Stranger: Revised and Rebooted

Chapters

The Forest
A History Lesson
Cave

The Forest

Woo! Danny is back baby! Time to grab the world by its ballsack and jam my thumb up its prostate! Okay guys, here’s the chapter! I hope you like it! I worked pretty hard on it and I think very highly of it. I hope you will all enjoy this read!

War and hate. Two things that I never strayed from, no matter how much I told myself I wanted to. No matter what, these two factors were always the most consistent things in my life. Hell, they’re the only consistent things in my life, or at least, the life I know.

I can’t really say much about my life before the strike, because I don’t remember anything before that incident; no family, no friends, nopony to count on. It was just me, all alone in the wastes of hell. I wander the wastes, blade in tail, ready to do anything to survive. This is MY story.

Waking up from my brief sleep, I glance down at my hooves to remind myself that I’m still alive, a habit that I’ve developed over the course of three years. My hooves look the same as they always do, grey and dirty; stained with blood and grime from my endless journey across the barren hell that I reluctantly call home. I also instinctively try to flap my wings, then remember that I don’t have wings…anymore.

I remember the day well, being tortured and brutalized for close to three hours before being left to rot in the wastes of the Mild West. I lived, but my wings were cut off by my kidnappers. I even remember the tool they used; a hack saw. Now, where my wings should be, there are only two bumps where the bone juts out slightly. The bumps are not very noticeable, though I have been asked a few questions about them. I usually tell them that I got bad bruises from a fight and my back swelled up.

I look up from my hooves and scan the horizon with my ocean blue eyes. Everypony always says that’s what they are, but I am still skeptical about that; I have never seen water in such a deep shade of blue. Actually, I’ve never seen water in any shade of blue; usually water’s all dirty and brown.

I let my guard down after seeing nothing other than a few tumbleweeds. Deciding to start moving, I begin to pack all of my items into my saddle pockets. After chewing a few wads of ration hay, I set out on the road.

Traveling down an unsuspecting trail, I glace down at my hooves. One thing that I notice about the trail is the large amount of hoofprints printed into the ground. Most of them are very old, however, indicating that they are most likely from before the strike. I heard that before the Strike, ponies used to happy all the time. I can’t even imagine such an idea. The only time that I’m happy is when I’m killing mutants.

Mutants are the scum of Equestria. They are basically disfigured husks of ponies that got bucked up from radiation poisoning. They typically travel in packs, but there are some solo mutants. Mutants usually stand anywhere from a little bit taller than an average stallion, to nearly twice the size of a stallion.

I walk deeper and deeper into the forest. Deep in my thoughts, I almost don’t notice the rustling of a nearby bush. The buck do I have here? I glance over at the bush and double back, seeing mutant. This one is ugly; a sickly green covering his black coat in uneven splotches.

I unsheathe my sword and charge at the mutant, who responds with a furious growl. I can feel the ground shake as his guttural cry is let loose. Please be a solo mutant, please! I haven’t slept good in days! I continue thinking as I let loose my own guttural cry and continue with my swing. The blade chops right through the center of the pony like butter. One down, a million to go. I smile as I relish in the thrill of the kill. Staring down at the corpse, I put on a look of disgust as I stomp through the skull of the mutant with my rear hooves.

Putting my blade away, I continue down the path, blood dripping from my hooves after every step. Eventually, I come across a decrepit-looking old sign that is obviously very old. Looking at the sign, I can make out some words, though others have fade completely.

EV RF EE FR ST

I ponder the sign’s meaning for a few minutes, then give up and continue walking. I mean, it’s from before the Strike, how important can the information really be? Nothing that’s came from before the Strike really saved my ass before, so why would it start now?

Suddenly, my thoughts are interrupted by an ear-splitting screech. What the buck is that!?! I search around, trying to locate the source of the noise. Out of nowhere, a creature appears from one of the trees. I have to say, what I am seeing is possibly the most revolting, disgusting creature ever to roar the wastes.

It reminds me a bit of a spider, but more…pony like. It has the head and basic body of a mare, but the similarities end there. The mouth is literally tearing open, fangs erupting from the corners of said mouth. I look further down the body, seeing that the spine is jutting out from the back in odd angles. I feel bad for this poor mare, nopony deserves this. And the legs; oh my god, the legs. The hooves are stretched and twisted to impossible lengths, not to mention that there are six instead of four. The hooves seem to end in an almost needle-like point. I would enjoy killing this monster, if only to release the soul of whoever is trapped inside there.

I unsheathe my sword and get into a fighting stance, spitting a bit of saliva on the ground next to me to show that I mean business. After a second, I charge and swing. Just as I swing, however, the spider-thing leaps out of the way, using its needle-legs to stick into the trees. Shit! I curse myself at my wide swing before getting back into a fighting position. I am going to bucking KILL YOU!!! I then begin to swing like crazy, missing every shot and getting more frustrated every time. Buck buck BUCK!!! While cursing myself out, I feel a piercing pain suddenly erupt from my midsection. Quickly, I realize that I have been stabbed by the monster, one of its appendages sticking out of my body.

The needle-leg retracts and reveals a gaping hole. I cannot see the area well, but I can see that I am losing a large amount of blood. Oh shit oh SHIT! In my pain, however, I come up with an idea. My idea comes from the fact that all of my swings are just a little bit short. Pulling out my blanket, I aim to remedy this idea.

I twist the blanket until it is a tightly-wound knot, then I continue to tie one end of the rope-blanket around the hilt of my blade and the other around my right front hoof. I grin at my achievement and decide to test it, feeling my blood levels lowering already. Time to die. I jump out at the beast, screaming as I swing my blade. The extra length of the swing gives me an advantage over it this time. I hear the satisfying sound of flesh being cut, and then a dull thud. I look up to see that the beast has fallen, now in two pieces. Heh, got it.

My celebration is short lived, as I feel my blood begin to flow out of my body at an alarming rate. I know that its too late, I just know it. I sigh and lie on my back, wanting to die peacefully. Well, at least I took it down with me, right? I continue to think about how my death is justifiable, but I am cut off by a voice.

“Are you oka…” The voice seems to be fading away, as is the rest of the world, “Oh my g…Ponyville…take you home…get first aid…”

I eventually can no longer even hear the voice, as the world begins to fade away. Before the world fades away completely, I see a flash of rainbow. Huh, there are no rainbows in the wasteland, only death. The buck is that? I continue to think as I slip into death’s cold grip. Before I can think of much more, I fall into darkness, not feeling anything at all.

Yes, I like this ending much better than the original, and I hope you did too!

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A History Lesson

Second chapter here, and the changes here are instantly visible. I personally think that his conversation is one of the best I have ever written. I hope you enjoy it.

I begin to stir, feeling slightly lightheaded. Wait, I’m awake? I’m supposed to be dead! What the hell was that rainbow? I struggle for a few minutes to open my eyes, and I am immediately greeted by the sight of a cyan mare with a multicolored mane. Almost like a…rainbow! I attempt to jump to my hooves in realization, but instead, I end up falling on my back again, engulfed in a sudden surge of pain pulsating from the hole in my chest.

“Aarrgghh!” I writhe in pain, though internally I'm thank my lucky stars that I’m alive. The mare turns around to face me, signs of worry visible on her face. I look around and realize that I am lying in a field, apparently out of that forest.

“Woah, you’re awake! Oh my gosh I almost thought you died there.” She quickly turns around and grabs a first-aid kit, then walks towards me. She looks…worried. Wait, I’ve heard about stuff like this! One pony got dissected by some crazy doctor out there! I immediately begin to fear my own safety, trying to scoot away from the mare. She notices this and stares at me with confusion.

“Dude, what’s wrong? I’m trying to help you here.” I can detect a small amount of annoyance in her voice, “Stop moving, it’ll make this take longer.”

"Get the buck away from me!” I yell in fright, startling the mare, “Y-Your gonna dissect or use me in some sick experiment! I’ve seen what wasteland doctors do to ponies!”

“What the hay are you talking about? I’m trying to give you some medicine for that wound!” She is. Starting to get angry now, “I don’t know where you’re from, but here in Ponyville, we help ponies in need, not hurt them! Now calm down so I can give you this stuff for your wound!”

“Y-you mean, you really wanna give me free meds?” I calm down a little, “You’re not gonna cut me up for some experiment?”

“Why the hay would I do that?” She asks me, her voice now a tad more composed, “Now sit still, this might hurt a bit.”

I feel pain as the mare pours some clear liquid over my stomach area, burning my nerves. She then gestures for me to stay as she reaches to grab a roll of linen wrap out of the box. Before long, My midsection is wrapped in bandages. I have to admit, it does null the pain a bit. Before I sit up, she grabs something else, a syringe by the looks of it, but unlike any I’ve seen. This one has purple-tinted glass containing an unknown liquid. Maybe I should trust her, she hasn’t hurt me yet. I decide to listen to my conscience as she plunges the needle into my midsection, releasing the meds into my system. I sit confused until she notions for me to get up.

“What was that?” I ask her as I get back on my hooves, “Never seen anything like it.”

“It’s just some stuff that makes you heal faster.” She explains with a sideways glance, “By the way, what’s your name? I’m Rainbow Dash, most awesome pony in all of Equestria!”

“Whatever, I’m Iron Storm; another wanderer from the wastes.” I explain quickly.

“What’s a wanderer?” She asks me, “And what was that body that was next to you in the forest.”

“Some asswipe mutated pony thing. Tried to get me, but I had my sword and my wits.” I grin a little, “He won’t be waking up any time soon.”

“Wait, mutant? What are you talking about?” She looks at me with a confused glare, “Mutants are in comic books, right? You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

“Well then, if I’m kidding you, how did I get this wound? What is that creature? Care to tell me?” I say in an annoyed voice. I glance at the mare in front of me, seeing that she now has a very flustered look on her face.

“Okay, I guess it’s time for a history lesson.” I say, seeing that she has no idea what I’m talking about.

“Around three years ago, Equestria awoke to a grim sight.” I begin my story, “Up in the skies, there was a meteor hurtling towards the land, ready to crush everypony below it. Predictably, this made everypony panic and flood the royal family with questions. Those who didn’t do that spent their time boarding up and hunkering down in makeshift bunkers. For most, the effort was in vain; the meteor collided with Equestria and destroyed a lot of towns, such as Manehatten and Fillydelphia. Most towns now are flaming, destroyed shells of what they once were. Hell, the impact alone killed and destroyed nearly everything in a one hundred mile radius.”

The mare stares at me in disbelief as I tell my story, her eyes connected with mine. Wonder what she thinks of this? How does she not now about this already?

“That impact alone caused the government to collapse and sent Equestria into a lawless, brutal existence. Thing is, that’s not even the worst part; theres the radiation.”

“R-radiation…?” She stares at me again, a pained look in her eyes.

“The meteor must’ve had some kind of radioactive shit in it, because now these mutants are popping up everywhere. They look like ponies, but they are much dumber and their only goal is to kill and eat everypony they see. I’ve killed around…let’s see…a thousand of them? Yeah, that sounds right. Give or take a few hundred.”

She just stares blankly at me, her face showing disbelief and horror.

“Ponies took on several different ways of life to survive in this hostile environment. Most just established small colonies around the wastes. They use numbers and fortified structures to combat the freaks. Another thing that most ponies have to worry about is bandits; ponies who take what they want and kill whoever gets in the way. Hell, sometimes they just kill ponies for the hell of it. Foals, Fillies, Mares, doesn’t matter to them. They enjoy torture, and I have a personal vendetta against any and all bandits for what they’ve done to me.”

“W-What did the-“ Dash begins to speak, but I cut her off.

“I’ll tell you later.” I reply in a cold-as-steel voice.

“I myself am a wanderer. I wander the wastes of Equestria, never sleeping in the same place for more than one night. All my possessions are on my back, and I am a master at the art of survival. I’m also a pretty good fighter, and I have to be to survive all of the freaks who attack me on a regular basis. It’s not fun, but it’s life, and that’s enough for me.”

Dash stares at me in disbelief, most likely shocked at what she just heard. Her world was torn from her and she didn’t even know it. I’ll admit, I feel a little bit bad for her.

“Yeah right! This is all just some dream!” She suddenly exclaims, laughing nervously, “Just…Just a nightmare. I’m gonna wake up any second now.”

“Are…Are you kidding me?” I begin calmly enough, then I start to unleash my rage, “Are you bucking kidding me!?! You stupid bucking bitch!” My sudden outburst shocks her, causing her to back up in fright. I just put everything down and go into rage mode, “I went through hell and back so many bucking times! This is not a damn dream, it’s a living hell! I’ve been living this life for three years. Three bucking years!!! I’ve had my chest sliced open, my ribs broken, and my wings cut off! Look at this shit!” I display the bumps where my wings used to be, “You see that!?! I used to be able to fly! And I was awake when they did that, do you have any idea how much that hurt? Do you have any…bucking…idea how much that hurt!?!” My head is exploding with anger at her stupid ignorance, dismissing all of my suffering as a dream. A dream!

I look at the face of the mare I had been yelling at, and suddenly, I realize what I have done. The seemingly strong, tough mare that had saved my life is now reduced to tears. I caused those tears. I begin to feel something in the pit of my stomach, but I can’t quite put a hoof on it. Remorse? I’ve heard about it, but… It’s true; I feel bad about what I’ve said to the mare. She didn’t deserve that.

“What *Sniff* what did you expect me to do?” Her voice is weak and feeble, “Just instantly accept that m-my life has been torn from me? Yesterday, when I went to sleep, *Sniff* all of my friends were alive. We were supposed to have a…a p-picnic today!” Suddenly, the mare just bursts into tears. Something about her just tells me that this isn’t like her.

“Hey, I…I’m sorry that I yelled at you like that.” I hang my head in shame as I approach her, “I just haven’t met a pony that didn’t know anything about the wastes, and having a pony tell me that my entire life was a dream just kinda pissed me off. Still, I shouldn’t have exploded on you like that.”

“W-What am I gonna do now?” She looks up from her depressed position on the ground, showing her bloodshot eyes, “I may be good at just about everything, but I can’t survive somewhere like this...” She buries her head back into her hooves and whimpers something inaudible.

“Well, I feel awful about making some innocent mare feel this way, and I’d just feel like a monster if I left you here to die.” I look around, examining the sun. Looks like it’s around 7:30, mutants will be coming out soon. “How about you come with me?”

“Y-You’d do that?” She looks up, a trace of smile appearing on her face, “Really?”

“Yeah, I mean it.” I smile for the first time in months, “Now come on, while it’s still light out. We should find a place to sleep.”

“Okay then, let’s go.” She wipes her tears on her right hoof before returning the smile to me, albeit a tad weaker. I look around for a road and spot one nearby. Gesturing for Rainbow Dash to follow, I begin to trot towards the road and for the first time in what seems like forever, I have happy thoughts in my mind.

I hope you enjoyed it! I strongly encourage reviews, so please review! A pat on the back to my pre-reader for not having major butthurt about his sweaty hair and getting this edit in on time.

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Cave

Well, this I hope you all enjoy this chapter. I tried to make the fight a tad more interesting than it was in the original.

I walk beside Dash down road for about ten minutes, without hearing anything more than a halfhearted sniffle out of her. Eventually, however, she decides to break the silence by asking me a question.

“So,” She looks at my back with a fearful gaze, “Did, did they really get *gulp* cut off?”

“Yeah, they did.” She gasps at my answer, stopping dead in her tracks for a second. However, she quickly catches back up to me, “They tied me down to a medical bed and started cutting away with a hacksaw. Sons of bitches left me to die in the wastes. I survived, as you can tell, but not without certain…losses.” I remember my wings and how useful they used to be. Even though it’s been about a year, I still miss them.

“I’m…I’m sorry.” She sounded very sincere, “I couldn’t imagine going without my wings, and why did those ponies want to do that to you? Were they paid or something?”

“Naw, they probably just did it for kicks.” She looks absolutely horrified at the prospect of this kind of an atrocity, “They love seeing pain, the more squirming, the better.”

“Why? Why would anypony want to do that?” Dash seems scared now, and I don’t blame her, “I don’t get it.”

“Neither do I, but never underestimate anypony out here.” I say this line firmly, looking into Rainbow Dash’s eyes as I do so, “You have no idea what they will do to survive. I’ve seen some things that I really never wanna think about them again.”

“Like what? Come on, you’ve gotta tell me.” The curious mare inches closer to me as she says this, “Like some super zombie mega pony? Or some robot super cannon?”

“NO!” I yell at the curious mare, shattering what peace we had established, “I mean, no I haventand probably never will, but thats not important, now we’ve gotta concentrate on finding shelter for the night.” I glance around, checking out the scenery. I see a large cave in the distance; big enough to fit some ponies, but not an Ursa family.

“How about there.” I point to the cave with my hoof, stalling our progress down the road for a bit, “I think we’ll be safe there for the night.”

“From what?” She asks, causing me to sigh and do a light facehoof.

“Don’t you remember what I told you about mutants?” She nods after a second, “Well, mutants are mainly active at night. They just love to come out and gang up on unsuspecting ponies when the moon is out.”

“O-Okay then.” Her eyes are wide, as the sun is going down, “I-I think I’m gonna stick with you, okay?”

“Heh, yeah, that would be the smart thing to do.” I chuckle a bit, “Anyways, how about you tell me a bit more about yourself?”

“Um, okay.” She continues to walk beside me, albeit a tad closer than before, “Well, I’m, I mean, I used to be the fastest flier in all of Equestria.” Her ears droop down at the mention of our planet, “My dream was to be a…a…a” She struggles to say the next word, “Wonderbolt” She bursts into tears at the mention of her former dream, “I practiced every day, learning new tricks and getting better and more awesome, just so I could impress them. Now that's never going to happen.”

“Hey, it’ll be okay.” I smile, trying to reassure her, “Maybe your friends are still alive.” The word ‘friends’ still feels alien to me, but I’ll do anything to halt the waterworks created by this mare.

“H-Hey, maybe you’re right! Maybe Ponyville still there!” She instantly jumps out of her slump, “Maybe they’re still alive! Twilight, Pinkie, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity; I’m coming home girls!”

“Not tonight you’re not.” I say this phrase with a solid and firm voice, reinstating our current threat, “We need to get shelter tonight, Ponyville, or whatever, will have to wait.”

“Oh, okay.” She seems to deflate a little at this, “I…I guess one more day won’t kill them.”

“Yeah, now come on, we’re almost to the cave.” I reach into my pack and grab a bronze lantern, “Looks dark in there, good thing I’ve got these.”

“Is that a lantern?” She asks me, staring at the object.

“Yeah” I flip a switch on the lantern and a moderately bright glow begins to emanate from the lantern, “Stuff in the wastes usually isn’t too high tech.” I hitch the lantern onto the side of my pack, now standing at the entrance of the cave.

“I have no idea what’s in there, but usually, mutants are out and about by this time.” Dash looks around frantically, most likely scared at the prospect of being attacked. I begin to walk into the cave, Dash right by my side. Before long, I’m surrounded by total darkness, minus the little light that the lantern is putting out. The glow may seem sufficient, but in this kind of darkness, nothing can pierce the black.

I look over at Dash and see that she’s sticking rather close to me. By now, we are far enough into the cave to be safe. Sensing nothing, I turn to my newfound partner and motion for her to stop. I take off my pack and set the lantern on the ground between us, beginning to unpack for the night.

“Wait a minute, I forgot something.” I facehoof, “I’ve only got one sleeping bag. Unless you wanna sleep in the same bag as me, somepony’s gonna end up on the flo-” I stop mid sentence, sensing a presence about us. The rainbow pony eyes me with a curious gaze.

“What’s up?” She asks me, confused at my behavior. I put my hoof up to my mouth, signaling for her to be quiet. Suddenly, realization pops into her eyes and she rushes to huddle next to the lantern. Smart move, she has no idea how to fight.

I begin to hear breathing. Not normal breathing, but primal, animalistic breathing. I try to pinpoint its source, but the cave walls echo the sound, making it impossible. Shit! I draw my sword into a fighting position, eyes darting around rapidly. Where is that little bitch!?! I look back at Dash and see that she is whimpering something, curled up into a ball.

Suddenly, the thing strikes. It’s too fast for me to react, and I get a nice-sized gouge on my right side because of this. I instantly begin to bring my sword down on the creature, yelling in rage. I hear a clang, telling me that I most-likely missed my mark. Spiraling around to face my attacker, I finally get a good look at it.

It’s not a pony, the claws can tell me that much. It seems to be a mutated Timberwolf; green and deformed from radiation. Buck, what the hell is that doing here!?! I snarl at the beast before lunging again with my sword, this time in a more tactical manner; horizontally sweeping the area around me. The beast jumps over the swing and switches targets, attacking Rainbow Dash instead. That sneaky son of a bitch! It lunges at the chromatic pony and pins her to the ground. Dash struggles, trying to act tough by taunting the creature, but I can see the fear in her eyes. The timberwolf raises his deformed claw and holds it up for a second. No!

I get off the ground, now feeling very protective of the rainbow-maned mare. Lunging at the monster with a sudden burst of extreme speed, I hold my sword behind me, ready to attack. Once I’m about four feet away from the monster, I stop dead in my tracks, releasing the sword from my tail’s grip. The sword is sent flying toward the timberwolf, due to the momentum I have built up.

*THUNK* I hear the satisfying sound of impaled flesh, causing me to grin a little. Looking up at my work, I can see that my hearing has not failed me; the timberwolf now has a jagged sword impaled through its chest. I yank on the cord attached to the sword and the timberwolf’s body is pulled towards me, landing on the ground in front of me with a thud. I stare angrily at the thing’s face as I pull the sword out. That little bitch slashed my ass! Then he tried to kill Rainbow Dash! I don’t know why the last part bothers me so much, but at this moment, I really don’t give a shit.

“You son of a bitch.” I mutter the words under my breath as I sheath my now-bloody sword. I turn around to face Rainbow Dash, hoping to see a strong mare, if only to make me feel better. Looking at the chromatic pony, I could not have been more far off. She is backed up against the cave wall, clutching the lantern with her right hoof. I can see fear in her eyes, despite the corpse in front of me. Sighing, I start towards the mare. Strangely, as soon as I get within fifteen feet of her, she pushes up against the wall even more.

“What’s wrong Dash?” I ask her, halting my advance.

“You…You killed that thing.” She manages to say, her voice cracking, “You killed it!”

“To save our lives.” I correct her, my voice calm as can be, “I wouldn’t hurt you, if that’s what you’re scared of.”

“I just can’t believe what you said was true.” She hangs her head, “I didn’t want to believe it was true…”

“I’m sorry to say Dash, but Equestria isn’t the same as it used to be, whatever that was.” I say, prompting a confused look from Dash, “What?”

“What do you mean,’ whatever that was’?” She eyes me suspiciously, not moving out of the corner, “You don’t know what this world used to be like?”

“Well, that’s one of the things I wanted to tell you.” I look at her, sadness in my voice, “I don’t remember Equestria. I don’t remember anything before the Strike, nothing.”

“No…No friends?” I shake my head, “No family?” I shake my head once again.

“I just woke up in the middle of this…this hell.” I begin in a somber tone, “I learned everything the hard way. I never made friends, never knew what my family was. It’s a hell of a life, but it’s all that I know…” I trail off, a tear forming in my eye. I blink it away, but the feeling of sadness doesn’t recede. I close my eyes in an attempt to block any further tears.

“That’s…that’s terrible.” I hear the pegasus say in a shocked voice. Suddenly, I feel hooves wrapping themselves around my body. A warm feeling begins to rush through me, causing my past matters to be shoved away into the furthest reaches of my subconscious. I open my eyes to find the Rainbow mare hugging me tightly. I, unsure of what to do, decide to hug her back. I must have done the right thing, because she continues to hold me for what seems like hours.

“Hey, I think we should get some sleep now. We’ve gotta get up early tomorrow.” I say this in a gentle voice, not wanting to disturb the harmony that is in place. The mare responds with a nod, and I begin to set up the sleeping bag.

A few minutes later, with everything set up, I prompt her to climb in. I get in second, squeezing in next to her. Somehow, she just warms me. I stare into her eyes, which are now bloodshot from crying so much in a single day. Suddenly, she begins leaking tears again.

“What if…what if they aren’t there? What if they’re…what if they’re dead?” She whimpers this out, looking into my eyes for guidance.

“I…I don’t know, but I sure hope they are.” I feel a tear drip onto my chest.

“About those thing that you wouldn’t tell me about earlier, what were they?” She presses against me, tears still leaking through her eyelids.

“I…I guess it’s better than finding out the hard way.” I say, already feeling bad for what I’m about to tell her.

“You see, some ponies, will do anything to survive.” I explain to her, “Even immoral things. I can’t believe I’m telling you this.”

“What?”

“One time, I walked into a run-down looking house. What I saw there still haunts me.” I shudder, remembering the household, “The walls were covered with blood, skinned corpses were hanging by hooks from the ceiling, body parts were displayed like trophies; a hoof here, a rotting skull there. Then I went into the next room, and that room is the one that scared me the most.”

“W-w-what was in it?” Dash’s voice is shaky now, absorbing the story I’m telling her.

“More corpses, but not just stallions and mares; I saw fillies, colts, even foals. Their corpses were skinned and butchered to a degree that still haunts me.” I grimly recite the tale, “Then I saw that one pony. He…he was eating them.”

“E-eating?” She has a fearful tremble to her voice.

“Yeah, he was devouring a skinned corpse; a filly, judging by the size.” I shake a bit, still scarred from this tale, “I didn’t even bother saying a word; I just took out my sword and killed him. I didn’t care what his excuse was, he was doing things that nopony should ever do…”

At this point, Dash is gripping me in fear, eyes darting around wildly before she finally shoves her face into my chest. I feel her heartbeat begin to slow as she holds me tighter. The warmth that I had felt earlier begins to return, so I wrap my hooves around her. At that moment, I make a pledge to myself. A vow to never let anything harm her. I swear to whatever god is left that she won’t die on my watch.

“Am I gonna die like that?” She whispers faintly.

“No, I’ll protect you.” She seems a tad shocked at the seriousness of my statement, “I promise to never let anything hurt you. Ever.”

This seems to calm her down a bit more as she relaxes into my grip once again. I feel something fill itself deep inside of me; like a hole I didn’t even know was there. Dash fills that hole, and I’ll be damned if I lose her. I promise, I promise, I promise… I continue to utter this in my head until I see the world fade from my view.

Thanks for reading! Please review! BTW I hate the formatting on this site! I have to space every paragraph manually when I write from MS word.

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