Conflicted Reality

by Wayofthepen

Prologue

Conflicted Reality
By Wayofthepen

The year is 2062, and the entire world is in shambles. The water is practically poison, barely any animals, and worst of all....Famine. Scott and Mateo are two fourteen-year-old boys who live in the destroyed city of Washington, D.C. Most people who lived in this area have left. All of their friends are either dead or moved on with the others. Their home is the one house that hasn't been completely destroyed. They have power, little food, and a small amount of water. Mateo scavenges while Scott fixes the house up with what they find. They only get re-runs of old T.V. Shows and a channel made by some of the survivor's due south. The internet is nothing more than a place to watch videos on if you can find power.

One day, the two were sitting watching some re-run of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic when they heard rain pelting the windows. "Would be great if two days go by without it raining..." Scott tried to say jokingly to Mateo. "Would make both our lives easier. Electronics go haywire when their wet." He flung his head back in anger. Mateo looked at him, shrugged, and went back to watching the current episode where Rainbow Dash makes a sonic rainboom. As soon as it happened in the episode, a similar sound was heard outside. "What was that?" Scott and Mateo said at the same time. "I'll check it out." Mateo went outside, but when he did, what he found he could have never been prepared for.

"Scott! Come out here!" Mateo shouted like he was in trouble, so he jumped up and made a run for the door. When he came outside he didn't see Mateo, so he checked around back. Sure enough, there he was. Standing beside a giant hole in the ground, being pelted with rain, and a expression that sent shivers down his spine. "Whoa..." He said, now gaining.the same expression as Mateo. "I'm going inside now..." Mateo said turning to go inside, but Scott didn't follow. He turned, "You coming?" Scott didn't move. "Scott?" Now he turned. "I'm going to be another minute. I want to know how deep this thing i-." All of a sudden, a bright flash. Lightning struck into the hole, inches away from Scott. Both stood there, so still they could have been paralyzed. Scott looked down into the hole one more time, but this time something caught his eye. "Mateo, something is down there."

Mateo looked at him, and walked over. As he peered down into the abyss, there were bright lights of different colors flashing. Mateo looked into his eyes, which had just closed. "You're kidding right?" Mateo looked at him, his eyes were still closed. "I'm not jumping, but the guys behind us might do something worse." Mateo turned around, and there were three guys with guns pointed at them. "Thieves....This can't be good..." Mateo said with a tone that meant "What else could go wrong.".

The thieves looked at them. "So, got anything you could 'donate' to us?" The two beside him started laughing. They were quiet, thinking of a way out. "So, answer the question." Scott looked to Mateo, who nodded at each other. Scott put both his arms behind his back, trying to look innocent. "So, what could two kids give three guy's with guns?" He said looking at each of them, scanning for ways out. The one in the middle looked down at him, "Well, all your food. If you want to live that is." Scott looked at Mateo once more, who had his arms behind him as well. Mateo was reaching for his knife in his back pocket. "Well, I know something we can give you." The one in the middle looked down on him. "Oh yeah? What would that be?" Mateo turned to Scott, both smiling....."Pain."

Mateo ripped his knife from his back pocket and threw it at one of the three guys. The man in the middle laughed as the knife buzzed by his head. He stopped laughing, and pointed his gun at Scott. "You die first." He shot a bullet from his pistol into Scott's chest, and he fell backwards into the pit. Mateo looked at the other two aiming at him, and dived down. He was going to die anyway, he figured. Right as he fell in, he hit his head and blacked out. The two fell, unaware that what was going to happen would change them forever.

- - - - - - - -

Spike was laying down on the balcony of the library as he heard a loud sound from above. He opened his eyes, and rubbed them in disbelief. "What in Celestia's name is that?" He shouted as ponies were filling the streets. In the sky a glowing vortex had opened, and something flew out of it. To spike, it looked like to pegasi. He got up and ran to the edge of the balcony. Twilight was standing there looking up, most likely trying to analyze the event. "Twilight, what is it?" He shouted down to her. He couldn't hear he over all the commotion, but he made out the word "lake". Spike ran downstairs and outside to accompany Twilight to the lake. What ever is happening, those two falling would know what was going on.