Author's Note

Some of it is rewritten I kept a lot of the last part it was good enough in my eyes.

Chapter four:Reaper Fields

It took us two days at least from Manehatten to get to what is called the Reaper Fields. On the way, Silver told me a bit about himself; he doesn’t fully remember his creator. Of course, he did tell me he doesn’t tell the full truth to protect his past and who created him. He said somepony may tell who created him someday.

We stopped at least once and I got to know all three of my new companions more. During the stop, KipKipe puts down the magic torches she had in the building we met in. I take a deep breath feeling the uneasiness around them.

“Tiria are you okay?”

I turn to look at the gentle eyes of the teal mare. A weak smile forms across my face. I try to show I am not uneasy but she can see right through it. She leans into me. I felt my uneasiness get even worse. I didn't want to be near a pony right now. I felt stress fill my very core.

“Tiria you need to relax.”

I took a deep breath, blowing the air out of my mouth.

“No offense to you Kip, I am not fond of ponies. I am trying to get over it. Just when I see you and Shadow and even Silver I feel nothing but anger in my heart.”

Shadow frowns Silver just turns to look at me. His glowing red eyes stare at me. I stare back at him feeling a bit uneasy even more. I look down at Kip who is not even upset with me at all. I think she understands.

“I may not like it Tiria. You need to open yourself up and make friends. You could be all alone out here. You’re lucky the three of us are willing to help you. Silver would have killed others for doing what you did. I don’t know why he didn’t tell me he had a reason.”

Silver looks away and stands guard since he never needs sleep. He went pacing around the camp like a simple guard pony. I look over to Shadow who Kip has been getting closer to like they’re siblings. I take a deep breath again and relax.

“I am very sorry Kip. I am not used to ponies. I am not used to how kind you are. My pack just saw me as a stepping stone to be used. I never had friends before and those I was friends with betrayed me soon after I became an outcast.”

Kip smirks.

“Well, then you won’t get backstabbed by me, Shadow, or Silver. We are now your friends and we will always be your friends. You just need to open up to us, Tiria, so please open up and we will do everything to make you happy.”

I chuckle weakly

“The biggest way to make me happy is to just be kind to me, that's all I want really. So if you can do that, more power to you. Now maybe you can explain to me the place we are heading to.”

Shadow chuckles.

“Reaper Fields I will explain more about it when we get there. It’s best to see it and then talk about it. Since it can be pretty nasty when you see it.”

I sigh laying down on one of the cots Kip brought with her. I notice while she is near the torches her eyes are glowing brightly. It’s like she is haunted by them. I gulp a bit and I wonder how she created those torches.

“Um, a question for you Kip, how did you learn to torches?”

Kip looks over to them and chuckles.

“It's amazing what you can learn when you save a zebra shaman from death. The poor mare was shot and she needed help. So I helped her and her tribe and she told me how to make these torches. She said it will ward off just about anything, even raiders. Something about the fire bothers them.”

I tilt my head, my long ears sticking in the air noticing I don’t hear any creatures even close to us. I was told we would have seen at least a ghoul or something come close to our camp or something else, maybe even scorpions. I haven’t even seen those since I have been with these two. She carries the torches with her at all times but they’re never lit. I wonder if they do more than she lets on.

“Kip, maybe you can explain why creatures avoid us then?”

Kip snickers

“It’s because of Silver Tiria. Many creatures avoid giant metal creatures and Silver looks like those which could end everything. Now he and I do get attacked sometimes if we have too many with us.”

I sigh leaning back and watching Kip put a pot down to cook a meal for Shadow and me. Before we left I heard she went with her husband Crossfire to find some meat for us. I never knew a mare like her as a hunter. I remember smelling the blood on her and now I watch her without her husband or the others she is with and she is so strong on her own.

“Kip, you're a strong mare. I am amazed you’re not a mother yet.”

Kip chuckles

“It’s because I don’t want a family yet. I want to find a place in this deadly Wasteland where I can raise my little ones in peace. A place where Silver Gunner can stay and watch them when I feel I need to rest.”

I sigh, stroking my head unsure what to think. I haven’t been to this wasteland for very long. I have killed many already. Thankfully none of them, at least in my mind weren't innocent. I take a deep breath sighing.

“I understand, shouldn't we get some sleep? I have no idea what to expect when we get there and Shadow won’t even tell me about this place.”

Silver fires his shotgun at something and there is a scream of pain. He keeps firing more screams while we hear gunfire not far from us. We just hear a lot of screaming and shooting. I am guessing he found a raider nest and is going through it.

“It seems Silver found the raider nest. Kip, do you think he will bring us all their caps and such?”

Kip shakes her head.

“No, he won't, he doesn't see the point of it. He will bring us all their food and healing supplies but that is about it. We would have to go in there ourselves to get the caps and ammo. Of course, knowing him he is going to want us to keep moving.”

After at least an hour the screaming stops and Silver returns. He is holding a pretty big bag with him. He sets it down and nods to Kip to look through it. All I do though is get into the sleeping bag they gave me and close my eyes to fall asleep.

___________

Next morning Reaper Fields

It was pretty much the next morning and we found ourselves at a graveyard of old war machines. I look around seeing zebra bones and pony bones. I see many guns and even landmines around the area. I hear a loud boom in the field looking over to see a merchant who was going through and stepping on one of the mines.

I see many creatures come out of the metal husk to loot what is left and to at least try to take care of the two-headed cow. Who I could hear trying to wake up the dead pony. The creatures were very kind to the sacred creature and did everything they can to say they will take care of her.

“Welcome to Reaper Fields.”

I glance at Kip and she looks like she is reading a very old sign. I came over to read it myself.

"Here is one of the first battles of the war. So much is lost on both sides. Refusal to pick up the bodies and the gear left behind. This land was once known as Ruby grass Fields. The grass would glow at night to show the beauty of Equestria. Most of what is here are unknown soldiers. showing the pain of war. The entire army on both sides battled here. All died, and no one lived; it turned from ruby fields to grim reaper's harvest. To those that wish for war. Look at this land and then think again. Please understand these words. Peace is the only way to go."

In the end, it was written by Fluttershy.

I look up and look at the history. The history of death and destruction. I have no idea why this war started. I haven't been told of course I never really cared to even ask why it started. I take a deep breath sighing.

“Shadow, what can you tell me about this place?”

Shadow looks at the wrecks and smirks

“This entire destruction you see here goes on forever there is no way to not go through it. To the west, there is a raider camp. I don’t know much about them but they don’t attack innocents. They go after slavers and other raiders. The east I don’t know much about them, I guess, and what lives in the fields itself.”

I notice Kip looking through some of the bodies closer to the edge of the hell. I keep a close eye on her. I ignore everything else right now. I don’t want her to get hurt and I notice her calling Silver over. He opens his bag and when she moves the bones he disarms a few mines.

“What are you two doing?”

Silver turns his head to look at me while his strange robotic hands disarm the bombs. Kip is focusing on other things I think they’re trying to make a safer way through.

“We need to get through here right? I am sure Wheel Treads minions come through her as well but we want to get through here safely.”

Shadow snickers.

“We could just ask the Rat Creepers if they will help us. They help Wheel Treads minions from time to time, but they do help them.”

I roll my eyes at the great rat creatures I normally eat. Unless these creatures are bigger than normal. I am wondering if there is another way to get to this place of Wheel Treads. I take a deep breath looking over at Shadow.

“Is there another path to get to this place?”

Shadow smirks.

"Oh, there is another way. But I doubt you want to walk through needle grass full of large spiders and their queen. Oh did I mention they can speak and reason as well? They’re a race of creatures that came from some island years ago. So before I go on there is another way as well. All we need to find is a balloon and then we fly over it. Oh, wait, there is no Balloon.”

I growl softly at Shadow.

“Do you always have to be a smart ass?”

He laughs.

“Tiria you’re still very new to this wasteland. You’re going to need to understand there is no easy path to do anything. You need to relax and just let me and the others here get you there. Now, how about we set up camp and we take turns standing watch.”

I sigh, nodding.

“Alright, Kip, can you and SIlver make camp?”

Kip turns to look at me smirking. Her horn glows and I notice a tent she never used before pops out of a bag and she gets everything set up real fast. She makes a cozy little camping spot not far from the fields. So we can keep an eye on it and I watch her get the pots and food from Silver. I was asked to be the first one to.

I sat outside the camp just a bit pulling my gun out of the holster. I look at the strange zebra pistol and I see the name of the ones who created it. ‘The property of the Blue Hats.’ Who the heck are the blue hats? I feel a nose poke me a bit looking over to Kip. She is floating a plate of cooked meat.

“Tiria you need to eat please.”

I sigh, putting the pistol back into the holster. I take the meat and Kip smiles. She is so kind and respectful it’s bothering me so much. I glance at her Cutie Mark before moving on. It’s a strange scroll with magic around it. While I eat I hear a heavy metal thump beside me. I take a deep breath sighing.

“Wondering how the war started?”

I glance at Silver nodding.

“How did it start?”

Silver shrugs his robotic shoulders.

“There is history out there on how it started. There is more to it than most know. Some feel it was religion on both sides. Some feel it was because of Oil and diamonds. Another group feels it was because zebras got tired of being treated like second-rate trash.”

I figured I would ask Silver who these Blue hats are.

“Silver I got a question: who are these Blue hats? They made this zebra pistol. Do you know about them?”

Silver takes a second to answer. I have a feeling he is looking through his vast knowledge of how these Blue hats are. I take a deep breath watching back to the field and seeing these rats they were talking about. They’re larger than normal rats. They carry guns and one turns to look at their eyes glowing brightly.

“The Blue hats are a group in a land called Wymarnic there is not much on them and if you do see them from the history of them. It means they have failed to hide from you. The information I have on them is incomplete so I don’t know.”

I sigh, finishing my meat and looking down at the empty plate. I shake my head feeling a tap on my shoulder looking over my shoulder to see Shadow.

“Get some rest, I will watch.”

I stood up nodding to Silver and headed into the tent to rest. I feel myself drift off to sleep when I finally hit the bed feeling so comfy in the bed. It’s a step up from the rocks I used to sleep on back at home. I close my eyes and fall asleep

________

Dreams

I dreamed I was a pony that day. In one of the tanks but what's odd I saw myself. Wait, how did I see myself? I went back to my point of view. While I was tied by many bones and held in that spot. While a large metal beast aimed its gun at me. A voice speaking.

"Yes, keep telling those around you... That the waste has beaten you already, child. You will become dead if you never allow yourself... To ease up and become a small hero of the waste. No need to be a huge helper... But what you could do... The small ways could help in a big way."

The one speaking seems to be a pony ready to fire on me. The gun lowers the bones and comes up over to me looking me over.

“Don’t let the wasteland win little wolf. Do what you need to do and then prove it will never beat you. If the Golem takes control of you. It means you have lost. When the time comes this gun will return.”

I had no idea what this creature was even talking about. I take a deep breath, close my eyes, and sigh. Looking away from the bones feeling a bit concerned about seeing the gun in my vision no matter what I do the gun stays in my vision and I close my eyes to wake up.

__________

Day Eleven.

Opened my eyes to hear gunshots and got out of the tent quickly. Seeing Silver gunner and Shadow firing at ghouls that seemed to be hiding inside the yard of death. But one of the doors of the metal monsters opened up and rat creepers took them down as well. Blinking the creepers coming to us. After it's over, one of them seems to be a female lead guard. They're wearing strange gear. Pots on her head are made of parts of gun gear all around.

"Four legs help Pothead and crew, yes yes. Must take you to leader!!"

The other guard around chants the same. It's just four of them.

"Leader leader!!"

Sighed softly looking at Silver and Kip to take care of all the gear. Then I am pushed to the leader. I look back at Pothead and then at the king. I gulp worried about him.

"Ahem... I am the leader of these ponies and griffins. Why do you wish to take us to your leader?"

Pot head looks at the others and they gather into a small group and whisper to each other. This was strange. The strange brown female rat was swishing her pink tail and looking back at me with her green eyes. Then back to whispering. Then Pot heads back to me and nods.

"YES YES, we will take you to the leader!!"

We followed the Packrat. They opened up one of the old tanks. It leads underground it seems. While a bunch of old tank parts is made into hovels, they lead us to a large throne made in a bunch of old trash guns tanks. The seat turned around showing a giant rat creeper. His left leg was gone and made into a machine gun. That seemed armed and ready to fire. He was dressed in the pure armor of a tank. The Rat creepers chanted his name.

"Cannonball cannonball!"

The rat creeper stood up and lifted his hand. He spoke with an odd voice.

"Welcome to my kingdom. I'm CannonBall. We make a home under parts of this death yard. The past makes good homes. But you seem to be traveling. What brings you to my kingdom? Up above is deadly."

Pot Head bowed, removing her pot, and nodded.

"They helped us with the dead yes... yes favor!!"

The potted rat said.

The large king thought for a moment and stood, looking toward me.

"You come with me."

I nodded and followed him to the back. He started to speak with me as we walked.

"Look around you miss. Generations ago we were removed from the cities. Many rat creepers looked for a home for years. I found this place. The ponies of this world destroyed the world. With their pointless wars and their xenophobic nature. After those bombs feel. We were turned into this. It took a few years. Then the ponies started to kill and murder us. Why don't you trust the pony with you? Someday we might trust them again. But sadly right now no."

He led me to a tank that seemed to be halfway into the ground and here. I started to look around and it looked perfectly cut into the soil. It was an entire home of these creepers. How they did this was amazing. He leads me into his home. It was one room with a bed. I looked around and he had guns in old glass cases. He had a painting of two alicorns. He gave them both a gentle bow. Then he sat in his chair.

"Now let's get down to what I need. I need you to save my subjects and my daughter from a group of raiders. That has taken up camp in an old zebra camp. Now I wish you and the medic pony to go. The metal pony and the griffin stays. They help us clean the mines from the above world. If you do this. You will gain an ally in this world of death."

Sighing, I headed back to the throne and looked at Kip.

"Kip, I need you to come with me."

Kip blinks, nodding following while a group of guards led by Pothead hired Silver Gunner and Shadow. To Disarm the mines. I looked at Pot's head.

"How do I find those raiders?"

Pot head looked at me and she put a claw to her chin and thought a bit.

"OOoo Zebra base to the west."

Sighing and nodding along with Kip followed the path slowly through the area. Seeing more and more of those tanks.

"What a waste."

Sighing softly and looking at Kip who trotted alongside me. With her shotgun floating in her magic. The walk took half an hour. Then we saw an old Zebra camp turned into a small outpost. Looking at the sign. Saying to myself. {Dumbbell outpost.}

I look around the entire area way too silent. This is a base of raiders? Walking into one of the buildings and the Rat Creepers that were kidnapped were healing the wounded ponies from the land mines. The raiders we were told about were not raiders at all. But they were being trained as doctors?

The Rat creeper nurse looked up and she gasped.

"DUMBBELL!!"

She shouted, rushing out and heading to the main building.

The rest of the nurses and raiders turned doctors looked at us and we backed out. following the nurse to the main building. That seemed to be a tent that was old but large as well. Heading inside I look around to see it's a large bar. The tent seems to be expanded inside with old parts from tanks and other things. Making a large metal building. In the middle of a chair was the leader. He stood up and a large stallion earth pony walked toward me and Kip.

"Welcome to my home."

This is strange... I was told by Silver and Kip anyone dressed like raiders must be killed but these?

"Aren't you raiders didn't you kidnap these pack rats?"

Dumbbell shook his head and sighed.

"No one hurt the Pack Rats. But if you're here because of Cannon's daughter. Then you best to the east toward the old pony base. But I take it you're wondering why raider's turned their base into a place like this instead of killing murdering and so on. I took over a few years ago from the former leader. Who I killed then I took a deep look around the old world. Then I thought maybe enough is enough. So being that..the rat creeper's sometimes attacked us. I trotted into one of their attacks. I asked out of kindness to teach us... to heal and trade. Since they're one of the few around here... That can do that."

I had a surprised look on my muzzle so did Kip and I looked down at her.

"Look If I can get the daughter back. Will you work with the rat creepers to clean this area up?"

Dumbbell looked at me while the entire bar of former raiders Rat Creepers and two traders looked up to Kip and me.

"If you can do this miss... Then It might show Wheel tread is enough. But I am sad to say. He is trying so hard to find a cure for what happened to him. The Dumbbells used to run with him. But he made many mistakes in the past..and the older leader left there and took up shop here. But if we could make a community in this graveyard of death. Then we can do much for this wasteland. It's not a big thing... Like The Light bringer and Security are doing."

I blinked looking at Kip

"There are others in this wasteland doing a fight as well? Hmm then maybe I should do what I can... My small choices will add up in this fight. Alright to help this area for the trading and to make it easier to get through... I guess I will. Just tell me what I need to do."

Dumbbell nods and looks at the bar.

"Get them both some drinks and we will talk."

The bartender nods and sets down two bottles for Kip and Tiria as the two sit on chairs made from old junk. Dumbbell sat in a chair near us.

"Now a little warning, what controls the pony base are not only junk dealers. But they call themselves Reaper Junkers. They won't take very kindly to you just walking in. So I say find something very rare in reaper fields to give them it. It's easy to tell what they look like. Just follow the smell. But if you meet their leader first. Sansword you will be fine. Warning he is an old pony. But he will not die... Too crazy."

I drank from the bottle not understanding the taste of this drink. Kip seemed to drink it all down.

"Alright, so where is the best spot to find the best junk?"

Dumbbell chuckled.

"Just look around you might find something. The ponies of old left a lot of treasures."

"I would like to stay here and help teach the raiders here how to be medical ponies. I feel it's needed."

I looked to kip and sighed nodding. Set down the drink and head out of the camp. I started to look through all the old gear on the grounds. I lifted some old tank parts. Seeing bodies that have long turned to dust and sighed. Looking through more I found a holo-tape being held by a dead pony. I broke the bones, grabbed it, and downloaded it. I started to listen. It sounded like a pony crying.

"They're... they're all dead... I... I... don't think... I can make it. To many outsides of the tank that wish to harm me. I killed... the zebra that killed my friends... But... but... I can no longer... go on... I know what I must do then."

The sound of a pin being pulled.

"To anyone who finds this and listens. Please... tell my family... I fought with honor in the end."

The sound of sobbing and the bomb dropping and then static after a boom.

"I wish I could tell your family, sir... But after 200 years... No one cares anymore it seems."

Starting to dig through more. I found an older gun, a pistol. I thought hmm maybe this will work. Heading to the base. Walking past the rat creepers that put Shadow and Silver gunner to work. They seemed to be holding a large bag of land mines. I gave them a wave and kept my path to the junk Reapers. What gave these ponies that name I wonder. Sighing softly and finding this place very lonely. Just see junk and old gear... So far away. I am starting to see why it's called reaper fields.

Looking all over at the dead. I wished I could have gone back in time to help these ponies and Zebras. But Sadly that time is over with. Finding the Junk Reaper was not that hard at all. They built a large complex out of six tanks. Taking them apart and on the wall to the way in. Sansword and dummy leader's of the Junk Reapers. Going inside guns aimed at me from the top. I went into the middle of the complex seeing a red-painted tank. That seemed to be turned into a loader to be driven out to gather junk. It also seems extremely hard to use and to work. I knock on the door on the way inside. Heard a voice inside.

"Open the door dummy!!" It sounded very old.

Inside a stallion sighed and opened the door. It was a young buck. They seemed to be wearing nice-looking suits. As they gave a nice gentle smile.

"Greetings..." He looked at me up and down. "Miss?"

I sighed and nodded.

"Look, I am looking for King Cannonball's daughter. Have you seen her or is she here?"

The buck looked at me and then sighed.

"She was here. She was trying to get us to work together with her father and the Dumbbell raiders. But my father refused to allow it. So she got the gear and went to the bog. To take care of ghouls that find their way in here. She went alone."

My eyes went wide and stared at the old stallion and went to him. As guns are aimed at me...

"Listen... I am not in the mood for your politics, you worthless ponies. If this world is going to live. You all need to let go of your oh. I am better than your logic ..and get the fuck out of your asses. I am sick and tired..of going from place to place. Only seeing it's every pony for themselves. Oh yes, how silly of you... I am sure the ones of the past did the same... The reason your worthless world is fucking dead."

My eyes were full of rage. I wished to stay calm but seeing this and how all ponies and different races of this land acted finally made me snap. They were getting ready to fire at me but the other stallion told them to lower their weapons. The old stallion said a racist comment.

"Get out of here you mangy mutt and go rape your kind." The old one yelled.

"POP!! Enough she is right. Now if you make a small table in the middle of the field we will come and speak about working together... But you should go find King cannon's daughter."

The old stallion stood up and blinked...

"No, I will not allow this Dummy, you dummy!! Ooooh, Lilly, you hear that... I am coming to join you, honey. Your dummy son. I Want to help those that want to steal from us. OH!!"

The stallion sighed and let his father do this.

"We will both be there. Also, my name is Montyhoof. My mother had an odd sense of humor."

I sighed and left letting the old stallion have a fake heart attack. Checking the bottle caps I was given. Just a few. Heading out the north way in. To get to the bog to stop this crazy rat female. Walking through a path made by the Junk reapers. Heading into the bog looking around for the moment. Heard gunshots running towards the sounds. The sound's seeing a rat creeper cut up a bit. Rushing in, I grabbed my pistol and fired a few to look back at her.

"Get out of here... Go back to your father... I will be there soon."

The female Rat nodded and rushed off as I backed up, taking out as many of the ghouls as I could. Uses the pistol to fire the ammo into many of the ghouls. My gun was about to run out of ammo. The ghouls just kept rushing. Some even came out of the bog slime. The Zebra pistol was kicked out of my hand and flew into a puddle of bog water. Taking my sword and slicing through more ghouls. But I was about to lose this battle. I was getting bitten and kicked. Feeling pain in my body. As one of my arms was grabbed by the mouth of a ghoul and the bone shattered.

The ghouls backed up from me. I stood there with my armor broken in many spots. Blood drained from many wounds. The arm that had the pip-buck broken. Holding my sword in my other. Was this the battle that was going to end me? Was my journey going to end here? The adrenalin filled my veins. I felt the pain vanish for a time. I started to swing and my sword was kicked out of my hand and stabbed into the ground. It started to slowly rain. I looked at all the ghouls going around me. Using one moveable arm left. I punched one hard enough that it flew back. Then grabbing the leg of another that gnawed at my hand and I smashed another ghoul into the other. I knew this was a losing battle. Being trained as a warrior... Never got you ready for unrelenting zombies.

Being kicked in my chest again and then a few bones in my chest were broken. The left leg is a bit hurt as well. The ghouls started gnawing at me. The eyesight started to go dark and fade. Losing all feeling in my body as my body was slowly shutting down from all the pain. I saw the ghouls getting shot. But I thought I was just dreaming. A group of Rat Creepers along with the princess Shadow and Silver gunner helped carry me away. While the rat creepers backed up taking out the ghouls. My sword and gun were left behind both getting covered by the rain falling from the sky.

0000

Dreams all I could see were dreams. Dreaming of the land of Equestria itself turning into a golem and standing there in front of me. It pointed at me. While a lone pony in a hat, a large brown removing the scarf from his face, and the voice came from my mouth.

"I thought I-" I was about to finish when I got cut off.

The ghoul laughed softly and spoke. The raider ghoul I thought I killed in the basement of the apartment building. I spoke out laughing.

"Killed me..? In a sense, you killed yourself..." The ghoul spoke again laughing. "...It seems that reports of my... 'Survival' has been greatly exaggerated."

I had a look of Terror on my face. As I spoke softly with fear in my voice. "This isn't possible..." The ghoul added with a dark smile his eyes glowing darkly. He starts to grow larger along with the golem to show. The pain of the waste that has come. His voice rang out again "OH, I assure you; it is..."

So much fear and sorrow in my voice. When I spoke I felt sadness "How...?"

The ghoul laughed and turned his head from me speaking again. "Not how, but... -Why-?" He turned to me with the golem beside him lifting me and he started to speak again the words harsh as tears streamed from my eyes. "-You-... were never meant to come to the Wasteland."You; an exile... born from the ancestry of an outdated sense of a 'Warrior'..." "Instead of taking the role of a pillager; a hunter made flesh... A Raider in sheep's clothing."

In other words, the golem ripped off my skin to show under the skin I am but a raider, not a hero not a warrior. But a raider is an empty soul. The golem just stared as I spoke out trying to make heads or tails of this. "... What happens out here is out of our control--" I said, trying to counter. "Is it true, 'Warrior'? None of the deaths you caused would've happened if you had just... STOPPED... But, on your march, carrying the weight of the burdens of the dead behind you... and for what...?"

The ghoul turned away, making the war happen in front of me he turned back to me and growled in his voice. "A war caused by the stupidity of the Ponies well over 200 years ago...? But, you weren't there, were you..? You had the luxury of avoiding the hardships and struggles they faced leading up to today... You and your bastard race thriving from the chaos; you're no Savior; your talents lie elsewhere..."

He kept forcing me to watch the war. 'I killed him back in the apartment... This can't be real, this can't be!!' I said to myself. I felt this pain growing inside my heart. I felt pain in my arms and I started to be treated like a puppet and the ghoul started to speak again with a smile on his dead lips. "The truth is, 'warrior', that you're here because you thought that you had some higher calling when in reality, you're merely a puppet to the Wasteland itself; don't believe me? The Golem itself has already been molding you; shaping you into the killer you truly are."

I started to sob as the golem moved me like some sick doll as I spoke out in anguish. "All the deaths... All the killings... IT ISN'T MY FAULT!!!!" I said with deep sobs. The ghoul laughed at that. As the golem that is the wasteland itself just kept making me into the mold it wished. I couldn't move, I couldn't fight back, I could just be the puppet.

The ghoul laughed and smiled softly and spoke again in an echo. "It takes a being of strong willpower to deny what's right in front of them. And if the truth is undeniable... you create your own. -I'm- here because you can't accept whatever you did and will have done; it broke you... You needed someone to blame, so you cast it on me, the ones you -have- killed and -will- kill..."

As he spoke, the ponies I killed early in my journey before I met shadow. The raiders threatened to rape me. The ghoul in front of me was the man that killed his wife. Misty Moon was there to kill her. Then I saw the husk of Silver Gunner, Kip, Shadow, and The raven that has been following me. Even faces of ponies I haven't even seen yet. Some in strange armor... I was told it is Steel Ranger and Enclave. I saw these husks of the dead. As the Golem itself became the waste gathering the pain it held. The waste was a golem in the heart of many. It broke so many times before me. All I could feel was the pain... the anguish, the death...

The dream went to a room of reflection, the golem standing over me still using me like a puppet. I looked around to see one big solid mirror and I was standing by the ghoul as he had his hoof wrapped around me. As he was laughing and seemed to play on my mind. He was painting something I couldn't see yet. He was speaking and laughing.

"No matter how hard I would try... I never could escape the reality of what happened here. -That-... was my downfall."

The ghoul pony brushes the last bit of paint on the painting, stepping back slowly with a satisfied yet sickening smile. "There! Finished!" He'd set the paintbrush down in a makeshift can that held other paintbrushes, eyeing me. "I hope you like it."

My eyes couldn't believe it was the golem that allowed me to walk forward. "What the hell's going on...?" I asked "...Your eyes are opening for the first time... It hurts... doesn't it..." The ghoul pony gestured for me to step closer as I did, looking in disbelief and anger as I heard his voice again. "Go on... Tell me what you think..." I saw a painting of all those I killed, even those I haven't yet. My eyes grew with anger as the ghoul spoke again. With a dark laugh "You did this..." The ghoul pony smiled briefly before becoming stoic, eyeing me. "No. -You- did. Your actions caused the deaths of countless lives. Someone has to pay for your crimes, Tiria. Who's it gonna be...?"

"Is this... some kind of sick joke?"

Asking with a growl "You tell me..." The ghoul said, "I'm done playing games, whoever you are." I try to move away but..he forms in front of me.

"I assure you, Tiria, that -this-... is no game..." The ghoul kept playing with me. As he laughed dancing around me in the mirror. The golem lifted me and pulled my gun out of my holster. The golem wanted me to do something. Then I noticed the ghoul aiming his gun at me. He spoke to me laughing. "I know the truth is hard to hear, Tiria... But, it's time. You're all alone... all that's left. And we both know that this lie can't go on forever... So..."

He lifted his gun as the ghoul spoke. "Here's what will happen; I'm gonna count to 5... Then I'm pulling' the' trigger..." I watched as he lifted his gun to my head and he smirked. "...Make your choice."

I was unsure what to do during this time. I was scared out of my ever-loving wits. shaking in my body, pain filling and I said scared and crying. "...No... No, you're not real; this isn't real... It's all in my head..." The ghoul laughs and smiles speaking "Are you sure? Maybe it's mine... One!" I screamed back at him, tears falling from my face. "No... Everything... All of this... This is YOUR doing!" The ghoul chuckles and looks at me. "Well, if that's how you feel then SHOOT ME! Two!" I cocked my gun and laughed, crying and sobbing. "I... I didn't mean to hurt anybody..." The ghoul looks at me and frowned softly "...No one ever does, Tiria. Three!"

I lifted my gun getting ready to fire the ghoul as well and laughed softly.

"Four..."

The ghoul pony glared at me, gun held tightly…

"...Is this TRULY what you want..."

My eyes filled with tears and then he would scream the last final word. The last final word that would give me this choice. If I thought of killing myself... I would have given up. If I let him shoot me I accept everything. If I choose nothing then I focus on what I have done. I keep following that path.

"FIVE!!"

BAM!!

Footnote: Level up

Perk added

Ghoul immunity: You gain some immunity to ghouls if there are too many like before, though you will feel a great amount of fear when they’re close to you and it will lower your damage and your armor.