Bloody Logs: The Later Days

Day 44

Well, yesterday I got shot saving a kid called Sweetie Belle that was captured by the raiders. I have no idea what she was doing running around for them catch her, but apparently she is very smart, or I'm very dumb. When I went to save her, she stole my weapon and made me her hostage.

Fortunately, I manage to escape, only getting shot at the chest by a raider. I hope it didn't hit anything that important. I'm now resting, registering this log. on the morning I'll go with Sweetie Belle at some kind of hideout, where she used to be hiding with other two friends. Apparently I have now became a babysitter and a hostage of one of them.

Not mentioning I promised Sweetie help her look for her sister, but I don't have my hopes up. After I woke in this place, I went looking for my friends, but the ones I found were dead, and the rest simply disappeared. Whatever happened to this place, made living here worse than Tartarus.

About Sweetie Belle, this kid is very smart indeed, she knew how to survive all this time alone, or with her friends. She seemed to handle the death of her parents pretty well. I bet she lost a lot of people too. When I finish this up, I will go talk to her, maybe then she will trust me. But I couldn't be happier. All this time I have been alone. She was the first that gave me a chance to talk and not shoot at me instantly. But I think she didn't had a choice. Without me she wouldn't get out of that camp.

Reminder: Don't wear raider armor ever again. If I start travelling with Belle, ponies will think I captured her and now taking her to some kind of camp.

Reminder 2º: Search for meds. With this pain, I won't be able to fly.

“Soooo... Why do you live here, so near their camp?” Sweetie Belle asked me.

“Now that I think about it, I don't even know. When I woke, This was already here already. I kinda just turned it on my house. The fridge was full of food, that kept me running until yesterday. I sleep on that rock there.” I answered her.

“Now, about me being near their camp, I don't know as well. These dead trees and bushes kept me hidden, so they never disturbed me. I killed one of them with my knife here and got their armor. After that, I think that whenever they saw me, they would think I was one of them.” I explained what I thought could be the answer. I wasn't sure myself. Seeing this way, I could have been captured any time. I just had luck.

“You are kinda dumb, no offense.” She continued. “Living here is just walking for them to come for you. It's suicide.”

I looked down. I was sitting right next to her. It was night. I didn't have any kind o light. Fortunately the moonlight kept things visible. “Maybe I want to die.” I told her. She looked surprised at me.

“So why didn't you did it already. You have a gun, you could just shot yourself.” She was cold. The coldest kid I ever saw. This place might have turned her into a different pony. “I mean-” I interrupted her.

“I know what you mean. The thing is... I have a lot of unanswered questions, like what happened in February. And maybe the world might need me. What if I was meant to change this place.” I told her. “But I'm also unsure. Ponies became a lot different than I remember before. Hope is one of the only things I have left.”

“You can't just sit here and wait for your opportunity.” She shared some wisdom. “You have to get up, turn that frown upside down, and keep up.” She started getting excited. “If the world bring you down, you get up! Yeah that's right! You show what you're capable of!” She tried to incentive me.

“Guess you're right.” I told her. Now, she was happy for some reason. Until now, I had only seen her sad. “Tomorrow we'll find your friends and I'll help you find your sister.” I told her, keeping my promise.

“Now, go and try to get some rest. I won't move until morning and this pain is killing me, literally.” I got up and went to my rock.

I only had one blanked, and the night was kinda cold. Sweetie would freeze. I grabbed with my mouth and wrapped her on it. She thanked me, and went back to trying to sleep. I wasn't that bad of a babysitter after all.

“Are we near there?” I asked like a kid on a trip that it didn't want to be in.

“We are close.” Sweetie Belle replied. We had been walking for some minutes now. We got out of my camp on the starting of the morning. Now, we were going across an dead apple orchard. It was part of a farm near Ponyville. There was a sing at the entrance showing the name of the farm. "Sweet Apple Acres" was what read in the sing.

From my hill, I could see some of the fields of this farm, but never ventured enough to come to this place. The nearest place I went was the Everdead Forest. Sorry, I meant Everfree. I have to keep the original names in mind.

After some walking, me and Sweetie Belle were near a destroyed tree house. This could be the place she was hiding all this time. It was better than mine, but it was as dangerous as mine, since it was somewhat easy to spot.

“Apple Bloom! Open the door!” Sweetie Belle screamed at the window of the tree house. Seconds later, a yellow earth pony filly with red colored mane and tail, and a big pink teared lace on her head head. According to Sweetie Belle, that was Apple Bloom.

“Sweetie! I thought you were a gonner!” The yellow pony sounded excited. The filly went back to the house and dropped the ramp for us to climb into the house. I was just following Sweetie Belle at this point. The house was just a room. there was a table, but it wasn't filled with with almost anything than posters and a map of ponyville with some marked structures.

Inside the house there was another filly. A orange pegasus, with very small wings and a purple colored hair. Even when I was a colt, I had wings bigger than those.

“Sweetie, I'm so glad that you are okay!” The little pegasus galloped at Sweetie and gave her a hug.

“Yeah, I'm glad to see you too, Scootaloo.” Sweetie Belle hugged her friend back.

“So, who is the new guy?” the pegasus called Scootaloo asked.

“I guess you can say that he rescued me from a few raiders, and now he is my hostage.” She explained the situation to her friends. At this point I was used to her calling me a slave just because she has my gun. I just don't get it back because I don't want any accidents to happen either to us, or to anything around us, and also because I don't hit kids.

“Wait. Lemme get this straight. You got captured by raiders, they were going to kill you, than he showed up and saved you, and then you made him your slave?” Apple Bloom asked, trying to see how this happened.

“Actually, I made him my hostage before he saved me, but that doesn't matter. He is going to help us find our sisters!” Sweetie Belle jumped in excitement. Apple Bloom facehoofed as she took the gun from Sweetie Belle. “Hey, that is mine!” She tried to take it back, but Apple Bloom refused.

“That is not right Sweetie. I know everything is different now, but you can't turn ponies against their wills like this. Specially after he saved you!” Apple Bloom argued with her friend. She seemed much more mature than Sweetie. I guess the wasteland didn't affect her as much.

“But what if it gives me my cutie mark?!” Sweetie Belle pleaded. Oh, I forgot to mention that the three of them doesn't have their cutie marks yet.

“You really want a cutie mark at slavery?” Apple Bloom had a point. I don't think that a cutie mark like that would be nice. “Here you go mister, your gun.” Apple Bloom handed me over the gun. I took it and guarded it on its holster. It still had one bullet just like before and the scope was attached as well. I unattached and unloaded the gun before guarding it.

“So, where are we going next?” Scootaloo impatiently asked.

“We will work something out. We are the Cutie Mark Crusaders after all.” Sweetie Belle tried cheering everyone up. She then looked at me with a look of doubt. “Why are you still here? You're free to go! I'm not keeping you as a hostage now.”

“I can't really leave you kids wander around this dreadful land without safety, what if a bunch of raiders catch you again?” I stayed for the sake of those kids. They weren't going to stay untouched for much longer. “And also, I think I caused enough trouble to the raiders last night that they are probably searching for us now.”

“All we need to do is get out of  the city limits. I bet they won't come that far.” Sweetie Belle tried to assure me.

“I wouldn't be so sure about that. I don't know how they will handle the death of their boss. They might be searching for us, so if you guys will go somewhere, I'd be happy to accompany you.” I refused to leave them. I don't think that staying around for much longer would be good. Maybe I can take them to the Canterlot refugee camp. That would be the best place to see if their sisters are alive, and at least they would be safe there. I don't want they being taken by those raiders, or raiders of other regions of Equestria.

“I heard there is a camp over Canterlot, That is the safest place to be around Equestria, according to some ponies I heard around. Who knows, maybe your sisters are there.” I continued. “It's worth checking.”

“Do you think Applejack is there?” Apple Bloom asked with a little of excitement. I think her sister is lost as well. Sweetie Belle also gained some hope. Scootaloo didn't move an inch. I think she wasn't searching for anyone.

“Well, how are we going to Canterlot if there isn't even a train available? The only train around is the one at the town, and it is infested by raiders, and we don't even know if it is going to work!” Scootaloo.

“Who said we need to take the train? We can walk the railroads or just walk to the mountain and fly it up. I could take Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, and you can fly it up.” I countered. The trip would take days if not by train, but if I can at least get these fillies somewhere safer, it would be nice.

“You make it sound easy.” Scootaloo replied. “I don't know if you noticed, but I can't fly with these wings!”

Yeah. Turns out that the pegasus can't fly because of the small wings. Really nice Falcon. Indirectly offend the kid, what a babysitter.

“He can still fly you up as well. The plan still works.”  Sweetie Belle countered Scootaloo. Apparently I got them in some kind of discussion.

“Alright, alright, I got it. It's not like I have a choice. If you guys leave me here, I would end up dead after all.” Scootaloo inpatiently stopped the discussion, giving up, and agreeing on going too. “There isn't anything worth fighting out there, but I don't really want to die.” She commented over her decision. That commentary was kinda sad, I think that she went through a lot before and after the accident.

“We will check the train on Ponyville. If it don't works, we will have to walk. Since we are going, we may want to wait for night to fall so we can sneak the camp up.” I re-checked the plan with everyone and turned back to the door. “Pack up whatever you need. I'll be waiting outside.”

“Wait!” Apple Bloom stopped me before I went outside. “We didn't quite catch your name, mister.”

“It's Falcon.” I told her, and walked out of the tree house back into the dead apple orchard.

Night was falling. The sun had already left and the moon was the only thing that lit our land. It was clear enough to see something moving miles away, so I told everyone to stay put. I looking at the entrance of Ponyville, waiting for a chance to get in unnoticed, but apparently they reinforced after my escape. I can't believe I was going in there so soon again. I just wanted to leave this place and never come back by now. I used my attachable scope as a binoculars to keep an eye on the guards. They weren't giving us much of a chance, and the ones they gave only lasted seconds. I needed more time, like a minute or more.

“I'm not sure we will even get the chance to check that train at the station.” I gave an update to the three fillies, waiting my permission to follow me in there. “Do any of you know some kind of secret passage to get it?”

“You're a fully grown pegasus, just fly there!” Scootaloo reminded me. It wasn't that easy. The injury I had would hurt a lot, making me unable to fly with out screaming in pain. I told those rifles were powerful

The other two didn't knew anything. I had another plan in mind, but it was risky, enough that it could cost my life.

“Do any of you know how to use a gun?” I asked them.

“Big Macintosh once let me use a revolver at our farm. I don't have much experience but I can take care of something.” Apple Bloom told me about her experience with shooting a gun. A filly with some experience in shooting, creepy but efficient

“Rarity always had a hidden silenced pistol in case somepony tried to steal her dresses or gems. I never used it, but I took sometime to examine it to see how it worked. Maybe I could have gotten myself a gun expert cutie mark.” Sweetie Belle told me about her experience on how a weapon works. She could be of some use in this situation.

“A raider once invaded our little campsite. I took his gun and shot at him. It was easy though, he didn't have much of a reaction time. It all happened in mere seconds.”  Wow. This was impressive. Scootaloo, for a flightless pegasus, she was very agile, that could be useful. “But what exactly are you planning? Getting in a free fire zone with us as soldiers?”

“No. Not at all. I was planning on leaving you guys my revolver and my ammo.” I looked at the raider camp. “That place gotta have another way in. I go in there alone, leaving the three of you here with my gun in case they find you, and I get in there and check the train. If it works, I'll will guide all of you in, but if it doesn't, We will just walk to Canterlot ourselves.” I explained what I had in mind. It wasn't the best idea to let them alone here, but we needed a way to get to Canterlot, and the faster the better. I would also take the opportunity to steal some medicine from them, since I would need to fly to take them to Canterlot.

“That could work, but what if something happens to you?” Apple Bloom showed actual concern about me. I was the only chance for her to find her sister, so that would explain it. “If they find you, you don't have anything to protect yourself.”

“Actually, I have my knife, so there is nothing to worry about me.” I showed the holster that I kept on my hind left leg with a combat knife on it. I only used it one time, but it was still a very powerful weapon at close distance.

“I'll be going now, you girls take care.” I threw the revolver with its holster and a bag of bullets I kept hidden with me to the three fillies. “Oh, and be careful with that. Don't shot it unless you are sure you are in danger. Sweetie, let Apple Bloom or Scoots to handle the combat, I trust you to show them how to properly aim, since you took some time inspecting a weapon.” I gave my last warnings and turned into using some shadows to move down the hill. This wasn't the hill I kept my camp.

This was a hill in the middle of the way between Sweet Apple Acres and Ponyville. I had already gone to my camp alone and taken some stuff I found important, like the sheet I gave to Sweetie Belle and the notebook I used to keep a diary.

To enter the city wasn't going to be easy. Those raiders are dumb, but not that much. They reinforced security since yesterday, and I think that they might be searching for me. I also suspect they got a new leader. I didn't damage the armor at all, so the condition mustn't have changed, and I doubt they will be leaving a minigun laying there on the ground. I was moving slowly, cornering the city, always behind or under something so the moonlight didn't hand over my position. I managed to get to the wall, but There was still some raiders hanging around. I couldn't fly over the wall, since my body hurts, I'm handling most of the pain, but flying would trigger enough to make me give up.

I looked around me, to see if there was anything for me climb on. One good thing about a world on wastes is that you find a lot of utilities for useless trash around. The disaster wasn't that bad since there was still some building in perfect state, like the Town Hall, but there were others that didn't handle all the impact and collapsed. Unfortunately there wasn't anything really useful other than sticks and maybe a log, all the buildings were withing the wall. How my fridge got up that hill, I don't have any idea.

I had no other choice than to appeal to my knife. If I made enough effort, I bet I could boost myself up. The wall was about two fully grown ponies height. If I get my knife inside the wood and use my strength to pull myself up, maybe I could climb it up, but I think that making that much effort would bring me loads of pain. The shot I took was on the chest, a little over the belly, not in the not near my front leg or neck, so I won't affect my pain at all. I was unsure. There wasn't any other way I could think of the moment, and I had to be fast about this. Fast and careful. I was almost forgetting I had no armor now.

I opened the knife holster and wrapped my hoof around the handle. I stabbed the wood hard enough to make it stay in place, like a well thrown knife on a tree, but it went half-way inside the wooden wall. I was now standing on my two hind legs, while one of the front would give me support for jumping over, and the other was holding the knife. I was opened my wings to give me some stability.

I backed enough to give me some propulsion. I ran for less than a second and jumped. In mid air I used my right hoof to turn up with the knife, putting my hind legs on the wall, and using my left hoof to push the wall to unplug the knife. Giving a spin in the air, and I used the knife to grab the ground of the top level of the wall. I had climbed it up, and were now hanging on my hoof, all I needed was to pull myself up. I closed my wings and got my left hoof on up, and started pulling myself up, getting some help from my hind legs pushing the wall and trying to get up. Finally after some struggle I got up the wall and laid there, breathing.

“Ugh...” I gave a small time to breath before continuing talking to myself. “I never though parkour-ing my way up a wall would be so hard. I really need to work on my agility.”

I got back up on my four legs and jumped down the other side. Luckily I was on a alleyway between two buildings. This would make harder for the raiders to see me, but could fuck me up if there was one wandering around. I took a look around and the closest raider was on the buildings on the other side of the building. I continued, there was some distance between me and the train station. There was a building with a sing written Sugarcube Corner. It was near the town hall, but on the other side of the city compared to the train station. I entered the building from the back of it. There was nothing left but tables flipped over and tableware. I went to the kitchen, this appeared to be a candy shop or a bakery. I took the chance to scavenge for any medicine.

Opening one of the drawers, I found some paper with notes written on it. I checked the date

02/01

“Oh my. This is from february!” I thought to myself. I continued to read the note

Mr.Carrot Cake went to make an delivery on the other side of the town and Mrs. Cup Cake gone out to buy more diapers for their babies. I got another chance to administrate the shop for some time! I'm so excited!

Some scientists looking stallion came here and asked me a few questions about my element of harmony, trying to understand how it worked before that tree on the Everfree Forest took it from me, and they also asked where they could find Twilight. I happily answered all their questions and told they could find Twilight at her castle, duh, who don't know the princess lives there? how silly!

They also bought a cupcake from me. Ooh! My first cake sold in the afternoon!

“Castle? What Castle? I don't see any castle here in Ponyville. There gotta be something wrong with this.” I thought again, and went back to my reading.

I couldn't sell any more cakes since Carrot Cake came back. That makes me sad. I wanted to feel more important. Oh well, maybe I can do that another day.

Anyway, I will just leave this note here in case something happens and I don't remember what. That is a silly idea, but could happen.

- Pinkie Pie.

“Not such a silly idea. Something happened after all.” I though to myself. “Well, this is at least something. Maybe I can re-write the February if I end up finding more of these. I hope that Pinkie Pie left more notes around.”

I guarded the paper note in one of my small saddlebags on my back and got out of the shop, back into alleyway.

“Huh?” I heard a pony humming in confusion. Shit, I think they heard me.

I ran under to the inside of a broken house. It seemed to have been exploded, as its second floor was open, its walls all destroyed. I hid around the corner, hoping that the raider didn't come looking for me. I was holding my knife, ready to give it a strike in case the pony came, but if I was going to kill him, I had to be fast, if he screamed or shot by accident, I would be cornered mere seconds later.

“I must be hearing things.” I heard the same voice as before talk to himself really near me, and walk away. “Some meat would be nice anyway.”

“Wow. That is disgusting. How can they do that?” I asked myself the same question as I always do when I hear a comment like that.

I waited some seconds and gave a peak. There was nothing around. How lucky of me. Moving out, I found myself wandering back at the street, moving under the shadows of the house, so the two raiders on the street don't notice me. The train station was just minutes away. In thirty minutes I managed to go around the town hall using the houses. It was much harder to navigate than before. There was just too many. Yesterday, many of these raiders would be asleep, now they doubled the number of them running around at night, I think that all of them are around.

I climbed the stairs at the train station to get in the building and have access to the train that was stopped at the railway. Inside the building there wasn't more than just burned paper and empty benches. I guess no one other than raiders comes here in weeks. I moved to the train.

I entered one of the railway carriages and found the empty places that used to hold ponies during their train rides. I started moving to the engine room, there I would check if the train was still in good condition and could work. Which reminds me, I haven't thought this through. If it really works, what will I do next? Drive it away and stop ahead so the girls could hop in? Leave, infiltrate this place again with them and simply re-do all this work. What if I get caught when leaving or getting again? And also, the train would make enough sound to attract them all here. I would be in so much trouble! I wasn't so sure I wanted this to work.

On the engine room, everything looked in place and completely functional. There was just one problem. The train needed fuel, coal to be more exact. and I didn't see any coal laying around for free. I got into the front windows of the control panel, to see the front of the train, and there was four saddles connected by chain to the train. they were for big and strong stallions. I guess that is how they moved when there was no coal. They pulled it manually. Well, there we go. I don't have either the fuel or the strength to pull it alone.

I didn't find anything useful in the car. No ammo, food, medicine. Nothing but trash that I had no use for. This was contradictory, since I said that every little thing had a use now, but I really didn't have a use for burned newspaper. If they at least told me about February, but there wasn't anything I could get out of them. I started hearing a moan from the depth of the passenger cart. It was strange, unlikely to be from a pony or anything I ever heard crying before. I approached it.

I turned to the seats to see what the moaning was coming from. I found a Timberwolf cub hiding under it. "Hey, you dumb fucks, there is a pack of Timberwolves at the entrance of the city, and the other guards might need some help taking the things down." The voice of the old raider leader echoed in my mind. I used this cub's pack as a distraction to escape. I now feel guilty for using the life of its family to save mine, even if I didn't meant it. She might be hiding here for the last day, in fear, and he must be hungry too. I wasn't sure of what Timberwolves eat, but I was almost certain they ate meat from probably small animals from the Everfree Forest.

I backed away, and opened one of my saddle bags, in search of any kind of food. I only had a few berries I found yesterday. It wouldn't hurt so much to give the little thing something to eat. I offered the berries to the Timberwolf, she came closer and took a sniff at the fruit and backed away. I was almost certain they ate meat by now. I didn't have meat with me other than what composed my body, but I was sure these raiders kept some kind of stock of food around. I'd hate to give her pony meat to eat, it could cause her to want more and hunt for ponies. If I gave her some kind of rabbit, it would be better, but I was not the one to decide that. I would have to hunt for a rabbit first, which I haven't seen many running around.

I started thinking. If I was a raider, where would I keep my food? Probably with my guns and other stuff. And where would I keep that kind of thing? At the dorms. That was my best bet. Maybe I could get some weapons, ammo, medicine, and food for this little thing here there. But I couldn't leave it here. I had go take her with me, otherwise someone might find her. I couldn't let it take the risk. It was the least I could do, since I used her.

“Come here. I'll you get you some food.” I talked with her, seating on the ground with my two front hooves open in the air, asking if I could grab her. The little thing's dark green eyes stopped emitting light, and it slowly came walking into my legs. I grabbed her and gave it a hug. The Timberwolf used its paws to hug me back with its little legs. She was a little bigger than a filly, but not as big as a teenage pony. “Don't worry. I won't leave you here.”

After all, we both had something in common. None of us had a family now and were wondering what our role in this world is.

Me and Artemis, as I decided to name the Timberwolf cub like that, were sneaking up on one of the buildings used for as a dorm. Usually, these things would keep up to twenty raiders sleeping at once, but considering the activity around, I think this one might be empty.

I peaked on the window, and as did Artemis, since she was standing on my back just like Sweetie Belle did when I rescued her. Jackpot! The room was empty, and I could already see a functional fridge there. Apparently they did have energy to keep some things running but not lights. Lighting up this place would be really nice, it would make this place more alive than just a torture to other people other than raiders.

Stealthily, the two of us moved to the door in order to get in the house. Artemis showed to be very friendly towards me, so it just followed me. I think that she felt safe when I showed a little of compassion for her, and so she trusts me, or something like that. I don't know how trust works when it comes to Timberwolves.

We got inside the house, and there were a bunch of bunk beds in line, and a table in the middle of the room. Laying there was a assault rifle with two mags of ammo. I could take that. I wasn't that big of an expertise with rifles like I'm with pistols, but I think if I hold it with one of my hoofs and held the mouth grip in my mouth and used it to shoot, I bet that after some training I might be good with it.

I moved to the fridge. As I opened it, all my thoughts were right. They did kept all their meat in here, and I was lucky. The smell wasn't the best I had ever smelled, it was one of the most disgusting in ages, it made my stomach freeze. I opened the holster for my knife and grabbed it. I stabbed one of the steaks, still raw, and offered it to Artemis. She started jumping in excitiment, which told me she wanted it. I removed the steak of my knife and threw it over to her. It landed in the ground and she started devouring the steak. I hoped that it wasn't pony meat, otherwise I would be the next plate for the night. I threw other two in the ground so she could eat enough and closed the fridge. I was freaking out. I didn't ever wanted to touch any kind of meat. Just to imagine eating  something that is part of my composition creeps me out. I guess Artemis don't mind, since she is made out of wood.

Lastly but not least, I searched in the drawers and, by luck, found a health potion and painkiller pills. I was so happy to have found things like that, but I wasn't going to use it now. Something could still happen and leave me in a much dire situation than a simple wound on my chest, which now that I think of it, might have hit and broke my ribs and a lung. I'm having some difficulty breathing, but it wasn't enough to change my performance. I also stole a few blankets, so we could use while travelling.

I then grabbed the assault rifle and held it with my neck, using the rope that came with it. It was a unicorn designed rifle, since the mouth grip, that usually is what pegasi and earth ponies use to shoot heavier weapon than pistols. Fortunately, the rifle had an attachable mouth grip, so it wasn't much of a problem.

With everything, me and Artemis left the house and directed ourselves to the wall right next to us. The good thing about having a partner now was that I we could easily climb the wall now. She boosted me up the wall and I laid on the ground to grab her paws to help her climb. Easy peasy lemon squeazy. We got out of the raider camp unnoticed with some great stuff and she was fed for the moment. I would have to learn to hunt for small animal so she can eat, or I can let her hunt for her own. for a cub, she knew how to take care of herself, she was paying complete attention to our surroundings when we were sneaking up on that house. I think she just wanted to have a group of her own, someone she could trust.

We were not safe yet, so we kept the stance we were using for stealth. I told her to follow me as I'd guide us out to where I'd meet up with the girls.

Me and Artemis were walking normally now. We were out of range of their camp, and we were now completely fine, well, not really, I still had a bullet inside my lungs. We were very near from where I left the girls around a hour and a half ago.

“Play it cool Artemis, the girls don't know I'm bringing a Timberwolf to our group, so keep it cool, we don't want your first impression to be of fear.” I told Artemis, who is walking by my side this whole time. She seemed to like me, and I liked her too. I fed her and gave her a new family, since she lost her old one. She now played a major role in my life, as my companion and pet, somebody to keep me company. This role would normally be taken by another kind of animal, like a dog or a cat, maybe a bird or even a tortoise, but I did not expect to be taking care of a ferocious creature like a Timberwolf. She only accepted my help since she was scared and did not know what to do, otherwise I bet I would have a mark of a bite by now.

Near the place were the Cutie Mark Crusaders (yeah, that is how they call themselves) were left, I started hearing voices, it seemed to be someone leading something. I froze, and so did Artemis, as she started analyzing the sounds of our surroundings, searching for something. I feared that they were captured.

“Hurry up, grab them and let's go back to the camp.” A voice of a stallion ordered. Shit, they were cornered. I got down, trying to hide. We were almost on the top level of the hill, near to the top, where the voices were coming from.

Bam! The sound of one shot from my revolver roared across the landscape. One of the tree shot at one of them.

“Shit! they got and weapon!” Another voice screamed. “Get to cover!”

“I'm hit!” a third voice came to my ear. That was useful, I collect enough information to discover that there is at least a group of three or more ponies. I loaded one clip at the assault rifle and held the grip with my mouth. I would pull the trigger by pulling it with my tongue, just like my revolver, but the iron sight on this wasn't at the best condition, so I might miss some shots. Artemis got ready as well, she went to a hunting stance, like she was waiting to make an ambush on something, she then started going around the mountain. I suspected she was going to make an ambush, so I went to the other side.

I trotted up the mountain, at full speed, and having difficulty breathing. I stopped right before the top, and peak a little. I saw three raiders on my side of the mountain, and other two on the other side, one of them injured laying on the ground bleeding and unarmed,         all of them were hiding behind some cover, like a tree. Scootaloo was fast to take the weapon from their wounded. The three fillies were cornered in the middle, Apple Bloom holding the revolver, while Sweetie Belle helped Scootaloo sub machine gun the pony had. Apple Bloom pointing the revolver at my direction and Scootaloo at the other two

I saw a dark green glowing pair of eyes on the background. I was sure it was Artemis. I backed away and re-checked my the clip on my gun. Fully loaded. I was ready. I got up and aimed for the one of the three on my side. I aimed at the one that noticed me.

Bratatatatat

I shot a full burst of five bullets on the pony who was about to give my position. I gave it myself anyway. I saw in the background Artemis had jumped to her prey on her side, and where now biting its neck. Ouch! That was brutal! The other two ponies turned to me. I aimed at one of them and shot another burst.

Bratatatatat

I had hit the five bullets on the pony's head. It head blew into pieces and painted the tree trunk red, the pony's brain flew everywhere. I aimed at the second, who was still drawing its weapon out on me. This was all happening in micro seconds. I aimed for the pony's head

Bratatatatat

The pony went down. The three ponies of my side were dead. I looked at Artemis, who had already finished the two at her side by stabbing their necks with its wooden sharp teeth. Scootaloo was aiming at Artemis, in fear, she wasn't sure if Artemis was friend or foe.

“Scootaloo, put that thing down.” I ordered the pegasus. She looked at me, and then focused back at the Timberwolf.

“Ah can'th, it'sh a Schimberwouv! Ich wil try to eat us!” She replied to me, with gun at her mouth. Artemis just kept looking.

“That is Artemis. She I helped her to get out of that camp, just like I did with Sweetie Belle.” I told Scootaloo. She dropped the gun.

“You befriended a Timberwolf?!” The three of them asked me in surprise at the same time

“Yes, I think I did. I couldn't leave her there, after what I did. I felt guilty for using her pack to escape with Sweetie Belle.”

“So you are just planning on raising it?” Apple Bloom asked me. I nodded. “Well, that is awesome. Will she accompany us until Canterlot?”

“Yes, and after that, I will decide what the two of us will do next.” I explained my plan. “Anyway, I think it's better if we start moving before more raiders come checking the place” I rushed our conversation as I checked the bodies of the dead raiders in search of ammo and medicine. I also took their weapons. Apple Bloom gave my weapon back, and I gave her and Sweetie a sub machine gun each of them, for protection only, otherwise, I would be the one shooting. I had let Scootaloo keep her own.

After we checked everything, we started moving northeast in the direction of Canterlot. We would be getting there by the end of tomorrow with a full day of travel, or in the morning of two days from here if we took time to rest. Artemis let the fillies hide her back during part of the trip, and they happily accepted it, they have never experienced hiding the back of a Timberwolf, and neither did I.

“Those kids aren't that bad after all. I'm starting to like them” I thought to myself.