A/N: Before I begin I would like to say a few things. First, I will not be updating this story that often. I am mostly writing this because I have extra time because I can't upload chapters of the story I am focusing on because they have to be reviewed and edited by my friend. my current focus is on "Vision's vision." It will have priority over this story. Second is that I know this has been done before but I haven't read any of the stories that have post apocalyptic settings so I don't want to hear any "This guy already did this. You are copying him." No I am not copying anyone. If I write something that sounds similar to another author I am sorry but it is accident. Thirdly I suck at beginnings so give it a few chapters if you don't like it right off the bat. Now I will give you my take on post apocalyptic Equestria. Please review.
Chapter 1: Cutting Edge
The sun sat high in the sky. It rays beating down on Cutting Edge. Cutting Edge was a young unicorn stallion with a black coat and a short dark brown mane and tail. His cutie mark was a screwdriver next to some tape. His only other defining feature was a large scar on his the right side of his barrel, it was in a downward slant that started on the top of his foreleg on ended at the beginning of his hind leg.
He walked along the road, knowing that it was dangerous but it had better hoofing than the dirt. Some animal had dug small holes that a pony could trip in and break a leg, making it safer to walk on the road. He stayed observant to avoid danger. He started to enter a town the sign read. "Welcome to Ponyville."
Cutting Edge could tell it was a small town. 'Maybe I won't run into any trouble here.' He kept a brisk pace. The first houses were in view. He could see that more than a few were run down and more than likely abandoned. 'Good as any I have seen.' He tried the door to see it was open. It didn't budge. 'Locked. But not bared.' He turned around and kicked the near the handle with his hind legs. The lock broke the wood at the handle making the door fling open. 'Surprised the hinges held after all this time.'
Edge walked in cautiously, making sure no pony was in the home. 'This floor seems clear. Better check upstairs.' He started up the stairs. He heard some movement. He ducked out of instinct. He crept up the stairs. He pulled his makeshift sword from it's sheathe. It was a old piece of metal that Edge had sharpened and bonded to a piece of pipe. The blade itself was double edged and looked rather crude. It was well taken care of and extremely sharp. The pipe had some cloth around it in case he had to use his teeth instead of magic. This was not one of those times. He reached the top of the stairs while levitating the sword.
He saw three doors. Two a couple of feet on either side of him and one on the right down the hallway. He approached the first door on the right. He used his magic to open before getting too close. He scanned as much as he could before entering. It was a bedroom. The blue curtains blocked most of the light from entering the room. He saw no pony but they could easily be hiding behind or even under the bed. He stopped to listen. He heard the house creak but that was normal for most homes now a days. He was listening for something that most ponies forgot to do when hiding.
He heard it, the labored breathing of a pony with adrenaline pumping through their system. Edge would rather avoid conflict. "Come out and no pony will get hurt. I mean you no harm."
He could hear movement behind the bed. Before he could say anything more a yellow earth pony mare leaped out from behind the bed. She tried to rush him but he was ready. He pointed the sword at her. She was going to quick to stop. The sword plunged into her chest. She stopped her charge, looking down at the blade. The blade was straight with curves on each side to cause more damage. Blood seeped from the wound. Edge pulled the sword out with his magic. Blood started pouring from the wound. The mare put her hoof to her chest trying to stop the bleeding. It was no use. She started to scream from the shock of seeing her own blood. It was not a lot of screaming but it was a lot of blood. It wasn't long before a pool started to form. The mare was laying on the ground from not being able to stand. She slowly faded into unconsciousness. Her breathing was labored for a minute before she stopped.
Edge watched all of this with no emotion. He had to watch to make sure she didn't try to kill him when his back was turned. It was no new site for him and didn't effect him. He flung the blood off his sword before sheathing it. 'Dumb ponies that don't know how talk or even ambush correctly for that matter.' He checked the rest of the house. No pony was found beside the one laying dead on the second floor. Edge checked for food, he found none. 'Probably why that pony attacked me. There isn't any food in here. I am glad I still have some food left from my trip.' He gathered some spare wood from outside and put it on the stove before lighting it. He removed the coils so they wouldn't get in the way. He brought a can of beans and a metal frame for the can to sit in while they cook. He had made it from parts he found around. He opened the can and set it in the frame. 'I am getting tired of beans.'
He checked the beans every now and then while her set warning devices around the entrance. He set a whined up toy in the door so that if it moved the toy would start up and make noise. He looked at the setting sun. 'Yeah you still control the sun but you won't come out here and restore order will you, you piece of shit. I follow no pony that abandons her ponies for her own safety. Fuck you Celestia!' He set a few more warning devices before taking his meal upstairs. He ate and fell asleep. He wished he could sleep soundly but he had seen too many dead bodies in beds to feel safe.
He woke early. He gathered his saddlebag and went to look for supplies around town. He knew better than to check a grocery store. They either had no food or were controlled by gangs. Too much risk. He searched the homes around town. He checked the homes marked with red Xs first. Most ponies were too scared to look for food there. But Edge knew that the disease was long gone. All you had to do was get over was the mental obstacle that a sick pony touched it. 'That virus seemed pretty dumb. I mean it died after a few weeks with no host. It did a hell of a good job infecting and killing ponies but now it is gone because either it couldn't find a host or ponies are immune. It is dead now and that is all that matters.' Cutting Edge entered a quarantined home. He began searching for ponies. He could hear motion upstairs. He had found ponies that helped him in his travels. Not every pony was out to harm another. He thought it was worth the risk. He had found no food in the other homes. He called out. "Hey! Is any pony here! I need supplies." He could here the movement halt upstairs.
Two stallions walked down the stairs. One was a earth pony, the other a Pegasus caring a spear in his wing. The Earth pony had a helmet with a large blade atop. The earth pony spoke. "You need supplies? What is in it for us?"
Edge looked at both ponies they were dirty and had many small scars on them. "I have supplies to trade but I need food."
The Pegasus took charge. "You have supplies do you? Well how about you hoof them over."
Edge drew his sword. "I don't think so." He started to back away towards the door. "I don't want a fight so I will leave. You follow me and I will not hesitate to cut you down."
The earth pony came closer. "I don't think so."
Edge new that he couldn't run. The Pegasus would be faster than him. The earth pony rushed him with his helmet lowered. Leaving him blind to Edge's blade. He cut the pony's legs. The blade was sharp enough to cut the flesh but not the bone. The earth pony fell to the ground screaming.
The Pegasus charged with his spear. Edge waited for the right time to dodge out of the way. He plunged his blade into the Pegasus' side. He screamed out in pain. Edge quickly brought the blade back before sticking it in the Pegasus' temple. He dropped to the ground lifeless.
The earth pony noticed and voiced his opinion. "You bastard! You killed my friend." Edge looked at him. "I acted in self defense. If any pony killed your friend it was you." The earth pony lay on the ground. "If you had just given your stuff we wouldn't have had to attack you." Edge got close to the pony. He lift his helmet off his head. "I would have died without my supplies. Now you will join your friend in hell." Edge took the sword and delve it into the ponies skull. "May you burn for your sins."
A third pony ran down the stairs. "Have you guys handled that idiot yet?" It was a unicorn stallion. He stopped when he saw his buddies lying on the floor in pools of their own blood. "Oh shit!" He saw Edge standing with his blade. The unknown unicorn shot magic at Edge.
Cutting Edge had learned some shielding spells from his father. He shielded himself from the violent magic. He didn't know any harmful magic so he picked up the spear from the dead Pegasus and lobbed it at the unicorn on the stairs. It made contact with his left foreleg. He fell down the stairs as a result. Edge closed the gap while his opponent was disabled. He slit the ponies throat and crushed his horn with a hoof stomp. The pony bled out not long after. Edge went upstairs to check for others. He was going to the last room when he heard crying.
He opened the door and stepped in. He immediately received a shriek. "No! don't hurt me again." He could see that the light purple Pegasus mare had been beaten. Bruises cover her face and legs. Her mane was grey and ruffled as if it had been pulled on. She was cowering in a corner. Edge sheathed his sword and moved closer. "Hey, hey. I am not going to hurt you." The mare looked at him. She didn't look any more confident. He could tell that she had been crying. "You aren't? Are you not one of them?"
Edge looked to the door. "Those horrible ponies? No I am not."
"Then why did they let you up here?"
Edge tapped the sheathe on his left shoulder. "My pal here let them retire, forever."
The mare looked in horror. "You killed them? But there was three of them. Do you have friends?"
"No. I am alone. My question is what am I going to do with you."
Fear struck the mare. "Not again! Don't hurt me. I submit just don't hit me, I can't stand it anymore!"
"Whoa there girl. I have no such thoughts. What did they do to you?"
The mare tried to hide her body. "They… They beat me when I told them no. They beat me until I submitted. They took their turn with me. Each using me. I… I just laid there after a while. I tried to imagine being somewhere else but I could feel them. They laughed and joked while they did it. I was helpless. I couldn't do anything to stop them."
Edge had seen this before but needed to confirm what he was hearing. "They raped you didn't they?" The mare nodded as tears ran down her cheeks. She buried her head in her hooves. Edge was wondering how she got here. "Why were you here? Did they live here or did you?" She looked up at him. "They lived here."
"How did you get here then?"
"My father and mother were traveling and we were coming through town when they ambushed us. They killed my father before we knew what was happening. Mother tried to fight back but she was not a strong mare. They killed her when she resisted. They dragged me all the way her along with our stuff."
Edge was getting tired of running into ambush parties. "You can get you things and leave. I will not stop you." Edge turned to leave the room. "Wait! Don't go." He turned to the mare. She continued talking. "I don't have anywhere to go. I have no pony to help me. I don't know what to do."
Edge thought he knew where this was going. "What do you want me to do about it?"
"I want to stay with you. You seem to handle yourself well."
"I don't think so missy. I don't want any pony to keep me company."
The mare stood up and headed towards him. "Please. I won't survive on my own. I can help you."
Edge gave a questioning look. "What can you do for me?"
The mare looked helpless. "I can sew. I can make you clothes. It will be cold soon and you will need it." Edge didn't look phased. The mare hated it but she didn't think she would survive on her own. She offered the only other thing she could think of. "I…I can ple-pleasure you." She looked very unsure.
Edge had no interest in this mare. 'She is willing to do that? Right after she was… She must not know how to live. I can't leave her to die. Damn it! I hate having morals some times.' Edge gave the mare an irritated look. "Fine. You can stay with me, but I don't want you to uuh… Pleasure me. I want you to do exactly what I say, when I say it. If you deviate then you can no longer follow me. You got that?"
The mare nodded. "What is your name?"
Edge might as well indulge the mare. "I am Cutting Edge."
"Do you like to go by Cutting or Edge?"
"How about you call me Cutter?"
"That sounds good. My name is Golden Eye."
The ponies were face to face and could easily see each other's eye color. He had a deep blue and she had eyes to match her name, she had a beautiful gold. Edge looked over to her flank. Her cutie mark was a needle with some hay straws lying next to it. Edge was curious. "What does your cutie mark represent?" Golden looked at her cutie mark. "Well I have a really good eye for finding things. My cutie mark seems to go off the saying of finding a needle in a hay stack. I always seem to notice small details and find stuff that other ponies looked over. What about your's?"
Cutter began to walk out of the room. "It represents my skill to craft items. My dad always told me that I could make priceless artifacts from tissue paper and some tape." Golden followed her savior. "Where is your family?" Cutter kept looking for supplies. "Same as yours, dead. Now go and find supplies. You start pulling your weight or I drop you. We can talk later." Golden wanted to know the pony she was staying with but didn't want to be abandoned. She went and looked around. She found some medical supplies and food. She brought the first aid box with the supplies to Cutter. "Here I found some ointments and some breakfast bars." Edge looked them over. "Good, did you check all of upstairs?"
"Yes I double checked everywhere."
"Good. Your stuff is in the back room. Take what you need, nothing more. Pack it and have it ready to leave in a few minutes. These guys might have had some friends, and I don't want more trouble than I already have."
Golden did as he directed. She went to the back room to gather her stuff. She found her saddlebag as well as her parents. She had been avoiding thinking about it but she now felt lonely. She looked in all of the saddlebags She gather all of the important things. She found a locket with her father and mother smiling together in better times. She looked at it before packing it. "What do you think your doing?" Cutter stood behind Golden watching her. She turned to face him. "What do you mean? I am packing like you said."
Cutter floated the locket out of the saddlebag. "You don't need this. You are wasting space by keeping it. They are dead now. Keeping a locket will not bring them back."
Golden snatched it from the air. "I know it won't bring them back but as long as I remember them they live on in me."
Edge shook his head. "Fine keep the thing. When you are hungry and there is no food because you couldn't fit it in then don't whine to me. We are leaving now." He walked off.
Golden put her saddlebag on and followed. 'You don't have to be an ass.'
Cutter led them back to the previous house that he stayed in. He began to cook the food they found in the bandits home. They found enough to last a few days. The pair sat down and ate. Golden took the time to get to know about her company. "You know what happened to my parents, but what happened to your's?"
Cutter swallowed his bite of food. "Well, they died. Simple as that. Mom died when I was young. We needed shelter and we picked a cave out. It wasn't the best place to stay but we needed to rest and it would soon rain. Unfortunately a bear had already picked that as it's home. When we were trying to leave the bear hit mom. It didn't even cut her it just hit her. We escaped and dad built us a little shelter from the rain. It wasn't very good and he worked in the rain to complete it. We all laid down together and went to sleep. The next morning I woke up to mom's dead body next to me. She had bleed internally and died while I cuddled next to her."
"Dad's death was similar. We got attacked by bandits one day and we had to fight them off. We managed to kill them but both dad and I took some damage. That is what this thing is from." He showed his scar on his side. " Dad had to use all our medicine on me. He ended up getting an infection and dieing as well. So I was right next to mom as she died and I was the reason my dad died. There you go, my families passing. I hope you enjoyed the story because I am going to bed." Cutter got up and went upstairs.
Golden finished her food. She could tell that he was upset. She didn't bother him, she went to the other bedroom and laid down. 'I wonder what Equestria was like before the plague. Mom always told me that ponies lived in harmony. Maybe one day we will live like that again.' "Rest in peace mom and dad."
A/N: Well that is the first chapter. I hoped you liked it. Happy thoughts on yall.
