> Ashes
>  by SkyPone
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1: Quiet
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Skyfall stepped carefully. The pegasus trotted through the alley, a brisk wind ruffling his feathers. He blinked his blue eyes and bit his lip. Coming to the ruined town was very risky, and he only made the decision out of necessity. Every step he took made no noise, he couldn’t afford to make a sound right now. His eyes flicked to the darkening sky above, dread knotting in his stomach. Night meant only bad things. Even if he did manage to escape here the way back now had many dangers. Going back home tonight was going to be impossible. He shook the thought from his mind and focused on the reason he came in the first place.

Right on cue, like a punchline for a bad joke, Sky’s stomach grumbled. His eyes widened and he screamed a million silent curses at himself. He stood completely still, gritting his teeth and feeling his dark blue fur standing on end. The stallion perked both his ears up, scanning for any sounds in the wind. That’d been one of the reasons he’d come in the first place, a windy day gave him some leeway when it came to noise. Sky stopped and regained his bearings anyway, he had to be absolutely sure it was safe.

After about thirty seconds of hanging his head and listening, Sky looked up. He moved a hoof up and moved his dark brown mane from his left eye, parting it and clearing his vision. He took a few seconds to take some deep breaths, reassuring himself that he was okay for the moment. He felt his resolve return and nodded to himself, beginning to walk again. His bright yellow lightning bolt mark glimmered in the gathering darkness as he walked. If his memories were correct, his destination was straight ahead.

A sense of urgency was building, night edged ever closer and he still hadn’t gotten to safety. Although the stallion had learned from experience that rushing was never the answer. If Sky made himself known the darkness was the least of his worries. A couple more minutes of careful steps and paranoid looks over his shoulder finally paid off. In front of him lie a desolate and rundown store, between the alley and the shop a narrow and broken street.

His eyes focused on the door of the shop and a quiet sigh of relief escaped his lips. The last time he was here he made sure the entrance was completely barricaded from the inside. The door was still intact so at least nopony has made it in that way. His eyes trailed up at the faded sign: Rich Grocer. With a gulp, the pegasus prepared himself, no turning back now...He shot forward, galloping quickly across the street and to the store. If he ever had any advantages, it was stealth and speed. He guessed he had his pegasus frame to thank for that.

Sky drew himself to a stop around the side of the store, using his same method from earlier to determine his safety. After some more self-convincing, he finally moved again, coming around the back and spying his way in. The gigantic dumpster still sat in the exact spot he’d left it in last time. It was a huge relief that the store hadn’t been compromised. He peered over his shoulders again, careful to make sure nothing was going to sneak up on him.

Next came the hard part, moving the dumpster without attracting unwanted attention. Last time he’d come there was no dumpster over the way in. Sky remembered how loud it was just getting the thing a few feet to the left...He shook the thought from his mind and focused on the task at hand. Once he was inside if anything wanted him they were going to have to do it his way. He stretched his back hooves and reared them at the dumpster. With a deep breath, he pushed back as hard as he could and the large metal container did exactly as he expected it to. Ear-splitting squeaks and metallic scraping echoed through the entire town.

Gritting his teeth his pushed harder then suddenly stopped. He scrambled around and looked down. The tiny trapdoor was still there, rusted handle glinting in the fading light. The pegasus quickly gripped it and heard his fears come to life. Menacing yells and hollering sounded through the town, amplified a million times by the wind. He ripped open the door slid down into the dark below.

The trapdoor slammed shut above, his hooves slamming hard into the dirt floor. Sky groaned, dull pain throbbing in his hooves. Sky let himself lay there for a moment. He panted hard and stood shakily in the pitch black, more fearful of the outside than of the darkness around him though. The first time he’d entered the dank storeroom it’d been quite a different experience, he had no idea what could be lurking around him. Sky now found a tiny shred of solace in the place, knowing that for the time being he was safe.

Sky started to move, reaching for anything solid. He felt his hoof touch the coarse stone of the rocky wall. He shuffled sideways along the wall until he fell forward into a rocky stair. It hurt to be sure, but at least now he could leave. Carefully Sky ascended until he reached a wood door. A few seconds of searching and he twisted the knob, pushing it open. He’d finally made it.

The interior of the store reflected the outside perfectly, faded and desolate. Shelves were knocked over, carts and baskets littering the dusty aisles. The sight brought him back to the past, and echoed the desperation of many years before. Sky felt sorry for those ponies, scrambling by any means necessary to preserve themselves. He leaned against the door and felt it click. Coming in here immediately put a dampener on his mood. Although separate from the dangers outside, this place always made Sky feel uneasy. This store was a depressing echo of the old world, and the sights before Sky marked the cataclysmic day it had fallen to ashes.

His eyes scanned to the left side of the store, dried up copper brown stains forever etched into the ivory tile, degraded and dusty skeletons scattered on top. Some of them embraced each other, others cowered in fear. Others just lay there in contorted positions. Those were only the ones he could see, he didn’t dare think about the mass of bones in the storeroom. He’d already experienced that horror, stepped on it. With a sigh he looked away, there was nothing he could do for them...His mind returned to the present and his eyes focused on a far shelf.

Luckily for him, the ancient cans of apples still sat on that bottom shelf. Packed with enough preservatives they’d last centuries. A cheeky selling point, Sky guessed nopony back then actually thought that saying would be put to the test. He reached down and grabbed one out of the twenty or so left. He’d taken quite a few last time, but he left some. Sky knew he’d run out eventually, so he left these here just to know he’d have a food source for sure. Sky took his canteen from his saddlebag and took a swig. Water, on the other hand, was never definite, so the pegasus was always on the fringes of barely hydrated.

He took the can over to the front of the store. Beams of moonlight seeped through the boarded up windows, shining down on a small cot and pillow. Sky shuddered at having to look down at it, remembering having to remove its previous occupant from it. Haunted or not, it was still a comfy place to lay. Sky definitely needed that right now.

He laid down, feeling the soreness in his hooves and stretched. He popped open the can of apples and quickly opened his mouth. The mushy fruit slid into his mouth, barely any chewing required. The taste was exactly as it always was, overly sweet with a bit of cinnamon spice. Sky swallowed quickly, taking a sip from his canteen to wash it down. He rested his head on the tiny pillow above the cot and sighed.

It was hard not to notice the sounds outside. Whoops and hollering, malicious laughter drowning out innocent screams. Sky shook his head and closed his eyes. He felt sorry for them. Coming here was not for the faint of heart. He assumed most of them were taken by the brutal inhabitants of the town. Just as with the ponies of the old world, there was nothing he could do...There were just too many of those savages. Survival came first over anything else. Instead of dwelling on what he couldn’t do, he decided to think about what he did do.

As far as days for him were usually like, today wasn’t bad. The walk to get here was long and uneventful, uncharacteristic for the Equestrian wasteland. Skyfall couldn’t recount the last time he hadn’t been chased by at least an over sized and very hungry rodent. His trek through the town was grueling and slow, but at least nopony heard or found him. He had the wind to thank for that. Sky had arrived back at the store to find exactly as he’d left it, food and everything. With a nod, he allowed himself a small smile. He was still alive.

The happy thought quickly faded as another loud scream echoed through the town. This one a lot closer than the others. Sky sat up on full alert. He could hear voices outside the shop..On the street! He felt his heart rate increase as they got closer and clearer.

“Ha! Look at the little bitch run...I told ya the boss would like her! Feisty huh?” Said a distinctly male voice, gruff and scratchy.

“Ah come off it Spiker, get your lazy ass up there and grab her! Oh for..Ugh, she’s going toward that abandoned store up on the right,” Said another male, his voice far higher than the others but with an undertone of menace and intelligence the other lacked.

A third voice, far closer than the others, way too close for Sky’s comfort sounded at the door. His eyes focused on the large barricade of carts and a shelf.

“P-please! You have to help me! Anypony, please! Please!” The female voice cried out, pain and desperation sounding into the night. It sounded like she was backed against the door.

“Sweetheart!” The smarter male called, “What dontcha get about abandoned? The only ponies who’re gonna hear ya are me and my friend, and our whole clan!” He laughed.

The mare didn’t stop though, Sky could hear her turn and start beating hard on the door. He looked down and gulped. He couldn’t. He’d be signing both their death sentences. Her calls kept getting louder and so did the stallions. He had to decide... He let out a growl of frustration and got to his hooves, rushing to the barricade. He reared up on his back hooves and knocked the shelf over, the loud thunk making the mare outside yelp. The stallions obviously didn’t hear, as their laughter only increased.

Skyfall pushed the carts out of the way and as hard as he could yanked the door open. Into the store fell the mare. Their eyes met for a split second before he grabbed her front hoof and yanked her inside, closing the door quickly behind her. Angered growls and disbelieving curses sounded outside. The two stallions were not happy.

Sky gulped loudly and slid down, back against the door. He reached up quick and locked it, locking eyes with the panting and obviously shell-shocked mare before him. Regret pooled up in his insides as he stared, the stallions starting to beat against the locked door. He leaned his head back and gritted his teeth.

You just had to play the hero, didn’t you Sky?

Cursing himself and looking down, he bit his lip. There went his good day...
> Chapter 2: Ascent
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The first thing Skyfall noticed was her eyes. They were a beautiful hazel, he could see the flowing mix of colors even in the darkness. Second to the color though, more unnerving, was the fear in them. Wide and slow blinking, flicking between him and the door he sat against. Sky understood why she was afraid, with every single hard thump against the wood he felt more as she did. Sky continued to watch her, regret pooling up inside him every second.

The rest of her body told the exact same tale as her eyes. She was frantically biting her lip, teeth digging into the skin. Her strawberry colored fur stood on end, small frame curled up into a ball rocking back and forth. The mare’s long flowing blond mane lay on the floor, covering her forehead. She looked surprised to be alive, but so afraid of the dangers just outside.

I couldn’t just let her die.

Sky bit his lip hard, giving his head a small shake. His attention fell inward. He should’ve let her go. What possessed him to go against all reason and save some mare he didn’t know? That regret inside him was slowly mixing into a palpable anger, one he could only direct at himself. He could feel his breathing getting heavy, his body starting to shake. Was this how he was going to die? Sky gritted his teeth, what was wrong with him?

A small whimper turned his attention back toward the mare and he felt some of his anger immediately fade. Her eyes were still firmly planted on him, a pleading look on her face. The stallion blinked a few times and sighed. Sky saved her because she needed his help, many times before he sat back and let things happen. Not this time. He could feel some of his resolve returning to him. This was a bad situation, but the pegasus was smarter than he gave himself credit for. He was still alive for a reason. Sky was a master at eluding these brutes, and he’d do it again.

Suddenly Sky heard a large crack, making him jump away from the door. The mare yelped and put her hooves over her face. Protruding through the middle of the door was the head of an ax. Sharp metal glistened in the moonlight, the rays pouring in from a large hole in the roof. The razor sharp edge was all Sky needed to spring to his hooves, their time was up.

The mare’s eyes locked on the door, wider than before. She began to shake her head and mutter, tears starting to trail down her face. Her rocking was getting faster, but she was locked in place. Another loud thwack on the door and she was full on sobbing. Sky looked over his shoulder. The hole in the door was bigger than before. He could see the silhouettes of the ponies outside. Way more than two.

Sky could feel his heart going a million miles an hour. He quickly knelt down beside the mare and put a hoof on her. The touch seemed to quell her sobbing for the moment. Her eyes snapped to his, focusing on his own wide eyes. Sky could hear her breathing getting much more frantic.

“Hey, hey..I-..” Another loud thwack against the door, he needed her to get up, “We need to go right now. I have a way out but you have to get up…Please!” He could hear the shakiness in his voice, the pressing urgency.

The mare sniffled and shook her head, tears flowing down her face. A third hit made her close her eyes and shake more. Sky glanced over his shoulder and saw a hoof searching for the lock. The voices outside were louder now. He cursed loudly, bracing himself for what he was about to do. The stallion reached down and grabbed one of the mare’s forehooves and yanked her up.

She let out a startled yelp but thankfully didn’t fall back to the ground. Sky glanced between the storeroom door and the ponies seconds from entering. There was no time. Biting his lip, he looked for any other exit. He needed somewhere, anywhere…Then it hit him. The pegasus’ eyes shot up to the very large hole above them. Skyfall turned to the mare quickly.

“Grab on to my back hooves and don’t let go!” He hastily shouted, looking back towards the door. They were almost in…The mare gave him a confused look, “Just..Just do it!” He spread his wings and she wrapped tightly around him.

He was glad she understood, now he had to hold up his end, “Okay Sky...Just...C’mon,” He started to flap his wings, “Come...Urgh...On!” He felt immense strain pulling him down, using all his might to lift the mare. Sky had barely ever flown before, he was by no means good at it but this was the only option they had. Either this or whatever those animals outside had planned for them.

Skyfall flapped faster, his front hooves lifting off the ground. The angry growls and hollering coming from the door were getting louder. They had given up on unlocking the door and were savagely hacking and pounding at it. They’d be in any second. With the rest of the strength Sky could muster he felt his back hooves slowly start to lift, grudgingly taking the mare up with him. He needed to get through that hole.

Sky reached out his front hooves. The stallion could hear himself groaning, an incredible pressure in his voice. The mare was gripping his back hooves like a vice. He couldn’t fail. Sky closed his eyes and yelled, flapping hard as possible.

That’s when he felt it, the cool night breeze hitting his face. That was the final push he needed, no stopping here. He put both his hooves up and opened his eyes. Half his body was out of the store, they were almost there. With every aching flap of his wings, they were another inch into the air.

Skyfall looked down into the mare’s face. He would have smiled if it weren’t for the fact that she was hanging from him. There was pure bewilderment in her eyes, even a touch of fearful happiness. The smile proved that. Sky looked past her face and saw her hooves over the hole. With a huff, he jerked them both to the right of it.

“Let go…Urghn..Now!” He called down. To his sheer surprise, the mare followed without hesitation. Sky heard her grunt softly when she hit the roof. Skyfall descended slowly, letting himself fall into the rough stone shingles. He panted hard, laughing in disbelief at himself.

The sound of shattering wood below marked the entry of the barbaric stallions. He could hear them running through the store without care, looking for their prey. He didn’t make a sound as the small band ravaged the shop, neither did the mare. Sky turned slowly onto his back, gazing up at the moon above and panting quietly.

Small gusts of wind rushed through his mane and fur. Thankfully they muffled any small sounds the two made. Luckily the stallions looking for them didn’t get a look at Sky, nor did they see him fly up into the ceiling. In hindsight, if they’d been a little quieter the clan definitely would have heard the flaps of Sky’s wings. He had to give it to them, if they didn’t hate each other as much as they hated everypony else Sky’s plan wouldn’t have worked. The pegasus perked his ears up, listening to the commotion down below.

“Damn it Spiker! I thought you said there was no way outta this place!” The more intelligent stallion from earlier yelled, tangible anger in his voice, “The boss is gonna have you for this!”

“I..I thought there wasn’t! How was I supposed to know there was some back door! It’s your head the boss will want Slick!” Spiker said in a painfully desperate voice, his usual flat tone unnaturally shaky.

Sky could hear the one called Slick groan and stomp his hoof to the ground. Other stallion’s voices called out but reported finding nothing. It seemed Sky and the mare were free, for now. Sky almost turned his attention from the angered conversation below until he heard a peculiar phrase.

“I didn’t think the broad would be able to teleport away! I thought those were just stories!” Spiker said, voice shaking with every word spoken. “I thought unicorns couldn’t use no magic anymore, that’s what the boss said about his-” Slick’s voice cut in.

“Don’t you talk about the boss or that unicorn bitch anymore Spiker! He won’t like hearin’ you been talking bad about him! And there’s no way she coulda just poofed outta here! Why didn’t she do it earlier?! Use your damn brain, you idiot!” Slick shouted. Sky could hear him continually stomping his hoof for emphasis.

“But then…Where’d they go? Somebody let her in! We checked the whole store Slick! I heard one of em’ talking! The boss is gonna be so mad when he finds out she got away. You know how rare unicorns are Slick! That was gonna be our ticket up!” Spiker spit shakily, trying desperately to prove his point.

“You shut up! It was gonna be my way up! It was my plan to snatch her in the first place! Nah...She must’ve got out the back door, the boys said that storeroom has one..” Slick seemed to settle on that conclusion, “Take all the boys you can get and search behind the store. Everywhere. I’ll go talk to the boss.” Sky could hear Spiker try to cut in, “No Spiker, I, will go to the boss. Now get out of my face!”

Over the next few minutes, Sky could hear the ponies inside dispersing, going in different directions. One group headed back to the town. Spiker's group ran off behind the store into a large field. Sky had walked the field the first time he’d come to the town. The place led nowhere he wanted to go. Where did he want to go though? Sky and his new friend were only safe for the time being.

The stallion blinked a few times, glancing over to the mare. She was lying in the same position he was, gazing up at the night sky.  He’d almost completely forgotten the main point of the conversation he’d overheard. He focused his eyes on the top of her head and felt his jaw drop. There on her head was a horn, a real horn. Sky couldn’t believe his eyes, a real unicorn was right next to him. In the commotion before he wasn't able to get a full look at her.

Unicorns were sparsely ever seen among ponies these days. When you did see one it usually meant a pony of high status or one beyond understanding. The only other unicorn Sky had ever seen in his life was a stallion named Blue Bolt. He was the leader of a gigantic settlement in the north, one of the only places in Equestria with even a fraction of safety. Or at least that’s what Sky remembered, he hadn’t seen Blue Bolt or been to his settlement since he was a young colt. For all he knew the entire place could be burned to the ground.

Sky took a deep breath and sighed. If they managed to get through this he could ask all the questions he wanted to later. They needed a plan. He had an idea, a completely ludicrous idea. He almost laughed at himself for thinking it, letting out a soft snort instead. The small sound seemed to catch the mare’s attention though. He glanced over to see her eyes on him, her head tilting quizzically.

“What?” Sky said with a passive indifference, keeping his eyes on hers. He returned the small tilt. The look puzzled him more than anything.

“I…” The mare gulped, looking down and biting her lip. “Thank you...For…Saving me…” She said, speaking her first words to him. Her cheeks went a little pink, a small contrast to her light strawberry coat. Her tone was reserved but had a tiny hint of respect, and beyond that, appreciation.

Sky gave her a small nod and smiled softly, the first genuine smile toward another pony in a long time, “Er…No problem.” He said scratchily, voice rough from earlier, “I had no clue it was actually gonna work…I’m terrible at flying…” He trailed off, looking down. He took a swig from his canteen and passed it to her.

The mare took a drink, “Not when it counted.” She pressed in, a little more lively this time. “You actually picked me up and saved us both. You’re a good pony, and I think you know how rare those are.” She smiled too, a world apart from the sobbing mare from half an hour before, “Um, what’s your name?”

Sky sat up to face her, grunting a little bit. His body was still pretty sore from the flight up, “Ugh…My name is Skyfall, what’s uh…yours?” Sky said a little awkwardly. He didn’t realize how long it’d been since he’d spoken to another pony, much less a mare.

The mare smiled a little more brightly, “My name is Petal. It’s um..Nice to meet you Skyfall. Honestly, I didn’t think there’d be anypony in that store…Just kind of a…Shot in the dark y’know? Even then I never would’ve thought in a million years that somepony would actually save me,” She said, honest appreciation in her voice.

Sky’s face darkened a little, realization trickling back into his head, “Don’t thank me yet Petal…We’re still trapped in a town full of bandits. Ones actively hunting us…” Sky looked down.

Petal’s response was anything but gloomy though, “Well...You got us out of there. You have to have a plan on how to get us out right? I’m sure you know someplace to go.” She said hopefully, a little too hopefully.

Sky shrugged and sighed. She was right, he did have somewhere to go but there were some very important factors to consider. He’d arrived here in the day, under the cover of some very loud winds. Both things gave him insurance not just from the bandits of the town, but from the other things lurking in the wasteland. But they needed to go soon, Sky assumed Slick would be back for a more thorough search.

He gulped and took a deep breath, “I do have somewhere we could go just…” Here went nothing, “To get there… we’d have to go… there.” He turned his gaze to behind the store, in the corner of his eye he saw Petal do the same.

In the far distance, past the lights of Spiker’s search party was a mass of trees. A dark sea of vegetation that consumed the entire horizon.

Everfree.
> Chapter 3: Forest's Edge
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Everfree.

The name itself would shake any pony alive to their core. The reputation of the dark forest was one of the only things that went unchanged by the cataclysm. Scarcely anypony in the wasteland could say they’ve been to the forest and survived it. Few had ever escaped the horrors lying within, even fewer spoke of it. If you ever asked a pony their experience, their gaze would go to the distance, their voice would go cold, and their body would tense. Skyfall knew all of this, but he had no other choice...

If another option would get them out of here without getting automatically killed or captured, he would take it in a heartbeat. Sky grimaced, biting his lip. If he could fly… Actually fly, not just a heat of the moment lift off, maybe they could escape… He sighed and shook the thought from his mind, even the best flyers couldn’t hold full grown ponies on their backs.

The choice to go to the forest was ludicrous, but he’d promised Petal that the two of them would only be skimming the edge. The promise did little to make her feel better, even if she didn’t say so. Ever since the two of them left the roof of Rich Grocer he could feel her apprehensiveness growing by the second. Subtle hints gave it away, the way she carefully stepped, periodically looked over her shoulder, and jumped at the faintest hint of an unknown sound.

Sky didn’t blame her, he actually felt that Petal didn’t know the forest like he did. She wasn’t scared enough. Sky exhaled sharply, continuing his brisk trot through the darkened field. The only thing keeping him from reflecting Petal’s inhibitions was something he had barely ever felt. It was definitely a strange feeling. Petal was the first pony he’d met in years who didn’t try hurt him. For the first time in such a long while, Sky felt like he had somepony by his side. He wasn’t going to let anything happen to her.

Not again.

Sky blinked a few times, clearing his head. He had to stay focused. The idea to go the same way Spiker went was flawed, although his reasoning was sound. What sold him on the plan was that Spiker wouldn’t recheck an area he’d already been to, Sky doubted he had the intelligence to have the thought. Bandits weren’t the smartest bunch, but that didn’t discount how dangerous they were. There was still a long walk ahead, it wasn’t exactly a short trot to the Everfree forest.

Sky’s focus shifted back to Petal. Her bushy blond mane covered the left side of her face, making it impossible for Sky to read her. The stallion sighed, biting his lip and returning his gaze to the dark mass of trees ahead. There were too many questions to count. The most pressing in his head though...Who was she?

The mare wasn’t from here, the circumstances in which Sky had met her in the first place told him that much. The unfortunate truth was that if you weren’t part of the bandit clan or a slave, you were dead. Ponies like Sky were the exception. Surviving on your own, especially in this part of the wasteland required stealth and speed. Perfect attributes for recluses like him. Luckily for Sky, he possessed both.

Just because he couldn’t fly properly didn’t mean Sky had nothing to be thankful for. In an earth pony dominated part of the wasteland, his pegasus body had saved him more times than he could count. Sky distinctly remembered an encounter with bandits on the outskirts of town where his speed narrowly saved him from a barrage of arrows. He walked away from that one with only a graze. The long scar on his flank proved that much.

Sky bit his lip, the thoughts proved his point even more. If Petal had been here the whole time why hadn’t he seen her? Why hadn’t he heard rumors? She didn’t strike him as the loner type. After the years he’d spent in the area he’d amassed quite the reputation among the bandit clan.

Sky was the solitary pony that they could never catch. It was surprising to hear that neither Spiker or Slick didn’t even consider it was him who helped Petal. He shrugged it off, the clan getting a new member was like the sun rising in the morning. Their fear mongering had no match in this part of the wasteland.

So Petal wasn’t from here. Then where? It didn’t make sense to Sky why she’d be anywhere near this place. He sighed, Sky didn’t exactly want to interrogate her at the moment. She’d been through enough tonight. Even if he did want to ask he had no idea how he’d do it, talking to ponies wasn’t his strong suit. Sky usually ran from them. The questions could wait until morning.

Sky was surprised to see the forest drawing close, all that thinking put his body on autopilot. The moon hung overhead, night’s dark embrace still in full effect. Skyfall cleared his throat, hearing Petal’s breathing start to quicken beside him.

“Stay sharp up here,” he whispered, “Everything will be okay if we just stay quiet.” Sky looked around the edge for any signs of danger. He saw nothing except the gigantic trunks of the ancient trees before him. The sight did nothing to put his mind at ease. Sky brought his trot down to a slow crawl, perking his ears up, he heard nothing.

Sky snapped his eyes to Petal, who stopped dead ten steps behind him. He almost said something until he saw her face. The mare's eyes were wide with the same intense fear from earlier, but there was something new. Her mouth was hanging open in pure horror. Slowly, Sky turned his head to where she was looking and felt his heart drop. At the edge of the clearing, there were four stallions. Four dead stallions.

Sky felt his body come to an abrupt halt. He could feel his heart beating in his throat. His eyes focused on the group. They were all indistinguishable from each other, the crude spiked armor on one the only difference between them. He assumed this to be Spiker. All four were an unnatural light grey color, their manes all pale white. What scared Skyfall the most though, was their eyes. All wide with pure terror but completely empty, like bottomless pits.

Before Sky could say anything Petal was at his side tapping him. Skyfall blinked and turned to look at her. She had an urgent look on her face, the fear in her eyes multiplied tenfold.

“Skyfall we have to go, it’s not safe here,” She said quickly, her voiced strained and pressing, “I- We…” She was holding back something, looking over her shoulder and hastily tugging at his hoof, “Sky please, trust me. We have to get as far away from here as possible.” Petal bit her lip, continuing to pull.

The pegasus blinked a few times, looking from the dead bandits to her eyes. They told him everything he needed to know, “What did this to them…?” He tugged his hoof from her, taking a few steps back, “You know. How do you even know?” He eyed the horn on her head, feeling his breathing starting to rapidly increase. Sky knew the Everfree forest, and nothing on the edge could manage to do whatever killed these stallions.

“Please, Sky! Now is not the time, I-I…” She gritted her teeth, scanning their rear for any signs of threat, “They’ll kill you, just like them!”

Sky narrowed his eyes, “Kill me? You mean kill us both right?” Realization struck Sky like a moving train. His focus returned to her horn, the regret returning as any heartfelt feelings for her evaporated. He scoffed, disbelief filling him, “You know them? I...You didn’t think to tell me there were some crazies going around...” He looked back to the hollow looking bandits, “S-sucking the life from ponies?” He’d forgotten the number one rule of the wasteland, trust nopony.

Petal shook her head, “I didn’t think they’d come here... Not his fast..I don’t know how-” She stopped herself, looking down, “We just need to go, please... You helped me before. I swear I can explain Skyfall.” She gave him a pleading, but urgent look.

Sky huffed, looking down. Skyfall had given his trust to somepony and already they were lying to him? He sighed, letting his breathing steady. This confirmed his thoughts and suspicions. The pure shock of finding Spiker’s bandit crew had made him unstable. He’d let his emotions get the best of him. Sky gulped, locking eyes with Petal. She was right.

“I’m sorry, I just-” A sudden violent purple flash followed by an ear splitting explosion cut him off! Both Skyfall and Petal turned back to the town in time to see a giant purple fireball plume up into the night sky. Skyfall’s jaw dropped, eyes going wide with shock and terror. The ruined tower in the square was burning to the ground. He could hear the familiar sounds of screaming and fighting from here. Petal, on the other hoof, had her eyes locked on the field. Before Sky could have a look himself, a dark purple bolt of pure energy missed him by an inch.

Skyfall dived to the left, a volley of bolts lighting up the treeline. Each bolt hit the trees with an electric crack. The air smelled heavily like burning wood and ozone. Before Sky could get up and see the attackers, Petal was pulling him to his hooves. She yelled something but Sky couldn’t hear her, the force behind them was still firing relentlessly. The more energy bolts that came at them, the more precise they were becoming. They were getting closer.

There wasn’t any time for caution, Petal and Sky were in full flight mode. The unicorn ran in front with speed that surprisingly rivaled his own. Sky galloped after her, narrowly avoiding the Bolts best he could. He raised his head up and almost stopped dead in tracks. They were at the entrance to the Everfree forest.

Before Sky could attempt to tell Petal to stop, she was already inside. Sky winced, going full speed after her. Constant bolts of purple light flying past illuminated the dark trees as they ran, getting fewer and fewer the farther in they went. Whether he liked it or not, Sky was in the Everfree forest. He heard the attackers yell something behind him, but he couldn’t make it out. The bolts of purple got fewer and fewer, as did Sky and Petal get deeper and deeper.

Sky could barely see the silhouette of Petal as he kept running. His hooves were in overdrive, he could hear himself panting as he ran. Petal continued to outpace him, running quickly in front of him. He could barely make out the shape of her. Sky stole one last glance behind, the raging purple flames in the town the only source of any light. Whatever had attacked them it was beyond anything he’d ever seen, few times in his life Sky had ever felt this afraid.

A loud yelp in front of him broke his concentration. Before he could turn his head back to Petal, Sky was falling. He tried to spread his wings but he was too late. The pegasus hit the ground hard, starting to roll down something steep. Sky tried to scream. He felt his stomach collide with something dull, knocking the wind out of him.

Suddenly something very hard slammed into Sky's head. A few seconds later he was on flat ground, darkness and tiny specks of color consuming his vision. Even that was getting duller by the second. He let out a raspy breath, trying to see anything. Sky felt something very warm drip down his forehead and onto his muzzle. There a faint groan beside him, seeming to be a million miles away.

Sky was on his side, feeling as if a million sharp pins were pressing into him. The darkness was spinning. He felt his eyes closing, no struggle to keep them open. He tried to call out, to see if Petal was okay. He couldn't even manage that. With a shaky breath, Sky fell into the abyss.
> Chapter 4: Void
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Far from the escape into the forest, a dark silhouetted figure stood in the burning town square.  

Bright purple flames burned brightly in the lenses of his armored mask. The tattered dark grey hood concealing his head ruffled from the small shock waves, his cloak of the same hue billowing fiercely behind him. A lesser pony would’ve flinched from the collapsing tower in the town square, but he stayed completely resolute. His attention was dead set on the pony floating before him, not even a falling building would distract him from his mission.

The stallion locked in his magical grip on the other hoof did notice the collapse. It made his incessant hollering increase. The black armored Unicorn would’ve crushed his throat then and there if it wasn’t for the potential information he possessed. The bandit clan was nothing less than utterly revolting, their leader reflected that quality tenfold. He was a filthy sight to behold. Matted blood red fur, a short unkempt mane of pale blond, and a broken in half horn. 

How had this incessant fool, this traitor to the Unicorn race, been given any power whatsoever? If ponies in the wasteland were electing riff-raff like this, they deserved cleansing. The armored stallion tightened his magical grip, the dark violet aura surrounding the bandit leader tensing. He couldn’t believe a stallion in such a high position was screaming like a frightened foal woken from a nightmare. He’d had enough of it, the aura intensified around the mouth of the leader, snapping it shut.

“Be quiet. I’m not going to ask again. Where is she?” The deep voice that left the mask was cold and calculated, devoid of any warmth or emotion. 

The bandit’s eyes were widened with absolute fear, if the aura wasn’t holding him completely rigid the stallion would be shaking uncontrollably. He loosened the pressure on his jaw, allowing for speech.

“I-I…I swear I don’t know about any unicorn broads coming into my town…Please don’t kill me, I didn’t do nothing I swear! Please!” The bandit begged in response, tears rapidly streaming down his face. His lip trembled, voice reduced to a shrill whine of panic and self-preservation. 

Disgusting. The Unicorn guessed the scum could feel his piercing glare through the mask. Judging by his next words, that’s exactly what happened.

“We ain’t never done nothing to you ponies! We’re our own organization, I never seen anything like you before! I don’t have your mare!” He shouted at the Unicorn loudly, trying to weasel himself out any way he could.

The black armored stallion turned away from him, “There is nothing like us.” Before the fool could respond he was already dead. The leader of the bandits dropped to the ground with a soft thump. 

He was a mere piece of garbage now, even the dirt he lie dead on was disgraced by his corpse’s touch. It was disappointing he had no information on the target, but fortunately, he wasn’t the only pony in this wretched place. A voice sounded beside him, 

“Dark Matter, sir. We’ve rounded up all the ponies we could find and set fire to their shelters as ordered.” The stallion's tone carried a presence of discipline and a clear undertone of respect.

“Good commander, are there any standouts in this particular group?” Dark Matter replied, turning to face the heavily armored pony before him. 

The commander’s armor was a stark contrast to Dark Matter’s. His armor was light and shrouded, like a shadow. He did not need the material protection, his power provided him more security than any armor ever could. 

The commander wore enchanted plate, standard issue for his rank. His suit did not carry the same elegance or furnishing Dark Matter’s did. It was a different version of fear, the commander was an overwhelming force. The only part of him devoid of any protection was his horn, the symbol of a higher being. 

The commander replied swiftly to the question, “Yes sir, one. He revealed to us he had met a pony matching the target.” His voice was filled with satisfaction, Dark Matter could hear a slight tinge of overconfidence.

“Do not automatically assume success, commander. May I remind you what kind of ponies we’re interrogating? They’d say anything just to save themselves. I assume the only reason their leader didn’t share this quality was his pride. Although if he had lied to me, his death would have been far more painful…” Dark Matter responded, eyes locked on the purple flames blazing before him, “Bring me to him.”

A small trip to the other side of the square put Dark Matter before a group of terrified ponies. On either side of them stood four guards, their armor was similar to the commander’s although less bulky. Although they wore no helmets, their expressions and mane styles were identical. 

The only difference between them was their shade of fur, the tone of mane, and eye color. These soldiers were the pinnacle of elite Unicorn warrior, only surpassed by their superiors. They had the right amount of individuality to be distinguishable from one another, but their identical features showed their single mentality. 

Two soldiers stood at the front of the group. Between them stood a nervous looking Earth Pony. Standing tall, his dark grey coat and black mane almost blended into the night. Dark Matter admired how he only showed that nervousness and not anything else. 

He expected an Earth Pony to tremble in fear, to babble and plead for his life. This bandit was the opposite of his leader, in both race and disposition. Dark Matter saw in him the confidence and courage of a true leader. If he wasn’t an Earth Pony maybe he could've been indoctrinated into the ranks. It was too bad. 

Dark Matter’s dark violet aura of magic surrounded the Earth Pony and picked him up, magical pressure lightly pushing at his throat. He could see beads of sweat starting to collect on his forehead. His icy blue eyes met Dark Matter’s mask and the confidence began to waver. The shadowy pony looked up at his new prey.

“I have heard that you may possess certain…Information.” Dark Matter studied his face intently, tilting his head ever so slightly. The Earth Pony ground his teeth together, letting out short and panicked breaths. 

Luckily for Dark Matter, it looked like the stallion’s confidence was replaced by intense fear. That was the dark Unicorn’s greatest talent, breaking ponies to his will. It took thirty seconds for the Earth Pony to reply, 

“I saw her, I-I had her…” Dark Matter gripped the Earth Pony more, putting intense pressure on his chest, “Ughnn..! She... She escaped..” He struggled out with great effort, closing his eyes. Dark Matter eased his magical grip, violet aura assuming a lighter hue. 

“And…?” Dark Matter whispered, bringing the stallion down to eye level with him. The Earth Pony’s eyes remained closed, he started shaking his head and muttering to himself. 

Dark Matter slowly increased the pressure of his aura again, “Start with your name.” He breathed out like a gust of icy wind.

The question seemed to take the Earth Pony by surprise. His eyes slowly opened again, although they avoided Dark Matter’s face mask like the burning sun.

“S-Slick…” He managed with a strained breath. He helplessly hovered as the image of Dark Matter’s emotionless mask bored into him like a ferocious bombardment. 

Even though he couldn’t see his eyes, he could feel them piercing into his soul. The shadow spoke effortlessly again, an invisible hint of boredom in his voice mixed with the ever-present cold malice, 

“So…Slick. How ironic it is that a virtually powerless mare slipped out of your grasp so easily…You see if you and your bandit friends had held onto her for a mere few hours longer you wouldn’t be here now. We would’ve simply taken her and left.” Dark Matter shrugged, 

“Instead, here we are now standing in the ruins of the place you savages called home. Your leader lies dead on the ground all because of your incompetence. Slick.” He added the Earth Pony’s name at the end with a venomous jab. 

Slick’s lip began to tremble as his eyes drifted behind Dark Matter, to the dead mass that was his boss lying by the collapsed tower. His eyes flicked back to the Unicorn’s mask, tears starting to flow freely, 

“It wasn’t our fault! She..- She wasn’t alone!” Slick took a deep breath, “It..It had to be the Pegasus…” He whispered with a clear certainty.

“What…Pegasus?” Dark Matter spat the word like it was vile poison. The target was first been taken by an Earth Pony, now she was in the company of some Pegasus? The thought disgusted him to his core. He could feel his anger growing like a fatal tumor on his rational thinking.

“That’s a-all I know…I swear!” Slick’s voice cut his thought off. Dark Matter hated to being interrupted. The armored Unicorn stamped his hoof on the ground and lifted his head to face the Earth Pony once again.

“I admire your willingness to comply, the courage it must have taken to even confess to my commander. A very valuable trait indeed…” Dark Matter’s voice sounded a thousand times deeper. 

The dark violet aura of his horn turned to pitch black as did the magical field around Slick. Dark black tendrils of energy slithered into his body. He could see Slick attempt a scream, all that came out of his mouth was a long string of silvery energy. It flowed into Dark Matter’s horn like a spindle unwinding, the more he absorbed the less of Slick existed. 

The feeling was exhilarating, like a direct rush of power surging into Dark Matter’s soul. By the time he finished all that remained of the vile Earth Pony was a grey husk. He let it unceremoniously drop for the mass of ponies behind.

All they could manage were stifled sobs and hushed whimpers. Their eyes were filled with unbridled terror and complete hopelessness. Some weren’t even bandits, just ponies forced into servitude. He would free them. 

“Commander, cleanse them all.” The officer didn’t hesitate to issue the order to the soldiers, within minutes the purging began. Dark Matter didn’t need to watch, this was standard procedure for anypony ineligible. 

He simply observed the dancing purple flames reducing this already ruined place to ashes. The fires were beautiful, the result of a spell designed for the cause. The commander’s entrance into Dark Matter’s vision was all the confirmation he needed to know the task concluded, 

“Remember commander, every single pony’s life is worth something to us... Whether it be service to our cause or pure power. Even the inferior races provide us with the means to perform the cleansing. Ponies are power. Their essences are the source of our strength.” 

The officer nodded, if he wasn’t wearing a helmet he’d assume he was smiling, “It is never doubted my lord, the president will be pleased to know that the bandit clan has finally been eradicated.”

“The president will be disappointed in our lack of progress in finding the target. That is why he sent us to this place.” Dark Matter shot back icily. Luckily a new voice sounded loudly from the other end of the square.

“My lord, commander!” The voice of a scout called to them. The mare ran quickly toward them and stopped short of Dark Matter.  The winded mare wore light leather armor matching the same hue as the other soldiers and goggles with glowing green lenses. She raised them to her forehead and bowed to both of her superiors.

“Sirs..” She panted heavily, “The target was spotted in the southern fields, at the edge of the Everfree Forest.”

Dark Matter perked up at the news as did the commander, “And?” He asked with expectancy. 

The scout opened her mouth but looked at Dark Matter, seeming to realize who she was speaking to. She bit her lip hard, bowing her head this time in shame and fear, 

“Sirs…They...Escaped.” She croaked out shakily, staring at the ground. The two superior ponies seemed to go silent for a long while. 

The scout didn’t dare raise her head up until one of them spoke. She knew the consequences of delivering bad news, especially to Dark Matter. The young mare held onto the hope by some miracle she wouldn’t have to suffer them. It was Dark Matter who spoke first, 

“You let the target escape with some… Inferior Pegasus.” The scout seemed surprised to hear of Dark Matter’s knowledge concerning the pony accompanying the target, 

“Not only did they escape, they escaped into one of the most perilous places in all of Equestria…?” His voice sounded strained like a rope pulled tautly. 

The scout did not reply with any words, only with a stifled grunt. She began to shake before the more powerful ponies, the full weight of her mistake setting in on her. Why did she have to deliver this news instead of the captain?

“Scout…” Dark Matter breathed almost silently, “Your squadron’s incompetent actions may have cost the president his most valuable prize. Fortunately for you, you do not lead. Unfortunately for you, you will be joining your comrades and I inside the forest at daybreak. Relay this order to your captain immediately, do you understand me?” He said in a cool calmness that would shake anypony to their core. If Dark Matter could take the mask off, she’d see pure anger personified in his face. Luckily for the scout, his face was the dark mask.

The scout nodded and turned tail back towards the south. She ran as fast as her hooves would take her. Dark Matter turned to the commander, 

“Inform the president that we have located the target and that I will personally find her. Then clear the rubble and fire and start setting up the base camp.” Dark Matter said, turning and staring into the blazing fires once again, 

“She will be ours again commander.” Dark Matter said almost as an afterthought. 

The commander nodded and trotted away, Dark Matter could hear the soldiers standing guard assume formation and march with him. This left him in the center of the square with nothing but his mind to occupy him.

He knew where she was now, he could find her within a day. Dark Matter would return to the president with his Petal in his armored hooves. Everything would be right again. He looked down at the ground, staring through his mask’s dark tinted lenses. He remembered the last thing the president told him.

Failure is never an option in the Void Commission.
> Chapter 5: Awake
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Skyfall…

What is it, momma? 

Promise me that you’ll be brave…

What’s wrong momma?

Just- Just promise me, my love…

I promise momma.

I love you Skyfall. 

I love you too…

Skyfall opened his eyes, blinking slowly. Everything was dark, he could barely make out anything besides dull shapes. Dark blurs moved swiftly past, silhouettes of impossibly tall objects shuffling by him. He blinked again, feeling his eyes starting to become heavy. Maybe all the scary things would disappear with a few more moments of sleep…

Distant words sparked him back to consciousness, filled with desperation and… Guilt? They were too far to make out, though it was a voice he recognized… He tried to force his eyes open again but a sudden jolt of head-splitting pain prevented it. It nearly knocked him back to the darkness. Sky tried to say something but only a raspy cough escaped his mouth. 

The sharp jolt in his head, unfortunately, reawakened his body to an onslaught of pain. Though he couldn’t move, he could feel the pain everywhere, like a million tiny needles stabbing into him all at once. Surprisingly the worst of it wasn’t in his head, it was in his back hooves. An army of little rocks was scraping against the back of them. This didn’t make any sense. 

If he could see maybe he could start piecing things together. After about five seconds and as deep a breath as he could manage Sky braced himself for the inevitable and shot his eyes open. He really wished he didn’t.

Blinding pain comparable to a knife piercing his forehead shot through him, a loud scream escaping his mouth. The only thing Sky saw before his head snapped back and his entire body hit the ground were his back hooves dragging and stopping. A piercing scream louder than his own echoed through the wooded trail all around him.

The back of his head hitting the ground plus the surprised scream were the perfect combinations to make Sky’s ears ring and fill his vision with stars. If it weren’t for the complete disorientation of the situation he would have screamed again, but the entire world was spinning. That familiar weight on his eyes restarted, his consciousness was fading.

He saw a face enter his vision, one he desperately tried to attach a name to. Piercing hazel eyes and bushy mane consumed his world, the same voice from before filling his ears. It sounded like she was saying something… It kept saying one word. Before he could try and make sense of it, his eyes fell shut and darkness took him again…

You know that momma will always be with you right Sky?

Momma, please… We- we can get help!

It’s okay Sky, it’s okay, we’re okay…

No! I don’t wanna be alone momma please, I’m not ready… I need you!

Sky… You promised you’d be brave, I know you’ll be… I love you so much…

No… Please don’t go… Momma, please don’t. Momma, please!

It could’ve been hours or entire days before Sky came to again, he couldn’t tell. This time when he woke up things were easy to make out. A dull light filtered through the canopy of dead tree limbs above, illuminating the eerie remains of the forest. Skyfall himself was up against one of the gigantic trees, his head resting against the long-dead trunk. 

Everything hurt, no exaggerating there. It felt like his entire body had received the beating of a lifetime, save for his head. That felt like someone had hit it with a large and pointy rock. Every time he breathed he could feel the dryness on his tongue, he could taste and smell the metallic coppery flavor of blood. He reached his front hoof up to feel his face, grunting from the dull pain.

Blood was all over his face, dried up in his fur and mane. Whatever had caused this had to have been a while ago. Sky groaned softly, smacking his lips together. It took him awhile to realize that it’d been a long time since he had something to drink. He instinctively reached to his side where his canteen would be but found nothing. Trying to remember how he ended up here didn’t result in much.

Everything was fuzzy. Sky knew he came here for a reason, and something terrible had happened to make it happen. Where was here though? He was in a forest, surrounded by dead trunks of gigantic trees. It was familiar… 

A sudden sound made Skyfall snap his head to the right, ears perked up. It was unmistakably the sound of leaves crunching. Sky could feel his breathing start to quicken, though try as he might he wasn’t getting up. The combination of paralyzing fear and overwhelming pain kept him rooted to his spot. Locked to his gaze was the silhouette of a pony, not just any pony. This shadowy Unicorn took another step towards him before he could scream a voice cut him off. A familiar one, a voice that washed all his fears away and caused his head to clear.

“Skyfall, you’re awake! Oh, thank goodness! I thought you were never going to wake up…” said Petal. She was beaming, a look of obvious relief on her face. The rest of her didn’t look as good as her smile though. Her body was pretty battered and bruised, though Sky saw no open wounds on her. She was a mess though, her mane and fur were caked with dirt.

Sky sighed in relief. Realization quickly replaced it with dread. It all came rushing back to him. He remembered why he was here. Saving Petal, the bandits, the grey husks, the sudden army that seemed to just appear, the mad dash into the Everfree forest, then falling into nothingness…

It was almost too much to process. It made Sky’s head hurt worse. Meeting Petal had made his life go from predictable and grueling to uncertain and terrifying at best. Bandits were bad, but a mystical army that could come straight from a tall tale was horrifying. The best part was that they wanted him dead. Him, the nobody Pegasus who had survived for years by scrounging for scraps. Him, the pony whose wings barely worked enough to lift him ten feet from the ground. 

They didn’t care who he was though, only who he was with. Trying to make sense of Petal was a daunting task, one he wasn’t prepared for. She was the first Unicorn he’d ever seen. Within hours of their meeting he’d seen more than he ever thought possible, and they tried to kill him. It didn’t take a genius to figure that Petal was really who they were after. Why they wanted her so bad was the thing that eluded him. 

If he was in better shape he’d ask her, but considering he was slumped against a tree in some of the worst pain he’d ever felt intimate conversation wasn’t really his priority. Sky smacked his lips together again, gaining the attention of Petal. She trotted over, Sky noticed a limp in one of her back legs as she approached. 

She drew his canteen from her side, biting her lip and unscrewing the top. Sky opened his parched mouth and Petal tipped the canteen into his mouth. After about three seconds of drinking, she drew it away. Swishing the water in his mouth, he washed all the dried blood away. He swallowed and exhaled sharply, feeling like he could take in about a hundred canteens full before he would be satisfied. 

Unfortunately for him, the look on Petal’s face confirmed that he wouldn’t be getting that luxury. He assumed that the water he just had was in and of itself a luxury. Petal shook the canteen, only a tiny swish sounding from it. Sky bit his lip, that definitely wasn’t enough for the both of them.

“I went looking for water after I put you against the tree. I didn’t find anything though, this entire place is dead…” she sighed and looked down at the ground, “When we fell I landed on my leg really badly,” she paused, wincing a bit, “But you tumbled down and got hurt all over Sky, I thought you were-”

“Dead?” Sky cut in, a sharp edge in his ragged voice. A rising anger towards Petal that had been suppressed by the urgent crisis the last day had brought was resurfacing with a vengeance. The pain surging through his body only seemed to amplify it. He took a shaky breath before continuing.

“And who’s fault is that? Maybe I could have been prepared for the army of Unicorn crazies if you would’ve told me about them! We could’ve done something different- Could have made a plan! But instead, you let us walk right up to the edge of this hellhole!” Sky scoffed, “This is the thanks I get for saving your tail from those bandits…”

Petal looked stunned, she sniffled and looked down. She looked like she so desperately wanted to say something. The strain on her face was palpable, but when she raised her head and met those brilliant hazel eyes with Sky’s, she only had a look of resolute sadness.

“The ponies who attacked us are called the Void Commission… They’re beyond even the worst ponies you’ve ever met before. They make those bandits look like saints…” She struggled and winced with every word like it caused her great pain to open her mouth. She took a deep breath and looked at the ground again, tears brimming in her eyes.

The anger that surged through Sky only a moment before was being replaced by disbelief and fear, but also regret for snapping on her like that. This Void Commission had obviously done something to her. Judging from the difficulty she was having with even mentioning them it was something awful. He knew how hard it was to be hunted by bandits, but ponies like that were in a league of their own. The thought returned him to his original question though… Who was she?

“Petal, why are they after you?” Sky said in a much softer tone than before, giving her a sympathetic look to try and convey his regret. 

The question seemed to catch Petal off guard. She simply stared at Skyfall for a moment, her eyes looking hollow and her expression haunted. This simple look gave Sky a small hint of the pain she was feeling, but her words cemented his suspicions. 

“I escaped from them…” she gulped and sniffled before continuing, “They did tests on me, but it backfired on them. They tried to make me do magic by- by torturing me… They called it an ’instinct activation’. But it worked too well, I did do magic. One second I was there and then…” she sighed, “You know the rest.” 

She exhaled sharply and sat down in front of Sky. He could see her shaking and her lips trembling. There was something else though in her eyes. It almost looked like she was relieved, she wasn’t so tense anymore. Sky knew how bottling things up felt, he still did. 

“I’m sorry Petal,” he said, “I shouldn’t have gotten so angry with you… It’s just I’ve never experienced anything like this. I’ve been on my own for years, life has been mostly the same. Then you come in and change everything. You didn’t even try to kill me. I know how difficult it is to talk to a pony…Especially if you have nopony to talk to,” he gave her a faint smile and leaned back against the trunk of the tree.

Petal gave him a smile, shakily getting up and coming to sit next to him. Even though the two of them were stuck in this situation with no plan, at least they had this. Sky had never really had a friend before, and he assumed that Petal probably hadn’t seen a nice pony in a very long time. 

The two of them just sat there for awhile in comfortable silence letting the issues at hand fade away for awhile. Sky wished the moment had lasted forever. But in this world, nothing ever did.

A voice neither of them had ever heard before sounded right behind them followed by the sound of many sets of hooves quickly scuffling across dead leaves.

“How touching.”
> Chapter 6: Captured
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Everything was black. Sky had no idea how long he’d been walking for. His muffled breathing rang in his ears as he blindly trotted forward, pain surging through him with each step. A debate proceeded in his head about what hurt more, his aching body, sore hooves, or his rattled head. He tried to ease the soreness of his legs by slowing down, but a sharp poke to the back got him moving again.

Instinctively Sky tried to flex his wings, only to feel a binding tightness locking them in place. An unneeded precaution, even if they were free he couldn’t do much with them. Tiny voices echoed in his head, filling him with a sense of inadequacy. Even if he had the chance, he couldn’t even fly away. What kind of Pegasus was he?

In a single day his life had gone from manageable to completely uncertain. His little corner of nowhere had finally fallen to the insanity of the wasteland. All common sense had evaporated. Here he was, being brought deeper inside the forest every second. Sky had never been one to surrender himself and just let things happen, but what choice was there?

With each step, Sky could feel himself tense. He was lost in the dark, at the mercy of whatever intention these ponies had for him. Any second could be his death, the last thing he’d see would be the blackness of this stuffy bag. The thought gave him chills, it felt like an icy claw was digging into his back. Sudden nausea pulsed from his stomach, he didn’t want to die.

A sweet rational thought came to his rescue though, if they were really going to kill him they would’ve done so back when he was against the tree. They wouldn’t kill him unless he gave them a reason to. A sharp exhale escaped Sky’s nostrils and his stomach unknotted. Keeping a cool a head was the key here. Sky pulled his thoughts from the pain and fear, keeping his mind locked on those things would make them worse.

Sky closed his eyes, slowing down his breathing and stabilizing it. Next he put his hooves on autopilot, he didn’t need to put much focus on where he was going. He’d cross that bridge soon enough. What he did put a focus on though, was who these ponies could be. It’d determine if this was a death march.

At first, Sky thought it was the ponies who attacked him and Petal earlier. In his struggle to keep the bag off his head, he caught a glimpse of a Pegasus. These weren’t the Unicorn fanatics, they were a whole new beast. This revelation brought a whole new world of questions into his head.

Out of the terrible things Sky had heard about the Everfree Forest, ponies living in it had never been one of them. He’d never seen a pony enter or exit the graveyard of trees, even the bandits were afraid of going near it. Their fear had majorly contributed to his survival ever since he got here. Whenever he needed to hide from them, he’d run to the edge of the forest.

Another jab broke his train of thought, he’d slowed down significantly. Sky quickened his pace in response. These ponies didn’t speak, not once this entire walk had he heard a muffled word. He had no idea where Petal was, she could be right to next to him or far away. There was no point in running, they hadn’t killed him yet. Why they were keeping him alive he had no clue. He could understand their reasoning for Petal, she was a Unicorn.

They attacked Petal first. When he was being pinned to the ground he saw a pony deliver a sharp blow to her head. She was out cold before she hit the ground. He tried to struggle against his captors, he wanted to help her desperately. In the end, nothing could have been done. The last thing he saw of Petal was her being put onto a large Earth pony’s back.

Thinking about Petal made Sky lower his head. He could feel his ears shrink back, a hollowness setting in inside. It was his fault she was here. Sky bit his lip hard, he remembered how he put the blame on her for all this. The decision to help her in the first place was his though, he had nobody to blame except himself. Guilt consumed him, drowning his thoughts. He’d forgotten this walk had an end.

Sky came to an unexpected stop, a myriad of sudden sounds making his ears perk up. They surrounded him, he tried to hone in on one. It was a voice. The sinking feeling returned in an instant, they’d arrived. After a minute the voices stopped, replaced by a strange metallic screeching noise. He could feel his breathing start to quicken as another prod forced him forward. Rough forest terrain transformed into smooth stone.

This stone was uncharacteristically cold on Sky’s hooves. It felt so artificial and unnatural, too clean to understand. The darkness from before transitioned into patches of bright light bleeding into his vision. Before he could think too deeply Sky abruptly stopped again, hooves clasping around his neck. As the bag loosened Sky took a deep breath, preparing himself.

The bag swiftly left his head and his vision came rushing back. The light stung his eyes, making him tightly close them and groan. Another prod to the back made him jump, he didn’t need any hint as to what that one was for. Sky opened his eyes slowly, quickly adjusting to the view before him.

He was standing in a wide hallway, the grey stone walls curving up to form an arched ceiling ten feet above. Two wide metal doors on the left side of the wall stood spaced out from each other. Sky had never seen anything like it, they looked impenetrable. A stomp on the ground pulled his attention from the structure.

This place captivated him so much he almost failed to notice the ponies standing around him. Two flanked his sides, one a mare and the other a stallion. The mare held a spear in her hoof, a saddlebag on one side and his canteen on the other. She was an Earth pony with a short silvery white mane and tail with a coat the color of the night sky. Her pale grey eyes had a coldness to them that sent a shiver down Sky’s spine.

Before Sky could get a good look at the stallion another stamp echoed through the vast hallway. He focused on the pony in front of him and shrank back a bit. If he thought the mare to his side had a cold gaze, this mare’s was pure ice. Sky could feel her eyes piercing through him, a sharp blue like a rising tidal wave.

Her light brown mane was tied back into a professional looking low bun, tiny strands of grey accentuating it. Her coat was a clean autumn yellow, her short tail swaying side to side as she began walking toward him. She was an Earth pony too, but that didn’t ease Sky’s fears one bit.

The Earth pony stopped short of Sky, nodding at the two ponies flanking him. The two gave silent nods and immediately raised their spears to point at Sky’s sides. Sky felt his ears fall back, biting his lip. She obviously had some status among these ponies, before Sky could try and deliver any explanation she cleared her throat.

“I am the Administrator. I will talk and you will listen. You will not speak unless spoken to first, do you understand me?” she said, tone as cold as her eyes.

Sky gave her a nod, feeling his stomach tying itself into a knot. No compassion or care was in that voice, she couldn’t care less about him. He couldn’t tell which scared him more; the prospect of two spears skewering him alive or having to answer this mare’s questions.

“Why were you in the forest? My scouts were surprised to find you. You must’ve been very desperate, or very foolish,” her voice carried a small pang of intrigue beneath the calm coolness and her eyebrow raised ever so slightly.

“We were trying to escape, an entire army of ponies chased after us,” Sky responded, his voice ragged and small compared to hers.  He could feel his heart starting to beat quicker as recent events he would’ve rather forgotten cut their way back into his mind.

“Excuse me?” she looked taken aback as if he’d uttered something unspeakable to her, “An army? Surely you must be over exaggerating. I would call the ponies outside this forest… How do you say it? Savages,” she allowed a small chuckle, talking down to Sky, “Your business with them had to be something monstrous for you to resort to the forest.”

“You’re wrong,” Sky bit his lip, a surge of anger flooding into him, “These ponies killed the bandits, burned their town to the ground and attacked me and my friend. We barely escaped with our lives.”

The Administrator blinked a few times. Her coldness melted for a second. In that second Sky could see the fear, he recognized it. The exact same fear in Petal’s eyes the first time they met. Her frosty gaze returned instantly after that, either from denial or acceptance. She turned away from him, Sky could hear her exhale deeply.

“That’ll be all guards. Wash him up, I can smell his stink from here. After that put him in a cell with some water and food, I want him under constant watch. Bring the Unicorn to the office, if my presumptions are correct she’ll be more specific on this...Army.” She uttered the last word with drawn breath, she knew what Sky meant even without him saying it.

The last glimpse Sky caught of her, she was walking toward the end of the tunnel. He glared at her until she left his sight. Before he could start rationalizing this place or its ponies the two guards were taking him to the wide door he’d seen earlier.

A more narrow hallway was behind the door, still bigger than Sky’d ever seen. This place was unbelievable, it’d been right next to him for years. A small thought crept into his mind, even with this place that mare was still afraid of the Void Commission. It made him feel even, he was on their hit list now.

Fear was replaced by confusion, though. The deeper he got into this fortress the more he realized how different everything was here from the outside. That Administrator mare had said food and water like it was something commonplace. Being washed showed Sky how different these ponies really were though.

The last place the two guards led him was a square room. Just like the other rooms and halls, nopony else was there except them. The mare directed him to stand in the center and the stallion unhooked a hose from the wall. Sky didn’t understand at first, but then a torrent of icy water hit him.

It was unlike anything Sky had felt, a soothing cool sensation washed over him as the stallion sprayed his entire body. Sky closed his eyes and appreciated the feeling. He let some of it flow into his mouth, enjoying every precious drop. It’d been so long since he had more than a sip of water. For one glorious second, he allowed the situation to fade from his mind. Everything was water.

Then it ended. He stood there, freezing cold. His legs were shaking and he was panting. Reality was coming back with vengeance. This wasn’t his haven, this was his prison.  Taking their place by his side again, the guards led him to his destination. The cell was a moderate square, on the floor lay a small cot and a bucket.

Before he could take in his new home, the guards pushed him in. He was soaking wet, water dripping down from him to the stone floor. As the guards closed the cell door he could hear something sliding across the ground. Beside him lay his canteen, filled up fully for the first time.

Sky took it to his chest and slid himself back against the wall. He wasn’t dead, neither was Petal. Even though he was cold and sore, he still wasn’t dead. Although he was locked in a cell, he almost felt safe. These ponies needed him for something, the thought kept him from falling back into panic. He gulped and grabbed the blanket, wrapping it around himself.

His eyes felt heavy, it’d been so long since he properly slept. Sky took a deep a deep breath and let sleep begin to take him. Something in the corner of his eye kept him awake for a few seconds though. Words were on the wall outside through the bars.

Bunker 00 containment.

He blinked, something was below that too, an emblem…

A sun.
> Chapter 7: Hunt
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dark Matter feared almost nothing. Countless ponies had fallen to his power and none could match him. None except one. He lifted his masked head to look through a window in reality itself. This image shimmered with a dark purple glow. The aura violently pulsed and crackled with pure energy to keep the connection open. On the other side sat a silhouetted figure at a desk. The only color in the room came from a dark purple glow from its horn, almost as dark as the figure itself. It leaned back in its chair and raised its head to meet Dark Matter’s kneeling figure. 

Have you found her?

The words weren’t spoken, they were injected into Dark Matter’s very thoughts. The voice was like a whisper in the wind, it sent chills up his spine. He didn't raise his head, the darkness in front of him already knew the answer. 

Although he couldn’t see them, he could feel the eyes digging into him like a million daggers. Begrudgingly the armored pony raised his head to meet the invisible stare. 

“She is within my grasp master, you will have her soon… I swear it,” he said with conviction, “My soldiers prepare to enter the forest as we speak.”

Dark Matter watched the silhouette nod slowly, horn still glowing deep purple. It rested its hooves on the desk before it.

You are trying my patience. I expect more from one of my most prized assets… My Petal is the key to our plan. There can be no more delay, find her Dark Matter. Do not forget that even you can be replaced.

Before Dark Matter could say a word in response the window faded from existence. He stayed very still for a moment, white-hot anger building up inside him. With a sudden snarl and illumination of his horn, the trees before him disintegrated in a display of bright purple light. The Unicorn stood before the burning clearing angrily huffing and stamping his hoof. He sighed and his breathing slowed to normal. Failure wasn’t in Dark Matter’s nature, he’d never failed the president before in his entire life in the Void Commission. 

He wasn’t starting now. With a turn and a sway of his cape, he started back towards the ruins of the bandit town. Last night’s destruction was cleared away and replaced by tents and supply boxes. The commander awaited at the bridge connecting the forest’s edge to the ruins, his dark violet armor softly shimmering in the rising sunlight. For a split second, Dark Matter saw his helmeted head turn to the remains of the trees but it quickly snapped back to attention.

“Dark Matter, sir. Any new orders from the president?” He asked, voice still carrying the same respect and monotone focus as it always did.

“No commander, our mission remains the same. Is the task force prepared to leave?” Dark Matter answered with the same respect, although the agitation in his voice wasn’t hard to notice.

“Yes sir, Squad Nine is ready to move out at your command.” The commander pointed to the other side of the bridge, at the edge of the square stood six Unicorns. Three were standard soldiers, two scouts, and the captain of the squad looking anxiously as his two superiors talked. His maroon eyes winced when he saw Dark Matter turn towards him.

“Good,” Dark Matter nodded, “Attend to the base and await my orders, I may need reinforcements…” 

The commander nodded and trotted quickly back into the square, passing the awaiting squad.

Dark Matter approached the six ponies with a quick trot, not wasting any time. He could see the anxiety building on not only the captain’s face but now the scouts as well. The one who’d delivered the news last night looked as if she was about to faint. Dark Matter arrived in front of the captain and nodded at him.

“It’s time to move, we have no time to waste. The president’s prize lies in the forest and none of us can return until we find it,” The captain gulped, “This is your chance to redeem your failure, captain. Let’s go.”

The masked pony turned and headed back towards the forest, his previous display of anger visible to the six behind him. He could feel the fear in them, they kept a good distance behind him as he entered the forest. 

This entrance was the same one the target and her Pegasus companion escaped through, Dark Matter still couldn’t believe the incompetence of the ponies behind him. They gave no chase to them in the slightest because of their fear of this forest. Petty superstition prevented them from getting back the president’s prize, it was pitiful. 

Thoughts about the failures of his underlings weren’t going to get Petal back though, so Dark Matter pushed forward. The morning light started to fade as the seven ponies got deeper, the layer of trees he destroyed only the surface of this forest. 

The Everfree was a vast obstacle, he would destroy it but he couldn’t risk burning away clues of Petal’s whereabouts. Before they got any deeper Dark Matter put his hoof up. 

Squad Nine stopped behind, silently awaiting orders. Before Dark Matter was a steep incline, if he’d taken another step he would’ve tumbled down to the bottom. 

“Illuminate.” 

All seven Unicorns horns lit up, a bright aura of purple hovering above as Dark Matter carefully stepped down the incline. Keeping his footing wasn’t difficult, approaching this hill at running speed though…

The seven of them reached the bottom and Dark Matter scanned the clearing for any clues. If the scout was right then the targets came this way. But if they were running they would’ve fallen, and fallen hard… 

Something caught his eye and he whirled to face it. The ground and dead grass were stained a copper brown. The same color trailed and snaked into the trees ahead. Dark Matter walked beside the trail and inspected the dirt.

Hoofprints went in a straight line with the trail, a wide indent following close behind it. One of them had dragged the other away from the clearing and further into the forest.

“Squad Nine, this way,” He said quickly and started down the path. The six trotted over, quickly inspecting the trail and following close behind Dark Matter single file. 

He arrived at a large tree, larger than most trees in the forest. Ancient leaves long dead surrounded the trunk in a circle. Squad Nine came from the trees behind and stopped in front of the tree.

“Be on alert… Something doesn’t feel right,” Dark Matter walked slowly to the trunk and inspected the leaves. Many were crushed and showed the indents of hooves and bodies. There were more than two here, more than four even. Tracks spread out in all directions of the tree trunk, in one area the leaves were crushed and spread apart. Whoever came here fought against the targets.

There weren’t signs of blood though, and a scuffle like this meant no magic was cast. The targets weren’t killed. They were captured. 

“More ponies came here than just our targets, they captured and took them from here…” Dark Matter said, turning to the captain. 

The captain looked surprised but he nodded, “What’s our next move, sir?”

Dark Matter scanned the leaves and dirt, looking for a pattern in the hoofprints and indents. At the very edge of the leaves and into the trees he saw a new pattern.

“There.”

The seven of them moved on the line of prints, five sets in total. They went deep into the trees but with his horn light, Dark Matter could see that beyond those trees there was a trail. 

“Whoever these ponies are, they obviously weren’t expecting to be followed. Their tracks betray them…”

Dark Matter motioned for the squad to follow at a quick pace as he made his way up the trail. The prints didn’t deviate at all, they were going to lead them to straight to the targets. 

Something peculiar slowed his pace though, at the end of the trail there was light flooding into the forest. The sun wasn’t obstructed in the slightest.

Quickening his trot into a gallop, Dark Matter reached the end of the trail and ran right into a gigantic clearing, completely absent of trees. Instead of a forest, there was a gigantic structure, an ancient and derelict castle. Squad Nine arrived behind him and broke their silence, marveling at the castle amongst themselves. 

It was stupendous for sure, a relic of the world before the war. Dark Matter wasn’t looking at the castle anymore though. The tracks didn’t lead to it at all. The tracks lead downward, the trail transformed into concrete and went into a tunnel. To the side of the entrance was a worn down sign. The paint was chipped away but the words still stood the test of time.

BUNKER 00. NO ENTRY TO UNAUTHORIZED PERSONNEL.

For the first time in weeks, Dark Matter felt a surge of triumph rush through him, and in an almost elated voice he turned to the captain,

“Contact the commander, tell him to send all reinforcements.”