A thin layer of dust caked the man from head to toe as he walked, painting his once singed white shirt a subdued scarlet. The man entertained a few thoughts as he trekked through the red sand. The man imagined all the things that annoyed him: his roommate leaving the milk in the back of the fridge, billboards advertising advertisement, his manager's uptight demeanor. The sand and sun were swiftly driving their way up his list as the former seemed content filling his shoes and the latter even more so as it scorched his back.

I've been walking for long enough, should have found somebody by now. Where am I?

The man surveyed his surroundings searching for any sign of civilization among the seemingly endless red plains before him, only ended by steep plateaus that reached far above the desert itself. The man let out a dry hacking cough as he clutched at the stark white tube clamped around his neck, running his fingers along the scars surrounding it. They still brought him pain, years after he got them. Bringing his now empty bottle to his lips searching for the last drops of liquid.

If I don't find anything soon this hellhole will be the end of me.

I promised twenty minutes, she's gonna be pissed if I'm late

The man thought back on his choices leading up to this point, the dumb mistakes he made, the time he lost because of them. He only hoped his little girl would forgive him for being so late. Hunger gnawed at him, but he kept moving, he was used to the feeling by now. After so many years of experiencing a feeling it becomes the norm. He recalls the last time he saw Earth, the last time he saw another human being, it felt like a lifetime and for all he knew, it could have been. His sister was screaming at him, he was lying on her living room floor with a needle in his arm. She kicked his ass to the curb faster than she had the last time, she was done with his shit, done with his promises. He stumbled out into the hallway of her complex, all the way out into the street, then into the woods, he wanted to get away from everything, from everyone, he wanted to be alone, so he was. He wondered if they had a funeral for him, if they even called the cops to report him missing this time, if they even cared enough to.

The man was confused, he should be in Canterlot, in his home, not wherever this is. One moment he was busy tinkering with the device that took up the hole in his chest where his heart should have been, the piece of tech he was found with, along with the tube he's now forced to speak out of. There was some sort of explosion, someone was yelling his name, then everything went dark.

Just another fuck-up to regret, if I don't die out here.

The Sun had now reached the horizon and the world was growing dark. Despite this, the man stayed on his forward march, the unbearable heat subsiding into a frigid winter. The man clutched his arms to his chest as his breath became visible. In the pitch black of a moonless night, he saw the light of what he presumed was a campfire in the distance. His teeth clattering slightly as his body tries in vain to warm him, he turns his course toward the light in the distance he unsheaths a small knife from his side.

I hope I don't have to use this

It sickened him that he still had to lie to himself.

Twilight Sparkle sat at her desk, situated in the far corner of her bedroom, a stack of books on either side of her. Bags of dark skin lay under her bloodshot eyes. To an outside observer, her home looked as if a bomb had gone off, maybe several. Books lie on the floor some open to random pages, papers were strewn about them covered in seemingly endless notes the hoofwriting nearly illegible in its frantic nature. Twilight had nearly hit a deadline on a report and everything surrounding showed it. Twilight's assistant Spike kneeled in front of her, his eyes wide and his lower lip outstretched, his claws clasped together.

"...but Twilight, this might be the one chance I will ever get to being a real dragon!"

"Spike, what sort of protege would I be if I didn't attend this year's Celebration, Princess Celestia has invited me personally."

Twilight spoke with a small smirk as she had no intentions of letting Spike down, she mentally checked off a list of things she would need for the trip, plans she would have to cancel, and paperwork she would have to slog through. It was all worth it to give Spike a taste of his homeland.

"You gotta take me Twi, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity! The Summer Sun Celebration happens every year!"

"Hmm, I could get a book load of information on Draconic culture from this expedition. OH, maybe I could even write to Princess Celestia about it I'm sure she'd enjoy learning about the Dance of the Dragons."

Twilight Sparkle hopped to her hooves as she had this false revelation, darting around the room until she found a piece of parchment and a quill before levitating them into Spike's waiting claws, the force of it sending him reeling back a bit before he regained his composure. Twilight clamorously cleared her throat before taking a deep breath.

"Dear Princess Celestia, it has come to my attention that a festival, known as the Dance of Dragons, will be taking place during this year's annual Summer Sun Celebration"

Twilight Sparkle stood by her window as she spoke, taking in the scenery of early morning Ponyville from her library. Ponies rushing from one place to another carrying banners, flags, clipboards and the like. The street she could see from her bedroom was already adorned with so many decorations even Pinkie would find it in poor taste.

"... And while it brings me great displeasure to say, I will not be attending this year's celebration in favor of accompanying Spike to the Dance of Dragons to learn about his heritage; however, upon my return, there will be a full report of my findings with no detail left unwritten. I hope you understand, your most loyal student, Twilight Sparkle."

As Twilight finished her sentence she spun on her hooves to face Spike who was making his last few marks on the now full page. He then rolls up the letter, stamping Twilight's twelve pointed star onto a spit of purple wax, before engulfing it in green flame.

"Thanks, Twilight. You don't know how much this means to me"

"Of course I do, silly. Now get ready"

Spike's head whips around to find Twilight filling saddlebags with parchment, quills, and the travel essentials.

"Our Train leaves at dusk"

The man shuffled toward the fire with renewed vigor as he saw two figures sitting around it, though he still couldn't discern any features aside from a vague silhouette. The sand underneath him no longer burned with the sun's heat as it was now cold as ice. Upon seeing what he assumed was a couple of campers the man sheathed his knife as not to frighten them. He continued walking until the light of the fire partially illuminated him. The figures stood up and turned towards him, his teeth clattering he spoke.

"Excuse me, I couldn't help but notice your fire, it's freezing out here, would you two mind if I warmed up a bit?"

The figures seemed to be taken aback for a moment as the man walked fully into the light and spoke, no sound came from his lips, but instead, it came from the device enclosed around his neck. Its tone sounding forced, robotic, and unnatural; like hearing one's voice from an old intercom, yet it had a fluidity not often attributed to such a thing. The figure on the right took a step back but the figure on the left stood their ground.

"Of course, strange one. The night is cold and there is enough fire for us all. Come, sit with us, we were just sharing traveler's tales, perhaps you would like to tell your own?"

How formal, I guess campers with style?

The voice was distinctly female but as the figure stepped into the light the man saw she was not human. Her form was covered in sky blue scales where skin would be, and a tail as long as her torso. She wore a simple dark green shirt and similar pants both stained from the sand. Her face was not entirely inhuman, she had a muzzle with a sharp beak-like mouth and large saffron eyes. Her head was adorned with two horns that curved like a ram's and pointed forwards, four fin-like spines ran from the top of her head down her neck, they were a much darker blue than her scales. She would not have been unlike a bipedal lizard if he hadn't noticed the small pair of wings folded on her back. Behind her sat rock nearly red as the sand, leaning against it, a set of what seemed to be ceremonious bronze armor, laden with detailed engravings it seemed perfectly fit for her body.

"I'm talking with a giant winged lizard, can't say you're the strangest thing I've seen so far but you definitely make the list."

"and I am speaking with a big hairless ape, perspective is everything isn't it?"

The lizard woman smiles as she continues.

"In my culture, it is impolite to ask an introduction before you've given one yourself. My name is Ember and this is Rev"

She gestures to her right as the figure who is now crouched behind a boulder. The man thinks for a second, before taking another step forward and holding out his hand.

"It's Heath, but call me Stone."

Ember hesitates for a moment before shaking his hand, the sharpness of her claws nearly cutting into his skin. She takes a step back and sits down on the flat rock behind her leaning toward the fire. Stone sits on a smaller rock in front of the fire, bringing his hands close to it and rubbing them together. The atmosphere is tense, he needs an ice-breaker.

"Thank you, Ember, I usually don't get this warm a welcome when I'm new somewhere. Most people either scream and run when they see something new, or worse, try to fight me off. Not like this thing makes it easier."

He tugs lightly on the device around his neck. Coughing lightly, he runs his tongue along his cracked lips.

"You wouldn't happen to have any water, would you?"

Ember nods and turns to where her armor sits, she sifts through a pack before taking out a large canteen and handing it to him. He takes it gingerly, uncorking it, and taking a few long swigs before stopping to catch his breath. He wouldn't die of thirst tonight, now hunger that's debatable.

"Thank you again, if you two hadn't've had this fire going I don't think I would have lasted much longer."

He takes another long drink from the canteen.

"Not the way I imagined dying."

Although, it might be a better alternative than popping into a supernova... I'm grateful for that at least, maybe I'm even on the same planet...

Author's Note

This is the first story I've gotten the courage to submit, more chapters will come if they're wanted.

Criticism is always welcome but try to keep it civil, please?

Proofread by CubexTrain

[7/12/17 The first chapter has been edited to fix mistakes and add a few things that should have been there to begin with.]