My name is Velvet Pastry. I was a survivor of the megaspell blasts, and this is my story of the events that happened after that fateful event.
"Hey, Minty." I say as I trot up next to the mint green colored mare. "Whatcha doing?"
"Oh, hey Velvet, not much, just heading to the market to get some vegetable and other things." She says while showing me her list.
"That's where I'm going to. Say, have you seen the paper?" I asked not being able to get a paper this morning. That was generally the usual routine ever since tensions started the heat up between the zebras. All I want is a newspaper, although, I should count myself lucky my name wasn't called in the draft. I knew lots of ponies whose names were called that day, none but one has returned, but even she came back missing her right foreleg. After all that stress, I did the thing I do best, bake. I made velvet everything for everypony I knew and even some ponies I didn't know.
"Yea, I got the last one today. The papers are saying that the zebras are threatening with megaspells now. I don't know how much of that I believe, but, I am still a little worried." She says as we arrive at the town's food market.
"Yea, the papers always exaggerate so I wouldn't be too terribly worried." I say with a small shrug even. "Well, nice talking to you, I got to run my errands. Bye!" I say while trotting away and giving a wave which she returns.
"Hmm... let's see here... carrots, lettuce, oranges, more quills, and ink." I say to myself as I start walking towards the produce section.
"Hello, what can I get for you?" The mare behind the stand says to me as I walk up to her stall.
"Hello, can I get 5 carrots please?"
"Sure, take your pick." She says while hoofing me a paper bag to put them in.
"Thanks." I say after taking the bag in my magic and looking over all the carrots laid out in the wood boxes in front of me.
After selecting the best I could find, I levitated some bits over to the mare who happily accepted them.
After leaving the stall and heading towards the orange stand, a poster posted on the side of a nearby building caught my eye.
It was a Stable-Tec poster advertising a spot in one of their state of the art stable. I would have gotten a spot in one of their stables was closer to the town. The nearest one I knew of was in Fillydelphia which was way too far away. At least a 30-45 minutes train ride.
After continuing my walk, I walked up to the next stand of the item I needed.
"Hello, can I get 2 heads of lettuce?"
"Sure thing, take your pick." The stallion says while waving his hoof over the selection of cabbage. "That will be four bits."
"Here you go." I say while levitating him over the bits before I pick out the best lettuce.
After putting the lettuce into my saddle-bags, I continue on my way but not before spotting another one of my few remaining friends sitting at a local cafe, enjoying a pastry and drink.
"Hey Sunflower, how are you?" I ask, walking over to her table.
"Oh hey, I'm doing good, how are you?" She asks after looking up from her food.
"Good, may I sit here?" I ask while motioning towards the empty seat opposite her.
"Sure, I could use a friend to talk to." She says after taking a sip of her coffee.
After taking a seat, a waiter walked up to me and I gave her my usual order. Black coffee with two sugar and cream with a pretzel croissant. Mmm...
"So, you see the news recently?" She started.
"No, I wasn't able to get a paper this morning, again."
"Well, the zebras are starting to threaten Equestria. But, Princess Luna will protect us along with the elements." She says although the fear was obviously evident in her voice. "I just hope they don't go too far..." She says after letting out a sigh.
"Yea, that's all we can hope for," I say with my most reassuring voice. She had been through so much recently. Her husband and daughter were both drafted and neither has returned since that day. They have not been declared dead, but it still puts a tremendous amount of stress on her. She even got treatment for Wartime Stress Disorder which seemed to help.
"Yea, I guess..." She sighs "I just wish none of this would have happened... why couldn't it have been me..." She says before looking up into your eyes, her filled with tears.
"Shh, it's gonna be alright." I say while getting up and giving her a big hug, which she happily returns.
After a few minutes of crying and soothing, she finally takes her head off of my shoulder and sits back up while taking a few deep breaths and sniffling.
"Alright, are you feeling better?" I ask while rubbing her back soothingly. A few others were staring, but I didn't care. I needed to help my friend.
"Y-Yea... t-thanks Velvet..." She says while rubbing a final few tears from her eyes.
"Alright, why don't we-"
I was cut off by a flash of light so bright it could compare to Celestia's sun. Both of us looked towards the light source and our eyes widened in fear at the sight before us. A mushroom cloud towering over the city of Fillydelphia.
We just stayed there, staring at the gargantuan cloud of destruction before our eyes. We were brought out of our stares by a scream, which was quickly followed by many many more.
"What do we do!?" Sunflower franticly asks looking like she is about to breakdown again.
"Let's get to my house, it's closer!" I quickly exclaim as we both break out into a full gallop down the road.
Ponies were screaming and running back and forth. The whole town was in complete chaos. Foals were crying, ponies running and screaming from all directions, it was complete unadulterated chaos.
"Were almost there!" I shout as we round the corner and my house comes into view at the end of the road.
*BOOM*
The shockwave sent both of us into the ground.
"Ugh, Sunflower, are you alright?" I ask, shakily getting to my hooves, pain coursing through almost my entire body.
"Ugh, y-yea." She says attempting to get to her hooves.
"Let me help you." I say while quickly walking over to her collapsed form and using my magic to help her to her hooves.
"Thanks." She says after she finally gets to her hooves.
"Alright, let's ge-" I am cut off by the wall of the building next to us falling directly on top of both of us.