Sombra's Light

by Visharo

Chapter 1: The Beginning

I galloped full pelt from a huge hoard of gross Cursed. The standard Cursed is a pony, covered in various crystals with clumps of fur and flesh falling off, with a magical disease called Sombra’s Light. It completely spread all over Equestria in a grand total of three long years. That was 15 years ago.

My legs stretched as I leaped over a broken down car then rolled over a fallen steel beam. The fucking bastards cornered me into the Caldecolt tunnels with no easy way out. So what does any good Dasher do? Run like hell. My legs ran faster as I dodged and weaved through various obstacles and pushing away Cursed, not risking a single bite.

A piercing scream tore through the air, causing a whimper to escape my lips as my ears pressed against my skull. I glanced around, trying to find some escape from what was about to come out of the tunnel, then I saw it. I rammed my forehooves into a Cursed's face and rammed my shoulder into the maintenance door. I rolled forwards and closed the door with haste. My legs trembled and my chest started to hurt as the adrenaline started to fade, I sat down and took a deep breath.

Note to self: The Caldecolt tunnels are the worst.

***

I crawled forwards, my wings pressed against my side to prevent any unconscious fluttering, inch by inch, I made my way to a large overturned car. When I reached my destination, I allowed myself a small breath. Then another, and another, until I regained my breath with little to no noise. The maintenance tunnel led to another tunnel, much to my annoyance. However, luck was on my side this time as the Cursed weren't as many. They also seemed to be inactive, lounging around and hanging in places. Literally.

I closed my turquoise eyes, took a deep breath, then strained my ears. Even though my vision faded to black, my other finely tuned senses made a picture in my head. I saw myself, a pegasus mare, dirt, and sweat covering my grey coat, hiding behind a broken car. In front of said car lay an upturned bus, surrounded by ten or more Cursed. Behind me lay a concrete pillar, which hid three more from view.

I steeled my nerves after getting my surroundings checked, then rushed out as silently as possible. With a couple of well-timed jumps, I made it on top of the bus. My well padded running boots, made specifically for Dashers, made no noise over the metal. I kept my breaths slow and deep, as I inched over the bus. I peered over the edge, trying to get some sense of my bearings, and almost gasped in shock.

Sensing and seeing are two different things. With my finely tuned survivor sense, I can sense dangers, and possible loot locations, but descriptions never appear. When one is looking down on a horde of sleeping Cursed, it is quite terrifying. The colorful pastel ponies with their lovable faces turn into gruesome spectacles. Some of the Cursed had their eyes replaced with crystals, glowing with putrid magic. Some had entire body parts completely gone, ranging from missing chunks from their stomach, spilling bloody crystalline guts on the floor, to an entire leg missing.

I shook myself out of my stupor and continued my journey over the bus. When I reached the edge, I looked past the Cursed and rubble, for a way out.

There!

Past a collapsed beam, I could see a glimmer of sunlight. I waited for a few seconds for a couple of Cursed to shuffle a bit farther away, then leaped. I finally spread my wings and caught the air, despite how stuffy it was. A loud screech startled me, and my left wing clipped some rubble. Instead of falling, I twisted and bucked the Cursed that made the horrendous sound. Using it as leverage, I pushed myself forwards and continued running. The other Cursed, now alerted, were hot on my tail.

Using every skill I learned on the road, I dodged and weaved, bucked and pushed, through every Cursed that screamed their grisly mouths at me. After a final buck to a Cursed that seemed quite corrupted, I made it into the light. A common misconception that ponies have, is that Cursed do not like sunlight. Those who believe that, are now Cursed themselves. My gallops didn't even dwindle when the sun blinded me. The monsters crawling after me made my legs keep on pumping.

Looking behind me, I saw that they were some gallops away, and kept on running. In my haste, I failed to notice the road had collapsed, leading to a chasm. My quick reflexes kicked in, letting me get a purchase with my hooves, and push upwards with all my might. With real clean air, after a long journey in the tunnels, made flying so much easier. My grey plumage fanning out beside me, I smiled grimly at the Cursed who fell to their death trying to come after me.

***

The post-apocalyptic Equestrian countryside is absolutely stunning during sunset. I felt free and alive after being in that stuffy tunnel, and I took advantage of it. I did flips and dives, every trick I know of, just to keep the smile on my face. The beautiful orange glow reflected off the trees and mountains that surrounded me, giving off a glorious ambience. When the sun finally set, I glided to a cave I spotted a little earlier. It was hidden behind some vines so it wasn't easily spotted if a pony were to walk underneath it.

I swooped in and tucked in my wings. The cave seemed big enough, but I couldn't tell for sure. I plopped my flank on the cold ground and fished around my saddlebags for a flashlight. Once I found it, I flicked it on with my right wing and shone the light in every nook and cranny. Rule number one in the Cursed world; don't brave the dark without light.

"Boo!" The light shone on a dark figure, then fell to the ground as I shrieked. Then I uncoiled from a weird defensive position I somehow put myself in, when I heard someone chuckling. I picked up the flashlight again and looked closer.

"Oh, you fucking bastard. Spike, you nearly gave me a heart attack!" I, then, promptly started swatting his green scaly hide with my hoof.

"Ok, ok, I'm sorry!" I didn't stop. "I said I was soooorryyyyyy!" The dragon sighed in relief when I finally stopped. Spike smiled a little, then blew some fire over some sticks, lighting up the cave. I glanced around, taking it all in, smiling when I saw a hoard of gems in a corner. A large rug covered most of the floor, making it more comfy. My smile turned into a smirk when I saw the cave walls were lined with shelves filled with books. Even though Spike was quite big, he still had a couch off to one side, complete with pillows and a blanket.

"So, Shattered, whatcha doing here?" Spike asked. The dragon himself, stood over three ponies tall, and five ponies in length, looked quite at home in this cave.

"I'm heading to Filly." I wandered over to the shelves and looked over the books. "Nice place you got Spike, how long have you been here?"

"I moved in last year. Any particular reason Filly is your destination? Are you still a Dasher?" Spike curled up on the rug, his long tail hugging his massive body, but his head still looked at me.

"Yep, still 'Dashing' around Equestria, delivering messages and the sort." I paused when I saw a familiar book. A purple tome. I pulled it out and heard Spike fall silent behind me. "You still have it, eh?"

"How could I leave it behind? Friendship meant so much to her, it would be a dishonor to leave it behind." Spike said solemnly, his great eyes cast to the floor.

I ran a hoof over the gems that adorned the book, before placing it back. "When was the last time we saw each other?"

"Oh, I don't know." Spike lifted a claw and scratched his head. "Four years maybe?"

"The last time I saw my best friend...was 15 years ago. The day of the Fall." I could feel Spike watching me as I trotted over to the couch. With a great sigh, I sat down and continued. "I've gotten a lead from a mare in Las Pegasus, saying he would be in Filly. That was four days ago."

"You've covered that much distance in four days?"

"Hey, I'm a Dasher. Badasses who roam the land, delivering messages and braving the wild." I leaned back, letting the soft cushions wrap around me. The two fell silent, each with their own thoughts, as the stars shone outside.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"HELP!"

"No, no no no, NO! FERNY!"

Author's Note:

EL CAPITULO UNO.

If there is any way this story could be improve, any feedback is appreciated. Even if it's the smallest one. I hope to go far and wide with this story, but who knows. Hoped you enjoyed it!

My kudos, as always, goes to my good friend; Blu for being great.