"Oh dear," Fluttershy whispered as she paced at the clearing's edge. It's already been a couple minutes and she couldn't find a way to get past the dog. Not only that, but the strange creature hadn't yet woken up. The yellow pegasus began to fear the worst. Tears began to build up in her eyes.

She's rarely had an animal die on her from anything but old age yet, though this didn't look like a normal animal, this creature was probably dead because she couldn't get to it. While it was obviously the fault of the protective dog, Fluttershy found that she couldn't hold it to blame. It was simply doing what dogs were known to do; being loyal. Sometimes that meant the defending of an owner that can't defend themselves.

If only she knew what, and who, the creature was. She found herself wondering what it's thoughts were as it died. Maybe it was thinking of home?

------

This is not home, Vol thought as the ground around him ruptured into the air as fountains of asphalt and dirt. Rounds zinged overhead, pinging off metal and chipping away stone facades. He had discovered, when he awoke, that he was not in his normal attire. He was currently wearing a set of green Combat Armor, helmet included, with a mask over his mouth. An American Assault Rifle was clenched in his hands and he felt the sheath holding the knife to his belt.

The misplaced wastelander had quickly discovered who were the "good guys" as they were the ones wearing armor and wielding weapons similar to his own. Him and his fellows were currently taking cover behind cars, buildings, plant boxes, anything that would stop a round from killing them. Every now and then, a soldier would pop up and fire a burst at the unseen enemy. Vol could only assume that it was the Chinese. This seemed too much like the tales of the Great War for them not to be.

The wastelander watched as a soldier stood up, fired, and got back into cover with the back of his head missing. Another had his leg out to far and was soon writhing in agony as blood spilled from the wound. His partner cried for a medic but it didn't seem like one was coming. Vol felt someone grab his pauldron right before he was yanked around to come face to face with one of the soldiers.

"Fire your weapon!" he yelled before letting go of Vol. Vol, frustrated at his hesitation, stood up from cover and faced the enemy. Like he thought, the enemy were Chinese and hey were slowly gaining ground on the small American force as their artillery continued to pound the street.

"It all begins so simply. Two humans find a limited resource, of which is required for the continuation of their way of life. Thus, a simple decision is made."

The voice echoed in his mind, throwing his aim off as he pulled the trigger. The rounds stitched the building next to the Chinese advance. Shaking his head, he aimed back at the Chinese and fired a burst, knocking the attacker to the ground. Changing targets, he fired at another. The asian soldier pirouetted like a dancer from the force of the rounds before he fell face first on the asphalt.

"'This is mine' is what both decide. When they find that the other also claimed it, they begin to find a way to take it. No matter how much they may portray sharing, they still believe it is theirs. How can you share something if you don't first believe to own it?"

Vol shook his head. Leave my head intruder! he thought as he fired another burst downrange. Taking cover, he reloaded the rifle. He didn't even hear the blast. He just felt the sense of flying before he slammed into something hard. As he fell forward, his hand went out in front of him and immediately hit an object. He could feel the roughness through his gloves. Looking up, he saw brown bark underneath his hand. A tree stood in front of him, in the middle of the war-torn street. Looking around, he saw that the war was frozen. No one moved. No one fired. One American was paused in the midst of his death fall. Another was paused on the down swing of his helmet onto a Chinese soldier's cranium.

Looking down, he saw the grass beneath him. It was all green and healthy except for a spot in the shape of a body below him. The only warning was a tingling of his palm. Fire surged through his nervous system, igniting every nerve in unbearable agony. When he registered that he was screaming, his throat was already sore. He fell first to his right knee. Then his left knee struck ground. Finally, the rest of him fell, his body filling the shape in the dead grass. The pain began to recede as his consciousness faded. As the last vestiges of consciousness left him, the voice returned.

"Sharing is not a selfless act. It is selfish. To share, you believe that it is yours to give out. When the well is dry, however, who do you blame? Yourself for sharing or them for taking?"

------------

"Ugh..." Vol moaned as he moved a hand to his helmeted head. He thought he heard a gasp but the happy bark that came after covered the noise. Vol smiled as he opened his eyes to see K9 through his helmet's visor. The dog was laying with his head so close that Vol's visor was fogging from K9's hot breath. Reaching out, Vol scratched his head before he began to get to his feet. Pain still flared in his limbs but, with the help of the tree, he was soon upright and looking around. So far, he saw that the dead clearing was surrounded by a thriving forest of gnarled trees and vines. Turning around, he settled his back against the tree. He was surprised to see a bright yellow equine looking at him with wide eyes. He swore that she was shaking.

Vol's stomach chose that time to growl. While it would've been easy to put an arrow into the small horse, he felt that he couldn't. Something about this horse reminded him of humans. The easily visible expression on fear on it's face, maybe? The way it wore the bags? Or was it the way it kept glancing side to side, as if searching for a way to hide?

Talk to it.

The thought was pushed to the fore of his mind, giving him a slight headache. While he found himself doubting the idea, he could be happy in that there was no one to make fun of him if he was wrong.

"Umm... hello?" he asked, feeling like a fool. His voice seemed to cause the horse to shrink closer to the dirt and hid one eye behind it's bright pink mane. Surprisingly, it squeaked something in reply.

"I'm... sorry? Didn't quite catch that," he stated from where he was against the tree.

It still only squeaked in reply. In an effort to hear it better, Vol took a step away from the tree. Pain shot up his leg, causing him to fall to one knee, grunting in pain. Whatever had been scaring the horse was forgotten as it rushed to his side, only stopping short when K9 began to growl.

"Shh, boy," Vol whispered as he looked back at the dog. Immediately, the dog silenced and sat, but it kept it's eyes on the horse as it finished approaching the human.

"Are..." it's voice was soft and timid. Vol could feel the care in it, "Are you okay?"

Vol chuckled and shook his head, "No."

-------

No? Well, it's obviously hurt but... why did it laugh? Was the way it got hurt funny? Like how Dash is sometimes?

Looking the creature over, Fluttershy couldn't see anything wrong with it's gray carapace. She had been stunned when she saw it's face with it's single, black eye. From what she saw, and could see, it had no mouth or nose. Yet, it could speak to her. This confused the pegasus. How can something with no mouth talk? However, she also learned that the dog was well trained, which was a relief to her. She almost ended up as dog chow when she had jumped to the creautre's aid.

"Wha-what's wrong?" she asked, unsure of how it might respond.

"You," it replied simply, chuckling again. Fluttershy was shocked. Me? All I had tried to do was help? Does... does it not like ponies? Oh no! Did I transfer some airborne disease that I'm immune to and it's not?

"Me?" Flutterhsy asked with a wimper.

It chuckled again, "You, this clearing, this forest, and, lastly, my mind. I must be insane! I'm talking to a horse and it's talking back! I'm in a forest of trees with leaves and I keep hearing some mad person's voice!"

The being struggled back to it's feet and just shook it's hooded head. Fluttershy looked at it in confusion. It thinks it's crazy? What does the voice say to it?

"I'm... I'm actually a p-pony," Fluttershy stated.

"Right," it replied as it picked up it's bow, putting the loaded arrow back into the pouch on it's thigh, "'pony' it is. Where do you come from little 'pony'?"

"Ponyville," she replied immediately, not understanding why. Should she really lead this thin to her friends? What if it turned out to be dangerous? Come now, Fluttershy. That's no way to think about somepony you just met, she thought, giving herself a little nod as she did.

"Lead on my equine friend, I wish to end this madness," it said, motioning for Fluttershy to start walking.

"Umm... okay," she responded meekly as she hid an eye behind her mane. Turning around, she began to retrace her steps back to the small village she called home. She was more than aware of the creature's presence behind her. However, she did have to look back to make sure it was actually there. How can something so big and heavy looking move so silently? she thought to herself.

"W-Where are you f-from? If you don't mind my asking, of course."

The creature chuckled with it's deep, guttural voice again as it looked into the sky. It's answer was a simple one:

"Hell." Next Chapter: Ambushes and Forgiveness Estimated time remaining: 57 Minutes