//------------------------------//
// Chapter Four: The Shadow 
// Story: Equestria 2033 
// by Memory 
//------------------------------//

	The light subsided, and I was welcomed with a sense of amazement.  

There was blue above with a golden orb in the corner, and fluffy white things moved across it all, giving it a sense of fullness. Below me was a sea of green; solid, unlike the rivers of toxic green in the Metro. My hooves were experiencing an alien - yet pleasant - feeling. It was unfamiliar yet... familiar. I'd seen it before, only with a different portrayal. It had been described many many times. I'd longed to see it for so long - 

"Uhhh," Twisty's voice groaned out. "Bloody water, I'm gonna..."

I looked back down, and slowly shuffled my hooves around to pull myself up. The greenery below waved slightly, as if saying goodbye.

What it all was hit me. The paintings of Sea Swirl instantly gave me a comparison. 

I could hardly contain my excitement. Imagine, seeing actual grass!

"Twisty!" I shouted in glee. "Look! Sky! Grass! Sunlight!"

A sensation of coolness brushed against my fur, an invisible force of wind; not the usual, strong wind I am subjected to when it breaks through the shattered remains of the Manehatten Dam. No, this was a lovely contrast to the heat beating down on me. Not too hot to be like a fire, but much much warmer than the usual coldness of the nuclear winter.

Twisty slowly got up, her eyes blinking in disbelief as she found the strength to stand up straight. She wobbled slightly, and I let her rest her weight against me. 

"Easy now, don't want you falling down again," I said simply.

Twisty just stared ahead.

Neither of us moved, captivated by it all. A lone tree stood out in the field, and the silhouettes of several ponies were resting underneath it. All of different race; pegasi wings, unicorn horns, and the simple yet effective build of the earth ponies. It was harmonious,

My vision flickered as they rose up, hugging, and the sound of rushing water began 






Twisty and I coughed together as we washed up on the dull shoreline of the Metro, the stream behind us. The lighting wasn't very good and my vision was blurred anyway. The strange sensation of waking up from... whatever that was, filled me. It was filled with longing, but it didn't feel like my own thoughts.

Twisty was the first up, drawing her weapon immediately at the sound of distant hoofstep. She sure was twitchy - but I followed suit anyway, semi-instinctively, preparing the pretty pink party cannon to fire. I just hoped I could shoot straight! 

She moved ahead, waving her hoof backwards cautiously. Stay here. 

Her movements were slow and careful, each one precise - borderline robotic! Definitely trained. Almost textbook, if there were any books on the subjective at all. Perhaps Polis would have some material on sneaking for me to read if I got there.When I got there.

Have to stay positive, Moondust.

My armourer, saviour, guide and - maybe - friend, cautiously stepped onto the tracks. I had no idea what she was following, but it had caught her attention. She stopped when the unconfirmed hoofsteps did, and she drew a large red stick and threw it into the tunnel. My usual merchant had told me they were called flares, and would light up anything! We must have both been thinking the same thing, or perhaps we both were on edge after the spiderbugs. Whatever the cause was, we both reacted in harmony at the shadow in the center of our vision. 

"Darkest Ones!"

Twisty immediately shot at the dark pony form, but it simply vanished, reappearing behind her. Time seemed to slow down as it grabbed Twisty. It looked at me, almost with a sad look on its face. In an instant, I heard a splash behind me, and an alien voice filled my head.

It would haunt me forever.

I ran back, ignoring the Darkest One moving down the tunnel once more, casually and emotionless . Twisty was nowhere to be found.

"Twisty!" I screamed, loud enough to alert the entire Red Line to my location. There was no answer, however. No bullet was fired. No caution given. No Twisty answering.

Just a pool of green.

"Twisty..."

I sat for a while - I don't know how long - before getting up. The words still ringing in my head.

I still had a job to do. Twisty's gun was beside me, in the spot where she vanished into the abyss. Small, handheld, and much more versatile. I grabbed it sadly, and put it in my equipment sack with the rest of my items. I assumed I was still on the right track, so I flicked the flashlight on, tears in my eyes, and walked along the lonely path to certain death.

The true enemy was the Darkest Ones. Cold blooded creatures, who shall perish. 





"She did not understand."







Equestria 2033: Chapter Four - The Shadow