Runic

by Triscy

Prologue

“RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!"

The alarms of the Winnieapolis hex power plant blared nonstop, screaming for everypony to leave as quickly as possible. After all, nopony wanted to stick around for the imminent disaster. The doors slowly creaked shut, threatening to trap anypony who was unable to escape.

Amongst the crowd of fleeing ponies was a certain scientist, Doctor Runic Silverhooves, the same scientist currently panicking at the back of the crowd. The ponies around him continued to slam against him in their rabid trample towards the sealing gates. The constant prods and threats of tripping didn't really help him move any faster.

Sadly, this was the least of Runic's worries as a large, broken pipe plummeted down, catching his coat sleeve and pinning it to the ground. At this point, panic didn’t even begin to describe Runic’s rapid scratches with his hooves at the pipe, trying in vain to dislodge his lab coat. All the panic had caused Runic’s common sense to ignore the simple concept of disrobing to escape, and this in turn sealed his fate alongside the large, solid-steel gates that finally came down.

“Hey! Don't leave me here!” cried Runic as the last of the other ponies slid through the closing gates. "Hey! Get back here, you dimwitted lunch boy!"

Runic waved his hooves rapidly in the air, trying to hail anypony's attention, but found it far too late to even hope for rescue. Sitting down, Runic huffed to himself, defeat painted on his face, simply stating "I really hate Mondays."

Looking about, Runic laid his eyes on the cause of the whole ordeal. Slowly filling the room, a large cloud of dust loomed over the poor soul, seeming to flaunt itself in front of Runic. Gritting his teeth beneath his cloth face mask in panic, Runic felt as if he was staring death in the face.

"Hex! Get back, you unstable menace!" Runic shouted, pulling feverishly at his pinned coat. " I should have never worked at this power plant in the first place; it’s always been planning to get rid of me! Ever since that floorboard tried to decapitate me last Wednesday I knew, but NO! I didn’t listen to instinct, and look where it’s put me!”

Tired from pulling, Runic turned to look at his lab coat. "Wow, they really make these things out of tough material. You’d’ve though it would tear by now.” he said, paying little attention to his surroundings for a brief period. It didn't take long, however, for reality to charge back into his head.

"Oh right. Hex dust"

Outside the facility two older stallions organized roll call, gathering the frightened employees together. The two stallions were Marely and Hoofinson, the facility's founders, who felt obligated to deal with their lot before they could get sued for not caring.

"Did everyone get out of the facility?" Marely asked.

"I don't know" Hoofinson replied, starting up counting the employees again.

"Runic's still inside." a mare called out.

Hoofinson stopped in mid count, distraught covering his face. "He's our best scientist! Somepony get him..."

Boom.

Hoofinson stood unmoving as he watched the facility seem to implode upon itself, letting off the largest mushroom cloud that any of them had ever seen.

"...out."

Comments

[Rostok]

Runic waved his arms rapidly in the air,

What?
Runic is a pony. With arms.
Just what.

(It probably helps to remember not to envisage the characters as humans)

[Rostok]

Otherwise looking pretty promising.

[Triscy]

Spelling errors fixed so far. Thanks. :D