The night sky was overcast with dark clouds. Small openings in the clouds gave way for soft moonlight to shine through. I could see a few stars beyond the small windows amongst the cloud ceiling. A soft breeze blew through that pulled my thoughts back to the surface. The cool air chilled me and I pulled my overcoat around myself tighter as I trudged on through the barren wasteland. The wind was picking up steadily and the events of the day were weighing down on me. I needed to find some sort of shelter.

A yellow light flickered in the distance, drawing my attention rather quickly. Focusing on the light, I came to realize it was a fire; a sign of life. I’d hoped my second topside encounter with other ponies didn’t end like the first and galloped towards the fire. Getting closer revealed that the fire was contained within a ring of rocks with a few ponies crowded around. A large cart sat nearby.

I slowed my gallop down to a canter, then a trot as I got closer to the campsite. Remembering what happened last time I’d run towards ponies, I opted to slowly approach this time. The sound of my hoofsteps caught the attention of one of the three ponies, a yellow coated earth pony stallion who was wearing a helmet and goggles along with what looked like tattered overalls.

“Raiders?” The white coated stallion asked. The mare shook her head, shotgun still aimed towards me.

“Ah don’t think so,” the mare responded. “They’da shot by now.” The yellow stallion kept squinting in my direction, trying to adjust to the darkness that contrasted the bright fire.

“Come into the light where we can see you,” the stallion beckoned. “Or at least say something. Who are you?” I argued my options in my mind before opting to try speaking.

“Don’ shoot,” my voice came in a dry rasp. The unicorn mare slowly lowered her weapon a bit, the gun still enveloped in the soft white glow of her magic. The stallions focused on where my voice was coming from.

“Are you hurt?” the mare called towards me.

“N-No,” I spoke again, my voice coming a bit easier now. “I’m lookin’ for shelter for the night an’ I saw your fire in the distance.”

“Are you lost?” This time the yellow stallion called out again. “Where are you coming from?”

“The military facility east of here,” I called back. The unicorn sat the shotgun down and dispersed her magic hold. She seemed to ease up a bit.

“Must be a scavenger,” I heard her whisper to the white stallion. “Come on over, partner,” the unicorn waved her hoof and motioned me forward. I hesitated.

“Don’ shoot, okay?” I repeated.

“We’re not gonna shoot you, stranger,” the yellow stallion said calmly. Taking a deep breath, I took a hoof step forward. Then another. And another. Stepping into the light of the campfire, I watched the ponies’ expressions turn to mild shock.

“A-A ghoul?” the unicorn inched backward. The two stallions just blinked.

“No,” the yellow stallion pointed his hoof towards me. “He still has skin, see?”

“What’s wrong with his eyes?” Questioned the white stallion. “Is he blind?” I stood and listened to the three ponies discuss amongst themselves for a few moments before the unicorn addressed me directly.

“W-What exactly are you, partner?” the unicorn asked, trying to regain her composure. The ponies hadn’t run away or shot at me yet, that was a good sign. They just seemed surprised. Taking a few more hoof steps forward and sitting down in front of the fire, I gave a sigh of relief to be off my hooves and near a source of heat.

“Ah don’t really know how ta answer that,” I looked towards the mare. “Ah don’t really know what’s goin’ on at all, to be honest.”

“What happened?” The white stallion addressed me next. Turning to look at him, I asked myself the same question.

“It’s a long story,” I started. “An’ I have more questions than Ah do answers, too.”

“We’ve got time,” this time the yellow stallion spoke. He hoofed me a bottle of water which I graciously accepted, opening and sipping slowly. The dirty water left a grimy taste in my mouth, but it was exceptionally better than the taste the gel left.

“Alright then,” I began. “It all started when Ah enlisted…”

- - -

When I’d finished retelling the events that transpired, the three ponies looked at me with a mix of disbelief and awe. I’d answered as many questions as I could that the trio had asked. In turn they answered my questions. A lot had transpired between the time I had fallen asleep to when I had woken up in the lab.

A short time after the tanks had closed, the megaspells hit. Megaspells were concentrated spells of destruction that were detonated in Equestria, thus turning the once vibrant land into one of desolation and chaos. Many ponies had taken refuge in large underground structures called Stables that were specifically designed to shield the inhabitants from megaspells. Ponies that weren’t lucky enough to get into the stables were either vaporized in the explosions or exposed to lethal amounts of magical radiation. There were, however, quite a few ponies that managed to survive on the surface. Settlements and organized groups scattered the post-megaspell wasteland.

The trio of ponies had introduced themselves. The yellow coated stallion was a merchant pony named Discount. Odds was the white stallion sitting on the opposite side of the campfire and Ends was the unicorn mare sitting across from him. Odds and Ends were twin mercenaries whom Discount had hired to get himself and his wares from place to place safely. Discount sold mostly articles of food and a few weapons along with a hooful of items he considered valuable.

Equestria’s economy had altered slightly while I was asleep. Odds had, upon my questioning, explained that bottlecaps were the common form of currency in Equestria. Ends explained that bottlecaps could be found just about everywhere in the wasteland, especially on unopened bottles of Sparkle-Cola and Sunrise Sarsaparilla; the most popular soft drinks in Equestria. Discount hoofed me a bottle of Sparkle-Cola.

“First one’s on the house,” Discount winked at me. The bottle of Sparkle-Cola gave off a faint lavender glow, as if the liquid inside was under the control of a unicorn’s magic. Taking the bottle from him, I twisted the cap with my sharpened teeth. A pleasant pop and the sound of carbonation greeted me as the bottlecap came off. Before taking a sip, I had spit the bottlecap into my hoof and looked at it. A six-pointed star was emblazoned on the bottlecap along with the small ‘Sparkle-Cola’ logo. Putting the bottle to my lips, I closed my eyes and took a drink. The sweet taste of carrots overwhelmed my tastebuds as the glowing liquid poured down my throat. After taking a few gulps, I lowered the bottle and sighed contently. The cola had a pleasant aftertaste and left me feeling revitalized. Slowly opening my eyes, the ponies around me lurched back.

“Whoa nelly,” Odds exclaimed. Ends’ jaw hung open as she blinked in rapid succession.

“Well I’ll be,” started Discount in awe. “Never seen that happen before.” My face must have revealed my confusion, because Ends snapped back into reality and trotted over to the cart.

“Partner,” she pulled something from the cart and trotted back to the campfire, sitting down in front of me and holding the object up. “You seein’ what we’re seein’?” The object Ends had held up was a mirror. Fragments of the mirror were missing and a large crack ran down the middle, but I could still see my reflection.

The pony in the mirror stared back at me; the same charcoal coat and blue mane. What stood out about my reflection was my eyes. The two white orbs I’d woken up with gave off a soft white glow. My eyes were illuminated. Turning my head from side to side revealed that my eyes were indeed glowing and it was not just the light playing tricks.

“Are you okay?” Ends asked hesitantly.

“Ah feel fine,” I remarked. “Better than fine, honestly.” Ends sat the mirror down and kept staring. There was a deafening silence that lasted a few minutes as Discount and Odds joined in, staring at my eyes intently.

“D’ya think it’s permanent?” Odds piped up, breaking the silence.

“Well,” Discount interjected. “I guess that answers that question.” I raised an eyebrow in question and picked up the mirror in front of me, looking into my reflection again to see that the glow was fading.

“Oh good,” I grinned and sat the mirror down, picking up the half-empty bottle of Sparkle-Cola and downing the rest of its contents. As if on cue, the glow returned to my eyes as I swallowed the last few drops of the soda. Ends started to snicker.

“Y’know,” her snickering subsided. “Ah’ve never met a pony with headlights.” I felt myself snortle as Odds and Discount started to chuckle in unison at Ends’ quip.

“Hey,” Discount started after the laughter had faded. “We should get some shuteye. We’ve got a long day ahead of us tomorrow and I wanna make it to New Appleoosa by sundown.” Odds and Ends nodded confirmation. Ends began hoofing dirt onto the fire to extinguish it while Odds pulled a few bedrolls from the cart.

“So where are you heading?” Discount asked, staring at me expectantly. “Got any place in mind?” I looked down at the ground, staring blankly at the bottlecap. “I see. You know how to use those, I assume?” Looking back up, I noticed Discount was pointing to the guns strapped to my sides. I nodded in response, earning a wide grin from Discount. “That’s good to hear. If you don’t have anywhere to go, why don’t you tag along with us? I could use an extra gun guarding the cart, at least until we get to New Appleoosa. Maybe you can sort things out there,” he suggested.

“We’d appreciate the extra help,” Odds interjected, unfurling a bedroll in front of me before unfurling two more nearby.

“Seventy-five caps a day,” Ends added, settling down on her own bedroll. “Being a caravan guard pays well enough. Besides, ya get to take in all the sights the wasteland has t’ offer,” she tacked on in mock wonder.

“What do you say?” Discount inquired. I settled onto the bedroll I’d been presented and got comfortable. There really wasn’t any reason I could fathom for me to refuse.

“Ah’m in.” My head hit the bedroll and my eyes drifted closed. Sleep came quickly.

- - -

“Up and at ‘em,” Discount’s voice was accompanied by hoofstomps unreasonably close to my head. I shot up in an instant and looked around.

“Huh? Whuzza?” It took a few moments for the sleep to fade and for my eyes to adjust to the morning light. I blinked out of sequence and I felt my mane stick to the side of my face.

“Good mornin’, sleepin’ beauty,” Ends nickered and put her hoof on my jaw, shaking me away. “Sleep well?” For the first time, I’d found myself looking at Ends close up. Her face was lean and gentle yet had the look of somepony who’d experienced a fair amount of hardship. Her blue eyes shifted back and forth between my own.

“Uh, Ah’m up Ah’m up,” I shook my head quickly, shaking my mane from the side of my face. Ends grinned and rolled her eyes.

“Breakfast is ready,” Odds called, tossing an apple in my direction. Leaning forward to snatch the apple, I sunk my teeth into the fruit hungrily, taking a rather large bite and savoring it. I hadn’t eaten in years. Ends and Discount had gathered up the bedrolls and loaded them onto the cart.

“Hurry up and finish,” Discount hollered at me. “We gotta get a move on.” Taking a few more bites, I all but finished my apple, tucking the core away in my pocket. Discount had hooked himself up to the cart and started off, Odds and Ends by his side. I cantered after them, moving up along the left side of the cart next to Odds.

“So this place we’re headed fer,” I started. Odds glanced aside at me. “New Aploosa?”

“New Appleoosa,” Odds corrected me. “It’s a settlement north of here where we usually go to replenish our stock.” He gave a drawn out yawn and shook his head rapidly.

“Tired?” My question seemed to confuse Odds, as if he wasn’t sure if I were serious or not. I was.

“You better believe it,” Odds trailed off with another yawn. “I was up all night keeping guard for raiders.” Raiders were a common sight in the wasteland; and true to their name they raided whatever they saw fit. It seemed that raider ponies regularly attacked travelling caravans and even the occasional travelling merchant in hopes of stealing their wares. Raiders were even known to attack small settlements and towns.

“Ye always keep guard at night?”

“Only when we’re out in the wasteland,” Odds answered. “Ends and I take turns and sometimes Discount will offer to stay up.”

“Oh,” I looked over at Ends. “So it’s yer turn next?” Ends turned her head to look at me.

“Oh no,” she started. “Next time, you can be the nightwatch,” she emphasized her statement by pointing her hoof at me.

The conversations between the caravan ponies and I changed topics throughout the morning into the early afternoon. Odds had crawled onto the back of the cart and drifted off to sleep in the midday overcast. The journey to New Appleoosa was long, but for the most part uneventful. Downtrodden buildings and makeshift lean-tos scattered the sides of the road along the way. I had expected Equestria to be in a bad state after learning that megaspells hit, but seeing how things had turned out was something else entirely.

“So you’re from Trotland?” Discount inquired. “That explains the accent.”

“I thought Trotland was a neutral territory,” Ends piped in. “Why’d ya join Equestria’s fight?”

“Ah wanted to get out an’ see the world,” I explained, thinking back to when I was a colt sitting in my room staring at the wall I’d plastered with maps and postcards. “Ah figured if I joined the Equestrian army I’d get ta explore the world outside o’ my home country. Not ta mention the military benefits were a nice bonus.”

“So what was it like before the megaspells?” Ends inquired.

“Well,” I thought for a few moments. “There was a lot more green. An’ life. An’ buildings that weren’t cavin’ in on themselves. Generally I’d say it was a much nicer place ta live. O’ course I wasn’ here in Equestria when the war first broke out.”

“Mmmn,” Ends hummed, seemingly deep in thought. “It sounds so nice.” Looking over, I noticed that Ends had closed her eyes and was more than likely imagined a pre-apocalyptic Equestria in her mind. I started to think back; to think of my home. My ma and pa were probably a hundred years dead by now. Everypony I’d known as a colt was a hundred years dead. The memories I’d made with my friends in the military were just that; memories.

I wondered how they’d ceased living. Did my friends perish in the spellfire or were their lives cut short on a battlefield before the war came to an end? How many ponies and zebras alike were claimed by the megaspells? Why were the megaspells deployed, anyway? A heavy sense of dread washed over me. Instead of asking myself how and why so many died; I began to wonder why I didn’t.

“This looks like a good place to stop and rest,” Discount’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. My hooves had been moving without me thinking for quite a while, it would seem, because I didn’t recognize our surroundings. We’d stopped in front of a lean-to alongside the road with an old bench resting underneath the sheet metal overhang. The red paint was chipping away from the aged wood, but aside from the aesthetic blemish the bench seemed to be sturdy enough.

Discount unhooked himself from the cart and trotted around to the side to procure a few boxes and a quartet of bottled water. He hoofed a box and bottle to Ends before cantering around to the back of the cart and swatting Odds with the second box, waking the snoozing stallion. With a start, Odds shot awake in a similar manner I had earlier.

“Get up, Odds,” Discount tore open the box and began munching on the contents. “It’s time for lunch.” Odds gave a yawn and uncapped the water the yellow stallion had sat down next to him, taking a small sip before trading for the box.

Ends trotted over to the bench, the box and bottle held firmly in her magic grasp. Taking a seat on the wooden seat, she motioned me over to join her. I hopped up onto the bench as Ends magicked the bottle open and levitated it to me before opening the box the same way. I took a small drink of water and instantly felt refreshed. The long trek along the trail had left me quite parched. The bottle was enveloped in magic and lifted from my hooves as Ends swapped items with me. I glanced down at the package in my hooves. ‘Dandy Colt Apples’ is what the label read. Shaking the box a few times rewarded me with a few shriveled red clumps that slid out the opening. Taking a bite, I discovered that they were dehydrated apples.

“Good, huh?” Ends jabbed me in the side with her hoof. I let out a grunt and rubbed at my ribcage.

“Eh,” I chewed and swallowed a few more dried apples. “Ah’ve had worse.” The mare gave an amused sound and took a drink from the bottle. Discount sat propped up against the cart while Odds was alternating between stretches and trotting in circles.

After Ends and I had finished our rations, Discount hooked himself back up to the cart and we took off. I trotted on Discount’s right whilst Odds was opposite on the left. Ends sat in the back of the cart and kept watch behind us.

“How soon till we get there?” Odds groaned. “I could really use a bath.”

“Don’t we know it?” Ends remarked from the back, earning a chuckle from Discount.

“It’s not too far now,” Discount interjected. “It’s been a quiet day so we’re making great time. We should be in New Appleoosa in about three hours or so.” Odds let out another groan.

“First thing I’m gonna do is make a stop at the bar,” Ends stated matter-of-factly. “It’s been too long since I’ve had a chance to get hammered.”

“Spending your pay well, I see,” Discount remarked with a grin.

A loud ping drew our attention as something ricocheted off one of the wheels on the cart. Odds scanned the area to our left as Ends surveyed the area to our rear.

“Do you see anything?” Discount asked in a hushed tone. Another bullet tore through the wooden siding on the cart a moment later.

“Raiders,” Ends hollered, reaching for her shotgun and taking aim to our southwest. Odds ran around to the back of the cart to grab a weapon; a hunting rifle. Discount took shelter behind the east side of the cart as Ends and Odds fired off a few rounds before the raiders began firing back in full force. Thinking quickly, I pulled the rifle from my side and loaded the clip and took aim, looking through the scope and trying to find where the raiders were located.

I spotted a few ponies dressed in metal-plated armor huddled behind the corner of a decrepit building. A few meters to their left, three more similarly dressed ponies hid behind an overturned chariot. Sucking in a breath and holding it, I took aim at a raider peeking around the building. The rifle kicked when I fired, but I knew I hit my mark. A spray of red mist was indication that there was one less raider to worry about.

“Nice shot,” Odds commented. I didn’t have time to respond as I sucked in another breath and took aim again. My target this time was a raider peeking over the chariot. I clicked the trigger and my rifle kicked. The shot missed this time, evidenced by the spark of my bullet colliding with the metal adorning the sides of the chariot. Pulling the rifle up again, I looked through the scope to take aim.

“Augh!” Odds’ scream tore me from my concentration as I turned to look at the stallion. A bullet had shattered the knee in his left foreleg and twisted it at an odd angle. The stallion gritted his teeth and hissed in agony.

“Odds,” Ends cried out and jumped down from the cover of the wagon to her brother. Before I could react, the mare’s body jerked as a bullet passed through her neck. Her body flopped to the ground lifelessly as blood began to pool around her. Odds’ screams only intensified as I watched in disbelief; Ends’ blue eyes staring wide into the air. The stallion hunched over his sister, tears streaming down his face as he called her name out again and again, desperately hoping against all odds that she would respond. She didn’t.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl as I watched a grenade land a few feet away from the back of the cart. On impulse, I dove to the front of the cart as the explosive went off; the blast sending Ends and Odds away in a shower of blood and dismembered body parts. A jolt of hot white pain shot through my left hind leg as a few fragments of shrapnel tore through my flank. Ignoring the pain and the ringing in my ears, I looked around to see if Discount was alright. To my relief, he was still propped up against the side of the cart. It seemed as though he’d missed the worst of things and the blast had merely knocked him unconscious. The adrenaline pumping through my blood helped steady my hooves as I raised my rifle and took aim at the raiders again. My target this time was the raider pony readying another grenade. I waited until he pulled the pin before I fired, sending the round right into his skull. Two raiders nearby scrambled to get away as the grenade exploded in a flash of blood and shrapnel. Three down, two to go.

A raider pony in spiked armor leapt out from behind the chariot, his armor stained with the blood of, I assume, his fellow raider ponies. The raider held a pistol in his teeth and fired off several rounds that whizzed by me as he charged forward in a blind rage. Time slowed to a crawl again and the entire world went silent as I raised my rifle and sent another round right into the raider’s neck, dropping him to the ground. The raider coughed, sending a spray of blood from his mouth. I could hear him try to groan in pain or perhaps say something. The only sound that came from his muzzle was a damp gargle accompanied by red bubbles.

The last raider pony must have decided their attack was a lost cause, because he galloped out from behind the chariot and into a jungle of concrete; the remains of several large buildings. Raider territory, I guessed.

Taking a deep breath, I stuck the rifle back to my side and hobbled towards Discount. My hooves gave out beneath me as the adrenaline wore off and the pain in my leg crept back into full force. Pushing myself back up on shaky hooves, I carefully inched towards the yellow stallion. Giving him a nudge with my hoof didn’t get a response. I nudged him again, harder this time. Still no response.

“Mate?” I shook him this time. Still nothing. Shaking Discount harder caused his head to slump to the side, facing me. I felt my stomach flip. The grenade hadn’t knocked Discount out. The explosive had torn away the entire side of Discount’s face, leaving bone and muscle exposed. Discount’s right eye was missing. It was merely an empty socket. The yellow stallion’s skull was cracked open; a bit of his brain tissue visible behind the bone. Bits of shrapnel were embedded into his neck.

Taking a few pained steps back, I unloaded the contents of my stomach onto the ground. Then again, just for good measure. I sat there on the ground for a good while as my brain processed what had happened, the throbbing pain in my leg just a minor hindrance at this point. That morning I was awakened by a pony I could call my fiend. That friend was now dead, along with two other ponies I’d become friends with. That morning I woke up with friends. Now I was alone.

I ran my forehoof across my face, wiping away tears I didn’t know I’d shed. Turning towards the cart, I decided to search through it. Some healing potions and bandages were tucked away in a first-aid kit which I’d opened first of all. Procuring the contents, I started to treat my wounds. Reaching around to my flank, I carefully dug the bits of shrapnel out with my teeth; ignoring the discomfort. Once all the fragments had been dislodged, I wrapped some bandaging around my flank to stop the bleeding before using healing potion and returning to dig through the contents of the supply cart.

After a few minutes of rummaging, I found what I needed. A shovel. Finding a suitable spot a few meters off the trail, I dug the spade into the dirt and started digging. The sun was setting by the time I’d finished. The fruits of my labor were three modest-sized graves. Dragging Discount’s body into the first grave, I sat in a moment of respectful silence. After repeating this with what I could find of Odds’ and Ends’ remains, I filled in each grave.

Turning around, I’d glanced across the road at some of the rubble and the bodies of the raider ponies. Opting to search them for valuables, I trotted across to sort through their belongings. I’d managed to collect a few hundred bottlecaps and stuffed them all in one pouch for convenience. A few of the raiders were carrying medical supplies; a few magical bandages and healing potions. Stuffing my spoils into the pockets on my jacket, I continued towards the rubble. A few pieces seemed suitable enough for what I’d needed, so I picked up a large chunk of rubble and carried it back across the path. I repeated this twice more with two more pieces of rubble and stuck them all upright in the dirt near the graves as makeshift headstones.

I sat in silence at the edge of the graves until the last bit of sunlight disappeared and gave way to the night. Night creatures started to emerge in the wasteland. Crickets chirped into the evening accompanied by the occasional wolf howl. With a heavy sigh, I crawled up onto the cart and sat up; overlooking the graves in silence.

It was my turn to be the nightwatch.