A Swift wind rode over the flat dry expansion known as “The Wasted West.”
A dry and lifeless body of a gray unicorn mare of lay in the sand of a dried lake bed. Patiently waiting for the night to come so the predators of the night could strip it of its flesh and allow the next day’s burning hot sun bleach it bones white.
But the Sun rays were interrupted by a shadow that loomed over the body. It was cast by Grinded Gears. A Young dark green pegasus with a dirty blonde mane that was cut very short. He was adorned in a makeshift outfit of leather, steel plating and tire tread, an apparatus of thin metal covered his left wing.
He began to root though the unicorns pockets, immediately he found a gun. A heavy framed scoped 44. A very powerful gun indeed. It was cast in orange steel and had a grip adorned with three apples. Gears opened the cylinder and found it empty, typical. Gears rolled his eyes and threw the weapon on the sand to the side. Trixie's Order Hadn't produced 44.s in years and one would find that ammo in very short supply.
Gears went back to rooting through the mares pockets and felt a book in her right breast pocket, He began to pull it out when the mare's body suddenly sprang to life and wrapped a hoof around his.
“Don’t…….it's,..it's mine” The corpse coughed.
“Whoa, easy now Shelia,.... you won't be needing any of this where you're going.” Gears responded coldly.
“Water,...Please” The corpse begged.
“Nah,... You're in very advanced stages of dehydration, you're a goner. Any water you drink will just be a waste. best enjoy the last few hours of your life.” Gears retorted.
The corpse let go or Gears’s hoof, eyes half lidded and hope vacant from her face she mulled over the thought of drying up in this lake bed.
“Kill me,...please.” The Corpse pleaded.
Gears stood up straight and considered the notion. He always considered himself as a pony who never bothered anyone. Just another poor soul trying to get by. Shure, He had killed a few ponies in his life but most of them had guns and were attempting to steal his property or worse. The thought of killing a pony that was lying in the sand kinda made him uncomfortable.
But he was certainly not above the idea.
Gears pulled out his own sidearm, a Mauser C96 red 9. It was bolted to the apparatus covering his left wing, he cocked the hammer back using the system of levers attached to the muscles in his wing. He pointed it at the mare's head, She closed her eyes and weakly brought her hooves to her face out of instinct.
He pulled back the slide and saw the glint of 3 brass casings left in the box magazine. He shook his head and pulled the weapon back.
“Alright, you look like you've been through alot, I suppose you deserve a break.”
Gears brought his forehoof down on the mare's neck, it broke like twigs wrapped in saran wrap. The mare’s eyes bulged from her skull, One last breath of air escaped from her throat and sputtered out of her mouth and nostrils carrying half a pint of blood and splattering it all over Gears’s forehooves.
The mare’s eyes then retracted and glazed over, her breath fell quiet and her forehooves fell limply to her sides.
Gears then proceeded to loot the mare in peace, finding little besides the book. Gears pulled out the book and read the title.
“The Wasteland Survival Guide”
Gears flipped through the book and found many amusing chapters on nonsense, such as Super Alicorns, Radhogs, Radgators and making friends. Gears then found another chapter called “Leaving the stable!” Gears snorted with amusement and shook his head. He tossed the book into the air where the breeze caught it and by the will of the Celestia herself landed on the dead mare’s snout.
Gears entered a casual walk over to a nearby stretch of asphalt where a battered rusty pre-war two door muscle car stood. Gears opened right hoof door and took one more look at the dead mare.
“You should've stayed in the stable Love.” Gears shouted, slightly amused at his dark sense of humor. He Slammed the ancient door shut and the car rumbled to life “Cause out here, its a whole new world.”
The rear tires screeched for a few seconds fighting the massive amounts of horsepower the giant V8 poured onto the tarmac. They soon found purchase and sent the car careening down the long straight road, the sound of the short unmuffled pipes protruding from under the car rolling across the flat open West.