Fallout: Equestria - Unity

Chapters

Chapter One: Lost and Found
Chapter Two: Trust
Chapter Three: Lake Fancy
Chapter Four: The Beginning

Chapter One: Lost and Found

Once upon a time, in the magical, broken land of Equestria, there lived a Goddess.

The Goddess was a friend to all. She sent her many children to the corners of the magical wastes to spread her light. She healed the sick, fed the hungry and saved the lost. Her brilliant light grew to softly embrace all who were willing to see it, to accept her love, to join with all of her children in glorious Unity.

There were some, however, who did not see her greatness. Some in the broken land were so scarred, so hostile to the thought of a kind hoof, that they rejected the Goddess. They rejected her children, her Unity. The Goddess tried to help them, but her gifts were scorned. Her messengers were driven away.

Her children were attacked.

The kind Goddess was deeply saddened by this. She wanted so desperately to help all of the ponies, but she could not allow her children to come to harm. She taught her children to be strong, unwavering in their purpose. She taught them how to stay safe, how to shield themselves, and how to stop those that would harm them. She would show the ponies of the wasteland that her Unity was great and powerful.

The Goddess protects her children in Unity. We are all sisters in Unity. We are united beyond mere mortal bonds. We do not die. We do not age. We share our thoughts and feelings. One’s strength is shared, one’s weaknesses supported. Lesser ponies are brought to us and given new life in the Goddess, in all of us, in our Unity.

The Unity will save us all.

Chapter One: Lost and Found

“Guys?”

There was grass in my face. There should not have been grass in my face. There were not many things that should have been in my face, and grass was not one of them. Squinting, I looked around, trying to gauge my surroundings. Brown and rocky walls indicated that I was currently inhabiting a cave, and the warm crackling from my side indicated that I was next to a fire. Strange. I reached out to my sisters, wondering why I wasn’t joined already, and…

I didn’t find any. None of my sisters were near. I tried to ask the Goddess what was happening, but I couldn’t even make the connection. I listened for consensus and heard silence. Panicking, I rose to my hooves and illuminated the area with a light from my horn. Nopony here. I had been lying on a simple bedroll far too small for me, and there was an identical one across the fire with a saddle bag next to it. What was this?

I looked left to find the cave exit, the night’s oppressive darkness refusing to budge even for my powerful light. No matter, once I found my sisters I would have little need for my eyes. I galloped to the mouth of the cave, spread my wings and fell as pain bolted through my entire left side. Wincing, I looked back to see my green wing bent in a direction it was not meant to bend. I winced as I folded it in and made my way back into the cave.

Time to take stock. I was injured in a strange place with nopony around. I could feel neither my sisters’ nor the Goddess’ presence. The logical thing to do would be to head towards Maripony. The closer I got to home, the more likely I would happen across a sister or one of the Goddess’ pony followers, and then everything would be alright.

Without the benefit of Unity’s consensus, I felt a seed of doubt that my simple plan was flawed. Still, it was the best I had. I could not remember what I was doing prior to waking up, nor could I remember how my wing had been injured so. I sat on the mysterious bedroll, claiming it for Unity, as I tried to remember where I was in relation to home. No matter how I focused, where the memories of yesterday should have been there was only fog. I focused my thoughts inwards, blocking out the material world.

Time passed slowly in the dim light. I didn’t hear the approaching hoof steps, but I did feel the presence of the pony standing in the mouth of the cave. My eyes snapped open and my head swung towards the intruder. The unicorn mare was clearly, and rightfully, nervous as I stared at her. Her pink hide was covered lightly with leather, and she wore a small arm on her side; she did not threaten me. Still, alone as I was, I tensed up when she opened her mouth to speak.

“You’re awake then I see. If y’all’d like to turn your spell off, I’d be a mite more comfortable.” Her voice was smooth and disarming, but I kept my guard up.

This is a simple utility spell. If we meant harm, we would have inflicted it. To add emphasis, I added some more power to the floating orb. The mare’s eyes narrowed as she pointed a hoof at me.

“Your lips didn’t move.” She pointed specifically at my mouth. “Why didn’t your lips move?”

Telepathy is the most basic of our powers. She opened her mouth to speak, but I cut her off. We will ask the questions. Who are you? Who do you work for? It would not do to have one of Red-Eye’s ponies find me in this state.

She hesitated for a moment, then said with confidence, “My name is Moon Shine, and my boss is small, made of metal and lives on the end of a bottle.” What? “Means I don’t work for nopony but myself.” Oh. “And since we’re both polite ponies here,” she added with a grin, “why don’t y’all give me your name as well?”

My… name? That was not something I’d needed since before. In the Unity, there was no need for such distinction. We are, we… you may call us Alicorn if you must. She raised an eyebrow, and I found myself keen to change the subject. Are you the one who brought us here?

“What’s with the ‘us’?” she asked as she walked to the other bedroll. “Yep, that was little ol’ me. You’re heavy, you know that?” I ignored the blood rising to my face, it was clearly a reaction to the fire. “Found you over in yonder hills and thought to myself, gee, what’s a big pony like her doing all alone and unconscious? I couldn’t call myself a good pony if I simply left you there, now could I?” She smiled at me as though it were obvious. She blew a strand of her yellow mane out of her face as she sat down opposite me and pulled a tin can out of the saddle bag with her magic. “Want some?”

No, we will… I thought for a moment. I did not know where I was or whether there were pockets of radiation nearby, and I was disconnected from my usual source of food. We… yes, we require sustenance.

She raised an eyebrow. “Please.” She levitated out a second tin and a tin opener, and got to work on opening the first tin.

We said we require sustenance. Do not withhold our meal.

“Hey now,” she said over a mouthful of cold beans, “you may be big and powerful, but that don’t excuse you for bad manners. Come on, don’t want our relationship to start out muddy just ‘cause you ain’t used to asking for what you need.” Our relationship?

We… may we please have some? Moon Shine smiled, opened the second tin and levitated it toward me. I picked it up with my magic, my powerful green glow replacing her softer blue aura. The contents of the tin were plain, just beans in a tomato sauce. I swallowed the food in one, the portions clearly not designed for one of my stature.

Moon Shine chuckled. “Downed that a bit quick. Want another?” She offered another out of her bag, and I wondered just how many she had in there.

We would like another. I then quickly added, please. She passed it along and once again I ate it in one. The 200-year-old beans were not what I was used to, but definitely had a taste all their own. I peaked at her bag and saw only a single tin left. It would not do to eat it now, if that was the only known source of food around. While my hunger was not fully sated, it would do for now.

“Got any more questions,” she asked over a mouthful of beans, “or can I get to mine?”

Just one. Where are we?

She finished her tin, scraping the last of its contents into her mouth with her levitated spoon. “We,” she pointed to herself and then to me, “are in the wonderful Vanhoover area. To the south we have the scenic Smoky Mountain, bring your foals. To the east, the Galloping Graves. If you look to our north, you’ll find snow, frozen water and solid cold and to the west is what we used to call the sea.” She sighed wistfully. “Lovely place. Be downright picturesque if it weren’t for the scorps and the raiders and the killer trees.”

Killer… trees?

“Yep.” She nodded. “Killer trees. One minute you’re grabbing some shade, blessing your luck at finding a tree with actual leaves. Next, glomp. Eaten by a tree.” She tutted, shaking her head. “Terribly embarrassing way to go.”

I didn’t remember anything like that. I couldn’t have been here long. Where did these -

“Ah!” She raised her hoof to my muzzle, and I imagined the gesture would be more effective on those that used their mouths to speak. “You said one more question, and you asked it. Now it’s my turn.” She pulled back and looked at me sideways, as if trying to figure out if I’d interrupt her again. “Big question. Big, big big question.” She pointed a forehoof at my head, then at my sides, then over all of me. It made me feel rather strange.

“You have a horn. You also have wings. And you’re huge.” She leaned closer. “What are you?”

You’ve never seen an alicorn before?

“That’s what you said your name was.” She frowned. “Didn’t think you’d name yourself after your race though. I’d ask what an alicorn is, but with you sitting in front of me it seems a moot point.”

Have you not heard of Unity? Of the Goddess? If this pony did not know, then it was likely that nopony around Vanhoover knew of us. I could spread the word of the Goddess’ love and glory without interference from those pesky Steel Rangers, without prior prejudices against the Goddess’ children!

“The cult?” Horseapples. “Heard of them, alright. You ain’t with them crazies, right?” She looked me over, and I felt her become less convinced of her own statement. “Right?”

We… She did not know of alicorns, but knew of Unity. Please tell us of Unity. We wish to know what your experience of us, them, has been.

She raised an eyebrow at me. “Not sure if I should. Y’all ain’t gonna blast me if I badmouth them, are you?” Should I? I shook my head. It was important to learn what the locals thought of us. “They’re kinda laughed at. They got their confessors ranting on soap boxes in the middle of towns about how the Goddess has returned and will save us all. Get mighty angry if anyone disagrees. Guards usually break things up at that point, throw the cultist in jail or simply kick them outta town.”

Hmm. Unity was not respected here. If I were to use my visage to inspire ponies to join, they may respond as they did to the Unity they already know. Still… Where might I find one of these confessors?

Moon Shine scratched her chin for a moment. “Think there’s one in Broken Pillar, just over yonder.” She pointed in the direction of the cave mouth. “I was heading there anyways, so I could take y’all if you’d like.”

Yes, please, that would be appreciated. From there, I could find directions to my sisters, or to Maripony, or even just the core region of Equestria. Perhaps this pony could be persuaded to join us; her knowledge of this region at least may be useful.

“Can’t go tonight, though.” She stretched her hind legs and pulled a blanket out of her bag. While I wondered how it fit in there, she continued. “Only got the one blanket I’m afraid, and I’m just a little pony.” She winked playfully as she tucked herself into her bed. “We’ll be able to go in the morning, it’s only about a three hour trot.” She yawned as she made herself comfortable, and I felt that yawn making its way out of my own mouth too. “Got a talisman at the entrance, it’ll make a sound if anything comes in so don’t worry about that.”

I lay down on the bedroll, aware that I was still two sizes too large for it. Despite the uneasiness of being alone, the presence of the mare next to me was strangely comforting. Doing my best to calm myself, I closed my eyes and made my way to the land of dreams.

“Good night, Alicorn.”

* * * * *

Wind. Rain. Lightning. Thunder.

Dive!

* * * * *

Traveling by hoof was strange. Under normal circumstances, we would travel in a wing of three alicorns or be teleported by one of our purple sisters. We would certainly never walk anywhere, and definitely not in the company of one so much slower than us.

“Celestia’s hoof, Alicorn, some of us don’t have freakishly long legs like you!” Moon Shine playfully complained. It had been rather frustrating to have to constantly slow or stop to allow her to catch up. Had I not needed her for directions, I would have left her behind. As it was, her shorter legs and over-wariness led to many a period of idling around. She was worried about ‘critters’, apparently not understanding that my presence guaranteed her safety.

After an hour or so of travelling, we came to an old highway littered with broken down wagons. I made to simply carry on over it, but Moon Shine called me back with an enthusiastic “Hoi!”. Looking back, I saw her opening several trunks. “Got a stash here somewhere, if nopony’s come and helped themselves to it.”

As she set about systematically rummaging through every wagon she could find, I took a moment to examine the environment more carefully. There was significantly more grass here than near Maripony, and the air felt devoid of any significant radiation levels. I would have to find something radioactive to power myself up if I was going to be here long.

“Dang it, not this one either.” She tossed an empty suitcase off the side of the road. “Don’t you worry, it’ll be worth it when I find it!” As she continued her search, I turned back to mine. The only noise around was the shuffling of pink hooves on tarmac and the slight wind funneling through the derelict wagons. There was a subtle smell of sulphur nearby, but it seemed too faint to be of interest.

My ear twitched. There was something behind that wagon, the one Moon Shine was rummaging through. Time slowed as her smiling head emerged from the trunk, unaware of the mutated monster rising over her. In an instant, my horn flashed and I threw a magical spear straight through the…

Radroach. Strange. Moon Shine stared at me, wide blue eyes twitching. I looked at her plainly. There was a radroach approaching you. She turned to the pathetic insect, its legs still spasming erratically. I placed a second, smaller bolt through it to put it out of its misery, and Moon Shine didn’t even flinch. She simply stared at me with either horror or awe. You act as though you’ve never seen a pony destroy another creature with a thought.

She turned away from me, slowing her breathing in an apparent attempt to calm herself down. She muttered something under breath, but I didn’t catch it. Turning back, she looked over me again. “You’re a scary lass, you know that?” I imagined I was to those unaware of Unity’s glory. “I found the stuff!” She pulled a saddlebag out of the trunk and deftly donned it, balancing out her other bag. She then levitated a large bundle of cloth over to me, and I took it within my magic.

What is this? I carefully unfolded it, it seemed like a delicate thing.

“A present. Never fit me, or anypony I knew, but it seemed a waste to just sell it.” After some struggling, I unfurled the midnight blue dress in front of me. “Should do well to hide them wings of yours.”

We… What? Did she just give me… a dress? Why would, I, we, I tried to compose myself. We have no need of such a garment. Our inherent beauty is enough. To my chagrin, she chuckled at me!

“It ain’t for prettying you up. The ponies round Broken Pillar are a cautious folk, not fond of outsiders. They’ll tolerate ‘em normally, but you?” She pointed to my wings. “You’d be too much for them. A freakishly large unicorn, okay. A freakishly large unicorn with wings, and they’ll be grabbing their pitchforks before you know it.”

I am not afraid of villagers with pitchforks.

“And I don’t think you have any reason to be, if’n they were just attacking you. But you want to look around their town, ask some questions, find your cultist. You can’t do that if the locals don’t want you around.” She scrunched her lips slightly, and added, “you’ll also want to cut back on the mind-speaking. Like, completely.”

Hmm. This may be harder than I thought. Moon Shine, we have a request. I thought I saw a flicker of shock on her confident face, but it disappeared so quickly that I may have been imagining it.

“Okay. What’s that then?”

We require your assistance with… talking to the townsponies. If not scaring them is as important as you say, then it may be wise if I were to limit my interactions with them to the absolute minimum. It pained me to admit a shortcoming, but it was necessary to complete my objective of returning home.

She smiled happily at me as she answered. “That won’t be a problem. Talking is my special talent, after all!” She turned and wiggled her flank at me, showing off her microphone cutie mark. Once again I felt blood rushing to my head and was eager to change the topic.

Well then. I shall… I mean, we will find a secluded spot to change. Damn it, where was this ‘I’ nonsense coming from? I needed to find my sisters’ embrace soon.

I heard a cheerful shout of “Don’t be long!” coming from the highway as I found a small spot to change in private. The dress did have a certain aesthetic appeal, with pretty lace around the edges and a modestly low front. It was sentimental of me to do so, but I made an effort to clean my forehooves before slipping them through the sleeves, which came to just above the knee. I winced as the delicate garment pulled over my broken wing, clinging to it painfully. A small adjustment alleviated the pressure, nopony would notice it being slightly lopsided. I pulled my long mane free, wishing there were a mirror nearby…

Hmph! As if it mattered. The important thing was that it covered my wings, and a glance back confirmed that it did. I walked back to Moon Shine, who was jamming a rod down the barrel of her gun. Maintenance, I assumed. “Won’t be a sec, just gotta clear some of the grime!” I took a moment to inspect the firearm; it would be wise to know how capable she might be should I have need to defend her.

The revolver was black with an ivory mouth grip, and there was a small cylindrical contraption attached underneath the barrel. It was smaller, thinner than most revolvers I’d seen. While I wanted to write it off as a pea-shooter, there was something about it that made it impossible to think of it as such. It had a sort of… aura.

“Like it?” Moon Shine said with a smirk. I jumped, unaware that I’d been staring. “Don’t worry about it, she has that effect on everypony.” She pulled the cleaning rod out and placed it back in her saddlebag, then got to reloading. “This here’s an IF-19 Opal. Only forty of ‘em ever made. Sleek, unique, and packs a hell of a punch for such a little blaster.” She turned her eyes to me and my horn. “Probably give that lump of bone on your head a challenge, that’s for sure.”

You think your little gun can compare to our magic? I was beginning to think it could. Prove it!

“Alright then.” She turned, scanning the area. Within seconds, I imagined an exclamation point above her head as she spotted something. “This way!” We trotted over to where she pointed, and I found myself getting rather excited. I’d never been in a competition before.

As we approached the rise, Moon Shine stopped me and motioned for me to get down. I did so, my blood pumping even more. How will we do this? See who can shoot the furthest? Destroy the most wagons? I tried to curb my enthusiasm, but she just put a hoof to her lips and ‘shushed’ me, pointing to the north of the highway. There, I saw five figures approaching.

“Raiders. Shit. If any of them’s out of twenty nine, they’re gonna find us.” She levitated a pair of binoculars out of her saddle bag. Just how much did she have in there? I turned my eyes towards these raiders. All I could make out was that they had an affinity for spikes. “Shit, that one’s got a PipBuck. They’re gonna see that roach, then go looking for whoever killed it.”

As she continued worriedly ranting, I stood back up. Calmly, I walked back to the middle of the road and stood atop one of the wagons, head held high. I heard Moon Shine squeak out, “what are you doing?”, but I avoided looking back. She was only lightly armoured, and it would be easier to fight without having to worry about her.

The five raiders swaggered up closer, stopping about three wagons ahead of me. I hadn’t heard Moon Shine since her squeak, and could only assume that she was hiding. One of the raiders, a large red earth pony buck, jumped onto a wagon in the same manner as I had. He had a cocky grin and several missing teeth.

“Well, looky here, ponies!” He pointed at me with his filth encrusted hoof. “We gots ourselves a hero!” He had a sledgehammer on his back, I would have to take him out first. The others had an assortment of rusty looking guns, nothing too threatening. “Now toots, I know you think you’re all tough and shit, but there’s five of us and only one of you.”

Perhaps you should come back when the odds are more in your favour.

The five recoiled as my mind touched theirs. “The fuck was that?” The buck looked nervously at his companions, then steeled himself and stared back at me. “Ice this bitch!”

On ‘ice’, I had my shield up. When he finished his curse, I loosed the first of my magical bolts. It struck the stallion in the head, but his metal helmet absorbed enough of the blow to stop it from being fatal. As I charged up for my second shot, the first round of bullets started pummeling my shield.

Damn, were guns always this powerful? Without my sisters there to support me, I found holding my shield harder than I’d expected. Had I made a mistake? I didn’t have time to think of an answer as the red buck launched himself at me, hammer in mouth. I deftly dodged to the side, landing on the roof of a second wagon. I brought my horn up to bear and aimed a magical bolt at his neck. One flash, and his blood decorated the two hundred year old road.

A unicorn mare had taken the opportunity my distraction had created and blasted both barrels of her sawn-off shotgun into the side of my shield from point blank range. My shield flickered as I felt the strain on my horn, a dull throbbing starting at the base. I pushed through and placed a third magical spear through the unfortunate mare’s skull, ending her life.

The remaining three, two earth ponies and a unicorn, were less enthusiastic in their assault. One peppered me with tiny rounds from a submachine gun, while the others were taking potshots with single shot weapons. Learning my lesson, I jumped down behind the wagon for cover and aimed another magical spear. It hit the earth pony with the submachine gun, forcing him behind cover but not killing him. The other two were firing in synch, one would pop out as the other dropped down to reload. I wasn’t sure I could hold my shield long enough to get around and flank them, so I dropped behind the wagon and searched for something to give me an advantage.

My inspection of the surroundings did not go unpunished. I’d clearly stayed down too long, as the earth pony with the submachine gun appeared in front of me, barrel pointing directly at my eyes. I felt magic coming from his forehoof, and then a hail of bullets directly at my head. My shield held, barely, as the fiend emptied his magazine into me. When his gun clicked empty, my shield flickered out. Upon seeing his grin, reaching for another clip, I panicked.

My bloody horn stuck out the back of his neck. He gurgled something, spitting blood over my head. I pushed the buck away and he fell to the ground, clutching the hole where his windpipe used to be. Time seemed to slow as I watched him die, as he watched his life blood spill out in front of him. I’d never killed like that before…

And if I didn’t get my head down, I would never kill like that again! A large round flew past my head, barely missing. I turned to see my attacker, not bothering to duck down and simply reloading where she stood. I froze. I could do nothing as she floated a round into her rifle, as she cocked the gun, as a red dot appeared on her forehead.

As her brains came out the other side.

I was beginning to like Moon Shine.

The fifth and final raider tossed her gun away and threw her hooves in the air. “I surrender! Please!” She looked frantically between myself and her new assailant. “Don’t kill me!”

I had no idea what to do, no Goddess to tell me how to handle this unknown situation. I just stared at her, blood dripping down my horn. With each of my breaths, she shook more. I began to worry if she might take her gun again, try to finish what she had started, but Moon Shine appeared and took control of the situation.

“Easy there, easy.” She kicked the various weapons around away from the raider, keeping her revolver trained on her. “Here’s what’s gonna happen.” I stepped over the bodies and walked to her side, hoping that my presence would give her an edge. “You’re gonna hand over any weapons you got, and walk down that road for fifteen minutes. We’re going to loot your friends stuff, leave your gun here,” she pointed at the rifle she’d been using, “and be on our way. After that, you’ll be free to collect it. Then, you ditch the spikes, find some civilised ponies to socialise with, and sign on as a guard or something.” She leaned in closer. “If either of us find you raiding again, we won’t be this kind.” She slapped the mare’s rump. “Now get!”

The raider took one last fearful look at me and bolted, weaving between the ancient wagons. Neither of us said a word until the mare was out of sight, at which point Moon Shine let out an exhausted sigh and fell flat on her rump.

“Oh, Luna’s beard, that was terrifying!” She was half panting and half laughing as she spoke. “I was gonna run, take a detour, maybe barter for passage if we got caught, but you!” She prodded my chest with a hoof. “You just mosied on up and let them shoot you! I thought you were gonna die!”

Despite everything, I found myself laughing with her. Me? Fall at the hands of those beasts? Perish the thought.

“When that twenty-niner popped up and S.A.T.S.’ed you, and your shield went down, I thought that was it! Why did you lower it?” She looked expectantly at me, and I found myself suddenly uncomfortable. I couldn’t tell her that it was because I was unable to hold it.

I was… charging up my next bolt. I wanted to make it powerful enough to go through their armour. I lied, and something about Moon Shine’s expression said that she knew it. She didn’t call me out on it, but I knew she knew.

“Well, alright then.” She let out some more laughter, then tried to calm herself with some deep breaths. “Okay, let’s see what our violent friends have for us.” She looked at me, at the red coating on my horn with a sympathetic smile. “Something tells me you ain’t used to looting.” I was about to say something, but she interrupted. “Don’t worry about it, I’ll do it. Doubt they’ll have any saddlebags to fit you anyways. I’ll see if I can find a rag to wipe that blood off with.”

When Moon Shine had finished her looting, apparently quite happy with her haul, and given me some fabric to clean myself with, we got back onto our journey. The small mare looked odd with several guns poking out of her bags. “Damn Stable-Tec with their damn impenetrable PipBucks.” I looked back to the highway, seeing the hopefully ex-raider running back for her gun. For some reason, I wished her luck.

The pair of us carried on walking west towards Broken Pillar, and I stayed closer to my companion this time. Knowing that I was less capable than usual, I started to share some of her caution. Still, apart from grass and cacti, there was nothing to harry us as we made our way. Moon Shine attempted to make casual conversation with me, asking about my taste in soda and talking about guns, but she quickly discovered that I was not a great conversationalist. Living in a Unity where everypony knows each other’s thoughts did not breed good talkers.

As the sun came overhead, lighting up the entire cloud cover, I saw my first sign of civilization in this part of the wasteland. Broken Pillar, it appeared, was made by using wood and scrap metal to rebuild the broken parts of a pre-war village, with a large, empty fountain the middle and a barbed-wire topped wooden fence around the perimeter. There was one way in and out, a large gate with a painted sign hanging over it.

‘Welcome to ~~Pony’s~~ Broken Pillar!’

Footnote: Level up!

New Perk: Extra Special

Well ain’t you an extra special little snowflake? You have gained a point in perception.

Chapter Two: Trust

“See? I’d never leave my friends hanging!”

Sand scattered around our hooves as Moon Shine and I walked into the town of Broken Pillar. I stayed at her flank, deferring to her relevant experience. She walked us down the main road, staying close to the middle of the dusty path. Hard eyes peered at us, or rather me, from weathered faces.

I leaned in closer to my companion. We seem to be attracting attention. I looked to our left at a pre-war convenience store, now converted into ‘Primer’s Equipment Emporium’. An earth pony stood in the doorway, polishing a shotgun. He stared at me flatly, and I shied away. My confidence was being sapped rather drastically by our lack of numbers. Moon Shine nudged me, bringing my attention back to her.

“Don’t stare, Alicorn. They’ll stare back.” Her voice was lower, softer than usual. “Don’t worry. Keep to yourself, and you’ll be fine.” She nodded her head towards a building larger than the others, one made with more pre-war concrete than post-war lumber. The door, while mouldy, was intricately carved with sculpted dancing ponies. “It’ll be easier if you go wait in there. Talk to the barpony, he’s a nice buck.” She thought for a moment. “Use your mouth to do it, yeah?”

I stared at ‘Barr’s Bar’. Only one of the building’s windows was boarded up, and what I could see of the interior was dark and smokey. Inside was the subtle movement of ponies going about their business. Moon Shine, we… I turned, and Moon Shine wasn’t there. I spun around, checking everything I could, but there was no sign of her. She…

No matter! I was a child of the great and powerful Goddess, I had nothing to fear in this backwater pisshole! I glared back at the trio of large earth ponies eyeing me from an alley. They may have been large, and battle-scarred, and armed… I decided that it would be better for all if I were to wait in the bar. There was no point in causing unnecessary bloodshed, after all. I felt their stares pierce my hide as I trotted into the old building.

In an instant, the heat of the wasteland was replaced by the heat of an enclosed space filled with ponies. The smell of alcohol and narcotics assaulted my nostrils as I struggled to adjust to the wooden interior. The floorboards were plain, creaky and had more patches than original timber in them. The large single room was lit by one pre-war chandelier, a rare sight indeed, and three light bulbs screwed directly into the ceiling. On one side of the room there were tables, in various shapes and sizes, a large shredded game table of some kind and a silent jukebox with some rather suspicious looking stains. On the other side sat the bar, with sparsely occupied shelves and a grey earth pony in a waistcoat behind it. The barpony was washing a mug, and the handful of ponies around were silent save for the occasional bit of polite conversation.

“You look a bit lost there, love.” The bartender spoke, his voice gravelly and hinting at hidden authority. He smiled at me, and he looked every bit the ‘professional-but-friendly’ stallion, with his slicked back black mane and half-moon spectacles. “Come in, come in, first drink’s on the house.” He motioned me towards the bar, and I nervously stepped forward, aware of the dress I was wearing. “What’s your poison?”

M… Wait! Concentrate. “My poison?” My throat felt odd after such disuse. The bartender didn’t miss a beat.

“What would you like to drink, I meant. No harm.” He placed the mug down and waved a hoof, displaying the various beverages on offer. “We’ve got anything you might desire, although the quantities may not be what you’re used to.” I searched through the bottles, the different colours and names meaning nothing to me. “Or, if you’re not the boozing type, I could get you a Sparkle-Cola. No pressuring goes on in this establishment.” He reached under the counter and brought out a glass bottle of…

Oh my. Whatever this black liquid was, it was radioactive! I nodded my yes and he popped the cap off in a single motion. I took the bottle in my magic and raised it to my lips. It smelled rather… carroty. I didn’t have the time to ponder where I’d learned the smell of carrots as I lifted the bottle and drank. Oh, the sweetness, the tang, that little hint of radioactive nectar! I had never had anything quite this great pass my lips before. All too soon, the bottle was empty and I was thirsty for more.

“I,” I struggled to work my lips, “may we have another?” I looked hopefully at the barpony as he appraised me. He began to shake his head, and I felt my ears droop at once.

“Well, alright.” I perked back up, “But just the one!” slightly. “Can’t have folk thinking I give my wares away for free to anypony with puppy eyes.” I had puppy eyes? I was about to contest the point but he hoofed me another cola and my complaints were silenced. He took the cap and placed it in a cash register as I took to drinking my treat, slower this time. I looked back around the bar, and I noticed some more details. The green felt on the gametable, the faded red carpet around the tables.

“That’s perked you right up.” he chuckled, smiling. “Bit of kindness goes a long way. Remember that.” He got back to his mug, continuing to wipe the insides with his rag. How much cleaning could a drinking utensil possibly need? “Now that you’re bit more settled, how’s about your story?”

Oh no. “You need to know what I’m doing?” Was there something I’d forgotten?

“What? Oh no, no, don’t need to know. You want to keep yourself to yourself, that’s up to you.” He held his hooves out to emphasise the calm. “I was just curious as to what a mare of your, let’s say, stature, was doing alone and in such a pretty dress.” He quickly added, “hope you don’t mind me saying.”

He thought I was pretty? I… as he should! “We are not alone. We travelled here with our…” What word should I use? I was going to say ‘sister’, but that would not be right. “We came here with our companion, Moon Shine.” Upon saying her name, I saw a slight flicker of the barpony’s ear.

“Moon, you say?” I nodded. “You close?” I wasn’t sure how to answer. We were clearly not as close as I was used to. She was practically a stranger. I’d known her for mere hours. Our minds were separate! And yet I found myself wishing she were here. “I’m gonna take that as a ‘maybe’.” Thank you Barpony. “Be careful. She means well, but she has a habit of, shall we say, picking the wrong friends. Present company excluded.”

“What do you mean?” I leaned closer, resting my foreleg on the bar. “Should we not trust her?”

Something shifted in the stallion’s eyes, and he relaxed. “I’ve said too much. Pay me no mind. You’re a big girl, I’m sure you can handle Moon Shine.” I heard heavy steps behind me, and turned to see a large orange unicorn stallion walking up to the bar. “Excuse me, customer.” He walked away to serve the buck, and I turned back to my consumption. I looked into the depths of my black, carroty drink. Why had he warned me about Moon Shine? Was she not to be trusted? Did she have a bad reputation?

No. Reputation meant nothing to me. After all, the Unity had a bad reputation among the common ponies, and it wasn’t possible to be more righteous! Still…

As I finished my second Sparkle-Cola, lamenting its expedient departure, the barpony came back clutching a third! I was about to express my confusion when he explained. “Those ponies over there,” he pointed to a group of three stallions sitting at a table, “sent you this. Seems they like you.” The group was chatting, while the orange unicorn kept looking up at me. Something about the way he grinned made me distinctly uncomfortable. “Remember, no pressuring goes on in this establishment.” He gave me a reassuring nod, while I pondered the meaning of it all.

I thanked him for the drink and started on it, savouring the not inconsiderable dose of radiation I was consuming. Who needs healing potions? I felt my body grow stronger, my magic become more solid. It wasn’t much, but it gave me back some of the confidence that was lost against those raider ponies.

A familiar presence approached. Moon Shine was walking through the door, her bright yellow mane lighting the air around her. She quickly trotted up to me and flopped her flanks onto a bar stool. “Double Wild P., Walker!” I saw the bartender, with swiftness that impressed even me, pour a generous helping of a golden liquid into a tiny glass. Moon Shine paid and downed the drink in one, shuddering as she did. “Needed that!” She turned to me, looking me over. “Settling in alright?”

“Yes, it is rather pleasant in here.” She looked at me funny as I took another sip from my bottle. I would have to acquire some of this for future journeys.

“Right, well, there’s been a bit of a snag in our little plan.” Her words were laced with hesitation.

What?

She cleared her throat and whispered, “mouth speak.”

“What?” I tried to put the same force into my spoken word as my sent thought.

“Slight problem. You see, there was a cultist here a few days ago,” she was keeping her voice lowered, and I noticed the barpony was close enough to hear us, “but he caused some trouble with the locals, like I said they do. He’s in jail, and nopony can talk to him unless they pay his bail. Unless you happen to be carrying 5,000 caps in that skirt of yours, we’re out of luck.”

This should not be a problem. “Is there anywhere in town from where one might be able to look into this jail?” All I needed to do was look at him. Telepathy is a wonderful ability.

“I don’t think so,” damn it, “and if there was, a guard would at least ask you what you were doing there.” She motioned for another drink, and the barpony went through the same motions. “But, there is something we can do.” She looked me in the eyes. “You ever heard of Lake Fancy?” I shook my head. “Old rich pony getaway, up north. Would have been picked clean years ago, but nopony wants to swim through freezing, irradiated water.”

Radiation would not faze me, and how could cold water stand up to me? “That should not be a problem. What is there?”

“Nopony knows the specifics, but it’s a rich place that’s not been touched by scavengers. Bound to be something good. We go there, loot the place, sell the goods in town and buy freedom for your friend. We’ll need a few supplies to get there and back; I can handle them. Not sold the loot from those raiders yet.” She downed her drink and spasmed slightly less violently than before. “So, you up for it?”

I could stay in town to figure out a way to talk to the cultist without paying his bail, or I could go with Moon Shine and scavenge for the caps required. Oh, the Goddess would squirm if she could see the decision her daughter was making now.

“Yes. If you think this is the best way to help me, then I trust your judgement.” Why did it feel like I’d just signed something?

“Alright!” The pink mare clapped her hooves together and jumped off her stool. “I’ll go grab the supplies, food, Rad-X, that kind of thing. You wait here. I’ll be back before you know it!” I heard her saddlebag jingle with the sound of bottlecaps as she left. A thought occurred to me.

“Barpony! How much for a sealed Sparkle-Cola?”

* * * * *

I felt far more confident leaving Broken Pillar than I had arriving. Moon Shine had given me enough caps for five Sparkle-Colas, and even a saddle bag to fit them all in! I would have to remove it to fly, but that wouldn’t be an option for some time. I held my head high as we walked back through the south gate. Ponies stared and I let them.

My companion had sold the raiders’ arms, as well as the scrap she’d collected before finding me. In return, she’d acquired healing potions, anti-radiation drugs, (which I assured her would not be necessary for me) and food. We shared a light lunch as we travelled; the sugar in my Sparkle-Colas had given me quite the energy rush.

According to Moon Shine’s map, it would take seven hours to get to Lake Fancy. Given that it was already early afternoon when we left, the plan was to camp outside the resort and enter it the next morning. The detour was lamentable, I was eager to return to my sisters, but there was no other way. I needed to speak with the cultist, and to do that I needed caps. I heard the clanking of glass on glass in my bag and smiled to myself. That’s five.

After three hours, we came across a different section of the highway we’d passed earlier. There were fewer wagons here, they weren’t gridlocked like the ones further up. After our previous run in, neither of us wanted to rush through it. Moon Shine went ahead to quickly scout the area; her small size and keen eyes were better suited for such a purpose than my regal stature. I found myself worrying when she left my sight, but I had to remind myself that she was capable of looking after herself. When she came back, she had what looked suspiciously like radroach innards over her left forehoof. We said nothing of it and continued.

As the sun started to dip below the horizon, the only time it could be seen without being blocked by the cloud cover, I pulled out my first Sparkle-Cola to have a quick break. Walking had been tiring to one so used to flight. We stopped, and Moon Shine pulled her map out of her pack.

“Still got a good hour of walking to go. Should be able to see it soon.” She looked around, scavenger’s eyes surveying the landscape.

What should we be looking for?

“Big building in the middle of nowhere surrounded by a toxic moat. Can’t really miss it.” She tucked the map back in her pack and nodded her head to the south. “Ready to go?”

Allow me a moment. I wanted to finish my cola before walking again. Moon Shine found a soft spot in the dirt and lay down while I ambled about, observing the world. Flying may have been more expedient, but there were so many details that were missed. The way the ground cracked in dry patches, the floating dust blown about by the wind. I watched a tumbleweed go past as I took a sip. Life everywhere.

Suddenly, everything turned upside down! Where I’d thought there was solid ground, my hoof fell through open air and I tumbled over, falling into the gorge. In a blind panic, I bit into the nearest thing I could find. With luck, it was a tree root. Strange, I hadn’t seen any trees around. Moon Shine! I called out telepathically. If I’d tried to move my mouth, I would have fallen. Above me, just a meter up, was solid ground. Beneath me, a drop I couldn’t see the bottom of.

“I’m here!” A pair of blue eyes appeared above me, and in that moment they were beautiful. “Shit, hold on!”

She left, and I felt panic rising. If only my damned wings were working. I would need to work on recovering them if I got out of here. When I got out of here. I would not be defeated by a hole in the ground! I looked around, trying to find something to put my hooves on. There was nothing, just the strong wooden root that I clenched my teeth on.

I heard gunfire, and voices. Moon Shine! Wait, not voices, a voice. Whatever she was fighting wasn’t speaking. BANG! The noise from her gun echoed through my little chasm. BANG! I heard rapid hoofsteps, and the groaning of something too large to move quickly. BANG!

Silence.

Then, hoofsteps back towards me. Moon Shine?

A few dreadful seconds passed, then a glorious pink pony appeared above me holding a tree branch in her mouth. I locked my hooves around my root, issued a silent prayer to the Goddess for luck, and leapt for it. I hit home as my teeth clamped on Moon Shine’s branch. She struggled slightly with my weight, sweat rolling down her forehead, but through effort managed to pull me away from certain doom.

I scrambled away from the chasm while Moon Shine flopped onto the ground, chest heaving. You… you saved our life.

“Don’t, think, nothing, of it.” She managed to gasp out between breaths. I found myself chuckling slightly, then pain erupted in the back of my head!

I scrambled forwards, raised my shield and turned to face my attacker. In front of me was a small, heavily damaged tree with a missing branch. It was full of bullet holes and, somehow, looked decidedly angry.

A killer tree.

No.

I focused my magic along the length of my horn, building a current. As the tree ambled closer for a second swipe, I let loose a bolt of lightning straight into its center. The arc remained for an instant, but it was enough to cause a spark. The tree caught fire, emitting a terrible wail of pain. It scrambled about, heading straight for Moon Shine! Before I could issue a warning, the agile pony swung to the side and let the monstrosity fall into the chasm. Its shriek descended for several seconds, then finally stopped.

After sweeping around to make sure there were no more to jump out at us, I lowered my shield. I noticed to my dismay that the cola I’d been drinking had dropped down the chasm when I fell. I levitated out another, letting the radiation recover my strength.

“Phew.” Moon Shine trotted up to me. “What did I tell you? Killer trees.” She looked back at the chasm. “Terribly embarrassing way to go.”

We would not allow a plant to get the better of us. I still felt the sting from where it had struck me, but she did not need to know that.

“Clearly. Where’d you learn that spell? You fired a freaking lightning bolt from your horn!” she exclaimed with admiration in her voice. I did not find it displeasing.

The Unity provides many things, including the spells necessary to perform our tasks. If only I’d been holding a healing spell when I’d been disconnected. Is there a unicorn doctor in Broken Pillar?

She looked disoriented momentarily before responding. “Yeah, old Doc Kindhoof. I know, I know, typical name for a doctor, right? Why, you hurt?” She looked concerned.

Of course not. I lied. We would simply like to take the opportunity to learn healing magic, should the need arise.

She scratched her chin with a hoof. “That would be valuable…”

No matter. I am keen to be away from this place. Let us reach Lake Fancy before night falls proper! I finished my cola and stored the cap in my bag.

“Alright, let’s go!” Moon Shine trotted up beside me and we continued on our journey, leaving the ghastly tree behind.

Moon Shine…

“Yeah?”

Thank you.

Footnote: Level up!

New Perk: Brick Wall

You’re a big lass, and it’ll take something equally big to knock you down! You have a 50% chance to ignore knockdown effects.

Chapter Three: Lake Fancy

“They actually consider us gods. But then, who can blame them?”

I sat on my bedroll in our shared tent. The canvas was apparently one of Moon Shine’s more valued possessions, but it had been made with two regular sized ponies in mind. I kept my head bowed to avoid touching the exterior. Moon had cast a warmth spell, keeping our little green bubble heated against the chill night. I’d discovered that her spellset was ‘softer’ than mine. She focused on utility, a fact that supposedly had saved her life many times travelling in the wastes.

The night had been as black as ever when we reached Lake Fancy. We sacrificed some diligence for expedience when finding a suitable spot to camp. It did not matter much, we gave out no light and her alarm talisman was still functional. Moon Shine was sleeping like a filly wrapped in her blanket. She’d been walking for essentially the full day, not properly resting even in Broken Pillar. Her mane blew in and out of her mouth as she snored. Seeing her sleep so, I found a smile creeping onto my face.

I wouldn’t need sleep for another few hours, so I may as well be productive. As quietly as my hooves would allow, I snuck out into the oppressive darkness. I floated a magical light around the area, trying to find a hidden alcove so as to not wake my companion. To the side, I found a small, pony-sized crater. I didn’t sense anything around, and my shield could come up in a second if necessary.

I’d removed my dress after our encounter with the killer tree; there was no point in risking getting it damaged out here. Hovering the light closer, I inspected my wing. Folded in on my left side like it was, there didn’t appear to be anything wrong. Could it have healed already? I cautiously started to unfold it. Good so far…

Oh, Goddess’ holy nethers!

As I reached the halfway point, crippling pain jolted through my entire left side and my wing clamped down. My world was plunged into darkness as I lost concentration on my light spell, and an uneasy emptiness descended around me.

Moments passed, and nothing happened. I recast my spell with trepidation. Nothing had happened. After the shock of such intense pain, I decided that staying with Moon Shine would be the best course of action. I headed back over, still doing my best to remain unheard. I used my hoof to brush the tent flap aside and resumed my position on the comfortable bedroll. I had to curl up to keep my extremities inside the cramped tent.

“Alicorn?”

Sorry. We did not mean to wake you.

“Don’t worry about it. You’ll have to tell me more about these holy nethers of yours later.”

* * * * *

Three, on the ground!

Thunder, lightning.

Crack.

* * * * *

In daylight, or what passed for daylight in the wasteland, it became clear why the resort had been left alone. The moat was fortified, with a sheer stone wall on the inner side. There was a raised drawbridge, large enough for a single wagon. Chains in the wall indicated that the bridge could be lowered from inside. Our exit was rather easy then; our entrance was another matter entirely.

The water had fared as well as you would expect water to fare after 200 years without motion. The reek was incredible. There were large steel pipes leading into the river, but they were silent. Bubbly scum floated atop the still water, the only movement in sight.

“Alicorn, you notice that?” Moon Shine pointed to the moat with her hoof.

The watery defences? You mentioned those.

She looked at me with an odd expression. “Was that sarcasm? Were you sarcastic just then?”

We have never been sarcastic. I felt rather smug at having outwitted my companion. What have you noticed?

Moon Shine chuckled and regained her composure. “There’s no debris. You’d think something would’ve fallen in by now.” She remarked. Now that she mentioned it, yes. There was nothing floating in the resort’s moat, no scrap or bones or anything. I floated out a Sparkle-Cola while my companion stood in thought. As I floated the cap into my bag, “Aha!”

I turned in confusion to find Moon Shine floating my cap over the water. Before I could voice my protest, she dropped the metal and it began to hiss. Within seconds it had dissolved. “Swimming’s out then.”

You never mentioned anything about the moat being acid.

“Believe me, if I’d known I wouldn’t have come here.” She paced about the water’s edge, her hooves clip-clopping on the stone fortification. “We’re smart mares, right? We can figure this out.” She looked up to the resort. “Things melt when placed in the water. Obvious solution, we don’t go in the water. New problem, we can’t get into Lake Fancy.” She looked up to the decorations on the side of the main building. A large sign, presumably neon, spelled ‘L e Fa y’.

I turned my gaze down to the river. If we could bridge the gap, then we would have no reason to enter the river. I levitated a blade of grass away from its parent plant and dropped it in to have it meet the same fate as the unfortunate bottlecap. A pile of dirt followed it after. I finished the last of my cola, savouring the sweet carroty aftertaste, and tossed the glass bottle in. It floated for a moment, then sank and disintegrated.

I was about to turn away, when I realised something. I stomped at the stone fortification holding the moat in place, chipping some off with my strong hoof. I kicked that pebble in, and it sank straight down. Moon Shine!

I turned to see my companion dipping the end of her spoon in the water. She lost her concentration and dropped it, the spoon sizzling and dissipating as it sank. “Aww, I liked that spoon.” She scrunched her face in his disappointment. “Yeah?”

Do you think we could build a bridge out of the stone holding the moat?

She stopped and scratched her chin. “That would work, if we could do it.” She then shook her head. “But we can’t do it. We’d need dynamite and a team of workponies to move the stone, unless you have an explosion spell in that noggin of yours.” I shook my head. “Still, bridging it is our best option. If only we could use the…” I imagined a light bulb sparking over her head, “drawbridge! We can use the drawbridge!”

I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but the drawbridge has been drawn. It is inaccessible.

“Not entirely true!” She waggled a hoof in my face. “It is inaccessible legally. What we can do will probably break several old world laws, but I daresay we’re beyond that by now.” I stared at her as she explained her plan. I marvelled at the simplicity of it. “Think you can do it?”

I measured the magical reserves within me. It may leave me drained for a while, but it is certainly possible! As we made our way to the front entrance, I started charging the required spell. I’d never tried this before, but it would work. It had to work!

Pew!

I threw the strongest magical spear I’d ever thrown at the smallest target I’d ever aimed for. In the instant between firing and hitting, I worried that the effort had been for naught. That had been the strongest spell I’d ever cast, and I could already feel my horn ache. Clang! The bolt slammed into the wall, piercing deep into the concrete.

“Nicely done.” The chain holding the drawbridge up snapped and flailed like a dismembered snake. The bridge slacked, groaning against its wooden supports. For once, 200 years of rot were on our side as the failsafes splintered and the drawbridge crashed open. The thud resounded for miles.

Together, Moon Shine and I stood side by side at the entrance to the pre-war relic. Past the bridge was a large iron gate, slightly ajar. There was a skeleton in an old security booth, forever waiting for visitors to show their tickets. We sidled up to each other and made our way forwards.

Moon Shine made to squeeze through the door first, but I stopped her. You may be more perceptive, but anything lying in wait will spot you before you spot it. I, at least, can take a few rounds. She made to argue, but my gaze silenced her. She nodded and stepped back. Powering up my shield, I walked through the gate.

“Welcome to Lake Fancy, madam. May I take your name please?”

Standing to my right, with moss growing over him, was a ghoul: an undead monster that was once a pony. Some stay sane for a time, holding onto something important from their old existence. Others lose their minds upon seeing what they have become. The look in this one’s eyes was different. I couldn’t tell if he was more or less dead than a feral.

“Madam, I must insist. Your name please?” The ghoul’s voice was gravelly and dry.

Well, worth a shot. “Alicorn.”

The ghoul’s empty eyes stared at me for almost too long. Then, be bowed! “Princess! I apologise most profusely, I have been on shift for far longer than regulations allow.” He looked flustered for a moment. “Not that I mind! I would gladly take long hours for a chance to meet you, Princess!” He looked hesitant. “Princess, where are your bags?”

“My bags! They,” a sly grin appeared on my face, “they are with my servant. Come, Moon Shine!” I called back to the gate. A glaring Moon Shine walked through, head held low.

“Ah, you there! I will take you to the servants’ quarters and fill out your brief. You -”

“Actually, the ‘Princess’ here likes to have me at her side at all times.” She leaned in closer to the senile old ghoul. My ears twitched, barely picking up her whispered words. “She’s got a, a-hem, bladder problem. Doesn’t trust nopony but me to help her with it.” It was my turn to glare at her, my eye twitching.

“Ah. Well. Perhaps I’ll send an orderly up with the appropriate materials. I trust you’ll act with appropriate discretion should any incidents occur.” The ghoul leaned in and I saw Moon Shine’s nostrils trying to leap off her face. Hah! Bladder problem.

“You got it, boss. Don’t want to disturb the other residents?” It was spooky how she’d been able to change her accent to almost match the ghoul’s. If it weren’t for her rather distinctive colouring, I could have mistaken her for another mare entirely.

“Right! Well, Princess, please. Would you like to start by inspecting your room, or would you like the tour?” The ghoul held out his hoof, displaying Lake Fancy like a prize. Inside, the décor was significantly, well, fancier than outside. Two hundred years of neglect had taken a surprisingly minor toll. The tiled, twisting paths snaked around weathered stone statues of ponies of all races, leading off into gorgeously curved buildings with carved white stone pillars. There were two long buildings on either side and one even larger, more extravagantly decorated building near the back.

In the larger unpaved areas, long dead grass grew around long still fountains. I could feel a faint tingling coming from them; the water was irradiated. Specifically to Moon Shine, Take some Rad-X before too long. That water’s irradiated, and the source must be here somewhere. It must have been awful to fear radiation.

The ghoul stood there hopefully, waiting for me to give him an answer. “Show me… to my room. I will discover the grounds for myself.”

He bowed, and I saw some of the lichen on his back tear his skin as it tried to stretch beyond its limits. The sound was agonising, but the ghoul remained oblivious to it. “Of course. This way, Princess.” He rose and turned, walking professionally down the center of the ‘street’. I followed, this time with Moon Shine staying at my flanks. She leaned in close to my ear.

“Got a bad feeling about this. That moss on his back gives me the creeps.”

Worry not. Should he turn hostile, we will not hesitate to reduce his brain to fine paste. He did seem a bit inequine, but he was a ghoul. That was to be expected.

“Twilight’s tits, Alicorn, are you blind?” She pointed to the buildings and the statues. “There are turrets in those. You can see the gems from the targeting talismans.” I’d thought those were simple decoration. “If that ghoul turns hostile, these turrets will too.”

Is there no way to disable them?

“I think if you could remove the targeting talisman from one, that’d do it. That’s just on what I know about talismans though.” We were about halfway along the twisting tiles, the ghoul whistling a merry tune through his tortured throat. “They won’t be easy to remove, and if you get caught tampering they could open fire on you.” She clicked her tongue wistfully. “But, if we did manage to get them out, fully operational targeting talismans would be worth a fortune. Just one would be enough to get your cultist out of jail. There must be twenty here!”

And that’s not counting the ones inside. Our conversation was cut short as we reached the large building. The ghoul turned, spoke, and opened the door.

“Welcome to the Fancy House, your highness. This is where you will be staying.” My jaw dropped. This entire building was where V.I.P. guests stayed? The front doors opened into a large, open plan entertaining area, with tables and stools and a raised platform in the middle. To the left and right were spiral staircases, leading up to the first floor. “You should find the facilities most to your liking. The house was redecorated for your visit. Your servant should be familiar with the layout.” He bowed politely, that creaking skin sound battering my ears again. “Is there anything else I can help you with?”

“No, thank - actually, there is one thing.”

Five minutes later, the pair of us were exploring an upstairs bedroom with an entire crate of Sparkle-Cola on the queen-size bed. “Good thing you’re not actually a princess, Alicorn.”

I stared at Moon Shine over my drink. Without stopping, I asked, Why?

“A member of royalty drinking common soda? Imagine the outrage!” She pantomimed a screaming aristopony, gasping at the horror of mundane fluids passing regal lips.

Hmph. A real princess wouldn’t allow lesser ponies to dictate what she could or couldn’t do. I looked out of the large, rotten-framed window. Perhaps that’s why we don’t need any. I heard Moon Shine rummaging around the room behind me, and I let her. She knew how to scavenge, after all. What use is there in royalty if they do not serve for the betterment of their subjects?

“You waxing philosophical over there?”

Was I? Yes, I suppose I am. We never had discussions such as this while connected, consensus was always reached within seconds.

“I find that kinda hard to believe.” I turned back to Moon, who was packaging a box of cigarettes into her saddle bag. “All kinds of ponies have all kinds of minds, all different.” She turned to face me, her blue eyes meeting my green. “Makes it hard to get along, but what kind of life would it be otherwise?”

A better one.

She was about to answer when we heard a knock at the door. Moon nodded at me and jumped behind the bed for cover while I raised my shield. We couldn’t afford a single mistake in this place. The knock came again, and I slowly opened the door with my magic.

A rust red robotic pony stood in the doorway clutching a small device. “Greetings, resident.” Its voice was slow, clunky, mechanical. An assortment of pre-recorded messages as opposed to actual speech. “Due to the threat of zebra infiltrators, all visitors must submit to a mandatory identification check. Please present valid proof of identification.” Oh dear.

I froze. What counted as valid identification? Did I need paper? Blood? Magic? I looked back at Moon Shine and discovered that she was swearing and loading her pistol. Okay, she had no ideas either. The robot looked slow and clumsy and lightly armed; it would prove no match for us. If it were to tag us as ‘zebra infiltrators’ though…

“Please present valid proof of identification.” It took two steps forward, completely blocking the door. I looked closer at the robot, could we trick it? It had no face and a glass orb on its head. It shuffled along on metal hooves, and where its mouth should be there was a speaker. I could barely make out the ‘FF Industries’ logo on its side behind the rust. “Please present valid proof of identification.”

There was no way out of this. We would be forced to destroy the machine, and then the resort would turn on us. We would be trapped. The walls were too high to climb, the only exit was the front gate through which we entered. Even if I placed Moon Shine on my back, my shield couldn’t hold against that many turrets. We…

“Valid proof of identification has not been provided.” I charged up a lightning bolt… “Alerting senior member of staff.” …and let it fade. “Searching… searching… senior member of staff located. Alerting Greeter Cinnamon.” I knew little about hotel hierarchy, but I was fairly sure that greeters were not very high up. “Greeter Cinnamon alerted. Be advised that Greeter Cinnamon will arrive shortly. Please remain where you are.”

The robot backed out of the door and waited in the corridor.

“Alicorn!” Moon Shine jumped onto the bed and called my attention. I lowered my shield as she spoke. “That ghoul’s gonna come up here and ask us for I.D., and he’s not gonna be as easy to fool as that robot.”

Right. We need a plan. I looked at her expectantly, and she recoiled from me.

“I don’t know what to do! I was gonna smooze him into giving me access to maintenance, no chance of that now!” She paced frantically, the ancient bed creaking and groaning as she did. I found my hooves moving of their own accord, matching my companion’s nervous habit. I looked at her panicked face and remembered how she looked earlier.

Moon Shine, listen to me. She stopped in her tracks and stared at me with worried eyes. You can do this. The ghoul will arrive and expect identification. You must make him believe that we are a princess and her servant. She tried to look away but I leaned in closer. Do it.

She took a deep breath and stared into my eyes, and I almost thought I saw regret in them.

Then the ghoul arrived, prim and proper and falling to pieces. There was blood seeping out of his neck where the flesh had torn. “Your highness, I’m terribly sorry but there was a problem with the -”

“You dare to hassle the princess with your petty security concerns!?” Moon Shine shouted at the ghoul, marching straight up to his face. Goddess bless her nostrils. “First this robot interrupts her morning meditation, and now you dare to address her directly?” There was a faint glowing of her horn, and I noticed that the light in the room seemed to bend slightly. Was she…

“Miss, protocol clearly states -”

“Protocol is for ponies, she is a princess! Do you doubt your own eyes?” She stepped aside and pointed at me, her angry gaze never leaving the ghoul’s eyes. “Do you expect the zebras to mimic that? You think it possible?”

“Miss, I was only -”

“You have wasted enough of our time! I expect you to tell maintenance to stop their mechanical dogs from harassing us further!” She moved back in front of him, blocking his sight of me. Hopefully he hadn’t noticed my stunned expression. “You will do this now. If you find those slackers have left their posts, as it seems the kitchen staff have done, then you will give me access and I will fix them myself!” That poor ghoul.

“I - miss, I -” He took another look into her blazing eyes. “Yes miss, right away miss. Please extend Lake Fancy’s official apology to the princess. We will make sure she also has one in writing by this afternoon.” He fled back down the stairs and the robot followed him.

A moment passed in which neither of us moved. We were silent. The adrenaline of the moment was draining and we were powerless in its wake. Then, Moon Shine’s ears twitched and she collapsed against the wall, breathing heavily.

“That’s the first time I’ve ever done that.”

What do you mean? You convinced him that you were my servant earlier.

“Yeah, yeah, I’ve done that plenty of times, charmed ponies.” She waved her hoof in what I assumed was a charming motion. “I’ve never tried to intimidate anypony before. Not sure if you’ve noticed,” she looked herself up and down, “but I ain’t exactly the most intimidating pony around.” I had to agree with her. When I first saw her, my initial thought was ‘she is not a threat’. “Not like you, you giant pile of mare.”

Yes, I am rather intimidating. I thought smugly. There is a certain security to being the biggest pony around. I looked around the room, taking an odd pride in how small everything was compared to me. Moon Shine trotted over to the stool next to the vanity, resting her hooves as she rifled through the drawers.

“In my experience, that’ll just make you a bigger target.” She paused for a moment, thinking. “Looks like you don’t seem to care though.”

If we fight, we will be hit. That is an inevitability. Hoping to avoid getting hurt is pointless, so we ensure that we are strong enough to take it.

“Whatever works for you. Doubt I’ll ever go that way though.” She gave a slight squee as she levitated two tins of Mintals into her bag. “Makes us a good team though. You take the bullets, and I do what I need to do behind the scenes.”

She had a point. But what if you find yourself alone, without somepony strong? How would you manage then?

She stared straight into my eyes. “How would you?”

The ghoul had returned after five minutes to inform Moon Shine that maintenance had, indeed, left their posts and that he’d given her access to the necessary areas. We’d waited for him to leave before heading down into the restricted access tunnels. For all the finery and extravagance of the resort above ground, the staff received no such pleasure. The steel corridors were furnished with industrial emergency lights and metal shelves, punctuated with duct tape and decay. I felt a tingle in the air and advised Moon Shine to take a Rad-X.

Moon was having a whale of a time, picking through every shelf and box we came across. At this rate, we would have enough caps even without the talismans. Her bags had started to look rather full, so I offered to carry some of the burden. She needed to stay agile, after all, and my strengths required little movement.

We soon came to the hydraulic door leading into the maintenance office. Moon Shine pushed a button and the door slid open, the mechanism hissing in protest. There were no lights on inside, so in unison we cast spells of light and cautiously entered. The interior was furnished in the same style as the corridor: corporate blandness. The office had a desk complete with terminal, a tool closet and a workbench covered in discarded tools. Sitting at the desk was a half preserved pegasus corpse. Without working ventilation systems, there had been nothing down here to rot the poor pony. Bowing my head, I levitated him out of his chair and into the corner of the room. I could almost imagine that he was sleeping as I curled him up. Something was off about him though…

Moon Shine spoke softly. “Right. Yes. Keep watch while I see if I can make sense of this terminal.”

You can use those? Are there any skills you don’t have? I didn’t know why she wanted me to keep watch, there was nothing dangerous down here.

“Barely. I’m a competent user, but don’t ask me to hack anything more complex than a toaster.” She moved the chair aside and started tapping away at the keyboard, green text flying over the screen. Those things confused me, so I turned away and back to my apparent job of guarding. The corridor was as devoid of life as it had been when we entered. The gentle hum of the generators, still working even after all this time, was the only sound accompanying Moon Shine’s work. Suddenly, my ear twitched and I spun my head to see a shadow flicker. I leaned closer to try and make it out…

“Hey, Alicorn? You should come see this.” My attention was broken, and the flicker was gone. Probably just a radroach. I came back to Moon Shine, my hooves clanging against the metal floor. “Read that.” She pointed at the monitor, and I bent down to read.

Dear valued employee,

We are writing to inform you that your request for a leave of absence has been denied. Everypony is worried about their families in these trying times, but we must all carry on doing our duty for Equestria. For some that means fighting on the front lines against the zebra menace. For others, it means manning their post at their job, helping to keep Equestria running smoothly.

We would like to reassure you that there is no problem with the FF Industry’s patented CleanBreath™ filtration system. Maladies that may appear to be radiation poisoning are actually symptoms of Wartime Stress Disorder and will be reported to the Ministry of Morale. We wish you a pleasant day.

Kind regards,

Stonespin, Pony Resources Manager

I stood back up. Moon Shine looked at me expectantly, and I recoiled. “Well?”

What?

“This place didn’t follow regs! They knew that the radiation from their reactor was getting pumped through the vents and they threatened their staff with the M.O.M. if they said anything!”

So?

She looked at me in horror. “So? You don’t care?”

Should I? I looked at the pegasus in the corner, skin rotting away. He died 200 years ago, why should any of us care about that now? But, looking at the corpse, thinking about where he died…

“Yes! No, I…” she sighed, turning away from me. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have snapped. I see these old world injustices, and I get worked up. It’s stupid, I know, I see bad ponies now and I just accept that it’s gonna happen ‘cause it’s the wasteland!” She stomped on the ground, leaving an indent in the metal grating. “But why did they have to do that back then? When everything was perfect?” She looked at me with wide, tearful eyes.

A caring heart is a rare thing. Do not let it break. Share it with others. This was a perfect opportunity. Do you… do you need a moment alone? Don’t waste it!

She sniffed. “Yeah, I think I do.” She got and walked slowly to the door. “I won’t be long. Just need a few minutes to clear my head.” Don’t let her leave now, this is golden! She walked out of the door, her bright yellow tail disappearing into the gloom.

Damn it! That was the perfect opportunity to persuade her into Unity! She was low, she needed acceptance, she needed somepony to comfort her and help her! I could have offered her the Goddess’ love! We could have gone to Maripony, dipped her and she would be one of us! Why hadn’t I taken her? Why had I let her go like that?

I fell to my rump. She’d been upset, and I had found myself unable to say anything to her. She was vulnerable and I was unable to attack her. It had felt… wrong to manipulate her.

I levitated out a Sparkle-Cola, having replenished my supply from the crate. The cool liquid helped me concentrate on the present; there was little point in dwelling on past mistakes. I turned back to the terminal and saw the text ‘back’. I selected that option and a line of dates came up on the screen. There were lots, too many to fit on the screen. I decided to leave the terminal alone, Moon Shine would be back soon to make sense of it. With nothing to do, I took another sip of my cola and looked at the dead pegasus. Strange, I hadn’t left him in that position…

He stared up at me with vacant eyes. I met his gaze. I daren’t move. He just stared at me, unblinking. I began to shift my weight, to charge up my horn. Then, he cocked his head and lay back down. I blinked, and he was still lying down. Not letting the charge in my horn die, I cautiously moved forwards and prodded him with a hoof. I scrambled back as he looked at me, then relaxed as he did.

I tried to reach out to him with my telepathy. Hello? He bolted upright, frantically looking around the room. Are you alright? He stared at me, trying to back further into his corner. It’s okay, I’m not here to hurt you. He stopped shaking and looked up at me, his empty eyes opening wide. I could see the flesh where his skin had retracted. Can you understand me?

He started to move, opening his mouth and taking a step forward, when Moon Shine screamed. I turned to see her in the doorway, then felt a wave of air as the pegasus bolted past me straight at her!

Stop! I commanded.

He stopped. His bony wings were spread and he looked ready to pounce at my companion. He snorted and hoofed the ground.

I said stop. Come back. Sweet Goddess, I hoped this worked. A terrible moment passed before the pegasus loosened and came, standing by my side! Moon Shine looked at the pair of us in terrified confusion.

“...”

She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. I looked at the pegasus, standing like a guard. Moon Shine found her voice. “What?”

I looked back to her, watching terror be replaced with more confusion. I appear to have found a ghoul.

“I noticed. He, is he going to be a problem?” She didn’t take her eyes off him, and I found myself feeling oddly protective.

No. I don’t think so. If he turns out to be one, then I will put him down before any harm can come to you. The pegasus began to idle, looking around the room.

“Okay. Keep him away from me while I see what I can do about getting those talismans.” Moon Shine trotted back up to the terminal, and I led the ghoul out into the corridor. He followed obediently at my flank.

As my companion got to tapping away at the terminal, I examined my new follower more closely. Whatever colour his hide had been before, it was now a sickly grey. There were patches where his skin had fallen off, revealing dead flesh below. He was large, especially for a ghoul. His head came to just under mine, putting him a full head taller than most other ponies. His mane and tail had both completely fallen away, leaving him looking like an abused doll. His eyes were milky, enough to make me wonder how he could see. He didn’t seem to have any problem as he inspected his surroundings.

A thought occurred to me. Turn around. He hesitated, then turned, allowing me to look at his flanks. As I suspected, his cutie mark was gone too. All that remained was a slightly darker patch of hide, in a rough X shape, where his soul had once been on display. Was there any part of his old self in him now? I found myself turning to look at my own blank flank…

“Found it!” Moon Shine was standing in the doorway, looking pleased with herself. “Turns out you can’t control the robots from here. I was gonna give up, but something in my head told me to keep trying. So I did, and I found out how to disable them!” She must have seen my excited expression, because she carried on with gusto. “All we need is an I.D. card from a security mare. If one of us holds that and opens the back, they won’t attack. We’ll be able to take all of the innards and leave!”

That sounded perfect. Great! Where can we find a security card? She hesitated.

“Well, in security. That’s the only problem.” She frowned as my new pegasus friend skittered about. “That has a separate network to the rest of the resort, for security reasons,” she chuckled at her own joke, “and I didn’t get access to there from that ghoul. I don’t think he can give access there.” The pegasus squishily nudged my side, pointing his nose down the corridor. He seemed rather agitated. “What’s up with him?”

I don’t know. What is it? The pegasus bolted down the corridor, looking around the corner. His wings straightened out as he ran back, and I felt a twinge of envy. He took up position before me in that guarding pose he took before. Faintly, I heard hoofsteps on the metal floor from up ahead. Had he really heard that from so far away?

“Somepony’s coming. Take him into the office. If it’s the ghoul, I’ll talk him away. I hope.” I nodded and led the pegasus back into the cramped old office. Moon Shine pushed the button outside and the door closed, sealing me with my follower.

The only light was that from my horn, and I set it in the middle of the room to stop the shadows from moving. I could hear nothing from outside, the office must have been sound-proofed. The pegasus stared at my light, mesmerised. I moved it left, and he followed left. I grinned as I moved it about, him following it like a foal. What was this pony?

Pegasus! Sit. He sat. Stand. He stood. Speak. He did not.

The door opened with a hiss and a worried Moon Shine walked through. “Alicorn, we have a problem.” She was levitating her revolver next to her, and the barrel was smoking.

What did you do?

“The robot came back. It said that it had reported the incident to Ministry of Morale, and that it had received instructions to terminate the Cadance imposter! It started firing at me when I tried to argue!” Sweat ran down her features and she couldn’t stay still. “We need to get to security. We can shut the robots down from there!”

Do you know the way? She nodded. Then lead on. Come, Pegasus! The three of us ran, galloping through the underground access corridors. The sound of alarms invaded our ears as we passed each ladder to the surface. The route twisted and turned, security was on the other side of the resort! We turned one last corner to find a door marked ‘Security’ and a gun turret in the ceiling. Get back!

My shield jumped up as Moon Shine dashed back and incineration beams scorched the ground where she’d stood. The gun turned its attention to me, and I focused all of my energy on holding the shield. I tried to form the current for a lightning bolt, but the beams took all of my focus to defend against. Just as I was to tell the others to retreat, there was a grey blur running past me. I gaped as the pegasus sprinted down the hallway, jumped off the wall and slammed his hooves straight into the turret!

The turret, while not destroyed, was damaged and confused. It span back around to blast him, giving me the time I needed to conjure a lightning bolt. I loosed it straight into the turret, and the arcane defence fizzled and died. Its targeting light went dead and the gun sagged to the floor. The pegasus stared at me in either wonder or fear, and ran back to my side.

“Okay, you can keep him.” Moon Shine joked. “Come on!”

There were no more turrets actually in security, thankfully. Moon Shine led us to a small office, in much the same pattern as the one in maintenance, complete with corpse. This one was a skeleton in barding, however, not a dormant ghoul. She rummaged through its belongings, discovering a keycard no bigger than her hoof. She swiped it in the receiver on the terminal, and green text flashed across it. She tapped some buttons, went through a few screens, and the sirens stopped.

The silence was deafening. Nopony made a sound, not even the pegasus. Moon Shine stood motionless at the terminal, her hoof still over the button that had cancelled the alert. She started to relax, and the business side of her resurfaced.

“Okay, we can’t stay here much longer. The ghoul from the gate will be wondering what’s going on.” She looked distastefully at the skeleton’s barding. “Hate doing this, but that gear is too valuable to pass up.” She started levitating it off the corpse, then looked to me pleading.

Fine. Get whatever you need from here, I will secure this. She thanked me and set about looting the room. I looked down at the skeleton and the barding it wore. It was designed to fit a unicorn, judging by the horn sticking out of the black helmet. Lifting the corpse to get at the various buckles and straps, I noticed how light it was. There was very little actual protection on this yellow and black suit. I levitated the bones out of the old gear and placed them in the corner of the room, piling them up. I left the skull on top, giving the office a rather macabre feel.

Moon Shine cursed at a locked cabinet and turned back. I offered her the barding. “Great. I’ll get it painted when we’re back in town, Primer has some in the back room.” She took it in her magic, and hesitated. “Could you, y’know, wait outside a minute?”

Why?

“I’m gonna change.”

I do not mind. The equine form is nothing to be ashamed of. She stared at me.

“Alicorn?”

Yes?

“Get out.”

Moon Shine, the pegasus and I all made our way up to the building directly above the security office. This place was significantly less extravagant than the Fancy House, the furniture was cheaper and there were mere lights instead of chandeliers. My bags were getting heavy with all of the knick knacks that Moon Shine was collecting. Was glue really that valuable?

“Okay, I see no reason why this won’t work. I have the card, the tools from maintenance and even the uniform.” She examined her legs in the yellow undersuit. “And if it all goes to shit, at least you’ll be able to see me!” She chuckled, but I didn’t share it. I was feeling uneasy about this. “Yes, well. First we find a turret. Should be easy enough.”

The three of us walked out into the open and were greeted by the resort’s decor. More clouds had rolled in while we were inside, giving the stone architecture a sinister shadow. Without light, the statues turned from old world guardians to reminders of what ponykind was able to inflict. My eyes scanned the courtyard, looking for the sharp red eyes that indicated a targeting talisman. The oppressive gloom was unable to shroud the glare from an earth pony statue’s podium, and I pointed to it for Moon Shine. She nodded and made her way across, floating the maintenance tools and security card alongside her.

I waited inside with the pegasus; there was no need for me to be out there. I found my eyes drawn toward the gate, where the ghoul greeter stood at his post. The blood seeping out of his neck had started to dry, giving him a crimson collar. He did not move, didn’t even blink. His world had been destroyed and he had clung to the thing that kept him stable, the thing that made him who he was: his job. When I gave these memories to Unity, they would not know him by name. They would know him as the Lake Fancy ghoul.

The pegasus nudged me and pointed towards the gate with his nose. Yes, I know. It is rather sad. He did not seem satisfied, continuing to nudge me. I cannot help him! Unity cannot take ghouls; they are incompatible. I ignored his incessant distractions and turned my attention to Moon Shine. She had opened a panel, very cleverly hidden on the statue, and was very slowly picking her way through the interior. I heard a click, and she froze. Seconds passed, and she hadn’t been vaporised. She untensed and hesitantly levitated a small, red talisman from inside the stone. Such a small thing…

She carried it back into our building, and we hid ourselves again. Very well done, Moon Shine. She grinned at me, floating the treasure into her saddlebag.

“Thought I’d tripped an alarm there. I had to cut a wire to shut off the matrix, and all the wires were the same!” She waved her hooves about, presumably trying to emphasise the point. “I’m not sure I can do another one.”

Come now. There is no harm in trying. If you come across the same situation again, then we can stop. I looked into her eyes. Do you know that they are all wired the same way?

She shuffled uncomfortably. “Well, no…”

Then you can try another one. If, after starting, you find it too much of a risk, then we have lost nothing for the attempt. I smiled at her. That is what you do when trying to convince ponies, right?

“Well, alright. I’ll try one more.” I gave her a, hopefully, reassuring tap on the shoulder as she went back out into the gloom. The pegasus was growing ever more frantic, and it was beginning to unnerve me. He kept pointing towards the greeter. Was he worried that he would turn against us?

I looked out of the door to check on Moon Shine. She swiped her card on a reader near the statue’s base, then got her tools out to remove the panel. She may claim to be untrained, but she definitely had a knack. The greeter was as still as ever, vacant eyes glazing over a vacant resort.

He moved.

He moved to the large iron gate. Moon Shine! He locked his hooves into the huge handle and pulled, stretching too little skin over too much flesh. As more of his blood seeped out, the gate opened entirely. Standing in the archway was a pair of ponies. One, a unicorn, was wearing red robes and levitating a clipboard. The other was fully encased. Steel covered their hide from head to tail, with a respirator and visor on their face. At their sides, in a battle saddle, were a shotgun and grenade launcher. My heart fell into an abyss of fear.

They were Steel Rangers.

* * * * *

Missiles on the left!

Down.

Fire!

* * * * *

Moon Shine, get out of there. We cannot fight this! To my horror, she looked at me like I was crazy and revealed herself to them! The Ranger marched straight up to my companion while the assistant conversed with the greeter. If only my ears were better, I could hear them!

“Greetings scavenger!” The Ranger stallion’s magically assisted voice boomed over the resort. “We are the Steel Rangers, defenders of Equestria! Protectors of the meek!” He stepped closer. “Friend to the common. We thank you for your aid in penetrating this pre-war establishment and unlocking the bounty within for the good of us all!”

“By ‘us all’, do you mean me or you?” You go girl. Insult him before he turns us into red mist.

The Ranger let out a hearty guffaw. “Hah! You make a fine jest, my filly. No, this place will be used for the good of all ponykind, as well you must know!” He turned on the spot, surveying his surroundings. His assistant was making her way to him, furiously taking notes. “You have done us a service, and you will be rewarded! Any scrap you have acquired from Steel Ranger property is yours to keep, once you share your knowledge with us!”

Careful. He’s tricking you.

“That’s a -”

The Ranger held out his armoured hoof, silencing my companion. “Oh! But where are my manners?” Moon Shine made an angry, scrunchy face. “You must introduce us to your companions over there!” Goddess help me, he pointed to the building the pegasus and I were hiding in. “My scanners tell me that they are friendlies, so I assume that they are with you.”

Moon hesitated before answering. “My… friends are uncomfortable around Steel Rangers. They had a bad experience with the ones down south.”

“Ah, the mountain chapter. Terrible displays.” The red-robed unicorn facehoofed. “Then I shall do my duty to my order and reconnect with the common ponies!” He boomed his intention far louder than was necessary, and began his march to our hideaway.

“That really won’t be -” Moon Shine tried to buy us time, but the Ranger did not even slow.

“Nonsense!” I searched frantically for a place a hide and instructed the pegasus to do the same. “I will accept nothing less, for I have sworn a sacred oath! The Steel Rangers are Equestria’s finest, and I will not allow ponies to fear us!” A door! It was a step in the right direction. I yanked it open with my magic and fled inside, the pegasus right on my flank. “Worry not, fair citizens! I am coming in!” I slammed the door shut behind me and winced as a mop fell on my head.

“Oh, deary me. Hiding in the broom closet?” I was going to die. His heavy hoofsteps resounded through the wooden floor. I heard him get closer, and closer. “I am going to open the door. Don’t worry, I promise I won’t hurt you.” He was almost here… wait.

“You… promise?” I tried to make my voice higher, tried to disguise the weight that hung on my words. “You swear that you will not harm us?” If he put as much stock in oaths as it appeared…

“I swear that unless you threaten or attack myself or my brothers, I will see no harm done to you.” He sounded genuine, but I’d never negotiated with one of these killers before. “Now, I am opening the door.” I didn’t breath as the doorknob turned. The wooden door opened, revealing the armoured soldier before me. Neither of us moved for seconds. I stared into his visor, and I felt him staring back. His weapons hung at his side, both pointed directly at me. A single grenade would destroy me…

“I will make myself very, very clear.” Gone was his bravado, replaced by a grim determination. “I will follow my oath to the letter. If you do not threaten or attack me or my brothers, I will see no harm done to you.” He leaned in closer, and I pushed back against the wall. “But one slip, one hint that you will cause problems, and I will tear you apart.” He took a step forwards, and I could go no further back. “Do I make myself perfectly clear?”

I stared down at the Steel Ranger, feeling tiny. Yes. He pulled back, and I dropped back to my hooves. After another moment of staring, he turned and marched out. There was much less gusto in the way he moved than before.

The pegasus stared up at me, his eyes wide. His knees were shaking. Shh, it’s okay. Everything is okay now. He didn’t stop shaking, but his nerves were at least calmed somewhat. Gathering myself, I cautiously came out of the broom closet and out of the building. The Steel Ranger was talking to his companion in a low voice, and she recoiled upon seeing me. I saw her magic field around the beam pistol on her side, but the Ranger stopped her.

Moon Shine was standing next to me, looking worried. “I don’t know what their problem with you is, but drink a soda.” I stared at her. “Drink one! They look at you like you’re a monster, and monsters don’t drink soda.” A ludicrous sentiment, but worth trying. I started to levitate a bottle out of my bag, and the Ranger snapped his guns onto me. I froze. Then, I slowly lifted the rest of the bottle out, letting him see what I had. I popped the cap and took my first sip, grateful for the calming, rejuvenative drink. “When we’re done here, you need to tell me what their problem with you is. For now, I’ll give them what they want and we’ll be off.” She started to move back to them, but stopped. “Hold onto this.” She gave me the talisman and I stuffed it straight into my bag. “Don’t want them discovering we have it.”

I stood in the middle of the courtyard with my Sparke-Cola and the pegasus. The Steel Ranger, whose name I’d discovered to be Parmesan, stood at the gate, watching both outside and me. Moon Shine was showing Shortbread, the blue unicorn assistant, how to remove the talismans from the turrets. She’d tried to keep as many as she could, but the angry unicorn had refused every request. My presence had removed all of Moon’s bargaining chips. I was grateful to her quick thinking for having me hold the first one, the Rangers would likely have taken that too had Moon Shine been holding it.

Truth be told, I was actually managing to be bored. I wasn’t trusted to stand watch outside, nor was I allowed to roam free within the resort’s halls. I was incapable of assisting the two unicorns with their technical work, so I simply stood here with the pegasus ghoul. It was odd; I had remained motionless for hours on end while in Unity, but never had I experienced boredom like this. I could not converse with Moon Shine for fear of distracting her, and the pegasus made very bad conversation.

Do you like it here? He stared back blankly. Do you have any way of communicating at all? He sniffed at a patch of dead grass, then recoiled away from it. I glanced at the bottle floating next to me. Want some Sparkle-Cola? His ears perked up and he took the bottle in his mouth as I offered it. He downed its contents in seconds. Oh my, I see I am not the only one who appreciates a good soda. I chuckled, resisting the urge to pet him. Despite how he may behave he was still a pony, not an animal. I wonder if you would like a name. He cocked his head at me. I think Moon Shine would get annoyed if I called you ‘Pegasus’. He hoofed the tiles, clearly agreeing. How about, ‘Death Dasher’? That’s a fierce name! I hadn’t seen him ever look quite so disgruntled before. Fine. I levitated out another Sparkle-Cola and took a sip.

What do you think of Fizz? He looked at me, apparently thinking. He turned his gaze to my soda, then to the sky, then back at me. Then, in a creepy display I had no wish to see again, Fizz smiled. Welcome to the family.

“That’s all of them in the courtyard. I think there are more in the tunnels, but they’re of your standard ‘pop-out-and-shoot-you’ kind. You’re on your own with those.” Moon Shine and Shortbread were walking over to me, and I quickly finished my cola.

“Very well. The Steel Rangers officially thank you for your time. Your name and likeness have been recorded on a list of cooperative citizens.” Shortbread gave the impression of someone who had given that line many times and cared about it never. “Please vacate Steel Ranger property imme-”

Parmesan’s thunderous hooves stomped towards us, his magically assisted voice barely reaching over them. “Raiders!”

Shortbread turned and, for the first time, I saw fear on her face. “What class and how many?”

“Stable dwellers, at least fifteen. We cannot overpower them with just us two, and our tactics are broken by their E.F.S.” I heard worry on the imposing figure’s voice, and I felt wonderful schadenfreude at my enemy’s fear. It was quickly squashed when I realised that the raiders were my problem too.

“Damn it, if we hadn’t been so fast gutting those turrets, we could just leave it to them.” She looked around, assessing the tactical situation. “How long do we have?”

“Minutes at best. I could lay some mines at the entrance, but -”

“But their PipBucks will let them interface with and loot them.”

The two Rangers continued their hurried discussion. They seemed to put a lot of stock on these Stable dwellers. I looked at the Steel Ranger emblem on the stallion’s armour. That sword symbolised the biggest resistance to the Goddess in all of Equestria. There was no way I could do this, no way I would do this! This Ranger alone had probably slain a number of my sisters, and would do so again! But how could I bring my new knowledge back to Unity if I died here? I took in a deep breath, and exhaled.

I can help you.

The two Rangers stopped. “Excuse me?” Shortbread asked, her voice laced with danger.

I can help you. Fizz and Moon Shine too, if you would let us. Moon Shine mouthed ‘Fizz?’ at me, but I ignored her for now.

“We do not accept aid from monsters! Stay out of our way, and -”

“Okay.” Parmesan interrupted Shortbread, gaining an evil glare from the unicorn. “We will accept your aid.”

“Paladin, this goes against every rule in the book!”

“Scribe Shortbread, I’m afraid I must pull rank. I order you to accept aid from this alicorn!” She stuttered and fumed, glaring at him, then me, then back at him. Just when I thought she was about to snap, she adopted a strange calm.

“Okay. In that case, here is my plan.” She quickly explained her battle plan, making extensive use of both me and Fizz. After checking that everypony knew their part, she and Moon Shine made their way into separate buildings to give the rest of us cover. Shortbread did look rather frail, after all. I instructed the pegasus on what to do, and he managed to understand that he was to wait on the Fancy House for my signal. It had taken some effort, but he understood.

That left me and Parmesan in the courtyard. I looked over the Steel Ranger’s armaments, which suddenly seemed much less formidable now that I was having to rely on them. I felt him look me over, feeling the same way. Our eyes locked for a moment.

“The ponies back at base will never believe this.”

Unity will also doubt this tale.

In that moment, I couldn’t help but laugh. He did too, and we shared the calm before the storm. With how this Ranger, how we were acting, was it possible for us to work together? The moment was short lived as Shortbread shouted her command to the pair of us. No, our goals, our philosophies, were too different. For now though, we marched side by side to the closed iron gate. The greeter was still in his place, unwavering.

“Citizen. You should hide yourself; the resort is to be attacked by zebra spies momentarily.” Parmesan’s voice was full of concern, muffled though it was through his speakers. The ghoul nodded quickly and fled to the nearest building. Parmesan turned back to me, “Pre-War ghouls remember the Steel Rangers as the ultimate military authority, next to Applejack or Luna herself. Makes dealing with them, even ferals, much easier.”

I nodded. When we arrived, he mistook me for a princess. I imagine our entry would have been significantly more hostile had he not. We shared a look and nodded.

I had not waited for battle in some time. I had fought, yes. I had started battles. Waiting for one that you knew was going to happen was something else entirely. Savouring each second that passes because you know that they will become precious once the fighting starts. I couldn’t hear the approaching raiders, but Parmesan apparently could. “They’ve hit the bridge. Get ready.”

He shifted his stance and I raised my shield. We stood just five meters from the gate. When it opened, all Tartarus would be let loose and we would be playing the role of Cerberus. The iron barrier swung on its giant hinges…

There was a simultaneous thwump and roar as Parmesan unloaded his weapons into the oncoming swarm, and I accompanied him with magical bolts. Under the ferocious onslaught the attacking ponies were driven back almost instantly, scrambling for cover. They all wore black security barding, and they lacked the ingrained filth of wastelanders. They may not be seasoned fighters, but they were healthy, well-equipped and numerous. In seconds they were firing back with powerful automatics.

Moving in almost perfect unison, the Ranger and I steadily retreated back, slowly allowing the raiders ground in the resort. Bullets ricocheted off my shield and Parmesan’s armour as we slowly gave death back. I was firing fewer and fewer shots as I focused my energy on keeping my shield active, and the attackers were noticing the flickers in my protection. We were back fifteen meters from the entrance, and we shifted our retreat to the right. Hopefully they wouldn’t figure it out…

We were finally back far enough to take cover behind statues. I hid behind a rearing earth pony, letting my shield drop to recharge. Parmesan was still firing from his cover. As the last of the raiders entered the resort, the Ranger started focusing his grenades to the left of them, stopping them from entering too much further. We were doing it…

“They’re trapping us here!” One of the raiders shouted. “Get out, there’s more of them!” Another replied. As one tried to flee back out of the entrance, the iron gate slammed shut. I thought I caught a glimpse of a bright yellow tail flicking out of the way outside. “Fuck!”

Nice work, Moon. I felt a surge of pride and power. I raised my shield once more, stepping out into the raiders line of fire. Fizz, now! I unleashed spear after spear into the assembled ponies. Their armour dissipated the worst of the attack, but it was still enough to disorient. As they staggered about, a fleshy blur slammed into them. I was amazed at how quickly he turned, at how he kept his speed. His unarmed hooves were dealing little damage, but that wasn’t the point.

“Ten seconds!” Parmesan shouted, pushing me to up my game. The Ranger’s suppressive fire was keeping most of them pinned, Fizz’s presence was keeping them distracted. There were some, however, that tried to scatter, and I would not allow it. Lightning flashed from my horn each time one attempted escape. One, two. I felt a dull ache at the base of my horn. Three, four, five. They collectively shuffled to the wall. Six. My vision started to blur. Seven.

From the window above, Shortcake’s head appeared. Floating alongside it was a pair of plasma grenades. She smirked and dropped them into the crowd. Everypony froze as the apples hit the ground. Nopony fired a shot, knowing the battle was over. Seconds passed.

“They’re duds! Atta-” I fired one last lightning bolt at the grenade. It sparked, then exploded in a brilliant burst of pink plasma. I couldn’t shield my mind from the mental screams of the dying Stable ponies. They dug in. They hurt. My shield failed as their minds failed to function in their dying moment. And then, it was done.

Where there had once been more than a dozen pastel coloured, bloodthirsty ponies, there was now a puddle of pink goo and body parts. To my horror, some of the severed legs still twitched. Parmesan approached the dead. He appraised them sombrely, bowing his head. “What a waste of life.” And once again, I agreed with him. Fizz gingerly appeared by my side, nudging me gently. I reciprocated the gesture, comforting the startled ghoul.

Why… why were they like this? They’d had no combat sense at all. No sign of a leader, no synchronisation, nothing.

“The raiders of Stable 29 are a plague that is easily treated. Their overstocked armoury, mandatory fitness regime and brutal political system has led to raiders like these appearing all over Vanhoover.” He poked around some of the melted equipment that remained. “They use their health and equipment to bully their way into other raider gangs usually. But despite all their advantages over the average scumbag, they are still untrained thugs.” He turned and we met visor to eyes. “No match for trained fighters.”

Despite all I had done, it felt uncomfortable to think of myself as a ‘trained fighter’. What happens now?

“Now?” He sighed and walked to face me. Shortbread and Moon Shine had returned from their positions, and were cautiously watching the pair of us. We stood off against each other, neither budging. I knew that, if he so wished, he could destroy me. The powerful ache emanating from my horn further reinforced the fact. He raised a hoof and I tensed. As he removed his helmet, the tension dissipated.

Parmesan was an ugly stallion. He was vomit yellow with a sickly pale green mane and moustache. His muzzle had been broken many times, and his scarred eyes were milky. As he placed his helmet on the ground, he extended his armoured hoof towards me. It took me a moment to recognise the situation. I shook his hoof with my own, and we nodded to each other.

“Never imagined I would fight alongside one of your kind.”

Nor did I think I would do so with one of you.

“For what it’s worth, that magic was very impressive.”

Thank you. Your precision was a marvel to behold.

My ear twitched, and I heard Moon Shine giggle. “Will those two just kiss already?” she whispered to Shortbread. Parmesan had heard too, and the look on the two Rangers’ faces was priceless. I found myself laughing along with Moon Shine at the absurdity of the situation. Before too long, Parmesan joined in and Shortbread marched off in a huff.

“Don’t mind her. She takes her job very seriously.” His voice sounded much richer when he was laughing. “I understand you were about to leave before the raiders showed up.”

Moon Shine coughed conspicuously. “That’s what we were told.”

“I see.” He frowned in apology. “I’m already going to be hit by the book when we get back for not shooting you on sight, so I’d rather not give them more fuel by letting you stay. Before you go, I have a question.” He was looking solely at me, and Moon Shine had the courtesy to not butt in.

Yes?

“What is your name? When I tell this story, I would like to call you something other than ‘the alicorn’.” He chuckled.

I’m afraid I must disappoint you, he raised an eyebrow, because that is my name. I am Alicorn.

Footnote: Level up!

New Perk: Powerful Caster

Looks like that bone on your head isn’t just for show. Your spells are more powerful than before.

Author's Note

(Formatting got a bit weird. That's what I get for importing from Google Docs!)

Chapter Four: The Beginning

Chapter Four: The Beginning
“I’m sorry Pinkie, but I can’t tell y’all the truth! I just can’t!”

“Alicorn, I think you may have a problem.”

What’s that? Thanks to my telepathy, I did not have to stop drinking to answer Moon Shine’s question.

“We’ve been walking for three hours. How many Sparkle-Colas have you had in that time?” There was something odd in her voice.

Nine. Is there a problem? She deadpanned at me, and even Fizz raised his eyebrows. Do not worry, there is still plenty left in the crate. I looked back and smiled happily at the wheeled box trundling along behind us, full of sparkling bounty.

“No, that’s not the problem. You realise those are addictive, right?” Concern, that was what had been in her voice. She kept her eyes on mine as much as she could, looking away only to avoid tripping as we walked back to Broken Pillar. “What would you do if I took that bottle and emptied it?”

What? I would take another one and inquire as to why you would do such a thing.

She nodded. “You prioritised the drink. I ain’t judging you, everypony needs something.” She hopped over a small crag, and I felt a tiny twinge of fear around the hole. “Just, y’know, be aware that that supply is gonna run out a lot faster than you think.”

Hmph. You think we are dependent on this nectar? Preposterous!

“Alright then. I dare you to not drink another drop until we hit town.”

Very well! I took a sip of my cola. At Moon Shine’s exasperated glare, I spat it back out over the dirt. My heart sank as I watched the ground voraciously absorb the black gold. Moon tugged at my floating bottle and I yanked it away from her with my superior magic. Meeting her challenging gaze, reluctantly, I emptied it, watching the precious liquid pour out and splash over the parched ground. I will be fine. It is not as though I need it.

Moon half coughed, half laughed as she spoke. “Yeah, of course.” She shook her head as we walked, in the manner one would after watching the antics of a foal. I wasn’t sure I liked the motion. “Listen, back there in the resort. Those Steel Rangers, what’s your problem with them?”

I sighed. The Steel Rangers are a pre-war relic that insist on pretending they still represent the Ministry of Wartime Technology, or in some cases even Ministry Mare Applejack herself. It is an unfortunate coincidence that their pre-war authority by government decree is functionally similar to their post-war authority by ‘biggest gun’. Their nature is the reason why they, and not an organisation like the Pink Police, are the presence they are today.

“That doesn’t explain why they hate you.” she countered.

The Rangers are easily threatened. The Goddess is great and powerful, and the Rangers fear her. When she offered her hoof in friendship, they rejected her. When she tried to help the other ponies of the wastes, they attacked her to keep their position of power. Steel Rangers, along with gryphons, are the only ones who can realistically challenge a flight of alicorns.

Moon Shine nodded. “I’m guessing that when a bunch of you get together, you end up greater than the sum of your parts, right?” I confirmed her theory. “So an individual Ranger can take on an alicorn but three alicorns will pound three Rangers.”

A crude way of putting it, but yes. Rangers typically shoot our kind on sight, and you saw Parmesan’s armament. I recalled his grenade launcher and the complicated mechanics needed to operate it. While strictly inferior to alicorn magic, it was an impressive feat of technology and awesome to behold in action.

“We’ll be avoiding them, then.” We agreed, and continued on.

We needed to camp before reaching Broken Pillar, and luckily Moon Shine knew of a cave not too far off our path. Fizz circled us way up high, relishing the open air. He had been in that underground room for so long. Had he been conscious all that time? Did he remember who he once was? All of that seemed to fade away as I watched him playing, doing flips and rolls, flying this way and that. It brought a smile to both Moon Shine’s face and mine.

We reached the cave not long after nightfall. It had been difficult to stop myself from consuming more Sparkle-Cola, but I had resisted well enough. Fizz and I kept watch while Moon set up camp, including her alarm talisman.

Where did you get that? I have never seen such a trinket. It was a small thing that appeared to be made of marble, with small blue sapphires encrusted near its tip.

“Found it at the bazaar over in High Buck, a way’s south-east from here. Cost me almost the entire pay I got from a job down there,” she stopped talking to set it up manually with her mouth, “but Luna damn me if it wasn’t worth it. It wakes me if anything approaches, which gives me enough time to get to safety.”

I looked at the little device while she laid the bedrolls out. Such an item would be of great aid to Unity’s forces, should we be able to replicate it. With the great minds of Unity, and the magical power of the Goddess, that would be child’s play.

Fizz walked past me and into the cave upon smelling Moon Shine opening a tin of beans. I too felt the pangs of hunger and joined them. “This one’s for nibbling while I get the fire going,” she warned, “and I’ll heat the rest.”

She’d been collecting firewood as we travelled, carefully probing each dead branch to ensure it was actually dead. She prepared our campfire, using stones to prevent it from spreading further than we wanted. As she struggled with her flint and steel, I told her to stand back. First she was confused, then she was startled as a bolt of lightning from my horn kickstarted our little blaze. She pouted at me adorably and started cooking. I smiled and left her to it; I would be of no help to her now.

* * * * *

Rise, my child…

Rise… and fall.

Leave!

* * * * *

I awoke in a sweat. Night had fallen, and the fire was nearly dead. After I’d fallen asleep, Fizz had curled up against me. Moving as carefully as I could so as not to disturb his gentle slumber, I rose and shakily crept to the open cave mouth.

I levitated a cola from within the cave and made myself comfortable, I was unlikely to sleep again until tomorrow. Sitting by the large, empty world, I found uncomfortable thoughts worming their way into my mind. Doubt that I would make it back home, fear of the unknown wastes, loneliness…

“Alicorn?”

I’d forgotten about the alarm talisman. I apologise, I did not mean to wake you.

Moon Shine quietly sat next to me. She noticed the Sparkle-Cola, but thankfully did not say anything about it. “Don’t worry about it. This is the second time you’ve snuck away in the night though. Something wrong?” She looked up at me with caring eyes.

Of course not. We are fine.

“Because if there is something wrong, I ain’t gonna think less of you for it.” She was probing, and I did not like it.

We said there is nothing wrong.

“Alicorn, if you -”

We are lonely! I snapped with a fraction of the Goddess’ fury and she recoiled harshly away. I am sorry, but you couldn’t possibly understand.

“Oh, I’m not enough, am I?” She challenged me.

No! I mean, yes. We… Seeing her angry and hurt made me sink so much further. You are different. You are not one of us.

Her expression softened. “Alicorn, why do you sometimes say ‘we’ instead of ‘I’?”

I sighed. How could I explain? When I talk about being connected to Unity, I am speaking literally. When connected, there is no meaningful ‘I’ to speak of. When one of us thinks, we all hear. When one of us acts, we all act. We share our knowledge and our power. If one of us is unsure, ten more will act for her. When we speak to an outsider, they speak to us all at once.

In the Unity, we are not bound to a single body. If one of our skills is needed elsewhere, we will travel along the connection into another. If we do not know the spell, one who does will take our place. And always we hear the voice of the Goddess.

I looked straight into Moon Shine’s eyes, and she stared back into mine. It’s so quiet.

I tensed as she sprang, then melted as she swung her hooves around me. She buried her head in my neck, wrapped her legs around my body and shared her simple warmth. A tear fell from my eye into her yellow mane. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.” Her muffled voice comforted me in a way I had not felt before.

Thank you. Your companionship is different. It is… unspoken. We are separate, and yet I trust you anyway. I feel concerned when I can’t see you and relieved when you come back. I sighed, struggling to find my words. I do not understand it.

She squeezed me tighter and laughed into my chest. “I think you’re discovering a little thing called ‘friendship’. Hold onto it. Not many ponies have it these days.” Her voice was like silk in my ears.

I looked back out into the empty wasteland. What a terrible way to live.

The morning came quickly. Moon Shine had fallen asleep on me, but said nothing of me floating her back to her bed. Being close to town, and hence other ponies, we decided it would be best if I were to don my dress before leaving. After ensuring the others were not looking, I slipped the midnight blue garment over my head, noticing with cool satisfaction that the fabric barely aggravated my wing as I pulled it on. I would have to try flying again later.

As Moon Shine and I walked, with Fizz floating overhead again, I noticed something. The cloud cover appears to have thinned overnight.

Moon looked up then nodded. “Yup. The pegasi don’t farm this part of the sky, something about air pressure or something, so they keep it closed just out of spite.”

I frowned. Why would they do that? Expending resources on petty vindication does not befit an organisation like the Enclave. Moon Shine clicked her tongue in agreement.

“Met a Dashite a while ago, one of those Enclave pegasi that’s had enough of their shit. Apparently, the local branch is under pressure to keep the cover up to stay in line with the rest of them. They tell the populace that it’s for their protection, so that the mutants on the surface don’t break into the sky.” My jaw dropped, that couldn’t possibly be right. “Thing is, most of the ponies up there believe it.” The pity in her voice was clear.

I looked up, able to just make out the glow of Celestia’s sun behind the barrier. The Goddess will change that.

“How?” she asked, seemingly half skeptical and half curious.

I don’t know, but the Goddess will. I was sure of it. Moon Shine was less convinced, but that did not matter. The Goddess could accomplish anything, regardless of whether or not ponies believed she could.

“If you say so.” she said with detachment.

We continued our journey back to town in companionable silence, broken only by the occasional small talk. I drank another Sparkle-Cola, and Moon Shine warned me against another. Fizz flew back down to rest and tried to ride in the cola box before I shooed him off. By noon, we were approaching Broken Pillar. I looked forwards to seeing the barpony again; perhaps I would catch his name this time.

“Hold up, Alicorn.” Moon Shine blocked me with her hoof and spoke in hushed tones. “See that group coming out the gate?” We crouched down as she pointed. Seeing the ponies she was talking about, I nodded. “Slavers. We really don’t want to tangle with them.” There were at least twenty of them, and they all appeared to be wearing barding. They moved slowly away from the town, heading south-east. I tried to get a closer look, to see if there were any gryphons with them, but they were too distant to make out such a detail.

Once they had passed, Moon Shine felt confident enough to move again. “There might be some left in town, so I really don’t want to stay too long. When we get in, I’ll go sell our stuff and get your cultist out of jail, you go to Doc Kindhoof’s and see if you he can teach you anything, maybe sell you a book. I’ll come find you as soon as I can and we can leave.”

I knew that slavers were not liked by many ponies, but this seemed excessive. Why are you so anxious about this?

She hesitated. “I’ll explain later, when we’re miles away from them.”

We entered the town quickly, trotting under the large wooden sign. Moon pointed me towards a relatively new wooden building, emanating a slight stench of blood. I hoofed our goods over to her and bid her a temporary farewell. As she struggled with the weight of our salvage, Fizz and I entered the bloody clinic side by side.

The inside was very much what I’d expected. There was pony blood on most of the surfaces, the vast majority of it being many weeks old. There were a few chairs for waiting ponies, a counter with a cash register, and the operating area. That area held a surgical table, complete with unconscious pony, various medical implements, a bookshelf and a very, very tired looking unicorn in a medic’s gown.

“Unless your face is falling off, come back tomorrow.” The blue stallion was old, and his aggressive voice did not hide it. “Is your face falling off?” He turned to face me, and Fizz started growling.

Hold, Fizz. He is not our enemy. He calmed instantly, but stayed wary of the doctor.

“Shit, was that what I think it was?” The doctor approached almost instantly, throwing me off guard. “That was telepathy you were using, I recognise the waves. You… you’re an alicorn, ain’t you?” No! I looked back to my wings, I thought I’d hidden them! I had. “Never forget an aura. Don’t worry, ain’t got nothing against your kind if you ain’t here to cause trouble.” I felt inclined to believe the old stallion. “Pleasure to meet you. Folks call me Doc Kindhoof, on account of it being my name.”

You may call me Alicorn. Seeing his raised eyebrow I quickly added an addendum. As my name, not as a title.

That seemed to satisfy the doctor. “Alright then. Pleasant enough. Say, you up for helping your fellow pony for once?”

What do you mean?

He led me to the operating table, and Fizz followed near behind. “This lass needs a major regen spell, but I can’t cast it without frying myself.”

The pony on the table was in a bad way. It took a moment for my eyes to separate the red of her coat from the crimson of her blood. Her body was covered in cuts and holes, and one of her eye sockets was horribly empty. From the mass of scarlet lead piled up around her, I could only imagine at the internal damage. There was a heavy gash splitting her cutie mark, a pair of bloody intertwined doves. She breathed unsteadily, and her legs twitched. What happened?

“Hunter here got in a firefight, and got majorly fucked up. I owe her a favour, so she didn’t die on the spot. It took almost all my energy just to stabilise her, and that’ll wear off in a few hours if she don’t get some proper mojo in her.” The doctor levitated a leather-bound spellbook from the shelf. “Can’t use healing potions on account of her bones being snapped, an’ I don’t have the power to fix ‘em.” He flipped through the pages and set the book on a stand so he could read it without having to hold it aloft. I began to grasp what he wanted to do.

You intend to cast a matrix with me? Because of our unique telepathic nature, green alicorns were naturally able to cast spells simultaneously with other casters with ease. It was one of the things I’d most enjoyed with my sisters.

“That’s the plan. Used to use ‘em all the time back in Tenpony.” He stopped flicking on a page with various magical diagrams and symbols. “Found it! It’s a simple spell, just channels restorative magic into key areas. Lacks the finesse of higher level stuff, but it’s the most thorough process you can find. Cranking it up to eleven should do the trick.” He proffered the page for me to read. It seemed simple enough.

You will be acting as leader? He confirmed with a nod. It was always best to have the magician most familiar with the spell shaping the magic. I took up position opposite the doctor with the injured pony, Hunter, between us.

“Okay, you ready?” I nodded. He took a deep breath, and exhaled. “Constructing spell matrix.” His horn lit up with a white aura, growing steadily in power. The gentle hum of magic built into a powerful whine as more and more magic was funneled through the unicorn. Just before the first overglow appeared, the magic leveled out and stabilised. “Matrix constructed.”

Now it was my turn. Augmenting matrix. My own horn started glowing green. My light quickly overpowered the doctor’s, giving the entire room a hazy green hue. A large ball of power slowly crawled up my horn and escaped through the tip, floating over the unconscious pony before splitting into three. I had to close my eyes to keep my concentration on the intense magic flowing all throughout my body. I arranged the orbs to reflect the doctor’s pattern, providing the magic of three ponies. Matrix augmented.

“Casting spell.”

My magic beamed straight into the unicorn’s horn, and the patient began to glow bright green. I felt my raw power being processed into healing energy, my life force being used to replenish somepony else’s. Bones snapped back together, flesh made itself whole once more. Her heart grew stronger, her breath came back, her vision…

Her missing eye was taking far more energy than the rest of her. I pushed more and more, but it refused to regrow. I pushed harder. I dimly heard a voice, but it didn’t matter. I had the power, I could bring her sight back. I pushed even harder. My horn started to spark, to hurt, but I had to push harder. I was strong enough!

Crack!

I fell to the ground. Fizz lay atop me, panic and worry all over his face. The doctor was swearing and injecting himself with something. I looked up to see my horn smoking, blackened near the tip. I… I’m sorry.

“Sorry?” The doctor came right up in my face. “You’re fucking sorry!?” He started pacing angrily around the room and Fizz put himself between me and him. “You just did in thirty seconds what I would have needed a day to do!” I rose to my hooves, shaking unsteadily on uncertain legs. The red pony was… fine. Her hide was unblemished, her breathing easy, her coat clean. Those two doves on her flank were white once more. I’d done it! I’d healed her!

Then she turned her head. No, I hadn’t healed her, not properly. Her left eye was still gone, and I would never be able to revive it. I’m sorry.

The doctor groaned in frustration. “I was trying to tell you, she lost her eye years ago! It’d take a megaspell to regrow it now. No sense in burning yourself out trying to bring it back.” As I watched her breath rise and fall, I tried to convince myself that he was right.

As payment for the service provided, Doctor Kindhoof was, well, kind enough to lend me a medical spellbook. It contained some basic information on medicine and pony anatomy, as well as the formulae required to cast basic healing spells. I promised to return it when I could but he dismissed my offer, saying something about ‘permanently borrowing’ it; as if that made any sense.

We spoke for a while, talking about magic and how it was related to pony physiology. Despite some of the medical terminology flying over my head, it was highly enjoyable to discuss such a topic with a pony who knew what he was talking about. I had never before considered that ponies outside of Unity could have a professional knowledge of such a specialised field. He explained the rudimentals of health casting in a patient voice, apparently thankful for an attentive student.

As I attempted to explain the difference between the drain of a standard spell matrix cast by unicorns and the joint casting performed by a group of alicorns, a deflated Moon Shine sluggishly appeared at the door.

Ah, you are back. She gave me a look and coughed. Do not worry, the doctor is aware of me.

“I see. Hello, doc.” She greeted informally. She and he exchanged polite nods of the head before she continued. “We have a problem.”

What is it?

“The cultist is gone.” She preempted my next question. “The slavers took him as part of their protection money. Mayor Cufflinks said he didn’t know what they wanted with him, but he was apparently in no position to argue.” The bile she said the mayor’s name with was audible. “I can’t get you home.”

That... Was it necessarily a problem? I thought for a moment, but the solution was perfectly simple. Then we follow the slavers and retrieve him.

She balked at me, and even Kindhoof looked skeptical. “Did I hear that right?” Moon asked. “You’re actually willing to follow the most dangerous ponies in the wasteland into their own territory and steal one of their prisoners?”

Of course.

“But that’s suicide!” Moon Shine exclaimed.

“Pardon me,” Kindhoof interrupted, “but I seem to missing something.” I looked quizzically at the doctor. “You want to go home?” I nodded. “To Maripony?”

I looked at him in suspicion. What? You know where Maripony is?

“Not directly, but I studied in Tenpony. It was rather hard to avoid hearing about your Goddess’ antics.” He smirked, but ceased when I reacted to his contempt. “Sorry. The point is, I know that Maripony is near Tenpony, and I know where Tenpony is.”

That would take me close enough that I could reunite with my sisters. I could go anywhere in that region, I didn’t have to find Maripony specifically! Then, you can provide me with directions? He nodded, and I fought the urge to bounce.

“Wait, you’re just going to leave?” Moon asked.

Yes. That has been my goal from the start. Why?

“What about the cultist? You’re just going to leave him?” I wasn’t sure I understood the tone of her voice.

I thought that would please you. We were only locating him to secure passage to Maripony. Now it is obvious that there are other ways home. Why didn’t she look happy about that?

“But, you were willing to go and save him. You were going to do it.” she said, her voice laced with disappointment.

I hesitated. Yes…

“So what’s changed? You were gonna go save somepony,” she accused, “but now you won’t because he’s no longer useful to you?” But, of course! That was how things were done. There was no reason for me to try and go after him, so why did I feel like I should?

I… I’m confused.

Moon sighed in relief. “That means you know what you have to do.” she said with conviction.

Yes. My instincts were telling me that I should rescue our cultist, and in the absence of the Goddess my instincts were my moral compass. As always, you are correct. Moon’s eyes and smile grew wide. I will find him and bring him back. We will shield him from those who would wish him harm.

Will you come with me?

She nodded. “Thank you, Alicorn.”

Fizz nuzzled my sides, and I chuckled at him. Will you come with me too? He didn’t nod, or respond properly at all. Thank you, Fizz.

“Your choice. Normally I’d throw the book at you for being so foolhardy, but you’d probably catch it.” Kindhoof shuffled to take position behind the counter, a grin slowly creeping onto his aged face. “Tell Walker I sent you if you need a room for tonight, he owes me a favour. If you’re still in town when she wakes up, I’ll let Hunter know it was you who saved her.”

We thanked the doctor again and left. As we walked away from the clinic, my heart was racing. We were going to do good! We had seen a problem, and we were going to fix it. The Goddess would be so proud of us.

* * * * *

No…

Leave her.

* * * * *

Telling Walker, the barpony, that Kindhoof had sent us had quite an effect. He gave us free lodging and breakfast, and even a free Sparkle-Cola! The three of us sat round a table in the bar, empty save for the barpony himself during the morning lull. He respected our privacy, conspicuously turning his back to our conversation.

“So those are our options. We either go straight to their headquarters in Maine and force them to let our pony go,” Moon Shine did not seem overly enthusiastic about that idea, “or we travel to High Buck to gather some information on them first.” I wasn’t convinced that the second option was great either.

What would we gain by the detour if we already know where they are based?

Moon scratched her chin. “Honestly, I’m not sure. We might get other locations, or maybe a caravan route. We have the money from selling the talisman, maybe we can straight up buy him from them.”

That was utterly repulsive. I will not strike a deal with those fiends. She shrugged in response.

“I just don’t want to go in blind, that never bodes well. At least if we go to High Buck first, we always have the direct assault option as a back up. Can’t say the same if we do it the other way around.” She made a good point. “The two places are rather close anyway, we’ll only lose a day or two if we go by the city.”

Tell me about this High Buck. You’ve mentioned it before.

“Aye, because it’s a great place.” She seemed wistful. “Massive settlement built out of the outskirts of the city, with trade links to most of the wastes. We even get caravans coming from the Crystal Tundra! They bring in a lot of gems and metal, and we use the old Vanhoover facilities to build things.” She was rather enthusiastic about the topic.

We? I asked playfully.

Moon feinted a gunshot wound. “Aah, you caught me. Here I was trying to keep my past mysterious and shrouded, and you go and figure out where I come from. I was - what was that?”

As a group our ears twitched; there was somepony shouting outside. Moon Shine’s aura appeared around her holstered revolver and I readied a shield spell with my still-aching horn. Moments passed, but nothing happened. Moon relaxed, but I still felt wary. “Right, yes. As I was saying -”

“Alicorn!” I heard the aggressive shout coming from the doorway and placed myself between my companions and the offender. “Where’s that Luna damned alicorn?” Standing on the threshold was the red earth pony from before, frantically scanning over the bar. Her violet eye widened when she saw me, and she raced straight at me! “You! Y’all going after the slavers?”

We…

“Are y’all going after the slavers!?” She bellowed into my face and my shield came up reflexively. “Well?”

I hastily tried to regain my composure. I could feel Moon Shine and Fizz behind me just as confused as I was. I picked up their slack. Yes. Do you intend to stop us? I had my shield up, and she wouldn’t be expecting a horn sandwich…

“Ah’m coming with you. Get your shit and move.” She pointed to our saddlebags and snorted impatiently.

“What? Wait, wait a second.” Moon Shine’s soft voice soothed my ears after the red earth pony’s vocal assault. “What’s going on?”

She barged past me to glare at Moon Shine, and it took all of my self control to not blast her right there. “Y’all deaf or stupid? You’re going after the slavers, ah’m tagging along.”

Moon took a small step back before answering. “Says who?” She anticipated the intruder’s answer. “By which I mean, who are you?”

Her eyes were hard, guarded. “Hunter. Name’s Hunter.” Even I could tell she was lying, but it was what Kindhoof had called her yesterday. Speaking of which…

Are you sure you should be exerting yourself in such a manner? Your injuries were severe.

“Royal Cadenza, ah’m fine! Y’all sound just like the doctor. Get your shit together and meet me outside. Ah’ll be leaving at noon whether y’all are with me or not.” She flagged for a moment, losing some of her angry momentum. “Thanks, by the way. Appreciate what y’all did.” I nodded in approval, and she kicked the ground in frustration. “Fuck it. Ah’ll be waiting at the gate.”

At that, she turned and left, flicking her short fiery mane at us as she did. None of us could take our eyes off her as she walked away. Walker exchanged a quiet word with her as she reached the door, but it was beyond my hearing.

Moon Shine turned to me with confused eyes. “What just happened?”

I tried to figure it out myself. I think we just gained a follower. Seeing her shaken like that worried me. Are you alright?

“Yeah, sure. Just a bit shocked.” She took a deep breath and shook. “What do you think? Do we let her come?”

Should we? Having more help would certainly be appreciated. I had seen first hand how hardy she was, earth pony magic at its finest, so I would not need to worry so much about her getting into trouble. Though if she acted like that around potential foes, her getting into trouble would be the least of my worries. Would she cause more problems than she was worth? Moon Shine’s skills were rather subtle, would the earth pony’s presence make her job harder? On the other hoof, what choice did we have in the matter? It was clear that saying ‘no’ would not dissuade her, and without attacking her we’d have no means of stopping her from coming with us. If she was as capable as her confidence suggested… “Alicorn?”

On the third hoof, there was something about the way she’d acted in the bar. She didn’t flinch at my telepathy, nor at my shield. There was a line between fearlessness and courage, and her behaviour fell on the former. What was wrong with her? She’d been near-fatally wounded yesterday, and now she was running straight into the next fight. She said she’d go by herself if we didn’t take her with us. Would she be okay on her own? Somehow I doubted it. When I helped Doctor Kindhoof heal her, I made an unspoken promise to make her better. Clearly I wasn’t finished.

Yes. We will talk with her, and then we will take her with us.

Moon seemed uncertain, but she acquiesced. “If you’re sure. I’ll get my things ready, you finish your breakfast.” Her eyes lingered on my drink longer than I was comfortable with.

When we met Hunter by the gates, she had acquired rather a lot of equipment. She was covered neck-to-tail in barding and had a pair of goggles hanging around her neck. Her saddlebags lacked the telltale bulge of being overstuffed, but she had guns and bullets strapped all over her body for easy access. From the way she looked and moved, I found her nom de guerre rather believable.

“You sure about this?” Moon Shine asked, a modicum of fear in her voice.

Yes. Of the three ponies in this town that I have met, three have been unconcerned by my form. I held my body proud, no longer hiding my powerful wings underneath the delicate dress.

Moon Shine did not share my confidence. “You’ve met two nutjobs and one of the nicest ponies in the wastes, they’re not exactly representative of the population.” I ignored her, she was just paranoid. Besides, we were leaving and I did not want to ruin my dress if we found a fight. Fizz was staying close to me, as he was wont to do when danger abounded. Clearly Moon Shine had gotten to him. “Case in point.” She pointed to an alleyway with her black armoured hoof; she’d found some paint after all. The pink pony looked out of place in the pre-war security barding. “You’re supposed to follow the line of my leg, not stare at my hoof.”

Oh! I, I was simply inspecting you. Why did I feel myself changing colour?

She visibly relaxed and chuckled, and I found myself turning even redder. “Silly filly. There was somepony watching us over there, but they’re gone now. Let’s go before they come back.”

We approached the gate and our potential companion, who was tapping her bright red hoof impatiently. “‘Bout time y’all got here. You fillies ready?” Fizz cocked his head.

“Yep.” Moon replied. “You know where we’re going?”

“Maine,” she said, “obviously.”

I am afraid that is not the case. Hunter snapped her head around to glare at me, but I did not back down. That path holds too much risk for uncertain gain. We will go to High Buck to gather information, to meet ponies and to plan. I stared down at the earth pony, meeting her resolve. But you, however, will not. Moon’s mane flicked as she spun her head around in surprise.

“Ah told y’all -” she tried to interrupt, but I would not be silenced.

You have not told us anything. A day ago you almost died, now you are using us to try again. She balked. I carried on. I will not allow those in my care to come to harm. Should you wish to come with us, I demand two things in return. The first is for you to do your utmost in protecting the group. That includes, without limitation, not starting unnecessary battles. The second is for you to be forthcoming and honest about your intentions.

Hunter was stunned. It was clear from her shock that nopony had spoken to her in such a way for some time. “Alright. Y’all need to know? Slavers got mah sis. There’s your sob story. Can we go now?”

I nodded.

“No, that’s not everything.” Moon Shine interjected. “You’re not a very good liar. There’s more to it than that.”

What?

“Ah don’t need to prove mahself to you!” She huffed and turned, and Moon ran around with her.

“You do now. You want to come with us, you at least tell us why.” Moon spoke with an authority I hadn’t heard from her diminutive frame before. “What do you want?”

“Why do y’all care so much?” Hunter shouted back.

“What is your problem? We can’t travel together if we can’t trust you.” I considered stepping in, but Moon’s words were so much more concise than mine.

“Let’s hear your big complicated past then.” Hunter retorted. Moon Shine went silent. “Didn’t think so.”

Moon Shine hesitated for a mere moment. “Okay. If that’s what it’ll take to get you to open up, fine.” she said, her voice eerily flat. Hunter hesitated, not expecting acquiescence. “I’m travelling with Alicorn because she makes it very easy for me to do good.”

Huh?

“When I travel by myself, I find it difficult to justify not acting in my own best interest. I don’t pay any attention to the consequences of my actions because, in my eyes, I need to do them to increase my odds of survival.” As she spoke, emotion started to creep into her words. “Looking back now, I’ve done some really bad things. I’ve sold out caravan locations to ponies of ill repute so that I could afford better equipment. I convinced a stallion to scavenge somewhere else because I knew that the building he wanted to pick through held Stable-Tec technology. The reason I was worried about coming into town with those slavers about?” She struggled to look me in the eye. “I was worried they’d recognise me and reveal to you that I’d worked with them before.”

I stared in horror at the little pink pony before me. You dealt with slavers?

She nodded, grimly. “I’ve done some soft work for them, building relations with merchants and negotiating discounts, convincing guards to let them take their, erm, cargo into towns. I’ve never fired a gun for them, and I’ve never slapped a bomb collar on anypony, but I might as well have.” The guilt in her words was heavy, as it should be. “I didn’t think of it as bad when I was doing it. It was just business. Whenever I thought back to it and started regretting, I told myself that it was just business and the guilt went away.

“But around you, it’s different. You make me want to help ponies. If you were there, I’d have shown that stallion how to get around Stable-Tec’s auto locks. I would have told the bandits to get stuffed.” She sagged, looking even more deflated than before. “I would have tried to free the ‘cargo’.”

I knew what I had to do. I make it easy for you to do the right thing? Being around me gives you a moral compass?

She nodded. “I know I should have one myself, but it just doesn’t work.”

Hunter groaned in frustrated exasperation at Moon Shine. “Sweet Celestia, do you -”

Be silent.

She froze and was silent. She didn’t matter right now. I looked down at Moon Shine and raised her chin with a hoof, forcing her to look me in the eyes. I ask of you two questions. First, will you do your utmost to protect the group?

Confusion, and then understanding bloomed on Moon Shine’s face. “Yes.” she said.

And what are your intentions? Be honest and forthcoming.

“I want to become a better pony and help you do what you think is right.” she proclaimed with a smile.

Then you may travel with us. Welcome, Moon Shine. She squee’d and embraced me in a light hug and I responded in kind, albeit slightly more dignified. Fizz joined in, throwing his rotten legs around us in friendly contact. I looked over their heads at the baffled red pony before me. Well?

Hunter looked unsure as to what to say, so she stumbled with her words. As our group hug slowly ended, she seemed to grasp what was happening. “Alright, y’all are weird, but ah guess ah should at least tell y’all why ah’m coming with you. Just, ah can’t tell you everything.” At my raised eyebrow, she quickly added, “At least, not right now. It’s personal.”

It would do for the mean time. Very well. As before, will you do your utmost to protect the group? What are your, I searched for the right word, immediate intentions?

She bowed her head lightly in thanks. “Ah’ll make sure nopony fucks you up, and mah intention is to get some revenge on the bastard who took mah sister from me.” Despite all her bravado, the conviction with which she said her goal was clear. With that, for now, I was satisfied.

Then you may travel with us. Welcome to the group, Hunter.

Footnote: Level up!
New Perk: Additional Vocation

You ain’t a one-trick pony after all. You’ve gained some rudimentary instruction in another school of magic, and can now learn new spells.