Entry One:
The first death caused by the plague was reported in Ponyville at the end of winter. The Princesses were reported dead in the middle of Fall. Canterlot was overrun by rioters at the beginning of summer. All cities shortly fell apart some time after that. I think it's April, but since the plants around here are dead I'm not sure. It doesn't help that I don't have a calendar either. It pains me to think that not too long ago this place used to be vibrant and full of life, but now it's nothing but a graveyard. I used to live alone after everything fell apart, in fact, I had been alone for several years before the plague. However, I am currently looking for my two adopted daughters who may or may not be alive. They were named Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, but I won't write about them much more unless I find them. I hope that if they are dead, they haven't been victims of or have succumbed to cannibalism. That is my greatest concern. My pen is going to run out of ink soon, so I must stop writing here.
Hope I find them,
Iron Wing.
Iron Wing used a scrap piece of paper to bookmark that entry before closing the journal. He put the journal in his satchel before putting out a nearby candle and slipping into a damp sleeping bag. He kept his switchblade close since the door of the building he was in had no lock and there was nothing left to barricade it with. He looked at his dark gray hide, noticing that he was getting slightly pale.
Hope it isn't the plague. He thought.
Deciding that it would be too difficult to sleep with the thought of invasion, he got out of the sleeping bag and looked out into the ruins of Ponyville through a cracked window.
One could tell that more than a plague happened here. During the plague, one greater danger was rioting caused by ponies looking for fuel and food. Many buildings held signs of fire, including blackened wood, melted windows, and some buildings had charred skeletons near them. The once great town hall was now nothing but a pile of steel and wood. The building he was scavenging from earlier, Sugarcube Corner, held not much else but half-eaten cakes and the only thing that wasn't eaten by what rodents were left was a small packet of potato chips. He also found a pistol with a single bullet in it. Iron Wing decided to save the bullet in case some cannibals caught him or he got the plague if it still existed. After picking the bakery clean, he searched through a store called "Carousel Boutique." He didn't find much but some worn down pieces of cloth which he used to repair some of the sleeping bag. After the Boutique he located a Barnyard on the outer edges of Ponyville. He located a few slightly stale apples and a lead pipe. He kept the apples, but gave up the pipe to make room for a candle, a small pack of matches, a journal, and a small pen. He found shelter in an abandoned bank. He decided that he would search for Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy next morning, when the cannibal hunting parties wouldn't be so active. His wings sprung out at the sound of a gunshot in the distance, but he eventually gave in to sleep.
He dreamed of walking in a vast desert. Filled with nothing but gray sand dunes. He looked to his left, nothing. He looked to his right, nothing. Not even a small hill. For some reason, keeping up his pace caused excruciating pain. He then collapsed as darkness overtook him. He "Woke" in the same desert, as far as he knew, with two pegasi corpses in front of him. One was cyan, with a darkened rainbow mane. The other was a pale yellow, and covered in maggots. He would've screamed and galloped away if he could move, but as he kept his eyes open, it became increasingly hard to do so. When he closed his eyes, all he could see was a blood-covered unicorn staring at him with a smile on it's face.
He awoke with a jolt, grabbing his switchblade and pointing it at the door. When he realized that there was no danger, he eventually let his guard down, drifting into a more peaceful sleep.
When he woke up once more, he realized that he only slept for an hour. It was about mid-day, though it was hard to tell since the clouds had always been gray since the plague began, and the covered the sky where ever somepony went. Iron Wing rolled up his sleeping bag and put it into a shopping cart, along with several other supplies and about a days worth of food and water. He opened up the door and set out into the cold, gray world outside. As he trotted and pushed the shopping cart, he made sure to keep a sharp eye out for bandits or cannibals.
After all of the cities fell, Food became an issue. as crops were dying, and food became more valuable than gold. As more of it was used up, ponies became more and more desperate to get a meal. Some resorted to scavenging, others to stealing, and the rest resorted to cannibalism. Although it was an evil and macabre act, it kept them and their families fed. Unfortunately, Most ponies who became used to that way of life fell into madness, some forming groups and the rest becoming lone hunters. As Iron Wing trotted down the road, he could see areas with bear traps covered in blood and a skeleton here and there. The iron-stench of blood filled the air around this place, so Iron Wing went around it. He found his way to a small market, where he stopped, pulled the shopping cart inside, and lit the candle. He was determined to survive, to find his daughters...
to redeem himself.