For each second that Rainbow Dash was in the air, it was an eternity of torture for Soarin. As it stood, Rainbooms and Fighting Griffons were circling the island, looking down at the monster and waiting for the kill order straight from him… He was waiting for an order from Spitfire, and so on and so on. That was the problem with a chain of command: It was damn near impossible to make informed decisions.
Among the many screens in the war room, there were multiple television outlets covering the incident. Some had a chopper filming live; others with reporters covering at the triage center on the mainland. One was just a reporter and her cameraman, recording their attempt to flee from the monster and get off the island as if they were in a life or death reality show. One news outlet had a reporter outside the gates of the Castle of the Two Sisters awaiting word on what the princesses were going to do about the degrading situation.
"Yo, Soarin," Spitfire said as she appeared next to him, presenting him with burned offerings of caffeine. He accepted the cup and took a sip, nearly cursing as he burnt his tongue in desperation to stay awake at the same time. It would only be three hours until sunrise, so they hoped to take the monster down before they lost the advantage of darkness to engage it.
The entire room was alive with people behind computer screens. All of them with a certain task to do, whether it was coordinating the emergency teams on the ground or even scouring social media for any information on the ground that the news reports and numerous special operations couldn’t pick up on.. In fact, every branch of the Equestrian Armed Forces was ready to do their part in seeing an end to this domestic conflict.They all waited for the decision from the two women they swore to protect and serve.
The monster was still heading further into the heart of the city, its trajectory pointed to the large park: the city’s iconic landmark.
"Any news from the Princesses?" Soarin asked minutes later, after seeing Spitfire reach into her breast pocket and check her PDA Device.
"Nothing yet. The Generals are telling them all their different options. They want to try a classified weapon, but the former staff is all in the city, so they might just send the strike groups if we don't hear anything from them by sunrise."
Soarin winced. That was not the answer he was looking for. "Still better than being down there, I guess."
* * *
"Down there" wasn't so bad, as long as you were quick and alert. If you were too slow or feeble, you had to pray the monster did not either stomp on you or crash into the building you were cowering in.
The closer Flash Sentry, Sunset Shimmer, and Twilight Sparkle got to the shore of the island, the more they began to see abandoned cars and belongings: Clothes, Flood, personal items… Some even abandoned more luxury items, like a tupperware container full of priceless jewelry. The three were among hundreds of people running on that street alone.
They soon realized that inanimate objects were not the only things being left behind. Dogs and cats were among the chaos, some howling and meowing for their masters, some not caring and scavenging the claimless litter. It was chaotic, even more so when someone screamed that the monster was heading their way. This caused people to scatter and further hasten the panic People were immediately trampled in the confusion and disarray. Flash Sentry had both girls in his hand, making sure they would not get caught up and stomped upon themselves, with the girls also doing the same in case Flash fell to the mob.
It took a quick second, but out of the corner of her eye, Sunset spotted a boy and a girl, crying in the alleyway as the stampede unfolded. She yanked her friends to the alley.
"The hell are you doing Sunset?!" Flash shouted impatiently.
They nearly took a tumble trying to stay together, but in the end they held on and made it into the alley.
"Why are you here?! Where are your parents?!" Sunset scrutinized the two kids, who were in their pajamas and scared for their lives.
"They’re gone! Our babysitter left us here and went back to get our stuff." The older sister replied.
"Where is your house?"
They described the house, but it wrenched their hearts upon realizing it was the house that was destroyed, torn down to drywall and wood by a piece of a communications tower that’d landed square on the house. The babysitter was probably the lone hand that was sticking out of what was left of it, only one fatality among the thousands more at that point.
"Look, we need you to come with us. We are trying to get off the island."
The children agreed without another word.
Sunset carried the little girl on her shoulders, with Flash doing the same for the boy, as the fivesome continued the mad dash to the bridge. They suddenly found themselves with more abandoned children the closer they got the choke point. They knew that things would eventually get too much if they tried to rescue all the kids along their path, but they would try to anyway.
The street leading up to the bridge was packed, everyone on foot beating a slow but steady pace out of the city. On the mainland, there was emergency lights dotting the shore. Helicopters of all types flew to and fro, their rotor blades mingling with the sounds of the many fighter jets circling overhead.
"Think Rainbow Dash is up there?" Sunset asked.
"No, she would have tried something reckless a long time ago." Flash replied.
Twilight broke into the conversation. "The bridge is going to take hours, and we have too many kids to do it safely. Pretty soon the monster will arrive, attracted by the noise and the lights.”
Flash's phone rang.
"Hello!"
"FLASH! Are you okay?! Where are you?!" Rarity’s voice came over the clammer and screaming.
"I'm by the bridge."
"Oh, thank God. Listen. Go a bit uptown and you will see the marina. My dad has his yacht moored there. I know he taught you to sail that one summer. You can get yourself and anyone you can out of there."
"Will do."
"Flash?"
"Yes?"
"I love you, and I'm glad you're okay."
"I'm glad you were not here in the city."
He hung up with a smile after they shared their 'I love you’s.'
"Follow me guys."
* * *
They entered the well-secluded marina and found "The Sweet and Rare Belle" tied to the marina. Flash was the first to enter the ship while everyone waited on the dock.
The kids cheered when the lights to the yacht came alive and waited for Flash to come out, which he did adorn with a captain’s hat.
"All aboard!"
The kids, around twenty-five or so, walked the plank into the boat. Sunset and Twilight were the last on board. Some of the kids began to cry as they left the dock and made their way across the east river, many being because they were relieved they were safe, some because it finally dawned on them their parents were still somewhere on the island.
Twilight Sparkle took the flight of stairs to the bridge of the ship and wrapped her hands around him.
"You have my thanks. Five dollars off your next rent payment."
"How generous of you." He said as she broke the hug.
"So, as soon as we land and drop off the kids, we need to find a way to the abandoned hangar."
"That's 10 miles away."
"The fate of the city, the fate of these children's families depend on it."
Flash looked forward, concentrating on the boat’s heading.
"Alright."
***
Rarity was waiting for them alongside the dock and screamed in delight as she saw Flash arrive.
She wanted to run up there and give him a huge hug and kiss but was stopped by an unfamiliar woman flashing a badge in her face.
"I'm Twilight Sparkle. In the name of the Royal Sisters I must commandeer your vehicle."