Fallout Equestria - A Dreamer's Wake

by Jusey1

Rating: mature
Tags: Adventure, Crossover, Dark, Alternate Universe
Length: 39514

From the days of torment to the days of war; I wasn't surprise to see my life to completely turn out like this... Living in this crazy hell of a place I once called home, Equestria; or now known as The Equestrian Wasteland.

In the centuries of which has passed, I've went through many names. From the name which my parents gave me to the name I've adopted for myself; and to the names given to me from others… There was one name I wish to forget, one name which I wish to make up for; and somehow, I will make up for that name in this hellish wasteland that I now live in; or at least attempt to do so. Being under constant threat and having ponies fuck with your mind a lot doesn't help one's mental state.

From one faction to another; I'll be abused, used, and hunted by so many. Wanted for what I am rather than who I am and lost alone without much help from the ones which I ended up caring for, being completely unknown to them except my voice and actions they've heard about. Not even a mask to hide myself will work, for it won't trick those after me yet will trick the ones I care about. Hopefully, I'll free myself from the hooves of these factions and let myself go out to do what I wish to do with my life.

And what am I? Well… I'm a bat pony who been through a lot of changes, and I'm not just talking about physical and mental ones. Changes which I ended up learning how to use on my own. Changes which I've gotten use to; and changes that I regret making. You'll learn more about them soon enough, don't worry my friend.

Now I bet you wish to hear my story? Well… Let's start from the beginning, shall we?

~~~~~Notes~~~~~
Yes, I am recreating my own character's story. For those who may remember my try at "Nightlight".

Character artwork is thanked to "Yifle1" on Deviantart. Go check out his other artworks!
- http://yifle1.deviantart.com/

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2015-02-20 02:07:30 UTC

Introduction

Long time ago, even before the war, I was born in a pure bat pony colony. A small one in a beautiful cave system filled with some of the most amazing glowing mushrooms I've seen in my life, each one glowing all sort of bright colors, creating a rainbow in the cave's ceiling when they are at their best. The colony was broken down to three major sections. The civilian section is where everypony lived in, each with their own little home. The community section is where everypony does their trading or possibly go to the bar known as 'The Dark Moon Saloon', or even that one famous night club I was never allowed in, due to my age. I believe it was called 'Night Lover'? My mother always told me that I should never go to that night club, that it was only for the worse kind of ponies. Back then, I agreed with her cause she was my mother. I had to agree with her and keep my relationship healthy with her. Didn't want my own mother as an enemy, right? Though now I know that the worse kind of ponies aren't those ones.

The final section is nicknamed the private section but in reality, it's called the guard section. This section is where the guards on the colony are trained. The exit, or entrance to those outside, of the colony is in this section. The last time I saw my father was him going into this section with a few guards and I didn't knew why. Mother lied to me, saying that he broke the law and did a lot of bad things; but, somehow, I knew something more has happened. I was just too young to figure it out.

The funniest thing about my home; throughout my life, we waited... I never knew what we were waiting for but all I knew that it was going to happen in my lifetime. Eventually, when I was in my high teen years (close to being my own pony), it happened. Nightmare Moon returned and thanked to those six mares, she was turned back into Princess Luna, and that is what we were waiting for. I've heard a lot out Princess Luna and how, one day, she'll return and find us. Take us under her wing and accept us for who we are. Nocturnal ponies that are different from the rest. Ponies which can truly love our dear Luna's night, the night which she brings to use every night before the Nightmare Moon event, and the return. By Luna's light, the first time when I saw her in our home, it was amazing! She had those amazing eyes and that beautiful coat. Yet, sadly, it was the last time I'll see her personally. ! guess she was a Princess for a reason.

While growing up, I was never very welcomed by many other ponies. I was the last to gain his cutie mark, and completely by accident! Apparently, one of the bat ponies in our colony was working on his own cloud bed and accidentally created a thunder cloud. (Even though us bat ponies are specialized in dream magic, we can still do similar things that pegasi can do) and I bumped into this cloud. The shock from it was painful but afterwards, I felt very energized, like it charged me almost. Even my mane and tail stood up at their ends due to the lightning coursing through my veins. Then my cutie mark appeared or possibly did appeared a moment before. Either way, a guard who came to "save me" notice the sudden mark, that mark being a few thunderclouds. My special talent was working with thunder, lightning, and later electricity. Who knew; A bat pony with a pegasus talent? It fit nicely with my whitish coat, purplish hair, and blue eyes.

Getting my cutie mark wasn't as great as it was for other ponies though. Many picked on me for being a "pegasus", not being an actual bat pony. Others even requested that I should be kicked out of the colony, and even my own mother was a little disappointed and saddened by this, or at least it seemed to me. After a few years though, I had enough of this. I was having a hard time finding a place in the colony. You know; a job, a home, a lover, friends. So many didn't want nothing to do with me as they were afraid that I'll be unable to do the job which us bat ponies are suppose to do. So I finally decided to read  the letter.

I never told mom, because I was told not to but my father did left behind a letter. I never opened it though as he said specifically on it that I'll know when to open it. That and not to tell anypony, including my mother about it. I may only had 5 years with him but I loved him enough to respect his wishes. He was a great father though strange at times but he was always there to help me. Hell, he taught me how to fly, my first dream magic trick; which is a minor thing that all bat ponies tend to learn how to do. That being a minor sleep trick where we can use our voice to lure a pony to sleep. Most can only do it though when the pony in question is already very tired, like myself. Others can do it just about to anypony at any time. Doesn't work on bat ponies though unless the bat pony in question allows it, which my father did so for me, and he tried to get me to learn how to dream walk (walking and controlling a dream, usually starting with my own then others) but I failed to do so. Which was when the bullying at school started. I failed a simple dream walk test. Most bat ponies can, at least, fully control their own dreams; I couldn't.

Well... On that day, I opened that letter and my first greatest choice was made. That choice being to leave the colony. I knew that I would probably miss my mother after I left, and I did, but I also knew that my mother would never accept me anyways. She was never happy with me ever since my father went with those guards, and honestly. Reading that letter finally answered my questions. That letter said,

Dear Midnight Storm,

I know that I won't be around for long and I know that you won't read this right away. You were always a good pony. Never once accepted just what was told but instead, accept one's true self; and I knew, even though your mother will never accept this fact, that you will. Because you know your father and that he loves you truly, like a true father does.

The truth is, your father is not a bat pony. I came from another land, a land which I never liked myself, to "invade" other lands. To find a new home for my species. You see son, your father is a changeling. A creature which can take the form of anypony and then feast on another pony's love for them, eventually taking control of those ponies. However, I never gotten the chance to feast on love because love feasted on me.

I took the form of a bat pony after learning of their existence, thinking it would be a great place to start in Equestria. Since bat ponies lived isolated from the rest, which I soon figured out why. However, my plans failed the moment I set eyes on your mother. She was the most beautiful creature I ever set my eyes on and since that day, love took me.

I never cared for my homeland and my kind anyways. Didn't even agree with our Queen's ideals and hopefully, me continuing my life like this would slow her plans to invade this land anyways, since I was one of her few scouts; and, well, I asked your mother out and let love guide our lives. Then we had you. I couldn't believe it myself as I thought changelings can't reproduce like this but hey, who cares! I have a son! My own son to care for, to raise, and to teach with my own ideals, and with your amazing mother.

Unlike your mother, I knew the truth of why you are very different. You are, after all, probably the first pony born with some sort of changeling genetics and DNA in ya. So I had some understanding why you failed a lot at school, with your tests and all. Because you have a choice to become something else rather than what the other bat ponies have. You aren't limited to just bat pony skills and talents. Though I was proud when you were able to pull some off. Proud to see some of your mother inside of you.

And I want you to know. I do theorize that someday, you'll figure out what you are good at and I hope you keep to your talent. I may not understand the concept of cutie marks fully (mine was a fake, after all) but I do understand that they are important to who you are, even when it is a little confusing. So whatever it is, be great with it. Who knows, maybe your special talent is related to unicorn magic? Or pegasus magic? I mean, your father is a creature that can take any form of the common pony races (can't take a form of an alicorn though so don't expect that! Ha ha. Alicorn form only our Queen can do).

Anyways, I love you my son and I hope you'll remember me for who I am. Not for the "monster" which others will label me as. And I hope they don't label you the same due to you being my son; and believe me, I know that the guards are on to me now. That is why I'm writing this note. I think I was caught by somepony when I was in my true form, relaxing in a spot I thought was private for me. Guards keep looking at me strangely. Your mother wouldn't accept what I am. I may love her truly with my own heart, but I know her too well. She was always a little too judge mental. I can't tell you what they'll do to me but you won't see me anymore, that's for sure. So... Goodbye, my colt.

Love, your father. Proud to be a bat pony with the name Midnight Blues!

I cried a little upon reading the letter and, to this day, I believe every word written. My father was a great pony and he did love his family so much. I don't care what the guards say, what my mother will say, after I tell any of them about this letter! Screw them actually. If they want to believe their own lies that they've made, so be it. I'm sick of being treated badly anyways. So I escaped the colony. Well kinda.

It was impossible to flat-out escape the place. So I decided to leave the place in a disguise. When the time was right, I found a guard who also had a white coat and used my own knowledge of creating thunder clouds to knock him out. Well. I may have killed him for all I know. I didn't knew enough about lightning back then to know how much voltage is enough. All I knew, he was out and I took his armor. Disguise myself as him and slip away when I can. Never heard anything about them since.

However, life just got harder. Leaving the colony brought me into a world filled with the other races of ponies. Ones which took one look from me and screamed monster. Most of the time at least. I've met some very nice and welcoming ponies over time whom accepted me as another pony, not a monster. And friendship blossomed with some of them. However, I knew I would never be able to live easily in a town. So a pegasus friend I've made helped me get my own cloud home out away from civilization. A private isolated spot, eh. Just like my colony, one can say. Oh well!

Though, throughout the years, I keep thinking of my father. My mother. And what would've happened if he was accepted. If he wasn't sent away for being a "monster", like they thought. Even my few friends took notice whenever we are hanging out together and helped me. I had no reason to lie to them so I told them what I can. Some took it strangely but others just nodded it away and accepted it. I also grew my skill, my talent, with the thunderclouds. Even managing to get a job (thanks to my pegasus friend) as a weather control pony. Specifically thunderstorms.

Then the war started. A war which I never wanted to a part of, yet was forced into. At first, I was hugely ignored. Lost my job because pegasi started doing their own things, for both Equestria and the war. Started seeing my friends less, and even lost one to the war. (Though, honestly, I lost them all to the war eventually anyways). After some time, the army finally bumped into me. They found my spot, my home, and figured out who I was. That was when I was forced to join their ranks. They wanted a nocturnal scout, something a bat pony can easily do (plus hey, my father was originally a scout so maybe it runs in the family?). I couldn't decline and went with it. Over time, they got me trained with firearms. Mostly the light weapons though, never any heavy stuff and never any of the energy weapons. They also shown a fear tricks of hacking terminals and picking locks as well, since as a scout. I might need those skills to get into some locked areas to check out. It wasn't hard though and I was able to learn a lot very quickly, which was a surprise to some of them. Eh.

I did learn the hard way though that my strength is not as good as everypony originally thought so had to resort to my wings, agility, and speed a lot for when I do get into fights. Eventually, they gave me a special suit that was in the making. To this day, I've never knew the name of the suit. It was something crazy. I just called it the Sneak Suit because the primary purpose of it is to help the wearer stay hidden, even have a self-regenerating stealth field (though it uses up the ammo from energy weapons, which was ironic). Eventually, a Stable-Tec Pip-Buck was built into it to help improve my performance on the field. Believe me when I say this, a Pip-Buck is a pony's best friend!

I've done many things for that war. Things which I wish to never mention. And the name which I wish not to speak was given to me during that time. So I will only say the basic: shit happens and I was unable to control the outcome. Eventually, on the day which the megaspells came, I finished my last mission. I had a feeling though that the megaspells was going to happen on that and I swore to myself and our Star Princess that I will go back home. Instead of returning to camp or to any of that army shit. I went straight back to my home. Not the colony; I never really called that place home. But my home I lived in before the war.

My cloud house was gone but the fields remained. I sat upon a cold rock on that day, seeing the first megaspell explosion at Cloudsdale. Then the others soon followed in with more and more. I closed my eyes and let my life fly by before my eyes. I knew that this is what I'll get for the things I've done for the army. However, I didn't knew that this wasn't the end of my life, as I've predicted. No. Just the start of another chapter. And upon that moment when my eyes were closed and my ears ringed with all the noise, everything just froze. My mind, my life, everything... I have no idea if I was dead or not but eventually, I awoken up to something from my dream. Awoken to something which I never wanted to experience.

C1 - The Awakening

From dream to dream, I've experienced many. With no control, no happiness. Just one nightmare after another. From my father's possible death to the my friend's death. From the war, to the end. I thought this would never end, that I was torment to live in this. Hell, I thought this was my punishment but then. My eyes opened.

First thing I've noticed was that I wad floating in something. Something that is a liquid and that I'm in some sort of cylinder objection. I felt some strange things connected to my body parts (soon figured out they were wires). Something was connected to my mouth, allowing oxygen to me and helping me to breathe. I took some deep breaths then focused my eyes outside of the cylinder's glass, looking around the strange room. There was a bright light up above, storage chest around the place with locks made out of clouds. Then I finally notice a pegasus standing in front of me. He was wearing a black uniform with many medals on the front.. He must be high ranking? His hat was a flat-top hat and had a symbol which I didn't recognized. The letter "E" with stars around it? His coat was a dark blue color and his mane was blondish, with a tail to match.

Then his lips begun moving. I was able to hear him just fine inside of my prison though. "Well, well... The legendary bat finally awoken. Eh. I guess our observers were correct. You thrashing around madly for the pass hour meant you were awakening." I cocked my eyebrow upon that response as he just smiled, leaning forward to the glass. "And I guess you want me to explain where you are, am I right?" I attempted a nod and thought I may have gotten it because he continued. "I guessed so."

He took a few steps backward, looking around the place then at a locker in the corner. "Well... You are within an Enclave Raptor and you, creature, are Enclave's property now." My facial expression must've shown my feelings upon hearing that.. Cause he gave me a rather upsetting look. "Oh don't worry creature. You'll be treated respectively. You just be good and do as told when we tell ya so. We need something like you. The Enclave have no wish to step hoof onto the wasteland or at least as a whole. There are some scouts that are willing to go down the surface, the same ones which found your body. Still with life, strangely enough. Brought ya up here for research." I really must've gave him a puzzled look at that. Seriously. I have no idea what he's talking about. Wasteland? Is that what Equestria became after the megaspells? Are there still ponies living? Must be if he is speaking to me right now.

"Hmm... I'm assuming you lived before the megaspells, right?" I nodded a little in my prison. "Well then. You realize that was over 180 years ago? And we found you only about 30 years ago? Our first scout group actually. Found ya in the middle of a field. Was filled with radiation though. Surprisingly, you weren't damaged that much. I mean, we had to use our machine here to heal ya back to health or at least as good as we can before we started testing. Very interesting thing you are." He grinned a little, walking over to a table and picking up a clipboard. "From our research, it seems the radiation below didn't turn you into one of those monsters known as ghouls. But rather, into something different. Now, I can't see why. Maybe you'll be able to fill us in with some info about yourself? We can only make assumptions after all." He shrugged a bit, putting the clipboard down then pointing a hoof at me. "And, we theorized that the radiation was what kept you alive, like it keep many other things from down below alive. So you better thank which ever Princess you believe in for that radiation. And that the location you were in wasn't close enough to any of the megaspell locations where it would've done major damage to your body. Or maybe it did? We don't know for sure. Like I said, been over 180 years and we only found ya 30 years ago." He chuckle a little and then added. "I am amazed nothing really bothered ya throughout that time."

Honestly, I am surprised too. I was thinking about all of this. 180 years of being unconscious in radiation? What did it do to me? What kind of 'creature' am I now? What is Equestria even like now? He referred to it as a wasteland and as 'the surface' so does that mean that pegasi live in the skies now? So many questions and I can't even ask them! Then he caught my attention again after he clapped his hooves. "Now, we will be draining your tank and letting you out. Be a good pony and we won't turn you into a pile of ash." He said, grinning as two more pegasi finally came in. Both wearing the power armor which I've heard about long time ago. The armor made for pegasi. They had battle saddle with energy weapons connected to both sides as well, and pointed at me! Probably just in case.

After the main pegasus pushed a button, I felt the liquid around me rushing down, being drained out. Letting myself float onto my hooves are standing on the ground of the prison. Once the liquid was done, I felt a rushing of air. Drying my mane and coat off. Then the door finally opened and he detached the wires from my body, and letting me take a few steps out before stopping me. "Now that we can properly speak. I am Colonel Blue Wind of the Grand Pegasus Enclave. Now, creature. Can you talk properly? Do you have a name? And what are you specifically? We are very curious..." He said gently, grinning as he look directly at me.

I rolled my eyes a little at the first question but sigh for a moment, taking some fresh actual air in finally. Then spoke, for the first time. "Yes. Just call me Storm, my name is pretty complicated. And I'm a bat pony. Can you not tell?" I finished with my own question, raising a brow at him as he shook his head.

"Well well... I guess I can see you being a bat pony once. Your wings, after all. But I think you may want to take a look into a mirror Storm." He said softly, pointing to the mirror in the room.

I sigh a little and nodded, walking over to the mirror and looking at myself. I was mostly still myself. My ears are badly damaged though, with holes in the tip. My mane and tail are a mess but still same color. My coat is still white. My cutie mark is still there. However, my eyes are glowing brightly green with no blue anymore. Just a brightly glowing green. But what really freaked me out the most was upon my forehead, was a horn. A black curved horn sticking out of me forehead, it looks like. I recognized it as a changeling horn. During my own time, I read a lot of books on the subject of changelings. Mostly due to my father. Found a picture of them.

"Oh... Luna's horn fuck me a new one." I muttered softly, groaning a little. "Looks like I bloody have a changeling horn." I said out loud now, causing the Colonel to raise a brow. I noticed. "A changeling is, so to say, a special race of creatures. My father was one. I guess... I don't know really. You tell me Mr. Colonel, what do you theorize now?" I asked, turning to him now. I may not like him very much due to him referring me as a creature and me being owned by his Enclave. But I can't do much else right now anyways.

"Well... That's answer a lot actually. So that what a changeling horn use to look like? Hmm." I raised a brow in question... "If you are curious. There were changelings in Equestria when the megaspells hit. However, from what our scouts picked up. The radiation doesn't directly harm them but rather changed them into a new specie. Kinda like how radiation did to the Pheonixes. So we call them Balefire Changelings, or Balefirelings for fun. If your father was a changeling, and your mother a bat pony I'm assuming. Then, primarily, you are a bat pony but have hidden changeling genes in you. Those genes what saved you from the radiation and you mutated in a similar way that changelings did. Though, due to you being a bat pony. The mutation was limited. At least just my personal theory. In that case, you might now have access to abilities that changelings have. Very interesting and great news for us." He smiled greatly. I don't like where this was going.

"So basically. I'm a mutated monster now, eh?" I asked. He nodded a little and smiled a bit from that. "Okay then. I do have a question I want answer badly." I stated and quickly continued. "Where are my things? Before I was out, I had my suit on. And a few weapons. Where are they?" I never understood why but I have this OCD need to always know where my things are at and if they are alright. I couldn't handle not knowing anymore.

He nodded a little. "Don't worry. We did nothing bad to them. We kept them in that locker for you. Just in case you ever woke up. Oh and you might want to get into your suit then. Because you got work to do." He said, smiling as he turned around, walking out. "I'll send an Officer to get ya in a few minutes. Be ready." As his last words before he disappeared behind the door, with the two other ponies. The door made a locking noise.

I didn't waste time. I opened the locker and there was my equipment. I gladly put on my suit and turning on my Pip-Buck, checking the time. He wasn't lying. My Pip-Buck is over 180 years later from my last time check. Once I was comfortable in my suit, I collected my two weapons. One was a small 9mm pistol, my secondary. I put to my side, for easy access. My other was a Battle Rifle, scoped one. Didn't have much ammo though but who cares. I have a feeling that I'm gonna need it so on my other side it goes. Though connected to my own little battle saddle that my suit came with. It's a small one and only supports light weapons.

True to his word though, an officer did came in after a bit. A mare in what looks like an officer uniform to me and armed with a small energy pistol of her own. I could probably take her on but those two heavy armed ones are outside, watching. I sigh and nodded my head. She didn't bother talking to me, just led the way for me.

I was taken to a large room with a rather impressive table taking up most of the space. Had a map of Equestria actually with a variety of marks on them. A lot of red colored marks, some greens, and so on. I have no idea what they meant but I took my guess that symbolize places. Mr. Colonel Blue Wind sat in the biggest chair and I was told to set in my own chair. Which I did. Other ponies joined us too, all pegasus. One was wearing the same power armor as before but had his helmet removed. He had a grey coat, light blue mane, and light blue eyes. Another was a scientist looking mare. She had a violet coat, pink eyes, and dark red mane + tail. Her cutie mark was a chemist symbol, so I was expecting her to be good at chems or something related to chemistry. Not sure.

Then Blue Wind spoke up. "Well... This here is our Captain and local researcher. Storm, meet Captain Feather Shot and Rose Rain." He introduced the other two as they nodded to their names. "Rose here was the pony watching you for the past 30 years. Doing her research. Our Captain instructs our forces here at our small research camp. Just right above the ruins of Old Olneigh." He explained before going through his papers. "So. We want to get you out there quickly and working. Rose here has some ideas to help you to quickly attain some knowledge you'll need through a memory orb or two. Though, instead of you viewing the orb. We'll just directly transfer the knowledge you'll need. Or at least the basics. The rest you can learn on your own. Got it?" I was a little confused but nodded anyways. "Good to know. Then you'll go with Rose. Me and the Captain got plans to do here. Plans you will be part of, trust me on it. So get going."

I sigh a little and got up from my seat, following Rose out of the room and eventually to another. She led me to another room, this room filled with shelves. Many shelves with many boxes of all sort of things. She picked one out and placed it upon the only table in the room. "Okay... Storm. I've had these orbs prepared for you for some time. However, since none of us are unicorns. We'll have to do this the hard way, I'm going to need you to relax and let me do my work." I gulped a little then she added. "Afterwards, you should have basic knowledge of using magic, allowing at least telekinesis. And possibly an idea of how changeling's magic work, though we will have no idea if you can do enough. Got it?" I nodded a bit. Good, so new magic I need to try out and suck at. I already have bat pony magic that I suck at it.

I relaxed myself and watched as she took out a needle-like tool, gently poking it into each memory orb. I saw some sort of fuzzing white magic flow up into the needle each time then gulp a bit as she walked to me with it. I hate needles. I closed my eyes and felt the needle slowly go into my forehead, clenching my teeth a little. At first, nothing but then I felt a sudden rush of thoughts into my head. Memories of an unicorn using some basic spells, how she did them so, and such. Then memories of a changeling disguising as a pony in Stable-Tec. Reporting to his Queen later on after ditching the disguise. Then back he goes to Stable-Tec, only later getting caught. Then I opened my eyes. Rose already put the equipment away and was watching me curiously. "Go on. Try telekinesis at least."

After hearing her voice once again, I sigh. Closing my eyes and focusing my mind on my pistol. Using the same focus that the unicorn did in that memory. I succeeded after a moment, getting my pistol out in front of me, smiling a little as I do so but quickly put it away. Rubbing my sore forehead. "Okay... I can do it. But hurts a little honestly." I said, groaning a little.

"Just as I expected. Just train and you'll get a hoof at it." She said, gently helping me up now. "Now better get you back. I bet the Colonel is probably ready to get you out there mister." She said softly with a smile, a nice soft one mind you.

After the walk back, I was in my seat once again. Looking at the lovely Colonel here, sighing softly. "So... What ya got for me Mr. Boss?" I asked before he could say anything, smiling a little. Oh he is so going to hate me.

He just mumbled something then finally spoke up to me. "Simple. We are just gonna send you down to the surface and let you do your own thing for a bit. We want you to get use to the life down there, collect more gear, and get things set-up for yourself before sending you out on your missions. We'll contact you through your Pip-Buck when we need you. Got it?" I blinked a bit in surprise but smiled. I like this idea. Might be able to get away from these blasted ponies. "Oh and we have your tag. So if you don't respond, I'll send out our troopers to hunt you down. And we both know you won't ditch that suit of yours." He said with a grin. Oh so did I learn how to hate him that moment. "Good to know that we are on the same page." He finally finished, noticing my facial reaction to him.

And so I was sent. I was told to avoid Old Olneigh at all costs due to Hellhounds. I didn't question cause the name 'Hellhounds' scares me already and doesn't sound like something I want to get into. So I landed north of the place and made my way in that direction. The land was truly a wasteland, with the smell of radiation and dead trees everywhere. I was afraid of the possible creatures that were born from this demonic place. So afraid. But I pray that I'll find other ponies, civilization, and so on. Gotta be. If there is an Enclave around, there gotta be other ponies. Right? Maybe ponies that can help me?

It wasn't long until I saw a little flying Sprite Bot moving across the land. I remember these things. Creation of he Ministry of Laughter, I think. Playing that same stupid old song as well. How lovely! Oh and it started following me? Why? Argh. Then the music stopped, which caught me by surprise. I decided to stop myself and take another look at it. Then something spoke up from it. "Oh. There you are!" Wait what?

"Um... Do we know each other?" I questioned the Sprite Bot, raising a brow as I look at it.

"Um... Yes and no... Well... I know you. I've found your body before and notice you had a heartbeat of some sort. So kept checking on you, scaring the wasteland's predators from the area, until you finally vanished. Where you've been? I was afraid that something made a meal out of you." It explained. I nodded a little. So that's why I never became a meal. Okay. Didn't explain why I was out for so long, fucking damn it Luna!

"Well... Apparently, I've been with the Enclave for 30 years and I finally awoke. Now I'm here to do my own thing until they force to do shit for them. I really don't want to honestly but eh. They can track me down and kill me easily. So I'm stuck." I explained, sighing a little...

"Oh... That's not good. You need to get some help quickly then during the time which they gave you for your own doing. But if you just woke up, then I guess you'll need some advice." Oh lovely... Advice! "You seem to have everything cover already though. Gear and such. But I recommend making some friends." I nodded a little.

"Okay then." I started to say. "Why not introduce yourself so we can be friends? Name's Storm. What is your lovely name mate? Also, where are you?" I said softly, grinning. There was awkward silence for some time.

"Oh well. My location is classified, sorry. And I can't say we can be friends friends. But I guess I can help with what I can. Call me The Watcher though." Okay. Watcher who watches things. Makes sense. Then he added, "I should warn you though, you might have a hard time getting accepted like that. Bat ponies weren't highly accepted even before the war and with that changeling horn of yours, you'll definitely gonna have a hard time. How did you even got it?" There was some silence and I was just about to answer him but he spoke up once again, "Oh that question too! How did you got your skin back?" What? was in my head the whole entire time.

"Um... My father was a changeling, so that'll answer the horn problem. And um. The Enclave jerkwad that I woke up to explained that he used my little prison I was in to heal me 'back to normal'. So... Ye'h..." I explained to him, sighing a little. "But hey, nice to meet ya Mr. Watcher! Thanks for the help throughout the years too. I'm assuming you are not a normal pony though if you live throughout those years."

I stood there for a moment, waiting. Then he spoke up again. "Oh. Ye'h. That explains a lot. And wow! Enclave did something good for once! Didn't knew they had the technology to help regrow rotting skin!" What? "Would be nice if they can do that to a lot of the ghouls down here that needs it." I didn't ask why. From what the Enclave said, the ghouls are monsters. Then again, those Enclave people weren't nice to me and called me a creature. "And yes. I'm a very 'special pony'." He finished. I thought he was done but he spoke up once again. "Well. Follow my advice and you should do good. I recommend doing something to get you recognized by the radio. DJ PON-3 is highly famous and pretty much everypony listens to him. So if they hear news of you doing good things, they might not be afraid when they see you in person. Just be careful otherwise though. Like I said, your looks alone can easily get you hated by ponies. Huh. Whatever happened to never judge a book by it's cover?" I shrugged a bit at that comment.

"Well. Anyways. Thank you for the advice. And who is this..." I was about to ask but then the annoying music played. The Sprite Bot going off now to do it's own thing. "Hmm... He must've lost control of the damn thing." I said to myself then sigh, looking to the north, seeing a road a bit to my side and smiled. "Well... Better get going!" I proclaimed, grinning as I started walking.

C2 - The Wasteland

Well that was lovely! Didn't took long before I started seeing the gorgeous wildlife! My Pip-Buck labeled them as 'Bloastsprites' though. Must be what those annoying little buggers became after the megaspells. Wasn't hard to kill though and didn't needed to waste any bullets. Decided to just smack them away and get going. Hopefully, I won't be bothered by more of those annoying buggers and that there won't be any more gorgeous wildlife  to bother me!

However, after walking down the road for, I assumed an hour, my Pip-Buck picked up some more targets once again down the path... Three green and two red. Discounting that Sprite Bot, this would be my first time seeing actual friendlies, or at least maybe possible friendlies that I would love to talk to. I don't really count the Enclave that I've awoken to as friendlies. They reminded me of some other asswipes.

I decided to pick up my speed a little, moving up toward the five bots on my Pip-Buck and I found two ponies pulling a cart with three inside. The three inside being those friendlies so I am assuming that the two ponies pulling the cart are bad ponies for all I know. I mean, it's possible, yes? I gently moved to the left side of the road, hiding a little and staying quiet. Taking a closer look at the two ponies up front. They are armed and have weapons out for sure. One's an earth with a brownish coat, though mind you extremely dirty as well with the hair to match. He was holding some sort of detonator in his mouth while he had a hunting rifle to his side. The other was an unicorn mare and she actually had a Sawed Off Shotgun floating to her side, slipping it around for fun of it. I am glad that working for the army in my previous life helped me recognize weapons simply. It would be embarrassing to be out here and be like 'What kind of weapons are these?'.

Then I took a look at three in the cart... There was an unicorn mare with a pink coat and blonde hair, earth pony stallion with a blue coat and dark brown hair, and a little unicorn filly also with a pink coat but dark yellow hair... I'm assuming that they are a family. I also noted that each one had a collar on, with a beeping red light. Rule #8, beeping red light tend to mean that they are some sort of bomb. I now know what the detonator is for. They didn't seem to be chained up though but I don't think they need to be if they can all die at the push of a button. I really feel sorry for the three of them to be stuck in such a situation. Are they gonna be forced to do things like I? By Luna's coat, I can't allow that fate to happen to them!

I decided to try a direct approach and maybe try to get a better idea of what is going on first though. So I sneaked ahead quickly and stepped out onto the road in front of them, stopping the cart as the two ponies in front seem to ready their weapons at me, but then I spoke up, which surprised them. "Awwww... C'mon! You gonna shoot little old me for being curious?" Were my words, as I grinned a little. "I mean, I just saw two ponies pulling three collared ones and thought to myself... 'Hmm. What the hay are they doing?' Then again, I can easily take a few guesses." I finished saying, smiling at the pair, keeping my eyes on either one in case they choose to attack rather than talk. I would prefer to avoid combat right now.

Luckily for me, the mare did spoke up. "Well hay. If ya'll bein' so serious about what we are doing... We're takin' this lovely little ol' family of ours back to campa so thay may work or be sold... Now ya'll kno', ya'll should bettar get out of our way or else we'll shoota ya flank back to what radiation hella ya'll came from." What kind of fucking accent is that?

I chuckled a bit though at the last part of her lovely sentence... "Oh... Well I'm soooo sorry madam but I never came from a 'radiation hella', as you've put it. So you can't really shoot me back there. That and I don't really like the sound of what you are going to do... I mean, why is this family even YOURS? You have no right to claim a pony's life..." Well, talking time was just about over because she kinda rammed into me, shoving the shotgun in my face.

"Oh really naw? Ya'll think ya can stopa our tracks, hay?" She yelled as she glared at me, though I was just smiling it out.

"Well... I think I have a better chance of winning than you." I said gently, then attempted to activate my little stealth field that was built it but a message came up on my Pip-Buck and nothing happened... Can't really take a look at it right now with a shotgun so close to me... Shit, plan B.

She noticed the message on my Pip-Buck, taking a look down and thanks Luna for that distraction! I quickly pulled the trigger, spraying bullets from my rifle at point-blank range into her stomach. She dropped her gun and backed away, then gently went down onto her back, groaning in the pain. The stallion we quick though and I took a shot to the shoulder from his rifle and I wasted no time to quickly jump out of the way, taking cover and petting my shoulder, where I took the shot. It stings a little and kinda did made a hole in my armor. It wasn't really made to be in direct combat after all. Damn it.

I guess luck was still on my side cause it seems that the stallion ignored me for a moment, rushing to check his companion's health real quick. He started pulling out a small bottle, I quickly recognized it as a health potion actually and I'm not gonna let that happen! I pulled out my 9mm pistol from my side, with my mouth mind you. Don't want to be a sore headache in the middle of a fight! I quickly shot his flank, causing him to jump and drop the potion onto the ground, aiming his gun back at me and begun shooting back. I ducked when he did though, not wanting to take any more lovely bullets. "Come out from your hiding spot you little scunt!" Scunt? That's a new word.

Well. Better make him happy! I did jump out of my hiding spot but quickly activated the S.A.T.S. on my Pip-Buck, targeting his head with three bullets and then letting them rip... The first one did hit, the second one miss, and the last knocked him down. However, he didn't went down with getting a bullet into my right foreleg, fuck. However, with him down, I decided to hurry up to the side of the mare and shoot her once in the head to make sure she's dead. He was trying to heal her after all! Then I looked over to the wagon where the three ponies all stared and watch with curiosity. I took a single look at their collar then at the mare below me, checking her bags. I found some food on her, which I decided to leave. I'm not hungry for some odd reason. However, I did found a key around her neck. I also scooped up the potion that the stallion dropped and drunk it down for my own wounds. I know they slightly help but I'll need the healing to keep myself walking. Ignoring the other stuff for now, I ran up to the wagon and gestured the family to climb out.

Once they were out, I used the key to unlock the collars from their necks and added them to my own inventory. I might have some use for them later, after all. The stallion smiled a bit at what I did then took a quick look at me. "So you are not... Going to hurt us...? Or um... Eat... us?" He was obvious nervous and scared, they were all. I'm not surprise he had a hard time asking that question and not surprise he even asked it in the first place.

However, I couldn't help but chuckle a little. "Nah. I may look like a monster but I'm not one inside. You are free to go back to your life or start a new one. May I recommend starting a new one in a safer place? Hay, is there a safer place? You know, away from these asswipes." I notice a sign of relief from the family as they all gently nod a little.

"Yes... There's New Appleloosa not far. My husband and I tend to make trips there for trading. Maybe it'll be time to actually live in there with these slavers getting more active and all." The mare spoke up as I smiled a little. Great! A civilization! A target! My Pip-Buck went off with another message again, and again; I ignored it.

"Well. Thanks for letting me know about that then. You and your family should head there as quickly as possible... Maybe also let a good word in for me? I don't want to be shot at when I get there myself. I would definitely need a town to return to after all. Don't want to be stuck in this wasteland all my life." I softly laughed to myself at the last part, and the father joined in actually.

"Yes... I think we can do that. Thanks you stranger for the help." The father said softly before they went off, though before looting the food from the slavers. I didn't mind that since I don't seem to be hungry. Again, why is that? No idea. Argh, I slapped myself for asking that question to myself. No need to ask questions to oneself that one cannot answer!

After I was done with thinking for now; I decided to pick up the Sawed Off Shotgun and the small amount of shots for it. Only 7? An odd number? That's a bugger. I also decided to take the hunting rifle and it's ammo, but I won't use it myself. Not really good with a hunting rifle anyways. I'm better at pistols and weapons that are better off at close range, like shotguns. Especially shotguns! I don't know why but I do love the powerful blast of a shotgun, even though I was never allowed to have my own shotgun before. Just saw them being used. The slavers also didn't have anything else useful, though a lot of bottlecaps. Why bottlecaps? Is a thing now to collect them? I hesitated a bit about taking them or not. I mean, there gotta be a reason for them, right? I decided to say fuck it and take them. Maybe I'll find an use for them.

Once the looting was taken care of, I decided to check those messages on my Pip-Buck, and damn my luck. First one was about the failure of my stealth field. Apparently, there was no battery source and I have none for it. I guess using stealth is officially out of the question! The second one was about the location of New Appleloosa. I kinda forgot about my map and taking a look at it, my previous data was mostly erased. Some locations are still there, like Appleloosa, though new labeled as Old Appleloosa, and Ponyville. I'm assuming this is because of the locations being changed or destroyed. However, how the hell did my Pip-Buck even know the location of New Appleloosa when I was only given an idea that it was close, and on the road I'm following. I mean, I'm a little good with computers but damn it I never really figured out much about how these things work. Fuck Stable-Tec with the backside of Luna's flank!

Then I gotten an incoming signal. Damn it Enclave, already? Really? Damn my Luna's fucked life! I decided to tune in though, didn't want to get the Enclave up my flank so soon. However, it wasn't Enclave that I've heard. It was a soft mare's voice, very nice and lovely actually. Though she sound very worried. "Oh thanks Celestia that you picked up! Please, Sir, you are not far from my location! I've been captured by raiders, along with my other mare friends, and I fear we don't have much time! Please, if you are able... Help us, or get help for us! Oh no, I can't talk anymore! I think one of them is catching on." Then it ended rudely.

Okay then! So I'm assuming another group of ponies to add to my 'not like' list? If there are mares in trouble, and why only mares I have no idea, then I better go ahead and save them. I think I might be able to handle it if I go with the sneak approach this time, instead of the direct. I quickly switched back to my map and noticed that a 'Raider's Outpost' has been added, not far actually. To the West of me, off the road. Well, time to say hello to some bloody raiders and see what the fuss is about them!

And the fuss is reasonable. It didn't took me long to get to the outpost, with only a few Bloatsprites in my way. The Outpast was badly built with the a lot of metal sheets, wood, and other stuff. There was three buildings though. One was a tower and it looks like there was a pony up there, with some crazy homemade armor it seems. She also seemed to have a hunting rifle, I'm assuming for sniping. Hunting rifles aren't the best snipers but they are reasonable. What creeps me out the most was the hanging hooves and heads all around the tower's ceiling, and the blood covering the walls of the place as a whole. Gazing over to the other buildings, I took mental notes that one was being guarded by two more ponies, again wearing some sort of homemade armor. One was holding a shovel, it looks like, though the tip sharpened. The other was holding a pool stick, which I found it was rather stupid to use as a weapon.

The other building seem to have ponies coming in and out from so I'm assuming that one is their barracks. By process of elimination, the guarded building must be the jail and where the mares are being held hostage. I was correct when I saw a pony moving from the barracks to the other building, then moving back to the barracks while forcibly pulling a young mare with a chain, a giant grin on his face. Okay. That was enough watching, time for action!

I slowly moved to the side of the outpost, trying to get as close as I can to the tower as possible. Lucky me, night has already begun falling and it was starting to get pretty dark. Being a bat pony, we have natural night eyes and can see just fine in the dark. Unlucky for the unicorns and earth ponies of this outpost, I say! I manage to get up to the tower safely without problem, staying out of sight from their so called sniper. The others seem to be too busy, not paying much attention to the tower.

I gently climbed up the ladder, being quiet. I didn't want to use my wings cause that attract attention for sure, so this should be better. Once I was up and was directly behind the sniper now, I took my pistol out and gulp a little. I don't have any silence weapon but at least taking out the sniper first would give me a much better chance at taking out the rest, plus having control of the tower will give me a huge advantage over them since the only way up here for them is the ladder. I activated S.A.T.S. and targeted the sniper's head, shooting a single bullet straight into her head, causing her body and gun to fall off the side of the tower. I looked down, noticing that a few ponies was watching their precious sniper going down and quickly they stood at attention, looking out to the wasteland to see if there was anypony out there. However, one pony, the one with the shovel, looked up right at me, growling and took off toward the tower. Quickly after, the others looked at his direction then up at me, figuring it out. The one with an assault gun let out fire up at me, though failing to hit since assault weapons aren't good from the distance.

Ignoring them, I ran back to the ladder, smiling down at the shovel pony making his way up as I pointed my gun down. He suddenly stopped and let go but too late before I was able to shoot him down, leaving blood on the wall and ground below. The other two came rushing to the building now, the pool wielded one keeping his distance as the assault wielded one let out her fire again. I took cover in the sniper nest though, hearing hooves moving again. My guess was that she was letting out fire to keep me in cover while the other make his way up the ladder. Bad idea, in my opinion, but hey. I let them do it.

Once the pool wielded one finally got up here, I let out my battle rifle's bullets, shooting him right off the top of the tower. He won't survive the fall for sure so no worries there. I took another look down and notice there was two more raiders now, one with a pistol and the other with a combat shotgun it looks like. The shotgun one specifically seems to be wearing heavier armor, I'm assuming she's the leader. The pistol one already started letting out his bullets, along with Mrs. Assault. Lovely. I think they won't fall for the same trick as the others did.

I can't really take much chances right now, I have no way of healing myself and highly doubt these filthy savages, or raiders I should probably say, will even have proper medical equipment. I mean seriously, look at all the body parts they use as decoration and all the blood! They are fucking insane for liking this stuff and now thinking about it is making me a little sick in the stomach... Actually, suck it. I don't want to be up here anymore now I am thinking about it.

Quickly, I jumped right off the edge, spreading out my wings and flying quickly down, and away, toward some trees... However, I did took a few shots and the pain was getting to me quickly. Damn this fucking wasteland! The pistol and assault ponies rushed toward my location, still shooting as I growled, standing up and readying my battle rifle. Lucky for me, I have S.A.T.S. as an advantage and let lose a good amount of bullets with it at the assault pony, basically cutting her down. Her armor did reflected a good bit but the bullets made enough dents that others got through. Though that means I won't have S.A.T.S. for some time and have to aim with my own eyes to take care of the pistol happy one, who got another bullet in me.

I jumped to the side, getting behind a tree again to keep from gaining more bullet holes... I was already bleeding enough and I don't think I'll survive long with a few more holes. I also notice that I used up the last of my ammo for the rifle and have to switch to pistol or sawed off shotgun. I decided shotgun would be great and once I hoofsteps were close enough, I turned around and let lose the two bullets directly into Pistol's head, basically shooting it right off!

Okay then, now just got the Combat Shotgun... My thought ended when a heavy force jumped right onto me, my Pip-Buck flashing with red lights. I looked up at her, an unicorn, with the lovely shotgun right against my head. "You fucking pissed me off you little bat! Fucking took out my whole group!" Small group, okay. Good for me. Then I felt the gun being push hard against me, and her weight, probably her armor's weight though, crushing down on me. "I'm gonna enjoy slowly crushing you down until you beg for mercy you fucking bat!" I growled a little and didn't even bother to say anything. Instead, I tried telekinesis again, groaning the headache that comes from it. Focusing on my sawed off shotgun but she took notice, smacking my head hard with her gun, stopping my focus. "Oh no, I don't fucking think so! I'm not letting a fucking bat go magical on my flank that easily!" Argh... Fuck. I can't try again for sure now, the headache even worse after being whacked in the head.

I gulped a little and closed my eyes, feeling the pain of her crushing down onto me, groaning deeply from it. I guess it didn't took long for the wasteland to take me, eh? Or so I thought. I heard two loud shots and instantly, the weight was off of me and I felt a rush of liquid which landed onto me. Opening my eyes curiously, I notice the mare that was one me is now by my side, missing a head, and there's a lot of blood over me, her's blood. I almost puked then and there but a voice caught my attention. Mare's voice.

"And take that you murdering raping cunt!" She yelled out, holding my own shotgun in her magic. The mare was an unicorn with a light yellow coat, hair in the color of midnight blue with cyan stripes in it, and her eyes were also cyan blue. The glow of her horn was also a cyan blue color, matching her eyes it seems. Her cutie mark was a health symbol with two feathers on each side, mirroring one another.

I gulped a little, taking a quick look at my Pip-Buck to check my health... As I expected, I have three legs crippled. I'm not gonna be able to walk for sure right now. Then I looked over her, as she curious looked back at me, smiling a little for a moment but then stopped once she notice my state. "Oh my... She really... Wow. And those bullet holes. Wow. C'mon, I'll get you inside and get to work!" She said, rushing over to me as I laugh a little, feeling her pulling me now. I decided to flap my wings a bit to help myself up and help her.

"Um... Thanks but do I really want to go inside their place?" I asked curiously, still trying to laugh the pain away, but doesn't stop the groaning.

"You are correct but at least they have a bed in there and I can do better there. Plus my store my medical supplies in there, which they stole from me. They couldn't get it opened though. I guess raiders don't know how to pick a lock?" She chuckled a little to herself and continued getting me inside.

"Ah... From your cutie mark though, I'm assuming you are a doctor. Yes?" I decided to ask, ignoring the smell of a raider's home as she gets me inside and onto the bed. She did nod at my question but quickly went off real quick. I wonder why for a moment but it wasn't long until she came back, smiling.

"Sorry about leaving... I know you are in pain but there was other mares that I thought should be rescued as soon as possible. I'm assuming somepony from New Appleloosa sent you?" She asked curiously, looking at me.

I blinked a few times and shook my head. "Actually, I got a message on my Pip-Buck from somepony who was being held hostage here. I was nearby and thought I should answered. Now, if you don't mind me asking... How did you got out?" I said, groaning a little again.

She ignored me for a moment though, taking a look at my body and starting to remove my suit. I let her do so, I knew that she is going to take a look at my wounds and get to work. I've never been to a doctor before; mostly because, in the past, I never got into direct combat with anypony, or zebra. I was a scout, a sneaky one, and kept quiet and hidden. I was caught a few times though but only to be rescued by the other pony soldiers that I was working with, or for. I never actually engaged much in combat itself, though I've killed before in my own little sneak attacks, or assassinations you may call it.

However, she did finally took a look at my face and answered. "They were trying to get me to open my medical box for them. The leader had her gun to my head the whole entire time and I was refusing actually. I knew that opening it would help them too much and if I am going to die stopping them, so be it. However, gunshots from the outside saved me. Yours, I'm assuming. So she, and the other pony, went out to join the fun. She told me to stay put and if I moved, then my death will be slow and tormenting." She started, pulling up her medical box now that the raiders had on top of a few boxes, and a safe, in the corner. Must be their 'storage room'. "However, I took a look out and notice that you were winning, until she got onto you... I couldn't let her kill you cause I knew I'll be next so... I did first thing that came to my mind..." She said softly, looking down a bit at the ground with her ears folded downward.

"Hey...You did the right thing, saving probably not just me and yourself but the others." I softly said, still groaning in pain. I dared not to look down at my body. I don't want to know how badly I'm bleeding.

"I know... It's just... My first time killing somepony. I was always just a healer, working along the side with other doctors from New Appleloosa. Me, and some others though, decided to leave the town. We were thinking about starting a new town, a new place, you know? Get more civilization around Equestria... However, none of us were really fighters and we were warned about that..." She said softly, going through her supplies, taking out a stimpak and applying it to one of my legs, keeping it in for a moment as I feel that leg getting better, then taking it out. "So the raiders, as a group, made short work of the stallions in the group, and any mare who dared fight back... The rest of us just... Accepted out fate in fear. We knew what raiders will do but it's just... We were afraid of dying and that maybe, there's a chance of being rescue. I guess we were correct on that chance." She finished explaining, throwing away the used stimpak and pulling out another, applying it to another leg of mine.

"Well... The idea wasn't a bad one. Having more towns across this wasteland would be a great thing. However, without proper protection though?" I softly said, sighing a little as she applied a third stimpak to my last broken leg. "How many of those do you have?" I asked, curious about the supplies.

"I know now... It was a bad idea not to have proper protection." She sigh softly, looking at me now. "To answer your question, every medical box should have at least five stimpaks, five doses of radaway, two healing potions, two doses of Med-X, and some proper medical tools. Anything else is extra. However, as you might've already found out, most medical boxes in the wasteland has only a few items, instead of a full set. Probably because they were used before the megaspells or looted already. The latter doesn't make much sense to me though. Why take a few and not all?" She explained to me. I actually didn't knew about this so this was all new to me and glad it was.

She took out a dose of Med-X next, applying it to my side. "Okay, this is going to hurt so giving you Med-X for this part. I'm going to have to pull the bullets out of you now. After that, a healing potion should be able to help the wounds heal faster and I can apply a bandage around your body." She explained, smiling a little to me as she took a pincher like tool. I didn't want to watch this and closed my eyes softly, feeling the pincher digging inside the wounds, pulling out things from inside of me... Bullets, I'm assuming. There wasn't much pain though, thanked to the Med-X. Then something finally seem to hit her. "Wait! You mention earlier that somepony messaged you and that she was a hostage here?" She asked as she works. I did mention that earlier but I guess my health was on her mind for her to really think about what I've said.

"Yes. She kinda got through to me via the radio system in my Pip-Buck." Unlike most Pip-Bucks though, mine was a two-way. I can talk back to the pony on the other side, if the radio wave is a two way. One way radio waves, like actual radio stations that plays music, I can't talk back to obviously. My Pip-Buck is able to do this simply so I can radio back in to my commanders of the information I gathered while still out on the field.

"That's... Not possible. None of us had access to anything that could've done that." She said softly, finally done pulling bullets. "Well... You took eleven bullets. five being from the assault rifle, it looks like. I'm not an expert on weapons so I'm just assuming here... Though I also notice two bullets were in you from an earlier time. From the looks of it, you used a healing potion after taking those." She said softly, then added quickly. "Though, looks like your armor was able to stop the force enough to keep the bullets from hitting any major organs hard enough to be fatal... However, the blood lost seems to be pretty bad and I better hurry up getting this bandage on you." After explaining, she pulled out the only bandage in the box and put it around me. Then grabbing a potion for me. "Here, drink this. You should be good now." She said, smiling. "Though a little rest might be smart to have but that'll have to wait until we can get back to New Appleloosa. I told the others to make their way back." I drunk down the potion she offered, though did thought back to the earlier time with the slavers. I did used a potion without thinking about the bullets still being in me, oops.

I smiled a little and nodded a bit then thought back to the mare who told me about this. "If it wasn't a mare who was a hostage, then there was a mare out there who knew and wanted to help you. However, I don't fully understand why she didn't do anything herself but instead calling me in." I said softly, mostly to myself.

"Well... Maybe she isn't a fighter like me?" The mare beside said, grinning a little at me as I nod a little. That's always possible. Still, it raises a lot of questions. I should probably ask them next time she contacts me, if she does that is. "Oh... We never introduced ourselves! We were too distracted with your injuries and the whys..." She laughed a little after saying that. "Here, let me introduce myself first. I'm Blueberry Flower, though I prefer being called Berry for short. Apparently the color of my hair made my parents think of blueberries." She said softly. Not a bad name I say and I have to admit, she is a pretty flower. "And, as you can tell, I'm a nurse or was until I quit and went with the group. You know about that now." she explained as she gently moved a bit to the side, letting me get up and onto my now fixed legs. I can tell they still hurt a little, the effects of the Med-X already starting to wear off, but they aren't crippled anymore.

"Very fitting name and I'll happily stick with Berry. Actually, I prefer a short name as well so just call me Storm." I said softly but quickly added, "BUT since you have your full name. Mine is Storm Lightning Bolt." I grinned a little as she nodded a little. I decided to go ahead and get my suit back on, even though it has some holes in it.

"You know, there's a tailor in New Appleloosa who might be able to fix that for you. Not cheaply though." She said, noticing the holes as well. "Also, I've been wondering. What are you? You don't look like any type of pony I'm use to seeing and you don't look like any pegasi I've heard about." I was curious about that statement but wasn't going to bother it.

"Well. I use to be a bat pony but due to radiation, I'm now this. It's a long story." I softly explained, gaining a curious look on her face actually.

"Radiation? Have you took any Radaway? I didn't test your body for radiation because I wasn't thinking about it. Maybe I should!" She said, starting to go back to her kit now but I put a hoof on her to stop her.

"No. I'm kinda like a thing you ponies called a ghoul? Apparently, whatever the radiation did to me, I survived the fatal effects and became this. Though, according to other ponies..." I really didn't knew if Watcher even is a pony but I don't want to get into a discussion about him. "I did seem to have a rotting body until the Enclave found my unconscious, and healed it." I explained then I gotten a worried look on her face, as she looks up to me.

"Enclave healed your ghoulification..." She said softly, not as a question but more as a surprised statement. "I... Wow! They really need to get their flanks down here as a whole and helps the rest then! I mean, with that kind of technology..." She was about to trailed off, I knew it, but I stopped her.

"Honestly, I don't think the Enclave have any interest at all in helping ponies in the wasteland. At least from what I've witnessed in my short time with them. They kinda was healing me just to use me as a scout, so to say. Good thing is, they let me down here to do my own things. Bad thing, only to gain experience and when it's time. They'll contact me via my Pip-Buck. If I don't reply, they have intentions to hunt me down." I said with a smile, chuckling a bit.

She looked at me, backing away a little. "Um... So you are working for the Enclave in a way?" She asked as I shook my head. "Oh... So more like being a slave to a whole another type of bomb collar?" I blinked a little, thinking back to the collars in my bag and nodded. "Oh... I'll help you."

"Wait... What?" I asked in surprise, looking at her curiously as she smiled.

"Well. You risked your life to save us and yes, I may have saved you as well, which makes it even. However, being a hostage, or a slave, to anypony is a terrible feeling." She explained softly, looking around the room, ignoring the facts there are hanging heads on the ceiling. "I kinda know that feeling now, even though it was temporally. I think you shouldn't have that feeling either Storm so I'll help with what I can to get you out. So I say, let them come! Maybe by the time they do, we'll have more ponies to help." I smiled a little... Was I making a friend now or is she just being that nice now?

"Thanks. Though I was thinking of doing some work for them at first, or at least until I get an idea of what their weakness is. I mean, can't just right out think I can win against them from the beginning. I saw their troopers. They are wearing power armor and all!" I explained a little, gulping a bit at the idea of going up against them. She must've recognized the armor because I saw a worried look.

"I really hate to suggest this but maybe you can bait them to fight against the Steel Rangers then... If you think you can't take them on. The Steel Rangers should be able to do so." She said softly, as I looked at her curiously. I think she caught on to my expression as she did add more. "Steel Rangers are a group of ponies who wears and uses some high powered technology as well. Power armor, energy weapons, and all. However, they are just hoarders. They don't care about us. They'll even kill us if we have technology that they want!" Okay. Does this wasteland have at least one good faction of ponies?

"Okay... So a possible plan would be baiting the Enclave ponies after me to some of these Steel Rangers? That I might be able to do actually." I said softly, raising a hoof to my chin as I think on it. She did smile at me, seeming to be proud of herself for suggesting it.

"Oh um... Storm. We should get going. It's late, dark, and yeah... Might be the best time to get back to New Appleloosa when things can't really see us, even though we won't be able to see much at all ourselves." She said softly, looking to the door. Honestly, I agreed with her. This smell is starting to get to me.

"Okay but I can see in the dark so no worries. Let's get going!" I happily announced, going off with her. However, before leaving, I looted that combat shotgun and the shotgun shells to go with it. As well as picking up my own sawed off from the ground. I didn't want to spend anymore time here looting other stuff, so we just went off.

We both kept quiet though on the way to the town, just because we don't want to attract attention. Gladly, we manage to reach the location without much resistance from the wasteland and there was a pony on top of the front gate into the town, looking down at us with a light. He looked worried at first when seeing me but noticing that I'm with Berry changed his decision as he called out to the others. "Open the gate! It's Blueberry! She's finally back, like the others have said, and it seems that the strange bat creature mentioned by that one family is with her..." The gates opened up, letting us as the guard pony came down to greet us. "Before we let you continue though, I'm gonna have to let you know that you'll have to see the mayor first thing tomorrow morning. He is very curious about you..." He explained, looking at me. "As for now..." He stopped, like he was thinking. "Actually, I don't know where you can sleep." He finally said after a moment.

However, Berry took it from there. "Do I still have my spot? If so, he can just sleep with me then..." Awkward feeling... I ignored it though and just watch the two.

He nodded a little though. "Yes. Mayor knew that you, and the rest of the group, will be back... Or at least some, as it seems." He explained, letting us through now. Berry guided me to where most of the ponies, the ones without any specific homes, slept at and shown me to her own bed. We decided to sleep back to back, which I suggested actually.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~{(<<<<>>>>)}~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I opened my eyes, being in some sort of tend with the sounds of ponies moving outside, standing in an army uniform of some sort myself and being stared down by a rather tall stallion... "Listen here, maggot! We don't know much about your species, only from what Princess Luna decided to say, but we do know that, since you broke your home's laws and abandoned it, that we are allowed to enlist you here into the Equestrian Army to help us in our war against the Zebra Scum, do you hear me?" He let out, staring down at me as I nodded. "I can't hear you, maggot!" I gulped a little...

"Sir, yes Sir!" I said, standing up straight now, not liking being yelled at like this...

"Good, maggot. Really good... Now, we have decided to use your natural skills to the best of their ability. With that being said, you are gonna be our..." There was that name, that name I don't wish to remember... "Which means, you will be scouting at night, keeping yourself hidden in the dark, and completing the orders we give you! Do you hear me LOUD AND CLEAR?" He yelled out, looking down at me as I nod again.

"Sir, yes Sir! I hear you loud and clear!" I said out loud, gulping a little and shaking nervously.

"And don't you dare shake, don't you dare be afraid maggot! There is no room for fear, for hesitation in this life! So you better leave all of that behind and do as told! If you don't drop the act during boot camp, there will be a price to pay and believe me, you will NOT want it maggot!" He yelled out, making me shake more but I quickly caught myself, standing tall and holding myself. "Good! Now march! We're going to your first training session..." He commanded as I started marching in the direction he wanted me to go... However, things starting to blur and I caught myself closing my eyes...

I reopened them again and it was night time. I had my suit on this time and I was hearing commands to me from the radio, that name once again. "... are you ready to deploy the targeting talisman?" I gulped a little, looking around my surroundings. I was in some sort of village, just outside of Equestria. It was a little zebra settlement, built sometime during the war and hidden away from ponykind. Used to help the zebras attacking have a place to retreat to, and heal. The village was, however, a civilian spots mostly with doctors and nurses, it seems. Not many zebra soldiers around and only a few snipers keeping watch. There were also a handful of teens and children, being taught as well. From my guesses, they are being grown up into either soldiers, doctors, or nurses.

"Sir, there is civilians here though... Are you certain?" I softly asked back across the radio, gulping a little. The reply was quick.

"Zebra civilians, mind you. Remember what they are and remember that they are our enemy! So do as you are told or else we'll have to use force!" The voice claimed as I gulped a little. "And trust me, I don't think you won't want your own mother suddenly vanish from her home, right?"

I stopped after hearing that. "And if Luna..." I was about to say.

"She won't find out... There's plenty of stuff she doesn't know about already. We do what we must to win this war and if we have to get dirty, then we will. So you better deploy or we will do something we both will regret." The voice replied, stopping me in mid-sentence... I didn't knew if he was true back then and I knew I had to do it... I activated my stealth field, slipping through the village and placing the targeting talisman in the well, arming it as well. Then I slipped out of the village without being noticed...

Once I was up on a hill, I turn around and watched as the Equestrian Forces now sent a bombardment of missiles unto the village, turning it into ruins and dust... The voice, once again came up... "Good job..." That name again. "Now, return back to camp. We have another mission for you." I sigh a little, tears softly going down my cheek as I looked at the ruins one last time before I felt something touch me...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~{(<<<<>>>>)}~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I opened my eyes, back in the real world for sure now, as I felt Berry gently poking me, smiling a little. "Hey sleepyhead... It's kinda past noon now. Think maybe you should get up? Mayor waiting to meet you." She said, smiling at me as I nod a little, gently pulling myself onto my legs, stretching out my body, wings and all. Berry seems to be very happy to see me stretching out. "You know, if you fix up your hair and find a way to make that horn look nicer... You would be a rather handsome stallion to look at." She commented, smiling. Is she flirting? I have no idea.

I just shrugged it off and started walking. "Thanks but let's go meet that mayor now... Then maybe I should explore the town. You mention a tailor?" She nodded softly at the words as we head out. She took me to where the mayor is at and once inside his office, I took a seat. Berry was told to stay outside though.

"So... Before we start anything... I am Mayor Blueblood..." The stallion looked to be very old honestly. I don't think he'll last another 10 or 20 years... "And mind if I ask, what are you specifically? You kinda look like a Thestral, but that horn... And your name. Many townsponies are very curious about the name of the pony who saved quite a bit of our own." I was curious at first. I never really heard the word 'Thestral' before...

"Well, excuse me sir but I've never really heard of the word Thestral before. I'm a bat pony though but as for my horn... Long story. Blame radiation." I explained softly. "Oh and call me Storm." I finished, smiling softly.

He blinked a bit, surprised it seems. "Well then. I guess some bat ponies don't go by that name. Let me say this first, you aren't the first bat pony that came through our town here and she told me specifically that she preferred that we call her specie by that name." Interesting thought. I guess it is better than 'bat ponies'. "Also, I would like to add that the townsponies, mostly the ones who've rescued you, requested you should be rewarded simply because it seems that you are new to this wasteland. Is that true?" I didn't really want to go into details about this.

"Yes, some what. It's a long story, like I said, and I rather not go into the details. They are true though, I am rather new to the wasteland and still learning things. Last night was my first run-in with both slavers and raiders, mind you. I never knew that existed before hoof." I explained softly, nodding a little.

"Well then... You have a lot to learn and I highly recommend tuning into DJ PON-3's radio, you'll learn a lot from him. It looks like that is a Pip-Buck connected in your armor so I think you can do that." He is correct and maybe I should do so. "Well... Let me be the one that tells you about our currency." I nodded a little. "Firstly, we don't use any pre-war bits anymore. However, they can be sold still." Strange but I let him continued. "And secondly, our currency is bottlecaps. You may have notice that the slavers or even the raiders collected those, yes?" I blinked softly. Well then, glad I made that choice and nodded to his question. "Thought so. The ponies you saved asked if I can reward you in bottlecaps so that you may spend it on supplies here and continue your work. However..." I stopped him by raising a hoof.

"Actually, I heard you have a tailor. Think you can have her repair my armor?" He gave me a curious look, thinking about it then nodded. I smiled at that and after a short chat, he gave me a piece of paper to take to the tailor. Once I was out, Berry guided me to the tailor and I've shown it to her. The tailor pony wasn't very happy honestly but she accepted it, mentioning that one of the ponies I've saved was a dear friend of hers anyways. So I gave her my armor and then Berry shown me around. There were a handful of houses, as well as a medical place, where she use to work at, and a few bars. The last place she took me to was the general store. Absolutely Everything.

"Before we go in." Berry begun. "I should let you know that the owner of the store is our resident ghoul. Since you seem not to know anything about them, let me say this. Not every ghoul is bad. Some of them have been able to keep their minds sane and live like any other pony does in this wasteland. Yes, she might look like some sort of 'zombie' but she isn't one. The feral ghouls though, the wild ones that lost their minds, are like 'zombies' and you should kill them on sight." I blinked a little. Okay, feral ghouls. Another thing to kill on sight. Lovely.

I nodded to her words. "Thanks... Hopefully I won't freak out." I knew I would at first. I gently pushed open the door, walking into the store and then looked at the grey pegasus, or at least once was, and immediately something triggered in my head. "By Luna's fucking amazing moon! Is that you Ditzy?" the moment I said the pegasus's name, she jumped up, looking at me with her crossed-eyes. She is definitely different from the last time we've met. I don't think she remembers though, she is cocking her head. "It's been... A long time but um... It's me, Storm. I was friends with Thunderlane. I took a trip to Ponyville once with him, was one of the few times I went into public actually, and you were one of the very few ponies who wasn't afraid of my looks... Hay, you greeted with a hoofshake and all!" She started smiling widely now after that, I think she's remembering.

She picked up a board of some sort though and started writing, I was raising a brow at first but read what was on it. "That was a long time... I always thought that you shouldn't have been treated like that." I smiled a little, nodding a little.

Berry gently bumped my side though, looking at me. "You... Knew Ditzy before the war?" I shook my head a little though.

"Knew? No. Just met her once. She made my day though with her smile back then though. But um... What's with the board and writing?" I asked, looking back at Ditzy, as the pegasus begun to erase the words on the board. However, Berry beat her to the punch.

"Her tongue was cut out by slavers a while ago." She explained as I frowned a little. Okay then, another reason why to hate slavers. Ditzy did nod to this though, confirming it. Well, that's good to know.

I looked back over to Ditzy now, noticing that she is writing on the board once again. "So, how may I help you Storm?". I'm glad she isn't asking what I am. Really got annoyed to answer that. I decided though to trade in some of the gear I gotten from the slavers and raiders, at least what I picked up, for those bottlecaps. That and my battle rifle. Apparently the bullets for it are quite rare and expensive, so I'm gonna stick to the shotguns and pistols. They aren't as bad. I also decided to buy a combat knife that she had. Berry did mention that it might help me out more and she was correct. I can silently kill raiders and slavers much easier with a combat knife than with my guns! After the trading, I decided to have a 'discussion' with Ditzy. We both decided though not to talk about the past much but rather the present more. Apparently, Ditzy is writing a book right now. Wasteland Survival Guide. Sounds like a good idea honestly and she was talking about the chapter about mines at one point. Even mentioning a mine made from bottlecaps, though I think I accidentally convinced her not to include that part, even though I liked the idea myself. Oh well, no harm done, right?

After that, we headed back to the tailor and my armor was done. I gotten it back on me, connected my combat shotgun to my side, where my rifle was, and put my sawed off to my side, next to my pistol. Berry also took some bottlecaps and resupplied her medical box, which she now has on her side like a bag, which I questioned. "Um. Going somewhere?" I asked her.

She looked at me and chuckled a bit. "I'm going with you. I know you are going back out there and I'm going with you. Storm, like I said. I'm going to help you. You are going to need it... Please, aren't we friends now?" She said, fluttering her eyelashes as I blushed a little. Yeah, I guess we are friends.

"Well..." I begun to say, then thinking back to what Watcher said. He did mention that I needed friends to survive and he was correct. I would be dead without her right now actually. So having her with me, to heal me when I get injured and all, would be a great thing. Plus I'll protect her from threats and we both will have somepony we can call friend, at least. I do actually enjoy her company. "Fine. You may travel with me. It be nice to have a friend." I said softly, smiling a little.

She smiled right back, grinning a little. "Good. i just need to pack food and water then we should be good. By the way, don't you eat? I haven't seen you eat at all." She finally asked that question. Good question actually and I did shrugged.

"Honestly, I don't think I need to eat anymore. I mean, considering how long I've lasted unconscious without food, something must've happened to my inner body parts." Then a thought came to me. "Do ghouls need to eat?" She shook her head gently at that question. "Then that must be it. I guess, technically, I'm a ghoul or suppose to be." Then I whispered into her ears, just in case other ponies are listening. "Cause, you know, Enclave." She nodded a little after I explained. It makes some sense to me. The Enclave Colonel did mention that my skin was healed, never mentioned my inner body parts. I know for sure my heart is still working, as I can feel it, but my stomach? I hadn't heard it since before the megaspells. Doesn't explain me living though. What's keeping me alive? Ponies need food and water to survive, keep energy in their bodies. What is keeping energy in my body? Gotta be something similar to ghouls and I could ask her but I decided not to.

"Anyways. Let's get moving! See what else we can find and see if we can find those Steel Ranger folks you mentioned before. If we are going with that plan, we gonna need to find them first!" I proclaimed, smiling happily as she nodded her head in agreement. So, we left New Appleloosa happily as I tuned into the radio finally, like the mayor mentioned I should. It was playing some rather great music, music which I remembered from before the megaspells, then I heard a male voice begun to speaking.

"Hey hey hey ponies of the Equestrian Wasteland! It's me, your lovely host, DJ PON-3 with some good news! My reports came in about a mysterious new active face, a strange pony with leather wings like a bat and a strange black horn. At first, I thought. 'Oh my, this sounds bad!' but no SIR! It's good news because this strange pony has rescued a family from slavers, as well as a group of mares, whom originally left New Appleloosa to make their own town, from raiders! Sadly, he didn't saved the ponies who were already killed by the raiders but still! Less raiders and slavers is always a good thing, with still lives saved!

So to that pony, good job! i hope not everypony you meet freaks out upon seeing you! I know not everypony may like the looks of you but hey, it's not the outside that counts! It's what's inside, that counts!

Also, ponies, here's a lesson related to our new friend! I may not know for sure what our new friend is specifically, but he does partial fit the definition of Thestrals. Remember ponies, Thestrals are a very rare race of ponies and I've met one myself actually, a mare. They don't like to be called bat ponies, I can tell you that for sure, and they are just like any other pony! They aren't actual mutations! Hopefully, our friend here is just a rarer sub-race of Thestral or is just a Thestral that undergo a mutation, yet is still sane! If the latter, hopefully he'll get help!

That's all Wastelanders, so here some lovely Sweetie Belle for you!"

He finished as music plays. I turned off the radio though after that and begun thinking. Well, he made a good guess about me but do I really need help for what I am? Also, this mare that calls us Thestrals? Who is she? First, I've figured out she made an appearance at New Appleloosa but she also met this DJ PON-3? Maybe I'll bump into her someday? Damn it, I was hoping for answers, not questions. Oh well, gave me something to think about and talk about with Berry. I really don't know which way we should go so we decided just to pick a random direction, and just roll with it! So, into the bloody Wasteland!

C3 - Close Quarters

Night falls as we continued our journey down the dusty road. Berry my side, slowly getting tired, as I kept alert for dangers. We didn't bump into much, luckily, just mostly Bloatsprites and a few ugly rat like creatures. My Pip-Buck said that they were Mole Rates! Well, they aren't very lovely and I really don't want to see more of them any time soon, that's for sure.

However, Berry finally stopped, sighing softly. "Look, Storm. I know you are nocturnal and all but I'm not. So think we can maybe find a safe place to make camp? Not out in the open, mind you. Don't want to attract the attention of raiders, slavers, or anything else for that matter." I looked over to my companion, nodding a little.

"Ye'h. I can agree with ya there. I'll take a look around and see if we can find shelter in any of those buildings." I said softly, curiously going about through the place. We were near some sort of ruins of an old, long abandoned town right now but most of the buildings seems to be caved in or worse. So I thought it might not be the best idea. However, the mayor looking building seems to be intact and we both decided to go right ahead in. I closed the doors behind us though, taking a look around to make sure there aren't any enemies around before continuing onward.

I gently cracked a door in the right corner, peaking into what seems to be a kitchen. There was a body of a pony, rotting and dead looking, on the floor. I blinked a moment, thinking about removing it but then it moved! I watched as it slowly got up onto it's legs, then gently moved it's head to face me, glaring at me with it's dead looking eyes. Then that noise, that screaming noise it made at me after seeing a meal. It was a feral ghoul for sure. Quickly, I readied my combat shotgun and once it dared to jump at it, I went into S.A.T.S. and blasted the thing's head clear off, sending the body backwards onto the oven. Berry took a peak in and quickly caught on. "Feral ghoul... There might be more Storm and with that loud noise, you might've just gotten their attention!" She spoke softly though clearly.

I nodded a little, smiling a bit. "Let them come. Less monsters in this world, I say!" She gulped a little and kept watching behind me now as I kept my ears opened, listening for sounds. She was correct for sure, I heard movements now. Quite a lot of it. Quickly, my head moved over to the other entrance to this kitchen, watching as a ghoul burst the door open, with two behind it. I grinned, making my stand and blasting the them away, their rotted bodies were destroyed easily by my shotgun, though my bullets are only limited. "Berry! Quick, I have an idea. Can you seal off any other possible entrances into this room? That way I can blast all of them away from one entrance!" Once I said that, my head went back toward the door as another ghoul was coming through the doorway, but before it could've taken a step inside, I blasted it away like the others.

Berry went to work fast though, closing the other door as well as the windows then begun boarding them up. She manage to get the table, and a few chairs, up against the other door, holding it closed, and using a combination of plates and other dishes to board up the window. They might be able to easily break through those windows but not smart enough to realize that they can. It wasn't long until they started banging on the door we've boarded up and more came through the other way, which I blasted them away as fast as they've come, grinning a little.

However, I was running low on ammo finally after about the 11th kill. "How many of these Luna damn things are there? It's like a whole..." Then I stopped. "Oh shit. The whole town must be here, literally." I said calmly, groaning a little.

"Yeah... So Storm, what's the plan? We gotta go! You know, find a hiding spot and wait for them to leave!" Berry explained as I nodded, good idea.

"C'mon! We'll go through the opened entrance, since I kinda killed a lot of them from that direction already!" I said softly, taking off through the door, with her following me. We moved into the next room, a dining room, then moved our way back into a hallway. Taking a look down one side, we saw some more ghouls. To the other side was a door. "Berry, open the door and tell me where it goes! I'll keep my eyes on the ghouls just in case they turn to us!" I said softly, keeping my eyes on them as I heard her moving over, opening the door.

"Basement... We might be able to hide down here." She said softly. Okay, good enough! I walked backwards, the ghouls not once did look our way, which I was happy about that, and we made our way down the steps, making sure the door was closed and locked behind us! The basement was a mess but it didn't have any ghouls in it, however there was a wooden door down here, behind a lot of the boxes that were thrown around. I shrugged and opened it myself, taking a look at the other side. It was dark, I notice that, so I turned on my Pip-Buck light for Berry so that we both can see, rather than just me.

Taking a few steps forward, I notice this section of the basement was more like a small cave, going down. I continued following it down all the way down to what looks like a giant wheel-like doors, with the number 27 on them. To my left was a control panel with a few switches. "By Celestia! It's a Stable!" I heard Berry said softly. Okay, that makes sense! Stable! Lovely! Maybe ponies are still alive in it? I've heard about Stable-Tec making these. Never figured out how many of them were made though.

"So... Think we can do a better job going in there then going up above with ghouls? Hey, maybe we can find loot that can help us and possible a place to sleep?" I said softly, looking over at her. She hesitated but sigh softly, nodding a bit.

"As much as I hate to say it but you might be correct. There's a chance that the Stable is just dead. No bad wild experiment or anything. Just dead and disabled." She said but then quickly added. "However, first sign of danger. We are out and we sleep just in the basement, okay?" I nodded a little to that. Sounds reasonable to me.

With the choice set, I went to the control panel, pulling the lever. Then watched as the large door moved away from us, making that loud noise, then spins softly to the side, revealing a surprisingly CLEAN Stable entrance, with a strange round bot floating there. It had three robotic arms expanding out from it, each one ending in a different tool. I recognized it myself actually, and sigh in happiness that it wasn't the combat version of the robot. Then it spoke up! "Greetings Civilians! Welcome to Stable 27! This Stable primary function was to keep the civilians of Hoofsvale alive in case of a megaspell disaster! However, you are 180 years, 162 days, 21 hours, and 14 minutes late to the scheduled time!" I blinked a little and started assuming the worse. What if the people of Hoofsvale never made it to this Stable and we are the first ponies to step inside?

I decided to smile and nod a little. "Why thank you for your welcome. However, I fear that we won't be staying for long. After all, we are just visiting the Stable. Is it alright if we rest here and leave later?" I asked softly, smiling a little.

"Negative. We are programmed to not allow anypony to leave until our Stable's radar sense that it is safe to go up above." The robot replied and I nodded a little. Saw it coming. At least we can rest here but won't be able to properly leave. Might have to take our some poor bots.

"Okay. Well. We need to come in anyways." I said softly, taking a few steps inside with Berry. Once we are in though, the door closed behind us slowly and I sigh.

"Splendid Master and Madam! Shall I now escort you to your room as well as provide you with your Stable 27 rule book and jumpsuits? I am also assuming that you are married together as well, as it seems you are together." We both blushed deeply at that but let the bot continued.

"Yes. That's it!" Berry said softly, winking a bit at me. I'm just going with the flow though I'm am so going to be investigating this place while she sleeps. Hopefully, the bots will be friendly until we are ready to leave.

"Splendid! Splendid! Right this way!" The bot turned around and led us through the Stable's hallways, taking us eventually to a room marked with the number one. The door opened into a nice small living room, with a kitchen and bathroom to our right, and a bedroom to our left. "Now that you are here, I'll be having one of our butlers send in your rule book and jumpsuits. Is there any questions?"

I smiled a little, turning around. "Yes. What is the resident count of this Stable?" I asked, wanting to confirm my theory.

"The current resident count is two now, Sir." The robot replied as I nod a little.

"When was the last time the resident count changed?" I asked, raising a brow.

"The resident count has always been zero, Sir, since the Stable's beginning. You two are our first Stable residents!" I nodded a little and sigh. Letting the robot go now that my theory has been confirmed. Berry gulped a little, looking over to me after realizing what I did.

"So... They never made it to the Stable. Why?" She asked, looking at me. I knew the question wasn't directed at me, but I did thought about it.

"Something must've happened all those years ago to prevent the ponies from reaching this Stable. My guess? Since the Stable is under the mayor's house and building, the mayor have done something to stop the ponies from reaching." I explained my little theory, looking over at her, smiling a little. "Now Berry, I think you should get some rest. You said you were tired way before we gotten into that ghoul mess up above. Right now would be a good to sleep while the robots are on our side." I added, smiling some more as she nodded a little, going into the bedroom of our little apartment in this Stable. Then the door opened as a robot came, putting down a booklet and two sets of jumpsuits before leaving the room, door closing behind it.

Alright then, first things first. Let's read this rulebook! Picking it up, I quickly opened it and started reading through the rules. Most of them are reasonable but when it started explaining the Stable's workings, it started getting interesting. Apparently, this Stable was primarily suppose to be worked by robots, ever the Overmare is a robot. They'll clean and maintain the Stable as well as help it's resident, supplying fresh food and water to them, made by the Stable's purifier and orchard. I see this as a good idea on paper, bad idea in practice. If the residents truly did made it into this Stable, things probably would've went bad. However, since they didn't, the robots were left with just keeping the place clean.

However, I was happy to read that I didn't need to wear my jumpsuit 24/7 while in the Stable. That's good since I didn't felt like changing outfits at all! Also, the robots won't bother ponies in their rooms. Again, good thing since that means Berry can sleep peacefully while I do my own investigation. So after getting some sort of idea of this place, I went ahead and put the booklet down then got up, walking out the door and curiously looking around. I'm in the apartment section of the Stable and wanted to, personally, check out the Overmare Office.

Silently, I walked down the hallway back to the stairway, moving my way up toward the public section of the Stable. There was a bar, a games room (darts, a pool table, that sort), and a few other places. Curiously though, I decided to go ahead and check out the bar. This will probably be my only time in my life that I'll be able to freely go to a bar and first time. Walking up to the counter and taking a seat, I gave the bartender robot a smile. "Ah, Greetings Sir! What may I get you today?" I smiled a little, thinking about it. Looking at the options above but a question did came to me.

"Firstly, how is your drinks made?" I asked curiously, wondering. The booklet never did mention how the drinks were made for this, just the water and food.

"Ah. That's pretty simple Sir! The finest fruits and veggies grown in the orchard under the sunlight ceiling lamps are picked out just for our beverages. We mixed them nicely with the other required ingredients and make a variety of drinks! Now Sir, any you are interested in?" He finished explaining as I smiled a little. I took a look at the list now, thinking about it for a moment then finally making a decision.

"Wine, please." I said softly. I knew wine was made from grapes and I kinda do have a liking for grapes so really did wanted to try some wine. I smiled as the robot pulled out a glass, setting it in front of me, and pour a glass of it. Softly, I drunk it and rather liked it quite a lot, smiling a little to myself. "Wow. This is actually really really good. Better than I expected! Pour me some more of this you fine robotic bartender!" I said out loud, happily. I felt a rather sudden rush of happiness from drinking this and damn it, I kinda wanted more.

Honestly, I have no idea how long I spent there! I kept drinking one glass after another, eventually my vision begun blurring and my head was spinning. Finally, the robot refused to give me anymore. "I'm sorry Sir, it seems you have drunk enough glasses of alcohol that you are allowed to have this week." I wasn't very happy.

"Luna fuck ya robotic assss... With her... *hic* longgggg Princessery horn! If... *hic* I want more, by Luna I should get more!" I blurred out from my lips, slamming my hoof onto the counter in front.

"Sir, I am now signaling security to bring you back to your room. I hope you have a fine day!" It softly replied, ignoring my drunken anger, which only caused me to slam harder onto the counter.

"Fuck your *hic* securita's laws mate! This shit is pretty dang fucking amazingly *hic* good!" I yelled out again but then felt myself being picked up by a rather much larger robot. Looking up, this one was obviously built to pick up ponies and take them away. "Oh... Hiya there!" I said happily to it now, my mood changing quickly then quickly I looked over to the bartender as I was carried. "I'll be...*hic* back!"

Next thing I knew, I was back in my room, screaming wildly at the flower pot. "You... Filthy *hic* plant! Think ya sooo reallll... I know ya fake, ya Mr. Faker fakerson! I know wha' a *hic* flower smells like, ya know? Can't fool me'h!" And then I kicked it off the table. My yelling must've woke up Berry cause she came out of her room pretty quickly, looking wide eye at me. I took one look at her and smiled. "Wellll... Hey there Mrs. Sexy *hic* Mare of mine..." I blurted out to her.

She blinked a few moments before finally asked. "Are you alright?" I nodded happily, gently stumbling a little walking by her, wrapping a forehoof around her.

"Oh my... *hic* I'm fantastic! I tried some of the... *hic* wine here in this Stable and it was the *hic* most delicious shit I've ever had mate! By Luna's shitting stars, I feel *hic* great and sooo want more!" I said softly, smiling greatly at her as she frowns a little. "Aww... Wha's wrong mate? *hic*"

"Well. You're drunk, that's what is wrong. You should maybe, I don't know, rest? I'll see if I can get another room because I really don't want to deal with you while you are like this." She said softly, looking down gently as I blinked a few times.

"Aww... C'mon mate! So wha'... I',m *hic* drunk! Not like I'll do somethin' ba-*hic* bad..." I said softly, hugging her closely, smiling as I rather enjoy her warmth, she was pushing me away a little though.

"It's just... I rather not okay. Leave it there?" I said softly, looking at me. Oh, I know what's going on and with my drunk mind, I'm not quitting until I get her to spray it!

"Oh oh oh... Did *hic* somethin' happened before? *hic* or do you just not like... Um... *hic* alcohol?" I said softly, not letting her go as she seem desperate to go.

"No... Just let me go, I'm not talking about it!" She said softly, trying to push me away but I still wouldn't give up.

"Awww.... But I *hic* really want to know about my *hic* amazin'.. Friend. I mean *hic* if there's somethin' *hic* bad, I should know. Right?" I started rubbing my head a little now and finally, she pushed me away, growling a little under her breathe.

"I'm sorry Storm but NO means NO. Now I'm going to see if I can use another room for the night, do NOT follow me!" She said, growling a little under her breathe as she walked over to the door, it opening. However, we were both surprised to see another pony on the other side, this one seems to be wearing some heavy duty grey armor, covering up his (her?) body. It was power armor, my guess, but I was too drunk to really notice.

She may be the one backing up, but I just gladly walked over to the new one. "Oh hey there Mr... Shiny pants *hic*. Must be such a strong pony to be wearing *hic* all that armor, strong and sexy... Mmm.. Am I rig't? *hic*" I said gently, rubbing a hoof against the pony's chest playfully. Berry knew that I was drunk and didn't bother much but she did have a worried look on it. However, the pony just looked at me as I looked back up at it. "Oh... Not much... Um.. Of a ta-*hic* talker?" I said happily, spreading my wings softly.

It was silence after a few moments then the pony, male, finally spoke up. "Yes." I nodded a little, smiling a bit but before I could say anything he added. "Do you live in this Stable?" I felt like I should answer this but then again, me being drunk might not be the best idea.

"Well... No. *Hic* but damn I so want! Have ya'z tried the shit they have at the bar *hic* here?" I said softly, smiling a little up the armored stallion, grinning a little.

"No and I would recommend not, especially after what we've read in the Overmare Office." We? Oh hey, he's speaking more words! I kinda just sat back though onto the chair now, my head starting to hurt. Berry decided to pick it up from there.

"What do you mean by that? It's just alcohol, right?" She asked as the armored stallion shook his head. "Oh. Something else?" He nodded a little.

"Food, water, and alcohol are made differently to cause an effect on the consumer's brain. It makes them want the strangest of things, especially the want to forever live in a Stable." Oh my. "It's suppose to also be really tasty to make work that much better. I've been sent here, with few of my brothers and sisters, to take control of this Stable and collect the technologies within. Wasn't expecting ponies to be in this Stable." Well that explains my love for this shit!

"Well... Then. *hic* So it tasted fucking wonderful for a... Um. *hic* um..." I blinked a few times then finally finished my sentence. "Reason! Ye'h!" I clapped my hooves in happiness after figuring it out on my own!

Berry ignored me there but frowns a little. "Well. I guess Storm here must've tried it and kept having more because of the taste of it. Explains why he is so drunk right now." She explains, the other pony nodded. I just sat there, looking up at the ceiling fan, moving round and round. "Well. Did it say how long the effect last if they have only some of it?" She finally asked curiously, hoping for a good answer.

"Only a day. They didn't need it any longer since ponies usually eat daily." Well duh! My head started hurting now from watching the fan so I looked at the flower on the floor again, blinking and growling a little at it.

"Thank you for finding that out for us and we'll happily stay out of your way. We only came here because the ghouls above kinda trapped us down here and we needed a place to rest." Berry explained as the other nodded, agreeing with it actually. "You don't sound pretty rude like the other Steel Rangers I've heard though, why is that?" She asked after a few seconds, I think she was curious.

"I don't necessary agree with the Steel Rangers, let's just leave it at that." He said softly as she nodded a little. My head still spinning.

"Oh... Heyyyy! Doubles!" I blurted out and chuckled softly but stopped. "Anyways-zeeessss. Kinda sounded like me'h almost *hic* man. Back before the.. Um shit. Megaspells! I never agreed with the *hic* ponies I worked for!" I said out loud, grinning a little. That really caught his attention, making walk a little more into the room, staring down at me.

"What is your name?" He asked me, simple as that.

"Um... Storm... Well. Midnight Storm was my name *hic* my parents gave me but.. *hic* I changed it to um. Shit, I know this!" I said softly, hitting my forehead a few times. "Storm Lightning Bolt! Ye'h!" I said out loud happily.

"What was your name in the field?" He rephrased his question. Oh that name! I growled a little at that question though and the moment he finished saying it, I flipped the table in anger onto the plant pot on the floor!

"NOOO SIRRR REEEE! I don't want to... Um *hic* speaksth or hearsth that name EVER again!" I yelled loudly, getting onto my hooves, then looking down at the table. "Oh. Hey. Who flipped the table?" I asked afterwards.

My question was ignored though, oh well. Maybe I'll never figure out that mystery? "Understood." Was all he said though to my reaction. Some odd reason, I think he understands why.

Berry spoke up after that though, something was on her mind. I can feel it. I hope it was me cause holy hay, she has a better flank than Luna! Or was that the alcohol thinking? "Well. I apologize for him being drunk and all Mr...?"  She started to say, waiting for him to finish. Oh yeah, we never got his name!

"Star Paladin Steelhooves." He finished for her, as I smiled softly.

"Well. Thanks Steelhooves for the information. I'll be going to another room and finish sleeping. You and the rest of you Steel Rangers will leave us alone, right?" She asked as he nodded to her question. I was just spinning my head around again, thinking for a moment. Then a thought came to my head!

"Oh! Mr. Star Paladin Sir!" I begun. "Mind if I *hic* ask for help?" I asked at first, he was looking at me. Just looking. Can't really tell what emotion he was having under that helmet though. "Um. You see Sir. Sometime *hic* soon, I not know when but *hic* I'm gonna be hunted down by these Enclave ponies and *hic* well. Was wondering, where do you Steel Rangers hide out at?" I finally asked, wanting to know this. Berry was worried a little about this though, I can see it on her face.

"What are you planning?" He asked deeply, and straightly. Like this whole time.

"Umm. They'll track me *hic* by... My... Pip-Buck! Ya know mate, the one in this fancy... Um. *hic* Suit of mine? So maybe hiding *hic* out in wit' ya ponies can provide some protection?" I smiled greatly at him, mumbling a little though.

"I see. Just be warned, you'll be shot if caught. Especially since you are wearing that suit. However, I know about the threat of the Enclave and us Steel Rangers had fights with them before. So I'll upload one location of ours to your Pip-Buck." He explained as I smiled, he took out a wire and connected it to my Pip-Buck from his suit, uploading a new location onto my map. Woohoo!

Berry looked surprised then quickly asked. "Sir, why are you doing this? I mean, you'll basically setting up your own faction to be attacked!" She said softly, curiously watching him.

"Like I said, I don't necessary agree with the Steel Rangers. Maybe a surprise attack from one of our most dangerous enemies will straighten them up." With that, he walked out of the room and away. I just laid down on the couch, sighing deeply. Berry looked at me, rolling her eyes and left as well, to the next room I'm assuming. My body just felt too wasted and wrong right now to move finally, so I closed my eyes. Softly falling into a deep sleep.

I had no dreams that night though, mostly due to my drunken state, so I basically woke up the next morning with a raging headache, rubbing my head softly. "Well. Not going to do that anymore!" I said softly, groaning a little then I heard her voice.

"Ye'h. That's what he said." I blinked a little, looking over to Berry as she sigh. "Sorry. I didn't want to say it last night while you were like that but the truth is. My father was an alcoholic addict. He have gotten drunk almost every night, and caused torment to both me and my mother in his drunk rampages." I frowned a little. That's a bugger. I just reminded her of her abusive father last night! I think that counts as abusive, at least. She smiled a little though, looking at me. "Just let me know when you drink though, okay?" I nodded a little, smiling but then groaned once again, rubbing my head. "It's gonna hurt for a while." She added as I sigh.

After a few moments though, I did finally got up onto my hooves. "I can't remember much last night honestly but hey, I am kinda happy to experience that. Never had alcohol before." I softly explained. "Always wanted to try specifically wine." She nodded a little but sigh afterwords. "Anyways, maybe we should get going? I do remember something about Steel Rangers being here!"

"Oh they left last night. They ravaged the place, destroyed the robots, and all. Got what they wanted." I nodded a little, smiling a bit. "Oh and they've killed all the ghouls so it's save to go now!" That's the news I was really hoping for!

"That's great to hear! I guess we should be going then!" I said happily, starting to walk out, with her behind me. Then she spoke up again.

"By the way, you told me I was a Mrs. Sexy Mare and then even mention Steelhooves as being strong and sexy. Care to explain?" She asked, as I blushed a little. Woops. Let that slip!

"Um. I'm kinda attracted to both stallions and mares. So not surprise I flirted with him and you." I softly answered, blushing deeper as I said it and we continued walking, heading out the Stable's door now. She nodded a little but sigh, looking away a bit as we walked up the stairs of the place. "One moment, I want to go into the mayor's personal bedroom and figure out what happened to the ponies here!" I said softly, heading up another set of stairs to, having an idea where the master bedroom be. I was correct, and found both a terminal and safe in the room.

I smiled a little and took a seat onto the chair in front of the terminal, pushing away the skeleton. Luckily, I was already signed in. I looked at the skeleton, and thought that she might've died while on the terminal. Going through the few log posts that weren't corrupted, I caught onto what has happened and put the pieces together, groaning a little as Berry looked at me curiously, raising a brow. "Basically, the mayor believed that they all deserved to die so she locked the doors. She kept going on in the last few posts about this crazy religion of hers about some sort of star creatures, not Luna mind you, and that it was time for the pony era to end." I explained softly, sighing a bit as Berry folded her ears.

"That's rather crazy of her to believe." She said, looking around the room as I clicked on the open safe button, smiling as I do so. Once it was open, I took a look into it and found a rather impressive looking 12.7mm pistol. It had a gilded trim in the wooden barrel of it, with the name 'The Jackson' on it. There was also 14 bullets for it. I took the Jackson pistol and bullets, adding them to my collection. Then I notice a small statuette of an orange blonde pony bucking, with the words 'Be Strong' on the base. I recognized her as Applejack, one of the Ministry Mares. There was also a note with it, which I decided to read it.

I know this isn't the real deal but we made it as close as possible to the real deal. Hope you enjoy it! We all know how much love her and her ministry!

~Love, ya Uncle!

I gotta say, it was a pretty good fake and honestly, I liked it a lot. Can't help but think about those words. Be Strong. I added it to my bag as well then got up and away from the safe. The rest was just papers and pre-war bits. Nothing majorly useful. I looked over to Berry and nodded my head. "Let's get going." I said softly and we headed out, leaving the town behind. Enclave hadn't contacted me yet and looking at the new location, it will be some time until we get there. It's all the way by Fillydelphia, way far down south.

C4 - Road to Fillydelphia

"I really hate you right now, you know that, right?" I said, clenching my teeth as I looked at my companion, she laughing at me. We bumped into a small nest of Bloatsprites and she suggested that, since I can't use magic with my horn, that I could use my horn as a weapon to quickly take them all out. Now I got a bunch of Bloatsprite meat stuck on my horn and she is refusing to clean it off. "Seriously, clean it off."

"Oh but it looks lovely on you, and it hides that ugly horn of yours pretty well!" I rolled my eyes at that comment, stomping my hoof upon the ground now. "Okay! Fine!" She sigh, chuckling a bit, as her horn glowed in magic, cleaning off my horn finally and throwing the dead buggers onto the ground as we walk.

"Thank you, finally." I muttered a little, barely loud enough for her to hear. She was chuckling softly though, finding this amusing apparently. "Anyways, we have a long road ahead of us Berry, so hopefully, we can get there in time before you know what comes after my flank. I really don't want to work for the flying fuckers. Do you have enough food and water for at least part of the trip? We might be able find something to loot, hopefully a raider's camp." I explained softly, looking at her curiously as the wind gently blow against us, causing her mane to gent sway in a rather lovely motion.

She blinked a little, turning her to head to then quickly back to her bags, going through her stuff. "Yeah. I have plenty for a good bit of time actually, and remind me when we can. We'll have to take a look at you and see why you don't need to eat anymore. Something's not right about that." I shrugged a little. I'm assuming maybe it's because I'm related to a ghoul so don't really care for the answer myself.

As we continued our route, we stumbled upon a small shack, hidden away behind a small handful of dead trees, near the bottom of a mountain actually. Curiously, I decided to go ahead and walk up to the shack, knocking on the door to see if anypony would answer. None came.  I shrugged and gently push open the door, taking a look inside and mumble a little to myself as I've seen a pretty empty shack, saved a door to another room, a bed, and one set of shelves. I went ahead in and walked right up to the shelf, taking a look what's on it. Really, there's a lot of scrap metal, cans, and other useless items laying around. However, two caught my attention. One looked like a small police box from pre-war times and as I took a closer look at it, it was made out of wooden. Somepony probably found them very interesting and carved a replica at some point in time, then was left here. Next to it was a blue box, though the pages were completely burnt out. From the looks of it, not from balefire.

While I was flipping through the burnt pages, trying to find one readable, I heard Berry screamed out and quickly, I turned around seeing her, at the other door now open, staring at a small round object, hanging there. It had some sort of like eye-stalk sticking out the front and seems to be made out of metal, rusted though. "Hey, I think it's just a old rusted helmet! Nothing to be scared of mate!" I said to her, smiling gently as I walked over by her, poking the hanging helmet.

"Well... It just scared me. Why is it hanging there? To scared ponies away! Plus that little stalk thing. Looks like it's just staring into my soul!" I chuckle softly as she explain her fear of the thing and I decided to take it down, putting it onto the bed frame in the room.

"No biggy. It's out of the way now though." I said softly, poking my head into the other room of the shack now, taking a look around and noticing that the room is fully empty but there's a trap door in the middle. Well, at least I think it is. With my perception, I can easily see a possible handle and the outline of the door. Curiously, I pulled it up, and was greeted with a door being opened. Smiling at my victory guess, I took a look down the ladder, seeing that it leads into a hidden basement. "Well mate, maybe you were correct?"

"Really? What's down there? I can't tell." Berry asked, looking down as well though it is pretty dark for her.

"I don't know for sure but I do see some storage boxes and shelves, so something is down here for sure!" I said gently, climbing down the ladder now and jumping onto the floor below, turning on my lamp for Berry as she comes down. "A lot of boxes." I muttered, looking around at the place. After checking through ten boxes, I stopped because all of them was filled with a lot of scrap metal, electronics, and the sort. So instead, I walked over to the workbench in the room, taking a look at the strange object on it. It's a stick of some sort with some sort of gem on it. I recognized the gem as a talisman though, bigger than the usual ones I've seen before. However, I have no idea what it is for. It's a strange dark olive color. Then again, it's probably that color cause it looks like it is off.

Looking to the side though, was a piece of paper. Picking it up, it seem to have a picture of this object, or well of what it is in parts and such. Most of the small words all around the piece as well as below it as been badly scratched at, as it seems the paper went through a lot in the years. However, the big words at the top caught my attention. 'Ponymade Sonic Screwdriver Prototype'. I blinked a few times, reading those words. So this is the thing on the workbench? A prototype though so I highly doubt it'll work. What caught my attention the most is 'Ponymade'. Does this mean that a whole another specie made these things before? Also, what does it even do? Curiously, I picked it, shaking a little, mumbling a little. However, I did notice a little switch the side so I held it down, watching as the dark olive gem glow in a bright, more greenish, color and made a buzzing noise; but that's it. "What is Luna's great flank does this thing suppose to bloody do?" I asked, waving the thing around and seeing no effect.

"Maybe you should keep it? Who knows, we'll probably figured it out?" Berry suggested as I shook my head a little, still waving it around, waiting for an effect.

"Honestly, no. I don't see any purpose of this. I mean, all it does is glow and make a buzzing noise. What good does that do?" I said softly, looking at her as she seem to give me two begging eyes. Shit. I hate saying no to eyes like that. "Argh. Fine. We'll keep it but it'll be in your backpack. I don't want the thing buzzing on me while trying to sneak up on an enemy!" She smiled happily and immediately took it from my hooves, adding it to her bag, while I rolled my eyes.

"Let's get bloody going." i mumbled as I climbed up the ladder, with her right behind me. Once we left the shack, I decided to follow down south, by the mountains. At firstly, I honestly couldn't tell where we are as this is my first time really following a map of Equestria but as I start taking a closer look at the mountains, I mumbled something beneath my breathe, sighing and looking down the ground.

Berry caught on and gently walked up to my side, looking at me curiously. "Something's a matter?" She asked as I just stopped, setting down right there, looking up into the sky, cursing softly to myself as she watched, her right ear perking up. She knows something is up, she sees it on my face. My expression. She sees it clearly as daylight.

"Argh. If you must know, I just realize that my original home, that colony, is nearby. It's in these mountains." I said gently, looking at her then back at the mountains, thinking. Been so long.

When I turned my head back at her, I caught her smiling. Raising an eyebrow, she finally explained. "Then let's go check it! I mean, I'm kinda curious to see where you've came from. Aren't you?" I sigh a little after hearing, growling a little at the idea. "C'mon Storm! Who knows, maybe more of your kind is still alive? Maybe they have a Stable?" I growled more, not liking this idea. "Please?" She ended, once again using those eyes. I really hate her for using those eyes on me again about this.

"Fine." I said under my breathe. "Let's go check out the caves, see what happened, and then get back to our route. Happy now?" I added, looking at her with only one eye as she nodded, smiling happily.

Getting up to the cave entrance wasn't too hard since it wasn't that high up, plus the only wildlife we bumped into was some mutated bull-like creature and mole rats. Was kinda happy about that and a bit surprise. Though I would be having some sort of problem getting up here but once I was up here, there was a problem. The entrance of the cave was gated by some sort of homemade wooden fence, similar to the raider outpost. I growled a little, loading my shotguns now. Time to do some good old fashion shot 'em up instead of beating wildlife to death.

I opened up the front gate, looking to my sides and seeing heads of a variety things on spikes, some are ponies but mostly wildlife. These raiders must not get many ponies, which is understandable. Walking down the path, I turned on my light and looked around, keeping my eyes out for any raiders yet none so far, surprisingly. As I continued walking both the path, going through the guard section of the colony finally, I notice a lot of paths as been blocked off by rocks, ceiling must've collapsed at some point in time. Then again, somepony might've blown the ceiling down too to make this place less of a maze.

Finally though, I've found two raiders moving their way toward me though looks like they were leaving, probably going out hunting. The two are only wielding machetes though. The left one was an earth pony mare while the right one was an unicorn stallion as well. However, instead of normal raider armor I'm use to. Their armor is made out of a Stable 39 jumpsuit with additions to. I guess that the bat ponies here did got a Stable and the bastards raided it at some point in time. The moment they saw me though, they instantly begun rushing at me, just like the raiders before. Do these ponies even think before they act?

Taking my stand, I used my lovely S.A.T.S. once again with my combat shotgun on my side, blasting away once the mare was close enough, however the stallion manage to move to side tackled me, using his magic to thrust his machete down at me, but I was able to jerk my head just in time, kicking him in the crotch, getting him off of me as I quickly readied my gun once again, shooting him down before would be able to tackle once again. Two dead, probably many to go!

Loading shots into my combat shotgun, I moved ahead as Berry stayed a safe distance away, watching. She wasn't a fighter for sure and I'm glad she is staying her distance. As we moved down through the paths, I've noticed more and more lovely raider decoration every, the sound of dripping blood making my shiver a little as we move. Eventually, we found the door to Stable 39, though it was open already, stuck open specifically. It seems the raiders packed a lot of things to keep it from closing. Three raiders specifically are at the entrance, one was looking outside of the Stable, and upon seeing me, he whistled the others, both mares, then charged me. All of them seems to be using machetes, which is strange. Don't any of them have guns of some sort?

I quickly let out the remainder bullets in my combat shotgun into the stallion, accidentally though. Forgot that I didn't had that many bullets left due to the ghouls. So instead, I switch to the Jackson pistol that I had collected from that town, shooting down a mare before she was able to cut my head off in the head three times, then she was down. The other mare manage to get her machete into my chest and was about to pull it off before I tilted my head a little, shooting her in her left eye, then right eye. She went down then but the machete stayed in me as I growled in pain.

Berry quickly got to my side, kneeling down to look at it as I kept my eyes on the door, making sure no more comes out. She slowly took out the machete and I felt my heartbeat pick up a little as I bleed out but it slowed back down once she was able to get her bandage tied around my neck, being held against my chest. "Those machete can go deep! Need to be careful!" She said, sighing softly as I nod. I was still growling in pain though cause damn it hurts a lot more than bullets.

Holding the pistol, keeping it out and loaded. I moved into the Stable now, noticing it is in a very bad broken down state, walls rusted and all. I sigh a little, just looking around the place. I did notice that Luna's mark is sprayed in quite a lot of places, or at least use to be Luna's mark. After many years, it was worn away and looks very awkward now. Most of the doors seem to be non-operational, so we couldn't do too much exploring. I also found a few more raiders, though one at a time. Was able to easily take them down just fine though simply because it was one at a time.

However, moving into the next room was probably a big mistake on my part. Upon entering, I was in the eating hall of the Stable with the Overmare window's up above, and everypony's eyes in the room was set upon me and Berry. I gulped a little, taking a few steps back. There was easily twenty five, probably more, raiders in here, sitting at a variety of tables. All earth ponies and unicorns too. I assumed they were all enjoying their meal until I came in. Most of them looked surprise  though and didn't do anything but a few almost instantly got up, growling a little as they pulled out their machetes from their sides with either mouth or magic.

It only took a split second for the rest to catch on and get up, also moving in now as me and Berry just backed up. They weren't charging like the others did though, I think they really want to have messing with us, since there is no way I can defend from all of them. Especially with my low ammo that I have. However, a noise came from the Overmare's Office, catching everypony's attention and I heard a voice. It sounded deep and bad, like the pony's voice box has rotten away. I already took a guess it might be a ghoul then. "Stand your ground." Were the words. The ponies in the room stopped, backing up a bit but keeping their machetes out.

Then, the door on the far end opened. I'm assuming this door led up into the security's chambers, which from there you can get to Overmare's Office. I'm assuming. Every Stable is probably not the same. The pony who came out of the door was a stallion and ghoul, so I was correct in that aspect. However, I didn't expect him to have a pair of rotting leather wings. His coat, I assumed, was a dark purple color. He no longer have hair for sure but he was wearing a Stable 39 security helmet upon his head, though with added spikes on it. His eyes was glowing a bright blue color.

Slowly, he walked over toward us until finally he was right before us. He was a little taller than me but not by much. Berry was hiding behind me, ducking her head down a little, however he paid no attention to her. His eyes was completely on me. "Well then." He started saying. "It's been a long time. I never expected to see you again, Midnight Storm." I blinked a little. Was he a bat pony from the colony back in the day? What happened? Damn it! Is he even mad at me? I gulped a little.

"I apologize if I don't recognize you but please, go ahead, and tell me. Who are you again?" I asked softly, smiling a little at him as he nodded a little.

"I am not surprise Midnight, due to my rotting form. Name's Night Wing. I was a guard back in the day when we both lived in the colony. Actually, I knew your mother very well." He said softly then added. "She was very upset after you left. Blamed it on herself actually." I didn't believe it honestly.

"I can't believe you on that honestly. My mother never cared much for me. Always disappointed in me. Always sad about what I do." I said, taking a look up at him and nodded a little. He clenched his teeth a little upon that comment.

"She was never disappointed in you. She was disappointed in herself." I raise an eyebrow at that, waiting for him to continue and explain. He caught on. "Hmmm... Do you know much about your father?" He asked though instead of explaining.

I rolled my eyes a little. "That I only spent like five years with him, that he loved me greatly, and that he was taken away because he was a changeling. So what?" However, he shook his head.

"He wasn't your father. Changelings can't sexual reproduce. However, you are correct about a few things of that pony. He did loved you greatly, he was a changeling, and he did thought he was your father. However, that was incorrect." He explained softly. I'm not really buying it honestly. "I could tell you the truth though but I feel you won't believe it from me. However, your mother did wrote a letter to you sometime after you gone. She told me that if she ever passes away, I should give it to you, if you ever returned. I kept it ever since, despite the fact that you would be most likely dead." He explained as I looked at him. I don't believe him so far myself. What about my horn? If I didn't got that from my father, who he is saying isn't a changeling, then how else did I got it?

"I want to see this letter." Was my only words though. I really want to see this so called proof. I know my mother's hoofwriting and I would know if she is telling the truth.

"Right. This way." He said softly, turning around and heading back toward the door. We both followed him, though really it was me following him and Berry following me. He led us up into the Overmare's Office, going behind the main desk and opens a drawer. He pulls out a piece of paper and a memory orb. "While the unicorns were here, building this Stable. I asked them to store a memory of mine in here." Then looks at my horn. "Seeing that you somehow grew a horn of some sort, I'm assuming you might be able to access it. I recommend doing so if you still don't believe the letter." I blinked a little and kinda forgot about that trick. "Here." I gently place the letter onto the desk, closer to me. I picked it up and begun reading it:

Dear Son,

If you are reading this then it means that either Night Wing passed away and somepony went through his stuff or that you are my son. If you are not my son, please pass this on to my son, Midnight Storm, if he is still alive. If you are my son, then please believe me when I say this. Your father was never the stallion you lived with during your first five years. You see, sometime before I was pregnant with you. I was having an affair with, hopefully, the same guard stallion that you are nearby right now; Night Wing.

I really don't know what happened but I grew apart from that other stallion, and kinda glad I did once we've figured out that he was a changeling. However, I still shouldn't have cheated on him as not only I did I betrayed him, I also betrayed myself, my oath, and Princess Luna. I just couldn't help myself on that first night when I saw him. He was walking door to door, investigating missing objects, and just one thing led to another.

And I want to say that I am sorry that I never told you this before son. I should have done when you were old enough but instead, I didn't. I let my own shame got the better of me. Seeing you grew up all those years just sadden me, made me feel bad about myself for what I've done. I believe that, part of the reason why you left, was because of me. If I just told you the truth, let that shame out. You would probably understand why I felt the way I felt. I do love you, miss you so much. I was so proud when you've gotten your cutie mark, ya know. So proud that you were different. That you were so you and you didn't cared about the others' words. I should've done something back then to help you get through all the trouble you went through...

Son, if you ever find a reason to forgive me. Please do so. I know I don't deserve it for the wrong I've done but losing you like I did was just the worse thing that ever happened to me. All I want now is your forgiveness, and to see you once again.

Love, your mother.

I was tearing up reading it. That was my mother's hoofwriting for sure and I really really want to believe it so much right now. But the horn on my head? I don't understand. Don't understand at all. I sigh softly, looking up at Night Wing. "I'm assuming that memory orb houses the memory of you meeting her for the first time?" He nodded softly. "Why did you put it into a memory orb?"

"To relive it." He said softly. "I know you won't be able to do it how I can but memories are still like dreams. As a bat pony, we can still access memory orbs through an alternate route using our own magic. However, you were never good using your own inherent magic. But, with that horn, you have a shortcut. Unicorns can easily access them with a simple small magical spark, unlike us. We need to focus on the orb, connect our mind to it like we do with a lot of our magics." I nodded a little. "So... Do you want to view it? Or shall we start the Q and A finally? I got so many questions to ask you, and I know you have many for me."

I  nodded a little. I do have a lot of questions for him. Like how he became a ghoul. The fate of my home. But I want to see this first, I want to see if it is true. "I'm gonna use your memory orb first though." He nodded a little. "Berry, just sit tight." I said, looking at her. "You can chat with him if you want. You said you were curious about me and my home after all." I added. I knew the basic of memory orbs, having heard about during the war. Sighing a bit, I held the orb up to my horn, focusing my mind on generating a telekinesis spark, just one. The moment it came, everything just seem to swirl away.

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My eyes were opened once again, I was walking through the streets of the resident section of my own, though back when it was 'normal'. It was different and some old ponies I remembered while living here I've noticed walking about but much younger. I felt some sort of suit of armor on me, felt stronger too. Not surprise. Night Wing is probably much stronger than me. He was walking up to a familiar home, the home which I grew up in actually. Knocking on the front door, it opened and there was a younger version of my mother.

I don't know if it was me thinking or me gaining his thoughts but damn she was beautiful. I felt my, his, heartbeat picked up as I looked over her. "Oh. Investigating the missing objects guard?" I felt myself nodding to her question.

"Yes M'am. Rumors traveling that fast?" She nodded a little as she opened up the door a little.

"Well. Come right in then. My husband is out and I was just making some tea for myself. I'll put a little extra in for you." I felt myself nodding as I walked in, looking around the place, then taking a seat. After a few minutes, she came back holding a tray and pouring some tea for herself and me (him). I took a sip and it was a rather sweet and amazing taste actually! Or was that me experiencing his taste buds? "So what kind of questions do you have Sir?" My mother finally asked, after sitting down.

"Oh." I felt myself saying. "Well, mind if I ask first. How do you learn to make this?" He smiled, holding up the cup of tea between his hooves as she smiled.

"Oh. It's a family recipe. Passed down from my mother and onward. It's a secret though!" She winked, smiling softly as I felt my eyes, slowly moving down her body but then back up at her face.

"Ah. That's respectable M'am. Right. Down to business now." He said softly then quickly went on. "So, have you seen any suspicious activity as of late?" She shook her head.

"No Sir. Everything seems to be the same as it always have been." She answered softly.

He nodded. "Hm. Well, once again, gotta skip a hoofful of questions. Right. Are you missing an objects?" She shook her head. "That's good, then he, or she, hadn't hit here, yet." I added, I mean he added. I really need to make up my mind on this! These memory orbs are a pain to go through like this! I love just having the memory slammed into my head!

"Anymore Sir?" She asked afterwords as he sigh softly.

"No M'am. If you hadn't seen anything suspicious and everything is fine. There is no possible way you would have any information that can help us." He said to my mother as he sat there, holding the tea.

"Oh. Well I guess you'll have to be going then? I'm sorry I can't be of any help." She replied, taking a sip of her drink as she looked over to the door once, sighing softly.

"Yes. I guess so." Was his words as he sat his tea down and gotten up, moving over to the door. She came over as well.

"Well. Goodbye and good luck! Oh, silly me. What's your name Sir? So, just in case if I get information, I know who to talk to." My mother said, gently opening the door for him.

"Night Wing M'am." He said softly, taking his steps out the door, then turning his head. "M'am, thank you for the tea." He stopped for a moment. He was thinking about her, ignoring about the whole husband ordeal even, then finally taking the courage to say. "M'am, you think you'll be alright if I take you out later tonight after my shift?"

She blushed almost instantly after hearing that. "I don't know... I mean, I'm married but." She trailed off, thinking about. I can tell, that look on her face, then finally. "Sure! Just a harmless date wouldn't hurt and he'll be busy anyways today. I heard his boss has him working on a special project."

We both smiled; my, I mean his, heart was rushing. However, before either one could speak up, the world spiraled out once again.

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I opened up my real eyes, still sitting in my spot, seeing that Night Wing and Berry seem to be talking, or were, until Night Wing looked over to me, noticing I am up. "It was a great time. Hearing your mother accepting my offer. First ever time I felt my heart rush." He said softly as I nodded. It was a great feeling. "So do you believe the letter?" He asked after a few moments of silence.

"Yes. Though it contradicts my horn here." I said softly, putting a hoof on my chin, thinking on a moment. "Anyways... I need to ask. What happened? As a whole I mean. To my home, to you. To my mother." I said softly, wanting those answered now.

He smiled a little, looking out the window for a moment. "It's been so long but I'll tell you what I do remember. During the war, we kept to ourselves most of the time until the Equestrian Army came in. They took a lot of our kind, forcing us to go out to war for them. Mostly as Scouts but kept each one to an individual post. So we really have no idea what happened to one another. At least that what they said. They didn't took me though but that is what they said to the ones they did took." I blinked a little. So I wasn't the only bat pony out there fighting? Shit. "After sometime, Stable-Tec started their Stable project and a whole group of unicorns moved into the colony, working on this Stable. This Stable specifically being made for us. When the megaspells did came, we all retreated inside just as planned. The door shutting behind us. However, we didn't knew about the experiments that Stable-Tec was doing..." I clenched my teeth a little. I may have only been in one other Stable but it kinda did have it's own experiment going on. I'm not surprise hearing about this. "Our Stable was primarily built to put bat ponies into a permanent dream state. Putting us into a computerized dream that is hooked up to the main computer hidden in the Stable. We were told to go to our personal bedrooms and sleep. Once asleep, we'll 'wake up' in this dream, thinking it was real." I nodded a little.

"However, what Stable-Tec didn't realize is that some bat ponies is very hard to trick with fake dreams. Some of us caught on and through a series of events, we took down the fake dream. Waking everypony up. However, doing so destroyed the main computer, shutting the Stable as a whole down. After that, it wasn't long until the Stable's reactors all broke, radiation filling the place. A lot of us died from radiation, some of us became ghouls. I'm the only one whom became a sane ghoul... I had to kill the others, as they later started attacking visitors that came along." I frowned a little, hearing the story.

"My mother?" I asked, tearing up a little, ears folding down.

"She was a feral, sadly to say. She didn't die as I was hoping." My tears started flowing for sure now, blurring my vision. "I am sorry to tell you that. However, since then, I've been having visitors come to this Stable. They were all pretty insane and crazy. Almost killed me but I was able to escape and hide. When they went asleep though, I did what a bat pony does best. Entered their dream, just like our Princess Luna once did. I thought maybe I could try being her, try entering their dream and help them. Get them to be better than what they are. However, their dreams... I'm not gonna talk about them. At most, I got them to believe I was some sort of god-like creature because they were freaking out from seeing me in their dreams. Since then, I've been accepting them as part of a cult, so to say. Just hoping, maybe one day, a sane normal pony comes along." Then he smiled a little, chuckling. "And the first sane one has to be you." He finished, smiling a little. "Now tell me Midnight Storm, what is your story? I would like to know how you became how are you today."

So, I explained. Starting from since I left the colony to my adventures in the wasteland, though only saying the basics and what I wanted to say. Once after everything has been done and said, he finally spoke up. "Interesting. Well firstly, I think it is obvious that the Enclave lied about your horn." I blinked a little. "From what you said about that one pony." Who was the Watcher guy, by the way. "It sounds like they might've did some more things. Reversing ghoulifications can't be that simple and yes Storm, I do believe that you are, or suppose to be, a ghoul right now. Maybe you are on the inside. Would explain your lack of eating and your green eyes. You probably are filled with a lot of radiation." Just as I assumed honestly. "Actually, if they really want to use you for something. I wouldn't be surprise they added a little extra to get that horn on top of your head." I nodded a little. He has a point.

Thinking about it, I realize of how much I've been tricked and lied to by so many ponies. My mother, my so called father, my real father never telling me about it himself until now, the Equestrian Army, Enclave which isn't surprising, and probably a lot of more ponies. "Oh... Fuck." I finally said, growling deeply now as Berry backed away. I think she knew what was going to happen. "Oh Luna suck me in your clit and spit me out a-new! This is fucking shit crazy! What the bloody hell did the Enclave do to me? If this horn was one thing, then what else did they fucking do to me?" I yelled out, slamming my hooves onto the ground now. "And what the fuck are they planning? What do they need a fucking mutated bat pony for? One that they mutated themselves!?! Oh for the love of fucking Luna's horn, please fuck me with it!" I continued  onward, slamming my hooves now against the wall.

"Midnight! Please calm down!" Night Wing spoke up, standing up as I took one look at him.

"Oh shut up. You are my fucking father all of those years and never once fucking told me? What? Did Luna fucked your ass with her big horn to keep your mouth shut or what?" I growled over at him. "You know how helpful it would be to actually know the fucking truth back!?!" I glared at him.

"I'm sorry. I was waiting for your mother to say something, as it was her right to say. Not mine." He defended, standing up. "Please you probably wouldn't have believed me." He added. That was true.

"Well. Fuck my mother then for it!" I said out loud then stopped. "No wait better yet. Fuck me. Fuck me for never asking!" I growled, stomping back to the wall, slamming it again. "Actually, fuck this whole entire whole. Seriously, almost everypony I have ever known fucked me up one way or another." I continued rambling and was about to continue before Berry surprised me, hugging onto me and crying. "What...?"

"Please stop Storm! Calm down! I can't stand seeing you like this. You're a better pony than this." She said up to me with teary eyes, as I mumbled in anger.

"But..." She put a hoof to my mouth. I maybe very angry but I will not harm her for sure.

"Calm down, take deep breathe." I growled a little but nodded, taking deep breathe and closing my eyes. She was correct. I needed to calm down and think clearly. Going ape-shit mad and rambling on probably isn't the best idea.

"I'm sorry." I said softly, ears folding down. "I'm so sorry... It's just, I've been holding that back for a long time. I thought I released it all when I was drunk at, something." I didn't knew what then but now I knew it was the plant pot. "But I guess it wasn't enough. It's just, dealing with my own kind, my own family, like I did. Then the shit with the war, and with this wasteland. Just everything. Now I'm finally learning some truths, good truths that I should've known about from the beginning?" I sigh a little, ears folding down as I closed my eyes thinking. Really though, my life wasn't that bad. There was time before the war I was going good and I am not doing fully bad out here in the wasteland. However, my thoughts went back to the Enclave and this horn. This bloody fucking horn. "It's going off." I finally said.

"What?" Berry asked, a bit surprised. I think she isn't hoping what I am suggesting.

"This horn. It's going bloody off. You are gonna help me cut it off and provide whatever healing you can to my forehead." Before she could say anything. "Think about it, Enclave did this to me for some reason. They forced it onto me without asking me and then lied to me about it. Cutting it off not only would probably ruin their plans but could also piss them off. And I really want to piss them off now." I explained, breathing slowly, still trying my best to hold my anger for now. "Plus, I would love to look like my true self, or at least close to it, once again." I finally finished, looking at her. Night Wing was watching from the side.

"I can show you where the medical room is at actually. There should be a table and tools there." He said. "But you really sure about this?" I nodded a little.

"Yes. Also. Father." I muttered that third word. "You gonna help me. I want to learn more about my own inherent magic. I want to become better at who I am. It's part of me and I should learn how to use. I know I don't have much time but some sort of simple lesson. I have a feeling I might have a better time doing it now." He blinked a little and before he could say a thing. "At least help me learn how to dream walk enough to control my own dreams and use memory orbs like a bat pony. I might be able to find more answers in memory orbs." He nodded a little after that. "Then, you'll leaving with us and we are taking care of the raiders you grouped up here." Again, he looked like he was about to say something. "That's what they are called. They are basically the worse kind of ponies I've ever seen. You've been into their dreams, seen what they do. It's not pretty, right?" He sigh a little, nodding.

I grinned a little, breathing slowly still. "Good. Then let's get going." Berry doesn't seem to be very happy about this but I think she knows that I'm not changing my mind any time soon. So Night Wing took us to the medical room and I went ahead, lying myself down onto the bed. Luckily, the tools were enchanted by unicorns long time ago with a similar spell used on mugs. To forever keep them clean.

"You really sure?" Berry asked once again, I nodded slowly, laying my head flat back and closing my eyes. I didn't want to watch. The first thing she did was applied Med-X to my forehead, and thank Luna for that! Afterwords, a few moments has passed with my eyes closed then I finally felt it, and damn it hurt like hell, even with Med-X! I clenched my teeth, my hooves holding on the sides of the bed I am lying on, as the saw cuts through the horn, blood dripping down my face. Soon, it was done but the pain stings for a good time. I felt a bandage being wrapped around my forehead and a towel being used to wipe off the blood from my face. "Open your eyes." I did so and was greeted with some healing potions, which I hurried up and drunk down, smiling a little as the pain slows down until it was finally done. Took four potions though. I looked to mirror, seeing the bandage around my forehead, then Berry started unwrapping it. The bandage was only used to stop the bleeding. The potions should've healed the wounds. Once it was removed, my forehead was normal again. No horn. Just a flat white forehead. The healing potion must've healed wound by increasing cell reproduction rate of my skin, not of anything else. I was glad for that!

Looking to the tray, I say the horn lying there, soaked in blood on the fat end. "Well. It's done." Night Wing said. "Better?" Actually, I kinda feel a lot better now, like a weight was off my soldier. I nodded a little. "Good. Due to your time limit with the Enclave, I say we better get going with what you want to do. Berry here should probably rest and eat up. Cause once we get to the final phrase, we really going to have to be on the move." I nodded. He was correct.

He led Berry up to his own personal room and me to the security room. "Why does this Stable even have a security and medical room anyways?" I asked curiously.

"To mock a real Stable. Like I said, we were lied to and tricked into that fake dream." I nodded a little, taking a seat. "Okay. First thing first, dream magic works a lot differently then unicorn magic. You know, the magic you were able to use with that horn." I nodded a little. I remember. Had to focus from some sort of magic from within. I'm assuming it was within that horn though. "Dream magic, rather focusing on an inner source. You are focusing on an outer source. You see, our eyes are very special. They aren't just about seeing in the dark and glow. No. They allow us to see into the dream world itself, a spiritual world you may say. A world that, rumored, was created by Princess Luna. However, it was also rumored it was where we originated from and Princess Luna pulled us from there. There's a lot of rumors and we really don't know what is the truth." I nodded a little, listening carefully.

"You must focus on this dream world. Let your eyes find it. Focus on it then on the pony, or objection in the case of memory orbs, of your desire. Let the dream world guide you into that pony's dream, that object's memory. Soon, you will find yourself in it. Your physical form will stay in this world, unconscious without you, but your soul will be in the dream, in the memory, of your desire. So, Midnight. Try it. Try focusing on that world, try getting connected to your own dream." I nodded softly, sighing a little as I closed my eyes. "Don't closed your eyes. You won't see if you do so." He said. Well then.

I sigh, nodding. Opening my eyes once again, letting myself stare into space. Not focusing on the objects in the room but rather trying to focus my mind on the dream world, as he mentioned. Sighing a bit as I sat there for what seemed like eternity, just focusing. Finally, I notice the world softly changing around me, swirling almost. Kinda like when entering a memory orb but not as fast. Smiling a bit, I started focusing on my own dreams, thinking of them. Focusing on them, letting my mind drift away through the swirls around me...

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My eyes opened, I was standing right above a zebra, one who was begging for mercy, hiding behind his hooves. He was a young one and I remember this day. I was suppose to get inside and out with an intelligence briefcase but this zebra caught me. "I don't care how young he is! If caught, you must kill the ones who've saw you and complete your mission quickly!" I heard that pony's voice on the radio. I remember this part, I am about to lose another argument then follow the rules. Submitting to this bigger pony. However, I'm a bigger pony now myself.

"Know what, fuck you and your orders. Fuck this blasted words!" I said back, rather freaking out the zebra.

"What?!!?!?" I heard the pony yelled back. "Nightstalker, you dare speak to your..." There's that name again but this time. I didn't care. I needed this and I'm gonna get this.

"NO. I am sick of being known as a Nightstalker. I'm sick of being that fucking pony that hunts during the night for you, killing innocents. I don't care if they are zebras or not. I'm NOT gonna do it anymore! I QUIT!" I yelled back, stomping my hooves onto the ground, scaring the zebra.

"WHAT??!?! YOU CAN'T..." I ended the transmission then smiled down at the zebra, turning around, heading out of the place. Though, turning on my stealth field so that way I can safely leave...

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I opened my eyes as I ended my dream, looking up to a... Raider? "We've overheard your little discussion!" He proclaimed, smiling down at me as I looked around, seeing eight more of them. I gulped a little and also took a look at myself, noticing that I was tied to a chair. "Honestly, I can't believe we all were that stupid! Oh, he can walk into our dreams! He must be a god! Fuck no. He is just one of your kind... Hmm... His screams was pleasuring to hear." I growled upon hearing that, trying my best to struggle. "We also overheard a lot and well... Let's just say, we all agreed to not kill you, Midnight." I blinked a little after that though, stopping my struggling to look up at him.

"Why not kill me? And what are you gonna do to Berry?" I asked, growling some more actually. He smiled a little, grinning.

"We are leaving you here. Leaving you to your fate with those Enclave ponies. If they are as deadly as you said then we really don't want to kill you and get them pissed off at us!" He explained, chuckling a little. "As for your cute female companion. Well, maybe I'll kill her eventually. Maybe I'll sell her to the slavers, you did mention going to Fillydelphia. Eh, at least one of you will get there. Or maybe I'll keep her as a cocksleeve for all the stallions of our group, which sounds like the best because she must've heard that stallion screamed. Couldn't find all of your stuff!" I growled deeply once again, struggling much harder against my bonds upon hearing their plans for her, though smiled at the good luck. "Knew it." He added.

"Oh. You are so gonna get killed when I get out of this..." I growled, still struggling against my bonds.

"Well. Good luck on that. You stupid flank got rid of the only thing that might've helped ya right now." He was correct. If I had access to telekinesis still, I would be able to get myself out of this. "C'mon colts, let's blow this joint. Oh and here!" He sat the Sonic Screwdriver Prototype I picked up from earlier onto my nose. "Thing is fucking stupid as hell. Don't know why your companion wanted it. We sure don't. So you can keep it!" He laughed a little before leaving the room, with the others following after him. I growled more though, staring at the thing on my nose, then started crying softly.

I should've saw this coming. Raiders can't be that stupid to fully ignore us. They would totally get curious enough to see what's going on. Why didn't I saw this coming? I gritted my teeth, thinking about this then stopped. I need to get out of here! Save Berry, get back on track to Fillydelphia, and teach the Enclave a fucking lesson, maybe. I don't know how I'm gonna do this but it's a plan! However, I have no idea how to get out of here. I'm just staring at the thing on my nose, watching it closely as I mumbled a bit. "Maybe..." I said to myself, thinking. I smiled a little. Maybe it has a use after all.

Gently, I let the thing rolled off my nose and once it fell off, quickly grabbed it in my mouth. Using my tongue to roll it around my mouth until the gem end is pointing out and I have a grip on the little lever. Gently holding it down, seeing the light go off and the buzzing sound as well. I moved it down to the rope around me, pushing the glowing gem onto the rope, watching slowly. Took a bit but soon the rope started smoking. Yes, I knew it. The gem heats up after sometime! It took a good bit of time but the rope finally caught fire and gently burned away. I had to drop the tool now cause of the flames but with the ropes burning, and weakening, I was able to get myself freed.

Pushing the burning ropes away and putting the fires out. I took the tool, putting it to my side. I have to go back to the Overmare's Office! Hurrying back to the office, I found my bags there. Emptied now but I put them back onto my sides once again, putting the tool inside of it now specifically. Now where would Berry hide some of our items at? I looked around the place, thinking. Then I noticed it, a symbol on the floor. Newly marked too. It was a health symbol, quickly drawn too, and two white lines on either side. She was referencing her cutie mark, having to draw it as fast as possible. Forcibly pushing it down as I had to, was pretty heavy. A hidden door opened behind the desk. Secret button.

I walked down the steps, taking a look around. Right on the floor was a bag and around the room was a rather impressive terminal and computer set-up, though it looked pretty friend. I'm assuming this where the main computer frame for the fake dream was hiding in and that Night Wing must've shown it to her while I was in his orb. Opening the bag, I saw a hoofful of items that was ours. Firstly, the Jackson pistol and it's ammo. Then the combat knife! I put those back where they belong. The memory orb and fake Applejack statuette was also in here, I smiled. The memory orb was my real father's memory so I'm gonna keep it. Maybe someday, I'll relive it myself. Seeing my real parents having their first moment together. There was also 2 stimpaks and a healing potion in here. Good, they didn't stole all of her medical supplies. No shotguns though but at least I have something, now to find and save Berry! Those raider cunts fucked with the wrong pony!

After that, I took off. Running through the Stable, through caves. Once outside, I took a look down onto ground, seeing a rather large group of hoofprints in the dust. Good thing the wasteland has a lot of dust and ash! From there, I followed them down the mountain side, out into the wasteland then south. However, I've seen a few places where it looked like struggling occurred and someponies got pushed onto the ground. Either way, they are heading south. Which is good for me! Going that way now, following the hoofprints. I found some dead mole rats and bloatsprites on way, rather cut down badly too, until we finally hit what seems to be a run down building. Grinning, I slowly made my way to the building, taking a closer look at it now. It says on the front 'Bank of Equestria'. Might be a good place to loot but screw that! I want Berry!

Gently pushing the door inside, I looked around. To my surprise, no raiders but a lot of machetes are on the ground. As well as piles of ashes everywhere. I gently walked around, brushing the ashes aside, looking about. Then, I heard a noise outside, looking back at the door, nothing. Nothing was coming in. Still. Ashes and machetes? This doesn't sound pretty good to me! Eventually, I stumbled across Berry's bag and health kit on a pile of ashes, looking at them and checking their insides. Empty. I picked them up though, putting them into my bags to the best of my ability. She'll want them back when I find her. I decided to head out of the building though, they aren't here for sure, and the moment I stepped out, I was greeted by four heavily armored ponies with energy weapons. Oh shit. I just did the math and their guns were aimed at me now. "Oh... Steel Rangers! Hello! I'm sorry to be a bother but I'm assuming you killed all the raiders here, yes?" I asked, grinning a little. Trying to play nice.

One held out his hoof to the others, hoof command to hold fire. "Yes. There was a rather large group of raiders hiding out here with a hostage. We took them all out. I'm assuming you knew the hostage?" I gulped a little. I hope they don't mean all.

"Yes. She is a very close friend. Do you, by any chance, know where she is?" I asked nervously, giving my best smile as possible.

"Yes. She's with us, for now." Good news to hear. "However, the current Elder is looking into exterminating her as she is a threat. She seem to have knowledge our base's location." Oh shit. Yeah. I did show her that location on the map. "Which means you also probably know, if you have been traveling with her." I gulped a little.

"Yes. I do." I admitted. "I'll come along peacefully though, as I have no wish to show harm and can explain everything!" I said out loud!

"You better outsider. For both yours and hers sake." Yeah! I better come up with something, at least until the Enclave becomes a distraction!

Slowly, I took a few step forwards as they gestured me to come forward and then followed the first two, with the other two behind me. Moving toward where their Fillydelphia hideout is. I was nervous about this and I really need to try my best to succeed here, or else I'll end up just like those raiders! I do not like this at all!

C5 - The Steel Ranger Missions

They took to me straight to where their Elder was at. I stand there, in front of the stallion's round desk as he looked over me. He was rather old looking, showing off a grey coat with a brown mane. His eyes were of a crystal blow and he was wearing a set of bluish, and highly detailed, robes. I'm assuming they are unique to him so other ponies worn either red robes or the power armor that Steel Rangers are famous for using. The the circular room I was had a map of the area, Fillydelphia, and there are three doors into this room. One, behind me, was the entrance into this room and I'm assuming the other two leads into personal rooms.

There was two Steel Rangers standing at the door, as well as the four that escorted me is directly behind me. All six of them keeping their weapons pointed on me, watching carefully. I noted that the two guarding the doors are using a different set of weaponry, not the energy weapons that the other four are using. Taking a closer look, I noted that they were, indeed, Gauss Rifles. I've seen them being used before as one of the generals I worked under had a personal one. I know the damage that those things can do, worse than the energy weapons actually. Though I also know that they can only shoot one shot before reloading is required, a weakness for a powerful weapon.

I also noted that the Elder is using his own customized plasma pistol. The pistol glowing red, even, rather than it's usual color. I really do not want to see what that thing does to me for sure, I can only take a wild guess why it's red. Nopony said any words though, however the Elder was watching me as I inspect everything, smiling a little. After he notice I was done checking the place out, he finally broke the silence. "Well. I see you rather intrigued of our bunker here. You done inspecting now outlander or do you want to keep checking out our technologies?" He looked down at me with that question.

I smiled a little. "Your technology? Last I check, this technology belongs to the Ministry of Wartime Technology and Ministry of Arcane Science. You guys just looted it from the corpses of our nation." I softly explained, smirking a little up at him. "Except for that red plasma pistol of yours... That's rather new, though it still probably originally came from Ministry of Arcane Science, am I right?"

He raised a brow curiously upon hearing my response. "Yes. You are partial correct. This technology use to belong to those Ministries but now it is ours. For us to protect and keep away from wasteland savages, such as yourself." He explained, moving eyes around the room. "However, that nation from long ago is NOT ours. We, the Steel Rangers, are our own nation and you are but just one of the many wasteland ponies, who can't comprehend the powers, the dangers, of this old wartime technology." Then lean forward onto his desk, staring down at me. "And you Sir, are wearing wartime technology, I see. How did you even came across such an unique suit? It's not something we've seen before and we would love to take it from you, to test it and see what it was for." Oh, interested in my suit? I thought to myself.

"Well. The only way you'll get this suit if you stripped it off my dead body, that's for sure." I let out to him. "And when I said 'our', I didn't meant you and me. I meant me and them. Oh and I think I can easily comprehend our technology very well." I explained, grinning a little at the Elder.

"I can rearrange that, so mind what you say wastelander. The only reason why it hadn't happened yet is because I am quite curious how you know our location, as well how you came across that technology. I am now intrigued to listen why you mean 'our' like that. So please, go on and explain yourself." The Elder sat back onto his chair, raising his brow as awaited my explanation.

"Oh. I can do better than explain how I got this suit!" I proclaimed happily, grinning. "You see, I was born in the pre-war times and was a scout during the war. This suit is specifically designed and made for a bat pony, such as myself. It's primary focus is to help keep the wearer undetected during their scout missions, however it does provide some combat support, just in case the scout wearing it gets into combat as it has a built in battle saddle on the sides which, when not used, is folded into the armor. It also has a built in Pip-Buck to help the scout navigate, stay in contact with his commander, and keep track of the environment around him, and his enemies." I grinned, seeing the Elder now, curiously leaning forward. "However, I have no idea how many of these suits are made nor the name of it. I call it the Sneak Suit myself. The suit was primary made for bat ponies and due to my specie being rarer than the other races, and probably even rarer to see fighting in the war. Ye'h." I finished, grinning.

"Well then... That raises many questions like how are you even alive right now and how do you know that the suit was made for your kind?" He asked, smiling a little as he kept his eyes, and interest, on me.

"Simple. The suit never had a helmet, for one. Don't need one. Scouts of the other races needed a helmet to help them see in the dark, as well as needing thermal vision. Bat ponies, on the other hoof, have natural night eye. We can see in the dark just fine. We also have very accurate hearing, able to hear pitches that other ponies cannot. Allowing us to to a rather respectable guess of the location of a target. Though, honestly, the hearing varies from bat pony to bat pony and that was a major reason why the Pip-Buck was built it. Who needs great hearing or thermal vision if they have a Pip-Buck to pinpoint targets?" I grinned happily, explaining myself to this guy. Really though, I just want to get on their good side for now and if proving to them that I'm not a savage, like they think I am, is how I'm gonna do that, then so be it. "As for two, the wing holes are sized to a bat pony's wings, not to a pegasus' wings. Did ya know that we have slightly different wing sides? This suit will not fit well on a pegasus!" I smirked a little. It's barely a difference honestly but enough. "Lastly, the built in stealth cloak won't work on other ponies. It will only cloak the armor, not the wearer, if you aren't a bat pony. Before you ask, that's because the stealth cloak for this suit works differently from that of a Stealth Buck. This suit uses a stealth mode which connects to the dream world and basically hide itself, and the bat pony wearing it, in the dream world. However, not fully as it would destroy itself. So it leaves some atoms behind, which kinda cause a 'fade' of the armor and pony, kinda like a stealth buck does. Problem is, the pony wearing it must have connections already to the dream world and guess what? Bat ponies are the only ponies with that kind of connection, discounting Princess Luna." I grinned happily now, down explaining.

However, I wasn't done yet. "Now, as for why I'm alive right now? From what I've picked up about the wasteland in my travels, I was turned into a ghoul while I was unconscious for like almost 180 years." He raised a brow once again. "I recently woke up to some crazy pony who was performing experiments on my body. I successfully escaped from him and been traveling since." I left out the part that it was the Enclave, obviously. Don't want them to catch on.

"Well, this is interesting. However, if that story is to be true then why aren't you rotting? Also, I've never heard of a pony being in a coma for that long." Lovely, another question about my race. These ponies really need to read some books!

"Firstly, the experiments performed on me were resurrection ones. The pony was trying to see if he reverse ghoulification apparently. He succeeded with my skin and probably some other parts, but other parts of my body I feel are still 'not working', so to say. For example, I am still highly radiated, you can see that in my eyes." That caused some of the guards to back away from me. "I also don't need to eat or drink, which I've heard ghouls don't need to either. Which caused me to assume that I am surviving in a similar way that ghouls do. As for me being in a coma for so long, that's a bat pony thing. It's kinda one of the negatives of our inherent dream magic. When we go into a coma, it is usually permanent and fatal. Very very rare for a bat pony to wake up from a coma and this is usually because when we go into a coma, out soul gets lost in the dream world and we are forced to live through one dream after another, usually nightmares too." I put a hoof to my chin after thinking about it. "Actually, sometimes our souls are literally destroyed in the dream world and we die cause of that, rather than our physical body starving or something like that." Honestly, I can't believe I wasn't thinking about that originally. I knew about the coma thing of our specie and never thought that I was in a coma, just that I was unconscious.

The Elder nodded a little, laying back onto his chair once again. "You know, you are different from the other bat pony we have encountered." I raised a brow, after hearing that. This bat pony again? Same one I've heard about before? "And I'm glad you are. If what you are saying is true, then this is great news for us! We never had much information on your kind before so I'll go ahead and have a scribe add this to our database." Well then, I guess I just helped the Steel Rangers a bit. "And maybe you could be a great ally to the Steel Rangers, since you would be the only pony currently here that can use that suit. You did mention you were a scout during the war and we can have use of an experienced scout then. We spend too much of our time currently right now keeping an eye on the forces building in Fillydelphia, these forces do have access to some great technology. So they are a threat to us and our future." I nodded a little.

"Well. I'll be a scout for you then if ya can let my companion go and come with me. She is kinda my medic and a good friend to me." I softly smiled, nodding a little. Okay, this can be good. I can do some work, get on their good side, and have Berry back! This is going rather nicely.

"I'm afraid I can't do that. However, I will promise that we will keep her well fed and protected until we can do that. Now though, before we can continue though. You must tell me, how did you, and your companion, knew of our location?" I sigh a little upon hearing that.

"I'll answer this but you better tell me why Berry can't come with me..." I softly said through clenched teeth. "I was given the location of this place by one of your own after helping them with a Stable. Simple as that. He suggested maybe I can help ya out down here." I obviously lied but hey, he might believe it.

"Name of this pony?" He asked curiously.

"Star Paladin Steelhooves." I answered back, grinning. "Now tell me why!" I blurted out afterwards.

"Ah yes, though he isn't from our branch. I'll have somepony contact him and confirm this." The Elder replied, nodding a little. "Now, you want to know why? Because we want to have a leverage on you. If we let you both go, then we might never see you again. However, if we keep her here then you'll have to come back to get her. So, that is the deal. You do scout missions for us and then we'll let her go with you." He finished, glaring down at me. Leverage! Ofcourse, why am I not surprised?

After a moment, I nodded a little. At least I'm getting somewhere. "Well thank you then. I'll accept your offer! Now Mr. Elder, what are these missions?" I asked, raising a brow.

"That is Elder Whiplash to you! As for the missions..." He trailed off for a bit, taking a look through some papers now that he pulled out from his desk. "There is three locations we wish for you to check out to see if they have anything dangerous within their walls, as well as any technology. We want you to figure out the dangers and an answer to the technology. So we may send whatever we can to collect the technology at each location, if there is any. That is." I nodded a little. Simple enough. "The last thing, we want to you to go into Fillydelphia itself and see what the ponies are up to. Before we make any moves against them, we have to know how dangerous they are. With your stealth field, this should be easy for you and you won't be under any threat, like my ponies would." I sigh a little.

"Well, my suit is kinda out of juice so can you possibly supply any? Otherwise, I won't be able to do that last mission, if it is so dangerous to move in while visible." He nodded a little after I said that.

"Yes, we may do that. Now, what would you prefer we call you?" He asked now, getting up as he whispered something to one of the other Steel Rangers in the room.

"Storm, just call me Storm mate." I replied, watching as the Ranger left the room for a bit then returned with the batteries I needed for my suit. He went ahead and handed them to me. I took them and put them right in where they should go, grinning a little. Another Ranger came up and plugged into my Pip-Buck, I kinda let him as I was expecting them to upload locations onto my map.

"There. You have your batteries and locations. Now you may freely leave and do your job. Just remember, if you don't return in a good amount of time, we will assume you left us permanently." I nodded a little as he explain and before anypony else could say anything, I retreated out of the room and made my way out of the bunker. Once outside, I took a look at the map on my Pip-Buck and headed to my first destination.

The first place wasn't that far, and upon arriving to it, it seems to be a small factory of some sort. I took a walk around the place, noticing the ticking on my Pip-Buck. The place was filled with radiation! I also took notice of a hoofful of ghouls around the place, which is why I kept my distance. I was told to investigate, not fight anything. However, my ears perking upon hearing a soft voice. Blinking a little, I walked a little closer to the building curiously and now am able to hearing the voice much better. It's a softly mare voice singing, a really rather beautiful song as well. I also notice that the ghouls seem to be hearing it as well, as they started walking closer to the building curiously.

I started to smiling though, rather enjoying the singing and I felt myself walking over to the building, being completely ignored by the ghouls however. It seems that the music is charming them as well, however, they don't seem to be as curious as I am to check it out. I felt my legs continue moving my body up to the front door, my head gently pushing it open as I make my way inside. Looking around the place, I now notice that this place isn't really much of a factory but more of a radiation dump. It seems to be filled with a lot of radiation barrels, some being spilled across the floor of the place.

However, I head immediately was drawn to an open hatch and I felt myself moving toward it, then down the stairs down below. Upon coming down to the bottom spot, I felt myself stepping into water, the water splashed a bit across my chest. I wasn't bothered though and I continued ignoring the ticking of my Pip-Buck as my body kept on moving down the flooded hall now, my ears still focus on that mare's singing, now much much louder. I was able to take glances, noticing that there are doors and windows to my sides, each one seem to be a subject room with different labels. 1A, 2A, 3A, and so on. I'm starting to take a guess that radiation wasn't just dumped here, it was used here!

My legs kept moving down to the last door, and gently, my hoof went up to touch the button to the side, opening the door. As the door opens, I moved inside the room, my eyes fixed on the chair in the middle. Sitting in the chair was a mare but not of any specie I've seen before. She had an upper body of an earth pony, with her coat being a gentle green. Her lime green mane was swaying down and around her head, and her dark green serpent eyes has moved onto me, fixed on me as well. The singing has also stopped as she we check one another out. Her lower body though, wasn't a pony's tail and back legs. No. It was a long snake tail, one that has coiled itself around the bottom of the chair, and gently laying on top of what seems to be a heater, which is still working. Not too surprise, Stables are still working after all this time so why not other places too? Her tail had a yellow underbelly while green on top, with lime green patterns.

However, we both just stood there. Staring at one another for the longest time, it seem. I never seen a creature like this myself and never even heard of one. Is this what they were doing here? Experimenting on ponies and gene slicing them? Mixing in radiation as well? Then finally, she spoke up, after shaking her head. "Am I dreaming or is there actually another pony here?" I blinked a little.

"Um. No... Not dreaming! Um. What are you?" I said nervously, gulping a little. I was really nervous about this because well I don't know what to say of her. I guess this how the other three races felt when they saw us bat ponies?

Luckily for me, she seem to be friendly and after a moment, she did answer my question. "I'm a lamia. The only one that's manage to survive here..." She trailed off, her ears folding down as I frowned a little. So there were others like this here? Would explain the doors.

After a moment, I took a breathe and relaxed myself. "So. Were you the one singing?" I asked, getting a nod. "Your singing seem to calm the ghouls above, kept them from attacking, while forcing me to come down here, ya know about that right?" I got a little blush from that, which I couldn't help but chuckle from.

"It's part of our magical abilities. We are skilled in calming ponies and even hypnotizing them. I sing to myself a lot down here though cause it's very lonely. Those creatures, ghouls you said, don't seem to be effected by much. At most, it keeps them calm and from attacking me when I do attempt to go up." She explained, looking at me. I decided to walk closer up to her as she talk, I was really curiously about her right now.

"So. What happened here anyway? And how have you been living down here?" I asked her, my eyes trailing down to her tail which seems to be softly moving in the water a little. The water also felt pretty warm here, then again, the heater is right there.

She wasn't really happy about me asking, I can tell as she her ears folded down, a sign of sadness. "Me and the others lived happily a long time ago, away from this land. However, a group of ponies from this land invaded ours, kidnapped us and brought us here. We were afraid and we couldn't use our own abilities against them as they worn some sort of headgear that kept their eyes and ears shielded. They continued to keep said things on when around us." I frowned a bit about myself. So they were kidnapped from their homes and brought here. "Then they started performing experiments on us, mixing this green stuff as well as this rainbow liquid into us. It caused a great deal of pain and misery to many of us, killing. Others just became... Monsters. I? I don't know. After my experiment, which was the first one they deemed was success. I just felt different. I never felt tired or hungry ever since, and my scales glowed." I've noticed that last part.

"Hm. I think they've turned you into some sort of radiation version of yourself. Basically, you are kinda like me and the ghouls up above. Your body is alive cause of the radiation. For the record, that's the green stuff. I have no idea what the rainbow stuff you mentioned is or at least not yet." I explained softly, smiling a little as she nodded.

"Oh. Well thanks for telling me." She sigh peacefully, looking down at the ground. "I'm glad you are here honestly then, even though it was against your will and that you are a quad-pony, though different from the ones working here." I nodded a bit. However, I did got up.

"Well. I'm glad to help you out but I do have to get going. I only came here to investigate. However, on my way out, I'll take out the ghouls above. Hopefully then you can leave the place." I softly explained, grinning a little as I started to make my way out of the room. I don't know honestly but I'll take out the ghouls for her. If they are trapping her here, like I'm assuming, then it's the least I can.

However, leaving wasn't going to be easy as I heard a rushing of water and quickly, she moved in between me and the doorway! Sweet Luna's tail, she was faster and more agile than me! "Please don't go! You just got here and I want to talk more... Please?" She said, as I gulped a little.

"Um. I'm sorry but I do have to go. I'm kinda on a time limit here and a friend of mine is in danger, as well as I. Me being here will put you in danger too." I explained softly, and nervously, as I notice her tail moving around me in the water.

However, she leaned down to me, frowning a bit. "Please? I don't want to use it..." Use what? I thought to myself after hearing her saying that. But instead of questioning her, I just shook my head. I have to go after all and I'm hoping that she realize that. She sigh softly as I did so though. "I didn't want to do this." She said as I gulped a little. I think I was in trouble. I was expecting her tail to do something, like tie me up and crush me maybe; or her to sing again. However, her eyes just exploded into colorful spirals. Blue, yellow, green, etc. Quite many different colors, many beautiful and pretty colors. I couldn't help myself but to stare up into them.

I felt her right hoof gently holding my chin up as well as my head started feeling heavy, my thoughts also blurring a bit as I continued to stare up into the colors. "Just relax, you don't want to leave. You want to relax." I heard her voice say to me, and I couldn't help but agreed. Why did I need to leave? Relaxing sounds good. "Relax and enjoy my gentle embrace." She added as I felt her tail moving around my backlegs, and continued moving around my body. She was coiling around me and I liked every moment of it!

She kept moving her tail around me, pinning my forelegs and wings now as her tail crept closer to my neck. My mind was getting more blurry as it relaxed under the colorful rings, my eyes unable to move away from them completely. Unable to break the trance but I didn't want to. Once her tail finally finished, tightly yet gently coiling around my neck, I just gave away. Smiling happily at her as her coils held me there, in front of her. "I'm sorry but I just can't let you leave too soon." She said gently to me, hugging my head to her chest with her only legs. "Mmm. Just been so long since I have company, since I was able to hold somepony like this. I missed the feeling." She continue, even though my mind was unable to replied, and I think she notice. "Wake up."

Upon hearing her, I took it as a command apparently and the trance on my mind was removed. I blinked my eyes, still noticing I was in her hold. "Bloody hell?" Was the first two words I said to her. "I mean seriously, that wasn't really necessary!" However, I saw her upsetting face and I sigh a little. "But it felt nice honestly, really nice. I see why now what you meant about your race being good at relaxing ponies." She smiled, hugging me even more now with those legs of her. "But you do need to let me go. I am on a serious time limit." I said gently then went on to explain about my issue with Steel Rangers and Enclave.

After that, she did let me go. She also finally told me her name, which was Golden Swirls. Apparently before the experiments, she was more close to yellow coloring instead. She also let me know that she get me in her coils later on and I decided to also let her know the location of that shed I've found earlier. I knew that she'll need to spot I know about to hideout at, if we ever gonna see one another again. She was very nice and maybe I can help her more later?

Anyways, I went ahead upstairs and started taking out the ghouls. Lucky me, there really wasn't that many like in Hoofsvale but still plenty of them that I ran out of bullets with my only gun and had to cut the rest down. Once they were down, I let Golden know before leaving the place and heading to my second destination.

On my way to the second location, my Pip-buck was going off once again with somepony connecting to me. I gulped a bit upon hearing, praying to Luna in my mind that it wasn't the Enclave. However, it was a specific mare's voice once again. "Well hey there! Been some time since I've talked to you!" I rolled my eyes as I walk.

"Why did you lie to me about those raiders anyways?" I asked her, curious about that as I continue my walk, keeping my eyes on any possible wildlife or worse just in case.

"Awww! To test you baby, simple as that!" Baby? I raised my eyebrow. "I needed to know if you were the hero type or not before I make my move." Okay, now I'm intrigued.

"Make your move?" I asked curiously into the Pip-Buck as I heard giggle on the other end, however she never replied. The connection was lost shortly after. Well that was lovely! Now i have this mysterious mare who wants to 'make her move' on me, whatever she means by that. I growled a little, looking at the ground as I mumbled to myself about this situation.

"I think she's interested in you." I heard a familiar voice as I jumped. Turning around was a lovely Sprite-Bot. "Did I spook you? I apologize. Sometimes I do that." I nodded a little. "So, have you listened to my advice yet anyways? You seem to be alone..." I blinked a little and started explaining to him about what has happened to me since. I don't know why but I felt like he should know anyways. "I don't trust the Steel Rangers myself so I do approved of your plan. However, you shouldn't trust them to keep to their words, so best to make a back-up plan. Also, sorry about your father. I bet he was a great colt." I nodded a little. That was nice at least.

"Well. I got ya updated now Mr. Watcher. Anything else you gonna tell me about or not? I should probably get back to my job and ya know, save Berry and such." I explained to him, looking forward once again as I walk. However, that music started kicking in and I sigh. Well, that was fast but then the music stopped.

"Sorry about that, lost control for a moment." I nodded a little. Alrighty then. "I did have one last bit of advice I think you should know about. Have you found your virtue?" That's not really advice, just a question.

"Um. No?" I asked back to him, confused about this. I mean, I know about everypony having a virtue or virtues. I also remember about the story of the elements of harmony, six major virtues.

After thinking about it though, could he be hunting the elements of harmony? Is that why he is watching the wasteland? Trying to find ponies who fit the description? Just a wild guess, mostly a stupid one. "It's good to know your virtue. It helps you to move on, to fight, and to continue. Ponies who loses their virtue gets absorbed by the wasteland, either killed or worse; become part of the wasteland, like raiders." Okay, that makes sense actually. Raiders don't really have any virtue at all, from what I've seen. They just seem to be crazy, killing, raping ponies, nothing more. Still, what is mine? What virtue do I symbolize? I highly doubt it's any of the harmony ones! "I'll let you ponder on that and get back to your adventures. There's somepony else I should be checking up on anyways." I blinked a little upon hearing that and then the bot went off, playing it's retarded annoying music.

Thinking about my virtue did seem to speed up the time, as I finally made it to the second location on the map and almost shit myself once I checked it on my Pip-Buck. It's another Stable! This one is being hidden in a cave that is sticking right out of the ground. I took a look around the entrance though, but what caught my mind the most is the plant life. Actual plant life! Though it looks to be growing right out of the Stable. Curiously, I walked down the cave, stepping over the plants as I do so, to the front door, which is opened with a lot of roots and plants grown around it. My Pip-Buck did mention that this was Stable 42.

As I walked inside, the I took notice that the lights are barely working and that the metal walls of the Stable and many furniture are rusted greatly, with plant life growing out of the vents and many other areas. Okay, mental note here: something bad is going to happen. The residents of this Stable must've either left or were killed in here. I believe the latter more as I don't see how anypony, or anything, can stop ponies from getting into this Stable.

As I move through the first door, leading into a hallway. I took a simple look to my right, noticing a creature of some sort. It was just sticking out of some soil that seem to have broken out through the metal, allowing plants to grow there literally but around this creature. Curiously, I gotten close to it and the moment I was near, it came to life! Climbing onto it's hooves! The thing was covered in what seems to be moss and it had a lot of spikes on it's back, with a flower growing out from it's head. After taking a closer look, whatever it was, it use to be a pony! As fast as I could, I took my combat knife and stabbed the thing deep into it's neck, while it was still getting up. I ripped the neck over and wasn't long until the head went off, with green blood being sprayed over the walls and floor.

Okay! Mental note confirmed, this place is bad! If that thing use to be a pony, and is now plant-like. Fuck! I started nervously now looking at all the plants in the Stable, gulping a little! Okay, so I'm in a Stable filled with plants that seem to be able to turn ponies into plant like monsters, or so I'm assuming. Plan A sounds like best plan which is to run like hell. However, what would happen if these plants grow out in the wasteland and spread? That means I could go Plan B and find a way to set the place on fire, but I have no means to setting things on fire here! Plan C is to tell the Steel Rangers to blow up the place or something like that, but highly doubt they'll listen to me. So. Okay, Plan B! Let's find a way to set the place on fire then get the hell outta of the place!

How? Well. I started thinking about that for a moment and then came up with an idea. I should find the Stable's armory and might be able to fight some sort of explosive or maybe fuel! Sounds like a good idea. Also, ammo! So silently, I moved down through the halls, keeping my distance as best as I could from the plants, as I watch the signs of each room. Did found Medical, which I decided to go ahead and take some medical supplies from. However, there was a safe I couldn't open. I also found another plant pony, which I took down before it got the chance to fully wake up. Hopefully, I keep finding these one at a time and not in a group!

Few rooms down, I found the armory! Walking inside, I went directly to the lockers, checking each locker. Did found ammo for my pistol, which is good, but nothing else that's useful. I had one more locker left and sighing, I opened it up and smiled as I found a few actual C4 explosives and a detonator. I wasn't expecting that but yes! Putting them in my bags now, I grinned and walked out of the room, moving toward the stairs now at the end of the wall. I moved down the first set of stairs, then turn right toward the other set, I dodged as I saw a projectile of something coming at me. Taking a look, I saw a giant fly trap, it looked like, that was spitting at me! Quickly, I took out my gun and shot the thing down. Took a few bullets but it went down.

I continued my path from there, looking around the place. I took note that I can smell gas, which means there is a gas leak and hey! That's sounds perfect for my plan! My eyes trailing along the walls, and floors, as I tried to find the source. In the corner, there it was. The a pipeline which was broken and still leaking! Bingo! I went ahead and set up the C4 there, grinning as I do then I was about to leave before some more plant ponies came out. Quickly, I took out Jackson and shot them down as fast as I could, using up my ammo already.

Oh well, at least the bullets helped me with this! Hurrying, I moved my way back up the stairs, and toward the exit! I was almost out of the Stable's door before a plant's vine wrapped around my backleg, pulling me! Grunting, I quickly pulled out my combat knife, cutting the vine off as fast as I could as I've seen others moving about. I then made a break for it now but I wasn't fast enough before another vine got around my waist, as others moved in to tie me up more. However, before they could get my neck, I pulled out the detonator. I really wasn't planning to do this until I was safely out but if I'm gonna get killed by these plants anyways, they are coming down with me! I bit onto the button.

The whole place explored and rang my ears, the vines dropping me as the area started to burst in flames and explosions. I grinned a little, feeling a rush in my blood as I get up and ran for it! This is actually quite fun, risking my life like this and running out of an exploding Stable! Wow! I know I can get out though, oh so I do! Right about in time, I manage to get out of the Stable as the entrance room was set ablaze and the plants outside started dying as the source was burned away. Taking one last look at the Stable, I grinned, and then continued to my third destination. Steel Rangers are so gonna kill me for exploding a Stable!

The last destination was a break for me. It was another factory looking buildings but this time, it was overrun by Raiders. I have no bullets so there is no way I'm gonna be able to do much. I'm just gonna tell the Steel Rangers that they have equipment and hopefully, they'll send some out to take out the Raiders easily before Enclave gets here. Hopefully. That's my plan anyways.

So, turning around, I started heading out toward Fillydelphia, looking out at the place. I'm gonna have to fly with my stealth field on to get over there and from the distance, there seems to be quite some activity going on over there. I also noted some, not many though, griffons flying about, which my ears kinda went down upon seeing them. Don't want to bump into them as I get over there! Gently looking my wrist, I pushed down to the lovely button there and I heard that soft noise of the stealth field being activated.

Gently, I took to the sky, keeping my wings flapping low as I hovered myself into the city. Watching the ground below, then looking forward at the city's ruins. The giant factory isn't working and the buildings seem to be standing there, tired and rotting. The wall around the city though, that was rather new to me. So something is going on here, something interesting. Gently flying over the wall, I landed on top of it. Taking a look down at the ponies below, gulping a little.

There was quite a bit of ponies here, most wearing collars and clothes that seem to bondage them, like they are slaves. There was also plenty of raiders looking ponies, slavers I'm assuming myself, but their armor is different from what I've seen on either. I also gotten closer look at the griffons, noticing that they are wearing their own armor, using their own weapons. Griffons are, to my knowledge, mercenaries really. So if they are here, then somepony has either a lot of caps or a lot of influence to have them here. I gently moved around though, sticking to the wall as I observe the city, watching the ponies down below and taking notes.

I notice a stage though, hanging up between some buildings of the original city itself. I couldn't hear the pony on it from where I was, especially above all the noise down below, but I can tell he was talking to a griffon, I believe. He was a red stallion, earth pony, and the biggest thing that I've noticed about him though was his eye. He had, what looks like, a cybernetic eye. Did this earth pony made himself a cyber pony of some sort? I heard about an idea of doing that during the war but never thought it was possible. I also noted his Pip-Buck and I gulped a little, hopefully it can't 'see me'. I think it can as I saw his head turning toward where I was on the wall, staring directly at me it seem! I took a look below and then at him again and decided to screw it. I don't want to get into this mess!

I took flight and made my way out, getting away from the place! Steel Rangers were correct, something is going on here and I'm placing my bets that the red pony I just saw is behind it! I don't know why but I just have a feeling, a really bad feeling about him. As I was flying away, I turned off my stealth field, sighing as I was done with that now then my Pip-Buck went off again. Gulping a little, I tuned in. "Good, you still alive I see Storm." It was the Colonel's voice. "I'm going to be sending your Enclave orders in a moment, got it?" I rolled my eyes a little.

"Fuck you. I know now that you lying fuckers lied to me." I said back to him. "Oh and I cut off that horn you gave me. I hope you didn't have that in your plans! Actually, you probably don't have this in your plan either!" With that, I disconnected. Ye'h, Enclave will be up my flank now soon so better hurry up!

I succeeded at getting back to the Steel Ranger bunker, and I am now in the same room as before, staring at the Elder once again. I quickly went through everything though, knowing it won't be long. "Location One is filled with radiation and seem to have some interesting technologies. I also killed the ghouls living there. Location Two is destroyed, I apologize. Location Three is overrun by Raiders and I couldn't get a real look inside. However, Raiders won't be a problem for you ponies. As for Fillydelphia itself, yes. There are slavers and griffons there, and what seems to be a cybernetic pony. Now where is Berry?" I finished with my question as the Elder raises a brow but shrugged.

"Berry is alright. We did have our scribes remove her memories of us and two Steel Rangers are escorting her to New Appleloosa while she is under a sleep spell. We decided to keep to our word about that. That is, until, our scribes checked out the memories, so I'll be informing the two Steel Rangers escorting her after this." I gulped a little as I see him staring down at me, some of the Steel Rangers around me getting their weapons ready. "So tell me Storm, has the Enclave contacted you yet." It wasn't a question. He knew. Probably because of how fast I was talking and how fast I wanted to get her to safety. Well, I glad she is being escorted to safety. Hopefully he won't be able to contact the two escorting her!

Then, an explosion has happened, shaking the whole place. They are here. Growling, the Elder looked to the other Rangers. "Quickly, get out there and defend. I am not letting this bunker fall to the Enclave." Then he took a look at me. "I'll take care of this one." I gulped a bit. I know for sure I can't rush out the exit door, due to the Steel Rangers are already doing so to go defend and the Enclave are going to be out there! So Plan B, rush the other way. Quickly, I made a break for the door on the other side, as the Elder pulled out his pistol, taking his time to aim. I actually manage to dodge right it time, feeling the heat of the bullet rushing right past the tip of my ear. I took a look behind me, noticing that it didn't melt the steel it hit but rather went blazing for a moment before dying down, unable to catch the metal on fire. Oh shit, fire based energy weapon! That's why it's red!

I jumped through the doorway, hitting the button to close behind me then backed away, looking around the bedroom. Really nowhere to hide in here and the place was shaking, being hit by something. No idea what but it's probably not pretty. I stood up in front of the door though, grinning a bit as a crazy idea came to mind! The moment the door opened, I jumped right onto him, pushing all my weight onto as I knocked him down, causing his weapon to fall out of his grip, though before a bullet manage to hit along my shoulder, causing a slight burning pain.

However, I rolled forward after he fell onto the ground, laying the other side. I manage to get up and kicked his gun away before he gotten a chance to get to it and gotten a buck to the face from it. "Fine. I'll have more fun bucking the life outta you for what you've done!" Growling and backing up a bit, I gave him a glare.

"Then let's go mate!" I yelled at him, stretching out my wings in a combat stance as he smiled. I manage to dodge the next hit he threw but he got in the gut, and quickly pushed me down onto the ground, holding me down now. Honestly, I'm not good at all with hoof-to-hoof combat but wasn't going down this easy! I manage to raise both my backlegs and bucked him with them, pushing him off of me and used my wings to quickly get into the air, punching him with my own forelegs now.

I manage to get some hits in but he raised his own now, catching him in a lock, pulling me close and pushing me forward with his superior strength to the wall, holding me there. This time, he also made sure to keep my backlags from kicking. "Now to give back to you for the shit you brought to us!" He grinned, leaning forward to me as I took a breath. Well, it's a crazy idea but hey, must've well do it! As quickly as I can, I slammed my lips against his, actually kissing him, which completely caught him off guard, weakening his hold on me. Just as I hoped, I kicked him away and off of me, spitting at the ground.

"I bet you never had anypony to love ya whole life! You tasted awful!" I said out loud to me, grinning as he stand up, growling and rushed to me. I jumped out of the way right in time, letting slam into the wall, knocking himself unconscious from the impact. I grinned and chuckled a little at that, rather funny that he went for that. Turning around now, toward the door. I came face-to-face with the Captain from the Enclave.

"Greetings again Storm. I had to confirm that what you said was true and it is." I gulped a little, looking at the armored pegasus. "Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you personally. Just confirming. We'll just going to bury you in the rumble of this place and if you somehow survived, we'll just let Night Shot hunt you down. He's been aching for a hunt." I blinked a little, nodding a bit and shrugging.

"Okay then." Was all I said as I went for it but he quickly flew with me, catching me and holding me down.

"Nope. Not letting you go anywhere!" He said, grinning as he takes a rope, tying my wings down to my sides as he held me down. I really need to work out more. I continued to struggle to the best of my ability, even manage to give him a few punches but he manage to get me tied up, as I wiggled a bit. "There. Sad to see you have to make this choice, I would really love to be friends with you." He said as he walked off.

I sat there sighing peacefully to myself, looking at the unconscious Elder and myself. Oh a pity to me! I guess I'm gonna get buried alive now, and probably crushed to death. Sighing, I closed my eyes, listening to the explosions once again picking up, this time. More severe as the place started to go down, I heard the map fell onto the ground, shocking with electricity. I heard pieces of the roof falling onto the ground around, feeling some of the rumble hit. Then, the piece of the roof right above came down onto my head, sending me deep into an unconscious state. I sigh peacefully though, somehow seeing those colors from earlier again, remembering the bliss right before I went out fully. Kinda nice to feel that bliss. Was that a side effect after being exposed? Maybe. Maybe not. All I knew then, that bliss felt nice right before death... Or at least I thought that I was going to die.