//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3: Waking up 
// Story: Tales from a lost pony 
// by Zen Gale 
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	Gradually the black void receeded from his vision. In its stead a rough circle of light purple outlined by greyness. Blinking his eyes brought focus back into it's rightful place showing that the circle was a hole in the white roof, and the purple was...the sky? Somewhere in the cloudy storm that was his thought process something stuck out. A purple sky didn't seem to make sense, and for that matter, why was there a hole in the ceiling?

The dark blue pegasus tried to sit up, only to double over, hooves shooting to his head that pulsed with pain. After what seemed to be hours the pain in his head dulled down only for the various other parts of his body to begin their own complaints. His wings burned, his hooves throbbed, and his back carried searing itch of pain. For a while he simply laid where he was, the overload of physical stress rooting him to the spot. 

After minutes that seemed like hours, the throbs and aches died away enough to allow some movement and other thoughts. 'Well, let's figure out where we are.' Mindful of the headache, Zen carefully turned his head to the left and right. Scattered about the building were racks of clothes on hangers and several mannequins some of which were toppled over. Other than that the only other things he could se were some pieces of broken wood and plaster from the roof. 

'Hmmm, guess I sorta fell through the roof...WHAT!' his eyes shot open quickly looking over his sore body as he began to pat himself down and extend his wings in search of injury. With a sigh of relief at finding nothing other than bruises and some small cuts his gaze shifted back to the hole above him and the purple sky above that. 

'Well thats a relief, still doesn't explain the purple sky though,' his thought had just finished when the sky shimmered. 

Choosing to not worry about sky he lowered his gaze."Hey, anyone here?" He tried to call out with a hoarse voice, 'how long was I out for? And why hasn't anyone bothered to help me?' Sitting up he called out again, the words scratching his sore throat, "hello? Look I'm sorry if I sorta crashed through your roof." No answer. Shakily he rose to his hooves, shaking his head to clear his thoughts. "Hello? Guess no ones home." 

Looking around the dark blue pegasus noticed a door off to his left. On unsteady limbs he began walking over towards it only to be met with a moments reluctance before opening it. Brushing the thoughts aside he pushed open the door, taking a few steps through the threshold while shielding his eyes from the much brighter outside. When his eyes finally adjusted his mouth fell open at the sight before him.

He was still in the city that much he was for sure of, but it had changed drastically in the time he spent unconscious. It looked like a bomb had gone off, buildings where in various states of destruction ranging from just a few broken windows to being nothing but piles of rubble. The skywalks were littered with chunks of rubble, or broken and simply missing from the rest of the path. Airships of all sizes had seemed to crash into whatever was around, and off in the distance on the edge of his vision Zen could just make out the magi-tech tower, seemingly unharmed, but  it was impossible to tell from his distance from the structure. 

He was starring so intently at the damage that he didn't even notice the first body until his hoof brushed against it. For a second or two he stared at the sight, unable to recognize what he had accidently bumped into. Then his mind stared whirling again and he noticed the bright aqua color fur, stained with a darkened crimson in various places. The white and seafoam green mane and tail lay flat and matted against the still form of the horned  pony that was lying on its side.... 

Gingerly he tapped the side with a shaking hoof "Hey, are you....alright? Hey," but the body didn't move. He began to nudge it with the other hoof, still calling out to the form "Hey, can you hear me? Are you okay?" Still the body layed still. Visably shaking now he began to yell as both hooves fell on the ponies body shaking it "HEY, C'MON WAKE UP! PLEASE BE..." his shaking came to abrupt halt as his movements finally caused the body to roll over facing towards him. The muzzle looked scrunched up and distorted, and one bloodshot eye was still open but held no life. The other eye had what looked like a shard of glass sticking out of it burried an unknown depth into the pony. 

Backing away with a jump he began to feel sick. Now he saw them all, scattered about the broken rubble or burried partially beneath it. The bodies were everywhere and of all kinds. The sick feeling returned with greater force and his fotitude failed to keep the contents down. When he was done dizziness filled the void left by nausia and his quiverring  feet nearly gave out from under him. Shaking his head from side to side he locked his feat under him and took a few deep breaths. 

Somewhere off to his left some rocks shifted sending a few rolling down the pile. His head whipped towards the noise as he called out in an unsteady voice, "Hello, who's there? Listen I don't know what's going on, but... these ponies look really hurt. I think some of them might be dead." His gaze shifted back to the still unmoving unicorn. He wasn't sure how long he looked at it or when the slight shadow overtook his form, but suddenly everything got a bit darker and when he turned back towards the pile something was standing infront of him with another thing raised above it. 

"What the?" BANG! "OW!" BANG! "OW, HEY!" BANG! "OW, HEY STOP!" BANG! "OW, please stop." BANG! "ow, please..." BANG! "ugh...." The shadow stopped it's assult mid swing. Gazing up weakly at the form Zen could finally tell it was a pony, but sun obscurred all the details, still now it wasn't swinging the large black object at his head anymore. "....ow...."

"Talk, again. Say something..... inteligent." commanded a refined mare's voice. 

"Thanks for not hitting me again?" The figure seemed to relax at that and porceeded to lower the blunt instrument.

"Good, now tell me your name."

"Zen, Zen Gale. Look can you tell me what's going on?"

"And where were you born."

"Cloudsdale, hey look I don't need to be interrogated here, there's hurt ponies over there."

Somewhere behind Zen something roared. "Where were you hiding?"

"Hiding? I just woke up in there, who are you and what the hell was that?"

"No time," the mare said beginning to walk past him. "But if you don't hurry, you'll wish I'd never stopped hitting you." With that she rushed over to the door ducking inside instantly. Zen followed only after a moments hesitation but a second roar, this time much closer, was more that enough to get him moving. Just as he ducked inside the door it was slammed shut and he found a grey hoof stuffed in his mouth. It's owner raised the other to her muzzle and made a shushing gesture before lowering herself beneath the door's window, all but draging Zen with her. 

After a while another sound made itself present besides their forced breathing. Footsteps of some kind, but it sounded as if it coulding make up it's mind between a clop of a hoof, the click of a claw, or the plop of something softer and possibly wet. Occasionally there would be some other noise along with it. A gurgle, or a screech, for a second it sounded like whatever was outside spoke, but it was too fast and high pitched to actually tell what it said. At one point there was a draggin sound followed by a crunch that made both ponies stomach's churn, and then the creature continued it's 'walk' past the store. Still the grey mare held Zen down and his mouth shut. 

Eventually she released her hold on him, breathing a sigh of relief she began to walk towards the large black object she'd arrived with. As she began to fiddle with it Zen spoke up "What the hell was that thing?"

"A monster."

"But what kind? I've never heard of anything sounding like that?"

"I've heard a few ponies calling them the turned." she replied, again without looking up from the oblong black object.

"Turned? I've never heard of them, what do they look like?"

"It's different every time."

"What do you mean?"

"Each one looks different."

"How can that be? Where'd they come from?"

"They didn't 'come' from anywhere."

"But they had to come from somewhere."

"It's polite to ask a lady her name before barraging her with questions you know."

"Sigh, fine. What's your name?"

There was a couple of clicks and the top of the black object opened slightly. Raising it's lid with a grey hoof the mare reached inside it with the other. First she withdrew a bow, which she promptly deposited on the ground next to her, then she raised a large cello. It's polised wood still held a sheen in the dim atmosphere. After looking at the instrument lovingly for a moment she turned back towards the pegasus. "My name is Octavia Philhamonica, and let me say despite it all, it's a pleasure to meet you."