Fallout Equestria: Fading Echoes

by Winter Storm

All FoE credit goes to Kkat and Somber

MLP is the product of Hasbro and their associates

Chapter 4-End of Innocence

"That doesn't look like a table... We were making a table?"

Sleep. How often do we take it for granted? The ability of a creature to cease the multitude of actions in the mind, and simply drift off into the calmness of sleep is a wondrous thing. It gives the mind time to sort things out, to make sense of new information. Without it, humans would slowly descend into insanity. For the first time in a while, I had the opportunity to rest. Granted, it only came after a multitude of dangerous situations, but that makes it all the more vital. Now, I can make sense of this new world and my place in it. Perhaps my only role in this world is to suffer.

Then again, maybe not.

Finally, A chance to relax. I thought. I can just… Wait a second. I’m not awake. I’m not dead, am I? I opened my eyes, only to find myself standing in a haze of light. There was nothing but endless stretches of spiraling light in all directions. It was not the glowing expanse of clouds that I had encountered during my appointment with God. The light beneath me felt solid, yet it was just as transparent as the strands around me. As I looked from side to side, I caught a view of my left foreleg. Or rather, my arm. A perfectly normal human arm. The only constant was the presence of my Pip-Buck, which had conformed to match the shape of my human limb. I checked the length of my body, and found the same features I had as a human. Thankfully, I was still clothed in the attire I had worn during my last night on Earth. Specifically, a pair of jeans, a clean white shirt, and sneakers.

Ok, this is getting weird… I felt a weight going from my left shoulder down to my right hip. Glancing down, I spotted a black strap extending across my torso. I gave it a tug, and felt something hard press into my back. I swung my hand back, and felt the stock of a rifle. I gripped it firmly, and pulled it over my head.

It was Echo. The rifle that had saved my life, at the cost of others. The final gift from a mare I barely knew, who selflessly gave her life so that I might live. I slowly turned the weapon in my hands, my inquisitive eyes picking out detail after detail.

A slight scratch in the stock, from where I had hit the alicorn.

Flowing lines of metal, forming delicate patterns across the length of the barrel.

Finally, the pulsing pink gems mirrored on either side of the ejection port. A grip designed for a human was just behind it. As I had noticed before, small green gems lined the expanse of the barrel. From what I knew of talismans, they could do anything from levitating the rifle to reducing recoil. I could only guess at the function of the pink one. I carefully extended a finger to the pink gem. As my finger approached, the motes of light inside the crystal seemed to flash and swirl with renewed vigor. Full of apprehension, I made contact with the mysterious talisman. A flash of pink light emitted from the object, causing me to drop the rifle in alarm. Instead of falling to my feet, it simply floated in place. With a start, I realized that I was doing the same.

I was so caught up in examining the sniper rifle; I had failed to take note of my surroundings. The shifting banks of light had faded into a grey haze, leaving me floating weightless in the environment. Worried about something attacking me, I grabbed Echo and held it in a rifle-ready position. I swung the gun from side to side, looking for anything. A prickling sensation teased the nape of my neck. You see, I’ve been able to catch people sneaking up on me before, thanks to this odd sensation. I couldn’t explain how it worked, but it was reliable. Without hesitation, I spun around and pulled the trigger. Only after the bullet left the barrel did I see my target clearly.

A man, about the same age as me, wearing a white polo shirt and black pants. Spiky red hair stuck up from his tanned head, which twitched to the side as my shot whipped by. The man shot his arm out, and knocked the sniper rifle away from him. His red eyes met mine. Suddenly, he grinned and set his hand on my shoulder. He opened his mouth, and spoke in a startlingly familiar voice.

{Good idea, Stephen. Just don’t try it on me.} With that, removed the hand from my shoulder, and stuck out his arm for a handshake. I reluctantly took his hand, and gave it a firm shake. I needed answers from this guy, whoever he was, and playing nice would probably get me what I wanted. So I put all of my questions into one sentence.

“What the hell is going on?”

The strange man laughed, and shook his head. {Many things are going on. You’re dying, for one. Losing an eye and having your mind fractured is not something you just walk off, you know.}

“You don’t say?” I said sarcastically.

{I do say, actually. You’re having a conversation with a strange man while floating around in your own subconscious. Rather odd, don’t you think?}

Damn, he had a good point. “Speaking of strange men, who are you? Why are you here?”

The man’s smile faded, replaced with a slight frown. Nevertheless, he continued to speak.

{I’m you. Or rather, a part of you. I am the more casual, carefree side of you. You can call me Blaze.}

“Right, and I’m supposed to just believe that? You’re probably a figment of my imagination, made by my mind to keep me entertained while I die.” Sorry, but this was just pushing it. I must have a really weird subconscious.
I felt a prickle on my neck yet again. A woman’s voice, just as familiar as Blaze’s, came from behind me. {Actually, you’re not far off. When a human mind is traumatized, it can break up into various fragments, as a way to protect itself. On Earth, these fragments often end up all jumbled, and the victims incoherent. They often get diagnosed with schizophrenia or multiple personality disorder.}

I turned about to face the newcomer. She was the same height as me, and looked to be the same age. She wore clothing identical to what Blaze wore, only a silver ring was on her left index finger. Dark blue hair tumbled past her shoulders. The woman had icy blue eyes, and looked me over with a cold, calculating gaze. She crossed her arms, and continued her explanation.

{The nature of your injury altered your mind’s fragmentation. No doubt, the magic that Nightseer released into your brain caused this. Instead of losing your coherent conscious, you gained two more. Blaze and myself. You heard us during your escape from Cherryvale, correct?}

I didn’t respond immediately. I was still trying to make sense of what this woman, this part of my mind, was saying. It was too much information for me to grasp. I started to make small conclusions about what she said, in hopes of getting the big picture.

“So, you’re both fragments of my mind?”

{Yes.}

“Nightseer did this to me?”

{Yup.}

“And you two can talk to me in my mind?”

{Somewhat. You won’t see us when you’re awake, and you probably won’t hear us clearly. Your mental psyche is in bad condition, and it will take time for it to heal. If we need to say something, however, you WILL hear it.}

Suddenly, the grey light surrounding me began to glow brighter. Strands of light opened above my head, and I could hear the echoes of voices in the distance.

“What’s happening?” I questioned. “Am I dead now, or something?”

{ No, you are just waking up. Stay strong, and you will recover.}
The glow became brighter, and the woman’s voice became more indistinct. I realized that I still did not know her name. I called out to her, and strained to hear her reply.

{…Name… Star!}

The light became blinding, and I shielded my eyes from the burning rays.

“He’s waking up!”

A muffled voice rang through my head, setting off a wave of pain. I ignored it as best I could, and forced my eyes open. However, there was nothing but darkness obscuring my left eye. With my impeded gaze, I looked around, trying to find the source of the voice. I found the blurred face of a pony standing over me. I shook my head, and the dizziness vanished. My vision cleared, I saw that I was on my back, secured to a tarnished metal table. Yellowish light forced itself through a grimy window that perched on the wall in front of me. As for the pony who towered over me, I recognized him as the one who was charging towards me as I collapsed outside Saddleton.

He had no horn, and from what I could see, no wings. This time, he was wearing what seemed to be a fancy suit with armored plating set in vital areas. A tattered tie hung from his neck like some sort of decorative parasite. Despite this rather beaten look, he flashed me a wide smile and extended a hoof.

“Hey, nice to meet you.” He greeted. He gave his leg a little shake, prompting me to do something. I stared at it, clueless. Frowning, he withdrew the hoof, and set it on the ground. “You have quite the amount of injuries.” The stallion informed me. He glanced at something over my head, and began to list my copious wounds.

“Let’s see. You've been unconscious for about a week. You have an irradiated puncture wound on the left side of your face, coupled with radiation burns of various degrees. On your chest, there is yet another burn, which caused your internal organs to end up on the "well-done" spectrum of cooking. Other than those two wounds, you have a few dozen various cuts, bruises, and contusions all over your body.” He rolled his eyes. “Overall, it’s not that bad. You’ll live.”

“Not that bad?” I shot back. “I just lost a goddamn eye! How is that ‘not that bad’?” His eyes widened at my outburst, and I realized my mistake. These ponies don’t know about God. Well, maybe Gawd the griffin, but that's a totally different story. I should have kept my freakin' mouth shut. His next statement, however, knocked me right out of the metaphorical water.

“Humans can take a lot more punishment than you would think. You’re no exception.” I stared at him, mouth agape. Normally, I wouldn’t be so obvious, but cut me a break. I’ve been stabbed in the eye, I deserve a reprieve.

“How…how did you k-know I-““-was a human?” he interrupted. The stallion raised his other foreleg. A Pip-Buck was attached to it, one identical to mine.

“Because I’m one too.”

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Well, now. That’s not what I was expecting. Once again, Wasteland, you have found a way to fuck everything up. True to my nature, I didn’t immediately believe what he said. I crossed my legs over my chest, which caused me to make a rather disturbing discovery. I felt around to be certain, my panic steadily rising. At last, I released it.

“WHY IS MY CHEST METAL?!?”

A guilty look flashed across the supposed human’s face. “Yea, I forgot to mention that. The radiation burns were pretty bad. We had to cut the irradiated tissue away; otherwise you would slowly die of radiation sickness. Armored plates made a good substitute.” The stallion pointed to a picture on the wall, one I had missed in my initial observations. “As I said before, your organs were cooked. Luckily, only a small part of the damage was permanent. Those parts were cut out and replaced with cybernetic enhancements. They’ll slowly absorb the radiation and heal the injuries. Luckily for you, the flesh will grow back over, and you can get the chest piece removed. Eventually.”

This sent my mind in turmoil. I’m a cyberpony. I’m not human, I’m not even a full pony.” I was so caught up in my thoughts, I failed to notice that the pony had continued to talk.

“-and that’s why you still can’t see.” He finished. Great, I’m still half-blind. How could this possibly get any worse?”
The door burst open with a crash, and a green blur shot through. The next thing I knew, there was a mare in front of me, and a knife aimed at my head. Note to self: don’t say “It can’t get any worse.” The mare, an emerald green unicorn, began to talk.

“Where is she? Where’s my sister?”

“What?” I responded. “How would I know? I just got here an-“ The knife flew towards me, stopping an inch from my good eye. This mare meant business.

“My sister. The mare you got THAT from.” She motioned to the side of my bed. Gently resting on the wall, was Echo. She narrowed her eyes, and drew my gaze back to hers. “Now, I’m only saying this once. Where. Is. My. Sister.”

Despite the knife orbiting my face, I didn’t flinch or cower. “Was your sister an orange unicorn with a streaked mane?”

“Yes. What did you do to her?” her voice took on a dark, menacing quality. I had no doubt that she would kill me in a second if I gave her reason to.

Nevertheless, she had to know. “She was killed by an alicorn in Cherryvale. She saved my life. I was being tortured by one of them, and she took them out. One snuck away, and caught her by surprise. I killed it before it could escape again. Before she died, she told me to take the rifle, that I was the new ‘Bearer’.”

At the news, tears began to pool in her eyes. In an instant, she turned from an arbiter of fate to a pony that looked like she needed a hug. However, she shook her head and glared at me. “How can I trust you? How do I know you’re not lying?”
I knew what to tell her. “I know your sister’s name. Her real name.” She shook her head, a desperate attempt to deny what I was saying. “Azure.” Memories of the mare resurfaced, full of pain and determination. She will be avenged. The Goddess herself shall fear my retribution.

The green mare’s eyes widened, and she let out a small cry. She ducked her head, allowing me to see behind her. The brown pony that healed me had his right foreleg right behind the mare, the Pip-Buck lit with a faint glow. A narrow blade extended from the base, poised to stab her if she attacked me. For a doctor, he was certainly willing to harm another pony. Then again, he would be doing it to keep another from harm. Why do these ponies help me without knowing who I am? Azure had died saving my life, and now this brown pony was willing to kill somepony to save me.

Huh, I managed to pick up on the local dialect rather quickly. Well, time to defuse this situation before somepony does something that they will regret.

“Ok, Mr. Doctor. Please remove the knife from Ms. Green Pony’s neck. Miss, would you kindly do the same for me?” I requested, being a smartass as usual. The mare spun around, shocked to find a blade hovering inches from her neck. With a nod, the brown stallion twitched his foreleg and the blade retracted. The mare warily sheathed her own knife, keeping an eye on the other pony.

I pressed on. “Thank you. Now, I can’t keep referring to you as Brown Stallion or Green Mare. What are your names?” The possible human stepped forward, and gestured towards himself.

“My human name was Daniel, but you can just call me Vista.” The mare’s ears twitched when he said human, but otherwise gave no indication of recognition. Then she stepped forward.

“I am Emerald Blizzard.” She met my eyes. “If you are indeed the true Bearer of Echo, then that is how you will be known. That name is well-known in this region of the Wastelands, thanks to my sister."

“Is that so?” Focusing my magic, I attempted the arduous task of levitating myself off the bed. Ethereal swirls of red and blue energy coated my body, spreading a pins and needles sensation. With pained grimace, I felt myself slowly floating up off the small surface. Pressure built in my skull as I began to rotate. When my hooves were oriented parallel to the ground, I released my grip on the spell. I landed on all fours, wincing as dozens of bruises ached in harmony. “Alright, I think it’s time I got out of your collective manes. I’ll just be going-“ Vista’s leg barred my path, preventing me from leaving the room. “Hold on, there. You’re in no condition to head back out there alone. Besides, what do you even plan to do?” Damn, he had a good point.

Um…well…”I trailed off. He smirked.

“Exactly. Now how about you listen to some reason?” He lowered his hoof and nodded to the door. “When I said you can’t go out there alone, I meant what I said. I’m coming with you.” This can be useful. He seems good in a fight, and every Wasteland hero needs a medic to fix all of their self-inflicted injuries.

I smiled at him, then turned to Emerald Blizzard. She had been rather quiet after her declaration, and I wanted to make sure she was alright. “How about you, Emerald? Do you want to travel with us?” She was still rattled by the news of her sister’s death, so I doubted she would.

It came as a surprise to me, then, when she nodded in affirmation, and explained why. “Yes, I will travel with you. My sister thought your life was worth more than hers, and it’s the least I could do to honor her last wishes.” I shivered as I heard these words. This was almost exactly what I thought to myself back in Cherryvale.

Vista chose that moment to cut the morbid mood. “Well, now that that’s all sorted out, let’s go adventure! Allons-y!” he spun around and cantered out the door. I rolled my single eye and followed him, with Emerald Blizzard in the rear.

“I don’t know. It feels… strange.” I spun the outfit around, carefully examining each part. “I feel like I’m ripping off of the story.” Vista glared at me.

“You need armor.” He told me. “This is the best they’ve got here. The last thing you need is more critical injuries.” He turned his head and reached into a pair of saddlebags identical to mine, minus a few bloodstains. A plastic bag full of caps came floating out.

“Hey, how are you doing that? You’re an Earth Pony. Only unicorns can float stuff.” He grinned and pointed to his Pip-Buck. Giving it a gentle tap, he explained it to me.

“You haven’t figured out how to use this yet, have you?” I shook my head.

“Just the power switch, which opened up the maps, but I couldn’t find any dials or buttons.” I explained.

“That’s because this is a special type of Pip-Buck. It has telepathic controls. In other words, you just think of the operation, and it will activate it. Watch this.” He raised his foreleg. The screen flashed as a diagram of Vista was replaced with a map of the surrounding area. Just as quickly, an inventory list popped up, labeling his barding as an “Armored Pre-war Formal Suit.” He put the leg down and the Pip-Buck opened up and fell to the wooden floor of the establishment. On the underside, a glowing white gem was giving off a glowing aura. I was somehow able to confirm that it was giving off magical energy, like some sort of subconscious magic sense. “This gem right here is what powers a weak telekinesis spell. It can’t lift weapons, but small items are fine.” He stuck his hoof back, and the mechanical clamps sealed shut.

“For an Earth Pony, you sure seem to know a lot about magic.” I said. Meanwhile, I was thinking different thoughts.These Pip-Bucks are amazing. Hey, I wonder if it lists perks? As soon as I thought that, the screen clicked, and a list appeared. Ha, Kkat Fan. That’s a nice perk. Hand of God isn’t so nice, though. Wait. Ravaged Mind? How could I lose intelligence? I don’t feel any less smart.

{You couldn’t figure out how to use a Pip-Buck…}

I smacked the side of my head. Shut up, Blaze. I turned my attention back to Vista, who was waiting patiently. “Ok, I’ll take it.”

“Good to hear, since I already paid for it.” He grinned. I ordered my Pip-Buck to unclamp, and it complied. I slid the barding over my head, and carefully stuck my forelegs through. I put the Pip-Buck back on, feeling the familiar pressure on my foreleg. I opened up my inventory, looking at the new entry.

[New Item: Armored Stable 47 Jumpsuit.]

Nodding thanks to the shopkeeper, Vista and I left the store. We found ourselves in the center of Saddleton. It reminded me of Megaton, with random debris forming the walls and ceilings of the buildings. All it was missing was a giant bomb in the center. Still, the citizens of the town were kind, yet cautious. In the short time Vista had been with them, he had gained their respect my working as a free doctor. Back on Earth, Daniel had been a cybernetics student, working to get a medical degree. He had wanted to develop cybernetic limbs for people who had lost them. Being only a student, he didn’t have the expertise to build a fully functioning replacement eye. Metal plating and radiation absorption, however, were a piece of cake.

We stood outside the store, waiting patiently. Emerald Blizzard had left to go grab her belongings from her home. She had told us to wait in the center of town. I took a seat on a rusty bench. Several passing ponies gave me odd glances. I quickly realized that I was sitting like a human, with my back against the bench and my hindlegs hanging over. I gave an embarrassed smile, and stood up to sit in the proper fashion. Just before I could sit down in the correct way, I heard a voice come from thin air.

“That’s not how you sit on a bench, you know.” I gave a small shriek and jumped backwards. Before with a laugh, Emerald Blizzard faded into view, garbed in some sort of armor. Metal braces extended across her legs, linked to a center chest plate. In that plate was a blue gem, with wires linking it to the other parts of her armor. A black cloak obscured her Cutie Mark, and had metal plates woven in. She noticed my examination, and gave a half-smile.

“This is Semi-Powered Infiltration armor. SPI, for short.” She explained. “From what I was told by Azure, it was developed by the Ministry of Wartime Technology, for some sort of secret mission. It uses Stealth-Bucks as a cloaking source, but boosts their effectiveness and duration. I can also move with increased agility and strength. Lastly, it comes with a limited Eyes-Forward Sparkle and Stable-Tec Assisted Targeting Spell. From that, I can get directions, and do a single attack in S.A.T.S.”

These features made my barding seem more like pieces of cardboard duct-taped together than practical armor. I looked at Vista, waiting to see his reaction to all the techno babble. He was completely engrossed in the armor, and started to fire off questions at a somewhat bewildered Emerald. After a minute, I decided that they were wasting time.

“Hey, this is the Wastelands, not a science convention. We’ve got work to do.” With annoyed nickers, they cantered across the square and stood on either side of me. Of course, there had to be at least one last smartass comment before we left. This time, the honors went to Vista.

“Under the definition of ‘impatient’, Echo, is a picture of you.” I smacked him on the side, and sighed. It seems like any group out to make the Wastelands a better place must be filled to the brim with sarcastic ponies. As we exited the gates, which were guarded by two high-tech turrets, I made a final equipment check.

Let’s see. Rad-X, Fancy Buck Snack Cakes, Sparkle-Cola, bottlecaps, and some healing potions. Let’s not forget the combat knife, magnum, sniper rifle, and extra .44 & .308 rounds. I went through a mental checklist that would have made Twilight Sparkle envious. Once I was done, I saw that Vista and Emerald were doing similar gear checks. Emerald pulled out the same knife she had threatened me with earlier. She floated it ahead of her, gave it a twirl, and slid it into a foreleg sheath. Vista triggered the loading mechanism of the shotgun battle-saddle he had purchased earlier, feeding shells into the gun via ammunition belts. Once it was loaded, he spat the firing bit out of his mouth. “Ready to go?” he asked.

“Eeyup.” I intoned.

“Quit ripping off of Big Macintosh.” He groaned. He turned to Emerald. “How about you, Em?” She twisted around and gave a dark look to Vista.

“Don’t call me that. Only my sister gets that right.” The look in her eyes was terrifying, full of menace, yet it seemed that intense sadness was just behind it. Being an only child, I couldn’t truly imagine the bond the two mares must have shared, but it must have felt like losing a part of herself. I didn’t try to comfort her. Vista had learned the hard way that Emerald Blizzard did not take to pity very well. To be specific, she responded to it with a hoof to the other’s face. Eager to not repeat that experience, Vista backed away and nodded quickly. “Yea, I get it. Sorry. Won’t happen again.”

“Good to hear.” She said with a huff of satisfaction. She started to trot off in the general direction of Cherryvale. I fell in behind her, with Vista providing rear cover. Although the town itself had been free of raiders, the area surrounding it was a different story. Despite the risks, we had decided it was worth it. Regardless of our decision, Emerald would have left anyway. Nothing could keep her away from her sister. Not the raiders, the radiation, or the alicorns.

Certainly not the stallion that got Azure killed.

================================================================================

The trip to Cherryvale was somewhat eventful. Which is to say, a complete pain in the flank.

Our first obstacle was been an encampment of raiders between the town and us. I had missed it during my pain-filled trek to Saddleton, having traveled far enough North to stay out of sight. That’s when the robot had attacked me. This time, Emerald used her knowledge of the surrounding area to help us out. We cut around to the south this time, which put us close to my initial starting point in the Wastelands.

After that, it got weird.

I took point, and made periodical checks with the sniper scope to look for long-range threats. E.F.S. was good, but the Mark One Eyeball still held first place for finding things. I was making one of these sweeps when I spotted the statue of Winter Storm. Or rather, what used to be the Winter Storm Memorial. From what I could see, the pedestal was still there, but the statue itself had changed. I couldn’t get a clear look from this far out, but it seemed bigger and less pony-shaped. Wary, I relayed this information to them. After a few seconds of discussion, (consisting of Emerald smacking me in the head for being scared of a statue) we decided to move out.

About ten minutes passed, and I found myself standing in front of the memorial. Only, it wasn’t to Winter Storm anymore. A large creature, made of the same worn stone, had replaced the familiar pony. The replacement could be best described as a cross between a pony and a griffon. The plaque stated that it was Badger the Hippogriff who was being honored. Instead of being commissioned by the Sky Archons, it was paid for by the Royal Equestrian Army.

Unlike Winter Storm, I had no recollection of this creature. Sure, hippogriffs had become canon creatures in the later seasons of MLP, but there weren’t any of importance named Badger. I edged my way over to Vista, who was examining the statue with mild curiosity.

“So, does this statue mean anything to you?” I asked. Without looking at me, he shook his head.

“I’m not sure. There was nothing in the show, but it could be from a fan fiction or something.” He took a closer look at the statue, examining each defining detail. “You said that this statue used to be something else?”

“Yea, an Original Character I made when I first became a brony. I had read a great story by CardsLafter, and he had a group of elite guards called the Sky Archons. I decided to make a character that could fit into their role, maybe use him for a story device or something.” As soon as I said that, I felt a sudden chill. I felt exposed, as if there were dozens of people watching my every move. It seemed like an otherworldly presence had suddenly taken interest in me. I looked all around me, but I saw nothing except Vista and Badger’s statue. Wait a minute. I thought. No Emerald Blizzard…

A choking cry came from the hillock behind me. I spun around, rifle ready. I watched as a red marker on my E.F.S. merged with a green dash, and winked out. A tan unicorn, dressed in poorly made metal armor, tumbled down to a stop at my feet. A hunting rifle quickly followed him. A deep gash was cut into his throat, but the flesh around it was melted and burned. At that moment, Emerald Blizzard appeared, shimmering into view like a mirage. Her knife was floating in front of her, coated in the blood of the mystery pony.

“A raider. I spotted him just as you two started talking. He was lining up a shot when I got to him.” She explained.

This is just great. Practically every second of my Wasteland experience has involved somepony keeping me safe from threats I can’t see or can’t possibly handle. The whole reason I came here was so that I could do that for others. Vista pointed out a detail on the dead raider, bringing me out of my mental rant..

“Hey, why does his neck look like melted plastic? Last time I checked, knives don’t do that.” He leaned in to take a closer look. Before he got too close, Emerald stuck the knife in front of his eyes.

“They do when they have a hollow chamber filled with concentrated Pink Cloud.” She noticed my expression. “I didn’t put it in. This knife came with the SPI armor. Azure said something about them being locked in a room with the rifle.”

“All this prototype tech secured in some random room? Lucky find.” I said. “I wonder if there’s anything else left inside. Maybe a Verti-Buck we can use to have a jolly old time.” Vista covered his mouth to suppress a snicker, and Emerald glared at me.

“For your information, this wasn’t ‘some random room.’ It was part of a MWT base. My sister never got through the main entrance, but she found a side passage that led to a storage room or something.”

“A Ministry base?” I asked. “One that hasn’t been picked clean by scavengers? Sounds like a quest to me.” As soon as I said that, text scrolled across my eye.

[New Objective: Locate entrance to Ministry of Wartime Technology Base #31.]

Vista started blinking rapidly, indicating that he had gotten a similar message. Emerald looked at me with curiosity, but said nothing. I met her eyes. “Is there anything else you can tell us? Do you know where the base is?”

“Yes.” She responded. “It’s under Cherryvale. The entrance is in the center of town.”

Vista turned away from us and began to trot away from us. He turned his head to face me. “I don’t know about you, but I’d rather find this base than stare at a strange statue all day.”

Emerald and I rolled the three eyes between us, and went after him.

================================================================================

Sitting in the shadow of the statue, unseen by our group, was a small unicorn plushie. Although worn with age, it would have been possible to see the flame-colored mane and tail, and the flaming shield Cutie Mark on its flanks.

================================================================================

“May her spirit echo in the hearts of all…” Emerald trailed out. After picking our way past the bone-ridden entrance, our team had gotten to the center of town. Emerald had charged forward and slid to a stop in front of her sister’s grave. She sat there, unmoving, as tears poured from her eyes.

At last, she stood and turned to me. “Thank you. You have done more than I could to honor her memory.”

I gave her a half-smile, caught up in a sea of conflicting emotions. I didn’t believe what she said. Had our positions been changed, Emerald would have been able to save Azure. That alicorn would have never gotten the drop on them, and Azure might still be alive. At the same time, I had avenged her death and given her a burial better than any of the dead had received in the Wastelands.

Before I could say otherwise, a subsonic boom shattered across the cloudy sky. Looking up, I saw a patch of clouds dissolve into mist, and metallic object blasting through. Green lances of energy followed it, some connecting with bursts of smoke and flame. As the object grew closer, I could see twin propeller blades on either side of the hull.

It was a Verti-Buck. The very object I had used to mock Emerald not an hour before. Fate really has a grudge on me. Raising Echo, I saw that a squad of pegasi wearing black armor was responsible for the shooting. Before I knew it, the damaged Verti-Buck crashed into the center of Cherryvale, nearly sending all of us to the next world. The vehicle gouged a muddy furrow across the square, obliterating what used to be the town hall.

The pegasi altered their course and came to a stop in front of us. Three ponies, dressed in their signature black segmented armor. I couldn’t find any defining features about them, save the glowing green gun barrels being pointed in Emerald’s direction. The one in the center stepped forward, and a voice issued from his helmet speakers.

“You, Emerald Blizzard, have been charged with assaulting and murdering three officers of the Enclave Military. For this, you shall be executed by firing squad.”

I stepped forward, planning on asking what the hell was going on, when the weapons discharged. Bolts of sickly green energy raced towards the mare, filling the space between her and me.

In a flash of blinding green light, Emerald vanished.

Then the Enclave ponies turned to me, and opened fire.

Footnote: Level Up! Welcome to Level 4!
Charisma at 10 points.
Speech at 50 points.
Small Guns at 50 points.
Perks:
Cyborg: You have permanent additions to your body, whether you like it or not. +10% Damage Resistance, +25% Radiation Resistance, + 5 to Science and Small Guns.

Split Mind: (Level 2) Your consciousness has become fully sentient. +1 Blaze, +1 Star, +1 Charisma.

A/N: The words “pain in the ass” are vaguely close to how this chapter felt. I deviated from my plans pretty much after the first sentence, and ended up with this. Overall, I am somewhat satisfied, but there is definite room for improvement. Pacing is going to be an issue for me, since I really want to go from big event to big event without stopping. I won’t take the easy way out and put in a “10 minutes later” as I feel that sort of writing detracts form the rest of the story.

Anyway, I want to give a little shoutout to Solar Eclipse, the author of Badger the Hippogriff. I found his story enjoyable and wanted to give him a place in the Wastelands. Also, thanks to Killjoy for giving me the idea of having Blaze and Star. Lastly, a round of applause for CardsLafter, for generously letting me make Winter Storm a Sky Archon in the first place.