White.
Amethyst has been getting very familiar with said color ever since she arrived in this vass new world very unlike her own. At first, she was confused, scared, and very, very hungry.
Especially when she saw her reflection.
Fortunately, she wasn't alone for long.
On her sixth day of wandering around and hiding from strange creatures spewing green goo, she met a small trio of survivors.
Creatures that were strange but magical.
A nudge caused her head to move and her eyes to drift away from the path they walked. Only to see her gray female companion operating her strange magical device. This device can able the user to capture moments in time and watch them again any time they pleased. Grey, Blue, and even herself have used this device many times in the past.
If she was honest it was fun to use.
Her friend's mouth moved, but all that came out was cold air.
Amethyst frowned.
Another thing that she discovered was that she became what she likes to call wordlessly deaf. Witch means she is unable to hear anypony speak to her, even though other sounds like footsteps and the like she can register just fine.
Still, she watched with amusement and joy as her friend included her. Occasionally pointing in her direction even though the two stood side by side.
What a silly mare.
Suddenly the cold wind blew past the pair.
That was their only warning before two snowballs landed directly on top of their heads.
Rolling her eyes Amethyst merely looked over at her other companion. The one with the feeling of bad magic.
He smiles. Showing off a row of sharp pointed teeth that would cause any normal pony to faint in fear. Of course, after surviving and sticking together for as long as they had Amethyst was unphased.
At least that's how she acted.
With a laugh, he gestures to both of them to keep up as he makes his way up the hill. His
destination? A hoof/man-made cabin that was built over the time the duo spent together. It was small with a desire for more space, but the three of them weren't here working towards comfort.
It was survival.
Opening the door Blue went in first, with Grey and Amthyst coming in after him. Each one of them held bundles of goods as well as little trinkets they discovered as they explored the dead city nearby.
Inside were the essentials. Blankets, pillows, cans of food stacked in piles, weapons made for defense like spears and such, and an axe that laid about mainly for chopping down nearby trees.
Gathering around the trio began to take turns preparing a fire so they can cook their food.
Blue however merely eats his raw. Seemingly immune to all the risks that come with it. His sharp teeth made short work of the meatier bits in his meal.
Amethyst tries her best not to stare.
Grey is humming. Fortunately, since it is not words or a form or a form of communication Amethyst can hear it just fine. The tune itself is soothing to listen to. The once unicorn now turned alicorn always finds herself head bobbing to it. Fortunately, when Grey opens her mouth it instantly becomes muted.
Regardless the mare continues to nod along as if she could hear it while preparing her food.
It's not hay, but it's something that a pony can eat if it needed to. Of course, her friends back home would never look at her the same.
Home.
Every day spent in this place is another day that Equestria because foggier in her memory. It was like something inside of her was trying to make her actively forget where she came from.
Then again it wasn't like she was a pony of importance.
Well, maybe now she was, being an Alcorn and all that.
A hand on her back causes her to snap back to reality. Just in time to see Grey smile softly at her. His caring but maddening eyes filled with concern.
Concern for her.
She smiles letting him know he was fine. As she did she felt the air around him shift. A pull that only the two of them can sense.
Immediately she eyed the crown in his grasp.
It was wrong and dangerous, and all three of them knew it. The crown itself was actively trying to drive him mad. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, regardless his will was much stronger than the crown anticipated. Leaving the two of them locked in a stall mate neither one of them could win.
Grey's eyes met her own.
With a sigh, he put the crown in the corner of the room before going back to the fire.
Amethyst nods.
The more time he spent away from that thing the better.
Of course, that alone does little to help.
Suddenly the sound of someone clapping draws both of their attention. It's grey and she seems to be in the mood for some dancing.
With surprising agility, she leaps from over her side of the fire. Grabbing Blue by the hand the two began to spin in circles. Dancing in their very own but weird way.
Amethyst laughs clapping her hooves together. Making rhythm of her own by pounding the ground beneath her. Smiling ear to ear as the sound of laughter echoed in the cabin.
This was it.
This was a break from the stress of everyday life the trio needed for a while. Something to look forward to beyond the cold winter days as well as the looming threat of mutated beasts that might come knocking at their door.
This was life.
This was her life,
And she's gonna milk in every second of it.
Suddenly both Grey and Blue gesture for her to join them. Grinning like a foal she stands taking a step toward the duo.
Then a sound of a loud bang echoed in her ears.
Then came the screams.
She was falling.
Why was she falling?
Blackness consumed her.
Pain.
No, not pain.
Amethyst felt absolute agony when she regained consciousness.
She didn't scream.
She didn't yell or shout or even groan in pain. Instead she bit down on her tounge with more than enough force to draw blood.
She can't afford to scream.
Doing so would only bring monsters.
Amethyst stood, or at least tried to. Instead she merely collapsed back on her flank. The pain in her skull made it difficult to concentrate.
Noise.
Why was there so much noise?
Some pony was yelling, some pony close.
Gritting her teeth Amethyst willed her body to move. It protested of course. With every step she took it was like shards of glass was poking around in her skull. Making every second that passed merely unbearable.
Yet she pressed on.
She had to.
No, she needs to.
Something was wrong, she knew that munch and if that alone was true it was her job to protect the ones close to her.
Outside was noisy.
There were shapes, many different ones moving about. Some big, some small, some had grey objects wrapped around their necks.
She couldn't see.
The realization alone hadn't had the time to fully register. Not when she saw two colorful shapes not far from where she stood.
Grey and Blue.
She couldn't see them, but Thier shapes and colors alone were similar enough to identify.
Grey was yelling. Standing between a munch larger shape and Blue, whom looked to be down on his knees. Looking to be gasping for breath. The crown nowhere to be seen.
At least until a glimmer of light caught the mare's eye.
Looking past the two she saw the said cursed object held in another's grasp. From the lack of cold temperature and blue sky she assumed no one had worn it yet.
Good.
With the most dangerous threat out of the way Amethyst turns her attention back to the others.
Only to see Grey get a knee to the face.
For a moment everything was still.
Amthyst watched someone she considers almost like a sister collapse to the ground. Before she even touched touched the floor Blue was up and lunging at the man. Only to be swatted aside as if he weighed nothing.
Something began stirring inside the once normal mare.
Anger?
Rage?
No, it was worse, something far more ancient. Something that lurks in the deepest darkest depths of a pony's mind. Something great, something powerful.
Something blood thirsty.
One step felt like a thousand, one swing of a hoof and jaws that connected to someone's throat felt more natural than breathing air. The blood that began to splatter on her face felt as if she was simply dabbing herself in face paint.
Nothing more, nothing less.
The sounds of shrieks filled her ears. It created a sort of inner peace she never in life experienced.
Something was piercing flesh, her flesh to be more exact. Not that she cared. Pain no longer had a place in her mind. No, instead all that was, was action.
She moved,
And she moved to kill.
She was vaguely aware of other things.
A flash of red and grey. The feeling of cold rage that filled the air around them as clouds began to form
Amthyst was killing,
And a small part of her took comfort in knowing that she wasn't alone.
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Maria survived the bomb.
She survived the nuclear radiation that came with it.
She survived the mutated creatures that came after it,
And she survived while two of her best friends and husband left her for dead.
Even with all that mind watching a young grey girl with an axe, an old man that seemenly took joy in freezing everything around him, and a dangerous looking pony rip people to shreds is something she never imagined experienceing.
Munch less being rescued from said trio from a life of enslavement.
Once the bad guys were dead everything seemed to calm down. The axe girl wiped her forehead clean from sweat and blood. The old man took a break in laughing his head off before taking off the crown that rested on top of his head, and the werid looking pony riddled with bullets holes stood stock still. Her eyes glossy and unfocused. Upon noticing it the other two quickly rushed to her side. Checking over her wounds with worried tones and gazess. Yet the thing looked to be doing just fine.
At least until it collapsed to the ground.
"Is she breathing?"
Upon hearing said question the werid looking girl put her ear to it's chest. After a tense moment of silence she signs nodding her head.
"It sounds pretty strong if you asked me".
"It should be impossible to survive with injuries like these".
"Simon you got implaeded last week from tripping over a banana peel. Then there was the time I broke my leg from trying to run away from a packed of ravage dogs. Only for it to heal completely a day later".
The one named Simon blinked.
"Well I suppose you have a point".
The girl rolled her eyes before turning back to the pony.
"Besides If anything I can feel her soul as strong as ever. I'm pretty sure she isn't dying anytime soon. None of us are".
"We're not invincible Marceline".
"No, but we're pretty hard to kill".
Looking around her Maria notices the others looking too afraid to speak up. Most likely shaken from what they witnessed moment's prior.
She sighed.
She knew that what she was about to do was just asking for trouble. Still she owned them alot and her grandparents taught her that debts are paid in full. Plus with them around the community might fair alot better dealing with the monsters and Raiders that come their way.
Even so the higher ups will definitely have her head.
Well, at least she'll go out making her grandparents proud.
"Excuse me?"
By the time the words left her mouth she had an axe aimed right below her neck. The girl Marceline if she heard correctly looked like she was seconds away from ending her life right then and there.
Maria gulped.
"I might know someplace alot safer were you and your friends can rest".
