In normal circumstances, the day would be considered beautiful to the average person who can enjoy scenery. The sun shined overhead like a bright, warm blanket, reflecting off softly from everything it touched. The breeze whispered over the delicate grass that painted the area with a calm green. Tiny clouds dotted the bright ocean of a sky in various places. To the imaginative observer, it would be a normal day that would be compared to the most peaceful places to be at.

But this is not normal circumstances.

Out in these once beautiful to notice fields stood an abandoned house. It was decent, with a few exterior paint chippings that had aged in time. The house was a perfect place to scavenge for supplies. It was essentially a lucky break for anyone who decided to venture out in the field. One lone man was lucky enough to find it. He was hooded and masked to conceal his identity and to keep some extra warmth from the brisk winter breezes that violently smashed against his face. He paced himself towards the house. He didn't want to waste his energy by running with a rucksack full of heavy equipment. He lifted his sidearm carefully from the holster as he approach the wooden door. He walked up the steps to the porch very cautiously. He wasn't exactly in the quietest state. The metal silverware and tools smashed against the plastic first aid kit boxes inside of his rucksack. The two rifles strapped on his back bounced at every step he took, no matter how small they were. The brass spikes of ammunition rattled in the boxes that were stuffed his pockets. He reached the knob with his left hand, squeezing the handle of his silver revolver. He gently pushed open the door. It opened with a moderate scraping as the wood from the door slid on the floor.

The interior of the house was dusty to say the least. The sunlight pierced through intact windows, revealing the usually invisible shroud of dust particles in the air. He thanked himself for wearing a mask, otherwise he would've have been coughing violently. The first thing he did was make sure the house was empty. He checked every room (He thanked God that it was a one story house). After searching at every place that could be possibly used by a human being, he made his way to the kitchen. He placed his eyes on the fridge, swiftly approaching it with hunger. He was disappointed when he saw no contents in it.

"Damn," he muttered to no one in particular. He slammed the door in disappointment as he raided the rest of the kitchen. He considered himself lucky that there were not one, but two large tins of beans. They both were labelled: family sized. He took them both out and placed them on a counter table. He carefully placed his rucksack and took a tin opener along with a fork. After opening with tremendous speed, he immediately stuffed the cold, flavourless beans down his throat. He left half of the tin empty, and placed the other one down his bag for later use. His senses kicked in once he heard the door creak open in the first room. Instinctively, he gripped the handle of his revolver with a twitching finger next to the trigger. He quietly took cover beside the doorway that led to the main hallway. Whoever was in the house must have been in the hallway by then. He took a silent breath, and turned around the doorway, placing the sights on his target. He withdrew once he recognized his presumed assailant.

"God, Cody, you scared the hell out of me!" he yelled with both relief and anger. The one he knew as Cody unmasked himself, revealing his rough, dirty blonde hair and dirt patched face.

"Heh, sorry, man," he said nonchalantly. He clicked his tongue. "Come here, Anya," he spoke sweetly to someone behind him. He knelt down as a German Sheppard came up to him. He laughed playfully as he pet the dog.

"I thought I told you to watch the tree line."

"I was." He smiled. "I guess my stomach dictated my actions this time around." He scratched the back of his head. "Did you find anything, John?" He asked as he continued to pet Anya, who in return, licked him forcefully. John handed him the opened tin of beans.

"Dig in," he said gruffly, partially spitting the miniscule amount of dust that entered his mouth. "There is another tin in the bag," he sighed "which means we're still low on food," he said as Cody was busy stuffing himself. Cody seem like he finished. He dumped the rest of the contents on the floor, allowing Anya to have a meal as well.

"There you go, girl." He scratched behind her ear. It folded a little in response. "So… what are we going to do now?" He hooded himself once more, pulling the cloth facemask over his mouth. John sighed deeply.

"I guess we have to go into town and find a convenience store." He slid down the wall next to his friend, petting the dog while she continued eating.

"But the town is full of those… things. There is a reason why no one has looted the damn place," Cody argued.

"Better to die quickly from those things than to die from starvation," John muttered darkly. "If we're lucky, we'll probably find a petrol station" He got up to get his gear from the kitchen.

"Are you done, Anya? We got to get ready to go." Anya barked in response, almost intelligently. Cody stood up to check on John. John finished strapping the bag on top of his back.

"Right… are we ready?"

"All set." Cody smiled with one thumb up for emphasis. John nodded and they all walked out of the empty home.

"You would think the family that left this place would take everything would you?" John mused.

"What makes you think the family took stuff in the first place?" Cody asked, with Anya right by his side.

"There aren't any sentimental decorations. No family pictures, no trophies that their kids earned, there isn't even any knickers. Yet they conveniently left two tins of beans."

"You were looking for knickers?"

"No… I uh… just noticed that there wasn't any when I raided the dressers" John corrected. His face flared red a bit. Cody laughed.

"Oh, good-ol' John, my friend who raids houses for female undergarments!" Cody said, laughing even harder.

"Oh, shut up," John said with defeat, blood warming up his face. "Where did you park the car?" He asked cautiously.

"It should be in the forest. I'll know exactly where when we get in it," Cody assured.

"It better be," John deadpanned. They trekked into the trees. It took them a while before they found the battered coup.

"Ah, see? I told you. I never lose place of my parking!" After a silent chuckle, Cody opened the back door for Anya to get in. "Good girl," Cody praised sweetly before closing the door. John placed his bag in the opened trunk along with Cody's. He entered the passenger seat and unfolded a map he received from the glove box. Cody soon entered and placed the keys in the ignition. "So… where to?" John placed a finger to somewhere in the Netherlands.

"We're here, so our next stop is… here." He traced his finger to his intended destination. "Essen. After we resupply, we'll continue to travel to Berlin." He folded the map with care and returned it to the glove box.

"Alright then, let's go." Cody started up the engine. He carefully navigated the forest, avoiding the trees all around him. John stroked the happily panting dog behind him while removing his face wear, letting his unkempt, spiky hair roam free. They soon made it to the motorway into Germany's borders.

After about an hour on the road, the only things they came across were abandoned vehicles.

"How long till we get there?" Cody asked almost impatiently. John sighed since he was interrupted from his nap.

"It would take a couple of hours at least," John replied tiredly.

"Hey, wake up. If I can't sleep you can't either." Cody shook John with his free hand.

"Ugh, fine. I'm up, are you happy now?"

"Perfectly content," Cody replied smugly. He eyes took a notice of something in the distance. "Well, just our luck. There's a station right there, with a shop!"

"Really?" John rubbed the tiredness. "Well how convenient," John said sarcastically. "You do realize that with our luck, something bad is going to happen, right?"

"We won't know unless we try, won't we?" Cody smiled.

"Fine… let's do it." He readied his revolver. "But if there are any ghouls, it's your fault." The car turned towards the parking lot and halted next to a pump. The two left the car, immediately checking their surroundings to make sure they were safe. Cody checked the pump next to the car before letting Anya out.

"Damn. This one is empty" Cody remarked. He checked the other one while John continued to scan the area. "This one is empty too. Well, bollocks!" He cursed in frustration. Something out of the corner of John's eye seemed to stand out. Next to the shop building, stood a whole gasoline tank carried by semi-trucks.

"Cody, check the tank." Cody turned around to where John was tilting his head at. He took a Jerrycan from the back of the car and jogged towards the tank. Anya followed her owner with a wagging tail. He smiled once he pulled the plug.

"We have fuel!" He shouted excitedly. "I told you we would be lucky this time!"

"Yeah yeah, just fill up the tank." He took a look at the store. All the windows were boarded up, concealing what was inside. "I'm going to take a look in the shop."

"Yep, you go ahead," Cody replied, not paying attention to John as he approached the door. Anya started the growl lowly. He ears folded back and she showed her teeth. Cody noticed her. "What's wrong, girl?" He plugged the tank, and placed the now full Jerrycan down. He grabbed his silenced pistol and scanned the area for Anya's suspicion.

A tired Rainbow Dash woke up from what seemed like a very long sleep. Before becoming fully conscious, her head already started throbbing with pain.

Ugh. What happened last night? She thought as she rubbed her head with a hoof. It took her a while to notice her surroundings. It was very dark, albeit the tiny streams of sunlight that penetrated the boarded windows.

Wait a minute… why are they boarded up? She was still tired, but she managed to stand on her hooves. She noticed the floors weren't familiar either. They were made out of some type of smooth stone, kind of how some of the uncarpeted floors in Canterlot were made. From the tiny specks of light she received, she managed to make out that she was surrounded by boxes from three sides. It was still roomy enough, however.

Okay, where am I, and why is it so dark? She moaned in pain as she rubbed her throbbing head again. "Ugh… hangovers suck." There was a low menacing growl somewhere far too close to her. She jumped in fear. It wasn't a manticore's growl, or an ursa majors's, or even a dragon's. It was something much worse. Rainbow Dash was definitely not a pony who could be scared easily, but this creature's sound chilled her to the bone.

"W-who's there?" She asked, meaning to sound tougher than how it came out. It growled again, but this time closer. Dash almost started shaking with absolute terror. It didn't help that she couldn't see more than ten centimetres in front of her. Then, out of the darkness, she heard it.

SLLLLIIiiiiide…

THUMP!

SLLLLIIiiiide…

THUMP!

The steps were heavy, and it wasn't any hoof or paw. She was terrified. She couldn't even think. After a few painfully slow seconds, she saw it. It was a bipedal… thing. Its back was arched, and it was very skinny. She could barely make out any features of it.

Then it stepped into the light.

Its face was just rotten meat. There was little to no flesh around its mouth, revealing yellow stained teeth, including canines. Its arms were nothing but bones, with only exposed tendons and muscles keeping it together. Maggots made themselves at home in various places around its body, squirming to stay attached while it moved. It wore dirty and torn clothing around the torso and waist. Lastly, it was vacant to where its eyes should be, and were replaced with soulless, yellow orbs.

Oh Celestia… She subconsciously backed up. She struggled to keep the contents of her stomach inside. It approached her, with the same heavy steps it made before. It clacked its teeth as it looked at her with its empty eye sockets.

"No… stay away," she whispered. It moved closer. She stopped backing up once she felt the boxes. "Please leave me alone." It hit her now. She was going to die by this creature. She started to cry.

"Go… away," she said weakly. It moved closer.

SLLLLIIiiiide…

THUMP!

She thought of her friends and how she would never see them again.

SLLLLIIiiiide…

THUMP!

She thought of her parents, and how they took care of her and had her back at every challenge in her life.

SLLLLIIiiiide…

THUMP!

She loved them. All of her friends and family. All of the adventures they have had. She treasured every moment.

SLLLLIIiiiide…

THUMP!

And this is how it ends. She didn't even say goodbye.

SLLLLIIiiiide…

THUMP!

"I'm sorry…" She was practically sobbing now. Out of nowhere, came a booming voice.

"GET THIS DAMN THING OFF ME!" It shouted. It caught the creature's attention. It walked at a much faster pace out of the room. Dash stopped her crying, and took a short breath of relief. She needed to find a way out. Short staccato explosions rang through the air in a short moment. Acting fast, she did the next best thing. She moved the boxes, hid behind them, and hoped for the best.

Before John could open the door, a figure burst out from the inside to assault him.

He was brought down to his back. The grotesque figure tried to get him while he was down. John stopped it with his forearm, but it scratched his face violently with its bony fingers. Flesh was peeling from the figure's face, and bloody chunks of the last person it ate sat in his teeth. Some chunks landed on John's face.

"Cody! GET THIS DAMN THING OFF ME!" He shouted from the furious swipes to his face.

"Working on it!" Cody lined up the shot as best as he could from the scrambling figures.

He aimed for the ghoul's head.

As its mouth was getting closer to John.

And pulled the trigger.

The bullet travelled straight through its head, splattering blood and brain matter next to the victim.

"Gah, bloody hell!" John shouted, struggling to maintain his breath. Low growls emitted from the darkened store. "Shit, there's more inside!" Cody and Anya quickly responded, and sprinted to protect their downed friend. Once John was vertical, he took the M4 from his back to shoot at the foul abominations. Cody opened fire first into the darkness. His shot proved to be fruitful from the loud thuds that followed each shot.

John backed him up as they entered the store. He shot and killed two more with his trusty rifle. Anya pounced on one, mauling it so that it wouldn't get up again.

"Christ, how many of them are in here?" John shouted over the gunshots.

"Two more," Cody noted. They both took them down easily. John sighed in relief. He dismantled the boards that covered up the windows to let the light in. Cody clicked his tongue for Anya to return to him. "This must have been a nest. Damn, we wasted a good amount of ammo too."

"I told you something bad was going to happen," John complained. Cody just chuckled.

"If we find the person who decided to board up this place during the day, I want a nice long chat with him," Cody said as he removed more of the boards. As sunlight filled the room, the dead bodies of the ghouls already started to turn into ash.

"Well, at least it wasn't looted," John said optimistically. He reloaded his rifle, and strapped it on his back again.

"I'll say. Look! Crisps!" Cody shook a bag of snacks excitedly. "And the best before date is for next month!" He opened the bag, and started eating them.

"Well, let's stash them up then! This could last us a month!" John smiled as he went to the isle where his friend was. Their thoughts were interrupted by a loud crash from the back room. They both looked at each other.

"You go check it out, Cody; I'll get your back," John said as he grabbed his revolver. Cody nodded as they both walked slowly into the back room. Cody turned on the light switch as he entered the room, and John soon followed. It was mostly empty, aside from the boxes. They found the cause of the noise. A box full of tinned goods crashed and scattered its contents all around the floor. John had a suspicion.

"Cody, check behind those boxes," he whispered as quietly as he could. They calmed down just a little, since Anya wasn't growling at anything. Cody slowly approached the stack of boxes.

"Something is definitely behind there," Cody whispered back. He reached to remove one of the boxes. He pushed it, and vaguely saw something behind it. It burst out and hit Cody's nose with force.

"Go away!" A feminine voice shouted in fear. John was confused when he saw that the voice did not come from a human. Hovering there was a small, multicoloured, winged horse.

What the hell is that? John thought. He didn't holster his weapon, but didn't point it at the creature either. Cody looked at his assailant with a new bloody nose. He was just as confused as John. Once it saw what it did to Cody, it made an apologetic expression. It was almost human-like.

"Oh my gosh, I'm sorry! I thought you were one of those… things." She landed on her… hooves, and looked up towards Cody. "You're not going to hurt me are you?" She asked fearfully. She flew up again, eye level with Cody, raising her forehooves as if she was ready to fight. He backed up a bit. "Cuz you're messin' with Rainbow Dash!" She warned with bravado to hide her fear. John just became more confused.

"Calm down! We're not 'ere to 'urt you!" Cody said, as he tended to his nose. She seemed to calm down again.

"Oh." She chuckled nervously, still hovering in the air. "What are you? I never have seen anything like you two before." She scanned Cody with curiosity.

"You don't say…" John finally said. She sounded American due to her accent, and she spoke perfect English. This is really weird. he concluded.

"We are… uh, human beings. What are you?" Cody asked with a friendly tone. Given his past experience as a veterinarian, he always had a thing for animals. But this is the first one that talked back to him.

"I'm a pony." She placed a hoof under her chin. "I never heard of a human before…" She realized something. "That means…" She stopped flying. "… I'm not in Equestria anymore…" She started to freak out. Cody immediately tried to diffuse the situation.

"It's okay, calm down. We'll help you…"

"Cody… what are you doing?" John didn't like where this was going.

"We can't just leave her here. Wherever this 'Equestria' is, it's obviously her home, and she's lost," Cody explained.

John contemplated for a moment. There was enough food to last them for a while, even if they did have another member tag along. He sighed. "Fine, we'll take her. But she is not going to be dead weight," he said plainly.

"So… you guys are going to help me?" Dash asked with slight excitement.

"Sure, we are… right?" Cody glared at John.

"Yes, fine, we will help you," John said in defeat.

"Wow. Thank you. Oh and uh… sorry about the nose thing," Dash apologized towards Cody. He chuckled.

"Don't worry about that. Besides, women have hit me in places much more sensitive than the nose," he said, giving too much information for everyone.

John shook his head. "Let's finish packing up the food, and get out of here." He turned around to finish what he and Cody have started. Cody joined up with him. Dash flew up above them as they stashed the non-perishable goods. She tilted her head in a confused expression.

"Isn't this stealing?"

"It's not when there is no government," Cody replied.

"You could help, you know. Take anything tinned or vacuumed sealed," John said, not taking his eyes off of his task. Rainbow Dash glared at him. She landed next to Cody, since she found him friendlier.

"What's his deal?" She asked loud enough for John to hear her. Cody just shook his head and smiled.

"He's just a pessimist. Don't worry; he'll warm up to you, in time." He stopped what he was doing to look at her. "We haven't formally met yet, have we?" He extended his hand. "My name is Cody Chester." He shook his head towards John. "He is John Emrie." Dash looked at his hand. She recognized the gesture, and placed her hoof in his palm. He clasped his hand around her hoof and shook it firmly.

"Rainbow Dash, fastest flier in Ponyville! Or… at least I was." Her mood changed. "Are you sure you can help me get back?"

"Of course. Think of it this way: John is the leader and he will do anything to get rid of you!" He said in a happy tone.

"That's… good to know." She looked over towards John. His face was expressionless. Fresh cuts on his face started to drip with blood as he worked. He zipped up the rucksack and wiped the drops of blood on his face.

"Are you almost done?" Cody placed two final tins of clam chowder in the bag. He zipped it up.

"Just about."

"Then let's go." John stood up on his feet and walked out. Cody scanned the isle and grabbed a bar of what was apparently a chocolate sweet. He handed to Dash.

"Here. You look peckish." Dash took it with her mouth.

"Mmanksh." She mumbled. After suffering a near fatal heart attack, Cody nodded.

"Let's go." Cody grabbed his bag, and held it in one hand. Dash followed him closely. Cody placed his bag next to John's. He opened the back door for Anya. Dash was hesitant to approach the door. "You're sitting next to Anya, Rainbow. Don't worry, she won't bite." He put on a fake evil smile. "Unless I tell her to." Dash flew into the vehicle. She placed her haunches on the comfy seats. She saw John in the front seat behind what looked like a wheel made from rubber.

The door next to her slammed shut. Anya curled up and quickly took the opportunity to take a nap. Cody entered and sat next to John on the other seat.

"You're driving this time?" He asked.

"Yes." He gazed at the rear view mirror above the dashboard to look at his new passenger. "Alright, listen up. I'm going to lay down some ground rules." Dash gave him her full attention. "First off, we are going to Berlin to complete my task before we help you. Until then, don't bother me about taking you home, since I already said I would. Do not eat any rations unless we give them to you. Do not tap on the windows for any reason. Do not touch the air conditioning, window controls, or the radio. When we are outside, stick together unless I tell you otherwise. Don't make annoying sounds. Lastly, we will not stop for any reason, so if you got to piss, do it now."

There were a few moments of silence. "You've got all that?"

"Yeah, yeah I got it," she replied with annoyance.

"Alright then." John started the car. Dash jumped at first, but remained calm seeing how nothing was supposedly wrong. Once they started moving, she opened the sweet using her mouth and hooves. She took a bite out of it. The flavour wasn't great, but it at least tasted vaguely of chocolate. She grabbed the bar by wrapping a hoof around it. Cody looked at the mirror and saw her eating the sweet.

God, she is adorable.