//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: Quiet // Story: Ashes // by SkyPone //------------------------------// Skyfall stepped carefully. The pegasus trotted through the alley, a brisk wind ruffling his feathers. He blinked his blue eyes and bit his lip. Coming to the ruined town was very risky, and he only made the decision out of necessity. Every step he took made no noise, he couldn’t afford to make a sound right now. His eyes flicked to the darkening sky above, dread knotting in his stomach. Night meant only bad things. Even if he did manage to escape here the way back now had many dangers. Going back home tonight was going to be impossible. He shook the thought from his mind and focused on the reason he came in the first place. Right on cue, like a punchline for a bad joke, Sky’s stomach grumbled. His eyes widened and he screamed a million silent curses at himself. He stood completely still, gritting his teeth and feeling his dark blue fur standing on end. The stallion perked both his ears up, scanning for any sounds in the wind. That’d been one of the reasons he’d come in the first place, a windy day gave him some leeway when it came to noise. Sky stopped and regained his bearings anyway, he had to be absolutely sure it was safe. After about thirty seconds of hanging his head and listening, Sky looked up. He moved a hoof up and moved his dark brown mane from his left eye, parting it and clearing his vision. He took a few seconds to take some deep breaths, reassuring himself that he was okay for the moment. He felt his resolve return and nodded to himself, beginning to walk again. His bright yellow lightning bolt mark glimmered in the gathering darkness as he walked. If his memories were correct, his destination was straight ahead. A sense of urgency was building, night edged ever closer and he still hadn’t gotten to safety. Although the stallion had learned from experience that rushing was never the answer. If Sky made himself known the darkness was the least of his worries. A couple more minutes of careful steps and paranoid looks over his shoulder finally paid off. In front of him lie a desolate and rundown store, between the alley and the shop a narrow and broken street. His eyes focused on the door of the shop and a quiet sigh of relief escaped his lips. The last time he was here he made sure the entrance was completely barricaded from the inside. The door was still intact so at least nopony has made it in that way. His eyes trailed up at the faded sign: Rich Grocer. With a gulp, the pegasus prepared himself, no turning back now...He shot forward, galloping quickly across the street and to the store. If he ever had any advantages, it was stealth and speed. He guessed he had his pegasus frame to thank for that. Sky drew himself to a stop around the side of the store, using his same method from earlier to determine his safety. After some more self-convincing, he finally moved again, coming around the back and spying his way in. The gigantic dumpster still sat in the exact spot he’d left it in last time. It was a huge relief that the store hadn’t been compromised. He peered over his shoulders again, careful to make sure nothing was going to sneak up on him. Next came the hard part, moving the dumpster without attracting unwanted attention. Last time he’d come there was no dumpster over the way in. Sky remembered how loud it was just getting the thing a few feet to the left...He shook the thought from his mind and focused on the task at hand. Once he was inside if anything wanted him they were going to have to do it his way. He stretched his back hooves and reared them at the dumpster. With a deep breath, he pushed back as hard as he could and the large metal container did exactly as he expected it to. Ear-splitting squeaks and metallic scraping echoed through the entire town. Gritting his teeth his pushed harder then suddenly stopped. He scrambled around and looked down. The tiny trapdoor was still there, rusted handle glinting in the fading light. The pegasus quickly gripped it and heard his fears come to life. Menacing yells and hollering sounded through the town, amplified a million times by the wind. He ripped open the door slid down into the dark below. The trapdoor slammed shut above, his hooves slamming hard into the dirt floor. Sky groaned, dull pain throbbing in his hooves. Sky let himself lay there for a moment. He panted hard and stood shakily in the pitch black, more fearful of the outside than of the darkness around him though. The first time he’d entered the dank storeroom it’d been quite a different experience, he had no idea what could be lurking around him. Sky now found a tiny shred of solace in the place, knowing that for the time being he was safe. Sky started to move, reaching for anything solid. He felt his hoof touch the coarse stone of the rocky wall. He shuffled sideways along the wall until he fell forward into a rocky stair. It hurt to be sure, but at least now he could leave. Carefully Sky ascended until he reached a wood door. A few seconds of searching and he twisted the knob, pushing it open. He’d finally made it. The interior of the store reflected the outside perfectly, faded and desolate. Shelves were knocked over, carts and baskets littering the dusty aisles. The sight brought him back to the past, and echoed the desperation of many years before. Sky felt sorry for those ponies, scrambling by any means necessary to preserve themselves. He leaned against the door and felt it click. Coming in here immediately put a dampener on his mood. Although separate from the dangers outside, this place always made Sky feel uneasy. This store was a depressing echo of the old world, and the sights before Sky marked the cataclysmic day it had fallen to ashes. His eyes scanned to the left side of the store, dried up copper brown stains forever etched into the ivory tile, degraded and dusty skeletons scattered on top. Some of them embraced each other, others cowered in fear. Others just lay there in contorted positions. Those were only the ones he could see, he didn’t dare think about the mass of bones in the storeroom. He’d already experienced that horror, stepped on it. With a sigh he looked away, there was nothing he could do for them...His mind returned to the present and his eyes focused on a far shelf. Luckily for him, the ancient cans of apples still sat on that bottom shelf. Packed with enough preservatives they’d last centuries. A cheeky selling point, Sky guessed nopony back then actually thought that saying would be put to the test. He reached down and grabbed one out of the twenty or so left. He’d taken quite a few last time, but he left some. Sky knew he’d run out eventually, so he left these here just to know he’d have a food source for sure. Sky took his canteen from his saddlebag and took a swig. Water, on the other hand, was never definite, so the pegasus was always on the fringes of barely hydrated. He took the can over to the front of the store. Beams of moonlight seeped through the boarded up windows, shining down on a small cot and pillow. Sky shuddered at having to look down at it, remembering having to remove its previous occupant from it. Haunted or not, it was still a comfy place to lay. Sky definitely needed that right now. He laid down, feeling the soreness in his hooves and stretched. He popped open the can of apples and quickly opened his mouth. The mushy fruit slid into his mouth, barely any chewing required. The taste was exactly as it always was, overly sweet with a bit of cinnamon spice. Sky swallowed quickly, taking a sip from his canteen to wash it down. He rested his head on the tiny pillow above the cot and sighed. It was hard not to notice the sounds outside. Whoops and hollering, malicious laughter drowning out innocent screams. Sky shook his head and closed his eyes. He felt sorry for them. Coming here was not for the faint of heart. He assumed most of them were taken by the brutal inhabitants of the town. Just as with the ponies of the old world, there was nothing he could do...There were just too many of those savages. Survival came first over anything else. Instead of dwelling on what he couldn’t do, he decided to think about what he did do. As far as days for him were usually like, today wasn’t bad. The walk to get here was long and uneventful, uncharacteristic for the Equestrian wasteland. Skyfall couldn’t recount the last time he hadn’t been chased by at least an over sized and very hungry rodent. His trek through the town was grueling and slow, but at least nopony heard or found him. He had the wind to thank for that. Sky had arrived back at the store to find exactly as he’d left it, food and everything. With a nod, he allowed himself a small smile. He was still alive. The happy thought quickly faded as another loud scream echoed through the town. This one a lot closer than the others. Sky sat up on full alert. He could hear voices outside the shop..On the street! He felt his heart rate increase as they got closer and clearer. “Ha! Look at the little bitch run...I told ya the boss would like her! Feisty huh?” Said a distinctly male voice, gruff and scratchy. “Ah come off it Spiker, get your lazy ass up there and grab her! Oh for..Ugh, she’s going toward that abandoned store up on the right,” Said another male, his voice far higher than the others but with an undertone of menace and intelligence the other lacked. A third voice, far closer than the others, way too close for Sky’s comfort sounded at the door. His eyes focused on the large barricade of carts and a shelf. “P-please! You have to help me! Anypony, please! Please!” The female voice cried out, pain and desperation sounding into the night. It sounded like she was backed against the door. “Sweetheart!” The smarter male called, “What dontcha get about abandoned? The only ponies who’re gonna hear ya are me and my friend, and our whole clan!” He laughed. The mare didn’t stop though, Sky could hear her turn and start beating hard on the door. He looked down and gulped. He couldn’t. He’d be signing both their death sentences. Her calls kept getting louder and so did the stallions. He had to decide... He let out a growl of frustration and got to his hooves, rushing to the barricade. He reared up on his back hooves and knocked the shelf over, the loud thunk making the mare outside yelp. The stallions obviously didn’t hear, as their laughter only increased. Skyfall pushed the carts out of the way and as hard as he could yanked the door open. Into the store fell the mare. Their eyes met for a split second before he grabbed her front hoof and yanked her inside, closing the door quickly behind her. Angered growls and disbelieving curses sounded outside. The two stallions were not happy. Sky gulped loudly and slid down, back against the door. He reached up quick and locked it, locking eyes with the panting and obviously shell-shocked mare before him. Regret pooled up in his insides as he stared, the stallions starting to beat against the locked door. He leaned his head back and gritted his teeth. You just had to play the hero, didn’t you Sky? Cursing himself and looking down, he bit his lip. There went his good day...