Dark clouds hang over the Mexican frontier as a lone horse and rider trek across the lonely dirt roads that lay empty, barren of any living travelers or animals. What was once a quiet and comforting sight had become an uneasy and dangerous setting for a potential attack. It had only been a few days since the outbreak. It seemed to happen overnight, the disease and illness slipping under the cover of the night before overtaking his beloved son and wife.
The man, scarred, and grizzled, his slim and narrow face devoid of expression as he scanned the horizon, noting the large orange rocky cliffs and large storm clouds tucking the sun away from view. The cowboy sighed as he took off his leather hat and fanned himself with it. The humidity was starting to soak his shirt. The smell of sweat and dirt permeating through the air before the sickening scent of decay and blood filled the man's nostrils.
Suddenly a sharp whinny escaped his stallion as a strained groan broke the uneasy silence as a pair of decaying hands suddenly grasped John’s hip and threw him off his horse. The man shouted as he was thrown to the ground. Looking up to see a half-rotted corpse standing over John with his back hunched over him, the left side of beasts rib cage exposed. His hair and nails overgrown and unkept. Blood, mucus, and puss oozing from his mouth and yellow eyes.
The beast grunted and screeched as the Hell-spawn swayed wildly up and down before attempting to pounce on John. The cowboy quickly drew his revolver and placed a bullet right between the creature's eyes. The heavy, dull sound of the monster's body hitting the ground as John slowly climbed to his feet. Seeing that his stallion had run off without him after being spooked.
Slipping his fingers in his mouth, he whistled before calling out to the empty badlands around him, “Horse! C’mere boy!” called John.
A minute passed as John examined the landscape, combing through the cacti and shrubbery for his horse. A dull anger and frustration bloomed as he sighed, “God damn it….” grumbled John.
A crack of thunder boomed as lighting crackled across the empty sky before thick, heavy droplets of water began falling on the earth below. John grunted as he began walking the road ahead of him. A sour expression pinned his face as the rain came pouring down.
Hours passed, and the rain had finally let up as the orangish hue of the setting sun slipped through the storm clouds. John was soaked, his jean jacket, shirt, jeans, and hair were doused in the rain. Covering John in a pound of water and the sticky humidity that came with it. John quietly pondered when he’d get to the nearest functioning town.
He was fortunate to not encounter any hordes of the undead or opportunistic bandits stalking the countryside. Thankful for any ammunition not spent on a man already past tense. John wondered if there was any irony in killing a man twice. But reasoned that irony was beneath him in a state like this. There was only so much humor in a situation and ‘chewing the bit’ about it only seemed to tempt fate and the last thing Mr. Marston needed was to tempt his future and fate any more than he already had.
His train of thought was interrupted by a shrill scream coming from the left, off the side of the road. Quickly snapping, his attention to the small group of undead monsters chasing something. John couldn’t quite make it out what it was from the mass of bodies surrounding it and chasing it around. But he quickly grabbed his repeater from his back, racking the lever before shouldering the weapon as he narrowed his good eye down the barrel and iron sights.
“Wonder if I had killed any of you before…” muttered John as he squeezed the trigger of the weapon, a loud BANG crackling through the air as the gunslinger racked the repeaters lever and fired again. The bullet struck the skull of one of the demons before firing again three more times. John exhaled as he relaxed, slowly lowering his repeater as he looked across the road to see the carnage, looking for any human remains or someone left standing. John cocked a brow at the sight of a purple mare cowering over the mass of corpses that surrounded her.
Stepping off the main road before trekking across the wilderness to meet the creature he spared from being eaten. Curious to see the pony’s purple coat and branded mark on its flank. John mused as he slipped the repeater over his back and placed his hands on his gun belt and hips as he approached the creature. “Well…it ain’t everyday you see a purple horse.”
“I’m a unicorn, and a pony.” replied the purple pony as she panted heavily looking up at the human with fear and confusion, “You’re not going to try and eat me are you.”
“Not until you’re properly prepared and seasoned,” replied John.
“W-what!?” cried the pony.
“I’m joking…so unicorns are real…I suppose I owe Jack an apology,” replied John as he rubbed his chin and stubble before spitting a wad of mucus beside him.
The pony winced at the man spitting in front of her as she gave a bewildered expression, “What do you mean real!? Who’s Jack, who are you, and what is going on!?” cried the pony.
John looked around to see if any living soul was near, feeling unsure of his own sanity as he started talking to the horse, “Uhm…My name is John Marston, and I’ve been trying to figure this out myself. Do you have any idea where the nearest town is?”
“I don’t rightly know where I am or where anything is. I just remember trying to enter the magic mirror and cast a spell and-”
John cleared his throat, “Let’s just start with your name and where you came from." he said as prevented himself from being any more confused than he already was.
The pony trotted awkwardly in place as she glanced around the bodies around her, “Can we uhm…walk and talk?”
“Sure.” replied John, “Not like I have anything better to do as of now.”
The mare quickly joined the man as they walked back to the road and then began traveling down it together.
“You ask for my name, it’s uh, Twilight Sparkle.” said Twilight.
John glanced down at Twilight, his expression muted and reserved but his eyes revealing a curiosity and uneasiness toward the pony, “That’s certainly a name.”
“And I’m from Equestria, have you heard of it?”
“No.”
Twilight bit her lip as she winced, slowly looking up at the human, “Is there magic here?”
“Probably, maybe. I’m not too sure but given how strange everything up until now has been. I wouldn’t take the magic out of the question.” answered John.
“What about the magic of friendship?” inquired Twilight.
“I wouldn’t know too much about that. I’m not the best person to talk about when it comes to makin’ friends.” chuckled John.
“What happens now?” asked Twilight.
John shrugged, “I reckon we’ll go into town and part ways then, that is if the next town isn’t overran with those blood-sucking monsters. You're free to do as you please, I got my own list of problems to deal with...”
“...How are you so…calm and accepting about all of this?”
“You’re not my first talking animal, surprisingly enough, you're only a fraction of the peculiarities and horrors I've seen...” answered John, "And..well...I'm not accepting of any of this...just calm. Because I have to be."
