2: Untouched

        The valley that contained Ponyville looked as if it had been a garrison at one point. Rotting tents and unkempt vehicles lay out neatly ordered in places along the green grass, clearly not having seen use in a while. All signs showed the military presence here to be completely abandoned, with the husks of what was left behind out in the sun to be taken back into nature. Hastily poured concrete bunkers lie in wait for an attack that would never come, and barb wire lay untouched around the would be defenses.

        The sight of the base almost made you miss what was beyond it, Ponyville. In the middle of the valley sat the town that clashed with the military instalment all around it.

        It was almost surreal, the town looked alive. People moved around the well kept streets and walked in and out of fully intact brick houses and stores. Its almost as if the war and industrialization forgot them. The old time houses shined with an eerie glow that you haven't seen in years. Ponyville gave the valley around it color, striking hope into you that it actually was different after all.

        You began into the valley towards Ponyville, seeing that even nature around the town seemed to be more alive.

        ____________________________________________________________________________

        You stood in awe. After walking through the dead military base and not being shot at, you didn't know what to think. Even as you entered the town the change was almost palpable. The air seemed fresher, the colors were more vibrant, and everything just seemed to actually be alive.

        Your eyes hadn't deceived you when you had first gazed onto the city at the top of the valley. There were people everywhere. They were all clean and well groomed, and actually attractive. You felt like you stuck out in the crowd like a sore thumb, with your grizzled appearance and equipment strapped all over you.

        You almost didn't want to make eye contact at first, but when you did, the people smiled and waved at you, as if you had been here your whole life. You began walking through the pristine streets with a heavily confused look with questions racing through your mind on just about everything.

        You didn't know if you should talk to anyone, avoid them and look badass, or just leave. You usually didn't initiate conversations, and the ones you did were usually involving violence, so needless to say, you were really out of your element.

        Walking through the Ponyville streets, you soak in all of the different sights and sounds that felt so foreign to you. Birds were singing, people were talking to each other and one sound stood out to you in particular, music. The soft sound of something stringed caught your attention, you didn't know what it was, but you liked it. You followed the sound to its source, not really knowing where else to go from at the moment.

        You follow the sound to a little clearing between the buildings, where a fountain rose above a couple of benches on its exterior. The music originated from one of the benches, but you were more concerned with the fresh water flowing from that fountain.

        Dragging your gaze away from the water for a moment, you notice the sound radiating from an attractive girl with light green and white hair playing what looks to you to be a mini harp, not that you could remember the name of it. Not wanting to scare any bystanders by sprinting for the fountain, you walk up to the girl to initiate a conversation. You figure she would be a good a place to start here as any.

        “Excuse me, ma’am?” The words seem to float right over her head. She seems to be in a trance with her eyes closed, completely focused on her music.

        “Ma’am,” you say a bit louder this time. You think about how your accent has evaporated a lot over the years with lack of use, but still had a mild twang to it.

        She jolts out of her reverie and looks at you, “Oh, uh... Hi,” she says to you cheerily. She gives you a once over and raises an eyebrow at your grizzled appearance.

        Wanting to steer away from possible accusations you ask her, “What is that you're playing?”

        “Oh, this is a lyre, its my special talent,” she says proudly. “My names Lyra by the way, Lyra Heartstrings. Kinda makes sense if you think about it.”

        “Well, its a pleasure to meet you, Miss Heartstrings.” You give her your name.

        “It’s nice to meet you too! So, do you... need something?” She asked, making you realize you were standing there awkwardly staring at her. You couldn't help it, you haven't seen anyone this attractive, let alone clean, in a while. You wanted to tell her how beautiful she was, but you figured that was jumping the gun a bit.

        Snapping out of your reverie you answer her, “Oh, I’m a bit new here, I was just wondering where I might find a market, or a place to sleep, or something.”

        “Well, Ponyville doesn't have a motel or anything,but I can take you to the market.” She says happily as she stands up and puts her lyre into a mint green bag thrown over her shoulder.

        “That would be mighty kind of you, Miss Heartstrings,” you said with the accentuated tip of an absent hat. An old habit from constantly wearing one before the war.

        “Hehe, just Lyra is fine. You don't have to be so formal around friends.” That giggle was almost too sweet. It almost seemed like a chirp from an extinct songbird as far as you were concerned, not having heard something like that in such a long time.

        “Come on! Before we get caught in the lunch rush,” she said, striding forward and grabbing your hand to pull you to the right direction. Her hand was the softest thing you’d felt in a long while. You were surprised she even wanted to touch you. You were a harsh contrast to her clean and perfect figure, plastered with dirt and grime, weapons hanging off of you.

        She didn't seem to notice as she led you along.

_____________________________________________________________________________

        She stopped in front of what seemed to be the market. Shops and vendors littered the ground in front of you, each of them talking with ponies and tending to their shops. It was something else that seemed quite odd to you, so many people haggling with each other and not one of them was holding the other at gunpoint. Instead the various tents and shops were happily working away.

        Lyra opened her arms to give the market a proper introduction, “Here it is, the Ponyville market. Your best source for just about anything you could ask for! So, what do feel like getting?” She turned to you expectantly.

        “I... uh.” There were so many different ones. Just at a glance you saw a bakery, a vegetable stand, an apple stand, a butcher shop, and a quill and sofa store? Who uses quills anymore? “There’s so many of them... “ you admit.

        Lyra raises an eyebrow at you, then perks up, “Oh, I know! There’s a restaurant on the other side that makes the best sandwiches, lets go,” she said as she takes your hand yet again and moves you forward.

        You look around as she drags you. The more you look into it, the more you notice, this town is almost exclusively populated by girls. You might have seen one other guy throughout your entire journey through the town. As amazing as that is for your future sexual prospects, it still nags at you what could've happened to them. Your suspiciousness is only quelled by your overbearing, sudden hunger.

        Your thoughts are interrupted as you see a vendor with an assortment of canned goods that look almost pristine. Your stomach growls as you lock into them with a vicious longing. You change direction and inadvertently drag Lyra with you towards the shop.

        “H-Hey, what are you doing?” she said as she let go of your arm and begins to follow you.

        “Food.” Is all you managed to get out before striding up to the counter.

        “That’s where we were going, what are you-” she said, but you weren't particularly listening to her.

        A girl with blue hair turned to you, “Hi! What can I get you? Todays special is lemon tarts,” she said with a smile, it looked like she sold an assortment of fruit as well, with lemons being favored, but you weren't too sure how to eat anything that wasn't out of a can at this point so your eyes darted around the various cans.

        “Uh, the can of peaches and that can of beans... oh, that can of corn, and the canned pork too,” you managed to say in your excitement. she floated your items down to the counter with her magic, which you eyed vigorously all of the way down. You reached into your pack to trade for them.

        You cut her off as you pull out what you were reaching for, “You're gonna love this, a pristine silver lighter, as far as I can tell it still has at least half the fluid in it,” you said as you presented the object.

        Lyra began giggling to herself behind you for some reason, you ignored her.

        “Sir, we only take-”

“Ain't that enough? here.” You take out a pair of marvelously crafted work gloves that you had been saving for a trade of this magnitude, and put them on the counter with the lighter. “These are almost new, not a tear or stitch loose on them.”

“Sir, I need-”

“Alright, you're lucky I really want these,” you say almost in a pout as you put a worn, but sturdy pocket knife on the table. “That is as much as I can go. That is a fair trade, dontcha think?”

She looked at you incredulously, then turned to the still giggling Lyra. “Lyra, what is he doing?”

“Hehe, I think he’s trying to trade you for them.”

You looked back and forth at them with confusion. “How else am I supposed to pay for them?”

The shopkeeper looked at you, clearly frustrated, “Like I've been trying to say, I only take bits sir.”

“B-Bits?” Thats something you haven't dealt with in quite a long time either.

“You know, money? What am I supposed to do with all of this?” she motioned towards the items you put on the table.

“Well, I don't know, I don't have any bits though.” Lyra was cracking up at this point.

“Don't worry Lemon Hearts, I'll take care of it.” She put ten gold coins on the counter and scooped the contents of the counter and emptied all of them into your bag, “Let’s go big guy, we can still get dessert at sugarcube corner.”

She grabbed your hand and pulled you away from the stand. You were still too perplexed from the experience to resist. Nobody has used bits since before the war. This place was different, really different.

______________________________________________________________________________

You sat in a booth with Lyra at sugarcube corner, an empty can of peaches and a cupcake in front of you, which Lyra paid for as well.

        “So, what's with the whole getup, you some kind of adventurer?” she says as she motions toward you.

        You look at her, “Heh, something like that. I'm just looking for a place where the people won't try to kill me over a can of beans.”

        “Haha, what? Thats crazy,”

        “You'd be surprised,”

        “So, uh, where are you from anyway?” she said as she started messing with her straw while looking at you.

        “Dodge...” This was never a subject you liked to talk about. She looked a bit surprised when you said that.

        “I thought... you know... nobody got out,” she said, trying to step around an emotional minefield.

        “Well, I was in Baltimare when it happened.”

        “Oh...” The conversation became instantly awkward, but you were determined not to let that happen. It was a long time ago anyway.

        “Well, don't worry about it. It was a while back anyway. I hate to point out the obvious, but why is this place so ...normal?”

        “Well, Ponyville never got directly involved in the war. There were some close calls, so the base got set up outside of town. When Canterlot got attacked most of the troops were re-deployed there or somewhere else they were actually needed. Before we knew it, Luna showed up and took over the town. She never really told us what happened, but nothing seems to have really changed since before the war to be honest,” she told you nonchalantly using her hands to accentuate her speech.

        “And no one here has ever seen anything outside of Ponyville?”

        She looked at the ceiling for a second to think, “Well, I think Braeburn and Big Mac were soldiers, and Luna was in Canterlot. Otherwise, no. Why? What's so special about everything else?”

        She really must not have any idea, you thought it would be best to keep it that way. “Nothing. So, do you live in town?” you said, resorting to your fallback weapon, small talk.

        “Sure do. I live with my roommate, Bon Bon.”

        “What’s she like?”

        “Well, she’s really sweet most of the time, and she loves to cook, which is always nice.”

        And just as fast as you used your secret weapon, it was gone.

        “So, you said you needed a place to stay, huh?” she said with a wry smile.

        “I think you know the answer to that question.”

        “Well, I may be able to convince Bon Bon to let you stay in the guest room, if you'd like.”

        You were genuinely surprised by her hospitality. “I would love that. I couldn't thank you enough Lyra.”

        “Don't thank me just yet, Bon Bon still might make you sleep in the backyard or something.”

        “Well it'd be better than nothing.”

        Lyra finishes her cup of whatever she got and got up, prompting you to follow. “Huh, I wonder where Pinkie Pie is, she would've already talked your ear off and arranged a party by now.”

        “Pinkie Pie?” You asked as the two of you made your way out of the pastry shop.

        “Oh don't worry, you'll find out,” Lyra said ominously. She then dragged you yet again to what you presumed to be her house.

______________________________________________________________________________

        Her house was in a row of many of the exact same house on the same street. They all had the same cottage look and wooden and stone exteriors, which must've been a pain to build.

        She walked up the steps to the wooden door and stopped you. “A word of warning, Bon Bon can be a bit of a neat freak, so forgive her if she is a bit hostile to your... appearance at first.”

        You nod and follow her in as she enters her home.

        Bon Bon walks out of the kitchen and sees Lyra, seemingly oblivious to your presence at first.

        “Oh hey Lyra, how was your da- WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?” Well now you know she saw you.

        Lyra walks forward to try to calm her down, “I might him at the fountain, hes just looking for a place to st-”

        “HES GOING TO GET DIRT EVERYWHERE. I JUST CLEANED THE ENTIRE-”

        Lyra turned to you in the middle of Bon Bons rant “Maybe you should step outside real quick,” she said as she nudged you out the door and closed it behind you.

        You leaned up against the wall. You could hear the muffled argument of the two from the other side, but it seemed to be calming down.

        This town was the best thing you could've asked for. It hadn't even been touched by the war. You were unsure why Princess Luna chose this place though. Even though everything was just about perfect, you couldn't help but think that there had to be a catch here somewhere. For now you just wanted to enjoy everything while it was here, and worry later.

        The door opened, and Lyras head popped out with it. “I think it'll be safe to come in now, just need to take the boots off,” She said, pointing to the dirt encrusted hunks of leather that used to be a pair of combat boots.

        “Yes Ma’am,” you said as you took them off and made your way inside.

        As you stepped into the house, Bon Bon addressed you. “I’m sorry about my outburst, but you are simply filthy.”

        “Sorry ‘bout that, ain't much I can do about it.”

        “Well, if you'll be staying here, you need to change that. The shower’s upstairs in the first room. You’re welcome to use it, just please, don't touch anything on your way up.”

        “Thank you kindly.” You begin to make your way up, but realise there was one problem.

        “Uh, I don't have any other clothes,’ you bring up.

        Bon Bon sighs, “We'll get you something, just leave the dirty ones in the basket in the bathroom.”

        “Thank you so much for everything miss.”

        She smiled at you, “Think nothing of it. We'll talk more tomorrow. The guest room is over there whenever you feel like sleeping.”

        You nodded and made your way upstairs to the bathroom and shut the door behind you.

        It looked like this was a perfectly working bathroom. You stripped off your dirt covered clothes and laid them in the basket as ordered, putting your weapons and equipment beside it.

        You turn on the knobs to find that theres actually running water, and they have a hot water heater. Which just seemed amazing to you, since you usually only used bathrooms to find still standing water in the toilets to drink. You step into the water and revel in the feeling of it cascading down onto you. You're almost embarrassed to see how much dirt is running down with the water.

        You step out feeling considerably lighter and much better. On the knob of the door there’s a set f clean clothes that are actually your size. You wonder why they had those, but dismiss the thought since you were lost in the feeling of actually being clean.

        Making your way downstairs, you finally hit the bed in the guest room like a sack of bricks. Not really caring about anything else. The feeling of a clean, made bed feels marvelous after so many years of sleeping on dirt and broken concrete. The feeling is so wonderful, you fall asleep almost instantly, forgetting what your dreams may bring up.