Fallout Equestria: The Ranger of Seamane

Chapter 25 – Making Tracks

“Your feeling of helplessness is your best friend savage!”

        We had made it all of fifteen minutes out of Colt before some idiot decided to take a shot at us. With a laugh that probably frightened my companions I charged down the stepped hills towards the offending raider camp. I had no idea how they had managed not to be hit yet, but, I was also told more raiders kept coming all the time so maybe this one just got restocked with raiders. Whatever the case might have been it didn’t really matter to me. So I was running towards them like a mare high on dash and buck. My system was overtaken with adrenaline, my blood lust yearned for the upcoming carnage, and I had a plan on how to sate my blood lust and not get myself or the rest of my companions killed. Once I got within shouting range of the raiders I let out warcry as I drew my DMR.

        “You want to dance with us, cunt?!” One raider shouted down at me from the ramparts of this camp. In response I skidded to a halt in the mud sliding into S.A.T.S. and planted a round in his brain.

        “Keep up if you can!” I called back as his limp body fell off the makeshift rampart of the raider camp.

        “Damn it Moonlight slow down!” Rose called out as I leapt up the wall and hit the gate release. “Oh! Thanks!””

        “Not a problem! Alright lets clear this camp!” I called out as I sunk into cover as the chatter of automatic gunfire erupted. The bullets were chewing away at the thin metal that was some how protecting me for the few remaining seconds that S.A.T.S. needed to fully recharge.

        I stood and hit S.A.T.S. and targeted the first three ponies I saw to have a good line of sight on the gate in. On the inside I saw that there were a good number of additional ponies scrambling to makeshift cover within the courtyard and plenty of cover for my friends. With the release of S.A.T.S. I watched as two of my three targets died to a round through their eye, the third’s head messily exploding showering another pony with what remained of his face.

        ‘That’s three down and seventeen rounds left.’ I noted to myself.

        I ducked back into cover as the gunfire shifted back to me as I did I saw a figure dart across the ramparts further down and drop a few balls into the ponies who had decided to take cover. I figured that to be Anabel doing a fly by and delivering some gifts of live grenades into the awaiting laps of the raiders in cover. A few seconds passed and I was proved correct by the successive thumps of grenade detonations as well as the hissing of a smoke grenade, I decided to take advantage of the temporary obscuration of the battlefield and cast my active camouflage spell. With the smoke I didn’t have to make the spell as foolproof as I otherwise would have to.

        I saw in my E.F.S. Foresight and Rose push into the courtyard and begin laying down some suppressive fire upon the remaining raiders. For me though the smoke did not, however, cover the sound of my loud hoof steps as I forgot that I was trotting upon metal with a powerhoof on one leg. I heard the pingining and whizzing of bullets begin as the raiders heard me approaching.

        “Oh shit.” I cried out as I dove for cover as the gunfire increased to a torrent of hot death.

As I lay invisible behind a bit of cover the smoke started to fade and I heard the gunfire of the courtyard continue on. It then hit me I had gone ahead without any support, again, like an idiot, again. I shook my head and focused on the task at hand of clearing out the back part of this camp of any raiders to keep my friends from being overwhelmed at the entrance.

        I took to my hooves again, though this time keeping quieter and moving slowly as the smoke had begun to clear already. I heard more thumps of explosives and the iconic sound of ten millimeter sub machine guns chattering with the light machine guns of Foresight and the assault carbine of Rose. I smiled knowing my friends were good for now.

        I crept inside one building after the red tags in my sight and found a stallion alone holding a combat shotgun in rather good condition. Part of me made a note to keep that for parts as I pulled out my knife and jammed it into the base of his skull. The quickness of my attack made me look like a ghost thanks to the active camouflage spell making me fade part way back into existence. I know this due to that is what the raider who just walked in the building screamed as I killed him. They then proceeded to fire a sawed off shotgun in my general direction which resulted in the now corpse of a raider to become rather disfigured.

        I crept upon the raider who was now twitching looking for me, either thinking that a gun could kill ghosts, if ghosts existed, or realizing ghosts don’t exist and I was flesh and blood. Whatever the case my slow pace made the situation needlessly tense and dramatic. As I got next to her and within reach to take her out with my knife, as I had to do it by hoof or mouth and not magic, because magic messed with the spell. Or the spell could just end before I got to her...

        “Oh shit!” The raider cried out as I melted back into reality and slammed my knife through her throat the red spurts of blood staining the floor as I pulled my knife out then bucked her into the wall to finish her off.

        I took a deep breath to calm myself as I quickly looted the two and stuffed the new ammo into my bags. I pumped the combat shotgun that I had freshly looted and switched it to three round burst mode. When I had seen the name of the combat shotgun I had been skeptical, but, now seeing what twelve gauge rounds could do to a pony at close range, I think the title city killer was rightfully earned by its makers. While some other lines of shotgun had been named street sweeper or door maker, I looked over my city killer twelve gauge automatic shotgun. I think I was drooling slightly over it. I also think I might have a thing for guns, like I do or did for books, and swords.

        I shook my head to clear my thoughts. Here I was getting distracted by firepower again and paid for it with a nine millimeter round sinking into my powerhoof causing me to wince as the bullet ruined what flesh was there, but, was stopped by the metal that was there too. I whirled on my attacker to see another raider holding the pistol in their mouth, I unleashed my shotgun on them and watched as what distinctive features of their face and upper body melted away in gore and violence.

        I darted out the doorway face first into a raider darting his way into the doorway, we both fell back and looked at each other in stunned silence. He made the first move by rolling and lunging at me, I made my move with firing another three round burst. While he died his body slammed into me and forced me back into the room I had just exited. I shoved the bleeding corpse off of myself using what cloth was on him to wipe away what blood I could.

        Another raider charged in and smashed into me knocking me off my hooves and causing me to roll a few times on the floor until my back hit the wall. I looked at him as I felt the familiar sensation of a combat high hitting me and spat to the side as I got up. This stallion had nothing other than some heavy armor and power hooves on each leg. We circled each other waiting for the other to slip up or take their focus off the other. If I had attempted to pull out one of my weapons I knew he could close the distance to make me unable to hit him with it. I also knew if I attempted my magic he could still close the distance and slam into me before I could cast an offensive spell even with the help of S.A.T.S. How did I know this? By the rather frightening contraption on his face that dumped dash right into him. He began his charge and I hit S.A.T.S. I set a strike for his chin with my powerhoof and then another to his groin. I was going to make him raise up slide under him and hit his soft spot.

        As I finished setting up my attack I noticed he had gotten closer and was moving in the stillness of S.A.T.S.

        ‘That is just not fair.’ I mentally huffed as I let the spell take control and time began to flow more normally.

He slammed into me before I had my chance to strike, I probably should have checked the chance of hitting him before setting my attacks. As it was he removed his mask and bit into my throat as he pinned me with his hooves. I cried out in pain as his teeth failed to penetrate the armor on my neck, however he was managing to choke me pretty well even if he was intending of eating my neck out.

        I managed to slide my right foreleg out and swung my powerhoof into his eye causing it to become mush and leak out around my hoof. I gasped for air as his grasp on my throat was released for a moment before he brought down a powerhoof of his own behind my hind legs making me try to cry out in pain as he crushed my sensitive parts, as I did he clamped down upon my throat again. The bastard just didn’t know when to give up.

Thankfully I hadn’t come into this camp alone otherwise I would be dead, or worse. As such I heard the wonderful sound of Foresight’s light machine guns rip apart the bastard atop of me. Much to my horror I saw as he was ripped apart atop me, I noticed his body having more wires and electronics than they should have for something that is flesh and blood. He continued to chew on my throat even as the round stripped his flesh from his head and exposed a metal skill I held up my hoof and focused my magic on it as the metal sticking out of it turned red and I smashed it into his skull. The hissing I heard told me his brain was frying under the heat of my hoof. A few seconds later he fell and Foresight pushed him off of me.

        “The hell was that.” I coughed as I rubbed my throat.

        “That was a cyberpony. Though usually their augmentations are a bit more visible.” Foresight explained as he looked over the body. I felt a sudden surge of magic and tackled him away from the body.

        The scream I heard made my skin crawl, it wasn’t the single note of enervation but, it was none the less terrifying. I turned to see his corpse bathed in blue flame from within.

        “I am assuming that also isn’t normal.” I said looking at Foresight who simply nodded. “I am assuming you want a closer look at him, don’t you.”

        “Yeah, I do.” Foresight said.

        “Rest of the place?” I asked.

        “Secure except for where we are. There is a bit further in through the other doorway. As for the rest, there weren’t that many here, at least topside, just the ones up here had us pinned down. Beyond that, was pretty standard affair.” Foresight explained, then he tackled me and I saw the cyber raider, who had been dead moments ago, charged past.

“Oh come on! Just stay dead when we kill you, you bastard!” I cried as I pulled out combat shotgun and unloaded it into him. His body was slowly regenerating even as I shot him. I swapped out for some explosive rounds I had picked up and unloaded them into him. As I did he charged again, focused on me still. “Why do I always get the crazy stallions!”

“Because you have a cute flank!” Foresight shouted as he threw a grenade at me.

I swung my powerhoof at the charging stallion and my hoof passed through his head and the grenade exploded, my sight was emptied of E.F.S. and my hoof felt a bit numb as I pulled it out.

“I was hoping that was what that grenade was.” I muttered as I pulled away from the cyberpony. I watched as he began to regenerate once the screaming was done, again. “Fuck this, I am roasting him.”

“Do it, because I don’t think we can stop him otherwise.” Foresight replied as he began firing his light machine guns into the pony who didn’t know when to stay dead. I unleashed my fire spells filling the room with the smell of burnt pony and burnt electronics. A few minutes later the corpse was just a scorch mark on the floor after a bright flash of white and more screaming accompanied by blue flames.

        “I hate it when things don’t stay dead when they are killed.” I coughed as I pulled out a healing potion to take care of the damage I had received. Mostly I was worried about the fact I had taken a powerhoof to my delicates. “As it is… I am going to have to ask Rose to do a check up on me. Getting hit with a powerhoof to one’s genitials can’t be healthy.”

        “I’m just glad I got here before he went any further. That wasn’t how a normal cyberpony should have reacted to being killed.” Foresight frowned as he looked over me. “I have never heard of a immortal cyberpony. What in Tartarus was that scream we heard?”

        “If I had to guess? His soul.” I frowned at the dust that remained. “You’re with me that something about this seems fishy, where the hay did a raider get that level of cybernetics.”

        “I have to say, we are less than a hour into our trip and already we are running into weird things.” Foresight smirked. “Yep, you certainly are a weirdness magnet.”

        I felt a grin plant itself on my face. “I just happen to bump into the most wild parts of the wasteland.”

        “Alright, lets stick together and finish cleaning this place out, this group seems like they got here recently so they should have an abundance of supplies.” Foresight suggested.

        “Good idea, I am just glad he didn’t have a self destruct mechanism or anything. Would have hurt more if he went off with me under him.” I sighed rubbing a hoof on my tender bits and wincing a bit.

        “Yeah, as it is, I think you must have triggered something for so little to exist after setting him alight.” Foresight shrugged.

        “Yeah... Ugh lets get this place done so I can get healed up. It is awkward to walk feeling like this.” I frowned.

        “Alright, well there isn’t much left, Rose and Anabel are keeping watch outside while we clear the hole.” Foresight explained.

        “Sounds good. Alright so who’s going to be point pony?” I asked.

        “You have the shotgun.” Foresight replied with a cocky grin.

        “You just want to stare at my cute flank some more, don’t you?” I teased.

        “Yep, and if somepony missed our sweep, you seem to bounce back from being hurt much faster than anypony else.” Foresight laughed.

        “At least you’re honest.” I said as I sauntered on forward with shotgun drawn.

        “Yeah, you should have Rose take a look back there, because I am certain that isn’t how it should look.” Foresight stated, causing me to blush and worry about the state of my genitals.

        “Once the camp is secure I will. Once she takes care of that we are going to keep going. I want to be though as much of the Unbound before the spring thaw hits.” I said as we came to an intersection and I checked with E.F.S. for any threats before moving on. I was also really happy that spark grenades don’t destroy electronics and merely shut them down for a while. “So far looks like we got them all. It looks like just like true raiders, they ran for whatever fighting was going on like moths to a flame.”

        “Good to hear that beyond the cyberpony everypony here is acting like normal raiders.” Foresight sighed as I heard his gun reloading.

        “It is nagging me, the weapons I am seeing around here are also in good condition. Even if they recently moved in… it feels off.” I muttered as I cleared the last room of this building before moving to check the bodies.

        “I didn’t stop to check the quality of their equipment, but, we did have a few come after us in combat armor.” Foresight stated as he kept an eye on the only way in and out.

        “You have any ideas?” I asked and all he offered was a shrug as he drank some water. I found a letter on the last pony in the room it had a bit of blood on the outside, but, inside of it I got a bit of an answer. “I have one, I don’t like it. Apparently this was a test.”

        Foresight coughed on the last bit of his water. “What?”

        “Apparently that cyborg? Bit more recent addition to technology than two centuries ago.” I explained as I waved the letter in the air. “Apparently they were to attack other raiders and slavers. No signature, no nothing. Computer printed too.”

        “You know what this means to me right?” Foresight asked looking over the letter now.

        “You need to know who is making this tech due to being a Steel Ranger?” I guessed, Foresight nodded. “Then you should stick with me, I am curious about it as well, and so will Anabel.”

        “Just understand, I don’t know what I will want to do with the technology when we find it.” Foresight explained.

        “Alright, well lets…” I trailed off as I noticed something off about the room. I flattened myself to the ground as I wrapped Foresight in my magic and pulled the triggers of his guns while rotating him, filling the room with lead. Two muffled thumps followed and I set him down. “We weren’t alone…”

        “Observation team?” Foresight suggested as I crept up to where I heard the two thumps. With a burst of popping and the discharge of electricity two bodies of ponies shimmered into existence. “Stealthbucks…”

        “Maybe this is why so many are interested in Seamane. Somepony is still doing research.” I offered. “Or they found a fat cache of prewar tech ready to go.”

        “We should get moving, loot them, I will keep a closer eye for movement. Stealthbuck’s after all aren’t perfect.” Foresight nodded as he took up his place guarding the door. I made quick work of looting the bodies of the two previously invisible ponies. They had two rather odd smg’s my pipbuck identified them as five point seven millimeter smg’s. I looted their rare ammo and noticed the also rather annoying fact that the ammo had very little weathering to them.

        “Fresh ammo by the looks of it, their guns are rather new too. I think somepony other than Red Eye has found some place to manufacture new things, that or these are really well preserved.” I explained as I stuffed the new weapons into my saddlebags. I looked over the ponies themselves, curious as to why they had skin tight suits on from snout to hoof.

        “I doubt that, I think we would know if somepony got a factory running.” Foresight said as I heard him shift a little.

        “Then somepony has had this stuff warehoused for a while.” I sighed as I joined Foresight.

        “You going to keep them for yourself?” Foresight asked as I stood next to him.

        “Yeah, I need to make up for losing my automatic rifle. One for use, one for parts, I have enough ammo that if I use it sparingly I am good. Really it is for covering the when we get a rather target rich environment, all of my weapons are kind of not that rapid fire.. I know really there isn’t a need, but, it makes me feel better.” I shrugged.

        “You really should just focus on one range or tactic. I mean really we have long and medium range covered between Anabel and myself plus your DRM. Short range we have your shotgun, pistols, and swords.” Foresight explained. “I think you should just focus on keeping your shotgun and DRM on hoof primarily, everything else really is more situational. And you can’t plan for every situation on your own.”

        “I know, hence you carrying the weapons for suppressive fire, and Anabel has explosives.” I shrugged. “Anyways, ready to get moving again?”

        “Yep, lets get moving, if something fishy is up with this place the better it is we leave now. Moonlight, take point, lets get out of here.” Foresight ordered and I did so.

The walk back out was tense after bumping into those invisible ponies. It wasn’t my first time encountering invisible ponies, I had run into them before back when I stayed in Friendship city for a night, but, since then nopony else had used them against me. I was worried that maybe this had been originally a large trap to kill me, instead, I apparently bumbled into some ponies experiment or field testing of new or recovered tech.

“You know, if they were using warehoused equipment, maybe those cybernetics were from there as well.” I thought aloud. “So maybe that means somepony recently got their hooves on some new tech and wanted to try it out. Which means one of the players here in Seamane just got their hooves on a rather fat amount of supplies. Damn it I wish I had my own spy network.”

“And miss out finding this stuff out yourself? As well as miss out on getting shot up and worse?” Foresight teased.

“I wouldn’t miss the injuries to sensitive parts of my body.” I muttered as we returned to the courtyard where Anabel was sitting perched on a guard tower with the crossbow out. Rose was tending to herself and patching up her armor.

“The hole is clear.” Foresight called up which made Anabel shut off the turrets and move to collect them. “Go get Rose to patch you up, Anabel and myself will keep an eye out for any more guests. Take you time too.”

“Thanks, and I will.” I smiled, then facehooved. “Wait... Did you just tell me to go have my marefriend fuck me?”

        “That is entirely up to you.” Foresight laughed as he took up position covering the entrance on the ground while Anabel covered the rest of the camp from a tower.

        “You know what, fuck it, we didn’t do it this morning, why not.” I huffed as I walked off to Rose.

        “You look like you had a rough time.” Rose frowned after looking me over, I had yet to ask for the extra attention down south.

        “Yeah, there is one other part for you to look at though. I kind of got a powerhoof by a psychotic cyberpony to my delicates.” I muttered as Rose grabbed a healing potion. “Since I am not that flexible I need help making certain that things are working properly.”

        “Do we have time?” Rose asked.

        “Plenty, lets just be quick though. I just want to make certain there isn’t any damage that will be problematic later.” I blushed.

        “I’ll make it quick then, not that your body will cooperate.” Rose teased before getting to work.

        Some time later we confirmed my parts were fully working and had no nerve damage, as well as make certain it was fully healed with pouring a healing potion on the linger wounds.

        “Medical care shouldn’t be so kinky.” I muttered as I got dressed again. “That or my mind needs to stop being in the gutter twenty four seven.”

        “But you look so good in bandages, restraining your movement.” Rose pouted.

        “Oh merciful Luna…” I bemoaned. “Come on we need to get going, we are already a month late for this trip.”

        “I know, just give me a second to pack up the medkit.” Rose replied.

        “Medkit… That is a better name than trauma kit, I like it.” I giggled looking at Rose, letting myself oggle my marefriends fine form. “You look better and better everyday…”

        Rose stopped and looked at me her cheeks burning with a blush. “Shush you, and don’t get me started making you blush.”

        I just grinned, “later.”

        “I am holding you too that.” Rose playfully glared. “You will burn bright enough that Celestia’s sun is no match.”

        “If you do that I think I might have us just travel by the night. Anything looking at me will go blind.” I giggled and Rose joining in.

        “I am happy to finally be on a trip that is keeping in high spirits.” Rose said as she finished packing back up.

        “As am I. I mean yeah there will be fighting, there will be blood, and all that, but, it isn’t us running from anypony, or trying to get home. This is an adventure because we choose to go, not because it is life or death, or anything that serious. It is far more enjoyable. No angsting about why or when we left.” I smiled. “It is like a vacation. A post-apocalyptic death filled ruthless vacation, but, a vacation nonetheless.”

        “When you put it that way… I am glad you packed so many weapons and healing supplies.” Rose giggled, appreciating the humor. “I am also glad that you don’t feel the need to put me somewhere safe to keep me protected from the wasteland. That is just a cruel form of love.”

        With that we walked out and I gave the sign to move out to our two companions. “You never explained why Hearts and Hooves day is your favorite holiday.”

        “Oh that is simple, Moony.” Rose said pausing for the others to join us. “It is my favorite day because everypony fought over who got to be with me in trying to defend my ‘honor’ to the death. By the end of the day everypony was too tired to go after any of us slaves. It was one of our few days off.”

        “Oh, that makes sense, kind of, in a sick and twisted appreciation of the idea behind the day.” I replied.

        “That and being around those in love always made me feel better.” Rose finished.

        “Ah, well that also makes sense.” I nodded as we walked out of the camp and towards the old highway that lead to the Sapphire Shores Resort that was within the Unbound.

        A few hours later we bumped into our first taste of wildlife in a while. The wildlife was tasty, nopony questioned the butchering or consumption of the radhogs. What was nice was that we had plenty of space and plenty of stuff to preserve the meat with. We also cooked while walking thanks to Rose holding the meat in her magic while I used my fire magic to cook them. It also gave us trouble when the meat eaters showed up and we had to put them down. Though I have to say, when you are hungry and protecting your food you fight a lot harder than you would think.

        Eventually though the sky darkened heralding nightfall and our need to find a place to rest.

        “Okay it’s getting late, we need to find a place to hold up in. Anabel, you and me are on finding a place to hold up in. Foresight, I am entrusting you with keeping Rose safe.” I said issuing orders to my companions, everyone nodded understanding my orders. “Anabal lets get airborne, as soon as we find a place to hold up drop me off to secure the outside and then get everyone to me.”

        “Yes ma’am.” Anabel saluted as she laid down for me to hop onto her back. I hopped on and gave a nod to my two grounded companions. With a flap of her powerful wings we were in the air and I flicked on my night vision goggles.

        “Huh, I didn’t expect that.” I muttered as I had eyes on some sort of compound around a mansion. “We got a rich ponies house five minutes to the north, no idea on if there are any defenses.”

        “Alright, I got eyes on it, let me bring us in, slowly incase there are any active defenses or defenders.” Anabel said as she banked slowly towards our target. “Wish we had thermal vision that would make this a lot easier.”

        “Find me something that is electronic that has thermal vision and I can make you thermal goggles.” I offered.

        “Right, keep forgetting you are a regular wasteland engineer.” Anabel laughed as we began the descent over the mansion. “Keep your eyes open for anything.”

        “Will do.” I replied straining my eyes looking for movement or any signs of life.

        The silence dragged on for a few more minutes before we touched the ground. We stood there for a few moments waiting for any traps to spring. With only the silence of night greeting us I moved to the gate and stopped short of opening it.

        “Anabel, just incase the place is wired around the gate lets not touch it. Get everyone here and you and I will ferry everyone over before moving forward.” I instructed as I broke out my DMR and and shifted my shotgun to rest over my shoulders so it was ready for action in case things got too close for comfort.

        “Alright, sit tight, and.” She set down the turrets and crossbow for me. “I think these will do you more good than I right now. Keep our LZ clear while I get the rest of the team, alright?”

        “Will do, I need to get some practice at clearing Landing Zones anyways.” I laughed as I set up the turrets to sync with my EFS.

        “Be back in a few.” Anabel saluted and took off into the night.

        I finished setting up the turrets and swapped my DMR for the crossbow and sat tight. Initially it was pretty relaxing, then slowly my mind started to act up, it felt like something was watching, and not the turrets that were by me. Maybe it was paranoia, maybe something was actually watching from a long ways away.

        I let out a sigh as I sat there, the minutes silently dragging out as boredom and paranoia battled within me. Eventually Anabel returned, I practically jumped as she landed beside me.

        “Are you alright? Because you look a bit spooked, Moonlight.” Anabel asked as she looked around to see my source of distress.

        “Just my mind acting up.” I returned the crossbow to Anabel and turned to face the rest of my part. “You two ready to come in?”

        “Yeah, just keep it slow.” Rose said, Foresight just nodded.

        “Alright, I will go slowly, no need to rush and get anypony hurt.” I replied as I wrapped the two of them in my magic and moved them over the gate and set them gently down on the walkway to the house.

        “Anything happen while we caught up?” Foresight asked.

        “No, nothing, it is quieter than a balefire crater.” I replied shaking my head as Anabel packed up the turrets and placed them on her sides again.

        “Alright, Moonlight, you know the drill, Rose you are to keep on her flank like you are fucking it.” Foresight commanded. I just blinked at him, which I knew he wouldn’t see as I had night vision goggles on and he was just using his regular eyesight at night. “What? It is an accurate description for what happens between the two of you.”

        I let out a sigh as Rose took her position behind me and Anabel took up the rear of our group. “My sexlife is a joke, I should just accept it. Just don’t tell random passerby’s, okay?”

        “It is a joke among friends, no the region.” Foresight chuckled as we walked up the path while I kept an eye out for any trip wires or lasers along the path.

        “Alright, lets secure this place and get some rest.” I yawned as we got to the door. I tried the knob and found it locked. “Hold up, it is locked… Why do I find that it is strange that it is locked?”

        “Because you expect everything abandoned to be unlocked after two hundred years.” Foresight replied as he and Anabel stacked up on the other side of the doorway as I picked the lock.

        The lock clicked open and the door didn’t swing open on its own telling me the latch was still good. “Alright, me and Rose first.”

        Foresight and Anabel gave a nod as I cast my active camouflage spell on Rose then myself, I only gave it enough power to last about half a minute as beyond that would be a waste of energy at the moment.

        Going in my EFS stayed clear as I cleared the first part of the foyer. I gave a whistle to indicate all clear to Foresight and Anabel. They crept on in and closed the door, locking it once more. “Teams of two, Rose and myself will stick together. One night vision goggle set per pair.”

        “Alright, we have this floor then, you and Rose go upstairs. Be careful.” Foresight ordered as Rose and myself faded back into existence.

        “You two keep safe as well.” I nodded back to Foresight as Rose set her hooves on my hind and posed making my roll my eyes. “Come on Rose, once the place is safe we can find the biggest bed and have some fun.”

        “Yes ma’am.” Rose replied in a sultry tone.

        “Ease up on that, I don’t want to give away our position by smell.” I joked as we climbed the stairs.

        “Alright, just keep an eye out for traps and not just for ones around our hooves.” Rose smiled as she kept her silence forty five out.

        “Good idea, you use that if we catch anything by surprise and I can’t get close with my knife.” I said nodding to her pistol, she nodded in return. We got to the top of the stairs and I was grateful for the still plump carpet that covered them as well as the hard wood flooring of the house. The place obviously had once held quite wealthy ponies, and ponies full enough of themselves to have portraits lining the place of likely themselves and their ancestors. We crept down one of the paths of the hallway leaving the other for if this side didn’t link up, which I suspected it wouldn’t as the mansion was built more or less in a H pattern.

        I froze as I thought I saw the figure of a pony’s shadow from the dim light filtering in from a window. I motioned with a hoof what I was seeing to Rose who was almost pressed against my dock as we hugged the wall for the meager cover it gave. I slowly crept up towards where I felt I should have a good view on the possible target keeping a close eye on my EFS in case a tag appeared. Finally as I got a view down into the next portion of the hall I saw it was just a suit of old armor, still on its stand.

I let out a quiet sigh as I crossed the hall quietly and moved towards it. I wanted to double check it wasn’t hiding a powered off turret or something nasty like that. Once close enough I removed the helmet with my magic to find the preserved wooden mannequin that held the suit of armor upon it. Thankfully it wasn’t one that was rather realistically detailed and just had the simple shape of a pony. I turned and looked back to Rose and motioned with my head to join me.

She quietly crossed the hall and joined me. “So what’s the deal?”

        “Just a empty suit of armor.” I replied as I looked around this end of the hallway. “looks like we have three rooms on this side of the house, lets take the door to the right first.”

        “After you.” Rose replied as we moved back across the hall and snaked our way around the walls to the door. I tried the handle to find it unlocked. Rose took up position on the other side of the door and I opened it with a nod, I went in first Rose came in after me and we sat there panning over the room taking in what was within it.

        The first thing I noticed was the place looked like somepony had just not come home one day. Everything was clean and in order, not in the usual post apocalyptic disarray.

        “I guess somepony didn’t make it home.” I whispered as I pulled the night vision goggles on to save the battery within them and switched to my silenced pistol Rose had given me as a Hearts and Hooves day gift, complete with a built in underslung flashlight and silencer. It also took forty fives like hers, but, it was clearly a different model.

        “Looks like it. There is a bathroom on the far side of the room, you check it and I’ll cover you.” Rose pointed with her nose to the door in question.

        I moved around the bed in what I was assuming to be the master bedroom of the house. I slowly opened the door with my magic while holding the pistol in my mouth and a hoof on the hoof handle for my knife. Opening it revealed a rather untouched bathroom, I let out a sigh as there was no corpse, zombie, insect, or trap within it.

        Rose tapped my shoulder and I turned to face her, she nodded to the closet I had missed and I opened it to find it full of fancy clothing and boxes.

        “Looks like this room is clear, lets check the rest of the place, close the door to this room when we leave, incase something is in here with us.” I whispered, still uncertain why we were bothering as our EFS would spot anything that was a threat.

        “Alright, lead on, honey.” Rose said, and I smiled as we headed to the door. Once there I fell on my ass as I was greeted by the mannequin.

        “Oh fuck no…” I muttered around the pistol as I kept it aimed at the thing’s head. “Rose you are seeing this as well right?”

        “I don’t want to…” Rose whimpered as I looked back to see her shaking a bit.

        “Let me guess, mannequins mess with you badly.” I frowned, not blaming her, more so since this one had moved on us. She simply nodded. “What about dolls?”

        “Worse the more lifelike they are.” Rose answered never moving her eyes from the mannequin.

        “I am tempted to shoot it with the shotgun to see what happens.” I grinned looking at the damn thing as I held my pistol in my magic.

        “I am starting to want you to do that.” Rose muttered.

        I wrapped the thing in my magic and carried it into the room, then I shoved it into the bathroom and put a dresser against the door, which thankfully opened outward instead of inward. “That should do for now.”

        “If we see it free from there I reserve the right to turn it to splinters.” Rose hissed as we left the master bedroom and closed the door.

        “Feel free, I am thinking of using it to start a fire if there is a fireplace somewhere around here.” I chuckled as we got to the first door across the hall the fear having worn off on me. I opened the door carefully to see something I didn’t want to see. More mannequins, and lots of dolls, and a crib. My eye twitched as I closed the door. “Nursery, lots of things neither of us like in there.”

        “Next room then?” Rose asked and I nodded, we crept up to the last door and I opened it slowly to check the inside.

 It was another bedroom, obviously for an adolescent but not a foal like the nursery. I slide inside the bedroom and saw posters for the shadow bolts, the steel rangers, and a number of maps of places around the world. Whoever had lived here had either wanted to join the military to see the world, or just had a variety interests. I picked over a few books that were within the room to find them familiar to those in my own library.

        “This is quite pleasant, almost like another me lived in this room.” I mused picking through the items, seeing a toys of dragons, steel rangers, and even some sort of airship. “It says Raptor. I guess it would be one of those airships the Ministry of Awesome used.”

        “It’s nicer than the other two rooms, well, not quite as big of a bed, though I know we will fit on this one.” Rose teased as I turned to look out of the room giving her a smile.

        “Come on, we can look over this stuff more once we clear the other side of the house.” I said as I walked to the doorway keeping an eye out for things being out of place.

        “Yeah, lets get this place checked out then lets make wood chips out of those mannequins and those dolls. Action figures I can stand, but, the soulless eyes of dolls.” Rose audibly shuddered.

        “I hear ya.” I nodded in agreeance as we headed for the other end of the house, our flashlights cutting through the darkness. One thing I also noticed was the lack of dust meaning nothing here really decayed.

        Crossing the walkway over the foyer I saw Foresight and Anabel crossing the foyer and headed to the other side of mansion. I smiled knowing that soon we would be clear to relax and take out what was likely a robot of some sort hiding in that mannequin.

        Upon getting to the other side of the mansion I opened the first door to get a broom to fall out and crack across my skull right above my horn. I fell to the floor as my sight blurred.

“Ow… Well my horn may be made of iron, but, my skull not so much” I muttered as Rose finished checking the closet then checked on me.

“You should be fine, no signs of any damage other than just a nasty bump to your noggin.” Rose smiled as she helped me to my hooves. We checked the next room while being careful for falling cleaning supplies and implements. Which wasn’t an issue as it was a bathroom.

“So far, rather nice house.” I smiled as we moved down the hall to where the last three doors lay. “Got a preference on which one first?”

“Lets go with left.” Rose said, I nodded and proceeded to the door and opened it up.

In here was a rather large bedroom, I guessed it was likely a guest room, so crept inside and began to check it over. This room like the rest was left in a state of order. Something in my mind started to nibble at my nerves as the cleanliness and state of unnatural order rubbed me the wrong way. A part of me deep down inside cried out to make a mess to spit in the face of this place.

“Are you okay, Moony, you look… anxious.” Rose said turning her attention to me.

“I’m fine.” I said before my eyes twitched to the doorway where I swear I saw movement. I dashed over to it jumping over Rose and landing with a roll having my gun in mouth pointed at the doorway to see nothing at all. “This place is making me jumpy with its eeriness.”

“Lets get the last two rooms checked quickly then. Left again.” Rose said as she joined me at the doorway. I nodded and proceeded with our routine.

Opening the door I saw a long uncared for arboreum. The plants long dead from lack of water, there was, mercifully, dust in this room and it had the signs of damage from time unlike the rest of the place.

“That’s better.” I whispered as I walked out of the room and took a deep breath. “Someplace in here has been touched by time.”

‘So were the restrooms in Twenty Three.’ Whispered the voice of Doubt in my mind, I shuddered remembering what I had found in there.

“Last room.” Rose said and I nodded opening it finding another bedroom, this one looked to have never been used, so probably a second guest room that just was never put to use in any other way.

“Well, lets go hack up that mannequin, I want to get some sleep without pissing myself.” I grunted and turned to leave.

“Alright, but, lets meet up with the other two first so they don’t think something is wrong when they hear us tearing apart dolls and mannequins.” Rose suggested.

“Yeah, that would be awkward them come running at hearing us making a commotion that isn’t sexually based.” I nodded in agreement as we headed back to the foyer. As we did I saw Anabel and Foresight headed into the same section they had earlier.

“Weren’t they?” Rose asked matching my look of confusion.

“I guess they found something there that warranted further investigation? Come on lets catch up.” I frowned as I moved to the stairs.

I followed the path that the two had been going and was met with a rather large living room. I frowned looking for the two and not seeing them at all. “The fuck…”

“What is it, Moonlight?” Rose asked as she joined me. “Where are they?”

“Yeah, that doesn’t make sense.” I said as I turned to see them walking towards us again. “Hey, you two everything alright?”

They proceeded to ignore us and walk on by then up and vanish.

“Okay, that is not cool.” I said as I screwed up my face in frustration at this place. “Lets go find them and burn this place down instead.”

“I think that is a bit overkill.” Rose consoled stroking my mane as she tried to calm me down.

“No it isn’t…” I muttered as my thoughts calmed down. “Okay, it is overkill, but, this place is setting off my bad vibe meter.”

“Lets just figure out what is going on and get some sleep. We have more important things to do than burning down random mansions of prewar Equestria.” Rose scolded, I looked up at her with a frown on my face, but, I nodded. We needed rest, and setting the place a blaze could wait until we had our sleep.

“Come on lets check those doors below the walkway first, then we will move onto the other wing of the house.” I said motioning with my head to check the nearest door. Quickly we found that to be another unoccupied bathroom and a back hall with a empty coat closet.

“Well they aren’t held up in a closet kissing, that is for certain.” Rose muttered as I looked back into the foyer to see the images of my other two companions walk past, still no tag coming from them.

“Still a looping image of them in the foyer. Must be some sort of security system meant to confuse ponies long enough for police to arrive.” I whispered. “Which means further security is probably active. Due to the lack of those two I imagine they tripped it somewhere and they need help.”

“That sounds likely.” Rose whispered as I moved into the next room keeping my gun drawn.

Here was the kitchen the food stores looked rather depleted showing signs that ponies here had time to pack before leaving and had taken food with them. What was left here was typical two hundred year old preserved foodstuffs. I took what I could anyways, who could turn away a good snack cake or sugar apple bombs?

“Pantry is clear.” I stated as I walked back out of it to where Rose was looking at the doorway to the last room in the house.

“They have to be in there. But, I don’t hear anything so either they are being held captive or they are very quiet while having sex.” Rose informed me, I frowned at her for the conclusions she drew.

“Not everypony is hyper sexual like us. You know that right?” I asked, Rose looked at me like I had grown a second head. “Whatever, you’re right about the first part though. On me.”

We stacked up and I drew my shotgun just in case something was in there and our friends were being held captive by a rather quiet and annoying security system. I opened the door and stormed the room to be greeted with a sight I might have slightly screamed at. The room was filled with mannequins surrounding a table covered in the heads of dolls. I backed out of the room and closed the door. I then slide the heaviest thing I could in front of the door.

“Nope.” I simply said to Rose as she looked at me worried as well as troubled by what we had seen.

Then the sound of rock against rock came from a corner of the kitchen and I flipped a table for cover drawing my shotgun in my magic. Moments later Rose was beside me with her assault carbine as we waited for tags to show up as the sound stopped. With no further sound and no tags I popped up to see a secret passage had opened up from me moving the oven in front of the dining room door.

“Rose get to the formerly secret passage, I am blocking the Kitchen from the rest of the house. I don’t want those fucking mannequins following if they can move.” I ordered as I slammed the table into the back hallway doorway. “I fucking hate this place.”

“I understand, come on lets see what is down here.” Rose said as I hopped on her back, she gave me a questioning look.

        “What? It’s too narrow for side by side, you have a strong back, and if you need to go back up you don’t have me in the way.” I grinned.

        “Right, keep from shooting too close to my ear if you can, darling.” Rose said batting her eyelashes at me.

        “I make no promises.” I said putting on as gruff of a voice as I could as she started down the narrow stone spiral stairs down.

        As we went down I swore I heard the faint sound of stone on stone above us. I decided to not worry about it as it was a further line of defense against the possible inanimate threat of the night of living mannequins above us. It took Rose a full minute to reach to bottom of the stairs, though I suspected that was more due to her pace with both the steep steps and me on her back slowing her down considerably.

        Upon reaching the bottom we were greeted with a earthen tunnel and both of us turned on our flashlights again. This time though I was using the one I had taped to my shotgun. I felt my fur stand on end as we saw what looked like dungeon cell doors lining the walls. Each one was locked and I took my time to pick each lock and open them. Each one was empty, mercifully. At the end of the hall I saw the familiar glow of a terminal and nodded to Rose as she kept a hoof on my back as we entered this last room.

        Our companions were nowhere to be found and the terminal just displayed a blank screen.

        “Something is fucked here.” I muttered sensing the wrongness of the situation on the air itself.

        “Something wasn’t fucked up when that mannequin moved on its own?” Rose asked twitching to look behind us.

        “I mean something specifically here is fucked up.” I explained as I looked around for possible other passages. “This can’t be the last room here.”

        “Figure it out quickly, I don’t like it down here, it feels all wrong.” Rose complained.

        I frowned at her, as I didn’t feel as off as she seemed to, that or I was just used to things feeling off. I also had all the reason to hate being underground unlike here. Or maybe there was more of her apparently mysterious history that made her have a paranoia of underground areas like this. I slowly made my way around the room checking for anything to give me a hint as to where my lost companions were. Rose on the other hoof started to cling to me more and more until she practically had crawled onto my back. Which was an impressive feat as she was still bigger than me.

        “Rose, what the hay is eating you up?” I asked more than a little annoyed.

        “Just, please figure out what you need to soon. I don’t like this place, it… something is driving me nuts here.” Rose answered shaking slightly atop my back.

        “I am trying.” I muttered. I finally returned to the blank terminal and pressed the enter key on it to have the screen flash something, then my EFS flash red warning signs before dying. “Oh that can’t be good.”

        “What can-” Rose attempted to say before being cut off with the sound of a wall opening.

        “That is unexpected…” I frowned regarding the new passageway. “There is no way our friends are in there, but, it is the only option.”

        “Quickly, maybe it will feel better inside of there.” Rose commanded and struck my flanks with the inside of her hind legs, making me redden slightly as well as realize how absurd her position on me was. I pushed the thoughts to the back of my mind as dashed through the open wall, as I did I was greeted with a sight I was stunned at. Here lay a rather vast and intact laboratory complete with walls lined with tomes and cabinets full of equipment.

“Somepony had great taste…” I said in awe at the equipment and volumes of knowledge. “I think I could spend a while in this room.”

“This feels better, so I don’t mind if we spend a while here.” Rose sighed her head resting atop mine now. I couldn’t help but feel my heart go out to her, as it did she seemed to perk up then point to something further in the room. “Hey what’s that?”

I turned and looked where she was pointing to see another terminal, and a odd orb of sorts sitting next to it.

“No magic.” I ordered as I walked us to the terminal. “Now then, tell me your secrets, you hidden terminal.”

“You have type to make it work. You know that right?” Rose teased, I shot her a bemused look before sitting down making her slide onto the floor.

“I do, and hopefully this will give some insight as to where our friends are.” I said, feeling better in here than I had as well. The secret door to it closing as well. “Plus more defense against whatever is in this place.”

I spend the next few minutes cracking the terminals security. Rose spent it staring at the orb next to the terminal. I spared it a few glances seeing the green and black clouds within it slowly swirling. Whenever I looked at it though something seemed off, looked wrong about it. I figured it was just my lack of familiarity with magic beyond the limited extents of my own.

Once the terminal’s security was cracked I saw notes from a Doctor Lulamoon. I frowned certain I had heard that name from somewhere. I didn’t get a chance to look further as Rose decided now was time for some fun.

“Rose, knock it off, we need to figure out what is going on here and find the other two.” I grunted as I pushed her off of me. She just came back stronger. “ROSE! What is wrong with you?!”

She kissed me and I felt part of me want to just go with it. I shoved her back sending her into one of the bookcases that lined the room. “Rose, what the hell is going on.”

I looked around the room to see if there was something to explain her actions and only saw that the orb had taken to having a rapid swirling pattern within it. I struck it with my powerhoof to only get sent into the bookcase behind me, a few journals landing painfully on top of me.

“Damn it!” I cursed as I got up my powerhoof feeling numb again as Rose was now positioning herself to charge me. “No!”

She charged and I tackled her legs sending her wheeling over me. I quickly ran for the false wall and exited the room as the door opened for me. As soon as I did the wall closed again and I gasped for breath as Rose screamed and clawed at the wall with her hooves.

“I was right, we should burn this place down.” I sighed as I slumped against the wall. “First though I have to apparently save my friends…”

I opened my eyes to see a semicircle of mannequins blocking my path out. “You fuckers again…”

I slowly I stood up as I did heard Rose’s screams turn into whimpering and tug at my heart making me want to go back to her. I looked back at the wall then the mannequins who hadn’t moved while I wasn’t looking.

“Leave her alone you fuckers.” I muttered as I began to create orbs of fire, as I did my skull pounded and I fell to my knees, my eyes watering. “Why?!”

I looked back up to see the mannequins this time had moved, to give me a path to leave. “You don’t touch her, understand? You do and I will find out if it is possible to kill you.”

I pushed myself upright and drew my pistol once more. I felt a forty five round should do the trick and didn’t want to waste the explosive ammo for my shotgun on these mannequins, yet. I had a feeling I would eventually though, even if it was just to vent anger.

As I crawled my way back to the staircase the feeling of uneasiness faded as if it was connected to that orb.

“I really wish you would give me some answers right about now.” I muttered at my pipbuck. I got no such helpful hint from my pipbuck which was still dead, though I hoped it would reboot soon, even if it would claim that there was nothing around me still.

Upon reaching the top of the stairs I saw Rose, I flinched looking at her. Then I noticed her eyes looked wrong. I pushed my hoof onto her coat to find that it was instead hard as if it was just a painted surface and not a coat. “Personal hell it is then…”

I walked passed the false Rose and proceeded into the Kitchen to find that what I had used to block it off had been cleared. I inspected the dining room to find it set for a party of four. That send shivers down my spine as I noticed that it was recently set as well, easy to tell when there was still steam coming off the food. That and I had looked in there earlier and it was full of dolls and mannequins

“This has to just be a bad dream.” I swore as I exited into the Foyer and looked around. Everything set in it’s place still, I had hoped there would be something here trying to kill me or something. Anything beyond this suspense, the lack of EFS just was driving me mad with my senses going nuts. Mad like twenty three had driven me. I paused looking back to see the false Rose standing behind me, watching silently, unmoving.

“A poor attempt.” I smiled remembering what true horrors were like as I walked into the living room and began inspecting it closer. After a few minutes of checking the living room I heard something creaked and turned to see my two missing companions exiting a hidden door.

“Okay, there are too many of those in this house.” I muttered as I moved towards them, they jumped and turned facing the other end of the living room as the phantom them walked in.

“Don’t shoot!” I called out, making a shot intended for their phantom doubles, who now vanished, graze my ear. “Fuck!”

I grabbed my ear and glared at Foresight who was looking rather jumpy himself. I then felt a weight fall on my back. I turned to see it was the false Rose with its wooden skull shattered resting on me. I shoved it off and slowly walked up to my recently found friends.

“Okay, this place is messed up, and you might have just made things worse Foresight.” I scolded. “Here is the thing, there is a lab of some sort downstairs, secret passage in the kitchen. Rose kind of went nuts down there and is currently locked up. I need to know if you know anything that might explain any of what in Tartarus is going on here.”

The two of them just looked at each other in confusion and said things that didn’t make sense.

“What?” I asked looking at them as they didn’t seem to comprehend me, or even notice me. I rolled my eyes and grabbed some papers that I had on me and held them up and pointed with my hoof. If my words were being messed up maybe charades would prove to work as communication. As I stood there waiting the two of them backed away then rushed off to the side. I turned to see if maybe something was behind me only to find the mannequin that they had damaged was long gone.

“Yeah… I am totally burning this place down, it has earned it.” I muttered as I went through the path they had come from.

Going through I found another staircase, surprise surprise. Going down I found a area more suited for magical experimentation, though, what bothered me was the fact that there was rather large collection of artifacts down here. While I sensed no magic from them, but, I felt something off about it all. Then again every time I tried to use my magic I felt like I was burned out again so I couldn’t rely on my magical sense until my magic returned. This place in the past forty minutes had gone from spooking me to making me want to destroy it. While not the fastest transition to that state, it was alarming. There was also the fact that the place seemed to have understood I could make good on my threat of burning it down and somehow nullified my magic. Or something else had, maybe the orb since I had punched it with my hoof.

What was worse was that I could feel anger boiling just below the surface of my thoughts. I was going to explode soon if I didn’t find a solution soon. Or find something to vent my anger on. I picked through the lab, this one seeming more for testing spells than subjects. Which now worried me more that I had left Rose locked away in the testing wing for subjects. It also worried me that there was a wing for testing things on subjects in general. Whoever this Lulamoon had been had one sick set of ethics.

I flipped through more recent bits of research and noticed a trend with them. The pony behind this place had been working on gaining a grant from the Ministry of Arcane Science. Their aim was focused on two things, or maybe they had focused on one then the other, I wasn’t certain. However, they had two objectives, first was getting technology to cast spells, thus nullifying the difference between an earth pony and a unicorn. The second was shapeshifting spells as they had run into various problems replicating the zebra stealth cloak, though I know that eventually was solved since we had Stealthbucks.

I started running through the lab books outlining each experiment and the results. I had been wrong about their ethics, the subjects in question were robots and other non living entities. The last entry showed they had shown off their work to a General Stardust who apparently had been appointed as regional Governor of Seamane following their handling of the gas attack in the city of Seamane.

“So… it seems that we are dealing with illusions. Or shapeshifted machines.” I muttered as I closed the book and looked up to see Rose, I fell back as she jumped the table between us and pinned me.

“Rose stop!” I cried as she overpowered me with her strength and magic. I also noticed her magic had taken a sickly green color like what the orb had been.

“Rose stop, I don’t want to do this!” I cried as she pulled my armor off.

I grunted as she began to do what she wanted to do earlier.

“This hurts me as much as it hurts you!” I shouted as I headbutted her leaving my vision blurred, my mind swimming in recoil, and my ears ringing. Rose was reeling away and off of me, I gave her some help with passing over the table with a strong buck to her barrel.

I got to my hooves and slowly walked around the desk to find Rose thrashing at the air and crying. I felt my heart ache for her and against my better judgement I went to her and quickly grabbed her and held her tight. In doing this I received more than a few blows to my face and throat which made me gasp for breath and cough with pain.

“Calm down Rose, it is okay.” I whispered in her ear as she cried and thrashed in my grasp. “I’m here for you, I’m sorry I left you down there alone.”

Slowly she calmed down and fell asleep in my hooves. I felt a presence enter the room and turned to see the mannequins staring at me, though now they were oozing the black liquid that I had encountered in twenty three.

“Wrong move.” I muttered as I stood drawing my combat shotgun, I double checked it for being loaded with explosive rounds as I ejected its magazine. I slide the magazine back into place, pulled the pump with my magic giving that oh so satisfying sound and leveled it at the damn mannequins.

“And now I start my counterattack” I stated as I switched from single to three round burst.

Footnote: Level Up!

New Perk: Intense Training (Strength): Through constantly carrying more than your share as well as repeatedly having to rely on sheer physical strength you have become stronger. As such you are now quite a buff unicorn and you can solve most problems with your hooves when words, magic, or guns fail you. You also have little to worry about when it comes to most ponies getting too close as you can just swat them away with sword or powerhoof. Keep on applebucking away little ranger!