Chapter 5

An Amazing Find

When I woke up, I was still in my chair at Robby's place. I turned my head to see AJ curled up at my side. I put my hand an her shoulder and pushed ever so slightly. She groaned but then slowly opened her left eye. I said," time to go dear, we still need to get a few things."

" oh alright, but don't ya go thinkin' I am goin to be happy 'bout it."

" well yes ma'am, and a good morning to you as well." We both stood up and we began to walk to the door to go finish our errands before we were out another day. I slowly pushed open the door and it creaked on its iron hinges. As we walked to the pastures where they crops farmers used to grow still grew wild. I pulled my facial gear up and put it on while I looked off into the golden sunrise over what was left of the far green pastures of the farmlands. I began to walk off the steps and as I did, I heard her voice speak to me." Dad, I've noticed some changes in t' way ya act. You move a lil slower everyday. You get tired more easily. And most of the time, you seem awful sad. It just ain't in your nature to act this way, what's goin on?"

I looked to the ground, but then I brought myself to look her in the eyes. Then I came outright and said it," honey, I am getting old. And I am sad because I will have to leave you in this world someday. You will wake up on morning to find I have left you with only a shell of who I was, and you will have to face this world on your own. But that is not for us to think of at this moment." With this I stood up and I turned to face the direction of the old farmlands. We walked down the dirt road and did so in silence. Then I heard a rumbling noise off from the city where we had come from. I turned to see a large dust cloud forming on the horizon. It was a bandit caravan. I grabbed AJ and jumped down into a deep hole on the side of the road. She was trying to scream in fear but I covered her mouth. The thunderous roar of the bikes, cars, and trucks was right behind us. We sat there with our eyes closed in the tremendous rumbling of the caravan as it shot past us. After it had left, I let go of AJ who let out a long sigh. I then picked up myself and peered over the rim of the hole. I looked both ways down the street. They were gone. I sat back down with her and told her it was OK to get out and continue. I picked her up and set her on the edge with ease. Then I jumped out myself. I stood up and brushed myself off with my gloved hands and we looked towards the farm and ventured onwards. We walked in silence for a long time; the beating of my boots against the pavement and the clack of her hooves filling the still air with the only noise for now. The far green pastures outside the city that had sprung up after not being mended made one forget of the horrid life that awaited them on their heels. I walked in thought for a long time; simply thinking in "what if". All possible scenarios and circumstances that may change the world. Then she said" how much farther?"

I turned to her and smiled," not much farther now. If you are tired, we can stop at the beach. We are only about a mile or two from the shore."

She perked up at the idea and gawked at me," now I dun think I've ever seen the beach, I'd like that if we could."

" I looked off to the direction of the farm, then changed my gaze towards a road that led to the beach. I stared her in the eyes and said," well then lets go, we just can't stay very long." We began down the other road towards the beach. It was covered in dirt and it was growing over with wildlife, but the original road was still visible through all the brush. We walked through the bit of trail that was in our way until we got to the white sandy shore. I picked her up and put her on my shoulders so she could see farther out over the horizon and into the south of the world.

" Well now, I can't even see anything over there. Is there anything else past here?"

I put her down back on the warm sand and she walked on to the shore line. I rolled up the legs of my jeans until they were up to my knees and I went over with her. We both stood just far enough in the water where we would be comfortable.

"There is more, but hundreds of miles off."

" woah, that's just so far off."

I looked back down to her and said," yes, yes it is."

She stood there for a long time and just probed the water with her hoof. I noticed that she seemed to need some help to get to know the water. I leaned down to hug her and she returned it. Then I grabbed her soft fur-coated body and looked her in the face.

" Now what do ya'll think yer doin?" she asked with a tone of shock in her voice.

" Just having some fun." With these last words I raised her up into the air, then I threw her in a slight outward arc. She splashed into the water and sent a moderately sized wave at me, which managed to get me wet up to my waist. I laughed at this little bit of chaos and she surfaced. She looked at me; she wasn't angry but she was red faced, from embarrassment.

"oh so ya'll think that you're real funny huh." With this she ran out of the water. I turned to see where she went, afraid she was running away. She got quite a ways back on the shore then pivoted around to face me. Then she stamped the ground with her hoof, she was beginning to charge. I smiled at this challenge and raised my hands to her, then I said," come on dear, we haven't got all day." It seemed as though she was running faster than she was capable of. She was pouncing on me with the force of a freight train. I was flying backwards into the water that was behind me. I looked to her through the salt water to see here triumphant face. I held my breathe for as long as I could, then I picked her up from on top of me. I held her infront of my now dripping wet body as I stood up from the water. She smiled and blushed a deep rose red. I walked over to the shore and set her down, I then looked far up to the deep blue sky and let out a sigh. We had stayed much longer than expected. I looked back down to AJ and noticed she was still blushing, and she was also smiling ear to ear.

"Come on, we need a place to stay. There is no possible way that we could get to the farm, get what we need, and still get home before dark. Come on, there is a beach house up ahead. We can sleep there tonight."

" Alright dad." We walked off into the direction where I had seen an old abandoned house before. We walked along at a brisk pace, towards the west a ways. It was almost as though we were racing the sun to get to a shelter before it brought the moon. When we saw the top of the beach house over the horizon, I noticed something was very different. There was a red brick wall outside, the windows were newly shuttered, the house seemed to have been repainted a pearl white, there was a fairly successful garden outside of the front door, there was an ornate cobblestone walkway leading to the houses large oak doors, and in front of these doors were two stone lion heads on pedestals of concrete. But one thing that really seemed to surprise me was that there was a sweet sound of music in the air. I looked to AJ and told her to stat behind me. I looked back to the house and pulled my gun close to my hand. We walked up to the gates of the small wall and pressed the ringer of the gate. After about twenty seconds the gate slowly pulled open. We heard a female voice over an intercom say in a very un-accented, proper English voice," come up to the front doors and stand near the peephole. I will decide whether you may enter or not." I nodded my head to show that I agreed, for I knew we were being watched. I walked very cautiously through the pathway and stared in awe at the plant life that had grown so close to the shore. There were all colors of the spectrum in this garden and the wonderful aroma filled me with a sense of peace. When we got up to the front oak door, I stood and awaited my judgment. I saw a green light shine above the door, I suppose that this signaled that I was allowed to enter. The large front door opened and I saw nothing.

"Down here!" I looked down to see a white pony, like AJ, that had a purple man and a horn. WAIT UP, I could not believe what I was seeing; a unicorn standing right in front of me. But I recognized this pony, it was from the old cartoon show that me and AJ used to watch in the mornings. Her name was Rarity I believe.

" May I help you sir?" she said in an impatient tone of voice.

" You may in fact. I would like to speak to the head of the household. Is anyone else here?"

She walked over to an intercom and pressed one of the center buttons on the panel. A voice come on over the other side. It was heavy with static, but understandable.

"Yes honey, what is it?"

"There are some people at the door father, they seem alright to me and one of them asked to speak to you.''

" Send him to the atrium."

"Right this way sir." We walked through lavish hallways decorated with the finest art, in surprisingly good condition for pre-war art. There was a red carpet around the length of the square hallway which wrapped around a large open space filed with tropical plant life. There was a water pumping system fuelling a fountain in the center of the atrium.

"May I help you sir?" I almost died of heart failure right there; his voice was not low or intimidating, but it carried so well that it sounded like he was talking right into my ear. He closed the old worn book he was reading and he set it onto the brown wicker table he was sitting at. I noticed the title of the book which was one of my personal favorites, To Kill A Mockingbird. I motioned my hand towards the chair as a request to sit down. He smiled and pushed the chair out for me, with his foot while he was sitting on the other side of the table. I walked over to the chair and set my gun on the table, to possibly show him a sign that I meant him no harm at the moment. I sat down in the chair and leaned back slightly. I then looked up to the now darkening sky, I knew there was no way that we would be able to get home in time.

" I know what you are going to ask me, and yes you may stay here for the night." I looked back down to his face to see he was again lost in the book.

" That happens to be one of my favorites, I find the many morale applicable to the lives of both adults and children." He looked up from the page and he fixed his gaze upon me. He dog eared the place where was reading and he closed the book for good now. Then he leaned back in his chair much like I was and he said," I re-read it every year, ever since I found Rarity wandering the side of a road about 7 years ago. I think that the messages of equality and love and learning lessons through our personal experiences is a good base of leadership for all fathers. I realized about a month after I found her, that I saw her as my daughter. I strive to be like Atticus in my life and help her to be a better woman." It was good to know that not only was I not the only one to find one of these creatures, but I was not a maniac for loving one either.

" I have many other books that I feel are essential in life in my library. You are welcome to take whatever books you please."

" Well, I did not come here for books. I was actually needing a place to escape the horde. We spent so long on the beach that I was not watching the sun, and as soon as I got the chance to check it was to late." He seemed to ponder this information, then he simply nodded and went back to reading," you may stay for one night." I got up form the table and went back the way I came in. I looked down to AJ, who was sitting by the door waiting for me. I tussled the part of her mane that was on her head and looked over to Rarity. She said," I suppose my father has decided to let you stay, I will take you to the spare bedroom." She led us down a hallway with beautiful artwork lining the hall. We were stopped by a smaller oak door and she left us where we were. I looked down to AJ and then I opened the door. When the door was completely opened we saw a beautiful room filled with lavish accommodations. The bed was wide enough for both her and I, the drapes were a gorgeous silken purple the likes I had never seen or heard of, there was a bookcase that was filled with classic books from before The Fall, there was a soft and velvety rug that was decorated with amazing patterns that are seen in castles.

"Not bad," AJ said as she walked into the room. I smiled at her remark and walked over to the bed. It was high but I got up easily. I felt the bed shift slightly as Applejack got up next to me and lied down with me. The silence was sweet and the darkness filled the room. " Good night dear," I said as I kissed her on her cheek.

" Good night dad."

OK, so sorry this took so long to come about but I have lost my flash drive with all my roughdrafts and outlines on it. Everything will be going slow for a while unless I find it. Any questions or comments can be asked by comment or PM.

All reviews are appreciated and I look forward to feed back.