//------------------------------//
// Chapter 5 
// Story: Fallout Equestria: Paradox Flames 
// by Seraph-Colak 
//------------------------------//

The metro tunnels were dark and musty and tunnels had collapsed denying me a straight path, forcing me to take routes through maintenance hallways that have been long forgotten. Wasnt going anywhere in particular but it still felt as if they were inconveniencing me somehow. 
Most of the ancient lighting fixtures had died with time leaving precious few, weak and flickering, to light my way. I clicked my pipbuck light on to help fight against the encroaching darkness, it was nothing compared to the light that would come from my horn but it was better to save the magic. The air was stale and unmoving. Water dripped somewhere in the distance but aside from that all I heard were my hoof-steps. I did not like being underground despite growing up in a stable, I could not shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen down here.
Of course something already had. There were plenty of skeletons littered about the tunnels, likely they had retreated underground to escape the megaspells. Radiation likely seeped in and killed them before they knew they were dieing. Stopping at a particular pair that seemed to be locked in embrace I found myself wondering who they were. What kind of lives did they lead before the war? Were they lovers? Two random strangers who simply clung to each other for comfort during the end? What were their last thoughts? I shook my head of these thoughts and pressed on, no use dwelling on the dead.
After awhile of wandering the abandoned tunnels I stopped in what appeared to be a supply  closet to eat. As I ate I looked over my notes on my pipbuck. I had the research mostly completed, all but one tiny little detail that I couldn't get my hoof on. Wasn't entirely sure what it was either which was infuriating. Finishing my food I removed the magic bandages and tossed them aside. As I thought the lasers had caused scarring, luckily though none of them had hit my cutie mark.
It was hard to tell how long I had been in these tunnels without glancing at my pipbuck, there was so little to break the monotony. Roughly an hour after my lunch I tripped on a skeleton. Sometime before or after that I found a suitcase filled with clothes. Even the tunnels seemed to blur together, barely recognizing if I was in an actual subway tunnel or one of the side access routes. Picked a rock up and threw it out of boredom, it bounced a couple times before stopping. This tunnel was boring. Why was there nothing down here?! Sure the tunnels were dark but some things thrived in the dark, why was this place sooooo empty?!
Turning a corner I found something to break the monotony: a makeshift home! A mattress laid in a corner and there were poorly constructed wood walls separating it from the rest of the tunnels. A bookcase held a glowing lantern, an assortment of nick-knacks, food and an old Ministry of Peace first aid kit. I trotted over excited to be doing something and opened the yellow box with the pink butterflies and my excitement was dashed. Somepony had left their empty health potions in it. The bookcase mostly had junk and the food containers were empty but a few bottlecaps, a .32 pistol and a few .32 rounds made it worth it. Sleeping was out of the question however, the bed seemed to be stained a reddish brown and there was half of a ponies skeleton on it, goddess knows what happened to the other half.
Leaving the makeshift home behind I was filled with renewed vigor and began to trot. Everything was looking good, I had traveled a considerable distance from the stable, the only threat I had faced was a pack of dogs and-
My thoughts were cut off as something slammed into my side with great force, throwing me ten feet into the wall. Wheezing for breath I looked where I been standing a moment ago and there stood a monstrous pony roughly double my size and with 8 legs. His snout was larger than it should've been, dried blood caked the fur around his mouth and the top of his head seemed flat.
"Sleipner," I managed to wheeze out and it snorted.
As soon as I stood it charged with its head lowered and I dove out of the way just barely. Before I knew it though its large maw was around me, rows of small sharp teeth digging into my rear. With a flick of its neck it tossed me across the tunnel again. Before I hit the wall however it ran and caught up to me and smashed into me with it's head. I smashed into the wall with extra force and bounced of the wall, back into its head and then back into the wall before I fell into a heap on the ground.
Bloody and dazed I levitated my healing potion out of my bag and downed it. This thing was far faster than the 8 legs should allow, I had to slow it down. Without getting up I charged my horn and teleported a ways down the tunnel, as far as I could see. I jumped to my feet and turned around, pulled out my recharger rifle charging my horn again as I did so which is lucky because the spell was ready just as soon as the creature's insane speed brought it too close for comfort. 
Once again across the tunnel I spun around and slid into SATS, targeting its legs and let loose, unloading every charge I had at it's legs. Unfortunately I was unable to cripple its legs and it smashed into me, throwing me once again into a wall. I charged my horn as fast as I could and just as it ran into me again I teleported across the tunnel.
I spun around and began to fire wildly at its legs while charging my spell again. This couldn't last forever, i'd run out of magic soon and if this thing wasn't dead by then I would be. Thankfully I had a plan.
As the creature came close I teleported roughly 3 feet to the left and about a foot back. The creature, expecting me to have teleported down the tunnel spun around and did not see me. Taking full advantage of this I charged my horn and stabbed it in its front leg, discharging my potent strike. I then hopped around to the other side and did the same with the other front leg. The creature spun round, whinnying in anger and pain, and quad bucked me in the side. My world turned red and all I could feel was agonizing pain flooding every fiber of my existence, I barely noticed hitting the wall.
I struggled to get to my feet, pulling the remainder of my magic into my horn. I was going to die down here, I was almost certain of it. The despicable monster turned on my and charged just as it had before and appeared no slower for my efforts. With the last spell I would be casting I teleported as far from it as I could. Reappearing I immediately collapsed on the ground. immediately afterwards there was a thundering crash and loud rumbling, dust shook from everywhere and the ground trembled.
I turned to see what was happening, pain lancing through my everything as I did so, and through the dust cloud it appeared as if the tunnel had collapsed behind me. Creature must not have been able to stop properly after I stabbed its legs and crashed into a support pillar or something. Either way, unless it pulled itself out of the rubble, it wasn't my problem.
I pulled myself  up slowly and then immediately collapsed, coughing up blood. Forcing myself up again I undid my pack buckle and it fell to the ground. I cautiously turned and began to dig through my bag for my magical bandages. From this angle I could see ribs sticking out of my chest, I was losing a lot of blood. Focusing I dredged up any remaining magic into my horn to grab the magical bandages and wrap them around me, as I did so the adrenaline that kept me going began to fade and my vision began to blur.
'Hurry!' I thought to myself as my vision faded and the bandages clumsily wrapped around me, try as I might though I could not delay the inevitable. Right before everything faded I was left with one thought:
'I don't want to die!'