All That I Know is Gone

I stood high above the city of Canterlot, the filtered light of the sun glinting in my eyes, I looked out over the city, I was a lot higher than when I had gone into Stasis, the city looked to have sunken with time, I thought it was odd that the platform I was on was stable enough to not have sunk, before I went in it seemed old and untrustworthy back then. I began to make my way down the slope ahead of me, it was rough, the slope was covered in cold mud and small rocks and I fell, a lot. Little slips here and there until I was at the bottom.

The rancid stench of something decaying hit my nostrils, it was almost vomit inducing. Looking around I saw marshland, small animals, mutated it seemed, they scattered as I approached them, except one. Its cold menacing eyes stared into mine, baring it's fangs toward me. I started to backpedal away from it and it went on its way, I sighed in relief. Looking around again the street on which I was standing seemed fairly stable, minus a few sinkholes in the distance, I began to walk shakily along the road, still completely in awe of the land around me. My ear twitched as I heard some shouting in the distance, I thought there was no way somepony else could be here, after all, he was the only other person here right? Right?

I poked my head out of some bushes, using my forehooves to move the leaves out of the way, there they were, the sources of the shouts. Several ponies were circling an injured pony, yelling, screaming, Why? I thought to myself, the shouts were barely audible, just screams of anger really, though some made it into my ears and processed into words I could understand.

"Where!? Where are they?!" One of them shouted, his coat a dull brown, some of his body covered in tattered leather armor. They? Who are 'they'? I wondered, could he be talking about a colony? Were there towns still in this... Wasteland?

"As if I'd ever tell you, cur," The dark gray coated, injured looking pony in the center replied. "I'll end you, I swear it." He gave a stern look at the brown pony, his eyes shone in the light, bright blue, like ice.

"Bahaha! You hear that? He thinks he'll kill me," the brown pony moved in and stared him in the eye, they looked to be only a few inches apart, "I'd like to see you try, ninny." he said, smirking. I noticed the glint of something in the distance, another pony? Probably, just moving along, looking for supplies most likely, though I don't know what they'd find out here, that's when I heard it, the loud CRACK! the buzzed through the air, I shrieked softly and looked around to see nothing but the pony in the distance, then I looked down. The brown pony was hunched over on the floor, his hoofed pressed against his chest.

"W-What was that," He coughed, some blood dripped from his muzzle to the floor, "What have you done to me?" He appeared to be tearing up, the crimson liquid running down his foreleg. The gray pony smirked as the other two ran away, shouting threats back at him. He stood shakily, holding his right forehoof up, it was obviously broken in multiple places.

"That, you pathetic whelp," he smirked, "Was a thing we call teamwork." He began to walk away, towards the glint, I decided to try and talk to him, that was cut short by the loud crack followed by the buzzing noise again, my heart sank, there was a steaming hole right in front of me, I quickly ducked behind a building, hopefully I couldn't be hit by, that... Thing. Whatever it was. "We know you're there! What do you want? Are you going to try and rob me like these fools just tried?" I heard the gray pony shout at me. I swallowed hard.

"N-No! I-I just s-stumbled across your little, dispute and I was observing," I was shaking I thought for sure I'd die then and there, "I just, my name is Crystalline! I uh, j-just woke up, from," I paused for a second, "from stasis!" I shouted back, I began to sob lightly, everything that had happened and I'd die there? Just because I was there, watching.

"Crystalline eh? Come, come, we won't bite! Not right away and without proper reasoning," He replied calmly, "Just drop your weapons."

"I-I don't have any!" I replied quickly as I slowly made my way over to him, it was 20 feet or so before I was standing next to him, he was bruised and cut, obviously recent.

"Ahh, a young unicorn mare, nice to meet you," He smiled warmly, "I'd shake your hoof, but, you know," He beckoned to his limb, it was completely limp, "Would hurt. So, tell me, stasis? You were a part of that stupid program?" He chuckled softly. "Well then, I guess, welcome to the new world!"

"Yeah, I've already been welcomed," I sighed again, "An old friend." I looked into his eyes and smiled, for the first time I felt safe.

"Oh, well, the name's CoalStone," He said, smiling "Nice to meet you, would you care to come with us?" He smiled warmly and used one of his wings to point toward his friend, who waved at me in the distance, I waved back.

"Are there more of you? I mean," I cleared my throat, "Like, a colony?" I got a little closer to him.

"There are," He smiled as I got closer, "Many more, hundreds." He began to walk toward his friend, I couldn't believe it, hundreds? Really hundreds? I thought there was no way that many ponies could still be alive, there isn't right? There's only us? THe possibility of hundreds enticed me, I had to go with them to see if it was true. I quickly caught up, I was lost in thought, walking with this gray pony to his friend, who could just kill me at any second, we quickly got to his friend.

"Hiya!" The voice from the figure was higher than I expected, it lifted a hat and pulled off a scarf to reveal a mare, her coat a dull red, mane a dark orange, "The name's Sanguine, nice to meet you miss," She beckoned with her hoof.

"Crystalline," CoalStone said, "Her name's Crystalline," He stood next to her and nuzzled her affectionately, it was obvious they were together. I cleared my throat to excuse myself from the, what was now, making out session. "Sorry," CoalStone said, having just separated from Sanguine's lips, "Get carried away sometimes, you know?" I didn't know, love was foreign to me, I'd never felt it to anyone but my mother. "Shall we continue then?" he began to walk closely beside Sanguine, who had slung her ancient looking sniper rifle over her back. I followed slightly behind, observing the landscape around me.

"So, how'd you get your hooves on that sniper rifle?" I asked, "They were taken out of commission hundreds of years ago, must have been in mint condition stowed away somewhere for you to find it working," I said curiously, stepping over the railing on the side of the road.

"Family heirloom," She replied, looking back at me, "Each generation is taught to clean it and replace parts, still in mint condition, works like a charm!" She smiled and chuckled a little, I did also, ironically I knew how well it worked.

"Well, can't be that perfect if you missed!" I said playfully.

"If I'd wanted you dead, you would have been as soon as you poked your little head out of those bushes," She said, turning and winking at me, I felt happy, yet horrified that I could have actually died. AS we kept walking, the bush got thinner and thinner, pathways began to come into view, obviously well used, suspended platforms went from tree to tree, supported by vines, ponies walked along them and eyed me curiously, we only saw a few before we reached the gate. It was massive, at least 10 ponies in height and the same number in width. My mouth was agape with awe.

"Better close your mouth, might get flies in there!" CoalStone joked, chuckling to himself, I shook my head and giggled softly. CoalStone put his hoof in a scanner and the door opened.

"How the heck did you get that scanner to work out here?" I asked, after all, I had designed the prototype for a scanner very similar, "It shouldn't even work out here!" I said, surprised.

"Dunno, one of the tech nerds did it," he chuckled, "No offence," He looked at me, "I know you're a tech nerd, I can tell by your cutie mark," he turned back and walked through the gate, I followed excitedly, I could hear the typical ruckus of a town marketplace, as we emerged from the long hall into the town, I was astounded. He was right, hundreds of ponies, all walking around, talking to each other, buying wares, I squealed softly with happiness. The familiarity of the sights and sounds took me back, to the time before stasis, shopping with my mother, buying little sweet buns and not telling dad when we got home, I laughed quietly to myself.

"WELCOME TO SILT!" The masculine voice boomed through the air, "PLEASE, GO TO THE MAYORS OFFICE FOR IDENTIFICATION AND AUTHORIZATION." It ended just as abruptly as it had started. CoalStone led me to the office, a large steel door slid open slowly, the metal screaming as it scraped on the stone, inside was a well furnished (Well, considering the rest of Canterlot it was 'well furnished') office, a stallion with a mane the color of fire looked at me from over a desk, his lips curled into a smile, his coat was almost metallic silver, his eyes were the deepest shade of emerald.

"Please," his voice was deep and soothing, "Sit," he beckoned to a chair in front of his desk, I quickly clambered into the seat and sat down, it was a bit too large, "My name is Claudius Silt, it's a pleasure to meet you, Crystalline." He suddenly gave me a serious look. My eyes widened in shock, how did he know that? He started to laugh uproariously, "Ahahaha! Gotcha!" He grinned wide, I gave a false giggle, "I always have my men wear ear pieces when they leave, I have heard everything that he said, and you," He smiled again, "I shall have an ID made for you, you will have level one access. That means basic facilities, stores, your home will be set up in a couple of days time, for the meanwhile, feel free to stay at the inn." He smiled again and a camera sprung from the desk and took a picture of me before disappearing back down into the desk, "That takes care of photo ID, the rest will be done by this afternoon, please, feel free to wander until then," He beckoned to the door and I quickly left.

As I made my way around the town, I noticed the ponies were all suddenly quiet, shooting me dirty looks from across the way. I kept my head down and went to the inn, after everything that had happened, I needed a lie down. As I pushed the door open, it creaked loudly, my ears lay back against my head as the piercing sound registered in my mind. "Hello!" The voice boomed across the room, a slight pause and some distortion in the long 'o' sound it let out, "Welcome to the inn," It said, suddenly monotone and robotic. I looked over to the left of the room where the voice came from, it was a cyborg, I was surprised, I didn't think any of them existed anymore, even in the time before my stasis trip, let's call that time the 'Simple Time', cyborgs were exceedingly rare. I walked across to the dirty counter, it smelled of moldy food and smoke. "New in to-" The voice cut suddenly, "-own are ya?" it continued, I nodded softly, "Don't be shy! I won't bite," the voice sounded as though it was done by several different ponies, a mare and a couple of different stallions.

"I umm, I'm Crystalline," I stammered the words out, the cyborg's eye was zooming in and out on me, I didn't doubt that he could see down to my bone structure, probably even my blood type, cyborgs are a remarkable invention, "I need a room for the night, p-please," The way the cyborg analyzed me was unnerving, I had to break eye sight to speak at all.

"Of course little lady, how long do ya plan on stayin' for?"

"Should only be a few days, if that, I don't think I should stay,"

"Oh, well, you're always free to stay as long as you like, now, a room for several nights will cost you something, do you have anything to trade?" I was shocked, I only had a few possessions, my necklace, my white suit and... And... My great grandfather's pocket watch.

"I umm, well, no, not really, I only came into this world today, I don't know what's worth anything," I said, watching the cyborg's eye as it examined my pockets.

"Well, that there watch of yours would be worth a fair bit to someone, as would your necklace and your suit, though there are, other ways," A sly smile appeared on its face as he spoke that last sentence, I knew what he meant and I cringed

at the thought.

"I'll work here if that's what you mean, if it's anything other than that, you can go do it yourself," I gave him a stern look. He obviously understood.

"Alright, well, you can stay one night free, after that, it'll be ten hour days until you leave. Each ten hours you work, you'll get one day," He threw me a key, I put it in my pocket, "You're on the second floor, third door on the left," He turned and began to work on something in the back, I made my way through the rusted walls of the inn. The ground was either dirt of rough stone, most of it stained with, unnameable substances. After walking for about fifteen minutes, I found my room, the key was simply a small metal rod with a single prong on the end Pfft, so simple I thought to myself as I opened the door to find a rather nice little room, it didn't smell odd and the floor stones were surprisingly smooth,  I slowly got into the bed, hoping it would support my weight, luckily it did and I managed to lie down somewhat comfortably for the first time that day.

I lied in bed, eyes closed, rubbing my temples as I contemplated what had happened, all the thoughts going through my mind, all the things that had happened and then I was lying on, well, I don't know what it was, but it was soft... I relaxed a bit and I rolled over to get some sleep. Sleeping was, uncomfortable, the bed felt like it moved as I did and the imagery going through my mind, the bullet through the brown pony earlier, me being all alone in the world, or so I thought, but, as it turns out, there are more ponies, so many more ponies. I woke up late at night, after sleeping for, what was probably a few hours, I looked around, I thought I had heard something scurrying around, I got up and started to look around, walking slowly at the edges of the walls, I heard the scurrying again, I poked my head into the small bathroom that was there. There it was. A large beetle, about the size of a small dog. I let out a long sigh, realizing I was safe, I used my magic to levitate the beetle out of the window and went back to bed, I'd learn more the next day when I woke up, but, for the time being, I needed the sleep.