The wastelands are dangerous. You must stay with your friends if you want to survive them. Get left behind and you will die.

Those are the rules of the new world. And Rainbow Dash and her two friends followed those exact rules as they drove through the wastelands and kept an eye out for any sign of trouble.

Despite the circumstances they found themselves in, the surviving three members of the Mane Six did whatever they could to survive this harsh new world. Whether it be scavenging for food or fuel in the sands or fortifying the van so that it’ll be protected by whatever’s out there.

Pinkie Pie called this team of three “The Warriors of The Wastelands” because they are a group of warriors that are surviving in the harsh wastelands. Rainbow didn’t mind the team name Pinkie gave, and she could tell that Fluttershy didn’t mind either.

Rainbow Dash is glad she has her friends with her.

“How are you guys holding up there?” Pinkie asked, turning her head so that it’s facing the couch where the two pegasi were sitting.

“We’re fine, Pinkie.” Rainbow said.

Fluttershy nodded in agreement.

“Great! Glad to know that my two warriors are doing fine!” Pinkie exclaimed.

Rainbow chuckled. She knew that even in an apocalyptic situation like this, Pinkie would still be her same old self and it shows. And through all of the stress and struggles the three ponies are going through in the wastelands, they really do need a smile to lift their spirits. And Pinkie herself never failed her duty.

Much like Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie had a brand new look. Her bright pink poofy mane and tail were put into a ponytail and she wore dark pink steampunk goggles on her head. She also had a bright blue bandanna wrapped around her neck, brown saddlebags on her back that had trinkets and gadgets inside, and grey boots on all four of her hooves.

“Are we ever going to find something?” Fluttershy asked.

“Have patience, Flutters.” Pinkie told Fluttershy. “I’m sure we’ll find something. The wastelands may be big but they can’t always be empty.”

“But they’re always empty.” Fluttershy muttered sadly to herself.

Rainbow saw how stressed Fluttershy has been. She didn’t blame her. Her dishevelled mane and tail, all of the scars that were on every spot in Fluttershy’s body, and the eyepatch that adorned her right eye were enough proof to show that the apocalypse really affected her mental health.

She looked worse, but at least she didn’t look as bad as Rainbow Dash herself in this hellhole.

Rainbow looked at the mirror that hangs on the wall of the van and looked at herself once more. Her long rainbow mane and tail had been shortened and she was blind in her left eye. She also wore a black hoodie and had white worn out bandages on her wings that were severely crippled to the point where she could no longer fly.

“Don’t worry about it, Fluttershy. If we don’t find anything, we’re probably gonna find something tomorrow.” Rainbow told Fluttershy, trying to lift her spirits.

“Speaking of tomorrow, we should probably stop the van and set up camp. It’s starting to get really dark out there.” Pinkie said, watching as the sun began to set on the horizon.

Fluttershy sighed. “This is the fifth time this week that we set up camp in the middle of the wastelands after not finding anything.” She said as Pinkie Pie stopped the van.

“Looks like somepony has been keeping count.” Pinkie said jokingly.

“Well, we have been driving through the sand for a long time. And we all know that there’s gotta be at least one pony that can keep count on how many times we set up camp in the middle of the wastelands.” Rainbow said, adding on to the joke Pinkie made.

Fluttershy giggled at the absurdity of the joke her two friends made. And as the three ponies exited the van to set up camp, Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but smile.

‘At least we managed to lift Fluttershy’s spirits.’ Rainbow thought.

And so, the three ponies began to set up camp and prepare themselves for the long night ahead of them. And yet, they did not notice that three other ponies who were two pegasi and a unicorn were watching them from a distance.

Waiting for their time to strike.

“When are we going to ambush them?” A pegasus asked their unicorn leader.

“Yeah, I’m tired of waiting here.” Another pegasus added, groaning. “I just want to take these guys down and bring them to Princess Calamity already!”

“Have patience, my comrades.” The unicorn leader told the impatient pegasi. “Good things come to those who wait.”

~~~

Night managed to arrive as quickly as possible. Which was unusual, but in an apocalypse like this, anything could happen.

Whenever Rainbow, Pinkie, and Fluttershy set up camp, they usually sleep in the tents they set up. However, Pinkie felt that something dangerous could be approaching them and decided to sleep in the van where it’s safe. Fluttershy was comforted with the idea and decided to sleep in the van as well.

Instead of doing what her friends were doing and sleeping in the van, Rainbow Dash decided to stay outside and be on guard for any suspicious activity that might be lurking in the shadows. It was dangerous, but it was the only way to protect herself or her friends from whatever threat that might be coming their way.

She stayed on the lookout for anything suspicious for 15 minutes before realising that maybe there wasn’t any threat and Pinkie was probably delusional. And it is normal for Pinkie to be delusional about something like that.

Rainbow was about to re-enter the van and tell her friends that there’s nothing there, when all of a sudden…

Somepony tackled her to the ground.

“Guys! I got her!” The attacker yelled to presumably their friends.

Rainbow Dash was able to get a good look at the pony who tackled her to the ground. They were a Pegasus with a dark purple coat, red eyes, a long dark blue mane and tail, and wore a black robe.

“Excellent work, Shadow Wing. I bet that Princess Calamity would be so proud of you for capturing the Element of Loyalty herself.” A voice said behind the pegasus.

“Really? But I thought the princess would be proud of us by bringing the Element of Loyalty to her, Moon Dusk.” Another voice said.

The first voice whose name is Moon Dusk groaned. “Well she can be proud of us for doing both, Eclipse Strike.” She told the second voice.

The voices walked over to the pegasus whose name was Shadow Wing and Rainbow Dash was able to see what they looked like.

The first pony whose name was Moon Dusk was a unicorn with a grey coat, indigo eyes, a braided red mane and tail, and had a broken horn. The second pony whose name was apparently Eclipse Strike was a pegasus like Shadow Wing with a white coat, dark green eyes, a short strawberry blond mane and tail, and had prosthetic metal wings.

And just like Shadow Wing, they were both wearing black robes.

“Who the hay are you guys?” Rainbow asked the ponies in the black robes.

Moon Dusk chuckled sinsterly. “We are known as the Destroyers of Friendship. And by the order of our Princess Calamity, we are sworn to destroy any surviving pony in the wastelands.” She told Rainbow Dash.

“And that includes you and your two friends inside your van.” Eclipse Strike added.

“So don’t resist and we promise you that your death and the deaths of your friends will be swift and painless!” Shadow Wing finished, putting a dagger on Rainbow’s neck.

Moon Dusk groaned and took the dagger away from Shadow Wing with her magic. “Shadow, our princess said not to kill them. She needs them alive.”

“But I never get to use this dagger! Just let me have this, Moony!” Shadow Wing exclaimed.

Right before Moon Dusk was about to retort, a beeping sound was heard. Then the beeping sound started to beep faster and faster. Eclipse Strike looked around and saw a small contraption on the ground blinking red and beeping at the same time.

And before he tried to warn the others, it was too late.

The contraption immediately began to release a thick cloud of smoke all around Rainbow Dash and the Destroyers of Friendship. And in the smoke cloud, Rainbow can see two silhouetted ponies beating up the three robed ponies.

Once the smoke cleared, Rainbow saw that the Destroyers of Friendship were all knocked out and Pinkie and Fluttershy were the ones who knocked them out.

“Are you okay, Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy asked.

Rainbow Dash nodded.

“I can’t believe those meanies tried to hurt you! Thank goodness we managed to save you before they did something horrible to you.” Pinkie said.

“I just can’t believe you two managed to knock them down very quickly and easily.” Rainbow jokingly said.

“Well, it was pretty easy for the Warriors of The Wastelands.” Fluttershy said.

“You’re darn right!” Pinkie exclaimed. “Now let’s get out of here before those meanies wake up.”

And with that, the three ponies reentered the van and drove away, hoping that they won’t have to run into the Destroyers of Friendship anytime soon.

Moon Dusk managed to wake up from her knocked out state to see the van driving away. She sighed, knowing that their mission was a failure.

“Princess Calamity is not going to be happy to hear this.” Moon Dusk muttered to herself as she teleported herself and her two knocked out friends back to their base.

~~~

“…”

“Those ponies…”

“The way they care about each other..”

“…”

“I think they can help me.”

“If I tell them my mission, I know they’ll help me.”

“I don’t want to be afraid anymore.”

“I will find Sanctuary.”

“And the only way to do that is to have friends by my side.”

“…”

“I just hope they’ll be my friends.”

Author's Note

“Who is Princess Calamity?”
“Who is that person talking?”
“What is Sanctuary?”

Those questions will be answered in due time. So be patient and you’ll get your answers. After all, good things come to those who wait.