> Flashback > by Fiji Firefox > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Chapter 1 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- A white flash of lightning brightened up the overcast sky. Thunder sounded shortly after, shaking the ground gently. A strong breeze blew through the mountainside, making it whistle and groan as the thunder subsided. A gunshot could be heard in distance. Broken buildings and ruined houses stood on both sides of the overgrown path that twisted through the fallen city of Canterlot; their creaky, crumbling walls were covered with thick ivy vines. The pieces of concrete lay still on the ground, moss beginning to creep along the sides. Another, louder gunshot echoed through the broken city. Suddenly, a dark figure galloped into view, moving nimbly among between the debris. Her face was stained with dried tears and dirt; bruises and small cuts adorned her body. One of her teeth had been chipped and the mare was limping slightly; blood was dripping from her left hind leg. She grunted as she tripped over a small piece of debris, landing flat on her face. She struggled to get up, only to be knocked down by another pony with a small shotgun in her hooves. The stranger immediately pinned her down. The mare on the ground slowly turned her head towards the stranger, her nose barely meeting with the end of the gun barrel. "So...you thought you could escape from me, eh?" The stranger snickered, her left eye twitching slightly. The other mare stared coldly at her captor. "Yes…I definitely thought I would have been able to escape you of all ponies." The second mare's smirk quickly faltered, her muscles visibly tensing in her forelegs. She frowned and said, "Well then…I guess I'll have to punish you for running away, my little pet.” The battered mare's eyes widened at the statement. "Of course, after this you won't be able to run away ever again. So..." The looming mare spread her wings and trailed off, an insane smile beginning to split her face as her eyes widened. The battered mare began to squirm as she struggled to get away from the pegasus’ grasp as the she began to laugh like a madmare, her hoof moving to pull the trigger. "St-stop this! F-Fluttershy!" the pinned mare stuttered. The madmare stopped laughing and looked down menacingly. Slight uncertainty sparked her eyes as she asked, "....H-how do you know my name...?" The first mare looked Fluttershy in the eyes and croaked, "It's me!...Twilight!" Fluttershy's brow furrowed and tears began to well up in her eyes a moment later. "T-Twilight?...Is it really you?" Twilight nodded, sighing with relief. "Yes, it's me, Fluttershy," she said with a husky voice. Fluttershy's eyes widened again and her smile returned. "You're not Twilight!" She raised her gun and spat, "You're my little PET!" Fluttershy pulled the trigger and the gun went off. Twilight managed to move the barrel of the gun before it went off, the shot barely grazing her ear. Fluttershy screamed out and pistol whipped her in the side of the head with the gun, cracking the bone above Twilight’s right eye. Twilight squealed loudly in pain and kicked Fluttershy as hard as she could. She then scrambled away, the pain filled screams of her old friend quickly fading into the distance. Once Twilight was sure she was far enough away, she stopped and ducked behind a wall. She gingerly touched her right eye with her hoof and flinched in pain. She looked around and found a puddle, looking into it. Her right eye had blood flowing like tears, and her face was a little swollen on the right side. Twilight opened her eye and gasped; her vision was greatly blurred, and quickly faded into darkness. Her eye ached as she blinked slowly, tears flowing from her good eye as she grew accustomed to her new blindness. Suddenly, another bolt of lightning lit up the sky for a moment before a cold rain drop fell out of the sky and onto Twilight's muzzle, making her shiver. Twilight looked up at the clouds as the rain began to come down harder; she continued to stare for a few moments before pulling her hood up over her head. She moved over to a torn and fallen awning, using it to hide from the rain. She sat down on the grass, moving aside the broken glass and debris. Twilight turned her head and examined her injured leg. A scab was beginning to form over it, but crimson blood was still trickling from the wound. Twilight’s horn began to glow, and she used her magic to collect some rain water. She gently placed the glob of water onto her wound and slowly let it go little by little. The shot from before had only grazed her leg enough for it to bleed, but it still hurt. I have to keep moving... She thought to herself as she quickly wrapped up her leg with strips of lose fabric she tore from the awning. Twilight looked around and began to move between the broken and fallen walls, looking for a place to settle down for the night, or at least until the rain let up. This is going to be one hell of a night… She thought to herself as she drifted off into an uncomfortable and nightmare ridden sleep.