Title: Anon Falls - The First Family p1 Author: Anonymous Pastebin link: http://pastebin.com/FSQ0EzZs First Edit: Friday 8th of May 2015 08:15:14 PM CDT Last Edit: Friday 8th of May 2015 08:15:14 PM CDT The journey was quiet and uneventful. It was an uncomfortable silence, given the region's history. Stallion, mare, and foal traversed carefully along the centuries unused train tracks, hooves all wrapped in cloth and strings to mute their steps in the underpassing tunnels. A loud echo in this cavernous land could spell death, frightening a potential catch, or inviting a convergence of subterranean predators.   "Poise, please..." The stallion's wife begged one last time, whispering so low it made no echo in the long tunnel, "What if they're from Fillydelphia? It'll be safer starting over in Friendship City, or Arbu."   It took all Stalwart Poise's willpower to resist agreeing and turning back, he was violating the foundation of his upbringing as is, marching his entire family towards the center where the wild horrors were known to nest. All because of a ludicrous rumor a settlement had sprung up overnight. Probably a wastelander's sadistic joke to entice naive scavengers to their deaths. Poise wasn't proud, but he owed some of his essential findings from looting the bodies of the gullible.   Raiders fared no better, hence why Poise and his exiled wife remained. So long as they respected the dangers, Poise and Clear Fall could survive. That was why Poise refused to believe a miracle dropping down from the sky. He would've surely noticed a small army of ponies passing by his home, cleansing the source of the infestation overnight.   "We can't." Desparation overpowered Poise's caution, "We don't have enough food to make the trip back."   Shame claimed the stallion's voice, fully aware he had been failing his duty as a husband and father in recent weeks. Lending proof to the rumors of a new settlement, all his trappings turned scarce as if the predatory fauna turned endangered suddenly. Ponies ventured into the valley, most returning alive. Wastelanders and Raiders alike. The mote of dust that shattered Poise's stubbornness were the raiders camping right outside the family's concealed dwelling in the hill one tense evening.   With no meat or hide left to trade, Poise could only hope the community of ponies residing in the tall ruins were fair folk. His options were out, Poise couldn't bear watching his family subsist on grub and trap bait anymore.   "Hey, ma? Pa?" Lean Dart asked faintly, "Do you think there'll be some ponies around my age where we're going?"   "I like to think so." Clear Fall answered brightfully. Stalwart hoped so too.   *Kttch!*   Poise reacted immediately, bracing his teeth around his saddle's mouth grip, ready to defend his family against whichever monstrosity was waiting to tunnel from underneath.   "I kicked a pebble..." His son shrunk.   "Dart, dammit..." Poise gritted to scold his child, "What did I say? Don't you ever drag your hooves on the ground...!"   "There was a rock on the track." Dart explained, "It's not my fault, pa. I can't see-."   "Dart, it's fine." Poise hushed before their volume could echo. It was out of his son's control, he admitted. And no sooner when he calmed Lean Dart did a collection of blatant voices usher from the other side of the tunnel. Signalling his family to remain still, Poise elected to scout ahead much to Clear Fall's worry.   "...'kin cigarettes here sucks." The trapper heard one of the inhabitants spat out bitterly.   "Could be that there's no such thing as tobacco here." Stalwart detected a second voice.   "Well, shit."   Poise paused his slow approach upon observing the smoke stick being discarded onto the tracks. He'd become all too aware he was within the light's cast. Guards maybe, but no real facts to discern their disposition. But if any of the inhabitants decided to peer into the tunnel...   “So, Anon 34…” drawled out a third voice identified as sounding the youngest.   “Love of god, don’t give me that label.” The scratchy sounding stallion who smoked earlier bristled, “I won’t conform to this number system you guys set up.”   “Until we can remember our names, we can call you Boomer.” the second voice suggested, “Or maybe Rule 34.”   “…34 it is then…Anon 13.” The displeased smoker conceded.   None of this conversation made sense to Stalwart. That these inhabitants would prefer to address each other by a number. Could this be a militant cult of some sort where ponies prohibit free choice like simple names. Horrid imaginations crossed the father’s mind of these ponies imprisoning his son until he’s forced to believe his name is no longer Lean Dart.   "So..." ‘Anon’ 13 tried pressing the original topic, "who's willing to bet one of us is actually Kkat?"   “I’d prefer if one of us admitted to be No One or Funzee, so we can at least know how their stories ended.” The second pony responded.   “Well, what about Somber?” the youngest buck asked further, voice trembling as if bracing for…   “Fuck that!” The scratch-voiced pony hissed, “I’m glad we’re all rid of that rape-obsessed, Luna-bashing high rider! Hired Gun killed Dragonslayer one short, while Somber is to this day dragging along the confrontation with Cognitium without killing her.”   This was a mistake. The realization dawned on Poise. Some of these ponies actively called for another ones death, and they all seemed to have once been compliant to the actions of this barbaric Somber. He began tipping back slowly. He needed to get his family as far away from these ponies as possible.   "Oh my god, but if one of us turns out to be Bris…" the youngest yipped ecstatically.   "Whoa, hold up." Poise heard #34 pony interject, "You two browsed that site? The last three I talked to mentioned names and phrases only bronies on 4chan would've known about."   Four Chin? Poise mouthed slowly, failing to match the title to anypony or town from his memory. He could only discern these three were some faraway tribals.   "You don't think..." the youngest, Anon 13, left the assumption out in the open.   "No." The normally level speaker of the three began lapsing into a rant, "No way. I refuse to believe whatever cosmic force stranded us did so from looking at an internet forum!"   With all his attention to the damning voices, Poise realized too late the uneven feeling of a rock pressing behind his rear hoof.   “Aw Shit! The tunnel!” The loud ricochet of stone hitting the rusting rails reminded the guards of their tasks. Blinding rays of light ruined Poise’s vision as one of the ponies brandished an electric torch into the tunnel. Poise’s vision became a wall of white from the flash, clumsily colliding into the one of the walls. “He’s not ours!”   “No, Dart! Come back!” He heard Clear Fall scream. Why yell such a thing? Their son is right to run-.   Something nipped and tugged his barding.   “Daddy! This way!” No! Run away, Dart! Not towards your father!   “None of you move!” two of the guards blockaded the exit of the tunnel, battle saddles fastened to their bodies. “The tunnel is too narrow to run if we shoot. Come out, now!”