Chapter One: Alone in a dark place
Chapter One: Alone In a dark place
It's dark
First thing to note coming out of a stasis pod. Not only that, but it's cold, and wet. The stasis pod must've been broken because I don't think I should be sleeping in water. Now I can worry about that later as I have more noticeable problems. Where am I? I'm in a place that I'm not familiar with. It's very dark with the only source of light being the pod I came out of. What happened to me as well? I have bandages all over my body from my head, wings, and legs. And where are my stuff? last I can remember, I would always wear a scarf and a sheath with a sword in it. I suppose if I try to search this place, I can find my stuff, and get out.
I should worry about myself first. I'm sorta stiff after being in that stasis pod for who knows how long. Stretching every limb I can, I couldn't stretch my wings due to the bandages. Who ever wrapped them did it tight, cause I can't free my wings. Not only that but I can barely move them in general! I think the cold can be the culprit, or lack of movement.
Now that the questions are done, I gotta find my way out of here. Unfortunately, I have forgotten how to walk. To bad I'm all alone because I have to teach myself how to walk again.
"One hoof, then the other, alternate and repeat."
It was something like that. Hopefully no one is here to make fun on how I walk.
Using the wall as a guide and support, I finally left the room. The atmosphere in this place is incredibly creepy. Continuing down the path, I came across an intersection. On the wall I could feel a sign on my shoulder, so while trying noy to fall over, I used my hoof to see what it says.
"A.R.M.O.R.Y" with an arrow pointing left. "K.I.T.C.H.E.N" with an arrow pointing right. and finally, "T.E.C.H.N.I.C.A.L S.U.P.P.O.R.T" with an arrow pointing up.
First stop. The Armory!
A trip, a fall, and a faceplant later, I made It to the armory. Only to be disappointed on my discovery. The place was in disarray. Broken guns and suits all over the place. Plus, an almost rotten smell filled the room. I still searched the room to find something, and I found a flashlight. Still intact and still worked. For a little bit before the battery ran out and It was useless. So once again there wasn't nothing good around here. Disappointment all over the place.
Except for one place. The room with the clothes and armor. Taking a look around I notice all the bardings had the same number on them, with "stable guard" on the back. Then It hit me, I was in an abandoned stable! More Questions start to flood my head but something had caught my eye. Under some Barding I saw it. My sheath for my sword. But no sword to be seen. What's even worse, the sheath was burnt. For a long while.
So missing sword and burnt sheath...Great.
I left the room since there was nothing useful for me there. At least I got my sheath back. Now for my scarf.
Hugging the wall again, I made my way back to the intersection and kept going straight. Straight for the kitchen. I was feeling kinda weak after not eating anything for, once again I don't know how many days. All I know is that I'm hungry and I need food. So weak in fact, That everytime my stomach growls, it creates an echo through the halls while I'm walking. Making me weaker every step of the way too.
Making it to the kitchen, There was a dim light coming from the ceiling. I don't know where in the ceiling but it helped me notice almost all the food was rotten or moldy. I got lucky on some apples being okay to eat. But something tells me I'm going to regret it later on. The food doesn't end though, there was canned goods I can enjoy, I didn't want to eat them yet. I don't know how long I'm going to be in here. If there is no exit, which gives me goosebumps just thinking about that. That's the last thing I need. Dying alone in a empty Stable.
With no way of holding all these canned goods, I just left them in the kitchen and walked out of the room. On the wall in front of me, there was an arrow pointing left to a corner. There was words on the wall that I could kinda make out? I think the letters I saw were something like "L.I.V.I.G Q.U.A.T.R". All the other ones were worn out. I guess this Stable has been through hell. Speaking of. I'm still curious on what happened here. I want to take some time to look around. But because it's so dark I can't. I have to kiss the wall just to see the words. I gotta keep going. There is no way I'm the only pony down here, that can't be the case. Well enough talking to myself. Time to move.
The hallway was kinda long. Once I turned the corner I noticed two rooms. The one to the left was the cafeteria. So I didn't bother going in. So turning to the right, I entered the living quarters...Dear God.
There are dead ponies everywhere.
The room was huge. Yet somehow in someway, there ponies lining up the walls, the floor, the rooms. It's a massacre. I don't know what did this...I couldn't stand anymore, Seeing this many dead ponies, I collapsed and passed out.
*** *** ***
I don't know how long I was out. But considering there are still ponies, dead, all over the place, It wasn't some nightmare. Out of all the things I couldn't see in this...Celestia forsaken place, why...why do I see this? I just can't. What happened here while I was in stasis? Who would do such thing? Please don't tell me they did this. Why was I spared...why.
I couldn't stand here any longer. I needed to search these rooms for a possible chance for survival. Even if these ponies are in the way. I can't stop.
I continued looking in each room, trying to find anything useful. Once again these rooms were empty. Nothing useful to be found in any of them. Back into death row, I noticed a room at the end of the, well...bigger room, and recognized it to be the storage room. entering the room, I saw a few bardings, satchels, equipment, and some dental hygiene items. As lucky would have it, there is was. Incredibly dusty and smelly, but still in one piece, my scarf! I needed to check one quick thing that was very important.
"A little gift for my little pony, Sword Dash"
A gift from my mom. when I was just a tiny filly. If I can remember correctly, this was after I got my cutie mark.
Heading out with all but one of my items, I saw an office desk, and behind it, a partially opened door with "Overmares office" written above it. walking over to it, the door was stuck in place unable to move. But I wasn't going to let that stop me. So as any smart pony would do, I repeatedly kicked the door until it moved just enough for me to squeeze through. entering the room, the first this i saw was her...The Overmare.
Her corpse a rotting mound of skeleton and flesh. On the table in front of her, lies a screwdriver, a terminal, and a revolver. Judging by the fact she still has some skin on her bones, this was recent. Plus, Judging by the entry and exit holes, it was a suicide. On her arm was a interesting looking wrist watch. I don't recognize it, but I saw ALOT of them on the other bodies. One of them was even still on showing a greenscreen. Yet, this one was different. This once looked sleeker, and the screen was yellow. I wanted to take a closer look, but I accidently ripped off her arm in the process. So, I unbuckled the wrist watch, and placed it on the table. On the buckle there were some words reading "PIPBUCK". Now I can put a name to these things.
I strapped the Pipbuck on my arm and immediately it lighted up. The words "Welcome back, OVERMARE" popped up before showing me a screen of...me. All my weak points are at full health. Strange on why a Pipbuck needs this stuff. But I continued to fool around with the Pipbuck trying to get used to it. I saw a tab called "Audio Files" and my ears perked. Looking through the latest audio file was "Audio File #52" and I gave It a listen. A mare with a somewhat soothing yet worried voice started speaking.
" This is the Overmare of Stable #40. I am making this message to say that Stable #40 is lost. All the residents here have been killed. Approximately ten days ago, A group of raiders had somehow manage to open the stable door. I still don't know how this was done. But the raiders came in and gunned down most of the guards, all of the medics, and most of the stable dwellers. Once the battle was over, everypony was wounded and or hungry. Some ponies started to resort to cannibalism to survive. They tried to break in to kill me...so I had to kill them...the rest of them. I left one in the chamber with full intension of ending my life. I can't live with what I've done, killing fellow ponies. But, just in case...I know about one pony that could still be alive. Sword Dash. If your still alive, If your awake to hear this, I'm going to reroute all power to the stable door and your stasis pod. I don't know if your still alive, but if you are, please get out of here. it's too dangerous here to live here. The wasteland out side looks safe to roam around, so your safe to leave the stable. I'm praying to celestia that you'll live on and rebuild equestria if there are other survivors out there. Please, continue fighting. This is the Overmare of stable #40 signing off...One last time.
Wow. I don't know what to say but...wow.
I continued looking through the files for more information that could help me and saw one that caught my eye. The door code!
"In the event of the stable no longer being safe to live in, or the outside land being safe to re colonize again, the stable door code is HI117"
It's time for me to leave. But I needed some essentials. Running to the Storage closet for a satchel, then the kitchen for the canned food, and finally running to find the door, I found it. I hesitated a bit though.
What if the wasteland isn't safe? what if everypony out there wants to kill you? But there is a higher chance at death staying here, then going out there. I don't want to die because I was too scared of a little land. That's one pathetic way to go in my books. I'm not going down that way.
So this is it. I input the code into the control panel hoping it would work. It did and the lights started flashing with a siren blaring loudly. A metal arm came from the ceiling and attached itself to the door and spinning something on it. The door finally started to open and light started to shine through. Before the door could fully open, It got stuck. No big deal as the space was big enough for me to fit through.
I took one last look at the stable before leaving. The light revealed a dead pony I didn't notice. Taking that as sign to get out of the stable and starting my new life in the wasteland. Then the door started to close behind me.
There is no turning back now.
Chapter Two: Dangerous world and a shattered hope
Chapter Two: Dangerous world and a shattered hope
It's hot
It's better than the stable. The vault was cold and damp, also dark, decrepit, full of dead ponies. The fun doesn't end there as there are a few more dead ponies laying on the floor outside the stable. A wonderful start to the journey that made me barf in my mouth.
I'm not out of the darkness fully, looks like I'm in a cave of some sorts. Specially made for the stable I guess cause It looks artificial, not natural. But I can see the sunlight at the end of the cave. Lucky that it's the day and not the night, Leaving darkness to enter more darkness would not be great. But just before I can leave, I gotta check my wings. They kinda work but they won't get me in the air anytime soon.
Now for the true start of the journey. The light got brighter as I got closer to the exit, Once I finally made it out I was blinded by the sun. My eyes took a while to adjust to the light as they're not used the sun. But seeing Equestria after such a long time and wow... It looks different. I don't know where I am but It looks like I'm near a mountain. May or may not be the one close by Ponyville. If I'm lucky, my house could still be there.
My thoughts were interrupted by a beeping noise followed by a ticking noise coming from the Pip-buck on my arm. I was slightly confused when it happened, as I don't know what any of it meant. So I search the Pip-buck to see if there was any files on the noises. The Pip-buck automatically showed me a map and showed me where I was. Showing me the stable name and that I was near the Foal Mountain. The beeping stopped once the map popped up but the ticking didn't. The more I heard the ticking, the more it sounded familiar to me. Like, I heard this sound before going dark but I just can't remember where.
I still need to find out what the sound means so digging for the past in my broken mind won't work. So audio files galore, I finally found the answer. Turns out there is a little meter below the screen of the Pip-buck that ticks whenever you are near a radiated zone, or in it, or you are radioactive. Green is ok levels of radiation, yellow is a cautionary warning that you need to leave the area or take a thing called rad away, and red is a warning that the area is highly radioactive or you have to much radiation. So far the meter under my screen is saying I'm in the green, but I'm leaving the area.
***
I've gone far along the mountain with what looks like no end. The people who made the stable had decided it was a wonderful idea to make you trot along an entire mountain side just to get to the Stable. I guess for safety precautions but I presume it would be better to place the Stable somewhere close to the middle of the mountain range, but no, make any pony trying to survive suffer by walking an unbelievable distance to the Stable. Bravo them I suppose.
It's even worse noting I still can't fly. This wings are for show at this point, By the goddesses they are useless I feel like an earth pony!
But at last, There was a path leading into the mountain. I looked on my map to see where this is. Then I noticed I'm going the wrong way and I'm actually on the right side of the mountain, not the left. What a fun and totally not invigorating discovery.
Approaching the path to correct my terrible mapping skills, I felt the ground elevate as I kept walking up the path. Not wanting to punish my legs anymore, I tried flying one more time. Then I finally did, I actually started hovering above the ground. Now I just hovered up the path to the top. Once I made it I plopped down to the ground and started to take a slight rest. So I decided to close my eyes and take a small nap. I needed it.
***
"Oi, we got a sleeping one there!" A mysterious voice rang out.
The voice woke me up. No way there are other ponies out here.
"Bloody beauty. It's a mare too." Another voice spoke, slightly quieter.
"Pipe it you two, Shes waking up" A final voice spoke up, almost whispering.
I got up. I quickly searched around to find where the voices are coming from and then I saw them. Three stallions standing in the pathway. One unicorn, two earth ponies. Looking behind them, some time has passed. The sun was soon to set. I've been sleeping for more then a few minutes.
I decided to make some small talk with these ponies as they were the only ponies I've seen alive.
"Hello fellas, How are you doing this fine um... evening?" I sounded awkward saying that.
"Hello malady , My name is Stolas." Said the first earth pony. He had a dark blue coat and a black mane. "these are my partners, Marcelles." He said pointing at the other earth pony. "And Lobo." Pointing at the unicorn behind him.
Marcelles started to whisper something to Stolas. Whatever he said had Stolas excited because I saw him staring at my wings.
"A Pegasus? Well that's a sight to see." Stolas slowly started to walk over to me and I have to admit, I was scared. He was giving me a odd look. "Well I gotta say, your pretty clean for a pony out in the waste land. What's your secret?"
I didn't know what to say to him. I'm starting to think these ponies are up to no good.
"Not much of a talker I see. Don't worry about anything, we'll take you back to the boss." Now I really was considering getting out of there. This pony is weird! "By the way, what is your name?"
"it's Sword Dash." I'm starting to shake.
"Oi, how much do you think she would sell?" I could've sworn one of them said something like that.
"Sorry guys, your offer seems nice but I should be leaving. I got to get to Ponyville." As I said that, I didn't wait for them to say another word. I just passed the two ponies and went on my merry way.
"he wasn't asking." A more gruff voice spoke up. I turned around and saw that the unicorn had a gun pointed at me.
I was frozen still. I didn't know what to do at that moment. Any wrong movement and I'm done. So I had comply...Or so I thought.
The Pip-buck started beeping again. It made a different sound than the map update sound. I brought the Pip-buck into view, and with a weird sound and time seeming like it was slowing down, The Pip-buck showed me the different points of the unicorn with numbers underneath. I pressed a button and fumbled with a nob and next thing I know, I'm flying towards the unicorns leg. He fired a shot off but he missed, I strike his leg following up with an uppercut and sent him to the ground.
"What the hell? How'd she do that?" Stolas had a slight fear in his voice, only to change his demeaner and yelled at his partner. "Don't just stand there dammit, GET HER ASS!"
Well shoot, I have two earth ponies with knives trying to attack me and I don't know how to use this gun. The time stopping thingy wasn't working so I was screwed. I tried attacking the first earth pony that approached me, but he dodged the attack and wacked me in the head. Stolas came from behind and attempted to stab me but I moved just in time and jumped out of the way.
"look Little missy, we don't want to kill ya. We need you alive." Stolas was saying something but it's kinda hard to understand him when he has a knife in his mouth. I want to ask some questions, but this isn't the time for questions anymore. This was a life or death situation.
I backed up and grab the gun with my mouth. I was shaking because I didn't want to hurt anypony, I was using this as a scare tactic.
Muffled, I still tried to say some words. "look fellas, I don't want any more trouble. I just want-"
*BAM*
The gun just went off in my mouth. I have no clue on how I did it but the shock and the noise of the gun blast startled me and made me drop the gun.
"NO, MARCELLES!" I looked over and noticed I shot and killed there partner.
I was about to speak only for me to get tackled to the ground by the unicorn.
"HOLD HER STILL LOBO. I'M ABOUT TO TEACH THIS BITCH A LESSON!" Stolas trotted over to Marcelles, picked up a metal bar from his satchel, and trotted back over to me.
I tried my best to get free of the unicorn right of on top of me. Squirming, kicking, punching. Nothing was working. But I do know one possible move that I haven't used...Biting.
"OW DAMMIT." With one chomp I'm out of his grasp! I immediately ran for the gun, I tried firing another shot with my mouth, yet when I finally get a shot off I missed.
The gun ran out of ammo or It jammed because It stopped firing. The unicorn started to use his magic and threw the knife at me. I barley dodged the knife and attempted to shoot the gun again. The unicorn started charging me so I was freaking out on what to do. I kept franticly trying to shoot the gun and eventually it finally worked!
*BAM BAM BAM*
I didn't expect to fire the gun multiple times. But I was glad it happened. The Unicorn dropped to the ground as soon as the gun started clicking.
"NO, YOU LITTLE SHIT I'M GOING TO GUT YOU!!!" Stolas picked up a knife and started rushing over to me. I chucked the empty gun at his face, getting a perfect headshot, while I ran to the knife for safety. Once again Stolas tried to get me once more. But I don't know what I did. It was like an instinct that I knew what to do but I don't remember ever doing it.
I prepped my body in a charging motion, like a bull of same sorts. Then I started to raise my wings, starting to flap them. once Stolas got too close, I dash at him at an alarming speed. We both didn't expect it to happen but, the fight was over. Stolas fell limp while he was putting his left hoof on the big gash on his neck. The battle was over.
I won, In an outcome I didn't want to happen.
I didn't think I would kill a pony the same day I was introduced to this world. I looked toward the sun again, seeing it starting to set. I didn't want to look at the ponies anymore. I walked away and continued my journey to Ponyville. Hopefully I don't run into anymore violence anytime soon.
***
Night was rapidly approaching. I didn't want to stay out here in the cold night in fear of any more evil ponies or maybe hostile animals. I went into the Foal Mountains after checking my map, finding a cave I could temporally sleep in. Entering the cave, I think I was struck by cupids arrow or Celestia had decided to hear my thoughts and brought me a miracle. Because in the middle of the cave, Shining in the moonlight, was my sword!
I walked, no RAN to my sword. I didn't think I would find it again ever. Especially so easily like this.
"Great Celestia thank you for letting me find my sword again!" I immediately tried pulled out the sword out of the ground. It was hard but I guess I can't complain that much due to it being there for a long time. How long? I don't know.
"Finally I can reunite-"
*SNAP*
Words cannot describe the emotions going through my head. All I can say is that I was staring at the ceiling of the cave for two minutes. Then once reality struck me, I dropped down to the floor crying like a tiny filly. My hope of this world shattered just like my sword.
I decided to fall asleep. Sleep all my sorrows away while dreaming of a better life in this world. A world where I prancing around with other ponies living my best life. A life I can't remember. But maybe that'll change, Maybe not every pony in the wasteland is out for blood.
***
Once the morning sun hit my face, I was up and incredibly hungry. I haven't eaten anything since leaving the stable and my stomach was making sure of it. Pulling the satchel close to me, I grabbed the closet apple I had, and rolled out.
Taking a look around the land before me, I notice how dead the trees looked, or lack there of. Reviewing the map once more to make sure I wasn't going the wrong way this time, I headed off for Ponyville. It was a sure shot this time, nothing to stop me, nothing to interrupt me.
I figured flying would be my best option of travel to shorten the trip. I wanna make use of these wings now that they finally work. So I took to the sky's and made quick progress of my work.
The view up here is beautiful. I am going to enjoy flying all the way to Ponyville.
Or so I thought...
"WAAAAAAAAAA-"
*CRASH*
I don't know what happened. One second I'm flying, the next second I'm falling, and the final second I'm crashing onto the ground. At least I got far though. I looked on the map and It shows I'm a mile away from the entrance. I can finally make it home. I wonder if there will be any ponies there.
One mile later and I finally made It. It doesn't look the same as I remembered, but it's still here. My home town away from Cloudsdale.
I'm home Ponyville.
