I was walking down a street that looked familiar. I looked left and right to survey my surroundings, seeing buildings which I thought I’ve seen before. Only when I’ve laid my eyes upon the familiar building with its beautiful and bright white and purple colors do I realize where I was.

I was in Ponyville.

Impossible! I thought, this town doesn’t look like the glum and destroyed sight i’ve seen before, unless…

“Hey Ditzy!” I called out to a derpy-looking grey mare pegasus who was eating muffins. I just realized that I spoke out involuntarily. Yep, I’m in a dream.

The mare, or Ditzy, looked at me with her crossed eyes and smiled at me. She then walked towards me, carrying her bag of muffins in her mouth.

“Uhm, I think that’s your 3rd bag of muffins for today, Ditzy. I think you should learn to control yourself,” I told her, shaking my head. She frowned at me and gently placed the bag beside my feet.

“Hey, they taste really good, okay?” She then stared at the bag and licked her lips, “Really good…”

“Well, I guess you’re right. Those muffins from Sugarcube Corner tastes great,” I simply said. I noticed she was still looking at the bag hungrily so I cleared my throat, “Ahem, Miss Derpy?”

She shook her head and blushed a bit. She quickly wiped the drool from her mouth and looked back at me.

“Anyways, I bought this for you. You know, since I know that you also love muffins,” She nudged the bag and winked at me.

“Oh, thanks,” I told her. “I am feeling hungry right now.”

“Yeah, I could see that,” She said. “I guess I’ll see you later. The Doc has something to show me!”

“Oh really?” I asked her. She nodded.

“Ooh, I hope it’s going to be something worth showing me!” She exclaimed.

“Yeah, like a bag of muffins,” I mused. “Well, what are you waiting for? Don’t keep him waiting.”

“Oh right!” She looked at her leg like she was checking the time, even if she doesn’t own a watch. She then turned around and looked at me one more time, “Goodbye!”

“Goodbye to you too, Ditzy,” I said as I waved at her. “And thank you for the muffins.”

She waved back at me and walked away. I looked at the bag which sat beside my leg and smiled.

“I guess it’s just you and me for now, hmm?”

I woke up to a very loud sound. Panicked, I quickly tumbled out of my bed and rushed towards the safe, where the revolver lies on top. I quickly placed it in the holster and looked at the door. It was still closed and I sighed in relief. I heard another bang and I realized the sound was coming from downstairs. I gulped and open the door, feeling my heart thump against my chest. Hesitantly, I poke my head out of the door to see if the coast is clear. Seeing no threats on the 2nd floor, I slowly got out of the room, carefully trying not to make the floors creak. When I finally reached the stairs, I heard someone talking with a very annoyed tone.

“Curse that little brat. I hope those good-for-nothing ponies smoke her out of that damn place.”

I gulped once more and dared not to take another step. I was shaking and sweating heavily. I would have stayed in place if it wasn’t for my curiosity. Taking a deep breath, I carefully walked down the stairs, crouching and hiding in the shadows to avoid being seen. On my way down, I could make out a silhouette of a pony near the door. Feeling the need of safety, I equipped my revolver. As I tried getting use to having a gun handle in my mouth, I suddenly realized that I had no experience in using one.

It can’t be that hard, I thought. All you have to do is aim and pull the trigger.

I looked back at the door, and to my horror, saw that the silhouette was gone. I looked around to see where the pony could have went but found no one. I reasoned to myself that he could have just left the place and that was enough for me to convince myself that I am safe. I slowly walked towards the door, still feeling scared. My mind was still processing on what happened that I failed to notice a movement from my peripheral vision. I then heard a gun cock and the same voice from a while ago, except the tone changed into pure malice.

“Peek-a-boo.”

I turned around quickly to see a stallion glare at me. He was a unicorn with an eyepatch on one eye and had a smile that only contained missing or rotting teeth. I also noticed the weapon he was telekinetically carrying. It was a shotgun, and even though it looked like it could fall apart, it obviously could still pack a punch. The stallion aimed the shotgun at my leg and fired. My legs gave way and I fell on the floor, trying not to scream and instead bit down on the gun handle, and listened to the beepings coming from my PipBuck. The stallion just laughed as he watched me trying to stop the bleeding from my wounded leg.

“Ehehe, you should have never entered this place. But too bad you went in here anyways. Oh, you poor little fool.” He said, taunting me.

I weakly looked at him and he stared back at me, smirking. Seeing that the shotgun could be hit easily and that it is no longer aimed at me, I quickly aimed at it. It was now or never. I pulled the trigger and the bullet hit the barrel of the stallion’s weapon, rendering it useless. The stallion looked at his now broken weapon in shock and angrily threw it away. He looked at me once more, his eyes filled with the need to kill.

“That was a stupid move foolish move you did,” He growled. “And you are going to pay the price!”

He used his magic to carry me and strongly threw me towards a wall on the other side of the room. I hit the wall with great force and I lost my grip on the revolver. The pain from my wounded leg and from the impact of hitting the wall was enough to cripple me. I heard footsteps going towards me and I weakly looked up. I saw the stallion wielding my revolver and he aimed at me. And I could see it in his eyes he was done playing with me.

“Any last words from your pathetic mouth before I end your sorry excuse for a life?” He said with angry satisfaction.

I looked at him with anger and he just laughed at me. I closed my eyes and hung my head in defeat. I just got out of the dark prison beneath the ground just to face this kind of hell. In the end, I was just going to die.

I waited for him to shoot the gun already but instead, I heard a loud thump. I quickly opened my eyes and was surprised to see the stallion lying on the ground with a big rock next to him. I could bet he died immediately when the rock hit him basing on the amount of blood coming out from his head and on the rock. I looked at the entrance to see the same mare from before look back at me before running off.

I took one deep breathe and tried to get myself out of the wall. After some agonizing moments, I managed to fall down on the floor face first...and right next to the dead body of the stallion. Groaning in pain, I tried getting up. After some shaky tries. I managed to stand up, though my leg still hurts like hell and is tempting me to lie down again. Checking the dead body to see if there’s anything I can use to cover up my wound, I was lucky to find a bandage on him. Grabbing it and finally done patching up the wound, I grabbed my pistol and and holstered it. Remembering the saddle bag I left at the safe, I groaned in annoyance and limped back towards the stairs. I stared at the stairs and asked myself if it would be worth it to go back to the 2nd floor just to grab the bag. Realizing that the bag contained the ammo for the revolver and I could use it to store items(which is actually the whole point of a saddle bag), I sighed and painfully walked up the stairs and back to the room. After I grabbed the bag, I endured another trip back down. I was about to get out of the place when I noticed something near the other corpse beside the counter. I walked over to it and inspected the strange object. It looked like a giant needle with a gauge for some reason. Upon closer inspection, it looked like it contained some liquid.

Hmm...a...stimpak? I thought, Wait, how did I know what it is? Did I...encounter it before?

I grabbed the stimpak and inspected it further. I tried to think about it and what possible effects it can have on me. Maybe my memory about it, if I did really encounter it already, could surface up.

Hmm, stimpak. Simply just a blood bag with a needle or a syringe with blood, is it? No, it’s not just a blood bag. I think it’s some sort of...medication to heal one’s body. Yeah, that must be it. Wait, medication or chem? My head then started to throb once more, Ugh, trying to remember is too much.

I decided to just inject it already, since the pain in my leg is becoming such a bother. After injecting it, my leg felt better and I threw the now empty syringe away.

One more thought...that could be the last stimpak because if I remember...it was soon replaced with...ugh, I shook my head and headed outside. I just realized that the whole place became silent. Looking left and right for any threat, I quickly exited the town and towards the land I now call the “Wasteland”.

I had been walking for a long time now. I was tired, hungry, and thirsty. Even if my leg is now healed(I presumed. I have not removed the bandage to check), the rest of my body was still painful after I hit the wall. And when I checked my PipBuck, I saw that most of the bars were halved. So the PipBuck has been monitoring me or my health all this time. Go figure.

I soon found a shack nearby and it looked deserted. I quickly went towards it and entered it. Inside, the shack looked warm and cozy. There was a bed, a chair and a table, a radio, and a locked chest. I placed down my bag near the bed and checked the chest. I can pick the lock but I had no idea how so I just left it alone. I checked the radio and see if it still works and surprisingly, it still does. The radio was just playing static but as soon as I changed the frequencies, I found one that seemed to play music. I also lowered the volume of it to lessen the chances of me getting found. After that, I locked the door and I went straight to bed. I should not be sleeping at this moment but I was very exhausted. And besides, I don’t anyone would stumble into the shack or anything. So I lay down on the bed and listened to tunes playing from the radio as I slowly fell asleep.

I was at a farm with 2 older ponies, feeling anxious and eager at the same time. I looked at the older earth stallion beside me and asked him a question.

“Dad, do I have to meet her?”

He smiled at me and nodded.

“Of course, she is your cousin after all.” He replied.

“But why now? Why not when I was younger?” I asked him again.

“Well, because I had a lot of stuff to do. And so does your Uncle and Aunt....” His voice trailed off as he suddenly looked like he was thinking of something else. I nudged him to get his attention and he snapped out of whatever he was thinking.

“Dad, you were saying?”

“Right, right. We did visit them before but that was when both of you were still young little foals.” He continued. “And...that was the first and last visit…”

“Dad, what’s wrong? Are you okay?” I worriedly asked him. Ever since we were on the train going to Ponyville, he started acting strange.

“Yes, yes. I’m fine. Just...Just go meet your…’cousin’.” He said, a bit dazed. “You don’t want to keep her waiting now, do you?”

I shook my head and turned towards the old unicorn mare.

“Hey, Mom. Is Dad feeling alright?” I asked her. She just smiled at me.

“Your Dad is fine, honey. Just give him time to think and he’ll be back to his normal self.” She answered me. “Now go on. Go see your friend. Or maybe cousin, who knows? Not even I know all about this ‘blood-related’ things. Anyways, it’s been years since you two have met.”

I nodded and I followed the dirt path towards the farm, looking at the beautiful scenery that surrounds the place. It was a nice change from the city life I know.

I soon reached the doors of the farm and was prepared to knock, though I had a lot of questions in my mind. Why did I have to meet her? How does she look like? Hell, I don’t even know her name. I asked about this to my parents but they seem preoccupied with something and just told I’ll find out soon enough. I was about to knock when the door opened and a pink pony greeted me. I was startled by her and nearly bolted when she suddenly appeared.

“Hi! Hello there! Who are you?” She quickly said. I had barely enough time to answer before she spoke again.

“Oh, where are my manners? Oh wait, it’s with me!” She giggled at her own joke before she continued. “My name’s Pinkamena Diana Pie or Pinkie Pie for short.”

“Uhm...Hi?” I managed to say. She was speaking so fast that it’s hard for me to understand what she was saying. I then heard more voices from inside the farm.

“Hey Pinkie, what are you doing there?” A mare’s voice questioned the pink pony. Pinkie turned around and answered.

“Oh, I’m just talking to the newcomer!”

I just looked back at my parents and saw that they were talking to an even older earth pony. I took a deep breathe and assured myself that everything will go just fine, as long as I don’t talk to the wrong pony.

“And who’s the newcomer?”

Another mare joined Pinkie soon enough. She was mostly purple and she was also a unicorn. The purple unicorn looked at me and tilted her head in confusion.

“I don’t know. Maybe you should ask him! And maybe you can impress him with your vast knowledge of books! He does look like the one to read.” Pinkie answered.

Great, I have to introduce myself to another pony. Any more and I’ll “book” it.

“Hmm, okay then.” She said. “So, what’s your name?”

“M-My name...is...uhm..” I stammered, sweat clinging to my fur. I gulped as the purple unicorn stared at me.

“Oh, nevermind then. I’ll just introduce myself.” She said when she saw that I was choking on my own words. “I’m Twilight Sparkle, one of Pinkie’s friends.”

I just nodded, still trying to find any courage to speak.

“Hey, I know! We should let the rest know you!” Pinkie blurted out. “It would be fun!”

“Yeah, that’s a great idea.” Twilight agreed. “Come on, let’s go inside.”

I gulped and reluctantly followed them. Inside the farm were 4 more mares. There was one earth pony, 2 pegasi, and one more unicorn. I promised myself that I’ll bolt if there were more but the farm doors shut behind me. The 4 other mares stared at me then at their 2 friends, waiting for an explanation.

“Hey girls! Meet our new friend!” Pinkie yelled out. Wait, did she just said “New friend”? I just stared at the others, not knowing what to do.

“Can your new friend introduce himself?” The white unicorn asked Pinkie. She looked like the sophisticated ponies found in the big cities, like Canterlot and Manehattan. I did think for a minute she will be all high and haughty but seeing her in this farm and not dressed so fancily removed that thought.

“I guess he can…” Pinkie muttered. “But he seems to be the silent type.”

Pinkie then looked at me and asked, “What do you say? Wanna introduce yourself?”

I tried replying but I could not find my voice. I was not used to being with so much ponies interested in me, especially mares.

“Maybe you and the others should introduce yourselves first.” Twilight suggested. “Maybe then he’ll be confident enough to talk about himself.”

“Well, for the sake of the poor fellow.” The white unicorn said. “My name is Rarity. It’s a pleasure to meet you, darling.”

“And I’m Rainbow Dash!” The blue pegasus eagerly said as she flew around in the air. What’s unique about her is her rainbow mane. “Your turn, AJ!”

“Me? Aww, shucks.” The orange pony then tipped her hat. “Mah name’s Applejack. And welcome to Sweet Apple Acres.”

There was one last pony yet to introduce herself and that was a yellow pegasus who was hiding behind Applejack. Pinkie Pie bounced towards her and said, “Come on Fluttershy. He’s not that bad.”

“Do I have to?” She asked Pinkie, looking at me.

“Sure, he can be silent and stare at ponies strangely. Maybe he could even be a very tough pony in the future where the land is ruined because of reasons.” Pinkie babbled. “But he’s nice! Well, in a way. He still didn’t talk so how am I supposed to know?”

I just facehoofed at what Pinkie said. Did I really stare at ponies strangely?

“I-If you say so…”The yellow pegasus then took a deep breathe and got out from her hiding spot. “I’m Fluttershy.”

“Great! Now that everypony is done introducing themselves, let’s talk about something we have in common.” Pinkie quickly said. “To avoid further awkward situations!”

“But he still hasn’t intro-” Twilight tried saying something but was cut-off by Pinkie.

“So, mysterious stranger or friend, are you here to see your cousin whom you met when you were still a foal?” She asked me. I stared at her in disbelief. She got every reason why I would be here correct.

“How...did you..? No wait...it’s actually-” I tried to explain cut she cut me off.

“How did I know? I just know!” She giggled.

“Say, who’s this cousin of yours anyways?” Twilight asked me. I shrugged.

“I...don’t know…I-I mean! It’s not-” I said. The purple mare interrupted me.

“Wait, you don’t know your own cousin?” Twilight asked once more, a bit confused.

“Well, I only met her once...and according to my parents, we were both foals at that time.” I answered. “And she’s not-!...I give up…”

“Uhm, oh. Ok,” That was all Twilight managed to say. Then silence.

I woke up feeling well rested and ready to go, though I was still thirsty. The radio has stopped playing music now and instead returned back to static. Rubbing my eyes, I got out of bed and stretched a bit. I checked my PipBuck to see the bars are nearly full. Oh, the wonders of sleep. After stretching and letting out a yawn, I decided that I have to continue moving. The shack was nice and all and that it was in the middle of nowhere, there’s still the chance that somepony could encounter the small place and maybe try to kill me. And so with reluctant heart, I grabbed my bag and went out of the shack.

It was dark and I could barely see a thing if it weren’t for my PipBuck light. I continued walking, examining what I could see around me. It was mostly rocks, rocks, and a lot of barren earth. I was also afraid that someone might see me in the dark because of the light, I never stopped for anything. That is, until I saw something that intrigued me.

Not far from me was a small campfire. I carefully walked towards it while surveying my surroundings. When I was close to the campfire, I was comforted by the warmth that the fire provided against the cold night. All of the troubles and doubt in my mind disappeared immediately. I just stayed close to the fire, enjoying the warmth. I did not think why there was a campfire here or who could have possibly made the campfire and if it’s still here.

I took my time sitting next to the flames. I would sometimes look up at the sky and wondered why there was no starts to be seen. As I pondered on this thought, I suddenly hear a familiar click. I was instantly frozen in place as I realized that there was someone behind me. I could feel its presence and its eyes stare at the back of my head menacingly. Then it spoke.

“Move and I’ll shoot.”