I could not help but feel that this was a horrible idea. In fact, I am sure that walking through the wasteland with a bright pink filly was asking for trouble. I look back to make sure she was still following me to notice the sudden absence of my little companion. Stopping dead, I start scanning the area for her hastily. “Bubble Gum?” I call across the road expecting her to pop out from behind one of the many broken down wooden wagons littering the deserted road. A pressure suddenly starts building up deep in my chest growing heavier by the second. “Bubble?!”

What was this feeling inside of me suppose to mean and where is it coming from? It felt familiar like during a challenging combat drill, but it cannot be fear? Why would I be feeling fear for not being able to find a little filly? Especially one that turned my life into this whole mess. The thought crossed my mind, and I stopped in my tracks, “Why do i even care?”

“What?” came from a high pitched voice off to one side of me. I turn to see the little light blue haired filly staring up at me with a slight confused expression on her face. She was sitting next to the skeleton of a pony that was mostly crushed under a large motorized wagon made of thick metal. It appears to have fallen on it side turning the pony into half a pancake. At least, it look to be a quick dead with only his head and shoulders sticking out.

I open my mouth to answer her, but she ignores me pushing something under the skeletons skull. I had to admit my curious of what she is trying to do. So, I walk around the rest of the way of the wagon to see. The little filly had put together a couple of dead leaves into a sorta mat to lay the skull on. Raising my eyebrows in confusion, I point my mood at the skull looking down at her asking, “what are you doing to the skeleton?”

I felt a small pang of guilt when she let out a soft sigh before looking at her hooves. “I was just…” She begins to say pointing to the pile of dead leaves. “It just seems like nopony even cares that these skeletons were ponies once. They just died out here alone without even a proper burial. No one even thought it be decent to move the bones to the side of the road…. So I just thought I would be nice to give it some comfort.”

I shook my head in disbelief, “I… but… Why?” I could not comprehend what I just heard. “He’s dead… he… she… IT! doesn’t feel comfort anymore. It doesn’t even-”

“I KNOW!” The sudden outburst from her made me stop my attempt to make sense of it. I didn’t even realize while I was talking that I was now looking up at the depressing grey clouds. I slowly looked down at the filly who was now shaking as she looked at the ground. I could see tears dropping from her muzzle to the ground, “I… I just thought… I just wanted to let him know that somepony is here, and he isn’t alone anymore. Because no one deserves to die alone in such a horrible place.”

I felt a pit in my stomach at her last few words. I looked down at my hooves lifting one up to look at the metal, “I'm… Sorry Bubble..” out of the corner of my eye I could see her lift her head, but I could not meet her gaze, What about me? Is there anyone who will actually care if I just died out here alone? A question weighing heavy on my mind after all this shit in the past few days. I could see the reflection of my eyes in the metal of my leg. “I’m alone..” I mutter letting the the word fall on a memory of Sunny. I lower my hoof and head to the dusty ground. ‘I never gave it much thought before but… I…. I can’t even go back to see any of my fri-’ I felt my heart sink. I did not have any friends back home. After all, I did not need friends because of my career but that is no longer even a possibility. The truth was hard to stomach now that I have given up everything. I am down here far from anyone who cares about me. Yet maybe not as alone as I thought.

I barely felt her touch against my leg through the armored plating I wore. the thickness of the suit prevented the soft warmth of her hooves from reaching my chest. Finally I look down to meet her gaze feeling something click in the back of my mind. Her tiny hooves wrapped around my realize that there is someone who cares about me down here. Yet, I felt a painful knot of guilt get tied in my stomach because I knew I did not deserve such affection for what I did to her parents. Two people who cared for her more than the world gone forever. “I don't deserve this Bubble.. I'm the reason your life got all screwed up. First you parents. Now traveling endlessly in this hellhole.” I manage to say half choking on a knot in my throat.

She shook her head, “No… I know you… you killed my mommy… but… I also know… that.” She looked down looking frustrated, like she wanted to explain why she was speaking to me but could not find the right words.

I sighed, “Thank you Bubble” I stood up, and she took a step back to look up at me with an expression of hurt and confusion. I turn away feeling a bit of guilt building back up in my stomach. I let out a small breath without realizing I was holding it. Turning away, I tried to let my wandering off what just happened. I mean it’s not like I couldn't make friends at all. Hell even those guys over there are making fri- “Shit!” I duck down and pushing Bubble’s head down with me. Then I slowly peeked up over the wagon to see a line of ponies being lead to a large desolate building.

Bubble squirmed, “Hey… stop! You idiot. Let me go!” She finally manages to pull her head from under my hoof glaring up at me, “What is-”

I quickly covered her mouth with my other hoof as I watch a small filly fall to the ground. She looked weak anod battered after a long journey, but the ponies leading the herd did not care. As they walk over and started shouting in her face. I could barely make out what they were saying, but I am sure it was along the lines of get up or rot in the dirt. I tightened my jaw hearing the end much more clearly, “Just lie there and die you pathetic little bitch.” Of course, I knew she would fight to get up and keep moving. Amazing what will power can do to keep a pony going. I could hear them laugh before returning to move the rest toward the building. I let my breath out sliding down the side of the wagon. Bubble looking up at me with a stare that could send chills down a Minotaur’s spine.

She nudged me a little, “Get up come on!”

I barely move at her attempts to push me, “No… we should wait for them to leave before-”

“NO!” I flinch at her sudden burst in her voice taking a uncomfortable step back, “We need to help those ponies!” she says with a small growl mixed with a bit of something else, something too familiar.

I roll my eyes and looking away from her. Personally it was not any of my business what happened to any of them. “Why should I?” A question that felt cold even to say.

Her expression quickly changed from anger to one of pleading, “B… because… it’s the right thing to do.”

Watching that filly sit there and tell me it was the right thing to do really made me feel like I was the bad guy. After all, Split… you killed her mother right in front of her. My stomach tightened in knots, but I stood up to look over the side of the wagon at the building again. “Fine but you stay close to me and do exactly what I tell you ok?”

“Wha- r… really?” she half squeaked, “I… I mean yes sir! Of course sir!”

I crouch low saying, “Then stay right next to me and don’t make a sound.” Noticing her head nod in agreement, I made my way around the wagon and closer to the building that the group of ponies entered. My heart started racing the closer we got. Am I really going to do this? I stop in my tracks. “No,” I whisper catching a confused look from Bubble, but before she could say anything. I lifted her up and set her into the seat of a carriage. She looks at me with eyes that would make even the toughest wonderbolt tear up. I gently pressed her down into the seat out of sight whispering, “Stay here and I promise i will be back with all of them. I just can’t save everyone if I have to worry about you.”

“But… what if you don’t come back?” she asks with a tiny whimper.

Is this what having someone care about you felt like? I smirk giving her a confident look saying, “Don’t worry Bubble… I’ll be back, I promise.” This seem to be good enough for her, as she nods and curled up in the seat. Is this what it feels like to protect someone I care about? Because I am not sure if I like this feeling of paranoia.

I drop back down and began to crawl my way into the building. Now I felt like I could take on anyone or anything without Bubble Gum here…You could just leave her. I stop shaking my head, “No… I could never do that to her,” I whisper to myself. do you think she will be better off with a half assed Wonderbolt like you? I look to my right and saw my reflection in a wagon door glaring at myself. Opening my mouth to say something but nothing came out.

My reflection smirked saying, “You know it’s true. You can’t take care of anypony including yourself.”

I jab my hoof out slamming into the metal dented the door before glaring at it. My heart raced thumping inside my chest with rage. As my last thought whispers in the back of mind, your anger proves that you're nothing but a wonder wanna be.

I look up at the building narrowing my eyes muttering, “I need to vent a little.” Smirking, I spot a open window on the second floor perfect for an entry point. When I mean open, I really mean big freaking hole where a window used to be. Quickly scanning the surrounding area, it was clear enough of prying eyes that I could take off into the air and through the gaping window.

As soon as I land, instantly I knew I was in a place of death. Gagging I shove my hoof into my muzzle trying to block the thick stench of rotting flesh and any other disgusting waste mixed with it. “I’m glad I choose to keep Bubble out of this.” I half whispered half choked scanning the dusty room. It was a small office at least in comparison to officers back home. I turned looking out the hole I just flew in from the street below. Looking along the ground, I noticed that what made the hole in the side of the building was a large skycart. It must have crashed into the side of the building and tumbled to the street below in a crumpled wreck.

It landed almost too perfectly along the side of the building creating a makeshift gate for the… the… ponies? I cock my head to the side in confusion. As I watched one walk along the far side of the skycart. He was levitating something in front of his face snacking on it. Odd considering, I could not see a horn under his helmet at all. I squint a little to see what it was he was eating, but I felt my stomach lurch at the realization that it was just a leg… Wait a pony's leg! I backed up into a desk and slid under it clutching my stomach.

My mind swirled in utter disbelief, “but… but it was.. pony's leg,” I repeat to myself. What the fuck was wrong with these ponies? I took a steadying breath thinking this over. Wait… just because it was a hoof doesn’t mean it was from a pony… right? I nodded my head trying to reassure myself and stop the shaking throughout my legs. Unfortunately I did not realize how far under the desk I was, and that I did not have my helmet on anymore either. As my head smacked into the edge of the desk. I could feel the desk shift with the force my head hit it, but i could only focus on the surge of pain shooting through my head. Dropping to the floor, I wrap my hooves over my throbbing head.

“Son of a… Ow!” I half whisper half shout. I open my eyes seeing a bit of blur through the tears forming in them. I brought a hoof around to check it for blood, but I knew there would not be any. Still, I felt like I needed to check just to reassure myself. Slowly, I move out from under the desk and gingerly lift my head. Because at this point, who knows what else I could slam it against in this tiny office. Looking back at the desk, the urge to smash it to pieces came over me, but I stop dead looking at the picture on it. Dusting off the front a bit, I could see a white beautiful white unicorn smiling in a eloquent sapphire dress. Her very light purple mane with a strand of white though made her deep blue eyes pop out against the background of the picture. I had to pry my eyes away from her because I still had a job to do.

I shot another look back at it, and I smirked at the unicorn. Who seemed like she was winking back at me. I… I could take it, but I do not really have anything I could. “Oh!”

Next to the picture lay a beautiful set of black saddlebags looking to be made of thick fabric. Lifting them with my hoof, I felt surprised at how light they were. I could tell that they would have been really expensive cause the leather, which was still in very good condition, had a spell of some kind on to keep it from fading. I open it to my surprise that a space distortions spell on it which means that this bag has a lot of room inside of it. It would not make things lighter, but I could carry a full building in these.

Swinging the saddlebag over my flank, I buckle them down to the armor plates to keep them from flapping about. Scooping up the picture, I give it a smirk and dropping it into my new saddlebags. Lifting up my left hoof, I slide the metallic cover on my fore leg up to access the hidden built in pip-buck. The pip-buck was an amazing tool that could help with many things during combat such as guiding shots and allowing a pony to think as it could dramatically slow events around the user to a crawl. There are some pip-bucks that could outright freeze time around you or what seemed like it while activating the targeting spell. The pip-buck had so much memory for inventory, messages, and files that could store years information traveling the wasteland not even filling in a fraction of capacity. The other part of the pip-buck that is extremely helpful is it constant monitoring of my health and status. I turn a dial with my teeth to show a rather cartoony pony figure standing there with a smile. All my limbs still nice and healthy, except a small notch taking out of the bar pointing to my head.

“Yeah… I guess with how hard I hit my head I would be a little hurt.” I lower my hoof to the floor and turn to a closed door, “Ok, time to kick some tail.” I move over to the door and opening the door. Looking up and down the empty hallway, I head down the hall to the stairwell. I looked down at the landing of the stairs, or what was left of the stairs. After the first two steps down there was a drop to the bottom which, from what I could see, the ponies who lived in this building have not tried to repair. I opened my wings and glide down to the pile of rubble. As I landed, I could see that a pony had been coming down the steps when they collapsed. The skeleton was crushed between the wall and the falling stone stairs right along it's back. Swallow hard I see that his free hoof was horribly worn away, and the scraps cut into the stone was a sign that he was alive for a little bit after it fell.

I reached out touching the door handle of the door out of the stairwell, when I remember the last and probably most important thing my pipbuck had. The EFS, or Eyes Forward Sparkle, could allow me to see how many possible threats I had to deal with by indicating them on the pip-buck’s compass with a little red dot. Mentally I bucked myself in the head for not remembering to use it in the first place. So, I quickly power it on.

My ears dropped back at all of the red dots muttering, “Oh… well… damn.” I let my hoof drop back to the rubble not wanting to open the door to cluster of hostiles like that. “I… I’m not sure I can take that many on.” I say taking a step back, “That’s just…” The spine tingling scream suddenly bursts from inside tore the doubt from my mind. Without thinking, I slam my shoulder into the door, not bothering to check, knocking it open.

When the door burst open the nightmare truly began. I wish I had just left right then as the horror of this places stench of rotting meat and what pony outside had been eating sank in. It paled in comparison to seeing what these ponies were using to decorate the hall. Hardening my heart, I trotted forward into this pony made hell, and I knew that however lucky I may have been before. It was going to take something more than a miracle to get me out of this alive.