It really is a nice day today! The sun was shining, the birds were chirping and the air was fresh and carried the fragrances of the jungle flowers.

I was following the road out of Navarost and making my way out of the jungle. The trees are already growing less thick, I could see the clear blues sky above me. And what was I doing on a fine day like this? Well…

“Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!” I should have been more careful, but I hadn’t been and now a pack of wild dogs was hot on my tail.

I shot three, but that just seemed to make the six that were left angrier. I never thought that wild dogs would have a den so close to the road. There wasn’t time to rub the oil in to mask my scent, and now with them so close and gaining fast, using my cloak wouldn’t change anything. I need to break the line of sight then go invisible and either sneak away or take them out.

My hooves were starting to ache, I was panting hard from trying to maintain the pace. Unslinging my rifle, I turned to the right and went into the jungle. I started weaving around the trees. They were still following me, but now they didn’t have a straight line to me. I jumped over a fallen tree, pulled my hood up, and put my back against it. Four dogs leapt overhead and landed in front of me and continued to run while I stayed low and began sneaking alongside the fallen tree trunk.

As I moved through the leaves, I kept hearing rustling sounds behind me. Taking a few more steps I stopped and turned around. Out of the leaves emerged one of the wild dogs sniffing. He stopped, lifted his head and looked around. He knows I’m here, he let out a growl. But he couldn’t see me. I lifted up my rifle and took aim. His head shot towards me, he must have seen the gun sticking out of my cloak. It didn’t matter I had a clean shot.

Something collided with me. A paw landed on my right shoulder and a moth full of teeth clenched on my gun. The collision forced me to the ground. The one that was following me broke into a dash and was headed right for me. The other one, the one that knocked me over, still had my rifle in his mouth. My magic went right for the holster. I pulled out the silenced pistol and fired three shots.

Two missed, but the third got it in the paw. He stumbled and fell. The one that had my gun dropped it, realizing it wasn’t edible, and turned its attention to me. It tried to pounce on me, but I rolled away raising the pistol and firing two more shots. One hit it in the chest, the other grazed its backside. It yelped and went down. I pushed myself to my hooves but got knocked down again! The one I shot in the leg wasn’t done yet. It bit me below the knee, just under the Kevlar plate that protected it, right into the exposed flesh. I yelled and tried to pull away, but that just tore my leg up more. Concentration broken I dropped the pistol. Gritting my teeth I turned my right hoof and forced the dog to turn its head and expose its neck. Pulling back my left hoof I aimed for it’s throat. I punched it with the very edge of my hoof and felt cartilage crack.

It started to cough and finally let go. I found the pistol, levitated it in front of me. The dog was limping away, wheezing trying to push air through a crushed windpipe. I sent two bullets to its head.

I rose back up and gingerly tested my right hoof. It hurt and bled, but it could support my weight. Hmm… I only have four potions, I should use a salve to staunch the bleeding and save the potions if I really get hurt.

I could hear whimpering. The one I had shot had managed to crawl away, but was now bleeding from the chest and mouth. I raised my gun again and put an end to its misery. Picking up the rifle and returning the pistol back in its holster I surveyed the surroundings, making sure nothing else was planning to tackle me. No sounds could be heard except the usual buzzing of the jungles insects and the cries of birds, so I went to find my way back to the road.

The jungle grew less thick as the road edged slowly away to the west. I continued to move with my cloak on, trying not to kick up to much dirt as I walked. The dogs had passed me, and I began applying the oil to mask my scent. Though there wasn’t much left, maybe enough for two more uses.

I need to keep to this path until it actually leads out of the jungle, then turn due west and keep going. Wonder what Sumaj is like? The only places the zebras used to take us were small Remnant outposts. They went out of their way to avoid any sort of contact with other zebras that weren’t Remnant. Maybe I should have stayed at Navarost? It was the closest thing to a home i had, and they needed somepony to aid them. What am I saying? I did help them out a couple of times true, but it had been Zaeryl who actually saved lives in the end. I'd just cause more problems without Zaeryls guidance.

I remember one time when i was still young and inexperienced, Joram was watching over me. A Remnant patrol passed his shop to buy food, and I had to hide under a box. Joram got so nervous that I thought they would find me for sure.

Later one villager expressed his displeasure over my presence. He said that I was attracting attention to their home, tempting the wrath of the Remnant. Zaeryl quickly shut him up with a look and put an end to it. I doubt the Remnant would really do anything to them. Navarost was one of the remote villages, and the Remnant rarely passed by the area. Occasionally a patrol in need of provisions would stop by, but for the most part Navarost was left alone. Not to mention that they are trying to win over the hearts and minds of their fellow zebras. Least they fall into the Separatist’s hooves.

My musings were interrupted by the sound of hushed voices coming from up ahead. I moved to the side of the road behind a tree while the talking grew louder.

“-other one tried to escape yesterday.” There were six zebras, well armed, but wearing leather armor patched with steel and chitinous plates. The two in the front were talking.

“And?” Asked the second one.

“They shot her.” Said the first to which the second looked to the sky and muttered.

“Spirits be good! Was it a unicorn?” The first nodded.

“Damn it! You can’t keep shooting them! The Remnant won’t pay for corpses. And no! We are not selling the bodies to the Separatists! I don’t care. Whatever it is their doing it can’t be good for anyone.” The second finished and spat.

Slavers! Definitely trouble. But what’s this about Separatists buying corpses? Both were cruel. As much as I hated to admit it the Remnant are better than the Separatists. The Remnant would work you to exhaustion, but they would leave you alone whenever you were not working. They treated us like tools, but were not wasteful. As for the Separatists. Well not much is known of what they do. What is known isn’t good. It must be terrible if even slavers refuse to deal with them.

I remained cloaked waiting for them to pass before continuing down my path. Slavery has always existed in Zevrass. However, this only became prominent a few years ago. And recently the Remnant started buying ponies. I guess it’s easier. They don’t have to send out expeditions. All they have to do is set a price, even those not of the Remnant would start bringing ponies to them. When the Separatists got wind of this they started doing it too. I think its five hundred caps for ponies, two hundred and fifty for foals but a thousand for unicorns, and seven hundred and fifty for unicorn foals. I need to be careful.

“Finally.” I’m out of the jungle. The road goes on north with the trees to its right, but I’m going west. Nothing but a sea of tall yellow grass with a few trees here and there.

I can smell the change of pressure in the air. It’s going to rain. There were clouds now floating lazily in the sky and the wind has picked up. Every time I reached a top of a hill and looked out from it, I was treated to a wondrous sight. The wind would gently caress the grass and make it sway and ripple like the surface of water. The moon hung low to the east while the sun was past its midday spot in the sky. The two celestial bodies sometimes shared the skies and sometimes they didn’t. This meant we would have more moonless nights with the stars as my only companions.

“What was that?” I heard something. But I was answered only by the whistling of the wind.

“…” No, there it is again. What is that? I strained my ears to listen. It had a kind of echoing sound. Gun shots maybe? Somewhere of in the distance.

“BANG!” Yep definitely gunshots. I made my way to the source of the sound. It must look ridiculous. The grass seemed to be parted by an invisible plow as i ran trough it, but with the wind at my back you'd have to be a bird to notice anything.

As I got closer and slowed down, I saw something strange. A zebra with a hunting rifle was shooting. At nothing.

“What the…?” I whispered to myself before noticing that beside him was another zebra laying on the ground and not moving. Then something else caught my attention. The air seemed to be rippling at two places, like the shimmer heat would make as it rises from the ground. The ripples were moving around the zebra with the gun.

Zebras in stealth cloaks? The Remnant? No. They would have just shot the lone zebra. This was different, something else.

Then it hit me.

“Shifters.” I said soundlessly.

Pony-sized lizards with bulbous eyes that could move independently of one another. They had sharp claws and teeth and a long tongue that ended in a poisoned barb. They can shoot out their tongues at a range of nearly two meters. And their most appealing trait. The source of their moniker. Their ability to blend in with the background. Old mares tales would have you believe that they can actually disappear. Not just turn invisible but “shift” out of reality. They were the boogie pony zebras told their young to make them behave. But the truth is their scales could, at will, change the direction at which light struck them. This bending of light would make them invisible. It works exactly like a stealth cloak.

Alright this is not going to be easy. I unslung my rifle and took aim at the shimmer closest to me. The only thing I can do is aim as best as I could and hope I hit something. Shifters are cowards, and often run away when they lose the advantage of outnumbering their prey. If I could just kill one the other would retreat.

I fired a quick burst. A few missed, but a few had found their mark. Dark purple blood was streaming down the body of the wounded one and made it a much easier mark.

It hissed and turned to face me, but I could become invisible too. While it was distracted the zebra took the opportunity and shot the thing in the head and it went down. The other was backing up now, no longer confident in its odds. As it tried to back away the zebra fired again. He missed and it lunged right for him. I watched the grass get stomped on by invisible claws and fired where its head should be. I got lucky and it too went down.

Once dead their scales turned to a dark brown. The zebra however wasn’t done yet, he was still waving his gun. “Our business is done Remnant. What do you want?” He asked the wind in zebra, pointing his gun a good ninety degrees away from me.

"I’m not Remnant. Trust me, I'm here to help." He turned his gun towards my voice, but his aim was still off.

“Then show yourself!” Right. Obviously I should give you a clear shot at me.

“How do I know you won’t shoot me when I do?” A perfectly reasonable question with him being so jumpy.

“How do I know YOU won’t shoot me?” Great. This was getting us nowhere. And that unconscious zebra was worrying me.

“If I wanted to, I would have already shot you and moved on. Besides I helped you.” He seemed to relax a little and lowered his rifle. I pulled my hood down and instantly regretted it. The rifle was now pointed directly at me. I levitated out my own in response.

“A pony?” He said with surprise and disgust. Well at least he didn’t shoot.

“Yes. Your friend looks hurt. I want to help, if I can.”

“Why? What do you care?” Not unexpected. Help was rarely offered to strangers true, but I trained as a shaman and Zaeryl would help anyone in need, be they zebra or pony.

“Because I can and I do.” He regarded me suspiciously, then glanced at his friend while lowering his weapon.

I lowered mine too and approached the wounded zebra. It was a she. A zebra mare and she had a few claw scratches on her person. Nothing serious but there was also a round hole just below her right shoulder.

“Did they sting her with their tongue?” I asked. He nodded. Okay so she’s poisoned. Shifter poison spreads slowly and causes paralysis. In the end you suffocate when your lungs fail. But it hadn’t gone that far yet, she was still drawing shallow breaths.

I had the antidote, and her husband Santir helped me administer it along with a healing salve for her other injuries.

Her breathing returned to normal and her pulse was strong again. There was nothing more I could do for her now.

It was night by the time she woke up. I looked her over to make sure she didn’t have any other injuries. We moved north, away from the slain shifters because they would soon attract scavengers. Then we stopped to eat and rest.

“I thank you for saving my life.” Zera said.

“Just happy to help.” I said with a smile.

“I owe you thanks as well, and an apology for my behavior earlier.” Santir said inclining his head.

“Apology accepted. You were only being cautious after all. I can’t really blame you for that.”

“Yes.” He said looking away.

“Where are you headed if I may ask?” Zera wanted to know.

“West. To Sumaj.” Santir’s face darkened.

“The way west is dangerous I would not go there were I in your hooves. We have been traveling from Sumaj and barely made it this far. And wouldn’t have if not for your aid.” Great, more good news, but my plans remained unchanged. Sumaj was the closest village and there was no turning back.

“Maybe. But I still plan to go there. And you didn’t have a stealth cloak. I can just sneak by anything dangerous.” My answer did not seem to satisfy them. Zera looked saddened, and I could see Santir work his jaw muscles.

“Very well. I have given you warning. It is up to you to heed it or not.” You would think I had insulted his mother from the look he gave me.

The rest of the night passed in silence. We took shifts sleeping. Santir and I alternated our watch every three hours. In the morning we parted ways. They continued north and I west.

More and more clouds were gathering. Dark and heavy with water. By my estimates, I was making good time. If I kept this pace up reaching Sumaj would take me two days.

A thin grey column was rising not too far away. Smoke? Maybe it’s some camp site or merchants. 300 caps weighted in my pockets. I would need water. My canteen was already half empty, and if i didn't find a source of water I would have to buy some.

This time I decided to be prepared. I levitated my rifle and moved slowly as the column of smoke grew thicker.

I wasn’t prepared.

What I saw shook me to the core. The sight in front of me took my words away.

The smell of death was thick in the air. Two bighorn carcasses with their bellies torn open were being ripped apart by wild dogs. Not far away a dozen ponies lay dead on the ground, both young and old. They lay displayed for the world to see, rotting in the sun. Their eyes had been pecked out by birds, and now the wild dogs were feasting on them.

I sat there, quietly, without making a sound. The remains of a wooden carriage nearby had been flipped over and burned while I listened to the sounds of these dogs, tearing flesh, and crunching on fragile bones. Fighting broke out for the best parts.

I was sick of it.

Lifting my rifle I took aim at a dog that was busy chewing on some organ and opened fire.

I shot him and moved on to the next and then the next. Changing magazines, I continued shooting, but most of them got away. I was alone.

After a while I approached the bodies. They barely resembled ponies at all, not after the beast have had their way with them. My attention was drawn to holes in their heads. They weren’t attacked and killed by wild animals, they were shot. Killed by far crueler monsters.

It was several hours later before I continued my journey. I couldn’t give them a proper burial. Instead I placed the bodies on top of the burning carriage. Some zebras actually preferred cremation to being buried, they believe that the smoke would carry their spirits to the world beyond. I don’t know if that applies to ponies, but at least this way the beasts wouldn't be able to get to them. I hope they find peace. I sat there for a while looking at the pyre. It started raining.

Is this how it’s going to be everywhere I go? Pain and suffering, everywhere? Was Zaeryl’s wish to help others just a foal’s dream? Can anypony be saved?

I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going. For all I knew, I was walking in circles, but that hardly mattered to me anymore.

My thoughts kept going back to the dead ponies. Did they put up a fight? I didn’t find any weapons, just a few brass casings. One for each pony. So precise, cold, calculating… so… Remnant.

They probably begged, and cried for them to spare their children. But why would they kill them? They need ponies. Well I don’t remember finding any skulls with horns, but the Remnant aren’t wasteful. Maybe they got attacked and rather than risk losing captives to the Separatists, or letting them go free, they killed them. Yes, that sounded more like something they would do.

I found a tree that had somewhat dry ground under it. I curled up and went to sleep.

“Please! Please, don’t hurt her! We’ve done nothing wrong!” A mother was begging. I didn’t know her. She was from some other tribe that they took. I was huddling close to my mom and dad. Amber was there too, trembling.

A zebra hit the mother across her face. They were dragging her little girl away. Our group had enough unicorns, one had to be taken to work at a different outpost. They separate families like this all the time. That’s how Amber came to be with us.

The mother was laying on the ground and crying while her daughter screamed. “I don’t want to go with them!”.

There was nothing anypony could do. The little filly was screaming for all she’s worth and that just earned her a slap. They just looked at each other silently with tear filled eyes as the Remnant increased the distance between them.

My vision started to blur, and I felt a hoof touch my face. My mother just pulled me close and whispered: “Don’t cry we’ll stay together, they will never split us up.” I buried my face in her coat and nodded. Smoke filled my nose, the sounds of gunshots drew nearer.

I looked around and saw that everything was burning. Zebras were shooting at ponies. Dad? Amber? Where were they?

I looked up to my mother. She opened her mouth to say something, but instead of words blood poured out. Splashing my face.

What’s happening? I pushed her away and began wiping my hooves, but the blood remained. A cold chill worked its way up my spine.

“Why did you leave me?” She asked with blood still running down her chin.

“I… You… There was nothing I could do!” I yelled. She was looking at me pleadingly, her hooves outstretched to me.

“Please don’t leave me… I’m scared.” My heart leapt into my throat. I got to my hooves and started running.

“You’re dead! You’re dead! You’re dead!” Was all I could say as I ran.

All around me there was chaos. Zebras were killing ponies. They were killing each other. A ripper beast was happily chewing on a pony. I saw my father get knocked down by one of the Zebra, and then get shot repeatedly. But he always got up, filled with bullets and bleeding, he would rise only to be shot down again.

“This can’t be real!?!?” I screamed looking at the horror that was unfolding before me.

“Mist! Help me! Help!” I rushed towards Amber. Her voice crying out to me.

She was pushed against a tree while a zebra approached her with a raised gun. He had strapped a knife to the bottom of his barrel. Once he had reached her he pulled his weapon back.

“No…” I whispered. As he thrust it forward.

“No, please don’t.” Amber begged. “Noooooo-oooooooo!!!” Reality came crushing down on me.

I lay shivering under the tree. The night was cold. Heavy rainclouds darkened the sky. My face was wet even with my hood raised. I was crying while I slept.

I got to my hooves shakily and looked around. I was alone. How long was I asleep? There was no way to tell.

“Please no! Don’t do this!”

What was that? Was I still dreaming or am I hallucinating now? I perked my ears, and began turning them left, and right underneath my hood. I could only hear the rain as it was pelting my cloak. So I pulled my hood down and strained my ears in hopes of hearing the voice again.

“AAAGH!!!”

There, it was, somepony screamed and I knew where to go. It was a mare, the voice was distinctly feminine, and she did not speak Zebra.

I looked out from atop of a small hill. I had pulled my hood over my head and stuck close to the ground. During rain a stealth cloak is not that effective. The droplets splash as they hit the surface and slide down the cloak. Making it easier for anypony to spot you.

Three Remnant zebras were there. They all wore stealth cloaks, and had armor similar to my own. One of them kept his hood down so I could clearly see his face, and those cold uncaring eyes. A mare was lying on the ground weeping. I levitated my rifle and stopped. One of the shimmering figures was holding a filly she was crying too but didn’t make any sounds.

The one with the bare head raised his gun and pointed it at the mare. The filly had managed to sqirm free from the zebra, and bolted towards her mother.

Now I thought. Shoot that one now while he’s distracted. The others would change their attention towards me afterwards, and the two ponies would be safe. But before I had moved my rifle into position a shot rippled trough the air, and a filly screamed.

I was frozen.

The mother lay limp on the ground with blood oozing from the hole in the side of her head. The filly was down in front of her, their faces almost touching. She screamed and clutched her mother’s head in her hooves.

“Mommy! Mommy! Please don’t die! C’mon… Please don’t die! I don’t want to be alone!” She was saying. The world blurred away, I could smell smoke. I was a foal again… I saw my mother’s face.

A voice in my mind was shouting. “HELP HER!!! SHOOT THEM!!!” But with what? I’m just a little colt I didn’t have any weapons. My mind was spit. I saw myself down there holding my mother. Begging her to stay alive. I was also on the hill with my gun, but unable to move. My body simply wouldn't respond.

The zebra that had shot the mother now approached the crying filly and swatted her on the back of her head with the butt of his gun. She was quiet now. He looked up and signaled with a hoof. The one the filly had gotten away from approached. He picked her up and tossed her over his back.

The third zebra went to the bare headed one.

“Well at least it wasn’t a complete loss. One unicorn is better than none I suppose. But he did lie to us. He said there would be more.” Said the zebra mare.

“Perhaps. But Santir was honest about the route the runaways would take. He held up his end of the deal. Move out! We make way for outpost 8.” The other zebra nodded, and all three left.

I must have been sitting there on that hill for at least an hour after they left. Pain slowly crept up my stiff hooves. My eyes burned from the tears I cried and I felt as if I’d been stabbed in the heart.

Trudging forward, my hooves made noisy, wet splashes, as I headed for the mare. Her eyes were still open, but the light had long left them.

“I’m so sorry. I should have done something. I could have… done something… Please forgive me.” I gently closed her eyes.

What am I going to do? The ground is too wet to dig. I couldn't light a fire, but I couldn't just leave her like this either. There was a tree nearby with a few brown-green shrubs growing around its base. I levitated her body on my back, and headed towards that tree. Even though I was soaked and cold she was colder. Her hooves swayed gently as I walked. A lifeless doll.

What had come over me? Why had I not been able to move? All I had to do was POINT AND SHOOT!!! But I couldn’t even do that! Useless!!! I was useless and weak! And now she was dead, her foal taken to Celestia knows where. Outpost 8? I have no idea where that could be. Definitely won’t find it on any map that’s for sure. And even if I did what then?!?! Just freeze up again?!

I reached the tree. A thin thing with branches that barely had any leaves left. The shrubbery was dry, and covered in thorns. Everything. Be it animal or plant was either dying or dangerous.

I lifted her off me and placed her body next to the trunk. Hiding her between the tree, and the thorny shrubbery. Out of sight for anything except insects. Animal's might come for the corpse, but it would not be easy to reach her.

Was this the best I could do? Pathetic.

I stood vigil for a few hours until the rain finally subsided, and a few stars peeked out from between the clouds. It was time to get going.

I made a silent prayer to Celestia and Luna before leaving. It didn’t matter where I was going, so long as I was moving. I felt as if I was floating. My hooves where numb, and soon my skin felt like that too. As if it wasn't me walking, but some other pony.

I kept thinking back to the slaughtered ponies. They were runaways. They escaped the Remnant. They even had two bighorns to pull their carriage. What little supplies they carried with them had gone up in flames, but they had been supplied. Which means somepony helped them escape. Even made sure they had enough for a long time on the road. That is until they were caught again. The mother and the filly must have been survivors who had managed to escape the massacre, at least for awhile, but the savannah is vast, and the Remnant shouldn't, coudln't have known where they were. Unless somepony had told them.

“Santir…”

The knife I felt in my heart, when the Remnant killed the mare and took her filly away, was now being twisted and showed deeper in.

“Damn you Santir. And damn me for helping you when I did.” I tasted bile in my mouth. I wanted to scream, and run right back to find him, and, and what? Could I really kill him? Should I? He killed all those ponies. Maybe he had not used a gun, but their blood was still on his hooves. My thoughts ran back towards the Zebra I had killed, in the jungle all those years ago. Self defense doesn’t excuse killing. But could I really murder him? What of Zera? Did she know? Would she attack me? Would I have to kill her too? She must have.

I had to stop. These thoughts would lead to nothing good, worse it would bring shame on Zaeryl and everything she stood for.

I walked for a long time, but cared little about what direction. Occasionally I'd glance up at the stars, and turn a little to the left or right.

I kept walking until I saw lights in the distance. Stone walls rose from the sea of tall grass. Sumaj. I made it. Above its wall there were many lights shining from windows of homes that were inside the stone circle. The sight lifted my spirits somewhat. I did not know what to expect. Would they attack me or not? Would they even let me enter? There was only one way to find out.

Footnote: Level Up.

New Perk: Huntsbuck 1 Rank Prerequisites: Survival 75: “Shh. We’re huntin’ be quiet.” Good grub is scarce in the Wasteland. Good grub that’s easy to kill is even scarcer. Fortunately, you’re quite adept at finding tasty morsels and even more adept at taking them down. Tracking efficacy is improved by twenty-five percent and critical hits on hunted animals do thirty-five percent more damage.

Additional Perk gained: Trotter Instinct – Be it the wastes, jungle, desert or savannah. It makes no difference to you. The great out doors is your home and you know it well. You gain a +1 Perception and Agility when outside.

(Thank you Kkat for making such an awesome story and world in which other ponies like myself can play and let loose our imagination. Somber deserves thanks as well. For proving that side-stories can be just as amazing and unforgettable as the original. Special thanks to Damhoof, Mentidabrony and Isphone for helping me edit and sort out the convoluted mess I've made out of Mist's story. Thanks also go to DamnfoolBrony for working his magic and helping me set up the perks. Oh and very special thanks to Lauren Faust!)