12 Years Ago

I was only eight years old at the time, if I remember correctly. Me and my dad lived in an old house somewhere in the San Palomino. Actually, it would be more accurate to say he lived in the house while I lived in the basement, chained to a wall. I was pretty much his punching bag that he would regularly beat with a lead pipe. He hadn't even given me a name. Well, not unless 'Little shit' counts as a name.

I should clarify that my dad was a sociopath, in every sense of the word. Whenever he was in a bad mood, he'd beat me. Whenever he was in a good mood, he'd beat me. Whenever he was bored, he'd beat me. If he ever caught me having fun, he'd beat me, then punish me. One time, a stray cat managed to find its way into the basement and took a liking to me. For a while, he kept me company in that dark, dreary basement. When my dad found out about it, he killed the cat, then beat me like he always does. Later, he cooked up the cat and forced me to eat it. Trust me, this wasn't even the worst thing he'd done.

It wasn't all bad, though. Due to not having anything better to do, I taught myself how to pick locks. There was a screwdriver and some other junk I could use lying around the basement. Thanks to a bunch of trial and error, I managed to pick the padlock on the chain holding me to the wall, as well as the lock on the basement door.

Now, I know what you're thinking; If I had the ability to run away, why didn't I? Well, the answer is simple. If I left, my chances of survival would be extremely low. While I was practically tortured on a daily basis, I was still fed, and I had shelter. Out in the wasteland, it would be a struggle to find either of those, plus I would have to deal with raiders, slavers, and irradiated wildlife. I had no way of knowing those things existed until my dad showed me himself, dangling me in front of a radscorpion like bait. So yeah, it may not be the best life, but I wouldn't be any better off out there.

Lockpicking wasn't the only thing I taught myself. My dad had a large shelf in the living room fully stocked with books. Late at night, after dad went to sleep, I would pick the two locks, sneak into the living room and attempt to learn what the symbols on the paper meant while staying as quiet as possible. I wasn't able to learn much. I had no idea what each word meant or what sound each letter was supposed to make, so I still had no Idea how to convert the text into speech. At the very least, I was able to tell the different letters apart. Overall, I was able to find some silver linings in my shitty life.

Then one day, dad came home absolutely furious.

He barged into the basement, his amber yellow eyes glaring straight at me. He was a pale grey pony with a long, stringy, dark grey mane. He was also a Unicorn, like me. He was a bit on the skinny side, but I knew he was a lot stronger than he looked.

he began yelling about something, half talking to himself, half talking to me. At the time, because I didn't know how to talk, I had no idea what any of what he said meant. Still, I remembered the sounds coming out of his mouth clear as day. Looking back on it, I was able to piece together what he was saying. Basically, some mare had somehow found out about me and how my dad had been treating me. Even today, I don't know who the mare was, but if I had to guess, it was probably a caravan trader that my dad regularly bought supplies from. She had confronted him, telling him that he had no right to be my father. Naturally, he was infuriated. By some twisted logic, my dad believed he was an amazing parent.

Although, I do have to admit, as ironic as it is, he did teach me lessons all parents should teach their kids. Through the constant beatings, he taught me that life is going to be painful, and that I'll have to endure it. By feeding me crappy food (and sometimes just literal crap), he taught me to never be picky about what I eat. By giving me terrible living conditions, keeping me locked in the basement, he taught me to appreciate the little things, like the fact that I have a roof over my head. Taking everything into account, he taught me that no matter how bad things may be, they can always be worse.

It was like some cruel joke, but it was true. He did teach me some valuable life lessons. Either way, I'm pretty sure he didn't let that mare live.

"That bitch thought she could question my parenting!? Fuck her! I'm a great parent! You agree, right?" He said, turning to face me. I didn't respond, not understanding him and not physically knowing how to do so. "She had the gall to say that I had no right to be your father! NEWS FLASH!! It's the apocalypse! Rights aren't a thing anymore!"

He paused to take a breath, then seemed to get an idea. He crouched down in front of me and continued his one-sided speech. "I'm your father, and your my son... I just need a way to prove that. That way, people won't question it anymore!" He whispered into my ear. Thinking back, I don't think he actually felt the need to prove his ownership of me. He just wanted an excuse to make me suffer more.

"STAIN! GET THE WHATEVER THE FUCK IT'S CALLED READY!!!" He yelled up the stairs as he left. I then heard more yelling from what sounded like dad. He was most likely angry that 'Stain' didn't know what a 'Whatever the fuck it's called' is.

I never met Stain for myself, but I had heard his voice before when he and dad would talk. I wasn't sure if he was a friend of my dad's or if he was some thug he hired. All I knew was that he followed my dad around a lot. Considering my dad would yell at him a lot, I assume he wasn't very bright. In fact, he might have been why that mare knew about me, possibly having let it slip in a conversation.

After a while, my dad came back down Levitating something. It was a long, black, metal rod. One end of the rod was shaped like a "B" and glowed hot yellow and red, clearly having been heated in a fire.

It was a branding iron.

I had never seen one before, but seeing the way it glowed, along with the wide, menacing smile on my dad's face, I could tell that whatever it was, it was going to be painful. Very Painful.

"Don't worry..." He said, trotting over to me and pinning my face against the wall, "... This will only hurt a lot!" He lifted the branding iron up to my face and towards my left eye, cackling the entire time. I tried to struggle but it was no use. I felt the heated metal press against my eye, and the pain I felt was unimaginable. He just continued to laugh hysterically over my screams of agony.

Present Day

I jolted awake from my nightmare in a cold sweat-

*CLANG!*

-And immediately smacked my head into the bunk above me.

"Ow~" I moaned, rubbing the newly sore spot on my forehead. I decided to take in my surroundings while the pain subsided. I let out a sigh of relief when I saw I was in my room and not in that damn basement. There wasn't a whole lot in my room, to be honest. Just a wall safe and a couple lockers with my stuff in them, along with a reloading bench I added in the corner of the room. Other than that, it's just the bunk beds me and my roommate, Astral Spark, sleep in.

Speaking of, are we ever going to trade these things out for normal beds?

The top bunk was pretty low, so every time you wake up on the bottom bunk, you would have to be careful not to sit up, or you'd slam your head into the top bunk. Y’know, like what I just did. Astral had been living here first, so when I moved in, I automatically got the bottom bunk. Across from the beds is the door to the rest of the metal shack we call home.

I got out of my bed and dragged my hooves over to one of the lockers and opened it up, grabbing both my canteen and the glass shard I use as a mirror. I stared at the pony in the reflection. A honey orange unicorn with a brown, shaggy mane and one good, amber yellow eye stared back. The other eye was completely burned, the eyelids fused together, and a scar in the shape of a 'B' visible in the center. I unscrewed the cap of my canteen and splashed a bit of water in my face to wake myself up.

I've gotta do something about these nightmares.

I angled the mirror to look at my cutie mark, a wrench and a rifle crossed like an X. I found I had a natural talent when it comes to repairs, especially with weapons. Tinkering with different weapons and crafting ammo was pretty much a hobby for me. I could even make bullets out of scrap metal and tin cans, which the wasteland has no shortage of. That's why I set up the reloading bench in my room.

Which reminds me, I need to go shopping for more-

The sound of a crash coming from the other room drew my attention. Sounded like Astral was having some trouble with... whatever he was doing. I went out into the hallway and entered through a door on my right, into Astral's laboratory. There were bits, bobs, trinkets, tools and machines everywhere. The place was far from organized, but Astral didn't need it to be. He somehow knew where everything was amongst the clutter, almost never losing track of where something was.

... Wait, where the heck is-?

I noticed some rustling coming from a pile of scrap metal and turned my attention to it.

Found him.

I started digging through the pieces of scrap to help Astral find his way out. Eventually, a small bit of bright yellow hair peaked out from under the metal, and I wrapped my levitation around him and pulled him out. Soon, Astral was on his hooves. He adjusted his glasses and took in his surroundings before laying his eyes on me.

"Oh! Good morning, Bunny!" Astral greeted as if he wasn't just buried under a mound of scrap.

Astral was a light brown pegasus with green eyes and a bright yellow mane. His mane was styled similarly to that of the Stable Colt, Stable-Tec's mascot. He was draped in his trusty lab coat, showing signs of being worn and mended repeatedly. I remember asking him why not just get a new one, and he said it had sentimental value. Guess some people are more willing to hold on to the past than I am.

"So, how'd you end up buried alive?" I asked.

"Well, I wanted to take a step back and marvel at the progress I've made on my latest creation! Unfortunately, I took one to many steps back and knocked the pile of scrap over." He gestured to a device on a workbench that I assumed was his 'latest creation'. "I call it the A.W.M.D! What do you think?"

The device in question was rather small, no bigger than my head. As for what it did, I had no clue. It was a metal sphere with several wires and tubes jutting out of the sides. There were a couple plugs that looked like they were supposed to connect to something, but given their shape, I couldn't tell what.

"Is this really big enough to warrant taking a step back?" I questioned.

"Bunny, all inventions deserve taking a step back! They're wonders of science and technology! Signs of evolution! As such, they should be given the proper attention!" He replied passionately. He turned around and walked further into the lab, probably going to get more tools or something. As he turned around, I couldn't help but notice the Dashite brand on his flank.

Astral had originally been a scientist working for the Enclave. At the time, he had been proud to provide his talents to aid the pegasi, but he soon found out about how the Enclave had pretty much left the rest of Equestria to die. That's what he told me, anyway. So he left, hoping to use his inventive and scientific prowess to aid the people of the wasteland that needed it. Plus, his craving for knowledge demanded he study the surface and see what things were like down here.

I remember the first time we met 2 years ago. I had just been wandering from place to place when I ran into him by the river near New Appleloosa. He had been collecting water with some weird machine he built so that he could perform tests on it later. Usually, when you encounter a stranger in the wasteland, it would be smart to be wary of them and keep your distance on the off chance they might try to rob you. Astral, however, was very welcoming, even asking for my assistance holding the machine in place while he took some notes. Apparently, he thought an assistant would come in handy, so he asked if I needed a place to stay. In return, I would assist him with whatever he needed as well as occasionally be his lab rat. We've lived together ever since.

It took me a while to get used to his... 'eccentric' personality. He was incredibly devoted to his studies, even willing to give his own life for science. If I had to describe him, he was a textbook mad scientist. With how energetic and passionate he was, it was hard to believe he was almost twice my age.

"Well, I just wanted to let you know I'm headed out. I'm running low on ammo and repair kits, so I was gonna go buy some more." I informed him.

"Oh! Hold on a second!" He called out, grabbing a piece of paper then trotting back to me. "I need you to also buy the items on this list for me. I need them to help finish the A.W.M.D. Here, this should cover the cost for the parts." He explained, giving me the list and some extra caps.

I exited the lab and went back to my room to retrieve my saddlebags from my locker. Before I left the room, I found myself staring at the wall safe. Inside it was an incredibly helpful device that I've had by my side for years. It could keep even the most brain dead of wastelanders alive. For me personally, it carried a lot of memories. Bad memories. I contemplated opening the safe and bringing it with me.

"... Nah." I decided against it. It was just a shopping trip, I'd be fine without it. With a final wave goodbye to Astral, I left, making my way to Appleloosa.

Our shack wasn't too far from New Appleloosa, so the trip only took about 40 minutes. I ran into a few radroaches and bloatsprites on my way there and figured I could sell their meat. Other than that, the trip was pretty uneventful. When I arrived, it looked like a caravan had also just arrived in town. I groaned, knowing what this meant.

Calamity was most likely in town.

Don't get me wrong, I didn't have anything against the rust colored pony. Actually, I had a lot of respect for him. He, like Astral, was a Dashite. If I remember correctly, he was a soldier in the Enclave before learning about what was going on down below. He was incredibly loyal and was willing to put his life on the line to protect others. In fact, he'd been keeping watch over the caravans for a little over a year now. The first time we met, however, I left quite a bad impression.

I was in the Turnpike Tavern one night, drinking my sorrows away when I overheard some asshole talking shit about Ditzy Doo, the resident ghoul and owner of the town's general store. Having been piss drunk and ready to make stupid decisions, I smashed a bottle into his face, pointed the broken glass at his throat, and dared him to insult her again. Before things could escalate further, Calamity stepped between us and tried to break it up. I may or may not have responded by headbutting him and starting a bar brawl with me against everypony else.

Obviously, I lost the fight, having been outnumbered. I did manage to beat the crap out of at least half the other patrons, though. Unfortunately, I'm not allowed anywhere near Turnpike Tavern anymore. I’m not a heavy alcoholic, though, so I’m not to beat up about it.

That hadn't been the first time I caused trouble, and it certainly wasn't the last. I wasn't a fan of most of the town's residents due to the fact that they trade with slavers. They shouldn't expect me to play nice when they support themselves by aiding the worst of the worst. There wasn't anything else I could do about it, unfortunately, other than being a nuisance. What was I supposed to do? Storm Old Appleloosa, kill every last slaver there, and free all the captives? Only an inexperienced, suicidal moron would do something that stupid.

I began making my way to Ditzy's store, Absolutely Everything. While it would've been easier to get my shopping done if Calamity was away, I still would have had to keep an eye out for somepony else. Railright, the Sheriff/Mayor/Mr. "I'm The Boss So Do What I Say". Considering my many misdemeanors, it was obvious why he didn't like me. While I still respected Calamity, Railright, on the other hoof, was a different story. The biggest reason I didn't like him was because he made the decision to deal with slavers. I didn't care that he had a town to watch over, there were better ways to do it than helping Luna damned slavers!

Having to avoid both him and Calamity at the same time was a pain in the ass, but I would just have to make do.

I had made it halfway to Absolutely Everything when Lady Luck threw a big ol' "fuck you" in my direction. I spotted both Calamity and Railright talking with each other, standing right where I needed to go. I tried to avoid their line of sight as I walked by. It seemed like I had succeeded as I managed to walk past them without a word.

"Bunny. Hope ya ain't plannin' on causin' trouble again." I winced as I heard Railright call out to me.

Shit.

I turned to see both of them looking at me. Calamity just gave me a stern look while Railright, was full on glaring at me.

Oh well, might as well go all in.

"Hey, fellas. Good to see you again. Especially you, Railright. Always a pleasure." I said, an obviously fake smile on my face. He walked up to me and got in my face.

"This 'game' yer playin', it needs t' stop. Now. Ya keep harassin' the people of this town, soon ya might find yerself no longer welcome. Understood?" He warned. He was clearly sick of my shit after having to put up with it for almost 2 years now. Good.

"Well, Railright, as soon as you stop being an absolute prick, I'd be glad to do so. Unless, of course, you want to stop me by force?" I baited him. "C'mon, big man, why don't you dish out some good old fashioned 'Wasteland Justice'?" I pretended to be cocky to lower his guard, but I was prepared for the slightest hint of an attack. Railright traded with slavers. He gave them what they needed to keep hurting innocent ponies, to keep tearing loved ones away from their families, to keep killing the ponies they don't need. He supports the kind of people that ruin lives just to make some easy money. The same kind of people that killed-

...

Railright was no better than the slavers he traded with. He wanted to fight? I'd kick his fucking ass and then some.

I was about to do so, too, until Calamity stepped in between us.

"Calm down, both of ya!" He ordered, and the two of us took a step back. If there was one thing we had in common, it was our respect for Calamity. He turned to face me. "Bunny, ah think it'd be best if ya got what ya need and left for today. Don't go doin' somethin' that'll get ya thrown in a cell."

I looked back and forth between him and Railright, deciding whether or not I should comply. I didn't have a clue where that sudden burst of rage came from, to be honest. After a few seconds, I released the tension in my body. He was right. All it would do is get me in trouble, no matter how satisfying it would be.

"... I just came to pick up some stuff for Astral. I'll leave as soon as I'm done." I told them, a little upset I didn't get to beat Railright's face in. I gave one last glare towards Railright before turning back around and continuing on my way.

I really hated that guy.

Absolutely Everything was one of the best places to shop for several reasons. First, while it didn't literally have 'absolutely everything', it still had a lot to offer. Weapons, armor, food, ammo, and even junk. Second, The prices were great. Everything was affordable, no matter how valuable looking. The third and final reason, however, was the best one.

The owner was one of the nicest mares in the entire wasteland.

I entered the store and immediately spotted Ditzy Doo. One of her eyes looked in my direction and she beamed with joy. She happily waved to me and began writing on some note paper with a pencil. She held up the paper which read "Hi Bunny! Welcome!" It was a mystery to me how anyone could say anything bad about this pony. She's absolutely adorable! Who cares if her flesh is melted off?

Ditzy's aura of positivity quickly washed away all the anger I felt after my exchange with Railright.

"Hey, Ditzy! I just came to restock on ammo and repair kits, and to get some things for Astral." I said as I approached the counter. I then levitated the list of parts out of my saddlebag and showed them to Ditzy. She looked over the list then nodded, grabbing the requested items while I looked over what ammunition was available. Right now, all I was carrying was a 10mm pistol. In my locker back home, I had a Hunting Rifle that used .308 rounds, as well as a cleaver for close quarters and even a couple molotovs.

As I looked over the many different bullets, I thought about what Railright had said. If I didn't stop, I would be kicked out of town. Permanently. Considering I got most of my stuff from here, that would be a problem. Not just for me, but for Astral as well. While he was extremely smart, he wasn't that great in a combat situation. He wouldn't be able to go hunting for food like I can. If he got cut off from town, he would be cut off from his main source of food. I needed to do something about that.

After grabbing the amount I wanted, I returned to the counter to find Ditzy had already gathered the parts. She wrote down the total price on the note paper, which I gladly paid, throwing in the bloatsprite and radroach meat I gathered.

I packed everything into my saddlebags and was about to say goodbye when my ears perked at the sound of the front door opening. I turned to see who had just come in and, to my surprise, I saw that it was Calamity of all ponies who had entered. Considering I just told him I'd be in here, I'd have thought he would wait until I was done if he needed to buy something. I doubted he wanted to talk to me. He gave Ditzy a smile before looking at me.

"Bunny," He nodded.

"Calamity." I nodded, before walking past him.

He stopped me with his wing.

"We need t' talk."

... Okay, I guess he does want to talk to me.

"... What about?" I ask, slightly irritated. I just wanted to get back to the lab now.

He let out a sigh. "Do ya really need t' act that way 'round everypony? Especially Railright?" he asked, unnecessarily reminding me of our small bout a few minutes ago.

"You are aware most of the ponies in this town trade with slavers, right?"

"Trust me, ah'm aware, but that ain't no excuse t' go treatin' these people like dirt. Ah don't agree with what they're doin', but they're still ponies. Ditzy Doo ain't bad, ya at least know that. There are other ponies like her in town."

"Calamity, they're slavers. Y'know, the monsters who kidnap innocent ponies and kill the rest? Force said ponies to do back-breaking work until they die? The same monsters who cut out Ditzy Doo's tongue? Ringing any bells?"

"These folk ain't the same as slavers!"

"They give them what they need to survive! To keep hurting others! How are they any better than slavers!?"

I let out a sigh. I really didn't want to have this conversation right now.

"Look, I just wanna go home, so could you please move?" I ask. He looks reluctant to at first, but eventually stepped aside.

"Thank you." I began walking towards the exit before turning to look at Ditzy. She seemed a little upset, most likely because she just watched two of her friends argue with each other. I suddenly felt a little guilty.

"Thanks for the stuff, Ditzy." I say, throwing her a smile before finally leaving the store.

To my displeasure, Calamity followed me. It seemed the only reason he let me pass was so that we didn't have to have this conversation in front of Ditzy.

"Look, ah just want t' know why ya keep treatin' everypony like this."

"Didn't I already make it obvious?"

"Ya clearly have somethin' against slavers in general. Why's that?"

"Is 'they're really bad people' not a good enough reason?"

"The way ya talk about it, ya make it sound personal."

A memory flashes in my mind.

A memory of them.

A memory of her.

"... Don't worry about it." I finally answered. He gave me a look, I couldn't tell if it was one of questioning or concern. Either way, he finally stopped asking questions.

Eventually, we reached the gate and Calamity stopped me to tell me one last thing.

"Just think on it for me, will ya?" He said. I gave him a nod and left the town. I had barely done anything today, yet I was ready to go back to bed already.

Why do people have to be so complicated?

I arrived back at home, dropped off the parts with Astral, and climbed into my bunk. I don't know why I was suddenly so exhausted, maybe it was because of Railright being an asshole. Maybe it was because I had to listen to Calamity give me a lecture. Maybe it was because of the nightmare I had earlier. Or maybe it's because the walk back from New Appleloosa just felt longer than usual.

I don't know.

I took another look around the room before my eyes fell on the wall safe once again. It felt like it was taunting me. Telling me to open it and take the device inside. I wanted to get rid of it, but considering how valuable, useful, and rare it is, it would be stupid to do so.

It was also a grim reminder of my past, having been with me for the majority of it.

I turned away, closing my eyes and letting sleep take a hold of me.

I didn't need my dad's Pip-Buck.

Author's Note

Welp, that's the first chapter done. I hope you enjoyed it! This chapter was mostly just to help introduce Bunny and to give you a taste of his backstory. There is a lot more to his past than just his childhood with his father, but we'll get to that in time. If you have any questions, feel free to ask, and I'll try to answer to the best of my ability without spoiling anything for the future.

Thanks for reading!