A bright a light permeated the deep sleep of the purple mare. As her eye adjusted to beam, a familiar face came into view. That of her father’s. “Glad to see you back in the world of the living.” Twilight responded with a grunt of displeasure. “Come, I’ve got someone for you to meet.” Leaning up Twilight got reacquainted with her room. She admired her large stack of books that she had collected. Even if the world is in shambles, it doesn’t mean a mare can’t enjoy a good book every now and then. Shaking the sleepiness from her limbs,Twilight dawned a large coat. She then magicked a saddle bag to herself. She brushed some bits into it and went on her way.

Despite being located deep underground and now populated by many many ponies, the place was kept relatively tidy. As the unicorn traveled forth towards her destination, she heard snip-its of ponies conversations. Much of it wasn’t pleasant. “Have you heard the rumours of the changelings, it’s said that they don’t kill their target, but drive them mad!” “Father! When will mother come home?” “When will have food, mother?”

It hurt Twilight so, knowing that her kind suffered. She only wished could help in some way. But no one mare can change the world, what is there to make her believe she could? Too deep into her thoughts Twilight bumped into her father. “Head always in the clouds, isnt it?”
“Heh, yeah, sure.” Twilight replied annoyed.

Twilight and her father gathered around a fire barely lighting the small room. Twilight took in her surroundings as they waited for this mysterious stranger. The flickering of the fire twisted the features of the room but she could make out the general picture. The large airlock the kept the air in the metro mostly clean, the mutants and who knows what else, on the outside. Four dark vents sat in the walls of the room. Two burly unicorns wearing armor made of old steel and motorcycle helmets sat ready at the airlock, ready to buck or blast whatever tried to come through that door.

As Twilight studied the guards jury-rigged armor 3 sharp bangs rattled through the steel. “Mutants don’t knock! Open the damn door!” Twilight’s father said as the guards started reading spells to blow away the thing on the other side of the door.

An orange figure stepped through the airlock, followed by swirls of snow and frost. Its upper torso was covered by a thick trench coat that stretched to its flanks. Two large bags bulged from the sides of the coat. Its face was covered by a dull gray mask with a large filter protruding from the left side. Two large green eyes stared out from cracked viewing port. Those green eyes couldn’t be mistaken.

“APPLEJACK!!” Twilight exclaimed

The figure slipped off the gas mask revealing a smiling orange face, speckled with dirt. “Hai there sugarcube.” Applejack made her way to the fire. Taking a load off she continued, “I brought you somethin’ for your collection, Twilight.” Applejack shook free the bags from her torso. A large purple rectangular object slid out. The title, written in gold, shimmered in the fire light, it said, “Of War and Pony.” Twilight delightedly levitated it into her saddle bag. The three made idle chatter, but then all of the sudden loud metallic bangs sounded from the vents, followed by the sound of tearing metal. A large black creature burst through the vent closest to Applejack. Her reflexes sharpened by the past years of fighting in the wastes, she instinctively bucked the creature in the face. A sickening crunch sounded through the room, followed by the splatter of blood on the floor. The mutant laid in a crumpled, unmoving mess in the corner. More started pouring from the vents. “What are the tunnel trash doing in here!? They never go this deep into the metro!” Twilight’s father shouted. A guard responded, blasting away a mutant with a magic bolt, “They must’ve torn through the coverings! They coming from the abandoned tunnels west of here.”

Twilight let loose a barrage of blasts on the incoming creatures. Each slammed against the far wall, dead. With a defiant roar the last mutant fell. “Well, that was fun, wuddin’ it?” Applejack said breathlessly. “It has to be those damn changelings. What else would make the mutants retreat so deep into the metro?” Twilight’s father said. “Ah gotta go warn SaltLick station. Twilight, take my token,” Applejack took off a an iron tab on a small chain, emblazoned by three crimson apples and lowered it into the unicorn’s outstretched hoof, “If ah don’t return in three days, go to YanHoover, and meet with the council.” The orange mare demanded the airlock opened. Cold gusts rushed in and chilled the ponies in the room, as the airlock slammed shut with a loud clang.