Fallout Equestria: The Ranger of Seamane

by Moonlight Grimoire

Rating: mature
Tags: Adventure, Crossover, Dark
Length: 403250

Follow the story of Moonlight, a mare from Saint Clover a ship sitting in the ruins of the city of Seamane as she begins her journey into the harsh equestrian wasteland.

Moonlight is a child of two former scavengers turned merchants. She lives in the beached ship Saint Clover that was a cargo ship before the world fell apart and was engulfed in balefire. Saint Clover is considered a safe heaven for scavengers who pick over the ruins of Seamane as well as a port of call to merchants from all over. As always, no place is safe forever in the wasteland. Long has the area of Seamane been harassed by raiders attacking caravans and taking over towns. Worse are the slavers who have started to come from the west kidnapping ponies from their homes.

Warning, depictions of death, drug use, drowning, rape, strangulation, and suffocation. (Modified original Logo by Dotrook)

Google Docs Version.

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2015-03-29 21:17:50 UTC

Chapter 1 - Signs of Life

Chapter One – Signs of Life

“Never trust someone, unless you can see the white of their bones”

Saint Clover was a safe place, well most of the time it was. Saint Clover, or the H.M.S. Clover the Clever, was an over two hundred year old beached cargo ship. After the surface had been burned away by the necromantic flame of Balefire bombs, there weren’t that many safe places left to live. However, the Saint Clover was one such place that ponies could live in without too much to worry about in the Seamane Ruins. The thick hull protected from most firearms, the vast cargo bay allowed for the construction of a town within it. The built in water purifiers allowed for safe clean water drink and bathe in allowing for a fair bit healthier living than most places in the world. Saint Clover was a rather popular trading hub, a neutral ground for scavengers out of the ruins of Seamen and caravans from the north and west to swap wears and get out of the wasteland.

Saint Clover was also a pretty good place to raise a family. With safe walls and good security it was hard for anypony to get lost or injured. Of course ponies still got hurt from time to time as it is a two hundred year old shipwreck, but, it was safer than living outside exposed to the elements or rogue ponies or others. Then there were the dunes that had long been held back thanks to grass planted centuries ago to try to tame the land into farmable, livable land. However, with the great amount of energy released in the closing hours of the Great War the grass and soil that had held back those dunes were annihilated. Now not only did the ponies in Seamane have to worry about the normal horrors of the waste they also had the dunes slowly covering up salvage that could potentially feed or heal somepony. So with that the ruins of Seamen were just like any other, a desperate struggle for each cap, for every scrap between scavengers, slavers, raiders, bandits, and all the other monstrosities pony and otherwise in the wasteland.

That was why I was glad to be living in Saint Clover, it was safe and nice compared to the wasteland.

It was still a bit before noon as I walked through the market deck of Saint Clover, the place was lively as ever. Scavengers selling what they had found in the ruins. Traveling merchants stocking up on supplies and merchandise. More than a couple of times saw some heavy weapons changing hands, which from what I understood was rare. Usually the trading of heavy weapons didn't happen due to ponies needed them for protection when scavenging or traveling. Today I was looking to see if any merchants had books that I could barter for. Dad had given me two hundred caps to spend and told me to get something I wanted, but, get it cheaper than what it should go for. Of course he also told me don't steal it, not that I would, to me it seemed that stealing from people you buy your food from was a monumentally stupid idea.

So I began casing the deck for what I was looking for and found my merchant. The merchant in question primarily sold clothes, scrap items, and various other things. He was an older stallion with a light purple coat and a fading blue mane, he wore a cap that looked kind of silly, but, looked fitting for him. Really seemed more like a hoarder trying to clean out his home than a serious merchant. But, I saw a small collection of books. I could make out a book about arcane sciences, wasteland survival, and a book on medicine. Of those three, the arcane sciences book was the one that interested me the most, however, if I could walk away with all three it would be quite a good day. I continued walked around for a while more, looking at some clothing, armor, a few guns, and a few nice pre war swords then I headed over to the older stallions stall.

The merchant was with another customer as I walked into their stall. I made my way around looking closer at what he had as he finished with the other customer. He had more than I expected, there was a lot of medical equipment, first aid and beyond. I also found a nice knife, it had a leg sheath, I also found another book, this one on how to use knifes and other weapons in hoof to hoof combat. So I picked up both up, and grabbed the three books I had spotted before. As I gathered all the items I was interested in the merchant walked up with a smile on his face, friendly, but, not too friendly. I might have misjudged him as being an easy pony to barter with.

“So it looks like ya found something of interest miss, is that all you looking for or are ya needing help?” The  merchant said in a rather happy and polite tone.

“Well I did find a few things of interest, and I was wondering how much you are asking for it all.” I replied giving a warm smile, or at least I hoped it was a warm smile.

“Alright, well let me add these all up for ya,” he replied cheerfully, apparently this was the most business he has gotten in a while. “Well ya got a good eye for these books, not many are interested in reading anymore, oh and this is a rather nice knife.” He finished as he drew the blade and checked to see its condition, after all, kind of hard to ask for any caps if what you're selling is a dull or broken knife.

“Well I need something to do, and we are kind of on our own anymore for getting an education. No schools to my knowledge exist anymore,” I snickered.

“Quite true Missy, well it all comes out to seventy caps, ya got them or not?” he asked as he put everything down on the counter.

I checked how many caps I had, I did the calculations on what the price from other merchants would have been for everything, and smiled. Dad would be proud, it was a great deal, and I put down the seventy caps. I just got what would be worth about two hundred fifty caps for under half the price.

“Here you go kind sir, and do expect more business from me next time I have the caps. You have a good selection, and much more reasonable prices than some of the others here.” I said with a smile, I was pleased by the prices and the service.

“Well I’m glad to hear it, nice to see a pony who respects those she trades with, and the price they offer their wares at,”  he chuckled.

I blushed a little, not on purpose, but, because in my experience most merchants were a bit rough. Then again, I before I never had all that many caps to toss around so why would they be nice to me?

“Well you best be checking back often, never know what curiosity I might have laying around, neither to I.” He said with a final chuckle, “Now ya have a good day miss.”

With that I headed out of the shop, one knife and three books more than planned, but, for considerably less than I worried about all of it costing me. So I floated my new goods into my saddle bag as well as the remaining bottle caps. With that I decided to stick around a little longer before heading deeper into the ship to see if I could find something to sell. After all, if I could find some more caps to buy a few healing potions and a new set of goggles I would be set for the next trip out into the wasteland. Whenever that was, it was up to Mom and Dad on when my next bit of survival training would be.

I wandered and headed deeper into the ship, passing quite a few of the common rooms and converted sleeping quarters. Deeper in I pasted the water systems, thankfully those were working properly and humming away as their magic purified the water. I continued deeper, knowing any place around here either something would belong to somepony or would be pretty well played out in terms of scavengable goods. So for several minutes more I kept walking, and it got quieter as the sounds of machinery fell away with the sounds of the ponies living in the ship. Finally I got deep enough that I could just hear the light howl of the wind outside, and hoof steps? Wait, stop, and listen, those weren’t echos of my own hoof steps, somepony else was down here, with me. Well maybe security to make certain nothing against the rules was happening. However, there was something about this that was making me feel nervous. Quickly I looked around and found a good spot to hide, and to be perfectly safe walked a few steps further forward, then silently crawled around into the hiding spot further back. That way my tracks would lead away from me instead of to me.

“Now lets see who else is down here...” I whispered to myself. Which I probably shouldn't have since well, it is silly to make any noise when trying not to make a sound to alert whoever else was here. But, hey, we all have our moments of not being a clever pony. Thankfully, it seemed that either my voice sounded much louder to me than it actually was, or the wind covered it up better than I thought it would as I saw a pale orange buck walk past. I noticed he had goggles, new ones, and a face mask. From the looks of it he traveled through the dunes to get here, and quite a ways too. And... what were those silver rings he had, they looked like they went over a ponies neck. Wait... a slaver? Oh no. Oh no no no no no! Scavenging mission aborted, time to get to Dad or Mom, it was no longer safe down here! Now just wait till he passes and then double back and-

“Come out, security asked me to come find you missy, apparently your mother is worried that you got lost” he called out, every word he from his lips sounding wrong. Then something fell, and hit me as I unintentionally moved back, then it hit the floor on one of the exposed metal areas, and he turned and saw me

“Ah, there you are, come out and lets get you to safety.” His grin... it said so many things I did not want to think about. So time to scratch the sneaking part, time to get to the running part.

With that I bolted out, and telekinetically grabbed some sand and flung it at him. As he moved to cover his eyes I then tugged his goggles off and pulled his other foreleg with my magic and watched him get a hoof full of sand in his eyes as he fell and I got a brand new pair of goggles. With that I was out of the room at a full gallop leaving him scrambling to clean out his eyes and get up. I could hear him cursing as I ran, my only goal to get to the point where I couldn't hear them.

After a few minutes of hurried running and bad choices on which way to go I was further into the uninhabited parts of the ship. I sat catching my breath when I heard a crash. I knew it had to be the slaver chasing after me as he bumped into a shopping cart somepony had abandoned down here many some time ago. I also knew he had managed to follow me through the cramped and maze like underbelly of the ship. Though I was quite certain he didn't know the layout of the lower decks as well as I did. So I started heading away as quietly as I could. Even if Mr. Slaver didn't know the place, no point on giving him a sound zero in on or trail to follow. I heard a more few curses coming from where the crash had came from, and a few steps towards where I had just been. This was as good of a time as any to get as far away from here as possible and find Dad or Mom. Unfortunately I either had to go up stairs which risked a lot of sound and a high profile, or to loop around and hope to sneak behind him and back out towards where the chase had started. Right now, less sound was optimal so sneaking around was my first choice.

As I crept around, I did find a few things lying around, a few bottle caps, and what looked like some scrap electronics. I used my telekinesis to grab them and put them in my saddle bags. At least it looks like the original plan of getting new goggles hadn’t completely failed, nor was scavenging the lower decks. Though, I probably should keep from getting too distracted by what is down here while trying to run away. I don't know how well Mr. Slaver knew his way around, though from the hoof steps I kept hearing he at least knew how to track, and that was not good for me. I also now knew that I really hate feeling like prey, it is terrifying. I also now had a lot more displeasure for slavers if they all were this good at tracking. I guessed he saw I was a blank flank at my age and figured nopony would bat an eye at me vanishing. For most of Saint Clover that might be true, but, my Mom, Dad, and my brother would miss me very much. They probably would also trek across the dunes to find me and kill every slaver that they came across while trying to get me back.

I heard him again, this time uncomfortable closer than he had been just a bit ago, only three halls or so away, thankfully he wasn't being very silent, so it was pretty easy to hear him. Then that got me to thinking, there were likely more slavers so he probably was trying to herd me into a trap. Well buck me, why didn't I think of that earlier? I needed to start going up levels, not down. Even with some of the bits and pieces I had found would fetch a good price from the city itself, it is not worth it. I needed to get out quickly, and quietly.

As I crept around, now much more on alert for more hoof steps, or shuffling, or even breathing, I was wishing I had one of those Stable-tec fore leg computers, Pipbucks I believe they were called. I had seen a few ponies with them before and they had explained what they were and the amazing technology that they were. The Eyes Forward Sparkle would be really handy now, but, those were rare and expensive. Ha, now if I could get into a Stable I might be able to get one. Too bad the only stable nearby was in a sand filled, ghoul infested subway tunnel near the balefire bomb crater in Seamane. That or the stripped bare stable that Dune City's founding population had come from. But, that was days north of the here, and probably had nothing but the walls left in it.

Getting wrapped up in my own thoughts was a bad habit of mine, right now a very bad habit to fall back into. This lead to me almost walking right into him. For my negligence I got to hear him mutter to himself “Red Eye will pay quite well for a unicorn, maybe I can finally get out of this crap business”. Red Eye? I thought I had heard that name from some of the other merchants, some sort of big name buyer of slaves or was it a big name slaver? Either way he supposedly was operating out of the ruins of Fillydelphia. That is a long ways away, and not many ponies traveled between the heartland and Seamane, beyond the few caravans that braved the badlands between Appleloosa and Colt. I also got to see his cutie mark, a lasso, how fitting for his occupation. As he began to pass the doorway I was hiding in I swung around and bucked him low. I know I hit my target with his cry of pain, the sound of him hitting against the hall's wall. So with Mr. Slaver bucked into a wall I ran, because I had just bucked a slaver in his most sensitive parts and he was already frustrated at my eluding of him, now, he was furious. His screams of pain were quickly being replaced with yelling filled with anger and contempt for me.

“Alright you little cunt, show yourself and I won't kill you. I will just put the collar on and fuck you, if you don't I am going to hunt you down rape you and then kill you!” He screamed as he started after me.

Nice offer, but, no deal, idiot. Question is, do I kill him? He is a slaver, trying to do his slaving in Saint Clover. Which, I believe was a capital offense and gets you shot on the spot by security. I had a knife, I should have put that on earlier since I did have a sheath for it, hell I could have used it a few moments ago after I bucked him I could have just stabbed it into his throat. Damn you hindsight, damn you and my brain for coming up with good plans after they could have been useful! Either way, time to bolt to security, let them handle it. His pain and frustration would cloud his judgement and that would mean his slave collars would still be in his saddle bags, that alone should get him put down. Plus he had mentioned putting a collar on me before using what remained of his stallionhood on me. I was also fairly certain that threatening assault, rape, and murder was not something taken lightly.

Now that I was running and not caring for stealth it didn't take long to get to where I wanted to go. I got to the right deck for a security post, and started running for it, I heard him, panting, how in the name of Celestia did he catch up to me that quickly? Save that thought for later, focus on not ramming into a wall. Oh... There was a wall, a wall welded into place, there was a lot of momentum still in me, and not much distance to the wall. Please don't knock me out, you are supposed to protect me not hurt me. I hit the wall, my face and whole front stung, and there was a loud bang as I smashed into the wall. My head hurt, my ears were practically ringing, maybe that was from the wall for me smacking face first into it. I needed to get up, before he caught up with me.

“There you are, you little cunt! You picked the wrong path in this maze, and now, I am going to gobble you all up!” he laughed maniacally and either what he said made no sense or my brain jumbled it up. Then he pulled out some sort of club with it in his mouth he moved to swing. I blocked with my left fore leg I heard a crack and felt an explosion of pain from my fore leg. Half of the club landed on my face, it broke, but, not just it so did my leg. Okay so, broken bones hurt. They hurt a lot, and now I knew exactly how much a broken leg hurt, and it was far more than I had ever thought it would hurt. I had gotten hurt before, badly in fact, but, this was my first broken bone and it completely out weighed the pain of every injury before.

I felt my eyes tear up in response to the pain. I could barely make out through the ringing in my ears and my blurred sight that he was smiling as he tossed the broken club away and reached into his saddlebags. I steeled myself for what I was about to do. I had to focus, I need to take him out, security was behind this wall and who knows how many minutes away, if they even bothered to check out the loud crash my impact of the wall had hopefully made. So I had to focus, focus just on the knife, I felt my magic wrap around the knife, undoing the lash that held it in its sheath in my saddlebag, then the flap of my saddlebag letting everything spill out. I quickly flipped it over and as I began to search for the spot I wanted to aim for. The spot in question was a major artery, close to the surface, easy to spot, always in the same place from pony to pony. I knew that shoving the knife into his throat would be enough to end his life and save mine, but, I would need to watch and guide my knife as I shoved it into this pony. I would have to watch myself kill another pony. I steeled myself for what I had to do and with gritting my teeth knowing what I had to do to survive and be free I shoved the knife forward forcing myself to watch so I didn't miss. The knife was very sharp, and very deadly, it slide easily into his neck, as time seemed to slow down I watched as my magically propelled knife buried deep into his throat, right between where his jaw was and his neck met his skull. The life in his eyes quickly faded as shock washed over his face and he limply collapsed over to my side.

I felt something pooling at my hooves, something wet and warm on me, I just laid there panting, my magic fell apart and the knife just sat there in the wound as his blood leaked out, staining his coat, and mine. I lay there for sometime, I don't know how long. I heard someone walk up through the fading ringing in my ears, they saw his body and galloped up. I saw her lips moving, wow, ponies looked weird when talking, why had I never noticed this before? I know I could hear her, but, I couldn't, something was blocking it, muffling everything, making it all fuzzy. I think I read about this once, it is called shock. It is something that ponies had happen to them when something traumatic happens, theorized to protect them from further injuring themselves. That... or I gave myself a concussion to end all concussions. Maybe both from the bits of feeling I was getting sporadically from my body. From the looks the mare gave me, she knew I wasn't there, and she left. I closed my eyes, some part of me crying out that is the opposite of what I should do, that I should fight to stay awake. The fight was too hard and I slipped into the darkness behind my closed eyes.

*                *                *

I heard the wind blowing, I felt the sand under my hooves, the warm air blowing my mane. I felt the sand hitting against my goggles. I was standing at the top of a dune, looking out at... somewhere. I couldn't make it out from here, my eyes didn't want to focus on it, and there was something bright and orange that way. The sky... the clouds weren't all there, they lingered in places in the sky, but, there was orange beyond them, and blues... and a great darkness in the other direction. Was that the moon? Sweet Celestia, what is going on, why is the sun and moon in the sky at the same time?! Better question, why were the clouds gone! What is going on? I felt something clamp around my neck, and a whisper “now you're mine”. I turned and saw a pony, no, a stallion with one red eye? “Your freedom is over, just as the skies are freed”. I saw others, what looked like everypony from Saint Clover all filing out of the ship, all with the same collar.

*                *                *

I woke up and I wasn't where I was before, I think this was one of the few clinics in Saint Clover. From the pony in the corner that I could see this might be the private one for security. I just laid there, my head hurt, my legs hurt, one more than the other, and there was still this nasty ringing in my ears. Somepony noticed I was awake and flashed a light in each of my eyes, said something about luck. Someone else saying smart, think someone else said I was a frigging idiot. Sounded like me. I felt a prick in my flank, and then I was out again.

I gasped, coughed, and then I looked around as I woke up. I was shaking, I wanted to run, not be in this room at the moment. I tried to get up and I felt a hoof on my shoulder, someone calling to calm down, relax, and breath. All of them were good suggestions, however, my body on the other hand wanted to run, vomit, and hyperventilate. Thankfully I only did the latter two. Well only somewhat thankfully on the vomiting, but, I was starting to calm down. Things felt like they were coming back to being sharper like they should be, instead of balls of techni colored fluff. I wanted to lay down on something fluffy, that would calm me down, and feel good on everything, since now everything hurt. Then I felt a hoof smack me across the face, that sent the world spinning and some how my hearing decided then to click back on.

“Calm down, Moonlight!” That was Dad.

“You're fine, security is here and they have been rounding up that stallion's friends.” That was Mom.

“Please stop moving Miss Moonlight, or we won't be able to reset your leg, again.” That would be a doctor, I would assume.

“Sis calm down, we are all here and safe, let them help you.” That would be my brother, Silver Sand.

“I... what... give me a few moments, things aren't quite clicking,” a voice replied to them, oh, that was me. Wow it took me that long to realize I was talking... Ow my head.

“Mr. Sands Mrs. Shores please, if you will wait outside, her concussion is making it hard for her to process what is going on. Her senses are overloaded from both pain and her body is still shaking off the effects of having gone into shock. As soon as she is well enough to walk I will let you know.” The doctor said, this seemed enough to get my family to leave.

“Sorry Dad, at least I got a good deal at the market first” I said sheepishly and tried to smile, though smiling is hard to do when you can't really feel your face.

“We will talk about that later, just get feeling better okay, Moonlight?” I could see him, his deep blue mane and tan coat walking out of the room with Mom and Silver ahead of him.

“Moonlight, please bite down on this, I can't in good conscious give you any more pain killers, if I do you probably will get addicted to them, or have a heart attack. Both of which I don't want and neither do you.” As he finished saying this I felt a rubber bar slid into my mouth, it bite down on it. “I am sorry.”

Sorry for what? He didn't send a slaver after me, he didn't weld that wall up. Then my left fore leg flared in pain again. Oh sweet merciful Celestia that hurt more than it did when I broke it! My vision almost completely went black, I shuddered and I felt my eyes water. He was working on fixing my broken leg, and he couldn't put me under or give me anything more for the pain. I think that is what he was sorry for, and I was still under the effect of the pain killers and it hurt that much. Maybe he was sorry that he was taking enjoyment out of getting to practice his field. I don't know I couldn't see much of anything through the blinding pain. Ground rule, no more broken bones, or more of no breaking the same bone after it is set until it heals.

“Can I pass out now?” I asked the good doctor, and seeing the look in his eyes, I knew he had sympathy for me right now.

“No, unfortunately the constable wants to talk to you first” The doctor said to me.

“The consta-what?” Was I this stupid normally or was this just a new word?

“Fancy word that the head of the watch likes to go by.” The doctor replied with a small roll of his eyes.

“Oh... um...  that is alright, I mean I am not terribly lucid at the moment so-” I said feeling a wave of nausea.

Then I heard a third voice chime in, a new voice, kind of had a sing song feel to it.

“Even better, less likely that you will lie, even if you use your words out of place instead.” That must be the 'constable', or maybe that was his name, Constable.

“Well then ask away.” I said as I whimsically swung my right fore leg to the side, glad that my left had been for the moment secured so I wouldn't move it.

“Well, alright then.” He said and then proceeded to ask questions about who was the slaver, when I noticed him following me, when I noticed what he was carrying. He took down what I recalled him saying. The whole time nodding, and only asking questions to clarify once he got me going on telling him what happened.

“Then I passed out and woke up here, I think here anyways. Uh... that's it” I finished duly, staring at the ceiling as I felt the doctor finish checking that the bone had set and jump started the healing process with a bit of magic.

“Very well, what you say fits with what others saw, heard, and we what found on him. Thank you for your cooperation. Your medical fees will be waved for your selfless sacrifice in the line of protecting the citizens of Saint Clover.” Constable said.

“Sacrifice sounds rather final... Uh, maybe a different word for the public statement?” I offered to Constable.

“Um, hm... Well yes, yes something less final, unless you rather ponies thinking you are dead.” I saw him smirk at me, huh, he has a good head on his shoulders. “Just a last bit of business, could you sign your statement, Miss Moonlight?”

“Right sure thing, horn signed is alright?” I asked Mr. Charming Constable.

“Quite, the doctor will sign as a witness to the testimony and you will be free to go, well once you can walk.” Smart aleck, but, enjoyable company, under better circumstances.

I wrapped my magic around the pen, and signed, a bit fancy thanks to reading old books on penmanship. I smiled as I finished it with a flourish and then relinquished my magic on the pen to the doctor.

“So I probably should leave before more of Mr. Slavers friends show up from out of town." I said with a frown, I didn't enjoy the idea of heading out with a broken leg. Well somewhat healed broken leg.

“Well that probably would be for the best, however, with the sand storm on it's way, you may want to wait.” Constable said. Great a sandstorm, but, that would make it equally hard to get in or out.

“Well, it is up to my parents then. Uh doctor, how long until my leg is fully healed, and how long till I can walk on it?” I said as I turned my head towards the doctor.

“You can walk on it now. Your bone will be weaker as it heals over the next week. I am giving you three healing potions, take one every other day starting tomorrow. You should be good to travel pretty quick after that. Just be careful it will easily break again until it is fully healed, even then, come have me check on it as soon as you get back.” He looked... optimistic, optimistic is good, right?

“I guess I should get used to walking on it then.” I said as the restraints were removed from my crippled leg. I started to roll onto my right side, and noticed that Constable was halfway out the door by then. Not even a goodbye. Well, not so pleasant company I guess, or maybe not so polite.

“Take it slowly and let us check your vitals, make certain I didn't miss anything.” The doctor said to me and I nodded in return to the him, and he helped me up and thus began an hour long physical that left me exhausted, well more exhausted than I was. Thankfully I was no worse for wear than a concussion, some bruises, and my broken leg. He also compiled a medical portfolio of me, and transferred it to a metal plate with a enchanted amethyst crystal embedded into it, said something about it keeping track of my medical information so if I ever get dragged into a clinic out cold, again, hopefully the clinic will have a computer able to read it and know exactly what is wrong with me. Very useful I thought, and accepted it gratefully. It was light, and the tiny metal beads that linked together with a rectangle bearing some simple information. The information in question was such things as name, birth date, and blood type stamped into the metal. It felt cool against my neck, and light enough to not constantly be on mind, but, enough to probably notice when gone.

“Well you seem pretty well off for somepony who just went through that. I hope I don't see you too much beyond check ups, Moonlight.” The doctor said with a smile, his mane resting softly to one side, I could see the base of it turning gray in places, outside of that it was a nice caramel color, his coat was also a nice orange color. I could see his cutie mark, a stethoscope. I smiled.

“Thank you, uh, what will happen to Mr. Slavers stuff?” I asked, knowing he probably didn't know the answer.

“Well the slave collars will taken apart and what of use will be put to use for the town, the rest, well I think all you are going to get is the face mask since your family travels.” He seemed a bit down at this, guess he didn't like talking about the dead terribly much.

“Thank you. Um... is it alright if I come back here if I get hurt again, umm doctor...” I asked him.

“Yes, and it is Patches. Maybe next time you will have a cutie mark, you are rather old not to have one.” Patches teased me.

I went flush, I am certain my gray coat started to turn pink or crimson, he simply grinned. Damn you genetics, my family was always late to getting their cutie marks, so far I am the latest bloomer that we know of. I had just turned twenty three and I still didn't have one!

“Sure, maybe next time you will have some candy for when I don't thrash about.” I stuck my tongue out at him, and he chuckled.

With that I walked, well limped, out of the clinic, and I was right, it was the one for security. I asked a guard if it was okay for me to come back here and get treated here. The guard smiled and told me that thanks to helping stop the slavers before anypony got taken I am completely welcome back up here. He also gave me a box of sugar bombs, while not candy, it was sweet and tasty, ignoring the fact it was two hundred years old like most food. It also was probably radioactive like everything else from the wasteland. As I moved to the lobby I saw my family, all three of them. Sitting there, looking tired, but, not worried, rather relaxed. I also saw Constable walking away and another guard walking up to me with my saddle bags.

“Your possessions ma'am, and a reward for helping in the capture of several slavers.” He said as he helped me with my saddle bags.

I noticed that they were bit heavier, which meant a lot of caps, that or they gave me something else. I would have to look later. I gave him a nod and a smile, then limped on towards my family.

“I'm sorry for giving all of you a scare, I thought that I might get a few more caps by going down there and finding some scrap that we could sell to the town. Particularly for keeping the purifiers and what not running.” I gave a sheepish smile towards them all. I got a warm smile from everypony.

Dad spoke first, “it's okay honey, you're alive and safe, and you didn't piss off the whole town.”

“Did I piss part of it off or just the slavers that got arrested?” I asked, what he said had worried me.

“Just the slavers, everypony else wants to throw a small party though that will wait for tomorrow night. You averted what would have likely been a long string of foalnappings in the Saint Clover.” He said with a wide smile, his pride was showing through clearly, Mom and Silver both reflected the same pride in me.

I sighed. I was relieved that I did some how ended up doing the right thing. As I looked down I looked and saw the doctor had taken the time to clean the blood out of my coat, then I thought about the goggles and face mask that I now possessed. Goods gotten from the death of another. It... felt wrong. But, wasn't that how everything worked now, we took from the dead to feed and protect ourselves? No think about that later, save it for one of those long quiet walks or long sleepless nights. Anything other time except for now. Right now I am supposed to be happy, my family is supposed to be happy. I forced a smile onto my face, it didn't want to stick so I ended up with just a slight one instead.

“So, what is the plan Dad. Go out now, or after the storm passes?” I asked Dad.

Dad just looked at me confused at the question. “What do you mean, do you think we need to leave?”

I just blinked then I shook my head, giving him my answer, and knowing it probably was for the best to stick around for at least another day. Tonight I had four books to read, and saddle bags to organize, putting what I would sell off tomorrow at the top. I had gotten a few nice things today. I also needed to count my now swollen caps bag, that was far more than the one hundred thirty caps that should still be in there.

I limped behind the rest of my family as they left the lobby and we headed for our residence that Mom and Dad had bought long ago at one of the few hotels on the ship. When we arrived we found extra security there, to make certain that I would stay safe. I guess rooting the slavers out by complete accident endeared me greatly to them. Not that I was complaining, now I could get a good nights sleep with knowing a lot more ears and eyes were looking out for me tonight than just my own. Though, that didn't help the creeping paranoia that still lingered in my head. The paranoia that at any moment somepony was going to snatch me up on our walk back. That by being so quiet and behind my family somepony could just slide on by and take me away.

*                *                *

I couldn't sleep, though, this night it was more of I had been out cold for most of the day. So, I read, I started with the hoof to hoof weapons training guide. It was interesting to see earth ponies and zebras fighting with just knifes, hoof held or mouth held. But, given how things happened earlier today, or was it yesterday by now, anyways, any pointers would help. There were some very good pointers on vital areas, for both lethal and non lethal takedowns. Though, I imagine now non-lethal takedowns were beyond pointless. Still, it was a good thing to keep in mind. I continued reading seeing the use of hoof blades as well as fighting styles for swords, including leg blades that extended out from their spot on a ponies fore leg. At the end it gave a basic guide to fighting using telekinesis with various weapons. All of them improvised. I guessed I would have to find another training guide focused for magic users.

The hoof to hoof fighting manual was in surprisingly good condition for being two hundred years old, though, somepony with loving care had restored the book a few times. I guessed over the years a few other ponies shared my love of books. I skimmed through the other books idly as I thought about what happened earlier, definitely yesterday by now. I know Saint Clover let anypony in who wasn't foaming at the mouth, or had a outstanding bounty on their head. Still, it was surprising that they never checked a ponies saddlebags. Hay, they didn't even take weapons or ammo away. Guess, they figure anyone starts to try something serious they will hear the shots from security and come galloping in to save the day. Yesterday kind of showed them to be wrong about that. I got the feeling that with how messed up I had gotten, that by the time they showed up, I would have been dead, or far worse if I hadn't dealt with him myself.

I shuddered remembering what he had threatened to do to me. I shuddered as I thought about what if I had gave up, I would have been his or their trick pony for weeks given how far Fillydelphia was. That was not a pleasant thought. I smiled warmly as I brought the knife in front of me that I had used to kill him. If not for my good eye and the merchants wide collection... Then I dropped the knife, it was still somewhat stained with his blood as it finally hit me. I had killed a pony with my own hooves. Well okay, with my own magic, part of my mind reminded me, shush logical brain now isn't the time for that. It was still my action that lead to his death. His blood had drained out of him as I watched his life fade from his eyes. A look of shock on his face. If he could have he probably would have had his mouth agape. I couldn't believe I could do that to another pony. But, I didn't have a choice, did I? He was going to do whatever he pleased with me once I passed out, and there was no guarantee that I would ever wake up based on his threats. Even if I did, I would be a slave, off to Fillydelphia at the hands of captors who hated me, who would abuse me. No, I shouldn't let this loom over me, he deserved it, like it or not it had to be done. The simple fact of the wasteland was you killed to save yourself. You looked after oneself over all others. I saved more than just my own life with ending his. Knocking him out wasn't an option that I had, I only had one shot to deal with him.

I knew my logic to be sound, and my reasons right. The action of killing him had been just. Still, killing another... it felt so wrong. It should I told myself, it should always feel wrong to kill another. Even killing in self defense as a last resort. I am right with this, or would my self preservation instincts kick in next time my life was in danger and I would kill again even if other options were present? I took a deep breath. This wasn't helping, I should have known better that this won't help. I needed to distract myself, something not about killing. My eyes landed upon the Big Book of Arcane Sciences, perfect I thought to myself, a good way to think about anything besides death. I opened it to the first page, and started to read the massive book. As I absorbed the information, did the sample work in it my mind I calmed down and I relaxed. I smiled, I think now I can get some sleep. I closed the book after an hour of studying it. Slide it and the rest of my goods back into my saddlebags and closed my eyes.

*                *                *

I heard the wind, it was comforting sound, a sound you almost always heard out here. A constant companion in the wasteland. I walked, the sand had given away to some of the solid ground in the ruins of Seamen. The wind guided me as I trotted down the main streets of the city, between old burned out skyscrapers, turned over carriages, and crashed skywagons. I saw the skeletons of the past, did nopony ever come back to bury them? Would it matter in a few decades when the dunes erased the city? I heard something rattle, like bone on bone. I looked to see the source, I didn't see anything that would explain it.

I kept walking, I kept hearing the rattling, getting closer, but, always stopping when I looked around for it. I felt something wet at my hooves, I looked down, and my coat was stained blood red from my usual gray. The red slowly crept up, staining my coat, I stepped back, it felt like my legs were on fire. I fell on my back in my panic, and I saw it, a skeleton pony, staring at me. It stomped down a hoof on my face. All was darkness.

*                *                *

I woke up with a start, my heart hammering, I lay in my bed breathing, and listening. Slowly my heart calmed and I heard the wind again. I also heard talking in the distance, it must be morning. I looked around my room to make certain I was alone, and I thankfully was. I didn't need anypony seeing me freaking out from a dream even if warranted from yesterday. I still felt it foalish of me to panic so badly from a dream. I mean yeah it was a bit odd, and suddenly ending, but, it was a dream, I was dealing with having blood on my hooves, having killed somepony. Yes it was traumatic, but, I need to get past this.

“Ugh... I need something to listen to so I can make my brain shut up.” I muttered aloud to the empty room. My eyes scanned the room and found an old radio, which, two hundred years ago would have been amazing, but, no radio stations still existed, at least out here in Seamane. According to Dad and Mom there were a few radio stations still in existence. I sighed and shook my head as I got up off of my bed and headed to the common room. As I opened my door I saw Mom and Silver at the table eating. They saw me and gave me a warm smile as I moved to join them.

Mom spoke first, “Were you able to get any sleep Moonlight?” I hear in her voice some notable concern, her eyes spoke that she hadn't slept all too well either.

I simply nodded at first, then I frowned. “It could have been better, but, considering how much I was out yesterday I am glad I got any." I said, and it seemed to make Mom relax a bit.

I looked at the table and thought for a few moments, as I did Silver slide a bowl of sugar bombs in front of me and a bottle of water. I looked up at him he smiled at me, and I returned a weak smile. “Thank you, Silver.”

He simply kept smiling and returned to his seat and resumed eating his own breakfast. I turned to my bowl and started to slowly eat. My brain feeling kind of shot now, guess things for now had run it's course. The ancient food some how still tasted good, though, figured probably pretty bad for me if it kept good for two hundred years, and it probably had two hundred times my yearly intake of preservatives in it. I cracked a smile and focused on eating, one step at a time Moonlight.

Normalcy, something we strive for in our lives. We want things to not deviate from what we know. Seeing me smiling and eating seemed enough for now, Mom and Silver looked more relaxed, and turned to eat their breakfast too. I knew what I was going to do today, sell things off, get a helmet, maybe some barding, hopefully a gun and some ammo. I really wanted some protection, my safe little world that I had constructed about Saint Clover was wrong, as such, I had to adapt. Adapting in this case was armor and weapons. I really had no idea on weapons, I had a bit of a idea on barding though. Come to think of it, I don't think I had ever seen a unicorn wear a helmet. Do they even make helmets for unicorns? Guess I would find out when I got to the marketplace in a little. I picked up my bowl as I finished off the bottle of water.

“I am going to head out to the market. I picked up a few things yesterday that I want to sell off, and I am going to look at getting a few things.” I said over my shoulder at Mom and Silver. I only heard a grunt of affirmation from Mom as I set things on the counter next to the old sink. “I will be back once I have everything.”

With that, I levitated my saddlebags onto my back and headed out the door. As I did, I saw two guards at my door nod to me, and one explained to me that he was to tail me when leaving my family's residence. I felt at ease with having someone looking over me, someone with a bit of power. I gave him a smile and thanked him. He thanked me, I blinked then remembered, I had stopped a possible slaver problem that could have taken anypony, even their families away from here. I felt silly for forgetting I wasn't the only one with other ponies in their lives who they cared about and the slavers had been a threat to them all.

I wasn't used to having a shadow, and after yesterday having one made me a bit jumpy. Every time I got spooked I apologized to him, it wasn't his fault that he was spooking me. It was a relief when we got to more crowded parts as we moved towards the marketplace. It easier to ignore somepony walking behind you when there are dozens of others walking all around you. I saw the merchant from yesterday and walked up to him, browsing his wares once more, hoping to find another good catch. However, it seemed he hadn't gotten anything terribly interesting, which wasn't surprising since it had been only a day. So I walked up to him, hoping to talk to and thank him.

“Why hello there Missy, I heard about what happened yesterday good to hear that knife of mine came in handy.” He said then gave me the biggest grin he could. His grin read like he was almost expecting something to have happen yesterday after I left his shop. “I probably should have mentioned it to someone, but, I had seen the guy who tried to get ya eyeing ya and following ya the whole time ya was here.”

“I... well, how could you have known he would try to do what he did.” I said with a shrug. At least I thought one couldn't discern somepony else's motives with just looking at them. I caught his look, maybe he could read minds and under his hat there was a unicorn horn.

“No, no magic, just good at reading people is all, have to be to be good at buying and selling.” He said and I stammered, was he seriously mind reading? I looked at him again and I swear there was no way his smile could get bigger.

“Well, thank you for the good deals at least, saved my life and helped calm me down after the fact.” I held out my left fore leg, seeing the brace I remembered I hadn't taken my healing potion yet and winced as he gently shook it.

“Well thank ya for being so polite, and coming back to check my wares. Here have a free healing potion, I think you are going to need more before the week is out.” He said with a wink.

I nodded and gratefully drank down the healing potion. I felt the pain start to go away immediately and over all felt better. I smiled, I felt better than I usually did. I wonder if maybe healing potions had some sort of inherent trait to make the recipient feel happy. I looked around his shop again before asking him.

“So, you wouldn't happen to have a helmet for a unicorn? Or maybe some barding with padding.” I asked him, still feeling the effects of the healing potion as it felt like my broken bone was mending and my bruises started to faded away.

“No, but, if ya got some stuff to sell I wouldn't mind looking over it, maybe give ya something to trade to a prospector who has what ya are looking for.” He answered, practically beaming.

         He seemed happy just for the chance to barter with me again, even if this time he would be giving me the caps. Strange, always thought merchants wanted all the caps. So I pulled out what I had managed to scavenge, including the face mask from the slaver, I didn't want to have that around. Bad memories, also, his blood had stained it badly. That would be a rather horrid reminder. After a few minutes he handed me about four hundred more caps, most of it from the face mask, the rest was from scrap metal, electronics, abandoned medical equipment, and various pre-war junk found while down below.

“Thank you, um, what is your name by the way? I feel I should know it since you have been rather generous to me.” I said with a blush coming over my face.

“They call me Shorthorn” he said and levitated his hat off of his head, to show a rather short horn almost impossible to see below his thinning mane.

“Knew it” I said flatly, holding back a smile. Then we both started laughing.

“Still no mind reading magic here though Moonlight, so ya can't learn it from me,” he said with a sly smile. “Now get going and find the stuff ya lookin' for before somepony else buys it before ya find it.”

"Thank you, Shorthorn." I said then nodded and headed out of his stall as I added the new bag of caps to my other one in my now very empty saddlebags.

I now had roughly nine hundred eighty caps, security had given me one hundred fifty caps per slaver as reward money. I felt I could probably get some decent armor, a good solid gun, a holster, and plenty of ammo. Hopefully a ammo belt as well. First was the guns, because probably would be the most expensive of all the equipment. Also the gray stallion running the place looked rather intimidating, as did the huge collection of guns around the place.

As I walked up the gray stallion running the stall walked up to me and greeted me cordially, this was going to take some getting used to. I mentioned that I was looking for a gun for protection, and he took me to a table full of pistols and started to ask about my experience with guns and knowledge of them. When I asked him why he was asking, he told me, “As a tailor would take measurements to fit a suit, I take measurements to fit the right gun to their new owner.”

I smiled, glad to see this was for my own benefit, not his just wallet's. Then again I think he knew how badly I wanted something more than a knife to protect myself with, and after yesterday probably was having a increase in sales. After a few minutes he had given me a simple semi automatic nine millimeter pistol. He threw in the holster for free, charged me ten caps for a belt covered in pouches, and fifty caps for ten spare magazines. He then went on to explain how to fire it by magic and by mouth, as well as how to aim with both, and gave me instructions for how to maintain the gun.

I ate up all the information, and I knew my hunger for knowledge had gotten around, but, it was funny to see somepony taking joy in bestowing his knowledge to me. He talked about weapon modifications, I asked if he had any in stock, he sadly told me he didn't have any at the moment. He mentioned different types of ammo, hollow point for flesh targets, +P for more penetration, Jacketed Hollow Point or JHP for short which was a hollow point round with a metal jacket on it so it retained most of the penetration power of a regular round and the horrific effects of a hollow point round. He mentioned surplus ammo, cheap stuff, hard on the gun, not that great of quality. He also taught me how to manually reload rounds. That was probably the most useful bit of information he gave me as it was useful for all of those who went out into the wasteland for long periods of time.

At the end of the better part of two hours I had a nice nine millimeter pistol, about two hundred rounds, plenty of pouches for magazines and ammo, a cleaners kit, and a lot more knowledge of guns than I had ever thought I would get. I also came out of it three hundred and fifty caps lighter. Every cap was worth it I felt. Already as I walked out of his stall with the gun in its holster on over my chest, my little metal medical card bumping into it gently with each step, I felt safer.

    Next up was finding myself some barding. So I went to a shop that had a various 'armors' displayed, most of it looked more like it was to hold your insides in when you got shot than actually seemed protect you. Then again, most of what really protected you cost more than getting your insides put back in it seemed. So it was a battle of what my caps could get me, and what I felt comfortable wearing... Some of the 'armor' was more of the type for distracting your enemies than protecting you. Thankfully it was busy, so I had a while to think and browse.

I asked one stallion what he would suggest for wearing in the wasteland, he looked as if he had spent some serious time out there, and judging from his outfit's need of repair probably was back to get repairs or a replacement. He suggested a few outfits to me, most of which were very practical and no frill. Perfect in my book, and, it gave me a more reasonable selection to look at.

As I stared at the selection some more, figuring what of the so called light armors I felt fit me best I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned and saw that a security mare had shown up to replace my shadow. She had a yellow mane and a light green coat. She smiled and offered a hoof at finding me some barding. With her help I had selected a rather light weight leather barding. I was happy to see it would cover me from neck to hoof in rather tight fitting but not terribly restrictive padding and offer a reasonable degree of protection. She then mentioned to me if I was serious about protecting myself that I should not be afraid to go for heavier armor.

“It may restrict movement,” she said, “but, the armor plates within can stop larger rounds and blasts.”

I nodded, “So what about helmets, for you know horn heads like us, certainly the military had unicorns who needed helmets during the war too.”

"Well for the most part helmets end before where our horns lay on our head, so they don't have to have a special slot or hole for our horns. The only time that isn't the case is when there is a face mask on them as well or they are for covering the entirety of one's head." She said. "But, there are a few that do cover the horn, mostly they are hard to come by due to rarity. However combat medic helmets had horn protection due to many combat medics were unicorns, and well without a horn it is harder to patch somepony up while getting shot at."

She paused for a moment as she thought something over.

"Ah, you should also get a proper respirator." She added as she finished her train of thought.

“Why a respirator?” I asked my guard, I didn't think I would really need one while in Saint Clover.

“Well, you know how bad those sand storms can get, and... well you may have to at some point leave Saint Clover and I think you rather not be caught without one.” She replied, looking slightly away from me. I followed her gaze to see it was directed at nothing in particular.

"Plus there are a lot of things in the air that are nasty to breath in. Not just smelling, but, bad for you as well. Radioactive partials, poisonous smoke, tear gas, and a number of other things. Since your family goes out from time to time as well, and you probably will eventually get bored living on this rust bucket, best to have something to protect yourself with. Think of it as barding for your lungs!" Her point was valid, but, still it felt like she was trying to hide something. Were there those who wanted me to leave? Or maybe they were thinking of having me joining security? She caught me looking at her with my eyebrow raised and eyes slightly pleading for an answer, she simply sighed.

“Listen, Moonlight, you did a wonderful thing for us. We at security appreciate what you did and what happened to you. However, there are some ponies with a fair bit of wealth and power who want you to go. Mainly due to they fear if we keep you around somepony will show up looking for revenge.” The look on her face told me she was here to inform me that I wouldn't get to stay on the ship past when my leg healed, if that. “It isn't that almost everypony is thanks you for killing those slavers before they could hurt anypony. However, now everypony is a bit more jumpy, and seeing you they feel will keep reminding everypony of what happened. They seem to think your leaving would help calm down the situation faster. Return life to normal.”

I actually could completely understand what she was saying, and that made it a lot worse. Because I couldn't argue. I had no room to. But, they had at least the good manners to let me know this early on, and let me get equipped.

    “Now your family will get to stay, you will be able to visit again in a few weeks once things begin to calm down. But, I wouldn't count on being able to move back in completely for probably two months. Best idea is head up to Dune City, take job here that will take you out there. At least you will earn some caps and be safe.”

Dune City was a trading hub on the road out to Colt and north to the Equestrian Heartland. Dune City was also very anti-slaver, which worked for me. As a trading hub I could send messages back home. I could even receive packages from Mom and Dad. It, however, was a few days out, which meant I needed to gather supplies for the trip. It wasn't going to be easy walking over those dunes. That part of the sea of dunes was the most ever changing thanks to the mountains around there funneled the wind so the dunes moved swiftly and almost no solid ground remained. I looked up at the security mare.

“So, guess it is a good thing I picked up a book on medicine and wasteland survival yesterday” I said with a slight chuckle towards her. It got a smile, a honest smile. I think that made this easier for both of us.

“I guess so, those of us up at security are going to prepare some provisions for your trip, so you best focus on healing up. I would also go talk to Doctor Patches about your leg. Make certain it is all healed before you have to go.” She handed me a canteen, it looked beaten, but, it had stamped on it 'May the Goddesses Protect Me' it was a commemorative Seamane canteen.

I teared up, and hugged it to my chest as I tried to hold back my tears “Thank you, I... I would like to finish up shopping then go to Dr. Patches.” I needed to finish what I came up here for, I needed to get this leg fixed faster than the doctor would care for. I had to get ready for this lonely trip.

*                *                *

After my bit of crying at the “Armory”, as the owner of the store called it, I had been given a bit of extra room. I had insisted on paying full price even when offered a discount, though, instead he had gone and made certain everything of mine was in peak condition before handing it over to me. I could see in many ponies eyes they hated that I was being exiled, they felt that I was a hero to them. But, at the same time they seemed to feel that it was what needed to be done. Once we were out of there and on our way up to Patches I felt a bit better, this time having the security mare next to me as we walked alone down the halls made me feel far more at ease. When we arrived at Patches there wasn't a line, I got a few friendly waves from the lobby, both from security and a few ponies there to report one thing or another to security.

My escort held the door open for me and I saw Patches was expecting me. Why did it feel like I was told I would be leaving a day after everypony else? Right, I probably was the last pony on the boat to know, I was, after all, out for about half a day. Patches looked happy to see me and exhausted, I think he might have had a few choice words for somepony who visited him a few minutes prior to my arrival.

“I am guessing you were informed about your exile then, Moonlight?” he said with a look of disdain for the word or for the ponies who had issued the order. I simply nodded. “Then you know that I am to mend your leg, unfortunately I still can't give you anything for the pain as risk of addition to Med-x would be disastrous for you and would be unconscionable for me to allow to happen.”

I gulped, he would be using magic to make my bone properly and quickly heal, and apparently it was going to hurt, a lot.

“Can I ask you for a favor?” I asked him.

He nodded.

“Can you write how to do your healing spells in case I need to use them on myself while I travel?” I asked and this surprised him a little. I think he was figuring I was going to ask for him to ignore the possibility of addiction for the sake of avoiding the pain.

“Yes I can, but, it will have to wait until after I mend your leg. You will probably need a while to recover, so, it will give me proper time to write down instructions for the first aid spells. I am not giving you anything beyond that what I would let an untrained pony doing.” His tone was one of finality on what I could get for spells. I nodded in agreement.

“Well lets get this over with” I said and climbed onto the cot that he had next to him.

He simply nodded and instructed me to open my mouth, he then floated in the rubber bar that I had bitten down on last time. When ponies describe pain, generally they have something to compare it to, some way of conveying how it felt. To be honest, I feel my vocabulary lacked what is needed to describe it exactly. At first it was just a general sore, like when I was standing on the leg. Then it felt just like when my leg had been broken by the slavers baseball bat. Then it started to feel like it was wound was crawling around my leg and rotating. I felt hot tears roll down my cheeks as I bit hard into the rubber bar. My eyes were clenched shut, whatever he was doing I didn't want to see it. I started to feel as if my leg was getting stretched out, new bone growing to outright replace the damaged. Then as quickly as the pain started it was over, I let out the bar and lay on my side gasping for breath.

“All done, you should get up and try to walk on it in a few minutes, or whenever you feel like getting up.” I saw his eyes filled with pity for me. I felt pity for whoever my first patient would be, then realized it probably was going to be myself. Celestia protect whoever it was that I first treated with that spell if wasn't me.

I laid there for a few minutes, the only sounds in the room being a low hum of the lights, the distant sound of the storm outside which had turned from a sand storm to a monsoon. The steps of security ponies outside of the clinic. I had to admit, beyond the pain and weird sensations that hadn't been so bad.

I slowly climbed onto the floor and tested standing up. Everything seemed to work just fine. As I walked around the clinic I felt the continuing bounce of my medical tag against my chest. I remembered the term dog tag after a while, was named after the likeness to the collar tags for a dog’s for identification. I turned and opened my saddlebags and pulled on the light weight leather barding. I then secured the knife on my left foreleg over where my bone had been broken, and the pistol in its holster against my chest. I slide the pouches on, memorized which one had what magazines loaded with what ammo. I practiced moving the slide with my magic, as well as my hoof. I think revolvers would be a bit easier to operate by mouth and hoof. Though, a revolver would probably be much harder to reload without magic than a magazine based pistol. I slide a magazine into the gun, racked a round, and put the safety back on and holstered it. I then loosely put on the canteen, the goggles and the helmet. It felt nice. It felt... comfortable, more so than I had expected given I was a unicorn and had to shove my horn into a metal cone in the helmet, as well as my smaller frame made it a bit hard to find proper sized barding for me.

I walked around for a while in the barding, testing how it moved around me, how my leg felt. I felt good, my armor felt at home, I felt safe. So I walked up to where Patches was sitting as he wrote. As I walked up I noticed that he had written a short novel for me, yay something new to read. I stood there waiting for him to finish for a few minutes, and when I saw it would be a while longer so I decided to talk to my escort.

“So, since I am going to have to head out of here, is there anything you can tell me about the wasteland for my trip to Dune City?” I knew a fair bit of the surrounding area thanks to Mom and Dad telling me stories about when they were prospectors. As well as a few excursions with them once I had been old enough for them to be comfortable on taking me out during the day. But, all that was either information on the close surroundings of Saint Clover or decades old information. Things change and information expires, I know that, so I needed to know what I could.

“Well, you already know where Dune City is, well relative to where we are. So, I guess first few things are, don't travel by any sort of road with structures near it, raiders, slavers, and bandits love to watch the roads for targets. And since you will need to go through a bit of the outskirts of Seamane you are going to probably go through more than your share of suburbs. These areas are full of raiders. So shoot anypony who looks crazy and is wearing spikes, or old tires. They will do the same to you, or worse.” She paused and waited for me to digest what she had said before moving on. I gave a simple nod when I was ready for more.

“Next is mines, you will hear these beep a few times before they go off. Best way of dealing with them is to look for their orange lights and avoid them. That is if you can't shoot them. Don't go getting any clever ideas of running up to them and pressing the disarm tab on them. Seen far too many ponies loose their legs or heads to that stunt.” She said with a face telling of seeing the aftermath of such foolish acts.

I nodded in understanding.

“Now, really you need to just worry about supplies, keep food and water on you at all times. If you have to drop stuff, drop food and water last. Without it you will die far faster than with all your horded guns, ammo, and armor. Also climb dunes as little as possible, they will drain your energy and take a long time to climb. If you can walk along the top of Dunes, it will give you a good vantage of your surroundings.” She said as she tapped her chin with a hoof.

So far it all was making sense, nothing too insane, no fields of invisible death, no pink clouds of death floating around.

“There is one silent killer though, radiation, if you taste blood in your mouth, you need to leave wherever you are as quickly as you can, that is the first sign of exposure. Limit it as much as you can, drink purified water whenever you can. Radaway will help so will Rad-X, though I would suspect you would want to go for Rad-X over Radaway due to Radaway tastes like rancid oranges.” We both smirked and gave a small laugh at that, we both knew how bad Radaway tasted. Then I gave a nod to continue.

“Now for navigation there are a few large towers, they are called MASEBS's towers they are some pre-war towers for some project that as far as any of us can tell never worked. The ones around here seem to be dead. Out north some pony's say that there is this DJ Pon3 uses them to broadcast his radio station to anyone who can hear him. But, guess it can't get to out here, either the mountains between New Appleloosa and Colt block the signal, or the signal needed to be boasted by the towers around here. In any case, they should be a good shelter provided you can open the front door. Not an easy feat mind you.” She said the tone of her voice saying she had probably given a tower a try herself at some point.

That was interesting, now I kind of wanted to pay one of these towers a visit and see if I could get it turned on. Better yet, see if somepony had posted a job to go do that. For fill my curiosity and fill my bag with caps. I noticed that Patches had joined us.

“That really covers what I know, the people at Dune City will be better informed. I just feel it would be best to not go deeper into Seamane, these ruins are not safe, not to mention the radioactive crater near the business district next to the military fort, and ministry row.” She held a hoof to her chin again then nodded, “yeah that is all I got for you.”

“Now then,” Patches said “I have my notes for you to study. Don't lose them, I won't make you a second copy.” He said with a smile. “I hope your trip sees you well, and that we will see you again in a while. Maybe we will be able to get your exile ended by the time you return. You be safe, Moonlight.”

The security mare nodded, “I hope we can, and I hope you stay safe.”

I nodded as well. “I hope that all of you stay safe, this place is my home, even if I am not welcome in it.” I smiled, “alright, I am going to head home, I think... I want to spend some time with my family.”

Both of them nodded, and Patches walked with us to the lobby. My escort followed me all the way to the door of my family's residence. She then took up watch on the right side of the doorway, giving my families residences two guards once more. As I moved into the common room I relaxed, everypony was here, and safe. I walked over to the unoccupied sofa and laid down on it, I closed my eyes for just a moment and fell asleep.

When I woke up, everything felt quieter, and there was a blanket over me. In front of me a note lay on the table. I didn't get up, I didn't need to after all as I simply levitated the note to me and read it. It was from dad, apparently he had wanted to talk to me when I got home, but, he respected my need to rest. He mentioned that he had an idea of what I was going through, he had written his first experience with killing somepony. In his case it had been shortly after he and grandfather had arrived in the area around Seamane. It had been a insane raider, a nest of them had decided to try out a rocket launcher on Dad and Grandpa, though apparently the insanity of raiders also made them crap shots. This had led to half of them being blown to bits when the raider fired at the window seal and took out a entire building. Then, Dad and Grandpa had found themselves in a fight. Though it wasn't much of one when you had rifles and they had knifes. He mentioned how he had never killed anything so up close and personal as I had, so he felt whatever I was going through was probably much more profound and deeply upsetting compared to his experience. He also felt sorry for me, he had hoped to shelter me and Silver from as many of the horrors of the wastelands for as long as he could.

He felt that he had failed us, or more specifically me, in that by me getting myself into trouble he was at fault. I felt my ears flatten against my head as I kept reading. I felt sorry for Dad, it wasn't his fault that this happened to me. I thought, did they even know about my upcoming exile? Goddesses they all are hurting from this, and it was about to get worse. I felt a tear roll down my cheek, I left them a letter, letting them know I was going to go for a walk, I would have a security guard with me. I got up, and realized, I hadn't taken off any of my things. I chuckled slightly, at the thought of Dad walking in seeing a armed and armored me fast asleep on the sofa. I sighed, I would really miss this place. I then headed out the door, maybe some time on the deck would help clear my head.

I was really glad I had the goggles and respirator, the air was hard to breath at best, and almost impossible to see when we first got out here. I felt the wind blowing my mane and tail, the sand scratching against the glass of my goggles and bouncing off the padding of my barding. The rain had stopped and the sand storm turned monsoon had turned back into a sand storm. I saw my escort taking shelter in the doorway we had exited to get on the top deck. But, it still felt nice out here, soothing, to have the wind blow over me, something so simple, was so calming for me. Then I heard a shot, barely heard it over the wind and sand. I looked at where my escort was, she had heard it too, I directed her to get back inside to get help. She nodded and disappeared through the door we had exited through. I crept forward in time to see two shadows run out of the ship, and one of them had something on their back. I heard an explosion, and saw a gout of smoke, I moved closer. Thankfully the ship still had quite a number of ways from the deck to the shore. It wasn't hard to sneak around when visibility was so poor and well, I don't think anypony could hear anything with the wind howling.

I saw them a bit better now, the one with something on their back had a security pony on her back, a silver collar was around the security stallions neck. In that moment I had decided what was going to happen, and who these ponies were. I moved closer, seeing if I could spot the detonator. To the right of the mare with the security stallion on her back was a dull sand colored unicorn mare with her orange magic was holding the detonator. I also noticed both were carrying a lot of grenades. All I needed to do would be get the stallion away from them, and then, pull a few pins. But, I needed to see the pins, this was going to be risky at best, and probably fatal to me.

I stalked them, trying to figure out a way to get the stallion away from them. My best idea was to yank his captors leg out from underneath her, if we were on a dune I would just pull the sand and swamp them. Unfortunately those were a little ways off, every moment I waited the greater the chance one of them would notice the my tailing them or security showing up and making the situation worse.

‘Do or die I guess.’ I thought to myself as I wrapped the prisoner in my magic, not lifting him, or lightening his weight, just enough so when I pulled this off I could yank him away before his two captors could understand what was happening. I took a deep breath, I attempted to pull every pin, I saw a few move off, the ones closer to me. Both of them stopped, I levitated my pistol out and lined up the shot for the detonator.

Bang.

The sound of my gun going off was almost deafening, I saw the detonator shatter, and I yanked the security stallion to me. I shoved him behind me and fired again, I grazed the pony who had been carrying him, I felt something whiz past me, I saw a gun, I couldn't tell who had it. Then I was on my back, my ears were ringing, and there was a lot of smoke. I think the grenades finally went off. I laid there as the ringing stopped, I saw the security buck, his collar still had a red light on it, he was also still out cold. I rolled over then walked over to him and examined the collar. It was a crude and simple device it prevented the wearer from tampering with it or anypony else through the use of locking its mechanics behind a panel. However, since they were not meant to stay on forever that meant there was a work around. A few moments of study and I found the deactivation button and pressed it with my magic. The collar popped off and the red light died. I smiled, it felt better to save another than myself. Saving ponies felt right, and made me feel like I finally was doing something worthwhile. Even if what I was doing stained my hooves with more blood. A selfless action felt better than a selfish action. I could get used to this. I turned to look at where the two slavers had been. I tasted bile at the sight of their bodies. Their corpses were split in two, blown apart by the grenades around their necks. Their organs and blood spilled all over the place like two horribly morbid pinatas. Okay so killing was still something not easy to get used to. At least when it is that gruesome.

The ringing in my ears faded finally, and I heard shouts of ponies coming from the gangway from Saint Clover. I had kept close to the security stallion and upon examination found that apparently the slavers had drugged him. They also apparently had found a way to escape and get some of their gear back. My escort found us first and I waved to her with a big grin on my face.

“I saved him, and blew those two up at the same time.” I pointed to the remains of the two slavers.

She blinked a few times taking the situation in. “Good work Moonlight, however you have to go, now. Something has happened and we are to arrest you.”

What... I... but... I just saved a member of security. Who the fuck is calling the shots around here?! Because I have a bullet for them. Then a bag landed next to me.

“Here is the supplies we were preparing for you. Get going, you need to be gone.” I could see tears forming in her eyes. “Thank you Moonlight, we won't forget you.” She helped me stand up, and put on the saddlebag. I galloped off into the night. Tears streaming down my cheeks.

Footnote: Level up.

New Perk Added:  Light Touch; You prefer wearing armor that lets you make the most use of your agility, due to this enemies have a harder time hitting you where it matters. You also have a slightly better chance to hit your enemy where it matters due to not having restrictive clothing in the way. You gain a +5% critical chance against enemies, enemies suffer -25% critical chance against you, while you are wearing light armor or no armor.

Skill Note: Science at 50, Medicine at 50

Chapter 2 - Learning Curve

Chapter Two - Learning Curve

“I’m trying a new thing… thinking.  Seems to be all the rage among wandering Wasteland heroines these days.” -Blackjack FoE: Project Horizons, Chapter 35.

It was dark and by that I meant it was night time, and it was darker than I had thought it would be. It also was raining as I made my way down a street. I was thankful for the water resistant properties of leather and the helmet. Being cold and wet on top of being exhausted physically and mentally would have made things far harder than they already were. I had run as far as I could in the first couple of minutes fleeing Saint Clover. Now I was slowly walking the streets forcing myself to continue moving. I needed to find a place to get out of the rain and rest, as well as dry off as my mane and tail had no protection from the rain. From looking around I saw most of the buildings were not but burnt out husks, the ones that remained looked mostly residential at this point. My guess was this was part of the outlying suburbs of Seamane.

I poked through a few buildings to get out of the rain and dry off a bit, as well as to see if I could find anything of use or to sell when I got to Dune City. I was also hoping that I could find a place to lay down for the night. A place that I could block the entrances to. While it was nice to get out of the rain, most of the places only had three intact walls, which made warming up or staying safe rather hard to do. The first intact house I checked had far too much fire and now water damage for me to trust. The place smelled of mold and the walls showed of dry rot. Even if it was safe I probably would be sick or be sneezing like mad just from a stay here. So I pushed on checking any standing building to see if I could take shelter in it.

A few blocks later there was a intact house, no signs of damage beyond just time and a bit of charring to the outside. Pony construction was astoundingly resilient to time. The front door was locked, as was the back, the windows had been covered up with wooden planks. Well this house, if it was safe inside, would be a good place to stay, so back to the back door and lets try to pick that lock, I thought to myself. Before sliding out the screwdriver and pulling out a bobby pin I examined the lock, there wasn't much wear on it. I guessed in all this time nopony really attempted to open it. Or if they did they didn't try too hard, the lock was practically unscratched. I slide the bobby pin in and the screwdriver after it, I moved the bobby pin around, listening to how it moved. A few spots sounded about right and I had bobby pins to spare. So I started with the last spot I found, and gently twisted the lock with the screwdriver. Something caught, and I backed off. Even if I had spare bobby pins it was best not to waste them. I moved it around a little, tried again, and it felt like the bobby pin was about to break when I heard the click of the door unlocking. I gently removed my screwdriver and bobby pin.

With a deep breath I stood back and slowly twisted the doorknob, and it unlatched. Nothing exploded, nobody fell out. That was good start. I opened the door to find the inside of the house to be very dark. Of course it would be dark, all the windows were boarded up. I pulled out my flashlight, put on its harness, and then turned it on. I bought this flashlight and its harness years ago, figured it would be nice for exploring the less touched places of Saint Clover. The harness meant I didn't have to use my magic to either light my way or hold onto the flashlight. It is nice not to have to worry about losing my source of light due to a loss of focus. I drew my knife with my mouth and pulled out my pistol with my magic as I entered. I wanted to be careful with this, just in case a feral ghoul was sitting somewhere within. As I entered I closed the door behind me, and I locked it. I rather be stuck with what was in here than let goddesses knows what in.

The place smelled dusty, which was far better than what I feared. I could see motes of dust floating in the air as the cone of my flashlight cut through the darkness. I strained my ears to hear anything, but, all I heard was the rain and my breathing. I slowly crept around, even if my flashlight gave me away to anything in the house awake no need to be loud. Because, maybe it is some sort of sleeping nightmare that awaited for me instead. The inside of the house was rather well preserved, hay the refrigerator was actually humming slightly once my ears adjusted to hearing it. I hoped there would be some food in there. Though anything that had to be refrigerated by now was probably bad. But, maybe there would be some pure water, that would make this worthwhile on it's own. I moved from the kitchen through a doorway into the living room, still no bodies, no blood. Good signs though, there was a radio, though dead, fair number of books, no signs of radroaches or bloatsprites. One thing that took some getting used to though was the light was not attached to my head, but my chest, so I had to face where I wanted to look. This had the unfortunate side effect of if I snapped head to look somewhere else my eyes would have to adjust to the darkness, but, it was better than the complete darkness of this house. It was also better than relying on the dim light from my dark blue magic.

I continued to creep around the house, I checked the rest of the first floor. There were two bathrooms, and two bedrooms. One I believed was a guest room, the other was what once a second guest room, but instead was converted into a office with a cot in it. I noted to myself to investigate the office more once the second floor was cleared. Probably find something of value there, or at least something to read. I moved back to the living room where the stairs to the second floor lay. I had to sit down to aim the flashlight up the stairs. I was glad I did, there was a split open skull of a pony at the top. The wall behind it coated in long dried blood. I felt sorrow as I looked at the dead pony.  I climbed up the stairs part way and saw the shotgun in the skeletal hoofs of pony, the end had been too much for them. With a sigh I climbed the rest of the stairs and checked the gun, time had done a number on it. I slipped it out of her hooves and into my saddlebags. I knew it was a her from the small skeleton in her stomach cavity. I took a deep breath and forced myself to keep walking. I needed to look into the other rooms, I needed to not see that in my head. The end was brutal, the wasteland, our world was brutal. I had to get used to this, I should feel emotion from sites like that, but, I needed to be able to keep control. I noticed I was sitting, hyperventilating, and shaking. Very much not keeping control like I should.

“Come on Moonlight, keep it together until we secure the house, then find a bed and deal with this.” I whispered to myself, it sounded like I was yelling, but, I felt myself start to calm down a bit. “We can do this, it is alright to feel ill about this, just, focus.”

I took a deep breath and walked past her into another room, it was some sort of sitting room, there were magazines laying all over the place. I moved to the next room. It was the master bedroom, it was a mess, shotgun shells littered the floor, the gun case open, it had space for just one rifle. I saw a white box with pink butterflies on it, the universal marking for medical supplies. I walked up to it, as I opened it I saw it had some bandages and some lightweight painkillers. I swept them up into my saddlebags. I turned and looked at the shells. 'Waste not' rang in my head, I levitated the shells and put them in a pouch that was empty. I think they were twelve gauge shells which matched the shotgun I picked up. I checked the bathroom, nothing really of note. The plumbing was dead, no surprise. I moved back to the sitting room and picked through the materials strewn around it. Some good magazines, few comics. Most of it was pieces on the war, a lot of local magazines that had dissenting voices of the invasion of the Zebra lands.

That kind of surprised me, apparently the war was not as popular in Seamane. I picked through some magazines from abroad, a few from Canterlot which was focused on high society and Princess Luna. They kind of made me ill with the lack of content, how did the wealthy think they were superior to anypony when they read such garbage? There were a couple of magazines from Hoofington, all about rising over the destruction caused there. I had to admit, Hoofington looked amazing if not black and boxy. If anything from what was being said about reconstruction and all the resources pouring into it, place was practically a fortress. I saw a magazine from Manehatten, it looked rather nice, reminded me of what I had seen of prewar Seamane, but, far bigger. I did notice one thing in common with all the magazines not published out of Seamane, they all were pro-war. Hoofington taking the lead on anti-zebra articles, very much favoring industrial might and crushing the Striped Menace as they put it.

I began to read the magazines from Seamane. They were less dissenting than I had initially thought. Majority of the population was for the war after several high profile events. First was the slaughter of Littlehorn. Then the assassination attempt on Celestia herself as she met to try to get a peace treaty between Equestria and the Zebra Nation. Every time one of these events happened public opinion swelled against the Zebras within Seamane. However, oddly enough the owners of these magazines continued to to have articles decrying the war effort. However as time went on the amount of dissent decreased as the the owner of the magazine changed. It was not until they sat in the hands of some local powerful ponies did the changes stop, but, each magazine had at least one dissenting article about the war. Most of the time they were saying how they didn't need it. How it was costing them far too much to keep it the war effort going. About how Seamane didn't need the war and had on its own survived for a long time as just a trade center for the various agricultural communities around it. Now though it had food processing plants, factories, technology centers giving it an even greater amount of self sufficiency. It even had two universities that played Hoofball against one another. I also noticed on the topic of Hoofball that Seamane was one of few cities in Equestria that didn't have a professional Hoofball team.

Then I read an article that was rather horrifying.

“Zebra sympathizers sneak in canisters of nerve gas into Seamane and unleash it in Seamane University. They also attempted gassing of the Seamane's Ministry Walk, the subway system, and Fort Stonehoof. Thankfully before the plot managed to move to residential areas it was stopped by members of the Equestrian Skyguard.”

I stared in horror at this. How could anypony have stayed on the side of the Zebras in Seamane after that. Who would stay on the side who had attempted to murder the whole city. Who wouldn't want to put them down. I then looked at the date, I had the third event that changed the cities mind. It had polarized them completely. But, there was a lot of regret behind it. I could see it in the way the articles were written. It wasn't calling for the destruction of Zebra kind. It was calling for forcing them into a unconditional surrender. To force an end of the war so they prosecute those who committed war crimes, and crimes against nature. They wanted justice for their friends and family who died in their city.

My flashlight flickered and I pulled it out in my magic and shook it, it brightened back up. I turned and moved to go back down stairs. I saw her skeleton again, I took a deep breath to hold myself together. I gathered her up with her child in my telekinesis, I floated them to the master bedroom and covered their remains with the blanket. A small mercy to me and a bit of respect for them. I went back downstairs and laid down on the sofa I was feeling the exhaustion catching up to me again. I shut off the flashlight and let myself fall asleep. The place was solid, it was safe. It didn't take too long for the yawning to kick in, my eyes to finally grow too heavy to keep open. I drifted off into the bliss of sleep.

*                *                *

It was really dark, had I opened my eyes? I blinked. Yeah my eyes were open. Why was it so dark? Then I remembered where I was.

‘Right, house with completely boarded up windows, not my room in Saint Clover.’ I let out a sigh as I used my magic to switch my flashlight back on. Part of me braced to see the skeletal mare standing in front of me. For some reason even if you aren't afraid of the dark the mind still plays cruel tricks like that on you. Thankfully all that greeted me was the slow movement of the dust in the air. I lay there for a few minutes, collecting myself, knocking down the mental cobwebs that sleep had given me.

I noticed my knife laying on the sofa, my gun was on the floor next to me. I had forgotten to put them away before I fell asleep. I shook my head at myself. I was really glad nopony was with me. I fell asleep with a knife in my mouth and floating pistol next to me. I was really tired I guessed. Then again why wouldn't I be. I ran for quite a while through dunes away from Saint Clover, I walked through the rain afterwards for another two hours. I had pushed myself hard again, at least this time I didn't break a leg or get concussed. I picked up my gun and holstered it then I slide the knife back in its sheath.

Slowly I got off the sofa and re-checked the house, front and back were still locked, windows still shut. There was nothing but the hum of the refrigerator, the sound of rain, my breathing, and my heartbeat. So I moved to the guest bedroom, it was... unused. The mattress was actually still rather comfortable, I face hoofed, I should have slept in here, oh well, maybe if I need a place to crash again. Actually come to think of it that was a good idea. There should be a key around here and then I can use this as a place to stay. Quiet, secluded, nopony has really touched it in two centuries. Just has a skeleton in the closet, well bed. I picked over the guest room and it looked like it never really got used.

I slipped out and across the hall into the office. This room had seen a fair bit of use. I went to the desk first, it was rather cluttered. The clutter was more of somepony had been working on something and then just had never gotten around to cleaning it up. I saw half done sketches of what looked like a foals room, numbers and names of contractors, and price quotes. I neatly ordered the papers on one side of the desk as I finished reviewing them. From them I gathered they had wanted a foal, and were preparing to change the upstairs sitting room into a room for their foal. It looked like she had taken over for her husband when he had to leave. I still was looking for why he left. I felt no guilt in going through their things, they had long past, and, I actually had hoped that maybe I could find out what happened to him. Though it was just bones upstairs, I felt I had to do this to repay her for using her house in some fashion if possible.

After an hour of cleaning I had found a intact terminal with power, but, it was locked. Rather than waste time hacking it I continued to look through letters, bills, and blueprints to see if I could find something that could lead to the password. When I did it wasn't quite what I had expected it to be on, a notice of deployment.

“Specialist Meadows,

You are to report to Fort. Stonehoof to meet with your company for deployment. Your deployment shall be to the defense parameter of Hoofington. You are expected to report to Fort. Stonehoof immediately and check in with your Command Officer Colonel Shimmer Shield. If you fail to show up within twenty four (24) hours you will be arrested for desertion and face court martial.

-Brigadier General Rosebloom”

He was deployed. From what I could see it was a mere week before the end. I noticed a second notice of deployment from much earlier on was buried in the pile. It also had a copy of a written response stating his refusal to be deployed to Zebra soil on moral grounds. Apparently this had caused a rather bad pay reduction and posting to Seamane. From other letters from Meadow to his family, and to his wife, at the time fiance, he was glad for this. He did not want to fight the Zebras in their own land. Meadows strongly opposed the invasion of the Zebra homeland. I could see why now he eventually did get posted to Hoofington. From what I had read the place was under attack almost constantly, and he was on the front line, hay he saw the end of the world come to the fortress city that was Hoofington. I also knew now that there was no hope of recovering his remains as Hoofington was a very long ways away. I also knew that his remains would be impossible to tell apart from the likely thousands of other soldiers skeletons.

I finished going through the papers. Most of it was communication with either Meadows or Morning Sprout, his wife, to their family and friends. There were a few letters that from what I could tell were other members of the military. These ponies were like minded, a few who were from his old unit. Strange, nothing was really mentioned of his old unit other than they were glad to keep in touch of their CO. Dates were mentioned but never deployment zones, objectives, or anything to pin down what they had done. The only thing that was certain was something had happened to Meadows during his previous deployment. I saw another picture, he was being decorated for some serious combat apparently, Distinguished Service for Extraordinary Heroism, several marksmanship awards, two bronze stars, and a defense meritorious service. Apparently he had done some rather amazing things, but, at the same time, his stance on the war very much limited how far he had gotten.

I looked around the room again to make certain I hadn't missed anything. The room was practically spotless beyond the area immediately around the desk. The only thing left for me to work on was the drawers of the desk and the terminal itself. I turned to the terminal first, I had the password I figured, so I turned it on and tossed in “Meadows”, to my annoyance it failed. I then tried Morning Sprout, it failed too. I sighed, time to do this the old fashion way I guess. Over the course of probably an hour I fought with the damn terminal, but, I finally found the password, 'Rare Defiance'. The password must have meant something to them, something they hadn't been written down. Or maybe I was hacking into something way more complex than I thought. I saw the logo for the Ministry of Morale.

“Um... okay, so somepony here had a connection to the Ministry of Morale.” I said to the silent house.

I started to pick through the files, this was Morning Sprouts terminal. Apparently she worked for M.O.M. What she did for them was apparently more or less just being a measure of the populations feelings towards things. Some made sense, like Luna, Celestia, Zebras, war, and Fort Stonehoof. However, there were others that didn't make so much since like: party, balloons, smiles, cake, and candy. I guessed they wanted to cover all the bases? So, in this house lived a member of the Equestrian Army, who was involved in something that then made him buck the party line about invading the Zebra homeland. Then there was a member of the Ministry of Moral who was keeping tabs on the neighborhood. I mean I could see how they got together, well okay not really. I felt like either this was a weird coincidence or somepony was sent to keep an eye on the other.

I kept reading the files. Morning seemed to slowly be falling into what was called Wartime Stress Disorder. Seamane had been a assignment to help her get away from it, her marriage to Meadows had also helped. But, from what I was seeing terrorist attacks on the city and the projects she helped with to keep order were wearing her thin. I sat back, removing my hoofs from the terminal keys and stared at the photo of the two of them. So happy, standing in front of this house. I think they were given it as a wedding gift. They both looked so happy, maybe they both needed each other, maybe they had both seen things that would break a pony. But, in this photo all I saw was a smiling pale yellow unicorn with a light purple mane hugging his wife, she was smiling so happily. They for a while had bliss, but, the war ate everything eventually. This mare, she had worked as part of the Ministry of Moral, as a unicorn she probably handled interrogations, or at least knew memory spells. I felt sorry for her, her cutie mark was of a sprouting plant, not something that would work with M.O.M. then again, it was good cover.

I stared at the two in the photo for longer, Morning, she was upstairs all pale and bone, no longer a healthy sea foam coat with golden hair. I needed to bury her, she deserved more than a eternal sleep in a bed meant for her and her husband. Her husband who died so far away from her. I resumed going through the files on her terminal, having turned off my flashlight as the light from the terminal was enough for now. As I looked through more files, she had dedicated herself to preventing another mass attack like the nerve gas attack on Seamane. She would do what she could to prevent Zebra sympathizers from harming innocents. I admired her dedication, she had ended up being involved in more than one 'accident'. What was frightening is one encounter she bumped into Ministry of Awesome operatives when she was on her way to make an arrest. From what was put in here they had told her that she was to leave as well as her M.O.M. officers too, she had tried to pull rank on the fact that this was civilian operation and outside M.A.W.'s usual area of work. It ended when both sides stood down before they shot each other. A agreement was given that their memories of what happened would be handed over by the M.A.W. From what was listed as happening, apparently they had been hunting down a guerrilla force of Zebras who had sneaked behind lines and were planning on a attack. The supposed scale and duration of the attack was staggering. They were going to cause a riot in Seamane, and they were going to arm their allies within the city and use it to bottle up the military forces in the area so they could use nerve gas again. However according to the report the attempt to transport nerve gas out of Zebra lands had failed when M.A.W operatives had intercepted the orders. That was how the M.A.W. had come to be involved.

All I had to say was this was scary, there was a three way shadow war over Seamane. Zebras wanted to capture the city intact. The main government of Equestria wanted it to stay exactly how it was. And apparently, from a few other reports, there was a movement for independence in a move to be recognized as a neutral party in this war. From what was shown it was mostly very rich ponies with ties to the Canterlot elite who didn't take too kindly to Luna's method of ruling, or the tax burden they had from the war. Wow, so they wanted to break free of Luna's control, and have a neutral nation, they didn't want to be part of it at all. Some part of me told me that this was them trying to run from the mess they caused. If the Zebras had gotten Seamane they would have probably offered autonomy so long as they could move through without attack.

I finished going through the files on the terminal, the last one was another digital picture of Morning and Meadows. From the looks of it, it was out in what was the old farmlands, and from the look of their outfits it had been right after they got married. I shook my head as I felt tears welling up again. They were going to have a family, they were going to be able to both cite reasons to quit their jobs and live in peace. Then it all blew up, they got torn apart, and the world burned. I don't think Meadows knew he was going to be a father in a few months given the dating of the drawings and numbers for contractors. He had left when they were still trying, and I felt that she had managed to live a few months after the end before finally departing. I turned off the computer and closed my eyes. The after image of the screen with their wedding photo remained in my eyes as I sat in that chair crying. Crying in an empty house, a house that could had held so much joy.

I don't know how long it was I sat there, but, I finally stopped crying. I turned on my flashlight again and opened the desk. Most of it was quills, ink, and blank paper. I did find a safe hidden below the bottom drawer of the desk, it wasn't too hard to crack, I opened it and there were a lot of bits. I stared in amazement. Two hundred years ago it would have been the biggest score for a thief breaking into a home. Today, well, each bit was worth less than half a cap. The only thing of value to them was that nopony was making more of them. There was no use for gold anymore, no industry to form them into useful parts. They weren't backed by anything. Still though, they had uses, improvised explosives could use them easily, though, gold wasn't the hardest metal. None the less I took them, I would use them to help keep me going. I wasn't going to just waste the caps from them on lodgings. Though I had not a clue what I could push this wealth towards at the moment, I knew I would find something worth while to use them for.

I went to open the last drawer, it was locked. I went to work at it with my screwdriver and bobby pin. I lost three more bobby pins, this lock was a tough nut to crack, luckily the house had a good supply of bobby pins to work with. Once it was unlocked I slide the whole thing out and set it on top of the desk. I cracked open my canteen and drank. Then I heard my stomach growl at me. I hadn't eaten yet today. I had beaten the lock, why not celebrate a little. I pulled out some preserved food, I didn't read what was on the can, I just opened it and ate as I picked through the contents of the locked drawer in front of me. Thankfully I could use my hooves to move stuff while I levitated the can to my muzzle. Most of what was in here was work documents. Hard copies of what was on the terminal. A few spheres of some sort, and two keys. I tried both, neither fit the drawers lock. I guessed that was hidden elsewhere. I put the two other keys in my saddlebags, best to try these on the doors before I left. I set down my now empty can of... whatever that was, the taste had not been enjoyable, but, was better for me than sugar bombs. I rolled the spheres around seeing if I could figure out what they were, nothing changed as they rolled around. Sighing I reached out with my magic to grab them and stow them in my saddlebags. Maybe they would be worth something to some-

ooooooOOOOOOOOoooooo

-pony?

Uh... Wait... Where was I? Uh... can't I move. Oh Goddesses why can't I move?! I tried to blink and nothing happened. Then a sudden rush of sensations, touch, taste, sound, sight, smell, and body orientation. It was really bright, I almost stumbled, except I couldn't. My body was moving on its own. Horse apples! Did somepony get into the house and put an illusion on me? Mind control? My sight moved around on its own, oh Goddesses that was disorientating. Okay well I am stuck here, uh... well what is going on around me. Then I mentally gasped at the sight, since I couldn't physically. I was in old Seamane, before it all fell apart. The sky was blue without clouds... I saw the Sun, it was... breath taking, the rays of light warming me deeper than I ever imagined they would. I think I would have stared up at the sky all day if it hadn't been for my body continuing on. I saw many ponies going about their daily lives, happy. From the looks of it I was going through the heart of the city towards the ministries. There were so many ponies, skywagons carrying more, carriages as well, everything was so lively. It was frighteningly different.

If I had control of my body I would have been trying to ask the ponies around me what was going on. To be honest, not having control of my actions was scary as hell. Okay so since I have no control, and I seem to be in the past maybe this was a memory of somepony? What had caused this, I was picking up those spheres from the desk and putting them in my saddlebags. They hadn't reacted to my touch... So was it from my magic touching them? Well if that was the case then I was completely defenseless. By Luna, what if my body was trying to match the movements of this memory. Wait, no that was fine, locked house and sealed windows. I should be fine. Okay relax, less panic, and that wasn't hard to do thanks to my body wasn't panicking. Perfect place for this 'experiment' no matter how unintentional it was.

I heard a bell ring and I refocused my attention on my surroundings, I was entering a rather nice restaurant. That is why this mare was on hoof in this part of town, going to lunch. Okay, well if this was a memory orb that Morning kept I doubt it would be work related, or if it was not something terribly scarring. From her reports and letters she didn't seem the type to enjoy dealing with the horrific. As it so happened she had a reservation here, and her date had already shown up. The waiter guided Morning to her table were Meadows sat. Huh, maybe this was their first date? By the look in Meadows' eyes he was rather happy to see her. From the feelings I was getting so was Morning. This was clearly not their first date. This was, however, the first time I ever felt love. Well love outside of family, but, this was different. I felt guilty now, as well as I felt I had been cheated out of a experience of life. I was seeing a private memory of these two, and the first time I had ever felt the physical effects of love was like this. I wish I could just back out of this. I didn't want to intrude more.

Unfortunately apparently you can't force yourself out of a memory. I tried, I tried very hard to kill whatever connection I had to the sphere holding the memory. I think they are properly called Memory Orbs. With a mental sigh I gave up. Well lets try to just imagine this as a really good form of a book. Still, the sensations were a bit unnerving to me, having your body move with a will of it's own is not something comfortable to experience. I was getting a bit more used to feeling everything Morning did, at very least the food was good, the seats comfortable, and the music was quite pleasant. It was a relaxing time, the two were enjoying a rather nice lunch, hay I was enjoying the taste of fresh food, not the two hundred year old stuff I had eaten since I could remember. I mentally giggled, hay, if this memory doesn't have anything horrid in it I could use it as a mental vacation whenever I visited. Then I remembered the wasteland, yeah this memory was going to stay here, I couldn't risk losing such a precious thing.

I continued listening to the music, these two were mostly just staring at each other and enjoying their meal. I guess for them a date was more about being with each other in peace. Then again Morning's days would be filled with Ministry work, probably a lot of it she couldn't talk about. As for Meadows he was a military pony currently stationed at a military base far from any battlefield. So, one had secrets nopony should say outside of a particular building, the other was so boringly mundane that I tried to find out if you can sleep in a memory. By the way, no you can't sleep in a memory. After another hour Morning and Meadows got up, Meadows leaving payment and a tip on the table and they headed out.

ooooooOOOOOOOOoooooo

I was on my back, the chair I was in had tipped over, and I had landed and laid in a rather uncomfortable position. Given how sore I felt, time in memory was roughly that of outside of it. I needed to remember that. I looked, well tried to look around. The terminal's green glow was gone, and of course I hadn't had my flashlight on so, completely dark again. I used my magic to pop on my flashlight. Several memory orbs lay around me. I then noticed something that was rather annoying about memory orbs. None of them had labels.

I let out a sigh then muttered to myself. “I guess I will leave of them all here. I’ll look into the rest before I left the house in case there was something of more interest.”

I stood and stretched then walked to the kitchen. I wasn't going to touch the memory orbs until I checked the last thing of interest in the house.

I carefully opened the fridge, it had a bunch of water bottles in it, all full of water. Well, at least I wouldn't be having to worry about water for a while. I opened the freezer to find frozen fruit, as well as most of the contents having been frozen over. So, with a little work I had fresh food and water, though, not much. I checked what I had in my saddlebags, I should have enough food for the rest of the journey to Dune City, I had plenty of water. I closed the fridge and freezer, the fridge light winking out as the door closed leaving me with just the cone of light from my flashlight. Time to take care of those memory orbs and then head out.

Walking back into the office I looked at the memory orbs, the fact that I couldn't use magic on them bugged me. I double checked that my idea it was magic that triggered them first. I also wanted to satiate my curiosity of what was in them. What bugged me most was if I found more of them out in the wasteland I had to remember to use my hooves or mouth to move them. I proceeded to practice moving them with my hooves and mouth back into the drawer I got them from. After looking into them I knew they had just been memories of Morning and Meadows spending time together, all of it innocent. Which I was glad for. I really hated the idea of experiencing sex for the first time via a memory orb. More so experiencing sex by a Stallion onto a Mare as that would be all kinds of backwards. I slid the drawer closed, heard the soft click of it locking again. I listened for a few minutes, the quiet hum of the refrigerator barely audible in the office, no sound of some horrible monstrosity outside waiting to eat me. I heard a lack of rain and wind as well. I guessed now was a good time as any to head out.

I walked back out of the office heading to the back door. This place was a nice retreat from the wasteland. I knew this would probably be the last bit of civilization for the next few days as I headed to Dune City. No matter what direction I went, I would have to go through the dunes Dune City took its name from. I took a deep breath, and unlocked the back door. I swung open the door to look into the night, it was calm, a good time for a long walk. I walked out the door and closed it behind me, I pictured the lock and tried to turn it with my magic. I heard a click, I tried the door, it was locked again, nice. I surveyed the yard around me, it looked about how it was when I came in. I moved around the house to the road and began to walk down the sidewalk, heading out to the north east. I knew there was a good long country road that would take me practically right to Dune City, the only issue was how rough had the ground gotten, and how bad the path was covered in threats. I remembered what I was told, many old world roads had camps of raiders. I had not been given a good description of a raider, my guess was probably like a slaver but looked less civilized and for some reason sporting tires and spikes.

*                *                *

I spent the next hour walking. I saw the dunes off to the west, I couldn't really see any difference. The dunes almost looked like just a wall of sand off in the distance. To be honest, it was kind of boring, but, boredom was lethal in the wasteland. Letting down your guard invited attack, and a surprise attack probably meant my death. I was no wasteland survivor, I am just a filly a few hours, or day out of home, away from everything and everypony I knew. My walking slowed as that thought crossed my mind, I really was on my own out here. Nopony knew where I was, anypony out here didn't know who I was. I knew nopony out here... I closed my eyes as tears welled up and I felt them slip down my muzzle.

‘Come on Moonlight, at least move off the road so nopony walking up or down it will see you right off the bat.’ I opened my eyes, everything was blurred, I walked slowly on the dry ground. All I could hear was the slight crunch under hoof as I walked away from the road. I tripped on a rock and fell over. I just laid there, I let myself fall apart. I wasn't ready for this, I wasn't ready, I had seen too much too fast. I had stabbed a buck through the throat, I had blown two mares in half, I had seen the two century old corpse of a mare who had blown her brains out when the end of the world was too much for her to handle. I had seen her memory of her and her husband's date, so far removed from the horror of the wasteland, even far removed from life at Saint Clover. My breathing was shallow and quick, I started gasping, curled up on the ground. I was practically a ball, shaking and crying.

Eventually my tears stopped, but, it took a lot longer before I felt like getting up. When I did, it was darker. I thought it had been late at night when I left Morning Sprout's, however, I guessed it had been closer to evening then. Maybe I was lucky that nopony was awake, maybe nopony took this road. I rolled over and onto my hooves. I slowly stood up and began to walk again. My legs a bit more wobbly under me, but, they held. My sight wasn't blurry anymore, thankfully, so I walked quietly to the side of the road. It seemed a good idea, there was a ditch here, if needed I had a little bit of cover. The slow pace at least was easy on me. Not straining myself, my hooves enjoying walking on the softer dirt over the old cracked pavement. Another benefit was that my steps were much quieter, which with low visibility meant I was pretty safe for now. Come dawn though, that wasn't going to be so true.

The day of rest, I think it was a day at least, at Morning's place, had done my body good. While I was drained emotionally I was physically well rested. So for the long night I walked, I passed by a few ruins, sneaking quietly on the softer dirt keeping an eye out for any movement, but, never seeing any. I did see things that I had wished I had not. Things that I wished I could have forgotten. There were spikes in the ground as well as on the walls holding various body parts of ponies. I barely kept my meal down as I saw the vile displays of violence. I continued to press on not wanting to wait for whoever did this to find me and add me to their macabre gallery. As I continued down the road I noticed more and more of these displays at every ruin I passed. From barnes and little homes on the prairie to clusters of buildings that once served as refueling or spark battery swap stations. Even a police station was covered in such displays.

I tempted my stomach and fate by with exploring the police station. To my frustration I found that it had been stripped bare beyond the horrid decorations. Even so there were a few locks to pick that yielded a couple of caps and twenty two long rounds. Nothing spectacular nor worth the venture. As I left I told myself next time I would wear my respirator to try to keep out the horrid smell of those places. I figured these were signs of raider activity, though from the decomposition of the corpses I figured it had been quite a while since they were active here, a small blessing. Now at least I knew what to look for when watching for raider nests.

One thing I had read from the Wasteland Survival Guide was that one should look for raider nests. Not bases, just nests. As a Raider nest would be lightly defended but have a fair bit of loot and if you felt so inclined probably living captives. Raider bases on the other hoof generally held practically a horde of the crazed ponies. From what I understood there were two types of raiders. The Hoofington variety with yellow eyes and had a nasty tendency to chew on themselves as much as their next meal. Then there were the regular type who just were ponies without morals, still crazy or flat out evil. From what I understood Seamane had a bit of both, though, primarily the regular ones and not the frightening ones from Hoofington.

I continued to walk as the night wore on. I was never harassed by anything during the night. Seemed that the raiders had driven off anything that would have harassed me in their wake of carnage. Small gifts, even if it was from a monster, should be accepted. At least when it was a situation like this that granted me safety without cost besides vigilance. A small price to pay for safety I thought to myself.

Come dawn I should have noticed the ruins of a town in front of me had ponies moving around it. As it was I had walked into the town having not noticed anypony walking about. That changed when the wall next to me exploded with a plume of dust as a shot smashed into it. I jumped back, second shot hit the wall where I just was. I bucked the door that was next to me, it flew off of its hinges and smacked something inside, I jumped in after it. I heard a groan, and guessed the door hit somepony, no time to waste, I drew my knife then my pistol, holding the knife in my muzzle, and the pistol in my magic. The door shifted and I saw a pony pushing it off, he had spikes welded to plates of metal for barding. When he saw me he lunged, I shot. His body fell lifeless to my side, one round through his head, I gave him a quick once over, nothing of interest, just a kitchen knife. I slide towards the back hoping for a back door. As I crept into what was probably a kitchen, I saw that the back door was boarded over, great. I looked around, there were stairs in the other room, only option was up and jump to the alley behind I guessed. I wheeled around to see a bat coming into the kitchen, I froze, took a breath and waited for my shot.

“Gotcha!” The wielder of the bat yelled and charged me, I turned on my flashlight, he tripped blinded by the sudden light into his yellow eyes. I fired several shots, the first two grazed him, the third went deep into his chest. He didn't get up, I saw a few pouches on him, I yanked them off and shoved them into my own saddlebags. I heard more running up, I moved to the entrance of the kitchen, lining up for headshots as anypony came further in.

This is when I noticed I was in a cafe, I saw the macabre décor once more. Flayed bodies, internal organs, blood everywhere. I stifled down the urge to throw up as the smell hit me. If these weren't raiders, I don't want to know what they were. I saw a head pop around the corner, that grin it had was almost enough to make me back up, instead I shot, and it went wide. The raider charged me, this time with a double barreled shotgun.

‘Fuck.’

 I jumped to the side and back as I used my magic to launch my knife at her, she pulled the trigger as I did. I saw a flash from her gun, I felt pain break out all across my chest and barrel. She smacked into me, and I felt her bleeding on top of me, she didn't breathe. I coughed, then shoved her off and grabbed her gun. I checked the breach of the gun, one round left, but, lucky me, I had more. I reloaded the shotgun then grabbed my knife. I sheathed the knife and I grabbed my pistol with my magic. I ejected the magazine, three rounds were left in it, I floated out a fresh magazine and swapped it for the partially spent one. I realized, there was still a round in the chamber. Perfect, fourteen shots in the pistol, two shots in the shotgun. I heard a tink I saw a metal apple roll into sitting area. I moved to cover myself behind the wall separating the kitchen and the sitting area. A boom knocked down many pots and pans, two hitting me on the head. Thank Luna that there were helmets for unicorns or that would hurt more.

All I could hear was ringing, explosions indoors were far worse than outdoors I concluded. I continued laying there, guns up waiting for anypony to try and come around the corner. My patience won out as another spike armored pony walked through, I pulled both triggers, his head vanished in a red mist. As his body fell sideways I wiped the blood off of my goggles. The ringing was dying down, but, these gunshots near my ears were not helping at all. I popped the breech open again and pulled out the expended shells and slide in two new ones. I checked the pistol, ten rounds left, that was good enough for now. I grabbed him with my forelegs and dragged him to me.

The raiders armor was basically a bunch of metal plates with long metal spikes attached. He also had saddlebags, I quickly dumped them out. I saw a lot of inhalers, a fair number of healing potions, and syringes. I grabbed the syringes and healing potions, dumping out the other side as I did, grenades rolled out and my heart skipped a beat. Then I saw all of the grenades still had their pins and spoons. I slide them to me and shoved them into my saddlebags as well. I stood up and turned to the sitting area, there was smoke still lingering against the ceiling and the floor tiles were shattered. That grenade did a number on what was left in the room.

    "Alright, lets get moving." I said aloud as I turned around and pulled out three grenades then removed their pins. Then I telekinetically shoved the grenades against the boarded up door as I dived behind the other side of the kitchen divider. The explosion was deafening, dust fell from the ceiling, part of the ceiling itself even fell and crushed a few of the remaining tables. I popped up and saw the back wall was, well the area around the door was gone, the rest was barely holding. I ran out the back and into the alley as I heard some loud pops over the ringing of my ears. From the vibrations I felt in the ground and a rush of air the cafe had collapsed behind me as I ran down the alley.

I kept running, keeping the double barreled shotgun and pistol close and aimed ahead. As I was running the ringing died down and I could hear my heart beating hard and fast. The pain in my front had lessened, I gave a guess that the pellets from the shotgun hadn't penetrate, but they had stung badly. Getting shot was not fun, thankfully the armor helped more than I expected. Though it meant I probably should keep an eye out for more armor, as well as aim for the head of any pony with armor. Rather not waste rounds trying to penetrate armor on their body when their face was exposed. I rounded a corner and rushed out into a street, nopony shot at me, that was good. I slide to a stop and looked around very quickly and spotted a few more raiders. They hadn't seen me so I rushed to the other side of the street and began to quietly crawl forward. These raiders, they ran this town. They had guns and armor, as well as, I would assume, food and water so with reason they should have a stockpile somewhere. Probably where most of them were gathered.

Or maybe most of them were wandering around where I had stupidly walked into town.

I slipped into a house and went upstairs, nopony was home. I checked myself over for any lasting wounds. I had gotten lucky, nothing more than a nasty bruise, the armor itself was just scuffed. Whoever had made this armor was damn good. I zipped up the leather armor again and began to search the house for more than just others. Surprisingly there were ammo crates. The crates of ammo were also full, I refused not to take some of this, and decided, to Tartarus with this I would have metal saddlebags and I found some straps to make saddlebag straps between two ammo boxes and I lifted them up and put them on my back. I filled both of the ammo boxes as full as I could of the assorted ammo from the ammo crates in the room. Grinning now, I had a serious amount of ammo. If only I had a ranged gun for the rifle ammo in the crates.

“So now then, lets find a bunch of guns, and then some food and water. Mostly food.” I whispered to myself as I prepared to leave.

As I left the house I saw the raiders already milling about. Apparently they didn't have a long attention span. Both a blessing and a curse.

‘Sneaking now!’ I mentally whispered to myself and slide off into another alley. ‘Now if I were to set up shop for important stuff for survival where would it be? Well either the building at the center of the town, or, failing that, the biggest.’

I decided to the center, it was also away from the milling raiders. As I got closer to the center of the town my mane started to itch badly, I guessed I needed a bath. All this sand and dirt must be bugging it, that and the now dry air.

I crept forward, I saw more raiders milling about, some of them... well I can see why raiders were listed as worse than slavers. They had no decency, there were raiders bucking in the street, others cutting up corpses, some eating corpses. All three groups seemingly completely okay with doing each activity next to one another. Hay, the one getting bucked was eating a corpse at the same time, these ponies deserved a bullet to the brain.

‘Okay so food and water was very much out of the question, uh... lets find that armory and be on our way.’ I quickly moved, I did not want to be around that any longer.

It only took a few minutes to see the town hall, the biggest building in the city, and also the one in the center. Fitting, however its décor was very much not inviting. Twisted rusted metal all around it, cages suspended from the sides with skeletons. Everything was covered in dried blood, corpses, and entrails. Given the state of the town hall, I think they had been here for years. I gulped, there wasn't much cover between here and any entrance to the town hall, luck was with me as no raiders seemed to be around. I ran full speed tearing open a basement window before I reached it then dove through.

That had been a bad idea, by diving through I landed squarely in a room full of captives. All of them were chained down. Most of them looked close to death, their coats worn thin around their collars. I saw a few mares, they looked better, a few looked rounder than normal. I crawled off of the slaves none of them resisting, none of them complaining. Either they didn't have the energy or they had been so badly broken they didn't care. As I stood in the room, I saw no raiders, no pony down here beyond the captives. I hated this, I hated seeing the horrific side of ponies. I hated seeing how debased we could become, we had become. I hated that I didn't see a way for me to take out enough raiders to get a group this big out of town safely. However, I did know that at very least I could make some caps so I would have access to some mercenaries. Well at least I had something to do with my exile. I moved around the room quickly. No guns. Of course, why keep guns around the captives?

I headed for the stairs up. I drew my pistol and shotgun again having put them away to make it through the window. I looked at the shotgun for the first time with a critical eye. ‘This thing wasn't going to last much longer, damn.’

As I reached the top of stairs I found two raiders were standing guard facing away from me. I decided that stealth would be smart here. ‘What would be the best way to do this? I have a knife, I needed something else, my guns were far from silent...’

Then I realized it, they were both covered in spikes, very sharp spikes. I put away my guns and drew my knife, I held it in my mouth and dashed out between them. As I passed them I dug the knife into ones neck causing me to drag them down with me as my momentum carried me forward yanking them with me. The other I grabbed their head in my hind legs as I pivoted and fell with the first raider and smashed it into the spikes on her armor. The three of us fell as one, the two raiders unable to speak at very least. I stood, looked around quickly seeing no other ponies. I finished the job and made certain I slit their throats, I then stripped them of anything useful and kicked their bodies down the stairs, using my magic to move the blood down with them. My new loot was some ammo for the shotgun and pistol, as well as two slightly better double barreled shotguns and a far worse pistol. At worst I sell them at Dune City, at best they would be repair parts for my weapons. I shook my head and turned to the rest of the floor.

Half an hour later I had picked clean the first floor of the building, silently killing half a dozen more raider ponies. Apparently they sucked at hearing things, they also apparently were very much insane. Well I knew they were not right in the head due to the decorations. It was just I had heard them talking... to themselves as if there were many around them. Raiders were very different than slavers. They took captives for pleasure and food, the latter being more frightening. I also found why there wasn't a cache of weapons, each raider carried theirs, and generally carried a lot of ammo. I also noticed many had weapons that were barely functional, many just used sticks and knives. I paused, there had been a sniper pony, if I wanted to get anypony out of town they had to be taken care of. Top floor would probably be the place, there was some sort of tower on the top of this building.

I crept to one of the stairwells and I peaked in, there were no raiders. I climbed swiftly and quietly. The stairs thankfully went all the way to the third floor. I went to open the door to the third door and found it was locked. I actually hadn't expected this, I for some reason felt all the doors would be either open or broken open. I made short work of it though, it was thankfully a rather simple lock. I heard the click and I swung the door open slowly, this floor, or at least this room, was rather sparse and clean? Yeah it was pretty much untouched beyond time. I slipped in and closed the door as I did noticed on this side I could easily lock it and did so. "Don't leave doors open or unlocked that shouldn't be" I remembered from a book about infiltration.

I kept looking around, I really expected something, anything really, but, this floor was covered in dust, and shells. As I moved about the floor I saw blood pools near the windows, old and stained into the floor. I kept moving about, hoping to catch a raider up here, one with a rifle. The one who nearly took off my head when I blindly walked into the town. I didn't find them, but, I did find the way up to the tower, and I climbed. What I found was not quite what I had expected. There was a skeleton of a long dead pony, and a rifle with a scope. The rifle was worn and a bolt action, I checked it over, it took a five point five six millimeter rounds and I had plenty of those. I checked the barrel, it was surprisingly in good condition. I smiled and began to load it, it fit eight rounds, and that is when I noticed the can at the end of the barrel was actually a suppressor. Whoever this pony had been they had crafted a suppressor or found one. I smiled at my new tricked out rifle and thanked the skeleton believing they had been the one to take such good care of it. I would use this to clear the town as best as I could.

I stood using the edge of the tower to balance myself and the rifle in a strange standing pose. The standing pose was one that I had learned for when I didn't want or couldn't use my magic and needed to aim over cover. It also meant that the glow of my magic wouldn't give me away as I wouldn't be using it.

I aimed down the scope and began to search first and foremost for anypony with heavy weapons, then, anypony with rifles. I knew it wouldn't take long for them to start noticing that ponies within line of site of the town hall were dieing. I took a deep breath and shot the first raider, he had a rifle like mine, his blood splattered against the wall behind him as he fell over. I counted under my breath, ‘seven’. I inhaled and sited another pony, she had a rocket launcher, exhale, pull trigger, rack the next shot. She dropped dead, ‘six’. I rotated saw two ponies with knives carving up a body, I shot the one closer to cover, ‘five’. I quickly racked the next round and pulled the trigger, I missed, ‘four’. I fired again, he crumpled, ‘three’.

The second pair falling dead had garnered attention, but, so far away from the tower the muffled sound of my rifle didn't carry out to them it seemed. I pulled away from the scope and scanned around looking for other ponies moving towards either duo of downed raiders. The first group was still undiscovered, the other had a few raiders moving towards their bodies.

I returned to the scope and aimed for the three raiders moving towards the two butchers. I aimed for the one in the back of the group, exhaled and pulled the trigger, center of mass, easier to hit, less messy than the head, ‘two’. The other two took a few steps more, I aimed for the next pony, I pulled the trigger, ‘one’. She went down, her head ripped in half in a bloody mess. I grimaced and moved to the last raider who was stopped now looking as his two former companions, his side coated in blood from the mare. I fired, the shot hit his flank and he cried out in pain. I pulled back from the tower and levitated out more ammo, quickly reloading. I didn't hear any gunshots, which was a good start, I popped back up and aimed back down I saw more raiders gathering around the duo in the street as the one raider lay with a crippled leg screaming in pain as he bleed out.

I continued to scan for any pony with a rifle, I saw two within the gathering crowd. Oh what I would give for that rocket launcher. I racked a round, 'eight’, and sighted in the first raider I spotted with a rifle and fired, ‘seven’.The shot had missed, and hit another pony, grazing her, she pulled a knife and started to yell at the one I had been targeting. I aimed for the other pony with a rifle slung over her back, I aimed for the rifle itself, exhaled, and pulled the trigger, ‘six’. The round found its home smashing the bolt, jamming the gun forever. The mare who was carrying it fell over like she had been bucked, she got up and started yelling. I loaded two more rounds and moved off, the commotion would drag probably every raider to that street, now I could go grab that rocket launcher and have a little fun with blowing a good chunk of the raider population away. The wasteland needed a good cleansing of raiders after all.

I moved as quietly as I could, but, speed was more on mind as I hit the first floor. It was still vacant. ‘Yay, no worry about shooting my way out.’

I levitated the silenced rifle with me as I ran to where I had taken down the first two ponies in my sniping spree. Sniping was so much easier, the distance, the lack of hearing them as they died, feeling their blood on you. I preferred it, it also gave me a good opportunity to know whether or not I needed to take somepony out. I saw a few raiders moving towards the growing crowd, I heard a few gunshots. ‘Yep they are not sane and I was doing a service to the world with this.’

I got into the building that held the rocket launcher without any trouble. I quickly climbed the stairs and got to the clearing with it. It was still there, both ponies very much still dead. I levitated my rifle onto me, the strap around my neck, gun across my back. I quickly checked the rifle and put it on myself as well. I checked the rocket launcher, it was loaded, one rocket, I checked the mare for more, and I found five more.

“Plenty,” I grinned and put the spare rockets into the ammo boxes as well.

I effortlessly levitated the rocket launcher by my side. I sprinted out, moving to another building. I climbed the stairs to a broken second floor. A massive brawl had broken out. I grinned as I swung the rocket launcher towards them, I checked it and then fired.

I hadn't expected all the limbs I saw flying away, or the massive red mist, or the small crater in the ground. I quickly reloaded, many of the raiders kept fighting, a few were standing back up, many did not stand up. I fired again into the crowd, more dead, I loaded it again, I felt heat coming from the tube. I fired again, this finishing off the last bit of the crowd. As I did I noticed the end of the rocket launcher glowing a faint yellow the rest of the tube a dull red, I tossed it to the side as the barrel slagged under it's own weight.

‘Well, plans kept changing, so now to go free the prisoners and if I can, get them to Dune City. Even if we didn't have much food, the raiders still needed water.’

I rushed back to the town hall, down the stairs to where the captives were. I began picking locks, these were not hard either. I broke a few bobby pins, but, that was hardly an issue, there had been plenty in the manes of the raiders that I had pushed down here.

“So that is how they got their hair into such weird shapes.” I muttered to myself under my breath.

As I finished freeing the slaves I started addressing their wounds. Most of it was superficial thankfully, a few of them were badly beaten. I questioned my notes on first aid magic, I nodded and started with with the most major of injuries that prevented movement, or would slow us down. It wasn't hard, and this caused many former slaves to be in awe of me as I healed their injuries with my magic. I think none of them had ever expected somepony help them, or maybe it was the slow realization I was here to free them. It took a while to take care of them. During this time many began to mill about, testing their bounds. It was like the ghost of their shackles still wore on them and they were nervous to cross the threshold that they had been unable to for so long.

“Alright, everypony should be good to go. I think it would be best to leave as soon as possible.” I said to the not so captive crowd.

One looked at me, “Where are we going, we can't go, look at us!”

I took a deep breath, “We can't stay here, who knows how many raiders were out when I blasted them. Who knows how many more are around.”

They looked at each other, their worry slightly lessened as I explained to them what had happened. They were delighted to hear of my merciless slaughter. They then tried to convince me to stay, to protect them. I tried to convince them they would be far safer in Dune City. This went on for a few minutes. I asked them if they wanted to stay in a place that they had experienced such horrors inflicted upon them. That is when I heard a heavy thump at the top of the staircase. I slowly turned. There stood one very pissed off stallion at the head of the stairs. He was covered head to hoof in metal armor. Any space that faced out on his armor was covered in spikes, and were those clipboards under the metal? Well okay then. He yelled down at me, oh he was not a happy pony, he also probably was the leader of the raiders here.

“I see I got myself a new trick pony! I can't wait to break you in!” He shouted down at me.

He then proceeded to jumped down the stairs. I pushed all the captives back with a wave of magic and used some levitation to lighten myself as I jumped back with them. He smashed into the floor his spikes digging into the ground and pinning him there. I drew the shotgun and shoved it in his mouth.

“Here have a kiss my new master!” Click, his armor did him no good from inside of his mouth.

I drew it back, he didn't move, blood pooled out. I turned to the captives as I reloaded and cleaned the barrels off.

“So, unless you know how many raiders lived here, I suggest we leave before more show up.” The room was quiet, then they all nodded.

*                *                *

We had walked for four hours. With the town behind us just a spec now. I had scavenged weapons, saddlebags, a fair bit of ammo, and water. Which I spread out amongst everypony who would take them, or could carry them. I remembered this was very much not the path I was told to take to Dune City, I had been warned about those raiders. Now, I had probably cleared that town out. But, I rather not stay there for a few days as somepony went to Dune City for reinforcements for the newly freed town. I didn't want to try to stay up keeping an eye out for any raiders. I lead the group, as it got darker it and got a lot cooler, but, it wasn't that bad. I kept an eye on my... followers? They weren't friends, I had saved them and wasn't holding them against their will so not captives. Not slaves either, hay, if I ever dealt with slaves like that I hope that Celestia would strike me down with a lightning bolt.

I guided the group off the road for about half an hour. I called a halt to the walk, told them to lay down, rest, eat, and drink. They huddled together, I asked if a few would work with me for shifts to keep watch. Four agreed, I told the rest to just sleep we would keep eye out. It didn't take long for those not on watch to fall asleep. I took my watch looking out towards the road, laying on my stomach holding the rifle in my hooves. It took a lot of effort to keep awake after a long day. I looked down the scope and realized, I could see better, but, it was all greens. Apparently this had some sort of enchantment to help see in the dark.

“Awesome.” I whispered to myself and smiled as I began to think back on the day. It had been a good day.

Today I had acquired ammo as well as some guns, freed a bunch of ponies, killed a bunch of monsters. Yeah, all in all it was a pretty good day. I continued to lay there keeping my eyes focused on looking for any movement. I don't know how long I lay there, but, it looked like no raiders had followed us, or were moving up or down the road. I kept laying there unmoving, I heard the change of the watch behind me. I should lay down as well, but, no, I didn't want to leave this in somepony's else's hooves.

*            *            *

I blinked and saw it was early morning, I must have fallen asleep at some point. I felt something over me and turned me head to see that I had been moved to where most of the former captives had laid down together. A number of blankets had pulled over the huddled mass as well. As for myself I was separated from them and had a blanket of my own over me. The blanket on me was in surprisingly good condition it must have been their way of saying thank you by keeping me warm. I cracked a smile and returned to where I had been watching the road from before I fell asleep. I magically moved my rifle into my hooves again, keeping an eye out for threats. I wanted all of these captives to be well rested before we headed out again.

I laid there for a few more hours, one by one they woke up I gave them a nod and they moved about stretching, eating, getting ready for the rest of the trip. Once they had all gotten up and had eaten I had us move out. We walked as I ate and drank. My comforts took second to their safety and us moving. I had saved them, they were my responsibility. I worried less as the day went on, and was thankful for the cloud curtain keeping the what would have been a hotter day away. As it was though it was rather unseasonably warm. I had to keep the front of my leather armor unzipped down to the base of my chest just to be comfortable. It helped, but, I kept going, reminding everypony to keep drinking regularly even if they weren't feeling thirsty. I also kept drinking regularly as well. The other ponies didn't have any barding to speak of, which was in their favor. Not only would it had slowed them down it would have heated them up. Unfortunately for me the dark brown of my armor seemed to be making it hotter than I would have liked, but, to strip out of it meant stopping completely. Not like I could just float and push myself with telekinesis. I know that unicorns before the war could do such a thing, though very few. I also knew that I was not that powerful of a magic user yet. Maybe someday with more training, but, for now, best I could manage was to bolster my jumps and levitate a large number of objects.

It was a very long road, and a very long walk. I had us take breaks where and when we could, using the bits of healing magic I knew to heal tired joints. While my magic wasn't up to doing what a healing potion could, I could at least heal bruises, cuts, and bite wounds. The last one I found out about when a group of lizards attacked us. The lizards ran around on two legs and were about as tall as a pony. I had spotted a few lizards in the distance and had begun to shoot them, but, there were of course more around that noticed the death of their friends. They began running towards me when two of the ponies with rifles stepped up and started shooting with me. That made more come running as the other rifles didn't have suppressors. We had fell most of them before they got to us, the few who did I finished off with my knife and pistol. I got bit more than a few times, but, I was the only really one hurt. I could handle being the only one hurt, I was supposed to be their guard, their savior, their hero.

It was reaching dusk and we had spotted Dune City, it was a town of shacks and old wooden buildings surfing on top of a massive Dune. Off in the distance I could see one of the MASEBS towers and I also saw a ridge of hills as a crescent around Dune City. I guessed that is how the sand stayed calm enough for the town to exist, the hills and few mountains blocked the wind making them not move as much. I asked my followers if they wanted to camp here or to push on to Dune City. They were tired, and they wanted rest, food, and water. So we stopped and made camp. After the camp was set up one of the few bucks went about helping a mare set up fire with some wood we had happened across on today's walk. Then to my surprise they started to cook up the lizard meat. The smell I had to admit was fair bit more attractive to me than the two century old cereal I had been eating for the past few days. I moved to the fire and greeted the two cooking with a wave.

“Hey there Miss, want the first gecko steak?” The buck said to me as I sat down next to him opposite of the mare.

“Gecko steak?” I asked with a raised eyebrow then put two and two together. “Oh those lizards are called gecko's. Yes I wouldn't mind something beyond two century old cereal for a meal.”

He smiled and the mare passed him a stick with a steak impaled on it to him. He took it in his hooves and checked it  over then handed it to me. I bit into the steak and was amazed at the flavor and how juicy it was. I was reminded of the ripe tomatoes from the memory orbs.

“Wow, where did you learn to cook meat like this?” I asked the two.

“Well we learned it on our travels seeking fortune within Seamane.” The buck offered up, I raised a single eyebrow encouraging him to elaborate as I ate. “Well considering you saved our lives from those raiders, might as well give you a story while you eat.” He said as the mare began passing out steaks to the other ponies around the firepit. “We originally were from Manehattan, came out of Gutterville looking to strike it rich. Or at least get away from from the Steel Rangers who take any tech you find which was more advanced than a gun. Even then, sometimes they would, aggressively. Still though, we made enough to pay for applying for citizenship to Tenpony.”

I nodded as I kept eating looking between the two. ‘They must be a couple.’

“So we struck it out here, comparatively a mite safer than Manehattan, a lot better than Hoofington or Fillydelphia. And we didn't feel like going up to Van Hoover.” The mare said.

I bit into the gecko steak and remembered everypony else. “Hey everypony, the steak is great, dig in!” I called out to them.

At hearing my approval I got twin hugs and there were a lot more gecko steaks being made now. For a long while it was quiet as we sat there around the campfire eating. It worried me that nopony else had really talked besides the mare and buck who were cooking. Yeah the ponies who had volunteered to be guards talked a little, but, it just felt weird for it to be this quiet. I looked around and saw the relief and peace on many of the faces around me. It wasn't a bad quiet, it was a good quiet, a quiet of happy content. I smiled, they didn't have to say anything for me to see the genuine happiness around me.

“Hey, so, what are your plans for when we get to Dune City? Head off to Tenpony?” I asked the two cooks.

“Well, we were planning on setting up a place for everypony in Dune City. Make a place to lay their heads, to work, to learn. To uh, well help those who are expecting.” Answered the buck.

“Oh? Well that is rather kind of you.” I hadn't been expecting that as an answer, warmed my heart a little to see others doing good deeds.

“Yep, we talked it over, we aren't leaving until we feel everypony is taken care of. Even then, we might just stay around, we have a lot of friends around here after all.” Said the mare, I admired the two of them for what they were doing.

“What about you? You seem well a bit young to be out here all on your own.” Asked the buck.

“Well, I am just on my way to Dune City to stay there a while. I also am not that young.” I really didn't want to talk about what happened in Saint Clover, at least the part about me being exiled.

“How about this, you can stay with us. Fairly certain there are enough intact buildings that we can house everypony.” The mare said and smiled at me.

“That, that sounds like a good idea, I didn't know where I was going to stay or how I was going to pay for it.” I said a with sigh of relief.

“Well we expect you to work while living with us, and we expect to know each others names. Sunset Rainbow,” said the buck, “this here is my wife.”

“Violet Gust, and yes we are married, for what it is worth out here,” she said with a smile.

“Moonlight, and I wouldn't dream of not doing what I could to help out for you housing me. Honestly I am still a bit lost and new to all of this out here.” I gave the two a sheepish smile.

Then I felt a leg go around my shoulder. “You don't seem that lost out here seeing what you did to that town of raiders. And don't you, worry those two will keep us safe."

I turned to see a blue coated green maned mare sitting next to me.

“White Rose, and thank you for getting me out of that town. Been there far longer than I care to admit, nice not having to worry about well,” she dropped her voice to a whisper, “you saw what they were doing with us.”

For some reason as I looked at this mare, White Rose, I felt my face getting warmer. She was taller than me, her eyes were a entrancing magenta. I saw her lips move as she said something more that my brain didn't register. I couldn't stop looking at her, the small scar on her cheek, her elegant face, her longer muzzle, her long slender horn with a perfect spiral, those beautiful magenta eyes... What was coming over me?

“Honestly when you went back up those stairs I thought I had just seen another pony fall to the wastelands call.” She said as she looked down at me, “but, you came back down and saved us. You even killed the pony running the place just like that.” She made a motion with her right foreleg like it was a gun firing. “I have to thank you, I am happy to be out of there.”

“Hey, I just did what I thought was right, I mean really why wouldn't somepony do the same if the had the method to take care of those raiders?” I blurted.

“Of course somepony else would have done it if they had the power to do so. If any ever felt the compassion to wipe out a nest of raiders. Most of the time ponies with power rather make money with no effort. Also most who target raiders are just going to loot what the raiders had looted from others not to save ponies.” Rose looked angry, like she had seen it before, “anyways, thank you again, Moonlight.”

“So what are you thinking of doing when we get to Dune City, Rose?” I asked her. Oh goddesses why was I feeling like this?! This was feeling like how Morning Sprout felt when looking at Meadows... Was I feeling the same sort of attraction towards Rose? Based on what, I didn't really know her, she just was a attractive mare, wait I am being attracted to a mare...

“Well, probably the same as you if Sunset and Violet don't mind. Why, you interested in hanging out more?” She asked and before I could think I felt myself nod as my face redden more.

“I think I am alright with this arrangement.” Rose said in her silvery voice and then simply smiled. She then planted a kiss on my lips, “I know I could do with somepony I can count on to protect me.”

There was a big grin on her face, and I felt myself blushing more, my thoughts began to race as she continued on. My mind had stopped paying attention and was trying to register what I had just asked and what I was feeling. My face was by now a bright red, a strange color on my ashen coat. That had been the first time anypony kissed me, and it was a mare. While I had been in Saint Clover I had never really made many close friends. While there were other ponies my age I had focused on reading. Comics, textbooks, journals, anything really to learn, to imagine being out here saving ponies like a hero in some story, or a detective in a novel. However, it had never been something I had thought I would actually do. I was expecting to follow Mom and Dad's hoofsteps in becoming a merchant in Saint Clover. Now here I was, three days out, and I killed a town of raiders, three slavers, and saved a bunch of ponies. It was nothing like the stories had I read. All of those stories was about ponies fighting monsters or zebras, never other ponies. Plus in those stories the hero was a big tough mare, not a small one like me. I felt a tap on my horn. I blinked and looked up. As I went to ask why Rose tapped my horn I got another kiss.

This was kissing, not a peck on the lips, but, kissing and my body was acting on its own. It really liked kissing, and apparently really liked the fact it was a mare who was kissing me. I was really surprised by a lot of what was going on. First, somepony actually like me in this sense, at least I figured that was why Rose was kissing me. Second, that I was enjoying this, well no, not surprised I liked it, more of I had always thought I fancied stallions and not mares. Apparently I was rather wrong. Maybe I had just thought that was how it was supposed to be. So maybe I was a fillyfooler, I was okay with this, I mean be with those you loved, right? Maybe it was because I never had anypony around to make me feel like this before. I felt myself being guided away for some privacy. I felt Rose kiss me and then start to undress me, I didn't try to stop her. My head was lost in enjoying this. I broke the kiss to say one last thing.

“Okay, can we only do this if you really want to. Please don't think you owe me for saving you, it was the right thing to do, even if others wouldn't have done it. I don't want to paid like this for doing what I felt was right.” I still had my eyes closed as Rose's hoof brushed my ultramarine blue mane out of my eyes.

Rose whispered in my ear. “I understand, just understand that some ponies like to reward others for their help, some of us only have a certain skill sets. Others just really like their mare in shining armor for more than just saving them.” She said in a sultry voice before resuming our kiss and then started to do new things to me.

*                *                *

I woke up, I felt legs wrapped around me from behind me and I turned to look, it was Rose. In the brighter light of morning I examined her features more closely. She had deep marks on her from years of abuse. Her blue coat had healed mostly thanks to a healing potion I had given her as well as some regular medical treatment that was within my knowledge. Her short green mane was wild and unkempt, though, I imagined now that she was free it would look better once she had a chance to tend to it.

I looked around the rest of the camp. Most were still asleep, but, the ponies who had come to work with me as guards were all at post watching out for anypony coming towards us. I gingerly levitated the legs off of me, blushing slightly at remembering what we had done last night. I looked to where her cutie mark was, the symbol of a white rose was there. It was beautiful, and as I stared at it I felt butterflies in my stomach thinking about what I had asked for her to do. I shook my head and I moved to my pile of things.

Wow, I was carrying a lot. No matter, I would lighten my load at Dune City. It was only a few hours walk from here. I started to put on my leather barding when I saw it. I had to contain myself from crying out in joy of finally having gotten my cutie mark. At some point in my travels I had done whatever it was I couldn't do in Saint Clover. Whatever it was it was my special talent. I still couldn't believe it. I had... I can't believe it. I finally have my cutie mark! Thankfully it wasn't a depiction of a weapon of death or a action of killing. No, it was a... book? What. The. Hell. I stared dumbly at it, then got dressed as I shook my head. Okay so cutie marks were not as exciting as I had been told. Or maybe I would be more excited if I knew what the hay it meant. Having no context for when it appeared I had no idea what the stupid symbol meant. In all honesty to me I still didn't have a special talent. However, to anypony who saw it, they would respect me more just for simply having a cutie mark.

I sighed as finished getting on my barding, then went about fastening all the belts and buckles that would hold my equipment on me. I saw a new holster, it was for my double barreled shotgun. I smiled and strapped it on too. Then came the canteen, saddle bags, ammo boxes, and everything else. I realized just how much I was covered in equipment, how ridiculously well armed, armored, and prepared I looked compared to the others. I looked the part of a wasteland heroin, even if mentally I still felt I had yet to truly achieve that title. I stifled a giggle, then I walked up the hill that gave us a view of Dune City. Almost there.

I got a nudge from Sunset Rainbow as he sat down next to me. I turned my head towards him with a eyebrow raised.

    “So, have enough fun last night?” He said with a big grin on this face.

I face hoofed, great, was I going to be known as the heroine who bucked her way across the wasteland. I looked up at him.

“Why do I feel like this is going to stick with me for a long time.” I said looking up at him. The colors of dawn worked well with his off white coat. His yellow mane was rather thin and wispy as the wind blew it softly, I blushed and turned away. Seriously when did I suddenly start seeing attractive ponies around me like this?! Maybe Rose's special was the cause of it. Maybe she did something to me last night. I blushed thinking about what happened last night. I needed to not think about last night, or anything related to that very fun experience... Damn it mind. He saw my blush as I tried to look away and laughed.

“Don't worry, I'm just messing with you. You are a good mare, Moonlight, your heart is in the right place. Trust me, just listen to it if you ever wondering if what you are doing the right thing.” The smile on his face, he reminded me of Dad. I nodded as I accepted his advice.

“So, you and Violet were adventurers. So... since you are settling down for the time being, mind maybe teaching me a thing or two about surviving the wasteland?” I asked while looking back out to the north west at Dune City.

He put a hoof to his chin, scratching it softly as he thought. Violet walking up holding three sticks with gecko steaks skewered on them. She handed them to us and I ate happily. Even cooled the meat tasted pretty good. I ate quietly as the three of us looked out. I heard the stirring behind us as others started to wake up as the clouds brightened and resumed their normal gray colors as the dawn ended.

“I don't see why not. But, between setting up a place for everypony you saved and teaching you how to live off the land, it is going to be a bit busy.” He said with a smiled, I saw a leg around Violet, both of them were smiling happily at me.

“Well consider this, I will do what work I can around town and sell off what I don't need to help fund your project. In return I live with you two, and you two teach me what you can when you can about living in the wasteland.” I said with a note of finality letting them know I wouldn't take no for an answer.

“So you are going to settle down too? So shortly after starting your own adventure? There are other ponies out there that need your help, and nopony else is going to help them.” Violet said, it struck a chord with me, I could stay there and help them. But... even in these few days I had liked the sense of adventure. Well minus getting shot and having grenades explode indoors with me. I wonder if there was hearing protection that I could buy in Dune City...

“I may go out there again, I really feel like staying around until it is all set up, well besides quick trips out for jobs.” I said as I stretched out a bit.

With that I went back to finishing my breakfast. I heard more ponies climbing up the dune we sat on, joining me at looking at their soon to be new home. It didn't take too terribly much longer for everypony to get ready for the rest of the trip. There were many smiles on the faces around me, there was also snickering. I tried to tune out anything being said about last night. Part of me really hoped that nopony outside of this group would ever know what happened last night. Goddesses my face was red again thinking about it again. Okay, best thing to do was see if everypony was ready and head out. Think about the trip not hooves back there.

    "Gah! No stop thinking about it!" I stammered out in frustration mixed with embarrassment, it only caused more snickering about me.

I kept going in a circle of embarrassment, frustration, and trying to focus on the trip until we were all ready. When the time came we cleaned up our camp and started back to the road. This stretch was not that bad, and with being in sight of Dune City I doubted we had much to worry about. So the walk was done in high spirits and at a quicker pace. As we neared the parameter of the city I noticed some rather heavily armored and armed ponies start to walk up to us. I told everypony to let me handle this and to keep their guns lowered. I slung my rifle and walked a bit faster to put distance between me and the rest of the group.

“Howdy!” I shouted and waved a hoof as I magically took off my helmet. I hoped that this would be disarming enough to make the guards not think we were trying to invade. After all there was a good number of us.

“Welcome to Dune City Miss, I see you have a group with you. Mind telling us why you are coming up from Raiderville?” The closest and most armored guard asked. Hay, I couldn't see his coat under all that armor.

“Well, I was coming up from Saint Clover to here, got lost, took the wrong road and trotted right into Raiderville, got shot at, shot back, blew a lot of ponies up and freed the captured ponies.” I said as I smiled up at them.

There was a long and tense silence. I stood there then scraped my hoof on the road.

“So uh... could we come in, most of the ponies with me want to settle down, two of them want to start a place for the ponies we're bringing in.” I asked after a minute of the awkward silence, feeling a bit smaller now. Then again, I was actually physically smaller than the guards, and the way they were looking at me made me feel like I was shrinking.

The guards continued to just stare at me as if trying to discern if I was lying, crazy, or stupid. It was quiet for a few more minutes until Sunset and Violet came up and introduced themselves. That helped a lot. The guards knew them. They were surprised to hear about how I had saved them and what I had done to 'Raiderville'. The guards looked at me, then back at Sunset and Violet.

“That little mare, just a few days out of Saint Clover did that.” They regarded me with skepticism, interest and a little bit of fear. I think the fear was the fact that I was actually capable of what I said I did. The interest due to apparently I could do something about the raider problem.

“Well, I think you,” he pointed at me, “need to report to the mayor, and I think you may get some compensation for re-opening the fastest road between here and Saint Clover.”

I relaxed. ‘Okay, no hot death for me today, yet, at least.’

I tied my helmet to my saddlebags and motioned the rest of the group to come up. I turned to the guards as well as Sunset and Violet.

“Thank you, just tell me where to find the mayor and I will be on my way.” I turned to Sunset and Violet then levitated off my saddlebags and ammo boxes and put them on their backs. “Sell what you can, keep the caps and find a place to set up shop, just don't leave me without anything to read or eat.” I said with a smile and stood next to a guard.

“Alright Miss follow me, I think the mayor will like you.” The guard said and I followed him into Dune City.

Footnote: Level Up

New Perk Added! Rapid Reload: All weapons reload twenty five percent faster! Now that you know how to reload guns under stress you now reload faster so you can shoot more. Shooting more means a lot in the wasteland so remember to keep an eye on your ammo.

Skill Note: Guns at fifty.

Chapter 3 - Dune City

Chapter Three – Dune City

“Remember rifles generally have three modes of fire, no death, a little bit of death, and a whole lot of death.”

I was surprised at how active Dune City was this early in the morning. Many ponies were milling about, going into buildings, or going to the open air market place. I got a few looks as I was guided to the biggest building in town. Leaders always were in the biggest building, or at least the most well decorated room. The general feel of the town was... cheerful. Which was very much a relief, just being around the positive feelings made me feel better. As we entered the town hall I saw the place was rather clean.

“So, what is the news with that group?” A mare asked without turning to face us, I guessed that was the Mayor.

“Friendly,” my escort stated, “and mostly refugees from that raider camp down the road.” The mayor turned and saw us, I felt a leg wrap around me, “this filly took down the whole place and freed them.”

The mayor looked stunned, I gave a small smile and a wave. She paused to regard me before a small smile found its place on her muzzle.

“Well, we should send a few ponies down there to make certain they all are dead and secure it as a rest stop. Then, send some pony to Saint Clever to let them know the road open again.” The Mayor explained as her face returned to a more neutral state. “As for this heroine, a reward of some sort is in order for reopening the fastest road to Saint Clover.”

I blinked, she was rewarding me for cleaning out the raiders, not for the rescue? That annoyed me a little, more from I refused to believe that I was the only pony in the wasteland who valued helping others.

“I don't really care about a reward for that, anything you would give me give it to the two who are trying to setup a place for the others I helped.” I commented, trying my best to reign in my frustration.

“Well we will give them the old school building, though somepony might want to make certain it is clear of anything.” The mayor grinned and I sighed.

‘Well lets go clear the school building.’ I thought to myself.

“All you need to do is make certain nothing is living there now, tell a guard when it is cleared, and then they can move in. Simple as that.” Mayor continued as she sat down in a chair. “When you are done, there is more work around, if you have an issue finding any, ask a guard, we can always use a extra hoof or two. Now then good day, I need to get a few extra things done now that we have a rest stop to build.”  The look on her face was not of frustration, but, delight. Maybe she liked building things, a lot.

With that I was guided back out to the street. I asked where the school was, the guard pointed it out to me and I marched out towards it. With a quick walk down the street I caught eye of a large square that had many ponies milling about, some at tables with items all over them, others having what looked like a booth or tent. I also heard faint music slipping out of the plaza. I took a guess and figured that was where merchants local and traveling did their business. On the other side of the street I saw a few buildings with benches out front and signs over the top of the door calling them saloons of some sort and one being just plainly called Dune City Tavern. I guessed from the lack of traffic in and out from the doors that what ever rush for meals was now over.

         I continued down the street until finally I stood in front of a old red building that had been pointed out to me as the school house. The building looked like it had been cared for within the last century. I opened the front door and walked in. As the door squeaked closed behind me I noticed that there was only a little light filtering in from the boarded up windows. I frowned and turned on my flashlight now a little more worried at what could be hiding in here. I slowly moved forward into the room, the dust slowly drifted and swirling beside me as I passed through one of the rays of light from windows. I didn't really hear anything as I moved about. Really this place was rather clean already, as if somepony moved out.

What I did notice were posters on the walls. The posters featured a purple unicorn mare with books around her, urging ponies to read and learn. I tilted my head, I had seen a few posters before, but, the Saint Clover did not have many old ministry posters in it. I saw a few others, Ministry of Peace with a yellow pegasus with a long pink mane talking about helping others. The last was one with a frighteningly happy pink earth mare mentioning about some amusement park that was better than the Grand Galloping Gala. I saw as I moved deeper within the building stacks of desks. Then something stabbed me in the leg, and it burned badly. I turned, and screamed, it was a giant scorpion. A giant scorpion that had just stung me. I felt its pincers grab my right foreleg as it dug its stinger around more. I used my magic to grab my knife, my pistol, and the shotgun, I pulled the triggers and stabbed the knife blindly.

The scorpion fell down dead, I pulled its stinger out of my leg. I saw more coming, I started to fire as I could. I couldn't keep count of my shots. I kept the knife close in case I needed to stab one in the eyes. I slumped against a wall as I reloaded, two rounds in the shotgun, new magazine in the pistol. My breathing became shallower as my heart raced and burning pain coursed up my leg. I kept firing, more fell, I lay on the floor and floated out a healing potion and drank it. Stupid venom.

I tried to stand up, that hurt a lot. I panted and started back out. I needed to get to the market and hope nopony decided to charge a fortune for an antidote. I got to the door and magicked it open, Violet was standing there. In a moment I saw a spark of realization in her eyes as she ran. I hated blacking out, blacking out sucked. I fell flat and all went black, the pain faded with the world.

*                *                *

I felt myself again, that was a good start I was awake and alive. I opened my eyes with a lot of effort.

‘I really hoped there was a spell to cure venom, that would be nice and simple. Also it would be nice to know why the town had let a building get infested with giant blue scorpions.’ I heard a growl and felt a bit of pain from my stomach. ‘Ugh, that would be my stomach both upset and demanding food.’

 I looked around, I was inside, there was a ceiling fan spinning. ‘Huh didn't expect electricity out here.’ I saw a bucket, ‘perfect’.

I threw up taking care of my stomach’s first problem. The aftertaste left me dry heaving. I heard somepony walking over and set down another bucket, and I saw the one I had just used moved away with a faint glow of pink around it. I closed my eyes again and it felt like a long time before they opened again. When they did, the light in the room said it was hours later. Something cold was against my side, I looked and saw a brown coated unicorn with a darker brown mane with some thing going from his ears to my side. I took a slightly deeper breath to get his attention. His eyes opened and turned towards my face and I saw a slight smile.

“Well looks like you are making a complete recovery, you lost a fair bit of blood thanks to those radscorpions.” Radscorpions? I guess that was the name of those giant blue bastards. “If it had not been for your friend, I think we would have had a lot harder time saving you. As it was your heart almost stopped.”

I blinked. ‘Damn, I had almost gotten taken out by a few radscorpions. No, I had been taken out by their damn venom.’ I coughed, no blood, but, that taste of bile. ‘Ugh, okay, antivenom was something I was carrying a lot of now.’

“As it is, you friend had enough to cover your treatment and it was from your salvage that they paid it from. She also wanted you to know you did completely clear out the old school house.” He set a bit of food next to me. “You need to eat something and drink, the venom, well you know.” There was a smile of understanding on his face. I nodded and began to eat.

“So, any advice on how to make antivenom?” I said after I gulped down a small bite of the food. It tasted alright, my stomach agreed.

He sat down on the stool and nodded. “Yes, don't get stung is the first part.”

I stared at him, “really?”

“Seriously, you need the poison gland of whatever you are making antivenom for. You simply mix it with a standard healing potion and heat it. Then you got antivenom.” He stated as if it was the simplest thing in the world. To be fair to him, it was pretty simple.

Well that was simple, though frustrating if anything. “Well, okay, how many venomous things are there out here beyond radscorpions?” If there was really anything else with venom this was going to be annoying keeping track of the different types of antivenom.

He chuckled. “Out here anymore just radscorpions, but, there are giant flying insects out there, they are called Cazadors. Best to avoid the hell out of them, the stinger itself will probably punch a hole clean through to your heart.”

I shivered at that. ‘So there existed giant FLYING insects of death oh how fun this shall be.’ “You’re joking, there existed giant flying insects that could punch a hole through a pony.”

“Yep, but, we have cleared them out for the most part. Beware of them, they probably are nesting in places far away from the roads or any place where ponies live. If you see something skittering around with big orange things on them, I hope you have something quiet and long ranged to kill them with. Oh, and a big caliber, Celestia knows why the wasteland decided to give us giant wasps.” He had a scowl on his face, I think he had seen Cazadors before, or at least their aftermath.

“Well joy, and doc? Thanks for patching me up.” I smiled, wow my face still felt numb in places.

“If you got the caps I’ll save your gol-dern life!” The doctor chucked with a smile on his face, humor, laughter, cure for everything. I couldn't help it and I laughed too.

“Guess I am probably staying the night here?”

“You guessed right, since it is already night. Finish what you can and get some sleep” he said as he got up and walked off. I looked around, I had my own room in the clinic.

I ate what I could, it was only a third of the bowl. I then levitated the bowl to a table near me. With that I closed my eyes and let myself drift back to sleep. Sleep was better than blacking out, more restful.

*                *                *

When I woke up again the light of morning was drifting in. I levitated the bowl back to me, it was refilled, and I set it next to me on the bed. I shifted to be laying on my stomach instead of laying on my side and started eating. It tasted not as good as last night, but, my stomach made fast friends with it. Apparently it was not happy about losing what I had eaten, and I realized, I had barely been up yesterday or eaten yesterday. Wow, I was not eating much as of late.

After I had eaten I slide off the bed and began to stretch. I was rather stiff, I noticed that at some point some pony had stripped me of my barding. I looked around and didn't see it anywhere. ‘Did I have my armor on when I had talked to the doctor, or when I first woke up? Ugh, I needed to remember to check all my things whenever I woke up.’

I walked out of my room and into a hallway. I looked both ways and walked around more, I found more rooms, all empty. I went to the other end of the hallway and found a lobby. The walls here had pink butterflies with purple wings. ‘ A former Fluttershy clinic, makes the most sense a place this far out would need a decent sized clinic.’

I walked about more and eventually I found the doctor who had treated me. I went to call his name to remember I hadn't asked for it. I realized also, I was really bad as asking for names and face hoofed. I really needed to learn how to talk to others better. Instead I walked up to him and tapped him on the shoulder. He woke up and looked at me. There was a look of relief and a smile crept over his face as he blinked his eyes to clear them of sleep.

“Again, thank you for healing me, though I have to ask, where is my stuff?” I hated to wake him and ask for something so trivial.

“Ah, your stuff is with your friends at the school house, don't worry here in Dune City you will be fine, well, now that you cleared out those radscorpions.” He blinked his eyes still not quite focused on me. I just nodded.

“Well, unless you need to check me again I will be heading out.”

He gave me a nod and moved to his bed and laid back down. I walked out of his room and out of the clinic. Looking to the east I saw the sunrise. I had taken to calling it a sunrise for when the sky in the east turned colors. It was red over there was rather petty. I turned west to where the school house sat at the end of the street. I saw a few ponies milling about mostly they had been guards there were a few ponies tending to brahmin. First and foremost check on the school and get my caps back. I walked down the central street nopony really minded me and I didn't feel at risk of getting shot or stabbed. For some reason that feeling surprised me. Apparently I was starting to gain some sort of wasteland paranoia. Good, rather jump at shadows than get ambushed.

Dune City was not that big. It was impressive, but, still rather small compared to Saint Clover. There was the main street that I was on, cobblestone and a light dusting of sand made up the road here. It was a much softer walk than the road from raiderville, and quieter. There were a fair number of still standing buildings, a good number looked to have been taverns before the war, a couple of motels as well. Everything had a cowpony theme like what Appleloosa supposedly had. It was rather refreshing as well, growing up in Saint Clover I was used to metal walls, ship decks, and electric lights. Not the openness of here, nor did it have fresh air. Well as fresh of air as you can get in the wasteland.

I heard music as I walked past the plaza. I stopped and looked around. While stalls were set up nopony was around to sell anything, and that music was slightly louder. I wandered around searching for the source of the music. After a few minutes I finally found it, once I was able to find where it got louder and quieter, yay for triangulation, and it was a intact radio. The music was rather nice, but, the reception was rather spotty. Since in Saint Clover we didn't get any radio I guessed Dune City was on the border of the signal. I sat and just listened, it reminded me of that blissful memory of Morning Sprouts, it actually I think was one of the songs I had heard in that memory. I hummed along with the song until it ended and a male voice came over the radio.

“This is DJ Pon3, and that was Sweetie Belle, singing about that one great truth of the wasteland: every pony has done something they regret. And now, my little ponies, it’s time for the news!” I blinked, it wasn't automated, there really was somepony out there who ran a radio station. “Now ponies you remember a few years ago some pony showed up out of nowhere near New Appleloosa and started protecting caravans? Well good news he is still out there doing the good work of taking out raiders and keeping the caravans moving. While I don't have his name I have it on good authority he has a very straightforward policy of killing any raider who dares show their face in those parts. Good on you my friend, keep up the good fight. Now back to the music. Here’s Sapphire Shores singing how the sun can’t hide forever. From your lips to Celestia’s ears, Sapphire!”

I stood up and walked back to the main street, I saw a few more ponies wandering about and the looks of it a caravan getting ready to go. I noticed the guards, I guess this one was going to Saint Clover, which meant I couldn't tag along. I really did not want to go back until things had cooled off. Or somepony told me why they wanted to arrest me. I walked to one of the caravaners, maybe I could get them to find out for me.

“Excuse me, are you headed to Saint Clover?” I asked as I finished walking up to the gathering caravan.

“Why yes we are miss, somepony managed to clear the raiders between here and Saint Clover. Owe her my thanks, much easier to go this way instead of going south through the gorge.” Said a light grey buck, “Why do you ask, want to travel with us?”

I shook my head. “No, I was hoping you could find out why the ponies at Saint Clover wanted to arrest me shortly before I left.”

He looked me over for a few seconds, taking me in, “I wager you either pissed off somepony with a lot of money or you scared the hell out of somepony.”

“Well, still, if you hear about why they want Moonlight arrested or any news about her family let me know. Um... if I am not here when you get back you can leave a note with the ponies who just moved in to the schoolhouse.” I finished as I began to think about what I was going to do to burn some time.

He nodded then added. “If I hear anything I will let you or your friends know. I will also let them know about what you have done, maybe that will clear some heat for you.” He gave me a polite smile. “Now if you don't mind I need to finish getting this ready, got to take enough supplies for setting up a camp in that town you cleared.”

I gave a small bow and began walking to the school house again. More ponies were walking around now, I saw a good sized number of them moving to the plaza. I guessed that the market would be opening within the hour, and by then I should have my caps back for spending. Top of that list would be a Geiger counter, second on that would be a watch. I saw a few mares leaving the school house with saddlebags, it looked like they had salvage I had given them to sell as well, good to know all that scavenging was worth it.

I gave the mares a nod and headed into the school. As I entered I was surprised with what they had done with half a days work. I also noticed the building was a lot bigger than I had thought. There were many rooms. I could see a few had been turned into sleeping quarters, other rooms were storage, at one room even had the desks set up in it. I really wonder what the plan was for this place. I went upstairs and found a door with a note on it.

“To Moonlight” it read, I flipped the paper open, “this room is yours, this is our home as much as it is yours. We owe you our lives and you could have had anything from us, but, you decided to instead give what you could to us. Please let us return the favor with a warm place to stay whenever you are in town.” I smiled and pushed open the door, there was a nice sized bed, it looked in far better condition than the one at home. Wait, no, that wasn't home anymore, or at least it couldn't be home for a while. This was home, I was welcome here, I had a place to rest my head.

I looked around the rest of the room, I saw a desk, a terminal, a workbench of some sort, looked like a vice on part of it, the other had reloading equipment? Very nice. I was practically dancing in glee over this, I also stifled myself from shouting yes over and over. I was really happy to get gifts, more so gifts that were so useful. I trotted over to the terminal and powered it on. It didn't have a password. Well I changing that right now. I checked it and noticed no pre existing notes, no nothing. It was a completely clean terminal. ‘Alright, new user Moonlight password SilverShores. If there was one thing I would never forget it was my brother. I really hoped he was alright.’

I saw the terminal also had a time display, it was a bit after six in the morning. ‘Hmm... what to do... I know, I will use this a journal. Log what I have done, what I am working towards, my current problems.’

So I began to type with my magic. Writing what had happened over the past few days and a preamble about who I was and where I came from made me realize how life really hadn't started until that slaver attacked me in Saint Clover. I was just drifting, reading books, comics, and hearing stories from traveling merchants. I really had never done much, I had never even stepped hoof outside of Saint Clover without Mom or Dad until that night I rushed off to take care of those two escaping slavers. Unceremoniously I had jumped headlong out of the world I knew and into the wasteland, and I was... loving it. It wasn't the crazed love that raiders had for killing things, no, I loved the adrenaline, the wind in my mane, the dirt under hoof. With a sick realization I also noticed my demeanor had completely changed when in raiderville. I had slipped into a mindset of cold and calculating, it was like solving a hard math problem.

I remember that my dad had trained me with a BB rifle, teaching me the rhythm that I had used. The cold discipline, almost mechanical thought that lead to the death of all of those raiders. That stopped me, I was fairly certain even now that I knew exactly how many shots I had fired. That training really had stuck with me it seemed, ‘well thanks Dad you helped me save a bunch of lives by murdering a bunch of monsters.’

I caught up to the present, leaving off with stating my objective to acquire information, caps, equipment, and... and what? I was mostly trying to do things to bide my time. Information would take time and connections, same with caps, equipment came with the caps as well. I needed jobs, maybe there was some sort of board with jobs posted on it. If so, would take the ones that had the least likelihood of sending me into a radscorpion den. I pressed the power button for the terminal, and looked around more. On the wall next to the door my barding hung from a rack, my guns on gun racks, and the rest laid on the floor, all of it was hidden by the door when I entered. I walked over and put on my armor and grabbed my saddlebags. I left everything else on the floor and racks. There was no point in taking them to the market. I then headed out of my room and downstairs.

As I headed down I noticed more of the ponies I had saved milling about, a few of them working together to fix up some of the rooms. Many of them carrying equipment and furniture, I got the feeling this place was going to end up being rather nice. With the classroom I was guessing they were aiming to make it at least partially a school again. I gave a wave to White Rose. I had inquired as to why she had the same name as her cutie mark, it was mostly due to that is what the raiders called her, she didn't remember a name before that. I thought that using a name given to her by raiders would make her remember what she suffered though. Much to my embarrassment the way I said her name with care and love made her okay with it. She also knew exactly how to make me burn bright red. I quickly excused myself before I had issue that she would have to... handle.

I walked to the market, it was more lively now that I had spent three hours typing away at my terminal. The market was loud and had about two dozen ponies milling about, buying, selling, and trading. I looked for the caravan from earlier and saw they had headed off. I silently prayed to Luna and Celestia to keep them safe on their trip. I then wandered into the market, I saw one stall operated by Sunset and Violet, they were selling a lot of ammo, the ammo that didn't match any of my guns. Well I wouldn't miss it, all it would do is weigh me down later. I peddled what salvage they had left me, got a fair number of caps. I then proceeded to buy a fair bit of ammo for the varmint rifle, which was what I saw it labeled as at a gun shop. I saw a few other weapons that would be nice to pick up, but, upon asking the price they were far out of my price range. Which was annoying to have to see those cool lever action rifles and shotguns not find their way into my hooves. After a few hours I finished my shopping, parts for my shotgun, pistol, and rifle, as well as a whetstone to sharpen my knife. I also got some rather nice hollow point rounds for the varmint rifle. I also got some armor piercing rounds, just in case I came across more metal armored raiders, or a really tough radscorpion.

With that I took my excess caps and hit up a the Dune City Tavern. The tavern had passable food, and it primarily had  alcohol. I tried some, it was... not very pleasant, but, it was better than the water which mostly was irradiated. I also didn't feel like wasting one of my newly acquired Radaways just to drink some water. However, I did end up using a RadAway anyways once I got my Geiger counter working. Once I had got a reading of my radiation exposure level I found that I had entered the first stages of radiation poisoning. I also found out that Radaway sucked, more of the taste was a rancid orange flavor, and stronger than I remembered. I also got a watch, it was analog, and recharged with walking, a feat of earth pony engineering as well as amazingly well preserved. Thankfully the merchant who had it did not want much for it, still, one hundred fifty caps was a lot for me. After selling and buying everything I had about five hundred caps. Up from what I was at before hitting the market so all was good.

I looked at the Geiger counter and the watch, I would rather have both on one leg. ‘Hmm... Maybe I could get a leather strap to hold them and... Well you know what, I think I could put it all together like a pipbuck minus the Eyes Forward Sparkle, Stable-Tec Arcane Targeting Spell, and the inventory sorter. As useful as they are, the Geiger Counter, clock, and a radio were rather useful in their own right. I also think I could get a radio for pretty cheap. Hmm...’

I finished off the alcohol and asked for something stronger and sweeter for while I figured this out. A bottle got placed on the table in front of me with a smaller glass. I looked up at the waiter.

“Why the smaller glass?” I asked.

“You take White Pegasus Whiskey in shots from this,” he tapped the smaller glass, “so you don't over drink.”

I nodded in understanding, “alright, I will try not to over do it, how much for the bottle?”

He smiled, “twenty caps.”

I set out the caps for him, he took them and left. ‘Now back to thinking, so I just need a nice thick bit of leather, some straps, and a few buckles and I would have a budget 'Pipbuck'. I absentmindedly ignored the instructions of the waiter and  took a swing of the White Pegasus Whiskey. Ow! Okay that burned all the way down, much stronger than the beer, it was also very much not sweeter!’

Thankfully my stomach made good friends with it. ‘Oh this is a buzzy, well hooray for the buzz I was starting to feel. Okay so shouldn't be too hard to set this all up, got the workbench in my room, and tools. Bless the hearts of those ponies, they thought of everything! Hmm... Well nothing left to do than just finish this bottle. I stared at it, why was it so hard for me to keep my head level, why was I swaying slightly? Eh, whatever, I levitated the bottle to me again and chugged the rest of it down. Oh that was more than I thought it was, and that burned a lot.’

I climbed out of my booth and I left a tip, I think I counted out fifteen caps. ‘Why was it so hard to keep track of them? I never had issues before counting out caps. I walked out as quickly as my hooves would take me, was my balance always this bad? Well whatever, lets get those last things from the market and make me a pipbuck!’

I walked out into the street, it looked like was... ‘Wait! I have a watch why was I trying to figure out what time it is?’

I lifted my right foreleg to check the watch. ‘Wait, no other leg.’

I lifted up my left foreleg and checked the watch. ‘Yeah it is a bit after two in the afternoon. Alright plenty of time to work on this thingy.’

The market was still just as lively and I had no problem getting a old radio or the leather bits. Mostly I just asked for a worn out saddlebag, two caps, yeah good price. Smart thinking too, ask for trash that I can re purpose and pay much less than for raw materials.

‘Alright, now then to the school to give myself a lesson in the finer art of making awesome things. Lets see the school was opposite way of the Fluttershy clinic. Huh, those pink butterflies standout a fair bit. Probably should remember that for if I have to find one. Okay so this way, right, yep there is the red school house. That was a nice red, huh wait my room connects to the little bell tower, wonder if that still works. I should see if there is a ladder up there, would be nice spot to snipe from if anyone decided to attack the town, or the school.’ I thought to myself as I managed my way back to the school building.

As I got to the front door I faced my first real challenge of the day, the doorknob.

‘Lets see here, all door, doorknob, twist with magic, wait no other way. Alright and in we go, oh nice they got some lights working, how industrious. Okay so the stairs were to the right, and there they are just as I remembered. As I began to walk up the steps I noticed they felt a bit more wobbly than last time. Wait no, I am more wobbly, why am I more wobbly? Whatever soon I won't be going anywhere, just sit down in front of that nice metal workbench bend over and get to work. Wait... yeah, no, that is right. Okay, my room is the door on the right, open, and hello sweet room of mine.’

I noticed that more furniture had been moved in while I was out. I now had a table, a bookcase, nothing really on there other than the books I had before. A couple of lamps.

‘Hooray for lighting, and a terminal! Wait, no, I already had that. Okay to the workbench, with how wobbly I am feeling lets sit in a chair.’

I gently wrapped one of the two chairs in a levitation field and walked it to in front of the workbench and then climbed up into it. Out came the parts, Geiger Counter, watch, radio, worn out saddlebag.

‘Yep here we go all the parts I needed for this task. I levitated my knife over to the workbench and set it down then lay out everything into the shape I want it to be.’

Thud.

‘Ow, falling over hurt. Why did I fall over, I was practically laying on the workbench.’ I then saw the chair still in my magic.

‘Whoops, okay, that slipped my mind.’ I felt a little parched, so I looked around for my canteen and saw it with the rest of my stuff on the floor by the door. I subsequently levitated over to me, unscrewed the top and began to drink slowly.

‘Ah good clean cool water, nice and refreshing. Maybe I should wait to work on the budget pipbuck, too wobbly to get the wiring right. Actually laying down sounded good about now. I carefully lowered myself out of the chair and laid down on the bed.’ I looked at the door and remembered I had not closed it. I smiled and gently shut it with my magic. ‘Oh magic is awesome, I can just lay down on my comfortable bed and take care of everything else without moving an inch. Oh, and, this bed smells rather nice, like cherries. I wonder what fresh cherries tasted like, maybe I would find a memory orb with somepony eating one and not just the smell. Okay lets just close my eyes for a little bit...’

*                *                *

‘Wow, why was everything looking so skewed? Seamane you are drunk, that is the only way you could be leaning that far. Wait, no I was drunk? Right that tasty drink called White Pegasus Whiskey, that I chugged. Wait, whiskey? Oh really, did I seriously chug a bottle of whiskey. Why did I chug it, oh, oh goddesses why did I chug alcohol! Wait, I was asleep, and I knew I was asleep. I am aware this is a dream while dreaming? Okay, rather... interesting. Um... okay puking, yep stomach not happy. Wait, okay this is a dream so no worries about having thrown up on my brand new bed. That would just be plain embarrassing. Hmm… now then where was I? Downtown Seamane, near that restaurant and huh it got blurry past where the memories had shown me. What happens if I go past where the memory showed?’

         I walked out into the blurry area only to feel my hooves start to sink through the ground.

‘Okay not fun, go too far and I just fall through the ground.’

I was now in free fall as I had completely passed through the ground.

‘Okay falling in dream is okay, just a dream, stop panicking it isn't real! Okay the ground is coming up really fast, just levitate yourself and slow the fall, there we go, that isn't so bad.’ I smiled as my hooves made contact with solid ground again and didn’t pass through it.

*                *                *

I woke up, my head had a dull ache, felt like when I hadn't had enough water on a hot day. I levitated the canteen to my lips again and drank greedily. I looked around my room, it had gotten dark out while I napped. I guessed that while asleep the alcohol worked its way out of my system. It was actually rather fun thinking back on it, but, it very much had a time and a place. Imagine going into a fire fight drunk, that would be wild, and probably very deadly to everypony involved in it. Looking around my room I saw the budget pipbuck parts still laying on the workbench. I needed to finish that, I wanted to head out tomorrow. Hay, I had wanted to check for any jobs before the end of today.

‘Ugh, okay, drinking only at the end of the day when I don't have anything else on my to do list from now on.’

I crawled out of bed and as I did I felt nature remind me I had not seen any facilities to use in town. I also noticed at some point while drunk I had gotten out of my armor.

‘Well, huh, I could operate all those zippers and straps while that drunk, guess I might have been able to wire my little project up.’

Nature knocked on my head again, right, finding place to go. I crept out of my door hearing nopony else up, I wandered around the school house for a while before going out back. An outhouse was all there was.

‘Well better than going in the middle of nowhere, right? Eh lets not think about that too much.’

Nature had waited enough so it didn't take long. Coming out I did notice it was rather clear out, not the clouds it was the lack of rain or dust in the air. I could see off into the distance at a level I hadn't thought possible. In the darkness I could clearly see the outline of the MASEBS tower. I really wanted to get in there, something told me that there was something very much worth my time in it. I also remembered nopony really had ever been able to do anything with them. I had heard of ponies trying to gain entrance to them and failing, those who did couldn't get that deep with in them or where they could get to was already stripped bare. Maybe I would have to go to the very top to find something worthwhile. Or maybe if I climbed the whole damn thing I could see above the clouds! Oh that was a thought, seeing Celestria's sun or Luna's moon and jeweled sky.

‘Alright, I need to see if there is any job that will take me out that way when it comes morning, first things first lets get this pipbuck built.’

I crept back in the schoolhouse, it was still nice and quiet, peaceful snoring from where majority of the refugees had been sleeping. I smiled thinking about how much I had done in the week since my life had taken a turn.

‘Wow, it had been a week already since that slaver attacked me in Saint Clover?’ I felt was stunned, ‘how had a week already gone by? It felt like I had done so little, but, at the same time so much.’

I did note that I spent probably around three of those days asleep due to injury or exhaustion. I returned to my room and closed the door quietly behind me. As I walked up to the workbench I telekinetically turned on the nearest lamp, a dim yellow filled the room with a light buzz. I looked down at the parts. The Geiger counter was self contained, as was the watch and radio, the only work I had was to make a housing out of the radio that could contain all of the other parts.

It took me an hour to get the parts formed for the housing. The overall design was quite nice, laying on the table between the two Geiger counter readouts on the left side was the radio dial and a hole for the ear bloom. Between the radio dial and the frequency readout was a tiny speaker housing the left and right speakers from the radio. On the top of the pipbuck was Geiger counter for the environment I was in, telling me how much ambient radiation there was. The bottom one was to display how much I had absorbed. Then on the right was the clock, a simple twelve hour clock with a little changing picture that rotated between sun and moon. Above where the watch was I had at some point found a readout for day and month above it was for years.

‘This was actually a pretty solid design.’ I thought while congratulating myself. I sat back in my chair as I let the wonderglue dry. While lacking the many impressive spells that an actual pipbuck had this would at least give me some of the most basic and one of the most life saving features of the real deal. Knowing ones own radiation level was critical, more so when I was going somewhere that nopony had gone to in years. It would be a few minutes before the glue finished setting to hold my device snugly in the leg band I had created.

I remembered when walking back noting that there was a bell tower above my room that I wanted to check. It took a few minutes to find the door that opened to it. Rather cleverly hidden as a false back to my closet that sat behind my bed. I looked in with my eyes slowly adjusting to the dark. There was a ladder, something that was uncommon for pony architecture. I tested it with one hoof, it held, then another, still held. I started to climb, it wasn't a long climb tell I got to the top of the tower. There was no platform to stand on, instead this was more meant to get to the bell to work on it. Well if the bell had still been there, somepony had taken it before I got here. I looked around the town my eyes now mostly adjusted to the night again. I saw a few guards milling around. None of them had flashlights on them, and even though it had been rather peaceful for the past few days they were still fully armed and armored. I carefully climbed back down the ladder, while harder to go back down the narrow passage gave me something to brace against.

I closed the false back to my closet and then walked out into my room once more. The glue would take a while to set still, and it would be best to let it fully set. I had checked that the Geiger counter and watch worked already, I wasn't just about ready to lay down so I pulled out the ear bloom from the radio portion and turned on the radio. There was just static, of course there was, I would have to hunt for a signal of DJ Pon3. I wasn't certain how tight of a band the signal was so I took it slowly turning the knob with my magic. I felt the minutes stretch on as all I heard was static, then slowly came a voice, it was the same song from this morning.

‘Did the DJ have that few songs? Maybe he just really liked it, or maybe ponies requested it heavily.’

Whatever the case was I set the frequency that had the DJ clearest as a preset. I frowned as I thought back to how the radio’s buttons were supposed to work. Lets see press this button and it should be set I thought to myself as I pressed the button in question with my hoof. With a soft click of the preset button the needle of the radio stood still for a moment where the signal was strongest. The button popped up a second later and I moved the knob and listened as static filled the signal. I then pressed the button again and the needle snapped back to DJ Pon3.

‘Nice, and I had two more buttons so if I found any other signal I could save the frequency.’

 I continued to scan for other signals, nothing. I wasn't terribly surprised. I popped back to the DJ to listen for longer, the music was nice and slow and Sweetie Belle's voice lulled me to drift off to sleep in my chair.

*                *                *

I woke up hearing DJ Pon3 talk about some town in Manehatten that was having a better year, I think the name was Arbu. Whatever the name it didn't matter much, it was far to the north of here and I probably wouldn't see it any time soon. Even if I did manage to end up in Manehattan I doubted I would go to Arbu, it did sound like it had much for me to do in. I rubbed my face with my right hoof, I felt a little light headed, but, not as bad as when I woke up from my nap in the middle of the night. I laughed as I noticed I hadn't fallen out of my chair that I fell asleep in. I turned my attention to the pipbuck, I prodded it a few times to see it the glue had dried. Happily it had, and everything was very secure, I lifted it with my magic and lifted my left foreleg and strapped it on. The fit was quite tight, I did not feel it move at all as I flailed my left arm around. I then checked to make certain everything was functioning normally. Everything thankfully was working fine, though I did note my radiation was much lower than I thought it would have been. I smiled and engraved with my knife on the metal housing next to the radio “Pipbuck 0”. May not be Stable-Tec technology, but, I was proud of this little thing. I checked the time again, it was a bit past nine thirty in the morning. It was time to get things ready for the day. I hopped out of the chair and headed out with my bag of caps.

I went back to the tavern I had lunch at yesterday and was served by the same waiter, who complimented me for being able to walk after drinking the White Pegasus Whiskey. He said something about 'you can hold your liquor quite well for such a small pony' I glared at him until we both burst out laughing. I then told him that last night was my first time drinking, he stared in awe for a few then started laughing. Apparently I had a stomach of lead according to him, he offered to have me do another round with the drink with breakfast. I had politely turned down the offer citing I had hoped to head out today to get some jobs done. He then told me that they would keep it on hand for when I returned. As I ate breakfast I swear I heard the start of a betting pool of if I could drown a whole bottle in one go. I pretended not to hear the conversation, and now I was curious if I could too. I left my caps on the table, another fifteen caps as a tip. I liked the service around here, fast, polite, and witty.

I headed to the market and found a board,it was covered in papers each explaining a job and the pay for said job. Most of the postings to go kill either monsters or ponies that by the descriptions were monsters as well. Then I read what I was to do to them, most of them were just kill, some where defiling. Others were worse, I chose to ignore the ones that required me to kill any pony besides raiders. Not many caps per head, but, most of them were supposedly out towards the MASEBS tower, so I could deal with them on the way in or out. Then I found a very old sheet of paper, a job that apparently nopony had filled, and by the raggedness of the top, many had taken before. It required that I go to the MASEBS tower near Dune City and turn the broadcasting equipment back on. That didn't sound too hard. The reward unfortunately had vanished over time. I stuffed the job fliers in my saddlebags and returned to the school.

As I was headed back to the school I bumped into Sunset Rainbow and Violet Gust.

“Well, thank you for giving me a home Sunset and Violet, um,” I tapped my fore hooves together. “I wanted to let you know, I am soon headed northwest to the MASEBS tower. I picked up a few jobs that way, plus one to try to turn the place back on.”

They looked at me, considering for a few moments. I don't know what they were considering. Joining me maybe? Or maybe it was advice, or how to feel about my leaving.

“Well best of luck to you, those towers are hard to get into, but, relatively safe if you get in and close the door behind you. Since the great war none have fallen from time so I think you don't have to worry about some pony bringing it down on your head.” Sunset said with a smile.

“Yes, you should be fine after what you did when you freed us. We will keep sprucing the place up while you are gone.” Violet said, she was smiling too, it felt like they both had a sense of pride in me. By the way they were smiling at each other I figured it was just that, pride in me for one reason or another.

Why did they feel pride in me? Was, where they? No, they couldn't be seeing me as their daughter, that would just be silly, it must be pride in something else. Eh, maybe it will come to me on the walk. I went upstairs and slipped into my barding, which was a bit harder with the pipbuck zero on my leg. It would take a little getting used to, but, it was worth it. I strapped on my holsters, filled my pouch belt with filled new magazines. I used a bit of paint to mark on the side or bottom of each magazine for my pistol what type of round was in them. None for normal, red for hollow point, white for armor penetrating. I finally set my saddlebags on my back and turned to the door. I checked my watch, it was just a bit after ten, I had most of a day to make the journey. From what I had seen I would head straight for the hills so I could get out of the dunes and avoid radscorpions as well as make the walk easier. Dunes were annoying to walk through.

*                *                *

It was official I hated walking through dunes, or sand of any sort. Dunes are really annoying to walk through, you go slowly due to the sand shifting, you go slowly due to it checking your footing, you go slowly because you can't see when the wind picks up and decides you need to be sand blasted! I had gotten half of the way to the hills when a wind picked up and started blowing sand in my face. I thankfully had thought ahead to put my goggles on. Though the air was thick with sand I still could breath fine without the respirator, and my Geiger counter kept quiet. I had done a little additional tuning of my pipbuck, I had made it so the Geiger counter clicks would play through the ear bloom as well. As such I was listening to DJ Pon3, I ignored the news as it was all about the heart of Equestria and sometimes further off areas like Hoofington. Mostly I wanted the music, it let me quiet my thoughts and focus on the walking.

I really did need to focus on the walking so not thinking much was nice. Also having something to listen to besides my heart and the wind was nice. Rather nice as it took the next hour to finish getting to the hills. I checked the watch, it was about five in the afternoon, it had taken me seven hours to cross those damn dunes from Dune City to the hills south of the tower. I wasn’t looking forward to the walk back. While the sand was not hard on my hooves it was hard on every other joint in my legs. Well at least I was getting a healthy work out, also thank Celestia that I had not run into any radscorpions or raiders while crossing. If I had to have a fight out there with that poor visibility and bad footing it would have been messy.

Having made it to the hills I sat on my haunches and brought out some food and drink. I ate while looking to the north. There sat my main goal, the tower. If I could get in there I could probably get it running, if not, there was likely a treasure trove of pre war technology waiting for some pony to come along and give it a new home. As it was I felt it would be a two to three hour walk to the tower. While it didn't seem that far off I wasn't really certain of its scale, and there was nothing near it to judge its size with. After I finished eating I repacked everything, I didn't want to leave anything to make a trail with. I already had the unpleasant experience of being hunted before.

I got to the tower and it was about seven thirty at night. It had taken me another two hour and a half hours to walk to the tower. I had gotten lucky with the last stretch of the trip, it had been mainly downhill. I had also made much better time now that I was on ground and not sand. The tower was massive, it took me a while to locate the door. The door itself was hard to find as it was a slab of rock like the rest of the tower. Once I did, I noticed that it was closed with a terminal. The fact it had a terminal made it far easier than having to pry or drill my way past the door. Unfortunately the terminal in question had no power, something I thankfully had packed a solution for. I opened up a panel and connected a spark battery to the power circuit and the terminal came to life. I quickly set upon the terminal, I didn't know how long the spark battery would last and I wanted to get inside before it died. Thankfully the password had been rather simple, Equestria. I hit the command for the door to open and it thankfully did without hesitation. I closed up the panel to the terminal after pulling the spark battery. Surprisingly the door didn't close, so I  walked in, I saw another terminal on this side, powered it, entered the password and ordered the door closed. It slide shut, and darkness enveloped me. No lights were working in here. The place was dead.

I took a deep breath as I pulled the spark battery from the terminal and replaced its panel. I had no idea if the place would detect the intrusion when I returned power. But, I wanted to do everything in my power to prevent some pre war defense system from trying to kill me. I flicked on my flashlight. I looked around the room I was in. It was rather sparse, the place wasn't coated in dust or anything. It was clean, which unnerved me to no end. I would have liked anything other than a cold, silent, and clean prewar facility. Only if for the reason that then I would feel like somepony else had set off any traps here. My flashlight highlighted a sort of reception desk with another terminal on it. I plugged the battery into it and powered it on, I tried Equestria, wasn't the right password. It took a lot less time to hack into, the password was prejudice, I just frowned at it.

I checked what the terminal had on it. First thing I noticed was the option to turn off all defense systems. I hit that right off the bat, it said the command succeeded and all defenses where now offline. The other two where messages, one a few hours after the bombs had fallen. It was a Pegasus saying he was going above the clouds as he had been ordered to, that he hated leaving his station, but, there was nothing of old Equestria down here to stay for. His loyalty was with what remained above.

The next entry was months after that. The entry started out with cursing the Pegasus who had left the tower. There was a lot of name calling, predominantly feather brain. Afterwards it talked about having been to two other towers having shut them down in hopes to break the cloud curtain over Equestria, at least Seamane. He hadn't had any issue getting into the towers and had damaged the weather control portions of the tower then shut down the rest of it. He was wondering when somepony above the clouds would take notice that the towers weren't working and come looking for him as he shut them down. He wanted answers. I then saw his name, Sergeant Major Meadows. I blinked. He lived through the end of the world! He had broken the towers in Seamane to try to get the sun back from the Pegasi. Yeah, he was a hero in my book. I turned off the terminal and retrieved my battery and headed deeper. He had shut the place down, which means there was a way to turn it back on.

“Now where would I put spark generators if I built this place? Well downstairs, so lets see if there is one.” I muttered to myself before beginning my search.

I walked around for a good half an hour even finding the stairs down. There had been no signs of struggle, combat, or well anything. I did find the spark generators, while in good condition they needed a jump to start them up. Once I got one running I probably could get the others going by using the first to jump the next. I just hoped the six spark batteries were enough. I started to look around the place, hoping to find a terminal that explained how they worked, or maybe some heavy duty power cables so I didn't have to worry about making a wire explode from overloading it. The place was picked clean and there were no terminals. Hay, there weren't even any blueprints for the tower or the generators. I suspected Sgt. Meadows had made certain it would be as hard as possible to get the towers back online.

I sighed and did what I could to cluster the six spark batteries together, having them running in series, one long stripped wire connecting all of them. I had to do this all with magic for fear of shock. I then removed the panels of the generator in the furthest corner of the room from the stairs and found the positive and negative.

‘Celestia, please let this work, please don't let this explode in my face.’ I touched the wires, and nothing happened.

I blinked, really, ‘just not going to work for me? Okay well maybe it needs to charge first.’

I held the wires in place and moved closer to the generator. There was a switch. It was in the off position. A voice ran through my head. “Always remember to fully turn off any electronics and discharge any residual power before working on them.” My own voice informed me from having read manuals on working with electronics.

‘Right, I needed to switch that when I was away from it.’ I backed off and threw the switch. Again nothing. ‘Well, lets hope it is charging.’

After a few minutes I was bored, and the walls of the tower were blocking out DJ Pon3's broadcast. I thought I was starting to hear a faint hum when my flashlight flickered out. I saw a light glow on the generator. I pulled off the batteries and was rewarded with a bright flash and a thrumming. I had done it, the generator was back online. Now then, lets flip the switches of the other generators. One by one as I flipped them on the hum built in the room until I heard each generator come on one by one. Each time one came on the a light would come on next to a box on the wall.

I undid the wires on my spark batteries and put them away. I then moved to the box on the wall, all the lights were green on one side. The other where a bunch of switches in the off position. I one by one flicked them on. I was greeted with the lights coming on in the basement. Looking at it, it was a fuse box, and now every floor should be powered again. I started up the stairs to check each floor. As I got to the lobby I noticed a door that had slipped my sight. A elevator, ‘oh nice, no more stairs for me if this works.’

I hit the call button, and I waited. And I kept waiting, I checked my watch a few times, it was just after nine thirty at night. ‘Well lets get up to the broadcasting equipment flick it on and find a soft spot and pass out.’

I heard a ding and the door opened. The elevator was just as clean as the rest of the place. I walked in and checked the buttons for the floors. It labeled where I needed to go,  Broadcasting. I hit the button and felt the elevator start to accelerate up. It felt weird as it kept accelerating, I checked the floors and I wasn't going that fast it seemed. I was going about as fast as somepony running up the stairs. Finally it slowed and then stopped, I heard it ding again and the doors opened. I walked out on to the floor. There was a large room filled with dark monitors. Any lights in the room were red. The place still had that creepy clean feeling to it.

As I walked into the room I hear the DJ's voice fade back in.

“Well this is just about time to call it quits for the night out here, got a good line up till the morning. So stay safe kiddo's, DJ Pon3 out!”

After this I heard Sweetie Belle's voice again, I had heard it before, but, I think at this point I might have heard all the DJ had to offer. Still beat the crushing silence of the wasteland.

I moved about the room, looking for some big button saying power on or well anything that looked like it would power the equipment back on. I found a broadcast button with a microphone attached to it, but, what good would that do if I couldn't turn the damn place on. I searched for a few more minutes and then I found it. A restart button. I pressed it. It impressively worked even after so many years of, well no it wasn't impressive, this place was just that well built and well preserved. Of course it would work.

Each monitor flickered to life, I had a great view of the area around me. I spotted Dune City, safely asleep and patrolled. I checked the road out towards Seamane and saw that the town I cleared was now occupied by a few guards and merchants.

I continued to go monitor to monitor, I saw a raider camp, it was made up of sheet metal just more or less sitting on the ground It was crude, simple, but, it worked. The main structure of the place seemed to be an old crashed skywagon. I did notice there was a lack of captives this time. That made me feel better about not going out and taking them down tonight. I checked for direction from the tower. About an hour away following the edge of the hills. I would hit the place in the morning. I checked the rest of the cameras, more raider camps, looked like mostly same set up, some sort of central structure which various crude structures were built around, near the edge of the hills. Well tomorrow is all planned out. I looked around the room, whoever had been here last was smart, they had a cot in the corner. Furthest away from the elevator and gave me a perfect line of sight down the hall and to the elevator. Anypony coming up or down was a easy target.

I checked the last few monitors, mostly just open wasteland. One though, the one in front of the microphone displayed something else. It showed another room like this one full of monitors. There was a microphone there as well.

‘Huh, well maybe it was another tower, not out here, but, it would make sense.’ I noticed four dark monitors with the words no signal scrolling over them. ‘Those must be the other towers. Well, when I get to them I get to them. Now then time for dinner and sleep.’

I sat down leaning against the wall as I ate and drank, listening to Sweetie Belle. So far out of the singers I found her my favorite.

*                *                *

I woke up to DJ Pon3 saying good morning to the wasteland. I looked around dazed at the sudden awakening.  I had fallen asleep before I managed to get in the cot. I stood up and shook myself trying to shake off the last vestiges of sleep. I listened to the news, over night apparently there had been a rather big fight between the Steel Rangers around Manehatten and a massive group of raiders. The Steel Rangers had proven victorious, but, they had proceeded to go to the raider base and kill everypony inside. Apparently it had a good number of captives, later the Steel Rangers had been seen leaving with a great deal of pre war technology loaded into wagons. DJ Pon3 called them out on this, how they had almost done the right thing. Apparently the Steel Rangers where just as bad as the raiders, they cared only for one thing, prewar tech. You piss them off or have prewar tech and you are dead. So much for the heroes of old Equestria.

I ate breakfast and then stretched, I noted that I had gained pretty much no radiation exposure beyond the prewar food that I had eaten. That was good, didn't want to have to start using that RadAway too soon, things costed about as much as a healing potion. Water I was still good on for a few days, I refilled my canteen with a bottle of purified water, with what was left in the bottle I drank myself. The DJ finished the news and put on some music.

‘Well lets start getting after these raiders.’ I walked to the elevator and pushed the call button. It didn't take as long to get to me this time, well down to the first floor. Going down was frightening, the elevator suddenly felt like it dropped out from under me as it descended the floors just as rapidly as it has risen the night before. That was going take getting used to. When it got to the first floor I followed the directions to the restrooms. My stomach stayed in place, the rest of me was threatening to riot after that.

Once the rioting in my body stopped I walked out the front door and headed north. I pulled out my varmint rifle and loaded it with the hollow point rounds. Raiders generally lacked armor, so I could at very least pick off a few before any of them noticed. Once they did, well they still lacked armor, if that changed, got plenty of hollow point rounds to fill their skulls with. I pulled the bolt back and chambered the first round.

“Okay, lets do this.” I said aloud as I closed the tower back up.

It took me about an hour, just as I had thought it would, to get to the first cluster of raiders. Most were still sleeping, the ones who weren't were just milling about. I took position on a hill looking over the camp. I targeted the sleeping ones first. It was almost too easy, but, I knew that they could carry rather nasty weapons so it was warranted. I started to pick off the raiders who were awake, but, furthest from any other living or awake ponies.

I felt something whiz past me as the chatter of gunfire erupted behind me and rolled to the side pulling the scope from my eye. I looked around for the source of the whiz and saw a group of three raiders running at me. Then they all started shooting at me. Two of them had to have a submachine gun of some sort with the rapid fire I was hearing. One looked like he had a bat with nails driven through it. I put a round through his head first. Then I heard the echo of the shots off of the hills. Now it was just a matter of time until those still at the camp woke up. I swapped to the shotgun and charged tilting my head down so any bullets flying at me would hit my helmet and not my exposed neck or face.

Some how no bullet hit my head. A few dug into my back and towards my flank. I lifted my head as both raiders were reloading, I gave each one shot. Their faces crunched under the pellets as they fell over. I proceeded to quickly grab both submachine guns and looted a lot of ten millimeter rounds from them, few extra magazines too. I quickly loaded what I could and stuffed the shotgun in its holster. I levitated both ten millimeter submachine guns beside me turned and charged down the hill towards the camp. I felt my heart hammering away as I ran down the hillside. Some part of me screamed this was a stupid idea, the rest of me told it to shut up.

Everypony was up now talking to one another and getting their guns ready. I tackled the first raider, the last bit of distance I used levitation and telekinesis on myself to make me go faster and hit harder. His neck snapped as I rolled with his head in my hooves. I popped up and looked at the stunned remaining five raiders and pulled both triggers. A hail of bullets poured out and shredded them, by the time they fell over the submachine guns both were clicking repeatedly as they ran dry. I quickly swapped fresh magazines in and chambered the first rounds in both guns. From here I started the process of looting everything. Most of it was again ammo, I stuffed the ammo I couldn’t use into my left ammo box, right box for what I could. I found something quite nice, a recoil compensator for both of the SMGs. I slide those into my saddlebags and put my pistol and its holster away too, swapping it for the two SMG holsters I also found. One camp down, several more to go. I quickly checked the job fliers, two of them were dead, I cut of some of their mane as proof like asked then used a little bit of Wonderglue to secure the hair to the backside of the fliers.

I walked out of the camp with a number of caps as well, as I floated the fliers beside me regarding the targets again I began the hour walk to the next camp. These raiders had less guns than I expected, while good for my health, it made it a bit harder to get caps from looting them. Hay, I had yet to find a single grenade on them. Again good for my health, bad for my caps. Speaking of my health, I sat down and levitated out some tweezers, got to clean up these wounds. I turned my head and looked at my back, the bullets had not really broken apart and more or less were just sitting in a few shallow wounds. Still though best not to let myself die of lead poisoning. So I pulled them out carefully then did my best to double check I got everything out before downing a healing potion.

‘Okay now time for the march to the next camp.’

The next two camps were easy, small number of raiders at each, rather oblivious as always. I had simply picked them off, sneaked into the camp and looted the place. A few times I had almost walked straight into a raider patrol while coming over a hill. Thankfully I was quicker to react and had made short work of them. Raiders were easy to deal with when you had the element of surprise or range. They were not so easy to deal with when they got the jump on you. Most were crap shots, most would blindly charge in while you pelted them with bullets. There are always a few who seem to retain some bit of sanity and will instead sit back and shoot at you from a distance. Even going so far as to find something to stand behind.

Camp number four.

I had filled all of the jobs that I had grabbed, however, there were still two camps to deal with. This time I had decided to stealth my way into the camp. Only three were around so I crept up on them and slit their throats. As the blood stained my hooves and blade I felt the slow realization it didn't bother me. All day I had been killing other ponies. But, it was in that cold calculating mindset. That mindset had finally worn off when I slit the throat of this last raider, broken by my stomach growling. It was nearly two in the afternoon. I hadn't stopped at the last camp to eat, I had just marched in, killed, looted, and moved on. I shook my head. Was I really this desensitized to the wasteland this fast? I looked down at the pool of blood, it didn't bother me, and that bothered me. I should feel something for just being so ruthless. Was I any better than those I killed? Well yes, we didn't loot Dune City, we didn't plow every captive. I didn't take captives.

I shook my head again. No I knew what I felt I was lacking. I didn't have a guiding principle, I had a objective. A hero should have a guiding principle. I looked around and moved into the nearest enclosed structure. I smelt something in the air, and it looked like it was about to rain. I didn't want to sit in the rain as I ate and rested my hooves before the last camp. I noticed this structure had a good view out to the plains below. I pulled out some food and water, listening to the radio some more. Some more news about things around the wasteland, nothing out here though. Well whatever, and I had been right, it was now starting to rain. I saw small streams forming in the camp, washing away the blood. The wasteland, no matter what we did, it just washed it away didn't it? With time everything would vanish, we had lost control of our world two hundred years ago. Surviving on what was left, not making anything new. I looked at my pipbuck, even it was something cobbled together from pre war junk, it was not something new. That is what we needed something new. I let out a sigh, how though, how could anypony make something new. I mean there was Red Eye who was apparently trying to resurrect civilization out of Fillydelphia, through slavery. That wasn't any better, it wasn't something new. It was going back to what we were, what ruined the world. I closed my eyes. Okay, how about we don't get side tracked with thoughts of how to fix the world while in the middle of a raider camp.

I waited for half an hour hoping the rain would stop. Instead it had gotten worse. Giving up I headed out to the fifth and last camp. I would take it out, then head back to the tower where it was safe and dry. I rounded the last hill to where the camp should be, it had gotten much darker and harder to walk in the hour since lunch. I could barely make out figures in the lights of burning barrels. I pulled out the varmint rifle, the scope kicked in and cut through the darkness and gloom. Though to my annoyance every drop of rain reflected bright white as it passed through my vision. I started to tag each raider mentally. It looked like this camp had about ten, two were heavily armored. Both in that strange metal armor. I swapped to a magazine of armor piercing rounds, still had a round hollow point in the chamber. ‘Nine’, I aimed for the closest raider and pulled the trigger with my magic. She fell over just as a flash of lightning blinded me. I blinked a few times to get my sight back. My round had hit true. ‘Eight’, I swung my rifle to where the two armored ponies where and aimed for the slots for their eyes. Two rounds each. I pulled the trigger twice, the first one collapsed. Their buddy walked to the corpse and started yelling at it. Guess the rounds didn't exit the armor. I put two rounds in his pal. Four rounds left, I picked off the four raiders furthest out. The armor piercing rounds making clean tiny holes in them. I reloaded regular rounds. I sighted back down the scope and picked out the last few. One had found the corpse of the mare I first took out. The hollow point round giving away she had been shot. Hard to miss when half of her throat was missing. I heard a loud rumble of thunder, I needed to get out of this soon, I was carrying too much metal. I took out the other two further back in the camp as the raider busied himself with looking his dead friend. The world went white again, this time I couldn't hear either.

My vision cleared, I was on my side as the last of the raiders were running up the hill at me.

‘Shit he saw me! Wait why was I on my side?’ I shook my head I would have to figure that out later. ‘Why couldn't I really feel anything? Quiet, kill now think later.’

I grasped for anything, but, I couldn't move. I looked at the raider still running up at me. He had a pistol in his teeth. I telekinetically grasped at the trigger and the end of the gun, I yanked as I pulled the trigger. It slid out of his mouth as he coughed. I pointed it at his head. I saw him mouthing words.

‘Wait, why couldn't I hear him? Whatever doesn’t matter now.’ I pulled the trigger until the pistol was empty. He lay in a heap. I then started hearing a loud ringing in my ears. My body hurt a fair bit too. I could also move again, all be it slowly and with a lot of pain. I checked over myself as best as I could. My coat and mane where I could see it was matted in mud, patches of it looked slightly singed. I looked around me and saw a dead tree that was on fire. I looked back at the camp.

‘Of course he saw me, the damn tree was illuminating me.’ I pushed myself up and found my varmint rifle a bit off to my side. ‘Time to loot this damn place.’

There wasn't much here either. Lots of ammo, lots of guns in disrepair, more broken. I didn't spare anything from going into my saddlebags. This camp had been built around a lone house on the hillside, inside I had found two captives and freed them. I gave both two days supplies, I was going to escort them to the tower, have them come back with me. But, as soon as they saw the storm they pulled back.

“If you want to get out of here before any more raiders show up we need to go now.” I looked at the two. They looked rather battered and starved. They looked at each other.

“Thunderlord is coming, he always comes when it storms.” One of them finally offered up.

I raised an eyebrow, there was a raider who called themselves Thunderlord. The only ponies with power over the weather were the Pegasi, and they apparently were almost all above the clouds. So what was he a raider unicorn that could shoot lightning from his hooves? Or maybe he was just loud, since thunder is just the sound, lightning is the energy.

“Who is this Thunderlord” I asked, I probably was going to have to deal with this bastard if he was leading raiders around here.

“He is a pegasus, he flies around during these storms and snatches ponies from the ground and takes them captive, or just drops them on their friends.” The other explained to me, both were shaking heavily now.

‘Well that was gruesome. Yeah going to have to kill him, even if he didn't lead the raiders, that was just wrong. Then again, mark of the raider was taking joy out of cruelty like that...’

“Well get back downstairs, I will deal with him when he shows up.” I answered as I turned to face the door looking over my shoulder at the two former captives. “I will deal with anypony who is that messed up.”

I made certain to load the armor piercing rounds in my pistol and rifle. I watched as they fled to the safety of the basement. I looked outside, I didn't see anypony and the rain had lightened a bit. I still heard thunder rumbling in the distance with flashes of lightning crawling over the bottom of the clouds. Finally I saw a black dot against the sky as lightning streaked over the house. That must be him. I walked outside and pulled out the varmint rifle.

“Come get me you fucker.” I yelled to the heavens, though I doubted he could hear me.

At this point I learned two things. One, aiming for something against the sky was really hard when it was that far out. Two, make tiny movements to find your target.

I suddenly felt the ground go out from under me as my rifle was kicked out of my magic. All I could see was a tattered mane of blue and black. The form that had me wasn't armored at all. I saw the wings and felt the headlock he had me in.

“Okay you are pretty good little miss hero, you wiped out all of my favorite pals. Hell you made a pretty good mark on the wasteland with that. Now I am going to make you a red mark on the wasteland!” He was flying us higher and higher. I tried to struggle, but, he was far stronger than me. Damn he must be really strong since he is carrying me with everything minus the rifle, as well as himself.

“I am going to give you one good look at the sky above then throw you down! Maybe you will become one of those fucking alicorns on the way down!” He shouted at me as his wings beat faster.

‘Ali-whats? Whatever, I need to get out of his grip.’

I kept trying to flail, but, he held me tight. Dammit, he even had the foresight to wrap his legs around me in a way that prevented me from drawing any of my weapons. It was starting to get hard to breath, the air must be thinning out or something. I looked around and saw as the ground had dropped far below us, I looked up and saw the wall of clouds quickly approaching. We passed through it, and kept going up.

“Don't pass out on me now, just need to get through this thunderhead and you can see Celestia before you die!” I tried to buck him with my head, but, my movements were too slow, I think if anything I more nuzzled him than headbutt him.

“Aw yeah I know it is a sweet gift, but, I can't keep you, you killed too many of my friends. One mare hardly makes up for all of them. No matter how sweet your flank is.” He gave a maddening laugh.

Then we broke through the clouds, the sky... The sky was so beautiful. The sun so bright. Just like in those memories. The warmth of Celestia’s sun filled me. Suddenly I was weightless I didn't feel him around me anymore, I looked down to see him doing a backflip in the air diving back under the clouds already. He was going to wait in the clouds until I was far enough away that I couldn't shoot him.

I scowled at his cowardness, and felt the warmth of the Sun fill me with energy that I put towards wrath. I wrapped myself in a field of levitation magic and threw myself down at the clouds, I pulled the knife out in my mouth, then the two SMG's with my magic.

‘Lets put my magic to the test.’ I was going to take him out or I was going to catch myself before I hit the ground. As I shot past the bottom of the clouds I saw him peek out and give chase. ‘Okay so he wanted to race me to the ground. Fine with me.’

“Hey fucker I’m going to make you into glue!” I yelled at the top of my lungs as I felt my back get pelted with rain as I fell. I took aim and pulled the triggers of both SMG's. He started to evade, and flew under me, I rolled over tracking him with my shots. He was damn agile and annoyingly quick. Click went both guns, I reloaded, letting the spent magazines float away. I aimed straight down speeding up and began firing again. I saw him waver as a few rounds hit him and he spread his wings wide shooting above me. I rolled onto my back again to get continue my attack, as I did he tackled me.

“I am going to make certain you make a nice big red crater you bitch!” He shouted at me as I tried to stab him with my knife. We were accelerating. I then successfully stabbed the knife into his neck, he cried out, I wrapped my hind legs around his midsection and made him roll under me. SMG's still in my grasp I shot his wings full of holes.

“Enjoy the rest of the fall!” I cackled as I kicked off of him I sheathed my knife and holstered the SMG's.

The ground was coming up at me rather fast. I closed my eyes. I had to focus completely on this or I was done for. I wrapped myself in a cocoon of levitation magic, I felt myself slow. I knew it was not enough so I spread my legs and neck feeling the air drag against me more, I felt myself slow a bit more. I focused harder, I needed to stop, or at least slow down so I wouldn't shatter on impact. I opened my eyes for a second, there was a bright light from my horn, I looked down, the ground was still coming up faster than I wanted it to. I clamped my eyes closed and poured everything I had left into the field. I felt the ground hit me, I bounced, I couldn't breath. I was fairly certain I broke a few ribs. I lay there on my back. I didn't die on impact, yeah, that was good enough for now.

I saw the two I had freed running to me. Behind them I saw the flightless pegasus smash into the building they were hiding in and demolish it in a small mushroom cloud of dust. I prayed to Celestia he was dead. If he wasn't the three of us were as good as dead. As the two got to me I managed to speak.

“Password is: Equestria.” I pointed a hoof towards the tower as I slid into unconsciousness.

*                *                *

“Well everypony I have some exciting news from down south past the badlands. Some pony managed to get me back on air out near Seamane! My thanks go out to you whoever you are. I noticed it this afternoon when I got a report that many more ponies near Dune City could hear my broadcast much clearer, and places like Saint Clover finally could hear my signal.

Ya just can’t stop the signal baby!

Now this is the cool part, after this I also got to watch a regular wasteland heroine take out five, count them five, raider camps to the north of Dune City making the road from Colt to Dune City far safer. So all you folks who don't like heading out near Oakmare to get to Dune City, feel free to head up north!

Now kiddies there is another treat with this, apparently the raiders were being lead by a pegasus, trust me that is a huge surprise to me as well, and he was known as Thunderlord. The late Thunderlord apparently had a taste for grabbing ponies out of the blue from the sky and dropping them on their friends until either everypony was dead or they surrendered. Even if you surrendered he would some times just kill you.

Well after taking out his five camps our heroine tangoed with him into the clouds. They had a shoot out in the air with left him with his wings clipped and buried in a house that had once been a hub for raider activity. Now it gets better, this heroine was no pegasus, she is a unicorn! I know, I know, it sounds crazy, but, she managed to slow her descent after clipping his wings and from what I saw lived. So to this death defying heroine I say thanks for a hell of a show and thanks for getting me back on the airwaves out over old Seamane!”

Footnote:

Level Up, New Perk Added: Intense Training (Endurance) – through the hardships of the wasteland you have gotten tougher. Lets hope it keeps you alive longer too! Be glad you got this before you hit the ground.

Quest Perk added: Wasteland Engineer (level one) – You can now craft special items at workbenches provided you have the proper materials, as well as new options for dealing with pre war technology.

Chapter 4 - Doc Rhythm

Chapter 4 - Doc Rhythm

“That was a truly feeble performance...” -Rainbow Dash Sonic Rainboom MLP:FiM

I woke up, that was a good sign. My chest hurt, well sort of good sign too, at least I felt it. I opened my eyes and realized I was laying on my back. It took me a moment to figure out where I was. I was back in the tower, laying behind the desk on the bottom floor opposite of the entrance. I lifted my left leg and checked the time. Then I saw the date, I had been out for most a day. What had caused that? I had to stop and think, my mind slowly working through the mental fog. I had... fought a pegasus raider and ended up falling. Falling a really long distance. I should be dead. I winced, I think I got very close this time. Maybe I should start keeping track of how many times I nearly died. No, that would be too morbid.

I cleared my throat hoping somepony would hear it. Silence was the reply the tower gave me. Okay, I think I am here on my own. I looked around a bit more, I saw my saddlebags near me, most of the medical supplies were laying out. I saw a few empty syringes of Med-X. So that is why things felt a bit off. Thinking about it I was now certain I was feeling the effects of painkillers. I saw a few empty healing potions. I probably should use one, it would, no, what if my ribs were broken and I took one without setting them? That, that would be a painful way to go. I knocked over my saddlebags. Few extra days rations were missing. If they had taken food and water then maybe they had taken a walk out to Dune City. Hopefully the walk out to Dune City with the raiders cleared out would be safe. I prayed for Luna and Celestia to watch over them and protect them. I looked my leg, the various electronics were still functional after everything. Well if I was going to lay here and heal up until some pony showed up to fix me I was going to have some entertainment. I powered it on and slip in my ear bloom since the speakers were... well, not that great. I was again greeted with familiar music of DJ Pon3's station.

After an hour I was very bored. Bored and in pain, so I couldn't really just go and sleep this off. I opened my saddlebags and cursed as I saw I had no books. Then I face hoofed, they were all on my bookshelf back in my room at the school house. Well, lets see if I can walk. I gently wrapped myself in a levitation field, more to reduce the weight on my ribs hoping that if weightless I wouldn't do further damage to them. I also grabbed my knife and pistol. Both I knew I could hold in my mouth if I needed to. Getting up was not easy, nor was it painless. Being on my back meant I had to roll over on to a side, which meant I got to feel my ribs scream at me as I rolled on them. After I did get standing I felt better, I looked at my saddlebags, I had a bit of food left and my canteen. An idea hit me and I powered on the terminal, I stripped the password out and left a note on it, mentioning the elevator and the broadcast floor. There was a cot there and, I could watch for their return. Plus, not being on the ground floor meant if any pony came I would know where they were before they knew where I was.

Walking wasn't that bad, apparently when I landed my ribs had taken the brunt of the impact. My legs ached as I walked to the elevator. I probably had spared myself bleeding out or having shattered my leg by spreading my legs instead of keeping them under me. I spent a minute trying to press the call button with my hoof until I remembered my magic. Now I was glad no pony was around. I pressed the call button and waited for the elevator. Standing and waiting for the elevator I realized that really I should have given myself more horizontal velocity and rolled the energy out of the landing instead of bouncing. I also found that standing was much easier than walking right now. I watched the doors hoping they would open before my legs gave out. As much easier as it was to stand than walk, my legs still threatened to give out all the same. Finally after what seemed like longer than the first time, the elevator arrived with it ding. I walked in and jabbed the button for broadcasting with my magic. The doors closed and I put all my magic into levitating myself to offset the rapid ascent. My heart skipped a beat as the elevator began to decelerate I remembered for a brief second when Thunderlord had tossed me. That same weightless feeling reminding me of the terror I had felt looking down at the ground.

The doors slide open and I did my best to stay on all four hooves as I walked out. Most of what was still holding me up was my magic. Unfortunately that probably wasn't going to last much longer, my head hurt as well and my horn felt sore. I looked up at the monitors, they were all still on, so I guessed I could move something to lay on and watch them later. I kept moving for a little longer until I miss stepped and fell. I rolled enough to not directly hit my ribs dead on. However I did get to learn that my ribs were probably not broken and just horribly bruised, maybe a few fractures here and there. I coughed for a few minutes as my eyes teared up from the pain, I just let my go limp for the time being. As I lay there DJ Pon3 came on the air with the news, it was for somewhere else, some pony else. Guess wasn't time for the Seamane news update. I giggled to myself, wonder what hour was dedicated to us.

*            *            *

I woke up again, my dreams had been less than peaceful. Mostly reliving moments where I could have died, but, instead lived. I had gotten lucky in some cases, most of it seemed to be far more of I just was a lot more hardy than I gave myself credit for. I looked at my watch again, it was about four in the morning, my stomach growled at me. I levitated the food I had brought with me and ate what I could. The pain in my chest had lessened thankfully as well as the soreness in my horn over the ten hours I had slept on the floor. However sleeping on the floor had left me quite stiff. I looked at the monitors, it had been raining when I fell asleep, and it still was. Now I can see why the area around Seamane was cropland, lots of rain. I looked out at the monitor that had Dune City before, the town was still there, and the guards were still patrolling.

I rubbed my chest, a few spots stung badly. From what I was feeling it was just bruised ribs like I had thought. I looked around to see if there was a medical box I really hadn't looted this place, so it stood to reason there might one around here. I got up and went out to the hall and looked if there was a white box with butterflies on it.

Next to the elevator a first aid box sat, I walked my way over to it. Each step still sent a flare of pain from my chest. I went to open it to find it locked, of course. I pulled out bobby pin from my mane and slid it into place. It took no time to find the spot and then I used my magic to turn the lock like I would with a screwdriver. It took a fair bit effort, but, I got it unlocked. I opened the case to find it empty, save for a memory orb. I sighed and put the pin back in my mane then grabbed the orb with my mouth. Well got something to do for a while, I walked back into the broadcast room then laid down on the floor, resting against a cool desk. Lets see what is in this memory orb. I reached out with my magic.

ooooooOOOOOOOOoooooo

I was flying again, oh merciful Luna protect me! I felt the armor around me, it was very light and as the mare I was in banked and showed off its flexibility. Whoever designed this was armor was very skilled. She looked to her sides and she was flanked by more pegasi in black armor. The sky was rather free of clouds as we passed over the ocean. I heard a voice pop up in my ear.

“Lets run the plan again, because our window for this is about ten minutes.” The voice in my host's ear said.

“Alright,” I felt my host say, “Three hours ago the Saint Clover was captured en route to Seamane from captured Zebra lands. It is full of coal, so no need to worry about it exploding. Seems the Zebra's on board are asking for the return of P.O.W.s in return for the crew.”

“Damn stripes,” I heard another voice say.

“Thankfully they wanted to be seen so the crew is up on deck and tied up. Since this is a operation to retake the ship we have to clear out all of the Zebra's before they can execute any hostages.” There was a silence. “We also need to do this fast so no word of this gets out, M.O.M. will mop up memories of whatever happens here.”

“Is there any chance that the Zebra's set charges in the boat?” The first voice asked.

“That is what the StealthBucks are for, we go invisible and do what we can to secure the ship without any zebra’s getting a shot off. Once shots are fired, expect to have very little time until the captives are executed.”

“They expect the three of us to take care of the whole ship? Well lets show them what we can do!” said the voice who earlier cursed at the stripes.

“Agreed Pride, we pull this off and we will get promotions all around for this, hell maybe we can more missions like this!” said the first voice.

“Alright, Pride and Gust we are almost in range, activate your StealthBucks.” My host commanded.

The two pegasi flanking me vanished I noticed everything outside of my helmet vanished too as a slight charge went down my body. The Eyes Forward Sparkle displayed a tag below me as I dove through a cloud. There was the Saint Clover, sailing on the ocean. I saw on the deck a line of dots, must have been the captives. I felt guns at my sides hum with magical energy. I saw a few other dots on deck as I sped down.

I pulled up and hovered over the deck of the ship, not letting my hooves touch the deck itself and headed below deck. I knew the ship from living on it, many of the halls were the same. It did not take long for me to feel a pang of longing to be here myself. I heard reports from Pride and Gust as they secured parts of the ship, sealing rooms behind them as well as neutralizing any Zebras along the way.

It took them no time to clear the ship, their wings giving them excellent mobility even within the tight corridors.

“Alright, we need to clear the deck in ten seconds flat, any longer and they will snap out of their stupor from us popping up out of the ship. On my count we go.”

“Rodger!”

“Ready!”

I was hovering in the air, still invisible, my E.F.S. marking where my allies sat in wait. This was going to be very one sided I felt.

“Alright boys, five, four, three, two, one!”

At one six lines of light lanced across the deck, four Zebra's dropped dead. The StealthBucks kept them invisible and as they brought forth death from upon high. Eight Seconds after it started, it was over. All the zebras had been killed and the mission was a success. My host moved to cut the bonds of the captives. I heard a beep.

“They're rigged!” My host said as I darted through the crew. My guess was that my host was hoping to knock a few away in case not all of them were rigged. She floated in the air for a few tense moments. Nothing happened.

“Okay cut them free, figure out what is going on here.” My host ordered.

“This is command, scrub the mission, Seamane has been attacked. I repeat Seamane has been attacked.” Came a new voice in my ear.

The three looked at each other, I think they thought what I had thought, a simple one word sentence. 'What?!'

“Command, reporting operation was successful, ship secure and so is the crew. Returning to base now.” My host said, her heart was racing, gone was the cool professional demeanor as resolve slipped away.

“Confirmed, leave the ship to the crew to get to port, we need all forces to help civilians as well as search the city for the zebras who released the nerve gas.” Nerve gas? This was when the zebras had sneaked in canisters of nerve gas and set it off on the civilian population. I felt my host launch off the deck as soon as all the crew were freed.

“Sir!” I heard Pride call to my host, “what are we going to do?”

“We are going to hunt down the bastards doing this, using fucking gas, I will rip their stripes off of them.” The fear I felt fade away to a deep burning hatred.

ooooooOOOOOOOOoooooo

So while Equestria was winning the war pretty solidly there were still attacks on shipping lines. I knew of the nerve gas attack before, hadn't known that the Saint Clover had been captured at one point though. Better question was why was this here. The only pony I could think of who had come through here was Meadows and that was a bit after the bombs fell. So why leave this here? Ugh brain was not yet ready to think so hard. I looked around me, I was still where I had been, so that was good. I looked up at the monitors that showed the path from Dune City to here. I saw what looked to be four dots traveling from Dune City to the tower. Well good, they rounded up some ponies to help. Though, probably still a few hours out. I ran a hoof over my ribs again, still very tender, and I didn't dare take a potion still just in case I was wrong and one of my ribs was broken. I looked up at the central monitor.

“Where the hell do you connect to.” I said aloud to myself as I frowned. Maybe there was something that labeled it on the console. I got up and walked to the console below the central monitor. Looking over it again, it appeared to be a way for me to broadcast to specific towers or to the hub. Where was the hub then? Obviously not in Seamane, so it had to be DJ Pon3's studio. Where had DJ Pon3 said he was broadcasting from? Wasn't it... Tenpony Tower? I think it was. I turned my radio back on. Just music so he must be away. I have plenty of time so I will just wait and see who comes by while messing with the cameras here.

I found after a few minutes of messing around that the cameras were rather easy to move about. I used one to comb over the remains of the raider camps, I thankfully saw that none had moved back in while I had slept. I had either gotten them all, or had killed enough of them that the rest scattered. In my book a job well done.

I continued to scan around for anything of note. Other than a few odd ruins here and there it was rather desolate. To the northwest there was the badlands. Prewar the area had been home to a few small communities the major ones I knew of being Colt, old Appleloosa, and Dodge City. I also looked for where the other towers were. I wanted to get all of these up. It was really the only major thing I could do. That and it looked like I would be following Meadows. I stared as I held the camera looking at the tower sitting in the heart of Seamane. That one was going to be a problem. I had to go near the Seamane crater, the fort, and ministry row. From what I was seeing it was not going to be a easy trip either. A lot of going through residential areas, then into business. Beyond that it was too far to see with the cameras on this tower.

“Okay, so,” I looked at the cameras again. “I need to go to the south near Oakmare, then up to Colt for the first two.” I explained to the air, “Then we have one in Seamane. So, logically I should head to the one by Oakmare, then go north, hit the one by Colt, then Swing around north along the road I just cleared of raider threat. From there head up to that resort that also has a tower near it. Then come from the north down into Seamane, avoiding getting close to the crater.”

I gave myself a small nod. Sounded simple enough, and if I had been Meadows coming from Hoofington he probably hit the tower by Colt first then down to the one near Oakmare. From that path he would hit this tower next, which sounded right from the entry on the computer down stairs. Then up to this tower then to the resort finishing with going down into Seamane. He would have avoided the crater that way, and by staying to the north the winds would have blown in air from the sea to the north so less fallout. Okay this sounded like a good sound plan.

I stepped back from the controls and watched as the view changed itself to where it had been facing before I interacted with it. I guessed that some system knew that the camera views had overlapped and set it to where it wasn't anymore. I slowly walked back towards the exit. I had only a few hours until the ponies from Dune City got here, and I didn't want them wandering about the tower to find me if they didn’t check the terminal.

“Excuse me, you’re the one who got this tower running again aren't you.” I jumped as I heard the voice. I blinked and saw the image of that pony I figured to be DJ Pon3's assistant flickered onto the screen. I figured assistant due to she was a she and DJ Pon3 was a he, or she had quite the vocal range.

“Well some pony had left a job flier in Dune City to get the towers running, I had nothing else better to do at the time.” I stated. Then I turned. It was a unicorn mare, she had a shorter mane than myself and it was a two tone blue. I tilted my head, she also had a similar build to myself.

“If you want to talk you are going to have to use the microphone.” She explained patiently with a smile on her face. I blushed and realized she hadn't heard what I said.

I walked up to the microphone and pushed the button labeled as broadcast to station and not broadcast all. “Yes I am the one who got this tower up and running again. Somepony left a flier to do it at Dune City and I did it on my way to clear out some raiders.” I responded, trying my hardest to make my blush go away.

“Well you did a fine job at both, rather amazing job with the raiders. You have aim, and a patience's that is rather rare in the wasteland. You also seem to have the drive to do some real good.” She was smiling, I knew that helping others was rare in the wasteland, but, was it that rare? I mean there was at very least that stallion near New Appleloosa doing the same thing I was.

“Well, I don't mean to over blow my heroics, but, before I got this tower online I cleared a town of raiders and saved their captives. They now are living in Dune City. I kind of stumbled into that whole situation.” Dammit I was blushing more, why was it embarrassing to talk about doing good?

“Oh really now, I am sad I missed that. Would have made wonderful way to introduce you to DJ Pon3's listeners.” I blushed more, I wondered if making others blush was her special talent.

“Well, maybe after I get the other towers on I can take a vacation to Tenpony Tower. We can do lunch and you can get a proper interview.” I smiled thinking about how much better Tenpony Tower would be to out here.

“It is a deal, I’ll pay.” She laughed, “By the way, the name is Homage, I am DJ Pon3's personal assistant.”

I gave a slight bow, as much as my legs would let me. “I am Moonlight, originally from Saint Clover, had some issues there and now technically a resident of Dune City.”

“Well Moonlight, you don't mind me calling you Moonlight right?” Homage questioned.

“Not at all, not like anything else you call me.” I retorted with a smirk on my face.

“Moony,” She suggested with a grin, I would have face hoofed if I had trusted my legs more. “We will be keeping an eye on you, you are a source of good news in the wasteland. And I like to give my listeners a beacon of light. Also since I am now on the air in Seamane there is a new audience it would be nice to report good things in their area. So keep fighting the good fight.”

“I will do what I can, thank you for talking to me, since I built this,” I lifted up my left leg to show off my pipbuck zero, “I have been listening to DJ Pon3 whenever I am awake. It is nice to have something other than the silence of the wasteland.”

That got her to blush, I think this was not the first time she had met a fan. However, I did think it was the first time it was from someone like me. Not a mare, but, someone who she held in high regard. Or maybe she didn’t interact much with those who listened to the station.

“Well I am certain DJ Pon3 will be glad to hear it, but, I think your friends will be there soon, and I have work to get back to. DJ Pon3 can't run the show all by himself.” Homage gave a smile then the screen she had been on showed a image from Tenpony tower, a view out out south towards where I was. She knew how to make me feel better, as well as leave the clear message that her eyes had turned to the south as well.

*            *            *

I was about to doze off when the doors opened and four ponies walked in. I recognized two of them as being the ponies I had rescued yesterday. The other two took me a few moments to recognize, one was the doctor from Dune City, guess he did make house calls. The other was the guard who had taken me to see the mayor when I first got to Dune City. I waved a hoof, I noticed every pony breath a sigh of relief. I guess the two I saved didn't know how bad of a condition I had been in when they ran to Dune City. I couldn't really blame them though, I had just fallen out of the sky on my chest then bounced. Even I would second guess how long somepony would last after that if they still drew breath.

“No need to worry about further in, nopony came in after you two left.” I gave a smile, this made the guard relax more and turn his attention to the door they came in through. I rather have everyone at ease about the situation.

“Well good, then we can work on patching you up.” The Doctor said, I then realized again, I hadn't asked for his Celestia damned name.

I just lay still as he checked me over with his magic. A few grimaces on his face showed that a number had been done on my internal organs, not just my ribs. He gave me a Med-X then wrapped my chest in medical bandages.

“You got lucky, your ribs don't need to be set, you had a lot of fractures though. And as such you will not be walking back.”

“So then am I to stay here until I heal or is somepony carrying me back to Dune City?” I asked, I wasn't certain if I could walk that far.

“You are going to sleep here for the night, as are we.” he lifted a healing potion to my mouth and I drank it down, I could feel the pain that I still felt dying down rapidly. I also felt that warm feeling that healing potions gave, it was remarkably like that of alcohol come to think about it.

“Hopefully by morning you will be fit for travel, and I would suggest once back in town you rest for at least a day before heading out again. If you do go out, go with a caravan this time.” Doc sternly stated to me.

A caravan, that would get me to the tower near Oakmare. Just have to find the right one that was going out to Oakmare. I nodded to Doc.

“I should have asked this a few days ago, but, what is your name Doc?” I felt a bit of red enter my cheeks.

“I’m Sandy Rhythm, you can just call me Doc. Rhythm, I would also prefer if you did.” Rhythm said, and I gave a nod.

“Well I am going to try to get some more sleep, thank you for coming out here to help me. I really appreciate it, and,” I looked a the two I saved, “thank you for going and getting help.”

The two looked taken aback, then smiled. I just laid back and closed my eyes. Hopefully we could get headed out without too much delay. This down time after every fight was getting annoying. I felt myself start to drift off, at least I had a better picture of what I was going to spend my time doing around Seamane now. I didn't feel like a lost filly trying to find her way.

*            *            *

I woke up and actually I felt pretty damn good. I stretched and I felt my spine pop. I rolled to my side, my ribs didn't hurt all that much. I took a deep breath, that didn't hurt much either. I smiled, yep, healed. I needed to ask Rhythm how to check for broken bones and how to set them. I really needed to be able to not have to rely on others to heal me. I rolled onto my hooves and stood up. The two I had rescued were curled up together, fast asleep, Rhythm was also asleep. Then I saw movement, and the guard was there, giving me a nod. I gave a wave to him then walked to my saddlebags. I repacked it after pulling out some preserved apples. I bit into one, two hundred years fresh, yum! I forced myself to eat the horrid thing. I checked the time, it was around five in the morning. Having nothing better to do I got into my barding, I thought for a moment about putting on the saddlebags, then decided against it, just my knife, pistol, and canteen. Mostly I stretched. Laying on the floor so much had left me stiff and sore.

It was about an hour before the others woke up, they ate and drank. We didn't speak, I don't think there was much to say. We all knew what was going on, and we nodded as we headed out Rhythm walking behind me. He was keeping an eye on me, making certain he hadn't missed anything. It took a long time for us to get back, better part of the day was spent as every pony waited on me to climb dunes. While I was healed for the most part I still was very sore and tired.

*            *            *

When we got to Dune City it was evening. The two captives headed to a tavern, the guard I gave some caps to as thanks. He pocketed them and gave me a cordial smile. Rhythm remained.

“You are going to bed, come on, I know you have one here at the school.” Rhythm asserted.

I simply nodded and lead him to my room. The other residents gave me waves, glad to see me back. In the time I was away the place was much cleaner and it felt better. As I entered my room I noticed it was a little less barren. A few more cases and drawers had been added, and a radio next to my terminal. I heard a small whistle from behind me, turning I saw it was Rhythm.

“Well looks like some pony likes you,” there was a smile on his face. “Well I needn't worry about you sleeping on the floor or something like that.”

He seemed impressed with my room, and I felt a bit of pride at that.

“Well, get some rest, if you feel anything amiss in the morning visit me. Don't drink any alcohol either, your body is already doing enough healing as it is. As it is come by the clinic in two days, want to make certain you have healed properly.” He gave me a nod as he turned and left.

I sat down on my bed, stripping out of my barding, putting everything where it had been laid out when I first had entered my room. I laid spread out on the bed. It was a very nice bed, it felt even softer now than when I had left.

*            *            *

Waking up I felt well rested finally. I lifted my leg and checked the time, it was already well past noon. I rolled over onto my legs and got up. My body had woken me up for basic needs. I think I would have slept forever if I could have. I milled about the town, a caravan from Colt had shown up, it had a lot of guards with it. Guess they had left before I had cleared the raiders. I headed to the board, I had done some bounties. The question was, where do I turn in the jobs. I asked a nearby merchant where to take them. He directed me to a bland building behind the market. As I entered I saw a ceiling fan slowly turning and a single pony behind a desk. Reading something, which I only caught the word 'wingboner' before the buck shut it as the door behind me closed. I shook my head, whatever it was it didn’t matter I was here to collect my caps.

“I have a few bounties to collect, or at least I hope I have the proof to collect.” I said as I levitated out the fliers with bits of mane glued to them from the dead raiders.

“Well I see you have a bit of their mane and from what the DJ said I have a fair bit to pay you for.” The buck said.

I blinked, true, DJ had told about my clearing of all of those raiders, so it made sense that I probably was going to get paid for every raider bounty from up there. I floated over the fliers I had.

“You are a lucky pony you know. I think this is the most anypony has gotten paid in years since we set up this system.” He turned and started to open a safe.

“Speaking of this system, who came up with it?” I asked.

“Oh it is something we got from the Finders out in Hoofington. Sometimes ponies don't got much to trade besides ideas.” Well the Finders were right, it was a good idea, and a useful one. No one pony could do everything, offering caps for work spread the load. He turned and set down three bags that clinked, I saw a note of “1k C” labeled on them. “Here you go, three thousand caps, fair pay for fair work.” He gave me a smile, I shook my head, that was a lot of caps.

“This is far more than I expected,” I just blinked at the three sacks.

“Well trust me, a pony who does work like this burns through caps faster than you can believe. Think about it, think about how much some of those guns cost, how much armor costs. Healing potions, painkillers, doctor visits. Trust me, it doesn't go as far as you think it will.”

I nodded, I remembered the seemingly insane price for a high power rifle. Then I remembered the seemingly more insane cost for combat armor, I didn’t even think I had ever seen a set I would trust go for less than five thousand caps. My small fortune felt much smaller. I thanked the bounty pony and walked into the market. I decided to not buy anything with it. Everything I had was working well enough, didn't really need to pay any pony to fix it up, been doing well enough with the scavenged parts. I did however have a lot of ammo and weapons to sell. I went to the gun merchant, I sold everything at face value, there was more than enough to make up for any undercutting he was doing. As it was I ended up with another two thousand caps. Bringing me to five thousand and five hundred caps. My fortune was growing.

I hit up the tavern, the waiter there asked if I wanted the wild pegasus again. I turned it down and told him Rhythm had told me no drinking today. He looked disappointed. I did order a rather large meal, and told him tomorrow I was coming back for the wild pegasus. That got me a smile, I noticed a few other staff members beaming as he took the order back. Okay, maybe there is a rather large amount of betting going on back there. Why was it so important to bet on if I could hold my liquor? Wait, I know why, because they lived here. Anything here was entertainment. Actually, to be honest in the wasteland, anything that wasn’t trying to kill you was entertainment. I smiled as I heard the jukebox turn on, no static, just crystal clear DJ Pon3. I rested in the booth waiting for my food.

Since I had come in a fair bit after noon the normal lunch rush was gone, and so my meal had taken not five minutes to get prepared and to my table. Most of it was meat, a bit of it was some sort of dark green spongy leafs. I asked about it and I got the answer of kelp. The hay was kelp? Whatever it was though it worked well with the gecko meat. I also had a RadAway, apparently kelp while good for you and rather good tasting when used right, was also rather radioactive. Now I knew why it was called the hotplate special. I ordered another, my stomach telling me that it was not happy about being ignored for the past week. Well since I was stuck in town for a day or two might as well pig out, had the caps to back it too. Three plates later my stomach was happy, I had waited until I finished before finishing the RadAway that I had, checking my Geiger counter to see internal radiation as close to zero as I could tell.

I sat for half an hour more before getting up and leaving. I left another considerable tip and gave my compliments directly to the chef at the excellent meal. As I was leaving I saw a few small bags of what I suspected to be caps exchange from one another. The waiter receiving a good number of them. What I was eating now was also something to bet on? I shook my head and walked to the clinic. I wanted to talk to Rhythm to learn more about healing. Even if I still couldn't pull off healing with my horn all that well I wanted to be able to safely administer healing potions. As I entered I noticed that the lobby was empty and Rhythm wasn't up front. I guessed either he was out or had a patient. I took up a chair in the lobby waiting for his return. I seriously had nothing else that I could do today. As tempting as it was to buy things, I felt I would be better served to hold back. After a few minutes I pulled out my book on medicine, might as well study to put myself in the right frame of mind. I also slipped in my ear bloom.

I woke up, my mouth was dry I saw my book laying on the chair next to me. I blinked double checking my surroundings. I was still was in the lobby of the clinic. I checked my watch, it had been a few hours. I didn't see anypony around. I drank from my canteen, the water felt good on my dry tongue. I gave a sigh, he still wasn't here. He was expecting me tomorrow, so I guess would come back tomorrow. Getting up I felt rather fine though bit sore from sleeping on the hard chair. I picked up my book and stowed it in my saddlebags again. Time for dinner, this time I went back to my room and had some of the food I had kept with me.

Through the day I had a few ponies come up to me to talk to me about the DJ talking about me over the radio. Many wanted to personally thank me for taking out Thunderlord. He apparently had killed a lot of ponies friends around here. In the morning apparently DJ Pon3 had re-run the story of my fight against Thunderlord, then had talked about what I had told Homage. Everypony now saw me as a hero. One thing I did notice was a lack of anypony talking about Saint Clover to me. I asked if he had mentioned anything about where I came from. They had told me that he said I just wandered into the area with a storm one night and took to cleaning up raiders. DJ Pon3 hadn't lied, I did wander out into the wasteland during a storm one night. I thanked Homage and the DJ for not telling everypony that Saint Clover kicked me out, and then wanted to capture me. I just, I don't know, the whole thing with Saint Clover still left me confused and frustrated.

My mind came back to thinking about my planned path around the wasteland. I realized, my trip around the wasteland was going to hit a snag after I activated the last tower. The logical next stop on my trip was Saint Clover. It was the biggest and safest settlement in the ruins of Seamane itself. Well safest if you weren’t part of a gang. I wasn't not going to do this, but, I was going to have to figure out some place as a rest stop between Ministry Row and Dune City. But, that was for once I had the tower in Seamane online and I could figure out safe places to go. Though a thought stuck in my mind about Meadows and Morning Sprouts home. That would have to do. Though their house would take a lot longer to get to than Saint Clover.

I stared up at my ceiling recalling the distances between each tower, how long it was going to take between each place of civilization. This was going to be a long trip. My first trip was going to be four days. From the southern tower by the town of Oakmare it would take five or six days travel to get to Colt. From Colt I had an entire day to travel to get to the tower itself. After that day back to Colt, get supplies, then an eleven day walk to the last two. Mostly it was going to take six days to get from Colt to the old resort. That resort was long abandoned from what I had been told, and, for good reason. Cazadors nested in that area. Having been told about those before I decided that at Colt I would do my best to buy something to blast them apart from long range. As good as my Varmint Rifle was I wanted something with better range, and was meant to punch through armor.

I looked at my watch again, having run through my plan a few more times, doing the math on supplies, I had spent the last hours of the day. Tomorrow I was going to have to find a caravan to go with to Oakmare. Not just for sake of not getting lost, but, since I had a nasty knack for getting hurt I wanted somepony around. I rubbed my face with my hooves. One of the merchants who had talked to me told me that due to my help that I had probably saved a lot more ponies lives than I realized. Because not only did I take out raiders, I had made trade easier. Trade brought food, now that it was safer to get to Dune City and Saint Clover more caravans were probably gearing up to make runs again.

“Ugh, I hadn't done anything today, I need to do something.” I muttered to the air. It feels wrong not to be walking for hours on end, or in pain.”

I rolled off the bed and looked at the reloading equipment.

“You know what, I had a ton of spent rounds, I had the equipment and supplies.” I stated as I walked to the reloading bench. “I’m going to break you in reloading bench.”

 I pulled out all of my spent ammo. I pulled out a book that was with the reloading bench, it taught the finer details of reloading ammo that I hadn’t learned in Saint Clover. It was actually rather easy. Bit of metal for the actual projectile, certain number of grains, which I found out was not individual grains of powder, but, was a measurement. The last part was putting in a new primer so when the hammer of whatever firearm I put it in could set off the powder. I slipped into a mechanical routine of reloading. It was rather easy, it didn't take long, and it required focus. It was what I needed. My magic aided me greatly as I work parts of the equipment with hoof and magic. Time was meaningless. Measure, shape, place, press, slide off. So simple, but, required focus. I finished reloading all the ammo I had. I looked at my watch again. Three hours had passed while I was in the zen of reloading ammo, it reminded me of the zen of combat I could achieve.

I poked my forehead with a hoof and whispered to myself, “you are one strange pony, you know that Moonlight?” I simply nodded.

*            *            *

I walked out to the streets below. After a good nights rest and having actually mentally worked out for a day I felt better. Adrenaline from battle was great, but, so was learning hard things. I had already eaten, relieved myself, and refilled my water before I left the school. I wondered if at some point Sunset and Violet would come up with a name for the place. I felt a cool breeze cut through the rain. I also wondered when the rain was supposed to stop. I shook my head, my wet mane sticking to me. I wandered through the town. I realized while I had stayed several days here, I had never really gone through it. Away from the main street there were more buildings. From the looks of it a lot of buildings were boarded up. I continued to explore. The town had been quite expansive, many of the buildings on the outskirts had collapsed. From what I saw the collapse of these buildings were from when the bombs fell, there was much fire damage to the ruins as there was split wood suggesting something shook or hit the buildings.

I had picked through what buildings I could. There wasn't anything left, unsurprisingly, but, it was rather good way to spend the few hours before dawn. No pony had been out when I left main street, now there were a few. Another caravan was getting ready to go towards Saint Clover, I conversed with them. I learned that later today another caravan should be showing up from Saint Clover if all went well and they would be heading out to the Oakmare before heading to Colt. It was going to be a long walk, but, uneventful since the roads are so well traveled. That, and guards, guards with good armor and weapons. I was going to enjoy not being the only pony firing back. Though after talking to some ponies who had walked the road from here to the Oakmare it was rather safe. Sometimes a small raider camp would have set up along the road and need to be cleared out or navigated around. Most dangerous were the few ruins along the highway that generally held a nest of raiders. Very rarely a group of slavers would lay in wait to capture caravans. Though very rarely would slavers target caravans as that would cause caravans to avoid the region and start starving off the stupid slavers who captured people bringing supplies.

I had headed back to my room since it was going to be tomorrow before I left with the caravan I decided I would use the time to make certain I packed lightly. If it was going to be a long walk I wanted to make certain I had the essentials in spades. I was also going to have to make certain to pack as much ammo for my pistol and rifle as I could. I rather not take the two SMG's as they require a lot of ammo to use effectively. I was going to take all of my caps as well as my leather saddlebags. I liked using the ammo crates for saddlebags, but, they were really heavy compared to my leather ones. I placed my twin SMG's on the wall over the reloading bench where I head set up a number of racks to hold guns on display. On my bed I had laid out and sorted ever bit of ammo I had. While out at the market I had bought several more ammo crates and labeled them with chalk to denote what each one had. I had a great deal of ten millimeter ammo for the SMG's, I also had a great number of rounds for my shotgun and pistol. As for the Rifle I had the least for it, the least still being well over a hundred rounds. I loaded my saddlebags and the pouches in on my belt with ammo and magazines. I had spent a fair bit on water and food, I had set those as deep in the bags as I could so they would not shift around as much as possible. I also rigged a quick release to both bags in case I needed to drop them. I didn't like the idea of having to drop them, but, on the other hoof, rather not die due to I couldn't get a strap to move. I set what I would be taking with me on the workbench and headed out to see if the caravan had been spotted yet, and to get dinner.

*            *            *

Earlier I had gone and talked to Rhythm, at mention of I had gone to talk to him yesterday he apologized. Apparently he had been helping deliver some foals. Which explained why he wasn't there for the whole day. I asked about the foals and for the most part they were all healthy, a few had some issues, but, overall they and their mothers were healthy and happy. One of the more interesting things was the number of the captives I saved who were coming to him for medical training. Most of them wanted to help, they wanted to heal. Really I didn't know what I was expecting them to do. Maybe I just expected them to not really do anything like what it felt like a lot of ponies in Saint Clover did.  I mean obviously everypony did something, just, I didn't know what they did. I asked if he was going to teach them how to heal others. Rhythm stated how happy he was to be helping a group of ponies who wanted to truly do better for others.

We talked more about Dune City and the towns I would be headed to over the next few weeks. Oakmare was a interesting place, it sat on two major highways that bisected the town. One lead north to Colt and south to other regions of the wastes. Then from the eastern side of Oakmare ran a major highway that connected it to Seamane. Apparently the town prewar was another agricultural hub, though a much smaller one as it was just a rest stop and not a port. To the north was Colt, which had only one safe road out of it to the north that connected it to Old Appleloosa, while Dodge city was closer the trail had become quite dangerous and was not used by caravans anymore. I returned my focus of my question to Oakmare since I would be heading there first and knew the least about it.

There was a saving grace to Oakmare, it had a large population of Brahmin, something any caravan would need for the long trips around the wasteland. It also had a decent trade relationship with both Dune City and Colt. While I had made it so less ponies would head there, it by the sounds of it wouldn’t hurt it much. Before the war Oakmare had been a major hub for all agriculture as well as it had a large native cattle population. The area had never seen major development beyond scattered farms, like the area north of Seamane. Which meant small towns that would most likely be hubs for raiders, monsters, or just abandoned to time. Another thing that would be around is mansions of the rich, long abandoned and possibly heavily protected with automated defenses guarding long abandoned caches of prewar wealth.

Next I asked about Colt, this had been on the edge of the badlands that Appleloosa was known for. The area between them was mostly dry desert, canyons, and lands where Buffalo had once stampeded. Colt had never had much issue with the buffalo due to where it had been built. Before the war it was a tourist trap, all about cowpony themed things. Post war the town was rather intact as it was just a small town and thus not targeted. Over time it became a hub as it was close to Old Appleloosa and there was a rather intact road between them that to this day has been very safe to travel. Ironically the safety is due to the slavers that operate in both Old Appleloosa and in Colt. They patrolled the road capturing any bandits or raiders as well as putting down local wildlife that gets too close. Another favor from Celestia and Luna was that nothing worse than Gecko's, radhogs, bloatsprites, and raiders ever got into the area.

The area around Colt not towards Old Appleloosa was a lot of stepped hills that lead to the vast plains that made of most of the Seamane wasteland. The stepped hills surrounding it was going to be the worst part of going to Colt, according to Rhythm, raiders loved to hide in this area. Normally it is well patrolled by ponies from Colt itself, but, there was always a good number of raiders and bandits willing to risk it to hit caravans or lone travelers. I would have to be careful on my trip to the MASEBS tower that was near Colt as ambushes would be a major concern. I was surprised to hear about so much slaver activity in the area, though Rhythm calmed my worried about getting enslaved with the fact they go after raiders. I also could pay a small fee in Colt or Oakmare after showing up with the caravan so I would be safe from slavers going after me.

After all that I asked him to teach me what he could about medicine, mainly that examination spell. The spell was rather easy and it took little time to master it. We even got a few patients while I was learning it. I had used them as practice for the spell, Rhythm watched over me as I treated them. Mostly bruises and cuts, a fractured leg as well. I was pleased with my work, as was Rhythm. I think he liked teaching someone his craft. I asked about where he had learned how to heal from and not surprisingly he came from Saint Clover and moved out here as they needed somepony to help out locally more than Saint Clover did at the time. He told me that before settling down here in Dune City he traveled in caravans from town to town doing what he could to help ponies. He happened upon a Ministry of Peace facility focused on teaching ponies how to heal. He had grabbed a few books from there which he now had in his office for reviewing himself. In the books he told me that there were mentions of healing spells like what a healing potion did. As well as ones for setting and mending bones. I asked him where the M.o.P. school was, he didn't quite remember, but, he said it was around ministry row. That gave me a place to look, the ministry hub on ministry row. In the heart of Seamane, next to the last tower I was going to go to. I was both happy that it was on my path, and worried as I had to spend more time around one of the most dangerous areas in the Seamane Ruins.

I asked him what of the eastern road from Colt that made its way to Seamane from the north. He asked why I would want to go that way and I explained that it would allow me the safest entry into the Seamane ruins without having to pick my way through street after street of Celestia knows what. He asked what I was after in the Ruins, I explained about the MASEBS tower as well as how I was turning them back on. We sat in silence for a few minutes, I think he was uncertain as to why I would do it. Eventually he sighed and began to tell me what he knew of the region which was not much, mostly prewar. It had been mostly farm land, but, more importantly the massive resort was called Sapphire Shores, it was renamed after the singer herself. Also in that area where many vineyards as well as summer homes of nobility from Canterlot. He also mentioned that while on my travels in this area I should keep an eye out for anything strange. Not just for the mutated wildlife, but, untouched prewar tech. He also warned to be on the look out for Steel Rangers. As I had heard on the radio Steel Rangers were hoarders of prewar tech to the point of wiping out entire towns for one tiny bit of it. Supposedly they were in the region for two purposes, the scattered prewar tech and an abandoned bunker of theirs. Rhythm also reminded me this was old information before ponies stopped going into that area. The stop of ponies going out there was due to the lose of any place to trade out there and the high risks of attack from wildlife and the Steel Rangers.

It was better than going in blind, but, now I had to deal with heavily armored murderous ponies and wildlife that could punch a hole clean through you. I really hoped that I didn't run into either group, and hoped that if I did while at Colt I would be able to get big enough weapons to deal with them. It wasn't long after that I left, we talked a bit more about how things were going in Dune City from before I had come to it. Really from what I gathered other than large skirmishes between bandits and raiders with slavers and mercenaries there had really been no major events in the wasteland in years. My week out of Saint Clover had been the busiest week in decades for the area, with DJ Pon3 now on the air waves with reliable strength, and two major areas of raider infestation cleared out. From what he had said though every few years there is a report of some pony or group of ponies trying to do good for a few months then they vanish or die or turn villainous. The wasteland was merciless to everypony, and heroes it had a certain love for breaking them. After our talk I felt he wanted me to stay away from becoming a hero, from doing stupid 'heroic' things. He was correct, the heroic thing was taking down those raiders and fighting Thunderlord. I had nearly died, even without that I had nearly broken my spine with my magically assisted landing. I would have to be far more careful when I was on my own.

*            *            *

I had finished getting all of my equipment ready and was now rather hungry. Enough time had passed that it was evening so to the diner I went for dinner. It wasn't a long walk but when I entered it was more crowded than usual. I glanced around and noticed some new faces, I took a guess that the caravan I would be going with had gotten in while I was preparing. All of the booths were taken, but, there was plenty of space at the bar. I walked in and hopped on a stool, tonight service would probably be a bit slower seeing as there was an influx of at least ten ponies over the regular number for dinner. Then again I didn't know what the regular number actually was. Wait I had been in here only a couple of times so far, so I don't know if this is beyond what they on average dealt with? I shook my head as the familiar waiter pony walked up behind the bar and greeted me.

“Hello Miss Moonlight, what do you care for this evening?” He asked with his usual cordiality.

“Wild Pegasus and whatever is the special is tonight.” I gave a big grin, he smiled back and walked back to the kitchen with my order.

“One Special and a bottle of Wild Pegasus!” He called out as he attached the ticket to a metal wheel with other sheets of paper on it.

I saw the chief poke his head out of the kitchen and I waved to him, he gave a smile as he returned the wave and moved back into the kitchen. It didn't take long for my order to get filled, matter of fact it seemed like the staff back there double timed it to get every order filled and with mine they all came out and the chief himself delivering my food and drink. I wondered how many caps they had going on this bet.

“One Special and,” he set the bottle of Wild Pegasus on the table next to my plate of very good looking fruit, vegetables, bread, and meat. “And one two hundred year old bottle of Wild Pegasus.”

“Thank you,” I said to him and dug in.

Whatever this all was on my plate it was amazing. I took no time to eat it, I didn't want any of it to get cold or to feel like I was wasting the staffs time. I knew what they were waiting for. My chugging of the bottle of Wild Pegasus. When I finished I turned to the bottle, that is when I noticed the whole restaurant had gone quiet and all eyes were on me. Apparently the betting had gone beyond just the staff. I knew this was a stupid idea, but, what the hay. I opened the bottle and took a whiff of the drink, it smelled of alcohol much more strongly than the last bottle of Wild Pegasus. I took a deep breath and grabbed the bottle in my hooves and raised it to my lips then tilted my head back and began to drink. I was very glad I had eaten before drinking. I enjoyed the taste and the burn of the drink as I kept drinking. I kept my eyes closed I didn't want to see how much was left as I slowly tilted my head back to keep the flow going. I think I was down to the last third when I heard a chant start from all around me.

“Chug, chug, chug, chug, chug!”

Well I was already doing that, so I guessed it was they were trying to give me support to finish. I started to feel the effects of the alcohol as my body started to absorb it. Though that should take a bit longer, I thought. In any case I was very glad I was holding the bottle in my hooves and not with my magic as I doubt I could have properly held it with my magic. I felt the last of the burning drink leak out of the bottle and I opened my eyes. That was a completely empty bottle of Wild Pegasus Whiskey for sure. I set the bottle down on the bar table and smiled at the chief. He looked positively ecstatic, as did the waiter. I could see half of the rest of the tavern staff frustrated. I gave a stupid grin as I heard cheering break out around me, the sound of sacks of caps being set on tables. I probably should get some water in my system soon so I didn't pass out or had a crippling headache tomorrow while walking. Eh it could wait until the cheering died down. I felt a hoof go around my shoulder I turned to look at who it belonged to. I saw a hoof, I turned the other way and was looking into the eyes of a mare.

“Hello, what can I do you for?” I asked the mare in my face.

“Well you are pretty good at drinking, which means you are the pony someone told me to be on the look out for.” She replied coolly.

I felt things were probably going to get interesting rather quick.

“So who asked you to be on the look out for me? Ministry of Moral for underage drinking? Because I am of age even if I don't look it.” I mused jokingly before I stuck out my tongue. It got me a few chuckles around the room and from her.

“No, two ponies, one so I would know who was to be joining my caravan tomorrow morning, the other was to deliver a message from Saint Clover.” The mare replied with a smile.

I blinked, well that solved finding the caravan, it found me. I tilted my head, message from Saint Clover? Wouldn't they have left just about when the caravan from here got to Saint Clover? Maybe a message from Dad? Only thing I could think of.

“Yep I am your pony then,” I responded giving a big smile to her. I then frowned, that could be taken in a few ways that I hadn't intended.

“Well the message is from somepony claiming to be your father.” She went on.

Bingo, I called it, who is awesome? I am awesome! I also have quite the ego when drunk don’t I?

“He wanted you to know they are safe and so far nopony had moved against them. Your leaving when you did actually seemed to have helped calm things down.” The way she said it felt like she didn't know things hadn't been so not calm. “And that they all miss you, and want you to stay safe.”

“Well good, sounds more or less like my dad too. Well if you need to find me, I am up in the school house, top floor only door on one side of hall. Not one of the two on the other side of the hall up there. When do you expect to be leaving tomorrow?” And now I was starting to really feel the alcohol hit me, this stuff was much stronger than last time.

“We will be setting out around nine in the morning, so come find me in the morning either here or near the west exit to town. Name is Ruby Saddle.” She offered a hoof to shake, I did my best to shake it, which was to say I bumped it with the my own hoof then slipped from her grasp and face planted into her chest. She lifted me back up and helped me get my balance back on my stool.

“I will chalk that up to your balance being off from the drink, and not that you are being very frisky.” She chided me with a grin on her face.

I swear, if my face could go anymore red than it did right then I would cause my own coat to catch fire.

“Yes, um sorry, this is only the second time I have drank so I am still getting used to it.” I sheepishly responded. “So don't read much into what I do or say...” I swear I could smell the hair of my coat smoldering.

“Anyways, yes just show up tomorrow morning with your gear and we will be off as soon as everyone else does. You fail to show up we leave without you.” Ruby finished.

I nodded, “Then I best get to bed and drink a gallon of water.” I slide myself carefully off the stool and on to my feet. “I rather not have a hangover while watching out for raiders.”

All I got was a smile from her as I carefully made my way out of the tavern. This time I noticed it was a lot harder to walk than last time I was drunk. It took a very concentrated effort to keep upright and walk. I centered the school building in my sight and walked as best as I could. I don't know how long it took, but, it felt like forever to get to the building. Once in I was feeling a little more accustom to being so badly drunk. Then I saw them, stairs, the mortal enemy of me while drunk. I was able to climb them with less issue than I thought. Well less issue after I remembered I had magic to help support me as I climbed. I only remembered after falling the fifth time. Half way up I felt myself get lighter and then something push under me. I looked down to see green and blue.

“Seems somepony needs help getting to bed tonight.” White Rose warmly cooed, I could see a smile on her face, her tone sounded mischievous.

“Yes the mighty heroine, Moonlight, needs help to defeat her mortal foe! Stairs!” I beseeched Rose with an exaggerated wave of my hoof.

“Then let I your companion, White Rose, help you with your mighty war against the evil stairs.” Rose declared as she carried me up to my room, the entire time trying to keep from giggling at me.

I did my best to keep myself balanced on her back as she took me the rest of the way. Once in my room she walked up to the bed and slide me gently onto it. I looked around my room, it was a bit more filled than when I had last been in it, but, I couldn't tell with what. I shook my head, and that was a bad idea, I felt really dizzy from that and put both fore hooves on my head.

“You lay there while I get you some water, you are going to need it.” Rose told me and walked out of my room. I watched her go, I think she was swaying her hips as she walked. Or that might just be the alcohol making me think she was doing that. I nodded and laid back on my bed.

I wondered what Rose had been up to since she got to Dune City. I hadn't seen her much while here so I supposed she was helping out setting up the rest of the school building.

I sighed as I laid there waiting for her to return. Not moving while being drunk was amazing, but, trying to walk or do anything complicated was out of the question. I enjoyed the feeling that I got while drunk, but, beyond that really the effects and the after effects of drinking were rather nasty. Then again I was only drinking when I knew it was safe to. I wouldn't drink the day that I was going out into the wasteland or when somepony told me not to. Or when my instincts told me not to. I waved a hoof in front of my face, slowly moving it back and forth and just tracking it with my eyes.

A thought crossed my mind, had I even paid for dinner? I, I couldn't remember if I had. Well guess that was going to be something to do in the morning. Being drunk made me much less perceptive of things, or was it much shorter memory. I closed my eyes for a minute then felt the bed shift slightly I opened my eyes to see Rose laying in bed next to me. Did alcohol make me that unperceptive or was she just that quiet?

“I brought you some water, and I paid for your dinner. Not my own caps, I took yours down there and paid for it.” Rose explained as she stretched out on the bed next to me. “Now in the morning we can repack since I am coming with you.”

When did I agree to that?

“Until then relax, you are in my care.” Rose purred as she nuzzled my mane.

I then noticed at some point she had relieved me of my stuff. I also noticed that I was no longer thirsty and a number of empty water bottles laid on the floor. When had I? Then there was a kiss on my muzzle. Oh why did I care, I was plastered, and my memory seemed spotty when this drunk. I kissed back, it was going to be a long trip and probably go far worse than planned. Who says I couldn't at least enjoy myself for tonight.

Footnote: 10% to next level

Chapter 5 - Ruby's Caravan Company

Chapter 5 – Ruby's Caravan Company

“You're kidding. You're kidding, right?” -Nightmare Moon, MLP:FiM S1EP2

I woke up with Rose laying on top of me. She was surprisingly heavy for how thin she was as well as how quietly she moved. I gently stroked her mane as I thought. She said that she was coming with me, then I would need to split things up. For her sake I would give her the leather saddlebags and take the metal ones for myself. I would give her the varmint rifle as well. Guess I had room for the the submachine guns now. I began rearranging how things would be sorted between us. I would have to ask her when she woke up what possessions she had that she was going to take on the trip. If she didn't have any barding I would give her mine and buy myself some new barding, I had the caps after all. I also needed to ask her what she was good with, well besides the obvious ability to play me like a contrabass. I then felt my face start to burn at the thoughts of last night.

Damn could she play me, gah stop thinking about it, focus on what we need to get done before we leave town. That is when any sense of not thinking about it left as I felt a leg shift against me.

        “I see someone is ready for another round,” White Rose purred.

        I simply gulped, we had time, it would get blood flowing. I just needed to remember to make certain we had enough supplies between us.

        “Not to long, we still have to pack and buy whatever need.” Oh goddesses it was getting hard to think.

        “Alright, but, mostly packing, I took care of shopping yesterday.” She replied, the look in her eyes draining any resistance I had.

        “Okay maybe two rounds then,” I said sheepishly.

        She began to tune me.

*        *        *

        An hour later we were finishing up breakfast, most of the packing was done as well. Apparently after she tired me out last night and I passed out she had begun packing. She had her own weapons. From what I had seen, a varmint rifle like my own as well as a couple of knives. She had her own simple set of leather armor, while she didn't have a helmet she did have a nice hat. We loaded up our gear and I offered her the SMG's, she gladly took them. Now we both were pretty well armed and at least decently padded. As we finished up getting ready Sunset and Violet came in.

        “So you two headed out to Oakmare then?” Sunset asked us.

        “Yep, going out there to turn on the tower for DJ Pon3 and then it is up to Colt to repeat the same thing.” I felt confident in that bit of the trip.

        “Be careful around both, slavers operate heavily in and around there,” said Violet with a tone of concern in her voice.

        “We are traveling with a caravan, when we get there going to register so slavers can't go after us.” This is why I wasn't worried about the trip to that point. Going east afterwords was another story. After all it had over the years earned its name of the unbound north.

        “After that we might head east to Sapphire Shores Resort as there is a tower there. That or come back down here and go through Seamane and take care of the tower there.” Rose continued for me. Her voice said she wanted the second option over going near the Resort.

        “Yep that is the plan.” I gave a smile and a nod. Sunset and Violet shared a look then smiled at us.

        “Just stay alive you two,” Violet said, as the two moved to give Rose and myself hugs. “It is dangerous out there and I would say going north is safer than the Seamane ruins, lot of nasty things still lay in wait there.”

        “We will keep that in mind, thank you two for putting up with us,” said Rose, she looked like she was just about crying, I gave her a kiss hoping it would keep her from crying. She just smiled at me.

        “We won't keep you any longer, see you two when you get back.” Sunset said as he and Violet backed out of the doorway so we could leave.

        Sunset and Violet followed us as we went to meet with the caravan. The caravan itself was just about ready to go as I met up with Ruby. She was watching over the other six ponies who were going with us. Two of them were attached to a carriage and the other four were loading the carriage. The carriage itself was painted mostly red with white letters spelling out “Ruby's Caravan Company”. I walked up to Ruby with Rose close behind.

        “Morning, Ruby. Looks like we are about ready to go. So, how is this going to work, we ride or we walk?” I asked her.

        She turned to me and looked over both of us. “You two will be on top of the carriage, keep your rifles out and look for trouble, I will be driving the cart, the other four will be on foot today unless things go south.”

        I was good with this and gave her a nod, as did Rose. Simple and right up my alley all I needed to do was keep an eye out for movement and keep my ammo close. We lent a hoof with finishing the loading of the carriage, the inside of the carriage was almost completely full of goods. What space was left in the carriage was enough space for the four ponies on foot. Which meant me and Rose were stuck on the roof of the carriage. Thankfully at some point somepony had planned for this and built more or less a chest high wall around the top of the carriage. Well chest high for most ponies, being shorter than everypony else it was closer to being a jaw high wall. I was more surprised as to what it was made out of. The whole carriage was covered in clipboards. I guessed that they just wouldn't rot like wood when wet since these things survived the apocalypse untouched. I climbed up first and gave Rose a helping hoof up.

        “So Rose what have you been up to since I got you to Dune City?” I asked her as we got settled on the roof. Sunset and Violet had chatted a little with Ruby as we had finished loading the carriage, but, now had headed back to the school building.

        “Well after you cleared the school house I helped set up our room, then started doing some jobs around town.” She tapped a hoof to her muzzle as she thought. “Then I bought this rifle and started hunting geckos for the restaurants.”

        “Well good to hear you did something productive, and thank you for setting up my room.” I gave her a kiss on the cheek again.

        “Our room actually, and you are welcome.” She gave me a smile.

        Our room I mouthed, it was kind of a strange but comforting idea. I kissed her again as the carriage started to move out of Dune City. Dune City was very much home to me now.

        “Then keep your eyes open, call out what you see when you see it.” I turned and started to scan the area around us as I felt her give my flank a bump and then she laid down and began to keep an eye out on the otherside.

         I wasn't really worried about us getting attacked this close to Dune City after having wiped out Thunderlord and his crew. So I lay there keeping my rifle close and just watched as Dune City slowly moved away and we headed out into the dunes. Some how this road had managed to stay uncovered over the years and was rather decent condition. I looked around at the six other ponies with us, all but two were earth ponies and they all had battle saddles. I seriously doubted us having issue with any pony with the weapons they were carrying. It would take a Steel Ranger or Cazador to really threaten us.

        After four hours of travel we came to a stop, Ruby called for a break for those walking and pulling to relax and have lunch. Rose and myself had eaten in shifts earlier and now we were the only ones on watch. I thanked Celestia for the weather holding, it was as nice of a day as you got in the wasteland. While the others rested and ate I asked Ruby about her company. I was curious about its history and her.

        “So Ruby, mind telling me the story of your caravan?” I asked while I kept scanning the horizon for any threats.

        “Well it was my fathers caravan, we run from Tenpony clear out to Saint Clover. Back in his day we would go from Tenpony to a few settlements in the Fillydelphia ruins then take a old road to Dodge City. Since Red Eye started his work in Fillydelphia we had to take a different route. So now we go from Saint Clover to Dune City, then Oakmare off to Colt. From Colt we go to Old Appleloosa and take the train to New Appleloosa. After that it is a straight shot to Tenpony then we turn around and go back the way we came. Generally it takes a full three weeks to go from Saint Clover to Tenpony.”

        “So it takes you six weeks to run the whole thing then?” That was a long trip I thought, “Do you have any other routes besides the Saint Clover to Tenpony route?”

        “Well we have a second caravan that goes from Colt with us up to Tenpony then take the Manehattan-Hoofington highway and hit Megamart.”

        Well there was a nice way to take a trip to Hoofington if I ever needed to get out there.

        “So what is Hoofington like? Blasted like Seamane?” I asked down.

        “Well there are a lot of hazards, your typical raiders and radiation. Also taint is heavy in that place, some folks think they might have made it there. The nastiest thing out there is enervation, it is some sort of field that turns your healing potions into poison and keeps you from healing while in them. Hell I have seen preserved corpses in enervation fields that have been there for who knows how long. Worst part, no way to tell where these fields are, completely undetectable besides watching your healing potions change colors. Thankfully nopony seems to have found enervation outside of the hoof.”

        I looked down at her in horror, there existed a practically impossible to detect field of death that was in patches around a city still full of ponies. I couldn't understand why anypony would stay there.

        “I know that look, yeah tons of ponies live in the hoof, you got the Collegiate, bunch of smart ponies; the Society, a bunch of stuck up rich ponies; the Gatherers, bunch of merchants, prefer the ones in Flank and Megamart over Paradise; the Steel Rangers who are at odds with the Reapers who are a gang of the most bad ass ponys in the hoof. There are smaller gangs, but, they are more or less all tied to the Reapers.”

        “So there is another town that the Gatherers run in the hoof?”

        “Yeah, that would be Paradise, place is a slave trading hub. Run by this mare by the name of Usury, we stay far away from her and her friends.” Ruby said with a dismissive wave of her hoof.

        “So I guess one of the things you don't trade are slaves then, glad to hear that.” Ruby gave me a nod at this, “Must be frustrating to have to go through Oakmare, Colt, and Old Appleloosa then.”

        “You get used to it. I know it sounds terrible, but, there are just certain things you have to get used to in the wasteland if you want to live for long. Part of why we go to Flank in Hoofington, place is nothing but a drug and sex den, while the drugs hurt people in the long run it gives them a nice escape. Hay, we look forward to visiting flank when we do the run out there, it and Tenpony are some of the few places left to look forward to in the world.” She looked up at me and gave a shrug.

        “So do you guys have headquarters or some sort of hub for the caravan?” I looked out west, still nothing moving. I turned my gaze to the MASEBS tower to the north where I had been a few days ago.

        “Yep, up in Colt we have our hub, it is half warehouse and half sleeping quarters for us. Mostly people drop stuff off they want shipped somewhere or sell off to us. My oldest brother runs the place now that Dad retired to Saint Clover. My youngest sister makes the run to Hoofington most of the time, she knows it better than I do.”

        “Who is your dad? Might have run into him since I'm from Saint Clover.” Everything to the north was still as well.

        “Well do you know a somepony who goes by Shorthorn? That is him, for some reason he decided to change his name when he moved to Saint Clover. He still sells stuff, but, he doesn't go out.”

        Shorthorn was her father?

        “What is his actual name then?” I was curious.

        “Ruby Sand, caravan is named after him after all.” She grinned up at me.

        “Of course it is” I rolled my eyes and swept my view south, still nothing of note. “Just before all this started I paid him a visit myself, got a lot of my stuff from him.” I looked back down at Ruby, “he is quite the sales pony.”

        “I think he would be happy to hear that, which reminds me he left me a gift to give to 'that brave pony who was kind to an old merchant'.” Ruby stood up and moved to the carriage and opened it up and started to dig through the cargo.

        Rose turned and looked at me with a eyebrow raised, “Kindness eh? Figured you more for generous, that or honesty.” She gave me a wink, I shook thoughts out of my head and gave her a glare, she just stuck out her tongue at me as I turned my attention back to Ruby.

        “Ah here we are a limited edition Ministry Mare Statuette, lets see it is of Fluttershy.” She tossed something up at me, “catch!”

        I reached out with my magic and caught the delicate looking statuette, as my magic wrapped around it I felt a surge of magic flow into me from the statuette. My first reaction was to try to toss it away as the surge hit me, but, then I felt pleasant, happier. I read the words on the base of the statuette, as I floated it closer. The inscription on the base of it read “Be Pleasant” I smiled.

        “I will have to thank your father for this, when I go back to Saint Clover.” I felt a pang of guilt as I realized that might be a long time from now due to the warrant for me. “Though I may have to send a gift instead thanks to not being allowed back for a while.”

        I felt a hoof rest on my shoulder I turned to see Rose, she just gave me a sympathetic smile.

        “I’ll take your gift to him when we finish in Seamane, is that alright with you, Moonlight?” Rose said to me, I nodded.

        “Thank you, Rose.” I gave her a kiss and sat back to take a drink of my canteen, “Looks like I wiped out most of the raiders around here.”

        “Yep looks like it. Though, probably when we get closer to Oakmare we will run into a camp or two, nice to not have to worry terribly much. Both since we got two additional ponies on the look out, but, also good information on the strength of raiders in the area.” Ruby stated as she finished a Sparkle Cola, she and the other six did look rather relaxed.

        I lay back down and kept searching as they finished taking their break, a light breeze kicked up and the rest of the day was a cool ride. Rose and I kept focused on looking out for trouble, thankfully nothing ever showed up. The guards walking with us started to chat as evening came, we kept going until about six from what my clock said when we stopped and made camp. As we set up I asked if they wanted me to turn on the radio I had. They all looked up at me, confused by this notion.

        “I have a leg mounted radio,” I said as I lifted my left foreleg to show off my pipbuck zero.

        I saw a few eyebrows raise at the sight of it.

        “Is that one of those pipbucks?” one of the earth ponies asked

        “That isn’t a pipbuck, no screen on it, must be something else” one of the unicorns replied to him.

        “That is right, it isn't a pipbuck, I made this myself, radio, Geiger counter, watch and calendar all built into it.” I gave a smile “basically a half baked pipbuck.”

        “Nice, yeah go ahead and turn on DJ Pon3, would be nice to have something to listen to.” Ruby called up to me, I clicked the radio on and turned up the volume for them then took it off and set it inside the carriage so they could hear it clearer.

        “Hey Rose does the scope on your rifle have night vision?” I said as I turned to her while checking over my own rifle.

        “Yep, yours not working?” She turned to me with a eyebrow up.

        “No, figuring we should sleep in shifts so we can both get enough sleep as well as have someone up keeping an eye out.” I finished checking over my rifle, it was still in good condition and the barrel didn't need any cleaning.

        “Who gets first shift then? Or do we see who gets worn out first?” Rose gave my cheek a lick.

        I coughed and turned away from her blushing. “I was thinking I would take first shift then wake you up a bit past midnight, so you probably should get to sleep soon.”

        “Then you go to sleep and I keep guard over your flank?” She giggled and I sighed at her.

        “Yes, and you can use my flank as a pillow while you keep an eye out.”

        “It is such a good pillow I might fall asleep you know.” She continued to giggle at my blushing.

        I just shook my head at her and laid down on my side and rested my rifle on the side of the carriage top. “Then lay your head down and get some sleep for those tired eyes of yours.”

        Without any protest she laid down and went to sleep. I noticed down below the crew broke into three groups, two of them sleeping the other one staying awake. I wasn't the only one on watch which was good. I noticed Ruby climb up with my radio and her own rifle.

        “You get some sleep as well, I am taking first shift, and put your 'pipbuck' back on. Don't turn on the radio, don't want any noise to drown out anything creeping up on us.” Ruby said to me with a tone of authority. I nodded as I levitated my 'pipbuck' back to me and put it back on my left fore leg.

        “Alright, see in the morning I guess. Hope your watch is quiet.” I said as I curled up with Rose, while the night was cold and the breeze had died down she was warm and soft. It didn't take long for me to fall asleep. While the top of the carriage wasn't the most comfortable, it was better than the road or the sand.

*        *        *

        I woke up to a tongue in my mouth, to my credit I opened my eyes and kept calm. Apparently Rose decided the best way to wake me up was to kiss me. To be fair it did wake me up, I tapped her on her chest and she pulled back.

        “Just wanted to wake you up in a gentle fashion. But, I need to go back to sleep, my watch is over and I am still tired.” She fought to stifle a yawn and failed as she turned away to cover her mouth with a hoof.

        “Alright, well you should be fine sleeping the rest of the night. I will wake you up for breakfast.” I patted her on the shoulder as she laid down beside me. I began looking around to take stock of who was awake. I saw Ruby sleeping at the front of the roof while Rose and I were at the rear.

        Rose rested her head against my side as I began my watch. I put in a ear bloom and turned on DJ Pon3 very quietly. The DJ had gone to sleep hours ago I assumed while I listened to a strange track that was being played. It didn't really fit with any of the other music the DJ played, I didn't mind, was nice to hear something different. I looked back towards the tower by Dune City and looked up at it through my scope and looked to see if I could spot the cameras on the tower. I had no luck, at this distance they seemed to be too small to pick out. I then resumed a pattern of sweeping the area around us with my rifle. The night vision scope cutting through the night and illuminating the world around me to my eye only. The hours dragged on as I listened to the music and kept an eye out. Eventually the sky began to lighten as dawn came to the wasteland. Eventually the others started to stir from their sleep.

        When Ruby woke up she hopped down and helped the others break down the camp. Once it was bright enough I broke out some food and eat it. I also moved Roses hat over her eyes so she could sleep more. It wasn't long until we broke camp and started moving again, about half an hour into it Rose finally woke up. The look she gave me when I decided to turn the table on her from last night was priceless. She did thank me for letting her get some more sleep and I gave her some of my food since it was still out. While she ate I kept a vigilant eye out, today we were going at a faster pace and every pony was on board the carriage. I watched as even the tower fell away quickly and I watched as old prewar signs told us how far it was to the next town. Each time there was a turn off for a town we all went on high alert. The ruins generally consisted of twisted metal and spears of wood sticking out of the ground. Many building where burned down, blasted apart, or simply flattened. A lot of them it didn't look like weapons fire that did it which scared me. I really hoped whatever had done this was long gone. Rose looked unsettled by it as well, but, none of the other ponies did. Of course why should they, they had run this road many times before, Rose and myself were the new ones here.

        We didn't stop for lunch, instead the two ponies pulling stopped and swapped places with two in the carriage and we kept moving. I started seeing on the signs that Oakmare was about two hundred miles away. With the rate we were going we would be there in two days. The only issue would be everyone who pulled would be tired as hell by the end. I also knew this was not the full speed they could go, if needed they could push themselves, but, I doubted we really wanted to do that. As it neared three in the afternoon I saw movement far to the south, I pointed it out to Rose and Ruby. Both turned their sights and spotted it too. While they did that I checked as far ahead as I could as well as to the north and east of us. I didn't spot anymore of them thankfully, so all of the raiders were to the south. Ruby called to halt and the pullers took a break and swapped out for the two unicorns. The three of us kept an eye on the raiders, as we did we watched a fight break out and they started shooting one another. That is when I noticed one side wasn't killing, they were capturing. I pointed out to Ruby and she agreed, slavers were hitting a raider group. After a ten minute break we started up again as I kept an eye on the slavers and raiders to our south. After an hour I couldn't see them anymore. I breathed a sigh of relief, we avoided those raiders thanks to the slavers. I think this was one of the few times I could ever be thankful to slavers.

        Things went smoothly for the next hour, then things went downhill fast. Hills surrounded us as we drove through a ruined city, the unicorns driving us poured on the speed. That is when the gunshots started. The two unicorns threw up shields around us as we kept going I laid down my rifle and told Rose to do the same as I focused on wrapping the whole carriage in a levitation field I saw her horn briefly light up and her magic work with mine to lighten the carriage as much as we could. It was grueling, and harder than slowing myself from falling to lighten the carriage as much as I could. I had to squeeze my eyes shut as I focused, I felt a headache start to come over me as I felt wood splinter around me and heard the battle saddles below us open up. I gritted my teeth as I felt a bullet penetrate my armor and lodge in to my shoulder. I prayed to Celestia that we would be out of here soon. I felt the carriage slow a bit as I hear Rose open up with her rifle.

        I opened my eyes and saw we were just about out of the town, behind us there were a few plumes of smoke where explosives of some sort went off. I looked forward and saw the two unicorns who had been pulling the cart sitting with Ruby and firing as fast as they could. That is when I noticed I was pulling the cart with my magic. I kept my magic going as we moved out of the town. I shouted for someone to get ready to pull the cart as my magic was close to failing. I heard the doors below me swing open.

        “Keep the harnesses level and we will start pulling!” came a shout from below me, I did as they said as I saw two bucks rush up and jump into the harnesses and begin to pull at full speed. I let my magic slowly fade away. I looked at my shoulder and wrapped my magic around the wound and pulled, I felt the pieces of the bullet start to move and slide out of me. I bit back tears as I then cleaned the wound and wrapped it in magical bandages. I turned to Rose and saw she was bleeding from several spots and began to tend to her. Most wounds were from the splintering wood and grazing shots. To her merit she shrugged it off pretty well and kept firing until the town was a mile away. No pursuit came for us, but, we would be on high alert for the watches tonight.

        “Well that was exciting!” I heard Ruby shout back to us, “got to hand it to you Moonlight, your magic made it a lot easier to get though there. Going to have to hire some mercenaries to go back there and clear it out.”

        “I was wondering why suddenly the cart got heavier and I got shot!” I called up to Ruby and the two unicorns with her. Both of them looked rather hurt so I moved my way up to them. “Here, you two climb back here and I will patch you up.”

        The two climbed back after Ruby told them to. As the climbed back I got a better look at them, they both had a lot of cuts on their undersides. I had both of them lay down on their backs and got to work on cleaning the wounds and making certain to remove splinters or shrapnel in them before giving them both a healing potion. I was glad for Rhythms spell as it let me check for any further wounds and found extensive bruising, but, nothing more. They both thanked me before moving up to sit with Ruby again. Then Ruby herself climbed back and took off her barding.

        “Patch me up, those bastards may have had horrible aim but few still hit me.” Ruby said to me with a decidedly pissed look on her face. I looked her over, more than a few had hit her.

        I told the pullers to slow down so I could work on Ruby. As I worked on her she started to get worse. I found several bullets had gone deep and nicked some internal organs. I knew I was on a time limit now. I focused on pulling out every foreign object in her, much to her pain, I gave her a Med-X to ease the pain. When I was done she was still bleeding externally but after two healing potions her insides were no longer messed up and she started to recover. I took my medical bandaging and covered the most severe wounds then put my horn to the smallest ones and focused on doing what healing potions did. I focused for several minutes before I gave up. I had given myself a nasty headache and had not figured out healing magic. Still though I had healed some of the smaller injuries with my magic, and she didn't scream so it was a improvement.

        “I healed you as best as I can at this time Ruby, Goddesses if I wasn't here you would be dead.” I said with a sigh as I laid down next to Rose, exhausted from the heavy use of magic and the stress of working to save Ruby’s life.

        “Well I am glad you were here then, listen I will make certain you and Rose are covered when we get to Oakmare. You saved my life, so you are now a good friend of the company's.” She extended a hoof to me, this time I properly shook it.

        “A lot easier to shake hooves when I am not drunk.” I smiled at her. “I also need to ask those two about that shield spell of theirs tonight.”

        “Not theirs, the three of us know it and work together to amplify it, why do you want to learn it?” she raised an eyebrow at me.

        “Well it was pretty useful back there, I would say having another one or two ponies able to do it would be worth it.” I stated as I fought back exhaustion.

        “Alright, when we break for the night you and Rose come down with us and we will try to teach you it. Don't blow all of your energy on it though. Speaking of which you look very tired,” at that she produced a bottle of sparkle cola, “drink this, should help keep you alert until we make camp.”

        I nodded as she got back to the drivers seat and then I drank the sparkle cola. It was good, warm, flat, but, good. I turned my head to look at Rose, she seemed to have relaxed as well. I rested my head on her side as I drank.

        “You alright Rose?” I asked as I leaned against her, I could hear her heart still racing.

        “That was the first time I shot a pony. I had seen others get killed in front of me, but, pulling the trigger myself, being the one to willingly take another life.” I put a leg around her shoulder, I winced at my own wound in my shoulder, she took a swig of the cola.

        “It isn't easy Rose, and it shouldn't be easy. If it was we would be just like those raiders.” I confided to her, even now I didn’t like the fact that it felt like killing had become easy to me.

        She nodded, “raiders are nothing but ponies who lost themselves to the wasteland, who have given up any notion of virtues.”

        I looked at her, she knew raiders far better than I did, to hear her speak of virtues. Virtues seemed such a strange concept in the wasteland. I gave Rose a kiss and hugged her a bit tighter.

        “We just try to do better.” I suggested, after all, when killing became easy, the only thing that separated villain from hero was why you killed, not just who or what.

        “Better than what? Everypony else?” She raised an eyebrow.

        “We try to fight the good fight, to make the world a better place. We fight falling to the wasteland. Pick ourselves up after every fight, after every horrible thing and keep fighting. Like DJ Pon3 says heroes do.” I answered, feeling it was the best answer I could find within myself.

        The look in her eyes could have melted a glacier. She hugged me back as we sat on top of the carriage. We began to hum together, no particular tune, just a tune together. As we sat together I felt my headache lessen. I made a comment to myself about the power of friendship and love as I sat with Rose and I sang a Sapphire Shores song with her. We got a look from Ruby as we sat up there and sang, then I heard the others start to sing with us. With all of us singing I felt better almost as if I hadn't been shot. We continued singing for another hour before we stopped to make camp. When we did Rose and I climbed down and helped set up the camp. I asked for everyone else to let me look them over, beyond a few bruises from where bullets had gotten stopped by their barding everypony was fine. Finally after everypony had eaten Ruby began to instruct Rose and myself in the shield spell. I wasn't able to do it, but, Rose was able to put up a weak shield. I applauded her, it was incredible to see her pick up the spell that quickly. I tried a few more times but I was too tired and my magic was spent.

        “Moonlight, you climb up top and get some sleep, you will take last watch again. You need to rest.” Ruby instructed me, I could tell it was much more a command than a friendly suggestion. I didn't need to be told twice and climbed up and immediately went to sleep.

*        *        *

        When I woke up it was dark, wait, no that was my helmet covering my face. I slid the helmet back into place and tightened the chin strap. I felt a jolt as a wheel of the carriage hit a hole in the road. I was suddenly aware of the air rushing against me as I rolled over and grabbed my rifle. It was still dark out and Rose had been laying next to me. Something felt off about the whole situation, why where both of us asleep while we were moving. Hay, why were we going at night. There was also the problem of Rose was second watch and should have been awake. I frowned as I crept forward to see who was driving the carriage, and for that matter who was pulling. I was shocked to see that it was nopony I knew. From the way they looked they were raiders or bandits. From the fact I hadn't been woken up by the apparent theft of the carriage meant they had some how managed to sneak it out without a shot being fired. There was no driver just the two pulling the carriage, I was half tempted to shoot them and turn around and pull the cart back to Ruby. A little voice in my head told me to ask them first why they stole the carriage. This was stupid, but, it was the right thing to do I supposed. I took in a breath and braced myself in case we came to a sudden stop.

        “Hey you two pulling, where are you going? I don't recognize you as any of the others that are part of the caravan.” I called out to the two pullers. As I suspected we came to a sudden halt. My bracing only helped until Rose smacked into my legs and shoved me over the edge into the drivers seat head first.

        “Who said that,” said the the one on the right as he turned to look up at me. At least being upside down made me look a whole hell of a lot less threatening.

        “Where the heck did you come from girl!” shouted the other, the two thieves gave each other a nervous glance then turned their focus back on me.

        I struggled upright as blood rushed to my head as they looked at me, I just had about got upright when I fell to the ground. I picked myself up and looked at the two, both where struggling to keep from laughing. Good, don't have to worry about them being so frightened.

        “You forgot to check the top” I replied flatly. “Now then who are you and why are you taking this carriage?”

        They lost whatever humours thoughts were in their heads and started to look worried.

        “Listen, just tell me what is going on and depending on what you say you may just have a long walk ahead of you.” I stared at them as I heard a quiet groan above me. “Or a shallow grave to spend the night in.”

        “Well you see some of our friends got captured by raiders in that town you blew through. They offered us that if we gave them this carriage we would get our friends back.” One of them answered. I stared at them. Beads of sweat started to form on their brows.

        “Either you are exceedingly foolish to believe a raider, or you are lying.” As I said this I saw the two look up as Rose came over the lip levitating both of our rifles aimed right at them. “Now then boys get out of those harnesses and start running.” I gave a big grin, and that did it, they quickly got out of the harnesses and started running.

        “You actually want them to get away Moonlight?” called Rose down to me a hint of confusion in her tired voice.

        “Yep, let them run, they deserve a second chance. Hopefully they will wise up before they get killed or enslaved.” I commented as I started to examine the carriage and harnesses.

        “You didn't give any of the raiders that were holding me captive a second chance.” Rose retorted.

        “Yeah, why would I, they were horrible cannibalistic monsters. And they were in the middle of killing each other. I just sped up the process. They also were different, they seemed to be not bad ponies, more just misguided. I hope they see the light.” I sighed, knowing the wasteland though, they would just die or get worse.

        “You're right you know. So how are we going to get back to Ruby and the rest?” Rose had set one of the rifles back on the roof and took the drivers seat.

        “Well was figuring I would pull and turn us around then keep going until sunrise or we find them. I would wager that going the opposite way that we were going would take us closer to them.” I said as I put on the pull harness, then removed the extra harness and connected myself to its attachment point. I started to pull and found out exactly how heavy the carriage was, in short, yeah it was really heavy. Then I felt a snap of the reins and gave a yelp.

        “Giddy up pony!” shouted Rose, I glared up at her, then she snapped the reins again and I started to run.

        “Why do they even have reins on this thing!” I shouted and was greeted with another snap of the reins.

        “So the driver can guide when the pullers can’t spare the energy to see where they are going. Now pull faster!” Rose commanded as she snapped the reins again, I gave out a whimper as I followed the command.

        It didn't take long to turn around and get headed back the way we came. I hadn't gotten a chance to check the time but I saw the clouds start to lighten as day came. Sweet Celestia help me! When would we get back because every time I slowed down Rose would snap the reins again, and she knew exactly how to do it so they hit my flanks and got me running hard again. By the time Rose spotted the rest of the group I was exhausted from pulling the carriage, thankfully Rose had lightened up with the whipping seeing that there was only so far she could push me before I would pass out. To my credit I got much further than I expected myself to and after another ten minutes of pulling we had met back up with Ruby.

        “Well look at that, you got her back with no damage, nice job you two.” Ruby was smiling and looked relieved. I unbuckled the harness and flopped on the road, my body hurt from the strain.

        “She let the thieves go, they gave up the carriage pretty easily, tried to feed us some bull about raiders had their friends and they told them to get the carriage to pay for them.” Rose chuckled, “problem for them was they were horrible liars, and they were dressed like raiders.”

        “Well hopefully it won't come back to bite us in the ass. Still though, don't know how they managed to put us all to sleep.” Ruby had a concerned look on her face, and I did to now. They had managed to put everyone to sleep to steal the carriage. Neither of them were unicorns, they were earth ponies.

        I stretched a bit, which hurt, “more worried by how they did that and neither of them were unicorns.”

        Ruby eyed me, “you certain about that, that they didn't just have really short horns hidden in their mane?”

        “Their hair was in spikes, I think we would have seen it, plus they didn't have any weapons with them.” Rose answered for me.

        The two unicorns came up to me and helped me up to my feet then wrapped me in a field of levitation and set me on the roof of the carriage. I put my head on the edge and looked down at the others. Ruby was checking the carriage and the cargo, as were the others. Rose keep an eye out while I lay there. Seriously it bugged me that they apparently had some sort of sleep spell that they could cast on us, but, had no unicorns. I thought back to some old books that I had read on magic. Earth ponies supposedly had some sort of innate magic that affected what they built, making it harder and last longer. Pegasi had flight and ability to interact with clouds like I would with boxes. Unicorns had magic spells. Zebras had talismans and alchemy. Wait, could they have used some sort of Zebra magic? That was a wild idea, I tried to stifle my giggling at the absurd thought.

        “What is it Moonlight?” Rose asked me taking a look at me.

        “What if they had access to Zebra magics? I mean seriously I doubt it and yet, my mind it stuck with that is the only option.” I was still slightly giggling, and oh was I sore.

        “Uh... Moonlight, I think you are being a bit silly, get some sleep girl.” Rose shook her head.

        I curled up below the walls and kept my rifle close. I didn't feel sleepy, but, I was tired. I also was distinctly very hungry. I pulled out some food and drink and offered a bit to Rose as she joined me on the top of the carriage. I figured she probably hadn’t eaten while she drove me.

        “Thanks Moonlight, but, I got my own, though thank you for reminding me to eat.” She smiled at me, goddesses I loved that smile. “Just let us take care of things today, you pushed yourself enough for now.”

        I nodded, turned to my food and drink, then pulled out a book and began to read. I popped in a ear bloom and listened to DJ Pon3 as I studied a borrowed medical book. It was really cargo of the caravans, but, I had the caps to pay for it if anything happened to it. Plus books don't vanish after use like healing potions, so I didn't have to worry about reading the book damaging it. It wasn't long until we were on our way back to Oakmare. Today was the final day of travel to Oakmare, since we were closer to civilization there should be less threats. I also trusted Rose’s eyes to keep a look out while I rested. Like yesterday we went fast, everyone who wasn't pulling was in or on the carriage.

*        *        *

        It was just a bit after noon, we had planned to stop for lunch. Instead another bullet zinged past my head. I turned off the radio and put away the ear bloom as I pulled my rifle to me.

        “We got raiders coming from the south!” shouted Rose just before she started to fire, a moment later I heard the battle saddles of the ponies in the carriage open up as well.

        I kicked myself off the wall next to me and slide up next to Rose and popped up. I immediately ducked down and pulled Rose with me as a rocket flew over us. Celestia please let their aim be as bad as other raiders with that rocket launcher! I popped up and started looking for the pony with the rocket launcher. I didn't see who had it, but, I did see a lot of raiders so I started popping shots off at the ones with the nastier looking weapons. Whoever these raiders were they had a lot of battle saddles and a lot of heavy weapons. Thankfully since we were on the move any injury that stopped them was sufficient to make us safer from the raiders. This time Rose pulled me down as another rocket flew over, a explosion went off behind us where the carriage had been. Make that two rocket launchers, both with bad aim. Thank Celestia for the small things in life. Though one was just aiming high, the other wasn't aiming ahead to make up for our movement. That wouldn't last though, eventually they would get lucky or figure it out.

        “Rose we have to take out those ponies with rockets, I don't care how tough clipboards are the blast alone will probably knock us over!” I yelled over the sounds of battle, Rose nodded.

        “Alright then on three!” Rose shouted back to me, I nodded, “One! Two! Three!”

        We both rose as one and started firing. Anypony that got close to the carriage the ponies in the carriage got shredded. Unfortunately from the sounds of it we had taken a casualty or two already. So far the pullers were find thanks to the mint green shield around them and Ruby. I counted a dozen ponies rushing towards us, the closest of them had nothing but knifes and other simple mouth held weapons. I looked further out, there was a group of raiders pulling a cart. I felt sharp pains break out against my neck and right side of my face as a bullet shattered against the clipboards below us. I wiped the blood from my goggles and checked the wound, it was just a set of scrapes, it could wait. I removed the magazine in my rifle and popped in a magazine of hollow point rounds. I pulled back up in time to see one rocket fall short and land among a few raiders, the ground exploded and so did they. The rest of the raiders didn't care about their fallen comrades and a few even ran over the remains of their fallen. I pulled the scope up to my left eye and took aim for the pullers of the cart.

        “Rose aim for the cart's pullers, seems to be where the rockets are coming from!” I hollered as a rocket streaked over us, its trail coming from the cart that I was looking at. The white smoke from it blocking my view for a moment as I heard the rocket itself explode the ground behind us.

        I pulled the trigger as I aimed a bit ahead and above the head of one of the pullers. It didn't hit them but, it did hit the driver in the chest. It didn't kill him, but, he did curl up where he was holding his side. I adjusted my aim a bit ahead and fired again. This time I didn't get to see where the round went as Rose pushed me down and another rocket flew over our heads. This time followed with a lot of gunfire. Then there was a explosion and a whoop from Ruby.

        “Hell of a shot Moonlight, looks like you set off the rest of their rockets!” Ruby shouted back to me.

        Well that was one major threat down. I pulled out the SMG's from Rose’s saddlebags and handed my pistol to Rose.

        “Lets take care of the ones up close now that the rockets are down,” I racked the slide on both SMG's and stood up, not even looking to aim I pulled down the triggers on both SMG's as soon as they were over the edge.

        As I rose I began to sweep the SMG's at groups of raiders. The number of ponies had thankfully started to thin out, but, there were still a dozen or so left taking pot shots at us while running up to the carriage. I heard the battle saddles below us open back up as we suppressed the ponies coming in. Click, click. I reloaded both SMG's and continued to pour rounds into the now half dozen ponies rushing up at us. I felt a hard hit to my head and I fell back I managed to keep a hold of the SMG's as everything started to spin and ring. Rose ducked down as soon as I stopped firing and crawled over to me. She mouthed something and took my helmet off, it looked like she sighed in relief. That is when a metal apple landed on my stomach.

        “Fuck! Grenade!” I tried to yell, but, still nothing but ringing in my ears as I grabbed it with my hooves and tossed it as hard as I could.

        It cleared the lip of the carriage and exploded. While I had managed not to get us killed the carriage was now wobbling back and forth wildly. I grabbed my helmet and put it back on, as I did, I noticed that part of it fit more tight on the left side of my head. I grabbed my rifle and slide the SMG's back into my saddlebags. I stood up and looked for what remained of the raiders. The grenade had taken down most of the ones close to us, I saw that the grenade had thankfully mostly just pelted the armored side of the carriage. I smiled, we had killed enough that they were pulling away and Ruby had managed to get the carriage to stop swerving. I felt a round hit me in the chest but it fail to penetrate. That is when I saw the second cart, I took aim, there were four ponies with rifles aimed at us sitting in it while being pulled by some heavily armored ponies. I started taking shots as I could, now it was a sniper battle, we had the advantage of a smoother ride. But, the ponies below me were at risk due to they didn't have the cover I did on top of the carriage. I felt two more rounds hit me, both went clean through my shoulders as I bit back tears and started to fire as fast as I could. I got two then I felt another round penetrate my chest I fell back onto the roof my rifle clattering next to me as I tried my best to breath.

        “Moonlight!” I turned to see Rose moving again, she was in okay condition from the looks of it.

        “There are two snipers left in a cart on the hill, aim ahead of them, drop them before they get the ponies below us!” I tried to give my best commanding voice, my wounds could wait till we didn't have sniper ponies threatening all of us. She shook her head.

        “I will put up a shield, you shoot.” she ordered, now laying next to me handing me her rifle. I nodded.

        Her horn lit up with a orange light and a bubble of magical energy faded into existence around us, I could see the strain in her face. I pushed myself back up and coughed, I used the mouth grip on the rifle and aimed down at the two remaining sniper ponies. I pulled the trigger and watched in amazement as my round went through the shield and struck the pony in the head I was aiming at. I quickly fired again and the fourth one stumbled and fell out of the cart, cartwheeling behind it before landing in a bloody heap. The pullers kept going not knowing their passengers were gone, I loaded armor piercing rounds. I should take them out too, they would keep running with us until we had to stop or they died. Wasn't it the right thing to do, they hadn't shot at us, or moved closer. I sighed and set the rifle down, I hugged Rose.

        “Okay they are done Rose you can drop the shield.” I felt her relax in my grasp as her horn dimming and the shield around us fading. “You alright Rose, any injuries?”

        She shook her head and drew back, I saw blood on her coat.

        “You look terrible, lay down I will patch you up. When we stop you can properly patch yourself up.” I felt her start to push me down, I wheezed, and rolled slightly onto the side that hurt less.

        “Who is still alive back there?” I heard Ruby call to us I noticed the minty shield had dissipated from around them.

        “The two of us are,” called back Rose, I heard voices from below us call back to Ruby as well.

        “Alright, patch up what you can, we will stop in an hour.” Ruby called back to us then turned towards the pullers, “SPUR ROCK pour on the speed, break in an hour!”

        Rose focused on stopping the bleeding, I held a hoof up to stop her. Then I forced myself upright and used the examination spell Rhythm had taught me, I didn't have anything still in me so I dug out a healing potion and downed it.

        “Rose help me up so I can keep watch from where the raiders were coming from, you focus on everywhere else.” She nodded and helped me up.

        The two ponies I spared had moved off, guess the lack of firing or orders clued them in that their passengers were dead. I was amazed we had made it through the attack once again thanks to their poor accuracy. I was also glad that the heavy armored ponies either didn’t want to try coming close, or weren’t agile enough for attacking the carriage outright.

I relaxed and set my rifle down next to me, this traveling was exhausting. I took off my helmet to check it, it had a hell of a dent where a bullet had hit and lodged in the helmet. I felt a pang of sorrow seeing it had completely destroyed one of the butterflies. I hoped somepony could fix it in Oakmare, but, the helmet did it's job in saving my life. I kept an eye to the north and there was still nothing... And there are ponies below me that need help now. I leaned out over the edge of the roof of the carriage.

        “Hey how bad are you guys down there?” I called down to the cabin.

        “We got it mostly handled, we should be fine until we stop,” called up one of the earth ponies I recognized his voice from before.

        “Alright, just let me know if any pony needs help or has a sudden turn for the worst.” I called back down to them.

        Just a bit longer and I could get to helping them, it was going to be a long wait knowing they are hurt and I had the knowledge and skill to help them. It didn't help that we had to keep watch just in case the raiders came back. But, everypony seemed to be in high spirits about the whole thing so not that bad I guessed. I checked over my barding noticing the many new holes and tears in it. Whatever those ponies had been firing at us packed a punch. I picked my rifle back up and resumed my watch.

*        *        *

        When we stopped I almost leaped off the top of the carriage. Instead Rose caught me and levitated me the rest of the way to the ground so I wouldn't kill myself with further injury. I began helping ponies out of the carriage. They were a bit chewed up, and there was a lot of medical bandages. I had all of them lay down next to the carriage as Rose climbed down.

        “Rose I need you to go over each of them and figure out what injuries they have and check their vitals, I will work on each one unless you think one of them needs it more than the others.” I said to her already casting my examination spell on the first pony.

        He had some deep cuts and a few rounds stuck inside of him, nothing critical. I used my telekinesis to pull out all the foreign objects in his wounds the same way they came in, gave him a med-x as well as a healing potion and moved to the next one. All of them seemed to have more or less only scrapes and shrapnel from shattered rounds in them where their barding didn't cover. This didn't make my task any less time consuming though as I still had to be careful with checking over every part of them and slowly pulling material out of them so they could use a healing potion. Ruby and the twin unicorns were fine but tired, as were the pullers. Then I noticed we had a lack of ponies in shape to pull. I looked at Ruby and I think she knew it too. When I finished I walked up to Ruby, we needed a plan to get moving soon.

        “Ruby any ideas?” I said as she turned towards me.

        “On the raiders or getting moving.” She replied, why would she have ideas about the raiders, raiders were raiders right? It didn’t matter, getting to the safety of Oakmare mattered now.

        “On getting moving, everypony outside of the shield got pretty torn up, and everyone in it is exhausted.” I really hoped she had a better idea than sit here until we healed up.

        “Well you seem in good enough condition, give you some buck and I know you will be able to pull it, you pulled it on your own this morning. Maybe some Dash too to put some distance from here quickly as well.” She had a grin on her face, one that made me not so comfortable being on the receiving end of.

        “And when everyone piles on top of the carriage and in it while Rose whips me to keep going fast?” I said, and then immediately regretted it as my face started to burn.

        “Sounds like you just volunteered, don't worry I pay my debts.” she chuckled as she gave me a bump on the shoulder with her hoof.

        I sighed, “alright, well how long until we are at Oakmare then?” If I remembered what Buck was I would need a fair bit of it in order to get us there. While it stays in your system for quite a while unlike Dash it still had its limits. Hay, it also had some rather nasty side effects just like any drug.

        “Well we are about four hours out so two doses should do you, also should kill you or get you addicted I would think.” She frowned for a moment, “you don't have a family history of addiction right?”

        I raised a hoof to my chin. “I... I don't know, but, two doses should be safe, just going to have to have Rose levitate the second one out to me if we don't want or can't stop.”

        “Alright then, it is a plan, I will inform the others.” She began to turn to the rest of the caravan, “By the way, are they safe to move yet?”

        “They should just be a bit sore, beyond that they got med-x in them and a healing potion doing its work, so they should be fine to go when you are.” And we probably should go as soon as possible.

        “Then get in the harness I will inform them.” She walked towards everypony else as I fashioned my helmet back in place.

        I heard her inform the others and saw Rose start to help the others into the carriage, I was going to have to figure a way to give them more protection in there for the trip to Colt. Maybe doors or slides they could manipulate from inside with their mouths or hooves. I set up the harnesses like this morning and got nice and secure, I gave a test pull once Rose was in her seat to double check it wouldn't fail. Had to admit the carriage and it's harnesses were very finely crafted to have held up this long so well. Ruby walked up to me and handed me a bottle simply labeled in ink on a bit of tape as “Buck”.

        “I am glad to have you with us Moonlight, to be honest thought you would be just a pain in the ass like passengers from Tenpony and the Society used to be when we would take them.” She gave a warm smile, “alright we better get going before your marefriend gets the idea to whip you.”

        I bit into a tablet of Buck and chewed it, I put the rest of the container in my saddlebag. The main boost of Buck lasted minutes, so I had to keep them close. I swallowed and felt the drug kick in, I felt much tougher and much stronger. I took a step and was surprised at how little the carriage held me back. I looked back to see I was still attached, it just felt like nothing. Then Rose snapped the reins against my flank, I could make out the grin on her face. I reared up then started to pull, I didn't need to use all my strength, I was also worried if I pulled too hard too fast I would break something. Not me though, I was tough, and nothing could stop me right now. It didn't take long for me to reach full speed, and I kept at it, really the hard part was getting up to speed, keeping it going was simple. I just had to keep my feet going. Hay, I was going to try just using my magic to lighten the load to keep up this pace when the Buck started to wear off.

        It didn't take long for it to start to wear off, but, even then the amount of ground we covered was spectacular. As the buck wore off I wrapped my levitation magic around the carriage and lightened it. With that I was able to pull at the same speed with no extra effort. Magic, rocks, I thought to myself while grinning. And due to how fast I was going Rose wasn't using the reins other than to guide me around bad patches of the road. I did unfortunately have to take another tablet of buck after half an hour. It was not easy work to pull the carriage all loaded up at a fast pace without it. I kept taking the tablets every few minutes when I started to slow down more than I was comfortable with. With me pulling in my drug fueled strength we were making great time, if I hadn't know the problems with the coming withdrawal and addiction problems if I took it too much I would wonder why they didn't just use buck all the time. As it was I was getting close to the point where I needed to stop for my own safety. So it was time to spend my magic on lightening the carriage the rest of the way.

        After three hours we got to Oakmare, and I couldn't feel my legs or my horn. When we arrived Ruby had hopped down and intercepted the guards showing them some sort of pass. With that a old skywagon was moved out of the road and we were let into Oakmare. Ruby guided me to old parking lot and untied me. As soon as the harness was off I laid down. Which was a mistake as we needed to go walk somewhere else next to take care of lodgings and passes. Thankfully Rose was up for the task of carrying me, we did have to leave my saddlebags behind though because there was no way she could carry me and all my stuff on her back.

As Rose carried me I got a better look at the town. A wall had been erected around it with old rubble and chain link fence with barbed wire at the top, beyond that the town itself was in pretty decent condition. Apparently when the bombs fell those who were here just walled up and kept going as best they could. And from the looks of it they had done pretty well even with much of their crops and livelihoods being lost. The town itself was mostly based around main street, not unlike Dune City. But, it was bigger, more of the buildings further from main street were in good condition and looked like they had ponies still living in them. They also had converted a parking lot into a slave pin for holding slavers 'wares' while in town. I said nothing about it, nor did Rose. It would be more trouble than it was worth to try to take it out. The next two things I saw was a church to Luna and Celestia with its stained glass windows still intact. I really wanted to go in there when my legs worked again. Last was a bar, which had a lot of ponies going in and out of. The sign for it was a mare whose features made of neon lights, and she was wearing some rather scandalous clothing on the board behind it. The name of the bar was Love Petal, or at least it was now that someone painted over the original name.

        All of us, besides the unicorn twins who stayed with the carriage, followed Ruby. We entered and loud bass heavy music greeted us, as well as many dancing ponies off to one side of the building. The rest of the bar was more like a restaurant with booths and there was a very long bar table. I really wasn't certain why we were here unless Ruby was wanting to give us a good time for the trouble of the trip. Ruby walked to a staircase in the back behind the bar, the rest of us waited for her down at the corner of the bar. I watched as mares danced on a stage around metal poles. The way they moved around the poles was... entrancing. I noticed Rose was also staring when I finally broke my attention away from them. I poked her nose with my hoof, and she blushed and turned away from me.

        I whispered into her ear, “you can practice when we get some time alone, I wouldn't mind watching.” I nibbled on her ear softly and smiled as her face was completely red from her blushing.

        “You are going to pay for this you know that Moonlight,” she hissed.

        “Just paying you back for earlier today with all that whipping.” I giggled as I saw Ruby come down the stairs with a few papers in tow.

        The papers were a notice of protection from slavers. With them we would be illegal targets for slavers who wanted to keep their slaving license. It also informed me that you apparently had to have a license to enslave, and from the sound of it they were not cheap. And if you didn't have one or didn't have a notice of protection you were free game. I guess that is how slavers don't just slave each other and sell their 'friends' off to each other. Rose put both of ours in her saddle bag, once we had those we stopped by the carriage which was moved to a fenced lot with guards. I liked that this place had so much order, it was comforting after the raider attacks.

I gave Rose a weak hug as Ruby lead us to what would be our accommodations for the night. A simple room with a mattress for me and Rose, the rest were across the narrow hall in a common room. I thanked Ruby for the privacy, then she told me that she had taken the money for our room from my bag of bottle caps. I just glared at her and she grinned. So much for paying your debts. With that Rose set me on our mattress and unpacked the bare essentials. She had kept both of our pistols and knives with us, just in case we had any late night visitors, the rest was just food and water. She also had bundled our caps together for now and stuffed them away at the bottom of her saddlebags.

        “Hey Rose, are you alright?” I asked her, she looked fine, but, I wanted to make certain she was holding up.

        “Yeah I am, Moonlight. It has just been a long day. Seeing you get hurt so badly, fearing for my life, for our lives. Just a bit tired is all.” She smiled as she brought over food and water for me. “Honestly even with how scary it was I am not scared of doing it again.”

        I nuzzled her before taking a drink of the water.

        “Honestly, I would rather not to fight again, not to be shot at again. It is more fun when you are hunting things that can't shoot you back.” She confessed as she laid down next to me and started to eat.

        “I understand, though... I don't quite feel the same. I kind of enjoy the adventuring, not the whole maybe get blown up by a rocket to the head thing, but, maybe I am just crazy.” I gave her a grin as I started to eat.

        “I don't think for a second you are crazy, you just take to the wasteland better.” She scolded me.

        I frowned at her, the only people I considered to taking to the wasteland well where raiders and slavers. They seemed to thrive in the wasteland.

        Rose caught me as I was thinking. “You aren't anything like those monsters, they just did what felt good, they didn't do anything for others. They sacrifice others for themselves, you sacrifice yourself for others. You are their opposite, they fuck corpses, you save lives.”

        I nodded and started to eat, she was right, everything I had seen of raiders was they were just that. Maybe that is what heroes are, ponies who thrive in the wasteland and throw themselves in harms way to help others. A hero is one who is the opposite of the worst the wasteland has to throw at us. They are the best of what remains and fight the wasteland. Societies immune response to the sickness of the wasteland. Then a  thought struck me, Rose grew up as a slave to raiders, I wouldn't think she would be quite so perceptive. I swallowed and turned my gaze to her, maybe she was more than she let on.

        “Rose, I hate to be quite so blunt, but...” Oh goddesses this was going to be hard to say, think of the words first.

        “But, what?” She said raising an eyebrow as she chewed.

        “Well, you seem to... well I didn't expect somepony who was a captive of raiders all their life to be quite like you.” Well, I could have said it worse, and now I was blushing from my embarrassment of being so inept with words.

        “Like me in what way? Willing to be intimate with others after a life of rape? Or maybe you thought I wouldn't be all that smart. Or maybe you thought I would be trying to cook your flesh and eat it!” She said with a laugh, goddesses that laugh was intoxicating. At least she wasn't angry.

        I started to laugh with her and she smiled at me, giving me a kiss on the check.

        “You are kind of right, I shouldn't be so okay all things considered. I don't know how I keep going, maybe I just had gotten used to it all so when you freed me and that life ended I got to begin again.” I heard her whisper under her breath, “let it go, and begin again...”

        “I think I can relate to you on that at least. I can't imagine what it was like for you for all those years, but, I know how it is to feel like you had a new start. I felt it when I freed everypony. Like I finally found what I should do with myself.” I gave her another nuzzle then continued, “and I am glad you are here with me.”

        “Well, I wasn't going to stay in Dune City when there was a chance to get further away from the remains of that horrible place, not Dune City, the raider camp.” Rose said as I smiled up at her, I really couldn't blame her for wanting to get away from that town.

        We ate in a shared quiet, I was still tired from pulling the cart and the withdrawal from the buck. I was worried about how bad taking buck for that long was for my system. Really if I didn't get addicted to it, and so far no signs of that had occurred, I should be fine in a day or two. I hoped. I leaned against Rose more as I felt another wave of exhaustion come over me. I took a glance down at my watch, it was just about eight, wasn't a bad time to go to sleep. I nuzzled Rose some more and went to kiss her when I saw her eyes were closed as she leaned back against me. Make that a good time for both of us to go to sleep. I used what little of my magic was left to close the bottles of water and boxes of food before levitating them away from us onto a table by the window. I slowly rolled to my side away from Rose and brought her head to rest on my chest and closed my eyes. We made it to Oakmare in one piece, kept the caravan going when it would have had to otherwise stop, killed Celestia knows how many raiders, and prevented the outright theft of the carriage with all of its cargo. Yeah today had been a busy day as well as a good day. I pushed my head down into Roses messy short green mane and smiled as I drifted off into sleep.

Footnote: Level Up!

New Perk Added: Cherchez La Femma: +10% damage to the same sex and unique dialog options with certain characters of the same sex.

Chapter 6 - Oakmare

Chapter 6 – Oakmare

“You think you are civilized just for living in a burnt out town of the past?” - Fallout 2, the Chosen One to Maida Buckner

As I woke up I distinctly felt the lack of the weight of Rose on me. I also felt about the same as I had yesterday, just not as sore. I opened my eyes and looked around the room. Rose was sitting in a chair looking across the table out the one window in the room. Well lets see if food helped, if that doesn't guess I would see if there was a doctor in town to help. I got up and walked over to the table, Rose slowly turned to me, with a tired smile on her face. I gave her a nuzzle and moved the other chair next to hers and climbed into it.

“How did you rest Rose?” I asked her as I pulled up a box of food and set it next to me on the table.

“Alright I guess, not the most restful sleep, you didn't wake up when the shooting started earlier today.” I looked at my watch, it was just about eight thirty in the morning.

“Shooting? Nothing we need to worry about right?” I really didn't want to have another fight on my hands.

“Maybe, it has died down for the moment.” She said and I gently hugged her, it earned me a smile.

“Well you should try to get some more sleep, I am still exhausted so I don't think I am going to be going anywhere for a while.” And if I went anywhere I was taking her with me.

“Alright, don't push yourself you look terrible,” she looked at me with a frown, “you certain you will be okay?”

“Just the down from buck is all,” I hoped, “it should be over with before we head out to Colt in a few days.”

“Weren't you going to go to the tower near here first?” She narrowed her eyes, “you aren't planning on going alone to it are you.”

I shook my head, “no, that slipped my mind. I guess I will see how far out it is, plan to go to it tomorrow? For today going to see about getting my helmet fixed, look to see if there is anything interesting for sale.”

Rose sighed, “alright, take my saddlebags with you as it has our money in it, leave my papers here.”

I nodded and returned to my breakfast as did Rose, we sat there in the quiet. As the silence dragged on I heard the music from Love Peddle. I felt Rose nuzzle me and I turned to her, and gave her a kiss. I hear gunfire on the far side of the town, couldn't really tell what was the cause thanks to all the buildings in the way. Even though we were on the third floor of the old hotel here I couldn't really tell what was going on. Maybe it was a fight outside the wall around the town. Then as fast as the gunfire started it was over.

“Hey Rose, I should check you over, I remember yesterday you got knocked out when that grenade went off next to the carriage.” I looked her over a bit, nothing on the surface looked major, so would need to break out the examination spell.

She nodded and I casted my spell, beyond the bruises and some scrapes she was alright. She did mention that she still had ringing in her ears so I gave her a healing potion. We had a good number left, and we could spare the caps to buy some more. After drinking down the healing potion a bit more life entered her features, her eyes looked brighter than they had in days. She laid back down on the bed as I double checked what we had in the saddlebags. We would need to buy food soon as well as water. Medicine we were good on, ammo was just fine, still had about four thousand caps, looked like our stay was costing us one thousand caps over all. I left a pistol and knife on the table next to Rose's papers.

“Alright I think I got everything sorted out, leaving the food, drink, and medicine with you, rest I am taking with me. Splitting the ammo half an half too. Your paper is under the pistol on the table, left your knife here too. Hopefully you won't have to use them.” I looked at her as I adjusted the saddlebags and put my armor away. “Anything you want or need me to get while I am out?”

“No, just come back around noon if you can. Just want us to check in with one another every few hours. I don't really like this town.” Rose said to me with that tired look in her eyes still lingering around. I nodded, it was a good idea.

“Alright, I will see you in a few hours, remember Ruby and her ponies are across the hall if you need anything,” with that I gave her a kiss on the forehead and I headed for the door.

Seeing things more clearly now and not being completely exhausted I was able to see how good of condition the inside of the hotel was. Those who lived here had made certain to take care of it so well. There were places that had bit of damage from blood or water, some places where there were patches to where a support had started to wear out. I had to admit the building was in great shape, much more so than the inhabitants of the town. I hadn't seen them last night but many ponies were in the street with inhalers by them or empty bottles of alcohol. This town had more problems than the slavers it looked like. As I wandered around I saw Ruby and two of the earth ponies that had come with us. I trotted up to them and joined them.

“Hi there, you don't mind if I tag along while I get a feel for where things are in the town do you?” I asked as I approached them.

“Oh, it is Moonlight, yeah we are headed to a few shops to set up some sales, nothing big. You looking for anything specific?” Answered one of the earth ponies with Ruby.

“Mostly looking to get my armor repaired or replaced, beyond that browsing for a few bits of supplies and weapons.”

“Oh that is easy, just stick with us, name is Topaz Lance, we are headed to pretty much the shop you want.” He held out a hoof to shake, I took it and he gave it a single hard shake, “glad to see you are upright again, hell of a day yesterday right?” He gave me a smirk.

“Yeah was a hell of a trip,  at least it didn't leave me as broken as my last trip.” I smiled, it was nice not to be laid up. I noticed myself absentmindedly rubbing my ribs remembering the pain from that long fall.

“Yeah, I heard about your tussle with Thunderlord. I have to admit that would have been a fight to see. From what people told me DJ Pon3 described the fight as it was something you don't see every day.”

“Don't know how well you could have seen it since it was two small dots falling from the clouds.” I rubbed my ribs more remembering the landing.

“Maybe, either way got to see you pull off some amazing feats of strength yesterday, so I don't think the DJ was exaggerating about your fight with Thunderlord. Maybe you will take out another raider leader in the area and we will get to see it.” His grin made me blush and I saw a hoof gently push against his shoulder.

“Yeah we want to have a raider lord show up while on the way to Colt, how fun that will be to deal with one of them and their whole merry band of psychopaths.” Said the other earth pony.

Topaz shrugged and turned back to me, “don't mind him, Bronze is just superstitious about saying certain things, thinks it incites bad things to come about.” He leaned in closer and whispered, “never say anything about how it can't get any worse or ask if things could get worse around him.”

“We’re here, Moonlight feel free to browse while we talk, once we finish our dealings with the owner you can buy and sell what you want. Got it?” Ruby said looking at me.

“Loud and clear,” I said, with how big the shop looked there was going to be a lot to look at.

“Be careful not to make a mess either, Aegis doesn't care for ponies damaging what he is selling or touching it without care.” Ruby said adding to the rules of the shop. I nodded slower this time, look with your eyes Moonlight, not your hooves.

She pushed open the door and we walked in through the double industrial doors into what was a rather impressive warehouse. Like many of the buildings in Oakmare it was in good condition, though I noticed more patches and stains in the floor. I looked up at the ceiling and saw signs listing off different sections of the warehouse. I also noticed the turrets that followed everypony who came in. I put them out of mind as they didn't start shooting right off the bat.

I headed straight for the armor section. What I saw was impressive, from what looked like slightly more protective versions of raider armor to the strange metal armor I saw around town and on those two pullers from yesterday. Then there was leather armor like my own, decently priced too, at least I could replace this set. I looked around more, and fuck me they had steel ranger armor. Damn near mint condition, well, except for the giant hole in the helmet laying next to it. That explains where it came from. I looked into the helmet to see if any of the electronics were still good, to my dismay it seemed to be that most of the systems where contained in the actual armor itself and the price tag made me sway a bit. I kept looking around, there was some Stable-Tec security barding as well as just regular Stable-Tec barding. Had to admit, I kind of liked the blue and yellow of Stable-Tec gear.

I thought struck me, what if they had a pipbuck here, I doubted they could get it working so they probably would have it on the cheap figuring it was broken. Oh if I could get it working I would be a very, very happy filly. Okay helmets first, check to see if they had one that I could get. I looked for a few minutes and found none cheap enough for me to get that were in good enough condition to excuse the price. So I left the aisle and headed towards tools. I figured either a pipbuck would be under tools or well I don't know where else, but, I would comb this place before giving up. Upon entering the tools aisle I saw kits for maintaining clothing, armor, and weapons. Various tools for lock picking, hacking, and even medical equipment. I noted the price on the repair kits, much cheaper than buying new equipment. I kept looking, at least the hacking tools would be useful, well everything here was useful to somepony.

“Oh what are you my shiny friend,” I whispered to myself, it was a pipbuck technicians tools, looking at the toolkit I was amazed, pretty much it had anything I could want, from hacking to lock picking. Oh yes, this was a buy as well as some regular tools for repairing my equipment. I quickly tallied up the cost of the equipment, about seven hundred caps. With that in mind I went to the weapons section. Might as well do some window shopping. I took a glance at to see where Ruby was, a good number of boxes laid next to her as Bronze and Topaz carried them in. Looked like it would be a while longer until things were freed up. So I spent the next half hour picking through the guns, one part of me wanted to pick up some more guns, but, I had my bases covered. There was also the fact that things that looked like they would be great replacements were so expensive that I would use up all of my caps and have a gun and no ammo for it. They only thing that seemed to fit with my price range was what they called a cowpony repeater as well as a point three fifty seven magnum revolver. They used the same ammo so they would work well together as I just had to hold onto one ammo type, but, the rifle didn't have a scope. It was very, very tempting to get one or both.

“Hey Moonlight,” I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned my head to see Topaz. “Our business is done, so anything you want take it to the counter when you want to. We are going back to the hotel for now. Suggest you head back as soon as you are done here, Ruby has a bad feeling about the fighting happening on the East side.”

“Alright, check on Rose when you get back, let her know I shouldn't be too much longer. If she gets worried about me... Stay put, we don't need to be running around town trying to find one another if things go south.” Now I was starting to worry about the fighting going on, Topaz turned to leave, “hey Topaz, how rare is the ammo for these?” I said as I lifted the repeater and revolver with my magic.

“Three fifty sevens? Not that bad, raiders out here use that ammo a lot, thinking of getting them?” I nodded, “Can't go wrong, though going to be hard to do that fancy sniping of yours without a scope. Might want to ask Aegis if he has any in back.”

“Alright, I will see what I can get.” I picked both up, I had ammo to trade, a lot of it as a matter of fact. “Hey Topaz, mind fetching my saddlebags, got a lot of ammo I won't be using soon that I can trade off.”

“Sure thing, be back with it in a minute,” he said and headed out, as he did I picked up the other items I was wanting to buy.

“I see you have a fine eye, I like a customer who knows what they want. So got anything to trade with or are we going to have to find you some work?” Aegis said as I laid down the various items that I had collected.

“I have caps, Topaz is bringing back some of my surplus ammo I won't be needing.” I pulled out a bit of the spare ammon I had on me and put it on the table. “So lets get to figuring out how much I owe you.”

He regarded me with a eye as he checked the quality of all the items I wanted, as well as the spare ammo I put on the table. After a few minutes of examining Topaz came in with my saddlebags on his back, he looked a bit nervous. Aegis saw the look in his face too.

“Topaz, what is happening out there?” Aegis asked, his voice a bit gruffer I saw his hoof slide under his table.

“The fighting sounds like it is getting worse. Love Pedal is empty, looks like the slaves have been moved as well. Something big is on its way.” I really didn't like where this was going and looked at Aegis.

“Then lets get this deal done fast, two thousand caps and for an extra hundred I give you two hundred rounds, letting this all go cheap just in case.” I didn't even hesitate and pulled the twenty one hundred caps from my caps bag.

I counted them as I grabbed pulled out my barding and helmet quickly patching them up. I quickly loaded up the revolver and repeater. I felt the ground quake, the three of us looked at each other, our worry showing clearly.

“Well, is there anything else you wanted?” Aegis asked as he put the caps into a very solid looking safe. “Because if not the shop is now closed.”

“Got a scope for the repeater?” I asked as I shrugged on my barding and strapped my now repaired helmet on.

“Five hundred caps, leave them here I will grab it for you. Don't let anypony else in.” He said his face darkening as we heard more gunfire. As he left I turned to Topaz.

“What is going on? Think there is a siege of the town on its way?” I said with a bit of worry as I slung the rifle across my back and placed the revolver in its holster.

“Maybe, but, once we are done here you are going back to the hotel with me and sticking with your marefriend until Ruby or one of us says otherwise.” His whole body language had changed from relaxed and inviting to that of caution and worry.

I finished counting out the five hundred additional caps and set them on the counter as Aegis returned. He had a box that had the image of a scope printed on it. I figured that it was the original boxing for a scope for the cowpony repeater. Seeing the caps he set the box down and went straight to stuffing the caps into his safe.

“Alright, shop is closed. Topaz get this mare back to where you guys are staying safely. Let Ruby know that she can count on me if she needs to.” He said as he escorted us somewhat forcefully to the front door.

 I didn't say anything and moved as quickly as I could.

“Will do Aegis, hopefully we don't have too much to worry about.” Replied Topaz, his warm voice had been replaced with cool professionalism.

I walked out the door and heard a burst of gunfire from across the city. I looked back at Topaz as he helped lock the front doors of Aegis' warehouse.

“Come on Moonlight, you don't want to stay out here too long. You may have been in a few fights, but, what might be coming is something else.” Topaz said to me as we began walking back to the hotel.

The entire walk back I was on edge. I didn't like this, a massive battle was possibly brewing and I was not at full strength. My brain was also still feeling the effects of Buck withdrawal which made it all the worse. While most of the effects of withdrawal from Buck was a decrease in strength and endurance while your body repaired itself there was also the fact that there was a bit of a mental dampening. This probably was due to the body spending a high amount of energy on repairing what you fucked up with taking the drug and diverting it from the brain. At least on the level of addictiveness Buck was pretty low unlike Ment-Al's or Party time Ment-Al's which were renown for their addictive properties as well as their mental overclocking.

It was a bit after noon when we got back to the hotel. I was slightly shaking from my nerves as we got back to our rooms. When I entered my own I noticed that Rose had removed her stuff from the table and the curtains had been drawn shut. I closed the door behind me and turned to see Rose's head pointing out of the bathroom. I blinked and looked at her.

“Expecting somepony else?” I asked her as I looked at her.

“Just nervous is all. All the gunfire is not making it easy to relax. Want to join me for a bath?” She asked, she looked slightly shaken as well.

“Go ahead and draw it, I will set down my stuff next to the bed.” I said and walked past her. I packed our stuff up and laid out our equipment next to the bed just in case we needed to get going quickly.

I listened to the sound of water filling the tub and sighed as I stripped out of my own barding. It wasn't uncommon for ponies to go a long time between bathing in the wasteland. Hay, it was actually more or less better to not bathe for an extended period of time so one would smell like the wasteland to the wildlife. Better than smelling of soap and clean pony. On the other hoof, smelling like your own blood was not a good idea. As well as it was not a good idea to not bathe after getting hurt. It was best to be clean so you lessened your chances of getting an infection.

With another burst of gunfire barely audible through the walls of the hotel I remembered about going to the MASEBS tower that was near Oakmare. As it was now there was no way that I would be going to it. In fact I would probably put it off until after doing to Colt and returning to Dune City. So definitely was going to be spending some good down time here in our room for tonight. Though I would have to make certain we were ready to go when Ruby told us to go. I got the feeling she might end up asking for us to go in the middle of the night if things started to heat up.

With my barding off I walked back to the bathroom to see Rose already in the tub. It was big enough for two but seeing her in there I had another idea for my lover. She had spent years with raiders enduring horrific things. As I looked at her I saw that her eyes were closed as she relaxed in the hot water. Her coat was patchy in many places, her mane, as well as I would wager her tail had been cut to remove clumps and knots. Even with how well she looked from just the few days that she had been free I could tell that in a few months until she didn’t have missing clumps of hair in her coat. She needed a good washing. Not to just wash my blood that had been most recently stained into her coat, but, she needed somepony to take care of her. To take care of her like she was trying to take care of me.

I pulled out a brush that I had taken with me when I left Seamane, I hadn't thought about it in ages. I was going to clean up Rose and smooth out her coat. I didn't care if I didn't get washed tonight or if I had to bath in cold water. After all I had bathed a few times in nothing but the rain thanks to the long walk through storms. In all honesty, she needed far more than I did, I don't think she had been bathed in the past decade.

I trotted up to her with a smile on my face and the brush floating in my magic. There were some soaps still in the bathroom. I guessed somepony had remembered how to make it through the centuries and kept the hotel stocked with it. I grabbed it in my magic too. At the sound of my hoof steps stopping by the edge of the tub Rose opened an eye to look at me. With just her nostrils above the water she couldn't say anything as I stood there.

“I am going to clean you, you are positively filthy.” I said, getting a mischievous grin on my face as hers turned red. “Now be a good filly and do as I say.”

She gave the gentlest of nods to me as she rose out of the water enough for her mouth to breach the surface. I had to admit, with a bit longer mane she would look beyond stunning with a wet mane. As it was she was simply still the most attractive and beautiful mare I had ever laid my eyes on. Then again, it hadn’t been that long ago I wasn’t looking at anypony for attractiveness. Without another word I went to cleaning her. I spared not place on her. Much to her chagrin it wasn't a prelude to anything for now. I was focused on getting her cleaned up, there would be time later for fun.

After I had finished cleaning her she surprised me with grabbing me in her magic and shoving me in the tub of water with her. For a moment I thought she was going to try to drown me as retribution for cleaning her. Instead she returned the favor and cleaned me and brushed out the knots and bits of matted hair in my mane and coat. I played with her tail as she did. It was... soothing. I felt myself relax more than I had back in even Dune City when we had slept together. This was beyond just physical pleasure, this was us being a couple. I felt an odd sensation in my chest where my heart was. It felt like a warm liquid sliding down a little bit. Then I felt the warmth spread through me. That was it, that was the feeling of love. I loved Rose, and I loved doing something so innocent as this with her.

In the hour we bathed one another we escaped what had happened to us throughout our lives and from the cruel grip of the wasteland. One of the few things still left in the wasteland that could beat it was love. True love, not caps, not slaves, not power. Love was one of the greatest things a pony could have in this world. In that moment I knew Rose was the most important thing in the entire world to me. That leaving her behind would never be a option for me. Because this mare was my second half. Not that I couldn't live without her beside me, but, that with her near I would feel more myself than I ever could alone. Now I had a better understanding of Sunset and Violet as well as Mom and Dad.

We left the tub and dried of before moving to the bed and laying on it together. It was almost criminal how bad the thing smelled compared to us after bathing. Her mane looked far better than it had after I washed it. It was a slightly lighter color after the soap had apparently cleaned out some tough dirt. Her coat as well looked healthier to the point of having a slight shine to it. My own coat was looking better than it had in months. Honestly I had never really regularly bathed since water was so precious in Saint Clover. I generally only did it when I got a nasty cut or I had started smelling too badly, or after having gotten ill with something. At the same time I had forgotten how therapeutic bathing could be.

While I had wanted to cuddle Rose properly it was hard when I was of such a small frame while she seemed to be a bit taller than most ponies. Which lead to us deciding that at times like this I was the little spoon. When she said this I hadn't understood what she meant. Then I realized being held from behind by Rose as we lay on the bed I found it very relaxing and I was struggling to keep awake in her warm embrace. I looked up to see that she had actually fallen asleep not long after we had started cuddling. I simply rolled my eyes and then closed my own eyes. A nap was not a bad idea. We were to stay put while whatever was going on outside went on. As it was right now I could hardly give a logical argument to do anything else, but, this.

Waking up I found that I had turned around in Rose's legs and was firmly pressed into her. She was still asleep, but, she was holding me tightly. I felt a tremor pass through her. I looked outside to see that it had grown dark indicating we had been asleep for a number of hours. I didn't hear any gunfire so whatever was causing her trouble was in her head. I gave a quiet sigh wishing I had a way to help with whatever dream was harassing her. I felt a pang of guilt as I now knew a small fraction of the pain she felt when she had seen me get hurt on our trip from Dune City.

Though in her case she had seen me physically hurt to the point I could have had mortal wounds. A part of me wondered if seeing me hurt had also conjured up bad memories for her, of her time with those raiders. I gave another quiet sigh, I really knew so little about her, yet, she knew so much about me due to my willingness to open up to her. Her not telling me anything I took as a sign of not wanting to remember. Or maybe she didn't want to be seen as somepony to pity, she wanted my love not pity. Well I would figure this relationship thing out one day at a time I supposed. I closed my eyes again as she held me closer pushing my muzzle deep into the coat of her neck. I couldn't hear her say anything, but, she was trembling slightly. I couldn't tell whether it was from fright or joy in her dream. If this is one of the things she need me for I was more than happy to give up some sleep so that she could hopefully rest well.

I fell asleep in her embrace. I could only imagine it was much later when I awoke again. She was still asleep, but, the light outside was orange signaling that dawn had come. Except... the room we had faced south. It shouldn't be that bright or across the whole sky. I blinked again and realized that it was from fires not dawn. Oh... well shit, things got bad. I listened to hear if something had woken me up. I was rewarded with Rose again trying to apparently force me to fuse with her by hugging me tighter. After a moment she relaxed again. As things were I had no reason to wake her up yet. I figured Ruby would be very much on top of making certain to get us out the door if we needed to be going. Or awake if things were going badly.

So instead I lay there gently nuzzling Rose as she from time to time moved in her sleep. I would have stroked her mane or really anything else if it hadn't been for the fact that I had my legs tucked between us, and now thoroughly crushed under Rose’s vice like grip of me.. Now they were uselessly crushed between us. I figured the orange light where fires caused by fighting, or maybe I hadn't noticed them before in the night and they were from the buildings themselves. Whatever the case was I didn't hear reports of guns, screams, or hooves marching about. For now we were safe, and I had found a new love for nuzzling since it was all I could do. I also was really happy that we had bathed before. Though in hindsight we should have eaten before taking our nap.

My stomach growled loudly in response to my thoughts. Loudly enough that I heard and felt Rose take a deeper breath. I figured she probably got woken up by my rather rude stomach. Then her stomach growled in response to mine. Great, now our bodies were communicating on a deeper level than we had control of. I pulled my head back feeling my cheeks burning in embarrassment as I looked up at Rose as she blinked the sleep from her eyes.

“Sorry, didn't mean to wake you up Rose.” I said quietly before nuzzling her again.

She yawned and looked down at me, “no worries Moony.”

I blushed harder and cursed under my breath, what was with that being the pet name for me?! Whatever, she meant it in a loving way let it go. She noticed my reaction and licked my horn which completely banished my previous thoughts from my mind.

“Can we eat before we uh...” I trailed off as she did it again. Maybe her stomach's growl wasn't for food... Then I felt her loosen her grip and blush while looking at me.

“Sorry, I didn't notice I had you gripped so hard. You alright?” She said with her silvery voice only slightly tarnished by her still half asleep state.

“I am fine, just maybe a little sore. You know you are quite strong right?” I said as she loosened her grip and I pulled my legs out to wrap her in them as I resumed nuzzling her. Eating could wait, cuddling was better.

She simply blushed and kissed me, and we stayed that way for a while. Our stomachs had decided to let us enjoy each others company. Eventually Rose made the first move with licking my horn again and I let her go to town. This time though I didn't let her do all the work, she maybe bigger and stronger than me physically, but, that didn't mean I couldn't pull my own weight in bed!

When we finished we enjoyed some more cuddling before our stomachs reminded us to the reason we had woken up. With one appetite satiated for now we focused on another. As always the flavor not the image of the food was what helped it go down. Whoever had figured out how to preserve food for over two centuries was a master at preserving the flavor as well. However little could be said with how the food looked. I had decided to try something that looked more or less like a steak. Though it said there was no meat in it. Tasting it, I could tell it was made by somepony who had no idea what meat tasted like or had the texture of. Then again why would they back then, they had plentiful grass and flowers to eat. Rose looked like she has no better luck than I with her own 'steak'.

I decided to check the time and saw it was about five in the morning. Yeah the light from outside was very much not dawn. It was late fall, hay, by now it was probably early winter. I looked at the calendar read out, it was very much late fall. I gave out a sigh as I finished my meal and dropped my left fore leg. Honestly in all of my years I hadn't been out much during late fall or winter. I knew it snowed here in the Seamane region, but, still I never had to deal with it much myself. Probably would mean that I needed to get some warmer equipment while up in Colt, figured since they are at both a higher elevation and further north they would need warmer garbs year round. Rose caught me thinking again and poked the tip of my horn with her hoof. I blinked and looked up at her to receive another kiss. We had nothing better to do so we went for another round.

Okay that was more than one round, I had checked my watch once we were done and both guzzling down water. I had opted to drink from the sink first to see how radioactive it was. Much to my surprise it wasn't that badly radioactive. We had gone for three and a half hours before getting a dire need for hydration. As it was we both where exhausted, Rose frustratingly not as much as myself due to her endurance. She must have a strong line of earth pony blood in her I thought to myself. That was the only possible way she had that much endurance. Then I mentally face hoofed realizing it was probably built from her time with the raiders and decided not to ask. I didn't know how much her time the had scared her and I didn't want to find out. On the other hand I had figured out a way to make up for my small frame with my magic. As I sat looking out into the distance I saw a large number of figures outside of the walls of Oakmare. Right, the city was being attacked this whole time we were having fun... I facehoofed as I realized at anytime in the past few hours Ruby could have come in seeing us. But, now seeing the situation my willingness for more fun was diminished. Because now that it was day a rather nasty fight was bound to unfold. So much for round three…

As I thought that Rose came back and laid down on the bed looking at me expectantly. Before I got a chance to join her and enjoy what little peace of the day was left a knock came from the door. I sighed knowing that this probably meant the end of anything fun today.

“I got it Rose, probably start calming yourself if this is what I think it is.” I said as I slide out of my chair and walked to the door, Rose had a very understandable frown on her face, I was fairly certain I was frowning too.

I had rather liked the idea of waiting this out in bed with her. Though a part of me knew as trying to be hero I should be out fighting already. Then again, part of me also said heros needed down time too. I opened the door to see Ruby standing there looking worried as I had expected.

“Get ready-” She began, but, I cut her off. My pleasant mood had gone out the window when I saw the amassing force.

“They are already at the gates, I can see them from my window. Whatever your plan is we need to get going as soon as everypony can.” I said flatly, Ruby's ears flattened as I said that to her. I wasn't certain if it was from not liking being commanded or fear of what I had said.

Whatever the case was I didn't have time or the care to worry about it. I closed the door as she returned to her ponies. Walking back I saw Rose at the window.

“So they really going to attack?” She simply asked me as I walked up to her and bumped flanks with her.

“Probably, they are raiders after all.” I nuzzled her, smelling the scent of sweat on her, our room must have smelt musky after all of our work. “Come on we need to get ready, Ruby has some sort of plan and I aim to be ready for whatever it is.” I said as I turned to our equipment.

We were both ready when the knocking came again. I took lead as I knew Rose could easily shoot over me, or drag me back if needed. Really she could do anything to me if she needed or wanted to. I mentally face hoofed at my own words, but, it was none the less true. I opened the door to be greeted with Ruby and her group.

“Moonlight, I want you and Topaz to go to Aegis' shop, Rose I want you with us. I know you probably hate the idea of getting separated at the cusp of a battle, but, we need you to do this.” Ruby said, I simply nodded and looked back at Rose who did the same. I gave Rose a kiss.

“Don't worry about me, keep an eye on everypony else. We both know I am a tough pony.” I said with a smile on my face. She kissed me back and nodded.

“I do, just keep your head down when the shooting starts. Your helmet is only good for one shot between repairs.” She said as she joined the rest of Ruby's ponies.

We left out the back of the hotel and at the first road separated. Rose and Ruby heading to another portion of the town which I figured Ruby either had friends in or some other vested interest. Topaz broke into a full gallop towards Aegis' warehouse, I did my best to keep up with him.

Upon getting to the warehouse Topaz knocked semi-rhythmically on the door. We stood there as I heard a distant boom and gunfire erupt to the south where Rose had gone with Ruby. I tried to squash my panic as we waited. I heard movement on the inside of the double doors before they opened fully and I saw a rather angry Aegis. When he saw Topaz the expression changed to a flat expressionless face. There was a history here, and I was not privy to it. Nor was I apparently allowed to hear what was being said. I didn't pry and just waited as I scanned the south where the fighting had broken out.

After a few moments I realized I was alone outside and turned to see the door had closed again and Topaz had apparently entered. I took a few steps towards the door then turned around keeping an eye out. As I did I put the scope onto the cowpony repeater and started adjusting it. While it didn't have the night vision of my varmint rifle it had a more powerful maximum magnification. I had to give it to Ironshod Firearms, the had made it so instead of manually messing around with the level of zoom you had a wheel that simply clicked to different levels of zoom. Though you had to adjust the lenses first so the image wasn't blurry to your own eye.

When I had finished I sat there waiting and ended up checking on my revolver. I then remembered that now Rose had both of our pistols and varmint rifles. As if having two varmint rifles would do her a whole lot of good. I then remembered I had also left her one of the SMG's. That would do her a lot of good if they got into a firefight. As I slapped the cylinder back into the revolver the door behind me opened again and I saw Topaz standing there with a stern expression on his face.

“Come on in Moonlight.” He said, I without question entered and followed him up to the counter. Then I felt a powerful vibration run through myself and the whole store.

“That didn't feel like an explosion” stated Aegis as he walked out in a helmet-less suit of steel ranger power armor. He had at some point dawned the power armor and from the looks of it was giving it a shake down before the fighting got to us. Loading the battle saddles, a rocket launcher and grenade machine gun. He set his helmet on to his head and I heard a soft hiss. “You two want to get paid?” He asked his voice now more metallic thanks to the helmet.

“Defend your store, make certain it takes as little damage as possible?” I asked as finished double checking my weapons and tightening my barding. I also remembered the SMG I still had in my saddlebags and loaded it.

“You got it, if need be feel free to use the heavy weapons, ammo is half off for this.” I heard a hint of a smirk on his face as he said that.

“Topaz you good for this or do you want to sit this one out?” I turned to the teal earth pony.

“I don't have a death wish, but, if the town is under attack I will help, just don't expect me to help you if you go rushing out that door.” Topaz replied as I saw him putting on a new suit of combat armor, “always wanted a suit of this stuff.”

“Moonlight, correct?” I heard Aegis ask I nodded, “mind peaking your head out and giving me a report of what you see.”

I simply nodded and carefully moved to the front of the warehouse as I did we all felt another rumble. I felt my eyes go wide as I looked at Topaz who was returning the look half way into equipping a duel light machine gun battle saddle. I got to the door and opened it slightly, looking out to the east the wall was on fire, and I couldn't see anything through the smoke. I heard shouts from the south towards where the slaver compound was, then gunfire for a few seconds then more shouting.

“East wall is ablaze and the smoke is keeping me from seeing anything, south I hear sporadic gunfire and shouting!” I shouted back to the two.

“Alright, Moonlight, keep an eye on the situation, Topaz, you stand where you can get a good line of fire on the door. I am going to secure the rest of the building.” I gave a glance back to Aegis as I saw him move into the back.

“Hey Topaz, out of the frying pan and into the oven right?” I joked with a smile on my face as I pulled the hammer back on my revolver.

“No kidding Moonlight, keep an eye out for anypony coming our way.” I heard a faint wurr from his battle saddle as it automatically loaded the machine guns.

I looked back out, more was burning and the smoke darkened the sky already, the streets were bathed in a hellish orange as I heard more shooting and yelling. I also saw Ruby, Rose, and everyone else running from the hotel to here. I had guessed whatever they were after they had moved to the hotel. I heard a roar of some sort from the eastern wall and saw a massive head swoop down and eat a chunk of the wall with a few ponies shooting at it.

“Topaz, what large, and I mean monstrously huge, scaled things live around here?” I was probably going to have to use a rocket launcher for this one…

“Um... What color was its scales?” He asked, I could hear the fear in his voice.

“Brownish white, and Ruby and the others are galloping over to us.” I opened the door and waved a hoof to Ruby and the others looking to see if any other threats had shown up.

“Oh fuck, that is a Hydra, I heard that Slate's raiders had captured one, even tamed it. I thought it was just some dash induced hallucination.” Topaz was suddenly at my side as we saw the huge head of the hydra strike from the smoke again and eat a few more ponies on the wall.

“That is no hallucination. Topaz, I am getting the biggest gun here and turning it on that monster even it Aegis charges me for ammo. At least he will still have a warehouse.” I turned back into the warehouse and made three steps when Aegis himself rushed past me to the door.

“They have a Celestia damned Hydra,” I heard Aegis say in a flat annoyed tone.

“Yeah, you got something to shoot it with?” Asked Topaz.

“I do, good thing we have a unicorn here to use it, come with me.” Aegis turned and galloped up to me where with Topaz behind him, “Moonlight, get everyone in here, and make certain to not burn your magic out, you are going to need it.”

“Will do,” I turned and ran out the front door switching to holding my revolver in my mouth.

It took a few moments more for Ruby and the rest to make it to the warehouse I pointed them in, when the hydra roared they didn't bother asking questions. I pulled back and shut the doors. If anything at least nothing would immediately know we were in here.

“Moonlight where did Aegis and Topaz go?” Asked a breathless Ruby.

“To get me a really big gun, something about good thing they had a unicorn to use it with. Ideas?” I raised an eyebrow as I kept to wall next to the doors.

“Don't know,” she turned to face everyone else, “alright, we hold up here until either that Hydra is dead or the town stands no chance of surviving. I will give the call to abandon the town and we will grab the carriage and loot what we can and take who we can. Don't get left behind we aren't coming back.” With that she slide back the slide of her large caliber pistol. Everyone else was reloading and patching their barding if not simply pulling on new barding.

I felt another rumble and heard the hydra roar again, I crept to the door and cracked it open slightly and looked. The hydra had just stepped over the wall crushing what wall remained and any ponies on it. It turned and moved to the south where a constant chatter of gunfire was sounding. I slide back in and closed the door turning to everyone else.

“Hydra is inside the wall and headed south to the rest of the fighting. I don't think this fight is going to last long with it around.”

Ruby just nodded, she accepted my assessment of the situation. At this point Topaz and Aegis walked back in the room, carrying between them some large thing. I couldn't tell how the thing worked. As they got to me I opened the door for them and the 'front' end of this weapon was pointed out the door. With a resounding thud they dropped it on the floor and then it put out some feet to secure itself.

“Moonlight, I am assuming you are not familiar with energy weapons. How are you with portable artillery?” My jaw dropped, I could feel the his smugness radiating out of that armor of his.

“How do I even operate this thing?” I said as I slowly approached the portable energy artillery.

“You get in it, from there it should be pretty simple. Aim for the heart.” As he said this a hatch pulled down for me to enter.

“So long as it doesn't shoot me at the hydra I think I will be fine.” I set a hoof on the metal, it was very cool and I could feel a small hum within it.

I took a deep breath and climbed the rest of the way in. As I finished climbing in the panel I entered through slide shut with a soft hiss as I felt the walls close down around me. I started to panic as I felt the ceiling press down along my spine and for a second I tried to flail before I found myself unable to move. It was like being in a memory orb again. The wall in front of me resolved itself into what would have been the front of the machine. A flash of three symbols appeared before me. The Ministry of Wartime Technology, the Ministry of Arcane Science and one that I knew to be that of the Office of Interministry Affairs. The last one I only knew from an article about its director being charged with treason.

I saw a panels next to the view had opened and I felt a tingle go through me as something clamped down on my horn. Various information came to life on the view in front of me, two warnings about my health both indicating Buck withdrawal, the rest seemed to be data about the machine. I also saw briefly something about my overall health and various biometrics. I saw a bar filling as the tingle built within me with the pressure in my horn built with it. I focused on the view I had looking for the hydra. It wasn't hard to find as it was in the middle of ruining the buildings next to the church. I focused on the center of its body. As I did I felt a jolt go through me and a wave of exhaustion as a bright electric blue light built to my left.

Red words with a red line boxing them in appeared in my vision 'Firing'. I felt what could only be described as every part of me getting hit full force all at once. I saw a blue light lance out from my left and strike the hydra, its scales started to blacken where the beam was hitting it. I felt myself become more drained as the beam continued to strike the hydra. With a loud roar the hydra spun around and started to move towards us. I focused on its left leg and was rewarded with the beam moving and blasting into its leg. The hydra howled as the leg crumpled under the beam of light and its own weight. The bar indicating charge dropped to zero and the light petered out, but, it had done its job, the hydra was laying down on the ground snapping at everything that got close to it. However, it was no longer crushing everything in it's path or even on a path in general. I had crippled it and it could not advance.

I saw everyone else move out around the contraption as I felt a sharp pain jab into the base of my skull. They started firing what they could at the hydra where its scales were blackened. It bellowed in rage as a rocket tore into it. I watched as they kept firing at it, I saw that they were hurting it. The charge bar was nearly full again as I felt a rush go through me as something hit my system.

“Almost charged again!” I called out, at that Aegis ordered everypony back in. As Aegis exited my view it read '100% charged, fire at will'. I focused again, I aimed for where I felt its vital organs would be. As the light built the heads of the hydra started to just roar at me, directly at the light. The bean lanced out again and struck an open mouth, a wall of steam came out as I heard what could only be described as a death scream. I just kept it focused the other heads were now writhing and trying to get away from it's body. I kept the beam focused on one spot as the charge drained. When it was over I saw the entire head and neck that had tried to intercept the beam was gone and now a large black crater was left. I felt something pull off of me as the vision before me closed up and I slide out the way I came. I landed in a heap at Rose's hooves. I tried to move, but, couldn't. I heard the panel seal again as gunfire erupted from outside.

“Stay here Moonlight, they are going to finish that off, the drugs should be out of your system soon from what Aegis said.” I saw Aegis and Topaz moving the energy artillery back to where they had gotten it. “Apparently it is something Aegis got his hands on a long time ago, prewar tech for dealing with the monsters Zebra's had on their side. Said something about melting a Zebra tank in ten seconds flat. Whatever a tank is.”

I tried to smile, I don't know how it looked because I couldn't feel the muscles in my face. I heard the foosh of rockets launching from outside and tried to look, Rose helped move me so I could watch as Ruby and the others fired rockets at the hydra, each one landing home in the hole I opened ripping, it apart from the inside where its scales meant nothing. Even with the impressive regenerative properties of the Hydra the constant barrage of high explosives as well as the massive damage I had done was overwhelming its natural regenerative abilities. I felt something wet on the back of my neck and tried to move a hoof to it, I instead smacked myself in the throat. I really want this stuff to wear off soon. Rose looked at me worriedly.

“Just don't move let your body work it out on its own. Ruby and her group are going to clear the  rest of Oakmare, Topaz is staying here while Aegis goes with them, it will be over shortly.” She smiled and that was enough to reassure me everything was going to be okay.

“Close the doors Rose, or drag me off to the side so we have something between us and the fight.” I felt Rose grab me by the mane and drag me to the side.

I saw Aegis gallop back out and bark orders to everyone, then heard everyone gallop off and the sound of distant gunfire and shouting filled the air. While my body was still recovering, my magic was at full strength so I levitated out the repeater and the revolver, it felt a lot easier than it had in days. I saw Rose pull out her pistol in her mouth.

I continued to listen to the fight for the city as they day dragged on. There was no telling who was winning from here, but, one side was winning as the gunfire dropped off over time. When I could finally feel my own limbs again I checked where something had leaked out of my neck, it was some very strange looking rainbow colored fluid. I put a bandage over the spot and hoped that whoever designed that weapon didn't consider the operator expendable. By the time anypony came to the door I had control of my body again and could walk around half decently. When they came through I nearly put a round through Ruby's head, she and the others were beat up, but, alive. As soon as the last one was through the door and Aegis standing watch of the door with Topaz I rushed to start taking care of the injured. Rose joined me taking clipboards and pages from ruined books going and doing triage for me. I was now very glad for whatever had been given to me in that machine, with my magic completely refreshed I was able to treat their wounds pretty quickly. They had seen some serious fighting, a lot of lodge bullets, broken or fractured bones, all of them were covered in cuts. This had been with all of them wearing decent armor. After a long time of hard work everyone was back on their feet, it took a lot of everything to put them back together. I even had resorted to using the limited healing spell I had on them which seemed to be working better as well.

“Are they okay to fight again?” Aegis asked walking up to me as I rested drinking a sparkle cola.

“Physically they are good to go, but, they are probably exhausted from that fight and their injuries.” I explained before taking another drink. “Give them some stimulants they should be good, but, no food, not if you are going back into a hard fight.”

“Alright, continue to guard the warehouse, we have to secure the wall while it gets patched up.” He then left to gather some things from the medical aisle.

Ruby walked up to me next, “thanks to us putting down that hydra rest of the town got the nerve to fight back against the raiders. Seeing that monster probably scared half the town to death, seeing it die by our hands rallied them. Should have known something was up when we got attacked yesterday. Raiders don't ride in carts unless they are moving from one base to another.” She wiped her brow, “got to say, been more of an adventure than usual this trip.”

“So you usually don't get ambushed by well armed and armored raiders on carts, and don't usually have to deal with magic wielding earth ponies. And you certainly don't have hydra's attacking the town you are staying in regularly?” I said with a grin on my face.

“No, and to be honest, rather it was boring like usual, if you call getting shot at from time to time while on the road boring.” She then pulled her armor back on, “alright folks we got more work to do, so get on your hooves!”

Aegis walked back over and handed out shots to each of the ponies he was taking back out. Without a word they used the shots and got back on their hooves and into their barding. The bit of rest from when I was working on them had done wonders for them, the shots helped more. I watched as they walked back out the door as orange light bathed them from the fires. I walked over to Topaz to see how he was holding up.

“You doing alright Topaz?” I asked as I got close, I started to look him over to see if there were any signs of fatigue.

“It is hard watching them walk out there without me. When the fighting started I wanted to rush off to the rest of them, but, Ruby asked me to take you here and help Aegis.” He didn't move his eyes from the door, keeping his hooves firmly planted on the floor, ready to bite the trigger for his battle saddle at a moments notice.

“Well thank you for not running off on me then,” I said. He was just nervous from the looks of it, and I could understand that, and I turned to check on Rose.

“Moonlight, are you still planning to go to that MASEBS tower?” Rose asked me as I got to her, again the trip to the tower had slipped my mind.

“Honestly I don't know, I will have to see how things look in the morning, at this rate I might see if Ruby is willing to drive us out there when we leave instead.” I gave her a once over, she thought I was eyeing her up and decided to pose. I turned my head fighting the rush of blood to my face and other parts.

“Oh that is good to hear, more time for us to spend in bed then?” She purred at me with that silvery voice of hers.

“Rose, not now, and I wasn't looking at you like that!” Well now I was, “or wasn't, point is, how are you holding up?”

“With you here just fine, I was scared when the fighting broke out. We had rushed straight into it and were busy guiding ponies out from the shelters in the south and moving them to the hotel. I was stunned when I saw the walls alight. Apparently they use that as both a warning to others on their way to the town and as a way to defend.” She was slightly shaking and I put a hoof around her and nuzzled her.

“Don't worry, the raiders played their ace, we took it down. Just relax the town will be secured in a little while.” I gave her a kiss on her muzzle, she looked up at me with tears in her eyes.

“Just stay with me until then, okay?” Her voice was small and frightened, I could only imagine what it was making her so scared.

Then again we had just fought a hydra and she had been outside with probably very little cover as it rampaged south to where they had been.

“Don't worry, I am not going to leave you,” there was no point to leaving we needed to hold this place until Aegis and the others got back then I would go help the injured as best as I could.

I heard gunfire erupt from about where I would place the breach in the wall. I moved to the door to look out, I saw what looked like ponies in heavy metal armor charging through as Aegis was pushing rubble with the help of the twins unicorn magic. I pulled out the repeater and took aim for the one closest to him and fired. I saw the blood of the first would be attacker paint the hooves of Aegis. I quickly pulled the lever with my magic and fired again taking down the second attacker with a shot to his front leg with broke upon his next step sending him sprawling and screaming. I fired another round into his head cleanly hitting through his eyes. Even if he was alive he couldn't move or see. I took a breath that I didn't know I was holding and reloaded quickly.

“Moonlight how is the wall looking?” Called Topaz up to me.

“Good, looks like a few more minutes until it is at least closed up.” I racked the next round in the repeater, “going to sit here and pick off anypony who gets though.”

“Alright, if you see any group of them coming let me know I will mow them down.” He said and I heard him fidget with his battle saddle.

I stood there in the doorway, keeping an eye for anypony who got through the breech. It probably was the longest ten minutes in my life as I felt every part of me tense up watching for any movement. Several times I saw movement and moved to shoot to only recognize it as a member of Ruby's group or a resident of Oakmare come to help. It didn't help to keep hearing bursts of gunfire from all around town. I saw the fires start to be put out to the west as gryphons showed up and started to rain death from upon high. Looked like this was going to get mopped up quickly now. With a number of gryphons over us more of Ruby's group hopped down the wall and started to help push rubble into the breach sealing it. I breathed a sigh of relief and pulled back the repeater and slipped back inside.

“The wall is closed up, and gryphons showed up and are picking off the remaining raiders.” I said as I sat on my haunches and took a deep breath as I felt the tension go out of me. I saw Topaz do the same, he had been standing in the same spot in the same position since we took the hydra down. I felt Rose wrap me in a hug from behind.

“This mean we can go back to the hotel soon, Moonlight?” I could hear the exhaustion in Rose's voice.

“Once Ruby or Aegis say we can. Me and Topaz have this covered so just rest for a bit,” I felt her release me from the hug and watched her go to the armor aisle and lay down behind the empty suit of power armor.

Ruby's group was pulling back to us, the gryphons giving them covering fire from what looked like a good number of raiders. I saw lances of light coming from those raiders. Energy weapons? Where the hay did raiders get energy weapons from? I pulled out my repeater again and pushed open the door as I saw one gryphon turn red and then into glowing ash.

“We got company Topaz, raiders with energy weapons, Ruby is falling back to us!” I called out as I fired and was rewarded with a raiders head splitting like an overripe fruit.

“Alright, pick what you can off, try to pin them down so they can't get close.”

That was easier said than done, the raiders had enough numbers that they just poured forth over any wounded of their own. Aegis was the last to the door and I closed it behind him and ordered Topaz to get ready.

“Moonlight, this way, you are going up on the roof, everypony else keep your guns aimed at the door, I have to get more ammo.” I followed him without question, reloading as I walked.

He pointed me to a ladder that led up to the roof then he headed deeper into the back of warehouse. I climbed as I was told to. Honestly ladders were not easy to climb, but, far better than a long series of stairs. Upon getting to the top I pushed open the hatch and climbed out. The air up here was hard to breath from the acrid smoke coming off the walls. I put on my goggles as quickly as I could and fumbled with the respirator, by the time I had both on my eyesight was so bad from the tears I had to crawl so I wouldn't accidentally fall off the roof. My lungs were also burning, thankfully that was going away faster than my tears thanks to the respirator.

After a few blurry cough filled minutes I made it to the edge of the warehouse. Three of the five gryphons who had been covering Ruby's group as they fell back remained. I took general aim at the crowd which was down to about eight raiders now taking cover. From the marks on the ground and the corpses Topaz and Aegis had laid down some heavy fire and now the rest of these raiders were hiding in cover. Well trying to hide in cover. From my vantage point I had a good number of shots I could take. I took my time just like the gryphons were doing, these raiders were cut off and risked moving. We could wait them out if we wanted. I choose the other path though and pulled the trigger. This was too easy, they couldn't make out my shots from the rest of the gunfire around town, and with being on top of a building with the smoke bellowing around me it would be hard for them to spot me. After the third shot the raiders started to try to find cover against me, as they did the remaining gryphons swooped down and blasted them away leaving none of them alive.

I felt a weight land on top of me and something sharp dug into each of my legs.

“Well what is this, some raider thinks she can pick of my boys?” Said a deep voice above me as I felt the pain in my legs get worse as my skin broke.

“Your boys being the raiders or the gryphons?” I asked using my magic to ready my revolver.

“The gryphons you fool, now then, what limb should I rip off first?”

“I was targeting the raiders,” I turned my head up to see a very powerful male gryphon on top of me pinning my legs with his talons and paws. His tail firmly holding my repeater. “Go down stairs and talk to Aegis he sent me up here to pick off the raiders.”

“Shut up, and don't move.” I felt the weight go off of me as the gryphon leaped off the edge. I heard three more sets of talons land on the roof and the cocking of guns.

“Not going to move just like your boss said to.” I let my magic implode on my revolver that was still resting in its holster.

“Good pony, now lets get a collar on you,” said one of the gryphons as they started to walk towards me.

“Can't do that, that would break your slaver license.” That stopped them dead in their tracks.

“What, seriously, that wasn't in the contract was it?” Contract? As in signed legal agreement contract?

“What do you mean wasn't in the contract?” I asked.

“Shut up you cunt, slap the collar on her now, ask Helgrim when he gets back up here. Probably could sneak off with her anyways, Red Eye always gives a good price for unicorns. Maybe there are a few more that we can grab and no one will notice.” I heard the other two chuckle with him as he walked up to to me and slapped a explosive collar around my neck.

I had lost just my only opportunity to take out these feather brains when I let one get close, now they could see if I tried any magic, and with that pop would go my head. Damn it.

“Well either way one of us will have to carry her, how about this, one who carries her gets her stuff too, sound fair to you two?”

“Yeah sure, says the one with the lightest load and strongest wings. Take the caps for her.” Said the one who had yet to talk. She had a tone of annoyance more than anything else.

Out of the frying pan and into the oven I thought to myself, oh how accurate that phrase was now. The one who had put the collar on me started to remove my gear sorting it and stuffing it into my saddlebags.

“Hey this mare is loaded, got a couple thousand caps still on her and a lot of gear in good condition! Looks like jackpot for me.” Beamed the gryphon above me.

“Oh shut up Bryn, just loot the bitch and get her ready to fly.” Said the annoyed female gryphon.

“You're just upset you didn't have the idea first Astra, or were you hoping it would be a buck?” teased Bryn, I heard Astra just give a humph and took a few steps away.

“You three!” Okay gryphons could fly without a sound apparently which gave me a shock as Helgrim shouted at them, “Get ready to go, we need to meet Slate, take her with us, maybe we can use her as a way to make up for his pet hydra getting killed by her.”

“She said she had protection from slaving,” said Bryn.

“Yeah and they think she is dead, no move your tails and get flying east in two minutes, leave what you can't loot.”

With that I was striped of everything but my pipbuck zero, all that I had put into my former saddlebags and that was used to bind my legs together. Then came the sharp talons as Bryn grabbed a firm hold on my chest.

“Hope you like pain, because this isn't going to be gentle, of course nor will Slate if we end up giving you to him.” Said Bryn as he gave a powerful flap of his wings lifting us from the roof, his talons digging deep into me.

“I am going to surf on your body down to the ground and use your feathers to make a dress for my marefriend.” I growled up at him.

“Can't wait to see you do that.” Bryn said with a smirk.

*                *                *

This wasn't the first time I flew, but it hurt a lot more than the first time, I did however get a good view of the destruction around Oakmare. There was a trail from where the Hydra had come in from and with the smoke cleared on one side I could see that many fleeing raiders had encountered slavers and other ponies on their way back. In the end what was to be a wholesale sacking of Oakmare turned into a slaughter of the raiders. From the few things I had heard all the raiders were part of Slate's group, a apparently very big and very tough stallion. I also gathered from the sounds of it there was more going on than I had thought. Bryn had been yelled at by Helgrim for his loose tongue and told him to make certain to keep me from getting free and let anyone know what was going on.

What was going on from what I could piece together is Red Eye had set up some sort of deal for protecting Oakmare in return for slaves. At the same time Red Eye had brokered a deal with Slate to attack Oakmare and any place else. For what and how they got paid for this I didn't know. I also knew that this Red Eye was taking every slave he could get his hooves on. Apparently he also really liked unicorns a lot to the point of having a personal bonus on their heads. Maybe he was some sort of really powerful raider lord whose way of getting off was doing something to unicorns. I shuddered thinking back to what I had seen when I rescued Rose and the others.

“What's wrong Moonlight, air too cold on you?” Bryn said as he felt me shudder.

“A bit, if I had my barding back I would be just fine though. Nothing like having cold air rushing over you while you are being held by the tail of a gryphon upside down a thousand feet off the ground.” I rolled my eyes, I had gotten used to the blood having gone to my head and my hooves going numb, but, it was a bit chilly.

“Maybe you should figure out how to make fire with your horn then!” Bryn said then swung his tail up and down making me feel ill.

I stayed quiet as did the gryphons for the rest of our flight. I was stunned at what I saw, we were flying to the base of the tower I had been meaning to go to, and there was practically a city built around it. The place was made of various scavenged parts having a large metal wall around it. I had to admit, Slate had a impressive fortress in his hooves. Helgrim fired off a flare gun announcing our arrival and we landed a minute later at the pried open doors of the MASEBS tower. The guards here were wearing heavy metal armor that looked like it was made from gutted Steel Ranger armor. Damn they had to be strong to walk around in that stuff.

“Bryn you stay on the ground floor while we go talk to Slate, don't want that bitch to hear anything.” I saw Helgrim pointing a talon at me.

“Alright sir, I will stay here and entertain myself with our guest. Don't worry she will be in condition to give to Slate if he wants her.” Bryn then smashed me into the floor face first making the whole room spin.

“Good,” and with that Helgrim and Astra walked into the elevator and ascended.

The other gryphon I remembered had stayed back in Oakmare to coordinated dealing with the remaining raiders.

“Well lets have a little fun, you and I,” I hated the grin on Bryn's face.

“Sure what do you want to play, Go Fish, Blackjack, Tarot?” I asked at him with a condescending tone.

“Rock, paper, scissors, win and you go free, lose and you shut up and do as I say.”

“Fine, so I just pick one and you pick yours then we just say what they are?”

He nodded, “on three. One, two, three, PAPER!” he held out his talons with claws spread. “You lose, because ponies can only do rock, pity you don't have fingers.” He grabbed me by my throat and squeezed and I felt myself start to pass out as drops of blood ran down my neck. Damn bastard cheated…

I came to later sore and on the floor, Bryn was sitting on top of me reading one of my books. I also noticed on the table across from us had  my collar sitting on it. The bomb collar was coated in my blood. From where my skin burned he took pleasure in torturing ponies in many ways. He had yet to notice I had woken up and I started to look around the room. The only thing worth note was a terminal and it just happened to be behind us where Bryn wasn't looking. I grabbed it with my magic and floated it above Bryns head, took my time in rotating the screen so it faced Bryn and getting the wire that powered it near his throat. With one simple move I pulled the power cable tight around his throat then smashed the terminal down on his head.

If he had tried to call for help it was wasted as the power cable crushed his throat and then the terminals capacitors discharged into his head. He fell over twitching slightly as he, hopefully, died. I quickly gathered my saddlebags and Bryn's battle saddle. I pulled on the battle saddle and quickly reaquainted myself with how to reload and fire.. I then headed to the elevator in the previous room. From the look of outside it was now evening. I decided not to take the elevator and go with the stairs. I doubted that they wouldn't have someone watching the elevator or someone would notice it getting called.

Taking the stairs had been a bad idea, my body was still under the effects of Buck withdrawal as I made my way to the broadcasting floor. When finally there I cracked the door open to see if anypony was in there. From the layer of dust and the black monitors I would say nopony was. I slide in and quietly closed the door. I checked around for a few minutes before working my way back to the broadcasting room. All I had to do was turn on the broadcast feature and it would be on and I could get out of here. I found the button, same place as before and pressed it, the monitors came alive like last time. I didn't see Homage this time so I guessed she was away at the moment. I decided, since this place is held by raiders, best to turn off the monitors. I powered each of them off and then scanned the room for anything else. Perfect. there was a first aid box like the other tower. Gotta love mass produced buildings, layout is the same every time. I checked it to find that it was unlocked and I opened it. Inside was a intact first aid kit with two extra items. A memory orb, and a letter.

‘To whoever finds this, I am Meadows, I have shut off this tower in response to the Pegasi closing up the sky. I was with the Equestrian armed forces stationed in Hoofington when the world ended. I have walked all this way helping those I could and taking the memories of those about to die. This orb contains some of those memories. Memories that shows why I decided to strike back against the last bit of what is left of our government. A government that failed us and has left pony kind to die here on the surface. Be it the Stables or the cloud curtain, those fuckers left most of us to die on the surface. Since I can't even dent the door on a stable I am doing the next best thing. I am going to take down these towers around Seamane, my home, in hopes that will stop the cloud curtain. And if you are one of those fuckers who abandoned us to die on the surface make certain you watch the memory orb.’

I looked at the memory orb, I was going to view it later, when I felt safe. Whenever that would be again. A shot shattered the window next to me and grazed my cheek. I turned to see Astra hovering in the air outside of the tower.

“So this is where you ran off to you bitch, Slate wants you dead, and I want you dead. So do me a favor and stand still.” She opened fire with my cowboy repeater.

I dodged into the hall and pulled out my revolver. I kicked the door to the stairwell open and started to run up. She would expect me to go down where I could freely run into the raider city and lose her. But, I knew she would get to the ground before me and wait for me there. Instead I had a very bad idea, one that would probably lead me to a very painful and sudden death thanks to gravity. Still liked the idea better than getting ambushed at the door by two heavily armored earth ponies and a gryphon.

Okay, so stairs are always going to be my mortal enemy, drunk or not, I hate them. They go on for far too long and easily outstay their welcome. By the time I reached the top I was physically exhausted but my mind was still fresh. I had managed to not run across any guards or have Astra fly up from the bottom and find me. I opened the door at the highest floor I cared to go to. The door was marked as camera access. As I walked through the room I saw where the cameras that each tower held were housed. I moved outside into the cold air, it had started to rain again. I heard one of the cameras move behind me and I turned to face it. I watched as its lenses moved and I could tell it was focusing on me since I moved in front of it. I smiled and waved, then I leaped off the tower spreading my legs and focusing my telekinesis on myself propelling myself forward as much as possible.

First came distance with horizontal speed, then, I would focus on slowing myself vertically and glide my way to freedom. Without some pony trying to punch me to death and being prepared to do this, it was a lot easier. While it was freezing as the rain and wind stripped me of heat it was manageable. I smiled as I managed to slow my fall as much as I did. Those below me would see nothing against the rainy night sky as I flew. It hit me, this was flying. I may not be able to go up, but, I was, for all intents and purposes, flying. All it took was not falling faster than I moved forward. I then felt talons grab my fore legs and paws on my hind legs and a tail wrap around my throat.

“Thought a little bash over the head would kill me you cunt! Thought you could just fly away from a gryphon! Guess who is going to ride who down to the ground and be used as a pillow!” Bryn yelled into my ears.

I dropped my magic forcing him to take all my weight which made him let go of me besides his tail. I felt my throat getting crushed as I grabbed for his tail with my hooves.

“Oh you rather hang than be my bitch again, too bad!” I felt his tail let go of me and I entered free fall. I pulled down on the trigger for the battle saddle sending bullets up at Bryn, he turned and got out of my line of fire as I coughed. He smashed into my chest stabbing his talons into me completely ignoring my barding and gripping my ribs. I gave him a kick in the stomach trying to knock the wind out of him, it did nothing than earn me a punch to the face with his free talon. I tried grabbing his wings in my telekinesis only to have them easily move out of my grasp.

“All out of tricks? Give up and I will teach you a few more fun ones before we toss you to Red Eye!” He cackled over the wind his voice sharp with malice.

I to think and say a snarky comeback, but, just succeeded at rasping and glared up at him, I turned to look at where we were going, he wasn't taking me back to the raiders we were flying north towards Colt, the Equestrian Heartland, towards Fillydelphia. What, was he going to fly me all the way? Then once in Fillydelphia sell off my stuff to get me patched up as well as himself then enjoy my 'company' for a few days before selling me to Red Eye directly? Either way I wasn't going to find out if I could do anything about this situation. I noticed where his talons dug into me burned like crazy. Okay I have to do this now or I am as good as dead. I turned my head and grabbed my revolver in my mouth and shoved it under his beak.

“Huh, really, you that crazy bitch, you would shoot me and fall to your death with me?” I stared up at him not moving a muscle. “You are, even though it gets you nothing, you are fucking nuts. Well then just do it. You know what is going to happen otherwise. Or maybe you are interested in where this will all lead. Maybe you wouldn't mind getting to see Fillydelphia.”

I struggled in his grasp again, I wanted to kill him, but, I was far too weak now to live through the fall. I could feel the black seeping into my vision and I holstered my revolver. He wasn't going to kill me yet, he knew it, and I knew it. I had personally hurt him and he wanted his revenge to be slow and painful. I would get plenty of time to get free.

“Good choice, now then just let me do the flying and you will live through this.” Bryn said, his grin annoying me.

“Only because I shoot you and I know I won't survive. Trust me Bryn, hope we are not on the ground or alone when I wake up.” I held onto my consciousness as long as I could, I felt the holes in my chest close as he forced a healing potion down my throat and held me by my legs with his tail. The next few hours would pass in silence as I tried my best to pay attention to the geography for my return trip.

Footnote: Level Up!

New Perk Added: Toughness; after getting beaten up by what the wasteland has to offer your skin seems to be tougher, or maybe that is just your nerves deadening. Whatever the case you are now more resistant to all forms of physical and magical damage. Note this does not affect resistance to taint, radiation, or poison.

Skill Note, Speech 50, Barter 50.

Chapter 7 - Farm Country

Chapter 7 – Farm Country

“I have given all that I have all that I own to you, and now I ask for you to do the same for our children.” - Red Eye, Fallout Equestria

Eventually we had to set down, Bryn's wings were too tired to keep flying unabated. When we landed he covered my eyes with his tail and moved quietly all the while dragging me. We both knew the second one of us made a mistake this was over. We both had a problem that we couldn't fight as easily as each other, our bodies basic needs. I had been badly injured without a chance to sleep, he had been burning energy flying and carrying me. Both of us needed food and water as well. Bryn was doing his best to make certain I lost this fight and would pass out before him, then he would disarm me and I would have no method of fighting back.

        “Bryn, neither of us will make it anywhere like this, you let me keep a knife and my revolver, you get everything else. When we get to Fillydelphia we can go our separate ways.” I said.

        “Sure thing, maybe we will sign a contract on it, oh wait, ponies don't respect the contract.” Bryn fired back with a heavy tone of sarcasm.

        “Listen, I just want to live, simple as that. In this situation we are both dead if we don't work together. And yeah, I hate you, I want to gut you. But, I like being alive more than I like getting revenge at this point.” I fired back at him.

        Bryn grumbled, “you have a point, a annoyingly valid point. You understand if when we get to Fillydelphia I decide to instead knock you out and sell ya right?”

        “Really,” I just flatly said to him.

        “Here is the thing, my contract is to bring everypony I can to Red Eye, in doing so I work with Helgrim. Now here is the thing, protecting and working with the ponies I am to sell isn't against the contract. Surprisingly it kind of helps getting ponies to Red Eye a lot easier if I protect them. So if I want to stay loyal to the contract in everyone elses eyes you are going to have to beat me when we get to Fillydelphia. Until then, don't shoot me in the back.”

        “Agreed, set me down and I will get what I took from you out, patch you up some too.” I really didn't like the idea of helping him, or the fact he just told me as soon as we get to Fillydelphia he was going to try to take me out so he could get some caps. I felt my hooves touch the ground and as soon as they did something forcefully grabbed my revolver.

        “Sorry, but, until you get me armed up with those battle saddles I am going to keep your revolver. Still don't trust you.” I opened my eyes as his tail released my head and I saw my revolver in his talons aimed at my head.

        I stared at him for a moment then went to taking off the battle saddle. My back felt much better once the battle saddle's straps came loose and it slide off of me and on to the ground. I pulled out my medical supplies and went to patching Bryn back up, the entire time he kept his gaze firmly locked on me. It took the longer than I would have wanted to properly fix a lot of his injuries, due to having to cut out pieces of glass that his body had healed over from what I assumed had been the reckless use of a healing potion. I could also tell he was very exhausted as I listened to his breathing and pulse.

        “Bryn you are going to have to trust me with this, I need to check that there isn't any internal damage, which means I need to cast a spell.” I stared at him as he slowly nodded, I was starting to get used to avian eyes. I cast my spell and began to check him over. As I had assumed, majority of the damage I had done to him had been healed with a healing potion, he got lucky nothing was out of place. “Alright, beyond exhaustion you’re good.”

        Bryn didn't say anything as he pulled on his armor, then put on the battle saddles. “Thanks, catch” he tossed my pistol towards me which I caught in my magic. “Lets get somewhere a bit safer for the night.” He began to walk towards what looked like a small barn a few miles away. I put my revolver in my mouth and followed after him. It looked like for now Bryn was going to hold up our verbal contract. I decided not to mention it, I honestly didn't want to aggravate the gryphon. I honestly was also surprised that he was so willing to let me walk behind him, out of his sight. Maybe that was just exhaustion effecting his judgement.

        The walk to the barn was cold as not a few minutes after we started to walk it started to rain. I hate the wasteland, it rained too much. I don't think there was a five day stretch so far that it hadn't rained at least once during. Maybe the pegasi were trying to drown us, that or thought with enough rain they could wash away all the mistakes of the past as well as the various poisons that still remained. Either way, I was getting really sick of the rain, and of the cold. I did notice the the weather didn't affect Bryn at all, he kept up a constant pace, looking like he was completely fine. Even when I picked up the pace and was now a ways ahead of him. I just wanted out of the damn rain, let Bryn shoot me in the back at least then maybe I wouldn't be so cold or wet.

        When we got to the barn I crept in first, the place was barely still standing, the stairs leading up to the loft upstairs had fallen apart some time ago. The ground floor barely had anything other than some loose dirt. I turned as Bryn walked in and gave a nod to the loft, he looked up then closed the door behind him before stretching his powerful wings and flying up there. I listened as his feet moved around up there, bits of dust falling from the cracks. Mercifully the structure stood and I heard him lay down. Guess that solved one problem of sleeping arrangements. Grumbling to myself I found a intact stall on the bottom floor and went in, closing the door behind me. I sent thanks to Luna and Celestia that the place at least had few leaks and the dirt was dry and soft. I set my revolver in a corner by the door so anypony looking in wouldn't see it.

        I lay there on the floor for what felt like hours never relaxed enough to sleep, my whole body now felt tight. While it seemed Bryn was being reasonable enough about this temporary cease fire it didn't make me relax any. I looked down at my pipbuck zero. I watched the minutes tick by, I pulled out the ear bloom and turned on the radio. To hell if I was just going to keep listening to the rain all night trying to hear foot steps.

        Listening to the radio didn't help much, time seemed to pass a bit faster by. Every creek, every sound that wasn't a drop of rain made my ears twitch in every direction. Every time I heard something any semblance of tiredness was washed away. What I would give for a book to get lost in, even if somepony crept up on us I still had my gun hidden from sight, my knife, and was tense enough to probably not feel the first two shots that hit me. I listened as DJ Pon3 came on with some sort of informational broadcast. At least maybe I would learn something new.

        “Alright folks I have been hearing of a lot of sightings of the Princesses. Now I know what you are thinking, “But, the Princesses died two hundred years ago when the bombs fell”. Well you are right, these are not our princesses, whatever they actually are they are not our princesses and they are very powerful. I have seen them engage with raiders. These alicorns have quite the magical prowess. So, don't shoot at them unless you want to die, treat them like any other dangerous animal out there like the Manticore or Hell hounds. Give them a wide berth if you see them, if they come to you don't shoot, hopefully the worst they will do is scare you. I have also heard unconfirmed reports of these Alicorns working with Red Eye's slavers as well as foalnapping. So, if you think you see the princesses you don't try to hurt them, run, hide, lock the door. These things aren't to be trusted beyond probably not wanting to kill you outright. Now then on that note I am going to leave you with some Sweetie Belle and get some sleep. DJ Pon3 out.”

        So, now besides looking out for Gryphons and Manticores when I passed through Fillydelphia and Manehattan I had to be on the look out for Alicorns. I mean yes I had to look out for raiders and all that, but, these were enemies that can fly. Honestly as if the wasteland didn't have enough problems already with slavers, raiders, predatory animals, and steel rangers. Of course everything also got a lot worse the closer you get to any cities ruins. Honestly I was glad to that apparently Seamane was not of much interest at the moment. I felt a chill go through me, I just jinxed myself didn't I? I let out a sigh, well whatever the case, deal with whatever horrors and monstrosities that popped up in Seamane when I get there. I rubbed my eyes, maybe my mind wasn't able to rest but seemed like the stress was catching up to the rest of me. I pulled open my saddlebags and grabbed some food, I didn't feel hungry, however, I knew I should eat something. I sat there eating, waiting. Waiting for what?

        I continued to blankly stare at the door of the stall I had taken. The mixture of rain and music turned into a quiet white noise as I zoned out my body not wanting to sleep yet, my brain not wanting to sleep either. So I lay there staring at the wall with a blank mind.

*                *                *

        The rain continued to pour down, small streams went around my hooves, the loose dirt having turned to mud. I was laying on my side, I don't remember laying down on my side. I pushed myself back upright and notice my ear bloom at some point fell out too. I reach down to put it back and saw the radio is off. I blink and look at the corner where my revolver is, no, was. I looked around and found it was laying next to me caked in mud. I pulled the cylinder out and checked it. It was still fully loaded, so I just cleaned it off. The hell had happened, last I remembered was listening to the radio and the rain. I guessed I ended up passing out eventually. I looked at the walls. No, this isn't the same place, it is another barn, like the one before. Or maybe it is the same one. Damn it why did I feel so off at the moment.  I grasp the revolver in my magic and slide open the stall door. The sound is deafening to me as the door fought against my effort to open it.

        I crept out of the stall keeping low and quiet. Slowly my hearing adjusted to the drone of the rain hitting the barn. Everything was right, but, not right. The stairs were still destroyed and unusable, the barn in places was better repair than I remembered, others in far worse. I opened the front door to see it was the same place, some how I had missed all of these detail when we first arrived. I shook my head and closed the door. I began to check each stall in the barn for anything of use, sadly all that I found for my effort was two bottle caps. I slid them into my saddlebags as I felt a itch running from the base of my mane to my horn. Maybe I needed to wash my mane again, laying in the mud must have gotten it itchy.

        As I sat using my magic to gather water above me wash myself with I heard the sound of talons coming from the loft. I guessed that Bryn had awoken and would be down soon. I opened holes in the bowl of telekinesis that I had holding the water above me. Letting streams of water come down on me washing away the grime and dirt that had built up. A frightening amount of the water that flowed off of me was red indicating I had a lot of caked on blood on myself. I had just bathed and yet I was already caked in my own blood yet again. That is kind of sad isn't? Tragic tale of hygiene in the wastelands. It didn't take long for me to wash myself, next came cleaning the rest of my stuff. Thankfully most of what was on my stuff was thankfully mud or just easily came out.

        I heard a small splash behind me as I set everything back down on one of the few flat surfaces of wood left. I turned to see Bryn standing there, the small streams of water rolling around his talons. His eyes were focused on me, calculating.

        “How long until you stop posing and are ready to go.” Bryn asked me.

        I blushed, “I didn't mean to pose, but, since it is still raining we can go as soon as I eat something.”

        “Get to it, been here long enough that my feathers are starting to stand up on end.” I saw his eyes start to dart around before he spread his wings once more and flew up to the loft again. “Let me know when you are done.”

        I pulled over one of the last bits of food I had, hopefully we would find some place that I could get some more. If we could not find more food for me this was going to be a short trip, or one with a very bad ending for me. I looked up at the loft where Bryn was watching me from, I hadn't seen him eat anything this whole time. Maybe while I was out cold he left to hunt something. I popped in a few shriveled preserved apples, I hated that they tasted so good for how horrible they looked. With a sigh I ate a couple more then put the box away. I donned my barding and set my saddlebags on my back.

        “Alright Bryn I am ready to go.” I called up to him as I used my magic to pull back my hair so the longer parts of my mane stayed out of my face. I wasn't going to be dry any time soon so at least I could set my hair so it would lay out of my face. Bryn hopped down from his position and motioned me to get the door. I lifted the board barring the door with my magic and set it down on the ground. With a push of my own magic I opened the door into the rain and walked out. Bryn walked out and stood next to me.

        “Climb on, we are still a ways away from Fillydelphia and I rather not take a month to get there with you having to navigate the badlands on foot.” Bryn said as he crouched down.

        “I promise to do my best not to get both of us killed.” I replied as I climbed on his back and opened the barn door.

        Within moments we were flying again, with my armor this time I didn’t feel as cold as quickly, but, still I was soaking wet. The day passed without incident before we landed at another barn a ways north. This time I slept instead of passing out. Without word we were ready for the next day of travel, though Bryn looked more tired than yesterday.

        “You are going to walk that way,” he pointed his talons off in a direction, “I will keep an eye out for any place of interest, or anything that might want to eat you.” I nodded and started walking in the direction he indicated.

        I was right, I couldn't really get any wetter, but, I could get a lot colder, though not as bad as flying in this weather. I thought about making a dome of my magic over me to keep the rain off of me then I realized that would just be a beacon to anything out here. More importantly I realized that beacon would be one for my head and horn, a shot to either would be lethal or make me nothing more than a frail earth pony. I kept my helmet and goggles on the whole time, what of my mane sat below the helmet dried, it was the only dry part of me. Even as the rain kept pouring down from time to time I would see a dark figure in the sky, never a gunshot or call, just a silent shadow. This figure I would see dive bomb something a ways ahead of me. The skill of a gryphon is both a marvelous thing to behold and terrifying at the same time for you now know how easily it could happen to yourself. Or in my case would be happening to me upon reaching Fillydelphia.

        After a few hours Bryn landed in front of me and dropped a satchel on the ground then took to the skies again. I picked it up and used my magic, a plus side to this trip was I had learned how to make the aura of my magic smaller on my horn thus making myself much less of a target. It also helped that I had seen exactly how far visibility was at this point. If I used my magic even openly the only one who would possibly see it was Bryn or other gryphons. As such I used my magic to examine the satchel. In it I found some more medical supplies as well as some more prewar food. I hazard a guess that at some point Bryn had seen either raiders or a building with these supplies. I also figured some of the times I saw him dive bomb the ground he had been attacking wildlife for food. Once I had the satchel around my neck I made a dome of magic over me, keeping water out was far easier than what the shield spell was. I also used my magic to pop a few more preserved bite sized apples into my mouth. I hadn't had the chance to check the time, but, I trusted my stomach as a good enough clock. From what I felt it was probably a bit after noon.

        As I continued on I thankfully began to dry as I held my shield up. The spell was simple enough that I could hold it for hours if needed, and as it was, I needed it. It was far too cold not to. I guessed that Equestria still did have severe seasonal changes, even if not quite as strong as they had once been. Instead of snow most of the time during winter it just rained and the air would sap what heat was in your body out when you inevitably got wet. That or I was just in a very cold rain storm. Either way I was not a happy pony, or a well rested pony. What was worse was that I kept on thinking I heard hoof steps in the rain or a voice over the wind.

        For the next few hours I kept up a decent pace with my rain shield up. I saw nothing or heard anything beyond the sound of my hoofs in the mud of the rolling plains I was trotting across. It was maddening how peaceful it was. A few times I stopped and ate what little grass still grew. I needed anything to supplement my diet with. After a few more hours of this the rain finally died off and I could took a rest to let both my body and magic recover. While I sat there I noticed I didn't see Bryn anywhere. I had figured he was keeping up with me, however, now it seemed he had moved off on his own. I cocked my revolver with my magic while keeping it in its holster. Some may call this being paranoid or trigger happy, but, when you have a slaving, torture loving, psychopath gryphon as your 'companion' you tend to be a bit on the worried side. More so when they have told you they are going to attack you when you get to the destination.

        I began walking again keeping my eye out for any movement now that I had a good view around me. I both welcomed the leaving of the rain and hated that the rain had stopped. Nopony was really around, as well I was walking in a direction, not even following a dirt trail. My only direction to go was North.

Fortunately for me thanks to all the rain it had been hard for anypony or anything to do much while I was passing through the few towns a ways back. Thus now in the open plains I was relatively safe unless Manticores had a really large hunting area or a band of nomadic raiders happened to see me. Or Bryn decided waiting until Fillydelphia was a bad idea and decided to swoop down out of the air now and attack me. Then again he wanted caps for my head which he wouldn't get if I didn't get to some place that would buy me from him.

        I cursed under my breath, I shouldn't be paranoid about Bryn yet. Logically he had no reason to attack me yet. He also had given me a verbal contract on not trying to kill me before we got to Fillydelphia. I popped in my ear bloom and turned on the radio, only for a short while hoping that maybe DJ Pon3 would throw me a bone and give me a situation report about what lay between here and Fillydelphia. Instead all I got to hear about was a rather intense battle between Red Eye forces and the Steel Rangers in Fillydelphia. The fight had cost  the Steel Rangers a bit of ground, apparently Red Eye knew well enough to pin down the Steel Rangers and take them out at long range. Another thought came into my mind as I listened to some more news around Manehattan, this would be a different type of urban combat than in that small town where I fought those raiders. Bryn had all the cards, his two biggest advantages being he knew the area and his wings.

        I turned off the ear bloom once the music resumed. No luck on gaining any valuable information. But, my mind was now thinking of how to deal with Bryn when we got to Fillydelphia. Short of getting a lucky shot off before Bryn had a chance to take off I couldn't deal with his ability to fly. However, there was three things I could do to turn the situation to my advantage. The first was simple, get indoors, it was a city so a lot of buildings would be connected. If the building I was hiding in didn't have any underground access or possibly above ground, I always would have the advantage of being indoors where there was a limited number of paths he could take. Disadvantage to the plan of going indoors was obvious to me, if I got trapped he could just wait until I passed out. He was far more used to physically straining himself so he would likely take it easy the day of getting into Fillydelphia so he could out wait me if needed, as well as run me down. The second advantage I had was the sewer and storm drainage systems in Fillydelphia, a city like that would need extensive ones with being on the banks of a major river. I could dive into one of those and so long as no major damage had been done to it or it being infested with threats, it would give me a whole hay of a lot of maneuvering room. Third, from what I could tell was I could probably rely on any Steel Rangers to attack on sight any Red Eye forces. So I could in theory run past a Steel Ranger outpost on hoof in a manner where they would see a gryphon dive by and shoot them down and not bombard me with lead.

        A few more hours past I had yet to see Bryn again. So I laid down after marking which way to head in the morning.

*                *                *

 I had taken to sleeping wherever I felt like, seeing as I was among rolling fields. The first night was the worst of them as the ground had been pretty soggy still so I ended up practically caked in mud. That hadn't been too much of an issue as the following day it decided to rain like mad again. I honestly was just surprised that I hadn't gotten sick. Either from the rain or the food.

        It had been three days since Bryn vanished on me. At this point I was fairly certain he had instead elected to just fly the rest of the way to Fillydelphia and wait for me to arrive then attack me as I entered the city. The past few days my emotions had been running high, anger at him leaving me out here to probably die a lost little mare in the vast empty plains. Or I was feeling sad that I had lost potentially the only company I would have this entire trip. Part of me had wanted to turn around and try to go back to Colt. I remembered that during the first day of travel Bryn had explained to me that we had landed in the middle of the badlands and rested there for the night, which meant he could fly from roughly Oakmare past Colt in a day. Apparently flight was very, very good at cutting down travel time. Assuming you were a strong flier with good weather. As I finished climbing a hill I looked down into the plains below me. The area was very thick in fog, which did little to ease my already frayed nerves. I had no other option but to go through this massive fog bank.

        I climbed down the hill and as I entered the fog I absently clicked on my flashlight. After almost having a heart attack from the sudden brightness and the deep shadow forms in the fog I turned the flashlight off. Light plus fog was not a good idea. Then my mind wandered back to the shadow forms I had seen. Nothing had moved in the brief moment my light was on and cut through the fog, but, there had been a figure none the less. I drew out my revolver, it was still cocked from several days ago. With a deep breath I steeled myself for what was going to be probably a very nerve wracking experience on top of my already frayed nerves.

I slowly walked into the fog keeping my revolver in my mouth as I saw something darker ahead. Not the figure from before, but, a almost uniform dark shape. I crept closer thanking Celestia for the soft dirt and not mud. As I closed on the dark shape, color started to seep into its features. It was grass, not green and healthy but brown. I pulled my revolver out of my mouth with my magic and took a bite of it. It was fresh, well, kind of. It was the fresh of something that had managed to be grown after the war. I looked around me to realize I was standing next to a field of grass that I could eat. That ponies could eat and with the fog hide in. With that thought striking my mind I went back on full alert. I pulled out what empty food boxes I had and my knife. I wasn't going to let this pass by me, and so I used my knife to cut down as much grass as I could fit into the several empty boxes. Food was taken care of for now. May not have everything I need in it, but, hay it was better than nothing.

        I began to pick my way forward praying my internal compass would guide me in the right direction. As I crept through the field numerous times I thought I heard whispers or movement. I even saw what looked like a figure standing off in the distance just watching me. That sent a chill down my spine as I kept my eye on it until the fog obscured the dark form. Eventually I came across a fence. It was old and in disrepair and I saw no gate near me so I did my best to climb and squeeze through it quietly. On the other side sat a dirt road leading to my left and right. I wanted to take neither of them. In the time that it took me to climb the fog had lifted a bit more as it had been doing all morning.

I froze at what I saw. There was a giant tent in front of me, parked vehicles all about. All of them looked to be for transporting materials. I stood still as I took in what was all around me. As I did all I could hear was faint music, what would pass for cheerful in any other situation, now it was utterly horrifying. I saw what looked like a bloat sprite hovering in the air as I heard the music coming closer. I lined up my sights on the revolver. As it came closer I noticed it was metal not organic. I stared at it as it passed by ignoring my presence. With a quiet sigh around the handle of my gun I moved forward. Whatever they were they didn't care about me, and from the looks of them and this place hadn't cared for two hundred years.

        As I moved towards the tent I saw a sign advertising the place.

        “Come one, come all to a Pinkie Pie certified carnival! We set up shop out here for so all those folks who work so tirelessly away from any big city could still get some fun! As such we have begun setting up and will be done by next week. Tickets will be free to all who come as it is your work that makes us able to be fed. -Site Manager, Cat”

        I looked around and saw the skeletons of tents half way put up, but, abandoned when the bombs fell. Nopony wanted to be working on this when the end came, nopony had heart to finish putting it together when the world shattered. I let out a bit of a depressed sigh at that. Another robotic parasprite floated by and I listened to the carnival music spill out of it. Again it didn't notice my existence. Apparently they had been programmed to just patrol and play music. I looked around to see what few tents were up. Nothing had signs on them, but, as I moved around I saw that behind the central tent many buildings had been erected. Most of them booths for games, a few for food. I heard my stomach growl at the idea of actual food. My brain berated it for thinking there would be anything better than what we had been eating for the past few days beyond the grass we just harvested. At that moment my stomach decided to protest my brains treatment of it.

        I did my best to put my revolver away before what contents of my stomach came up. The foul smell and burning sensation left in my mouth and throat made me dry heave for a few minutes before I mustered control over my body again and moved towards the booths. I inspected each booth, most held what remained of toys for foals. At several points I thought I had found myself a rifle to only find it fired tiny metal balls. Something completely unfit as a weapon in the wasteland. Looking at them and even taking one apart I knew they were worthless to me and any other pony. After a while the booths were fully explored so I moved on to a series of identical structures built further back. As I neared them they seemed to be residential in nature. Even with as much as the fog had lifted it the whole place still had a bad vibe to it.

        I approached the nearest building and tried its door, to my surprise I found it unlocked and opened quietly. I popped my head in to see what was within. I was greeted with a rather spartan room. There was a bed of sorts, I think that was half way pulled out, a lot of alcohol related glasses sitting on every available surface. And there was a single skeleton laying on the floor. It was an earth pony and in its jaws sat a pistol. For a moment I marveled at how they had managed as an earth pony to get a gun in their mouth and pull the trigger of it. I then mentally slapped myself, and then also did so with my magic.

‘This had been some pony, don't marvel at how they died!’ I chastised myself.

I grabbed the pistol and checked it over. I couldn't find a slide on it and noticed a cylinder release button. I hit it and with silent motion the cylinder popped out and ejected the one round that had been loaded. It was a five point fifty six millimeter round. I looked it over with a bit more reverence and loaded it. I liked This Gun even though I had not a clue what it was other than a pistol that took rather decent sized rifle rounds and held five shots. It still surprised me that it was a revolver and not a pistol. It was heavy too, I stared down at the earth pony before me and sent a prayer for him up to Celestia.

        I then proceeded to ransack his house. In the end all I really found of use was some more ammo for that gun and a lot of caps from all of the bottles of alcohol as well as the bottles of themselves. Money, water, ammo, and a damn nice pistol. I was happier than I had been for the past few days. Which was not saying much. I felt a smile creep across my face as I strapped on another holster for the five point five six pistol. Today I had finally found something worth my time, I had the cover of fog protecting me from eyes above, and badly needed supplies. I took my time to catalog all of my supplies. I was reasonably stocked on medical supplies, nothing impressive, but, I could hold someone together. Ammo was very well under control, if anything I had too much ammo. Water was a bit low, but, if it rained again I would be set. Food was... not good. I had the grass and a few more days worth of rationed out prewar foodstuffs. I would need to check this whole place over for any food so I wasn't barely not starving when I got to Fillydelphia. I slide everything back into my bags and shrugged them back on.

        I opened the door to see one of those robotic parasprites floating in my face. Dead silent. Theses fucking things could be silent as hell when they wanted to be. I eyed it as its wings quietly buzzed. I heard a quiet noise come from it as something within moved behind the grill that covered the majority of its front. The silence between me and the machine crept on for a few minutes before a pop and music flowed out of it once more as it flew back to where I had seen them patrolling before. I let out a breath that I had been holding and steadied myself as I felt the effects of having held my breath for so long. One more thing for me to hate in this Celestia damned wasteland, robotic parasprites. I moved off and began a methodical search through each of the remaining houses. A few were locked, most were empty of anything beyond trash and caps.

        I found it funny, in the past bits were money, now they were practically worthless. On the other hoof bottle caps something mass produced and just tossed away without a care were worth a great deal. This of course meant I targeted ever single trash receptacle I saw. Now I could imagine in the past seeing a pony toss bits to the side and dive into a trash can to dig out caps would be nothing short of crazy. Now, well now it was a matter of that is how things were. As I moved from house to house, pick locks when needed I always saw a, I think they are called spritebot, watching me. Always with the silent observing. Part of me wanted to shoot the damn things, but, I had seen some sort of slot that had caked on carbon. From what I knew that meant magical energy weapons. I didn't want to face down a hoard of head sized laser spewing flying robots.

        After a few hours of looting the houses and coming across no more dead bodies I had restocked my food supplies a bit, now so long as I didn't hit any road bumps along the way I was good for a day into Fillydelphia if I didn't ration anything out. I was still going to ration things out which from a conversation with Ruby would give me enough food to last me to the town of Gutterville or Friendship City. I trotted up to the managers office having a employee badge on me that hopefully would get the spritebots to ignore me from now on. If it didn't well, to hell with it maybe having the badge of a Ministry of Moral site manager would be worth something. Checking the door I found it unsurprisingly locked. I had used up my last bobby pin opening another door, while it had worked I dropped it in my excitement and the already strained metal broke. I frowned, all the bobby pin was used for was to press the right parts in the lock to make it think a key of the right shape was in it, the screwdriver was just for turning it. So... my thoughts trailed off as the pieces of the spell fell into place. I didn't need tools to open locks anymore, though the lack of visual feedback in the form of the bobby pin would make this harder. With a deep breath I focused and began using my magic to try to pick the door. I didn't have to rush myself, my magic had been used sparingly for the past few days and there was no threat or need to be in quickly.

        With a soft click the door unlocked and I pulled the door open. I did it, after having to relearn the sounds of the lock as I pressed the right and wrong parts of the tumblers. Inside the managers office there were plans for the carnival. Much of the place was to be automated and as such three buildings were to be built. One was a permanent administration building for the region, one was to be for maintenance and storage of the robots. The last was to be some sort of... Well I couldn't tell what exactly it was supposed to be. There were what looked like containment cells as well as some sort of long range communication device. What I found more surprising was how it was planned to be powered, not by coal, but, a combination of solar and geothermal. Apparently there had been ways to power the nation beyond coal. I guessed it hadn't become that affordable by the end of the war considering this outpost for the M.o.M. was probably a third of the way built before the bombs fell. As I turned to begin addressing the other things in the room I was greeted with another pop of static as a spritebot floated away again out of the open door of the office.

        “If you want to keep an eye on me do it from afar so it is less creepy!” I shouted after the retreating spritebot, “honestly it is bad enough having a pony hovering over my shoulder!”

        I bucked the door closed then went back to the remainder of the office. What remained were a few metal orbs that I knew as memory orbs as well as a safe and terminal. The terminal was not easy to get into, I must have backed out at least eight times before getting the password. More out of frustration than difficulty did it take so many times. Once in I saw a daily log of progress all signed by Cat. From what I saw on the terminal these logs were forwarded to the Fillydelphia branch of the Ministry of Moral, which made sense as it was the closest. A few personal notes about punishments for things going missing or blatant violations of the law. In the end nothing terribly interesting. I took a crack at the safe with my magic, compared to the door it was easy and I had it open in no time. Within it there was a small collection of notes. I pulled out the two century old notes and set them on the desk by the terminal and continued to examine the safe. The last thing within the safe was a single memory orb, I cradled it in my magic, having learned to not directly focus on the things when moving them. I set this on the desk as well, then as one I drew the blinds of the office and locked the door. I had time, I had safety, I was going to check out what was in all of this stuff. I moved back into a corner where even if someone looked in the windows or even got through the door they wouldn't see me. Then I reached out with my magic and focused on the orb itself.

ooooooOOOOOOOoooooo

        It was evening, the pony I was riding was a unicorn mare like myself. I felt warm and happy, the familiar effects of alcohol saying hello. The lights were spectacular, the buildings tall as I walked with a large group of other ponies. A buck by me shouted something about a pub crawl, everypony in the group including myself shouted it in return as we entered a building. Said building was a bar or I guess more accurately a pub, considering how my host was feeling at the time this was not the first of the night. Everypony was happy and plastered singing songs, more than likely butchering said songs quite badly. As everypony sat down at a large table their drinks showed up, guessed somepony had called ahead or this was a well known thing with rules. The taste of the drink was nowhere near as enjoyable as whiskey, but, not like I could will this mare to drink something with a better taste.

        Then everyone lifted up their mugs at the table staring at my host.

        “To Carnival Cat! The best darn project manager we could wish for!” Called one buck and everyone bumped their mugs together and we drank.

        So this was a celebration of this mare, the mare who was manager of the carnival being built in the middle of nowhere. I inwardly smiled, since well couldn't actually smile in a memory though Cat was doing a fair share of it for me. I listened to everypony talking, sharing information about various public events. A number where planning on going to see a concert of some sort, another group was working on planning a fireworks display to celebrate the anniversary of Fillydelphia's founding in a few weeks. Oh what I would have given for being able to read Cat's mind at the moment. With every conversation she was listening in, casting a spell on her drunk employees. I remembered the dual purpose of the Ministry of Moral. It was to both keep spirits up in the nation and to act as a counter spy agency. Which explained why Cat was keeping the spirits flowing and monitoring every conversation even while carrying one on.

        Eventually the group began to break up, in twos or threes heading home until just one other employee of Cat's was at the table with her. He looked up at her after finishing his drink.

        “Guess we should head home too Cat, the pegasi are planning a snowstorm to start in a few hours.” Stated the buck as he got up.

        “Yeah we should,” I felt her give a deep sigh of exhaustion, “I am glad everyone enjoyed themselves tonight, they are all great ponies.”

        The buck helped Cat into a fancy and heavy winter coat before putting his own on. “So any ideas on what Pinky is going to be having our department do next? Or is she going to just surprise you like everypony else tomorrow at the meeting?”

        “Well, I haven't heard anything more than I am to meet her tomorrow, nopony knows what is going on.” She said as they left the bar.

        As if on cue a light snow had started to fall as the two walked down the sidewalk. It didn't take long for the snow to start to stick to everything as they walked. Carriages and self drawn carriages alike parked on the sides of the streets slowly turning white. As the snow started to come down faster the pace of the two picked up. In a few minutes it had turned into practically a blizzard as I felt Cat using her magic like I had to keep the snow off of her and her friend.

        “We are going to go to the hub, we will just sleep in my office, better than freezing to death out here or getting buried!” Cat shouted back to her friend.

        “No kidding, right behind ya Cat.” With that they broke out into a gallop.

        Not long after Cat's shield collapsed as she tore open the front doors of the massive barn like structure and dove in. As soon as they had both crossed the threshold and closed the door behind them warmth began to flood back to them. Then they noticed the two night guards standing at distance with guns drawn. Cat made no effort to stand up as they approached.

        “Ma'am we are going to have to detain you and your friend while we confirm who you are. If you understand please remain on the floor.” One of the two night guard ordered.

        Cat nodded and in the corner of her vision I could see her friend do the same.

        “Just a wild night boys, take your time we just want to get warm while you work.” Cat replied.

*        *        *

        Well, that was a more innocent memory than I thought it would be. Considering it was a memory orb that was in the possession of a M.o.M. employee in a safe in a M.o.M. facility. I also now had a decent grasp of the layout of Fillydelphia, even if the place was worse than Seamane, I would at least have a idea of which way to go over all.

I looked around the room and nothing had changed, mercifully. I heard a loud growl and froze, ah crap did a manticore smell me as a fresh meal? Then I felt the pain in my stomach of having not eaten. Right, that memory had lasted a few hours, time that passes in memory equal to time passed in reality. I wondered how long a memory orbs memory could be, would be an effective trap, knowing exactly how long a unicorn was disabled would let you catch them if you wanted to. I pulled out some of the prewar food I had found and dug into it. To hell with rations tonight I wanted to eat well.

I opened the blinds on the door to be greeted with a spritebot again. The sheer surprise of it made me jump in the air and drop my food as I came crashing down on my flank a few feet back. Goddesses if I felt like it was safe I would shoot the fucking thing.

        “Excuse me,” came a metallic voice from the other side of the door. I froze, besides DJ Pon3 I hadn't heard any ponies voice with my own ears in days. “Would you mind if we had a quick chat?”

        I stared dumbfounded at the floating piece of metal. “I can hear you from here, talk to me through the door.”

        “Alright, I understand your reservations about taking to a spritebot, but, I wanted to lend a hand if I could to you.” Said the spritebot.

        “Right, and how are you going to do that? You have no hands, hay you are just a robot.” I replied as I wrapped my magic around both revolvers.

        “No, I am someone of flesh and bone, I just can control these things, by the way call me Watcher.” Watcher said.

        Fitting name with how much staring he did, “sounds right for a voyeur like yourself.”

        I swear the spritebot flinched at me saying that to it, then it hung there for a few quiet seconds.

        “I was trying to figure out if I could approach you. As you probably already know the wasteland isn't very safe. Now I am going to do what I can to help you get somewhere safe.” I nodded, maybe this Watcher knew of some settlement nearby that I could slip by for more supplies, hay, maybe even a faster ride to Manehattan. Boats maybe?

        “Since you are at a hub for the M.o.M. You should be able to access and reprogram one of these spritebots to guide you to Manehattan, specifically Friendship City. From there you are on your own though.”

        “Thanks, that... simplifies things a great deal. But, question, why are you helping me? I know in the wasteland random acts of generosity and kindness don't happen, there is always a price.” I wasn’t certain his motives, and it wasn’t a good idea to go blindly into something like this.

        “Just try to make some friends along the way to whatever goal you have out here. And find a virtue to follow.”

        “Make friends? Nothing more? I will give it a shot, seem to be okay at making them.” Honestly the only 'friendship' so far that had been bad for me was the one between me and Bryn. “As for a virtue, that is probably going to be harder.”

        “And that is why it is the price of me helping you. Alright then, I will download the password to your pipbuck and you will be able to reprogram the spritebots.”

        I lifted up my leg to let the bot see my 'pipbuck' clearly.

        “That isn't a pipbuck is it?” Watcher asked, and I inferred a tone of frustration or disappointment from the robot.

        “Nope, better tell me it.”

        “It is-” and with a pop of static the spritebot floated away.

        I felt my eye twitch.,“Of course. Well lets go to that maintenance building then.” With that I unlocked the door after pulling the other memory orbs into my bags and headed out to the one fully constructed building left to inspect.

        The building was not that impressive, then again why would it have to be. It was a barn, but, instead of housing livestock in it, instead it housed the sleeping bodies of machines. I danced around the various broken parts and robots as I headed for a terminal in the back. Still nothing paid me mind and Watcher hadn't returned to finish the password. When I reached the terminal I saw it was in perfect condition and the only one in the whole building. Turning it on I began to hack it, this was easy compared to the managers computer. It turned out to be K@rn1v@lK@t in an attempt to make it harder for someone to easily figure it out.

Upon opening it I was presented with three options, notes, messages, and maintenance. I had time so I checked the notes first, and I was glad I did. Upon reading the notes I was glad I had started with them. With in the notes was instructions on how to program a spritebot as well as the individual parts and how they worked.

        Looking around I saw a good number of unactivated or half broken spritebots laying around ripe for reprogramming and salvaging. I grabbed one unactivated spritebot and plugged it into the receptacle on the counter and popped into maintenance and began to rewrite it. I set it to follow me and noticed the E.F.S. programming within it. Oh this was going to be so useful, not just the spritebot being my borrowed sight but, the E.F.S. was so simple in these I could apply it to myself. One hoof closer to a true pipbuck I thought to myself as I finished reprogramming the spritebot that would serve as my guide and companion.

        When it was done I pulled some energy cells from storage and tossed them in my bags before I began the work of salvaging. First came the levitation talismans which I affixed to my bags, I had calculated out that I could now probably carry about a hundred pounds more stuff in them without issue. Suffice to say it I had a fair bit less room in my bags now. Next came the E.F.S., after probing the spell matrix for a little bit with my tools that I had picked up I figured out how to affix it to myself. It unfortunately did not have a S.A.T.S. system within it or much storage, but, it did have the auto mapping functions, tagging, and everything else I could want from E.F.S. As I finished my frenzied work to hack together a companion, a better set of saddlebags, and 'pipbuck' I turned to see a silent spritebot floating there.

        “Hi Watcher, been there long?” I asked as I finished my finest wasteland engineering.

        “Long enough, you have a knack for making things. Reminds me of a old friend when she would get in touch with her creative side. Would work for days ignoring everything to get the project done. Well okay two friends, but, the point is that is a pretty slick bit of work you did there.”

        “Thanks, question is, can you hop into the spritebot I have with me?”

        “Well, thanks to what reprogramming you did the safety measures that normally would kick me out won't and the ones that let people at M.o.M. hubs in for as long as they want are now blocked. So I should be able to check in on you at any time.”

        I nodded, if he was a friend I could sleep well as he watched over me. Something about all this said he was a friend. Hay, he had a lot of chances to turn me to ashes and didn't. That is about as good of a friend as you could get without talking a lot.

        I chuckled interrupting something Watcher had been saying, “I am sorry, I just realized my poor manners. I am Moonlight of Saint Clover.” I gave a small bow to Watcher.

        “Ah... yes, Moonlight, I am glad I could help you, I was asking if you would mind telling me how you happened to get out here in the middle of nowhere.” Watcher asked.

        I nodded, then I heard a pop of static and the spritebot left the room. I stood there frowning at the convenience of both times Watcher had to leave.

        “Ah, here we go, marking your spritebot on my terminal, go ahead Moonlight.”

        I turned to face my spritebot and smiled, my programming had worked properly.

        “Well first back to the managers office, there is a bed in there and I intend on sleeping in it tonight. Before that I will fill you in on my life as it were.” I finished.

        I explained everything that had happened to me up to this point over the next few hours, the whole time testing out the E.F.S., seeing objectives and markers lighting up in my vision. I had made another trip back to maintenance when I realized I could affix a screen and a few data storage bits to my pipbuck zero and promptly did so, all the while telling the events of the past three weeks. I tapped through the buttons seeing what information was on it. Sadly nothing much, pretty much only the info that I had dictated to Watcher while wearing it. I looked at the time display in my vision. As I did drank some more water, all this talking was making my mouth dry out.

        “Hey Watcher, I am going to turn in now. Feel free to stick around.” I turned to the bot again like I had many times in the past few hours. “And I have to say, I made another friend today, you.”

        “I feel can say the same to you, Moonlight. Rest well, don't worry the spritebots around here will protect the carnival and you.”

         I gave a simple nod and laid down on the bed. It didn't take long for the tendrils of sleep to wrap me within their sweet embrace.

*                *                *

        I heard the laughter of fillies and colts as the sound of hooves rushed past me. I turned and watched them go. I turned back to my date, White Rose, my marefriend giving her a peck on the cheek as the two of us pull our coats on a bit tighter to keep out the cold of fall. We walked to a cotton candy stand and I paid for our treats. We continued to walk around watching various acts even trying my hoof at winning us some prizes. I was a horrible shot with the pellet gun, pretty good with the baseballs, and surprisingly beat a strongcolt at a hoof wrestling contest. I wasn't certain if I actually beat him or he was going easy on me for my sake of impressing Rose. Either way we got a big stuffed fluffy pink pony, Rose absolutely loved it. We wandered into a tent to see a play starting up, Carnival Cat vs Ponyville. We both fought to keep from singing with the songs, they were very infectious. At the climax of the play six fillies rushed the stage with strange jewelery then there was a blinding rainbow light and a cackle. With that the play was over.

        We walked around more enjoying the sights and sounds. Something caught my attention, something pink and yellow. I raised my eyebrow and guided us over to it. There we found a mare identical to one of the six who had been in the play, but, with no necklace. She faced us with a timid smile.

        “Hi, I am sorry for interrupting this, but, I wanted let you know something. No matter how alone you are, even when you haven't seen your friends in a long time, your friends are always with you.” She dug a hoof at the ground, “trust me Moonlight, I know how it is to be separated from your friends for a long time, just remember they are always your friend no matter what happens.”

        I nodded, “thank you Fluttershy.”

*                *                *

         I woke up blinking as I saw cool blue symbols of E.F.S. form in my vision. That was a oddly coherent dream I thought to myself as I shook my head. Next I grabbed my water and some food for a hearty breakfast. Honestly I hoped I would come across some geckos or radhogs soon so that way I could have some meat. I felt some part of me cry out at the idea of eating meat. I squashed it with logic of I needed nutrients and most food that I could find now was rather lacking in said nutrients. That and I only killed what I needed to feed myself. That seemed to quiet the voice of decent.

        “Hey watcher you there?” I asked before taking a swig of water. There was no response, I took a guess and figured he was doing whatever else he did with his time. Watching I guessed with the name he gave. I chewed on my food as I thought of what a cutie mark depicting the special skill of watching would look like. An eye maybe? That would be rather creepy, maybe a magnifying glass. No, of course it would be binoculars. I sat there eating quietly musing to myself what Watcher must do with his time and what he looked like. Maybe he was actually DJ Pon3, didn't want ponies knowing they were one in the same. It would explain some of the information the DJ got for his broadcasts if he used the spritebots as a way to get information.

        I stood up and walked out of the office, the fog had rolled in heavy again. I decided to sack the maintenance building again, this time for all the energy weapons that lay unused. I rigged them together and give myself a dial to allow myself to choose how they fired. Though after rigging it up I realized I would burn through anything short of a spark battery in just a few shots with the blast. I also realized that anything caught in the path of the beams probably wouldn't be so hot afterwards, well it would be ash or slag. I made a sling from what materials I could find and put my makeshift laser rifle on my back and trotted out. It was time to get going. On cue my E.F.S. marked the direction and my spritebot pointed me to the right direction.

        The day was a blur, most of the time I was watching my feet as I followed my E.F.S. marker. The fog had stayed again and there was nothing I could do but walk the way it said to and hope I would hear anything that my E.F.S. didn't see. Finally the fog broke as I was met with a river. To the south west there lay a bridge, still standing, nothing built on or under it. All I saw was a lone gecko on it. I pulled out my knife and walked. The gecko didn't stand a chance, I took my time cutting it apart, skinning it as well. What meat I had I would cook in a few hours, the skin I would do what I could to make it into more leather for repairs. That is when I saw him, standing on the other end of the bridge, Bryn. He looked far worse for wear than I had thought he would be. His left wing was heavily bandaged and washed crimson. I quietly approached him having stored my weapons, praying if Watcher showed up he would keep quiet.

        He was the first to say anything as I stopped ten feet away from him.

        “Moonlight, looks like we made it.” I blinked at him as I saw in the distance great dark clouds pouring from the ruins, illuminated from below by lights, fires, and radiation.

        “It seems we have,” I turned my focus back to him. “Now what?”

        “You patch me up, we stay in town for a day, we leave afterwards. I escort you to the edge of town and let you go on your merry way to Tenpony, or wherever you feel like going.”

        “Alright, lets get you patched up then.”

        I walked the rest of the distance up to him and pulled out my medical supplies and went to work on him. He had seen some rough fights, his weapons and armor had a lot of wear showing on them. I could have easily knocked him out right then and there. I should have done it, knocked him out, put a knife into the back of his skull.

        'Be kind' came a voice in my mind, I replied back with 'I know'.

        “Bryn, some of this is beyond what I can fix,” I said, I hated that my limited skill couldn't fix his wing. Though really that was to my benefit if he was lying.

        “Well so long as we make it to Fillydelphia in one piece we should be just fine. Even if I lost a leg.” I looked at him and blinked. “Cybernetic replacement parts. Mostly for earth ponies but the doc there is pretty good.”

        I nodded, cybernetics, the art of fusing flesh and machine into a working being. Part of me wanted to see it in action, part of me was horribly terrified by the notion. Would one even be truly a pony at a certain point of parts being replaced by machine? Maybe they could just keep the brain and bind the soul to the body. Or would the mind be enough. I shook my head, those questions had no place here, not in the wasteland where the world was simple, don't die.

        “Alright, you should be good to go,” I said as I pulled away a syringe of med-x that I had just given him.

        “Good, I want to get in the main gate before night fall.” He turned and took a few steps then stopped, “that gecko you have on you?”

        “Yeah, was planning on cooking it when I got the chance.” I said as I stood shoulder to shoulder with him.

        “I think you are the only pony in the entire wasteland who gets the idea of meat who is sane.” He took a look at me. “Well, okay, maybe not sane, but, not the insane that is raiders.”

        I giggled, and then burst out laughing. “You are a riot Bryn.”

        “Sure am, when we get to the gate let me do the talking, they know me, and I know the system.” I gave him a nod.

        With that we trotted into the suburbs of Fillydelphia towards the billowing clouds of smoke, the massive wall that had been erected around the heart of the city, and the disturbingly large balloons in the shape of Pinkie Pie's head. All the while my spritebot kept quietly following, watching us as we walked into a different type of hell. I was confident that I could handle what was coming, whatever lay before us would be a cakewalk with a member of Red Eye's forces keeping them off of us, and my E.F.S. keeping everything else visible no matter how well it tried to hide. I gave the spritebot a look, if Watcher was there, what did he think of me for doing this. I hoped he understood or at least would talk to me afterwards. One thing he had made clear was his hate for Red Eye and his cause. But, if he was there he knew my rational. I had told him everything, and... honestly I felt I needed to see this, I needed to know how evil this bastard was. I also didn't have a choice but to go right into the heart of his operation, the Alpha and Omega Hotel.

Footnote: Level Up!

Perk Added: Persistent Manner; You have learned to stay frosty and wait for the right time to strike. This allows you to score more critical enemies when they are reloading or otherwise preoccupied.

Quest Perk Added: Spritebot Senses: Detect enemies at a very far range, and enemies that are cloaked can also be targeted in S.A.T.S.. These bonuses only apply when a Spritebot is your companion.

Chapter 8 - Layover

Chapter 8 – Layover

“Honestly, it was surprising to see.”

The sprawling suburbs gave way to taller and taller buildings until we were standing a few blocks away from the wall surrounding Red Eye's segment of the city. At this point we stopped for a brief moment as I gave Bryn another med-x so he wouldn't be so shaky when we got to the gate. We both needed to collect ourselves, Bryn to think of what was needed to be said to get me into the place without both of us getting shot to hell. Myself, I needed to brace for whatever terrible conditions were on the other side. I looked up at my spritebot then turned to Bryn.

“Bryn, think there will be any issue with taking in my spritebot?” I asked as we finished our break.

“No, Red Eye uses them heavily, though thankfully yours seems to not be able to spew his music or speeches. Damn relief too, after hearing the music for so long it gets on my nerves.” We covered the last few blocks in silence much as the whole trip, something I was growing very used to. The approach to the wall filled me with dread. I could see figures on the wall watching us, I saw at least one individual on a Pinkie balloon watching too. The security here was tight, goddesses I really did not want to think about how hard it would be to escape if things went south during our layover. I hung back a few steps letting Bryn take the lead here.

As we neared the moat I saw a bridge of some sort lower. We were allowed to cross without issue. I was guessing either Bryn was well known or on his armor there was a symbol showing who he was. Upon entering the other side I was greeted a large pin and a large number of guards walking the catwalks as a number of slaves were lead off. Bryn headed in a different direction than them where I saw others going as well. I kept my mouth shut, this was Bryn's turf and he was the leader for now. With a couple of hand shakes and a few explanations we were let in with no issue. As we entered a bar Bryn let out a sigh and visibly relaxed. We had made it into the Alpha Omega hotel without any issue.

“Alright, we are good for now.” He turned to me, “going to need to borrow some caps from yours to pay a few bills though. One of them being you.”

I blinked, I was a bill? What was I costing him, what was the other bill.

“Come on, first lets get to my room and we will sort this all out. Going to have to report to Stern as well for showing up here without the rest of my wing.” I simply nodded to him and he guided me to a elevator, he clicked a button and we began to rise. “There is a oven in my room, stay there, cook up that meat that you have while I sort a few things out and see what it is going to run me to fix my wing.”

         “Alright, lead the way.” I said as the doors swung open to a hallway.

It didn't take long for us to get to his room, we had a decent view of Red Eye's operations here in Fillydelphia and as Bryn said there was a oven. Just as soon as we entered he turned around and left. I locked the door as he told me to and began cooking. It didn't take me very long to get comfortable with the room. Once I finished with the meat I decided to wrap some of the meat with the preserved foods hoping that the preservatives within the prewar food would maybe rub off on the meat. After five minutes of sitting with nothing to do I looked at my spritebot that was looking out the window at Fillydelphia.

“You're in there aren't you Watcher.” I said to it.

A long silence fell on the room as the oven pinged as it cooled and I looked out on the massive ruins lit with the orange glow from fires, the clouds black with soot. I felt like I was back in Oakmare during the siege.

“Yes, and this is not the first time I have seen his operation.” Watcher responded.

“I hate to say it, but, it is impressive. He has gotten factories online, hay, he is putting together a civilization.”

“One built unwillingly upon the backs others who are worked to death in droves.”

“And he has the gall to call this being a generous act, it is generous when you choose to do it yourself, not force everypony else to do your will.” I responded.

“So you see why I hate him then?” Asked Watcher.

I nodded. “You hate him because you know he sees himself as the good guy in this, when to all outside of his realm he is clearly evil.” I let out a sigh and  turned to the spritebot. “Watcher, what do you know about the elements of harmony?”

There was a long silence, “a fair bit, what do you want to know.”

“More about those who used them, was one of them a yellow filly with pink hair?” I asked as I lifted out the statuette of Fluttershy.

“Yes, that would be the element of kindness, Fluttershy. She was all for helping everyone, she was particularly good with animals, it was said she could even talk to them.” I really wished I had found a way to make it so Watchers voice wasn't that robotic voice.

“So is that why they made these statuettes of them?” I said as I floated the Fluttershy statuette in front of the spritebot. I felt more of that odd magic coming off of the statuette as I held it there.

“You have one too? I have all six of them, they were limited edition, only seven full sets were ever made.” I nodded listening to Watcher, “one set for each of the ministry mares and one for Luna.”

“Watcher, just how long have you been around?”

“Uh... a while, just thanks to the spritebots and a good network connection I have gotten to look into a lot of things. Plus when you don't have to worry about getting shot it is easier to explore.”

That made sense, even with limited time really all he needed them for was from time to time to physically move something or press a button. Nothing ever that complicated.

“For a minute there I thought maybe you were ghoul who knew a lot about the pre war government sitting up in the M.o.M. Headquarters in Canterlot.” I said with a giggle as I pulled back the statuette and put it in my bags again. The magic on these things was odd. “Hey Watcher, you ever feel the weird magic stuck on the statuettes?”

“Uh well I always thought it was just a strong enchantment to keep them from breaking, why something weird happening with yours?” I really wished I could get tone from the spritebot, but, it seemed I would have to guess on his inflections.

“No, guess just never dealt with strong enchantments before.” I looked back out as a figure darted past the windows, it was pony that had the physique of the princesses. “Um... did you see that Watcher?”

I was greeted with more silence. I guess either it spooked him or something else had come up to draw his attention elsewhere. So not just gryphons here, but, alicorns too? So the reports DJ Pon3 were accurate, Alicorns were working with Red Eye. Well whatever the case it would be foolish to attack a guest of Red Eye's. Then I saw a skywagon fly past being pulled by two ponies with metal wings, in the back there was stallion earth pony with a crimson coat and jet black mane. I caught his eyes for a second and saw a red light in place of his right eye. My heart froze for a moment as Red Eye flew past following the alicorn that had just passed my room. Time reaffirmed itself and his skywagon continued on. My heart was hammering, as I gasped for air.

‘Relax Moonlight it isn't like you are here against the rules. He is just a really intimidating pony who you just happen to dislike who knows nothing about you or of you. And it looked like he was on his way out of the city, see even more good news, even if there was a problem by the time he returned I would be long gone. Hay, he probably didn't even notice me as he flew past, was probably admiring his reflection in the windows or maybe was just marveling at his city. And that did the trick, I calmed down and lay down of a near by sofa. It was late, food was cooked, door was locked, and I had a spritebot that could atomize any threat that came through the door.’ I told myself. ‘This was the time to get a good nights sleep.’

*                *                *

I was woke up to a annoyed Bryn shaking my shoulder. I blinked and wiped away the drool from the corner of my mouth.

“Good you’re awake. First, your gecko stakes are damn good; second, I feel I need to apologize even though this is completely not my fault. Things have changed rather quickly here, last time I was here there weren't any of those alicorns, now that they are here I have found out something I rather dislike. The fucking green ones can read minds, as such while I got my wing fixed, by the way sorry for taking your caps while you were asleep, one popped into my head and now knows what happened and that you pose a threat to Red Eye's operations in Seamane. Well only slightly threaten his operations, you know more than they want anypony to who isn't with us.”

I blinked as my brain jump started and the adrenaline hit my system. “On a scale of one to ten how fucked are we?”

“I am fine, in fact I am going to get a bonus for bringing you here. You are about a eight out of ten.” He scratched right below his beak playing with his fur, “okay, maybe you are a nine, but, in either case you are going to have to get running.”

I was three steps ahead of him, those three steps being, I was in my barding, I had my bags on, and my guns were slung and loaded.

“Well guess I should probably just try walking out the front door then.” I said to him.

“You know what, go for it, I don't think the command has come down yet to catch you. And yeah they want to catch you. So get going,” he opened my saddlebags and tossed in a large sack of caps then he slapped my flank as I stood there with the door open.

I galloped off down the hall and pressed the call button for the elevator with my magic. As I skidded to a stop before the door I heard the sound of the elevator rising. I needed to keep calm as I left the building and out the main gate.

‘Don't act suspicious Moonlight.’ I told myself and took a deep breath, and took a few steps back from the doors. I heard the ding and the doors slide open revealing two very tall unicorns. Then their wings spread and I immediately amended that to alicorns.

“Where is Bryn's Room?” The purple one asked me as they walked out of the elevator.

“At the end, pretty much a straight shot down the hall.” I said as calmly as I could as I stepped to the side.

The two of them walked down the hall without further questioning. I slide into the elevator and hit the button for the ground floor. Thankfully there hadn't been a green one and with how much armor was on me I probably didn't look like the mental image that Bryn probably had of me. Thank the goddesses for small favors. I felt the elevator began its descent.

As the doors opened I was greeted with the bar. I walked out into it and picked my way through the guards and slavers drinking away their caps. Nopony paid me any mind as I got to the front door. I did have to note that even with the cruelty and depravity of Red Eye’s operation I felt like I was in any other town. The place had rules, everypony acted just like they would anywhere else. The only difference was a few customs, it felt strange to realize how similar things here were to Saint Clover once you stripped away the primary occupations here.

I opened it and was greeted with the same pin that we had walked through to get into Red Eye's operations. I walked to the bridge and waited for it to lower. Much to my frustration it didn't. Okay so I am going to have to find another way out of here. Time to go exploring.

As I moved through Red Eye's city I wasn't harassed by any of the gryphons or ponies. I did my best to avoid any Alicorns I saw. Several times though I did spook some of the guards here with my quiet walk. It probably helped that I wasn't wearing heavy armor. I asked around about the place and the various jobs of the slaves. The guards were more than happy to tell me in gruesome detail the horrors that the slaves were put through. I found that there were ways for slaves to earn their freedom to join the guards or even leave. The first was yard work. Which was more or less the least dangerous work with going and securing buildings or just moving supplies. Next was working the crater for radioactive supplies. That was the second quickest way to get your freedom. Though by the glow of the crater I wagered most died from the radiation before getting their freedom. Next there was stable hunting. Which you had to deal with Steel Rangers and the stables defenses so that was rather nasty too. Last was the arena fights, which was the quickest, but, easily the most deadly. After also hearing about the horrifying twisted things that parasprites were here I was also glad I had my respirator on the whole time. The things had a taste for pony flesh.

Things had been going decently well, I ended up getting to see the cybernetic doctor who was more than happy to show off some enhancements that he could give me. I almost took him up on the wings. Honestly besides the times where I had gotten horribly mangled from flying I enjoyed it. It also would help with getting home much faster, as well as help since I had to fight off gryphons and alicorns now. But, I didn't want to be put under while in hostile territory so I told him I would return when I had the caps to pay for it and some other upgrades.

Honestly the sub-dermal armor and the Monocyte breeder I was curious about getting and would be rather useful. That and optical enhancement so I could see in the dark without anything but my eyes. In the end I did leave even though my sick fascination wanted me to stay and watch a procedure or two. Hay, I even wanted to steal a few of the cybernetics so I could try to figure out how they worked. They were the most advanced technology in the past two hundred years to enter the wasteland. None the less I left and afterwords my stomach felt better for leaving than staying even if I was still far too curious.

Having found no other options of escape beyond scaling the wall I re-entered the Alpha and Omega hotel and began to ascend its great many stairs. Somehow either I had avoided detection by the alicorns, or, while I was wanted it was low priority. Or maybe they were testing me. Honestly you really stop worrying about those sort of things when you know somepony wants you dead or captive. Instead you just are thankful for the fact that you aren't either at the moment. You also pray that you luck holds out, or skill depending on the situation. On one floor I found a sort of research facility. I poked my head in and looked around a little as nopony was around guarding it. Much to my frustration I couldn't make heads or tails of any of it. It was some very advanced magic that was far removed from the basic principles I knew. Maybe that is why things like shield spells failed for me, while I had the ground work of healing, telekinesis, and pyromancy I had not a clue of how magic actually worked. Which is surprising considering how much I used it. Really though with my own magic I knew how to magnify the power or shape it. With I sigh I left the room and proceeded to the roof. Here I was going to leap off and glide out of Red Eye's empire.

Upon exiting to the roof I was met with a cold gale. The bitter wind blew around me and my breath floated away from me as the water in it formed a thin fog. The quiet howl of the wind itself was never absent up here. The height of the building had insured a constant wind would be blowing. As such the roof was clear of any debris. I looked around me and saw a Pinkie Pie balloon head anchored to the corner of the building. Looking up into it I saw a very bundled up pony with a sniper rifle aimed at me. I gave them a simple nod and the rifle drifted a bit away from me. Anonymity was a friend here. More of a friend than I had ever realized it to be. If things had been different this might have been a stealth mission to infiltrate Red Eye's empire to find something or to kill him outright. As it was, this was a simple layover that had gotten annoyingly complicated.

I sighed as I stood there, it was afternoon now and I had yet to find a better way out of the place than jumping. I hated the idea of it, I hated that my only way out was to pray that nopony decided to take a pot shot at me as I flew. Then again wasn't that the case every time Alicorn flew, or a gryphon? Yes it was, and my all logic anything flying out of Red Eye's area would be probably considered a non target. The main idea of all his defenses was focused on the ground level against steel rangers and the slaves. Nopony would look up, nopony would see me. Even if I messed up and fell nopony would notice other than whoever ended up finding my corpse in a few minutes or few centuries.

I took a deep breath as I climbed onto the centuries old edge of the building. My heart was racing as part of me panicked. The panic was about if a alicorn saw me, or maybe Bryn and they came after me. I stood no chance against Bryn with his agility. Thunderlord had been luck through his stupidity and predictability. Bryn was far smarter. Then there were the alicorns, who supposedly where each incredibly powerful magi in their own right. If they saw me they could probably easily use shield spells and telekinesis to immobilize me and strip me of my weapons. However, I had no other options. I could not open the gate, the jump from the wall was too short to get into the safety of the ruins around this part of the city. As well as if I went from the wall somepony would know something was up. Why would somepony jump from the wall instead of take the gate. If they had a death wish they would just jump in the moat or walk into the crater. No, this was the only option, I had to do this, I had to jump, I had to spread my magical wings and fly on my magic alone to safety. I shifted my weight on the edge of the roof as I wrapped myself in my magic, drawing upon the wellspring that I had found within me. I had to do this, and this was the only choice, it was that or whatever unspeakable horrors Red Eye and his forces would put me through for knowing what I should not.

I took a deep breath and shifted my weight onto my hind legs as I readied for the jump. To anypony else my dark blue field would be barely visible in the poor lighting of the roof. To me it was almost blinding as I leapt off the roof and found myself feeling like I left my stomach on the ground as I flew north east. I hadn't dared to try to fly across all of Red Eye's holdings, while I trusted my magic, I did not trust it to last me that long or for my luck to hold out that long. So in the cold wind I flew silently over the remains of Fillydelphia over the empire built out of abuse. An empire that would one day fall I told myself, though I knew not who would strike the blow to slay the great malignant beast that was Red Eye I knew that it was already in the works.

As I glided I continued to adjust my path as I recalibrated for my rate of descent as well as the rate of depletion of my magic. I was making it further than I had anticipated, but, now I was clear of Red Eye's empire and now gliding to the north. The wind had picked up and I was now more or less making no headway. As such I pushed my magic a little to give myself more momentum to fight against the wind. I wanted to make it towards Steel Ranger territory and out of the raider and slaver territory. As it was I was vaguely following a over the ground road off to my right. That was until I got shot at. When I did I started trying to maneuver my way to said road.

A second shot fired and I felt it penetrate my right flank and bury itself in my muscle. I fought back tears as my magic collapsed and I started to cartwheel through the air. A third shot didn't come. I figured whoever had shot me took me as good as dead now, or I had moved out of their line of sight. I forced myself to breath which was hard when the wind pulled the air from your mouth due to velocity. I grabbed my tail and curled myself up as I passed through what would have been a alley or sorts between rather tall buildings. Upon exiting them I wrapped myself in my magic and levitated myself, my forward momentum making me a dark blue dart flying through the afternoon sky. I maneuvered myself towards a large over the ground road where there was a large number of parked carriages. As I sunk I curled into a tighter ball and prepared for the rough landing.

The first thing I felt was a sharp pain along my back as I bounced off of the roof of one of the carriages then I smashed through a windshield of a self drawn carriage and snapped the drivers seat in half before coming to rest in the trunk with the back half of the rear seats. I uncurled myself and thanked Celestia for my shield spell working for once. So much easier to get the damn thing to work when in a panic. I laid there in the silence listening to my heartbeat in my chest, the cold biting at me where my blood had made my coat and armor wet. I needed to get that healed now before I even attempted to walk. I lay on my side still in the trunk of the car using my flashlight for illumination as I dug the bullet out of my flank. I had wished I had some Med-X for doing so. As it was I hit a few nerves and made myself reflexively kick and cry out in pain a few times. As it was I had gotten the bullet out of me, I laid back and drank down a healing potion. As I did I became acutely aware that I was still where I had landed and that if anypony was looking for me and had seen the landing would easily find me. I laid there in silence listening for the sounds of hoof steps outside, the click of guns, breathing, anything to tell me something was out there waiting for me. All I got was the howl of a cold gale.

I opened the trunk slowly to get a peek outside, and my eyes agreed with my E.F.S. that it was clear. I lifted the trunk the rest of the way and gingerly got out of the trunk. I favored my right hind leg as I started to walk on the cold pavement. I turned and looked at the menacing glow that reflected off of the dark clouds of 'industry'.

“Hey Bryn, don't know if you were playing me or not, but, seems like we might have both gotten played. Don't die on me, I want to know for myself when this is all over.” Those last words hit me, when this was all over. What was all over, the threat of Red Eye? Was that what I had just set myself to take down? Maybe it was, or maybe that was just wishful thinking. Whatever the case I had a few things to do before I left town. I was going to visit the old Stable-Tec headquarters to see if it had anything of use.

“Moonlight, Bryn reactivated your spritebot, I have it flying to the coast for now, we need to get going and you need to destroy this spritebot before you get going. With everything that has been happening I think it best as well that I don't poke around the spritebots much in case someone is watching for you.” Watcher said from a spritebot behind me.

I turned to face the spritebot that had silently entered my space. I nodded then pulled out the five point five six millimeter pistol, then with my magic I switched it off  and caught it in my magic. Strapping it to my back I started to trot west along the highway. Like I had planned, a short layover in Fillydelphia then off to Manehattan. Now the real challenge was avoiding everypony in this damn city. There were the Steel Rangers of course, alicorns, gryphons, slavers, and raiders. Of course the only ones who wouldn’t shoot me on sight would be the Steel Rangers. Even then though, they had earned their nickname of Steel Raiders for a reason. I holstered the pistol, this was going to be a long walk, and it was going to be stressful. I bit back every bit of pain from my hurt leg.

I was right, it was going to be stressful, I thought to myself as a self drawn carriage exploded down the block at a intersection. I had managed to avoid anypony for quite a while until now. Now I was sitting between two intersections caught between raiders and Steel Rangers. At the moment I was waiting for a lull in the shooting so I could dive into the shop on the other side, another explosion cut through the air as another bright plum of fire filled the street and I made my move diving into building. The whole while my Geiger counter clicking away at the radiation that was filling the air from the exploding vehicles.

The shop in question was a jewelry store. For a moment I thought I was imagining things, certainly somepony would have looted this place. Then it struck me, why would they, who was even alive to remember this little shop? When the bombs had fallen anypony who had lived through the end was either outside of a city or well into the suburbs and away from the business and industrial areas. I sighed and resolved to not let somepony else get the fortune that was laying here in front of me ripe for the picking.

So I took everything in the store and dumped the soft metal trinkets into my bags. I noticed, much to my pleasure, that the alarm runes and spells protecting the cases had stopped working. After hitting the front room I crept back into the offices in. There was a safe, which resisted me for all of ten seconds before it flew open and I pulled more jewelry and bits into my bags. I giggled to myself as I realized somepony probably had planned to hit this place at some point before the war. Probably had exit strategies and all these big notes of what to do and how to handle things. I just waltzed right in and did a smash and grab. Too bad there was no get away carriage waiting for me around a street corner.

I didn't worry about doing a second round on the place. If had picked up anything more I would barely be able to run, and with already favoring a leg from earlier it was a bad idea to overload myself. I slide the window open in the managers office and ran out into the alley. I had found a few extra weapons within the store and actually found that I had come to the scene of a two century old heist that had just started when the bombs fell. In the managers office I had found four ponies with ballistic masks dead from what looked like exposure. There had been no other bodies in the building. I had half a mind to take one of the masks, but, I left them there. There was only so far in disrespecting the dead I would even go now. Taking those masks would have taken whatever identity they still had.

After a solid five minute run I heard the sounds of gunfire die off and I resumed picking my way through the streets. The run had been both a good and bad idea. It had warmed me up and gotten me safely away from the battle zone, but, my leg now burned. Healing potions did fix what was wrong with you for the most part, but, generally there was still some natural healing that had to be done after being wounded. I hadn't stopped yet to use some of my own magic to supercharge my own healing processes as I could. To be honest I was a bit surprised when I had found out the healing spell I had wasn't using magic to repair wounds but was in fact actually supercharging my body to heal at an insane rate. Though this also meant I had to eat and drink more to make up for the used resources. It probably had some other nasty side effect, but, with how short life can be in the wasteland, those are kind of a moot point anymore.

I wished that I had been able to continue on the highway, but, it had unfortunately collapsed and was too unstable to continue forward on. As well as I saw a number of fires from what I assumed to be raider camps on it. I was following the signs to the Stable-Tec headquarters seeing as that would probably be near a major road back out of the city. That and it would probably be one of the more secure building and maybe would have something of use to me within it. I stopped and realized the Steel Rangers probably were using it as a base of some sort at least. On the other hoof... I really didn't have any other plan on how to get out of the city. Oh and plus it would probably have lots of shiny things to take with me as well as shelter. Nopony would look for me deep within Steel Ranger held territory. Yeah I really was going to doing this. Luna and Celestia have mercy on my foolish greedy soul.

*                *                *

It was not hard to figure out what building was the Stable Tec headquarters. It was the one that had the symbol of the company just sitting there on front the building for all to see. I sat two blocks away from it sitting in a alley. The area was well fortified and patrolled by Steel Rangers in power armor. That gave them E.F.S. at very least and a lot of protection. I turned to a sewer access hole and climbed down, it was pitch black down here. I cursed at myself for not realizing this. I pulled the spritebot off of my back and started taking it apart while I held my flashlight in my mouth. I figured that the spritebot needed to be able to see in the dark so if I salvaged the camera parts that gave it that quality I could rig something up to give myself dark sight. Five minutes later I succeeded and mounted the single eye piece to my helmet where I could pull it down over my left eye. Sliding it into place and turned on watching as the darkness receded and green light filled my left eye. Next came the hard part, I examined the E.F.S. parts of the dismantled spritebot. I was wondering if there was a way to disrupt the E.F.S. of the Steel Rangers. After a few minutes my head hurt, I had not a clue how the spell actually worked and just hoped I would get lucky and not have anypony pass close enough to notice me.

With that I started down the sewer towards Stable Tec. My E.F.S. was clear as I kept creeping forward making certain my hoof steps were as quiet as can be. As I continued down I noticed that the streets and the sewer system had the exact same structure, which was perfect as the intersection that lead into the Stable Tec compound was completely empty. The absolute silence of the system made me worry for a minute as I heard nothing of hoof steps from Steel Rangers patrolling down here or the faint hum or whirring of a turret. I double checked my path for trip wires or mines to find none. Apparently either the Steel Rangers had ignored this path or had figured they would know if anypony took it via their Eyes Forward Sparkles.

I sighed a breath of relief after another minute of crawling through the old sewer system. I noticed that the system seemed to be more of a secondary drainage system for the city when it rained. As such I found from time to time the bones of some unfortunate soul who had died down here. Nothing of use, picked clean shy of their rags. Made sense to me, the Steel Rangers probably only came down here after the rainy season and picked up anything left over to bolster their own supplies. Finally I found a ladder that lead up to another ponyhole. I climbed it and with my magic quietly opened it to check my surroundings.

To my amazement it lead to a small room. The room I was in was some sort of maintenance room that was part of a storage facility. I pushed open the door and crept out. On my E.F.S. I saw the words display “Stable Tec Warehouse”. I smiled, much better, this I figured would have less security due to the nature of the structure. I crept around more, the darkness not bothering me thanks to the mono eye night vision. I checked my E.F.S. to see if I was clear, and I was in luck once more as all was clear. I began checking the warehouse, most of the materials were of no use to me as it was to repair various parts of stables. I even found a room that was just filled with stable jumpsuits, checking them over there was none in the security style, guessed that was left somewhere else. Moving to another room I found what I was looking for, pipbucks. I grabbed the closest one and checked it over, a compact gamma three thousand. I pulled it apart using the pipbuck technicians tools double checking everything.

Once I was satisfied I grabbed two more just in case I needed parts. I set them in my bags and headed back for the sewer when I heard a heavy door start to slide open. My E.F.S. showed clear and I dashed back to my entrance, yanking the cover off and jumping down. Once down I took my time carefully and quietly moving the lid back into place. Then I started going away from where I initially entered the sewer system from.

Preferring not pop up there and now I could just head in one direction as long as I wanted to. I happily trotted for the next half hour until I reached a point where the tunnel had collapsed. Shrugging I found a ponyhole and slide the lid off of it and climbed out of the sewers. In all honesty I had expected worse to be down there, but, what could have really been living in there thanks to the rainy season having washed it clear. If it was another time of the year I probably would have had something greeting me.

I was now a good distance away from the Steel Rangers at Stable Tec Headquarters and much closer to the edge of the city. Things here were leveling off into the sprawling suburbs. I stifled a giggle remembering my first day out of Saint Clover, walking through the suburbs of Seamane. I had a hard time believing it had only been slightly over three weeks since I left. I looked at the time read out on the E.F.S. and saw it was just a bit past three in the afternoon now. I looked around and saw a corner cafe, I smiled and walked over to it, the door was gone so I just walked in. The inside of the shop must have been something to see back in the day, many picture frames sat on the walls, the few pictures I could still see featured a gray coated mare like myself with a cleft on her flank. She seemed to have been quite the performer of classical music back in the day. I headed into the back and set down my bags. As I pulled out a gecko steak and my canteen and began to to have my lunch.

I stared at the pipbucks, I wanted to put it on now. Nopony was around or after me so why would it be a problem to just put it on now? The simple answer was there wasn't a valid reason not to put it on now. So I stripped off my pipbuck zero and tucked it into my saddlebags and for the first time in two days didn't have E.F.S. in my face. I pulled the pipbuck onto my left foreleg then tightened it closed with the pipbuck technicians tools and booted up the spell matrix. After a brief flash of data a simple line of green text sat in my vision.

‘Name:_’ with the underscore blinking expectantly.

I frowned wondering how to enter my name then I said my name out loud. The text filled in with my name properly spelled. More data flashed before me as the cool blue E.F.S. from the spritebot wasn't present but instead a green one sat before my eyes. I lifted my pipbuck up and tapped through the options and found what I was looking for, with a few more taps my E.F.S. turned to a nice subtle blue. Then a notification came up that it had picked up two transmissions. First being MASEBS broadcast, I quickly relabeled it to be DJ Pon3. The second signal was the music the spritebots played, I labeled that as Red Eye Radio. I then finished my meal as I put in the ear bloom from my pipbuck and turned to DJ Pon3.

I lifted my self back up and put my saddlebags on. As I walked out of the cafe I felt things shuffling in my bags. As the thought of what was causing the shuffling in my bag a text explanation filled up my view explaining the auto sorter function that the pipbuck had reorganizing my bags. I smiled and checked around with my E.F.S., which really it is silly to see if you don't know how E.F.S. works. Because to check around with E.F.S. you do it one of two ways. Either you turn your head all around or you do a small tight circle and you look like you are chasing your tail. Most of the time I did a circle in place instead of moving my head. Honestly I don't know why, though I felt at the moment it was probably both wanting to get moving again and I was excited to finally have a pipbuck.

I walked out into the street and headed due east, the marker on my vision pointing to where I needed to go at the coast. It was going to be a long trip still, but, I was looking forward to it. I took a deep breath and began to gallop out of town. I felt lighter than I had in weeks, I felt so full of energy. I was smiling as I ran full speed for the next five miles out of town. My heart pounding I stopped with a slide and turned to face the city I had just escaped. There was Fillydelphia, heart of Red Eye's operations. I was going to return here and wrestle this place free of his evil. I laughed at myself as I began a slow pace to the coast following the highway. Almost on cue my favorite Sweetie Belle song came on the radio and I picked up my pace.

Cities are massive things. While I had a idea of their scale from my brief time going through the suburbs of Seamane and seeing the main ruins of the city in the distance. As well as having seen the sprawling ruins of the industrial sector of Seamane from Saint Clover I didn't have a real understanding of their true scale. On my walk out of Fillydelphia as well as my flight over part of the city I had gotten a better feeling for the places. I had wondered how somepony could spend their whole life within the ruins of a city or before the war entirely within the city limits. It seemed like one would get bored with it so quickly. Now I knew the truth. It wasn't the footprint of the city that mattered, it was how dense the damn things was. Fillydelphia was a very dense city. It had mile after mile of roads stitched across the land, between each road you had buildings, most of the time each building would take a hour or so to fully explore now. Most of the time though you would see much larger buildings that one could spend days investigating thoroughly. Hay, with how many rooms were in some of the taller buildings you could probably fit hundred if not thousands of ponies in each building and have a terribly huge population in a small area.

But, this was the wasteland, two hundred years had been not kind to the population of ponykind or to anything. The initial death toll was in the millions if not more when the bombs fell. Then came the nuclear winter which wiped out probably eighty to ninety percent of all surface life. In a few short months what was a huge population of tens or hundreds of millions living within cities in these high density population areas had died out. Now there was a almost staggering amount of free space within city ruins. As such nature came back with what had survived the fall and moved into where we ponies had so foolishly thought we had conquered the world and made it work for us.

Maybe this was the punishment for our hubris of thinking we controlled the world. Hay, we did control the world back then didn't we. We had our two princesses who controlled the cycle of the sun and moon, we had pegasi who controlled the weather. Earth ponies who mastered the land. Unicorns that turned anything that the pegasi or earth ponies couldn't control into their playthings. We had mastery of science and technology. We created such advanced technology that it still worked two hundred bucking years later. Now? Now we were scraping at the dirt hoping anything would grow, tearing each other apart hoping for some scrap to eat. We had lost control of a world that really we had never controlled. The sun and moon still rose and set of their own accord as far as I could tell, the weather naturally flowed without the pegasi, the ground didn't vanish due to us not working it anymore. Hay, even with the loss of so much arcane knowledge it wasn't like we couldn't do magic anymore. It was all there, it had always been there, we had just used it thinking we could conquer it.

That was the mindset that had doomed us hadn't it? We had tried to conquer each other and the world blew up. No the world didn't blow up, our nations did, our civilization did. So what does that make the world now? Feral? No that isn't right. Feral makes it sound like the world is actively trying to kill us off. No the world was healing in its own way. Sweeping away all we had done to it. The poisonous radiation year after year slowly fading away. Ruins crumbling and soil covering up what had once been buildings. One day the world would be green again once whatever kept the cloud curtain failed too. Everything we had made and done was a tool for us to survive better. It was all planned in the past to aid the present into the future. But, even so, it wasn't permanent. Hay, even the system before the war wasn't even permanent, it was from what I recalled a very stagnant system. It consumed things like gemstones, rare metals, and crops just like the one that had produced the war. It was slower, but, it had been around consumption, not sustainability. Then came a boom in technology, then a boom in population, then suddenly there were too many mouths to feed, too many draws on limited resources, too much on the line for everypony. Then boom, it all ended, we lost. Not just ponies, everyone did. Now all we had to remind us of what constant expansion and up scaling did, and nopony listened. Red Eye was trying to rebuild that which fell apart. It was going to fail either by somepony stopping him or by its own nature. He was a fool if he thought otherwise.

Hopefully somepony stopped him before he wrecked the world more. Somepony who had more power than I did. I had the smarts to know that it had to be done, even how to do it for the most part after being in his city, but, I lacked the will to try to do anything, the power to tackle it. No I was more comfortable with the simple goal of get to my friends and hug Rose. To do what I could to slow or even stop his expansion out into Seamane. There are other ponies there that I could convince to side with me to protect their interests. But, I could think of nopony I could convince to stand with me in striking out against Red Eye in his home. Even now we still sat in a civilization that valued things over others. 'Trade would save the wasteland' is a nice notion, but, I don't think the one who coined it knew what it meant. They in all actuality meant it would give caps to them. I scoffed at myself thinking at the idea of maybe making a nation of my own to rise to fight against Red Eye, but, how the hay would I get anypony to go along with me if not with caps. I absentmindedly flipped a prewar bit over and over in front of me. No light glinted off of it in the dark afternoon, my magic held it firm against the cold biting wind. In my magic I held what had been the reason for the world falling apart I wagered. Yes there was more to it than that. The princesses had let things get out of hand with the pace of development, with population booms. But, it came down to this, greed, didn't it? I floated out a bottlecap, and here was the new world symbol for the same old world concept. Money, possession, a way to exchange things for supposed work done. Something that ponies at the top cared only about, horded it like dragons and didn't use to help others.

All of that technology and they couldn't push past using coal and other rare items. Couldn't they have found another way, maybe channeling magic directly. The sun? What about the wind or the motion of water in rivers? Because none of those gave the rich what they had wanted. No at that point society under a stagnant rule had gotten used to making money off of every exchange. While in smaller towns you might see somepony give away an apple to somepony starving or give them shelter. They, the top of society, would milk the poor pony for money and when they couldn't get another bit out of them toss them away. The problem had been much deeper rooted than the war or the resources.

I let out a long sigh, once again watching my breath float away from me in a white patch in the air. So what now? I knew there were those who would go running off to help others, even whole towns willing to take care of those less fortunate. But, still we were holding on to old world traditions. Was that it? Was that what really was the cause for the war and for our sorry state now? We looked back on the past and don't see the present or the future? Maybe that was it, we are so fixated on how the greatness of the past that we can't work towards a better future. Everypony was walking backwards into the future. What about me? Was I doing the same? Or was I living in just the present trying to deal with problems as the cropped up? I most certainly was. But, that was changing wasn't it, yes I needed to focus on the now so I didn't die. I needed to focus on the the problems of now to make a future. But, to make that future last I would need to at some point look back at the past wouldn't I?

I gave out another sigh, this was the deepest thinking I had done in a long time. Not since I had gotten wrapped up in a great deal of philosophy books when I was ten. When I had started slacking off in my duties to the family Dad had taken the books and put them in a safe telling me that he would let me have them once I had gotten back on track, or cracked the safe. He had been right to do so. What use was someone who knew all this and yet didn't act? They were worth little more than the prewar bit I floated in front of my face. The world had a place for people who thought deeply, who learned and figured out the mysteries of the world, both of the mundane and the transcendent. Now though I needed to focus on the mundane, I had real problems ahead of me. Raiders, slavers, alicorns, Steel Rangers, tribal's, Red Eye's forces. I needed to refine my magic, get better armor, bigger guns, allies, friends. As much as I wanted to toss the jewels in my saddlebags and stuff it full of ammo I needed to rely on the trait that had gotten me them as well as this pipbuck. I needed to rely on my greed and others. I hated my greed, it made me do stupid things like waltzing into a enemy base instead of hunting down an abandoned stable. But, greed was something everypony in the wasteland had. No not everypony, certainly there was some pony out there who was the embodiment of the virtue of generosity. I certainly wasn't it.

I gave out sad half sob half laugh thinking about virtues. Watcher had told me to find mine, so what they hay would mine be? Kindness? No, while I was kind to others I wasn't above wiping out a town of raiders when I had planned on just sneaking out of it. Generosity was a nice notion, but, my greed would keep me from that. Honesty? Well maybe, I had spoken half truths once or twice, but, lying wasn't something I had need to do as of yet. Loyalty? Again my loyalty had never been tested so no idea. Laughter? How the hay was that a virtue of the elements of harmony?! Magic? No, not magic either, I was not a prodigy with it, I had aptitude due to my limited training. I had been forced over the past few weeks to use it more than ever and it had like a muscle been getting stronger and lasting longer. But, I didn't know the true core of magic. I could toss something with telekinesis, or levitate myself, hay, I could glide with it. But, mastery of magic? A paragon of it? No I was not. So what guided me? What did I use to keep myself from going raider?

It hit me, maybe it wasn't one of those things, maybe it was a loose attempt to follow all of them. All six where guidelines to being a better pony. Well except magic, that seemed esoteric compared to the rest, more so when only unicorns really could do magic. Unless it had meant a type of magic beyond just magic. Mastery of a magic that was not just magic, something everypony could experience? Friendship, love, family, self value? Those all felt magical and I had felt the magic of love towards Rose as well as my family. Not the same type of love, romantic and sexual with Rose. With my family it was... I don't know some other type of love. So then, what was my main guiding principle. My love for Rose that is driving me to return to her? Is she why I want to protect Seamane? Maybe, honestly having seen how horrible things had been for her even in a small snapshot of her life I knew I wanted to put an end to raiders and slavers. So was my virtue kindness for wanting to stop horrible things from happening? Or was it loyalty for wanting to help my marefriend and the rest of ponykind? Was it generosity of giving up my own ambitions that I once held for giving it all in helping ponykind? Or was this what ever magic was supposed to be? Bucking hell I think a lot when I haven't killed anypony in too long of a time. It was due to that wasn't it that I was thinking about all this. The no physical threat to my being showing up minute after minute, day in day out. The lack of something to put my mind to that caused it to wander off like this.

I resolved that I needed to ask Watcher about the nature of the element of magic. He had admitted he knew a fair bit about them hours ago. Or maybe I was following some virtue I didn't know about. Of course there were more than just those six virtues. Look at heroes, they always were ponies who had courage, justice, prudence, and temperance. Then again the wasteland felt it deserved a more tragic set of virtues along the lines of sacrifice, compassion, perseverance, innocence, and hope. Each one of them one could be far more tragic with. The wasteland loved tragedy. The wasteland was like a mirror in its own right. One would look into it and would see the worst that they could become. So what did I see when I looked at it? I saw myself giving up, going raider or slaver for caps, doing nothing but being a slave to pleasure and caps. I shuddered at the thoughts and the fact that parts of me took pleasure in the ideas of going with that life. So what was the opposite of that? Somepony who fought against what raiders and slavers did. I would fight against exploitation which is all they were doing. They exploited ponies wish to live to take them captive, they exploited them for their own benefit.

So what did that mean my virtue was, it obviously was more complex than the simple ones of harmony. Justice was foremost in my mind, I wanted to do right by others by dealing out justice to those who violated the most basic of laws. But, that was too simple. I wasn't willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of restoring our world, I knew doing that wouldn't bring what I wanted to the wasteland, it only brought about my own end and then nopony else would be around to do what I did. That was a selfish thought wasn’t it? Why would nopony else do what you did if you set yourself as an example? Because if that worked by now we would be up to our ears in other heroes. Prudence? Ruling oneself with logic and reason? Not really, that was short sighted as well. Temperance was also kind of out of the window due to me impulsiveness. No I was not a rational creature who could always be counted on approaching things calmly. I had compassion for the rest of ponykind, hay, I was wanting to save everypony I could. Yet, that felt off too, like it was closer. Perseverance was out as well, what horrid struggle or mistake had I gone through that I had to keep on fighting for to make up or set right? Nothing I knew of. Innocence? That was never a possibility, I was born in the wasteland, I was taught since I understood words on what I needed to know to survive this world. I never really was innocent, I had always been tainted by the wasteland.

So that left me with three possibilities. One, the mysterious element of magic which seemed a bit silly unless there was a really good explanation on what the hay they meant by magic. Two, the virtue of compassion due to my care of all of ponykind and my want to help it recover and do better. Or it was the third option of courage, willingness to confront what must be confronted both physically and morally. I weighed the last two in my mind, they both called to me deeply as what I wanted to do, who I wanted to be. Who said you had to follow one virtue to live by? I gave a small nod to myself, with courage and compassion I would confront this world and try to save it in any way I could with my small body and bright mind. So I had the wisdom to find my virtue, which in its own right should be a virtue in of itself. My virtue, if I was right in my assessment of myself, being courage. For me to do what my compassion told me to do I would need one more element, the element of power, and really in our world the greatest power left to us that would not falter or fail with time was that of magic. I was going to find out what had happened to the element of magic, both the object and the virtue and do what I could to wrangle it to my purposes.

It wasn't long after I had set my new goals into my heart before some pony decided that a cheerful mare who at a glance was armed with a metal stick and two pistols was a good target. As the shot rang out I pulled out my ear bloom and turned off the radio. I got a quick tip on how to activate S.A.T.S. and I grinned. I pulled out my three guns and charged for where the shot had come from to hear more gunfire ring out and the road around me pop as I put a weak shield up directly in front of me.

“You are in for a bad day today! You just pissed off a mare in a really good mood who just got some new toys!” I yelled as I leaped over a chest high wall where the attackers were sitting in cover.

I slipped into S.A.T.S. It was odd to say the least when I first entered it. The world completely unmoving except where I looked, tags over parts of each potential target showing my chance to hit. The three here were garbed in what can only be described as raider armor. I cued up a shot from each of my guns, one gun for one pony. I released S.A.T.S. like I was instructed to and watched in slow motion as my trio of guns went off the three fifty seven revolver and five fifty six revolver leaving two dead bodies as I pierced their hearts and the third target turning to ash under the red glare of my beam rifle. I felt my hooves touch the ground slowly as well and then time went back to full speed. I holstered all by my five point five six pistol and checked over my would be killers. All the items on the dusted one were a bust, they went up with him. The other two had a healing potion a piece, some more ammo for my pistol, and two rifles. I did a quick check around to see if any more raiders were around, but, found no indication with my eyes or E.F.S. to say there were more.

I returned to the highway and continued east. I figured, after half an hour, that the three I bumped into were to ambush anypony going the opposite direction I had been going. Ambush anypony going into the city via this highway. Probably walked right under a raider camp while in the sewers. I pulled out a single bullet for my pistol and then reloaded the one round I had used before setting it back in the holster. Next I reloaded the one round for my revolver and finally came my laser rifle. As I checked it over E.F.S. notified me it was in poor condition. Apparently I overcharged it a great deal hence it vaporizing that pony with a single shot. I replaced the spark battery powering it and slung it over my shoulder. Better keep that shot for any nasty monster that could shrug off my pistols I thought to myself.

I found my mind wandering again as I continued to walk down the highway to Manehattan. Maybe power wasn't such a hard thing to find if I could build a weapon that powerful. Maybe I just needed to find some books that would give me a nice primer on magic. Raid a library? Hmm... a good spot would be any Ministry of Arcane Science hubs then. So then, I had to major targets a MAS hub and a MOP hub. Hay, even universities would be targets as both would hopefully be teaching Arcane Science in general as well as teaching healing spells and practices that the Ministry of Peace was known for.

I shrugged my shoulders shifting the two rifles I had slung across my back with the homemade laser rifle. I frowned as I looked at the signs on the highway, it was going to be a long long walk to Manehattan. I sat down and focused my healing spell to where I had gotten shot earlier in the day and felt the lingering pain die down as the remaining damage healed. I then patched the hole in my barding and looked up. It looked like snow as getting ready to come down. The air was cold enough and from the cold seeping into my hooves the ground would take to the snow all too well. Still though I had a few hours to go until it would be too cold to be outside. Light no longer was a issue thanks to the monocular I had.

My thoughts wandered back to earlier. The elements of harmony. They were the most powerful items of magic in this world as far as I knew. They had existed since, well as far as I could tell, forever. I doubted they were destroyed in the apocalypse. Hay, from what I remember Canterlot was just hazardous to enter but not destroyed. So I wagered the palace still held them, safely in a vault waiting for somepony to take them. That or if somepony knew the end was coming, they had been moved. Still though, Canterlot was the most likely place for them. But, from what I remembered the place was to the point of staying too long would kill you very easily and everything there had been mutated to the extreme to the point that it was a mortal danger to even cross the ruin. So, for now at very least the elements were safely tucked away in the most secure place in the wasteland. Nopony could touch them. Which was both good and bad. If there was a way to quickly restore the wasteland it would be through their vast magic. They had purified Princess Luna from being Nightmare Moon, as well as they had been used in the defeat of Discord, twice. Then a thought crossed my mind that darkened my mood. What if there are no ponies alive who can use them, the last who could died at the end of the world. The only ponies who could wield them besides the princesses themselves had been the Ministry Mares. No, there had to be something else to them, something I would have to unravel later.

Right now I wished I saw a spritebot and could talk to Watcher about this, but, no these matters weren't that important at the moment. Right now I needed to focus on getting to Manehattan, finding my friends, and returning to the Seamane region. Yes I want to fix the world, make there be great verdant fields of grass and flowers in my homeland again. To help rebuild our world. But, there were things that took priority. Those priorities being saving it from the most immediate of threats. As well as the more shameful things such as I wanted to be with Rose again. Above anything else I wanted to be with her. It hurt for several reasons, my own selfishness of wanting to be with her, to block out the world with what we did together. It hurt that I was so willing to toss the rest of the world away just for her. It hurt that I knew there was nothing I could do to speed up the process of seeing her again. Running would just wear me out and increase the chance of capture or death. Asking for help would draw attention from forces I wanted to be invisible to. Wallowing about not having what I wanted right now would get me nowhere fast.

The wind cut through me as I continued walking. I had left the outskirts of Fillydelphia and was now walking along the highway among the plains stretching endlessly away. The road I walked was the one that would take me to Manehattan, to Friendship City, to Tenpony Tower. From there I would be free to go wherever I wanted. I would have to head west again, which gave me many options, Hoofington, Fillydelphia, Vanhoover, New Appleloosa, Dodge City, Baltimare. Hay, if I wanted to I could go to the Frozen North.

But, no, that wasn't what I wanted I knew what I wanted. More than anything right now I wanted the warm embrace of Rose, her soft coat, her strong athletic body next to mine. I wanted to bury my face in her neck and block out the world for a short while. I wanted to stop feeling the strange emotions I felt while thinking about everything, the pit of sorrow that threatened to swallow me whole. I wanted to block out the horrors of the wasteland that I had seen. I wanted to shrink the world down to just her and myself.

In that moment I knew what I truly was, even if I said I was getting used to traveling alone, I was lonely the deepest level of my being. I was in the middle of nowhere, nopony knew where I was or even having the possibility of knowing who I was here. I could die and nopony would know what happened to me or who I was. The only thing that made me any different from a corpse was that I was walking, and even then, the wasteland had walking corpses as well. I let out a quiet sob knowing that I was truly and frighteningly alone and far, far away from home, family, friends, and my lover.

It sucks being alone.

Footnote: Fifty percent to level up.

Chapter 9 - Blackwood Campground

Chapter 9 – Blackwood Campground

“A ranger is somepony who does the right thing, who can work on their own and knows the land. They do what they do for the sake of it must be done not for the sake that others appreciate what is done.”

         A few more hours had passed after having left Fillydelphia and I was looking for a place to sleep for the night when I saw an abandoned station. I began to move closer when two red bars showed up on my E.F.S. I laid down and looked in the direction indicated. I saw two bucks walking around and chatting as they headed for the station. One of them had shackles as a cutie mark, the other was a knife.

‘Wonderful.’ I thought to myself. ‘They are either slavers, or raiders.’

Either way, I needed to check to see if anymore were around. I crept after them as night fell on the wasteland. When they opened the doors into the station I saw three more inside, two playing some sort of card game and one laying on a bed, doing something. As I observed them two more red bars showed up and if it hadn't been for a well placed bush one of the two new hostiles would have spotted me. So there were seven targets in the main room, more maybe to the side since there was a closed door on the left inside the building.

I lay there watching them, listening to their banter as the minutes dragged on. They were just ponies trying to make a living, even if I was against their method they weren't frothing at the mouth irredeemable psychopaths. I quietly crept off into the night, sliding down the night vision monocular and clicking it on. After a few minutes of creeping away I saw the red lights blink out of my E.F.S. and I stood up and began walking normally. Tonight was going to be just straight walking, I popped in my ear bloom and turned on the good DJ to keep me company tonight. As time went on it got colder and colder, than white flakes started to fall from the sky. I blinked at the reflective things coming from the sky that messed with my monocular’s vision. Lifting it and staring into the sky it was brighter than I remember ever seeing it at night. I turned to look at Fillydelphia, it looked like a permanent sunset was there as the white flakes of ice fell. I gave a sigh and watched my breath show in the air before me. I needed to find some shelter soon to keep from freezing. I switched of the night vision of the monocular as it was now useless with so many reflective objects in the sky.

As I walked I watched as the snow began to stick in places around me. I was glad for having bought barding back in Saint Clover that covered me from the base of my neck to my rear hooves. Though now I wished I had boots as well, and a scarf for my neck. I had put on the respirator to help keep the chill out a bit more, the compartment where my muzzle and nose sat staying a bit warmer so the air I breathed was not so cold. However it did make it so there was a constant stream of my breath showing in the air from the two ventilators on it. The other thing I noticed was that the material of the pipbuck that touched my leg didn't seem to conduct heat all that well so I wasn't at risk of getting frostbite due to having that chunk of metal on my leg. Eventually I spotted a sign saying one mile until an exit that lead to camping grounds. With my current pace it took me only ten minutes to get to the exit.

I followed the road as it gently curved to the right and down. At the end of it was the site of a long forgotten crash between self drawn carriages. I picked over them, as the snow continued to fall in the cold night, it had readily begun sticking to the metal of the vehicles as well as the skeletons with in them where the glass that had once protected the occupants had shattered.

Picking over the vehicles I found a very thick sleeping bag rolled up and strapped it to my saddlebags, the next thing I found was a oversized thick winter coat. I looked it over marveling in the quality of the fabric, how tough it was as well as light. I pulled the sleeping bag off of myself then slipped into this coat and found while it was oversized for me it fit nicely over everything I had on. I buttoned it closed seeing the mouth grips of my two pistols as well as my knife just under the lip of the coat. I lifted up the sides of the long draping back to see I still had easy access to my saddlebags. I checked the trunk over some more to find a dark green scarf laying amongst other clothing, it reminded me of Rose, the same color as her mane when I first found her and just as soft as after we washed her. I lifted it with my magic and wrapped it around my neck as I examined the remaining supplies. A couple more sleeping bags lay in there as well as various camping equipment. Frowning I worked on finding a way to properly carry the single pony tent with me as well. The thing was too large for my saddlebags and would have to sit on my back as well. I let out a sigh as I closed the trunk and looked at the street sign saying which way to the camp grounds. I figured there would be some shelter for whoever had run the place. A street light was flickering about a hundred feet down the road and I saw somepony standing there watching me. I pulled down the monocular and began to zoom in on them as they vanished during a annoyingly well timed flicker before I could see who or what they were.

I stood there watching my E.F.S. as the seconds then the minutes ticked past. I walked to where the figure had been standing. I could feel the cold sucking the heat out of my hooves as I walked on the dusting of snow that sat upon the road. I wanted to go seek shelter as soon as I could, maybe make a fire, however, I wanted to be certain I was safe first. I looked around and saw the signs pointing to the campgrounds lead the way that the figure had gone.

I muttered under my breath, “of course they would be in the same direction.”

I continued on towards the campgrounds figuring one way or another I was going to have to go there tonight. I turned off the DJ as the snow on the ground thickened and I began hearing my own hoof steps in the crunching snow. I hoped whoever I was after was also having difficulty staying quiet in the snow. As I followed the signs it lead me into a dense forest, the trees long dead from the radioactive winter that had occurred after the bombs fell.

Not long down the road there was a toll booth, one side the gate was down, the other side was open for those leaving I guessed. I also saw on the window facing me a simple sign saying “Sorry closed for the season!” It had a rather cheerful mare in brown clothing waving at me. I started to move towards the booth and heard a muffled beep, then another, then one a bit faster than the second.

‘Mines?! With as Luna as my witness I will kill whoever laid mines in the snow here!’ I thought to myself as I pushed myself back and tossed up a barrier in front of me.

I misjudged where the mine had been placed as it exploded, ripping through the barrier I had erected on the opposite side of it, I felt a piece of shrapnel slice through the inside of my right hind leg. I listened to the ringing while I lay on the ground disoriented from the blast watching the snowflakes land on my goggles and slowly melt. After a minute the ringing subsided and I checked my leg. The injury was nothing a simple bandage and time would heal, but, it was a good chance to try a mending spell again. I focused my magic, remembering how the spell worked and cast it. I opened my eyes to see the last of the injury closing up. I wiped down where the blood had been making certain that at least I wouldn't smell of blood as I entered these woods with Luna knows what.

I pushed myself up and looked at where the mine had gone off and noticed other lumps in the snow. Of course it wouldn't be an effective minefield if you just had one mine. I frowned, there had to be a better way through it. I looked at the nearby trees and had a idea. They had stood strong and proud since the great war, they should take my weight with no problem. I proceeded to climb the nearest tree that had low enough branches for me to reach. In no time I was a dozen feet off the ground carefully eyeing for the next spot to move to. After a few failed attempts at moving from tree to tree I got a basic idea of what to look for in a branch that will support you, and support you moving or jumping on it.

I eventually picked my way across the trees and got to a area that looked like a parking lot and a lone administration building. I crouched in the tree with one hoof steadying me as I manually adjusted the zoom on my monocular. Looking in through the windows of the administration building I saw it was abandoned and its windows intact. I then scanned the parking lot for more mounds to indicate more mines. Thankfully I saw none, but, I didn't quite trust that, so I continued my tree hopping until I was next to the building itself. Normally all this jumping around would be hard, but, as a unicorn I had my telekinesis to aid me.

I looked over the administration building again, and eyed what looked to be some sort of tower that raised above the treeline, and there was a hatch below it connecting it to the building itself. I didn't quite feel like testing my luck with the doors accessible from the ground as if the minefield by the entrance of the place was any indication they were trapped as well. I drew back on my legs and sprang forward wrapping myself in my magic to make the leap from tree to roof top. With a soft crunch of snow under my hooves I landed deftly on the roof and slowly walked to the hatch.

    As I got to it I noticed there wasn't even a lock on the thing or even a latch of sorts. The only thing that had kept anything from entering this way was location. I took a breath as I shivered in the cold air and looked around. My E.F.S. was clear and I didn't see anything either. I then turned to the hatch itself and began to lift if with my magic, laying down where it opened the most to see if anything had been attached to the underside as a trap. I flicked on night vision and saw nothing, not even a hook for a trap. I lifted it the rest of the way and looked into the darkness of the building below me. I climbed down the ladder and closed the hatch as my hooves just touched the floor.

Looking around I was glad I had turned on the night vision, the building was dark, and, it was silent. No creaking of movement, no sounds of radroaches or rodents of annoyingly unusual size. The air in here felt a bit warmer, though, stale and dry. I heard a drip come from nearby and turned to look in the direction it had come from to only step in a tiny puddle of ice cold water. I looked around more to see where it came from and only to find it was from the snow melting off of me. I wrapped what moisture remained on my and fed it into one of the bottles from the carnival twisting a cap over it. As I did I made a mental note to myself to fill all my bottles with snow when I had a chance.

I moved out of the alcove I was in and looked around the hall it was a part of. I saw signs for the restrooms, I doubted the plumbing was still functional, and given the cold here at very least it broke due to the pipes freezing. As I quietly moved through the building it became abundantly clear that I was the first pony in here since it closed two hundred years ago. I guessed that whoever was here when it closed had probably moved further into the forest so not to be discovered by anyone who walked past the entrance of the campgrounds. I continued exploring the building and found a room full of bunk beds. To my dismay a few were occupied though E.F.S. showed no bars signaling they were all long since deceased. I walked up to them, two of them wore Equestrian Army uniforms that were still in good condition. The others I noted had no clothing. Upon examining the remains I saw the cause of death all four of the ponies who lay in this room died from radiation poisoning. I beat back tears as I walked out of the room. Even with all the death I had seen and the few times seeing it up close when I had killed others for some reason this hit me hardest.

“It is okay to cry, just let it all out.” A voice whispered from no direction in general.

I stood up blinking away the tears and looked around for the source of the voice. I saw nothing, E.F.S. was clear. I was the only one here, that and the skeletons of long dead ponies. I left the room that held the skeletons and finished checking the rest of the building. As well as worry for my sanity if it had been the bodies whispering to me. By the time I did it was after midnight, I was still cold, and I had found a fireplace. Looking at the fireplace I was happy to see it was all set to burn, I just had to start it. I stopped realizing I had nothing to start it with.

I rummaged through the building again and found a lighter with a engraved seal of a ornate depiction of the sun. I arrived back at the fireplace and lit the paper within it with the lighter. I flipped the cap closed on the lighter and slide it into a pocket inside the coat. Slowly the fire caught and I opened the vent to let the smoke out. I then closed the fireplace so no embers could escape and went back to the offices grabbing whatever books there were.

Returning to the fire it was burning slowly and warming the room to the point I had to strip. I lay my possessions in the corner where it would be hardest to see from the doorway leading into the room. I lay out the sleeping bag on the floor and climbed atop it pulling my bounty of books to me and began to examine each one. As I finished sorting the pre war books, many of them being novels, my stomach growled and reminded me that it had been half a day since I last ate. With that I pulled out my food and ate quietly watching the fire and feeling more at ease than I had in the past week. Here I was, with books to read, a warm fire, nice shelter though a few skeletons in the closet, and so far nothing trying to outright kill me. From what I was gathering with the bodies I saw and the little minefield was that whoever was here just wants to be left alone. Which, fine by me, just let me get out of the cold, sleep and eat a bit and there isn't anything else I want to do at the moment.

As I lay there I read book after book, I left the fiction to the side and focused on the more practical books about sales negotiations, speaking to others, how locks worked, as well as a few journals on medicine. I noticed a lot of books around here where on how to survive off of the land. I figured it made sense with a campground and all, but, at the same time not a whole lot of good when every plant had died thanks to radiation or the sudden nuclear winter after the bombs fell. There had been one curious thing though that I had found left here, a simple note by a pony I knew. A note from Meadows.

In his note he explained how he had come here after the nuclear winter had gone away while on his way to Seamane. How he had found a good number of folks had taken shelter here in this building and managed to live through it. Though a few of their number had died gathering supplies thanks to the radioactive green snow. Two of his own also had fallen to radiation sickness a few days after arriving due to their work on helping gather supplies and build a town deeper in the forest. Two more of his men had stayed behind to aid a few townsfolk who had gotten hurt as well and to set up the minefield when he left. He also makes mention of having taken four more ex-equestrian military troopers with him. I sat back on my haunches and frowned. It seemed I was going backwards with Meadows trip. I also wondered what they ended up doing since he had never mentioned the other four while at the other towers. Then again I had only been to two of them.

I let out a sigh and stared at the fire, it was just embers now and the time read four in the morning. It would be light out in three hours and all I could think of doing was sleeping. I climbed into the sleeping bag and closed the door to the room and set my stuff against it. Since it opened into the room it was the best way to keep myself safe while sleeping. I also put my revolver under the pillow that was stuffed inside of the sleeping bag. Six shots, point three five seven rounds, armor piercing load with a mouth grip directly below my mouth under the pillow. I maybe at ease here and have good reason to believe I will be left alone, but, I am not taking chances tonight. I let myself drift off to sleep, hoping that my dreams would be nice.

*                    *                    *

As I woke up I checked E.F.S. to find no bars once more. I climbed out of my sleeping bag to find the room had cooled off considerably while I slept. I noticed my stuff had been moved from the door, now instead of blocking it was sitting beside it. And someone had left me a box, damn it, I had been too exhausted to wake up when someone entered the room and made all the noise of pushing open the door. On the box there was a note as well. I levitated the note to myself, in front of me was a mouth written letter. The letter was by the figure I had seen last night. They apologized for spooking me last night when I had spotted them. They politely asked for me to leave a letter outside explaining my purpose here. I frowned as I pulled on the heavy coat and walked around the building. I saw outside that it had lightened on how hard it was snowing, after dumping a foot of snow onto the ground.

“Well,” I said aloud, “looks like my plans for a trip to the coast just got ruined.”

I now knew exactly what my purpose for being here was. I grabbed a clipboard, paper, and a pencil and wrote my note for this mysterious figure.

‘I was here initially just for a place to sleep out of the weather, now seeing how much snow has come down not certain if I want to try going out and headed out to the coast before going to Friendship City or just waiting it out.’

I took the note and opened a door, I and saw snow tracked onto the deck. Well at least I knew what side they had come in from. I stuck the note into the window seal of door on the outside and closed the door. I kept checking around with my E.F.S. for any bars and finding nothing at all. If it hadn't been for seeing red and blue bars yesterday when walking out here I would think that my pipbuck was not working right. As it was I pulled out the pipbuck technicians tools and went to work checking if it was working properly.  After half an hour of checking it over I was completely certain it was working properly. As the day wore on I put my barding back on as the building cooled once more. I even tried walking outside in the snow only to find it was very hard as it was as powdery as sand making me effectively trapped by dunes of ice. Some how that annoyed me more than my time walking the dunes around Seamane.

I heard hoof steps on the deck on the back of the building and stopped reading, listening for what they would do next. To my surprise I heard the door open and someone come inside. I sat up on the sleeping bag the book I was reading resting on the floor as I waited to see what the person who just entered the building would do next. I saw their blue bar start to move indicating they were coming towards me. I felt my heart start to beat faster as the blue bar came closer, my breaths deeper with the passing of each second, as I felt the coat strain against the holsters below it. Then I saw them walk into view, when our eyes met they stopped and drew back a bit. I mentally tried to make myself relax and waved with my left foreleg. They returned it then took a few steps closer.

She was young mare, younger than me from the looks of it. Her mane was a short and black, her coat a lighter gray than my own. She wore thick barding made of leather and fur. She didn't come closer than the outside of the doorway.

“It’s okay, I am the only one here, and as you can see no light on my horn, I am not setting a trap or anything.” I explained to her as the fire crackled.

She nodded and walked in, her eyes checking the corners as soon as she entered the room and I could see her horn under the hood of hers.

“So... What do you want to talk about?” I asked her as she sat down between the door, my bags, and myself. She was quiet for a few minutes as I listened to the fire crackle and pop.

“I could use your help if you aren't too busy,” she stated.

I raised an eyebrow, apparently she took my willingness to respond as well as wait out the snow as a sign of civility. Though I was wondering what help she wanted, and why my mind was thinking of Rose all of the sudden.

“Well I am stuck here until either I find a way to make myself float on the snow or the snow goes away. So ask away, all I have here is books to read and that won't take me long to do.” I mentally kicked myself for coming off so snarky and rude.

“Well, I was hoping you might be able to help fix a few things around here.” She stated, eyeing my books as she moved a bit close to the fireplace.

I blinked, fix things around here? I took a stab, “you mean the town further in?” The look of shock on her face was priceless. “I only know about it thanks to a note left by a stallion who helped set it up.”

She relaxed a bit, “we can go whenever, I will show you around and how to navigate the snow.”

I nodded and got off my sleeping bag and began to pack it up. When I was done I saw her levitating my saddlebags to me as I took off my long coat.

“Thank you,” I said as I shrugged the bags on and put back on the coat. “By the way, my name is Moonlight, do you have something you don't mind me calling you?”

“Snow,” she responded as she lay the sleeping bag and packed tent on my back.

“Well, Snow, we will be on our way in just a moment.” I said as I projected a shield around the fire snuffing it out. “Alright, take me to what needs fixing.”

*                    *                    *

After a few minutes of explaining how to walk through snow I tried my hoof at it and found it was far easier than I thought it would be. Though it would have been much easier if I had the boots that Snow did. She had some sort of large disk for each hoof to step on. She explained that it worked off of distributing her weight so the snow didn't shift as much. I frowned and decided to try making a barrier to do the same. Suffice to say it didn't and the rest of the walk to where we were going was quiet as I walked through the snow and disappointingly not on top of the snow.

“We are here Moonlight, see that shed, we have a water pump in it that broke over night, it supplies most of the water the town needs. Work on fixing that while I go take care of some other matters.” She briskly walked off in another direction as I headed to the pump house.

The forest was rather beautiful with the snow all around. I marveled at it as I walked up to the pump house itself. I opened the door to see the pump sitting in the middle of the room, the spark generator for it offline and the machine itself looked half taken apart. Guessed either the pony who could fix it was busy, or, they lacked somepony to fix it. I walked in and closed the door behind me as I floated out my tools and started to diagnose what was wrong with it. After a few minutes of fiddling with it I found the source of the problem. Time was the problem.  A lot of the mechanical parts had worn down as well as a lot of the electronics had failed over the years. I pulled out the various bits of scrap material that I had on me and began to find pieces that fit or interchangeable components. Half an hour or so later it was fixed and the pump began to push water again. I slowly had it increase the pressure in the pipes to make certain any ice that had formed would hopefully move, and so it wouldn't burst the pipes. As full pressure was achieved the door opened and I turned seeing a blue bar then Snow standing there.

“Alright, follow me, there is more work for us to do Moonlight.” Snow stated, I nodded and followed after her, shutting the door as we exited.

I followed after her as she led me north. I had to admit it was nice that E.F.S. had a built in compass, from just that I had a rough estimate where I was with regards to the administration building. As we walked she offered no words and I didn't try to broach the silence. Once more snow had begun to fall as it approached noon. I saw some red lights come into being on my E.F.S. and darted in front of Snow motioning with a hoof to stop and hide. I watched as two of the five lights winked out and the other three converged on where the two had been.

“Do you have any hunters out this way, Snow?” I asked as I pulled down the monocular and started to look for the sources of the red bars.

“No, why did you see something?” Asked Snow, sounding a bit worried.

I grumbled and began to move towards the three lights my magic already having a firm grip on my guns. I heard the soft sounds of Snow's steps behind me as she followed as closely as she dared. The red lights hadn't moved the entire time I had walked towards them. As I reached a clearing I saw three figures standing over the corpses of two geckos. Someone was hunting here I thought to myself. I zoomed in with the monocular, they were three earth ponies with spears and covered in furs. I frowned as Snow caught up with me. I pointed to the three and then looked at her expectantly.

“Those are others from the village, best we stay clear of them, Moonlight.” Snow said, for the first time I noticed her accent, it reminded me of the audio recordings that I had listened to as a foal. She reminded me in particular of somepony from Stalliongrad.

I gave her a nod, “alright then lead me to where we need to be.”

In silence once more we continued north before changing course at the site of a large downed tree and heading due west. We continued on for another half hour before stopping at a cave. Snow stopped and began to eat something.

“Is it safe to eat here, I mean there is a cave with who knows what in it right there.” I asked.

“Eat anything besides meat and you won't wake It up.” She retorted and resumed eating her food.

Won't wake It up? Whatever, I assumed it was something I was going to have to deal with once we had finished out meal. I pulled out some of the grass I had harvested and a few sugar bombs and ate. As we had stopped moving I noticed the cold creeping back in from my hooves and exposed muzzle. I finished eating before Snow did and covered my face back up. She was somepony used to the cold, I was not, nor did I much care for the cold.

“Alright, we need to clear this cave of bloodwings.” Snow stated.

I blinked at her, “what the hay is a blood wing?”

She looked like I had grown another leg, or third eye.

“No really, where I am from we don't have them, that or nopony ever told me about them.” I replied, honestly not every creature was in every region.

“They are a mutated vampire bat, not the type that turn you into vampires.” She said, then under her breath, “unlike what those idiots think.”

“So we need to go into the home of a vampire bat and murder it while it sleeps?” I asked, trying to clarify exactly what needed doing.

“It, and its friends.” Snow responded, giving me only a bit more information.

“Okay, it meaning there is a really nasty one down there?”

“Yes, big sharp pointy fangs. Probably punch through your barding, though, probably go for your neck like it does on the brahmin.” Snow answered with a hint of a laugh.

“Ah, how fun, am I going in alone or do you have something to kill flying monsters with?” I asked looking her over for weapons.

“No, and I can't see down there like you can.”

I blinked, how did she? “How did you know that?” I asked.

“Your gadget on your left eye glows like that of an animal at night. At first when I saw you I thought maybe you were some sort of mutant bat pony.” She answered, and under her breath continued, “thought that maybe those idiots were right about vampire bat ponies.”

I laughed and shook my head. “Okay, yeah I can see in the dark with it, how many do you think there are in here?”

“Probably six including the big one.” Snow supplied the last bit of information I needed.

As she said that a message showed up in my vision, 'Kill six blood wings in blood wing cave'. Then displayed 'You have located blood wing cave'. I mentally stammered, did it just recognize verbally given instructions from another pony? I hadn't read about this function before. Then a marker on my E.F.S. lit up for the mouth of the cave. Right, well lets do this, you weird arcano tech gadget.

“Alright, well see you if I still have enough blood in me to crawl out after this.” I said as I jumped onto the sharp slope down into the darkness flicking on the night vision as I went.

In the darkness of the cave I found it was only one direction along a gently sloping downward incline. I also found quickly that it was rather warm compared to outside. It took me all of five minutes of walking to get to the point where E.F.S. registered the six targets of my orders. I pulled out my revolver and hit S.A.T.S. when I had a visual on them.

Targeting each of the blood wings with a single shot to the head I let S.A.T.S. do its thing as time slowly begin four of the six shots struck home. The other two went wide, on the smaller blood wing it striped its wing from its body. As for the big blood wing it woke up as the shots rang out and the one for it dug its way into the cave wall.

I dodged to the side as it swooped down, the red bar on my E.F.S. moving quickly and erratically. I quickly holstered the revolver and drew This Gun, it still was funny that that was the name my pipbuck gave it. I kept dodging while S.A.T.S. recharged, the enraged massive blood wing. Unfortunately I couldn't keep a eye on it at all times as it flew back and forth, even with E.F.S. and night vision it would elude me just long enough to get a chance to dive at me. So far it had yet to actually hurt me, but, more than once I had seen its sharp claws and its huge teeth.

Luck wasn't on my side as it dug its teeth into my neck after a previous blow had caused my scarf to slide off exposing my neck. I cried out in pain as I felt it dig deep into me and start to suck. S.A.T.S. finished recharging and I hit the spell slipping into the frozen time of S.A.T.S. I put all five rounds into the heart of the damn blood wing and released the spell. I watched as the first two did the job, the other three making its chest explode in a blast of blood, much of it my own that it had just sucked out of me.

I started reloading with my magic as I tried to turn my neck. I then found that the teeth and head of the blood wing blocked me from moving my neck. I put the pistol away and then with my right hoof found the lower jaw of the blood wing, then with my left hoof found the rest of the head. I closed my eyes and slowly opened its jaw and felt the pain recede as I removed its teeth from my neck. Immediately I dropped the head and pulled out antibiotics and medical alcohol to clean the wounds and make certain I didn't catch anything from the damn blood sucker. The bite started to burn as I cleaned them I could feel that I was still bleeding from them as well. I moved my head and cast a examination spell to make certain nothing was left in the wounds, as I did I watched the last bits of the fangs wash out of me with a my blood mixed with the medical alcohol. I dropped the spell then grabbed two healing potions and downed them as fast as I could. A warm welcome rush came over me as I felt the holes close up. Gratefully the wounds had not removed my coat but simply displaced it so as the wounds closed up my coat found its rightful place again. Though I knew there would probably be small holes in my coat for a while where it had been torn away.

I turned my attention to the head of the massive blood wing, this would do as a sign that I had completed the job. I picked it up and lay it on my back under a strap holding the tent on my back. I then looked at my scarf laying on the ground, it had a small bit of blood on it, but, other than that it was clean. I smiled as I put it back on and left the cave to find Snow sitting there waiting, a look of worry was on her face until she saw me as I climbed out of the darkness. I tossed the head at her feet and she to her credit didn't flinch away.

“There, that blood sucking freak is dead, anything else you need me to do for your town?” I asked, my mood wasn't the greatest, it was cold, my neck hurt, I was still light headed.

Absentmindedly I began reloading the revolver and pistol in front of her, collecting the brass as always. I winced as I realized I had left the five shells from the pistol down in the cave when I had tried to reload. It wasn't worth the effort to get them again I told myself as I slide the two pistols back home under my long coat.

“Well if you wouldn't mind I think there is one last thing to do today for the town. Follow me.” She said as she got up and began marching eastward.

I sighed and watched the moisture in my breath freeze and drift away with me in the light breeze that had kicked up with the snow. As I followed her I couldn't stop myself from thinking about Rose and Ruby. I was hoping that they were still on track to Tenpony tower. If they were or even delayed a few days I could hopefully catch them. If anything this snow would slow them down more than me thanks to the carriage. I also hoped that Ruby was keeping Rose safe, while she was as old as me she was probably a bit more naïve than myself. She had yet to be twisted into either of the extremes the wasteland makes a person. Because either you resist the wasteland or you embrace it. If you embrace it you became either a hero or a raider. I didn't want to think about if maybe my 'death' had instead left Rose broken. I felt a twinge of anger at the thought that the gryphons lie might hurt my marefriend so deeply. We had saved Oakmare it was a time for celebration not for one of the closest people to me to get hurt.

My eye twitched as I suppressed the urge to throw something with my magic and vent a bit of anger. Not at Bryn who had been a major factor in why I wasn't enjoying the warm embrace of Rose now while we were traveling the area around Seamane. No it was at Red Eye for having staged the whole attack on Oakmare, for Slate on having to send his Hydra and wreck a third of the town. It was on Helgrim who didn't just shove a bag of caps in my hooves and tell me to shut up about everything I heard. My thoughts stopped, why was a bag of caps that valuable to me? Yes it could buy me better arms and armor, let me have supplies to keep a pony from dieing practically. But, all I could think about it was just the idea of having it made me happy. My hot anger had turned cold and upon myself. Why the buck should it matter to me that much, there are so many other things in this goddess forsaken wasteland than freaking bottle caps. Glanced up at Snow as she guided me to her town, I could see some buildings in the distance growing in size as we approached the settlement.

I pushed my self loathing to the back of my mind. ‘Lets sort out our issues with myself later when not in company. We have impressions to make that matter.’

 I took a deep breath and held it for a second, clearing my mind and then slowly let it out. I felt my anger slip out with my breath into the cold winter air and a calm come over me. ‘Much better. Now then lets make a good impression on these ponies.’

As we drew close to the town I saw ponies milling around under a large roof that covered the area between the biggest buildings. It looked like this had originally been an area where somepony would have a big group for a party or picnic but over time they had built log houses attached to it. The town itself consisted of eight buildings minus the pre war picnic structure. As we approached a single pony came up to us, I could tell from the build of his face that he was an older buck, and from the looks of him he was not pleased to see me.

Well first impressions are good and all, but, hard to make a good one when somepony decides to throw a spear at your face before you get a chance to talk. I rolled out of the way throwing my shield spell into its path where it bounced off away from me and Snow. I stood up out of the pile of snow I rolled into, the snow falling off of me and piling around my hooves as my heart went back into action of getting me ready for a fight. I stood there, watching the buck for further signs of aggression as Snow remembered she wasn't a statue.

“Father!” She shouted at the older buck, well great I thought, her father hates me and in all likelihood is probably someone important here. “She is the one who fixed the well and,” she dropped the head of the giant blood wing I had killed. “She killed the blood wings who had been killing the brahmin and the night guard.”

Our eyes locked as Snow's father stared me down. We stood there for a minute before he relaxed, I kept my aggressive stance just in case.

“Fine then, she may join us for dinner, but, tomorrow you must lead her out of the woods. Anyone of the outside brings the threat of others from the outside coming with them.” Snow's father said.

Now I understood, extreme and possibly hostile isolationism born out of fear of a already hurt group of ponies wanting to survive. I relaxed and assumed a neutral stance and walked up beside Snow.

“Thank you Father, and honestly I was planning on either leading her out or taking her back to the admin building up front.”

I quietly watched as the two slipped into a conversation about me. She stood on the principle of careful acceptance of outsiders, he stood on waiting until someone from a proper government came to get them. I frowned thinking on the subject as I was probably going to be used a political chip here. By the time we had gotten to the central plaza of the town the two were in a heated argument about opening up to the outside world or staying hidden. I had a answer that would more than likely sadden Snow. The hard fact of the wasteland would have to be told. Of course I would tell the truth, it in no way helped me to lie to them and get Red Eye's slavers in here to take them all away.

“Both of you be quiet.” I said, timidly. They continued to argue bringing what I suspected to be majority of the towns adult population out.

I took a deep breath and grabbed both of their muzzles and clamped them shut with my magic.

“Both of you listen, I can make your choice for you, both of you are arguing about this and just won't admit the quick way of solving this problem.” I let their muzzles go both of them were red in the face glaring daggers at me for daring to interrupt their conversation. I gave a small giggle, child like parent, right?

“Here is the thing, you live in proximity to the ruins of Fillydelphia, there is a massive army of slavers, people who take others as slaves. They take whoever they can and work them to death all for the goals of a single stallion named Red Eye. Until he and his forces are dead it is best to be unknown to the rest of the world. They have gryphons and ponies who can fly as well at his disposal. Do not think you can fight them or side with them. Most of those under his command are in it for wealth and twisted pleasure of harming others.” I looked at the two, Snow had a look of defeat on her face, her father not much better. “That is what you were talking about, right?”

I sudden feeling of I just messed up majorly came over me as everypony was silent. Even my mane started to itch furiously. Though I had long debunked that as just something that cropped up when my emotions were running high. I felt a hoof on my shoulder and I turned to see a elderly earth pony mare. She was smiling at me, honestly that just made things worse as I started to fight back tears.

“You were right and wrong in your assumption. Snow here wants to leave Black Wood and see the world, but, I think now she may be reconsidering it.” The elder mare said. “Come lets get you inside, you look like you need a hot meal and to take a load off your back.”

She guided me into the biggest building at in Black Wood, as she did my E.F.S. noted that I had discovered Black Wood Camping Grounds. As the door opened I saw three long tables pushed together forming a shape around a large fire pit. The ground itself was cobblestone and warm. I pulled off my respirator and was hit with the smell of fresh cooked meat and I saw actual fresh food. Of course they would have fresh food, they lived on a campground that had conversationalists tending to it.

The elder mare guided me to a seat near the center of the bridging table and helped me out of my clothing and bags. As I set down my pistol I noticed some strange stares coming from around the room as those who had been outside had joined us. I put the holster back on and turned to see the rest of my stuff had been carried away.

“Fear not, I had it taken away to be patched up and washed. We also have a tradition of no weapons in here, though,I can't see us reasonably being able to take it away from you. Plus I doubt you have enough ammo in that gun to hurt many of us if you were so inclined to.” Said the elder mare.

I blinked then nodded, then let out a sigh, feeling tension unwind itself from me that I didn't know was there. I felt the warm breeze coming off of the fires in front of me, it gently making my coat move and become fuzzy. It felt nice to get the warm air under my coat. Then with a blush I realized how badly I smelled. Sewage, gunpowder, blood, oil, dust, and a hint of bile from the blood wing I shot up. Then ponies started coming in with plates of food setting them down before everyone assembled.

“Duchess Borealis' Day court shall resume once lunch is over” said some pony as a bowl of hot stew was placed before me. I turned to the elder mare sitting next to me, at what I realized was effectively a throne.

As I did she began to eat, and I heard the sounds of everypony else digging into their lunches. I turned to mine and lifted the wooden spoon next to me with my magic and took a spoon full of the hearty looking stew. Taking the contents into my mouth I was greeted with the familiar taste of gecko meat as well as many herbs and plants. I held myself back from crying as I ate the food. Here in a tiny isolated community was fresh food from plants that they had carefully grown over the centuries. I continued to eat my hot meal until it the bowl was empty. When I finished it I sat back feeling better than I had in ages. I turned to Borealis to see her smiling having finished her meal before me.

“How do you like our cooking?” Borealis asked me.

“Duchess, it is the best food I have had in my entire life, up until now it was either prewar food or food made with sadly lacking in taste plants.” I said, as I wiped tears from my eyes.

“Very good then, now, we have something to discuss about the state of the outside world.” I nodded as she said this. “You see, I was going to let Snow go out and see the world so when she returned we would have a idea of how things were out there. Now that is no longer needed thanks to your attempts to solve the argument between Snow and her father.”

I looked down, that is why she was wanting to leave. It was both her chance to see the world and it was this town's chance to get information on the world at large. I looked up as a thought occurred to me. I could make this up to Snow and give the village something quite useful. Hell I could give them two useful things.

“I have something that I can give your village, as well as Snow to make up for my blundering into your politics.” I said and instinctively grabbed at the latch of my saddlebags that weren't there.

“And what might these gifts be?” Asked Borealis.

“I have a pipbuck as well as a leg mounted radio that I can give to you, I even can properly set somepony up with the pipbuck and leave instructions on how to work on it. Though beyond putting it onto new users you shouldn’t have to as it is a Gamma three thousand which are meant to last forever.” I said, with a slight beam of pride.

         “Well then, your gifts are accepted, would you mind if I took the leg mounted radio and you give Snow the pipbuck. And take your time on getting both of them ready for us, you are staying the night here.”

I nodded, “thank you for feeding me, and thank you for letting me correct my mistake.”

With that she dismissed me as a line had formed of ponies wanting to talk to her. I headed to a table on the side of the room. At first I questioned why they had been here, then I realized, there must be occasions when the entire town came in here, as well as ponies who wanted a bit of privacy at a meal. Or as I saw a few minutes after taking a table for myself, it was a place to eat a meal while court was in session.

Snow sat down across from me after she had talked to the duchess. I had gotten my saddlebags back, which were now cleaned and the ammo cans repainted, as well as I had been given my coat which was now for some reason white like the snow. I noticed that Snow's barding was white now as well. I thought back to lunch if it had been white then and couldn't remember.

“Did you mean it?” Snow asked as I wrote down notes on maintenance of my pipbuck zero as well as of the pipbuck gamma three thousand itself. “About giving me a pipbuck that is. We have some around here but most were dead when they got here with the soldiers who helped set up the place.” I looked up at her.

“If you have more I probably can fix them, or at least see if they are fixable at all.” I said, and as I did her eyes lit up and she rushed up to the Duchess then out the door. I caught a smile from the Duchess as Snow ran out.

When Snow returned with four more pipbucks I was surprised. I had expected the two from the soldiers bodies that I saw in the admin building. I pulled out my tools from my barding that had now been returned to me and started working on them. All four of them had crashed spell matrices, all four I was able to reboot from my own one after another. Seeing them flicker to life Snow went off to the now considerably shorter line to talk to the Duchess again. As they did I pulled out my old companion. Looking it over I saw where my blood had stained the leather that housed it. With a few tweaks it was almost a proper pipbuck. But, now it was to be a personal gift to royalty. Well, I assumed she was royalty due to her title. Maybe it was given to her out of a sense of they must have royalty rule them instead of a council.

After a few minutes Snow got her chance to talk with the Duchess who said something to her to cause her to go skipping off. As she did Borealis walked over to me.

“So then, it is true, you breathed fresh life into the pipbucks, and” her eyes fell on my creation. “Your leg mounted radio seems to be far more than just a radio, and it seems to be hoof made. A proper gift from a crafts-pony to royalty I would say.”

I felt my cheeks redden slightly at the compliment on my work. “Yes, so I can outfit five of your townspeople with pipbucks as for this,” I lifted my hoof crafted pipbuck. “It is as simple as putting it on. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“Then, in a tradition passed on down through my royal bloodlines I shall bestow a title upon you. In keeping with remembering those who aided us, you are dubbed Ranger Moonlight of the Equestrian irregulars.” She said as she produced a sword from under her robes that glittered in the fire light. I felt her gently tap it on either of my shoulders then she sheathed it. “Rise my friend, you have done good by me and my people. Even if the title means nothing beyond here, know that this place is home to you. So long as you don't bring a band of raiders or Red Eye's forces here.” She said with a smile.

“I promise nothing about that second part.” I said with a smile as I grabbed my pipbuck zero. “If you will allow me, and it will hurt just a little due to the Geiger Counter.”

She raised her hoof as I slide on the pipbuck and tightened it into place. To her credit she didn't even flinch. She did blink a few times when the E.F.S. came online.

“This is marvelous Moonlight, thank you, now can you show me how to operate the radio?”

I showed her how to manually turn the radio on, as well as how through E.F.S. to do it. I also showed her how the ear bloom worked. By the time I was done she was smiling like a filly who just got her cutie mark. I then noticed the five blue bars at the bottom of my vision in E.F.S. and saw Snow and four others who had arrived in the mean time.

“If you will excuse me Duchess, I must get these other pipbucks to their new owners.” I said with a bow.

Borealis nodded and continued to play with her new pipbuck zero as I levitated my tools and the five pipbucks towards their owners.

“Now then who wants theirs first?” I asked as I stood before them.

“I do,” said Snow, I smiled, having anticipated this.

“Alright sit your plot down and answer me this, right leg or left leg.”

“Left” they all said. Huh no left hoofed ponies in this town it seemed. Then again pipbucks weren’t ever designed for left side favoring ponies like myself.

I went to work equipping each of them with their pipbucks, once done and they had filled in their names for their pipbucks, with only minor problems. I gave them a tutorial on how they functioned, one of them turned out to be the resident barding maker and I left him with the instructions on how to maintain the pipbucks. We then did a practice run with S.A.T.S., since there were no dummies we could hit I had them attack me. Suffice to say, three of the other ponies were skilled hoof to hoof specialists who also were the trio of hunters we saw earlier that day.

While they did cripple me for the time being I still stood there not letting on the pain they had inflicted. With a short bit of praise out of the way they all departed and I collapsed on the floor levitating my saddlebags to me pulling out my medical supplies. I caught the eye of Borealis as she chuckled knowingly of what had just happened. A few minutes later I had patched myself up with setting my legs with telekinesis since all of them were broken and fixed them with two more healing potions. I then noticed thanks to the medical readout on my pipbuck that I was down to five healing potions. As I put away the empty syringe of Med-X that I had just used on myself I looked over at the Duchess.

“You folks wouldn't happen to know how to make healing potions would you?” I asked, hoping that was something still known to them.

She raised an eyebrow, then shook her head. “I am sorry, we have lost the technique sadly a long time ago. We know how to make a healing powder that does a bit of the same, however it stings a fair bit.”

I nodded. ‘So my plan no was: don't get horrifically hurt enough between here and friendship city to use up my remaining healing potions. Guess that healing spell is going to get put to its full potential.’ I thought to myself.

I pulled out a book and began reading, this one about energy weapons. As I read it I took out my laser rifle, which my pipbuck had dubbed homemade laser cannon, and started to do some repairs and optimization. As I worked on it the pipbucks repair assist kicked in and aided me in finding and replacing the parts that I could with my spare electronics. After two hours of work I had repaired it to the point that my pipbuck considered it full condition and worth a lot of caps. I did a double take at the fact that my pipbuck knew the rough value of it, and the rest of my items. I baulked at the idea that my pipbuck could know this sort of information. I sighed and just left it to Stable Tec's amazing foresight and design. I stood and stretched as I heard Sweetie Belle's singing filling the room. I turned to see the Duchess listening to it as it played.

I waved down one of the servants, I had a few questions to ask and didn't feel they were important enough to pester the Duchess with. At least not when she was having fun instead of having to do work. As the servant approached me I saw him to be a male unicorn.

“I had two questions, first is,” I pulled my now snow white coat to me. “Do you know how they changed the color of my coat, because I would like to know.”

“And what is the second question, Ranger Moonlight?” Having a title was going to take a bit of getting used to.

“The second is when is dinner, oh and I guess a third one would be where am I sleeping tonight.”

“Both are simple,” he lifted my pipbuck and checked the time readout on it. “Dinner will be in an half hour, as for who you are staying with, I hope you do not mind bunking with mares as Snow is the only one currently with any spare room in her bed.”

I blinked, honestly I shouldn't be surprised that they would be short on beds. “Actually I don't need a bed, just a space big enough for my sleeping bag would do. Well that and I would rather to be indoors.”

“Then Snow's bedroom, we would have you sleep here, but, well this is the Duchess' home and we rather not have some pony, even a respected one, stay here.”

I nodded slowly, I couldn't fault them for wanting to keep her house to just her and her servants as it seemed to house all the food of the town.

“Alright then, I will just wait here for dinner then.” I said, as I did he walked off back into what I assumed to be the kitchen. I then pulled out the empty beer bottles from my saddlebags and carried them outside, I darted out and filled each one to the brim with snow then twisted on a cap with my magic. By the time I was done and back in all the heat I had built back up was gone.

I wasted the next half hour reading until I realized he hadn't told me how they changed my coats color. I grumbled and walked up to the Duchess, hating to bother her with such a trivial question. I then noticed her barding had also turned to white.

“Duchess, I had a simple question, why does it seem like every bit of barding I am seeing around here is turning white of its own accord and also how is it doing so.” I asked, feeling a little stupid for how I worded my question.

“Simple, one of the soldiers who came here had knowledge of how to enchant camouflage onto a item, and one of the civilians who was with them was originally a dressmaker and knew how to change the color of fabric with just a spell. Do you wish to learn them?” She said with a smile.

“Well, yes, do you have a book I could read on how to do it?” I asked.

“Oh it is simple let me show you.” She then called a servant who had what looked like the old equestrian military barding I had seen in the admin building in his magic. He then cast a spell on it turning the coloring from that of dirt or desert to that of woods. He cast it again and made it pure white, then again and made it black as night. I then asked him for how to do it and he explained. The spell was simple and I recorded it to my pipbuck of how to do it.

As my impromptu magic lesson ended ponies crowded the tables once more and I took my seat next to the Duchess. We ate a large meal this time around, it left me feeling warm to the core as well as stuffed. I listened to conversations around the table as I sat there having put on my white coat. I noticed that my white coat now also seemed to refit itself once I had closed the last button on it. I didn't bring it up to anyone but did check it for magic to find it indeed had a resizing magic on it as well as it had been re enforced internally. I figured the barding maker had been given it to reinforce.

Once dinner had ended everypony except for Snow had left. She walked up to me and waited as I gathered my things. Double checking it all I noticed my leather barding was gone, and now instead I had a Equestrian Army bandolier barding instead. I frowned but accepted the gift of better armor. I followed her to her home, it was one of the smaller buildings not attached to the central plaza. Upon my asking she explained the central plaza's four buildings was the Duchess' residence, the home for artisans, a clinic, and a school house. The next largest was community housing. It was where anypony who didn't leave town lived. As we entered her house I saw it was a single room, one bed that fit a single pony and a bit of area for one to sit in front of a fire place.

“You will be sleeping on the bed with me. As it is getting so cold during the snows it is best if we conserved what heat we have.” Snow stated as she stood by the bed.

I looked at my sleeping bag, it was big enough for two and it would fit on top of her bed.

“I have a idea, lets set my sleeping bag on your bed and sleep in that. It will keep us both warm and make your bed a bit more comfortable.” I suggested to her as I unrolled the sleeping bag.

“Good idea, come now we are to be off in the morning, the more rest you have the further you can go before needing to rest.” She stated as my sleeping bag was evened out with her magic.

“How far are you going with me?” I asked as I pulled off my barding, even if we both fit, it was better to not strain it with putting our barding in the bag with us.

“To the forests edge, but, as you want to go to the coast that is a ways away.”

I saw a marker on my E.F.S. pop into existence and words appear before me 'Go to the coast and pick up Sprite the spritebot'. Really had my pipbuck just named my spritebot? Whatever I would have a argument with the stupid device later.

“Um, you may want to take your barding off, with both of us in there it is going to get rather toasty.” I said to her, she nodded and took it off. I saw her flank as she moved to get into the sleeping bag, it was of a large snowflake.

“How did you get your cutie mark snow?” I asked her just as she finished getting into the sleeping bag and I started to climb into it. I had known it would be a tight fit, though how tight it was was a bit surprising. I honestly hadn't been this close to a mare since I was with Rose, and thinking of that brought up feelings that I fought hard to suppress as I could smell Snow right in front of me.

“I got mine before any other my age, I have a skill for predicting the first snow as well as getting around on snow.” She said with a smile. “How about you, why do you have a book on your flank?”

I blinked, I honestly hadn't thought about it since the morning of getting into Dune City.

“I honestly don't know what it means, it is a book, so something to either do with books, or something that books stand for. As for when it was a few days after I had rescued a bunch of ponies from a town full of raiders. In the process of saving them I kind of blew up the raider population there with a rocket launcher.” Wow, such a amazing story I thought at myself.

“Well, it does not matter what it is, you got it for doing the right thing.” She smiled at me, I had to push down urges that were rising within me. “But, now rest, Moonlight, tomorrow we have a long walk ahead of us. We will also be leaving as soon as we both are awake.”

I nodded and closed my eyes. I fought hard to keep my mind blank as I fell asleep pressed up against the attractive mare.

Footnote: Level Up!

New Perk Added: Rad Resistance, thanks to your time in the wasteland as well as some of the more radioactive areas of it you are now more resistant to radiation! You are now twenty five percent more resistant to radiation than the average mare!

Chapter 10 - Not so Simple

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.

Chapter 11 - Wrong Turn

Chapter 11 – A Wrong Turn

“Where the hay do they keep coming from?!”

Now, I was running like somepony was out to kill me. Then again it was highly possible there was somepony trying to kill me at this very second. Thankfully running through the crowd of the city made it hard for anyone to shoot at me. So seeing a mare covered in armor and guns running out of the city with a ton of ammo containers strapped to her back made it pretty clear who was leaving and why. I probably made it to the bridge before anypony realized who it was that just ran out into the blizzard that was beginning. When I reached the bridge it was down so I simply ran across without worrying on straining my magic to make the jump. On the other side I encountered only one thing, Sprite. I nodded to it and Sprite fell in line as we headed to the nearest subway system access point.

The first two access points I tried had collapsed a little ways in and had filled with blood wings. I got to test out my new rifle on them and enjoyed seeing as it shredded the winged beasts. The next access point was not caved in and I began my descent into the underworld of Manehattan.

Upon entering the underworld I found much to my dismay that it housed a small nest of raiders. I turned a corner and had my face in the flank of a raider who was so startled by it I got a chance to grab my assault carbine in my mouth and unloaded half a magazine into her side. Her armor afforded her no protection and she fell. Then the other four raiders noticed my presence as I kicked on my Eyes Forward Sparkle. I kicked into S.A.T.S. and took aim for center of mass with three round bursts. As time began to creep forward again I watched as two started to fire repeaters at me and I felt a round punch through the lightly armored leg of my barding.

The first burst of my gunfire took out the one who was running at me with a pool cue. The next on my list came a few moments too late as they had thrown a grenade at me just as I shot them. He fell and the accuracy spell turned my focus to the remaining two raiders. I pumped two bursts into each and watched them fall. The grenade bounced again at my hooves as time went back into its normal pace. I kicked the thing as hard as I could, it made it most of the way back to where the raiders had been when it exploded. I felt as my shot leg tried to support me as the concussion wave of the grenade washed over me. Luckily the grenade exploded far enough away that the shrapnel mostly bounced off of me. Unfortunately the ringing in my ears was a major problem. I looked at my last healing potion and kept myself from taking it.

I picked over the raider nest looting what I could. I put the two repeaters on my back under my assault carbine. I would use them if I got into a situation where I needed a ranged weapon for sniping somepony. I reloaded the carbine as the ringing in my ears started to fade. I picked over the one who had the grenade and found three more fragmentation grenades. Well now I had a way to deal with knots of ghouls if I came across any of them.

With the ringing faded to a more manageable point I moved forward to the station itself to find that other than desecrated corpses of the raiders victims I found the place to be relatively untouched since the war. I found a station map and started to memorize which tracks and stations to follow to get to Tenpony tower.

I followed the line that would take me straight to Tenpony Tower, or as it was marked on the maps the Ministry of Arcane Sciences Manehattan Hub. It was rather nice to have a simple way to get downtown. I listened to my pipbuck click more and more annoyingly at me, but, watched as my radiation exposure levels didn't increase even with the radioactive environment. At one point the side of the subway just ceased to exist and I stared into the Manehattan Blast Zone. I watched as the snow slowly fell into the still slightly glowing crater of the balefire bomb.

The clicking of my pipbuck lost on me as I saw the true devastation that a megaspell balefire bomb could do. I saw the burnt husks of the skyscrapers twisted and warped from the extreme heat of the blast. The ground itself was smoothed from the extreme heat. I looked out and saw shambling forms glowing green as well within the crater. Then I started to taste copper in my mouth and knew my time for gawking was over. I pushed myself to walk further down the subway tunnel. I drank a Radaway to purge the radiation that had built up. Thankfully the first mile of walking was easy other than the constant radiation and avoiding skeletons of, thankfully, long dead ponies.

I came across the next station and froze. My Eyes Forward Sparkle was filled with red bars milling about. This was when I first encountered the main reason ponies stayed out of the subway system in Manehattan. Large groups of feral ghouls were a terrifying thing. I had seen some badly burned ponies before, and some ghouls as well. But, I had never seen feral, mindless, zombie ponies. Which is what I saw here. The station had twisted skeletons of radiation victims as well as the walking corpses of others. Their eyes glinted in my night vision as I pulled out the shotgun and assault rifle. I disliked the idea of getting into a firefight with with them. I knew there was no way I could get across the station without drawing them all to me. I pulled out my twin five point five six pistols and readied for a firefight.

Then a sound of a crash came from a different part of the station and I watched as every ghoul stretched it's jaw further than should have been physically possible and screamed before running off. I quickly began my passing across the station as they moved to the other side of the station. I heard more above me on the platform as I crept along the tracks with one side pressed against the wall. I saw a few ponies around the place glowing as well. As I crossed I noticed that the ghouls had started to return down to the platform for the train itself. I watched as red bars started to close in on where I was crawling through. I even saw one of the glowing ones come near the side the green light it was emitting blinding my monocular to the point I had to close my left eye and use my dark adjusted right eye to see my way in the radioactive light. I heard my pipbuck quietly clicking as well as my exposure levels started to slowly creep up again. What would have been a two minute walk had now stretched to a ten minute crawl.

I pulled out a grenade with a hoof, not even wanting to temp using my magic and giving myself away. I pulled the pin with other hoof and tossed it as far as I could away from me. My toss was pitiful as the grenade exploded a few seconds later only about fifteen or so feet away. It was enough that several red bars winked out and caused a howl from the other ghouls as they ran to the site of the explosion. I broke out running to the remaining distance to find it blocked by a caved in tunnel with the front of a train sticking out of it. The train itself was unfortunately too crushed for me to manage to crawl through it and the diversion of a grenade was beginning to wear off. I as quietly as I could ran to the nearest set of stairs and began going up them.

Upon getting to the top of the stairs I was blinded by a light. As I turned off the night vision I saw a figure glowing bright green to the point my eyes hurt. I also heard my pipbuck start to click maddeningly as the figure approached me. As it did I noticed the dark areas of it weren't patches of something trying to cover up it's glow but was in fact its bones blocking the glow coming from within it. I then saw its eyes, glowing with a faint green fire. Checked my E.F.S. to see that it was most definitely hostile. It began to open its mouth. I opened up with my own demon scream. I yelled as I magically pulled out all four of my guns as I fired into the massive irradiated pony. Every shot hitting it causing a burst of glowing green fluid and green flame as well as my pipbuck to click faster.

“To Tartarus with you!” I yelled at the top of my lungs as I smashed it with my telekinesis and watched as its leg came clean off.

I hit S.A.T.S. and set all of my weapons to fire into its face as I slashed at it with what my pipbuck now named 'Telekinetic Slicer'. The sheer volume of firepower as well as my magic tore the thing apart, a blast of radiation erupting from as it made a death howl. The blast making me feel sick to my stomach as it washed over me and my pipbuck screamed at the radiation levels. I turned to see the ghouls who had been distracted before were now coming for me. I quickly reloaded and started to back up the way that the glowing ghoul had been blocking. As the feral ghouls clambered up to me I fired alternating from weapon to weapon. For the most part the shotgun seemed to do best on them. The pellets shredded their weakened flesh and broke their sick bones. When I had to reload it I switched to firing the assault carbine into them. It was more effective at destroying their heads. As for the pistols I used them with S.A.T.S. only and focused on head shots. They ran out of bodies to throw at me before I ran out of bullets. Though according to my E.F.S. throwing enough bodies to make me run out of ammo was a frighteningly real prospect. Even though I had more than enough bullets to kill everypony I had seen since I was born, they had used up a serious amount of my ammo to take down.

I picked over the corpses and found only a few things of interest. One of them being a lifetime subway pass for Manehattan, the rest being a few bullets and caps. I collected my brass and moved on, not wanting to think about if my shoot out had attracted something a bit tougher than the zombie ponies. Then I felt something bite into my neck from behind me. I let out a scream as I bucked wildly catching the ghoul that had bite me in the chest. I felt my hooves go inside of it as its mouth let go of me. I turned to see it laying on the ground its injuries healing thanks to the ambient radiation.

“Of course you won't just die when you should!” I screamed in frustration as I ran up to it and brought both hooves down on its head getting a splash of blood and brain on myself.

I scowled as I wrapped some of my bandages around my neck. Maybe I should had kept my scarf on just so the ghouls couldn't easily bite my neck I thought to myself then decided against it as I was already warm enough.

A few more ghouls wandered in from the direction to the next level of this station and I picked them off with my pistol. I mentally bucked myself in the face for having so recklessly using my magic while recovering from that zebra alchemy. Thankfully it seemed I hadn't burned up enough of my own magic to cause issues. I crossed to the other side to find that it was in a bit worse condition than it was in the other part that I had come from. I walked down the collapsed walkway and down the tunnel that led to another station that would connect me back to the tunnels I needed to get to Tenpony.

This tunnel had a few ghouls wandering about, I quietly took the first two out with my knife. The third one spotted me with its amber glowing eyes. It rushed me and I shifted my weight to my hind legs and braced for it to hit me. As it did I punched my forelegs into it and lifted it over me. I had meant to toss it but my hooves were caught in side of it and I ended up bent painfully over as its head smashed into the rail of the subway and shattered. A moment later I fell on my back and head as its body went limp and didn't support me anymore. I rolled back to my hooves just in time to see another ghoul charging at me I hit S.A.T.S. and threw some kicks at its head. Ghouls unless badly irradiated were easy to deal with. That or in large numbers. Here it was just a few sparse unarmored unintelligent ones rushing me.

After a while of more walking I had ended up stuck between another group of zombies and a flooded section of subway. What was worse was the water itself was probably just above freezing and I had no idea when it opened up for air or a place to crawl out of it. As I was weighing my choices I saw more zombies show up filling the tunnel shoulder to shoulder with zombies. They had yet to move against me only due to they couldn't see or hear me yet. I took a step back into the water and winced as the cold water began to sap my heat away.

“Ah buck it, I’m screwed either way...” I said to myself quietly and holstered all of my weapons. As I did I saw another glowing one show up on the scene.

It began to stretch out its jaw. With that any semblance of taking my time was out the window and I dove into the bone chilling water and began to swim. I had turned on my flashlight which had been sorely neglected since I had gotten my monocular. The monocular I had stowed in one of my watertight ammo containers to protect its sensitive electronics. As for Sprite, well it appeared he had found another path and was waiting for me somewhere. I then saw a bright green light silhouette me on the floor of the flooded tunnel as I heard a muffled hissing. I felt the water move and heat with that as well, I started swimming with all my might.

I surfaced and climbed my way onto the other side of the flooded section of the tunnel. From what I had seen when the bombs fell that part of the subway had collapsed into a water mane that then flooded it. On the other side I found it quiet and empty. Just how I wanted it. I rummaged through a maintenance room and filled a trash bin with everything flammable I could find then set it alight with my lighter as I stripped out of my barding. I lay low next to the flaming bucket as I used what was probably a grease rag to dry off. I had closed the door sealing myself in this room though I had the burning bucket sitting under the air vent. I had checked it after starting the fire and thankfully found it was still open thus allowing the fumes to escape. As I warmed up and slowly dried off I turned my attention to the room again. There was a workbench here and a lot of supplies. I smiled as I broke out my supplies and began to design. While I didn't have the elegance of Rarity in the art of making dresses I did find I had a knack for at least making armor out of whatever I found.

I spent the next hour stoking the fire and working on making a spine guard out of the crab carapace as well as plate inserts for my trooper armor. When it was said and done I looked at my barding. I had managed to give protection to every part of my legs that wasn't a joint and it didn't cost me much in mobility. While it wasn't as light as my leather armor it gave a great deal more protection. I also had to admit I enjoyed the white and blue motif that I had apparently gotten going with my equipment. For a minute I thought about harvesting more crab shells and making a suit of armor completely out of crab carapace and re-dubbing myself the Lord of Crabs! Or well Lordess? Whatever the female equivalent of lord was. It was an amusing thought that warmed me the last bit I needed for my trip back into the subway. I tossed the flaming bucket into the cold water as I left and heard the water hiss in response.

I continued moving away from the submerged section of tunnel to only find myself trapped between two parts of collapsed tunnel with just one other path another maintenance closet. I didn't feel like another swim yet so I turned to the maintenance closet and opened it. I wasn't expecting what I saw. Where the back wall should be there was a hole shattered through it out into the closet itself. Looking through I saw the glint of a metal wall. I took a few steps forward and saw the massive gear shaped stable door laying on the ground inside of it with limbs of skeletons under it. I stopped in my tracks. I found a stable, and it was dead. No light came from within as well as no sound, the entrance of it was littered with skeletons.

I took a deep breath and felt the world tilt a bit as I staggered to keep upright. I took a few more deep breaths as the world stopped feeling like it was tilting around. I started my way down the cave to the door seeing more bones reflect the light. My mind wandered back to the explanation of stables I had gotten before. They were meant to be massive fallout shelters that would last one hundred and twenty years protecting roughly three hundred ponies from the horrors of the apocalypse. They had been so over engineered that not even a near hit from a megaspell balefire bomb would destroy one. This one had failed and by the looks of it nopony was alive and all had been dead for a very long while.

I walked in on top of the stable door, no place else was clear of skeletons. Something had happened here, something very wrong. I leapt over the remaining skeletons onto the stairs that lead to the door further in which was closed. The whole place looked completely fine other than the heavy amounts of dust. No rust damage, no signs of violence. The only blood I had found was that around the stable door.

There was no reason to why so many were still here, the door was open why had nopony managed to escape? I pushed the door open after as I found there to be no power and the hydraulic release failed. I continued down the pitch black stable hallway towards the Atrium. No bodies after the first room, but, there was no hum of electricity in the walls. The dust was like a miniature snow storm in here as I forced open the Atrium door with my hooves. The air tasted stale and the vents around the floor had no air blowing from them. This place had shut down suddenly so I figured that was the cause for the rush to manually open up the place. I continued to creep around keeping a vigilant eye on my E.F.S. just in case something was in here with me.

The Atrium was full of skeletons as well, many of them huddled in small groups.

“What happened here,” I said quietly to the dead stable. “Why did you fail?”

Silence was the answer it gave me. I pulled out the lever action shotgun and held it in my teeth as I saw a sign for medical. I followed it prying every door open as I did. Thankfully whoever had engineered the doors did so with the thought of if power failed that they could open. Still though it was a bit of a work out pushing against the hydraulics that held the doors in place. Finally I entered a cleared hall as I walked the rest of the way to medical. Upon entering it I found an abundance of supplies.

“Do your best to not look a gift monkey in the mouth, Moonlight.” I said to myself around the mouth grip of the shotgun. With that I began opening ever container I could find, a few cabinets were locked, but, they stood no chance against my lock picking abilities. I was rewarded with far less supplies than I had expected. Most of the healing potions and bandages had lost their magical properties. Even a few of the healing potions contents had melted through the glass that held them. I backed away from one cabinet that's healing potions contents moved with almost a sentient malice.

“What in the Goddesses names happened here...” I said as I took the bandages and the milky purple colored healing potions.

Then turned to see the door to medical had closed silently while I had been in here. I froze slowly looking for any disruption in the constant shower of dust. There were none.

“This place has a serious case of creepiness...” I muttered to myself as I redrew my shotgun and pried the door open again and crawled through it into the hall.

I looked at the corner of the hall to see what way lead where and decided to go to security next. Maybe there would be a report to what happened there. Though I doubted it seeing as all the terminals in medical had been dead. This time I was met with a locked door. I blinked a few times trying to find where I could pick the lock. After a minute I gave up and headed towards the residential block. Hopefully there somepony had written on paper what had happened. As I continued to walk my mind started to play tricks on me with hearing hoof steps coming from corridors behind me or above. I finally got to the residential block and heard what sounded like laughter from down the stairs leading to it. I stood at the top of the stairs looking down.

“This place... why is it getting to me, it is just a dead stable...” I moved forward and checked the two side passages that led off to what was labeled as colts and fillies.

I guessed it was for restrooms. I pushed further forward to find a security station with deactivated turrets pointing at the floor from the ceiling. “Why did they need turrets? More, why are they deployed here?” I asked to the dead stable and once more got a response of silence. I heard laughter again, this time a bit louder, but, it wasn't coming from any direction. I shuddered as it sounded like it was right next to me. I turned and went down the hall on my left and followed it. Many times it split off into smaller halls that had suites for families. I picked over every room most had skeletons still in their barding with pipbucks around the remains of their fore legs.

I checked the desks to find more dead terminals and no papers. I did find some caps from time to time even a fresh sparkle cola rad. I drank it down ignoring my pipbuck's clicking as I did. The drink picked me up a bit putting a bit more energy into me. I heard a sniffle from behind me and wheeled around to find once again nothing except empty air. I backed out of the room into the hall forcing the door closed as I did. This was not my mind, this could not just be all in my head. Could it be the souls of those who had apparently died so quickly and so suddenly?

“Celestia, please let this just be in my head and not be souls of those who died here.” I said as a silent prayer to one of our departed Princesses.

Once more the world just gave me silence as an answer.

I walked to the next wing of the residential block. This one had a few floors and took me longer to pick through. I was finding more food and drink, but, still no written log of what happened here. Apparently everypony preferred keeping their journals on the terminals which was of no use to me. After clearing out the last of the four residential wings I was back at the central hub for them. Nothing had moved and the laughter had thankfully stopped. I felt the hair on my mane start to stand up as I heard hoof steps slowly and deliberately walking up behind me. I slowly turned my head to see nothing. Just hearing the hoofsteps grow closer. I fired the shotgun over and over coating the whole corridor with pellets. Every single one missed whatever was there. The steps walked passed me and faded away into nothingness.

I dropped my shotgun and panted as my heart hammered in my chest.

“What. The. Fuck. Is. Going. On. Here.” I demanded to the dead stable, my voice wavering as I finished.

Again my answer was further silence. I stood there in the hub of residential shaking while laying on my side on the floor. I held my eyes closed and tried to keep myself from listening for anything else. I eventually collapsed and curled up as my panic overtook me.

I uncurled myself and looked around, I was certain there would be a stable full of ponies staring at me when I did. Again my only answer was the darkness that was the only other inhabitant of the stable beyond myself.

“I need to turn power on in this place, I need to know what happened here.” I said to myself in a shaky voice, “it is the only way this place won't haunt me for the rest of my days...”

I pushed myself back up picking up my shotgun and reloaded it as I walked to the two paths I had not checked yet. I started with the fillies side first. I tried to open the door to find that instead it was rusted shut. I pulled open the side panel to see if I could some how make the hydraulics of the door system work with me on opening it to find that they were dry. I looked at the door and gave a sigh, short of high explosives I wasn't getting through it. I turned and thought I saw something move down the way to the rest of the stable, but, the dust didn't change direction. I felt a familiar chill run through me.

I crept out and crossed over and went to the colts side of things and tried the door here. This time I could open it a bit. I barely squeezed through it, thankful for my smaller frame letting me do so. Upon entering I immediately regretted it as I put my hooves down on the other side I slipped on something smooth and fell through the rest of the way landing in a clatter. I turned to see the door slowly close itself as I looked for what I slipped on.

I had put my hoof down on a completely clean pony skull... I turned and felt things poking into my sides and saw I was laying in the chest of a pony's crushed skeleton. I scrambled trying to get away from them to see more were in here the door on this side caked in blood with broken hooves laying at its base. They had tried to claw their way out. I saw around each skeleton blood stains. I rushed to a nearby stall and wretched.

Walking back out I shuddered feeling weak from the emotional strain the stable had inflicted upon me so far. The skeletons thankfully stayed where they were and I moved back to the door and grabbed it in my magic and yanked it as far open as I could leaping through once I could. The use of magic didn't seem to leave me feeling as drained as it had earlier in the tunnels which meant that damn zebra poison had just about run its course.

I sighed at the thought knowing that my magical reserves were coming back. At least something good was coming out of this horrible trip. I walked back to the Atrium and noticed something I had missed before. Every single spot that a skeleton laid in or had a pool of blood under it some had a line of blood leading up to them.

“What in the name of Celestia and Luna could do that to a pony...” I asked, knowing my question would go unanswered.

I shook my head as I began to hear the phantom noises again, this time of playing and chatter filling the Atrium.

“Moonlight, it is just your mind messing with you. This place is as dead as can be. There isn't even mold growing here.” I said and turned looking at the Stable cafeteria.

If nothing was growing or even alive here that would mean every bit of preserved food would be safe to eat. My stomach growled in response to the thought. I followed my stomachs demand and began to walk to the cafeteria. As I did I saw a miniature version of the stables door above it complete with the number twenty three painted in yellow. There were only a few skeletons in here, just the same as the others. Completely bare beyond their clothing with a pool of blood on the floor below them.

I found my way back into the food stores. Everything that had been fresh foods two hundred years ago was no nothing more than dust. I picked my way through the rest of the food stores and found a lot of cram, sugar apple bombs, and every other preservative laden prewar food I could imagine. I grabbed a bit of everything sticking to canned fruits and vegetables over the cram and other more bland food. Before I left I popped open a can of preserved fruits and vegetables to find it was anything, but, edible. I pulled out each can doing the same to find all of them were the same way. I grimaced at the sludge in them and left those cans to... well not rot there was nothing left in them other than dust and water. I checked the snack cakes to find they were just fine and ate one. It tasted just fine and I had a few more before putting it away. It seemed any soft organic tissue in this stable had under some effect just fell apart in seconds after whatever happened to this stable started.

I made my way to maintenance prying doors open with my magic. Apparently having gotten over the poison my magic had gotten slightly stronger. That or the doors required less force than I had thought. As I got closer I noticed the air getting more humid. The last door I opened unleashed a wall of water as the other side of it was flooded. The water itself was reasonably warm as it washed around my legs and from the lack of clicking from my pipbuck it was safe. I waited as the water leveled out enjoying the warm water lapping at my hooves.

I gave a soft sigh as the water leveled out and I felt my hooves warm up a bit. I climbed through the door and began wading through the water. To my dismay I noticed the ceiling began to slope down into the water.

I moved back out to the Atrium and pulled off everything I deemed unessential to me. At the end of it I had the main plate of body armor from my barding on my chest, This Gun, my combat knife, and every tool I figured might be of use. I returned to the hall leading to maintenance and pulled my goggles over my eyes and pushed down into the water.

There was no current to the water, though I had wished there was so the skeletons and the murky water around them did not interrupt my flashlights beam. I kept swimming downward until I hit a landing which mercifully had a small pocket of air in it. The pocket of air was just deep enough to get my nostrils out of the water. I tread water while getting my lungs refreshed with what passed for fresh air down here. I was not looking forward to the next step of my trip. I was only half way down to maintenance and the rest of the way down was through the inky darkness of bloody water. I took as deep of a breath as I could and dove down and began to swim again.

Twice I had to return to the landing for breath as dark water made it impossible to see. As I tread water waiting for my lungs to stop burning from the lack of air I noticed the black had stuck to me. It wasn't just water down here, but, from the looks of it oil too. I took a breath and returned up to the main floor to plan my trip into maintenance. As I did I felt as if something called out to me through the water. A call distorted beyond just what water would do. I gasped as something cold grabbed my left hind leg. I kicked at it and swam as fast as I could my lungs burning from the lack of air in them. I clamored through the door from maintenance and lay on the wet floor breathing hard as my heart pounded.

I rolled over and looked down at where the door was to maintenance and closed it with my magic. Whatever was down there I didn't want it getting out. I lay on my back and lifted my pipbuck checking the automap to see what I had been able to map out of the lower floor. From what I could see I had actually made it into maintenance, but, the oil or whatever it was had been too thick for me to see. I then lifted my flashlight above myself to see if I had whatever it was on me to find that I was coated horn to hoof in the stuff. I gently began to push it off with my magic slinging it to the side of the hallway. My coat was now stained a almost black. Even my mane was practically black. I lifted up a bit of the stuff and examined it in the light of my flashlight. It was engine grease, I recognized the smell and color now that I had a proper chance to observe it. I began to mull over how to navigate the stuff and realized the only actual option was to get rid of it.

I trotted back to my equipment in the atrium and pulled out a grenade. While it wouldn't do much in terms of damaging the stable it should be enough to at least make a brief pocket in the grease I figured. I looked around at hearing something fall to only see a brief bit of motion of a bone held by the sleeve of one of the stable suits slowly move back and forth. I backed out of the Atrium and returned to the hallway to maintenance.

Returning I found everything the way it should be, dark, quiet, damp, and eerie as heck. I opened the door once more and began my descent. I noticed in my stop half way down for a breath of air that there wasn't much useable air left in said pocket of air. This would have to either free up some air or I was going to have to leave without my answers. With one last inhale I dove down into the darkness. The cone of my flashlight became shorter and shorter as I approached the dark mass that I assumed to be grease. I pushed into it and quickly knew why I had gotten lost, it was hard to move through. I parted the way with my magic and sent the grenade as far as I could before I choked and let out the last of my air. I pulled the pin and removed the spoon from the grenade and made my way back to the little pocket of air.

I felt a thump go through the water as I continued up. Then I felt a current start to pull me down and I started to swim harder for that little spot of air. As I reached the landing my body betrayed me and took in a mouthful of water into my lungs. I shuddered as the coolness filled me. I grabbed with my hooves the light fixtures on either side of the pocket and pushed my mouth into the little pocket of air. I breathed as best as I could fighting both the current and the exhaustion that started to crest over me. My lungs were still burning though this time there was a pain and uncomfortable feeling within them. I needed more air and to empty my lungs of water. I pushed myself with both my magic and my legs up the stairs. Each foot which would have been easy before now was agonizing. My magic was counteracting the current pulling against me while my swimming slowly pulled me up.

In absolute darkness I came to resting on the stairs my face lower than the rest of my body at the platform I had used as a halfway point for my descent. My whole body ached, my neck twisted into a painful position and my throat burning. I coughed and started to move which prompted gravity to toss my sorry hind the rest of the way onto the platform with a wet thud. I shook in the cold that had found me while I was unconscious. I remembered my flashlight and shook it to recharge its power then powered it back on. The water had receded a fair bit and now this platform was mostly dry. I figured I had gotten my grenade somewhere that had managed to open up some sort of drainage system. Or maybe it blew open a door that was to a large room that had air in it. One way or another I was alive and had hopefully more access to the stables maintenance level. I cleaned myself off again and stood.

Looking down the stairwell I saw that the water had effectively washed most of the grease away as it rushed past. Unfortunately the current had also tossed around the contents of the room something fierce and the terminal that I saw in here was beyond salvage. I began picking my way through the large room until I caught sight of the door buttons on the right wall. I blinked as I realized that while the floor had been cleared of grease the walls had not been. I pulled the the grease off with my magic then pried open the door. I was surprised to find the other side completely dry. I blinked and began to look around the room again to see where exactly all the water had gone. I almost walked into the hole that had served as drainage. The grease had pooled over it and made the hole look as if it was just another random spot of grease on the floor. I backed away from it not wanting to find out how deep it was and turned to the opened doorway. I saw two signs, first was storage, the other was pipbuck technician. I didn't really have use for the pipbuck technician so I headed for storage hoping for maybe soap and a vault suit to help warm me back up.

As I got to the door for storage I started to cough painfully as my lungs fought to clear out anything that was not air in them. I forced myself not to vomit as I tasted something horribly foul come from my mouth and looked down to see it a bit of grease. Though I noted the heaviness in my lungs still remained.

“I really hope they have a good doctor at Tenpony...” I muttered to myself.

I opened the door to storage as I tried to put out of my mind the lingering taste of grease in my mouth, as well as the thought of more of the stuff sitting in my lungs. What I saw was what I needed to see, there was plenty of spare stable suits. I found the warmest looking one which happened to be for security. I figured the extra padding would help warm me up. I found some soap and spare saddlebags and loaded up on what supplies were down here.

After my looting of the storage room I went to the pipbuck technician's room and found it open. That bugged me a lot. Every other door in the stable was closed except for this one. I shook my flashlight again before entering. Upon entering I found it vacant. No skeletons greeted me. I saw a book sitting open on the desk and moved myself to the chair and began to read it.

Entry #1: Today we got the call to report to our stables. Supposedly it is just a drill. However, I get the feeling this is the real deal. Everypony was given their assignments, equipped with their pipbucks and stable barding. When I was talking to some of the others they thought that maybe it was just going to be a stress test over a few days to make certain it could handle the population. But, the way I was seeing Security and the Overmare acting I feel we are here for the long haul. I don't know when the end will come to the surface, but, we are now waiting for the storm to come. May Celestia and Luna watch over and protect those above us.

I kept reading, knowing this pony at very least would give me a clue as to what happened.

Entry #2: Today we felt it, throughout the whole stable we felt small shakes like little earthquakes. Without a word we knew what had happened. The Overmare has setup a wake for those we now know are lost to us. I didn't go, I had made my peace with those who were soon to be gone yesterday. What scares me most is that somehow Stable-Tec knew the end was about to happen. Their knowledge saved all of our lives, but, if they knew when the end was coming, why didn't anypony try to stop it? Either way they are all dead now and by the time the door opens so will I. The stable is to remain closed for one hundred twenty years unless something goes critically wrong. All of this thinking is giving me a headache.

Entry #3: Today I woke up with a horrible migraine that landed me in medical when my screams of pain and lack of response to painkillers frightened the others. Apparently the sudden influx of staring at terminal screens is playing hell with my eyes. As per doctors orders I am to take a break from working on any terminal or pipbuck for a week. Thankfully we have another pony here who knows tech about as well as I do to fill in for me while I rest. In the mean time I am reading, one of the few things I am allowed to do or have. I don't know what good it is doing me though as by the end of the day my eyes are far more strained and I feel like my vision is going with how much darker everything seems to be.

Entry #4: It isn't just me, everypony who deals with terminals or books is having the same issue as me. Frequent headaches from eyestrain, migraines, and almost every unicorn in the stable is reporting that their magic is some how lessened. We are only a month into our stay in the stable and things are looking bad. While in theory we can just do everything the earth pony way it will make our jobs in maintenance far harder.

Entry #5: Every light in the stable just failed. We now only have the light of terminals, our pipbucks, some flashlights, and a few lanterns. We moved the flashlights to maintenance and have them focused on critical systems. The lanterns are being kept in residential as well as in the cafeteria kitchen. At night I can hear screams, the doctor thinks it is psychological trauma combined with the perpetual darkness our stable is now bathed in.

Entry #6: I heard others talking about the screams too. Most of them where unicorns. I talked to my marefriend, Lucky Tome, who has been helping deal with my work since I am still under doctors orders to strain my eyes as little as possible. Both of us have been having issues sleeping, and not for the usual reason why a stallion and mare sharing a bed do. We both hear the screams, we have been doing our best to play music over it at night, but, the music does little to mask it. We even tried to record it to only find there is nothing. The scream seems to be in our heads.

Entry #7: A group of ponies is requesting that we leave the vault now. It has been six months since the door sealed and the Overmare has the ability to open it when she wants to. She is working on organizing a scouting party so we can find a place habitable outside if it is even habitable still. As for us in maintenance we looked into what had happened to all the lights. The simultaneous failure of every light we found to have been a power spike within the system. Now the excess power that would have gone to the lights is being feed into pest control.

Entry #8: We decided to see what was going on with pest control. I do not envy those involved in the attempt. Upon opening the box that housed the ring that claimed to be for pest control they died bleeding from their eyes and noses. We had tried to cut power to the pest control systems to only be greeted with a series of errors. We reported this to the Overmare who ordered us to do whatever we had to to shut down pest control. She is organizing every able bodied pony to pull the stable door open after we shut the stable down. She doesn't want to risk the power spike of opening the door causing further damage to the stable population.

Entry #9: We tried to shut down the reactor, we couldn't we instead decided to turn the water talisman to flooding the reactor level to engage the automatic shutdown procedures. That or it would cause the whole thing too short and blow out. Right now the water is beginning to rise in the reactor room. I am going up to get my things before we head to the stable door and open it up.

Entry #10: I came back to grab a few last things from here and am writing this with just my magic. The screams are getting worse and more terrifying I am starting to see things in the corner of my vision. I have what I need, to anypony who explores this stable whatever you do don't let the reactor turn on again.

I closed the journal and put it in my saddlebags, my pipbuck reading “Journal of Marble Light Acquired”. I sat back in the chair and brushed off the notice in my Eyes Forward Sparkle about the book. Well apparently there had been a surge just before the reactor shut down, one powerful enough to kill everypony here. Judging by the state of the door to the stable I guessed the power had shut down and they began to manually remove the door to begin scouting then the surge came as they did so and in their panic they pulled the door onto themselves. Judging from the state of the other corpses in the stable it had been a horrific death.

I went through the rest of the room and found various books on electronics and various journals on arcane science and magic in general. It was quite the collection and I set it into my saddlebags enjoying the thought of having my own private library. Provided I managed to get back to Dune City I was going to have a nice little collection. As it was for now I needed to get moving again, I had my answer to what had been the doom of this stable. I proceeded back to where the rest of my had been dumped in the atrium and lay my two new saddlebags with the numbers twenty three brightly emblazoned on them by the rest of my stuff. I decided that it would be a good idea as well to check that nothing in the mean time had wandered into the stable and went back to the entrance. Everything was still as it was when I entered. I went back to the atrium and grabbed my stuff and moved it to the entrance. I wanted to take a look at security and the Overmare's office.

As I got to the locked door of the Overmare's Office and Security I noticed something I didn't like. It was open. I walked closer and heard hoof steps once again. I drew my shotgun once more and secured the stable security helmet on my head. Something was in here and it had opened this door. I quietly followed the sound of hoof steps. As I did I heard the sound of the door behind me close and lock. I quietly berated myself for not having put anything in place to keep it from closing again.

As I followed the phantom hoof steps I heard the hiss of a door open, I saw it this time. Some figure moved through the door into security and then the door closed behind them. I was surprised by two things with what I saw. The first was that my light from my flashlight hadn't tipped them off to my following which meant they wanted me to follow. The second thing was they had been translucent, which meant either a failing cloak spell or a hallucination.

My E.F.S. still showed clear as I approached the door to security. I was just about to hit the manual open button when it opened on it's own. I let out a cry of surprise mixed with fear as I fell onto my back. As I lay there the door closed again. I rolled over and moved to the door again and watched in frustration as it opened on its own again. As I entered I noticed this part of the stable was clear of bodies or even dust. It was as if nopony had ever decided to occupy this part of it. I heard the hoof steps again this time coming from the armory portion of security. I crept to it to only find a room stripped of every gun, bullet, and bit of armor. Of course it would be empty, all of security was probably pulling the door open and was ready for whatever might have been on the other side. Which meant any guns or ammo out of here where crushed flat by the heavy door. As I looked in with my flashlight illuminating it I heard the faint sound of a scream. I shook my head trying to make it go away when it lasted far longer than anyponys lungs should have allowed it to last.

A slow realization came to me as I felt my fear begin to build. This was the scream Marble had heard. The reactor was on and slowly powering up the stable. I backed out of security and headed to the Overmare's office. I had time, it had taken six months for it to have built to critical charge and kill everypony. To liquify everypony. I was going to force the reactor to permanently shut down before I left. As I walked to the Overmare's office its door opened. I looked to see if anypony was there all I saw was a floating mote of light and distorted air around it. I moved to the side of the hall and saw it move down towards security the mote flickering in and out of existence. What unnerved me more was the lack of actual light it gave off and the hoof steps that followed with it.

Moving into the office I found it in neat order. A few pictures hung from places on the wall. I moved to the terminal and found it was on. I typed away at its keyboard hacking into it. Once I found the password I was greeted with more entries this time by the Overmare as well as messages from Stable-Tec outlining how to run the stable. As well as I saw attempted messages to various Stable-Tec warehouses and offices for help with her failing stable. I downloaded all the files onto my pipbuck, I could read them later after I got out of this tomb. As I was making one last check of the Overmare's room I saw it, a statuette just like my Fluttershy one, this one was of purple filly with pink and violet stripes in her lavender hair  I lifted it in my magic and felt a surge push back through my own magic. The sensation was that of what I had experienced while on Mint-al's while I was walking to the coast. Some how though this felt clean though, as if it promised that it would never give me the nasty crash that a Mint-al did. I turned the statuette over in my magic to see on the base two words “Be Smart”. My mind quickly alerted me to the fact that I was holding the statuette of Twilight Sparkle, a good friend of Fluttershy and one of the wielders of the elements of harmony.

Breaking me out of my peaceful state of mind I felt the scream grow louder and a slight pressure build against my horn. Whatever was used for pest control did indeed weaken unicorns and assault them on a fundamental level that terrified me. The scream was attacking me at my core, it was attacking my magic. I started out the door of the Overmare's office to be greeted with a floating mote of light. I reared back as it passed into my horn.

ooooooOOOOOOOOoooooo

The scream of the pest control devices pulled at my thoughts and the darkness. They were running late, we were supposed to have the reactor offline by now and the door open. I cursed under my breath as I walked into security double checking that we had it cleaned out proper. After a few minutes of inspection I turned and walked back out.

ooooooOOOOOOOOoooooo

I shook my head vigorously and started down to the stable door. So, those motes of light were what was behind the sights and sounds here. As well as if I have one touch my horn it’s like a miniature memory orb. I dodged a few more motes of light that where in my way within the sea of them that filled the Atrium. But, they are more than just memory orbs, they are also including thoughts. I made my way up the stairs into the door room. So where those motes of light fragments of souls which had a physical imprint on this world? I grabbed my two remaining grenades and ducked under another mote of light as I dived down the stairs and began galloping to maintenance. No matter what they were they seemed to move without intent, like looped images from right before the end of the stable.

I rounded the turn to maintenance and slowed as I went down the stairs. No need to rush here where I would likely slip and break my neck. Rather not add to the dead that were here. As I slide to a stop in the hub for maintenance I realized I had not a clue as to which way would take me to the reactor. I felt the screaming in my head intensify by a full octave. I began to wipe down the walls so I could find the door. Of course it was the last one that I pulled the grease off of. I tried the door to find it jammed. I grabbed a chair and forced its leg into the crack of the door and pushed with all my might and magic. The leg of the chair broke and I cried out in frustration as I slammed my hooves against the door.

“Just open for me you fucking piece of junk!” I screamed at it and dug my hooves between the parts of the door again and began to pull.

'You already tried leverage and force, try something else' came a voice in my head.

“What else is there?!” I cried out as I reared back and kicked the door.

'Look around, be smart' said the voice.

I stopped and looked around, then my eyes caught on the hole in the floor. Of course. I pulled up my automap and cycled it through the levels and saw that this hole should give me a nice shot right next to the reactor room. I focused my magic around me, with how thick the grease was I would need my magic to push through it at any reasonable pace. With my aura around me glowing to the point that it gave a faint blue hue to the room I stepped into the hole and felt myself begin to sink. I took a deep breath and then began to swim pushing myself with the telekinetic field around myself deeper into the thick goo.

I felt my hooves touch metal and I leveled myself out bringing my pipbuck up, the reactor room should be right in front of me. I walked forward pushing aside the goo and found the reactor door. Instead of a two part door this was more like the doors in Saint clover. Two bars connected to a central wheel. Though this time it was from side to side instead of up and down. I gave it a hard twist and was shocked when the door opened and pulled me through. As soon as I was through I closed the door and slide the bars back into place.

I took a deep breath as I let my magic collapse. This room was the buffer between the everlasting spark reactor and the rest of the stable. I smiled at the yellow flashing lights of alarms still going off. I looked around and saw a radiation suit with its own air supply. I pulled off my stable security barding and pulled on the suit. As I closed the last seal I heard a gentle hiss as my ears popped. The suit itself had an air talisman, it made sense why risk contamination by airborne radioactive particles when you could just have your own supply. I heard my pipbuck clicking softly. I barely heard it over the screaming in my head.

I had to do this fast, my magic would probably barely last once I got inside the reactor given that the screams here were worse than on the top floor of the stable. I also didn't want to find out what it was like to bleed from ones eyes. I twisted the wheel holding the door closed and pushed it open. As I did water started to pour into the room. I gritted my teeth and with all my might pushed the water back with my magic and walked into the reactor room. I let go of the door with my magic once I was through and the yellow light from the buffer room vanished. In here the only light I had was from, I blinked, the whole room was glowing a sick green. I saw my radiation count climbing quickly. Within the suit I brought up a tablet of Rad-X and chewed it as I pushed the water around me with my magic. I looked around the reactor going some mental math on how long I could stay in here. I had two minutes tops to figure out how to permanently offline this thing.

As I swam around it I noticed a ring in the ceiling glowing a green with what looked almost like flames around it. I moved away from it as soon as I noticed the screams got worse the closer I got, even just looking at it was making me feel sick. I found the maintenance panel on the reactor and unscrewed the panel with my magic watching the screws and panel quietly and slowly fall to the deck at my hooves. I noticed a that the radiation was now worse, as well as the screaming. I gulped and looked inside seeing a bright light coming out. I studied it for all of twenty seconds before shoving the two grenades I had tapped to the outside of my suit inside. I kept a mental image of their positioning as they came to rest and I forced open the door again letting the water push me in. As the door slide shut I pulled the pins then without hesitation yanked open the door to the goo and began making my way out. The reactor wouldn't immediately fail if I had placed those grenades right which would give me about three minutes to escape. I hoped I would only need two of those. Going up was far easier than down thanks to the air in my suit.

I breached the surface of the goo in the middle of the hole that sat in the hub of maintenance. I Climbed out and began running using my magic to keep me upright. Upon getting to the landing half way up from maintenance the screaming spiked in my head for a moment making me lose balance and slide face first into the wall. I scrambled to my feet and resumed climbing as I tasted blood in my mouth and my vision got a worrying red tint to it. Racing through the Atrium I scraped off the goo that was on my suit in hopes of avoiding another spill like on the landing and noticed the goo seemed to be moving of its own accord. I threw the stuff harder than I thought possible as I made it into the door room.

Upon getting into the door room I grabbed my stuff and flung it through into the maintenance closet that had hid the path to the stable as I began to cross the massive metal door of the stable. I felt it shift under hoof and begin to tilt. It was tilting the wrong way for my escape. I leapt and hit the side of the entrance spinning as I flew the last few feet out of the stable. I landed in a heap and saw the black goo that I had thought to be grease moving the door and now it was coming for me. I forced myself back up and tossed on my saddlebags running through the maintenance closet opening the door to the subway.

Upon entering the subway I slammed the door shut and headed to my left which was the way that should lead me towards the tunnels I needed for getting to Tenpony. Remembering the original reason I had come down here I felt it had been a long time since I had set out. I dove into the chilling water, thanking the radiation suit for being water tight as I swam. As I broke the surface on the other side of the flooded tunnel I heard what could only be described as a roar that would make even a dragon give pause. I saw bits of debris fall from the ceiling as I swam to shore. The reactor had exploded and hopefully taken that entire stable with it. Whatever had been in there I hoped was dead, and that the souls of those who had died there were now free to go to the ever after.

I got three steps out of the water before I tore the helmet off of the suit and coughed violently. In the light from the lamp of my pipbuck I saw more of goo come out of me as well as blood. I kept coughing more and more of it up until I mercifully felt the darkness creep in around me once more.

When I awoke I saw the goo laying still near me I pulled out a bit of flamer fuel that I had and used it to burn it away. I had never really questioned where the liquefied remains of the stable inhabitants had gone. Now I knew. Though some mixture of radiation, magic, and probably taint they had been turned into this. Whatever it was that gave that power to the pest control system had controlled it. Without power it couldn't control it, it acted passively. I now knew what had grabbed my leg the first time I climbed out of maintenance. I shuddered as I remembered my coat was presently stained with the remains of both a enemy and the remains of three hundred or more ponies.

I took off the radiation suit and stored it in my main set of saddlebags. I pulled on my much warmer trooper armor. I pushed on to find the tunnel ahead of me collapsed as well after two more miles of walking. This time though I found a labeled entrance. The door was labeled simply with the mark of the Steel Rangers. From what I understood they had hidden away in bunkers all across the equestrian wasteland and rode out the apocalypse then when the time came they left and found places that gave them essentially fortresses in the wasteland to set up shop and begin harassing everypony with something more complex than a bobby pin.

“Well I just blew up a stable full of some sort of sentient goo, cleared a station of ghouls. Why not pillage a hopefully abandoned Ministry of Wartime Technology bunker that once held a band of raiders with power armor.” I said aloud to the quiet subway.

I had hopes that the bunker while abandoned would also have working water or at least a way to secure it so I could get some much needed rest. I walked in keeping an eye for any bars on my E.F.S. As I descended I found none, the place looked well cleaned out and thankfully it seemed to have happened a while ago. I figured they had initially used this as their base of operations until they found someplace else in the ruins of Manehattan that they preferred.

As I moved into the bunker the terms spartan and stripped came to mind. Anything beyond simple mechanical devices had been removed. Where they couldn't be I noticed they had been gutted. Anything that was technology went with them. No matter how small. I also noticed that even when they had occupied the place there seemed to be no indication of personal belongings. Figures that a band of highly trained and heavily armed military types would have little to no personal belongings. As I pressed further I found what I had been hoping for. A command center of sorts. The few bits of technology here were for power and sealing the place.

As I sealed the place up tight for the night I couldn't help but think that if the Steel Rangers did return they probably would have an override of some sort. Hopefully them stomping around in power armor would wake me up. Or maybe they would decide to take me captive instead of shoot me. I didn't really give that last option much weight. It would just be easier to kill me hack off my leg and get the pipbuck that way. I shuddered at the morbid thought as I laid down in the bed that had most likely been for whoever operated the bunker. Seemed fitting as nopony here meant I was technically highest ranking living pony here.

I awoke when I had hoped to. When the sounds of somepony in heavy armor drew close to where I had been sleeping. I rolled off my bed pulling every gun I had waiting for my guest to show themselves. It didn't take long. I got a good view of what Steel Ranger armor looked like. I had seen them on posters throughout the subway system as well as in Saint Clover. But, here before me I saw it, a pony covered in head to hoof in steel-gray armor even their tail. The mighty relic that had served in a war two hundred years ago. This was a Steel Ranger in all of its glory. Not the damaged desert painted one that Aegis had. To be honest it was impressive. I also knew that it was very well armed with its machine grenade launcher and multiple rocket launchers. This pony who stood before me was the definition of overkill. They carried with them enough firepower to reduce me to a fine red mist and had no reservations about bringing it to bear indoors.

“Identify yourself.” Said a low, rumbling and exceptionally masculine voice as the lamp on his helmet flashed to life blinding me.

Disoriented I cantered and fell over my magic imploded and my guns fell to the ground as I began coughing. I definitely was sick. Great get to meet a member of the Steel Rangers and I was looking like some pony dying of radiation sickness.

“Moonlight,” I managed to say between coughing fits. A lot of not fun colored stuff coming up.

“Who are you with,” came the voice again.

I continued coughing for a minute, the Steel Ranger moved his head lamp away from me, but, kept his grenade machine gun trained on me. My eyes began to water as I kept coughing. What I would give for pipbucks to have proper medical diagnostics so I could at least know what I was dealing with. Then I remembered, for the most part it did. Just that being sick with something generally didn't register due to it wasn't serious. Finally my coughing died down and I was able to blink away the tears that remained in my eyes.

“I am with nopony, just trying to stay out of the cold and get to Tenpony. I have friends there who can help me get home.” I said, I waited to gauge how he took this, I didn't want to lay all my cards on the table yet.

“That explains how you were able to find a Steel Ranger Bunker in the vast mess that is Manehattan's subway system.”

There was nothing I could pull out of his voice to tell me what he was thinking.

“Why are you here Mr. Steel Ranger?” I asked him, feeling my body starting to return to normal.

‘I probably should take antibiotics in case this me getting sick.’ I thought to myself.

“Hunting, hiding for now.” Came that same expressionless voice.

“Hunting what, ghouls? Plenty of zombies all around the place. Though I guess with your weapons you can't really let them get too close.” I said and then began coughing again.

“Ghouls are of little concern. I assume you know of the Goddess' Alicorns.” Said the Steel Ranger once more, I simply nodded. “They are a threat to both my order and to all of ponykind, they are what I hunt.”

“So what, you want to become the great alicorn hunter? What good will that do, most of your order seems to just like stealing technology and smashing things.” As I said that I felt the air go cold, I had struck a nerve that I hadn't meant to in my exhausted state. The silence lasted for a few minutes before he spoke up again.

“Even so, they are a great threat and must be eliminated.” He said, I simply nodded again.

“So, what are we going to do. As far as I can tell there is no point in us fighting. So, truce for now until one of us feels like leaving?” I offered pulling out a bottle of water offering it to him and he declined.

“For now.” He said and I climbed back onto my bed and he claimed a corner in the room opposite of me as well as where he would have eyes on anyone entering the office attached to the bedroom.

I went back to sleep, I could have fought it, but, I was sick and when you are sick you need lots of rest and fluids. You also needed somepony watching your back.

Footnote: Level Up!

New Perk Added: And Stay Back! When you use a shotgun each pellet has a ten percent chance of knocking the enemy back. Maybe you enjoy the fact that enemies have a harder time getting close due to personal space issues or maybe you just like watching them trip over their own severed hooves.

Quest Perk Added: Mighty Telekinesis (Level 1): You triple the weight that you can levitate with your unicorn magic.

Chapter 12 - Hunters

Chapter 12 – Hunters

“You are a hunter. You know how to hunt. But do you know how to be prey?” - Xenith, Fallout Equestria Chapter 30

My guest had stayed with me for the past three days. I had been purging my system of everything with the help of antibiotics, immune system boosters, and Radaway. Honestly I still felt messed up even after finally managing a bath with the strongest soap that I had. My mane now as just a deep dark blue and my coat was showing just a hint of its actual color. The bathing had also mercifully helped me stop smelling of liquid pony. Today also was the first day I had been able to eat three meals and keep them all down. Whatever I had, I had it hard, and I had it fast. Now my system felt clean. The only thing still bothering me was the deep itching and occasional feeling of something twisting or moving inside of me, which was terrifying when it happened.

“Mr. Steel Ranger, I have a favor to ask of you.” I said walking up to the Steel Ranger completely bare of my equipment. He rose as I did standing there waiting for me question. “I presume you are of the Steel Rangers who operate in Manehattan, as such you know the city better than anypony else I would wager. Can you get me to Tenpony tower? I don't need to get there now, I doubt my friends would try to run a caravan in the snow so we have time incase you have something you wish of me to do or have other priorities.”

I stood there waiting for the Rangers response.

“Then it is best that you get ready to leave now.” Was his answer.

I nodded and quickly put on my equipment and saddlebags. Some how it felt so much easier now. Maybe the strain of working under the effects of whatever it was effecting that stable had done me some good after all. I walked back into the room and gave the Steel Ranger a nod.

“One last thing, what do I call you?” I asked as we began walking out of the abandoned Steel Ranger bunker.

I was in the middle of checking the loads of all my weapons. I was putting in hollow points anyplace I could since ghouls were so frail that penetration was pointless. As well as if something did have armor the Steel Ranger's weapons would tear into them like they were made of wet paper.

“Steelhooves,” he said as we left.

“Lead the way Steelhooves.” I said, though it was meaningless as he already was leading the way.

Following Steelhooves we went east then south doubling back to the Manehattan blast zone. During this time we ran into a number of raiders and ghouls. Most of the battles were brief and violent. The battles generally began with the roar of his grenade machine gun and ended with them too. After one where we ended up getting flanked by a few clever raiders I had a nasty slice of flesh missing from my hind quarters and fished out a healing potion. Seeing it I dropped it and watched the inky black substance that had once been a healing potion pool on the ground. Steelhooves turned to see why I had gasped and dropped it.

“What is wrong Moonlight.” He simply asked as I pulled out ever healing potion I had to find they had all gone black and were threatening to eat through the glass, some I could feel move in my hooves.

“My healing potions have gone bad.” I said as I tossed the bad potions onto the remains of the raiders watching the black liquid dissolve their hide. “Must have been whatever was in that stable...” I finished quietly.

“Healing potions do not simply go bad, and what do you mean by stable.” He asked, and I felt the commanding tone of his voice compel me to answer truthfully.

I turned to him after watching the rest of my potions dissolve the remains of the raiders.

“I blew up a stable. There was nothing in it beyond skeletons and sentient goo.” I simply said.

Steelhooves didn't move as if trying to see if I was lying.

I sighed and filled him in on what had happened in stable twenty three. When I was done he simply turned and beckoned me to follow with his tail. I simply followed having already looted the raider nest while filling him in on my adventure in stable twenty three. He had taken it quietly remaining stoic as he absorbed the information. Eventually we went above ground again and I saw where he had been leading me.

“Why are we at the edge of the Manehattan blast zone, Steelhooves?” I asked while we looked into the slightly glowing crater.

“Because, Alicorns are like ghouls when it comes to radiation.” He said as I pulled down my monocular and began to scan the crater.

“In what way, it heals them? Makes them glow?” I asked picking out a few shambling forms within the crater.

“And enhances their already formidable magic.” He replied in that constant tone of his.

“So, what, trying to see if they are nesting here? Or are we just going to see how nasty they can get when hyped up on radiation?” I said as I noticed a alicorn walking around deep within the still glowing crater.

I got silence from Steelhooves as I continued to observe the alicorn. She seemed to be healing wounds. I remembered a bit of advice about creatures of the wasteland. There were those who radiation was not harmful, but, in fact was beneficial. Originally I had thought it was just ghouls. As I watched her wounds heal I realized one thing. Any alicorn who wasn't outright killed was likely to make a full recovery. I longed for my rifle that I had lost in Oakmare, even the repeater rifle would be nice at a moment like this. One round and I could end the life of a monster before it knew it was under attack.

“Steelhooves, do alicorns tend to move in packs?” I asked, again no response. I pushed the monocular back up and turned to him. I blinked seeing he was gone and my eyes forward sparkle didn't even give me a blue bar to work off of. “Great... Yes, lets just leave the mare who is practically unarmed and unarmored compared to you alone near a pit full of monsters. Who happens to also not be from around here… Loyalty is definitely not his thing.”

I stood up and began to walk away from the crater when I felt a rush of air over me. I turned to look up and saw a alicorn flying over me. I immediately flattened myself down into the snow. For a moment I thought it hadn't seen me as it kept flying. Then I banked and landed in front of me. Well time to see how chatty this one is.

“You there, stop cowering and tell us why you are here!” Commanded the alicorn, I looked up and got a better view of it. While initially I had thought it's coat was black it was in fact a deep blue.

I stood up and brushed the snow off of myself.

“You see, since you are new additions to the wasteland I was making observations so I could figure out what you are.” I said, which was true to an extent, I was curious about them, and afraid of them.

“We can see that by your little spying tool and you're talking to yourself.” Said the dark blue alicorn. “We can assist you in telling you exactly what we are. We are perfection!” She then took a commanding pose, she must have a bit of a showmare in here. I blinked, then smiled. Oh they had a masterful ego too.

“Why yes you are, like the princesses before, mighty and elegant.” I said keeping my face straight as possible.

The alicorn looked me over again as if trying to place my intent.

“We know you-” she began “-we are to capture you.”

Well buck me with a skywagon are all alicorns working with Redeye?!

“Do not attempt to resist you are no match for us.” She said a shield enveloping her as I saw two red bars appear in my E.F.S. as she turned from blue to red as well.

“Sorry your majesty, but, I like living.” I said and slide into S.A.T.S.  and drew my homemade laser rifle.

I had no doubt that their shields would prove strong enough to resist my pistols or rifle. I dumped one shot into the deep blue alicorn in front of me and prepared to immediately give myself a telekinetic toss away from where I was standing. I released the spell and watched as the beams of energy lanced forward, the eight outside beams did nothing, the core beam passed through and struck the alicorn in the chest and passing through her heart. With the attack done I felt the sharp push of my magic as I sent myself sliding ten feet to my left. In the slowed time of S.A.T.S. I got a good view of the surprise and hatred rolling across the deep purple alicorn that had been about to land to my left as I slide under her.

S.A.T.S. ended and began recharging I manually fired the rifle again, it punched through the nearest alicorns shield, but, failed to strike home.

“How dare you!” Cried the alicorn who landed near me as I slide the now glowing rifle onto my back and brought up my assault carbine.

I fired three rounds and watched them simply bounce off as she formed arrows of magic in the air. I broke out running towards the nearest bit of cover. The nearest bit of cover happened to be inside of the crater a block away. I forced myself to ignore the clicking of my pipbuck as well as radioactive glass that cut at my hooves.

With a bright flash the purple alicorn was in front of me and I slammed face first into her shield and fell onto my back.

“You cannot escape us! We will now take you to join unity. Your courage will serve us well.” She said her voice dripping with arrogance.

Then she exploded. As did my ears. I felt myself cry out though I couldn't hear it over the silence and slight ringing in my ears. I tore off my goggles as they had cracked apart from the proximity of the blast. Eventually I saw a steel-gray hoof land next to me, I looked up to see Steelhooves standing over me the barrel of his grenade machine gun smoking slightly. The air shimmered around it too. He had run it hard and I figured since he was standing there he was probably talking to me. I glared up at him and pointed my hooves at my ears, he simply shook his head then put me on his back.

Steelhooves carried me north out of the crater as I sucked down a Radaway still unable to hear anything. Upon getting on his back I had seen he had made short work of the other alicorns with his overkill tactics. He really was cut out for killing alicorns, all I had for fighting them was my laser that I had to swap spark batteries every two shots.

Wherever he was carrying me it was apparently outside the heart of the city, and thankfully seemed not to be irradiated. I lifted a hoof to my ears and gently brushed my coat below it to see it come away bloody. I had figured as much, the proximity of the explosion had burst my eardrums. I gave out a quiet sigh, or at least hoped it was quiet. Either case Steelhooves kept up the pace as we neared a shack.

He laid me down on a bed and held a hoof out before leaving. I assumed that he wanted me to stay and rest while he got medical provisions, may be food too. I rolled over on my side as I pulled off my equipment. There was no need to keep it on and be uncomfortable while I was supposed to be resting. I pulled up the text files on my pipbuck and began to read the Stable-Tec instructions. It provided a lot of instructions on dealing with various crises that could come up in the stable as well as an audio log from the Vice President of Stable-Tec, Scootaloo. I saved that for later when, if, I could hear again. I grimaced at the thought of never being being able to hear again. I focused on reading all the information I had pulled out of the Overmare's terminal.

After reading her logs pleading for help, venting her frustrations on how nothing was working right in the stable I felt more sorry for her. She had been the older sister of Lucky Tome and actually spent a long time wrestling with how to deal with her own insecurities about starting a family. Stable-Tec had explained the inbreeding problem in depth as well. It was the reason why after a hundred twenty or so years the vault would have to open. At that point the third generation would have been related completely to each other and need new blood. With a start I jumped as a healing potion was set down on the bed next to me. I looked up to see Steelhooves had returned and indeed had brought with him medical supplies. I drank the healing potion happy to see the deep purple color of a proper healing potion. I felt better as I did, the ringing in my ears died down and sound returned.

“Steelhooves, I owe you a lot.” I said to him, I rolled my head and felt my sense of balance return as well. “So, what is next on your list of horrible places to go?”

“Since for you asked we are going to the old fort. Heard some scavengers went missing a few days ago and patrols saw some alicorns in the area.” He said.

“How bad is the radiation?” I asked getting my gear on once again.

“Not as bad as the crater, you should be fine.” Steelhooves replied.

“Should have told me about going into the crater though, I have a radiation hard suit for that sort of stuff.” I said as he set down the rest of the supplies he had gathered.

I turned to the supplies he brought me, more Radaway, more Rad-X, and more healing potions. I nodded as I stored them in my primary saddlebags.

“Can I leave my other two saddlebags here, they have nothing important, just some things to sell off and keep for myself.” I said looking at the two saddlebags that held books and trophies.

Steelhooves simply gave me a nod and turned to his door and we left. Exiting I saw the clouds above to be less gray and the air a little warmer. We walked south and followed the road into the city again. I watched as we passed only a few blocks north of Tenpony tower. It was impressive to see the building in such good condition compared to the other buildings in the city. I pulled my eyes away from the tower as we finished crossing the intersection and put my mind to the task at hand. Today was a day for killing monsters that terrorized this city. I was working with a Steel Ranger who had enough sense of mind to not turn away a potential ally. There was one thing more, there was no way that I was going to leave town without trying to help.

As we neared the old fort on the river bank I realized two things. One, the base was in very bad shape, it looked like whatever support structure had been below it had collapsed under the largest buildings causing the ground to swallow them. There was also a great deal of burn marks from the detonation of ordnance everywhere. Then there was the faint green glow coming from one of the side buildings that did not fill me with confidence. Steelhooves just walked into the fort like it was nothing. I immediately began to sneak around and keep in cover. The place felt wrong to me, the radiation notwithstanding, it was making my skin crawl. I kept my shotgun drawn.

If I was right, whoever was here was probably ghouls. I couldn't see alicorns going underground with their size as well as it voiding their ability to fly. Steelhooves walked through a blowout wall of the administration building and I followed. The radiation in here was a bit less, I still popped another Rad-X for the sake of safety. We headed deeper and I saw signs of a fight, but, the scenes lacked the smell of gunpowder or ozone telling me it had been some time ago. Steelhooves had to turn on his armors lamp as we headed to the second floor.

“Is that your only way of seeing in the dark Steelhooves?” I said as I kept an eye on my E.F.S.

“Steel Ranger armor was meant for heavy combat, and not stealth missions.” He said, “if you wanted stealth maybe you should dig up a Shadowbolt.”

“Point taken,” I said quietly as we finished going down the stairs to the second floor.

We passed skeletons on our way down to the second floor which had sunk below ground. This floor we saw some fresh bodies. I checked them over to find they had succumbed to radiation sickness, their hooves had been bound and the blindfold over their eyes told me the rest.

“Something took them captive and held them here. Whoever it was that did so didn't notice their lack of immunity to radiation.” I explained to Steelhooves as he finished clearing the room.

“Then there is somepony here that must be taken care of.” He said with a grave tone to his voice, which was hard to tell from his normal voice.

I simply nodded and fell in behind him as we went down another floor. Here we saw more skeletons, many in army uniforms, a few in actual combat armor.

“Hold up, these ponies have something useful for me.” I called to Steelhooves as I began to remove the combat armor and check the pockets and pouches of each body.

“You are looting their bodies now?” Steelhooves said with more than a hint of frustration.

“No, I am getting armor that my very well keep my internal organs internal in case we come across something that wants us dead. I know that must be hard for you to understand since you have a suit of power armor to keep you safe, not irradiated, and internal organs internal.” I said as I pulled off my barding and pulled on the combat armor.

It was heavier but offered far more protection than the basic trooper armor I had before. I listened to Steelhooves move out of reception as I finished changing into my new armor. As I did I heard the noise of a thud and a quiet scream from somewhere. My ears began twitching around trying to sense a follow up noise to give a idea where the thud and scream came from.

I moved to rejoin Steelhooves having to pull up the sleeve for my pipbuck. He was standing in a communications room where two more dead lay. Checking around the room I saw a few things of use. One of the items being a audio recording that my pipbuck dutifully gave me the date for, placing it a few hours after the bombs fell. The second item was a memory orb, I carefully levitated it to me keeping my magic as a bowl around it instead of focused on it. The last thing was a box of ammo for my pistols.

The other rooms on this floor where offices. Nothing of note beyond a few bottle caps and a bottle of sparkle cola. We descended the stairs again, now heading into the basement of the building. As we did I noticed the two bars on my E.F.S. that were red move a bit and moved ahead of Steelhooves.

“You see them too I am guessing, let me slip in, I will handle them, you just wait here.” I said, “if you hear screaming feel free to open up.”

I didn't even wait for him to disagree or agree and slipped into the darkness pulling down my monocular and let its night vision cut at the darkness. I kept an eye on the radiation noting down here, it was getting a bit worse. As I crept around I pulled out my knife, silent takedowns would be key here. If there were more than just these two I wanted to keep the others in the dark about our presence. Slowly I came across the first red bar. He was still in combat armor, though, it looked more like he was melted into it now. In the night vision he looked like a pale ghost moving in broken steps on the shattered tiles. I crept closer until I was right next to him and slammed my knife through his throat and into the base of his skull. He went limp, the light of his ghoul eyes fading. I pulled out the knife and removed the neck guard that protected the back of his neck and sawed off his head. I didn't want any chances of him coming back.

With the first down I moved down the hall to find the next one was behind a security door. I moved away from it and finished checking the rest of the halls. I found more signs of battle, though now it was very one sided. Executions, somepony had come through here and executed every last pony I saw here. I now had a very bad feeling about what was on the other side of that door. I returned to Steelhooves who was still standing exactly where I had left him.

“There is one more, but, they are behind a security door. Another thing I found is there are a lot of high ranking military officers here. All of them dead, and from the looks of it without a struggle.” I said as I slide my knife back into its sheath on my right leg.

“Another two century old mystery,” Steelhooves said with what sounded like a sigh.

“Whatever the case, lets deal with this last ghoul and hit the other buildings.” I said as I fished out a Radaway and drank it down. Originally I had hated the rancid orange taste of it, now, it was growing on me, that or whatever protests I had my mind shut down due to it was saving our lives.

Steelhooves lead the way once more to the security door and opened it without issue. Apparently having the armor of heavily decorated veterans of two centuries ago had it's perks when it came to two century old doors.

“Sir! Finally a normal pony is here, what is going on topside, I haven't been able to raise Canterlot on the horn and Hoofington has activated their shield.” I heard a gravely voice say from the next room.

“Stand down, the war is over soldier. Everything is gone.” I hear Steelhooves reply to the ghoul. I guessed the image of a Steel Ranger stuck in your mind even after two centuries.

“What…” The time lost soldier said, then a few moments later continued. “Then... Then what should I do?”

“There are those who still need help and protection out there. Do your duty that you swore to do. Protect Equestria and those ponies who reside in it.” Steelhooves told the soldier, I watched on my E.F.S. as his bar turned from red to blue. “A town to the east of here named Gutterville could use a guard.”

“Yes sir, I will get going there now.” Said the ghoul, I got a look at him as he walked out of the room. He had once been a handsome stallion, now his features were distorted from his transformation into a ghoul. I gave him a nod as he walked past me and out of the basement.

“I wasn't expecting that...” I said quietly then turned my attention to addressing whatever was left in the room behind the security door.

There wasn't much left, in the room. Mostly it was archives, the rest was what that soldier had managed to bring with him before sealing himself away. I read the journal he had kept and noticed slowly as he began to refuse to believe so much time had past. He had slowly slipped into a manic state, but, his training refused his desires to flee.

“Best of wishes to you Private,” I heard myself say as I closed his journal.

“We best get moving again, unless you feel like bunking with feral ghouls tonight.” Said Steelhooves as I stood.

I checked the time and saw it was now after two in the afternoon. I simply nodded and fell in behind him drawing my shotgun once more. The climb out of the building was much less tense. Upon reaching the surface I saw it had begun to snow again. At this rate I was going to be staying in Manehattan until spring. We walked to the only other intact building, the one that glowed green from inside and made my pipbuck hate me with loud ticking.

I took another Rad-X as we approached, Steelhooves directed me to open the door with my magic and stand to the side. I was glad that I did as he fired his grenade machine gun into the passage behind the door and I saw bits of radroach come flying out. Yeah overkill was his modus operandi. I slide into the hallway finding it painted with the remains of radroaches and pulled on my respirator. This building had been a armory, had being the key word. Now it was little more than a building full of radioactive waste that lined the ground. I pushed the inch deep brightly glowing fluid away as I worked my way around the building. Steelhooves simply walked through it taking stock.

Speaking of taking stock I found a locked door, the lock itself had the remains of a bobby pin within it. Somepony had tried to pick it and failed horribly. The lock itself was still pickable, but, the metal around it was scraped like mad. I probed it with my magic then found the tumblers and unlocked the door, it slide open revealing a nice trove of guns and ammo.

“Nice trick,” Steelhooves said from behind me, damn he could be quiet when he wanted to.

“Take what you like,” I said as I moved into the room, and noticed the radiation drop off sharply.

Looking about the armory I found a good number of clip based battle rifles. I took two, one for parts and one for using. I also took a modified laser rifle noting it was very similar to my own though it didn't need a spark battery for it. I would keep it on my back in case any more alicorns showed up. It should do the trick against their shields. Seemed like enough points hitting it at once tore a hole in the magic. I helped Steelhooves replenish his supply of twenty five millimeter grenade rounds and his rockets. I took the rest of his suits ammo that he couldn't stuff into it. I was happy to have such a strong back because this was a lot of explosives.

“Where to now?” I asked as we walked out the door of the armory and I began to look around. No other buildings seemed like they were capable of hiding anything. The motorcade had collapsed, the barracks had long burned down, and the guard towers were open to the air.

“Now we return to my home. You are burdened with too much to move quickly in a fight. That is a liability.” He said coolly as we walked out of the fort.

“Right, just a hop, skip, and jump away.” I said to myself.

We had just made it past the intersection that lead to Tenpony once more when a wing of five alicorns ambushed us. Apparently the blue ones could go invisible and the purple ones could teleport. I moved to behind a car as a magical arrow melted the ground that I had just been standing on. Steelhooves opened up with his grenade machine gun and the battle was on.

I pulled out my laser rifle and took aim at the nearest alicorn. She was preparing more of those magical arrows. I pulled the trigger and watched the beams hit her shield. It flickered and I fired again. This time the shield fell. With one last shot I made her head turn to cinders her spell firing off in random directions. One melting the part of the carriage I was hiding behind. I saw more green alicorns swoop in and land. They then erected shields closing off the part of the road we were on. They meant to give us no escape. Wonderful, now I have stationary targets to shoot, thank you.

I felt heat wash over me as a nearby carriage exploded in a massive fireball, then I saw the ones around it catching fire.

“Oh, fuck me.” I blurted out as my shoulders sank. The alicorns had bottled us up in a section of street full of self drawn carriages. The buildings on either side looked like they were locked up tight. Their plan was to kill both of us, and probably all because we pissed them off something fierce.

I fired my shotgun into the glass of the nearby office building to only see a shield protect it. “Oh for crying out loud!”

That was the moment that a alicorn decided it was a good idea to antagonize me. In the reflection of the glass I saw her blink into existence behind me forming a shield around us cutting me off from my two guns. I rounded on her and to hit her with my right foreleg. As I turned she smashed her hooves down on me pinning me in what would best be described as a forced bow to her. I tried to roll out from under her hooves to only be met with more force against my neck. I looked between her legs to see the battlefield.

Steelhooves was retreating to the other side of the street as alicorns fired bolts of magic at him from behind their sisters shields that had trapped us here. They wanted him dead, they apparently wanted me alive. I actually found the fact that they wanted me alive very frightening. I needed to escape, if I tried to use my weapons she would probably smash my head until I passed out. One option then. I hit S.A.T.S. and set down as many of my telekinetic slashes as I could upon the alicorn. I released the spell and watched as her coat tore away and began to bleed. She cried out in two voices. One I heard in my head, the other I heard from her throat. She reared up as the last lash hit against her flesh and time sped back up to its normal pace. I let loose with my assault carbine into her chest. Her light went out on my E.F.S. and I grabbed my other weapons.

Another carriage exploded and I felt the heat from it as well as heard my pipbuck click maddeningly for a second. Yay, more radiation, I was going to be pissing rainbows for the next week. I holstered my shotgun and wrapped my laser rifle's strap over my neck. I needed a plan, I hit S.A.T.S. and watched as time stopped. I couldn't move, but, I had all the time in the world to think now. Any minute the remaining carriages would start to explode their spark batteries taking out and irradiating the street. We had buildings on either side of the street. The one on my side was shielded the one on Steelhooves side was unknown. The alicorns on street boxing us in had shields up to prevent our escape. That meant they felt they could survive the blasts about to happen. That left the ones currently flying pinning down Steelhooves at the moment. Okay, take out the fliers, the ones behind the shields aren't a threat at the moment. I noticed I still had my laser rifle at the ready. Alright then, time to get to work.

I targeted the alicorn currently readying her magic to strike at Steelhooves. The other one would have to recharge before firing off its arrows of magic, at least recast them. They had a strange habit of manifesting them four at a time then firing them off. I lined up five shots with the laser rifle, I had a sixty six percent chance of hitting. I released the spell and watched as the first two shots went wide the lasers dancing all over the shield doing little, the third struck true and the shield started to collapse, fourth shot burned away her wing. Fifth shot was trash as she had started to fall as it lanced out and did nothing more than make a light show on it the inside of her collapsing shield. The one forming arrows turned her attention to me and fired two off. I felt the chest plate start to melt on my combat armor and tossed it into the path of the second arrow. I was rewarded with a cloud of ash as it disintegrated.

The alicorn who's wing I shot off vanished in a flash of magic then from my side I felt a great telekinetic blast sending me sliding across the steps. I turned to see the injured alicorn with fury in her eyes. More worrying was the way her injuries where healing as another carriage exploded and bathed us in radiation.

“You are proving to be most annoying!” She yelled to the point that I felt like I was sliding back on the wet ground.

I rolled behind a pillar as more arrows of magic lanced out at me and hit S.A.T.S. I aimed again for the one that was pinning Steelhooves. I fired four more shots with my laser rifle, two once again failing to do anything but make a light show, the other two got her attention just as Steelhooves popped out and began firing into her with his grenade machine gun. I then felt something really hot fall against me I tried to move to find that I couldn't. I turned my head as I tried to move to find that the pillar had been partially melted and wrapped around me.

I turned and also noticed that I couldn't move my laser rifle.

“Clever,” I said aloud as I struggled to get free.

“Your attempts at escape are feeble, embrace your fate while we deal with the Steel Ranger.” She said and turned to eat a rocket to her face.

I quietly smiled they may be intelligent, clever, and resourceful, but, they had one hell of a Ego and it was easily used. I wrapped Steelhooves in field of my magic and began to pull him to my side of the street. Most of the carriages that were going to explode had been on his side. I needed him to break me free with his power armor enhanced strength. Even with our attackers dead we were still bottled up on this street. He didn't protest as I pulled him along, instead he directed me to make him face the remaining alicorns. I did so and watched as he started to pour on his destructive weaponry. I didn't notice a change to the state of the shields as I set him down next to me.

“Get me out of this, we need to find a way off the street. When that skywagon goes off every other carriage is going to blow with it. I don't think even your armor can protect you from this.” I said as he examined the twisted pillar holding me.

“Then cover your ears.” He said, I went wide eyes as he walked to the other side of the pillar.

“Hey! Be careful I am covered in explosives!” I called out as I slapped my hooves over my ears then put what I could of a shield between me and the pillar.

My ears didn't burst this time at least, and we were now inside and heading down stairs. I was getting more of a work out. I also was really growing to like how good healing potions made me feel when I drank them. We hadn't been able to get off what of the pillar that was wrapped around me, but, Steelhooves had blow away the rest of the pillar. Now I was walking around with about a hundred extra pounds of steel wrapped around me. It looked absolutely silly as we walked through the underground that connected this building with the sewer. I didn't ask why half the buildings in Manehattan had extensive underground connections. In any case we were headed back to his shack. I was beat and we had ammo to drop off. We also had to figure out a way to get me out of the damn metal that had been wrapped around me. For the time being only my pistols were accessible to me thanks to being in holsters on my front. Though my laser rifle was positioned properly for a battle saddle mount.

We had managed to punch a hole through the windows thanks to Steelhooves overkill approach to arming himself and get away from the street before the skywagon exploded. We has survived another alicorn ambush, I was getting tired of them. However, I did feel we were at least doing something worthwhile. If we were such a threat to them that they focused on us and not others that was a good thing. There was another point in the favor of our actions. It would put some heat on the other Steel Rangers and even if normally they wouldn't do good, a dead alicorn was a good thing.

After half an hour of walking through the sewer with Steelhooves taking point we where most of the way back to his shack. We had sight of it after climbing out of the sewer. Thankfully Steelhooves knew Manehattan so well that it didn't take long for us to have made our escape. The only thing slowing us down was my being overburdened with a metal beam wrapped around me. A thought crossed my mind as we started walking the path between his shack and the rest of the world.

“Steelhooves, how did ponies cut metal at construction sites in the past?” I asked having a thought of maybe they had equipment to cut this thing off of me.

“Why do you think I know?” He simply responded as he opened the door to his shack.

“Well if you are supposed to gather every last bit of technology to hoard it I would think something capable of cutting through metal would be on the list. That and they would make amazing tools for dealing with power armor.” That got his attention.

“Unfortunately I do not know. However maybe we can get your laser free and you can blast away the metal.” He said closing the door behind me, I regarded the laser rifle again.

“Alright, first though.” I undid the saddles straps and levitated it and all the explosive things away from me. I pulled out all my weapons as well. “Okay, keep back, if I fuck this up I want to be the only one turned to glowing ash.”

Steelhooves just stood there as I cut the strap to my laser rifle and pointed it at my right side. I took a deep breath and double checked the shot. I pulled the trigger and watched in horror as the rifle instead of firing in a concentrated beam instead acted like a shotgun and struck my all over. My neck was now slightly singed and was very angry and fired again. This time I watched as the beam glowed softly.

“Quickly pry it open!” I shouted as I felt Steelhooves push me over and start to bend it open. I could smell my coat and the armor start to burn while in the contact with the hot metal. I then got unceremoniously dumped on the floor as he removed the beam from being wrapped around me.

“That worked, now then, lets unpack the ammo for you and get you restocked.” I said getting up, still feeling a bit burned. I would have to address that in a bit.

A few hours later I had Steelhooves restocked on combat drugs and ammunition as well as had replaced the destroyed chest panel of my combat armor with that of my trooper armor. Having stripped of my barding I saw that I had indeed gotten a nasty second degree burn around my middle. Thankfully the burn ointment and two healing potions was enough to fix that. I pulled out some food and found to my frustration the meat that I had with me had turned into the same goo that had tried to consume me in the stable.

I froze and realized for the first time exactly how close I had come to dieing while down there. I needed to get to a real doctor to check my internal organs. I really needed to go to a doctor, with all the radiation, burns, stress, hay, everything I was doing could be quickly killing me. Steelhooves noticed my standing still, my food laying on the ground as I shook.

“What is the matter Moonlight?” He asked me with a very detectable tone of worry in his voice.

“Do you know what makes healing potions turn into poison, turns living tissue into its base components, and makes ponies hear screaming in their heads?” I asked as I sat trying to hold myself together.

“That sounds like what the contingent out of Hoofington describes as Enervation.” He said coolly, “though there is no way you could have encountered it out here. It is an isolated phenomena to that region.”

“What if it wasn't. What if I did encounter a place where it had in the past spiked so hard that it liquified every pony in it, turned almost every healing potion into something twisted and rotten, and turned every other organic thing into dust. Somehow I am still alive...” I said, “I need to get to Tenpony.”

“In the morning, I rather us not wander the city after dark. Alicorns are bad enough and if you are in a bad condition for traveling pushing yourself now won't help. Get some rest.” He said, I felt his commanding voice move me to the lone bed in the shack.

He was right. If I was injured my body can naturally heal, so letting it do so was a far better option than rushing out into who knows what.

“Sorry, just... panicked. Mortal danger and all that, guess you would be familiar with that.” I sighed as I laid down on his bed. “Any tips on how to manage the fear?”

“Breath.” He said.

I frowned at him and tried to get some sleep. I tried my best to sleep, but, after four hours I couldn't. I hadn't been this scared since... well since that slaver tried to catch me back in Saint Clover. It had been a while since I had thought about that. Who knew I would end up here in Manehattan sharing a shack with a Steel Ranger hunting monsters. Okay to be honest I don't think anypony could have ever anticipated me doing that.

As my brother would say “not bad for a egg head like you sis”. He was right, not bad for a 'egg head'.

“Well if I can't sleep, then lets read something.” I said and pulled out one of the various books I had scavenged.

The first book was about how to be a clever salespony and a showmare. It was a enjoyable read. It reminded me a lot of the things that Mom and Dad had taught me for dealing with merchants as well as scavengers. Steelhooves came in as I closed the book. I looked up at him as he did.

“Trouble sleeping?” He asked as he lay down next to the bed.

“Bad habit for when I can't sleep.” I said as I put the book away in it's bag. “What about you?”

“What do you think of ghouls?” He asked, I raised my eyebrow at him, not expecting that response and uncertain what he was getting at.

“So long as they aren't trying to eat my face I am okay with them.” I said, honestly it is only if something wanted to harm me that I had issue with them. Guess except for alicorns since the just seem to all want to hurt me. Then again they have all gotten the jump on me so far…

He simply nodded stood and fetched a memory orb laying it down on the bed next to me.

“It may not be sleep, but, it is better than you staying awake all night.” He said then lay down on the floor again.

“Thank you Steelhooves.” I said as I reached out with my magic and started to make connection to the memory orb.

ooooooOOOOOOOOoooooo

I was in a stallions body, and he was an earth pony. Well, could be worse. Okay lets see here we are prewar, looks to be post founding of the ministries given the Ministry of Wartime Technology symbols. We were in some sort of harness, okay what is the deal with this? Oh what is this, Applejack? We were backstage and the probably crowd was behind a heavy black curtain. My host was focused solely on the nervous mare.

“Ah can't do this.” Applejack said.

Words came to me in a deep strong voice, “You'll be fine.” I said to her. Maybe this was Steelhooves ancestor, voice was similar enough.

“They hate me. Half of 'em already saddle sore cuz Ah started puttin' my hooves inta the Ministry 'stead o' jus' lettin' 'em do what they wanted. But bringin' in Twilight's ponies?” It sounded like things hadn't gone over too well with that.

I wrapped a foreleg around her neck and caught a glimpse of my apple green coat. I nuzzled her gently, it reminded me of being around Rose.

“And After today, they'll all understand it, and admire you for it.” I leaned in close to her ear, “now go on out there and make history. Or I'll be forced to spank you.”

Oh dear Celestia, I didn't need to hear that. Though did give me a idea for when I saw Rose again. Now I really hoped I was right and she was at Tenpony.

Applejack blushed and gave her coltfriend a look that made me really hope this wasn't have an effect on me outside of the orb.

“Later, loverboy.” She smiled, at least more cheeful now, and strode out before the awaiting crowd.

My host followed her stride, his eyes straying repeatedly to her flanks, forcing me to ogle this mare. I forced my mind away thinking about the mathematical equation for distance calculation of a teleport spell instead. I seriously doubted I could ever pull it off, even if I did have the potential the idea of appearing part way in something scared me.

Also why the buck did Steelhooves have a memory orb, and more importantly if he knew what was on it why share it?!

I noticed a custom revolver strapped to one leg of hers hidden under her formal attire. It was a very nice looking revolver. Figured it took forty four rounds. Wonder where that went, probably wherever she ended up. Applejack stood proudly at the podium and cleared her throat and began talking slowly and clearly to leave no question of what she was saying.

“Now listen up. Ah know y'all been a bit sore 'bout havin' ponies from the Ministry of Arcane Sciences workin' with us. Ah know y'all are dedicated t' improvin' Equestria the earth pony way, an' magic kinda flies in the face of alla that. But, there are some things that are jus' too important t' let stubborn pride get in the way o' askin' for help. Trust me. Ah know. An' Ah want y'all t' know how proud Ah am t' be standin' here today, able t' finally show ya the fruits of yer efforts. Most of ya don't know whatcha been workin' on. T'was important t' keep things...” the next word didn't seem like it found home on her tongue, “...compartmentalized t' keep this project outta zebra hooves. What y'all have accomplished in just one year... ain't been a buncha Earth Ponies do more good work in less time than when we built Appleloosa.”

Up to this point her words were being mixed with whispered resent from the crowd. Now, her voice dropped into a tone both somber and deadly serious. The audience hushed out of reverence for who and what she spoke of next.

“When Ah was young, my big brother, Big Macintosh, was always there fer me. He was muh closest kin, an' he never let me down. And when Equestria needed him, he didn't let us down neither. He served heroically in our army, fighting for our way o' life for three years. And then, when we needed him most, he made the ultimate sacrifice. When that zebra bullet punched through muh brother's armor an' pierced his heart, it broke muh heart too.”

I could feel a pan of guilt from my host, he had most likely known Big Macintosh as well. But, I could also feel pride.

Applejack continued her speech. “One year ago, we buried muh brother, Big Macintosh. And that day, Ah swore an oath that no one other pony would die needlessly in battle. They're riskin' their lives out there fer us. We owe them better. An' now, startin' today, we give 'em better.”

My host began walking onto the stage. I felt the ropes trailing me lift and pull taut, the harness digging into my flesh. I felt the resistance and hear the wheels of a carriage begin to move. I was pulling a carriage on my own.

“Ponies of the Ministry o' Technology, Ah give t' y'all the Steel Ranger!”

So this was the power of Steel Ranger armor. I was impressed.

ooooooOOOOOOOOoooooo

What was Steelhooves point of showing this to me. The origins of the Steel Rangers? Maybe it was more deep seated than that. I looked around the room and saw two things of note. A portrait of the ministry mare Applejack, and a statuette of her. Then again he had also said it was better for me than reading when it came to resting since I couldn’t sleep.

“Did she had any children.” I said after a few minutes.

“Not that I know of, why?” Steelhooves replied, he seemed surprised by my question. Maybe I was barking up the wrong tree.

“So then, this is more than simple reverence of Applejack.” I said staring at him directly.

He said nothing, the gears in my head began turning.

“You believe in her ideal. To protect ponies with your superior armor and weaponry. You want to do what the Steel Rangers were founded to do. Save Equestria, save ponies.” I said. “Then, that is why you aren't around your fellow Rangers, they don't agree do they? They just blindly follow whatever your leader says.”

I sighed, he was trying to be a better pony, taking after Big Macintosh and Applejack. “You are doing the right thing, if you ever get the chance to take charge do it. Do it without blood, do it right.”

I shook my head and as I did I saw something I didn't want to see. I saw red. I shoved the rest of my thoughts and questions away for later.

“We have company, and not of the pleasant type.” I said rolling off the bed to where my stuff was laying.

“Stay here, I will deal with this.” He simply said and went to the door.

I hid as well as I could while I shrugged on my armor. I didn't like this, if he wasn't worried it was more Steel Rangers. Steel Rangers with built in Eyes Forward Sparkles which would let them see I was here. If they were red to me, I was probably red to them. This was a very bad position to be in. As I finished preparing my laser rifle, which was now dubbed tank melter by my pipbuck, Steelhooves had returned.

“Who was it?” I asked him.

“Friends.” He said in a tone more dangerous than I liked.

“What did they want?” I asked, now certain it had been Steel Rangers of his own group.

“Report on activity between here and Bucklyn Cross.” He simply said.

“And they are gone now?” I asked.

“For now. I need to report back there tomorrow before the Elder starts to ask questions.”

“Right, then we are going to Tenpony to drop me off, I am guessing the rest won't take too kindly to me walking around them with a Pipbuck.” I said.

“Correct.”

“Probably less so if they knew how I got it.” I said more to myself than him. Then I blinked and blushed as I realized I said that out loud. “I kind of stole it from someponies in Fillydelphia who weren't using it. Was just collecting dust in a store room.”

I didn't want to explain to him about taking it from Steel Rangers. Even if he had a different priority stealing from his allies I doubted would gain me anything.

“I can think of nopony in Fillydelphia that would let it go so lightly.” He said, I didn't like the tone creeping into his voice again.

“Anyways, going to try to rest until you want us to leave.” I said as I climbed back on the bed and rested my head on my forelegs. Steelhooves didn't say anything as I drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

I awoke to the sounds of a explosion. It was outside of the shack. I stood up and noticed I had drooled in my sleep. Gross... I shook my head and grabbed my assault carbine and laser rifle. One or the other would do the trick with whatever decided to pay us a visit. I then noticed a lack of Steelhooves. Was he already outside? I looked for bars and saw only red. I opened the door to see two alicorns hovering in the air, three corpses of their allies on the ground. They now knew of the minefield. Wait, powerful telekinetics plus lots of mines.

“I don't think even the moon in my cunt is enough to fully describe how fucked I am in this situation.” I said to myself as I hit S.A.T.S. and targeted the two remaining alicorns as they had begun to turn towards me. Three shots each, alternating targets. The spell released and I was rewarded with the first alicorn turning to glowing red ash the second one lucked out with every shot scattering.

“YOU!” She bellowed as I swapped in a new power cell for the rifle.

“YES IT IS ME!” I responded before beginning to fire as she formed her magical arrows.

She was ignoring the mines. Good. Somewhat good. No that was actually bad. I had nowhere to go, if I went through the minefield she would possibly miss and set off one of the mines near me. If I didn't move, well I saw what those magical arrows did to the ceramic plates of combat armor. One direction to go then. I jumped and gave myself a telekinetic shove upward. She launched her arrows at me a moment too late, they passed below me and heated the metal siding of Steelhooves shack red where they hit. I gave another shove back and I landed on the roof as I began to line up my shot.

“You will not escape us this time you little pest! We hate you have wasted so much of our time. You WILL join unity!” She cried out as she sent more arrows at me.

What did she expect to do dump a bunch of dust into this unity? Okay if that worked that would be frightening. I hopped to the side, she had anticipated this as I felt a arrow pass between my legs and made me grateful to be a mare. Where the buck was Steelhooves!

“Your friend is away! There is no mighty Steel Ranger for you to hide behind today.”

Great, she can read minds.

“The Goddess knows all.”

Right, then what is that behind you? She turned her head and I hit S.A.T.S. The calm of S.A.T.S. and the fact that it essentially froze time meant she could not read my thoughts here. My problem now was she was too far away for my rifle. I didn't have anything else to shoot her with that would work. I saw the broken corpses of her allies. Why shoot when you can throw? I knew my actions now and killed S.A.T.S. Coming out of it I wrapped my magic around three spots of dirt where I knew mines where and quickly slung them at the alicorn.

“What do you think slinging dirt will do you when I can find you by your mind!”

Uh... that was a very bad thing if they could track me by my mind. The bloom of fire and the lack of a snarky arrogance filled comment in my head let me know my trick had done it for me. She was dead, or close to it. I leapt off the roof and floated my way over the minefield to where her body had fallen. I kicked it with a hoof to check she was dead and not some how hiding from my Eyes Forward Sparkle. Maybe I should have just fired my carbine into her from the roof as she wrapped my throat in magic and began to squeeze.

“We know every trick you can do, we know all, and we know you, Moonlight.”

Okay, she talked without moving her lips, she talked inside my friggin head. And she just addressed me by name. Creepiness factor was now very high. My vision began to narrow as my brain struggled with the lack of oxygen. I tried my best to kick at her. Damn lack of oxygen making this hard to think. I triggered S.A.T.S. She moved faster than I thought she could and was in my face when it came up, in my panic I backed out of S.A.T.S. as she slammed me into the ground sending the world spinning.

“We know all” She simply said.

“Well... Buck me...” I managed to eek out before darkness consumed me.

*                *                *

I was in Saint Clover, it was safe, calm, welcoming. I walked through its halls like a ghost, I recognized my family, some colts that I had once tried to be friends with, Shorthorn, Patches, Constable, and so many others. Then I felt a dark gloom flow over me as I remembered the slaver chasing me, haunting me. The fear in those last moments when he caught me.

I was now in Dune City, the wind was blowing my mane as I walked through it, going into the buildings I had before. I saw the mayor, the workers at that tavern, everypony at the school, the busy market square. Nopony acknowledged my passing. I saw Ruby and her carriage, I joined her on another trip to Oakmare.

In a blur of skewed time we were in Oakmare, I saw the bar, the music, the smell of alcohol and sex. I saw Aegis, his warehouse, the battle, the hydra, Helgrim, Astra, Bryn. I heard the plan for Seamane again. I felt the pain and the world faded with a laugh.

The laugh was sick and cruel. There was no mercy in it, no happiness. I felt pain that I had forgotten. Pain I wished to forget again. A door opened for me.

“Come, here nopony will ever hurt you again, and you can help all you know never feel pain again.” Came a soft gentle voice. “We will save the wasteland and make it a place we can live in.”

“What is the cost?” I whispered.

“There is none but a leap of faith into my arms.” Said the voice again the image of a light blue alicorn with a silver mane. “Come my child and join us.”

“No.” I said, “your price is too steep for me.”

The peaceful gentle alicorn turned vicious her mane turning black her coat fading to the point the blue was barely noticeable from the black of her coat. It reminded of how my coat was stained with the remains of ponies.

“You are the goddess, and you sided with Redeye. You sided with a monster who wants to force everypony to work until they die. The price of joining you is too high. I will not sell my soul for peace!” I felt light surround me as the forms of a familiar purple filly and a yellow filly formed by me. “Once my home is safe from Slate I am coming for you, for Redeye. I will see this world wiped clean of those who would use and abuse the ponies of Equestria. We have suffered enough and we will take back our world!”

“If We cannot convince you to join us, then WE SHALL FORCE YOU!” Screamed the alicorn.

“TRY!” I said and focused my magic.

Images of everypony I knew flashed around us, enslaved, being killed, suffering horrific crimes against their personhood. I closed my eyes for what little good it did. Even with them closed I still saw it all. This was all in my head. The rules don't matter.

“THIS IS MY MIND AND YOU ARE NOT WELCOME HERE!” I yelled unleashing my magic.

“YOU CANNOT BE FORCE US OU-” and just like that she was gone. My mind was quiet, the ghost images of the two ministry mares hugging me.

“Thank you,” I said to them, “I don't know how you are here, but, thank you.”

They both smiled, then the purple one said to me, “Moonlight, wake up you need to get going before she recovers from your defiance.”

I nodded closed my eyes and…

“How do I wake up?” I asked.

They gave me a shrug. Then I felt myself fall.

*                *                *

I was falling, oh this sensation is way too familiar. I wrapped myself in my magic as I did, I looked down and wished I hadn't. I gave myself a heavy shove away from the ground, but, I miscalculated my descent and was now going sideways. I hit the road and rolled, I felt something pop, another thing crack, and the wind in my lungs go out as something warm slide down to my muzzle out of my nose.

“That hurt...” I said as I lay on my side. I took stock of my surroundings. I wasn't certain where I was, the buildings here were tall and obscured my vision of any landmarks. I let out a deep breath and felt a sharp pain in my chest. That would probably be a rib either fractured or outright broken, yay, more things I needed somepony else to fix. All my weapons were gone, all that I had with me was my barding. Guessed the Goddess didn't want me to freeze during out trip to... wherever we had been going. I moved my left foreleg so I could see the screen of my pipbuck and pulled up the map and set a marker for Steelhooves shack.

'Aren't you forgetting something really important?' Came the voice of my mental image of Twilight Sparkle.

Right, the method of transportation I had been taking until it dropped me. I turned to see the green alicorn standing up in the fifth floor window of a near by office building. I smiled as adrenaline hit my system. The cold that had been sneaking in vanished.

I rolled to my feet and shouted at the top of my lungs. “I said the Ranger is a wanted mare!”

The alicorn turned her focus my way. I started to run towards Steelhooves shack. I just had to cover two miles on hoof, through the broken streets, with everything trying to kill me. Time for a walk in the park. I heard the alicorn, no, they were all the Goddess, it was her voice trying to creep into my mind again.

“She makes her way all across this land, seeing her sifting through the sand!”

I felt the heat of a magical arrow slam into the carriage next to me.

“So I'll tell you all the story,” another arrow slammed down around me as I changed my direction, “About the Ranger and the Thief of the night!”

I heard a frustrated shout in my mind coming from the Goddess as I continued to sing and dodge. The two ghosts in my mind singing along with me. I think she disliked I was drowning her out. I hoped it pissed her off, I would be upset if when I got to Steelhooves shack there wasn't a horde of alicorns behind me manes made of fire all wanting to kill me.

“Always laughing in the midst of power, always living in the final hour, there is always sweet in the sour!” I continued to sing at the top of my lungs, my body burning from horn to hoof as I used my magic to spin the rear of a carriage making another path as I rolled away. I heard the alicorn behind me scream in frustration as I continued to make a mockery of her aim.

“We are not goin' home!”

I gave myself a telekinetic kick and sailed through the broken windows of a skywagon as the arrows of magic smashed into it.

I tucked and rolled as I landed on the road and then popped up again as my hooves hit the pavement. “Can you see the Ranger flying over, as she's standing in the field of clover, watching out everyday?”

I turned at the intersection and started moving further north. “What you see well you might not know, you get the feelin' comin' after the glow, the vagabond is moving slow.”

I heard gunfire erupt from the buildings around me and saw more arrows of magic start raining down as I ran through a battle between raiders and alicorns.

“So I'll tell you all the story, 'bout the Ranger and the thief of the night!” I sung out as I passed by, the raiders stopped for a second then started shooting at me, so did the alicorns.

In the back of my mind I was laughing like crazy when I hit a lull in lyrics. “All the people that she see in the night, hold their dreams up to the light, the old beast is searching for sight!”

Now I was dodging a shower of arrows as the raiders stopped chasing after a group of alicorns had broken off to re-engage them. Still though I had a wing of alicorns on my tail and all of them wanting to kill me. Apparently the Goddess had forgotten the part about wanting to force me to join her Unity.

“I said the Ranger is a wanted mare, She makes her way all across the land, seeing her sifting through the sand!”

I broke past the last of the buildings and now had a clear shot towards Steelhooves shack. He was standing outside of it, several new turrets lit with power.

“Tell you the story 'bout the Ranger and the thief, I said, I'll tell you the story 'bout the Ranger of and the thief, I said, I'll tell you the story 'bout the Ranger and the thief of the night!” I sung as I leapt over the minefield assisted by my magic as Steelhooves and his new turrets opened up on the alicorns.

I  landed and rolled on the other side of the minefield smashing into the side of his shack. I lay there upside down and watched as the alicorns tried to break off and were absolutely destroyed by the heavy firepower. In their anger they hadn't put up their shields. I started laughing hysterically as my heart hammered, my body ached, my horn burned, and my body had a unholy deep itch running through it.

I lay there as Steelhooves looked at me. I figured behind his visor he was either smiling or looking at me like I was the craziest mare he had ever seen in his life. I was hoping that it was both. Because if I wasn't the craziest mare he had ever met then I was really worried about there being other ponies out there just as crazy as myself. I smiled up at him.

“Sorry, decided to go out for a run is all.” I giggled.

“You’re crazy.” He said with a chuckle.

“Yep, have to be for what I am planning on doing.” I said as I rolled over.

“And what is that?” He asked with that deep voice of his.

“First things first, I need your opinion. What would you make of a mare who stole several pipbucks from Steel Rangers and then gave them to a small town to help them survive? Oh and she kept one for herself since she always wanted one.” I said to him as I stood up, dusting myself off.

“One, she would have to be insane to attempt to steal from Steel Rangers. Two, she is a good mare for helping others, even if a bit greedy.” He said stood holding the door to his shack open for me. I simply nodded and entered.

“Good, I am going to take down Slate and his army of raiders before they can join Redeye. Then, I am going to do what I can to stop Redeye and these alicorns.” I said as I pulled on my saddlebags.

“A tall order for such a short mare.” He said, I giggled.

“I maybe a bit short, but, my horn is strong and my heart bleeds too much not to try to save Equestria.” I frowned. “I tend to bleed a lot in general.”

“You would make for a excellent Steel Ranger during the war.” He simply said as we left his shack.

“How would you know that? You weren't there.” I said with a snort.

“You're right, how could I know?” He said not moving.

I thought in the back of my head came forward, a slim possibility that I had tossed to the side as silly. I smiled.

“You know that stallion whose memory orb you gave me?” I said, getting a look from Steelhooves, it was hard to gauge expressions through power armor. “While she said that she made your armor to protect anypony else from dying needlessly I think she actually did it to protect him. And I think if he was still around he should consider the armor as a gift from her.”

“You think she loved him that much, even if he did the wrong thing?” He said as I approached the door.

“The only wrong thing is not trying to do better.” I said feeling a bit sage like, that was weird when did I start having wisdom? I certainly didn't have it a few minutes ago.

“Lets get you to Tenpony Tower before the blizzard moves in, this shack doesn't hold heat well enough for you to stay here.” He said and we moved out. I looked to the west and saw dark clouds rolling in as we began to walk to Tenpony Tower.

We had gone about half of the distance to Tenpony Tower when I felt something in my body snap. I looked at my right leg to see it horribly disjointed as I collapsed on the ground. My battered body was deciding now was when to fall apart. Steelhooves stopped as he heard my cry out while I set the bone and put a medical brace on it.

“It is fine Steelhooves, just need to get to a proper doctor. Nothing a few days of intense medical care can't handle.” I said with a smile on my face.

He helped me up, it was going to take a while longer to get to Tenpony, but, I had a honest Stallion with me. A flake of snow landed on my nose and I brushed it off, the first bit of rain or snow always hit me it seemed. I sighed as we finished climbing the stairs to the Celestia line and began walking down the rails. Steelhooves would head for Bucklyn Cross one I was inside. He would hang back making certain they let me in. I can see why Applejack liked him, he was a good pony even if he didn't think he was.

It took us another half hour to finally get in sight of the MAS Hub station. As I neared the station I saw within it various murals depicting Twilight Sparkle from various points in her life. Time had been kind to them, not uniformly so, but, in general they still looked in quite good shape. I looked over my shoulder to the west to get hit in the face with a strong wind and the terrifying sight of a wall of white headed at me. I gave Steelhooves a wave and pointed to the oncoming storm. He returned the gesture and began heading south.

“Yep, that is a blizzard and I need to move my tail now.” I said out loud before galloping towards the guard booth. It was an uneven pace with my broken leg and my injuries reminding me I was only a pony not a super hero.

Footnote: Level Up!

New Perk Added: Silent Gallop: How fast you move no longer factors into how much noise you make while sneaking around. However singing at the top of your lungs does. Try to keep that down will you, there are three of us in here now.

Chapter 13 - Winter Storms

Chapter 13 – Winter Storms

“Trust is something you earn by your actions, not through caps.”

“Yep, that is a blizzard and I need to move my tail now.” I said out loud before galloping towards the station.

Unfortunately the blizzard was faster than my hooves could carry me over the icy path. By the time I arrived I was caked from horn to hoof with snow and it felt like there was a few new inches of snow on the ground. I approached the doors that lead into the building to be greeted with a spotlight. Which in these conditions I could understand as I could barely see the door in front of me.

“What is your business here?” I heard someone say over an intercom.

“Getting out of the weather, trading some of my scavenged goods, and looking for my friend Ruby!” I shouted over the howl of the wind. I hadn't seen her carriage, which made me worried she wasn't here. But it might be parked somewhere else.

“Five hundred caps and all your ammo right here miss.” I heard something slide out as I began to fumble around and found a slot. I grumbled and tossed in the caps first then went to dumping the ammo into it. “Damn lady this is a ton of ammo, how do you carry all of it?!”

“I don't know! Name's Moonlight, and would you mind letting me in before I get frostbite!” I yelled back.

The response I got was the door opening which I rushed through. As I entered I had to tear off my clothing for both keeping myself from getting hypothermia as well as from throwing up on it. The sudden temperature change did not sit well with my body and I felt sick and dizzy. I thankfully found a trash bin and let go of trying to keep my stomach in check. When I was done I found the nearest bathroom and cleaned out the bin and washed out my mouth.

As I returned to the station I was awed at its beauty. I felt my face flush that the first thing I would remember about it was throwing up. I put my saddlebags back on as well as everything that had been under my coat except my armor. Both parts of my barding were soaked and would take time to dry. I sighed and realized that wouldn't be of use to me here and lay my barding across my back. I shook my wet mane trying to dry it off a bit more to no avail.

I moved further into Tenpony tower marveling at how well preserved it was. I followed the signs until I found where the traders were. I smiled as I heard the sound of many ponies talking, trading, exchanging caps. It felt good to be in the company of ponies who didn't want me dead or worse.

‘Ponies are not solitary creatures.’ I thought to myself. ‘We have been away for far too long.’ I looked around and found the pony who sold jewelry, my luck was with me as it didn't take long to find a local shop who specialized in it. ‘Time to do Dad proud and make a mint!’

The ponies here in Tenpony were hard to barter with, however, they also bought comparatively high and sold for far higher. I sold all of my jewelry except two gold rings. One was set with a diamond with sapphires, the other was set with emeralds and sapphires. I planned on giving one of them to Rose when I saw her next. Let her choose which one she wanted. For my trouble I now had a fortune of caps. Which anywhere else meant I could buy whatever I wanted. Here, well, here everything was much more expensive than it should be. So I stuck with buying the few small things I needed for making repairs. I made a few inquires around as to where to buy food and medical supplies. I was saving my money for those. That and after I remembered Homage's mention of a spa. That sounded absolutely lovely to me at the moment.

“Buck it, I am going to that spa and I am getting clean and relaxed.” I said aloud, getting a few stares for my language.

I started up a flight of stairs when my body decided to remind me of the fact that I was very messed up and getting pampered would not heal broken bones. I turned around and hunted down the towers clinic. It was run by a stallion named Helping Hoof.

“How are you even still walking?!” He cried after I had gotten out of my barding and removed the medical brace. “How did you manage to even bring in all that stuff with a leg in this shape!”

You know what, I couldn't do much better than this for a first impression. Awe at talent was a good start.

“I don't know, but, I also have gotten exposed to a very unhealthy dose of radiation, enervation, and goddesses knows what else in the past five days since getting to Manehattan.” I said wincing as he directed me to take a deep breath. “And being sick from nearly drowning.”

“Well, I am glad you knew to come get some proper medical care, you look like you have probably had every inch of coat cut open at some point and almost every bone broken. And what in Celestia’s good graces is this stuck in your coat?” He asked as he scraped off some of the remainder of Stable Twenty Three’s residents.

“Liquified pony remains, careful it might still be alive and try to kill you.” I said then had a shiver go down my spine remembering it lifting the stable door as I escaped.

He just looked at me trying to see if I was joking.

“Check my lungs when you open me up, there might still be more of it in there.” I said as he gave me a shot to knock me out while he did the hard work of fixing my broken and scarred body.

I woke up a few hours later, there was a fair bit of blood in the room I was in. For some reason I felt cold in my stomach and couldn't feel anything. I then felt something move in there and stopped moving. Oh I did not enjoy the feeling of this, or the fact that I was awake while cut open. I guessed my open eyes caught the attention of whoever had been working on me and they gave me another shot that mercifully put me under again.

When I awoke again I felt the familiar feeling of a clinic bed. Everything here smelled disinfected. Something I didn't mind after everything. I looked down at my stomach having to turn on my pipbucks lamp to see my stomach. There were a number of stitches and the edge of where I had been opened up, my coat was back to its normal color. I guess whatever they had cleaned the site of the incision with was enough to clean my coat. I laid back down as exhaustion hit me. I just wanted to sleep forever it felt like. I indulged in my bodies desire for sleep. Here I was safe, here I was getting help. Here there were ponies who didn't know me or care who I was. I was anonymous and safe. I smiled, safe, funny how long tell that stops being true?

‘Bah worry later, sleep now, Moonlight too tired to care now. So politely kiss my flank and let me rest worrying thoughts of mine.’ I thought to myself and closed my eyes.

*                *                *

I awoke in the morning feeling stiff, but, rested. I turned on my Eyes Forward Sparkle. I had turned it off as it was keeping me awake last night. Checking the time I found that it was actually afternoon and just that dark outside. I had slept for an entire day too. I looked around and saw a IV tube that had been keeping me feed as well as had a mix of a healing potion in it. Food plus that good feeling of magically being healed? Why hadn't someone made healing potion pudding yet? Right apocalypse kind of ruins innovation in culinary arts. Then again it kind of ruined all innovation as things had to be rediscovered or figure out how the hay to manufacture your custom or exceedingly rare parts.

“Ah you are finally awake. How did you sleep?” Doctor Helping Hoof asked as he approached me.

“I...” I thought about how I was feeling. “Like I need a bath very badly, maybe get pampered.”

“Ah, a full recovery is in the works then. Tell me are you going to go running off into the wasteland when I let you leave?” He asked me.

“Nope, food, water, visit a friend, see if some other friends are in town, and hit the spa. In roughly that order.” I said and stretched my right fore leg.

“Could I convince you to rest here tonight, and don't go to the spa until tomorrow. Take the elevators when you can as well. Key thing for today at least is to not strain yourself.” He said, he then raised an eyebrow, “and I don't think you want your guts to spill out all over the place from stretching your stomach either.”

I stopped right before I was about to do that. Yeah no, internal organs stay internal. That is a rule. Today I had a lot of rules being put down on me by somepony else, I didn't mind because I understood them all. If I was half the medical pony I had been teaching myself to be it would be rude to not follow his directions.

“As a fellow practitioner of medicine I agree with that, internal organs are just that internal.” I said with a smile on my face, it got me a chuckle.

“Very true Miss Moonlight, and I am happy to say you have no addictions that I can see. Also thanks to that chip you had with you I was able to do a lot more than I had thought I would be able to.” I raised an eyebrow at this, chip? Oh right the dog tag.

“Did you update the information on there? Patches would appreciate it if you have when I see him next time.” I asked, remembering the doctor from Saint Clover for the first time in ages.

“Oh yes, benefit of operating out of a old ministry hub we have all the gadgets.” He said, with a smile again.

“Alright how much do I owe you?” Time to see how big of a bill I have gotten.

“We’ll, lets go over that tomorrow, though from the size of your bag of caps I don't think it will be a issue, or be a dent in it.” He said with a grin, “I could make a mint off of you, but, I think getting charged with banditry would not be so good for the health of Tenpony.”

“Alright, what about my stuff?” I asked him.

“Take it with you, just because I won't take it doesn't mean others won't.” He said and then went to his office.

I rolled my eyes, new priority find friends and dump my stuff with theirs. I headed out and went to the various hotels for non citizens of Tenpony tower to stay at. None of them held Ruby or Rose. They weren't here... which meant one of two things. One they had never gotten here, which I hoped, or they had already left. Which would mean playing catch up, and I was losing time to them.

‘Shut up brain, we won't do any good worrying about that, lets find Homage instead she lives here after all.’ I commanded to myself.

 With that I began to look around the public areas of Tenpony. Then it struck me, she would be at the highest point of the building because of the MAS Emergency Broadcast System, I face hoofed then found a elevator and went to the top floor.

The top floor was amazing, it held a few doors and then a fountain that was host to a alicorn statue who had a gem on it spewing forth water. They had a Goddesses damned water talisman and were using it like this!

“Snobbish ponies...” I cursed under my breath. “Okay pipbuck where is her door, I got this far you tell me the rest of the way.” A marker just light up on a door and I went to it. “Thank you.”

I knocked a few times waited five minutes then turned on the DJ to see if he was doing the news. He was, it was about me and Steelhooves taking on the alicorns, as well as my silly run through half the town singing. He praised me for it, apparently he found the taunting of magical monstrosities funny. To be fair, it was really fun. When he was done I waited a few more minutes then knocked again. I heard noise of somepony moving to the door and took a few steps back.

“Who is it?” she stopped as her eyes fell on and realization plus recognizance hit her. “Moonlight?!”

“Hello, Homage.” I simply said with a smile.

“I can't believe it, you’re here!” She gave me a hug and I felt my neck and shoulders strain a bit. “I am glad you made it here alive, that storm was getting really bad, I can't see anything with the cameras since it rolled in.”

“So... can I come in?” I asked Homage.

“Oh! Yes you can, sorry, just was taking a break since the DJ doesn't need me until the storm clears.” She bayed me to enter with a hoof as she withdrew into her home.

I followed her closing her door behind me, locking it as I remembered hearing her unlocking it to answer the door a few minutes ago.

“No worries, though I have to ask a favor of you, can I dump my stuff on you while I stay another night at Helping Hoof's?” I asked as I walked up to the table in the apartment.

“No it is quite alright Moonlight, it is nice to be able to help somepony who helps others so freely.” She gave me a tired smile as she pulled out a few light snacks.

I ate greedily as I sat down at her table. She ignored it and instead started making tea. By the time I had finished eating a cup of steaming tea sat in front of me. I drank it and enjoyed the warm beverage wishing I had this after my little swim a few days ago.

“So, since you are here now mind telling me about your trip? It has been a bit hard to keep track of you. Still you gave me a shock when you turned on that last tower in that raider camp. I turned it on to see you give me a salute and jump off.” She said with a smile on her face as she took a sip of the tea.

With another blush I realized two things, one I had drank my entire cup of tea in one gulp, and two I had right after fixing a tower for her apparently threw myself off a tower to kill myself.

“Well, you remember how I have a thing for falling with style. And I figure you know what happened after I jumped.” I chuckled, realizing how absurd it was that I could fly with just my magic.

She nodded, “but, that isn't what I was asking about, what happened in that town that you flew over. Not the raider camp at the foot of the tower, the one with the dead hydra in it.”

“Ah, Oakmare. Yeah Me and Rose rolled into town the day before with the caravan we were with. We had been planning a two day stay, but, well first day ended with the raiders attacking and Red Eye's gryphons swooping in to 'save the day'.” I said wondering how much to fill her in on about Red Eye's ploy.

“Red Eye? That far South? He is really expanding his sphere of influence as fast as he can.” Homage said, a obvious disdain for him in her voice.

“Yeah, and he has plans of Seamane, since he doesn't have Steel Ranger to deal with out there as well as a Raider Lord in his pocket things are going to get bad soon.” I said with a sigh, hopefully winter was slowing everypony down and I would have the ability to make up for some lost time.

“Not that soon, looks like thanks to Oakmare not falling to the Raiders there is a bit of hitch in Red Eye's plans. Seen some firefights between the two.” Homage said before taking a sip of her own drink.

“That is good news, though I doubt it will last. He has a gryphon, Helgrim, who is working closely with Slate, the Raider Lord out there. It might just be a way for Slate and Redeye to get rid of some folks they don't want around. I saw Red Eye's operation in Fillydelphia, Bryn told me a little about him, and I overheard a few things too. Red Eye is anything, but, straightforward, or lacking in resolve. Helgrim is also all for deception.” I sighed again, more problems to worry about.

They could be playing for time to make the threat of either seem less making others underestimate them. Or maybe it was a ploy to make Red Eye's side look like they were trying to help.

I ruffled my mane in frustration. “This is giving me a headache, I am just running in circles in my head over it.”

“Then don't think about it until you get to Colt. Maybe just don't worry about it until you get the rest of the towers up. Do that and maybe somepony could keep an eye on them for when Red Eye and Slate make their move.” Homage said and I felt a hoof on my shoulder.

I smiled, “thanks Homage, that's , that is a good idea.” I leaned back in the chair. “I guess next thing I really should be worried about is finding Rose. Hopefully she put two and two together and knows I am your Ranger and is staying put knowing I will come to her soon.”

“Rose? You mentioned her a few times now, who is she?” Homage asked, pulling away a bit.

“Uh... she is my marefriend? I think at least...” I started thinking about Rose again. I knew I liked her for being pretty and found her more attractive for the fact that she seemed able to handle herself quite well. She called me her marefriend, but, I had felt the same romantic love that I had experienced before in a memory orb. So it must be true for me at least.

I turned to Homage who seemed to be waiting for me to say more, “I don't know, she is the first person I felt love for and she liked me too so we just sort of got together.”

She smiled, “guess Lonely Ranger isn't right then. You aren't that lonely, in fact from what I have seen you are very much not Lonely. You seem to be making a number of odd friends around the wasteland.”

“For every friend I make I make an entire faction want my hide.” I said flatly. It was just about to that point now wasn't it?

“Well, you are fighting for other ponies, fighting the fight that must be fought. You know fighting the good fight. You are bound to make somepony want you dead, it is the wasteland. No good deed goes unpunished.” She said with a odd grin, she knew I had a marefriend why was I getting a vibe that she didn't care.

“I guess, and it won't really stop me. First though I need to keep Seamane safe since that seems to be where Red Eye's gaze has fallen for now. Then I can worry about the rest of the world.” Yeah take on the whole world on my own, well not so much my own. I had at least one pony who I thought would go to Tartarus and back with me.

“So you want to save the world?” She said with an amused smile on her face.

“Aim for the moon, if you miss you are among the stars.” I said off hoof without thinking about it, then smiled.

“Well I will be rooting for you the whole time. Just don't forget about us ponies stuck on the ground while you walk on the moon.” We both broke out laughing, this is what I needed wasn't it. I needed a friend who I could talk to unconditionally.

“Homage, another favor to ask, can you find Rose? I want to know where she is so I can start heading for her.” I knew she had those cameras wherever a tower was, so it shouldn't be too hard.

“She is in Colt with Ruby and her group. They helped move a bunch of stuff up from Oakmare after the battle. Then winter hit.” She said.

Well, simple enough, just need to get to Colt. Which was over a mountain range, to the south, past Fillydelphia, Canterlot, Old Appleloosa, and the badlands…

“Well once Helping Hoof says I am free to go I know where I am going, headed down to New Appleloosa then south to Colt. Even if the train isn't running I can follow the tracks.” I saw a marker appear to the south on my E.F.S.

“You really willing to cross the mountains during winter for her?” Homage asked, “well I don't think you have anything to worry about then. You two are a good match, don't worry about why she loves you, just accept it. It is nice to be loved.”

I felt a note of sorrow hang in the air, I moved off my chair and hugged Homage. “It is also nice to have friends you can rely on.” I whispered into her ear.

She pushed me back a smile on her face again, “thank you Moonlight. Honestly I didn't expect you to be a smooth talker as well. Then again the times we have talked things have been a little more serious.”

“Yeah, and you don't mind if I stop in the towers from time to time to chat right? I will keep an ear open before pressing the transmit to studio button.”

“Just don't hit transmit all and mention DJ Pon3 is a mare, I don't want to have to explain that.”

I blinked, uh excuse me what?

“Excuse me, what?”

She began laughing as I sat there confused.

“Oh sorry, I forgot to mention that to you. I am DJ Pon3, the title is just passed down over time.” I looked at her and tilted my head, how did she pull off that deep of a voice? Magic, obviously she was a unicorn. If it was passed down then some equipment in the broadcasting room I guessed. “Enchanted Microphone.” Is all she said to explain it.

“Of course, still though surprising. Well then DJ, have you been recording this for my interview?” I asked, she laughed.

“No, so you are going to have to go record that with me in a bit. And we still have time to do so before it is a reasonable hour for you to return to Helping Hoof. Now then, I need to figure out a new title for you, my not so lonely ranger.” I started running ideas through my own head as Homage said her own.

A few hours and a few more cups of tea later as well as some muffins we had figured out a name.

“The Ranger of Seamane.” Homage said with a smile on her face.

“I like it, though that might just be my ego enjoying being stroked.” I said with a smile.

“Nothing wrong with getting stroked.” Homage said, I blushed hard as she did. She smiled back.

“No fair! I have a marefriend, stop teasing me! That is it I am calling you on owing me a trip to the spa tomorrow after I get my stitches out!” I said then stuck my tongue out.

This only accomplished Homage laughing more. This was insufferable and we had yet to do the interview.

“Fine, come on lets do your interview.” She said and then began to guide me to her studio, then I noticed what she was doing with her walking.

“Not bucking fair Homage!” I shouted and began to chase her the rest of the way as she giggled madly.

After I caught her, seriously she was agile for a pony who spent all her time cooped up in a tower, we did my interview. It went a bit more formally than earlier.

“And I do believe you have one last thing to say our intrepid Range of Seamane before we go.” Homage said with DJ Pon3's voice.

“Yes I do, White Rose, I am on my way to Colt. Sit tight, stay safe, I will be back in time for Hearths Warming Eve I promise this to you.” I said, I really couldn't wait to be in Rose's warm embrace again.

“And that was Moonlight, the Ranger of Seamane. So to all you folks listening between here and Colt keep an eye out for her, she is going to need a warm place to bunker down for the nights.”

Homage then set some music to playing and I let out a sigh. The interview had taken an hour and was a lot of talking. We retreated to Homage's home and had dinner. Once it was done she headed back up to the broadcast center leaving me alone. I cleaned up the dishes. It was the least I could do for her after all. I don't think she knew how much I now appreciated her for giving me something to listen to and for a voice in the wasteland during my admittedly lonely trip to the Equestrian Heartland. She also had promised if she ever found a song maker to have them make one about me no matter how things ended for me.

When she returned I thanked her again for letting me hang out with her for today and letting me dump my stuff on her. She shrugged it off and told me it was nice to get to meet one of the ponies out there fighting the good fight. She also thanked me for doing the dishes.

“Now if only I could get my toaster working. You don't happen to know any certified toaster repair ponies do you?” She said with a smile.

“Sadly that isn’t a skill I have. Honestly I never touched a toaster in my life. No bread to toast, no need for toasters.” I said with a shrug.

“Well darn, maybe some day...” Homage sighed.

With that I gave her a final hug and headed back to Helping Hoof's clinic. When I got there I found Helping Hoof and he gave me a physical.

“Well you didn't strain yourself too much today, I am glad to see you mostly listened to my advice.” He said as he grabbed me a blanket.

“Sorry, would have remembered if it hadn't been for Homage antagonizing me. But, if nothing is worse off for it I am glad to hear it.” I said as I pulled the scratchy, but, warm blanket over myself.

“Just take it easy tomorrow as well. We will see how you are after that as to when you can start your journey.”

“So you heard my interview then?” He nodded, “yeah, she means a lot to me, and every day I am away from Seamane I worry about it all falling apart.”

“Just focus on resting up, sooner you are all healed up the sooner you can get home.” He said, I gave him a nod as I lay my head against the pillow and drifted off to sleep.

*                *                *

‘Okay, brain, dreams are not meant for terrifying the ever living hay out of me.’ I chided at whatever part of me had decided to give me nightmares.

 I kept dreaming of arriving at Colt to find the place burned to the ground and Rose's skin pulled into the shape of her cutie mark. Or of getting to Saint Clover to find it washed with blood and decorated with impaled corpses. That or dreaming of freezing to death on the pass to Old Appleloosa.

‘Brain I get I am scared of what happens if I don't get there in time, or if the time it takes is too long. I know I am scared of failing my friends and family. Stop rubbing it in my face! Or at least don't do it when I am trying to rest, make me think about it while on the trail. When it matters. Not when I am laying in a clinic trying not to move too much when I wake up that the stitches come out and my guts go everywhere!’ I mentally shouted, berating the rogue part of my mind.

That seemed to calm my mind as I tried to go back to sleep. Then that deep itch began again. You torment me so body. What did I ever do to you to deserve this? I then swiftly remembered every stupid decision I had. Culminating in the venture into stable twenty three. Something about that place still stuck with me, beyond the stains in my coat that was the remains of its residents. The place had every right to stick in my mind, the place was something out of a nightmare. Hay, even now it felt like a dream thinking back to it. The place had been too surreal, too strange, even with the fact that there is a alicorn goddess hunting my hide. I flicked on my E.F.S. to check the time. There was still another four hours until I expected Helping Hoof to come check on me in the morning. I tried to get some more sleep. I ended up just laying there pushing every thought that came to mind trying to mimic sleep as much as I could.

A few hours later, like I predicted, Helping Hoof returned.

“How did you sleep?” He asked when he saw I was awake.

“Troubled, brain decided it was time to remind me of what could happen if I can't stop Red Eye or Slate.” I said still just laying there as he began my physical.

“So you worry about something that is logical to worry about, what of it?” He said as he tested to see how my ribs had healed.

“When I about something, it gets worse until it gets resolved. This has been building for weeks. It is just I haven't had any down time to let my mind wander that much. Or maybe not wander this much.”

“Well, besides a case of chronic heroics you are mentally healthy from what I have seen and heard.” He then ran something cold along my stomach which made me shiver. “If you ever wanted to we could talk about it.”

“So you are a doctor for mind and body?” I asked as he had me turn away and stay still.

“Somepony around here needs to keep the ponies around here healthy and sane. The caps don't hurt either.” He confessed.

I felt something loosen up on my stomach and I fought from throwing up at feeling.

“There you go, your body has healed up quite nicely. I would suggest taking the rest of the day in the spa like you planned. I think it will do you wonders emotionally.” He said as he handed me a slip of paper that was my receipt. I could cover it easily, just didn't like that it had so many digits. I paid him and went to the spa.

Maybe I would leave the day after tomorrow just to make certain I was completely healed up. Extra rest never hurt anypony right?

Homage spent most of the day with me. We both got a laugh when the spa ponies started arguing over what would be the best way to clean my coat. One wanted to just shave me completely, the other wanted to use an industrial solvent. I eventually broke it up and told them what Helping Hoof had used to clean my coat. It took them two hours of scrubbing that left me feeling raw. Homage had gotten off easy. Once they had cleaned me up they had then taken to the usual spa treatment. By the end I felt cleaner than I had in my life. I even got my mane and tail cut. No longer was it an unruly mess of long hair held together with bobby pins and kept out of my eyes by sheer willpower.

As we left Homage footed the bill, she refused to even let me see how much it costed. She insisted that she had plenty of caps to cover it. We left to go get lunch.

“Okay, that was the right idea. That really helped.” I said looking in a mirror that was at the entrance of the restaurant we were going to. It had been so long since I had seen myself. Before entering the spa I had decided to look at myself in a mirror again. My mane and tail had been tangled and clumped. There were patches of my coat that had grown back in their normal color instead of the black that everything else had been. Now, now I looked like another Tenpony Pony. I felt like somepony who belonged in prewar Canterlot.

“I am glad it helped, Moonlight.” Homage said, almost purring at me. Of course, now that I was clean and had a clean bill of health she would begin antagonizing me again.

“Stop that before I show you what a powerful telekinetic can do.” I said giving her a dangerous look.

Which was kind of defeated by the dress I was wearing. Or maybe it made it more intimidating. I had a hard time telling with the fancy clothing. It never made sense to me.

“Right this way, fillies.” Said the server pony who had come up while I had been looking myself over in the mirror.

We followed him and were given a nice little booth that looked out to the south though one of the massive intact windows that Tenpony supported. Though that was a bit of a moot point thanks to the heavy snow.

He left us with our menus.I stared at it and didn't have a clue really to order. Though I knew I was going to try the wine. It may not be as strong as Wild Pegasus, I felt that drinking a whole bottle of whiskey would get me some looks that I rather not have today. Today was supposed to be a break. Today was a day where I wouldn't have to worry about anything beyond looks.

After lunch we went back to Homage's home and she went back to work. I went to a bank of monitors and began to work the controls checking through the two towers I had managed to get online as well as around the rest of the network. Winter had settled on the wasteland, Seamane was no exception to this. Though I saw towards Dune City it was not as bad as it was around Oakmare and to the north of what I could see Colt. Eventually it had gotten late and we decided to eat in. There wasn't much to talk about, she asked me a few questions on small things about living in Dune City and Saint Clover. I asked her about her earlier life. She mentioned having in the past been working for the previous DJ Pon3 doing what I started doing, fixing a few towers, but, three decades ago a lot of them had been fixed by a group of six friends. I asked about them and got the story of Hoofington.

Six friends spent years trying to clean the place up only to make it worse. Eventually they had broken up and formed the various factions that now ruled it. The nastiest of the spats were between the Reapers and the Rangers. Then there was the Society and the Collegiate, of the two no love was lost on the Society, but, the Collegiate I did want to visit some day. A bunch of smart ponies working on doing things for the betterment of ponykind, even if not at a fast pace or directly through confrontations, it was something I wanted to see.

I bid Homage good night and took up residence on the sofa in her main room. I didn't have much to do tomorrow, a bit of bartering, mostly it was figuring out when I could head south without getting buried in snow. I would have to look at the cameras again tomorrow once I had all my supplies and figure out roughly the timing between storms. So far this winter was worse than any I remembered back in Saint Clover. Then again most of the snow would drop in the Badlands and around Colt instead of Seamane itself thanks to altitude. This winter though, everywhere seemed to be getting hit hard. I sighed as I slipped into unconsciousness.

They were not pleasant dreams. I woke to Homage shaking me awake.

“Moonlight! Finally you're awake!” Homage huffed out.

I uncurled myself and letting go of my tail from my mouth.

“Sorry, Homage.” I said in a rasp, “bad dreams, go back to sleep, I'll be fine.”

Worry showed clearly on her face as I lay there on the sofa.

“This isn't the first time it has happened to you, is it?” She said in her luscious voice.

“No, but, don't worry, I have things to read.” I replied in a quiet voice. She sat down next to me and put a hoof on my shoulder. She didn't say anything as the time slowly slipped by. I hated letting others see me being an emotional mess. I didn't like others worrying about me in that way.

Eventually the world gave way to a dreamless sleep.

I woke up feeling a weight on top of me. Homage had fallen asleep on top of me. She was heavenly. I looked around the room and saw it was still how it was when I fell asleep. No invisible ponies out to shoot me, not slime to eat me, no gryphons to mutilate me. My dreams had echoed the events that had hurt me the most. It wasn't out of terror the event though, it was out of fear of what happened if I had screwed up. I was glad I hadn't encountered a memory of any of the ponies right as they liquified in stable twenty three.

I started shaking thinking about it again. Thinking about that stable, thinking about how I had almost drown, how I almost died to radiation poisoning, how I almost got eaten several times by that slime, by just how close came to experiencing death by enervation, to being vaporized with the whole damned stable. I closed my eyes as my vision blurred and pushed my muzzle into the threadbare cushion of the sofa. My muffled sobbing and gasps for breath went unnoticed. I was glad that they did. I just needed to hold myself together long enough to get back on the road, back to the heroics. As sane as it would be to stay here and get help from Helping Hoof I had lives that counted on me whether they knew it or not. Or at least I believed their lives counted on me and that was all I needed. I needed something to need me so I had a point.

I felt Homage stir as I continued to wrestle for control of my own body from my emotions.

'Damn it Moonlight, you are a grown mare stop acting like a little filly! You have fought alicorns, slew swarms of zombie ponies, you have been above the clouds, and saw Celestia's sun TWICE! You are not weak, you are not helpless now pull yourself together!' My mental yelling myself down didn't do anything, but, make me cry harder.

Somehow the fact that I had survived this long made it even worse the thought of screwing up and dying, of failing those who I so selfishly felt relied on me.

'Come on get over yourself, the wasteland is tough on everypony. We just need to be tough enough to survive. That level of tough allowed for falling apart when you were safe, when the fighting was done for the day.'

My mental argument went on as Homage awoke and said nothing, just stroked my mane in a soothing manner. It helped more than I think she knew, slowly I pushed out the last of my feelings. Bottling them up hadn't done me any good, they just came back stronger. With a final sob I got the courage to open my eyes and look up at Homage. She was just smiling, she was a good mare, a good friend. She knew better to say anything. Or maybe she had just seen the wasteland break so many ponies that she felt this was all she could do. Maybe she knew how it felt to have something deep and dark eating at you. Nopony was without loss in these dark days of our world. I shuddered again as I pushed myself up and wiped my muzzle clean of tears and snot.

“Sorry for making a mess.” I said in a hoarse voice.

I received more strokes of my mane. I should have felt angry or frustrated at being treated like a filly, but, right now, it was what I needed. I don't know how long we just sat there, but, eventually she had to go put on a show for the rest of the wasteland. Life has to continue, it cannot stagnate, I had to move on too. Even if I couldn't move past what haunted me I had to continue to press on. I waited for Homage to return before I went to the cameras in the broadcast station. I was going to figure out what I could about the weather for the next few days.

Weather is really bucking confusing okay, I spent three hours trying to figure it out. All I knew from it was that in all likelihood I had three good days of travel time starting tomorrow before another wave of storms passed on through the wasteland. That or I had half a day. Again not certain, but, it is better than nothing. Homage hadn't bothered me while I worked. I left the station and returned to her apartment thing. Honestly I wasn't certain if I should call it apartment or home. I guess prewar it would be considered an apartment as it was a living space within a building that held more living spaces. Okay so apartment it was.

Returning I saw that she wasn't there. I frowned then shrugged it off. I noticed she had a good stock of food. My stomach growled letting me know why I had picked up on that. I had kind of skipped breakfast and it was a number of hours until lunch traditionally took place. I took the food that looked closest to spoiling and ate it. It probably was closer to actually being spoiled by the taste of it. I ate it anyways. Honestly if my stomach could handle meat and two century old preserved foodstuffs it should handle this. Once I was done I left a note for Homage and went out with my main saddlebags and started shopping. Top of the list was a chest plate to replace the destroyed one for my combat armor, then next on the list was food.

I was reminded again with how Tenpony was all about buying high and selling even higher. Even so I was able to knock off a few caps here and there. But, hay these ponies were stingier than anypony else I had ever had the pleasure of bartering with!

I got replacement parts for all of my guns though buying some rather low quality matching weapons, I got a bit of combat armor that was pretty much just the torso, the rest had been lost after 'one use'. The food front was also good, lots of preserved food that was light and easy to store. I also swung by Helping Hoof who I had check up on me and then purchased a fair bit of medical supplies. Mostly healing potions and Med-X to keep me going until I could properly heal myself. I also took a risk and bought a rocket launcher and some rockets for it. I also broke down my assault carbine for storage in my saddlebags. Buying rockets also had been tricky, I had to deal with security in order to buy any ammo.

Returning to Homage's apartment I found a small space on the floor and began working on maintaining all of my equipment. It felt therapeutic the simple order of taking apart the weapons running repair assist program. I spent a few hours doing it as well as stitching in patches for my barding. Honestly I doubted my leather armor would have gotten me this far with how much punishment I had been going through. Manehattan as well as Fillydelphia had been different beasts from the open plains that I had been used to. Urban combat was nasty, short, and frightening.

During my time out Homage had returned and I hadn't seen much of her beyond the grabbing of a snack and a few sideways glances as I had my face buried in the electronics of my laser rifle. We both had work to do, she had her duty as DJ Pon3 and I had my duty as a would be hero. We didn't bother each other until I had finished my repairs. It was then that I saw she had laid a plate of food down next to me. I checked the time, it was already past three in the morning. My horn and hooves were sore. I ate the now cold meal and hopped onto the sofa once I finished packing. Tomorrow I was headed out for New Appleloosa.

I slept well that night, no horrible dreams, no dreams I could remember. I woke up refreshed. I didn't put much stock in that it would last and just enjoyed that I had gotten the work I wanted done, done, and I had gotten a decent nights sleep. I woke up before Homage once again, this time I made a meal for us. By the time I finished a blurry eyed Homage walked into the dining room.

“Morning Homage, figured making you breakfast would be at least a bit of payback for letting me crash here. As well as falling apart in your hooves, sorry about that.” I said setting down the plates and mugs of tea for us.

“I, uh, thanks.” She said as she rubbed her eyes to clean out sleep in them.

We ate in quiet, though I could read from Homage she enjoyed the meal. It wasn't anything complex, it was just a few things that I had learned from Dad that tasted good together. Honestly cooking wasn't my thing, now grilling, that I knew how to do thanks to Sunset and Violet. I finished and washed my dishes then began to suit up.

“So you're going then?” Homage asked as she noticed the sound of my heavy saddlebags clanking against one another.

“Yes, the sooner the better. I want to at least make it out of Manehattan before the next wave of snow comes.” I said tightening the straps on the saddlebags.

“Well alright then, stay safe out there. I will keep an eye out for you. And be careful where you and Rose decide to do anything.” She said with a knowing look, I blushed furiously.

“I will burn this place down if you ever say anything about what happens between her and I on the radio.” I said pulling as much threat into my voice as I could, Homage just laughed. Seriously could I never be intimidating when I really wanted to?

I gave Homage a hug and I headed off. The elevator ride was quiet, the trip through security short, and the boxes upon boxes of ammo stored back onto my person. Watch out wasteland, the Ranger was back and more heavily armed and armored. With a smile on my face I walked out and followed the Celestia line to the first station then headed out on the path to New Appleloosa. Nothing peaked its head out or even took a pot shot at me as I headed out of the city.

The not getting shot at thing lasted for another five minutes as I walked past the suburbs of Manehattan. Some raiders decided I was a good target. I tested out my repaired weapons on them. Judging by the healthy sounds my guns made and the large amount of missing blood I figured I had done a good job maintaining my guns. I looted their bodies to find a few more grenades on them.

The next few hours passed without further event, I tuned into Homage, or rather DJ Pon3's station and listened to the music. He made an announcement that I had left Tenpony Tower and was headed back to Seamane. As well as he mentioned me obliteration of a raider nest along the way. My wiping them out was sold as a vested interest to even while on a tight schedule I would go out of my way to take care of threats to others. She didn't mention the fact that it had been right next to the road. Maybe it would give somepony the idea of not to shoot at the nice pony walking through knee deep snow to New Appleloosa.

The first night came and I was not anywhere near a habitable structure. I made do with my tent and sleeping bag. Several times in the night I was woken up, but, I never could tell what had woken me up. One thing I also learned was that sleeping in combat armor was not comfortable and lead to kinks in your neck. In the morning I unzipped the tent and saw a few more inches of snow on the ground. I used my magic to clear a path out and then broke down my tent and headed out. I had taken the time while in Tenpony to get tutored in a few useful spells. Right now the one I was most fond of was a modified candle lighting spell. This produced fire enough to heat the water in my bottles and canteen so it was no longer ice and drinkable. The spell however was hard to control and a few times I had to let go of it as to not let it literally explode in my face.

I heard the howl of wind as snow picked up and slapped against my new goggles. I had put my respirator back on as well. The bit of warmth that had been over the wasteland for the past few days had gone. Now it was beginning to snow again. Though it wasn't threatening to become a blizzard for now. I continued walking working on my shield spell as I did. I was getting better at making a bubble shield around myself, but, it was still very hard. I would manage to make it then a gust would cause it to fall apart. Apparently a bubble shield was just beyond what I could do, directional shields though I could do. I experimented with how wide I could make a direction shield. It wasn't much bigger than the length of myself. I decided to for now give my horn a work out and use the shield as a plow in the snow.

Another day had passed and night was falling. Once again I had to use my tent for shelter. My sleep was again broken up by something waking me up at night. I really didn't like that. But, it seemed my dreams were being more peaceful for now. One thing stops another thing starts it seemed like to me. I broke down my camp after spending a few minutes inside heating myself up for the day. A few times while walking I saw red bars and decided that I would just sneak by. It was for the best when I saw the camp that I had accidentally bumped into. My pipbuck usefully popped up with “Shattered Hoof Correctional Facility. I pulled up my map and saw I was a bit off course and east of where I wanted to be. Looking west I saw lights of another camp along where the road and tracks would be. With a sigh I skirted around the hills that surrounded Shattered Hoof.

The trip around Shattered Hoof took a long time. I lost two hours doing it, but, it was worth it not to have to deal with all the raiders. Twice I almost got spotted by a few patrolling raiders. My knife came in handy here. Quiet and deadly with my swift and equally silent movement took care of them before I had to worry. I buried them under the snow. If it had not been for my Eyes Forward Sparkle I probably would have blundered into them like they almost did with me.

To the north of Shattered Hoof I started back to the road while going south west. The snow had gotten deeper and I had to rely on my magic to clear a path for me. The wind was getting worse and the snow heavier as well as wetter. I stopped my walk earlier than I would have liked and set up my tent. The wet snow melted and ran down inside my barding against me sapping heat like made. Once inside the tent I pulled off off the chest plate and used the heat of the candle lighting spell to dry myself off. The warmth was nice against my chest. I heard the click of guns. Of course…

The tent flap opened and I saw a flamer poke into my tent. That was not a good thing. I tossed the candle lighting spell out the flap towards where the tanks of the flamer should be as I reattached my chest plate. I heard screaming as my spell had hit somepony instead of the fuel tanks. I grabbed my two pistols and with what I could see through the flap threw the snow outside in every direction as I charged out. I felt a few bullets bite into my flank as I did. They had begun shooting into my tent. I fired where the muzzle flashes were. I heard another cry of pain and turned to see a shadow form running up to me with some sort of spear. I fired more shots into them. They fell half buried in the snow. I felt something slide between the plates of my barding and into my stomach. I sickening feeling of my guts spilling out flashed into my mind as I fell from the blow as the attacker rolled me over.

He was a stallion, his coat was patchy where the skin was exposed there were boils of radiation exposure, elsewhere I saw blackened flesh. I fired both pistols below his jaw making his head explode into a shower of brains. I kicked him off and pulled out the knife with my teeth. Then a gout of flame washed over me. I screamed as I rolled in the snow trying to put it out. I felt a kick to my neck making my body spasm. They kicked again laughing. I flung snow up at them as I tried to scurry away. His response was another wave of fire, though, thankfully the snow managed to make it mostly steam which just seared me instead of burning. I hit S.A.T.S. and used my telekinesis to lash out at him. The earth pony fell as lines of red suddenly covered him and he bleed out.

I stood there for a moment looking around with E.F.S. for any more threats. There were none. I left their cooling bodies where they lay, I only took the flamer fuel. I returned to my tent to see it was in tatters and now useless to the elements. I grabbed my saddlebags and found two of my bottles had been shattered and noticed a few more bullet holes in the leather bags. I would inspect the extent of the damage to the rest of my belongings later, right now I got moving again towards New Appleloosa.

I didn't stop, I kept heating myself back up with the candle spell. I after nearly freezing to death I remembered ceramics like that of combat armor took a lot to heat up as well as cool down and started to heat the plates of it. It took a lot of focus so I focused on doing it on my chest. I knew I had probably heated it up too much with how badly I was sweating under it. It couldn't be helped though I needed to keep warm.

As I moved forward something ate at the back of my mind. Something about this direction seemed wrong. I kept moving for another few hours before settling down in a rather large tunnel. I guessed a train had a lot less issue with the trip than I did on hoof. Then again there was far more snow up here on the mountains than I had thought there would be. I had moved deeper in the tunnel and found a worker station. Picking through it I found that it had originally been both a station for dealing with any trouble in the tunnel and a guard post. I read through the papers finding evacuation plans, makeshift fallout shelter locations, supply caches.

I also read a report of the fall of Canterlot. A great shield had been erected after Manehattan had been hit. For the next few days the shield held and filled with a pink mist. Eventually the shield itself had fallen which meant that Luna and Celestia had died within the city. I felt myself slump reading the soldiers words. My entire life I had believed them dead, but, to read it, to read this stallions raw emotions off of this paper. It was hard to take in. I heard a creek behind me and I drew my pistols and rolled over to look at where I heard the sound come from. The door was a bit wider open than it had been. E.F.S. showed clear but I heard that roar again. I fired three rounds from each revolver into the opening of the door then slammed it shut as I reloaded the revolvers.

The silence just stretched on and I didn't hear the roar again. I turned back to the report. He had stayed put for a long time. When the shield itself broke a blast of pink cloud had broken out. The stuff was highly toxic. A friend of his had been liquefied and fused with where he had stood. The stallion who had written this had returned here to stand guard to let others know the dangers of Canterlot. That was until a group had come on in during the radioactive snow to attempt get supplies and rescue who they could from Canterlot. By the lack of notes they had passed while at the border of Canterlot. I moved the desks and filing cabinets against the door and lay down on the threadbare mattress that was still in the room. I was getting used to sleeping in combat armor.

When I awoke I felt off, looking around the room I saw ice particles floating in the air. I knew what was making me feel off, this cold. In the corners of the room I saw bits of ice having grown. I grabbed what loose paper and ruined books were in the room and pushed them into a trash barrel and set fire to it. I pumped my magic into it banishing the cold from the room. I let out a warm breath as my core warmed up. I warmed some of my water until it practically steamed and drank it. That warmed me up faster than the fire itself. I ate what could managed before I turned my attention to the barrier I had erected. I tore it down and opened it I slowly eyed the hall leading back to the tunnel. No blood, no corpses. I looked where my bullets had landed seeing they had shattered against the metal wall. I guessed nopony had been here and it was just my paranoia.

I gave a sigh and saw my breath freeze in the air and pulled my scarf and respirator on and began the journey back up the tracks. Slowly I saw a form grow ahead of me stretching out from the mountain side I drew closer until I could properly see it. I didn't make a noise as I stopped staring at the former capital of Equestria. The city had a pink fog close to the ground that got thicker towards the castle. I had taken the wrong set of tracks and ended up in Canterlot.

Now I stood looking at the ghost of the past. It had been protected from the balefire bombs that had destroyed almost every other city in equestria. Instead it was a ghost of the past, a lingering reminder of what was once the glory of a long dead nation. Also the city was a death trap. The cloud was horrific to one's health. I pulled up my pipbuck and checked my map. There was a train station that I could make my way to that had a line to Old Appleloosa, which if I remembered correctly would lead me past Ponyville and on to New Appleloosa. In order to get there I would have to cut through the city proper. Thankfully I wouldn't need to go near the palace itself.

Unfortunately I was now walking through the upper class residences and businesses. I didn't like the familiar images of skeletons resting around the place in positions mocking life. Every time I saw one I had a reminder of stable twenty three. The quiet of the capital did little to ease my nerves.

It took half an hour to encounter another living entity in the former capital. They were young dragons. I crept away from them before they noticed me. Anything that could live here was a serious threat to my life. I also didn't want my magic giving away my position. Before entering I had reread the entry on the ruins and had started using my shield to keep the pink cloud away from myself. It seemed water worked against the stuff so with this storm not much was left. Then I encountered something I had really hoped I was done with dealing with, alicorns.

They hadn't yet seen me as I started going down a different road to give them a wide birth. I heard whispers of their conversation. Something about a book, about Rarity, and unity. Unfortunately my attempts to avoid the alicorns bit me in the flank. This time I mean it as in it actually bit me in the flank. A mutated baby dragon had actually bitten me in the flank. I bit my tongue as I fired my revolvers into its head. The pink cloud had apparently weakened their scales, or maybe baby dragon scales weren't all that great at protecting. The twin gunshots from my revolvers drew attention to me as I bandaged the bleeding wound.

A alicorn sailed over me and began engaging the baby dragon ghouls. Two more spread out searching for me. The last two stood on roof tops keeping a look out. I decided that going down the allies would be the best idea as if I encountered anything I could rebound off the walls and over the threat. I felt myself get lifted into the air and then smashed into a wall. I turned my head as I came to rest on the ground to see a blue alicorn become visible. Teleportation, Invisibility, and Mind Reading. Oh how fun. I drew my revolvers and fired at her. Her shield absorbed the impact and I pushed myself to my feet. I shoved my revolvers back into their holsters on my chest and broke into a full gallop headed for the train station. From the sounds behind me the alicorns were caught in a fight against the natural inhabitants of Canterlot. I didn't stick around to watch the fight.

Pink Cloud I found smelled like metal. Which at the same time reminded me of blood. I also had started to feel the unfortunate effects of exposure to the cloud. When I ended up having to go through a thick chunk of it I pulled my magic around me keeping off of myself as best as possible. It helped a little, but, I was feeling lethargic by the end of the sprint down the pink cloud filled back alley. I drank a healing potion and waited as it did its thing. I heard that roar again, more distant than before, but, it did cause a bit of snow to fall from where it had landed on roof tops. With the strength of its roar I started to worry that maybe Canterlot had become home of a dragon. One that was not happy with visitors.

I walked into the train station only to hear a burst of static. At first I thought it was a spritebot that watcher had taken over. Then I felt myself start to die as I hacked and looked around my vision blurring with red. It was just like being in that intense enervation field again. I hacked and saw a speaker system with a green light glowing on it. I attempted to reach out with my magic only to scream in pain. It was like the sound was directly attacking my soul. I grabbed my revolver with my mouth as my gums began to bleed and hit S.A.T.S. I targeted the speaker and fired the remaining four armor piercing shots into it. The speaker popped and the static died out. I fished out a healing potion with my hoof as I wiped the blood out of my eyes as I cleaned my blood coated goggles. Canterlot was hell. Forget the mythological hell of Tartarus, this was fucking hell.

It took two healing potions to get me back on my feet. When I did finally get up I saw the forms of children. I recoiled as I saw them moving about. I pulled out my battle rifle and zoomed in on them. Each had a pink fluffy cloud on their flank. Their cutie marks were the cloud. I hated being here even more. Anything that had survived the end had been killed by the cloud or twisted into abominations. I crawled through the station avoiding where the pink cloud had pooled, in some cases quite literally pooled into a liquid. As such I finally found a map of the station and figured out the platform I needed. It was unfortunately past the cloud ghoul children. I shuddered, I was going to have to kill them. I didn't want to kill children, even if…

‘They aren't children, they are two hundred year old mutants corrupted by this place, Moonlight.’ I told myself as I sighted in the head of the first of the group of children.

 I still couldn't help but see them as innocent children even if I did see one of them kill a radroach by summoning pink cloud with her horn. I let out a breath and pulled the trigger. Her head exploded, the rest of the other unicorn foals screeched and began trying to figure out where the shot came from. I fired again and put a hole through her chest. I shifted to the next target and fired putting a round through her spine. Children were easy to kill, their bodies were frail, and being ghoul children meant it was easier to end their horrible lives. I put down a fifth when I heard a great unholy sound and saw the second foal I had shot rise once more. That was what a ghoul resurrecting looked and sounded like. The hair on my neck stood on end.

I slung the battle rifle back over myself and made a run for it tossing a grenade far to the other side of the station. I made it down the stairs from the office when it exploded. I heard nineteen unholy screams ring out and nineteen forms of foals rush to the sight. Thankfully the cloud had robbed them of their intelligence. I made it halfway across the station and almost onto my platform. I felt something smash into my side sending me skidding across the tile floor. I saw the horn of one of the ghoul foals glowing in pink as I felt my side start to burn. I looked to see where she had fired a bolt of magic made of concentrated pink cloud at me. I wrapped it in my magic and slung it at her.

I pushed myself up as the cloud obscured her from my sight and ran down the stairs to my platform. Here I saw a crashed train with the bodies of its passengers and drivers fused to various parts of it. I guessed it arrived after the shield fell and into the heart of the pink cloud. I rolled as I got to the bottom and broke out into a sprint towards the tunnel to leave out of the blighted capital. I felt another sharp pain and was sent skidding once more across the ground. I looked and saw again another solid bolt of pink cloud resting in my armor. I yanked it out and tossed it far off then I let myself draw upon my anger as I hit S.A.T.S. I focused my anger on the filly who kept shooting me with the bolts of pink cloud. I released S.A.T.S. and watched as she was engulfed in blue flame, she screamed out in terror and pain. A sound that was completely unaltered from her monstrous condition. I heard a filly burn to death in front of me.

Her death drew the others, her charred skeleton burnt into my mind along with her death cry. I ran as fast as I could out of Canterlot along the Canterlot Appleloosa line. I encountered more ghouls and bloodwings in the tunnels leading south east. I just continued running and shooting when I needed a gap. I didn't want to stop. I wanted to get as far away from that nightmare of a city as I could. I wanted to run away from the scream of that filly that I burned to death. I knew she was a monster and I freed her from an eternity of horror. It still didn't help that my mind continued to see her as a innocent filly that I just burned to death. I couldn't rationalize my way through it, all I could do is run from the site. I heard the dragon's roar again, this time closer and I felt the air temperature drop.

A few hours later it was midnight and I couldn't keep running. I stopped and curled up in a small cave by the rails. I hadn't seen a tunnel in hours and couldn't keep myself going forward. It wasn't warm, it wasn't dry, it wasn't comfortable. I slept there anyways. The snow and rocks around me were enough to hide me from anything passing by.

Waking up I felt colder than I had in a while. The only time I remember feeling colder was waking up after having almost drown. I heated my water and drank. It helped a little, but, in the end I had to leave and keep going.

It was two hours later that other parts of my body had woken up, I ate what I could as I walked. I took things a little slower today, things had leveled off considerably and from the marker on my pipbuck I should be nearing New Appleloosa. I kept myself warm with heating myself up from time to time with water and heating the plates of my armor. I was really impressed with how far my magic reserves had grown. I remember reading at one point that magic is like a muscle, the more you use it the stronger it gets. Still I did have limits and I could feel whatever necromantic effects I was under in Canterlot had sapped a good deal of my strength. Of course the Zebra's would have used something that would both kill you and drain your magic for taking out a city of mainly unicorns as well as the home of Luna and Celestia.

Footnote: 15% to next level.

Chapter 14 - The Spirit of Winter

Chapter 14 – The Spirits of Winter

“Make sense? Oh, what fun is there in making sense?” - Discord MLP:FiM Season 2 Ep1-2

After another day of travel I came to a series of farms. I went to one of the barns and found it long abandoned. I hunkered down in it and let myself fall asleep. The cold was sapping of energy and stacked with sleep deprivation that was seriously dangerous. Sleep was a welcome relief to the cold.

Waking up was a reminder of the cold. Opening my eyes I got a reminder of what it was to be scared horribly. A double barreled shotgun was in my face levitating in a ponies magic, my first instinct was bat it away. I found my legs were bound. Well this barn was obviously not so abandoned. I looked at the stallion holding the shotgun. He looked rather scared as well. Okay, so long as I am not stupid I could get out of this situation pretty easily.

“Don't move another inch, lady.” Came a rough voice from the Stallion. “I don't want to blow off yer head, but, I have to know what you be doing in my barn here.”

I tried to open my mouth and noticed that I was gagged. Of course I hadn't felt that with my face numb from the cold.

“Just answer with noddin' and shakin' yer head.” He said, I nodded.

“Are you here for my family?” He asked me seeming to tense. I shook my head.

“Are you going to New Appleloosa?” I nodded.

The silence held for a few minutes then he pulled the shotgun away from me. I lay my head back on the floor. He walked out leaving me bound. I tested the bindings on me limbs. I probably could get out if I wanted to. But, I didn't feel like getting two barrels of twelve gauge shotgun to the face or chest. I lay there for a few more minutes then the stallion returned. He cut my bounds keeping the shotgun trained on my head.

“There, yer free to go. Take yer stuff and get going. Don't let me catch you in my barn again.” He said, I nodded and walked out into the winter again.

The storm was definitely getting worse. I pulled out my scarf and wrapped it around my neck. With a prod of the shotgun I started walking, best not to make my unintentional host nervous. I noticed him dart into his house and I heard something slide. I didn't blame him. They probably heard me come in during the night with heavy loud thuds of my hoof steps and the clinking of my equipment. I wasn't really that quiet was I?

Without much further thought about it I pressed on focusing my energy on keeping myself warm with spells and keeping the snow cleared enough that I could walk. It was to my surprise when I saw New Appleloosa ahead of me. It was mostly a collection of train cars, cranes, and debris making a wall. I looked at the time and saw that I had some how managed to walk for a day and a half straight. I guess when things aren't trying to kill me time flies by. I walked up to what I assumed to be the gate as it was where the crane was connected to. I stood there waiting. That didn't last long, nopony was around, I figured they were all inside away from the cold and the storm that had rolled in. I wrapped myself in my magic, crouched, and then leapt.

I landed on the other side of the barrier with the barest hint of the crunch of snow under my hoof. I looked around for signs of life. My E.F.S. showed they were hidden in the buildings. I walked further in. Either security was really relaxed here or they thought the wall was enough. I moved around and eventually found what seemed to be a bar. I shrugged and walked in after first pulling off everything obscuring my face. Best not to walk in to a town that is locked down looking ready to wipe it out. As I entered I was greeted with a warm orange light and a warm rush of air. I made certain to move quickly to not let the heat out.

“Welcome to Turnpike Tavern, come on in and get a drink in you to shake out the cold.” Said a unicorn Stallion. I hopped up on a stool at the bar and fished out some caps.

“Whiskey?” I asked.

He smiled set a apple down then performed a spell on it. I blinked and was greeted with a bottle of apple whiskey.

“Ten caps.” He said, I gave him twelve, it was a neat trick.

I downed the whiskey and enjoyed the kick. It was no Wild Pegasus, but, it did the trick for tonight. As I drank I heard the DJ come on talking about the bad weather and precautions to take. One of them I felt being aimed at me which was don't lay down anywhere to sleep before making certain you are the only pony taking shelter there.

“So what is your story?” The unicorn stallion asked me with a warm smile.

I looked around and saw I was far from the only pony here, but, I was the only one alone. Figures…

“Making my way to Colt.” I simply said before taking another swig of the whiskey. The warmth felt nice against the cold that was lingering in me.

“Oh? Where from?” He pressed.

“Tenpony.” I suddenly didn't like where this was going.

“Oh? How was Shattered Hoof?” He asked.

I really didn't like this. “Cold reception, colder walk, very quiet. Better than Canterlot was.”

“Didn't see any friends while there?”

“No, I didn't. I don't know anypony there. Hay I don't know if it is raider or slaver.” I said with an exasperated sigh before drinking some more. It is hard to enjoy a good drink when ponies are interrogating you. I eyed him trying to gauge his intent.

“Well then, where are you staying?”

Ah buck me, “nowhere, I just came in a few minutes ago.” Well lets see how quickly this situation falls apart. I noticed everyponies attention was on me, my mane itched again with that unholy deep itch.

“And how did you do that? Somepony open the gate for you?” He asked, I felt somepony walk up behind me.

‘Was this going to turn into me drunkenly running for my life? No play it smart Moonlight.’

“I jumped it.” I simply said. Uh, I said smart right? Why did you say that. Oh come on I am not this stupid while drunk am I?

“You jumped it? The only pony I know of who can do something like that is Crane.” The pony behind me said. “So who are you?”

There was a long quiet, I heard the DJ talk again, mentioning me by my title. Then the interview started up. The quiet lasted longer as my brain figured out how to defuse this situation. Damn you alcohol for making me forget useful things!

“I am Moonlight, the Ranger of Seamane. Pleased to make your acquaintance. Sorry I love whiskey, but, it does make me frightfully stupid.” I said with a big grin on my face.

The recording of our interview started playing quietly in the background. One by one the ponies in the tavern turned back to their business.

“Alright then, so where are you staying?” the bartender asked again as I heard whoever was behind me walk off.

“Don't know, preferably not passed out on the floor.” I put down another twelve caps he supplied me with more whiskey which I drank greedily.

“Go visit Ditzy Doo, she is always open for charity cases.” He said.

“Thanks, I will, and what is your name?” I said as I chugged the rest of the Whiskey enjoying the burn. Something told me I really shouldn't be able to do that.

“Apple Whiskey.” He said with a great deal of cheer in his voice.

“Makes sense, thanks for the advice, you know anything about the weather? I wouldn't mind knowing if I am completely insane for going over the pass tomorrow.” I said as I stood, oh yeah, I am riding the wave of drunkenness like a master today.

“Maybe Ditzy can help you, or Calamity if he is in town.” He said with a shrug. I shrugged back and walked out into the cold. Ditzy Doo's wasn't hard to find, after all it had a nice sign talking about the wasteland survival guide written by the one and only Ditzy Doo. I knocked on the door and was greeted with the sight of a ghoul.

“Good evening Ditzy Doo, I was told you could help me with finding a bit of clear floor for me to pass out on.” I said, smooth miss drunken master.

She didn't say anything, instead she grabbed some sort of slab and started to write on it with her mouth. I tilted my head, why write, I can hear just fine, just drunk not deaf. She turned the board around it welcomed me in. I walked in closing the door behind me. This place was packed with stuff, the sign absolutely everything was very correct. I sat down as Ditzy Doo looked for something. She returned and set down a book with her slate.

“Do you have one of these?” I read allowed then looked at the book. It was a wasteland survival guide for the Equestrian Heartland. I blinked, I didn't really need it anymore did I? “No I don't but, I am going back to Seamane soon, I don't know if I am coming back.”

She tilted her head at me.

“I have a lot of things to do there, and to be honest I don't know if I will get through it alive.” I said quietly. “Sorry, rambling, alcohol makes me stupid. I will buy it, at very least it will be a nice book to add to my library.”

She smiled and gave me a squishy hug. The wet squishing sound made me freeze as well as the soggy flesh. Too much time around things wanting me dead was not helping.

“Ditzy Doo, mind showing me where I can lay down? I need to leave as soon as I can in the morning.” I said, she stepped back and took the book to the register and gave me the price tag. I ignored what it said and gave her five hundred caps. She wrote the guide to help others, I wasn't going to ignore that. She gave me a big smile and I noticed her odd eyes and wondered if that was the wastelands mark on her, I smiled back. She showed me a place to lay down and I set out my bedroll and laid down on it as I drank down water remembering what hangovers are.

When I woke up to the bell of the store ringing, it had become day and I had slept in. Of course the mute pegasus couldn't have woken me up. Kind of hard to wake somepony up when you are squishy and quiet. I looked around to see the offender who had rung the bell. It was a rust colored pegasus. He hadn't seen me yet, or he saw me before I noticed him and turned his attention to the ghoul. I eyed his black hat, it was rather stylish. He was coated in barding still to keep the winter out, though what I noticed was his battle saddle, it was clearly very well built and cared for. I stood up and began rolling up my bedroll. He noticed my movement and gave me a friendly smile and nod. I pulled out some food and ate while I watched the two do the dance of bartering. The stallion had a lot of random bits and pieces to the point I would swear he was the cause for half of the stock of this shop.

I turned my E.F.S. back on and checked the time. It was about nine in the morning, at least it wouldn't be so cold outside. I stood and stretched as I placed my bedroll on my back. I started towards the door after giving Ditzy a nod. I didn't want to interrupt her trading. I checked my revolvers and reloaded them as well before I stepped to go out the door.

“Whoa there partner, you headed out in this weather?” Said the stallion to me.

“Yes, unless you know when the storm will go away.” I retorted as I snapped my revolvers shut, that caught his eyes.

“Those five point five six millimeter revolvers?” He asked in that odd accent of his.

“Yes they are.” I said as I holstered them.

“You didn't happen to pick those up off of a gryphon, now did ya?” He asked, sounding accusatory.

“No, one I picked up off of a two century old suicide victim, the other I... I picked it up somewhere... I forget where. I know though it was from another pony trying to assassinate me.” I said looking at That gun in my chest holster.

“Well then, bit surprised seeing somepony else running around with a pistol with that much kick.” He said while tipping his hat back. “Now where you thinking on headed to?”

“Colt.” I replied looking back outside as it brightened a little with the snow slowing. Now would be a good time to go, I pushed open the door to go.

“Whoa Nelly! You certain about that? I mean not doubtin' your ability to walk the distance, but, if you ain't noticed it is winter.” He said pulling me back from the door. I heard a tint of worry in his voice.

“Yeah, it is, and it is a bad winter. But, I made a promise to my marefriend over the radio, and I am not going to break it.” I said turning to look him in the eyes.

“Ah shoot, ain't nothing I can say that will stop ya from goin' then is there?” He said, was he giving up that easily? No matter, I needed to go.

“Sorry mister-”

“Calamity” he interjected.

“Sorry, Calamity, but, unless you have a good reason that I shouldn't go I need to head out while the weather lets me open the door.” I stated as I started opening the door again.

“Just be careful, somethin' nasty is stirring up this weather.” He said with a serious voice as well as a serious look that didn't seem to quite fit him.

“Don't worry, the Ranger of Seamane won't die so easily.” I chuckled as I walked out into the storm.

Though the storm picked up three hours after I had left New Appleloosa it was still easy to keep my path straight. After all the rest of this trip would be following the railroad until I cleared the mountains and was in Old Appleloosa. Simple, but, time consuming. At first the trip was okay, however, the flat railway gave way to hills, and mountains. Not only the switchbacks were annoying to deal with from keeping track of the rails, but, there was also the strong winds and driving snow to deal with on the curves. I started having to move through tunnels on the train tracks. They were not enjoyable. Often they were homes of bloodwings, or ghouls, or corpses.

Even with the occasional firefight with things too stupid to leave me alone I was making good time. From what I understood it should only take a day maybe a day and a half to clear the pass between New Appleloosa and Old Appleloosa. I made this guess based off of it took roughly half a day to go between the two by pony pulled trains. Eventually I had to stop in a tunnel to get out of a nasty wave of snow and wind. While I sat there I read through more of the Overmare's logs from Stable Twenty Three. They had a standard set up in terms of stables beyond a new reactor that was to be easily taken apart and moved out of the stable for setting up a town. It was impressive how much work they had put into planning out the reconstruction of the world. With a sigh I closed the logs. They had a real good chance of making a community like Dune City or Saint Clover.

I poured power into the candle fire spell and watched as it grew and the heat from it slowly crept into me. There was nothing here I could burn so I had to keep my magic flowing into it. The more magic I pushed into it the more I noticed something strange. Not only could I command the shape, but, its color slowly took the color of my magic. I heard what sounded like the roar of a manticore. I had heard them a few times while in Manehattan, but, thankfully, never faced one. I didn't want to fight one now in this confined space. I killed my flame and felt the heat that I had recovered start to drain out of me. I drew deeper into the debris in the tunnel and kept a close eye on my E.F.S. I still saw nothing, no blue, no red. I waited for another five minutes then I darted out moving forward. I galloped following the tracks slogging through the snow.

I continued on until three in the afternoon, then I saw it, Old Appleloosa. I saw slave pins with tarps over them, there were a few ponies milling about around the various structures. Just like everywhere else in the winter, nopony wanted to be outside. Nopony unless they had a good reason that is. In this case it was to shoot at me. I dodged to the side when I saw the glint of light off of some ponies scope, the bullet landed in the snow next to me. I guessed it would have crippled my leg if it had hit, three oh eight round. I waved a hoof and no further shots rang out. I walked to the tower that held the pony who shot at me and waited to see if anypony would come visit. Nopony did. I guessed that the shot had been to see if I was a ghoul or not. Beyond that I guessed they assumed anypony walking into town was to mind their own business. A bitter chill ran through me and I headed to the local watering hole.

It was marked as a Saloon, I didn't catch its full name, though it didn’t really matter. Going in I saw that there was live entertainment on the stage. I didn't pay attention to the rather scandalously dressed mare doing some rather lewd things on stage. It was hard to not pay attention when she started moaning. I kept my eyes on the bar ordering drink after drink. The alcohol felt good, the warmth spreading through me as well as the warmth from the Saloon itself.

This town did a good job of everypony keeping to themselves. I wasn't pestered with annoying questions nor was I the center of unwanted attention. It was nice after the worrying reception I had in New Appleloosa. If I forgot about the slaves that were here this was a rather nice place.

I gave a rather long sigh as I finished the last drink I was going to have for the day and bought a couple bottles of whiskey for the road and a bottle of wine, apparently the only one they had sold in a few months. When I headed out I noticed a printed poster about me. Though with the change of my mane and tail as well as the general thinning out of my form it was rather wrong. I smiled as I left the saloon and headed back into the storm.

I had thought about staying the night in town, but, I was a day behind schedule and I was feeling particularly warm from the alcohol. I also should note again, alcohol does make me forget important things and make stupid choices. The only reason for this is how it messes with my ability to be perceptive about details, and to react swiftly. So it was little surprise to me when I found myself surrounded by slavers an hour later to anypony but my drunk self. They said nothing, I said nothing back at them. We stood there, two ahead of me and two behind me blocking my path.

They made the first move, the two behind me rushing up to try to put chains around my rear legs. I reared up and turned my head casting my fire spell in a arch. It was enough to make them back off. The two up front cocked their semi auto shotguns at me. I didn't move as I set my front legs back on the snow covered railroad ties. The two behind me where still hesitant to move closer after my little display of fire magic.

“Don't do this.” I said with a voice full of threat. “Go home, be family ponies.”

“Cunt, you are worth five thousand caps alive. I could have a family or two with that much.” Said the heaviest armed and armored pony, must be the leader of the band.

“Did you ever stop to think why I have such a bounty on my head?” I said and I heard a roar in the distance.

The four I heard shuffle a bit, the two behind me backing up more. I felt something coming, I don't know what it was or why I could sense it, but, I just felt something wrong moving our way.

“Leave now, something bad is coming. You don't want to be here when it gets here.” I said turning towards where the feeling was coming from. This made the four around me break out running towards Old Appleloosa. As they did the presence seemed to back off. Maybe whatever this thing was it feed off of conflict.

I went the next four days unmolested by anything, but, I noticed a group of figures following me a good ten minutes behind me. They stopped when I did, they moved when I did. I didn't like it, but, at the same time I felt that it was best not to look a gift monkey in the mouth in a situation like this.

Night had fallen of the fifth day. I was supposed to be in Colt by now, but, my getting side tracked in Canterlot had taken up too much time. Well not really side tracked, it was a accident that I had taken the wrong set of tracks and wound up in that hellish city. I drank one of the bottles of whiskey I had bought in Old Appleloosa, the warmth felt nice and reminded me of that night with Rose back in Dune City. I had high hopes that upon getting to Colt we could have a reenactment of that night. I smiled at the thought of it and felt my body start to react to the thoughts of that night.

“You're getting ahead of yourself, Moonlight. You still have to get there, best to not be a horny mess until after we get to the bedroom.” I bitterly stated aloud.

“We are not planning to take you to any bedroom tonight, Ranger of Seamane.” Came the booming voice of the Goddess.

“Oh for Luna's sake.” I said with an exasperated sigh. “Really, you are going to do this, tonight? It is Hearths Warming Eve, let me see my marefriend.”

“We will give you no such honor, you have spat in our eye too many times for any luxury to be given to you.” Came the Goddess again full of conceit and hate. Part of me was happy I had left such an impression on the annoying false deity.

“Too bad, would have not killed more of your bodies if you just walked away now.” I said as I began walking away again.

“You will not walk away from us! You will listen to US-” I heard a crunch and felt a crash behind me. I turned to see my E.F.S. completely red. The alicorn who was talking had been chopped in half by something. I started to run as I saw the remaining four's shields flare to life and a loud roar fill the air chilling the air.

Running I heard more crashes behind me and the ground shook again. Whatever it was that was fighting the alicorns it was big and it was angry. I saw the wing of a alicorn fly past me coated in ice. I kept running and took shelter in a nearby railway maintenance shack. I heard another roar in the distance and looked back down the railway to see more flashes of light as the battle continued.

There was a heavy fog around the area too and I felt a cold breeze blowing down to me. I shut the door and started to heat myself back up. After five minutes of warming up I heard another roar and a wall of the building shattered as a rock crashed through it. The cold immediately crept in with a vengeance as iced formed on every surface. I threw the door out open and began running. I turned to look behind me to see more alicorns engaged in battle with whatever was roaring.

I ran for a few more minutes then I encountered something that crept me out. I saw ice formations in the shape of ponies. I stood there eyeing them. E.F.S. was clear and I slowly walked into the formations. I heard something move with the sound of metal sliding over metal. I turned to see the ice formations had turned their heads and in some cases entire being at me.

“Oh, buck me.” I whispered and started to run.

As I did I lost traction and began to slide out of control and right into the legs of one of these ice pony statues. I groaned as I fought against the ice to stand up. When I did I saw the various ice ponies had drawn closer. I light a flame above my horn.

“Get back or I am going start melting you.” I threatened to the lifeless yet animated ice ponies.

I flash of memory reminded me of the ponies on the coast talking about ponies made of ice, I had dismissed it, I was very wrong. The formations moved towards me instead of away. I felt one touch my flank and cold immediately start to spread through me. I bucked it to only fine my hooves stuck inside of it after crunching a few centimeters of ice. I turned to see ice crawling down my now numb hind legs and ice spreading from where one had touched me on my flank.

I had no idea what they were or why they existed, it didn't matter either way I had to get away. I poured my magic into the flame above me. The heat began to wave over me and I watched the ice consuming me rear half slow. I knew I would lose my rear half if I didn't do this quickly. I pushed more power into my fire spell a layer of over glow on my horn appeared through my helmet. The heat washing over me more and I saw with great relief I had stopped the spreading of the ice.

Unfortunately during this time every ice pony that could had decided to attach itself to me I felt the ice start to spread over me again. I shut my eyes, and focused on the fire, imagining it growing as I fed every bit of my magic into it as I could. One thing I hadn't been practicing was how much magic at once I could do, and it showed. The slow trickle of magic feeding the flame wasn't fast enough to fight off the ice consuming me and draining my heat.

I woke up surrounded by re solidifying water, steam rose around me. I was panting hard, I had collapsed. I looked at the rails around me glowing faintly. I coughed and felt dizzy. There is a limit that unicorns had with their magic. Several limits. First was their magical reserves which could be built up with weeks of practice on spending as much of it as you could without burning out. The second was bandwidth of magical energy. Just like the first one could build it up with weeks of practice though there was no need to go to burn out. All that was needed was to push the amount of magical energy you pushed out with your spells little by little. Third was an absolute limit that no pony knew how to pass, there was a point where a pony's magic exceeded what their body could handle. In these cases either the magic would kill the pony, or some pony would have to step in and cut short their spell. Both were dangerous and could kill a unicorn. In this case my spell burned out before I burned out. It left me weakened and physically shaken.

I tried to stand, but, couldn't, thankfully where I was all the water had been annihilated. I shook myself and noticed bits of ash falling off of me. I felt positively warm, but, at the same time I felt drained. My horn felt like it was ringing, it also felt like it also had warped. Damn that was a weird feeling. My stomach agreed and I tore off my respirator gasping for air. Nothing came up but steam. Then I belched and felt fire come from my stomach. I noticed some smoke exit my mouth as my tongue burned. I blinked thinking for a moment, trying to make sense of this. Then I felt the cold seeping back in. Right, there was something horrifically deadly around here that is tearing alicorns apart. Time to get moving before it decides I am it's next meal figure out why I had just tasted fire later.

Moving down the track again I saw more of the ice ponies, they weren't looking towards me. Actually they seemed to be sliding away from me. That was another unnerving thing, they glided, no walking, just a slow quiet sliding. I pulled out my revolvers and started shooting at them. The rounds did a bit of damage to the icy equine forms. They turned and started to move slowly to surround me. I put the revolvers away, ice was strong and the revolvers didn't do enough. I swapped to the lever action shotgun and started pumping rounds into them. The pellets chipped at them, the craters on their forms leaked water that slowly froze on their features. I loaded three ought buck rounds and began pumping them into, that did less.

I hissed into the frozen wind as it grew to a howl. “Right... Ice is hard”

The wind had picked up, the snow blowing again as I heard another roar from behind me. I loaded magnum rounds and fired one off into the head of the nearest ice pony. It blew apart much to my satisfaction. I pulled out the pistols and my stock-less assault carbine loading armor piercing rounds. I opened up watching that armor piercing rounds slice through and shattering limbs, heads, and bodies of the ice ponies. I grinned and kept pulling the triggers of my guns letting loose with all my firepower.

I continued firing until the barrels of my guns were glowing a faint red, I had spent a huge chunk of my ammunition. I still had two unopened containers of five millimeter rounds for the assault carbine. The shattered remains of the ice ponies around me hadn't reformed yet. I let out a breath as I started running again reloading everything I had and loading my rocket launcher.

I felt something smash into my back just below my neck, I felt something crack, I wasn't certain if it was my bones or my armor. My face smashed into the ground and I skidded along the ice once more. I rolled groaning looking up to see frozen mockeries of pegasi. I glared up at them.

“You have to be fucking kidding me!” I shouted as I rolled and dodged a diving ice pony and tossed a fire spell into its path.

I watched as it melted and splashed on the ground where I had last been laying. I felt my horn burn from that, burn both from heat and the threat of burnout. I had pushed too much magical energy at once with it. Damn it I needed to work on that when I had some down time. A smile flashed over my muzzle when the hay did I get down time? Wasn't it always one string of events after another that required me to be at full strength at all times? Yeah it was, well time to skirt danger and death. Tonight I had a date to keep and I was not going to break that.

I fired two bursts into the air at the flying ice ponies shattering them. One part I was worried about was there was no way to tell if my attacks actually damaged these things beyond their physical forms. What I would give for a ripper, or a power hoof, hay one of them fancy zebra officer swords would be lovely right about now. As it was I just did what I could with my carbine and revolvers, saving my shotgun for when they got thicker. The ice ponies had learned to keep further away for the threat of my lever action shotgun could tear them apart. I eventually realized they were waiting for me to run out of ammo before another amassed attack. They saw what I could do and wanted to stay back. I started running away, if I wasn't actually reducing their numbers than I had to escape. If I was actually reducing their numbers they would be wary to follow. I could catch a break and rest letting my horn relax and my magical pathways recover.

Except, I couldn't keep running. If I did keep going I would run into Colt with an army of frozen ponies on my tail that would kill every pony in town. So that was it huh? So how do we take care of them? I heard a gunshot and saw another ice pony shatter I turned to see a familiar mare. She was not the one I had expected to see.

“Ruby?! Why the fuck are you out here! You fucking idiot get back to Colt before what the everloving fuck is out here kills you!” I shouted at her. The smile on her face vanishing as I opened up on a few more ice ponies before rushing up to her.

“What in the name of Celestia are you fighting?!” She cried out firing another shot from her forty four revolver.

“Ice ponies!” I shouted over the rattle of my rifle. “Honestly I don't know why they are, they just are!”

We heard the roar echo out across the valley. Ruby turned to me fear clearly in her eyes.

“Don't know what that is either, think it might be a dragon.” I said, she gulped. “What, it is busy fighting the Goddess' alicorns, no need to worry about it at the moment.”

She simply looked more dumbfounded. Had I some how gotten to experience things that she had never seen or imagined? Reminder Moonlight, you had sentient goo try to eat you about a week ago, yeah your experiences have been a bit on the unique side of things. Wait, if the dragon was here maybe it was tied to the ice ponies. SO just kill him and they would go away. If not, wait did I honestly just so off offhandedly say that I was going to kill a dragon on the off chance it is causing this? Moonlight you are not that awesome, it is a FUCKING DRAGON!

Ruby had been cowering away from the unholy things that we were fighting. I continued firing at them with impunity, they were nothing but a pest at the moment. Without them diving at me or getting close enough to get their icy grip on me I was fine.

“Moonlight, what the fuck do we do here. Is that honestly a dragon?!” She cried out as a ice blue glow emerged from the fog. The thing was outlined by electric blue white lines. It was equine in nature as it roared. I saw a alicorn drop from the sky coated in ice and shatter upon hitting the ground.

“No, that isn't a dragon, and honestly I don't know the fuck what it is.” I said finding myself shaking.

Ruby was long gone when I turned to look at her. The magical equine was floating above the battlefield as more of the ice ponies showed up. I fired a few rounds up into it to watch as they did nothing to it.

“Well... Buck me, guns did nothing to it.” I sighed as a wave of ice ponies came at me, I sprayed rounds into them watching them shatter.

The equine whinnied almost in delight. I ran to the north while it did. I got about five seconds of movement before it began to chase after with its army of ice ponies.

“That is right, follow me you fucking ice MONSTER!” I called out over the snowy silence.

I was too close to Colt to head towards it. I was not leading this thing to more ponies. I was going to lead it away or kill it. I really hoped I figured out a way to do the second because I did not feel like becoming a pony popsicle tonight.

From time to time I gained enough ground that I could turn and fire a few rounds behind me. Whenever I did I saw a horrifying grin on the face of the monster chasing me. The thing delighted in this, maybe it delighted in causing terror in a ponies heart. I fired a few more rounds into it and watched it knicker at my futile attempts to harm it.

“Yep still no idea of how to kill the damn thing.” I sighed to the winter night.

I did notice that it seemed to be running short on its army. That was a relief though I figured once I was through with them I would be dealing directly with a enemy that I had no way to hurt.

I turned my head around and saw that I was running into the face of a cliff. I didn't stop in time and ran into it. Time felt messy for the bit that it took for me to sort myself out and got upright again. Now I was surrounded by a wall of ice.

‘I’m caged, great.’ I thought to myself. I sighed. “Well maybe being a pony popsicle wouldn't be so bad…”

I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself. Adrenaline made my body want to run, my brain wanted me to think and figure out what to do next, my horn wanted to invert itself and kill me. I kept breathing deeply as the thing fucking laughed at me. This was not a good thing. I needed something besides bullets or rockets. I threw a fire spell at it, the way it reacted was good, well good for me not it. I smiled and did it again and felt my head explode in pain. I fell over disorientated from a bright flash as my horn burned again. I looked up and saw the metal of the helmet had warped and ripped open around my horn. My horn itself had warped and curved slightly, the bands on it had faded only showing slightly by the base. It was glowing a faint red like heated metal. The steam hissing off of it told me what I needed to know. I was about to burn out and I still needed to kill this thing.

The thing above me had retreated and my ice cage had shattered. I leapt the boundaries and started east. I was well to the north of Colt at the moment. I knew I needed shelter, I needed to let my horn recover again. But, every second I was recovering that thing could find Colt and attack it, it also was probably recovering. My luck seemed to be in my favor tonight as I found a raider camp. The bullet that ripped off the remains of my helmet told me my luck was still my luck. I pulled out my lever action shotgun and assault carbine. Time to be quick and efficient, and I was. Half frozen, half starved raiders were easy to kill. I went to looting the camp as quickly as I could with my hooves. I found a shotgun sawed-off shotgun and a number of Dragon's Breath rounds. Fire, fire was my best friend this winter.

I carried the poor condition shotgun in my mouth. At some point I would really need to get myself a better twelve gauge shotgun. The fact that there were both fire spewing rounds and flechette round for it was quite exciting in ways that it shouldn't be. I laid down near the only fire in the camp and examined the remains of my helmet. The horn protector had melted and torn. The rest of the helmet had been pulled apart by a bullet. There was no salvaging the thing. It had done its job for long enough and saved my life and my horn for a long time. I placed it in my saddlebags, it had earned a well deserved rest since the day I got it in Saint Clover.

I checked the time after I ate and recovered a bit. It was now eight in the evening. I had four hours before midnight, and if it did get that late my body would probably be wanting to make me pass out. Sleeping in this situation was not an option as much as I hated it. I fished out one of the chems I had. No-doze, it was pretty much just a pill of caffeine, I took two. A few minutes after downing them my body reacted to them. I felt every bit of exhaustion to seep away from my thoughts. I checked what other chems I had. I had a few inhalers of Dash, something called Stampede, and lastly was a tin of Mint-Al's. I put all, but, the Dash away. Dash was meant to make you go faster, subjectively the world slowed, to everypony else you accelerated.

I rubbed a hoof on my horn. It was still warm, but, it wasn't feeling like it was going to melt into my skull and boil my brain in liquid bone. Okay, lets make a plan. It didn't like fire, it commanded ice. So I needed more fire. I shifted slightly and felt the flamer fuel containers in my saddlebags shift. Okay so I have a source a fair bit of fire, and, while what I was fighting was intelligent it probably didn't know what was in it. Now though I needed to rest some more. So far I hadn't heard its roar again and the air hadn't had any dramatic cooling.

I saw red bars start to appear on my E.F.S. and I drew my revolvers again and moved away from the light of the fire. I saw them, more raiders returning to the camp. They had a few captives with them. Just shackles on them, no bomb collars. Good I could take care of the raiders and free the captives. While Colt wasn't the best place it was closest. I let the raiders move into the camp, then I saw them.

“Fuck, more ice ponies” I whispered to myself a little too loudly.

“Who the fuck said that!” I heard one of the bucks call out.

Well shit, time for a two front battle. I fired the first round at the closest raider not aiming to hit him. I was going to lead them away from the captives first. The shot gave away my position and I heard a shotgun discharge. It wasn't at me, they just killed one of the captives. For Celestia's sake.

“Damn it Slug don't shoot the meat!” Cried out one of the raiders. I took aim for the one who had fired at the captives and hit S.A.T.S. and fired two rounds into his flank. The bullets passed through him making him cry out in pain. It was not a mortal injury as my pistols still were loaded with armor piercing rounds to use against the ice ponies. He dropped his shotgun and I moved off towards where the ice ponies were. As I did the raiders completely forgot about the captives and chased after me.

“Get back here you bitch!” One of them cried out to me.

“Oh fuck they have back up!” Said another one as the ice ponies glided into their view.

Goddesses that will never not be creepy as fuck. I jumped over one as it reached for me and fired point blank with my shotgun that I had rigged under my coat so its flaps hid it from view.

The slug shattered it.

“The fuck are those things!” Cried another as they shot it with a ten millimeter pistol. The ice pony responded with backing off slightly as the other undamaged ones advanced.

While the bulk of the ice ponies focused on the raiders I had another issue, I had landed amidst a pack of them and was now having to pour out shot after shot to keep them back. I heard the cry of some pony in agony and while backing out the path through the shattered remains I of ice ponies saw one of the raiders head get consumed in ice. They were learning, shit. I drew the rocket launcher and fired it into the patch nearing the rest of the raiders who were fighting in a tight knot. Smart, combining your fields of fire. The explosion of the rocket shattered the thicket of amassed ice ponies and shook the raiders.

I felt cold seep through me as well as pain as something hit me in my ribs. I turned to see a lance of ice pinning me to the ground going through my left side and my lung. Fuck. I turned to see the return of the ice spirit as more lances of ice floated about it. I lashed out with my fire spell freeing me from the ice pinning me. I winced as my horn obeyed my command but reminded me of its situation. I then let my spell fail and pulled up my shield and began retreating towards the raiders. I would use them as cannon fodder. Except that wasn't happening. Upon seeing my course it speared all the other living ponies on the field. Dead, that fast.

“Okay fine, lets do this you spirit of winter.” I shouted as I pulled out the flamer fuel canisters and chucked one with my magic at the spirit.

As it reached it the thing began to laugh once more, then I slipped into S.A.T.S. and fired a round right into the canister and watched it explode. The spirit made a hasty retreat from the flames. The ice ponies around me started to glide at me and I opened up with the lever action shotgun. I cursed as I realized there were too many. I yanked out the double barreled shotgun and fired two dragon's breath rounds into the crowd. The ice ponies cracked and melted where the flames hit them. I reloaded the carbine and began firing into them.

The sound of creaking ice filled the night air. More were coming to the camp now. I was surrounded. I had managed to free the two remaining captives and get them well on their way before the ice ponies returned. Now I was running low on ammo, all of my guns were getting close to failing beyond the rocket launcher I had. I couldn't take the time to repair them as whenever I did break out a kit to work on one of my guns a wave of ice ponies would charge. They were wearing me down. They were winning. I had taken another dose of No-Doze, it wasn't as effective this time. Soon either my guns would break or I would fall asleep. Both cases would lead to my death.

I glowered as I saw the return of the ice spirit. The thing kept in the distance, just close enough for me to see its electric blue outline. It wasn't taking any chances, but, I had hurt it and it was not going to let me live for that. I gave a long loud sigh as I stood up. The ice ponies around me I saw turn into a barrier sealing me into the raider camp with a fifteen foot tall wall of solid ice. I imagined I probably could crack through it with a rocket or two. The ice spirit drew closer as I finished sorting my inventory to lay the canisters of fuel at the top of my saddlebags. It stopped outside of the wall of the ice barrier. It stomped its hooves on the ground and I watched as ice spread out towards me. I jumped over the oncoming ice as the entire camp was frozen over. Even the fire was killed. Darkness flooded our arena. It whinnied again and I turned on my monocular. The air had gotten too cold for snow to fall anymore and now as thick icy fog was hanging over the whole place.

I kept E.F.S. up and saw the blotch of red that symbolized the spirit move to my left, I turned as fast as I could and found myself sliding on the ice. It had turned the ground to ice not only as a gambit to catch me if I was tired enough, but, to give it a tactical advantage of making it harder for me to move. I hate fighting clever enemies. Maybe I didn't hate them, more of I disliked the prospect of a fight I could lose. But, then again every fight one could easily lose through bad luck.

I gave a laugh. “you can't have it both ways Moonlight, get used to things not always being completely in your favor.”

I saw the spirit emerge from the fog and smash its fore hooves into the ice. A line of spikes started to rise from where it hit going directly at where I was standing. I rolled to the side and slide further out of the path of the spikes. They remained in place blocking off a third of the arena. Great, I was losing ground for my fight. I fired my lever action shotgun at the ice spikes and watched as a narrow passage opened up for me. Better than nothing. I turned my head as I heard a unearthly roar. I saw what only could be described as a massive snow ball being flung at me from the things mouth.

I rolled away again and tossed a canister at it firing as it reached it's muzzle. The explosion sent it reeling away again with screams of pain. The snowball impacted the ground where I had been standing and I felt a wave of cold press over me. I tried to move and saw a thin layer of ice had formed around me. I struggled as the ice melted from my body heat, the cracks grew larger until I managed to escape my icy prison. As I stood back up breathing hard I saw my foe had returned this time with an array of floating ice surrounding it. I would have to break its defenses before another canister could get close enough to hurt it.

I continued to dodge its attacks, again and again firing off rounds from my revolvers trying to break open a hole in it's defense. Unfortunately it regenerated them before I could get a hole big enough to toss a canister in through. I also was getting badly cut on my face where my goggles had shattered once again and my respirator had been torn off. Thankfully the scarf had protected my throat from any major lacerations. I drank down a healing potion as the spirit moved off again to reform it's shield. Then I felt a sharp wind pick up behind me and begun to turn to see it had forgone its defensive barrier.

The wind was strong enough that I was sliding across the arena. I tried to move against it, but, barring the use of my feeble magical reserves I couldn't fight it. I turned to see that it was pushing me rapidly into a wall of newly formed ice spikes on the wall of our arena. So that was the plan, impale me. I turned and pulled out the rocket launcher as I tossed three fuel containers at it they arched over the cone of wind that it was blowing at me and I hit S.A.T.S. and took aim for them with the rocket launcher. I fired and watched as the rocket fought the winds and struck one of the containers. The ensuing explosion sent the spirit toppling to the ground.

Unfortunately I couldn't deal the final blow as it landed outside of our little arena and I still had the issue of I was sliding towards the wall of ice spikes. I turned around and fired another rocket into the wall. The spikes shattered, the wall held, I was knocked on my ass from firing it while holding it in my mouth. I knew these things were meant for battle saddles, but, I hadn't had the time to rig one like I had for my shotgun. I got to my hooves and saw the spirit rise, it wasn't bleeding, but, it looked hurt from the fact that it looked like electric blue snowflakes rose off of where what appeared to be wounds were. I grinned as my own wounds closed up, I can kill it then.

It stomped hard on the ice and the entire floor began to become spikes of ice. I pushed myself off the ice and fired straight down with the rocket launcher, this time making certain to have a good hold of it in my magic and mouth. The rocket streaked down and hit the ice. But, that wasn't my real target, I flipped through the air and pushed all my remaining magic into one fire spell after letting go of myself from the telekinetic field I had used to send myself at the ice spirit. I felt something cold smash into my side hitting one of the ceramic plates of my armor. I felt the impact, but, the plate did not chill quickly. I let loose the fire spell and watched as the ice spirit was torn apart.

I landed in the snow some distance away after flipping end over end. I hadn't really put much effort into stabilizing my jump. As such I got a nice face full of snow. I pulled myself out of the snow bank I had landed it and sat on my haunches as I watched the spirit of winter's body disintegrate into motes of electric blue light and fade away. I heard snow crunch next to me and turned to see Ruby, her face was agape at the sight. She just stood there as we watched the lights one by one fade out of existence. I finally felt like standing again and pushed myself to my hooves.

“Hey Ruby.” I simply said as I touched my horn and pulled my hoof away immediately as I felt the coat around my hoof singe.

“Moonlight, what in names of the princesses just happened.” She asked still standing there though now with her mouth closed.

“I killed the spirit of winter. Or whatever the hell that thing was properly called.” I simply said as I stretched my very aching and brutalized body.

“You are one hell of a mare you know that?” She said finally having broken out of her stupor as she took me in and regarded me in a new light.

“I am starting to get the impression that I am.” I said with a smile as I slung the rocket launcher back against my sleeping bag.

“Come on, Rose is waiting for you. Think after that you deserve a good break.” Ruby said with a knowing look in her eye.

“I don't think that quiet counts as a break, but, it is better than the past... goddesses how long has it been since Oakmare?” I asked as we turned heading south east.

We encountered no further ice ponies and from how the arena had shattered once the last motes of light had vanished I figured they had been tied to whatever it was I had killed. After a few minutes of walking in silence my curiosity returned to me and I turned to Ruby.

“So what happened after Oakmare?” I asked her as we continued to walk through a valley.

“Well after you vanished Rose was out of all sorts. Aegis had his suspicions about the gryphons and was able to convince her that you were still alive. After that we started getting ready to head up to Colt when he offered us a mighty hefty contract to help him move up to Colt.” She shook some snow from her mane. “We took it and a lot of others came with us, hell of a caravan.”

I nodded, “So why didn't you guys head north afterwards?” I asked.

“Well there were a few reasons why. First, winter was coming, and we had started to get the first snows in the mountains. New Appleloosa doesn't like to run trains once the snow starts coming down. Second, most of my guards are good friends of Aegis and had requested leave while they helped him set up shop in Colt. Third, had to go visit Dad.”

I was confused on that last one, she took notice of my obvious confusion. Guess I wasn't used to being around anypony anymore, so I just wore every emotion on my sleeve.

“Things been stirring up while you were away in the north, and you are particularly to blame it seems for it. Oakmare is securely in Red Eye's hooves, Slate is beginning to do something, many think he is planning to move directly into Seamane.” Ruby gave out a sigh and shook her head again, though this time not to get snow out of her mane.

“Well I guess at very least having won the battle of Oakmare the way we did allowed a lot more to get out before Red Eye had time to consolidate control.” I said now seeing the distant shadows that marked the buildings of Colt.

“Yep, Helgrim showed up three days after the fight and started organizing 'reconstruction' which was mostly organizing everypony who wasn't already leaving into chain gangs. As of right now nopony I know is getting within ten miles of Oakmare.” She saw the lights of Colt in the distance then fished out a small silver gun. “Told 'em I would do this when I returned with you.”

 She then fired the gun into the air and I watched as a flare rose into the sky and hung high above us. I saw a matching flare a few moments later rise from Colt.

“Guessing it is a good thing I cleared up the roads around Dune City when I did then.” I said, though if Slate was moving into Seamane proper that wouldn't have done much good. The scavengers would be without sites to loot without significant resistance from the raider army. That would cut off pretty much the whole reason why anypony stuck around in this region. I gave a long sigh.

“You're right, it is just a matter of time until this blows up. More and more fights have broken out between slavers and raiders. Red Eye's group seems to be a bit upset at the state of things.” She said as I shivered slightly from the cold.

It was quiet for the next few minutes that we walked, we were still a ways away from the town. Well for now all I could do is what Homage told me to do. Reactivate the remaining towers in the region. From there she would be able to broadcast any major movements by either Red Eye or Slate within the region. So I resolved myself to rest up a few days in Colt before heading east into the Unbound. With the colder weather I figured the Cazadors would be a far smaller threat. Insects tended to dislike the cold.

“Hey Ruby, do you think you know anypony who would want to go with me into the unbound?” I asked, she tilted her head in thought.

Most I would assume to think that a suicide of sorts with the monstrosities that were reportedly up there. A whole ecosystem developed around being tougher and nastier than anything else. As far as anypony knew in the past few years the Cazadors sat at the top of the food chain out there. I doubted I could pay for guards to come along with me even with my caps. What use is caps if you are dead? Hay, I don't think there was a pony so stupid they wouldn't see the danger. That or stupid and loyal to the contract to not break it the moment they saw giant fucking wasps flying at them.

“Maybe, probably want to talk to Aegis himself. I think he has been wanting somepony to go out there for ages. If anything at least he will give you a discount on armor and ammo for going out there for him.” She said straightening out her neck.

“Well that will have to wait, I am going go nowhere for the next week.” I said with a smile on my face.

“Good, because I think Rose was planning on tying you down if you tried to leave before she wanted you to.” Ruby said with a grin.

“She also would tie me down until I let her come with me. Though, I have no intention of leaving her behind this time. Hay, I didn't have any intention of doing so last time. Still though, should be a bit easier to not get dragged away to Fillydelphia this time.” I said with a snort.

“Is everything you said to DJ Pon3 true about that trip of yours. Being taken captive and forced to march all the way from Oakmare to Fillydelphia by that gryphon?”

“At first I was captive, then I broke out. We both got rather hurt and he wanted caps for my hide. Hay, with how things went once we got to Fillydelphia I think he did get his caps.” Had Bryn sold me out? Honestly now that I thought about it he probably did. While yes the green alicorns could read minds I doubted he wouldn't have taken the chance to make some caps. I shook my head, no use trying to figure out what happened then. In any case he would be back on contract with Helgrim which meant even if he was 'friendly' towards me I couldn't expect him not to do his best to catch me again. Or kill me which I found more likely at this point.

I saw the form of a pony ahead of us, though far taller than a pony had right being. Then I noticed its long horn. I pushed past Ruby putting myself between her and what I quickly assumed to be another alicorn. I drew my laser rifle as we approached. As we got closer I saw that she was frozen.

'You...' I heard ring in my head. She was still some how alive, or at least intact enough for the Goddess to use as a conduit.

'Yes, it is me. What do you want the great and oh so frozen Goddess?' I thought in my mind. Clearly it was a green alicorn and I didn't want to involve Ruby in this strangeness.

'Your worry for your friend is unfounded. We only seek out you tonight.'

'And why is that?'

'Simple you fool, you defeated a Wendigo which was drawn to you, Bringer of Strife.'

I smiled at the title the self proclaimed Goddess had given me.

'Do not think it means we honor you, no we seek your destruction. We simply seek to give you one last chance to surrender to us before we forcefully take you to be one with us.'

“Here is your answer from the Bringer of Strife, the Ranger of Seamane.” I said aloud and fired the laser rifle into the frozen alicorn. She melted with the ice.

'So it shall be.' I heard echo in my mind.

“Uh, what the hay just happened?” Ruby said looking at the remains of the alicorn.

“That is, well, was alicorn, a member of the Goddess' unity. The Goddess is not either Luna or Celestia, she is an evil being. She is also not quite so great and powerful as she believes. I also have another faction of ponies wanting me just strait up dead now.” I said with a frown as I walked through the remains. “Come on, I want to get out of the cold before I get sick again.”

With that we walked into town after another half an hour of silent walking. Once in town I fell behind Ruby as she guided me down the streets. Nopony was out this late and I checked the time to see it had passed midnight. I felt a pang of guilt at the fact that I had missed Hearths Warming Eve. No matter, it was the fact that I tried that would matter to her, right? We entered a part of Colt marked Old Town. I figured this name was due to all the buildings here were of a distinctly Appleloosan style. I saw Ruby's signature carriage parked on the roof of one building, well no a wooden sign made to look like it over the building that sat at the intersection of two roads within old town. There was a warm yellow light coming from the windows. In the light I saw somepony standing as we walked up the street.

Ruby had gotten far ahead of me and was pushing past the pony standing there waiting for me. With the light that came in from the door opening I could make her out. It was Rose, my Rose. She had been standing there waiting for me. I smiled and walked up to her feeling all the cold in me running out. My sight blurred as I waked up on to the porch with her, my hoof steps resounding on the wooden walkway. I nuzzled her and sat on my haunches as she wrapped her forelegs around me.

“Hey.” I simply said in a quiet as we embraced.

“Hi.” She simply replied in the same quiet voice.

“Sorry I missed Hearths Warming Eve.” I said as I gave her another nuzzle below her jaw.

“Check the time again.” She said, her silvery voice full of warmth and love.

I checked the time again and saw the date. Today was Hearths Warming Eve. I started to laugh happily and Rose joined in with me. I had made it into town at twelve thirty six in the night. Hearths Warming Eve had only been going for a little over half an hour. I turned my gaze up to her and kissed her on her muzzle. With me being the shorter of the two of us it meant her having to bend down slightly and me to stretch my neck for our lips to meet.

“We should get inside before we both freeze.” Rose said as she broke our kiss. I nodded and followed her inside. Within sat a meal ready for the two of us, I noticed everypony else had vacated the place. I heard the radio playing quietly in the background. Our meal was set on a table before a sofa. I made it three feet into the building before falling over. I wasn't tired, or crippled, I simply slide on the wet floor. I laughed and just started to take off my heavy load. Rose raised an eyebrow, but, then simply laid down on the sofa and waited for me.

After slipping out of my gear I joined Rose on the sofa in front of the fireplace enjoying the heat washing over me as my stuff dried next to it. I took in what was to be our meal. What we had was some berries, fruits, and vegetables. I noticed all of them seemed to be rather fresh. I turned to ask Rose to instead get a cherry in the mouth. I blushed at the sudden intrusion of my mouth. I tasted the cherry and enjoyed the flavor. This was not preserved, this was something grown recently. I blinked as I swallowed.

“You owe me,” she purred at me her voice far richer than I remember it being.

I simply nodded, I owed her everything right now and I was willing for her to take whatever it was that would be the price. Then the DJ Pon3 came on the radio we both stopped and listened.

“Alright kiddo's I have a early, and I mean really early gift for all of my faithful listeners. A few minutes ago our Ranger of Seamane made it to Colt alive and safe. She, right now I am fairly certain, is enjoying a meal with her marefriend. As such I want to thank both of them. Thank you two for your help in restoring my broadcast to the south. I know you still got a few more to take care of, but, everyone you turn on is a amazing thing to me. So thank you, and to all my new listeners around Colt. The Ranger of Seamane is not a pony to be trifled with. She took on a force of nature tonight and slayed the Wendigo that had set itself up on top of the Canterlot Ruins. So for all you folks wondering why this winter was so much worse there you go. As we know from folklore...”

We tuned the DJ out as Rose began to feed me again. I didn't resist, I just laid my head against her just now realizing how much cleaner and fuller her coat was. She felt like she had filled out a little with more muscle while I had been away. The rest of the night was a blur to me as we caught up and enjoyed ourselves for the first time in weeks. I forgot the horrible world we lived in, I forgot about Red Eye, Slate, Bryn, Helgrim, the Goddess. All there was for me was Rose, and I was never happier in my life than in that moment to spend the late hours of the evening with the one I loved on Hearths Warming Eve.

Footnote: Level Up!

New Perk Added: Strong Back: Your back and legs are stronger than ever, thus you can carry fifty more pounds than before without problem. This also means you can in a burst of strength probably move a lot more without the aid of your magic.

Quest Perk Added: Pyromancy (rank one): You now have the base understanding of fire elemental spells. Any fire you use or make now burns twenty percent brighter and is the same color as your magic, which is awesome. In addition any fire based weapons or magic costs twenty percent less in S.A.T.S.

Chapter 15 - Hearths Warming Eve

Chapter 15 – Hearths Warming Eve

“They're just a couple licking each others wounds.” -Kamille Bidan Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam

I woke up to being alone on the sofa. I was a little surprised by this after the hours upon hours Rose and I had spent together once I had returned to her. But, I considered it fair for her to leave me for a while of her own wishes after I had been gone for so long. Hay, I had been away from her for roughly thirty two days. Or was it thirty one days, either way, an entire bucking month had gone by. I had no right to complain about her leaving me for minutes or even hours at a time by now. Then again my leaving her hadn't been intended. Goddesses it had been a entire month since we killed a hydra, since we last held each other. Bucking hell I had a lot to make up to her for. Then I remembered the rings, hopefully she would take it a gift and not a proposal. I opened my eyes and saw that the fire was still going as I had thought from the warmth I felt on the side of me I remembered me last facing the fireplace.

I brought up my Eyes Forward Sparkle and checked the time, it was about noon. Eight hours or so of sleep? Not bad really considering how little restful sleep I got over the past month. Hay, this was the second time being someplace civilized I hadn't woken up crying. Speaking of crying I was really glad other than tears of joy I hadn't cried last night. That was good, my emotional strength seemed to be growing. That or maybe I was just going to have it happen later, knowing the past month I would bet a third of my caps on the latter. I looked at the table that sat before the sofa, the thing was hand carved and I would assume had been handed down from owner to owner for over two hundred years. I looked at the bowl of berries sitting on the table I focused my magic and-

The pain was beyond belief as I felt like something inside my horn snapped. I couldn't even voice the pain I just gave a silent gasp as I spasmed on the sofa. I started to cry at the immense pain. Part of my mind duly noted this was what it felt like to experience magical burn out. I tried to do anything but my body wasn't listening. The pain that wracked my body coming from my horn overwrote any command I was sending out to control me. So instead I lay there making quiet gasps of pain with my eyes closed tight as tears dripped onto the cushion of the sofa. I hated feeling like a foal, unable to control my own body, being trapped within it. After a while the spasms finally died down and I was left sore and tired. I opened my eyes and wiped the tears from them. My horn still pulsed with pain, but, it was livable for now.

I listened closely and noticed the only sounds I could hear was distant talking and the crackling of the fireplace. I pushed myself up and got off the sofa so I could sit at the table that was in front of it. I unabashedly stuffed my muzzle into the bowl of berries, I wasn't going to risk using magic again today. Which was going to be a problem as I had gotten too used to using it again.

“Oh you are finally awake Moonlight, oh dear what happened to your horn?” I heard, hay, felt Rose say. Goddesses how was such a big unicorn so quiet. And now she was licking my horn, which felt good against the pain in it. One hell of a remedy, better than Med-X.

“What do you mean what happened to my horn?” I asked before taking another couple of berries into my mouth, if I had to guess they were close to being overripe. She moved to nibbling on my ear.

“Well it is curved and it is also black.” She said around a the tip of my ear in a quiet sultry voice.

“Uh... black? As in charred or as in it is properly black?” I asked, I really hoped it was just charred, I already knew it had warped from my abuse of it.

I felt another lick to my horn, this one more forceful and produced a spasm as it felt like the bone at the base of it moved independent of my skull. I practically screamed as I went limp in Rose's grasp. She held me tight to keep me from hitting anything besides herself. Thankfully she was a tough pony, and thankfully she was a she, I would have felt sorry for any buck who had just tried to hold onto me. As it was she was gasping for air anyways as I fought back more tears.

“Oh Moonlight...” is all she said as she held me stroking my mane, I just let myself go limp in her grasp.

My appetite had left me now, my leg had smacked into the stone hard wooden table and was starting to swell.

‘Walk in like a hero, fall apart when nopony but those who love you are watching. Really glamorous the life of a hero isn't it?’ I thought at myself. ‘Yeah amazing dodging bullets, fighting spirits of nature, mutated life forms, psychotic ponies, slaying alicorns, nearly getting eaten by living goo made of pony remains...’

 I let out a sigh as I stopped crying.

“Some assembly required; fragile, handle with care; dangerous under pressure; explosive under pressure; flammable; may cause serious injury or even death.” I recited, thinking of all the terms of wares that my parents had taught me. Terms that described me right now. Terms that a merchant would understand and know to stay well away from unless it was exactly what they were looking for. I just felt Rose hug me tighter.

“Irreplaceable.” She whispered into my ear and I felt my heart melt.

I leaned back into her being careful to not let my horn touch anything.

“Priceless.” I said up to her as I rested my head against her neck looking up as best as I could at her. I received a nuzzle. I just lay against her as she held me, I knew today would end up being a long day no matter what we did together, the pain in my horn would constantly give me a reminder of the passage of time with the swell in pain with each heartbeat. But, I would do what I could with Rose, today was meant for enjoying time with friends and family.

After five minutes of us sitting on the wooden floor Rose lifted me in her magic and set me on the sofa, before she joined me she walked off. I figured she wanted to get something to drink or eat which was fair enough. As it was I felt a bit thirsty too, maybe a sparkle cola would help. When Rose returned she had two bottles of water, both held in her magic. She lay down next to me as I raised my head. I returned my head to resting on her flank as she chose not to have me lay against her side this time. She floated a bottle of water to me and kept it hovering in front of my muzzle even after I had grabbed it with my hooves to drink. I think she didn't quite trust me not to make a horrible mess. I drank the whole bottle before letting go of it. It was not that I was that thirsty, but, once again a habit formed from not knowing when the next engagement would be.

“You that thirsty Moonlight?” She asked me, her face ripe with concern.

I returned to resting my head on her toned flank.

“No, just habit to drink the whole bottle.” I answered flatly. She eyed me and set the now empty bottle on the table by us before turning her attention to her own bottle.

When I had woken up I had felt a fair bit of energy in me, but, now thanks to the pain I was exhausted. I looked at Rose some more, I now could see her in better illumination than last night. While last night I had gotten to feel her more than see her thanks to the poor illumination in the house I now knew she was much cleaner than she had been. Her mane had grown out a bit, though it was simplistically cut still. Her tail that was laying over me had grown too and had not been cut. Her coat was almost immaculate and far softer than I felt any ponies deserved to be while in the wasteland. I forced my chin under her coat and looked up at Rose with a smile on my face as she looked at me with a eyebrow raised. It was silly, I knew it was, but, it felt nice. Right now anything that made me feel better was top priority to do.

“You are certainly all over the place with how you are acting today.” She said with a smile on her face as I figured she divined why I was doing what I was doing.

“You make my heart melt and make me feel better whenever we do anything. I have prescribed myself a weeks time of rest time doing nothing, but, being with you.” I said with a joking tone of authority.

I started to giggle, it felt nice to be in relaxed company again. To be in company I wasn't going to be leaving anytime soon. Company that I was going to take with me and fight to keep. I blinked as I remembered my stuff, I had things to give her. Oh I know make her choose which I gave her first.

“Hey, Rose?” I asked up at her, she was smiling still, her own bottle of water resting on the table.

“Yes, Moonlight?” She said with her voice having returned to its silvery self.

“I have two gifts for you, but, I want you to choose which one you get now and which one you get later tonight.” I said, “and I won't tell you what the other one is once you pick.”

She blinked and then raised a hoof to her chin thinking.

“Give me the bigger of the two then.” She said, no purred, uh, now I was thinking I may have given her expectations of something else. Well, oh well she will enjoy the ring hopefully a lot more this evening.

“Can you levitate my saddlebags over here then?” I asked her, it shouldn't be too much of an issue it was in... oh right I have three sets of saddlebags. Which one was it in? Second one right, the one with the nonessentials. “The one in the middle.” I amended before she asked.

“You certainly are strong for carrying all of this stuff so far for being so small.” Rose teased, “I mean Moony, you kind of have a small frame, where did you fit all of these bags on you?”

I blushed at the pet name, and it was a good question, one with a simple answer, stacking.

“Stacking.” I said with a smile on my face as she gently set down the saddlebags I had asked for at the space between the sofa and the table. I could smell from here the faint scent of my own blood and burnt pony hair as well as burnt leather. The smell of the wasteland. I lifted the flap of the saddlebag and then used the auto sorter of the pipbuck to draw out what I wanted. The pipbuck technicians tools and the pipbuck I had kept with me. I heard a small gasp from Rose as she saw the pipbuck emerge from my saddlebags.

“I got one for you while in Fillydelphia, the ponies I got it from weren't using them and hadn't for a long time. Surplus of Stable-Tec.” I beamed at her, completely true what I said, and I set it on the space between us and the edge of the sofa as I got out the tools and began prepping it and Rose's left leg for equipping it.

“These are almost priceless, Moonlight.” She said as she floated it up to her eyes to inspect it. “Thank you, I just wish-”

I cut her off by getting up faster than I should have and kissing her.

“You are giving me everything I could want right now Rose.” I said before forcing myself to lay back down before I fell over.

I instructed her to slide the pipbuck onto her foreleg and once she did I began the process of securing it. Having gotten practice on myself as well as those in Black Wood this was simple to do. I powered it on and stifled a laugh as she was spooked by the Eyes Forward Sparkle coming up in her vision, which I noted that I could not see at all. One of the nice things about the system, it was invisible to anypony else which let you target who you wanted without anyone knowing you had targeted something.

“White Rose” Rose said as she vocally entered her name and then began going through the tutorials of the pipbuck itself.

I sat there and just marveled as she took to it like a fish to water. I moved off of her so she could get used to it. I took the time to take a nap that my body was asking that I take. It was a good nap, a restful one, no frightening dreams, no strangeness, just simple sleep with pleasant dreams of a world far better than the one we lived in.

I woke up to Rose digging through my saddlebags making quite comments on how she didn't understand why I had practically an entire library stuffed in them. Or a whole pantry, armory, arsenal, and repair shop. I laughed at her then noticed the box that held the rings sitting on the table in front of me. Oh shit she found them…

“I was just going through to see if there was anything you didn't have. Also the pipbuck sorter function asked me to.” She said unabashedly. My brain fought trying to figure out which one of us was in control of this relationship.

“I have found you do have everything except another lover. Which I am glad to see. Though if you did I would rather you tell me before you decided to go with them, I might want to watch or join.” She said with that purr of hers.

“No I don't have a lover beyond you. Not for the lack of Homage trying...” I said my face getting a slight frown on it thinking about all the teasing I suffered through while in Homage's company.

“Oh? Well then, somepony needs a reward.” She purred again as she packed my stuff away. She knew I was going nowhere fast and wanted to make up for going through my things. That or she didn't like the small mess she had made while I was asleep.

“Just be careful, no touching the horn unless you want me to be unable to move under my own control.” I said as I sat up on my haunches.

I felt stiff, but, the aches in my body had receded. I looked at my right hind leg where I had smashed it against the petrified wood table. The swelling had gone down and I gingerly touched it with my right fore hoof. I winced as it was still tender, but, it wasn't anything beyond that.

“Hey, when you are done repacking bring over some of the medical bandages, I think I have some left.”

I did, and I had a idea, one that would either leave me bawling again or would help the pain go away. My magic maybe dead for now, but, at least I could stop the pain in my horn. She set the medical bandages on the sofa next to me. I reached for them then realized how much harder it was going to be to use them. Rose smiled at me as she sat down on the sofa with me once more and I looked up at her.

“I need help.” I said looking up into her beautiful purple eyes.

“What do you, oh right no magic.” She said and took the bandages and the pair of scissors that she had levitated over as well in her magic.

“First, my leg that I smashed.” I said as I lay on my left side being careful not to bump my horn on the cushions. Rose gently wrapped my leg in the bandages and cut off the excess. She had apparently while I had been away put some time into learning how to treat wounds as well. If she was trying to impress me, or flatter me with copying it was working. I held out a hoof to stop Rose before we tried bandaging my horn.

“Gag and tie me up first so if it does hurt I don't flail about and hurt anything.” I said to her, she raised an eyebrow then lowered her eyelids into a sultry gaze.

“Oh I thought I never would get to do this to somepony else.” She purred as she pulled out some rope and some leather.

She tied me up in a way I hadn't been expecting, half of it was as far as I could tell decorative, the rest did exactly what I had hoped it would do, keep me from moving. Though I don't know why it went between my rear. I tested my restraints a little and realized exactly why she was excited to get to do this and why it went over my rear. Sweet Celestia have mercy on my innocent soul I hadn't known you could do this sort of stuff. I twitched as I felt the ever so gentle sensation of the bandages being put in place around my horn. The idea was that a slow and light application of them would be enough to get past the hypersensitivity. Failing that we were going to either knock me out, make me suffer through putting them on, or give me a Med-X. As she began to slowly tighten the bandages I felt the soothing effects of them countering the pain. Well not completely, I wasn't spasming out of pain this time, but, I was starting to tear up a bit. In the end we just put on a light layer of bandages and let them sit on my horn. Rose removed the leather from my mouth so we could talk at very least.

Talking wasn't what she had in mind she laid onto her back then floated me to lay on top of her and she began kissing me furiously. I didn't even try to struggle, I enjoyed it, and if I did struggle the Rope would make things go from a make out session into something far kinkier than I had planned or at least far quicker than I had planned. Somehow the constant pain from the bandages on my horn made the kissing better. When we finally stopped I had finally realized something odd. The entire time we had been here nopony else had shown up.

“Hey, Rose?” I asked her as I lay atop of her.

“Yes, Moony?” She responded with her sultry tone again, I was blushing at the damn nickname.

“Do we have this place to ourselves?” It had started to bug me seriously that I had not seen or heard anypony else.

“Sort of, see this is one of several... suites? I think that is what Ruby called them, in a common house. Basically one big house, each suite is completely separate, but, they share a roof.” Rose said, I think she was trying to still find better words for the setup, but, I got what she meant.

“How thick are the walls?” I asked as a blush came over my cheeks.

“Thick enough, Ruby had them reinforced with some sound reducing spells for us.” She purred and licked my cheek.

“Good, because unless there is something we need to be doing or someplace we need to go I am yours for the day.” I said nuzzling her cheek and feeling the rope grind into me. “More than I usually am.” I finished with a wince at the unexpected sensation.

“I see you noticed how the rope works, as well as you are nothing, but, a horned Earth pony for now.” Her grin went from seductive to predatory, which sent a shiver of excitement through me, which worried me.

‘When and how had I become this naughty of a filly, I didn't know I enjoyed this?!’ I cried out in my mind.

“We do have dinner plans with Ruby and her friends later, much, much later.” She purred in my ear as her magic pulled on the rope in a few places making me involuntarily move at her will. I really was going to be her plaything today.

In the end I had blacked out, it was fun, but, my body had been strained enough for so long that it said no more and thrust me into the darkness of dreamless sleep. When I came to I was alone, I also was untied, my coat felt washed, and my mane was brushed and back to being the way it was in Tenpony, my tail had been braided, which some how worked well. I also noticed much to my relief that my horn was hurting much less, it was just a dull throbbing now. I did still feel worn out, which probably was because I had been worn out pretty heavily. My mind drifted back to that first night between me and Rose. She had offered herself to me as a reward for saving everypony that I had, and had said it was her way of rewarding me since “some ponies only have a specific skill set”. Well she had grown since then, she was decently competent at first aid, she knew how to use a gun, and the fact she was here, alive, and in such good shape and spirits meant she had gone a lot further than anypony would have thought.

I wonder if she had been doing it to prove it to herself or somepony else. Motivations, what were hers, what were Ruby's. Hay, what was anyponies beyond my own? No it was their business not mine as to what kept them going. Or at least it was unless I had to help them get going again. Still, best not to pry into others lives unless I needed to. Least of all Rose's, she had already had a hard life, why should I make her possibly think I doubted her reasons for being here, or being with me. After what she had done for me it would be wrong to do so. I breathed in deep through my nose getting a faint smell of Rose off of the cushions. Even her smell warmed me in that odd way. I let the breath out and sat up on my haunches and looked around the room absentmindedly touching the button on my Pipbuck for my Eyes Forward Sparkle.

I took a better look at our suite. We had two decent sized windows that faced out to the street and a nice sturdy door. There was a small kitchen with oven, sink, refrigerator, and a table for two, though it looked like it could be pulled out and made to seat four. I noticed that we also didn't have chairs we just had sitting pillows. I looked around some more and saw what looked like the door to a bathroom and next to it the bedroom. Neither held a blue bar. A third door seemed to lead out of the suite into what I guessed to be a adjoining building. I found in the bedroom the dress I had gotten at Tenpony Tower. Well I guess I knew what I was supposed to do. I slipped into it and saw the box that held the second gift of mine to Rose laying there. I smiled, she was at very least a clever pony.

I went back to the door leading out of our suite. She had me sleeping and laying on the sofa the entire time instead of taking me back to the bedroom. Was it because of the fireplace? Or maybe she wanted to establish a place for me to be and a place for her to be. The bedroom was her place and the sofa mine? That brought all sorts of questions to mind about possible underlying dominance and submission messages that this brought up. I sighed as my mane started to itch with that deep unholy itch again, oddly as it did I noticed my horn hurting less. Strange, guess my brain cared to tell me only so much of what was going on in my body. It mattered little tonight, I doubted I would need to use my magic or worry about whatever was going on with me.

I opened the door to find myself facing a party in full swing, a loud one at that. Well would you look at that, they really had reinforced the soundproofing of the suite. I frowned before putting on a determined face to greet the crowd who had yet to notice me. I slide the box into a hidden pocket in the long skirt of my dress. I looked up to see that I still had the bandages on my horn, it probably would be best to leave those on so I didn't get questions about the shape of my horn. Everypony knew I had recently had a hard fight, it wouldn't surprise any of them if I had a few wounds bandaged up. Plus, hay, it wasn't a bunch of Tenpony snobs, it was friends of Ruby's as well as her employees. To my surprise even though it was just as I had though, Ruby and those who knew her everypony here was a bit dressed up and my high society dress didn't stand out. One other thing I was happy to see was nopony paid me any mind. I felt almost like a ghost walking through the party.

The party itself was being held within the storefront of Ruby's Caravan. The area seemed like it had been the original town hall before a more modern one had been erected outside of old town. I continued making my way through the crowd hoping to see somepony I knew. Frustratingly I didn't and resigned myself to the buffet table. I didn't stay long, just long enough to grab something to eat and then I walked off carrying the plate in my mouth. I spotted an unoccupied table off to the side, I took it. Again I was happy nopony saw me having to carry anything with my mouth instead of with my magic. I would have used a leg if I hadn't already been being careful with my still bruised hind leg. I continued to watch the party in full swing as music played, ponies danced, ponies chatted and much merriment was had. I had a grimace on my face as my horn hurt again, I didn't mind the party, but, to anypony who looked at me right now they probably saw a nice looking mare who rather be somewhere else. That assessment was half true, I wouldn't mind being back in my suite sleeping off the pain in my horn. On the other hoof I didn't want to disappoint Rose and Ruby with not showing up. So I would have to find them at very least to let them know I had shown up before leaving.

Finishing my food I took care to dispose of the plate and began mingling. It was a party, my head hurt, and I was tired, but, I was forcing myself to be a bit social. I really hadn't been to many parties before. Hearths Warming Eve back home was a family event not a community one. There had been a few parties I went to of ponies who I knew when they got their cutie marks. Those had stopped when once I hit a certain age. For a rather particular reason, or two. It is hard to go to parties of colts and fillies who are getting their cutie mark when you don't know them, as well as when you are twice their age and still don't have one yourself. Here though nopony pointed out my bandaged leg or horn, we talked about recent events, how the snow was worse than usual this year. There were questions about if they had enough wood to last the winter. I asked them where they got said wood and apparently they harvested it from the dead woods to the north. They also told me of how further north some of the forest was still alive and the green was spreading. My jaw practically hit the floor, nature finds a way.

I asked about the so called 'unbound north' which was where I was planning on going soon, not that I told anypony here about that. Apparently it too had survived much of the scaring of the apocalypse. Fields of grass naturally growing, amazing... Then my longing to see it with my own eyes was replaced with sheer terror of the fact that Cazadors and other horrifically mutated things could be hiding in said grass. Yeah not going there unless it is winter. At very least I wanted any giant insects or cold blooded creatures hidden away and not after my hide.

Still with having no luck finding Rose or Ruby I continued chatting up people. Which was nice actually, while Tenpony everypony had been stuck up, here, everypony here was very polite and nice. It was kind of invigorating.

It was also nice to get some information on the ground, while Homage gave good information via the radio this was less condescend and had a different spin. A spin I knew how to filter out and get to the heart of the information being fed to me. I also learned where Aegis had set up shop, which was good as I needed to speak with him at some point. One because I had a ton of crap that I could sell off to him, two because I needed to talk to him about what had been injected into me in that portable artillery. Then it struck me, I could talk to him here and now, while I wouldn't be getting caps for selling stuff off I would hopefully get to know what that stuff was. Then another thought struck me, that stuff was to prevent burnout in a unicorn, could it possibly be used to end my current bit of burnout. That would be worth a fair bit of caps, and part of me really wanted it.

I gave a bow to the stallion I had been talking to and walked back to the table full of drinks. I grabbed a glass and filled it, a task much harder to do by mouth and hoof than I had expected. Still though I managed it after taking far longer than I had thought it would. Drinking I noted a taste of alcohol which was not unwelcome. I wandered back into the crowd after finishing my drink, thankfully my body had gotten a bit more accustomed to dealing with alcohol so the light amount that was in that drink left me pleasantly buzzed. With that I turned to find Aegis, knowing the little I did between him and Ruby I suspected he also would know where she would be. Then, probably could go back, had been here for now a hour and a half. Lost in thought I nearly walked into somepony, I managed to stop myself only to have them hop into my face.

“Hey watch it.” Said the stallion I had just had hop into me.

“Maybe you should watch out, you hopped into me.” I said flatly. He did not look amused.

“No I didn't, you walked into me you drunken idiot.” He growled at me, great he was wanting to start something.

“Whatever,” I said then turned and walked off in another direction. Then I fell flat on my face, the tip of my horn tapping the floor hard enough to make a spasm pass through my body. I looked back to see the stallion remove his hoof that he had used to trip me.

“You're drunk, get out of here filly.” He said with a gruffness in his voice. Oh yes play the superiority card why don't you. If my magic was back I would set his stupid strip of beard on his chin alight. Instead I stood and walked off. I noticed he was following, yay couldn't leave well enough alone could you?

I came up with a stupid plan, well every plan was stupid in some way, but, this one counted on me being coordinated enough to beat the snot out of this jerk. So I walked out the front door and headed towards where I had been told Aegis' shop was now located. The snow had been cleared for the most part along the walkways of the street. I still could hear his not so quiet hoof falls behind me. I turned down a darkened alley and felt the snow crunching under my hoofs. I heard hoof steps rush up behind me, I bucked and hit nothing but air. Then I felt my hind legs get grabbed by the stallion. He flipped me over and I saw his eyes.

“So what the hell do you want with me?” I asked him as my horn lay in the cool snow, which I noticed was dripping down into my mane faster than it should be melting.

“I know your face, Moonlight. You have a nice little bounty on your head, and well after hearing what you said about how you left Saint Clover I know where my friends went.” He said, well that would make him a slaver, who was friends with the ones I had killed. Yay for my luck.

“Well if you don't remember as to why I have that bounty, and why your friends are dead would you like me to remind you?” I asked, I needed to buy myself some time and figure out how I was going to beat an earth pony who was larger than me, and I could feel it, fair bit stronger than me. And all I had to fight with was my hoofs. Unfortunately hoof to hoof combat wasn't my specialty, guns, energy and otherwise as well as melee weapons I was good with, my own hoofs? Yeah this was not going to be pretty, even more so if he figured out how bad my horn was. Which he probably had figured out due to my lack of trying anything with it, and it was bandaged.

“Oh no I know what you did to get that bounty, and I am going to collect.” He pulled out some rope from the satchel he had on his side.

“You do know that this is a horrible idea right?” I said as I readied myself to act.

“Shut up before I find something to shove in you to make you quiet.” He growled.

That at least confirmed my suspicion of him having no interest in me beyond money. That was a nice thing too as I didn't feel like gelding somepony right now. He started to tie my hind legs together I responded with quickly using them to grab his head and then flip myself over. He turned with me as he cried out as the snow gave him no traction to resist my sudden response. I kicked off the rope and backed away from him going further down the alley as he rose. He shook off his coat and eyed me with contempt. Then he charged down the alley after me. I jumped and cleared him landing on the snow, then slipped on the ice that had formed were my horn had lay while I was on the ground. I rolled to my legs in time to see him raising above me readying to bring down his fore hooves on my neck. I pushed to my side and reached out to shove him with my magic. That was a massive mistake, I screamed instead as pain lanced through my horn as his hoofs landed on the side of my neck instead of on my throat. My scream was cut short as he pressed a hoof on my throat. I had seconds to fight him before I would lose my strength and pass out. I instead writhed in the snow as my horn continued to scream at me for having tried to use my magic. He tapped my horn with a hoof as I felt the black of unconsciousness creep into my sight.

I woke up to the feeling of blood having pooled in my head. I opened my eyes and took in my surroundings. I then noticed that not only was I upside down, I was on the back of the stallion bounty hunter. Right, he had found my weakness, I had come up with a stupid plan. I moved my eyes about and noticed he was carrying a pistol in his mouth as we were headed south. My Eyes Forward Sparkle showed him as a red bar. Yeah I agreed with it, he was very much a hostile. He needed to be put down. I looked ahead of us, the direction we were going was south, towards Oakmare. Though the other red bar on my E.F.S. told me it was going to be a much shorter trip for him than I. Slowly I saw the form of a dark green alicorn, much shorter trip. I looked at my legs and saw he had tired my legs altogether, unlike what Rose did this was not allowing me to move to any extent. I looked north back to the heart of the town and saw a few blue bars. I moved my mouth and found that he also had tied that shut. I hated waking up, why didn't my body tell me important facts like this first instead of whether or not I needed the restroom. I then noticed the numbness throughout my body as I tried to move my back. Somehow I was paralyzed, or maybe not paralyzed, but, lethargic to a great degree. I guessed he gave me something after knocking me out so I couldn't fight. I looked forward and saw a faint glow around the alicorn, it didn't look quite right. I resigned myself to wait until the paralysis wore off before figuring out a escape. If I was lucky I had a few days until I was killed or put into whatever unity really was.

“I brought her, where are my caps.” The stallion said after putting away his pistol as we stood before the alicorn. She didn't move or respond in any way. Maybe she was just talking to him via her telepathy.

“You will get no caps, bounty hunter.” Said a voice, it didn't sound familiar, but, it sounded right for a alicorn. The stallion carrying me reared back dumping me horn first onto the ground. Whatever happened next was lost in a sea of pain and lights flashing in my eyes awash in the blur of my tears. I felt myself lose all weight and get turned over, the blood flowing back to my legs and out of my head. The tint of the world was familiar, it was the same as what had been around the alicorn. My eyes were brought to Rose's.

“There you are, always going off and getting in trouble when you drink.” She purred at me. “I think you are going to going to have to give up alcohol at this rate.”

Well then... I think this is not the worst thing that could have happened. I couldn't help but feel that I was used as bait to lure this guy out. Ah buck it, it was still Hearths Warming Eve I didn't want to think anymore, it hurt too much to keep doing it anyways.

“Anything to keep with you Rose.” I tried to say since my mouth was tied shut it came out as a mumble and I started to blush as Rose lay me on her back and walked us back to where we had been staying. I noticed Ruby and a few others of her troupe picking over a few bodies. Apparently there had been a shootout thanks to me. Being a hero had perks you know. But, with ever perk you had a drawback to go with it. Get well known as a good pony those who aren't so good will send people to capture or kill you. A few will try to bribe you instead to turn a blind eye to whatever they were doing. I noticed now Rose was also wearing a dress, it was a very nice dress, very soft. She was warm as well, and I was too tired to fight the dark tendrils of unconsciousness again. I let myself drift off on her back.

I came to resting in the dark on a bed. I blinked a few times as the room resolved itself into a familiar one. It was the bedroom that was in the suite that Ruby had given Rose. Our bed, I thought to myself. I noticed that I was naked, I had been stripped out of my dress and tucked into the bed under its thick warm blankets. I felt stirring next to me as my eyes picked out a shape under the covers. Her green mane was the only thing that stuck out in the darkness, the blue of her coat matching the darkness. I slide quietly out of the bed and went to the bathroom. My brain was still chugging, whatever had been in my system beyond the alcohol was messing with me still. Everything felt fuzzy. Thankfully not thinking about walking and just walking kept me from tripping. I drank from the faucet and heard my pipbuck clicking quietly as my radiation count climbed a bit quicker than I thought it would. I didn't care, the water made me feel better, washing out the odd feeling and taste in my mouth. I walked back out into the central room of our suite and saw the box that held my last gift to Rose sitting on the table next to my dress. I took the box in my mouth and turned to return to the bedroom. My hoof steps silent on the old wood of the house I climbed back into bed and gave a gentle prod with a hoof to Rose's shoulder. She stirred and turned to me blinking the world into shape. I set the box down between us and looked at her.

“I hadn't gotten a chance to give you my other gift. If you don't mind I want you to see it now.” I said, my voice was rough and ragged.

She simply blinked and then opened the box. I had figured she had looked into it before when digging through my stuff, but, the look on her eyes as she saw the two rings told me I had been wrong. She was crying and smiling up at me as I felt her embrace me. She pushed my head into her neck, her muzzle resting near my right ear as she held me. She didn't have to say anything, and I didn't want to break the moment, the tenderness was not lost on me. The sheer innocence of this moment weighed against my past month. Some ponies strove to bring back the old world thinking it was the best possible option for us. I knew the truth in this moment, we ponies could even now push out the wasteland in moments like this. We didn't need to look back at the old world longing for it again today. Instead we could work together, love, tolerate, and create once again making a new world. No, not a new world, restoring our lost world.

Rose kept holding me and petting my mane which I now noticed had been taken out of a braid. So much kept happening when I wasn't looking or wasn't awake. It felt strange. But, I knew it to be true, the world doesn't revolve around me, it doesn't stop when I don't observe it. It was still strange compared to the stillness of Saint Clover, while things happened there on their own it was always smaller. Here it felt like great cogs in some machine was running below my hooves constantly thrumming away. Slate's plans, Red Eye's plans, plans of everypony else in the wasteland kept going while I slept, ate, recovered, or planned. I was coming into this game behind everypony else. I had few cards of my own, most of them were bits of information, a few acquaintances around the wasteland. Nothing major, nothing all that strong. So, I needed to get a stronger hand in this massive game. So, if what my main thing was, was getting information and acquaintances then I should do that. Build a stockpile of these things. I couldn't get the numbers needed for a straight up fight, too many smaller factions in Seamane acting separately to organize against Red Eye or Slate.

A thought hit me, due to the capture of Oakmare things probably had changed drastically in the region. For one yes Red Eye had a heavier presence in the region thanks to his forces actually having a place under their control. But, the other effect of Oakmare changing hands was the brahmin. This made trade harder throughout the region. While Ruby had her carriage I couldn't imagine every merchant did. From what I remember most relied on brahmin to carry their wares and hired ponies to protect them, not to carry. So with the fall of Oakmare and its effective isolation thanks to Slate's army sitting in the south trade would be slowing to a crawl even after winter. Though at the same time there was plenty left in Seamane itself to scavenge there was the issue now of they had to go out of region to procure their brahmin. So now all that was left to do was to focus on hitting caravans to further isolate each community. Red Eye was a damn clever pony. He had set it so either the region slowly bleeds until it gives itself to him, or he conquers it via Slate. But, there was a potential exploit in his plan, one that would be hard to act on any time soon. Breaking Slate's forces would leave Red Eye sitting on his haunches in Oakmare. From the few bits of information I got when in Tenpony the only presence in the region he had was his guards and Helgrim's wings.

Another issue would probably be the prominence of slavers in the region. Dune City and Saint Clover both banned slaving activity within their towns, but, within the ruins of Seamane itself it was open season. While out west around Colt and Oakmare raiders were frequently targeted over caravans and what not in Seamane itself raiders often took slaves themselves to sell off to slavers.

Actually the ruins of Seamane the raiders were considered to be various 'gangs'. There were the Mages who ran out of the area around university, they used a lot of dash and magical energy weapons, though I heard rumors of robots and other advanced technology with them too.

There were the Sea Serpents who ran the bridges and river sides of the ruins. They were a nasty lot, mostly focused on capturing ponies to sell off or use as press gangs. What they used the press gangs for was anyponys guess.

There were the Sand Ponies who as far as I knew just focused on scavenging and killing out in the industrial section of the city west of Saint Clover.

Lastly there were the so called Angels, all I knew was they were tough and pretty much any settlement in the ruins paid their movements mind.

As I yawned I realized that I was on my back and Rose was atop of me fast asleep. She was quietly and might I add adorably snoring away. I also noticed the ring on her horn, it was the one with diamonds and sapphires. I looked to the side and saw the ring with sapphires and emeralds still sitting in the box. Guess Rose had the presence of mind not to try to put it on my horn until it was healed. Last thing we needed was for me to start spamming during a tender moment. Then again I had slipped deep into thought during it... I mentally shook my head at myself and wrapped my legs around Rose as much as I could. My hooves didn't meet each other, but, then again she was bigger than me in every way. I closed my eyes and let sleep take me for once by choice.

My dreams were filled with ice ponies, crab pony hybrids, raiders crushing Dune City as I failed to fight them off. Falling to my own death was a common theme too. I woke up a few times only to realize the pinning weight atop of me wasn't a building or an enemy, but, was simply Rose still sleeping calmly on top of me. Never once thought did I wake in a panic, just in confusion as the details of my dreams faded from my mind. The warmth and weight of Rose atop of me reassuring me I was fine, I was safe, and I also felt after her saving me last night, that she wouldn't let anything bad happen to me if she had the power to stop it. Or maybe I was reading things into others because my brain just wants to analyze everything at random times.

 My Eyes Forward Sparkle was still up and I checked the time, it was still four hours until sunrise, so I forced myself back to sleep. Going back to sleep was easy when your body is tired from getting so beaten up.

Waking up once more I saw it to be noon, I noticed that there was one window in the room, facing out into an alleyway, the window itself was big enough for Rose to easily climb through. I also took note that I could see a light snow falling once again. While it was not the unnatural blizzards of before it still annoyed me that there was more snow to fall. I squished that annoyance though, it served no purpose other than to get me worked up. I didn't want to be worked up, this was a point in time to relax and enjoy myself. Even if enjoying myself was selfish in light of understanding the plight of my fellow ponies in and around Seamane, my home. I frowned looking up at the still sleeping face of Rose, I was feeling guilty none the less. But, today was Hearths Warming Day, I should be here with her, or my family, preferably both. As if sensing my frustration and annoyance that deep itch started up again. It was enough that I started to scratch my back on the bedding, which woke up Rose. As she looked around to see the source of her awakening she moved a hoof to rub her eyes and hit my horn. It wasn't as bad as yesterday, or as bad as last night. It was still bad, what was worse was the fact I had just started to form words in my mouth so my cry of agony came out sounding rather silly.

As I resumed control of my body I found myself on my side with a surprised Rose petting my mane. I felt the heat in my cheeks, I felt embarrassed about the whole situation still. At the moment I was a bit envious of earth ponies as they didn't have to worry about horns or wings getting hurt. But, at the same time I knew I would hate becoming an earth pony after having the privilege of having a horn to do magic with. Though Celestia only knows why our horns are so sensitive to touch, even worse during burnout. As it was, I was glad to not be a pegasus, I couldn't imagine how horrifying it would be to have a broken wing, or worse to lose a wing. To them it probably was worse than losing your horn. They lost something far more than just spells, they lost a whole world. With the sobering thoughts of how bad life would be as a pegasus who lost their wing I pushed the disgusting feeling of envy out of myself.

Still though, the pain had caused me to cry, made a mess of things. It was noponies fault that it happened, and I had to make certain Rose wasn't blaming herself for it. Though the look on her face didn't show any guilt, just a look of empathy for me. I gave a long sigh as I resigned myself to just laying about again today. Neither of us had any obligations today so I was going for staying in, though I did ask Rose to look to see if she could find any books about magical burn out. I figured by now she would know any book sellers in the area better than I. However I doubted the likelihood of finding any books surviving about the subject. I did however assume that somepony had the intelligence back in the day to do extensive research into magical burn out as it would be a hamper to Equestria of it's medics or combat unicorns couldn't do magic. Hay, there was a Zebra poison that attacked a ponies magic directly, they would need to be researching countermeasures to it. Then again maybe their countermeasure was keeping unicorns away from combat and keeping earth ponies with battle saddles close to any unicorn of importance. Worse was in all likelihood the places with information on magical burn out to any degree beyond symptoms would be either at a Ministry of Arcane Sciences hub or some sort of research hub like the University.

I gave another sigh as I poured through one of the medical books I had with me for anything of use. Unfortunately it didn't touch on magical burn out, though it did cover treating magical injuries. Would be of use if I ever ran afoul of The Mages. Or if Slate had more magical energy weapons. That actually worried me, The Mages are known as experts in pre war technology, getting it working and selling it off to scavengers. Surprisingly The Mages even with being such heavy users of Dash were some of the most approachable of the gangs. They would take anyponies caps or Dash to pay for repairs or a hit. I grumbled at the idea of going and paying a bunch of trumped up eggheads hooked on Dash for books or even research on magical burn out. However, at the same time it would be worth swinging by their place to avoid the Sea Serpents. The southern bridge of the three that crossed the Arroyo river was always left alone. I guessed somepony in the Sea Serpents figured out if they kept anypony from actually getting across the river nopony would be around for them to fight. Then again some smart ponies had to be leading each of the gangs so they wouldn't fall apart.

I sighed again, which I was doing a lot today, as Rose came in. She set out a few more books for me to read. One of them being Supernaturals. I snickered at it, but, reading material was reading material. Who knows, there were some rather strange and unusual bits of technology and life in the world why not things of the supernatural. I put it on the bottom as it's publishing date predated the more modern books, and I use modern in the most conservative possible way. To be honest I think the most recently published book would be the various Wasteland Survival Guides by Ditzy Doo. Still though it was worth at very least getting a nice firm understanding of magical injuries as well as magic injury.

After the third medical journal on injuries and treatment I turned to the Supernaturals book. Upon closer inspection I realized its title was horribly misleading to the point I wanted to physically harm whoever pinned its name. The book itself was more of something akin to a something for survivalists than in the place for a medical journal. Half of the plants within it were mentioned in warning of their nasty effects, the other half were cures for common ailments. I frowned noticing more of it was based in zebra alchemy. Hay, there was even bits and pieces that probably lead to the creation of the healing potion in here. Unfortunately any possibly useful bits of alchemy in here was without worth as many if not all of these plants were long extinct thanks to the war. I sighed as I closed it, yet another dead end, though was a nice way to pass time. I had more information that was useful in a more general sense of medicine as well as arcane science and survival.

“Find anything useful?” Rose asked from next to me. She had been reading as well, apparently a skill she had learned early in her life before the raiders. Mostly she had been focused on survivalist books, some arcane science, and weapon maintenance. I looked over the arcane science material and realized I probably should be going over it myself as it was more advanced than I knew. Though not focused on computers it was focused on what I messed up on all the time, complex spells. I gave a frown in response to Rose's question.

“I take that as a no.” She said giving me a faint smile. “Here, maybe this will be more helpful, even if it is a little condescending.” She pushed over a very thick book entitled 'A Primer to the Arcane Sciences' it was by Twilight Sparkle herself. I gasped looking at it.

“Where did you get this from?” I asked her as I opened it to its index.

“I got it from Wild Silver when we got to Colt.” She said as she brought over some of food as my stomach growled.

“Who?” I simply asked, I didn't recall being introduced to this pony.

“Oh the unicorn twins we were traveling with. They are daughters of Ruby.” Rose said before digging into some of the food the had brought to us. I blinked, those two were her daughters? But, they were just about as old as me. Which meant, wow Ruby looked young for her age.

“Huh, well alright then.” I said as I turned my attention to the primer.

The first few chapters made sense to me as it was the well trotted area of telekinesis, levitation, and illumination spells. Next came where my experience and education ended. Next came the foundation for more complex spells, to put it simply, my head hurt afterwards. I turned to the part of the book about fire magic and found that I had been doing it wrong. Which was evident by my horn injury. Fire magic required a great deal of control and a few layers of protection spells to prevent injury of its caster. I had used none of those and poured out pure power of the element of fire. There was a chapter on magical burn out and horn injuries. It did not give me much hope or a positive outlook on my recovery. Injuries as extensive as what I received to my horn required either weeks of healing to naturally recover or magical surgery. Given I was living in a post apocalyptic wasteland I doubted there was anypony left who knew how to do the surgery.

“You have a look on your face, Moony. Everything alright?” Rose asked setting down next to me and wrapping a hoof around my neck, resting on my withers. I let out another sigh, I was wondering if I should start keeping track of how much I was sighing today.

“Just bit of frustration at the more advanced magic not clicking. Though that might be due to I can't try it out to see what feels off for me. The other is some news about my horn.” I said looking up at Rose, her face had a hint of worry. “It might be weeks before I can do magic again. Or worse I may have lost it for good unless somepony knows how to do the surgery to fix my horn.”

“Tenpony tower?” Rose offered, I nearly face hoofed having forgotten the fact that they would in all likelihood have the knowledge, ability, and resources to perform it.

“Unfortunately...” Unfortunately what? It was the opposite direction I wanted to go. It would let things here get out of control once more? Am I afraid the combat? I was adept enough with my mouth and I had S.A.T.S. to aid me. Plus I wouldn't be alone, I would have one of the quietest ponies around for back up. “I don't know. It seems a long ways to go, even more so with the weather it would take quite a while... Ugh, I can't even convince myself it is a bad idea.” I said in defeat, I couldn't logically argue against it.

“Why would it be a bad idea, I am certain we could get Ruby and a few of her guards to go with us. After all we do have a pony with quite a strong back.” Rose said holding back a laugh.

“Mind setting it up then as it was your idea? Hopefully by the time we come back it will still be cold enough that the Cazadors out east will still be hiding from the cold.” I said, finally giving into the notion I would be going back to Manehattan, once again far earlier than I had intended.

Though this time I wouldn't be alone which would be nice.

“Actually, before we set our hearts on this, I need to talk to Aegis about a possible solution.” I said, remembering that I had wanted to talk to him today about that drug that had prevented my burn out before. “When in Oakmare that machine gave me something to recharge my magic and prevent burnout. I am curious if he has more because that might fix the burnout itself and from there we would know how bad my horn really is.”

“Well, it is already late evening if you hadn't noticed.” Rose said, I looked out the front windows and saw it was indeed dark out and my E.F.S. proudly displaying it was after seven at night. “So that will have to wait for tomorrow.”

“In that case I suggest that we take a break from working our minds and instead get some physical strain instead.” I said as I stood and stretched before hopping off the sofa and doing my best to give a sultry look to Rose over my back as I swung my tail to one side. “I wouldn't mind a partner, makes it more fun.”

From the bright red that came over Rose's face I think I had managed to do the trick. Finally I had turned the tables on purpose on a mare who always got me to blush in situations like this. Tonight was going to be my victory not hers.

“Sure, I will get the rope.” She said while regaining her composure and giving me a equally sultry look and playing with her lips with that tongue of hers.

“I hope you know how to tie yourself up like you did to me, because it is boring being always on the receiving end of things.” I said with almost annoyance as I inspected my right hoof. The eep I heard from Rose's direction was priceless. I proceeded to the bedroom as Rose scrambled gathering things. When she came in she was all tied up which made it hard for her to walk and climb onto the bed. She lay beside me fighting the blush on her face as I could smell her excitement.

“Don't worry, I will be gentle and slow.” I purred as I nuzzled her. She simply nodded and gave into me as I had given into her so many times before. At first our relationship had felt very one sided as it felt she knew everything compared to I who knew nothing. Of course our relationship had begun very physically and from there began to grow into a true relationship. We emotionally cared about one another and lowered our guard. The first few times I had tried to take control Rose just stopped and any fun we were having ended. I had grown to accept it to an extent, but, I had made a gambit to see how much things have changed from a month ago. It had paid off. It was clumsy, and probably pretty terrible sex. But, Rose trusted me and I was a quick study. I focused on remembering the few times I had relieved sexual frustration growing up and applied them, as well as what Rose had done to me. There were misses as not ever pony had the same sensitivities. In the end at least Rose seemed happy and relieved.

She slipped into a post orgasm slumber as it hit nine thirty at night and I was left wide awake. Alone with my thoughts again I focused on making a list of things to do, or more of a list of what I wanted to do. First and foremost was recover the use of my magic. Second on the list was activate those last couple of towers. Third was raid a library, or download one. Fourth was more vague, save the Seamane region. Funny how simple those first three where compared to the last. Then again the fourth was really a bunch of goals tied together, stopping Slate, Red Eye, Helgrim... But, that was it.

I just lay there staring at Rose's sleeping form. She was intoxicating to me. My eyes drank in her features, which were extenuated in their beauty with the rope on her. My nose drank in her scent as I nuzzled her softly as to not wake her. I felt her coat on my muzzle as I kissed her neck, the softness of her coat, the color, the scent. All of it was getting to me badly. It probably didn't help that I had gotten nothing out of our fun even though I had started out horny that had faded as I had pleasured Rose. Now that I was done with her and my thoughts were adrift it returned to my own desires that I had foregone. I gave a disgruntled sigh as I let my hoof go to work. It wasn't anything like having Rose pleasure me and felt hollow. No joy in it, just getting rid of built up frustration, it almost felt mechanical and left me feeling frustrated and unsatisfied. I just buried my face in Rose's neck and drifted off to sleep.

This nights sleep was better, I only had a few nightmares and those seemed more focused on my worry about the future of my magic. Dreams of green eyes with red iris's, deep cold and shadow. The worst part was reliving Stable twenty three. It seemed that failure and Stable twenty three would be long term companions of mine in my sleep. Fear was something that had heavily grown within my psyche if dream analysis was in any way legitimate. Another way to look at it was some part of me was scared of the things I had come across in my time in the wasteland. To be fair, there is a lot to be feared in the wasteland. The real trick is to not let that fear paralyze you into inaction. Not only does that pretty much seal your fate in a horrible life and death, but, it also screws over those around you. Either making you a drain on their resources or mobility. Or making them have to make the hard choice to abandon or kill you to save themselves, or sell you if their moral fiber is crap. In the morning when I woke I felt physically well rested, but, my mind wasn't so well rested. Looking at the time I figured that by now if Aegis was going to be open today he was open now and grabbed my stuff. I left Rose sleeping and a note of where I had gone.

Entering a rather familiar warehouse I noticed Aegis busying himself with either inventory or mindless paperwork. The door closing was enough noise to get a look up at me. He simply gave a nod as I approached the counter. First unloading all of the needless crap, then questions, in case he didn't want to answer. Because at very least caps to cover what was probably going to be a costly procedure in Tenpony would be worth the trip.

I laid out the excess firearms that I had gathered, he mulled over them before looking through the boxes of ammo and my close to ruined reinforced combat armor. Seriously I went through armor like I did bottles of whiskey. I honestly needed some new armor. My helmet was trashed, the central plates of the combat armor were cracked apart from the ice spikes and blunt force I had received. I had to admit, the armor did its job in keeping me alive. Unfortunately armor generally tended to be useless after the amount of punishment I put it through, and rather unsalvageable. Or at least unsalvageable to me, Aegis smiled as he took what I was offering and headed into the back to find me something worth the items I laid out for him. I still kept my two five point five six millimeter pistols, the battle rifle, the modified laser rifle, and my laser cannon. I had broken down the laser cannon so it could sit in my saddlebags.

Aegis returned and set down a set of really nice armor.

“Seamane Police Riot Armor.” Aegis said with a smile on his face. “Considering how much abuse you take it should hold up a fair bit longer than combat armor.”

I picked it off of the table and pulled it on. Not only did it have a very nice amount of padding and armor, but, it had a nice long coat that was made of Kevlar. The helmet was also very nice, it had some vision enhancement enhancements. It reminded me of my varmint rifle with it's night vision scope. I heard a clink of caps on the table to see a bag caps waiting for me. Of course all of the ammo and rather good quality weapons would more than cover the cost of the riot gear.

“Anything else I can do you for?” Aegis asked, in surprisingly a pleasant tone.

“Parts for a lever action shotgun, as well as a battle rifle?” I asked as I pulled the helmet off.

 What surprised me was the built in space for a unicorns horn. My horn thankfully fit in it, must be more of that fitting magic that seemed to be omnipresent in prewar mass produced barding. Even more surprising was the lack of pain it brought with it. I connected the helmet to the holding slot on the back of the neck of the armor so it rested off of my head. Aegis had returned and set down what I had asked for. It didn't take long to reach reasonable prices for the parts and I asked if I could just put them on in his store. He didn't mind. It probably helped that I had to unload each weapon before modifying them. Once I was done, both the rifle and shotgun were in better condition and I was happy with how well they moved.

“So you all set, or is there something else I can help you with?” Aegis asked, and I noticed the sack of caps that had been set out for me was now smaller.

“One last thing, that portable artillery, it injected me with something to prevent burnout. What exactly was it? Because, if you haven't noticed, currently burned out.” I said eyeing him watching as my words registered with him.

“Ah, yes, that.” Aegis simply said, his body language betraying nothing. “Well as you probably know the portable artillery system was a joint operation of the Ministry of Technology and the Ministry of Arcane Science. It was kept off the book, hence the Office of Interministry Affairs being involved.”

I nodded, made sense from the memory that Steelhooves had shown me. The M.O.T. were not big fans of doing things outside of the earth pony way. I would figure that developing powerful weapons to counter the pony portable balefire egg launcher had been a big thing towards the end of the war. Hay, the Zebra Empire had regenerating tanks, dragons, and even golems. Why wouldn't Equestria have jumped into making weapons that could slay a dragon in one shot, melt a tank to slag, or vaporize a entire rank of golems.

“And that was a prototype?” I asked.

“Yes, scavenged from one of the tech firms in downtown Seamane. Lot of companies here while backed by the Ministry of Technology were left to their own devices on development of whatever they wanted. So long as it was for the betterment of Equestria. Thanks to the base just down the road a lot of it was experimental technology. Kind of like a miniature Hoofington.” Aegis informed me, now sitting and spouting knowledge that I happily consumed.

“Alright, so why here and not just dump it all into Hoofington?” I could see the obvious value in decentralization of research and testing, but, Hoofington was better equipped for this sort of stuff.

“Just like I assume you are thinking. Decentralization, while those who rebuild Hoofington were confident that it would never fall again, not everypony was of course. As well as most firms had offices in each city which feed information back and forth. No point in moving all your assets across the country if you could keep them separated and prevent groupthink.”

That made a lot of sense. Groupthink could cause some rather nasty mistakes or oversights of possible alternatives. It was also something very hard to fight against. I stretched a little getting used to the feeling of the armor as it moved around me and with me. I was surprised with how little it restrained me. It was far less than that of combat armor. Hay, it felt like back when I was wearing leather armor.

“So then, that artillery was meant as a way to supplement Equestria's ground forces, so why the use of a Unicorn as, for a lack of a better term, a battery?” I queried, looking over my shoulder at Aegis and noticing just how far up the armor went on my neck. I was surprised by the fact that my mane stuck out along the neck even though the armor there was reinforced by some sort of system of plates.

“Because it needed a source of vast magical energy, and carrying around a magical gemstone big enough to power it was out of the question. Late in the war they had found a way to convert a Unicorns raw magic into energy to power things.” I shivered remembering Fillydelphia, was that why Red Eye paid more for unicorns? He had them hooked up to some device that milked their magic for them to power his operation? Well that would fit in with his M.O. of forcing others to give every single thing they could until they were not, but, a corpse. Even then I felt he probably did something with them.

“Alright, what about the injection it gave me, some sort of miracle cure for burnout?” I asked, finally getting to the heart of what I was interested in.

“Ah, that was a byproduct of some Ministry of Arcane Science project. I don't have all the specifics of that project, but, in short it was to make super soldiers. Enhance unicorns magical abilities, strengthen their bodies, even giving them wings. It was meant to work on any pony who used it.” Aegis turned and pulled something up on his terminal. But, my mind was panicking at the implications.

“Wait WHAT?! Twilight Sparkle had a project to essentially make fucking ALICORNS?!” I ended with shouting as the panic rose within me as well as I started to feel sweat bead on my forehead. “Oh goddesses what the FUCK DID YOU PUT IN ME?!” I was shouting now, full blown panic, I felt justified in it too. I was glad my weapons were either put away or empty.

“Calm down, the byproduct used in that machine was a batch of it that was known to boast magical abilities and at least recharge their magical reserves.” I felt the force of Aegis' voice beating down my anger at him, my panic mixing with fear of him and fear of what might happen to me. “Now then, have you had any side effects other than enhanced magical abilities, Moonlight?”

“I really bad deep itch that I can't reach, Sir.” I said, then blinked in absolute confusion as to why I called Aegis sir and was now standing up almost like a soldier would. Slowly my stance melted away as I watched Aegis mull over data on his terminal for a long while not answering me. It took the better part of an hour before he addressed me again.

“I would suggest you go to Tenpony Tower then.” Aegis said before powering off his terminal. “Get treated for magical burn out and see about your horn. That itch is purely psychological.”

At this point every bit of energy within me had burnt out from panicking and worrying. Now I had a dull ache and a heaviness in my chest of worry. There was nothing I could do to have countered my panic attack as it went into full swing faster than I could have reacted or noticed my own descent into panicking. Still though, it had been over nothing.

“Well... Okay then, Rose and I were planning on going anyways. Rose if she is up by now is probably talking to Ruby about going with us.” I scowled the last of my panic having melted away with Aegis' informed opinion of my state of being. “Volunteered me as the pack mule for it.”

Aegis then laughed a deep hearty laugh and I blinked at him.

“What is so amusing, Aegis.” I was already feeling emotionally drained after my panicking.

“Nothing, though I have somepony who would be willing to go along with you. He is a friend of mine and needs to get to Manehattan alive. Best if he is with some ponies who know their way around than on his own. Not that I doubt his skill, opposite of that, more of. Well you know how nasty Manehattan is.” He said with a smile still plastered on his face.

“Well send him by Ruby's place, we will finish sorting this out in the next few days.” I said as I turned to leave, feeling a better and worse at the same time. “Oh wait, you didn't answer one of my questions. Do you have more of that stuff? I wouldn't mind paying for it if you did.”

“No, I don't. As useful as it would be there isn't another dose I can give you.” Aegis said with a tone of finality and command.

Without another word I left and returned to Rose's place. There was planning to do, Aegis had thrown me a bone with the information as well as another body for the trip. All that was left to do now was like I had said, finish sorting things out. Though personally I wanted us to go as soon as possible. Every day we waited here was another day I wouldn't have for going east upon our return and hopefully avoiding the mutated life in the Unbound.

Upon my return I was drawn into negotiations with Ruby. She forced me to do a test of my strength to show her how good of a pack mule I would be. In the midst of it all the mysterious extra body that Aegis given me had arrived and was watching us. He had armor like myself, though he had the helmet off and I could tell he was an earth pony. What caught me was his red eyes, I hadn't seen any like them before. My attention was pulled away once more as I was put through another round of tests. When I got a free moment I was able to analyze this stallion more. Beyond his stunning red eyes he had a plain brown coat and a naturally gray mane. He had a slight smile as he watched me put through Ruby's tests. Once she was finally placated and Rose got back to planning out the trip I made my way over to him.

“So, you must be Aegis' acquaintance he wished for me to take to Manehattan.” I said, eyeing him, up close his face showed a lifetime of hard work. It reminded me of Meadows from the memory of Morning Sprout's. “If you hadn't been informed I am Moonlight.” I said with a polite bow.

“I am, and it is a pleasure to meet you, Moonlight.” He said standing and returning my bow. “You can call me Foresight.”

I looked at him, it was an odd name, but, maybe he had changed his name to that. Much like how I assumed Aegis at one point had changed his name.

“Well Foresight, might want to let Ruby know you are coming with us and, if you haven't overheard yet, the plan for this trip to Tenpony Tower.” I said as I turned to look back at Rose and Ruby who were pouring over maps. “Try to keep what you ask for Ruby to take with us light, I may have a strong back, but, I don’t have bones of steel.”

“Don't worry, I travel light.” He simply said as he got up and walked to the table Rose and Ruby were using as their planning table. I took his seat after he got to them and let my legs relax. Whatever the exact plan was escaped me as I watched two of my friends and Foresight hammer out our trip. I stayed awake for only another five minutes before I felt myself nod off using the table beside me as support. I don't think anypony realized that I passed out for a long while.

Footnote: Nine Percent to next level up.

Chapter 16 - Round Trip

Chapter 16 – Round Trip

“I'm so sorry...”

When I had woken up Rose filled me in on the plan. It was simple. So simple because really all we were doing was taking my path backwards, well minus the trip through Canterlot. Foresight looked shocked at the fact I had gone through it. A diversion from the normal track was added, we were going a fair bit out of our way to avoid Shattered Hoof since it was now occupied by some force. Rose had asked what Canterlot was like, and I had filled her in on the abominations that filled the streets, the death spewing speakers, and of course the damn Alicorns that infested the place too. I also mentioned the pink cloud and the nasty effects of it. I was happy that I wasn't fused with my equipment, I shudder to think how nasty it would be to do maintenance on a pipbuck that was fused with ones leg.

“Hey Moonlight, you alright you seem a bit out of it. Well more out of it than usual.” Rose asked, the hint of concern in her voice more obvious than I had expected masked within her silvery voice.

“Well, I don't know, I think I am just still exhausted from Ruby's 'training' yesterday.” I said with a grimace.

Honestly Ruby had put me through the ringer with making certain I was a reliable pack mule for the trip. I looked at Rose to see it hadn't convinced her, and now I wasn't convinced of my own answer.

“Hmm... Well maybe I should help you with that 'training' knot tying is crucial as well as endurance. Learning how to get out of being tied up might help a bit too.” A dark grin formed on my lovers face, one that should have made me panic, would have made probably any other pony run off, I was enticed.

“Sounds like a good way to spend the rest of the week.” I simply replied, we had four more days until we were to head out to Tenpony tower, and I had promised to spend a week as Rose's play thing. So really everything was going just as planned.

*                *                *

To say I was refreshed, relaxed, and over all in a much healthier state of being after the last four days would be an understatement. As it was, it probably was still a understatement. My horn still hurt like hell when I tried to do magic, I still couldn't do magic. However, I was chipper, I felt amazing and a lot less stiff than I had in ages. I also felt like I was not as skinny as I had been. Probably was thanks to being forced to eat and drink regularly instead of only when my body demanded it while I walked. As it was I was practically skipping even with the several hundred pounds of cargo I was carrying. Rose was smiling as we walked out of town with Ruby, Topaz, and Foresight.

The three of them initially faced hoofed at me and Rose as we did skip around. Eventually they accepted the fact that we were both bundles of energy and rather happy. Hay, we probably were happier than any sane pony in the wasteland had the right to be.

We made good time headed back towards Old Appleloosa, as we did I saw a few remains of my former battle. Most notably the crater I hadn't realized I created when I unleashed the fire spell that had ultimately cost me the use of my horn and left it warped. I was awed at what I saw, anything that was metal was warped to a degree that showed extreme heat, the ground hadn't just been frozen over, but, the dirt below the ice had also turned into glass. I didn't mention any of this as we passed the shattered remains of the ice ponies as well. I also saw the frozen remains of the Alicorns that had fought as well. The pass was a mess, but, it was a mess that by the end of summer would be long forgotten and washed away by the rains.

With little more of note we passed through the rest of the badlands and into Old Appleloosa. When we got into town I kept myself fully covered as I saw a few posters with Red Eye's bounty for me on them. Since the train was shut down during the winter we would be spending the night in town, Ruby was well known here so it wasn't much issue to keep the slavers off of our backs. Part of me was annoyed at the fact that I had become accustom to being around slavers and doing nothing about them. But, then again I also saw how reckless actions could plunge this town into chaos and leave it with nothing to support itself with. Every town was practically a faction unto itself. Though it generally had the eyes of a greater community on it. Slaver towns had the eyes of Red Eye on it, so any action within them would inform his group and if you did things like I did or wanted to do would make it hard to be accepted within said towns. There were also places like Dune City and Saint Clover where it was the general community of the region that would be affected. I knew the ponies of the Mage's were a bit more open than I had thought them to be thanks to what Ruby and Topaz had told me about them. While yes they were a gang it was so they could hold a area of influence without somepony else bossing them around.

So as things stood it was going well, nopony here recognized me, nopony here would know what my marefriend looked like so Rose wasn't a dead give away. Ruby and her crew wouldn't be a give away either. She regularly passed through the town. Foresight just looked like a well armed hired gun, which actually might be the truth since ponies kept asking when he would be available for hire. I had actually received a few offers myself for work, but, I had turned them down, and found the modulation of my voice thanks to the speakers and microphone built into the helmet rather helpful. I didn't look like myself, I didn't sound like myself, and I didn't look to be in the company who knew myself. Though once it was found out I was a mare I started getting other requests. I turned them all down as well.

“Excuse me miss, I think I know you.” A stallion said as he walked up to me at the table I sat at with Rose. She was drunk, I was overheated and thirsty as I had no way to drink with the helmet on.

“Oh really now? Who do you think I am.” I said, listening to my metallic and more feminine voice answer out from my helmet.

“You're that bitch I was tried to capture last week.” He said in a drunken slur.

“Right, and how would you know that, I am in full armor, nopony here even knows if I am the gender I am claiming to be.” I answered flatly, and stupidly, too many prattling questions on rates of services had left me with a short fuse, and I could feel fire starting to lick it.

“Because who the fuck else would be wearing Seamane Ranger armor than the Ranger of Seamane.” He said pointing an accusatory hoof at the table. I blinked inside my helmet, I had just got made by a drunk pony, that is actually rather sad.

“I don't know, anypony who wants to keep their hide safe and warm during this damnable winter.” I answered as flatly as I could hoping any edge in my voice was erased by the helmets modulation.

“How about you take that helmet off and show your face then, that will prove if you are or aren't who I think you are.” He retorted and then took another swig of alcohol. I gave a sigh and closed my eyes as I took the helmet off shaking my mane free as I set it on the table beside me. I opened my eyes to see the drunk had passed out on the floor, and everypony was looking at him, not me. I simply face hoofed at the fact that if I had just waited a few moments more my identity would still be a mystery. As it was I could feel the eyes of the rest of the bar move from him to me. Then unexpectedly things went back to normal and somepony dragged off the drunkard.

“Well that went better than I expected.” I said looking at Rose who was plastered at the moment, she also saw that my helmet was off and my mouth open. I have to say, being kissed by your lover can really change your mood in a heartbeat. It also can change your heart rate and priorities equally as fast. I heard some whooping from the drunk crowd that was still paying attention to me at the moment. As I broke the kiss I figured now was as good of time as any for a drink or two. So I decided I would get a round for us and a fair bit of water for Rose. I really did not want to see how bad hangovers hit her, more so with the trip through the mountains between here and New Appleloosa.

“Bottle of Wild Pegasus and a fair bit of water if you don't mind.” I said as I sat down on a bar stool at the bar itself as the barpony came to see what I wanted.

“Seventy caps.” He said and I pulled out the allotted caps as he fished out my drinks. I stood and set the drink on my back and walked back to the table with Rose who was not wearing my helmet and quoting bad science fiction novels. I set down the drinks and took back my seat.

“Mistress, these ponies don't know the glory of the Imperium of Equis. Should I cleanse these heretics?” Rose asked me as I had a mouth full of Wild Pegasus. I did my best to not lose any of the drink, I managed despite my respiratory systems best efforts. When the hay had she read those novels, I thought I left them back in Dune City?! Oh wait right probably when I was off getting thrown through the clouds and then nearly turned into a gray and blue pony pancake. I fought to get the rest of my drink down as Rose hugged me and laughed as she set the helmet down on the table. “Sorry Moony, I didn't mean to make you choke.”

“It is alright,” I coughed out, smelling and tasting alcohol still.

“I heard you could chug Wild Pegasus, may I see you do it?” Rose attempted to purr through her drunkenness. I shrugged and took a drink of water first.

“Sure, not like it would hurt me that much.” I said and then proceeded to chug down the whiskey. When I finished Rose was looking at me with stunned eyes as I reached for a bottle of water. Drinking in all reality was more of a battle between a poison that dehydrated you and yourself. I didn't want to lose. I also ignored the annoying clicking of my Pipbuck informing me that everything I was drinking had traces of radiation in it. I knew from even the read out in my Eyes Forward Sparkle I was no where near having a dangerous amount of radiation exposure. Hay, I had learned that it didn't hurt to be some what radioactive in the wasteland. Otherwise one would be wasting a lot of Rad-X and RadAway to keep constantly at zero. Plus it seemed as though I had become resistant to radiation after being in the radioactive hell hole that was Fillydelphia.

“Hey, Moony?” Asked Rose in my ear, a bit too close to it as I swear she started licking it afterwards.

“Uh, yes Rose?” I asked forcing myself to not flinch from the sudden intrusion of my personal space and thoughts.

“How about we head up for the night?” She asked me before I felt her weight against me. I nodded as I finished another bottle of surprisingly heavily irradiated water.

“Just drink a few bottles of water so you don't have a headache when the alcohol goes out of your system.” I said pointing two three bottles I had left out for her and began on another bottle myself. “Trust me, you don't want to experience a hangover while walking.”

Without further persuasion she drank the water and I finished mine off. The others weren't as tired as Rose or myself so they were going to stay down here for a while longer. I couldn't blame them, the place as nice once you got past the whole slaving thing. That kind of seemed like a theme I was noticing. Ignore this one rather bad thing about this place and it is rather nice. Except I didn't know what I could say that too with regards to Saint Clover. That kind of bugged me, it wasn't paradise, or Dise either. Dise... Been a while since I thought about that place to the south. I remember Mom and Dad talking about it from time to time, explaining that is where Mom had been born and grew up, then when Dad and Grandpa had been in town she left with them. Beyond the bits about the main attractions of the casinos I knew little of the place other than that it wasn't worth my time. I was inclined to agree, the place was based around exploiting everypony they could without slavery. Which was only a step up from slavery itself with what I heard they would do when it came to getting sex workers, get them hooked on something then threaten to cut them off if they don't work for them. Then again things could and probably had changed in the twenty plus years since Mom and Dad had been there.

I was snapped back to reality with realizing I had been on autopilot while taking Rose to our room, while she was taller, and heavier, than me I was strong enough to keep her upright until we made it to bed. Rose always seemed to take pleasure in unexpected teasing and advances. Which, you know what as a couple I couldn't argue with them, and they were generally fun as long as we weren't in public. Once we were out of the public I think the term perverts, deviants, or kinky would describe us to most. Then again considering raiders existed maybe some would cut us some slack and just call us kinky. Though not part of being kinky was the stallion who walked in during the middle with a riot shotgun.

“Finish your show, least I could do for two pretty unicorns that will get me quite a few caps.” He said with a grin as he held the shotgun in the air with his magic. I didn't look lower on his form, but, I could imagine how he was reacting to the scene. My mood was out the window, but, unfortunately that didn't matter, and no matter how much I willed it I knew help wasn't coming as the stallion closed the door behind him. He wasn't the drunk from earlier, but, I figured he had decided to take the gambit of trying to catch me. He saw Rose as a bonus, and the situation he came in on a second bonus. If my magic had been back I would have-

“Fuck you.” Rose said and the stallion's head exploded without a sound. I blinked in absolute confusion as his body in Rose's magic quietly slumped to the ground and the blood was forced back into the body and the wound cauterized. My mood was thoroughly gone, through Rose's seemed to have gone into overdrive as she pressed into me. I filed this new side of Rose as something to be feared, never piss off Drunk Horny Rose, unless you wished to die. I decided that satisfying my drunk and horny lover while keeping her from reciprocating would be best for my physical and probably mental health. I also needed to find out how the hay she managed to blow his head off without a sound.

In the morning I looked over the corpse of our would be attacker and checked the ammo he had. He had a Ironshod Firearms IF-9 Combat Shotgun full of explosive ammo.

“Why the hay would you try to capture somepony with explosive rounds?! Ugh, stupid pony... Well you got what you deserved.” I said quietly to myself as I looted his corpse. A few minutes later I felt the familiar warm embrace of Rose upon me. Again she had managed to sneak up on me without a sound and the only indication she was on me was her letting her weight lay against me. I swear she probably could choke someone to death without them realizing her hooves were around their throat.

“Care to explain how you made his head go pop without a sound?” I asked Rose as I turned my head up to nuzzle her neck.

“Simple, he was focused on you, I grabbed a round from his shotgun while having a silencing spell on him then set the round off with a bit of heat.” She said as it it was the easiest thing in the world. I stared up at her beautiful face and her long horn. Maybe length of horn was a measure of magical power, oh the envy that must have caused ponies back in the day around Celestia and Luna. I blinked looking up at my tall slender lover. She really was a big pony for having been enslaved from an early age. On the other hoof I was small, in fact Silver Shores was taller than me when I left and he had yet to get out of the years in which stallions grew. It hit me just like that, I was the smallest pony I knew, though I knew one other pony who had a shorter horn than I.

Coming back to reality I felt something warm and wet on my horn.

“Rose... really now is not the time, we are sitting in front of the headless corpse of a pony who tried to enslave us, failing that kill us, and force us to have sex in front of him. Which we did end up having sex in front of after he was headless...” I trailed off as Rose had no intention of stopping with playing with me, as I felt her take me back to bed, we still had two hours until sunrise, but, I think she figured out that I had kept her from getting me off last night due to the awkwardness of the dead pony in the room. She also wasn't giving me a choice in the matter now, I gave a frustrated moan as my body betrayed me. Celestia please understand, the pleasure of flesh is hard to escape.

An hour later once Rose was satisfied that she had returned the favor from last night with interest, as well as leaving me sore and exhausted I had managed to lay down the rules of no sex while there is a corpse in the room. No matter who old or fresh said corpse was. She agreed once she realized how off putting it was to me. I figured that after her time around raiders not many things influenced her about time and place for sex anymore. It was a miracle that she didn't try to do it in public. Oh goddesses protect me when I introduced her to my family. Though I had to admit I was envious of her flexibility, and that envy was getting paid back with her making me more flexible. Though it still disturbed me what she described having done in the past, there were things that made me cringe at the thought of doing or having done to me. Seriously there was only so much punishment the pony body could take before it should be injured and what she told me was beyond what I thought possible. Of course she also made mention that she needed to get some 'toys' if we found a special 'shop' anywhere in our travels.

Thankfully before she could describe anything beyond a strap-on Ruby came to fetch us, and noticed the corpse, she thankfully just sighed when she saw it and told us to leave it there. Apparently midnight foalnapping was a common problem for those who weren't known that well. Which made it sound like either you had to get in with a few of the locals who would make certain nopony would go after you, or, you had to leave a few corpses around of those who failed to get you. The decapitated body of a pony sounded like a good indicator of being too hard to get to be worth while. I traded the Riot Shotgun for my Lever Action Shotgun which I gave to Rose. The semi-automatic drum fed shotgun would be easier to use than the lever action.

As we walked out of town and towards the pass I started to wonder about why certain guns existed. There wasn't a huge variety of guns out there, most were magazine fed semi-automatic weapons. However you did have some bolt action guns like hunting rifles, which weren't that bad to deal with as an earth pony or pegasi could just have a battle saddle work the mechanism for them. But, then there were the revolvers, why the hay were they popular? Why did they even exist? Beyond using a speed loader, which was not easy to do for anypony without magic, you had to load one bullet at a time and hold it in your mouth or hooves to do so. I could understand things like rocket launchers which were meant to be used with battle saddles or magic only, but, a sidearm shouldn't be a revolver for anypony beyond a magic user. I thought back to This Gun, and it's twin that my Pipbuck had hilariously decided to name That Gun. Both took rifle rounds, something that would pack a large kick in a rifle, into short barreled revolvers. I had found This Gun with an earth pony. It seemed silly, neigh, ridiculous that anypony would have a gun like that. It would be like having a pistol that shot fifty caliber machine gun rounds. The kick would be insane, it would just be pointless. Yet, I knew for a fact there were revolves that used forty four magnum rounds, only a step down from the fifty caliber. At least I had yet to see any indication some pony had made a pistol that shot shotgun shells from it. That would be overkill.

It was about two in the afternoon when we finally got to the top of the pass and could barely make out the ghostly ruins of Canterlot, I noticed the faint pink of the cloud still around the ruins. I was the only one to stop to stare at it, this was my first time properly seeing the city from a distance. Rose didn't even know that it was there, hay, I wasn't certain what she knew any more. I shook my head out of the clouds of thought, we were now in the heartland of Equestria. I started to walk again before anypony noticed my distracted state. Unfortunately somepony had, and they were shooting at us now. I pulled out This Gun in my mouth and started to look around for where the shots were coming from. I also kept moving as the ponies around me opened up, at the sky. Crap, we had fliers after us.

I turned and looked at the sky to see a wing of gryphons on approach and armed to the teeth. Then I heard the sound of several machine guns firing off as one of the attacking gryphons lost its wings and fell out of the air. I hit S.A.T.S. and set three rounds into the nearest gryphon and let the spell do it's magic. Two rounds missed, the third hit and did little damage to the gryphon. As time slide back to its normal pace the machine gun fire continued roaring out from behind me chewing through another heavily armored gryphon. I fired the last two rounds that were loaded scoring me a wounded gryphon falling back. A few moments later the rest followed suit after losing two of their wing. For now the battle was over and we had repelled the ambush.

I walked to the corpse of one of the two fallen gryphons and began to pick him over. That is when I noticed the letter on him. The letter itself was from Helgrim, a bounty on my head on top of the one from Red Eye's group. I was now worth ten thousand caps alive, five thousand dead. I scowled as I reloaded This Gun with the ammo I scavenged off of the gryphons, lucky for me they had been using battle saddles for assault carbines. I took those as well and put them on under the Kevlar coat of the Riot Armor. Now I had some serious firepower that I didn't have to manually reload. I stored the rest of my weapons beyond That Gun and This Gun in my saddlebags as they would just get in the way for now.

It was evening when we got to New Appleloosa, as we had planned. Getting in this time was easier as a guard spotted us and had Crane operate the crane to let us in. I had to admit it was impressive to see telekinesis that strong. A thought came to mind that I should talk to him as he probably would have some knowledge about magic compared to anypony else in this town. Ruby set us up with a place to stay. I tagged the place on my pipbuck so I could find it properly, then I explained I was going to find this Crane and see what information he had on my situation.

“Mind if I come along with you, Moonlight?” Asked Rose, I just gave a smile to her as we left. It wasn't hard to find where he lived thanks to the ponies of New Appleloosa being more friendly this time now that they knew who I was. It probably helped that I had waited for somepony to let me into the town this time instead of jumping the wall. Rose had commented on she thought the wall would be taller, I just giggled and shook my head.

Finding Crane's residence I knocked on the metal door and heard the sounds of movement from within. As we waited for him to answer I saw a familiar rust colored pegasus down the street going from Ditzy Doo's store to the Apple Whiskey's. He was walking the other way so he didn't see us, though seeing him gave me a idea of talking to him about my newly acquired battle saddle seeing as he had a custom built one. He also had mentioned making five point five six pistols in the past, so if anypony knew how to instruct me on the delicate mechanical workings of a battle saddle it would be him. That or ask Foresight, who I didn't feel quite ready to ask a favor from. The door opened and I saw the stallion named Crane.

“Crane I presume?” I queried, my helmet probably making my voice and myself more intimidating than intended.

“Yes, how can I help?” Crane answered after a moment.

“They say you are the most powerful telekinetic in all of Equestria, I would like a bit of help.” I said, “do you mind?”

“Come on in, and take that helmet off.” He said stepping back allowing Rose and I to enter his home. Once inside I removed my helmet with my hooves and set it on the ground next to me.

“Sorry, forget that the helmet covers my whole head.” I said apologetically to Crane.

“Well I figured if you were looking for trouble you would have had a silenced gun.” He responded with a smile crawling across his muzzle.

“Ah, true. Anyways, name is Moonlight, and as you can see I am a unicorn. I have a problem, I over did some fire magic to the point it warped my horn and well I can't seem to do magic. Figure right now you are probably the foremost expert in the field beyond those in Tenpony.” I said as Rose joined me on the thin mat that sat in the home.

“Oh? Well now that you mention it your horn does look rather badly damaged, to the point it looks like something out of one of those story books or comics for a villain.” He mused while he took me in. I looked up at my warped horn, over the past week bits of it had eventually flaked off revealing its now more sinister form. It started out the normal rounded horn of a unicorn until a little above the base the spiral faded away and the horn bent back towards me forming a wicked bladed like horn. To a degree it reminded me of how a changelings horn looked, but, a lot sharper.

“Yeah, I pumped a fair bit of power into a fire spell, it worked, but, it did leave me drained to say the least and afterwards my horn was glowing red and, well it bent to the curve you see now.” I said giving it a gentle touch, thankfully over the past week it had gotten a lot less tender. “What I want to know is anything you can think of for restoring my magic, as well as what you know about magical burn out and treating magical burn out.”

“Simple enough, now let me get to work on examining our horn. It is alright if I touch it? I know burnout leaves one's horn rather tender.” He said with a hint of sympathy for me.

“Gently it is still rather sensitive, not as bad as it was where I would be left spasming for minutes.” I said and closed my eyes.

He then set to checking it over with what he knew and filling me in about everything he knew about magic and unicorn biology relating to it. Which sadly was not much new information beyond his cure for burnout. Which was located in various ingredients found only in the Everfree Forest. Which had of course gotten worse over the years. None the less I took notes of both the preparation for the alchemy as well as detailed descriptions of the various plants that made up the potion.

“If you have time winter is generally the best time to go into the Everfree to search for these plants. If you happen to go there please bring what you can to me, think of it as an optional payment for the information.” Crane said to us as we left, Rose had found the session of learning more informative than I had. However, after all the time I put into researching magic and unicorn biology it wasn't much new information to me.

Still, the potion for treating magical burnout was priceless and I made a small note to our itinerary that I wanted to swing by the Everfree Forest before passing through New Appleloosa again. I was also planning on if I could taking entire plants with us and soil from the Everfree so I could hopefully grow some if not all of the plants required for the potion back in Seamane. It would be an invaluable resource.

When we left I took us up to Apple Whiskey's place, hopeful that Calamity would still be there. Entering the building I was greeted with the familiar smell of apples and alcohol. I saw Calamity was still here and was indeed partaking in some of the local flavor. I noticed that Ruby and Topaz were here as well, I gave them a small nod and walked up to Calamity, clearing my throat once I was close enough that he should hear me.

“Calamity?” I asked, he turned to look at me and blinked a second in confusion, probably trying to place who I was and how I knew his name before a smile came to his face.

“Why if it ain't the Ranger of Seamane herself!” He said before putting a foreleg around me. “Ah am surprised to see ya again so soon.”

I smiled, “got to go to Tenpony tower to get my horn fixed.”

He eyed my horn, “how the hay did ya do that?”

“Channeled too much magic into a fire spell, dangerous to do for several reasons, didn't have a choice though. After all I was fighting the spirit of winter itself.” I said with pride.

“So there was something up in Canterlot causin' all the snow?” He asked with that odd accent of his.

“Yeah, a Wendigo in fact.” I said, feeling a slight shiver go through me at the memory of the bitter cold and the ice ponies it had used.

“Dang girl that is a impressive kill, but, Ah take it you ain't here to brag.” He said as I noticed Rose giving us a odd look, not in anger about some strange Stallion having his arm around me.

“I remembered your custom battle saddle as well as you mentioned making two special pistols. I figured you would be the best pony to chat with for learning how to work with custom hardware.” I simply said, from the joy that lit his face I knew I had hit what I wanted, his pride in his work.

“Well what are we waiting for girl, let me teach ya a few things about battle saddles and wasteland engineering!” He said and dragged me out of Apple Whiskey's, as he did I caught Rose's expression torn between laughter and frustration as she watched me get taken away.

I also realized I had failed to introduce her to Calamity so as far as she knew wasteland engineering was a euphemism. So either I was going to have hell to pay or she was going to be teasing me endlessly.

It wasn't long before we stopped, again at Ditzy Doo's store, apparently the two pegasi had a good relationship. Good enough that she allowed Calamity to use her store as a impromptu school for teaching me how to properly maintain and use battle saddles beyond just shooting things with them. As it was I swapped out one assault carbine for the riot shotgun and repaired the remaining assault carbine to prime condition. I turned to thank Calamity only to see Rose sitting in the room with us.

“Uh... how long have you been there?” I asked her, Calamity turning to see who I was addressing.

“You know, I honestly thought it was going to be more exciting.” She said feigning disinterest.

“Calamity, this is my marefriend, White Rose.” I said extending a hoof towards Rose who gave a slight bow of her head. “Rose, this is a acquaintance of mine, Calamity.” He tipped his hat to her.

“Nice to meet ya ma'am.” Calamity said with that perpetual smile on his face.

“Nice to meet you as well, Calamity.” Rose responded a smile now on her face. “I thought there would be more kissing.” She said, making me blush and look away from both of them.

“Well now, Ah ain't the sort of buck who would do that sort of thing with somepony already taken.” Calamity responded, then laughed realizing the humor. “Heh, not used to somepony else having a sense of humor like that.”

“I was wrong, laughter isn't a dead virtue...” I muttered to myself trying to force my blush to go away.

“I didn't quite catch that, Moony.” Said Rose stifling a giggle.

“Moony?” Calamity said before breaking into laughter himself.

I closed my eyes and let out a deep sigh as I shook my head. It was pointless to try to stop them, it was all in good fun and not trying to make fun of me. The jokes weren't for degrading me, they were just jests at me. I forced a smile on to my face and looked at them both.

“Right, you two better watch yourselves once my magic is back or it is off to the moon with you!” I said then stuck my tongue out at them as we all laughed. We laugh together not at each other, such a fine line between harmony and disharmony.

After a while more of making jokes and in general enjoying each others company with Ditzy Doo and Calamity, Rose and I left to where we were staying for the evening. It was not as nice as Colt or even Old Appleloosa, but, it would do.

When I woke up it was to the chewing of my ear between snores. I tapped the button to bring up my Eyes Forward Sparkle and check the time. I was up an hour before I needed to be, and with the rather rough treatment of my ear I doubted I could get back to sleep. So I resigned myself to thinking. Only problem was I had nothing really to think about thanks to all the free time walking. I honestly had nothing further to think about at the moment.

I frowned then had a idea, I was going to see how far I could get Rose along before she woke up. After all most of the time she liked to be in charge, now was my chance for the second time in our relationship to have a bit of fun at my own pace and under my own volition.

An hour later and Rose was waking up confused and feeling rather pleasant from my hoof work. I had avoided what I knew to be the most sensitive parts opting for the less sensitive parts. Such attention brought about the inevitable at a much slower pace. The look on Rose's face when she realized what I had been doing was priceless, the blush was amazing.

“Morning, love.” I said with the sultry voice that I had been practicing, the blush began to make her fur smoke. “You alright?” I said as I laid myself against her, causing her to look away and cover her face with a hoof. I started to giggle quietly as we lay there.

“You are terrible, you know that Moonlight?” Rose finally said before wrapping a leg around my shoulders.

“After last night I felt it was the least I could do.” I said nuzzling into her neck. She didn't say anything for a few minutes.

“Can you in the future not do that?” She said quietly, the usual silver of her voice gone. I realized I had probably brought back a bad memory. I felt my ears flatten as my joyous mood was blown out like a candle in a Wendigo’s roar.

“Alright, sorry.” I said as I got up and started getting my barding on.

The rest of the day I kept my helmet on and didn't say anything. It went slowly as I quietly moped and followed behind Rose as we headed further towards the Manehattan ruins and skirted around the area of Shattered Hoof. Beyond a couple of raider fights we had a quiet trip, quieter since until we reached the Manehattan ruins I had nothing to contribute to the conversations. Now that we were here I was going to have to give out the information I had on the area since of those of us here I had most recently been through the place.

“Okay, so for the most part the roads are the same as always, just now instead of manticores, raiders, steel rangers, and gryphons to look out for you now also have wings of alicorns. They generally will plant themselves like a turret, toss up a shield and unleash hell with their magic. As for a measure of how powerful said magic is, it is that of a high power magical energy weapon.” I said, getting a impressed whistle from Foresight. “As such, if they attempt to engage, run. Short of grenade machine guns, rocket launchers, and high power energy weapons you can't hurt them. They also learn quickly through an interconnected intelligence. Think of it as there is a puppet master controlling each body and they can't be overwhelmed with how many puppets at once they are operating.”

“So if we see them hide, if they see us run?” Ruby said, her voice betraying her dislike for the plan.

“It is that or have the 'Goddess' do who knows what to you. Fairly certain make you into a mindless puppet for her.” I said flatly, I was making certain to keep all identifying markings of myself hidden until we entered Tenpony Tower for the sake of not having anypony go out of their way to stomp us.

“Then we best get moving, we have little daylight left and if she is correct there are a number of ponies looking for her head.” Foresight said looking at me, I was grateful that he seemed to get that even mentioning my name was a hazard at this point. Hay, standing on the edge of the Manehattan ruins I felt like I was about to take a plunge like when walking into Fillydelphia, walking into my enemies territory.

“One more thing, from what I have seen the three types of alicorns have specific magics they are best at. Blue can go invisible like a zebra invisibility cloak, purple can teleport, and green can read minds, not just speak in them.” I said as I fidgeted in place, I wanted to get going, the shadows in the broken windows felt like they had innumerable eyes staring at me, through me.

“Well, that makes them a pain, alright lets just focus on getting to Tenpony tower then. Don't let your thoughts wander for the sake of our safety.” Foresight said before taking point, I was to take back with Rose just ahead of me.

Since New Appleloosa I hadn't said anything to her, I figured when she was feeling ready to talk she would say it. Still though it hadn't changed much, we still slept together, but, I felt less like her lover and more of... no less of a pony and more of a thing. I guess I felt like I had stepped on a landmine and it went off, now I was just deeply hurt and melancholic for the time being.

Last night I had also swapped out the assault carbine for the metal blaster as my seemingly sentient pipbuck decided to call it. If we fought any alicorns I would need it as well as the explosive rounds of the riot shotgun to even hope to deal with them while we attempted to escape. I had no doubts that any attempt of escape would more than likely be cut off and require significant firepower to deal with.

The first hour of the walk was thankfully uneventful. As soon as that hour ended I noticed a change in Rose's demeanor and began to scan around us for the cause. I spotted it, a green alicorn in a window five stories up. I raised myself up on my rear hooves and hit S.A.T.S. even from here I had a ludicrously high chance of hitting the alicorn. Her shield wasn't even up yet. So I was left with a question. If I shot her then more alicorns would show up to find where we had gone. If I didn't shoot it was likely that this alicorn would divine who I was through Rose and we would have a wing on our tail anyways. Damn it, either way we were in trouble and I was the center of it. I triggered the spell and watched as the alicorn turned to dust and everypony stopped to see what had caused the flash of light.

“Run! More will be here any second!” I shouted as I spun checking for any dots in the sky or unaccounted for bars on my E.F.S.

So far there were none, I knew that wouldn't last, hay, I was surprised no purple ones had teleported in already. I turned to look where the alicorn had been as the others were racing off already. I was right, there was one standing there staring at me. I turned and followed the rest deciding against trying to lure the alicorns away. They knew my potential, they had no reason to mess around with directly attacking me. The rest were unknowns, hay, if the green one hadn't gotten the information out of Rose yet or the others on who I was they didn't know who I was, yet.

We had made it two blocks before we got hit. Not by who I was expecting, but, by a wing of gryphons, or more accurately three gryphons who made up the wing that had attacked us near New Appleloosa. I slide around the corner as they strafed the street that the rest had turned down, the gryphons had no idea I was there and I had a clean shot on them as they flew at me. I hit S.A.T.S. and fired one explosive shell at each of them then used the last of the spells charge to plant a blast from Metal Blaster into a car ahead of them. I released the spell and watched as the shell landed where I wanted them to and did more than anticipated in knocking the wind out the the gryphons causing them to crash next to the car that I then watched glow red for a second then blind me an a fury of unleashed hell. I fell back on my haunches as I blinked away the after images and the lenses of my helmet tried to shield my eyes from the harsh light of the atomic fire.

When my eyes had adjusted I saw three burning bodies with wings, a good sign. I got to my hooves and ran to the rest, they had kept going as soon as the strafing run had passed and I was now a block behind them. Who knew what was behind me. Actually I should check if there was a raving mass of raiders after my tail, because that would be important to know. I looked behind me to see no a single soul giving chase. It almost felt wrong that I was getting away this easy. Though I had the issue of I was playing catch up, and was all alone at the moment. I knew the rest were only a few blocks ahead of me, but, still it was unsettling to be alone once again in these ruins. I shook off the tendrils of fear before they got a good grip on my mind. This was no time to let fear get the best of me.

'No it isn't.' Said the annoyingly familiar voice of the Goddess in my head.

'Told you that you are not welcome in my mind. Get out before I find a way to force you out again.' I replied as I took another corner following the pipbuck tag for Rose.

'Now, now, you should introduce your friends to us.' Came the voice of the Goddess again.

'Oh I did already, they know all about you. You also were digging around in my marefriend's mind. I don't take kindly to that sort of thing you know?' I saw them five blocks ahead, we had about five more minutes at this pace to get to the station for accessing Tenpony tower. Still plenty of time for somepony to ambush us.

'Oh I agree, plenty of time for somepony to ambush your friends. Not you though, we know how foolish it is to strike at you directly.' Came the Goddess again in a far too calm voice that sent chills through me as I watched my friends running towards what could easily be a trap.

'No...' was all I could say as images of them galloping into a trap ran through my head.

'Yes'

'You are a monster.'

'We are not a monster, we only wish to uplift all so they may thrive in the wasteland as we do. You are the monster for fighting against the best hope for ponykind to survive past this chapter of history.'

'Shut up before I find a balefire bomb to end you with.' I retorted as I poured on the speed running over and leaping from carriage to carriage that were in my way.

'Come to Maripony if you want to try.' I heard in my head again, I ignored it and pulled all of my focus onto catching up and protecting my friends.

I heard gunfire erupt from around me and a explosion caught me in the middle of a jump and sent me into a near by carriage. I pushed myself out the opposite door that I had crashed through. I ducked around the front to see a group of raiders, no slavers with rather nasty looking guns and lack of cobbled together armor. I hit S.A.T.S. and unloaded the riot shotgun rounds into them. The distance and cover made the shots tricky to say the least, but, they landed home and harmed their targets. I charged at them, I needed to kill them so they wouldn't chase after me and after my friends. I unloaded Metal Blaster into them cratering their armor and the ground around them as they started to break off to what cover was around. I rolled as I dodged another explosion from the grenade launcher in the group and hit the reload bar for the shotgun as I skirted around a carriage.

Click.

I froze and looked up to see a fifty caliber pistol held in the jaws of a massive earth pony stallion. He was grinning around the mouth bit.

“Fuck me with my gun.” I spat out.

“That's the plan.” He said around a mouth full of handle. His friends showed up and liberated me of my weapons.

*                *                *

To say they were excited that I was both a unicorn and a mare would be a massive understatement. Even more excited when they found the bounty note for myself on me. I really should have thrown that away. Hindsight... Whatever the case the Goddess was taking delight in my predicament, she even told me that thanks to my 'heroic' sacrifice my friends had made to Tenpony safe and sound. Thankfully I had shown Rose how to use the pipbuck tag system. Hopefully they will remember I was carrying most of what Ruby was wanting to sell as well as we had made the trip to fix my horn. Taking Foresight to Manehattan had just been a secondary thing. Whatever the case now that it was night the slavers had shackled me and put a inhibitor ring on my horn.

Apparently these slavers knew it is smart to not leave a unicorn alone with their magic. They were doubly fortunate in that even without the inhibitor ring my magic was still useless to me. What I would give for even basic telekinesis right now.

As it was I had a cold bare room to myself while the slavers had a room with a fire inside of a barrel. The building they had taken me to was only a few blocks away from where I got caught. Figuring on how the place was laid out and the proximity to Tenpony they preyed off of those going to the tower itself. Made a lot of sense as anypony in or out was likely to have a fair bit of money as well as equipment and food. Failing being able to do simple banditry they always had slaves to catch and sell. They had gotten lucky with me. I didn't even bother with the bobby pins in my hair for attempting to free myself. I didn't have my magic and they had a lot of guns. I was thankful that at least for now they weren't playing with me. As it was I lay as well as I could on the cardboard 'bed' that was in here. I settled down running through my mind the bits and pieces I knew of hoof to hoof combat. It wasn't anything stellar and the big earth pony stallion was going to be a problem. Even if I was some how as strong as him, his mass alone was a hazard to deal with. Be on the wrong end of a buck or charge and I was either out cold or crippled.

I kept an eye on my radiation count as I noticed it was constantly slowly clicking. While I would be fine for a few days at the level of exposure in the room I knew they would more than likely be taking me to goddesses knows where well before then. Hopefully Rose would be able to convince the rest to mount a rescue come morning. Until then I was stuck, and for the first time I actually felt completely helpless. It was not a pleasant feeling. I felt small, weak, scared. I was holding my tail fighting to keep myself from crying. It was scary, oh it was scary to be alone and truly without any power over your situation. I had given up on keeping myself from shivering. A few times one of the slavers had looked in and laughed wondering how such a pathetic mare could have managed to get such a huge bounty. I knew, it was from personally humiliating a member of Red Eye's army and then taunting beings far more powerful than myself. Now I was regretting it.

At some point I had managed to slip into unconsciousness and managed what felt like a few hours of sleep. With my thoughts a bit more collected I realized I was being stored in essentially a overgrown supply closet. I would have preferred a bathroom stall over this. No, on second thought that would be worse. Still though a closet was not an idle place to be. Then again that was exactly why I was in it. I had no place to hide, nothing to use, and I was easily viewable from the half remaining door. Testing my bonds I found I could manage a slow walk with them, but, not much more than some pony hobbling along on three legs. Range of movement was limited thanks to my elbow held the cuff that would have been lower on my leg if not for my pipbuck. I was stiff as always when I was forced to sleep on concrete with little to nothing to lay upon. I heard murmurs from the other room which caused me to freeze up, panic began to set in as I remembered the severity of my situation again. I lay back down curled up again trying to calm myself down.

Loud hoof steps approached the makeshift holding cell. I heard a few laughs and chuckles as somepony commented about how he was going to split me. I heard bets exchanged on how badly I would bleed. I fought back bile, slavers were in fact only slightly different from raiders. Some how I found slavers worse, probably because of how civil they could be if they wanted to compared to raiders, which made it worse when they became this debased. The door opened and the heavy hoof steps entered the room with me. Figuring on the weight behind each step I figured it was the giant green earth stallion who had caught me. The one that could mouth wield a fifty caliber pistol.

“What do you want.” I said, not moving to look at the stallion behind me.

“To talk, so I can decide on what happens to you next.” He responded, his voice much more gentle than it had right to be for a bastard like him, hay it was far more refined than it should be.

“Alright, what do you want to talk about.” I said rolling over awkwardly leaving myself in a position I hadn't been meaning for, to say the least it was a pose I would have liked for Rose to see. It elicited a grin on my captors face.

“I want you to tell me who you are, where you are from. I want to see if you are worth the hassle of contacting Red Eye's guys for the bounty or not.” He said as I took his features in and as I drifted looking at his legs he decided to give me a good view of his genitals. I blushed and focused my sight on his face, his grin had become toothy now.

“Fine, I'll tell you all the great gossip about the Ranger of Seamane from her mouth directly.” I said with a scowl. He just continued to grin as I told him what he wanted to hear. I could tell he was thinking over what I told him, trying to work out the truths of what I told him. I figured it would be best to just say the truth of every situation, if he thought I had lied lying wouldn't matter. Telling the truth in a situation like this was the best option that I could see. Though the doubt that had crept into my mind from the Goddess's talk to me began to bite at what confidence and strength I had left in me. She didn't even need to be around now, my own mind was doing her work for her in beginning to tear myself down.

The whole time I had been talking to the stallion my doubt had been noting every failure, every stupid choice, and noting how I was just a lustful mare in heat whenever anypony with a desirable physique was around. I continuously pointed out how in fact I had been pining over Snow when I talked about her, the edited version of my time with Homage brought back feelings I had suppressed from then. Then my doubt pointed out even now I was suppressing my desires for this massive stallion in front of me. Then doubt turned mean, taking my doubts about Rose against me. Telling me I should have gone for it each of those times. The fact that Rose even though I had and was surprised at the fact I had not ever done so. I blinked as I felt myself get shoved onto my back and snapped out of my mind.

“I have decided, you might want to close your eyes for this.” He said as I felt something prick me on my stomach and a numbness began to spread quickly. “And to speed up the process of you getting adjusted to this new life of yours you might want to get used to thinking you are with your precious Rose.”

What the hay did he... no he couldn't mean he was. Then I felt it, it was nothing like my times with Rose. It hurt, it was far too large and sudden, I tried to struggle, but, found myself nothing but a limp rag doll in his grip. I couldn't close my eyes either. Whatever it was he had given me had paralyzed me, I blinked, I breathed, my heart beat, but, beyond the basic automatic functions of the body I was paralyzed. Paralyzed and forced to watch as he rutted me over and over. All I could do is cry, I couldn't voice my pain, or unfortunately pleasure. Ponies are just like any animal, you trigger nerves that are meant to elicit pleasure, it gives them pleasure. You hit the nerves to cause pain you cause pain. Emotional distress did play a role in damping the pleasure which helped. I felt less lost than I would have otherwise.

Doubt had decided it had been quiet enough and now was the time to fuck with me some more. The fact that I was feeling pleasure from this was enough to begin the argument within me of how I was just a slut. I just wanted to fuck whomever I came across that caught my eye. I loved to be dominated, to be forced, coerced, lead into bad things, bad situations. I enjoyed the thrill of throwing myself into dangerous situations that could lead to this, to pain. I took pleasure in the thoughts of this happening to me, I enjoyed the feeling of pain. Masking my enjoyment as saying it made me feel alive, to no longer be in that death like state of the void that was my life before leaving Saint Clover. I enjoyed this for the reason that it was part of the world, the world I so enjoyed like a raider or slaver. I looted the graves of long dead ponies. I killed ponies just because they wore raider armor instead of scaring them off. I used them as cannon fodder when fighting the Wendigo. Hay, look at the two colts I nearly killed while in a bad mood because they brandished dull knives at me.

I felt him release, then continue, the stamina and endurance of an earth pony indeed. I wanted to do something more than shed tears. I wanted to cry out, I wanted to plead, I wanted to no be here. I wanted to be anywhere, but, here. I didn't want to watch as he pumped in and out of me with my blood on him. I wanted him to just strangle me, kill me, poison me. Anything but this. But, a twisted part of me was enjoying it. That in itself made me feel sicker than any other part of this. The part of me who upon seeing him had wondered what it would feel like. Part of me had wanted this, my doubt was right. I was just a whore, a slut, I wanted this to happen to me. It was why I didn't take the shot back in the street. I could have moved in an unanticipated way and let the helmet take the brunt of whatever damage was coming my way. Metal Blaster would have burned him to death at that distance. My friends were well away by then, I just had to disengage and I would have been home free for getting to Tenpony. I was a fucked up pony to have wanted this to happen.

'That is why you are a monster, We will come to fetch you once the monsters around you have fallen to the wasteland and left you all alone. We know from your memories the world always fall apart around you and We will give you the bliss of Unity once you are finally broken and safe to claim.' Said the Goddess in my mind, laughing as her voice faded away leaving me to my fate.

'This is it?' Came another voice, unfamiliar yet familiar at the same time.

'What can I do, I am paralyzed, captured, without equipment, and without backup.' I cried out in my mind.

'She wanted this, this is the life she wanted, the risk this could happen. She has accepted it.' Came Doubt again.

'Then why is her voice not yours Doubt?' Said the first voice.

'I am going crazy as I am physically broken in by a stallion. Yeah no even if I didn't want this I think I am bucked in every sense of the term.' Part of me said to them. I just mentally blinked at the three talking. Technically the three of them were me. Well except the new voice. I was the forth in this conversation. Apparently not the rational side of me either.

'Considering you are enjoying the ride and have resigned yourself to it I think my task is done for now.' Doubt said, 'unless that other voice decides to try to prop you up on false hopes and dreams.'

'Then you will be here for a long while. Hope is not lost. Just endure, keep yourself through this, Rose won't abandon you so easily. She owes you for saving her life, for being faithful to her, for putting yourself in danger for her sake.' The familiar voice said.

'She is right, and as bad as it sounds, enjoy what pleasure you can get. There is no point in fighting it, that will just make things go by slower. A watched pot never boils or some brahmin shit like that.' Said Rational.

'Oh this will be fun to watch.' Said Doubt turning towards me. 'See how long you can last, I'll keep score of how many times you orgasm. Maybe he will set a higher score than Rose has managed. In fact, one.'

I was yanked out of the strange mind scape that had formed giving a almost aerial view of the room. Doubt was right, one, and it felt good, and I stopped trying to fight it. Why should I, fighting it wouldn't do me any good besides make me hurt more. I knew I shouldn't enjoy it on principle of the fact that I was being raped, it was forced, I didn't want it. Some how though, I saw Rose in this stallion, it wasn't him rutting me it was her. Somepony I wanted to do it, it was no longer something I hated. If I could have I would have smiled. Instead I continued to be a rag doll and have my sight blurred by tears as I lost myself in a fantasy.

Footnote: Level Up!

New Perk Added: Shotgun Surgeon: When using shotguns, regardless of ammunition used, you ignore an additional ten points of a target's Damage Threshold.

Chapter 17 - Foolish Thoughts

Chapter 17 – Foolish Thoughts

“I don't know what came over me.”

Two months, that is how long it took for the wasteland to get into my head and leave me horribly ruined. Even with Rose coming to my rescue after I had been held captive for three days and subjected to Celestia knows how many sexual acts. In the end it all I remembered was the last few minutes of it as the illusion I had built to protect myself was shattered. I remembered I was being rutted at the time by the big green earth stallion. I vividly remembered his orgasm and my own being marked with the disintegration of his skull above me and his blood as well as brain matter falling into my mane and staining me. It took me a full minute to realize he was dead and turn to the doorway of the room. There stood Rose, she looked horrified at me as I still wore an expression of stupidity mixed with joy of orgasm. She ended up running out of the room as I detached myself from the corpse of my captor. I sat there thinking as his load leaked out of me and parts of my brain that had shut off for the sake of my sanity came back.

When Rose returned I was curled up on the floor crying, realizing once more what I had been through. Knowing the extent of how far I had shoved myself away into a mental closet in hopes it would help. It didn't, I remembered everything and began systematically blocking out what I could. Detailed memories became vague and foggy. Things stopped being so smooth running as Rose carried me out on her back. I don't remember who else was there, but, whoever it had been had come with some serious firepower to have repainted the walls black and red. We had made it halfway to Tenpony Tower when I blacked out.

Waking up again I found myself strapped down to a bed. Slowly the world formed from golden light as my eyes adjusted to being open again. I felt incredibly stiff. I heard a faint beeping sound that was familiar. I saw the monitor and realized I was in a clinic. Then it hit me, the smell, the cold, the comfortableness of the bed. I was in Tenpony Tower's clinic. I had no idea as to why I was strapped down. I struggled a little to see if I could wiggle loose and walk around a little. I wasn't fond of being forced to stay put at the moment. If anything I kind of wanted to run and hide somewhere dark and silent. I heard voices talking in the distance and felt my heart go to my throat. I couldn't make out what was being said, but, the voices were once again familiar. That didn't help my panic at all. The monitor started to beep louder and quicker as I stopped moving and listened trying to hear what they were saying. Instead I was treated to quick hoof steps towards me. My panic had alerted them to my awakening.

“She's awake! Thank the goddesses she pulled through.” Doctor Helping Hoof said to Rose as they entered my view.

“Moonlight!” I felt Rose's fore legs go around my neck as she buried her muzzle in my coat. “I am so sorry...”

I just blinked as I felt my heart hammering faster. My body reassert its desire to leave, having Rose so close this fast was too much. I needed time before I was ready to be around her again, around anypony again. I wanted time to myself, to think, to get away from the trauma. Helping Hoof seemed to notice that her hugging me wasn't helping and pulled her away as gently as he could asking her to wait while he checked on me. He didn't loosen any of the straps when he saw I had chafed one of my legs on my restraints.

“We had to treat you for a variety of addictions, and you're showing a mental state that tells me not to let you go. I am sorry, Moonlight, but, I can't let you out of this bed. It is for your own safety.” Helping Hoof said in a sad tone. I felt myself deflate realizing I was stuck, and no words would get me out of my bonds. Anything I said could indicate an attempt to persuade him.

“Then fix my horn. It is what I came here for anyways.” I said, if I couldn't leave might as well get that taken care of.

“Not yet, you still need a few more days to heal up and for us to get everything ready. It has been a long time since anypony got their horn fixed here. You are a first of your kind since your horn has been reshaped. We have to figure out which pathways are what which is causing a few very smart ponies some very big headaches.” He said as he replaced my IV bag with a new one. “To make it more complicated it seems you have gotten yourself a mutation.”

I blinked and floundered for words. I knew the horn was going to be a trick in of itself, but, what mutation did I get?! Oh goddesses I hope it isn't something hard to cover up.

“It seems to be related to the amount of radiation you soaked up while you were... captive.” He said, trying to word it as carefully as possible. I was thankful for that.

“It couldn't have been that much radiation though, I mean it was slightly radioactive there, but, my pipbuck wasn't even constantly registering any exposure.” I said around a tongue that felt dry and like cotton.

“Right, but, that could mean it was less than a rad per second. Thing is background radiation is just as bad as the stuff your pipbuck will tell you about. It may take longer, but, say the radiation is about about one rad per half minute it can build up to lethal amounts while you sleep.” I nodded as he said this, that would explain it. Though I had some how also gained I guess what would be called a mutation in resistance to radiation.

“So what do I do in the mean time. I mean being strapped down isn't quite the most relaxing place to be for me at the moment.” I said with a shaky voice, I wasn't certain from nerves or weakness

.

“Rest, get used to being around others. Get used to not everypony wanting to hurt you. I could tell from how you were reacting to your marefriend that you aren't comfortable with not being in control.” He gave me a sympathetic look. “Trained in psychology as well. So we are going to work on that as well while you get strong enough for the surgery and they figure out what needs to be done.”

I gave a small nod, he was right, my first reaction was to run away. I still wanted to get away and then deal with others in my own time. But, who knew how long it would be for me to be ready. No, my hoof needed to be forced or I would keep running away as much as I could. That wouldn't be fair to anypony. I frowned then sighed.

“Sighing from somepony like you means you don't like a thought you had.” Helping Hoof said as he returned with a book.

“I think Rose could benefit from learning to let others be in control as well. Not because of this, just... I think I have a better grasp of what she went through now.” I said, memories returning to me that made me uncomfortable. “Ugh... I think I also have a very large helping of self loathing.”

“We have a few days, and with what I have heard I don't think you should worry about the bill.” Helping Hoof said much to my confusion.

“Bill? What did somepony wave it? Is the novelty of doing the operation enough for whoever is doing it?” I asked and felt stupid afterwards for having done so.

“I'll explain later, when I have a full explanation myself. In the mean time, all you have to worry about is getting better, and I am going to help with that.” He said placing the book down and turning to me. A nagging voice in my head started mentioning what dirty things he could be implying, supplying images to go with it.

“Oh goddesses...” I said quietly as I looked away with my cheeks starting to burn.

Helping Hoof cleared his throat once he realized what was going on.

“Maybe I should get your marefriend in here as it seems you need help in a different department at the moment.”

“You might want to take a few notes so you know what all to read up on for helping me. Because I don't think it is just lack of control, that self loathing I mentioned seems to be pretty strong as well.” I said doing my best to think of sand, snow, and stairs. Three things I hated and were irritating to me. I quickly tossed out stairs once my mind realized positions that I could be in for 'fun'. Sand and snow still worked as being as much of a turn off as I could think of at the moment. I hadn't noticed Helping Hoof leave and Rose's return.

“He said you needed my help.” Rose said, the silver of her voice lost, replaced with concern and sadness. It hurt to hear. I didn't look at her, I knew if I did I would either cry or lose whatever progress I had made at calming down.

“Thank you, and I am sorry, Rose.” I said, I heard her take the seat next to my bed.

“We will talk about it later, I know you will need to talk about it later. I know... Because I have been wanting to talk about it for a long time. Ever since you freed me, I wanted to tell you. Now I feel...” I cut her off as I felt my eyes start to tear up.

“Rose? Just be close for now. I... I am barely holding together, okay?” I felt her hoof rest against mine as we sat there in the quiet hum of the lights. It was what I needed right now, a helping hoof. The irony of it was not lost on me and made me smile slightly.

Eventually I felt Rose shift and lay fully against my bed and begin to snore quietly. As she did I felt my warm tears wet my coat around my eyes. It still hurt that I wanted to still run away from here, from Rose, from everything and just curl up in a ball. I let out a sigh trying to squash those feelings, I needed to move past it.

The past can hurt and leave lingering pains. Like a old stallion with a bad leg from an injury during some sporting event, or an unlucky fall. But, like an old injury like that, you shouldn't let it define who you are. It is part of you, you have to own that, and remember that. It is like trying to ignore the great injury to our world. We had to remember and deal with the fact the past shapes the present and future. No matter how bad I now wanted to forget those three days, my complete lack of trying to fight back after the Goddess seeded Doubt into my mind. I wanted to forget how good it felt, the look on Rose's face when she saw me. The horrible scream that I had uttered when reality took hold again as I lay under the headless corpse of the one who had just been violating me. I shuddered at myself, hating myself for it.

'Goddesses we are fucked up aren't we?' I heard the voice of Doubt say from the corner of my mind.

'You're the person at fault for me giving in, something about ‘might as well get some 'enjoyment' from it’.' I retorted feeling wrong in my own skin for doing so.

'Yes, well we didn't expect us to get so into it though. Though the drugs might have made it worse.' Doubt said as I felt the desire to shower and scrub until my flesh bleed.

'Maybe you should have remembered, I tend to get a bit carried away and don't do things in half measures. You remember what I did to those raiders after meeting Rose. I think blowing them up with a rocket launcher is not a half measure and was in fact very much overkill.' I didn't like the feeling of pride that came with the memory of blasting away raiders so coldly. The memory of the cold killing frightened me actually, the fact that I could descend into such a cold minded state was not welcoming.

'We can go all the way into enjoying any sin of the wasteland, can't we?' Doubt said.

'At least it doesn't happen often.' I countered, I hadn't gone that far that often.

'I would say we have fallen for a good number of sins. Our lusting for other mares we have come across, Snow is a prominent example of that. We look at others and take envy in something they have, like horns.' Doubt said, I could see the smile forming on her face now as we sat in another part of the room within my mind. 'We both know we fall into wrath, our willing fulness to go full goddess of death on any pony who decides to shoot at us at the drop of a hat. Hey, remember how as soon as we saw the Alicorn we went straight to killing her. Pride on having spotted her, taking her out, pride in our acts of murder, the slavers who took that guard captive in Saint Clover. We take pride in the slaughter of any raiders. Pride in our actions in Black Woods. Pride and Wrath seem rather strong in us. Greed, do I need to say, was practically taught to us by Mom and Dad, even now you are hoarding caps and equipment.'

'You like to berate me, why? Why do you have to be so destructive to me. If you are me why do you hate me.' I asked Doubt, I knew what she said was true, but, I knew it was true of any pony alive. We have our faults, nopony is a paragon of good. Hero's only exist in the sense of a story or a idea. I was no exception, all I could do is try to do the right thing when the chance presented itself, or to make the chance for action to appear for me or others to do the right thing.

'Simple, we are you, we have doubts, I am that incarnate due to you needing a way to justify things. It is far easier to blame another, for it to be somepony else's fault. Blame your losses on an outside force. Isn't it?' Doubt said, that sly grin fully formed on her face.

'Another voice in my mind, but, it is my own voice. It says to me the same things I think, but, in a different tone to twist my words and seed doubt.' I said as if remembering a quote from a book.

'We always have been in your mind, now though you with a nudge created an other. But, who do you blame it on?' Doubt waved a hoof and the image of a blue alicorn formed, with another she created the image of the massive stallion that had captured me. With a wave of her hoof a image of me.

I simply pointed to the image of myself. I was to blame for my own problems, it was my own fault I got caught. The seeds for Doubt to grow and split like this had been planted in my psyche for a long time, the wasteland had just been watering it. I had never really noticed it, I left the garden of my mind untended and it was now overgrown with Doubt.

'An apt metaphor.' Doubt chimed in reminding me she wasn't a separate entity. I looked at her again, she looked more properly like myself, but, she looked like she had lost color throughout all of her features. Her horn had holes in it, but, was just as curved as mine. The other thing I noticed was the more hardened and gaunt look that filled her, the odd bulges on her sides where her coat was messed up.

'Why do I see you as well, not me exactly?' I asked, though it was dawning on me how most likely the image I saw was directly a result of me trying to make her the other. The focus of what was wrong, somepony I could say was the cause of my woes.

'Correct you are, holes in my horn like a changelings, the graying of my coat like what was reported from the effects of disharmony, the bulges on my sides from slowly mutating into a alicorn of the Goddess'.' Doubt said with a sharp teeth filled grin.

'Of course, roll all the small things of evil and bad and roll it into you. Make you the perfect other, gaunt and hard like a raider, be a monster who eats love, a being of disharmony, a mutant, and a power mad pseudo deity.' I said with the flip of my hoof.

'What else would we consider the opposite of our self?' Doubt said before laying her eyes on Rose and my physical self.

'Or maybe I find it more apt for my doubt to be what I fear myself being.' I said, earning a smile from Doubt before she returned to wearing a neutral expression.

'We see our self as no better than a raider in our blundering around the wasteland with no respect for the order of things. We still feel undeserving of her love, feel that we gained it wrongly, feeding off of it. Wherever we go you feel we bring disharmony. We know that Aegis didn't tell me everything with the substance put within us, that you slowly are mutating, possibly we will eventually become another Goddess controlled alicorn with time.' Doubt said calmly before returning her gaze to me.

'So the real question is, why now that I am out of that awful situation that caused me to need a way to rationalize my way into being okay with what I did, do I still have you in my head?' I asked Doubt turning my own gaze at what was my mental approximation of how things looked around me.

'Because we always did this, we always bounced things off of our self to figure out what to do. Now we just are personifying it a bit more. We are our doubt. We are one, we just think we are two for the sake of making banter easier and less awkward. After all we doubt how sane we would seem to others if we bantered with ourselves. Though we both know that this would probably draw more attention if we explained it to anypony.'

'Right, because having a mental hallucination of an other probably would end up being more worrying. Which yeah it should be, but, at the same time, it is all within my head, I don't see you in reality, only in mental projections of a place. Within a mindscape.' I said feeling confident that this wasn't a problem. At least not as major of a problem as my mental scarring from being taken captive.

'We are right as usual, after all in time won't I just fade as the rift that caused my formation it closed up. We see ourselves as separate for no reason other than need at the time. Once the time is past won't things fade.' Doubt said and I nodded in agreement. 'Or maybe it is deeper than you think and things won't return to normal.'

'Stop that, I named you Doubt for the sake of that is the primary characteristic you displayed in my mind initially. It doesn't mean you have to keep being the source of doubt.' I fired back pointing a hoof at Doubt.

'But, what use would we be to our self if we didn't come from a different mindset. Prevent group thinking at a individual level.' Doubt said, a sly grin crawling across her muzzle.

'You are like a living wound upon me.' I said glaring daggers at Doubt now who feign being hurt by my words. 'You move from one part of me to another seeing where you sit does the most harm and what just tickles in comparison to what I have gone through. You torment me for no reason beyond your own.'

'Only because that is what we want. Why would I do anything that we didn't want to do. I am you therefore I do what we want to do to our self. You want to torment yourself for what you have done, for what you question about yourself. Fear maybe your best friend savage, but, doubt is the true mind killer.' She said before taking some Mint-al's leaving her muzzle red with residue. I vaguely remembered having taken them myself under the influence of Dash and Buck. They had given me something else, it made me much more open to suggestions, it also had made me feel dumber. The Mint-al's had countered that and skyrocketed my perception and sensitivity. I blushed at remembering a few of the more interesting moments.

'Ugh, I am going to be having a lot of self loathing for the next while aren't I?' I said to nopony in particular.

'Yes we probably are, best you find a creative way to deal with it. Preferably a not self destructive way or suicidal. After all we created me for the sake of conversing with our self in a more in depth way. Hard to do that when dead.' Doubt said, she was not quite my opposite, more of a reflection down a different path, not of life, but, of thought.

'Neat.' I said rubbing my chin with a hoof. 'I rather not have those thoughts, got enough to deal with for now.'

'We aren't the source of those thoughts, they will most likely crop up naturally with dealing with the horrors of our world. We just won't make it harder to deal with, that is one rabbit hole that we wish not to explore.' Doubt said, and I chuckled, here I was, having a conversation with myself, who wasn't myself, and yet was myself because it was a forced twisted image that I had made of myself to talk to myself.

'You know, our relationship is both simple and complex.' I mused as I leaned back against the wall, my horn tapping the wall itself, which thankfully in mindscape didn’t hurt. 'To say the least it is actually kind of nice to get to talk to somepony that I can't hide anything from and have an immediate acceptance of the fact. There is also the fact you can't talk to anypony else so what I say is between you and me. Well it is just between me and myself.'

'We have always found it to confide in one of two subjects. Our self, or a stranger. It is hardest to confide in somepony close to us, the closer they are the harder it gets. Well, until Rose showed up, she seems to have breached that.' Doubt was scratching her chin now then smiled. 'She is worth it, like we said, we aren't always going to tear you down, just sometimes we need to think a different way.'

'Right, so now I get to have three voices in my head when the Goddess isn't around?' I asked, remembering that other voice that had told me to hold on.

'I don't know who that other voice belonged to, but, yes when the Goddess isn't around it will just be us and whatever those things from the Statuettes are.'

I nodded, 'guess I should sleep soon shouldn't I.'

Doubt nodded in agreement. 'We should, we still need to get our horn fixed, by the sounds of it they can do it, if not, guess it is off to Hoofington to see if anypony there knows how to do it.'

'Right because we want to go into a city with magical invisible unblockable undetectable, radiation that shreds your soul and liquefies your body.' I said as I shook my head and looked back at Doubt who was doing the same.

'Yes, we don't want to do that unless needed. We both know how bad enervation can get.' Doubt said with a noticeable shudder. I also noticed her form had seemed to solidify as a grayed more tired looking version of myself.

'I guess now that I understand what you are my image for you has come to a more constant form.' I said as I got up and began to walk back to my body.

This was when I realized how massively surreal this whole thing had been, and how easily I just went with it. I was fucking loony. But, it was manageable for now, adjust to the new normal and call yourself okay with the new reality. That is what everypony did after all. Things change for better or for worse and you adjust to the new reality of your life, normalize what your circumstances are and mark that as okay. It was how I imagine some are able to be around raiders and slavers yet still stay somewhat sane. It was how anypony stayed sane in the world, the problem was when things changed too much too often. You can't normalize if the metaphorical ground you stand on keeps shifting.

I touched my mind scape self's horn and the world changed perspectives on me to back on the bed, strapped down, with a sleeping Rose leaning onto the bed. I also realized how badly I needed to clean myself again was. Maybe I could Helping Hoof to let me out after talking to me so I could wash up. I would keep Rose nearby to make certain I didn't do anything stupid and Helping Hoof would be more likely to let me out of my restraints. As I let the tendrils of sleep wrap around me and carry me off I annoyingly still felt part of me wanting to break free and find a place alone and dark to hide. It was going to take a while to get that feeling under control and banish it to the Moon, or the Sun, or Tartarus.

*                *                *

It was a relaxing day, Rose and I where just spending time together as a couple... coupling. It felt nice to escape the wasteland, even if for a short while. We cuddled for a while after and I drifted off into the bliss of sleep. I awoke to being strapped down on a medical bed with Rose asleep next to me half on her chair half on the bed. I heard the breathing a coughing of other ponies in the clinic. I mentally scratched my head trying to figure out how I got here. Had something happened after I fell asleep?

The world around me replied in a odd shudder, a burst of magical energy passing through everything. It left me feeling hollow, like something deep within me had been striped from my very being. I struggled to get free, the restraints felt like they were cutting into me now. I needed to leave, something was wrong. My movements woke Rose and I turned to address her to find my mouth incapable of functioning. Then I saw her face. It was a twisted smile, her lips went too far, like a caricature of her. Her eyes were black pits with tiny white lights deep within them. The once beautiful features of her face now sank like ravines into black abysses.

“Oh you are finally awake again honey, I am glad to see you are out of that coma. You had me so worried.” Rose said, her voice hollow compared to the Rose I knew. The expression on her face told me she read what my face and body were saying, fear, confusion, and anxiety.

“Just relax, we had to restrain you due to your awful night terrors as well as you know how you are when you wake up somewhere other than where you fell asleep.”

I simply nodded, it must just be my mind playing a trick on me. No, the last thing I remember was falling asleep, so this had to be a dream. Right? This wasn't real.

“Can you let me up?” I asked Not-Rose.

“Why, from the looks of things you want to stay tied down, we both know you like not being in control. You have such a hard time anymore with making choices.” Rose said as she stood up. I acutely was aware part of my body was enjoying the thrill of this, the rest of me was scared.

“Please, I don't want to, not now. Everything feels wrong, looks wrong. It makes no sense.” I pleaded trying to stretch a hoof out to her.

“What, do you not want to give a show to the rest of the patients?” She purred and I distinctly noticed the lack of any other sound now beyond my breathing. Not even the hum of the electric lights. I blinked and suddenly we were surrounded by equine shadows, some had massive chunks missing from them.

“No, this can't be real. This has to be a dream, or it has to be a hallucination from something they gave me. Why am I even here Rose!” I yelled as panic started to overtake me.

“You don't remember? I will give you a reminder, and that should help you calm down.” She said as she climbed onto the bed with me, she adjusted the restraints and forced my hind legs open. I knew what was to come next and shut my eyes.

“NO! Rose you know this is wrong, stop! Please stop!” I cried out. There was only silence. I opened my eyes only to see her twisted face in mine grinning, the white lights now vertical lines like a predators.

“Then find a way to escape, it is the only way to leave, because nopony is going to help you here. Or maybe you want to stay. You have to make a choice.” She purred through her far too big smile with its far to many sharp teeth showing. I shut my eyes trying to figure out how to escape from my bounds. I didn't want to be here anymore, I wanted to get away, run, break free of whatever this was. I opened my eyes to see the same ceiling, the faint electric buzz of the room filled my ears. I moved a leg and felt the restraints on them prevent further movement, as well as the warm weight of Rose. I looked around, I was somewhere else now.

Slowly I gathered my thoughts again and remembered I was in Tenpony tower to get help. Now more help than originally I had come here for. Probably more help than I had thought I needed last night. Rose stirred from my movement when I had tried to get up.

“Rose, could you go find Doctor Helping Hoof and get him to let me out. I really want to shower, if he needs somepony to keep an eye on me I am more than okay if you do. I just, I need to move around a bit, and my coat is practically a shell.” I said quietly so if she was awake she would hear it, but, if not she would keep sleeping.

She blinked at me a few times as her brain processed what was going on. The gears of her mind began to turn as the bonds of sleep fell away from her. I gave her a pleading smile, I knew it was wrong to try to emotionally manipulate my half asleep marefriend. But, in this case I wasn't going to do anything beyond what I told her I wanted to do. It isn't really bad when you are telling them exactly what you want to do and beg afterwards. Right?

“I'll go see if I can find him, don't go anywhere.” She said absentmindedly, then face hoofed and shook her head as her own mind seemed to remember the fact I was rather fully restrained and had no magic to free myself with. I nodded and let myself relax. The panic of the nightmare had still physically affected me, but, I had come out of the dream without a start, which was good. I think waking up with a start and essentially kicking my marefriend in the jaw would make anypony feel more comfortable letting me out yet.

Then again this wasn't a mental health ward, I had been badly hurt and had been treated for addiction. Then I had been in a coma so they wanted to make certain I didn't go off and screw myself up before they could talk to me. It made sense, and I didn't think that they were wrong for making such decisions. Their choices were right, I would have probably ended up hiding somewhere in the tower. First thought was go to Homage, she was the person I was closest to who lived in the tower. She lived away from everypony else and nopony really ever seemed to bother her up there.

I gently shook my head and focused on what I wanted to do right now. I wanted to stretch, get clean, and eat something. Probably cuddle up with Rose as well to rest some more. I still felt tired after sleeping. I heard the sound of two sets of hooves walking on the hard tile floor towards me and I forced myself to calm down as part of me suggested no matter who they were they wanted to do bad things to me. I knew the truth of it both ways, panic wouldn't help if it wasn’t true, and that it was in all likelihood two of very few ponies in the world who legitimately wanted to help me. It didn't stop the rising levels of panic, but, it did give me something to fight it down from my features. Calm, cool, collected. That is how I wanted to present myself, being of sound mind would earn me more points towards being let go.

“Seems you’re awake early, and you look better than yesterday.” Doctor Helping Hoof said after a moment of examining me. “Just a quick check up and we will get you moving around some. As much as you need rest, you need to move too. Don't want you to develop bed sores.”

I nodded as Helping Hoof checked me over, he seemed pleased. What surprised me was the lack of the notion of wanting to run. It seemed to only come over me when I heard voices in the distance that I couldn't quite make out, or when I heard something approaching me. It was pure paranoia that faded when reality could present itself and show the foolishness of the paranoia. It was damn annoying as I knew that in all likelihood I couldn't just remember that in the future for when it cropped up.

“Well you look to be in good shape, I informed Rose where and how to use the showers. Take your time and don't push your self. You are still rather weak, Moonlight.” Helping Hoof said with a voice full of sympathy as he undid my restraints. I sighed as I felt the constriction of my body lift one strap after another. Finally free I lifted my fore legs off the bed slowly to begin to stretch the unused muscles. The popping of my spine felt practically heavenly when I rolled onto my stomach to stretch.

“Much better.” I said with a pleasurable sigh.

“Must be for how you are looking back here.” Said Rose from behind me, I quickly flicked my tail to cover my nether's as I blushed.

I cleared my throat and addressed Doctor Helping Hoof.

“Which way to the shower, and if possible don't be near it for a while.” I said still blushing. He just smiled and pointed off in a direction which I followed. I made it about a third of the way there before my hind legs cramped mid stride and deposited my face on the floor and leaving my rump in the air. I bite back my tears and cry of pain. I felt myself lose weight and drift off the floor.

“Thanks Rose, not moving seems to have left my muscles prime to cramp up. Need hot water and a through massage.” I said through my teeth as I as I was set on Rose's back.

“We can do that, and you probably want it very through.” Rose joked as she walked.

“To be completely honest I want you to make me putty in your hooves. Then once I am all cleaned up I want to lay down on a soft sofa and rest my head on you.” I said taking in the sent of Rose's coat, finding comfort in the familiarity of it.

“I think I can manage that.” Rose said, I could hear the delight in her voice.

“Calm down, I don't want to fall off your back from your excitement.” I said before biting my lip as the Charley Horse in my legs got worse.

“Don't worry about it, we’re here.” Rose sung as I heard the turning of a valve and water started to run. “Should we take off your pipbuck?”

“No, it is waterproof and it doesn't feel dirty... Never mind let me open it up-” I sighed again.

“I know how to do it, I had enough time to read some manuals on them.” Rose said and I felt her remove my pipbuck and myself be placed in the path of the hot water. After a few minutes of soaking I felt Rose's hoofs start to go over me cleaning my coat and massaging my body. I let out a warm sigh.

“This is fucking euphoric.” I moaned as I failed at suppressing a moan of delight. “You don't know how good this feels, Rose.” All I got in response was a murmur of agreement.

Once I was thoroughly washed and massaged I returned the favor to Rose. It was both a way to return the favor as well as a good way to work my muscles some. It also helped melt away some of the lingering fears I had about the two of us. Still part of me worried that things had changed for the worse between us. As I turned off the water I looked at Rose, I still felt everything I had for her. I loved her in short, still did, and her saving me had re enforced that. I also had a vague feeling I knew what she felt when I had saved her.

“Thank you.” I said as I hugged Rose who was bringing over towels for us with her magic. I buried my face in her chest. I felt my eyes tear up as I felt Rose embrace me. It felt so warm and loving, like I finally had reclaimed a part of myself.

“Do... Are things alright between us still?” I asked after turning my head so I could speak without a mouthful of my marefriend's coat.

“They always were, weren’t they? Why? Are things not okay?” Rose asked quietly as she hugged me slightly tighter.

“Just, we didn't talk after New Appleloosa, and you seemed cross at me for what I did.” I let out a small sigh. “Though I now know why you were, or at least have some more respect of what you went through.”

“Oh, that...” Rose said quietly I looked up at her to see her gaze distant and her face pensive.

“If things are alright, they are alright. I am going to voice anything that isn’t alright between us. I kind of want you to do the same, and not be vague so I have some clue as to  what I am dancing around. I want things to work between us, I don’t want to hurt you, you are worth too much to me.” I said and then nuzzled her chest some, and received a kiss to my horn.

“I'll try. Because you are worth a lot to me as well.” Rose said, with that she proceed to dry both of us before we returned to the clinic. “I do have a few things to attend to around Tenpony so I will be back in a few hours. After that I will show you our room.”

“Alright, I will just find a good book if my session with Helping Hoof ends before you return. Rather not lose a fortune on paying someone to tell me where our room is.” I said with not an unnoticeable hint of dislike for how many caps greased the wheels of Tenpony.

“Don't worry, our caps are safe, Ruby knows how to work the system here.” Rose said with a smile.

“Oh shit, did Ruby lose anything due to those slaves getting me?!” I asked in a sudden panic.

“No, in fact she has more to sell thanks to clearing them out.” Rose said with a laugh.

“Oh, well okay then.” I said feeling a bit foolish with my panic. “Um... yes take me back to Helping Hoof.”

With that she guided me back to Helping Hoof's office from the communal showers. I figured those had been installed long ago either for dealing with magical mishaps or ponies who were in a crunch and couldn't afford to go home. Either way it was nice to have had a hot shower and a damn fine massage. It also didn't hurt that things were fine between me and Rose. For now at least, things had changed a bit at least in how I was going to handle her. Once back to Helping Hoof's office Rose took off to go do whatever it was she needed to take care of. In the mean time I prepared myself to get emotionally battered and reduced to a pile of quivering pony flesh. To say the least I didn't expect to keep myself fully together.

“So are you ready, Moonlight?” Helping Hoof said as I lay on the sofa in his office. I hadn't had to wait long before he was ready to see me.

“As ready as I can be. Just worried about how bad I might get. Which isn't helping and is rather ironic now that I think about it.” I said rubbing my chin with a hoof.

“Good, if you can see things like that it will help you work through it.” Helping Hoof said with a smile.

“So I just need to think about things and put my willpower behind finding the absurdity of it?” I asked, if that was the case, well I am good at thinking. Or at least I like to think I am good at thinking.

“More or less, you need to step back and identify what is going on. But, I reckon anxiety isn't the only issue you have.” Helping Hoof said crossing his forelegs.

I bit my lip, I had admitted it to myself last night, but, it was hard. It was hard to admit something so shameful. Helping Hoof looked infinitely patient with me as I fought to form the words in my mouth.

“I kind of enjoyed it.” I said quietly.

“And you don't like that you did. Do you think that you are less of a pony for trying to stay sane, to hang onto something in a bad situation?” He asked, and I mulled over what he said.

“Shouldn't I feel horrible, I should have hated it. I should try to block it out.” I said looking at my forelegs, not meeting the eyes of Helping Hoof.

“You shouldn't feel horrible unless you did something wrong. You did what you could to make the best of things. You survived better than you thought possible. I don't see what is wrong with that.” Helping Hoof said in an even tone, no judgment hidden within his voice.

“But... I got into it, I accepted it with legs spread wide!” I shouted, then blushed at both I shouted at him and what I said hit me. “I! I mean...” I trailed off and ended just giving a dejected sigh. He just sat there waiting for me to continue. I instead started to cry, to choke on my gasps for air. “I fucking enjoyed it, I enjoyed it like I was a mare in heat! What the fuck is wrong with me that I enjoyed being used! I just fucking let them do it, I didn't fight, I didn't struggle, I just accepted it and went in fully. I revealed in it! I, fucking, revealed in getting plowed by my captors. How the fuck is that okay! How can I be okay with myself having done that!”

“Obviously you aren't okay with the fact. So I ask you this, what are you going to do about it?” Helping Hoof asked, irritating me with his calm voice.

“I don't know, what can I do about it, I enjoyed it. The ponies behind it are gone thanks to Rose and the rest. What can I do?” I said as I deflated lowering my head to rest on the sofa itself.

“So what is there left to do?” Helping Hoof asked, sending my mind into trying to find the solution to his question.

What was there left to do? I mouthed to myself. The question needed an answer, for me far more than for Helping Hoof. Helping Hoof was just a tool of which to use to prompt me to think in the right way to correct my thought processes. He was to ask the questions that I couldn't come up with, to challenge me to come up with the answers I needed, but, had no way of asking myself.

“To accept it?” I offered, feeling the words strange on my tongue.

“To accept what?” Helping Hoof countered.

“To accept that I enjoyed the drug fueled rape factory where I was fucked over and over against my actually desire by stallion after stallion and enjoyed it. That I get off to any sexual pleasure of myself.” I said, it didn't feel like me, it felt like somepony else said it and I was just an observer watching it play out, and at the same time that it was me I was saying it. It was like the first time he had taken me. I felt stretched out between my body and the other place where I watched from.

“Are you alright, Moonlight?” Helping Hoof asked, I could hear the hint of worry in his voice.

“I feel strange, I feel myself, yet like I am watching myself.” I said, the bizarre feeling intensifying as it felt like I was stretched further between the two viewpoints.

“Have ever you felt this before?” Helping Hoof asked, ignoring the fact I was feeling this way in the first place.

“When they first had me, it ended up feeling like this, and continued on. When I think back, I feel like this, I remember two viewpoints. One of it happening to somepony else, the other... the other being that it was me there, enjoying it, begging to be fucked harder. For another hit, for more Dash, more Ment-Al's, more Buck, more whiskey.” I started to shake as I fought back my own anger at myself, my loathing of self for having enjoyed it. I don't want to be some whore of a mare who flaunts her plot towards anything that she thinks can pleasure her. I don't want to become a drug addict. I just want to help the wasteland.

“Are you worried that is who you are? Because I have to say, you seem rather in control of yourself to be who you worry about being.” Helping Hoof said as I looked up at him through my tear blurred vision.

“I am worried I will degenerate into that given the chance again. I doubt in my strength to keep myself from tossing myself away.” I said as I covered my eyes with my hooves. “I hate myself for having the possibility of becoming that, I hate myself for having become that so easily. I hate myself for enjoying being pleasured by ponies other than my marefriend. I hate myself... For not being strong enough to resist it, to resist the wasteland in a moment of weakness.”

“Moonlight, when you went to the showers with Rose, did you do anything sexual with her there?” Helping Hoof asked, I balked at the question.

“NO! I mean, no, we didn't, it didn't even cross my mind. It felt so good to be close again, to just do something together. I felt cared for, I felt loved, and that is all I wanted. It was what I needed.” I said quietly.

“So you aren't some sexual deviant needing sexual pleasure at every turn. What about drugs, did you ask Rose for anything, did she give you anything. Did you steal anything, don't worry I won't be upset about it, addiction is never easy to overcome. Everypony has a hard time with it.” Helping Hoof said with a upturned fore hoof and a look of sympathy on his face.

“No, I didn't, it didn't cross my mind at all.” I gave a small laugh. “Rose gives me a high greater than anything else I have ever had the misfortune of being on just by me thinking about her.”

Helping Hoof smiled at this, there was an unexpected warmth in it.

“Sorry, I just like hearing about the joys of being in love. You are in it for her, not the sex, but, her. You love her, you feel it when you think about her. She is something you can hold onto when things get bad. I would guess to some extent you did that while the slavers had you, didn't you?” Helping Hoof said, I nodded remembering forcing myself to believe it was Rose and not all the others who violated me. To make it just that bit more bearable.

“I tried as hard as I could to never look at them, to imagine it was her and not them.” I shuddered remembering the last moments of being there, of the false world I had constructed being shattered as Rose killed the stallion who was rutting me as he finished. “It kind of fell apart at the end. Though that might have been for the best in the end.”

“Why do you think it might have been for the best?” Helping Hoof inquired.

“Because if forced me to realize the reality of the situation. It forced me out of the delusional I had forced myself into. I would have had to face it someday, why not then, when it was the most fresh, when nopony would have to lie to me about what really happened. Lie to me in hopes of keeping me from falling apart under the weight of reality. The sick and twisted reality that is just as poisoned as the land itself.” I said feeling a heavy weight in my chest.

“Do you think a lot about the world, the state it is in?” Helping Hoof asked, seeming to want to pull me away from the previous subject so I could compose myself a bit. It was nice that he didn't want me to completely fall apart. Then again if I completely fell apart it would put a stop to addressing things until I was together again.

“I do, there isn't much to think about when walking between towns. My Eyes Forward Sparkle from my pipbuck tells me when others are around, and if they are hostile. Hay, it is winter now, nopony wants to be outside so I can do what I did when walking to the coast from Fillydelphia. I can put my muzzle in a book and read while walking. Or I can just reflect on the world, try to figure out what to do next, where to go next. I can reflect on my goals and any progress I have made towards them. Most of the time that progress is rather close to none.” I said with a sigh, remembering how very little progress I had made to taking out Slate and his army, or kicking Red Eye's sorry flank out of Seamane.

Helping Hoof just nodded and thought to himself as I forced myself through a calming technique passed down my family line for generations. Admittedly it had never helped me calm down, but, it had helped when I had shortness of breath from hyperventilating. As it was I got a small smile out of Helping Hoof.

“Moonlight, having had this happen to you, does it change any of your plans? Knowing others might capture you and do the same, or possibly worse?” Helping Hoof finally asked.

I sat there and thought. I thought for a long time about that. Did it really change anything in the long run? Not really was the answer that finally came to me. While I now would try to be more careful of keeping an eye on what was going on around me, really it changed my approach to combat and scavenging. It didn't change what I wanted to do, just how I would go about a few things when I would be most vulnerable. So long as I had a way to fight that gave me good odds of living I wouldn't have to ever surrender.

“No, I have to be smarter now, I didn't keep an eye on my E.F.S. and ended up having a gun pointed at my head in no way to turn the tables. I got unlucky and had been stupid. Two things that are bound to make you dead or have worse happen to you in the wasteland.” I said feeling more confident.

“What of your anxiety, your fear of losing control over what is happening to you?” Helping Hoof, I remembered he did have psychology training and probably knew all the signs for it. Or maybe he had made a stab in the dark when he first heard what happened to me.

“Energy to use against it happening, paranoia to keep me on watch for things. I weapon to keep myself from becoming too careless. One though that still needs to be tempered in a forge, to be shaped on an anvil, to be quenched in oil so that it might withstand the strain of combat, of being in the field.” I said, enjoying the forging analogy a bit too much.

“But, it could be a double edged sword. Your paranoia could lead you to harm someone you care about. You could lose yourself to thinking that the voice you hear isn't Rose, but, is some slaver or raider on the other side of the door planning on how to get you. Do you think that is something you can rely on?” Helping Hoof challenged.

“I... No, that is a weapon that is too dangerous to use. It should be melted down and used for something else, recycled into something better. If it has the cost of harming somepony I love, it isn't worth it.” I said with a finality to myself.

“What if the only possible harm was to yourself?” Helping Hoof asked holding a hoof out with the bottom of it face up like he was holding an invisible apple in it, or grenade.

“If it helps, but, it doesn't hurt anypony except for me, what is the problem? I choose if I use it or not, and there is no problem if it hurts only me. Nopony else suffers for it except for myself. Even then it would be only if the cost was outweighed by the usefulness.” I said, raising an eyebrow at Helping Hoof wondering what he was getting at.

“How far would you be willing to go in sacrificing for the cost of something useful?” Helping Hoof asked, this time a more serious note in his voice that he tried to cover, his features slightly tensing.

“I would never throw my life away. Even if it guaranteed something massively beneficial to everypony. I want to help ponies, I want to fix the world, but, what good is it if I am dead. I don't get to enjoy the world I helped make, I don't get to enjoy the fruits of my labor. Call me selfish, but, I want to see the Sun again, the clouds gone, the radiation wiped away. I want to see ponies come out of this dark age we have been in for the past two centuries. And I want to see it with Rose.” I said, and noticed I was standing on the sofa, shaking again, this time in anger.

“So then, let me ask you this, one last question then we can take a break for now. What do you consider the right option for dealing with emotional scarring and mental trauma?” Helping Hoof asked, his features looking more relaxed again, his voice calm and welcoming again.

“They are like any serious injury or illness. Go see a doctor who knows how to deal with it and get it dealt with as quickly as you can so you can begin the process of healing. A bigger note to that is don't self diagnose, you are biased, you will overblow or under sell certain things. One doesn't always tell them self the truth.” I said flatly as I sank back down onto the sofa, Helping Hoof gave a nod of agreement.

“Then you are remarkably more sound of mind than most would expect after what you have been through as a whole. Not just in the past week, but, everything that Rose has told me. I will help you learn how to work through your anxiety, to deal with it in positive ways. If there is anything that bothers you about yourself or anything else feel free to tell me during our sessions. Everything you say to me I am required to keep between us. Well unless it puts somepony else in danger who doesn't deserve it.” Helping Hoof said before getting up, I started to rise and he motioned to me to stay put. He returned a few minutes later with lunch for both of us. My stomach growled and reminded me I hadn't eaten as of yet today. Helping Hoof smiled as he clearly heard it. “A healthy appetite is a good sign of recovery.”

I dug into the food with vigor, it had been too long since I had a proper meal. Three days of a coma and I barely could remember if I had ate anything. I knew I had drank a few things, most of it not being something that a pony normally drinks for hydration. Hay, the closest thing I could remember to a proper substance for consumption I had there was the whiskey. Speaking of which I felt that I could really go for some of the stuff. I finished the food and the bottle of water that was set in front of me.

“Hey, how long do I have to stay away from alcohol?” I asked Helping Hoof, who blinked in confusion for a second processing both the fact that I had acted like a vacuum cleaner to my food as well as my questioning about alcohol.

“Well since you didn't have a dependance on it and I am guessing from the look on your face it isn't about drinking away your sorrows you should be fine tomorrow in doing so. I also have news about your horn Operation. I am signing you off as being mentally okay for it. If you wanted we could have it done today.” Helping Hoof said, I blinked, by the end of the night it was possible that I would know whither or not if I could ever us my magic again.

“Yes.” I simply said, I was jumping on this as hard as I could. I wanted that part of me back. The part of me that had been gone for two weeks. Helping Hoof simply nodded and left. I was going to be whole again if this worked. I wouldn't feel like a part of me had been lost, like if I had lost a leg, or a lung. A weight I hadn't noticed that was on me felt lifted, not fully, but, enough to know that I had been stuck under it for a while.  It didn't fully leave as there was still the chance that the operation wouldn't completely work, or work at all.

It was a chance I was willing to take as what was on the table was a part of me. A part of me that was very essential to my view of myself. While I wasn't amazing at doing magic, hay, I was pretty much limited to the use of backwards engineered spells and basic telekinesis it was still a part of my identity. It was something that defined me in the eyes of myself and others. I was a unicorn, I was expected to be able to do magic. It was like how being a mare was part of who I was. If I lost my magic I might as well be a small weak earth pony stallion. It wouldn't matter how you changed me once I lost my magic, I was a completely different pony without it. Like when I had been dyed black by that sentient ooze, or as Rose liked to call it, smooze. I had lost a bit of who I was. I didn't look like myself. However, I was still me, just, not quite myself completely. That had been a simpler fix, a bath in industrial solvent followed up by a bath in perfume, shampoo, and conditioner. I let out a small laugh, I kept on having to go to Tenpony to reclaim myself. I couldn't rely on that after today. It was too far of a trip to do regularly whenever something of me broke. I needed to find somepony else in and around Seamane to do it instead. Somethings like magical horn operations would stick in the realm of here I knew, but, beyond that really I should be able to find somepony to cover the rest of what could go wrong with me.

Rose walked in at some point while I was inside my own head.

“It is time to get ready, Moony.” Rose said with a smile. “It is good to hear what Helping Hoof said about you and the operation.”

I smiled at her and gave her a hug. “I maybe hurt, but, it won't slow me down for long. I want to be healthy, nopony is stigmatizing me for being ill. I can't imagine a world where it would be okay to mock someone for being depressed or mentally unwell. It is like making fun of someone for having a bad cough, or a broken leg and wanting to get help for it. It is wrong and they should feel horrible for it.”

“Positive outlook on things while having a scathing view about somepony else for something nopony would disagree with you on hating them for? You must be feeling better.” Rose cooed at me with a smile on her face. “I will have to ask them how long until you can perform physically intense activities again.”

I blushed hard, hey, I think my cheeks smoldered. Actually they did smolder a bit from the look on Rose's face and the fact we both smelled smoke.

“Oh dear... I think my magic might be trying to get out a different way... Lets... lets keep from getting my emotions too far in any direction. I don't want to see what a magical equivalent of a muscle cramp or Charley Horse is like. I fear nopony exists anymore that could counter the pure wellspring of magical power that might come out.” I said with a shudder at feeling the magical energy that kept building up, but, couldn't release. If one thought about ones magic like a muscle this was a situation of having abused it to the point of failure, then after it had healed then decided to not use it. Right now I had what equated to magical bed sores, that, if not taken care of, would result in magical cramps or worse.

“Alright, but, once that is dealt with. I want to show you how much I love you and am willing to go for you. Beyond running deep into enemy territory to save your find plot from nasty slavers.” Rose said with a slight laugh, I laughed with her, a warmth filling me again as the surge of magic calmed down resuming the faint pressure that I had grown to ignore.

“Then, lets get this done, no point in delaying now. We have come from a bit away's away to not get my damn horn fixed.” I said to Rose as we got me laid down on the operating table. I honestly had never seen one before, which was probably a good thing. As it was I was rather relaxed and ready to get this done. I felt that we had enough things getting in the way of us working on getting the MASEBS towers online in Seamane. As well as the longer I was in the Equestrian Heartland the more chances for those loyal to Red Eye to find me. After all they did like the heartland a lot.

“Alright, Moonlight, I am going to put this mask on you and you will count backwards from ten.” Said Helping Hoof who had arrived while I was distracted. He put the mask on over my muzzle and I began to count backwards as instructed. I made it to three before I passed out.

Okay, one thing I now knew about being put under with drugs, it fucking sucked. I felt nauseous, light headed, and badly dehydrated. I taped the E.F.S. button on my pipbuck to get the time and was doubly surprised when it happened. First because I had forgotten to have Rose put it back on, and that even though I hadn't asked or insinuated I wanted her to do so, she had put it back on. Checking the time I saw it was about three in the morning. I got out of my bed and sat on the floor drinking from the bottle of water left on the table next to my bed. The water helped a little. I knew I would be alone for a while so I decided to stretch a bit. All this time laid or tied up hadn't done me any good.

After a while of stretching and mulling over options I had tossed out the idea of heading up to Hoofington to hit up Megamart for some large weapons. As much as I would love to adopt the stratagem of overwhelming firepower to crush all before me I felt it would end up being a pain in the ass to do with the cost of ammo. Instead I would focus on magical energy weapons instead of finding a howitzer to strap to my back. Though I still really liked the idea of having a howitzer on my back.

Either way Energy weapons would be easier to keep ammo for as I could easily adapt or recharge spent energy cells or magical spark batteries with a bit of time or a fire. I also enjoyed the fact that energy weapons seemed to be more effective at penetrating armor than regular bullets. Of course there were two major issues with relying on energy weapons solely. First being they weren't stealthy as they were bright as hell when they fired, second they basically drew a line right back to the user when fired. I really needed a good silent weapon to keep on me, a silenced pistol and my knife were a good option, though I doubted putting a silencer on This Gun or That Gun would do much good.

I let out a sigh and shoved the thoughts to the back of my mind. I would work on my armory later. I knew though I would need to get my hooves on something powerful again, and lighter than the rocket launcher I was carrying still. I frowned and remembered I needed to stock up on some more rockets for it. Worse case situation of the unbound would be that the Cazadors didn't go to sleep during the cold winter, or die off. In that situation a rocket launcher would be nice for collapsing tunnels hosting their nests of them.

I checked the time again as I finished doing a light workout of using muscle against muscle. It was still hours until it was a reasonable hour for anypony to be awake. So I decided either I would find a nice big window to sit in front of and wait for dawn or find a way onto the roof. I left a note as to where I would be, I doubted anypony would have a hard time finding me once they got a hold of Rose since she had my tag always on anymore on her pipbuck.

It didn't take me long to find what I wanted, it was an isolated area away from the main walkways of the tower. I stood there looking out through a large window facing south. The view was dark as one would expect at this hour, but, sitting there facing towards home was all I needed. While I didn't have the wind in my mane or a comforting leg around my shoulders this was relaxing, calming. I didn't feel what had been dragging me down since my magic had left me. While it would be a bit until we knew how or if the operation was successful still the operation was done.

Though, now was the hardest part, waiting.

I kind of sucked at waiting for something that I was anxious about. So after a few minutes of sitting there I began to experiment with manipulating my magic. Nothing focused or with a high amount of energy to it. More of just testing to see if it would respond at all. I opened my eyes to see the faint glow of my magic around my horn. I jumped into the air as I let go of my magic to let my horn rest.

“Yes!” I shouted over and over again excitedly. This felt better than when I had gotten my meaningless cutie mark!

I was thankful once I stopped shouting that I had found a rather secluded and apparently abandoned part of Tenpony. Well okay not abandoned, but, nopony lived near this spot. I sat quietly staring out at the city watching as slowly the world lightened as the winter sun rose above the ever present clouds. My meditative state was finally broken by my stomach growling. I hadn't eaten and had been up for a while. Hay, it was about time for others to start waking up so I should get headed back to the clinic. I focused again and lite my horn with my midnight blue aura, smiling as pain nor exhaustion took hold of me in doing so.

“We are back in business Moonlight.” I whispered to myself as I turned and headed back to the clinic.

Upon entering the clinic I was greeted to Helping Hoof coming out of his office.

“Needed to stretch my legs a bit, and get a change in scenery. Only so long I can stand staring at the ceiling of this place.” I said, he nodded as I went back to the bed I had woken up on. I crumpled up the note with my hooves as I sat down and awaited for the inevitable post operative check up. After a few minutes Helping Hoof did come over and gave me a check up. I seemed to be recovering perfectly from the operation. I let him know about the fact that I could access my magic again and of the bit of testing I did of it. He seemed pleased of the results, but, I was to let my horn heal naturally for the next few days only using magic when the threat of a uncontrolled surge happening. I nodded and had my breakfast.

An hour later Rose came to collect me and we went back to the hotel room that she had been staying in. The room was nice, not as nice as what residents of the tower got, but, it was very comfortable none the less. She left a few times to meet with Ruby while I rested and read some books that Rose had kindly thought to get for me. Quite a number of them on hoof to hoof combat and use of melee weapons, I think she was trying to give me a hint. I also tackled some more of the giant primer on magic that I had gotten from her in Colt. I also read over some more about energy weapons as I was going to be relying on them more. I also took the time to do some maintenance on my weapons, while they hadn't gotten much more use to warrant it I understood the finer workings of magical energy weapons allowing me to fix them up a bit more.

Over the next few days Rose and I spent a bit of time together, most of it was just enjoying each others company. Though once I mentioned something about Homage again I was forced to introduce the two of them. They both enjoyed teasing me and got along rather well. I also got to gleam a few things about Rose's past, she hadn't been a slave her entire life, before Raiderville had been Raiderville she had lived there. Her family had been raising her much like mine had, teaching her about how to survive the wasteland and make it on her own. When raiders took over her town her parents had been captured as well, and eventually escaped or vanished. Rose considered them dead and the issue closed. With how calmly she talked about it she seemed to have come to terms with the subject years ago.

After the fourth day of healing Lifebloom sent for me and we went to the roof of Tenpony tower. It was a cold day, the wind was blowing as always with the roofs of tall buildings. It was just Rose, Lifebloom, and myself. I had the good sense to put on my scarf and long coat of the riot armor.

“Why the hay are we up here Life Bloom?” I called over the constant howl of the bone chilling wind.

“A simple test of your magic, but, considering how destructive some ponies magic can be this was the only option available. If it wasn't for your feats of magic down south a few weeks ago we would be inside. As it is, I want you to test your magic in every way you can. See how much you can channel at once, as well as how well you can control it. Also see how deep your wellspring is.” Lifebloom called to me over the wind. We were standing only a few feet apart yet the wind was just that loud.

I nodded and stepped away from everypony and towards the edge of the tower. If I was going to pull out that much energy I wanted to have a safe direction to unleash the energy if I lost control.

“Stay back, this is going to get bright and hot really fast! I don't want to turn anypony to ash if I can help it!” I cried out as I closed my eyes and focused on pouring my magical energy into a tiny point of flame. Unlike when fighting the ice pony constructs or the Wendigo this was to focus as much energy into a tiny point as possible and prevent it from firing in any direction. After a few minutes I felt the heat pushing against me and the wind started to calm. I formed a magical matrix to contain the spell to let me then focus on letting out the energy into the tiny orb of fire.

“Moonlight, you can stop whenever you want to. Don't push yourself to burnout!” Called Life Bloom, I gave a slight nod as I felt the heat begin to increase and the air around me started to stagnate then flow towards the spell. I opened my eyes and looked at the orb of light above me, it was like a blow torch's flame suspended in the air. I manipulated the containment matrix condensing the fire into a tiny dark blue orb, the heat from it making the air shimmer wildly.

I started to feel the containment matrix fail and I adjusted directing an opening towards the ocean. I cut my magic feeding it as the magical beam of fire lanced out and the heat of the ray melted all the snow and ice on the rooftop. The beam itself faded out probably fifty feet away. I panted as I was suddenly overheated from the energy's release.

“I think your horn is fully healed.” Lifebloom managed after a few moments as Rose helped me too my hooves that I hadn't noticed I collapsed from.

“You think? I hate to have seen what something would have looked like after receiving a blast like that.” I said as I wiped the sweat from my brow and my hoof brushed my horn. “Huh, that didn't hurt.”

“Your horn isn't hypersensitive anymore?” Lifebloom asked.

“Yeah, I guess I am good to get back to work then. Slate and Red Eye beware.” I said with a grin on my face.

“Indeed, I am glad to see the operation was a full success. Payment has been handled already so you are free to leave at your leisure.” Lifebloom said with a smile on his face. He had gotten to see first hoof, and probably also worked on the operation itself. A operation that hadn't been done since before the war by anypony in Tenpony.

“Rose, I need to talk to Ruby. You mentioned something about her going up to Hoofington to do a run to Megamart?” I asked to Rose as we descended back into Tenpony itself and headed back to the hotel, giving a nod to Lifebloom as he left to wherever he worked in the tower.

“Yes, why do you want to go with them?” Rose asked.

“Hell no, not to that city. Plus I don't want to go by Fillydelphia if possible.” I answered.

“Then why do you need to ask her about Hoofington.” Asked Rose, looking a bit confused.

“How many caps do we have? Because I am planning on paying her to pick us up some powerful weapons when she goes up there. Then have her drop them off in Dune City for us to pick up after we go through the Unbound.” I said as we got to our room opening the door with my magic, loving the fact I had it back.

“I don't know how well she will go for that, and you really are enjoying having your magic back aren't you?” Rose said with a chuckle.

“Well lets go ask her, and yes I am enjoying having my magic back, it is like having a leg regrow after it got cut off.” I said with a smile as I pulled off my scarf and grabbed one of the bags of caps we had in my saddlebags. “Huh, that seems to be a lot more caps than I remember us having.”

“We got paid rather well for helping Ruby get up here. Apparently prices go through the roof when you are one of the few ponies bringing in anything.” Rose said with a smile on her face.

“Well then, now I feel better about how much we are probably going to have to drop on this.” I said with a smile on my face as I tossed the bag of caps in my right hoof.

“Drop on what?” Ruby said from the still open door of our room.

“I don't want to go to Hoofington. Everything everypony has told me about that place scares the living hay out of me.” I explained. “You were planning on going there after I healed up, right?”

“Yes I was, and if you aren't I am guessing you are paying me to get you something while I am up there?” Ruby queried, already starting to change her posture to what I recognized as that of a sales pony ready to work on a deal.

“Depending on the price of having you do it, unless you can calm my fears about how bad it is in that city.” I said as I set the bag of caps on the floor then put my hoof atop of it.

“Well trust me, the enervation is rather thin with the route we take in Hoofington. Given the time of year expect raiders to be rather thin as well. Main issue with be Reapers and the gangs that work under them.” Ruby said.

“Right, do you really trust your life with that route. What if something has changed since last time. You yourself said that somepony else ran the route anymore, right?” I said as I sat down, my legs still recovering.

“I got an updated route when we were in Colt, it is the closest thing to real time information we will get in this day and age.” Ruby retorted.

“Fine, what is my cut then, because I am planning on buying some serious firepower if I go with you.” I said and waited for her make her offer.

“Here is the thing we are going to make a ton of caps, we always do on runs between Hoofington and Tenpony. I split you in for fifty percent of it if you do what you did last time without getting captured.” Ruby said with a grin on her face.

“What is the prospective take then?” I asked, if she was willing to give away fifty percent the amount of caps was going to be staggering.

“Twenty five thousand caps.” Ruby replied coolly.

“Well... damn, what are we talking to them, bars of gold?” I half jokingly asked, given it was Tenpony I could expect that to be what we carried back from Hoofington to sell here.

“No, though might be on the return trip to Tenpony. Just got some valuables that the Society out there will pay a hoof and a leg for. As well as some nice tech that the eggheads out there will fight over.” Ruby said again with that coolness that made me remember she was a seasoned sales pony.

I let out a sigh.

“I swear we are walking into a city that is basically Tartarus unleashed on Equestria, and that is coming from a pony who has walked through Canterlot.” I bemoaned as I accepted Ruby's offer. The amount of caps we were going to make was too hard to resist, winter was going to be here for a few months more, and I was going to be able to get some big guns. It was a annoying hard offer to resist, even if I was walking into a city I really didn't want to go to. But, she said she had reliable information on the route, and that we wouldn't have too much harassment thanks to the cold. So further north we would be going starting tomorrow.

“Well then, see you in the morning then Ruby.” I said as I closed the door behind her. We ended up writing out a physical contract, it was simple enough, but, it was a formality with the fact that she needed to have it on record for when we got back to Colt. As the contract stated I was a member of her company until we returned to Colt. I was also designated cargo carrier. It was going to be a fun trip if I had to carry back a ton of gold bars.

Footnote: 19% to next level.

Quest Perk Added: Rad Regeneration: When being exposed to radiation your bones will automatically begin to heal, the more radiation the faster they heal. This does not grant a immunity to radiation poisoning however.

Quest Perk Added: Iron Horn: Due to the abuse, mutations, and magical surgery your horn is now far harder than a normal unicorns. As such your head in general is fifty percent harder to cripple and your horn is neigh unbreakable to regular blunt force.

Chapter 18 - Mind The Hoof

Chapter 18: Mind The Hoof

“Why did you do that?” - Everyone at some point in their life.

        I should have realized going further north would mean colder weather and more snow. As it was I hadn't expected the amount of snow that I saw as we entered the valley that Hoofington sat within.

        “How often does it rain in Hoofington, because this is insane.” I bemoaned.

        “I think you count the number of days it doesn't rain in the hoof over the number it does.” Ruby chuckled.

        “This place must practically be underwater during what the rest of Equestria calls the rainy season.” I replied as I followed the rest of the group. The snow was annoyingly thick and I was certain our hooves weren't actually touching ground, we just couldn't sink any deeper due to the snow had compacted to the point it could support us.

        “Well look at it this way, most ponies won't be out in this weather so we should be fine. Well so long as we don't get spotted by one of the gangs.” Ruby called back in a tone more jovial than I wanted to hear.

        “Whatever, lets just find someplace to warm up in soon, there is only so much clothing can do.” Rose interjected, it was good to hear I wasn't the only one being chilled to the bone and frustrated with all this snow.

        “Foresight, start looking for a place that we can hold up in. Rather not sit somewhere that puts us at a disadvantage if we are attacked.” Ruby called out to Foresight who was at the end of the block already. Somehow he could move through the snow like it wasn't even there. I saw him raise his hoof and give a sign I had come to know as “Okay” from him.

        I sat down in the snow and looked around us. We had made decent time from Manehattan and barring a few encounters with Gryphons and bounty hunters things had been quiet. I was rather happy for that. Now though I felt like we were walking along a ledge and it made me uncomfortable. The creeping sensation of something was near or something should happen soon reminded me of Stable twenty three once again. Thankfully there was no single note scream clawing at my mind, yet.

        “Hoofington sucks, you know that Ruby?” I said aloud as I stood back up as Foresight showed up at the corner and motioned for us to come to him.

        “Yeah, I am well aware of that fact Moonlight. But, there are a lot of caps to be had and you said you needed caps and guns so here we are.” Ruby shrugged as we reached the end of the block.

        “We have two blocks until there is a shop I believe we can hold up in. If nopony minds the fact that it is a abandoned adult store.” Foresight explained without a hint of joke in his voice.

        “Don't mind, lets just get there and out of this blasted cold, I think I have ice in my fetlocks.” I grumbled shaking the snow stuck to my boots off. He nodded and began to guide us. I kept in back as I had for most of the trip.

        When we got into the store, I saw he hadn't been joking about the adult aspect of the store, the place had been abandoned, but, untouched. Guessed when Hoofington fell nopony decided to loot the adult stores. Or maybe the looting hadn't been allowed to go on for that long because of whatever killed everypony. Which that was something that had been bugging me. There were few indications that the city had even got touched by the war once we had gotten within it. It worried me that the city hadn't survived in population, but, did physically. I wondered if perhaps some sort of shield had protected the city from majority of the megaspells after everypony evacuated, it would explain the lack of ability for the city to keep going if everypony who lived here had died. I gave out a sigh, something to look up when I had some free time to question those who lived here.

        “Alright, everypony, relax for the next hour, then we are off again, we should make it to Flank if we keep up our pace. Once there we will hit up Stable Sixty Nine, I can't think of a warmer place other than a Burner Boys camp.” Ruby commented before finding a barrel to set fire to to help heat the building.

        Rose on the other hoof was going shopping it looked like. I did my best to not pay attention to it. I just curled up next to the burning barrel once Ruby got it started and pulled off my boots so I could dry both my hooves and the inside of them before we left again. I closed my eyes and laid my head on my forelegs as I listened to the fire crackles next to me.

        I cracked open my eyes to see that more than just an hour has passed by, the fire was still going and there wasn't any indication of my companions having turned into smooze. I did notice more individual blue bars in my Eyes Forward Sparkle. That couldn't be something good for us, though, the lack of red meant at least for now nopony wanted me specifically dead. The lack of screams, war cries, or weapons fire meant that nopony had started fighting either. So, that was a good thing too.

        I let out a yawn to indicate my awaking and opened my eyes further to take in the situation. There were a good number of stallions now occupying our camp, all of them seeming to carry something explosive or fire related. One looked at me as I yawned then resumed warming up paying me no further attention. That told me a lot, they were welcome guests and I was, at least for now, not a threat or prisoner.

        I pushed myself up right feeling dry and warm for the first time in days and pulled out my canteen for a drink. As I looked around more I noticed a few ponies talking to Ruby and Foresight. I turned my gaze around the rest of the shop to see Rose sitting behind the register of the shop watching the group. I pulled on what I had taken off and joined her. She seemed to be relaxed, but, I could tell from my own lingering paranoia that she was also slightly on edge.

        “How long have they been here Rose?” I asked Rose keeping my voice down as I sat and began to eat a snack cake.

        “They showed up about an hour after you fell asleep. Apparently we are on their turf, but, they seem to know it is a good idea to not attack caravans, even if part of it is asleep.” Rose joked, I gave a soft laugh to it.

        “Alright, so what is the deal for us. They going to keep us from going when we are ready or are they coming with?” I asked after finishing the snake cake in probably a unhealthily short period of time.

        Rose frowned, “you would have to ask Ruby, nopony has really told me anything.”

        Once again, we were on the outside of the loop of information. I heard the purr of cards in my mind as I saw us once again in another game that I didn't know all the rules for and the cards were dealt.

        “In that case we wait, if Ruby has yet to tell us there is a reason. Us sticking our noses where they don't belong won't get us anywhere or earn any friends.” I muttered before looking for something more substantial to eat in my pack.

        As it was Foresight was the one to come get us. I didn't ask any questions and Rose seemed to be trusting my judgment of the situation as we moved out. The gang stayed in the store as we left and headed out to Flank. Like Ruby had said it wouldn't take much time to get to it. However I wasn't expecting what I saw. The place was rather run down, it looked like one hell hole of a drug den and only really had a few buildings and a chain link fence to guard it. As we entered Stable Sixty Nine I noticed the the six had once been a eight, but, was painted over. Once inside I knew why it had been, the place was a brothel for the most part.

        “Ruby, you certainly bring us to the most interesting places.” I commented as Rose and I were given the key to our room.

        “Figured a place like this would be like a second home for you two.” Ruby countered wearing that smirk of hers.

        “While we enjoy each other, we don't particularly indulge in others.” I said pointing my nose in the air as I walked away, fighting the urge to laugh.

        Even with the nature of the stable, it was still a stable, which started to get to me while we walked to our room. My creeping worry was constantly countered by the various sounds of ponies enjoying life and forgetting the world around them. Still, once we got to our room I was very happy to strip off my gear and splash water across my face and stare into the mostly intact mirror in our bathroom.

        “You alright Moonlight?” Asked Rose from the other side of the door.

        I shook my head to help with centering my thoughts again and clamp down on my paranoia.

        “Sorry, just, since we got here I have been more on edge. I am not certain if it is the ambient enervation that they mentioned or being in a stable again is doing it. Maybe it is that we are in a stable that has enervation, just like twenty three.” I said as I opened the door to a worried Rose.

        “Is it just that, or did what say Ruby get to you? I can understand if it did, or being around ponies enjoying each other so much is bringing back bad memories.” Rose said as she embraced me.

        I stopped and wondered about that, I had thought I would react badly to comments about what had happened back in Manehattan, as it was, it didn't really bother me. If I still had emotional landmines over what happened, apparently they had not been triggered by the stimuli here. Which boded well for me.

        “No, even thinking about it right now it doesn't seem to be the issue. I mean, yeah it hurts thinking about what happened, but, I guess none of this seems to have triggered any response from me. From what Helping Hoof said though it might be more of when I get in a situation where I perceive a lack of control that I might have an issue.” I stated then rested my head on Rose's back.

        “Well, if anything does, just let me know. I am here for you no matter the situation, understand?” Rose whispered into my ear.

        “Crystal clear, now then, I wouldn't mind warming up and getting some good restful sleep now that we aren't sleeping outside again.” I said as I lifted my head back up and stared Rose in the eyes, she smiled.

        The next morning I was finally feeling far more relaxed than when we had left Tenpony. The constant worry about gryphons swooping in and flying away with me or blowing us away hadn't left me in the most rested state. Once within the hoof my worry over enervation had kept me on edge as well as my well trained wasteland paranoia hating the many corners and places to hide within the ruins of the city. I really didn't want to get up today, it felt too good to be snuggled up with Rose again without armor or cold between us. I buried my muzzle into Rose's coat as I let my thoughts wander.

        I laughed quietly realizing how long ago I hadn't ever thought I would manage to make it this far north. Hay, I never really thought I would go to Manehattan until a bit over a month and a half ago. Though now I was not as naïve as I was back then. Though, thinking about it again, I was still brash. I weighed things more than I did then, I knew how quickly a fight could go against me and just how quickly I could be hanging onto my life by a thread. I also knew now that there were just times that no matter how much you wanted to change the situation you just had to fold and accept things had gone against you. Still though, in the end I was still free and alive. I smiled and planted a soft kiss on Rose's neck as thanks for rescuing me. All in all I was still pretty lucky to not be dead, though I knew some of that luck had been self made.

        As much as I wanted to continue laying in that warm and soft bed with Rose my body wanted to move and I wasn't going to neglect it. I had learned that doing what my impulses told me to do worked reasonably well when in my down time. I did put on my barding and coat first, as I left I remembered to pull on this and that gun and my bag of caps. While Flank was a safer place, it was just that, safer, not safe, so for a pony with a price on her head it was a bad idea not to carry some weapons. One thing Rose and I had done was split our caps four ways, both of us had a small bag of caps on hoof for if we wanted to buy something small or cheap, then we had the majority of our caps in the other two bags held by both of us and stored deep within our saddlebags instead of in a pouch or string.

        Upon exiting the stable I wandered through what little of a market there was in Flank. As I had thought upon first seeing the town it was mostly a drug den. There was fresh food from someponies representing the Society here as well. Frowning at the fresh food I decided it was best to ask them how they managed.

        “I for one can honestly say it has been a long time since I saw fresh food in the wasteland. How do you ponies do it?” I asked as I bought some of the food and took a bite of one of them.

        “Not from the hoof are you? Well it isn't that difficult to explain. We of the Society have some clean and fertile soil as well as a lot of willing workers. It isn't easy, but, we have managed to slowly build up a reasonable crop. Though as you can tell by the price it is still rather limited, and, we must feed ourselves first before the rest of the wasteland.” Said the stallion running the stand, I nodded in agreement.

        “Quite impressive, I am surprised you haven't managed to rally more of the hoof to your side with the fact you can grow your own food. Then again I imagine it is hard to find places to expand to for growing more crops.” I said before taking another mouthful, while the stallion spoke in a more posh manner than I expected he didn't seem to mind the idle chatter or me eating while we talked.

        “Yes, we have had issue getting ponies to work for us, but, with the promise of protection, food, and shelter we have at very least managed to have enough ponies to keep things in the Society moving decently.” He replied.

        “Smart to offer up protection and a place to sleep in return for food. Must be a lot easier to manage the ponies working for you when they have a reason to keep working other than not dying. Honestly, don't understand why ponies ever expect slaves to be half decent workers. Give them something to work for other than freedom and you will keep the ones who will actually be useful over wasteful. After all you would want a workforce to excel at what they are doing not meet the bare minimum.” I suggested.

        “Well, that would be ideal, but, peasants don't generally want to excel they simply wish to do as little work as possible and gain as much as they can from our generosity.” He countered, and I raised my eyebrow at him.

        “Peasants? What do you in the Society think of yourselves as, royalty?” I asked as I put away the rest of the food.

        “Well yes, we are directly descended from the old rulers of Equestria, the wealthy elite who ran the nation with Celestia, and then Luna's blessings.” He stated puffing out his chest.

        “I see, well then, where are you ponies operating out of, sounds like a nice place to visit. Unlike say the Hoofington Sports Arena.” I asked, feeling a chance to have another place marked out on my pipbuck. Plus another place I could possibly run past to get enemies off my tail.

        “You have a pipbuck right?” He asked, I nodded and extended it to him, he quickly gave it the data for where their operation was located. “So long as you have your weapons holstered we will welcome any merchant who comes along.”

        “Thank you, I will keep you in mind next time I am planning a run in the hoof.” I said with a smile and giving a hoof shake to the stallion before moving on to examine what else was for sale.

        I found another curio stand, things seemed to be popular, then again why wouldn't odd curiosity items be popular in a world of ruin? Something other than guns and bullets or scrap materials was welcome. However, while picking through it most of the stuff was junk, as to be expected, but, it was uninteresting junk. Or maybe I just missed the point of curio shops. However I did feel something pull my attention to it. It was a simple piece of metal shaped into a odd series of curves and lines. As I touched the metal I felt something felt off about it, but, not in a unpleasant manner. I smiled and picked it up.

        “Hey how much for this bit of scrap metal?” I asked the shopkeeper.

        “Ten caps, don't ask me what it says, don't have a clue.” He said as I handed him the caps and continued to sort through the various junk. I saw things that a few months ago I would have been excited to see, a spritebot EFS system, Geiger counters, radios, digital time and date keepers. All of the parts to make the pipbuck zero. I smiled remembering leaving it with the Baroness back in Black Woods. I hoped it was serving her well and the pipbucks I gave them were helping them make it through the winter too.

        After a few more minutes of searching I found something of interest. A sword, though the blade of it looked charred it seemed to be in good condition, at very least it would look nice in my room back in Dune City.

        “What about this thing?” I called out to the shop keeper again, he blinked looking at it like he didn't even know he had it.

        “Well given how poor quality it is in, thirty caps, thing is probably best for sitting on a wall and looking pretty by now.” He said as I exchanged the caps in question to him, I set it across my back as we found it's scabbard before I left. I knew that it was always a good idea to search through the junk shops, who knows what interesting things one would find there. Just like how everything began, I gave a whimsical smile as I pranced back to the stable.

        Upon getting in I set to the bar, I hadn't gotten to really chat with anypony last night as all I wanted was a warm bed. As I sat down the barkeeper walked up to me.

        “Morning, so how are things going here in the Hoof?” I asked as I began to think of what to order, drinking something hard was out of the question, maybe she had something non alcoholic.

        “Alright, as ever the winter slows things down, I imagine it is the same where you are from.” She said offering up a shrug.

        “Got anything that isn't alcoholic. I told myself I would never drink before going out of town.” I said as I put down a few caps.

        “I might have a thing or two that might do. So what is such a armed and armored pony like you doing with Ruby?” She asked as she started to mix something.

        “Got hurt and needed to make use of the medical facilities up in Tenpony, decided we would make a trading run out of it to make up for the operation. Then decided to add a trip out to the Hoof so we could get me some bigger guns. Have some really nasty monsters down in Seamane that I want a big gun for dealing with. Giant fucking wasps, we call 'em Cazadors.” I explained and received a sympathetic look from the earth mare. “They are nastier than giant Radscorpians, they will just impale you over using their venom, if you do live, well you probably got venom in that wound and are going to bleed out.”

        “Well, I can see why you would come to Hoofington for that, I guess you would be going up to Mega Mart then?” She asked as she set a drink on the table, I eyed it before downing it in one go.

        That was a mistake, I managed to keep it down, but, the look on the peach mare's face was both of amusement and sympathy.

        “The fuck was that, oh goddesses what the fuck did I just drink?!” I cried as she gave me a bottle of water to wash my mouth with.

        “Sorry, a few ponies like that drink and it is meant to help with hangovers. Figured I would see if you liked it.” She apologized.

        “You know, for being the leader around here I could have taken that as an attempt to poison me so you could get the bounty on my head.” I said as I coughed a bit and glared back at her. “Caprice, if I remember what Ruby said, is your name and you are the sister of the other two who more or less run the Finders.”

        Caprice for her credit took my threat quite well.

        “Well, somepony did her homework. Yes I am who you say I am, no I wasn't trying to poison you or get any bounty on your head. I am okay with ponies selling their bodies, but, I am not okay with selling ponies. Now my sister, Usury, would be a problem.” Caprice said with the tiniest hint of a scowl.

        “Fair enough, thankfully her operation is not on the list of places to go. Also if nopony told you who I am yet, name is Moonlight, also known as the Lonely Ranger or the Ranger of Seamane thanks to DJ Pon3.” I said as my chest filled with pride as I offered a hoof to Caprice.

        “Ah, so you are the most exciting thing happening this season. Honestly been a while since somepony really stirred up things.” Caprice said shaking my hoof. “Here let me make you another drink on the house, I promise it isn't like the last one, nor is it alcoholic.”

        “Thanks.” I said as I finished the bottle of water Caprice had given me washing out the last of the rancid drink from my palette.

        “Here, I hope this is more to your liking, Moonlight.” Caprice said as she set down another drink. I grabbed it in my magic and sipped the drink, I found it sweet and fizzy. I drank it down slowly so I could enjoy the taste as long as possible.

        “I guess you enjoyed it didn't you?” Caprice practically purred.

        “Yes I did, now then, no trying to manipulate me, and I already have a marefriend that I crossed the entire Equestrian heartland for.” I said putting the glass down on the bar to a miffed looking Caprice, though the expression left her face a moment later.

        “You seem to be a bit more perceptive than most around here. Then again, I did make this place to be a drug and sex den.” Caprice said with another shrug, and a smile finding its place on her muzzle once more.

        “Quick question, do you have anything that needs to be taken up to Mega Mart? Because I have a bit of free space if there is any courier like jobs available at the moment.” I asked, it would never hurt to get more caps if it wasn't out of the way.

        “Sorry, right now pretty much everything is filled other than hunting down some computer file, but, that is a hunt all over the Hoof.” Caprice offered up with a shrug.

        “Eh, well it was a shot in the dark anyways. How much for another one of these drinks, because right now I'm just waiting on everypony else in my caravan to be ready to go.” I stated with the roll of a hoof looking back to the doorway that lead to the rooms. “That reminds me, how come you were fine with us sleeping here instead of in that apartment complex? Just slow business at the moment?”

        “Sure thing on the drink. As for you staying here, those rooms don't hold heat like they used to. Plus, like you said, it is winter, business is always slower during the winter.” Caprice said as she finished mixing me the sweet fizzy drink.

        “Thanks, how much for the drink? Also thank you for letting me chat with you so candidly. Some ponies back home who run towns are rather tight lipped, or stuck up.” I said as I took a sip of my drink.

        “Five caps, and I don't mind, mornings are generally dreadfully slow. Even worse when nopony wants to get up and go into the cold.” Caprice answered as she took the five caps I set on the bar.

        “You know, I would expect this city to be picked clean by now, well beyond the places where the enervation is worst. From the sounds of it though this place just keeps offering up salvage like somepony keeps restocking the whole city over night.” I commented as I took another sip. I was hoping maybe Caprice had noticed this oddity of Hoofington and might have some idea as to what kept this nightmare of a ruined city going.

        “I don't know, my father thinks something like Discord is playing a trick on us by shoving random stuff into desks and drawers across the wasteland. But, I know what you mean, vending machines mysteriously restocked, chemical plants seeming to have unending reserves to draw upon. It seems too good to be true, but, who knows maybe there is some massive automated system that keeps the city stocked up as it can. After all nopony goes into the tunnels underground, everything down there is a death trap.” Caprice mused.

        “I see, I think you might be more right, though considering what I find in desks at times maybe Discord is also involved. However, I do think something is keeping this place stocked. I also don't like the fact that enervation is primarily a thing found only in Hoofington.” I paused as a thought hit me. “Might I ask, but, is the enervation worse underground?”

        “Generally it is, but, most ponies flee from the tunnels well before that is much of a issue.” Caprice replied. “Why, you think it might be connected?”

        “Maybe, or maybe they just occupy the same space. After all there are nasty pockets of enervation on the surface, but, there aren't factories in said pockets of enervation.” I countered then sighed. “Whatever the case, it is for somepony else to figure out, I still need to work on keeping Red Eye and Slate from taking over my home and enslaving everypony.”

        “Everywhere it is the same isn't it. If it isn't raiders it is slavers, if it isn't either it is some want to be warlord, right?” Caprice asked, again with a look of sympathy in her eyes.

        “I guess, I just hope I can get a winning hand at the right moment in this game.” I muttered as a scowl found a place on my muzzle again. “There is something going on back home, alliances I don't know about, lots of information trading hooves as well as not being given to me. The other players in this game know I am there, yet I don't know all of them. They have their hands and are making wages on what is going to happen next. I am trying my best to call bluffs, to get new cards and a better hand. What can one pony do when faced with potentially several armies and a large number of mercenary bands?” I finished saying as I rested my head on the bar.

        “Sounds like you got yourself into a much bigger game than you thought. Keep your chin up, the fact that you are still free and alive is something in your favor, Moonlight. Maybe you don't know who all is playing and who is working with who, but, I bet a intelligent mare like you knows that caps go a long way to filling in those gaps of missing information.” Caprice told me, I smiled at her.

        “The wise bartender, I swear I have read that in several books before.” I laughed and returned to my drink.

        “You pick a few things up when being both the leader of a town of addicts and prostitutes as well as a bartender.” Caprice chuckled as I finished my drink.

        “I would imagine.” I mused as I felt a bit better about the situation I was in. I know I had told myself most of what she said to me before, but, somehow hearing somepony else say it to me made it more true.

        It was half an hour before everypony else showed up ready to go, during the time I had chatted a little more with Caprice about how things operated in Flank as well as having grabbed everything I was to carry. I still didn't understand how I could pack things so efficiently, but, it was nice to have nicely ordered bags. I also kept the sword out in case I needed to do some killing without the sound that This and That gun would make. I also noted that my pipbuck said the sword was in better condition than what the shopkeeper or I had thought, though it did need some love to restore it. I planned to get what I needed to fix it up when at Mega Mart, after all they would in all likelihood have what I needed beyond the whet stone I carried.

        With nothing more than a nod we moved out and I gave a wave to Caprice. We would be stopping here again on our way out of the Hoof, but, that was between two to four days away depending on what we came across on our trip to Mega Mart. At first I was confused as to why we weren't taking the main road north, then they told me that way lead to trouble. I immediately agreed to our diversion. While the snow slowed us we made decent time and only after a few hours of having to use my helmets built in night vision we had made it to Mega Mart. Ruby once again handled the hoof shakes to get us in and I followed her and Rose as we made our way to where we would sell off all the various things we had brought from Tenpony Tower.

        True to Ruby's words, I was practically swimming in caps. Well I wasn't because that would require both a tub to fill and a lot more caps. Still though, I was delighted when I was given my share of the caps. Though the excitement was quickly curbed when I realized that I needed sleep badly. So we paid for lodgings and rested for the night.

        In the morning I took the charred blade with me and my whetstone and began to sharpen it. What I found interesting was that the blade wasn't just charred, the metal of the sword itself was black. When I finished sharpening it the edge seemed to be in better condition than it had any right of being. I frowned as I examined my sword more. It had a ruby hidden within the counterweight of it with some enchantment that if I had known my runes better I could understand. I did need to get something to rebind the handle of it as well as new guard.

        I returned to the warm interior of Mega Mart and began my hunt for both what I needed to finish restoring the sword as well as for what I had originally come here for, weapons I could trust to deal with Cazadors. Though in extension they would hopefully also help with making short work of those insanely over armored ponies that served Slate. Punching through power armor wasn't going to be easy by any right. I dishearteningly found that there was a lack of such weapons, though I soon found out why when I saw a group of Steel Rangers buying up every bit of ordinance they could get their hooves on. Best way to make certain nopony has something that can kill you is to buy all of them and keep it off the market. As it was I ended up picking up mostly more ammo, explosive rounds for the shotguns as well as fire rounds, lots of armor piercing rounds for everything else. I also made certain to get any weapon modification kits I found for my weapons and a fair bit of overcharged energy cells for my magical energy guns. Still, the lack of anything big and nasty to tear apart my enemies with saddened me.

        Once I finished shopping I gave a forty five semiautomatic pistol to Rose, she needed something other than Applebuck to use when rifles weren't the way to go. Seriously that pistol she got had ammunition rarer anything else I had seen so far. I also bought ever round, case, primer, and bit of powder for her pistol that I could find.

        “Rose, since Applebuck is both expensive to fire, as well as loud as all fuck take this forty five as back up. Already added on a silencer, a heavier slide, and some better sights on it. I also took the liberty of adding a laser pointer to Applebuck so you can aim it a bit easier.” I said as I tossed her the forty five.

        “Really now, and you are fine using those two revolvers of yours?” Rose asked as she put on the new holster and put away the forty five.

        “This and That Gun are perfectly reasonable sizes. Applebuck is named Applebuck for a reason.” I countered. “Plus if I am silently taking somepony down I will use a knife, my sword, or hooves to do it.”

        “I can just cast a spell and make Applebuck completely silent.” Rose countered.

        “It isn't about the sound, it is the fact that it is five caps per round to shoot it, and the recoil on that thing is monstrous. Hell it isn't even a six shot revolver it is a three shot revolver.” I retorted.

        “How much is the forty five per shot?” Queried Rose.

        “Fourth of a cap, and a forty five is still pretty nasty on its own. Just doesn't have the range that Applebuck can have.” I stated as the cargo for our trip out of the Hoof was sorted and set in my saddlebags. “How many gold bars are we taking, because these things weigh a ton.”

        “Shush you, and quite a few since you seem to be able to keep moving no matter how much crap we put on your shoulders. I swear you could carry the planet on your shoulders so long as you don't have to lift it.” Ruby said as she piled other valuables into my saddlebags. As it was I was focusing on fixing up my sword.

        “I thought you said that blade was charred, Moonlight, so why is it still black after you sharpened it?” Asked Rose as she slid her hoof over the edge only to wince and pull away as it cut into her hoof.

        “One, the blade itself is black, colored me surprised. Two, don't ever do that, it is stupid and dangerous like looking down the barrel of a gun.” I snapped at her as I pulled out our bandages from her saddlebags. “Are you bleeding or did it just hurt?”

        “Just hurt, and singed.” Rose replied and I glanced at her hoof to see it was indeed looking a bit singed.

        “Guess whatever causes the blade to be black rubbed off on your hoof.” I stated as I put back the medical supplies.

        “I guess, I feel sorry for whoever you first use that sword on though, thing is sharp, doubt it will just give them a paper cut.” Rose said frowning at the sword as I finished restoring what I could of it. What I really needed was another sword to take parts from to fix it. That or to find somepony capable of forging new parts for it.

        “Well hopefully it will be a while until we find out. So far our little trip to the Hoof has been as troubled, but, not disastrous.” I said, now worrying about having jinxed the trip. “I just jinxed us didn't I?”

        “Probably, thankfully we didn't take that superstitious guy with us.” Rose muttered as we both worried about what would happen next.

*                *                *

        “You just had to say that didn't you, Moonlight!” Cried out Ruby as we rushed into the building Foresight had directed us to.

        “Hey! I said I was sorry for jinxing this!” I fired back a I unloaded a few rounds from my revolvers into the Flash Fillies that had decided to try to dust us.

        “It is my fault as well, and I apologized too!” Rose shouted as she fired off a few rounds from her assault carbines.

        “Will you three give it a rest and move the table to block the door!” Shouted Foresight as he prepared a few traps. Without a word I grabbed the heavy wooden table to block the door. Against energy weapons I knew it wouldn't last long, but, it didn't need to, just long enough for us to get out and to the next building or wherever Foresight was guiding us.

        “Alright, where to next Foresight, I don't want to get turned to dust.” I said as I reloaded everything.

        “We are going through a short segment of the underground tunnels. Keep on me, don't get lost. If you do get lost, get top side as quickly as you can and head for Chapel. If we get separated make for Chapel as well. Don't shoot the fillies and colts running the place either. They tend to shoot back.” Foresight commanded as he opened a door and I followed.

        As soon as we were in I regretted not choosing to see how much damage a blast from my horn could do to the Flash Fillies. Now that we were down in the tunnels I could hear the single note quietly scratching at my mind.

        “Anypony else hearing that constant scream?” I asked only to be greeted with blank stares. “What, I hear it, faintly. I know it is enervation, I just want to know if anypony else hears it.”

        “No, maybe because your head is closer to the ground you are hearing it. I know the tunnels have a bit of enervation in them, but, this one isn't that bad. Plus fields of enervation never move or suddenly pop up.” Foresight scolded me.

        “Right, fine, maybe I am just more sensitive to it or something, just like I am to radiation.” I dismissively said as I rolled my eyes. “or was.” I whispered.

        Rose stopped and before I could react I walked right into her.

        “Everypony stop and be quiet, there are hostiles up ahead. Lots of red bars in my E.F.S.” Rose stated drawing her carbines again.

        “I don't see them on mine yet...” I muttered, must be due to her keener senses some how tying in with however the buck the E.F.S. system worked. “Right lets be ready for anything.”

        I heard Foresight's quad-light machine gun battle saddle click from burst fire to full auto. I knew it was that since the safety was on the bit and didn't have a resounding cascade clicks. Foresight then proceeded and guided us in silence. It was not a minute after Rose mentioned the red bars that I saw them as well. As things were going I wasn't seeing a option other than going through them. I didn't speak up, I had quickly learned that unless Foresight says you can do something, assume you can't. Then I heard the all too familiar sounds of ghouls.

        We paused as Foresight weighed our situation. Then with his hoof he directed Rose and I to cross to the other side of the tunnel. Once over I relayed the rest of the plan to Rose as I could see him still thanks to the enhanced vision of the helmet. The plan was simply we proceeded up ten paces then waited for him to tell us to go further. As soon as we got into combat we were to stop moving forward and to just keep anything coming after us away.

        This plan worked until a ghoul stared at me and screamed as it rushed for me. I opened up with my battle saddle as I didn't want to risk losing any weapon in the dark. Behind me Rose opened up with the assault carbines and I was glad for the noise dampening of the riot helmet. Then I heard the belching of Foresight's battle saddle join our weapons. In a minute what had once been a horde of ghouls was nothing more than a field of shattered and twisted bodies. I stood there quietly as Foresight crept forward to scout the next room that the ghouls had been filling. I had no more red bars on my E.F.S. and from how Rose sighed I figured neither did she.

        All we got after a minute was a hoof sign to come. As we entered the next room we found ourselves on the platform for the old subway system. We were at the station for the Museum of Natural History. Foresight pointed up the stairs and then to me. I recognized his command for me to take point. It made sense, I had the smallest profile and going up hill that meant I was least likely to get perforated.

        Creeping up the stairs I found us in the Museum itself, but, no red bars beyond what appeared to be rad roaches. We quickly left the Museum leaving it as undisturbed as possible so nopony would think we had passed through. None of us thought that we had been followed, but, it was best to not leave things to chance. Upon reaching outside I noticed the Core was in full view and just looking at it I felt ill. The massive black towers, the wires running between them, the hint of green that filled the place. I could also hear the cry of enervation from here.

        “Lets get moving, I want to get someplace else as quickly as we can. The Core is making me sick.” I commanded, nopony argued as I lead us south to where Chapel was supposedly.

        Unlike traveling around the Seamane region travel in the hoof was rather easy. Mostly due to the fact that most of the hoof was well developed and the place fit in a area a bit bigger than all of Seamane's ruins and out to Dune City. Really the longest trip would be going from the cape at the north of the city called Star Point all the way down to Flank. Still the snow and being cautious slowed us down a bit. That and my constant staring at the Core which would cause me to pause as it felt like something was trying to get inside my head. Personally I wished somepony had gotten a few balefire bombs on that thing and made it a crater. No matter what knowledge and technology we lost, it was better than whatever the price was for whatever resided within that malevolent green glowing fortress.

        “Better let me handle introductions, Moonlight.” Ruby said as she took point as we came into sight of Chapel. I also now knew why the town was named as such, because of the Chapel that sat at the heart of it.

        “You know the ponies here more than I do, so go for it Ruby.” I said handing command back to her.

        As I expected she was able to talk her way into town and did a bit of bartering with the local shop keeper, who was not but a filly. I also noticed majority of the towns population were just children. Except one, a black stallion who left from the Chapel to greet Ruby. They exchanged a few words and as I began to notice something I hadn't expected from the town. I couldn't hear the scream of enervation anymore. Something about this place blocked it out, or at least dampened it. I stared at the Core that was just across the destroyed bridge from the town. By all rights I should be deaf from enervation and wanting to tear out my horn, yet, here, one of the places closest to the core, the enervation was silent.

        “Strange...” I muttered to myself.

        “What is, Moony?” Asked Rose who hadn't left my side after seeing how the Core messed with me on the walk to Chapel.

        “Remember how I said I could hear the enervation in the tunnels? Well the whole time I could see the core I felt the same thing. However, here, even looking at the core, I don't hear it. It is silent, and I don't feel as on edge. Something about this place is different from Flank or Mega Mart.” I looked at a few of the children playing. “It can't just be that there are a concentration of young ponies here, right?”

        “Who knows, we don't know what causes enervation, so who knows what counters it.” Rose answered looking puzzled herself after hearing my words. As she thought to herself on the subject Ruby walked up to us.

        “Anything I should know about this place, Ruby?” I asked as she drew closer.

        “Don't walk to the end of the bridge, the Core's defenses will dust you.” She replied coolly.

        “Wait, the Core defenses are still online and active after all this time?!” I shouted.

        “Yes they are, why is that important other than it makes getting into the core a whole hell of a lot harder.” Ruby answered, giving me a puzzled look.

        “I am betting the Core's defenses being online and enervation are tied somehow. Some sort of long term build up. And... Oh that would make sense with Stable twenty three as well.” I muttered the last bit to myself and drew confused looks from Rose and Ruby. “Stable twenty three was outfitted with something called a Starmetal Reactor. I don't know what the hell it did to generate power, but, it was meant to power the Stable for a very long time and act as a generator for once they left to make a town. Problem was something messed up and enervation liquified the stable's inhabitants. Then turned them into sentient ooze that tried to, I hope it only tried to at least, eat me. The reactor was a gift from the Office of Interministry Affairs director to Stable Tec. From what I understand the O.I.A. helped with a lot of the rebuilding of Hoofington by organizing efforts between the ministries and the city itself during the reconstruction. Or I would assume so. I also vaguely remember mention that the reactor was developed here. I don't know the specifics, though the files on my pipbuck might have more. Anyways, point being, I am betting it was the Starmetal reactor caused the enervation from too much draw.”

        “So if we found these reactors we could get rid of the enervation?” Rose asked.

        “We could never get to them. In all likelihood they are either in the core or have pockets of enervation around them that nopony could handle. Maybe if we had a remote controlled robot we could. But, we don't have the resources or time for that. It is a problem to be, once again, fixed later.” I sighed. “I guess nopony ever pushed the reactors for long enough to notice the enervation, or maybe nopony cared.”

        “Or nopony has given it much thought, you know most ponies are busy just trying not to die.” Ruby said.

        “Too much time of my life was devoted to critical thinking and critical learning.” I stated, I imagine that probably there were a good number of other ponies out there who were just as good as I was, but, for one reason or another just didn't get the pieces to make sense of the puzzle.

        “Well, mystery solved?” Rose asked and I shrugged.

        “It is just a idea of what could be at the center of this. For all I know it is actually some space daemon thing that wants to devour all of the souls of our planet.” I said as I rolled my eyes.

        “What if it is a space daemon?” Rose asked.

        “Then we find a bigger gun to kill it with at some point. Who knows, maybe drop something from space on it. Bet a balefire bomb or other megaspells should handle it more or less.” I said with a sigh, and now I was worried it was a space daemon and not just a weird property of Starmetal.

        “Anyways, as much fun as it is to see you speculate on things while getting snowed one, want to go inside?” Ruby offered.

        “Yeah that would be best. Also does anypony know what the hay Starmetal even is or looks like?” I asked as Ruby ushered us into the Chapel.

        “I don't know, maybe you will find some when you go into the Ministries in Seamane.” Ruby answered as I shook the snow off of myself as we entered the aging Chapel. I blinked as I took in the interior. I let out a whistle.

        “Color me impressed.” I said at the end of my whistle.

        “Make that double.” Rose said from beside me, giving her own whistle.

        “And make you the lucky couple?” Asked Ruby with a chuckle.

        “Which one of us would be the lucky bride?” I asked looking at Ruby.

        “Who would our best mares or stallions be? Our social circles are a little small.” Rose inquired.

        “How the hay do we get my family out here on such short notice.” I jokingly asked.

        “That's enough you two, you ruined my joke.” Huffed Ruby as I broke out in laughter.

        “I was being somewhat serious, Moony.” Rose said with a pout.

        “As was I, Rose. That doesn't change that it was funny.” I smiled. “This chapel is beautiful.”

        “Indeed it is, after all this want to come back here?” Rose asked as a hoof went around my shoulder.

        “I wouldn't mind it. Better than getting a captain of a ship to marry us.” I giggled. “So how long are we taking a break for Ruby?”

        “Until morning, we are sleeping in here, no exploring.” Ruby ordered as she found a pew with a bit of padding left over and laid down on it. I shook my head and just pulled out the sleeping bag I had with me. As with Snow, and on the trip out from Colt I knew it could hold two ponies easily, and, quite warmly.

        “You don't mind sharing again tonight, right Rose?” I asked as I pulled off my equipment and set it next to the head of the sleeping bag.

        “With you? Why would I mind.” Rose purred before placing a kiss on my forehead. “Lets just keep it clean though, this is a church after all.”

        “Wasn't even thinking about that, Rose.” I paused then sighed which elicited a smile from Rose. “Now, I am thinking about that, Rose. You better hope we get more than just a night at Flank.”

        “I think it is you who needs to confess for your behavior.” Rose said and I heard somepony kick something hard.

        “I think we should stop and get some sleep before somepony decides to knock us out.” I sheepishly replied.

        “I think you are right.” Rose said in the same sheepish tone as myself. We knew it was best not to incur the wrath of our travel companions less they abandon us to fend for ourselves in foreign lands.

Footnote: Level up!

New Perk Added: Light Step; You no longer set off mines or traps thanks to careful hoofwork and being unreasonably light on your hooves as well as well aware of your surroundings.

Chapter 19 - Doom Train

Chapter 19 – Doom Train

“But wait, there's more!”

The night's sleep in Chapel had been more restful than I had expected. Granted that restfulness lasted all of ten minutes once we left the town. Apparently somepony in the Reapers had a hard on for us and was waiting for us to leave town before attacking us. While I appreciated their not attacking the town while we slept, it was still annoying that they attacked at all. Part of me wondered if it was due to my bounty they were after me, or it was for having eluded the Flash Fillies the other day. Whatever the case their leader hadn't been to hard to put down, even with the heavy metal armor she wore, few explosive rounds to the head was all she needed.

        “Ruby, we need to get moving soon, longer we stay here the more of them will come!” I shouted over the gunfire, I had to give it to the Reapers, they knew how to suppress us, far more organized than simple raiders.

        “I know! But unless you have a way to get them to stop firing for a bit there is no way for us to break cover and run!” Ruby shouted back as a bit more of our crumbling cover was shot away.

        I gawked as I saw the Reapers leader stand back up, with her head in one piece.

        “The fuck?! Shit, their leader is immortal!” I shouted firing another explosive round into the red striped mare putting her down again for the time being.

        “What?! Shit! Foresight we need a way out now!” Ruby shouted to our entrenched friend on the other side of the street where he was firing back as best as he could with Topaz.

        “Fuck it! Ruby I have a horrible idea that is probably going to get us killed! Everypony pin them down for me!” I ordered as I began building the needed magic to unleash a fire blast that at very least would give us a smoke screen.

        I felt bits and pieces of debris fall on me as I shut my eyes and focused on pouring power into the fire spell much like I had on the rooftop of Tenpony tower. This time though I was going to essentially make it a massive flame thrower instead of a concentrated beam. Though, a heat beam would probably still do the trick if I could spot my targets. As it was, I would be firing this blind and probably setting the block on fire, if it was still flammable after all these years in this drowned hell hole of a ruin.

        It didn't take long for me to reach the point that I felt comfortable that it would give us what we needed in terms of cover. I also already heard a falling off of gunfire as the spell had built, either they knew what was coming, or they didn't like the looks of a pale flame hovering in the street. I let the spell go, releasing the containment matrix to spew forth my spell, the roar was quite like what I imagined a dragons roar to be when breathing fire.

        “Alright lets get moving!” I shouted as I stood up and tossed a grenade into the street where I figured somepony would move to take cover now that my spell had ended. Suffice to say, much of the street was dripping with water and steaming.

        “Right, Foresight, lead on!” Ruby commanded as I quickly patched up Rose who had taken a few hits.

        “This way, keep quiet.” Foresight said as I got Rose on her feet and we quickly headed off towards Flank again, I left the red stripped leader of the Reapers another grenade to prevent her from getting up anytime soon.

        As we made it another few blocks I felt something under the ground shift below my hooves and froze.

        “This is a problem...” I whispered as I took another step and felt the ground shift more under my weight. “Ruby, we have a problem.”

        “What is it, Moonlight?” Ruby asked turning to look at me as I felt the ground around me start to sag.

        “Oh... fuck me.” I managed before I heard something snap and the ground below me plummeted the light of the surface lost on me as I tumbled into the darkness of the underground of Hoofington.

        When I came to I was laying in a cave or tunnel of some sort. Given how I felt I figured I had at least managed to roll instead of bounce this time when I landed. I went to power on the night vision of my helmet to find that the faceplate of it had cracked and fallen off, taking with it my best option for seeing in the total darkness down here.

        “Of course...” I muttered to the darkness, then realized the error in doing so when I heard something move. “I swear this city actively hates me...”

        I rolled onto my hooves and pulled out my lighter as well as my sword. One thing I did know about this situation was I couldn't trust my guns to hit anything, if I couldn't see my target it was pointless to shoot, and with the tiny amount of illumination my lighter would give me, well, it was best to resort to melee combat. Holding the lighter in my magic on one side and my sword on the other I began to check for the closest wall to me. This is when I found I was on some sort of railway, thankfully I didn't have to worry about a train as the city was long dead, but, the rails had to lead somewhere. I also figured I only had one direction as the other was now closed off thanks to my rapid descent.

        I cursed as I tripped over a pit in the flat stone that made up the tunnel and my lighter skidded away into the darkness. I slowly forced myself back up, straining against the weight of the stupid amount of gold that I was carrying. Honestly I should have known carrying so much weight would end up causing something to give out under me. Though I hadn't anticipated a goddesses damned sinkhole to open up and take me. Thankfully I had Rose's pipbuck tag on my E.F.S. to go by, and she would have mine. Hopefully she would see my movement and know I was still alive.

        Unfortunately with the path I was taking I was headed away from Rose, as well as there had yet to be another path to open up to me. I still was on edge about the fact I was hearing things again like in stable twenty three. Also unfortunate was the slight scream of enervation as well as the lack of any bars on my E.F.S. telling me everything was very well dead down here, and if I didn't find a way out I would be another corpse in this nightmare of a city.

        As things were I found corpses, all too familiar corpses. What was worse was now I didn't need my lighter as some ambient light had begun filtering into the the 'station' I had entered. With how dark it was I couldn't tell whether it was green or blue as now things seemed to have become various shades of gray to my eyes. Still though, I had a good sign of a few blue bars, though the direction of them left me with little hope of rescue. They were further down the pit that the station was part of.

        'It seems we are doomed, doesn't it.' I heard the familiar voice of Doubt say from the corner of my mind as I skulked about the station keeping an eye on my medical readouts in case I started experiencing organ failure or worse.

        'Feels like it, though now I feel better as I have something to talk to.' I mentally whispered back, not wanting to chance talking aloud and awaking some nightmare that might sleep here.

        'You’re welcome. Though it is seeming like the only way forward is further into the depths of this place.' Doubt commented, and I had to agree, I had no way of opening any of the heavy doors that lead to additional tracks that would hopefully lead to the surface.

        'I was worried you would conclude that as well.' I sighed, enjoying the company, even if illusionary. 'What do you think of jumping down to the pit instead of the long walk down. Would shave off some time on the descent and keep enervation exposure down.'

        'Let's just hope there isn't a path out that we miss by doing it. We also hope there isn't anything triggered by use of magic, that would be... most unfortunate.' Doubt mused and I had to agree, though, my E.F.S. should pick up anything turning hostile.

        'Hold on to our lunch for me then.' I said as I ran and jumped off the ledge and wrapped myself in my magic and began to glide down keeping an eye for any sort of path out.

        I had to admit, I enjoy gliding while not getting shot at, tackled, or in general harassed. Even with the flight on the back of Bryn while going to Fillydelphia I enjoyed flying a great deal. Here though, everything felt off, and I was certain it was the enervation as well as the creeping sensation of something watching me while I was here. Also the fact that I believed the city itself was trying to kill me.

        As I descended to the bottom of the station I saw various cranes and long abandoned train engines. I guided myself towards one of the more preserved engines, feeling that if I had to bunker up a train engine would do well as a makeshift bunker. I was rewarded for my efforts with not only seeing the source of the blue bars on my E.F.S., but, also a few more corpses. The blue bars were some form of cybernetic or robotic dogs. They thankfully for now paid me no mind and I sighed in relief as I heard the cry of enervation fade away.

        'Glad they don't seem to care about my presence at the moment.' I thought to myself, more to draw out Doubt again to have something to converse with while I took stock of the situation.

        'Very glad that is the case. Might want to pull out the battle rifle as it has a scope to look around.' Doubt offered and I had to agree, it was a sound plan and I did so.

        As I scanned for a possible exit at this level I heard the terrible sound of metal being torn apart and turned my attention to finding the source of it. To my amazement, as well as horror, it was the cyber hounds tearing apart a long abandoned train car and eating the scrap metal. That gave me a idea of how tough they were if I needed to fight them, which I deeply hoped I wouldn't have to, I doubted I could survive a round with just one of them. As it was they seemed to give me no mind and I gave them none myself.

        After a few minutes I found a possible way out, though, I didn't like what would be the likely method of opening it. I was going to have to either drive or crash a train through a door and pray it is the right door. As it was, I was working on seeing if I could get the engine I was in powered up.

        'I know it is a terrible idea, Doubt, but, you haven’t given me a better idea.' I said as I replaced the fuses of the train, I had no clue why the train had so many fuse boxes.

        'It is really the only option at the moment. We don't see any other options.' Doubt responded, she had managed to give me a hallucination of her in real space instead of in head scape.

        'Really now, I thought you were supposed to think at things from a different direction. Or is there just too little information to draw other conclusions from?' I asked, mocking Doubt for her lack of usefulness at the moment, well beyond somepony to talk to.

        'We could just go and leave you alone, well more alone.' Doubt retorted, as I forget she could read my own thoughts as she was part of my thoughts.

        'Fine, sorry, just funny to have you at the disadvantage for once.' I laughed as I finished checking the wiring. 'Well, it should run, I think, not a expert on trains, but, everything is where I think it should be.’ I scratched the back of my head. ‘This is going to be loud as all hell isn't it.'

        'Cover your ears and hope it goes more than ten feet before exploding or something.' Doubt chimed in before vanishing.

        “Right, run away just as things are about to get fun.” I whispered to myself as I reentered the command room of the locomotive, locking the doors behind me. I looked around and mercifully found that many of the panels of the locomotives controls were lit up with life.

        “So, now then I need to figure out what releases the brakes, decouples the cars, and pours on the speed.” I whispered again as I began to read what everything did before taking a seat in the driver's chair. “Doubt, you are right, this is a horrible idea, but, I have always wanted to ride a train, as well as a boat, so to Tartarus with it I will have my fun and escape. Or, like everything seems to do around me, get blown up.”

        I released the brakes, hit the decouplers, and pushed the lever forward to increase speed. I was rewarded with various hissing, pings, and the sound of a groan of metal taking on stress.

        “Well... didn't explode, yet.” I said, appending the yet due to how life has been as of late.

        Then with a lurch the train started forward and I drew my battle rifle to look ahead. Much to my chagrin this was the worst choice I could have made at that moment as the headlights of the train turned on and blinded me.

        I flailed on the floor as I felt the train start to rumble to life as well as hearing the train's long unloved bearings scream for grease.

        “This is going to be a short trip, isn't it.” I asked aloud, already knowing the answer.

        Then I felt a thud resound through the cabin as I scrambled to stand up and drew my sword along with This Gun.

        “They had to notice at some point, didn't they. Damn it, I was hoping for a clean getaway.” I muttered as I loaded armor penetrating rounds into This Gun as I took the safety off of the shotgun on my battle saddle, still loaded with explosive rounds. As I did the window of the door to the cabin shattered and a cyberhound landed within and growled at me.

        “Listen, be a good dog and leave the poor lost mare alone. Your pack needs you and I need to leave here.” I said aloud as the blue bar for the cyberhound stayed blue. “I didn't want to be here, and I am leaving, I just don't have another way out beyond taking the train.”

        As I finished saying this I snapped the Cylinder of This Gun closed and the window next to me shattered.

        “Oh come on, I am just on my way out, just leave me be and you won't die.” I chided at the hounds as a third jumped in and landed on my back.

        “GET OFF ME YOU HYBRID MUTT!” I shouted, praying that until I made the first act of violence they would stay peaceful, yet menacing. I was rewarded with the one on my back pinning me under its immense weight.

        “Great, I am getting arrested by two century old cyber hounds for trespassing on someponys property who is long dead.” I sighed as the more cyber hounds joined me in the cabin, all growling, though not making a move to injure me as I holstered my weapons.

        “Listen, unless the door has opened out of here, this train is going to crash, and probably kill all of us. So I am giving you the chance now to leave and live while I try to leave your masters property.” I stated, not knowing if the cyber hounds even understood me, as it was, I highly doubted it. I was just glad they were more sane than the typical robobrain robot.

        I heard metal outside ripping and tearing, and started to worry if they were attacking the locomotive thinking it captured me and were trying to save me. Or, maybe they were just trying to get the doors open. I wasn't certain as my current view was more or less the metal floor of the drive cabin.

        “Listen, I am commanding you to return to base this instant!” I shouted, trying to be as commanding as I could while having my face pushed into the floor by a metal paw. I heard the scraping of claws on the floor and began to worry that I had just pissed them off.

        A moment later the hound that had been on me had left and I got to my hooves and began to look around me. I was still a good distance away from the door, but, it was starting to open, at a rate that the train should make it through without issue. I looked around me and saw the badge of Carnival Cat laying on the floor.

        “Would have thought you to be back in Colt, well thank you Ms. Cat, you probably just saved my life in time for me to end up some how screwing it up again.” I said as I put the patch back in my saddlebags. “That or maybe they listened to what I said and decided I wasn’t worth mauling to death…”

        I looked forward and smiled as the track I was aimed at would lead me upwards instead of further into the bowels of this damned city. Then I noticed something I didn't like, I in fact was terrified of. There was a horde of ghouls on the other side of the door, most of them were wearing some form of military barding or another.

        “Out of the frying pan...” I muttered to myself.

        'And into the fire.' Doubt finished for me with the same tone of frustration as myself.

        As the train approached I found how to kill the lights on the train in hopes that it would cut down on drawing attention. Unfortunately, once more, and to my greater annoyance there were more than a few ferals in there that still knew how to use a weapon, as well as apparently knew I was here. At least I figured that was why they were calling for me, as well as shooting at the cabin.

        “We smell life... We must consume it...” I heard one as the train began to pass through the crowd that parted before my slow moving train. I swallowed when I heard hoof steps on the metal walkway behind me signaling they had boarded my train.

        “Well, that isn’t totally creepy... Anyways, time to start the party.” I sighed as I drew This gun and my sword as I withdrew to next to the driver's seat in the middle of the cabin once more.

        Both doors were opened by the ghouls easily, even in madness of being feral sliding doors were easy. I gave a telekinetic shove to push the first few back out and into the milling mass that surrounded my train as it slowly ascended.

        “You know, I should have picked a express train. Because I have no time for passengers!” I shouted as a ghoul saw me and began to howl. He received a round to the head which did little more than make a small hole as the armor piercing round passed through him. The shot didn’t even kill the ghoul, just made it wince in pain.

        “Oh come on...” I bemoaned as I switched to That Gun which was still loaded with hollow points. As I did apparently one had managed to get close to me.

        “Give us life!” Shouted one ghoul, their body and voice so destroyed by their state I couldn't tell what they had been in life.

        “Fuck that!” I replied as I swung my sword caving in her or his skull, then they caught on fire. “The fuck?”

        I only had a moment to ponder their sudden immolation as more started to rush me, many trying to bite my unprotected head. I retaliated by returning fire, bucking, and swinging as wildly as I could. Seeing as the train was already moving, all I needed to do was stay alive long enough to find a way to the surface, baring that, use the train to make a path. Knowing how today was going, I probably was going to some how end up doing both. Still though, I was starting to get hurt rather badly by the ghouls, worse was when the military sort showed up and started shooting after I had cleared out the unarmed ones. I had to thank Aegis later for offering up the riot armor, though, I could feel it was already taking one hell of a beating. I also felt a few places where the protection of the armor had already failed completely.

        “Story of my life, isn't it. Well if it wasn’t before, now it is I guess.” I muttered as I ducked behind the metal console that controlled the train while I reloaded.

        “Under authority of the Equestrian Military we are commandeering this train! Surrender now or prepare to fight!” Shouted one of the ghouls, seemingly a bit more sane than the others.

        “Weren’t we already fighting?” I asked, amused at the idea that this wasn’t a battle in progress. “Do you promise that when I stand up you won't shoot me?” I shouted back as I readied my assault carbine, having removed it from its mount on my battle saddle to make it easier to aim in the tight cabin.

        “If you follow our orders you will live to see tomorrow.” Was the reply.

        “Then walk over to me as a sign of cooperation. Right now I have no way of telling if you will follow through on your side of the bargain.” I commanded, hoping that this would at least buy me a free kill. Much to my surprise a ghoul did just as I asked and set his mouth held pistol on the floor, I just blinked up at the glowing ghoul as my pipbuck slowly clicked at me.

        ‘That, that worked for once?! Huh, guess my luck is getting a bit better.’ I laughed in my mind as the commander stood there.

        “And you?” He simply asked, I holstered my weapons and returned the battle saddles bit back to its place at my side. “Good, I take it you were heading to the surface.”

        “Yes, the enervation down here will kill me otherwise, I haven't a clue what it does to ghouls like yourself though.” I stated, still dumbfounded by my luck.

        “Well, I need you to stop the train, even if this ‘enervation’ is slowly killing you we need to get those who are still sane out of here. More so if this ‘enervation’ is lethal to ‘ghouls’ as well. We wish to leave as well.” The buck simply stated, he had trouble with the term ghoul as he came to terms with his not properly being a pony anymore.

        “I don't know how good the brakes still are, but, I’ll try.” I said as I moved to the console and slowed the train to a stand still. “Be fast on loading everypony I don't know how long the brakes will last, or how long the engine will last. It has been two hundred years after all.”

        “Bit longer than I thought.” He said before turning to his allies. “Everypony, gather every sane pony left and load them aboard. We swore an oath in life to Luna that we would protect Equestria until the day we die, and today we will serve even in death.”

        “Tad morbid and dramatic.” I whispered to myself as I began picking through my supplies and tossing out any expired healing potions, which, unfortunately, was quite a few of them. “This is going to be bad if any more major fighting happens...”

        “Do you expect there to be more?” The ghoul soldier asked.

        “Honestly, Hoofington is horrifically filled to the brim with things that bring only death. So, you tell me, was it a fortress or a death trap when rebuilt?” I asked, not really expecting much of an answer.

        “Both, if anything comes up needing authorization leave it to me, even if it has been two hundred years I should still pass the credential checks for most of what is around.” He simply stated.

        “Better than my Ministry of Moral badge that I have.” I sighed as I rummaged around the cabin to see if I could find a map of the underground. “Not mine, found it left in a safe.”

        “What is left of Equestria?” He asked as I found what I was looking for, though, I couldn't understand it really in the flickering light of my lighter.

        “No organized government as far as I have encountered, good number of settlements outside of cities exist to some degree. Many ponies have gone mad with the hopelessness of the wasteland, like the Feral's that you were with.” I explained as I began to find one of the annoyingly possible places we could be as I used my magic to steady and brighten the lighters flame. “To be honest, a large number of ghouls like you are going to need to find other ghouls to shack up with. If we can get to Flank, er, Flanekerton? I think that was the prewar name, we should be able to find some place for you. As it is right now...”

        I trailed off as I felt a vibration start to build in the train.

        “We need to finish loading up everypony, I don't think this train is going to last much longer if it isn't moving.” I finished as I pushed the engine output higher hoping to counter the failing brakes. “Honestly, you could make a good deal of money once you settle down the civilians running a trade caravan. Or as mercenaries.”

        “So the war still rages on?” He asked, I shook my head.

        “No, not that war at least, it is long done. There is a lot to explain that I can do once we have a course laid out. At the moment I need to find out where we are so I can plan where to go.” I frowned, keeping the sigh from coming out that I felt building. “Today is going to be a much longer day than I wanted it to be.”

        “At least you are helping somepony.” He said putting a squishy fore hoof on my shoulder.

        “Yeah, I tend to do that by accident a lot more than by intention. Not to say I don't like helping others, I just seem to stumble across those in need of help more often than going out and finding ponies in need on purpose.” I squinted as I looked ahead hoping to see some sort of signage on the tunnel. “Any of you ever notice some sort of marking as to what tunnel you were hiding in? Because anything would be helpful right now. Also, you have better eyes than I do in this darkness, get your ponies to keep an eye out for obstructions, signage, and threats once we get moving. Because right now I am more blind than a cave fish.”

        “Will do, just keep the train in place until I tell you otherwise, I rather leave as few those with a mind behind as possible.” He said.

        “Good, by the way the name is, Moonlight, though you could just call me Ranger, it is my title.” I said offering a hoof having put away the map for now.

        “Sergeant Heart, at your service ma'am.” Heart said taking my hoof and shaking it gently.

        “Hoofington defense I am assuming?” I asked figuring maybe I could get some information to the doom of this city.

        “Yes, stationed out of Miramare Air Station.” Heart replied seemingly understanding my intent to kill time as he sat down.

        “I hate to ask, but, can you tell me about the end. There is a lot of threats around Hoofington and mysteries as well that maybe a voice from the past could shed light on.” I said, frowning as I knew really that it wasn't my place, or intent now, to try to fix this city, but, damn it I wanted some answers, so Celestia send me to the moon I would have some answers today!

        “There isn't much to say, we were holding the line against the Zebra's when it happened. The Hoofington shield was turned on and the missiles impacted it doing little to nothing. Eventually though, the shield shut off, we tried to move as many civilians as we could to places like the Fluttershy Medical Center, but, Zebra assassin's hit that place so we moved to the tunnels. Not many survived the trip, but, there were others before us who had gone into the tunnels.” Heart answered, though I could feel in his voice he had regret for coming down here.

        “While the shield was active, was there any sort of anomalous scream?” I asked, hoping it would be a yes, proving that it was just starmetal reactors like in twenty three and not something else that could prove to be far, far worse.

        “I don't know, we weren't close enough, we never asked anypony about it.” Heart explained, and saw my defeated look.

        “Damn it, well do you happen to know anything about starmetal?” I asked, maybe I would get lucky.

        “I'm afraid I never heard of it. Sorry Miss Ranger, but, that was probably part of one of projects.” Heart said, and my ears perked up.

        “Projects? Tell me what you know of these projects.” I felt myself possibly on the cusp of something, even if not getting answers about enervation and Hoofington, it might give me a tool against Red Eye, secret military projects turned against an army of slavers or raiders would likely do wonders with my limited numbers.

        “I don't know much, I did happen to see the end result of some heavy duty cybernetics in the field though. It was not pretty.” Heart simply concluded after giving me a very light on information briefing. Most of what he knew was from those few ponies with loose lips during the war, but, never anything definitive, beyond his aforementioned first hand experience.

        “I swear, well let me ask you this. The space program, did it ever work?” I asked, I had a few journals and articles talking about the space program, but, apparently somepony decided to at some point cut out a lot of information on said program.

        “I can personally say, we went to the moon and came back. Regardless of what the papers say or said. We didn't stop going to space afterwards either.” Heart said, he had a smile on his lip less muzzle, which was creepy as you would expect.

        “Well... at least that killed time. Also that is amazing we actually did go to space. Too bad it will be a long time until the world has recovered enough to send somepony else up. Or at least regularly.” I mused, wondering how it was in space compared to our blighted Equis.

        “Sir, we got everypony aboard, figured a simple test of asking if they understood what we were saying was enough for sanity.” One of Heart's ponies said.

        “Alright then, get in position to repel boarders as well as look out for anything that might hamper our movements. The Ranger here needs us to also figure out what tunnel we are in so she can get us topside.” Heart ordered, his ponies nodded and went about figuring out their positioning on the train.

        “All aboard!” I shouted before slowly pushing forward on the throttle and releasing the brakes. I grinned having finally gotten to say 'all aboard'.

        “The world so messed up that this is your first time on a train?” Heart asked.

        “Yeah, and don't bother with trying to get to Canterlot, it is dead. I’ve been through it, anything not killed when the Zebra's set off some sort of alchemical bomb in it, is twisted to the point of turning the place into a nightmarish hell scape. Also, we have alicorns now, don't trust them, they want to do ill for all of ponykind as far as I have found.” I explained to Heart as more bits of information critical to survival in the wasteland came to mind. “Listen, I am going to give you essentially a briefing on the world at the moment, with all of my bias. You can figure out what to tell everypony else when you go your way.”

        “I understand, thank you for not making me have to shoot you by the way.” Heart added as we began to head further into the tunnels in hopes finding a way out.

        For the next few hours I filled Heart in on everything that had happened that I knew of. I made small mention in my own role in the change of events down south, but, mostly I explained who and what not to trust in this new world.

        “That is why you don't go into stables alone, always have back up.” I finished after explaining both enervation as well as the dangers that stables posed, abandoned or worse.

        “It is hard to believe the princesses are dead though.” Heart mournfully said.

        “I understand, I wish it wasn't true, but, they died and that was what caused Canterlot to become accessible to us, as much as it is a terrible idea to go there.” I said slowing the train as we came to another switching station.

        “I will get somepony out to it to see where to go next.” Heart said before I held up a hoof.

        “No, you ponies need to get topside more than I do. Here take the map, if things go bad will I shout what junction this is and you take off.” I said handing Heart the map from my saddlebags. “Sorry for those of yours I killed earlier, I had no way of knowing you weren't ferals.”

        “Don't worry about it, what is a little friendly fire come the apocalypse.” Heart joked, and I was happy he could still be so upbeat after the deluge of depressing information I had given him.

        “Be back faster than Rainbow Dash.” I said as I hopped off the side of the engine and started galloping to the switching station.

        The first thing I noticed was the red light, the second thing I noticed was the appearance of a red bar on my E.F.S. The third thing I noticed was that it really hurts to get shot by lasers. I rolled off to the side as whatever was shooting me failed to track my movement and I wrapped a few bandages over where my charred and cracked skin broke out bleeding.

        “I swear, one of these days I am going to have a suit of armor lasts me more than a month.” I cursed as I tossed a grenade into the room which held the attacker. With the blast of the grenade detonating I saw the light go out and moved into the room. As I had expected it was a robot of some sort. I shoved its remains in the corner as I focused on figuring out which switching station we were at.

        Within a few minutes I has figured out where we were, and that, with luck holding, we would be topside soon, though annoyingly closer to headquarters of the Reapers than I would like. Returning to the engine I asked for the map and started to figure out the best path to take.

        “I would say we get topside as quickly as possible, but, if the Reapers are as bad as you say.” Heart trailed off.

        “Yeah, my thoughts as well. I think what might be best, and would let me know if I was a target or not, to get topside and have your group go up off to Megamart, the ponies there are rather friendly, so long as you don't shoot.” I said, disliking my plan as it ended with me riding this train through the heart of Reaper territory to give them cover.

        “I could spare a few of my ponies to stay with you. I know they wouldn't mind doing it to help protect the civilians.” Heart offered.

        “Sorry, this lonely ranger has to do it this way. You will also need as much firepower as you can until you manage to get away from Hoofington and Fillydelphia. As much as it is a very long trip, I would suggest heading down to Seamane, Colt or Dune City would be a good place to start.”

        “We will do what we can. Just stay safe, don't want to have any more deaths weighing on me than I need to.” Heart finished as we set the train down the line that would take us to the surface soon.

        “Operation Doom Train is a go.” I whispered to myself.

        “You are terrible at naming things, Moonlight.” Heart muttered as he face hoofed.

        “Shush you, at least you aren't riding the damn thing.” I said as I got back into the drivers seat.

        A few hours later we came to the surface and we unloaded everypony besides myself. During this time I also took the opportunity to orientate myself and figure out what way to run once I had to ditch the train.

        “You certain you don't want any of us with you for this?” One of Heart's ponies asked.

        “Hey, you already died once, I think. Not certain how ghoulification works. Either way, if you want to make this up to me, start getting yourself ready for action and down to Seamane. There is a fight brewing down there and I have pretty much just my marefriend and myself for my side of the fight. Wouldn't mind some ponies who are willing to put their neck on the line for me. Though, only after you get those civilians settled in somewhere. I would avoid trying Tenpony tower or the Society, they seem too stuck up for dealing with Ghouls.” I suggested, and gave him a smile. I honestly hadn't realized this could be the beginning of getting some guns on my side that weren't carried by me. Then again, that is only if they felt obligated to fight by my side.

        “Stay alive, Moonlight, we will see what we can do.” The soldier responded and went to join the rest of the ghouls.

        “Going to try my best, even if I do my best to do otherwise.” I muttered, still not liking this plan. “Well, lets get the show on the road.”

        Half an hour into my ride on the train at full speed I had gotten the attention I had been wanting and simultaneously dreading. I slowed the train so my would be attackers could attempt to chase me and board the train.

        “WHO WANTS A RIDE ON THE DOOM TRAIN!” I Shouted as I climbed on top of the locomotive.

        “I do!” Came a feminine voice from behind me.

        “Well then, first things first, price of admission. Why the hay do you want to kill me.” I asked turning to see the familiar red striped mare.

        “Because why the fuck else, you got a bounty on your head and you are a half decent fighter. In short, you are making things a bit less boring tonight.” The Reaper answered with a laugh.

        “Glad you don't have somepony with artillery here then.” I smiled. “Moonlight, the Ranger of Seamane at your service.” I said with a bow.

        “Rampage, here to stomp your ass until it is paste.” Rampage answered.

        “If it were so easy.” I chuckled as I drew my sword and That Gun. “Let's dance.”

        Rampage charged me and managed to follow my attempt to dodge. I should have known better than to let her get close as she seemed quite adept to hoof to hoof combat, while I was far more in the school of ranged combat and running the fuck away. I swung my sword and caught her hind leg and watched as it did nothing except for smolder.

        “I swear this thing makes what I hit catch on fire!” I cursed as I swung my sword again only to receive a power hoof to my face, I felt something break and warm liquid, likely my own blood, run down my muzzle.

        “You really don't know how to fight in close like this do you?” Rampage prodded as she walked up to me where I was attempting to get to my hooves.

        “No, better at shooting and running away. But, I had to get your attention away from those ponies I found.” I coughed and tasted metal, though I figured that was from a wound on my face over something more serious.

        “Blatant loud heroics get you killed, which is a problem for a pony like you.” Rampage chuckled as she sat down on my back, her armor giving her enough weight to defeat my tired self.

        “I noticed. So now what? Feeling sorry for the pathetic and unskilled Ranger of Seamane?” I asked as I lay there feeling my energy begin to leave me.

        “Don't know yet, figured I would let the train derail with us on it, hell of a way to die I have to say.” Rampage laughed.

        It took a moment for me to remember her apparent immortality.

“Right, immortal, well, this is going to suck.” I sighed as I began working on possible ways out of the situation. The best one was use my magic to toss Rampage towards the head of the engine and then dive off the side myself and hope that I could cover enough ground to lose her.

        “Hey, at least it will be interesting. Mint-al?” Rampage offered, I shook my head.

        “No, but, a buck would be nice, maybe a bit of dash. Hell, give me some whiskey.” I said as I continued to run how to make my escape.

        “Oh shit, is this gold?!” Rampage laughed as she opened my saddlebags. “Damn you had all this on you and yet you fought me? You almost deserve to go to Big Daddy instead.”

        “And if I managed to escape and lose you?” I asked as I readied myself for yet another rough landing.

        “Then I will have to drag you to him.” Rampage chuckled as I smiled, finalizing my plan.

        I swiftly wrapped myself in my own magic clamping shut my saddlebags before standing up using my magic to empower myself. I then with my sudden surge of power tossed Rampage off my back and gave her a solid buck as she began to fall.

        “You better hope you can find me!” I shouted as she flew forward and I grabbed my weapons before leaping off the train.

        I should have looked before leaping, because as it was I just managed to do it at one of the few worst moments. I jumped just as a building was coming up and managed to smash myself pretty well against a wall.

        “Oh fuck my luck.” I whimpered as I lay on the second floor of a long abandoned apartment complex. I had managed to make it through a window, only to go through an internal wall, and manage not to hit a support for the building in doing so.

        I brought up my medical read out to give me a rough idea of how fucked up I had just made my body. While I knew I had broken a good number of bones, I had no clue as to bad it was over all. I closed the medical read out a moment later knowing I probably was stuck unless I had a few good healing potions left. I started to dig out my healing potions to find most were to the point I did not want to risk using. I then happened across one thing I really didn't want to use. Two doses of hydra, I knew they would do exactly what I needed, but, I would be weak for a while. Which if Rampage decided to show up again, would probably mean me being out of luck.

        “Fuck it, she is going to find me either way. Real question is if I can make her take a hint...” I sighed and injected both doses of hydra into myself then took a dose of Buck and a shot of Med-X. I eyed the Dash I had on me, as well as the local flavor of Dash known as Sonic Rainboom. “I am so going to kill myself or worse if I stay in Hoofington much longer.”

        With that I headed out, the double dose of Hydra repairing my body far faster than I had expected it to, the Buck and Med-X doing wonders for shrugging off the pain I had been in. Then I heard a loud and painful crash followed shortly by a sizable explosion.

        “That would be the train... Glad I got off of it when I did. Though a bit earlier would have been helpful” I muttered as I rubbed my still aching chest and headed for Chapel. “Hopefully that will slow her down for now.”

        I clicked on the good DJ Pon3 to see if there was anything I should know about happening. There was, unfortunately, nothing really new going on beyond my train ride.

Footnote: Level Up!

New Perk Added: Intense Training (STR): Through everything the wasteland has thrown at you, you have become stronger. May your new found strength aid you in fighting your foes or just in getting that one stubborn lock open. Also get rid of those damn gold bars, they aren’t doing you any favors.

Skill Note: Medicine 100.

Chapter 20 - Street Fighter

Chapter 20 – Street Fighter

“But for me, it was Tuesday.”

        I had made it about an hour before Rampage caught up with me. The first time I simply impaled her head on my sword and left her flaming corpse in the middle of the street. The second time I gutted her and strung her organs across a block leaving the place smelling of roasted meat. The third time? I just gave up.

        “Third time's the charm, as they say.” Rampage laughed as I followed her away from Chapel towards the sports arena.

        “Just shut up, I was hoping you would take a hint after I left your internal organs decorating a entire block.” I sighed as I hung my head in defeat. The only good thing coming out of all this was I was working off any weight I had put on during my down time, thanks to lugging around the unreasonable amount of gold that Ruby had shoved in my saddlebags back at Megamart.

        “What, are sore that you lost, miss mighty Ranger of Seamane?” Rampage teased.

        “I'm tired, and I don't want you following me into Chapel making a mess of things. Plus, I figure I would have to keep killing you until I found a way to make it stick long enough for me to leave the hoof if I didn't give up. That or put you down for good.” I muttered, still weighing if I could just toss Rampage into the Core defenses instead, though her armor made her heavier than I would want to work with while being so exhausted...

        “If you do find a way to put me down for good, let me know.” Rampage called back to me as I realized I had been steadily falling behind.

        “I think... I may have used too many drugs.” I whimpered as my body started to ache as the Med-X and Buck wore off at the same time. I didn't enjoy the additional feelings I had been having since I took the Hydra's either.

        “Why do you say that?” Rampage asked as she stopped and waited for me to catch up.

        “Because, I took two doses of Hydra at once, a Med-X, and a dose of Buck all to just get on my hooves again. Hay, I was planning on taking a hit of Dash or whatever this variant that they make in mixers is properly called.” I explained as I caught up with her. We still had a few blocks left to go to get to the arena.

        “Sounds like you had one hell of a landing then. Because I don’t think I beat you up that badly.” Rampage laughed as she took another Mint-al like it was candy, then again, if she could regenerate from all I had done to her, it probably was candy for her.

        “I should have checked for a building before I leapt, as it is, I am glad I landed in it, instead of becoming paste against it.” I sighed as I rubbed a hoof against my ribs which were still tender despite everything.

        “You know, you might just make a fine Reaper.” Rampage laughed again as we continued on.

        “Too bad I am not staying in Hoofington any longer than I have to. This trip was for caps and weapons, only one of which I have gotten.” I bemoaned, feeling frustration rise as I remembered the disappointment of not getting what I wanted at Megamart. I also knew that caps soon would be worthless as majority of my time back in Seamane would likely be in places that wanted to kill me or worse, instead of bartering with me. “The caps are turning out to be not worth the trouble as well.”

        “Well, either way, you're coming with me. Its that or probably get Deus on your tail if I fail to get you to come in. Trust me, you don't want Deus on your tail.” Rampage explained her tone darkening.

        “If they are anything like you, yeah, no, I don't want that.” I confessed.

        “He’s worse than me, big old Cyberpony, giant guns, loves to rape mares.” Rampage explained, almost jovially.

        “Great, just keep him away from me when we get to the Arena. Actually, keep everypony away from me while we are there. I might snap someponies neck if you don't.” I muttered, feeling a seed of anger start to grow within me.

        “Perfect, because knowing Big Daddy, you are going to have a fight or two on your hooves. Even if you don't want to be a Reaper, he probably will make you an honorary one or something like that.” Rampage laughed again as she popped another Mint-al.

        “I swear, if I don't get some sleep first I am going to see if I can just become a pony of pure fire.” I muttered to myself feeling my anger continuing to grow and spark.

        “We’ll see about that. Follow me, and keep your mouth shut, or somepony might shut it for you.” Rampage commanded, her voice having dropped the joviality that I had just been experiencing. I just simply nodded as I knew I had lost control of the situation long ago.

        Not long after we arrived I was, indeed, set up with a fight, with no sleep. Apparently it was a test me as well as to test another potential Reaper, though this one being a local instead of a wandering mare like myself. I was not amused, and was practically smoldering in frustration, scratch that I was actually smoldering with frustration to the point my vision was slightly obscured and the buck who put the noose on me worried about it catching fire. As it was I had to keep myself from biting the buck who put the noose around my neck at the start of the fight. I felt sorry for whoever the poor mare was that I was about to fight. Mainly due to I didn't need my pipbuck to do combat magic, or fight. I had been trained the old fashion way of being a brutal nasty bitch by the wasteland. Then again, she was trying to be a Reaper, which meant, so had she, in Hoofington. My feelings of sympathy for the mare in front of me washed away as I realized, really this was going to be an even fight.

        As the fight began I took my time removing the noose on my neck, the rules were simple, a fight until knock out or surrender. We started with the nooses on so that way neither of us would attack until the fight started. Containers ringed the cage we were in, and they needed keys to be opened, or magical talent. Right now though, I wanted to just be over with this. But, I had to put on a show before it could end.

        “I felt sorry for you initially. But, thinking about it now, I don't so, I am sorry.” I said to the mare as she charged me. I hit S.A.T.S. and received a tackle instead.

        'Right, no pipbucks...' I mentally muttered to myself, hating that I apparently had become reliant on having a pipbuck to some degree.

        The mare, to her credit, managed to bruise or crack a few ribs of my with her tackle. However, she didn't know how to properly pin me, and I was feeling particularly rude tonight. As such I kicked her where nopony ever wished to be kicked, then with her hind raised, I bucked her solidly in the stomach sending her up. I rolled to my hooves and bucked again as she came down, using my magic to give it a bit of extra punch. She went flying as I smiled.

        “If you are going to grapple somepony, know how to grapple first.” I chided as I stretched and readied for the next round.

        “I see you aren't just a frail unicorn then. Well lets have some fun!” The mare shouted as she charged again, the crowd cheering as she did. Of course they cheered for her, she was a local favorite, I was something exotic for the fight of the night. I tripped her with my magic only to have her roll and hit my legs.

        'Right, she is a Reaper, so she would be better at close quarter combat.' I mentally berated myself as I felt her roll on top of me and break my right fore leg. 'Well, damn.'

        I bite back tears as the pain washed over me from my suddenly broken leg. I hit her with my free left fore leg as she let go of my now broken right. I caught the hint of red and yellowed white as I pulled my broken leg to me. As I did she broke my other fore leg. I bite back my cry of pain and frustration as I jabbed her with my warped horn. I was rewarded with a scream and something wet dripping down my horn.

        “Okay, you know your hoof to hoof combat far better than I. But, I am not going down without putting on a show.” I cursed up to my opponent as I kicked her off of me again with my hind legs.

        I knew the announcer was saying something as my opponent circled me then went to one of the boxes. I made a guess that she had been awarded a key for her skill and now was going for her reward. I instead of taking a break to gather myself or check for a key threw a fireball and melted the container she was going for, taking the key with it.

        “Now it is MY TURN!” I shouted as I started creating more orbs of fire around me as I stood on my hind legs laughing. The mare looked at me with a mix of frustration and blood lust. “Kneel before the great and talented Moonlight!”

        I think the Goddess' showboating and other eccentricities had rubbed off on me from when she had sat in my head. To the mare's credit, she charged me and dodged my fireballs. I then realized my mistake as she began to move to tackle my two remaining, not broken legs.

        “Well, this is going to suck.” I muttered to myself as I brought down my two broken legs to slam into her back. Thankfully my rear legs didn't shatter from the tackle, not so thankfully I further pushed the splinters of bone that made up my forelegs out of my flesh. They also stuck into the mare who I was fighting like some horrific mace. She did scream as I hit something vital and we landed upon one another.

        “Listen, we're both getting pretty fucked up here, one of us should throw in the towel.” I whispered to the mare. “Probably best for the both of us if I do, since you have a reputation here, and I don't.”

        “Go for it, I won't hold it against you. Don't think I ever had somepony use their own bones as a weapon.” She muttered from under me as I pulled my left fore leg free from the mess that was us and tapped it on the ground.

        “Thanks for agreeing, I don't think I would be alive much longer if we kept that up.” I whispered back feeling the black ink of unconsciousness pulling at my vision. I looked at my broken leg again and watched as the bones slowly pulled themselves back into my flesh, much too slow to be of use, but, still they were slowly healing on their own. “Goddesses I am such a freak.”

        I woke up later to the familiar ceiling of a clinic.

        “Well, that is good news.” I muttered to myself, seeing that I was alive for one, and two, somepony took me to a clinic instead of just letting me take a ten hour nap and heal 'naturally'.

        I lifted both of my forelegs to see they had healed for the most part and my pipbuck was returned. My right foreleg I noticed had some patches of thinner coat from where the bone had come out.

        “How the fuck did that not make me pass out on its own.” I muttered to myself thinking back to my unfortunately high amount of damage that I received. I activated my E.F.S. and checked the time to see it was rather early in the morning, before anypony would likely be up. I then scrolled through my medical information to see if there were any lingering issues. Disturbingly enough, all previous issues were labeled as 'naturally healed'. That meant my regenerative traits had taken care of me over something external. Still it was surprising that my pipbuck could tell when somepony used a healing potion on me over when I just recovered naturally, as much as normally still applied to me.

        With a sigh I got up and saw my stuff was laying next to my bed on the floor.

        “Well, at least I don't have to hunt this down.” I whispered as I pulled on my equipment again, as well as the unfortunate cargo of gold. I frowned at the gold itself. “You have brought me nothing except for horrible luck, maybe that is just payback for greed.”

        With a shrug I strolled out of the clinic and through the arena. This place, now that I was more awake and not frustrated, was a lot better than I had expected. Majority of its inhabitants were sleeping on the bleachers, there were some training, and the field itself was living, edible grass. Like Chapel it seemed the proximity to the Core didn't have any influence on the habitability of this place.

        “Is it something along the lines concentric rings for the lay out of enervation?” I muttered to myself, trying to figure out the puzzle of Hoofington again. My eyes fell on to where my fire magic had scorched away some of the precious grass and I grimaced. “I should have noticed this little miracle...”

        “So, you finally woke up. Glad to see you're as tough as your bounty makes you out to be.” Said a stallion, he was wearing sunglasses for some odd reason.

        “Nice shades, and I guess.” I shrugged as I went back to staring at the grass. “So, what is going to happen now. One of your Reapers beat me, I think that means I failed your initiation rites, and I'm not sticking around in the Hoof for much longer either, if I can help it.”

        “You're right, you did lose, but, you put on a half decent show.” The stallion replied. “Question is, what do we do with you. I am not for turning you in, as any Reaper worth her weight should have a price on her head. Maybe next time you come by you will pass the initiation, what do you think of that?”

        “A generous offer, and seeing as it is the only one given, I will take it. Don't have much to barter with on this deal.” I said turning a hoof up to the air.

        “Alright then, well as a Reaper in training, lets give you a lesson.” The stallion grinned as he grabbed my hoof and tried to throw me. Instead he dislocated my hoof.

        “Ow...” I whimpered as I sank to the ground putting my hoof back in place. “You could have warned me so I could take off these fucking bags of mine.”

        All I got was a grin and a shrug. I pulled off my bags and offered my hoof to the stallion.

        “First, what is your name.” I demanded as he moved to grab my hoof.

        “I would have figured you would know it by now, I’m Big Daddy.” He said with smile, no puffing up, no over absorbed pride in saying his name.

        “Leader of the Reapers about to give me a lesson on hoof to hoof combat. Well, lets see how my luck is today.” I said as he grabbed my hoof and tossed me. I landed on my hooves, against the nearby wall and stood there looking at him.

        “Doesn't work when somepony is expecting it, or is skilled with her magic.” I laughed as I stepped onto the ground. “However, I do suck at hoof to hoof combat, so I don't mind a lesson or two.”

        I got my lesson or two, though really I got more of a schooling for my comment, and I did manage to learn a few things about hoof to hoof combat. I had to admit, Big Daddy, who wasn't as tall as I expected, but he was a damn fine fighter. I could see why he was respected and even revered by the Reapers. In the end though I did have to leave.

        “So, since I failed to become a Reaper, are the gangs going to be after my hide, or is that just bounty hunters now?” I asked as I stood at the gate leading out of the arena.

        “They should leave you alone, your company, well that is more up to them. I can only make suggestions on who they leave alone.” Big Daddy said still smiling.

        “Wouldn't be a day in the wasteland without somepony trying to kill me or worse.” I sighed as I stepped out into the light snow. “Guess I better get to Flank.”

        The day went slowly, more snow had fallen overnight and I was having to retread ground I had passed over now three times trying to get back to Flank. As it was I made a direct line for Flank instead of trying any sort of side community. Rose's tag was also situated in Flank itself so thankfully they knew not to try to find me, I would find them. Just like last time. I had to admit though with the lack of gangs after my head things were a bit more peaceful. I say a bit, because from time to time a lone pony with too much sense of the dramatic would try to stop me and try to make me turn myself in. Or just shoot at me, those ponies I preferred as I had no issue of removing them from this world. Still, I was getting tired from the loneliness as well as the cold again.

        Of course this is when I just had to bump into a group of ponies who don't know what trying to hard means.

        “We have you surrounded, Ranger, give up and at least you get to live. After all, we have heard how you will do anything to stay alive.” Their leader said, everypony in this party were wearing the same outfit of dusters and desperado hats.

        “You really should also know that applies to me murdering the ever living hell out of ponies who threaten my life and freedom.” I flatly stated as I took count of their numbers. Seven in total, three up front, two in the back, two on either side of the road on the roof tops. They had me decently surrounded, they had planned this out quite reasonably. Admirable, but, still foolish.

        “Listen, this is your last chance, Ranger. Give up or we are going to put you down.” Their leader said again. “You are very much a wanted mare, just as much Ranger as Thief of the night.”

        I lowered my head as I smiled, remembering the song I had sung while running through Manehattan weeks ago, taunting the Goddess and her alicorns.

        “Too bad for you, this mare has no interest in being caught today.” I laughed as I flung snow in every direction and rushed the leader, my sword diligently following me as I lunged. “I will not be stopped here!”

        I slammed into their leader head first, as he reared I grabbed his neck with my mouth and crushed his throat, my teeth digging deep into his bare neck. As I did the snow cleared enough that his two friends saw me bring an end to their leaders life with impaling him on my sword as he bleed over my muzzle and I landed atop of him.

        “Who's next!” I shouted as the shooting began. I missed my helmet, but, right now my blood lust boiled, as did the water around me as fire spell after fire spell was tossed from my horn in place of the use of my guns. My sword made quick work of the other two near me, the heat itself was causing the others to withdrawal while firing upon me.

        A minute later the five living members of the crew had fled, as I threw fire after them.

        I sat down next to their leader and checked him over, I took his hat and duster, replacing my now ruined duster and destroyed helmet.

        “Sorry, but, you chose the wrong mare to go after.” I said as I finished looting the bodies then cremated them. “You also picked the wrong words.”

        I stood to go as I licked my lips.

        “I really am slowly becoming nothing more than a nomatic raider, aren't I?” I asked aloud as I moved down the block. I cleaned my muzzle of blood as I continued to move south, a nagging worry in my head of the fact that I had decided to attack in such a manner.

        “Maybe it would be best to get a enemy strong enough to put me down for if I do go bad. At least then, I wouldn't be a threat to anypony if I go rogue.” I sighed as a flake of snow landed on my nose.

        'Maybe, or maybe this is what happens to everypony, they fight the wasteland and get to this point, the point where they pick their route.' Doubt said as we came to a Y-intersection.

        “One road goes the way I want, and how I want to go.” I said looking at the road that had a posting of the miles to Flank.

        'The other leads to what we are fighting from being, but, ends in the same place.' Doubt finished as we looked at the road that lead to the Core.

        “Lets hope there isn't another branch to this choice.” I muttered as I began walking down the road to Flank.

        'Lets hope we’re strong enough.' Doubt said before fading away into my mind again.

        “Lets hope that we are strong enough for everypony, I hate to see what I would become if turned like Red Eye or worse.” I muttered as I created a orb of fire to keep myself warm.

        A while later I heard a beep, followed by more beeps that came faster, from all around me.

        “Oh fuck me...” I muttered as I realized I was in the dead center of a remote minefield that had just come to life. “Alright, whoever set this up, you caught me.”

        I heard from somewhere somepony talking to one another.

        “Seriously, that’s all it took?” One asked.

        “Guess she isn't as stupid as she seems.” Another responded.

        “I would have thought she try to force her way out. I mean you saw what she did to bro back there.” The first said, now I knew they were the squad from earlier who tried to take me down, I gave them credit for a much better plan this time.

        “She still could, even when we go to take her. You saw how she could throw fire like it was nothing.” The second replied.

        “So what, we just shoot her now? Guess it is enough caps, and we get revenge for bro.” The first said.

        “Sounds like a plan, want me to do it, you're still shaking from blood loss.” The second said, now I could tell that the second was a she.

        “Yeah, and you are the better shot with rifles.” The first said. “Or we could just blow her up.”

        I heard the sound of a switch being flipped and gulped. I knew I was tough, but, with this much explosives and the fact I could never get a shield spell to work properly meant I was probably about to be very dead.

        “I am willing to just be enslaved, that sound much more fun than dying.” I offered, hoping that maybe I could figure a way out of being in the middle of a remote triggered minefield with at least one sniper aiming for my head.

        “Shut up, you killed my bro and a good friend of ours! You fucking stabbed me with that sword of yours. I don't care about the caps anymore!” The first shouted, and I knew I had just hit the wrong button.

        “Well if talking isn't the smart option...” I muttered to myself as I hit S.A.T.S. to try to buy myself some more time to think of a way out.

        S.A.T.S. was helpful in highlighting each of the packages of high explosives laying under the snow around me. Suffice to say, there were no breaks in the pattern, it was a damn solid network of explosives, and they had waited for me to get to the middle before turning them on. I would have swallowed at the realization that I was well and truly fucked, again, and I was going to put the blame for it on this damned city.

        After careful analysis, my only option was up, which was not going to be easy. I sighed mentally as I knew the only way I could possibly do it was with leaving behind my saddlebags, which likely meant I would be owing Ruby a lot of caps when and if I got to Flank. But, just making it to Flank was better than dying. I let S.A.T.S. drop and hit the quick release on my saddlebags as I gathered my magic to make me practically weightless and jumped. As I did a shot rang out and hit me in the hindquarters, then as always, the ground exploded below me. I threw up a weak barrier to keep the fire from engulfing me as I rose with them.

        I opened my eyes to find myself crumpled on the roof of one of the buildings next to the street I had been on. My E.F.S. usefully told me that I had managed to get majorly fucked up in every regard, as if I couldn't tell that by how my body hurt everywhere. I checked for blue or red bars to find none, just like when I had been in the street. I would wager what was left of my belongings that they had some sort of radio to communicate with me while they sat a long ways away. I couldn't blame them after remembering what I could do, and did to them.

        So I just lay there, letting the snow fall over my broken form as my body slowly repaired itself. I didn't really have a option of moving until I knew my attackers had left, if I did move before then I would likely receive a lethal shot from their sniper. I also knew that I needed to remove the various foreign objects from my body as soon as I could, and that would be a lot harder if my body healed over them.

        I did find solace in the silence of the falling snow. The quiet and stillness of the world now, as well as having my day explosively derailed left my mind blank beyond wonder of the winter landscape around me.

        Night had fallen and nothing had ever shown up on my E.F.S. I pulled myself upright and crawled through the hole on the roof falling a story down into the building I had lay upon. Once inside I drew my knife and went to the painful and bloody work of pulling out the various bits of debris that had embedded itself within me. While the riot armor had taken most of the damage, it was beyond repair now, leaving me with just a badly singed duster, the hat had vanished in the explosion.

        “So much for lasting me longer than combat armor.” I muttered to myself remembering what Aegis had said to me when he sold me the riot armor. “Oh well, it did it's job, my insides are, some how, still inside.”

        I forced myself up once more to move back to the street and see if my belongings still remained in any form. Once on the street I found that my saddlebags were long gone, most of the contents ruined except for the damn gold bars. I had lost majority of my ammo, all of my medical supplies, food, water, and caps, but, I still had the fucking gold bars.

        “This is some kind of fucking joke.” I muttered to myself as I lugged the gold back into the building I had landed on and went about finding something to store them in beyond my magic. Eventually I gave up on that and ended up moving the bars to the second floor and laid them out as a bed before curling up on top of them like some sort of draconic equine.

        I was rudely woken up with a jab. I opened my eyes to see who the intruder to my sleep was. To my surprise it was Rose.

        “Didn't expect you to come for me.” I yawned, sleeping on gold was worse than just the bare floor.

        “After you stopped moving for a long time we decided to find you. Looking at how cut up you are, I am guessing you almost got killed, again.” Rose sighed as she pulled out some of the medical supplies I had insisted she hang onto, and now I was very glad we had split the medical supplies.

        “Pissed a group of folks off, bounty hunters of some sort, they blew up the street trying to kill me. I think I might have been dead for a little while.” I replied with my own sigh.

        “Considering they cut a bit of your tail off, I would guess so. Glad they didn't take your head instead.” Rose grimaced as she finished treating my wounds. “Though, looks like you are about out of luck.”

        “And just about out of everything else. I am glad I gave you most of the caps to hang on to back at Megamart, hell if it wasn't for the gold taking up so much space as they do I would have lost more than I did. As it is, yeah, not much left, and I need something to carry the gold in as well since my saddlebags are nothing but cinders.”  I explained as I stood up, getting the stiffness out of me as well as producing another orb of fire to begin warming myself up with. “Any sporting goods stores around? One might have a duffel bag to fill with these gold bars.”

        “Since when could you do that?” Rose asked as she looked at the orb of blue flame.

        “Since Canterlot.” I flatly answered as I shivered, the gold had sapped away more of my body heat than I had expected, that or my affinity for fire some how made me more susceptible to the cold. “Now while I warm up, can you go look for a bag for me to toss the gold in. I want to get moving before somepony finds out I didn't die, or stayed dead, whichever it is.”

        “Alright, just stay put, Ruby and Foresight are making certain everything is locked down while Topaz has the front door covered.” Rose explained as she started going back down.

        “Will do, I have nothing else to do really, well except for healing and warming up.” I replied as I yawned again. “Got something I can eat, been a while since I had something to eat.”

        Rose stopped and tossed me a box of snack cakes, while not the best thing for me, I would take it over a empty stomach. So I laid back down on the small hoard of gold, which while it wasn't actually mine, it was my charge for now. I also knew Ruby would be happy that at least I was alive and she hadn't lost her caps on them. Still though, this trip could have gone far better, as it was, at least I was still alive, and for now, hopefully everypony else thought I was dead. Because if you were believed to be dead, then, well nopony will come after you. Maybe I could get looked at for keeping myself from descending into a wrathful state again, I really didn't like the taste of blood.

        I heard some shuffling down stairs before I heard Ruby start to talk with Topaz.

        “How does she look, Topaz?” Ruby asked, I wasn't certain if she knew I was awake, or simply just didn't care. I sat still, wanting to hear a assessment of my status without bias of my presence, well hopefully Topaz wouldn't be bias about it.

        “Well from the sounds of it she got pretty beat up and is sleeping it off some more. From what I saw she managed to keep all the gold, but, lost everything else of hers.” Topaz answered, not answering the question I had.

        “Well at least we aren't losing caps on this. Do you think what we heard was true?” Ruby asked, an edge of worry in her voice. “I don't want us traveling with somepony who might turn on us.”

        “I would have had to talk to her to know that. Only pony who did that was Rose, and that was a quick talk.” Topaz answered, and I still didn't have a assessment of myself. Maybe I would talk to Helping Hoof when we returned to Tenpony, as it was, I both felt like moving soon, as well as staying put due to exhaustion.

        “I am going to check on her then, hopefully we can get going before anypony figures out she is still alive.” Ruby said as I heard her approach the stairs.

        I moved myself upright again as Ruby walked up the stairs to the second floor. To be honest I was really wanting to get moving again, and soon. The exhaustion was leaving my body quickly as I ate and woke up. Sitting around was starting to get me antsy as well as now that my mind was wound up again about the fact I was sitting in a city that seemed to be actively seeking my death. Not just the ponies within it, but, the city itself, which reminded me all too much of stable twenty three, thankfully for now there were no signs of heavy enervation around me.

        “You look good for getting blown up.” Ruby chuckled, catching me off guard as she sat down next to me on the floor.

        “Apparently after getting blown up a few times you manage to weather it better.” I retorted, honestly, I just always found a way to get further from the explosion in the last moment. “I think I need to just start running away from any danger I sense, might work out better instead of charging blindly into it.”

        “Well, how are you feeling?” Ruby asked, this time with concern.

        “Hurt, tired, scared of myself to a degree. I feel spent over all.” I said with a sigh. “Getting tired of constantly sighing.”

        Ruby let out a chuckle at that and nodded. “At least you're still alive, sorry about your gear.”

        “I didn't expect to even find the gold honestly, there was a lot of explosives down on the street. Guess that those bars are tougher than expected.” I frowned wondering if I could make armor of gold, though it was a soft metal so that would be impractical without somepony to enchant it, and stupidly heavy as well.

        “So why are you afraid of yourself?” Ruby asked, I knew what she was looking for.

        “Because, last fight I got into, well last several fights, I just descended into rage far quicker than I should have and I was far more reckless than I should have been. I don't think as much as I used to in fights. I enjoy the fighting, and a bit of the pain as well.” I explained, fighting back another sigh. “I think I am going to ask Helping Hoof for some help when we return to Tenpony Tower.”

        “I see, so you heard me talking to Topaz then.” Ruby sighed. “Well, at least for now you are scared of it, and maybe being around others on your side will help.”

        “Hopefully, I seem to do far stupider things when alone, than with other ponies.” I shrugged.

        “Once we find you something to carry the gold in, will you be ready to go?” Ruby asked as she stood.

        “Yeah, I should be, sooner we are out of here and put a fair bit of distance to where I was last seen the better. I rather make it harder not easier to get me.” I stated as I stood as well, now working on warming up my mostly healed body.

        “Alright then, just if anypony starts shooting at us, let the rest of us handle it. You are kind of lacking when it comes to a fight now.” Ruby said before going down stairs.

        She was right, I didn't have any armor anymore, I had almost no ammunition to speak of, and my main method of attack was spells and a sword. I was at a sore disadvantage when it came to combat, since usually that involved guns, which made having no armor a horrible option. Though, in Flank I probably could pick up some stable barding from the likely surplus that stable sixty nine had.

        My thoughts were broken when Rose tossed down a blue duffel bag at my hooves.

        “Hey Moony, lets get moving.” Rose simply said before tossing me a mask of some sort, it reminded me of those four masked ponies I had seen back in Fillydelphia.

        I nodded and pulled on the mask as well as packed the duffel bag. One thing that surprised me with the mask was one it was warm. The other thing that surprised me was somepony had reinforced this mask to the point I probably could take a bit of a pounding.

        “Well, at least my face is now covered so I shouldn't look the part anymore.” I said, my voice muffled by the mask. “Alright, lets get to Flank, faster we are out the hoof the better.”

        With that we left the ruined and charred street that hopefully many marked as my end. For now I had anonymity again, a great asset when being hunted, as well as accidentally faking my own death.

        “Just let me do all the talking and we should be to Tenpony without issue.” Ruby stated as I eyed the destruction that had been wrought.

        “Will do, you are the mastermind here, I am just a ghost and technician.” I replied, and it was fitting, I had a fair bit of technical knowledge, and as of right now, I was among the walking dead, sort of.

        “What does that make me, a necrophiliac?” Rose teased.

        “No, just mean right now I am supposedly dead, I want that to be the way everypony sees it for a while. Though... I get the feeling DJ Pon3 might not allow that.” I stated with a sigh.

        “Maybe, or maybe the DJ will cut you some slack, after all you haven't had the most fun time while here in the Hoof.” Foresight said, making me jump a little as I hadn't noticed him falling back to walk beside me.

        “Foresight, mind telling us why you came out here with us? I thought you just needed to go to Manehattan, why risk your neck to come out with us to Hoofington as well.” Rose asked as we continued on.

        “Well, I have some friends here that I hadn't talked to in a while, thankfully they frequent Megamart so I met them there.” Foresight replied with an annoying lack of actual information.

        “These wouldn't happen to be more friends like the ones in Manehattan, would they?” Rose asked.

        “If they were?” Foresight asked, turning to give Rose a look, one I didn't find that friendly.

        “I just want to know who might all know where we are in case some pony decides we are worth attacking again. I also don't trust your friends, they probably would see our Pipbuck's and try to kill us for them.” Rose replied and I put the pieces together.

        “You're friends with Steel Rangers?” I asked, and the look I got from both Rose and Foresight told me to shut up. I looked down at the ground and lagging a bit behind so I would stop being between them.

        “Really though, you think your being with us will stop them? I know we got lucky with Megamart and that Gun they have there, as well as in Manehattan due to Moonlight making friends with their Star Paladin, but, seriously our luck is going to run out.” Rose fumed.

        “Then it is best we quickly return to Seamane, the Steel Rangers down there disbanded years ago. Too few left after an ill conceived venture into the Unbound.” Foresight retorted raising his voice as well.

        “Quiet you two, I want to keep an ear open for if somepony is nearby.” I ordered, they fell silent and ended the conversation. “Good, now then, lets get to Flank, because unlike the rest of you I only have a duster to keep me warm.”

        We managed half an hour before I spotted red bars. In no time flat we were up to our chins in raiders. As I had a lack of ammo I had to practice my melee combat. It was enjoyable using the Reaper Toss that Big Daddy had taught me, and with my additional mass it made it a lot easier to be a unmoving brick when getting hit. Though, sometimes you really just want to roll with the blows. Still though, it was entertaining to be tossing around raiders like they were nothing. I also got my fair share of practice with my sword on them. I found that yes, my sword sets things on fire, but, only sometimes, it was unreliable and that was likely due to age.

        I sat atop a mound of raider bodies in the corner of a building as I caught my breath.

        “You really should stop posing like that, it isn't helping anypony from thinking you are going raider on us.” Rose teased staring at me.

        I blinked realizing where I was, and what I was doing.

        “Sorry, got tired while looting. That was a damn hard fight, seriously why did we take this path, I thought Ruby's info was good.” I bemoaned as I climbed down and began to wash off the blood.

        “Because information goes bad after some time. I thought a smart mare like you would know this.” Rose retorted before giving me a hug.

        “You're right, ugh, just I feel like I am getting dumber because of proximity to this gold.” I sighed. “I wonder if we could just sell it to the Society, they aren't that far away.”

        “Let me get Ruby, that sounds like a better idea than having our lightest armored and armed pony carrying all the goods. Even if you are fast and light on your hooves, rather not have you get eaten by the ground again. Nothing eats you, except for me.” Rose said with a huff as I blushed at her words.

        “Think you could have worded that last part a bit differently?” I sheepishly asked, trying to hide my embarrassment.

        “No, because that is exactly what I meant. You also need to stop getting separated from me. It is getting annoying.” Rose huffed again with a dangerous look in her eyes. “I am going to have dig out that collar and leash I found for you.”

        “Oh, may Celestia and Luna have mercy on me...” I whimpered. “You aren't making this any easier, you know that Rose. Go find Ruby so we can be done with the Hoof and get back somewhere safe and warm.”

        “Right, once out of the Hoof, the only hoof you will be worried about is mine.” Rose chuckled as she left the room.

        “Dammit Rose, what the hay is wrong with you.” I muttered as I stood there, horny and surrounded by corpses. “And now I am very conscious about where I am and how this looks.”

        A few minutes later Rose returned and I had thankfully calmed down, and finished looting the corpses. Now I was eating some preserved chips that I had found. At least the chips looked like how the should when packaged, though, that told me that they were even worse for me than the usual two hundred year fresh food I found.

        “We’re going to swing by the Society and sell the gold off to them, after we go to Flank. The reason for it being this way is because it is too late to make the trip to the Society then back to Flank and not get stuck out in the cold of night.” Rose explained.

        “Alright, lets get to Flank then, I wouldn't mind getting warmed up.” I simply responded tossing the now empty box of chips. “I really could use a proper meal and a place to get a good night sleep instead of getting knocked out again.

        “I think we can manage that, just keep close, it is getting darker already.” Rose said as we returned to the rest and headed out.

Footnote: Level Up!

New Perk Added: Weapon Handling: Through your training, and continuing to carry around a vaults worth of gold, you are now better at handling weapons in battle saddles, mouth, hooves, or your magic. As it is, strength requirements are now two lower for properly handling weapons, this makes a lot more weapons accessible to you. However it doesn't mean you can single hoofedly wield a turret so don't get any wild ideas! And get rid of that stupid gold!

Chapter 21 - Dead Mares Tell No Tales

Chapter 21: Dead Mares Tell No Tales

“Alright, you can fill me in later.”

“Do you know how much I hate snow?” I muttered as we took shelter inside Mixers, the music and large number of ponies making the place lively and warm. Something I was very much not opposed to at the moment. The music was thrumming and I could only conclude that the mash of sounds was more fitting for somepony hyped up on Dash or Mint-al's, maybe both, probably both.

        I received a press of weight to my side from Rose as she drank down one of the local flavors of alcohol. I had decided to pass on drinking tonight in fear of doing something without forethought, something I was doing frightfully often as of late. We were also in here due to I could have the ballistic mask off, and the bouncer called me a class act. I also gave him some caps for letting us in as well.

        While back in town we had hit up the traders and managed to get me some better barding, though, better barding was in the form of half of a suit of combat barding and half of what remained of some leather barding. As for ammunition, we had managed to get a bit of ammo for my revolvers and a bit for the assault carbine. Apparently while I was away from Flank somepony had bought up all of the ammo for my energy weapons as well as my shotgun. We also managed to find me some new saddlebags. For the time being I had broken down my weapons that I didn't have ammo for as they would just get in my way, same with the custom battle saddle. Unfortunately my landing had also damaged the battle rifle I had gotten in from the Manehattan armory from so long ago and for now was worthless as its firing pin was destroyed. I had stripped off its scope and managed to jury rig the scope onto the assault carbine so at least I still had a way to do long range combat when I flipped the fire selector to single instead of burst.

        “Rose, could you please take it easy on the drugs and drinks.” I whispered into Rose's ear as she took another shot of something. I couldn't tell what all she had done since we got here, all I knew was I at least finally got another solid meal in me and was now properly hydrated again. I was also feeling quite warm and glad to have only worn the duster. I regarded the duster again, the edges of it were frayed and burnt from the explosion and I had to sew up a few patches, I was also sporting a few new scars across my body. Of course I was also feeling the downside of abusing my body both physically and chemically.

        “Relax dear, after all that is just what I am doing.” Rose finally answered as she put a hoof around me and let out a content sigh. “I just wanted to relax after the past couple of days. Hoofington is hell, just as you said.”

        I let out a sigh as I leaned into her, she was right, Hoofington had been hell, and was hell. I was glad we were leaving tomorrow. Upon getting to Flank Ruby had managed to set up an exchange between her and the Society for the gold. I hadn't been part of the talks due to my wanting to continue playing dead for however long I could get away with it. However, I was told we would be handing off the gold at a drop site somewhere. For some reason Ruby was being more hush than usual about this. Then again, I seemed to have a bad habit for things going south around me so I guessed she wanted to minimize that.

        “You're thinking too much again, I can tell when you do that.” Rose chided in her drug and alcohol fueled state. “You should stop and relax with me, or I’ll make you. Well I will later anyways.”

        “Right, relax, it is why we are in Mixers in the first place...” I sighed as Rose rested against me more. I closed my eyes, the music fading away as I let myself calm down.

        I woke up to the distinct lack of music, or other ponies, beyond Rose's quiet breathing over my ear. I opened my eyes to see, well nothing. We were in complete darkness, I blinked a few times then moved to turn on my pipbuck lamp. Instead I received the cool press of a gun's barrel against the side of my head.

        “Well, fuck...” I muttered.

        With that I let my legs rest against the cool floor as I waited for whatever would happen next.

        It took a few minutes and the appearance of some device glowing faintly as well as humming softly before my captor appeared. He was strangely a very plain looking earth stallion with a weathered look. His hair was held back with a dark green bandana. He himself was of brown coat and mane, though slightly different colors. From what I saw on him was loose fatigue with some sort of skintight black suit below. He caught me staring at him and approached after removing a hoof from his right ear.

        “So-” I managed before a bright light was shone in my eyes blinding me, I flailed at the sudden light.

        “You don't get to ask questions. Now sit tight while I finish setting things up.” He commanded, I meekly nodded. It was another few minutes until he returned, my only knowledge of his reappearance the clearing of his throat.

        “You have caught the eye of a good number of parties, and you really seem to lack any subtly in your actions.” The stallion chuckled. “Still, no one seems to know who you are working for… So, who are you working with?”

        I blinked a few times trying to comprehend what was going on.

        “I... Well, I'm not aligned with anypony if that is what you are asking.” I answered, my brain still running slower than I was comfortable with in a situation like this.

        “Really, so you aren't allied with anypony who is working against Red Eye?” He asked, though far more neutral than I expected. “I find that hard to believe, you seem set on changing power structures, but for whose benefit?”

        “Everypony, well except those I have to kill or dethrone.” I answered, the light was starting to give me a dull headache.

        “Really now? That is a rather noble sentiment.” He laughed as I felt a hoof grab my right foreleg.

        “You know that doesn't actually work right?” I chuckled as I assumed he was preparing to try to use pain to make me tell the 'truth'.

        He just gave a soft chuckle as he removed the hoof without hurting me. I felt something sitting in it and saw my dog tags.

        “Okay, so you were looking though my information while you had us knocked out, what is your point?” I asked, then received a punch to the face. “Ow...”

        “Just returning them. No questions unless I say you can ask them.” The stallion replied. “Now then, who are you aiming to take down first?”

        “Slate, he is working with Red Eye, or was at least and is the biggest force poised to change how things are. Stop what is going to cause change soonest then work from there is the plan.” I explained as I put my dog tags back on and gently rubbed where I got hit. “After him, maybe retaking Oakmare, push Red Eye out as much as possible. First his allies, then his forces. Harder to fight when nopony has your back.”

        He just laughed, not at me, but, just laughed jovially. I raised an eyebrow and waited, preferring to not get hit again. I could learn after all, just took me being at a disadvantage, or hit, shot, exploded, stabbed, nearly killed, that sort of thing to do so. I also wasn't going to try any magic, I felt a slight weight around the base of my horn and figured it was a inhibitor, because beyond that this stallion had taken all of the precautions you would for taking someone captive. Funny how I knew what those were now...

        “Well, at least I can give you that you’re smart, though you lack in wisdom. So who are you going to get to back your little revolution?” He asked with a smile that I could barely make out.

        “Anypony I can. I mean so long as you don't do things worse than Red Eye, I don't really have qualms with who I ally with at this time. Then again... I haven't really thought much about it. Why, are you looking to join?” I asked and winched as I anticipated the punch that never came.

        “Well, at least you are flexible, smart mare.” He finally said. “Now then, I noticed you have enough caps to fund a small war, I am guessing you are going to hire mercenaries?”

        “Yes, even if all they end up being for is to keep anyplace from falling.” I let out a sigh realizing how useless mercenaries most likely would be. Most mercenaries by now would be in the employ of Red Eye, the rest wanting to wait it out or stick to something safer. Why would anyone sign onto a contract if they wouldn’t get to spend the reward? “But... Now that I think about it, most likely they would refuse, or are already in contract with somepony else.”

        “If you don't think you can get the pony power for your fight, maybe try something a bit more... asymmetrical.” He offered. “Why not look into Fort Stronghoof, I know you’re planning to go past it, your plans are kind of easy to see after all.”

        I frowned at this. Fort Stronghoof was right next to the Seamane blast zone, then again, I had been within the Manehattan blast zone and was more or less alright still. I winced again as I felt the unpleasant additional feelings the use of Hydra brought with it.

        “Here, take this with you. It should help once you get in.” He said giving me some sort of plastic card. I saw no markings on it, but, in my hooves I could feel the texture of it having pits and falls.

        “Thank you, uh right no questioning you...” I muttered as I slipped the card into a pocket inside of my duster.

        “You learn quick, and you don't forget. Good, then listen to this.” He said then I felt something stick into me, I looked down to see a dart sticking out of my chest. “Don't tell anypony this happened, for your own safety. Nopony would believe you if you did anyways.”

        I felt the darkness take me as my body became heavy.

        I came too and we were back in Mixers, just as we had been before I had passed out.

        “Was all that just a dream?” I whispered to myself checking for the card, to my relief and chagrin I found it just where I had put it. “Great, more ponies using me...”

        “Were you saying something?” Rose asked, waking up as well. I looked around to see things still in full swing.

        “Nothing, just decided to tag on a extra stop in Seamane, Fort Stronghoof. The military fort that was near Ministry walk.” I explained as I let my hoof drop away from my pocket.

        “Isn't that right next to the blast zone?” Rose asked as she stifled a yawn.

        “Yeah, but, if there is any chance of getting some good equipment it would be there.” I explained.

        “Wouldn't everything by now be looted, by ghouls and ponies with too much curiosity?”

        “Maybe, but, I doubt everything, it was a base for the military, I bet there are still some locked doors somewhere within it.” I said, doubting the likelihood, but, I had been not so politely told to go there.

        “Well lets worry about what we find there once we get there. Mean time, how about we head back to our room.” Rose suggested and I gave her a nod.

        Come morning I wasn't well rested, though I was warm. Quickly we had struck out into the wasteland heading towards the Society. The exchange went off without a hitch and we had a mound of caps. Ruby however didn't seem forthwith on what the split would be once we got the caps. I didn't say anything. I was going to wait until we were back to Tenpony, if she wanted to pull anything there she could. At least with Manehattan I had friends, middle of the wasteland would be troublesome if Ruby decided to abandon us. Or shoot me.

        As it was, my death stayed around for only a day out of the Hoof. Apparently Homage thought that would be enough time to get ponies to scatter. She had been wrong, at least when it came to wings of gryphons. Also, she could have waited for until after we passed Fillydelphia. As it was I had to sparingly use my ammo when a fight arose, though this did help in improving my skill with my sword.

        I grappled the gryphon as they made another strafing run, while I was light compared to them I was also not trying to hold weapons in my talons, I had magic for that. As such I got on the back of the gryphon before they knew what was happening and put a round through their skull. I proceeded to grab their wings in my magic and use the momentum of us to take down the gryphon that was currently engaging Foresight. These gryphons were learning our group layout and knew how to counter some of us. Mostly they knew how to keep Foresight from bringing his signature quad machine gun battle saddle into the fight.

        As I slammed into the gryphon I heard the chainsaw knife dig into the corpse I had been riding, the sudden change in momentum as the corpse stopped threw me off and into the snow. I heard through the snow the discharge of Foresight's machine guns and after a few moments I was yanked out of the snow to see a gryphon. I politely burned her face off and kicked her smoking body to the side. I then surveyed the battlefield to find the fight was over now.

        “Good job Moonlight, you just fried the one who betrayed the rest of her wing.” Foresight shouted as he ran up towards me.

        “What good is a gryphon who doesn't respect the contract.” I retorted as I went to looting what I could, I received a swift two legged buck to my side and felt a rib crack as I sailed through the air.

        “You fucking idiot!” He shouted at me. “If you keep killing without looking nopony is going to be left to help you!”

        I slowly got back to my hooves and stared at Foresight as I shook the snow out of my mane. Time stretched out as we stared at one another. He had a point, if I was more focused I could have seen if she was a blue or red mark on E.F.S. However, I never checked. I started to sigh then winced as I felt a pain run through me from my ribs, then I heard the resounding report of a rifle echo off of the snow drifts as I fell over. I saw a shield of magic carrying the colors of Ruby and Rose form as Foresight rushed off and Topaz dragged me to what little cover there was.

        I realized something was off, if a sniper had the time to line up a shot while we stood still, why my chest, why not my head? Why injure me instead of outright kill. Another thing that just didn't add up. Another thing for manipulating us, manipulating me, to what end I had no idea.

        “Shit, I don't know if healing potions will be enough to fix her shoulder.” Topaz rambled as he worked to patch me up.

        “What do you mean fix?” I croaked, noticing now how bad I was feeling, as well as the lack of feeling in my right foreleg. “Why can't I feel my right foreleg?”

        “Because, right now it is hanging on by...” He looked me in the eyes, startled by something. “How are you not out cold?”

        “Your guess is as good as mine.” I answered, my voice far shakier than I expected to hear. “I am guessing large caliber, lot of blood loss and tissue missing.”

        “How... Whatever, if you can think that clearly you can help me fix you up.” Topaz finished, I gave a nod.

        It took a few minutes before we had patched up my shoulder enough to stitch it shut. It had also taken another dose of hydra to get enough tissue to be there to stitch it shut. As things were now I was covered in bandages across my barrel and one around my head to keep the cut on my forehead from bleeding into my eyes. Rose was also carrying me, I wasn't about to walk on a leg that we had just barely managed to save, for now. I also couldn't feel a thing with how much Med-X we had to put in my system.

        “Rose, just think of me as a battle saddle. Point me where to shoot or throw a fireball and I will.” I said, feeling my throat still feeling off.

        “I'll remember that. Do you think you will be able to walk anytime soon?” Rose asked.

        “Doubtful, probably won't be until we are in Tenpony, this is something we need a medical facility for.” I explained not expecting to really even still have my leg after Topaz explained how it looked to me. He had refused to let me turn my head to even see my ruined shoulder. I was also hoping we could keep from having to amputate it as the only place I knew to get a replacement from was Fillydelphia, and that was unfortunately not an option unless I could make up with Red Eye. “I will just be happy if I can feel my hoof tomorrow.”

        “I am just glad you still have it, would be hard to be a hero if you were missing a leg.” Rose sighed, her breath fogging my vision. “How about you let yourself drift off, even if you can still pull a trigger, I rather you rested. I am surprised you didn’t go into shock or bleed out as it was.”

        “Yeah, and that is a good idea. Toss me somewhere safe if anyone starts shooting at us again.” I muttered, glad I couldn't feel the nasty side effects of Hydra within me. “Promise me one thing Rose. If the fighting starts up, make it your top priority to staying alive. If I get caught or captured, well, I seem to be worth more alive than dead so chances are I will find a way to escape, eventually.”

        “Yeah, right... I'll keep that in mind.” Rose muttered as my eyes slid shut.

        I woke up to a great deal of pain in my shoulder, cold along my left side, and the sound of fire crackling. I opened my eyes to see I was laying next to a campfire, across from me was Foresight, looking worse for wear. I closed my eyes again not wanting to see the glare he was giving me.

        “I know you're awake, Moonlight.” Foresight grunted.

        “So?” I asked, the question lingering in the air between us as the fire kept quietly popping as it burned.

        “So, you were right about the gryphon. They value honoring the contract over anything else, if they’re a mercenary, she didn't. I doubt she would have stuck around the past two days. She probably would have taken off with you as soon as she could, offered to carry you or fly you to Tenpony then she would be long gone before we could stop her.” Foresight explained, his voice more flat than usual. “But, my point still stands, you need training to control yourself in combat, you aren't a raider, you aren't a simple psychopath. I also don't think you want to be either.”

        I nodded as I pushed myself back into Rose's warm embrace.

        “Wait, two days? I... I should eat something, badly need to eat something actually” I grimaced as my body realized my brain was working again and could be told needs. I shifted and saw the red stains on the bandages covering my shoulder, I closed my eyes for a moment as the pain washed over me. When I opened my eyes again I was still laying against Rose, but, my body said a bit of time had passed. I checked the time read out to see I had passed out for a while like my body told me.

        “Awake again?” Ruby quietly asked.

        “Yeah, seems turning my neck too far was too much pain for me. Need to eat and drink though.” I mumbled as I dug out food and a syringe of Med-X.

        “Still hurts that much?” Ruby asked, I nodded as I gave myself a shot of Med-X, I sighed in relief as the painkiller kicked in immediately.

        “Better, anything of note while we been going?” I asked before digging into my food.

        “Not much, couple of firefights, Rose has been worried about you. Glad that you had those notes about healing magic, they have been helpful.” Ruby whispered, taking a drink of water as she shifted slightly to put another piece of wood on the now low fire.

        I swallowed my food down, feeling a little worse for having eaten.

        “Hopefully nothing too bad then. Then again Rose probably would get the spells down better than myself. She seems to have a knack for magic.” I mused before digging in again.

        “Not really, and she seems to be okay with it. Not as flexible as you.” Ruby explained. “As for the fights, it has been rough as always. Foresight has been... frustrated since you got hurt, and you were correct, he doesn’t like being wrong.”

        “Heat of the fight makes you stupid.” I said with a twirl of my left hoof then I hung my head. “Ugh, I hate this.”

        “Hm, what?” Ruby asked.

        “Being hurt, uh, more of, I feel useless. I should be fighting with you, not be like your Tenpony passengers.” I laughed.

        “Far from it, they run off, panic, scream, and ruin the seats.” Ruby laughed. “You soak up bullets, slaughter enemies, and carry the world on your shoulders if you have to. You are more like the gold that I had you carry if we are going by cargo we have carried.”

        “Soft, not very reactive, heavy, and to some considered worth more than anything else?” I mused looking at Rose’s sleeping form. “I would agree with the first and last of that.”

        “As would I, though, I think Rose might also say heavy.” Ruby teased as the fresh wood popped some more.

        “Well... yeah, I do tend to carry far too much on me all the time.” I sighed remembering I had lost a fair bit of stuff in the explosion several days ago. “Though a bit less than I was now. I guess that is a good thing as all that extra stuff won't be slowing us down as much as it would have.”

        “Don't worry about it, we're just happy you are still alive. I have to admit, you seem tougher than I would expect, hay you are tougher than when we first met. I mean I saw you after you got blown up, but, seeing it in person. You have come a long, long way from our caravan trip.” Ruby chuckled a smile firmly planted on her face.

        I nodded quietly as I continued eating and drinking, the fire popping quietly as time dragged on.

        “So, any less worried about me turning?” I asked as I finished what food I could stomach.

        “A little, you seem to be paying a little more mind to what is going on around you. Though, not much, but, knowing the problem is the first step.” Ruby commented twirling her hoof, mimicking my own gesture.

        “Hmm... still going to talk to Helping Hoof, well after he does what he can for my leg. I really hope he can fix it.” I bit back as pain lanced through my leg as Rose shifted slightly. “Say, have you managed to keep the wound clean?”

        “Changing bandages every few hours and washing it with medical alcohol. Is that good enough?” Ruby asked.

        “Hopefully... Hopefully I don't have a bum leg from this.” I carefully turned my neck to look at the wound. “Going to be hell of a scar though.”

        “You got that right, will it be an issue that you are healing now. Scar tissue messing with the muscle?” Ruby frowned.

        “Don't know, too tired to think. Maybe, don't know how bad it actually got messed up.” I let out a sigh as I moved my right hoof a little. “Did Foresight get the sniper?”

        “And then some.” Ruby yawned. “You got lucky that they were using armor piercing rounds, hate to see what would be left of you if they used hollow points. Apparently they thought you would be better armored.”

        “Ha! Well just my luck my armor got destroyed and that some how ends up saving my life.” I chuckled. “My luck, it is something else isn't it?”

        “Yeah, it is. But, hey, when you luck runs out you seem to just make your own.” Ruby chuckled as the wood popped more. The time continued to stretch on as I lay there slowly becoming aware of the fact we were resting in a cave of some sort. I let out a content sigh and smiled softly as I lay against Rose and let myself slip into sleep.

        I woke up to ashes. I shuddered in the cold as I lay somewhere I didn't anticipate waking up at.

        The Manehattan Balefire Crater.

        I listened to my pipbuck clicking angrily and felt a great sensation of wrongness wash over me. As the feeling washed over me it felt the wound to my shoulder was crawling and full of something wiggling. I cried out in agony as I felt blood spill out of my shoulder and looked at it to see something that would never leave my mind.

The wound of my shoulder had turned into a fanged mouth with a eye imbedded in it.

 I grabbed the knife strapped to my right foreleg in my mouth and began the painful and horrific process of cutting out the mutated flesh of my shoulder wound. As I did I fought against the fact I could feel the pain, and see through the eye itself. The mutated flesh wasn't a separate life form, it was me.

        I woke again, my shoulder mostly healed now, I pulled out a RadAway and sucked it down.

        “Well, I guess considering my state as a mutant this was a better call than magic.” I muttered as I examined the patch of missing coat on my shoulder. “Creative, though risky... They must be set up somewhere to keep an eye over me.”

        I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath of the cool air.

        “Well now, what do I have with me?” I asked aloud as I checked over myself, then remembering my pipbuck brought up the inventory manager.

        I only got a moment of overview before I rolled and spun to face the approaching hoof steps. To my amazement, it wasn't anypony I knew, nor did they have any weapons drawn.

        “What are you doing here, this crater is only for mutants and abominations.” I hissed, the tag of the pony staying blue.

        “Nothing of your concern. Now leave before you draw the attention of something.” The pony said as they walked by me in a radiation suit.

        I blinked, I was of no concern? I laughed and walked the opposite direction that the pony was going.

        “Just be careful, alicorns and ghouls love this place.” I called back as I walked towards the nearest building.

        “Why do you think I am here.” Is all he said as I made my way out of the crater. I chuckled as I did, then I realized something that bothered me.

        As I entered the building I took stock of my inventory. It wasn't much, I had my knife on my right foreleg, I had a belt of ammo on me, and This Gun. I looked myself over to find I had some additional patches of coat missing.

        “They wouldn't have left me out here on my own with just this...” I muttered to myself quickly checking for more bars on my E.F.S. I saw nothing. “Dammit, I probably should have some memory of what was going on. Maybe being so hurt put too much strain on me to remember..”

        I began scavenging for anything of use in the ruined building only to turn up a lab coat. I frowned as I looked at it, I didn't know what this place had been pre war, but, it had been some sort of scientific or medical angle. If it was medical I probably could find some supplies, if it was scientific... Well I could probably get some caps from the junk here. I heard something shift and drew This Gun and slide behind a desk.

        I waited, standing tense, This Gun floating silently next to me ready to fire as time dragged on. However, no further sound or markings of presence came. I moved This Gun to my mouth just in case. I had too many times been jumped now to let down my guard while alone. Not when I was thinking clearly at least.

        'Just jumpy I guess, then again, wasteland paranoia has kept us alive so far, when we aren't some how berserking through foes.' I thought to myself as I continued to check each desk, a few caps were my reward as well as a old sparkle cola, kept cool by the cold weather. The drink was refreshing and made me realize how dehydrated I must have been. When I came to an open floor I grabbed some snow in the now empty sparkle cola bottle and heated it for some warm water.

        'Still, something feels off about this. I have been moving slowly on purpose. Why wouldn't they have found me by now. Rose has my tag and...' I checked the date, 'they should be in town as well. Maybe they didn't drop me here after talking to Helping Hoof. Something must have happened'

        Eventually I finished tossing the place and sat on the roof getting my bearings, while I didn't need to thanks to the map and navigation functions of my pipbuck it still was a good and old habit to have. I saw a nearby streak of smoke and decided that was where I would go for now. Fire usually meant life of things that weren't natural predators. Then again, it could be raiders, but, fire would be nice and warm, even if the decorations were unsettling, and I had to kill the current tenants.

        I walked calmly through the streets of Manehattan, the snow not bothering me as much as it had last time. I was fortunate to have the lab coat, though, it wasn't very water resistant, thankfully, it was snowing, not raining. As with my first trip through Manehattan the cold was keeping most ponies indoors and thus away from me. The lack of shooting at me made it so that it took no time to get to my targeted building and I found it easy to get into. After a bit of exploring I found that the fire had been one that was built hours ago for someone trying to warm up before moving along.

        I picked through the building and stopped when I saw something familiar. I sat on my haunches as my heart started to race. This building was the one I had been held in, that I had...

        “Calm down Moonlight...” I whispered to myself.

        I kept an eye on my E.F.S. as I walked though this place again. Often I stopped and shuddered remembering things that had happened. However, my anger didn't spike, no, something worse, I often broke down crying. I had wanted to trash this place, burn it to the ground, blast its supports and topple the building. I didn't want to be at the mercy of a place. I could handle a pony having control of a situation over myself, because I could, with work, change that. A place holding power over me, a thing using my own memories against me... it wasn't fair.

        I let out a half laugh half sob. “Of course it isn't fair, that is why we want to change the wasteland.”

        I continued wandering through the building, wincing where I recognized spots. I also got to see the true aftermath of my rescue. The bodies weren't here anymore, but, the bullet holes and blood stains remained. Finally I came to the closet I had been held in. I just sat in it, quietly remembering all that happened. Then I heard something take a step onto the floor I was on. With that I attempted to banish my emotions, or at least seal them away behind a door for later. From there I focused my thoughts and I slide into cover, my heart racing, remembering what these walls had witnessed, the eerie similarity of the sound of the steps coming closer to what I had heard so many times before. I pulled out This Gun, the rational part of me reminding me that this place no longer held my former captors, and that, whoever or whatever this was I had to find out before I shot.

        I leaned around the corner in time to see a gryphon looking the other way.

        “Freeze, I have you in my sights.” I ordered, my voice hard as the concrete around us.

        “Hey, I’m just looking for a place to get out of the cold. I can spare some food if you will let me stay.” She replied, not moving other than to sit and put her talons clearly in the air for me to see, still facing away from me.

        “The rest of your wing?” I asked, remembering gryphons generally stuck in squads.

        “Don't have one.” She replied, unmoving and being a good captive.

        “Besides getting out of the cold, what is a lone gryphon doing here?” I pressed as I took a few steps closer.

        “Was coming back from Arbu, they have some good meat down there and I can easily trade with them. They tend to not shoot first.” She replied as I relaxed.

        “Alright then, what weapons do you have on you and where.” I asked as I stood as close as I felt comfortable being to her. She started to laugh.

        “I think it would take a while. How about you just relax, plus everything I have on me would blow us both up at this range.” She chuckled and I winced at the idea she had only explosives on her.

        “I think that is a bit foolish, to only go around with explosives. Shouldn't you have, you know, something for fighting inside?” I asked as we kept our distance from one another, more than I initially had due to her seeming love of explosives, which once I saw her from the front I could see was frightening. “Do you have any tactical grenades?”

        “A few, good tactic is smoke or stun, back up, and blast, that or,” She spread her wings and smiled.

        “Not a half bad plan, though, problematic if you get cornered while underground.” I teased as the tension in me eased a little closing my eyes for a moment.

        “You're far too much of a trusting pony.” She laughed.

        “What do you-” I opened my eyes to see the gryphon was inches away with her talons next to my throat. “Oh... Please tell me you are just trying to prove a point.”

        “I am.” She chuckled and offered her talon to me.

        “Moonlight.” I said as I set my hoof gently in her talon, she shook without digging into my skin.

        “You really are far too trusting.” She laughed as she sat and I fanned the fire with my magic. “I know of you, and now I know who you are.”

        “Thinking of the price on my head? Do you really want to see why it is still on my head?” I laughed darkly as the fire turned blue.

        “No, if I wanted to retire maybe, still, no, I am not going to try. I have better things to do than die.” She yawned, I blinked as she did.

        “To be honest, I really didn't expect that. Wait, do you have a contract?” I asked a thought coming to mind.

        “No, and by principle I don't do contracts, don't want to get tied down. Too often they require you to keep moving on instead of looting some place, or spending time in a interesting prewar facility.” She smiled at me. “Why, you wanted to hire me?”

        “As well as to get an idea as to what kind of... person you are.” I said.

        “Well you know my enjoyment of explosives. You got to see how silent I can be with not noticing my putting my talons to your throat.” She smiled, almost warmly, gryphons were hard to properly read.

        “Well, what do you like to do with your free time, seeing as you are not contract bound?” I asked as she offered me some meat, I took it and ate it without thinking. “This doesn't taste like anything I have had before.”

        “Rad-gator, or something like that. For what I like to do, scavenge, look for intact prewar facilities. Have a decent knack at handling what is in them.” She grinned as she drew out a grey brown block of something.

        “So you’re good at picking locks as well. That would make sense, gryphons have some dexterity with their talons after all.” I said before looking at the block she took out closer.

        “Or, you can just carefully blast them open.” She chuckled as she placed the plastic explosives in her bags.

        “Carefully being the keyword.” I muttered.

        “Well yeah, don't want to blow up what you're stealing, or a talon.” She said with a wave of her right hand.

        “Hmm... Well though you don't go for contracts, how about a offer of travel companions who will possibly take you to a few interesting places?” I offered with a smile, she would be useful with dealing with Fort Stronghoof as well as Ministry Row.

        “What sort of interesting places?” She asked, her features showing I peaked her interests.

        “Fort Stronghoof, and Ministry Row in Seamane.” I explained. “Probably a good number of doors left unopened thanks to the radiation and now the gangs.”

        “Radiation is for wimps, gangs are easy to take care of from the air.” She laughed. “I guess it couldn't hurt to tag along, just know, if I get bored I will take off without any warning.”

        “Hey, I was just offering a chance to go somewhere different with some ponies who will watch your back.” I smiled offering a hoof to her, she took it and shook firmly.

        “Not everyday I get the offer to loot ministry facilities and a fort. Anabel is the name.” Anabel smiled.

        “Well then, hate to impose something on my new traveling companion, but, do you think that you could fly me to Tenpony? The rest of our companions should be there, and I still need some more medical help.” I explained, I looked her over to see she should be strong enough of a flier to do it.

        “Maybe, remember though, relations with companions is a two way street. Not just caps, but, favors, trust, and security.” Anabel explained as she eyed me.

        “What do you have in mind?” I asked, suddenly feeling uncomfortable, my mind conjuring up things I wished it wouldn't, things relating to this place.

        “Give me your pipbuck.” She finally said, I blinked in absolute confusion.

        “I don't have the tools to take it off at the moment, but, fine. Once we get to Colt I will give it to you. My tools are all back there.” I explained, she nodded.

        “Alright, get on my back.” Anabel said as she lay low on the floor.

        “I'll keep an eye out for any would be attackers.” I said as I climbed onto her back, looping a strap over my right hoof. “Just be quick, and I will pay you back for the entry fee.”

        “Just no messing with my bags, I don't think either of us want to experience a balefire egg going off.” Anabel laughed.

        My coat stood up on end as I carefully adjusted myself on her back.

        “Why are you carrying a balefire egg?” I asked as Anabel stood and began to make her way to one of the open levels.

        “Just in case, you never know when you will need a little extra punch.” Anabel laughed.

        “I hate to see what something needing a little extra punch is in your opinion, given your love of explosives.” I retorted as she pulled us into the air with her strong wings.

        “Thankfully, I haven't seen anything needing one yet, still, I keep it and my launcher for it around. Because, you never know what monstrosity you might find. I think you might know that better than I do given the worn look you have about you.” Anabel called back as the wind started to whip up as she sped up.

        I checked my pipbuck for Rose's tag to only find the data for her tag was completely erased.

        “Something happened, and I feel like I am being played by somepony.” I muttered to myself as I marked Tenpony on my map having a navigation marker pop up in my vision. It was unnecessary as we would be there in minutes, but, I had learned the hard way, never leave navigation up to chance.

        “What do you mean being played by somepony?” Anabel asked as she banked between a few larger buildings.

        “The data for my marefriend's pipbuck has been erased from my pipbuck. Hell, waking up in the crater with barely any supplies feels planned.” I answered as Anabel slowed down. “I’m also missing the past few days of my memory, either I was comatose or they were removed.”

        “Well you were going to Tenpony right? Hopefully they just went on ahead of you and somehow this was planned.” Anabel offered as she brought us down outside the entrance of Tenpony.

        “Hopefully, worst case I use a few friends I have here to find them.” I stated as I hopped off her back and headed to the door. “Like I said earlier, going to need to borrow some caps to get us in.”

        “Right,” Anabel said and handed me her bag of caps. “Here you go.”

        It didn't take long to get inside, and once in I made my way straight to Helping Hoof. If they had gotten here, or we had made some plans while here I figured he would know. One thing I did like was the lack of anypony giving me or Anabel odd looks. I had been a tiny bit worried that a gryphon would draw unwanted attention or possibly hostility. Instead I realized the tendency for gryphons to follow strict rules and laws would make them trustable in the eyes of Tenpony. Made sense to me after all, who would want to let something in that was unpredictable.

        “Hey Helping Hoof, think you could lend me some help, I can work off the cost by helping around here until Rose shows up.” I asked as I walked into the clinic. I paused at what I saw, Tenpony security was here and pointing guns at me. “I'll just come again later...” I said as I started to back up.

        “This is not much of a warm welcome, Moonlight.” Anabel whispered to me as we backed up, she suddenly stopped and I backed into her chest.

        “Stay right there you two.” I heard one of the security ponies command. “Detain the unicorn, keep an eye on the gryphon.”

        “Anabel, while this is going on, see if you can get in touch with Homage, top floor, she has access to the MASEBS systems. Tell her I sent you.” I whispered. “I surrender, I will comply with your orders.”

        “Alright, have to admit, already far more exciting than usual.” Anabel said as she sat down and held her talons in the air as security came for me.

        “Welcome to my party.” I laughed. “It is always more exciting than it should be.”

        A while later Helping Hoof finished talking to me, while I sat behind bars in security. Apparently during my missing days I had become more unstable and Ruby had ended up having me sedated and rushed here. Once here they did what they could, wiped some memories, and apparently had to cut out some nasty things from my insides. Once they had gotten me more stable, which apparently had required a fair bit of work, they realized the only way to properly get me healed quickly was the crater. I apparently decided to do something rather stupid and irradiated myself then teleported myself to the crater. Which explained why I had what I had. The lack of Rose's data and the fire in that building was a plan devised to test how sane I was afterwords. Apparently I didn't trust even myself while I had been sane.

        “So I teleported from here, all the way out to the crater?” I asked, still astounded by the fact I could even pull off such a feat, Helping Hoof just nodded. “Damn, well, whatever all we did it seems to have worked. Though it wasn't fun going back there...”

        “I understand, but, you marked what building to put the fire in, I don't think you knew then that it was the same one. You just said that it was in a good place that at very least was warmer than the rest of the neighboring ruins.” Helping Hoof explained. “I am glad that your shoulder healed as well as it did, though, I need to do some tests on you after your mention of that mutation you had sprouted.”

        I shuddered as I remembered waking up to my most recent mutation. “It would be a good idea, rather not start randomly spawning teeth and eyes all over. I am guessing I also performed a memory spell after I teleported, it is the only reason I would have such a clean cut gap in my memory.” I posited and Helping Hoof nodded as well. “I was really that unstable when we got here?”

        “Foresight had to keep close with a powerhoof. He did have to use it a few times on you. Though it is not the way I prefer to keep control of my patients, it was the only option to keep you under control by the time you got here. Giving you more sedatives would have most likely killed you.” Helping Hoof replied. “As it is, it seems your regenerative abilities are slowly growing. I don't know the cause of this unless you keep exposing yourself to some source of taint.”

        I frowned thinking about what all I had encountered that might have held taint in it. “Does Hydra have taint in it?”

        “A fair bit, I am guessing you had to use some while in Hoofington.” Helping Hoof asked, I just nodded. “That then would likely be the cause, do what you can to avoid using it in the future. While you can regenerate after becoming heavily irradiated, the Hydra still is damaging your natural healing as well as giving you further random mutations from taint exposure.”

        “Well, good thing I am not going back to Hoofington for a long time if I can help it. Outside of there I don't have to worry about running through my healing potions so quickly.” I said with a sigh. “So what now, Doc?”

        “Now, you get some rest. We are going to have you held here overnight for observation. After that the final decision on how to proceed will be made.” Helping Hoof explained. “Sorry, but, you are a bit too dangerous when you get manic to let loose on Tenpony unsupervised or supervised for that matter.”

        “Alright, hopefully see you in the morning.” I replied before letting out a yawn. I watched him go as my mind duly noted that most likely far more had happened in those few days before we got to Tenpony that caused massive worry. For the needed use of power hooves to keep me in check, that was something else.

        I lay on the 'bed' that was within my cell and chuckled slightly remembering how the situation was similar to when I went to Friendship City. Though, there I had known what was going on from the moment I walked in the doors of the place. As it was, I was just glad to be back somewhere remotely safe. Tenpony most likely wouldn't sell me out to Red Eye, their laws opposing his slavery and banditry. Still though even with whatever we had done to try to stem my violent streak it in all likelihood hadn't stuck thanks to the memory erasing. Then again, I wasn't an expert in that field so who knows maybe memory spells just block your ability to recall it. Whatever the case was, I was safe, warm, and mostly healed. I guessed that for now time was what would have to heal the rest of my physical wounds, my psychological ones might heal eventually.

        I let out another sigh as I closed my eyes thinking back to what was to come next. We would probably soon be headed back to Colt, once there we would part ways with Ruby and Topaz at least. Foresight would probably be heading with us into the Unbound and Anabel would be as well if she stuck with us. I had a feeling it was more likely that Foresight would leave my company. Whatever had happened had ended up putting me on his bad side. Or, maybe, he would keep with us, but, avoid talking to me as much as possible.

        I frowned as I realized I might have a conflict of interests within my little party that I had formed. Foresight was a Steel Ranger, somepony who would try to grab every bit of prewar tech not nailed down and seal it away in some vault. At least that was my assumption of what the furthest he would go to being. On the other hoof I had a freelance gryphon who admittedly loved pre war technology and had a taste for exploding things. In a fight between the two I would wager that Anabel would win, seeing as five point fifty six rounds didn't kill somepony as fast as a balefire egg or a rocket to the face.

        “Hopefully it won't come to that.” I muttered to the quiet detainment room. “I also hope Anabel has gotten in touch with Rose, best they start getting to know one another as quickly as possible...”

        I tapped away through the various files recorded on my pipbuck to kill time, I was unfortunately not very tired. This also meant I was quickly getting bored with waiting for morning. So searching through my files I went to see if there was anything of interest. Sadly there really wasn't anything useful. With I sigh I dropped my left foreleg back onto the bed that I was laying on. Soon everything on my pipbuck would be Anabel's and useless to me. She would probably learn about stable twenty three, though, I hoped she would decide not to try to dig up the place. Hopefully she would ask me about it first before trying to find it.

        I rested my muzzle on my crossed forelegs as my thoughts turned back to Seamane. We would be going through the Unbound with hopefully Foresight and Anabel in tow. The high explosives and high volume of weapon fire from the two would hopefully cut through any native wildlife we encountered. I was also going to let my companions pull us off in whatever direction they wanted to go once the tower was dealt with. I kind of didn't want to go into Fort Stronghoof that quickly. There was a reason why that stallion gave me a key to the place and told me to open long shut doors. If he and whoever he was working with hadn't done it themselves by now I could only imagine that there was something bad locked away there. Why send someone else to open a door you wanted open unless you knew what was on the other side.

        Or maybe I was simply overthinking things and they wanted me to have what was there due to my goal of shifting the powers in play around the region benefited them. Once again, it looked like somepony was using me as a pawn in their game.

        “When do I get to become a player instead of a piece.” I muttered as I started to scowl. “Always somepony is using me as a piece in their plans, their operations. I am not a pawn. Or am I?”

        I stopped at that thought. A pawn was something numerous and weak, yet vital and could become the most powerful piece on the board if ignored. Though I failed at being ignored at the moment it seemed those who counted me as their pawn had yet to let me get taken out. I frowned again as I realized the chess metaphor broke down horribly due to the large number of players in this game. A two player game for a metaphor just simply didn't cut it. However, it still more or less fit. Then again I felt maybe my earlier thoughts of this as a massive card game was right, though now I felt I hadn't a clue what the right metaphor was. Too many players, too many unknowns, too little information, too little to call my own. No allies, only those making use of us, no not of us, of me. I had my friends, companions, and acquaintances who would do what I asked so long as it wasn't too much, but, unlike those I was against I had no sort of true force. I was just a loud disruption, a eye sore, a bloatsprite in the middle of hellhound territory. I could sting and annoy, I couldn't kill or topple, I could fly and distract, keep out of reach and slowly chip away, but, eventually something would get me or I would get careless.

        I knew I couldn't afford to be careless, carelessness is what caused my troubles in Hoofington, it caused me to walk into a minefield. Carelessness caused me to have this warped horn of mine, to have almost cost me my magic for good. Carelessness caused me to go through Canterlot instead of following the right set of tracks to New Appleloosa. I was quite simply been careless and it had cost me sanity, looks, and many times a great deal of my blood.

        Carelessness was not a virtue though, it was just an aspect of who I was.

        Too trusting of others, a branch of carelessness that would cause more problems if I kept it.

        I had to be relentless, unwavering, and persistent if I wanted to stay alive and accomplish anything. I had to remember not to be reckless, to be cold and calculating. While maintaining courage to do what was needed and right, to deal out justice to those who violate the basic laws of life. But, I had to be careful in doing so, not to stir up further forces that could remove me from the board, or subvert me.

        “I kind of wish I wasn't so smart, then I wouldn't have to tangle with thinking about all this stuff.” I sighed feeling a depressive mood fall over me. “Oh well, somepony would end up dealing with it and I would probably feel guilty that I couldn't handle it on my own.”

        It was true it would be nice not having to worry about all that stuff, but, it was far too late for that. Maybe if I hadn't had my head up in the clouds and made a declaration of war upon Red Eye and his faction I could just skirt around the whole thing and have a easier life. Then again, what would the point of a easier life be? Go and have 'fun' adventures through the wasteland with friends, digging into prewar facilities, running from slavers, kicking the flank of raiders and gangs from here to the moon? Yeah that would have been fun, uncovering old world mysteries and ignoring the plight of the world. But, the wasteland always wants attention and would eventually get us. No it was better to do this now, to stand up and fight the wasteland toe to toe. Call it out and bring it low. If nopony ever fought it what would be the point of random adventuring, the world wouldn't be any better.

        “Or maybe that is just the part of me that wants justice just can't see the simple fun of it all being worthwhile in the end.” I sighed as I rolled onto my back and stretched out. “Or maybe I am just too self conscious about things to just cut loose and have fun to that extent.”

        I frowned as I remembered what had caused this all, that simple little encounter with a slaver in the depths of Saint Clover. From there I had been kicked out to maintain order within the Saint Clover.

        “Maintain order. Maintain order of being passive consumers, letting those who don't have the luxury of the walls of Saint Clover to protect them worry about the wastelands threats. Whoever made the call can't just be trying to keep everypony in Saint Clover passive to the world, unless they quietly have sided with Red Eye...” I bit my lip to suppress another frustrated sigh. “So what, everypony in control of forces in Seamane are all siding with Red Eye? The slavers of Oakmare, Slate and his Hydra's, so what about the gangs. Would they support Red Eye, or would they fight him?”

        I grimaced at the idea of what I might have to do to gain the trust of the gangs of Seamane.

        “Well I did say that anypony who isn't like Red Eye or worse I would ally with...” I muttered. “Guess I have more work to do once we hit that last tower in Seamane...”

        I gazed at the ceiling of my cell, at the place where a light fixture once had been, though, now removed for obvious reasons.

        “Who should I try to talk to first then?” I asked aloud pondering who of the gangs would be most approachable with the idea of a alliance. “Though, I doubt it is going to be easy, after all I have no large force that they can see coming to their aid in the time of their need. This is going to get messy.”

        With that I closed my eyes trying to sleep or at least meditate.

        Footnote: Experience to next level at 36%

Chapter 22 - Under the Cover of Night

Chapter 22 – Under the Cover of Night

“That was unexpected, wasn’t it?”

        After my morning appointment with Helping Hoof I was released. The appointment itself had dragged on for hours on end as Helping Hoof put me through every psychological test he could as well as a rather lengthy therapy session. While I didn't mind the help with shoring up my defenses of what I considered to be the corrosion caused by the wasteland, I did mind that it took as long as it did. Then again I seemed to have developed a lack of patience for things. However, I was one for being thankful to being through and Helping Hoof most certainly was through with his work.

        Still though, when I was finally released I happily trotted out no longer feeling like I was going to be shot to ribbons without a chance to run. Though thinking about the fact that I felt that way was slightly worrying to me that my thoughts were now about how nice it was to have a chance to run before somepony started to murder me. I guessed it to just be a sign of the times, after all world went to hell and is full of ponies wanting me dead whether they knew of me or not. And for some reason that was a light hearted thought for me.

        “You look rather happy.” Rose laughed slightly as she joined me on the trip back to our room.

        “Well, for some stupid reason I feel rather upbeat. I don't know why because pretty much every thought in my head at the moment is rather morbid and darkly humorous to me.” I replied as I pranced beside Rose who now has a bemused look on her face. “Oh we should get me some new equipment, since pretty much everything got busted. Right, what got ruined during the period of time I cut out of my head?”

        “That... Moonlight, you need to calm down. You’re kind of making my skin crawl with how well you are taking things.” Rose nickered, I looked at her to see worry plastered on her face.

        “I...” I regarded my words and actions. “Well, okay, yeah that is a bit creepy. How about you do what you do best. That should help in some fashion. If anything making me tired and not so... disturbing.”

        “That is agreeable. We will work on figuring out equipment after pulling you down from being on cloud nine.” Rose agreed, starting to regain her composure.

        “To be honest, afterwords I am probably going to be feeling creeped out at myself more if you remind me of this exchange.” I answered, my cheeriness still lingering and hyperness fading only slightly. “Make certain you exhaust me and not yourself.”

        “I'll try to keep that in mind. Also Anabel introduced herself, the fact that you recruited a gryphon after all this is not lost on Foresight. Also Foresight has been acting strange since you left. You two had a private conversation and since then instead of being angry at you he has been worried about you. Do you have any ideas on what you said or did?” Rose asked.

        “Unfortunately the last thing I remember is talking to Ruby the night I woke up from being out cold for two days. Then I was in the crater digging out mutated flesh from my shoulder.” I muttered the last part, still disturbed by what had transpired in the crater, the sensations of it crawling back into my mind.

        “Nopony told me what was happening with that. What was so bad that it required to irradiate yourself and cut out a chunk of yourself?” Rose asked as we got to our room, my mood having mellowed out and not going where I had wanted it to.

        “It... it wasn't anything you would ever would want to see or be explained to you. It is something I wish to forget.” I muttered, quieter than before making Rose lean in to hear.

        “I am assuming you talked to Helping Hoof about it, so I won't press about about what happened. If you do want to tell me, remember we said we’re free to share whatever between us.” Rose said as she nuzzled me.

        “Yeah, but, this isn't the time for that. Though now I am not really feeling up for anything other than brooding.” I replied.

        “Oh I know what type of brooding you want to do, but, that isn't the brooding you asked me to do with you.” Rose chuckled darkly causing me to flush.

        “Thankfully I told you that before I soured my own mood, because you just soured my mood from wanting to be depressed and introspective. Bring on the pain.” I laughed, then winced at the last part knowing I would be regretting that soon.

        I yawned as I went to get up from our bed, only to find that I was still tied down. I sighed in frustration as I undid the knots so I could get up and relieve myself. It was hard to believe we had, or more of I had, spent an entire day locked in the room tied to the bed. Somehow none of that triggering me like my little trip to that hell hole of a building had been. Mental landmines were a strange things. Still though I did enjoy it all, though it had gone on far longer than expected. As I returned to the bed I decided not to wake Rose yet and instead curl up beside her while I organized my thoughts some more.

        To be perfectly honest I was surprised with myself. I had figured out a way to lure myself back to a pickup point that I would only be able to pick up on if still sane. Though if my friends had found me while I was in that place I don't know how I would have reacted, possibly the same way I had when Rose rescued me. I probably would have lost any ability to control myself and just broke down crying. As it was Anabel had given me a perfect tool to break myself out of the hold that place was beginning to have upon me.

        I pressed my muzzle against Rose's soft stomach, enjoying the softness of her. When she was relaxed she was soft, but, when she was awake generally she would hold herself in a way that kept her muscles taught making her not the softest pony around. Still though I took what small opportunities to enjoy her softness when I could. There was a great deal of comfort I could take from it, though I knew not why, I also didn't question why and simply enjoyed the relaxation it brought me. There were things I could do now with Rose that would get her relaxed, but, it wasn't the same as when she was asleep and completely relaxed. When awake she seemed to always have a degree of alertness, of stress, maybe constant anxiety over something. Unfortunately I had yet to figure out why or be willing to bridge my lack of understanding with a simple question of why.

        “Since you are already down there, want to have a little fun?” Rose whispered as a hoof stroked my mane indicating Rose was very much awake and very much could be soft while awake. I got the nagging feeling I had talked to her about it or she had talked to Helping Hoof about it.

        I turned my attention to the question she posed. I failed to have a reply.

        “Oh? You fell asleep that quickly...” She laughed softly. “I guess I can't blame you.”

        I did something I hadn't expected myself to do, it just sort of happened since I was down there and they were next to my muzzle. The squeal of delight was music to my ears as I found something that Rose had never let me do yet loved, apparently. I blushed furiously as I backed away and looked at her, my cheeks having bits of ash flutter off of them.

        “I!!” I stammered trying to calm down before my face caught fire. “I! UM!”

        She pounce me grinning wildly.

        “Please go easy on me.” I finally managed to whimper.

        That was the beginning of a surprisingly innocent hour. I say surprisingly innocent due to it still wasn't innocent, but, compared to the other day it was far more innocent. Though it had to come to an end as we had things to do today, and everypony was probably worried either Rose was torturing me or was jealous of one of us. I also needed to get moving around so my muscles didn't decide to cramp on me.

        So I spent the day looking for replacements for my lost equipment and procuring ammunition from security. Towards the end I dragged Rose to the spa with myself, while she protested that she could do what I wanted done at the spa with just us I wanted to not come out of it bound, gagged, and sweat drenched. I also needed my coat, mane, and tail cleaned up now that they all were rather burnt, and my tail crudely cut by bounty hunters. I missed my long tail.

Rose bent to my will and we enjoyed ourselves. Rose finally got her mane and tail trimmed that made her look like somepony had cared for her instead of looking like her mane and tail had been trimmed with bullets. Though with how much shooting kept happening around us that might have actually been the reason for its sorry state. Also the water seemed to help keep me from physically smoldering or flaking bits of ash, which was nice because Rose was trying her best to get me and keep me worked up as payback. I wasn't entirely sure for what she was getting payback for, though I figured she had plans and I ruined them with my insistence we go to the spa instead. Honestly her plans could wait a few hours for us to get clean and relaxed, couldn't they?

        I then found out that really they shouldn't have waited, or shouldn't have had to wait. I felt she probably tried to tell me at some point, but, I was so fixated on the spa treatment I ignored what she was trying to say. Thankfully my plans hadn't ruined hers, though it made us spectacularly late for the event. I honestly could say I wasn't much for high society gatherings, however it was important to Ruby, and Rose had figured us going to it would possibly help with my attempts at a war. I knew otherwise that these ponies of Tenpony would never lift a hoof to help anypony else, directly at least. However, my detour to the spa had helped greatly as now instead of smelling heavily of sex we smelled 'cultured' which to me really smelled like a big fat meal for a Manticore or other wasteland monster. Still, we went, we wined, we dined, we pranced about in our fancy dresses, I had to explain who knows how many times I was taken and a fillyfooler. Really it got annoying after a short while. However, I kept on a smile and politely declined any advances from anypony that made them. In the end I felt at very least my standing with Tenpony probably had improved a little, though I felt it would improve a lot more if I did something more worthwhile like cleaning out a horde of feral ghouls trying to kill them. At least then it would have been fun. Still I wagered I probably had a discount here or there now available which I would partake in tomorrow when finishing gathering supplies, and souvenirs.

        “You know that was just about as tiring as getting blown up.” I laughed as Rose and myself returned to our room.

        “Really? Then I need to get blown up more due to that wasn't that tiring at all.” Rose teased as we got out of the frilly garments.

        “Trust me, you don't, getting blown up leaves scars and burn marks. These parties just leave scars on your psyche from how ponies hit on you and burns from nasty comebacks.” I giggled as I flopped onto our bed.

        “Oh they couldn't have been that bad. Most of mine were just silly.” Rose laughed and I realized compared to how she used to get propositioned all of the ones she got here would have been silly and playful instead of sadistic and terrifying.

        “I guess you're right.” I sighed and then felt a hoof press against my chest between ribs. “What?”

        “You're doing it again.” Rose merely stated as I rolled my eyes at her.

        “No introspection, no brooding, no deep philosophical debates within my head while in the bedroom. I know the rules.” I recited, then floundered at how I knew that. “We set that up at some point didn't we.”

        “Seems Helping Hoof was right, you don’t have memories, but, you will retain training.” Rose cooed and I suddenly felt that I was at a rather frightening disadvantage.

        “Hey, that isn't fair. Psychological warfare is one thing, but, this is a completely different game and I say that is not fair at all!” I pouted as hard as I could at Rose.

        She stopped and regarded me for a few seconds before rolling me onto my back. “Sorry, all is fair in love and war.”

        “Rose, take it easy, I know you love whenever we stop someplace nice for a few days because you enjoy the time sharing a bed with me. However...” I paused trying to find a reason to make her back off and found I had none, I wanted it, I almost always wanted it. “However... Damn it, you’re too good I have nothing to complain about. You have broken me in Rose, I have nothing to resist you with anymore.”

        “And with that you have signed your unconditional surrender to me for good.” Rose whispered hotly into my ear.

        “May nopony ever see what happens between us.” I muttered.

        After a few more days of resting up, a few trips to Helping Hoof of the medical nature and now knowing exactly how far we could push my body, as well as me being a klutz, we had set out to return to Colt. Though I was working on a plan of how to deal with Old Appleloosa, mostly it was just have Anabel fly me past it on her back, sleep for a night while everyone else rested in Old Appleloosa then meet back up the next day.

        I also insisted on going through the stores of Tenpony one last time just in case they had gotten something interesting. To my frustration they had not gotten anything beyond a few more spare parts for my weapons. As things were with my weapons both energy weapons were shot for now, upon closer inspection I had found the housing damaged and didn't trust myself to properly diagnose the issue until I had the proper equipment and reference books. I also was finding I needed to start hunting down some spare parts for This and That Gun. Both were in pretty bad condition as of now and due to their rather unique existence among wasteland firearms. To repair them would mean either learning how to jury rig repairs for them or hope I found another revolver or two like them I could cannibalize for parts. I also managed to pull some information out of a information broker’s hooves with the help of some caps on what had originally been around Ministry Row in Seamane. If I was going to go into the old military fort I wanted to also know if there were any other interesting companies or places to hit up. Both for arming myself as well as for hopefully placating Anabel into deciding we were good company to keep.

        As we left we began our trip swinging further south towards the Balitmare area as to avoid Shattered Hoof as well as Fillydelphia. The walk along the coast was rather tame compared to if we had gone inland at all. We were also going further south as so we could avoid going to Canterlot. As we followed the path to New Appleloosa we stopped for the day and I looked at a bit of signage.

        “Hope? I thought the Ponyville ruins were this way.” I said as I looked westward.

        “Hope was a town near Ponyville as well as the Everfree Forest. Though kind of out of our way. Why you wanting to see the Big Macintosh war memorial?” Ruby asked looking westward with me.

        “Well, I hate to say it, but, I had hoped to go by the Everfree side near Ponyville and pick up some soil and a few plants so I could grow the ingredients that Crane told me of for the burnout curative.” I explained then shook my head. “It isn't worth it, in all likelihood the plants are buried under the snow and the entirety of the Everfree is just one giant plant that spews taint or some other suitably horrific things.”

        “Yeah, I don't think anypony has gone in there and lived since the war. Even before the war it was nasty.” Ruby added.

        “It is just to the north... I mean even if it was bad, plants probably don't like the cold and I could at least grab the soil, it would mean one less thing to have to do.” I muttered. “Yes I am seriously thinking about this Ruby. And I know I would have to probably go alone or with one other member of our party as to not mess up having enough ponies for the watch. Maybe Anabel would take me, flying would shave off some time...”

        “It is up to you, it isn't that far of a walk, I mean we can see the forest edge from here.” Ruby commented as I thought to myself on whether or not to go.

        “Well no matter what tomorrow we go to New Appleloosa, grab what we need for getting through the badlands and back to Colt.” I explained, though I knew Ruby very well knew the plan. “Hopefully the weather holds. Though without that Wendigo the weather should be predictable.”

        “If it weren't for the pass from Dodge City to Colt being destroyed that would make things a lot easier, no hiking through the mountains. Wonder how they are doing on clearing that up anyways. There were supposedly working on it.” Ruby said, more to herself than me.

        “It would speed things up greatly. Maybe with your extra caps from this trip you can help fund them clearing it up. I think it would be a wise investment. Also would start starving off Old Appleloosa, if trade doesn't have to go through there they will leave.” I shrugged.

        “Eh? Well they might just try to set up shop in Dodge City or in the badlands itself.” Ruby commented as she thought. “Well I will think about it, probably will. Anyways, have you come to a decision yet?”

        “Yeah i have. I am going, and I am going to see if Anabel or Rose will go with me. I would prefer Anabel due to flight. Also I would worry more if Rose was with me.” I replied as I turned to go talk to Anabel.

        “I heard you, and, to be honest, I am interested in it as well, though I would like to check out the Hope Solar Array afterwards if you don't mind. We’ll meet up with the rest in New Appleloosa since we’re already planning to spend a day there.” Anabel said as I drew closer.

        “What keen ears you have. Alright then, walking or flying?” I asked.

        “Flying, it is quieter and faster. We want to be both if anything about the Everfree turns out to be true. Supposedly there is Killing Joke throughout the place. Apparently whatever makes the Everfree more nasty than anywhere else that isn't flooded with taint turned Poison Joke into a lethal plant that seems to have some form of awareness.” Anabel explained as I climbed onto her back and put my left hoof into the makeshift saddle we had fashioned.

        “You know I think I like riding you a bit too much.” I said as we lifted into the air, enjoying the fact I had essentially my own personal transportation.

        “Thankfully not like how I imagine your marefriend rides you. Really not into the whole cross species thing, or females.” Anabel laughed as I flushed.

        “Yeah, not like how Rose likes to do things. More of I just like to fly, but I don't have wings myself though I would love to have them.” I chuckled. “Too bad from what I understand cybernetic wings don't grant flight unless you already could fly so that isn't happening. I also don't want to hoof myself over to the Goddess to become a alicorn, I would lose more than I would gain by doing that.”

        “Well, I understand what you mean. I would be pretty sore if I lost my wings. Think of flying like your magic, imagine if you lost your horn, you wouldn't feel all that useful anymore. Wings are the same way, and it is frustrating when you hurt your wings and get grounded.” Anabel explained as we drew close to the forest, I was seeing now how gnarled and uninviting the place was.

        “Well in that case, first priority of yours while we are in here is to keep your wings safe. If needed I can glide a bit with my magic, just give me a heads up first.” I instructed as we both quieted down and I pressed myself against Anabel's back as she shrunk her profile as we entered the forest.

        Anabel kept a slow speed as well as keeping us a good distance off the forest floor. My E.F.S. was filled with red as we moved about. As we went further I pulled up the task of collecting the various ingredients that Crane had told me. The markers lit up and I began using my hind legs to help Anabel guide us towards the plants in question.

        “Whatever you do Moonlight, don't fire off any weapons. If we need to engage I have my incendiary grenades, that and firebombs. Those will be the only things you can use if you don’t want to wake up the whole forest and just put tiny holes in what is here. Prioritize the use of the firebombs over the grenades. The sound of a glass bottle breaking will be a lot less than that of a grenade exploding.” Anabel instructed and I gave a single tap of my right hoof, the signal we agreed to use as understanding.

        We eventually got to the first marker, by this point we had both pulled on the night vision binoculars I had crafted us from spritebots. I had Anabel hover in place as I levitated myself down and softly touched down on the forest floor. Once I did I went about slowly and very softly moving around until I found the plant in question. I grimaced as I realized that I would have to dig out the plant in question if I wanted to take more than just seeds or stocks. I motioned Anabel to prepare for possible trouble as I dug.

        The digging wasn't bad, using magic I essentially sliced the ground how I wanted it to be shaped and lifted slowly. The problem came from as I finished gathering the plants I felt a shift under the ground and had only a fraction of a second to jump. As I rose in the air the ground started to break, then stopped as if noticing my sudden departure from the surface. I raised a hoof and Anabel grabbed it and slung me onto her back.

        “First group down.” I whispered then began directing her towards the next location.

        “Close call, hopefully it can't track us while we are in the air.” Anabel whispered back.

        It took a further five minutes to get to the next location. This one I noticed was near some trees that had moss formations that looked frighteningly like ponies. This time I stayed on her back as the plants in question were easy to see from here and proceeded to gather my samples and soil. Once the samples were in my bags I tapped out directions the third location.

        This took us a bit longer and we encountered some hostile plant life. These plants had apparently adapted or mutated to shoot their seeds, which once they landed quickly grew in whatever they hit. The first salvo we dodged and saw the results on a tree that had been a shield. In retaliation I made a wave of fire to burn the damned plants away and prepared further fire spells, now using orbs of blue fire as our light source instead of the goggles. It was too much of a risk to not have protection now that detectability was a lower priority. As well as we had noticed a distinct lack of animals while in here, it was as if plants had killed off any animal life and taken over fully.

        Finally we arrived at the final clearing, as we did I dropped the fire spells so I could focus on the harvesting of plants. The minutes dragged on as I carefully harvested the final plant as well as let our eyes adjust to the darkness again before changing back to the goggles.

While flying around we had spotted two places of interest. The first was some sort of ruin, the other was a clearing that would give us quick access to the sky. We would use a fire curtain to protect us until we arrived at the Hope Solar Array. However, until then we were going back to stealth instead of protection. I also felt that anything we had alerted had calmed down by now, as well as we were a good distance away by now. Still, I was keeping alert just in case. Something told me that this forest was a lot like Hoofington, tainted by something wrong, and having a malice towards life.

        We began heading for the ruins and started having to avoiding patrols of other gryphons. This was not something I had anticipated, nor had Anabel. I used my E.F.S., which was now more clear, to guide us around patrols. Thankfully the gryphons were easy to spot as they were pretty much the only hostiles in the area as well as the only ones moving.

        After a few more tense minutes of avoiding the patrols we had managed to get closer to the ruins. I assumed this had been the castle of two sisters back in the day, now though it seemed to be undergoing some repairs. I noticed something I rather despised. I saw a pony I would never forget. I saw Red Eye. I pointed him out and felt Anabel even bristle at the sight of him.

        Here he was, he had no idea we were here. This far out we were past what E.F.S. could display, and I could blow his head off. I should just do it. Even if it brings hell on us, here was a murderous slaving bastard who needed to die. Then a few more ponies showed up, his guard as it were. We kept still and continued to observe. I fought ever urge to just end him, only for knowing that doing so here would mean little. What was the value of killing the leader if his armies would still continue on without him? He was not just a figurehead, but, his death would do little. The fact he had managed to get such a large organized operation going in Fillydelphia showed that he knew how to create organization. It would continue to run without him, though, I suspected with not so lofty goals.

        Eventually we moved off and finished exploring what we could. Deeper in had too many guards to reasonably get by with our lack of stealthy weapons. We proceeded to move outside.

        “Stop! Where do you think you are taking that unicorn filly?” Commanded a guard who had spotted us. Thankfully they were considering me to be one of the ponies who was supposed to be here, apparently.

        “Fillydelphia, I was just told her to take her there as quickly as I could.” Anabel responded. The guard came closer as she did. I felt the tension of the situation start to press upon me.

        “Really? I would have expected you to have gone out via the landing area, it is much safer way to take off than over here.” The guard explained.

        “Sorry, I kind of just got woken up and wasn't thinking straight. You know how it can be. Get told you have the night off then suddenly get orders to go do something in the middle of your sleep.” Anabel replied as the guard finished walking to us.

        “Yeah I do, now then-” He stopped as he looked at me. “Wait, none of the fillies here have a curved horn.”

        'Well fuck, I hope you have something up your sleeve Anabel or this is about to get loud.'

        “Huh, maybe that is why they want her back in Fillydelphia, guess she wasn't supposed to come here, but, someone messed up and took the wrong one?” Anabel offered, it was plausible with the scale of Red Eye's operations there had to be miscommunication from time to time.

        “Whoever is behind it is going to catch hell from Stern. Hell, I don't envy you having to be the bearer of such news.” He gave out a sigh. “Alright you two keep safe, hopefully someday soon those eggheads in Fillydelphia will finish cooking up something to clear out all the fucked up shit in the Everfree. Maybe they will have when you get there and you can bring back the first batch. Getting tired of digging seeds out of my sides. Don't get me started on those moss ponies.”

        “Yeah, I have caught a few glances of those, thankfully haven’t seen them in action.” Anabel commented. “Alright, have yourself a good night, I have to fly on little sleep.”

        “Yep, see you.” The guard said before walking off and I let out a breath I had been holding.

        “Damn Anabel you know how to talk your way out of a bad situation.” I whispered.

        “Well, you have to be, explosives cost a lot you know.” Anabel laughed quietly as we took to the skies.

        The next few minutes were used to look like we were going Fillydelphia, then we changed course to go to Hope. We managed to avoid whatever sensory organs the seed shooting plants had as we flew and also got a view of the hill that had the clearing we had been interested in. The only thing in the clearing we could make out was a tree. We decided to avoid looking further into it as it was just a tree and really the place was full of those. So we began heading west towards Hope and it's solar array.

        “Since we are up high, I think it is safe to talk. Can you explain what the solar array is?” I asked Anabel as we flew high above the Everfree.

        “Sure, it was a power plant of sorts that generated electricity from sunlight.” Anabel explained.

        “I can see why it wasn't very popular then. If it could only produce power during the day it would be useless for a third of the day on average.” I said. “Still though, what has you interested in it?”

        “Simple, unique technology is there, I want a piece of it, and, if I can, plans as well.” Anabel explained.

        “For what, decoration?” I asked, frowning.

        “I have wings silly, and not everywhere is covered in clouds or under the Enclave's control.” Anabel laughed.

        “Okay fair enough, though, who is this Enclave?” I asked, I had the vague feeling it had been explained to me before, but, I had simply forgotten.

        “Bunch of assholes who think they are the only ones who matter in the world. The Grand Pegasus Enclave as they call themselves. They tossed majority of us gryphons out of our ancestral homes just so they could mine the mountains.” Anabel spat. “They don't control all of the skies, but, they are very picky about who, what, where, and when anything goes above the clouds.”

        “So I am guessing they have some left over military toys from the war. Impressive.” I admitted.

        “Yeah, they haven't really built anything new, more of they are struggling to keep things running. You know how hard it is down here to keep something running for two hundred years. Up there resources are even tighter, population control is in place to keep a food crisis from happening. Even with that, they are edging closer and closer to falling apart, both socially and physically.” Anabel explained as she began to descend now that we cleared the Everfree.

        “I would imagine they would drum up a war with the surface before they did. Hell, they would have to be pulling some crazy things out of their rears to keep ponies curiosity about the surface in check.”

        “They do, don't know how often, but, from time to time they send down a team to the surface, then make a big deal how it isn't safe yet. Two hundred years of that and you could see why the population for the most part stays complacent.” Anabel said as she slowed as I caught the reflection of light off of something. “Well I'll be damned, they were right.”

        “What do you mean?” I said as I adjusted myself to safely look over Anabel's shoulder as she hovered in place.

        “I would have thought by now the place would be complete ruins, instead, it is rather intact. And, apparently the Enclave still can't control the clouds over the Everfree. That was what the flash was, a reflection of the moonlight.” Anabel said, sounding mystified.

        “Then it is best we get down there now and start looking for what you want while nopony is around.” I suggested, knowing I was at the mercy of my rides curiosity unless I wanted to glide.

        “Right, it would be best not to sit in the air, who knows what is around here. Also, Moonlight, just be careful, don't go into the White Tail Woods it is to the north, that place is highly radioactive.” Anabel warned as we finished our decent.

        “Hold it!” I commanded as I saw a familiar orange light. Anabel quickly stopped and I moved to confirm my suspicions. “Yep, we have mines.”

        “Damn, so what now?” Anabel began as I hopped off and landed softly on the ground. “Moonlight are you insane!”

        “No, I have a light step.” I said as I disarmed the first mine and double checked for it being trapped with a timer, remote switch, or any other nasty trick. As it was I was floating them away from the intact solar panels. “You go and scout around to see if there are any automated defenses or a entrance to the main building that isn't on the ground. I doubt many figured that a flier would come here so it should be safer for you to enter from above.”

        Anabel gave me a nod and took to doing as I had suggested. I was taking my sweet time disarming and removing the mines seeing as we both didn't want noise to alert anyone of our presence nor did we want to damage a solar array. Hopefully we would also find blueprints or something of interest here beyond the aged panels.

        I had managed to clear a good swath of the mines when I heard the click of a gun cocking and I flinched at the sound.

        “For a pony with a pipbuck you really aren't that observant.” Something said from behind me as I finished disarming another mine.

        “You do realize where we are right?” I asked, as I prepared to toss a mine at my uninvited guest.

        “The Hope Solar Array. Now where is your gryphon friend, don't think your entry into the Cathedral went unnoticed.” My guest said as I planned on how I would deal with them.

        “Ah, so that is what it was called. You want to know something funny? I could have killed him, so easily right then and there. I didn't. If you are here, he knows it as well. So then, why did you come here? To take me to go have some tea with the great and charismatic Red Eye?” I asked as I put the mine I had just disarmed on the ground next to my hoof.

        “That is why I am here to collect you. Your friend will be getting greeted soon enough as well.” I felt their presence draw closer, I guessed he was a gryphon from the lack of sound of their movement.

        I let out a sigh as I turned my head to face my guest. “Nobody ever learns do they?”

        “What do you-” He was cut off by a mine being shoved in his mouth as I threw a barrier around him and detonated it. The explosion, fire, and his remains were contained as a spike of pain drove into my skull as the telekinetic barrier shattered.

        “Unicorns cheat.” I explained to the now roasted gryphon. I sneered at his corpse. “We always cheat.”

        I checked him over quickly and managed to recover his ammo, his weapon was ruined from the confined explosion. His head... well I would never know if he had a helmet or not.

        “Well then, tonight just got more interesting.” I nickered as I worked my way to the central buildings.

        I got to the front door and had to pick the lock to enter. Thankfully that didn't take too long and I let myself in, though I didn't re-lock it this time just in case I had to go out this way quickly. Once inside I realized it wasn't going to be a quick trip to find Anabel, my only asset would be the tags for friend and foe, and I was already getting a fair number of red tags in my vision. So, as to not be a fool I began with clearing the first room. The place was empty except for a small reception desk with a still active terminal. From the lack of explosions I wagered Anabel was okay for now, hell, she had been doing fine before meeting me so I doubted this was any sort of threat to her at all.

        “Alright, lets see what’s in you.” I muttered as I accessed the terminal quickly defeating its security system. Within it I found a few memo's mention of an inspection by the military, a demonstration for Princess Luna, and going away parties for a large number of engineers and scientists now that the facility was up and running smoothly. All of it was reasonable enough, and I took note of where the transfers had been that were in the Seamane region. I would pay them a visit, after all any place with interesting tech would be a place Anabel would want to go, and if she wanted to go somewhere I was going to take her. Because until I cemented her being on our side I was going to placate her as much as I could.

        I stepped back from the terminal turning it off and checking each door. The first set lead to a few offices, within them wasn't anything of note other than a few more notes and personal memos by the administration staff. So I headed back into the facility itself. As I did I found the source of the red tags, turrets, robots, and ghouls, oh my. The robots and ghouls were easy to deal with as they did not have weapons that could really harm me. However the turrets were annoyingly hard to hit before they started shooting.

        “This isn't working, it also is probably drawing a lot of attention...” I muttered to myself, then the closed door next to me exploded. “Everything always just has to explode...”

        Out through the now destroyed door came a rather armored and frightfully armed robot. I rolled and managed to not get hit by its minigun and got below it. I then realized my mistake when it began to try to crush me by sitting on my head. I instead kicked out a leg, shoved it with my magic and rolled to the side, it fell over and I quickly found its control panel and destroyed it, shutting the robot down for good. I pulled out my sword from the mangled mess of the robot and then went to removing its arms. The minigun was my primary goal and all of its lovely five millimeter ammunition. The rocket launcher was easier to remove and I stowed that on my back as I carried off the minigun in my magic.

        I returned to the room where the turrets were and decided to just pelt the turrets into submission instead of trying to pick off the targeting talismans. This tactic was much more effective. I also managed to recover the built in guns from the turrets, though now they wouldn't be of much use until I found the trigger mechanism within them.

        The next room was a bit of a surprise. It was sleeping quarters. I frowned as I picked over the place finding a few keys that I added to my key chain. In this room I also found a good number of dead ponies, one wearing a lab coat and a pair of sunglasses. I frowned then took the sunglasses for myself. They were stylish to me, and who knew, maybe now with having a pair of wings around I would be seeing the sun more. I put the sunglasses on and opened the door to the next area only to almost be blinded by a wall of flood lights. I pushed myself back with my telekinesis in time to dodge a burst of weapons fire. I then heard the whirring of automated parts letting me know more turrets and robots were in there.

        “Okay so... how to proceed... I probably should fire a rocket in there, that should with the blast shatter most of the lights...” I whispered to myself wishing I had a spark grenade on me. “Well, only option after that is either take them down or charge across the room. Maybe there is a terminal I can use to shut down or frenzy the turrets on the other side.”

        As I concluded my thoughts a one of those floating spider like robots came around the corner and moved to bring a buzz saw down on my skull. I shoved it into the wall as I jumped back, my shock causing me to drop my minigun on the floor. With astounding speed the robot recovered and charged me, I blocked the buzz saw arm with my pipbuck which caused the saw to give off a horrid grinding noise. I grabbed my knife from my right foreleg and jabbed at what I assumed to be the power cable for the saw. I missed and instead put a dent into the arm itself. With another shove I gave myself a bit of distance from the robot and myself. I got about two breaths before it caught up to me again and I slammed the knife into its saw to jam it. I was certain the knife itself would fail before the industrial saw blade.

        With a moment to breath as the robot attempted to unjam its saw arm I drew my sword and smashed one of the eyestalks it had. While the attack worked the robot assessed me as being more of a problem than its jammed buzz saw. It turned and brought up its third arm on which I saw a flame connected to.

        “Oh fuck!” I shouted as I managed unleashed a wall of flame towards the robot as it fired it's built in flame thrower. The fires consumed the oxygen in the air too fast for the flames to continue existing for a moment and smoke filled the air. I pulled out This Gun and aimed where the red tag for the robot still was. I pulled the trigger as another blast of fire broke the smoke wall. The red light vanished from my vision as I closed my eyes in hopes to protect them from the gout of fire.

        As the heat washed over me I did as I had been told to do for a long time if ever on fire. To stop whatever the hell I was doing, to drop onto the ground, and proceed to roll and try to smother out the flames. After a few moments the burning stopped and I opened my eyes to see my sunglasses had cracked and parts had melted, I tossed them off and moved to retrive my knife from the robot. It took me a few seconds to locate my blade and then I removed it. As I did I realized I smelled something and noticed the pool of flamer fuel on the floor. I then noticed something rather annoying that I couldn't stop from happening. Another spider bot floated into the room and blasted me with a further gout of fire, igniting the fuel below me and detonating the pressurized canisters of the stuff inside the spider bot I was standing on.

        I saw my mane on fire and attempted to put it out as I rolled about on the floor smothering where my armor or coat had caught fire. After a few moments I had put out the fires and let out a sigh as nothing had come after me in the mean time. I turned my head to take in my surroundings to only see my mane still alight, I quickly wrapped it in my magic to smother it. I let out a sigh as it was only slightly singed, though it probably should have been badly burned. I felt that it was once again my affinity for fire magic that was causing these weird things around me. That or somehow taint given mutations could be more than warped and mutated flesh as well as thriving in radiation.

        “Well, best get moving before anything comes looking for me.” I opened the door to find the back of another sentry robopony.

        This one had yet to detect me which either meant E.F.S. had failed for it, or like ponies it had to turn whatever part of it had E.F.S. sensors in it to detect things. That or it simply didn't have E.F.S. and used something else for friend or foe identification. Whatever the case was it received an indefinite power down from my sword. Then I realized two things. One, it was guarding this room; two, it was powered off before I attacked it. I turned to readdress the room I had explosively entered from below.

        I kicked on the pipbuck lamp and began to search this room. What I found was, well I kind of had half expected it. The long dead body of a pony. I let out a sigh of frustration mixed with sorrow. I searched the room further to find a note from the now dead pony that explained he had held up here while the world ended, it was the safest room as it was in the heart of the generator facility and thus furthest from the outside. He died from starvation or dehydration, I couldn't tell which, I found two empty bottles of sparkle cola and their respective caps. I frowned as I remembered an old custom that predated the celestial sisters rule and placed the caps in the hooves of the long dead pony.

        “I hope the ferry pony respects caps as currency.” I whispered as I turned to leave.

        I stared at the hulking robot that I had needlessly destroyed. “Bet I could have reprogrammed you to fight by my side. Oh well, I will just be taking your arms...”

        I removed its weapons like I had to the previous one. I slung the second rocket launcher across my back, I had no idea how to reload it so for now I had two rocket launcher shots and once more a minigun with a lot of ammo to spare. I honestly felt horrible for the first flesh and blood enemy who found me, because these halls gave little room to move side to side in so a minigun, like a flame thrower, was murderous in here. Though honestly I wouldn't mind a nice shotgun instead, miniguns felt a bit odd to use.

        I continued being blatantly loud as I chewed through spider bot after spider bot with the minigun, their hulls were not meant for any sort of true punishment as they were simple repair robots that were never designed for combat. Well, okay not heavy combat, because they did have flamers built into them for some annoying reason, I would wager either 'cooking' or pest control. Given how much fuel they had, I figured the past had some rather large pests. Probably worse due to being near the Everfree. Whenever a sentinel, that is what I was calling the heavier roboponies, showed up I broke out the rocket launchers. Generally I would get a shot off before they could fire their own rocket launcher, they also seemed to open up with their minigun instead, so at least the injury of me missing them was lessened. However, this fighting was wearing thin on my reserves of energy and strength.

        “Come on Anabel where are you and those others that Red Eye sent after us.” I muttered as I stalked down another hall having finally found the passage that connected to the central tower of the facility. I knew Anabel would likely be playing hide and seek with her pursuers so I wasn't terribly worried about her safety, yet.

        I paused as I looked at the room I had just cleared of turrets. There were markings of a fire, though, the lack of smoke at the ceiling or glowing embers on the ground told me it had been long ago. I swapped out the minigun's ammo case with a fresh one and began to check over the room to see what had caused the fire. Again, I was more or less just trying to make enough noise that someone would show up, either the enemy or Anabel, so taking my time in each room wasn't an issue, after all I was also leaving a path of spent shells and destroyed robots.

        Picking over the room I found one of the things we had come here for, detailed blueprints for the solar panels, looking over them I knew that it would be a long time before we had access to the materials needed to build our own. Still though I took them, someone some day would have use for them, and if I could make it easier for someone to find and use it was worth it. With that stuffed away in my saddlebags I turned to face the stairs that led back up and into the central tower. I had to imagine that Anabel was somewhere that way, given that there was still a freaking room full of robots and floodlights that I had bypasses in the other direction.

        Upon reaching the top of the stairs and entering a four way junction I received a mighty tackle. The suddenness of the attack made me drop the minigun and sent my head spinning as I fought to keep legs from going around my throat. After a moment I was able to see I was fighting a cybernetic pegasus, his wings reinforced with cybernetics instead of made of them. He brought a hoof down to smash my face with the adorned power hoof on it. I countered with my own attack hitting him in his knee forcing his leg to buckle and only hit me with his leg instead of the power hoof. It still hurt, but, it was better than a full force power hoof to the face.

        He began to pull back his leg when I grabbed it and managed to slip the power hoof off of it before he escaped my grasp. The loss of his power hoof seemed to be lost on him as he moved to strike again and I struck back hitting him in the face as he hit my muzzle. I felt something warm on my face and assumed his hoof had managed to break my skin. I hissed as I struck at him again freeing my pipbuck adorned leg in time to absorb another blow. While the pipbuck didn't break of course I still felt the force in my leg as it buckled under the blow, still negating it. I finally remembered my hind legs and shoved him back, and I confirmed it was a him by what I felt as I did. He hovered in the air a few feet away then darted off his tag quickly vanishing from my vision.

        “Fuck, little bugger knows how to fly indoors. Guess it makes sense for a Pegasus under Red Eye's command, got to be able to track down ponies in those tight corridors in Fillydelphia.” I muttered to myself as I brought the minigun back to myself.

        I carefully made my way down the hall I had been shoved into after being tackled, a power hoof now resting on my right foreleg. As I continued exploring this place I came to realize, this facility was far bigger than it should be, far, far, far bigger than it should be. I frowned as I stood in a larger almost warehouse like structure. However, I knew I was underground still as there were no buildings near the facility this large, and I knew I had not walked that far. I heard in the distance something metal fall and ring out across the large room causing myself to jump into a battle stance and beginning to spool up the minigun.

        I began walking between the aisles of the warehouse noticing the distinct lack of red or blue on my E.F.S. What bothered me was the fact that there was nothing here. I mean this place seemed to have survived quite well, and I would have picked this place to have hidden in during the bombardment of mega spells.

        “Then again, if something caused this place to collapse... who knows how much material would be on top of you.” I whispered looking up both at the ceiling as well as the rows upon rows of spare materials.

        If I had my head out of the clouds for a moment I would have spotted the tripwire, as it was, I didn't, though I managed to some how not trigger it with my passing until the ammo feed of my minigun snagged the wire and triggered a shotgun blast to my flank. I dropped the minigun as I fell over in reaction to the sudden pain and great force of the blast. I looked back to see the damage done was mostly going to be a massive bruise thanks to the armor having absorbed the impact. Though, now there were small craters within the armor plate that were blackened and I knew carried the pellets that were meant to rip me in half. Standing up I grabbed the minigun in my magic again keeping it faced behind me so if it triggered anything else it would take the attack instead of me. As well as having a minigun facing behind me would make any attacker trying to sneak upon me think twice about a back attack.

        Being more wary of further traps I kept my eyes focused on spotting wires or pressure plates. This worked out well and netted me a few grenades, some more twelve gauge rounds, and not getting crushed by a very dangerously balanced engine. I let out a sigh as I finished crossing the warehouse only having a few more scratches to myself than when I started. Finally I saw a pile of corpses, either long dead and mummified or those of ghouls. I really couldn't tell seeing as the ghouls here didn't have the typical burnt and melted flesh look. As I drew closer I kept my eyes on my E.F.S. as well as for any little orange lights.

        I quietly picked my way over the fallen ghouls which seemed to have an odd assortment of wounds, some had blunt trauma, some had parts cleaved off, others disturbingly enough had metal spars through them that had burn marks around the wounds. A few of the ghouls were even pinned together with said spars. I took a step through the threshold that had been so valiantly held so long ago, my pipbuck light illuminating a bit of the room. I took a step further in and heard the faint sound of a release. As I flinched back expecting something to come swinging into my face instead a searing heat passed just in front of my muzzle as something flew past. I waved my hoof through the doorway again and heard no further sounds. To be safe I grabbed two sheets of metal from a nearby shelf and used them as shields as I entered the room. Once inside I found the long dead body of another stallion. His body was remarkably well preserved. He wore a lab coat over what looked to be improvised armor of black and orange material. Giving the material a test with my hoof I found it to be more along the lines of a suit of Kevlar with metal covering it. It was makeshift combat armor at best and I left him with it. I did see a symbol on it, that of a mathematical property, the symbol for half life of a radioactive partial.

        “I am sorry for disturbing you.” I whispered to the corpse of the long fallen adventurer.

        I turned my attention to finding what had fired when I tripped some sort of trap. It took a few minutes to do so in the dark, though it probably would have gone faster if I had remembered my night vision goggles earlier instead of relying on my pipbuck lamp. Once I switched over I saw a line of light coming from a box that crossed right where one's hooves would be going through the doorway, I traced a light back to find a odd crossbow rigged to firing mechanism. I gently removed it from its housing.

        “Why you are quite a interesting piece...” I cooed to the weapon as I adjusted my load to make room for it. “Now then what do you fire?”

        I found what it fired, it was not what I had expected, it fired pieces of rebar. However it had a nasty drawback of only one shot could be loaded in it. That didn't bother me though, it was a silent and terrifyingly powerful weapon. I did a quick check of the scope to see it was still in working condition, minus the slightly faded radioactive elements within it. I removed the laser marker and with a bit of work managed to strap it to the scope of the crossbow. While without the night vision goggles I could see through the scope and spot the dim glow of the radioactive material marking out the cross hairs I needed something for when having the goggles on, the laser beam worked well enough for me. I knew I would need to make further adjustments later on for the sake of accuracy, but, for now at these ranges it should be fine.

        I returned to the fallen stallion and checked him over gently to find a small quiver of rebar bolts for the crossbow. I took it and slipped it on. With that done I did a once over again of the room to find it was nothing except for a small room meant for those who worked the warehouse. It had lists of what was stored here, logs of shipments and requests, and really nothing of interest or stood out to me.

        I headed back out into the warehouse properly keeping the minigun quietly spinning and aimed ahead this time as I returned to the entrance. I saw a blue bar appear in my vision and let out a sigh. Anabel had finally caught up with me.

        “Hey, I think this is where that unicorn went. Looks like only one way in and one way out.” Called the pegasus from earlier that I had fought with.

        “Alright, well looks like plenty of cover to get a drop on her. Lets get going before she hears us though.” The second pegasus said as both blue bars moved into the room and turned red. I shut off the minigun so the sound of its engine wouldn't give me away and proceeded to move slowly towards the entrance.

        “Hey, I got a idea, see these big metal plates?” The first pegasus asked.

        “Yeah, what about them?” The second responded, they were on the next aisle over from me, I continued to slowly move forward.

        “Let's use them as shields, box her in and then beat her into submission with them.” The first explained, I felt my coat bristle at the use of the words beat and submission. Next I heard them attach something to the plates then a little bit of scraping of metal on the floor, and then nothing. I turned my head to spot their red bars to see them moving about more rapidly than I thought they would with such a burden.

        “Nasty little buggers you two are.” I muttered, then clasped a hand over my muzzle realizing I had meant to say that in my mind and not with my mouth.

        I then added in a whisper, “shit.” As I saw the bars separate one moving behind me the other most likely heading up a parallel aisle to get in front of me.

        Usually when someone says they are going loud they mean they are initiating combat after sneaking around has run into a problem. While true in this case, it was also very true about the volume of my weapons as well as volume of fire. No mare should ever be allowed to collect so many weapons and be able to use them at once. Most likely anypony who knew of this little skirmish would know that to be truth about me.

        The five millimeter rounds pinged off the sheets of steel as the two pegasi landed and quickly moved towards me with their makeshift shields. I had to give them credit, their plan was working. Unfortunately for them, explosives tend to knock you around, no matter how strong you were. Doubly unfortunately for them I had a decent amount of explosives on me. I tossed two grenades forward as I lined up a shot from my rocket launcher. The thump of the grenades going off timed perfectly with the rush of the rocket launching and moments later exploding. I closed my eyes when I fired due to I knew otherwise I probably would be blinded by the flash of fire.

        As things were my ears were ringing as I opened my eyes to find the steel shields laying over the at least limp forms of the pegasi. I tossed the spent launcher off to the side and ran for the exit. My top priority was getting the upper hand by mitigating their ability to fly, and I had no idea how long they would be down for. So I headed for the door out of the warehouse I knew they also couldn't take their makeshift shields through here as they would be much too large to fit through the doorway in any useful fashion. I quickly darted down the opposite hallway into the other side of the facility.

        I skidded to a stop before I almost was sent into what would have been a very painful and likely horrific death. Before me sat pools of rainbow colored liquid after a rather sudden and sharp fall. The catwalk I would have run across a few decades, or centuries ago, had been eaten away by said liquid which told me not to touch it at whatever cost. I moved to the side of the doorway onto what remained of a staircase, the bottom of which was missing and dropped into a unknown amount of the rainbow fluid.

        My patience won out as one of the two pegasi darted through the door, he deftly managed to not hit anything on his entry into the room. A moment later his partner followed suit and managed the same feat. I quietly cursed my luck that the two had managed not to hit something and fall into the unknown fluid and let me know what it was, as well as likely eliminate one of my two enemies.

        I darted up the stairs quietly as the two looked around for me, the quiet spinning up of the minigun soon was replaced with the sound of it firing at the two of them with S.A.T.S. assisting my aim. The sound of spent shell casings ringing on the metal floor was almost heavenly to my ears in the slowed time of S.A.T.S. I clipped one of them well enough that he dipped down as S.A.T.S. ended and his hoof dipped below the surface of the liquid. His friend grabbed him as I fought to keep my dinner down as his body twisted, I could hear bone breaking and flesh tearing from here as he became something very much not pony.

        I closed my eyes and I heard a splash followed by a equine scream, of terror, not anger as I heard the pegasus who remained land on the ground backing away from the pool of what I now presumed to be taint.

        “Listen, I am sorry about your friend, really I am. I rather kill a pony outright than have them suffer that. If you want to keep on living go ahead and run now, I don't blame you. And... I am sorry about your friend.” I finished as I opened my eyes to see a rather large red bar in my vision as I saw only a few fleshy bits above the surface of the pool of taint. I turned to see the pegasus stallion now sporting what looked like gryphon claws at the end of his fore legs. He fled moments later as the monster I had just created through failing to kill the other pegasus bellowed, bits of taint landing on the floor around me.

        “Right, I probably should kill the aberration just I created.” I sighed as I took in the monster that was once a pony. “Fuck, where did it get all that additional tissue from?”

        Looking at the monster before me I could see where the old cybernetics of the wings had once been, now transformed into great binders for the monsters wings. The stock itself was a sea of green tissue or maybe that was it's coat, with writhing mismatched limbs, legs of ponies, talons of gryphons, fingers of minotaurs, gaping maws, insectoid eyes filled the lower half of the stock of its form. The top half was more understandable and didn't hurt my mind as much to look at. It looked like someone stuck the upper half of a very raven like gryphon on top of it. The colors were all wrong though for the upper half. Here it went from a deep blue to purple its hands had five talons like a mix of minotaur's and a gryphons. It's head was at the end of a long and feathered neck and was that of a birds.

        “The fuck are you.” I cried as fear sank into me, fear that glued me to my spot as it reached a hand out to grab me. “No. No, no, no no no no!”

        'Hey, you might want to shoot the damn monster. Just a thought.' Chimed in a familiar voice in my head.

        I managed to regain control of myself and fire the second rocket launcher at the monster. The rocket didn't have a hard time with finding something to hit. Unfortunately it didn't do much, or didn't stay doing much. The wound healed into another fang filled mouth.

        I let out a war cry as I kicked the minigun into full speed. Thankfully the flesh of this monster wasn't that strong and I began to cut into it. It tried to block the rounds I was aimed for it's head. As a few fingers fell from its clawed hand it drew its wings to protect itself. I decided to toss out the grenades I had. While it was protecting it's face, the stock was free for me to brutalize. The grenades exploded under the surface, again making me question how much taint was here and unfortunately a little hit me, where it landed burned furiously as I swapped ammo boxes out of the minigun and took aim for the now badly bleeding stock of the monster.

        Thankfully whatever intelligence this thing had it was limited, though, I was worried about the fact it bleed taint. However I was going to focus more on the fact it was now done crying out in pain and instead chanting something that the very sounds of hurt and clawed at my mind. I pulled out the spare rockets and held them in my magic. I focused my magic holding them by me as I loaded the rocket launcher. I knew whatever it was doing with it's chanting I had to stop it before its chanting was done. I also knew I could not just simply run from this thing. While it went against the notion of don't do big goddesses damned hero stuff I would sooner give myself to Red Eye than let this thing continue to exist.

        As I continued to fire the minigun and prepared my rockets I saw more red tags flicker into existence from what could only be described as rips in space. As these rifts opened the pain in my head worsened and the chanting grew.

        I fired a rocket only to have it instead of hitting the monster instead collide with some sort of fleshy horn covered disk thing. The corpse arced through the air and landed to my side, whatever it was it looked to be at home in water, and thankfully now dead. Then I saw another one flying through the air right at me. I fired upon it and watched as fell to the unrelenting fire of the minigun landing on the platform with a meaty thud as well, bleeding taint where it landed.

        “Alright, so we got a real fight on our hands now!” I shouted, a grin placing itself on my face. “I am going to burn, maim, and kill you lot!”

        Another scream permeated the room as I reloaded the minigun and prepped another rocket. This scream was more of a battle cry than of agony like before.

        “Yeah? Well fuck you too!” I cried back as I began to unleash hell on anything that so much as moved in the room. Rockets for the large monster, minigun for its pals, charged fireballs for both when I managed to focus enough for one.

        Rocket after rocket streaked through the air blasting away meaty chunks of its flesh as the minigun kept its regeneration at bay. My fireballs were having just about the same effect as the rockets, though I figured that was more due to this things resistance to explosive and physical attacks over the strength of my magic.

Each strike of a rocket the thing screamed in agony, each time it did I clenched my teeth and focused on putting this thing down. I fired my third to last rocket and the stock was severed, the chanting stopped finally and no more of the fleshy fliers emerged from the tears in space. As the thing continued to cry out in pain I pelted its face with the minigun now that it was exposed again and sent a rocket into its right eye. The thing reached for me, its cries of pain gone. I heard the the voice of the chanting in my mind again, now knowing the chanting had been only in my mind and not spoken by this things vocal cords.

        “Why… why did you create me...” It whimpered in my mind, I hissed as I fired at it trying to end its life quickly.

        “I did not create you, foul daemon.” I spat as the thing slumped as its clawed hand collapsed on the floor near me and I let out a breath, my heart still racing as the red bar winked out finally.

        “To the pony in there… Whoever you were I am sorry you had to die this way. No pony deserves such horrors done upon them.” I said quietly to the corpse after a few minutes as the adrenaline washed out of my system.

        Then the hand grabbed me and started to crush me, I felt an uncomfortable sensation where the thing’s flesh touched my own. Then it bellowed at me through its mental link. “WHY!”

        I screamed then was released as my minigun fired wildly and severed its remaining arm, quickly I fired off the last two rockets into its head completely destroying where I hoped it's brain lay. Once more the red bar winked out of existence, the body of the thing sliding back into the pool of taint sinking below the surface.

        “I... hate... taint...” I wheezed as I pulled what taint was on me off, knowing I had once again been exposed to the hazardous stuff. Thankfully once we met with Rose again she and Ruby would be able to work together to perform the makeshift taint cleansing spell we had gained from Lifebloom. Getting it from him had not been easy, though I think once we greased things up a bit with caps and explained how it would probably save a good number of lives without Tenpony having to do anything the process was sped up greatly.

        I left the room and walked face first into the chest of Anabel.

        “What the hell was going on down here?” Anabel asked.

        “Some of Red Eye's forces followed us, meant to capture not kill, I let one go, though since he didn't go by you I think the robots here finished him off.” I explained still shaking and out of breath.

        “That doesn't explain the horrible cries of agony I was hearing, or all of the explosions.” Anabel frowned regarding me.

        “One of them got a bath in taint... It wasn't pretty. I killed it, I think... I hope.” I trailed off.

        “One way to be certain about that.” Anabel said as she withdrew some sort of cylinder.

        “Is that what I think it is?” I asked as I finally slumped to the floor the exhaustion of a day's travel plus the past hour or so’s activity in this facility hitting me.

        “Yes it is, now get on my back, I don't think you want to get trapped down here.” Anabel said, I managed to use my magic to put myself on her back and securing myself to the saddle.

        “Well, lets check for a pulse then. Fire away Anabel.” I ordered.

        “With pleasure.” Anabel answered, the fuwthump of the makeshift balefire egg launcher going off beside me. The wave of heat was intense as we flew out of the place, I closed the door that sealed the underground connecting facility to the central tower with my magic as Anabel quickly flew up and we left to rejoin the others.

        “I think that is enough excitement for one night.” I called out over the wind.

        “I agree, you rest up, you look pretty worn out from all that fighting. I will take care of getting us back safely.” Anabel needlessly explained as I drifted off to sleep on her back, the howl of the wind greeting me as a old friend and escorted me to my dreams.

        Footnote: Level Up!

        New Perk Added: Death Dealer: With all that time to play with a minigun you have gotten far more skilled with fully automatic weapons. When firing a weapon of any kind in full auto your accuracy is far better than it was. This means less suppressing your enemies and more of having a continuous beam of death, be it lead, plasma, energy, or magic. You will make Foresight proud.

        Quest Perk Added: All this playing in taint isn't good for you, and unfortunately this means another mutation, or two, or a lot more. However nothing obvious has shown up right off the bat. Hopefully this means it is something manageable and not terrifying or abhorrent, or make everypony you know want to shoot you on the spot.

Chapter 23 - A Walk In The Hills

Chapter 23 – A Walk In The Hills

“This hoof of mine is BURNING RED! It's loud roar tells me to grasp victory! Wait how do I grasp things with a hoof?!”

I woke up to the familiar smell of apple whiskey and Rose. I figured we must be in New Appleloosa, it was after all the only place I knew that had apple whiskey.

        I felt an itch on the inside of my hind leg and went to scratch it only to yelp in pain as I got shocked instead as my hoof touched my coat. I opened my eyes and saw that the powerhoof I had taken from the pegasus yesterday was still on my hoof. I shook my head, and went to remove it. I found that I could not. I blinked in dumb confusion as I tried again and again to remove it, the strain was woke up what of my mind that still lingered in the land of sleep.

        “What the hell... did somepony put wonderglue on this thing?” I groggily cursed as I attempted to pull the powerhoof off. I struggled for a few more minutes before finally giving up. I turned to see a amused yet tired Rose watching me.

        “I didn't have any more luck than you at getting it off your hoof. I also think you should take a closer look before giving it another go.” Rose said with a frown and moved to stifle another yawn.

        “Can you give me some light then, this boxcar isn't the brightest place in Equestria, you know?” I replied as I leveled my leg in front of my muzzle for closer examination. With the light I cringed a little as I examined my right hoof. What I found was a fusion of flesh and metal. I tested it with my left hoof to disturbingly find I could feel through the metal as if it were flesh.

        “I don't think we can remove it, at least not without having to replace a good part of your leg.” Rose quietly explained.

         I stretched my right fore leg out and flexed it checking for any loss of mobility or strength. “Ironically, I would probably have the replacement have a built in powerhoof.” I let out a sigh as I dropped my right leg to hang beside me. “Well, that is what I get for deciding to be adventurous.”

        “Well, it doesn't hurt or anything right?” Rose asked as she hugged me.

        “Only when I absentmindedly touch myself with it.” I offered up leaning into Rose. “You know what I mean.” I added with a roll of my eyes.

        “I do, now rest, you and Anabel were out late last night. She informed us about what happened, mostly. She mentioned something about you fighting a thing that should not have been. She also mentioned you made certain it was unmade by your hoof, so at least you did something worthwhile.” Rose softly said as she stroked my mane.

        “Yeah, just wished it hadn't been because of me that pegasus had to experience that. It is one thing to kill somepony, it is another to cause them to turn into something horrific. At least now his soul is at peace.” I replied. “I don't feel awful for it, it was a accident after all, and in the end he ended up dead just like I had planned. So really, I don’t feel bad about it at all, I had intended to kill him.”

        “You don't have to justify every death you cause.” Rose whispered as she nuzzled me.

        “I know. I know. Still though, bugs me that, that happened instead of the taint just killing him or making him mutate a bit. Becoming a giant birdlike monstrosity is a bit... weird. I think that is what I am hung up on. I mean who cares if I kill somepony trying to kill me?” I explained as I rested my head against Rose.

        Rose nodded then spoke. “Anabel said that it might have been due to that was where a lot of ponies were hiding when the world blew up. I would guess that the taint needed something alive to bind all the rest of them to. Thinking about it, I have never heard of taint mutating anything that was dead.” Rose stated, as she rested her head atop of my own with the look of deep thought flickering across her face before vanishing as she returned to nuzzling me.

        “That... I guess would mean it just was waiting for something to come along and be a host for it.” I shivered as the thought of taint having some sort of intelligence behind it crossed my mind. “Too many slimes and goo’s have intelligence behind them for my tastes already, lets just hope it was a fluke.”

        “Hopefully that is all it was. At least you came out more or less in one piece and other than a powerhoof glued to your leg you're completely fine.” Rose said as she drew me closer.

        “I just have to get used to it, still disturbing that I can feel through it.” I said as I looked up at Rose after holding out my leg and turning it around to look at it some more. “Hopefully it won't be too much of a problem.”

        “Only time will tell. Oh, I asked Calamity about your revolvers and he managed to do a bit of work on them. He also told me that you should keep an eye out for rifles that use the same ammo as well as three fifty seven revolvers for parts.” Rose said as we laid back down. “Anyways, we should get some more sleep it is a long walk to Old Appleloosa in the morning.”

        “Yeah I still feel tired and thanks for talking to him for me about my revolvers. I was worried I might have to find something to replace them with soon.” I yawned as I closed my eyes. “Well until morning lets rest up. I imagine you're tired from doing that taint purge spell as well.”

        All I got was a quiet murmur from Rose before I drifted back off into sleep once more.

        Without much effort we gathered together at the gate out of New Appleloosa. We had a bit of a hike ahead of us to get to Old Appleloosa then quite a long one to get to Colt. After all the Macintosh Hills where not so much hills as they were mountains. We also were going to have to be more careful as this was once again an area where Red Eye had a decent influence on everyone. While New Appleloosa wasn't directly loyal to him, they weren't against him. So it was with haste and wariness we made our way south once more.

        “Oh to hell with it I am going to just keep walking, I know a place or two ahead that is safe for me to bunker down in for the night.” I muttered as I bid the rest of my companions farewell for the night. They would be in Old Appleloosa while I hiked outside of the place and found someplace up ahead on the trail to keep warm for the night.

        'It was your own plan to have it this way.' Doubt said as I marched through the cold snow into the hills that mark the beginning of the Macintosh Hills.

        “Oh I know it was my plan, that is why I dislike it even more. My plans have a habit of going hooves up at the tip of a hat.” I cursed as I crested a hill to see the next taller set.

        'Really? Then maybe you should pay attention to your E.F.S.' Doubt suggested without a hint of humor in her disembodied voice.

        I cursed under my breath as I realized my E.F.S. was off at the moment and quickly turned it on. Turning it on had been the right course of action as I saw a number of red bars milling about ahead of me. I turned my head around and spotted more behind me.

        “A patrol? Or maybe they are something not so intelligent... Wolves perhaps? They do hunt in packs...” I muttered as I began looking for a way to hide from my potential attackers. Fortunately I had already donned the lab coat and my ballistic mask. I was thankful the ballistic mask was white for the most part and then half buried myself under the snow. I kept my left hoof on my silenced markspony rifle under me that I had managed to pick up in New Appleloosa. Somepony in New Appleloosa had thankfully wanted to trade their markspony rifle for my assault carbine. I was inclined to offer it up as it would give me the range that I so sorely needed after getting rid of the broken battle rifle.

        So I laid half buried in the cold snow listening to the foot falls of the red tags as they approached. I watched doing my best to control my heartbeat as several ponies walked past. They weren't looking for me, but, they were moving south to join the other red tags I had seen. They were marching towards Seamane, my home. I winced as one walked over me, however, they didn't stop to inspect what they had stepped on. Once they had moved past I stood up slowly and made my way after them.

        As I began to follow these ponies I noticed after they met up they then broke into several smaller teams. Each team headed to a different pass towards the Badlands and the main trail that lead between Old Appleloosa and Colt. I choose one group and began to follow them, keeping a good distance back in the dead forest. Tonight was a walk in the woods, following, and hopefully figuring out why a good number of armed and organized ponies were headed towards Seamane. My mind slowly fell into an analytical mindset as I followed this group, trying to glean anything from how they moved or catch as whisper on the wind.

        I followed them, stalking them as if they were my prey, but, I did not strike. I needed to know where they were going, find out why they were going to Colt and possibly further into the Seamane Region itself. Any large number of ponies headed for my home was suspect and needed to be accounted for. I may not be able to get my hooves on large numbers of ponies to back me, but, I could gather information on them, their movements, and their motivations. I also, with a flip of a switch could bring down silent death upon them tonight. I could even get ahead of them and place explosives and take them out with the flip of a different switch. However, what I needed was not corpses, not yet at least. No, information was more valuable than gold to me, and gold was far more worthwhile than corpses.

        Half an hour into the stalking I had managed to continue eluding their senses. This bunch were a rather dedicated and silent lot. It reminded me of how quiet trips with my companions could be. A few minutes of idle chatter here and there, but, most of the time we were looking for threats or had something on our mind to think about on our own. Mostly it as threats as I had a fat bounty on my head. Though, that did tend to make traveling by hoof far more interesting, and generally we could leave one town travel a few days and by the time we got to the next town be up to our ears in loot of bandits, raiders, and bounty hunters who crossed our path. Really it was quite healthy for our caps bags.

        As the night wore on I felt my strength never leave me. Something was driving away the exhaustion I should have felt in my body. Instead the only part of me that seemed to get exhausted was my mind. As such from time to time I took a No Doze to keep my mind focused. I was thankful that these things didn't so much enhance your perception or intelligence, but, instead batted away the annoying parts of exhaustion, unlike Mint-Als. However, also unlike Mint-Al's they were not as effective after the first dose, they became less effective with each use until you let them run out of your system. From what I saw left on the label it was due to they were pretty much just pure caffeine.

        While this group wasn't rushing ahead or trying to lose me I was keeping my distance from them and from time to time lost sight of them. When I had reestablished line of sight they had come to a stop and by the looks of it they were stopping for the evening. It made me wonder where they were coming from that just now would they stop.

        They had stopped in a clearing and two were setting up a campfire. I climbed up a tree in the mean time perching myself with my legs giving me support as I leaned my back against the trunk of the tree. I held my markspony rifle in my mouth using the scope to keep an eye on my quarry. For the second time this week I had several targets in my view who didn't know I was there, and I could easily take them out with the pull of the trigger. Once again though, I had no reason to just pick them off, even though a voice in the back of my mind told me to do it. To just give in to the bloodshed. I could take what information I wanted off of their bodies. Nopony would miss them, they were out here on their own, I had a suppressed rifle and the snow would dampen the sound as well as the trees around us.

        I decided against it, keeping the fire selector on safe instead of any of the other settings. I wasn't about to accidentally shoot somepony. No, shooting ponies, or anything was for when my life or someone else's life was on the line. I would not let blood lust take me again. I had started down that road and would fight my way away from it with all my might. So for now that I had silenced the blood lusting voice I had kept hearing. Now though the cold voice I remembered from back in Raiderville was whispering to me. The cold calculating side of me that Dad had ingrained into me. I kept hearing the count of targets and the count of rounds in my gun.

        'Twenty One.' It whispered softly in my head as I scanned over one of the ponies I was observing. 'Center of mass, nothing fancy.'

        'Shut up, I don't need to go from one extreme to another.' I chided myself. Honestly I really didn't need to go from the extreme of being a thoughtless murderous berserker to being a cold calculating killer. I had seen what both could do in combat. They had their place, but, I did not want to be either. I wanted the calm of the calculator, but, I wanted the adrenaline of the berserker. I didn't want the thirst for blood they both had.

        So once again I was sitting in the cold, unmoving, watching, hiding. I was fighting with myself to keep from letting loose in one fashion or another. These ponies, while red on my E.F.S. didn't have a reason to kill me other than I was here without them knowing it. They were marked hostile only due to they were hostile to likely anything they didn't automatically recognize as friendly. Since I was not dead, being shot at, or captured, that meant they didn't know I was here.

        I let out a breath of air, marveling as it froze in the air in my night vision goggles view. I had continued to watch and listen to these ponies as they made camp. This group, a group of six ponies, were settling down for the night. They kept watch just like any other well organized group would.

        I kept my ears open and eyes on my E.F.S. I knew I wasn't the stealthiest of ponies, but, being in a place where nopony would look is a good start for keeping hidden. Though it wasn't hard to keep hidden when nopony was looking for you. However, since I was keeping an eye out for anything, I did notice something odd. A seventh red bar was moving in towards the group, I swung my rifle in it's direction to see an armored figure like the rest. I cursed at no longer having an eight times magnification that the battle rifle had, still though the three times zoom was good enough for a designated markspony rifle.

        This group at first I considered odd. Each pony had a different armor configuration, all based off of the standard issue combat armor. Their leader, at least I figured he was their leader, had armor which upon it I saw a good number of pouches and some pre war radio equipment, for the most part his armor was a faded blue. I also noticed that every single one of them had similar radio equipment on them, though smaller than the leaders. I figured it was for longer range communication. Their leader carried a simple markspony rifle with no modifications and a few grenades, nothing fancy really.

        Next was a pony I assumed to be more of a close quarters type pony. He had a rather large knife that lay on the point that I would almost call it a small sword. He had heavier armor than their commander and favored a combat shotgun as well as a lot more grenades. On the shoulder of his armor I saw the hand painted or carved symbol of a screaming skull. I got the feeling I wouldn't want to tangle with him anytime soon. His armor was grey for the most part beyond a few red highlights.

        The seventh pony who was now sitting down by the fire was in what looked like slightly slimmed down combat armor which was a faded green with a bit of camouflage netting around the collar and back. I saw a few more pouches than normal on it as well as his rather intimidating sniper rifle slung across his back. I also noticed a few pouches carrying the all too familiar plastic explosives that Anabel carried. As I observed him I swore he stared right at me, as he did I noticed his tag turned blue, which worried me far more. He made no moves and his muzzle sat shut. If he had made me, he wasn't worried about my existence.

        The next two were odd. They lay back to back, head to hoof in full armor. I couldn't tell whether they were male or female or what brand of pony they were. Hay, I couldn't even see their coats. As it was, both carried a single assault rifle. Both had dark grey armor and were fast asleep. From the looks of it they were either quite close friends or related as I rarely saw ponies with tails entwined who weren't so close.

        I bristled as the next pony got up to take her turn on watch. She was missing a leg and had what looked to be a rather crude cybernetic leg in place of where her leg used to be. From shoulder down it was metal. What got me was the skeletal construction of it, it was thinner than I would have expected. Yet her cybernetic leg still had armor on it where the armor plates of combat armor would normally sit. She was armed with only a high power pistol, it looked modified in some fashion that I could not discern from this range. The rest of her equipment looked to be focused on hacking and fixing.

        As their leader and the close combat pony went to sleep I finally got a good look at the final member of this team. He was a big stallion and well armored. His combat armor looked more like it was on its way to being Steel Ranger armor over just simple modifications to combat armor. What was truly terrifying was his one weapon. I could read on the ammo box that was on the side of his battle saddle that it was a heavy machine gun that fired twelve point seven millimeter rounds. I knew that if I did have to piss off this group he and the sniper would be the first to have to go down. Their range and firepower would shred me with little hope of survival.

        Then again, I wasn't planning on pissing this group off. I just wanted information. Still I found it amusing to see another team of ponies out here in the wasteland who were so diverse in load out. Generally when I saw groups of ponies you would have a pretty uniform batch of equipment if they were not raiders or bandits. Though bandits did seem to try to keep similar weapons to one another, probably due to being sane enough to try to make finding ammo and parts as easy as possible for themselves.

        I kept watch on the group as the night wore on. Not moving wasn't helping my mind keep awake and alert like I needed it to be. So I continued to take the No Doze that I had on me. I wasn't going to let myself fall asleep in a tree. The two reasons for that were rather obvious as I didn't want to fall to the ground while asleep and probably hurt or kill myself. Seriously going out like that would be pathetic. The second was I didn't want to get caught or spotted by my quarry.

        Time slowly passed and morning was fast approaching. I skirted around their camp and began moving east southeast along the path I expected them to take. As I waited to make certain I had picked the right path I saw the sniper pony on his own on a hill above me sitting crouched down with his rifle. I marveled at the rifle in the brighter light. It was obviously well cared for as well as obviously having been used for a long time. Once again I thought I had been made by the sniper pony as he looked in my direction and paused for a moment before looking away and moving off. Before he did though I caught his mouth moving, likely to communicate something.

        I tinge of worry ran through me as I realized he might have reported my existence to the rest of his group. I double timed it ahead to the next area that I would go to for looking ahead like the sniper pony was doing. I had wagered that he as more of a tracker than just a plain sniper. More likely than not he had grown up hunting or something along those lines. It made me even more curious as to exactly how this little group had gotten together. From the bits of interaction I had seen they seemed tight knit though not without some internal friction.

        I had decided not to go to where I would go for spotting if I was the sniper pony. Instead I went to a tertiary look out point and kept an eye on the other two locations. Not to my surprise the sniper pony himself showed up at my location. This time though I had taken my time to hide myself and observed a fair bit closer as the stallion checked the trail ahead.

        “This is Noble Three to Noble One, copy?” Noble Three said into his radio.

        There was a pause as I assumed he go into contact with his leader.

        “All clear, looks like our tail got spooked and went to ground. Proceed with caution, over.” Noble Three said. I looked at him to see on the shoulder pad facing me the name Mighty Zeal painted on it.

        'Team Noble, with seven members and this, Mighty Zeal being Noble Three. Well, at least my trip to Colt will be interesting. Now then, how about you lead me to where your little team is going. There has to be a reason for you to be out here away from the more well traveled trails through the Macintosh Hills.' I mused to myself in my mind as Three pulled away to go to the next look out point.

        I gave him a few minutes to get ahead of me, knowing my silent gallop and light step would be enough to give me the cover I needed within the dead forest to catch up to him or keep up with his team.

        I took a step and saw a mine, live and set. I knew it hadn't been there when I set myself down in my observation area.

        “Well I'll be...” I muttered realizing it was a not so subtle hint that Three had taken notice of me and my location. I disarmed it and walked off leaving it behind. If there was a timer in it I would be well away before it detonated. If not, well somepony some day would get a nice little prize out of it. As it was, I now was playing a game of cat and mouse with this Noble Three. For some reason it made me smile.

        A few minutes after I moved off I heard an explosion from the clearing we had been in. The mine had been set to a timer, Noble Three hadn't been certain if I was actually there or not. That was a good sign in that I had managed to not get spotted, it was also bad as that meant he knew suspected I was still following.

        “Well then, lets keep up with our quarry.” I muttered to the dead wood, the steam from my speech drifting away with the gentle breeze as I darted off, this time further out to a vantage point for the pass that the group would be passing through in a while.

        As I sat in wait I began practicing an illusion spell that had caught my eye while studying from a grimoire had produced before the war. It was in principle like a stealthbuck or a zebra stealth cloak. However, I didn't quite understand how to do it and found that it only lasted at most a minute or two and the more I moved the faster it faded. Still though, the ability to go invisible, with great strain, was worthwhile.

        As I lay in place with my DMR resting firmly in my mouth I watched the group as I had predicted head into the pass. While this had not been the pass I took any of the times going through the Macintosh Hills it was still rather safe for a less used one.

        Suddenly they stopped and pressed themselves against the walls of the pass making them vanish from my view and I looked to see the cause. After a few moments of searching the sky I saw the reason. Anabel was flying around. I cast my active camouflage spell and moved off a ways to where the group while in the mountain pass shouldn't be able to spot me then I dropped the spell.

        Anabel took only a little longer to spot me and quickly dove out of the sky and to me side.

        “Sorry about not meeting up with everyone else. A group of ponies passed by me as I was making my way to someplace safe to stay for the night. So I followed them, this is one of a few groups heading through the less traveled passes towards Colt. Apparently this batch calls themselves Noble Team.” I explained with a shrug as the sky started to fill with the signs of another snow flurry.

        “Alright, well I spotted on the main trail a rather large caravan headed towards Colt. Looks like something is getting ready to happen back in your neck of the woods.” Anabel explained as we took shelter in a rocky outcropping.

        “Interesting, either this group is a strike group, or they are sending ponies to keep the other passes clear of threats while moving along the trail. One way or another I suspect we will know in a few hours what the deal is.” I yawned as I moved to take another No Doze.

        “You haven't slept have you?” Anabel said as she caught sight of the No Doze in those unreadable avian eyes. “Rose warned me that you might be pushing yourself again.”

        I took the No Doze before giving Anabel a sideways glance. “So what if I am? We have something that demands attention at our nose. At least demands mine. I know you are in it for the prewar facilities and what not, but, I still have my goals.”

        “That isn't why I am glaring.” Anabel flatly stated as she moved to press herself against the wall.

        Then I noticed it, a blue tag on my E.F.S.

        “Right, we have company. They're blue, let me do the talking, if that fails, well. Stun grenade.” I explained as I stood where I would be most visible to our visitor.

        “So there you are White Rabbit.” Noble Three called out as he walked out of snow into the limited protection of the outcropping.

        “Hello Noble Three, I guess you spotted me from the pass.” I said as I offered him a place to sit a bit further in.

        “No, I spotted your friend. I imagine she is still here as I didn’t spot her leaving.” Noble Three calmly said sitting down on his haunches.

        “Alright, well no matter how you came to know my location. Why are you here?” I pressed, feeling that social niceties had been taken care of for now.

        “Well, I could ask the same question. I guess you’re a lot better at sneaking around than I expected seeing as you know my call sign.” Noble Three laughed, surprising me with how trusting he was being.

        “How about I give you an answer then you answer my question?” I offered, he nodded. “I was headed back to Colt after spending some time up North. I was headed south and I am not particularly liked in Old Appleloosa so I was just pushing past during the night. I managed to bump into one of your friends and proceeded to follow you. As for why, well, simple, whenever a large number of armed ponies go anywhere it is a good idea to know why.”

        “Alright, we were hired to keep the hills safe while some materials got moved.” Noble Three supplied. I frowned at the simple answer, but, I knew it was within our rules for filling our agreement. “What is your name, or do you wish to have me simply refer to you as White Rabbit?”

        I kept myself from scowling as personally I wanted to keep my name quite, yet, giving out my name might elicit more information from him even if it was just gauging his reaction. “Moonlight, the Ranger of Seamane.”

        We sat there looking at one another as he just quietly looked at me. I heard something though, this time being so close I could hear the radio in his ear.

        “Noble Three, keep her there. If possible ascertain whether or not she is a threat to the convoy.” I heard who I assumed to be Noble One say.

        “You know I can hear him, right?” I grinned, his warm smile faltered for a moment. “As for the convoy, depends on what it is doing, and I am going to find out one way or another what is going on with that convoy. As for whether or not something happens to the convy, well if they pose a threat to Saint Clover, Dune City, Colt, or specifically to anyone I know, including myself... Well that might be a problem.”

        We both tensed as we sat there looking at one another. His friends were on their way, and if they had heard what I just said they would be probably be rushing. Thankfully I wasn't alone in this situation, then again, I wouldn't be in this situation if it hadn't been for Anabel, so her presence was a mixed blessing.

        “I see direct action might be needed.” Noble Three slowly stated.

        “Isn't it always?” I chuckled before kicking his forelegs out from under him before he could move to grab his rifle.

        “FUCKING RUN!” I shouted as I booked it past where Anabel had been in hiding, the look on her face was of pure amusement.

        A few minutes of running later I was standing on a bluff catching my breath. Anabel had taken off and flown towards the rest of the group after getting high enough that the falling snow blocked out the view of her. I sat on my haunches breathing hard, a steady stream of steam escaping my muzzle. My plan to run had worked for now. Though I knew if they looked for tracks they would eventually  find me, even with having Anabel carry me for the first bit after we got a good distance away. Still, I should be fine for a little while, I let out a gasp of breath and fell onto my back laying in the snow.

        I had, yet again, accidentally set off another group of ponies to want my head. I facehoofed as my failure at conversation hit me full force.

        “You really screwed up this time, Moonlight.” I bemoaned. “Really, couldn't have spared a moment or two to properly figure out what you were going to say?”

        I shook my head and let out an exasperated sigh. “So now what? We have a team after my tail until the caravan is safe. The caravan is headed to Colt, which is where I’m headed. I am going to have to go find some place to sit tight for a while aren't I?”

        I sat up and shook the snow out of my mane. “Back to where I killed the Wendigo, at least that has shelter, Ruby knows where it is too.”

        I stood up and started back on the route east, for about ten seconds as I reached the edge of the bluff I was on. “Right, how the fuck do I get there if the passes are being watched?”

        I grimaced as the solution showed itself to me. I was going to have to go ice climbing, in a snowstorm. “Seriously... I need to stop pissing people off, it is bad for my health.”

        What was also bad for my health was climbing sheer rock faces in a snowstorm. Another thing that was bad for my health was falling from said sheer rock faces. Also climbing without climbing gear, and in general being a idiot about finding a path over the mountain. I probably would have had better luck randomly jumping up a steep hill than actually trying to climb.

        Eventually I remembered I had magic and simply floated my way up. Compared to months ago when I had used my magic to keep me from turning into a pancake from falling above the clouds this was nothing. The strain was laughable at best and in no time I had made it to a higher portion of the mountain. Although I had lost a fair bit of time on my idiotic attempts at climbing.

        “Well that was a waste of time and energy.” I muttered to myself as the snow flurry died down and I got a good view of the valley below me. I blinked as it hit me what I was seeing, and where I was.

        I marveled at the view of the Badlands from high above. “Well... I just climbed Mount Macintosh...”

        I was suddenly aware of another presence and whirled to look where my senses told me it was. I saw a pony entombed in ice, in positively ancient armor. However, my senses were telling me that wasn't what I was looking for. I then realized my sense that I was feeling was not that of the typical ones. It was an additional sense, I felt something, a presence. I looked around seeing nothing before simply closing my eyes to see what would happen next.

        To my surprise nothing happened.

        “Well that was anti-climatic.” I sighed as I opened my eyes. I moved to examine the long forgotten pony in armor. Looking at them they were surprisingly well preserved, I would have imagined all the atomic Balefire having melted ever bit of ice below the Frozen North beyond the Crystal Empire. I frowned as I looked at the entombed soul. “You deserve to be buried, not locked in a icy prison for all of time.”

        With that I focused my magic and began the slow process of melting the ice. Minutes went by as I warmed up, and became worn down from the effort. Finally the body was free and I caught them in my magic before they could collapse to the ground. I hoisted him onto my back strapping the sword he had with him to my side.

        His sword was quite the elegant weapon, from a far more civilized age than even the great war. His armor I was uncertain of the origin of. Hell looking at it I could almost taste the magic in it. Which begged the question of why was he up there, and when had he come to rest there. I decided to think about it as I began my descent.

As I skied down the mountainside with my magic, go, go cheating unicorn magic powers, my mind was firmly fixed on the question of if his armor and weapon were so old, how could they retain their magics? There were very few items I had ever heard of retaining their enchantments over that long of time. Yes there were talismans, but, this wasn't that. I knew I would need to sit down and look harder at the armor and weapon later. I also knew I would be burying this body without their possessions. Yes it was disrespectful, but, dammit I was curious about this oddity.

        As I came to a stop to figure out which way to go next I was greeted by a sight that only my luck would bring to me. I was standing on an overlook that overlooked the overlook that Noble Team was on, which was where they were overlooking the caravan from. I frowned at their tags, all blue, surprisingly. I then pulled out my DMR and looked down at the caravan itself. Finally I could get a good idea of what was going on.

        Upon observing the caravan I saw it was carrying a good number of ponies riding, freely, in the back of each cart. Many other carts had supplies in them, not just food and weapons, but, materials that looked at home at a construction site. I also saw tools I recognized from my time in Fillydelphia.

        “Free workers, not slaves... Construction tools and supplies. Somepony is setting up shop in Seamane.” I muttered to my mummified friend. “Too bad first introductions to their guard went so badly. Honestly if I was any more incompetent at talking to others I think the universe would just take pity on me.”

        With that I choose to do probably the stupidest of all of my options given to me at the moment. I jumped off the overlook and summoned my telekinetic barrier based skies and proceeded to towards Noble team. I wasn't going straight at them, for the sake of making certain they didn't see my approach as an attack. I also made certain that I wasn't on a vector straight for the caravan so I hopefully wouldn't look like I was going for a strike against that. Maybe second introductions would go over better. Then again, I was carrying an ancient armored corpse on my back, so who knew, maybe that would be a great conversation starter.

        As I neared Noble team the two grey armored ponies spotted me and drew their assault rifles.

        “I'm a friendly!” I shouted, though realizing that was probably what ponies would say if trying to fake being friendly for getting a surprise attack.

        “Just don't shoot!” I amended, they thankfully compiled as the rest of their team turned to face me. Well except for Noble Three, he kept an eye on the caravan below, which was good, only the mid to short range specialists should focus on me. “We got off on the wrong hoof. I have a nasty tendency to say the wrong words and not think.”

        “Noted.” Their leader said motioning with a hoof for all but the two deep grey armored ponies to stand down. “Noble One, glad to make your acquaintance. I was surprised that you were able to so deftly evade us. Though going completely over the mountain was a bit out of the scope of possibilities we had come up with.”

        “I tend to do that sort of thing. You will have to get used to it if you are going to spend time in Seamane since that is where I am planning on being for the foreseeable future.” I smiled feeling a bit more relaxed.

        “Well, Ranger, I see you aren't going and pillaging the caravan. I guess you decided upon seeing it that it wasn't a something worth torching?” Noble One inquired as I trotted with him to the edge of the overlook.

        “They are headed somewhere with a small army of workers and guards. They have supplies for doing some sort of construction project. Materials from Fillydelphia, tools as well.” I quickly rattled off my analysis of the caravan to Noble One. “Top priority, figuring out who paid them to come here. Second priority, figuring out the truth of why they were paid to come out here.”

        “I see why we were told not to pursue.” Noble One nodded as the caravan cleared a turn in the trail.

        “You haven't seen a band of four ponies and a gryphon today have you?” I asked as we sat there. “Two earth ponies, two unicorns if that helps.”

        “We spotted them, they are a few hours back on the main trail. I am guessing they are the rest of your team.” Noble One correctly assumed, I nodded informing him of such. “Then who is your friend that is on your back?”

        “Don't know, found him frozen solid at the peak. Took him since he deserves a proper burial, every nameless pony does. Also I am curious about his stuff, it seems to predate the great war by centuries, yet it is enchanted still. Only things I know like that are the elements, though, who knows what state those are in now.” I shrugged.

        “At least your friend doesn't stink.” Said the close combat specialist, I simply rolled my eyes.

        “So what now, are you going to move on and keep an eye on the caravan, or are you going to babysit me until my friends show up?” I asked turning to look at Noble One.

        “Either you can wait for your friends here or you can follow us.” Noble One shrugged. “Just keep it locked down, we don't need to attract any wildlife.”

        “What wild life, anything that did live here probably died while I fought the Wendigo.” I frowned, I got an amused chuckle from their close combat specialist again.

        “I like her, she says she tangoed with a spirit and won.” He laughed.

        “I did, DJ Pon3 mentioned it, you can ask Ruby Saddle about it, she saw the end of the fight as well.” I shrugged, I didn't feel like boasting, but, for some reason his skepticism annoyed me.

        “Right, and you can breath fire.” He laughed again, to prove him wrong I did just that and breathed fire at his hooves.

        I coughed a few times to clear the smoke from my mouth, it was a trick of doing a fire spell focused inside my mouth, but, it did the trick. “Yeah, I can breath fire, and I killed a Wendigo.”

        Everyone was silent for a few minutes.

        “Right, not everyday you meet somepony who can breath fire and kill a spirit.” I laughed, smiling and wishing I had something to wash my mouth out with properly. “Anypony got some whiskey on them? Breathing fire leaves a nasty flavor in my mouth.”

        Again I was met with silence. I just frowned and checked my inventory sorter on my pipbuck for anything. I did find I had a single bottle of whiskey, it had to have been from Mixers, I pulled it out and took a pull from it and swished it around my mouth. As I swallowed I felt things sway a bit.

        “Alcohol shouldn't affect me that quickly...” I muttered, then I noticed it wasn't me as it happened again. “Oh fuck... what is it this time.”

        I noticed Noble Team had started moving at some point towards the caravan they were guarding, or watching over. I really wasn't certain if it was recon or protection duty anymore. I gave chase as I put away the whiskey, cursing myself for having drank while out of town. I also knew that any moment now something was going to happen and my soon to be dulled reaction time would be problematic at best. A thought hit me as I leapt over a downed log and I fished out a tin of Mint-Al's. If my mind and reaction time was going to be dulled by alcohol why not take a Mint-Al? It would sharpen me back up, and give me minty fresh breath.

        My E.F.S. was suddenly full of red, then was clear, then I distinctly felt weightlessness. I then felt the horrible feeling of slimy things wrapping around me.

        “Engage Noble Team!” I heard shouted by Noble One far below me, it was nice that somepony was here to help me fight something that probably wanted to eat me. Then it hit me how annoyingly often it was that something wanted to eat me.

        I, one for not wanting to look weak and helpless when it was inopportune to began to cast spell after spell trying to set fire to whatever was attacking me. It would have gone much better if I could have seen what was attacking me. As it was I had something slimy covering my eyes.

        'Oh how useful I am in this fight, I am blind, grabbed, and probably being digested.' I mentally swore, not wanting to chance opening my mouth and getting some new fresh horror for my nightmares that weren't already being accumulated from this. 'Wait, if it has me in it's grasp like this I could just set up some telekinetic slashes in S.A.T.S. I mean I can see my readout just fine, just I can't see past it the eye protection in the ballistic mask.'

        So I hit S.A.T.S. and began setting up some lashes against my foes method of grappling me. Within the slowness of S.A.T.S. I got a view of nothing as my attacks lashed out and did nothing that I could tell. As far as I knew I was just making a pretty light show, or my magic just wasn't working at all and whatever had me just nullified it.

        “Commander it is breaking off...” I heard a feminine voice call out getting more distant as I felt motion around me, I also heard the churning of dirt and the feeling of descending as well as fleshy walls close around me.

        'I just got eaten...' I mentally muttered to myself. 'Well... fuck, and I have no idea of if my magic was doing anything.'

        I attempted to struggle only finding that I could loosely move my right hoof. I hit S.A.T.S. again to pause and think. If I had just been eaten my oxygen supply was limited to a few minutes, every moment struggling was seconds lost of life. If I was eaten I also would soon be being either crushed by teeth of some sort or liquified by acids. That or this was to be a horrific slow death of slowly passing out after a few hours as my flesh eroded and the walls of flesh pushed me further into the beast.

        'Okay, lets stop thinking about how many different horrible ways this could end up going, shall we?' I mentally nodded in agreement and focused on methods of escape. 'Okay, so we have a shit ton of explosives that Anabel gave me. If we can fish some of that out, turn it on, and hit the detonator that should do something. Though unfortunately that something might involve my lower body becoming detached from me. But, price of not dying this way is risking my life in some other fashion.'

        I let S.A.T.S. go after using it to try again to use my magic to attack my captor. I focused my efforts on and around my right fore leg as it seemed to be a slight bit freer than the rest of me. I was rewarded with the sound of pain from all around me, the lashing of tentacles against me which worried me greatly, and the freedom of my right hoof. I wasted no time in grabbing out a block of explosives, the power button wasn't hard to find and-

        I found myself laying in the snow smelling of smoke and something absolutely awful. I turned to see an absolutely massive worm laying half out of the ground slowly slinking back into it's hole. I rolled to my side and coughed, what came out was what I had hoped to keep out of my mouth while in there. As it was I did my best not to think about it. I pulled out two of the grenades I had and tossed them at the retreating worm. If it had attacked me, it would attack others traveling through the region. That alone warranted its immediate and explosive destruction. The grenades did little to it as it finished retreating underground. I frowned and ran to the hole only to find it filled with dirt. My E.F.S. no longer showing a red bar.

        “Damn it, I can't let it run around here freely. If I do it will keep harassing anything that tries to get from here to the rest of Equestria.” I muttered as I looked around for options. I saw the corpse once again, though worse for wear. I then realized, this creature was probably a scavenger. It smelled the corpse thawed from the ice. “Or, it is just something that keeps the place clean of corpses.”

        I tilted my head thinking as I pulled off the armor of the corpse. I then decided to let it have the corpse, after depositing two bits on it. If I was right, it was a scavenger and would leave me alone. If I was wrong, well... I was wrong and would have to fight it again. I also decided that I was going to wear the armor I pulled off the corpse, most of it fit over what I already had on thanks to my frame being not that of a larger stallion, after all I was a mare and a bit on the small side, though it felt not as small as I used to be. I went to put on the helmet with my magic to notice that my magic faltered, I rubbed my horn to come away with the slime that had covered me from being inside of that things mouth. It's saliva could partially neutralize magic I realized, which explained why it had been hard for me to strike at it.

        “Well... that theory just went out the window, why would it need anti-magic saliva if it didn't feed on living creatures.” I sighed as I waited for the ground to explode out from under my hooves and unleash a horde of tentacles upon me.

        The universe disappointed me for once with nothing happening as I headed towards where I had killed the Wendigo while carrying the fallen warriors body. If it was actually a scavenger with odd magical properties it would come after the smell of the corpse on my back, which was now caked in a few pounds of high explosives. While I would have preferred to bury the body, a funeral pyre of a mighty monster I felt would be also quite honorable.

        I stood on the main trail once again, where I had blown apart a army of ice ponies and warped my horn. I set down the body and took up residence on the ruins of the building that was here. I felt the ground shake once again, like it had before. This time I was ready, my swords drawn and held at my sides as I waited to see if it went for me or the corpse.

        It went for a third option. It went for my friends who were just showing up on my E.F.S.

        “Oh like hell you are getting away with this!” I shouted as I thrust myself into the air dragging the explosive caked corpse with me in my magic as I sailed into the air. As my magic propelled me in a ballistic arc I let out a warcry which had the remarkable effect of rallying my friends to bring their weapons to bear. Though it wasn't much as the only place it could get hurt it seemed was its soft fleshy tentacles safely inside of its mouth. Though for a massive burrowing creature that made a lot of sense.

        “Get it to open its mouth!” I shouted as I landed on its back and embedded my swords under one of its thick scales, it let out a cry of pain as the blades dug in.

        I pulled the blades out and began to run up the back of the worm towards it's head, I realized that this thing had eyes as well. If there was a good way to make it cry in pain, it would be through hurting its eyes, then simply stuff the corpse into it's mouth, let it retreat a little then click and boom.

        I heard Rose scream as the mouth of the worm opened again, and I realized it had grabbed her already. Now I was starting to suspect it just had a thing for unicorn mares. I pushed myself forward with all my might as I had my twin blades scraping against the scales of the beast.

        “I got a treat for you! So keep your mouth wide open!” I shouted as the worm started to go vertical, it was either going to retreat soon underground or was going to jump forward and start digging again. I reached its mouth to see Rose entangled in it's many tentacle like tongues her horn flickering like I suspected mine had while trying to break free. I threw the corpse into its mouth and then myself using my blades to start cutting Rose free. I didn't worry about the fact that she likely would get burned if my sword’s magic kicked in. I also didn't worry about getting entangled myself, my swords and powerhoof were enough to keep that from happening.

        With a screech I had freed Rose, though she was still wrapped in tongues. I grabbed her swiftly and dove out of the mouth as we went upside down. The impact with the ground for me was nothing short of bone jarring, for Rose I assumed the slimy tongues had cushioned the fall a bit, as well as the fact she landed atop of me. I rolled as I saw the beast go below the surface once more, I quickly pulled the detonator out of the pouch on my chest and flipped the safety cover and flipped the switch. The ground shook, bulged, then plummeted as the explosives detonated.

        “If that thing is still alive... I think we are going to need to find a way to tame it.” I laughed then turned to see Rose still struggling with the very much still alive tongues on her. I punched and pulled them off as I could finding Rose had not been as fortunate as I to keep them from getting in her mouth. The look she gave me when I freed her made me just hold her once the tongues were removed and summarily incinerated.

        Rose coughed a few times getting the slime out of her lungs and nose. “The hell was that thing, and why were you hunting it?”

        “I was hunting it due to it tried to eat me earlier. I figured probably be best to put something like that down before it ate somepony important. As it is, at least it didn't get you past it's mouth.” I sighed as I hugged my marefriend, though I noted she desperately needed to be washed as the smell of the things saliva was foul. I also realized I need a wash as well since I had been in it longer than she had. “We both need to get washed. As for why it attacked you, either it thought you were me or it likes things with magic in them. Unicorns would be a high priority in that regard. As for what it was, I don't know, some sort of massive worm that lives on the edge of Equestria.”

        “Why do horrible things always show up around you?” Rose grumbled.

        “That is a simple thing to answer. Because I won't leave well enough alone. Also, look at it this way, at least you weren't in it as long as I was.” I said before digging out something to eat that would leave a more favorable taste on both of our pallets. “Eat this, it should help wash away the taste.”

        “Chocolate? Where did you find this?” Rose asked before eating some.

        “The hell if I know. I just shove crap into my saddlebags most of the time.” I shrugged as I ate a piece of the chocolate and held a flame in the air to heat the two of us.

        “Moonlight! There you are. Anabel said something about you running into trouble. Though she said it was other ponies not a monster.” Ruby shouted as she ran back up from where she and the rest had taken cover during the brief fight.

        “I did, then I made up with those ponies, found out a bit more on that caravan ahead of us. Then that thing attacked me.” I yawned as suddenly the two days of physical exertion hit me like a brick wall. “Oh... right, I forgot I actually need to sleep.”

        “Well lets get to Colt then, I think I can carry you, I actually got some sleep.” Rose chuckled and smiled at me as she lifted me onto her back. “Come on, lets get home and out of the snow.

        “Hopefully nopony decides to start shooting when they see me. It is annoying when they do that.” I yawned again.

Footnote: Sixty Seven percent to next level. Keep slaying those monsters and aberrations!

Chapter 24 - Sunday Afternoon

Chapter 24 – Sunday Afternoon

“‘And let me be your sun, be your match light your heart up.”

I woke up in our apartment in Colt. The warmth was quite welcome as was the softness of Rose. I stretched and got up. I felt refreshed and slowly ate breakfast as I picked at the armor I had obtained as well as the ancient sword. I looked at the sword and ran my hoof over the flat of of the blade. I winced as I pulled my hoof away where ice had started to form on my hoof.

        “A sword enchanted with ice? Well, fitting, I have a sword enchanted with fire.” I chuckled as I turned my attention to to the armor. As I looked over it I noticed that it was of better quality than I had expected, while not quite as suited for protection from fire arms it was great for melee. What was more joyous was the fact the parts of the armor that were in best condition were those that would replace the weaker parts of my current garb. Which made sense seeing as the chest of the ancient armor had a hole clean through it.

        I set about rearranging my equipment to take advantage of this newly found armor and arms. I also worked out how to wear my two swords as well as my assault rifle.

        “I am getting over armed again...” I muttered as I also reloaded the combat shotgun I had with us for so long and yet neglected to use all that often.

        “That isn't a bad thing with what you seem to run into oh so often.” Rose muttered as she rolled over on the sofa. We had opted for sleeping by the fireplace due to we were both too tired to walk to bed and the fire was warm. Honestly there is only so far you can walk after a long day in the cold before you say to hell with it and fall face first onto the ground.

        “True, hopefully I can get some more explosives as well.” I paused as I realized just how much destructive capability my little group had. “And now I can see why we are drawing attention. We can make a hell of a dent in anything if we put our minds to it.”

        “What do you mean, Moony?” Rose asked still dazed in post sleep delirium.

        “We can cut through swaths of ponies thanks to all of our guns, we can demolish buildings. I can actually become invisible and sneak into a base and have free reign.” I shrugged. “I walked into a Steel Ranger base and looted their warehouse. I think really if anything we are not over equipped, but, more of under challenged.”

        “You called that worm thing from yesterday not a challenge?” Rose moaned as she rolled over onto her side.

        “I meant from the forces around us. Wings of gryphons, squads of hit ponies, and lone bounty hunters aren't really all that threatening to us. We can quickly dispatch them with just the sheer number of guns we can just point in a general direction. We have a heavy weapons expert with Foresight, explosives and tech with Anabel. I am a rather versatile mare, as well as you. I mean I have a decent amount of skill in planning, healing, and combat either direct or stealth. You are a good solid pony all around in or out of combat.” I explained as I leaned back on my chair. “Really we only get messed up when we get separated.”

        “Then I guess that stuff about friendship and harmony making ponies stronger is true.” Rose yawned as she sat up and rubbed her eyes.

        I nodded musing on the old notion of friendship and harmony that was so strong prewar. I laughed when I remembered what Watcher's requirement of helping me was.

        “I misjudged your advice Watcher, friends are far more powerful than I thought.” I laughed as I shook my head.

        “How about you give me a hoof, I am still sore from carrying your tired flank all the way home.” Rose groaned as she rubbed her back.

        “I'll give you a hoof, and some more.” I purred as I trotted over to her.

        After some massaging of Rose's stiff and sore muscles I had helped her wake up. Once that was done I had decided to get some walking in, as if I hadn't gotten enough of it as of late. Still though I felt a bit off when I didn't keep moving about day after day. Maybe I was becoming nomadic, or maybe I was just used to having a far less pedestrian lifestyle.

        Walking through Colt I saw that most of the walkways were cleared of any snow. It seemed so long as it wasn't a blizzard the ponies here were well adjusted to dealing with the snow. Which reminded me of Blackwoods. I let out a sigh hoping that those ponies were okay.

        I eventually had walked the whole place and even spotted the caravan, as well as Noble Team, in the distance headed towards Dune City.

        “So, this wasn't even a stop for them?” I whispered.

        “But, it is the last stop for you, Ranger.” A voice from behind me said, I cursed at the lack of a three sixty motion tracker or something to that extent to keep me aware of threats, E.F.S. only worked in one direction after all.

        “Alright, how is it going to work this time.” I sighed, slightly amused with how often this was starting to happen.

        “Slowly turn to face me.” The stallion said, I did as ordered and slowly faced him. “Now then, drop your pistols.”

        “Sorry, no can do.” I laughed as I quickly cast the invisibility spell pushing as hard as I could to make it last longer. I then slowly crept my way around the stallion, who was now panicking at my disappearing act, until I was behind him, then I jumped on his back like I was mounting him and put my knife to his throat.

        “Your eyesight is getting worse Dad.” I laughed before putting away my knife and dismounted my father. “What the hell are you doing clear out here in Colt?”

        “Young lady, is that anyway to talk around your father?” Dad scolded, I frowned at his words.

        “What in Tartarus possessed you to do such a idiotic and suicidal thing as to come out to Colt in the middle of winter?! Do you have a death wish or something, you idiot?!” I fired back.

        “That is more like it. So, how are you liking the adventuring?” Dad chuckled as I sat on my haunches next to him unable to keep from laughing.

        “I am enjoying it for the most part. I kind of shot myself in the hoof when I did that whole proclamation of war against Red Eye's forces within Seamane. Honestly I wish somepony would have shove a hoof in my mouth. Instead I was with probably one of the very few ponies who thought it was best to let a mare with pretty much no resources start a war with a major player.” I laughed as I stood up. “Come on I have somepony to introduce you to.”

        I saw my dad's expression. “I am guessing that you didn't hear me on the radio a bit over a month ago.”

        “No, the hull of Saint Clover is a bit too thick for that. But, in the month you have been up north we moved here. We originally were going to move to Dune City, but... Well it felt too close to Seamane itself with all that is going on to be safe.” Dad confessed.

        “I understand, I have friends here, they should keep everypony safe.” I smiled giving my father a pat on the shoulders. I then noticed that I was about even in height with him. “Huh, when the hell did I get so tall?”

        He blinked and regarded me again. “You're right, you have gotten taller, no longer such a pipsqueak are ya?” He laughed.

        “Nope, glad you and Mom never decided to name me pipsqueak or something like that. Oh how embarrassing that name would be.” I smiled as a thought crossed my mind. “Though after all the crap I have done I think the name wouldn't be so annoying. I mean when you put down a Wendigo, a horrific giant taint monster, a giant worm, as well as make a mockery of Red Eye and Slate's forces you have a bit of a reputation.”

        “So what Aegis said was true.” Dad smiled as he put a hoof to his chin. “Anyways where are you staying?”

        “I have a place with Ruby's Caravan Company. I kind of saved their flanks a few times and killed a Hydra to keep all of us from being enslaved.” I laughed, really though I just was stunned now with the kill list I of monsters I had accumulated.

        “Not bad, you seem to be making some good connections then. I know you know Aegis, he actually contacted me and offered up a place here for us a few weeks back.” Dad explained, and I nodded now knowing I owed Aegis a debt of gratitude for helping out my family.

        “Well, after you stirred things up in Saint Clover we had been looking to move. Neither you or Silver had many friends there anymore.” Dad shrugged as we approached the door to my apartment.

        “Well it is hard to make friends when all the ponies not focused on work are younger than you and their parents make snide comments about you being a blank flank.” I rolled my eyes before knocking on the door. I figured that would give a warning to Rose.

        “You're living with somepony?” Dad asked and then I suddenly panicked as I realized he didn't know about the fact I had a marefriend.

        “Uh...Yes, um...” I paused as the door opened to reveal a interestingly garbed Rose and I quickly began to blush hard as was Rose.

        “My marefriend...” I stammered as Rose stood there uncertain what to do.

        The silence hung for a few seconds before Dad offered his hoof to Rose. “Hello I am Dusty Sands, I am Moonlight's father.”

        Rose just sat there uncertain what to do. “OH! Um! This is White Rose, like I said she is my marefriend!” I hastily explained as my heart decided right now was a great time to go between beating hard and not beating at all.

        “It is a pleasure to meet you! I also now know why Moonlight knocked instead of just came on in.” Rose said with a smile forced on her face telling me what I suspected, she too was panicking and wanted to run off and get changed into something not quite so provocative. “Oh come on in, it is nice and warm in here.”

        I almost facehooved as she said that because she so did when turning showing more of the outfit highlighting her flank. I did however notice I was flaking ash again. That was probably something Dad was going to ask about if he noticed. I mean honestly most ponies don't flake ash when stressed, hell I wasn't certain if I sweated anymore intense emotional situations. As it was I think I caught fire, or I was shot with a flare. Either way I was on fire, again, at least my mane was, or I felt like I was. I ran back out of the doorway and buried myself in a snow pile as I attempted to put of the real or imaginary fire that I felt.

        “Moonlight!” I heard the muffled call of Rose from behind me as I lay in the cool snow.

         I tried to answer, but, I forgot I was half buried in snow with my muzzle the furthest point within it. I got a swift tug and landed on my haunches as my emotions ran dry and I looked up at Rose.

        “You burst into flames.” Rose explained dryly.

        “You are standing in the middle of the street in the middle of day in a... rather... Can you go change before my backside freezes to the ground.” I blushed, Rose remembered her outfit and dashed to quickly change as I attempted to control myself.

        “You two are adorable.” Dad chuckled as he stood on the wooden walkway outside of my apartment.

        “I am glad you approve. I was worried you might be upset about the lack of me being with a partner who would make me pop out foals for you.” I smirked, happy to have something help me not focus on how Rose was dressed.

        “Well, you still could.” I shot him a sidelong glance. “However, Silver I think has that covered. Well, he won't be popping them out.”

        “Oh? I’m glad to hear that. Also I finally got my cutie mark. Guess what, it is worthless. It is a book.” I laughed, although I felt a pang of guilt about it.

        “That is great news, seems like getting out of Saint Clover was exactly what you needed to get your life rolling.” Dad said as he came over and gave me a hug before getting me to my hooves. “Come on lets get inside, and maybe you can explain the whole bursting into flames and flaking ash. I am fairly certain that isn't something that you inherited from your mother or myself.”

        I shrugged as we entered the apartment again, this time much less nervous and much less flustered. “I don't know why I reacted that way, I have gone toe to toe with a Wendigo. Seriously, introducing you to Rose should have been nothing.” I bemoaned as I closed the door.

        “Because that has a simple solution, shoot it until it is dead.” Dad laughed as he took up a seat at the table and began looking at my assorted equipment on it.

        “I guess. Probably would have helped if Rose hadn't been wearing... what she was.” I mumbled.

        “I will give you this, you have a great taste in mares.” Dad jested, I just blinked at him, I saw flakes of ash float off of my cheeks again. “So, when did you two hook up?”

        “Just after I cleared out raiderville. It was that town between Dune City and Saint Clover that got over run by raiders years ago.” I explained.

        “So... three days away from home you got your cutiemark, killed a town of raiders, saved a bunch of ponies, and got a marefriend?” Dad whistled. “I imagine initially it wasn't that she was your marefriend and more of she wanted you.”

        “Hey! I didn't want our relationship based around that. Nor did she, she just... Liked her hero...” I blushed and realized it did sound like I was being used. “However, it isn't like that anymore! Maybe it started with her wanting me as protection or whatever, but, now she can hold her own and she will put her life on the line to protect me as much as I will to protect her if that is what you are trying to get at.”

        “No, it is more of it reminds me of how I met your mother.” He smiled. “I saved her sorry flank from some thugs, your grandfather was very upset that I put my neck out for some local whore. His words, not mine.”

        “Wait, so Moony's mother was a prostitute?” Rose said as she returned, now out of her garments. I still didn't get why adding cloths some how made a pony's form more alluring when we walk around naked for the most part.

        “More or less, she worked at a place down south. It wasn't very willing work, but, there wasn't much else that was as safe. Things got a bit rough, I thought with my sense of justice and protected her. It wasn't long after that we headed back to Seamane. A few months after going around the area and having some fun on the coast past the Unbound we settled down in Saint Clover due to you were coming along.” Dad explained, and I nodded, it was about roughly how he had told me years ago how he and Mom got together.

        “Seems like it is in your blood to be a bleeding heart.” Rose giggled as she sat next to me, I felt her fidget a few times before settling to just sit by me and not draping herself over me like she often did. I guessed she also was still a bit embarrassed from a few minutes ago.

        “Well, we may have it in our blood to be bleeding hearts, but, we seem to have it in our blood not to die from it.” I smiled before giving Rose a peck on her cheek, which I noticed was far more easy than last time we were Colt.

        “So tell me about yourself Rose.” Dad asked finally pushing aside my ice sword after he had freed his hoof from it.

        “While she does that how about I make us all some tea?” I offered as I stood.

        “That sounds good.” Dad replied before he and Rose got to talking about her past, as well as what had been going on since I left Saint Clover. I served the tea after Rose had finished explaining what happened in Oakmare and what she did while I had been up north after the events there.

        “So you spent quite a while alone up north then?” Dad asked as I sipped at my tea. I simply nodded, I would likely in a while be telling the rest of my family the story and figured there was no need to tell the story twice. “Anything interesting?”

        I frowned at Dad. “Yes, but, I am assuming you are going to have Rose and myself over at some point and then I will have to explain everything again to Mom and Silver.” I stated before taking another sip.

        “Fair enough. Well keep going Rose.” Dad encouraged. Rose informed him of the trip back up north to restore my magic, the trip to the Hoof, then our return trip. I filled in a few points where I had been separated from Rose, but, didn't fill in many details. Honestly more I thought about it when I did get separated from Rose things tended to become far more traumatizing.

        “Well, thanks for humoring me you two. I need to go tell your Mother about you being back in town. I expect we will probably be doing lunch or dinner as a family.” Dad said as he hugged me and Rose.

        “Alright, we will keep an ear open for someone knocking.” I smiled returning the hug.

        “It was nice to meet you, Dusty.” Rose smiled back as well as my Dad left.

        Once the door closed Rose collapsed against me and let out a sigh. “I didn't expect meeting your father to be so exhausting.”

        “I didn't expect it to be so... I don't know the word to properly describe the whole encounter.” I frowned as I supported Rose.

        She smiled and gave me a lick to my cheek. “Come on it should be a while until anypony else bugs us and we do need to relax.”

        I giggled. “I don't need any more convincing than that.”

        I yawned as I pulled out various parts and equipment from what I had brought back from the north as well as what I had left here in Colt before the northward trip. I knew that I needed to prioritize a few bits of equipment such as medical supplies. As such I was preparing trauma kits and ammo bags. I also was planning on stopping by Aegis' store and buying every five point five six round I could get my hooves on as our little group practically ran on them.

        I also was mulling over the idea of making some small deployable turrets with the use of the targeting talismans and the ten millimeter smg's. They wouldn't be terribly accurate, but, it would give us the equivalent of two additional shooters, as if we didn't have enough guns going all at once. Still though the idea was appealing and I decided to work on them. The smg's were small enough to fit in a nice small case. In this situation it was a lunch box, once I pared down the guns since I didn't really expect anyone to try using them manually. After a while I managed to get all the necessary parts and a whole heaping amount of ammo into the container and seal it shut. I also set up a remote kill switch for them with my detonator. I really didn't have much use for the detonator anymore as I was going to just let Anabel handle the explosives.

        Rose quietly stirred on the sofa as I finished the second turret, which the work went far faster than the first as I knew what I was doing. Honestly, I was sorry for the first pony I used them on. They probably would expect a bottlecap landmine or something, instead they would get a mini turret spraying hot lead filled death at them. I realized I needed to take these out somewhere and get some target practice. Then suddenly it hit me, I needed something that would let me make better use of these turrets than just having them as they were now. I tinkered around with the various parts of spritebots I had with me, setting aside the bits to make a new pipbuck zero once I had given my pipbuck to Anabel.

        The thought that struck me was that I could have a designator for prioritizing targets with the little laser that I had attached to the rebar crossbow. The main issue would be setting the turrets to keep an eye for the invisible line. Which was when I remembered spritebots vision could see that spectrum of light. Which made things easier, though now I had to take apart both turrets to install the new hardware. After the third time electrocuting myself due to I wanted to do this by hoof and not horn, Rose woke up.

        “Why is our table covered in bullets and the guts of robots, Moonlight?” Rose asked, amused at the mess I had created. I looked up at her, grease, soot, and patches of burnt coat covering me.

        “Uh... Making stuff. We don't have a proper workbench and I didn't see another table...” I trailed off as I saw her smiling.

        “Just clean up when you are do. Also try not to make anything explode. Things do that enough around you on their own.” Rose laughed as she got herself something to eat.

        “I will, oh do you happen to know a good place to do some target practice?” I asked as I set down a circuit board.

        “Why, don't think your aim is good enough?” Rose asked before taking a bite of food.

        “No, these are going to be turrets, and I want to see how accurate they are as well as test their ability to pick up on the laser designator that I have.” I explained as I dusted the burnt coat and soot off of myself, making the grease stains spread, much to my frustration.

        Rose thought for a few moments as I returned to finishing the upgrades to my turrets. I let out a sigh of frustration as I got shocked again which left me wondering what the hell in the circuit still had power that I hadn't shut off. Though really it didn't end up mattering as a few minutes later I had finished stuffing my turrets back into their housing and tested them a few times. I did enjoy that I could just toss them down and they would automatically right themselves as the legs came out to support them. Really all I needed to do was make them levitate or stick to walls and I would have some of the most annoying mobile firepower you could imagine a mare having. Well that or having a self drawn carriage with a heavy machine gun on its back. Or maybe a tank, but, those were a lot rarer. Also I didn't know how to drive which probably would be a problem if I wanted either.

        I blinked noticing my thoughts wandering off topic again and lusting for more firepower. I couldn't disagree with the lust, but, I knew the mobility would actually be far nicer to have. I mean instead of walking everywhere we could drive. While not as good as flying it was a lot easier to fight if you aren't exhausted from walking or galloping everywhere.

        “I think Aegis has a indoor gun range at his new place.” Rose finally answered.

        “That would do nicely, need to stop by there before we leave town again. While currently we have a decent supply of five point five six rounds we go through them faster than...” I paused trying to figure out a good metaphor for our rapid consumption of the rounds. “Than I go through armor.”

        Rose just giggled as she worked on her meal. I resumed my work preparing two pipbuck zeros from the parts that still were here and functional. One I would give as a gift to my family, the other was for myself. I also was going to be dumping off the plants for the Everfree on my family as they would have the time and space to tend to them unlike myself. Kind of hard to grow plants when you are wandering around the wasteland. Though I had heard about ponies whose mane were that of plants, I would have blamed exhaustion induced hallucinations if not for my experiences with taint. That and my own occasionally burning mane and tail.

        I regarded my hybrid hoof again understanding now the dangers of the world. I shook my head as part of me wondered if I could some how modify it in any way. Honestly there shouldn't be anyway to modify it, other than overpowering it through the few external access points that were left.

        “Man... it would suck to have this happen with that pink cloud stuff.” I muttered remembering the various horrors I had seen in Canterlot from pink cloud exposure.

        “What about pink cloud?” Rose piped up.

        “Oh, just remembering some of the horrible effects that I saw the pink cloud have on things in Canterlot. Beyond the immortal ghouls it created, it also would fuse flesh to inorganic material. Like say my armor would fuse with my flesh, my pipbuck would become a pipleg. But, unlike taint it isn't healthy. I would suspect anything beyond a pipbuck would slowly poison a pony to death. Not a pleasant way to go.” I explained.

        “That sounds horrific.” Rose exclaimed her eyes looking at my sympathetically.

        “Yeah, that is a place I want to avoid until the cloud is gone. After that... Well I have a thing for libraries and I would imagine Twilight would have one fine library in her ministries headquarters.” I smiled, I could tell from Rose's expression I was wearing my interest in the place clearly on my face.

        “I forget that under all that armor, behind all those guns, is a mare who love books.” Rose smiled as she sat at the table and put her hooves under her chin.

        I blushed as I smiled at her. “Yeah, I know who would think a mare who is a walking armory to enjoy a cup of tea and a good book. Hell look at me, burnt coat, scars across my muzzle and cheek, chunks missing out of my ears. I nasty scar across my shoulder. I look weathered, not studious.”

        “It isn't a bad look.” Rose purred.

        “It probably makes a few annoyances take care of themselves upon seeing me.” I smiled back at Rose as I stored the turrets in my saddlebags.

        “Mhm. Do you want me to come with you to the range?” Rose asked as I stood up and put on my saddlebags.

        “Up to you, bring your own ammo and gun if you do.” I shrugged as I slung the quiver and crossbow onto my back.

        “Of course, give me a moment will you?” Rose replied as she stood and fetched the silenced forty five and her assault carbine.

        “Right, you haven't had much time to practice with that pistol.” I nodded as I stood next to the door to go.

        “There really hasn't been a chance for me to use a silenced weapon. Unlike you and your little adventures.” Rose teased as she bumped my flank with hers.

        “Alright, well lets go get some target practice. I need to adjust the scope on this crossbow anyways.” I smiled as we walked into the winter morning.

        It didn't take long to get to Aegis' store. It also didn't take much convincing to gain access to his gun range.

        “Knock yourselves out.” Aegis smiled as we went into the underground shooting range.

        “Hopefully we won't.” I laughed, though I had brought with me one of the trauma kits I had made just in case.

        I set up the turrets in two booths next to each other at the opposite end of the range of where Rose was practicing. The reasons for that was to keep the brass being easier to organize after we finished shooting, and, because I didn't think she would enjoy the constant drone of sustained automatic gunfire next to her.

        In short order I had targets up and as I had thought I had to designate them with the laser for the turrets to even attempt to shoot their targets. Initially their accuracy was horrid, after a bit of tweaking and having a few rounds punch through me, I had them being more accurate and tuned not to shoot me.

        As it was, I was happy to have brought with me the trauma kit, because getting shot was a perfectly good test for if I did pack the essentials within it. As it was, I had, and I was back together before Rose noticed. I also did my best to clean up the blood, which wasn't too hard. Though I suspected I would need to dispose of the now bloody bandages quietly so she didn't worry.

        With the sounds of the turrets clicking maddeningly beside me I turned them off with a test of the kill switch. That thankfully worked, and they didn't randomly explode. So double plus good in design on my part. I packed the turrets up and collected my brass.

        “Well I feel a bit better with those guns, though I think we need to buy some more ammo.” Rose smiled as she watched me finish cleaning up.

        “No kidding, though I know I still have a heap of ten milli's back at our place. The forty fives and fifties not so much.” I nodded as I closed my saddlebags. “Hm… you’re good to go back up?”

        “Yeah, hopefully we didn't miss your dad swinging by to tell us when dinner is.” Rose said as we climbed the stairs. I was being a bit gentle with my leg thanks to the slight bits of pain lancing through it with each step from the still unhealed nerves. While the healing potion I downed had helped a fair bit there was still some damage left over.

        “Hopefully, hey Rose how about you handle getting ammo, if there is any regular five point five sixes in stock take them. If he has a box or two of surplus that is fine as well. I kind of want to get back and take care of these turrets. Also if Dad does show up at least somepony will be there to greet him.” I said as we got to the top of the stairs.

        “Alright, well I’ll see you at home then.” Rose smiled as she turned to go to the counter where Aegis was sitting.

        I nodded and headed out to home. Once outside I let myself give favorable treatment to my leg as I made my way across the cleared walkways. Today was a nice day, no snow, a little fog, the temperature seemed to be above freezing, and so far no red bars on my E.F.S. Of course it couldn't last, something would have to eventually come up, it always did.

        “There you are Moonlight.” Anabel said the soft crunch of snow behind me telling me she had been flying while looking for me.

        “Suppose it is time to give you my pipbuck then.” I stated as I looked at her, only to see one of the two pipbuck zeros I had made on her left foreleg. “Or not?”

        “Or not. You were willing to give yours up to me just to keep me around. You went into the Hope Solar Plant because I wanted to. You also seem pretty good at putting the safety of others, not just your companions ahead of yourself.” Anabel smiled. “I feel pretty safe sticking with you.”

        “Well then, now I don't need to explicitly go out of my way to raid a stable so I can have a pipbuck again.” I sighed smiling before tossing my head at the direction I had been walking. “Doesn't mean I won't if we have the option of going into an abandoned one.”

        “Good, because I want to see a stable in person.” Anabel said as she walked beside me.

        “I would have figured by now you went into at least one. I mean there are what like a hundred of them or something?” I replied as we walked the blocks between the new town and old town of Colt.

        “I know you would think so with my interest in prewar technology. But, one most are dangerous as hell to go into, by my ancestors I wouldn't want to go into one alone.” Anabel confessed.

        “I can personally state, no, you really do not want to go into one alone. I did, it was a horrible experience filled with sentient goo, fields of invisible death, and one hell of a explosion at the end.” I laughed. “Oh by the sisters I am actually laughing at what happened in twenty three.”

        “That sounds worse than what I have heard. Usually it is something about monsters having holed up in them or automated security trying to kill you while you navigate fields of skeletons.” Anabel frowned.

        “Oh, there were plenty of corpses too, that is where the goo came from.” I explained, taking a bit perverse of delight in the bristling of Anabel's coat. “No lying, it is why I don't like going underground much. At least in places that are far too clean for sitting abandoned for so long.”

        “I don't blame you. You said it ended with a explosion. That wouldn't happen to have caused that earthquake that happened in Manehattan a while back?” Anabel queried.

        “With how much force there was behind the explosion, I would imagine it probably did cause an earthquake, as it was I was underwater when it went off. Had to swim my way out.” I shrugged as I opened the door with my magic. “After that I was out sick for a while in an abandoned Steel Ranger bunker.”

        “Well I owe you, thanks to that earthquake the roof came down on some bandits who were chasing me. Let me escape and drop a few grenades on them to make certain they stayed down.” Anabel smiled patting me on my scared shoulder. “Thanks, even if it wasn't intentional.”

        “You're welcome, I guess.” I smiled at her shaking my head. “Oh, that reminds me, what do you think about having a crossbow and turrets?”

        “What do you mean?” Anabel turned to me confused as I pulled out the turrets and crossbow.

        “Simple, I keep loading myself up with a ton of gear that I really shouldn't keep on me. I have this crossbow which looks more at home in the talons of a gryphon than the mouth of a pony.” I explained as I hovered the crossbow and quiver to her. “And I imagine you wouldn't mind having automated turrets to rely on since you aren't a big person on shooting things yourself unless it is with high explosives.”

        “Well aren't you just showering us with gifts.” Anabel laughed as she shook her head. “Yeah I will take them, how big are they?”

        I fished out the lunch tins they were contained in. “This big.”

        She just looked at me as I turned one on. It popped open diligently and gave a beep indicating it was ready to fire. “It is empty at the moment of any ammo, takes ten millimeter rounds. The laser on the crossbow marks targets for it, and,” I fished out the remote kill switch. “This will turn them off with the flip of a switch.”

        “Damn, you thought of everything.” Anabel whistled. “Say, if we find a automatic grenade launcher think you could make a turret for me out of it?” Anabel asked looking like a filly in a candy shop.

        “Well if we have the parts for it sure. Really my design should allow for any weapon, so long as we have a case for it to sit in.” I said as I sat on my haunches and rubbed the back of my neck.

        “You have no idea what you have just unleashed on the wastelands do you?” Anabel laughed darkly and I gulped.

        “I am starting to get a vague idea...” I unevenly said as my eye twitched remembering Anabel's love of explosives paired with her love of prewar technology. I then realized I would never have the heart to charge her a single cap for any of the work she was going to make me do. “No I cannot build giant pilotable robots of death. Don't even ask.”

        Anabel looked at me in confusion for a minute before she burst out laughing. “I wasn't going to ask for anything like that. Just would like to know the limits. I mean I think you can understand how nice it would be to have say a turret with two miniguns and some rockets on it. I mean it is like the sentinel class roboponies, but, well a lot more simple and transportable. Also on our side.”

        I nodded, I probably could do that if I was given a sentinel to take apart that was just turned off and not forcefully shut down. “Do able, but, you would have to carry it. As well as the ammo for it. I am going to be making Foresight carry some ammo bags, but, that is just too much.”

        “If I am carrying turrets, and Foresight is carrying ammo. Then what are you and Rose carrying?” Anabel asked finally getting up off of her back from laughing.

        “Both of us will act as medics to an extent, I will keep my load a bit lighter because I have such a strong back and tend to grab a ton of stuff while walking around. Though in the field I am a better medic than Rose so while she has more of the supplies don't think that doesn't mean I am useless.”

        “I don't think you would be useless, you rode the worm the other day like it was nothing. I mean do you even think half the time you are in the middle of a battle?” Anabel teased.

        “I think enough to keep alive, keep those I want to keep alive, alive, and those I want to make dead, dead.” I frowned at her, honestly I was trying to think more while in fights, it is just some times the flow of battle would get going and thing happened then suddenly I was on the back of a monster running for its mouth with a explosive covered corpse to feed it. “Things just kind of happen when I fight.”

        “I noticed.” Anabel softly laughed as she inspected the turrets as well as the crossbow and kill switch.

        “Anyways, I am just relaxing until my dad shows up. Apparently my family moved up here from Saint Clover while I was away.” I said as I stretched out on the sofa. “Rose should be back in a bit with some more ammo.”

        “You don't mind if I crash here for the time being, looks like you have plenty of room after all.” Anabel asked, I nodded as I applied my magic to healing the last of my injury from the turrets.

        “Oh also make certain you properly sync the turrets I.F.F. with the pipbuck zero's, then they will just target things that want you dead instead of anything that shows up on their E.F.S.” I explained.

        “Alright, I will keep them unloaded until I get them ready.” Anabel called back.

        I started thinking about the upcoming dinner with my family. Would they want it to be fancy? Or were we going to just go with more relaxed. If it was fancy were either my two dresses too fancy, or not fancy enough?

        I frowned as I realized I was starting to stress out of it it.

        It was just my family after all, it would likely be simple, I could show up in my lab coat and be fine. Rose could wear the long coat she was keeping on her. Though coming back it would be after dark, so maybe I should take a weapon with me. Then again, I had my magic and I still had my pipbuck, so maybe I would take my combat knife with me. I then remembered I had a fucking powerhoof fused with my right foreleg.

        “Right, I can't get disarmed without being dismembered...” I whispered to myself. So really it was just a matter of finding out from Dad what the plan was, or whoever came by to let me know when and where dinner was to be. I frowned again realizing that I probably should have asked when Dad was here where they lived. Then my pipbuck so helpfully put a tag in my vision telling me exactly where my family now lived.

        “It is disturbing that you know that...” I said glaring at my pipbuck.

        For the next half hour I struggled to keep from worrying about introducing Rose to the rest of my family as well as have dinner with them. I mean it couldn't go that badly. Dad had been pretty receptive to Rose, as well as to me and Rose being together. Then again, he was also a top notch merchant, or at least I thought him to be so who knows he could have been hiding his frustration the whole time. But, I was his daughter, I was family, he never hid anything from us. In fact he had once said he was glad to have us so there was somepony he could be completely honest around.

        'Maybe I have fallen out of that circle due to my time away...' I muttered to myself in my mind.

        'So what if you have?' Came the voice of Doubt at the appropriate time for her to retain her namesake. 'Does it make it any different what they think? It isn't like you will be around here very long. Wasn't the plan to be headed out soon anyways. Back into the wasteland, off to continue your war, to go on further adventures? What does it matter if somepony in your family doesn't like Rose, or you being with her?'

        'That is a very valid point. Why would it matter, they were here. They weren't going to be with me on my trip around the region. They weren't fighting along side me where I needed their absolute loyalty to make certain I see the next morning.' I replied.

        'So, who cares, you love Rose. Rose loves you, if they stand in the way of your love what are they worth? Who is worth standing in your path of what you want?' Doubt asked.

        'Nopony is worth it if they stand in my path for what I want.” I answered.

        'Then why do you doubt your own answer?' Doubt faded off.

        I bit my lip, why was I doubting my own answer, why did I doubt my own senses. Even what Sunset had told me didn't help. Even though everything within me said there wasn't anything wrong about Rose and me, I doubted, I worried. What if my own senses were wrong, clouded, maybe mystified. Could she do that to me? Could she had done that from the get go? She was the one to approach me, she right away had the intent of taking me didn't she. So was this all wrong? Like I had said to Dad even if it started out with her using me she now was equally willing to throw herself into danger for me as I was for her.

        So why did I still question it. Why did I suddenly question it all?!

        I then received a tap to my horn and I looked up to get a kiss. Everything melted into the kiss, all the stress, worry, and doubt washed away. Without a word Rose knew what was wrong and fixed it. I wore my expressions on my sleeve, she knew what I needed and took care of me. She took care of me like when I had been half dead on our return to Manehattan. Like she had taken care of me after being held by those slavers. She took care of me like she always had. Why would I have any doubt about her.

        I finally broke the kiss and looked into Rose's eyes still feeling the effects of the kiss. “Thank you, I needed that.”

        “I could see by the fact you didn't react to me trying to talk to you.” Rose smiled. “You alright, you look like you cried a bit.”

        I blinked the remains of the tears away. “I didn't notice, I guess I was so stuck in my own head I didn't feel them. At least I cry tears of water and not fire or something.” I laughed smiling up at Rose feeling better than I had since bumping into Dad.

        “I would hate to see the state of the sofa if you cried fire. I also think I would have to find a fire resistant suit or spell.” Rose laughed.

        “We would find a way, I know we would.” I smiled as I got to my hooves, just then, as if they were waiting, somepony knocked on the door. “I'll get it.”

        With that I trotted over to the door and opened it. “Hello” I noticed the gun. “Pretty, mind getting it out of my face?”

        The gun didn't move and I rolled my eyes. “Would you please remove your gun from my facial region.”

        The gun still didn't move and the smile that had been on my face faded. “You have three seconds to remove the gun from my face or I am going to shove it up whatever opening in your body I can find first. One… Two… Three.”

        I hit S.A.T.S. I in return got a better view of the one threatening my life. They were clad head to hoof in armor, as per usual. Nothing to identify them other than a horn. In their magic was held a pitiful nine millimeter silenced pistol with extended mags and a scope. It was stupid, why the hell would you put a scope on a pistol like that. Whatever the case I set a attack against the gun put up a TK barrier between the gun and myself and set several strikes with my power hoof against their chest.

        Upon releasing S.A.T.S. I felt the shattered remains of a hollow point round scratch my coat as the gun rose from recoil and my shove of telekinesis. Next came the attacks to their chest, three strikes and they were away from me after a extra strong blow that seemed to trigger something sending them flying on fire into the snow pile I had jumped into earlier today. Time resumed its usual flow and the gun fell to the ground.

        I picked it up in my magic and walked across the street, many ponies had stopped to watch the sudden and rather one sided fight. I carefully walked up to the steaming pile of snow my metallic hoof causing the still frozen ground to hiss with each step. The bar of my would be assailant was now blue if it hadn't been before which meant I wouldn't kill them right off the bat.

        “Get up, you were a fool for even attempting to attack me. Be glad I am letting you off easy with just wailing on you.” I commanded, the pony in the snow slowly shambled their way out. Without their helmet I could tell he was a he, and he was familiar.

        “Silver?! Where the hay do you get off pulling a gun on your older sister!” I shouted at my idiot of a brother. I was glad I hadn't killed him, but, the thrashing I had just given him prevented me from moving to give him another.

        “Rose get me one of the kits!” I barked over my shoulder as I shoved the over modified pistol into one of the coats pockets and flipped its safety on.

        “Oh by the Sisters you even shot me! What the hell has gotten into you Silver!” I yelled as I lost my patience with him attempting to free himself from the snow and dragged him out with my magic and held him muzzle to muzzle with myself. “I almost killed you, if I hadn't aimed for your chest you probably would have a shattered skull and your brains all over my hooves!”

        He simply coughed blood and weakly smiled.

        “Oh shit... oh shit, oh shit, Oh Shit, OH SHIT. ROSE YOU NEED TO BE HERE RIGHT NOW!” I shouted at the top of my lungs as I tore off the remains of my brothers barding and began to do triage. “Fuck, by the sisters you are a idiot Silver, fucking hell.”

        “Here it is, oh wow let me give you a hoof okay?” Rose offered as she gave my brother a dose of Med-X and started helping tend to his surface wounds and stabilize his condition. I went to the next step of figuring out what all I broke with my burning hoof strike.

        My first step was looking for any wounds to his arteries and heart, finding a few near his lungs I began to work. I focused solely on saving my idiot of a brother's life after nearly killing him. Thankfully while I was doing that Rose managed to stabilize him and catch a few other injuries. Between the two of us we managed to stop the internal bleeding and get him to the point where healing potions, a dose of Hydra, and some of my healing magic took care of most of his injuries. At the end of it there was a light dusting of ash around us.

        “Rose get the rest of his stuff while I move him inside.” I ordered as I lifted my brother with my magic and started to head inside.

        “Alright, the fire should still be going so put him on the sofa.” Rose called back as she gathered everything up.

        Once inside I set my brother down and only now noticed Anabel had long left with the turrets I had given her as well as the crossbow. Though there was a note on the table along with what looked like a scroll or two. I mentally listed them as something to look at once my brother was settled.

        “I would say I would kill you for pulling a stunt like that, but, I nearly did so I think we are good on that end.” I said with an exacerbated sigh. “Honestly, you should have just given up the act after the second time I told you to move the gun.”

        “Sorry.” He wheezed and I watched as he grimaced at likely the unpleasant feelings that Hydra gave.

        “Since I gave you Hydra your natural healing process is going to be slower for a while. I also am going to need to have my marefriend cast the taint purging spell on you. Unless you fancy growing mutations until the taint eventually kills you, or worse.” I explained glaring daggers at my brother still. “Damn it Silver, we are supposed to have dinner with Mom and Dad tonight! What will they think about this? Huh? This isn't like you either, Dad I know does this to keep us sharp, but, you, seriously do you have a death wish?! Hell Dad said you have your own special somepony, why the hell would you risk all that on a joke?!”

        “I don't know...” He whimpered, his eyes looking far more tired than they should.

        I let out a sigh and gave him a No Doze, I knew it wasn't what I should be doing as someone trying to practice medicine, but, I wanted him awake and to answer me. “Who told you to do this? Or did you decide to do this on your own?”

        “My marefriend... Or was it Dad?” He said, his face full of confusion.

        I let out another sigh as I sank to my haunches my frustration leaking out of me replaced with exhaustion from the rapid change of stresses over the past few minutes. “I am going to fucking die from a heart attack today at this rate.”

        “What?” Silver croaked.

        “Nothing, just today has ended up being far more stressful than it should have been.” I let out a sigh deciding to change subjects. “Tell me about your marefriend. What's her name?”

        “Harmony.” Silver managed after a few coughs.

        “Where is she from, do I possibly know her?” I asked as I saw Silver smile slightly as he thought about his lover.

        “You know that security mare who you were with before you had to leave?” Silver asked managing to not cough.

        “I thought I was the only pony you had been with.” Rose chimed in with her damn perfect timing to make me blush.

        “I wasn't, she was an assigned guard to me the day everything hit the fan and I had to leave Saint Clover.” I fired back before shaking my mane back into place.

        “Yeah, she came to us to tell us what happened. She stayed on working as part of security for a month then she got fed up with it and stopped. She initially was basically a volunteer guard for us until we moved out here. We got close between then and now. She saved my flank a couple of times getting out here too.” Silver smiled his eyes clearly showing his thoughts lost on more pleasant times, I for one was glad we had opted to keep the armor plates over his stomach on him.

        “I am glad to hear that. She was a helpful mare when I was trying to get stuff at the market that day.” I smiled remembering back to then. “I am surprised at the notion she would tell you to do this, you certain anypony told you to try to attack me?”

        “Kind of hard to remember, sort of got the crap beat out of me.” He grinned and I rolled my eyes, he was clearly feeling better so I shoved a healing potion to his muzzle so he could drink it down.

        “We have to get you on your hooves as quickly as possible.” I explained, “I also need to know when dinner is.”

        “Five or five thirty is what Mom said.” Silver coughed as his chest filled out a bit more with repaired bone.

        “I am glad you are not going out into the wastelands that much, you would get killed in no time on your own.” I said as I shook my head.

        “How did you manage then? We’re both soft unicorns.” He asked.

        “Let me tell you the story of the Ranger and the Thief of the night then.” I smiled as Rose rolled her eyes. “What, I figured that is a better than saying “let me tell you the story of the Ranger of Seamen” it sounds cooler.”

        “Right, because a cool name matters that much.” Rose teased as she went to make some tea and clean up the place some more. “I wish Anabel had cleaned up her mess from working on your turrets.”

        “It is alright I will clean that up later.” I called back.

        “No I will get it, it isn't much after all.” Rose replied.

        I gave a shrug to Silver who looked amused. “So when is the wedding?”

        “When I stabilize Seamane.” I said with the flick of my powerhoof.

        “I would say a tall order for a short pony, but, you seem to have finally grown up sis.” Silver laughed before Rose fed him another healing potion.

        “And if you did I would hit you with my powerhoof again.” I smiled.

        “How did that happen anyways? I thought you had no weapons on you beyond the knife.” Silver asked pointing to the knife and its sheath stitched to the breast of my labcoat.

        “Oh, you get some nasty things to happen to you when you mess around with taint and other nasty things in the wasteland. As such I now have a powerhoof fused with my leg. When I say fused I mean there is no separation, my leg has the properties of a powerhoof now. It is not cybernetic it is a fusion of organic and machine. I also can feel through it.” I explained.

        “Sounds painful...” Silver winced as he rubbed his mostly healed chest.

        “I actually didn't feel it when it happened, I was kind of busy murdering a giant bird monster that was squeezing me to death.” I smiled looking at Silver judging his reaction.

        “You have to tell me what all happened since you left Saint Clover. You can leave out the intimate parts.” Silver said, blushing looking over at Rose then myself.

        “I prefer it that way.” I nodded and launched into what happened that night after I left Saint Clover.

        I lay back as the sky darkened with the onset of sunset. “We should get get going soon.”

        “Yeah, oh Silver, any dress code for the dinner party?” Rose asked, I had done a formal introduction between the two when I explained meeting her.

        “No, though you don't need to bring any of that horde of weapons you have.” Silver laughed.

        “Well that is a relief. I also think you are fully recovered, well beyond a bit of pain. We even cleared any taint in you so you should be safe.” I smiled as I pulled him to his hooves and we helped him get dressed.

        “You know where we live now?” Silver asked, I just smiled.

        “She doesn't, but, our pipbucks do.” Rose explained for me.

        “They're magic, don't question it or your brain will start to hurt.” I teased as I secured This Gun in its holster between my hind legs. While not the most comfortable place, it was hidden, and really I wasn't going to go around without a pistol after night. Too often I got jumped anymore, though today that was only by my family...

        “Coming from you... I won't worry about it, egghead.” Silver teased back as we headed out. Anabel had returned while I was telling my story to Silver and would keep our place secure.

        “Alright, time for dinner, see you later Anabel.” I called back as I shut the door, I got a single talon salute in return. “Come on, lets not keep Mom and Dad waiting.”

        “Or my stomach empty.” Silver joked, though he had a lack of food today thanks to his pummeling earlier, which I was now feeling guilty about.

        “Right, well either way it isn't that far if my auto-map isn't being stupid.” I smiled as I pulled up the auto-map display in my E.F.S. “This way everypony.”

        “Huh, it really does know the way.” Silver mused as I guided us down the roads. Apparently my parents had moved into a house next to Aegis' shop. I took that as both a sign of good will from Aegis as well as a clear statement of him having a insurance policy just in case. It made sense now that I was on my way to shaking things up more in the area as well as uncovering secrets. He was powerful, somehow, and possibly a lesser player in the game for Seamen. At least his actions reflected that to me, or maybe it was me just projecting.

        Within a few minutes we had made it to my families home and I knocked. Dad greeted me.

        “Ah, there you are Moonlight, I guess you and Silver did some catching up then?” Dad smiled.

        “In a way, he pulled a stupid stunt on me and got his flank handed to him. Then I had to patch him up because he is still pretty soft.” I laughed as my brother blushed.

        Dad shook his head at Silver. “I told you not to do it, so what did she do, go invisible?”

        “She launched me across the street with a kick, and set me on fire with it.” Silver answered absentmindedly rubbing where I had crushed his chest with my powerhoof.

        “I didn't know it was him thanks to his outfit. So I reacted like any wanted mare would to having a gun to her head.” I shrugged.

        “She also took a round to the shoulder thanks to ordeal.” Rose chimed in as I remembered that I hadn't cleaned out the injury of the bits of bullet.

        “I have been shot with worse.” I shrugged smiling.

        “She really has.” Silver and Rose supplied at my Dad's questioning look.

        I rolled my eyes as the smell of dinner hit my nose, I was surprised I was actually drooling at it. Then again, it had been far too long since I had a properly cooked meal that wasn't from a box or cup. Though instant noodles were quite nice, even better now that I could just heat the water myself.

        “Oh yes, come on in and get the cold out.” Dad chuckled as he stood to the side to let us through.

        Entering my families new home I saw it was a bit more decorated than the one back in Saint Clover had ever been, and a few boxes indicating stuff still in need of unpacking.

        “I thought you would travel light, or is the stuff in boxes from here?” I asked as I lay down on the rug by the fire place. I noticed the fire reacted to my presence with turning a faint blue. I dismissed it hoping the rest would too. I did notice though that Dad and Rose did spot the oddity though Rose just gave a quiet snort at it.

        “Gifts, a few left over things from Saint Clover, stuff that was here when we moved in.” Dad shrugged. “Most of it is for the rooms further back, we just haven't gotten to all of them. Between making more caps, re-establishing contacts, and all that.”

        I nodded as Rose introduced herself to Mom.

“Kind of forget sometimes you aren't a simple merchant.” I smiled to Dad as I turned my attention to him.

        “Not a simple merchant at all.” Dad laughed and smiled back at me. “While I may have lost the possibility of getting on the tribunal for Clover at least I still have my contacts.”

        I raised my eyebrow and looked at dad, I hadn't thought he had a chance of getting on the ruling tribunal of Saint Clover. “Sorry I cost you a shot at being part of running the show.”

        “Don't worry about it. Though, I imagine you are headed back to Seamane. I had a chat with Aegis to catch up on what I have missed out. While you were downstairs at the gun range.” Dad sat down on the rug next to me before dropping his voice a bit. “I know who was behind what happened in Saint Clover. If you can take care of a few things around the old ship we could go back, and Clover would be open to you again. You also could take revenge on the ponies behind it all.”

        I blinked at Dad, I hadn't expected him to just pretty much tell me to go kill a few ponies on a hit list of his. “Tell me what to do.”

        He blinked, startled likely by my willingness. “Listen, I know something is going on throughout the region. Why else would nopony be lifting a finger to fight against a pony who wants to capture everypony possible for slaves.”

        “So you also noticed that, well we should hash this out while dinner finishes cooking. Once I can get back into Saint Clover I can get on the Tribunal and give you all the information you need.” Dad explained, I nodded. “Alright, it isn't a long list or anything, mostly just need you to deliver a few things and chat up a few ponies. Maybe a few more... things that you probably are good at. If you don't mind getting your hooves a little dirty.”

        “You either need to say what you need done or write them down. I only need to read or hear the objectives and my pipbuck will log it.” I explained. “No paper trail.”

        Dad nodded. “No paper trail.”

        “Only problem going to be is if anyone goes missing while I am there they might get suspicious.” I explained.

        “Don't worry about that, just do things in order and it should all take care of itself.” Dad let out a sigh. “If it doesn't, I don't think they have the pony power to hold you anymore.”

        I smiled. “So you have met us.”

        Dad returned the smile. “Hence why I am asking for you to do it. Once this is taken care of you can focus on taking out the other players, or whatever you plan for them.”

        “Quicker we get control of the Saint Clover again the sooner I can start playing on my terms. Though, you know this is making you a bigger target right?” I asked.

        “Yeah I know. However, with the resources of Saint Clover at my hooves I will be much safer. I can also help you whenever you are in town. Discounts, free equipment, ammo, and healing.” Dad explained looking pleased.

        “Sounds like a good deal for both of us.” I nodded. “Okay, lets get down to hashing out terms and conditions.”

        Dad nodded and began to dictate what needed to be done. Most of it was talking to contacts of Dad's, trade some bits of information, give a gift to a few ponies, and horribly take my revenge on the son of a mule that was currently running the show in Saint Clover.

        “You two done talking?” Rose asked as she trotted over, I saw a speck of food on her nose.

        “Yep, and it looks like after our time on Ministry Row we will paying a visit to Saint Clover.” I explained, Rose raising an eyebrow. “We are going to take care of some things for Dad, and also clear my name, finally.”

        Rose smiled, “alright, well dinner is ready.”

        I stood up and trotted over with Rose to our place at the table. I noticed Harmony had at some point showed up as well, though I hadn't seen her when we entered.

        “Hi Harmony, glad to see you again.” I smiled as I took my seat across from her.

        “Hello Moonlight, it has been too long.” Harmony replied with a slight bow of her head.

        Mom sat down next to me after bringing the last bit of the food to the table. “Everything feels back to normal now. Though it took three months, both of you getting your cutiemarks and a marefriend to do so.” Mom laughed, I just softly smiled, wanting to push out some of the lingering thoughts of what was to come and what had passed for now and just enjoy the company.

        Without wasting any time we dug into our dinner. I quietly ate as Rose and Harmony chatted, the rest of us far more used to quietly eating our dinners. However, these two weren't part of our family for that long, and really I had so few proper meals with Rose that were than more than just the two of use for her to pick up on it. As it was, I enjoyed getting to hear something other than the silence that usually hung over my family while we ate.

        It wasn't like we disliked talking to one another or anything, it was just that when we ate we liked to focus on the food side of thing. Talking could come before and after the food. There was also the fact that we also all found it rude to talk with our mouths full. Thankfully that wasn't an issue with Harmony and Rose. As I ate though I did pick up on something unusual. There seemed to be an odd tone passing between Harmony and Rose, I couldn't place it, it was between a actual noise carried in their voices and a emotional vibe. It also seemed unrelated to what they were talking about. Nopony else seemed to make any sort of sign of noticing it.

        Maybe it was just the two of them being at odds since I beat up Silver and Harmony found that rude. Whatever the case the odd tone faded once others started to talk. Or maybe it didn't and it was drown out by the voices of others. Whatever the case I volunteered to do the dishes to give myself a little space to think, as well as to get a bit of dessert early. My plan paid off as I got the first piece after serving the cake to everyone else. Mom apparently had seen though my ploy, no matter though the cake was delicious and since I was taking care of dishes while everypony else chatted I managed to stay out of the center of attention.

        Right now being the center of attention was not what I wanted, for some reason I wanted to have their eyes off of me. Something just was scratching at the back of my mind bugging me about something. I couldn't place it and just chalked it up to more brain damage from taint, radiation, and getting hurt far too much to be healthy on a regular basis. Of course that is what I chalked Doubt up to anymore, as she seemed to be fading with time. Which was good as it meant the injury that had caused her was healing.

        “I think that dish is clean enough, Moony.” Rose chimed in, shattering the sphere of silence my mind had created while it started its descent into deep thought.

        I looked at the dish to see I had probably cleaned away more than tonight’s dinner and probably also cleaned off the past two centuries of aging. “Right, I was just thinking is all.”

        “I noticed. Also that was the last dish, so I guess your body got stuck on what to do next since there wasn't any more to do.” Rose giggled as I put the cleaned dishes away.

        “Maybe, I am glad you seem to be a hit with the family. It makes me feel a lot more relaxed now.” I smiled feeling tension go out of me as the realization of this fact hit me while saying it.

        Then more than just tension went out of me as my hind hit the floor and I had to keep myself upright with the use of the counter. I was positively exhausted.

        “What's wrong Moonlight?” Rose asked as I felt exhaustion hit me hard.

        “Tired, that's all. Maybe we should head home soon.” I said forcing a yawn. I felt my mind growing more sluggish than usual for being tired, I chalked it up to all the thinking I had been doing today that was more than just mere tactics.

        “You're going home already Moonlight?” Mom asked, causing me to feel what passed for a blush form on my face.

        “Sorry we didn't get to catch up that much, Dad wanted to talk business, and you know how we are at dinner.” I smiled back.

        “Just don't be a stranger.” Mom smiled back as she hugged me. I bit back tears as I realized this was the first time in months she had seen me, and the first time in months I had seen my family and how desperately I had missed them.

        “When I can spare the time. I am a bit of a busy mare.” I replied closing my eyes to keep my tears in check. I knew I would eventually fail at holding them back.

        “I will remind her when we are in town.” Rose offered.

        “There is one thing I meant to ask, I have some plants from the Everfree, perfectly safe, and I was wondering if you would mind tending to them. I gathered them because they can be used to make a curative for magical burnout. Something I think we all understand to be something rather useful.” I explained.

        “I'll take care of them for you. You wouldn't have happened to bring them with you tonight?” Mom asked.

        “She forgot, I didn't.” Rose interjected and I heard the sound of saddlebags hitting the floor. “She also meant to give this to all of you. A device she made herself, a pipbuck zero.”

        “Well, I don't think it is the right day for her to be giving us gifts, but, we will accept them.” Mom softly laughed as she stroked my mane while I had given up holding back my tears. I didn't sob, I just let the tears flow and held onto my mother. “After all today is Hearts and Hooves day.”

        My heart froze.

        “That is true, but, she did miss Hearths Warming Eve and day.” Rose stated, her voice sounding like she knew exactly what I was feeling and was teasing me.

        “Well, we should let you go then. A couple should have some time alone on Hearts and Hooves day, I am glad to have gotten to meet you, Rose.” Mom said and I felt her extend a hoof towards where Rose was behind me.

        “The pleasure has been all mine Mrs. Shores.” Rose giggled.

        I finally released Mom from my hug, where I had cried leaving her coat slightly damp. “It was good seeing you again Mom, it has been too long. Hopefully it won't be that long until I get to see you again.” I wiped the remaining tears from my eyes.

        “I know it will be a while, but, hopefully you can start making regular trips out to Colt so we can visit. From what Rose has told me you need to unwind more, and I mean having down time with no expectations of getting anything done. I know we pushed you to your limits a lot when you were growing up, but, now it is a matter of life and death not pleasing us with how much knowledge you retained.” Mom lectured, I felt myself wither under her eyes.

        I shook my head and pushed off the effects of her withering stare. “I know, it is just hard not to just keep pushing on through when there is so much on the line.” I replied. “Thank you for dinner, try to keep everyone safe, you always had the coolest of the heads between you and Silver.”

        Mom just smiled. “I will try.”

        “There isn't anymore I could hope for.” I smiled as I went to say goodbye to Dad and Silver.

        “So you're headed out already.” Dad said as I hugged him.

        “Yeah, nearly passed out after washing the dishes, it has been a long day for me.” I yawned.

        “Alright, any idea on when you will be around Saint Clover?” Dad asked, I rolled my eyes while my head was still behind his in the hug.

        “Yeah, in a while.” I laughed. “After I take care of a few things in the Unbound and then in Ministry Row. So I would wait for either a message from me or the DJ to say something. So keep an ear open.”

        “I know and I will keep an ear open and keep yourself safe. The Unbound is probably a lot worse than it was two decades ago.”

        “Keep Silver from doing anything too reckless as well.” I smiled back as I broke the hug.

        “No promises.” Dad chuckled.

        “You know I am right here.” Silver huffed, then smiled, as he knew it was all in good fun in the end.

        “I know, I want you to keep safe, and keep everyone else safe. Be careful, a lot more ponies are coming and going than they used to with all the stuff happening around the region.” I explained, he nodded.

        “I know, I noticed the caravan this morning. Anything I can do for you while you are away?” Silver asked and I mulled the idea over for a few moments.

        I stuffed a bag of caps into his hooves that held a few thousand caps. “Buy every fifty caliber round that you see, look into setting up a workbench and reloading bench in my apartment. If Ruby asks who you are get Dad and Aegis to sort things out.”

        Silver just blinked at me and his jaw hung wide as he saw the number of caps I gave him.

        “I just want it to be a safe house in case things get too messy to hide out in either one I have near Seamane.” I explained.

        “Practical minded as always, Moonlight.” Dad laughed, I gave him a smile.

        “Harmony, keep my brother alive and safe. He is your coltfriend after all so if anything happens to him it is on your head.” I commanded, Harmony giving me a salute before realizing she had, making me burst out giggling. “Do keep him safe, I am glad he found somepony as nice as you.”

        “I will do my best.” Harmony smiled back before looking fondly at Silver.

        “Alright, best we are off before Rose has to carry me back.” I laughed Rose smiling and shaking her head as well.

        With that we headed out. While we were eating it had grown dark and colder. While not an issue thanks to the diligence of the town on keeping some form of illumination at night on the streets I was having to look for patches of ice.

        “What was with you and Harmony at dinner?” I asked, finally breaking the minute long silence that had held between Rose and myself on our walk home.

        “What do you mean?” Rose asked, sounding more confused than I had expected her to sound.

        “Oh, nothing, just not used to chatty talkers at dinner is all.” I half lied.

        “Oh? Sorry if we talked too much.” Rose blushed.

        “Don't be, I am certain everypony including myself didn't mind having having something to listen to while eating.” I smiled reassuringly back to Rose.

        “Alright then. If you think it isn't a problem.” Rose sighed as we turned the corner to Old Town.

        “I am sorry I forgot about Hearts and Hooves day. I haven't kept track of days as well as I used to with everything that has been happening. That and this is the first time I have had any reason to celebrate it.” I frowned trying to come up with something to give Rose for the day.

        Rose stopped me with a tackle into another snow drift. I was finding their placement rather suspect and convenient. I expected her to be trying to pull me out of being mopy, instead... she was going to make this pile of snow melt with my heart. I held her in my forelegs as she kissed me and held me tight.

        “Just because you are supposed to give your special somepony a gift doesn't mean you have to. Maybe they just want your love.” Rose purred as she pulled me out of the snow with her.

        I hung my head and smiled. “You're right. That is what the day is about, love not things.”

        Rose kissed me again as we finished our walk back home. “I am so glad our bedroom is soundproofed.”

        I squeaked making Rose laugh more and give me bedroom eyes. Today had been a good day, and a rather fun day. Now I was about to give my special somepony the love she wanted, and she would give her love to me. For my first Hearts and Hooves day with somepony I would call it a success.

Footnote: No experience gained, go kill something if you want experience, or complete a side quest. Stupid lazy ponies wanting levels for free.

Chapter 25 - Making Tracks

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!

Chapter 26 - Nonsense

Chapter 26: Nonsense

“I have NO IDEA!”

        I let out a long breath before inhaling deeply. I was focusing on keeping myself calm as the once mannequins now monsters continued to slowly ooze and change. It was if they were trying to figure out what form was best suited for messing with my mind and to fight me with. However, they did stay away, unmoving and annoyingly quite beyond the occasional popping and groaning of wood.

        I had said I was being my counter attack, but, when I did they started to morph and a deep sense of dread had overtaken me. Now I was biding my time, more so since my magic in a limited manner had returned. Whatever warranted the return of my magic I was pleased with it. As I now could manipulate things without moving I had safely tucked Rose away behind the desk which I slide to face a wall. She would have no trouble freeing herself, but, out of sight and far behind me with a nice thick wood desk I doubted I could accidentally hurt her.

        “So what are you going to do, just stand here all day oozing at me?” I asked narrowing my eyes at the mannequins. “Is that all this is, just to keep us from 'getting away'. News flash for you, the world is gone you stupid automatons your priorities are moot, it has been two hundred years nopony owns this place.”

        At that the head of one of the things exploded showering the area round it with rotten wood and ooze. What replaced its head was a gaunt looking equine head with thick black chitin, its the hollows of its eye sockets glowed with a green light like what resided within a feral ghoul's as well as that orb.

        “Of course, I should have guessed, the orb is the reason for all this fuckery, why wouldn't it be some strange magical artifact...” I sighed as the groaning of stressed wood increased. “So... I guess you aren't going to be pulling any punches now that we have reached this point. Well time to have a healthy dose of violence, after all it always makes me sleep better.”

        With that I shot the first pony thing's head that had emerged from its mannequins cocoon. It's head satisfyingly exploded with the aid of the explosive twelve gauge rounds in my combat shotgun. The further three shots tore open the rest of the cocoon and ripped apart it's front. The ones around it didn't move as the remains of their ally pooled around their hooves.

        “Frailer than I thought.” I mused as I fired another three round burst into a cocoon. The first two rounds were required to crack its shell, the third blasting apart the head of the thing inside of it. “That's two.”

        I winced as the remaining cocoons shattered and I was charged, I had already emptied half of the magazine into these things. I moved to sweep them with the remaining rounds to only catch two before the shotgun was knocked from my grasp and I was knocked back. I pulled my knife from its sheath on my chest and firmly planted it at the base of the skull of the one that had charged me as I felt it attempting to bite through the softer armor padding on my leg.

        As I stood up I drew out Rose's Assault Carbine and started firing into the creatures as they closed upon me. I noticed in the corner of my sight a few had chosen to go to my sides and possible behind me. I felt something stab into my shoulder and turned to see a piece of chitin sticking out of my shoulder between the layers of armor plating. I coughed as I felt another impact hit my chest. I rose to my hind legs as I drew out my pistol hovering it in front of my left foreleg as I held the assault carbine in my magic by my right. I downed another two before I swung my left foreleg as I turned right slamming it into the jaw of one of these things.

        As the creature staggered away from the blow I noticed it had mimicked me and took the form of Doubt as it carried a knife. I fired the forty five into it's skull and turned left swinging my right fore hoof into the skull of another of these things. Then I got kicked square in the chest by one that rushed as I had turned to strike its friend. My magic broke and I fell on my back. I felt blood trickling down my forehead as I struggled to get upright. I looked around me to see twisted visions of Rose and myself closing around me all brandishing blades of some sort. The one to my right raised up their hoof held blade and I gave a upper cut to them with what strength I had left, it staggered back. As that one staggered back another leapt at me and I countered with giving it a shove with both of my hind legs, as I did I felt something pinch in my left hind leg and winced in pain. From the left another came and I had managed to get my magic around my pistol again. I fired and put a round through it making it halt I turned right as my vision filled with red to that side. I saw the right fore hoof of the creature having sprouted a blade of chitin as it slammed through a crack in my armor, slicing through my ribs and burying itself in my lung. The pain was brief before a creeping warm numbness started to wash over me. I coughed as I wrapped my left hoof around the limb and tried to bash it with my powerhoof. The blow barely was more than a gentle caress to the creatures limb as I felt my muscles go limp.

        “I hate blacking out...” I coughed tasting copper on my breath as the darkness crept into my sight. One of the creatures figured I wasn't done in enough and removed the armor on my throat and bite me bringing more numbness and warmth. “Bastards...”

        In my fading senses I heard what sounded like the desk moving and my shotgun firing. I felt something wet and sticky fall on top of me and then felt something start to drag me by my mane. I saw more flashes as my vision tunneled. I watched as my attackers fell and a fore leg enter my vision, one that seemed so familiar...

        I woke up laying in something fleshy. That was not a pleasant way to wake up to say the least. I gasped for breath and felt something thick and slimy pass through my throat instead of air. I immediately tried to push it out out of instinct. I tried to force it out only to find there was no way to. I opened my eyes to be greeted with only darkness. I closed my eyes remembering the fact I was in something that probably would make my eyes sting like hell. I focused on my magic and attempted to just cast a simple light spell. I instead felt a tight pressure around the base of my horn the more I attempted to cast it. It was like an inhibitor ring all over again.

        'Great, I am without sight, possibly going to drown in slime, and I can't do magic.' I huffed in my mind, forgoing an attempt at speaking. I then noticed I hadn't stopped myself from breathing through my nose and felt the very sickening sensation of the slime moving back and forth through my system. 'Well now, if this isn't a fucking personal hell...'

        I attempted moving to find it hard at best. It was as if my body was still asleep beyond my eyes and ears. As for my ears, well they told me I was upside down wherever I was and I was curled up in this goo. Thank you body position senses. Anyways, I didn't have a bucking clue what to do.

        'So... what to do? I can't move which limits a lot, my magic is also gone which means I can't do anything but float here and pray that I get set free at some point and can shoot my way out or something.' I frowned, finding my facial muscles being free of their paralysis. 'Maybe in time I will have full movement again, if that is the case I can at least try to find a edge or something. Hell that would give me a good idea of what I am in.'

        I felt a slight vibration roll through the slime I was suspended in. 'What was that? I mean with how viscus this stuff is... uh... ow my brain.' I mentally whimpered as I attempted to do math, which was not a smart idea apparently while in this stuff or after just getting your flank beat solidly.

        'Well how about we focus on trying to move more.' I let out a sigh signaling the return of control over my breathing. I continued trying to move or find parts that would respond to my command. Instead slowly I felt less and less of myself. The sounds of my heart faded, the sensations of fluid moving through my nose and mouth ended. I could no longer tell if my eyes were open or closed. Lost to me was my sensation of orientation, of even having a body. Something about this place had stripped me down to being just a mind. I was nothing but my collection of memories and thoughts.

        'Wow...' I muttered. 'I never thought I would be this boring when given the chance to completely focus on thinking.'

        I felt as if a current was pulling at me and I saw lights ahead of me. I heard the sounds of life and saw the harsh light of Celestia's sun.

        “Well... this is better than nothing.” I chuckled as I fell a few feet and landed on the familiar top deck of the Saint Clover.

        I looked around taking note of the fact I wasn't in present Seamane and was what looked to be in the past. “Alright, I'm home, sort of.”

        I checked myself over to find I had nothing, not even the powerhoof fused to my right foreleg. Even my horn was back to normal. “Okay, so... this would be my mental projection of myself, I think.”

        I took a deep breath of the air and smelled the familiar smell of the ocean. It calmed me far more than I had thought it would. I sat on my haunches as I watched us sailing into the port of Seamane. A place I knew well, two hundred years from now. So why was I here? A mental playground while I was trapped in a hopeless situation? I sharp pain like a needle slammed itself into my mind and I shook my head fiercely trying to get it to go away.

        “Okay, no unhappy thoughts, I guess.” I said while watching the skyline of Seamane with the mountain in the background painting them in a way I had never seen them. “Okay, that is beautiful...”

        The ship docked and I glided my way off the ship into the clean port. I wandered around until I found myself in a parking lot with some automatic carriages.

        “Well, it is a dream, what could it hurt?” I laughed as I hopped into one that didn't have a roof. I turned on the radio to hear oddly DJ Pon3. “Inconsistency... Whatever, it is music from then with news from now.”

        I was riding down the highway in my Chrysalis Highwaypony listening to a wider selection of music than I remember the good DJ having. Actually listening to more of it I think I might have been actually listening to the prewar DJ Pon3's original music. “Don't know how the buck I know this is yours DJ, but, it is a nice change.”

        I tapped my hoof on side of the carriage's door as I cruised through the vacant downtown of Seamane. I didn't know why I was headed this way, part of me said it was to pull on whatever latent memories were here. As it was nothing seemed to want to stick in my head for the names of streets, or buildings. I guessed however it was that I was here, it wasn't enough to give me accurate memories.

        As time wore on I found myself passing through Dune City then northward towards the unbound. A feeling of familiarity started to him me as I stopped within view of the hills that lay between Oakmare, Colt, and Dune City.

        I grabbed a saddlebag I hadn't even noticed having from the car and began to trot towards them. The entire time I was keeping an eye out for anyone or anything else around me.

        “You know... I have had hallucinations before, but, never this vivid.” I said as I walked on the loose dirt on a trail into the woods that covered the hills I had stopped at.

        I marveled at the green trees, a mix of evergreens and leaf droppers. Shoot me for not knowing the name of trees that drop their leaves because trees had never been of a real interest to me. Still though I marveled at their beauty. I even ate a few leaves. Oddly they had flavor, bland, but good for the most part. Then again hay, oats, flours, eggs, and milk were prewar staples, not tree leaves for a reason.

        I continued my way into the hills the leafy trees falling away as I ascended, soon I was left with just ferns and evergreens. The quiet was slightly unnerving, but, then again I didn't really have the sounds that a forest would have in my memory so why would I have the natural sounds of the forest in this place? Whatever the case the dirt and lack of clean grey walls helped keep my nerves in check.

        I stopped at a turn on the trail where I got a good view of Seamane again. I took a deep breath of the cool crisp air as dusk began to settle in and the sky began to turn orange.

        “Well... I have to admit this is far nicer than sitting in darkness until somepony saves me or I die.” I chuckled as I viewed the night fall upon my home, the lights of Seamane winking into existence as something willed them to turn on. I turned back to the trail and climbed to the top of one of the hills. As I got there the stars had come out in full force and I gazed upon the majesty of Luna's night.

        As I lay there I heard the soft sounds of hooves on the rocky outcropping. I just simply patted the area next to me on the outcropping. If something or someone was here to communicate with me I wanted to be as open as possible to it. I mean really if this wasn't a product of my mind, which I was starting to doubt due to the details being here that I didn't know myself, then it had some sort of purpose. I, for one, wanted to find out the purpose of my imprisonment and most likely having my mind examined with a fine tooth comb. The fact that something else was now here with me meant that likely I had been found of some worth. Otherwise I would suspect I would have woken up by now, or be dead instead of this limbo.

        “Hi Moony.” Rose said as she lay down next to me, I did a double take.

        “Hi Rose. I didn't expect you to be here.” I managed after blinking at her a few times in sheer confusion.

        Rose regarded me for a moment. “Why didn't you expect to see me here?”

        “Um...” I stopped to think, what if this was whatever was holding me, having her here as a test. “Well, just doesn't seem like the easiest of places to get to.”

        Rose thought over my answer as we lay there, I turned my attention back to Seamane itself, hallucination or not I loved the view from here.

        “Want to go there?” Rose asked and I turned to face her, she was pointing a hoof to Seamane.

        “Why not, I wasn't doing anything other than admiring the view.” I said, still looking at her, then blushing at how cheesy sound that was, and how it was completely unintentional. Rose just smiled at me, and further confused me on if it was her or a hallucination.

        We walked back down the trail, Rose having taken the lead as I followed. My mind feeling more sluggish as time went on. I was still uncertain what in Tartarus was going on, at this point I was wondering if maybe I was actually dead as things still just didn't make sense to me. Once we reached the Highwaypony I climbed in the drivers seat, Rose frowned at me as I did.

        “Since when did you know how to drive?” Rose asked as she got in as well.

        I frowned as I realized I didn't know how to drive, as I started the vehicle and got us going back towards Seamane. “Don't know, I just kind of can.” I shrugged.

        “Well whatever the case, I am glad you're back in Seamane, Moonlight.” Rose said as we rode down the empty highway. “You just can't seem to stay around all that.”

        I smiled as Rose laughed, it was true, I hadn't been able to stay around Seamane all that well for the past few months. Now though... Now I was back in Seamane, or was, I was really uncertain about what this all was, and already things were going oddly. Hopefully though, soon, I would be back on course. Though I was also rethinking a lot of my goals. I wanted to settle things down in the region. I didn't want to rule, I didn't want to be a beacon to guide everyone towards a better tomorrow. That just was a bad plan. No, maybe lay the foundation of recovery and keep the path clean for everyone else. I also wanted to clear things up so no more bounty hunters would be coming for me. Clear things up with Red Eye's folks so I don't have anyone really after me for anything beyond personal reasons.

        I took us off the highway and we were now driving down the heart of Seamane's business district. There were shadows of ponies moving about. Maybe shadows weren't the best name for them, but, they weren't clear images of ponies, just the form with no details to them, as if they only existed for background.

        “Pull over here.” Rose said and I complied, parking our vehicle. She climbed on out and stared at a restaurant as I put the keys in my saddlebag. “How about some dinner?”

        “Sure, it has been a while since I ate.” I smiled as I joined her. “Who doesn't love hay fries and burgers?”

        “Just as unrefined as when I met you I see.” Rose laughed as we entered the place. It didn't take long as the hour was late to get our food. When done with our food I frowned wishing I had something to actually do.

        “Well, as much as I want to spend the rest of the night with you, I need to head home.” Rose said, it caused me to blink in confusion then give her a nod as she took off. I did note she too our vehicle.

        A while later I had ate another meal and left. I was now walking the rather empty streets of Seamane. Having nothing better to do I wandered towards Ministry Row. Once there I saw the six buildings each painted after their respective Ministry's style. I kept walking and got to the fort. I walked past the front gate where somepony should have been watching guard, if this had really been in the past that is, and onto the base. I walked towards administration as I did something caught my eyes, three ponies I knew well, my family.

        “There you are, finally we can get this done.” Mom said as she hugged me.

        “Get what done?” I asked.

        Thud.

        I squirmed and tried to look around. I found that I couldn't as I heard a chorus of gunfire about me. I tried to speak only to have some sort of green slime pour out of my nose and mouth leaving me feel horribly ill. I tried to move more only to be forcefully held down. All I could feel was more or less the position I was in and that I felt horrible as well as numb. With more coughing the viscous fluid vacated my lungs and I felt like I had sneezed the mother of all sneezes.

        I started to feel myself again, as I did I felt a pressure remove itself from my back and I was dragged by my tail. I still couldn't see, and my limbs felt like jelly. My tongue felt like it had swollen up several times it size. I also felt rather sore and burnt out for some reason.

        The return of my sense of touch we heralded by the feeling of being naked and dragged over dirt. I grunted as a rock hit my rubs. My ears twitched as I heard more gunfire, as well as horrible equine screams of fury. From the sounds of it someone had started a party without me. I was roughly thrown behind an upturned table, or I assumed table by the feeling of wood against my back and legs of a table under my forelegs.

        I also could make out gibberish of what was likely my friends talking. As it was, I couldn't understand them. I would bet my right fore hoof that it was due to whatever I had been in. I coughed again and was surprised as more of what had filled my lungs came up. I blinked and was greeted with darkness as whatever was working its way out of my system had left me blind for now. I tried to move again only to find I was still terribly weak, and I felt as if something had been pulled out of me leaving me feeling empty. As I got my hooves under me I was shoved to my side again and pushed down. I wheezed in pain as two hooves stood firmly planted on me as the chatter of gunfire continued.

        After a few more minutes, I think minutes, time was still feeling weird and without sight I couldn't even hope to check my EFS. I slowly made out the sounds of my friends talking again, their voices this time a bit easier to understand than before. I also now realized the reason I couldn't understand them earlier was due to my hearing was only hearing rather loud things, like unsuppressed guns, so dialog wouldn't be easy to hear even in the best situations.

        The voices trailed off before I managed to pick anything out and a healing potion, at least I assumed it was a healing potion, was applied to my lips. I drank it down in accordance to how they were supposed to be administered when given orally. I coughed up the potion and didn't enjoy the feelings it gave me. However, on a positive note I could see a rather worn looking Rose staring at me intently.

        I tried to speak, instead I blathered and flailed my tongue around my mouth as I couldn't properly manipulate it, like most of my other muscles.

        “She’s back again, though by the sounds of it, and looks, most of her strength and muscle control are gone.” Rose explained to my other two companions who looked equally worn and bloody. “I don't think she is going to be any use for now, other than maybe a distraction.”

        I was taken aback by that comment, though, she was right, at the moment I was nothing more than a sack of meat taking up resources that they clearly needed. I tried my magic to feel it working slightly, I used it to gently tug at Rose's mane. She regarded me once more as I used my magic to write in the dirt.

        “I need a weapon.” Rose read aloud. “Sorry no can do, you tried to kill us.”

        I blinked at her confused by this statement, and frustrated at my inability to communicate beyond resorting to chicken scratches in the dirt. It then hit me that we were underground. I wrote further.

        “Why did I try to kill you?” I asked and Rose read. “We don't know why you did, but, we need to get out of here as soon as we can. Though we aren't taking you. Sorry love, but, we won't make it out if we try to take you with us. We will stash some equipment for you, these things seem to ignore when we drop stuff, so once you are able to try to make your way out.”

        I wrote again. “That is quite possibly the stupidest plan I have heard.” Rose read for me, then looked away.

        I sighed as they left, leaving nothing behind except for an incapacitated me.

        'Just peachy' I huffed in my mind. 'Did they forget the whole thing of things get worse when we separate?'

        “Probably.” Doubt replied as I continued working on measuring the control of my body that I had. “At least you have some supplies, now all you have to do is sneak out of here and meet up with them. That shouldn't be too hard should it?”

        'Did you notice the fact we have nothing?' I asked Doubt as I rolled back onto my stomach.

        “Did you forget you have a powerhoof? Also check to see if the pipbuck rebooted yet.” Doubt instructed. I did, slowly, and managed to press the button to turn it back on. It wasn't much help without the ability to really fight, but, I had my pipbuck again. It also wasn't much help seeing as it also never picked up those mimics on EFS. Something that was worrying if I was to sneak out of here.

        'I can't fight in this condition, and I can't see threats that this place has. Unless when mimic's revert to that other form that gives them mobility they show up.' I frowned as best as I could. 'Did they show up when they reverted during that last fight?'

        “I don't know, I know only what you know, and EFS was kind of a moot point in that fight due to their proximity.” Doubt said dryly.

        'Excellent...' I muttered.

        “Oh come on, it isn't like you haven't had to sneak before. It also seems like they didn't want to kill us last time, though... that wasn't fun.” Sighed Doubt.

        'I swear...' I muttered as I finally managed to get to my shaky hooves. 'I am going to get out of this place. When I do... Rose is going to apologize for this horrible plan.'

        “There we go, back on our hooves. Now then, lets show this place who is the boss.” Doubt said happily.

        “Right... yeah the big boss of sneaking...” I wheezed as my voice returned to me and I leaned against the upturned table for support. “Thanks crazy voice in my head...”

        “Not a problem.” Doubt chimed in before I felt a pressure in my skull relieve.

        “That should probably worry me more than it does.” I muttered as I got the hang of walking again. I then noticed how absolutely and stupidly cold I was. As well as I was still coated in some sort of green slime. “I need a towel...”

        I looked around and saw that the path to the hidden study was closed again, though really the only path out was the only exit I knew out of the basement. I then remembered in my earlier fight my EFS had been down due to my pipbuck crashing. “Right... a lot of good that does us.”

        I continued to look around before starting a slow walk towards the stairs out. I kept my head low and checked each of the now open cell doors. Within I found what I could only describe as fleshy sacks. Each one was open, most were dry. One wasn't, and I realized I was staring at where I had been trapped. I looked down at my chest to where I had been impaled to find it healed, coat and all.

        “They want us alive, but, they can take us pretty damn close to death...” I muttered as I sat to catch my breath. I looked at my powerhoof remembering that hours ago it had gotten damaged from being shot by a raider. As I examined it I noticed it had 'healed' which I found both comforting and unsettling that it naturally healed along with me. “Mutant...”

        I returned my focus to the path out and began a slow gait out. As I reached the door out a mimic entered the the door I slid back into the room and pressed myself against wall as it entered. As it passed the threshold I knew I had my one and only shot at taking it down and flashed my right foreleg out. As if it was nothing I smashed its skull with my powerhoof and it fell without a sound. I dragged its body back into the room and gave it a quick once over, finding nothing I turned to leave once again.

        With a quick check of the hallway I saw the coast was clear and began moving towards the staircase out. I peaked into each room though for anything of use. The sight I found was not as horrible as I expected, there were abandoned supplies, bones of small rodents, and more cocoons. Each cocoon was ruptured and long dry.

        “Of course, nothing of use, whatever these cocoons were for their task was completed. Hell I was striped of my gear before being put in one of those.” I frowned as I leaned around a corner. “Though, Rose also said I had tried to kill them so I haven’t a clue how this all went down. Did the time in the cocoon mess me up, or was it after I got taken down while protecting Rose that I turned on them?”

        I shook my mane as I saw the coast was clear and moved up towards the stairwell. “Whatever the case, I have my freedom now. Lets get to the bottom of this place. I can't leave whatever is behind this alone. I have to disable it some how, I can't let whatever it is that is here threaten anyone else.”

        I leaned against the wall at the base of the staircase to catch my breath. “However... this place hasn't caused problems for any other places around here. So I guess it has only harmed those who entered. Rather benign existence, still though, I should deal with it. If I don't someone else will fall into this trap like we did. Hell, I don't even know if we can escape until I stop whatever is here.”

        I looked up the stairs and pushed myself on. “Lets see what is in store for us on the first floor.”

        After having to stop several times to catch my breath I made it to the top of the stairs. Once I had I stared into the kitchen. The place was ruined and showed of signs of a prolonged firefight. From the positioning of the tables and ammo showed they had to use the makeshift cover both coming in and going out of the room. From the smell of gunpowder in the air I could tell it hadn't been too long since they come through here.

        I checked the pantry to find a few bits of food I had missed before. My stomach growled at me and I ate my fill. I knew it had been too long since I ate and I didn't think what had happened in the hallucination counted. I also didn't want to think about the fact I had probably been 'fed' while in that cocoon. I shuddered remembering the feeling I had experienced suspended in that darkness when I first awoke.

        'Alright, we need to avoid fights until I get something that will give me more than one shot at taking down these things.' I poked my head out of the pantry to check the kitchen again to see two of the mimic's having shown up again. 'Company, pleasant.'

        I tossed the empty box into the stairwell back down, the clatter drew the attention of the mimics and I waited a few moments for them to slowly make their way to the stairwell. Once they vanished down I proceeded into the side hall that connected to the foyer. I carefully avoided stepping on any spent rounds as to not make noise I didn't want to generate. I wasn't certain exactly how well these things could hear, and until I had at least a gun I didn't want to find out.

        I heard hoof steps and quickly dashed into closet and closed it. I listened to them pass me by, as I opened the door I saw another mimic walking down the hall from the kitchen, as I did I saw the two that had been in the kitchen return from down stairs and begin patrolling the kitchen again. 'Great, they are smart enough to patrol...'

        Once the one that had passed by me turned towards the dining room I exited the closet and took up position next to the doorway to the foyer.

        I looked into the Foyer to see a few more of the mimic's walking about, if my companions had come through here they were long gone. Which didn't surprise me, but, it did make me feel a pang of sorrow knowing I had to do this alone. I shook my head again to banish the thoughts before I let them swell and consume me. I had something to do here, I needed to find the source of these things, or at least take them all out. Only problem with either plan was I had no idea of their numbers or source.

        'Alright... well lets visit the lab after I hit up that hidden room again. It seemed to have information that would help me figure out what is causing these things. After all they did mention turning robots into other things. Though... this seems a bit far beyond the scope of what the experiments were set for.' I kept to the shadows as I crept the parameter of the foyer towards the living room. 'No matter, if I find how it was done I can at least better know how bad this situation is. Figure out the problem, your known's, and then list what is known that you need to find out. The basis for good problem solving.'

        I managed to make it into the living room without alerting the mimics to find the living room a mess. Obviously there had been some more serious combat, likely Foresight and Anabel rushing to me when I had first fought the mimic's with my shotgun, as it was rather hard to ignore the sounds of a twelve gauge shotgun with explosive rounds going off.

        There were a few corpses left in this room. Thankfully they were not my friends, given the state of things I was fairly certain they had just booked it out the front door. I was thankful for that as well. With them out of the house it meant anything still inside was something that I could kill without worry. Which was a rather dark way of looking at it, but, it was no less true. A part of me called to just find a place to hold up and unleash a fire spell and flash fry the whole place then go into the underground areas and fill every corner with hot death.

        Logic said while it would work, it only would work if I didn't get interrupted. Since the mimic's were patrolling I highly doubted that I could get away with powering a spell up before they noticed something was up. So it was still stealth instead of offense. I went down the secret passage in the living room to the other lab to find it trashed worse than I remembered. Most of what I had hoped to read was burnt away, what was still here had blue flames eating away at it. I let out a sigh knowing this had been my hoof work.

        “Damn it, well lets hope that there is a weapon here at least.” I muttered as I pushed past the burnt corpses of mimics.

        Several minutes later I found my pistol, under a corpse, behind a table. “There you are.”

        I ejected the magazine and pulled the slide back. I had nine rounds total. “Well... better than nothing.”

        I reloaded the pistol and racked a round before setting the pistol in my mouth as I searched for something to wear and a holster. I sighed as I gave up finding anything to wear beyond a saddlebag that had survived, I shoved the few bits of supplies I has scavenged into it.

        I turned to see mimics enter the room. I sighed as the spotted me and I lined up my shots to make them count. I was thankful that the forty five caliber rounds seemed to do the trick for putting them down. Thanks to having such limited ammo I also was very conservative with firing and ended up in close combat after downing only two of them. The third tackled me and I batted away the blade that was extending from his foreleg before bucking him off of me. I felt pin pricks of pain then numbness spider across my chest to see another mimic firing spines of some sort from their body.

        “You fuckers just can't fight fair can you?!” I shouted as I fired the pistol as I grabbed it with my magic. The round chipped away some of its natural armor on its head as I fired a second round to put an end to it. As that one fell the one I bucked charged me, at the last moment bringing its legs up with its chitin made blades extending over its fore hooves. I rolled to the side and sprung back towards the wall. As the mimic landed and recovered from its failed charge I fired a round into its eye and saw it go limp in death.

        “Next.” I ordered as two more mimic's began to charge me. I tripped the first with my magic and used them to jump off of as I wheeled myself through the air and fired a shot that did little more than scratch the armor of the other mimic. I felt something stab into my back and turned to see myself stabbing me with my knife.

        “I was wondering where my knife went, thank you for returning it!” I laughed as I bucked the copy of me in the throat to hear a crack and send the double flying away. I grabbed the knife out of my shoulder and held it in my mouth. I needed to finish these things off so I could find something to patch myself up with, or at least use my magic to attempt some healing.

        “Alright, I want to finish this quickly, so come and get me!” I barked as the three remaining foes stood once more and turned to face me again.

        Two charged directly at me the other dashed off to the side. I focused on the two rushing me and shifted my weight to my back hooves as the neared. I focused my magic into my hooves willing the fire into existence. With a flash of heat and the hiss of evaporating blood around me I leveled my gaze at my attackers who were moving too fast to stop before they got to me. I leapt forward my fore hooves leveled at the center of their chests, burning bright with blue flame. We collided and I cut through them. I landed flat on my stomach as the two fell beside me bathed in blue flame. I heard a hiss and looked to see the final mimic, the one being my doppelganger, mid pounce their fore legs turned into great scything talons.

        My horn flashed and I felt searing heat bathe me and I felt myself fall a short distance. I opened my eyes to find myself a few feet away the mimic slashing at the air while on its hind legs.

        “Got you!” I shouted as I tackled the remaining mimic with my flaming hooves. It took only a few additional blows to end its life and I stood in the room while the scattered blue flames flickered bathing me in the unnatural light of my magic.

        “Well, guess I can still teleport.” I laughed as I ripped the scything talons off of the mimic and slung them over my back. “Well I think these count as swords.”

        I heard something shift and I swung myself around, to face the entrance as I saw Rose peek her head in.

        “I thought you were escaping the house, what are you still doing in here?” I asked as I eyed her.

        “I, wait, what do you mean escaping the house? We've been looking for you for hours. You vanished in the middle of a fight with us.” Rose countered.

        “You said you fought me and knocked me out when I came to in front of the secret room under the kitchen.” I frowned.

        “No... we fought you here, then you vanished.” Rose said slowly.

        “But... mimics don't talk.” I said tilting my head at her.

        “Mimics? That is what you are calling these things. I will say, sounds better than what I would expect you to come up with.” Rose giggled as I walked up to Rose.

        “Anyways, where is everyone else?” I asked looking behind her and checking my ammo again, four rounds, they wouldn't last me much longer.

        “We got separated... The place has stopped making sense at times.” Rose answered, I looked up at her and saw in her tired eyes she wasn't going to be of help much longer.

        “Come on, lets get you outside, you need rest, and this house is not the place for that.” I said as I pushed past her into the passage back to the living room. As I looked at Rose she looked like she was going to argue, but, just nodded her head.

        Passing through the living room was easy, I had apparently taken care of the mimic's who would have been in here. Once to the foyer I saw a number of mimic's in their base state cleaning the place up of what looked to be destroyed tables and bodies of their fallen.

        “Alright, Rose, I will distract them if they notice us. You focus on getting out the door.” I whispered as I looked Rose in the eyes after returning from looking around the corner.

        “What are you going to do, take on this place alone?” Rose asked.

        “Yeah, that’s the idea. Though I wouldn't mind having something to stop their damn spines, or some ammo.” I replied as I held the two scything talons in my magic.

        “I have some extra forty fives.” Rose said as she dug out a five more magazines for my pistol. “I would offer my barding, but, well you’re still smaller than me.”

        “Ammo is good, at least I can pick off some targets. Alright, lets get you out of here.” I said as I stuffed the extra ammo into the small saddlebag that I had.

        “Right behind you.” Rose said as she chambered a fresh round into her rifle.

        I moved around the corner and covered Rose as she snuck along the outside wall to the door. It went well until she opened the door and it squeaked causing a few of the mimic's to turn. I charged into the group with the scything talons following me in my magic. With my right hoof alight I crushed the skull of one mimic and got the crowds attention on myself, I spared a glance to the door to see Rose's tail disappear outside before it closed again.

        I spun the blades around me as quickly as I could as I ran to the stairs. I felt more spines slam into my hindquarters which then went numb sending me sprawling face first into the base of the stairs. The scything talons embedded themselves into the wall as I pushed myself over and drew my pistol.

        “Come and get me!” I shouted, hoping that my two remaining companions would hear me as I fired into the crowd.

        I reloaded as I kicked one mimic away with my still functioning hind leg. To my relief a chorus of gunfire opened up heralding the well timed and much beloved return of Foresight and his battle saddle full of firepower. The mimic's quickly scattered as the wooden floor was torn apart along with their bodies.

        I turned my gaze to see Foresight at the top of the stairs covered in wounds, bits of chitin sticking out of the cracks in his armor, and the blood of the mimic's coating him and trailing down his body.

        “Foresight! I fucking love your guns!” I called up to him as I pushed myself onto my stomach and crawled up the stairs.

        “I am glad you aren't trying to kill me this time.” Foresight responded with a grunt of pain.

        “Please tell me you have some healing supplies on you.” I asked once I managed to get my way up to him.

        “A little, Rose has most of what is left. Your stuff is kind of scattered around the place. When did you master teleporting that rapidly?” Foresight asked as he sat catching his breath.

        “My subconscious mastered it, I can't do it unless in a pinch.” I frowned as I pulled out the supplies he had and began to get to work on him. “Where is Anabel?”

        “She... I can't remember. These things keep on knocking me out.” Foresight moaned as I removed a chitin blade from his side.

        “That is fine, at least you didn't get mind controlled by them. Or mind raped, or whatever the hell happened to me.” I muttered as I continued working on Foresight's wounds.

        “Yeah, fighting you wasn't fun. You are a fucking monster.” He laughed before wincing as I removed some spines from his hind.

        “Don't get excited just because my hooves are back here.” I cooed as I patched up where the gaps in his armor had let a lot of spines hit him.

        “Sorry, but, I don't think of you in that way, I was just teasing you earlier.” Foresight said as he groaned.

        “What, am I not pretty enough?” I pouted as I hoofed him a healing potion.

        “I learned how to keep from developing crushes on ponies already taken, also, you aren't really my type. You are a bit too lethal for my tastes.” He laughed before drinking down the healing potion.

        “You don't go for hyper lethal lone wolves?” I giggled.

        “I like merchants more.” He smirked.

        “Ruby?” I asked as I observed his wounds healing up.

        “Once, not anymore.” He said shaking his mane, I looked at his eyes to see not longing, but, a fondness.

        “You two moved on?” I asked.

        “Yeah, it ran it's course, and our kids are nice, but, well us being together just didn't last.” He smiled. “No hard feelings there, we are still good friends. But, we both moved on.”

        “Sounds like you didn't.” I frowned meeting his eyes before turning to keep an eye out for any foes returning.

        “I did, just, haven't found any pony since. Been too busy to find somepony.” He said and I heard him shake his mane again.

        “Well, maybe you should take a break once this adventure is over. Nopony deserves to be alone, after all.” I said as Foresight got to his hooves.

        “I am going to go outside, I'm not stealthy like the rest of our party. Like I have heard you say before, your insides should stay inside. I think blood is included in that.” Foresight laughed before digging out another healing potion for himself. “You keep the rest of the supplies, it isn't much, but, if we haven't heard any explosions Anabel must be in trouble.”

        “Alright, keep Rose safe, if you can find a place to rest up.” I nodded to him before strapping the medical box that Foresight had left me to my side. The drywall still on it told me he had used the manual way of removing it from the wall.

        “Yes ma'am.” Foresight mock saluted before going down stairs and exiting the house.

        “Two down, one to go. Then we can finish this off.” I muttered to myself as I headed towards the arboretum. “I just hope you don't blow me apart when you see me Anabel.”

        I heard chittering from behind me and turned to see something that looked half like a pony and half like a snake.

        “What the fuck?” I asked dumbfounded at what I was seeing. It spread its maw in a way I had never seen anything do before as if it had four independent bones for its mouth. It hissed before spraying the same slime I had coughed up before, at me. I tossed myself through a door with my magic to avoid it. I scrambled to my hooves and dove under the bed in the room. Moments later the thing slithered into the room its fore legs dangling above the floor pressed close to its body.

        It smashed the closet that was in the room and then began trashing the rest of the furniture. I figured whatever these things were I had awoken a hive of them, and they were not pleased by their inability to contain us to the point they were willing to trash the place to get their hooves on us. More worrying was the fact they seemed to want to capture us. I didn't want to find out what was the end result for me being in one of those pods again for a long enough time.

        Soon it started for the bed and I worried on how long the bed would protect me as well as how much cover I would have once it started to dig its newly grown set of scything talons into it. I got my answer pretty quickly, the answer was no time at all and no cover. In a fury of slashes the bed was torn to shreds and it hissed upon seeing me and spat its slime upon me. As it touched my coat I felt my thoughts start to become more fuzzy it wrapped its tail around me as I tried to fight it off only to find my attacks weak beyond use.

        “Damn it! Just let me kill all of you!” I cried as I tried to bite its tail. The thing stopped its slithering and brought me to to eye level with it. “Yeah lets go-”

        I was cut off by probably the most disgusting thing I could have imagined it doing at that point. It for the lack of a better term kissed me, with lots of tongues. The slime it was producing prevented me from being able to quickly react and as such it wasn't long until I felt with exhaustion and my mind slowed to the crawl of a glacier. We slithered on towards the nursery, a part of my mind remembering what had been in there before, and also terrified at the possible connotations.

        Once in the room I found it mercifully bare of what had once adorned it. Instead there was a sack like the ones downstairs, however, this one held Rose in it. My mind chugged along as it came to the conclusion this was the real Rose in all likelihood and the others I had seen, or at least the one I had let out was fake. Which meant mimic's could talk. Which lead me to a moment of realizing I had no way of figuring out which were fakes and which were my friends other than beating them to within an inch of their lives. Or maybe I could do some sort of memory or loyalty test. I would figure something out when the time came and my brain wasn't currently in a haze like I had gone one too many rounds with Rose.

        Focusing on the feeling I was getting it was disturbingly along the lines of post orgasm high. I guessed it was to to further disable captives with a feeling of euphoria. Which really was a rather horrifying adaptation or intentional design feature of these creatures. Whoever or whatever was behind their existence was cruel. So either somepony was rather twisted or the world with out Luna and Celestia's order was just that bad. I was inclined to believe the world without those two guiding it let the rest of the universe in and the rest of the universe was just that horrible.

        To further my idea that the universe as a whole was just horrible the serpentine monster that held me kissed me again pushing what thoughts I still had to the far corners of my mind and leaving me more or less a doll as it put me into the same cocoon as Rose. Once inside I felt the same sensations as when I had first woken up. Every sense eventually fell off and I was once more bound in darkness without a sense of my own self.

        With a wet smack I landed on the floor and looked up at a very angry Rose holding my fire sword to my throat.

        I tried to talk only to remember the fact my system was currently filled with slime, again. A few minutes of coughing later I was breathing air instead of that stuff.

        “Where is everyone else, Moonlight.” Rose demanded.

        “Foresight is outside, with another you.” I coughed looking to see a copy of Rose missing most of its throat, the chitin that the mimics normally had showing clearly on top of its coat. “Can I get my equipment back and go find Anabel while you go wait outside?”

        Rose punched me, rolled me over and choked me out. So much for diplomacy.

        Coming to again my equipment was on the floor, below me. I had been put back into the cocoon this time with another copy of Rose rather intimately entangled with me. At least I figured it was a copy of her due to the one I had just encountered was tough enough to keep going. I punched the wall of the cocoon and broke through it. Soon the rest of it gave way and left the two of us laying of the floor.

        “Come on wake up so I know what to do with you.” I muttered as I pulled on my equipment while staring at the Rose that had been with me. I gave a flick of my black blade as I familiarized myself with its heft once again.

        With a groan that sounded halfway pleasure induced Rose awoke. I stood over her with my sword to her throat as she lay on her back.

        “What do you remember.” I asked.

        “You went down while protecting me... Then I tried to protect you and... I remember Foresight and Anabel showing up. Then you started throwing fire at us, the things here fighting on your side. We almost got you, but, then you vanished.” Rose answered before groaning as she looked at my sword.

        “And after that?” I asked.

        “We got separated, something got me. Then some weird dream and now I am here.” Rose replied.

        “Great, so there are three of you running around now.” I muttered as I sheathed my sword.

        “What do you mean three of me?” Rose asked as she started to move to get to her hooves. I stood atop her and shook my head. “What is it, you aren't wanting to do it here in the middle of all this are you?”

        “No.” I said as I laid down pulling out my pistol in my magic. “My EFS is tracking several hostiles moving towards us and I want to keep you safe.”

        Rose blushed and stopped moving.

        “Honestly though, I had wanted a good few rounds with you when we first got here. Sadly, looks like that is going to have to wait for a while longer.” I frowned as I lined the sights up over my right eye.

        “How about tomorrow night? Lets just leave here as soon as we can, who cares about what is here, it seemed plenty happy not to spread before we came here.” Rose offered, I contemplated blocking the door and asking for us not to wait. I also blamed the slime for messing with my thoughts.

        “We have to find... the real you and the other you's so we can get your equipment back and figure that out at least. Though I am not certain how it is going to work out if all three of you are real. I don't think I could handle three marefriends as skilled as you at the same time.” I giggled then shook my head as I focused on the inbound threat. “I am going to get you outside, and go out with you to deal with the one out there. Then I am getting Anabel and we are going to leave this place one way or another.”

        “Okay, just, please figure out which one of us is real without shooting me.” Rose pleaded from beneath me.

        “I hope it doesn't come to that.” I said as I gave her a quick peck on her muzzle. “I really hope it doesn't come to that.”

        The head of what I assumed to be a mimic masquerading as Rose peaked its head around the corner of the doorway.

        “Oh come on...” I muttered as it turned blue.

        “Moonlight! Finally I found you?” The second Rose trailed off looking at me laying atop the first Rose. “Should I come back or join in?”

        “Okay, today is fucking weird.” I sighed as I holstered my pistol. “What do you know?”

        “Uh we were working together on clearing the house, we went down stairs after trying to find Foresight and Anabel. Found a secret staircase in the kitchen, went down, I felt spooked, you opened a wall, and there was something inside of there. After that I remember Anabel freeing me from a cocoon.” The second Rose answered.

        “Well... shit this is going to get more complicated than I expected.” I sighed. “I really hope we don't find a copy of me wandering around here because that is just going to get annoying.”

        “I just fought a copy of myself on the stairs.” The second Rose explained. “She bleed green, so I think it is safe to assume those ones are fake since I bleed red before.”

        I nodded. “I’m sorry you two, I have to test this out to see which one of you is real. Though, you aren't hostile so I am not going to kill you or anything.”

        They both nodded in agreement as I pulled out my knife to cut them. With a simple slice on both I saw the first Rose was bleeding Red, the second was bleeding green. “Sorry number two, but, I don't know what to do with you.”

        She seemed frustrated and on the verge of tears. “I... but... everything I remember. What am I if my memories aren't mine?”

        “Rose...” I muttered as I walked up and nuzzled her.

        Then she bit me. Of course she bit me, the last copy strangled me and shoved me into the cocoon. Her head then exploded leaving me with fangs stuck in my throat as I fell over clutching the punctured flesh of my throat. I tried to cry out, but, instead I only emitted a gargling sound. Rose rushed over to me and stripped the copy's equipment to get access to our medical supplies. As she did I noticed more red bars moving towards us. I also noticed her pipbuck was still on her fore leg and was a perfect indicator of she was the original. I would have facehoofed except for I didn't want to interfere with Rose trying to prevent me from bleeding out or becoming a mute.

        I grabbed the rare smg out of my saddlebags, I slide home a magazine as I flipped off the safety and then racked the first round. Around the corner came more of the regular mimic's. I tapped the trigger for small quick bursts, the rounds ripping through their armor and flesh, the smg also eating through my ammo for it quite quickly. More and more came and I eventually managed to get my shotgun out and lay out its magazines for ease of reloading as more poured through the door. It was funny, I was once again fighting essentially a last stand against waves of enemies. I would have laughed if not for my throat having gotten a free series of piercings.

        Rose, once she had finished putting a patch over my wounds, joined in my chorus of fire upon our foes. The red bars quickly stopped increasing in numbers and eventually broke then vanished from my view. Once they had retreated enough I pulled out a healing potion and gave Rose a tap with my magic.

        “Yes, drink, it should close your throat up, Thankfully I don't think it hit your vocal cords.” Rose said as she finished packing and reloading. I drank two potions and felt my throat feel less raw.

        “Yeah, that did the trick.” I said, then noticed how scratchy my voice sounded. “Let me drink a few more, I don't fancy sounding like a ghoul.”

        “Not the worst voice I have had to be around.” Rose snickered as she hoofed me two more potions. I drank them greedily and sighed sounding far more normal afterwards.

        “I am not surprised. Alright, I have a idea where Anabel is. Right where I woke up, well behind a wall down there. Seems the most logical place for her to be held up. After we get her we will take care of the copy of you outside if Foresight hasn't already.” I explained as I stood up.

        “Mind if I just shoot her?” Rose asked. “Last one seemed to wait until it had a chance to disable you.”

        “And the one before that. I think once found out they try to disable. Fucked up method of infiltration though. We need to kill them all, which means I need Anabel to bring this place down with explosives. Even though that means burying the research here.” I sighed as I walked up to the door. “Mind if I loot the other room?”

        “For what? Books, miniatures, or do you mean push me on the bed and relax a bit?” Rose teased. “Yeah go ahead, if we are bringing the place down might as well grab some little things that are rare.”

        I smiled at her as we exited the room and and I quickly looted what I wanted, and did not 'loot' my real Rose of what I wanted. There was a time and a place for that, and the middle of an active battlefield was not the place, ever, well almost never. Maybe it was just a bit of an unusual thing to happen on a battlefield. Whatever the case I managed to keep myself from going into heat for no reasonable reason around her.

        “Moonlight, I think I remember more of what happened to me... I'm sorry that I went nuts on you.” Rose said to me, I turned to see her eyes downcast. I walked up to her and raised her chin slightly then kissed her. Oh by the sisters did it feel good to kiss her again, though for some reason I was disappointed at the lack of fangs. She broke the kiss after a few moments. “You're not starting to go like I was down stairs are you?”

        I blinked a few times batting away the bliss that was forcing its way into my mind. “Huh? Uh... sort of, lets get this done quickly...”

        I sighed as I turned back towards the stairs. “Why did I want her to have fangs of all things?”

        “Moonlight, you just said that out loud.” Rose snickered from behind me.

        “Tease me about it later, come on lets get Anabel and level this place. Oh though first check to make certain the Foresight outside is real, then level the place.” I said as we made our way down the stairs. “Honestly, it has only been four hours and this place has been extremely frustrating to deal with.”

        Rose giggled softly as we entered the dining room and I saw it was clear, like the rest of the floor with regards to my EFS. “You are cute when you get frustrated like that.”

        “I also get deadly, unless that is what you find cute about me is how deadly I can be.” I said as I shook my head.

        “That and a few other things make me like you. It is nice to know your marefriend has a lot of protection for every situation.” Rose said as we got to the kitchen to find the staircase open still.

        “Right, come on, lets do this.” I said as I walked into the staircase, then used my telekinesis to make it a slide for myself, Rose followed my example and we slide out the base of the staircase into the dirt tunnel. A few bars were on my EFS here and I nodded to Rose to take one side of the tunnel and begin clearing rooms.

        It didn't take long before we had cleared the remaining mimic's as well as a few copies. I found one that was of myself in a corner with one of Rose. They were doing what we had hoped to have done earlier tonight. I put an end to both of them and was glad I had as I realized I didn't want to see if these things could reproduce in any way.

        Rose and I met back up at the overturned table where I had woken up.

        “Looks like we need to find a switch.” I commented staring at the destroyed terminal.

        “Yeah it does. You didn't happen to come across copies of us... doing things did you?” Rose said, oddly coyly.

        “I did, only one pair though.” I answered as I ran my hoof over the stone around where the hidden door was.

        “You didn't join in on the fun with any of them did you?” Rose asked.

        “No, I put them down, I didn't want to see if they could reproduce that way. Also I was worried about what I was seeing in another sense of the wish fulfillment I was seeing.” I replied as I frowned remembering the additional bits they had.

        “Okay then.” Rose sighed as she sat down. “Just was worried with how you were acting, and how you look.”

        “How I look?” I said as I turned to look at Rose over my shoulder. “How so?”

        “Calmer, just I remembered I didn't calm down at all while under that spell or whatever it was.” Rose answered.

        “Oh that, yeah guess that wore off. I think that was only due to waking up so close to you and the weird slime that those things keep force feeding me.” I said as I returned my focus finding the secret door's release.

        “Oh, okay I am glad that isn't something that lasted longer.” Rose sighed then trotted up to me. “Because it is hard to keep from pouncing on you for too long.”

        I looked at her and moved to nuzzled her as she stood beside me. “I will take that as a compliment. Feel free to help look for the-”

        Rose pressed a stone and the wall opened.

        “-button.” I trailed off. “Come on lets get inside, I see Anabel.”

        We ducked under the door as it opened as I made it a bit further in I felt something hit my shoulder making me fall forward, as I did I felt something fly past my horn and ears behind me. I continued on to flat on my face and roll forward landing on my back. The door closed and I heard two grenades detonate outside.

        I heard the click of Rose's gun switching off of safe. Then a blinding flash filled my sight and a deafening ringing filled my hearing. I felt something scratch against my fore leg as sight returned to me and I hissed in pain as the cut burned slightly.

        “Okay, you both bleed red, that is good.” Anabel said once my hearing had returned.

        “I can't blame you for doing that, I still want to though. You have put the research in here on your pipbuck? Because we need to blow this place.” I said as I got to my hooves again while pulling on some bandages over the cut on my leg.

        “Actually, explosives already planted. We were just waiting for you two to find your way to us.” Anabel explained as I saw Foresight sitting in the room with us. I also saw a wound upon him still bleeding read upon his face.

        “Right, then lets get the fuck out of here.” I muttered as I turned to the wall out.

        “So what about finding a place to sleep.” Foresight asked.

        “I think the walls of the grounds will be enough and the fire of the house will keep us warm. Now lets go.” I demanded as I hit the release for the door. I was greeted with what were probably the few remaining mimic's.

        I didn't even get the chance to shout to my companions to open up fire before my eardrums practically burst from the eruption of firepower around me. I ended up on the floor with blood leaking from my ears and nose as the last of the mimic's fell. Rose set me on her back and we made our escape.

        A few minutes later we had dealt with the two copies of my companions that had been waiting outside for us. With a quick cut a we confirmed they were copies, they attacked, they died, we tossed their bodies onto the burning remains of the mansion. Rose treated my injuries that I had sustained from our escape. Since I had been on her back while we ran out I took most of the attacks from the mimic's behind and above us once we had hit the foyer. I was particularly numb and Rose kept close to me as we fell asleep. We all needed sleep and we had the turrets to protect us as well as some mines that Anabel had kept.

        Getting to actually properly sleep was nice.

Footnote: Quest Perk Added, Twenty Seven percent to next level.

New Perk: Last Stand. Through participating in last stands repeatedly you have managed to learn how to perform a last stand better. While normally one simply does not get enough time to practice doing last stands, you somehow have managed not to die each time. So as the saying “practice makes perfect” dictates you are now far more adept at defending a place. You now have a bonus to Damage Threshold of ten and you do a bonus five damage while standing still. While this doesn't always work with your method of combat it will help when cornered or otherwise immobilized.

Chapter 27 - Two Day's Time

Chapter 27 – Two Day’s Time

“You find no traps, you detect no intruders, and you are certain that is just a cardboard box full of watermelons.”

The mansion was on fire, the supports had fallen and blocked the doors out of the foyer. The stairs had burned away as well. The walls were alight and the wood around me was crackling as it burned. Yet the worst were the mimic's, they were still fighting on, ignoring the presence of the fire eating away at the building. The fire that would consume them, and myself, the fire that would bring this whole damn place down upon our collective heads and leave us dead. No matter how strong I had become, I still could not live through something like a building landing on me. I may have lived jumping off a train and slamming through a wall of a apartment building, but, that wasn’t the same as tons of material falling upon me with nothing except the air to cushion the fall.

        Pin pricks of pain erupted across my body as more of the darts from the mimic's hit me. I tore the damnable things out of myself, blood trickled down my legs from my wounds leaving my coat matted red with my own blood. I hissed as I prepared my magic to do a final last stand.

        I had no way out other than hope I wouldn't die when the roof or walls collapsed upon us. It was a long shot, but, it was all I had. I doubted though that it would work, everything else tonight had fallen apart. I found that my friends had been manipulated and turned into more of these things while I had been stuffed under a desk, recovering from blood loss. Now... In a fit of anger I had set the place ablaze. Upon finding the fate of my friends... my marefriend... those who I had cared out and entrusted my own life too and in turn had done the same to me. I couldn't stand letting them be some mindless creatures. I couldn't stand to let this nightmare of a mansion stand any longer. I had erupted in fire, my coat turning black and like ash, my mane bellowing like a raging firestorm of blue flame. My hooves now were still cracked and bleeding from the cracks in them. I had for a brief moment had become an elemental of fire, and the embodiment of the element of wrath.

        In those brief moments I had set fire to this place, I had killed my friends and lover. I had destroyed everything in a fit. I had let my emotions get the better of me, and now? Now I was going to burn to death, or be crushed, or eviscerated. It didn't matter, everyone’s adventure comes to an end some day. Today just so happened to be the end of mine. My own adventure came to a close with the loss of my own control of my emotions, of my magic, of myself. I had lost to the one pony I was never to lose to, myself. And now, it was going to kill me. It didn't matter what caused it, my death was set in stone.

        The worst part of it all was I knew, in the end, my death, the death of my friends, didn't matter. We never did. Seamane never mattered, my family never mattered, no wastelander ever mattered. The world would just wash our remains away with time to make room for somepony else. Even those above who kept the clouds over us would eventually be washed away by the corrosive nature of time. So what did it matter that tonight I died.

        I opened my eyes to see the mimic's alight with my blue flame, the fire around me whipping up and circling me. I looked down to see my tears falling as molten blue fire. My coat was made of ash once more. My wounds bleed liquid fire, marked with the color of my magic. The wood below me crackled as it burnt away. Everything burned, everything turned to ash, all was dust. But, I endured, standing there as the vortex of fire built, roaring, demanding me to give away what was left of myself as a sacrifice to sorrow. I let it consume me, I felt myself burn and fall apart as I was ripped apart from my hooves up by the hungering flames I had created with my wrath.

*                *                *

        I had woken up for the fourth time tonight, though it had been day for hours now. The house had already finished burning down. The turrets had never fired off and several times I had checked for anything alive within the ruins to find nothing left alive.

        I had finally given up on getting any rest, every time I slept I woke up from a nightmare. The images still stuck in my head, the ideas my dreams presented me haunting me still. Losing control and through that losing my loved ones, and even myself.

        I looked back at Rose who was still peacefully asleep with bliss of ignorance upon her muzzle. Everypony else was asleep except for me. None of them seemed to being haunted by any fowl dreams.

        I pulled out my canteen and filled it with water before stuffing a teabag into it. I needed something pleasant to drink, as well as warm, with something to help my brain get moving. Tea would help, and so I lit a flame below the base of the metal canteen and let it begin to heat as I ate a bit of food. Today was still a cold day, cold enough that the snow that lingered in the valley was not melting at all today. I muttered nonsense to myself just so I had something to hear outside of my head.

        Once I had gotten to drink my tea I felt a little better, the warm drink chasing out a bit of the cold and the caffeine helping sharpen my mind a bit.

        I let out a sigh as I rested with my back against one of the still standing supports of the mansion.

        “I see you couldn't sleep.” Anabel said as she walked into the burned out ruins.

        I shook my head. “What about you?”

        “Just fine, apparently most of the stuff ponies developed back in the day that messes with people's heads doesn't work on non-equines. So I got off easy, Foresight... He isn't saying it, but, I feel he saw some things that don't sit too well with him.” Anabel said as she sat with her fore legs crossed.

        “Which means I probably need to check on Rose to see how bad she got messed up as well. Though...” I trailed off as my mind tried to put things together.

        “They’re sleeping quite soundly, unlike you. Which means they are coping just fine.” Anabel finished for me.

        “Right...” I sighed, realizing that my sleep had not done me any favors.

        “That bad?” Anabel asked before digging into her saddlebags.

        “I really didn't get any restful rest last night or so far today.” I explained before sighing again.

        “Back to sighing all the time?” Anabel teased before beginning to eat her breakfast.

        With my head still turned to the sky as I leaned against support I turned my eyes to her. “It’s a habit, a bad one, we all have them. Our little vices, the things that let us cope, the things we habitually do which aren't actually good for us.”

        Anabel swallowed her mouthful of food. “I would think then your vice would be sex.”

        I facehoofed, with the wrong hoof, and proceeded to smack myself with my powerhoof hard enough to set it off sending me through the support onto the pile of ash that was once a lounge sofa. “ow...”

        “Did... Did you just punch yourself through a wall?” Anabel asked amused.

        “I think facehoofing is off limits for me now.” I coughed as I sat up. “Damn force multipliers...”

        “That was glorious, if not painful.” Anabel laughed quietly as I dusted myself off, which is a trick when your coat is the same color as said dust.

        I groaned and looked at her with mild disdain for her at the moment. I know she was just trying to lighten the mood, but, I was stuck being a grumpy pony, and a tired pony. “At least nothing tried to kill us over night.”

        “And you are still bleeding red.” Anabel said before returning to where she was sitting before.

        I looked myself over to see a few small scrapes bleeding red. I pulled out a few bandages and covered the wounds. It was so minor to use magic or a potion was a waste of materials. Bandages were easy to make, even more so when you are good at making them out of the tattered cloth of your clothing that you go through far too quickly.

        “Anabel... Do you think I am safe?” I asked, wanting the opinion of my newest companion.

        “Safe? With all the moping you do, the periodic swings of your mood from murderous to jovial, to depressed, I think you might be a danger to yourself, others though? Only if they shoot you, twice.” Anabel replied without losing a beat.

        “So, do you think I am reckless or self destructive?” I asked as I sat back down in the remains of the foyer.

        “Reckless, you obviously don't want to die. However, remember, this is a horrible world we live in, being depressed is perfectly normal. You just seem to swing hard, as going through that wall can attest to.” Anabel said before chuckling.

        “Swing for the fence.” I laughed, finally feeling a bit of my dark mood lifting.

        “That is more like the Moonlight everypony knows.” Rose said walking in.

        “How long?” I simply asked.

        “Since you put yourself through the wall. Foresight is still out cold. Given how much he went through I don't blame the guy.” Rose said looking over her shoulder back at the one remaining member of our party who was still asleep. “I am surprised he didn't wake up from that though.”

        “Well, we are going to let him rest until he feels like waking up. Last night was not easy on anypony, er...” I bit my tongue looking at Anabel.

        “I don't mind, you're a pony, it is expected for you to say that.” Anabel shrugged.

        “Still doesn't make me feel any less awkward.” I sighed, as I did I was greeted with a kiss.

        Breaking the kiss after a minute Rose looked me right in my eyes. “Stop that, there isn't any reason to be down in the dumps.”

        As she said this a flash of watching her burn away from my dreams hit me again. I closed my eyes to keep the tears back.

        “She didn't get any sleep, Rose. I think I have a idea as to why.” Anabel said as Rose wrapped her forelegs around me.

        “Come on, they’re just dreams, what happened in them doesn't matter. Dreams are just dreams, no matter how good or bad they don't matter.” Rose softly said into my ear.

        “I know, Rose, I know...” I whispered back as I heard Anabel quietly walk out of the burnt out remains of the mansion to our camp. “It doesn't make what I saw any different.”

        “Look at me, Moonlight.” Rose said, her voice holding a sternness that I hadn't heard often before. I opened my eyes to see a blurry world as I looked at what I assumed to be Rose. She wiped away my tears with her magic as I blinked her back into focus. Looking into her eyes I felt my heart slow down, my muscles relax, and a calm over take me as she smiled at me. “That's better.”

        I nodded before leaning my head against her chest and letting out another sigh, though this one not depressed, this one carrying out the feelings of depression with it.

        “Thanks... I needed that.” I whispered as I pulled myself together again now that Rose had managed to break my dark thoughts grasp upon me.

        “Anytime, Moonlight.” Rose said as she rested her head atop my own and stroked my mane. “Anytime.”

        A few minutes later we walked back out to the camp to find our two companions awake and had packed everything up already. Anabel gave Foresight a small bag of caps.

        “What was that bet on?” I asked bemused at the two.

        “On if Rose would have to bed you to pick up your mood.” Foresight laughed as he put the bag of caps away. “Don't worry, we aren't making huge bets, only fifty caps.”

        “Okay, fair enough.” I laughed feeling the last of the depression slip away, leaving me tired and aching.

        “When you two are ready.” Foresight said as he hefted his load onto his back.

        “Yeah, lets get out of here and make some progress today.” I smiled as I got myself equipped with my equipment and load.

        A few hours later we bumped into some raiders, they weren't that strong, but, they didn't surrender or run once we started to over run them. As it was, I was choking a mare to death with her own overly long tail as the rest finished off the few still alive around me. After a few failed attempts to break free the mare went limp, I held her in my grip for a minute to make certain she wasn't faking before releasing her. I then put a round through the back of her head to make certain she didn't get up.

        “Was that really necessary?” Foresight asked as he saw me make certain the mare was done for.

        “I don't know how effective my holds are, she could have been faking it. Plus, these are raiders, not bandits, raiders you can't save.” I retorted as I looted the mare's ammo.

        “No, she was dead, do you ever check your E.F.S.?” He chided as I looked at him, I then spotted that he had a pipbuck of his own.

        “No, and when the hay did you get a pipbuck.” I asked frowning at him.

        “Retrieved it while you had dinner with your family.” He answered, the way he was looking at me told me I wouldn't get any specifics.

        “Well, good to know you have it, now.” I muttered as I reloaded my guns. “Alright, they didn't have much here, lets keep going.”

        “You know you still can talk to me.” Foresight said as we walked towards Rose and Anabel.

        “That's good to know, just, don't worry about me too much so long as Rose is around and conscious. She can... put me back together better than anypony else in this damn world.” I muttered, not feeling like really talking anymore. The entire walk today had been filled with playful banter between my friends, I had joined in a few times, until I had just felt too tired to keep up with them. I think the bags under my eyes told them that it was exhaustion fueling my current mood and nothing else.

        He just gave me a glance before returning to leading our group down the road towards the Unbound. We had passed the path that would take us down towards Dune City and Seamane proper, during the time we were walking by it I had started looking down it noticing how accurate it was to when in that weird dream scape I had gone through here. As I pulled my attention away from it I caught Rose looking down that path as well, a look of confusion sat upon her face.

        I pushed my tired body to get beside her, she didn't notice my approach, though Anabel and Foresight did. They put a little distance between us and them.

        “Hey Rose, everything alright?” I asked as I got beside her, she shook her head and blinked.

        “Huh? Oh, sorry, I was just got lost in thought. What's up. Moony?” Rose asked sounding a little distant, almost as if with a hint of nostalgia.

        “Nothing, I just wanted to make certain you were alright.” I said shaking my mane. “Say, did you have some sort of odd dream while in the cocoon?”

        “Huh, oh, um...” Rose paused as she collected her thoughts. “Yeah, that I was in prewar Seamane, it was... kind of out of place, I mean out of all the places I could have dreamt of, why there?”

        “Do you remember bumping into anypony while in there?” I asked, curious to as if it was really a shared dream or what.

        “Well you, then my parents.” Rose answered. “Why?”

        “Did you find me on a hill top looking out towards Seamane from the hills south of us right now?” I asked.

        “Yes, wait, how did you know that?” Rose asked now frowning.

        “We then went for dinner and after that we parted ways, correct?” I asked, ignoring her question.

        “Yes, how do you know this, Moonlight?” Rose demanded.

        “Because it wasn't just your dream. What happened after you left?” I asked.

        “I went... home? I went to a house I thought it was my home. In the morning when I woke up I went to the base in Seamane because I felt that was where I should go. I saw my family at the gate, they approached me and then I woke up with you having a blade to my throat.” Rose answered, frowning at me.

        “So... hm… How interesting...” I turned to look at our other companions. “Hey Foresight, Anabel, did either of you two get caught and stuffed into a cocoon?”

        “Yes to the first part, no to the second part, why?” Anabel answered as Foresight shook his head.

        “Just trying to figure out what kind of mind fucking went down in that place.” I answered and turned back to Rose. “Looks like a shared dream-scape, I am guessing the others we saw in there were attempts to pull us deeper into the mimic's grasp, for whatever purpose they had for us.”

        “I guess, at least we stopped whatever was going to happen before it got all that far.” Rose sighed. “Well for the most part, you did go insane, and my magic is now all green.”

        “That hasn’t gone away yet?” I asked as Rose used her magic to lift a bottle of water to her mouth, it was wrapped in her now sickly green magic aura. “Maybe that will just take some time... I hope that is all it is.”

        “I hope so too... Oh well, at least I still have my magic.” Rose smiled and I nodded.

        “Yeah, losing your magic, even when temporary, is not fun, at all.” I said before frowning. “I know how losing my magic feels far too well.”

        “That you do, but, you have regained it every time, even if it took a long walk north to get it back.” Rose said giving my flank a bump with hers.

        “Yeah.” I said smiling back at her bumping my flank against hers. “Thanks for the help with that.”

        “What are friends for?” Rose snickered.

        “Bucking.” I snickered in return.

        “Still not interested in mares or interracial intercourse.” Anabel called back from ahead of us.

        “Still not interested in either of you two.” Foresight added.

        “Just you wait, I will get a harem and you two will be part of it!” I shouted at the two of them, smiling harder than I had all day.

        “I would still be your right hoof mare, right?” Rose asked.

        “Buck, yeah! Nopony could ever replace you as my right hoof mare.” I said still smiling and feeling a bit refreshed.

        Rose kissed me deeply making me stop in my tracks to savor it. After a few moments she broke the kiss. “I am glad to hear it. Now then, on to finding more members for our harem.”

        I giggled and nodded. “Yeah, lets go hog tie some more ponies for this.”

        “Who says they have to be ponies?” Rose asked before laughing. “No really, we shouldn't just exclude non ponies if we are going to really have a harem.”

        “True, wait, what. Why are you putting a lot thought into this?” I laughed looking at her as she pretended to be in deep thought.

        “Maybe I had a lot of free time in the past and figured out what I wanted in a harem.” Rose answered before sticking her tongue out at me and blowing raspberries at me.

        I shook my head smiling. “I love you Rose, I really truly do.”

        “Good, then you don't mind that we stop early today.” Rose asked.

        “No, our hours are all messed up, and some of us are still tired from last night.” I replied. “Hey Foresight, find us a good place to hold up for the night.”

        “Will do, Star Paladin.” Foresight replied with a soft laugh.

        “Since when did I become a Star paladin?” I asked looking at him, amused by my new title.

        “Sorry, I meant Commander, you aren't a Steel Ranger after all.” Foresight laughed, tossing his short mane. “Anyways, just keep going at your pace I’ll scout ahead for a place to hold up for the night. Anabel, care to give me some eyes in the sky?”

        “Sure thing, Foresight.” Anabel said and then took to the air as Foresight galloped off.

        “Well, looks like we are alone again.” I said cocking an eyebrow at Rose.

        “What? Here, in the middle of the road?” Rose asked.

        “Wait, what? No! That isn’t what I meant!” I said, flustered now.

        “Are you certain, your face says otherwise.” Rose purred.

        “Seriously we need to cut down on this, it’s going to get us in trouble.” I muttered before shaking my head. “No, I meant it is just you and me getting to spend time together, while we are both in reasonably good moods.”

        “Oh, so no sex then?” Rose smiled at me.

        “No sex, I would like a roof and two walls for that, maybe a floor as well.” I responded.

        “Those aren't hard requirements to fill.” Rose giggled.

        “Nope, I am rather easy after all.” I laughed causing Rose to blush this time.

        “Well, you are getting more okay with this type of humor aren't you.” Rose giggled shaking her head at me catching her off guard.

        “Well, I am learning from the best.” I said with a smirk.

        “Why thank you.” Rose giggled. “So I guess you are doing fine now?”

        “Yeah, I am feeling better.” I sighed, still with a smile on my face as I broke out my canteen and some more leaves for tea. “Want me to make you some tea?”

        “Sure, a warm drink would be nice. How long until this cold goes away?” Rose asked as we continued walking down the road as I heated our canteens full of water.

        “Well today is the sixteenth day of the second month, spring used to roll around around the twenty first of the third month, so a while. So... Fifty days or so?” I said shaking my mane softly.

        “It gradually warms up right?” Rose asked, and I nodded.

        “Yeah it gradually warms up, we should be through the Unbound before it gets warm enough for insects. Then again I don't know if Cazdors are hot blooded, if they are... Well, I am glad you have Applebuck if they are.” I finished as I levitated the canteen back to Rose who put it back around her neck while it cooled.

        “You also have that shotgun, it alone should do a number on their wings at very least. I would imagine the slug rounds would be pretty nasty as well.” Rose added.

        “I also have those unique sub machine guns, they should do the trick as well. If not, my Black Blade should do the trick.” I frowned. “Though that means letting them get close, though I can still just throw fireballs which hopefully will help. However, I rather not set the Unbound ablaze, after all it is a lot of it is apparently rolling plains of grass.”

        “From what everypony says, and nopony has gone into it and come back out in two decades.” Rose said before taking a sip of tea.

        “True... Which reminds me, that would be around when Foresight would have been with Ruby.” I said as a thought dawned on me. “Wait, I didn't think the Steel Rangers came out of hiding until rather recently. What the hay was he doing out and about two decades ago.”

        “Uh... That is a good question. You don't think him being around and the Steel Rangers of Seamane being disbanded for so long is tied to nopony returning from the Unbound for the past twenty or so years, do you?” Rose asked as I took a sip of my tea.

        “We’ll have to ask him. Maybe it is why he wanted to come with us out here, beyond my talent for bumping into the weirdest things in the world.” I said now frowning before taking another sip of tea. “Also, I just remembered that was the copy that told me about being with Ruby, so I guess we really will have to ask.”

        “I guess so... Hopefully he trusts us enough to tell us the truth. Of course, maybe he was just not saying since we didn't ask. Lying by omission sort of thing.” Rose offered before sipping some more tea.

        I nodded as I saw smoke start to rise a few miles ahead of us. “Yeah, maybe, and it looks like they started a party ahead of us.”

        Rose nodded as well. “Do you think we should gallop off to lend a hoof to them?”

        “Nah, if they needed help Anabel or Foresight would fire off a flare.” I said sipping at my tea again as we continued our relaxed pace down the road as a fireball erupted from where the smoke had been rising. “Still not a flare, if anything that is Anabel having fun.”

        “We shouldn't be so relaxed about this should we?” Rose asked as we kept walking and I heard the sounds of distant gunfire and explosions.

        “Hun, the world ended, this is relaxing as it gets. I mean really, the only way it could be better is if the clouds broke and we were on a sandy beach during spring. I don't see that happening anytime soon.” I explained before I finished my tea.

        “I guess, and those two have spent a long time fighting on their own compared to the two of us.” Rose said before finishing her own tea.

        The gunfire died off and I saw a green flare go up from the ground. “Well, there is our camp for tonight. Gotta admit, those two are good at clearing a base, much better than I am.”

        “I think a decade or two of experience at doing it against your few months helps a little.” Rose giggled as we picked up our pace a little now that we were done drinking.

        “That would help, heh, I am glad not to be a stable-pony thrust into this world, I doubt they would last two months let alone four.” I said shaking my head.

        “Well, who knows exactly what the remaining stables house. Maybe, they the ones that have yet to open up are training a bunch of special lone wolf operatives to take over the surface and rearrange local power structures.” Rose laughed and I laughed with her.

        “How the hell could one pony manage to do all that. Look at me, I am a wasteland pony and in the past three months I have just managed to not die for the most part. Yeah I have killed some monsters, seen some of the powerful players in our neck of the woods, and nearly died repeatedly, but, still, anypony alive in the wasteland does that last part.” I said frowning. “That said, I really haven't gotten much done in these past few months, then again it takes years to do any real lasting change. It takes even longer to do it right.”

        “Righteousness has it's place, but, it must be tempered with patience?” Rose asked and I nodded.

        “What good is it if you destroy a foe only for somepony else to step in and replace them. What good is it to defeat an army only to create a horde of directionless armed ponies who have no supply chain?” I looked at Rose. “That is why I am not rushing into changing things, it will kill me if I do, it will level towns in Seamane if I just recklessly purse fixing everything at once. I know I am swimming in blood already, but, I don't need to add the names of towns to the list of those who I have caused to die.”

        “Moonlight.” Rose said with a stern tone.

        “I know, however I am not moping at my actions. I have a point, Rose.” I fired back. “If I want to change things I need to get a better grasp of how things work in Seamane proper. I need to identify who is pulling whose strings. I need to learn, and I know it will cost me blood and lives of those I know to do it.”

        “But, it’s worth doing, isn't it.” Rose said, looking at me with a unknowable look in her eyes.

        “I don't believe in the idea that you should go all out or do nothing at all. Fixing things requires steps, and I don't have all the answers.” I looked back at Rose, turning my eyes away from the road. “We walk while asking questions, because we don't know the answers, and I want as many others as possible to walk with me, asking questions as well.”

        “If you know it is going to create a mess so maybe you should say that you piss while walking. You are going somewhere, but, you leave a mess along your path.” Rose smirked.

        “Maybe, still though, I am going to try my best to keep the mess as small as possible. Even if it ends up with us having to do some questionable things.” I sighed as I looked back at our destination, closer now I could see it was a old spark battery swapping station with a wall built around it.

        “Moony, our relationship is a morally questionable thing.” Rose giggled.

        “Only to those looking in.” I laughed.

        As we trotted up to the switching station I drew my pistol, just in case as I hadn’t spotted either of our two companions on the way in. As I looked inside the wall I didn't see Foresight of Anabel on the wall walkway and figured either something had drawn them away, or, things had changed in the ten minutes it took to get to them. Rose followed suit with her own forty five pistol. We quietly crept into the camp, I kept my eyes focused on my E.F.S. for tags as well as for movement. It wasn't long before two blue bars showed up in my vision and I pointed in their direction for Rose who nodded. We continued to slowly move upon them to find that they were within the station building itself. I slide open the door to find our two companions looking over a corpse, a corpse of a raider who bleed green.

        I holstered my pistol then knocked on the door before asking them, “what did you find?”

        “Another mimic, it was blended in with the folks who were set up here.” Foresight replied.

        “So... either they naturally infiltrate, or they really aren't that hostile.” I frowned as Rose and myself joined the two.

        “I would guess so, they also don't seem to have a base state that they revert to. They physically change into their new shapes. So I guess there won't be a magic spell to force them out of their disguise as it isn't so much a disguise.” Foresight postulated.

        “I guess so, but, they can't perfectly change, hence the green blood.” I added.

        “Well, you didn't find any cocoons, did you?” Rose asked.

        “No, I am starting to wonder how many have been replaced or turned...” Foresight sighed.

        “No use wondering about it, they seem peaceful enough, most of the time.” I suggested.

        “Well, whatever the case is, we have a nice place to hold up. The walls are pretty thick and there are a few rooms so we can rest well.” Anabel informed us.

        “Perfect, lets get a meal in and then set up the turrets at the entrances for the station.” I ordered, my companions getting to the task of setting up camp.

        I decided to take the last shift for the night watch. Foresight had taken first watch with Anabel, and Rose was set to be on her own for the middle shift. When I woke up to Rose shaking me awake at first I thought there was a problem and went for my gun, she put a hoof on it and shook her head.

        “You were just sleeping like a rock, Moony.” Rose explained as I yawned.

        “Oh, well that is a good reason to be so forceful.” I said shaking my mane out of my face. “Well how about you get some rest, first though... Did anything happen that I should know about on the previous watches?”

        “Nothing, haven't heard or seen anything all night, same for the other two.” Rose replied before stifling a yawn of her own, causing me to yawn again.

        “Alright, well, rest well knowing I am awake and on watch.” I smiled at Rose who kissed my cheek before laying down on the bed we had shared during the first watch. I pulled on my night vision goggles that Rose had been using, popping in a new power gem to replace the almost dead one.

        “See you in the morning, Moony.” Rose said as I pulled the sleeping bag over her.

        “Mhm.” I responded and headed outside to climb up onto the sign for the station.

        As I sat atop the sign for the station with my goggles on as I sipped some tea I had brewed for myself. I had a can of food with me as well for when my stomach woke up in a hour or so. As I was looking around I saw what Rose had said to me, nothing. The place was rather dead. Hay, looking more around I was surprised anypony was even in this damn station when we got here. I mean nopony went into the Unbound anymore, well we were, so it wasn't like there were many ponies to target on this road. I looked south seeing a familiar range of hills.

        “Or they were left over from Thunderlord's ponies.” I mused, finding a smile on my face remembering that day where I had taken out all those rogue ponies and Thunderlord himself.

“It feels like it was so simple back then.” I said before I shook my head to bat away the nostalgia to find that I was rubbing my chest where I had remembered hitting the ground with first when I had fallen so far that day.

        I sighed and shook my head again before looking around again. There really wasn't anything around here. I looked north toward the coast to see a long shadow going from ground to sky. I frowned as I tried to figure out what it was. Then it hit me, it was the tower I was going for. A day to a day and a half away to the north it sat on a hill.

        “Well, there is my target...” I muttered as a light blue triangle appeared on the shadow with a mark of the distance to it. “Thank you, that will help in the morning.”

        So I sat there keeping an eye out for any movement or additional tags in my vision. Thankfully nothing ever did. However, I did go and look into the research Anabel had grabbed from the house and I had copied onto my pipbuck from hers. What I found differed a bit from what I had read. I blamed the differences on the fact that as being a pony I was influenced by that places magic.

        What I did find was that there was to be a meeting with a Governor-General Stardust, the meeting took place two years before the end of the war. Nothing further was stated on that matter though. Further research was done on copying changeling disguise magic as well as getting technology to do said magic. It was a interesting idea, the ability to have a pony change shape to look like another. If you can't be actually invisible, make it so you look like you are meant to be there. Though I wondered what the eventual outcome of said research was. The last clue I had to that was a few months before the end of the world that they had moved their research materials and most sensitive data to 'the research hub'. I kind of disliked how nonspecific this pony was, they didn't have their name anywhere, or even state where things were moved. However, I did realize, once it dawned on me, that it was for security's sake. The house itself had been given to a family member and the studies of the researcher’s were hidden.

        “Clever ponies keeping it all hidden, keeping from saying anything specific...” I whispered to the cool breeze that had kicked up. “However, I have a idea as to where this is leading...”

        I tapped the keycard I had been forcefully given in Hoofington. “I am willing to bet my left hoof that you and this research are tied together.”

        I frowned. “So... I would guess more of those things lie in wait for me under Fort Stronghoof.”

        I shook my mane out of my eyes again and looked around seeing still nothing around, only the quiet sounds of the turrets occasionally turning as they scanned for threats. “What a lonely night...”

        I let out a yawn as I turned to my can of food. “I should eat even if my stomach isn't awake.”

        So I ate the can of food and drank some more water. Once I finished I decided to walk the parameter around the inside of the walls. I slide down the ladder to the sign and began to look for anything out of place. I passed the pile of bodies from our raid of the place and checked them over on a hunch about the mimic, my hunch turned out to be wrong and I found no duplicates within the crowd. I also noticed, these ponies weren't likely raiders, they were, if anything, bandits or scavengers. However, if Anabel and Foresight had to fight them, they weren't peaceful or open to outsiders. Though I did wonder if there were others like them around here on the border of the Unbound, darting in to loot things when it was safe.

        I let out a sigh as I shook my mane again, I didn't have a clue as to what was going on around here. All I knew was they had shot at my companions, my companions laid waste to them, and we took their place for the night.

        I continued on my patrol going inside to check on my companions, closely checking to make certain they were still naturally asleep and nopony was hiding in a cardboard box. I didn't find anything out of the ordinary and as such went back outside and climbed back atop the sign for the station and pulled out the DMR to keep an eye out for possible problems.

        “No news is good news.” I muttered as I waited for dawn to arrive.

        As I sat there watching our surroundings I couldn't help but relax. Even though we sat upon the precipice of one of the most dangerous and unknown regions of Seamane itself, it was peaceful. Maybe it was the knowledge that nopony really went this way, maybe it was the fact that for the past four hours I hadn't seen anything with my eyes or E.F.S. Maybe it was the fact that we had a minefield around us that would likely go off and at very least slow down anypony coming towards us.

        Whatever the case might have been, I felt calm and relaxed as I sat atop the sign sipping tea as the sky turned orange in the east as the day began. I would wait for the others to get up and break down camp before I left my perch, laying between letters of the sign with my rifle lying across my stomach. It was just so nice to relax like this every once and a while that I didn't want to get going yet. I almost wanted to settle down here, it was so quiet and pretty around here. But, alas it wasn't meant to be, not today at least, maybe in a decade or two when I had settled everypony’s need of me and could retire.

        I let out a heartfelt laugh at the thought of retiring. Most ponies were forcefully retired with a bullet or blade, instead of by choice to hide away from the world. I would be one of those who managed to live to old age and retire, find some place out of the way where only those who had true need of me would dare disturb me at. Or maybe I would do something stupid and just grab a place that was close enough for everypony to remember I was still there, if they dared to approach me.

        I smiled as I shook my head. Thinking ahead that far would just make me want to rush through everything to that end. That wasn't what I wanted to do anymore, I wanted to just live life as it happened, to have a few goals for what to do next, but, never any really concrete to do by such and such time tasks. Would I help Seamane in whatever way I could? Yes, I would, but, on my own terms.

        I looked down as the sky was turning back to its usual dull grey to see my companions breaking down what we had set up to give us extra protection over night in lieu of having extra eyes and ears for the watch. I smiled as Rose waved up at me and I returned the wave to her. I looked up at the sky to see them being a light grey signaling no rain or snow for today, which was something nice considering how cold it was today. Since it was still cold today I had some more caffeinated tea to warm me up and keep my mind sharp.

        Once I had finished my tea Anabel flew up to greet me. “Hey, we're done packing up, so we can get going when you want to.”

        I nodded as I refilled my canteen with regular water before responding. “Alright, well go ahead and do some scouting around, my first objective is the tower to the north, according to my pipbuck it should be a day or a day and a half hike to it so I want to make certain there isn't anything nasty sitting on the path up.”

        “Alright, want a hand getting down?” Anabel asked as she hovered in the air next to me lazily flapping her wings.

        “Nah, I got this.” I answered giving her a cocky grin as I rolled to the side and fell. I let myself drop in free fall for half a second before my magic too hold of me and slowed my pace to greeting the ground to a safe pace. I landed and gave a bow to Anabel who just rolled her eyes and pumped her wings to gain altitude.

        “Show off.” Rose teased.

        “It is also a good warm up for my magic.” I replied. “Alright, everypony we’re headed north to the MASEBS tower for this section of the Seamane region. We are about to cross into the Unbound, so beware of everything that isn't us. I have no clue how the native life has changed, how the native populations have changed, or how the landscape has changed. I have no information on hazards, locations, or anything. We are going in on two decade old intel and have no other choice.”

        “Better than over a century's old intel.” Foresight added in.

        “Much better, alright, lets get going.” I said as I walked out the swapping station and began walking straight for the tower. There were no intervening hills until the ones right around the tower and those were going to greet us by the end of today. So with wariness and a good nights rest we headed in to the unknown passing the last bit of civilization that sat outside the Unbound.

        “So what is the plan after we get to the tower and turn it on?” Foresight asked as we walked on the melting snow.

        “Well, once it is on I can use it's camera system to look around and figure out locations of interest. There is supposed to be a resort town or something to the east of us along the coast. I also know there are a good number, or were, of farming towns and communities in this part. There are also likely more manors and mansions around the place.” I explained.

        “Sounds like a solid plan. Any objections to going somewhere if anypony else spots a place they want to check out?” Foresight asked and I turned my head to look at him.

        “You already know a place, you just want to know how it looks right now.” I said speculatively.

        Foresight frowned and nodded.

        “I have no problems with it. I just want to be briefed on why you are interested in this place.” I said returning my focus to our path that I was clearing with my hooves. “You don't have to brief us until we’re in the tower, once we confirm your destination still existences.”

        “Okay.” Foresight replied, sounding a bit relieved.

        “I’m guessing you are either worried about something over hearing your explanation of where we’re going, or that you would have to go there alone.” I hazarded a guess.

        “I don't want to go there on my own, if what I heard about it is right it is not a safe place even for a army of Steel Rangers.” Foresight explained.

        “Then why the hay would the four of us stand a chance if a horde of power armored ponies would die there.” I asked looking back at Foresight who had his helmet off at the moment.

        “Because we are a lot quieter than an army of Steel Rangers.” Foresight explained.

        “You know, four of us going in quiet is going to go badly as soon as things go loud, and we all know we will end up having to go loud.” I said remembering how usually being quiet fell apart when I tripped, sometimes physically tripped, over enemies.

        “Which is why we are going in geared for a firefight and going as far as we can, quietly.” Foresight explained.

        “So... Is this a we go until we win, or is there a option to retreat?” I asked as I moved a rock out of the way.

        “I...” Foresight trailed off and I looked behind me to see him stopped in his trail.

        “Foresight?” I asked as I looked at him, Rose standing behind him with a eyebrow raised at me.

        “I'll let you know once we see how the place looks, okay, Moonlight?” Foresight asked as I was unable to read what were dancing across his muzzle at the moment.

        “Yeah, I can wait for us to get to the tower for an explanation. Just... Keep you eyes open and head up. I don't want us to get jumped by anything.” I said as I started to push ahead again.

        As the day dragged on I kept an eye on the dark figure against the clouds that was Anabel, not once did she dive down, nor did I see anything greet her. I took her continued patrol up high as a sign that things were safe for now.

        “Well at least it seems that things are rather peaceful out here.” I sighed as I helped Rose climb up over some rocks on the trail.

        “Yeah it does seem that way. Though hopefully we didn't just jinx ourselves.” Rose said as she finished climbing up.

        “Don't worry about jinxing us, weirdness finds us due to Moonlight, and all bad luck is from me being here.” Foresight said, his voice betraying a hint of frustration or depression, I wasn’t certain which.

        “Foresight?” I asked looking at him.

        “Sorry, just.” He turned to look towards the tower. “I guess I will have a lot to explain when we get to the tower.”

        “Don’t worry about it, how about you lead, Foresight, maybe being on point will take your mind off of it.” I suggested.

        “Okay, just smack me on the head if I zone out.” Foresight said as he moved ahead of me.

        “I will, as your commanding officer, smack you back to reality.” I said before giggling. “Come on Foresight, I won't let you walk off a cliff, and you don't have to worry about us wandering off for some fun behind your back.”

        “I promise not to drag Moonlight off for fun while you lead us.” Rose said looking at Foresight who started to smile.

        “Thanks you two, come on lets go, I don't think Anabel wants to fly all day.” Foresight said waving his fore hoof towards the tower.

        “Hey, just trying to keep us all together and get to our destination.” I said as I checked the time read out on my pipbuck. “If we push it we can make it to the tower tonight. So long as things keep as even as I they have been.”

        “Alright, well lets going.” Foresight said and started to find our path forward.

        I turned to Rose. “You doing alright?”

        “Yeah, I’m just not used to climbing like you are.” Rose answered as she took a drink.

        “I do seem oddly adept at climbing things.” I smirked, Rose had yet to figure out how to properly climb a ladder.

        “Shut up, you with your weird skills learned from growing up on a boat.” Rose jokingly fired back.

        “Hey, it is a beached ship, and really you should come with me on exploring the lower decks for some practice.” I teased back.

        “I don't think she meant those lower decks, Rose.” Foresight called back as he shifted some stones.

        “Hey! I didn't even get to make the joke, yet.” Rose pouted.

        “You were going to.” I teased back.

        “If you two are done.” Foresight said. “I could use a hoof clearing our trail.”

        “Sure, come on you can get revenge on me once we get in the tower, Rose.” I said as I walked over and began moving the rocks with a mix of strength and magic to make a clear and stable path for us.

        “Somepony is going to feel my wrath later.” Rose purred as she joined in with the building of our path.

        With Foresight directing our hooves and magic we managed to cleared a path through the remains of a landslide from who knows how long ago. Once our path was cleared we made good time as we found ourselves on relatively flat ground with the tower looming ahead of us. I kept taking glances towards the sky to see Anabel hovering above us a good ways up, now she was mostly gliding by the looks of it. I guessed she wasn't used to flying so much. I turned my gaze back to the tower to see it reading out to be only two miles away.

        “Come on we can do this.” I said as I put more energy into my steps. “We will be there in no time.”

        The others nodded as I pushed us ahead even though the night was falling quickly.

        We got to the tower to find the base of it stained in blood and the shattered remains of ponies.

        “This doesn't look good.” I said as I surveyed the tower’s base for the door.

        “You don't say.” Foresight said as he approached the blood stained wall. “Why do you think they’re here?”

        “I don't know, see if you notice a pattern or something while I look for the door.” I replied as I started around the base of the tower looking for the panel that would hold the terminal for the door.

        “Rose, stick with Moonlight, Anabel on me.” Foresight ordered as he turned the corner to the other side of the base of the tower, Anabel swooped over to him as we turned the corner.

        “Come on it shouldn't too hard to find this damn panel.” I cursed as I walked using my magic to illuminate the wall of the tower. “I mean yeah the base of this tower is fucking massive, but, still it shouldn't be that hard to find.”

        “Are you really just going to ignore the bodies?” Rose asked as she walked behind me.

        “Yes, they’re bodies, once we are inside we can lock the door and be safe from whatever is out here.” I replied as the panel was marked in my vision by my E.F.S. “Finally.”

        “You really certain it will be safe, I mean, have you seen what is written in blood on this thing?” Rose asked, I had actually not noticed any writing while looking for the panel.

        “I can honestly say, no I haven't seen any writing, too focused on getting inside.” I replied.

        “Okay, so you didn't see that they were making sacrifices to Celestia.” Rose said as I opened the panel.

        I turned to stare at her open mouthed then I turned my attention to the wall where Celestia's cutie mark was plastered in blood on the wall.

        “Okay, we are getting inside, now. I don’t want to be out here when whoever or whatever did this returns. I mean none of the bodies we saw were all that fresh, but, I don't want to run the risk of bumping into some sort of tribal cult. I like my blood being inside of me.” I said as I powered on the terminal and opened the front door.

        “Alright, I will get the other two, you secure the front room.” Rose said as she galloped off to fetch our friends.

        I nodded as she left and stepped inside, to see two red tags appear in my vision as two turrets descended.

        “Oh fuck!” I cried as I dove pulling out This and That Gun as the turrets began to fire upon me. The rounds I felt bounce off of me as I landed and rolled. I stood under the torrent of bullets confused as to why I was not dying. “Excuse me, what?”

        I walked up to the turrets and manually shut them down and unloaded them to find that they had non lethal rubber bullets in them which did nothing to an armored target.

        “Well now, that was just strange...” I muttered to myself as I took the ammo for myself and removed the turrets.

        “I know you're good with machines, but, this is ridiculous, Moonlight.” Anabel laughed as the three made their presence known to me as I finished removing the mounting brackets for the second turret. I managed not to drop the turret, but, I did end up falling on my hind as the field of magic I was using for support vanished.

        My wrench proceeded to smack into my head. “Ow...”

        I heard the three of them start laughing as the door closed.

        “Lend me a hoof will ya? If security here is active we need to get the terminal on the main desk unlocked so we don't get shot apart, even if these turrets shot non lethal rubber bullets I doubt the rest will be so forgiving.” I said as I rubbed my forehead.

        “I'll get the terminal, Rose make certain she doesn't have a concussion. Foresight, keep an eye out for anything that isn't us.” Anabel commanded taking over for me.

        “Got it.” Rose said as she walked up to me pulling off one of our medkits and began to check me over.

        “It was just a smack to my head, it shouldn't be hard to figure out.” I muttered as I sat there letting my marefriend check me over. “Still... it hurt a fair bit.”

        “Yeah it looks like you do you have a concussion, here drink a healing potion.” Rose said hoofing me a healing potion that I downed immediately once again being grateful for the pleasant feeling that came with the potions healing powers.

        “Much better.” I sighed as I returned the empty bottle to Rose. “Now then, how is the terminal coming along, Anabel?”

        “It is coming along. How about you two go and check the generators, there might be a switch for turning of security down there.” Anabel suggested and I nodded.

        “I am expecting you two to be here when Rose and I get back.” I said as I got to my hooves, drawing This and That Gun as I did.

        “We will, or we will make our way to you.” Anabel said as Rose pulled out her rifle.

        “No point in stealth tonight is there?” Rose asked as she clicked the safety off her rifle.

        “Nope, robotic systems are usually networked in a place like this. Once they know you are in, they start hunting.” I replied as I cocked the hammers for my revolvers. “Lets make certain there is enough power for this place so the DJ can have their tower.”

        “Right behind you.” Rose said as I took the lead.

        Thankfully the natives had never gotten inside, but, I suspected their activity outside had triggered an alarm, as well as our approach. Whatever the case had been it didn’t matter as we managed to disable or destroy any further turrets that activated, annoyingly they were not the type that had non lethal rounds and instead had very much lethal rounds. I also noticed that these turrets seemed to be using the same ammo as my unique smg's which bugged me. I think it bugged me due to these towers were meant to be standardized, and this one wasn't from I was seeing with it’s layout.

        Despite the strange layout of this tower we found the generator room just the same, there was only really one path anyways, it just twisted and went further down than expected, I guessed that was due to being on a hill they wanted to go deeper to make it stable. Once to the generators I had to power a few more on and had to manually cut the circuit feeding security. Once that was done we headed back up the many flights of stairs.

        “If we weren't in such good shape this would be murder.” Rose bemoaned and I grunted in agreement. “I mean how many stairs did they put in here? It has to be over a thousand steps, easily.”

        I just nodded in agreement, I just wanted to get to the broadcast floor, flip on the equipment and sleep. Foresight could brief us in the morning.

        We returned to the front desk where Anabel was reclining against the wall as Foresight had dinner.

        “Security is offline, lets get to broadcasting and hit the switch in there. After that, I am going to sleep.” I said as I turned to go to the elevator.

        “You and Rose go up, we’ll keep watch down here.” Anabel said as I stepped through the doorway out.

        “Fine.” I said as I hit the call button with my magic.

        “At least we got a nice shelter for the night.” Rose said as she sat next to me as the elevator descended for us.

        “Maybe more than one night.” I added.

        “Why? Do you think it will take that long to plan things out?” Rose asked.

        “That, and, everyone can get a good bit of sleep in. Also I want to get a good look at all the land around here.” I explained as the door opened to the elevator and I walked in, Rose following quickly. “Plus, who knows what the weather will do.”

        “Fair enough.” Rose replied as she hit the button for broadcasting.

        The ride up was quiet, both Rose and I forgetting about the sudden acceleration and deceleration that the elevators had leaving both of us holding each other and shaking.

        “Sleeping together?” Rose asked as we stumbled our way out of the Elevator, I simply nodded as I got control of myself again now that I was certain I wasn't about to fall to my death in a large steel coffin with my marefriend.

        “Lets just get this online and use the cot that should be up here.” I answered as I walked up to the monitor bank and hit the button to restart the system. I got electrified and was sent sliding on my back out of the room.

        “Ow...” I whimpered as smoke rose from my coat. “Please tell me I didn't just fry the tower.”

        “You didn't, it is rebooting, you just touched it with your powerhoof, and I suspect a lot of power just went through you.” Rose said as she lifted my head up after galloping over to me.

        “Right, I keep forgetting right hoof is no good for anything beyond smacking things with.” I muttered as Rose dug out a healing potion.

        “Even then, only for things you want to break.” Rose added as she put the potion to my lips.

        I drank down the potion as I watched the broadcast system reboot and reestablish contact with the MAS Emergency Broadcasting System. I saw a happy Homage waving to us as the sound of DJ Pon3's music filled the room for a moment before cutting out. I noticed in the corner of my vision that my pipbuck had picked up the DJ's signal again.

        “Looks like we are good.” I said as I got up.

        “Yep, alright lets make certain to turn off the camera so Homage can't watch us.” Rose replied as we walked back into the broadcast room.

        “Hi you two, it has been a while.” Homage said as we got to the console, Rose hit the broadcast to studio button before I could.

        “Hello, Homage, and yes it has been a while.” Rose answered with a smile. “We were just about to call it a night. You might want to turn off the camera on your end as our friends will be up here tomorrow morning to start looking for places to hit in the Unbound.”

        “Oh, don't worry I was planning on turning off after we talked.” Homage said as she adjusted something on her console. “You two should probably turn of the camera on your end as well.”

        “Of course, I don't want a voyeur watching us.” I teased causing Homage to laugh.

        “Please, I have more control than that.” Homage purred once she stopped laughing.

        I just rolled my eyes. “Apparently because world ended now everypony is automatically a lesbian and horny all the time.”

        Rose just nibbled on my ear in response to this.

        “Well we have to have something to get excited about, otherwise life is pretty depressing.” Homage replied.

        “Fair enough, it is why my friends place bets on what I am going to do when we aren't in the middle of a firefight.” I laughed back as Rose continued to nibble.

        “Anyways, just wanted to let you know that the Caravan you ran into in the Badlands passed through Dune City and is headed for the river. They are making their own road as they go.” Homage explained and my happy mood shifted to attempting to figure out what was the reason for the caravan's activity.

        “Is there a seven pony team following them?” I asked.

        “Yes there is, they are keeping an eye on them. Why, do you know them?” Homage asked.

        “I do, somewhat, they are... Friendly, I'm not certain what they are up to, but, keep an eye on both without informing the caravan. I rather not have those seven ponies die.”

        “I understand, Moonlight. Well I have to make an announcement about you getting this tower online later tonight. Is there anything you want me to say along with it.” Homage asked.

        “No, I'm good. Wait, if you don't mind, don't exactly pinpoint where we are, I still have some ponies after my head and rather not have them sending forces after us in the Unbound.” I replied.

        “Okay then, you two have a good night, stay safe out there.” Homage said before the screen changed to an image of Manehattan, likely from an exterior camera on Tenpony tower.

        I pressed a button setting the feed for the room to route to an external camera. “Alright, lets unwind and have dinner.”

        “In that order.” Rose demanded before dragging me to the cot for some unwinding.

        Footnote: Thirty Six Percent to next level.

Chapter 28 - Buried Past

Chapter 28 – Buried Past

“Somethings are best left buried.”

        I woke up to Rose laying atop of me, and she was nibbling on my ear. It wasn't a bad way to wake up compared to the past few days. Yesterday Foresight had spent most of the day flipping through cameras and doing something with his pipbuck. Anabel for her part had been doing pretty much the same thing. Rose and myself made ourselves scarce and enjoyed the down time in a warm and secure place. As such I had taken my time making a list of every spare part I could take from here, fixing up everyone's gear, and getting rather coated in grease, dust, my own blood, and rust.

        For the most part I was working on making weapon repair kits as well as armor repair kits. After all we, or rather I, ran through armor rather quickly and needed to patch up my equipment fairly frequently. I also was making a kit of replacement parts for the turrets so Anabel could quickly repair them if they got damaged in a fight. To do that I had to do a lot of stripping down of the turrets I had shut down or destroyed to get to the valuable and rare targeting talismans. Also I now could change them to using nine millimeter rounds instead of ten millimeter rounds which was good as we now had a rather large supply of nine's.

        I was sewing up a few holes as well as putting in a Kevlar lining into my lab coat when the intercom began to beep. I blinked at it in confusion a few times before I got up and answered it.

        “Hello?” I asked before realizing it was likely Foresight calling to let me know they were starting the briefing soon. “How long.”

        “Fifteen minutes, Foresight figured it would be best to give you a bit of time to put away whatever you were working on.” Anabel replied.

        “Alright, be up there in a little bit.” I said before turning to pack up my coat and sewing supplies so I could work on it while the briefing was going.

        After getting washed up I had headed up to broadcasting where Foresight had told us to meet up in the morning before I headed down to the maintenance level. Upon my arrival I discovered that he had found several chalk boards and pieces of chalk. I was impressed with the detail he managed of some facilities blueprints with just his mouth to draw. I then facehoofed at the realization he probably had Anabel draw for him since she was holding the chalk. I also yelped in pain as I landed against a wall from the force of my powerhoof assisted facehoof.

        “Wrong hoof.” Anabel said dryly without even looking at me.

        “I'm still getting used to it.” I muttered as I go back to my hooves and climbed out of the dent in the wall.

        “Are you alight?” Rose called out from where she was seated on a swiveling chair, swiveling.

        “Yeah, I'm just fine, I only put a dent in the wall.” I coughed as I got to my hooves and walked into the broadcasting room.

        “Good, because this is going to take a while and if you are concussed during it... Well I hate wasting my breath.” Foresight explained as he got out a collapsible pointer stick from somewhere.

        Rose turned a swivel chair next to her for me and motioned me over to take a seat with her. I did and waited for Foresight to begin his briefing. As I waited I pulled out my sewing supplies as well as my coat and Kevlar lining for it and began the process of sewing in the rest of it. Foresight didn't seem to mind as I did have a clipboard on hoof with paper so I could write down notes.

        “Alright, first some background on the facility we are going to be breaking into.” Foresight said as Anabel moved a chalkboard in front of the others. “This facility was left alone for a hundred and eighty years and relatively intact when I first visited it. The second time I visited it the place ended up in it's present state.”

        At this Anabel changed chalkboards to reflect sever damage to the facilities floors. From the looks of it this was just a interpretation of what they could see being damaged from the camera's and not Foresight's pipbuck automap function.

        “This damage was the result of a fight between Steel Rangers and the things that inhabited the facility.” Foresight explained. “It cost the lives of a lot of Rangers.”

        I nodded as he pointed to one monitor that was still on and showed the outside of the underground facility where there were bodies of Rangers in their damaged power armor laying in view on one of the lower floors.

        “Because of the lose of life we retreated back to our citadel, unfortunately while we were attempting to secure this facility something had caused our Elder to have our citadel locked down.” Foresight continued. “Due to this we could not return and with the majority of our forces dead thanks to the assault on the facility we were not in shape to set ourselves up anywhere.”

        I raised a hoof and Foresight took note of me doing so. “Yes, Moonlight?”

        “Okay, so then this is about securing the facility or what? I mean that is nice to hear why you are out here, but, wouldn't it be more prudent to break into your former citadel?” I asked.

        He just looked at me and nodded. “That is the second stage of my proposed operation. First we go back into that facility so we can acquire some resources that we will need. Most of it is stuff I doubt we could ever buy or survived outside of sheltered and remote research facilities like this one.”

        “Alright, continue.” I said as I set my hoof down on the table.

        “So entry to this facility will not be difficult, we can go in through the roof as it was explosively removed twenty years ago.” Foresight explained as he turned back to the chalkboards. “Once we get near this place we will have to be as quiet and low profile as possible. Once inside the destruction should allow us more freedom to move into the lower levels that I couldn't access when scouting the place.”

        That made sense, it was kind of easy to get past security doors when the wall next to them had a huge hole in it.

        “What was encountered before by my fellow Steel Rangers were hardened sentry bots, however with our military ID's we were able to bypass those at first. Then something, I am still uncertain as of what it was to this day, triggered them to attack us as well as activating all of the security systems that had been in standby mode. In order to exit we had to blow the roof.” Foresight continued as the monitor showed some rather nasty looking turrets and beefed up sentry bots inside the remains of the facility.

        “Unfortunately I don't know how big the place its beyond what we can see with the camera's.” Foresight concluded.

        “Okay, so we are breaking in to this facility to grab some items. Can we have a explanation of the items we need so at very least if we see them we know to grab them?” I asked as I finished sewing in the Kevlar to the coat tails of the lab coat.

        “Right, what we are after is,” Foresight started before Anabel changed the chalkboards for him, “is this.”

        The chalkboard showed some sort of drill.

        “And the purpose of that is?” I asked wondering why we would need a drill when we could easily blast through a wall.

        “It is silent so it won't alert anyone we are breaking in, as well as a explosion would trigger security and probably cause everypony inside the Citadel to think a earthquake was hitting them. Or possibly make them think something is attempting to force its way in to kill them or loot the place.” Foresight replied.

        “Okay, so why do we have to break into your old Citadel.” I asked wondering why we needed to break into a place that was locked down for the past twenty years.

        “Because for the past three years they have put out a distress signal, we couldn't open the front door. Two months ago the signal went dead.” Foresight explained. “If they are all dead I need to know.”

        “This is about closure.” I said looking at Foresight.

        “To a degree, as well as procedure.” Foresight replied. “The Steel Rangers here were never disbanded, there are a good number of us scattered about the region divided into teams, for the most part.”

        “Except for you, let me guess, acting Star Paladin?” I asked.

        “Yes, and if things have gone how I expect they have within the Citadel... I will be the Elder of the Steel Rangers in this part of Equestria. However, a change like this would likely force my hand into dispatching the remaining Rangers to reinforce other chapters out there instead of getting our forces bolstered. I would have to officially, or at least effectively, disband this chapter.” Foresight explained.

        “So... what are you going to do, wouldn't it be better to not do this and keep those who are still under your command under your command?” I asked, wondering if this was out of pride or pressure.

        “There isn't a option not to do this. I met with the heads of several chapters of Steel Rangers about this thanks to our trip North, they will not aid us, so it is up to me to prove my chapter is worthy of continuing. However...” He trailed off looking frustrated.

        “However, they will take your Rangers away no matter what the outcome is.” I finished for him.

        “Correct, they gave me a deadline. One way or another the Steel Rangers of Seamane are done for. It is just a question now of what will happen to me.” Foresight said looking at me.

        “So this is out of honor.” I asked looking at him.

        “If I can pull this off at very least I will retain some autonomy and buy some time to keep my Rangers from dispersing to the other chapters.” Foresight said. “And the other chapters need them, more than they let on.”

        “Genetics?” I asked.

        “Exactly, the Steel Rangers aren't the most open organization as you all probably already know. We recruit internally, well more of everyone born from a Steel Ranger is expected and forced to be a Steel Ranger. Some become Scribes some become Knights. However, just like stables we have a small genetic pool from each chapter due to being isolated for so long. Now that most chapters have come to the surface we have begun exchanges to prevent further genetic problems.” Foresight explained.

        “And since the remnants of the Rangers of Seamane are so small it is more reasonable to break them up and send them to other chapters to bolster their genetic stock instead of the other way around. You have too few for a proper rotation of Rangers.” I concluded.

        “Correct, no matter what my chapter is done for. So it comes down to what will be done with a acting Star Paladin. If I find that the Citadel is dead there is a chance in a few years I will be made Elder recognized by the rest of the chapters and allowed to reform the Steel Rangers here. When I do anypony from the other chapters will be free to join me. I would get my Rangers back, my friends.” Foresight continued on. “So that is why we need to do this, or I need to do this.”

        “Count us in.” I said, Rose nodding in agreement. “I am going to be blunt as to why. If you have your own army in a few years it will give me another ally in Seamane, a very well armed and trained ally. While it may mean you can't be with us on adventures and missions, it is better to have an army than a single well trained soldier, no matter how good they are, it is easier to replace a squad of half decently trained ponies than it is to replace a super soldier.”

        “At least you are upfront with wanting to use me later.” Foresight laughed.

        “Somepony else used you and your Rangers before?” I asked looking at him, curious now.

        “Yes, you know him well enough to know he is a bit of a snake.” Foresight sighed. “Aegis.”

        “Really, let me guess, he made a gambit to get his own mercenary force through aiding you when your Citadel got locked down right after most of your Ranger's were lost.” I said.

        “Yeah, that isn't all of it though. He broke them into teams, you met one of them, Nobel Team.” Foresight said as he put away the pointer. “He made certain to keep me from being with anyone to prevent them from bonding more with me. He also has made certain to keep all of them alive, so I am thankful to him for that, but, he is running of more the region than he shows.”

        “So he is one of the players in this game for Seamane...” I muttered. “He is using me and it would seem you as well. Though to what end I would guess to be that of cementing an alliance with those who would be in power if they succeeded at changing the status quo.”

        “At least he has faith in us having a chance at succeeding.” Foresight said as he cracked a smile.

        “Or is hedging his bets, that or the loss of Oakmare screwed things up more than we thought it did for him.” I said with the wave of my hoof.

        “Whatever the case, he pretty much has you, your father, and myself in his pocket for the time being. Lets hope that he doesn't plan to screw us over later.” Foresight said as he looked back at the layout for the facility he had on the chalkboard.

        “Yeah, but, I think if we pull off your mission we will have a good number of loyal rangers to back us up.” I smiled.

        “I believe so too, as well as likely the support of other chapters, so long as there is incentive to aid us.” Foresight said now sitting at the makeshift briefing table.

        “Alright, now, for this facility, you said you scouted it before, what did you find the first time?” I asked wanting to pull away from far future planning and focus on the present.

        “Well, I made it through the first two levels of the place, again, military ID gave me a good bit of access. Most of the place's data seemed to have been wiped clean, I did find a few audio logs and physical notes left behind, letters half finished and such.” Foresight explained. “They were dated a few days after the end had come.”

        “Interesting, anything of particular note?” I asked.

        “Two things; first, Seamane apparently didn't get hit until a day after everywhere else; second, something called Operation: Stardust. Operation: Stardust apparently is why everything was wiped clean.” Foresight explained as I frowned.

        “Stardust, wasn't that the name of the Governor-General of Seamane?” I asked.

        “Indeed it is.” Foresight replied. “We seem to have stumbled into a two century old mystery haven't we?”

        I nodded as I pulled out the keycard I was given in Hoofington. “I am betting this is going to lead us to more answers as well when we get to Fort Stonehoof.”

        “Where did you get this?” Foresight asked staring at the card, as Rose put down an identical one, I blinked at her in confusion. “Why do you two have these?”

        “Because somepony is manipulating things.” I swore as I realized Rose and myself had been both told the same thing in Hoofington by that mysterious stallion.

        “Do you know what these are?” Foresight asked.

        “Keycards of some sort.” I replied.

        Foresight put down a third keycard. “They are key cards that operate off of your personal magical field, I found one when I first entered that facility, Research Station Twenty Three. These give high level clearance to the place. We have all three of the cards.”

        “All three? Wait, don't tell me this place has a door that requires three key cards to activate it.” I muttered as I put my face in my hooves.

        “It does, do you think this is also part of somepony's plan to manipulate us?” Foresight asked.

        “This? I don't think so, no, I think they likely wanted whatever happened to your Rangers to happen to us, not having all the keycards triggering security to go after us or worse.” I explained as I tapped my own card with my left hoof. “No, I think if anything it was to test me in particular, somepony out there has plans, plans involving me and my original idea of tackling the powers that be. I imagine their goals are close to mine, but, the outcome is drastically different.”

        “Well intentioned villains.” Foresight muttered as he put his keycard away.

        “I think they are called well intentioned extremists, but, yes very likely in this case we are siding with somepony who is not so good.” I sighed.

        “You sound like this is a terrible thing, you have more ponies on your side of things in Seamane. What could possibly be bad about that?” Rose asked.

        “What they do once I have won is my worry. Just because you win, doesn't mean the outcome you want will happen. Like if I fought Red Eye back in the Everfree and killed him, would it get rid of his forces, push slavers out of Seamane? No, it wouldn't, what would it do, likely little other than increase the number of caps for my head.” I explained.

        “Whatever the situation is in reality we need to focus on the second step of my mission.” Foresight said as he pulled out his pointer again. Anabel switched the chalkboards to show The Citadel. “This was my home, it is not unlike the bunker you hid in while in Manehattan after Stable Twenty Three, though far larger.”

        “Wait, quick question what was the name of the research station?” I asked as he mentioned Stable Twenty Three.

        “Research Station Twenty Three.” Foresight repeated for me, slightly confused.

        “My lucky number!” I spat, “anyways, continue on.”

        Foresight raised an eyebrow, “I trust that you will explain later.”

        I nodded, “once you finish the briefing.”

        “Alright, moving along. The Citadel is both above and below ground. The aboveground portion was built after we came out of hiding for defense. As of right now there is a band of Raider sitting on it. They took out the defenses through sheer attrition against the automated systems that were left online when the chapter retreated underground.” Foresight explained as he showed the layout of the surface portion of The Citadel. “Now, I have gone there a few times in the past, even recently, and the front door is still unmarred. It seems that our hiding of the entrance to the bunker has worked well enough in the meantime.”

        “Alright, so we have raiders up top, what sort of defenses will we see if the place is still as it was before the lock down?” I asked, wanting to know how many death spewing targets there were likely to be.

        “Well we had two hundred armed ponies before the lockdown and turrets at every intersection.” Foresight explained as he showed the multiple and expansive levels of the bunker portion of The Citadel. “So, a fair bit, now, if the distress signal stopped either they lost power, which means they are by now dead from lack of oxygen, or something has happened and they don't want anypony trying to get to them due to things ended up going badly.”

        “Alright, well... this briefing is far shorter than I expected, though the maps are very helpful.” I said as I leaned back finishing the sleeves of my coat.

        “I am sorry I don't have more information to give, but, well...” Foresight trailed off looking back at the drawings as if trying to think if he could remember anything more.

        “Don't worry about it Foresight.” I said as I mulled over the information. “Mind if I recap just to make certain I understand exactly what we are going up against with both phases of this mission?”

        “No, go ahead, it might make me remember anything I have forgotten.” Foresight answered.

        So with that I went over our mission again. It was really simple in the end, though, it was dangerous with the heavy duty kill bots. Beyond the facility I was worried about The Citadel's defenses once we breached the front door. We were basically breaking into a stable, full of potentially heavily armed and xenophobic ponies. I morbidly hoped they were dead and we just had to turn off security, I highly doubted it would be that easy.

        “Moonlight, what do you think is our proper course of action for going through the Research Station?” Rose asked with her brow furrowed.

        “Stick together and sneak. Shoot only once we are shot at. Just like Foresight said to do the other day. Go in quiet, but, loaded for bear.” I replied.

        “That is the plan, and Moonlight, about Stable Twenty Three, do you care to explain?” Foresight asked.

        “Right... I should explain that place.” I sighed. I launched into explaining what happened in that stable barring no detail, the day wore on as I went on and on. In the end I tied it back to the current situation with: “and so since I turned twenty three things have gone badly, and one of the worst situations I have been in was stable twenty three, call me superstitious, but, I don't think this place is going to be any better.”

        “I think you are just being paranoid on that front.” Foresight said. “However, if it makes you more cautious while we are going in there I don't mind.”

        “I am with Foresight on this one, Moonlight. I rather have you jumping at shadows than oblivious to a monster.” Anabel commented.

        “I have to agree with both of them.” Rose said. “Even after hearing about that place again in full detail.”

        “Good, now I don't feel embarrassed about being paranoid.” I said while nodding.

        “Which is why you need to take that needle out of your foreleg.” Rose said.

        “Yes... that is starting to hurt.” I muttered as I looked down at the heavy duty sewing needed that was stuck in my foreleg. “Anypony care to help?”

        With the removal of the needle from my foreleg we broke off and headed our separate ways after grabbing a copy of the auto map of the research station from Foresight. I returned to the maintenance level and resumed work on sorting out parts and repairing everything I could. I figured it was best to be in tip top shape as we were likely going into some heavy fighting. Though something nagged at me from the back of my mind about the facility we were to hit.

        “Why would there still be functional security there?” I muttered as I replaced the damaged leg guards for my armor with improvised ones. “I mean... from the sounds of it the place was cleared out, was physical removal of the security the last thing to do?”

        I frowned as I test fitted the armor on my right foreleg. “Well it would make sense if it was post apocalypse, they would want the security there to guard them while they finished up the job then take it with them upon leaving.”

        I winced as a sliver of metal cut my skin as I put another part of the armor on. “Damn it...”

        I pulled off the piece of armor and patched myself up. “So... likely we would need some way to get into the system and put our tags as being allowed in the place.”

        I turned my attention back to the armor and looked for the sliver that cut me. “But... if they erased everything on the top... It is going to be hard fighting until we get to the lower areas.”

        I found the sliver and heated it to be malleable again. “So that means somewhere lower must still have intact computers to continue giving information to security.”

        I hammered the glowing metal with my powerhoof to take care of the sliver of metal and reshape the metal to fit better. “So, there has to be something of worth, information wise, in that place along with some hardware. They cleared likely whatever was related to Operation Stardust, took equipment for survival, and sealed the place up.”

        I let the armor cool and worked on another piece of armor. “So, likely there is some toys left for us. However, likely no food, water, or survival supplies.”

        I tested another piece to find it a bit loose and began to rework it to fit more securely. “So, really we at very least are getting Foresight's tool, and some good information, as well as some more combat experience that will help when it comes to Fort Stonehoof.”

        I nodded in agreement with myself and turned my full focus on the process of reforging my armor. While I would like to have returned to wearing light armor I had to keep with the heavy side of medium armor due to how much punishment regularly came my way. If I ever did come across something that was light and as protective as much of the medium weight armor I was working with I would take it in heartbeat. Sadly though, that would likely not be the case until we got to Stonehoof as likely that place had a lot of nice toys locked away.

        A number of hours had passed by the time I had finished what I was working on. My mind was exhausted with figuring out how to set up my armor as well as fixing some rather damaged bits of electronics for spare parts. I let out a content sigh feeling that now I would likely be able to keep my insides inside for our next few fights, more so with us fighting security robots again. Those things would likely be packing a mix of magical energy weapons, flamers, miniguns, and missile or rocket launchers. They also would have a fair bit of armor that was upgraded along with their sensors as this was a military facility that we were diving into.

        There was also that matter of we had a lot of distance to cover to even get into the place. However, though the diligent watching of Foresight and Anabel we had found a few safe places to hunker down if need be. They had also had found no sight of any Cazadors, so for now we were safe from those monstrosities.

        I tapped the back of my head against the side of the workbench I had been using for my work. I relaxed as I felt the nice cool metal against my pounding head. The coolness helped relieve the headache I had ended up getting. I pushed myself up and laid myself over the bench enjoying the cool metal against my fur, it felt nice after spending so many hours working with hot metal in the cramp room. I let out a content sigh as I rested.

        I had managed to pack away spare parts for the turrets for Anabel, I had gotten a great deal of fire springs for all of our weapons thanks to the variety of turrets here. I had managed to patch up everyone's armor as well as reinforce Rose's and my own armor. My lab coat would continue to help blending into the snow that lay on the fields between us and the research station. Since I had stitched in some heavy Kevlar my lab coat was now far heavier than it had been. I didn't mind as on it's own it gave decent protection to me without limiting my movement like my modified combat barding did.

        My combat barding I had further reinforced with metal over the bits of ceramic plating that it already had. To fix the various cracks and rents in the armor I had filled the gap between my metal plates with Kevlar and Wonderglue. Everything fit nicely, I had full mobility for the most part in the combat armor, but, if I needed true free mobility I had the lab coat to fall back on. Combat barding was as it was intended for when I knew we would be getting shot at. I would only use my lab coat alone when in towns, even then, only if I was going to be in the town for a while.

        I nuzzled the built in vice on the worktable, enjoying the feeling of it against my face. Nine hours of work was done, our briefing completed, and now all that was needed was a good nights sleep.

        “Moonlight, why are you molesting the workbench?” Foresight asked from behind me.

        I blushed slightly, then shook my head. “Sorry, been working in here for the past nine hours and a good chunk of the time I have had to heat metal to the point I could hammer it into form with my iron hoof.”

        “That is actually a rather good reason to be laying on the workbench.” Foresight laughed.

        “So what did you come to my lair for?” I asked as I moved off the cool workbench to look at my guest.

        “Just checking on you, wanted to make certain you didn't hurt yourself while working.” Foresight replied.

        “Oh, eh, not really, couple of points I got poked by the replacement parts as I fitted them, nothing some bandages couldn't stop.” I answered as I sat down then drank some water from my canteen.

        “Well that is good. So are we all set to go in the morning?” Foresight asked, joining me in the room and sitting down as well.

        “Should be, just need a good nights sleep is all.” I replied.

        Foresight nodded as he looked over his repaired barding. “This is actually pretty good work, I guess you weren't kidding about learning all those skills in Saint Clover.”

        “Why would I lie about that? What do you think I am some sort of special operative?” I laughed as I shook my head.

        “No, maybe, sort of?” Foresight answered. “You are rather adept at on site procurement as well as stealth and self sufficiency.”

        I giggled. “I think that goes for everypony who spends more than a week in the wasteland. I mean look at scavengers, they have to do everything based on on site procurement as well as having to be highly stealthy and self sufficient. If they weren't they would die, get caught, or run out of caps.”

        “So what are you? A scavenger who is out to do more than make a few caps?” Foresight asked.

        “I would think by now you would know the answer to that. Look at me, I am leading a small group of rather well trained individuals on a mission to get answers and really in the end essentially conquer the region.” I answered. “To what end? To just make tomorrow better than today.”

        Foresight smiled looking at me. “Your answer keeps changing in what words you use.”

        “Because otherwise it would just be copied words and that is boring.” I replied.

        “What you don't want to just give the same answer over and over when I ask you the same question?” Foresight said as he smirked at me.

        “No I don't, Star Paladin.” I replied, smirking at Foresight now.

        “Point taken, Ranger.” Foresight replied.

        “Are we really doing this, Steel Ranger?” I asked.

        “I don't know, how many more titles can you think up for me, Commander?” Foresight countered.

        “I don't know, how about you... Dammit” I cursed as I couldn't figure out another title for him to call him by.

        “That was a sadly short game, Boss.” Foresight laughed.

        “Oh shut up.” I huffed. “Anyways, did Anabel give you stock of her spark grenades and mines?”

        “Oh, right, business.” Foresight hummed. “Yeah, she is going to hand out three spark grenades to each of us, she is going to keep the rest of the spark explosives on herself, more of an issue of that is her main line of defense.”

        “Alright, that is good enough for me. I doubt we will find any spark weaponry in the place, I would figure that would be something on the high priority to take over industrial tools.” I replied.

        “Well, there is likely a lot of industrial equipment lying in that facility. So if we can get to where industrial equipment is I would bet there are auto axes you can use to open the robots there up like nothing. I would also wager there being thermal lances if any armor was being developed there, Zebra's tended to enjoy using those to punch through power armor.” Foresight said as he pulled on his barding.

        “I well alright then, lets hope it isn't too hard to find some nice toys for dealing with security. I also hope we can get some industrial strength gas masks that fit for all of use as well.” I added.

        “Why would we need gas masks?” Foresight asked as he secured his helmet on his side.

        “Because who knows what we are going to face going into the Steel Ranger citadel as well as the sealed areas of Fort Stonehoof.” I replied as I pulled on my lab coat now that I had cooled off.

        Foresight nodded in agreement. “Yes, that would be a good thing to keep our eyes out for. Now as for when we get to the station, we aren't splitting up until after we get through the security door. Once through, lets break into two groups, you and Rose as one team, Anabel and myself for the other.”

        “Sounds good, we will decide who goes where once we know what lies on the other side of that door.” I said as I gathered the gear and readied to carry it upstairs.

        “Are you planning to carry those up the stairs?” Foresight asked.

        “Yes? It isn't like there is a elevator down here.” I answered as I turned to look back at him.

        “Yes there is.” Foresight replied as the wall opened and revealed the elevator.

        “Oh...” I frowned then shook my mane and carried everything into the elevator and waited for Foresight to join me. He hit the button for the ground floor and we ascended. I noticed this time it didn't accelerate or decelerate as fast as last time. “Did you do something to the elevator?”

        “I reset it, somepony had changed it to go far faster than it should.” Foresight answered, I facehoofed with my left fore hoof.

        “Why didn't I think of that at any of the other towers...” I muttered and shook my head again. “Well whatever, lets unload all of this before I go up to broadcasting.”

        “Sounds like a plan.” Foresight said as the door opened to the ground floor.

        We hefted out the equipment and I bid the two goodnight before rising to the broadcasting floor. When the doors opened I found Rose fast asleep.

        “I guess maybe I was at it for too long.” I whispered to myself as I smiled at her. I pulled off my equipment and laid down beside her and let myself drift off.

Footnote: No new level, no new perks, no new anything from a metagame perspective. Once again, if you want experience go kill something lord of death mountain.

Chapter 29 - Research Station Twenty Three

Chapter 29 – Research Station Twenty Three

“Bad things always come in three’s.”

        We had finally made it to the outskirts of Research Station Twenty Three after a few days of walking through the mostly lifeless expanse of the Unbound. Honestly if I didn't know that it was the cold that was making everything hide away I would have scoffed at the place being considered so dangerous. To put it simply, with winter still in effect most life was hidden away, beyond the occasional group of warm blooded critters. Still though, nothing had been that dangerous out here, if anything all we had encountered were critters with a greater perception than you would find else where in the region. Somewhat annoyingly the critters of this area of Seamane also had a decent bit of agility over us. I guess that is how things didn't go extinct out here.

        Now we were relaxing for a bit before making a trail into the station and starting to get an assessment of the station’s current condition and reactions to living entities attempting to enter it. While we rested, and I handed out tea to my companions then made myself busy with my DMR spotting any potential targets on the surface, which wasn’t easy due to the snow drifts.

        “Hmm... Hey Foresight, did the surface have turrets guarding the facility?” I asked as I spotted several almost perfect domes just outside of the chain link fence that marked the parameter of the research station.

        “Yes, but, even when leaving they weren't hostile towards me, I don't even think they get any power nowadays.” Foresight answered.

        “Alright, you three stay here, I’m going to see if they’re still active, EFS after all will tell me that much. If I can, I will also dismantle them, it would be nice to not have them fire upon us if we need to retreat, or just get some more parts and ammo.” I explained as I slung my DMR across my back and began to walk out towards the buried turrets.

        “Be careful, it maybe winter, but, we still are in the Unbound and next to an automated and abandoned military base so don't let your guard down, even for a moment.” Foresight instructed as he took up position to keep an eye on the turrets from our makeshift camp.

        “I know, I walked to Fillydelphia alone, and escaped it.” I answered before turning to the snow drifts ahead of me, I had learned a lot those first few weeks out of Saint Clover.

        A few minutes later of walking and eventually crawling forward I felt my hoof brush past a familiar disk shaped object. There was a minefield here, something that would have been nice to know about before hoof, but, with a light step it was safe enough for me. I gently moved the snow off of the mine by my hoof and proceeded to carefully and slowly disarm the explosive. These mines didn’t have a LED atop of them to indicate if they were live or not. Either time had disarmed them before the arrival of the Steel Rangers, or Foresight and his allies had found a path that was clear. Though it hit me that Foresight and the Steel Rangers likely had come up via a road of some sort that led to the base, that wouldn’t have mines and would have an opening in the fence.

I frowned, my friends didn’t have a light step like I did, which meant I needed to clear a path through these mines if I didn’t want to have to wade through the snow to whatever entrance Foresight had used. The method that made the most sense to me would be to head to the turrets, disable and remove what parts I could from them, and then go back the way I came to my friends so I could take my time and use a fire lance to at least melt the snow along the path to expose the mines if not outright cause the explosives to detonate and leave a nice safe path to the station.  Or I could just shovel the snow with my telekinesis, I felt the latter of the two would be most time and energy efficient.

“I really am getting tired of this snow, but, it shouldn’t be too much longer until it clears up… Maybe once we hit Saint Clover I will just sit on my rump until it all melts away, it would nice to get out of the weather for a while. That or maybe Dune City, I do have a room there…” I pondered to myself, aloud, as I brushed aside snow and mines, a part of me wondering if I could skip the mines on water thanks to their disk shape.

I let out a happy sigh a few minutes later as I finally neared the chain link fence that signaled finally having crossed majority of the minefield.

“Alright, not much longer…” I muttered to myself, my breath steaming out of my mouth as the chill of winter continued to heavily lay itself upon the area. Then I saw a red light in my sight, and then I felt rather warm, I threw snow with my magic into my front arc towards the turrets.

“So fucking much for not being powered!” I swore as I checked where the gatling laser had hit me. “I am so fucking glad I bought some burn ointment, though I expected flamers not fucking magical lasers beams.”

I quickly built up a mound of snow until I heard the laser turret stop firing and then tended to my wounds. Thankfully most of my injuries were just a bit of singed fur and some burnt skin below it where the laser hadn’t hit my armor.

“Alright, so just how the hay do I deal with this?” I asked myself, due to the large number of turrets I couldn’t just pick one off, I had to make a gap in the defenses, invisibility I had yet to test on machines and didn’t I feel like being turned into a pile of ash today.

“If only we had mortars…” I muttered to myself before shaking that thought out of my head, a better idea struck me and I got to executing the plan.

I lifted the snow I had piled around myself and turned the foxhole into a hovering bunker with me inside of it. I proceeded to forward towards the turret, quickly the turret opened fire upon me, I quickly began to shift the snow and water around me to keep a nice thick and cold layer of snow between me and the turret. Thankfully there was a healthy drift of snow covering where the next two turrets would have likely been so all I had to worry about was this one gatling laser turret.

“I am going to strip you down, take your gun, and just leave you pointlessly clicking at me as I trot off.” I explained to the turret as I approached it, the snow having now turned into mostly a dome of water and ice that I held in my magic. I grabbed the turret with my magic to prevent it from tracking me any further. I let my magic go so the water and ice dropped around me, but I was careful to not let it drop on me because hypothermia would be rather unpleasant to deal with out here. I also was uncertain if I could get back to my friends safely and in time for them to treat me if I did go into shock due to ice cold water soaking me if I had let the water drop upon me. Either way, the turret got a few shots off at me charing the combat barding I wore, but, my magic firmly held it in place and I moved around to the back panel on the turret and went to work on shutting it off.

It only took a few moments to open up the turret and power it down as well as unhook the gatling laser. I smiled as I set up my universal battle saddle that I grabbed from one of the bandits we had killed at the gas station a few days ago. Within minutes I had it humming with life, though, the gatling laser made me a bit unbalanced, so no trying to aim and fire the thing while galloping.

“Alright, well, now I just need some rockets or missiles for the other side and I will be good for taking down those damn sentry robots.” I happily said to nopony in particular. “Alright, enough drooling over this fine piece of hot death I just so recently, and easily, acquired, there is more work to do.”

I let out a laugh as I realized I finally had a decently powerful energy weapon on my hooves. “Oh, that is some luck I must say. Though… my luck being my luck I have almost no power for it. Well guess it is time to finish clearing a path to the research station...”

I frowned as I began to plow my way forward to the exposed entrance of the research station.

“If this place is as cleared out as Foresight said it was, there is a good chance there will be almost no ammo in there. Fuck… Well lets hope that we can rip open those robots and take their ammo without much trouble. Though... Knowing my luck they will be all armed with gatling lasers and missile launchers. So, once I finally manage to bring them down all their ammo is either going to be damaged and useless or expended. It is after all my luck…” I finished with a sigh.

“Well I could go for another turret or two, I could balance out my load, though, lack of ammo is going to be a real pain in the ass… Well a third and fourth would allow me to have them in better condition so they should do fair bit more damage that way… Just have to make the shots count, won’t I?” I sat down and stopped my plowing of the snow to make certain there were no further mines for my friends to trip over on the path to the research facility. “Oh fuck it, it‘s worth the trouble.”

With that I took down three more turrets with the same tactic of using snow, ice, and water as a shield then grabbing the turret, walking out of its line of fire and powering it down so I could stripping it for parts. I was able to recharge some power cells for the gatling lasers, but, not much. Thankfully I was able to get my battle saddle evenly loaded with two good quality gatling lasers almost in mint condition, as mint as you can get in the wasteland.

“Okay, that went quite smoothly and quickly, now… I should finish plowing a path for my friends.” I smiled, feeling a bit warmer and livelier than I had in a few days as I was getting to do something that had a visible change on things, also I was getting to do something more than wading through the snow. I turned to my task and began the mind numbing work of clearing the snow and landmines, which sometimes exploded due to being flipped over in the process of telekinetically being plowed with the snow. I slowed as I saw the great hole that marked where the Steel Rangers of Seamane had blasted their way out of the research station, and marked our primary entry method into the facility.

I crawled up to the edge of the hole and made myself invisible before peaking over the ledge into Research Station Twenty Three. From the camera’s on the MASEBS tower I had gotten a decent view of the destruction that lay below me now, but, to see it in person... I let out a slow whistle at the destruction. There were numerous bodies of Steel Rangers, robots, native wildlife, and a fair number of equine skeletons whose tattered clothing barely clung to their remains.

“Damn, they really fucked up these first three floors real hard… and there is a lot to loot here… Well guess I am earning some more caps today, that I have no use for.” I whispered.

I swiftly returned to my friends who paused at seeing my newly aquired gatling lasers strapped to either side of me.

“What, did you expect me not to loot fully functional energy weapons?” I asked with a snort, which rewarded me with a few snorts and giggles. “Come on, I cleared a path through the mines and turret defense grid, we have a clear shot to the hole in the roof of Twenty Three. I would fancy getting below ground before a storm or something nasty comes along.”

“Too bad there is no guarantee that there isn’t something nasty down there waiting for us.” Foresight replied as my three friends moved to take up positions around me, Rose taking up the back of our diamond formation as we headed back into the facility’s grounds. Anabel was keeping to the ground as we now knew the turrets were active around here and we didn’t want to see our feathered friend reduced to ash or roasted turkey.

“True, but, being underground we will be warmer, and, there will be less directions for things come at us from. I also think we are well armed enough by now to handle most things. After all we are a small nimble fireteam and not a platoon or company of ponies stuffed into tight hallways while wearing power armor.” I replied to Foresight as we made it to where I had found the first mine while walking in. Not crawling about made the trip fair faster, plus walking on solid dirt instead of snow helped a fair bit as well.

Foresight just gave a sigh from behind me.

        “Sorry, just…” I fell silent, knowing I had more or less mocked Foresight’s dead friends, family, and compatriots. “Yeah.”

        “Shush, Moony, you cleared a path for us, lets just get there and figure out how we are getting down to that security door that Foresight mentioned.” Rose suggested from beside me, having gotten close in the few moments I had been distracted by regret for what I had said.

        “Yeah, right, lets focus on the mission. Foresight, you alright with looting Steel Ranger bodies?” I asked, I knew we would likely need the supplies, but, they were his…

        “Yeah, it’s fine, I’ll do it, don’t worry about it.” Foresight responded, a bit of life coming back into his voice. “Just keep whatever is down there off of me so I can get the armor open, there should be medical supplies and ammo, and maybe we will take a suit or two with us. I think I can probably train you how to use it, maybe Rose as well, though, I don’t know of any suits of armor that might be here that you could wear for training.”

        “We’ll make do with what we have, that is what we always do, it is the wasteland after all.” Rose replied. “Thank you though.”

        We took a few more steps in silence before Foresight spoke up again. “It’s the least I can do for you helping me out.”

        “Hey, it isn’t a tall order, just solving a mystery is all we are doing, and by the sounds of it, it shouldn’t get anyone after our head.” I replied, glad that really we shouldn’t be drawing the ire of any player in the region to us with this, if anything we were causing those who were watching us to grow bored at our random and pointless actions.

        “Unless someone is sitting in the Steel Ranger bunker and doesn’t take kindly to us entering without asking.” Foresight replied.

        “Well, I will go in first, since I can do the whole invisible thing, while not invisible to E.F.S. it still is frustrating to any foe trying to target me.” I replied. “First things first, we need to loot this place.”

        “Right, lets not get ahead of ourselves, and keep our heads cool and on our shoulders.” Anabel said.

        “Yeah, alright, lets see how this looks up close.” Foresight said as we got sight on the blown out roof of Station Twenty Three.

        We all crawled up to the ledge of the blown out roof and looked over while I did my best to camouflage us from anything that might look at us. Though the strain of making all four of us even slightly obscured was quickly getting to me.

“Spot the path we need to take. I can’t keep us all invisible for long, even when we aren’t moving.” I said before I felt myself start to sweat from the strain.

        “I know where to try looking, first we need to get down, which might be a task in it’s own right, I see a few robots moving about that are outside of our E.F.S. range, bonus and hindrance for us.” Foresight replied. “Drop the spell and catch your breath, Moony.”

        I let out a deep breath and dropped the spell as Rose pulled me back from the ledge.

        “Rose, carry her, yeah I know she has a stupid amount of equipment, but, she is your marefriend, and you are the strongest of us.” Foresight ordered.

        Rose, to her credit, lifted me onto her back without a blink and seemed to effortlessly carry me.

“She isn’t that heavy.” Was the only thing Rose said.

        I just stared at Foresight who looked slightly confused about this, as was I.

“Well, good to know you can effectively carry a pony in full power armor on your back with no ill effect.” Foresight said, slightly dumbfounded.

        “Come on you three, my feathers are standing on end with anticipation.” Anabel replied having found our way down a portion of collapsed roof that gave a nice ramp downwards.

        “We really shouldn’t have you carrying me into combat, Rose.” I said to Rose.

        “You are just an odd battle saddle, nothing more, Moony. One with some nice extra features.” Rose chortled.

        “Alright then, at least I can patch you up if you get hit as soon as you get hit.” I said with a smile.

        Foresight, who I hadn’t seen move of, popped his head up from a hole in the ground, said, “looks like this will hold for us, come on we got our way down, Anabel with me, lets clear the robots, use spark grenades if you got them, we are going to need the ammo and weapons.”

        “Gotcha.” Anabel replied before reloading her grenade launcher with the blue banded forty millimeter grenades meant for crashing spell matrices.

        “Rose, Moonlight, take up the back, you two are our medics and tech experts, we need you two alive for the rest of us to stay alive.” Foresight commanded, showing me once again the reason why the remnants of the Seamane Steel Rangers followed him.

        Rose got us down two levels before I heard the boom of Anabel’s matrix disruption grenades going off followed by the sound of metal being torn apart. I figured Anabel decided to use her talons to quicken the pace of disabling the robots that were out here. I heard a few bursts of automatic gunfire, more than one set of guns, it sounded like Foresight had joined the fray.

        “Rose!” Was all I was able to say before she was bolting forward leaving me to hang onto her with my forehooves as she moved with uncanny speed that beguiled her size. She ran to the ledge of the second level, as she lept of the edge I hit S.A.T.S. and got a still image of the battle arranged before me, like a commander in some turn based strategy game I had a birds eye view of the fight, more or less, and picked my targets, since I wasn’t the one moving it was easier to target what I wanted to.

        Time crawled forward as my twin gatling lasers spooled up and unleashed hot red death upon our automaton foes. The lasers did little per beam, however, the sustained fire quickly sliced off arms of Protector-Ponytrons and those creepy floating spider bots. Anabel was using the deactivated body of a Ponytron as cover from the onslaught of robots coming out of a doorway that was likely the one we needed to go down, it was also the only one I could see. While time kept crawling slowly Rose finally landed as I switched to firing my fourth and final burst of automatic lasers. Two more robots had pushed through the doorway and Anabel had sent another grenade soaring across the intervening air at them. Battle in the slowed time of S.A.T.S. had an odd beauty with it’s muffled sound and crystal clear clarity as things progressed at an extreme fraction of the normal pace of time. While many times I had used S.A.T.S. and marveled at it’s effects on the world around me, it was always jarring how the hectic mess of combat which usually took a minute of a second to resolve took seconds from my perspective.

As S.A.T.S ran out for me I could tell Foresight and Rose had opened up using S.A.T.S. as well with their respective pipbuck’s ensuring that this combat would be over before I could even hop off the back of Rose and get to re-position myself in cover.

        As time resumed its normal pace I felt physics bounce back to existing as momentum dragged Rose and myself towards the ground as her knees bent from the landing. She didn’t push back up and instead went down hard and stayed down under me. At first I was scared she had gotten shot while coming down and I hadn’t seen it while in S.A.T.S. or in the few moments I had been out of the effect of the magical program. Instead she just groaned as I heard the last robot’s braincase explode and capacitors pop.

        “Rose, are you okay?” I asked as I slide myself off of her.

        “Yeah, just came down a bit too hard, can’t possibly imagine why though.” Rose said with a small laugh to punctuate my added weight had done her no favors on that landing on the loose debris we were now both laying in.

        “Alright, let me look you over. Foresight, Anabel, I need to get Rose back on her hooves, you two secure that doorway!” I barked at my two mobile allies. “Once Rose is back up, Foresight you loot what you can, then we get inside and find what we are after!”

        “Righto, Moony!” Anabel called back as I heard the two quickly move for the doorway as I got Rose on her side so I could check her ankles. She didn’t require much medical attention, if we were somewhere else or in another time period it would have been ice and a day or two staying off of them, but, here and now, no such favors were given. I gave her a healing potion and a tablet of Buck. “Lets get moving, Rose.”

        Rose simply nodded and got up after the Buck hit her and her ankles had begun to lose their swelling.

        I went straight to the doorway and Rose assisted Foresight in acquiring ammo and equipment from the bodies and machines that lay here. One interesting thing I saw get strapped to the back of my marefriend was a Balefire Egg Launcher. One hell of a fun toy, for someplace not so cramped, as well as I should make that thing have a folding rail so it can fit easier on the back of her, she looked right with heavy artillery on her, maybe that was just her large frame speaking to me.

        “Moony, I know that look, yes you can work on the launcher when we have time. No, you can’t use that time to work on me, this place is too dangerous for that.” Rose said with a wicked smile on her face. I blushed.

        “Wrenches still are not meant for that and that is highly unsanitary, and I don’t know why you thought clamps were a good idea!” I stammered.

        “I really didn’t need to hear that.” Anabel and Foresight said together.

        “There you go again, Moony, telling everyone about our sex life, tisk tisk.” Rose said mockingly.

        “Get in the hole and clear me a path to the door or I am going to start making you all dance with my twin-linked disco lasers.” I barked at my friends, they laughed for a second before the hum of my gatling lasers powering up sent them running as I started to maddeningly laugh.

        I stopped laughing a few moments later and sighed happily. “Okay, so maybe my love of weaponry is also useful in social situations.” I giggled before a breeze cut through my lab coat, armor, and furry pony coat below that. “That is really cold…”

        I shivered and headed through the doorway to hear distant bangs, pops, and other sounds of combat as my friends were clearing the path ahead. I stopped and looked both ways, the sound wasn’t traveling quite right as neither direction sounded closer than the other.

        “Are the acoustics here just weird or what…” I mumbled to myself before checking the floor for fresh tracks. Which didn’t work out, there were tracks in every direction in the dust that lay here. “Well buck me…”

        I frowned and looked at the two paths I could take, left was even, right was odd, I Looked at the time readout on my E.F.S. the last digit was odd. “To the right we go, I guess.”

        As I headed right the sounds of fighting continued, and didn’t draw any closer, nor did they drop off, it must have somehow been whatever was left of the ventilation system, or some sort of enchantment.

        “Great, not ten minutes into exploring this place and I am already separated and lost.” I huffed in frustration as I entered an office full of desks, the whole place burnt with likely the balefire that came from the desperate escape of the Steel Rangers years ago. “And nothing of use in here.”

        I tried a desk drawer to find that it was flash welded shut, I took a glance around and saw that the rest of the desks showed the slightly warped signature that this one did. “Fucking useless. Alright, other way I guess.”

        I then caught something moving in the doorway to the left of me. I grabbed a desk with my magic and attempted to throw it, only to find that the slight melting of the desk had also fused it with the floor as well. The field of my magic broke upon the immovable desk in a shimmering blue fog that was quickly sliced apart by lasers and a missile. I, with my highly exercised reflexes, shoved the missile off course into an adjacent wall and opened fire with my own lasers, I also grasped at the reloading mechanism on the sentry bot’s missile launcher with my magic to prevent it from properly loading another missile. I heard a loud thunk and then the sentry bot exploded, I felt bits of metal ting off of my armor.

        “Okay, that was far more of an effective tactic on these things than I expected. Though…” I trailed off having galloped up to the destroyed sentry bot. “There is barely anything to loot thanks to the secondary explosions.”

        I kicked on my E.F.S. hostile tracking feature that I had turned off at some point after I had checked the time. There were red bars everywhere. “Oh… well shit.”

        I then paused, I had never turned any function of my E.F.S. off, this place had disabled it, which was how the Steel Rangers likely got into such a dire situation, this place had the ability to trigger partial spell matrix crashes, and likely full matrix crashes on anything that wasn’t shielded like power armor and pipbucks.

“Oh… this is bad, really, really bad.” I muttered. “Okay, regroup first, then the sealed door.”

My E.F.S. politely tagged my friends and the door, I was right, I had gone the wrong way, but, only for getting to my friends, I was going the right way for the door. I grabbed one of the spark grenades I was given and threw it down the hall that lead to the door then charged with sword and pistol drawn back towards my friends. If anything I would draw attention away from my friends and towards what was likely labeled as a high security section of the facility. Of course that was gambling on the computers controlling the robots here still worked and the robots weren’t set to just kill anyone who didn’t belong while randomly patrolling the hallways.

I returned to the hallway I had taken the wrong turn at to find two floating spider bots already closing on me, hacksaws first, flamers and magical energy weapon arrays tracking me as well, their bars were red.

“I really wish there was some way to tell distance with E.F.S. of hostiles!” I cried out as magical energy and fire was flung my way as I dashed to the side of the doorway. The fire spilled out and around catching my coattails and my tail, two desks caught the M.E.W. bolts and melted into green goo. I quickly smothered the lingering flames on my tail and spooled up the gatling lasers. I had a feeling these spider bots were tougher than the usual ones. I sat waiting for the bots to come after me for a full minute, instead occasional gouts of fire and bursts of pale green bolts of energy passed through the doorway.

“Of course they are smarter than the usual robots.” I cursed as I prepared a spark grenade to toss at the robots so I could get out there and either cripple or power down the two robots.

“Eat this you robotic fuckers!” I shouted as I tossed the grenade through the doorway as I darted to the other side of it in the office I was in.

A gout of fire and plasma seared past me and then there was a small bang, some clattering, and an electric hiss or hum with a burst of static that flowed through me making my fur stand on end where it wasn’t covered and my mane to become annoyingly fuzzy. I peaked my head around to see the two Mister Gutsy robots still functional, but, temporarily shut off. I galloped up to them and quickly put my power hoof through their weak combat inhibitor panel and to finish them off. I quickly went and yanked out the flamer fuel, flamers, plasma pistols, and energy cells. I would make use of them later, the flamers would likely be handy with dealing with local wildlife and raiders once we were headed to the Steel Ranger bunker and then into Seamane. For now, I had to get to my friends.

My ears twitched at the silence. Silence was bad, it meant either my friends were down, or they were further away, or trapped behind a door.

“I need to get moving, quickly, damn it why did I let myself do that.” I cursed and berated myself for making my friends run ahead of me, and go the wrong way. “Alright, lets catch up.”

I quickly moved down the hall, ignoring the possibilities of any traps as my friends would have likely set those off already, and my light step would let me bypass any that were still around and not magic or light based. With galloping I came across where my friends had been fighting several sentry bots as well as Mister Gutsy’s, I frowned and looted the downed robots for parts, we likely would need them, or I would, or something.

Two minutes later the robots were missing their weapon clad limbs, their entrails looted for spare parts and ammo. I adjusted the ever growing sack of parts, weapons, and supplies that sat atop of my battle saddle and back.

“Okay, forward, again, still no shooting, no crying, and the tag is still marking where my friends are, which…” I frowned. “I haven’t been paying attention to so I don’t know if it has moved or not. Whatever! Time to move!”

With that I began galloping again, passing destroyed doors, desks, chairs, chest high walls that were used for easy to hide behind cover, and a lot of destroyed robots, full of holes. My attention being elsewhere I slammed full gallop into a chest high wall, sending me up and over it, landing on my back, the various poky parts of my looted equipment poking at me in my back jabbing between plates of my armor under my labcoat. My horn still rested on the lip of the cover holding my head up as I lay there for a moment just groaning.

I slowly rolled over and double checked nothing was broken or requiring immediate treatment. I heard an explosion echo off the hallway I was in, I looked and saw the tags for my friends moving again, there was still a rather worrying amount of red bars, but, I could make out their blue bar’s ever now and again. I had no time for whatever bruises I had just given myself, I rolled too my hooves and began running with reckless abandon to catch up with my friends who’s tags were drowning in a sea of red bars.

As I galloped down the ruined hallways I took a corner at full speed my hooves landing on a metal panel of a destroyed robot making me slide into the wall across the hallway as the sound of fighting grew twice as loud and I saw turrets and robots still smoking from combat. As I hit the wall I heard something crack in my shoulder, apparently my armor and padding in my coat wasn’t enough to prevent injury. I groaned as I got back up, I saw a grenade bounce into the other end of the hallway and I grabbed the plate I had slide on and held it as a blast shield against the impending grenade detonation. I felt the pressure wave roll over me as shards of metal pinged off of and embedded into my makeshift shield.

“I need to get a proper ballistic shield.” I swore to myself over the ringing in my ears as I moved forward and ripped out a still intact chest panel of several sentry bots and held them together in my magic. I would need some time and heat to forge them together and give myself a nice shield to protect myself, but, for now it would help. However, I knew that if any missiles or other explosives were thrown directly at me I would be in a hard place. I secured three of the panels on my back and kept one out as I ran forward with my gatling lasers humming with power.

The scene I ran into was chaos, as any fight truly is, my friends were pinned down, Anabel was stuck hiding in a doorway, Foresight was huddled behind another one of those automatically raising chest high walls, and I couldn’t spot where Rose was, I had to guess she was obstructed by one of the seven different robots who all had their backs to me. I bit the bridle mounted trigger for my gatling lasers and sprayed tens of red beams of burning death into the backs of the robots. A few of the robots turned on their once allies as I destroyed their combat inhibitors, one out right just went limp as I finished it off. I kept the bit tightly between my teeth as I continued to fire into the machines, one turned a brilliant red as it fell apart at the atomic level and became nothing but ashes. With the chaos of my arrival my friends began to open up against our armored autonomous foes. With our combined firepower as well as the frenzied robots fighting one another we made short work of them.

“Moonlight, is that you?” Foresight called out from the other side of the battlezone.

“Yeah, how is everyone, anyone need medical attention?” I called back as I began to scavenge off of the downed robots, having another chance to get my hooves on some military grade hardware.

“Rose is down, you might want to take a look at her before those robots!” Anabel called back, halfway through her saying so I had already smashed through the remains of the robots with my telekinesis into the walls so I could get to my Rose. The tags in my vision clearly showed where Rose was, I barreled past Anabel, nearly tripping her as I passed through the doorway she was standing in.

Rose was laying, but, breathing on the floor, there was a worrying amount of blood staining her armor and coat, and a frightful amount. I saw a rather large piece of metal sticking out of her barrel.

“Rose…” I quietly murmured as I walked up to her, feeling numb seeing her so badly injured. “Rose?”

She didn’t respond.

I did see she was breathing regularly, though, shallowly. I got next to her before my legs gave out, but, I didn’t try to keep myself up to take care of her. I pulled out one of the medkits I had prepared and began to get to work addressing her blood loss. First came stabilizing, so I needed to do what I could to prevent her condition from getting worse, at the moment blood loss seemed to be the biggest and most troubling problem for her. But, I didn’t have a way to quickly take care of her wounds as a great deal of shrapnel was still protruding from her, and there was the threat of broken bones. No, I had to use bandages. I began with using my magic to apply pressure around each wound one by one and using my teeth to pull out the shrapnel that was stuck in Rose’s body. I quickly began to taste her blood on my lips as I kept working furiously against the creeping specter of death. Quickly wrapping each wound with a bandage I switched to another bleeding injury on her. I soon found myself stripping her heavily damaged barding off so I could get better access to her underside where a large piece of metal was caught.

“Oh sisters… please let this have missed her internal organs.” I prayed to our fallen princesses. I quickly wrapped my magic around the wound, deep into Rose making certain to hold everything in place before I began to pull out the terrifyingly large piece of metal that had embedded itself in my marefriend’s stomach. The blood and guts I had worried about coming out never did, my magic held everything that was supposed to be inside, inside.

        I gulped and remembered the fact she still had a great deal more injuries with bits of metal in them, and her bones weren’t healed, and yet, she desperately needed this wound to be closed up, and while I could mass shove things with my magic, doing fine manipulation on dozens of spots was beyond me even at the best of times. Right now I was doing everything I could to figure out a solution so Rose didn’t bleed out on me. The only thing that I could do was hope pouring a healing potion into the wound and then holding said wound closed would be enough for now.

        I reached into the medkit and pulled out a healing potion, I pulled the stopper out of it and help the potion by it’s neck in my mouth, I started to pour it when it slipped from my teeth and fell, shattering, the healing mixture swirled with Rose’s blood on the floor.

        “Anabel! I need you to help, I-I can’t do this on my own!” I cried out, giving up on being able to do anything more than hold my marefriend together in my present state. Anabel swooped in and must have understood what I was trying to do and did what I could not. She saved Rose’s life while the stress of seeing Rose like this and my fear of losing her consumed me.

        Things blurred and spun in my sight all I could smell was Rose’s blood, I could taste her blood on my lips. She was right next to me and she mattered the most to me out of everything in the world, and when she needed me most I couldn’t help her because the weight of screwing up paralyzed me with fear. I couldn’t lose her, I couldn’t fail myself and her. I couldn’t risk screwing up so I had to let someone else take care of her in the end. But, wasn’t that more of a betrayal of her trust in me, I had the best of knowledge and skill in medicine out of our group, I should be saving her life.

        But I had, I just couldn’t do the rest. I had stopped a large amount of blood loss, I had removed an injury that would have killed her, I had saved her life. I just couldn’t finish the job. It still hurt though, not being able to help the one I loved most because I couldn’t keep it together, because I couldn’t handle the thought of losing her, the stress of the idea of losing her enough to make me panic and be unable to use my skills to their fullest extent. Nopony would blame me for it, except myself, because I didn’t like losing my ability to control myself.

        “Moonlight, keep an eye on Rose, Foresight and I are going to seal up the door we just came through. She needs rest, we need to patch our armor, and I think you have some mental wounds to lick.” Anabel said, I didn’t look up, I just moved closer to Rose and buried my muzzle into the fur on her neck. “Get some rest.”

        I woke up a while later, the dim flickering halogen lights that remained in their fixtures stumping my sense of time, there was no source natural light to aid my mind in figuring out what time it should be. I blinked a few times trying to wash away the lingering hold of sleep on my sight. I looked around the room to see that Anabel and Foresight were actually asleep as well, and that the equipment in the room had been stuffed against all the doors leading into our room that Rose had collapsed in. I looked down at my hooves to see them and my coat stained with blood, I looked at Rose who I had been using as a pillow to see her breathing deeper, more regular, and no noticeable rasp, covered in bandages. I lay my head against her chest and listened to her heartbeat, to her breathing. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

        I checked my E.F.S. to see what time it was, again my E.F.S. had crashed and I turned it back on, grateful for the shielding pipbuck’s had. I smiled gently seeing we had managed to stay safe for the past twelve hours. I pulled off my gear, as well as what remained on Rose and began to clean the two of us up. There was no point to have blood and the smell of blood upon us, even if we were only expecting machines here, it would be best to clean it up for the sake of hygiene as well as once we go surface side again, smelling of blood tended to attract nasty things.

        It dawned on me that we had several options for how to proceed. Rose was going to need more time to heal, but, she and I had both been given keycards, and so was Foresight. It dawned on me even though there was a significant part of me that wanted to send her away on Anabel’s back to Dune City for proper healing. However, we needed both Anabel and Rose to get past that security door, unless we wanted to blow a hole in the side of the ruins. Though demolition work wasn’t the best idea as this place was likely not far from having another collapse. What might be a better idea is finding some sort of map and head for a medical area. While supplies may not be here, I doubted they took all the machinery. While Operation Stardust seemed to have been the removal of equipment from nonessential facilities to, I guessed, stockpile them where they would be used in an attempt to wait out the end of the world, I doubted they would take operating tables.

        Then again, who knows how well stripped this place was. There were still terminals, though burnt, desks, chairs, and robots. Hell, why did they not just have the robots follow them out when they looted the place for Operation Stardust? Something about that just didn’t add up, why lock a door further in and leave ageless guardians?

        It dawned upon me. “Of course, because there is something of far more value than just a few tools and some supplies they couldn’t take with them. They wouldn’t risk moving data, the only copy of data on the eve of the apocalypse.” I whispered to myself, as to not awaken my comrades.

        Slowly though it hit me how useless that was. Data for what? Long abandoned and dead experiments in how to develop weapons and armor that I could not hope to reproduce with the imprecise and crude equipment of the post apocalyptic world that I inhabited. It stung a bit, to figure this out and realize in the end there was little benefit to getting the data from this place for me.

        “But of course…” I muttered, remembering the horrible cyberpony we had met heading towards the Unbound outside of Colt. “Somepony has the resources to make use of the knowledge hidden here. But, how are they going to get it from us?”

        Then it hit me, that stallion had abducted Rose and myself from Mixers without issue. They would simply connect to our pipbucks and grab the data, even if I did some tricks with encryptions that wouldn’t last long. So who would it be best to have it on? Hide it on some scrap electronics? Or maybe my dog tags, or… oh yes, we put the data either on a hidden chip in the Pipbuck Zero that Anabel had, or, I embedded it within my powerhoof. Both would be places that weren’t looked at, though I figured my Powerhoof would be the best place, now I just needed to get the brains of a robot big enough for the archive, though, we needed to first see how big said archive was.

        I had a plan to fool those using us, and a plan of where to head next in this facility. I turned EFS back on and was greeted with a rather barren read out of tags. There were the three around me, tied to the blue bar in my vision showing my friends. There were maybe two or three red bars, hard to tell when they got too close to one another, and then three more markers. One for the tools, one for the door, and the last one I figured popped up when I had thought about the medical facilities. Because seriously with how far away this place was by hoof from anywhere else, they had to have their own medical facilities, hell, there should even be living quarters, food stocks, which I imagined would be long bad by now, and an armory. This wasn’t just a hole in the ground for research, it was a military base that had research done in it.

        “Guns, science, medicine, ammo, tools, information, and food. This place has it all, doesn’t it?” I asked quietly to the silent room, filled only with the hum of ventilation systems.

        My ears twitched at my noticing of the ventilation systems still being functional, as well as the lights for the first time. “Oh, well now… Why leave ventilation on? I can understand the lights to a degree, but, why the air…”

        “Because the systems are automated, and without anypony being around dust wouldn’t accumulate, plus, while you might not notice it, while the air is rather stale down here, and in this room as well. However, it hasn’t been getting worse, but, the filters are clogged to all hell.” Foresight quietly answered for me. “Nopony else is alive here, just us and those robots. Which it seems those robots have forgotten about us, once the others are up, we need to get moving again. I think everything of use is past that door so drag Rose with us once Anabel is up.”

        “You two take the lead and quietly keep the path clear for me and Rose?” I asked, I got a quick nod from Foresight. “You two keep focused on staying quiet and hidden, I am going to just run my invisibility spell and get Rose and I there. In fact, I am going to take her now, there is no point in waiting. I still have a spark grenade, and worse case scenario I do have a lot of weapons.”

        “I know, how about you get your battle saddle loaded out with something other than those gatling lasers, while they are nice, they didn’t seem to do much unless you got a lucky shot off with them.” Foresight suggested, moving quietly over to me from where he had hunkered down.

        I frowned then nodded, I moved a bit away from Rose and then got about stripping off all of my bags and the battle saddle itself. With Foresight’s help we got my battle saddle set up again, and with a bit of fancy wasteland engineering got a nice array of weapons set up. Rocket launchers for serious explosive destruction, incase I needed to blow out a wall, or a tank, and then an array of plasma pistols for some nice armor ignoring death. With the bit of use I had gotten with the gatling lasers, and my general lack of skill with energy weapon handling, we were able to put together one fully functional gatling laser out of the two I had. Apparently with energy weapons you had to be careful about overheating the delicate internal components as well as the barrels. That or I was built to destroy, but, that didn’t seem likely with how long my good old gunpowder guns seemed to last.

        “Now, energy weapon battle saddle configurations aren’t typical for Steel Rangers, but, the Enclave, or Ministry of Awesome as they once were, love their energy weapons. But, I figure you have your own style, and that style is whatever is most killy. I would say, that you are now set up to be plenty killy.” Foresight said with a smile.

        “No such thing as overkill, well, I guess overkill if it hits yourself or your friends, since that is killing not what you want dead, which is bad.” I replied smiling as well. There was an odd glow though now thanks to the arrays of plasma pistols, their green sick light reminding me of Stable Twenty Three’s reactor core.

        “Bringing back some not so fun memories, Moonlight?” Foresight asked after I had been staring at the plasma pistols for probably longer than I intended.

        “Yeah, it is the same color as those rings back in Stable Twenty Three, the one inside the reactor room, and from the reactor itself.” I replied, my eyes still fixed on the plasma pistols. “Not entirely the best memories I have, but, I do have worse.”

        “I know, but, I guess this is something you will get used to pretty quickly, right?” Foresight probed.

        “Yeah, I should, just, a bit mesmerizing is all, just like it was in Twenty Three.” I replied before shaking my head to break my focus on the sinister green glow of my plasma pistols.

“What you said something back in Hoofington about a not so good thing or effect connected to Starmetal, do you think that plasma weapons use a directed form of that effect?” Foresight asked, I blinked at him glad to have a thought provoking question asked of me, something that wasn’t life or death, or focused on our current situation.

“Well maybe, but, that the field of death, enervation, that is emitted from Starmetal when energized, even the disruptive green field that one can see doesn’t have any effect on inorganic materials, otherwise Stable Twenty Three, and probably a good chunk of Manehattan, and quite likely a lot of other places, would be glass or worse. As it is, energized Starmetal, if you could focus and narrow the field of enervation into a cone even, if not a solid cylinder, would make a nasty weapon allowing one to ignore armor, buildings, and even vehicles. Hell… It would be the next step in megaspells. I mean, think about it, a bomb or directed beam of death, that just kills, it doesn’t destroy infrastructure, it doesn’t ruin power lines, steel mills, power plants, roads, rails…” I trailed off. “Maybe the world ended just at the right time to have not have been worse than what we see today…”

        “What if somepony had though made a weapon with starmetal?” Foresight asked.

        “Well, given its non reactiveness to other materials, a blade would work quite nicely, apparently specialized bullets exist down south that make you lose your limb if you are lucky, if not, well... you will die a rather painful death due to Starmetal Poisoning.” I explained. “Though, if you made a projectile weapon out of it, that was energy based, I don’t know, would be a potent energy source so you could probably pump the energy levels in a small or any scale energy weapon that could fire pretty far and never have to reload. Hell, probably could make a constant beam out of it that just burrows through whatever is in front of you, or make it wide dispersal and just melt everything like one of my melta blasts from my horn when I get the time to build up enough magic.”

        “Right, that spell you were doing back when we got pinned in Hoofington, that you used to give us cover to escape with.” Foresight said as he recalled events from roughly a month ago. “I also seem to recall seeing a beam arcing off the roof of Tenpony, I am guessing that was you once your horn got fixed?”

        I beamed, remembering how it felt to use my magic again, almost orgasmic in how exhilarating and liberating it was to have that core piece of me back. “Yes, that was me, going a bit overboard.”

        “And here I thought all I had to worry about was you throwing heavy things, maybe we should just bypass that door and have you melt us a way down.” Foresight said before chuckling.

        “That… wait, you are joking not being serious. I was just about to explain how in several ways that was a horrible idea.” I said giggling along side him.

        “Moonlight, how long has it been since you ate.” I heard Rose say from behind me, I stood up a bit straighter as I froze, I felt my face go flush with embarrassment at the thought I had just woken up my critically injured marefriend with my laughing and excessive rambling.

        “Um… since before we entered this place.” I said meekly as my stomach growled loudly that I was certain Anabel’s movement was her stirring from her sleep.

        “You should eat then.” Rose replied, dryly.

        “Actually, you should eat a lot, Moonlight. Anabel and I had to take the liberty of using some of your blood to replace Rose’s since you weren’t awake to walk us through dealing with major blood loss.” Foresight replied.

        “Is that why I just slept for twelve hours straight after panicking and breaking down?” I asked, a bit frustrated, but, understanding of my two friends quick thinking.

        “You didn’t think that you’re stressing out over Rose’s situation warranted that much sleep, did you?” Foresight asked. “Here I thought you were the medical expert among us.”

        The smile on his face almost made me deck him, with my powerhoof fused hoof.

        “Be happy you got me in a good mood earlier with asking me those questions and helping me with the battle saddle or you would be in a Foresight shaped dent in the wall.” I hissed before moving to get myself a heavy meal to make up for about a missed days worth of eating.

“Oh I am happy, I like not getting beat up then patched up by the same person, it is quite disconcerting.” Foresight replied before hopping back out of my reach as I swung at him with my powerhoof. “Alright, I’ll let you eat in peace, I’ll plan out our course with Anabel.”

I simply glared at him as he trotted, no, pranced off to talk to Anabel. “We are all mad down here, I swear.” I muttered between bites of canned apple slices.

“Well it takes a strong mind to not go completely off the deep end in our world. And nobody is truly sane anymore, the state of the world doesn’t allow it.” Rose said to me as she broke out some food for herself.

“Yeah, well, sometimes I wonder if the element of laughter is just trying to find a new home and making ponies do weird things to see if they are worthy of it.” I replied. “And for that matter where are those damned elements, the world is going to need them if we are to clean up our home again and make it liveable.”

“Getting ahead of ourselves again, are we not, dear?” Rose asked as I moved to lay with her as we ate.

“Yeah, first we take care of this place, then investigate what happened to our local chapter of Steel Rangers, then… yeah, there’s a lot of stuff on our list to do before saving the world and being the big fucking heroines of the wasteland.” I said looking down at my can of food.

“You know the wasteland doesn’t really need a whole bunch of heroes, it needs more of, well, well intentioned individuals.” Rose said, giving my cheek a nudge with her muzzle.

“It has a lot of plausibly well intentioned extremists already. I guess we are just weeding out the competition before taking center stage and trying to get the place working the way we think it should work…” I frowned. “It isn’t going to work out, is it?”

“We won’t know until we get there, don’t dwell on it, just focus on clearing those who would willingly do harm. It is the best we can do, maybe by making room for ponies to act without so many things pushing and pulling them in so many directions they will make the right choice and we can start dragging ourselves out of this miserable chapter of ponykind.” Rose offered.

“Maybe,” is all I said.

An hour later and everyone was ready, and I hadn’t said anything further, or really thought. My mood had darkened and my thoughts clouded and failing to resolve into anything beyond mere vague feelings. I finally wrestled myself back to coherent thought and donned my newly armed battle saddle. The green glow from the plasma pistol arrays I could vaguely see, but, it was to the point it was more like the light from a pipbuck lamp behind me instead of that baleful glow those plasma pistols reminded me of. I figured I would need to put some sort of shield over the glowing bits so I wouldn’t give myself away to anything smarter than a tin can.

I shook my head and focused on what needed to be done, we had to make our way back to the sealed door and get past it by whatever means necessary.  Of course worst case scenario would be we melted through the door or the wall around it, possibly the floor. Honestly, the main thing that scared me was what lay behind that door, and what was between here and the door. These robots were hardened, meant for combat against military grade rounds and equipment. Plus as I had earlier concluded there had to be something worth protecting here that required keeping the place online and guarded as well as sealed. Whatever it was, it was decided to be worth enough to leave this much hardware to protect it.

“Is everyone ready?” I asked as I finished tightening the final strap on my gear with my magic.

“As ready as I ever will be, Commander.” Rose responded with a hint of sarcasm. The other two just gave me a nod to indicate their readiness.

“Alright then, lets move out, I am taking up the front, I still have the smallest profile of all of us still, somehow, Foresight, you take the rear, Anabel behind me, Rose, you should know where you will be in the line.” I explained as my companions moved into a single file line behind me as I looked at them. “Okay, lets get to the door and get back on track, enough screwing, around we have a job to do.”

With that I opened the door that Foresight and Anabel had sealed off. The other side looked as I remembered it. I paused checking for anything moving, checking my E.F.S. for any movement that might indicate our being detected again or a patrol moving towards us.

“All clear, for now, lets get moving, my coat is beginning to crawl with paranoia.” I said as I began down the hall keeping the bit for my plasma pistol array at the corner of my mouth, this place was one of the first actively and truly hostile places I have gone where I could fight back. Stable Twenty Three had invisible fields of death, Fillydelphia there just were too many to fight, and Hoofington was a thing that was just not something I could fight, it was an entire fucking city, an entire location, not a small isolated area, or an object, or a group of people, it was a thing, a really big thing with lots of parts that to even get close to was certain death.

Honestly I prefered my neck of the woods or Manehatten, both places were more straight forward, you had ruins that generally had something in them that wanted you dead and all you had to do was make them dead first. Then you loot the place, lick your wounds, and move on. Yeah I couldn’t really take on a settlement, barring Raiderville that I took out on my own, but things like Dune City, Saint Clover, Colt, Slate’s settlement, even Oakmare. But, half of those I didn’t want to hurt, one of them I was going to avoid as best as possible, and the last one, Oakmare, I needed to do something about eventually. The keyword being eventually, it might just be pressure through leaning on some traders to just avoid Oakmare until things changed to my liking. Of course that was if I could get Dad into power at Saint Clover and able to convince ponies around Seamane to see things my way and help make those of Redeye’s forces loosen up.

With the slow pace we crept towards the door. We had managed to avoid several patrols while thinking about everything. I finally shook my mind off of distant places and things that were without meaning in the immediate context of our environment. I needed to focus on not dying and not letting my friends die. I also needed to focus on not getting shot in the face with magical energy.

I screamed as a Mister Gutsy set my head alight with fire from its build in flamethrower and moved in with its Buzzsaw. I rolled and tried to put out the fire as I heard a pleasant volume of firepower open up into the rogue robot. I heard the damn thing clattered to the ground as I felt magic wrap itself around my head, I gasped for breath and found none. I quickly gathered what was happening, Rose was using her magic to smother the fire that was burning my coat. A few moments later I felt the magic lift and I took in a deep breath and opened my eyes. There was an odd blue light now illuminating the corridor.

“Why is there a blue light?” I asked as Rose looked at me slightly perplexed.

After a moment Rose opened her mouth and responded to my question. “Your mane, it is… on fire.”

“But, it doesn’t burn, and you smothered it…” I replied before looking at what bits of my mane lay at the corners of my vision to see the edges of it having the quality of a blue flame in slow motion, and oddly translucent and glowed incandescently.

We stood there for a moment in quiet contemplation and bewilderment at my now slightly flame like hair that gave off a soft blue light.

“This is going to make going unseen a lot harder, because I am now a light shining in the dark, literally.” I finally said breaking the silence that was marked with the subtle thrum of the ventilation system and light hum of the lights.

“We’ll figure out something, I guess it just took a while for that mutation to fully present itself, I mean, you did several times flake ash in embarrassment as well as have your mane and tail catch fire when emotions ran high…” Rose replied.

“Maybe when we get into a situation where we don’t need light it will go out on it’s own.” I offered, hoping to be proven right later on, I really didn’t want to have to hide my mane and tail whenever I needed to sneak around in the dark.

“At least you will be a lot easier for us to spot.” Foresight said. “Come now, I will take the lead, you take the rear.”

I nodded and let the group go ahead of me and then walked slowly backwards behind them covering everyones rear with my body covered in layers of armor, weapons, and random bits of gear. I realized once again, I tended to gather a ton of things on my person whenever we went out. Then again, it really helped our caps bag, however pointless that was, whenever we hit a town or someone willing to trade.

We silently made our way to the door we had meant to open yesterday.

“Alright, Moonlight, Rose, with me, lets get this door open. Anabel?” Foresight asked, pausing for Anabel to look at him. “Smash.”

Anabel just rolled her eyes. I walked up to the imposing door that showed a slight bit of aging, various scrapes from being opened and closed in the past, the sides of it having hazard stripes painted on it. There was nothing but a simple card reader on the side. The card reader didn’t have any read out other than a red bar saying everything that needed to be said. I fished out my card from my pack, Foresight and Rose did the same.

As I had my card out first I approached the door first and pressed my card against the panel that lay below the red light. With nary a sound I heard a faint affirmative beep and the light went green.

“Well, one down, two to go.” I said as I stowed my card and took a couple of steps to the side. “Who’s next?”

Foresight made his way to the card reader with his card, I lowered my stance ready to charge and fire at anything on the other side of the door. The quiet drone of the ventilation system was the only sound beyond our breathing and the quiet hoof steps of my partners. I glanced over my shoulder to see that Anabel was standing on her hind legs while holding her grenade rifle. I turned back to see Foresight push his card against the reader and the quiet affirmative beep went out as the light went green again.

“Alright Rose, last one.” Foresight said, moving away from the card reader and taking up a defensive stand, his battle saddles cycling ammo to a heavier load, I saw the hint of green on the shells. I refocused my sight on the door and what might lay beyond it.

Rose finally approached the card reader, as she does I feel I hear something moving behind us and start to tense. I steal a glance at Foresight who I can see by the look on his face he heard the same and has tensed up greatly as well, I look back at Rose who had paused and was looking behind us.

“Quickly, if we get through the door we can close it behind us and keep whatever is out here away from us.” I hissed at Rose, she shook her head and quickly pressed the card against the reader.

“Beep”

The door slowly slide open, almost silently, the other side was a yawning gulf of darkness, and absolutely silent.

“Go.” I whispered, as I crept forward, my mane and tail lighting the walls in faint blue light. We made it in and then suddenly the door loudly slammed shut, I turned to see Anabel safely with us, millimeters past the door.

“Well, now we just have to navigate our way through here, anyone need a light?” I asked.

“We are all veterans of scavenging, Moonlight, we all have at least a lighter.” Anabel replied.

I nodded. “Alright, Foresight, how should we go about this, who with who?”

“Well, lets find a layout for this place first, then we will split up to find things.” Foresight answered.

“Alright.” I answered and then paused listening and hearing nothing. “The ventilation… it is off.”

        “Well, this place is rather large, I don’t think that will be an issue, unless we spend a couple of weeks here.” Foresight replied, then I saw his head turn as he looked at me. “Though, maybe less with your mane and tail as they are, everyone keep down how much you fire, we need to be careful, who knows how much breathable air is left in here, it might behoove us to put on air masks for now.”

        I nodded and pulled out my gasmask and secured a fresh filter on it after I put it on. I looked at my companions and they were busy doing the same.

        “Foresight, we should have grabbed you one of those Steel Ranger’s suits of power armor.” I said my voice now distorted by my gasmask.

        “Hindsight is twenty-twenty, Foresight isn’t.” He answered, I could tell he was smiling under his gasmask.

        “Alright, enough quips, if we are on the clock for how long we can survive down here we best get moving or find a way to increase how long we have.” Rose commanded, I gave a curt nod and took the lead on finding a way to either a mainframe, a security room, or a map.

Footnote: Sixty two percent to next level.

Chapter 32 - A Wall of Frustration

“Sometimes it is like punching a brick wall, except with my brain, and the wall is covered with nails.”

        I woke up to the taste of blood in my mouth as well as I felt positively glowing. I realized I was in the miniature reactor in the back of the tank that we had found. I lifted my head only to hit my horn the top of the tiny compartment. I gently rubbed my horn as the soreness quickly went away, a benefit of being irradiated. I opened the compartment’s door to see a pile of my equipment laying on the floor with Anabel sorting the pile out. Seems that they had taken the time to properly loot the battlefield after the fight with the griffons.

        “Hey, are you feeling alright?” Rose asked as she climbed out of the turret and walked across the top of the tank towards me, her hoof steps clanked on the armor of the tank.

        “Well... to be honest, I feel amazing, practically glowing, and probably able to melt a hole through the floor.” I answered beaming at Rose.

        “I,” Rose tilted her head at me. “Seriously?”

        “Seriously.” I replied as I hopped up to her and managed to plant a kiss on her cheek.

        “Well okay then, we need to get the rest of your gear stored then we are heading out. We managed to get enough power to operate an elevator to carry the tank surface side. Foresight also replaced the hull mounted heavy machine gun with a really big flamethrower.” Rose said before nuzzling my neck.

        “Oh fun, so the tank is ready for more than shooting at things?” I asked as I moved to where the two one hundred twenty millimeter cannons sat.

        “Yes, the two hours you were off adventuring they managed to get the treads on and figure out the ammunition situation. She eats scrap metal, bullets, and everything else to make more ammo. As it is, well, she is fully stock.” Rose explained as I sat down at where the barrel of the right cannon met the turret.

        “Well then, what is our schedule for getting out of here?” I asked as the turret started to face forward again.

        Rose swayed a little as the turret moved then spread her legs slightly to stabilize herself. “Well, we just need to load up what you brought back and then we are going to head out. Anabel is going to be flying and scouting for us. Apparently the gunner's sight on the turret allows you to see the beam that is on Anabel's crossbow.”

        “Hmm. that’ll be useful. So who's going to drive, who's going to gun?” I asked as the turret stopped rotating.

        “Well, Foresight was either going to drive or gun, you would take the opposite, I would either be on the flamethrower or the heavy machine gun.” Rose explained. “Might want to hug that barrel.”

        I raised an eyebrow at Rose. “Why is that?”

        To answer my question the tank began to turn around to put its back against where the elevators to the surface sat. My guess was it was so we wouldn't have to back out of the elevator when we hit surface side. I held onto the barrel as we were shaken as the tank turned in place, the sound of the links on metal making me wish I had hearing protection.

        After a few moments the tank stopped turning and began to rumble backwards. Rose moved to the hatch of the turret and stuck a hoof inside. My guess she was making gestures to guide Foresight.

        We came to a stop and I let myself slide off of the cannon I was on and down the front of the tank, then hopped to the ground with a slight bit of magical assistance. I proceeded to trot over to where Anabel was working on packing things up my things in some additional bags. I saw the enclave power armor I had been wearing. There was a crack on the surface of the helmet coming down from where there a bump was for my horn. I levitated the helmet into my hooves as I sat down and examined it. The crack was more of a scratch that was etched into the metal of the face plate.

        “I hope the damage was just a spell matrix crash.” I said before giving a sigh and stuffing the helmet in the same bag as the rest of my armor. I spotted my Kevlar reinforced labcoat and levitated it to me and slid my fore hooves through the fore sleeves on it. I then realized my collar had come off and dug through the pile of my equipment for it. Thankfully it was just fine, the armor had protected it. I slide it back on and tightened it just right so I could just feel it on my neck. Lastly I looked for my pipbuck.

        “Did you teleport out of your gear?” Anabel asked as she sorted my usual equipment into a separate bag.

        “Yes. Also I'll sort the stuff I don't want to have quick access to, you handle the rest, alright?” I answered as I began putting away a good number of the bags of equipment that I didn't care to have on me at the moment. I was really not expecting to need my swords or pistols. So I strapped onto my back my Designated Markspony rifle and shotgun. I also noticed that the explosive rounds from the power armor had been unloaded some how and decided to fill up my ammo pouches with them.

        Within five minutes I was rearmed and dressed in only in some pouch belts, my labcoat, my two trusty long arms, and had strapped my trusty combat knife to my chest again. My pipbuck I had in a small bag on my flank with some tools that Anabel had found for dealing with pipbucks and spell matrices, our luck was holding out today.

        “Anabel, there is another way to get the elevator to go up, right?” I asked as I stood holding the bags of equipment in my magic.

        “Yes, there is a button on the elevator itself that you can press that will send us up. I was going to do it, but, if you want to do the honors, feel free.” Anabel explained as she hopped atop the turret of the tank.

        “Alright, double checking we are all good to go? I don't think we are coming back here anytime soon.” I said as I spotted the stand that held the button that Anabel had told me about, I waited until I was given an affirmative nod from Anabel.

        The elevator slowly started to grind upwards to the surface. As we rose I climbed back onto the tank and passed Anabel before climbing down the second hatch on the turret, the one without a heavy machine gun on it, and into the turret of the tank. Surprisingly the inside of the tank was rather spacious, allowing for three or even four ponies to crew the tank. I sat down in the gunners seat for the turret's main cannons and got used to the location of controls as well as the view port.

        It took a whole two minutes for the elevator to rise to the surface, but, when it did the ceiling opened above us and I saw out into the winter wasteland that I was used to seeing. A low rumble ran through me as we moved forward and the tracks of the tank sank into the snow, the forward blades plowing away at the drifts ahead of us. I popped the hatch as we drove away from the base and headed to our next destination, the Seamane Steel Rangers Citadel.

        Looking behind us I saw a red light in the air and some wires leading to it. An antenna that I hadn't seen when we had come in hours ago or when I had fought Astra and her minions. Either my actions had raised it, or perhaps the opening of the doors had. I wasn't certain, and I felt as if something somewhere was getting a message I didn't much care for having been sent. I ducked back down into the tank and closed the hatch. Time would tell what broadcast might have been sent, but, for now we had a lot of armor and firepower on our side. Which was a leg up in a lot of ways.

        Within a few minutes Foresight had pushed the tank to full throttle, which led to impressive displays of us crashing through drifts of snow and even catching air off of the gentle hills around here.

        I motioned to have Rose switch seats with me and then moved deeper into the tank where the mechanic would be seated normally. After I had moved I saw Anabel come in and close the hatch for the heavy machine gun armed hatch and watch out of the view ports that sat just below the hatch. I guessed the weather had worsened outside.

        I turned my attention to my crashed pipbuck and worked on it in my magic with the tools we had acquired. My teleportation had caused a small issue of the pipbuck still being closed while off of my foreleg as well as the fact I had gotten a bit bigger since I first put the pipbuck on so I had to reopen it. I also once I managed to open the pipbuck needed to replace the padding that went against my leg inside of it. The padding that was in there was stained with blood, among other things, that I had encountered in my travels. It took a full hour of work to open the pipbuck up, replace the padding and then secure it comfortably and correctly on my left foreleg.

Then I realized that according to the manual for the pipbuck tools we had acquired that typically pipbucks were for the right forehoof, not the left. Apparently I was wrong and all pipbucks are meant for the right forehoof. I just paused, then shrugged as I figured that was why the ones I had picked up were in storage due to an error in their production. So I carried on with it on my left forehoof. That and I didn’t have space anymore to wear it on my right forehoof thanks to the fused powerhoof I had on it. I grimaced as I thought about having had a pipbuck permanently fused to me, at least a powerhoof was just on the end of my hoof.

        The next task I had to deal with would take me longer, rebooting my pipbuck. Rebooting it proved problematic to say the least. After a few hours of wrestling with my not standard issue Stable-Tec pipbuck technician tools I did manage to get it online again and wading through the copious amounts of information I had stored on the damn thing.

        We came to a stop as my EFS stated that we had hit eight o'clock at night. Foresight came back to me and sat down, eating a snack cake.

        “So, how long do you think it will take to reach the Citadel in this beast?” I asked, preempting any questions he was going to ask.

        “Well, according to my pipbuck at most we have half a days drive with the speed this monster of a tank can muster. Since she doesn't get tired, or really get slowed by terrain the what would be three day long walk is now much shorter. Though, I am taking a gamble in that we will be able to get across Wilmanemette Dam, last I saw a rather nasty bunch of raiders had taken control of it. Though,” Foresight paused before tapping the wall of the tank next to him. “I think we have enough firepower, armor, and speed to get through. However, I think we should do a little target practice first so you can get used to how to operate the turret.”

        “Alright, I guess we'll just hope that we spot some raider outposts along the river or some wild life out in the open for target practice.” I chuckled as I opened a can of canned peaches. “Though we will have an interesting time laying siege to the raiders set up atop of the Citadel.”

        “Yeah, but, I think we will manage. I think I will have Anabel on the turret while you sneak in. You do seem pretty capable at solo sneaking missions.” Foresight chuckled before finishing off his last snack cake.

        “I'll just keep my head down when I hear the shells coming in. I also think that flamethrower is going to be very effective, there isn't much that can handle getting bathed in fire for long.” I added.

        Foresight just smiled.

        “Well then, we best get some rest, tomorrow is bound to be another long day.” I said, stretching and then yawning.

        “Yeah, finish your food, maybe do some reading, and then call it a night. You and Rose got more rest than Anabel and I, so the two of you will be keeping an eye on things for a while.” Foresight instructed. “Now move, you’re where I want to sleep tonight.”

        “Yes, sir.” I sarcastically replied with a roll of my eyes as I got up and walked past Foresight to the drivers area of the tank.

        I sat down in the seat for the driver of the tank and locked the controls before I finished my can of peaches. Then I did as Foresight had suggested, I read through more of the information I had gathered. Though I kicked myself for having not the foresight to just go to the mainframe of the facility and transfer everything to my pipbuck from there. As it was I had a fair bit of information on the Portable Miniaturized Mobile Megaspell Casting Platform as the file dubbed the experimental power armor. Majority of what I read I had read in my haste to figure out what I could possibly do, but, in my haste I had merely skimmed since I didn't have the time to read the full theoretical thesis on the damn haywire suit of magical power armor. As it was, I didn't learn much new other than how megaspells worked in finer detail as well as that repairing the power armor would be tricky at best if it was drained by the time we got back to it. While for the most part I could replace components with Steel Ranger power armor, if the capacitors for the megaspell matrix got damaged I was more or less shit out of luck on ever repairing or replacing them for at least the next decade. The components were rare prewar and custom made, something about unique crystals from beyond the Unicorn Range. Basically I would have to go back to the heartland of Equestria and then drive north for several days even in this tank, and just hope there were some train tracks that lead into the frozen north.

        I sighed and instead pulled up some maps of the various regions of Equestria. It gave me a new respect for just how big Equestria was, from Vanhoover to Las Pegasus, from Dodge Junction to Hoofington. There was a lot of space, and yet there was even more down here past the Badlands. I did note one thing of interest. There were towns I wasn't familiar with to the east of Seamane before the mountain range that marked the edge of Equestria back in the day. I also noticed what was marked on the other side of the border, the Griffon Empire.

        I let out a grunt of frustration half an hour later as my brain refused to uptake any further information and I had no desire to really do anything other than rest, but, I wasn't in need of sleep, I was just tired. I moved out of the driver seat and found Rose curled up and curled up with her. I might not be in need of sleep, but, being close to her and resting would be beneficial to my well being.

        I woke up to a gentle tug to my mane, I waited and felt the gentle brushing of my mane. I let out a sigh of content.

        “Hey, Moonlight?” Rose whispered into my left ear.

        “Yes?” I whispered back.

        “Your horn is back to normal.” Rose said.

        I opened my eyes and looked up to see the curls of my horn having returned to how it was before my adventuring, showing me it hadn’t been an illusion that I had healed back in the storage area of the research station.

        “I know the I.M.P, er, taint did that to me. Apparently taint, or Impelled Metamorphosis Potion, I.M.P. was meant to make ponies into alicorns, hence my horn going back to normal.” I said dumbfounded by the power of taint.

“Well, I will be honest, I am glad to see you are fine. Though, you said that taint is supposed to make alicorns out of ponies?” Rose asked.

I nodded. “Yeah, I.M.P. is taint, but, I guess taint would be better referred to as the anomalous mutative substance we both know and I.M.P. being a subset of taint and was explicitly being developed to make alicorns.. They were working on making it do exactly that at the research station in tandem with a facility in Maripony. They, as we have seen with the Goddess’ alicorns, succeeded in fine tuning I.M.P. However, the world ended the same day that they did from what I gather. So, everything outside of Maripony is taint and just gives you random mutations at best.”

“Ah,” is all Rose said ingesting the information.

“I should be fine. I had a very small amount of exposure to taint.” I consoled Rose with a pat of my hoof.

“It isn’t that, just a lot of things to take in.” Rose replied moving a bit back.

I just nodded and curled up to go to sleep.

        With that I fell silent for the next few hours before falling asleep.

        I woke up and felt sore as hell, it probably didn’t help that at some point I had moved to laying on my back on some cylinder. As it was I let out a groan as I my hearing kicked in and I noticed the fact we were moving. Opening my eyes I looked at the time to see it half past nine in the morning. Before I could move off of my impromptu bed Foresight caught some air in our behemoth of a tank causing me to bounce into the air and then slam spine first into the metal floor of the tank.

        I simply groaned again and just laid there. Today the world hated me, honestly that was fine, I had probably broken a ton of rules about magic, biology, sanity, and physics that the universe held very dearly. With any luck I would manage not to piss off the universe for the next day or two and heal up.

        I probably could also do with a good month off so I could fully heal instead of layering bandages one on top of another to keep myself going, or crawling in reactors. Saint Clover kept sounding more and more welcoming with every passing moment.

        First, I needed to cross a dam, figure out what brought low a chapter of Steel Rangers. Then, I needed to take care of things for Dad in Saint Clover. As much as I wanted to deal with Ministry Row, that should wait, we needed a base of operation in Seamane proper for our delving into the most dangerous part of the city, well in terms of ambient environmental hazards. Or maybe tackle it before anything worse could happen to us, and we needed to find a place to hide the tank when we aren’t going to be in it. Honestly, it was probably a better idea to have Foresight drop the tank back off where we got it before he headed north. I didn’t want our tank to get stolen, or totalled. Maybe a high security warehouse at the base in Seamane. I would have to talk to Foresight soon about what to do.

        I then remembered the door to get into the citadel of the Steel Rangers, we probably could just blast our way in. That would make things a lot easier than drilling in silently. Actually, yeah, long range bombardment the raiders, drive in, blow a hole into the citadel and then whatever.

        I rolled to my hooves finally and drank a Radaway to bring down my rad count. I fished out some food and ate it while laying on the floor as we rolled through the various fields. Once I managed to down my food I made my way to the seat for the hull mounted heavy flamer and took a seat as I watched Foresight drive.

        I pulled up my pipbuck and looked as to where we were to find we had managed to cover a fair bit of ground and now were at the reservoir that marked where the Wilamanemette Dam sat. We were close and in a couple of hours should be able to see the dam itself.

        “Good to see you awake and about. Rose has a knack for the cannons, so does Anabel, so no need for you to learn them. Also we already wiped out everything we have been able to scout out so far. So, get yourself ready for possibly a little swim and a climb so you can deal with whatever is on the dam.” Foresight explained, his tone reminding me of when he gave us a briefing on the research station as well as the citadel.

        “Alright, well, no time to train me with power armor then.” I replied as I dismissed the idea of using the damaged power armor for the infiltration mission.

        “Yeah, no, even with MoA power armor it would be a bad idea to try to infiltrate with power armor, the stuff is just not all that quiet. I would suggest something like leather armor on and your labcoat so you can blend in. The better job you can do to match the environment the better time you will have.” Foresight said before he took another hill at full speed.

        “Alright, I’ll see if we have anything other than my reinforced lab coat.” I said as I turned to climb out the turret to the back of the tank where we had tied down our cargo.

        “We’ll take a breather while you gather your supplies. Plus I rather not have you go flying off when I take a hill.” Foresight called back to me as he applied the breaks, something I could easily hear and feel. I had to brace myself as the tank came to a stop before I climbed the ladder out of the tank on to atop the turret.

        I shivered as a breeze picked up as I climbed to our tied down cargo. The weather had calmed while I had slept. I uncovered the bags we had on the back of the tank and started to dig through it. I then found the odd robe that Rose and I had found in the medical wing of the research station.

        “Well, it isn’t a sneaking suit, nor is it a stealthbuck or Zebra invisibility cloak, but, this should do.” I muttered to myself as I shrugged it on. The robe was cold from being outside, but, it was soft, yet felt very protective. I pulled my reinforced labcoat atop of the robe and clambered back into the tank.

        “One, it is cold out there; two, forgot we had found this; three, I think I am good to go, unless we have something I can make a collapsible hang glider out of.” I informed my friends as I warmed myself up by the internal heater of the tank.

        “Well, lets get moving again. Make certain to get everything set up before we get there. Longer we wait the more chances your griffon ‘friends’ could show up.” Foresight announced before he hit the accelerator and caused the tank to jerk and begin again its crashing through the snow drifts.

I pondered as I stared at the robe trying to think of if I could some modify it. I shook my head as nothing came to mind other than tightening it up so I wouldn’t trip over it. I mean seriously tripping over your own outfit while trying to sneak around would just be embarrassing. So with magic, thread, and needle I worked on my robe as we drove on for the next two hours.

We slowed as Foresight took his hoof off the accelerator and let us coast having gotten within four miles of the dam. We could see small streaks from fires burning on it as well as we had gotten out to spot what we could from this distance.

“From the looks of it there are a number of barricades blocking travel over the top of the damn, it looks like there are also a good sized building atop the dam as well.” Foresight dryly informed us as he lay atop the tank with a rather large and menacing looking rifle that had the most powerful scope on it I had ever seen.

“Do they have anything on this side of the dam near the water? Docks, ladders, stairs, maybe a poorly patched hole?” I asked as I lay beside him with my DMR looking at the fuzzy objects in the distance. My DMR sadly didn’t have the same power as his rifle.

“Maybe, I can’t pick out individual ponies at this range, I see some ice and dark objects around the base of the damn so you won’t have to swim.” Foresight answered.

“Alright, looks like it shouldn’t be too tricky then. Suggestions for when to go in?” I asked as I shifted a little bit to get comfortable.

“Grow wings or get a grappling hook.” Foresight answered. “Or you could always just do your floating trick and run up the wall. I don’t think they will check the sides. Probably best to get going as soon as possible.”

“Very well. Drive closer, slowly, get in position to support with rifle and cannon fire if I pop smoke for needing it.” I said as I stood up and slung my rifle across my back. To go quietly and effectively I was sticking to just my knife, the pistol Rose gave me, since it was silenced, and my DMR. There was no point in taking more than the bare essentials.

“Got it, you just don’t get yourself into too much trouble. If things get dicey we can just head north and go about the reservoir.” Foresight answered as he opened up the hatch down, leaving the heavy rifle bolted to the top of the turret in place of where we could have mounted a second heavy machine gun.

I hopped off the turret and began trudging through the snow, I wasn’t about to use my magic to lighten myself to trot atop the snow. I felt I would need my magic pretty heavily in the next few hours.

I paused once I hit the banks of the Wilmanemette reservoir and examined the ice. Then I looked up at the looming wall of the dam that now lay a short two miles away, extreme range for any possible sniper. Thankfully the white labcoat would help keep me out of sight. Still the robe and my grey coat and faded blue mane would draw attention to any sharp eyed markspony. So it would be best to take a look at what was currently on the wall of the dam.

With my rifle unslung I examined the wall of the dam for anypony I could make out possibly looking my direction. Then I was once again reminded that my rifle didn’t have that powerful of a scope so all I could see was fuzzy figure of what might have been ponies.

I grumbled as I slung the rifle on my back again and began walking. Once I was within half a mile I would have to start actually worrying about potshots being taken at me. For now though, I was taking a long and fortunately quiet walk along the lakeside.

Even with how far away the dam was from me, it didn’t take long to get within half a mile. Once I did I managed to pick out what looked like boats pulled on the shore along with what I assumed to be the dock for said boats. At some point there had obviously been some sort of civilized group out here. As it was I had no idea of those were prewar items left by their previous owners, or if the current denizens of the dam were the owners.

There was a beep. I stood and blinked looking around for the source. Then there was another beep.

        “Where?” I muttered as I drew my silenced pistol in my magic scanning for the source of the beep. It couldn’t be mines, I didn’t trigger mines anymore. Then there was a faint whir, the sound of a turret panning. I checked my EFS and didn’t see a blue or red mark. I paused as I looked around for what could have been the source of the whirring noise. Then I saw it, a camera on top of a pool, looking at the boats.

        “Oh, that isn’t half bad. A camera to watch the boats, makes sense, this side would mostly be wildlife, unlike the south side which faces Seamane.” I whispered to myself, I then looked around to see if there was any sort of badly hidden entrance around in case the camera was to provide more than just an eye on the boats. I unfortunately did not see anything of the sort.

        “Well, I was planning on walking on the ice, so I guess it is time to get to that part of this trip.” I muttered as I pulled a scarf over my muzzle. While the robe went up my neck it did not in fact cover any part of my head, which was a bit frustrating. As it was I had run out here with just goggles and a scarf. I didn’t feel running around with anything more than that would safe, mostly for light glinting off of.

        Ice was annoying to walk on to say the least, however, it was also easy to travel on if you were clever and just pushed yourself along the surface of the ice on bare hooves with just your magic. While I didn’t have ice skates the method of travel was quite similar to the old sport.

        I reached the wall of the dam and stared up at the imperfect surface of it. I frowned and shook my head. There was no way for me to climb the dam itself. I looked around for possible other entrances besides the obvious top of the dam. I couldn’t scale the towers that stuck off of it, for the same reason I couldn’t climb the damn itself, stone walls weren’t my forte in climbing abilities. But, I did see something that I had missed coming in, which wasn’t surprising with how they sat. Big metal tubes on the shore that were partially below the waterline.

        “Okay, well that sorts that out.” I whispered to myself before looking back at the wall of the dam. “But, who knows where those go. I guess my only option is to use my magic.”

        Then I facehoofed remembering I could teleport. “Okay so I just need to teleport myself up and then catch myself with my magic and find a safe place to come in. Then infiltrate the structure and go invisible and sneak around.”

        I focused my magic and wrapped it around myself. I teleported, feeling that singed feeling that marked a sloppy teleport and felt myself hold in the air. Looking down I saw nopony around atop of the dam, that was a good forty feet below me. I relaxed my magic and glided down, making certain to land away from the single structure that sat on the west side of the bridge near the guard towers. Once down I began the process of looking for a doorway in to find the occupants of the dam.

        As I drew closer to the building I pulled upon my ad hoc invisibility spell to conceal me. Not a minute after doing so somepony garbed in heavy winter clothing walked out of what I had assumed to have been a riveted on panel that was actually a sliding door. They had a pistol holstered on their chest, the grip sticking out of their heavy furred coat.

        Seeing the fur I knew a few things, that the ponies here weren’t likely full blown nut job raiders, those seldom wore more than welded metal plates with nails on them. The pony before me who didn’t notice me in my white and grey garb against the snow and concrete of the dam. This was to my advantage as I could get some information out of him by just how he acted, what he had, and possibly even getting a bit physical with him.

        As it was I laid waiting doing my best to keep still as I observed him from a distance. What he did was not remarkable, he relieved himself, lit a cigarette and looked around for a bit on both sides of the dam. He didn’t venture very far from the building itself and went in after he finished off his cigarette from a few minutes of hurried puffing. Clearly even with his garb he wasn’t comfortable in the cold.

        Once the stallion had gone back in and nopony else came out for a good minute I picked myself up off of the ground and made my way to the river side of the dam to take a look at that side of the dam. What I saw was a bit surprising, there were a few buildings half suspended half built into the dam itself. It was as if somepony decided to expand from inside of the dam or patch holes in the dam with buildings.

        I looked back at the structure atop the dam in time to see the door opening again. I hurriedly jumped over the wall of the dam, punching my power hoof into the wall itself and holding myself up by one hoof. I hadn’t seen any spot I could have hidden in this time and the weather wasn’t that bad. While there was a small flurry of snow starting up, visibility was rather good. So even with my spell, snow floating in the air and not falling to the ground, or just an odd pocket of snow vanishing would give me away. So I hung there straining my ears while doing the best to ignore the growing soreness in my right foreleg from holding my weight. Finally I heard the metal door open and close again.

        I placed both of my rear hooves on the wall of the dam and readied myself to push myself up and back over the rim of the dam when I heard a foal cry out. I went wide eyed and turned to where I had seen the structures on the wall of the dam. There was a foal looking at me, I couldn’t see their eyes or much of an expression, but, I knew I had to move or someone would find the foal and then see me.

        I kicked myself back over the rim and onto the top of the dam, landing hard. I shook my head and looked around in time to see the door start opening again. They had heard the foal, or someone was looking for said foal, either way somepony was coming my way. I had only one trick that wouldn’t lead me to falling, active camouflage. I moved to the middle of the walkway and then laid down as I pushed forth my spell to hide myself in plain sight. I was making a gamble that being in the middle of the walkway. Which was big enough for two of our tanks to drive across without clipping one another.

        The minutes stretched on as four ponies emerged and began walking down the sides of the dam, as I had predicted, looking over the rim. Once they had passed me I was actively straining to hold up my spell, but, I took to my hooves and slowly crept to where they had left the building’s door open.

        Drawing close to the door I saw inside where there was an oil heater and a small magical energy power supply for it. I saw a light above me coming from a single bulb light with a sloped shade. I turned my head to look behind me and saw the ponies still headed down the length of the dam away from me. With the immediate threat of being spotted gone I moved to the side of the room out of line of sight from the doorway and dropped my spell as I nestled myself down behind a stack of crates. While the area around the heater had rugs, I only had cold concrete. But, it was a place not immediately in view and there had been an empty crate that I could fit in that I put over myself. Anything to slow the inevitable of being found was an aid to me at this point. Plus a firefight breaking out likely meant a few shells landing here which I didn’t want happening given what I had gleamed so far.

        A few minutes later I heard hooves steps, two sets of them coming up from what sounded like stairs I hadn’t spotted. They were hidden from me by the crates as well as if I was hearing right a section of wall that I had assumed to be the wall of the building, but, was in fact more of a partition. I guessed whoever had built this had designed it for the situation of defending the entrance into the dam.

        “How did that foal get outside, I thought we locked the doors out.” A stallion asked.

        “Well he is a unicorn, and a foals magic is random and can be very powerful. Who knows, maybe he teleported himself out there. I am just glad we found him so quickly, he has a wail like a Windigo.” A mare answered.

        “Yeah, but, now we have to go out there and get those four back to their post. We can have any of those Zebras sneaking in. Not after what happened last time.” The stallion said.

        “It has been two hundred years! We have more to worry about other ponies, like Slate said. I mean we were even told that the wildlife has made anything north of us dead. Why do you think any team that goes north to harvest the fields have to be armed to the teeth?” The mare replied.

        “Yeah, yeah, but, those striped bastards did it once, and we can’t let our guard down.” The stallion said.

        “Which is why we are getting the post back so nopony can sneak into the dam.” The mare replied. “And  look, they are already on their way back, so just sit tight.”

        I cursed to myself at hearing that. I needed to figure out a way to get past these ponies. Waiting wasn’t much of a solution and changing of the guard wouldn’t really help, that would double the ponies here. Doing anything now ran a high risk of six ponies spotting me. Waiting changed it to being hopefully just four instead of six. No matter what, my position wasn’t a good one.

        So I sat and waited. I had known going into this that I might get stuck hiding for an extended periods of time. After all waiting was a crucial part of sneaking missions. Haste meant noise one way or another. Haste led to hiding bodies of possibly innocent ponies. Haste led to bad choices. As frustrating as it was, I had to wait, but, there was a boon for my waiting. This boon was not just listening to the inhabitants of the dam, but, also it allowed my magic to recover.

The information I gleaned wasn’t very useful as it was just gossip around the town. Which they had taken the name of the river to be the town’s name, Wilmanemette. But, my magic had recovered and now it was a waiting game for the shift to change.

I was fighting off exhaustion from being tense for the past few hours, hiding in a crate, listening to the locals talk in what seemed like circular conversations about the same subjects. Was there seriously this little going on out here? Had they somehow managed to become inbred even with our natural genetic resilience to inbreeding? I don’t know, but, it was getting close to me wanting to do something drastic. Instead my patience paid off, night had fallen, a new shift of guards had taken up residence of this post, and something had made them all go out on patrol.

I lifted the crate and made straight for the stairs. There was no time to waste. There was also no reason not to be on high alert so I had my EFS up as well as my active camouflage spell. I wanted to see my foes before they could see me.

This of course was a wise plan as I was walking into a town who appeared to be hostile to outsiders. However, they were not the raiders Foresight had made them seem. Part of me wanted to just go back to the tank and drive around the lake and avoid these ponies. There was no need to drive up on them with a fucking tank and demand passage. But, it was bugging me that they mentioned Slate. What did that monster of a pony have to do with these innocuous ponies? It was a question that I needed answered.

Of course that meant I needed to either find some documents or someone willing to talk to a disembodied voice. That or I could go full fiery demon mare and try scaring information out of someone. Or just catch someone, put them in a choke hold and ask oh so politely. But, to be honest I felt like being antisocial, to be like a ghost.

This was a wise choice I felt. There were numerous rooms without occupants allowing for me to take breaks and recover my magic. It was like having to hold my breath to sneak past all of the ponies down here. While it wasn’t as crowded as Saint Clover, I was having to dive into open side rooms, lockers, and any place big enough for me to fit in every few minutes.

I dove into a restroom, thankfully for mares so there were plenty of stalls to hide in. I quickly moved into a vacant stall and closed the door. The lights hadn’t kicked on, thankfully, I guessed whatever system was in charge of that wasn’t automatic or didn’t pick me up. Which I was doubly thankful for because automatic doors and lights would give me away while invisible.

I took in a deep breath and focused on calming down my screaming heart. I had managed to make it down a few more levels within the structure, and, before I had dove into the restroom I had spotted a sign pointing to old offices. Why were they buried this far inside of the dam? Probably the offices were tied to proximity to the turbines, if not, maybe some weird design choice as this dam predated the war by a decade.

I shook my head and moved out of the stall and back into the hallway. Peaking my invisible head out of the bathroom and saw the hallway was clear. Silent, slow, and deliberate was the pace with a slow turn of my head every once and a while to make certain there was nopony behind me with my eyes and EFS.

With only a few near run ins with the locals nearly walking into me I made it to a door that sealed off the offices. The door itself was a double heavy door with no visible mechanism on it to open it. I checked the sides of the door to find a button to open it and again found nothing. Well, not exactly nothing, I found where the button should have been, but, it had been removed, forcefully. What remained were scars of something powerful having ripped the button off of the wall. Something told me it had been Slate himself who had done this, and, that the reason for why he was out in the wasteland laid behind this door.

I checked my EFS again for any signs of somepony being nearby and saw nothing. So I dropped my invisibility and began working on the exposed wires of the removed button. It took a few minutes, a couple of shocks from trying to figure out what wires were live and dead. There were also a few heated moments of panicking thinking someone was coming only to have it be that EFS doesn’t give you information on the elevation of what it is picking up.

The door slide open as I mated the right wires for the door to open. Inside I saw what looked to be an office of little importance. There was a cot, a lot of filing cabinets, and a desk complete with a functional terminal. I moved into the room and then pressed the still working button on the inside of the room to seal myself in. Best to not leave open doors that should be closed after all. Because ghosts don’t leave hoofprints.

I moved to the terminal and powered it on, it didn’t have a password on it. Which either spoke to Slate being a lot less technologically savvy than this environment would speak to. That or the removal of the door button to him was enough of a preventative measure for snooping. Or he simply forgot about the terminal’s existence. Once it was powered on I saw logs, some prewar some much later on. Doing a quick skimming through them I put together how Wilmanemette was founded. When the north went quiet from balefire blasts destroying communication lines, Seamane went into panic mode and started sending ponies everywhere away from the population centers, out of fear of an impending attack. The dam ended up becoming home to a great deal of ponies with technical expertise. As well as a lot of the ponies from the farmland in what was now the unbound.

From this mix of backgrounds a community formed that managed to not die out in the radioactive snows that followed as well as the black rains that came. Many died, or even ghoulified from this, but, somehow they managed to continue on with the massive losses that they had every year. The last few messages were indeed from Slate and they were worrying. He was going to use the dam as a keystone for his power. He was going to use it as a hidden cache while building his fortress further south. He intended, at least a few years ago, to bring Seamane under his hoof.

Slate’s method though was not what I had expected, it wasn’t through brute force, but, through being brutally cunning. He was going to stir up the gangs in Seamane, siding with in particular with the Magi. Though I wondered why the Magi instead of Sea Serpents who lived on the rivers, or the Sand Trappers as they were closer to where he was. Maybe he was of the same school of thought as I was. Knowledge would be the key to recovering our withered world.

A memory came to the forefront of my mind. The cyborg I encountered outside of Cold was likely something Slate and the Magi had found and were testing. It made sense, Slate had plenty of bodies to give up for experimentation as well as for placating forces such as Red Eye. He just needed a way into Seamane that would prevent galvanizing the entire city against him. For now the city was loosely working together. If Slate could make people have to choose sides he would cut down the number of enemies he had. Or if Slate could get them killing each other through covert operations making each gang think the others were breaking into all out war with one another.

I gulped and realized I now needed to figure out who was in bed with who. I knew the Magi, who I had most wanted to get in bed with myself for their technology and information, were likely now in bed with my enemy. Or maybe there was someway to still subvert them.

I fumed at my newly acquired information on my enemies and did not like what I had learned. What I had was obviously mostly outdated as it was timestamped a few years ago so who knows if the Magi and Slate had teamed up, but, Slate had this place to fall back to. Then it hit me, that caravan that was coming in from the north was said to be headed to this river downstream of here, and they were tooled for construction. Slate’s fortress was being built now which meant soon, probably before the year was out, he was going to make his move. This meant the stones had fallen into place for Slate’s plan to work out and I had a short amount of time to make a mess of them.

It hit me then that Saint Clover was another chip on the board. While my former home wasn’t as powerful or influential as any of the gangs and had nowhere near the population it was still a valuable trade location. The ship was practically a fortress after years of occupation and fortification of it’s ancient hull. So either Saint Clover would either get targeted by a gang wanting another secure location or made irrelevant by Slate making a new neutral ground that was more central and easy to get to once he took over. No matter what it was bad news for Saint Clover. Barring Saint Clover just bending over for Slate.

Then I paused again, the thought of that my father’s want to get back into Saint Clover and take over was because he was in fact in bed with Slate. “I am fucked either way aren’t I? Well so long as my dad isn’t as two faced as my mind is thinking he might be at least I won’t get sold off in my sleep.”

I frowned as another thought snaked through my mind. “Or he could know what Slate is planning in better detail than I and thus wants to get in power to derail those plans.”

“It’s hard to see the full picture when the pieces are scattered  all around the board. But, it looks like we might have finally gotten the frame of this puzzle put all together.” Doubt’s voice echoed in my mind. “But, how can we be certain where anything else goes at this point? It seems we will have to be on the tips of our hooves to avoid drowning in this quagmire we have just found ourself in.”

“I hate it when you’re right.” I muttered. “Maybe things haven’t gone as planned and I can still subvert the Magi to our side.”

“We don’t want to get that chin up too high or somepony might cut it off.” Doubt chuckled.

I shook my head to banish her and my continuingly more paranoid and circular thoughts from my mind. I needed to exfiltrate this dam and return to my allies. An attack here was unwise and we would have to run down a building to get across. A few days travel around the lake that fed the Wilmanemette river was worth the trouble of not giving away assets and killing essentially civilians.

I moved to the door and looked at EFS to see where any bars were. Seeing none I hit the release for the door and slide out as soon as the large door was big enough for me to get through. Upon exiting the door I quickly pressed the button on the inside again and closed the door with my magic. As the door loudly closed I heard hoof steps and somepony talking as they approached. Whirling on the spot I caught sight of four red bars closing in on me and immediately concealed myself with my magic. The strain of doing it so quickly wasn’t pleasant, but, not moving from the spot I was at helped reduce the strain of keeping the spell going.

Four ponies carefully entered the corridor setting up overlapping fields of fire and slowly advancing. These ponies were drilled in combat and it unnerved me to see this. They were supposed to be just random survivors from the area. Then my stupidity dawned on me as I realized the army ponies had to go somewhere.

“Are you certain something is down here? It is the same as ever.” One of the ponies said, I couldn’t tell who due to their full helmets.

“All the more reason for a through check.” Another responded as the group advanced in turn down the hall.

I gulped, I had little to no options confined in here. Even a teleport wouldn’t be safe due to the flash would alert them to someone having been in here. Not to mention using any magic would cause my spell to drop and I would be fully visible for a moment, long enough to get shot. I cursed as I prepared to dance my way through their formation. I held my breath as the first of the four brushed past me, barely not bumping into my DMR. Before the second was beside me the third spoke.

“I don’t smell anything other than sweaty pony.” The third pony grunted.

“Do you even know what a sweating Zebra smells like.” Asked the first pony who had passed me. I gulped as I strained to breathe and move as little as possible while focusing on keeping the spell going.

“Good point.” The third pony replied.

“Quit yapping, get up there and stack up on the door. We might have just caught our little infiltrator as they went into Slate’s room.” The fourth commanded.

The third pony finally passed me allowing me to take a shallow breath without worry of being heard or felt. I opened my eyes to see the fourth pony standing in front of me, staring right through me with two heavy shotguns in his battle saddle aimed at the door. I could easily swing and knock him out so he wouldn’t walk into me.

Then there was a thud somewhere that made him dive to the side. I looked back to see the rest of the team who were hunting me also ducking for cover with the door now open. I took this time to begin slowly moving to the opposite wall with regard to where the fourth had ducked for cover. Once against the wall I turned my attention back to the team hunting me. They had picked themselves up and were beginning to clear the room. Apparently we all got spooked by the heavy door opening loudly, bravo us. However, this gave me a lucky break which now with four moving down the hall I had my chance to slowly keep moving forward for the stairwell out. I just needed to get somewhere out of sight and I could teleport a hundred feet to the north and then swim away. Well minus the cold water, but, that was more manageable than catching myself after a teleport with my magic. The strain of all the magic would make my magic implode and make me go splat, or at least bounce. I wasn’t fond of bouncing again, I would take swimming in icy water over it. I could always just heat myself up later, or just luck out and land above the ice.

I waited for the fourth to begin down the hall before I moved for the stairwell. The four didn’t notice and I managed to slip out, even with the door being locked, it was recessed so I easily picked the lock and slipped away. Of course I locked the door behind me, ghosts don’t leave hoofprints.

I slipped into another disused restroom and dropped my spell. I was sweating, to the point my coat was slick under my gear. I opened up the front of my robe to let myself begin to cool off as I sat in a stall and rested. My horn hurt from the strain, my body was complaining about the stress, and my nerves were frayed worse than a two hundred year old bridge support cable. I was glad I had packed a little bit of food to eat. So I ate, I drank, and I rested.

An hour later I crept out the front door of the deserted restroom and began my push upwards. I knew it wouldn’t be hard to find the waterline as having hit the reservoir side of the dam as the body of water with the aid of time had made it so there was a thin layer of condensation ever present on the interior of the dam.

I found the wall along the reservoir side. I began making my way upward when I saw four red bars in my vision. I cursed as I retreated and hid behind some long abandoned and broken machinery that had been left to rot. I didn’t hear hoof steps as I waited for a few long minutes before I unholstered my silenced pistol and carried it in my mouth. I either had red bars on the edge of my E.F.S.’ detection range or my hunters had caught up. Maybe they feared, accurately, I had slipped past them. Maybe they feared, inaccurately, I would do some damage to the dam. Whatever the case I needed to get moving and get back to Foresight and the others.

I climbed the stairs to the next level as quietly as I could, which meant slowly. The slowness killed me as I crept up each step of the stairwell, every noise making me pause and hold my breath as I flicked my eyes in every direction in search for motion. Another step, another pause, listening to my breath roaring through my ears, the sense of tension like a wire cutting into my barrel.

I made it to the top after five minutes to climb a grand total of twenty steps. I was sweating profusely and panting while the stress fade away as I sat at the top of the stairs, alone. Part of me cursed myself for my gross paranoia and caution, the other screamed back at how foolish it was to be recklessly running around enemy territory without a reliable way to escape.

“Shut up, Doubt, I knew what I was getting into, we have a plan.” I muttered to myself, preemptively banishing that lingering specter.

I got the distinct image of Doubt just shaking her mane in my mind. That was a good sign, she didn’t feel the need to pop out at this time and make things worse. Then again the universe seemed to like to snowball terribleness whenever it happened. Though sometimes the universe rather just throw three bad things at me and watch me have to deal with them.

I shook my head to get my mind out of itself and back to reality. The reality of more red bars milling about in my vision and no bodies to match. I gulped as my mind assumed there to be invisible and very hostile ponies right in front of me. Celestia damned E.F.S. How many more months or years would it have taken until Stable-Tec developed a minimap version of E.F.S. that gave you relative positional data on distance and altitude as well as integrating it with the automapper function. Oh well, maybe some crazy computer and spell matrix wizards would figure it out after a few prodes with my combat knife.

I blinked as I heard hoof steps, a lot of them in fact, which coincided with a large number of red bars in my vision. I could also hear clinking with the sound of slides being pulled back to rack ammo.

“Oh fuck.” I swore as I abandoned silence for breaking line of sight.

I barreled up the stairwell and as I did I heard shouting come from below and a lot of hooves giving chase. I was no longer a ghost and the entire dam had gone into a phase of alert and actively hunting me. I was very well known to be here and it was only a matter of time until someone found me with or without my invisibility spell. So I kept heading up, my gear clanking against itself announcing my location as I did. Losing these ponies on my tail was impossible until I could teleport away to the outside. Once I did teleport I had a rather long run over the ice and back to the tank. I knew I would be feeling it tomorrow, and likely the rest of the week.

I broke to the top level, I had to be above the water and iceline now. I had given up trying to figure out when I could just go straight out and instead aimed for instead getting to the top of the inside of the dam. Hitting the landing at the top level I saw a barricade, and a lot of heavy machine guns. I closed my eyes and cast the teleportation spell sending me directly north. I felt the cold air on my coat as I opened my eyes, the ringing of the guns and the teleportation still in my ears, I also could feel where I had taken a few rounds. Thankfully my robe had somehow prevented too much damage, but, I would be bleeding a bit until I could stop and patch myself up.

I felt gravity reassert itself as I opened my eyes, it was evening now and well on its way into the twilight hour. I spread my legs to increase my drag and wrapped myself in my magic negating what I could of my mass and giving myself a massive shove to get going. I popped the stitches in the rob so the spare material formed a webbing between my limbs. I soared like a griffon with her wings spread wide with not a care in the world. The ice below me sped by as I flew. This time I seemed to be going far faster than expected. Then, I noticed how quickly I was dropping and decided it was time to lose some speed and pulled up as the ice below me quickly was rising up to greet me. At the speed I was going I could roll, but, I would end up more beat up than when I had an emergency landing inside of a car back in Fillydelphia. I wasn’t looking forward to how much patching I would have to do.

With pulling up I saw the bank of the reservoir come up and fly past me, making me realize how fast I was screaming across the land. I was at least traveling forty miles per hour and had shaved off majority of my walk back.

A flare went up ahead of me and I figured it had to be my friends having seen my rapid retreat from the dam. We would have to get moving soon to keep from being assaulted by the dam’s occupants. I banked and began to reverse my magic to increase my drag to slow me down. Banking around another corner I saw the tank sitting half buried in a snow bank with Rose atop of it in full winter garb. I let my magic go and tumbled into the snow beside the tank, letting the fluffy drift cushion my fall.

I poked my head out of the snow and shouted at Rose who was mid jump down from the tank turret carrying a first aid kit on her. “Get the tank ready to go, now. We need to go around the lake, there is no way to cross that dam without it giving way!”

Rose blinked as I reached a hoof up. “Now get me out of this damn snow so I can patch my flank up while we get the buck out of dodge!”

Rose nodded and took my hoof pulling me out, the tank roared to life and startled me for a moment before I grinned. I loved the sound our tank made with the monstrous power it had. Though I didn’t understand how it did so with what I assumed to be an electric motor. Probably was left in for a psychological factor, and I approved of such.

Footnote: Ten percent to level twenty one.

Chapter 33 - The Scenic Route

“Sometimes it's best to go around.”

        I clammered into the tank as Foresight began to plow the tank through the snow drifts headed north around the Wilmanemette reservoir. Rose sealed the hatch as she came down after me and I removed her first aid kit from her side and began to do triage on myself. Rose pulled off my equipment as I pulled out bandages to begin addressing my injuries.

        “What in the name of Celestia did you run into down there, Moony?” Rose asked while she cleaned my blood stained armor.

        “Well, I managed to get in just fine, but, coming out wasn’t as easy. Somepony down there caught my scent and threw the place on high alert. As it is, teleporting saved my flank from being chewed up by a pillbox lined with machine guns.” I answered as I pulled a bullet out of myself. “As it is, I am amazed at how used to pain I am getting.”

        “Sounds like you got out just in time then.” Foresight called up from the drive seat.

        “Correct, and we cannot cross as you probably heard, we are more likely to blow up the dam then cross it.” I called back to Foresight.

        “We have a few days for you to heal up. So, we will stop in a few hours to toss you in the reactor.” Foresight said.

        “Don’t,” I started, then realized it would save us precious medical supplies to stuff me in the reactor for a little while than to use healing potions. “Alright, until then I am going to get what rest I can after I finish pulling out these bullets from my hide.”

        “Moonlight, I will do what I can to patch up your gear while you rest.” Anabel said as she took my equipment from Rose.

        I nodded. “Thanks, we are going to need to be in tip top shape for getting into and searching the Steel Ranger Citadel.”

        “Speaking of which, we need to talk about Saint Clover later.” Anabel said.

        “Right, remind me when I get back from the reactor.” I said.

        “Of course, by then I should have your gear up and running, though, I am going to need Foresight’s help with the power armor. Even though the power armor is more like a griffon’s than a pegasus’ set of power armor.” Anabel mused.

        “I felt like it might have been a bit more heavily armored and armed than a typical pegasus’ power armor. Maybe it belonged to somepony rather strong.” I said shaking my mane.

        “Whatever the case, I will get it up and running for you. I think Foresight is going to set aside a day or two before we get in range of the Citadel to train you and Rose in how to operate power armor.” Anabel said.

        “Really now? We can learn how to use power armor that quickly?” I asked.

        “Yeah, it was meant to be easy, but, it still takes a few hours at least to get the hang of it.” Foresight called up.

        “That makes sense, probably still takes a while to get used to all the features.” I said.

        “No kidding, but, I feel you will take to it like fish to water.” Foresight laughed.

        I laughed with him, knowing my affinity with technology I would likely be trotting about in power armor in no time, well I already could. Maybe it was doing cartwheels as if it was a second skin instead of a suit of armor.

        “Hey, Anabel, do we have any levitation talismans or weight reducers around? I want to tie them to the wings of that power armor so I can use the wings on it to glide.” I said, Anabel frowned for a few moments as I finished digging out the last bullet in me before covering the last few wounds with bandages.

        “Maybe, I will see what I can do.” Anabel said as she began to dig through a bag of looted supplies from Research Station Twenty Three.

        I let out a sigh as Rose hugged me and helped warm me up. An hour passed before we stopped and in that time I drifted in and out of conciousness, part of me worried it was blood loss. However, I knew I felt dead tired from being shot and using my magic so heavily. I just told the worry in my mind to go make out with Doubt and leave me the fuck alone.

        I woke up feeling the gentle deceleration of the tank. I opened one eye to see my reinforced labcoat draped over me and Rose as a makeshift blanket. I raised my head as I yawned both signaling I was awake. I blinked the sleep out of my eyes as they teared up and I felt the old aches and pains I was used to.

I brought up my pipbuck and checked my medical read out to see that I was back to baseline and without the need to have another trip into the reactor. I frowned as this meant either I had encountered or still had within me enough radiation to heal myself. That or the power of naps was severely underrated by nine out of ten physicians.

        “Foresight, rest for the night, it seems all my body needed was a nap to knit itself back together.” I quietly said once the rumble of the tank died down.

        Foresight just gave a small nod before getting out of the drive seat and curling up.

        “Hey, Foresight, how about I drive, I’ll just go slow.” I whispered as I moved out from under my lab coat, leaving it on Rose.” Foresight just gave a nod as I climbed down to the drive seat and sat down in it.

        I looked over the instruments and pulled down the vision port. To my surprise it was a night vision feed of what was outside. I gently rocked my hooves back and forth and felt the tank’s four separate track sets correspond to my hooves movements. This was a brilliantly simple design that anypony could operate and explained where there were four independent sets of tracks on the tank. I gently leaned my hooves forward and eased the tank into a slow and gentle crawl across the landscape. I turned my head to the right to see the lake and hear a faint whir of the viewport move to match where I was looking.

        Driving was simple, easy in fact. To the point I was surprised at the general lack of more vehicles like this in the wasteland. Though, I guess tanks and military vehicles not would be more around battlefields than in abandoned underground storage facilities. They also would be huge fire magnets, and then large pieces of scrap metal so that would likely explain their absence two hundred years later.

        Of course there was also Operation Stardust to consider for the lack of tanks. After all Operation Stardust was or probably could still be an operation for the relocation of supplies, personnel, and knowledge to safe locations for some end goal. Though that end goal might have been to preserve. But, of course military equipment would have gotten moved, too valuable to leave around. So the question was, was there some place with a stockpile of civilian vehicles? Probably a warehouse or maybe there was some sort of structure just for them in Seamane itself. Of course many carriages were likely to have been used to evacuate Seamane itself and then cannibalized to make walls as I saw at the station at the edge of the Unbound.

        I shook my head, I had many questions as to how things were the moment the bombs fell and it was doubtful I ever would have all the answers I wanted. I frowned as I remembered Meadows, and remembered how he had managed to get back here and I had bumped into his trail a few times during my wandering. Maybe he did have something showing the end of the world, maybe he had collected visions of the stage of our apocalypse. I sighed as I gently rolled the tank around a lazy hill and continued to move around the lake. There was little point to my speculation other than keeping my mind busy.

        The clouds brightened as a signal of day break. I had driven most of the night without rest, my mind wandering from topic to topic. Nothing was spared from my mental review of what all had happened as of late, trying to find new pieces of the puzzle put before me. Well, there were a great many puzzles set before me. The puzzle of Slate, the puzzle of the Goddess, the puzzle of Redeye, the puzzle of Seamane. There were so many puzzles, and right now I was driving a one hundred ton tank to solve the puzzle of Seamane’s chapter of the Steel Rangers. At least I was getting one puzzle put together. While clearing the Citadel might not solve it, though it should, it would give a great deal of resolution as to what state of being the Steel Rangers in Seamane were in.

        Within the hour of daybreak Foresight had taken control of driving the tank again and I had moved back to relaxing. So I returned to thinking about the wasteland, the plight of all who lived now. I thought about the heartbreaking injustice of it all that was daily and inevitable. It caused something to shatter inside of me, then something clicked, as if I finally had broken through a mental block that long held on my mind.

“Justice…” I whispered.

        “What?” Rose asked.

        “Justice, that is it, that is what is driving me and why I can’t stand being around so many ponies in our world.” I answered.

        “The lack of it?” Rose asked, something in her voice seemed to elude to a happiness within her.

        “Yes, the lack of it, the almost ingrained lack of justice in our world. It makes my gut twist.” I replied raising my head from the deck. “I,” I paused, “I guess that makes justice my virtue, doesn’t it?”

        “I guess it does, and it is one that is fitting for the wasteland.” Rose said smiling down at me.

        “Justice… That is a dangerous virtue… how corruptible.” I muttered.

        Rose looked at me puzzled as her brain put together what I said.

        “Virtues are dangerous.” I said to Rose. “They are just as corruptible as the ponies that have them. Someone who seeks justice might go too far. Look at Redeye, look at what his ‘charity’ and ‘generosity’ has done for the wasteland. Imagine someone like that but doling out ‘justice’. I fear what I could become.”

        Rose nuzzled my neck. “I understand.”

        “I also understand how badly strong virtuous ponies are needed, now more than ever.” I said, finding strength within me. “The danger is something that exists in everything we do, and I have to embrace. I just need to be careful, I need to reflect on what I do and just hope that those around me can keep me from going bad.”

        Rose smiled. “I will do what I can to help with that.”

        I looked at Rose and understood her more. Rose wasn’t a fool nor a foal, she knew the dangers of the wasteland first hand. She had seen more than she let on about the downward spiral of a ponies descent into corruption. Had she fallen and recovered? What was her full story. There were a great deal of mystery about my marefriend that I had never questioned and never probed. While I had done my fair share of probing her in other ways and had seen how she is now, I didn’t know who she once was. This mare who grew up in a wasteland town without a strong wall to protect it had lived through having raiders occupy her home. She was still sane for all I could see, she was strong, healthy, absurdly tall for a pony of the wasteland who is typically malnourished.

        “If you two lovebirds are going to bang can you at least wait for us to find some place to stuff you into so we don’t have to listen?” Anabel chided.

        “Oh, I am so sorry. I was just having this deep introspective moment that also involved thinking about my marefriend who happens to be staring me in the eyes.” I retorted mocking Anabel’s tone, punctuating it with the crackle of fire.

        “Calm down before you catch the tank on fire.” Anabel laughed, she had been poking fun, and I had reacted as if it was serious.

        “Oh…” I muttered as I felt my hair lay back down against my neck and back as a blush flourished on my muzzle. “Did my mane really just ignite over that?”

        I saw three nods from my companions.

“Of course.” I said as I shook my head.

        “Alright, lets just push on ahead. How long do you suspect this will take, Foresight?” I asked as we picked up speed.

        “Probably four or five days.” Foresight replied and I nodded, it was plenty of time to sort things out.

        “Alright then, I guess I will be going through my pipbuck while we are on the move. I can drive at night if you want me to.” I said.

        “That would be of great help. Three shifts, Me, Rose, then you, for driving.” Foresight answered. “We can cut it down to a day and a half or so. We will take a day or two a few clicks north of the Citadel to get everyone rested up and ready then we will break in.”

        “Sounds like a plan.” I answered as I pulled up my pipbuck and began to read.

        A few times we had encountered a scattered band of raiders while I was reading and they were dealt with swiftly, but, I kept having a nagging feeling of something following us. Something just felt more and more off as we got near the Citadel. I froze at the thought of what could be the cause for the sudden devastation of the Citadel’s population. The same threat that sat in Stable Twenty Three, enervation. I doubted the signal would have carried the horrid magical effects, and it wasn’t like pink cloud turning the distress broadcast into a necromantic soundwave. Unlike the broadcasters of Canterlot, according what I remembered.

        So there was a possibility of enervation, maybe it could have been pink cloud, or possibly just a flood of lethal radiation. But, the broadcast had first asked to stay away, then turned to aid, then nothing. It didn’t add up for it to have been such inanimate threats, something active had to have been hurting them and thus caused the shutdown of the distress broadcast. Or maybe it was passive and said passive threat could have disabled the circuit for the broadcast by cutting power in one way or another. Or some sort of biological weapon, quarantine, was them asking for people to stay away, it getting beyond their ability to handle being the cry for help, the silence them sealing themselves away because they knew any aid would be coming to it’s doom. Or maybe a trap by whatever killed them.

        I let out a frustrated sigh. I was a smart pony, at least I considered myself one, so I should be able to figure this out. There was one rather annoying problem, I lacked enough pieces of the puzzle to get a true grasp of what was had happened in the Citadel, and Foresight for all of the information he had given out could be holding something back out of fear of us breaking off. After all he had made it sound that having the rest of us come would just make it easier for him to do his job. However, Foresight hadn’t made it sound like that we were completely required for him to get into and search the Citadel.

        I felt Foresight was underselling himself. While Anabel, Rose, and myself were great aids, he was still more or less leading this all and had to have enough expertise to realize that he would do better with our particular aid. That or he felt he couldn’t do all the things to the extent he needed for the real answer. In that case he was underselling how competent he was as a leader to delegate to others to do what they did best and trust in his companions. Maybe he had lingering doubt within his own mind. I would have thought after over twenty years of wandering the wasteland and having had a few kids he wouldn’t be so foolish. Then again, here I was at the age of twenty three taking on rather powerful organizations across the wasteland with nothing more than a few companions and some ammo. Maybe everyone is a fool and it is just how they get by.

        “Or maybe it is the drive to do what seems impossible but is well within the realm of possibility once you put your doubt to bed.” I whispered as I drove through the gentle former farmland of the Unbound.

        “Oh yes, finally you seem to be getting it.” Doubt cooed.

        “Strange that you would want to finally go away for good.” I muttered.

        “No it isn’t, we are but one in the same, it is you who have made us into we instead of I.” Doubt replied.

        “But, doubt is part of a person, no matter the situation. Doubt is in everyone.” I fired back.

        “Yes, inside of everyone, we have externalized us from you. We know how that isn’t how it should be, yet it is how it continues to be.” Doubt cooed, which annoyed me.

        “So I need to put you to bed, reabsorb you into my psyche so instead of being the other within my mind you are just my mind. I wish I could just do that already. It is rather annoying having some weird greyed out version of myself dancing around in my mind talking to me.” I muttered.

        “Don’t worry, it will happen if you keep getting better.” Doubt giggled before her presence vanished from my spoofed senses. My left eye twitched in annoyance.

        Still, the sense of something following us was there. Maybe it was just paranoia, believing that those griffons would return and try to get revenge, or complete their job. We would likely have to set something up to protect the tank from theft when we move to secure the Citadel door, maybe the passage in was big enough for it. That would be a nice hat trick, hide the tank behind a fake wall, then proceed to line said passage with mines. Actually, that was a damn fine plan, put the turrets atop of the tank’s turret for added protection.

        Day turned to night and I took over driving from Rose as the rest went to take their turn of rest.

        The night went quietly and Foresight relieved me of driving duty so I could rest up. I instead continued pouring over all the information I had extracted out of the mainframe of the research station. There were a lot of weapons and armor technologies being tested at Research Station Twenty Three. A lot of it I had no hope of applying within this decade, maybe in the future if I got my hands on some sort of advanced fabrication plant, but, that would likely take me a decade of hunting to find. Then again, Operation Stardust seemed more and more likely to be my ace in making myself be seen as the legitimate leader and ruler of Seamane if I ever wanted to go in that direction. Or I could use it to strengthen Saint Clover to give it a leg up on the rising powers that seemed to be lurking in and around Seamane.

        Then there was the question of if I could count on my father to not be a horrible pony. I mean after all he offered me revenge on those who had hurt me. Though my dad had offered it as a guise of advancing his own political power in Saint Clover. I didn’t even know who he supported if anyone. Of course there was the war merchant, Aegis. So many ponies, and griffons, I had to dance around to do what I felt was needed. But, that was to worry about once I had finished dealing with the last two things on my current list before spring got here. Finish this task for Foresight and gain some allies down the line, open up the fort next to Ministry Row and find out what the hay was in there that so many ponies seemed to be working so hard to get someone into.

        I realised that long ago I had stopped swimming in a shallow pool and was now in the middle of an ocean of mysteries that I could not peer below the surface of. I just had to prey what ever predators lay in wait below had some sign of approach on the surface so I would have at least a slight bit of warning before I inevitably got attacked again.

        I was awoken by Rose. The tank had stopped and the top hatch had been opened. We were close enough now that Foresight had decided now was the time for our formal training in operating power armor. I stood up and blinked away the sleep. I hadn’t remembered passing out, and the information displayed on my pipbuck affirmed I had fallen asleep while binge reading. I smiled at having done something so innocent and familiar.

        “Did you have a good dream, or are you just happy to see me?” Rose asked as she giggled at me upon her having seen the smile on my muzzle.

        “Oh, just happy to have done something I haven’t had the time to do. Read myself to sleep just because I have something interesting to read.” I giggled.

        Rose blinked then giggled with me. “Egghead.”

        “I totally am, but, I still can kick your flank from here to Seaddle.” I replied as I took Rose’s hoof to help me get out the hatch of the turret.

        “I do not doubt it.” Rose laughed with me.

        “You two fillies about done giggling more than a dash crazed raider?” Foresight bellowed, apparently he was thrilled at the idea of getting to train us in how to properly use power armor.

        “Sir, a dash crazed raider has nothing on me.” I retorted as grabbed the snow on the ground and pushed it away as I hopped off of the turret of the tank.

        “Then get that scavenged power armor on. I want to see what you can do in that.” Foresight directed pointing to where my repaired power armor was sitting on the ground.

        “Alright.” I answered as I trotted to it, wrapping it in my magic as I approached.

        “Rose, this suit of armor should fit you, if need be we can make adjustments.” Foresight said, a rather large suit of power armor was laying in the snow next to Foresight. Anabel was sitting next to it with a tool kit. I figured it might take a bit of tweaking to get the fit right.

        “I take it they are custom made more or less.” Rose said as she moved over to what would be her suit of power armor.

        “They are, Moonlight is just lucky to have found a suit that fit her so well.” Foresight answered as I finished pulling on the body of my power armor and held the helmet in my magic.

        “That and it has some minor enhancements to help the fit automatically. The previous user was a stallion, and I don’t have those parts so it would be a waste of space to keep.” I said before putting my helmet on.

        “Rather odd that you noticed that.” Foresight commented as Anabel went about adjusting Rose’s armor. “Well, you look ready. Come, lets spar.”

        I blinked, something Foresight couldn’t see as he trotted up to me. My armor still had those accursed limiters on them and he was in his star paladin power armor. This would end up with me being rather hurt.

        “No magic, I want to see how you handle that armor.” Foresight commanded before charging me.

        I hesitated for a moment before jumping backwards as Foresight turned as he planted his forehooves in the ground. As my rear hooves touched the ground Foresight’s hooves flicked past where my head had been. he wasn’t holding back. I moved to leap at him as he was regaining his balance, but, I felt the armor lock up around me as I did. I fell short and rigid on the ground as I swore under my breath at the armor’s limiters.

        “Looks like some user error here.” Foresight quipped as he stood over me. “Anabel, when you are done with Rose, work on Moonlight’s armor, she seems to have some issues.”

        I brought up the commands for my power armor and fished around for the controls to the limiters. I lay there for a few minutes as Foresight aided Anabel in getting Rose setup in her armor. Apparently first time equipping of power armor was supposed to take a lot longer than it had for me. However, I wasn’t going to stay laying down until Anabel got to me. I altered the code for the limiters, effectively disabling the ones for the wings, as those were causing the lock up of the armor. I wrapped myself in a subtle field of magic to lighten myself.

        I pushed myself up and unfurled the wings of the power armor as I rose jumping into the air. It felt greatly liberating as I landed without a noise behind Foresight.

        “I fixed my armor.” I said as I stood there.

        Foresight turned and looked at me, his helmet preventing my reading of his face. “What did you set the limiters to?”

        “I disabled the ones for the wings, as I clearly don’t have wings. They were giving all kinds of errors.” I replied. “Now my armor shouldn’t be giving me as much trouble. I still doubt that I could do a cartwheel in this armor, but, that is unfamiliarity.”

        Foresight nodded then lashed out with a hoof to strike at my muzzle. I hopped back out of his reach and flourished my barbed tail. While it was no match for his power armor it was an imposing sight given the moment of pause I saw Foresight give before he pursued me. I lashed out with my tail as I dodged Foresight’s attempts to grapple with me. I could feel myself start to tire. I was one who was inclined to prolonged physically intensive melee combat, more so when wearing armor. While it was far lighter than it looked, it still had weight to it.

        Foresight caught my tail as I was attempting to jump out of his grasp again. With wrapping his forehoof around mine he swung me while on his rear hooves like a ponified wrecking ball. He let go sending me sailing into a snow drift where I landed hard back first. I laid there as my eyes teared up from the pain. I opened my eyes to see Foresight galloping up to me, head down. Foresight wasn’t relenting. I rolled to my hooves and flung snow at his head with my tail before lunging at him aiming lower with my body to catch his legs with my shoulders.

        We impacted, the impact itself hurt to say the least as Foresight was knocked off his hooves and I rolled to my hooves upon landing. I stood as Foresight was getting his hooves unders himself again. I seized the chance to pounce and did so landing atop of him, my hind hooves on his side, one hoof on his muzzle and the other raised and ready to strike him in the visor.

        “It seems you have a decent idea of how you can move in your armor.” Foresight grunted from under me.

        “It seems so. That and a bit of practice where it was limiting me has given me a good idea of how it works. You have to relax and let the armor do the work for you and not try to do it yourself. Doing it yourself gets you hurt.” I replied.

        “Good, you learned that, now standby as medic in case we need you while putting your marefriend through the paces. Try to not get too wrapped up looking at her metal clad flank.” Foresight taunted.

        “I will do what I please while ogling my marefriend in some of the most technologically advanced pieces of wearable technology in the wastelands.” I replied as I turned my nose up in the air in feigned disgust at Foresight.

        “Fine, just get off me before I throw you off of me. You are rather light.” Foresight said as he began to move.

        I hopped off of him, using the armor’s wings to glide slowly backwards, noting the levitation talismans in the wings of the power armor. I would have to check to see how they were enabled. I also noted the wings had been increased in size by Anabel when she repaired it.

        Foresight got up and walked over to where Rose was standing fully clad in power armor. He started her slowly going through the paces while I watched. I went through the diagnostics and log of data from my fight with Foresight to continue fine tuning my power armor. I also needed to do something about my powerhoof, striking with it while in my armor tended to damage my armor. Which meant I needed to modify an opening. I would need to talk to Anabel about it, she was practically our quartermaster. Sure I could throw a bin of parts together to make something, but, Anabel knew the high end tech and how to maintain it.

        The day wore on as Rose learned how to properly, and not haphazardly, operate power armor and tune it to be her second skin. Foresight was right that power armor had been designed to be easy to learn, but, it still took time and practice.

        By evening Rose was moving around well enough that I doubted we would have much issues. Steel Ranger power armor was nowhere near as agile as my power armor, but, it wasn’t meant to be. Steel Ranger armor was protection, to make a person a walking tank. The armor I had while heavier for pegasi armor was far more about giving enhancements to one’s own abilities as well as giving better armor. Of course there was only so much they could do due to weight constraints.

        I gave a sigh as I removed my helmet and ate some food. Anabel and Foresight were helping Rose out of her armor as the sky was darkening. There were only two things left to do before we moved on. Foresight had something to say to us before we got to the Citadel, and we needed to rest up. Though Anabel also wanted to talk to me about Saint Clover at some point.

        “Alright, there was something I was meaning to say before we headed to the Citadel.” Foresight said as he and the other two joined me at the small campfire I had made.

        “I remember you mentioning this, what is it?” I asked as I handed out food to my companions.

        “Well, there is a chance I may not come back from this.” Foresight started, I frowned.

        “Moonlight, I informed the rest of the Steel Rangers to follow you should I die.” Foresight announced. I blinked.

        “Why her? She isn’t a Steel Ranger, wouldn’t that be betraying the other chapters of the Steel Rangers.” Rose asked as Anabel looked mildly amused.

        “Because, I trust them in her hooves more than I do with anypony else, except for Steelhooves. I gave them orders to sit tight with the Steel Ranger of Manehatten. Most of them listened. If word gets out I have died they will move to return once you set up something for them to support.” Foresight explained. “Barring that, they will support Steelhooves if he ever gets off his ghoul ass and takes charge of the Steel Rangers like he should.”

        I nodded, I understood what he meant. “Hopefully nothing will happen to you. But, getting your ponies out of Seamane is a good idea. I don’t foresee the Steel Rangers up north doing something stupid like pissing off someone who can actually fight and kill them. More so the Manehatten branch, they have nopony to fight other than Tenpony.”

        Foresight let out a sigh and nodded. “Hopefully that is the case, but, I just wanted you to know, either way you are going to get some more ponies on your side once you set up shop somewhere.”

        I let out a chuckle. “I guess I just need to figure out where I am going to set up shop in Seamane. I both want to set up shop in Saint Clover, but, I don’t want to put those ponies in more danger than they already are.”

        “They supported you before, they are already in danger, why wouldn’t they want more ponies working with you to protect them?” Anabel asked.

        She was right, so long as they still supported me I had a fort of my own. One of a manageable size and of importance. Though if I set up some sort of force there I would likely sideline my father in being the leader of the town. Then again, he would likely be far more suited for dealing with the logistics side of things and managing the citizens while I managed security and what not.

        “Looks like she is taking to the idea, Foresight.” Anabel said as I blinked out of my thoughts.

        “Sorry, I was just working through how to work things out with regards to Saint Clover. It is going to be messy when I get there.” I answered. “I am glad though that I should have some ponies I can rely on to manage things. I really am not suited to be a ruler. I am a doer not a hoofshaker.”

        “Spoken like a true leader.” Foresight laughed with Anabel and Rose joining in with him. I stared at them, confused.

        “I don’t get it.” I said looking at them.

        “They say the best person to lead is someone who doesn’t want to.” Foresight answered.

        I nodded. “That explains why Steelhooves seems like such a good potential leader.”

        “Right, that and he was the coltfriend of the founder of the Steel Rangers, Applejack, and also the first Steel Ranger.” Foresight said.

        I remembered the memory orb Steelhooves had me see. “I feel dirty.” I muttered. “Why the hell did he want me to see that?!”

        “What?” Foresight asked with an amused look on his face.

        “A memory orb of him showing off the original Steel Ranger power armor with Applejack, the first bit of it was not something strangers should see.” I said. “I guess someone failed at editing that memory orb down  to what it should have been and Steelhooves never knew that.”

        “Well, you are one of very few ponies who are alive who got to see Applejack. That also probably gave you a bit of insight into how to use power armor.” Foresight said with a chuckle.

        “Maybe, mostly I just don’t understand why he felt I should carry that memory. Well, he didn’t give me the orb to keep. Maybe he,” I trailed off as my mind coasted to a stop at having no idea as to what Steelhooves had been up to.

        “Sometimes people do things without meaning.” Anabel said with a shrug.

        “I guess so, I guess that does make him a lot more,” I frowned trying to find the right word.

        “Mortal?” Foresight offered.

        “I guess that is the closest term. Maybe due to I didn’t know his reputation he felt he could offset what I might hear about him. Make him more just a regular pony in my eyes and not some sort of immortal war hero.” I explained. “Though with being a canterlot ghoul, he sort of almost is.”

        “He sort of is, though, not in the traditional sense. Undead heroes are generally not a thing in our mythology.” Foresight said.

        “Plus we already went through the apocalypse. So most mythologies are moot at this point.” Anabel chimed in.

        “Very true, I guess at this point we write our own myths.” I laughed.

        “Or in some cases we are our own myths.” Foresight said giving me a warm smile.

It seemed my companions were expecting me to do great things. I then facehoofed as I realized I was becoming pretty much a legend. I mean, I killed a Windigo, lived through visiting Fillydelphia. I had made some grand declarations as well.

“Well, I guess at least I go down as having saved Equestria from a Windigo.” I chuckled and shook my mane.

“And the legend yet grows.” Rose purred. “While everything you have done may not be recorded in history, hay, you might pale in comparison to somepony else who comes up in this age, you will be known for a few things you have done to improve life around here.”

I nodded. “And so long as the ponies I love remember me that is enough in the end.”

I paused at how sappy and somber this was getting. “Can we move off of this, we are getting close to talking about some rather heavy stuff, so, lets talk about something else.”

That killed the conversation and we sat there as the darkness fell while the temperature dropped. We hopped into the tank a while later and began moving to the last leg of our trip.

“So, that is it.” I said as Foresight and I examined the Steel Ranger Citadel from a hilltop a good quarter of a mile away. We had parked the tank a ways back and hoofed it to this hill for the sake of not alerting the current occupants of the Citadel’s surface side.

“Looks smaller than I remember it being.” Foresight said as he shifted slightly moving the spotting rifle.

“Well, it still is fairly big. We also have the issue of that it is backed into a hill itself. I mean, sure, I could just. Wait, no that is what I am going to do. I am going to drop down that sheer cliff and infiltrate that way. You guys just pound open a hole for the tank while I go secure their biggest weapons.” I explained as the plan hit me. “Once the raiders’ heavy weapons are neutralized feel free to roll on in and pour on the fire. I will send up a flare signaling that I have dealt with sealing up their armory.”

“We should strike an hour before dawn, while the sun is still behind the clouds, it will still cause problems.” Foresight said.

I nodded. “Alright, so that leaves us with about what, six hours of rest, then I have to head out and infiltrate?”

Foresight nodded. “That sounds about right. While this is infiltration this is a ‘Go in quiet but loaded for bear’ sort of infiltration. The type Steel Rangers like.”

“Steel Ranger tactics to break into a Steel Ranger compound, oh how fun.” I laughed as I drew myself up and turned to head back to the tank. “Well, tomorrow we will begin to find your answers. I doubt the raiders will last more than an hour so that will give us most of the day to drill in and start our search.”

“It will take a few hours for the thermal drill to punch a hole in the bunker door, that metal was meant to resist a near direct impact of a balefire bomb, or even Celestia One firing upon it.” Foresight said.

“Celestia One?” I asked as we trotted back.

“Celestia One was a Pre-war Megaspell, it was, from what was in the records, a Megaspell built around the candle light spell.” Foresight explained.

I whistled remembering my own experimentation and empowerment of the candle light spell and then scaled it up to the scale of a Megaspell. “That is damn powerful then, where is it?”

“In space, from what I understand.” Foresight said, I blinked confused at this, then remembered the space center I had seen near Hoofington.

“So there might be more orbital weapons, if we managed to get to space, I doubt we just went to the moon and put only one orbital weapon system into play.” I said as I pondered what systems would be needed to track down what refuse was still in orbit.

“I would imagine a fair number what was up there has fallen from orbit by now.” Foresight said.

“Maybe, but, Operation Stardust, or at least Fort Stonehoof might house some records. However, that is for later. After all we are hitting up Stonehoof later anyways.” I said shaking my mane.

“Yeah, one thing at a time, Moonlight. It is too easy to get stuck speculating when you need to have your focus on something more pressing.” Foresight answered.

We returned to the tank and bunkered down for the night. Six hours of sleep were hard to come by when you were about to go into battle. My nerves were alight, and I was both excited and nervous about the task ahead of us.

An hour before I was to leave I was sitting on the turret of the tank having some of the caffeinated tea that I had kept with me. It wasn’t much, but, it would help keep my focus. I had eaten as well as I did not want to go into this without properly taking care of myself first. Failing self care was the fastest way to die in the wasteland.

I made a point of checking my gear. I was going in heavy, not only was I using my power armor, I was taking my full load of extra weapons. So I had something to kill silently with before having to go loud. I let out a sigh as I sat atop the tank as time counted down until I had to head out. Solo work was exhausting, but, familiar. Then again, I also hated putting my friends in danger and always rather take the most dangerous task myself. Then I would have nobody to blame but myself if I got hurt doing it.

Time hit zero and I hopped off the turret and began the hike. Everyone knew the plan, they were going to get in a bit more rest than I since they didn’t have to walk. They got the tank to roll up with, and they didn’t have a hill to hike up. Either way, it was good for me to get out and move around frequently.

I had made good time making it to the top of the cliff that overlooked the Citadel. Below me I saw a few lights from working signs flickering in the night. I took a deep breath as I unfurled the armor’s wings and set them to hold out stretched.

“Alright, let’s do this.” I told myself as I launched off the cliff. There was no sudden jerk of gravity pulling me down, no, it was as if I was being held by my shoulders as I slowly fell. I used my magic to adjust my fall to be a slow and tight spiral as I took in the layout of the base from above. I knew my automapper would do it’s job making my life a lot easier once I got dirtside.

The landing was as quiet as it could be at such a low velocity. I landed on the roof of a building without any lights or smoke coming out of it. I quickly brought up my pipbuck and began to check the automapper for anything that looked like doors to begin checking. I paused and looked around myself as no building stuck on on the automapper as my target. Instead I used the tried and true tactic of looking for the most well armored building that wasn’t the also the biggest building in the base. Though in this case it was also the most well decorated with corpses and spikes.

        I hopped from rooftop to rooftop without a sound as I headed south to a building that spoke to me as being important. Landing atop of it I checked for any ceiling hatch to find none. Which made sense considering the few encounters with pre-war Equestrian military design I had, they tended to be no nonsense structures that were well designed to prevent infiltration. Which made sense with the tenacity of Zebra infiltrators. Though the whole Zebra thing relied on what information was made public pre and post war being accurate.

        I poked my head over the edge of the roof and spotted two raiders standing guard, well, more of chatting with one another while sharing a smoke. I drew my two swords in my magic as I checked for any other ponies near by with my eyes and EFS. Seeing no further targets I fell atop of my prey sending my swords through their skulls as I landed. Silent and quick, which was what was needed. I quickly dragged the two corpses and their blood into the open front door of the armory. I needed to stuff the bodies somewhere for now. While raiders weren’t always the brightest it was best to be safe. Who knew, these ponies here might be more of bandits or under Slate’s command. Caution would also kept me from having to repair my armor as much.

        Inside the armory I shoved the corpses into a stall of a bathroom. Hopefully nopony would ask questions. As I headed out another pony walked right into me. We stood there staring at one another for a second. I triggered my wings to flare and tackled the poor raider who pissed himself as I did. I made it quick with a snap of his neck and put his body with the other two. I was glad they were just raiders, anything more and killing ponies who weren’t hostile would hurt. But, red is dead when it comes to a raider camp.

        “Contextual morals, heh, who would have thought that was as far as we ponies grown.” I muttered to myself as I moved slinked my way through the halls towards the one group of red bars I saw in my vision. “Still better than no morals.”

        “Double or nothing.” I heard somepony say. I paused listening for more as my ears moved around trying to figure out where that came from. I then heard the purr of shuffling cards. At that I cast my invisibility spell and crept closer to the red bars, there were nice and close now. Entering the doorway everyone turned to look as if expecting me, but, paused as they saw nobody and were their faces held a dumbfounded look as they stared at the air that I was hiding in.

        “I could have sworn that was him, damn place is haunted I tell you.” A yellow earth pony spat before resuming shuffling a deck of cards with his hooves.

        My invisibility spell dropped as I yanked out my silenced pistol and hit SATS. There were only four, and I figured they had been playing poker. In the stillness of SATS I could see the shock on their collective faces, it was like a picture. I did my job and lined up four shots, one to each of their heads. Time resumed a partial flow as two of my rounds met their intended target, one went wide and buried itself in the table, the last buried itself in the hoof of the final raider who had enough time to move his hoof to block his head. Time snapped back to full speed as the number of red bars halved. The table was flipped and one raider ducked behind it, the one who had gotten hit went from red to blue in EFS. I ignored this and casually fired two rounds into his  center of mass before giving a solid apple buck to the table. It smashed into the wall and I heard the sound of breaking wood coupled with a wet cry of pain. I jumped atop the table and finished off the unfortunate soul who I had crushed with the table.

        I stood there for a minute listening to the sounds of the building and camp. No sound of alarm struck my ears, and having dealt with raiders enough in the past I knew I was clear. The quiet sound of my pistol inside a building had not given away my existence. I quickly went over the corpses for any useable loot. I came up with a few caps, a bit of ammo to replace the forty fives I had used to put them down, couple of forty five pistols, a couple of containers of Stampede, and a set of keys. While I didn’t enjoy the idea of using the Stampede myself, I was more than happy to sell it off when I could. While a favorite of mostly the gangers and mercenaries, Stampede still netted a decent amount of caps in Saint Clover. After all drugs were a profitable trade.

        I moved further into the armory building and found the door to weapons. I unlocked the door and pulled it open to see that it was still well stocked. Within the armory there sat some of the most elusive and valuable weapons I could imagine, somehow these raiders had acquired a nice cache of Magical Energy Weapons. I paused though as I saw a symbol etched into the body of a magical energy rifle, one that was familiar, the symbol that the Magi used. These raiders either had a connection to the Magi or had stolen from them. Given the lack of having heard about this I imagined these raiders had acquired them through trade. Then it clicked, these raiders likely had some sort of drug factory here. It made sense with the Stampede and likely traded Magical Energy Weapons. I shook my mane as I stifled a laugh as I realized taking out trade partners of the Magi was likely not to do me any favors when it came to the Magi.

        “Oh well, maybe they will understand, probably be less upset if I bring a nice bag of Dash for those fools.” I said as I shook my mane while a smile sat upon my muzzle. For some reason I felt enraptured by finding a supply line and knowing I was doing to some degree a bit of damage. Inadvertently I was showing my prowess to the gangs by wiping out this base. “Well maybe this will aid my reputation.”

        I shook the thoughts from my head and marked the building on my map. There was plenty to loot here. I stuffed all the explosive ammo I could find into a single bag and slung it over my back. I then grabbed as many mines as I could before closing and locking the armory door. From here I began laying and hiding mines throughout the building. Hopefully there were a very limited number of keys to worry about, but, they wouldn’t have their rockets to use against us, plus I could throw and shoot some of these explosive to set them off. There were plenty of grenades as well.

        With the armory neutralized I began planting explosives around the base, mines in alleys. I remembered that Foresight had not explicitly told me where the hidden entrance was for the bunker. Then again, we were planning on shelling this place. I paused after having laid the rest of my explosives at the gate to aid in opening the front door for my friends when I recalled I wanted to nab myself a nice sack of drugs to sell off.

I looked up to look for a building giving off an abundance of smoke. The problem was there were a few building putting out smoke that made me feel a drug lab might have been in it. I frowned and decided to just head for the largest one, and the one that was putting out white smoke.

        Approaching the doorway to the suspected drug lab to see that it was infact a bath house. I just blinked then shook my mane, it was going to be a shame to blow the building up, but, it had to happen. I backed away and headed to another building that I felt might be my target. I peaked in to see that it was just a fireplace still going that was emitting the smoke. Luck had decided to go against me tonight as it took me checking four more building before I found the drug lab. How I found it was the abundance of used needles, vials, and inhalers outside of it. The lab was actually closed up for the night, surprisingly.

        The door to the drug lab was locked, and a very complicated lock at that. I had another half hour before my friends would be in place to assault the camp. I took my time with bobby pin and magic to pick the lock. It took a few minutes and pressing an ear against the door itself. Once the door unlocked I felt a hint of pride. I pushed the door ajar and checked for traps. With the door slightly ajar I spotted a wire. I pulled out some wonderglue and glued the wire to the door before cutting the side that was attached to the wall. With the trap defused I pushed the door open to see a grenade bouquet at my muzzle. Apparently whoever ran this lab was okay with destroying the whole building in case someone tried to steal from it.

        The door closed behind me with a gentle click as I shut it with my magic. I could even through the helmet smell the harsh chemicals that were being used here. I pushed further in and saw that the interior of this building was immaculate. Then it hit me, this lab wasn’t run by the raiders, it was being run by someone else. Raiders never kept anything this clean and organized. I pushed further forward I saw clean tables and work spaces. There were even a few fume hoods which made me wonder what the harsh smell of chemical cleaner was from. Maybe they cleaned every day with some sort of harsh cleaner and that left it smelling so terrible. I looked at my EFS for any threats and saw nothing, a good start.

        As I moved through the lab I looked for some sort of storage of product and wasn’t finding anything. Maybe there was a false panel somewhere that held their cache. Then there was a click of a gun. I paused looking around without moving my head. I caught a small distortion in the air as someone moved under the cover of a stealthbuck or stealth cloak.

        “I can see you.” I said as I flicked my armored tail in impatience. “Who are you, and why are you here with these raiders.”

        Silence was all that answered me, I followed the intermittent shimmer from when whoever was here with me bumped into something or moved too quickly causing their cloak shifted. I felt a tingle of magic go over me then a sudden prick. The prick caused me to slash my tail out in front of me as I hopped back.

        “Answer me!” I demanded.

        The response I saw a flash of teleportation.

        I hissed in response. “Bastard.”

        I turned to ransack the building and found behind a false wall a reasonably large cache of drugs. I laughed heartily at it, then I turned my attention back to the lab and spotted a few chemicals that would make clearing this camp easier. While it was not the nicest way to do it, chlorine gas would do the trick and there was more than enough to blanket the camp in the lethal gas for a few minutes, and these raiders were not savvy enough to deal with the reaction. Kicking the chlorine gas reaction into motion I headed out with my bag of loot and headed for the cliff face. I had a few more minutes before the proposed start time of the attack was upon me.

        The cliff face was bare and left me no clues as to where the hidden entrance was. I frowned then went to the northern side of the face and began walking with my armor’s wing scraping against the wall as I walked south. I made it most of the way south before my armor’s wing pushed through the illusion that marked the entrance of the Steel Ranger bunker. I looked west and flared my horn as I summoned up my magic. I then stopped and decided now was the time to loot and hide what I could in the hidden cave.

        It took me no time to stash what I had stolen and make my way back to the armory. Once there I grabbed a pallet mover and stacked a pallet high with weapons, armor, and ammo. I knew I would have to leave some of it behind, but, I couldn’t in good conscious leave all this fine equipment to get shelled. I hussled my loot to the cave as I pushed my magic forth to prepare my flare to mark the beginning of the operation. Nopony seemed to pay heed to the racket I was making. I guessed raiders didn’t care about noises in the night with having grown complacent in the protection their walls gave them. Then came an explosion, someone had found a mine of mine. I hurried my pace and raced through the illusionary wall as I sent my magical flare skyward.

        The cart flipped over as it went from the dirt to the metal plates that made up the inside of the hidden cave and took me with it. I groaned for a moment before I heard the sound of twin explosions marking the siege had begun. I pulled myself up and started moving all of my looted equipment to the left side of the cave. Once I had secured everything I paused to take in my surroundings. The cave was pony made to say the least and completely metal. There were recessed lights in the walls and ceiling giving a low amount of illumination.

I looked down the gentle slope to see the large door of the bunker a hundred feet down. I could see why we needed the thermal drill, it was going to be a pain to open. Upon inspection of the door itself I clearly could see a few areas where some sort of weapons fire had been used on it. From the looks of it this door had an ablative armor on it, which I figured was one of many layers that this door was made of. I sighed and looked around for an access panel. There had to be a way to open the door from the outside and that would save us time.

        Again a false wall hid an access panel that I could try to hack into and open the door with. With little effort the panel popped it open and I began to wire my pipbuck into access panel. As my pipbuck communicated and began to automatically decrypt the data of the access panel I continued to hear steady pounding of the tank’s heavy shells into the camp with secondary explosions.

        After half an hour had ticked by I had managed to start penetrating the code of the access panel and digging into the computer system that from the looks of it must have run through the entire bunker at one point. The errors which popped up seemed to show a great deal of failures within the bunker, the most worrisome was the life support apparently had failed slowly if I was reading the error log correctly. The sensors for the inside of the bunker eluded my access so I continued to dig for the command to open the bunker door.

        The sound of the tank rolling its way on in filled my ears as I finished finding what used to be the code to activate the motor for the door. I let out a sigh of frustration before I began to work on piecing it back together.

        I heard the loud hoof falls of somepony in power armor and turned to spot Rose sporting the power armor she had been given trotting up to me.

        “The camp apparently was dead before we got here.” Rose said, her voice distorted the speakers of her armor.

        “Elaborate, I did try to set up a chlorine gas reaction in their drug lab.” I said as I worked on piecing together code.

        “Well if you did set up a gas attack it failed pretty early on. The place is leveled though.” Rose said.

        “And what, you had almost no resistance coming in?” I asked as the code started to show itself to me in my mind as I grasped how the language for this system worked.

        “Yeah, Foresight was worried as it seemed those who were here you got, the rest had left, for good.” Rose answered.

        “How odd.” I muttered as I finished reconstructing the command to open the front door. “Everyone stand back, I am going to try to open the door.”

        With my command I heard ancient engines on the other side of the door attempt to do their job before I heard the horrible sound of mechanical failure ring out. I cursed as the two hundred year old machines had given out.

        “Break out the drill, it looks like we have to do this the hard way.” I said as I disconnected my pipbuck and cursed having wasted so much time on a futile effort.

        Anabel made herself busy with unloading and setting up the thermal drill while Rose and I loaded my newly aquired loot. Foresight kept himself in the tank, which I did not blame him for. If something went down it was best for the tank to have a driver instead of being an immobile target.

        The drill started up and filled the air with the smell of burning metal. My helmet auto dimmed as I looked at the drill as it filled the air with sparks as excess material melted off. I had been right about the ablative armor on the door.

        “Alright, this is going to take a while.” Foresight said having climbed out of the tank in the under armor of his power armor. “Lets get geared up and double check what we have. I feel this is not going to go smoothly.”

        “It isn’t going smoothly, your intel was wrong about the raiders here. I got jumped by someone in a zebra stealth cloak who did something with their magic then pricked me before teleporting away. This mission has gone sideways.” I said as I changed out my DMR for the magical energy rifle I had picked up.

        “That doesn’t sound like anything we should worry about right now.” Foresight said to my annoyance.

        “Well, whatever, Foresight get suited up and share your copy of this bunker’s layout with us. I need to know where I need to focus my attention for recovering any and all information out of here. Mainly I need to know where the central computer system is, I can’t access it from here, it has been cut off.” I said as I tightened the straps of my rifle.

        “Alright, this will take a while.” Foresight said.

        The thermal drill finally stopped and I backed it out. We each had a map of the facility. Foresight and myself were going to go to the eldar’s quarters which was near the computer core. Rose and Anabel were going to go after living quarters and the infirmary. Anabel had broken out a HAZMAT suit that she had picked up at some point in her own travels. With the time it had taken to drill I had taken the time to set up a minefield in the still smoking ruins of the raider camp. We were ready as we could be.

        Once the head of the drill was out of the hole that it had created I saw a thick pink mist roll out. I recoiled in horror before I pushed it back with my magic.

        “Take everything and get out of here, now.” I ordered. “The bunker entrance has pink cloud in it.”

        There was silence then hurried work of my friends making use of the tank’s weapons to clear a path out of the former camp through the minefield we had created to get enough distance from the bunker.

        “Moonlight, are you going to come?” Rose asked as the tank sat halfway out of the illusionary wall.

        I paused as I heard something groan on the other side of the door. Something was very wrong, I turned and ran for the tank as I focused my magic on pushing against the door in hopes I could keep the possibly pressurized pink cloud from erupting out.

        “Drive you idiots it is going to blow!” I shouted as I landed on the rear of the tank.

        The acceleration nearly made me fall off before I managed to lay down atop the rear of the tank. Once we passed through the illusionary wall I lost my grasp on the door and felt sick for having tried to keep ahold of such a mass.

        As the tank kept accelerating I heard a whistle growing louder and louder despite how far we moved away from the cliff face. I knew what it was and there was only a matter of time until that door failed.

        The tank came to a gentle halt atop the hill Foresight and I had observed the camp from hours ago. Then I heard a rumble and watched as the door we had been unable to move plow its way through metal and dirt the camp before it. A pool of thick pink cloud filled the rut that the door had created as well as seeped off of the back of the massive armored door. As I observed through the spotting rifle I saw remains of ponies that had fused to the back of the door marking a futile attempt to escape.

        “Foresight, I think we know what killed your ponies. I just fear what the answer to why and whom.” I said as Foresight stood next to me atop the tank turret.

        “Do you think you can go in there and find me some answers?” Foresight asked.

        “I am not letting anyone go in alone.” I said. “I also have some experience with pink cloud that should protect us, but, it is going to need Rose and I to work together to do it. Magic seem to block it.”

        “Then the two of you will go in.” Foresight said.

        I looked back down at the crypt of dead Steel Rangers. “This is going to be worse than Canterlot, I am bound to come across feral versions of Steelhooves down there.”

        “Kill them, send their souls go to Celestia.” Foresight ordered, and that was that. I began to strip myself of anything that could fuse itself to me. Because going in there I was going to have to be naked, fighting possibly Canterlot Ghouls in Steel Ranger armor.

        “Fuck me.” I muttered.

Introduction

Introduction

“War, war never changes.” - Narrator of Fallout One through New Vegas, Ron Perlman

The end of the world happened pretty much as we predicted. With dwindling resources we had to turn to other nations, strike up deals and trade agreements. But, as always greed stood in its way and war came. A senseless war that ended with the annihilation of the world. The souls of those who died fading away into the ambient radiation of the hell that was now our world, the wasteland.

However, it was not the end of pony kind as some had predicted. Neigh, it was merely a prelude to another bloody and dark chapter of our history. Though the surface had been burned by balefire, every major population center bombed into ruin, and almost every source of water contaminated, ponies lived on.

To the south of the Equestrian Heartland lay the region and city of Seamane. A hub city for the expansive agricultural industry of the region. Around it lay vast rolling plains with gentle hills that played host to innumerable farms. The expansive region was sparely populated beyond the few major settlements, the largest of course being Seamane itself. For the entire population of Seamane and the region five stables had been built. Of these stables only two ever opened, from one came the current inhabitants of Dune City. They arrived a hundred and twenty years after the war ended and set up shop between Colt and Saint Clover. They now stood as one of the major trade hubs of the region.

The other stable that opened unleashed the gangs that now hold the city's ruins in their grasp. The Magi, who operate out of the ruins of Seamane University. The Angels, a group of drug dealers who has maintained control of the other gangs and prevented any major territorial shifts for the past forty years. The Sea Serpents, who have claimed every area along the two rivers that run through Seamane. The Sand Trappers, who hold the western industrial ruins of Seamane as well as the suburbs.

Those who managed to survive the end and did not have the luck of a stable to hide within eventually returned to the city itself. The largest settlement was Saint Clover, it was a cargo ship that had survived the end of the world while in it's moorings. The ship was the H.M.S. Clover the Clever, a ship named in honor of one of Equestria's ancient heroes. Now it was to be the shelter of the largest population of ponies in the region. From it rose a great merchant syndicate which ran every aspect of the ship.

This is Seamane where the old world corruption found a new world home. Ponies slowly turning from mutual aid to selling one another off for profit and resources. The gangs of Seamane are growing restless. The wealthy becoming more greedy. A great red eye from the north has turned its gaze to the Seamane region, and war, war never changes.

Chapter 30 - Cold Storage

“Fourth Floor: Tools, Guns, Keys to Super Weapons.”

        With a raspy breath I took in our surroundings, the darkness was sticking close to us, though my mane and tail gave some illumination, but, it was not the best source of light as it flickered like a lighter. I went to check my EFS to find it was dead, I checked my pipbuck to see it was off, completely.

        “Hey, is anyone else's pipbuck off?” I asked, Rose and Foresight checked theirs, I saw the same dead screens.

        “Your pipbuck zero's EFS has been flaky the whole time we have been here as well.” Anabel reported.

        “Same with my pipbuck, Anabel. Looks like we are doing this the hard way, then again, I think we all grew up without EFS or a pipbuck so not that hard..” I smiled, which was hard to see under my gas mask. “Though, without our pipbucks it is going to be harder to detect hazards. Keep those gas masks on, if something attacks us and yours gets damaged, well... hopefully I can patch it up, if not, lets hope the storage here has some spares, or maybe some bodies are down here with gas masks.”

        “With the lack of dust down here, or even particles in the air, I doubt anything alive has been down here in two centuries.” Foresight explained with a grim tone entering his voice.

        “Just be glad we didn't grab the power armor, we couldn't move if we had. Hell... I bet that is what did in an unfortunate number of your friends.” I replied.

        “No kidding, lets just hope the Geiger counter on the pipbucks still function, nopony happens to have something radioactive on them, do they?” Foresight asked, I pulled out a irradiated bar. “Why do you have this?”

        “I regenerate with radiation...” I muttered.

        “Oh...” Foresight muttered in return before putting his pipbuck next to the bar, there was a faint clicking. “Well, that is good to know, though it is far quieter than normal.”

        “Alright so we just need to keep our ears trained for hearing it. Alright, lets get moving I only have like half an hour of filters on me.” I said putting the lingering paranoia out of my mind. “We need to get our bearings, I really doubt that they removed the signs for navigating this place.”

        “Right. Okay, Moonlight, you’re taking point, you’re our light, and leader.” Anabel said shifting for one reason or another.

        “Right, everypony keep close, if you lose sight of me pull out your lighter, since our pipbucks are dead, we will have to do this the old fashion way.” I said, as I did I heard the sound of three lighters clicking on and yellowish orange light filled my peripheral vision. “Alright, priority, security station, most likely place to give us control, maps, or an idea of where things are; second priority, clinic; third, tools; forth, mainframe; fifth, anything that looks fun.”

        “That sadly puts you last then, Moony.” Rose said from behind me.

        “I know, but, you got a good view of my apple butt, so that will have to do for now, Rose-butt.” I replied as I started forward.

        “You two should find the barracks and get it on for a few hours.” Foresight replied sarcastically. “We wouldn’t mind, in fact, if you really want to, go ahead and do it once we have a map of the place.”

        “It would help you two keep your minds on the task at hand.” Anabel added.

        “I get it, we haven't gotten laid in a few days and we are driving you two nuts.” I muttered, rolling my eyes, a useless thing as no one could not see my face. “Whatever, if that itch comes up after we get a layout for the place why not. Though sex with gas masks on would be... odd.”

        “I would suggest we take them off for the deed.” Rose offered.

        “Yeah, constricted air supply doesn't sound fun to me.” I replied as we neared an intersection that was bare of any signs of direction.

        “It can be, for some, but, I understand, you get squirmy when you lose too much control of the situation.” Rose warmly said, standing a bit closer than I felt comfortable with her being at the moment.

        “Yes, well, lets stop this chatter and see if any of us can figure out which way to go.” I said changing the subject as best as I could.

        “I got nothing, lets go left.” Foresight said as I looked back at my companions, he shook his mane and I did too.

        “Well, lets treat this like a maze, we will just follow the left side wall until we end up somewhere that can give us directions, or one of the places we want to be.” I explained as I turned the corner and headed left at a decent trot. There was no need to go any faster.

        The clop of our hooves eerily echoed through the halls of the derelict portion of the facility as we delved deeper into the black inky hallways. There was no signs of any struggle, hurry, or anything. It was as if this place had never got setup instead of that it was stripped bare of equipment.

        “Was this like how Stable Twenty Three was?” Rose asked, plunging my mind for a split second into the memories of Stable Twenty Three.

        I gulped and steadied myself and took one deep breath.

        “I take it as a yes now that I mention it.” Rose answered for me a bit meekly. “Sorry.”

        “It is fine, lets just focus on getting through here instead of on what I have dealt with in the past.” I replied.

        “Good attitude.” Foresight chimed in.

        With that I began again, again the quiet of the place pressed down upon me, thankfully the lack of corpses helped differentiate this place from Stable Twenty Three, but, now that Rose had brought up memories of that place it was influencing my sense of something being off.

        We came to another intersection, this time I saw in chalk butterflies and an arrow next to them.

        “Anyone else see what I see on the wall?” I asked pointing a hoof to the yellow chalk that stood out from the grey steel.

        “Eeyep, left again, lets get too it.” Anabel said.

        I raised a hoof and swapped filters to a new one so I would stop gasping for air through this filter.

        “Okay, everyone else's filters good to go?” I asked as I wished I had a pipbuck zero again so I could time how long my filters lasted.

        “Yeah, lets get moving, maybe medical will have some information or life support.” Foresight offered.

        “Right.” I said with a nod and started us up again.

        Again as we walked through the dark halls, the darkness fell away to the light of my mane, and faded in behind us consuming all we left behind. Our echoing hoof steps began to fall prey to the paranoia growing in my mine, I raised a hoof to call a stop to our group as it seemed I heard more than just our four sets of hooves and paws.

        The sounds continued and grew more distant, and did not sound like any of us.

        “Fuck, what in the name of Luna is down here with us?!” I cursed quietly afraid to alert whatever else was down here with us. My voice echoed and grew louder it seemed with each one.

        “Moonlight...” Rose quietly said, her own voice doing the same.

        “Everyone down on the floor, quiet, melee only, sound travels, just like when we first go in.” I whispered, this time not echoing, though I heard the sound of somethings steps in the shrouded distance.

        “Rose, douse Moonlight, Anabel switch to those night vision goggles Moonlight gave you.” Foresight commanded.

        For half a second I pondered what he meant by dousing me, then Rose was laying atop of me, her own overcoat cloaking me easily below her, quickly all became dark and the sound of things moving just out of sight continued. I didn't dare go for any of my weapons, I instead focused on making my mane and tail stop producing light. I had no idea if it would work or not, but, it was all I could do in my current position, under my marefriend and not in a bed.

        I heard a strangled cry of terror from behind me, likely Anabel by the pitch of it. Then there was silence, Rose moved off of me.

        I looked around as my luminescent mane and tail lit the hallway again, I quickly looked around to see a frightened Anabel with her back against the wall and Foresight standing between her and the hallway behind us.

        “Foresight did you see anything?” I asked, now that I was no longer buried under my marefriend.

        “No, but I heard something, and I swear I could feel the air moving like something was breathing or moving past us.” Foresight answered, not moving at all, still in a low defensive stance.

        “Hey, Anabel, does your radio still work?” I asked, having an idea of what might be going on.

        “Huh, what, why?” Anabel asked, confused and still not handling whatever just happened all that well.

        “If you couldn't see them with your eyes or night vision, they might be pushing the light coming off of them into radio frequencies to fool thermal and night vision.” I explained. “It is a long shot, but, it's worth a try, right?”

        Anabel blinked a few times, still shaking slightly, then moved and activated the radio on the pipbuck zero. A barbel of static flowed out of it, the sound echoing off of the odd hallways. It was as if we were sitting in an electric stream.

        “Turn it down until you can barely hear it, you are listening for changes in the static, odd ones, not the usual randomness.” I continued, then the static stopped, just silence.

        I raised an eyebrow.

        “The radio is still on, I didn't adjust the volume at all.” Anabel stated, looking just as confused, and still it looked like working on breathing to calm down.

        “Then that static was something being near. Whatever it is, it is away from us for now.” I said, breathing a sigh of relief that was cut short when I realized whatever was down here might be able to control what frequencies it shrugged off to hid from showing up in the visible spectrum.

        “Lets keep going, we know medical is this way, and I don't believe that the base is bigger than the area fenced off on the surface.” Rose said, I gave a nod and took point again, keeping my hoof falls as quiet as I could to prevent echo's of our passing.

        The silence weighed heavily on my mind, the darkness and clean halls bringing anxiety inducing memories back from Stable Twenty Three. I did my best to just keep to a breathing regiment of seven in, hold for seven, seven out, and hold seven without air. It helped, and the soft sounds of my friends behind me, and being able to see them when I looked behind me helped a great deal to dispel the hold that this place was attempting to gain over me. I wouldn't allow it to get a hold of me, nor would my friends.

        We came finally to a closed door, a simple yellow band ran down the center face of it that at eye level for me had the mark of the Ministry of Peace. It was medical. I looked for a handle or release to find none, though I did see windows to my left and right.

        “It's like any door you find in military or Stable-Tec underground facilities, hydraulic, someone has a crowbar right?” Anabel asked, I paused and then unsheathed my sword. “Not quite a crowbar, but, unless anyone else has a better option-”

        Anabel was cut off by Rose using her magic to begin opening the door then using her impressive strength to pull the door the rest of the way open. I heard only a slight hiss before the door finished opening on it's own leaving Rose standing on her hind legs and unbalanced, in front of me. Then she started to lose her balance, I guessed she didn't know about the emergency systems on hydraulic doors. I pushed forward and gave her enough forward momentum to keep from falling on her back, our hooves hit the metal floor with an annoying loudness.

        “Everyone in, I am going to close the door, hopefully if something is out there the door will keep it out.” I hissed, grabbing my sword in my magic and pulling it along with myself inside of medical. Anabel and Foresight didn't even nod and quickly, but not silently pushed past me into the entryway to Medical. I pulled the door down, my strength, weight, and knowing where to push with my magic got the door to close, sealing with a quiet hiss.

        “Okay, well, time to find what supplies are left here.” I whispered, looking at the two possible paths to take. One had a painted sign saying “Hospital”, the other was listed simply as “Storage”.

        “I prefer to hit up storage before we deal with whatever hospital horrors might still lay in waiting for us.” Rose quietly explained, I couldn't help agreeing with her.

        “Then Anabel and I will take the Hospital, likely there is more equipment of the mechanical variety and probably assorted information.” Foresight said and pulled out his flashlight and pressed the power button, only for nothing to happen.

        “No...” I whispered to myself as I quickly checked my plasma pistols to find them dull and lifeless.

        “Please don't tell me what I think you just figured out.” Foresight bemoaned.

        “Yeah... Something is interfering with magical energy. It seems we can't rely on any stored power.” I replied.

        “That means no computers and electronic locks are either going to be bricks that keep door shut, or paper weights on them that don't block us.” Foresight replied.

        “I guess that means there are no robots are down here.” Anabel added in, making all of us feel a bit better at that.

        “Likely we won't find any computers or mainframes online either” I added in.

        “Well, we, won't find any answers by sitting here and flapping our lips. So lets get moving, faster we move the quicker we find our answers.” Rose said finishing the conversation. I went with Rose into storage, while Foresight and Anabel used their lighters as the energy cells for their night vision had by now died, and if not would soon die anyways.

        The walk down to storage was brief, and I had started to notice how considerably much warmer it was starting to feel, as well as a bit humid. The air still smelled stale, but, no smell of rot or anything else, besides sweaty mare, but, that I had gotten used to and could ignore, most of the time.

        We kept going and hit a simple door, which confused me, I hadn't seen a door like this in a while, it was like what was aboard Saint Clover, or in the Steel Ranger warehouse, I held a hoof out to stop Rose as I examined it to check for traps, leaks, or signs of really anything. There was a bit of condensation, but that was all, which worried me, as we hadn't seen anything else. Though it hit me that it likely meant it was connected to the outside which would allow for water, air, and a quick exit. Except it felt warmer over here than the rest. Warm and wet, which didn't make sense to me. I shook my mane and looked at Rose who did the same.

        “Step back and be ready to grab my tail and run.” I ordered quietly, I waited until I heard Rose's hoof steps a bit behind me before I gently with my magic turned the wheel on the door and pulled it open. The smell of moisture hit me as I felt warm liquid roll over my hooves, causing an uncomfortable feeling to build in my powerhoof. I lifted my powerhoof fused hoof out of the liquid in time to hear Rose make a undefinable sound that greatly sounded like a choked gag fused with a gasp. I looked down at the liquid spilling out to see it greatly resembled that blood, yet I didn't smell the coppery scent that I had come to know as the smell of blood.

        “It isn't blood.” I stated as licked my powerhoof without second thought. What I tasted made me gag. The taste was bitter, and I realized possibly marking that it was poisonous. “I am a fool...”

        “Did you, you did, how could you?!” Rose stammered as she realized what I meant.

        I pondered over how my body was feeling as the thick liquid stopped pouring out of the door from storage. I found that I wasn't feeling any worse for wear.

        “Stupidity.” I admitted. “But, it reminds me of healing potions, just with no positive effect.”

        “Healing potions?” Rose said puzzled by the notion that we were standing not in a puddle of blood, but, instead a puddle of spent magical potion fluid.

        “Yeah, it seems as though something...” I trailed off as a chill went down my spine. “Oh Celestia protect us.”

        “What, what is wrong Moonlight?” Rose asked using her magic to push away the slurry of liquids on the floor and off of her hooves. I followed her example and twinged in pain as I cleaned the liquid out of my powerhoof.

        “The only time I had seen healing potions lose their potency was, well, enervation.” I said as I examined my powerhoof to see it was bleeding, which was not a good sign. “We now have a bigger problem though, I'm bleeding.”

        “Why is that a bigger problem than possible enervation, doesn't enervation make injuries heal slower or outright grow worse?” Rose questioned as she got closer, I shook my head as I lit my horn.

        “Get out of the liquid, if possible get out of this hall and use your magic to push any that has gotten into the lobby.” I commanded as I worked on building my magic to burn the tainted healing potions. I heard Rose gallop down the hall and I waited for her to give the okay.

        “I'm clear!” Rose called down to me, with that I took a deep breath and opened my eyes as I set alight the fluid. It burned, it squealed as my magical flames burned it away. There was no echo so I wasn't certain if the cry was in my mind or actual. Nonetheless I stood there, surrounded by boiling blood red liquid bathed in blue fire as it squelched and popped, the liquid almost looking like it was trying to move away from me. I took a deep breath before I felt my legs go out from below me. My left shoulder began to hurt worse than from when I injured it yesterday and my powerhoof felt more wrong than when I was filled with taint.

        “Fuck...” I hissed as I pulled out my knife and began to bathe it in my fire, heating it until it glowed a dull orange.

        “This was a completely terrible plan.” I muttered to myself before pushing the heated blade against my bleeding flesh. The smell of burnt coat quickly reached my nose, quickly followed by the smell of burnt flesh.

        “Moonlight?!” I heard Rose call out, shortly I heard her galloping towards me, then I heard her hooves skid on the smooth steel floor. “What? What happened?!”

        I dropped the knife and coughed, I didn't taste blood, which was good. My shoulder felt like something was alive in it, again, like when I woke up in the Manehatten blast crater with an eye surrounded with teeth on my shoulder. I bit back a scream as I rolled onto my side and began to remove the armor sitting on my shoulder and shrugging the lab coat off of it as well.

        “Moonlight what are you-” Rose stammered before cutting herself off with a gasp.

        “Don't tell me how bad it is, just do what needs to be done.” I said coldly offering my glowing blade to her as I kept the blade heated with my magic. “Do it, I won't be able to see through the pain.”

        “Moonlight, I...” Rose trailed off, I could see her start to look a bit faint.

        “Then give me a Med-X, hold my leg still, and help me patch myself up once I am done cutting away the mutated flesh.” I commanded giving no room for objection. Rose gave a quick nod and dug out a syringe of Med-X and jammed it into my shoulder, I heard a wet sound that gave me an idea of what I was about to see and deal with. Rose on the other hoof turned her head and started to dry heave. I took a deep calming breath and turned my head. I glared at the mutation that had began to sprout from my shoulder, nothing good could come from it.

        The mutation was once again a collection of malformed flesh, this time with tendrils coming out of my shoulder forming feather like things, it reminded me of a dead Alicorn's wing stripped of coat and most of its feathers. I hissed as I stabbed my knife into my shoulder and began to dig out the mutated flesh and appendages. As I did I ran into the problem of repeatedly digging out fangs and teeth within my muscle. Tears filled my eyes as I finished severing the mutated flesh, as I did Rose dumped a healing potion on my shoulder that I had cut down to the bone on. I closed my eyes as I felt the soothing effects of the healing potion take hold on my wound.

        We sat there for a few minutes before Rose spoke.

        “Moonlight, was that better or worse than what you had in Manehattan?” Rose asked.

        “Better, there wasn't an eye this time, or multiple sets of mouths protecting it with rings of teeth.” I answered. “But, I don't like that it had feathers, it worries me and reminds me of what I fought and killed below the Hole Solar Array.”

        “I could have done without knowing what the previous mutation looked like, but, do you think somehow the taint there is trying to give you wings?” Rose asked as I incinerated the mutated flesh that was laying on the floor as it twitched and flailed.

        I smiled, the idea of having wings was a nice one, but, the pain of growing them would be debilitatingly painful. Still though, having wings would make life far more interesting, but, they were not required, nor did I would want to have to wait around for that mutation to happen. I had things that needed doing, and I honestly didn't have the time to grow wings while in a underground possibly death filled labyrinth and learn how to use them. The thought was nice that my body tried to grow wings for me, just that wasn't where they should grow on a pony.

        “Maybe, but, wings don't come out of your shoulders, look at Anabel, that is where they should sit on a pony or gryphon.” I replied as Rose wrapped my shoulder and injured hoof in bandages.

        “I am going to poke my head through that door before we move on, hopefully that wasn't all that was in there.” Rose said, gently nuzzling me before standing and taking one of my flamethrowers I had acquired from a Mister Gutsy.

        “Purge with fire, my sister of battle.” I snickered getting a quick smile out of Rose and partially dispelling the atmosphere. Slowly Rose let out bursts of fire from the flamer.

        I let out a sigh as my body started to feel more normal again, I could still feel that ambient bit of wrongness, but, the pain masked by the Med-X and the healing potion and bandages. I felt a bit happy in fact, to the point I felt a weak smile tugging at the sides of my mouth. Of course I was also high off of painkillers and healing potions. I also reconsidered the idea about addition to healing potions not existing, maybe not physical dependence, but, they were a way to feel good when feeling bad. Then again, that is true about eating good food, or orgasms, or caffeine. Still though, it felt good to lay down for a few and just relax, minus the discomfort of having a gas mask on.

        Rose came back through the door and threw the still hot flamer at me then slammed shut the door and turned the wheel sealing it. I yelped in pain as I started flailing trying my best to get the flamer off of my shoulder and into my hooves until I remembered I had magic and just used that to hold the very hot flamer in the air off of me and gave Rose an angry look.

        “I am not saying it was smooze... but, it was smooze.” Rose calmly and collectedly explained after brushing her hair out of her eyes.

        “That explains the use of fire.” I groaned. “You smell sweatier than you do after three rounds.”

        “Well, when you are panicking for your life and using a weapon that emits fire it is hard to stay cool, plus the humidity was horrible in here.” Rose replied dryly.

        “Same when you have a hot flamer thrown on your burned shoulder.” I countered.

        “Sorry, I thought you would catch it in your magic.” Rose said sitting down next to me and double checking my shoulder. “You'll be fine, but, I don't blame you for complaining.”

        “And I don't blame you for using a flamethrower on the smooze. Now, give me a hug, put the flamethrower away, and lets get out of here, storage is a waste of time and I am really hoping that a sealed door is enough to keep out whatever else is down here.” I politely said. Rose did as I said, and we were off, though slowly due to my shoulder.

        “Maybe you should drink a healing potion, more so if this place does drains healing potions like you think it does.” Rose said her saddlebag opening up and floating out a healing potion to my lips. I didn't argue, it was a good idea, staying here too long was a bad idea, so being slow due to an injury was a bad thing.

        Once I finished the potion I did feel a fair bit better.

        “Rose, lets get to Foresight and Anabel as quickly as we can. I haven't heard any gunfire or cries of help from them, but, if something malicious is down here... well you know how magic can be.” I said as I pushed myself a bit harder and evened out my pace.

        “You're right, we haven't even heard anything from when we made all that noise.” Rose said adding to my sense of needing to rejoin our companions quickly. “I'll carry you, best option while you heal, might want to give yourself another dose of radiation to help quicken your healing.”

        “No, that still requires enough radiation that I’ll feel ill, it would just compound the problems at this point. If I get hurt enough, yes, irradiating myself is the best option for major injuries, or if we are in a situation where it is safe enough for me to do so and have time to deal with the side effects of being so heavily irradiated.” I explained. “I am not a rad filly, yet.”

        “At least you don't shed radiation like glowing ones, that would probably be a deal breaker, I like to be able to be close to my partner.” Rose said giggling.

        “Well, not so much a problem for me, radiation, while helpful has some uncomfortable side effects for me now.” I said blushing.

        “Really? Well, just going to have to steer clear of heavy radiation pockets, while I like fun, that sounds like it could be a death sentence for you.” Rose replied, giving me a odd bit of insight into her mind, while she enjoyed getting me worked up, she didn't like it if it was a hazard of killing me.

        “That radioactive bar you have will never be toy for you for that reason. I rather not ghoulify you, or worse.” Rose said seeming to have picked up my train of thought.

        I gave a sigh of relief. “I am glad to hear it, I was seriously questioning how wide you were willing to push my barn doors.”

        “You're my first real partner, Moonlight, and I might just be serially monogamous.” Rose admitted while blushing, I blushed as well, my heart soaring at hearing that.

        “I feel the same way about you, Rose.” I admitted as well.

        Rose gave a small smile as we got back to the entrance of Medical. I paused and looked around seeing no changes to the door or windows, my mane still glowing softly lit up the far wall outside, nothing seemed to move, through the slow shimmer of my mane could have hidden it. Rose poked me in my barrel and I turned to look at her, instead I saw her pointing, to a door we hadn't seen while in here earlier, Administration.

        “How did we miss that?” I asked.

        “I guess your mane wasn't bright enough to illuminate it, unless there is something here hiding stuff.” Rose answered.

        “Right, lets go with we just didn't see it due to it was too dark to spot and somepony casted a shadow on it. Come on lets leave a marking and go in.” I said pulling out some chalk and marking an arrow showing which way we went and drew both of our cutiemarks on the floor.

        “That hopefully will be enough, maybe we can find something of interest in Administration.” Rose whispered as she neared the door.

        I simply nodded as I pulled out my burning sword, machine or flesh would fall to it, and it was magical so it hopefully would work on spirits. Rose grabbed the Mister Gutsy flamethrower again, which I kept thinking of calling a flamer, seem fitting, that or flame pistol. Either way we were prepared with a flamer pistol, Applebuck, and my black sword. Though I did note one thing as we moving forward with our weapons grasped in our magic was that the ambient damper on magical energy here didn't seem to apply to magic being done by a pony.

        “You feeling any unusual effort with your magic.” I asked to Rose.

        “No, doesn't seem to fit with what little exposure to and explanation of enervation I’ve been given. So, maybe it’s not enervation, but, instead maybe they didn't want some machinery down here operating while they were gone? Prevent things from doing magic that don't have a soul?” Rose offered.

        “Maybe, think they had those weird changeling robots here as well and that is why they set it to kill not soul powered stuff?” I suggested.

        “That, would make some sense, given the remote nature and all.” Rose murmured as we reached another door, this one I made short work of with the help of Rose's natural strength and combining our magic.

        Once through we looked about to see a orderly room bare of anything organic in nature. There were metal chairs and a metal desk, the cushions of the chairs long gone. I also noticed the odd lack of dust again. As I scanned the room Rose replaced her filter and took a deep breath, I think she had been purposefully delaying changing her filter to ration our filters out.

        “I really think we should have tried looking for a way to power on the ventilation system first.” I grumbled.

        “I agree, but, too late now, lets wrap up clearing out this part.” Rose hissed, clearly not liking being in here either.

        “Right, well it seems there is this room then...” I paused as I moved deeper into the room we were in to spot any further doorways. “Four more rooms, two are bathrooms, the other two seem to the section administrators room, and the other, not certain.”

        “Bathrooms first.” Rose demanded and I had no reason to deny her.

        The bathrooms were clean like anything else, and if I was right about the whole all organic matter without a soul to protect it was destroyed theory then it wouldn't matter if the place had been cleaned or not. A quick sweep though found nothing of use other than sterile syringes which were useful, and some bottles of water.

        “Well, not bad, but, not great.” I said as I frowned before packing away the meager new supplies.

        “We take what we can get.” Rose called back to me from the doorway of the bathroom. “Lets go, both of these rooms are empty, lets check that room whose purpose you couldn't think of when we walked in.”

        “Yeah, lead the way.” I absentmindedly replied, my mind was trying to figure out the possible layout of the place, as well as what likely would be where defense systems would be stored.

        I shook off the thoughts and got my focus back on the fact we were underground in a rather dangerous place with something that would kill us if we stayed too long. The something in question I had no idea of what it could be.

        Rose tried the door, which was locked. We looked at each other slightly confused at this before I just punched the lock out with my powerhoof. The door looked flimsy enough that I was willing to do this, and I had made a good call as it swung open limply. The room behind the door was nothing, but, a small supply closet. The only thing I saw within it was a couple of metal boxes, they were not special in any way, other than they were the first containers that looked like they might have something of interest in them.

        “Rose, cover me, I am going to look through these boxes, there are only six of them in here.” I said as I began opening the first crate. Inside there were, well, there was a healthy amount of ammo, not that we needed it at this point. I moved on to the next crate, it had grenades.

        “Rose, first two boxes have arms and ammo, take what you want.” I instructed as I moved to the third box, which held what looked to be a suit of modified mint combat armor that was meant for somepony the size of Rose. “And armor for you.”

        “Well, it’s just raining gifts for me, you did see that the bullets were mostly fifty mg’s, right?” Rose inquired as I moved to the fourth box and opened it.

        “No, but...” I trailed off as I looked in the box and saw blueprints for something I had never seen before. “I think these are for me.”

        “Oh?” Rose inquired peeking over my shoulder. “Yes they do, stow them, when we get the chance copy them into your pipbuck.”

        “Yeah, they seem to be made of something that won't go bad with time.” I said slightly confused as I rubbed my normal hoof over the surface of it.

        “Two more, get to it.” Rose prodded before stripping out of her old damaged leather armor and working on getting the new combat armor on. I turned back to the last two crates and opened them both at the same time. One had a toaster that was completely clean, the other had what looked to be something akin to robes.

        “Dibs on the robe, any reason for us to take a toaster with us?” I asked as I stuffed the robe into my saddlebag.

        “Bring it, who knows, somepony might want toast somewhere and is willing to pay top caps for a functional toaster.” Rose teased.

        “Or if we need to murder somepony in water.” I joked only to received a gentle push.

        “That is just in bad taste.”

        “Sorry.”

        “Alright, I like this helmet, though I think it would be better if I had something to power the electronics in it.” Rose commented as I turned and watched her look around with the combat armor and helmet on. The helmet had some sort of black visor that went over her eyes.

        “Probably, looks nice on you.”

        “Thank you, we will see how you look in your robes later, first and foremost, administrator's office.”

        “Yes, back to moving forward.” I said with a nod and packed the last of the grenades and ammo into my bags. I had hoped for something more interesting than a toaster in the last box.

        The door to the administrator's office wasn't locked, or even fully closed we found as we got to it. I gently pushed it open to see a room with just a cushion-less chair and a terminal on the floor. I gathered a old wooden desk was once here, but, was now gone. I pushed into the room slowly checking the corners for anything suspicious and only found a small metal table with shot glasses sitting on the table, there was also a statuette of an orange mare. I could almost smell the magic off of it and quickly snatched the poor thing away from the soulless and barren grasp of the base and into my hoof wrapped in my magic. I felt a tear roll down my tear as if I was hugging an old friend. I also felt a strength go through me, a strength that I had only felt when I had taken drugs to boost my abilities beyond what I normally could exert.

        “Moonlight, are you okay, you look like you're crying.” Rose asked as she put a hoof around me and drew me closer.

        “I don't know why I am, part of me feels like I just found an old friend, but, I don't know her.” I stammered, my voice even giving out.

        A few moments later I had collected myself and put the statuette with the other two I had, I made note that the base of this one said “Be Strong” and I was.

        “So... What is it?” Rose asked as she watched me put the statuette away.

        “A statuette of the Ministry Mare...” I said, my mind pulling upon the memory that I saw thanks to Steelhooves, and I remembered he had a Statuette just like the one I had found. “Of Technology, Applejack, I have eyes like her and her family had. Kind of like the one I got from Ruby, but, that was of Fluttershy.”

        Rose blinked at me as I looked up at her, confused by that last bit of information as I was.

        “Are you going to be okay?” Rose finally asked.

        “Yeah, I will be, I just hit by a rush of emotions, these statuettes have a powerful enchantments on them. I guess powerful enough to withstand this place, maybe even somehow powered by a soul. Though...” I shuddered thinking of something as pure as the forces within the statuettes being fragments or a full soul of somepony sealed within an inanimate object for all time, unable to move, think, or talk, it was a special kind of hell.

        “Alright, well, lets check the rest of this room for anything else of use.” Rose said shaking her head and getting her mind back on track.

        “Right lets-Ah!” I flailed and fell over as suddenly my vision filled with lights of EFS booting up again, I in my surprise fell onto my back like a frightened foal.

        “What, what is it?!” Rose asked in a panic her weapons drawn and safeties off, the ignition flame of her flamer gently hissing blue flame as I lay there.

        “Somehow my pipbuck is working again.” I whimpered.

        “What? How?” Rose asked looking at me her face screwed up in confusion.

        “The statuette... She was the Ministry Mare of Technology, I guess she wasn't happy about something messing with my pipbuck working.”

        “Okay, well... lets keep moving, check the terminal.”

        “Right, please Applejack, Twilight, and Fluttershy give me a hoof here.” I muttered to myself calling upon those statuettes that I carried.

        My prayers seemed to be answered as the terminal was, somehow, still online, and logged in. I looked at the options. Three of the four options simply said 'Data Deleted', the last one read 'Fallen Star'. I quickly opened the last option and watched as the screen filled with random characters. I stifled a screamed of frustration before downloading the hopefully encrypted and not corrupted file to my pipbuck to work on later.

        “Terminal is a dud, anything else in the room?” I asked looking up from the terminal just as it winked out.

        “No, lets go after the other two.” Rose replied, I pulled out my sword again as we moved out.

        Not long into returning to the entry for medical and heading to the hospital wing of it we ran into Foresight and Anabel who both looked rather bored.

        “All dead?” I inquired as I sheathed my sword.

        “Yeah, not even a soft surface to sit down for a while.” Foresight answered looking a bit frustrated.

        “Alright, we had a bit of excitement with some snooze, apparently the stuff thrives where normal life just dies.” I informed the two. “Beyond that, an encrypted file, a statuette, blueprints for something, and new armor for Rose and myself.”

        “Sounds like a productive time. Come, lets get moving again as one thing I did learn is that we are surrounded by sleeping quarters, the cafeteria, and an atrium lies between the motor pool and research area.” Foresight said almost bored.

        “Alright, lets head for the cafeteria first, it is going to be the most dangerous place as it has the most room for something to maneuver around us and attack us from.”

        “Right, well, lets get moving, I get the feeling either research or the motor pool will have some place we can hold up and rest in.” Foresight said before issuing commands for our formation with his hooves. We quickly moved off relying on Anabel and Foresight to direct us. Apparently they had found some form of information to give them an idea of the layout of this place. Getting to the Cafeteria though didn't take that long.

        I stared at the wide room that marked the Cafeteria, even with my incandescent blue mane lighting the room the darkness still lingered some distance in. Thankfully though we hadn't had any further incidents with mysterious sounds or presences. However, all of us still felt on edge with how damn quiet the place was, more so with what happened earlier. We knew something was here, but, what it was was up for debate. What was also interesting was that we knew this place was set to drain the magic out of anything that didn't have a soul bound to it. It was a good reason to be paranoid about what was here.

        “I'm our source of light, how about I go first, if something comes from in front it will be easier to see. If something comes from behind we can see ahead on where we are going.” I offered.

        “Sounds like a good idea, just keep light on your hooves.” Foresight advised.

        I gave a short nod as I moved forward keeping my step light and eyes searching for any motion. The one major difference crossing the cafeteria had from Stable Twenty Three, as well as the whole facility compared to that stable was the lack of bodies. Though, there was the troubling existence of that smooze that laid in storage. Maybe that was a result of corrupted healing potions over long term, or something, I didn't have all the answers or enough knowledge to make a good guess, maybe somehow being near enough to the Applejack statuette protected it. Hopefully this was also the last place I would run into smooze, it was rather terrifyingly deadly since it made me start bleeding and possibly even caused my mutation to show again with just a touch from what was likely a trail of slime from it.

        The sound of something falling tipped us off as to our harassing wind being here. Our reaction was opposite of what we had decided it would be. You could hear the echo from the four of us loading, unsheathing, and readying everything we had.

        “Aren't we supposed to keep moving instead of getting ready for a massive firefight?” I quietly asked my companions.

        “Right, but, keep your weapons ready and lets get moving, again.” Foresight instructed.

        We took another three steps before we heard movement again, we froze, myself mid step leaving me on three hooves. I didn't even slowly put down my hoof as we waited, listening, worrying about what might be and might show up. Finally I took the rest of the step I had paused on and then after a long minute took another. The sounds we had heard didn't start again, I started moving slowly again bringing us towards the edge of the cafeteria. Then we heard something on the other side of us move and we froze again. I strained my eyes to see if something was still moving, all I could see were rows of metal tables stretching into the darkness. I took another step and felt as if a gust of air pushed past me just after my hoof touched the metal. I then felt something rolling down my legs inside my armor. Then I cried out as my hearing vanished and turned to static at best, I saw steam form on the surface of my gas mask. Whatever was here had found us and did not like me. I moved to take a step and felt pain lance through my legs, I hissed in pain and felt my frustration building quickly, I also noticed a great deal of steam coming out from under my armor as well as my skin feeling burned. Then a field of familiar magic showed up around me, and I turned to look behind me and all of us were inside of a shield that Rose was casting, everyone had blood rolling out from their ears and had scratches on where their armor was thin or nonexistent, and scratches all over, and streams of steam coming off of them.

        This thing wanted to debilitate us and bleed us dry. Either through not being able to kill us directly, which I doubted with our sudden injuries, or it wanted to possibly get our blood. I quickly directed us to start running for it as I hovered out syringes of Med-X for each of us, holding them in my magic before giving everyone a dose to keep us on our hooves. Mass non-fine manipulation of objects still had it's uses when it came to survival.

        As we kept moving I looked back and saw the shield shimmer and ripple from whatever was out there attacking us. I brought out my flamers and readied the bit for my rocket launchers. If this thing had a physical form explosives and fire would do something to it, I hoped. I kept up with everyone until we hit a corner and then I lit my horn and made a brief hole in Rose's shield and launched my missiles and gout’s of blue flame into the corridor behind us.

        I watched in horror as the fire was snuffed out and the rockets I had aimed at a wall were shifted in their flight path to sail back to the cafeteria by something. I also felt a sharp pain in my right ear and more blood run down it, matting my fur. I quickly let Rose's shield recover and turned back to running with my companions. Whatever this thing was, conventional weapons weren't working.

We spent the next short bit in a panicked frenzy of trying to find a room with an air tight seal. We came to one, the motor pool. Anabel was in front and had practically torn the door off of it's hinges after Rose merged her shield with the walls around the doorway. We quickly went through and I shut the door, sealing it tight while using my telekinesis to hopefully keep a barrier on the other side of the doorway that wouldn't let whatever was here through.

        Once I felt I had fully closed the door I ripped off my gas mask and slugged down a healing potion and enjoyed that warm feeling flooding my system and restoring my hearing and whatever else I had lost. I let out a content sigh as I sunk to laying on the floor, my body being very unhappy for doing quick turns and running through hall ways again at full bore with all the equipment I had on me. Honestly it should just be happy I was still alive, and having more painkillers and healing potions working on me.

        However, my stunt hadn't gone unnoticed and was catching up to me with the glare Rose was giving me. As well as her carrying me in her magic by my tail, which some how didn't rip off under all of my weight. She brought me level with her eyes which was still a fair bit off the ground even when she was sitting.

        “I know we couldn't hear one another, but, that stunt you pulled could have killed you or all of us!” Rose shouted with me being nose to nose with her.

        “I know! But, I had to try something, I mean I had to-” That was as far as I got before Rose cut me off with her tongue. Rose was kissing me furiously and was still holding me in her magic by my tail and now mane. It hit me that this was the first time Rose has been around me when I had dealt with the outlandish threats that I tripped over so regularly in the wasteland. She had met smooze which had nearly eaten me months ago, and now it appeared we were likely fighting something akin to a Windigo. It hit me as to what might work against our hunter after the connection to the Windigo had hit me. Magic was the answer, Rose’s shield protected from the thing that was after us, which mean my horn was our only weapon as all other magical weapons we had were useless in that field, except maybe my two enchanted swords, but, that relied on having a form to attack, and, getting close. This left two of my companions woefully powerless in our plight. I gave a sigh as Rose finally broke our kiss, and then she let go of me from her magic, I did not get any warning of this and clattered to the ground.

        I let out a groan and looked up at Rose who had her eyes closed and tears rolling down her cheeks. The image that I had of her being a tough mare weathered by the wasteland cracked and crumbled fully. I thought she had been tempered in the past few weeks, but, instead she had been hurt and I hadn't seen it. This was a failure of my own making and it was caused by the one true enemy of all living things on our world, the wasteland. I shook off the being dropped onto the floor to surge forward and hug my marefriend. She sunk her muzzle into my mane as we sat there.

        I looked over to Foresight and Anabel who were just looking on, I, with my eyes, directed them to start searching the room we were in. While it wasn't the best idea to split up, we had for now bought some security and time. I also knew I needed to be the one to stay with Rose. As well as I had noticed the air in here didn't have the same staleness that the central segment of the facility held. In fact the air itself smelled like any old musty derelict bunker was like. And there was a soft sound of functional ventilation. Which meant something else was going on here. Medical had been compromised as well as the main hallways, or someone had deliberately set those segments to be cut off and magically jammed, as well as possibly the research segment of the facility, to choke out anyone or anything within. But, that left the question of why all the metal looked so well polished and clean while anything soft or organic was gone without even a trace of dust.

        I frowned as I quietly held my marefriend, only to be interrupted by a small symbol appearing in my vision, that of Stable-Tec. I watched as my pipbuck rebooted in silence, finally free of whatever field was messing with our magical gear. I gently caressed Rose's mane as we lay there, waiting on her to do what she could and me doing what I could for her while I waited for Foresight and Anabel to return from scouting the area.

        “Moonlight...” Rose murmured in my hooves.

        “Yes?” I whispered back, her ear being close to my muzzle.

        “Sorry for dropping you.” Rose apologized.

        “It's fine.” I assured Rose. “I have fallen a great deal further, physically and metaphorically, and bounced right back.”

        Rose sniffled a few times into my now damp mane which had dimmed, which lead me to notice the slight yellow lights marking the edges of the room we were in at the moment. I paused as I noticed the rows upon rows of lockers.

        “Where are Foresight and Anabel.” Rose asked looking around us for the first time.

        “Scouting, since this place has ventilation at the moment and that thing has yet to make itself present I felt it was safe for them to go off together.” I answered.

        “So we are all alone for the time being?” Rose inquired.

        “Yes, and mind you at the moment the most I could go for is kissing. Even that is stretching it with how dangerous that thing was.” I informed Rose, while the idea of getting it on was appealing, we really needed clear heads at this point, and everyone was kind of riding high on at least a Med-X and a healing potion, myself on several doses of each.

        “Oh, right. I'm sorry, my head is a bit off from the Med-X.” Rose complained as she put a hoof to the side of her head. “Moonlight, your ear...”

        I sighed as I put my hoof against my right ear where I had felt it get cut and found a small portion of it missing, like I had feared. Though it struck me then that it hadn't grown back with the healing potion, which meant that it had been magical in nature for that strike.

        “Oh no.” I squeaked.

        “What?” Rose asked now confused it seemed.

        “Well... Check my ear first to see if it is a wound from magic or not, that will tell us a lot.” I answered.

        A few moments later and Rose let out a breath she had been holding, apparently doing her shield spell, and me messing with her shield spell had taken a bit out of her. That or Med-X had affected her more than I had expected.

        “Well, most of the injury seems to be not magical for the most part, but, there is a hint of magic in it. I don't think your ear is going to heal any further, I am sorry to say.” Rose fretted moving my ear in her magic.

        “Okay, well that is unfortunate, I liked my ears being whole, but, that stopped being how they were a while ago.” I confessed. “But, this gives me a better understanding of what we are dealing with. Whatever this is uses magic to manipulate things, particularly the air it seems, or things in the air, or something like that.”

        “So... what, an air spirit?” Rose guessed.

        “Actually, yes, that would make sense. I guess it isn't so happy about the lack of being able to get outside.” I offered.

        “Or wasn't too keen on being used.” Rose countered.

        “That would explain a few things.” I admitted. “I guess the reason everything was so clean that wasn't torn apart by it's fury back there.”

        I heard the soft clops of hooves on the metal sounding hopefully the return of Foresight and the much quieter Anabel.

        “What news do you bring us, Foresight?” I called out, raising my voice.

        A cold metallic voice replied.

        “That I have found my Star Paladin's power armor.” Answered Foresight as he came into view, encased in ornate power armor. “I didn't know her had managed to get this far, if I had I would have found a way to rescue her. Though there is a good question as to how she got this far.”

        “Well we are in the motor pool, likely has an entrance to another level here, and the surface, or she was really good at running.” I offered.

        “That... makes sense.” Foresight admitted. “Either way, there is some hardware still in here, though we didn't find all of it. Though I doubt I know how to use a lot of this, nor do you two or Anabel.”

        “Like what?” I inquired, my curiosity peaked as Rose stood and I stood as well.

        “Well, it looks like a tank of some sort, they probably couldn't get it ready to move out when Operation Stardust went into effect.” Foresight explained as he waved a hoof before turning back to the way he had come from. “Trust me, you will like this.”

        “You three know me well enough that I trust your judgment about what I will like and dislike.” I giggled.

        “Well then, lets show you my present to you for helping.” Foresight chuckled as he lead us through a doorway into a large room that was poorly lit like the rest and my eyes worked on adjusting to see what was in the distance.

        As I strained my eyes I heard a loud clunk somewhere.

        *Sprong vwooooooeeeeeeeemmmmm*

        Row after row of large lights kicked on, their bright light being almost painful after being down in the darkness for so long. I covered my eyes with a hoof to filter out some of the glare before slowly lowering it to see a very large workspace, a few spots had tarps covering something. And then there was the tank, the very nice looking tank, a tank that kind of got me a bit hot and bothered with its twin cannons on a turret, some sort of light machine gun was sitting atop the turret on it's own mount that looked like it swiveled around. The front of the tank didn't have the expected bulldozer blade, but, instead had three large blades connected with a steel brace that was also sharpened on the leading edge. Near the front viewport I could also see a built in machine gun as well.

        I let out a whistle as I slowly trotted around the tank. “I want to ride her right into the heart of Seamane.”

        “I thought you would say as much. We do have a few problems doing that in her current state, otherwise I would suggest we just use it as our ride to the bunker.” Foresight said as he walked up to the tank in his ornate power armor.

        I blinked and looked at him and then turned a critical eye upon the tank itself. The tank had four sets of treads on it, but, I could see that the treads were not fully put on. I moved up to the tank and looked at rear of the tank where it had four exhaust stacks on it and there were hatches for the rear compartment. I gently opened them to find not what I expected. I had figured there would be some sort of spark battery array or perhaps even a crude and inefficient internal combustion engine. Instead what I found was a reactor, I tasted blood in my mouth and heard my pipbuck clicking maddeningly. I closed the door and blinked looking at my companions.

        “So, somepony figured out how to use radioactive materials to power things.” I stated before trying to wash the taste of blood out of my mouth with some water.

        “Well, fuel won't be an issue, and you can just heal yourself by taking a nap in there.” Foresight chuckled.

        “I guess it must have been a reaction to the lack of coal and need to find a new engine to power heavy things, like trains. Or, maybe somepony didn’t want to rely on magic due to matrix disruption grenades becoming more common” I replied. “And yes, if I get badly hurt shoved my broken body into there, I'll manage.”

        “Well, we will figure out what to do with the tank once we secure the place.” Foresight said before turning.

        I nodded as I hopped off of the rear tread guard and trotted up to him. “Though, anyplace outside of the motor pool that armor is going to be nothing other than a fancy coffin for you.”

        “I know, it is why you are going to be our scout.” Foresight grunted, obviously not happy that his fancy armor was essentially a death trap. Even if he was strong enough to move in it with a spell matrix crash, which would be a feat, he would move too slowly to escape. I looked at his armor again and noticed the stark lack of material that could get destroyed by our foe. Maybe not a death trap, but, he would be easily caught.

        “Alright, well, lets look over the place for anything to use, someone get inside the tank and check for ammo.” I ordered as I replaced the filter on my gas mask in preparation for likely another trek into the ill air that likely sat in the research portion of the facility.

        “Somepony find me a map, I need to memorize what I can since our pipbuck's crash outside of here.” I continued, I heard the gentle flap of wings to see Anabel holding some paper in her talons as she landed beside me.

        “We’re ahead of you on that. Foresight and I decided before fetching you that we would do our best to prepare the tank for travel while you deal with the rest of the place. Up to you if you take Rose with you.” Anabel informed me handing me a map of the facility, that had a small bit of blood on it, very old blood.

        “Alright.” I said as I began to weigh taking Rose with me. Looking at her it wasn't hard to choose. “Rose, stay here, I know you will worry about me, but, I think it is for the best.”

        Rose's face screwed up with frustration as she digested it and made her choice. “Fine, but, is there a cot around here?”

        “Anabel?” I queried.

        “Yes, and the room is soundproofed as you would imagine with it being a rest room next to a machine shop.” Anabel clucked.

        “There you go Rose, now then, I need to memorize this map and you need some rest.” I said as I sat down on the floor.

        “Be safe, I'll keep these two in fighting condition.” Rose said before slowly trotting off to the location of the cot.

        I caught a bewildered look on Anabel's face. “What, we don't always have sex, sometimes we just want to snuggle, or sleep, or make out. It isn't like every time we are alone it gets kinky.”

        The look of bewilderment stayed on Anabel's face as she turned to work on the tank, I couldn't help but giggle at her expression. I then buried my muzzle into the floor plans of the facility, I got the distinct feeling that the late Star Paladin had acquired them before dying, and that honestly her actions even her death meant our survival and likely acquiring this base as my own. I giggled at the thought of having this whole place under my personal command. A bunker in the middle of nowhere that just needed a patch on it's roof and then would be nice and hidden with lots of space, firepower, and toys.

        Shaking silly thoughts out of my head about power I redoubled my efforts to memorize the floor plans for the facility. Total there were five floors, and interestingly enough there was a massive service elevator as well as what looked to be a open-able hatch for the motor pool. I got the feeling at one point something much larger than my tank had been parked in here, likely some sort of flying machine. There were still some various bits on the walls and walkways along the walls that signaled something had once sat in here, whatever it was, it was long gone, likely well before the Steel Rangers had come here.

        I shook my head and stood having figured out what I needed to know and found Rose. Rose was fast asleep, so I made my passing quiet as I set down the map and and had left markings for the path I was taking. There were two floors below us, this section connected to the lowest floor with a simple stairwell, and it connected to what I wanted into the most, command and control, as well as the base's power plant. And there was one last thing, one very useful thing, a direct route from command and control to the research section of the base. While I could go through a wall on on the level we were on, or duck out into the hallway, I felt it best not to go blowing holes in walls if I could avoid it. I also felt the best place to get the information I wanted, and, hopefully, shine some light on things was command and control.

        I left with not but a whisper to Rose and headed for the stairs, as I did I saw Foresight carrying the drill we had come to fetch in the first place.

        “Moonlight, hold up for a minute.” Foresight said, his voice distorted by his power armor.

        I nodded and trotted up to him, still lighter on my hooves than I had been since we left Colt. I was leaving a good deal of equipment behind to be packed onto our method of escape, the tank of the apocalypse. I had also figured that there would likely be a lack of power ahead of me and likely the same issues we had earlier faced. With the knowledge that EFS and SATS not working I had paired down how much I was carrying to my lovely black blade, my trusty combat knife, This and That gun, my shotgun, and lastly my DMR. It was still a lot of things, but, with the ammo, spark grenades, and a med kit, I was still carrying a light load for myself, as well as being ready for whatever could come after me.

        “What is it, Foresight?” I inquired in a hurry as I was ready to go down and didn't want to lose my nerve about going it alone.

        He pulled out of a bag his old helmet. “Take this, it has a built in gas mask, I was just able to properly fix it, the electronics are further hardened, if anypony here can have electronics working on them within that magical null field, it’s you.”

        I blinked and nodded, taking his helmet in my magic and floating my gas mask to his pack.

        “Don't worry about air filters, that thing has a very long lifetime, I hope it serves you well.” Foresight avowed.

        “Thank you, I'll see you all again soon.” I promised as I put the new helmet on, the helmet making room for my horn thanks to the foresight of Foresight. I smiled as I sealed the helmet on my head at Foresight living up to his name. He would make a great leader once we got this done.

        “May Celestia and Luna protect you from what lays before you.” Foresight prayed, giving a short bow to me before moving away.

        “Thank you, keep everyone safe, and get at least that tank ready to drive and make certain the elevator out is ready.” I ordered. “If needed take everyone out of here with it, I'll find my own way out, don't worry, I don't die easily, nor do I give up easily.”

        With that Foresight trotted off to his task and I opened the door to the stairwell. I stepped in and let the door close behind me. With the closing of the door the faint glow of emergency lighting was all that lit my way, and the droning of the ventilation system was my only company. I prepared to descend.

Footnote: Sixty sixty seven percent to next level.

Chapter 31 - Single Player Only

“You could not predict what would happen in a single instance, a single throw of the dice, a single pitch in the seventh inning, a single toss of the coin”

        I took a long breath as I surveyed the stairwell. This wasn’t the first time I had ventured into a prewar facility on my own so there was no reason for me to be so nervous. I listened to the thrum of the ventilation to calm my nerves while I let my eyes adjust to the darkness of the stairwell lit by only the emergency lighting system.

I took my first step onto the stairs and heard part of the stair crumble away. I took a step back and re-examined the stairs, they looked weak. Which made me thankful for the foresight of lightening my load. Still though, I didn't trust the stairs that much. However, if I needed to I probably could manage to run along the walls, just so long as I left my equipment at the bottom or some place safe and then brought it to me.

        With my trepidation diminished I wrapped myself in my magic to lighten myself to the weight of a feather. I lept over the railing and descended with all the haste of a falling leaf. It felt like a better idea to not test the stairs now, who knew how strong they were, maybe they would dramatically only support one trip across them.

        My hooves silently touched the ground and I dropped my magic having descended down the two stories quickly and quietly. I stretched a bit and then pulled out my shotgun, I quickly checked what it was loaded with as well as if I had forgotten to reload it. With the quick check over I reloaded it and racked fresh shell. Now I was ready for most things with some heavy buckshot.

I didn't really even know how to fight the damn elemental, but, I was well armed and armored. I just wished that I hadn't been so hasty in heading out so I could have attempted to reinforce the weaker areas of my armor where the elemental had managed to penetrate. But, with the ranger helmet, from Foresight, I had a lot more protection for my head and neck, as well as my ears.

        I looked around as I gathered my bearings, I saw markings for ventilation, storage, reactor, and command center. I then looked at my Pipbuck calling up the auto map into my vision. With a few moments of looking at the blueprints I had uploaded into my Pipbuck I knew which path I needed to take to get to control.

With a light step I headed down a hallway where I saw exposed pipes along the sides of the hallway, it was labeled everything other than storage, which was what I wanted. The sounds of machinery grew as I trotted down the dusty hallway. It seemed all the dust from the outside had gathered here, even the air was filled with it. I continued on, shotgun ready in my magic.

        This hallway would take me to the heart of power production and thus onward to a security door, which was almost redundant with how hard it was get to with first getting into the power production area, as well as just to this part of the facility. Thankfully I had a key card that would let me in theory through the rest of the facility, even the command center.

        The door to the power production center sat in front of me. I opened it and felt warm wet air roll out. The drone of ventilation equipment grew and I heard the electric buzz of electricity. The metal walls had turned rusted red and black, bathed in yellow light. I closed the door behind me and then turned to examine the contents of the room closer. I made out the room went down another floor, but, what was down there was mostly pipes, where I was had plenty of catwalks to navigate with over the heavy industrial machinery, because that was safe, not.

        I honestly did not understand old world design philosophy of catwalks everywhere. Why were catwalks so loved and over used? Why would you use catwalks over heavy machinery, just why? I mean okay, yeah it is faster than having to walk around a parameter or in between the machines. But, a suspended bridge right over a huge set of industrial fans that pumped air through the ventilation system that could turn me into paste faster than I would be able to cry out in pain wasn't smart. Or maybe they felt it was cheaper to pay a family off for an accidental death than it would be to pay for lifelong disability and possible health problems.

        I lightly tread upon the still standing catwalk until I got to a point where a segment had fallen down atop of the industrial ventilation system. I used my magic to test the strength of the next suspended segment of catwalk as I evaluated my options. The first option was simple, jump across the downed portion of catwalk land and roll to spread out the impact then keep going. However, the next segment didn’t seem all that sturdy from what my tugging at it with my magic suggested. The other was the hope to navigate this maze of catwalks and find an intact catwalk that regrouped with the path I was currently on.

        “Well, I have time, lets wander around and hope I can find something to take me to the command center.” I told myself as I turned and started to trot back and hunt for another intact catwalk.

        The universe had other plans for me. The catwalk’s mountings were worn from entropy and from the blasts of two hundred years ago, as well as the more recent blast that ruptured a  fourth of the base. Like the stairs these catwalks weren't long for this world, or for this world while serving their intended purpose. As such my back tracking was cut exceedingly short as in I only got to turn around before the mountings for the catwalk tore out mountings. I plummeted and spun and unguarded from the giant fan that would very quickly turn me into nothing but diced pony bits and red mist.

        The metal of the catwalk struck the quickly spinning ventilation fan which shrieked as only metal on metal could. I heard something groan below me. I took this moment to attempt to get up and start to scamper up the almost vertical surface of the catwalk only to lose my grip and fall past the stopped fan blades. Nery a second later the catwalk gave and the fan resumed it’s rotation, the air pushed me deeper into the massive tube into the heart of the ventilation system of the facility.

        My back struck the side of the pipe as it began to curve and flatten out after having descending an unknowable distance. Not because I couldn't guess, but, because there was no light to see by as I fell.

        I gasped and rolled while the air blew over me. I coughed a few times as I felt the metal below me continue to slide past. My armor was pelted by small bits of metal, likely bits of the catwalk and fan falling down with me. I rolled too my hooves and ignored the dull pain in my back. I took look at what was ahead of me. I couldn't see very far as the tunnel had no lights and turned down again. As I understood this I also realized the yawning gulf of darkness closed to consume me as the wind blew me against the low friction surface that made up the tunnel. I cursed as I wrapped myself in my magic and let the wind carry me, that was until my shotgun hit me in the back of my head as the air blew it into me from where it had lodged itself in the catwalk above when I slipped and fell. I grasped it with my hooves and held it tight as I recast my magic. I turned on the built in night vision of the my helmet and was greeted with, of course, more metal and not much to work off of due to, well, there wasn't much around.

Moments after my helmet’s night vision gave me sight I slammed into a solid wall of dust the wind pinned me against the horizontal surface. I put the strap for my shotgun around myself and looked around for a way out of the dust. Then I heard over the drone of the ventilation the sound of what I assumed to be large pieces of the catwalk. I stood, as strange as it felt to stand on a wall, and galloped to the 'bottom' side of the tunnel and hugged the wall. I was right to move as a bar that made up the bottom sides of the catwalk sailed past me and slammed through the wall.

        I shook my head as dust filled the air and the airflow stopped. I had apparently found where the air filtration system was, and it needed a good cleaning. I also was elated for this helmet now as I wouldn't have to worry about getting anything in my eyes or sneezing like mad due to the dust. I turned to the wall of dust and raised my powerhoof and punched right through it. For a second I thought the dust might catch fire, but, it didn't, because thankfully it wasn't dust of something combustible, like metal or coal. I continued to dig through the dust until I hit the wire mesh that I had figured was under the dust, it bent to my powerhoof’s strike. Without much trouble I managed to make a hole through the mesh and dug my way through the dust as if I was a Hellhound.

        I surfaced on the other side of the hill of dust and looked into a vast room, that I honestly couldn't understand. Honestly I never paid much attention to architectural theory beyond would it support me or not as well as unique structures so I knew interesting places to loot. With now being in ventilation I had not a clue what I was actually looking at. What I did notice was there was a rather large hole that descended further into the ground. Looking around I saw more of the ventilation tunnels leading into this room. I paused as something felt off. I looked around to see if I or my EFS could spot anything.

        Nothing, that is what my EFS told me, and honestly, I believed it. There was nothing alive down here beyond myself, I was just being paranoid. I shook my mane as I examined the poorly lit room. What I mainly had to go off of was my night vision from my helmet which helped, but, with the size of the room I had areas that just faded into darkness. I did note that there were some small lights along the walls, but, it seemed that a few of those lights have fallen prey to time.

I looked up to see a high ceiling, there was some sort of mist hanging up there. I frowned and slung a fireball up at the mist. This wasn’t likely the smartest choice I had made while down here, but, I didn't have a stick to poke the mist with.

        The fireball didn’t do much to the mist other than rollaway make the mist receded from where the ball of fire had entered the mist. The mist quickly reformed and I gleamed nothing further.  I shook my head and decided to go to the edge of the pit that I had seen. As I got closer I noticed that the pipes went down and felt cool on my right, and the same temperature as the room on my left.

I blinked as I got to the edge of the pit. The yawning darkness sat there with lights every couple of yards going deeper and deeper until I couldn't make the lights out anymore. I looked to my side and saw a piece of the catwalk that had fallen with me rested on the floor, I levitated it out into the center of the hole and dropped it. Then I quietly stood there listening for the sound of the bit of metal hitting the bottom. I didn't hear it hit anything after a minute, so I assumed either it was far deeper than I expected and thus the sound died before it got to me, or that there was something soft down there. I looked behind me at the mounds of dust that were near the various intake and outtake tunnels and decided that there was likely a rather large amount of dust down there, or soft dirt. I didn't want to think of it possibly being something else.

        Then I thought about the humidity, it was possible that there was a reservoir of water used as a heat sink for the base to keep it regulated throughout the year because deep underground it stayed warm all year.

        I let out a sigh, where I was, was probably one of the safest places in this whole facility at the moment, minus the current lack of a spot for workers to easily get down here. Which seemed strange to me, the lack of easy access to something so critical seemed flawed. I frowned and threw another weak fireball across the room.

As the fireball slowly crossed the room I saw the door where I believed it should have been by the design of the room, I smiled.

        “I knew it, they wouldn't make it that hard to get down here.” I congratulated myself.

        I then checked to see if there were actual walkways over the heat exchange pipes. To my dismay I found that there once had been a platform in the middle of the room, that from the looks of the metal mounts at my hooves by the edge of the hole, had collapsed under its own weight.

I just let out a frustrated sigh and moved a fair bit back away from the edge of the hole and got up speed to a good canter and jumped over the pipes and moved to myself around the room to the doorway.

The door in question was locked.

        I just stood there for a second confused by this as I heard a ping here and there echoing through the room, likely metal cooling or heating now that there was a fan down, or due to I had cleared a pile of dust. I looked behind me to make certain that it was still just my own wasteland paranoia getting to me before I focused on the door.

With finding nothing in my sight or EFS I turned back to opening the lock of the door as I heard more of the pinging and the sound of air moving started to fill the room once more.

        A few minutes of tinkering with the door and I had the nastily complicated lock open and I walked through. The next room was a rather decently sized chamber. A lift lay long rendered unusable due to it lay crumpled on the ground with the last bit of rail ripped away from the rest. Across the way there a door lay that reminded me of the reactor door of Stable Twenty Three. I double checked my map and saw where I was lead to a room that sat between the power production area as well as ventilation. I did note that crossing here should give me access to the back door I was after for the command center. Though, the backdoor method would only be useful if nothing blocked my path to the command center. I walked up to the door and noted on the door the universal symbol for radiological hazard. I popped open my helmet and took a Rad-X then opened the door with my hooves, twisting the central circular red handle.

        The heavy door swung slowly and silently open to reveal another door identical to it. This made sense to me, same had been true in Stable Twenty Three and I saw the rationale of doubling the doors between the outside and any place that might have radiation or any hazard. I stepped on through and closed the door behind me, then I opened the next door and closed it. The next room was clean, it seemed this area hadn't deteriorated much in the past two hundred years. With the comfort of a lack of heavy deterioration and not tasting blood in my mouth I concluded containment hadn’t failed dramatically as of yet.

I looked at my map again looking for where this quick path to command was. I, annoyingly, found that there were two ways. The first path I hunted down that didn't require me to go through the room where the reactor lay to find that the door had sealed shut with entropy, and I didn't feel like damaging anything this close to the reactor. Which left me with one option.

To go through the reactor.

        I begrudgingly let out a sigh of frustration as I broke out a radiation suit that I had the foresight to bring with me and stuffed everything I owned into the bag that came with it then pulled on the suit itself. I didn't know how radioactive the reactor would be, if at all. I stared at the door that lead to the reactor itself having already passed through the doorway into the clean room. I saw showers for decontamination as well as supplies for exposure. I took a couple of Rad-X and RadAway's.

        “Do or die as they say.” I muttered to myself inside the domed helmet the radiation suit and opened the door to the reactor, immediately yellow caution lights lit up in the room, but, no sound. I guessed that it was standard procedure.

        With the door open I heard the clicking of my Pipbuck’s geiger counter as I saw a room bathed in blue light. I looked down to see a pool of water and machinery deep below the surface that was the source of the light. There were, of course, more catwalks. However, I did note two observation rooms. The corresponding entrance room across from me still had an open door and warning lights flashing. I closed the door behind me and kept an eye on my rad count, which climbed at about five rads even with Rad-X and my radiation suit on.

I had started to feel the effects of advanced radiation sickness as I crossed the catwalk to the other side. I looked into the water hoping to spot the other pony who had ventured into this hotzone. I saw nothing with my eyes or EFS, it was a good, but, sad sign.

        The rads were leaving me with a bad case of advanced radiation sickness which left me feeling drained by the time I got through the other door. My exposure was well over four hundred rads as I closed the door behind me. The doors out were locked on on my side. I figured I had to scrub down before the doors would unlock, so I did. First in my radiation suit, then I stripped out of it after the room's air had been cycled. I groaned feeling the sensation of something moving within me which had grown with the dose of radiation I had been given. I sat under the hot water letting it run over me for a long time, it felt good over my worn body so I didn’t want to move any time soon. Hell it had been a while since I had gotten a proper bath without irradiated water, even in Colt the water we had was slightly radioactive.

My Pipbuck thankfully stayed quiet and my powerhoof didn't accidentally discharge as I relaxed and massaged my sore and battered body in this unlikely, but, welcome gift. It was rare to get a nice break like this in the middle of adventuring, I had found.

        “But, all good things must come to an end.” I bemoaned as I shut off the water and packed away my radiation suit and pulled on my normal and dirty armor, my eyes staring longingly at the shower wanting to climb back into it and do more to relax myself and wash away my worries for a short time. “But, there is adventure to be had.”

        With that I opened the now unlocked door and exited into the other side of the reactor floor. Here I saw what I expected, a clean place devoid of supplies, detritus, or really anything else. Here though the lights were at full power and not emergency lighting levels. I didn't need night vision here, for now at least.

I went to the observation room and checked the instruments. What I was seeing was beyond me, the science behind using radioactive materials for energy wasn't something I knew of, and probably was something pretty darn new when the bombs fell. From what I read from the settings this thing had been operating for just over two hundred years. However, from what I saw either everything was set to run at minimal power draw, or, the radioactive materials were pretty close to being useless with the flow of time having eaten away at the radioactive fuel.

        I shook my head, there weren't any alarms or really anything saying I needed to run the buck away from here as quickly as possible. However, there really wasn't anything I was able to make any sense out of here either.

I did see a manual and read it’s title aloud to myself. “Everything you ever wanted to know about nuclear reactors, but, were afraid to ask about.”

I facehoofed before shaking my head. I made a note to come back here and nab the book if I ever returne. Which might happen, I got the feeling the elevator to take the tank out of there might be dead with the current power available. However, I wouldn't know that until I got back to the motor pool.

        I let out a muffled sigh as I left the observation room and headed down the corridor down to command and control.

The hall looked bad, worse than other places, as if there might have been a fight, with fire, of all things, being used.

        I turned a corner to find a wall with what looked to be the outline of a pony's shadow still on the wall. The black trail of shadow upon approaching it looked to be that of an earth pony’s splayed out like they were laying on the floor. I poked at the shadow on the floor and found the shadow was etched into it, not so etched but more of the wall was bleached around the shape of the ponies that were here.

I turned and looked further down the hall and saw a few more of these shadows. I gulped. I had no idea how this happened or what could even cause it. I followed the hall, going the opposite direction of the shadows, it unsettled me enough that I almost tripped over my own hooves.

        I opened the door at the end of the hall with my keycard. Inside I saw a table with some sort of machine in the middle, damaged by the burns on top of it. There were pillows on the floor around the table itself, from my count there were five seats whose owners I had not found in the hallway. I moved across the room and saw three other doorways. One I knew to be the elevator to the research wing, one had a placard stating ‘Base Commander: Colonel Lunar Lance’ and the last door that seemed to be locked from my side of it. I raised an eyebrow at seeing the name Lunar Lance, I hadn't heard of them before, but, given the location I suspected that was their office.

        I unlocked the door to find, unfortunately or fortunately I wasn't certain, a skeleton in tattered equestrian military fatigues. The skeleton of a pegasus, a detail I only knew due to the skeletal wings that I saw. A single bullet hole in their forehead. The staircase had collapsed on them and they had been killed with a shot instead of dug out, or perhaps the staircase had collapsed later on atop of them, it was hard to tell. The main point being, some pony had killed this pegasus before they could escape and their fatigues gave me no idea as to who they had been.

        I left the room and closed it again, locking the door for the sake of safety, not out of paranoia that a skeleton could come back to life, that is just ridiculous.

Next came the elevator, which I found to be shut off and requiring a key to activate or open with the system. I sighed again, getting annoyed at the dead ends I kept bumping into. I finally went to the base commander's door and tried the handle to find it surprisingly unlocked. I felt my right eye twitch at this. Either way though I needed to see what was through this door.

        As I pushed the door open it just fell right off of it's hinges and brought up a cloud of dust. I just blinked and looked at the door frame. Well, I would have if there was much of a door frame remaining, it looked like someone had beaten on the thing for a while. I stared inside to see a plethora of good old books and everything else looking well preserved with time. I felt a smile go over my muzzle as I trotted into the room.

* Bang *

        I was knocked on my side and slid across the metal floor, as I slide and rotated across the floor I saw a red light signaling a turret. Of course the base commander's office would have turrets inside of it! SATS came up at my command and I got a nice still shot of the room. On the left side of the door facing out of the doorway I saw a smashed turret.

I then turned to look at what hit me. A dud forty millimeter grenade. Why in Tartarus would this be on a turret inside a base commander's room?! I took aim with SATS upon the turret that had fired upon me. With a blast fired from my shotgun the targeting talesman shattered and the ancient turret died.

I got up and felt the ceramic plate that had been guarding my barrel on my right side feel off. I quickly checked it to find the dud grenade had shattered the plate, and that the plate had likely saved my life from having my lungs crushed and instead merely having the wind knocked out of me.

        “Okay, that is a good reason to use dud forty millimeter grenades indoors.” I admitted to the turret dead turret before coughing, my lungs protesting their rough treatment.

        I picked myself up off of the floor and went behind the desk, to find the decapitated head of another pegasus, they had some sort of black armor on them, fancy lightweight stuff. I frowned looking at the body. I would bring the armor back with me, honestly even though I didn't have wings it looked about the right size for me. I looked around for the head and found it, under the desk. I brought the armor and head together and then pulled the dead pegasus out of it. They would remain here, if my guess was right, these two pegasi I had seen here were traitors who were abandoning pony kind to the hell of the wasteland, I felt no sympathy for them.

        I swore though when I attempted to pack Ministry of Awesome power armor away into my bags. I growled and then just tied the surprisingly lightweight power armor to my back. I was glad to have left my other scavenged goods back with my friends in the motor pool.

        I looked around again seeing a terminal built into the Colonel's desk. I looked at the still powered on screen to see a irksome message displayed upon screen.

        “Mainframe connection lost.” I read aloud before letting out a strangled curse.

        I sighed and just sat on the floor with a heavy thump of my rump hitting the metal floor where time had eaten away the carpet and the clatter of the MoA power armor on my back.

        “This place really doesn't want to give up anything.” I muttered before I turned my attention to the question of how to open the elevator so I could continue my search of the facility. “So, what do I do next? Force open the elevator and climb that? Hmm... You know what, that is the best option, I don't have such a heavy load, even this power armor is pretty lightweight.”

        I frowned as I realized it might be a good option to try putting on the MoA power armor.

 “You know what,” I said as it dawned on me I had some power armor to play with. “Yeah, lets see how tricky power armor is to use.”

        I untied the armor, not moments ago I had tied to my back, good use of time on my part. I stripped out of my current garb and stuffed it in the bags I had with me. Then I turned to work out how to open up the power armor, since I had just pulled bones out of it when I got it off of the long dead pegasus. I then also realized a body had decayed in here and felt quite uncomfortable putting it on just yet. I lifted my Pipbuck to eye level again and looked for if there was a bathroom near me and then remembered the sterilization shower next to the reactor and promptly facehoofed.

        I trotted back to the sterilization shower and washed out the power armor, scrubbing it fully. I then dried it as best as I could with a mix of towels and magic.

A few minutes of work later I returned to the control room for the reactor and laid out the power armor on a table. With everything prepared I linked my Pipbuck with the power armor and began my search for if it had a built in digital manual for how the hay to put it on.

With my Pipbuck plugged into the power armor I got a fair number of alerts about how the user's vitals were below expected values. I just rolled my eyes at the alerts and wormed my way through the systems to find how to do what was needed to open up the armor so I could get in.

        After a few minutes of having to turn off alerts I managed to get to the core functions of the power armor. Power armor more or less had a spell for opening it up to allow for somepony to get into it and then reseal it. I wondered if Steel Ranger power armor was the same way after remembering what Applejack had said when showing off the first Steel Ranger power armor in that memory orb. I instructed the armor to open and watched as the helmet rolled away, again. I grabbed the helmet and put it on feeling something wrap around my horn before hardening on the front half of my horn. I then pulled on the armor as if it was nothing except for cloth. The spell made it as simple as putting on socks and a robe. I guessed making the whole thing limp instead of rigid for a set period of time was an breakthrough design choice at least. Honestly, it really felt like I was putting on some sort of fancy dress instead of high end combat armor. A part of my mind wondered who had designed it and if they had some other interesting designs laying around.

        With the armor fully on I activated the spell to return the armor back to its normal rigidity. I blinked as my eyes were filled with the suit's EFS as it worked to integrate with my Pipbuck's EFS. The unfortunate side effect was I had double vision for a few moments before I saw two ponies shake, one an earth pony the other a pegasus in this armor.

        I tried to shake my head to get used to the armor and instead found that the armor didn't budge.

        “Oh.”  I muttered as I started trying to flick through the various bits of information within the power armor's spell matrix. “this isn't good.”

Then my vision filled with progress bars that filled of their own accord.

        “Or I needed to wait for a few minutes while this runs a first boot thing.” I giggled at my own haste and paranoia.

        So I stood there for another minute before two messages appeared in front of me.

        “Hello, Chief Warrant Officer Moonlight. Would you like a walk through of the Ministry of Awesome Pegasi “Shadowbolt” Power Armor.” I read aloud before looking at the second message. “Warning, wings not detected, see commanding officer or medical facility for help.”

        I did pause though looking at Chief Warrant Officer as my rank, I wasn't certain as to why I had a rank according to the power armor. Then it hit me, the dog tags on my collar must have been active prewar for someone with that rank or the armor was just busted. Both situations were possible, though more likely that the armor had suffered damage since it had been shot up. However, if the armor saw me as a member of the Equestrian armed forces it might give me full access to everything. Hey, maybe Foresight and myself would be seen as members who were currently alive and thus given access to multiple facilities without security trying to murder us. I dismissed the thought though, I had other things to work on right now, like how to move.

        With another glance I dismissed the second message and decided to let the power armor walk me through its functions. In short order the armor instructed the various medical, technical, and environmental aids it had as well as the built in battle saddle mounts and the blade that sat at the end of the tail, more or less a scorpian. I had to admit the armor looked like it would weigh more, but, even with the thing not wanting to move for me I felt that it was lighter than it looked. I also felt the air on the back of my horn and I even saw my mane sticking out of the helmet when I looked far to the sides. It seemed even though well armored the design allowed for ones mane to be shown. That or the armor had a crack along my mane.

        I took a deep breath once the armor had finished going through its digital manual of features and tried to move again. I started out using as little strength as possible to move and found the armor moved with me without effort only when I hit a certain threshold of strength. I began to practice gentle movements within the armor and figured that either there were limiters to protect the user or that since it detected I was a new user the armor was making certain I didn't hurt myself by trying to go to hard too fast.

        Half an hour later I had a good feel for the armor, while I wasn't getting much of a benefit from it due to lack of proper training I could use it and make use of the inherent environmental protection and armor on it. Also I still was clumsy with stabbing things with my tail, but, I was getting better with grabbing things with it which was worth the little bit of impromptu training I had just given myself at the behest of not injuring myself with my new armor.

There was one unfortunate problem with my recently acquired power armor was that I had no wings. Thankfully, the armor knew this and had the wings locked shut on my sides, giving me some extra armor. I had an idea that I might be able to use those wings with some trickery with the armors programming to give myself more time in the air instead of having to use my magic to hold myself against the full force of gravity. Mostly it was telling the armor to extend the wings and lock them in place, like a parachute or hang glider.

        I looked around still getting used to the augmented sight of the power armor, there were additional readouts in my vision coming from the various additional sensors that the power armor had integrated into it that Pipbuck’s don’t have. Distance a read out was the main thing I had noticed. There might have been more and the instructions had said some things about optional readouts and functions like some sort of augmented vision which I assumed to be either night vision or thermal vision. For now though all I needed to know how to do was move the armor at a decent pace.

As I walked back to the elevator I scrolled through the various options within the armor and found the inhibitors for motion and loosened them a bit further so in a crunch the armor wouldn't lock up on me if I tried to quickly get somewhere or strain myself opening a door with my hooves.

        Once I had returned to the command room I stared at the elevator door, I jabbed at the seam of the door with my bladed tail and wedged it in. I grabbed the doors in my magic and began with my tail and magic to pry the elevator doors open. Once the doors were open enough to get the tips of my hooves in I dug my forehooves into the crack and started to pry open the door. After a few centimeters the doors automatically released and opened cleanly for me. The sudden release also left me fighting for my balance as I heard the loud sucking sound of ventilation maintaining negative pressure in the elevator shaft. While I fought to regain my balance I looked down and could see the elevator car resting below me. Which begged the question what was lower. I got my hooves to the floor then turned and looked up to see a clear path up three stories before I saw what looked to be a closed bulkhead.

        I frowned as I walked out into the shaft and hopped down the couple of feet that to the roof of the elevator car. It took a couple of seconds, but, I found the hatch into the car. I opened the hatch with my bladed tail then stuck my head inside. What I saw I didn't quite understand. The car, for the most part, was intact, there was a bit of wear from the passage of time, but, it seemed fine. Crawling inside of it I hit the door open button on the elevator. With the doors opened I looked out at a small room with another closed bulkhead and a panel for entering in a number code. I frowned then pushed the closed the doors button, it didn’t do anything. I frowned as I pressed the button for the third floor, which if it worked, would take me right to the top of the shaft..

        The doors refused to close and the buttons I pressed didn't light up. I frowned, then poked the button for the third floor again and waited a few seconds, and again the doors remained open. I frowned and jabbed the button rapidly with my right hoof, still nothing. With one careless and frustrated jab of my powerhoof fused hoof smashed the elevator panel. I scowled and turned to the hatch on the roof of the elevator and then jumped up to it.

        After I clamored through the hatch I was back to square one with the elevator, well maybe it was more like square negative one with the elevator now being inoperable. I looked side to side and found what I had expected, a ladder, something that most ponies overlooked due to we generally aren't meant for ladders, but, with skill and not looking down they aren't hard to climb. Either way I threw myself at the ladder and began climbing, as this was my only way up and down around here with the staircase collapsed and the elevator being a pile of rubbish.

        The clang of my metal clad hooves upon the metal rungs of the ladder rang out into the confined space of the elevator shaft. Thankfully I had left a lot of my equipment back with the others, because, this climb would be terrible carrying around three hundred or so extra pounds of arms, armor, and various scrap equipment. At least now it was just a radiation suit, my old armor, far too many weapons, and medical supplies. Just, you know, the basics you have to pack for delving into derelict research facilities that may or may not hold hostile living, robotic, or undead monstrosities within it. It struck me thinking about what I left behind that it might have been a good idea to have brought with me a flamethrower, then again, with my horn I had a flamethrower, so that might have been just a bit redundant. Of course I also had the issue of magic can and often is countered or targeted down first. Though that might have been something emergent in strategy once it was everypony for themselves.

        I shook my mane and shoved the thoughts out of my head as I reached the level below where the bulkhead had closed off. There was one problem with my location, some idiot had decided it was a good idea to weld close the elevator door on this floor making it a slight bit tricky to get in, though it probably be easier than punching through the bulkhead above me. I sighed and decided now would be probably a good point to do a bit of high energy metalworking with my horn and hooked my tail around a rung of the ladder. Then I turned around and hung from my tail so I could give full focus to melting the door away by building up enough power to heat up the elevator door. Thank you to whoever had decided to put a tail blade on the end of MoA armor.

        After a few minutes of focus I unleashed a blast from my horn at the door and watched as the door turned a bright yellow and the walls around it pinged from the heat difference. Then I swung myself up at the door with my tail and smashed my powerhoof into the split of the doors. My powerhoof dented the welded shut door and I heard a klaxon sound at the same time as I heard a heavy thud below me. I looked down as I swung back from my blow against the door, my back bouncing against the ladder as I saw a new bulkhead had quickly sealed below me.

        “Well, that is either a good sign or a bad sign.” I muttered as I pulled myself up with my magic so I could loop a forehoof around one of the rungs of the ladder and stop hanging by my tail.

        I looked back at the door and listened to the distinct whistle of air blowing through the cracks that had formed within it. The ventilation here was still on, so, some other reason existed for the sealing off of this part of the facility. I positioned myself again and began to rain down blows with my powerhoof upon the door further denting it as ringing filled my ears from the deafening cacophony of metal upon metal of my blows.

        The door bent and gave way to a small enough hole for me to climb though. Through the hole I saw into what a lobby for the elevator, clean, white, pristine, and so deeply wrong to me that my stomach knotted up. I swore that I would be able to smell how clean the place was if not for the air filter system on my muzzle.

I felt the battle saddle mounted weapons unfurl and await my command to fire as I crawled through the hole in the door into the lobby. Having entered the lobby I paused as I felt as if my hooves were echoing as loud as my powerhoof upon the door had been. With caution I stood there and listened to the ringing of my ears, watching EFS for any blue or red bars, as I waited for the ringing to go away before I proceeded. Though, with my nerves frayed by the intrusive wrongness of seeing anything this pristine and clean in the wasteland and the abhorrent things that I had encountered before in such environments my tail flicked behind me and I felt the blade scratching against the floor.

        Once a few minutes had passed my hearing had cleared. My nerves had also regenerated a bit of resolve against the wrongness that was how pristine and untouched this place was from the influence of time. I took a step forward and lightly stepped forward, my hoof making less noise than my own breathing. I paused only to bring up my EFS to see what weapons were mounted on the armor. To my tremendous pleasure there was a flamethrower on my right side and twin-linked automatic shotguns on the other side. Whoever this had belonged to had come here to kill in close quarters combat. Which explained why their body had been left here, and why they hadn't been able to take out both turrets, this load out was meant for flesh.

        I looked around the lobby again and saw a small security desk. The raised high enough to make a nice bit of cover in case things came in either from the elevator or from the single double door on the other side of the room. I trotted to the security desk and found an inlaid terminal with connection, and, by my luck, still logged inl. The top memo instructed to evaluate and remove all usable as well as stable for transport materials under the orders of Operation Stardust. I frowned as I looked further into the terminal to find nothing further on Operation Stardust, just it's name. Beyond the memo I found security logs as well as schedules, and a few passwords, and one thing I enjoyed greatly, a register for adding my identification to personnel with top authorization. Security from here on out would be no problem, so long as it hadn't gone rampant in the intervening two centuries.

        I looked up from the terminal and slide the security card I was given into my Pipbuck’s slot. With one last press of a button I unlocked the double door that lead into the storage area for the research laboratory wing of the facility. Here theory became made material. Here I hoped I would find an answer or two, and, maybe something of personal value.

I frown placed itself on my muzzle as I passed the double doors and sat in another airlock. The room began to cycle as I began to worry about what horrors might be in here, but, honestly this place seemed focused on making new weapons of war, so, biological experiments I really doubted would be here, and I really hoped right about that. I was completely done dealing with weird living things. Then again, robots aren’t always the easiest things to deal with. However, with security systems on my side only machines gone haywire would be a potential robotic threat.

        The door opened after the room had finished cycling the air. I trotted forward into the next room. As soon as I crossed the threshold of the room lit up with loud clacks rows after rows of lights turning on, the walls white, the lights hummed to life, and row after row of supplies were lit in front of me.

        I stood in awe, as well as partial blindness, as the power armor dimmed the lenses to protect my eyes and let them adjust to the sudden change in lighting. I saw very few damaged containers, but, I did see a fair number of empty containers, boxes on the ground, empty beakers, canisters with their lids open, open racks where things would have been.

        I let out a whistle as I composed myself. “Damn, that is a lot of supplies, well, time to see if there is an inventory of it all.”

        I looked left and right then saw another desk which I trotted over to it and then saw a door as well. I tried the door to find it unlocked, opening it I saw what was only to be described as part office, part storage for files, and part sleeping quarters. I even saw a refrigerator. I looked over everything before choosing what I would look into first.

        I turned to the refrigerator. What was inside of it surprised me, which at this point was a bit amusing that I could get surprised by having normal things being stored where it made sense.

        I pulled out a poor abandoned bottle of scotch, it still held about two shots worth of well aged alcohol. Part of me begged me to drink it, to enjoy the warm feeling alcohol imparted as well as the relaxing effect of alcohol. I sighed and put it in my pack, I wouldn't drink it now, not while there was possible danger ahoof and I was alone. I felt a tinge of pride in doing so. Honestly it still unnerved me how quickly part of me longed for anything that would dull the various aches and pains in my body, be it the feeling of something moving below my skin from taint, or the always present pain from my powerhoof that was fused with my hoof. Then again, who would blame me for wanting some relief from constant pain, more so since I tended to be less high strung and trigger happy.

        I shook my mane and cleared my thoughts about how the bottle weighed against me in my pack.

        “Be a good girl and follow the promise you made yourself.” I muttered to myself as I turned back to desk outside of the room.

        I dug into the terminal with ease and found what I wanted, an updated inventory of the storage portion of the research wing. While it didn't give me what experiments were being run I did also include a map of the current floor which included a staircase that lead to the other floors. I downloaded the inventory to my Pipbuck in case I needed to refer to it, as well as all the material safety data sheets.

        I shut off the terminal and sat down on the cot in the office and thought for a moment as I brought up the auto-mapper in my EFS. With my understanding of the layout of this floor there were actually a few places that would have ladders and service elevators up into labs from sectioned off storage rooms. I ran over the various possible options to pursue for going up a floor and decided the best and safest way to do so would be to just take the stairs.

        I hopped off the cot and quickly trotted off towards the far back wall and quickly found the door to the stairwell. Opening the door I saw a well lit stairwell and quietly made my way up changing the load of shotgun shells to the explosive rounds that made up an interestingly large amount of the armor’s ammo supply. I also switched the fuel for my flamer for the hotter burning optimized fuel. I wanted to be ready to wreck anything that decided to mess with me. I also moved my swords to a better position on my sides and so they were held under the armor’s wings.

        I took a deep breath before I opened the door to the third floor of the laboratories. What greeted was a more worn looking hallway than storage had presented to me. I trotted forward into the hallway and kept the auto-mapper in a corner of my vision as I started looking for another reception desk. Then I remembered the layout of the elevator shaft and felt a bit foolish and walked down the hall after it. My hooves didn't echo in here and a little bit of dust lazily drifted in the air as I trotted past darkened rooms. I did take note of the few placards on the doors around here, most of it seemed to be rest rooms, cleaning supply closets, first aid rooms, as well as a decontamination shower.

        Towards the front area with the elevator I started seeing some offices, I also saw a direct walkway to the sealed portion of the facility with the elemental. I also saw some rather larger rooms with chalkboards that still had various numbers, symbols, and equations on the board. I swear that a few of the symbols and equations actually physically hurt my brain to look at.

        I shook the twinge of intellectual pain out of my mind and ignored the math and science that was far beyond my tutorage and instead focused the practical and mundane. My focus mainly was on the security desk that sat by the elevator doors.

        With my Pipbuck connected to the terminal I was granted access to what had previously been a completely locked out terminal, yay for security overrides. Within the terminal I was able to get a file that was the entire floors map, largely redundant, beyond now having the names of labs and offices.

        I sifted through the rest of the data on the terminal and found a few memos to various researchers and soldiers who were stationed here two centuries ago as well as the memo about Operation Stardust. It seemed whoever ran Operation Stardust, which unless the apocalypse had managed to get Governor-General Stardust, it was likely Stardust herself, had done a good job at keeping what it actually was very well covered up. I shook my mane as I shut off the terminal then stood as I worked out a plan for how to proceed.

        I made up my mind pretty quickly and went for where the offices of the head researchers were. I tried the door and found it locked. I worked on the door with my magic to see if I could unlock the door only find it stubbornly jammed, as if someone with great strength had tried to force the lock because they lacked the deftness to pick the lock. I sighed, turned around and hung my head.

        “I am so glad there is more than one way to deal with a locked door.” I grunted as I gave the door a solid apple buck. The door rattled behind me and I felt the jolt go up my legs.

        “Right, metal doors don’t give like wooden ones, it also would help if I had powerhooves on my hind legs.” I whimpered as I sat down and rubbed my hind hooves.

        I looked back up at the door where I saw imprints of my hooves right next to the doorknob. I stood up ignoring the dull ache now in my hind legs, just another bit of pain to ignore with the rest of the persistent pains within me. I just punched the center of the door with my powerhoof and crumpled the door inward the sound of the metal twisting as the lock pulled free from its slot in the door frame. I removed my hoof from the crumpled door and swung it open before trotting proudly in.

        The room itself still had quite a few binders of scientific information, experiments, and research on the bookshelves. I felt a tear roll down my cheek in happiness for seeing so much knowledge in one place. I pulled down a book and for a moment I worried time would have eaten away the paper pages. I opened the book to find the pages were plastic. I just blinked for a few moments as I flipped through them.

        “This... this was a smart move. This prevents the book from being damaged by spills, writing, as well as from time itself.” I muttered to myself as I flipped through pages of alchemical research stamped with the logo of the Ministry of Arcane Sciences. I flipped back to the cover page. “A case for the Impelled Metamorphosis Potion.”

        I paused as my eyes went wide. “This is… IMP.” I stammered being left speechless at what I had in my hooves.

        “This is the theory, the method behind IMP.” I whispered to myself feeling curiosity and dread fall upon me, I held the knowledge that was behind the alchemical solution I had been injected with. This book held the knowledge that was invaluable, with it I could possibly make ponies immune to taint and radiation. I felt a sinister grin crawl across my muzzle, I found a great deal of power in knowledge that was mine alone.

        I shook my head pushing out the thoughts of how I could use this knowledge which was borderline abusing the knowledge and put the book away in my bag. I turned back to examine the rest of the room once more. Behind the desk sat a chalkboard with various chemical and alchemical names, structures, and combinations for desired reactions. The desk itself held a still functional terminal.

        The terminal wasn't hard to get into, more of, with my security rating I just overrode the request for a password.

        I swear I didn't faint from the sheer volume of knowledge that the terminal contained, and available for transfer all of the knowledge to my Pipbuck for later consumption. I pulled myself back up from the floor and began the transfer of all the valuable and, hopefully, useful knowledge. I flipped through various memos, logs, research findings, and requests for additional resources for projects. It seemed that this researcher, Aurum, as they were called in the notes was a lifelong student of alchemy. Judging from a few logs, Aurum disliked being just an Earth Pony, he knew of the augmentations the Zebras were doing and wished to do the same for himself.

        Then there was a rather interesting letter to Aurum, mainly due to who it was from, Twilight Sparkle, the ministry mare of the Ministry of Arcane Sciences.

Dear Aurum,

Your findings in alchemy and attempting to unravel how our Zebra foes alchemical augmentations have been brought to my attention by a mutual friend of ours. Recently, as now you know, I have begun to develop a potion for the creation of Alicorns out of anypony who takes the potion. I have called the potion in question the Impelled Metamorphosis Potion. We have managed to boil down the alchemic formula for permanent augmentations without serious health repercussions. However, we have a issue of uncertainty with regards to provoking the desired augmentations to express themselves within the test subject. As we have no idea of exactly what augmentation will present itself upon consumption of the IMP we have not performed any tests on anything living. We are at a loss here as to what to do and I am writing you to ask for some possible insight on how to proceed. I would prefer if you came to Maripony so we could discuss possible solutions and prevent possible information leaks.

Thank you for your time,

Twilight Sparkle

Minister of Arcane Sciences

        I frowned after finishing reading the letter. I looked for further memos and letters from around the date Twilight Sparkle’s letter had been dated. As a progress bar slowly filled in the upper left corner of my vision for the file transfer, I found a few memos around the desired date. Apparently Aurum's direct contact with Twilight Sparkle set off some alarms within the community of scientists here at the base, and the military as well. Apparently the letter even resulted in having a personal meeting with Stardust. About a day later I saw that arrangements had been made for a trip to Maripony for Aurum and a few of his assistants.

        I frowned wondering if possibly he was the one who had started using IMP to create other potions for enhancing abilities of ponies, like the one I had been given by Aegis. It was possible that early development of desirable augmentations and enhancements, it made sense, trying to get some of the first basic enhancements that Alicorns showed today, increased magical power, stature, wings and horns obviously. Plus it meshed with what I had been told about the potion I was given.

I resumed reading and there was a note of one of the storage rooms was to house some IMP that was given to Aurum by Twilight Sparkle in return for the breakthrough of making each of the desirable traits express themselves. However, there was still apparently an issue with making all the desired traits to show up at once. IMP was also noted as still not being safe for pony testing according to Twilight Sparkle. It also seemed there was an issue with safely storing IMP over long periods of time, but, Aurum apparently had managed to convince Twilight that he could find a way to safely store it as well as figure out the last few problems with IMP.

        Further logs from that point on were frantic bits about finding better storage solutions, often having to put old containers into new containers, and that the IMP seemed to be making more of itself as time went by and ate away at containers. I also noticed something odd as time went by, more accidents seemed to be mentioned and new safety measures put in place for all other projects.

        I frowned reading one memo about how some pony managed to get caught by the machine form changelings that were being developed here. According to everything they were just fine, except there were two of them when security finally found the poor stallion.

My Pipbuck chirped as the files finished transferring so I disconnected the wires from the terminal to the Pipbuck and stood. I looked at the rest of the files on my Pipbuck later when I had sometime to spare again. I also felt I had killed enough time with looking through memos and personal journal entries. Now was the time for me to go digging through some labs to see if I could find some half baked projects I could rescue from this derelict facility and give some love.

        I trotted out of the office and made my way towards the labs on this floor. The doors to the labs were not locked, and in fact it seemed that every lab had two or three rooms before you could actually go into the lab itself, sterilization rooms, locker rooms, and rooms with chalkboards for meetings of the mind. Mostly though I found an annoying lack of anything in the labs, their ready rooms. It seemed that the researchers here were good at putting away projects and supplies when they were done working on them. Which seemed to follow the whole notion that somepony in the military knew that the end was coming and that Seamane didn't get hit immediately like the rest of Equestria.

         I had gone up another floor to labs that were supposedly focused on material studies and testing, unlike the floor I started on which seemed to be theoretical testing of concepts. A few labs had some instruments laying out, and a fresh lab coat which I grabbed for patches for my own lab coat. I walked back to the airlock and pressed the switch to cycle the system so I could move on to the last few labs on this floor. I grew frustrated after two minutes of the system cycling the air and not stopping.

        I sat down and waited as a decontamination shower continued to cycle. A quote drifted into my mind from the memos on Aurum's terminal rang through my mind, the last one from Twilight Sparkle, days before the end had come. “The only variable is dosage.”

        I shuddered at the thought of becoming one of the Goddess' children, no, puppets was the right term. “One of many fates that could possibly be mine. Thank Celestia that my destiny is of my own making.”

        The door soon opened and I went back to my searching of laboratories.

        With that I checked the last couple of laboratories on this floor to find a few healing potions that had been over looked, some bandages and other first aid equipment as well. I packed them away to restock some of what I had used on Rose. With that I hit the stairwell again and went to the top and final floor of the research laboratories of Research Station Twenty Three. Maybe an hour more and I would be done searching this place and maybe an hour after that we would be outside again. Honestly I was surprised with how quick we were moving through this place, even with having to rest for injuries we had gained shortly upon entering the facility, it had been less than a day that we had been down here.

        Last floor was a bit of a mess, a lot of equipment here had been abandoned and gave an unsettling feeling to the place. It also seemed as though the blast from the Steel Rangers had managed to actually damage this portion of the facility. There were burn marks along the ceiling as well as a number of broken light fixtures, some partially hanging and others laying on the ground. Flickering lights and emergency lighting made up a broken pattern of lighting for the floor. I let out a sigh as I went to the security desk once more to check if there was any listings of what equipment or projects were on this floor.

        Luck was not with me this time around as the terminal was done for. At first I had taken it as the monitor of the terminal had cracked from the heat, but, upon closer examination I found that the electronics within had been cooked as well leaving it nothing but a brick of metal and useless circuitry.

        With a sigh and shake of my mane I turned towards the hallways and began combing through the halls for any lab that had anything left within it. The first few had a few tools that looked like they had been used in a rush to dismount some heavy equipment for removal. Which made sense with what I had been told about and seen in the research station. For the most part though there was yet again not much that was of use to me.

        Though, with how my luck is, or maybe it was more of somepony else's luck being poor. The last lab was rather large and locked. The fact it was locked told me there had to be something of value here. As my mood lightened after the down mood bumping into the origin of the Goddess’ children had left me in I successfully unlocked the door, it wasn't that hard of a lock, that or I had gotten far better at lockpicking than I realized. No matter the case I was in to see what treasure I had found.

        Upon entry to the observation room I saw a design for some sort of armor specifically for unicorns. I moved to the window and flipped a switch for illuminating the floor of the work room as well as opening the shutters. Inside sat a suit of power armor that was meant for a rather large unicorn, in fact the size of it made me think of Rose in a heartbeat. I turned back to the board and started to look over what was listed on it and paused as I read what was integrated into the suit.

        “Miniaturized Megaspell casting suite, magical energy capacitors, redundant spell matrix, and external mounting system for battle saddles.” I read aloud as I sat on the cold floor in awe.

        I eventually managed to pull myself to my hooves again and entered the airlock that separated the workroom from the rest of the lab. The cycle went quickly as one would expect, but, it was still a clean room setting. As I neared the power armor I paused seeing a skeleton whose bones were charred black. I immediately worried for the worse and skirted around the perimeter of the room, keeping my eyes on my EFS, as I made my way to a terminal. The terminal was was linked with the power armor via a number of large and small cables along the floor and ceiling.

        I powered on the terminal to find it unguarded by password or security key. So with nothing stopping me I dove right into the data available within the unprotected terminal. Quickly I found that the Power Armor had been left charged, which meant it needed discharging, the only problem was, and it was noted within a file on the terminal, that approaching the armor could cause it to discharge into whatever drew near with chaotic and unstable magics, apparently an issue they were working on, something to do with the magical capacitors. I looked at the armor seeing a faint aura around it and felt a pulse of static and magic emit from the armor.

        I checked the design specifications of the armor and found that the capacitors for the magic reserves could be externally charged by unicorns or magical energy cells of any type, which explained the cables leading into the armor. I also, to my dismay, found that they had managed to figure out a way to store the magical energy in those capacitors with a decay from maximum charge expected to be around a millennium after they were fully charged. Apparently this was a side effect of the degree of protection and containment that they had managed to develop. The release system for the magical energies was solely designed to feed into the mini-megaspell casting array built into the armor. I also was interested in exactly how the internal mechanics worked for switching what spell the armor could cast from the megaspell array. Then I remembered the fact that megaspells were just a framework of ritual casting, and realized exactly how powerful this armor could be in the right or wrong hooves.

        I continued to go through the information and options within the terminal as I felt my mane start to stand on end and the magic within the room began to build. The magic built to the point I tasted the magic in the air. Which was strange as the magic tasted of odd flavor of cotton candy, chocolate, and milk. I also found to my dismay that there was no emergency discharge option for the armor.

        I looked up feeling panic setting in as I realized that there was a good chance of not being able to leave the room and as I was the only thing here that was conductive and not part of the system connected to the suit, I was a lightning rod in the middle of a thunderstorm. I gave the command to the terminal to cut of feeding any power to the power armor and in fact to cut all connections to it. I hoped this would give more targets for the armor to discharge into that wasn’t me. I heard a hiss and looked up to see cables falling and some being propelled by pressurized air away from the armor. For a moment the building charge seemed to die down.

        Unfortunately for me my luck was my luck and the magic contained within the armor being unruly meant that the magic began to arc off of the power armor. First it struck the skeleton in the room, then with a deafening crack as a blinding light filled the room and pain poured out of my face as a bolt of pure arcane energy struck my armored face.

        With everything ringing and the armor I was wearing feeling rather warm I came to. There were a great deal of orange and yellow streaks as well as spots on the walls, floor, and ceiling of the room. The disconnected cables were flayed, burnt, and smoking as I began to move to get up to be met with a horrifying realization. My power armor was dead, I was left trapped in the eye of the storm in nothing more than a glorified coffin. My vision was clear of any EFS and I saw more bolts of magic arcing off of the power armor. I saw even a small fire had started in the observation room from where an arcane blast had shattered the window.

        I groaned as I wrapped my magic around me, if I couldn't move my armor with my body I would simply move myself with my magic. While dragging my paralyzed body around was not the quickest or easiest way to get around it was my only option. Plus there was a perfectly good hole in the observation window to toss myself through. The only problem was the power armor between me and said hole.

        With the armor making a veritable storm of chaotic and deadly energy within the room, moving physically wasn’t really an option this time around. Instead I focused my magic to my seldom used and unrefined ability to teleport. I closed my eyes and focused on the hallway outside of the lab I was in.

For a brief moment I felt heat wash over me and then I dropped a few centimeters to the cool floor of the hallway. I opened my eyes in time to see the metal door of the lab start to glow orange before I heard something loud and heavy slam down behind it. I guessed some sort of failsafe kicked in once I had gotten out. Rather humane to have the failsafe activate only once all things all living were out of the room before going off.

I shook myself as I stood up to have a bit of soot come off of me from the abrupt and crude teleportation spell.

“Well, I lived through another case of bad luck. Though knowing what all has happened to me before I would have absorbed some of that magic for a short while.” I said before shaking my mane softly. “But, whatever, I need to get to the mainframe and download it’s contents.”

Without delay I made my way back down and to the storage section of the laboratory wing of the the facility. I looked up on the security terminal and found exactly what I needed, the room housing the mainframe. Though I did notice a few things that set of warning lights in my mind. The main thing was it looked like there was some sort of security net that was ominously labeled as connection lost. The next thing was it looked like readouts for the temperature inside the room surrounding the mainframe, referred to as maneframe, which annoyed me for some reason, had a readout for temperature that was also labeled as connection lost. My worry came from the fact that there was security in there as well as a reason for the temperature to be monitored. For all I knew I was going to be walking into a room that was as hot as the sun and full of hostile robots armed with flamethrowers. Of course the room could also be bitter cold and have robots armed with weapons meant to cool or freeze. I felt the latter was more likely due to what I knew about electronics was that they worked better when they were cooler and failed if they got too hot.

“Okay, we are armed and armored to the teeth, so there isn’t a need to worry about this.” I muttered to myself before I took a breath in and drew in my right forehoof to my chest then extended my right forehoof out as I exhaled. “See, just relax, deal with whatever lies ahead of you, one challenge at a time.”

With that I set out to navigating through the storage rooms following the map I had of the place on my pipbuck. Though there was one issue, I had turned a corner to find the entire hallway covered in a very familiar liquid, taint, or, as I now knew, I.M.P.

“Well… buck me.” I muttered, as I examined the hallway to see a small space on the other side big enough for myself. “Well, almost, thank Celestia I am not an Earth pony or Zebra.”

I took my time and teleported myself cleanly and safely past the I.M.P.

“Well it looks like that bit of information about I.M.P. eating through whatever contains it is true.” I remarked before I examined my pipbuck again for which way I needed to go.

Unfortunately I forgot the other part of the memo that mentioned I.M.P.s habit of eating its way though what was containing it, it brought bad luck to what was around it. In this case the bad luck was the door that I needed was surrounded by the taint on the floor, which upon my examination was of an unknown depth and had eaten fairly well into the metal floor. I felt my left eye twitch in frustration.

        “Well, time to see if taint is flammable!” I cursed not wanting to have to figure out a better solution.

I poured energy into my horn and braced myself as I pointed my horn at the pool of taint. Then something unexpected happened, everything went purple, including my sense of taste and hearing. I wobbled as I tried to keep myself upright as my sense of balance left me.

        “What in Tartarus is going on?” I begged the hallway as my magic evaporated and my legs went out from under me. “Some sort of security system? Is the taint sentient and trying to protect itself?”

        Then I felt the maddening itch and sense of wrongness within me intensify. I went wide eyed as I looked at where I lay to find I was actually laying in a very thin puddle of I.M.P. Which was getting in through my powerhoof.

        “Oh fuck.” I cried as I did my best to push myself away from the tainted alchemic solution. My efforts landed me square on my back and out of the pool of taint. I rasped for breath as I mentally prayed to Celestia and Luna so I wouldn’t die or mutate in a way that would leave me wishing for death. However, the pain lessened, the itching died down, and the sense of wrongness within me settled down again.

I opened my eyes to see the world back to the proper colors, the pool of taint still on the floor. I removed my armor and examined myself for any visible mutations, thankfully, I found nothing of the sort. I blinked as even my mane was back to normal. I moved to examine my armor to catch my reflection in the orange mirrored bug eyes of the Ministry of Awesome power armor. My horn was back to normal, a regular unicorn’s spiraled horn. I blinked and felt uncertain how to feel about being returned closer to my old self. I had not a clue as to why the taint would do that.

Then it struck me, Aurum had been working to help Twilight figure out the proper mix to create alicorns. Which meant of course it would make my horn normal again , it also should, if the final mix, have turned me into a winged unicorn. I paused and examined my sides again to see nothing abnormal. I frowned and turned my examination spell to myself and went over myself checking every minute detail to find nothing out of place.

        I was kind of stunned at having no visible changes or changes under the hood so to speak.

        “Luck was kind this time around, but, regardless, I need to keep away from any more taint, who knows what it might do to me next time.” I said as I got to my hooves again and donned the MoA power armor again.

        I frowned at the wall next to me before regarding my pipbuck’s map. The walls in the facility, more so in storage for sound reasons, were too thick for me to punch through, and I doubted I had enough explosives to blast my way through. Then it hit me, I remembered once reading an article about a chemical reaction that would do exactly what I needed, something by the name of thermite. I smiled as I pulled up my copy of the inventory of the storage facility and found what I needed, powdered aluminium and powdered oxidized iron, though I did frown for a moment at the lack of pure magnesium strips, I would have to set the reaction off with my magic.

I teleported back across the pool of taint and made my way to the storage room that held the chemicals I sought after. It didn’t take long to find thanks to the very neatly organized and labeled nature of the storage room as well as my copy of the inventory making it quite manageable. I packed away a number of tin can’s filled with the mixture I needed for my thermite bombs, while not much of a grenade they would make for quite nice placed tools of demolition.

I returned to the wall and pulled out two tin cans of thermite which I then emptied and telekinetically pushed against the wall to form an area about my size. I then triggered the flamer in my armor to fire which set off the blindingly bright and blistering hot reaction of thermite. I kept my eyes closed and used my telekinesis to throw off gravity for the thermite and make it instead travel horizontally instead of sink to the floor where it would do me no good.

After a few minutes I opened my eyes to see my field of magic still shimmering where the wall had once been, now it was gone and the thermite had fallen to the ground and eaten its way beyond my sight. Hopefully I wasn’t directly over anything important that thermite eating its way into would damage and pose a hazard to myself and others. No matter the case though, power was still on and I had my way into the mainframe and it’s surrounding room.

I carefully passed through the still cooling hole and into the security room that sat was the second layer of protection for the mainframe. Within it I saw nothing really of note, a security pad, a couple of lockers, and some funny looking suits that didn’t look like they would offer much protection. The odd suits made me think that they might have been thin radiation suits. I went to the keypad and then stared at the door. I didn’t have the code for the door, but, the door for some odd reason was hexagonal and split in the middle, the frame of it metal and the rest glass.

“Seriously, glass?” I asked aloud before I reared up on my hind legs and put all my might into a blow with my powerhoof against the glass.

Upon contact with the glass I was sent against the door that led out to the hallway and pool of taint, my body twitching from the sudden surge of electricity that had gone through me.

“How the fuck do you electrify GLASS?!” I shouted as my armor rebooted from the minor spell matrix disruption the jolt of electricity had given it.

I wiped away the warning about my lack of wings and just growled at the door which had a small crack in the glass.

“Fuck this, I am doing some thermal shock on you.” I spat as I drew my Black Blade and the Icy Blade of Antiquity.

I glared as I held my swords in my magic and first jabbed it with my Black Blade and watched as its enchantment worked its magic on the door heating it up making the metal start to creak I then smashed my icy blade into the heart of the door. Ice snaked across the glass and I heard more creaking and popping. I drew back my blade again and then looked at my right forehoof. I let my anger, frustration, and hate flow through me. The rage making my blood boil as I poured my magic into my powerhoof fused hoof. Fire began to wrap around, the metal turning a dull orange and quickly turned white.

I reared up on my hind legs again and wheeled back my right forehoof.

“Take this! My pain! My frustration! and all of my HATE!” I shouted at the top of my lungs feeling my emotion help fuel my magical strike.

As I came down on the door with my forehoof the air tasted burnt. My hoof made contact with the door and I watched as the bit of thermal shock before coupled with this blow shattered the door, metal and glass. I held my hoof in front of me as it cooled and the air calmed around me.

“There, lets get moving again.” I said before giving a flourish with my hoof as I sheathed my swords.

And then my moment of trying to be cool and awesome was cut short as I got a shotgun to the chest that knocked me off my hooves. I opened my eyes to see a singular robotic pony, that had a dome on it’s head that housed a brain. I grimaced and felt nauseous as I recognized this model of robot. It wasn’t common knowledge, I think, but these robots were run by the brain of usually a convict of or some other unfortunate soul who happened to be handed off to the company who made these things. They also possessed rather disturbing appendages with claws at the end and some sort of emitter that reminded me of the crab pony things I fought on the shores of Manehattan.

“You really shouldn’t be here.” The feminine and far too happy voice of the cybernetic monstrosity said.

“And you shouldn’t exist!” I retorted as I rolled out of the way of another shotgun blast from the torso of the robobrain pony.

“Running causes accidents.” The cybernetic horror replied as I darted out the hole I entered, praying that the robot would go for the normal door and drive itself into the pool of taint.

“Well come and stop me!” I shouted back at it as I readied the built in shotgun of my armor.

On cue the door opened up and the Robobrain started to drive out. “This safety breach will not be tolerated.”

“The only breach here is the one in your cranium!” I shouted back and activated S.A.T.S. and selected to unleash a full auto burst into the brain of the robot. As I fired the robot ignored the pool of taint existence and drove into it, my explosive rounds only cracking the glass of it’s braincase.

Time resumed its normal pace as my armor began to reload and the robot fell head first into the pool of taint causing it’s light on my E.F.S. winking out of existence. “Well, that should take care of that.”

I returned through the hole I made in the wall and then went through the blown out door. As I did I noticed a mist rolling on the ground and cold air pouring out of the destroyed door. Inside there was a layer of fog on the ground and I could see my breath in the air from where it came out of the helmet. I also saw bank after bank of what I assumed to be computers, storage space for the mainframe itself, extra computing power, this was the brain of this facility.

I silently trotted in, my hooves deftly avoided the shards of glass on the floor as I went into the large and cold room. I heard the tweets and bleeps of computers, the sounds of memory tapes winding back and forth, I even saw the lights on the towers of computer hardware blinking with it all. I also saw that my E.F.S. was nice and clear of any marks, blue or red.

I continued into the heavily chilled server room towards the central pillar of the room. I was almost to the mainframe when I heard something hiss in the distance and I paused as I strained my ears to hear anything further. However, nothing further came so I took another few steps forward as I lowered myself to the floor to help reduce my profile, I even pulled my white labcoat over the power armor for the slight bit of extra camouflage it would grant me.

I reached the door to see a panel with the shape of a hoof on it. I gently put my left hoof into it and waited for a moment before a soft beep, a quiet click, and slow hiss came from the doorway letting me into the mainframe room. I smiled, glad I had been able to give myself access via that terminal earlier.

The mainframe room was a mass of wires, falling mist, blinking lights, and one central terminal with a keyboard. I paused and examined the room closer for possible sites of popup turrets. Though I didn’t see any, the mist could have hidden them on the floor, or worse some how they were invisible for the time being and sitting where the mist wouldn’t hit and wrap around them.

I silently trotted my way to the terminal, pulled out the transfer cables for my pipbuck and plugged them into the ports under the keyboard of the terminal. In a moment the terminal’s screen flickered to life and welcomed me by name to the mainframe and listed a number of options. Most of them were general diagnostics, one of them was what I was after, complete information transfer for backup purposes. I clicked the option and watched as my pipbuck’s screen as well as the terminal’s screen flashed on a transfer completion bar, and so did my E.F.S. As if I didn’t have enough things telling me how much of the transfer was done.

I heard a hiss behind me again and whirled around using my left forehoof as my pivot point. I saw the door I had come through finish opening with nothing in the doorway. I ground my teeth in frustration at the ghosts of this place. Then I noticed it a faint shimmer in the mist on the floor.

“Identify yourself!” I bellowed as my suit’s built in flamer and shotgun popped out and clicked ready, the faint hiss of the pilot light of the flamer audible over the quiet sounds of the computer systems and cooling systems.

The answer was unexpected. The shimmering field faded and I saw the stallion that had abducted me back in Hoofington standing before me in some sort of cloak. The cloak I assumed was the invisibilty cloak of Zebra infiltrators, a very rare and highly prized item in the wastes.

        “You have good eyes, kid.” He said before he took out a cigarette and lit it.

        “It is easy to spot optical camo when you have mist or something like that at your hooves.” I said.

        “True. Listen, why are you here? Who gave you the card to access this place?” He asked and I blinked in confusion, which he couldn’t see thanks to my helmet.

        “Well, you did, in hoofington.” I answered. “Though there you were in just fatigues and not a sneaking suit and Zebra invisibility cloak.”

        “Hmm.” Was all he answered with in his gruff voice.

        “As for why I am here, a friend of mine wanted me to pick up something here to help him with a personal issue It just so happens that these security cards work quite well on it seems any high security military facilities.” I continued my eyes focused on trying to read this stallions thoughts.

        “Well that explains a few things. Where were you directed to go to by your friend after this?” The stallion asked as he sat down.

        “The Steel Ranger Citadel north of Seamane.” I answered. “He wasn’t the one who gave me the keycard, he is a member of that branch of Steel Rangers and is at this point in time the acting Elder and Star Paladin of the Seamane Chapter of Steel Rangers.”

        “The other me, where did he tell you to take the card?” He asked as he furrowed his brow and chewed on his cigarette, the tails of his headband dangling through his brown mane.

        “To the fort in Seamane.” I said.

        The stallion seemed to grumble and fuss with something next to his ear. I just kept an eye on the progress bar in the corner of my vision and keeping my pipbuck’s screen turned away from the stallion.

        “How did you get in here?” I asked as I switched the loadout of my shotgun to some flechette rounds I had on me, if I was going to fight a fleshy target it was overkill to use explosive rounds. Even more so since I was in the computerized brain of this facility and didn’t want to damage the valuable technology here.

        “There is an exposed doorway to this wing of the station in the blown out office section. Same trick you used to get into the mainframe, thermite.” He answered before he went back to listening to something on what must have had to be a subdermal earbloom.

        I nodded as I started to flick through radio frequencies on my pipbuck to see if I could find what he was listening to. “So you didn’t have to deal with the elemental in the habitation segment of the facility.”

        He stared at me confused by the words I said. I saw the gears in his mind working trying to figure out what exactly I meant. “No, I didn’t. What do you mean by an elemental?”

        His story was true about how he got in at least. “Well, there is something in there able to manipulate light weight objects, is completely invisible, and can cut with creating micro vacuums.”

        He chewed his cigarette some more as I found the signal he was on, somehow he was talking to someone while to me all he was doing was moving his cigarette around in his mouth.

        “Looks like it is a good idea to go back out the same way you came in.” Said a somewhat masculine voice that was not the stallion who sat before me.

        “Yeah, and it sounds like we finally got a lead on who to watch, get a few ponies to keep an eye on this mare and her friends. She may not be in on whatever they are up to, but, someone in her group might be or someone might be following them.” The stallion before me said over the radio.

        “Alright, I have a few contacts in the area who owe us a favor or two, and keeping an eye on four ponies isn’t too tall of an order for them.” Replied the less masculine one.

        “Once she leaves I am going to copy this database, it might give us a clue as well. Though it doesn’t sound like this was an intended location to visit for them.” The stallion in front of me said.

        “Right, I’ll prep a place in Seamane for you to bring it to so I can do some analysis on what all is in that mainframe.” The less masculine one replied. “I’ll keep an eye out for anything of note while you keep working the research station.”

        “Mmhmm.” The stallion before me said before the signal cut.

        “Enough stalling, what do you want?” I asked trying my best to play off the idea of I hadn’t been privy to that conversation.

        “To look around, there might be something of use for me that you didn’t have a use for.” He replied.

        My pipbuck lightly beeped as the transfer was complete. “Alright, just don’t go into the motor pool, my friends are liable to shoot you with our tank.”

        “Tank? Well that takes me back a bit, interesting.” Was all he said trailing off before he moved out of the way of the doorway.

        “Yes, a tank, now then, be careful there is a suit of power armor on the top floor that is shunting out wild arcane power and melting everything around it.” I warned the mysterious stallion.

        “Thanks, and don’t worry about the elemental.” He replied as I walked past him the two of us giving each other a look trying to read one another.

        I nodded quietly and moved to the doorway. I looked back over my shoulder to see the stallion vanish from sight again and even my E.F.S. couldn’t detect him anymore.

        “Of course somepony would have tech like that out here.” I muttered to myself. “Just needed more fuel for my paranoia didn’t I?”

        I shook my mane as I exited the destroyed door and then saw something that made my stomach squirm. The robobrain that had fallen into the taint had been altered by the taint, showing the power of the alchemic substance. The taint itself and part of the hallway now had the texture of that of a brain. The case around the brain had altered to look like some sort of fusion of metal, flesh, and glass in the shape of an earth pony. I shuddered, then I noticed something worse, there was a large red blur that accompanied the mutated monstrosity of my own making.

        “How do I keep causing shit like this?” I muttered as I changed the load of the shotgun again to dragon breath rounds and gave a small blast of fire with my flamethrower. “Well, lets clean this up before it can get any worse.”

        The worst part of cleaning up the mutated flesh and robot was the sound. Thankfully I didn’t have to worry about the smell due to my armor. The sound was a mix of squelching, popping, and a quiet cry of pain in the corner of my mind. I even heard Doubt in my mind asking for me to just leave it be. I stomped it all down and out of my mind, instead I flipped on a recording of some heavy and loud music that was for some reason within the mainframe’s databanks.

        When I was done I headed back out the way that I suspected my unexpected guest had come from and found a thermite cut hole back out to the crater that marked the remains of the office portion of the research station. I released the seal on my helmet and pulled it off to get a smell of fresh air. I also got a good read of the weather here at the surface, a light snow.

        “Well, lets make tracks.” I whispered to myself before putting my helmet back on and headed to the top of the facility.

The snow was now thicker as it seemed another winter storm had pushed through while we had been inside the facility. I crossed the surface to where the elevators down to the motor pool lay and found them rusted shut or not responding to my attempts to activate them. I checked my automap and found a spiralling pathway that led down to the motor pool that must have been out of my line of sight when I was in the motor pool earlier.

        I walked through the cold air and stared out at the expanse of snow that surrounded me. We were in the middle of nowhere and I felt the true meaning of the Unbound. It wasn’t just nature that was unbound here, it was everything and everyone. With nopony really out here it was even more lawless than the rest of the wasteland. Anypony could carve out a base out here, hide it away and nopony would spot it. Who knew all that lay below my hooves out here, hell even Research Station Twenty Three gave credence to this idea of there being a great deal more out here than I knew of. The mansion did as well, small scattered independent research laboratories could be anywhere with unknown horrors. But, they would be isolated and everyone else would be safe from them due to their location.

        I looked south towards where I could see the faint mountainous crest that marked Dune City. There would be more horrors physical and psychological that lay ahead of me the closer to home I got. But, I had friends, I had family, I had resources at my disposal to aid in dealing with what was ahead. The mystery of what the other players around Seamane were up to weighed heavy on my mind.

        I heard a faint rush of air above me and snapped my head upward to see a shadow dart over me, then four more. I grabbed the snow on the ground around me as my power armor mounted weapons flipped open. I cursed as I realized the fact a flamethrower and shotgun were not the ideal weapons for fighting flying foes. I caught the dark figures in the air again and found five identical red tags in my E.F.S.

        Over the faint breeze I heard one of the shades speak. “We got a positive read on her tag, that is her.”

        My blood boiled as adrenaline hit my system like fire in my veins. My horn shone like a beacon in the storm of snow I had woven around myself in my magic. I hoped the shield of snow would force the griffons to have to move in closer so I could make full use of my armor’s weapons.

        A grenade shot through the snow and exploded in a blue burst of electronic static crashing my pipbuck and armor. I swore as I drew my swords and DMR. I teleported out of the power armor directly up into the air. The griffons were diving down at what they thought to be a disabled me as I fell from above. I pulled out my knife from it’s sheath in my pack and sent it up at the closest griffon to my abandoned power armor. The bird was fast and dodged my blade, the others crashed down onto my armor and knocked it over landing blows on it to knock out the pony they believed to be in there.

        “Shit, she isn’t in this thing!” The familiar voice of Astra, one of Helgrim’s personal crew. “Damn it, out intel is bad, she must be able to teleport, keep your eyes open for the mare!”

        Astra looked up and saw me falling from the sky, powerhoof first. With a flap of her powerful wings she moved out of the way and I landed like a ton of bricks backed by a telekinetic field blasting away the snow where I punched the ground.

        “It’s been a while, do you still have my rifle, thief?” I barked at Astra as I stood as I summoned my swords to me from their sheaths on my armor to on my fore legs. I reared up onto my hind legs mimicking one of the more exotic fighting styles I had read about as I pointed my swords at Astra and another griffon.

        Astra fired my repeater rifle she had stolen from me back at Oakmare in response. My lack of stability aided me in not getting a bullet to my face, but, I did feel the heat from the round passing through my mane and left my right ear ringing. I rolled and brought my swords to hover at my sides instead of mock holding them at the ends of my hooves.

        “So, what are you here for, Astra?” I asked as I kept an eye on her and the other griffons who were attempting to encircle me. Unfortunately for them they ignored my power armor which I wrapped a bit of my magic around on the triggers for the weapons mounted in it.

        “You, Helgrim wants your pretty hide to seal a deal.” Astra replied as she continued to stand still holding my rifle in her talons.

        “Ah, always a currency I am. A chip for bargains, eh?” I mocked Astra as I fired off the flamethrower from my power armor catching the wing of a griffon who had gotten to close to it.

        “You fools, just grab her, there are five of us and one of her. So what if she has two swords, three of us will manage to get in unhurt at least!” Astra bellowed as she charged me, throwing my rifle at my face.

        That was her mistake as I wrapped the rifle as well as all the snow around me in my magic and threw it up and outward. I charged in the direction she had been and met her head on.

        Astra and I collided and I punched my powerhoof into her throat as she returned the favor with slashing at my throat with her talons. I felt the warm wetness of blood go down my neck as Astra balked back trying to breath. In the short moment of feeling pride for having hurt the griffon I felt two sets of talons go around my hind legs and dig into them. I attempted to let out a scream of frustration as I sent my swords spinning backwards at the arms that held my legs. I noticed the lack of sound from my cry of frustration and that my throat was clawed open.

As I turned my head to better direct my spinning blades into my foolish foes I saw the two of them back off as a third fired a shotgun at me. I felt as if my whole body was alight as I rolled in the snow that had fallen back down. I could feel as I put myself out the radiation fueling my regeneration as my throat and skin healed.

The bastards had used dragonbreath rounds on me. As I flailed I hit something a few times with my power hoof before I felt the cool press of my former repeater rifle against the base of my horn.

        “Stop this, we want you alive. Take solace in that you will likely be able to escape at some point after we make our deal.” Astra spat.

        Then I heard two very loud cannons fire and at least one griffon met their doom at the hooves of two one hundred twenty millimeter cannons. The cool press of the gun to my head vanished and the soft crunch of snow as Astra moved herself behind me and dropped my rifle. I felt an arm go around my throat as two fingers of a talon sat atop of my eyelids.

        “Fire again and I will kill her!” Astra screamed as I heard what I assumed to be my tank and friends coming to my rescue.

        I knew my friends wouldn’t fire, which was bad, but, I did know one thing, I could teleport up without worry of reappearing part way through something that would kill me. I just had to hope that Anabel could catch me in time, though, I did have a tendency to bounce.

        “FIRE!” I cried out as, my voice gravelly like a ghouls, I teleported hopefully a few hundred feet into the air.

        The sound of cannon fire was an amazing thing. I opened my eyes to see myself far higher than planned as friends made the small skirmish into a scene of the apocalypse with the tank. The mounted machine guns and gouts of fire from the hull mounted flamethrower drove off the remaining three griffons flew off, two of them carrying the one who I had burned the wing of.

        “Help!” I screamed as I felt gravity start to grab ahold of me with all of its tenacity. I began to wrap my magic around myself to slow my fall but I was exhausted from two teleports. I was also tired from having held myself aloft for a few seconds right after a teleport to do much other than slow myself for the first few seconds of the fall.

        The hatch of the tank opened up and Anabel flew up and caught me, thankfully making certain to not fly straight up and catch me as that would have likely meant both of us getting hurt if not dead.

        “Thanks for the rescue.” I said to Anabel as she did slow circles back down to the tank.

        “No problem. Rose saw on one of the surface cameras those griffons swoop in and start attacking you so Foresight decided to bring the tank up.” Anabel said and gave a smile. “Thing is a damn toy with all that firepower.”

        “I think we are a more than just a fireteam now.” I laughed.

        “By Yggdrasil we are.” Anabel laughed with me.

        I laughed a bit more before frowning. “What is Yggdrasil?”

        Anabel just giggled as we landed on the tank. Rose climbed out of the tank and began collecting equipment as Anabel pointed to the reactor doors. “Go heal up, we will manage things out here. We will probably go back down and repack before we head out.”

        “Sounds like a good plan, it will also lessen amount of medical supplies we have to use to put me back together.” I said as pulled open the reactor compartment and climbed inside. I closed the doors and then curled up as I felt the warmth of the reactor warm me up as my body began to mend itself. The unpleasant wrongness from my exposure to I.M.P. still bore on though, it seemed no matter how much healing I had, that would never go away.

Footnote: Level up! (Finally!) Welcome to Level Twenty!

New Perk Added! Tail Trick: Allows you to use your tail as prehensile limb, capable of handling or throwing small items (much like a hand).

No, you messing around in power armor did not give you training in how to use it, get Foresight to instruct you, you silly pony.