I’ve had the same dream every night since the day my home for most of my adult life, was attacked and burned down to the ground, to a black crisp. All of my friends. All of my belongings gone, everything but a rifle. It’s all gone. My dream would always start the same way, a far off rumble, then a high-pitched whistle, and finally an explosion that rocked the base followed by the red-alert siren. Whenever the red-alarm was sounded different ponies did their individual duties. The Enclave troops that were assigned to the base rushed to arm explosives at strategic points throughout the base. While the lab ponies ran around grabbing and placing all their work and research into one secure area. While prison guards like me rushed to secure all the prisoners who could possibly ignite a riot and destroy us from the inside out. Once everyone finished their assignments, we would all rush to positions at our defenses and fight off whoever was attacking. Usually it would be a few wasteland wanderers, scavenging for supplies, who would wander up to this base thinking it was a settlement or shelter. If they got close in enough we were to order them to surrender, but being the stubborn earth-bound fools they are, they don’t. At least, until we empty a few magazines into their compadres. Then management at the base decide which of the two duties they would be assigned to. Which they would then be handed off to the prison guards who would force them into a cell where they would sleep, eat, and shit for the rest of their miserable little lives... That didn’t happen this time. I remembered the whole attack up until I was knocked unconscious.

“Shut-up or I WILL stick your dick into the smallest rustiest hole we have here.” I said in my signature menacing, don't-fuck-with-me-I-am-dead-serious tone.

“OK! OK! OK! I was just asking ab-” I cut off the yellow unicorn with a swift kick to the head nearly concussing the poor fool.

“WHAT DID I SAY?!” I screamed. “WHAT THE FUCK DID I SAY?! AND WHAT DID I SAY I WOULD DO IF YOU DIDN’T?!”

“To-to shu-” He stuttered before I stomped down on his leg. Hard.

“SHUT-UP! WHAT PART OF THAT PHRASE DO YOU NOT GET?! That’s it.” I said as I wrapped my leg around the Unicorn’s neck

“Wh-wh-what are you going to do to me?” He choked out in a mix of fear and pain, his purple mane matted with sweat as his face turning blueish.

“Dear Celestia do you ever just shut. The. Fuck. Up.” I muttered, as I dragged him towards his cell. Even I have breaking points.

“Hey Big!” Somepony yelled behind me. I turned around and saw a sea green pegasus mare with a silver mane and tail.

“What do you want now, Cloudy Serenity?” I asked.

“Nothing, just wonderin what you are doing with this poor chap?” Serenity asked, indicating the poor stallion who was whimpering in pain.

“Idiot wouldn’t just shut-up! So I’m going to show him why he needs to can it unless I ask for his opinions.” I explained in a very innocent tone.

“You’re going to yank his dick through the keyhole again?” Serenity inquired with her eyebrow raised. At hearing this, the stallion’s face became noticeably paler.

“Maybe.” I said with a smirk. Yup, he was definitely gonna throw-up all over the dirty metal floor.

“You know what? Why don’t you take a break and get some rest for a hour? You’ve been working for the whole day! Don’t worry about Wildfire getting on your ass for leaving, I’ll cover for you.” Serenity offered.

I thought about it for a second. “Sure, why not? What Wildfire don’t know can’t hurt her. Just take this guy to cell block A will you?” I asked as I handed the unicorn over to her.

“Sure, which cell?” She asked.

“Any empty one will do. Just tell me which one you put him in when I come back so I can file the work.” I explained as I walked toward the showers.

“Will do. See ya later Big!” Serenity called.

“Alright, take care Cloudy.” I called back.

I entered the shower area for the guards and activated the cloud. I let the icy cold water run over my orange coat and my mane, which were equal parts black and brown. I looked at my cutie mark which was a nightstick symbolizing my talent for being a guard. After a couple minutes of washing in the ice cold shower, I got out and started to dry up when I heard a distance thunk like somepony had dropped a shell from a sky tank nearby, followed by what sounded like somepony trying to whistle as loud as they can. Looking around, I didn’t see anyone. “Funny, we don't have sky tanks’ anywhere near here last I che-” I started to mutter before a loud explosion rocked the base followed by the red-alarm. Cursing, I grabbed my black western hat, and wriggled on my standard issued enclave prison guard vest, and ran to the armory. Along the way, I bumped into a cream colored pegasus with a mane that was almost all gray except the roots, which were a couple of colors, most notably light blue.

“Boss Stallion! Why aren’t you in the cell blocks taking care of the newest prisoner?!” Wildfire (we weren’t sure why she was called Wildfire since her breath was the only thing about her that made anypony, guards and prisoners alike that reminded them of fire…) practically screamed in my face.

“Look it’s a long story! I’ll explain it to you when we fend off these earth lovers!” I answered and started to run down towards the armory.

On the way there were several more explosions knocking several ponies off their hooves. One of the explosions rocked the base so hard that a Pegasus with a grey coat and a dark brown mane was flung through a window, landing in what was an awkward position landing on his back with the right wing extended. But to my surprise, he got up and looked relatively unharmed, minus a few glass shards sticking out along his back. Before I could give him my limited medical aid (Serenity actually payed better attention in those type of classes) he gave himself a good shake, muttered something that sounded something about somepony named Gale or Yeley, I really wasn’t paying attention to what he was saying I was still stunned that he didn’t look or act like he just went through a fucking WINDOW!

I gave myself a shook and started moving towards my goal. I finally got there and the quartermaster was there, overseeing making sure everyone got a weapon and I grabbed a battle saddle we confiscated, while we do have access to standard-issue Enclave Novasurge rifles, we don’t have much ammo for them though, because we infrequently receive supplies from above the clouds. So, we mostly rely on the weapons and ammo we confiscate from the wanderers. Once I loaded up the saddle up with some ammo, I ran out to the prison area.

When I got there, ponies were already wrapping up with the prisoners, since there was nothing I could do, I stopped at the desk I was supposed to be at during my shift when the red alert went off. Reaching it, I grabbed the dark glasses resting on top of the desk and placed them over my green eyes. I was about to head out when I heard Serenity’s voice

“Hey Big! You ready to kick some flank?” She asked.

I snorted, “What gave you that idea?”

Serenity rolled her eyes, “take a pick: the fact you have your ‘Ultra-serious’ sun glasses or the big ass gun on your back.”

I snorted, “come on smart flank, we got work to do.” And with that, I ran towards the wall with Serenity and a few others right behind.

As I got out, the battle seemingly erupted around me with gunfire and the screams of wounded. I saw Wildfire shooting and as she dropped down behind the wall to reload I ran over to.

“What’s going on?!” I shouted into her face. At that moment he popped up and took a few shots before dropping back down.

“We are under attack from some heavily armed hostiles, but that’s not the problem!” All of this was said in between bursts of return gunfire, in which swaths of enemies were felled by her. She finally stopped and stayed down in cover for a minute, she looked at me “what?”

I looked at her like she had a head growing above her tail. “Is that it? A few mercs? why haven’t the military guys taken care of them by now? I mean yeah, they have a missile launcher, but-” Before I could finish I looked up and saw something swooping down straight at us.

“Move!” She yelled as she shoved me out of the way as the missile dropped down and missed.

“What was that?!” I yelled.

“You don’t know what a gryphon is?!” Wildfire asked with disbelief in her eyes.

Oh yeah, gryphons... (That was another part of class I slept through. I get bored really easily okay?! Don’t judge!) From the little I recall from class was that we fought them years ago after we closed up the skies… I think. I quickly snapped back to reality and started to return fire while keeping my eyes high for anymore gryphons coming to dive bomb us. I opened fire upon the hostiles, not exactly cutting them down in mass waves like Wildfire was doing. (I had received "passable" marks in long range, medium range, and short range shooting. But I made up for all of that with "outstanding" marks in close range combat and overall weapons training, so shut-up.) But I was getting the job done and for the next couple minutes I fell into a rhythm, that all stopped when I felt something hot rip through my leg. I fell down with a scream. It felt like somepony took a hot knife, jammed it straight into my leg just shy of the bone and left it there. I tried to stand, but Serenity stopped me.

"Shh, don't try. Let me take a look and patch it up first," She insisted, I lifted my leg for her to inspect. And though she tried to hide it, I saw the look in her eyes. It was bad.

“It's bad isn't it?” I asked.

“Well,” she paused for a moment in thought, “I can’t find an exit wound, so I don’t know where it hit, and I’m not about to go digging for it right now, so I’m just going to cover it up and we can have you patched up by the medical staff when this is done.”

I could tell something else was on her mind and I wanted to ask, but this wasn’t the time to bring it up. Serenity ran off, and after a few minutes, came running back with some old fashioned gauze. Exactly what I needed at this point (while we do have magic bandages and healing potions, it’s just it will heal over the bullet and I don’t exactly like the idea of being more susceptible to magnets thanks to metal under my fur…).

“Alright, this will stop the bleeding, but it won’t repair itself,” Serenity explained as she wrapped my leg up, “I’m not sure this will hold for the rest of the battle, so why don’t we move someplace away from here?”

I could say I was suspicious, but this was Cloudy Serenity! A pony who would never intentionally put me into harm’s way. I sighed, “If you say-” I was cut off by a shot distinctly to my left, followed by a cry from Wildfire, I looked over and saw Wildfire bleeding. "Shit! Serenity get some potions ASAP!" Then to Wildfire I said. "Hang, in there chief, help is on the way!"

Wildfire spat some blood and leaned over and whispered "Well shit, looks like I stop here." She coughed up some blood, "There is some things you need to know..." She started coughing again.

"Shh, save your strength," I urged her. "You can tell me later, when we're in the hospital."

She looked at her wound and shook her head. "You are so naive sometimes, you know that?" She sighed before she coughed some more. "I was a normal pony living above the clouds, I had a son, and a normal life. Then-” She paused for a cough.

“SERENITY!! WHERE ARE THOSE SUPPLIES DAMMIT!!!” I barked over my shoulder. I kept pressure on her wound. “STAY WITH ME WILDFIRE!!” I urged her.

“My son, was a wonderful colt that grew into a fine stallion. He would never do no wrong... Then one day those politicians up above, branded my son a Dashite and dropped him here on this hell… If you see him, tell him I loved him and I believe he was innocent…” she placed her fore leg around my neck and forced me closer. “His name is Gale Force.” And with that, the most badass mare I knew, who for her last few minutes, seemed as innocent as a young filly, had passed away.

As she went limp and the light died from her eyes, it seemed like the world around me went quiet as I sat there. As I closed my boss’s eyes, I heard a sigh come from my left, followed by a very familiar voice saying “Mother of Celestia! I was wondering when she was gonna bleed out!”

I looked over towards the voice and saw him. “You.” I said, glaring at the unicorn.

“Me.” He said with the most smug look on his face, his purple mane blowing in the wind.

I slowly rose to my hooves and charged at him. I saw his horn light up and the next thing I knew, I was on my back. I saw him walk up to me and point a gun at my head with his magic. I saw him start to pull the trigger but he stopped.

“You aren’t worth the lead.” He muttered, the handle of his gun was the last thing I saw before I blacked out.

Author's Note

This is my first story in a while, hope you like it. Let me know if you want more and any typos I missed!
Special Thanks to The Dream Sage, Rudiger Smith, and my friend Tristen for helping edit this to make it better.

Some random's, some random fact: The day after I finished the rough draft of this chapter (8/28/15) I found out that Fallout: Project Horizons was done.