The Journey
Prologue: How it happened
By Jazzyfeather
The dark blue almost Grey mare sat the metal camera down on the ground in front of her. She tapped it a few times to make sure it was working.
"Okay...Uhm, my name is...well. My name isn't important, nothing is anymore really. But I decided to tell you of my adventures, whoever you may be."
She lifted the camera up with her mouth and brought it over to a rope, two saddlebags and a blanket laying in the dirt. She put the camera down in front of her supplies, light from the roaring campfire lit up the area.
"This is what I got, a rope, two saddlebags that are too ruined to really be of any use. And my blanket, it keeps me safe from the bugs on the ground at night."
She lifted the camera back up by her muzzle and put it in front of the blanket, as she lay down on it. Her crimson eyes visible from the fire.
"It isn't much, but it gets me by." She sighed, looking around her surroundings for a bit before turning back to the camera. "I've been here for four days...I think it's four days anyway." The camera flickered and she tapped it again.
"Oh god, the battery is running out. I guess I better hurry up, well. It's been two years since it happened. The eclipse happened, I don't know what exactly happened. I'm no scientist." She took the camera back up into her muzzle and walked it to the edge of the cave, and put it down on the ground.
She sighed. "That's what's left of Equestria, it's nothing but roving gangs of violence and hatred." She gestured towards open wasteland, no stars were visible on the night sky. Tree's were dead, the ground brown. And a green fog covered most of it.
She picked it up again and walked back to the fire, and lay back down onto her blanket. "Honestly, I don't know how I've managed to survive so far. I guess I'm just lucky."
She giggled as she looked at the fire. "And that brings me to my cutie mark. A four leaf clover, I was the first in my class to get it. I used to work as a salespony but that all changed when the eclipse came."
"Nopony knew what happened to Celestia, some say she went mad and ran off to the Everfree forest." She put a hoof to her chest. "I for one don't believe that, but I could see how others would."
She sighed again, and tapped turned the camera around to see how much battery life it had left. "Crap, I'm running out of time."
She turned the camera back around, readjusting the focus on it. "I miss them, my family, my friends, everypony. It isn't easy, surviving on your own."
She got up on her hooves and went out of view of the camera, rustling could be heard and she came back with a picture of herself and an orange stallion sitting in front of a fireplace.
She held it up against the camera before she put it down in front of it. "I didn't always travel alone, but...there were complications. See, when you travel in packs today. You are more easily spotted and a more viable target for attackers."
She shook her head and looked straight into the camera. "And I'm not referring to Diamond dogs, those are nothing against a pack of hungry ponies. It's not like there isn't food around, it just isn't enough for everypony."
She paused, and prodded her hoof into the ground. Making small circles in the dirt. "Some have even turned to eating ponies, that's...that's what happened to my friend. He asked me to run, and I did...I still feel guilty."
"I've been thinking about getting a weapon. I should probably stop by the general store as I leave Hoofington, or what's left of it. Yeah, a good tip. Never EVER bring attention to yourself."
She was staring into the camera, pounding her hoof into the dirt, scuffing up dust all around it. "It makes me mad to see the once great Equestria turn in on itself. Like some kind of monster."
The camera flickered again, and a red light appeared on it. "I should probably wrap this up soon, I'm draining the battery." A metallic clank could be heard off in the distance and she turned her head towards it.
"I-uh, I should stay quiet. If anypony finds this, do try and get it to my brother. He should be in Canterlot." She nodded and turned the camera off, taking it in her muzzle. She walked over to her saddlebags and stashed it into there. Before turning her attention back to the direction of the sound.
Taking cautious steps outside, away from the comforting light of the fire. Another metallic clank sounded and her ears perked up, she lifted her hoof and took a look around here.
"GAH!" she screamed, too loud. A small squirrel had jumped in front of her. "Oh, an animal. That's nice." She smiled at it, and it jumped away quietly.
The mare headed back to the fire, she laid down on her blanket and took a look a the picture of her and the orange stallion, a tear rolling down her cheek.
"I'll always love you, I'll always cherish this memento...Feather..." She trailed off as she poked her nose at the picture, trying to nuzzle it.
She laid there for a moment, nuzzling the picture. But she got up onto her hooves and trotted over to her saddlebags and hoofed the picture back into it, closing it tightly.
She made her way back to the fire, scuffing some dirt on it. Making it fizzle out as she lay back down on the blanket. She looked both ways to makes sure nopony was near as she lay her head down and fell asleep.