> My Little Apocalypse > by LoopyBunny53 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Prologue > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I used to take walks around New Ponyville. Feeling the wind in my coat and smelling the fresh calming air. I used to walk around the park, watching fillies and foals mess around with new toys that their parents had got them earlier that week. Sometimes they would find one of the balls that Cherrycake hid around the area. I used to walk in New Apple Acres, gazing at the apples on the trees and some work ponies tending to the crop. Or even talked to Little Macintosh, or just Tosh for short, asking him about this years cider fair. I used to walk to the little Boutique, looking at all the fancy wear in the store windows. I went in a few times to chat with SilverBells, asking her how well the profit was doing. I used to do those things. I used to wake up and run to my window, gazing at the birds calling and singing out to one another. I used to wake up and not see the same damn color every freaking day. I used to be able to walk around freely and not have to get my TrackerJack checked. The TrackerJack is a piece of equipment that is embedded into a ponies forearm and ankle. The TrackerJack is designed to keep track of everything like health issues to where you decided to place Equestrian Weekly. What the TrackerJack is mainly used for is to keep track of your current location for the "System." I can't seem to go anywhere without the TrackerJack starting to beep and vibrate at me. That beeping and vibrating is the warning that you have gone into an unauthorised room. The only way to even attempt to get rid of the blasted excuse for equipment is to remove the motherboard. The only way to do that is to remove the screen then to unhinge a hidden panel. Even though I would like nothing more than to remove the TrackerJack it is the only way to navigate the underground Ranches. Ranches are a labyrinth like system of rooms and tunnels underneath Equestria. Built long ago by unicorns and oversaw by Celestia and Luna, each Ranch they oversaw was unique. Celestia oversaw the Northern Ranches and Luna to the South. Cadence oversaw the Crystal Empire and Twilight helped complete the one in Ponyville. Each Ranch was labeled CEL, LUN, CAD, or TWI, each for the pony that worked on the Ranch. The Ranches were a multipurpose structure built to encase the unthinkable happened. Ponies were forced into these "safe havens" because of the Earth Pony Rebellion. The Earth Pony Rebellion, the "war to end all wars." Earth Ponies were always thought to be one of the more unappreciated of the three major pony races. In the time of the Elements of Harmony. Earth Ponies were thought to be the only pony race that is capable to grow fully ripe apples. Earth Ponies were proud until only just a decade ago when all Hell broke loose, it's flames attempting to engulf the ponies about. Unicorns were tired of having to wait for the traditionally grown apples to be ripe and only then apples that taste the best and offer the most nutrition were group during harvest season, Autumn. To treat their annoyance some Unicorns decided to create a spell that can grow crop at a faster rate and have a larger yield. The only way to make sure that these Unicorns would have a large crop to test the new spell on. That is where the infamous Shim Sham Sisters and the Flim Flam Brothers threatened a group of Earth Ponies to give up their crop for the spell. The Unicorns that created the spell were the Sisters, Brothers and their employer Diamond Horn. Diamond Horn was a very stout unicorn of white coat and purple and grey mane and tail. He had a small goatee and sideburns, a small pair of spectacles rested on his snout very precariously. Diamond Horn was one of the wealthiest pony connoisseurs in all of Equestria. Most of the Earth Ponies who were too shy gave in to the Tetrad Terror selling their crop to Diamond Horn in an instant. Those who didn't give in were almost forced to by the Pegasi. The Pegasi rerouted the weather clouds to either bring the winter months early or even redirect all storm clouds to another town or city. The Pegasi on the new weather team were brash and very hot headed. They thought with their muscles and never denied an order by Diamond Horn. Eventually all Earth Ponies who weren't scared by Shim, Sham, Flim or Flam gave in to the terror of the Pegasi. Soon enough the only farm that still was not under Diamond Horns control was New Apple Acres, run by Granny Applejack, Big Mac, Applebloom and Lil' Tosh. They are local to New Ponyville and only New Ponyville. Many ponies thought that, that was it. Diamond Horn ran the biggest magic produced food in all of Equestria. The Pegasi were feared by all and the Flim Flam brothers and Shim Sham Sisters were Idolized. Unicorns quickly filled the Work Farms and produced food faster than New Apple Acres ever did. However that was not the end, My Little Ponies. It was just the prologue. > Prologue 2 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Yes I went there. ALSO BE WARNED: THIS IS A VERY GRAPHIC CHAPTER GORE, FOUL LANGUAGE! IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO READ THIS GO TO THE AUTHORS NOTE IT WILL EXPLAIN IN GIST OF WHAT HAPPENED.) The Earth Ponies life only went down hill from there. Pegasi decided that it was funny to shoot lightning bolts by their homes on after another, after another. Some Pegasi even shot of lightning at some of the Earth Ponies and all they could do was scream and run around terrified was beyond belief. In one case a Pegasi shot off a fully plump storm cloud at a mare. The bolt didn't kill the mare but shot down her legs and into the earth. As the ambulance came to take her to the hospital they found that she was paralyzed at her haunches and shoulder down unable to walk. That instance only caused one small riot in Phillydelphia. That one riot was enough to spark even smaller, sparse riots around Equestria. All riots died out by the Pony Task Force (PTF) ending all small riots in an instant. the rage that erupted in some of the towns cause the mayors to make a law allowing the enslavement of Earth Ponies. Even colts and fillies at the age of two were sent to work in some of the Factories run by the Unicorns. Earth Ponies were forced to work under brutal conditions, rusty nails poking out of the floor, dust and debris everywhere. The Earth Ponies were brutally attacked if they weren't working to their "full potential". Some were attacked with whips and some with bloody shank knife. Eventually the Earth Ponies had enough, riots broke out on the Work Farms in substantial amounts. Work Farms burning down by the tens. Ponies started falling down dying by the toxic fumes coughing and gagging on the thick fumes caking over the oxygen atoms in the air. Most ponies were unrecognizable by their flesh, melting of their bones. Some ponies lay splayed on the floor some gagging on their own bile, some convulsing foaming at the mouth. There was no magic was used on the foods just the infamous Chemical M, or Chemical Magic. Chemical M is a ravenous type on neurotoxin that eats at the ponies mind, some of the symptoms are depression, confusion, personality changes, fatigue, numbness in hooves and mouth and yes convulsions. When ever a pony eats one of the Diamond Farm Food they would just want more and more food. The Unicorns eventually had enough with the exploding toxic Work Farms. Unicorns invented a new chemical, a form of Chemical M called Chemical MV radioactive and vicious. They filled bombs up with the stuff by the gallon. The Unicorns eventually handed off the MV Bomb to the Pegasi to drop off all of Equestria. By now the Ranches were in place and most of the Equestria were hiding out . As the Pegasi got into the place at least five of them held on to a crusty rope that branched off into five littler ropes to hold the entire MV Bomb. There were twenty MV Bombs floating in the air like Breezies in the clear blue sky. Before they released the bomb a blaring siren blasted in Canterlot warning all pony folk to get covered in the Ranches. The only Ponies not warned about the sirens were of course the Earth Ponies. One minute: the sirens began. Two minutes: caos ensued on the streets. Three minutes: Ponies were screaming and leaving stores dropping their goods, grabbing fillies and colts. Four minutes: the sirens stopped, ponies began jumping over other ponies. Four minutes and thirty seconds: Ponies were banging on Ranch doors, unicorns casting offensive spell to catapult other ponies out of their way. Four minutes and forty five seconds: the Pegasi let go Five minutes: a blinding light encased the land scape. All ponies either too slow, too lazy or just plain sleeping were dead instantly. Their flesh melted off their bones, their organs insinerated, and their bones all that were left were in the position that the pony last took. My parents were one of the many to make it into Ranch LUN or Ranch Luna. Ranch LUN was the only Ranch that Princess Luna specifically too part in building. My name is Spades. I am a stone grey stallion with a green mane. My mother is a Pegasi her coat was white with a red mane, her name was Morningdrops and her cutie mark was a rainbow with a raindrop in front. My father is a different story, he is a tall charcoal grey unicorn his mane and tail flows in the wind and is glowing green. His hooves were white with a gradient to his main charcoal color just by his elbows. His head only shows his skull with bits of skin hanging off, only his ears and eyes were their true colors. His cutie mark a bone scythe with a pony skull behind it. Also attached to his body were two bone wings with charcoal feathers attached precariously. His name, Death and I f----ing hate him. > Chapter One: Spades > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I stared at the walls in the Ranch, contemplating their colors. Yes, I said colors because it is not white, yet it is not grey, it can't decide on being just one color. It is like a paint bucket filled with years of grease, mold, and mildew were just splattered over the now bone colored walls. I sighed sitting up on this poor excuse for a bed. It was rickety with only a bushel of hay for comfort. Normally I would have better luck sleeping on the cold floor once the rats learn to finally like me and accept that I was there for good. The rats are my only friends in this Hell hole I am sad to call a home. Standing up I walked over to the shut steel door. Shakily I held the TrackerJack up to the small sensor just to the right of the door. The sensor shined a small green laser steadily scanning the annoying equipment. With a hiss and a pop the large door swung open. Walking out into the long hallway I heard the clip, clop of my hooves on the cement. Nearing the end of the hallway I took a sharp left. Hearing the TrackerJack giving a satisfying ding I knew I was heading in the right direction. Today is my daily check up with Nurse Redheart, she is the head physician in Ranch LUN. Turning my head I saw the classic heart with a white cross on the left . That heart is Redheart's cutie mark, it stands for her ability to nurture ponies back to health. As you would expect getting a cutie mark is one of the life changing moments in a ponies life down here in the Ranch. My cutie mark is a scythe with a spade behind it. The scythe is symbolizing the legacy of my father and the spade is for my horribly bad luck with other ponies. Seeing Nurse Redheart every other week is becoming more like a hassle rather than an annoyance. Most ponies who have to see Nurse Redheart every other wee are either sick or have a broken limb. I do not know why I have to see the Nurse every other week is beyond me. I am not sick, not hurt, my magic works fine, nothing. To make matters even more annoying is she won't even tell me why I have to see her this often. I guess for me it is a different story. "Ah, Spades, one moment. You may go to room 04." Nurse Redheart called. As I passed by her in the hall I noticed something that seemed off. Her pink mane was frizzy and her otherwise white coat a little dirty. Her eyes found mine and we stood there staring at each other. She cleared her throat showing her uncomfortable attitude with me staring at her. "I had to stay up all night to help aid in Shimmer deliver her colt." My eyes traveled down to the floor, "was it successful?" I asked her beginning my travel to room 04. "Have I ever failed?" She chuckled. Nurse Redheart like myself is a unicorn. She used her magic to levitate her note pad in front of her, a soft light pink glow surrounded it. I turned my gaze to the signs beside the pine wood doors. 01, 02, 03, Ahh 04, that's the room I was sent to wait in. Heading into the room my eyes traveled to the rotting pine cabinets, it's doors stuck open by it's rusty hinges. Turning my eyes to the walls I saw that they were no better than the ones in the room that I am confined in. Walking over to the bed I shakily walked up the three stairs to the sad excuse for a cot. Hearing the hooves of a one Nurse Redheart I sighed, 'lets just get this over with.' The Nurse in question sauntered in the broken frame. Her mane and posture more composed and her aura much better. "So Spades, how have you been feeling?" She walked over to a pine table picking up the small flashlight. "I'm feeling fine_" I paused thinking of what to say next, "I still don't know why I have to come here?" I asked the mare. "It is more to do with your family." I sighed looking down to the cracked tiled floor. The realization drew in and hit my gut like a wrecking ball hitting and destroying a crumbling building. That building just so happens to be my heart, "so my dad?" Nurse Redheart walked over to the bed her tail lightly swaying levitating the flashlight with her horn. "Yes mainly because of his body had both a natural horn and eventually wings." My eyes widened, my jaw hanging low, I was lost for words. When ever a sentenced started to form in my mind would take a spritzer bottle and melt them away. My dad, an alicorn?! "Your father wasn't naturally born an alicorn as I stated before he was born a unicorn. His wings grew in very fast and very viciously after he got his cutie mark." My eye traveled to the scythe and spade on my flank. A knife of hatred was stabbed into my back, it was like my dad wanted to screw me over. Making the entire Ranch hate me even more for having more abilities than them. I shut my eyes tight attempting to keep a tear from escaping my eye. "Please step down Spades." Nurse Redheart asked of me in a very polite voice. Placing a hoof on the stairs I cascaded down the rickety set. Stepping off the last stair Nurse Redheart then started to climb the stairs her horn levitating both a pen and clipboard. "Please face the door." She then asked me again. Once again I complied turning my body to face the steel frame holding shut a heavy metal door. I could hear some soft sounds coming from Redheart. Sounds like a "Uhuh?" and "Mmhmm." I sighed and turned back around I saw Redheart jotting some notes on her clipboard. "So?" I asked. "So, what?" She retorted. I groaned, "so am I growing Pegasi wings?" She began her descend down the three rotting steps. I couldn't read the expression that she decided to wear on her face. " From what I have seen you only have the beginnings of Pegasi wings. Come see me every day for now, only magic can keep those wings strait." She sighed and paused. I could tell that she was fumbling with the words by the way her mouth was beginning to make the start of words but never made the full word itself. Then she spoke, "They will also hurt more for the next few days. A lot more than they do now, normal remedies won't be able to help with this." I shut my eyes tight, trying to calm my uneasy nerves and settle my stomach. My thoughts raced as Nurse Redheart set the clipboard down and sat on a clump of rotting hay by a monitor screen. Me a soon to be alicorn, I can't believe it. No I don't want to believe it. > Chapter Two: Wings > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nurse Redheart was right, the next few weeks were torture. The pain by my withers were unbearable. I did do as she asked though and went to see her every day. Though my travels there were never easy ponies in this Ranch either despise me, are terrified of me, or just ignore me. They often threw rotten apples at me or even rotten eggs. I've tried to take another back route before but the annoying TrackerJack beeps and vibrates at me. Some unicorns even use magic to block my path even going so far as to disable my door a few times. I'm not supposed to be a mechanic pony, I can't fix the door on my own. I sighed walking to Nurse Redheart's room, the pain in my back is excruciating. Looking up I saw the red heart and white cross. Holding up my TrackerJack do the sensor a hiss and a pop opened the door. Nurse Redheart poked her head out of an unknown room. "Ahh, Spades, come to this room please." My mind began to wander, Why am I not going to room 04 again? For the past week or so I have been heading to the same room, Room 04. I shook my had expelling all doubts. Nurse Redheart knows what she is doing. I told myself. Padding back to the unlabeled room I peered inside the door. What I saw I couldn't even believe, a stable bed. One that is not rotting or rickety. These are rare in Ranch LUN and I believe they would be too in all of the other Ranches. This bed was a stable bed unlike the one in room 04 or my shabby room. Nurse Redheart chuckled at my amazement. "I forgot Quill's beds were rare, seeing this one all of the time made me start to believe that everyone had one just like it." I shook my head turning to meet her eyes. She looked at me with a smile, her green eyes sparkling in a non-existant light. That smile was was not a big over the top toothy one like most of the ranch residents give me. But a genuine smile, like one deep from her heart. I smiled back at her with closed eyes. She giggled a little, "please come and lay down Spades." She asked of me to do. Opening my eyes once again I nodded to her walking over to the two steps that the bed head. I began heading up the steps much to the protest of my aching back. Grunting I laid on the bed my back to the ceiling. I could hear the clip, clop of Nurse Redheart's hooves. Turning my head I saw her climbing up the two stairs herself. Examining my whithers I felt Redheart place a hoof down. I grunted a shooting pain raced across my neck, legs, and back. The pain arched like the branches on a lightning bolt, destroying all in it's path. Nurse Redheart nodded climbing down the two stairs. "The wings tips are ready to break the skin surface." I looked at her puzzlement taking my face, "so what does that mean?" Nurse Redheart sighed, "it means that this will be one hay of a ride. This will be painful and one of the worst experiences in your life. I will be the only physician here to be able to help you through this. In a few minutes there may be a chance you will break into a mild fever. I looked down thoughts once again racing around my head. Nurse Redheart came back over to me her horn levitating a thermometer. Popping the thermometer into my mouth she walked back to the pine cabinets they are no better than the ones in 04. She levitated a back from the top of the cabinet, it was white with no label, or none that I could see. Placing the bag on the floor she used her right fore hoof to smash the bag causing a POP! I blinked staring at her my eyebrows cocked and my head tilting to one side. "Ice pack, for the pain." She told me in a monotone voice. Grabbing the pack with her mouth she padded over to me. Levitating the thermometer out of my mouth, she studied it. Placing the ice pack on my back she said, "100.5." Resting my head on the pillow I asked her, "How in the hay do you know all this?" I used to not use profane words around her. She turned away walking to the cabinets again. She grabbed a towel in one of them using levitation. "My mother knew Morningdrop very well. As you should know your mother knew exactly what happened when your father grew his wings. She was the one to help him with his predicament. Morningdrop gave all her knowledge to my mother." As Nurse Redheart dropped the towel on the head of the bed by my snout a horrible agonizing pain erupted in my back. My eyes widened the breath ripped from my lungs. As I lay there gasping for breath Nurse Redheart stopped dead in her tracks. "Oh no! It started!" She galloped over to one of the pine cabinets pushing the gross door open she grabbed a metal bowl with levitation. Placing the bowl on the head of the bed. She grabbed a pitcher from beside a rusty old faucet and filled it with cold water placing that on a stool. A wave of pain raced over my lower body like an electric shock causing my legs to spaz and flail against my will, the metal bowl crashing to the floor with a clang. "It hurts!" I gasped more air being stripped away. Redheart raced back over to me, grabbing the grungy towel shoving it into my mouth. "Bite on this! So you won't bite your tongue!" I did as she said and bit down hard on the old scrap of fabric, my eyes shut tight. I tried to steady my breath but when ever I manage to do so it just gets yanked away by an invisible force. My eyes began to water, 'the world is cruel, always punishing me like this.' Redheart spoke again, "The wing tips are breaking the you'll feel a sharp sting." I focused my stinging eyes on a dust bunny in the right corner of the room. Nurse Redheart smacked her hoof on the floor several times my ears only registering a few words of hers, "Spades____you____feel_____pain____wings___stretch. After____just___rest!"] My eyes shut tight as a few tears managed to escape another horrible spasm broke out on my back. Dropping the towel out of mouth I let out a bone chilling scream. It ripped at my throat, turning it raw but that was all I had to ease most of the excruciating pain. My head dropped to the table and my eyes closed. Taking the first large breath in several minutes, I finally began to slip out of consciousness. I regained consciousness once in the night. Nurse Redheart was sitting a little behind me. Something wet and cold brushed down m back and wings, the water. Nurse Redheart was singing a lullaby that I could expect Equestrians singing before they were called as Ranch Ponies. "Hush now, quiet now It's time to lay your sleepy head Hush now, quiet now It's time to go to bed" Closing my eyes again I felt more water brushed on my wings. My legs felt cold and heavy, my head filled with a large migraine. Hearing Redheart's singing voice and her soft muttering calmed me even on one my worst days. Nurse Redheart was the only pony that ever seemed like my friend, even though she seemed uncomfortable near me. Her soft lullaby lulling me back to blissful sleep. > Chapter Three: System > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I still had to see Nurse Redheart every few days. I would often get mocked by the other few Ranch ponies. They still threw rotten food at me the rancid slim sticking to my charcoal coat. Now a days I would confine myself to my crappy room. The now bone and grease colored walls are becoming very familiar with me. The wet rotting smell permanent in my nose. Today however I have decided to leave my room to take a walk around the stables, maybe for the last time. Getting out of bed I stretched my legs and wings. The skin on my wings stretched in a unnatural way and some old feathers fell to the ground gracefully. Stepping over to the sensor I held the TrackerJack up. The green light scanned the equipment and...no hiss or pop. "What the?" I asked out loud. Resting my hoof with the TrackerJack back down on the solid ground I slowly back up. "What the hay is going on?!" I yelled once more, expecting some answer for some unknown reason. Looking around the bare room I began to pace. 'It is probably those tech stallions messing with me. I continued to pace thinking of all the things I have noticed about my room. Stopping I trotted to the sensor. From what I can recall there should be a camera somewhere near the door. The camera needs to be located in a place where it can watch ponies going in and out of the rooms. I looked strait at the door, opening my mouth I cleared my throat. "Whoever had locked me in my room it ain't funny not one bucking bit!" I yelled out. I reared back balancing on my two hooves giving off a loud deep whinny. Turning around I crunched my two rear legs into my barrel, sucking in I released my legs. Hearing a loud metal clang I turned satisfied to see a small dent in the door. I glared at the door hatred shining in my eyes. Giving off a snort I violently shook my head to the side. I grinned turning back around I curled back up to buck once more. Before I could I heard a voice over the speakers that are in all rooms. "Spades, do not buck that door!" It was Glitter, the Head Rancher. I snorted at her. "The tech stallions were not the ones to lock your door rendering it useless to the TrackerJack. I was." My eyes widened, my lungs didn't want to work. I stood there poised to buck the door by my legs wouldn't work to my command. "Spades, I only did it for the good of the Ranch." The Head Rancher spoke once more. My eyes narrowed curling my legs into my barrel tighter. The speakers made a high pitched squeal sound. "Spades, stop!" I lowered my head rage began to boil in my gut. I was almost shaking with it. My voice cracked as I spoke, "what gives you the right!" I yelled spit dribbled from my lower lip. "I beg your pardon?" "What gives you the right to lock me in this room like some sort of war prisoner!" "The other ponies were addressing their concern to me." "Bull." I spat. "It is true." "Bull!" I yelled the fury wanting to explode from my body. My face was contorted sweat beads raining down my face. "Why not just exile me to the Boondocks?!" I asked instantly regretting my action. The Boondocks were the now officially uninhabited Equestrian land. After the Ranches were sealed off and the MV Bombs detonated no pony ever stepped a hoof above again. The Head Ranchers of all the Ranches kept in touch via the MTM Magic Telekenisis Machine. The MTM hooks up to a ponies brain by cables running to the terminal where they used a video chat like system. The Boondocks are a mystery to all ponies there for teachers rarely inform fillies and colts about the "outside." The Head Rancher spoke her voice altered because of the speakers, "You do not mean that." I scowled once again, "Yes.." I curled, "I.." My hooves launched out, "Do!" My hooves made contact with the door making another dent, this one larger than the last. I whipped around sweat flying off my face and snout. My wings out stretched pointing to the sky at their full span. My body was uncontrollably shaking with unbridled rage. The door gave a hiss and a pop it slowly opened with two guards slowly strides in. I snorted holding firm I moved my head closer to my throat and lowered my body, "Send me to the Boondocks, exile me!" I sighed still holding strong, "I will probably be better out there anyway then in here." I stared at the door as a pale blue pony with a grey mane walk din. Her raspberry eyes stone cold showing pure determination. The Head Rancher. "No you will not." She spoke walking into my cruddy room. Sighing she stopped around a foot away, "to be honest Spades the Ranch ponies weren't the only reason I locked you in here. I was afraid that you would resort to fleeing to the Boondocks." I stared at her, a blank look plastered over my face. In a monotone voice I said, "You're a really bad liar." Her jaw slowly opened and her eyes as wide as a saucer. One of the guards took an offensive step towards me. "How dare you call the Head Rancher a liar you heathen!" He lifted a spear that I hadn't noticed they had before. Smacking it down it hit me square on the top of my head. Grunting I fell a bit my vision swaying, I cussed under my breath. "I just know that she was lying!" The Head Rancher gave a deep groan, "Spades you looked depressed in here as your skin by your wings healed. I was afraid that you were going to attempt to escape the Ranch_" I began to laugh, "don't you think that I already tried that! I know that you guys have a control base just above this door that leads to what I assume to be the Boondocks." My mouth still was open attempting to make words, then again she was right. "I will not allow it!" I stood there my ears lay back on my head lowering my body I bunched my legs and readied my wings. My head still aching from where the one guard struck me. "Don't even think about it." One of the guards warned me. I shut my eyes sighing I jumped over the two guards using my wings to aid me glide more over the Head Rancher. "Spades, stop!" Glitter called after me. "Halt," the guards yelled. My legs began to burn as I pushed myself to my limit racing faster than I have before. Left, right, another right, two more lefts, and one large room. Ponies gasped and cussed as me as I ran by them. Turning my head I caught the eyes of a one Nurse Redheart. Stopping she just stood there, staring at me like I was a ghost. Her eyes began to water as she smiled. She made soft crying sounds as she galloped towards me. Grabbing me around the neck she hugged me so tight I was afraid she would cut off my windpipe. As she hugged me her tears began to soak into my coat. "I was so worried!" She cried her voice choking up. Hearing the hooves of the Head Rancher and the two Ranch Guards. Looking up my eyes fell on the three previously said ponies. The Head Rancher slowed her eyes wide as she saw Redheart embracing me. The Head Rancher cleared her throat startling Redheart her head instinctively jolted up. She gasped, "Head Rancher!" Here eyes were red and puffy from weeping into my pelt, now salty with some tears. Redhearts stance changed, "You lied to me!" She began to cry again. "You told me that Spades died of a rotten apple still cursed with MV toxins that was a residue! You said that he gave his life to Death!" My eyes widen, "W-what?!" I turned my head to the Head Rancher. "Well he will die anyway if he is planning to do that stupid plan. You can tell her that." Glitter said. I flicked my tail, my ears drooping down. Redheart looked at me bewildered, "tell me what?" I sighed wanting to avoid her eyes at all costs. "I'm trying to leave the Ranch." "What?!" Redheart's eyes darted around. "The Boondocks?" I begrudgingly nodded too ashamed to even look in her direction. She stomped her hoof causing my head to jolt up. "Then I am going with you!" The Head Rancher stepped in, "Out of the question! Both of you!" Nurse Redheart's eyes narrowed, "Too late." She turned her head to me her eyes concentrated on me. My head began to ache once again but this time I heard a distant voice, "Spades do you hear me? Good, I am only gonna say this once. Use your magic to cast an electric spell at the maintenance panel above that door." I softly nodded to her standing there I started to focus all my magic to my horn. A soft green glow encased my horn. "Spades don't!" The Head Rancher pleaded. Turning on my back two hooves I pointed my horn directly at the panel. A bright green current shooting out of the tip of my horn. As the electric current shot the large black power box the lights shut off. 'Power crash.' I thought. Using my horn once again I used the last of my magic to cast a dull illumination spell. Turning I found Nurse Redheart galloping towards a steel door that used to be locked shut. "Spades I can see you!" Yelled the Head Rancher. Gulping I shut down my spell bolting toward where I last saw Redheart. Not even making it half way Nurse Redheart yelled to me, "Spades Common!" Something bright blinded me, screaming I shut both eyes trying my best to cancel the accursed light. 'The back up generator.' Screaming out I cussed, "Damn my luck!" My eyes still burned as I ran blindly opening one eye I knew I still had to trek forward. "Spades, the door! To the Boondocks!" It was Nurse Redheart. My heart dropped to my hooves. Picking up speed I bolted to the door not slowing for no pony. I heard the Head Rancher's voice calling to the Guard in the maintenance panel, "Get that door shut now!" "On it!" I was a foot away from the door when Nurse Redheart disappeared into the darkness. Racing after her we were met with at least thirty stairs. I groaned. "Teleport!" I yelled. She nodded. Using her horn she teleported to the top of the staircase. I stumbled as I remembered my magic was depleted, anymore spells I would be dead weight to Nurse Redheart unable to aid her in the Boondocks. Grunting I raced up the stairs not wanting to stress my wings even more. My legs burned the lactic acid beginning to build. My eyes had a tear in them, 'Nurse Redheart is risking it all, form me? Reaching the top of the staircase I didn't want to believe my eyes. I almost lost my lunch. > Chapter Four: Boondocks > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- My eyes began to water as we were met with a tunnel to the outside world. My nose burned as the foul toxic air entered my lungs. I began to retch afraid of throwing up on myself. I heard Nurse Redheart gagging and retching herself. The smell of decaying flesh is overwhelming. "Nurse Redheart!" I called out to the mare still blinking my watery eyes. "My-my nose!" She yelled gagging more. She knocked her hoof on the stone ignoring my call. "We need to get moving, now!" I demanded and began to walk in the tunnel. I heard rustling behind me and a clunk. "Wait, come to me I know a spell that may help us for a few minutes." Nurse Redheart called, seemingly begrudgingly. I squinted walking over the the still white mare. Her horn began to become encased by a soft pink glow illuminating a small area around us. She pointed her horn to the sky expelling a soft pink dome around the two of us. The air seemed to clear inside of the small bubble of safety. I sighed blinking the last tear from my eye. I looked over to Nurse Redheart noticing a saddle bag that is placed precariously on her back. "I see you noticed the saddle bag?" She asked me as if reading my mind. I just blinked. "It was by that skeleton to the right of the Ranch door." She began to rummage through it's contents tossing some trash and rotten food aside. Her eyes lit up as she levitated two black respirators, "here put this on." She hovered a dirty respirator towards me. "Since when did ponies willingly carried respirators in their saddle bags? I know that the apocalypse is here and all but that seems a little overboard." I exclaimed still mesmerized by the equipment. " They were earth pony from what I can tell, not much information if any was leaked to them. Most Earth Ponies thought that the MV Bomb traveled through the air." I cocked my head to the side, still examining the weird object that lay in my hooves. I noticed a small tab on the side that may attach to the TrackerJack but it seemed unlikely. I used my hooves to adjust the two straps on the sides of the air filters. Fitting the equipment on my muzzle I used a small amount of magic to pull the straps taunt around my head. My vision wavered as the magic in my system was still dangerously low. Pink magic dropped from above us as the dome around us protecting us fizzled out. After the last magic was absorbed into the universe I heard Nurse Redheart beginning to gag. Turning my gaze over to her I saw her struggling to adjust the straps. My mind raced kept saying to help her, help her. "Here, let me!" I called louder so she could here me through the respirator. She nodded and continued to cough. I used my hooves once again to adjust the head and neck strap. "Help me by holding it to the front of your muzzle comfortably!" She nodded to me placing the black and red respirator to her snow white muzzle. Slipping the one strap through the latch I pulled it taunt with my hoof. Sliding down to the neck strap I slipped the strap into the latch. I slowly walked back not wanting to give that close moment with her up. "Thanks," she called to me her eyes creased into a smile. "Mhm." I nodded. Turning I took a long look at our surroundings. God damn more confusing colors. Mostly grey but it's too much grey. Grey ceiling, grey stone, grey ash. Groaning my eyes glared at the walls. I turned back to the rusty door with black soot caking the exterior. My eyes fell on a foal and mare skeleton. Pain struck my gut like a ten ton boulder. The mares legs were still wrapped protectively around the foal. I walked over to them touching their heads with my horn closing my eyes. My head began to ache as I stood there in silence. Opening my eyes I looked up bewildered. Hovering above the two skeletons were two ghost like ponies a mare... and foal. The air was expelled from my lungs. I heard hooves clack behind me. "What are you looking at?" A voice asked ripping me from the moment of silence. Startled I jumped a bit. Whipping my head around my dark respirator collided with another object. I gasped standing there noticing I was nose to nose with a now blushing Nurse Redheart. Her pink eyes were captivating and this moment was a euphoric bliss. Clearing her throat I backed up. "Sorry Nurse-" She cut me off raising a hoof, "Please if you respect me as now a free pony do not used the term Nurse with my name or even in my direction. I will be a medic pony if you so wish however I will not be associated by that title anymore." She walked to the sooty door turning her flank to it. "A title that binds me to that retched life!" She curled into her barrel releasing her legs as a loud twang sounded in it's place."You have no idea for how long I've waited for an opportunity to escape. It seems that you were no better off that I was, always picked on. Secluding yourself to your room, staying in there for days on end." She began to cry and laugh her voice muffled by the respirator. "Oh Goddess Luna, this must be a sign that I was meant to live, meant to go on." She began to weep collapsing to the crude floor soiling her coat. "I was trying to mess up putting the respirator on. I was trying to lose oxygen." My eyes grew wide. I slowly walked over to her. "I want you to not have to worry about me, Spades! I want you to thrive in the Boondocks not have me as a dead weight like in the Ranch_" I rested my chin on her head shutting her up almost instantly. "Your talking to much." I sighed nuzzling her. Her coat was soft and her mane was tickling my face. She gave off a soft whimper. I sighed again not wanting to give off this sweet moment, "we better start moving before they send a party after us, especially after you bucked the door just then." She sniffled and nodded slowly standing to all four hooves. I turned my head to see the spirits of the foal and mare cuddling, the mare sill protective. I trotted over to the two. Smiling under the respirator I inwardly awwed at their love. Redheart trotted over to me, "What are you looking at?" I looked over to her puzzled, "can't you see..." my voice trailed off as the spirits were shaking their head. "She won't see or hear us son of Death." I grunted shutting my eyes and clenching my jaw as the mares voice invaded my head. "Spades! Are you okay, talk to me!" Redheart asked concern spilling from her mouth, I grunted, "yeah." Sighing the mare flew down and into the skeleton on the larger mare. The skeleton began to be in cased in a green glow like a spell was causing this. The jaw bone of the mare clanked and clattered a stressed voice exited the mouth, "Please_not_time!" Great this is going to be easy, I mean it always is! I shook my head. "Death_look_for_Spades! You_need_run! E_" The last word was cut off most of the bones from the skeleton cracking and crashed to the stones. I looked to Redheart expecting her to be as confused as I was only to see her extremely distressed. She was pointing her hoof behind me motioning me to turn. 'Well S__t.' I moaned in my head. > Chapter Five: Arhyya > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Redheart stood before me motioning for me to turn. I heard the flapping of wings and saw brown feathers flutter on the floor. I turned my body a bead of sweat rolling down my forelock. What I saw I thought was only a fairy-tale, was only a myth. What I saw before me was a very scared white and grey griffon. The griffons brown eyes lit up as she saw me, they flicked from my wings to my tail over and over. She slowly floated to the floor some more stray feathers making it to the grey stone floor. As her talons and paws reached the ground a unicorn and pegasus teleported abruptly into the tunnel. Both were mares the unicorn was scared and bandaged, the pegasus was auburn and bandaged as well. Neither the ponies nor the griffon wore a mask or respirator on their muzzle or beak. The griffon turned to the pegasus a smirk plastered on her beak. Her voice was smooth and silky, not at comforting as Redheart's voice. "Well done Two Shoe your sources were right, he was an Alicorn. That makes this find worth to keep." A shiver ran down my spine. I stood protectively in front of Redheart shielding her with my large body. "How did you know about us?" I inquired still rather confused about their sudden and abrupt appearance. "Tsk, tsk, I am the one to ask questions here." She sighed, "but since you are an Alicorn and a rather feisty one at that I will answer you. Our friend's corpse had a contraption like yours. We have it back at our base, but the think is it actually picks up on other signals and pinpointing them. Your signal was large enough that we just mosied on over here and what do we find but an Alicorn and a gorgeous mare." the griffon winked at Redheart. Her face got more serious nodded over to the unicorn, "do in Apple Fritter." My eyes jumped over to the unicorn resting on her rather opaque hue encasing her horn. Her iris's contracted as a huge smile took over one half of her face. I frantically tried to draw magic back to my horn but the when the spirits of the mare and foal came it seems to take all magic I had returning away. "Not fast enough." Apple Fritter cackled a red beam expelling from her horn striking me right in the gut. Pain arched across my body shocking all of my nerves. Screaming I collapsed to the floor my legs giving off vicious spasms I clenched my jaw trying to ease the pain> My wings are extended the left one causing a horrendous amount of pain, 'broken.' My ears were ringing, I can't hear. Trying my best to will my legs to stop spazzing was yielding little to no result at first, eventually though they would only twitch. I lay there vulnerable to attack, 'I am so dead.' That was what they were attempting to do, kill me. My eyes jumped to anything that moved in my peripheral vision. Something obstructed my view covering my head completely. My hearing was slowly coming back to me as I was hoisted onto someones back, the griffon. "C'mon doll." One of the mares giggled. "Don't want to mess your pretty face, now do we?" Chimed the other. "Don't fight us either it is only a couple of miles. The next few things I heard were chains and a grunt. The chains moved along with the hooves of three ponies. "I'll meet you there with this one and put the chains on him as well. We can get the branding done later. I don't want him to be able to get away by the time you slowpokes reach it." I grunted beginning to feel my hooves as hot air was rushing against my legs. We were flying. Though I could not tell how fast we were going I knew it was faster than Lightning Dash, the fastest pegasus in Ranch LUN. I tried to not concentrate on the fact of flying so high in the air and how fast we were going but more on how to get out of this predicament. "And we are coming in for a landing." Nose diving to the earth I felt like my lunch was trying to crawl up my throat and into my mouth. Crashing down I fell off the griffon and onto the hard stone. "You stay here, if you ever want to see your super special somepony again." She had a very throaty cackle. Laying on the floor alone gave me the time to think and assess the situation. This griffon had both Redheart and I taken to some unknown place. I groaned slamming my head on the stone floor. Hearing footsteps one again I lifted my now aching head. "Your savior is not here!" She cackled grabbing the bag on my head and yanking it back violently. My vision was met with more darkness, it was now night. The griffon sat on her haunches grabbing a metal collar. The iron was rusty and would tear at the fur and skin on my neck, rubbing it raw within minutes of wearing it. I could run now but that would be bad for both Redheart and myself. Begrudgingly it let her hook the horrid excuse for a collar on my neck. The metal weighed me down and I was weary that my neck would snap from the weight. I felt a tail brush my flank, I felt my cheeks heat up as it traveled to my wings lifting them up. My head stared forward as my eyes wandered to the griffon as she walked around my body, eyeing me up. The griffon grinned her voice was laced with pure euphoric bliss. "An Alicorn, in the flesh, and a Ranchy!" Her lion tail pointed to the dark respirator attached to my face. I shakily stood up my legs wavering under the weight. Pain striked through my shoulders. Wincing I corrected her, "not born Alicorn." My eyes flicked to movement in the distance. Relief rattled around in my gut as ponies walked over the bleak horizon. They were trotting over to the slaver camp the griffon and I were at. I looked over to the griffon who sat idly behind me. My eyes grew wide, "Oh wait! What is your name, I never got that?" "Arhyya." She stared forward to the ponies walking across the landscape. "And you?" "Spades." I huffed. "And your cutie mark, what's with that?" Her talon prodded the scythe and spade on my flank. "I have no idea." I lied. Her eyebrows perked and she cocked her head. "You're a really bad liar." 'Woah, DeJa Vu much?' She stepped around me obstructing my line of sight, "Your cutie mark, what does it mean?" I glared at her flicking my tail and snorting. Arhyya sighed, "I didn't want it to come to this." Her grey eyes showed pity but her body language shows power. She strutted around me to the back of my neck. I could feel her breath tickling the back of my neck. I felt her talon gripping the strap connecting the respirator to my muzzle. My body stiffened and sweat dripped down my temple as I saw a horror before me.