Fallout Equestria: The Ranger of Seamane

Chapter 10 – Not so Simple

“I am not a smart pony.” -Everypony

On the list of things I hated in the wasteland snow was quickly climbing to the top of it. Sand still was at the top since it was harder to get rid of than snow. Though snow had its own problem of sapping the heat out of you as it went from ice to water. Even so we were making good time as we headed east towards the coast. In the morning I was the first one to awake. I had immediately removed myself from the sleeping bag and got myself ready, even eating a light breakfast while I waited for Snow to wake up. Having slept so close to her I had frustrating thoughts running through my head the entire morning. Now following her my eyes kept drifting to her rear as she guided me out of the forest. Snow had asked if everything was alright with me a few times and I just shrugged it off saying that it was my body fighting off infection from the bite. She seemed to buy it for now or pretending to buy it for my sake.

        As the hours wore on the heat between my hind quarters didn't lessen, though I was thankful for it to a degree as it kept my warmer in the cold of the snow covered forest. One thing I hadn't anticipated from my long coat was that now that the snow had compacted and froze overnight that my hoof steps got swept away by the tail of my coat as all that sat free was the powdery snow. It made me as close to untrackable as I could get out here. About eleven thirty when we finally reached the edge of the forest. I stood there looking east at the vast featureless plains of white stretching out into the horizon.

        “I wish I could join you Moonlight, but, well we need every hoof we can have on hand here. I get the feeling this is going to be a bad winter.” Snow said as she stood next to me looking out into the stretching white.

        “I understand, kind of getting used to this whole being alone thing so don't worry about me.” I sighed having pulled off the respirator off of my face and gave her a smile.

        “Feel free to stop by next time you are around.” Snow offered as she wrapped her face in a scarf.

        We both stood there for a moment looking at one another. Then I put on my respirator to cover my face before I turned red as thoughts came back to my mind.

        “Stay safe Snow, keep everyone in Black Wood safe too.” I instructed before I began to walk off into the snow covered plains.

        “Yeah, you stay safe too...” I heard Snow say before her soft hoof steps faded away from me.

        With her departure I found myself able to pull myself together and pick up the pace. I had another lonely walk ahead of me. With how cold out it was I doubted anything was out here in the cold with me. I was the only one stupid enough to be out here in the freezing cold as more snow fell.

        “Yeah, winter has come to the wasteland, and it is feels like you are right Snow, it is going to be a bad winter.” I muttered to myself.

        The walk was silent one to the point I pulled out a book and read as I walked. The vast nothingness of the winter scape left me alone. My barding made me blend in with the snow all around me making certain that I would be unnoticed by most. The trip to the coast took two days thanks to the snow, but, it was uneventful beyond my hoof getting stuck in holes under the snow. As well as a few times where I had to hide in a bank of snow due to gryphons flying over head.

        Having arrived at the coast I saw my spritebot diligently waiting for me. As I walked up to the spritebot I heard a chirp as it moved to me and took its place hovering over my shoulder. I guessed Watcher had done a bit of programming so it would make noises when it did various things. I let out a sigh as I looked to the north where I saw more snow falling. A few more cold days until I got to Friendship City. I marched on as the spritebot began quietly playing DJ Pon3's station. The music was a good companion to my travel, the DJ playing music to fit with the seasonal shift. It cheered me up the slight bit that I needed after having left the company of others a few days ago. I thought back on the past week and a half and how much of that time all I had for a traveling companion was just music. Only three of the past ten days had I spent any time in the company of anyone. Those few bits of time I had spent with others where precious to me. I didn't enjoy being out here on my own, not having anyone to at a moments notice turn to and talk to. I had taken for granted the other ponies in Saint Clover with this. I always knew I could walk somewhere in the ship and find someone to talk to. Now, I had a occasional visitor in the form of the elusive Watcher.

        Over the next few days I had no visits from Watcher, and only an occasional encounter with a lone pony. Most of them looked worse for wear. Of the ones I encountered I did my best to patch them up to get where they were wanting to go. A few of them were so far gone that I couldn't do anything for them so I instead stayed with them as they passed. Many of them were delirious talking about giant crabs, dragons, and ponies made of ice. Given the amount of exposure they had received I gave the stories of dragons and ice ponies to simple delusion. As for the crabs, honestly with what I had seen with how mutated animals could grow from a small lizard to what geckos are now. I believed that there were probably giant crabs about.

        Sprite was quite beyond the DJ's music and occasional chatter as we headed up the coast. He made mention of me having shown up in Fillydelphia and being captured by alicorns, he hoped that I had managed to escape. I was surprised that he was so behind in information about me seeing as he had access to those towers and their cameras. Though, I noticed that I hadn't seen any towers in a long while, maybe I was just out of viewing range for now.

        Then I heard Sprite burp out the sound of battle music for a moment, then I saw it on my Eyes Forward Sparkle, a single red bar. It was a giant crab. The thing was blue and looked like a bell with eyestalks and legs coming out of the bottom of it. It then started to scuttle towards me snapping its pincers. I drew out my pistol and hit S.A.T.S.. I dumped two rounds into what was called its 'face' and watched as both failed to hit and instead struck its shell doing nothing more than blackening where the rounds hit. I turned and ran from it letting S.A.T.S. recharge and working on a new plan of attack. Sprite stood, well floated, its ground and continued firing at it. The crab stopped below it and attempted to attack it and failed due it being so short. I sat there watching the two try to fight one another for a solid minute before I broke out laughing as neither one could harm the other.

        I wrapped the crab in my telekinesis and flipped it upside down. Sprite made short work of it once its softer underside was exposed. It's shell was still hard enough that Sprite's laser didn't punch through, but, instead cooked it to death. Smelling it my stomach growled and I pulled out my combat knife and started to carve it up. I didn't bother to stop while eating or carving out the crab meat, I just kept walking taking a mouth full when I could. I found crab meat was rather amazing. Though now I was a bit more worried about the whole fact that ponies are meant to mainly eat plants and yet I was mainly eating meat for the past week.

        “There you are, Moonlight,” came the familiar voice of Watcher from Sprite.

        “Hello to you to, Watcher,” I said before taking another bite of crab.

        “Uh... are you eating a crab?” Asked Watcher.

        “What, something wrong with eating crab?” I shot back at him before taking another bite. While it was slightly radioactive it was at least far better than the pre war stuff I had on me. Yesterday I had finished off the last of my gecko steaks so I was down to prewar food and the grass I had harvested.

        “Well, it is just that you're a pony, and ponies don't typically have a high protein diet.” Watcher explained and he was right about that, ponies are meant to be opportunistic omnivores not just herbivores or carnivores. With that I pulled out a bit of the grass and had a mouth full of it before returning to the remains of the crab. “Well at least you won't starve due to a stubborn attitude towards eating meat.” Watcher finished with what sounded like a sigh.

        I swallowed the last bit of crab that I wanted for now then turned my head Watcher's way. “Well maybe I am just tainted or something, but, I prefer eating meat overeating the two hundred year old preserved food. Too much salt for my diet otherwise.” I grinned.

        We walked for a few more minutes in silence as I packaged the rest of the crab meat before tossing the remains away.

        “Hey, Watcher, how long until I can see Friendship City?” I asked as I closed my saddlebags and upped my pace.

        “If the weather was better you would be able to see it now, as it is by tomorrow I would guess.” I looked out to where E.F.S. marked Friendship City to be. I hadn't gotten an explicit explanation of how to get to it, though. I was assuming a bridge of some sort as it was on a island. In particular the island that held the Friendship Statue that sat in Manehattan's bay. That or I was going to get to go on my first ever boat trip.

        “Well alright then, oh, Watcher, can you do a favor for me.” I turned my head slightly towards Watcher and waited for a reply.

        “What do you want, Moonlight?” Watcher asked after a minute of silence.

        “Can you see where Ruby's Caravan is and if a Rose is with them. If you can tell me how long until they reach Tenpony Tower?” I hoped this wasn't too much to ask of Watcher, and I expected him to ask for something in return.

        “Oh, is that all?” Watcher responded, apparently that had surprised him. Maybe he had some requests in the past that he was uncomfortable with.

        I blinked, “yeah that is it, just want to know how fast I am going to have to go to catch up with them.”

        “Alright then I will get right on that, you just keep heading for Friendship City.” I gave a nod and with a quiet pop DJ Pon3 started playing again.

        The next few hours passed without incident until I saw a number of crabs on the beach. I crouched down behind a drift of snow and started to zoom in with the monocular to see what they were up to. Most were milling around and digging from the looks of it. Then I saw two pony shapes in the crowd, one was on the ground surrounded by crabs, the other seemed to be watching over the crabs. The standing one seemed to have barding made of the same blue shell as the crabs. I zoomed in further and saw their face. The thing wasn't a pony, at least not anymore. As I examined it I noticed that it was some sort of pony crab hybrid. I made an assumption of this is what taint could do to the native wildlife and even ponies. As I observed it I watched as it opened its mouth and took a bite of the deceased pony before it. Its mouth was full of leg like things to make up for the lack of a tongue. I sunk back behind the snow drift, and weighed my options. I could easily skirt around them while they fed on the corpse or I could kill them all and hopefully prevent more from spawning as well as attacking others. With a sigh I pushed myself up to go kill the crabs and the pony crab.

        As I stood up I got a pincer to the face, it cut into the straps for the respirator severing them and punching through my cheek into my mouth. With a rush of my fore legs and my magic I tossed the crab into the ocean. The burst of light from my magic and my cry of pain got the attention of the rest of the crabs. I put away my respirator as it was useless for now with the straps cut and drew at the same moment my knife, pistol, and revolver. A ear piercing scream hit me disorienting me as the crabs drew closer. I saw the pony crab open its mouth and a blue orb pulse out at me. I gave myself a telekinetic shove to the side as the orb slide past me hitting the snow behind me with an echo of a scream.

        “Oh you are so fucking dead you freak of nature!” I screamed as I leapt over the crabs that had made it to the snow drift. The few between me and the hybrid I tossed aside with my magic and I put up my shield ahead of me I hit S.A.T.S. and put two rounds from the pistol and revolver into its face. Releasing the spell I watched as one of its four eyes exploded the three other shots tearing out chunks of its carapace. I charged as it threw another orb of sound at me, I jumped over it and continued to close having holstered my pistols in favor for my knife. Just before my shield hit it I jumped over it and stabbed at its mouth with the knife only to watch as it just scrapped harmlessly over its carapace.

        'Damn it,' I thought to myself, 'this thing is just too tough for my weapons.'

        I ran off down the beach as I watched Sprite roast the crabs that I had flipped over and the hybrid start to run after me. I dug my hooves into the sand and turned around then sprinted directly at the hybrid I put all of my magic into the shield making it as dense as possible as well as angling it into a point. My only hope was to hit it with either enough force to stun it or crack its shell. That or waste a lot of ammo on just this one. As it opened its mouth to spit a orb at me my shield hit it in the throat, I watched as a deep cut formed on its carapace and it was lifted up as I ran past it. I saw as blue blood leaked out of from the wound as the carapace around my strike cracked and I heard a loud crash as the hybrid smashed onto its back into the sand. I stopped and huffed my breath creating large puffs of steam in the cold air. The red bar of the hybrid vanished as it didn't move any further. I gulped and tasted blood as I relaxed now that the hybrid had died. I turned to the rest of the crabs on the beach and one by one flipped them with my telekinesis and smashed them shell first into the loose sand keeping them stuck in place while Sprite finished them all off. I pulled out one of my five last healing potions and downed it, feeling the hole in my cheek close up. I sat down as I pulled out my respirator out and some spare leather to patch the strap.

        For the first time I listened to the ocean waves lapping at the shore as we moved north again. I had Sprite turn off the radio. After having finished off the crabs I collected their meat as well as I had taken parts of their carapace. I had a idea for a upgrade to my barding using their incredibly hard shells. All I needed was a workbench and some wonderglue. It something that would have to wait until I got to Friendship City. I looked out towards where the statue should be and saw a dark form on the water towering into the sky. That must be it, I thought to myself, well now all that is left is to get to there.

        Today seemed to have a idea that I needed things to distract myself with. Be it the raiders that I just slaughtered for shooting at me. The crabs that just wouldn't leave me alone. Or blood wings that seemed to have decided that this pissed off mare was a good target for lunch. I was practically growling as I entered a lone building that I was planning on using as shelter for the night. As I did I saw two colts huddled together next to a small fire. When they saw me they brandished knives at me in their mouths. Both were earth ponies so I simply slapped them aside in my anger with my telekinesis. As both smashed into opposite walls they cried out in agony and I stopped seeing that their lights on E.F.S. hadn't ever been red. My eye twitched in anger at myself as I looked at the two slumped on the floor. I froze as I watched hoping that they would just breath. The one to my right coughed and tried to push himself up looking for his knife that I had embedded in the wall higher than he could reach. When he saw the other colt he stumbled across the small house to him and tried to wake him up. Then he started crying, pleading for him to wake up. I backed out of the house as I started to taste bile in my mouth.

        I ripped the respirator off of my face as I barely made it to the snow and threw up. My vision had begun to blur as I continued to heave.

        'You fucking idiot,' I mentally screamed at myself, 'you just attacked two lone colts armed with only knifes with enough force to kill a grown stallion!'

        I heard the pleading and crying stop from in the house and the two quietly talk.

        'At least you didn't outright kill them. Still you are a idiot for letting yourself not gauge the situation first then act. Don't you remember anything Dad taught us?!'

        I heard soft hoof steps toward the doorway and I turned to look up at the colt who dared approach me after I nearly killed them. I saw he was holding his left foreleg up as he stood there eyes filled with tears on his coat and face wet with them.

        “Can I patch you up to make up for this?” I asked him, as I did he flinched back, I winced at seeing him react to me that way.

        I stood there as the snow began to drift down again. Sprite floated quietly beside me, having never taken aggressive action towards them. I honestly felt like Watcher had his eyes on me, judging me for whatever his purpose of watching the wasteland was. I felt that I had just failed him in some way. I knew I had failed a part of myself with my actions. The colt at the doorway walked up to me, keeping weight off of his left foreleg.

        “Can you?” He simply asked.

        I nodded, he turned and walked back in and I followed. His friend was in worse shape than I thought. I had done some major damage with breaking bones, several of which had broken through his skin. I pushed down my guilt and self loathing once more and pulled out all of my medical supplies and went to work on saving the colts life. As I did I set out what food I had for the other colt. From what I saw here they didn't have anything besides each other and the kitchen knifes they had brandished at me. As I examined the badly injured colt I saw that one of his ribs had also punctured a lung of his. With a heavy sigh I levitated the colt into the air and gave him an injection of Med-x as I began to move his bones back into place, moving everything back to where it should be. I levitated out two of my healing potions and one by one brought them to his mouth and had him drink. I coaxed him to drink slowly so I could make certain he was healing properly and wouldn't leave him permanently injured or crippled.

        As it was even with my attempts at healing he still had a long while until he could walk on his own. I also sadly noted he probably would have a limp for the rest of his life thanks to the damage his right hind leg had received. I turned my attention to the other colt, for him it was just a few bruised ribs and a fracture in his left fore leg. I gave him my second to last healing potion. I then walked back outside into the snow letting it land on me as I had taken off everything protecting my head and neck while I had been working on the two colts. I had also left them my sleeping bag. I was going to keep watch over them tonight. In the morning I would ask them if they wished to travel with me to Friendship City. I figured that it would be safer there than it was on the oceanfront with raiders and mutated crabs and crab ponies.

        I sat there in a silent vigil as the snow stung at my eyes and the wind sapped my heat. It helped me feel more at ease with what I had done hours ago to two innocent colts. They had only been trying to protect each other from a mare drenched in blood and covered from head to toe in armor. Of course their first reaction would be to try to defend themselves. For Celestia's sake it was my first response as well, I saw two ponies with knifes. It didn't even register to me they were just a bit younger than Silver Shores. I let out a sigh and stared out at the ocean. My eyes forward sparkle was clear of anything but three blue bars, two of them the colts the other being Sprite, or Watcher if he was indeed watching me.

        I sat there listening to the breeze whistle through the house as the distant sound of waves drifted in and out. I found myself thinking back, remembering those feelings and actions I had pushed out of my mind. Things that I did that I felt unbecoming of me. There were those ponies who praised me as a hero yet I felt that maybe at the beginning I was, but, now? Now I felt more like a idiot blundering about the wasteland in search of a actual goal. I had a few things I wanted to do, such as help DJ Pon3 with turning on the remaining three towers in the Seamane area. Not just for the caps, but, so ponies had something to break the silence and lack of communication. Something so they could hear about the rest of the world and know they were not alone. Actually I didn't care about the caps for that anymore, how Homage was happy that I had gone out of my way to help was enough. I also remembered how in Dune City they were happy to hear the DJ clearly over the radio again. I remembered the praise I got for slaying Thunderlord making trade in the area far safer as now ponies could avoid Slate's territory by Oakmare.

        I remembered helping Snow, I had given them back their source of clean drinking water as well as water for irrigation. I did it just because I had nothing better to do, and that is what made me the happiest. Helping others for the sake of helping. I had not a clue what I was doing that first week out of Seamane, I blindly ran into raider camps and got shot up. I had a hoof to hoof fight with radscorpions and came out alive. I did stupid things without thinking. This time it had gotten two colts hurt, before, it always just ended up with me getting hurt. I needed to be more careful as well since I had friends who cared about me. Though my friends may not be with me now they would certainly know what I had done when I met up with them. If not by the DJ's words then by my own. I wasn't perfect, even with what training my dad gave me I was still a bit rash, I had a short temper, but, who didn't after a long day of things trying to kill you. The freezing cold biting at your energy reserves. Still even with that, I had given up most of my supplies to heal the two as well as my bed.

        I took a deep breath and calmed myself before I let my thinking drive me down a path of bad thoughts. I thought back to the comics I had read, thinking back to then it felt like another life. All I had cared about was my parents approval of my skills. Skill that they had taught me and I had honed through practice and reading. I hadn't ever thought about all the ponies out there who were struggling to just survive the wasteland. I had a idea of how hard it was in the wasteland, but, always thought ponies lived in places like Saint Clover. No, many ponies didn't have the safety of Saint Clover's hull. Many ponies were like these two colts. Compared to these two colts I was a rich pony who grew up in a posh environment. I frowned thinking of the jewelry in my saddlebags. I lifted my pipbuck and scrolled through my inventory. The jewelry was listed as being worth more than everything else I had. Well now I bet I could buy a place for those two to live in with just this. I smiled, yeah that is what I would do, pay for them a place to live. A place where they could just be kids and had walls to protect them from the wasteland. While they may not have their innocence they would have safety and shelter.

        I blinked as I looked up into the drifting snow. “So that is why she called me a ranger. I am not the noble knight, the one who won’t slink away under the cover of night, one who will always fight those who need to die. No, I am the ranger, who chooses when to fight, who will willingly walk away to fight another day. The ranger who isn’t flawless, who isn’t noble. I have the courage to not just fight that needs to be fought, but, to also know when not to fight. I am not perfect, but, I have a principle to follow. I have goals to accomplish. Most importantly I have a marefriend to return to.” I said to the frigid night.

        After a few minutes I grew bored, though I felt a bit more emboldened. As I sat there as the wind blew my mane and the snow began to stick to my horn sending a shiver down my spine. I flicked on DJ Pon3 and listened to it quietly as morning came to the wasteland and the snow stopped falling. I shook my head causing the snow caught in my mane to fall out. As I sat there I saw the clouds over the bay part and sunlight came down reflecting off the water. It was beautiful to see the rays of light piercing the usual gloom of the wasteland. I checked my pistols as I waited for the two to wake up, I giggled quietly, some snow falling off of my shoulders as I did. I had forgotten to reload them last night. I really was a mess last night wasn't I. No matter, I had a plan of action and I was going to help these two and make certain they have a good life where they could be safe from the wasteland.

        I walked into the house to find the two stirring. I gave a smile and started the fire back up so I could give the two colts a warm meal before we headed out for the day. I also was starting to figure out how to protect these two from the cold. I ended up deciding that they would share my overcoat. The colt whose leg I had broken was walking around just fine and had assured me he could carry his brother. I shrugged off my overcoat and left if for them. I was to run decoy as they made their way to Friendship City. We were only twenty four miles away, while it would take them most of the day I could get there in four hours just a bit of trotting. I went back outside to see that the area where the clouds had fallen apart had closed up. For a brief moment once again I had seen the light from Celestia's sun. With a nod to myself I was ready for the trip.

        The two colts looked a bit goofy in my coat, but, they blended in well enough with the snow. I asked them about their relationship and they informed me they were twins from, unfortunately the group of raiders I had taken out last night. They had been out trying to pass some rite of age. I didn’t tell them I had killed everyone they probably knew. It wouldn’t help them, and it wouldn’t absolve me for it. I also knew it wouldn’t help them any, plus they didn’t seem to mind terribly moving to a better home.

        “Okay you two, I am giving you my revolver, it is loud as heck so if you are in trouble just fire it. Don't worry about hitting your target.” I said to the two. The one being carried actually took the revolver. With that we set out, I also gave them Sprite for a bit more protection. I had my helmet strapped to my side, every step making it bump into the my ammo boxes above my saddlebags. The sound I hoped would draw attention to myself as well as my blue mane standing out sharply from the white snow and the gray skies. As I walked on my own I saw the Statue of Friendship finally, the snow having moved off allowing me to also the ruins of Manehattan. The broken skyline... It reminded me of home.

        “Celestia if you are still out there, watch over those two for all of their days. I will do my best to find them a home where they may be free to be children.” I said to the air, all I got in return was a cold breeze.

        The first two hours were uneventful, then I heard my revolver go off. I had reset my E.F.S. marker to be on Sprite who was sticking with them. It took me all of three minutes of running through the snow, several times I just smashed through drifts using my magic to part them. When I arrived I saw two ponies staring down the colts. Everyone was blue. As I showed up on the scene with a flurry of snow behind me a bullet grazed my neck. There wasn't a second shot as silence fell on the five of us. The two unknown ponies were also both earth ponies, a mare and a stallion. They only had rags on them to protect against the elements. I took a guess as to why they were pointing a gun at the two colts.

        “There ain't no problem here Miss, we were just trying to barter ourselves that there coat from these two colts when their gun went off is all.” Said the stallion.

        I slowly nodded taking in the situation. The mare had been the one who shot at me. She had a repeater rifle. Looking at the stallion he had a still holstered semi auto pistol.

        “Maybe I can mediate this, but, why are you out here and not there?” I said pointing a hoof at Friendship City in the distance.

        “Well... uh...” Stammered the stallion.

        “And that coat you want is mine.” I said, the mare started to look more worried.

        “You just shut the buck up missy!” The mare shouted at me training her repeater to aim directly at my head.

        I raised my eyebrow at the action. “I hate to break your bravado, but, this isn’t the first time somepony has aimed a gun at me.”

        The Stallion held a hoof out to the mare. “Hey calm down Honey Bunny, lets not get ahead of ourselves here.”

        She looked at him and seemed to calm down a little.

        “Now then, those two are under my protection, I am taking them to Friendship City. You cannot have my coat because otherwise they would probably freeze to death on the trip. However you are welcome to come with us to Friendship City. So long as you promise not to try to shoot any of us.” I offered to the two.

        “No thanks, I think we should be going.” The stallion said as he started to turn and leave. The mare glared at me as they left. I didn’t take my eyes off of them until their marks on my EFS blinked out of existence.

        “Let me replace that round you fired off.” I said levitating a new three fifty seven round out as the carried colt pushed out the cylinder so I could reload it for them. “You two okay?”

        “Yeah we are miss, I didn't know if you would actually come. I am glad you did.” Said the one who was carrying his brother.

        “Hey, would you two mind telling me your names?” I asked them, “mine is Moonlight.”

        “Sure thing Moonlight, I'm Pencil, and this is my brother Sting.” Said the one carrying his brother.

        “Pencil and Sting, I am going to do the best I can to set you up with a good home in Friendship City. You won't have to live with anypony else if you don't want to. I owe it to you.” I said to them. “Now then lets get going again, we aren't getting any warmer standing here in the snow.” I gave them a smile which they returned.

        After the encounter with who I assumed to have been bandits, that or just two really stupid stuck up rich ponies. We had made rather good time with getting to the edge of Manehattan. It was something else to be in the city during winter. I had imagined what this place would be like back in the day. Probably would have the streets clear of any snow, carriages moving up and down the streets. Seasonal music probably playing from every spritebot in the city. We had stuck to the ocean side of the ruin as we headed for the bridge connecting Friendship City to the rest of Manehattan. As we did I noticed very few red bars on my E.F.S. It seemed that either the cold drove anypony who would attack us deeper into the ruins for shelter or this path was just not on their list to patrol. In any case I felt relieved to not have to worry about protecting Pencil and Sting during a firefight.

        As we closed the last few blocks I heard a gunshot ring out, my first instinct was to tackle the two colts and protect them with my body. When I heard more gunshots ring out I noticed no pinging of bullets around us. I put on my helmet and lowered the monocular. From here I could see what looked like a caravan stuck on the bridge as a group of raiders hit them. I then heard a report of a large rifle and a slight glint of light. I turned my sight towards it and saw a raider sitting on the third floor of a half collapsed building with a sniper rifle.

        “Sprite stick with them, I need to take that sniper out or the bridge is going to be closed all day while the raiders camp out on their victims.” I commanded the mindless spritebot, it gave a chirp as it understood my orders. “You two, stay safe, stay in cover. I will come get you when the battle is over.”

        “Alright Mom!” Said pencil who then turned a bright shade of red. Then in almost a whisper, “I mean Moonlight...”

        I gave a small giggle and kissed him on the forehead. With a quick turn I was off, I went into the ruins one block so I would be out of sight of the sniper. I heard a few more rounds crack through the frozen air as I galloped full speed through the broken streets, turned over carriages, and rubble from collapsed buildings. My heart was pounding, I was grinning like a mad pony, and I was happy. As I reached the building that housed the sniper I saw a raider standing guard of the door. I was already at top speed so I just threw up my shield like I had against the hybrid pony crab thing. I watched as a hole cleanly opened up in him as my shield cut into him. He didn't even have a chance to voice his shock or raise an alarm as his body hit the ground, lifeless, with a meaty thud. I didn't even stop to check him for items as I dashed inside keeping up my pace as I went up the stairs. The buildings layout was simple and it took me no time to reach the third floor. As I did I heard the familiar beeping of mines, a lot of them in fact. I just jumped and pushed everything that was loose to either side of me. The room filled with fire as I rolled out of it and into the room that the sniper had been sitting in. As I stood I saw him drop his rifle. I then noticed why, I felt blood coming from my forehead and my mane burning where it lay against my neck. With a quick bit of telekinesis I blew out the fire, my grin still on my face as my blood leaked into my mouth. I licked at the copper tasting fluid.

        “What, don't want to die? Shouldn't have become a raider, or joined the attack on that caravan.” I said while staring down the poor stallion that I had just caused to wet himself in terror.

        “You don't understand! That caravan, it isn't one of the traders, it is Red Eye's. Somepony in Friendship City is trying to sell out the town!” He said as he lay with his fore hooves covering his head.

        I just blinked. “What in the names of Celestia and Luna are you talking about?”

        He pointed to a dossier that was sitting on a table in the room. I looked at him then pulled it over with my magic as I wrapped bandages around my head. I flipped through it, indeed it indicated a mare from Red Eye's Fillydelphia forces was here. The others were hired mercenaries a few of them gryphons who also had close ties to Red Eye. I turned to him and scowled, why couldn't this be simple. I looked at the sniper rifle and then moved to the lip of the room. The battle was going badly for the 'raiders' who were attacking the 'merchants'. I laid down and pulled the rifle to myself and took aim down range. I didn't see the gryphons at all, probably would be off at a distance to try to be let in at night once the infiltrators had gotten within the city.

        “Which ones?” I asked with a note of anger my breath hot and filling the air around me with steam.

        “Which what?” He meekly responded.

        “Which ones are Red Eye's? I am not going to shoot innocents if I can avoid it. Who down there beyond the mare indicated in that folder is with Red Eye?” I had my cross hairs on the target of this assassination. I felt my teeth sitting on the trigger as my hoof steadied the thing. I noticed that I wasn't using magic and was confused at myself, I am a unicorn, I should just be hovering this thing and aiming it that way.

        “Just her, the rest are hired ponies for cover. We are also under orders to keep casualties at a minimum on their side.” He said, with that my mind was made up. I hit S.A.T.S. and targeted the heart of the mare who was to die. I saw it on her face, fear, she wasn't fighting as hard as she could, instead she was tending to the wounded and keeping in cover. She had no weapons or even barding on her. This was no mare who was trying to infiltrate the city to take it over. Hay, the gryphons should be here providing aerial support so the operation doesn't go down in flames. I kicked out of S.A.T.S. and rounded on the sniper holding his rifle in the air with me.

        “She is not a Red Eye agent. You are being fed misinformation. Call off your friends so we can salvage this situation.” I said, my blood was still running hot, now from anger than excitement. There was no fight here to be won, no ponies to save from a defined bad. Hay, to me this whole thing stunk as somepony getting set up and I didn't like I couldn't tell who. “Get moving.” I said then jumped out the window with his rifle in tow.

        I slide down the side of the leaning building yelling at the top of my lungs to stop fighting. Apparently that was enough when they saw me. Both sides stopped, but, they stayed in their cover. I ran until I was standing between both groups, breathing hard. I saw in the distance Sprite floating, watching what I was doing, I didn't see the colts or my coat which meant they were still hiding. Good, I thought, I can settle this then we can get into the city. I put the sniper rifle around my neck as I caught my breath. Both parties seemed to start to relax a little. I think both sides started to realize the other wasn't quite who they thought they were. That is when Sniper showed up on the scene and began to talk to his ponies. As he did I walked to the merchants as I did I heard the familiar click of guns being turned off of safety, cocked, and loaded. All of their guns were aimed at me alone.

        “Listen, a horrible mistake has occurred here, let me help your wounded. That pony-” I pointed at Sniper “-will explain what is going on once he explains it to his own. Short of it is, they got played by somepony for some reason.”

        “How do we know you aren't part of a plan of theirs to get into the city?!” Shouted one of the caravan guards I heard a dangerous whirring from his battle saddle.

        “I... I don't know how to make you not think that. But, I assure you I just want to keep anypony from dying who doesn't have to, we already have enough things in the wasteland killing us we don't need to do it senselessly.” I fired back at the one with the mini gun battle saddle. It struck me odd how well armed he seemed to be compared to the rest who just had a pistol or varmint rifle.

        “Well just sit there then, when the head of security gets here we will sort this all out.” He said to me.

        Well crap, I thought, at very least I could probably get the two colts into town with a little explaining. Might give me a bit of leverage to not have things blow up in my face later. Though Sprite would have to stay hidden. Since Watcher was in control of Sprite that shouldn't be an issue for now. I sat down on the road and waited. Sniper then came up to me and sat down as well.

        “Sorry about this, but, probably going to take a while, and he is right, you are going to have to go into custody for a little while.” Sniper explained to me.

        “There are two colts, over by Sprite, my reprogrammed spritebot. They lost their parents a few days ago and I was bringing them here. Just get them safe and situated. Take what you need to pay for them to have home in Friendship City. I promised them I would do that when we got here. Beyond that I am at your mercy.” I said back to him, not looking at him just keeping an eye on the guard with mini guns.

        “I will go get them, sit tight.” Sniper said before heading towards where I figured the two colts were hiding. I felt that same deep itch under my mane again that just wouldn't go away. I finally broke down and began furiously scratching at it only to come away feeling no better than before and with a more frazzled looking mane. Thankfully the itch died down a few minutes later as Sniper walked up with the two colts. He was carrying Sting on his back while Pencil walked up in my coat holding my revolver. He set Sting down next to me and Pencil sat next to Sting as we waited.

        “You two alright?” I asked the colts.

        Pencil nodded as Sting rested against me. I pulled my coat back on after Pencil handed it to me. He started to shiver so I pulled the two under the long sides of the coat a hoof around their shoulders. They hugged me as we sat there waiting. We ended up having to wait half an hour, the wait itself was ended when the bridge was put back in place. Once it was in place the pony I assumed to be the chief of security for Friendship City came across with five guards each with battle saddles. Two others followed behind them carrying medical supplies and went to work on healing the injured of both sides. Sniper approached the chief of security and began chatting with him. I noticed a few hoof points at me as well as handing him the dossier that he had with him. The two looked ready to begin choking one another when the chief seemed to give in to whatever Sniper had been telling him. They and the other security ponies walked up to us.

        “You certain about this?” The chief asked Sniper, he received a nod of confirmation from Sniper. “I regret to inform you that you are under arrest pending an investigation, Miss?”

        “Moonlight,” I flately stated, I felt Pencil and Sting hug me tighter.

        “We will take care of your foals as you requested, in return for your peacefully surrender.” The chief said, Pencil and Sting practically where crushing my fore legs with their hugs as I nodded.

        “Pencil, Sting, I am going to have to go away for a while. Please understand, I am doing this to avoid further violence and you are getting a safe, warm home out of it.” I explained to the two colts, they just looked up at me with tear filled eyes, I felt tears start to fill my own eyes. “Don't worry, this will be cleared up in no time.”

        They let go of my legs as the medical ponies came over and wrapped them in blankets then put Sting on a stretcher and began carrying him to the city as Pencil walked along side them. Sniper took my weapons from me, I just sat there as they stripped me of everything but my long coat. I emptied every pouch and pocket for them as well, I hoped it would earn me some points that I could use later to help work this out. After everypony else had left but me and the security ponies I was escorted across the bridge to Friendship City. Supposedly one of the friendliest places in the wasteland, today, it seemed to live up to that name with the fact that they were arresting me instead of putting a bullet in my brain. As we crossed the end of the bridge my pipbuck displayed “Friendship City”. I simply laughed as it did, nopony paid me any mind as I was lead underground.

        My stuff was stored in a box my name crudely written on it as I was taken further in and placed in a cell. As I looked around it seemed to be rather badly built. I tried the mattress and found it only a bit better than sleeping on a layer of cardboard. The water was radioactive to the point I was going to avoid it as long as possible. The one thing workable was the toilet which seemed to have never been used before. I this time suppressed a laugh and merely quietly giggled to myself. I pulled out a ear bloom as I was left alone in the cold cell and tuned to DJ Pon3. I was hoping to hear some good news or at least a few good songs as I waited.

*                *                *

        After an hour of sitting in my cell the DJ finally came on, I had gotten tired of Sapphire Shores singing.

        “This is DJ Pon3, and that was Sapphire Shores singing about getting out of the cold. And, you know what my little ponies? Yeah get out of the cold! This winter seems to just be getting worse and worse! Now while I am not certain if someone up there is trying to freeze us out or not, but, mark my words find someplace dry and warm. Bundle up if you have to go out and don't go out alone. Speaking of alone I have a update on our Lonely Ranger out of Fillydelphia. After vanishing into the woods for a couple of days she reappeared on the coastline and headed north towards Friendship City! Also got some reports here of her clearing out nests of blood wings and raiders along the coast. So anypony thinking of settling down out that way, now you just have to worry about Red Eye's slavers. Interestingly enough I also have reports of her doing battle with crabs, including a crab pony. Honestly I think someone was drunk or high when reporting this in. But, the crabs are a threat, seems the cold weather has brought new friends to the wasteland in the form of crabs, not those types of crabs. No these are half the size of a pony at least and damn tough. As our Ranger of the Wastes found out best way to kill them is to cook them with heat. From how our Ranger dug into them afterwords I guess they also taste pretty good too. Now on a more serious note she was involved earlier today in a firefight out in front of Friendship City while escorting two lost colts. She put a stop to the fight, but, it seems she is now enjoying a rather cold reception in Friendship City. Hey you guys in Friendship City, when I said to show her some hospitality I didn't mean stick her in the gulag! And now back to the music with Sweetie Belle singing about...”

        I didn't pay attention to what song was being played next, I turned off the radio and stowed the ear bloom. If anypony in security had heard that news report by the DJ things were about to turn interesting. I smirked as I waited for somepony to show up and things to start to move along again.

I was wrong, and annoyed, my right eye was twitching in frustration. Half an hour later somepony finally came down and gave me 'dinner' which consisted of a box of flavorless mushy stuff. I think it was called cram. My pipbuck clicked as I ate it telling me that I was eating something radioactive. When I was done I slide it back and drank some of the water from the sink. Again my pipbuck clicked away, though a lot slower than I would have thought. I looked at the time and decided to get some sleep, if anypony was going to come get me, me being asleep wouldn't change a thing. I just hoped somewhere above me somepony who deserved it was getting the wrath of Celestia and Luna.

        My dreams were not good and I woke up with that deep itch under my mane again as well as a bit of pain throughout my body. I blamed the damn mattress for my pain, and the idiots who were probably still running around to figure out who tried to get them to kill some random mare. This was the second time in my life that somepony else's internal politics messed with my life. Last time I had been able to run into the night. I gently tapped the back my head against the cool metal wall.

        “I should have come up with a plan, been clever, let this lay on somepony else's hooves. Been in and out of this town and on my way back to Rose. Back to Seamane.” I sighed and watched my breath cool in the air. “But, that isn't who I am isn't it? I saw something bad happening and just tried to stop it. Things got more complicated and I did what I thought was best to keep it from getting worse for anypony except myself. I am not a clever pony am I? Or maybe I am just not as smart of a pony as I thought I was...” I trailed off as I sat there my head resting against the bars. Here I was sitting in a prison cell, I had the ability to easily break out if I wanted to. Hell probably escape into the night and be at Tenpony before anypony knew I left. I probably could leave a note saying I didn't care for the food and as such decided to stay somewhere else for my trip in Manehattan.

        “Buck it, if they don't have this straightened out by tomorrow I am just going to leave here on my own.” I said as I glared out of my cell into the empty room.

        Hours later I was finally visited by the chief of security. We exchanged only a few words. He had me write out what I had seen and sign a paper then left again. I then sat for another four hours staring at the Ministry of Moral Poster on the other side of the room that stated simply “Pinkie Pie is watching you FOREVER.” I was having a staring contest with her. She had won every match so far, but, I could tell her eyes were getting tired and she would soon blink and I would have my one victory that I wanted. She blinked then the door she was set on opened before I got to rub my victory in her face.

        “Moonlight, you are free to go, but, I advise you to leave as soon as you can. A few ponies may wish to tie up some loose ends. We have quietly placed your two colts in the city. They have plenty of caps and a nice warm room. Do not worry about them the will have friends with the many other foals here.” Sniper said to me as he walked in.

        “How bad is the weather? DJ said it was getting colder.” I asked to him as he opened my cell door.

        “That is also part of why you should leave as soon as you can. Another snow storm is on its way. Travel underground if you can, though there are ghouls down there. I think you will be more than capable of handling them.” Sniper explained as we walked to the box that held my items.

        “Can you get me a gun?” I asked him, he smiled and simply walked out as I began to get ready to head out into the oncoming storm.

        I finished getting my gear ready as the door opened again. I felt something hit me and continue going finishing its path with a ding against the metal walls of the room. I turned to see a pony completely coated head to hoof in black. I threw him into the ceiling with my magic as my body registered that I had been shot. Shock started to hit my systems as he landed on the floor knocked out. I pulled his gun away from him and began checking myself over again. The pistol he had used was a five point five six millimeter revolver pistol like This Gun. It however had a now useless silencer on it and a laser pointer. I shoved it into the holster where my three fifty seven revolver had been. I didn't find my revolver anywhere among my things. Maybe the two colts had gotten to keep it.

        Sniper walked back in and dropped the box he had been carrying in his mouth at the sight of the collapsed assassin. That or it was the sight of me patching myself up with magic. Also, the healing magic I had learned from Patches so long ago was coming easier to me now, and it appeared the only reason it would ever hurt is if I was having to set something with it.

        “Moonlight! Are you okay? What happened?!” Sniper asked me as he ran up to me.

        “They shot me,” I said pointing a hoof at the assassin, “I introduced them head first into the ceiling.”

        He stood there and then began rifling through the assassin's stuff. He pulled off the hood covering the assassin's face and frowned.

        “Moonlight, this isn't good.” Sniper said as I clicked open the cylinder of the assassin's pistol, huh four armor piercing rounds remained.

        “Yeah I know,” I said as I removed the armor piercing rounds and replaced them with five of my own regular bullets. “Going to take his gun with me, you do your job. Right now I am going to figure out what is going on. I don't like not knowing who wants me dead.” I growled as I walked over the assassin's unconscious body.

        “Wait I should escort you if you are going around town!” He called back to me as I opened the door to what looked like the lobby of the security section of the city.

        “Don't worry, I am not stupid enough to get killed yet.” I scoffed and pressed on. 'Sorry Sniper, I just need to do this.' I thought to myself.

        I didn't have a hard time getting out of security, I was supposed to be leaving now anyways. As I walked out I took stock of the town. They had built the town running the insides of the statue itself as well as along the outside of it. The place itself was pretty simple to navigate. Hay, it reminded me of Saint Clover, though a bit less orderly laid out since it was a statue instead of a boat that it was inside of. The town was lively and I moved about unnoticed. I kept my helmet off for the time being keeping my E.F.S. up the whole time looking for any red in the sea of the blue bars. I eventually found my way to a bar, good place to relax I thought to myself and ordered some whiskey. The owner of the bar was a sickeningly fat mare that I did my best to not interact with as much as I could.

        “Hey miss I don't think I have seen you around here before,” mentioned a buck who walked up to my table that I had taken in a corner. “Mind if I keep you company?”

        I looked at him as he grinned, he had beer with him, and from the way he held himself he had been drinking for a while. I shrugged and he sat down next to me. I took a pull of my whiskey as I eyed him. He was talking about something, my mind ignored the prattle as I assessed him. He seemed to be nothing more than a buck looking to get lucky tonight. After a while of drinking I challenged him to shots of whiskey. He took me up on the challenge. After two he was out cold, I barely felt anything at this point. I walked to the bar and made certain my 'date' was paid for then left. I had killed two hours listening to his mind numbing talk. As I walked about the town some more it was less crowded and more ponies seemed to have closed up shop. So it was getting late and I needed to find a place to stay.

        It didn't take me long to find a 'hotel' in the town. Once I did I paid for a single suite and went to it immediately. Once inside I stripped out of my barding and cleaned it up. I kept a close eye on my E.F.S. as I cleaned. None of the bars moved. As I finished patching and cleaning my barding I checked the bathroom of my suite. I was pleased to find it had warm water and a tub. I drew a bath as I waited I reread one of my magazines that I had with me. When the bath tub had filled I crawled into it having set This Gun inside the sink as well as my knife. I also had closed the door into the bathroom and made the bed so it looked like some pony was sleeping in it. Part of me wanted peace and quiet while I enjoyed the warm bath, the other was constantly on alert for a red bar to appear.

        I instead got to enjoy a half hour long hot bath that left me feeling very relaxed. I even took care of the building frustrations in myself since leaving Rose's company. At the end of it I was forced out due to the water itself was getting cold. I climbed out and drained the bath as I dried myself off. I took a look in the mirror that was in the room. For just having bathed I still looked terrible. There was a scar on my check from where the crab had ripped into my face. I also saw several other spots where my coat hadn't quite grown back at. The bite marks from the lower jaw of the giant blood wing were still visible on my neck. I looked at myself battered from the wasteland. It would all eventually heal up with time I told myself. I sighed as I pulled my knife and pistol with me and opened the door to see a shimmer in the air. I slammed the door closed and dived back into the still damp tub as I heard bullets ring through the door and ping off the tub. There was no red bar. I cursed as I lay in the tub and heard the door open. Then I heard something bonce on the floor. I didn't move, I figured it was a grenade.

        A resounding bang and light filled the room reminding me of when I hit my head face first into a metal wall. I blinked as the after image of the walls of the tub started to fade. I pushed myself up out of the tub and pulled the trigger of This Gun with my tongue as I sent my knife flailing throughout the room. The bullet hit as I saw blood spray against the wall on the other side of the doorway. I felt pain lance through my chest as I jumped and my attacker appeared. I still heard nothing by ringing in my ears. I slammed my knife home into the side of the buck who was shooting me it seemed enough to stop his firing as I planted two rounds into his head. He fell over and didn't move. I coughed and tasted blood in my mouth. I looked down to see my chest slick with my own blood from the holes that bullets had made into me.

        “Bastard, I just got properly clean since this whole mess started.” I cursed at the corpse of my attacker.

        I coughed and hacked more blood up, my E.F.S. showing that my chest was critically injured. Yeah thanks I couldn't tell by the fucking holes in me and the blood pouring out you stupid machine! I cast my examination spell as I forced my body to walk me to my bed. I lay on it as I found the bits of bullet still inside of me and removed them. I opened up my saddlebags and pulled out my healing supplies. They were starting to look rather meager, okay not starting to, they were in desperate need of restocking. I was out of painkillers and I only had a healing potion left. Once I cleaned out my wounds and wrapped myself up in bandages I injected the Hydra I had. I didn't know what the buck it was, but, my pipbuck told me it would accelerate the natural healing process. I immediately regretted it as I screamed out in agony as it felt like something squirmed around inside of me as E.F.S. cleared many of its warnings.

        I coughed up a bit more blood on the now bloody blanket I lay on. The ringing in my ears was now gone as I heard someone trying to knock down my door. I grabbed my pistol and held it in my mouth. My focus after that explosion hadn't been stellar, it was enough for short bursts of telekinesis but not anything akin to floating my pistol. I heard the door give and hooves spill in. They stopped two steps in seeing the corpse of my attacker. I saw a head peak around the corner, he was an earth pony and had no gun in his mouth. I kept my gun trained on him waiting for what he would do.

        “Get the doctor in here, she is badly hurt!” I called back and then pulled his face back from the corner addressing whoever had come with him. I spit This Gun onto my bed I tried to focus my magic and instead received a horrid pain from my horn as that deep itch returned and I felt squirming deep within me again. That was not a good sign...

        Sniper then walked into the room, I gave a weak smile to him. He grimaced at me and walked over to my bed. He looked tired, frustrated, and worried. I rested my head on the bed and noticed how sticky with my blood it was. ‘Well my bath did me a whole lot of good it seemed...’

        “Moonlight, don't move, we will have a doctor up here in a little bit. You lost a lot of blood from the looks of your bed.” Sniper said to me, I simply nodded.

        The only problem now was that I was feeling very tired and sluggish. I knew this was bad, very bad. I pointed a hoof to a bottle of sparkle cola in my bag. Sniper handed to me and I opened it up and began to drink. I needed to not sleep, the stimulants in the cola should help me fight off the shock and exhaustion I was experiencing. Not a minute after I finished drinking the cola I pushed myself off the bed in a hurry and wretched on the floor.

‘Well this suite was pretty much ruined...’

I felt a hoof on my back as I sat on my haunches forcing myself to breath deeply.

        “I'll be okay until your doctor gets here. Just got to stay awake.” I weakly stated to Sniper as he continued to keep me steady with a hoof. “Though, how much longer until your doctor should get here, Sniper?”

        “Should be only a minute more, and the name is Longshot.” Longshot muttered now leaning against me as it became harder to keep upright. My E.F.S. started flashing new medical warnings, my vision swam before me as I tried to read them. I remembered my dog tags that Patches had given me resting against my chest. Still untouched and still having a lot of medical information.

        “Have your doctor scan my tags when he gets a chance, friend of mine put on it a lot of medical information about me on it.” I said as the dark crept into my vision. “It might also be a really good idea to take me to his clinic instead of having him treat me here.”

        I felt myself go limp as the floor raced up to meet my face. I didn't feel myself contact the floor as the darkness overtook my vision.

*                *                *

        Before me sat the snowy plains I had been crossing a few days ago. Their almost featureless expanse reaching out and touching the horizon in every direction. I began to walk, I needed to get to Friendship City so I could resupply before making the trek to Tenpony. The snow started coming down harder as I walked. Damn it I wanted to get further than this before stopping for the day. Then I watched as night crept in far too fast. I quickly cleared an area for my tent and set it up. Just as quickly as the day had gone the night too passed.

        I continued on after packing up my tent, the snow had stopped and it was a bit warmer. I was still a long ways away from Friendship City or even the coast. I saw a building in the middle of the plains. I ran towards it. As I got close I saw a sign saying “Hippocampus Energy Plant #12” I quietly opened the door with my magic and crept in. I moved about the place, it seemed pretty uninhabited as I did. I picked through what I could finding a few locks that beat my abilities, the only things of value I found was a bit of medical bandages and ammo. The rest I passed on, my stocks doing well enough at the time. As I left I swear I had seen the figure of something bipedal walk into the place. I dared not stay around any longer and made haste north to the coast where Sprite was to meet me.

        As I walked I heard over the radio that Hell Hounds had been moving east around Fillydelphia. I worried about Black Wood, but, had hoped that Hell Hounds would stay away from it and stick to the plains. Once more day and night seemed to pass far too quickly as I went to sleep.

*                *                *

        I woke up, not in the snow or in my suite, but, on a clinic bed. It was a bad thing that I was getting good at realizing when I was in a clinic, wasn't it? I took a deep breath and was surprised it didn't hurt. I opened my eyes and looked down to see my bandages removed. My front was now just covered in patchy coat and small indents in my flesh where the bullets had torn into me. I looked around the room to see nopony around. Though I did feel This Gun laying under my pillow as my head moved a little. I also noticed on the cart next to me my tag was sitting there. I levitated over to myself and put it back on. It was welcoming to have it always around. A little piece of home.

        I frowned as I laid there thinking about my dream. It was a hyper condensed memory of part of my uneventful walk up from Black Wood. Was it due to that feeling of being stocked I had while there? Maybe my mind is just reprocessing things in light of ponies having the ability to go completely invisible. I blinked remembering that. That second assassin hadn't even shown up on my Eyes Forward Sparkle! Horse Apples, I was going to have to do whatever I was planning on doing in town quick and get out of here. What was left to do? Medical supplies would be nice, and getting my equipment back. I scanned around the room seeing only three blue bars. I figured on the layout of this place two were guards at the entrance the third being the owner of the clinic.

        I pushed myself over onto my stomach and pulled up the medical display that my E.F.S. had. Apparently I had majorly screwed up in my self treatment and ended up nearly dying to a shard of the hollow point rounds tearing apart my heart. I only figured this out from the fact that I had a critical injury to my chest after I had healed myself. It was the only thing that made sense really. He had shot me with hollow points, which matched with the pattern of damage I recalled having as I picked out the flakes of bullet from my body. Okay as soon as I could I was leaving Friendship City, the hospitality here sucked.

        I quietly rolled out of bed sliding This Gun out from my pillow and levitating it close to my left side. As I walked out I saw the doctor of the place. He was awake and facing the other direction. I stopped and looked around for any shimmering bits of air or visual distortions. Nothing, changed how I held myself so my hooves would sound loudly on the floor. That got the doctors attention pretty quickly.

        “Oh, you are awake already. I am surprised to see you up and about after nearly dying.” He confessed.

        “Where it so easy to kill me I would have never gotten this far.” I murmured as I set my gun on his desk facing away from both of us. My magic was still feeling a bit off.

        “How is your horn feeling?” The doctor asked.

        I rubbed the base of my horn a bit as the small headache formed. “Hurts a little when I do telekinesis.” I looked at the doctor, he was a unicorn like myself he was wearing a lab coat, his coat was a gentle red, not like blood.

        “That is to be expected, result of zebra alchemy to suppress unicorn magic.” He stated as if it was something commonplace, I just blinked at him.

        “Excuse me, I am not exactly familiar with zebra alchemy, when will it wear off?” I asked him.

        “Well you seem to be rather resilient to it, or maybe you just didn't get a direct exposure to it. So really it shouldn't be too much longer but any use of your magic is going to put you at significant risk of magical burn out.” I nodded at this, magical burn out would be not something I wanted to run into while in a town with people who wanted me dead or traveling. Though really, earth ponies managed without magic all the time so I really should be fine.

        “Do you know of maybe a potion or drug to restore my magic if I were to suffer magical burn out?” I asked the doctor.

        “I heard that somepony up in New Appleloosa does. Beyond that no, don't think really anypony made much in the way of drugs to do so either.” He stated with a shrug.

        “Well thanks for saving my life doctor, sadly don't think I will be in town much longer thanks to whoever is trying to kill me.” I gave a sigh, yeah I probably should just run and find a safe hiding place in the ruins was better than trying to fight every pony who was after my hide here.

        “You are welcome, Moonlight. Maybe next time we will get to chat before you have to run out of town.” He laughed.

        I nodded, “there are two colts I brought into town with me. Their names are Pencil and Sting, if they ever come in the door do what you can for them.”

        “On the old world oath of a doctor I swear I will do everything in my power to help them.” He smiled at me, “if you ever do come by, the name is Axinite. Name is from my mom for the color of my eyes, she had a thing for gems.”

        I smiled as he set the box holding my things on the floor in front of me. I immediately began to dress. I took care not to use my magic which made putting on my saddlebags a lot more annoying. After a few minutes of struggling with straps I had everything on and was out of breath. Axinite just looked amused.

        “Also a word of advice, don't use Hydra too much, it suppresses your natural healing after it is done. It is also high in taint, don't know where it comes from, but, it is dangerous.” Axinite said to me.

        “Great, just when I need my natural healing to be at its peak I messed it up... Do you have any healing potions I could buy?” I asked Axinite.

        “Sadly no, been out for the past day, should have some tomorrow though.” We both gave a sigh knowing that if I stayed that late I probably would be dead. “I have magical bandages that I can part with for now, just be careful.” With that I paid him a few hundred caps for all the medical supplies he could part with. Most of it was bandages, burn ointments, antibiotics, Radaway and rad-x. Still at least I had something more than I did. “Keep safe, Moonlight, and keep your head down.” Axinite said to me as I opened the front door.

        As I opened the door the two guards looked at me and gave a nod. “You two mind escorting me to security, I want to talk to Longshot before I leave.” They glanced at one another then one started walking down the hall ahead of me. I followed and noticed the other guard walking behind me. We walked across the external catwalks where less ponies where and the snow and wind would likely cancel out any cloaking device or spell. From what I could gather the effect only covered the person it was used on and anything landing on top of them was visible. A serious defect for bad weather, but, indoors it was marvelously effective.

        It the walk was quiet as I kept checking both my E.F.S. as well as for any floating snow. I was also grateful that to activate S.A.T.S. it just took a command in E.F.S. without magic. Still though I was worried about getting into any firefight at the moment. By the time we made our way to the security section of the town I was cold again from all the walking outside. Those catwalks where horribly cold and covered in ice. Several times I nearly slipped off to a rather bad fall if I hadn't been for the railing.

        As we entered security I sighed as I felt the ice in my fetlocks start to melt and I became a mess of a pony with ice cold water dripping off of me. I saw the chief of security talking to a few ponies, he didn't look happy, he saw me and looked less so. I just took a seat and the guard who had been on rear guard took the seat next to me as the lead went to find Longshot. I frowned, as I started to think. I had accidentally put myself in the middle of some political war in town, it had not endeared me to anypony beyond those I had saved by stopping that firefight. Maybe at least I could get Longshot to help me plan out some way to at very least use my leaving of the town to his advantage. Honestly I just hoped that I could get out without taking a bullet to the spine.

        A few minutes passed as I mulled over ideas of how I was going to get to Tenpony, subways would be best as the underground would be warmer as well as out of the weather. However, the subways I would have the issue of finding my way through the collapsed labyrinthine tunnels filled with ghouls, raiders, and possibly worse. Hay, I would have to find a way into it which probably would have raiders at the mouth, maybe bloodwings as well. Over the surface I would have to pick my way between collapsed buildings and every window could hide a possible raider with a rifle. It also gave plenty of spots for a assassin. Yeah... going underground at least I would be warm and possibly shot and stabbed instead of cold, shot, and stabbed. I looked up to see Longshot standing before me, apparently I had been so lost in thought I hadn't noticed his arrival. I blushed as I came out of my own thoughts.

        “So, now planning on leaving?” He simply asked, there was a hint of frustration in his voice. Guess I had worn out all the warm welcomes left to me here.

        “Yes, but, wanted to make certain that anypony looking for me would know I had left. That and if possible do what I could for you in whatever political struggle is going on now.” I stipulated, his demeanor changed to a bit more relaxed one.

        “Well, wasn't expecting that last bit.” A grin crept across his face, “it may not be the most original idea of how to do it, but, running out like a mad mare would do all we need.”

        “In that case, one thing, can you go buy me some guns. I don't think a pony who has a target painted on her flank would do well going into a weapon shop at the moment.” I said to him, “of course I will pay back whatever it costs.”

        “Follow me, I think we can arrange things.” With that I hopped off my chair and followed him into a room that I assumed to be his office. From the looks of it either he had just been moved to it or he was in the process of being moved out of it. Or considering how I met him maybe he didn't spend a lot of time here. I decided to reorder my saddlebags while I waited for Longshot's return.

        A few minutes later Longshot returned as I finished getting ready he set down a assault carbine that was chambered a five millimeter round. I checked its receiver and found it was in quite good condition. He then set down two crates of ammo for it. Honestly they looked like cases for a mini gun battle saddle more than anything else. Then he set down a lever action shotgun and a dozen boxes of twenty gauge shells. He smiled at me, I smiled back.

        “How much do I owe you?” I asked as I slung the new rifle around my neck and slotted the shotgun in my holster that had originally been for my double barrel shotgun all those weeks ago.

        “I saw the jewelry you had, I will just take three rings from it and we will call it even.” I opened my saddlebags and had the inventory sorter bring up all the rings I had. It didn't take him long to pick out the three he wanted. When he did I pushed them down the list again and closed my bags as I strapped on the ammo containers. The idea was that I was to make the most noise and be the most eye catching thing as I ran out the front door. Thankfully the blue of my barding and white overcoat would stand out sharply from the grays and browns of the town.

        “Well then, give me the path you want me to run.” I said as I stretched out my legs getting ready for a marathon.

        A few minutes later I left out the front door of Friendship City with as much attention drawn to me as I could that wouldn't be considered criminal. Now anyone who was after me knew I was out the front door so security should have a lot less problems of ponies sticking their nose where they shouldn't while looking for me. I was breathing hard as I crossed the bridge to the ruins of Manehattan. Nopony was around besides the guards watching over the bridge itself and a single spritebot sitting at the end of it waiting for me. I laughed hysterically as I passed the two bridge guards who didn't even move. I was very glad nopony shot at me as I finally got out of Friendship city and away from its crazy politics. The wasteland was much more comforting in its simplicity.

Footnote: Level Up!

New Perk Added: Run and Gun! From all that running and gunning your accuracy is now much better while doing both! Now just watch out for moving fire fights on catwalks over vats! Or on icy catwalks it is winter after all.