//------------------------------// // XI.~Half empty Ponyville // Story: Magic Vs. Machinery // by Exotic Butter //------------------------------// The sun was slowly setting. Second day of the invasion was getting closer to the end and The Apple family was getting step by step closer and closer to the Canterlot.  Along the way, the Apple family witnessed the devastated landscape near Ponyville, which is in a half way of the evacuation.  The wasteland that the machines had left behind was all muddy and hard to walk through. I also have to point out the craters that were also there. Craters left by the machine and its weapon of high destruction.  It is not known exactly why the 'Ponyville' machine left the region on the first day, but it was clear that Ponyville would once again be searched by the death machines. "How. Far?" Sweetie Belle asked, completely tired. “Six hours of another walk, and we should be at the Canterlot gates.” Big Mac answered. “Six hours!? We should rather rest!” Rarity said aloud. “I agree with Rar, here. Ah mean, we all have been walking for a half day now.” AJ said, as she looked at her brother. “Ugh, fine. We’re gonna rest, but first, we have to find a shelter.” By the word ‘shelter’, everypony, except Big Mac, looked at the half abandoned Ponyville with missing West houses. “Really?”  "Do you know a better place?" AppleBloom asked as she slowly started walking towards Ponyville. Big Mac just rolled his eyes and waved his front hoof to the family to follow her. After a while they entered Ponyville. Everything was upside down. Ponies and creatures packed up their belongings and put them on their own or the shared cart.  “What's going on here...?" AJ said, noticing Ponyville half empty. "Ah dunno, but if Ponyville's half empty, then it wouldn't be a problem for everypony to find their stash." "You mean… like them…?" AppleBloom asked. Distaste could be heard in her voice. Everypony looked down, to AppleBloom’s right, seeing…three ponies half-covered in dust, with fully opened eyes that were a little bit red, looking into the sky. One of them, earth pony, had a large opening with what looked like a red hose slightly peeking out. Second one, the unicorn, had its injuries more…hidden, but one thing could not be overlooked. A big Bucking pipe was through his neck! And the third- “OKAY! This is enough!” AJ said, pushing AppleBloom from the corpses. But… “They were not alone…” Sugar Belle said, now holding her son's eyes. It seems that somepony already cleaned the streets of Ponyville.There were piles of rubble on one side and piles of bodies on the other. And the three ponies they saw seconds ago, they were another basis for another pile of bodies. “What is it Mommy? I want to see!” “Shush!” “Let’s hide in this.” Rarity said, as she pointed at the Ponyville’s typical two story house. “Nah, we need something bigger. If they're gonna search up the whole of Ponyville, then ah don't think the seven of us can find a hiding spot.” Big Mac explained. “Don't tell me we're going to fight now…” AppleBloom said, facehooved. “It’s better, before anypony else is gonna take it infront of our eyes.” Sugar Belle said. “Sugar, please, you know, that this house cannot hide 7 lives.” Just as Sugar Belle was about to say anything, out of nowhere something sounded in the distance. Something that surprised all of Ponyville. Everypony stopped what they were doing, like a somepony stopped time. Nopony moved a muscle. The first one almost nopony heard, but the second one, everypony heard it loud and clear. And the third one confirmed the worst. “They are already here!?” Rarity screamed. After that, everypony and the creature started panicking. Somepony tried to find a place to hide, others took their bags and started running. “TO THE HOUSE, NOW!” Big Mac yelled. They tried to stick together but the crowd made it very difficult for them. It finally ended with Big Mac's family and Rarity arriving at the house. AJ, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle were unfortunately pushed away by the frightened crowd. “There’s many of them, Big Mac! We can't get into the house!” AJ called to Big Mac.  “Do you see any spot where y’all could at least try to leave this moving chaos?!” Big Mac called back. AJ looked around, but didn't find any good spot where she would not hurt anypony. She wanted to respond back, but… “They are too far. The crowd managed to get us…where are we again?” Applebloom asked, as she was helping Sweetie Belle staying on all four legs. “Great…now to take care of two ponies… Welp, I have good news after all. I know where we are going to hide. Follow me!” She said, as she gently pushed some ponies out of their way. “Where…?” Belle asked quietly. “At the Sugarcube Corner.” “At Pinkie? Ya think she’s still in Ponyville?” “Ah don’t know, but it’s worth a shot.” Orange mare said. Finally, after a good five minutes, they managed to get out of the crowd. Now they were standing in front of the Candy-shop doors. Exhausted and thirsty. *KNOCK, KNOCK.*  AJ knocked and waited…  Nothing… “Welp…maybe they’re already in Cante-” “HI, APPLEJACK! I KNEW, YOU GONNA STOP BY!” A pink earth pony with a pretty big, cotton candy-like mane and tail, opened the doors at ridiculous speed. “PINKIE! You almost made my soul leave my body!” AJ said, a little angry, but happy at the same time. She was still alive… “Oh, sorry! Well, don’t stand in that chaotic world! Come on in!” She said, as she got out from the doorway, to let them enter. The three ponies entered the Candy-shop, noticing that every curtain did not let the light in. “Ya’ll hiding like a mouse here. How’s your family doing?” Applebloom said, turning to Pinkie Pie, who closed the door. “My family? Oh AppleBloom, they are not here…” She said, still smiling. But at that, three other mares looked at each other, having the same shocked and scared expression. Then they looked back at the pink mare. “Did they…” AJ was about to say the worst, but… “Yep! They went on a trip out of Ponyville a week before this invasion!” AppleBloom sighed in relief. “Oh, thanks goddess. Uh…where exactly, they went…?” “To my parents! Don’t worry, that piece of steel can’t do a thing to them! I mean, the machines will never take their big tentacle-like legs on our farm, if everything is just rocks and…angry sisters...” And with that, she finally sat down, looking at them with a smile. “Well…? How did you two end up here?” “Uh…pretty…chaotic story, ah can tell.” Aj said, sitting down too. “Wait…” Sweetie said. “W-where’s Discord? W-why can't he stand up and make a steel cube from those machines?” “Well…………I don’t know!” “You’re right… He could make those things teleport back, where they come from! He’s a Lord of Chaos for Celestia’s sake!” AppleBloom joined in. “Well, if he’s watching our race and families too slowly…you know…getting slowly up there…” AJ pointed her hoof in the air. “Then I want to know if he had enough.” “We will see the truth very soon, don’t worry.” Pinkie just waved her hoof. “By the way, I bet you all were heading to Canterlot, eh?” “How did ya know?” AJ asked. “So you didn’t hear the ‘Red code’ from Canterlot? Then I have to fix that!” “What?” "You see, everyone is leaving Ponyville after the town radio operator told us to leave our homes and go to Cantelrot where we will be safe." “Hah, I called it!” AJ shouts and then looks at her sister, who rolled her eyes. “So, since I did not want to leave Ponyville alone, I thought it would be nice surviving the journey to Canterlot with a friend and friends of my friend!” “Sounds good to mah.” Applebloom said, which Pinkie just smiled…more. "Anyway I'm pretty hungry. Do you gals' want a piece of cake?" She asked, starting to rush in her mane and ... looking for something? Did she just pull the cake out of her mane...? “Just Pinkie being Pinkie…” AJ rolled her eyes and rested her head on her hooves.