Trip Down to Memory Lane, by averagewriter

Trip Down Memory Lane

by averagewriter

It’s been a decade or so when she was finally free to roam the Equestrian Wasteland without the fear of being killed. 15 years of torture and sadness has finally ended for her. For the first time in a long time, she was content. Happy. For a while, she decides to relive her past memories.

20 years ago, before the arrival of the Wasteland’s hero, Selena and her family found life difficult. But even then, they still could go on with their lives peacefully.

During this time, they used to live in a small town. It wasn’t the best place but it wasn’t bad. Everyone there were doing their part to keep the place running. In that humble town, Selena worked there as a teacher. To her, this job was the most important one in the whole land. Knowledge is power, she once thought.

Her husband worked as the town’s doctor, helping the injured and the ill. He was a great doctor and was really dedicated to helping out the poor fellows that pass by the town. Most of the time, he would not accept the caps the travellers try to give him. I help not for money but for the good of everyone, he once quoted

While the adults worked, the foals played with each other without a care in the world. Among the happy bunch of joys, a colt and a filly could often be seen acting as guardians over the smaller ones, though they tend to get in trouble with the other foals anyways. What a happy life for them indeed.

“Honey, how’s your day” Selena asked her husband as the family sat down to eat their dinner.

“Oh, it was fine,” He replied, smiling. “My clients today don’t look as bad as the others that came before them.”

Selena nodded and smiled too. Along with her husband, her day was great as well. Her students were paying attention, they understood everything she talked about, and est of all, they weren’t that noisy. And by looking at her foals’ faces, she could assume that their day was great too.

“So kids, what did both of you do today?” Selena asked them. “I hope you did not get into trouble again. You know we can’t always be there to talk you out.”

“Nope!” The happy looking colt replied. “We did not get into trouble this time.”

“Yeah!” The energetic filly agreed. “We just played by the rules like what you always say. I could say we had so much fun when nopony keeps on yelling at us!”

“I’m glad that both of you behaved yourselves while me and your mom were busy,” The father said with a relieved sigh. “I’m proud of you both.”

And they ate their dinner. While eating, Selena can’t help but think to herself that everything will be going to better soon.

15 years ago, everything changed. The community was suddenly attacked by a vicious group of raiders. Everyone tried to protect the place but it was no use. The raiders easily annihilated everything in their paths. Only a small number escaped the bloody massacre, Selena’s family included. More could have died if it weren’t for those who sacrificed their lives to buy time for the rest to escape. Despite the fact that she was given a second chance in life, she wept along with her foals on the way out of the place. Her husband has died for them.

They left their beloved town, their wonderful memories, their trusting friends, and their loving father and never looked back. They were alone, roaming around for who know how long. They have lost all hope, the happiness in their eyes slowly fading away as the darkness slowly sets in.

“Wake up,” Her husband urgently told her. “Wake up now!”

Selena woke up, annoyed that she had to get up at such a time. But with the tone of her husband’s voice, she knew it must be worth waking her up in the dead of the night.

“Why?” She asked him, yawning and stretching her wings. “What’s the problem?”

Then a noise that broke the silence of the night made her blood run cold. It was the crackling of gunfire, the source obviously near the walls. She knew this wasn’t the first time the town was attacked by raiders and she was usually calm during this events but this time, she found herself rushing to the foals’ room.

“Kids,” She said as she gently shook them. “Wake up.”

“What time is it?” Yawned the colt, rubbing his eyes. “Is it already morning?”

“N-No,” Selena replied. “But just wake up.”

The filly, sensing the fear in her mom’s voice got up and scratched her head.

“Mom, what’s wrong?” She asked.

Before Selena could answer, the house shook as they heard a loud explosion. The foals screamed in terror as both mother and father hugged them. Soon after, the sound of the emergency alarm blared. The town has been breached.

“Come on now,” The father quickly lead his family outside the house.

“W-What was that?” The colt asked in terror.

“It’s nothing,” Selena quickly replied. “Just continue moving.”

Selena and her husband knew where to go in this kinds of situations. The town’s mayor talked about an emergency escape plan a few months ago when the amount of raider attacks suddenly increased. They were lucky that the mayor thought of this idea.

As they ran towards the emergency exit tunnel, which was on the southern part of town, they encountered ponies, young and old, fleeing for their lives. Selena even noticed a pair of couples argue about what stuff they should save.

As they reached the tunnel, they were horrified to find out that it was still locked. This wasn’t right, she thought, they should have opened the tunnel by now. Selena noticed a group of maintenance workers. She decided to talk to them.

“Why is the gate still closed?” She asked them, getting frustrated. “Can’t you see that-”

“We know why everyone is here!” One of them yelled, scaring her a bit. “Look, there’s a problem with the mechanics. We’re trying our best to find and fix it.”

“How long do you think it will take?” She asked, hoping that it’ll be quick.

“About 15-20 minutes at best…” The worker replied.

All color have drained from her face as she tried not to faint. She shakily walked back to her family, but not before hearing one of them complain about the doors.

“Who’s idea was it to complicate the opening process of the tunnel’s doors?”

As Selena finally reached her family, she noticed that everyone seems to be listening to someone talk. She struggled to listen to what the speaker has to say.

“Everyone, I’m afraid that our end is near!” He cried. “The town’s guards are trying their best to keep them at bay but we know that they will easily be destroyed but I have a plan to save at least some of us from this impending doom.”

Everyone was desperate to get out of the situation. They urged the speaker to tell his plan. With a heavy sigh, he continued.

“This plan...it will be risky,” He said, looking at the crowd before him. “We know that the guards are too few to slow the raiders down...and we know if we don’t do anything, we will all get killed.”

Selena was shocked to hear this. She feared what he was going to say next.

“With a heavy heart,” He said with a shaky breath. “Our only way to let even a little of us survive is that we must fight.”

Everyone gasped. No, this couldn’t be, Selena thought, there has to be another way. She looked at his husband, who was listening intently to the speaker, and noticed his face. She knew what that face meant.

“Who’s with me?” The speaker asked.

“I!” Selena’s husband said without hesitation. Everyone looked at him before another volunteered as well. Soon, majority of the crowd has joined to fight the threat.

Selena turned to his husband and asked him, “Why? Why must you join?”

“For the good of everyone else,” He replied. “I’m sorry, my sweetheart, but I had no choice. I can feel their hesitation to join so I must be the first to say it. That way, at least those that do want to join knows they’re not alone.”

“But you might get killed!” Selena exclaimed, horrified at that thought.

“I will get killed…,” He slowly said. “But I will not die without a fight.”

“My dear, please think this through,” She tried to reason with him. “We need you. I need you…”

“Selena, my love, I know…,” He stroked the side of her face, trying to reassure her. “But you must understand, I need you to be strong. For the foals, for me...Please, you need to stay strong.”

She knew he made up his mind and no amount of talking can persuade him to change his choice. Instead, she hugged him as tight as she could, letting her tears go down her face and drop into the mane of her love of her life.

“I’m sorry it had to be this way,” He said as he hugged her back.

After a moment, they separated. Selena looked at him one more time, hoping that maybe he’ll come back safe and sound. Her husband gave her one last kiss before heading towards the group that volunteered.

Selena immediately noticed that her foals weren’t with her. She soon found them with a bunch of other foals, talking about what they would see out in the Wasteland. Hearing them talk with such optimism made her heart hurt. She knew that there was nothing good in the wasteland.

“Okay everyone, this would be the fight of our lives!” Selena heard her husband spoke out to the group. “And this could be our last fight as well. But remember, we are doing this for our friends and family. Stand tall and proud, feel and be brave, and take at least one of those raiders down with you, understand?”

Everyone in the group yelled out “yes” with a voice that strengthened them even more. They knew this could be the last day of their lives and knowing that everyone else was prepared to die for the sake of everyone else made them less scared and more prepared for what’s to come.

Not soon after, the group immediately went towards the gate of the town to buy some time. Their weapons may be weak but they knew how to use them with such deadly skills and bulls-eye accuracy.

The sounds of battle filled the air.

10 years ago, they had to face the cruel tests of the Wasteland. Selena knew how to survive out there but she feared for her foals. They both tried to cheer each other up but deep down, they were torn. Broken.

They roamed the wastes, trying to survive. They would salvage items from broken things, scavenge for food in old buildings, and in some cases, steal from another. It was terrible, for her and her foals, to suffer through such experiences. There were even times that they were being shot at. Luckily, no one got hurt but it left the foals traumatized.

“Mom, I’m hungry,” Her colt complained while they were resting in an abandoned home.

“Me too,” Her filly also said while clutching her tummy.

Selena can feel the tears in her eyes threatening to spill out. She was scared for her children, they nearly look like a ghoul now, with the lack of hair in some spots and their skeletal features could be nearly seen. They have ran out of food a few days ago and what’s left of their water was slowly dwindling. And worst of all, they can barely move, always feeling tired and hungry.

“Mom,” The colt weakly muttered. “When will daddy come back?”

That’s when she lost it. She cried as she hugged what’s left in her life, not wanting to let go. The foals, in response, hugged her back.

5 years ago, she walked the wastes. She was not the same mare as she had been years before. Anyone that would meet her during this time would be scared of her. Sometimes, she just wanted to talk to them, but deep down, she had lost all of the compassion she had. This was her darkest moment and she doesn’t want to remember it.

Now, at this point of her life, she is once more happy. She finally let go of all the things that made her suffer before. She finally forgave herself for what she had done bad to her family. She realized that life was too short to stay sad or mad. And she learned that lesson with the help of her family.

She finally reached a spot where she felt a sense of peace. She knew this feeling and she only felt it when it was there. During her first 10 years, the clouds blocked the sky, preventing her from seeing anything beyond the grey curtain. Everytime she would feel calm and peaceful, she would look up instinctively. It was like something wanted to be seen by her.

This time, there was no grey curtain to block her view. As she slowly looked up, she began to think of everything that made her happy: Her husband, her foals, her friends, her job, anything. What she saw brought a smile to her lips. She remembered seeing it from a pre-war textbook. The picture showed a very beautiful arch. She remembered wishing to see one. With her family.

“I wish everyone I knew could see this…,” Selena said to herself. “This...wonderful phenomenon of nature.”

She continued to look at the multi-colored arch that decorated the sky. Too bad she forgot what it was called. No matter, this is what she wished long ago and that wish has been partly granted. She felt a tear or two roll down her face, she couldn’t help it. It was beautiful.

Soon, it was time to go back to her new home. Ever since the NCR was formed, she eventually found a settlement kind enough to let her live there. She even found herself teaching once more.

What a world we live in, She thought, And what a life I made.

She placed down a flower she brought with her on each tombstone. 3 graves. Each serving as a reminder of what she had a long time ago. With one last look at the arch and at the graves, she left the place.

A memory surfaced to her mind, a memory 20 years ago. It involved herself, her foals, and her husband during a hard and dark time. A time when everyone in town were still struggling to keep it running.

“Oh dear...It seems we are low on food...again,” Selena muttered.

“It’s okay, Selena, the trading caravan will arrive soon,” Her husband reassured her.

“Do you think we have enough food to last us until they arrive?” She asked him.

“I don’t know,” He replied, sighing.

Suddenly, the foals entered the room where the parents are. They looked at them expectantly.

“I’m sorry kids but…”Selena sighed.

“It’s okay mom,” The colt quickly replied. “We are running out of food again, right?”

Selena nodded silently and sighed again. She had expected that the food would last until the caravan will arrive. What she did not expect was that some of the food would suddenly disappear. Was it a thief that took it? A mutated rat? Her foals? She did not know.

“I guess we have some dark days ahead of us…”Selena’s husband said as he stared out the window. As he said that, the two foals shook their head.

“I’d like to think otherwise,” The filly beamed.

“Yeah,” The colt agreed. “I remember one of my friends saying that in the end, everything will be…”

The whole family smiled at each other. They all have heard this statement many times now and it’s like the family motto for them. Like a group of ponies with one mind, they all said the phrase at the same time.

“Rainbows and sunshine.”