Fallout Stalliongrad

Chapters

Prologue
Chapter 1: Stepping into hell
Chapter 2: Secrets of a long forgotten past
Chapter 3: Old friends, new problems
Chapter 4: Into the unknown
Chapter 5: The road to Ponza
Chapter 6: Ambush and betrayal
Chapter 7: Into the Rushan Wasteland
Chapter 8: Exploring the administrative building

Prologue

(Hi my name is Firing pin, and I'm a fuck up at life)

"Water is coming in through the hull you idiot! I’ll ask again WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO!"

As the war raged on I could barely hear that shout; failed.. we had failed and this time I could honestly say it wasn't my fault; though they needed some pony to blame for this, so why not me.

"I don’t blame you Pin I..I blame this fucked up war..."

"Great yet another death to add to the countless ones prior..WHY..why does every pony I have contact with die"

...

Before I say any more about that; please allow me to introduce myself and allow me to explain how I ever ended up in this situation. It started with a death in my home; one that I must say could have been avoided had I actually paid attention to where my weapon was facing and not been fucking off. Oh sure you could say "But Firing Pin, shit happens." To which I’d say "FUCK YOU!" You don't know me well enough to let such slander flow so freely. Well comrade pull up a stool and let the Grey Pegasus Vodka flow; boy do I have a tale for you.

...

"OK Firing Pin, just load the magazine the way I showed you; nice and easy. Good now line up the sights with the target; perfect, now don’t just pull the trigger; instead just... breathe. Relax....aim...squeeze."

KRAPOW!

Down went my first ever target; my father was so pleased with me that he gave me that very same rifle. The Coltlishnikove model forty seven was and still is a very trusty weapon. Having seen battle in the Simareian forests it never once froze or jammed; at least not if properly maintained that was. The model was also used extensively in the hot arid deserts of Saddle Arabia. It could withstand the brutal punishment dished out by the marejahaudine, being dropped, filled with dirt, and baking in the sun; It truly is a marvel of death dealing ingenuity. The very first time I ever fired that weapon was when I turned 8 years old; the day I got my cutie mark however was two years later; while I was cleaning said weapon. I had noticed that by slightly adjusting my firing pin It would strike dead center on the primer cap. My father allowed me to tinker with his other weapons as well, and that is where I got my cutie mark. It soon would become my hallmark in the wastes as well. I became famous for leaving a single shell with a perfectly centered firing pin hit.

...

My sixteenth birthday should have been happy; and it was until... *gulp* My careless and reckless side took over.

"Bet you can't hit that target Pin!"

"You wanna bet Short Fuse?"

Short fuse was my best friend and on again off again mare friend, and we would often be called tweedledee and tweedle dumb. "I'll give you a guess at who tweedle dumb was"

"You don’t have enough money to make a bet pin." She stated, sticking her tongue out at me.

"Do too fuse, and I’ll prove it.

I was too busy teasing Short Fuse that I didn't even check down range....

KRAPOW....THUD

...

"Hey barkeep two more rounds please!" *SIGH* I killed the range manager in the first of many stupid mistakes I would ever make. It didn't help that he was my uncle either; my dad disowned me as did the rest of the stable.

"It wasn't his fault though! I was distracting him... Please no..I love him..yo..YOU CAN'T DO THIS! Please mom"

"Get back to work now Short Fuse! You might just join him young lady!"

At first the over mare had recommended execution but after Short Fuse admitted to distracting me she thought banishment would suffice; so that's what ended up happening. Not two days later did I find myself at the great door that led to who knew what or where? Short Fuse for her role was offered jail time; or banishment as well. She chose to go with me saying that since she was already in trouble, she had snooped around on her mother's terminal for anything pertaining to the outside world and had discovered that this stable was in the middle of a city called Stalliongrad. She also had come across a classified file with the code name of Iron Fish. If only I had known what exactly Iron Fish meant I would have told her to ditch the file and never follow me; but hindsight is always 20/20.

...

Once upon a time in a far distant past the world as any pony knew it was plunged into war; lands took up arms and the fight for precious resources began. Some lands allied with others to protect what they had; still others were razed out of existence. Though many died in the initial war; they were the lucky ones. For after each nation realized that troops, armor, and other conventional means of war weren't enough they resorted to a final desperate act. In a matter of two hours the world as they knew it was plunged into a veritable hell-scape. Many perished or wish they had; the world was poisoned and with the final cloud put into place the weather no longer obeyed any pony. Though it seemed all life had been extinguished; it had in fact not been. During the reign of spell fire and bale-fire, ponies lived; they did so in not only Stable-Tech stables, but also in the few soundly built Solaris stables. However after the radiation levels dropped in places, ponies began to emerge; beginning anew among the ruins of decades past. However with new life tragically comes death; new flags wave, old ones burn and the cycle never ends.

Or does it?

Author's Note

Ok so this is my very first FOE related fic; please tell me what you think so far.

Chapter 1: Stepping into hell

(When your life suddenly becomes a living hell, should you really be surprised when you find yourself at its doorstep?)

We had been led to the gigantic cog like door that separated us from the unknown and were utterly terrified at that thought; reaching out to pull the lever on the console in front of her the over mare said these parting words.

"I know it was an accident but you still killed a pony; not just a pony but your uncle no less. The council wished to execute you, but I intervened on your part. There is no need to thank me for my actions in saving your life. Instead take these items with you and Short Fuse.. do take care of Tweedle Dumb. He may not be the biggest, strongest, or brightest but I can see how much he loves you...I wish you two the best and...that it..it hadn't happened at all; I’ll miss you two very much..now please take these I'm quite sure they will go to good use."

Handing her daughter her very own sidearm along with ammo I knew it was tearing them both up; I wanted so badly to tell Fuse to stay but I knew she would refuse; she was forever stubborn when she set her mind to something and this was no exception. Turning to me she tried to hide the tears and her horn lit up, *SNAP!* I suddenly looked to my right front leg and saw a pipbuck, Solaris model four thousand, along with five objects being placed in my bags. Immediately the inventory manager set to work labeling the new additions as *Mark-Five Fragmentation grenades.* Looking to the overmare I saw her wipe a few tears away and threw the lever.

*SCREEEEEEETCH, THUD, CLANK!* Now after two hundred years the door protested a bit but within two minutes and with a very loud cacophony of noise we were staring into a dark abyss. Turning to us one last time, the overmare hugged her daughter one final time.

"Y...you two be safe out there; and Firing Pin, do take care of my daughter...she is the only family I have left."

...

With those final words our lives forever changed. Turning to the abyss before us we took our first tentative steps into the unknown. As we stepped past the ever familiar feel of concrete and into the rocky soil we heard the hiss of steam along with the sound of our home forever close behind us. We sat hugging each other sobbing at what had just happened for what seemed like an hour before either of us moved an inch. Slowly and with a shit load of apprehension we made it to the end of the tunnel and peered out of the long blown out window of a basement window into what either of us could guess was hell itself. Reaching out to grab the handle of the door I slowly began to turn it. *thud!* Down went the near two century old door in a cloud of ash and debris.

"Well whatever works I guess; are you sure you aren't hiding your true strength from me?” Short Fuse asked with a slight chuckle. I couldn't help but give her a chuckle in response.

"O har dee har Fuse. What did you just think of that right now?" I asked; giving her a playful punch to the shoulder which she promptly returned.

...

Stepping over the door our slight laughter gave way to awestruck silence at what lay before us. The once beautiful city now resembled a veritable hellscape. Buildings that once stood proud were now little more than skeletons. Windows were blown out and their glass now shown like diamonds against the numerous littered streets. Knowing only a few functions of my new Pipbuck I switched on my E.F.S along with my auto map feature. Almost immediately it set to work aptly naming the place Old Stalliongrad. Looking to my mare friend who had more extensive knowledge of pip-bucks having had hers for two years longer, I could see she had done the same... and was drawing her weapon.... Wait, why was she doing...

*BLAM!*

"Great, not even a full hour out and we are being shot at; oh joy!" I thought as a second bullet impacted splintering the doorframe behind me.

"Short Fuse get behind cover!" I yelled to her as more rounds struck around us. Looking at my E.F.S I could see three red marks inching closer.

It however was too late; Short Fuse lay only a few feet away bleeding from a wound in her flank. Inching my way to her I levitated a pair of tweezers out of my bags and set to work removing the bullet; unaware of the hole in her neck. Feeling slight gasps emanating throughout her body I set to work digging out the bullet; then I saw it. Noticing that the bullet had passed clean through missing vital arteries I let out a sigh and helped her down a healing potion. Her breathing became more rhythmic and soon she looked me in the eye.

"I owe you one pin.” She said as she laid her head and passed out.

Loading my rifle I stood ready to take on the three attackers if they showed themselves. Looking again to my E.F.S I now saw three green ticks instead of red like earlier. From the rubble filled hallway came three ponies; at least I thought they were ponies, I couldn't tell with their tactical gear on. Looking to the obvious name-tape on the uniform I could vaguely make out a name; only it wasn't a name. Instead it simply read (Spezneighs).

"Are you two okay? How is the mare; we thought you were members of the Coltchevics raider klan."

"I`m fine thanks for asking; and she passed out after I gave her a healing potion, she should be fine"

"Well we’re Shadow squad of the Old Stalliongrad chapter of Spezneighs; we keep what remains of the city safe from the Coltchevics, a raider band that plagues this place, they raid trade caravans and their m.o is rape, torture, dismemberment and an all-around fucked up day. Say come to think about it, you two don't look like you would know any of this; in fact if I didn't know any better I'd say you just crawled out of that there stable. Well hell why don’t you follow us to our headquarters; your mare friend could use some rest, and I'm guessing, you could as well, am I right?"

...

"GREY PEGASUS VODKA IS AMAZING!" *ahem* sorry about that; I tend to get carried away and yell sometimes, please forgive me. We had made it to the Spezneighs headquarters after an hour long trot to the center of the city. Once there they took Short Fuse to the medical bay for some much needed rest; I on the other hoof was led to the small bar they had set up. Now being only sixteen I was not allowed to drink, so I was shocked when the bartender named Shotglass poured me a shot of Grey Pegasus vodka and said it was on the house. Taking the shot in my magic I downed it much too fast; let’s just say vodka burns coming out of your nose.

"Let me guess kid, first drink in your life?” I coughed and wheezed.

"Y..YE....yes!!” He just grinned at me and knocked back his third shot.

"Here try again; this time allow it to just flow, you’ll know you did it right by the warmth in your gut.” Taking the second shot; much slower this time I began to feel a warming sensation grow inside, and I liked it..ALOT! Setting my shot glass down I suddenly felt very lightheaded.

"Easy there comrade, here take a seat; light weights I swear.” As I took my seat he poured another shot for himself and just chuckled as he cleaned dishes. I wanted to tell him that giving a minor alcohol was against the rules; but all that came out was, and I quote.

"Y...yuo dooo rea..*hic*lize th..*burp*.....at giving boo....*hic*ze to a minor is illllegal right?” Sweet rotten potatoes I was pathetic back then.

Looking me square in the face he said in the most nonchalant tone. "Kid this is the wasteland; the only real law now is survival; you break that and you’re dead! Other than that you are going to do and see things out here that would warrant execution one thousand times over. Sad to say it kid but if you can't even take two shots of vodka, then how the fuck are you going to handle killing another living being?” That last sentence sent a wave of emotion through me and my story flowed free.

"Damn kid; If I'd of known I wouldn't have been so harsh on you..please accept my apology." Looking him in the eye I shook his hoof as he brought a bottle of something new out from under the bar.

"From my private stock; allow me to introduce you to my friend (poni-grigio) directly from old world Prance; aged nearly two hundred years, and absolutely divine. I like you kid, you remind me a lot of my trouble making youth; how would you like a job?"

"Y...you want to offer me..a job; but you don't even know me!" I said calming my spinning head and taking a slow sip of the aged fine wine. With a delightfully peachy aftertaste might I add. Of course on the other hoof both I and Short Fuse were new to this strange and almost alien world; and the Spezneighs did say we were welcome to stay. That settled it; shaking his hoof I asked him when I could start; he in return handed me a broom and told me I already had.

About three hours later Shotglass showed me a room in which both I and Short Fuse would stay..OK apartment; excuse me. It had a small kitchen and a small living room but not much else; I LOVED IT! *ahem* "again with the yelling, damn it Firing pin you're going to make people go deaf.” Anyways I liked the feeling of being in a place of my ow...er our own, slight correction. Almost as if she knew I was thinking about her she walked in with that slight sway in her step that always made me go weak in the knees. Letting out a slight giggle at us finally having our own place to..um.sleep...yeah; sleep that’s right, she looked at me.. And totally ruined my daydream.

"Not right now big; (emphasis on big just to mess with my poor mind might I add) boy; I think you have other things to deal with right now." Just then as if on cue; Shotglass told me the bar would be opening soon. "Fuck my miserable pathetic life!" A new and annoying little pony in my head said; quickly turning said mini me into a buckethead, I followed Shotglass and began my very first shift at The O.S.T or Old Stalliongrad Tavern. Almost as if on cue right after Shotglass turned on the little neon light that said, (OPEN); the tiny bar became crowded with ponies; most of whom wore sweatshirts with (Spezneighs O.S Chapter) emblazoned on their backs; still other ponies...and griffons.... "wings, talons, cat like body and beak; yup griffons." In fact if you could name a race it was more than likely there. There were even ponies..if you could call them that, that resembled those zombie ponies from old horror movies. Nudging Shotglass I asked him what those things were; a bit too loud might I add.

"EXCUSE ME YOU LITTLE RUNT; WHAT DID YOU SAY? I'M NOT SURE I HEARD YOU CORRECTLY!"

"Well you barely have ears." Is what I wanted to say before Shotglass intervened and explained to the ghoul that I had just come out of my stable.

"Sorry kid, but we ghouls are ponies; just...a bit different is all. No harm done, you didn't know. Allow me to buy you a drink; that is if it's okay with Shot glass"

"Blaze when is it ever not okay to drink in my fine establishment? Hell buy him twenty rounds for all I care; so long as I get my caps I am and will always be happy."

The gho...er Blaze then proceeded to buy me said drink as we chatted. He told me that before the world had gone to shit, he and his family were visiting Stalliongrad on vacation and that when all hell broke loose he and his family were caught out in the open; his parents had eventually turned Ferrell and he had to ki...rather put them out of their misery as he put it. Not long after he eventually became a scavenger throughout the wastes, looking for old pre war tech. It made him a wealthy pony but he ended up spending it all to help an old friend out of a pinch; not long after that he became a caravan guard for a few years. That is until they pulled into Old Stalliongrad, upon entering the city the Coltchevics attacked them killing all but him... relatively speaking; he said with a slight chuckle. Playing dead had saved his life and he was soon found by the Spezneighs who took him in as a hired mercenary.

"The pay isn't bad and I get to wonder the wastes looking for targets so all in all I can't complain.” He said motioning to another ghoul to join us.

"Firing Pin I`d like to introduce you to fellow merc and my current mare friend Sweet Shot, Sweet Shot Firing Pin." He said as the mare took the stool next to him. To be honest yeah the whole looking like a foalhood nightmare thing did creep me out, but after having a chat with Blaze I got used to the pony beside me and soon we were just...well friends I guess you could say.

"Excuse me big (again emphasis on big; curse her and her seductive ways) boy; is there room for another at this party?" I had gotten so involved in both my cleaning and chatting that I never noticed her enter the bar.

Giving her a kiss I suggested that we move to a table; Shotglass had told me before doing so that I was almost off work anyway...wait what time....dang it had already been four hours, my how time flies. He told me that due to my busy day I could enjoy the rest of my night with my new friends, he soon joined as well and we soon were for lack of better words...absolutely shit faced.

"A....A..and thi....*hic*s o..ne time..." Of Course Short Fuse was telling them about how I not only got my nickname, but also why i now was permanently named that; fun times were had by all of course.

Looking half at his watch and half at the two couples practically rutting at the table Shotglass mumbled to himself about the power of friendship, and also not so subtly said get a room you four; so...we did, ours. Now; normally any nights both I and short Fuse spent together in our stable we would simply go out to eat at the cafe or watch movies. If we ever did get intimate it was slow and enjoyable; that night however...let's just blame the alcohol and the fact that not even an hour into our new life I had almost lost her. In other words it was epic; of course we had to get used to two ghouls joining in, but..meh it didn't bother either of us.

...

"I both love, and hate booze!" My head hurt like hell as I rolled over trying to make the light less...er lighty, that`s a word right? When that didn't work I tried getting out of bed.....and proceeded to fall face first into the floor. "Fuck, my body hates me!” I thought to myself; to which the tiny mini me said “Dumb shit you have a hangover!"... and then started playing cymbals in my head. Okay so I was a pathetic mess and cymbals were being bashed together in my head; what else could possibly go....

*BLAM!*

Note to self, never ask that stupid question ever again....EVER! Hearing shouting coming from the street I looked out the window at the commotion. There in the street I got my first look at a raider; he was dead but still a raider. Forgetting my absolutely horrible condition I grabbed my rifle and ran downstairs only to be confronted with another raider wielding a small pistol in his mouth; not even wanting to waste a bullet I instinctively turned, reared, and turned his jaw and nose into....well a broken jaw and nose; (yes I had a witty metaphor but damn it I had been hungover and my new home was under attack; I`d like to see you come up with one smart-ass!) Moving on, the raider crashed to the floor with a thud and there was another *BLAM!* Looking to the floor I noticed a sizeable chunk of his head missing. Glancing to where I guessed the shot had come from I saw Shotglass holding a pump action shotgun and smoking a cigarette.

"Fuckin raiders; they do this from time to time, but never this bad. Normally they scatter when I pull this baby out, oh well that’s two less in the city thanks to your quick actions in bucking that one there. Good job kid, there may be hope for you yet; now if you wouldn't mind taking out the trash?” He said pointing a hoof both outside and at my feet. "Oh and feel free to keep whatever you find on them as a reward; that barding looks to be in decent shape, give it to Tinker in the supply office and I'm sure she can mend it good as new; just tell her I sent you.” Looking to said barding I had to admit that it was thicker than our plain stable jumpsuits and would offer better protection as well; so I started on removing it from the bodies.

...

Okay so list of useful items taken from the two raiders is as follows, a very beat to shit and almost unusable pistol, thirty eight caliber to be exact. A new pool cue for the pool table, a rusty knife (you know cause stabbing a pony isn't enough; and if they live through it they die of tetanus later anyway) two healing potians (and....in the trash those go) my and Short Fuses very own set of (spikey ratty and slightly undersized) raider armor, and the grand prize..... Drum-roll please.......two caps. You know after that I began to wonder why the Spezneighs hadn't already taken these buffoons down already; that was until I found their hidden stash of six grenades, something called flamer fuel and four of what looked like rockets next to a tubular device with two open ends and a trigger; later I was told it was an R.P.G launcher; (I retract that last thought). After playing let's see what useless crap we can take off the dead; (fun game by the way Id recommend it for any family to play.) I proceeded to......feel like shit again; (yay hangovers). After dry heaving for an hour (I didn't know it was a good idea to eat before drinking! I was sixteen at the time cut me some slack; gahhhh!) Anyway moving on. After attempting to vomit for an hour I finally was able to assess my new items and figure out that all the thirty eight revolver needed was a good cleaning along with the knife; it was the other items that intrigued me more though.

"Damn kid looks like you just hit the weapon jackpot; and in near perfect condition too, that is rare even for wasteland standards. You know, a weapon like that deserves a fitting name don't you think?” I heard Blaze say as he came down the stairs.

"A..a name; you have got to be kidding me right? I..I mean you don’t hone..."

"Nope he isn't joking kid; call it superstition if you like, but naming such rare and valuable weapons gives them...well...something special; I don't know how to explain it, but trust us on this” To be absolutely honest, I found that as being utterly ludicrous, until Blaze pulled out his most prized weapon, a very pristine hunting rifle he had named War Horse.

"Found her in the city of Vladihaystock and shes never failed me once; again call it superstition if you like, but trust me kid you won't regret it” Thinking on it a minuet a name suddenly came to me; (Stalliongrads Thunder.)

"I...I like it kid; very fitting.” Wait....was he crying? Looking to Shotglass I watched him actually drop his shot glass and wipe a tear from his eye as well.

"You do know the history of the name of this city don't you kid? Years back, even before the Great War; there was another great war; one that pitted not just Rusha, but the whole world against each other. It was during that war that this country was invaded by another country called Germaney, and it was in this very city that the Rushans put up one hell of a fight against the neighzies during the winter months. The streets became blood baths and it soon turned into a battle of snipers; Rusha managed to push the Neighzies back and eventually the war was won. The leader of this great country at the time was named Joseph Stallion and this city is named after him. The tears you see are genuine and heartfelt due to the name of your new weapon"

Looking first to Shotglass and then to Blaze I now saw something in their eyes; it almost looked like....hope maybe; with a glint of pride on the side. "Wait a second; they weren't thinking....FUCK! They were."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa guys I am not a hero; I only acted in self-defense and was protecti......" I caught on to what I was about to say and face-hooved; I knew for some reason that I would eventually be the one to wipe out the Coltchevics and a strange part of me wanted to; this city was slowly dying due to those raiders and to be honest, it was my new home after all. It would be nice to see the city thrive and flourish with trade caravans; and so mentally kicking that damn tiny pony in my head I resigned myself to the inevitable task at hoof, sat down at the bar and ordered a shot of Grey Pegasus.

...

"Are you out of your little pony mind! You'll end up doing something stupid and getting killed damn it! Even though we aren't in the stable my mother`s very last words to me were to keep you safe; and waltzing into a raider den is the complete opposite of safe you jackass!" She had a point so I sat there and took the verbal assault, every word of it. When she was done ranting I stood up, shrugged my shoulders and blandly said "Fuse when have I ever listened to reason? Not once in my life since we have known each other have I ever listened to reason have I! There is a reason for that; and that reason is you Fuse, you are my reasonable side. I tried telling you to stay behind, and you said that it would be dangerous and lonely. You were right on one thing, it is very dangerous; but I am not alone thanks to your logic and reasoning. I have never been a smart pony, but....but i don't need to be with you around....I..I guess what I'm trying to say is...is.. is that you complete me Short Fuse. If you think it's a bad idea than I won't do it...okay."

Taking her in my hooves I gave her a hug and kiss, she was still upset and her breathing told me so. Not wanting to spoil this I held her until I heard her mumble into my coat something I had heard a million times, but this time it finally sunk in just how much she truly loved me. A sudden realization takes hold of a guy when he suddenly realizes that he has found the love of his life; and that would be how to plan a wedding in a bleak, dreary, harsh, grey...okay, I’ll just say in the wasteland how is that? Over the period of a week since leaving our home, both I and Short Fuse had already made friends with all the Spezneighs ponies along with quite a few locals that frequented the tavern. Fuse`s talents with arcane tech ended up getting her work in the facility as the repair pony in charge of electronics; whereas I; when I wasn't cleaning up around the bar, or acting as security; was actually able to go on a few patrols into the city proper. Blaze and Sweet Shot would come into the bar regularly until they caught wind of trouble brewing in a little town outside the Simarein Forest and took off; I never saw them again.

Shotglass had the biggest, dumbest grin on his face when I told him about my planned proposal to Short Fuse. "You love her that much huh kid? Can't say I don't blame you; yes everything around us may be in ruin but hearing things like this....well it brings a hint of hope to us all doesn't it every pony?" Wait wha...... Looking around the bar I saw every member of Spezneighs had gathered around me. Center Mass was the first to speak seeing as it had been him who offered to take us in on that first day, and seeing as he was the stallion in charge.

"We all know how much you love her Pin; it was evident in the way you guarded her while she was passed out, you were willing to take on three well armed and armored ponies just to save the mare you loved. That is what gave me pause from just doing my duty and wishing you luck and leaving you both to die. We all have come to enjoy having you two around and would like to show just how much, so whatever the idea for the big moment we are all here to lend a hoof."

I literally had tears in my eyes; for the first time in my life I had true friends who were willing to help me in one of the biggest decisions of my life. Knocking back my third shot I laid out the plan. Step one of said plan would be going out on "routine patrol" and having me fake an injury and need to be taken to medical for treatment; seeing as Fuse`s office/work station was down the hall a few doors the commotion would have to be convincing enough to lure her to medical. Step two would be the nurses call on the whole compound to come and say their farewells to me, and finally would be Fuse rushing in tears flowing and just looking like a wreck; only to come in to me in my new suit and down on a knee with the whole compound there to witness it.

...

"See you later tonight at the bar Fuse, I`m goin out with the salvage team okay."

"Hhumhmm....have fun storming the castle...humh” Damn she was cute when she mumbled in her sleep. Kissing her forehead I whispered in her ear "I love you Short Fuse and I always will" Turning to leave the room I had an obvious bounce in my step as I met up with my "team" They knew of a place in the city that specialized in jewelry and were going to take me there, step one complete. "ATTENTION ALL MEDICAL STAFF, WE HAVE A SEVERE INJURY INCOMING; IT IS FIRING PIN-REPEAT FIRING PIN INCOMING, MASSIVE TRAUMA, TRIAGE TEAM TO MEET AT ENTRANCE!" Step two complete. Oh sweet potatoes did she look devastated as they rushed me past her office, I almost felt sorry for her-almost.

"LET ME IN DAMN IT! I...I need to see for myself....please...let me at least sa......"

"Hi ya Short Fuse looks like you've had a prank pulled on you. No..you havent, this was all a set up so that I could do this......... Short Fuse I know Im not the biggest, toughest, or smartest pony around... but to you it doesn't matter; you love me for me...and after almost losing you and our chat the other day..... I finally realized that you truly are the love of my life, a life I wish to spend entirely with you.......... Short Fuse...will you marry me"

"YE........YES!" *SLAP!* “but if you ever decide to pull something like that again, we are through!" She said with a slight chuckle.

"Well I guess the only thing to do now is celebrate! Drinks all around!" Center Mass said as we all made our way to the bar, Short Fuse for her part had a look of pure joy as she trotted beside me.

The tavern was closed to the public except for friends and co-workers and had been transformed into a party hub for the night; there were tables set up with fresh baked goods from our friends at the local bakery along with enough booze flowing to get the entire country of Rusha drunk. It also was transformed into a dance hall, where there were normally tables and chairs there was now dancing ponies; of course I and Short Fuse had the first dance.

"Hold on everypony, before you two dance I have a surprise for you” Letting his horn glow a moment there was the sound of static, then a voice.

"How are you doing on this fine evening in hell everypony? I hope good because this news update may just make you smile. It seems there actually is life in that stable in the city, unfortunately the ponies in there don`t look too kindly on accidents; well accidents that kill other ponies that is. How do I know such things you ask? Well let's just say a little bird told me. Anyway, it seems that if you fuck up bad enough in that stable they give you two options; execution, or banishment; kind of harsh if you ask me. Anyway it seems some pony apparently really fucked up in there and in return was cast into the wonderful home of death, radiation, mutation, and all around suck that is the Rushan wasteland, yay for you dumb ass. But this story isn't over; not by a long shot, no it seems this kid had someone watching over him and was taken in by none other than Center Mass and his chapter of Spezneighs, damn kid I could use some of your luck. Now for the bit of news that may just make you all look at your lives and actually be grateful for what you have. Wastelanders from Stalliongrad to Vladihaystock please join me in congratulating Firing Pin and Short Fuse on their engagement! Congrats you two and this is for you." There was a pop and then music began to play.

"We are inseparable you and I; I am your earth and you my sky, though storm clouds build I will not fear, for I know you forever will be here; though we may one day find ourselves apart, forever I will keep you in my heart, and when the day inevitably comes to say goodbye not a tear of sadness shall fall, instead it will be a tear remembering both you, and I."

"Wow.... I haven't pulled that one out in a while, that was a very rare Sweetie belle little known gem for the happy couple; I'm sure I speak for the whole wasteland when I say; I wish you many wonderful years together.”

...

(Footnote: Level up, new perk added; extreme allegiance. Your fiance, or any companion for that matter are fiercely loyal to you and gain an additional +20 to hit points taken when you drop below 50% health.

New Quest perk added: Home, home in the wasteland. Welcome to the Rushan wasteland and your new home; like it or not you now must survive here, and attempt to make a new life. Good luck idiot!

Special's:

Strength-10
Perception-3
endurance-8
Charisma-4
intelligence-2, yea your about as smart as a brick; thank the goddesses for your fiance
Agility-7
Luck-8, Your lucky to be alive at least.

Stats:

Barter-15
Guns-50
Explosives-20
Medicine-25
Repair-40
Stealth-15
Survival-25
Speech-15
Unarmed-25
Melee-20
Lock pick-15

Chapter 2: Secrets of a long forgotten past

(There are often secrets of the past that should always remain hidden)

Almost a full week had passed since I proposed to Short Fuse and life continued as it always had; I continued my job, along with going out on patrols with the salvage team and was quickly becoming really good at finding useful stuff. One day we found out about an old pre-war military office building and were going to check it out the next day. Knowing that there was little to no risk in being on the team I invited Short Fuse along on this operation; the *squee* was her way of saying yes of course. Knowing her gift was taking old world tech and making it work I knew this would be right up her alley, she had always wanted to go out with the team; but had also been frightened at the possibility of getting hurt or captured, needless to say I had been too, but the recon team had said the area surrounding the place was clear say for a few ghouls that were dispatched. Just as a precaution they would go with us anyway, that way if there was any trouble it would be dealt with as we scavenged.

"Wow, the city sure does seem to get worse the farther in you go.” Short Fuse said; talking to Tinker as they walked through the littered streets. "Yeah, we are too busy dealing with those raiders and other pests to focus on what we want to do." "Oh, and what is that; if I may ask?" "When we first got here we had a construction team, but as they went to work one day there was a loud explosion outside our base. The sky wagon they always took into the city had been rigged to explode via pressure plate, the poor bastards didn't survive. Not two days later did a raider show up with a note from Cold Blood, the leader of the Coltchevics. The letter claimed that he had taken control of the city, and in not so many words declared war on us. From then on any time we try to fix the city the project is sabotaged, so we just gave up. Now the only time we deal with trying to fix anything is the tavern; we give the locals a numbing agent, booze."

"I guess it could be worse, I mean they hardly ever attack the scavenging teams and if they do it isn't the heavy duty ponies; no it's usually one or two ponies with maybe a pistol....if they are lucky that is. The real fights are between Shadow Squad and Cold Blood`s elite troops; though few and far between, they can get pretty intense.” Fuse saw my eyebrow raise at that and told me that if I ever wanted to experience anything that intense all I had to do was ask, there was a wink that went along with that as I stumbled over a rock. “Oh I am so asking when we get back!" I thought to myself; "wait....why..did.she wink at Tinker and me at.........OH NOW I'M REALLY ASKING WHEN WE GET BACK!" It wasn't like we hadn't done it with others already, but still she was getting spanked for messing with my already fragile mind.

...

It took a good couple hours of the two mares chatting and my face getting more and more flush before we finally stood outside (Stalliongrad Navel Defense, Records Offices) and quickly let ourselves in. Two hundred years had really taken its toll on the place, as there was an old terminal sitting atop what we assumed used to be a receptionist's desk; to our shock the damn thing still worked. Normally we would leave terminals alone due to no pony on the team having sufficient skills to break the often encrypted codes, but Short Fuse had already hooked her Pipbuck into the machine and soon *squeed* in delight signaling that she was in; good thing too because she was able to shut down not all but quite a bit of the security measures; we all made a mental note to take her with us from then on.

"So Fuse, anything useful on there?” I asked trying to look at the screen.

"Hmm, there.. is an audio file.....annnd got it. Do you all want to hear it?” She asked preparing to play it without the ear-bud.

"Why not, could point us to something valuable.” Tinker said looking to the rest of the team. We all agreed and Short Fuse played the message that would soon lead us both on a journey not just across Rusha, but far, far beyond.

(If you are listening to this then it means it has come to the un-thinkable; it means the world is dead and we are to blame, this fucking war...it's taken everything we used to love and cherish and executed it in cold fucking blood. Fuck the zebras, fuck both Luna and Celestia as well; didn't they realize that war goes global....FUCK NO THEY DIDN'T! Now we suffer relentless zebra infiltration tactics in our own streets. I hope they all die a fiery death; they fucking deserve it, NOT US! There is hope however; something with a code name.....Iron fish I believe. Please, if you can find out anything on it; it ma........ What are you doing! TRAITOR... STOP IMMEDIATELY... PLEASE.....IRON FISH, IRON........ *BLAM!*......THUD)

Looking to the rest of the team I could see hints of rage, hate, and remorse at what we had just heard.

"Fuse is there anything else on there?” Her hooves and magic worked frantically at the keyboard when there was a beep from her pipbuck.

Looking down to it she turned as white as a ghost. "I...I dont know why, but my pipbuck is picking up a broadcast; normally this wouldn't be odd...but this....is coming from the middle of the Sea of Japon, rather being relayed from there to.......Vladihaystock...wait that can't be right... it says the transmission is over two hundred years old; the fuck? It seems to be on a loop..here Ill play it...give me a second ann.......WHAT?! Signal protected under Code name Iron fish, last mission total catastrophic failure; unable to intercept zebra vessel inbound with payload of....OH FUCK ME! The damn zebras were en-route to Japon and this Iron fish...whatever it was, failed at sinking the vessel. That must be why these aerial photos show a before and after....THEY DETONATED A FUCKING MEGA-SPELL IN THE HARBOR! That was just a ploy; the real threat was in Oponawa, one of the busiest and populated cities....they..they killed millions. There is still more though, it seems this Iron fish managed to make it home after its final mission; and that is where things get strange, something about an unknown flag and a number ninety one keep coming up, odd after the crew returned home no pony ever saw them again."

Looking again to the crew I saw...fear this time; fear of what, I had no clue at the time. Most of the team actually left the building saying they needed fresh air; leaving Tinker, Short Fuse and I to further investigate this strange mystery. Making our way to an adjacent office we found that all the terminals had their screens shot out, decades ago considering the now still dust covering the shells used in what we could only assume was a battle with in the building. Making our way to the security office things began to feel unnerving; for instance the lighting had all been shot out, and as I passed a utility closet I caught sight of the word (TRAITOR) in crimson paint, at least I hoped it was paint. When we made it to the security office it only got worse, sitting on a desk was a skull with a bullet hole in the back of it, deciding to be brave I inched closer to get a better look. The skull was face down in an old bowl as if he/she were in the middle of eating when they had been shot. The corpse was slumped on the floor in a near mummified state; reaching out to move it I accidentally nudged it too hard and it rolled over revealing the word (traitor) carved into the cutiemark. Too frightened to move I knocked over a glass of liquid and it shattered spilling two eyes with a note wrapped in plastic; the note read as follows.

(Dear Twelvegauge, I know you are head of security here and have been for many years; that does not however condone your activities with the zebras. I cannot and will not allow this to continue! Have you any clue how treacherous those striped bastards are? They killed innocent foals in Equestria! INNOCENT FUCKING FOALS! I will not stand for this and that is why your eyes have been placed with this note. SO YOU MAY FOREVER SEE!)

This only piqued my curiosity more; what had really been going on for this pony to die so...horribly? Sure it could have been what it seemed, but something felt....off. Everything seemed..staged; from the recording on the terminal to the corpse laying in front of me. It was like there was more than met the eye, I couldn't quite put my hoof on it until a voice came from the terminal.

"Well shit, now that Twelvegauge is dead what do we do now Gold? I mean with the only one who knew about Silver`s dealings with the zebras dead it is now our word vs. his. The secret police are on their way and the zebras refuse to leave until they are paid by Silver who has apparently fled the country. If we try to escape they will kill us like they did that poor bastard in the reception area; of course you could say he deserved what he got; trying to leave incriminating evidence behind he is no better than Silver Scroll. Of course we won't be treated any better by either side; as far as...Wait was that a gunshot? Looks like the police are shooting it out with the striped bastards....No that can..the fuck? Holy hell I think we are under attack, Golden Wing where do you think you ar.....NO!...GOLDEN.....fuck...why did you have to try and run. Well at least I have my side ar........AHHA!.....damn it....load you stupid piece of shit...FUCKING LOAD! No please...I..I.have a filly and a........*BLAM! P...please If yo..you hear this...te.ll my daughter I l...I..so cold....Hey look what I found! Another traitor....well bitch any last words? Help......me..dying...need to..pick up...my *BLAM!* Guess not, tell the team the zebras can have the place now; fuck Silver didn't pay us enough!)

Short Fuse looked like she was about to cry and Tinker didn't look any better; I however was enraged at what had happened in this place. It all made since now, the fake raid was meant to act as a staged act; one that a paper on the wall announced as (Greatest fear comes true with several zebras killed in what could have been the worst leak of vital information. The leader of the raid, agent Gold wing credited with zebra killings.)

"So Gold Wing had not been killed as that poor mare thought; he must have been a planted agent. But why kill her then; and in cold blood? This makes no sense Fuse, is there something we are missing? I know we are supposed to be scavenging but something is not right about this place. I am going to investigate more okay? Are you two coming with me?"

"Pin I think we are getting ourselves into something that should be left alone; I'm afraid of what we may be getting into. The rest of the team has left the building as has Tinker. You call me your reasonable side don`t you? Well I say we go; now!"

"I do Fuse, but I feel like I need to solve this; things don't add up and you know it. Look well go to this Silver Scrolls office if we find nothing then we`ll meet back up with the team okay?"

"Fine but don't expect anything from me tonight!"

...

Leaving the main floor we found ourselves on what was called the executives level. There was a big sign that stated CO`S Office straight ahead so we followed the arrow and came to what used to be a very fancy office, with a panoramic window long blown out. The prize was sitting on a wooden desk, weathered from two hundred years of no care. Short Fuse set to work on the terminal as I explored the office. About twenty minutes later I heard her say she had gotten in, and I got my first look at information that could have changed the war.

(Dear Kaiser; I wish to inform you that Iron fish will fail its mission; the order is already en-route to Vladihaystock and will be carried out by the captain, trust me. In other news, my dealings with your operatives is..how should I put this? Under suspicion by my head of security; sad considering we are best friends. I have already set a plan in motion though; it seems one of the new mares has taken a liking to Golden Wing, the head of my elite section of the special police. Sad really, if she only knew about my plans I may have recruited her; but instead I posted them together for my little surprise. The secret police have no choice but to go with my plans, the money they think they will get is incentive enough. Will report back in soon; just have to tie up a loose end. Until I report back in. HAIL KAISER! MAY THE WORLD ONE DAY BE OURS! Your faithful follower, Silver Scroll.)

After reading that; I could see that even Short Fuse wanted more information; and it was found in a safe under the desk. Leaving the lock picking to her I tried to look for anything else on the terminal, but all other files were very badly corrupted. The only other bit of information was yet another article in a news paper, which just showed who I could only guess was Gold Wing and Silver Scroll shaking hooves as the dead zebras were taken away. Now I was very curious; had Silver Scroll been playing the zebras for fools? If so what about the terminal entry? This whole thing seemed too well executed to just be some Intel hack job. Had the zebras he had been meeting with found out that he had planned to skip the country? If that was the case then the message on the terminal easily could have been a forged letter implicating him in what had transpired; however it could have been him playing the leader of the zebras, making him think that he was in fact a traitor to his country. If that were the case then the raid really was planned to catch them in the act of accepting money from Silver, thus giving the impression that the records held in this building were being sold off to the highest bidder. My head started to hurt from all the thinking when Fuse announced that she had opened the safe. What we found would put my suspicions on overdrive.

Taking each item out of the safe we set aside useless things for later. The thing that surprised me was a zebra made short stock twenty gauge shotgun. It was very pristine and was wrapped in what looked like a cloak; wrapped with the shotgun was a picture of not only Silver scroll, but a whole squad of zebras. A short message was scribbled across the back that made my blood run cold.

(This is a small token of gratitude from me for that help in my homeland. May many more of your country folk feel its wrath. LONG LIVE THE KAISER, AND THE ZEBRA NATION MY BROTHER.)

I wanted to buck something so bad it hurt; so the terminal flew across the room. There were also other items as well; including old zebra money, plenty of ammo for the shotgun, some old book called Zebra Infiltration Tactics, and last but not least a map of Rusha with small x`s placed in numerous locations. Now I am not a very smart pony, but for some reason my mind was making sense of all of this; however the thought that came to the front of my mind was what could possess a pony who seemed to have it all just turn his back on it and join the enemy? There clearly were intentions to this madness, but what were they? Had the ponies in power done something to drive these seditious acts; because if they had I kind of agreed with him. If it wasn't that however it may have been the allure of money he was getting by doing so. All I knew was that some pony two hundred years ago had royally fucked his country.

After we had collected everything I told Short Fuse to get the rest of the team; we still had a job to do of course. I also told her to have them take everything of possible worth as well. Sure a few of these ponies at the place were innocent, but to me nothing was sacred in this place and if it could bring in the caps it would be taken.

...

"Damn, you ponies sure took your sweet time at that place. We were about to send out a search team; so what did you come back with Tinker"

"Why dont you take a look sir? Firing Pin bring the wagon around to the back, well unload it there!"

...

I was still curious about everything that we had discovered but no pony seemed to want to talk about it; no pony except Short Fuse that was. She for her part just sat in our apartment for a day and went over all we had come across trying to make sense of it all.

...

"Captain will you come in here please"

"Y..yes sir, you wanted to see me"

"Storm how many times do I have to tell you to not call me sir? We are family are we not? Besides it is after duty hours; anyways Cold Storm I have been getting reports of some pony sticking his muzzle where it doesn't belong and finding things out about our country that should have been erased but weren't. Now I know The Enclave has nothing to do with the hellhole that is the surface; but if this pony is able to continue his...prodding then he will soon uncover truths about other things as well, do you catch my drift? I can not allow this to happen! I want you and a small team to shadow this pony and report all you find to me and me alone, do you understand?"

The young Pegasus Captain saluted before trotting out of her father's office. She was on her way to the chow-hall before being called into her father`s office. Trotting down the hall she felt her stomach groan and picked up her pace.

Captain Cold Storm had just recently been promoted and this was her first mission. "Great; I fucking make it to Captain and my first assignment is on the surface; real fair dad!"

Making her way finally to the large and crowded chow-hall she stood in line with the others; thinking back as far as she could remember she suddenly had an epiphany, she hated the Enclave. She had seen what it had done to her brother when she went to his funeral; her sister was already a Major and in charge of her own squad, but Cold Storm was looked upon by both her father and sister with resentment. When she was born her mother had complications and died; both her sister and father never got over it and looked upon her as a cause to their pain, in fact her brother was really the only one who loved her. When he was killed however so too was any form of love for her. She quickly set a plan together; yes she was going to the surface alright, but something about what her father had said nagged at the back of her mind. Instead of spying on this pony; she wanted to help him.

Unknown to any of us, the choices we would make would lead us to the greatest discovery and losses since the war that created the very wastes we were now living in. Now if I was a smart pony I would have simply ditched the thoughts that now ran through my head, but sadly alas I'm not. Thus changing the wasteland either for good or bad; depending on who you happened to be.

Chapter 3: Old friends, new problems

(I have ninety nine problems, and raiders are just one)

It had been about two weeks since we first discovered the mystery's in that building; and to be honest we had all but forgotten about it say for the nagging feeling we still had that something needed to be solved. Even Fuse had lost interest in it and instead kept herself busy with her new role as the scavenger team's new tech pony. I kept going out with them as well, but I avoided any more mysteries and kept to plain old scavenging. We had a good thing going to be honest and were raking in the caps. The raiders continued to be a nuisance however and it quickly was becoming apparent to all of us that they soon would have to be dealt with in order to give the city a fighting chance of survival in terms of trade and becoming established.

I kept up my job at the tavern as well and was being trained by Shotglass the basics of becoming a bar-pony, something I wanted to know how to do so that if I ever found myself in a town with a bar or tavern I had something to start a conversation and learn things. As the first month for both me and Fuse in the wasteland came to a close there was an influx of traders from nearby towns and settlements, the Spezneighs had cleared a few roads to the city and kept them open for the little bit of trade that kept not just us, but the city alive. Fuse turned out to be quite the barterer and could trade and buy like the best of them, I chalked it up to her personality to be honest. I had never known her to not be good at bartering, but she really shined in our new home and even impressed Tinker and the rest of the scavenge team with her knowledge of prewar tech as well as being able to set prices on certain items that to the casual eye looked insignificant. The tavern was quite busy with all the new faces and caravan guards wanting to get drunk and have a good rest before going back out in to hell; and Shotglass was all too willing to give them what they wanted...for a price of course. Fuse took it upon herself to clean a few of the unused rooms of our base and turned them in to a motel of sorts; Shotglass had no problem with this seeing as it meant more caps for us, and soon she was the mare in charge of renting the rooms out, Tinker became the pony in charge of repairs that needed to be done to virtually anything under the...clouds, yeah clouds; seeing as the sun was a lie. Center Mass and Shadow squad would escort the caravans through the city all the way to the very outskirts where they would be safe from the Coltchevics and in return would charge a small fee which the caravans had no problem paying; in other words things finally were looking up for Stalliongrad.

...

It was during a particularly good night that we all got a shock; I was behind the bar as was Shotglass when a familiar voice rang in my ears.

"Damn Simareian Forest gets fucking cold in winter; and if you aren't prepared for it...well lets just say hello snow-pony." I knew that gravelly voice anywhere and my head shot up looking for its owner. Looking to Shotglass I could tell he had heard the voice as well. Stepping from behind the bar and in to the crowd I went over to a group of ponies that were gathered around a table; they were just caravan guards..say for one; at least I didn't think he was a guard until I heard him speak again.

"That fucking pass between Vladihaystock and here is a nightmare! Only a suicidal pony with a death wish would dare to take that pass; they don't call it the Ursa Mountain range for nothing you know! Those bears, if you can call them bears at least refuse to allow any pony safe passage through that pass; and we are stuck having to spend an extra half a month traversing the more dangerous mountain pass's IT'S NOT FUCKING FAIR DAMN IT! If only some pony would be reasonable and attempt to talk to them instead of... oh I don't know...shooting at them, then maybe we might get somewhere with them."

"Blaze is it really you! How the fuck have you been, sorry to interrupt you ponies but I haven't seen this son of a bitch in a long fucking time. where's Sweet Shot at? Did you two come here together, or are you alone?"

"Firing Pin! Is it really you? shit, yeah; Sweet Shot is here in fact she might be talking to Fuse about a room for a couple of days. Say Firing Pin; our caravan is short a couple of ponies and...well I was wandering if you two would like to accompany us to St Pinkiesburg? I mean if it'd be alright with Shotglass that is?"

By the time Blaze was done talking Shotglass was there and caught the last bit of our conversation, but knew what it was about and grinned at me. At least I thought he was grinning at me, until he patted Blaze on the back and asked him where he had been over the month.

"Well as you know, both Sweet Shot and I are mercs; and we never pass up a job. So when we heard about a small village having trouble with slavers we couldn't pass up an opportunity to help the folks out by providing a...deterrent, if you catch my drift."

Looking to Shotglass I raised an eyebrow in confusion. This was the first I had ever heard of slavers, and by the way they were talking I needed to learn more.

"What is a slaver Blaze? You can`t honestly be saying that there are ponies that own slaves can you?"

"Kid thats exactly what Im saying. While not as bloodthirsty as raiders, slavers are bad news. There are a few places in the wastes where slave labor is used to rebuild old cities; one of those is Maremansk. The city is run by a slaver named Iron Shackle and he is supplied via the Maremansk river and his slaves come from all over the world via transport ships, those ships are guarded by pirates who are paid by him to keep his supply lines open. In return they often get first pick of the new slaves; what can I say, the wasteland is a fucked up place, and getting worse day by day."

"So.... no pony has done anything to oh, I don't know.. stop him and his pirates? Seems kind of odd seeing as there are branches of Spezneighs all throughout Rusha; from what you are telling me, slavery and raiders are looked upon as no big deal is that right so far Blaze? I mean I do understand that the wasteland is a hellhole, but why allow it to just keep getting worse; it doesn't make any since at all."

Blaze looked at me and then to Shotglass and I saw that same look they had when I dealt with the two raiders that attacked the tavern. This time however I was ready for it.

"You know, for a pony that has only been out here for a month you sure seem to talk a lot; has any pony ever told you that? I mean you talk as if you are going to go out and right every wrong, kiss every foal, and solve every mystery there is out there and come back, pour a shot of vodka and retire yourself; but I have only seen you fight once, not saying you suck or anything; but for one who talks a lot you haven't actually done much of anything except discover a two hundred year old mystery which no pony seems to care about. Look I'm not trying to be mean or rude, but you talk the talk; but can you trot the trot? Both me and Sweet Shot are guarding a caravan to St Pinkiesburg and are short two ponies; this will be your proving ground. The wastes between here and there are very dangerous, and the city itself is as well; if you can make it with us then I will look at you as more than just a loud mouth who thinks he has something to prove, but until then just stop talking such big and grandiose talk okay! Your a good friend Pin, but you have a lot to learn, and Sweet Shot and I will teach you. Take it from a pony who has been around a while okay, there are some bad things in this world but not enough good ponies to right the wrongs; I hope one day you will be one of the ponies that help the wastes in the end, but again for now you are just a bullet sponge in the wastes!"

Downing his shot Blaze patted me on the back and then went to look for Sweet Shot. Shotglass just looked at me and sighed.

"You know; for as long as I've known Blaze, he's never been one to be so up front and personal with any pony unless he had to be. The only other times I have seen him like this is when he has something big on his mind. Something that scares him, and that isn't much believe you me. I'll try to find Sweet Shot and see what is going on with him. I think it might have to do with this up coming trip to be honest, something just seems... off about it. Don't let him get to you, he likes you and that is all that matters; even if he's being a total ass right now. I'm sure things will be fine in the morning; now why don't we get back to work, the line to the bar is looking very long."

I quickly turned around and followed Shotglass to the bar and continued my shift. When my shift ended I did what I always did after work and poured myself a shot. Fuse had been off work for about an hour and was just relaxing at the table with me.

"So Fuse; did Sweet Shot say anything to you about what this trip is going to be about, or was she rude like Blaze was to me?"

"Why would she be rude to me; and why would Blaze be rude to you might be the better question, did you say something to him to piss him off or something? Oh and not really, she was rather.... vague about the trip; she only said that we were leaving in a couple of days, nothing more. If I may be honest with you, this doesn't seem like them to be this... stand offish; it almost seems like they are scared of this trip, though why I have no clue."

"Funny you should mention that, because that is exactly what Shotglass said. If I can be honest with you now; I am over mysteries; I would be happy if I never have to face another one in my life. Problem is though, these are our friends and they seem scared; looks like it's up to us to figure out why, and I might have an idea come on."

Taking her hoof I led her to Center Mass's office and knocked at the door.

"Who is it?"

"It's Firing Pin and Short Fuse, do you have a moment to talk Center Mass?"

"I don't see why not; what's on your mind you two?"

Having permission to enter we both came in to his office and took a seat on his couch. He looked as though he had just gotten done writing something as we entered and had just put his quill down. To be honest he too looked as though he had something on his mind. Again I am not a very smart pony, but I can tell when something is up with my friends; and something was definitely up with them. He seemed to be agitated for some reason so we tried to act as though what we had to say could wait until the next day. Center Mass looked to us both as we started to get up and leave.

"Can I be honest with you two Firing Pin and Short Fuse?"

"I don't see why not sir, what's up"

"First off Pin, fuck the formalities we are all friends here; and besides it is way past duty hours, so Center Mass will do. Second; have a look at this."

He handed me a map of Rusha, specifically Stalliongrad and St pinkiesburg. "Do you see the red shaded areas on that map? Those are known raider bases between here and St pinkiesburg. It may not seem like much but they have been stepping up activity in the wastes in the last few weeks. I didn't want to tell you because I thought Blaze and Sweet were going to be gone for a while longer. I'm sure you have noticed how Blaze is acting, am I right? Well; the reason is this, we have hired them as a guard team to protect a very special caravan headed for St pinkiesburg and our main hub for the Spezneighs. I am the cargo that is going to be taken there; don't think that it was Blaze's idea for you to tag along either, it was mine. There is a meeting of all the ponies in charge of Spezneighs branches throughout the land in a week. This meeting is very important; we are going to see if we have enough forces to be able to actually start doing damage against the slavers, and raiders that continue to make life a living hell in the wastes. That pony you heard on the radio, Mr. Stalliongrad; he is coming as well to broadcast the results of this little meeting live on his show. you will be coming due to the fact that you are relatively new to the wastes and could use some field work; sufficed to say it will be a very dangerous trip and having a weapon like Stalliongrad's Thunder will come in handy in taking out the enemy before they can even be considered a threat. Of course you two do have a say in this, I mean Short Fuse I know you have a good thing going here and are engaged to be married, I don't want you two thinking you are being forced in to something against your will. Why don't you sleep on it and let me know what you decide in the morning; oh, and the reason Blaze is in a bad mood is because he doesn't want you two to go. He thinks it will be too dangerous; but I know better, remember I was there the day we met; I saw the drive to save the one you loved from harm; I just hope that same drive goes for friends as well." As he said that last part it seemed to me as though he was smirking at me, and not in a friendly type of way either; of course it could have been a smile too, I was never too good at reading body language.

As we got up to leave his office I heard Blaze's voice from down the hall. We said our good bye's and left Center Mass's office to catch up with our other friend. As we left the office Short Fuse told Center Mass that we would be joining him on the journey, no questions asked.

"Are you sure you know what you are doing fuse? I don't know if you have noticed but our friends seem to be acting very strange for some reason, it almost seems like they are hiding something from us."

"You heard Center Mass; of course they are acting strange, wouldn't you if you knew you were going to a meeting in another city across the wasteland. To be honest I would be nervous if they weren't acting the way they are right now; I mean did you see all those x's on that map indicating raider nests along the route. Any pony would be nervous at the prospect of being captured and held by raiders wouldn't they?" She had a good point so I decided to drop it all together; besides, maybe I was just reading too much in to things... again.

Closing the door to his office we set off in the direction we heard Blaze's voice, only to be stopped in our tracks when he found us.

"Hey Pin, sorry about earlier; I take it you talked to Center Mass already? Well my feelings on this matter still haven't changed; I.. shit we had better talk in your room some pony is coming."

When we reached our room he made sure to lock the door, and do a quick sweep of the area with some sort of spell.

...

"Good; no bugs. Now Pin and Short Fuse, the real reason I don't want you two going out with us is because of that little secret you two found in that building. Call it coincidence, or call it what you like but while we were helping that town in the Simareian Forest we caught wind of a few pegasi looking for you two. I know you two are new to the wastes so I'll give you the short version okay?. Those pegasi looked to be part of the Enclave; a renegade militaristic bunch of ponies that live in the sky, and only come out when threatened by something. The Enclave are very loyal and will die at the drop of a hat to complete a mission; they are ruthless and will stop at nothing to get what they want. No..."

"You can't be talking about the Grand Pegasus Enclave of Equestria can you? Those pegasi are good and noble, they were lead by a Pony named Rainbow Dash back before the bombs fell. We learn all about history in our stable when we are young, so to tell me that the Enclave is bad and evil; you have got to be joking!"

"LOOK FIRING PIN; THIS ISN'T YOUR FUCKING SAFE LITTLE HOLE IN THE FUCKING GROUND! This is a different time and place; the Enclave are not and will never be your friends! They send hunting parties after their own who turn their backs on them; The few pegasi you find out here in the wastes are called Dashites and are branded as such with Rainbow Dash's cutie mark. Look I don't know all the specifics, but you two are being hunted down; they have placed a bounty on you as well. They want whatever you found and will kill any and all who stand in their way to get it, including the caravan team you will be with. Look; take my warning or don't, but promise me one thing okay Pin; stay safe out there. Me and Sweet Shot are going as well, and if anything happens we will stick with you in the wastes okay? We both have grown rather fond of you, and.... well we consider you our best friends, and would hate to see anything happen to you especially since you two are now engaged; congratulations by the way. Well enough talk about that; LETS GO GET DRUNK!" With those words we all left my apartment for the tavern.

...

The next day was spent getting ready to go on our journey; the Spezneighs were doing target practice as were Blaze and Sweet Shot, along with Myself and Fuse. She hadn't been able to practice with her pistol and I thought it would be a good idea for her to get some in before we went out in to the wastes. I needed to get accustomed to Stalliongrad's Thunder as well, and used the time to do so. After practice I went with the scav team to sell some stuff we had laying around and try to earn caps for the trip; Fuse went along as our expert barterer. I wanted to buy some rockets and ammo for my Ck-47 and Fuse needed ammo as well so the trip was well worth the time.

After we returned to our home both I and Short Fuse went to the tavern to talk to Shotglass about a few things; namely the Enclave and what he knew about them.

"Well Pin; I'm sure Blaze told you a bit about them, am I right? What I'm sure he hasn't told you is that I sometimes deal with them here in the tavern. They don't like to look the part due to their reputation, but I know them when I see them; they carry themselves in a certain manor and conduct themselves so as to not be noticed. I only bring this up because there is a mare here looking for you; she doesn't seem hostile at all, and she came in while you all were getting drunk; I was going to say something to you but I figured you were too wasted, and Blaze would have flown off the handle at seeing a member of the Enclave here. It isn't that he has something against them; it's just that when you have been around as long as he has... you kind of tend not to trust an organization that sealed the sky up two hundred years ago and refuses to help any pony out. Anyways she is in room ten, and I told her I would send you to her room when I saw you, she's kind of cute too; I may just see if I can get a better look at her....cutiemark.. hint, hint."

"Shotglass; only you would think about getting under a new mare's tail just because she's cute, wouldn't you. I guess I can't blame you because it took me forever to get under Fuse's tail. Don't tell her I said that, she'd kill me. Anyways thanks for the heads up I'll go see her right now; also are you going to need me tonight, because we are leaving early in the morning tomorrow.

"Well when you see her you'll know what I mean by she's very cute; and no, go ahead and take the night off; tonight shouldn't be too bad and I know how early those ponies like to get up. No, no just enjoy tonight with Fuse; I know you two haven't had too much free time to yourselves as of late."

Leaving the bar I found my way to the stairs and then to room ten; knocking at the door I heard hoof steps approach.

"Coming, coming hold your horses. Hello, you must be Firing pin; please come in." Stepping in to the small room I did have to admit, she was very cute. The way her wings were held tight to her body; and her... cutiemark.. damn.

"Okay, so now that I have you here allow me to explain a few things. First off I don't care why the Enclave is looking for you; second I hate them, and third I am here to tell you that you are being hunted along with any and all involved in what transpired two weeks ago in that building. The Enclave was alerted to something in that building shortly after you all left it. That was only the beginning of why you are being hunted though; the main reason is because they are scared of what you might have discovered, and want it for themselves. They will continue hunting you until either you are no longer a threat to them, or your pipbuck and the one of your fiance are in their hooves. Again; I am not interested in any of that, I just came here to warn you, and... maybe join you to help protect you from them. I know what this entails for me and my future, and I don't care anymore; the Enclave killed my brother by sending him in to a battle that was unwinnable, ever since then I have hated them. Shit, listen to me rambling on; I haven't even introduced myself have I? My name is Captain Cold Storm of the hundred and twentieth recon regiment of the Rushan Enclave; I was tasked with the job of spying on you and then reporting my findings to my father; the commander of the brigade but I took it upon myself to come here alone and meet with you. Look; I have abandoned any and all ties with the Enclave and in doing so have put myself in a situation of no longer having a home or family. I will be talking to the leader of this chapter of the Spezneighs and seeing if he might just take me on as air support for this little adventure you all are going on tomorrow; and would like it if you came with me to talk to him, if you want to that is. It would be useful to have a pony he knows and trusts with me to show that I mean no ill will. I was going to talk to your mare friend, but thought it would be better to talk to you instead; so would you come with me to talk to the leader?"

I looked at her straight in the face, and told her that I in deed would go with her; and even told her that I would introduce her to Tinker so that she could get a few things repaired, as well as buy a few necessities for the trip.

"Well Cold Storm, if I may call you that. If you don't mean us any harm I don't see why you wouldn't be allowed to come with us; besides it would be useful to have a Pegasus with us to keep the sky clear and watch ahead for any danger. Before we go see Center Mass I'd like to introduce you to my friends first; maybe they might join us on this meeting with Center. It would help to have as many supporters behind you as you can to sway his mind don't you think? Oh, and please; just call me Pin, all my friends do and I prefer it to be honest."

"You know; I hadn't actually thought about that, thank you Firi....er Pin; now lets get out of here and go to the bar, I don't know about you but I am starving."

Stepping out of the door she made sure to lock it on her way out, and we made our way to the bar to meet Shotglass. I had an ulterior motive for this, and that was introducing her to him; also my friends would be up by now, and this would be the perfect opportunity to introduce her to them as well. Just as I expected I was met as we came down the stairs with a kiss and hug from Fuse; she looked pretty good considering how much she had drank the previous night and was in a particularly good mood. As she turned to head back down the stairs she finally noticed that I wasn't alone.

'Who's your friend Pin? I haven't seen her before; OH MY AND SHE'S A PEGASUS AS WELL! I have only ever seen them in books; she's pretty."

Cold Storm kept her composure even though she was being circled and inspected by Fuse. To her credit Cold Storm didn't even flinch a bit.

"Short Fuse, allow me to introduce you to Cold Storm. She is hoping to join us in our journey to St Pinkiesburg; and is a Captain in the Enclave. Cold Storm, this is Short Fuse; my fiance."

"Nice to meet you Short Fuse, if you two don't mind I would like it if you called me Storm; it would be better due to my leaving the Enclave and them not knowing I have left yet. I was supposed to be leading a team to spy on you two, but I hate the Enclave and all they stand for; so I just left without their knowledge. Also did you say fiance? congratulations you two; when, if I may ask were you engaged?"

"Two weeks ago, you should have seen how he did it too; I nearly killed him. He faked being injured, and proposed to me in the E.R. It was the most romantic thing I think I have ever seen him do to be honest; oh and Storm, please just call me Fuse, I hate Short Fuse; it just sounds... odd. Anyway I hate to leave Blaze and Sweet waiting at our table, your welcome to sit with us if you like Storm. Don't mind Blaze; he's a ghoul but he's actually a real softy once you get to know him. I'll be at the table when you two wish to join us, I'm sure Shotglass would like to get to know you as well; he's the bartender here." Why Fuse winked when she said that last part I'll never know; perhaps Shotglass had already told them about her and Knowing Fuse, she caught on to his...tone, and behavior. Either way, Storm and I made our way to the bar to meet Shotglass.

We made our way to the bar just as Shotglass was pouring me a shot; this was common for him, it almost seemed as though he knew I was coming and would always have a shot ready for me. He quickly gave me said shot and I downed it in one swig; then he noticed that I was with Storm and poured her one as well.

"Ahh I see you two have met; I told you she was cute didn't I?" Her grey coat quickly turned a shade of red I had never seen before, and she chuckled a bit at him. "Real subtle there Shotglass." I thought to myself as they started talking.

"You think I'm cute?" She said with a slight chuckle as she continued to turn red.

Now it was Shotglass who turned red; and I thought it was the funniest thing in the world to watch. He stuttered a few incomprehensible words before pouring another shot and trying to regain his composure. All the time Storm stood there and chuckled at his failed attempts at wooing her. It was the greatest thing ever to watch.

"Well....I uhm.. I mean; shit, I fucked that up didn't I?"

"Oh I don't know; I mean I have never been approached in that way before, I mean I'll give you an E for effort there Shotglass; but an F on execution. But I do have to say; you are pretty handsome yourself, perhaps we could try again. Maybe tonight at dinner, I mean that is if you don't have any plans that is."

Shotglass nearly fainted at those words and it took all he had not to just outright kiss her right there. It kind of reminded me of how Fuse and I first met; and how awkward it was at first. I couldn't help but laugh at him as he continued to try to make up for what had just happened, and to my and Shotglass's shock; she kissed him. I thought it was just to shut him up, but it seemed like a legitimate kiss, most of all Shotglass was a complete gentle stallion about it. After the kiss Storm looked as though she needed another drink, and shotglass was right on it. "Well that's two friends of mine she has been introduced to; now for Blaze and Sweet Shot, let's hope this goes well." I thought to myself as we made our way to where Fuse, Sweet, and Blaze were sitting.

Sweet Shot was the first to speak up as we approached their table and looked cautiously at the newcomer. Blaze followed her to see what she was looking at, and his ears flattened as he saw her.

"What.. the.. fuck is the Enclave doing here! Pin, do you know who you are with by any chance?"

"As a matter of fact Blaze; I do know who she is, her name is Cold Storm and yes I do know what she is. Now before you start yelling and making a scene; let me explain why she is here okay?! Former Captain Cold Storm has left the Enclave, and has informed me that both I and Short Fuse are being hunted by the Enclave due to our uncovering of that mystery we found two weeks ago. She wishes to join us on this trip tomorrow and provide an eye in the sky to watch for any attack by the Enclave, and to provide cover in the event of a possible raider attack as well. She means no harm, and to be honest we were hoping you two along with Fuse would go with us when she goes to talk to Center Mass about her plans."

"But... she's Enclave Pin; she can't be trusted, I have seen what the Enclave does to those who oppose them first hoof and it isn't pretty. Have you ever seen a fucking Raptor, or a thunderhead, or for that matter a sky tank? I have; and I saw no mercy given during the attack on Mosscow a few years ago. But I do suppose that if she were here to capture you, she would have already done so. okay Pin, we're with you."

"Wait; did you just say something about the attack on Mosscow? My brother was killed in that attack; we knew we were out numbered, but the high command told them to keep fighting. Damn Enclave, they just didn't get it and it cost the lives of many good pegasi; including my brother. That is why I wish to help you ponies out; the Enclave is up to something, and it has to do with that secret Pin and Fuse found in that building. Look; I have no home left, I have given up being in the Enclave and will be just as hunted as you all will be. But my fate is much worse if I am captured; Blaze I know you don't trust the Enclave, as well you shouldn't, but I am no longer a part of it. I will lose my cutie mark, and be labeled a Dashite if they capture me; all I ask is that I am able to prove to you that I am telling you the truth okay?"

With that all said, Blaze actually looked happy. His ears returned to normal and he even pulled up a chair for Storm so she could eat with us. Sweet Shot and Fuse looked satisfied as well.

"Well then Storm, if I may call you that; welcome to the group. I apologize for my introduction, but I am just looking out for my friends; you do understand don't you? Allow me to introduce myself properly; I am Blaze, and this is my mare friend Sweet Shot. Now then, can we please order something to fucking eat; I am very hungry, and we have a lot to do today to prepare for tomorrow. Oh; and Storm, of course we will be there for you when you talk to Center Mass."

After we all ate it was time to go and see Center Mass; luckily for us he was actually in the tavern and was just getting done eating, thank the wasteland for small favors right? We asked him if he could take a seat, and told him we had some pony to introduce him to; he agreed and we stepped aside for Storm to take a seat with him. Now I'm no expert on things; but I can tell when a pony is just barely trying to stay calm and not murder another pony. "Oh joy; this is going to be fun." I thought to myself as the two ponies looked at each other waiting for the other to either speak, or draw a weapon. It was Storm who finally broke the stale mate between them.

"Look; I can see that this was a very bad idea, and if you don't mind I should be..."

"You have no clue as to who I am do you second lieutenant Cold Storm? Your coat is what gave you away to me; I remember it very well, you came in with your brother when he was wounded in Mosscow. I.. am sorry about your loss; I could see he meant a lot to you, I also know why you are here. I over heard you last night when you came in to the tavern and talked to Shotglass; look, I don't exactly know why you are here, but we don't want any trouble from the Enclave, okay?"

"Actually Center Mass; it's now Captain, and a rank that no longer matters to me. Now that I can see you up close, it is you isn't it? You were the pony that helped bring my brother in for medical attention in Mosscow. Why; I mean we were enemy's, why didn't you kill me or take me captive?"

"Because at the time, I had no real authority; and to be honest, I felt for you. Losing family is part of war in the wastes; but I could see that he meant the world to you; so I convinced my commander to allow both you and your brother to get medical treatment. Again, I am sorry about your brother; he seemed like quite the pony. Also, about that promotion to Captain; congratulations on that; though why you said your rank no longer matters I have no clue. Wait... you didn't.. did you? Did you abandon the Enclave like I heard you say you would do if he died? Wow; that takes guts kid, oh and welcome to Spezneighs; go see Tinker for your uniform issue; having a Pegasus with us will be a tremendous help in spotting enemy's, and Enclave threats."

All of our jaws collectively hit the ground at this turn of events. Short Fuse looked like she was; and I mean no pun here, but she looked as though her brain was short circuiting. Blaze and Sweet Shot looked as though they too were going through a short circuit, and I just sat there dumbfounded. Storm was the only one who didn't seem too shocked at what had just happened; and simply shook Center Mass's hoof, and asked if he could use a drink. She then looked to all of us, and offered to buy us all a round. Blaze's composure became somewhat normal again at the mere mention of booze, as did Fuse and Sweet Shot's.

...

"What; you don't honestly think I have no idea who enters our compound, or why? How dumb do you think I am; I mean yeah, we get some Enclave in here every now and then, so I take notice of pegasi entering our base to make sure they behave themselves, and don't start trouble. When I saw Storm last night I couldn't be sure, so I asked Shotglass about her intentions and what her name was. It took a couple of minuets for it to click, but I remembered her from Mosscow; and how she had just lost her brother. I also thought back to that day and her saying to him as he died, that she would leave the Enclave if he did die. Well, I guess we can see that honesty is a trait she holds dear because here she is."

"I can never thank you enough Center Mass; had it not been for you, I would have just been told to suck up the loss of Bolt, and move on with my life. My father and sister both blamed me already for the death of our mother due to her dying during my birth, and to be honest; I was the black sheep of the family, so I am glad to be away from everything that reminded me constantly of the hate and loathing my father and sister had for me; sure he didn't act like he hated me, but I knew in my heart he did. I took away the mare he loved; and the mare my sister looked up to for support when she was younger, so I don't blame them per-say; but after my father told me about what this mission would entail, I took it upon myself to meet this pony for myself. I instead found something more; true friendship, friendship that wasn't barred due to my being a pegasus, and in the Enclave; so thank you Center Mass, and thank you all. Now about the routes you all plan on taking for this little trip; do you have a map, because I have been flying around the wastes before during missions and I could help you in avoiding... certain obstacles that may cause you trouble."

"You know what Storm; your right, maybe you should plan our little trip, I mean sure maps are good but having a pony that has seen exactly what we will be going in to with her own eyes would help out a lot. Tell you what; meet me in my office later this after noon okay? We'll discuss the possible routes to take; oh and Pin, don't forget; we have to be up early so get a lot of sleep."

With that Center Mass went to go check on some things for the trip; we sat and talked a bit, but soon it became obvious that we all had prep work to do, so we all went our separate ways; except for Storm. She would be coming with us to the firing range to get some time in with her energy weapons as well as her side arm.

When we had finished our target practice, I was quite confident in my firing of Stalliongrad's Thunder and had found an easy way to fire it as well; if I used just a touch of magic to lighten the weight of it I could mount it on my back via straps to hold it in place. Fuse had become quite good at using her weapon as well, and in fact almost rivaled me in small arms firing; I also took the time to practice with my old CK-47 only to find that I had become a bit... rusty from not using it a lot, I made a mental note to fire it more often.... if only to become as good as I once had been with it. Cold Storm's energy weapon fired fast, but accuracy was a small factor; sure it could fire fast, but that meant nothing if she couldn't keep it on target; lucky for her she had years of practice with it, and though it fired fast she was able to control her fire on one area long enough to be deadly. We sat back and also watched Sweet Shot and Blaze practice as well, and I thought to myself with a slight chuckle that if any pony really wanted to mess with us; they would be in for quite a shock.

Chapter 4: Into the unknown

(The wasteland is a very unforgiving place; often times taking more than it gives.)

BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BE.. I shut the alarm off and looked at the bright red numbers on it; 4a.m. stared back at me through the plastic face. I tried to roll over in bed and block the thoughts of pounding the clock to pieces before Fuse nuzzled my cheek.

"Time to get up Pin; or did you forget that we are leaving today?"

"Crap! You're right, what would I do without you Fuse?" I asked mockingly as I got up from under the covers.

Thankfully our coffee maker had already been at work fifteen minuets before we had to get up, and the smell further guided me from the comfort of bed. Fuse lazily got out of bed with me and made her way to the bathroom for a shower motioning for me to join her. I thought about it for a second until she slightly raised her tail, teasing me. Without hesitation I quickly joined her for a morning romp. Laughing as we exited the shower I levitated over to us two hot steaming cups of coffee and set them on the counter in front of us. Fuse looked at me with that playful look of hers and kissed me as she dried off and tossed me a towel so I could do the same. We were supposed to leave in an hour and we got to work putting on our gear; as we did we heard a voice at our door asking if we were awake. Fuse opened it and in stepped Blaze, Sweet Shot and Storm; all of whom were decked to the nines in armor and weapons, it kind of made me feel... inadequate to be honest; what with my scavenged raider armor, along with stable issued saddle bags and under barding; but it was better than nothing so I just shrugged the thought off. Fuse was just about ready to go as was I, and we finished gathering our gear.

Making our way out of the apartment Fuse locked it behind us and we trotted to the stairs; there were voices coming from the bar below as we made our way down them. We were greeted by a very interesting sight; one that if there hadn't been something big planned today I was sure would never happen. The whole base was wide awake and gathered in the tavern, Center Mass noticed us coming down and with a slight chuckle trotted over to us.

"Took you all long enough; We all thought you had forgotten about us."

Fuse looked at him in mock indignation as she simply laughed him off. Storm was at the bar talking with Shotglass as she knocked back a shot of vodka; Shotglass looked as though he was going on this little trip as well, so I decided to ask him.

"What; you honestly don't think I would stay here and let you all go off on an adventure without me do you? Besides, I used to be a tracker in the Spezneighs before I ran the tavern; so it would only make since that I go as well wouldn't you agree Pin?"

"Well, I guess that does make since; but who is going to run the tavern Shotglass? I mean in all the time I have worked here I have never seen any pony else run the bar but me. What, are you going to close it down while we are gone?"

"No.. no I won't be doing that, Mr. Stalliongrad's daughter will be taking over while I'm out. She runs the bar in Stalliongrad Tower, and is quite good at what she does, trust me."

He stepped aside to reveal a younger mare who was busy washing dishes and setting them out to be used for breakfast. Her cutiemark was of a vodka bottle, and three glasses; she looked at me with a smile and asked me if I wanted anything to eat or drink; I asked for four shots of vodka for Fuse, Storm, Sweet, and Blaze. Blaze took his shot and downed it rather quickly to my dismay.

"Blaze; I was going to propose a toast, to a safe trip but you just ruined it." I said with mock scorn in my voice, making him laugh a bit uneasy at what he had done.

Looking to the mare behind the bar, he sheepishly asked for another shot. The mare; who's name I hadn't gotten yet simply smiled and poured him another chuckling a bit to herself as she did so.

Turning to my friends I raised mine in to the air, and we toasted to a safe and uneventful trip. After doing so I looked at the spread of food that was set out on the bar before us and set to work on gathering a few things to take to a table and start eating. Fuse and the others did so as well and we found a table. Blaze and Sweet Shot kept their gear on while Storm, Fuse and I took ours off; we were going to be leaving in less than twenty minuets, but I figured taking the gear off would be more comfortable as we ate. Center Mass trotted over to us with another pony in tow; the stallion was light grey with what looked like a microphone on his flank as his cutiemark.

"Firing pin, Short Fuse I would like to introduce you to the one and only Mr. Stalliongrad. As I told you before, he will be traveling with us in hopes of being able to broadcast the results of this important meeting coming up. He will be riding with me in the transport near the center of the convoy; I have assigned all of you to personally guard my transport during the trip, you don't have any problems with that I hope."

"No problem at all." We said in unison as we finished eating, and took our dishes back to the bar to be cleaned. Almost on instinct, I went behind the bar to start washing dishes; the young mare looked at me confused for a second, and reminded me that I had more important things to be worried about. Blushing, I left the bar and went back to my table where my friends were waiting for me; with rather large grins on their faces might I add. I facehooved as what I had just done sunk in; damn my instinctive nature.

Shaking off what I had just done I started getting my gear on, as did every pony in the bar. Center Mass looked as though he was a bit... nervous at what lay ahead, almost as if he had a since of dread. I wanted to ask him what was up but thought better of it as he started to gather his troops and assign them their places in the convoy. Looking at all of us he quickly assigned us to his armored transport and told us that we would be riding with him. Storm would be our eyes in the sky seeing as she was the only Pegasus on the entire team, and she would fly ahead of the convoy to relay any vital information on possible traps or roadblocks. The entire team consisted of three armored transports and a contingent of at least one hundred ponies. When I asked Center Mass why he had so many of his ponies going with us, he gave me a simple answer.

"Pin, you haven't been out in the wastes yet, so I'll give it to you like this. There is a slight possibility that we won't even make it to ST Pinkiesburg at all. The wasteland outside this city is some of the most dangerous and hostile land any pony will ever encounter outside of Japon or Equestria. In short, I wish I could have my entire command come with us. This little trip is one that is a must for any chance of normality in the Russian wastes. If it wasn't so important I wouldn't even dare venture in to the wastes. I would rather keep dealing with the Coltchivics than with what is out there. If you want any real information on the wastes I would suggest talking with Blaze and Sweet, seeing as they are out there more than any of us and can give you a bit more detail. Now if you have no more questions I would like to leave now so that we can make it to Ponza with in the day."

With that we found ourselves traversing the roads leading out of old Stalliongrad and in to events that would soon put us on the path to destiny.

Chapter 5: The road to Ponza

(Just when you think all is fine, fate can be cruel.)

The transport that we were on had an old machine gun mount on it which was quickly outfitted to mount Stalliongrad's Thunder. I manned it as we left the city behind us and entered in to the true wastes of Rusha. For her part Storm was flying just high enough to see everything ahead of us and communicated via headset mounted in her Enclave armor. Blaze and Sweet trotted alongside the transport and chatted back and fourth to keep from being bored to death. Fuse sat and chatted with Center about the city of St Pinkiesburg and what the city was like. Mr Stalliongrad just sat and listened in on the conversation and would add his two bits every now and then to a certain question asked by Fuse.

"Why aren't you ponies having this meeting in the old capital of Rusha, Mosscow? It doesn't make any since to me."

"Well Fuse, the old capital is a very dangerous place for any pony. Not just due to raiders either, During the great war it was hit no less than ten times by both Mega-spells and Balefire bombs. The radiation levels there are only rivaled by those in Japon, Hoofington and Canterlot in Equestria. No pony has really ever explored the capital due to those extreme conditions, and the countless ghouls that inhabit the place. Just as any capital in any wasteland across the planet it was a high priority target and was raised almost out of existence. We will be avoiding the city and all outlying areas around it if we can. Any pony who is brave enough to attempt to venture in to the city will often come back with stories of countless riches to be had, if one is willing to look for them, but they all say the city should be avoided at all costs unless a pony is armed enough, and has an adequate supply of Rad-x and Rad-away. even then those won't protect one from ghouls or raider attacks. To be honest with you Fuse, I hope this meeting will lay out a plan to help the city attempt to return to somewhat normality, but I highly doubt it. There is something big about to happen if every Spezneighs unit in Rusha has decided to have such a meeting, and I don't like it, it just feels... wrong to me. However this meeting could also be a call to arms to deal with the countless raider clans out there along with the slaving parties that have taken residence in some of the more minor cities, only time will tell just what this meeting is about."

They chatted for what seemed like hours about anything under the... clouds.. yeah, clouds. They talked about how things in Stalliongrad would be better without the Coltchivics; and how even though they still were a threat trade was beginning to stabilize the city and its ponies who called it home. I had to admit, that in the month we had been out of our home; the city had seen an increase in ponies taking up residence there and it felt good that we were helping to allow that to happen. Weather it be our scavenging for old tech, or any other valuable thing we would trade it for other goods and services adding to the stabilization of the city and the new ponies who moved in almost daily. If this was a sign of a new wasteland then I liked it and wanted to see it spread to the rest of Rusha. That however was only a dream. what would end up happening to not just me, but all of Rusha would soon bring us to the brink of yet another apocalypse. I digress however; that is for future chapters in this saga of what happens when one pokes their nose where it doesn't belong; then tries to make everything better. What I will say right now is that this simple trip is what has led me to where I am now, and if I could; I would have paid closer attention to my rifle on that firing range.

...

All seemed to be going quite fine for almost the entire day, the chatting continued and everything went on as if nothing would break the silence. That was until we were about an hour outside of Ponza.

Storm spotted it first, it was a simple wagon on the side of the road. That is where simple gave way to a harsh reality of the wastes. The wagon appeared to have a broken axle and looked as though it had been there for quite some time. Center Mass ordered the convoy to stop to assist in any repairs that needed to be done. That is when a normal convoy to St Pinkiesburg turned in to a bloodbath. Upon closer inspection of the wagon we found the ponies in the small trade wagon mutilated and literally smeared throughout the inside of it. Blood had pooled under the wagon and we could tell that this was just the beginning of things to come.

"There is a survivor here, quick get a med-kit and help me with her."

"How is she still alive? She has lost a lot of blood, and appears to have been shot several times. Shadow squad take up defensive positions; lets get these transports in a circle so we can have a defensible position if whoever attacked this wagon comes back."

"They... they came out of nowhere, we tried to fight them but there were too many of them. They killed every pony, I played dead and they left me alone. They.... THEY KILLED MY FAMILY! Why, why would they do this?!"

"Easy there, who attacked you and where did they go? How many of them were there, and were there....?" He was cut off by Storm.

"Sir, you might want to see this!"

"Sweet mother of me, the town.... Its burning. Storm try to see if you can spot any survivors or any sign of the attackers; they have to still be around and if they are I want to know their positions."

"YES SIR, on it. Blaze Sweet Shot, you two will be my eyes on the ground. Let me know if you see anything I miss okay?"

Both Blaze and Sweet suddenly went from casual mode to fight mode in the blink of an eye and they suddenly were making their way out of the circle with Storm flying overhead watching for anything in the wastes. Blaze had War horse levitated by his side and Sweet had her weapon drawn as well as they made their way to the outskirts of the small town. As they advanced they came across a sight that none of us would ever forget. The town had been burned to a cinder with all who inhabited it laying where they fell, there were no survivors to be seen. Center Mass ordered the convoy team to bury the bodies and to give them all a proper funeral. If only it had ended there and I could say we gave the ponies there a final farewell and we kept moving.

Chapter 6: Ambush and betrayal

(In the wasteland, not all is as it seems. Friends are close, but enemy's are closer than you think.)

As the town was being searched it soon became clear to every pony that this had been a calculated attack. It also became clear that whoever had done such a thing was still in the area. Storm was the first to notice that we were not alone.

"Hey Center Mass, we have a problem here. I have noticed hoof prints going in to the forest, and by the look of things there were quite a few ponies involved in this attack. They are not chaotic in nature either, rather they seem to have been very organized. I think we can rule out your every day raider parties. These ponies seem to have acted almost militaristic in this attack and that scares me. Also, I don't think we are alone out here either. In fact I think whoever did this may be watching us. Call it intuition on these things, but I think we are in for a very interesting night. I do have night vision in my heads up display in my helmet so I will keep watch on the perimeter while the guards keep watch with in the circle, but I would suggest posting at least a sniper in the schoolhouse in town to cover our flanks as well."

"Thank you for the information Storm, and I will do that. Shadow Squad you are our security force for the night. All other non-essential ponies will take shifts guarding the transports themselves, the shifts will be three hours at a time. Shotglass, you, Pin and Fuse will be with me okay. Blaze and Sweet, you two do what you feel is necessary in this situation seeing as you both know the wastes better than any of us okay. Mr. Stalliongrad will also be in my company, though he is free to do as he pleases; seeing as he is a pony of many trades. Medical staff will tend to the wounded mare and her pregnancy, I am holding out hope that at least they can make it through such a tragic event when so many others perished. If we are attacked, I want to be as ready for it as possible."

...

Fires burned as music was played to make the makeshift camp seem more alive than it was. Shadow Squad was on patrol just outside the perimeter of camp when the first missile struck just out of reach of the command transport. Within minuets the night soon turned in to a fight for survival for us all. Storm was the first to get a kill as she strafed the hilltop the missile had come from with her energy weapons killing the missile crew. She called back to camp and told Center Mass to get ready for a massive assault. I was on the machine gun mount with Stalliongrad's Thunder facing the darkness when my E.F.S told me what we already knew. We were going to be over run, there was no doubting it at all. all we could do was fend them off as they sent the first of three waves after us. To his credit, the sniper in the tower was able to take out a good few of them before the attackers set fire to the building and ambushed him as he retreated the inferno. What we did not expect however, is what happened next.

There was a strange whistling heard before the camp literally exploded around me. I was thrown from the transport and landed a good ten feet from the wreck. With a ringing in my ears and a slight taste of copper I got to my hooves and half galloped half stumbled to the wreckage of the transport. Fuse lay dazed not a few feet from it and I made my way to her to see if she was okay. She looked at me with a bewildered expression on her face as I helped her to her hooves. Next I started looking for the rest of the occupants of the now destroyed transport. Mr. Stalliongrad was laying in the middle of the camp in a pool of blood with shrapnel peppering his body, it seemed to all be superficial as he just looked around puzzled as to what had just happened. I made my way to him and administered a Med-x and helped him to the medical transport. Shadow Squad was busy dealing with any pony dumb enough to get close to the camp as Storm was searching for what she knew had blown up the command transport. The fight went on for a few more hours before the attackers simply vanished in to the forest, however the damage had been done though. Mr. Stalliongrad was more wounded than any pony thought and was hanging on to life by a thread, I had suffered slight hearing loss due to the explosion, Fuse had a broken rib, and Shadow Squad had lost two of their own. One of the transports was a loss and the other two were slightly damaged. As daylight drew close, Center Mass made a hard choice and told everyone that the trip wasn't going to happen and instead we had a new mission.

"I don't care about this meeting anymore, if ponies are out there doing things like what this town; along with us went through, the wasteland is only going to get worse. I am ordering the medical staff and all non-essential ponies to return to headquarters. Shadow Squad, Blaze, Sweet Shot, Pin, Fuse, and Shotglass; we are going to hunt these ponies down to the very last. Storm I want you to escort the medical team to base and meet us back here A.S.A.P, we could use some air cover and the extra support as well. This meeting can be held without us, and I'm sure that once they all figure out why we are not there they will understand. That whistle before the attack means one thing and one thing only, those ponies have at least one piece of artillery, or mortars. Either way I want us on the move at all times lest we get caught by it again. Judging by the damage, whatever it is, is not close. That does rule out a mortar team and means a mobile artillery platform. Be alert, as I'm quite sure they may come after us again."

...

We made our way through the forest alert to every sound we heard knowing that at any moment we could all stumble in to a trap and that would be the end of us. I had my Ck-47 levitated next to me and Stalliongrad's Thunder strapped to my back. Fuse had the zebra shotgun levitated as well and her side-arm was with in easy reach if she needed it. We had been trotting for what seemed like hours and had only come across the occasional body here and there giving us a very uneasy feeling. When we reached the small hill that the missile had come from, there was no trace of a body to be seen. It seemed as though we were being lead in to a trap, and we soon would find out just how true that thought was. As a member of Shadow Squad went to relieve himself, he was ambushed and beheaded; his head put on a post and left on a trail we soon would be coming down. It soon became apparent that things weren't all as they seemed. Only new members of Shadow Squad were being picked off, and in almost calculated ways too. One who had fallen behind was gutted right behind us, and yet another was shot through the head by a silenced weapon. If only I had known the truth about who and what Center Mass and his ponies really were I could have seen the signs much earlier. Both Blaze and Sweet Shot were ahead of us and tracking... something, I could tell they were on to something when they picked up their pace. I nudged Fuse to join them, and soon we had caught up with them. What they were tracking was close... very close, Sweet was the first to notice something off about how the rest of the group was reacting to them tracking whatever it was and kept it to herself lest she draw suspicion. I trotted next to her and in a hushed tone asked why both she and Blaze were suddenly on edge.

"Something doesn't feel right Pin. I can't put my hoof on it, but I think something is very wrong here. There should be more bodies out here than there are, and the way Center Mass has been acting ever since the attack last night doesn't sit right with me. I want both you and Fuse to follow us okay. We are going to try and make it to a near by settlement and away from Center Mass and his ponies. I sensed something was wrong with these ponies the very first time i met them years back, but they have never given me a reason not to trust them, and they have become good friends. However, now... I feel something is not right with everything here, and I think they might be behind at least some of it. Stick with us and we will try to put some distance behind us okay. I'll tell Center Mass that we have picked up an emergency frequency from a town in the opposite direction we will be headed okay."

Blaze had been a ways in front of us and had stopped when he noticed we weren't following him. He trotted up to us and had a look of fear in his eye. I had a hard time believing that Center Mass could be a bad pony, and quite honestly felt like telling them that they were being paranoid due to the events of last night. That was until Blaze let me in on a secret he had been keeping to himself since before we had left on this trip.

"Pin, I hate to tell you this but those ponies aren't who they seem to be. I found this out while on that assignment to the Simareian Forest. When I ran in to a few Spezneighs ponies there I told them about Center Mass and his group of ponies. What I heard next made my skin crawl. As it turns out they did know of a Center Mass years back, but he had been killed in a fight with slavers a few years ago. I didn't think much of it at the time seeing as I'm sure there is more than one Center mass in the wastes, but some details of the pony claiming to be Center Mass just didn't add up. I brushed it off to start, but it started to eat at me more and more so I did some digging of my own and found this."

He pulled a small piece of paper out of his saddle bag and gave it to me. What I read sent shivers down my spine.

[ Center Mass of the Stalliongrad chapter of the Spezneighs was killed two days ago while attempting to fend off an attacking group of Iron Shackle's slaver force. His death has dealt a huge blow to the already fragile city of Stalliongrad and the death of his squad in the ensuing attack will go down forever as a great tragedy through out the entire Spezneighs family. One important side note that all who come in contact with the killers of this brave hero should note is that soon after the attack, the Stalliongrad chapter was suddenly back up and running not even a week after this event. While that may not seem odd, what follows will seem very odd in deed. The pony in charge of the chapter claims to be the fallen commander. No body has been recovered from the attack, and it is assumed that they all were disposed of in the near by forest. Though unconfirmed, we can only speculate that this pony claiming to be Center Mass is an impostor along with any pony claiming to be from the unit he was leading, the elite Shadow Squad. It is the belief of this editor that Center Mass is in fact dead, however it can also be assumed that he and his ponies have gone rogue and are aiding the very slavers whom it was assumed attacked them. Eye witnesses to the attack have noticed a lot of inconsistencies in the varying accounts of the attack itself. These range anywhere from minute details to rather large discrepancies. Included are a few of these, they are listed as such.

number one: number of attackers
number two: The way the commander was killed
number three: How fast the Stalliongrad branch was back in operation following the attack
number four: those who knew the commander with in the city claiming that he is in fact not dead
and finally, number five: The quickness in which a new enemy to the city has risen to power, the ponies in question calling themselves the Coltchevics.

If any pony has any answers to any of these quandaries, please contact me and explain them to me so that this story can be told properly. As of now it can be assumed that the commander is in fact dead though, seeing as he had no family it will remain an open topic in this paper.]

Chapter 7: Into the Rushan Wasteland

(When left alone in a harsh world, your friends are often the difference between life and death)

Looking at the words on that paper gave me a very uneasy feeling but I decided to ignore it, at least until I could gather more information. For all any pony knew the editor could have gotten a few facts wrong, it had happened in my stable after all. Looking to Blaze I simply told him as much and at least for the time being that seemed to nullify him and he dropped the subject.

As we started to trot in the opposite direction of the now departing Spezneighs ponies it suddenly dawned on me that both me and Fuse were putting our lives in the hooves of two ponies we had barely known for a month; one of whom had just shown me possibly fake documentation that the Spezneighs, or at least their leader was not who he/they seemed to be and it was either stay with them or brave the wastes alone. Needless to say, we stuck with Blaze and Sweet shot. Cold Storm had told us that as soon as she had escorted the group back to the city limits that she would come back and join us four. We all of course agreed that was a good idea and told her that we'd make camp in Ponza until she returned. It would also give us some time to explore and find clues as to why the town had been attacked as well.

As we started setting up camp Fuse never left my side and kept asking if we would be attacked as well; Sweet shot assured her that as long as she and Blaze were with us nothing would happen. That at least comforted her and she soon was busy helping set up our camp. It was almost nighttime by the time camp was established and we were getting ready to eat dinner when Cold Storm flew into camp.

"Nice set up here; very well defended. While I was flying around I saw some light coming from the forest about a mile from here, probably the ponies responsible for the attack. We should be safe though; it looked like they were clearing out."

We all took in the information and elected to have a night watch established seeing as there were five of us we would take shifts of three sleeping and two on watch. Seeing as both Sweet shot and Blaze were ghouls and really needed no sleep they decided to take first watch while Fuse, Cold and I slept. Before going to bed we all agreed to check out the town at first light. With that being done we settled in for an uneventful night. Both me and Fuse were cuddled beneath our sleeping bag while Cold attempted to get comfortable on her bed roll, finally being able to do so after about an hour.

*BLAM!*, *BLAM!*, *BLAM!*"

We were all woken up by gunfire not even three hours after going to bed. I looked at Cold who was groggily fumbling for her weapon and told her I'd see what was up. She looked at me and said thank you and fell face first on her pillow hugging it and mumbling before snoring.

Poking my head out the tent flap I was greeted with a sheepish smile from Sweet shot.

"Sorry, it was a small Ursa cub that got too close to camp and we scared it off. go back to bed, you still have a couple hours til your watch."

Lightly cursing under my breath about the stupid wasteland I cuddled back next to Fuse and drifted off once again; only to be woken up what seemed like a minute later by Fuse saying it was time for our shift. Cold for her part was just getting into her armor as I started to move. As the three of us stepped out into the night Sweet shot apologized for waking us up, Cold simply shrugged as Fuse looked confused. I simply gave her a look of understanding and stoked the fire. With all three of us now by the fire it suddenly became quite clear that we were now in the actual Wasteland. There were noises all around and yet we saw nothing; well except for the occasional red blip on our E.F.S's. Cold seemed to just ignore the noises and said she'd do a flyover of the woods outside of camp and alert us to any threats. Agreeing on that idea both me and Fuse huddled by the fire. Though not quite winter it was still cold enough to send a chill through you if you left the fire and it was also lightly snowing as well. Having not ever seen snow both me and Fuse were in awe of the white powder falling from the sky. I was so enamored by it that I almost drew my gun when a snowball hit me in the head. Fuse looked at me innocently and laughed.

"I didn't do anything. It must have been a wendigo"

She said, making a ghost noise. I tackled her and started forming a snowball of my own as she attempted to buck me off. Grinning at her i smashed my snowball on her head earning me a satisfying yelp from her. We were suddenly interrupted by a red beam of light cutting the darkness in the forest. Looking to Fuse I said I'd check it out and to be ready to wake both Blaze and Sweet shot if need be. I loaded my Ck-47 and headed off in the direction of the beam; only for me to hear maniacal laughter followed by Cold flying and yelling to get bigger guns. Looking at my E.F.S I noticed a lot of red markers following her and heard a few voices.

"Oh look guys, a turkey, I want the wings. Awwe its flying away, what's the matter turkey, scared?"

"We don't want to hurt you; all we want is your flesh!"

Turning back to camp I galloped back just in time to see Blaze raise his rifle and take a shot. Looking just a few feet behind me I saw a mare drop with a clean hole in her head. Fuse was taking aim with her ten millimeter pistol and fired as well, taking down another pony. I turned to face the woods and fired off a short burst earning a few yelps and screams of pain. I watched as the red blips went dark one by one and then seemed to retreat back into the forest; then as suddenly as it started it was over. The forest grew quiet once again and a since of piece fell over it. Blaze looked to Storm and asked if it was the same ponies she had seen earlier and she said no.

"I was flying back to camp and suddenly I heard a scream from the edge of the town; I flew over the area and found a poor mare being...... well you know. I took a shot at the stallion vaporizing him, but my shot alerted the other nearby raiders. So I attempted to lose them in the forest but one of them must have a Pipbuck and they followed me."

Blaze looked at her for a minute and then gave her a smile.

"Welcome to the Wasteland kid, and good job saving that poor mare. Fucking raiders; nothing but scum and wastes of pony bodies. We'll search them tomorrow, for now let's get a bigger fire going. Its not like any of us will be getting anymore sleep any way."

Quickly throwing more wood on the fire we all huddled next to it and I looked at my clock. It was getting close enough to dawn that Blaze's words about not getting anymore sleep was made valid so we decided to check the bodies closest to the camp seeing as the fire gave off plenty of light to do so. I trotted over to the mare the Blaze had shot and pulled what useful items I could from her; every pony was busy doing the same and by the time we were done we had a decent amount of caps and ammo, not a bad haul if I was completely honest. We had even acquired a few new weapons as well; including two marekarove semi automatic pistols, one CK-74 assault rifle and four RGO grenades. The other bodies would have to wait until daylight to be checked.

It wasn't long before day broke and we were making our way through the forest in the direction Cold had flown looking for anymore dead bodies and the trail they had taken. Along the way we acquired more useful items and found the main route the had taken. Following the trail led us to a small burnt out house which we assumed was the raiders hideout; judging by the pile of ash right outside this must have been what Cold flew over. It was surprising to us and her just what she had come across during her patrol. Looking to her I said as much, earning me a slight shrug from her.

"Its not like I was looking for a raider outpost or anything; I simply heard a scream and flew over to see what it was. Call it captains intuition."

Giving her a nod I trotted into the house followed by the other four close behind. The house.... if you could call it that had two makeshift rooms with a nonfunctional toilet and sink; along with a small kitchen with a fair bit of supplies which we quickly took for ourselves. Going into one of the rooms we found a working terminal which Fuse set to work on hacking. After she hacked in I looked at what was on it. There were some old corrupt files on it along with an audio file; this is what was on it.

"This damned war has gotten worse, no pony can trust anything the government says and there is talk of possible use of our Mega-spell arsenal. Goddesses I hope it doesn't come to that; Rusha doesn't need such a burden brought on right now, not with the corruption going on at the higher levels. I've served the Motherland long enough to know that if it ever comes to that...... Well; we can kiss our country goodbye, along with the planet. I hope it doesn't come to that but just in case I have bought a spot for me and my family in Stable eighty, a few miles away. I have also stashed my old military gear in the basement just in case. This is former Major Night Blaze signing off and may the goddesses bless the Motherland now and forever more."

Well; it had come to it and my only hope was that he was at least able to make it to that stable along with his family; though judging by the kicked around skeletons i had to guess that wasn't the case. Leaving the room we then went to the basement where we found a locked chest. Fuse set to work on unlocking it as we looked for any useful loot. There was a soft click followed by a "got it" from Fuse.

Inside the chest was enough prewar trinkets to start a small prewar museum including pictures, ribbons, awards and more important; armor and weapons. Looking at both my and Fuse's raider armor compared to the two almost brand new sets of combat armor in the chest we both stripped and put on the new gear. Careful as to not damage the dress uniform and other items we placed them into our bags and collected the weapons and ammo and turned to leave the house.

...

Upon leaving the house we then made our way to the former town hall. We figured that if we were going to find any information past or present town hall would our best bet. We followed the street lined with rubble and debris where houses and businesses used to be. We made it to the three story building that looked to have served as both the local police station and town hall. I looked to Blaze and wanted to ask him about other places besides Rusha and what had actually happened during the great war; but figured now wasn't the time to do so. I checked the door and found it unlocked so we made our way inside. Turning on our Pipbuck lights to illuminate the dark entrance hall we found ourselves at a receptionists desk; the terminal on which was unfortunately dark with a bullet hole through it. Sighing, Fuse looked at it and pulled out a few tools and other things she'd keep on her just in case she'd ever encounter a nonfunctional terminal. I just rolled my eyes but let her trot to the terminal; as the rest of us started to fan out.

"Pin, i think we should stick together for now; we have no clue what's in here or if there's any security active."

I looked to Blaze who'd just said that and nodded. Instead I went looking through a few filing cabinets, the few that weren't locked that was. Blaze and Sweet were busy going over their weapons; cleaning and doing maintenance on them. After a few minutes Fuse let out a *squee* and clopped her hooves together.

"Well, the terminal was shot to hell but what ponies fail to realize is that the actual information is still on the device; I simply transferred everything on it to my Pipbuck; including the codes to disable the security.....wellll..., some of it that is."

"Fuse; what do you mean by some?"

"Welllll; i can disable the turrets and entry security at least. I mean I'm sure the main security panel is probably in the former mayor's office or chief's office. Those two places would make the most sense i think. Looking at the map I've downloaded it looks like there's a lot of ground to cover in this single building. Including the meeting chambers, jail cells, cafeteria, gym, offices and other areas; it looks like the mayor's office is on the third floor and heavily guarded. Makes since to be honest; seeing as some of the information downloaded tells the story of prewar Ponza."

Author's Note

I'm using an Xbox 360 to write this now, so editing and actually typing will take longer. I'll continue this, along with more chapters soon i hope. I hope you all enjoy this and I'll continue it A.S.A.P

Chapter 8: Exploring the administrative building

(When you dig into the past be ready for surprises)

The building was actually quite spacious and I along with the ponies I was with looked around in awe. Not knowing the actual former significance of this city or any of the possible secrets it held I looked to Fuse who was busy looking at the ornate decorations and other knickknacks; some of it was detritus of course and we pretty much ignored it. The entry space of the building had been very decorative in its design; fancy wood paneling, gold trim, statues that lay crumbling or otherwise damaged. Looking to the map of the building I took a second to think on a plan to explore.

"So Blaze; what do you think we should do? You're the wasteland expert and we'll follow your advice."

"To be honest Pin; I have no clue. We've avoided bigger places like this seeing as the possible security in them just was more of a hassle to take out than to attempt it. Seeing as Fuse has disabled the security; at least in this area I say we don't split up; at least for now. Let's tackle the place one section at a time." I nodded and looked at Fuse who simply tapped a few buttons and with a soft click the turrets; which were active for now went dark. The blue lights indicating they were active went dark and they drooped. After that I looked at the map; not just the one hanging on the wall but the one Fuse had downloaded. The one on the wall had a pretty good layout and i asked if Fuse could make a crude copy to give to the others. The Pipbuck map showed areas that weren't on the wall map and I tried to put the two together making a good diagrammed map that included the key that explained all the symbols; such as restrooms, offices, places of interest and other details. There were of course a couple restrooms on this floor along with a long dead elevator Fuse looked at and smirked. I simply chuckled and trotted to one of the restrooms; looking to my E.F.S I saw at least one red bar and entered the restroom slowly listening for whatever it may have been. Okay; so when new to the wastes and only being in the actual wasteland for a day; lets just say I yelled out loud when I opened the stall and the rad-roach leaped out at me hissing. Blaze and Sweet cantered in guns drawn and stopped short only to see me attempting to stomp it to death; and promptly burst out laughing hysterically at my being startled by the now mad bug. Sweet looked at it telling Blaze to put his weapon down and trotted over tossing a bit of food on the ground to draw it away from me. I looked at her expecting for her to kill it; instead she fed it more turning the bar amber in my E.F.S leaving me sitting dumbfounded.

"I....wha; HUH?! S.....Sweet; you're not going to kill that thing? What the hell!"

"Why would I? Its just one rad-roach Pin; one isn't a big deal. Look; its skittering off more scared of you than you of it. You'll learn out here that often times letting something go is the best option; raider klan, wild beasts, some things are just better left alone. Had you fired on it the turrets could have activated or you'd alert anything else around. Be more cautious Pin; that E.F.S is good however your instincts are better. If something seems off; it is in the wastes."