Equestria 2033

by Memory

Prologue: The Canterlot Waterworks

"We were approaching the surface through the waterworks; the tunnel felt colder and the howling wind was audible from above. Demons and Radiated Phoenix's were surely waiting in their nests. But I did not care for that. My journey was approaching its end - the enemies of ponykind were to fall. But would I still have the willpower to see it through?"
-Moondust's diary, 24th December 2033

Rain.

Despite its wildly-known life-giving properties, many Metro dwellers feared it. For obvious reasons. It was probably polluted beyond being drinkable and in some places it'd eat through even the thickest of metal as if it was a hungry filly who had just found some discarded food on the floor. All in all, rain was useless and unneeded unless it fell within range of water-treatment. Right?

"Should've packed an umbrella, Moondust," joked Bright Horizon, not-so-long time friend and tension killer. "Maybe then we could enjoy the beautiful holiday destination you booked us."

"And miss out on the lovely downpour? You're too enclosed Horizon - learn to embrace nature!" I tried to come up with a witty remark to come back, but to no avail. "You're the leader of the group anyway."

"If I was the leader," started Bright Horizon, his visible blue eyes giving an unreadable impression on me as they stared through the gas mask. "We would definitely have gone sightseeing in Los Pegasus. Mountain climbing into the nest of Demons? Not really my style if I'm honest."

Both were uncharted territory anyway.

We stopped and looked at our watches. Both had roughly the same readout; less than one minute on our filters. A quick exchange allowed us to breathe easy once more!

The floor underneath our hooves gave off a metallic ring with every step. I tried making music - replicating classic tunes like Way Back Home wasn't easy - but an odd look from Bright Horizon stopped my attempts short.

Music. That was one thing I had to remember for our return to the Metro. The wastes had given me a taste for beats already lost to time, twenty years old and an age away.

We reached a dead-end. The waterworks maintenance tunnels leading up to the very top of Canterlot mountain were twisty and illuminated in an annoying red glow. Twenty years hadn't yet got to the finite electricity, but the structure surely wasn't holding out. The fact most of the ladders were rusted and destroyed didn't help the cluttered situation either - we'd been relying on Horizon to ferry us up and down each wall or drop. We.

"Better wait for Courage," Horizon said, gesturing to the tunnel behind us. "I doubt she can climb as well as she can hide."

Sometimes - just sometimes - I felt Horizon hated Courage and saw her as a burden.

"You'd be surprised what that pony can do!"

"I'd be surprised if there was anything she couldn't get herself into."

Ignoring the remark, I took a few steps back down the tunnel and called out. "Courage! We've reached another climb if you're still with us! It's, ehm, pretty high! And... stuff...?" I fidgeted and gently tapped the ground with my hoof. "Okay, Courage! Take your time. We'll be here, okay?"

No answer came. I looked at Horizon, he looked back.

"She's not gonna answer, is she?" Horizon groaned.

"No, probably not," I smiled, not that Horizon could see it anyway. "You know what to do."

"Tie her to a leash?"

Horizon trotted past. I drew my makeshift revolver to cover him, just in case. Despite my poor shot... it was better than nothing for the cunning leader of our group! This atomized world did not hand out breaks to anypony. For all we knew, a pack of tunnel trash could have been lurking in the vents between walls. In fact - they probably were.

I could hear Horizon's voice, distorted by our radio's now. "Celestia be damned, Courage, I simply cannot wait to get you back down to Exhibition after this..."

I continued to focus down the tunnel, looking for any signs of movement. Camouflage being used by animals was not uncommon. At least that stayed with us into the new world, even if it was probably the most annoying thing we could've possibly kept.

"Courage, I swear..."

Complaining never got anypony anywhere though. You just made do with what you were given and tried to scrape an EPP to buy a decent slice of bread. Anything else was just a bonus. Whether or not this ridiculous, self-given journey was a bonus is beyond both my understanding and reasoning; I just do.

"...next time we'll have to push you ahead of us, I'm sick of this..."

I knew what was a bonus though; the two ponies that have stuck with me in my rag-tag journey through all the challenges we could possibly face. Courage, Bright Horizon, and all the temporary companions I've had. Friendship was rare in the new Equestria. As if the world became a complete opposite to what once was just twenty years ago.

"...Moondust? I thought... whoa, holy-!"

I cared about someponies. Not many could say that.

That was my final thought before my vision turned deep red, and then blank.