//------------------------------//
// Rain 
// Story: Deafening Silence 
// by The Lunar Samurai 
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	Aspen’s hooves plowed through the puddles that had gathered on the road. The city of fillydelphia was masked in a watery haze of rain. Aspen could barely see through his squinting eyes and driving rain. He hugged the sides of buildings to try and avoid the rain, but it proved a futile effort. every so often, a lightning bolt would light up the city, only to have it once again shrouded in darkness. The volume of the violent storm was a constant roar, cloaking even its own thunder beneath the driving rain. The mere sounds of the hoofsteps against the cobblestone could not even be heard by their creator, a lone stallion who was darting to and from the eves of the buildings. Despite the cold atmosphere, his mane was completely drenched in sweat. He came to the corner of the old brick bakery and pressed his body against the wall. He peeked his head around the corner and peered through the sheets of water. The scene was desolate and a wall of water blocked his view of the shops on the other side of the road. He bolted around the edge and galloped to the doorway. The torrential rain pounded at the ground, masking any noise he made as he entered the building.
He took a deep breath, glanced once more around him, and quickly darted into the shelter of the building. As the glass paneled door rested against its frame it muted the rain that roared outside to a harsh whisper of wind. . The only noise was the muffled rain against the glass windows of the bakery. The store was closed and the counter barren of activity. A lone light stood on the wall, an old disfigured candle that seemed to burn continually through the night. The glass windows of the countertops stood between the stallion and rows and rows of pastries and bread. His mouth began to water. “Take what’s necessary.” He whispered to himself as he withdrew a sizeable rock from his pocket. He took one last look behind him before plunging the rock into the side of the glass.
A loud thud echoed through the silent room, but the glass did not break. Come on, break. He thought as he repeated the process, this time with more force. The extra weight sent the rock through the glass, sending the shards through the air. The sharp sound of shattering glass was a deafening reminder to his actions. Chills went down his spine as he began to envision being discovered. The stallion ducked behind the counter until his beating heart began to calm. He waited for several minutes, praying the baker would not enter. After he was certain no pony had noticed, he climbed over the countertop and carefully withdrew two loaves of bread from the display. They were stale and mold was growing them, but it was food nonetheless.
“I’m coming Rain Dancer.” Aspen whispered as he exited the building into the storm, urging himself through the weather to reach his dying filly. “Daddy’s coming.”
The storm raged for hours as he slowly made his way back to his family. A flash of lightning briefly illuminated the road before him. The buildings had disappeared and fields of grass had taken their place. An imposing chain link fence cut through the field and disappeared in the distance. A steel gate stood where the cobblestone path meandered through the barrier. Two guards were conversing among themselves as Aspen strode up to the checkpoint.
One of the guards noticed him approaching. “Present your identification.” he said in a perfunctory tone. Aspen took the lanyard off of his neck and gave it to the guard who began to scrutinize the tag. “Sir,” the guard said as he looked at the shivering stallion. “This tag is out of date. I cannot let you pass.”
Aspen’s eyes grew wide. The statement made his heart freeze. “B- But sir, please. I need to get to my village.”
The guard gave the tag back. “Look, I am legally bound to keep you from leaving the city. There is nothing I can do about your choice not to renew your ID.”
A long silence followed as Aspen’s hopes began to fade. “Look at him.” Said the other guard. “He can’t possibly do any harm. Let him pass.”
“Our orders wer-”
“Forget the orders!” The guard shouted. “This stallion isn’t a threat, he’s a citizen. Leave him be.”
Again the guard was silent as he mulled it over. “Alright” he said, letting the little shred of compassion he had left win over. “You can go. But don’t expect this kind of special treatment on a regular basis.”
“Thank you.” Aspen said, eager to get back to his family. Quickly he gathered his name tag, adjusted his overcoat, and stepped out into the torrent once more. The pebbled road of the city had changed to dirt, which had turned into mud with the heavy rainfall. With each step the ground sucked his hooves into itself as if the very road was trying to keep him from his home. As Aspen trotted into the dense forest the rain began to dwindle, held back by the great canopies of the trees. Although the blinding rain was gone, the darkness of the forest hindered his eyesight from extending any further.
The forest was alive with activity, mostly that of small animals and birds. On occasion, a distant roar of a wind predator could be heard echoing through the dense woods. And each time it sent chills down Aspen's back. The winding road seemed to move underneath him as he struggled to stay in its center. Roots looped out of the ground and tripped him several times as he struggled down the path.
For hours Aspen continued down the path of the forest. I have to keep walking. He thought, urging his body forward though his legs cried out in pain. The typically short walk was the epitome of agony for him. His daughter was dying, and the mud on the road seemed to grab at his hooves in an attempt to keep him from his only love. As he rounded the bend to his village he could make out a faint glimmer of light from the hill where his house sat. It was a small ramshackle old cottage with a thatch roof, but to him, it was home. Beginning to gallop Aspen raced toward his house, and his family.
As the cottage came into view he froze. The The flickering light was not coming from the candles, but from the walls. His house served as the flaming barrier for his family’s untimely death. His mind could not comprehend what he was perceiving. 	His emotions did not know how to respond, all he could do was sit himself on the ground and watch his house burn to the ground. The noise of the raging fire was the only thing that could be heard above the torrential rain. But to Aspen the world was deafeningly silent. As the fire slowed from a rage to a smolder, Aspen could hear two voices above the lessening rain.
“Was burning the village really necessary?” asked a masculine voice.
“The decree was ambiguous. It said to use all available means to eradicate the virus.” a deep voice responded. “Burning the village was the easiest method.”
The words broke Aspen free of his trance.
“All of them were terminal. Besides,” The stallion continued, “Do you have any idea how much this antidote sells for.”
“What?” Aspen whispered, his words muffled by the rainfall. “You murdered my family because it was convenient?” His voice slowly growing louder. “So you could make a profit?”
“What was that?” the first stallion asked.
Aspen darted to the base of his smoldering home. The smoke smelled of burned wood and melted glass. He watched as the two stallions stopped beside the house. Their ghostly figures barely visible through the rain. As he looked at them he began to sweat. The adrenaline had begun to wear off, and his body began to realize its less basic needs, like hunger. He felt his stomach begin to churn and try as he might, he could not silence the utterance.
As the noise pierced the silence, time slowed to a crawl.
The ear of the silhouette twitched. Instinctively the guard reached for his weapon. The barrel pointed at Aspen. The rain lit up as the guard pulled the trigger. Pain coursed through Aspen’s leg as he fell to the ground. As he lay on the ground the stallion spoke up.
“That looks like the last one.” He said as he walked over to the house and looked at the body of the stallion lying on the ground at his hooves. He nudged the body, Aspen let out a groan of pain.
“He’s still alive.” the other guard said as he drew his weapon. “Just put him out of his misery.”
“No.” The guard said as he grabbed the stallions hoof, preventing him from drawing his revolver. He leaned down and peered into Aspen’s eye. Aspen looked back with a mixture of hatred and apathy. “We’ve done enough, leave him.”
As the two trotted off into the rain Aspen looked up toward the sky. The world began to fade as the streaks of rain soared out of the grey sky. It’s over. He thought as he closed his eyes. It’s all over.