The Awakening

by GDapperStudios

Chapter Five: Left Waiting

Third day. It's growing colder. They've almost made it through. It almost can't help but remark at that. They're just bashing and clawing at the door. They never stop. Some of their hooves are down to the bone. I move to the opposite edge. I can't stand the sound anymore. It's driving me to madness. It's dark now. The night seems to staunt them, at least some. This will finally end.

-------------------------------------------------

It had been a sleepless night for most. A night plauged by fear, adrenaline, or concern. Crystal Light walked down the dim hallway, the faint morning sunlight just barely stinging her sleepless eyes. She passed the guest bedroom, a room of dull, basic color scheme and similarly fashioned bedspread. There was a grey pegasus mare with a white mane sitting, hooves pressed into cheeks, watching the stallion on the bed.

"Hey."

The seated mare jumped slightly at Crystal Light's greeting, but her stance softened when they locked eyes. Crystal Light couldn't help but notice as the mare's wing slowly retracted from it's reach toward the holster on her leg.

"Oh, hey."

"Is he going to be alright?"

The mare looked back to the sleeping stallion. There were bandages wrapped around his head and chest, slightly bloodied.

"Yeah, he's fine. Just a little shaken. He'll be alright."

"And you?"

Thought Crystal Light figured she would never admit it, especially to her, she could see that the mare was exhausted at the very least.

"Fine. Yeah, I'm, I'm good. Thank you. What about you? What were you doing out last night? Here."

With a muffled groan, the older mare moved to another chair in the small room and patted the seat of the chair she had moved from.

"We were trying to get here, actually." Crystal Light said, sitting down. "We went back, a good way, to try to find...try to gather my stuff. We're planning to just hold out here."

The mare seemed to understand not just the words that were said, but the ones that needed not be spoken.

"I'm sorry, kid. That, that sounds rough. It's gonna be alright, you know?"

"I guess, yeah."

"Hey, what's your name?"

"Crystal Light."

"Ooh, very pretty name."

"Thanks. What's your name?"

"Second Lieutenant Windy Nights."

"Lieitenant?"

The two conscious heads in the room turned to see Nova Bomb standing in the doorway.

"Lieutenant of what?"

Windy Nights looked from Nova Bomb to Crystal Light and back, quickly. A mild scowl crawled across her muzzle, but as she looked to the unconcious pony in the room, a resigned sigh escaped her. She rose to her hooves, and made a motion for him to close the door, to which he obliged.

"This backyard fenced?"

"Yeah."

"Good."

Windy Nights unlatched the window and slid it up, sighing as it clicked into place. She pulled a carton of cigarettes from her military top and slid one into the corner of her mouth.

"Alright, listen." Windy Nights said, lighting the cigarette with the lighter she had stored in the opposite pocket. "I'm not really supposed to be telling, well, anypony, about this stuff. But, I'm a Lieutennant in the CDF, you guys heard of that?"

"No, what's the CDF?"

"Canterlot Defence Force. Established only so long ago after threats from the changelings and a few smaller incidents around the city. More of a peacekeeping unit than anything else, we never really had anything major happen until now. In short, if an incident ocurred in a town or city and that town or city's police couldn't handle it, we did."

"So, you know anything about what's going on?"

Windy Nights gave a small laugh at Nova Bomb's question as she turned to blow another puff of smoke out the window. The laugh only seemed to make the two younger ponies nervous, Crystal Light giving her friend a side-eyed glance of terror.

"Nope, sorry. We know about as much as you do. Reserve units are sitting at home, next thing you know ponies are running around beating the hell out of each other."

"So why are you here?"

"I was sent here on an escort mission. Again, I'm not really supposed to be talking about this, but, what're the odds this makes it back to my superior. This fellow here, was being held in police detainment awaiting his trial. Outcome wasn't looking good, that's why Canterlot wanted him."

"Where are you escorting them?"

Again, Windy Night looked contemplatively at the young stallion.

"A little service station a bit of a way out of town. West. About two, two and a half miles. Nice group there. Last ones left waiting for rescue."

-------------------------------------------------

A thin smoke wafted around a pile of spare wagon parts, the stallion standing above them managing to spit on the ground from the corner of his mouth not bearing a cigar. From behind him, he heard somepony appraoching.

"You're outta luck Blink, if you were thinking we could get something out of this."

"I'm not here for that."

Blink's light, clear voice blended harshly with that of the older stallion's. His red coat and blue and white mane were also of stark contrast to the other, a stallion comprised of black and grey, even through his drab CDF top.

"What was it you were thinking then?"

"Come inside."

Inside the station was a very dim, melancholy seeming place. The windows were boarded, and the sun peeking through the cracks judt barely illuminated the dusty air surrounding them.

"It's been twelve hours, I need to go find her and other civillians."

"Woah, listen. I'm not letting you go alone, and anyone you take from here either can't be lost or wouldn't help."

"What do you mean? What about ThunderBolt? I've seen the guy shoot, and he's fast, competition level fast, even."

"He has a daughter, Blink. Just listen to me. She'll come back, we'll get out of here."

The older stallion gave Blink a stern look. Blink looked around the dusty garage section of the service station. A young looking mare was sitting in the corner with a pink filly curled in her lap, running her hoof through the child's single blue stripe amidst her grey mane.

"Listen, we need them here now, or we're fucked. You can't give me a chance even? ThunderBolt and I could be in and out of there in a minute, and I know he wouldn't hesitate to-"

"Stop, I get where you're going."

The old stallion sighed as he looked over to the mare. Their eyes met for a moment, bringing smiles to their faces.

"I'll go get him. Get his stuff ready."

Blink nodded and walked over to the corner adjacent to the mare and filly. Atop the roof, a stallion with a navy blue coat and red and black mane paced.

"ThunderBolt." The stallion called from the top wrung of the ladder.

"Aye?"

"Blink wants you, I'll take your position."

"Ah, has Bubble Blitz gotten to sleep yet?"

"I don't think so."

"Alright. Blink and I running into town then I reckon?"

"That's what it looks like."

"Lad's off his face, I swear." ThunderBolt started, walking to the ladder. "Only a stallion under the influence o' somethin' would be so stupid. Believe me, I know."

Once ThunderBolt had descended the ladder, he pushed through the creaky wooden door into the station. His head darted to the mare in the corner, and he quickly made his way over.

"Ey, she down yet?"

"No, sorry. Not for lack of trying."

"I don't doubt it. Listen, I've gotta go out, you'll be fine with her?"

"Yeah, you're good, just be careful."

"I will." ThunderBolt looked down to the filly when she looked up to him. "You stay here, OK? Daddy's gotta go out for a minute."

The little filly nodded, but extended her hooves out, soon being picked up.

"It's OK, I'll be back before you know it."

ThunderBolt set the filly down in the mare's lap again, just as Blink approached.

"You ready?"

"Yeah. Let's make it quick, next pickup is in twenty-four hours, yeah?"

"Twelve."

"Oh, better make it real quick then. We can make that."

"We'd better. If Windy Nights isn't back in twelve hours, we're all on our own.

---------------------------------