Fallout Equestria: Towards the Future

I made my way to the cots provided by the Enclave while we waited to ship off to our to our basic training locations, and was just about to close my eyes, a voice shouted “WHAT’S UP!”, right next to my head.

I jumped and fell off the bed, landing on the cloud floor, “Well it appears I’m not, anymore,” I spit out, the words dripping with sarcasm.

The orange colored stallion sat down and covered his stomach laughing, “Oh… I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to scare ya like that,” he beamed at me. His magenta eyes filled with something I can’t quite put my hoof on.

I stood up and gave myself a shake, “Whatever, I just want to be left alone right now…” I looked at him to see his reaction and he was staring at me in shock. I looked back and noticed that my cutie mark was showing clear as day, “Wait I just…” I put my hooves up.

One of the instructors walked up to us, ‘what is going on here?”

The stallion jumped next to me shielding my cutie mark and put a hoof behind his head, “Uh… sorry Sir I fell off my cott and it kinda startled me a bit…” I stared at him dumbfounded.

The instructor rolled his eyes, “Young bucks always getting excited before shipping out…” he continued to mumble to himself as he walked away.

The stallion turned to me with a huge smile, “That was close, huh?”

I don’t remember blinking at him for a few seconds but I managed to get out, “Why?”

He pointed at himself, “No, my name is Solar Ray…” he stops for a second, “Oh? why did I help you out?”

I can’t believe this guy is serious as I nodded slowly, “Why did you help me out?”

He shrugged, “You seemed to be a nice guy so I decided to help you out.”

I shook my head and sat down to cover my cutie mark from anymore wandering eyes, “I don’t recall being nice to you… in fact I was rather rude,” as I said that I felt a little guilty, “sorry about that.”

He waved it off, “well considering how everypony else has treated me, you were quite nice to me,” I remembered some of the more soldier like ponies picking on him because he was way too energetic for this kind of training. He continued to beam at me, “So… what is your name?”

I still couldn’t believe that he would just ignore my cutie mark like that, “uh… Splitstream…”

He grabbed my hoof and shook it vigorously, “Nice to meet you Splitstream. My name is Solar Ray… but you knew that already…”

As he let go of my hoof I pulled it close to me as it felt like it would continue to shake on its own. I looked at my cutie mark then back to him, “Have… have you seen a cutie mark like this before?”

He shook his head, “Nope… did you get hit by a lighting bolt or something?”

I smiled, “No I got it  saving a fillies li…” I grabbed my head and shook it from side to side, “Wait a minute. You’re telling me you’ve never seen a dashite brand before?”

He looked at my cutie mark with a confused expression, “That doesn't look anything like a dashite burn,”

It can’t be. I cocked my head fearing the answer but asked anyway, “So… this doesn’t scare you or make you incredibly angry at me?”

He gave a short sharp laugh, “Celestia’s perfect flank, no! I knew that you were not branded a Dashite and I knew that if giving a push you might be a nice guy.”

I looked down at the cloud floor, “you're wrong…” he leaned back and I smiled up at him, “Luna had the perfect flank…”

He sneered, “Oh? Got proof?”

I couldn’t help but grin from ear to ear. Finally somepony I could talk to without him trying to avoid me like the surface or treating me like I was going to snap and kill everypony at any second. He knew I wasn’t a bad pony and he knew I was being framed by my own cutie mark, and assured me that once I became an Enclave soldier I would be recognized as anything but a traitor. I felt for the first time in a long time that everything was going to be all right.

******

I slowly opened my eyes and as the room came into focus I started to realise that, “Why is the room upside down?” I tried to wiggle a bit, and fell the rest of the way off the couch I was asleep on. I laid on the floor looking at my tail, “Well that could have been worse…” I twisted around and got to my hooves and gave a long stretch.

The rumble of my stomach told me it was time to head down and get some food. I took a quick look around and realized that everypony had already went down stairs, so with a rather large yawn I walked through the door and down the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs I looked around the bar room lazily and noticed that without a bunch of bloodthirsty drunk ponies this place was kind of peaceful. Lucky was at the bar, smiling at Bubble Gum who was coloring on a piece of paper; while Emerald and Cool were sitting at one of the tables. Emerald took a rapier in her hooves and was looking it over while Cool cleaned his assault rifle.

Cool looked up at me with a smirk, “Morning, sleeping beauty, we were about to send Emerald up to give you a kiss to wake the sweet prince.”

Emerald went red and her one eye that we could see went wide, “I… What?!” Cool started to laugh and she lit her horn up and Cool’s chair was lifted and turned over toppling him to the ground with a thud.

I put a hoof up to my mouth to try and keep the yawn at bay, “Serves you right,” I said as I rubbed the tears from my eyes with my hoof. I walked over to the bar and sat on a stool next to Bubble Gum who started to focus intensely on her drawing.

Lucky looked up at me with a satisfying grin, “Hungry lad?”

“Yeah… and I’ll have a Sparkle Cola while you're at it,” I rubbed my head, “After I get something to eat I will get some caps for me and her to pay for the meal.”

Lucky chuckled, “No need son. As long as I own this bar you will always be welcome here, and you will never pay for a meal or a drink.”

I looked at him over my hoof that drooped over my muzzle, “Wha…” I shot Bubble Gum a glance and she grinned up at me then turned back to her drawing. I looked back up to Lucky, “Umm… Thanks, I guess.”

Lucky waved his hoof in the air as he started to juggle different object’s in the air with his telekinesis as he started to prepare my meal.

I watched him walk through a door in the back still a little unsure of why I deserve so much praise. I looked to Bubble Gum smiling figuring what ever it was I couldn’t complain, “Morning, Bubble Gum.”

She held her crayon in her mouth just stared at the half colored pony on the paper and gave a “hmm?” in response.

I cocked my head, “Is everything ok?”

She gave me a sideways glance then put her crayon on the bar and turned to me, “Um… Split? Can I ask you a question?”

I smiled softly at her, “Of course sweet heart.”

She fidgeted with her hooves glanced back at Cool and Emerald who started to get into a nice argument about weaponry. She then looked at the door where Lucky walked into then down at her hooves, “I… I was wondering… I wanted to know if I could call you…” She looked up at me then turned back to her drawing, “Nevermind…”

I nearly fell off my stool, “Aww come on Bubble Gum…”

She looked up at the ceiling with her eyes closed, “Nope, nevermind…”

I leaned close to her, I was always a curious one, and poked her in the side gently, “You can’t just leave me hanging like…”

She looked sadly at her drawing, “Please Split… I… I’m not ready to ask yet…”

I stopped pestering her and looked at her face; she looked on the verge of tears or just running out of the room. I ran a hoof over her mane, “It’s fine Bubble Gum. Take your time.”

She gave a small smile at me as Lucky walked back in with a soup made with canned vegetables and a Sparkle Cola and set them down in front of me. I took the bowl and picked it up and brought it to my lips thinking, ‘the quicker I get this down the faster I can down the Cola to get rid of the taste,’ but when the watery soup hit my tongue I was pulled into a whole new meaning of flavor. I set the bowl down for a second and looked at Lucky dumbfounded. He just smiled at me as I tried finding the right words to speak.

Instead of saying anything I just brought the bowl back to my lips and downed the rest of it, letting the flavor rush over me. When I finished I placed the bowl back down and licked my lips. He continued to smile at me, “Good?”

I pulled the Sparkle Cola to me smiling, “oh Sweet Luna yes that was amazing. What is your secret?”

He chuckled again, “I can’t be giving away my secrets now can I?”

I shrugged, “I guess so.”

Bubble Gum reached over to her saddlebag sitting next to her in a empty stool, “Oh Split!” I looked down at her as she pulled out my little statue, “Here… You can have him back now…”

I took it from her, “Thanks, Sweetie…”

Lucky looked at the little statue, “Well I’ll be… can I take a look at that son?” I held it up and he levitated it over to himself and took it in his hooves. He started to turn it over, “I never thought I’d see another one in my lifetime.”

I leaned on the bar, “What’s so special about it pops? Just seems like a paperweight to me.”

He shot me a smirk, “Except have you noticed that it doesn’t weigh anything right?”

“Yeah sure I…” It hit me, “No… I never noticed until you mentioned it.”

He chuckled, “That’s because of the magic in it, but being weightless isn't their only ability,” he looked up at Bubble Gum and me who were both leaning listening to every word, “when you took the statute did you feel anything?”

I sat back a little, “Yeah like walking into a shadow on a hot day is the best way I could describe it.”

Bubble Gum reached in and brought out her statue, “I felt… I don’’t know… odd?” she said as she looked at it.

He looked at the other in shock, “You have two of them?”

I shook my head, “No… I have one and she has one,” I countered as I pointed at Bubble Gum.

Lucky shook his head, “well even so, these are incredibly rare and they enhance certain abilities depending on the magic they used.”

Bubble Gum looked up, “What kind of magic did they use?”

Lucky shrugged, “Some say they were blessed by Luna and Celestia themselves others say that they are similar to the magic used to make the memory orbs.”

“Did I hear you say memory orbs?” Emerald called as she walked over to where we sat. She propped her hooves up on the bar next to me.

I started to look down at her rose cutie mark and looked away quickly as she looked at me. I rubbed my chin acting like I was thinking, “You meant those fancy looking marbles?”

She leaned close to me… really close, “You Have Memory Orbs?!”

I looked into her eye and felt my heart start to flutter a bit but swallowed it back, “Umm… yeah. A couple.”

She leaned even closer to the point where we were almost muzzle to muzzle, “Really? can I see?” she said with a hint of sweetness.

I shrugged, “Take them for all I care…”

Her face glowed, “Really?!” I nodded and she wrapped her hooves around me, “Thank You!”

I felt my face burn as she let go and trotted off and up to the room. I looked back at Lucky who was staring at me with a knowing smile and Bubble Gum was shaking her head slowly, “What?” I asked.

Bubble Gum shot me a glance then picked up her crayon and started coloring, “Noffing” she mumbled.

Lucky gave back my statue and smiled, “A unicorn’s horn is incredibly sensitive.”

I shrugged, “Yeah, so, ain’t a pegasus wings?”

He shook his head, “Just remember what I said… Now about those statues. Are you interested in any more of them?”

I tapped my chin trying to think of what he could be thinking of, but gave up as my attention span stopped at, more statues. I nodded, “Yeah who wouldn’t be?” I asked finally.

Lucky smirked, “Well there’s a building that might have one a few miles from here.”

I had a sneaking suspicion that he hasn't told me everything yet so I kept quiet for a few minutes until I was certain that he had stopped talking. I sighed a long shallow sigh, “What’s the bad part of this?”

He rubbed the back of his head nervously, “Well anypony who has gone there has… well… never came back.”

I rubbed my eyes with my hooves feeling like there must be more to why he is willing to send me to a likely horrible death, “Why are you telling me this?” I asked flatly.

He leaned on his bar and gave me a serious look, “Well… there is a device in that building that would help my place out dramatically,” I waited and he stopped  for a few seconds, trying to go for effect I guess. He blinked once, “There’s a purifier in that building that could give weary travelers a nice radiation free drink as well as a place to rest and…”

“And you were wondering if while I was there if I could pick it up for you?” I asked folding my hooves over my chest.

He swallowed hard, “yeah…”

I rolled my eyes and looked down at Bubble Gum who smiled widely and nodded. I gave him a confident smirk, “Sure, I’m game.”

He grinned and Bubble Gum sat up, “Well, I have all of my things and I’m ready to go when you ar…” she stopped short as she looked at my face which was holding a sad concerning look to it, “What?” she asked with a small voice.

I sighed as I reached out and put a hoof on her head, “You're going to stay here, Bubble Gum…”

Her eyes shrank and she leaned forward a bit, “But… we’ve never been separated. You said you would never leave me alone. You told me…” she had tears starting to form in her eyes.

I stopped her, “I also said that I would keep you safe and this is anything but safe and I…”

She shook her head flinging tears all over the place, “NO, YOU DON’T CARE. YOU ARE JUST GOING TO LEAVE ME JUST LIKE EVERYPONY ELSE…” she jumped off the stool and ran up the stairs crying the whole way.

I felt guilt biting at my insides as I watched her run off. Cool stood up as she ran by him and looked back to me, “I’ll stay here with her and talk with her Split. I’ll send Emerald down and she can tag along to help keep you alive.”

I nodded, “Thanks, Cool,” He bowed his head and followed Bubble Gum up the stairs.

I turned back to the bar and put my head in my hooves feeling like the worst pony alive. Lucky placed a hoof on my shoulder, “She will be safe here lad.”

“Still doesn’t mean that I don’t feel bad about doing this now,” I said more to the bar than him.

He chuckled, “That means you care lad, and she will see it in due time.”

I looked up at him, “I hope s…”

SLAM

Something hit the back of my head which caused my head to bounce off the bar, “WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?” Emerald shouted at me.

I rubbed the back of my head with one hoof and my nose with my other, “I’m keeping her here while the two of us go into a dangerous building to get something for Lucky’s bar.”

The anger in her eyes lightened up a bit, “Oh… Cool Coat said something about the two of us going out but I was trying to comfort Bubble Gum as she came crying into the room,” she glared at me, “and I want to know why she was crying like that?”

I sighed, “She hasn’t had the best life for a filly her age and she thinks that I am going to leave her here and not come back,” I put my head on the bar and put my hooves over my head as the pain subsided and the guilt came back, “and now I feel like the worst pony alive.”

I felt Emeralds hoof on my back, “Splitstream… I think she is more scared for you that for herself… and you are anything but the worst pony ever.”

I looked at her and she smiled warmly at me which made me smile back. We sat there staring at each other for a few seconds until Lucky cleared his throat, “Should I leave you two alone?”

My face burned and her face grew bright red. She spun around quickly, “I’ll… I’ll go get your saddlebags Split and… Yeah I’ll be right back,” and she hurried back up the stairs.

I watched her stop for a brief second and look back at me before disappearing up the stairs. I looked back to Lucky who had his head in a hoof smiling knowingly at me. I sat up straight, “What?” I asked a little too obviously.

He simply shrugged, “Nothing,” and he walked back to his room and pulled out a saddle bag that was a deep red and set it on the bar in front of me.

I poked at it, “What is this?” I asked curiously.

He nodded at the stairs making me look back as Emerald made her way back to us levitating my saddlebags and my wing blades, “Your new friend doesn't have anything that she can use to carry anything with yet and I don’t need this anymore so…”

Emerald smiled at it, “Thank you, Lucky,” I started to slip my wing blades back on and she looked at me, “Need some help?”

I shook my head, “I don’t want anypony getting too close to the blades while I’m not in control of them.”

She rolled her eyes and her horn lit up and she slid the armor onto my wing effortlessly, “I think I’ll be safe.”

I rubbed the back of my head, “Oops… yeah sorry… not used to having a unicorn on the team yet.”

She smiled, “I forgive you.”

I smiled and looked back to the stairs in time to see something pink duck back behind the walls going up. I frowned, “What do I do?”

Lucky was looking at the stairwell as well and shook his head, “Hurry back and show her you that you never dreamed of leaving her behind.”

I looked at him and felt a snap of the straps on my back as Emerald finished fastening my armor on. She placed a hoof on my shoulder, “Let’s go and let Cool Coat talk with her.”

Cool Coat popped his head around the corner and gave a nod. I nodded back and turned back to the door only glancing back once outside to make sure Emerald was following. She cocked her head at him and Split looked forward, “Come on.”

Emerald trotted up next to Split and bent her head down to look up into his face as he held his head down, “Split… nopony thinks that you are making a bad choice here.”

“I do…” I said as we walked but the thought that she was trying to help me feel better was working a bit.

“I’m not saying that you have made good choices before…” She said as she pulled her head up.

The nice feeling of her trying to comfort me was set on fire, “Excuse me? What do you mean by that?”

She cocked an eyebrow at me, “You taking a filly that young and dragging her through the wasteland like you are is not the best way to ensure her safety.”

The fire from the comfort spread to my anger fuse, “Well as I see it, I managed to keep her safe and even saved a mare who was about to become a plaything for a psycho.”

She stopped and stomped a hoof, “Yeah… well… I’m not a filly who still has her entire life ahead of her still.”

I turned back to her, “Maybe not but I never once wanted to put her in danger like I have, but I’m not just going to leave her alone or with anypony else because she trusts me,” I felt a sharp pain put the fire out building up inside of me causing me to sit down hard, “A trust that I just broke because of the idea of possibly helping out Lucky, a pony I just met and for a stupid statue.”

I kicked a rock feeling horrible as the anger in Emeralds eyes died and she walked up to me and spoke with a softer voice, “Split, Bubble Gum is still just a little filly. She may not understand right away why you did what you did, but she will and she will thank you for it.”

I closed my eyes stood up and turned around and started walking away, “But until then it won't make me feel any better.”

We continued along in silence for a little while until Emerald poked me in the ribs. When I looked at her she pointed up and I saw what appeared to be a building sitting at the bottom of a small crater. The building sat cockeyed as if it was hit by some kind of explosion but it didn’t quite destroy the building.

I raised an eyebrow and cocked my head to the side, “Uh… what is it?”

Emerald took a step forward, “Back during the major part of the war, Pegasi were taken from their weather duties, so farmers had to find a way to keep water to their farms. It was one of the best projects that the Ministry mares worked on together… and one of the last…” she added the last part with a hint of sadness.

I looked at her feeling confused, “Ministry mares?”

She looked back at me, “You know, Fluttershy, Rarity…” she saw the confusion in my face and rolled her eyes, “Really? You don’t even know know the ministry mares?” she shot me a cocky expression, “How about Rainbow Dash?”

I flattened my ears back and gave a glare, “Yeah… her I know.”

She took a step back, “Well, she was head of the ministry of…”

“Awesome…” I finished for her, “and she turned her back on the pegasi to go and help with the war effort.”

Emerald frowned, “Do you believe that?”

I shrugged deflating a bit, “It was something we were force fed our entire lives,” I looked at my cutie mark, “That‘s why I’m here and not up there.”

Emerald sat down, “Look, Rainbow Dash wasn’t about to just drop her friends turn her back on the Princesses just to help the Pegasi.”

I shook my head, “Wait… the Pegasi were telling her to turn her back on everything just to help them? Text books say that she turned her back on the Pegasi…”

Emerald rolled her eyes again and stood up, “Have you even seen the memory orbs you have yet?”

I dug my hoof into the ground feeling like a foal who was caught in a lie, “Well… no… the lives of other ponies who are long since dead don’t interest me.”

Emerald turned around sharply, “Well they could help set the record straight on things.”

I stood up, “Well after this, while I’m on the bed recovering from my injuries I will see about looking into one.”

She looked concerning at me, “Injuries?”

I gave a small laugh, “With how my track record is… well you will see.” I walked by her and started down the slight incline.

She came sliding down next to me, “You have been hurt a lot?”

She went to take a step but I put my hoof up and stopped her, “Yeah… and you were almost too,” I leaned down and saw the wire across the path. I followed the wire up to a small cluster of grenades and swallowed hard, “That would have hurt… a lot,” I said with a glance up at her. She looked at the bundle of grenades with a look of pure terror. I cut the wire with little trouble and placed a hoof on her shoulder, “Let’s hurry this up.”

she kinda shook her head a bit, “Yes… hurry… of course.”

I started forward into the building. as I walked I made to note every sound and every shadow. Something didn’t feel right and I knew that it was on me to keep Emerald safe. We made our way through what was left of the building. I looked over my shoulder, “I don’t suppose you know where we should look for this purifier?”

Emerald rubbed up against a shelf and a black streak spread across her green coat. She scrunched her face up in disgust, “We need to head down. They would draw the water from underground and run a magical purifier giving or taking things out of the water to help crops grow.”

I gave her a smile, “Nice to know we have a smart pony with us now…”

She flushed a bit but returned the smile which vanished when something growled from further on in the building, “What was that?” She asked fearfully.

I took a couple steps back and stopped next to Emerald, “Stay close to me…” I kept my eyes glued forward. I started walking feeling Emerald move right up next to me as I scanned the building. We found a staircase that lead down and she swallowed hard and I felt my wing start to rise. I looked at her confused as she tried to slip under it. I stopped my wing from drooping over her, “What are you doing?”

She looked at me innocently, “I… I don't have armor so I thought I could put your wing around me to give me a bit of protection,” she gave a little smile.

I shook my head as I took my wing back, “It’s not safe if we do that,” she looked at me disappointedly so I sighed and held my wing up for her to see it better, “If I held my wing over you and you stopped suddenly…”

Her eyes went wide and she nodded, “I… see… then will you…” she cocked her head to the side and smiled.

I had my eyes locked forward as something moved from down the stairs, “Yeah…” I started moving down the stairs slowly.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” she asked as she trotted to catch up to me.

I narrowed my eyes cursing not being able to see in the dark, “Something moved…”

She leaned close to my ear and hissed, “And we’re moving towards it?”

I shook my head feeling a bit off as she spoke into my ear. We continued to move along stopping every time we thought something moved. I stopped and gritted my teeth, “this is hopeless, I can’t see a damn thing.”

“Well,” a glow started to brighten up the corridor, “If you asked I would have done this a while ago,” I looked up at her as a purple glow was coming from her horn, “I assumed that you could see so I kept quiet.”

I gapped at her, “You are a portable light source? I could ki…” I watched as her eyes dilated when the growl came from behind me. I looked back to see a ghoul emerge from a side room. I never told anypony that I met one before but this one seemed…

It locked eyes with mine and charged at me mouth open wide. Emerald screamed but I crouched low and charged it myself. Just as we were about to crash I dodged to the side and extended my wing using both my momentum and his own to let the finely crafted blades slice through the rotting flesh like laser through butter. The ghoul pony fell in two pieces and stopped moving.

I walked by the ghoul and kicked it as I made my way back to Emerald and kicked it, “I guess they die easier than I thought,” I smiled up at Emerald who was crouching on the floor shaking, “Hey you ok?”

She looked up at me, “You… that thing didn’t scare you? It was like a zombie from the old movies.”

I helped her up, “Honestly I met one before, but he didn’t try to eat me. He was taking care of Bubble Gum and helped me out after I was shot in my wing.”

“You mean there are zombies that can talk and who are nice?” she asked sounding a bit unconvinced.

I nodded, “But I think they prefer being called ghouls.”

She moved up closer to me and looked around nervously, “Next time I see one who isn’t trying to eat us I’ll ask him if he prefers zombie or ghoul.”

I tensed up as we moved into a large room. The lights in the room where still working and I could see three more ghouls roaming around. I looked up at Emeralds horn then to her. She shrugged, “What?”

I shook my head, “you can put out the light now,”

She looked up and her horn went out, “Sorry,” she said as we were blanketed in a darkness.

I pushed her head down and looked her in the eye, “stay here…” I caught a glimpse of her other eye but figured this isn't the time as she adjusted her mane, “I am going to go in and take them out before they know we’re here.”

I started to move away and she grabbed my tail. I looked back, “Be careful,” she whispered.

I don’t know if she could see me but I nodded and moved out into the room. I kept low and moved slowly behind the first ghoul. It spun around suddenly and gave a small growl but looked around as if I wasn’t there. I smiled to myself and when he turned back around I drove the hidden blade into the back of his head.

The other two looked up at me instantly and charged. I ran at them cut them both down as I passed between them both. I skidded to a halt and looked around making sure that there was only three. After I felt safe I gave a sharp whistle and waved my hoof in the direction that Emerald was.

She stood up and walked to the center of the room, “I can’t believe that this thing is still intact and…” her eyes went wide, “This… this isn’t a purifier.”

I cursed, “Don’t tell me that,” I moaned. I jerked my head around as something gave a raspy roar.

Emerald picked up the device carefully, “No… I read about these. They used these to create water, not filter it.” I was only half listening as I made my way to a corridor on the other side of the room. I heard her talk to me, “Are you listening?”

Something green moved from at the end of the hall and I took a step back, “Emerald!” The thing roared and charged, “RUN” I yelled as I spun around and ran towards her.

She tucked the water creator in her saddlebag then looked up and her eye became dinner plates, “What. In. Tartarus. Is. That?” She said taking a few steps back.

I jumped next to her and spun her around forcefully, “MOVE IT!” She started running back do the hall. I looked over my shoulder and what I saw I couldn’t believe. It looked like a ghoul except it glowed with a sickly green color and I could see it’s skeleton. It gave another bellow and sped up after me.

I turned and ran after Emerald. I started to feel a little woozy as we continued to run and she stopped at the entrance of the building, “KEEP RUNNING I HAVE AN IDEA,” She yelled.

I saw her horn lite up and then the grenade cluster fall just inside the door. I screamed as I charged out the door and jumped on top of her as she was trying to run away., “Stay down…” I said as I covered her.

BOOM

The explosion made my ears ring but the burning sensation in my back leg told me I didn’t get away from there far enough. I slowly stood up off of Emerald and looked back at my hind leg and felt my stomach lurch as the long piece of metal that was sticking out of my leg dripped with fresh blood.

Emerald stood up and looked at the metal and gasped, “Split! Your leg… I’m sorry I shouldn’t have…”

I shook my hoof at her, “If you didn’t that thing could have caught either me or you… it’s fine,” I looked back at the door and smiled at the door was collapsed there were piece’s of the monster all over the place, “and you managed to kill the bastard too.”

She pushed me over lightly, “Lie back… I… I need to take this out so I can try to heal it.”

I put my head on the ground breathing heavily, “How do you plan on…” I let out a scream that would have made the ghouls in the building cover their ears as she gripped the metal in her teeth and ripped it out spraying her coat with some of my blood.

She spit the bar out and put a hoof on my leg, “Stay still,” and she started to close up my leg. After a couple of seconds she sat down and rubbed the sweat from her face with a hoof, “It will still hurt. I only managed to close the wound, but it should be ok until we get back to Lucky’s”

I groaned as I stood up, “It’s more than enough.. thank you…” I breathed as I steadied myself.

She moved up next to me, “Come on… you can lean on me for some support.”

I felt my pride take over as I took a step, “I will be…”

I stumbled and she caught me with a cocky smile, “Fine?”

I rolled my eyes, “Fine let’s get going so we can get me fixed up.”

She giggled as we set off away from the purifying building. She lowered her head, “Um… Split? what happened that lead you to being with Bubble Gum?”

I found the ground fascinating as the feeling of talking with Bubble Gum when we got back started to creep up on me, “She… I don’t know the details of what happened to her family but a ghoul doctor named Silver found her and was taking care of her, “She kept quiet and listened as I continued, “When I came crashing through the roof of the building they were staying at he fixed me up and just as I was recovering slavery came and wanted him and Bubble Gum. He told me to take her and flee and as far as I know he was killed… Bubble Gum has lived a hard life of ponies either trying to hurt her or leaving her. I promised her that I wasn’t going to do that but I guess I just did…”

She shook her head, “I don’t think she thought you were leaving her. I think she is scared that you are going to get hurt and she isn't going to be there to help you.”

“Yeah… maybe…” I muttered as the bar started to come into view. We moved closer and something started to not feel right. The two ponies standing outside the bar close to the door holding rifles made me curse Celestia under my breath.

Emerald stopped making me stop, “What is going on?”

I stood up on my own, “Nothing good,” I said with a moan.

One of the stallions looked up, “Who’s there?” he said as he leveled his rifle.

Emerald put a hoof on my shoulder, “I got this…” she made her way over to them with a slight limp, “I… I need some help,” She lied.

The pony with a rifle lowered his gun and a wicked grin spread across his face, “Well ain’t you a pretty thing?” he cooed. I felt my insides burn as he walked up to her and lifted her chin with a hoof, “So what do you need help with?”

She cocked a smile, “and he took a step back as he rapier sat neatly under his chin, “First I need you to give me some space…” The other spun on her with his rifle but I could still move fast win flight and cut the stallion across the neck spilling his life blood. She glared at him, “second I want you to tell me what is…” He drew in a breath to yell and she drove the point into his brain, “Damn it,” she spat at him. She looked up at me, “What now?”

I limped towards her, “Let’s get inside and see what is what first,” I whispered as she helped me to the door.

She looked back at the bodies, “I hope that we didn’t kill them for no reason.”

I shook my head, “Name one stallion who would stand outside a bar waiting for something?”

She opened the door and we made our way inside. Four stallions had their back to us as they faced a small group of ponies on the floor. I felt my blood boil as I caught a glimpse of Cool Coat laying on the ground facing away from the group. I then felt panic as I then saw Bubble Gum standing between the group facing away from us and the group Cool was laying with. She was shaking from head to hoof with a look of pure terror on her face as the stallions started laughing.

The unicorn that I knew to be the rat faced fight announcer from the night before sneered, “Look at this boys. She wants to protect them isn’t it cute? now just tell us where the other Pegasus went and we will collect him and be…” Bubble Gum swung the knife at him and the Unicorn took a step back, “Fucking brat,” He kicked Bubble Gum hard in the side of her head sending her skidding under a table.

Everything went silent and the pain in my leg left as I locked onto the group of stallions. I lifted myself off Emerald and made my way silently between the two stallions standing behind the Unicorn and a large earth pony. The only warning they got was the SHINK of my hidden blades as I extended my wings and took their heads off. The Unicorn looked back and ducked in time to keep his head but he lost over half of his horn as I swiped my wing at him.

I pushed forward and pinned the other stallion down and put the blade of my wing to the floor cutting through in the stallions face.

“SPLIT!”

I looked up to see Lucky pointing, “DON”T LET HIM GET AWAY LAD!”

I spun around and saw the tail of the Unicorn disappear out of the door. I saw Emerald sliding under the table after Bubble Gum as I shot after him. I pushed the door open and looked up to see the Unicorn running away. I let out a low growl and charged him and I closed the distance quickly. He turned around and tried to pull a machine gun but I rammed my head into his and I heard teeth break on contact. I then took his head in a headlock and took off into the air.

As I climbed higher he screamed, “HEY LET ME GO I’M SORRY!”

I stopped just under the veil of clouds and brought him to eye level, “No, but you will be…” and I let him go. He screamed loudly as he fell and when I was satisfied with the distance I shot down at him. I hit him hard in the back cracking a few ribs and causing him to let out a howl of pain. He looked over his back at me and I glared at him, “Pray this kills you, because I will gladly kill anypony over and over again that hurts my little girl…” The venom that dripped from my words made his turn white and just as we were about to hit the ground I pulled up and he slammed hard into a metal motorized earth pony cart.

I landed a few yards away and looked at the twisted metal pony and let out a snort. I turned around and started walking away challenging anything to come at me right now.

KABLAM

The cart exploded and I just gave a cocky grin as some hot pieces of metal landed close to me, “I guess he’s dead now,” I rasped. I made my way to the bar and walked inside. Cool was leaning against the wall holding his front leg while Lucky was wrapping the side of another stallion who I had seen before. I looked around, “Where is Bubble Gum?” I asked, not wanting any crap from anyone.

Emerald looked up as she ran a hoof through Bubble Gum’s mane. Then Bubble Gum lifted her head and looked at me; her eyes and cheeks were still damp when she locked eyes with me but after a few seconds her face scrunched up and she started crying again. She hopped out of Emeralds grip and started limping towards me holding out a hoof that was wrapped in a bandage.

I leapt forward and she stopped and put up both hooves as I scooped her up and hugged her close to me. She buried her face into my chest and cried harder. I stroked her mane lightly as she tried to talk through her crying saying, “I… I’m… so… so… sorry… I…”

I nuzzled the side of her face with mine, “Shhh, It’s ok… I’m the one who is sorry. I am never going to leave you alone like this again…” She continued to cry into my chest and I felt my heart crying with her so I lifted her up and looked her in the face as she tried to rub her eyes sobbing every now and then. I gave her a warm smile, “I cannot tell you how proud of you I am sweetheart.”

She gritted her teeth holding her hooves over her eyes as tears fell from her cheeks, “But I… but I… I was so… so scared…” she said between hiccups and sniffs.

Emerald walked up next to us and placed a hoof on her head, “Not nearly as scared as we were,” she cooed softly.

She looked up at Emerald who smiled at her. She then looked at me with the same surprised expression as a few tears fell from her eyes. I nodded to her and she lowered her head onto my chest and sniffed, “I… I didn’t mean… mean anything I said… Split,” she finally said.

I ran a hoof over her mane, “I know sweetie… I understand you were scared…” she nodded.

Emerald gave me a warm smile as she moved back to the group to help them. I stood up holding Bubble Gum close to me with my front leg as I shook off my armor. when I managed to get the armor off I cradled Bubble Gum in my wings as she was starting to fall asleep now and made my way towards the stairs.

Emerald walked up next to me, “Are you ok?” she asked softly.

I nodded, “I will be fine. I am going to take her to bed and get some sleep myself.”

Emerald nodded, “Ok, here,” she levitated a healing potion to me and I drank it down. She leaned up and kissed my cheek lightly, “Night.”

I watched her walk away placing a hoof on my cheek. Bubble Gum gave a small moan and I shook my head, “I need to get some sleep, and figure out what the hell happened tomorrow.” I shot one more quick glance at Emerald then walked up the stairs. I went into the bedroom and laid Bubble Gum on the bed tucking the blanket she had around her. I adjusted some of the pillows and made her comfortable then made myself comfortable. I laid back and started drifting to sleep when Bubble Gum nuzzled up next to me. I smiled and wrapped a wing over and just before I drifted to sleep I moved forward and kissed her head. She smiled a bit and curled into a ball and I felt Luna’s magic bringing me into a deep sleep.