The night had settled down across the dark and dusty plain of Las Pegasus after a long day of lightning quick adventures and new encounters. I had rented a hotel room off the east end of Las Pegasus, and as the sun set, I knew tomorrow would be a day to look forward to. I would stay here for at least one week then leave to the next stop of Canterlot, a long trek I would happily wait for. So I fell asleep to the sights and sounds of the Golden City.

Only to be woken up by silence.

It all started when I got up to hear nothingness, which was odd for one of the many cities that doesn't sleep. I ate some breakfast and started my day normally and as usual. Until I stepped outside. It was dustier and grayer than usual. I headed towards one of the many casinos nearby to see it deserted of its usual costumers and addicting music. Then I was attacked by an ambush of ponies, but by now I had gotten used to that.

"Get down or die!", I heard someone call from a distance.

I then jumped for the nearest cover as the monsters attacking me all got shot in the head, by a mysterious sniper.

"You can come out Wastie.", Said the mystery voice.

I then, cautiously, proceeded out of my cover and onto the old, cracked pavement that used to be a road. The pony that had shot down the creatures showed itself from the shadows above. It was wearing a face mask, which didn't really help me identify it as anyone I knew or would know if it were a normal day. But nope just another crazy day with its crazy adventure.

"So, where are you from fellow Wastie?" It asked, with a distinctive female voice.

"Could you quit calling me that?", I responded with a harsh tone.

"Well, if you would do the honor of introducing yourself I wouldn't have to."

"The name's Wolf, Night Wolf to be precise."

"Well nice to meet you, now shall we be on our way before more ghouls come, or shall I shoot you myself?"

"Okay, go and lead the way."

We then walked into the early afternoon sun, not sure where we were going. Until I finally asked, a big mistake.

"So where are we going?"

"Why do you want to know?"

I stopped in my tracks, and she followed my motionless motions.

"Why the hell would I not want to know?"

"Why in the hell would you want to?"

"You know what? Fuck it I could do without you."

"Then I'll just shoot your damn brains out, remember I'm the one with the weapons, not you."

I was then silent, she was right. If I ran she probably would just shoot me without a second thought.

"Well. Are you gonna run and die, or stay with me and not know our destination?"

I was silent as we started to walk. She then touched a few buttons on her a giant arm watch, and a song started to play. I didn't ask any questions.

"By the way we are going to an old and deserted Stable. Stable 215."

"Stable?"

"You know, where the idiots went when the megaspells came down from the skies."

"Why idiots?"

"Because the fucking Stable-Tec bastards would end up killing them with their stupid 'social experiments'."

"Oh, okay. Wait megaspells dropped, why the hell would that happen?"

"Well if you want to know the entire story of the Wastes, then be my guest and check a library, cause' I'm not a fucking encyclopedia."

"Jeez, okay let's just get to the Stable."

We then walked in silence except for constant buzzing of different songs. I guessed it was about an hour till we reached our destination. It was a gigantic, gear-shaped door with the number 215 painted on it in a distinct yellow color.

"Welcome to your new home, Stable 215, one of hundreds."

We then proceeded inside, when I asked yet another question, another mistake.

"So when'd you find this place?"

"Yet again. Not. A. Fucking. Encyclopedia."

Then another mistake.

"Also, what the hell is that thing on your arm?"

She lifted her left hoof, " What this piece of shit? It's a Pip-Buck, some pre-war technology I found in one of the lockers here. But yet again another fucking disaster that nobody predicted happened, but these survived. Still a piece of fucking shit. Doesn't even play holotapes. Also, make yourself comfortable, 'cause you're gonna be here a while. The night isn't the best time to be in the Wastes."

I then made myself a straw bed, and did as she said.

"So you want some wine, or something?", she said.

"Sure I'll have some."

She poured us glasses, as she said," So where'd you come from Night?"

"I don't know, I just woke up to... this. How 'bout you,?"

"First of all, the name isn't Wastie, it's Velvet Rose, and second of all I was born into one of these retched Stables, 117, but then escaped easily as a choice. The choice they gave me was, either survive out in the Wastes on your own, or stay with us and have a great life. I left for my own good, leaving everything I had owned and everyone I had loved behind."

It was silent for a few seconds, until there was a giant roar outside.

"Shit! A deathclaw!" Velvet said as she ran outside to attack the beast. As it was going on I heard different screams that wouldn't come from a mare. She was killing the beast that had mutated from something else. She came back inside, with scratches on her helmet. Then she took it off, she was beautiful, she a red, almost silk, mane and even with a few scars on her light-gray face she was beautiful nonetheless. I was then snapped back to reality by her voice.

"What're you staring at?"

"Oh, nothing the night sky is just so beautiful.", I said hopeful that she took my lie and thought it was true.

"Well you don't have all night to do so, and tomorrow is gonna be a long day so I suggest that we get some sleep."

We went to bed without another word, into the cold silence of the night. Then after that night time seemed to pass by faster. Minutes turned to hours, hours to days, days to weeks, and weeks to months. Then, three months from my arrival, I became a lone wanderer.

I had learned more about the brutality of the Wastes, and it inhabitants. I was also starting to take a liking to Velvet. Then, after these months of scavenging, the brutality of this cold and unforgiving place bit us in the ass. We were planning to clear out a hospital that was inhabited by raiders our own use. What we didn't plan that was there was going to be so many of them. We found out the hard way as soon as we walked in. There was only three, but they noticed us right away and sounded an already to another fifteen of them. We took care of the first three, but the others were too hard to handle. Sure we had gotten shot up a few times, but we had enough stimpaks. For about five minutes. I used most of them, for I was the one being shot at the most, while Velvet was dodging them with her skills accompanied from the Wastes. Until she was shot down by five stallions at once. They were the last five to take care of. And they just shot her like some sort of ragdoll. This pissed me off and I got out our emergency plan, Psycho drugs. I took it and ran out there to shot those sons of bitches down. They were dead in no more than twenty seconds flat. As soon as they were dead, I rushed to Velvet and picked her up to take her outside.

"Night, it's okay." She said as we finally got outside as I tried to find some stimpaks, none were left.

"No, you can't die like this, not now."

"Yes I can it's everyponies destiny to be born, live, then die at the clutches of Death himself."

"No, it's not true. This can't be happening this must be a dream."

"It's happening. Final words, I loved you." She said with a final breath as she slipped into eternal sleep.

Tears welled up in my eyes, as I couldn't except this, but I had to. It was what she would've wanted. The nights passed, more silent and lonelier than before. I had buried her at our old house, Stable 215. She would've loved that. I moved ahead. I then joined a nearby group of war heroes, the Steel Rangers, to protect the Wasteland. It was through a battle in which it happened. We were fighting against a group of raiders who called themselves the Shotmakers. We were walking through what was supposed to be their territory, then an alarm sounded. Someone ahead had tripped on a tripwire. I then heard the sound of something descending fast, it was a mini-nuke launched from a Fat Man. We were dead. Some ran, not knowing they were bound to die no matter what. Some excepted the fact that they were going to die. Me being one of those ponies. No matter what a mini-nuke would pierce through any armor on contact. As it was coming closer I could hear her calling my name. It was Velvet. She was calling my name from the heavens.

"Velvet...", the last word I said before it hit.

I could feel my life draining away, but it felt fake. I woke up.

At first, I thought I was in heaven, but the thought was put to rest, as for I was staring at the ceiling fan of my hotel. It was 3:45 in the morning. I had dried tears under my eyes, and I decided I would wash up and get a move on. I would head to my next stop of Canterlot after I finished. Real or not I would never forget the Wastes. I would never forget Velvet.