Chapter 1: In Our Town.

“Other ponies argue - do you ever wonder why?”

“...Thirty-two, thirty-three… Thirty-four,” yep, that’s right. This window has thirty-four cracks in it. Just like the last time I counted… Just like the last twenty times I’ve counted this month. It doesn’t ever change! The brown, dirty walls of my home looking the same as always. The same, broken windows forever placed at the front of my shop.

It’s another slow day, which makes sense… I live in a small town, so that means not many ponies live here. We are also out of the way, so not many travelers stop by. This could only mean one thing for me. “Sigh… I’m bored..” I let my head slip from my hoof and crash into the old, dirty desk. A sight I’m all too familiar with. My orange hoof, my white desk, my dusty gold tail not even reaching the floor.

Although, my boredom is technically a good thing for the town. If I’m doing nothing, then that means I’m not needed. Which means no pony is hurt! It’s a bitter thought to try and cheer myself up from the everlasting boredom that’s my life at the moment. With how large the Equestrian Wasteland is danger can be found anywhere, so I’m just glad that it’s not here.

I hardly even noticed that I was just staring at the next window, subconsciously counting in my head. One… Two… Three… Fou-

My door swung open, with two of the more elder mares trotted into my...Lovely home. Finally, something was happening, and it wasn’t an emergency!

“Oh, Dusty Smoke! Snipe Strike! You’re traveling together today? What’s the occasion?” Always have to act at least semi-professional when you speak to clients… Even if they’re not here for anything medical related. They looked strangely similar to each other, both green earth ponies, with their manes short. Dusty was darker and taller, and a little thicker too.

“Dreamrush, darling darling darling… Haven’t you heard? Our little darlings are going to be wed to each other!” Dusty looked so excited as she said that, she couldn’t even keep herself still. While Snipe Strike was radiating more pride than radiation itself.

“My little stallion works hard, I’m so happy that he has somepony who can fit his motivations and reach for the clouds with him!” I wasn’t surprised they were acting like this, hearing that those two had gone on their first date the other day was surprising, for sure. But for these two mares, overreacting did seem to fit the normal for them.

It wasn’t my place to correct them.

“Oh yes, I heard all about their… union. I really hope it goes further than the first date, they’re so c-”

“Of course it will, Rushy!” Snipe had raised her voice, her brow furrowing together in slight annoyance. “They are perfect together! My little Strike will one day lead our little town and maybe even get us on the map! Then maybe we won’t have worry about scouting outside from any threats, we’d be defended enough we can just sit at home! Plus that means less patching up for you, doesn’t he sound like a wonderful mayor?”

“Have some faith Dreamrush, surely your little forecast told you something about this!” Ah, that’s what they wanted. “We can’t wait to hear it come from your mouth!” Dusty didn’t even give me a chance to reply to Snipe and was going on about the daily ‘forecast’ as they call it. How do they still not get it doesn’t work like that when they’ve come to hear about my horoscope every single day ever since I took over the clinic. “So… Tell us Dreamrush, what did you see last night?”

I couldn’t help but sigh. I don’t want to disappoint them, they’re sweet ladies who haven’t done anything wrong besides be impatient. “Alright… I’ll gladly tell you, but please remember: It revolves around me in some way, and it only is about today. It’s nothing more than how my day will go, alright?” They didn’t say anything. They were just waiting for their answer. I couldn’t help but sigh as I cleared my throat.

“I saw a dusty plain, dry and silent. Everything at a still as a flow of green swirls

flowed in front of where I watched. Replaced with walls of gray, brown, and peach.

Rays of red appearing in the far distance. Two orbs, staring for but a moment.

Before looking away, leaving in its gaze two lesser Reds. They seemed to hold

a sense of self. The swirls of red were discontent until gifted that of gold and metal.

I hugged the Reds, and they vanished. Leading to more brightly colored swirls

of colors breaking out of the moving walls.”

They… Didn’t look too happy. Maybe if I kind of stretched it for them, they would be content? “From what I can tell… The first part of my dream must have been about your children! I saw a dusty plain, that must have been for Dusty Wrench, and with how quiet it was must have been for… Strike, as they are quiet. With the green being the two of you, watching over their eternal love...” The two mares looked at each other and smiled.

“Oh, that’s wonderful news Dreamrush! I knew you saw it! Oh, this is the best day!” Snipe must have been wanting this more than she let on because she hugged me over my counter. Snipe of all ponies was hugging me!

“Y-you’re.. crushing-” She let me go, and I stumbled backward behind my counter, landing with enough of a thud to make a few of my magical bandages fall out of their shelf. Great, another mess I have to clean up, and the Reds aren’t even here yet. I quickly picked up the fallen medical supplies with a weak telekinetic grasp, the blue glow coating them as they float up and back into their spot. I glanced back at the mares and saw they already left. I couldn’t help but glare at them as they left. That was more than just a little rude! But… I made them happy, at least.

I let out a sigh and glanced down behind me at my cutie mark. A strange conundrum of a picture, because I have no idea what I was looking at. It was a strange circular net, with blue feathers sticking out the sides of it. I’ve never seen anything like it and no one in town had either. But that’s not the strangest thing, not at all. Not only did it appear on my flank in my sleep, but one section of my curly, braided hair started to change color. Just a little bit on my right front bang, it turned into a swirl of pink and blue, and my daily dreams started.

Ever since then, I always have a vivid dream. I quickly was able to discover that it was predicting my days in rather vague ways. My father told me that my Cutie mark must have something to do with these dreams and that I should trust them. It’s because of him that I found the pattern, and so he called it my Horoscope, some prewar ritual that ponies would use to tell how their days would go, which means my talent is dreaming, how useful and how many times it’s saved lives.

Not.

Looking around my clinic, I felt a soft chill through the warm air. No, no not a chill, it’s just my nerves. When I know they are coming to town, I always get worried. I can’t shake the feeling that they always try to start something as if they want an excuse to do... Something. I must be overreacting, though. But still… What if this time..?

Snap out of it Dreamrush, I know that it’ll all be fine thanks to last night’s dream. But it’s hard to just blindly trust a vision I saw while asleep. There are those few times where even after the day’s over that I can’t make the connection between what happened and what I saw, and I believe that ponies make their own destiny, yet my talent is a direct opposition to that belief, and my dreams are never wrong. I’ve tried to prevent what I’ve seen on simple days, I still remember Mayor Ironstout yelling at me as a foal, just to realize I saw this coming as well. For the most part, I have stopped trying to change my dream outcomes. For the most part, except when…

I really shouldn’t think like that, I couldn’t change that. I need to distract myself for my sanity, I should be in a non-stressed situation for when The Reds shows up. I have the little satchel ready for them, nothing got spilled, so all I need to do is look at the second window.

“One... Two.. three..”

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Doing inventory again and again is a chore, but I’ve made it a habit of doing so before visitors leave. Be the victim of a small robbery once and no more, make sure you don’t get robbed the same way more than once. Make it tedious, which seemed to be my Mother’s quote for life. I had my radio on, but the host was talking about current events, to which I couldn’t quite pay attention while I was counting, losing my place while counting just doubles my effort. Not that I didn’t like DJ Pon3, but I can tell he was a bit… biased, with the song choice. Playing mostly Sweetie belle and Sapphire Shores, I found it a real treat mostly for the sake of something new. When he played someone like Songbird Serenade, or especially Countess Coloratura, though I preferred to use Rara, it’s quick and simple. I was distracted enough, that I almost didn’t catch the male voice signing off.

“...and that was everything new in the Equestrian Wasteland, thankfully nothing too extreme this time around. Now be careful out there, children. More and more ponies are being harmed these last few days, we can’t have that now, can we? So please, make sure you tune in when you can. Between the morning and evening news updates, throughout the day I’ll be giving out little tips. Here’s one on the house: Disease, a slow killer that shows its ugly mug after any kind of animal attack or eating the wrong food. It’s slow and painful, so make sure you not only watch what you eat and where you step, but that you carry whatever you can that can help you get over that sickness. Now, enough of my voice. Let’s get back to some music with lovely Serenade Songbird!”

Well, speak of the devil. I’d say that this day is turning around. But Just as the song started to play, my front door opened and Dusty Wrench hurried inside, with a soft shade of worry coating her complexion. She hurried up and poked her head into my back room.

“Dreamrush…? They’re here. I uh, um... I just wanted to let you know, and if you could hurry…? Strike is making sure they don’t bother anyone,” great, right when the rare music was playing! I couldn’t help but be upset over it, the song will be done by the time they leave. But just in case, better safe than sorry, I used my magic to pull out the hidden, rusty, and small gun I had. An old, nine-millimeter pistol, that was given to me from the mayor so I would have something to protect myself. I’ve never really ‘used’ it, I know how to aim… somewhat… I’ve even shot a few bottles! So I do have some skill with the gun, but I’ve never had to use It ON somepony… Heck, not even a critter like a Radroach, Bloatsprite, or even those horrid little Radwudgies we have to clear out now and again. Yet now wasn’t the time to worry about missing a song, so I slipped the gun into my old vest (I wore it like a jacket, too warm out to shut it completely!) where my father had stitched in a little holster for it.

I thanked Dusty Wrench for letting me know and hurried past her, getting behind my counter and grabbing that satchel I got ready in advance before stepping outside, into what we know as ‘Our Town’

The light was faded, as usual, dulled by the never-ending blanket above, also known as the clouds. The source of light known as the ‘sun’, forever hidden, a myth to all us grounders. I’ve been told that it’s a circle, “Like some of those lamps we see everywhere?” I asked the resident ghoul. He laughed from the description younger me gave him. Mr. Party Favor said it was a rather unique way to put it, so through my childhood I called it ‘the hidden lamp in the sky!’

I always liked Party Favor, he looked out for all of us. He said he’d love to show us balloon animals someday, not that we knew what those were. I’ve always told passerby's that if they ever found any ‘balloons’ I'd be willing to reward them for it. I’ve always wanted to see those floating animals.

My mind was drifting too much, I needed to focus! I glanced around, looking for where The Reds might be. Thankfully, I heard them not too far, just around the corner! They were over near the town wall, ‘tolerating’ Strike.

You could even say he was being the bully.

“You haven’t even told me your name yet! Come on now buddy, how are we supposed to strike a deal if I don’t know your name. I’ve told you mine, Strike! S T R, I K E. Swift Strike to be exact, so again, hi! what’s your name? Bent nails? Rusty nails?” He had a good direction, almost right too. It was a name that was clear on his cutie mark, but that wasn’t rust. It was dried blood. Bloody Nails. A name I wish I could forget, I hated him! He was a… a creep!

“Ah am getting... SO sick of you... So SHUT. UP.”

“Oh don’t be like that Rust-”

“I! AM NOT!” POW! “RUSTY AT ANYTHING!” Strike was struck, and crumpled onto the ground, a few feet away from the trio of Red Eye’s goons. “You got that?! Keep talking with tha’ kinda disrespect to me! I dare ya, no want ya too! Give me the goddamn reason!”

Strike is the kind of pony to keep getting themselves into trouble, as in he doesn’t know when to shut up, so I quickly stepped between them and put on my best… ‘I’m not scared that you might rip my head off’ voice.

“Hello, Bloody Nails! It’s... Lovely to see you again...” Blugh… “But you’ll need to wait a moment… I have to check on an injury real quick,” I turned around before he could interject, I was able to see he was upset with it, but he didn’t challenge it… Which is good, because I’m all talk.

Turning my gaze to strike he was still on the ground, albeit smiling up at me with blood trickling down the side of his mouth, he was trying to hide his pain.

“Oh Rushy… I know that look, it’s your ‘he’s an idiot’ look. Don’t give me that! You know I just like to help, throw me a bone, come on!” I found myself smiling a tad at his excuse, Swift Strike might be who has to stop in my clinic the most because he easily is the most harmed… due to his antics. But he’s one of those ponies that… Most, ponies can’t help but like. We’ve known each other since we were foals, and he has hardly grown-up.

“One, you said it’s not me. Two, you know it’s true. Three, you’re an idiot. Four, open your mouth so I can look.”

“For you Rushy, I’ll-ACK!!” I had to magically keep his mouth open to peer inside, and inside I found the damage rather quickly. It was easy to see and already seemed to have its blood flow slowing.

“You hurt your tooth, It’s cracked. I’ll have to pull it out, go and wait with Dusty in my clinic, now,” he seemed like he was about to object with another one of his excuses, but surprisingly enough he sighed and spat out some blood and got up.

“Now that you mention it… My jaw does feel somewhat lighter, I’ll take ya up on that offer!” He smiled at me, with his lips shut to avoid more blood spilling, and hobbled off. He wasn’t walking completely straight and with a limp, he either is dizzy from the hit or hurt his ankle.

He definitely wasn’t going on today’s hunt.

With the smaller problem dealt with, I turned back to the triplicate of Red Eye’s cannon fodder. Bloody Nails the idiot Earth pony with his only weapon being a small, pretty pistol than the one I have, one of those griffin mercenaries… Claw, Talon? I forget their group name. She went by the name Glad, on account of their rising scars coming from both sides of her beak, with an old looking shotgun strung over her body.. The last one, A unicorn, was silent and never talked so I never learned her name, where she had a strangely curved blade attached to her hip.

She was my favorite.

Glad’s voice brought me back to reality. “Get on with it already Nails! I want to get outta this backwater dump of a town!”

“Yeah, I know you don’t like it here. You only complain every time we come here! Now if ya’d shut up and stop distractin’ me, and look intimidating like you’re hired too, I can get along with this here bitch,” he must have seen through my face and saw my scowl, because he added “Alright, Lil’ Bitch. I’m only sayin’ this once; We are here on behalf of Red Eye. With him working so tirelessly to bring about a better Equestria, he could use any bit of help as possible. From supplies… To ponies. We’ll take whatever,” the same speech as last time, and almost as if on cue, Glad cracked her claws, and the unicorn started to roll her neck in anticipation. It’s the last sentence that sends the message, ‘or else’. I know more likely than not that they probably wouldn’t do anything too drastic, but the chance they try to enslave us all… or worse, is scarier than losing a few drugs.

I tried to keep a confident look on, but I think it just came across as more of a clueless look. “Of course! I would just hate it if any of you got too hurt...” bleugh… I could feel the bile already in my throat… “I already have a care package r-ready,” shoot! Come on Dreamrush, don’t freak out! “I uh, filled it with medical supplies, made it extra heavy with extra chems just for you all!” I magically lifted the little satchel off myself and held it out to him, and placed it down into his large, un-moving arm. He started to move the bulky bag to test it, and after what felt like too long he slugged it over his neck looking SO full of himself.

“Alright Doc, this will do well… Some of our sick ‘workers’ have been looking forward to this medicine. You’ve done a good deed, let’s hope you’re as generous with us next time… Come on ya lazy shits, we’re leaving,” Glad actually looked… glad for once. She shot up and let out some over the top sigh. “Finally! This place makes me want a bath..”

They finally started to pack up and head towards the front gate. I couldn’t help but smile, they finally left! Frankly, I was proud of myself, especially seeing that I gave them a bunch of chems, and a few medical bandages for them to not argue. While I don’t usually like to do this kind of thing, or wish it on another pony… I hope they overdose, they’ve had their chances.

“Dreamrush! Dreamrush!! What did they do to Strike!?” Almost breaking down my door in her rush to figure out what happened, Dusty Wrench all but flew through my clinic door to me.

“C-Calm down Dusty… Just a punch is all, I just need to remove his-”

“You need to perform surgery on him?!” She grabbed onto me and started to shake me, albeit lightly. “What happened!? Is he okay?!”

“S-Stoooop!! Duus-”

“Is he in danger!? Is there a chance he’ll die?!”

“Wh-Wha? No! Just- I have to pull a tooth is all, stop shaking me!”

She finally let me go, rather suddenly so I stumbled for a moment. For a unicorn, she was rather strong, but after everything stopped spinning I thanked her for letting me go and started to make my way back home. I could hear the sounds of doors opening, hooves on the dirt once again, and most importantly children. They were all coming out of their homes now that a potential threat was gone. I felt a small, warm feeling spread through me. Once again, my dream was correct. The colorful lights flowing after the Red Lights left was both the townsfolk and their happiness. I couldn’t help but be appreciated towards my talent, if I wasn’t sure that encounter would have gone well I might have melted under the pressure.

How could I ever guess that soon I would be terrified of a simple dream?

Footnote: Level up
New Perk: Horse sense. You are a swift learner. You gain an additional 10% whenever experience points are earned.

Author's Note

A more relaxed, 'get to know' chapter. The next one is... a lot bigger, where events really happen and kick in. I decided to post both at the same time because it felt odd to just post this on its own.

Regardless, thank you for taking the time to read this! This is my first big project like this, and I want to learn how to make a long story, so I decided this would be perfect.

And please, if you noticed any sort of issue while reading this PLEASE let me know, I'd love some criticism so that I might learn something.

Welcome to the story of Broken Dreams.