Fallout Equestria: Dragon Fire

Chapters

Chapter One: Concrete Sky
Chapter Two: Vivacious Spring
Chapter Three: Topside
Chapter Four: Nature of the Mind
Chapter Five: New Life

Chapter One: Concrete Sky

Three dim industrial lights illuminated the impressive, yet undoubtedly outdated, topographical map of the Reyzar bay. Three seats had been filled, one less than the usual crowd. This was far from an ordinary meeting however. Papers and manila folders, some older than any living inhabitants of Stable-Z, stretched around past the dozens of empty chairs. From a glance you would never be able to tell that this rusted hole was once a war room for the most powerful military Equius had ever seen.

“All things considered, it might be best to just open the door and peek outside, if only to return some semblance of order.” The mare leading the discussion said with both hooves on the elliptical meeting table.

“You know a party would accomplish the same thing.” Stonesaddle said mildly towards Oakshade. “I’m sure we could find a reason to make up a new holiday.” He had managed to maintain a light sensibility despite the length of this meeting and his position as head of the Ministry of Wartime Technologies, M.W.T for short, not that the title mattered. The Ministries had been dead for hundreds of years, assumably anyway.

“Not if we want to be prepared. I highly doubt anyone on the surface would be amicable, but that doesn’t outweigh the benefits of knowledge.” The mare’s jewelry, a pair of golden loop earrings and a bronze necklace, jingled as she looked directly at the faces around the table. “An expedition would bring in supplies and information- we may even come to find what befell the princesses.”

“What do we need more of exactly?” A heavily built gentlecolt wearing his carefully primed military attire learned forward pointedly. Several sleeves were decorated with patches rather than metals. “Our orchard is running as efficient as ever, we’ve got spare water modules to last us another 150 years and your obsession with the princesses is not going to hold in an argument where the lives of the ponies under my command are threatened.” Granite leaned back rolling into a more slouched position. “At the moment I don’t like the idea of even sending one person out into that abyss let alone- what was it” he gestured to Oak. “-round five?”

“Six, though if we really want to ensure their safety we have to account for both the possibility of survivors and the need of maintaining secrecy all while ensuring superior firepower to whatever we may encounter.” She crossed her legs. “Six is a minimum for a survey team, you know that.”

“There’s no reason to believe this won’t blow over in a few months.”

“We can’t simply push this issue off on another generation!” Oakshade cut off Stonesaddle. “If this unrest about the damn reactor keeps going on people are going to question our judgement in ignoring it. You might not think they are all that capable of much, but what if something did go wrong? We would be forced to make a decision biased towards exploring the outside or face an uprising as ponies died and every last life line was bled dry. An evacuation would leave us entirely unprepared for existence on the outside. Where would we be if we waited til then?” Stonesaddle looked back toward the roof no longer enjoying this conversation.

“That’s a big leap in assumption Oak. The reactor will be fine, Torbernite said she and the mechanics were figuring out what could have cause that momentary spike in radiation and that there was no logical reason why it happened. Just a fluke-“

“A fluke which hospitalized my daughter lets not forget. How many more flukes do you think we will have from that ancient machine huh?” She said stabbing a hoof towards Stonesaddle resisting the urge to make things personal. “But…” she pressed on with an exasperated sigh. “What’s the worst that could happen from a peek outside? Stable-Z was hidden beautifully during the war. That must have been a nightmare to accomplish. We need to follow the Stable’s directives. I don’t know why it took this long for us to even come to this discussion, but if there is something out there, we really do need to know.”

The omnipresent whirling from the fan above doted the silence. Granite sniffed once and papers were shuffled.

“An away team of six... would be fine.” He said before looking off to Stonesaddle who simply nodded before grasping a glass, etched with a trio of apples, with his magic and taking a drink. “I’ll notify the Overmare of our decision.”

“Well this ought to be fun...” Oak stretched, stood then stepped away. She gave a passing glance for just a moment too long towards the ventilation shaft before moving out with the other members.

Shit shit shit shit shit. I had nearly been caught spying on Council once, twice would have really ruined my track record. Thankfully I decided to be a bit smarter this time, hide in a different location and not make a racket louder than the annual wine festival while backing up.

Now you might think that some place as important as the meeting room for the highest ranking members of the Stable would be more secure than that, and it probably was at one point. But not now, not when there was so much second-hoof ductwork and half completed repair jobs using old and rusted bolts.

Typical that I had to be born in this dump where there was next to nothing to do; spying on the council provided some juicy gossip, as well as a weekly dose of adrenaline. Working on the reactor, though a bit demanding at times, was not exactly what you would call exciting, no matter how important the Overmare said it was.

I guess it was good that finally something was going to happen, that maybe on the other side of that door the world finally got its shit together and there was civilization that didn’t involve a military dictatorship. Hell, the princesses would probably pull things off better than those steel spined brats. I removed the last of the screws with my magic and the vent cover clanged to the ground just a bit too loudly. A quick glance in both directions was enough assurance for me.

“So how did it go June?” Turnip, a sickly purple pegasus colt asked from around the corner. He had been waiting for the news and keeping an eye out.

“Looks like we might have ourselves an adventure after all.” I smiled as we walked out of maintenance and towards the cafeteria.

Stable-Z may have been drab but the populace always had a way of dealing with it as best they could. This particular hallway, for instance, had a colorful bit of graffiti detailing the exact length of the stick that was shoved up the Overmare’s bum. Security had tried to get rid of it but only managed to get it halfway before running out of paint. Funny, the rebels always seemed to have more than enough to go around.

I say rebels but what I really mean are the worst scourge this world has ever known. Teenagers. Thank goodness I graduated from that years ago. You couldn’t blame them though, living in an enclosed space stretched to the population limit wasn’t fun for no one.

“So anymore talk? I heard from Ross that there was more discussion about looking outside.” Turnip clearly didn’t care for art but was nearly bouncing with his racing mind.

“Looks like they are actually going to do it- send a team out into what's left of Roam, and they even have a good reason too.” I leaned over a bit grinning. “They are afraid the zonies will piss themselves.” It came off as intended, diminutive and cocky,. “The reactor scare seemed to be enough for them to get off their collective rear ends and make a decision.”

“June... “ He tried to raise a question.

“What?” I shot him a flat look. “I’ll give them credit now, but when did they do anything when the lights in the orchard went down for three days before miraculously turning back on? We could have at least sent out volunteers.” We ducked under some hissing pipes and moved into a more illuminated section approaching the stairs.

“Ok, that's fair, but security isn’t all about making rash decisions about ‘the survival of our Stable’.”

“Yea it is.” Ok so maybe I couldn’t help being opinionated about the subject. My mom was on the council, Oakshade in case you didn’t catch that and my dad was working his way up the ranks in security. I had the right to be biased.

“Whatever, the point is they are doing it, they are really doing it. The door is going to open and we are going to experience the great unknown-”

“-And probably contract some diseases in the process.” He laughed and I smiled. “Besides they are only sending six people, and who knows who they’ll choose.”

“Oh, of course it would be a small recon team.” His expression fell as he let out a sigh.

“Hey… maybe if everything is alright outside they will let some of us explore and live there, you know, if it isn’t a total wasteland. I even bet the clouds would be empty!” I gave him a reassuring nudge. He may never actually be able to fly high enough to touch a cloud, but maybe hope helped? The half hearted grin he gave told me it was about as crappy a prediction as I expected. We went up a few staircases, our hoofsteps clanging and echoing off the concrete and steel before having to part ways.

“So I’ll see you for cards tonight?” Turnip stopped to look back at me as a pair of gold covered guards pushed past politely.

“Yep.” I nodded before making my way up a floor myself until I came to the one floor to rule them all. The cafeteria. They were serving daisy soup today, which was odd as it was Tuesday and it was a general rule that Tuesday's had to suck. Crowded as always around noon, I maneuvered around the outer columns and on my way past a pair of tiny fillies who still tried to assault me with hugs every time I past. They knew my route, I should have known they were planning a sneak attack.

“Juney!!!” Oh no. And so came the awkward leg clinging. I tried out working for the daycare once and somehow managed to get the twins obsessed with me. It wasn’t the worst of fates to be loved, considering some of the occupants were less huggy and more grabby. Lets just say I lost a noticeable percentage of hair that day and move on.

“Well look what we have here! Lake and Cake.” If I exaggerated the words enough maybe they would be entertained just long enough for me to slip away and get some grub. They both grinned a silly grin and clung as I ruffled their manes one after another.

“We missed you Juney!” Cake said as Lake chimed in with a quick “Yea!”

“Aweee? I missed you both too! Have you been nice to the other foals, or do you cling just as much on them as on me?”

“Mommy says you can never love a friend too much!” Lake stuttered in agreement.

“Eh, your mother is right, and eh…” I glanced at the servers and then out into the crowd hoping to find Loving Rivers but to no avail. “As long as they don’t become your… coltfriend?”

“EWWWWWWW!” They shouted before giggling and hugging closer. Ok that was loud…

“B-but why don’t you show me where your mommy is?” They complied and dragged me towards a table far far away.

“Afternoon June!”

“Afternoon.” I said to whoever made the statement and to anyone else who commented as we braved the hundred of zipping striped bodies. Zebras parted way and held their trays close, the rabid twins had a reputation and which they weren't going to lose anytime soon.

I was garnering enough looks as it was with the twins but there was no denying the numerous pairs of eyes flittering over in my direction for another reason. Each open smile and warm greeting only served to aggravate me. One accident and then suddenly everyone has to be nice. That was bull but whatever.

“Ahhhh miss Torernite, what a lovely surprise!” Oh so funny. I didn’t put much effort into a response.

“Yea, just… keep a hold of your foals this time ok?” I tried to turn and dart away but Cake was still snuggled up against me.

“Oh but they adore you! And you know what they say, keeping a foal occupied is a full time job!” She let out a refined laugh while I just bunched my eyes and sighed. As easy as it would have been for me to attack her current employment status I refrained.

“Alright. Cake, Lake. Stay.” Somehow that worked and they sat on the bench. I worked to overcome the volume of the crowd. “I am going to get food, and then,” I bit my lip knowing I was going to regret this, “we can play-”

“Yay!” another hug.

“-or… something.” At least I was going to be able to grab lunch.

Part of the way through my surprisingly unattacked chewing session, the Intercom rang and what could only be described as the most annoying voice in the world started speaking.

“Greeting citizens of Stable-Z, I have an important announcement concerning the recent rumors that have been spreading pertaining to the unsealing of the Stable. I am putting them to rest as it has been decided…” A noticeable pause hung in the fragrant air. “that a team will be sent to the surface in the coming weeks.”

Talk about impatience, it had been what, an hour?

Now I don’t usually try to over exaggerate things, but what ensured was half panic, half shock as screams and confused shouts rang out making the guards by the door motion for everyone to settle down. It took a bit of time though so we missed some of the super important speech that would be a landmark for years to come, not that I cared as I continued to munch through the chaos.

“-have come up with the roster of who will be on the away team.” one clearing of the throat later she continued. “Brushfire,” he was a stoic dust brown full blooded zebra, not a bad choice for a team lead, “Topaz and Jaguar for fire support.” A pair of earthbound friends, chosen probably more due to their connections with Stonesaddle than their ability to carry a firearm, “June Torbernite for surveying, data collection and scientific input...” The tray I was eating from was suddenly covered in lukewarm soup as my telekinetic grasp vanished. There was a hush of silence as the zonies around me failed to subtly gaze in my direction. My jaw pulled up then my low lip curled over my upper as I slowly sat down.

They were going outside… and I was tech support!?!

Well maybe they had their reasons for choosing a stunning mare such as myself… Maybe it was publicity, what with my involvement with that whole ‘radiation leak’ thing. Mom no doubt wanted a good show so that I wouldn’t be vilified by all the engineers anymore. Personally I thought I was doing just fine with my mandatory month long leave. Or they made a mistake.

Wait what the hell. “I’m going outside.” My voice broke and shook as the Overmare called out the next names.

“Lastly are support specialist Oxide and the Ministry of Wartime Technologies Nimbus.” Oxide had trained to be a sniper with the military since she was twelve and Nimbus had a big fancy steel suit with self propelled rockets strapped to the side. “As of right now all of you are to report at once to General Stonesaddle’s office in the M.W.T Barracks. All of your questions will be answered in person. I understand that this represents a very drastic change in the lives of every member of this Stable. It was not an easy decision to arrive at and I hope you will all understand. Alpha team will conduct a one day scouting mission two weeks from today after which point in time our questions as to the status of the outside world will be put to rest once and for all. There will be another broadcast everyday at 1800 hours detailing the council’s response to any appropriate questions. Simply submit a questionnaire outside of room 200 and your voice will be heard. May the Sun guide us and Moon protect us in these trying times.”

The gallop towards the barracks was filled with fright and pain. Every hoof step closer I could feel my fur crawl and my heart heave. I skid around a corner almost bumping into Mister Treehoof, the elementary school teacher and let out a guilty apology as I sped up.

This was wrong. There were times when I thought I would love to go on an adventure and trot around out in the radioactive wastes but being actually faced with the possibility… that was more terrifying than death. Ok maybe not, but hey I can’t help my imagination run wild sometimes. Something about going with an armed death squad bothered me too, though that was less… insane? than actually leaving home in the first place.

And let's get this straight, this was my home. I was born here, I worked here, I would probably retire and have foals one day (nope) before dying of old age. That's the way it was and Tartarus if I didn’t want keep it that way.

Maybe it won’t be that bad? Maybe the zebras we fought and killed for years before ruthlessly vaporizing their continent won’t hate us. Or maybe everything will have grown back and only a few small animal species will have survived the blast. Maybe we’ll be the only sentient ones left? That was… depressing. If it was true, then the exchange of megaspells from the great war was worse than we thought and nothing survived. If it was false then… well the surface would be anything other than friendly. Some people, not I, had even elected to believe that there was simply nothing out there altogether.

Eventually I worked myself out of this mood and found the door with the five other members out front of it. Brushfire stood still and maintained his attention on the far wall. Oxide wore a sparkling yellow dress and couldn’t be bothered to look up from her book as she sat on a bench. Beside her Topaz and Jaguar made snarky comments under their breath to each other. Nimbus stood alone and imposing in his armor, regardless of the lack of helmet, whilst tapping a hoof in agitation. Slowing my approach one or two looked my direction and I did my best to hide the discomfort of their gaze. Whatever conversation existed between them ceased and the group was left in an electric silence for a few minutes.

“So are you excited?” Topaz shuffled up next to Oxide who let out an uninterested grunt.

“Excited, no. Anxious, yes. It means no cleaning latrines.” She came off as intimidating and direct, I figured it was more of an act but with eyes that red, I wasn’t about to take any chances.

“And what about you Torbernite?” She smiled widely over a shoulder. Her huge fluttering eyes would have generally insinuated something but it appeared that she was always mildly flirtatious. I teetered and back peddled.

“Fuck this, I’m not going out there! I don’t care what the general says! He isn’t even a real general anyway. Why do I need to come?!?” Not my most eloquent moment.

“Because you were born and raised under the security and support of Stable Z.” The door had just barely opened and boy was Stonesaddle not looking too hot. Of course right then neither was I. There was evidence of a bit of alcohol on his breath and he had had a change of outfit since I last saw him. The simple garb with stripes and symbols was replaced by an enchanting suit of gold armor. He would have looked like proper guard if not for some extra squiggles and accessories that, honestly, were too pretentious to describe. “If you all are done chatting,” He barked the word “I suggest we get moving.”

So we did.

It was quiet again as we cut our way through the room past the over sized desk. I had never been in the general's office though the glaring sparsity came as no surprise. He had only a terminal, a stack of papers, some pens and a book, The Lunar Accent, on the stained desk. Oh and a massive bottle of prewar alcohol of some-sort. Did I mention we had a few crates of vodka locked up in storage for only the council’s use? No? Well I guess that adds to the list of things that would make me want to follow my mother’s hoofsteps. That illegal stuff made from spoiled apples just tasted like a radroach curry with a half a kilo of abraxo cleaner mixed in. We were quickly back outside into a different section of the barracks proper.

“So then. When we gather before the council, you will not speak unless spoken to and you will wear the traditional garb. Maintain some decorum for Celestia’s sake. Other than that all the important details will be discussed there.” He didn’t turn to face us as we walked. Some of the guards saluted as we walked. “Your dressing rooms are on the right of the hallway.” He pivoted less than gracefully before puffing out his shoulders and looking at nobody in particular.

“You have half an hour to report to the Council’s chamber, Dismissed.”

“So tell me again why I am coming with the trained killers? I didn’t even join the corps, remember?” I was sitting in the tiniest of rooms trying on armor with Oakshade who just loved to accessory me until I could hardly breathe.

“Simple, you are the smart one, you keep the dumb ones in line.” Oh I like the sound of that. “Also you are a unicorn who can survey the grounds above and provide unique insight on any potential dangers.” She didn’t even bat an eye as she levitated bracers onto me and strapped them tight. Surprisingly this one didn’t make my leg feel like my hoof was falling off.

“Making maps and taking pictures, what fun! Especially when you could be slowly dying of radiation sickness, or swiftly dying of an acute case of bullet in the brain.” I would have liked to say that it sounded like fun but really, how interesting can a bombed out landscape be?

What will sleeping on the surface be like? What will the stars look like first hoof? What will the wildlife be like after 200 years of intense radiation exposure? Will there even be any radiation left after all this time? Surely after the rainy seasons came by most of it would be gone. But wait! The nuclear winter would have trapped much of it in the ground as the earth froze. Thank goodness we have those water purification tablets-

*Click* “huh?” I looked down and saw the last piece of armor fitted over my chest. “Well that was quick.”

“Not really, you just had one of those moods where you look off into the distance and try to think about something. I merely took the opportunity.”

“Oh bleeehhhh. Save your fancy talk mother, you’ve probably practiced field stripping a lot more than your rifle.” I gave her a sly wink to which she just rose up on her hooves and backed away.

“You shouldn’t talk about your father like that.” She was clearly hiding her blushing as she took pieces of armor laying on the ground and placed them on racks.

“Nahhh I was more commenting about Mr Tinges little journey over to your bedroom-“

“That was one time two years-“ she spun around trying to lecture me with a piece of leather.

“-last Monday” I grinned at her then eyed the strap. “And I can only guess what you two did to the poor stallon all geared and greased up, ready to go.”

“Young lady- when-“ She paused flushed and chuckling with her head low and a smile. “You win, you win… but in all seriousness you have to be presented to the Overmare and the rest of the council in about fifteen minutes.”

We finished in two before I clunkily shuffled out the door.

“And for your information the sex was great, not that you would know anything about getting laid.” Well that wasn’t very nice. She laughed and headed her own direction but not before waving a hoof.

Enter the boring meeting, but hey I lived for these apparently. After all, you can’t understand nuclear reactors by just moping around. I took my seat by Topaz, who was keenly staring her boyfriend down off the polished armor worn by Granite. Blehhhh that’s a disgusting thought, keep it moving, think of… the impending peril awaking you outside, or something, like that book about the cat with rad poisoning that grew a second tail from its neck…

This was the first time I had actually been in the famous room. In front of us across the table were the four chairs, three for the council, one for the Premier-I mean Overmare. None wore happy looks, though I think mom was doing her best not to stare in my direction. With a shuffling of chairs and exchange of greetings the Overmare began.

“Let's get straight to the point. You six will survey the immediate area outside of the Stable, you will conduct a 24 hour mission above ground and will maintain radio silence as we will be closing the door after you leave and only at that 24 hour mark will it be open again. You are to keep away from natives. firearms are to be utilized at your discretion for self defense. If a team member gets lost or is not at the door when the time elapses they are to be presumed dead and no search party will be sent out for them. In the event of total squad annihilation it is unlikely that another team will be sent out in the near future.

Only in case of emergencies will the uses of radio to communicate with Stable-Z be allowed while the door is open, in which case code name ‘fieldzone’ will be used to indicate Stable-Z and ‘hoofball 1’ etc with your team numbers will be used instead. You will not receive a response, but depending on information given, a decision will be reached as to your fate and if another team should venture to your aid. The mission begins in two weeks time, after which you will be sent out at 1200 hours and return at 1200. You will be present at the barracks at 1000 for preparation.”

“Now I know none of you want to consider the possibility, but it does exist…” The Overmare took off her glasses and leaned in closer, “that you will die. Just as likely is that you will have to kill. Weigh these two in your mind heavily in the next few days. If there are any complaints make them, if there are any suggestions, go ahead and talk with team leader Brushfire who will be in charge of each individual's gear.” Nothing.

“Then I will see you all in two weeks time. The council will fill you in on the minutia. The barracks will be open to mandatory live fire practice. Be there in twenty minutes and again at 0830 daily. Additionally, each member of the team will be given survival training. Shape up… and, good luck.” She pushed herself away from the table and wheeled away with a cough as the rest of us stood up.

And then without a moment's pause after the closing of the door- “That doesn’t fucking sound like fun! How do I opt out of this?!?” I hoofed it over to mom, she was on the bloody council for crying out loud she could get me out of this death trap.

“No, you are the right mare for the job.” Oakshade squinted and shook her head. “I chose you.” I was taken aback and attempted to mouth off before she started again. “You didn’t notice that?”

“I-I… Of course I knew, B-but you just didn’t know that I really don’t want to go out there.”

“Then simply don’t make it about you.” Granite said still sitting in his seat, obviously resisting the urge to tell me that I was violating some protocol or something I didn’t give a shit about.

“Wait, Berry not making this whole thing about her? Not in a million years.” I had really come to hate that name. Juniper Berry Torbernite left me with plenty of options, but Berry sounded trite or just plane stupid at times.

“Bin, it, kitty.” I looked down at jaguar who looked, haha ready to pounce. Not before his marefriend though.

“You don’t have to come you know. Sure you would have to break a few bones first, but I could help with that.” She smiled at me.

That fucking bitch. I took a moment before pondering my response.

“You know what, fuck you! I’ll come along and watch, I’ll probably be twice the shot as you two deadbeats.” That was a lie, that was a terrible terrible lie and would probably be my downfall but hey, I guess I still had two weeks to decide.

“Fine, bring it on.” My mother let out some kind of muffled expletive. This whole time I was rather sure Stonesaddle and Granite were placing beds.

I would have liked to imagine that our first live fire practice would have been more momentous and miraculous, filled with bull’s-eyes and the precision of a sharpshooter. Instead the six of us managed to: break a door; nearly go deaf; ricochet and almost kill each other; take out a steam pipe boiling the target (hey it still worked, now it was clean AND dead ); and end the life of a poor poor radroach. Full auto weapons just are not meant to be fired indoors, but I guess foresight made the farmers suddenly need to tend to their orchards.

It was unclear as to a winner, mostly we just tried to shake off the embarrassment of getting bruised by our own weapons. Hell I'm a unicorn and the rifle decided to cave my nose in. How the heck was I supposed to know it kicked like that?!? I had never seen Oxide shoot before, but judging by the single hole in the paper dummy's head through which every one of her bullets flew through, I think it would be safe to say we were going to be alright. I did particularly like how skillful Brushfire was; He hit the target every time, even if it wasn't nearly as elegant as it could have been he still displayed a kind of certain alluring poise when he trotted away…

“Fuck…” I had to stop walking towards my room for a sex- I mean second.

Nimbus was a sight to behold. His father was so proud that Nimbus would be the first true steel ranger to experience combat in 200 years. Turns out mini-guns don’t really need to be accurate, but based his quivering, I think it's safe to say Granite won’t be coming down again anytime soon.

And just like that we all had our first experiences shooting walls dressed like ponies. I couldn’t wait for the grenades, though they would probably just make us throw rocks. Hey I guess those numbskulls had that advantage there; I couldn’t throw for shit.

I hadn’t realized it at the time but I trotted out of the shooting range with my armor on. We we instructed to practice and run laps with a few dozen or so kilograms because endurance training and what not. That explained the strange looks I was getting.

“And around I go…” I chucked brushing off the incident at first. “It really does fit amazingly, I must say, the engineers way back when really knew their anatomy and physiology.” Yet even as I returned, the looks became… glaring, or obvious at least. Some thought I didn’t deserve the honor of wearing the CRG (Celestial Royal Guard) armor or some other shit like that no doubt. Others simply nodded and wished me luck in a hushed tone, even granny Bri waved from her door. One thing was obvious though.

I was popular! Probably not in the best kind of way. A Stable of 1459 doesn’t give you much breathing room, but that wasn’t about to stop us from having our celebrities. We had a singer that died about 70 years ago who was barely passable especially when compared with the likes of Sweetie Bell. Nevertheless, there were a few recordings but rarely was anything new ever recorded, we just didn’t have an audio studio or half decent equipment other than what was used to, you know, kill ponies.

“So do you get to learn about E.F.S. ?”

“SHIT Turnip, you know one of these days I am just going to whip around and have to bop you on your head with something hard.” I caught my breath and continued walking.

“Eyes front sparkle. The hostility indicating magic?” He quieted down a bit and trotted closer.

“Oh yea they mentioned they would be taking the civilian restrictions off of our pipbucks. When the hell did you show up anyway like five minutes ago? Meh I don’t care.” I pulled him in for quick hug before he pushed me away.

“Eww!”

“Yea too much. So, uh I guess we won’t be playing cards tonight huh?” Before he could speak I started again. “Don’t, bet all my rations ok?”

“I haven’t finished painting that last ace, but no promises.” He grinned.

“You know you really are smarter than you look sometimes, though I guess for you that’s not too hard.”

“You used that one a week ago.”

“Really?” He nodded. “Huh, I guess I really do need to get out of this tomb to get some new material for insulting my favorite brother huh?” Turnip give me a sly smile.

“What if Brushfire was related to us?” Apparently I was that pathetically easy to read.

“LUNA I SWEAR YOU ARE TRYING TO RUIN A BEAUTIFUL THING!”

I’ll be honest, I didn’t sleep too well that night, or the nights after it. There was just this overwhelming sense of dread and a crazy amount of energy permeating every inch of the Stable. Everypony was hoping all kind of things and talking talking talking. Some of the other team members had parties to celebrate the occasion. It was easy to be cynical and play them off as a farewell but I had tried to stay away from that frame of mind, no matter how pestering it became.

I just sat quietly and read with a fierce determination. There had to be a way to know what was out there on the other side of that door. I didn’t want to talk to anypony just because I was suddenly a celebrity. In fact I would have enjoyed talking with some of my closer friends, but who knows where they went off to.

But yea… It would have been nice to have some real nice conversations and discussions, but the only thing people could think about was the crazy mission. As if the outside ever mattered before, now it was as if everyone suddenly became a poet, philosopher and priest. I was, perhaps for the first time in a long time… lonely. Well bored as well, but mainly lonely. And I didn’t like it.

I did notice as the days wore on and my aim got better. It had already been a week and I didn’t know how much more hiding and shooting and reading I could do. Thankfully I wasn’t the only one with their head in the clouds. Nimbus was experienced in his power armor, he had trained in the darn thing for half a decade and wore it as if it was a second skin. With each passing day however he said less and less growing more reclusive than myself. What he did say consisted of blunt responses aimed at our lack of etiquette since it seemed like we were raised in… well, a Stable.

There had been at least a few times when I had seen him walk into Granite’s office stiff as a board but then exit half an hour later with heavy hooves. No one else would acknowledge it or perhaps they didn’t see it. Not doing anything had left a lump in my throat for the last time.

“Hey talk with me.” I pulled Nimbus aside, no easy task in that bloody armor let me tell you.

“Woah uh sure. What can I do for you?” His voice was muffled.

“What is this a game? What can I do for you? Pffftttt! I wanted to say sorry your dad was giving you such a hard time and all, I know my father's been a bit overbearing but Granite I could NOT imagine him sitting on my back for 2 straight weeks.” I chuckled awkwardly and glanced a tap against his armor.

“Oh that. Yea, I don’t talk with him much so having something to say around the table is nice.” I wasn’t buying it.

“Nice? He’s been nothing but pissy towards us during the entirety of training, which I get- he’s supposed to help so we don’t like, die- But he doesn't even say anything other than a quick ‘good job’ or ‘give me another 5 laps’ towards you.” I used my best childish grungy grating impersonation I could. “You have to admit, it's a bit strange.”

“Wha-“ He stumbled verbally, “June, drop it. Maybe he just doesn’t want to call me out in public.”

“I don’t know why you don’t try lying better or something, it’s embarrassing. What I was trying to hint at is that you don’t seem all the way in the game, which won’t do, no sirry! Not in Berry’s squad!” I heard muffled laughter. “Shut it you two.” I turned back to Nimbus and held a hoof over my mouth for a second. “You are important, that's the point, and I just want to make sure everything's peachy keen.”

“Berry?” He said tapping a button on the side of his helmet to make it detach so he could remove it. “…You're smart, but you can’t just fix things by talking about them you know.” So there was something wrong then?

“Sure I can! For instance I think you are being an idiot and hiding something that might be important-“

“You are a lonely poor excuse for a mare.” I closed my lips slowly, my expression growing neutral startled by his sudden elevated outburst.

“You don’t have any real friends, so here you are trying to talk my ear off under the vice of trying to help out or some feigned interest. Really you’re just trying to get on my good side, probably so you can talk about your future husband Brushfire over there, who I am kind of sure is gay. You get so caught up in talking that you never bother to listen.” He stomped, the metal really added some of the effect he was looking for.

“… Well? Buzz off, or whatever. I don’t like you Torbernite, and nothing you do is going to change that.”

That was more hurt than I had felt in a long time. Maybe it was because I let my guard down but, damn that stung right between the ribs. But I was a big mare and big mares don’t cry let me tell you! We just kind of stifle it and let it stew before breaking and taking excessively long naps that serve no purpose.

“Be seeing you…” I said with a frown, flat eyes and while turning towards the closest changing room.

Maybe he was right about a few things. So I sucked at listening, I could work on that and it wasn’t all bad right? I was a smart pony so I probably could teach them all a thing or two just by being in the same room! Wow that’s a big ego.

“I really am going to die on this trip. After all, who the hell would even want to save me.”

It was the last night, the very last night and I couldn’t sleep. Drooped halfway off the bed I listened to the humming of the vents for hours, but to no avail. Nothing helped and I grew restless. Here under the sheets in my own little hole in the wall I could make out some of the clutter that served to identify me.

My desk lamp was on, covering the workspace filled with prewar electronics textbooks. The shelf above contained half a dozen lab manuals about the reactor and the Stable's power systems. A bowl filled with the remains of dinner lay atop one of my favorite books The Zebra Menace! An Illustrated Guide. What with its obvious inflation of the feats of zebras and their melee skills and not so exaggerated discussions about their balefire, it was no wonder the original owner brought it inside. Next were a pair of dolls flanked by a heavily used metal play house. The dolls were made by my mother back before she was on the council, one red, one blue. They were dusty torn things at this point, but they were mine.

I don’t know why I was trying to glean some sentiment from the objects in my room. Maybe it was anxiety, maybe it was an acceptance of what was to come, I don’t know. Still, thoughts kept drifting to my mother who had this room actually before marrying dad and moving to one of the ‘family suites.’

She thought I would love to spend my time following in her and her mother’s hoofsteps, that's probably why I became an engineer in the first place. I still hated that darn reactor. Sure it powered our lives providing food, water, light and plumbing, but it was difficult to keep in check. you couldn’t look away for more than 15 minutes before the pressure dropped or the transformers slipped; working on it was just delaying failure, and perhaps that's why I hadn’t simply refused to go.

In fact why hadn’t I just locked myself in and said no? It's not like they couldn’t have replaced me. It could be viewed as a privilege, seeing the outside, adventuring into the unknown. Honors, awards, loyalty, adventure, it was starting to sound like an advertisement for the military. Images of the ridiculous films we watched in primary school came to mind with a chuckle.

Rolling over I looked at the door and tossed my short hair. A quick walk would clear my head.

Not more than a few minutes along I noticed something strange, there was only one guard for the entire stairway, the rest must have been preparing for if something tried to force its way in but it seemed… negligent. I am not usually a shifty pony, the biggest infraction I ever had was stealing extra cider once during the summer sun celebration; I couldn’t help but indulge the possibility of getting away with something sneaky, not like it would matter if tomorrow was to be my last day anyhow.

She stopped for a moment to glare at me as if she was aware what I was thinking. Turning back to my domicile, I started thinking of something, anything to pass the time but really, who can blame me for being a bit curious and veering a bit off course.

Mother's office, I had been inside a hoof-ful of times, mainly to be reprimanded. Due to the fact that it was in the same room as, wait for it, the Overmare’s office, they had to keep security tight. At the far end of the hall a single guard waited lazily out front of the darkened room.

Oh this could be good. Not many ponies, or zebra, knew that this place existed during the war, and no one in this Stable, minus the Overmare, knew its purpose for it must have had a purpose. Some of our ancestors worked for Stable-Tec and what they knew about the other Stables was that they were all built a little bit different, no one really knew why, above their pay grade. This was a genuine Stable-Tec Stable, though it was located in a slightly awkward location and designed in secret- Undoubtedly this place had a purpose during the war which the Overmare and division head of the M.W.T. must have had their hooves in.

Now what that could entail made my mind spin. Secret weapons cache? Preparation for an invasion of the zebra homeland? Sabotage operations around razor bay? Maybe it involved megaspells! Perhaps that should all have been less exciting and more terrifying. Regardless, I needed to know.

So all I had to do was evade one guard and open the door without him knowing. That would be easier if he was asleep… Sleeping powder would have worked, but it's not like I could just run down to the medical bay and shove it down his throat. Being stealthy would be my only option, maybe if there was a distraction. Thankfully the lights were dimmed to simulate nighttime so he didn’t immediately freak out and tell me to go back to curfew. yea that happened since the whole announcement and panic thing. Or maybe it was after the partial melt down?

Who cares really.

I made my way all sneaky like to the closest fuse box, pulled out a bobby pin and with expert ease tripped the fuse sending the hallway into darkness.

“What in the…” I could hear him mumble as he turned on his head lamp and gazed in my direction.

Thankfully, this hallway was part of a loop and I was inside by the time he surveyed the fusebox, opened a box of spares and brought the lights back on with a buzz.

The door closed behind me as I snuck to the nearest terminal. Mashing a few buttons the debug sequence popped up. Two tries and then oh boy was there a lot to look at. Mom’s correspondence seemed less than formal at times, what with calling Granite a “tasteless ball of testosterone”. Some of the others were addressed to various members of the security detail in preparation for the opening. One thing in particular that caught my eye was a strangely vague message sent to the Overmare.

Did you really sign off on this? I understand your concern toward the Stable’s well being but you can’t honestly expect the away team to find anything useful on the first mission to the surface. Bringing full military hardware was so that we could ensure the safety of the team not so they could go running through the wastes of port Augusta scavenging for parts, that comes later.

-Oak

After rummaging through a few more files it sounded like mother was less keen on the whole exploration and scavenging thing and more concerned with the establishment of a permanent foothold outside. That didn’t make much sense considering nearly everypony was expecting complete devastation and savages, but be prepared I guess.
There turned out to be quite a bit of messages so at some point I kind of just… got bored I guess and downloaded everything I could. In hindsight I might have wanted to do that in the first place and then gotten the heck out before I got caught.

A bunch of information passed by including some sort of Stable directive dated just over 200 years ago; older than anything else on this terminal by far.

Mayweather-Bunker Priority 1

You are part of a select few members of the Mayweather’s Advanced task force that is to be given an imperative role in the case Mutually Assured Destruction. Your assignment, and the assignment of those who come after is twofold. You will oversee management of all infrastructure relating to our most forward operating base until the time the surface is deemed habitable after which point in time operation Star Ascent will be set in motion.

This is not given lightly. If Star Ascent is to come to fruition both reactors must be operating at full capacity. The targets will be selected via the Overmare Protocol 20 years after any nuclear exchange.

A retaliatory strike against the zebra menace is always to be kept at the forefront of your mind. Do not forget your duty to Equestria.

M.W.T.
General Shrapnel.

Mayweather? Probably some Royal escort in charge here some 200 years back. What was all that about Star Accent though? It sounded like some plan to take back the surface with a militia formed from the Stable itself. Heck why wasn’t it called Stable-Z here? How much older was this place than the original Stables? There wasn’t really a baseline to compare it to… And that jazz about two reactors? Our single reactor puts out more than enough power to the point that we actually have to get rid of what we can’t store. What unearthly machine would need two?

So yea, some juicy stuff already. I should’ve snuck in places more often. All this was a bit disconcerting what with the mission coming up but hey, I thought I deserved to know why I was going outside to potentially die!

With a quick tap the terminal went back to idling and I snuck my way over to the grand prize… which apparently the Overmare was sleeping on. I stumbled on an empty glass bottle sending it flying across the floor clanging loudly.

Right on cue, she flinched and went back to silently huffing. The guard outside however was less than thrilled by my presence. The door opened up shedding the room in light. I swiftly hid between her desk and the wall, hoping there wasn’t anything back there that could give away my position.

“Overmare? What in blazes are you still doing here?” The guard spoken trotting up and nudging her to her senses. I heard a few grumbles before there were any intelligible words spoken out of the aging mare’s mouth.

“Now is not the time for sleep Septimus, too much is happening too fast I just… can’t keep up.”

“No one is going to blame you if the team is not fully prepared, I would love to do recon myself, but that's it. Just a day long peak outside, nothing to be afraid of-”

“Oh shut it. They will never be prepared, I get it, and I can’t postpone even a day or two because that would just lead to more bad press. You know well that what happens tomorrow is everything, for me, for the council and for the guard. Forgive me if I stay up a bit late trying to figure out how to write a speech in case something goes horribly wrong. I don’t want to even consider the possibility but the leadership has to be strong even in the most…” She yawned. “Dire, eh, times. Oh don’t give me that look. I got this job because I can orate until I wither from exhaustion.”

“I think the citizens would prefer a sane Overmare giving a good speech, rather than an inebriated one shouting poetry over the radio.”

“... point taken.” I heard a jingling as the terminal powered down. “Would you call another guard to escort me to my quarters?” The Overmare pushed closed a drawer that was ever so slightly ajar back into place before getting up.

“Of course.”

They started shuffling towards the door but I didn’t start moving for a good few minutes. That was way too close for comfort. Upon inspection the terminal wouldn’t respond to any wakeup calls. She had some sort of a key for her computer. There must have had some serious stuff on there and I fucked it up! it was so perfect, she was a heavy sleeper, the key was already in, presumably there would still be a password but that would be a cakewalk compared to stealing a key from the Overmare herself!

Now that I thought about it, the longer I stayed here the more likely it was that I was going to get caught and flogged. Maybe not flogged but I was looking at some serious jail time if I didn’t get out of there quickly. I was so dead if anyone found out Celestia why was I doing this? A peek out the window later and I was free, ready to panic for the rest of the night instead of sleep.

At 7:30 my alarm buzzed. From there I crawled to bathroom and to the sounds of Beethoovens 7th symphony prepared for the day. I wasted no time in chowing down a red delicious, my least favorite of the last three apple trees that still remained on (or under) this world. My clothes felt tight but the music made me feel a bit less constrained. With a sigh and one final glance in the mirror it became apparent that indeed- it was time.

My front door opened to the calling swarm beyond. Pushing through, the guards led me past ever more waves of the confused and scared. Soon the clock neared 10:00 and we were at the changing rooms. The crowds had left an unpleasant buzzing in my ears that helped add to the haze enveloping me. Ponies went to and fro asking things and receiving straightforward answers. Time marched onward.

At 12:00 we were at the Stable door, simple as that. We had quite a bit in our saddle bags, really had to make sure that killing went well and all I guess. Each of us wore brown and grey camo and light vests bearing no insignia and had cloaks to match. I got in line as number four as we faced the Overmare, mother, Granite and Stonesaddle. Behind us was a hall filled with equines anxious to get a glimpse of what lay beyond.

I had vague memories of this room, it was kind of small and the vault door was… big certainly but not like train sized, more bus sized? I’d never seen either before anyway in real life anyway so I guess a comparison was kind of pointless. There was a catwalk above ground level and a pony standing at a terminal waiting for orders. Maybe there was a short and painful game of Blackjack we had here but I wasn’t sure.

“So… I guess we should get this show on the road right?” I said to break the silence. The Overmare simply glared.

“If my legs worked the way they were supposed to I would kick you upside the head. I’m just going to have to pray something out there in the wasteland does it for me.”

“Take care all of you… I expect a professional report when you all g-get back.” Woah Granite lost his cool.

“I’ll miss you my sweetie.” Mom said stepping up to me and fishing a necklace out. “I almost forgot, would you carry this for me?” It was a silver triangle with a pearl in the middle that glinted with a sparkling iridescence held by a long gold chain. “It will bring luck, as long as you don’t lose it that is.”

“Um, I don’t think that would be the best idea-” I tried to push the heirloom away as everyone looked on.

“Oh hush, it should have been yours a year ago.” She held my hoof gently. “I have nothing but faith in you Torbernite.” I could only blush as I put it on. Brushfire withheld a smile which only made it worse until she backed away.

Daw mom you’re the best. Thankfully dad already wished me well.

“Now then, yall remember your training and kick some ass for us!” Stonesaddle called out. I wasn’t technically in the whole military thing but I knew what was happening next.

“SIR YES SIR.” We all shouted in unison. And my voice didn’t even crack. Everyone else retreated minus the Overmare. A switch flip and some typing of some magic code later, probably ‘Celestia rules’ or something stupid like that just to fuck with me, the sirens came on. This great drill looking thing moved forward and slid into the door, then started turning and the damn thing pulled out and rolled open.

“What the…” Topaz said. Hey I didn’t get it either but then again I wasn’t Stable-Tec right?

Looking forward we saw into the large cavern painted an earth red and brown by our lights. A hot breeze washed out from the unnatural space and washed over all of us while the catwalk extended and made landfall into the terra pushing up dirt and strange objects.

“HOLY SHIT IT’S A SKELETON!” All of us flinched at Topaz’s words. We hadn’t even moved out of formation until just then. The bones seemed scattered and vaguely pony shaped and sat only a few meters out. Scanning the entire entrance we fell a bit out of formation to look at the graveyard. There were bones littering the entryway that had to be from at least 50 individuals or more but with next to no clothes over them or items you would generally associate with a desperate violent angry crowd besides the occasional hunk of metal which would have once passed for a gun.

“So uh Overmare, what do we do with it?” Jaguar looked towards her.

“Why the hell do you expect me to know what to do with a dusty old skeleton that has probably been there for ages? Push it aside, bury it, leave it, that’s not part of the mission. Now get your asses out there!”

“Gee OK!” Jag rolled his shoulders and took the bit in his mouth. Battle saddles really had to suck.

We all cautiously stepped outside in order, lights on and guns ready. I didn’t even realize how deep we were in when the door started closing. The catwalk was already retracted. Brushfire watched beside me while the red lights and klaxon slowly died until at last, it sealed with a mild gust of air. We were out, surrounded by chalky white dead things. I could hear quickened breaths but didn’t know from whom they came from.

“Lets go.” Brushfire said while everyone else slowly let it sink in that they were now further from home than they had ever been in their entire life, thanks to a few steps.

There were mixed reactions.

“Shit, we are actually outside of the Stable!” Nimbus said almost joyfully whilst avoiding the piles of ponies on the ground. It was the most emotion he had shown… ever as far as I could remember.

“Hey pipe down over there.” Oxide said blowing her rust colored mane out of her eyes. “Something’s ticking.”

“What do you- oh like, radiation? Shit how bad is it?” Topaz jumped up flailing her pipbuck around as it clicked and clacked.

I glanced down. “According to my calculations we are currently experiencing about 4 times the normal amount of radiation we received in the Stable which is amazingly low. Do you think the majority of the fallout is gone? Or maybe this area didn’t receive any direct hits during the great war? “

“Your calculations, as in looking at a dial.” Oxide bit.

“Well, yea.” I met her flat gaze with a shy smile.

“Would you two help us find an exit already?” Nimbus called pointing his headlamp in our direction.

It didn’t take more than a few minutes of scanning the warm rocks of the astonishingly large area before we found a gap which once had a door covering it. That door was now rot that laid in a puddle on the floor. None of that mattered though because past this two pony sized hole was a stairway cut into the stone.

“Well I reckon we had better move on up.” Brushfire said pushing past heading up and around a corner where it seemed like the softest light was coming from.

There wasn’t much space but we all managed to fit in this upper area which was nothing more than a crumbling concrete box and see the metal door that was punctured with what looked like tiny bullet holes. The light coming from the other side twinkled dimly. There was a sound… like air conditioning but less hollow, almost like a whistle.

“So that rusted thing doesn’t look like it’s moving anytime soon.” Topaz mentioned trotting closer to see if anything was visible on the other side. A light double tap with a hoof and she tore a hole with a loud scraping. Turns out it was paper thin at this point.

“uh… well I guess we could just knock it down.” Nimbus chimed in.

“not if we want to keep this entrance sealed.” Brushfire noted.

“Guys.” Topas said slowly a quiet hint of astonishment could be heard in her voice. “We are underneath these branching things, I think they might be roots…”

“Let me see!” I went to her side and hesitated before shining my light above towards the intruding ropes. Those were roots alright. “... Let's just get rid of this thing.” I kicked at a hinge breaking it. The weight of the door instantly snapped the other two hinges and sending the rectangle slowly falling back towards us until it landed with a soft thud. The reverse side was red with oxidation. The bottom of the door had melted bits and flakes of metal stuck to it.

“What the hell!” Jaguar said as I walked into the tiny earthy chamber making my way towards the lights obscured by strings of plant matter. I didn’t really care honestly; I just shoved aside the greenery and continued moving. Further and further we progressed while someone passed expletives in my direction. Could it be? Could it really be? I shoved aside a verdant blanket.

There was the blue gradient of the sky obscured by white and grey oils painted like clouds, but there was no way clouds could be that beautiful. The grass at our hooves was green and calf high; branches swayed high above from the movement of the atmosphere. A sweet smell of flowers drifted on the breeze while sounds from what could only be millions of tiny animals chattering filled our ears. Four twisted but spry trees were all that separated us from and immense field which met with a forest far away. A near pillar of stone covered in green reached up and into the depths of the blue above just beyond that- the mountain side was jagged and unfathomably vast with a peak of white. And the sun, how do you describe the sun for the first time? There was more, so much more than just its overwhelming brightness and warmth.

This wasn’t what we were told to expect. This was, in fact, furthest from our expectations.

I dropped to the grass and just looked at it. Everywhere the ground was covered in tiny needles flattened as if by hammers and then struck into the ground. All the different types of yellowed wild flora seemed infinitely complex and beautiful. Out here, everything moved and swayed in the wind- which itself was a symphony of change. The entire world was dynamic.

It’s funny, you never really know what beauty is until something so different, so bizarrely new and amazing meets your senses.

“June! Weapons at the ready, we are still on a mission.” Brushfire called out angrily but quietly as the rest of the crew stumbled forth in equal and unprintable awe. Oxide whipped her solid grey cloak away and grabbed her rifle and moved forward towards the furthest tree to set up a vantage point.

“W-well? What do you see?” Topaz asked trotting up slowly to the cautious prone mare. She had already found a patch of elevated earth and was gazing through the sight from it.

“We need to take up positions now. There is a convoy of Zebras headed this way.”

End Chapter 1

Footnote:
That was the tutorial.... Your stats currently hella suck, though I guess you're smart so you got that going for you.

Author's Note

First ever Chapter. Don't be afraid to point out mistakes or opinions.

Chapter Two: Vivacious Spring

Not 200 meters from our location was a road, probably made of compacted dirt. It happened to snake past the mound concealing Stable Z by sheer dumb luck as there were no discernible buildings or camps in sight. They thankfully had no idea we were here. I took my eye from my scope to meet the scrutinizing gaze of my superior.

“So this is how it is going to go down.” Brushfire said as all of us dropped low behind some cover. “We know nothing of their intent and have explicit orders not to compromise the Stable’s position to surfacers. We are going to watch them leave, maintain our composure and proceed undetected.”

We looked on with an understanding but pained gaze. A half minute conversation could provide more intel than a whole week's worth of sleuthing, but it was for the best. We agreed, sat down and started to think of ways to kill time. Thankfully I had a job to do and with great care removed the briefcase.

“Good Idea June.” Brushfire said. “You and Oxide will keep an eye on the caravan, the rest of us will stay put, don’t want to be too visible after all. Oh and June,” I looked up from the quickly assembled and fragile camera. “Put on your darn helmet.”

I flushed, it’s not my fault that thing is uncomfortable! Regardless of what the dust military pamphlets said it was more akin to bowling ball than anything else.

The initial overwhelming buzz started to wear off on everyone as I moved to take up my position. The rock was… warm as my fur touched it. The world outside seemed temperate, dry and in the middle of spring but I could only assume. Many Stable goers elected to forget their basic education of the outside. I had to distract myself from going insane somehow though, so after reading half the books in the library, I found myself reciting a heavily edited version of said texts to my brother. He always enjoyed a good story, even if I didn’t exactly know what I was talking about.

The camera showed my targets. Most were dressed in almost nothing but some practical tatters with a few pockets and holsters for rusty guns. A mare led the disinterested group with her head high, constantly scanning for potential threats. She had a spiked helmet and wore battle saddles with some nasty looking fully automatic weaponry. Thick brown barding covered her head to hoof, probably made from some kind of hide rather than pre-war polymer composites like we had. Other than that there were what, 14 wagons and a total of 19 zebras in all? Not really that significant but they were definitely zebras and not ponies. So did they win the war? Are there even any ponies left? Just how bad was the catastrophe that happened on equis if everything around here was green as can be?

Meh, questions… I took 6 pictures total, two of the lead mare, two the rest of the caravan itself and one of the landscape; Turnip would love to know what the clouds up here looked like. Ducking, I stowed the camera once again and after that all that was left to do was wait.

Turns out they weren’t in a hurry. Oxide kept watch while the rest of us waited inside the confines of the cave with nothing to do. I fumbled with my pipbuck noticing that a few new stations as well as their names popped up. ‘Mount Olive’ was the only one of the 3 that was known. I made the conscious decision not to play them aloud. 10 minutes after they passed it was decided that we were going to keep moving.

In all honesty, the glamor of the surface was not something I thought I could ever get over. It was busy with greens and yellows and an arrangement of insect noises to the point that it was overwhelming- but I think we all pushed through our collective headaches and kept moving.

“Why did everything get red all the sudden?” Jaguar said while we trotted low to the earth in the opposite direction of the caravan.

My interest was suddenly peaked as I too noticed the sky changing color. “Oh!!! Its got to be the sunset!” She looked at me flatly.

“And where is the sun? I don’t see it even though it was supposed to be in the sky.”

“It's probably just… behind some clouds or something.” What was I speaking another language here?

“Regardless of where the sun is, it’s going down and going to get dark soon. Use your flashlights as little as possible when the moon comes out-” Brushfire said before almost tripping on something huge running in between his hooves.

“WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT!” Topaz yelled as a giant roach thing shuffled off into the safety of the bush. She immediately swung her weapon around.

“Hold your fire!” Brushfire said sternly before anything was let off on account of shaky legs. “You wimps, you were about to give away our position! And over a stupid bug? Toughen the fuck up already!”

“... Sorry I just didn’t know-”

“-What to do, yea I get it. Your inexperience is going to get us killed if you aren't careful.” It sounded as though he was referring to all of us. Funny, it was his first time on a mission as well.

Topaz shrank to the back of the pack with her head low. Nimbus took point with Brushfire, I couldn’t tell what he was thinking, what with the power armor on and all, but odds are he wasn’t enjoying this either. We continued parallel to the road until we reached a river that had been quietly audible for some time. It was a tiny little thing that sparkled with the late day reflections from above. Fed from the mountain to our west, it was shallow enough you could walk across without issue and surrounded by rush and reeds. The more interesting sight lay at the mouth of the flow. Another few kilometers down the gentle stream was a huge body of water mostly obscured by waving trees on the twisting shoreline.

Night was bearing down swiftly. Just minutes prior we could see the entire landscape, now there were shadows that crept from the titanic twisted timber to the dusty dirt below.

“Hey Brushfire, uh shouldn’t we try and go a ways up that mountain and get some birds eye pictures? Since we are scouting and all…” My voice crackled. “And I think we should probably take a quick break or something soon, I’m a bit thirsty.”

“I was hoping for some indication of a settlement nearby, but it's been nearly an hour and still nothing. I agree, heading into the forest and spending the night there will make us less of a target overnight and we may even get a good view of the surrounding area. But no break until I say so is that clear?”

Shesh. “Fine I have to a piss, you happy now?”

He grunted. “Make it quick AFTER we cross the road.”

I didn’t. It was a nice 5 minutes of relaxation after all of that marching with way too much gear. I finally got to sit down on a weirdly squishy rock and rub the developing sores out of my legs. The grasses of the small clearing wobbled with the wind. I gazed up and began to see a few pins of light developing in the purple sky. Most of the clouds were gone at this point and I could have sworn I saw the sun for a moment before it ducked behind the mountain.

That thing had to be mount Olive which as far as we were concerned was the only thing around here that actually had a name… Everything up here needed a name. I pissed on at least a dozen different types of grasses and what appeared to be at least one fungi which I think I killed. Ops. The point is that there were too many new things everywhere, none however were as alarming as the blinking caution sign stuck at the top of my vision.

We had gotten training on how to use our pipbucks for combat. All I needed to know though was that caution = bad. I levitated my 9mm ironshod firearms pistol by my side and bolted back to the group.

“Woah! Calm down there Torbernite. What wrong?” Brushfire asked but not before everyone paled.

“Weapons at the ready.” He whispered turning on his light as a gust swept over the group which had formed into a circle facing outward towards the much thicker brush that was only about 20 meters away.

A quiet shrill noise echoed far away as the pattering of little feet drew our attention. The night was completely permeated with rattling life. Croaks were heard near ponds and chirping crickets were everywhere. None of this helped our resolve any. Nothing came out for a good minute even though my indicator still said caution.

“W-what do you think it is?” Oxide asked jittering while aiming from one bush to another.

“Could just be more bugs…” I looked at my compass and saw red marks to our south. “There!” I huffed wheeling my pistol closer. Not a thing.

“Damn it! We can’t just wait here for something to happen!” Nimbus let out a remark before a beetle, wider than a pony and covered in a gold and brown carapace skittered towards us.

“Shit!” Oxide fired a trio of bullets from her rifle causing it to erupt in liquidy black gore. Welp no eating for me any time soon.

The caution sign remained and everyone was somehow even more jittery than before regardless, of the fact that it was a suppressed shot and the thing was no longer anything but a mashed pile of slime.

“... Now what?” I asked still pointing my gun at anything that could be hostile. More red dots kept showing up!

“We need to move.” Brushfire said- I mentally seconded the motion. “We will be safer by the coast of that lake. Head back to the road and then we will make a break for an open area we can fight from.” It was getting absurdly dark at this point as the last of twilight faded.

We were quickly on our way running northwest along the delightfully flat ground and sure enough, past a tuft of trees, was the lake plus a continuation of the path running alongside. A steep slope of a meter separated the road from the stagnant smelly water. Maybe I was just used to the cleanest of the clean when it came to good old H2O but dang this place stank.

The shore on the other side was too far away to be anything but the silhouettes of distant hills. Unfortunately there was nowhere to hide. Brushfire skid to a stop and turned around back the way we came.

“Crap, we need to- I-” He cursed under his breath as he mounted a bigger gun than the SMG he was rolling earlier. “Get up to that tree line!” He gestured with his head towards the lip of elevated trees that separated the immense savanna from the road. Each of us took up positions while I kind of just flopped behind a tree while my pistol dangled in midair enveloped by a green glow.

Gazing to my sides, Topaz and Jaguar stood side by side aiming around the massive tree trunk. It was hard to tell but I think they may have actually been smirking. Oxide on the other hoof was down in the dirt, pistol on the ground beside her and rifle aimed into the field without a smile to be found.. Nimbus and Brushfire were standing like stone statues.

What the hell was I doing out here! I didn’t care anymore about this darn mission. We should have headed back and stayed in the cave the moment we saw other people.

“If anything red comes over that hill light it up!”

“Oh god I’m not ready to kill!” I squawked which rendered a scolding by Brushfire.

“Just…” He stopped. Why I didn’t know but his brows softened before he snapped his head back.

They came with a scratching sound, not unlike a thousand tapping pencils dancing quietly seemingly emanating from all directions. More bugs- beetles actually- that looked as though they were made from crusty dirt, scrambled into view with their pincers snapping from thirty meters away. In that first moment any quarrels we had about being exposed to the world beyond our little Stable left us as we open fired.

The pair shot short bursts of deafening bullets smashing them to smithereens only to have the dead ones be replaced instantly by more of the creatures moving swifter than before.

I lost track of what was happening after that- there was more gunfire- more red dots that chilled my body and made my brain scream- Splashed of color and light on the faces of the people around me. I cowered with my hooves over my ears and counted the only thing I could in an effort to calm down in between chattering teeth.

“One, Two, T-Three, Four, Five-” One got close enough for me to see with a quick tilt of the head before it exploded in goo. “...Six?” I stopped counting yellow dots as something moved down the road, but it wasn’t a bug.

Galloping the stranger reached shouting distance and yelled.

“What are you fools doing!” She had a staccato to her voice that was obviously of zebra origin, unsurprising what with her stripes and all. “Why have you angered the mud crawlers?” I was the only one that paid her any attention. My stare told her enough.

“Move!” She walked past the tree line much to the displeasure of everyone. I didn’t dare stand up but I watched nonetheless as the gunfire stopped. Standing on two legs she fished out a gourd which she proceeded to hurl between us and the creatures.

Whatever it was contacted the ground and erupted into a blue then green fire that formed a formidable wall as she turned to face our embarrassed party. The red bars began fading to yellow and then disappeared completely.

“Who are you?” She walked up and commanded gazing between us with a tilted head.

“So much for first impressions!” Nimbus said back to the rest of us. I would have said that if it wasn’t for the slight panic attack thing.

“That's none of your concern.” Brushfire did the predictable thing and shot Nimbus a look.

“Is that any way to treat a new friend?”

“Ohh boy…” I managed to say as the hyper ventilation began to make my limbs tingle and my eyes go fuzzy.

“Torbernite?”

Cue really pathetic black out.

It was a bit brighter when I next opened my eyes. There was a small campfire in front of me and I lay stripped of weapons and armor. On the other side of it was the zebra who gave me an inquisitive look.

“What happened!” I said bolting upright, startling Jaguar who was sitting on a log beside me.

“Luna! Don’t do that June!” He brushed it off quick enough but wore a face of disdain. “You fainted for half an hour.”

“We had introductions. I go by Galeria." The mare said between sips of her tea. She wore a different kind of silk, something smooth but concealing. She could have been a queen for all I knew. "I did not want to ask your name from anyone other than you.” She stood and bowed her head slightly.

“... June Torbernite.” I halfheartedly said as the small chaotic chirps of the insects around us slowly returned to my ears.

“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance outsider June Torbernite.”

“... yea.” I muttered not sure of I just offended her or something. Hopefully no one had spilled the beans as to who we were- I don’t know why we would have but it was the first thing that came to mind.

I stood slowly shaking the dust off my side and stumbled only to be caught by at least three people.

“I’m fine guys… really just give me some space.” They let me go and I began pacing slowly around the fire and slightly away. It may have made a pleasant crackling but something about this open radiant flickering heat was just off putting. Probably just the fact I had never seen a fire bigger than what sits on top a candle.

There was little to see beyond what the light of the camp fire touched other than what was directly above us. Apparently the clouds had cleared to reveal the spilt milk of the galaxy and all its shards of light that twinkled like nothing ever before seen by equines… Or some other poetic stuff don’t judge alright. The point is, it was dark, insanely dark and beautiful. A brilliant light blue orb began its ascent above a hillside. It too was unreal in its clarity.

At some point in my awestruck stupor, Brushfire came to sit down in front of me which was unexpected to say the least.

“June…” He looked over his shoulder into my eyes. “Point and pull the trigger next time.” I choked.

“Yes sir.” My voice didn't waver.

The silence was filled with the crackling as Galeria watched on without conveying much. Someone coughed.

“So we are staying the night here I take it?”

“If you would care to listen to stories around the hearth that can be done. If you would like to learn of this land and what creatures you should do best to avoid without resorting to violence, that can also be done.” She certainly came off as a respectable mare, even though she didn’t have much other than some overstuffed saddle bags and dangling one person cookware.

“Why did you help us?”

“I saw no reason not to help a pack of scared ponies.” The way she said that… none of us were full blooded ponies, though I supposed we certainly talked and walked like them that's for sure.

“Hey!” Topaz popped, “I am a zebra, let's get that straight alright?” Race was a touchy subject? Who knew! As if reading my mind she gave me a deadpanned look. “Some of us have culture you know.” Galeria must have found something funny as she let out a giggle.

“Fortunately I used to be a farmer. I know all about horticulture!” She walked to my side and looked Topaz in the eyes. “Would you like me to teach you which leaves are better left away from your backside?”

Was that an insult? That had to have been an insult, or a joke. I don’t know. “Zebras are weird.” I mumbled much to my instant regret.

“Dear, all people are strange, for whoever thought that a stamp on ones side could decide your destiny?” She gestured to my now revealed cutie mark. A strange glyph with a yellow radiation symbol over top. “Or that a stripe or horn or wings could decide your kin?” Topaz backed off at that grumbling to herself.

“Oh! I actually have just the story of the mountain zebras who lived at the base not far from here and were cursed to endure solitude with their longest rivals as slaves to an army of their brothers and sisters. Tis a tale of woe and a true one at that.” She looked around for objections and found none before returning to the other side of the fire with a smile. Brushfire huff disinterestedly, took up his weapons and looked out into the blackness of night. A moment later she poured a few specks of dust into the fire changing it to a much darker blood red.

She sat in a meditation pose, similar to what I had seen in some books. If she was going to do what I thought she was, then she knew the (assumed) lost art of fire puppetry. Hey I may have been a unicorn but I knew the simple stuff about zebra folklore.

Rocking to one side she rose a forehoof gracefully before bringing it cascading down to the ground with immense force. In that instant an image arose of galloping equines.

“Long ago in the magical land of Roam…”

There lived a village at the foot of the olivine mountain. This meager village was well known for its hospitality and for the temple they kept at the summit, dedicated to the gods of plenty and wine. Every year they would have a festival on the summer solstice to drink what wine they could and welcome travelers from afar as this little village was distant from the bastion of civilization.

There were games for the children, music for the lovers and stories of the founding of this place from even longer ago, when we were but a simpler people. Food was sold or given by the trough for all and the merriment went on until sunset when the people would put aside all differences to pay their respects to the dying maiden of the sun, for her time to rule over the longest day had come to pass. With their mourning and placing of flowers a new celebration began.

Again as the moon rose there were games and food and wine, but now it was done in the name of Moon goddess to quell the wrath that would soon enough be coming with the wet season and the subsequent winter. An outsider would see little difference in the festivities other than the types of wine or perhaps a ceremony or two, but the residents of this fell village knew what was to come.

Soon they would see days of nothing but rain, storms that made the weak sun blind and tore at the soil of their labors. The nights would frost and the floods would sweep many away with little notice. It was no longer to be a merry time.

Even as the gods destroyed so they planted the seeds of life. Every flood brought with it strong dirt, wherein the villagers grew in abundance with what alchemy they had discovered, for alchemy is not invented; tis not the natural way. Even still they survived and grew better at resisting the cruel duality of what the moon brought.

Ages passed until the villagers lived comfortably in homes of stone, far from the fields they tilled until the moon became not revered but an annoyance. The gardens of these zebras became grand and they became the wealth of all the land under the shadow of the great olive stone mountain. There they created art of the greatness of the sun and began once again to connect with what amounted to civilization for their day.

But as trade bloomed and their greed grew, they elected to forgo their respect for the moon and turn the night of the solstice into a drunken stupor of anger towards the goddess. Thus began the curse of the crimson starlight. Four stars converged one eve to signal her wrath as the moon changed.

One solstice morning, years upon years later, a messenger came from the capital of Roam dressed in the traditional garb of the Frumentarii, which by all rights, owed to them protection. The message told of an enemy from across the seas that had great magics different from that of the zebra. It spoke little of the rapidly growing threat but made mention of the necessity of tribute and later conscripts.

At first the village was slow to accept the rule and war of distant empires in its isolation. The now temple of the sun at the summit urged the village not to listen to the whims of the imperials and their distant pleas. So the village resisted until the strongest mare, a farmer with no family, agreed to leave as tribute. Thus the village was shown that sacrifice was necessary for their way of life to exist and the curse was to be lifted.

Alas this village had still forgotten its history as it was met with particularly brutal season. a mudslide destroyed a section of the temple during the weeks of rain with no sun. The great gardens were extinguished by a frost much sooner than they expected. Trade faltered and the village was at the edge of poverty. It was destined that they were to live how they once had, in hovels. Stricken by this lack of wealth many cursed the goddess’s name.

It is said that when spring arrived next, a sadness blanketed these lands from the sun overhead, however the village lived on.

On the next solstice, the morning brought with it an army. The mare had returned with stories of invading, plundering and death at the hooves of ponies. They had touched the soil of Roam and she had helped to drive them back. The once friendly neighbors had begun to shed blood. It was at last time for redemption! The village was to follow in the path of noble sacrifice to protect those that protected them from this new menace.

When the once villager returned and called for support however she was turned away. In disbelief they branded her a traitor and willed her never to return with gross tales of hate and war.

So the soldiers left with the sun, the festivities began and when the night fell, the village drew up their drunken profanities at seasons past. This was the last chance for redemption the goddess had given these villagers and they choose to sleep through her night.

The soldiers returned at dawn to take what was theirs in the form of conscripts. It was a short and bloody battle wherein the villagers realized they had no chance against the mighty weapons of Roam. Hundreds were taken and marched off in shackles. Even so, the village continued.

Through wind and rain and flood and pain the villagers strived to rebuild their temple greater than ever before in prayer for the love of the sun goddess. The columns were the most glorious this side of Roam and the statues, inlaid with every last piece of gold and jewel they had gathered rivaled even those of the emperors. As they finished on the first day of spring they wished for the power of the sun and the sun they received.

The spring was warm and clear and the solstice brought with it the willful conscription of ten to Roam by the banished one. They were bitter but knew better than to question the might of Roam. The festivities were the grandest in a thousand years and as the sun set and the moon rose, the heat did not leave.

It seldom rained, which led to drought but the zebra had little care for a slight drought as the season was no longer as dreadful as before. The heat that was prayed for continued until winter finally took hold. Things were good again for a few more years. Still the sun and moon wept and the worshipers could little understand why.

Time brought with it more tales of the horrors of war and the establishment of a fort on the eastern shore. Conscription increased and soon happened twice a year, then thrice until a railroad was established to their fair town and beyond to the great Reyzar bay port. No longer in isolation, dark magics began to pour into the village as it accepted the bitter things in life.

At last the turning point occurred. Tales of a truce gone in an instant ignited the anger of the now well armed village so they rose up once again. In the ensuing battle the banished Maiden died to in vain to prevent the blood shed. The village was victorious in its liberty for a short while.

Then the tanks came.

What came next needs little description. The remains of the village were populated by children and loyalists. Priests were mostly allowed to stay as the fields still needed to be tilled. All else were moved to the port to work in factories that grew to blot out the skies of the village with their smoke. Disease and famine came swiftly in the night.

The next solar celebration came with a whisper. There was music still, broadcast from the choirs of the heavenly temple by way of radio transmission but it was dark and wanting as opposed to jubilant and bright. The night was met with a solemn resignation that they had done wrong by the goddess of the moon. Once again they tried to appease her with sacrifice of what little valuables they had.

She would have been quelled that night, had it not been for tragedy far far away. The conscripts from the once village of the sun had not learned to respect the moon. A multitude of children were slaughtered in an attack against the moon princess of the ponies and with this gross display the moon’s hatred grew with a fury towards the zebra.

For years the ponies now fought under the rule of the moon wherein the bloodshed became the worst horror imaginable. Lines were drawn and broken, necromancy and evil magics lurked on both sides of the battle field as the machines evolved with more and more killing potential.

The slaves toiled in regret of their actions for years under the worsening conditions of Roam. They worked with enemy prisoners of war and discovered just whom they as a nation were fighting, scared equines just like themselves even though they looked a little different. These slaves would soon grow into the true redemption of the village.

One fateful night a new star appeared over the port. By morning it was shining almost as bright as the sun onto the lands below. This star was the gift of the sun promised through worship as vengeance for its sister. It was to bring with it the total destruction of the land beneath.

Not much is known of what caused the riots or how they escaped, but nevertheless ponies and zebras and griffons even worked together to shrug off their imperial overlords. Together the survivors ran for the village to pray for an end to the sweltering power high above them but to no avail. Realizing what this meant, many fled on the remaining trains west toward Roam or to the side opposite the olive mountain. Still others remained determined in their struggle to right the wrongs they inflicted on the sun and moon.

The final prayer was answered as more lights shot over head from the land of the ponies in the direction of Roam leaving white streaks in the air above. In one moment, closest to sunset, the hellish second sun unleashed its torrent of heat onto the Reyzar bay, vaporizing much of the military machines of Roam, the slave pits the friends had escaped from, and igniting the village and its inhabitants that did not leave. The temple of white, dedicated to the sun was burned to a charred black but remained intact.

The fires raged for months destroying the farms and the forests in all but the furthest corner of this secluded coast until, at last, the second star was gone. The land below was tainted in holy fire never to be tread again until the equines reconciled. But the world was not dead. In time it regrew and my tribe descended from the freed slaves living as nomads, left to mourn those who stayed in their village though they found repentance in death as there was little but ash left.

In a last show of faith the Solaris Ira were born of the bodies of the slain and the fires of the sun. But that, my friends, is a story for another day. I am a descendant of those who fled and learned from the harsh ways of war to live in a forgotten land after the world ended.

The party looked on with mild interest at the start but by the end when the campfire grew cold we were engrossed in every word she had to say. By its end there was no mistaking the similarities we had all been told of in our own history.

The people who founded Stable-z as we knew it were a combination of zebras and ponies that made up Celestia's spies in the Rayzor bay area. There were missions conducted out of the bunker that involved a few organized jailbreaks, assassinations and general sabotage, but nothing involving liberating an entire prison camp! For all I knew there wasn’t even a village close to the entrance to the Stable, I had seen the maps after all so maybe it was on the other side of the mountain?

“Well that was... dark” I said as she contacted her hooves together and banished the magic from the campfire.

“It is not always the happy stories that are worth being told. We learn from our mistakes as one people. I think you outsiders will find that these lands will have plenty of stories of the sort.”

“How do we even know this story is true? We never even got a name for the village.” Topaz said looking up intently.

“Look over yonder to the east, do you see the glow of those stars near the horizon?” She gestured where there were a variety of distant red glows that ended where the sky met the land. They were separate and seemed to flicker ever so slightly. “Those are not bonfires and if you spend long enough watching them you will see them move ever so slightly. The lands in that direction are very much cursed to endure eternal hell.”

She returned her eyes to me as I was putting back on my barding, can never be too safe after all, and continued.

“I supposed you may be some of the first I have had the pleasure to tell that story to other than children. Your interest, ignorance, voices and surplus of arms certainly could come across as more than a little suspicious in that case.” She regarded me with her intimidating eyes. I hadn’t noticed but every feature on her body was slim and athletic, undoubtedly she had spent a lifetime wandering around the surface.

“Are you implying some sort of hostile invasion?” Brushfire said thankfully tearing her eyes away from my burning face.

“Invasion?” She let out a laugh. “Where would you have come from? The sea to the north is near impassable, the east you clearly did not come from and the mountains are sealed since the tunnels collapsed centuries ago. I have already stated the wish to be friends, I do not know who you are and perhaps when you leave tomorrow I will never discover that. I have my inclinations however that we are not that different.”

“Then keep your hypotheses to yourself. We are grateful for your assistance, but do not push your luck.”

“I know a scouting party when I see one, but I think I will save you the trouble and say that you are both the most well armed and poorly trained troops I have come across.” Nimbus let out a huff. That wasn’t going to bode well back home.

“Well if you are so certain we are clueless then why don’t you fill us in?” Topaz asked.

“Hum…” Galeria stroked her chin with a hoof for a moment. “I could provide a map, and a very fine one at that.. for a price.”

“Name it.” Brushfire interjected.

“Well as your wandering eyes have no doubt concluded, my current rifle, though dear to me has nearly fallen into a state of disrepair. I request only Oxide’s rifle.”

Oxide herself was silent still looking into the fire as if entranced. Before long she let out a sigh and moved towards Galeria.

“You can’t give her your rifle! I won’t authorize this!” Brushfire said but Oxide didn’t break pace.

“You deserve more for being a friend to us even after we have shown nothing but doubt.” She took off the sling and hoofed it over to Galeria who bowed and proceeded to admire it finely.

“Do you know what kind of gun this is?” Oxide shook her head. “It's rare but of a zebra design which was lost after the war.” Galeria twirled it once before shouldering it and gazing down the scope away from the group. “I had one like this once, not nearly as nice, but none the less of the same design. My question is who modified it and how did they do so without catching fire.”

“Pardon?”

“Oh it is just that there is supposed to be a gem in this slot right here.” She pointed to a blackened area of the rifle where it looked like SOMETHING was missing, but I wasn’t an expert. “It allows the rounds to penetrate armor and some walls as if nothing was there at all and make every round an incendiary one. In all honesty you are most likely better off not having such a cursed item as they say these rifles hungered for flesh during the war.”

“You know, at first you didn’t strike me as all that threatening, but now I’m not sure if you're going to kill us or invite us to your home and party.” Jaguar stated plainly.

She reached into her pack and tossed a scroll to Brushfire. “I do my best to remain as innocuous as possible. There is an art to making friends after all. I trust you will find that satisfactory?”

On the scroll was a square map constructed on parchment. Precise calligraphy outlined the topography of the dense mountain ranges and surrounding hills. Several areas had labels or warning attributed to them. Just as many settlements barred crosses over them and in fact a disturbing amount of locations seemed to have been recently crossed out. The last I saw was the legend in the bottom left before he rolled it away, look over and nodded.

“Good then.” She turned and lifted her pack onto her back. “I suppose if you wish to see me again I will be in Florence for the next month or so. Consequently they will be your closest ally if you have the goods to trade and respect the old imperial ways.”

“You're leaving?” I finally managed to say something perhaps too desperately. I really just wanted another fascinating story.

“Yes dear. I travel at night as I have enemies in the day and as much love as I would love to stay and exchange stories some more, I do have a meeting I am supposed to go to.” She started to walk away before hesitating. “...If we do meet again in the future then I know nothing of you, and you do not have pipbucks.”

With that she left into the dead of night vanishing into the shadows. The cackling fire brought me back to reality. Brushfire wore a defeated look.

“We just let her go. Even with what she gave us, she played us. Hard.” He gestured limply to Oxide. “And what was that about disobeying my orders? Does anyone here respect me?” He spoke softer than I had expected.

“Well to be fair we didn’t have much time to learn and you don’t exactly act commanding-”

“Well of course not!” he said loudly tossing his short black hair. “I don’t-” He paused, “-want to come off as rude.” he muttered. “Hell this whole thing was supposed to be a simple political stunt where we look outside and go ‘oh look at this decrepit wasteland, guess we had better stay inside.”

That was the first time I had actually seen Brushy... ehhhh I will stay away from the pet names, Brushfire get at all emotional. Clearly the rest of the crew was having the same reactions, after all, we were in a foreign land with next to no skills and evidently doomed to die from something stupid.

There were some conversations, nothing particularly of interest and we collectively agreed to deal with the map the next day. We got settled around the campfire for the night. The events of the day finally took their hold and though I didn’t like it I did my best to fall asleep on the crusty cold ground. I didn’t want to get involved in anymore mope fests.

I was actually going to miss Galeria.

I was the heaviest sleeper and consequently the last to wake up. The cinders were warm enough to heat up some packets of dried apples which in my opinion was the best way to meet the morning. Oxide, Jaguar and Topaz sat at the edge of small clearing chatting about some nuances of the scenery. Brushfire and Nimbus, who was still in his suit, minus the helm and leggings, poked at the remains of last nights fire.

It was strange seeing this place in the twilight of the morning. The clouds were back and the sun was still very low in the sky. Purple light blossomed over the wind swept cradle illuminating greenery on the mountain far away. Thankfully we hadn’t moved very far from home.

The sleep out here in this fresh air was… good. Achy, but good. It took some time last night before I could collect my thoughts and whistle off to dreamland. I couldn’t stop imagining that second sun from the story in some eerily vivid detail. The whole adventure up to this point seemed too fantastical to be true.

One of the things that I found funny though was that the war was over and yet this place was so spectacular and uninhabited. It may have been a brutal place to live at one point but even with those bugs- those mud crawlers which apparently will leave you alone if you don’t shoot at them- this place was damn close to a paradise! No large mammals, not many dangerous reptiles, I had seen a snake or two but they didn’t bother with me, and it wasn’t a radioactive wasteland! I might have just wanted to stay to watch another sunset though to be honest.

We broke camp swiftly without a word after I woke up, I guess that was kind of the que after all, and marched back the way we came.

“Hey Brushfire?” I trotted up to his side, all this bouncing was making my helmet obscure my vision every other step. “I was wondering what we were going to do before heading back to the Stable, We should have like 2 extra hours after all.” We kept bumbling over the sandy soil for a minute before he spoke.

“There was a ridge-line behind the Stable that we should have surveyed. We are going to make our way back in that direction a ways before heading back.”

“Ah yes- right. That sounds like a good idea, sir.” He looked back inquisitively. Maybe it was more grudgingly. “... I’ll shut up now.”

“So do you think there would be any disagreements if we brought back some souvenirs?” Oxide apparently had taken a liking to a type of red and gold wildflower which grew in brambles. “I had been meaning to paint something new for once.”

“I don’t see why not, ‘long as it's not toxic or anything.” Jaguar said to the mare beside her.

"How would you know that?" Nimbus said.

“I could take a picture of one if you wanted.” I interjected after having fallen to the back of the group.

“Torbernite?”

“Yes?” I said happy to hear my name.

“It's a monochromatic camera.”

I promptly took that as another indication that I should bin it. I did take a few pictures of the landscape though every time we crested a hill. Mostly there were nothing but rolling plains though, not very interesting subjects.

It wasn’t long before we arrived back at the stable entrance, or rather the trees that marked the cave. I had managed to turn on the radio and tune to the Mount Olive broadcast without getting yelled at. They played some charming choir music in ancient Roaman which I couldn’t understand, but I could get the feel that some of the songs were happy. It was actually quite nice, even if I didn’t particularly believe in the princesses being goddesses, was this even about the goddesses? It was hard to tell. There might have been a ‘Celestia’ in there somewhere. The point was it was some religious chanting stuff which I felt no need to be compelled by. Reminded me of the chapel, though I hadn’t been there since I was twelve.

At the top of the hills past the stable we had to stop and take in the view. It was at a higher elevation than we had previously been. The grass had been fading as we made our way up top. Now it was no wonder why.

The view before us changed into that which we had first expected and prepared for. Far off the coast was visible as well as a significant portion of the smoldering remains of some buildings. Every stone was hot and looking closer it seemed the grass gave way to nothing but dirt. Near some of the installations there were warped jungle spires that somehow survived the intense heat of the area. I saw at least a dozen individual fires that desperately attempted to find more fuel where there was little.

All and all, the currently affected radius had to be wider than we could see, I was going to put out a guess of 15 km? Just to be clear, nowhere did I state to be an expert at megaspells.

“Welp, guess that story was right....” Oxide said.

“Tartarus... “ Nimbus said in his suit, he must have been roasting in that thing.

“What the hell did they put in those megaspells to make them last two hundred years.”

“From what I know and from the description Galeria gave… nothing should have been this powerful, but with any hope, the council can determine exactly what it was.”

I turned away from the carnage to see something I had least expected. Far away I could see no greenery to the north of Mount Olive. In its place was just a bright white field. I could hardly see it, even from our height but if I was correct then this wasn’t summer. This was, if anything, a cold spring.

The camera certainly got a lot of use while we stayed atop the hill. Turns out there was a bit more radiation then we would have liked so we had to turn back rather quickly. All and all this was going to make for one hell of a report.

End of Chapter 2

Footnote:
Level up!

You really suck at this fighting thing.

Panic: You have a % chance to be temporarily paralyzed by fear depending on your level and the level of your enemies. (this will be countered later by having friendlies)

You also get some observation skills because why not. Perception goes up by 1 to 8.

Chapter Three: Topside

“Something has to have gone wrong by now.” The Overmare of Stable-Z paced her room pausing only to look at the ticking clock and her guest. “Everyone is so busy and yet I bet they don’t need herbal soothers to sleep. Why did it have to be under my administration? Couldn’t I have retired first?” She had been pacing for the better part of an hour, leaving what was once a delicate multi layered dress too disheveled to ignore.

“Well that's not good for your health.” Oakshade wore a practiced smile and relaxed in her swivel chair- casually consuming an herb of her own. This had been her home away from home for sixteen years since the two of them were elected together. Much had changed on the account of their actions, sanitation policy, work order distribution- things mostly aimed at increasing efficiency. Most of all the military had seen a thirty three percent decrease in resource acquisition. What were previously store rooms for arms had been converted into additional living quarters at the request of the Overmare. The population was encouraged to allow an additional 30 foals thanks to her recommendations.

“Oh hush. Your daughter is out there because of you and you aren't even batting an eye, what the blazes has gotten into you?” Even for the unusually meditative zebra, this was too much.

“I think she needed to get out. Staying cramped in a place where no one likes you is never easy. She gets to be one of the first ponies to gaze upon the surface again.” The metal creaked as she leaned forward. “Imagine how well she will be received after they get back. All those days of awkwardly shuffling her into classes and trying to find her cutie mark are paying off. She used to be a rowdy one did you know that?” Oakshade huffed. “Then she hit puberty and got moody, shy and frankly a bit chubby.”

“You really are a horrid parent you know.” There was a hint of sarcasm in her voice as the pacing stopped, if only for a moment. Oak took another slow waft of the burning fragrance.

“It would seem that way. I could be pessimist and worry about the post-apocalyptic environment I just sent her into, or I could trust that we did the right thing.”

The Overmare moved to sit at her desk and levitated the cold tea to her lips. “Is this about honor or pride or something? I never was really into the more… difficult sides of zebra culture.”

“I want her to have a life, a real life and make a difference, not rot underground like the rest of us.” she spoke without spite.

“Meh, underground, above ground, it doesn’t matter where you die. We are going in the dirt at some point, hopefully not anytime soon.”

“Not me, I am getting cremated.”

“Just like Justice?” She questioned almost casually.

“Yep. When Turnip turns eighteen, I think they will have to come to a decision on what to do with our ashes.”

“... You don’t find that at all morbid? I mean I know you didn’t raise your children the way you were raised but flat out telling them-”

“When we are gone it isn’t like we have a say anymore. Our children are the only parts of us that survive after we die. They are, therefore, making our decisions- the right ones- no matter what they do. Besides, we are getting it out of the way long before there will be the possibility of a disagreement.”

“Seems like backwards zebra logic to me old friend,” The Overmare gently prodded. “ however I suppose that it's not a bad idea to be prepared.”

“You are right about the pride part though. I want to be proud of her and have a legacy, but at this point, I would just be glad if she decided to have foals.”

“And if she is a fillyfooler?”

“... I’ll grin and bear it, hoping that Turnip, bless that hard head of his, is able to get a mate with different genitalia than his own.”

“Ha! Still a bit stingy are we?” The Overmare let out a chortle accompanied by an unwelcome nudge.

“Timber was a nice mare for my sister, until she decided to have a threesome in my bedroom adjacent to my children.”

“Oh dear, I never heard that part.” She recoiled and tossed her finely styled mane back into place.

“Yes, well I like to keep that sort of thing quiet regardless.” They both sighed and looked up at the clock once more as it rolled over to 0100 hours. The humming terminals seemed to consume the silence.

“Should I make another pot?”

“If you wouldn’t mine Sassafras.”

She pulled open a small drawer in the desk and revealed her grid of dried leaves and herbs before levitating out a small cluster and dropping them in a pan on the electric stove. The stove clicked to life as oak took to emptying the ashes from her burner, whistling a slow tune. After replacing her own hoof made incense stick, she took out starting powder, dabbed a minuscule amount on each of her front hooves, and then clapped them gently on the end of the rod, igniting it. Sassafras kept pacing until the unmistakable sound of the boil began. It would be another three minutes of relative silence until it was ready to pour.

In the window beyond the two of them, a pair of guards sat at an unsanctioned desk, playing cards and chatting about something the two of them could only guess, as their silhouettes quietly seemed to burst out in sisterly laughs. Without realizing it, the Overmare had already poured her a mug before returning to her seat. Oak pushed her chair a bit closer the middle of the room so they could give a proper cheers.

“To a safe trip home.”

“To a safe trip home.” The mugs, one white and long ago stained by an endless supply of assorted beverages both high and low class, the other a home made creation, tan, carved, loved and new clanked. They drank.

“I will admit though, she can grow some amazing spices.”

Oak took another sip before leaning back in her chain and looking at the clock.

“Indeed.”

We arrived at the cave with 10 minutes to spare, it was a bit close but we had to be careful to safeguard the entrance and erase any tracks we made leading to the rusted door. Upon entering the cave we were greeting once again by the not so welcomed sight of the clinging skeletons.

“Are you all sure you don’t want to… move them or something?” I asked with taut lips picking my way around and inadvertently stepping on something that crunched. Amazingly I only felt a shiver down my spine and didn’t squeak, at least not loud enough for anyone else to hear.

“Why are you asking us? You are the one with the darn magic! You don’t even have to touch the things.” Nimbus stated.

“Yea and you are in a giant tin suit from head to hoof.”

“Oh bite me.” Oxide walked past the both of us bickering and carefully shoved a pile of bones away from the door putting us to shame.

“Are you two finished?” She said snarkily.

“Yea yea… To be honest, it is a bit of shame that we have to leave.”

“Hey you want to starve out there in that wasteland go right ahead.” Brushfire barked. He had been oddly quiet since we took those pictures on the ridge.

“Oh look who isn’t mopey anymore!” Jaguar laughed with Topaz.

“Bin it. I am still in charge of this mission and I could report you.”

“Well when you put it like that, sorry sir. I was joking.” She scoffed. “We should be excited though. I mean this went better than we could have expected, other than the whole megaspell thing.”

“Just- leave the talking to me.”

“Do you think we will return to our security posts or do you think we will be put on day shift?” Topaz asked to no one in particular.

“Hopefully we’ll get a promotion, it's only fitting for heroes such as ourselves.” Brushfire sat down for a moment to facehoof at the two of them.

“If it’s any consolation I think we did just fine considering the challenges we faced.” Oxide remarked beside him.

“I actually agree… on most accounts anyhow.” Yep, that was about me. At least I didn’t mess things up with the camera right?

Right on time a muffled mechanism could be heard before the door pulled inside and rolled away with a loud grinding noise. I bolted upright and gazed inside with excitement. Thank goodness this was over I thought as I looked inside the brightly lit entry way and saw some sighs of relief on the faces of a pair of guards who wore environmental protection suits and carried a hefty amount of weaponry.

“Great to see you all made it!” The Overmare was behind glass speaking from the PA system. “I trust a quick decontamination won’t hurt our briefing schedule? We don’t really have the facilities obviously but if you would please follow the guards to the clinic unless there is anything of pressing interest.”

That was a bit odd. I hadn’t heard anything about a decontamination but I wasn’t about to complain.

“No Overmare.” Brushfire said simply.

“... good…” She looked off to her left and said a few things with a frown before returning. “See you all soon then, and could hand over the camera if you will?” I fished it out and floated it to one of the guards before the six of us were ushered away under the pale white lights above.

Maybe decontamination was a bit of a fancy name for a soapy shower and some temporary isolation while a few tests were done on our blood individually. We waited and talked in our cramped room for at least half an hour before they took off their suits, a sure indication that we were clear.

Marching the halls this time felt like a dream. Ponies split before us and wouldn’t stop giggling and gossiping until we came close. By the time we made it to council chamber we had an unsettling mob behind us. The stable itself, though exactly the same as I remember it felt, claustrophobic and cold in comparison to the outside. That didn't bode well considering I was going back to work in a few days and I couldn’t afford be all jittery then.

We met up with a considerably larger force of guards at the entrance. Before stepping outside I took another glance at the crowd and nearly died of shock as they all looked directly back at me.

The same as last time four people sat in their collective chairs. The room was hot and someone was tapping a hoof impatiently. Brushfire stepped in front of us and saluted the equestrian flag.

“Alpha team commander Brushfire reporting sir!”

“At ease.” Granite said quickly gesturing with one hoof to the chairs. “What is the status of the wasteland?” He asked as we took our seats.

“The surface seems to be habitable- very, actually- with conclusive proof of indigenous zebra populations engaging in trade.” A guard rushed in through a back door, quickly saluted, and walked up to Stonesaddle. There were a few slight indications of confusion spread across the council, a flinching brow or shift in posture- that sort of thing.

“I trust the locals are of no danger to the stable?” Mother spoke with bags under her eyes.

“They had rusted arms and wore them freely, If you would bring up the first few images you will see they were of little threat.” The guard shuffled to the far end of the table and popped the cartridge into the projector. It made a rather satisfying click as the first image we took of the caravan popped up. “All small arms, the leader seen here wore strange clothing that we were unable to deduce the origins of.”

“Yes, it looks very…. punk I would say.” The Overmare spoke softly. Really, of all the words you could have chosen?

“Indeed, this may be the indication of civilization we have been hoping for. I am intrigued though by the conditions we are seeing- this grass was alive?” Stonesaddle asked.

“Yes Sir, the radiation levels were well into the safe range. We did encounter some hostile wildlife but soon learned how to deal with them.”

“Is that why you all have half of your bullets missing? All but Torbernite, that is.” Granite looked flatly towards Nimbus who was out of his suit and in a bulky uniform.

“Yes, Sir. We open fired as the night went down and… we were saved by a single passing Zebra-”

“Luna I swear!” Granite hammered the table jolting everyone present. “I thought we had an upstanding team! It was explicitly stated to not make contact! Now we have at least one hostile aware of our presence.” Galeria didn’t deserve to be treated like this.

“Um sir, if I may-”

“Talk out of line again and I’ll see you thrown serving slop for the next year.” Granite let off an outburst of intimidation.

This was going to go sour...

“The reason why I didn’t shoot was because I went to get her help.” The both of us paled and he looked at me with an irate scowl.

“... You ran away, to give up our position to a local that may or maynot have been able to help you?” I froze and glanced towards Brushfire who looked at me then away knowing the shit I was in.

“Well uh, considering well we had guns and were shooting them I-I assumed she already… knew?”

“You damned coward!” He stood up fuming. I fell back out of my chair as the entire room erupted in noise.

“Woah calm down-”

“Granite let her finish-”

“Sir I would like to clear up-”

Oakshade’s chair ground against the floor as she stood up. A hush fell over the ruckus the moment she looked him on with dead certainty.

“I trust we can maintain this as a civil discussion.”

“... We will see.” I was still petrified and laying on the ground before Nimbus and Oxide helped me up silently. I nodded in respect before clearing my throat and sitting back down.

“What was the outcome of your interaction?” Stonesaddle asked in my direction.

“... Galeria- the um name of the Zebra that pacified the bugs and kept us safe for the night- she told a story and gave us a map without any trouble. She didn’t know who we were or where we came from.” I felt it would be best if I left out the fact that we traded oxides rifle to a ‘hostile’.

“And what did this story entail?”

I hadn’t know it at the time but Brushfire was actually smart enough to record the whole thing which he promptly played for the council. Those precious few minutes of diverted attention worked wonders on my psyche but the nasty bits of the story only served to bring back the tense atmosphere. Some other tidbits of conversation occurred between them, I couldn’t recall what, it wasn’t important to me at the time.

“We found her to be quite genuine and were given this map as a parting gift.” Brushfire had already had it unfurled and on the table as I looked up from whatever my hooves were playing with. “We were also given advice to seek out Florence in the future for trade and information.”

“Allies on the surface are a good start- though I am personally more interested in the state of the old Roaman military hardware.” Stonesaddle responded before turning to myself. I felt in an instant a wave of both trust and fear from his eyes. It only lasted a moment, but it was there and nearly petrifying. “If the damage is as significant as it seems however, I doubt scavenging will be of much use. How far do you think we could go into the port area before we met with complications?”

“Well, in the pictures we can see some plant life and plenty of rubble which seems unavoidable. I don’t think we could reach many of the further structures without some serious, I don’t know, dynamite?” There was little confidence in my response. “It was hot, nearly too hot for power armor. It is bound to get hotter as time goes by what with the seasons changing and all. Who knows if we could even leave the stable when summer arrives.”

“Sounds good. Alrighty then,” Granite nodded along as Stonesaddle spoke. “I suppose it is time to continue with your mission."

...Come again?

"If you would excuse us.” The remaining guards left the room without question leaving us in a silence which lasted until Granite spoke again slowly.

“This mission has been an experiment in a number of ways. We needed to judge the effectiveness of the team and the conditions above. Now that we have favorable conditions it is time to ensure the safety of the stable. You see, we have a number of items which should still remain untarnished and untouched within the Zebra’s military compound. You don’t need to know what they do, you simply need to go there, retrieve them and come back- no questions asked.”

Was there something wrong with the stables systems? If it were the power as I thought it was then why wouldn’t they just tell us outright? Did this tie in with the plans mentioned in those emails?

“Two days from now you will headed back out at dusk around 1800 hours and return, hopefully, before dawn. This will be taken under the guise that Torbernite will be collecting samples from outside. You could come back with a lump of grass for all I care just tell no one.”

“I know this is sudden and suspicious, but you must trust that we have the safety of the stable as our primary concern.” The Overmare entered full oration mode. “There will be no need for further briefing on this subject and it will never be mentioned again after the objects of interest are gathered. As our acting commander has suggested however, he will be taking the lead in this mission.

Time is less critical than before though if what you have said about the intensity of the heat is correct, I would not wait until morning. We will make sure to open the doors at exactly 0800 hours keep them open until you return within the hour. If you do not return however… well I suppose there is no need to go into that.”

“Do try not to be late.” Mother put bluntly.

“The council will review the information gathered and if need be inform you of any change of plans. You will find that your pipbucks have been updated with the most probable locations of the 5 objects. With that you all are dismissed.” Granite exhaled defeated.

“Sir yes sir!” Everyone said before pushing out their chairs with a metallic groan.

The door closed behind us and I couldn’t help but grasp for an explanation.

“Why? We just got back.” I stomped.

“Torbernite, for once would you just keep your damn mouth closed and do what you are told?” Nimbus said as he moved off further into the bunker with everyone else.

“The council can’t honestly expect us to just-” how could I make this work… “Get their shit!” Oxide and Brushfire drifted down one hallway, no doubt eager to get out of earshot.

“Tough. This is the military you know. We aren't here to question, we are here to be obedient. When the Overmare says we need to fetch some plants then we need to fetch some plants. This is not up for debate.” Topaz and Jaguar took that as their cue to leave as well.

“Look just come on, talk some sense into Granite to convince him that we should leave, like any other day.”

“Why?” He finally spun around to address me directly. “You haven’t said you want to be off the team so why do you want to wait and fowl up plans that have already been laid?”

“Pft it isn’t like they can’t just change the plans in an instant. Nothing is ever going on down here anyway.” I took a step back. “And if you would like to know, it’s because I have plans-”

“You have plans?”

“That's right I have plans. Turnip’s birthday is the day we are suppose to be leaving, yea I guess we could have the ceremony in the morning but he has school a-and I was supposed to be back at the reactor-”

“Bull. You are just scared and don’t want to admit it!” He shouted with a look of anger on his face. I shrunk back. He was taller than I and though I had never been intimidated by him before, it was certainly the case now. Soon his expression softened to one of regret after seeing the shaking I tried to hide. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have…”

I stumbled away from the hall and away from the gaze of the bystanders, there were always bystanders. A tear dripped down but I wrinkled my face and wiped it off before anyone could see. It didn’t matter that he was right. It didn’t matter that the outside was beautiful and terrible at the same time. All that mattered was this sinking feeling that I was alone with no one to turn to and that this mission would not be the last or the worst.

We were going into places we didn’t know about to retrieve some foul objects for an idiotic council that couldn’t even rely on us. Couldn’t rely on me.

Crap this wasn’t helping matters.

I spent awhile in my room staring at the ceiling and combing my mane.

Had I been conscripted? Was this going to be the death of me? Why didn’t I have anyone to turn to? All the pondering had hurt my head, perhaps it was the result of laying down for too long after eating too much though. There were 5 components all on the same level of a facility far into “the dead zone” Apparently my pictures showed that the place was still standing well enough to deem exploration after all.

It seemed that there was an old road that led almost straight to the compound ‘RRLC-77 alpha.’ I only figured that out because I spent the past hour scrolling around in a daze and found that it had updated somehow which didn’t make sense as the only map we had before was the one of Stable Z. It was as if the pipbuck itself drew up details based on its surroundings! These things were weird.

So maybe I was a bit of a coward when it came to this fighting and stuff but I guess if things ever got too bad I could always just hang back and let them do the dangerous stuff. In fact, why was I coming along?

Probably to be a glorified servant again.

I let out a sigh and rolled over pushing off the blankets and looking into my bathroom. It was too darn cold in here.

I splashed some nice warm water on my face slapped both cheeks lightly and then started making faces. I wasn’t, like incredibly ugly or something was I? Could that have been why no one like me?

“Just another vote of confidence from yourself I see.”

So I wasn’t the most attractive pony, who cared! Not I! Certainly not I! After all, I never had time to fancy up what with all the incessant quirks of that stupid reactor and the stupid ponies that worked on it. Sure I got a fancier room and some fancy books and what not but why couldn’t they just hire more ponies to do the job?

Actually now that I thought about it, I didn’t really do much other than read, play cards and work did I? Goddesses was my life that boring? Already I felt as though I spent a lifetime outside in one bloody day. A single day shook the preconceived notions that I actually had a life and interests and… a future.

Great now I actually wanted to go outside. What a wonderful (and short) life that would be. It also didn’t help matters that Stonesaddle himself was coming because apparently we were that shit.

When it came down to it I could always just say no, but some- urging, I suppose, held me back. It was just so… interesting, so invigorating to see the depth of the landscapes for once when I had carved paths through the entirety of this stable several times over already. Curiosity, that’s the word I would use.

That reminded me, I had taken a picture for Turnip. Would they even let me take it or him see it?

“Well only one way to find out.” I got dressed and worked up the courage to go see mother.

“Oakshade? You have a visitor.” The guard called before I enter my mothers office.

“J-June! Well I had been hoping to see you again! Why do you disappear like this at times?”

“Yea… sorry, we never really talked face to face since I got back. I had a question though, about the pictures.”

“Oh, go on.” She sat intently leaning on one hoof in her swivel chair.

“Well I took one, the one of just the mountains and sky and what not for Turnip and I was wondering if he could see it it.”

“Yes well, we were hoping to do a sort of stable wide reveal of the outside in a few days… But I don’t see why we couldn’t make a copy early for him. Hold on actually.” She twisted back around and started hammering out a message.

The clock ticked and the Overmare was grumbling about, apples was it?

“I am actually quite surprised to hear in Turnips interest in the outside. You would figure he would tell me these things after all.”

“We talk a lot you know. He has always hated the Stable.”

“Everyone hates the Stable.” Well that was blunt.

“Uh, ok.”

“I had dozens of others begging for your place to go outside.” Oh that's why. It's going to be another lecture. “Some quicker, some stronger, all more qualified and yet I managed to sneak you on that team do you know why?” I didn’t respond, couldn’t really. “Because you are different than those military brats. You have more cunning than you know what to do with.”

“Thanks?” she wheeled around and took my forehoof in her own.

“Maybe you don’t understand, when I heard that you hadn’t fired a shot and had chosen to do the smart thing and get help I was overwhelmed with happiness. “ She had a beautiful smile adorning her face that was framed by the large golden hoops she had on either ears. “You disobeyed orders, and for that I am so very proud.”

Welp. Good thing she doesn’t think I am a coward since that never happened.

“Thanks, mom. It… it does mean a lot to me to hear that.” Oh goddesses I couldn’t bring myself to say anything. Wait what did the goddesses have to do with this? I shook my head a bit.

“Is something wrong dear?”

“Oh no, it's just, ya know all this emotional stuff isn’t really, easy to deal with I guess?”

“Ahhhh… Well I could let you go if you wished. A picture should be delivered to your room in about an hour, if that is alright with you.”

“Yea that sounds great actually.” I swooped in for an embrace which caught her off guard but nevertheless, she returned it. We broke after hearing some obscenities from the Overmare.

“So um…. Could we have a big old family dinner like we used to?”

“Five pm, I will ask for the special leek stew from my sister.”

“Back on speaking terms?”

“For now anyway.”

“Thanks again!” I smiled, feeling a bit better but with a sinking guilt in my gut and the unintended consequences of my lying. At least I had gotten what I came for after all.

I knocked twice before getting a response.

“Oh Torbernite! What a lovely surprise! I was just drawing in the studio.” My father an overly large almost pure blooded Zebra ( believe me, it showed) smirked while beckoning me inside.

“More squiggles?” I nudged him and met fierce resistance.

“Come on, you have to at least try and respect glyph painting!” Every word came out with a familiar popping tone. I hadn’t talked to him in nearly a year on account of… well hiding, I guess so things were bound to be a bit different. He was an equine of eccentric tastes, always willing to try something new or meet new people, not something you would imagine of this massive hard browed guy.

“I see you finally converted my room into a studio-”

“No no no no! Your old room is where music and other magic take place.” We didn’t always see eye to eye but my father was about as harmless as could be, unless you stole rations or pushed people around. He didn’t like that.

“So… it’s a sex dungeon.” He erupted in a deep hearty laughter for a moment.

“No, no. Alchemy!” We arrived at my old door, remnants of the duct tape I used to put up a ‘borrowed’ radiation warning sign were still there. “Let me show you, I have been working on a few new brews I think you will like.”

Inside stank, as I had expected it to. The bed had been converted into a workbench with the help of a few scraps of metal. Each wall had shelves running to the ceiling constructed in a similar fashion though neatly filled with the same kind of gourd with finely scribed labels facing outward. In one corner were three chairs with an assortment of drums piled on top.

On the workbench itself sat three bubbling glass bottles with all sorts of crazy contraptions leading to and from it.

“Well what do you think?” August threw his arms wide.

“You have… an illegal distillery.” He smirked shadily before leading me to the bench.

“You are right for one of them, which do you think it is?” Oh great an alchemy lesson, hadn’t I gotten old enough for these things to stop? Considering though that all the fluids were varying shades of grey brown and black however… maybe I didn’t know as much as I should have.

I cautiously wafted (yea I know chemical safety) the one with the most tubes and vials. It smelled like apples, everything always smelled like apples but this one had a bit of a.. vinegar taste to it?

“That would be the ink.”

“Oh.” I stepped back careful not to disrupt the clutter as we both went silent.

“... Don’t worry you will get it-”

“-I will I will…” I cut him off only lengthening the stretch of silence interrupted by the humming of the heaters and the churning of the bubbles.

“So did you come back out of the blue for any particular reason?”

“Oh yes, I wanted to show Turnip the picture I took while on the outside.” He nodded lightly.

“He should be back soon, he was out with Soundheart last I checked… It wasn’t too scary was it?” He asked genuinely. I shrugged drawing up my mouth slightly.

“Well we managed, but man night is like the emptiest thing you will ever experience.”

“Ha, I do not doubt that. Could I by chance see the picture as well?”

“Sure.” I forked it over and he immediately gasped.

“You took this?” I nodded. “It is beautiful! The framing is magnificent and the image is so balanced you would almost think my daughter knew a thing or two about art!”

“Funny huh. You, actually mean that though?”

“Oh of course I mean, it’s not perfect.” My ears drooped. “B-But it is your first photo, don’t feel pressured.” He wrapped a hoof around my shoulder.

“Not at all.” my interest in this conversation was waning.

“So, why don’t you tell me everything, you know, about the outside and the stable door? I could imagine it was quite grand!” I shrugged again.

We moved into the kitchen which had heirlooms and black on white glyph paintings positively everywhere. He sat across from me and leaned forward as I began to explain everything from the fright of being picked to the disgust at the skeletons found on our doorstep.

Several hours later I had caught up with nearly everything my father could talk about. The stable goers were apparently more excited than anxious now that the first mission was out of the way. That didn’t stop all the crazies though, someone had deliberately smashed some water pipes thinking that maybe that would be enough to encourage a mass exodus. Yea… he was sure security would find the culprits before we left. On top of that it seemed our family was no longer associating with our neighbors, the Whalers, on account of some serious (childish) disagreements about parties and etiquette. It was nice to have a one on one conversation, but he seemed lonely at times even though I knew that wasn’t the case.

Part of the way through Turnip came back and unloaded a barrage of questions. I answered everything just vaguely enough while still conveying that the outside was no laughing matter. Little Turnip could hardly contain his excitement when I pulled the photo from its envelope and began chatting like I had never seen him before. Mother even came by a bit latter than she said she would and made us dinner.

The family was never this forward or this positive. It was a great break for once from the isolation my mother enacted upon herself, the shyness of my brother and the joyful but naive shouts of my father. I guess pride really did matter, it certainly seemed to unify the family again after all.

No that wasn’t entirely true. I was the one who brought us back together even though I didn’t really do anything. It had been mom's idea so I guess she was kind of responsible even though it was my choice in the end.

Then again maybe they just missed me.

The next day I hadn’t planned out, but oh boy I wish I had. The drills had instilled an early sleep schedule and before I knew it I was up and ready. There was, however, a commotion coming from the other side of my door.

Pressing a button revealed the dim hallways being crowded by enthusiastic ponies and zebras. My reveal immediately set them into a shouting over drive, but before anything could occur a trio of guards which must have been posted overnight ordered them back.

“Torbernite Sir! We are to be your personal escort for today and tomorrow until your next mission to ensure your safety.” A tall handsome smooth talking gentlecolt said to me from underneath his prewar royal guard uniform, not all that unlike what I wore during the first meeting. He stood in front while his two comrades blocked the narrow paths.

“Wow, uh thanks I guess?” I shouted over the ruckus looking left and right towards the crowds held back at staffpoint. Shouts of praise, fright and abomination rang out. Had I done this?

“It may be in your best interests to keep your future whereabouts away from public eyes.” One of the guards that was significantly less suave said between grunts. “CLEAR THE AREA AT ONCE!” He shouted with a slight crack in his voice.

That seemed to evoke a response though the howling didn’t stop. Someone threw a glass bottle which shattered at my hooves, starling me. One of the guards yelled and it seemed was getting physical. The walls of ponies shifted like waves crashing against a beach reaching for me while the ceiling pushed down from above.

“Stop.” I huffed shifting toward the closest guard. “This has to stop before someone gets hurt!”

“Then what do you suggest we do?” He stood still at attention. What I was supposed to decide?

Well if they wanted me I guess I was the only one that could make them go away right? I made my way towards one side of the crowd which grew scared and more quiet the closer I stepped.

“Um… Hello everyone. I take it you all want… something-”

“What was it like on the outside!” A blue mare from the front shouted much to the alarm of the guard.

“No no, it's ok.” I motioned for him to move his weapon down which he slowly did before returning to a resolute and intimidating pose.

“Are there any zebras left-”

“Do they still want to kill us?”

“You’ve doomed us all you Idiot! You should never have come back” Yowch.

“Everyone- Everyone! Just calm down, I can tell you what happened on the outside.” Murmurs echoed from the far reaches of the crowd.

“Actually, all information pertaining to the outside has been ordered to be kept classified by the council.” The guard said before turning to me. “All that can be said is that the surface is habitable, the degree of which is still up for debate.”

“Oh get of a load of this-”

“What? I was never told that!” I spoke loudly.

“That was the other reason for our mission sir.”

“... could you stop calling me sir? It just feels wrong. Torbernite will do.”

“Yes miss Torbernite. The Council made the decision last night.” Oh fuck, the family dinner!

“And what if we already said things?”

He sighed looking down . “We feared us much, in an effort to prevent panic we needed to constrict the flow of information. Who did you tell.” His gaze met mine with a furrowed brow.

“Just my Father and Brother… but I showed them a picture I took- the council approved of it I swear!”

“Regardless, you are going to come with us. MAKE WAY.” The handsome one ordered moving forward with spears once again out.

This was going to be a crappy day.

“I can’t believe you authorized this without our consent Oak!” Granite griped.

“For the last time, I didn’t need the council's input to give my daughter access to a photo of the landscape that she took. There was nothing in there that could in anyway be of tactical significance.”

“That's a bold call, even for you.” Stonesaddle said leaning over a glass filled with wine.

“Perhaps, but I felt I owed it to the stable at the very least; They needed to know-”

“When the time is right they were going to know, we already had to go back on orders to try and cover this up.”

“Um, if I could just say something for a moment?” I raised my hoof.

“Go right ahead sweetie-”

“Give me a break Oakshade! This is gross misuse of your authority.” Granite boomed.

“No, it would be however If I tried to hide the glorious outside world from the prisoners of this way of life! We have always known this day would come and ever since the accident we decided that, for the benefit of the stable, we would look into the colonization of the outside. To treat your fellow citizens as degenerates, to think little of them is the greatest injustice your could have done.”

“Perhaps you don’t see this the way we do. When I see someone break protocol they are punished-”

“Who makes these protocols, and for whose benefit do they exist? Do you honestly expect me to respect these arbitrary tenants when they are used against those they were meant to protect? Ignorance will not quell the hearts and minds of the stable goers.”

“YOU KNOW NOTHING!” Granite slammed the table leaving a hoof mark and no doubt injuring himself in the process. “If anything, uncontrolled and unedited information of the outside is only going to lead to conflict. Now that they have heard the tale of a great clean wondrous expanse they will want to leave themselves soon enough by whatever means they can muster. What happens when it is shown that the world above is not a perfect fairytale? What happens when they encounter the cold embrace of death at the hooves of the unknown and unholy, woman you've doomed us!”

“I beg to differ.” Mother spoke calmly with her hooves crossed and head level. There was a lull in conversation that grew more tense as the seconds ticked by.

“... It is already done though, why can’t you just explain that it isn’t perfect up their?”

“It would never work.” Stonesaddle leaned back in his chair. “There is no way the general populous would stand for anything other than the free opening of the vault door. It is really up to the results of this next mission to provide more information and then after that you. Tobernite, you may have inadvertently caused a revolution. It seems that we will need you to leak more information to the public about whatever you encounter and before you ask why you, it is because none of the citizens are going to trust anyone but yourself as you are unaffiliated with the military.”

“Are we not even going to discuss this? Really?” The Overmare had hardly said a word.

“I actually agree with StoneSaddle. Torbernite will need to release more information to the public upon her return.”

“If you wish us to hide in here like cowards then go ahead-”

“Hey I won’t take any of that talk from you, you… rebel.” Granite let it roll of his tongue like a lead weight.

“What did you just call me?” Oakshade pushed herself up from the table. “If you think I WANT bloodshed you are sorely mistaken. I want nothing but the freedom of the good people of this Stable.”

“Settle down already! I don’t think Torbernite is doing too well.” My face had long ago paled but it somehow grew lighter as the attention fell upon myself.

“Understand please Torbernite, that for as much as I may hold this action against your mother, I do not hold it against you as at the time you did nothing wrong.” Granite turned back to my mother. “A council member should always be trustworthy.”

“I will see to your end if you keep insinuating my madness.” Mother spat those words with bared teeth and for a second I thought I was going to see a brawl.

“Would you just shut up already!” That caught their attention. “Maybe I might have an idea?”

“Well get on with it.” StoneSaddle sighed. He could see me choke back vomit.

“... I messed up. I am sorry but this fighting isn’t leading us anywhere. Why don’t we try to establish contact with the surface factions without talking about where we are from? We already have a map, if we had a few teams or individuals scout them out, maybe we could estimate the threats we might encounter? From there, if the information is promising we could claim some land on the surface immediately outside the stable for trade or something with volunteers only. If it works it works, if not we hide some more and then… well I don’t know the rest, we can cross that bridge when we come to it.”

I was met with skeptical eyes from all expect mother who I think would have been jumping for joy if she could have.

“Volunteers huh?” Granite said.

“If we announced this plan and it turned into an obvious problem then the people would have no issues with closing the door, though that would still put us at risk for attacks from the outside.” Stonesaddle ran a hoof through his sleek hair.

“So move the location of our supposed trade outpost and hide the stable entrance. Have explosives set up on the cave ceiling as a last resort to stop anyone from even reaching the doors.” Granite input.

“Wait this could work… It is not a half bad plan Torbernite.” The Overmare nodded gently as I let out a long held breath.

“So what do we do about this mission?” Oakshade asked.

“I see no reason for the objective to change. Likewise it could be cover for an attempt at contacting the natives.”

“Good, so then we can continue to discuss this… without Torbernite.” Granite's words were enough to make me stand.

“Thank you, for considering my opinion council.” I said softly.

“Ehhh don’t mention it. Also just for future reference we always fight like this.”

“Remember, not a word.”

“Yes sirs.” I politely saluted before stepping out to my guards once again.

And promptly fell to the floor.

“Torbernite sir?” The handsome one had to be the one that caught me.

“Wha? Oh um sorry, it was just a bit taxing…”

“I could imagine, being on the most important assignment the stable has ever seen must be such a burden.” Was he coming onto me?

“Sure is.” I looked down and finally picked myself off the ground in an effort to conceal my face.

“Whatever it is you need for the rest of today do not hesitate to ask in my direction.” He smiled still holding a hoof. His eyes shined and I could make out my reflection in his helmet which covered his thin blond hair. This was too much.

“Could I, go to the bathroom maybe?” He nodded. “Alone.”

“Oh I wasn’t trying to-” He let go and pushed off gently.

“No I understand, I just… REALLY have to piss.”

The door locked shut and I leaned with my eyes closed and back to the metal. Holy fuck what was that?!? Had the whole stable gone mad? I was just complaining like what, twenty minutes ago that I left quite a bit to be desired and suddenly…

“Oh.” That's right, I was famous now. Nothing could stop the smirk that bubbled on my lips.

Now the wise thing to do was to fully consider the powers that come with a celebrity status but all I could think about was the multitude of stallions that would be chasing me. Luna knows I hadn’t gotten any action in 16 months... holy crap had it been that long?

I shook my head out of my fervor. After doing my business I strutted outside and we began our walk towards the mess hall. Breakfast fixes everything after all.

The hall was about as rowdy as usually but instead of the mindless gossip that the crowds usually output there were more hushed tones and pointing in my direction. The trio of guards did well to ward off anyone that met with anything more than a hostile gaze.

The food was better than MRE’s, but not by much. Stale potatoes and harsh vegetables mixed into an ugly but filling slush. I had elected to sit near as few people as possible. Again the guards made that wish into a reality, perhaps harsher than they should have, but nevertheless I was allowed to sit down alone and across from blondie who did his best to keep his eyes from drifting to mine.

There was light chatter between the other two guards that were frankly easy to forget. Still they didn’t complain in the slightest as I gracelessly annihilated my food and slurped down my sugar water. Every thought was a pleasant one with him in front.

“So what is your name? You already know mine after all.”

“I am Private Lemoncake, and I guess it is nice to finally talk to you.” He let out a soft exhale with a smile on his lips. “You are quite pretty,” The smile was gone “though you must get compliments like that daily.”

“No… people only ever call me smart which isn’t always true. When it comes to technology sure I guess I am kind of smart, but other than that, I don’t even know a tenth of what my mother does. Pretty is not something I hear ever really.” My mouth was dry.

“I guess it is just… your mane is so manageable, I haven’t seen many Zebras with hair like yours.”

“Ah,” my brows drooped, “well my mother’s mother was a unicorn so that is probably where I get it from. What about yourself blondie?” His soft muzzle crinkled in an inquisitive way in response.

“Well my entire family is pure blooded unicorns. Not much else to say about that… My ancestors were bakers though, hence the name.”

“What? Don’t you like it?” he shook his head ever so slightly. “It is better than being named after a deadly radioactive mineral let me tell you.”

“Yes, but at least you own your name! Lemoncake isn’t much of a guard's name is it? Torbernite sounds about as intelligent as you do.” He tilted his head letting a few strands of hair fall in front of those magnificent blue eyes.

OHHhhhhhhh unrelenting young love, why do you do this to me?

I coughed and took another sip as my throat was suddenly dry as a desert. “You really think so?” I twirled my fork and turned away a smidge.

“I know so! Why else would you, above anyone else get the privilege of leaving the Stable?”

“It is a bit more complicated than that. I think my mother had more than a single hoof in the council’s decision to bring me with them.”

“And it was wonderful! Wasn’t it?” He leaned on one hoof in my direction.

“Yes and no…. but you probably already know everything I am allowed to say.”

“I heard that the trees and sky were the most beautiful thing. The air sung with birds and the night seemed endless in its expanse. To be honest, I have always wanted to leave hear and see what it’s like.”

“Well, maybe someone sugar coated it a little for you but yea, it was stupendous and immense. Every time the wind blew through my hair I just felt so alive and free, like I had a future up there you know?”

“Oh yea yea…” He donned a much more downtrodden look as he leaned in further and gazed off in the direction of some passersby. “Not much down here is there? I have been a guard since I was sixteen and not once have I felt any sense of purpose, any sense of belonging.”

A father and his colt walked close by. The colt was perhaps seven years of age and walked around talking to everyone and waving with a smiling brimming from ear to ear. Frequently he would find something of interest and fixate holding them up in line as they joined the back. The father’s eyes were only ever on the path before him and on anything close enough to warrant danger. His gaze met ours for a few moments before he returned to caring for his hyper son. We returned our attention to the table while I fiddled with the drink in my grasp.

“No one likes it here. Not the guards, not the farmers and not the entertainers. My grandmother took her own life at the stable door at the age of sixty-two. The funeral was quick and it has been hard to find a hopeful look in my family since then.” We met once more. “I am sorry; you don’t want to hear this.”

“I understand. Suicide is a lot more common among the elderly than anyone wants to admit, that is why we have the theater and such a huge focus on the arts. We can’t let the depression take hold- It always seems to though.”

“I don’t mean to pry, have you been doing alright since the incident?”

“Oh that.” I brushed back my mane with a hoof before leaning over the table. “I lost a lot of trust that day and now a few people hate me, but the reactor is ok and I guess so am I." It was an instinct that I knew was going to kick in the moment I thought about it, but I half reached for my left forehoof. Im sure he noticed but I guess I'll never know. "So I made a mistake, everyone does those right? Even if it is one of the only things keeping us alive…” I pouted. It really had been a long time. “But enough of that, I am finished eating so I was thinking… maybe we could head back to my room.”

“Oh of course I will escort you back to your room Torbernite.” I bit the inside of my cheeks.

“But… will you escort me inside my room?” The pair had done everything to remain out of the conversation but I think our mutual blushing was as audible as timpani at this point.

“UM… It is against regulation to…. do such things on duty ma'am.”

“So… when does the shift change?” He quickly looked at his hoof and read off the time to himself.

“An hour.”

“A-and they can be told to wait outside?”

“If that is what you want… I shouldn’t have anything immediately after t-that.”

I leaned in and tapped him on the nose with a hoof which made him recoil all while giving the best bedroom eyes I could.

“See you then.”

“How about you just ask to be relieved already Lemoncake?” The female guard said something under her breath about never getting the good ones.

“I uh… Guess I could?”

“Fine, that way you two can bone and I can finally stop listening to you saps.”

I for one didn’t care even though it was rather apparent I was going to take advantage of this poor stallion.

Welp.

I had to wait almost an hour anyway before a new trio showed up to relieve the existing pair. After that Lemoncake somehow made his way inside undetected. What ensued was an initially awkward but afterwards incredible bout of love making which lasted the better part of two hours, but you all don’t get to join in on that.

It took a while before I could walk, or think for that matter, straight. Miraculously I cleaned up while Lemondrop lay unconscious on my absolute mess of a bed. Somewhere in the shouting he told me he had been in charge of the shift since about 2 am so I couldn’t blame him for passing out in the state he was in. Seeing Lemoncake so indisposed however left a peculiar feeling in my gut so after a shower and a change of clothes I stumbled outside into the light doing my best to hide his existence in my room.

“Afternoon Sirs!” I said as a bushy uninteresting stallion nodded my way. “So I guess I am going to head on over to the library… if you all wanted to know.”

“Well, get going already.” Defiantly not dating material these ones.

I checked in at the desk and returned a book on Zebra sun worship I had intended to read, but never did. Past the short shelves that were always undefiled was my favorite spot, hidden in the furthest corner of the library.

Sitting at the desk I pulled out a different book from my saddle bags and asked the guards for some privacy.

Alchemy 101, an illustrated guide.

Hello my old friend. Time to meet your maker.

End of Chapter 3

Footnote:
Level up!

Hey!!!! Look at you climbing the social ladder like that! Probably not the most ethical way of doing it but hey it isn’t like anyone got hurt right? Luck increases by 1 to 7

Sexy times: You have the ability to temporarily… err…mitigate the effects of stress, increasing your Aim, Charisma by 2 points, endurance by 1 point and decreasing your perception by 1. This lasts either 6 hours or for 1 or 2 enemy encounters.

Chapter Four: Nature of the Mind

-What is it about people that make us so susceptible to the quirks of trust? Why is it that most days are filled with laughter between friends when the natural state of every person, of every mind, is to find the flaws and threats that exist in the fabric of our daily lives? To seek out these flaws that haunt us and crush their source- that is how we started our evolution. We grew from trepidation and the efforts of infinite precautions to form a consciousness and society stable enough to grow such that our worries were no longer solely external to the herd- not found in weather, or beast, or any form of nature, but from each other. And yet our new society forced us to trust the very source of our demise with the promise of living another day.

I spent way too much time yesterday reading that book and trying to remember if I had seen any of the plants drawn there on my trip outside but it they all looked the same to me. That was not to say I wasted all night reading. Each section that felt as though it was easy enough to pick through was marked tediously. In an effort to stay away from my room I purposefully (read: accidently) slept in the library until noon which was never a good thing. Waking wasn’t very nice either. I had sneezed and dawned to a page of my notes stuck to my face with the writing heavily smudged. It seemed the book hadn’t been opened in nearly fifty years and had the dust to show for it.

“Ah yes you are awake!” A grin was hard to make out in the harsh light but my eyes learned to focus soon enough. I peeled the paper off with a shudder. A mildly gitty guard stood walked up from around the corner.

“Yea… can I go get breakfast or something… I think I over did it.”

“Oh certainly I simply wished to tell you that Turnip came by and said the party was going to be at the school in oh about 20 minutes.” He was polite but again... different from the other guards that I had seen.

“Why didn’t you wake me!” I scrambled to get up and fell over in my chair with a squeak.

“Well in all honesty it took me quite some time just to discover your location, you didn’t leave that many clues in your room.“ Well that's an interesting surprise. I looked down and did my best to suppress the rising shit eating grin.

“Oh yea sure that makes sense now would you help me up already!”

We jingled out of the library. The several dozen kilos of shiny golden armor will do that. After apologizing to the librarian who frankly probably slept here herself, I bolted towards my room only to stop a few steps from the door.

I was… hesitant, not because I was scared, just worried I supposed which stopped me from immediately opening the door. Inside was still a mess but the armor was all gone as was Lemoncake. I would have preferred a goodbye but I suppose I did bolt after all. On the night stand was a yellow note with a room number a time schedule for the next few weeks as well as a very cute but off putting combination of X’s and O’s. He didn’t think we were actually dating did he? It would be nice if he were a go to stress reliever but I didn’t really imagine doing much more than sleeping with him. That… might not go over so well. Regardless, I was still looking forwards to several more Lemon loving sessions and who could blame me!

First came Turnip’s party however and the mission and THEN I could worry about boning.

I switched into whatever clean clothes I could fine and bolted down the hall with ten minutes to spare.

“Junnnnnyyyyy!”

Crudddddddd. I thought as a familiar pair of voices shouted in my direction. This was a combined school after all. The pair from hell descended on me as if my very coat was made of candy but this time, they had back up. My entire daycare group recognized me which led to some confused looks from the guards who backed away slowly. Yea now they decide to stop protecting me.

“Ow ow ow. Lake, Cake, it is great to see you and all but I have a party to be at really soon and all so right after that we can all play for a bit k?” So much tugging…

“NO WE WANA PLAY Nooooowwwwwwww!” Just shoot me already please.

“Children children! Don’t cling to her!” Rose Meadow shouted much to my dismay as it only seemed to embolden whatever forces glued them to me.

“June, won’t you play wit us?” Lake spoke softly with puppy dog eyes that were almost ALMOST impossible to resist.

“Look-“ I managed to free a hoof and gently stroke his mane. “June would love to play, she really would, but right now she has to go meet with her brother, ok?”

He let go with a pout. “Ok…” which heralded an era of sweet freedom as the others soon let out an assortment of disappointed noises. I gave them a quick pat on the head before taking the opportunity and rushing through the next pair of revolving doors while waving goodbye.

The common room, used for meals and small events with the school was decked out in streamers and balloons. On the other side mother, father and a dozen foals snapped their heads around in anticipation before realizing it was only me.

“Celestia Torbernite! You scared the heck out of us!” Dad said with a smile.

“Well maybe yall should be more prepared then and hire a lookout-“

“We were waiting for you!” mother chimed in.

“Yea and here I am so give me one of those silly hats, turn out the lights and let's do this thing.”

“Very well then, dear?” Mother pointed to the neatly stacked party hats over in the corner. A few minutes later we had our backs to the couches and sat quiet as could and with party favors at the ready.

“And so I told him, pft no way he was going to be the chaplain, if anything he was going to be a cook just like his dad.” The door swung open and someone hit the lights.

“Surprise!” We all shouted before pelting him in strands of colors. Turnip stumbled back in shock as I rushed to give him a giant hug.

“Uhhhh thanks?” He said while I squeezed the life from his bones Eh poor choice of words. Soon enough I set him down and everyone started giving their congratulations to his 15th birthday. Mother and father patted him on his head a few times while I trotted alongside.

“You had better be thankful twerp, I have to go soon so I can’t give you the ceremonial grape flavored dunking that you deserve!” Turnip looked up from the guests towards me with a sad look. “H-hey… I’ll be back by morning, then we can do some fun things tomorrow right?”

He simply nodded and walked towards some of his friends that were standing on desks in a very unsafe way as a few parents scolded them.

“… do you all think he will be mad? I didn’t even have enough time to get him of a present.” I said to Oak.

“I doubt it. He was very thankful for the picture after all.”

“Ah yea… that, can we not talk about that?” I smiled sheepishly.

“I just think you have already done enough. That is why he wants to be with you so bad. He really is starting to look up to you.” Father pointed out before downing some juice.

“Pft it is easy being such a great role model and all. Of course he wants to hang out!”

“Watch it there hothead.” Mother said jokingly as the festivities began with pin the tail on the pony.

I was ready. I might have been nervous for the first trip outside, scared even, but not today! Even though the last mission was more of a tutorial thing anyway and this was the first ‘real deal’ and we had to go into (assumedly) hostile territory. Plus the fact that it warranted a council member’s oversight while we walked the dead halls of an old civilization… Ok this was going to be terrifying but I didn’t care this time!

The party had gone off without a hitch and I didn’t screw up getting to the changing rooms on time. Yep, things were looking up.

“Look sharp Torbernite.” Stonesaddle said bumping into me lightly.

“Uh yes sir.” I nodded and shook my head. It would be so much better if I didn’t get lost up there so often. The lights were blaring and the stable doors once again rolled away to reveal the dark interior of the cave ahead of us. One instant and then all the good feelings of the day were washed away- it was an effort to keep my head held high.

I twisted around and waved at some of the onlookers, namely my parents with Turnip between them and a particularly sweet looking colt in armor. He was at attention but I knew what he was thinking. 12:30 pm tomorrow. I smiled as I got back in line.

The closing of the stable door was just as ominous the second time as the bright lights died before us and we took it upon ourselves to illuminate the cave. I nimbly weaved past the dusty bones and headed topside behind Brushfire and StoneSaddle. When we emerged he let out a resounding whistle.

“So this is what it is like huh? I could get used to it.”

“Yea tell that to the bugs.” Oxide mentioned while she took up a familiar position to look over the orange landscape. A few minutes later she called out, “All clear sir.”

“Good to hear, that means we can get there even quicker!” It was funny the way Stonesaddle countered the very strict image he was supposed to represent. He was head of the M.W.T. after all but out here it was like he was a light hearted adventure seeking foal. Ok maybe not a foal, probably more inquisitive, like a cat or something.

Oxide signaled Topaz and Jaguar to take point. I brought up the rear with Nimbus at my side. He hadn’t spoken since the goodbyes. I hadn’t either but it was unsettling from someone usually so full of suggestions.

We made for the crest of the ridge which would provide an adequate overview of the landscape and hopefully reveal an easy path to the road to the base wow this was getting complicated. Sure enough, the top of the hill showed the stagnant decaying base. I could feel a warm dry breeze coming from the instillation and the ocean beyond which we really had yet to see. I had a feeling the sea looked beautiful this time of year.

The sun was fading to a memory at this point and we had to turn on our head lamps to prevent from tripping. There were trees flanking on either side of the path. The bark was dark and slightly de-saturated like everything from the dirt to the grass around here. It was perturbing and everyone could feel it. Dripping from the branches were curly strands of Spanish moss.

“So were you actually planning on getting some herbs or did you miss out on that part?” Stonesaddle said walking next to me. I had dazed off again looking at the night sky.

“Uh sorry sir.” I levitated out my book from last night and without breaking stride brought it up to reading height. “We should be in an area where we can gather a few of the more tropical things listed here.” I flipped to where one of my bookmarks was.

Blackwater blossom- This blossom grows at the end of narrow green stalks and grows quickly to pony height. When boiled and then turned into a paste it can be used as a pain reliever. The buds form along the stem just below the flower are highly toxic causing muscle spasms for several hours but can be brewed into an alcoholic beverage common in the southern zebra lands where the plant grows. Relatively common around sources of freshwater.

I really had to question how people learned these things. I stopped for a moment to look around. There were a few ponds that looked promising but I didn’t want to get covered in the green algae that covered the surface. Next…

Tinsel root- The roots of this plant emerge during the night time and are porous like a sponge. The roots are always found as long tubes in pods of three. Not to be mistaken for the Tinsel Pony Trap, this smaller variant collects pollen and any small insects that wander towards it due to its stench it off puts. This herb is highly useful as a clotting agent when the sap is applied to a wound. The roots can be ground into a powder to form cooling potions as found in section 5.

The illustration exactly matched the grasses I was currently standing in, but we had already trampled most of the roots. I gathered what I could into my saddle bag while Stonesaddle watched and called for everyone to stop for a moment.

“Do we really have time for this?” Topaz griped. I couldn’t blame her, plants weren’t exactly the most interesting of things to study.

“I say we do, why not try and give her a hoof while we are at it? Nimbus? I had heard you were once interested in medical correct.”

“Yes sir, I don’t know how to identify many useful surface plants though.” He stated flatly.

“That’s a shame. Anything else of interest that you see Torbernite?” I flipped through the next few bookmarks while someone mumbled muffled curses in my direction.

“There are Starlilly leaves which are a powerful paralyzer and toxic in high quantities. Violet cotton curtains which are an ingredient in fire potions as well as a temporary magic steroid, but they can’t be transplanted very easily… Oh Flamingo ferns, which look like normal ferns but are a spice that contains caffeine and is a coffee additive.”

“Does it taste good?” Jaguar asked peeking over my shoulder at the book.

“How the heck would I know?” He shrugged and started rummaging through plants around us. I bought the book back up to my face and shook my head. Of course it would be the caffeinated herb he was interested.

“Whoa why is Zebra’s blood listed as an ingredient? That is fucked up.” Topaz had popped up over my other shoulder.

“Why don’t you bother to read? It clearly states that Zebra’s blood is an ingredient derived from the sap of a Purple Evergreen.” Brushfire said.

“Oh like that one? Why don’t we just get it then!” She thankfully left my personal space and walked up to the tree. “So…. How do you tap a tree.”

“I honestly have no idea.” Brushfire leaned in to turn the page and continue the section but I levitated the book out of reach.

“Do you mind?”

“Oh uh sorry Torbernite.” Gosh why was everyone suddenly interested in what I had to say?

“Having fun yet?” Stonesaddle sat down and swatted a fly.

“If only the whole trip was going to be as easy as this huh?” The rest of the squad with the exception of Nimbus were running around picking up plants indifferently. They had their flaws but I guess it wasn’t half bad being with them. Regardless, I was still the odd pony out. It was a few minutes more until it was decided we had enough harmless fun for one day.

We passed over a small dam that kept at bay a torrent of water. It must have been built to last during the war. There were maybe a few cracks in the side and that was it, rather impressive if you ask me. It was, however, stained black like everything seemed to be as we got down further into the thick of things. All things told it was surprising that there wasn't more concrete out here other than the oddly placed block or two.

“So a personal question for all of you. The story that Galeria figure told, do you believe it?” StoneSaddle looked to myself first.

“She was very thorough; I don’t see any reason not to believe it- Ignoring the religious bits of course.”

Topaz of all people sent me a dirty look. “Of course. The whole story about the prison break and mega spell line up with everything we knew beforehand. It makes sense that she would attribute it to the work of Celestia and Luna, though they were never brutal.”

“Nightmare Moon?” Nimbus said with a muffled voice while brushing aside some dense overhanging bamboo. The road was overtaken by the greenery more so the further we went along. At this point we were all within reaching distance as we hopped from stone to stone.

“That was not Luna. Luna is a goddess of peace, love, and intimacy; of gentle benevolent guidance.” Jaguar stated turning to look at him. “The darkness that resided in her at the time died with use of the elements of harmony.”

“Oh yea like I am going to believe she was just magically cured after a thousand years of imprisonment. My family has always hated Nightmare Moon for her efforts in the war.” Nimbus stated softly which only served to embolden the discussion.

“What you think just because you have more Roaman heritage than me you can say whatever you want to about the princesses? War is war. They did what they had to. Was it horrible? Of course, but they saw no other way to protect their subjects.”

“Why weren’t the Zebras their subjects then? They worshiped the celestial bodies.” I said.

“Not all Zebras worshiped the stars and sun. Individual tribes differed and hardly any recognized the princesses as legitimate avatars of their respective celestial bodies.” Brushfire contributed to this as well. Color me shocked.

“None of that matters though, because after all equestrian most likely lost the war. They were able to send one mega spell. Galceria said they saw more far overhead but who knows if they were intercepted. I mean look around us.” We stopped for a minute at Nimbus’s request. “This place has life. What we knew of the Roamans during the war, they had such an immense amount of mega spells- it is only logical that equestrian is a radioactive wasteland.” Oh that reminded me…

“Guys, the rad levels have nearly quadrupled since we came outside. We are still several Kilos away so from the looks of things it might not even be possible to enter if it gets worse.”

“But it isn’t dangerous?” Oxide asked.

“No, not yet-“

“Then who cares! If in something happens we will leave, simple as that right StoneSaddle?” Jaguar stated moving up.

“Yes, I think we will have to deal with these things as they come to our attention.” With that we continued on in silence.

“Still, if Roam hadn’t stolen those bombs in the first place the Zebra’s totally would have lost.” Jaguar mumbled.

“Are we really going to talk about 200 year old politics?” StoneSaddle at last lost his cool. We stopped again right as the sounds of nature, the crickets and frogs increased. “The war is over, everyone is dead and we are all that’s left from both sides. The stable may have been Equestrian and for that we owe their dead eternal thanks but we are the blood of both. Never forget that.”

“… Sorry sir, it is just that… to insult our Goddesses is not exactly the nicest thing to do.”

“Grow some thicker fur colt. If you believe what you do about them then prepare to have that tested and doubted, especially out here.” Topaz nodded regretfully. "Who knows, might meet them again in a different life."

Once again we set out though this time the forest grew sinister. None of us knew nearly any of the sounds to start with, but some of the howling and hooting was getting out of hoof. As it miraculously got even darker the trunks shifted taller and our steps quickened.

I could only think of bugs, hundreds of bugs as I kept my eyes front and brought up the Pipbuck’s H.U.D. hoping I would only ever see [detected] in the presence of my fri-… my team.

Turning a corner after nearly an hour of walking we saw a chain-link fence laying on its side as the clear and narrow entrance into the green hell not 50 meters from our position.

“Anything yet?” I checked but the levels were still in the green and it didn’t seem anything menacing was around us at all.

“No sir.” I whispered back.

“Alright,” Stonesaddle lowered his profile, “From here on out we keep things as silent as possible, use hoof signals. Brushfire cover the left approach, I will move up to the right. Lights out guns ready. Mind your steps and wait for our signal to approach. Ready?”

“Yes sir!” We saluted and my blood started pumping.

It was hard to see at first but our night vision kicked in about the time the moon found it’s way into the sky past the clouds. Brushfire and Stonesaddle rushed up ahead, carefully peeked across from each other and then looked our way giving the signal for an approach. I levitated my pistol close to me and stacked up on the right side.

Beyond the overgrowth was what looked like an organized series of square warehouses, 4 stories tall with walkways near the gentle slopes of the roofs, or what remained of the roofs anyway. Every which way vines penetrated concrete and stone like; it seemed that everything was covered in those endless vines. A quick survey revealed plenty of cover in the form of tank husks and metal crates. I could only imagine what it must have been like during the war with those great beasts rolling over hills to annihilate Equestrian positions.

Checking my map I pointed to Brushfire that we were going to go to the left through the gate. He nodded and we all moved in unison, guns aimed at corners in the warehouse buildings. We covered a few buildings distance before Stonesaddle ordered us to halt and hide behind a sizable shrub of some kind. I noticed the caution sign blinking above me but I couldn't tell what the cause of it was.

"There is something up ahead." Brushfire indicated. From the looks of things we were at the edge of what was once a small field for running military drills. Now it was nothing but an explosive miniature forest teeming with life. I didn't expect that there would be so much sound coming from inside, there must have been hundreds of creatures within. Thankfully someone, or something, had cut a wide charred path through the jungle. Some of the ash seemed to still be hot to the touch but one half rotted half eviscerated carcass caught my eye. He couldn't have been thinking... I looked at Brushfire who bit his lip angrily before responding. "Fastest path is up ahead. Target is directly on the other side. We could go around, but I am not sure how much longer we can avoid contact."

Stonesaddle was prone, examining the route which seemed easy enough to traverse, it was just a straight line after all. But goddesses it was far, or looked far anyway. "I say we hoof it." Oh and what, going around wasn't an option? "The entrance should be a quarter kilometer away at best, there shouldn't be anything big enough to actually hold a candle to the fire power we have."

Brushfire nodded and stood up. "Feel free to shoot at anything threatening."

"Does that include crazies like you?" I mumbled under my breath as the team all rose. I could feel the heat coming from inside there just looking at it. Something large cawed from inside sending a swarm of birds flying out into the passage. This was nuts.

For a moment Brushfire stood taking in air. Then he ran and we followed. Five seconds later we were in the passage that was five ponies wide, dashing over logs and warm cinders which fell to dust as we trampled them. Browned deciduous leaves that must have fallen off from the heat crunched loudly. More Luna damned vines were already covering the edges of our little path. I ran through a swarm of flies. There was more cawing which sent a shiver down my spine. This place felt wrong.

Half way through I had to slow down to a trot as my body ached. I fell to the back of the group and felt a wave of anxiety wash over me as a result. My caution sign flicked to danger as I let out a few choice expletives. I made the mistake of stopping to scan my surroundings between breaths. "...Oh no."

Now I would like to say I acted maturely in the face of danger, but at this point I think its rather obvious what happened next. Ten seconds later I was caught up with and exceeding the groups manageable pace. "BUGS! RUN!" Nimbus looked behind and saw the living carpet moving in our direction.

"SON OF A BITCH. WHAT DID YOU DO!" I didn't have the air to respond. Immediately caution was thrown to the wind as he sent a grenade into the swarm. It exploded by the time he turned around continuing the mad dash. This only seemed to piss them off more as there was now an audible and familiar chatter. Miraculously we breached the other side of the trees, took a sharp left turn and made for a sizeable earthen concrete structure.

With an astounding unison we made it towards the poor remains of a Zebra, long since dead, who was shriveled in a ball directly in front of an seemingly untouched blast door at the bottom of a mild slope of road. Thankfully there was a smaller, probably temporary, entrance off to the left which seemed a lot more friendly to being forcefully opened. Nimbus nearly threw his C4 on it as we laid prone most likely too close to the explosion. Not that it mattered what with the fucking swarm from hell headed our way. Everyone else open fired. I mostly just sat there covering my ears wishing Galeria had given us one of those potions- wait. I had been passed out for a bit while they talked.

"Brushfire! Do we have a potion to fend them off?" I tried to shout but oh goddesses gunfire is way too loud.

"Yes! Can't use it until they are right on top of us! We only have one!" He had stopped firing to tell me. Oh so we did, that was nice. So we could fend them off while we entered and then proceed to get chewed into oblivion upon our exit, great hind sight. A really 20/20 moment right there on part of Stable-Z. Just then a delightful explosion from our master locksmith rocked over us. I checked back to see it was still standing- sort of any how. There was a large dent in whatever impossible material that door was made of but by the looks of things it was free moving. Nimbus confirmed my suspicions by giving it a kick which rocked the door. It fell to the ground.

“Breach!” Guns at the ready we entered single file into an unlit entryway of about 10 meters before reaching another solid door which was thankfully unlocked. Several more doors that were separate from our interests flanked us on either side in a perfect mirror. We filed in and quickly shut it as the first bugs started to enter the exposed entrance. The team collectively let out a sigh of relief as the sound of the skittering and scratching stopped. At the end of the surprisingly sparse concrete hallway was something I think we were all familiar with. Stairs. Lots and lots of red catwalk stairs that descended in a spiral towards the dark depths.

"Well then... that was fun." Jaguar said leaning over the edge panting. It didn't help that it was so damn hot in here. There were a few more muffled conversations as well. "What the fuck are we going to do when we are through here exactly?"

"As Torbernite was quick to point out earlier we have a potion, ONE potion, same as the one Galeria used. Beyond that I don't know ok? I just... don't know." That seemed to settle things down. "Well no point in standing around, keep quiet and lets keep moving." Brushfire didn't plan on wasting anymore time it seemed and Stonesaddle was in agreement. I was just thankful to not be so shaken for one.

The walls dripped with water and the air was humid but we descended several flights until we reach the appropriate depth of the bunker which also happened to be the ground floor. The door was left open and the overhead light still glowed red. We stacked up with our hoof steps echoing far away as the only sound to be heard. Oxide breached keeping her rifle trained on the far wall of what turned out to be some sort of computer center. I did the not so smart thing and hoofed around for a light switch as everyone made their way towards their respective targets.

The overhead florescent popped on revealing the rectangular control room with scattered flipped chairs and computer stacks. Evidently they had been shot pointblank by a shot gun and no longer functioned. That was also the case for all but one of the computers on a desk with a long dusty hoof sized mirror beside it.

“Alright it looks like this area is secure, you may speak freely.”

“Holy crap guys, that was fucking insane! We kicked those bugs asses! And did you see those tanks?" Topaz said as she made her way through piles of trash.

"I think we all saw the tanks. What I am interested in is this bunker. No one would put a mega-spell launch complex in the middle of a naval supply base, so then what is it?” Jaguar puzzled moving to a white wooden door.

“Yes, had we come a few hundred years sooner those would have been a valuable asset.”

“No one said I couldn’t break into computers did they?” Brushfire looked at me from his position covering our entry way.

“It is your call Torbernite.” I smiled and hastily took my place in the rolling chair before the keyboard. It could have been in better shape. A few keys were heavily worn, the screen was cracked and everything was coated in a layer of sticky dust. I didn’t even know dust could be sticky. Pressing a few keys the display turned on and I was prompted for a password.

“Say… that looks exactly like a Robronco Terminal.” Oxide spoke trotting up beside me.

“That’s because it is, they were kind of notorious for the whole military industrial complex thing.” She blinked and parted her silk hair with a hoof. “Two buyers are better than one after all.”

“And that was legal?” Jaguar spoke ramming into the wooden door that sat past the computer debris but to no avail.

“As long as they never got caught, and never shipped the newest models. Apparently it also helped the Equestrian spies since they were familiar with the technology.” Stonesaddle spoke while sorting through some lockers until he found what looked like a memory drive and pocketed it. “One down.”

“Better make that two.” Topaz waved a similar device from underneath a desk that had been nearly smashed in two. “I didn’t know you were such an expert at the history of the war Sir.”

“You have to realize council members have heavy responsibilities. How could any of us lead if we didn’t know what caused problems between us equines in the past? Need a helping hoof Jaguar?”

“That would be nice.” He said rubbing his shoulder. “It is harder than it looks.”

At this point I could only groan as the machine slowly processed the debug command and seemingly random strings of code popped up on screen. Apparently they weren’t going to make it easy on me. The first password I tried was retribution, the second was retaliation and the correct one was revelations. “I’m in.”

“Good, access it with your pipbuck and download what you can.”

“Yes Sir.” There were only 5 entries of someone’s personal log labeled with names and days but they were nothing but complete gibberish of letters and numbers. How the actual content of the messages managed to be gargled was beyond me but I downloaded them anyway. They were all located within a folder named 'Project Golden Harvest.'

Just then a klaxon erupted from all directions and a synthetic zebra voice spoke over the intercom.

“WARNING, UNIDENTIFIED INTRUDERS DETECTED. INITIATING EVISCERATION OF HOSTILES.”

“What?” I looked up from the terminal to see the far door wide open and a ceiling turret aimed at Jaguar’s head. It let out a rapid fire spray which hit its mark not 2 meters away with a sickening hiss. Oh goddesses no.

Instantly the turret was reduced to scrap by a rifle shot which I barely heard over my scream.

“JAGUAR!” Topaz bolted for the door stumbling along the way as Jaguar collapsed in an awkward heap. She tore off his helmet and revealed singed mane, flesh and bone.

“TORBERNITE! POTION! NOW!” Stonesaddle commanded. “Oxide and Nimbus secure that doorway. Shoot anything that moves!” They didn’t hesitate as the lights in the far room came on revealing dry skeletons with putrid carpet around them. It was absurdly white, why was bone so white?

“TORBERNITE WHERE IS THE FUCKING POTION!” I… I came to. I think my voice finally broke and with it the movie ended. This was life or death now. I had to move and somehow in trembling and seeing the blood pour down I did. A picture frame of a smiling group of zebra in lab wear fell to the ground and shattered.

I climbed the mound and levitated out the red, oh god why did the potions have to be so red-

Stonesaddle snatched it from my telekinetic grasp and poured it on his bleeding cranium then into his still mouth. I tried to look away, really I did. The helmet was smoking and the inner membrane was still intact somehow which meant it was only the heat that got through! Only the blazing heat which incinerated everything but bone apparently. He was going to be just fine! I was going to be just fine! We already had nearly half of what we came for! Two WHOLE pieces-

I threw up over the smoldering helmet adding a delightful sizzle to the panicked sounds coming from every direction. It was bitter, taste of cake and sweets and reminded me of Turnip, of how I had made him love the outside and everything that came with it. Shit he was going to die by my hooves!

I continued to pour out the contents of my stomach to the dismay of everyone until there was nothing left and I fell to two legs. Raising my chin to look took effort but I couldn’t stop. HE WAS DEAD! ONE TURRET AND HE WAS DEAD!!!

“WE ARE ALL GUNA DIE!” I choked out in horror while backing myself away on the floor from the stirring bodies I thought I knew.

“DAMB IT TORBERNITE GET AHOLD OF YOURSELF.” I think it was Brushfire, but I couldn’t tell.

“yea fuck face.” Oh that was a familiar voice. Was I dead already? “I’m not dead-“Jaguar relaxed as the drugs kicked in. Wait when did he take pain killers?

I blinked a few times before feeling control, feeling soothingly in control of my own body I stood on wonky legs.

“What the hell just happened to me?” I mumbled through chattering teeth as my heart pounded in my throat.

“You had a panic attack.” Nimbus said while still at the door.

Jaguar turned over slowly still being held by Stonesaddle until he could see me. “That helmet you just puked on saved my life.”

I did something I hadn’t expected nor intended. As I watched the surface wound heal itself before my eyes… I laughed. I laughed a mad, hysterical laugh until everyone joined in- I wasn’t sure why they did. It must have been a while; I couldn’t see past the tears to read my clock. Soon I chimed it down until at last I was lucid enough to talk.

“…S-roooy about the hat.” The healing was over and for all intents and purposes he was fine…. I think. He was missing some mane but it was short and would grow back to hide the scar tissue anyway.

“Torbernite?” I slowly turned with wide eyes to Nimbus who had his helmet down, wait why was Topaz at the door instead of Nimbus? “Are you alright?” He was steady and enunciated each word carefully.

“Let's see.” I mumbled with my eyes darting around collecting information. Standing was, easy and frankly I had to try it more often. Everyone was more relaxed than they should have been, even Jaguar who was smiling at me. The world began to tilt, almost like if you had a picture and just rotated it a bit until-

Nimbus caught me in his metal hooves, it wasn’t particularly soft but I think the cold hard metal did the trick.

“SHIT.” I shouted. “Is everyone ok?” They let out a collective sigh of relief as I sat up and rubbed my head like an idiot.

“Now normally I would be angry at you for some reason or poke fun but not this time. What just happened was not alright.” Topaz said to me.

“Why are the alarms off?”

“Nimbus and Oxide found the speakers and destroyed them so technically they arn’t.” Brushfire said. It took me a moment to detect the hint of malice coming from his voice.

Holy crap. I had seriously panicked in an emergency situation. I could have gotten him killed for real and that was NOT ok nope not one bit NOPE NOPE NOPE.

“So… how long?”

“About twenty minutes. You kept screaming about Balefire bombs and something about tacos.” StoneSaddle said.

“Wait, are you fucking with me?”

“After what you just pulled? Maybe I am.” I met their gaze and lifted a hoof to my cold brow.

“I-I don’t think I am cut out for this stuff.”

“Too bad, you signed on. Now we are going to get the last 3 items and get the hell out of here understood?” I simply nodded.

“Good, now pull out your pistol, aim into that room and fire twice.” What?

“Um why-“

“DID I SAY YOU COULD QUESTION MY ORDERS TORBERNITE!” He yelled which startled me, but not like… you know.

“Um.”

“I SAID PULL OUT YOUR GUN AND SHOOT!”

Reluctantly I did pull out my gun and levitate it towards the bleached room. Scrunching my face, I pulled the trigger, once, and a second later a second time. The sound was painful but was replaced by a gentle tinkering of the casing hitting the concrete at my hooves.

“… Keep your wits about you next time. Now if you want to get out of this alive, stay in the middle and for Luna’s sake don’t shoot any of us.” He shook his head and made his way into the room. Everyone else followed giving me an assortment of looks, disappointed, encouraging, stillness, all at once.

I stood to follow but not before cautiously peering around the corner into where I shot into the floor behind the bones.

I hated this, I hated everything about this. The stupid robots and security systems which were over engineered like hell. The constant shouting and exchange of gunfire. The feeling of whatever shallow moldy goo I was walking in.

Now that everyone was properly organized and oriented, the next few batches of ceiling turrets did next to nothing. Brushfire took a few hits to his side but that was significantly less fatal than it could have been. Otherwise we advanced and I simply said nothing as we trudged along. We did encounter some sort of tracked robot about the size of a pony that was much tougher than the paper thin turrets. It was in a severe state of disrepair and simply shouted a few profanities before emptying its machine gun into a singular spot on the ceiling. A grenade finished the job that others had clearly started.

“All clear.” Nimbus stated lowering his weapons. There was a circular blast door behind the machine which practically screamed stable door and had just as many piles of bones out front of it as ours which is always a good sign.

“It looks like that thing turned on the inhabitants, the question is why?” Topaz said nudging over a few dusty bags of bones looking for anything of interest.

“Who cares, the door needs to be opened.”

“This doesn’t look too good Sir. The controls seem to be inoperable.” Oxide grumbled in front of a sparking control panel that had more in common with a pipbuck minced in a blender than anything else.

“Are there any alternate entrances?”

“I’m not sure, we seem to have scouted most of this floor as it went in a semi-straight direction leading here. Besides,” Oxide sat down to take a closer look, “this doesn’t look the sort of door you want people to just get past.”

StoneSaddle sighed. “Alright everyone, fan out from this position. Search the bodies for anything useful. Torbernite.”

“Hum?” That wasn’t the response he wanted, but was the one he expected.

“You know electronics, think you could figure something out?” I shrugged which led to my helmet leaning in front of my field of view. “That’s a yes then. Get on that door with Nimbus. Maybe the three of you can figure something out.”

We trotted up to where Oxide was barely managing to avoid electrocuting herself while everyone else started searching.

“I take it we don’t have enough explosives to blast through?” Oxide asked not looking up from the pile of doodads she had removed from her pack.

“Nothing short of balefire can cut through that thing.” Nimbus sighed, eyeing over the pieces.

“Well if nothing else lend a hoof organizing these cables would you?”

“Were you trained as an electrician Oxide?” I asked sitting myself down and getting to work. It wasn’t really THAT bad, it was just that the keycard slot had been bent out of shape. So long as we could send the correct signal down the correct path way it would open… Theoretically.

“My father wanted my sisters and I to have some practical training outside of the military. I showed some interest after breaking past a security barrier to get out of class.”

“Oh, so this is like right up your alley then!” She gave me a dirty look.

“I’m not a criminal if that’s what you are saying. That was only once, I got caught and haven’t done anything of the sort since.” She stuck her head in her bag and pulled out a cube with some wires sticking out of it. “This is an Equestrian military security code generator. Given enough time, for something like this we are guaranteed to get past in about a day’s time. Hopefully we can bypass that and just find a card, but judging by the body count, it looks like that isn’t going to happen.”

“Sorry… That is fascinating though. I didn’t know Equestria had technology like that.”

“The previous version was the size of a refrigerator. This may be the last device of it’s kind for all we know.”

“If the security lockdown was ended, the permissions might have been reset.” Nimbus said. I stood by as they did their thing.

“That’s hopeful considering we have spent the past hour getting shot at.” I said.

“True.”

“You know, Equestria was more technologically advanced by far. Roam had the numbers and skill but the ponies had tech and that was all that mattered as time moved on.”

“You are quite the historian Nimbus.” Oxide said softly while mending wires. The overhead lights came on thanks to Brushfire. Where the heck did this place get its power anyhow?

“There was nothing else of interest in the library when I was fourteen. I just read some memoirs.”

“Still counts. I hated history class. It was always about nothing but the war which, granted, was highly important but we never delved deep into what things were like before everything went to hell. Torbernite, could you affix these together?” I complied and telekinetically twisted the wires.

“Now that we are on the outside, maybe we can make some history ourselves right guys?” I nudged Nimbus who actually huffed in response. I took that as a sign of accomplishment.

“I don’t know, 200 years is a lot of time for things to change but I doubt anyone we run into will be all that into the ideals of friendship and comradery. I would love it if we were able to reestablish civilization and be a force for good in this new world but…” Nimbus trailed off.

“We are the ones that will decide that, don’t you doubt yourself. With our might we can bring balance and with our intelligence we can bring peace.” Oxide spewed confidence. I smiled at that overly optimistic statement.

“Got it. It should be running permutations now, any luck with the keycards?” Some part of my brain was angry that the little device didn't light up and make little bleep bloop sounds. What a let down.

“No, but we have found ammo. Lots and lots of ammo.” Jaguar called out from across the room.

“Anything we can use?”

“Mostly standard issue mags for Roaman carbines and we only have like what, 3 of those in the armory?”

“Take what you can regardless. We can strip down what we can’t use when we get back.” Stonesaddle said as he too rummaged through the rags. Jaguar gave a quick ‘yes sir’ in response.

“So Nimbus, what do you think the odds are that this is another stable?” I asked him in a slightly hushed tone.

“The council would have told you to expect survivors if this were a stable Torbernite.” Stonesaddle called out from a corner off the room. I couldn’t help but feel judged by that response.

“Oh… well that is good to know. But, Sir, doesn’t that leave the possibility that this was a silo of some kind?” He looked up from what he was picking at.

“That was a theory we had formulated, yes.”

“So what if it is closed for a reason?”

“And what might that be?”

“I don’t know, they didn’t want something to get out.” The shuffling audibly slowed until the only remaining sounds were those of the few working lights above and the code cracker's little fan doing its thing. That may of been the stupidest thing I had said so far.

“I mean… it could always just be more storage…” I shrunk back.

“Have you detected elevated levels of magical radiation since entering this room?” I checked and sure enough this room was just barely in the yellow. StoneSaddle read my expression and kept searching.

“When the door opens I want everyone to back up as far as they can. Understood?”

“Yes Sir!” We shouted in unison.

It took three hours, three long boring hours of waiting and we were all starting to feel the drain. Since the whole radiation thing didn’t stop we moved into an adjacent single desk office and had been playing cards that we found.

“Any 7’s Torbernite?” Nimbus had removed his helmet to ensure a fair game and to rid himself of the building case of helmet hair.

“You know I am not entirely convinced you aren’t cheating.” I handed it over.

“Nah you just suck.” I nodded slightly “Any 2’s?”

“Would you two finish up that stupid game already so we can play some poker?” Topaz said spinning the rolling chair with the skeleton in it. How the heck wasn’t she creeped out by that?

“So now you want to play? What is Go Fish not good enough for you?”

“No. It is just that I somehow got even more bored. And look, I even came up with a way we could have chips. 5 mm ammo can be 1’s, 9 mm can be fives-“

“For the last time Topaz we are not using valuable ammunition to play blackjack!” Stonesaddle shouted from outside. He had been the last one to check the progress of the door and had just reached the entry way. “Why don’t you write it down instead.”

“With all due respect Sir, then you can’t cheat.” Nimbus and I laughed with her.

“Fair enough.” He came to sit down between us. “You know, I remember when I used to play card games. Then I got a mare.”

“Really? Like really?” I said lowering my hand to look at him. “I will have you know I found some these past few days and don’t need to be subjected to… I don’t know, insults towards my favorite game?”

“Actually I hate most card games.” Nimbus said leaning back and dropping his cards.

“You too huh?” He shrugged as I folded.

“At this point it comes down to the fact that we are further from home than anyone has ever been, why can’t we have a little fun?”

“I wonder what this stud used to do for fun,” Topaz mumbled continuing to spin the chair, “before he died I mean.”

“Eh, probably just drink on the job.” StoneSaddle said. “I would know.”

Was I allowed to laugh at that? That statement was kind of in that grey area I felt where if I did then I faced the risk of getting called out or if I didn’t everyone would think I was a stick in the mud.

“Hey with any luck they were storing crates and crates of fine brandy that by now, thanks to the wonders of the apocalypse, are all certifiably aged to their prime!” Jaguar still frightened me every time he talked. I just felt like there should have been something off about him and yet, regardless of the injury, he was fine.

“No one is that lucky!” Brushfire said wholeheartedly.

“Sir, do you have anything to report on the door?” Oxide asked from the far corner of the room where she had been resting.

“Oh yea! Apparently we got past and just have to push the open button.”

“… Open button?” She asked and a second later facehoofed. “I never fixed that did I?”

“Nope.”

Oxide groaned as she stood and made her way out and down the hall.

“Give me 5 minutes!” She called back.

“Everyone get up and stretch. The break is over.”

“Yes Sir.” I said pulling the deck together and placing in back in its ancient container.

We were ready and in positions in half that time. Makeshift fortifications from desks and cabinets were made so that we could fire inside if need be. I sat by Topaz, Nimbus and Brushfire on the right most side while Oxide readied. Stone nodded, she pressed it and then a warning sound rang.

She was back behind us, prone and with rifle trained as the door made noises and slid inward. The shrill grating sound of metal against metal was much more, shall we say, rusty than that of our stable door. It took a few seconds after the clicking stopped for the red lights to go out and the alarm end. Inside was pitch black but we kept our weapon mounted lights trained on the opening.

Checking the radiation levels and saw very little change.

“Well that was a relief.” I said aloud without thinking and got a nice whack for it.

We rushed up to both sides of the door and listened for anything. Not even wind was moving this deep. There was a stench wafting out of the warm doorway. The hallway went three ways all at 90 degree angles from the door. Shining my light it was easy to make out signs of a struggle. Bullet holes, chunks of concrete missing from the walls and ceiling, ducking out a bit more it was clear that the way forward was caved in. Brushfire signaled the entry and I stepped back as everyone filed in until I was the only one in the room of the dead. Ehhhehe.

“Clear on this side Sir.”

“Clear. Ahead, what the situation?” Nimbus and I walked forward to see if there was anything we could do to get past the cascade of rubble.

“There is no way we are getting past without explosives but those would probably just cause more harm than good.” I shone my lights down the other two hallways. There were central pillars before the halls narrowed slightly. “It could have been intentional sir.”

“We don’t need to head that direction thankfully. Breach a few doorways until we have a secure perimeter.” We complied and went through the motions of kicking in doors, most however were already in a horrible state. Every piece of wood was pounded into oblivion such that nothing but chunks were left on the hinges. Every room was an office and they all were the same. Empty, minus a few eyry blood stains as if victims were dragged into the hall and then disappeared. There were a few interesting tidbits to be found however.

There was always a poster behind the desk, a standard SPQR propaganda piece and a corkboard to the left of the entrance. Pictures of family members and friends were pinned beside tatters of orders ranging from maintaining moral to investigating Equestrian spy rings and relocation requests (there were a lot of those). Meetings were all scheduled for the same time of day but in different rooms. There was always a computer, in poor condition of course, and a name tag.

It was disturbingly orderly and I wasn’t the only one who thought so.

“Talk about a bureaucratic nightmare. Have you read some of these things? ‘Daily moral adjustment meeting at 0600, daily productivity board review at 0800, weekly interdisciplinary communication assessment 1030.’ When did these people actually work?” Nimbus said.

I tried the lights again to no avail. “No power.”

Oxide popped in from the doorway. “Anything to report?”

“Nothing but the same, no power, no zebra, no clues.” Topaz said.

“We are going to group back up and take one direction at a time after a few more doors, but don’t rush it.”

“Sounds good to me.” Brushfire stated. Oxide nodded and left.

“Looks like we are in for another few rousing rounds of guess what’s on the other side.” We made it into the hall which seemed to stretch on forever and grouped up… again. I grabbed the doorknob and pushed it in before stepping back.

This was different. A horrid warm smell came from the behind the desk. The swivel was turned away from us. If I hadn’t known any better I would have said there was someone sitting in it.

“Hello?” I got a nudge for that too.

“You idiot, it is just a bag of bones.” Topaz said stepping inside. “Ewe what the hell is on the floor?” Our lights hit the deck and we saw the entire carpet was coated in a thick coat of dried blood. The left side of the room housed desecrated skeletons, smashed mandibles and shattered femurs. Any indication they had been zebra’s at all seemed to be missing other than the occasional hat or two tossed about in the 2 meter high mound.

We heard a creak and immediately all lights were on the chair that was fucking moving. Que panic.

“Sir! We might have something!” Brushfire yelled down the hall as a low rumbling came from inside.

“Holy shit it’s alive!” Topaz said prepared to fire.

“Wait! It isn’t a threat yet.” Nimbus said before cautiously moving inside one hoof at a time.

“Ffffffffooooooooodddddd?????” Whatever the hell it was could speak. Nimbus stopped mid step, but continued around the desk until he at last peeked. The grotesque monster leapt directly onto him whilst letting out the most blood curdling scream I had ever heard. Its face was composed of exposed strands of flesh that looked so charred I had a hard time imagining this thing was moving. Then I remembered it was crawling on Nimbus and the freaking began.

“GET THIS DAMN THING OFF ME!” He screamed struggling to find where it was on his power armor.

I levitated my wobbling gun and pointed in his direction.

“You idiot! Do you want to hit Nimbus?” Topaz pushed my gun away as she charged at the creature, ramming it into the wall. It quickly pinwheeled and snarled at the two of them as they backed away

NOW I could shoot it! I took aim and looked it in the eyes, or eye at this point.

Fuck. I couldn’t pull the trigger.

“Do it June!” I flinched and sent a shot through its neck and yet it still lurched back towards Topaz.

“I-I can’t!” I really couldn’t on account that, 1, I had dropped the gun and 2, I was scared shitless. Thankfully Brushfire had no such reservations and lit it up with his LMG. Each bullet rendered a small chunk of what I refuse to call meat from its bones until something popped and its head fell off in a spatter of blood which covered everything in the room.

If I wasn’t going to puke before, I certainly was now.

“Holy fucking shit! What was that thing?” Nimbus said gasping for breath. I was heaving my empty stomach in the hallway but at least this time I was lucid. Kind of amazing considering it was my first experience with the undead. I sat up and attempted to wipe some of the gore from my mane, a horrible mistake.

“Why don’t you check its body to find out?” Topaz said as she was already out of the room with me.

“No way in Tartarus I am getting near that again.” A second later. “huh, it has stripes.”

“Are you shitting me? That thing was not a fucking 200 year old zebra!”

“Hey! It’s what I saw.” Nimbus shouted back.

Brushfire patted me on the back lightly and helped me back up on my hooves. “What were they doing down here?”

“That fucking thing killed all those people…” I felt something rising in my chest.

“Shit Torbernite. Not now.” I just closed my eyes a few times and started pacing away from the room. “Whatever it was it is not a threat now.”

“Report!” Stonesaddle and the rest of the squad were already at the door.

“Uhh….” Topaz just pointed inside.

“Well I can’t say this was expected.”

“Are you serious? Undead zebra. What the hell did we sign up for?” I spat.

“EVERYONE SHUT UP.” Brushfire shouted. “There might be more of them so the quicker we get what we came for the quicker we can go home got it?”

“I am sorry sir…”

“Now then,” he walked inside over the corpse, reached into the desk and showed off an audio log. “Two left. No more distractions. Follow me.” He said readying his shotgun and heading further down the hall.

I wasn’t one to believe in ghosts, I hadn’t been one to believe in the undead until a few moments ago, but this place had to be haunted or cursed or something. We didn’t stop at any more doors. We stayed on target according to our pipbucks which were slowly discovering the layout. Another ten minutes of anxious trotting and then that was when things got interesting.

More groans. LOTS more groans. There was a big whopping caution sign blinking in my vision and red lines positively everywhere. We stopped at Stone’s orders though I don’t think we could have been caught in a worse location. A four way intersection.

50 meters or so down each hall the shadows started moving and eyes glinted in our lights. The shrill voices grew in volume. It was pretty clear what was going to happen next.

“Open fire.” So we did.

I think Oxide was the first one with a kill as a distant head exploded in gore. Everyone else just unloaded bullet after bullet while slowly back peddling. Not that it mattered though. At the rate they were pouring from side rooms we were bound to be overwhelmed in a few minutes. The concussion from a grenade rocked me to the ground. Nimbus was clearly having fun. I kept my eyes trained on our rear, but nothing came. That seemed like the logical place to go right?

I bolted away from the group and the ghouls, which was such a fitting name. My calves burned and chaffed in the black combat barding as I was getting painfully aware of how out of shape I was. PE always sucked. Now the most logical thing to do would have been run back the way we came, all the way to the stable and just say fuck it, they can deal with the last bit. Then again I hadn’t exactly thought about that until I was already more than a bit dazed and confused.

The door slammed shut behind me and I gasped for air before hiding behind the desk.

Shit where was I? … Actually I was quite impressed by my running at this point. I had managed to find stairs, stairs! In a place like this. I was two stories down from everyone else and far, far down the left most hall.

“…I fucked up.” I said leaning up against the soggy door. A knock however made me squeak and fall over. Then came another knock, and another, and a grunt!

“Awe shit they found me!” My team was dead, zombified and beating on my door! I wonder what mom would say when she realized just how much of a fuck up I was. I shook my head.

No no no. I wasn’t going to let that happen. Not again.

Standing I took a deep breath in spite of the pounding and realized they couldn’t get in. Ha! Too bad I was trapped inside with Mr bony over here. He even had a fancy hat!

Wait no.

I rubbed my watery eyes and turned on my pipbuck light for additional warmth and protection or something silly like that. Mr bony was slumped over his desk with a cup by his hoof. His shirt was adorned with badges, like a lot of badges. Maybe they were important somehow? Man I wanted to be important.

“FOCUS LUNA DAMN IT!” I took another breath and stood. No harm in looting the place. The top drawers contained nothing but papers and random unimportant military stuff. Interestingly the bottom draw contained a rather heavy metal box. Inside was a gun with a tag attached to it as well as 6 magazines of ammunition. Atop that box however was one of the objectives. A recording labeled GH-492. I quickly pocketed the recording and then read the tag.

Hey there Verician,

I wish I could send your something more encouraging than a firearm for Saturnalia, but since you are away and all I figured, maybe you would enjoy it. I still haven’t gotten anything from your end but I just figured you are busy what with the war consuming all your time. This is the latest and greatest in integrated gem gun designs called the Rex-B18. The TRX for short, features a recoil balanced triple shot burst with armor penetration enchantments and an 18 bullet magazine and can take any standard 10 mm bullet you give it. Any of those steel ranger assholes show up you show them this bad boy you hear me alright?

I heard about Telious.

Awe heck I just don’t know what to write. I can’t believe they have encroached so far and they destroyed the house mother had. It just makes me angry. I wish things were different but hey if I stop what I am doing we would lose in an instant or I would just be replaced and there is no sense in that I know.

Fuck I know it is treason to speak like this but you know this can’t go on forever. We are losing ground every day. The same old strategy of laying mines as our people get slaughtered is not working. My own sources say they will reach the 7 hills of Roam by the end of the year. So either get a move on it and convince those bastards that the many tribes are stronger than ever before… Or do what you have to.

Regardless, I will be seeing you soon brother,

Aquila Septiums

That was… sad. It made me wonder who this Aquila Septimus was. Some big shot that sold arms for a living sure but that didn’t tell me if he liked poetry or not. Probably… He seemed nice after all. And his brother was who exactly? Apparently someone high enough in the food chain that he could get this delivered to his rad office. And what was he going to do to try and stop the war? Pull this thing out and start shooting Roaman senators? As if.

It did sound like a sexy weapon though and sure would be a shame to leave behind.

“Thanks Verician. Sorry about the whole death thing.” Perhaps that was a bit rude of me to say. “Now what to do about the loud dicks out there?” There was still some serious whaling going on.

“Deep breaths Torbernite. Deep breaths.” Just a few shots into the door and then you are done! You don’t even need to look afterwards. “That sounds reasonable.” Even if they were once people. That begged the question of how the hell they had even morphed into the demons outside, but I didn’t think there was going to be an answer to that any time soon.

I took up a stance (don’t ask why I just did) and pretended it was another day of training at the range. It was them or me. Just two red bars and then it would all be over. Levitating the gun I choose them.

Thu Thu Thu

A trio of (relatively) quiet shots tore through the door with a force I had yet to see from a side arm. The continued groaning told me they needed another round.

Thu Thu Thu

And with that the door was shredded and the only sounds remaining were those of my rapid breaths. Shit I just killed two Ghouls. All. By. My. Self. If that wasn’t something worth celebrating I didn’t know what was. I was safe. Now I only needed to gallop like a kilometer through the dark maze that was this place. I let out a sigh and closed my eyes for a moment.

Peeking it seemed that indeed they were very much dead. It was silent outside, so no more ghouls. I jumped over what filth I could. Deciding it was better to take a chance rather than sitting in a death trap I cautiously started back the way I came. You know, you really have to hoof it to the designers of these pipbucks. I would have been positively fucked without that map feature.

Periodically I would glance behind me shining my dimming light about. Nothing ever showed up. The stairs were hot but it didn’t bother me. Fuck nothing really happened in that stretch of time did it? I made my way towards the 4 way intersection I had *Achm* made a tactical withdrawal from. There was plenty of unappealing gore but no squad members that I could immediately make out. Sure as hell I wasn’t going to look through those bodies though.

Waiting was the smart choice, so for once I choose that I moved into the light past the giant door. Sitting down in the room we had stayed in and with nothing to do I figured, you know what, why not play the classified audio file that I wasn’t supposed to ask any questions about since, that too, was the smart choice.

It turns out it was really just a loud noise not too far from the sound the reactor made when the steam pipes shit themselves. Ok that was a bit uncalled for.

“So useful. Torbernite the useful, Torbernite the great and powerful seeker of usefulness. Bleh I hate this.”

“Torbernite?”

“FUCK!” I wheeled around and found Jaguar laying up from a makeshift bed behind the desk. “Uh… what’s up?”

“For starters we thought you died. Oh and I got shot.” He lifted a forehoof that was covered in bandages. I stopped for a moment before pulling my head back and looking drawing up a confused expression.

“But… we are the only ones with guns?”

“Don’t worry, we have more than one shit shot in our squad. Oxide decided to pull her side arm but pulled the trigger before fucking lifting it up, who does that? Eh no matter. It was an accident so now I get to relax here while everyone searches for your rear end.”

“You have the most shit luck... Ah yea, I kind of ran off didn’t I?”

“No?” He stretched it out while bobbed his head up and down.

“But look, it doesn’t matter because look what I found! Tada!” I said quietly putting my new possessions down.

“Shiny new gun and… an audio log what the hell why did you have to try and go after it by yourself? I mean good job regardless but it would have been nice if we had had back up when we fought that hoard.”

“Look, I will level with you. I fucked up, again. I am not a soldier and I am rather certain what I have seen here will haunt me for the rest of my life. That doesn’t mean I am not useful though.” I shook the log a bit until he snatched it.

“Give me that- we all can’t stand the sight of blood. This is the first real action we have seen so why do you think you are special? Why do you act like the only things that matter are the things running through that head of yours?”

“… I don’t know. Self-preservation I guess-“

“Self-preservation? We are a fucking team, get it? There is no ‘self-preservation’ without, ‘squad-preservation’ as stupid as it sounds. So get on the same page as everyone else alright?” I nodded. “Good, I think everyone went to the left at the bend of carnage.”

“Alright, and you are fine by yourself?” He gestured to the SMG resting beside him. “Point taken.”

“Now get out!”

Que five minutes of walking back into the petrifying dark until-

“Holy crap Torbernite!” Nimbus shouted. “Everyone! She's alive!”

“What gives this time?” StoneSaddle was at the front of the group and eyed me with suspicion. I pulled my trump card. “Wait you actually got it?” I also pulled out the gun.

“Yep, this was part of the package as well. TRX, triple shot burst, magical AP rounds- It is a bit of over kill on the ghouls.”

“So we are calling them ghouls now?” Topaz asked.

“I was more impartial to zombies myself.” Brushfire said as he pushed past, walking toward the exit.

“Seriously? No one cares about the one of a kind gun and the audio log?”

“Oh no, we care. I just have a hard time believing you got them.”

“It was, really just an accident but I don’t care! I did something useful-“

“Like runaway?” Oxide said lowly.

“At least I didn’t manage to shoot the only person here who had already been shot.” She gave me a death glare and for a moment I seriously debated whether it would have been safer to confront another pack of ghouls.

“Hey now, let’s all just calm down and get the hell out of here alright? That was the last of them and we don’t need any more drama.” StoneSaddle came between us.

“Yes sir.” She only tore her eyes away from me once everyone had already started moving out.

And with that we finally exited with Jaguar limping all the way until at last we saw the sky! It was bright enough that we no longer needed flashlights and I could see the relief on everyone’s faces as we cleared the doorway. Cautiously we scanned the exit, flashlights off but there were no signs of the bugs beyond a few little curled up dead ones every here and there. Strangely the forest seemed devoid of life now; it must have been too early for the inhabitants or something. Still I was more than a bit scared at the thought of crossing through again, which, of course, we did anyway. We never saw any bugs and crossed without incident.

The glorious orange dawn had yet to reveal its face. The fresh air and clouds above were all that I needed now that it I didn't feel like I was dying. For the time being I wanted nothing to do with the underground or the dark. Funny, since I lived in the stable all my life.

“As fun as that was, I think I am not going to come again.” It was actually Oxide who said that.

I stopped to face her. After everything, all the shooting and insults and messed up shit inside that bunker. “Why?”

“Excuse me?”

“Why? This place, the surface, it is everything we have ever needed. Everything I have ever wanted. Minus the ghouls of course.”

“Wait you actually want to stay up in this death trap?” she laughed.

“I don’t know. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to live up here, if we all stuck together that is. I mean, if we made a home up here then why couldn’t we? As long as we actually learned what to do and what not to do I think it's possible.”

“I am not saying we couldn’t, I just don’t think I need all of this to be happy.” She gestured in a circle.

“Girls, can we just go already?” I ignored Nimbus.

“So you would rather live and die in a cage?”

“The Stable is safe and thanks to us it will stay that way for a long time. The moment we over extend on the surface, our entire way of life will be threatened.”

“Then I guess that is up for the council to decide now isn’t it?” I smiled towards Stonesaddle who didn’t smile back.

“Let's move, it is getting hot out here.”

“Yea what’s with that?” Nimbus the tin pony said.

The air was still getting hotter and it looked like the sun was rising from behind a building to our north, and rapidly too. I looked towards the sky again then to my clock. The sun hadn’t risen this early the last time. The steady slow clicking of my pipbuck had begun ramping up when finally it hit me. Wait, doesn’t the sun rise from the east?

Oh no. The sight of that burned swath through the forest suddenly made a whole lot more sense.

“G-guys. I think Galeria mentioned something about like some sun demons or something didn’t she?”

“What does that have to do with anything?” Topaz said before she too realized the intensity of the light that was moving down the path between buildings.

“Everyone move now!” Stonesaddle helped Jaguar onto Brushfire’s back.

We wasted no time hurrying through the chain-link fence. We were half way before the bend when my back suddenly felt very warm. Glancing back all I could see was a yellow star rushing towards us like a piece of hell itself.

“FUCKITY FUCK.” I had no quarrels with killing a giant light bulb. Bullets however seemed to not have an effect. Nimbus let out a decent number of grenades but they all exploded from the heat too far away to do any real damage.

Oxide screamed. She had fucking stopped to shoot the damn thing with her scoped rifle. That is like science 101 shit right there- no magnifying bright light directly into your eyes. I did feel sorry for her however and stopped as well to tug her along.

“Hey! Just- just grab my tail if you can’t be bothered to use your other eye.”

“GAhhhh, get off it Torbernite I still have one good eye.” She struggled to open it as everyone else continued their mad dash. “I-I’m good, let's go!”

The Solaris Ira shrieked sending out a flare that caught the ground on fire. A wave of fire seemed to shoot off in every direction and led to a particularly nasty rain of embers. At this point I don’t think there was any come back I could say without pissing my pants. The two of us stumbled around the corner and met with everyone.

“The fuck why did you stop!” I shouted.

“We need a plan-“ Brushfire said shifting as Jaguar did his best not to fall off.

“We have a good one! Fucking run.” I took off and everyone followed but Stonesaddle kept talking.

“It’s a gosh darn sun, we need ideas NOW.”

“Uh, sun, like fire. What is good against fire?” Nimbus said.

“Water.” I said. That was it!

“The dam, we need to blow the dam. Nimbus?” StoneSaddle nearly tripped when he looked back.

“I think we have enough explosives for-“ it let out another shrill yell turning the sky white for a moment and igniting the forest that existed between us and itself.

“Fuck! Go, set up before we get there.” Stonesaddle agreed. Nearly half our party was in a bad way at this point. Jaguar and Oxide were slowing us down considerable. “Hand over all the data to me.” We fumbled until he had everything.

“I will slow it down.” It was stupid time. Looking around I was the only one not incapacitated in some way. Stonesaddle had to get everything to the stable right? Brushfire was helping Jaguar and Topaz was helping Oxide- that left me.

“Do you plan on pissing on it? Or just pissing it off?” Topaz said as ash started to fall in large clumps.

“I don’t know, maybe I can lead it away-“

“That is a shity plan, we stick together.” Topaz stated. Funny how I almost heard a hint of concern there. The sky had turned a blinding red color now.

“Torbernite- You help these two, I’ll distract them.” Brushfire said about to turn around.

“I am a unicorn and the fastest runner here. You are strong enough to carry Jaguar. Just keep moving and I’ll do something. How long do we need sir?” I stood my ground, figuratively of course. I wasn’t about to stand still as the soil turned to fucking cinders.

“The dam is 5 minutes away, unless we want to just throw explosives at it until something happens, Nimbus is going to need… 5 more than that minimum?”

“Ten minutes got it-“ I stopped.

“Fuck Torbernite don’t die ok? I wouldn’t do this myself so just, fuck- you are a good person alright I said it.“ Topaz’s voice cracked and Jaguar looked back at me.

“I won’t mess it up this time.” Nah I was going to fucking die. You can’t just one on one the sun and expect to come out alive. Truth be told I just wanted to be a hero or something stupid like that. I galloped in the opposite direction as everyone else and nearly tripped while doing so.

It had only taken seconds of backtracking before big old sparky topped the hill.

“Hey fireballs, why don’t you come over here instead?” It could just as easily ignored me and gone for the smarter targets, but I wasn’t moving and must have looked pretty juicy. It started in my direction faster that I had expected before I turned tail and made my way into the forest.

Fire nipped at my skidding hooves as I lead it past some impressively large oaks. They weren’t going to last however as the creature kept pulsating heat. The further I went the more hazardous the terrain became with roots and rocks sticking out and leaving pony sized hole in the earth. It wasn’t long until I reached this annoying little thing called a cliff.

“Oh shit.” Looking behind me (yes a mistake was made) it was a few mere meters away and blinding from proximity alone. The creature dripped molten slag off it’s body as it charged.

I looked to my left at a potential escape route and took it. It was close, too close as I bounded off a boulder and behind a sizable burning stump. As I flew the beast pulsed from the other side of the stump, obliterating it and sending a concussive shower of splinters into my tumbling hide. I rolled on contact with the mud and managed to slowly hobble onto my hooves as the smoke took its tool on my lungs. Goddesses the pain was immense, but bearable.

Shrieking over the mound it had just obliterated I looked up in awe. All the explosions must have really drained this thing’s batteries cause in that moment I looked up and saw an expression of pain on the charcoal beast’s face. Had it not been for the pure fear and adrenaline pouring in my veins at that moment I might have thought to talk to it. That never happened. As it’s body tensed a now familiar bright light charged it’s limbs red. In a panic I stumbled up and ran, casting a radiation shielding spell I had never really mastered between itself and I before the world went quiet. My horn burned in more ways than one as it let off a wave of heat that caught my tail on fire. I never really cared to style it anyway.

Emerging from the neigh unnavigable blaze I met the road to see everyone was already across though Nimbus was still setting up. It didn’t matter- we were out of time and about 20 seconds away from it. Now the beast had a clear shot and by the goddesses did it take it. Fire began to envelope me and my vision began to wobble from the intense heat. I could feel every piece of barding melting into my skin. Every exposed piece of fur was lit in such a brilliant pain, it was a miracle I didn’t accept my fate then and there. They tried to shoot it anyway to their credit. Each wore a face of worry which only inspired me to move faster until, at last, the grass gave way to crumbling concrete.

This was it. Nimbus stood up from the edge of the dam and sprinted a few steps ahead until it was right on top of us. The pain from a single burning touch immediately caused my muscles to seize. I rolled, what was left of my clothes tore. The ensuing friction with the ground ripped the boiling lumps from my skin.

I managed to dodge out the way as it charged past. Nimbus, however, fell and went limp as it flung him aside with a tackle which left his armor glowing. I saw the detonator bounce and spin within reach as it rocketed towards the rest of the squad. I think I wondered for a half second if I would be missed before I pressed it, but in the end-

I decided I didn’t care.

The cascade of explosions rocked the dam and sent the Solaris Ira reeling in a wall of wet debris where it was covered in a cascade of water. Every limb turned into a numb rag doll as my ears rung. I could see Nimbus’s body fall alongside mine for but a moment.

A great sound like the sizzle of breakfast on a stove but magnified a thousand times pierced into the new dawn. With it arose a plume of steam from the river that clouded my vision as I was swept away underneath the boiling currents. I tried to open my eyes as I tumbled and tried to keep my breath inside, just like I tried to pretend this was all just a horrible dream. Rubble hit all over bruising and scaring my body until it was strangely over.

The water receded and I choked out the oceans in my lungs. In disbelief I opened my eyes.

...

I was alive, injured beyond measure, but alive.

Beside me on the bank of the newly heightened river was Nimbus gasping as his power armor and servos twitched. Chunks of charred meat clung to him and anything else they could. I shook the gore off frighteningly. It looked as if the creature had exploded as it was extinguished but for now that didn’t matter.

I tried to pushed up onto all fours and gasped as a piece of something, metal probably, shifted in my foreleg causing excruciating pain. Still it didn’t matter as I shuffled over to shake Nimbus.

“N-Nimbus?” I spoke as loudly as I dared before he coughed and his eyes fluttered open towards me.

“Torbernite? We… did it?” He looked past towards the remains of the concrete more than a hundred meters upstream from us.

I nodded with a slight giggle before flopping beside him in exhaustion. Nimbus gasped through his teeth as he attempted to stand but only managed to get a single hoof firmly planted on the ground. It was over. It was finally FINALLY over. Everything we came for we had, everyone had gotten out mostly in one piece and we were ready, to head home.

“I don’t feel so well“ His voice lacked air.

“No… it will be fine, someone can stay with us and everyone else can report back and tell them we need a bit of a rescue then… then we will be back in the stable in no time!” I smiled while lying on my back gasping for air, legs splayed out like a T.

“June, Nimbus.” We managed to look over in the direction of the voice where Stonesaddle stood, wet but no worse for wear. With a quick levitation spell he, almost comically, removed a piece of meaty debris from his horn. He wore a slight smile as he closed the distance. “That was some show back there you two.” He managed a hearty laugh before licking his chops and giving a look over our wounds. “Here chew on these, it will help with the pain.” He hoofed over some dry dark green leaves which I promptly took with a ‘thank you’.

I could hardly believe that it was over. Those few minutes had felt like a lifetime. Now that my body was coming down from it’s high and now that I was semi-lucid the only thing I could think about was how insane this whole situation had been. Yet we had all made it! Against the sun itself! Hah! Talk about a story! I sat back imagining the look on Turnips face when I told him or the rest of my family for that matter. Heck I could see our little outing really having an effect on the stable itself. Maybe others could start to see the surface, maybe we could make contact with the surfacers and finally be somewhat free from the underground, regardless of the scary things- those shouldn’t be a problem so long as we never came back here again!

It would be a long road to recovery but that was tomorrow’s problem- ow - ok today's problem, but the general idea was-

We were going to be ok.

“I don’t think a mere thank you could ever suffice for all you have done.” StoneSaddle began as I noticed something peculiar. “I just wish things could have been different.” My chewing was slowing down or maybe I just couldn’t feel my mouth anymore. Regardless, I spat out the star shaped leaves but not before the effect chased down the back of my neck and made the red sky as blinding as the Solaris Ira first was. My head hit the pebbles with a dull thud while the rain pelted us from above. This seems to be a bit more than just a pain killer. I looked up at him in a state of shock to realize the weight of what he had just said.

“I see however that I am not that lucky. You two truly are a useful pair that I hate to waste, but nevertheless, for the sake of the Equestria…” He looked back to where the muffled voices of our comrades came from. My vision warped with tears.

“What?” Those were the last hollow pathetic words I could will before we the world zoomed away from me in a swirl until a pile of brush greeted my unblinking eyes. Was I moving? My suspicions were confirmed when the metal husk of a pony dropped down before me.

How could he do this? I could sense the effects of an accelerated heartbeat but couldn’t feel a thing. We were betrayed? By Stonesaddle? A member of the Luna Damned council? My head swelled and ears ached.

“You pile of shi-“ Nimbus seized after having apparently not chewed the bitter leaves for very long.

And with that he left us in a mound not even dignifying an answer.

I heard the sound of Topaz shouting Nimbus’s name, each time more desperate until at last it rang out like a ringing bell only to be drowned out by the rain. Still the others called for us, marching down and up the river until Brushfire shouted something with a cracked voice. It was all blurred, faded, fake but I still heard it.

Soon the sounds of their hooves disappeared, followed by the sound of the rain, followed by the sound of Nimbus’s breathing, followed by the sound of my own.

Still I could see, the fire of dawn peeking past the rain clouds and rearing its head into this ugly cursed land. I cursed those that I thought were my friends. I cursed my home and StoneSaddle and anything else I could. I tried to cling to the falling flashing whips of light that could only be the drops of rain falling over my chilled body but to no avail. When all other surroundings died out it seemed I was adrift in my thick burning mind with only a speck of red to great me. And when that last quiet speck went out, so, at last, did I.

End of Chapter 4
Footnotes:

Sometimes life really just sucks.

Level up!
Light on your hooves-you are less likely to get discovered (+sneak skill)
Special training, looks like all that running did a number on your calves! +1 strength (4)
Busted foreleg, looks like all that shrapnel did a number of your leg! -2 agility (5)

Author's Note

Well that was well over do. Hope it was a good read, don't be afraid to point out anything and critique is always welcome!

Chapter Five: New Life

Funny, I never really put too much thought into dying. Sure I wondered about as much as anyone else if there was an ever after and, yea, I had been worried that one day I might pass. But I never thought about the process. Succumbing to old age, with your limbs aching, back cracking and bones snapping- that is how I imagined myself going. There weren’t that many options really in the stable.

Out here I had more, shall we say, opportunities. The wildlife could have killed me the first time I stepped outside. I could have walked through a poison bramble bush on the way to the bunker. Ghouls could have ripped me piece by piece and robots could have incinerated what was left. Hell the fringing sun could have killed me, how is that for lucky?

All the times before, however, it was never about death. It was about fear. I knew the bugs couldn’t really do anything when I hid. I knew the robots were brittle and old and the ghouls similarly so, even if not at first. The ghouls were unnatural, disgusting and violent though they couldn’t fight for shit, even in packs. That was because I was with a team, an amazing team that I somehow grew into. For the first time, I had really seen what great teamwork could do and felt what it was like to be a part of it, to be free, to be strong and to be safe. I wouldn’t have called them friends yet but they were certainly closer than anyone else had ever tried being.

Even when I was cowering with a shattered mind they were near and willing to help. Alongside them I grew strong enough to protect myself.

Then came the dam, the flood, the betrayal, and all at once my mind gave way while resting in an inescapable prison to think-

Is this what dying is like?

“Torbernite?” There was a sound of running water and of droplets hitting leaves. Slowly I opened my eyes and revealed a blue blur standing above me with a grey backdrop.

“Yes?” I said in a hushed hoarse voice.

“Are you alright?” That was a funny question to ask, I could talk couldn’t I? “You are pale, drink some potion.” Nimbus brought something I couldn’t bring into focus to my lips and I drank the fluid. A burst of clarity ripped through my mind revealing that, in fact, I was not dead, only trapped on the hellish surface, left by a manipulator no doubt for some nefarious plot that could lead to end of my home. I tried to bring a hoof up to shield myself from the sun behind his head but it wasn’t moving so much as crying in pain.

“S-Stop! You’re going to make it worse. You are probably too numb to realize this but you took some shrapnel in your front left leg.”

I leaned my head up, apparently I could still do that and yep. There it was, a nicely bound wound just below the knee that was becoming harder to ignore as time went on. I had plenty of other muscle pains to go around. Besides that I had lost nearly half the hair on my tail, a sizable amount of blackened skin and fur -which I was revoltingly watching bubble back together in between holes in my barding- and of course my lunch. Surprisingly the rest of my body was only mildly stinging thanks to whoever made that miracle of a potion.

“Shit-“ I flopped back. “Did all that really just happen?”

“If by all that you mean us killing that monster and getting left to die by Stonesaddle? Yea, it happened alright.” I could see far enough now to make out the place we were dragged to like a pair of carcasses. The cool wind gusted around me, stirring with the warm oppressive pressure of the ravine as I shuffled about on the pebbles. Suddenly Nimbus jabbed a needle into my leg making me involuntarily gasp for air. “Thanks for the heads up there bub!”

“It's just some Med-X.” A moment later I felt my limb go staticy and the previous sharp pain faded to a throbbing. Yea cause if I needed anything right now it was more drugs. “So we’re fucked then,” I squeezed my eyes shut, “so insanely fucked that it doesn’t matter anymore.”

“No, we can still make it to some villages or something, maybe they will have doctors to fix us up and we can get back to the stable-“

“FUCK THE STABLE!” I yelled. “… A member of the Council did this to us so who’s to say they weren't all in on it.” Already I knew what he was going to say even if I didn’t want to.

“But our parents-“ He stopped but not soon enough.

I let out a pained cry that no physical wound could could ever cause. They were gone. I would be reported missing or dead and the doors would close forever. My father, my brother- I would never hear them again. My mother, I refused to believe that she would be in on the festering shit cake that was Stonesaddle’s plan but you know what they say about that first deceiving though. It festers in the mind, always haunting and waiting for the opportunity to lead you astray.

Its funny though, he had always been the nice one. I remembered shooting in one of the rec rooms late one night with the rest of the group. He was the only one that actually made an effort to teach me without all the snark and sly comments aimed at my insecurities. It felt like some kind of cruel joke.

“Why are we still alive?” I managed to tone down my sobbing enough to speak.

“ I don’t know… You don’t premeditate treason like that without being completely sure they are dead.” I flexed my good hoof and felt a jolt run through it. Oh was that a mistake.

“Well the book we used to pick herbs was written nearly 200 years ago- maybe the poison is less effective than it used to be?” Ah yes, the book I had brought as a cover for whatever the hell we picked up.

I finally worked up the courage to shift myself around and sit belly side up. The clean air entering my lungs gave me a sudden burst of unwelcome clarity that only served to fuel an anger that I didn’t know I had in me.

“Are you alright?” Nimbus prodded setting off my short fuse.

“Of course not! Nothing is alright! We just went through hell to get some random shit for a place that left us to die!” He was sitting down and had a hoof to his face looking down towards the river. I could see some of the severe damage we had caused beyond him. Huge blocks meters wide of concrete lay strewn about, in a way the new water fall hardly looked new. I'm sure it had been anything other than an weer blocking an oversized creek we would have drowned long ago

I brought my attention to his torso which seemed twisted painfully away from me.

“… Turn around.” He looked at me incredulously. “Just do it.” His features softened as he stood and rotated 180 degrees revealing that, in fact, he was in as shit a situation as myself. His power armor had been stripped away. The entire right side of his body was covered in a series of cuts and burns running from shoulder to stomach. They looked painful as hell but lacked the depth I expected from close range detonation of high explosives, which was all fine except for one thing…

In Stable-z, what with all the inter species relationships, it wasn’t a surprise to see a lack of unicorns. Some considered us lucky to have in born arcane powers. After all, magic is precise and we were thusly suited for more cushy technical jobs. That was why I was allowed to work around the reactor for such decent hours and why my mother was on the council. Zebra unicorn hybrids were strange, but useful. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case for pegasi.

Most of them simply flew away rather than going down into the Stable when we first went in. I imagined it would have been a hard sell what with the lack of fresh air and all. Of course they never would have been here in the first place if they hadn’t joined the Equestrian armed forces. They were supposed to join in the ranks with those who liberated them but I suppose most the POW’s had differing opinions.

To flee from service in such a way was unheard of for zebras and equally appalling for the ponies they had served beside. Thus there was always a stigma that was seldom officially noticed. It had been a few years but I could recall at least one case where a teacher went missing for a few days only to end up dead in a utility closet. With a name like Nimbus, it wasn’t exactly easy to hide I imagined but the majority tried to be decent folks about each other’s differences. So yes, I knew he was a pegasus beforehand.

What I saw before me was no pegasus. His wing had been bent and contorted flat against his side and with spots of blisters and exposed skin over bones. There were feathers, but they were blackened against his cool blue coat. It was unnatural. It was disgusting. Most frightening of all however.

It wasn’t new.

“Holy shit.” I withdrew my eyes and formulated a response without thinking. “Did Granite do that to you?” It took a while for him to say anything, but not until he hid his wounds and whipped his tail away.

“…Yes.”

“My goddess… If I had known I never would’ve bugged you. I mean I knew he was a strict, shitty dad but this is so messed up-“

“MY FATHER, LOVED ME!” He hobbled over until we were inches apart. One eye was swollen shut but that didn’t stop him from crying. “He-“ Nimbus gulped, “-We did what we had to! He got me into the MWT Power armor branch so I could actually do something with my life and get out of a deeper hole in the earth than even you fucked worked in!” He brought a hoof up in front of me. “Don’t you get it? I WANTED this! I- I wanted to help the stable- GIRRRR!!!” He stomped off to a sit on a boulder wet from the rain.

“I wanted them gone… We were never supposed to make it to the surface, never supposed to see the sky-” he breathed through his nose while his lips found the strength to continue “I can’t hate him Torbernite. I can never hate him.” At last Nimbus collapsed into a wheezing lump that couldn’t stop. It hadn’t dawned on me though that maybe the power armor wasn’t built for pegasi. To bind your wings just so you could have a chance at making something of yourself… It was respectable, but no one should have to go through all that pain.

I proceeded to stare as something deep boomed above and the rain thickened. His sobbing was muffled by the water as were my aches. We were both broken right now with nothing left but each other. I stepped slowly in his direction and sat down. I think it helped that I was also balling my eyes out till they were red and I couldn’t see but he never told me so. He rolled over, back to the ground and reached upwards.

“I can see the clouds Torbernite, but I can never touch them…”

It took a while to coax him away from the river. The rain hadn’t let up. We decided that the only way to go was home, even if the door didn’t open. Only after trying then would we go find a village, or what ever people lived in up here. Our clocks told us we had been out for around 5 hours, but it didn’t feel like rest, more like time that was brutally robbed at gunpoint and then burned in front of my eyes.

Neither of us spoke as we limped along the path. Soon enough we were at the giant immobile hunk of metal separating the Stable from this chaos. So close. So fucking close. We tried the door controls but evidently that was a lost cause so instead, after banging until our hooves were sore, we redressed our wounds, downed the last bit of a health potion and slept on the ground.

It was horrible even conceiving the idea of sleep. My mind had already burned itself out though and soon I found it almost easy to close my eyes whilst lying next to Nimbus. It was comforting not being alone, even when everything else was gone. Still, I clung to the silver pendant that my mother had given me, pressing it hard against my chest until the sobbing ended and I met the night.

A noise had awoken me. I stretched instinctively to find Nimbus already up with his light shining on the ground. He had eaten and was scrawling something on the muddy floor with a hoof.

Stonesaddle poisoned us and left us to die.

Nimbus & Torbernite.

Nice, quick and simple. Not an idea I would have come up with. Then again I hadn’t been doing much in the way of thinking. I had a headache and quivering body with not much else to focus on. Other than hate I mean. It really surprised me how much I could ignore as I got angrier and angrier. One second I had been an emotional wreck and then I felt this obscene desire for vengeance and violence.

“Step aside for a minute would you?”

“Have something in mind?”

“Hell yea I do.” I wrote in a nice neat print with my magic and a rock. With a smile I punctuated the sentence.

Ps: we have a few bullets for you jack ass.

“Torbernite… do you honestly think you could do that?” I shrugged.

“Why not? I have a gun, why can’t I just kill the bastard?”

“Because that’s not what you do- you hide when shit goes down. You could never take a life.” He seemed sincere which played into my anger.

“You didn’t see me down in that bunker. I killed two ghouls without flinching.” He looked exasperated as though he knew my words were wasted.

“That wasn’t you Torbernite. I couldn’t... do that. I might be trained to shoot and what not and after what he did I would love to beat him to a pulp… but I couldn’t pull a gun on Stonesaddle.” I laughed backpedaling with a stupid grin on my face.

“Why do you even care? What do you really know about what I am capable of?” I spat the words in his direction.

“You want to seem in control by shrugging it off, being the big bad mare who shoots first and asks questions later when in reality, that kind of thinking is going to get you killed.” He certainly had a knack for talking down to me.

“We’re already dead.” I muttered.

“Oh so you are going to just give up like that.” I didn’t bother looking him in the face. “I see, so if I left right now without you it wouldn’t matter? Didn’t you hate the Stable anyway?”

“It wasn’t his to take away from me.”

“My thoughts exactly. So if you are going to get all pouty and stuff, at least-” He sighed and gazed upwards for a moment before returning to me, “look at this as a fresh start. Out here you can do whatever you want and you don’t have to be subjected to the same boring bullshit like always.” It was a nice thought. Perhaps out here there really would be something else for us. A life and a new place to call home. Or perhaps it was the last bits of my fading optimism dragging me towards a false sense of security. Either way, nothing was going to happen by staying here even though I wanted, more than anything else in the world, to just lay down and never move again.

“So what do we do?”

“We survive.”

“That is quite the plan you have there.”

“I’m sorry, aren’t you supposed to be the smart one?”

“I wish…” I ran a hoof over the metal only to become acutely aware of my wound splitting. “Shit,” I said withdrawing it before laying down, “do we have anymore Med-” Nimbus was grinding his teeth with a frown, he tapped a hoof to the ground absentmindedly. With a huff he turned towards me questioningly. I couldn’t help but see his side in that moment.“... Do we have more, gauze?” He quietly walked over.

“There was nothing we could do Torbernite. Maybe we could have blown the dam at a better time, but after everything else we went through, he probably would have found another way to get rid of us. I was just impressed to look back and see you leading that thing around.” He took my injured foreleg and began re wrapping it. The old bandage was appropriately stained dark red, the sight of which made me feel faint. “You were brave to come out here Torbernite.”

“Stupid. I thought it would be fun, and it was, until captain ass hat had to fuck us over.” He stopped wrapping.

“What do you think is going to happen in there without us?”

“I don’t want to think about it… no more teams to the outside I guess.” I did, however, think of a few ideas that it shouldn’t be entertained regardless. Stonesaddle overthrows Stable-Z’s government and turns security into a military. The council is disbanded, all of them shot on the range I’d used. He then commands the new army and pillages the landscape while mares and foals are slaughtered by my once friends. Soon he comes to rule all of the bay after which point he moves on to Roam itself, how hard can it be to climb over mountains anyway? At last when his thirst for power is at it’s peak he drops newly made balefire on dissenters, rebels, and all who would oppose him, sending this plane of existence back, once more, to the apocalypse.

“He chose us on purpose didn’t he?” Nimbus knocked me out of my downward spiral of imaginary wars and acts of terror before I let the feelings return.

“Well, based off the fact that he returned without two of the Council members children? Yea, I thought that was obvious.”

“No need to belittle me.” He finished tying off the bandage with a yank. I flexed and frowned at the reduced range of motion. I checked my pipbuck on my good leg and brought up the map. “Northwest then?”

“Galeria certainly thought so, the road outside leads to Florence after all.” It was either that or take it in the other direction and go through the ‘Swamp of the Forlorn’ which didn’t sound like very much fun.

Emerging once again I couldn’t help but be blinded by the dying light. The sun had all but set and the red glow sent a shiver down my spine. Wow my sleep schedule was fucked. More clouds blinked far off in the horizon.

Fiddling I decided maybe there would be something over the radio to keep me from panicking. There were two stations to choose from, Olive mountain and P77df-00 which was a load of static. Obviously I choose the former. Suddenly a drumline pounded over the voice of a heavily accented mare which I could only guess was recorded during the war. I couldn’t make out the words all that well but it sure made Nimbus do a double take.

“Is that really necessary?”

“I think so.”

“Fine just keep it down; we don’t want anyone sneaking up on us.” I did just that. Not like we weren’t already juicy targets though.

The woods let out their traditional assortment of creepy noises (not that I could hear them) as we passed the campfire we had stayed at not two nights ago. The remains had been completely scattered and brought back memories. Suddenly I was much less keen on being almost alone out in the wilderness, the bugs being what they were.

He had tried his best to hide it but every now and again Nimbus would curse under his breath or ask for a breather which i’d let him have. It wasn’t that I didn’t appreciate taking a break every once and awhile, I had just hoped he would have fared better than me, being the big strong pony after all. Our medical supplies weren’t going to cut it at the rate he was injecting himself.

The lights in the sky were brighter tonight than they had been before; some sort of country orchestral abomination came on as Nimbus and I rounded a hill giving us a view of a particularly impressive vista. The giant palms and evergreens, once scattered endlessly around the Stable, had given way to more temperate trees and greenery which stretched over the road, blotting most of our view. Farther down the road a light post illuminated the tree tops.

“Whelp, here goes nothing.”

The Astrological Mare Ale house, as the swaying engraved sign called it, was built on a flat area of short almost tidy grass and surrounded by an impressively tall 3 meter wooden wall. Solid chunks of trunks were used as posts with boards running between them replaced by the occasional rusted sheet of scrap metal. A sand path led up to a wide gate made entirely of the same rusted garbage. Two lanterns that burned with some kind of slow moving red fire I had never seen before Illuminated either side of the gate, which was being watched over by a single guard. He was mud brown, with light blue spots- all over an average build for an earth pony.

“Uh, sir?” The stallion which had been leaning peacefully looking off towards one side bolted up and adjusted their… refurbished helmet.

“Yes -eh- hello! Who might you be venturing through the forest at this hour?” He gazed over at us clearly wielding a rifle in a battle saddle.

“My friend here and I are in need of some rather serious medical attention.” I said.

“Oh dear! I will ask the master at once if you can be let in, do not leave!” He spoke rather formally for a pony. We milled around for 3 minutes until he returned.

“Well?” He shuffled to a fro and bit his lip.

“The master would like you to prove you have no ill intent.”

“How the heck are we gonna do that?” I asked before looking over to Nimbus who was slowly removing his weapons.

“Torbernite here couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn sir-“

“She is a Unicorn?!?” The guard sounded worried. Before long he cleared his throat. “Please do not hold my rash accusations against me, but I was worried you were a pair of would be thieves. I will open the gate at once.” He bowed before going out of sight. A moment later there was a noise as metal cross bar was removed and the single door opened inward. Oh so now I am important?

Inside there were four buildings, three really, one was a decrepit paper thin wooden shed with some tools resting within. The other three were just different large rectangles with more lanterns out front of each. The enclosed area, I realized was much larger than I had previously thought and encompassed what looked to be a vineyard of some kind. Rough picket fences meant to guide visitors flanked each side of the entry way leading to the largest rectangle that was also made of lots and lots of wood.

“Right ahead madam. Before the cool sets in proper.” He gestured smoothly with a hoof while standing off to the side. The gate closed and then he lead us up to the ornate double doors that had carvings of wheat on them. Sounds of laughter came from the other side.

Was this what civilization was like? Were they going to be friendly? Was ale better than the scraps I managed to make do with? Were we going to be able to figure out what became of the world and most importantly, did they have any Luna damned painkillers? The doors opened.

“-And that my friends is how I fought off an entire hoard of raptor bats.” A zebra wearing a thick and slick brown jacket adorned with too many pockets spoke from across the hall that was packed with tables and chairs. There was a small thin common area reaching up two stories that was simply littered with tables and chairs. A large balcony wrapped around the second floor but left a wide open space in the middle to look down from. Symmetrical steps on the right and left side of the entrance led upstairs where all the rooms were. Off to the left was a bar with tankards and kegs and shoddy looking metal pipes leading to and from taps. The middle held a blazing hearth with a metal flue hanging above it. There was a noticeable lack of patrons; the few here however were relaxing around the same table clinking their intoxicants and chattering away.

“Sir Horace, we have new guests.”

“Oh come right on in then.” His voice was thick, masculine, rather different than Nimbus’s which was almost boyish and bubbly at times. Horace, steadied himself and got off of the table to walk on over. “Nice to see some new faces. It isn’t very often we get hybrids around here, rarer that we have the opportunity to meet such a fine- specimen.” He winked.

“Pleased to meet you- we need medical care rather desperately.” I said shortly showing off my leg.

“Ah a mare of action I see! I, as you know am Horace. This here is Gaius, my loyal servant. You two would be…”

“Torbernite and Nimbus but please if you wouldn’t mind sir we are currently in a lot of pain-“

“Say no more! Gaius! See what you can do for this delightful pair and in the morning guide them to The Gram.”

“The… Gram?” I asked flatly whilst keenly aware that Horace was closing the distance between the two of us.

“Local Village, nice shaman too that can probably take care of most your immediate needs.” He grinned again. What was this? A brothel?

“Yea sure whatever, I would prefer we go now-“

“Torbernite…” Nimbus at some point had taken to sitting, or at this point laying down in the firelight. His left side was exposed. Muscles twitched and his body shook as he continued. “I can’t go much further.” I moved hastily to his side unsure what to do as he began to heave. His hide was hot.

“Shit, Gaius!” Horace’s demeanor immediately changed. “Get the medkit from behind the counter!”

“Right away sir!” He shot over the counter in one impressive leap, grabbed an old luggage case and hopped back in record time. “Torbernite, help him on his stomach.” I nodded and helped pull him up onto the table. The remaining patrons shuffled to their rooms as Gaius pulled assorted tools and tiny vials from within. He ran around the table to look closer at his injuries but stopped after removing the wrappings before taking action.

“Well? Can’t you do something?” I shouted loudly as he continued to stare.

“I… I apologize. I have never seen pegasus wings or cured such bizarre wounds before.”

“What? The wings, they aren’t the problem. Just… I don’t know, give him a potion and stitch him up! Don’t you have any disinfectant?” He nodded slowly in my direction before placing his tools down and grabbing a larger dark brown bottle and a towel. Nimbus gasped as the alcohol met its mark.

“Nimbus! Calm down we are just cleaning some cuts, you’ll be fine!” there was no confidence in my wavering voice.

“Torbernite,” He squawked, “I’ve never felt this much pain before.” But hadn’t he JUST used Med-X? Something wasn’t right.

“Well duh you were probably never stupid enough to get hurt this bad in the first place! So, why don’t you just relax and in the morning we will have you all healed up and ready to roll huh?”

“… yea…” He said as his eyes drifted away and his head met the table. Gaius moved away and disposed of a needle.

“What did you give him?”

“Just some-“ He looked quickly to Horace then back, “-Mild sedatives. You may want to leave for the next parts. I must admit though that I know little more than a field medic.”

“So give him a fucking potion!”

“Maim, you have not paid us. Potions are difficult to find and expensive to buy-“

“Then fucking make one!” I shouted before pulling the alchemy book out of my bag as well as a few scavenged herbs. The two of them puzzled over what I brought out for a moment. “Or… or we can trade something, I have weapons…” I said fumbling through my bags.

“Where did you get such an spotless tomb?” I stopped and had to think on the spot.

“Unicorn, remember? We have always had access to important relics.”

“Forget what he said about payment, if you let us just look through this book it will be payment enough.” Horace said.

“That… was the idea?” I backed away as some ugly but familiar objects started to move from the med kit to a towel on the table.

“You do not want to stay for what you are going to see.”

“… And afterwards can I be by him?” Gaius gave me a sturdy nod. “…. Upstairs?”

“Room 114, here is the key-“ Horace tossed it my way from across behind the front desk which I caught in my magical grip. “Give it an hour, maybe two and then we will bring him up to you.”

“Is that safe?” Horace gestured with a hoof towards a back room.

“We have a lift.” I didn’t have anything else to say so after a plenty awkward pause filled only with Nimbus’s fevered breaths I moved away hesitant to let him out of my sight.

“Don’t you let anything happen to him you hear?”

“On my life maim.” Gaius said. Horace too looked my way but quickly averted his gaze down.

This was going to be a long night.

I had heard moans and muffled talking as I lay in the small rectangular pile of hay that passed for a bed. As ichy as it was, it beat the cold stone of a cave floor. But that wouldn't have stopped me anyway. No I don't think sleep was even on the table at this point.

I had almost had it under control. I had almost been capable of accepting this fate… I really hated that word. Then Nimbus just had to crash. He was the strong one for crying out loud! Why did he have to get torn up so badly? Now my psyche was in the blender and I was sweating out my worries in some sort of half lucid fever dream.

It was peaceful at night outside I supposed, regardless of the occasional murmurs that still came up from below. Still I panicked and waited, wondering what would happen if he died somehow. What would happen to me? What would happen to Granite? What would be left if I didn’t even have a single friend in this world?

It was incessant until it became routine. Then it simply served to numb my mind as I faded into a well needed hot slumber. Even before I fell asleep however, I knew that the only things that could have awaited me on the other side were nightmares.

I awoke to the sound of some sort of animal yelling into the air and a cloud of frosted breath. What a ruthless way to meet the morning. Stammering to consciousness I noticed that Nimbus was, indeed, in the room with me. Naked and curled up against my side.

Now, normally I wouldn’t be averse to waking to a cute stallion beside me after a night of drinking. This however was not the best time. I narrowly avoided pushing him off and instead reflexively slid up against the wall away from him as my heart pounded quickly.

No. This was wrong. I mean I was glad he was breathing but goddesses why didn’t they give him his own room or something? His injured side was wrapped again and faced away from me. In this tiny bed an outstretched hoof of his touched my sides making me quiver. I didn’t want to risk waking him so I just didn’t move as his chest gently rose and fell. Without his armor, he was surprisingly smaller than myself.

It took a minute before I was actually lucid enough to realize how ridiculous I was being. We were trapped in an entirely foreign place, barely cheating death, and here I was freaking out about sharing a bed with someone of the opposite sex. Facehoofing I slid out from the blanket and stepped over him. He grumbled but I didn’t care for the moment. I was covered in stains from nearly two days of endless stress and walking so clearly there was no way I was going to pass up a perfectly good bathroom.

My head was foggy but I managed to stumble into the hall and over to the mare’s room until I took care of my business. At the tiny mirror I finally caught a glimpse of my sorry state. I wasn't sure if it was the bed head or the singed hairs that were really completing the post apocalyptic look but both were equally bad. A purple welt covered most of the right half of my face. Black burn marks dotted the under-layer of the combat barding that I had worn all day and of course slept in. No doubt my fur was just as covered in charcoal. I had brought the actual barding in itself under the assumption that it MIGHT be fixable, but after what we had been through, it looked closer to a trash bag than to actual life saving equipment.

Tossing what scraps I could salvage back into my pack I donned something more familiar, a full length Stable z utility outfit. It wasn’t anything special, kind of just light day to day clothing, but it would do. I had a moment of hesitation however before I affixed the holster of the TRX to my belt. It felt heavy and imbalanced on my hip- I used ammunition on the other side to compensate. Looking back up at the mirror now I could almost imagine I was backstage getting ready for a grisly play in secondary school. That was one of the only places that had actual wood walls after all.

Exiting, the rooms down each end seemed quiet, had they already gone somewhere else? I supposed it was none of my business anyway. I trotted down the stairs and met with a weary eyed Horace who was brushing off chipped dishware in a dirty sink.

“Nice to see you doing well Ms Torbernite. Want some oats?” He pushed a little ceramic bowl my direction. Strange, everything about this place seemed to be a kind of mishmash of themes. None of the silverware were of the same set; the art on the wall was all old certainly but the subject matter ranged from nearly scandalous pin ups to abstract oil paintings. Frames that weren’t new looked like rot, tables were scared and the glass windows all had this same foggy texture to them. It almost looked like everything in here was salvage, which I supposed made sense. It was simply odd to see all these things in a place so much nicer than I had thought was possible. I really would have to get the history of this place from Horace at some point.

“Yea… good morning to you too.” I pulled up a stool to the bar and sat down to eat the stale food. The table that Nimbus had been laying on was missing or moved. “Um, Thank you for helping him. I don’t know what I would have done he had seized up on the way to town or something.”

“Think nothing of it.” He didn’t look up. “But don’t you get too comfortable; we aren’t going to give you special treatment from now on. You got me?”

“Oh uh of course not… “

“And on that subject it really wouldn’t be rude to show appreciation in the form of some caps.” He huffed.

“Bottlecaps?” I asked and he nodded. “Are you a collector?” He gave me this dumbfounded look as if I just insulted his god, which I promptly returned. “What?”

“Bottlecaps… it cost a lot to keep the astrological mare in ship shape you know.” So they were a form of currency? I suppose that almost made sense.

“Uh, would you be interesting in some trading then? I mean I did lend you the book but I would like it back.”

“I understand. It is fascinating however seeing all the herbs I have thought were useless weeds growing in the garden for years. I have three books from the old world myself, but I would never let them see the light of day.”

“Is that so?” I smiled a bit, that was rare. “Are you looking for any items in particular or…”

“Honestly I assumed that you and your stallion up there would have been able to just pay in caps or scrap, you are scavengers aren’t you?”

“… He’s not my stallion. He is my friend. And at this point we may as well be scavengers but we don’t have much money. We have ammo however.”

“That seems do able. Whenever you and your friend are ready, just get me. We can trade then, but I don’t suspect he will be very happy to move. We do have a cart you could throw him in. Heck, Gaius is such gentlecolt he would probably pull it for you.” Horace chuckled as the last of the dishes were done.

“Thank you so much. These past few days have been nothing but endless bouts of shit. It is nice knowing that there is at least one good person out here. He is going to be alright, isn’t he?”

“I don’t think I can make that call…” He shied away a bit and I frowned. “How did yall manage to get so torn up in the first place if you don’t mind me asking?” Oh boy that was quite the question.

“You see, there was an incident at the old military base, we got attacked by a few turrets and monsters and things. But that happens right! Comes with the job.” I let out a nervous laugh.

“Ah, I wasn’t aware that there were many places safe enough to scavenge from without getting attacked by the Solaris Ira.” Everyone must have known about them.

“Trade secret I’m afraid.”

“You aren’t good at this Torbernite. Everyone this close to port Augustus knows what the burns look like and what happens to those who get them.”

“W-what do you mean?” I stammered out an explanation as his expression deepened.

“… He should be dead. I don’t know what kind of skills the two of you have but the wounds of the wrathful NEVER stop burning until they kill the victim. At least they should have. How many days has it been?”

“Uh, two?” He slammed a hoof down.

“What in the name of the stars are you? A pegasus and unicorn scavengers, both of mixed blood, that are somehow immune to the one of the most dangerous creatures that roam these lands? It is like a foal’s tale.” It was incredibly difficult looking into his eyes and knowing that with a few words I could reveal the entire Stable if I wasn’t careful. Regardless it seemed we had already messed something up.

“I don’t think I have to tell you anything- and you don’t have to ask.” I kept my head held high.

“True I don’t need everything, but just look at it like this. You two could be valuable customers and obviously have serious clout throughout the bay. Again I do not need to know everything, but... if you try to keep me in the loop around the aristocracy in Florence, I can make it worth your while.” He looked out toward the stairs cautiously before leaning in close and whispering.

“I know you killed it. Nimbus stammered like a foal last night. I don’t know how you managed to pull it off but if I was in your shoes I would do my best to keep quiet about the whole ordeal. You two stand to be a massive target. And that armor of his is Equestrian in origin isn’t it?” I attempted to keep the best poker face I could, but I was tired and my oat filled mouth betrayed me. “Deface it or just don’t wear it.”

“Why do you care? And we aren’t going to just be spies for you.”

“If zebra start hearing that they can be killed, then suddenly the entire valley will be full of amateurs willing to run off and perish in that death trap. Sure I get a few more customers but they would be a rowdy bunch and I don’t like the idea of giving people their last meal. And you wouldn’t be spies exactly- informants would be a better word.”

“I don’t think you have to worry about us running around like idiots.” I sighed. “… but if it means work, then maybe, MAYBE we might be able to do something for you.” What was there to lose at this point really? It was a job wasn’t it? Financial stability is always the first step to a good life. Well presumably anyway; the stable didn't really operate on anything other than necessity and favors.

“Good. For right now I have a letter for you to deliver to the marketplace in Florence to mare named Calypso. She will have a stall with her name etched on the front, you can’t miss it.” He reached under the counter grabbed a tan envelope sealed in wax and hoofed it over. “Don’t dare read it. You wouldn’t understand anyway.”

“Shesh I’m not going to pry.”

“Anyway, I think that’s it. I’ll just remove the 200 bottlecaps from your tab and see you when you next come down.” Before I could go back up to the room however he spoke again. “Also Torbernite, I would watch yourself around your friend. You seemed to be able resist the curse but... Be careful alright?”

“You can count on that.” I gave him a lighthearted smile as I shuffled off the stool. "Before I go-“ I’m not going to get a better chance am I? “There are a few things I need to learn about... well pretty much everything. It might seem weird, but please just hear me out”

“Sure I guess, but what would you like to know?”

After the bombs fell across Roam, all access past the mountains to the far west was blocked. Only one megaspell ever reached over top of the bay, it was all that was needed. Just like Galeria had told us, the world burned and those who survived fled deep into the mountains where very little grew. They lived off emergency stockpiles in caves for as long as they could. Few were willing enough to go out into the radioactive wastes until at last a springtime came and the zebra spread out far and wide to reclaim territory.

The people of the forests returned to their native lands to the far north west where some grooves had actually held out against the heat and subsequent cold. They became reclusive and a faction to be rivaled with though seldom have they been interested in affairs outside of their capital city of Deirhaven. They are apparently rather nice to visitors however.

On a ridge overlooking the valley of the twin peaks grew a settlement of trade. That eventually turned to the fortified citadel of Florence which is widely considered the last remnants of true civilization. In recent years they have been trying to fix a coal powered factory which would allow them to generate more electricity than the small alchemical batteries (which exist for some reason) that people have grown reliant on. They have two rulers of equal power, an empress that is currently like eleven or something and an elected leader of the guild merchants. Below her there is the senate which were a far cry from the original Roaman senate but hold similar powers nonetheless. All and all they turned out to be the most Roaman place east of the mountains. Caps will make friends here.

In the furthest corners of the southwest, in what most would consider a harsh muddy land unfit for settlement, some tribes made their home and pushed for a return to a great many of the old zebra ways. The inhabitants of Troutsberg were tough and plowed the land forming a great agricultural area that had become the staple of a rapidly growing civilization even going so far as to trade far and wide. They are wary of outsiders but make a mean black bean stew.

North of the port of Augustus there is a shipwreck of an Equestrian naval vessel. This battleship was far from any targets during the apocalypse and miraculously survived adrift at sea. When the bombs fell they were left to fend for themselves with hardly enough food. Eventually the tempests of the sea and rampant starvation led to them to the shores of these burning lands. Here they scavenged from the dead as best they could before retreating away from the radiation. They continued to do this risking as few lives as possible until the mega spell powering the incredible vessel finally gave out. Thus they found themselves stuck in zebra lands. From that point forward they tried to be amiable and brush off the animosity bred by the old war, but early conflicts with tribals prevented them from getting off to a good hoof. Now they are mostly but fishers and farmers. The ponies of Neighples get along poorly with most other groups.

There were a few no go areas which Horace made sure to mention, other than the port of course. Most were odd ghost towns not too far off the beaten path but we were bound to pass one in fact that used to go by the name of Stabiae. It had been one of the only large towns that had existed before the war and contained the easiest pass to the summit of the Olive mountain geographically speaking. Now it was covered in an omnipresent grey fog and crawling with the undead. The Roamans had been doing some scary shit when the big old sun bomb happened from the sound of things. Aside from that there were still old world houses, bunkers, and villages scattered in the woods and prairie that held similar scary things. Oh joy.

It could have been said at one point that the people of Florence controlled the Reyzar bay but that was no longer the case. Raiders and bandits plagued farms and convoys looking for an easy target. Militias had been sent out but none of them were strong enough to actually stamp out the seemingly invisible and uncivilized menace. Unfortunately, it seemed like the competing militias often crossed paths and only served to further enrage territorial disputes.

In the light of day, the forest with all its thickets and great trees reaching over the path were revealed. The air was thick but cool as we made our way through the dirt and mud into what soon became a marsh. Gaius hadn’t initiated any conversations, neither did I for that matter. Nimbus some how slept as the cart made it’s way over vines and roots. It was an hours trot down the road to the Gram as it was called.

The first indication I saw of settlement were the rickety woven flank high fences, a far cry from the almost extravagance of the Astrological Mare, which had been constructed over a mound of dirt that ran alongside the road. Another bend and there we were.

There were only about a dozen hovels constructed of dark wooden planks with little to no distinguishing features. They were loosely arranged around a dusty plaza which had a well in the middle. Half as many zebras looked up from what tasks they had before darting off in fear. There were no doors, only colored cloths hanging over poles to block the entrances. Behind each house was a plot of land that acted as a garden, but even so it was still much to early for anything other than some shrived stalks from last year. Beyond that were the reeds of the river that flowed around the settlement and parallel to our little road to Florence.

Overall, it was poor, shabby and unsettling. Sounded like a great place to get medical care.

“Right this way.” Gaius said moving past towards one of the more square houses which even had a little planter with tiny blue flowers in the window. He detached himself from the cart and knocked on the wall three times. “Hello? Marta, we have a dire need for your skills-“

“Yea yea, I heard the sounds of everyone cowering in fear and figured as much.” An older mare poked her head out from behind the curtains and looked me up and down. Her hair was braided and tossed over one shoulder. She wore a simple brown garb with an absurd amount of small pockets. “It’s been too long Gaius, you really need to get out more often.” He simply nodded respectfully. “So what did you get into dear?”

“Somewhere I shouldn’t have.”

“Oh what a conservative answer- get in here and we can fix you right up.” She grabbed the curtain and pulled it aside.

“Actually it's him we are worried about ma’am.” Gaius gestured to the cart. She huffed and continued inside.

“Well don’t just mosey around, bring him in!”

Past the heavy cloth there was a long hallway lit only by candles haphazardly mounted to the wall. More doorways and curtains flanked us on either side though directly ahead was of most interest. Beyond an archway lay a kitchen and a newly cleared dining room table that must have cost more than half the house based on its appearance. Gaius and I carefully moved the stirring Nimbus on top of it.

She trotted around Nimbus who was laying belly down on the table. Marta poked a few spots on his side and made some not so encouraging faces. “It looks like you and Torbernite had quite the run in.”

“Wait how-“

“I’m a mind reader! Didn’t you know?” She lightly cackling before backing away into an adjacent room to get a book.

“Pardon, but Horace had me radio the situation last night. Don’t mind her like this. She likes to get on peoples nerves don’t you?” Gaius said almost playfully. She had a two way radio? I wondered what for.

“Ruining my fun again-“ She shook her head and set a book down on a pedestal. After flipping a few pages she spoke again. “He is going to be fine by the way, shouldn’t have kept you waiting, though his injuries are bizarre. How did you say this happened?”

“I didn’t.” I stated flatly. “We had to blow a dam to kill a Solaris Ira-“ It had suddenly occurred to me that Gaius had not been informed of this. That might have accounted for his deranged look in my direction.

“Now what in the hell were you doing trying to kill a damn Solaris Ira?”

“That is none of your business."

“It is generally a courtesy to tell your doctor you know.” She shook a gourd threateningly in my direction.

“Look, it was the only way we could get away. We figured it would be extinguished in the flood.”

“And it worked by the looks of it.” She continued looking at her book and at some shelve before grabbing a few herbs to drop into a bowl. I had no idea what Marta was making but I didn’t interrupt. “I can’t fix him entirely though. The burn wounds are superficial but widespread, not a problem for what I am whipping up. The poor patchwork done on this colt ought to be enough to get him back into working order. The main problems are the wings. It would take major surgery and a lot more than what I have here to get him to fly again.”

“You can fix them?” Nimbus spoke startling me.

“Well of course, not here and not now though. It would also most likely cost a small fortune to procure enough white wisp dust.”

“Have you been awake this whole time?” Nimbus nodded with his eyes clenched.

“He is in lots of pain, deary drink this.” She lifted the bowl to his hoof and then backed far away as he downed the substance. Instantly tense muscles relaxed and his side began to glow a green color. The previously gentle ticking of my pipbuck accelerated for a moment or two before quieting as the light ended.

“What the hell?” I backed away at what could only be some kind of freaky alchemy.

“Interesting! The potion is extruding the toxins out of his body and releasing it as magical radiation- as I would have expected- but it seems you had a magnificently small dosage. Usually those I treat have only just had minor burns and even then… well, just be thankful you didn’t spontaneously combust.”

‘Holy shit…” Nimbus exhaled after the drink was through. “That feels so much better.” He had started to perk up. “I was supposed to explode?”

“Yep, you must have worn some very thick armor to have resisted the way you did.” Marta started moving potions away and placing forceps and other tools in their place.

“I guess you could say that.” He chuckled. That was enough to sit myself down and let out the breath I was holding. “But then shouldn’t Torbernite be worse off? She had light barding and was actually closer to the thing than I was.”

“Dear, get over here.” I slowly sat up. She took my muzzle with one hoof and looked into my eyes one at a time. “… Nothing. Beyond being a bit twitchy, I can’t tell in the slightest if you are sick.”

“But how can that be Marta?” Gaius stated. This room was getting crowded.

“For now, who cares? Don’t test your luck young lady or you will end up like your friend here or more than likely dead.”

“I don’t think you have to worry much about that. I’m just glad you’re alright.”

“Yea…” He trailed off and wore a frown.

“While he is fine dear, you have a small infection and a shard of metal a few centimeters long stuck in your left foreleg.” She raised an eyebrow.

Oh great now it was my turn.

Back in the stable I had been known as sort of a klutz, so I had been used to all manner of bumps, bruises, scrapes, torn ligaments etc. Shrapnel though, that was new. This particular splinter was impossible to remove without some, shall we say, creative thinking. Oh and expletives, can’t forget expletives in the healing process.

After a not so painless extraction, we were properly bandaged up. Nimbus had, for all intents and purposes, been put back into working order and was thusly all too ready to leave. He had left to fabricate something useful out of the remains of his power armor a half an hour ago without mouthing more than a thank you in Marta’s direction. I had told him what he missed from my conversation with Horace this morning which he took just fine. In the meantime I stood by the furnace with Marta hoping he was out of earshot.

“So about those wings of his, what would you need?” I leaned on the metal and immediately bolted upright clenching my teeth.

“Wow deary you certainly know your way around the kitchen.” She snarked as I rubbed my sore leg. The teapot had started to bubble and the fire below whooshed with a crisp noise. “I’m not a doctor anymore, I… probably wouldn’t even be of much help really.” She grunted. “They are fixable though, don’t get me wrong, but why do you care?”

“I care because he’s my friend, why else?” That wasn’t the response she was expecting. “And you used to be a doctor? What made you give that up?”

“Oh I just loved the idea of living in a mud shack that gets partly submerged for two weeks each year.” She fluttered her lashes then pouted. “The same reason everyone as anyone else in this dump,” Birds flew past the window in the morning light, “I was banished.”

“Banished?”

“I am doing my best not to smack you upside the head. Just let me talk.” She sat on a rickety bar stool and took a deep breath. “There was a prince once in the Florence royal palace. He was young, adventurous and simple minded, always trying to be the hero and bust raider dens. Only problem was he had this nasty mole near his right eye which ruined his ‘princely charm’.” She mockingly gaged. “I, being the senior surgeon at the hospital- that is not an invitation to call me old by the way- told him it was a stupid and risky procedure to chop it off. He said do it, so I did.” She poured into a tiny clay mug and brought it to her lips. “The bastard went blind in one eye with how deep it ran. So what's the first thing this pirate does? Banish me for getting rid of it.”

“Sorry to hear that.” I levitated a mug of my own and poured some of the peppery tea into it.

“Bah, It's in the past. last I heard he died in a tragic hoofball accident.” She laughed in between gulps. “No depth perception, hit him right in that very same spot bursting a blood vessel.” With a sigh Marta looked back towards me. “What you said earlier, about why you wanted to know… people don’t have too many friends around these parts. Tends to get them killed.”

“Must be a shity life.” One I would no doubt experience first hoof from now on.

“Could be worse. The neighbors are quiet and I have plenty of time to tend to my garden or help passers by.”

“That seems a bit hypocritical don’t you think?” She tilted her head and squinted with one eye. “People don’t make friends in the wilderness and yet here you are, helping complete strangers and asking for nothing in return.”

“Huh, I suppose you’re right.” She passed it off mildly. I took a sip, thankful that this wasn’t anything like what I had tasted back home. Unfortunately that still served to remind me of the shit spiral the two of us were taking a short break from. “Are you okay Torbernite?”

“Oh yea. It's just been a tough few days.” I couldn’t work up more than a meager half smile to cover that understatement. “I think I’ll go check on Nimbus.”

“Very well then.” She turned away not probing further.

With that depressing note out of the way I went down the hall and knocked on the entrance to the bathroom.

“Are you done in there?” I waited before leaning against the wall. There wasn’t any shuffling, only slow quiet breaths. “Hellooo?” Something metallic, almost like a pin but louder clattered on the wooden floor of the bathroom; this was soon followed by muffled curses.

“Be right out Torbernite.” Nimbus spoke tiredly. He shoved aside the cloth and strutted out wearing the lopsided shreds that were once his armor. Still he pulled it off well. No one could see his wings, his body was protected- at least on the left side. All the leg pieces had survived and were functioning somehow. On his back was a retrofitted battle saddle, I wasn’t exactly sure where he had gotten the parts for that, but it looked like the grenades were back in action. Yea, we could work with this.

“Not too shabby.” I nodded.

“I feel exposed, I don’t like it.” He looked away and shifted one hind leg behind the other in a rather unintentionally cute gesture.

“Well I doubt we are going to come across any other suits that you could salvage any time soon.”

With that we packed our things. Nimbus was eager to leave or maybe just get some blood flow back in his limbs. I rather enjoyed the company of Marta and Gaius, they seemed like good people and they asked for so little; It was hard to imagine that just a few days out we would have already been sent on our way as if nothing had happened. Regardless, we were still poor, homeless and indebted but we were also free to roam if we choose which made all the difference in the world.

Marta and Gaius gave an altogether warm goodbye as we left. Marta had taken care to pack some cheap food for the two of us. I couldn’t really complain, they were probably going to be the nicest people we encountered for a while. She tried to convince us to stay off our injuries for a few days, which sounded like a good idea, but neither of us wanted to. I suspect moving on was the only thing that helped us… move on so to speak. On our way out we saw some of the villagers leave their homes timidly. From there then on we stepped out and made our way over a high arching stone bridge above the river. We were finally bound for Florence.

The trees had grown quieter than I liked as the day wore on. No chirping could be heard as the swamp enclosed on us. The warmth of the bay was fading fast. Even the water was still. I was used to enclosed spaces, loved them actually, but this was nothing but a chaotic jungle of pines and ceders where every slight deviation yielding an icy dip in mud. The sky grew orange before we decided to camp, aka, lay in the grass like the dirty ponies we were.

“UHGgggg.” I cried out plopping myself down on the side of the road. It had close to ten hours since we set out again and I was already filled to the brim with boredom, not to mention my legs were killing me. Nobody told me there would be this much walking when we got to the surface!

“June, we aren't there yet.” I just let out another moan as he came to a halt at my side. He must of had some serious endurance from wearing that blasted power armor all the time. I couldn’t really call him lucky though, what with the whole lack of the ‘power’ part of his power armor.

“Let's just take five alright? I mean it's already dark out, how much further can we go?” He reluctantly agreed and laid down slowly in the hard grass to eat some instant oats from a string tied bag.

I probably shouldn’t have been complaining so much at this point. The dirt path had actually merged with a pre war concrete road which maintained some (not all) of its integrity. The air was clean and cool. The forest had slowly faded away to plains with scattered clusters of trees in the distance. Heck we had even past a short convoy of zebra that gave us a watchful glance as they passed back the way we came. A mother had ushered her foal to the opposite side of the road from us telling him ‘not to talk to muts.’ A bit hurtful if you asked me but they didn’t give us any trouble.

The Olive mountain was to our south, closer and more imposing than before. There had been a sign and a frighteningly rocky path towards Stabiae not long after we had taken to the road just as Horace had told me. Fog obscured much of the dip in the area which only further drained any curiosity we had left of going up there.

To the west the lands were becoming more chaotic hills and we were beginning to make out a new mountain peek or two. Occasionally we would see paths leading to cottages with farms around them. Most were made of mud and straw, built into the hillsides and supported small but bountiful farms. Not the prettiest things in the world but I wouldn’t rule out living in one if need be.

In an effort to pass the time I began to fiddle with my pipbuck and flip through logs and what not as I had before- well, you know… Mostly I just looked at this or that from my mother’s personal email. It was a bad idea really; there was some sentimental stuff where she was talking about Turnip’s birthday where she mentioned me for some reason. My pipbuck clicked as I flipped past it- I didn’t have the courage to read that today.

A jubilant tune came on over the radio and for the first time I heard something other than song come from the Olive mountain radio broadcast.

“Good evening folks of The Sylvam Opacam valley and beyond! This is your host, Mr Blue returning from your weekend of rhythm.” His voice was deep, supple, kind of reminded me of my father (gee thanks for the kick in the gut universe) but with more pizzazz. “Hope you all had some nice days regardless of the less than stellar weather. Anyway, i'm sure a nice lot of you farmers enjoyed it. Anyhow, it's 6 pm- time for the news.” Wait, they have news over the radio? Son of a bitch we could have just listened to the fucking channel instead of being idiots our first night out!

I clenched my teeth and closed my eyes. This was not turning out to be a good break. Resisting the urge to kick something I returned my attention to the show host, missing whatever he had just said.

“... So that makes them both dead AND dumb. Hey folks, can’t save ‘em all.” He grunted happily. “On to the northern plains. It would seem that some little ponies from Neighples didn’t quite get the hint last night when they tried to raid some supply lines to Oasis. They were caught in the act for the second time this month and over what, some bath salts? Really fillies, you ought to try earning a more honest living cause if you keep this up, you’re gunna get shot. The representative for the Neighples government declined an invitation to be on tonight show but he did have this to say about the growing unrest in the younglings out over yonder.

It is a sad day when you hear of groups of foals, no older than 14 trying to get by through robbery and deception. It points to a systematic flaw in the way we raise our children. A flaw, not in our own Equestrian culture but in the brutish nature of the zebra who influence- you know what folks, I think you can gleam the rest of the message there.” He cleared his throat and the sound of shuffling papers could be heard.

“Florence is gearing up, once again,” He spoke tiredly, “to try and hunt down the group of raiders known only as the ‘Novae Flammae’ which executed… well, an execution of a prominent trade minister sent from Troutsberg. They are wanted for a number of crimes throughout the greater valley area including burning, raping, pillaging- you know, the works. The whereabouts of these fiends are unknown, but I heard some bands of zonies dresses in red armor could be found russlin in the woods out on the north end of the Olivine road. Any travelers should take caution to stay in groups-”

I shut off the transmission. My morbid curiosity could only go so far. I looked over at Nimbus who stopped chewing to shrug. I guess he had heard enough himself. Fantastic, one day of recovery was that too much to ask for? Hell maybe we should have just stayed at the Gram, strength in numbers and all.

With the new prospect of raiders we put out the idea of traveling any further or starting a campfire. The nights this far from home- ACHEM... Stable Z, seemed colder which just added to my bad mood. Nimbus had taken the liberty of finding a cozy lopsided tree which provided us relative cover from all directions with its large exposed root system. There were quite an unfortunate amount of bugs around, but it could have been worse.

We didn’t chat much while our eyes got tired. He went off to read by the light of his pipbuck and I started on a riveting game of Atomic Command until passing out.

“What now? You don’t know the first thing about alchemy June.” It had been some time since we went through what was now starting to feel like the rhythm of morning on the outside. We were making our way along the now plenty wide road that curved with the mossy hillside. Everywhere there were big boulders and layers of smooth rocks.

“Hey I had some lessons! The results weren’t always pretty but I think that was due to a lack of real desire to apply myself, you know?” Nimbus stifled a giggle. “Ah- none of that.” I tapped the book on my head, “I got the knowledge.” I let out a sigh at the trees that were only partly through blooming this high up. There was something about the fact that each little blossom would be a leaf one day. It seemed absurd that something so small could change so drastically.

The mountains were starting to come into view from all sides and with them the snow caps. I could only wonder what snow would be like. Just one more thing to add to the list of things that couldn't possibly be real.

“Sure, because a foals introductory botany lessons are going to be so useful scraping a living out here.” I pouted and lowered ears. “Oh come on! Where are you going to get a distillation column? A bunsen burner, hot plates, beakers, vials, a centrifuge-”

“A centrifuge? I’m suggesting we make potions not start some fancy ass polymers. Besides we don’t need the rest of that junk. All we need is a cauldron and a mortar and pest-”

BOOM!

A crackling explosion sounded in my ear bringing me to the ground. I ducked off the road. Heart racing and eyes wide, I started to hyperventilate.

“Torbernite!” Nimbus said running to my side. “It's ok! Something happened over there.” He gestured to the sky where I could see a small black cloud rising up. “It probably was just an accident, nothing major. Torbernite?”

I was resisting the overwhelming urge to scream for fear that whatever caused that was headed our way. Scanning through the trees I heard shouting. The wind rustled a spew of bullets whizzed by.

“Awe fuck!” Nimbus cursed before donning his helmet and readying his battlesaddle. I however went into full panic mode. people were SHOOTING at us!

I rolled and felt the gun within my holster roll with me. Staring down- the shock. I had a gun too but by Luna I didn’t think I could touch it right now, let alone defend myself with it.

You mean kill right?

The thought... was frigid.

A bullet struck the tree we had hid behind sending out splinters and eliciting a frightened squeal. I curled up into a ball and brought my forehooves to my head letting out a high pitched cry.
“P-please make it stop!” I called out with my eyes closed.

“Damn it Torbernite!” Nimbus said in my direction before turning to the source of the gunfire. “Hold your fire! We are not involved in what-” A duo of bullets laced his chest, ricocheting off his armor but not without harm.

Nimbus fell over clutching at his side and shaking, each quick breath was strained and his eyes were wide. He was having a panic attack. His pleading eyes met mine for only the slightest of seconds.

In that moment something primal- something greater than myself erupted out in a fit of mixed emotions. Rage. Fear. Hate. Acceptance. They all danced madly in my mind until they agreed now was the time for action, not cowardice.

I rolled prone on my stomach, telekinetically drew the TRX, and checked it for ammo. It was loaded. My head snapped to the location of the nearest gunfire. A zebra searched frantically through the bushes. They wore nothing rags and a battle saddle. One stood over a pair of smoking corpses in shambles of armor while another zebra put a shot point blank into the head of one of the once moving bodies.

This was our battle now.

I would like to say that I remembered my training in that moment, but I didn’t. I didn’t really think, I just called up my Eye’s Front Sparkle, checked for hostiles and then locked onto the closest one.

Readying I let out a burst.

Thu Thu Thu

They connected and the zebra called out in shock as two shots flew through their hind legs. There was no blood that I could see yet. They dropped temporarily before aiming towards me. I ran as a spray was let out.

The bullets danced, close, much too close-

I clenched my teeth and flinched as something hot cut across my belly. I was grazed and every step thereafter was a reminder to run faster- faster- faster still.

I ducked into tall grass and the shooting stopped. But my legs didn’t stop moving. I couldn’t stop moving now. I sprinted in a hot dash around their location before stopping atop a hill, taking aim once more and locking into S.A.T.S. Then the world came to a near standstill and-

Here I was, gun at the ready, watching her eyes close then open then crawl towards mine. I could tell that she was female now; I could make out scars on her face probably from too much rough housing as a child that left her… not ugly, but not beautiful.

Average. She was completely ordinary in every conceivable way. She had a mohawk, like mine only better kept. Her right ear was adorned with two golden rings- her left had only one. The realization of her imminent demise met her mind, shaking the momentum of the gun she was bringing to bear.

I saw another blink- lethargic, needing- followed by a full facial expression I couldn't place. Fright? Rejection? Surrender? Her brows were furrowed, mouth barely open and pulled back. Pain? Who could tell. Her eyes were wide, they were amber, same as-

91% Head-
Confirm-
Thu Thu Thu

The world dropped out of pause as the mare’s head was imbued with three vertically aligned bullet holes.

Now, there was blood.

My gun clattered to the ground as the emotions returned but directed in all the wrong ways.

Good goddesses. I killed someone…

“Torbernite? Torbernite!” Nimbus called from the other end of the path I carved through the grass. I slowly turned my shaking body’s attention towards him. “Oh no.” He said flatly before rushing to catch me as I tumbled over trembling. Trembling and crying. Still I didn’t blink. My face would show nothing in those moments, only the flow of tears that didn’t seem like they would stop.

“Shhhh…. Shhh…. d-don’t look, it's all going to be alright-” I just sat there being held as he brushed my hair with an armored hoof. Once or twice he brushed away my tears, but my blurred gaze never failed to look directly ahead and only ahead. “It’s all going to be alright Torbernite…”

It was self defense. She attacked first. She would have killed us both if given the chance. There was no diplomacy. Running would have meant leaving Nimbus to die. It was the only choice.

It was the only choice...

If only I could believe that.

End of Chapter 5
Footnotes:
Level up!

...
Your leg was fixed so you only get -1 agility now! (6)

The Off Switch- There is a percent chance that during life or death combat you will become an emotionless killing machine.

Changes stats :
S. P. E. C. I. A. L
+1+1+1 -3+1+1-1