut the door, my hooves clinked softly against the grimy tiles as I walked over to the sink and turned the taps gently with my magic. As they spun around I recoiled horribly and flew across the room, having forgotten the effects a drug has on magic. My horn smashed up against a tile and I yelled in pain as my precious horn cracked slightly.

Getting back up slowly with my hooves firmly underneath me, I made my way over to the sink and turned off the taps manually. Placing my hooves on the edge of the sink I peered down into my own reflection, and at first glance I was a completely different buck. Blink again and it's gone, my own ragged eyes staring into one another as my face struggled to stay calm. Forcing my hand. I plunged into the sink and began to feel my breath growing sparse.

A thin trail of bubbles escaped from my lips as the somewhat murky water enveloped me in a cool embrace, time suddenly became irrelevant as my head limped underneath the water freely. All of a sudden I could feel myself surrounded by endless ocean and falling slowly to the seafloor, my mane floating around simply as my frail body was carried in the countless currents.

All of a sudden I was thrown back to my bathroom as my head came up out of the water gasping for precious air, my hooves trembling and cracking the cheap porcelain under their weight. Leaning over to the mirror to gain a better look at myself, I was all but surprised at who stared back at me. My body went pathetically limp as I held onto the basin for support.

Reflected in the cracked and dirty mirror was a pale dirty grey coloured buck, his coat long since having lost it's lovely white complexion. Bloodshot and puffy eyes rested underneath his ragged brow, the folds of skin crinkled into a small yet sad frown as he stared back at me. His once handsomely sharp face was now a wreck of azure stubble and small shredded scars. He had a bold chin and strong defined features, his mouth dipping down only just as if indicating his sadness. In front of one eye his long and mane hung low, the shaggy mess of hair matted with grime and alcohol. It was a pure azure, but the colours true beauty was lost amongst the towering spires and minimalist signs plastered around like a type of advertisement.

I turned away from my own reflection pathetically as I reeled from the truth before my tired eyes, looking back down at the water I saw another reflection - My own features looked back at me through a pair of dead black eyes, blood dripped from the corner of his mouth as black aura swirled around his horn. I closed my eyes and splashed some water on my face in an attempt to clear my head, the cold water stinging my skin as the chemicals seeped into my pores.

Looking back down into the water I only saw my usual self in the murk, however an uneasy feeling set over me as I pulled the plug and watched the water drain slowly down the plughole and into the pipes beneath the floor. I could hear them scream as the water pushed out all the air that had been stuck in there, forcing it all down into an outflow pipe no doubt near the Cortex.

Trotting over to my shower on the opposite side of the bathroom I steeped in and gingerly put a towel outside the sliding door, turning the shower head onto the cold position. Silently standing there with my forelegs against the tiles, I waited for the water to come crashing down on me. There was a groan as the water traveled from far above - no doubt near the Twilight Zone. A torrent of red and grey water came crashing down on me as the long unused pipes spewed rust and grime, but after a few seconds clear water ran through the shower head and down my back.

The smooth feeling caressed my aching limbs with the sickly coldness it possessed, snaking down my spine and through my tail with a lovely feeling of cleanliness. I looked to my left and placed my hoof on the small outcropping where I kept my soap, moving my hoof over to grasp it, it fell from my slippery hooves and I quite literally dropped the soap. Cussing and bending down to pick it back up, I left my standing position momentarily.

After retrieving the smooth bar of lovely dirt remover, I returned to my original position and began to run the bar down my back. The smooth soap easily covered my matted coat and in no time I had the white mixture matted throughout my fur, reaching down to my underside I repeated the same process and made sure to give my privates a good covering too. Once all that was said and done I took a small flannel in my hoof and wet it in the shower, then I placed it against my back and began to wipe off all of the soap which I had previously put on. In no time at all, the water falling to the drain was a murky grey rather than clear.

Moving down to my underside once more I made sure not to linger too long, swiftly swiping the slippery suds stain remover off of my coat and into the water, carrying the dirt and grime with it. After that I simply went on all fours and swiped my front hooves down for good measure, smiling as my coat became a lovely dark and clear grey instead of a manky and grime riddled light grey. Placing the flannel back into place, I looked to my right and took a bottle of shampoo.

Getting a large dollop on my hoof I began to run it through my mane and tail, coating both in a purple mixture that smelled faintly like moon rocks - apparently it put mares into a 'temporary heat', or at least that's what the aggressive sales man had told me, weird Minotaur. Letting the water run down me for a few moments as the smooth mixture made its way into my mane and tail, I reached for a second flannel and dampened it for a moment.

Feeling satisfied with the shampoo's progress down my hair I began to clean it off using the shower overhead to remove the excess foam whilst the flannel wiped through my mane, the smooth liquid caressing my scalp and making my hair smell a pleasant fragrance which was surprisingly nice. I quickly however moved to my tail and began to gently run my hoof through it, using the other to hold it in place as I cleaned out all grime that had accumulated.

As per usual by the time I was done my tail was dead straight and extremely long - stepping out of the shower and grasping the towel in my front hooves I pondered this, nearly every buck I knew had a short tail and yet here I am with one as long as Miss Sparkle herself, however mine was still distinctively male. Running the towel across and underneath my body swiftly I began to walk over to the shower once more, looking in the glass as I finished drying off my hair and it sat in its usual place.

I was now looking at a buck who I had long forgotten, one who had confidence and knew the name of every mare within two miles, a stallion who went to every bar and bought out every bottle he could see. His dark grey coat reflected the light with a subtle shade of black, a seemingly unnoticed ominous aura around his body which radiated cold. His mane was short and scraggly and curled around him slightly, the deep azure hair spiked out in certain areas yet still retaining a gentle fluff. The accompanying tail stacked out in layers behind his flank, the sparkling azure hair looked like tilted staircase on top, with layers of hair simply stepping down over and over until the tail ended. However the underside was more like a question mark and curved elegantly until a small bend, where it went straight and met the tip.

His horn was spiraled wildly unlike most unicorns in the local area and was riddled with missing lines where cracks had healed or chunks had regrown, yet his birthmark was the strangest of all. A pair of chains wrapped around two shards and surrounded in a crimson aura. One shard was a deep maroon with a ghastly black tint, whilst the other was snow white with a green glare on the side. A tiny ball of blue sat between the two, with both a shade of black and one of green.

Turning away from my own reflection I began to trot out of the bathroom, closing the door behind me for the time being with a loud bang, now making my way into the kitchen in order to grab some clothes from the airing cupboard. In the lounge I walked back out into the hallway and back the way I came, stopping momentarily too look out of my window as the rain slammed against it with fury. Through the murk I could just make out the opposite Spire, number 52 if I remember correctly. It wasn't hard to see why the air was so bad around here, large smokestacks rose from the sides of the Spire before me and pumped black fumes up towards the rain clouds high above.

Below me in the streets of the Downzone ponies scurried about their business as usual, trotting through the slog quickly as more and more rain bounced off the balconies and train lines above. I spotted some pony I recognized down below in the ruckus that was the Western district, underneath his cloak I could see a pure white mane and a soft brown coat, looking up at me as I stared down at him, he waved and ran off.

"Sunny... you madman..." I muttered as I continued back down the hallway towards my kitchen, opening the door and walking into the surprisingly furnished room. Up against the wall facing me there was a total of four counters, a cooker and a fridge. In the center of the room I had my table and chair, a small book on psychology sat on the table besides many more alcohol bottles, not surprising. In the corner to my left however there was a cupboard and I began to trot towards it with purpose.

Standing in front of the cabinet with a light smirk I opened it with a hoof and immediately saw piles of prescription drugs, looking for the box titled 'Manalifier' with great haste and determination - knocking several other packets out of the cupboard in the hurry. However soon enough I found them, opening each pill holder and swallowing them all in one go. I then began to pick up the boxes on the floor, noticing the titles like 'Viagra' and 'Neuropozyne', who needed that stuff anyway?

As I put the last box away my body flew into a fit as I fell flat on my face and my horn discharged randomly, each discharge ripping a hole in the wall the size of a golf ball. I flung myself left and knocked the table over, ripping the rotten wood in half with a single discharge. As I convulsed on the floor it suddenly became worse as my horn became a brilliant white colour and exploded outwards violently. As I opened my eyes I noticed the floor around me was scorched but the rest of the room appeared not worse than it had started.

Getting up off the floor with a light shake I tested my horn by lifting a piece of the broken table up, I felt a nauseous whiplash overcome me momentarily but otherwise I was perfectly okay, which meant the pills had worked perfectly. Smiling widely I trotted back over to the cupboard and opened it once more, Taking out a large blue checkered jacket and putting it on easily thanks to my magic. Opening one of the pockets with my magic I took a pair of dog-tags out, along with a cigarette which I placed in my mouth.

I then levitated two items from the back of the cabinet before shutting it with a hoof, examining the two in front of me before putting them on. First came the neck wrap, a pure white cover up with two bolts on either side - manufactured in the Cortex, it had costed a pretty penny. Slipping it on tight I put the second item on over my head, a pair of stylish neo-punk black and white goggles. They rested nicely on my forehead with the band going around the back close to my neck.

I then swiftly trotted back out of my kitchen with a certain air of time keeping about me, the rain growing even louder as I walked into my lounge. I could see clearly the unmade bed to the left, besides which a cardboard box acting table was set - the counter of the dainty object was strewn with a mess of pills and crumpled paper. Looking to a scratched board in front of the messy heap of sheets I had called a bed, I trotted over to it slowly and lifted it up. Underneath was a large container filled with a large amount of alcohol.

Laughing as I began to take the bottles out one by one, I could hear the voice in the back of my head egging me on with my plans. He hissed in delight as I thew three bottles into the hallway behind me, and he practically shouted in praise as I threw a further four into the bathroom. The glass shattered against the tiles and spilled the liquid across floor, it sunk into the grooves between the tiles and stayed put. The other vodka had no doubt sunk into the wood in the hallway.

I then turned to the five bottles I had before me and looked upon them with a keen eye, a pale mist beginning to seep out of my eyes as I picked the bottles up in a surprisingly dark aura. Flinging them this and that way across the room his voice spoke through my mouth, giving praise. "I like what you are doing, fool." He said, hissing delightfully. "I wonder what you plan to do, hm?"

"Don't you remember?" I mocked, walking out of the lounge and into the hallway. "I'm taking a train and departing this retched city, going someplace far far away - a better place, for sure." I was close to my front door now as I had walked swiftly through my flat, avoiding the freshly wet alcohol stains. I levitated my keys out of one of the jacket pockets and placed them in the door carefully, twisting them until the lock clicked.

As I swung the door open he spoke up again and once more using my voice as a catalyst. "Oh dear Twisted, here I was think I'd convinced you to go on another glorious rampage. Don't you remember the fun we had?" He hissed menacingly as he spoke, "The blood and guts? Have you forgotten all the good times we had, dear friend?" I stepped out of the door and turned to face my hallway, frowning and crinkling my brow.

"Shut it you abomination."

"So be it, mortal." He hissed, before returning to the recesses of my mind.

I took a small zippo from my back pocket and telekinetically lifted it to my cigarette with care, gently flicking the top open and lighting the fag first try. Inhaling the poison as I threw the useless zippo into the flat's hallway, I took the cigarette out of my mouth for a moment, before throwing it into the hallway and shutting the door. Turning to walk away as a searing heat flashed up against my back and an explosion sounded nearby, a smile crossed my lips as I entered the elevator, pressing the "5" button.

The elevator played some sort of garbage music as the floors slipped by in a whirl, groaning as it scraped down the un-oiled chains and occasionally hit the side. By the time I had reached my destination I could see a bright orange through the broken service hatch on top of the elevator, a mild heat flowing down and touching my neck softly. Using telekinesis I lifted the neck wrap up over my mouth, the full design showing a small gas-mask like vent, making me look somewhat like a Trottingham rebel. the doors opened with a light 'bing' sound, and I walked out into the lobby of Spire 52. Ponies eyed me curiously as I strolled up to the counter, leaning over to my landlord.

"Moneyshot." I said in a cold tone, placing my flat key up on the counter to get his attention. "I'm moving out, and by the All Mother I swear you better be insured." Walking away from the counter before he had time to process what I'd said, I turned to look back at him and slid my hoof across my neck slowly, smiling under the mask. "You'll get what's coming to you, Moneyshot, just you wait you corrupt bastard."

I pushed through the glass doors and out to the train platform, walking down the steps to reach street level. The rain was kept from me by a roof overhead and I was thankful for that, it was cold enough up here without acid rain pouring down my back. The steps however had water running down them which made my decent rather difficult, I suspected that there were a few lose seals in the roofing overhead, but it didn't bother me too much.

By the time I got to street level the rain had softened somewhat and wasn't as aggressive in its torrential downpour, which put me at ease as I stepped out from under the cover and began to walk left of the station to the next one three blocks away. The water ran down the sloped street which made climbing up the hill a little hard for me, grime and random newspaper clippings drifted down past my hooves along with litter and Maker knows what else.The vendors were begging to close down for the night as it went past what I suspected to be midnight.

There was no sun in the Downzone which made keeping track of time hard unless you carried a watch about with you, we were stuck in a perpetual Twilight generated by the lights of the Spire Cortex - it branched up into the 'Twilight Zone' and all the other Spires connected into it, like a giant hex pattern. The lights from up there is generated by the exposed Lightning Oil pipes, which glow a ghastly white. However with all the pollution which hangs around up there, the light becomes purple and thus sticks us in a gloomy Twilight.

Not only that but we had been abandoned by Celestia and her sister, Luna, who both reside over Canterlot and try to ignore us deprived populace stuck in the Downzone. Princess Luna occasionally visits the High Architect in the Spire Cortex, but beyond that none of the royalty even cares about the Downzone population. The rich ponies in the Society would rather see us die than help us, we're just a blight to them

In fact I bet I could count more ponies who wanted us dead than there are Ze...

"Hey, Twisted! Git' over here a moment will you?"

I was interrupted from my thoughts as a young Earthpony colt scurried up to me, shouting my name. I sighed and rolled my eyes as I began to walk towards to kid, giving him a high five before taking a bit from my pocket and throwing it his way. "What's the news?" I said in a dry tone, wanting to be done with it quickly. "I don't have all day Kicker." As I spoke my last line the boy scorned and walked closer to me.

"Word on the street is that the CTS is making a comeback and the rebels are failing in their battle to stop them, I have also made plans and will be out of the city before that happens. So this is tha' last time you'll see me Twisted." He smiled and patted me on the back, trotting off down the street and calling back to me. "I'm sure things'll work out for ya' Twisty, just you wait!"

I couldn't help but feel saddened by his optimism in this situation, the days and nights were full of horror and death yet one small child found hope in it all - pathetic. I looked across the courtyard I was in, seeing the platform was up a flight of steps across the way from me. Floating a bag of bits out of my jacket pocket I walked over to a vendor and seated myself, making sure I had enough time to waste.

A young mare with a luxurious red mane turned to face me with a sultry smile, each step she took towards me was overly exaggerated to define her more 'feminine' properties. She leaned over the counter and planted kiss on my cheek, sending a small shiver down my spine. You know what they say, women are just naturally sexy.

"What can I do for you handsome? I'll give you a discount for my 'services' if you'd like." She winked my way and I laughed, tossing my bits onto the table with a heavy clunk. Leaning a little closer to the mare I smirked and pointed to a small shot glass. I then pointed at a series of herbs and spices in the 'Zebra' section, and finally at some Vodka.

"Not today dar'll." I said, drawing out my syllables with a surprisingly easy attraction. "Perhaps another day hmm? I'm only here for a drink I'm afraid, I have a train to catch. I'll take your finest and most potent herbs with some vodka, dear." I sat back in the chair with a small chuckle, and watched the mare blush a bright red on her pale white coat. She rushed over to the drinks cabinet with a funny sort of hurry, giggling as she returned.

"I'll hold you to that one, Sweetheart." She said, mixing the drink in a flurry as each herb was dropped in one by one. At first the drink was simply pure vodka with a slight orange tint, then it began to fizz, then it foamed as well and finally it glowed a florescent hue - amplifying the drinks colour. "I'll take these here bits off your hooves and let you enjoy your drink, mr?"

I picked up the drink in my telekinetic grasp and winked at her, downing the entire shot in less than three seconds. Slamming the empty glass back down onto the rough and worn bar, I smiled. "I'm Twisted Morals, although everybody just calls me Twist." I said, sliding off the chair and beginning to trot off. "Although," I said, not looking back at the mare, "I'm sure everypony is always dying to call you, Miss Roccet~"

I quickly trotted up towards the staircase laid out before me and found it had become a running river, the now fast falling rain pounding down onto the steps and the roof above and causing a massive waterfall effect. I groaned and began to make my way up the slippery steps, the chipped and decaying concrete giving me an uneasy feeling as I trotted up to a small bridge connecting two stations. Moving to the right I continued up a smaller flight of steps towards the main platform for Designated Commerce District 17.

As I stepped up onto the main platform the first thing I noticed was the smell, a horrific mixture of Lightning Oil, puke and pollution. The checkered concrete panels which made up the station's pathing were sunk in here and there, and had large puddles of rainwater and piss caught within them. The station itself was a collection of dark bricks stacked high upon one another in a large 'L' shape - The roof was caved in slightly and the drains were blocked, the Benches were rotten and half of the arrival sign had been ripped off. Graffiti littered the walls but one large tag stood out against the rest, the words 'Reflect On Your Sins' dominated the wall, and was on a few other walls but in different text and colours.

Trotting up to the stations edge I waited patiently underneath the large roof which was barely keeping the water off of me and seriously in need of repair, but it didn't matter to me - Soon I'd be gone, free. I looked across the way and looked at the other side of the station and I saw one stallion sitting alone on a bench, he was humming the tune to the popular song 'Octave Chaser', written and performed by none other than Octavia herself.

"So, why are you doing this?" He asked in the back of my mind, "I mean surely there's more fun to be had than... this." I mumbled under my breath and tensed as I heard an oncoming train sounding it's horn, shuffling in place slightly as I pictured myself colliding with the hard piece of pure metal. It was hard to imagine just how fast they traveled and how far they could go, Lightning Oil really was an innovation.

"Because I have to." I replied bluntly.

"But I don't under-"

"Shut it."

The next few moments passed in absolute silence as time ticked on to the point where I'd forgotten it existed at all, the rain seemed to fall harder as the train passed its last bend and came into view. I chuckled and tensed my back-legs as he silently hissed in my mind, trying to wrest control from me and stop the madness that was about to occur. The rain bounced off the tiles as the train screeched around the bend and pulled a straight, about to pass the station. The ebb and flow of time suddenly picked up as the skies opened up, the Spire Cortex discharging extra Lightning Oil in what we'd call 'Lightning'.

Suddenly nothing mattered anymore, I jumped in front of the oncoming headlights and closed my eyes in pure bliss. I was finally free. He no longer had control over me and I knew the All Mother would embrace me as her own as I ascended into her realm, my sins would be forgiven and I could finally live happily.

But even in paradise, I could hear her scream.