I wake up to find Dash's adorable form still wrapped tightly around me. Amazing. That was the only word I could think of. So this is what caring feels like? I could get used to- No! I can’t get attached to anything! But she’s so soft and beautiful- Arrrgg!!

I try to push the thoughts out of my head, but every time I glance back at her, a rush of feelings that I have never felt before take over me. Last night was the most peaceful and, well, happy night that I can remember, but that was yesterday and now is today. Besides, today I told her that I would take her to Ponyville.

I carefully and gently get out of the sleeping bag, trying not to disturb the peacefully sleeping Rainbow Dash. Once I’m out, I see Dash grasping for something. She then begins to wake up, slowly but surely. Fuck!

“Uhhh…” She starts, clearly tired and not used to getting up this early, “Why are we getting up so early? The town is only, like, another hour of walking.”

“Well,” I explain, “Those mutants like the dark and hate the sun, so around dawn, they tend to try and find a dark place, like a cave, to sleep for the day. I do not want to be caught in my sleep by a mutant, and I don’t want you to be caught either.”

“Oh” She responds, taking in the information, “Well let’s get going then, Ponyville is waiting! What are we still doing here anyway? I don’t want to die!”

I walk over to Dash and grab her, gazing into her eyes. I begin to talk, slowly and firmly “Dash, I may not have known you for long, but you have definitely established yourself as my favorite part of the wasteland. I have been roaming for three years, and you are first that thing or pony that I am honestly happy to be around. You are a living relic from a time when you didn’t have to kill for the very right to survive. I feel that it is my job to protect you, so believe me when I say this:” I say the next part clearly and firmly, while staring deep into her beautiful eyes.

“I will never let anything hurt you.”

She stares back into my ocean blue eyes for what feels like hours.

“St-Storm,” She begins shakily, “I-I had no idea. B-but I guess that explains w-why I feel so safe around you.”

I stood there shocked as she wrapped her hooves around me and I couldn’t help but smile. I returned the embrace. It felt hours, but even an eternity wouldn’t have enough. Even though this is how I felt, I knew that we would have to go soon.

“Dash” I begin reluctantly after awhile, “We have to go, ‘kay?”

“Kay, Iron” She responds in a trusting voice. I could never betray her, could never hurt her, and could never abandon her. I was more than just her guide through this living hell; I was someone she could trust with her life. I was not going to just shrug off this responsibility. I was her protector now.

I started to pack up the sleeping bag, wrapping it tight. Then I went into my vest pouch and pulled out a tightly wound packet of hay. I walked over to Dash.

“Here” I say to her as I hand her a portion of the packet’s contents, “its ration hay. What you’re holding there is enough to keep you going for another day. It tastes like shit though.”

“Ach!” She chokes when she takes a bite, “That does taste awful! How do you eat that?”

“When you’re in the wasteland, you’ll do anything to survive.” I explain

“Oh,” She says, apparently accepting that she can’t be very picky in hell.

We finish our hay, but right before we depart the cave I hear something; rain. I’ve heard that rain in Pre-Strike Equestria wasn’t a big deal, it just got you wet, plus it was controlled by other ponies, so nothing too bad really ever happened. Not anymore. Now, weather has been affected by radiation, so rain is now radioactive and acidic, capable of killing you in minutes. The good news is that, for some reason, the acid only melts biomass, so cloaks can deflect the rain. Too bad I only have one cloak.

“Stop!” I yell at Dash, “That’s not rain, it’s acid rain! It’ll melt your skin off!”

Dash freezes in place, and then quickly runs back to the cave. I feel bad for her; everything that she once knew is now trying to kill her.

“Its okay” I assure her, “Take this cloak and you’ll be fine. The acid only melts living matter.”

“Thanks” she responds. In a more worried tone she continues, “Wait, where’s yours? You have a spare right?”

Yeah, I have that sleeping bag! I can use that! I think.

I take out the sleeping bag and wrap it over my body. It is almost big enough. It’ll have to do. I think as I stare at my exposed area; my rearmost flank. Flank burns would be painful, but it would be worse to watch Dash die.

“This will have to do,” I start as Rainbow gives me a worried look, “I’ve been through worse.”

“Wait, Storm” She begins in a concerned voice, “You take the cloak and I’ll take the bag. I’m small enough so that I can probably fit under the bag.”

“Okay” I say in a cautious tone, “But if it doesn’t cover your whole body, then you won’t wear it, I won’t let you.”

Dash tries on the bag and it fits her perfectly, I breathe a sigh of relief. I already know that the cloak fits me, as it is my cloak, so I wasn’t really surprised when it fit me perfectly.

“C’mon Dash” I say with a hint of happiness, “Let’s go to Ponyville.”

“Okay” She replies affectionately.

As we walk out of the cave into the rain, huddled together, I feel like I can take on anything. I now have a purpose, a reason to live. I finally feel that living is worth the effort. I will never let anything hurt her, ever. Because if she dies now, I probably won’t last to long.

Having no reason to live never bothered me before, mainly because I didn’t know what I was missing. Now, though, I realize how terrible my daily life was. If my life reverts back to that, there will always be a hole left unfilled; I will lose the desire to live. I won’t let anything hurt her. Ever.