Fallout Equestria : Monarch of a New World

Chapters

Fallout Equestria : Monarch of a New World Prolouge
Chapter 1 - First breath
Chapter 2 - A whole new world
Chapter 3 - Welcome to Canterlot
Chapter 4 - The path before us

Fallout Equestria : Monarch of a New World Prolouge

Fallout equestria : Monarch of a new world - Prologue

Shining Armor continues to shove cloth in the crack under the bedroom door as best as his shaking hooves can manage, his old age and arthritis making it almost impossible to keep his limbs from convulsing in his nervous effort to fight the pink mist that streams through every crack in the room. “Please let me do it, you have to sit down,” I say as I put a hoof on his shoulder. “You need to keep your strength to help the princesses with the barrier.” Shining Armor looks up from the floor, tears in the corner of his old wrinkled eyes. Fear is etched into his essence, but his features are still perfect to me. I smile and tears stream down my face as I nuzzle him. We have been hearing screams cut short outside our doors along with the glass of our window cracking from the pressure of the mist. The pink mist burns to the touch and my beloved's cape had already been melted to his coat as he rushed into our home. The walls ooze a revolting slime and the window is a warped and bubbly wall of pink with red velvet curtains. Shining nuzzles me again. “Cadence, I love you with all of my soul and I don’t regret a thing we have done together. My only wish would be to spend more time with you before we die.” He lifts his head from my neck and tilts his horn to our window. It glows a soft blue before a light shoots out of the window and into the pink void, carrying only a few feet past the wall of fog before disappearing, only to collide with the barrier above. It melds with the pink force field to create another protective layer around the city. His small pulse of magic did little to defend the city, but it fills in any cracks that are made by the weakening wills of Celestia and Luna. I continue to push random pieces of cloth and fabric underneath the crack in the door as my husband had done only moments earlier. I lift up a scarf with my magic and shove it into the edges of an air vent. The air around us has gained a slight pink coloration within the past half an hour, but the only effects I notice are a slight burning in my throat when I breath and an itch along my mane that doesn’t go away. Shining had to run through a thick concentration of the deadly mist on his way back to our house and is now coughing profusely into his forearm. I can see specks of blood on his hoof, even if he attempts to cover it up. We tried our hardest to take his cloak off as soon as he got into the house but the hair had melted into the fabric. Shining continues to fill the cracks in the door frame, along with clearing the air with any spell he can think of, but neither are doing any good. The cloths he put underneath the door barely keep anything out and no spell has any effect on the mist. I put a hoof on my husband’s shoulder and let out a deep sigh. Shining halts his spell and glances at me for a moment, only to lock his eyes on mine. His fearful expression changes to sadness, then to a prideful acceptance in a split moment. Our horns touch with a spark, our eyes lock, we grip each other's hooves, and a familiar draining sensation starts at my horn and sucks the energy from me. My vision darkens, my body starts to wobble, and I lose the ability to concentrate on anything other than him. Suddenly our contact brakes and my eyes shoot open. In front of me my beloved stands, only shimmering as the barrier placed around me morphs his features. “No!” I scream as I pound on my egg shaped prison. Tears flow down my face but I keep my focus on the stallion on the other side of the pink barrier. “It has to be done, my love. You are still so young, and to push the fog away would be to send it out across Equestria, to all of the towns, forests, and wildlife out there. We can not condemn the rest of our world just to save one city. I also can’t let you suffer such horrible pain as the rest of us will.” Shining puts a hoof where I continue to smash mine. I cry out for him to let me go, to let me die with him, but he just shakes his head sadly and calmly, smiling with all of his beauty. “As I aged throughout this war, you have done nothing but stay the same in appearance. You have hundreds, even thousands more years to live while I could only live another 10 at most. I love you, and please don't change.” My vision starts to darken, and my energy is sapped from me again. The pink barrier blinds me in its brilliance, and I am forced to close my eyes. There is little more than an ounce of strength in my body when it finally stops, and I am able to look again to the face of my true love. “I don't want to leave you,” I say between sobs. “Please, I can’t live without you.” “Yes, you can. And you will, if you love me, for that is my final wish. I have put all of our strength into this barrier so that you can have a chance of living again, a chance to help those who need it.” Shining slumps down, exhaustion played across his face like it had ever since the war had started. The glass of the window starts to crack dangerously behind him, and he once again has a sad smile I have seen played out across his face many times since this terrible war had started. “I love you Cadence, and remember, wherever you go in life, whatever you do, I will always be there with you, and I will always help you through any troubling times.” The window shatters inwards, a stream of glass and fog spraying into Shining Armors back. He collapses against the egg in which I am trapped, unable to help him. He falls to the ground, blood and glass boiling on his cape, melting into the fabric and into his white coat. He lifts his head off the ground, part of his hide ripping off onto the carpet, and he places his hoof next to mine. He mouths the words ‘I love you’ then his horn lights up one final time, and my world becomes dark.* * * * *

Starter perk! : Empathy - You have an uncanny (If not magical) ability to feel others emotions!

Starter perk! : Lover’s touch - You have the ability to spark love where it has touched before, be it family love, true love, a simple.. fling, or friendship in itself!

Chapter 1 - First breath

Fallout Equestria : Monarch of a new world - Chapter 1 - First breath

Who knows, this might all be a dream after all! You’ll wake up for the first time and live your true life.

Hello?

My eyes shoot open in an instant, my body flexes, my mind races, and adrenaline courses through my veins. “Shining!” I look around me, only to be met by a translucent wall of pink. I turn my head and see more pink around me. “Are you there? Anypony? Please, somepony answer me!”Goddess? Goddess, it is you! You have come back to us! I look around, searching for the origin of the voice. “H..Hello? Who is that?” I wait for a response, but nopony answers.I stretch my legs in the small space I have, but I can’t seem to get them in a good position. I push on the pink barrier, but it strains against the force and my hoof pops through to the other side to feel a wet dribble. I push some more and my entire leg slides through. A little more struggling and my head pops free. The remains of my old home greet me along with a gloomy rain that wets my mane. I scramble out of the pink cocoon and flop on the ground with a groan. My beautiful carpet has been turned to nothing more than a soggy mess of pink goo. The ceiling has fallen in on itself, opening up to a night sky that is full of dark clouds. My body aches and my head throbs, but the soothing rain does wonders to calm me down. I stand up slowly, wobbling from the lack of use on my legs, and stretch my wings as far as I can. I let loose a groan of pleasure from being able to stretch muscles that haven’t been used in what feels like years. I ignite my horn with a glow to get a look at surroundings, but it lets out a quick spark only to go dark. Before I can try again, the glow of five different horns pop to life in front of me, revealing five ponies standing in between me and the shattered bedroom window. The light from their horns burn my eyes, only leaving a silhouette of their form in the dreadfully dark night. I raise my wing in front of my face and squint away the light, but I can see almost nothing about them other then their very similar and above average height. “Hello?” I say hesitantly, fear etching its way onto my face. “What is going on here, what happened?”Goddess they say... but it doesn’t sound right. Something’s odd about the way they spoke that I can’t put my hoof on. “What do you mean goddess? I am an alicorn but I am nowhere near the same level as Celestia or Luna.” I say, taking a step backwards in fright. The ponies walk towards me in unison, each one an eerie mirror to the pony beside it.Goddess, you have come back to us! They continue to walk toward me until I’m backed up against the door of the room. I trip on a piece of cloth and land on my side, fear pulsating through my veins. “Stop! Step back this instant!” I scream at them. The figures halt mid-stride, some even back away in defense or crouch down submissively. The light on their horns cut out also, returning darkness to the room. I use this moment to stand up, regain my posture, and glare at them. I attempt to spark my horn again, succeeded in lighting the room with a cyan hue, and stare at the alicorns in front of me.Alicorns? I think to myself. I scream at them. “How.. but you can’t be.. What is this?” The alicorns glance at each other fearfully, until finally the one in the center speaks up for the group. Whatever do you mean Goddess? Except, her mouth doesn’t actually move, instead the words just... appear in my head. “Stop that!” I shout, closing my eyes and backing into the door again. The alicorn that talked previously glances nervously at her group mates before opening her mouth. “Ye..yes Goddess, if it pains you for us to talk normally, we will.. speak verbally.” She fumbles with the words as they come out. The alicorn that is talking is a dark shade of violet with a similar eye and mane color and no cutie mark on her flank. Her wings are draped at her side and she has a look of fear on her face, but I can feel something more radiating off of her. I stand up, facing the group of alicorns and look at them in full. What I assume is the leader of their group stands at the head with everypony else slightly behind her in a V formation. Each of them ranging from a shade of light blue, dark green, or a similar violet of the leader and all of them mares. “How are you all alicorns?” I ask, almost accusingly. I step forward to try my best to intimidate them. My hoof lands in a pink puddle, splashing water which they scuttle away to avoid. Oddly enough, I have no fear for the ponies in front of me, and I only feel a lonely sadness emanating from them. I do feel bad about acting so aggressive towards them, but they are in my house after all. “We are as you made us,” the violet alicorn answers.What kind of answer is that? “Stop with the riddles, just tell me who you are and what you are doing here.” The alicorn looks towards her group, making no attempt to hide their inaudible conversation, then turns back towards me and says, “We... I was once named Night Wish, and for your second question; we are here for you.” I admit, my mane stood on end at her last few words, but I don’t let it show. I keep my poise and stare Night Wish in the eyes. “I’m not going anywhere with you. I am going to find Shining Armor, and get the guards.” Night Wish stares at me for a second before glancing back at her group. After another silent conversation she turns to me. “We do not know of this Shining armoryou speak of, but we do know of one who was once a guard of Canterlot. We can lead you to her, but we wish you to be careful as you go, and watch of what you say.” Without another word, or even a second for me to rebuttal, the five alicorns turn and fly out of the window into the downpour. I glance around the ruined room, looking for any hint of where to go, something to tell me where Shining Armor has gone, but everything in my house is covered in a thick layer of dust and debris from the collapsed roof. My eyes start to water, but I scrunch up my face in an attempt to fight off tears. My only hope to get answers is to find somepony who knows what’s going on. I rush to the window, opening my wings once I clear the glass, and chase after the disappearing figures into the night sky.

(((((())))))

The Canterlot that I lived in is ruined, nothing left of the beautiful and majestic city that I was raised in other than the skeletal remains of buildings, the husks of burned out or decayed carriages that clog the road from end to end, or the propaganda billboards that line up on every rooftop. The alicorns fly in the same V formation they stood in earlier, majestically gliding only a few feet above the old-fashion rooftops. The rain makes it very difficult to see more than a hooves reach in front of me, and from what I can tell the streets are flooded with a constant stream of pink goo. The air smells of decaying wood and sulfur, similar rotten eggs. “Keep close, Goddess, for if you where to get lost in your current state, you would be helpless to the ghosts of this city’s past.” “What’s happened to Canterlot?” I say, mostly to myself too quiet to be heard over the storm. My head is foggy, and I can remember very little of what happened before waking up. The only thing I can recall is my beloved Shining Armor and myself holding each other and a constant feeling of sadness, followed by an endless pink void. We pass by more and more destroyed and rotten buildings, but none of it looks to be caused by anything other than decay. No bullet holes, explosions, or anything of the sort from what we thought would be the end of Canterlot, the end of Equestria itself. Only... time. After around half an hour of flying through the deserted city the alicorns come to a small building set in a row of shops, nothing more than a corner store from long ago, and land outside. Night Wish walks up to me while the rest of her group enters the building. “Please, follow us inside Goddess, and come meet the one that calls herself a guard of this city.” She says. I glare at her behind the soggy curtain of my mane. “What’s happened to Canterlot? Why is everything destroyed, and where is everypony?” I ask. These seem like simple questions to me, questions that a pony can ask when she wakes up to find her world in ruins and everypony gone except for five alicorns that appear in her half destroyed house. But still she turns away without an answer and walks into the small storefront, having to duck underneath the door frame because of her freakishly large height. “Why don’t you answer me!” I scream at the now empty street. I glance around, looking for something to point me in a direction, but all I can do is follow the alicorns with a look of defeat and a hope that I can see Shining again before the day’s end.

(((((())))))

As I suspected the interior of the building we enter is indeed a store, a clothing store from what it looks like, and as I also thought (but didn’t say aloud because of the pure pessimism of it) it too would be a destroyed heap of rubble and mold. Yeah me. The other 4 alicorns had already disappeared from sight before I got into the store, but I was able to see the violet one’s tail round a corner by the time I entered. Following my newfound and hopefully temporary companions I weave through the piles of clothing that had fallen off the stands. The models that desplay the clothing are lined in rows like guards, alert against intruders.When I make it to the back of the store there is a hallway that leads off to the right. Along the hall are two doors, one to the left after you first enter and another one at the end which I hear a horrible deep throated growl coming from. It sounds as if the pony making it yelled their throat raw and was making any noise it could in an attempt to put fear into the enemy. There are other voices coming from inside, but one screams, also sounding as if they yelled their voice raw, “I TOLD YOU TO GIT. I DON’T SELL TO NO AL-I-CORNS AND I WON’T NEVER DO IT.” I round the corner in a hurry and enter a room filled with the five alicorns I followed in, but standing on the other side of them is... quite a disturbing sight. Sitting on a crate in the center is a horribly disfigured... what I can only guess is a mare unicorn in a ruined Canterlot guard uniform. Her face is scarred and burned beyond any type of comprehension with pieces of flesh hanging off or bone entirely exposed in certain areas, and she is floating three different shotguns towards my companions. Two ponies are on either side of her with similar physical conditions chained to the wall by the neck and foaming from the mouth. Their eyes are almost completely white with pinprick black centers and pink veins streaking throughout them. Their hooves stretch as far as they are able to, grasping at air trying to get at the alicorns that don’t even flinch at their lunges. Tufts of hair (few and far between) flop in the air as the ponies pull at their chains. The disfigured mare in the center groans in annoyance before aiming a shotgun at my head. “Oh great, now you got’s another one. And dis one be all fancied up.” Each of the alicorns step forward, horns ablaze with their own beautiful coloration, and Night Wish shouts, “Don’t you DARE point the weapon at the Goddess!” I step back, a fresh dose of adrenaline coursing through my veins once again in this heart stopping day. “Wait!” I shout. I can feel the tension in the room, feel that if I let this proceed as it is there will be blood. “How about we just calm down, okay? We came here to talk, and that is all we want, there is no need to start a fight over a.. a misunderstanding.” I force out the last words as they hitch in my throat.“But Goddess, she is threatening-” I cut Night Wish off, “I don’t care. There is no reason to fight over something as silly as a misunderstanding. So, can you please put down those.. guns so that we can talk reasonably. And stop calling me that!” I say, glaring at Night Wish. “Heh, yeah right missy, let me just lower my weapons when there are six of the most powerful creatures flashing dem fancy horns at me. I will get right on that.” Sarcasm, Luna’s weakness. “Okay.” I say, putting a hoof up in defence. “How about if these five wait outside and I speak with you alone.” Night Wish inhales dramatically. “Goddess, no! We would never leave you alone with such beasts!” “Who yah calling beasts, yah freak?” The burned pony asks, pointing all three of the shotguns at Night Wish’s head. Night Wish ignores the guns and continues to look at me in surprise. “Okay, okay! Again, we are civilized ponies, so lets not start shooting each other. Night Wish, you can stay if you want but the other four of you need to leave.” I say. After a long moment of staring at the back of Night Wish’s head, the mare finally lowers two of the three shotguns, and lets out a grunt of agreement. I sigh in relief and motion my head to Night Wish who lead out her companions, leaving me alone with a shotgun to my face. My knees wobble a little underneath me at the sight, but I keep my composure to the best of my ability. The two ponies that are chained up seem to calm down once the alicorns leave and go to either corner of the room, which helps me relax the slightest bit even if the larger of the two continues to stare at me. The mare sitting on the crate catches me looking at her.. friends and grunts in annoyance. “Don’t pay no attention to my boys, they only bite if I let ‘em. You don’t act like any of dem other al-i-korns, and my little colt Sunshine here seems to think the same.” She slides off the crate and walks over to the pony in the left hoof corner, no larger than a foal, and scratches behind his bitten off ear. “He is your son?” I ask, hiding my fright as best as I can. “Well, dis one is. The lump over there was my husband before he went all crazy headed. Used to be on the guard just like I did.” Night Wish walks back into the room and stands behind me. “The other’s wish you to hurry. We... They wish not to be separated from me for too long.” I nod my head to my companion then turn back to.. “What is your name?” I ask. “Me? Names Long John. Father, the idjit that he was, made a vow to name his first born after his best friend. Just call me John, you wouldn’t be the first.” John (That is the oddest name for a pony, and a mare at that) continues to scratch behind her son’s ear until his leg is tapping the ground in unison with each scratch. “The son of a mule over there,” she pointed to the other corner where the pony was... licking himself, “his name is Redwind, call him whatever foul language that comes to mind if you can. My little stallion here, sunshine of my day, is named Sunshine, after our beloved Celestia who BETTER GET HER ASS DOWN HERE AND HELP ME WIT DEEZ HERE FOOLS.” John yells at the ceiling, shaking a hoof. “Okay... John,” I say her name with a doubtful hiccup. “How exactly did you and your.. family get like this?” I ask, hoping it doesn't sound rude. John raises an eyebrow to me. “Wow, you’re new here ain’t cha?” She looks over at Night, “How exactly does that happen to an alicorn anyway? She get bonked on the head or somethin’?” Night Wish gazes at Long John before shaking her head. Well, I guess that is something. I lay on the dirty ground with a sigh. “I woke up only an hour ago in some type of cocoon, and those five were waiting for me outside of it. I tried to ask them what was going on, but all they did was talk in riddles. It wasn’t getting me anywhere. Finally I said I would get a guard if they didn’t leave. They must have thought you were one so they brought me here.” I rest my head on my hooves, caring little about if my ruined mane gets dirty or if it looks undignified.My stomach growls loudly, and I notice how hungry I am. Scratch that, I’m starving! I can’t believe I have been moving with such little food in me. John chuckles to herself. Night Wish looks down at me in concern. “Is something wrong Goddess? Your torso seems to be making a noise.” I am able to lift my head up from my hooves. “I told you... stop calling me Goddess.” I growl at the alicorn beside me. I look up from the fetal position towards Long John. “It is dreadfully rude of me to ask, but do you have any food?” John reaches behind her into the back of a crate and pulls out a box of sugar apple bombs and floats them over to me. “Here, eat up. From the sound of it, you’re gonna be fallin’ over if you don’t get nothin’ in that stomach of yours.” I graciously and tactfully devour the sugary goodness as quickly as I can, caring more about my impending death by starvation rather than how terrible I might look scarfing down the box of cereal. I empty the box in little over a minute, only to up-end it in an attempt to fish out any crumbs. My stomach growls again, and I sigh in agreement. I place the box beside me and look back over at John who is staring at me wide eyed. “Do you have any more?” I ask, quite ashamed of myself for acting as I did. John reaches into the box behind her, not taking her eyes off me as though I was going to eat her, then takes out another box of sugar apple bombs. I eat these a little slower, making sure to forward the conversation before I gorge myself on food I haven’t paid for. “So, what’s happened to the Canterlot?”

* * * * *

Footnote - Level up! Level 2 reached! Each level you are granted 1 perk that is decided through your actions.New perk - Pacifistic diplomat : You hate violence. Whenever a fight or conflict is likely to break out you gain +1 charisma and unique dialogue options such as: Begging, pleading, crying, and complaining (don't let that be confused with whining).

((For the origonal story of FOE please go tohttp://www.equestriadaily.com/2011/04/story-fallout-equestria.html written by katt. It is an amazing story. If you have any comments or critiques post them in the comments below or send me a personal message. I write to improve, so if you liked the story or hated it entirely tell me what I could do better))

Chapter 2 - A whole new world

Fallout Equestria : Monarch of a new world - Chapter 2 - A whole new world

So much to see, so much to do!

If only you could survive long enough to get it all done.

“I ain’t never see no alicorn show emotions like that, let alone cry.” Long John says, pawing at the ground. Night Wish is standing a few paces to my right, looking down at me worriedly.

I sob dryly into my hooves, unable to cry anymore. And who wouldn’t? Canterlot, all of those ponies, and the princesses, killed. I was only able to hear a small account of the gruesome details of Equestria’s end before I broke out in tears and Long John became silent. 200 years of waiting and I can’t recall a second of it. Was that how long I waited in that bubble? And where is Shining in all this? My memories of the moments before Shining put me in the barrier have come back to me, but not without the fog of time spread on it like a dirt stain on white cloth. Cries from outside, the window crashing in on him, and his final words to me. ‘I love you’

The thought is too much. I break down in tears again.

Night Wish walks over to my side, kneels next to me and rests her head on my back. Her mane falls onto my neck and along my own coat

~windfall tickling my coat on a warm spring night.~

and I can feel something, like an echo of... of.. something. But Night Wish can feel it also, because she gasps and jumps back when we touch. I saw something too, some glimpse of a moment and the nostalgia that usually comes with memories of foalhood. I feel the echo everywhere. I feel it bouncing from Long John, Redwind, and Sunshine, along with the four others that are standing right outside of our room. I can see that each of the alicorns have turned their heads towards me, because I see it from each of their eyes. The confusion just starting to etch on John’s face. Sunshine and Redwind lifting their heads an inch off the ground, a small whine coming from the younger of them. All of this happens in the second that we touch, but I can feel all of it even with my head in my hooves. Then it is gone. I wish I could explain how it feels to know everything around you and then have it taken away, but there is little I can describe with words alone. The closest thing would be that it’s like seeing in color for one moment, only to have grays flood your vision the next.

But I can still feel it, the moment I saw. Almost like a memory I can feel the

~warm air on my coat, blowing my mane around me as I stare out into our lake. Ducklings swimming through the blazing water and the setting sun resting its lazy head on the hills in the distance. My head is on his chest, warm breath on my neck, and a sleeping foal tucked in a sheet between us.~

I raise my head towards Night Wish. Our eyes connect.

“You al-i-korns are all sorts of weird.” Long John says with a nicker of agreement from Redwind in the corner.

Me and Night Wish continue to stare into each others eyes, her’s strained and fearful, until she pulls away and walks where the other four alicorns are waiting. She turns back to me before she exits. “Long John has proven herself to not be a threat, so we will leave you with her until we return,” Her voice shakes as she says this, and her eyes dart from side to side without looking at me. I try to protest, but am unable to. My flight across the city and the commotion afterwards, along with not eating in 200 years has sapped all of my energy for the day.

I watch them leave with only a sigh of empathy, my chin resting on my hooves as I lie on the floor, mane plastered to my face and back along with strands peppered in mud and dirt from the floor. My body aches for energy, yet my stomach is bursting from over eating. My heart aches for Shining, and my mind cries for sleep.

I close my eyes for what seems like half a second, but when I open them again the lights are off and there is a blanket around me. I lift myself up, only to give up halfway and rest my head back on my aching hooves. I got back a lot of energy from the rest, and I can think a lot more clearly. My body doesn't ache nearly as much and my stomach has finally calmed down. I try and glance around the room but it is pitch black. I can still hear the patter of rain on the roof, and the constant drip of water on the floor from cracks in the ceiling. I produce a small light from my horn to give myself a view of the room.

Everything is where it was last night, except Long John is lying next to Sunshine in the corner of the room, both of them snoring loudly. From what I can tell I have only slept for a few hours. I continue to glance around the room until I see a sparkle in the corner.

When I look at where it came from I find myself staring into a pair of glowing pink eyes. Redwind is sitting half up looking at me lazily from across the room. I let out a small gasp of surprise and jump up on my forelegs. Red doesn’t react to my gasp, just continues to stare at me, his face emotionless and his posture uncaring. After a few minutes of this impromptu staring contest I am able to relax and rest my head in my hooves again, using the free time to think over what has happened.

))))))((((((

After a few hours Long John starts to stir awake, only then does Red finally shift his gaze. I see something in his eyes when he looks at his wife, some spark of emotion. I catch a ghost of a smile on his face, horribly scarred and twitching in the effort, but it is there for a split moment. Small streams of light pour in through the ceiling, and a cool morning breeze passes through every now and again.

The rain stopped less than an hour ago.

Long John looks around the room blindly, mumbling something to herself, and stands up to stretch. Sunshine wiggles his legs to where his mother was, grabbing at air, then lifts his head with slits for eyes to her moving figure. Bones pop with every movement as she plops herself on the same crate as yesterday and flicks on the switch with her magic that lights the room around us. Long John rubs her eyes, stretches her hooves over her head, then stares at me blankly, eerily similar to her husband. "So, you are still here. Ah was hoping you would act as mysterious as your friends and disappear in the middle of the night." She says with a smile on her face that makes me guess she is joking.

I try my best to smile back. "Unfortunately with Equestria destroyed I don't have anywhere to go." I try to joke, but it only makes me choke up again. I force myself to continue smiling and block out any images of long gone loved ones from my head.

Long John laughs and slaps her knee. "Ah, that's fine missy, you are a lot better company for an al-i-corn than I thought I would ever get. Hay barrels, I didn't think I would have al-i-corns for company in the first place. You also seem to not rile up my boys here, which is somethin' I ain't never seen." Sunshine trots over to his mother’s side, chain rattling behind him, and lies down on the floor next to her. Long John reaches a hoof down and rubs his neck.

"I don't think they are the same as me." I say to Long John. "The alicorns, I mean. To tell you the truth, they don't even feel natural. They act so oddly, and it’s almost as if they have a single mind. I haven't even heard most of them talk other than Night Wish. They always call me 'Goddess' for some reason too."

"So, you're sayin' you are different from them ones out there?" Long John asks. She rubs her hoof against her face in a sarcastic manner then nods. "I can see that. For one, you didn't try and blow me up the moment you saw me, and I have to thank you for that. Also, you tried to stop your friends from blowin' me up, which I have to thank you for again." Long John says with a chuckle. "Heck, you even talk! Last night was the first time I have seen one of you devils talk before. They are always trying to speak into yer mind. Anyway, miss... miss uh.. Huh, I don't even think I know your name. I never thought to ask. Do al-i-korns even have names?"

"We certainly do," I giggle. "My name is Cadence."

Long John stares at me in silence, eyes squinting in doubt. "As in princess Cadence? As in the lost princess of Equestria?"

I give a small nod. “I don’t know what you mean by ‘Lost princess of Equestria’ but yes, I am Princess Cadence”

Long John looks at me for a moment longer before her eyes widened and her posture straightens. “Luna fuck me with the moon, it is you! Ponies have been looking for you for years and noponies seen head or hair!” Long John stands up and starts pacing the room in excitement as she talks. Her voice trails off as she continues, more thinking aloud than talking to anyone in particular. “I can’t believe I didn’t notice sooner, you sleeping in my home and all. Oh sweet Celestia, I pointed a shotgun at the princess. I even gave her the stale box of sugar apple bombs!” Her voice raises and she sits down with her head in her hooves. Sunshine looks up at his mom with confusion, his ears raising as her voice continues to increase its volume. Redwind looks at me with scrutinizing eyes, examining my every detail.

I am a little confused in the turn of events. The world has been destroyed, thousands of ponies killed and Long John is talking about royalty. However, I am used to it.

Equestria has always been blinded by royalty. Even when pressing matters are needed to be taken care of ponies take precious time to bow, nod, or say “Welcome princess.” During the war I would visit hospitals after large battles in an attempt to help with patients, boost moral, or check on one of my friends. But while walking along the halls ponies would get out of bed to bow, even if they were in terrible pain. Doctors would halt mid operation, mid stitch, to salute or bow. It got to the point where I was hurting things more by stopping by. Equestria had been that way from the beginning, and it has carried on since.

“Long John, it’s okay. Royalty doesn’t matter when the palace is empty. Right now I am trying to find Shining. Also, those sugar apple bombs were delicious.” I give a reassuring smile in an attempt to calm her down. “Now please, sit down.”

Long John Slows her rapid pacing and glances over at me. She looks as if she is on the verge of a panic attack, but after a moment she calms down and takes a seat next to Sunshine who curls up to his mother like a puppy. She strokes his destroyed mane and whispers, “She is so kind Sunny, so nice with us even with what we have become.” She stares at her child as tears fill her eyes.

After a minutes of silence I force myself to my feet, and ask, “You wouldn’t mind if I used the restroom would you?” The conversation has come to a lull and I need to find a place to think. I have been surrounded by ponies from the moment I had woken up. Not only that, but I really have to pee. Long John gives a little nod before resting her head on Sunshines neck.

I exit the room, making sure to close the door on the way out, and walk down the small hallway that leads to the front of the store. I trying a door along the way that turns out to be a supply closet filled with mannequins. Goddess I hate these things. They remind me of the gala and the countless dress shops I would be dragged to weeks before it would actually start. Countless lines of these things sporting flashy dresses, scarves, and socks. Always socks. I search the front room for any doors hidden behind the piles of trash, giving the mannequins a large amount of space, but I’m unable to find anything. I give the hallway in the back another glance to see if I missed a door but I find nothing, and decide that I am going to have to go outside to look for a place to go.

The door opens with the screech of rusted metal and opens to the same destroyed ruins of Canterlot I saw yesterday. The sky is covered in clouds for miles in every direction, but the street is still bright as the sun bleeds through the thick stretch of clouds. Across the street is a row of identical storefronts with windows that are warped and bubbly with a deep shade of pink boiled into them. I can’t see through them other than what is placed directly against it from the other side or painted on them. The walls of the buildings are intact but they sag inward as if slowly collapsing. The streets are cracked and seem to be bleeding a pink goo into the water that is left from last night’s downpour.

It finally comes to my attention that this could be what’s left of the pink fog from earlier. I look around, searching for any trace of it in the air, but I can’t find anything in the area around me. I glance back down at the puddle and see small strands of pink coming from cracks in the ground, but it seems to only be a small amount, nothing that could easily fill the air at the rate it is going, even if it were to continue for days.

I catch sight of my own reflection in the water as I turn to walk away. My mane is a mess, strands pop out randomly and it’s frizzled from the rain. I lift my hoof and push my hair around in an attempt to get it organized, but I can do little without something to make it wet and I would rather not put that pink water on my head. Other than my mane I look the same; light pink coat, a little ruffled from sleeping on the floor, along with blue tipped wings. Mane and tail the colors blond, magenta, and violet in vertical streaks and a light pink horn atop my head. My crown is somewhere at my house, though I only wear it for public events along with the rest of my formal wear. On my flank is my cutie mark, a heart shaped diamond with small ribbon decals on either side. I continue to glance at myself in the pool of pink, surrounded by the destroyed buildings of Canterlot. I look so... out of place. Here I am in this destroyed world, away from my beloved and alone except for a crazed and scarred mare with her animalistic husband and mute child. Is this really where I am suppose to be? Is any of this real?

I need a place to sit, I think to myself. I glance around, looking for a bench but instead find a statue huddled on the ground near me that looks remarkably like a mare. She is crouching next to a storefront, a coffee shop from what it looks like, and is grasping at her neck as if she is trying to free a pair of hooves that are strangling her. I look down the street, confused that I hadn’t seen this before now, and see countless amounts of others along either side of the street, hiding in alleys, scrambling into stores, or huddling in groups as defined as if they were the real thing. How could I have missed them yesterday? I take a closer look at the statue crouching next to me. The mares face is strained in fear and pain, each tendon on her neck as tight as piano wire and each hair on her mane defined to the point of realism. The statue looks past any ponies craftsmareship, almost as if she were alive. Could this be what that pink mist did to ponies who were exposed to it for too long? Stuck in place for all eternity, reliving your pain for all to see?

I stand up and walk along the street, examining all of the ponies frozen in time hoping to learn something about their last moments, hoping to see a reason why all of these innocent ponies should die, but only find the endless fear and pain etched into each of their beings. After a few minutes of walking from one side of the street to the other I break down when I find a group of colts and fillies huddled together on the side of the street, all of them clutching their throats in a vain attempt to keep the toxic gas out of their lungs.

How could this happen? All of the years spent negotiating with the zebras trying to end the war, all of the countless nights spent trying to figure out a peaceful way to end the violence for such a horrible outcome. What kind of world is this? Innocent foals killed...

I couldn’t stop it. I tried so hard, but the war continued on until its inevitable end.

))))))((((((

I looked through at least 20 stores on this street, but all were either locked or filled with that pink water. So, in a desperate attempt to relieve myself, I found a small alley between two stores and convinced myself that it is certainly better than doing it out in the open. I summon up what pride I have and throw it to the wind as I pee behind a dumpster. It takes little more than a minute, but it is an excellent welcome to the world that I am now in.

I decide I have given myself enough time to think, and Long John enough time to calm down, so I head back to the store. The mannequins watch me as I trot to the back room and I give each of them a glare as I pass. The door is still closed like I had left it, but I don't hear any noise coming from inside the room. I give the door a small push and see Long John lying her head on Sunshines side. Redwind lifts his head for a moment to peer lazily at me before lying back down, making sure to keeping an eye on the door as he rests. Sunshine gives me a sideways glance as I walk over to his mothers side

I have things I need to ask, I think to myself. I need to know more about what happened to Equestria. I need to know about Twilight and her friends and where Shining Armor could be. Long John is facing the wall with her flank angled towards me. I can finally see her cutie mark, a set of sticks held together with rope. What an odd mare.

I give John’s flank a little nudge with my hoof and in less than a second she has me pinned to the ground, hooves wrapped around my neck choking the life out of me. She yells at me as I gasp for air, “Don’t you dare touch me! Don’t you dare! I swore to Celestia and Luna above that I would fucking kill you if you tried that again!” Her eyes are cloudy and she seems to be looking through me to somepony else. I try to talk to her, try to tell her to stop but all I can do is lay there as I slowly run out of oxygen. I flail my hooves trying to get her off but I can do little against the strength of the burnt guard pony. My vision darkens as time passes and her hold only strengthens. I prepare myself to use my horn as a last ditch effort to get her off. Shining had taught me how to use it in combat if worst came to worst, but I had never done it to actually hurt somepony. How could I? She was a mother, even if she was crazy, and I could tell she was a good pony.

Long John screams in pain, and even as my vision continues to darken I can see that she swings her head around to look behind her. Her grip loosens, then she lets go all together. I gag and cough as I push air into my lungs. My throat seems to be clogged but I force myself to breath deeply and quickly. My horn becomes dark as I glance at Long John who has turned to face Sunshine. Her right leg is a bloody mess as if somepony had bitten the skin off of her thigh. “Sunshine...” Her voice is full of sadness and betrayal as she speaks to her son, “Why would you do this to your mommy? I’m tryin’ to protect you.”

Sunshine lets out grunt and turns at me, to which his mother’s clouded gaze turns to as well. In a moment her eyes regain clarity and she gasps. “Wha... What have ‘ah...” she says, bringing a hoof to her face. I cough as air catches in my throat, then go into an entire spurt of them as my lungs seemed to be forced through my throat. Long John walks over to me and bows down, her hoof extended and her forehead pressed against the ground. “Princess, ah don’t know what tah say. I am unbelievably sorry for what ah did, I just wasn’t myself. You just touched me and ah... ah reacted.” I can feel her shame and regret as if it were my own, can feel how sorry she is. I can tell that she didn’t try to hurt me, that it was an accident. Still, I take a step back from her after I catch my breath.

“I...” I try to talk but just end up going into another spurt of coughs. John raises her head from the ground. I can’t look into her eyes without seeing the clouded look of a killer that was there before. I glance over at Redwind who is now standing up and glaring at Long John, his eyes are full of anger. Sunshine gets up and bows next to his mother, then looks up at me. His small stump of a tail is wagging slightly and his half bitten ear pressed against his skull. Not even his burnt features can mask the cuteness he is trying to display.

“It’s okay.” I say, trying my best to smile as the air grinds its way into my lungs. I manage a look at John and see that she is relieved, but she hasn't stopped bowing yet. “I know you didn't mean to.”

))))))((((((

It takes a little while, but I am able to get Long John to sit down and stop saying sorry. She is sitting on the crate she was on yesterday and Sunshine is curled up against her leg, resting his head on her hoof. Redwind is snoozing in the corner like he always does.

I am able to steer the conversation away from what happened a few minutes ago to something I have been wondering ever since John had mentioned it. “You said earlier that you have become something 'else', what did you mean?”

Long John glances at Sunshine by her leg, Redwind on her left, then looks at her own destroyed hooves. “We’re ghouls. Ponies who have been changed by the radiation. When the bombs hit they produced large amounts of it and spread the stuff all around Equestria. Wer’ a special kind though, some call us Canterlot ghouls. The pink mist that hit the city had a different effect than normal radiation, this stuff changed what we were made out of. If I get a cut blood won’t be coming out of it, I'll bleed that terrible pink mist. Same goes fer Sunshine and Redwind," She gives me a moment to absorb what she said. I think for a moment that she expects me to ask something, but she continues on anyway.

"Ghouls can survive longer than a normal pony too. Me and Red have been around for some 230 years, and Sunny will be hitting his 213th in a week or so. We don’t really grow, though. For Red and me that don’t mean much, but Sunny is always going to be my little colt.” She rubs his head with a lazy hoof. “Only problem with living forever, other than the bad skin, is that some ponies tend to loosen some screws with old age. You can keep the body moving for however long you want, but ponies aren't meant to live this long. After some time they go feral, and there ain’t nothing you can do about it. Sunny went within the first few years but he has never been bad, he always listens when I talk to him and does what I says, even if it’s a little slow. Red went next, some 50 or 60 years ago. So hard to remember what feels like only a few days ago.” She sighs.

The first thought that comes to my head is, What she’s saying is impossible.How could a pony live for over 200 years? Sure Celestia and Luna could do it, but they're alicorns. My mind is quick to ignore the impossibility, however, and asks, If what she is saying is true, what does that mean for Shining or Twilight?

“Feral ponies ain’t bad though, they’re still in there... somewhere. Whenever I talk to Sunshine he listens, I know he does! Red might still be a lazy sonofabitch, but I know he is still there watching over me when I sleep. And ah... I know I’m still here, I gotta be. Ah have to stay sane for these two, or Luna knows what might happen if I go.” She looks at me with pleading eyes as if asking if she is doing the right thing. “Ah think I’m the only thing holding them together. If I go, they won’t be there no more. And ah can’t leave ‘em, I just can’t. Sunny’s too young, too innocent to wander on his own, he needs guidance. I couldn’t think about leaving him to wasteland. His father is just as helpless. Bastard could burn for what he did, but I still remember him for how he was before he went. He was so sweet, always nice to everypony, even after the bombs dropped he gots’ people into the vault after we were safe. Ah think that’s why he changed so quickly, got so angry all of the sudden, he was exposed to the stuff for too long so it messed with his head." She goes silent, staring at the ground like she is ashamed. She only stays like that for a second before regaining her posture and having a sad smirk on her face. "Sunny was a youngin’ anyway, his head was full of mush from the day he was born, and that pink mist didn’t help nothing.” She says jokingly. She gives Sunshine a small tap on the head, and he looks up at her with his head tilted, wondering what he did wrong.

“You poor mare.” I say quietly to myself. How could any one pony live through so much and continue on from sheer force of will? “How did you do it?” I ask her. “How did you stay sane all of this time with the world around you crumbling?”

Long John glances up from Sunshine. Her eyes have gained a determination that nopony could break. “You gotta do it for your family. They’re all yah got in the end. If you can’t do it for them, why do it at all?”

Those words stir up a sense of hope and passion the likes I haven't felt before. A need to look for Shining and Twilight in this terrible world, and find out what happened to them.

* * * * *

Footnote - Level up! Level 3 reached!

New perk - Special touch - Physical contact with an alicorn allows you to see the area around you, along with a few other hidden benefits. But be careful, others can tell when you use this ability.

((Authors notes - I never thought I would be writing about a pink princess pony peeing behind a dumpster.

For the original story of Fallout Equestria please go to http://www.equestriadaily.com/2011/04/story-fallout-equestria.html written by katt. It is an amazing story.As always, if you have any comments or critiques post them in the comments below or send me a personal message. I write to improve, so if you liked the story, or hated it entirely tell me why.))

Chapter 3 - Welcome to Canterlot

Fallout Equestria : Monarch of a New World - Chapter 3 - Welcome to Canterlot

A lovely stroll

through a dead city.

“You can’t go out there alone Cadence. Not only is the place covered in pink goop that’ll burn your pretty little hide to a burnt husk, but ghouls are roaming around that will tear you to pieces once they catch a whiff of yah!” Long John says as I move towards the door.

She is following close behind, her hoof extended as if she is going to force me to stay. “I’m sorry Long John, but I need to get back to my home. There might be something that can tell me where Shining Armor is, and I didn’t get a chance to look the place over before I left. Didn’t you say that ghouls aren’t all bad?” Long John scowls as I turn her words back on her. “Just because some ponies aren’t murderers don’t mean you should put your life in everypony’s hooves.” “Well,” I say, trying to think of someway to convince her to let me leave, “how about you go with me then? I’m sure you could help me get there without a problem and even if we do find some ghouls you can convince them to leave us alone.” “Agh.” Long John grunts and rubs her forehead with a hoof. “You don't convince ferals of nothing when they are gone to the point that those ponies are." She stares at floor, thinking over the situation. "But fine, princess. You better learn real quick that Equestria has changed from when you were last out here.” The ghoul pony walks to a set of crates in the corner closest to the door. She pushes the stack to the side and reveals a hidden space in the wall. Inside are mounds of supplies. Boxes filled with medical equipment, a small armies worth of guns and piles of books. The room is the size of a closet with a sink and mirror on the left wall and... a toilet on the right. Celestia damnit. Long John lights up her horn and floats one of the books from the stack, a small pistol from the wall and two saddle bags, one of which she puts on herself and the other she gives to me along with the pistol and book. “Here, take this and put it on. Use the saddle bag for keepin’ what you need, the pistol to kill what you don’t like and the book to tell you when you need to do either. This book,” she taps the cover as she gives it to me, “will save your hide more than any conversation you could have with me.” The book is made of a soft, easily bendable paper and is as thick as my hoof, with the words The Wasteland Survival Guide : By Ditzy Doo printed on the front. She flips through the page with her magic to expose countless words and hoof drawn pictures of weapons, technology, and disgusting creatures that couldn't possibly exist. “The Wasteland Survival Guide.” I say, testing the words. She thrusts the pistol into my face, and when I don’t try and grab it she grunts and slides it into a holster on the side of my bag. “A pistol?” I ask as she slips it into a holster on my bag. “Mare, if I need three shotguns to defend myself in my own home, you ought to be thinking there are things out there that don’t play nice. A pistol won’t do much to most of those things, but you’re getting it for free so I better not hear any complaining.” She finishes tightening my saddle bag and proceeds to fill it with medical supplies, food and a hoof full of small bullets with a few empty clips. Long John floats one of them out and brings it in front of me along with an empty clip. “Quick crash course before we head out. This here is a 10mm bullet. It goes into the clip like this.” She pushes the bullet into the slide, then proceeds to do it eleven more times until she can’t put any more in. She floats out the gun and slides the clip into it. She shows me the safety, the trigger and how to cock the gun. Now, I am not an idiot when it comes to guns. Shining had taught me to fire them during the war, around when the whispers of balefire bombs started coming up in hushed voices. I am actually quite decent at it. What is giving me pause is the thought of firing it at something other than a wooden target. After Showing me how to fire the pistol, which she demonstrates by firing it into her own wall and scaring the fluff out of me, she shows me what medical supplies she is putting into my bag. “We got healing potions, med-x, magical bandages, rad-away, rad-x, buck, a few party time mint-als, and my personal favorite, Dash.” She chuckles. I gawk as she slips the drugs into my bag one after the other. “You can’t be serious. Some of that stuff is dangerous! You can’t expect me to carry around Mint-als and buck, and, and Dash!" I stutter as I think of the thousands of ponies admitted to hospitals around Equestria from dash overdoses. "That stuff is highly addictive and can kill me!” Long John continues to fill my bag with drugs, seeming to ignore me as she talks. “There are times in the wasteland when things are too difficult to think around, or you need to talk somepony out of doing something stupid. I can’t see no harm in taking some mint-als if it means saving somepony’s life, can you?” I shake my head, though I know it’s still wrong. “How about when you have a broken leg and you can’t possibly force yourself through the pain to drag your broken body to safety? Would you really keep yourself in that much pain when you could take some buck and live?” I cringe at her gruesome example, but nod my head again. Her logic seems sound, and if the world has come to it I guess I can see a reason to use it, but only in the most desperate of situations. “And dash makes you high as fuck! I take this shit whenever Celestia decides to screw me over real good some days.” She laughs and shoves some more dash into my bag. “Long John!” I shout, trying to grab some of the dash. She holds the dash in the bag so I can’t float it out. “Princess you better not be turning down a gift. I am giving this stuff to you out of the goodness of my heart, I don’t care what you do with it. You go sell it to some addict for all I care, but don’t be rude enough to turn this down. Ah recommend keeping this stuff though, it might help you stay sane when the wasteland tries to tear your mind apart.” She sighs as she closes the flap to my bag and goes back into the closet. “Just make sure you’re safe when you take it.” I glance back at the pocket that has the dash and cringe at the thought of taking such terrible drugs.(((((()))))) Long John brings out a few books and magazines out of the storage room, including a huge hard cover book called ‘Big Book of Arcane Sciences’. “Now, when you’re not fighting for your life it’s always good to be readin’ that Survival guide or,” She floats a magazine in front of me labeled ‘Guns and bullets’ with the picture of a revolver on the front, “one of these. All of this stuff is filled with info that can save your life, be it knowing how to fix a clogged pipe or knowing the best way to defuse a ruby powered balefire bomb over a sapphire one.” She slips the books into the bag, except for the Book of Arcane Sciences which she puts on the opposite side of the others to balance out the weight. Long John starts to fill up her own bag which nearly doubles her height. On the sides are her three shotguns, each with their own hoof crafted holster. I get a glance of her filling an entire pocket with dash which she claim is “Just in case." Yeah, just in case we want to have a block party. I think to myself while I roll my eyes. My bag is double my weight with the amount of supplies John put into it, and when I try to move my legs buckle and I topple over. Long John glances down at me and sighs before helping me unpack some of the extra supplies. In the end I leave behind a large chunk of food, which I convince her is unneeded because of the short distance to my house, along with the Arcane Book of Sciences which easily takes off an extra 20 pounds. When my saddlebag is situated Long John walks over to Sunshine and takes off his collar. The colt scratches at his neck, and once he notices that is gone he runs around the room, smiling like a foal in Sugarcube Corner. Sunshine doesn't have a cutie mark on his side. I can’t tell if its because his skin is so destroyed from radiation or if he was too young to get it. I giggle as he runs past and circles back to his mother, who he nuzzles warmly. Their burt and decayed flesh scrape against each others, some flaking off and floating to the ground, but it doesn't take away from the heart warming moment. Long John fits him with his own small bag and puts on some spikes shoes on his front and back hoofs. After she closes the closet and returns the crates to their original place she stands in front of the door. “Okay,” John says, looking at both of us, “everypony ready?” I glance back at Redwind and ask, “What about him?” Long John glares at Red, then says, “He doesn’t get off his chain no more.” Her voice hints of anger, but it is her eyes that tell the story. They are fill with rage so potent that it flows from her eyes like tears. “And I recommend you don’t go near him if you have the choice.”(((((()))))) I stagger behind Long John as we trot down a familiar row of houses heading toward the mountainside. Sunshine is running and jumping off of obstacles around us, doing flips and spins if the object is high enough. The buildings around us are similar to what we have been seeing since we left the shop, half destroyed, collapsing in on themselves, or burnt down completely. Carriages litter the street around us blocking our view of anything more than a few feet in either direction, but Sunshine stays on top of the closest one to look for danger. We left mid-morning and it is around three in the afternoon now, though I can’t be certain with the sun behind the clouds. I recognize the street we are on as being Hoofbeat Boulevard, no less than a ten minute trot to my home. My house is set inside of the mountain so it took us a good two hours of trotting to get from one side of Canterlot to the other. Usually it would take little more than half an hour to make the trip before the balefire bombs, but with so much debris, pools of acidic pink liquid and Long John’s constant looting of every other store along the way, most of which I had shopped at or knew the owner of, we get a little delayed. The weight of my pack was taking its toll on me earlier but now it has gotten almost unbearable. Long John refuses to take a break unless we are searching for supplies, which she makes me help with so that I can learn how to ‘scavenge’ as she calls it. “Long John,” I say between breaths. My lungs are killing me and my side feels like a knife has been poked into it. “Can we please take a short break? I’m not used to carrying this much weight.” “Is that the best excuse you can come up with princess? Can’t make it a few miles before giving up? Your husband is the Captain of the Canterlot guard and you can’t keep up with a 200 year old mare.” Long John says, but stops beside a carriage and grabs some food out of her saddle bag despite her remark. “Fine, we can have a lunch break if you need to.” She calls Sunshine over and gives him a box of sugar apple bombs which he gulps down with as much vigor as had did the day before. I take a seat next to her on the ground, glad that I can finally rest my legs. “Was.” I say as I search my bag for something appetizing. “He was the captain of the guard before he got too old for it.” Long John shrugs, then opens up a can of beans and gobbles it as quickly as her son. She glances at me midway through destroying the can's contents and asks, “what are you doing?” I look up from my bag with confusion. “What do you mean? I’m looking for something to eat.” “Yeah,” she says as she points at her can of beans, “you’re looking for food when I’m almost half done with mine. Yer taking too long! Just pick something and eat it up, wasting time gets you killed in the wastes.” “Just... pick something and eat it?” I ask. The question seems silly after I hear myself say it. She gives a slow nod. I pick a box at random, some balefire berry blast cereal, and open it up. Long John sets her empty can on the ground, then glances at me and face hoofs. “Celestia above, what are you doin’ now?”I stop mid chew to look at her, then swallow and reply, “What is it? I’m eating like you said.” “Princess, what else did I tell you?” I raise an eyebrow. After a moment she sighs and says, “not to waste time, that’s what. You’re sitting there all civil, eating your food one crumb at a time while we get it over with. Eating isn’t for pleasure anymore mare, yer eating to survive.” Sunshine lifts his head from his torn open box of sugar apple bombs, crumbs covering his face as he licks his lips clean. I giggle as he tries to reach a piece that is stuck to his nose with his tongue. Long John stands up and continues down the road, Sunshine following behind only to jump onto the roof of a nearby carriage. “Wait!” I say, shoving food into my mouth as I zip up my saddle bags. I chase after them as I scoop cereal out of the box and into my mouth using my magic, but I-Thunk! “Celestia damnit!” I scream as I fall to the ground, landing on my face. I cradle my horn and look to the carriage behind me to search for what I tripped on and find myself staring into the decayed face of a ghoul pony, his dead eyes looking back into mine. It screeches with such primal ferocity that my knees fall out from under me. He claws his way out from under the carriage, mouth foaming pink and muscles twitching as he scrambles towards me. Within a moment Long John is in front of me shoving the ghoul away and into the side of a shop window before floating out her shotgun.**Boom!* Chck-Chck The ghouls face becomes a cloud of pink goop. Little droplets rain down all around, one landing on my stomach and sizzling its way into my flesh. I bat at the burning skin like a fire, but I only rub it around more. “Cadence, stop screaming!” Long John yells as she shakes me. I continue to bat at the flame until it finally goes away leaving only an itch and a ruined patch of scorched coat. I take in a heavy, shuddering breath to calm myself down but end up making myself go into a coughing spurt. I huddle into a ball and start to rock myself, trying my best to hold it together. “Princess you get your flank moving NOW!” Long John says, aiming her shotgun into the distance using her magic. She floats out another one of her guns, aiming it in a different direction, then fires them both.Boom! Boom!Chck-Chck Chck-Chck She cocks them and yells at me once again. “Cadence we have to move now, damnit!” She smacks me on the side of the head, and when I don’t react she does it again, this time so hard that my vision darkens and buzzing to start up in my ear. It takes a moment for my perception to come back, but once it does I hear a chorus of moans and screeches around us, along with not-so-distant hoof stomps. I glance around and see at least ten ghouls charging at us from the north, and another four coming from the south. “Get the fuck up!” She screams, tearing me off the ground with her magic and pushing me between two carriages. I stumble as she shoves me forward, barely catching myself, and scramble down the road that quickly turns into a desperate sprint for my life. Sunshine hops down from one of the carriages in front of me, landing on a pony’s head as it crawls out of a hole. He gives the stump of a head another quick stomp, causing the twitching body to grow still, then runs down the road ahead of me. Long John continues to fire wildly behind us, and by the time we make it to the end of the street I can hear the soft clicks of her guns firing with empty chambers. We take a left at the end of the street and keep running until I spot my house. The sight stops me in my tracks. My once beautiful two story home is now a pile of rubble on the face of the hill, little of the second story being where it should and instead being scattered around the house as if some beast had torn it to pieces. No way only the elements could have destroyed the house as it is, leaving nothing more than the bottom floors and a toilet hanging in the air by only a few pipes and a ruined support beam. The damage had seemed so minor and unnoticeable when I had first woken up, but now it is impossible to miss the massive amount of destruction. "Move you idjit!" Long John crashes into my back, forcing me to move towards the house with Sunshine and her following close behind. I can hear the cries getting closer by the second as I force the door open, little bits of decayed cloth fighting back every inch of the way from under the door. I give it a final shove and we pile inside the small hallway Long John closes the door behind us and braces it against the moaning herd. “Cadence, refill my shotguns and get your pistol ready.” She tosses me her guns and points to where the rest of the ammo was. “Sunshine honey, go search the rest of the house to make sure we are alone.” I clumsily slide 6 shells into each of the guns as Sunshine runs deeper into the house, then float them back over to her. “Okay princess, I need you to-” The ghouls give a push against the door, opening it enough for them to slip their hooves through. Long John takes the moment to fire at their exposed limbs, but all that happens when she pulls the trigger is a soft click. There is a moment of silence before she gives the guns a cock and fires them again, this time resulting in a ear shattering boom from each of the barrels. The door closes again as the bodies slide to the ground. “You forgot to cock them, didn’t you?” I give a small nod. There is a moment of silence as she stares me down. “What I need you to do,” she says between clenched teeth “is get yer gun out and shoot ‘em in the head once you can see ‘em. It’s simple, but you need to not freak out on me. Can you do that?” “Sure.” I say doubtfully. “Not sure, princess, I need to know that you will have my back when I open the door.” There is another shove against the door, but Long John is able to close it before they can push it any farther. I take a deep breath and close my eyes. I need to stay calm. I need to help. “Okay, I’m ready.” I force myself to say bringing out my pistol and aiming it towards the door. Long John opens the door and a wave of ghouls pours through. I fire my gun wildly at the group as John fires her 3 shotguns point blank at each of their heads, exploding them in an instant. Pink goop and flesh fly through the air as we unload on the group. One breaks through the heap of bodies that concentrates around the door and lunges at me. It pushes me to the ground and bites into the side of my hoof as I try and push it away. I scream as blood pours from my hoof and burning pink saliva seeps into my bloodstream. I float my gun to the side of his head and fire franticly, trying my best to get it off. It stops biting down after the third shot, but I continue to unload whatever bullets are left in the clip until I can’t fire any more. The air is silent. The only sounds are my rapidly beating heart, uneasy breathing or sizzling flesh. I push the limp body off of me, and only just in time. The ghouls head starts to seep pink mist from its countless bullet holes. I glance around the hallway, searching for any danger but find nothing other than Long John searching the corpses. Every inch of my skin burns and my hoof is completely numb below the bite. “Long John.” I say weakly. “I just killed somepony.” I am barely able to get the words out of my mouth before I fall unconscious.(((((()))))) I wake up gagging. A thick, grape flavored drink is being forced down my throat. I try to cough it up but somepony’s hoof keeps the bottle on my mouth. After I drink it energy flows through my body and my pain slowly drifts away. I open my eyes to see Long John sitting with me, a healing potion floating away from my mouth. Long John smiles. “There you are. You went out for awhile. Gave you a healing potion earlier, but thought it would be good to give you another.” I push my hooves under me and stand up, noting that I have feeling back in the hoof that the ghoul had bitten me. “How long was I out?” I say, leaning against a wall to stop myself from falling over. “Three hours.” Long John says. “While you were out we did a little scavenging. Hope you don’t mind.” I sigh at the thought of my house being looted while I was out. “Well, what did you find?” “Surprisingly a lot for a pre-war house, looks like almost nopony looted the place since the bombs dropped. Medical supplies are where they should be and not a single lock is broken.” Long John says. Sunshine trots into the room dragging a towel with a pile of my valuables on it. Earlier in the day I would have told him to put them back, but after being chased around Canterlot by a pack of crazed zombie ponies my priority have changed remarkably. Long John starts to talk again when I turn my gaze back. “But, while there hasn’t been anypony looting, there certainly was something that happened here. Can you walk?” She asks, standing up herself and motioning towards the living room. I nod my head and follow her. “There are a lot of scorch marks that don’t look look like something balefire or pink cloud could do. They look magical.” She stands next to a hole that is in the side of the wall slightly smaller than an averaged sized pony. The scorch marks pulsate a pink energy and seem to randomly burst into magical flames. She points to another hole that is the same, then another. I count at least seven different holes in the living room wall. The holes are odd, certainly, but a more pressing matter holds my attention. “Did you find anything about Shining armor?” I ask urgently. “If it’s a body you’re askin’ about, then no, we ain’t found one yet. We found a lot of opened food cans and healing potions in the kitchen that makes me think somepony stayed here at one time or another. There is some type of pink shell thing in the back, I was guessin’ that is the cocoon thing you were talking about earlier. We also found this.” She reaches into her saddlebag and pulls out a smooth pink ball that I recognize to be a memory orb. “It was layin underneath some debris next to the cocoon.” I reach my hoof out and lightly take the orb from her, cradling it against my side to keep it safe. “Thank you very much Long John, this could be exactly what I was looking for. Would you mind if I take a moment to look through it?” I ask, not taking my eyes off the orb. “Sure, just don’t take too long. I want us to get back before sundown.” She trots off to where Sunshine is looking through the pile of loot.This is it, I think to myself.This is what I was looking for* I take a deep breath, then reach out with my magic to the orb. There is a quick spark of connection before everything is dark.

<-=======ooO Ooo=======->

The smell is the first thing that my mind can comprehend when I enter the memory. The terrible, unholy smell of the pink fog. Within a moment I can see my beloved Shining Armor. His mane is in shreds, his coat burnt and melted. He looks like he hasn’t slept in days. On his head is a memory recorder, a crown with a small hole that his horn fits through. I am stuck looking directly into Shining’s beautiful blue eyes, but in my peripherals I can see the outer edge of the kitchen mirror. He looks like he is frowning, but after a moment I notice that it is his face sagging altogether. There is a thin concentration of pink around him. He takes in a deep breath, then starts to speak. “I don’t know what to say.” His voice is terrible. It sounds like he gargled saltwater mixed with metal shavings. “I love you so much. I didn't realize how much you meant to me. I don’t know if you will get this, hell I don’t even know if you’re going to ever wake up. “It’s been... It’s been two days.” Shining slumps down more and more as he talks, his posture ruined by the insistent pull of the fog. “I don’t know what to do." His voice cracks and his eyes grow wide, pupils dilate and his ragged breathing gaining speed. "This... This shit is everywhere! I can't take this much more. It's so painful, my bones grind against each other every time I move, like this mist is causing everything in my body to stop working. And it burns Cadence, everything burns!” His vision darkens, and when it comes back he is patting himself frantically as if putting out a fire. His breathing is rapid. It takes him a few minutes to calm down, and as his eyes move around rapidly I am able to get a better view of the inside of the house. The walls bleeding pink, little droplets forming and turning into a mist when they get big enough. The door to the living room is barricaded shut, cloth covering it from the base to the ceiling. Bottle upon bottle of healing potions lining the ground. “It’s raining outside." He starts again. "I went to check on you earlier and saw it through the window. I think the fog clears when it rains.” Shining looks at the ground, takes a deep breath, then turns his gaze back to me. “I am making this recording because I am planning on leaving Canterlot and I can’t be sure if I can make it back before you wake up. I can’t stay here any longer. I have to constantly drink healing potions just so I can stand upright without vomiting. I can’t wake you up either. I put too much energy in the shield to open it back up again. It is for the best that you stay in there, I need you to stay safe.” He looks to the table behind him where a large amount of supplies are organized from right to left. A map of Equestria is set out, along with row after row of healing potions, both opened or unopened. How could he have so many of them? Among the supplies is a military issued saddlebag and his service rifle set up against the table. The map is an extremely detailed replication of Equestria that takes up almost the entire table with flight paths and wagon trails between each city and town marked out. There are hoof drawn markings placed all around including coordinates marked in red ink. Shining Armor puts a hoof on the center of the map where Canterlot is placed. “I’m going to leave through the tunnels under Canterlot and hopefully make it to the base of the mountain before it stops raining. I don’t know how far the pink mist goes, it could be all over Equestria, but I am going to try and get as far as I can while there is still a chance.” He drags his hoof to the left over a desert where coordinates are placed in red. “I’m going to make my way to a safehouse in the west then figure out what to do when I am there. I hope to Celestia you don’t wake up before I can get back, but if for some reason you do make your way there. It’s the safest place I can think of. It should have food and medical supplies along with radio equipment so that you can contact me. The coordinates are North 13°, West 35°.” He turns back to the mirror and smiles. It is warped and deformed but his beautiful smile still holds true. “Stay safe Cadence, and be careful. The world isn’t the same anymore. I love you.”I love you too, Shining Armor.

<-=======ooO Ooo=======->

The ground rumbles below me and there are voices around me. The world is hazy and darker than when I went into the memory orb. The rumbling only gets stronger as I regain consciousness. The voices get clear enough to identify as Long John’s and Night Wish. I blink until my eyes are clear and push myself from the ground. The Memory orb rolls from my hooves, but I grab it with my telekinesis and float it into my saddle bag for safe keeping. Night Wish and Long John stand next to the window, the latter glancing outside nervously. Sunshine is against his mother leg holding it tightly. He makes a small squeak when he sees that I am awake. They look towards me in unison. Long John has fear etched into her face, and even Night Wish looks uneasy. The violet alicorn speaks first, a smile growing on her face as she trots to my side. “Oh Goddess, you have finally awoken! We must leave at once!” “What’s wrong?” I ask. The floor continues to rumble as I walk to the window, almost tripping over my hooves as I clumsily make my way over. My limbs are weak from being inside the memory orb for so long and my mind keeps going back to Shining, and the terrible condition that he was in. I don’t have time to finish the thought. “What’s wrong? Well princess, the fucking sky is falling down on us as we speak. Look for yourself.” She moves out of the way of the window and I step in her place. The sky has split apart revealing the sun in all of its glory. Canterlot is bright as a summer evening, making the destroyed city seem beautiful again. While most clouds have split apart to reveal the open sky, some have drifted downward towards the city. It takes my eyes a moment to look past the glare of the sun to see that they are not normal weather clouds but pegasus war ships descending upon the city with ominous speed. “Enclave." Long John says finality that makes my mane stand on end. "Wasn’t able to tell you about them earlier, didn’t think it mattered much. Nopony seen them flying around since... well since ponies seen you last, truth be told. To put the history lesson short, the pegasi decided they didn’t want nothing to do with us ground folk when the bombs fell, so they closed up the sky and been keepin' to themselves for a few hundred years or so. Night Wish here says that they ain’t coming down to say hello.” “They are coming to kill us all.” The alicorn says blatantly. “What!?” I scream. “Why would the pegasi want to do that?” “Why do you think I would know?” Long John says calmly. She gives Sunshine a hug and tightens the straps on his saddlebag. The poor colt looks scared to death. “It doesn’t matter. What you need to do is get Sunshine and yourself out of here while I go back for Redwind.” She kneels down to Sunshine and says to him, “Sunny, I love you so much, yah hear? You be good for Mrs. Cadence while I go find daddy. I’ll see you again soon, now go wait by the door while I talk with the grownups.” Sunshine nods and hugs his mother before trotting off to the front door. As he rounds the corner Long John looks me dead in the eyes. “I’m leaving him with you. You get him somewhere safe Cadence.” “Long John,” I say in a hushed voice so that Sunshine can’t hear. “If what Night Wish says is true there is no way you will make it to your home before those airships get here, let alone out of the city!” Long John stares daggers at me. “You don’t think I know thatprincess?” She says the last word with venom. “You think I like the idea of leaving my kin with some mare who wouldn’t have lasted a day without my help? Hell, leave him with alicorns? But I can’t get him out of here alone, and I can’t leave Redwind behind. I need you Cadence. I gasp. “No. No Long John you can’t do this. I can fly you over to him and we can all get out of here in time.” I think frantically, trying to find some way. “Mare you know you can’t fly me, Sunshine and all of your stuff in time. You need to leave now, or you won’t make it in time.” Long John smiles sadly, acceptance played out on her face. I turn to Night Wish. “There has to be something you can do.” I say hopefully. The alicorn speaks up after being silent for the majority of the conversation. ”Yes, I have the ability to teleport me or anypony the distance you require. However, I cannot teleport us all, nor could I teleport them back.” Long John laughs. “Hell, that’s a lot better than a desperate run. Give me some time to relax, maybe have a cup of coffee before Equestria explodes again.” I gasp and look over at Long John. “This is no time for joking, you could die! You have to come with us Long John!” Long John straightens up and seems to stare down at me, even if I am an inch or two taller. The rumbling from outside shakes the house, cans falling from the counter in the kitchen and debris falling from the ceiling. “I’m not leaving him, you hear? That stallion risked his life for Sunshine and me and he don’t deserve to die alone. You’re going to look after Sunshine because you are a good pony and you haven’t been corrupted by this terrible world.” I am stunned into silence. Long John glances over to her. “Do it.” Night Wish asks, “Are you sure?” She nods, then looks at me. “He don’t talk much but he listens plenty. Feed him when he is hungry and don’t let him get hurt. I trust you princess, don’t let my colt die.” Night Wish’s horn lights up and a brilliant purple light engulfs the room, blinding me for a split second. I blink to keep myself from going blind, and when I open them again Long John is gone. I stare at the spot where she was until Night Wish speaks up. “We must leave now goddess, before it is too late.” I give a small nod and call out to Sunshine who is already peering into the room. I run to the kitchen, grabbing the tattered map I saw previously on the table from the memory orb, then convince the sobbing colt to get onto my back. "Hush now, it'll be okay." I say to Sunshine, convincing myself in the process. Night Wish and I rush out the front door, the air reverberating around us as we race through the air and out of the city of Canterlot. Out of my home. Out of my old life. Into the new world(((((()))))) We make it to a small group of destroyed building on the fields far outside of Canterlot by the time the raptors have surrounded the city. The hum of their weapons increases until it’s a screeching whir that makes me cringe and Sunshine cover his ears. In a split moment they start to fire round after round into the base of Canterlot. Within moments the city crumbles. The city cries in pain, and Equestria moans with it. The earth splits as the mountainside collapses.Hundreds of homes.Thousands of ponies.Millions of dreams. The end of Canterlot. The end of Equestria. “Mommy.” Sunshine whispers.

* * * * *

Footnote - Level up! Level 4 reached!

New perk - Weapons handler - You seem to have no idea what to do with firearms, but you sure can aim them! You lose 5% to guns skill, but your accuracy increases drastically when using S.A.T.S.

((For the original story of Fallout Equestria please go tohttp://www.equestriadaily.com/2011/04/story-fallout-equestria.html written by katt. It is an amazing story.

As always, if you have any comments or critiques post them in the comments below or send me a personal message. I write to improve, so if you liked the story, or hated it entirely tell me why.))

(( A big shoutout to my editor JEEMY. You are a goose.))

Chapter 4 - The path before us

Fallout equestria : Monarch of a new world

Chapter 4

The path before us

Ah, nature. Beautiful, ain’t it? Watch out for

the radiators though, they bite.

The wasteland, as Long John called it before, is large. Very large. Now that might have seemed obvious to anyone who had known the size of Equestria before the Balefire bombs went off, but when there are noticeable landmarks and interesting things to look at, distance seems to be less noticeable. However, looking at the same dry dirt ground, step after step, with the occasional dying shrub along the path, doesn’t really make one pony stop and stare. Usually, I would try talking with the ponies I am traveling with to pass the time, but a seemingly mute colt and a socially inept alicorn make very poor company, so we trot down the endless plain in silence.

When we were finally able to move away from the sight of Canterlots destruction we discovered that Sunshine didn’t enjoy flying when the poor colt started to dry heave on my back mid flight. Walking suddenly became our only option. Hoofs stretch to yards, yards to miles, and so on until the ruins of Canterlot were out of sight and the memories that came with it slowly faded to the back of my mind. More important things were at hoof. We stopped earlier to check what supplies we had and found out that we only had enough food for another day before we would run out, and that’s only counting Sunshine and I. Luna knows how much Night Wish will eat. Sunshine tired out quickly when we started walking again, today’s earlier rush through the city had taken a lot out of him, so I let him take the rest of the day off, what little of it there still was, and nap on my back. The sun has already begun to set behind the clouds, causing the sky to turn a deep orange. I trot over to Night Wish’s side, and I say, “We need to find someplace to sleep.”She glances towards me. “Yes, goddess. Would you like me to search for someplace to rest?” I nod my head and take a step back, expecting her to take off into the sky to look, but instead she glances off into the distance. “There is a town to the north, little over a mile away. We could make it there before sundown and would still have enough time to eat, if you would like, goddess.” I glance off in the direction she is looking, finding nothing more than the same endless plains that we have been looking at for the last hour and a half. “There is?” I ask. After a moment I can see a dark blur, little more than a dot on the horizon. “Huh,” I say surprised. I glance up at her with a smile. “You have very good eyes.” “Thank you, goddess.” She says, a smile on her face so wide it looks like it was drawn on. Her voice is filled with delight, “Your compliment will be cherished.” “You’re welcome?” I say confused. “Please don’t call me goddess. I’ve already told you my name is Cadence.” Sunshine stirs a little as we start walking towards the town. He looks around for a second, then rests his head along my mane again. I can hear him snoring moments later. “You have always demanded to be called goddess before, why do you ask now to be called different?” “What do you mean?” This alicorn always seems to confuse me. “When have I ever asked you to call me that?” Night Wish shakes her head but doesn’t respond. “Also, where are the other alicorns? There were five of you when I first woke up, then you show up by yourself when the pegasi arrive.” “They are doing as they must. I have been given the honor of staying with you while all is sorted out,” she answers cryptically. See? Every time! I swear she does it on purpose. With the conversation dying as quickly as it is, I glance around to find something to occupy me as we trot, but there seems to be nothing of interest around us. Sunshine wiggles on my back, pushing his hoof against my saddlebag and forcing a lump from inside the bag to push against me. I curiously open the bag with my magic, bringing out the Wasteland Survival Guide, the paperback that Long John had given to me before we left. I open the book and begin to read to myself, but before I get past the first paragraph Night Wish speaks up, “Could you read aloud please?” I glance over to her, giving her a curious eye, then nod with a smile and read aloud, “The Wasteland Survival guide by Ditzy Doo...”

The Wasteland Survival GuideBy Ditzy DooChapter 1 - Introductions and Basic Survival Hi there! If you are reading this book it means you are taking the first step to survival. Congratulations! Many ponies have dared to live in the wasteland without the proper information to survive and many have died because of it. Without knowing how to bandage a wound or the best way to treat a radscorpion sting with only a bottle of whisky and a toothbrush, you may be putting yourself and everypony with you in a lot of unnecessary danger! I have seen many good ponies get seriously injured or even killed from lack of knowledge, so I have made it my duty to inform YOU how to survive in the wasteland. The first and most important thing that you should do to improve your chances of surviving in the wasteland is to pay close attention to your surroundings. It can be easy to overlook that landmine you’re about to step over, or even the knife in that pony’s mouth as he slowly walks towards you. Watch out! To help keep yourself aware, make sure to eat as healthy as possible. It may be easy to eat sugar apple bombs every day, but make sure you get a balanced meal every day, and yes, that does include meat. Though ponies have not always eaten meat, it is an easy source of protein that will give you that extra Umph you need to keep you awake enough to see that hellhound creeping up on your friend. Every meal counts, and so does every second. Keep a close eye on your friends, for their safety and your own. That’s the second rule of the wasteland, make some friends! Ponies naturally have a herd mentality, so follow your instinct. Having somepony, or someone, to watch your back will keep everypony alive longer. A pony can only watch half of what is going on, and two need to have their eyes open all the time. A group is the best option if you are looking to be traveling for large amounts of time. Always be kind to those around you while you are at it, making enemies does nopony good. However, be careful with who you try to make friends with. Everypony deserves a chance at friendship, but never be naive! The world has changed, and some ponies are just plain mean. Out in the wastes there are some ponies that think anything goes, so they start working as bandits, raiders, or even slavers! Bandits will try and rob you and your friends for everything you have. Raiders are terrible, cruel ponies who want nothing more than to have a good time, usually by flaying your skin off. That’s no good! Be careful around these stallions; they have a tendency for raping and pillaging. Slavers are ponies who want your body. It could be for physical labor, sale, or... personal service. These ponies do horrible things that can’t be forgiven, but remember, everypony started off the same. The pony that is stabbing your friend in the gut may be doing it because he has children to feed, or a drug addiction that he can’t get treated. Killing is never the perfect solution, but if anypony tries to harm you, it is your right to defend yourself. To defend yourself, however, you will need some type of weapon and they come in many different shapes and sizes. There are firearms, which shoot projectiles at your enemies, usually held by the mouth or with magic. Melee weapons, things like bats and spears, are used to hit and stab your enemy with. If you don’t find yourself the type of pony who likes to kill others then there are a few ways to protect yourself other than carrying around a big stick. I recommend that you find yourself a set of barding or some type of clothing that can protect you against both the elements and from other ponies. Another way to protect yourself is with words. Some ponies have a particular way of talking to others that gives them an edge, be it scaring the crap out of them with threats, confusing them with science talk and big words, persuading them with money and other goods, or seducing them to do what they want. Anything goes in the wasteland, just be careful what you say. Somepony might just call your bluff. The wasteland is full of ponies, big and small, all with different talents, skills, interests and problems. Our best chance to make Equestria the same as it was before is to help eachother out. If you see somepony in need, lend a hoof if you can. In the end your life is what you make it, and in the wasteland you never know what that really means until it’s over.

While I was reading Night Wish had slowly started to move closer until she was craning over me. “What a peculiar book.” She says, practically hovering over me at this point.Thud! I glance down at the dazed pile of decaying skin. “Oh, Sunshine honey.” I say. The little thing must have fallen off while I was trying not to get suffocated by Night wish.He shakes his head, looking around blankly. “Momma?” He asks, trying to find her. A whimper escapes the colt as I lift him with my magic and cradle his shivering form between my wings. He cries into my mane, but I am able to calm him down quickly, and he falls into a fragile sleep again within a few moments. I glance back to Night Wish to find that she has stolen my book away and is quickly reading her way through the second chapter. “You like to read?” I ask, trying to spark any conversation I can. “Certainly. I have loved reading for as long as I can remember.” She speaks as if she is extremely distracted, with large periods between each word as she absorbs the book. My ears perk up. That was the most information I have been able to get out of her since she had started to accompany my. “Is that so? What is your favorite type of book?” I ask, trying to get as much information out of her while she is distracted. “Favorite type? I like them all equally, as long as they supply knowledge, and this one certainly has a lot of it! Listen to this: ‘The Verabump of western Equestria’s marshes has a particular smell that can only be identified with a blueberry in your mouth.’ Isn’t that interesting?” Night Wish speaks with more enthusiasm than I had ever heard from her before. Hay, she has more emotion in her than I thought she would ever show. “Really now?” I ask, smirk played across my face. “Yes, really.” She says, looking towards me with confusion. “Why would I lie about such a thing? Here, read it yourself. ”She floats the book in front of me and highlights an area of the text with her magic. “That was rhetorical, Night Wish.” I say, pushing the book away with a reluctant giggle. I look up from the book to find myself staring into a wall. A few more paces and I would have walked face first into it without noticing. The wall is made wood and stretches in both directions, more like fence than anything, with barbed wire at the top. We had already made it to the town, it seems. A question pops into the back of my head but I give it little thought.Why does a town in the middle of nowhere need a fence around it? I check to make sure Sunshine won’t fall off, then I jump into the air, flapping my wings twice so that I propel myself to the other side. I attempt to set down, but stop myself before I land on a pile of barbed wire lines the ground. The thorn wire stretches from the fence to the ground, than for another six feet before finally stopping, seeming to be keeping things from leaving instead of keeping overs out. I set down lightly, Night Wish following close behind. I trace the length of the fence, trying to find a break in the barbed wire, but I am unable to find anything. No gate, no door, no exit. My mane prickles.We should leave, I think to myself as my eyes slowly droop from exhaustion. The day had been long and filled with heart pounding excitement. I don’t have the energy to wander around outside for another three hours looking for someplace to sleep. “At least we know that nopony can sneak up on us.” I say optimistically. The town is small, nothing more than two rows of buildings across from each other until they intersect with another set, creating an X with a stage in the center. The buildings look old, not exactly from how old they are, but from what they are made of. They remind me of the settler towns that were built before the war when Equestria was still expanding its borders, and all ponies could use to build their houses was the trees around them. The streets are barren, a ghost town if I have ever seen one, with each building in disrepair. We walk to the first structure on our left. It stands two stories high and is made of wood. The sign on the front reads "Sandy’s Saloon". I push the door open but it fights back, reluctant to budge. After a few more shoves I am able to pry it open, making a hole big enough for Sunshine and I. The little thing is still sleeping on my back as I trot into the main room of the building. The front door had been barricaded with tables and chairs. The windows are boarded shut and more things piled behind them to keep anything out. Inside there is a large countertop for the bartender. On the shelf behind it empty bottles line the wall along with glasses of every size. All of the room’s furniture is placed against the front wall making the room feel a lot larger than it normally would. The bar takes up the entire back wall, but a staircase leads to an open balcony above it that looks down at the main room. The building looks surprisingly intact, no holes in the walls or planks falling from the ceiling. There are signs and posters pinned to a board about notices and bounties. Wanted and missing pony signs alike. The look of the place would make me think that somepony could be living here right now, but it is the smell that deters the thought. Rot, dust and forgotten times. "Night Wish?" I call outside, pushing some of the tables away from the door so she can squeeze inside. "Yes Cadence?" The alicorn asks, stepping inside with ease. Everything this mare does seems so poised and purposeful, almost with as much grace as Celestia herself. I place a table back against the door when she is inside, making sure that nopony can get inside easily. "Can you check the rest of the building for me? I want to find a good place for Sunshine to sleep." I ask, moving to the bar on the other side of the room. She nods, then crosses the room and walks up the steps to the floor above. I get a glimpse of her checking inside one of the doors as I walk behind the counter, looking for someplace to set Sunshine down until I can find somewhere better. I come across a pile of towels and cloth underneath the counter. The bartender must have either needed to clean a large amount of glasses, or they really wanted to look like they were busy. I lay out the majority of them into a small heap, then place the colt on them. He wiggles around trying to get into a good position, then nods off with a sigh. I smile at him. After making sure he is comfortable I head upstairs. Night Wish is in the farthest right room so I enter the one on the other end. The inside looks like a normal bedroom, only a little barren of furniture. There is a bed on the far side underneath a boarded up window and a small table sitting next to it. I walk over to the bed, testing it with a hoof. The sheets are clean, if a little dusty, and the bed is firm. A little too firm for my taste, but I gladly lay down on it. Oh Celestia this feel great. I stretch out my aching muscles and bury my face into the dusty pillow, smiling at the small comfort the bed gives me. I sit there for another minute, enjoying the amazingly sensual sensation of the bed, then grudgingly rouse myself to go downstairs again to grab the napping colt. Something catches my eye as I stand up and rub the dust off of my coat. A note is hanging from the bottom of the desk, only the edge of it visible. I reach over and pull it away, a little piece of petrified gum coming along with it. It reads: Sandy Summers, I have been informed of your interest in our plan. It is regrettable that it has come to this, but the guards have gone too far. Jasmine was a good pony and when they took her away from us it was the last straw. Come to Light Weight's store at midnight tomorrow, we will be meeting then. We can't allow ourselves to be pushed around any longer. Get rid of this note as soon as you can.-Ruby HazeWhat happened in this place? I ask myself as I reread the slip of paper. I look around the room, searching for more notes or clues to what happened to the town but I find nothing other than a healing potion hidden underneath the pillow. I smile at the new addition to my growing medical supplies, but without knowing where Light Weight lives I won’t be able to find anything else out. I start to make my way back to Sunshine but the door opens before I go to reach for it. Nightwish peeks her head inside. Goddess, she says into my head. “Please don’t do that.” I say to the purple alicorn with a cringe. “Yes Goddess.” She says. “But I don’t understand why we must speak like this. It is much easier to speak like we normally do.” I yawn as I move past her and onto the balcony, then make my way to the stairs. Exhaustion drags me down as I slowly descend to the bar floor, and I nearly trip from the lack of light in the room. “It feels... weird.” I say. Like you are a part of my thoughts, I think to myself. “What did you find?” Night Wish follows close behind, guarding over me. “Nopony is in the building with us. Is there anything else you wish of me goddess?” “No,” I say, taking a step away from her, “you can go to sleep if you want.” I take another step towards the bar, then turn around to see she is still on the steps watching over me. “Thank you for staying with me.” I say, then I quietly cross the room. I walk over to the pile of cloth I set out for Sunshine, making sure not to wake the sleeping colt, but he isn’t among the pile. My heart skips a beat. I search around the counter with increasing dread. “Sunshine?” I call out, not expecting an answer. After a moment I hear a faint crying coming from below me. I search the floor and find a staircase set that leads to a cellar at the far end of the bar that was previously covered with boards. I glance down into the blackness and the sound increases. I trot down the steps into the dark cellar, lighting my horn as I reach the bottom. The crying stops as the light spreads throughout the room revealing barrels that line the walls and a small, burnt pony staring at me as I walk towards him. His eyes shine when my light connects with them, creating two pink beacons in a room of blue. Sunshine sniffles when he recognizes me, then bursts into tears again. “Shhh, hush now.” I coo, wrapping him in my hooves and covering him with my wings like a blanket. He shakes and shivers with each sob, his face pressed against my chest to muffle his cries. The small thing is chilled to the bone. “It’s okay Sunshine, I’ve got you. We have to stay strong, okay?” His cries continue for a few more minutes, clinging to me and anchoring himself to the world, but he is able to calm himself down with what seems like an inequine amount of willpower. “How about we go upstairs and get some sleep?” I ask with a smile. He squeaks an agreement and I can feel him nod his head before he pulls away. I lay down and motion for him to hop onto my back but he walks around me and heads up the stairs slowly, his head hung low and sniffles escaping him every other step. I watch him slowly trotting up until he leaves my sight. I let out a cry that has been building in my chest all night. The poor colt had his family taken away from him, and all I can do is give him a shoulder to cry on and lie that everything will be alright.I allow myself one question, one proclamation of doubt about Long John, before I hush my thoughts.

How could you do this to your child?

I wipe my face, then quickly trot after Sunshine.

))))((((

I wake up abruptly, my husbands name on my tongue ready to be shouted to the world in desperate longing before I realize where I am. I stand up quietly from the ground, making sure not to wake Sunshine who is sleeping on the bed next to me. He had insisted in having his own room at first, but when I checked up on him later after hearing him crying from the other room he seemed to not want me to leave. Another night spent sleeping on the hard floor, but I couldn’t find the heart to leave Sunshine’s room, even after he had fallen asleep. I look over at the sleeping colt, his head covered by the pillow that muffles his snoring, then glance towards the window. The cracks between the boards don’t reveal any light. Still night I presume. I stumble my way to the room next door where I kept my bag, then head downstairs. I hit my leg on the railing while trying to move around in the dark, my mind too fuzzy to consider lighting my path. My limbs crack with every movement and when I sit down next to the bar my spine pops in three different places. Sleeping on hard wood every night is taking its toll on me. I set my bag down on the counter and float out a box of cereal as the morning breeze slithers its way through the building’s cracks. Minutes pass and the cereal disappears one bite at a time, but morning light doesn’t seem to show itself. I walk over to the front door and peer towards the sky. Purple giants snake their way around like smoke on the ceiling. Tendrils break apart to form their own disfigured beasts, then collide with others to create a new creatures. The view is beautiful and helps take my mind off each of my aching joints, but I grow tired of it quickly and my mind wanders. How much has the world changed? I can trot for miles and not find a single soul, but in old equestria the world seemed to be brimming with ponies. Days could pass in the blink of an eye when there were things to be done at every minute, and now that all I can do to pass the time is think it seems to crawl at an agonizingly slow pace. My mind returns to Shining Armor screaming at me in his decayed state. His eyes filled with so much pain. The determination in his voice to keep me safe. (200 years), a voice in my head whispers, (200 years and where is your beloved Shining Armor? He left you.) I cringe at the words that burrow their way into my head. (He’s dead. He’s dead and you’re alone again. Alone in another cruel world that wants to tear you apart. Just a little more literal this time.) I rouse myself and turn away from the window. I decide to walk to my bag, hoping to find something to distract my hostile mind. I bring out a gossip magazine and lose myself in ponies long dead. I am able to distract myself with it for a good minute before I find an article about myself. It’s an obviously fake article about how I had been cheating with Shining with one of his own officers. (Just a little more literal this time.) I slam the magazine on the ground in fumes and stomp towards the door, hoping to get some fresh air to calm myself.

))))((((

I stand in front of one of the identical wooden buildings near the middle of town. Each of the structures near the center are stores with signs on the front that have the owners name and occupation on them in a catchy way; “Rumbles Rabble House” on the right and “Tronto’s traders” on the other side of it. The sign that I am staring at reads “Light Weight’s Leather Barding,” the same name from the note I had read yesterday night. The idea of walking into a store that sells animal skin isn’t very appealing, but I think back to the Wasteland Survival Guide me and Night Wish had read yesterday (Or was it still today?) and what it had said on protection. I walk over to the door and attempt to nudge it open, however it doesn’t move an inch. I give it another shove to see if it is stuck but it still doesn’t budge. I ignite my horn and feel around the other side of the door, but I can’t tell what is blocking it, nor can I move it. In frustration I give the door a shove, putting all of my weight into it. I ricochet off of the the solid wood, my head spinning as I fall onto my haunches. There is a resounding Crash! from the other side that echoes throughout the town and shakes the building's foundation. I cringe as the earth shakes beneath me, then glance at the building to make sure I hadn’t split it apart. Once I am sure that there is no structural damage I try the door again, and it opens inward with ease. Giving a small, reluctant smile I trot inside. The bang had been from a shelf that was propped up against the door that now lays flat along the ground. The floor around the shelf is cracked like spider webs and a clothing rack is crushed beneath it. I step around the edge of the bookshelf gingerly, trying not to cause any more damage to the building. The layout is similar to a normal clothing store, with racks of everyday clothing spaced evenly throughout, though there is not much to choose from. The back of the store has a counter with a rusted register placed neatly where a pony could stand and help out customers. Behind that on the wall are sets of leather barding in every size, some small enough to fit a child. The idea of a small colt or filly needing a set of armor strikes me as odd, but after I think back to the mad rush we had through Canterlot, protection for a child seems almost necessary. I think about Sunshine, still asleep back in the saloon and find a set of barding that might fit him. The fact that I am looting is hardly appealing, but we hadn’t seen anypony in the town since we had first arrived and I would rather take a hit to my morality than have Sunshine take a bite to the neck. The colt is going to need as much help as possible if he is going to be under my care. I pick one of the leather suits from the wall and place it next to my bag, then look for one for Night Wish and myself. I doubt they would have anything in the formers size, but I chance a look anyway. As I pull down and try on a set of armor I start to wonder why long John hadn’t given Sunshine a set earlier. She had seemed so protective of the colt when it came to traveling the city, why not give him something to protect himself? I find a suit that fits me and stand in front of a mirror that is on the wall, wiping dust away to reveal a mare that looks nothing like myself. My mane is an utter disaster, and my coat is ruined. Both of them have spots burnt off or dirtied by mud and dust. I haven't taken a shower since I had left with Shining the day the Balefire bombs dropped, so anything that had gotten on my in the past few days has been on the entire time. The thought of not having taken a shower in over 200 years makes me laugh. The barding is a full body suit made of leather (Made from other animals!), a rough textured material that clings to the skin and easily stretched to take the form of my body. It covers my torso and legs, leaving nothing but my head, hooves and tails exposed. The suit doesn’t have holes for my wings, so I have to cram them inside with me, making two large humps in either side of my back that are easily covered up by my saddlebags. Though the material stretches easily, it is thick. I could see myself easily taking a buck to the side without having so much as the breath being knocked out of me. The sight is odd, but invigorating. I look so strong in the barding, so capable, and maybe even a little bit intimidating. I smile as I walk back to the counter and retrieve my bag along with Sunshine’s and Night Wish’s barding. I doubt either of them will fit, but we can easily come back and find some that do if we need to. As I start to walk back to the door I think back to the note and the reason I entered the store in the first place. I try to convince myself to wander around the store, looking for clues about what had happened here, but no, I can see light outside and Sunshine will be awake at any moment. I move back towards the door, floating the barding into my saddle bag when -Crack. “Wha-” I begin to say.CRACK! The floor drops out from under me, and I fall into the darkness below.))))((((Oh Celestia the pain.My right foreleg pulsates molten iron with each beat of my heart. Every nerve screaming with me in agony. I try to light up my surroundings but my horn flares for an instant -Red Everywhere. Red and Running- before my concentration snaps and the light goes out. I see enough. Too much. I close my eyes and cry out in pain, scream, roar. The utter torment of it!Everything darkens again.

My eyes are red and my vision black. When I come back again the pain has barely subsided. I glance around numbly and see how much blood there really is. MY leg is- Bile forces its way through my throat and I vomit onto the cement floor from the sight. It’s Impaled on a metal pole, meat and bone displayed to the open air like a pillar of flesh. I stare at the discordant sight, and when my brain finally registers that it is Me on that pole, My leg, the pain hits me again. “Aghahhahhh!!”))))(((( I wake up again. Cold, so cold. I can’t feel my leg. Every joint in my body cries out. The hole in the ceiling pours light onto my pitiful scene. I lift my head weakly and glance around, confused about where I am, but within a moment I see the pole with my leg unnaturally wrapped around it and the grueling details of my situation return to my barely conscious mind. My vision is surprisingly crisp. I can see each individual fracture in the bone that protrudes from the flesh. Each split in the skin as it is torn apart and its foundation ripped to ribbons of beautifully tragic red. My mind comprehends what has happened and I understand what it means to me, but I am numb to the sight. I have no feeling in my body, even as it cries out to me. I turn my head and look to the rest of my body as it lays on the trails of crimson. I don’t have anymore major injuries, but my saddle bag had come loose when I fell and slid away from me on impact. My horn sparks for a moment, encircling the bag with cyan fog, then dies out. I stretch my back leg out trying to reach for the bag, but I am positioned incorrectly and unable to reach it. The only way I could be able to get to my bag would be to pull my hoof off of the pole. The idea makes me shiver, even in my numbed state. The edges of my eyes are slowly darkening and my limbs are growing heavy. I feel so tired.The world is gray, all color sucked out of it along with my strength, with only my blood staying the same in hue. It’s brilliance in the light streaming in from above is enough to make me wince. My mind begins to drift through my memories, bringing me back to when I was much younger. I think back to my earliest, running through a field of flowers of every color that seems to go for miles on end. The thought has always brought me peace of mind, but now it has been tainted. All of the flowers are roses, a beautiful and terrible red blazing across the earth. I trot through them, heading towards the west with two young fouls on my back. The thorns of the roses shred through my coat, drawing blood as I walk. I notice the pain, but still continue on until my entire body is the same destructive red as the world around me. The children on my back, one disfigured and burnt and the other a violet beauty, are coated in my own sin within moments along with their own, but they never seem to notice. They blindly hold onto my back in hopes that I know where to take them. The distance holds a sight of pure brilliance, my beloved's eyes watching me like stars. The sun and moon frown at me as I bleed. I feel them reach for me, asking me to join them in the sky, but I push forward nonetheless. Shining Armor waits for me just ahead. Only a little more! I pull with all of my strength. The sound of bone grinding on metal resonates through my body and a wet Slick! echos through the room.Why? is the only word I can ask myself as I scream with new understanding of the word agony. With the force of my pull, my body is lifted from the floor. I land on the bloody stump of my hoof, crushing bone fragments into flesh. I fall down on my side. I can’t see anything other than red and streaks of white. Dark splotches cloud my vision once I hit the ground, then they burn outwards like old film tearing apart. I feel myself slipping out of consciousness, but I fight it and force myself to look around with heavy eyes. With a sigh of relief I notice that my bag is next to me. I force my arm into the pouch that holds the healing potions. I am somehow able to wiggle one out with my shaking hoof and get the top off. The grape flavor overtakes my thoughts, but I am able to force it down. Warmth fills my body. The feeling is so relieving as it slowly descends from my head to my stomach, then out through my torso. Every nerve is calmed as it slowly descends my limbs. The warmth tickles my right forehoof, and once it reaches the point that had been damaged- In an instant the pain comes back. It feels like the bone is being pulled from my leg. With the healing potion clearing my head I realize my error. These potions fix broken bones and mend torn flesh, yes, but only if they are in the right position. If a bone is out of place when you drink the magic tonic it will grow an attachment to the bone that connects it to the other, creating terrible deformities. I remember seeing instants of this with war veterans that had been treated by incompetent or unskilled medics on the field. It could be fixed after, but the pain of the event had left most of them scarred for life. I look down at my arm in horror, thinking as quickly as I can. A thought pops into my head that makes my stomach turn. I prop my hoof up against my bag, racing against time as the skin starts to repair itself before my eyes. I reach over with my other hoof, positioning it against the bone. Tears line my eyes in preparation for the new agony that I am about to inflict on myself. “You have this,” my mind tells me in Shining Armors reassuring voice, “Think of what we used to tell Twilley when it came to needles. ‘It will only hurt for a moment, then it will be over.’” I push down with all of my force.))))(((( “Hey!” A voice says over me. I feel a poke in my side and my eyes flutter open.Twilight stands against the harsh midday sun, her purple figure blocking Celestia’s brilliance. I am looking up at her from the bed of grass I had been napping on, my head pressed against the book I was reading before I fell asleep. We are in the castle pavilion and little twilight jumps around me in excitement. “Cadence! Cadence! You’ll never guess who’s coming back!” She shrieks with joy. I smile up at the bouncing pony, rubbing my eye with a lazy hoof. I hadn’t seen her this excited since I had gotten her into the castle library. “Calm down Twilight! You don’t need to scream into my ear.” I say with a giggle. “Now what is it, you silly filly.” I tease. “He is here! He’s coming back home!” Twilight says. “I haven't seen him in forever, and now we can read books together, and go eat ice cream, and even go jump in the fountain again like we did before! Oh, and you can meet him too Cadence!” I raise an eyebrow at her. “Who is ‘he’?” I ask. “My Big brother best friend forever, that’s who! Shining Armor is coming back from school!” She exclaims, jumping around me in circles again. “You have a brother?” I asked, genuinely surprised. Twilight had always acted like an only child, but I guess I had never asked, even in the half a year I had been her foal sitter. “Yeah!” The little filly exclaims. “And he is going to be here any minute now, so common!” She pulls me up by the hoof, dragging me out of the pavilion and into the streets of Canterlot. I follow close behind as she weaves between wagons, snooty ponies and guards. I whisper apologies to everypony I bump into as I chase after the foal. We make it to the carriage station in record time. Twilight jumping up and down by her parents trying to get their attention as I collapse on a nearby bench, breathing in as much air as my burning lungs can take in. I am able to pick up small tidbits of what Star Sparkle, her mother, says as she talks to the foal. “Only a bit longer,” and “carriage is on the way.” Once I am finally able to catch my breath I join Twilight and her parent as a large caravan pulls up with Canterlot guard crests on the side of each cart. Young bucks pour out of each carriage and to waiting families. I follow Twilight's eyes as she scans the crowd. She shrieks once she sees him, a tall, white coat buck with blue hair as deep as the ocean, with streaks as bright as the sky. I gasp and take a step back as the filly to my side rushes towards him. “Shining!” She yells, burying herself into her brothers chest with a hug that would break bones to someone less muscular. He smiles, teeth white as a midday cloud. “Twilley!” He shouts. He hugs her, then lifts her onto his back, walking over to his parents and me as his little sister talks his ear off. His parents meet him half way, then each give him a hug in turn. “Hey Shining Armor,” his father says as he gives his son a hug like a bear. “Long time no see, champ.” “You too dad,” he says, then leans over to his mother and gives her a delicate hug as well. “Hey mom.” Twilight continues to talk on his back about books she had read, what she had found that day or what she had eaten for breakfast. “Hey honey,” Star Sparkle says sweetly as she hugs him back. She turns to her daughter, “Hush now, Twilight. Shining will be staying for the next two months, you will have plenty of time to talk then. For now, lets get you home, I am sure you have had a long trip, dear.” “Yeah, you know it.” Shining says as he stretches. “Oh, oh, oh!” Twilight yells, getting an eye from her mother. “He has to meet Cadence! I brought her here with me so you could meet her!” My eyes widen as I realize she is talking about me. “Cadence?” Shining Armor asks. “Yeah! She is my friend. She is super nice, and always ready to play, and she reads to me all the time!” She turns her head towards me, then yells. “Cadence! come here! You have to meet my brother!” Their attention turns to me and my face slowly starts to turn a color of deep red. I look towards the ground and my hair falls in front of my eyes, shielding me from their gaze.I can’t go over there! I think to myself. He’s too... too... “Hi.” Shining says as he walks closer to me, smiling his soon to be beloved smile.Cute. My mind finishes as I stare up at him in shock.))))(((( I feel a poke in my side that raises me from the murky depths of unconsciousness. I push the offending hoof away, reluctant to open my eyes and leave the comforting enclosure of my dream. “Not now Twilight.” I say with a sigh.“Stop it little one.” A mares voice says next to me. It sounds as smooth as silk and reminds me of Luna’s, but my mind realizes the difference between the voices as she speaks again. “Let our goddess rest.” I open my eyes and see the water stained ceiling of my room in the saloon. My head feels light and my tether to consciousness thin, but I force myself to stay awake. I now realize that I am sitting on something much more comfortable than the cement floor I was on last time I was conscious, almost like I am laying on a cloud. I glance down to figure out what I am sleeping on and find a hoof extended in preparation for a good poke. Sunshine is to my right with a concerned yet curious expression, and the moment he sees me looking at him he retracts his hoof in a flash, replacing his expression with a completely innocent “I-didn’t-do-anything-at-all” sort of look. I smile down at the silly colt, reaching my hoof over to give into my sudden need to boop him on the nose, only to scream in pain as my hoof explodes with pain. Night Wish appears out of nowhere on my right, touching her horn to my own. Without a moments notice my pain disappears. I open my cringing eyes, scared to test my body again, and see Night Wish shaking as she stands next to me. The purple is barely able to hold herself up, but she is still able to smile down at me. “Did you just..” I start to say, unable to finish the sentence. Did she just take my pain away? “Yes.” She says, still smiling down at me. After a moment her shaking stops and she attempts to back away, but I reach my good arm out to her. I stroke her cheek softly, unable to express the gratitude I have. “How did you find me?” I ask once words finally seem to come back to me. Night Wish gives me a confused look, then answers. “You called for me like you always have.” The answer isn’t what I expected, but I bring her in with my good hoof and hug her tightly, whispering thank you’s and every bit of appreciation I have for her. “I thought I was going to die.” I say to her to her in a hushed tone. The realization only now hits me that what I said was true. I was certain that those terrible moments in the basement were going to be my last. The alicorn stands awkwardly as I cling to her, only to kneel down into a strenuous half crouch so that I don’t have to stretch. I let her go after a few moments and lay back down again on my own personal cloud. I glance over at Sunshine, his eyes wide as he looks up at me. He must be confused after I started screaming bloody murder out of nowhere, so I boop him on the nose like I previously tried. I rest my head back, letting my eyelids slowly fall in on themselves before I am fast asleep. In the dreams that follow I return to the those fields of roses I had previously visited. I am still trudging along the treacherous path, but the foals on my back are awake now, and grown up to help me along the way. They pick me up when I fall and I shield them from any particularly harsh patches of bramble. Together we march down the path I set forth for us, against the tide of the earths beauty and away from the loving arms of the Sun and the Moon. Towards my Shining Armor.* * * * *Footnote - Level up! Level 5 reached! New perk - The pain of loneliness - Whenever you are alone or out of your party you gain +50% damage reduction when your health drops below 5%. All damaged reduced during this time will be ignored until you are out of combat, in which it is then doubled! You may survive, but what is survival without friendship?

((For the original story of Fallout Equestria please go tohttp://www.equestriadaily.com/2011/04/story-fallout-equestria.html written by katt. It is an amazing story.

As always, if you have any comments or critiques post them in the comments below or send me a personal message. I write to improve, so if you liked the story, or hated it, please tell me why.))((Extra special shoutout to my friend ships Jeeeeemy and courtney, two very awesome friends who are way too awesome for someone as silly of a goose as me. Thank you guys!))