First Steps

It was dark, very dark, I could barely see anything, though I could see a strange tree in the distance emanating an eerie blue hue. 'Maybe there's something there,' I thought, but as I moved closer the gravity became heavier and breathing became harder. Deciding that it wasn't worth it I turned back, but as I turned I heard a voice call out to me, yet I couldn't understand it.

"Who's there?" I asked, this time the voice was louder, but I still could not interpret it.

I felt my mind slipping away, I didn't want to go, it's calm here.

"...Para......dise"

This time I heard the voice, a female voice that I didn't recognize.

"...Free..."

There it was again, a broken echo in the void, as if some spirit is calling me.

"Is someone there? Hello!" I called out, but I didn't get an immediate reply.

"Get....up!" Another voice called out, this one more masculine than the first.

Wait a minute, this voice sounded familiar

"Ghost, get the hell up!"

I awoke with a gasp, shooting up from my bed and onto the cold floor. Shaking some of the dizziness away, I stared up and saw a blurry sand colored figure standing over me.

"Ghost, get your lazy ass up or you're not getting paid this week!" The voice shouted right into my ear.

"Uhhh...it's not like you pay me much anyway bro." I grumbled, rising from the ground and rubbing the grogginess from my eyes.

After the blurry haze was gone from my vision I stared into the blue eyes of a sand coloured pegasus. This is my older brother, Grillby "Griller" Nyx, Chef and Co-owner of a seaside restaurant called "The Nyx Brother's Diner". For as long as I can remember the two of us have called each other by our nicknames, though I forgot my actual name a long time ago.

I was snapped out of my thoughts when I heard Griller chuckle,"Yeah yeah, complain all you want lil 'bro, but I need you up to get started with setting up the diner."

I stretched my legs with a few audible cracks, I nodded and got off the ground. Stepping up to the mirror I began to inspect myself, the reflection was that of a light grey pegasus with reddish grey mane and tail. Staring back at me is a single gold colored iris, my other eye is being covered by my mane. Fixing my mane, and seeing as I found nothing else out of place I left my room to follow my brother down the stairs.

After catching up to, Griller, I decided to start a conversation. "So, anything new today?"

"Not really," then he gained a sinister smirk," Oh! I almost forgot, the special today is salmon chowder!"

I stuck my tongue out and gagged. I sometimes wonder if my brother made that horrible special just to torture me, I mean, he knows I'd gag at the smell of it, it always smells like rotting fish no matter what.

"Why do you like torturing me bro?"

"Hey, the regulars love it!"

I huffed, yeah right. All of our regulars are old folks who have no sense of smell or taste.

As we reached the restaurant's main dining room my brother turned to me and gave me my orders for the day, "Alright lil 'bro, I need you to setup plates and utensils, you know, like usual." Griller paused for a second in thought, then his eyes widened in remembrance,"oh yeah, Cinder won't be here today, so I need you to wait tables in her place."

"Why is it always me that covers for Cinder? Why not call up Jack?" I complained, Cinder is one of the waiters that work for us. Though she's usually unable to make it to work due to complications, we can't really afford to hire more staff nor can we fire Cinder, so we're kind of stuck with her.

I looked over to Griller for an answer, he simply shrugged, "Well, Jack is on sick leave, and you are the only other pony here," he replied, then with a wink he continued, "and you look feminine enough to pass as a waitress."

With a groan of annoyance, I simply accepted that I'd have to wait the tables, though I hate how he keeps reminding me of how feminine I look, what with my smaller than average stallion size, longer mane, and a mare like muzzle. Shaking my head and dropping that train of thought, I began to set the tables.

It continued like this for a while in silence, just like every other day we've been working here. The restaurant was once our house, but after our parents died my brother refurbished the house, and turned the first floor into a restaurant. My brother was sixteen at the time while I was twelve, my brother became known as the youngest restaurant owner in New Canterlot.

New Canterlot is the combination of one third of Baltimare, all of Fillydelphia, and half of Manehatten with a great big wall surrounding it. Being near the coast has its perks, we get fresh fish anytime we need it.

Not much is know about what goes in the Dead Lands beyond the walls, just rumors from the occasional wall guards, and tall tales from an old coot named Salt Stack or "Salt Stack, never tries and tellin' lies.". Nopony really believes his stories, one of them is that if you die in the Dead Lands you'd come back as some monster from the underworld. Crazy, I know, but I sometimes wonder if he's telling the truth.

Business was pretty uneventful, some guards came in to order some fish'n'chips to go, Salt Stack ordered his usual, which was the Salmon burger and fries. There were some other random customers who came later in the day, some tried hitting on me, so imagine the surprise on their faces when they found out I was male.

It was near closing hour when I heard the entrance bell rang, with a sigh, I went to greet the customers.

"Hi, welcome to the Nyx Brothers Diner, how may I-" I stopped abruptly when I noticed who I was greeting, it was a dark green unicorn in an expensive looking suit, I narrowed my eyes, this was the same pony who tried to buy our restaurant and home three weeks ago.

In an annoying rich person's accent he announced himself, "Good evening, My name is Green Hooves, though I'm sure you remember me."

"Of course, and my answer still remains, we're not selling this place." I replied through gritted teeth."So if you don't mind, kindly take your offer and shove it up you a-"

I was stopped by Griller shutting my mouth. He looked at me with a look of disapproval. I stared at him as he stared back.

With a sigh he replied, "I called him here, Ghost. I plan to sell the place."

That had me shocked, then it turned into rage, "What!? What do you mean sell?! I didn't agree to this, we're supposed to be partners, so the decisions need to be made by both of us!"

"I know, but we're close to falling into debt. If I don't sell this place, then we'll have nothing! It's better to sell it and retire, or find other lines of work."

I was about to reply, but my shock and anger kept me at a loss for words, so I ran to my room instead. I locked my door, laid on my bed and cried.

I lost track of how long I stayed in my room, but it must have been an hour or so, maybe more. I just can't believe that my brother would just sell our restaurant, our home, after all the memories and work that went into it. Our first birthday together without our parents, our first customer, even our first positive review from a critique. A knock on the door snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Hey, um...listen, I know it's hard to accept, but I'm doing this for our own good."

It was my brother. I stayed silent, I wasn't ready to talk yet.

"I know you can hear me, Ghost, but it's true, we can't afford to keep this business running anymore. Especially with the new mayor raising the taxes."

I continued to stay silent, but I walked up to the door and sat by it quietly.

"Look, Green Hooves has given us a week to move everything out."

I decided to break my silence, opening the door I looked at my brother dead in the eyes, "who else knows about this?" I asked.

With a sigh, Griller answered, "Cinder, Jack," he inhaled and paused for a second, then exhaled and continued, "basically, everyone in the city knows."

I shut my eyes, sighed, then I looked at my brother again, "I'm going out for a while." I said.

"Alright, but don't be out too late." With that said, Griller continued onwards to his room.

Guess I'll just wander around for a bit, not much else to do anyways.

I ended up at a bar called the Salt Shack, surprisingly owned by Salt Stack. Which makes me wonder why he comes to our restaurant if he owned a bar that also sells food. The mystery of Old Salt aside, I was sitting at a small table by myself drinking a small glass of Salt Shack's famous Raindrop Whiskey, the drink itself had nothing to do with Raindrops whatsoever. I just sat there, pondering the meaning of life, I kinda felt like I was floating. "heh, I guess the whiskey was taking effect." I muttered to nopony in particular.

A light nudge shook me out of my thought, looking to the person that nudged me, I was surprised to see Salt Stack.

"Hey there kiddo, can't help but noticed you bein' down in the dumps, guess the news of your restaurant bein' sold hit you harder than I thought." Salt said in an old equestrian accent, from Manehatten I think, as I thought this Salt Stack calmly walked over and took a seat across from me.

"Heh, of course you'd know too, it seems like everypony knew...everyone but me." I scoffed, though the last bit was mumbled.

"Sorry about that, but hey, if you've got somethin' to get off your chest, then Old Salt's got an ear to lend."

I thought on that for a bit, then sighed, "I don't know, I just don't know what I'm going to do after all this."

Salt took a thinking pose, then his eyes lit up, "How 'bout joining me and some folks on a trip to one of the other settlements tomorrow?"

My eyes wided at that, "what! Are you crazy?!" I shouted.

Salt only chuckled, "heh heh, drink took care of that a long time ago, but I'm serious, you'll have a chance to see the other settlements, and you'll get paid too."

I thought about it for a second, while the sound of leaving the city sounds crazy, this may just be my chance at finding something I like, plus, I'd be getting paid. Though at the same time I'm sober enough to know that I'm slightly drunk, causing my sense of reason to be thrown out the window, that and I'm a lightweight. Next thing I knew I blacked out.

I woke up the next morning on my bed with a splitting headache, I couldn't remember much of last night, though I hope I didn't do something I'd regret. There was a loud ringing noise in my head, it took me awhile to realise that it was somepony knocking on my door. Rolling out of bed I shambled up to my door and opened it. Standing at my door was my brother with a disapproving look.

"I can't believe you went and got drunk, Ghost." Griller scolded.

"Can you keep down, my head is still ringing." I replied groggily.

Then another voice shouted from behind my brother. "Hey there kiddo, hope you're ready for the trip."

"W-wha, Salt Stack? What are you doing here, and what's this about a trip?" I asked.

"Oh, that's right you past out last night, but you sounded very determined 'bout your decision to come along." Salt replied.

Trying to recalled that decision, I instantly remembered that I agreed to join Salt and his caravan to Las Uness, another safe haven south of where old Ponyvile was.

"What? Nonononono, you are not going anywhere, Ghost, it's too dangerous." Griller protested.

"What is your problem, Griller, you wanted to sell the business and have us find other professions, well I'm trying a new one right now." I shouted, then I continued, "Besides, the Caravan will have armed guards, right Salt?"

"That's right."

"When I said other lines of work I didn't mean one that involved going out into the Dead Lands!" Griller shouted.

"Well, maybe it isn't for you, but I want this, I want to see places outside of New Canterlot!" I shouted back.

"Well fine! If you want to go out there and get yourself killed then fine!" Huffed Griller.

"Fine, I hope I don't have to see you ever again!" I retorted, then I slammed the door and packed my stuff. I then stormed out of the house with Salt Stack taking the lead.

Standing at the city gates made me realize that it's much bigger up close. Turning to my left I looked to Salt Stack and the rest of the caravan. There were four heavily armed guards, and two other merchants.

"Well, this is it. My first step into the outside." I thought to myself. Though deep down I wish my brother was here to see me off.

We made it a pretty good distance from the city since we left early in the morning, we passed through some ruins of the rest of Fillydelphia, past a forest that regrew over the centuries. We had to travel through a mountain on a steep pathway due to it being the safest route, so by the time we reached halfway the sun has nearly set below the horizon. The lead guard said that we'd set up camp in a cave for the night, I didn't question it since they've been doing this far longer than I did. It was decided that the guards would stand watch in shifts, and alert the rest in the case of danger.

It has been a few hours now since everypony fell asleep, the campfire was still going strong, though I was still awake, and I really needed to take a piss. So I got up and silently exited the cave, there was no way in hell I was pissing near everypony, luckily or unluckily, the guard standing watch had fallen asleep as well. It was really dark out, the only light being the New Canterlot city lights in the far distance, the dim campfire light from the cave and the small glimmers of light from the moon shining through some gaps in the cloud cover. I did my best to piss off the side of the cliff, though it was hard to see.

After my business was taken care of I turned to go back into the cave, but I didn't account for some piss on the ground, and I slipped. I began falling, and falling, the light of the campfire was getting further and further away. Time seemed to slow down.

"Damn it, and to think the last thing I said to my brother was an argument. We've never argued before. I guess my only regret is that I didn't get to say sorry." Then, everything went black.

Chapter 2

Welcome to the Dead Lands

"Welcome to Shardsvile, where the broken go to die."

Author's Note

Hiya, I'm still kinda new to this, but I'll try my best to write a good story.