"Koldan!" Vinyl yells as her brother falls to the ground, landing with a muffled thud. She rushes forwards to him, kneeling by him. Picking up his upper body and taking his limp head in one hand, resting him on her shoulder, she starts shaking him lightly.

"C'mon Koldan. C'mon, wake up!" Desperation starts to set in. She just got her brother back after so long. So many years. She couldn't lose him again so soon.

"KOLDAN!" She hears her voice calling her older brothers name echo on in her head. How long had she been kneeling there? How much time had gone where she could have helped him? What if something is seriously wrong with him? What if somepony's touching her drums? Wha-

"Vinyl!" A strong voice calls her back to reality, and her head snaps up. She's still kneeing on the ground, but Koldan is squatting next to her, a hoof on her shoulder, shaking her lightly. Da fuq? Okay, that was weird…

"'S everything okay? You really spaced out there for a while."

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. So, whaddaya want to do now?"

A thoughtful look comes over him. He stands up, mumbling something as he walks to the others and talks to them for a few seconds.

"Well, the others say I don't have to go with them if I don't want to, well, all except for Pinkie Pie, but anyway. So if it would be alright, could I stay here with you and… Tavi, was it?"

She nearly exploded. Her brother was back to stay again! It would be just like the old times, and-

"Well, Vinlyl," Rainbow's voice cuts her concentration, "Looks like we're goin' now. See ya after we save ponykind again." She turns to leave with the others, "I'll be sure to kill some mutant for ya, 'kay?"

The group walks down the last tunnel to Central. And this tunnel is something special. Something very special indeed. Sure, it stretches out endlessly, just like all of the others, and sure, it seems to almost suck life out of whatever is passing through it, just like all of the others; but it has lights. Lights! As in 'you can actually see what you're walking into'! Dash lets out a soft whistle of awe, letting her head sway back and forth, her eyes going over the florescent tubes that brighten the entire tunnel.

"Why can't we have this sort of thing up at Outreach?" she asks out loud, but to nopony in particular.

"I could explain in almost painful detail why it's not possible on several levels," Twilight says, "but I have a feeling that was a rhetorical question." Dash murmurs something about buzzkills and looks back down at the path ahead of her.

A large gate comes into view with the single most beautiful word Dash or Twilight had ever seen. CENTRAL. They break into a run, followed by the others, not stopping until they reach the gate. A group of soldiers in loose fitting, long, grey pants and sleeveless white shirts walk out, each one bearing a tattoo of a bullet shape over a leaping flame on their forearm.

The leader of the group steps forward to meet them, holding up one hand, palm out and fingers spread.

"Welcome to Central, what's your business here?"

"We were sent by a colt named 'Hunter'," Twilight answers. The soldier raises an eyebrow skeptically.

"Oh, were you now? I suppose that you and the other two-hundred ponies that've said that must have urgent matters to disc- to discuss… with." His sarcasm dies in his mouth as Dash holds up the chain that Hunter had given her.

"Yes, um, *cough*, well, uh-welcome to Central, I'll alert the council to your arrival."

"Alright, here's what's going to happen," the powerfully built, heavily dressed colt across from Twilight and Rainbow says, "Seeing as how you two are the ones that really know everything, you two 'll be the only ones of your group in the meeting. When you're called in, you're going to explain everything starting with when you first met Hunter to the best of your abilities. After that, do not talk. At. all. 'Kay?"

They nod in agreement.

"Good." He turns to the intercom unit beside him. "Attention all council members, report to the council building, repeat, all council members, report to the council building!" He turns to them, signaling them to follow him, and leaves.

Here's hoping they take this more seriously than I think they will, Dash thinks gloomily as they follow the stalker to the council building, the ponies back home are really depending on it.

Miller kicks the door open breaching style, venting some of his irritation.

"I can't believe this!" he growls, "That the council would reject your pleas, that they wouldn't show a fraction of the courage that you and your group have shown. I'm terribly sorry about this, but I will find a way to help your station."

After the loudness, the quiet that retakes the room seems even heavier as they all think of what could be done. Suddenly, Miller's head snaps up.

"The пушки!"[pronounced: pushki] he exclaims to questioning looks, "Several special weapons, commonly simply called 'пушки', were placed around Equestria a few years before everything went to hell, and I'll bet that at least one of them is still functioning. And trust me," he adds, his eyebrows rising in appreciation and a thin smile spreading over his mouth, "one is enough. It'll be pretty dangerous getting to them though, none were put anywhere too close to the metro." He walks over to his drawers, pulling one open and withdrawing a full map of Equestria, dotted with markings and information. Looking over it, his face starts to pale.

"What is it?" Twilight asks, catching on to his slight fear, "What's wrong?"

"It would appear," he says, "that the closest of the пушки is in an area that's adopted the title of 'the Library'." He shudders on the word 'library'. "It's one of the most deadly areas on the surface, it's not going to be easy." He takes a deep breath, closing his eyes and pursing his lips for a moment. "That's probably your best hope. I'm going to send you off with the best of the best, a stalker that's been through more stuff than anypony in the metro. She'll get you in and out, and be back in time for tea. I'll let you pack, and then meet up with 'er at the main gate in exactly one hour, understood?" Twilight and Rainbow both nod, and go to get their stuff.

An hour later, they walk to the main gate along with the others, minus Khan, who left while they were in the council meeting. As they get closer, they hear light conversation and laughter between a very Russian voice and a southern-style drawl.

"There's something familiar about that voice." Dash says distantly, "It sounds almost like-" They all stop and stare, meeting the shocked look of the stalker with shock of their own.

"Apple Jack?!"

---

I'm not dead yet! But good god, it took me long enough, didn't it? Sorry bronies, but school (and band (and being sick)) has been kicking my ass lately, and if I'm not completely out of time for stuff, I'm not in the mood to write, terribly sorry, but it was either update, and have crappy chapters, or not update, and maybe piece together something that's almost passable. So I did the latter. Hopefully, the next update will come sooner, but no promises. Thanks again to everypony that's reviewed, it's appreciated beyond belief, keep being awesome, and sorry again /)*(\