Fallout Equestria : Project Respawn

Chapters

Chapter 2: Trouble
Chapter 3: Welcome to the Wasteland
Chapter 4: The Twilight zone
Chapter 5: The Good Pony
Chapter 6:The Ranger
Chapter 7: Night Light
Chapter 8:A Band of Angels
Chapter 9: Marizona Springs
Chapter 10: The Pony with the Harmonica
Chapter 11: VDNKh
Chapter 13: Night Mare
Chapter 14: Old School
Chapter 14.5:Epiphany
Chapter 15: Pearly Gates
Chapter 16: The Strip
Chapter 17: The Comedian and The Cannibal
Chapter 18: Jet Fuel
Chapter 19: House Rules
Chapter 19.5: Proposal
Chapter 20: Road Trip
Chapter 20.5: Roadside Picnic
Where we Stand
Chapter 21: The Bridge
Chapter 1: Intro
Chapter 12: End of the Beginning
Thanks everyone, love you all.

Chapter 2: Trouble

“I once knew a pony who killed a few ponies who knew some ponies that killed a few ponies.”Black Dawn just made it to the mouth of the canyon, panting heavily, she was hardly fit, she rarely exercised, let alone ate. She hurriedly wiped the salty tears from her eyes, trying to convince herself to calm down, without luck. The hushed voice spoke once again. “Over here!” it said.Dawn turned round to see a floating robot with an antenna on its head and a grate for a face from where the sound was coming from speaking to her from a crevice in the side of the canyon. The area was littered with them every few metres or so. She cocked her head in bewilderment the voice broke her blank expression.“Yes here, c’mon I don’t bite!” the robot mechanically chirped. Dawn cantered over to the robot keeping a low profile, peering over each shoulder nervously every few seconds terrified of her own shadow.“What do you think you’re doing walking into bandit turf unarmed? Hell unarmored. It’s pretty risky, you’re first time out?”Dawn was taken back by this she wasn’t expecting a robot to be making conversation about her situation. “Uh...” Dawn droned out at a loss for words.“Never mind, you’re way to deep into it now, the way I see it is your stuck between a rock and a hard place, A band of raiders on the outside a settlement of raiders on the inside.”Dawn was finally getting her head around her own situation “Awh ... Fuck.” She couldn’t help but say, her voice quivering with every syllable. She was never but in a situation like this. Who ever this pony, eh robot, eh omnipotent being was he knew his geography and he was unfortunately right about her situation.“Now here is what you got to do if you wanna get out of this mess first.”“Wait, wait, wait wait.”Dawn cut him off “Who are you? What are you? Are you a pony or a robot?”“You can call me Watcher as for what I am I’m the best chance you got right now, sorry about the vagueness.You’re going to need a couple things if you want to last out here kid I’ve met others like you, y’know kids on the run without a hope and without a clue what’s your name anyway kid?” The Watcher asked, his voice kept the same mechanical emotionless tone, making it even more unnerving by the fact he was being friendly.“My name’s Black Dawn and I’m not a kid” Black said defensively, her clouded terrified mind getting the better of her rationale.“Have it your way, but the bottom line is we got to come up with something or you’re dead, I don’t want that.” This was the first time Dawn had ever spoke to a robot and what it was saying was it cared whether or not she lived or died, not something she came to expect from ponies let alone inanimate objects. Watcher cleared his throat. Somehow.“As I was saying you’re going to need a few things if you want to last out here, nopony said it’s going to be easy either.” The robot bluntly stated as it began to what Black Dawn could only speculate as the hovering robot equivalent to pacing.“First things first, you’re gonna need a weapon, second of all your gonna want some armour, if the weapon fails to end some pony’s life, your armour may succeed in saving yours.” He paused in his pacing to get in Black Dawn’s face then continued“Thirdly a bit of guidance and most importantly...”pausing for emphasis. “Friends.”Dawn didn’t have any friends, not where she came from. No friends out here neither, the closest thing she has ever had to a friend was this robot she met in a shootout less than 10 minutes ago.“Friends?” Dawn asked quizzically.“Friends.” Watcher repeated with a bob of the robot’s headHe continued “As for the weapons and armour all you gotta do is loot a raider’s corpse as for the guida-.“ he was cut off “Wait WHAT!? Loot a raider’s corpse? how am I even going to kill a raider they’re tougher, meaner, armed to the teeth, it took a flying robot to tell me to run for my life. You gotta help me!” Dawn pleaded, desperation in her voice she was regretting leaving the NCR now, deeply.“I didn’t say you had to kill one, you just gotta find the corpse of one, and I’m trying to help you just... Bear with me.”“Where do you suppose I’ll find one of them?”“You seen it on your way in they’re not the chummiest of ponies.” Watcher had a point, on her first encounter with ponies outside the wall they brutally murdered each other.“As far as guidance is concerned I can help you there, this valley leads to an outpost.” Watcher began.“I thought you said it was a raider settlement?!” Dawn said getting annoyed by the fact he was getting his own story wrong when he was supposed to be quote on quote guiding her.“Trust me, okay? you're not the first pony I’ve helped out of a clusterfuck of a situation.”“Okay, right” Dawn said finally putting some faith into the robot.“You got to get to that settlement any means necessary try to find a weapon and some armour on your way in, if you see some raiders hide in the crevices in the canyon got it?”She nodded.“Great, oh and one more thing about friends if you are lucky you might find trouble on your way in, I heard he was in the area, or more than likely trouble will find you, whatever you do don’t piss him off. Maybe he’ll let you stick with him. As for me I’m out of time. I can control any of these things I am not stuck to one I’ll be in touch. Follow my advice and you should be alri-.” Watcher was cut off and in his stead marching band music played and the robot aimlessly took off plunging deeper into the dark canyon.“Watcher? Watcher?! Watcher please.” Black begged out crushed. No response.“Watcher...?” she pleaded, breaking down as tears began to build in her eyes. He left her, he abandoned her. He was gone. But at least he left with a plan even if she didn’t entirely understand it. And what did he mean if you are lucky you’ll find trouble?Black Dawn was walking into the big unknown. A void before her. She was trotting into hell. It has been little more than 3 minutes since watcher left her, She was terrified, she’d be insane not to be. Off in the distance she heard a “CRACK!-BOOM HAHAHA!” “There goes Watcher.” Dawn mumbled to herself in a satirical tone to help relieve her own tension. It didn’t help.Instantly disheartened her pace was slowing, she was beginning to shake when she heard the far off voices of a band of ponies coming her way. They were too far off for her to distinguish the nature of the conversation but she could only imagine it was about how they blew up a little robot. Or something, she didn’t know.They were just around the corner of this narrow winding and snaking canyon. Black quickly ducked as the watcher had instructed her into one of the crevices, the nearest, deepest and darkest one she could find and perked her ears up hoping they would not notice her black coat propped up against the gray and brown rocks in the darkness outside.Her body went rigid, her breathing became short and sharp, her heart pace quickened so much that she could hear it racing through her ears. She wish she could stop herself from making any noise but it appears her fear outweighed her nerve.The raiders were close now, she could hear their hooves on the ground where were they?10 , 20 paces away?“Clip,clop Clip,clop” the soft noise of hooves on the hard ground. They were about to pass her. Dawn’s nerves were shot to say the least, she convinced herself of her own capture, her own end. Or worse. They came into view THEY WERE WALKING RIGHT PAST HER! Oblivious to her presence. She began to grind her teeth as she tightly shut her eyes. Every inch of her wanting to scream and run. There were 3 of them, all earth ponies, they all carried old rusted bolt action rifles that had duct tape around them. The rifles were on slings across their backs. Black Dawn never really appreciated how lucky she was to be born a unicorn it makes everything much easier from masturbation to firing a rifle. What a weird line of thought in that moment.They walked right passed her, unsuspecting and unaware. She let out a stuttering and suppressed sigh of relief and began to shimmy along the wall of the canyon out of the crevice when she in the blackness laid a hoof on a twig and in the silence of the clear night made an audible“Crack.”Her heart stopped. A voice in a remote corner of her brain screamed at her “HIDE” She shimmied along panicking back into her hidey-hole and did the only thing she could do for herself, hope against the odds.She let out a suppressed whimper of despair as fear flooded through her veins, polluting her senses. Her body and limbs froze in place, she was fucked that much she knew the question how fucked exactly?The rear pony of the group stopped as his ears pricked up, he scanned around himself putting his nose high into the air and he looked right at the crevice Black Dawn was hiding in.He said “Hey Boss I think there is somepony here!” The raider pony said in a slow voice he came across dim witted.How the fuck did he know that! Black thought. Her heart sinking further into the pit of her stomach.The lead pony stopped, turned round and walked over to his ‘colleague’.“You sure about that? You know what happens when you waste my time.”“Y-yes boss in there.” he wove a hoof at the entrance.“Well alrighty then” his voice was smooth and sincere and that was a rare trait with a raider. “Whatever you find in there is yours Brick Jaw, you have my word but if nothing is in there, well.”The pony referred to as “Boss” wandered over to the other raider and began conversation away from the crevice. Brick Jaw lumbered over to the crevice Dawn was shrinking back into. Maybe she could hide herself well enough that he couldn’t see 3 feet in front of him, maybe she was clutching at straws.Brick Jaw was at the mouth of the crevice a sadistic smile spread on his face. He saw her straight away, she knew he saw here, it didn’t stop her from pretending she was not there, her eyes still shut tight, attempting feebly to block the world out.Brick Jaw let out a sadistic laugh, overwhelmed with joy and excitement, the anticipation making him jumpy. He unslung his rifle from his back, gripped it with his teeth and towered over Black Dawn. She began to tremble, petrified, she couldn’t see him, but she could feel him, his nostrils exhaling the hot air on her flank. He was delighted with this nice little treat he found. Brick Jaw loomed menacingly over her licking his lips. He chuckled through his grip on his rifle and swung at her. He smashed the already cracked and beaten up rifle stock against her ribs, winding her. Knocking the air from her lungs. Shooting a sharp pain through her torso, immobilizing her. A malicious smile on his filthy dim witted face after the hitting spree he carefully propped his rifle up against Dawn’s hidey hole wall behind him. Bracing himself, licking his lips excitedly. Dawn couldn’t hold back the tears. Her face buried against the cold hard wall of the crevice. She knew what was coming next, and what came after that. Her lungs starving for air no matter how deep she gasped her lungs could not be satisfied. Her entire world, deconstructing around her, her illusions of doing great things, living a high life, crumbled and smashed with each of Brick Jaw’s blows.She would have screamed if her lungs let her but she had to settle for just quietly weeping, the tears fell out in hoof fulls. He pulled her hind legs towards him as he let out another psychotic high pitched laugh. She meekly clawed at the wall trying to pull herself out of his clutches but to no avail. She remained silent, no point in screaming out, not at this stage, not here.“I May Be Some Time Boss HA-HA.” Brick Jaw yelled out ecstatically not believing his own luck as he prepared to mount her. He stopped, his expression falling blank as he sniffed the air, not taking his eyes off Black Dawn’s vulnerable exposed flank. “Boss?”Something was amiss for the raiders. She turned her head and she seen through the blurred vision of teary eyes something new. A masked figure with a glowing blood red visor on a hemlet and wearing a black duster towering over Brick Jaw’s shoulder.The masked desperado pulled back Brick Jaws’ neck with his fore hoof glimpsing five metal digits branching out from it and with the other hoof plunged a fearsome black steel serrated combat knife deep into the nape of Brick Jaws’ throat and twisted it. Bubbley Scarlet fluid flowing down from where the blade had pierced. As the masked pony drew the knife slowly from its victim's body Dawn glanced the shimmering inscription along the blade “Relentless”Black Dawn witnessed in a mixture of horror and relief as Brick Jaw’s eyes rolled into the back of his skull. He tried to scream but nothing but an agonized choked gurgle came out. Dawn rolled weakly around onto her back. She was still panting heavily but her inhalation rate was slowing. She was breathing again, in relief this would-be-samaritan stabbed this bastard. “Thank-you.” She said quickly in between her breaths as she wiped her eyes. The torrent of salty tears ceasing, she was still badly shaken though. Her hind hooves quaked as they still were spread open.Her rescuer let out a long breath through the filter of his helmet unclipped his mask with the 10 metallic digits on his fore hooves. He lowered the mask from his face it exposed a large muscular scarlet stallion anywhere between 15-25 years older than her. It was hard to tell in the darkness.He was wearing yellow striped war paint on his face that had faded over the years to give him a brightly coloured and fearsome, ragged worn and torn look.He had a black scruffy mane grey strands here and there qith poison green old experienced eyes. Underneath his left eye running to his jaw line he was deeply disfigured, his cheek was torn to ribbons and barely retained any of its original shape and was almost completely pale. On the right side of his lip he had a long torn thin scar rising up his cheek giving him a permanent menacing smirk. Bestowing on him a frightening demeanour increased by his smile which exposed in the back 3 golden teeth.“Tellin ya kid your fuckin lucky I showed up when I did or he woulda repainted this canyon forty four shades of raped unicorn.” The red stallion said light heartedly trying to defuse the tension in his thick accent. Disregarding the fact he just stabbed a pony to death. “Dun bother worryin yer head but them wee shites outside, I took it upon meself to ice em well, soon-to-be iced.” He said his heavy accent obscuring his words damaging his comprehensibility but he wasn’t totally incomprehensible to Dawn.“Say kid da fuck ya doin out ‘ere?”The stallion said giving her a quizzical expression his torn up face cocked to the side trying to look friendly.Dawn managed to finally recompose herself, closing her hind legs sheepishly, even though adrenaline and shock was still pumping through her body making her jittery. She got to her hooves. “I.” She stopped, her lungs ached when she spoke causing her to clutch her ribcage. Her hooves quaking beneath her, her entire body on the verge of collapse. The stallion reached into his duster and took out a flask “Here. Need some-tin for the pain eh?” he clutched the cap in his metallic grip and unscrewed it, offering it to Dawn.She drank the brew hurriedly, she assumed it was a healing potion or water, until it bit her. She would have gagged if she didn’t stop herself. It was a strong bitter hard hitting drink, more than likely almost entirely alcohol. The strongest drank she ever drank could not compare to this. She almost spat it out too but she knew better. She swallowed reluctantly and coughed afterwards as she levitated the flask back to the stallion. It scorched her throat but she had to say the stallion was right about one thing, it helped with the pain. “Did you put Mutant piss in that?” Dawn asked between coughs. The stallion laughed.“Just fer flavour our lass, now wah ya doin’ out ‘ere?”“I’m looking for an outpost in this canyon.” The sentence stirred the Stallion’s attention.“Why looking for something?” he said as clearly as he possibly make himself sound.“No some pony, any pony...some pony who will be my friend.” She said in a melancholic tone, making even her pity herself.“Hmmm.” the stallion said inspecting his helmet, thinking.“You, uh after makin’ some friends plannin’ on goin’ anywhere in particular?”Dawn shook her head, the Stallion stood up almost completely vertical oto his hind hooves and walked out of the crevice grabbing Brick Jaw’s rifle on the way out. He stood to his full height and beckoned Dawn over to him as he palmed a cigarette in his clutches. As he lit it Dawn seen the bodies of the 2 other raider ponies, blood flowing out from one from a torn neck. Their rifles side by side. The stallion threw Brick Jaw’s rifle in with the other two forming a nice little stack. Dawn noticed the leader raider was still alive, the one with the smooth voice, his chest was heaving, he was subdued. An open stab wound in his stomach oozing blood and other bodily fluids, but alive.“That outpost you were talkin bout it’s the raiders’ turf now, I’m on a job to get a hoofful of hostages out and blow the place two mile high and ah tell ya wah’. I’ll cut ya in on the job. A tidy twenty five percent.”He was offering her a job! Well sort of, but she still had questions and maybe a few doubts. The primary question being why is that raider still alive?“Well.”Dawn seen this as her chance to get to befriend this pony, it would pay for itself. Dawn didn’t imagine he got them scars helping old mares cross the street.“First things first, before I accept any jobs my name is Black Dawn, who are you?”She politely asked, forcing a toothy smile. The stallion let out a disappointed sigh, shaking his head. “I’m a fella with a job and I wanna know if I can count on ya for it.” The stallion pressed, forcing awkwardness over the two, well over Dawn anyway.“Twenty five percent isn’t really that much considering the risk plus what is that raider doing tied up?” She said getting cold hooves around her rescuer. Who now has just forced her under pressure causing her to quickly lose faith in him. But he was her best chance out of this.He looked her square in the eye, his eyes baring hard into her striking a chord of unease in her “Kid, Black Dawn whatever ya wanna call yerself, you must neigh understand who I am to think quarter of me pay is fuck all, don’t worry about that scumbag he’s gonna be our best friend if you accept.” he informed her, changing the tone he asked “Say, what’s the most you ever made in one month?” She was beginning to realise there was no choice. It was this or death.Dawn shrugged and said “Pfff, I don’t know hundred caps.” More like the 60 she stole.The stallion unholstered a formidable weapon, Dawn gave an appreciative gasp. It was a red fully automatic shotgun with a jagged bayonet that could cut flesh like butter. With a drum magazine with a flame vinyl on the barrel running down to the action of the gun as well as a dozen emeralds, 6 on either side of the barrel. On the stock there was two crossed cutlass swords and above the cutlasses in bold letters it read “The Red Queen”“Do you know what this is kid?” he held the weighty weapon in one hoof. He looked her dead in the eye and began to speak.“This is the best weapon money can buy, they call it the HAAS-15/8G or the Heavy Automatic Assault Shotgun Fifteen Eight gauge, this pumps out three hundred shells a minute, and these drum magazines chamber twenty four monster caliber eight gauge rounds, and there is a spring buffer system in the stock and with these enchanted emeralds, she has as much kick as a newborn foal and the best part is...” he paused for emphasis.“She nevar’ fuckin jams.”Dawn didn’t know much about guns but this was clearly a big deal. He took great pride in his weapon and so far she only seen him with a knife “Who are you?” Dawn asked again. She had to know now that she seen this awe inspiring weapon, not just any pony had that kind of firepower. He put the weapon on his back.He smiled menacingly at her, a spark in his poison green eyes.“Kid, I’m Trouble and twenty five of this job is twelve and a half thousand bottle caps.”

Chapter 3: Welcome to the Wasteland

Chapter 3: EverBright Canyon

The Figure after digesting this information began to spot loopholes in her story “I thought you said you met Trouble up by Dead Water sounds to me you were in EverBright Canyon, and what happened that wounded raider?”

Dawn merely smiled and said “Dead Water is where we collected the pay and the raider, ha! Trouble is an expert in persuasion.” Dawn found herself oddly amused by her own statement.

“Did Trouble ever tell you about his past, or the Death Dealers?” the figure asked he was getting a little soft on Black. Maybe it was the mutual co-operative feeling between the two. But she didn’t doubt for a second he could turn nasty on her if she withheld information on him.

“Um, he never really mentioned them.” Dawn lied, truth be told she knew all about them she spent every hour with one of the 3 known survivors for the better part of a half a dozen weeks but Dawn wanted to know what this figure knows.

The Figure rose from the chair once again and began to pace “The Death Dealers were the best merc group the wasteland has ever seen. A splinter from the original C.P.L.A, they took in orphans or any other fillys or colts and trained them from foalhood to be killing machines. Since the Coltic lands were never primary targets for the Zebra’s most of them went unscathed.”

The Figure wasn’t done pacing so Dawn pressed him further into the subject. The Death Dealers? She knew plenty about them her questions were about this C.P.L.A

“Who are the C.P.L.A?” Asked Dawn, she got more than she bargained for.

“The C.P.L.A or the Coltic Ponies Liberation Army was the unofficial armed forces of the Coltic states they were considered terrorists until the Great war. They use guerrilla tactics and are still technically active to this day, they are well trained, well armed and very angry. There are now three tribes all descending from the C.P.L.A, The Fusiliers they were the explosives experts they preside over Monaneigh, then there is the Sharp-Shooters more commonly referred to as the Eamon Wright’s because aiming is their game, they control all over the Bally atha Poni area, no one wanders within a mile of their borders with a full magazine or else, and finally there were the Grunts they were the regular geniuses’ with Machine guns, Shotguns and the like. They can build them, upgrade them, hell they even design them, they control the most territory of the three The ruins of the old Coltic Capital of Marefast.”

One thing Dawn could say for the figure was if anything the pony was comprehensive. Too bad she’s never been to the Coltic regions Trouble and Night Light never really talked about going there. She wondered where Night Light was now last thing she remembers before waking up in this room shackled to a chair is falling asleep with Night Light.

The figure returned to his seat after his lecture and said “Let’s continue just after Trouble made you the offer. What happened to the raider you captured and more importantly what the fuck happened at EverBright?”

Shit happened at EverBright.”

Trouble trotted slowly over to the injured raider. He was now back on all 4 of his hooves and the raider was slipping into unconsciousness. Trouble nudged him with a hoof.

“Nuh-nuh your not quite dead yet. Yet. I’ll let you live if you tell me what I need to know nod if you understand.”

The raider weakly bobbed his head up and down, his body propped up against his fresh corpse of a comrade. Trouble handed him the same flask as he handed her, the raider drank deep.

Trouble took back his flask and lowered his head in close to the raider's and gently spoke to him

“Ya lost a load of blood mate, you have about fifteen minutes before you drift away, I can save ya but only if ya tell me wha I need to know, right son?” the raiders eyes filled with a sadness that made Black Dawn pity the soul she almost felt sorry for him Trouble came across as demanding yet compassionate she liked that in him.

The leader of the dead raider spoke back quietly barely audible “I don’t want to die...” he was breaking down Trouble smiled at him, his face only 3 inches from the raider’s and he said with grim satisfaction “Good.”

He took an assertive tone and towered over the raider now “Bout two miles inta this ere canyon there is an outpost o’ some description, correct?”

The raider nodded.

“In this outpost there should be about a dozen raiders are you one, and your mates for that matter?”

The raider nodded again and softly spoke “Three dozen.”

“Any hostages?” Trouble swallowed hard after the raider’s words 3 times the size he thought.

The raider nodded once more “Six...”

Trouble at this made a noise that could only be comprehended as “firfacksake.”

“Congratulations you’ve saved your own life.” Trouble took out some bandages from his saddlebags inside that duster of his and began to wrap the bandages around the raider.

The look of relief on the raider's face could not be described. Dawn never seen a pony that glad in her life, then again she had hardly lived. Trouble hoisted him up into a hug to finish tying up the bandages and whispered gently into his ear.

“So... how many hostages begged for death before you minced them?” The raider tried to jump out, but Trouble forced him hard into the wall. The raider coughed out the air from his lungs as he slammed against the canyon wall panicking.

“None! I swear Please!” the raider stared over Trouble’s shoulder and stared at Dawn with his pleading eyes, those scared eyes pierced Dawn’s heart, she felt sorry for him even though she knew he wouldn’t in her position.

He knew he was fucked, Trouble slapped his face and with those steel digits that left cuts on his cheek and said “Wrong answer...” like lightning faster than Dawn could blink he reached into the belt on his underbelly and before you could say K.O he smacked the cylinder of a Midnight Black Revolver with gold infusions along the frame of the gun.

The 6inch barrel of the gun bending back around the raider’s skull the cylinder impacted with his temple and made an audible “thump”.

He turned round to face Black she had an aghast expression her jaw hanging wide. The look on her face was the same was what was going through her head. Nothing, she hadn’t a clue what to do besides stand there.

Trouble recomposed himself and spread the hooves of the unconscious raider outwards. Trouble took out the same knife as he did earlier that killed Brick Jaw and probably the raider next to the unconscious raider.

Trouble began to hack at the bottom of his left hind hoof, he was slicing it off.

“W-what are you doing?” Dawn stammered out he was maiming this pony for no good reason and Dawn was too frightened to object. He replied not taking his eyes off his handy work.

“When this fine member of society comes roun’ he’s gonna plod on down to his mates at the fucking outpost, I want this cunt out of action, we’ll see what he’s made of if he can stand the pain, maybe he can make it to N.C.R without bleeding to death.”

She was regretting meeting this pony but she didn’t mean it, her ass would be grass right now if it weren’t for him but he was starting to scare her fast. He was no better than a raider in her eyes, only a lot more dangerous.

He began work on the second hind hoof, the hoof he finished; the bottom off it was lying on the ground. A slab of red flesh, blood trickling out from the open wound the second hoof slid off with a sickening mushy “shleehp” noise.

He exhaled hard after his gruesome work, he wiped his blade on the coat of the maimed raider and put it back into its leather pouch inside his duster

“Now kid, your gonna need a rifle, take your pick.” he waved a hoof at the stack of rifles he made she picked Brick Jaw’s for no particular reason.

“You know how to use that?”

She pulled back the bolt of the rusted rifle with her magic, chambered a round and nodded with a smile as the glow from her horn escalated illuminating the immediate area around her. She seen local militia and gangs in her town stripping their rifles and firing them. She had plenty of them to watch them and learn.

“Take the ammo from their rifles as well, we got miles to go yet kid. Oh yeah and take a sling for that piece. The light from your horn might give us away y’know.” After she extracted the ammo from their rifles she counted 13 including what’s in Brick Jaw’s rifle. The rifle could hold 5 shots leaving 8 in reserve in her saddlebags. Trouble rose onto his hindlegs and began to venture into the canyon. Dawn followed her spectral saviour wondering whether she should turn back, but she knew know there was no turning back.

They were travelling deeper down the canyon when Dawn heard synchronized gunfire Black unholstered her rifle Trouble turned round to face her “Easy kid just target practice.”

He fitted his black helmet around his skull again completing his outfit. The visor glowing a soft blood red, a joker smile painted across the Gas filter with sharpened teeth the paint faded over time. Somehow time’s tarnish on it only succeeded in making it look even more menacing.

They walked passed old ruins of a building. If you could call it that, it was little more than some upright concrete and rebar jutting out of the remaining walls.

Trouble held out his hoof to beckon Dawn to stop. He pressed his back up against the wall of this building to peer inside, as he was pressed up Dawn seen a pistol belt low around the chest piece of his armor.

It held two massive revolvers, one she seen when Trouble was interrogating the raider. While that one was midnight black with a golden wavy and random pattern infusion with an ivory handle with a silhouette of a black mare.

Standing out against ivory in a seductive pose head cocked and one fore hoof crossed across the other.

While the other revolver was a sister to this one. It was equally as huge but was an inversion of the colours: Pearl white frame with golden infusions but an ebony handle with a white silhouette in the exact same pose but standing out in white.

The bullets surrounding these magnificent tools were quite odd, strange patterns, dips and grooves along the bullet topped off with a coat of black along the case, custom rounds like those were a rarity.

Trouble moved his head round content with his prying. He beckoned Dawn to move up with him back into a casual stroll “Just a few Radroaches nothing to worry bout.” Dawn wondered what a Radroach was but unfortunately she found out.

As they plodded past her eyes widened they were mutant insects, huge, the size of a newborn foal scuttling about on 6 legs, a sickly shade of brown she nearly gagged these mutant freaks made her feel sick to the stomach yet Trouble was entirely unphased by it. Must just be something you get used to out here Dawn reasoned out.

She imagined these must have been the equivalent of the rats they had in her town, some were the size of dogs where she came from.

“So uh, how long till we reach the outpost?” Dawn said trying to break the silence ever since the gunfire ceased it’s been a little tense. That and she was trying to get the mental picture of one of those scuttling freaky radroaches out of her mind. Trouble took maybe another 12 paces before Dawn tried him again “How long till w-.” She was cut off abruptly

“Four minutes, rough. Don’t talk we don’t know if they got scouts.”

Dawn looked up at the sky she noticed the canyon walls were gaining height the further they dived into them. She felt engulfed, the canyon straits now growing narrower less than 8 feet at its narrowest.

But then the canyon straits came to a 90 degree turn and opened wide into a bowl. A large triple story building with barricading in front of it whihc consisted of measly stacked sandbags with two raiders sitting outside smoking.

On the top floor of the building there was a sniper’s nest on a balcony with a tarp and sandbags vaguely covering it on the left hand side of the building. It was unmanned for now. There were finally on the outside a pair of patrolling raiders. And something else. A gas tank at the side of the Building with pipes crawling up the side of the building from the tank.

Black’s head was just peering round the corner after she got a lay of the land so to speak, when removed his helmet.

“Right here’s the plan; the patrol goes down first. Then the front sentries, the sniper is off duty lets use that nest, if reinforcements show up a position like that will come in handy, once we're inside we liberate the prisoners, after that we wipe out the raiders and loot the place of anything valuable. Keep it clean, I don’t want anymore dead hostages it’s bad for repeat business and watch your corners once you’re inside. Open fire on my lead, we go in quiet though, got that?”

Dawn got none of it but she nodded anyway “And what if the hostages are dead?” this thought just occurred to Dawn after Trouble brutalised a raider because he short changed his hostages.

“Then we only get paid half” That seemed like a rational reason why to maim a pony.

“Right on the patrol’s next pass I’ll take em’ down if it goes to shit take the shot can ya do that for mah kid?” Dawn felt a fresh wave of fear come over her, she felt like there was a bag of bricks in her stomach.

“Yeah Trouble I can do that for you.” Trouble clapped her on the shoulder and nodded this was the first time she actually referred to him as Trouble out loud.

The raider patrol was coming back round now they were talking “Hey whens Adonis’s group due back?” the red unicorn mare said to the powder blue earth stallion

“Fucked if I know Brick Jaw has my rifle, he better come back with it in one piece or I’ll fuck his brains out, if there is any left in his head.” The powder blue stallion raider said past the sledgehammer in his mouth. Which was clearly too hefty for him.The unicorn on the other hand had an old snub nose revolver levitating it around her orbit.

Trouble waited for the duo to past the corner where him and Black Dawn were hiding as soon as he was out of their peripheral line of sight he unsheathed the blade he used to wipe out the now revealed Adonis and Brick jaw’s party.

He skulked up behind him them on all fours, like a ghost. It was scary how quiet this pony could be considering his size and lethality, he was trotting on the tips of the metal digits on his fore hooves they were just passing a boulder when he struck. He tapped the unicorns shoulder she turned round casually he caught her totally off guard, he slashed her throat in a flash of steel and blood, while she was still gurgling her blood he pounced on the earth pony stabbing him several times as he threw him to the ground. Mashing his lungs with cold steel.

Black Dawn ran over to meet him. Trouble hid the bodies tightly against the rocks they were sheltering themselves behind.

Black peered through the rocks at the sentries by the front door’s sandbags they were completely unaware to their comrades disappearance.

Black went ahead and levitated the unicorns revolver up to her flank, not like the raider was going to need it. She looked at the raider’s eyes and froze. They were scared.

Dawn dropped the revolver out of shock, she rested her back against the boulder slowly slinking down as her teeth began to chatter.

She was visibly shaking now, her teeth going “Klink-Klink-Klink-Klink.” colours seemed brighter now than they did before and everything had become audible, her own heart beating Trouble’s suppressed breathing through the filter of his mask seemed to frighten her more than any raider knowing he could kill them so easily.

Trouble looked down at her then back at the sentries then had a double take on her, “Wait here, I’ll clear out the sentries when they’re down you move up got it?”

Trouble tried to give her some space or maybe he was afraid if he touched her she’d let out a scream. Dawn nodded briskly still staring into the raider’s eyes. They were deep blue like hers. Trouble disappeared round a rock. When he disappeared Dawn felt a little of the fear lift from her chest and she broke eye contact with the dead raider. She regained her grip over the raider’s pistol she claimed and opened up the cylinder. 5 shots of 6, not bad. The revolver was nowhere near as big or beautiful or as in good condition as Trouble’s.

She peeked over the rocks. Trouble was pressed against the sandbags the sentries were still completely unaware to his presence. He reached both hooves into his duster this time unsheating his combat knife and a small headed axe.

He vaulted over the sandbags burying the axe into the unsuspecting raider’s head the other raider was jumping for his rifle but a quick pierce to the chest stopped him in his tracks.

He retrieved his axe with some effort and Dawn sprinted over to him not taking her eyes off the snipers nest now the real test began 3 dozen Adonis said 4 down plus Adonis’s group 7, 29 left.

29vs2 could be worse...

Trouble took out his shotgun the “Red Queen” and chambered a shell with a crisp “chuk-chuk” he nodded at Dawn as a reassurance.

“Lock and load kid I’m on point, don’t hesitate take that angel’s MP its close quarters in there.” Trouble was talking about the corpse’s Machine pistol it was a blowback pistol with a magazine longer than the handle she pulled back the slide with her magic with a weak “cha-chenk.” The weapon became live.

“What next?” Dawn asked she was subconsciously stalling.

“Now comes the fun part, two right behind the door, their mine.”

He bucked open the door, and sure enough there were two armed raiders at a receptionists’ desk. A deafening thunder erupted from Trouble’s weapon the blasts from the weapon connected with the raiders torso’s turning them into thick red paste before they even had a chance to react.

Black jumped, she was still levitating the Machine Pistol she claimed from the dead raider sentry. She was shrinking back now she began consoling herself “stay...behind, you’re okay, watcher said... he didn’t know, I don’t know, what am I doing here...Trouble” she was broken from her little trance by the sound of ponies running directly above, Trouble pressed his back against the wall and slunk deep into it and fixated his weapons crosshairs at a flight of stairs he looked back at Dawn and waved her down.

Dawn hid in front of the receptionists desk peeking up. Her gun resting on the top, she was breathing fast now and she began to see hooves charge down the stairs, several ponies.

Trouble didn’t move, so she didn’t move the first one was coming round. Trouble didn’t fire, the second came. Not a move, when the third pony cornered and was in his sight.

He fired a burst of his powerhouse weapon fire erupting from the barrel, wiping the raiders out taking the first raider’s face clean off, it was just a pile of mush now with some bones in the back. The other 2 weren’t much better though, he arose and began up the stairs to the second story.

It was after he was around the bend of the stairs he looked back at Dawn cowering behind the desk at the reception, shaking, he signalled for her to come over to him she shook her head and ducked behind the desk her chest heaving, she hadn’t even fired a shot. Her fear for the raiders was nothing compared to her fear of him. The raiders at least lacked his killing power.

Before she knew it Trouble was crouched next to her inexplicably, he was incomprehensibly quiet, moved like the wind as undetectable as a ghost, until he fired that shotgun anyway.

“Kid please I need ya in that sniper’s nest there is no fucking way there is thirty raiders in here. Too quiet stick right behind mah and I promise ya nufink bad will happen okay?”

His accent coming through again, he’s words reassured Dawn if only slightly. He gently grasped her hoof in his and held his shotgun tightly against his shoulder, cheek pressed against the stock for a pony that walked on his hind hooves, completely erect he was quite manoeuvrable. His clutch remained steady on her hoof unwavering, he must have understood what she was going through, the most violent thing she was accustomed to was a bully with a 2x4 or if she was unlucky a lead pipe. The NCR was pretty sheltered from the outside world, a diluted form of what lay out in the wastes.

She felt safer now almost eradicating all the paralyzing fear she felt earlier having Trouble looking out for her made it feel like she had a shield that could block out the hell of the wastes even, she didn’t feel so terrified of her shield now. Now she could use that shield to save her.

As they went up the stairs Trouble let go of her hoof after he let go she still felt a lingering sense of safety and her sobbing ceased her heart rate lowered slightly too.

The stairs opened up on the second storey the stairs turned down a hallway to the right. Trouble jumped out into the Hallway and signalled for her to move up as she was slowly came into the hallway with Trouble, a Raider from an unseen alcove swung a sledge hammer at Trouble. Trouble didn’t have time to swing his shotgun around, the sledge hammer impacted with his armor making a loud “Klank!” noise, knocking Trouble over, he wasn’t moving Black Dawn dropped her pistol again trembling for her life once more what was so paralyzing about these ponies?

The raider raised his hammer up, gripped in his teeth he reared up onto his hind hooves to deliver a death blow. When the raider went down, Trouble flipped over unto his back raising his weapons bayonet with the raiders neck. The raider condemned by his own momentum, his neck was impaled upon the bayonet the sledgehammer hung loosely in his mouth, the pony remained erect stood up on the bayonet. Trouble threw the raider off him. The raider slapping on the cold floor sanguine fluid running down the stairs Trouble raised from the ground.

Dawn re-adjusted. Her control over her nerves was appalling she dropped her pistol, she was at point blank with the raider the only reason the raider didn’t spot her was because if there was another pony there to back Trouble up they would have shot the raider.

Trouble sat down and pushed his back against the wall watching the hallway and waved Black over “Y-yeah?” Dawn whispered nervously she was expecting him to stab her for her idiocy.

“Kid head on up the stairs, grab the sniper’s rifle I’ll clear out this floor.” He said struggling; his head was bobbing uncontrollably “Are you okay?” Dawn was scared out of her mind but had her wits about her enough to know he was injured.

He just took a smash from a sledge hammer if he wasn’t wearing armor it would have shattered his spine.

“Yea-yea-yea jammy cunt just knocked the wind outta mah, for some reason when they don’t expect see it comin it seems to do more damage weird ain’ it.”

He clutched at his ribs panted and said “I need you to get up into that sniper’s nest the hostages are in this floor I’ll get em’ you jus get ta the rifle awrigh?” Dawn nodded and began up the stairs Trouble was getting onto his hooves again, she had a slight courage now she felt it best to carry 2 guns, so she took out that revolver she claimed from the patrol, now she was twice as dangerous right? Wait, how did he know the hostages are on that floor?

She was coming onto the third story when she heard gunfire down below automatics very fast rate of fire. But was quelled when Trouble fired a burst of 3 back, the gunfire fell silent for awhile then a final automatic burst ka-ka-ka-ka-ka-ka, Boom! A single blast from the Red Queen.

Black Dawn was on the third storey now, the nest was still unmanned she seen it through a missing piece in the filthy windows panes near the nest was a lit cigarette, she done as Trouble done slowly and cautiously walk down there, expect the worst. Once you see them blast them.

More gunfire from downstairs, Dawn tried to focus on her own predicament some pony had to be up here no pony lights a smoke and lets it waste. She was slowly at a snail’s pace proceeding down the hallway she put her back to the glass stained windows so she was facing the rooms. She was expecting an ambush, she shimmied past the first room it had a desk there with a painting behind it the original canvas colouring was long gone though.

As she was passing the second room she only had eyes for the door frame, she was expecting it. What she wasn’t expecting was the shard of glass going crack under her hooves, a clear crunching noise like boots on snow, she glanced down to see what she stood on out of surprise.

A raider jumped from behind the doorway with a machete in his teeth an unclear battle cry filtering through the machete’s handle.

Dawn opened fired with the two pistols a long burst from the machine pistol and 2 bangs from the revolver, the machine pistol ripping through the raiders weak armor perforating him with tiny holes, the revolver punching 2 big holes into the raiders neck the machine pistol went “Click, click” when a unicorn came from another door with a revolver not unlike hers.

Dawn knew what to do she flung her back to the wall sure enough two bullets snapped passed where she was standing, before the unicorn had time to aim, Dawn wildly fired her remaining pistol “Bang,-Bang-Bang, click.” the unicorn fell her gun letting off a shot as she toppled backwards, Black threw aside her spent pistols and ran over to claim the spoils of her kill, more bursts came from Trouble’s shotgun Dawn ran over and opened the cylinder of the fallen raiders weapon. 3 shots and she still had her rifle.

She ran out onto the balcony where the nest was, there was the rifle lying on a table behind the sandbags. Dawn stopped a few feet in front of it simply to admire it’s beauty.

It was a long and thin all length no width. The Rifle nearly the length of her; Lean and Mean just laying there.

A little weathered but that just added to it’s charm. It was jet black like her, it had a bipod keeping it standing off the table, four large black metallic magazines next to it, large bullets for a large gun.

Tthe scope was huge as well, and on the stock crudely etched into it with a knife and double underlined for emphasis “Bad News” leaving bright streaking on this dark tool of ranged death.

It was semi-automatic and the magazines seemed to hold 10 rounds, 10 big rounds to be precise. There was also a locked ammo box next to it not much to do about that though.

Black looked out upon the way they came into the bowl. Something shifted, a mass of some description she levitated the rifle over and raised the scope to her eye she seen maybe ten to a dozen maybe more raiders coming their way “Oh fuck, Trouble!”

She put the rifle back where she found it for now, and un-holstered her rifle wrapping it in her magical tendrils along with her pistol and bolted down the hallway to find Trouble, rifle holds 5 pistol only has 3 but she has 8 in the stands for the rifle though.

She was back on the second storey the gunfire here had long ceased. The hallway was littered with holes

“Got the hostages secure! Follow my voice!” his mask was off now Dawn could actually pick up emotion again.

She followed the echo and she burst into a large room panting, when she wiped her eyes she was in a large room with opened rusted metal cells, mulched corpses littering the scene and half a dozen terrified hostages with wide tired eyes and bruised bodies many of whom were covered blood.

“Trouble! A dozen raider maybe more I-I dunno!” she hurriedly spat out.

“Fuck-me-sideways, alright you boys stay here my partner and I will handle this.” He addressed every pony, he grabbed Black Dawn and led her out of the room by the shoulder.

“Okay okay, get up in that sniper’s nest I’ll take the low road and introduce them to the Red Queen got it?”

“Yeah, I do but”

“But what?” Trouble was speaking fast he needed to get shit done now, and this time wasting was aggravating him.

“What about these ponies they can’t fend for themselves.” Dawn didn’t mean that she was scared for herself, she wanted to say she could stay there and guard them as an excuse she felt ashamed but better shamed and alive then honourable and full of holes right?

“Hey you ponies, take those raider’s guns, Don’t! Leave this room! I’ll be back.” He then whispered into Dawn’s ear “Problem solved, now get into that fuckin’ nest!” he shoved her in the direction of the stair case, he threw his shotgun on his back and galloped for the first floor.

She was back at the sandbags she took the rifle and rested the bipod on them. She pressed her cheek against the stock and peered down the scope 15 raiders now, she chambered a round it made a pristine “cluk-cluk” almost as sweet a noise as the Red Queen’s. Something was euphoric about this weapon, it fueled her, something about it had gravity. Maybe it was it’s looks maybe it was it’s bullets.

She looked to her left Trouble was behind the sandbags where the sentries where stationed barely out of sight. He made a gesture with his hooves and metal digits, he made a tight cup pressed it against his head and lolled it back and opened his hand after this motion he raised 3 of the digits lowered one, then another and on the last he raised it and dropped his hoof onto his gun. Broke from cover and held the trigger, it wasn’t until the very last moment she realised what was happening; blow their brains out on the count of 3, what was so hard to understand about that?

Trouble volleyed them, killing four instantly throwing the now chunks of meat flying 4 feet back, Black found a target through her scope and fired. The rifle jumped if it weren’t for the bipod it probably would have fell off the building. She seen the barrel smoke and a head explode through that large scope. The scope glowed a bright green in the night helping her accuracy immensely, she never fired a gun before until tonight and this rifle made it easy for her. It was practically doing all the work itself.

Trouble had moved, she couldn’t even find him she saw another raider scanning for Trouble. They thought there was only one shooter. Wrong, she fired once more the breaker at the end of the barrel concealing the flash the round blew a hole in the raiders neck wide enough to feed a muffin through.

Trouble re-appeared, she seen the low glow of his visor, he was at their left flank all 9 of them that now stood where the patrol had fallen, bodies soon to form a mound.

He sprayed them but this time something different happened the barrel spat out red fire, literally fire! The rounds lit up the entire bowl 5 raiders caught in the inferno quick high pitched screams coming from their bodies before they were burned to cinders, Black took in a sharp breath the remaining four stood up and all opened fire at Trouble. He ducked behind some rocks the bullets perforating his cover, Dawn reacting on adrenaline found the raider nearest to her’s head aimed for the very crown and double tapped Crack-Crack, the bullets passed through all four raiders tearing chunks of meat from every pony’s bodies. The recoil of the first shot set her up for the second.

Trouble rose from his cover stared at Dawn and saluted, she felt proud of herself, she felt she proved her worth to Trouble but then again she only done what was expected of her, what did he promise 12,500? Sounded too good to be true...

Dawn pleased with her new toy abandoned Brick Jaw’s rifle and threw Bad News which had it’s own sling around her body, and put the magazines in her saddlebags.

She met Trouble on the second storey just outside the hostages room his helmet was off and he had a wide warm smile on his face “Fuckin’ lovely shootin kid, tellin ya I’ll make a killa outta you yet.” And clapped her on the shoulder. She oddly enough felt herself blushing.

Trouble addressed the hostages as a whole.

“The Good pony sent me for you, can you make it to Dead Water yourselves I’ve been paid to blow this place two mile high, the Good pony wants to send a message to raiders.”

One of the hostages a green stallion unicorn stepped forward to speak on the hostages behalf

“Yeah, should be clear thanks to you, we’ll need to keep their guns and we can’t exactly pay you...” The stallion shrank a little.

“The Good pony will see to my compensation sir, dun worry about it.” Trouble seemed confident in his words he called Black over he spoke in a hushed voice “Eh, did you see an office on the third storey by any chance?”

“Yeah had a painting behind it, Trouble there’s a locked ammo box on the roof if you can get into it.” Trouble heard what he needed.

“Sure kid how bout I show you a few tricks with a bobby pin and screwdriver? Oh and we need to get you some armor.” He gestured to all of her.

Black wasn’t sure what he meant about the pin and screwdriver but she just went with the flow, like watcher said she needed guidance. And this new “Friend.” of hers she didn’t want to say no to him.

She led Trouble up the stairs and into the office there was an old terminal with a smashed open screen on the desk.

He wasn’t interested in that he inspected the underside of the desk then finally turned his attention to the painting he mumbled something under his breath along the lines of “sly, dogs...”

He tore the painting from the wall revealing a concealed safe. Dawn was impressed with his ingenuity.

“Ha-ha, come ere kid imma show ya something, it takes years to master but better to start somewhere righ? He wedged the pin and screwdriver round inside and forced the lock a few times he twisted right to left until it began to give way he finally found the sweet spot.

The lock chimed open, inside was a few extra strength healing potions and a large briefcase, Trouble threw the potions into his saddlebags and slammed the briefcase on the desk carefully opening it.

Dawns eyes lit up. Inside there was a beautiful Pistol a silver slide, chrome body work, two sapphires on the grip and along the barrel engraved with expert skill was “Amigo.” Amigo had a large round for a large pistol and plenty of ammo to go with him.

Across from Amigo was a rather curious item it was a wrist mounted computer Pipbuck-3000 lite edition, it had multiple dials and buttons Trouble laughed and said “All yours kid, see that computer, it will probably serve you better than that piece I’ll fasten it for ya if ya want.”

“Why don’t you want it?” Dawn was suspicious if she discovered this with anyone she grew up around they’d beat her to death for this cache.

“Them wrist computers, Stable-tec, ain’t compatible with exoskeletons as for that piece, I got my own, that’s your Amigo now.”

Dawn smiled and took out the wrist computer gently with her magic she wrapped it around her left fore hoof and fastened it and finally strapped the leather around to cover it.

She hit what she suspected as the On button the screen dimly shone green. Lines upon lines of binary code appeared a horde of 0’s and 1’s then the screen read

“Stand by...” during this Trouble pocketed 2 orbs of some description that were underneath the pip-buck.

Black felt 3 pins shoot into her hoof she let out a cry, the pain was sharp but brief.

“You Alright?!?” Trouble insincerly asked her, not really caring her computer was attacking her.

The screen now read,

“Loading Bio-Data, Gene Make-up, Booting S.P.E.C.I.A.L” This sparked Dawn’s interest, special? she pressed the Pip-Buck close to her face the screen faded than reappeared it read

“YOU’RE SPECIAL !” What this ultra advanced piece of technology was a self esteem device?

Strength-4

Percetion-7

Endurance-4

Charisma -5

Agilty-6

Luck-9

“Huh, how did it work that out?” Dawn found herself saying aloud but it felt right, she couldn’t explain it but the machine wasn’t lying, The screen flashed once more

“Booting Inventory Organizer...”

Everything she had was in front of her eyes on the screen Amigo, Bad News her measly 80 bottle caps, all of it. The screen fading once more now it read

“Loading Navigational Systems...”

There she was in the centre of a room, the Pip-Buck knew where she was she stepped to the left i,t tracked her. It knew where she was down to an inch, she checked out the world map function the place she was, now was tagged “EverBright Mills/ Prison.” And down from that the perilous canyon straits had a name too “EverBright Canyon.”

“Loading S.A.T.S and E.F.S functionality

(Stable Assisted Targeting Systems) (Eyes Forward Sparkle)”

Outside the screen of the Pip-Buck the frame of the screen began to glow around her, It was pointing at Trouble and half a dozen other readings Trouble was glowing a soft blue and so were the others but they were moving away from her Trouble spoke up.

“That’s an E.F.S it highlights all intelligent life-forms and gives them a threat level Blue means friendly Red means hostile, my helmets got one.” Good to know at least one of them knew what the fuck was going on.

“Here try breaking into that ammo box why don’t ya?” he threw her a dozen or so bobby pins and an old screwdriver. She did as he instructed her following by example and the lock opened with a “click” there was something very satisfying about it. Inside, Good News there was 3 more fully magazines for Bad News.

“Hey, Trouble there is no way we killed thirty-six raiders is there?”

“No but I took a few down on my way in though, but it still isn’t thirty-sex”

Dawn walked out on to the snipers nest when 2 red glows came into her E.F.S

“Shit two more!” Black cursed out, Trouble still smiled and replied.

“All yours, Try using S.A.T.S never had the honour me-self.”

Black set up her Bipod and two more raiders came into view. They seen they’re fallen comrades and ran over to their bodies Black wasn’t sure how to trigger S.A.T.S but before she could finish that thought a calmness swept over her body. Everything seemed slower, her head cleared. The only things she could seem to think about were those two raiders, she felt as if the rifle was an extension of her very being.

As if it were acting of its own accord, a bullet found its way into one raider’s skull before the other had time to blink a second shot punctured a hole in the pony’s neck.

Time returned to normal again, the serenity that had hijacked her body gone she looked at her Pip-Buck and seen a depleting bar refilling in the corner.

“Interesting.” Dawn thought aloud Trouble came in and spoke “Told ya that computer will serve ya better than that piece, now let’s blow this place and get paid.” Truer words were never spoken.

She found herself laughing in disbelief at the power this Pip-Buck bestowed upon her.

She took another look at her Pip-Buck her inventory and she selected Amigo and sure enough there he was in his case within her easy grasp, she took Amigo and all his ammo out and tossed the case Amigo was quite beautiful hell of a size too, she had a look on the other side of the barrel and it read at the bottom of the slide Magnum .50 that even sounded scary!

She was content with just letting Amigo’s handle hang out of the bag for a holster.

On the ground floor Trouble took out two black plastic blocks from his saddle bags they had a red L.E.D on top of them and were bound together with some duct tape, as well as a switch and number pad . Trouble punched in a few numbers and hit the switch on his way out he threw them against the oil tank they seen when first scouting the building. He gingerly trotted onto the EverBright Mills/ Prison entrance while he palmed and lit a cigarette with a fluorescent blue flame coming from a golden Zippo with some weird inscription Dawn didn’t get a chance to see. In the darkness he pivoted to face the building and took out a small object with a rubber Antenna he clasped it on his metal digits and squeezed.

The Building erupted with a purging flame, consuming everything within its immediate area shooting high up into the sky then the blast wave hit, it sent the hairs of Black’s mane flying backwards her eyes watering, the sound was deafening Trouble just began to laugh whole heatedly the fire lightening up his face the spectacle reflecting in his pupils. “Kid Welcome to The Wasteland!”

Footnote : Level up.

New Perk: Black temptress -- +10% damage to the opposite sex and unique dialogue options with certain ponies.

Chapter 4: The Twilight zone

Chapter 4: Twilight zone

The figure was back out of his chair once more he appeared to have a rhythm. Listen, rise, pace, talk, sit, listen, repeat.

He was a little too predictable for Dawn’s liking she liked her company a little on the wild side.

“You mentioned the Good Pony what do you know about him?” asked the Figure.

Dawn slouched in her chair tiredness crawling over her body. She had no idea how late it was in this dark pit, but she felt it was about time she was asleep.

“I know he runs Dead Water well not officially, and I know he wasn’t always a good pony.”

The figure stopped pacing but he didn’t sit down neither

“You know about his past! Wecouldn’t even unravel that knotted history of his.” The figure conveyed surprise in his voice he was becoming less and less metallic with every passing minute.

“He used to be quite the bad pony, and who is we?” Black was hoping to get some information from the figure but to no avail

“My associates and I, to remind you I’m the one asking the questions.” He was growing metallic once more. Dawn figured this pony for a minefield and it was best to thread lightly.

“Do they know what the Good Pony’s cutie mark is?” Dawn said not taking her eye’s off the wall behind the figure’s vacant seat, she was growing stoic and bored.

“Do enlighten me.” The figure came across as snide as was his nature.

“Bottlecaps, the son-of-a-bitch has caps as his cutie mark, that’s why he’s so rich and he didn’t make all that money helping ponies from the kindness of his heart neither.”

The figure took his seat once more “Do you know about anything the Good Pony done before he was the Good Pony?” this weariness made her grouchy.

“No, Trouble asked him a few things some advice I wasn’t there when he answered that though and some other things but at a price.” Dawn was getting drowsier she struggled to keep her focus.

“How much?”

“Half, Twenty Five thousand caps plus a few catches though.” She wearily said her energy reserves diminished.

“Tell me everything, what happened after you destroyed the raiders out at EverBright? What happened next?” The figure was keen for the story to resume Dawn on the other hand wasn’t. Darkness crept over her body her vision flickered the figure stoic in front of her began to fade he reached a hoof out the cold metal burning against Dawn’s skin as her head fell backward. She entered the void of her sub-conscious the last thing she remembered before she drifted off was the high pitched scrapping back of a chair and the figure saying to his invisible audience.

“We’ll resume in eight hours, no sir the ranger is the main threat.”

Dawn felt a sensation of falling, falling into her own body, everything unclear and hazy.

A lone figure coming into focus but before that she realised she was paralyzed unable to move anything. she could see now was she was lying on her right side, her legs laying sprawled out in front of her, only her head seemed to move if only slightly.

Everything around her was black, no lights. A slightly less dark area just in front of her. It was a staging area. She seen shuffling in front of her when a pony came to light, only the pony and his aura so it seemed. Everything else was eternal darkness, he spotted Dawn. His look went from steely alertness to grief when he laid eyes on her. Dawn could distinguish him. The look in his eyes made Dawn feel pity she didn’t know why she felt sorry for him. Maybe because he looked like he felt sorry for her.

An Earth pony not quite a colt but not quite a stallion either, an adolescent, small and red, he approached dawn and nuzzled her, jabbing her gently hoping for a response, Dawn’s body was limp yet she maintained consciousness.

Another pony entered the scene tall and fierce giving off an aura of darkness and shadow, literal shadow emanating from his very being glowing red eyes like the pits of hell, wielding a fierce jagged curved blade with menacing serrations along the outside designed for maiming and hacking and the point designed for impaling not piercing.

The small red pony turned to face this Shadow for lack of a better phrase and began to kick at the solid darkness beneath his hooves he stood upon. He was defending Dawn it seemed and all this time the only audible thing to Dawn was the sound of herself breathing. Inhaling and Exhaling, slowly, steadily and coldly.

The red pony looked Dawn in the face, sadness in his face and he shook his head slowly he was doomed. He charged at the Shadow a snarl on his face and a silent battle cry, he tackled the Shadow it was as if he hit a brick wall upon impact. He doubled over, the Shadow drew in closer to him. The red pony was on his back now, shuffling backwards on his elbows, frantic but yet he stopped a steely determination in his eyes.

Once the Shadow was in range he bucked it with all his might, it passed right through the Shadow’s neck hitting nothing. In retaliation the Shadow shot up to the small pony’s side and slashed his ribs blood and sinew were visible in this void. The blood that shot out must have flown 5 feet into the air he struck him with such force.

The blade itself was not stained it simply absorbed his blood the Shadow remaining stoic.

The small pony fell onto his side a silenced screaming pouring from his mouth a pained expression on his face. The pony looked at Dawn one last time his eyes desperate as they had been since he found her, his face now retaining the same sad expression he gazed up at the Shadow now towering over him, the Shadow stoic, sword in mouth looking upon his prey.

The small pony formed a fiercer snarl he bore his teeth and pounced the Shadow biting into its neck tearing away fibres of his being. Ripping the physical darkness that was this monstrosity. The Shadow hardly moved, instead he swung his neck and impaled the pony who was upon him.

The shadow Raised him high over its head the small pony’s mouth was agape. Eyes wide and blood pouring gently from his mouth life dissipating from the pony, his colour began to drain from his form he went from a bright scarlet red to a dull gray. His face from full of fear and animation to emotionless. This Shadow had sapped his very being into little more than a ragdoll it was somehow worse than death. The Shadow began to gaze aimlessly at her.

Black began to feel fear, until now she had only been a spectator of this horrendous battle, a third party. Now the Shadow turned its sights unto her. With a flick of its head it sent the gray ragdoll rolling across the Shadowy floor rolling like an inanimate rock to a halt, lifeless eyes gazing motionlessly into the void above.

The Shadow was drawing closer now, something about it seemed to crave for her it had no face, no features, only the silhouette of a pony and those glowing red eyes and by fuck them ominous Shadows leaking from its body. Dawn could have sworn they were alive with their fluid motions.

The Shadow halted less than 6 paces from Dawn he took his eyes off his prey and looked over her paralyzed body Dawn seen a silver hoof come over her face and stamp firmly on the ground, a tower over her body another defender to stave off her demise. Inevitable demise.

When Dawn awoke she felt as she had felt when she first awoke in this dark room. She was coming around now still in that chair when the heavy bulkhead door opened the figure walked in Dawn caught a glimpse of the outside it was brighter than bright mainly because she hadn’t seen daylight in Celestia knows how many days.

The figure shut the door shadow still shrouding his face, she felt a chill crawl up her spine as she remembered her dream. That haunting darkness.

“Ready to resume?” the figure said as he took his seat Dawn was still sluggish so she gingerly nodded her head and yawned

“Ya, know this is all unnecessary,” Dawn was getting tired of this room now.

“We could easily do this some where more charming, like the beach or the executive lounge of the Royale casino in New Pegas.” She joked she was at the beach only once and it made her physically sick. But Trouble reassured her the sea was only like that near Germaney due to the waste they pump into it.

“I’m afraid Miss Black that is a risk we cannot afford to take, we cannot account for your ranger friend, we believe she is looking for you and as for Trouble, he has gone off the map.” The figure is starting to get friendly.

“What exactly do you mean he’s off the map?” Dawn was in a state of bewilderment if Watcher could find Trouble, any pony could.

The figure sighed “ You’re going to have a hard time finding a pony that doesn’t want to be found, no pony can find him and my associates and I aren’t stupid enough to chalk him down as K.I.A just yet.” He got that right if Dawn knew one thing Trouble was as hard as nails.

The figure jutted out his head and softly suggested something “Shall we resume?”

Dawn nodded “We were just leaving the Canyon, the way Trouble came in, towards Dead Water...”

Dawn walked in Trouble’s shadow her head was still ringing from the blast her legs felt as if they were going to give way under her, she hadn’t been injured had she? Everything ached and her vision was beginning to blur but it was hard to tell in this dark canyon, when she asked.

“Trouble I think I’m dying, help.” After this her fore hooves buckled Trouble snapped his head round and asked “Eh?” He came in close to her.

“Ya take a hit?” he was inspecting her for signs of injury.

Dawn shook her head, Trouble’s expression turned from serious and concerned to jovial he just laughed. Dawn seen his face it was sincere and filled with nostalgia.

“I remember my first time.” He chuckled to himself Dawn was confused the fuck did he mean?

“Whadda you mean?” Dawn was too weak to pronounce fully.

“When you’re in combat, adrenaline is induced. It is a naturally occurring pain killer and stimulant, it puts your body into overdrive and if your fighting for long enough it burns up your body don’t worry you sorta out grow it unless your fighting in a siege then it constantly runs out which is bad news,”

Trouble trailed off, Dawn was hardly listening to doctor Trouble’s speech on adrenaline. She only wanted to sleep.

“Well enough lecturing for one night we better set up camp you got a bedroll?” Trouble’s face going back to its usual grin for no apparent reason.

“Oh.” Dawn face hoofed she knew she was forgetting something.

Trouble sighed “Fuck it I’ll give ya mine for tonight we’ll see about getting ya one in Dead Water.”

Dawn in this state was very emotional. She felt overwhelmed by compassion. She had no idea why maybe it was all the shit that happened tonight. She was beginning to well up, this simple act of generosity seemed to warm her heart.

“W-what about you.” She said her voice cracking

“Ah, sure I’ve slept on worse than rocks, besides kid ya dun good today.” He smiled at her and unrolled his sleeping bag it looked more comfortable than anything Dawn had seen where she grew up. He put out his hooves in a game show fashion all that was missing was a “Dun-dunna-dun!”

She dried her eyes and crawled up into it her cracked voice let out a weak “Thank you...” Trouble just nodded and laid his back against the wall of the canyon and let his head slouch.

Black drifted off. The day’s events fresh in her head and despite the fact she was nearly raped, enslaved and murdered it was a good day for her its hard to explain but now she had a guardian angel. Two actually Trouble with his combat prowess and the Watcher with his bank of knowledge. Her thoughts were focused on the watcher as she slept his advice Weapon, Armour, Guidance, Friends but she felt as if she was missing something a card short of a full deck.

She awoke half way through the night a noise stirring her, she looked over at Trouble he was talking in his sleep not quietly either this was full blown monologue “Traitor...nah can nay be, fuck them! they burned, sins, they had to be purged... she said so, the final card to be played ,was all mine... but first, loose ends...”

Ssomething about this seemed terrifying to Dawn more terrifying than when Brick Jaw had her where he wanted her more terrifying than when they were in EverBright.

This was the pony’s very conscious at work without him even knowing his thought processes aloud she sincerely doubted his mental stability. How long had he been killing for a living? Trouble himself was unaware to this but he was drenched in cold sweat whatever was going on in his head was best known only to himself.

His sub-conscious had one final message before it departed and left him in the serenity of sleep

“As for the traitor they’ll see, everypony pays, we can’t fight that, not anymore...”

Everypony Pays...

Chapter 5: The Good Pony

Trouble woke Black “Come on kid we got miles to go yet.” She rose from her prone position, that sleep seemed to do her a world of good her muscles felt regenerated but she was still going through the phases of when you wake groggy, foggy and an inability to brain.

She climbed out of Trouble’s Bedroll after which he hurriedly rolled it up and put it at the foot of his person.

She stretched vigorously trying to rouse her body when she caught Trouble gazing at her flank she awkwardly said “Is there a problem?”

He shook his head “Jus wonderin wah a pony has gotta do to get a teary eye as a fuckin cutie mark.” He seemed angry for some reason, she looked down at her own flank in remorse, the thing was a jinx it was an elegant blue eye with soft oval shaped tear drops falling from it.

“When I was growing up I got bullied terribly and it only got worse from name calling to beatings, to vicious name calling and vicious beatings, those ponies were my bane, it didn’t help I was the last blank flank in the slums, and one night like most others I cried myself to sleep and prayed for a way out, when I woke up there it was. This thing’s a curse it just got me bullied even more and that’s what you got to do to get a teary eye as a cutie mark. Be a fucking victim” She was welling up it hurt to talk about where she came from which was less than 30 miles away.

Trouble looked at the ground “Ah fuck it anyway.” He went over and hugged her tight “Those scum weren’t ponies they were vermin, your better than them awrigh? I’d pick you to watch my back, over all them other cunts any day. You’re out now and you got me to watch out for ya. Now come on with got miles to go.” He broke their embrace he made her feel much better she was never shown that any pony cared before they usually all kicked her while she was down. It wasn’t much but it was more than she usually got.

They we’re walking out of the canyon Dawn still dwelling on Trouble’s words finally broke her own pit of self pity and hoped to begin casual banter. “Say, how did you get a name like Trouble?”

Trouble laughed at this and said “Me ol’ mother used to tell me, ‘son where ever you go in this world you’ll be bringing trouble with you,’ it sorta just grew from that, while that and a couple other things.” He seemed happy to oblige her. Trouble was a talkative pony unlike her. She spent most of her life in silence anyway, she never had anything to say to anyone.

“What were these other things?” enjoying this conversation Trouble seemed like the type of pony who had a lot to say about a lot of things.

“Are you familiar with the definition of an expert?” he asked her back.

“Yeah a pony whose really good at something.” that sounded about right to her.

“An expert is a pony who knows an awful lot about very little” She found his way with words amusing to say the least.

“And according to me mother I was always great at causing trouble.” He laughed aloud

“She wasn’t a mare to be wrong about those sorta thins’ ya know.” Black felt herself smiling his mother sounded very affectionate towards her son.

He was deliberately avoided answering her question she asked what the other things were he gave her a definition of an expert. An inexplicably good deflection because she felt satisfied with his answer.

“You sound like you had a happy upbringing.” She said this with a tad of jealously coming through.

“It’s the one I woulda chose for meself. But no pony said it would be easy.” He was very reminiscent of it.

“So what’s your cutie mark?” she felt it appropriate to ask since she shared her story with him in a sense. But he found this amusing.

“Ha, Kid if I told you what my special talent was you’d either shoot me in the back or run scared. Or maybe you aren’t stupid enough to try either of those”

This only succeeded in casting a shadow of doubt over her companion Dawn didn’t like how he played all his cards close to his chest. There was an awkward silence for awhile.

“Hey Trouble somethings been nagging at me.”

“Oh, and what’s that?”

“On my way into the canyon this little floaty robot thing spoke to me.”

“You mean a spritebot? That was the radio for fuck’s sake.” He shook his head, he knew rightly well she was a novice in the ways of the waste.

“No, it told me to run, stopped to speak with me, there was a pony on it called himself Watcher,”

“Watcher eh? Maybe he was Red eye’s stand in.”

Dawn had no idea who Red Eye was but she went with the flow “No he told me you were in the area he told me about the outpost, shit he even told me to run from the raiders.” She was getting a little mad at Trouble for not believing her.

“He said I was in the canyon?” he took on a serious tone as if this were a kink in the road.

“Yeah, he said if I’m lucky Trouble will find me and Celestia behold” Dawn stopped short.

Trouble tensed why did this infuriate him so much?

“Yeah, yeah I saved your sorry flank buh’ how did he know I was there?”

“He didn’t say...” Trouble swore venomously under his breath.

Trouble spent the rest of the trip inside his train of thought, Dawn knew better than to disturb him she was a little disappointed that their conversation had to end though.

They came to an ending of the high canyon walls, a glorious viewpoint over the wastes, to their left a ramp down but they took in the view a few miles out was an outcropping along a wide and snaking river.

“See that down there kid? That’s Dead Water nice place, got some real eggheads down there too. See the river? They set up hydro electric turbines that power the town, hell they even have night lighting, as well as that those turbines purify the water and the water they do let through they use as waste disposal. It’s a completely self sufficient town, not bad eh?”

Black Dawn found herself mouthed out “Not bad” back to Trouble, she was bewildered by their ingenuity, there was river near her town not as big as the one near Dead Water but big enough, all they did with the river was dump buckets of shit in it, a water caravan came into town every month or so, they survived off that, what’s that old saying Spare the rod spoil the foal.

Trouble was still basking in the view “They say necessity is the mother of invention, that’s where guns and medicine come from, if there is no need for something don’t build it, simple as, if something does not have a function then it shouldn’t exist.”

“I didn’t think a pony with a name like Trouble would ever be a philosopher.” She joked.

“That’s not philosophy; philosophy is stuff like do I exist? What’s the meaning of life? I’m just stating the facts with the sense of the common pony, I’ll teach a little something on philosophy later.”

“I think I’d like that.” Dawn smiled at him she liked how forth coming he was with information.

Dawn faced the ramp and seen a little bobbing orb coming up it, she nudged Trouble with a hoof and pointed.

“I’ll show you he’s real!” Dawn galloped down to meet the Spritebot in foalish naivety and optimism. Trouble behind her rolled his eyes.

She grabbed it with both her hooves and cried “Watcher! I know your there! I need you!” the marching band music ceased and with an audible click a new voice started speaking “Hello, Black Dawn I’m glad to see you succeeded in saving those ponies.”

The Watcher really needed a different mic, his voice was way too cold, too monotonic for an asset out in this hell.

“I’m soo happy to have found you, listen Trouble wants to speak with you.”

“Yeah, I do.” Trouble appeared next to Dawn she wished he actually made noise when he moved.

“Well what would you like to talk to me about?” Watcher said politely, a little too politely.

Trouble rose onto his hind legs “My whereabouts are privileged information, how did you know I was in there.” he was shaking a hoof at the canyon.

“I’m well informed.” Dawn shrank back he wasn’t too happy when she told him about Watcher knowing his whereabouts and him beating round the bush probably wouldn’t end well.

“Well, then who fucking informed you, I got the contract less than thirty hours ago.” He was getting mad...

“Black Dawn, there was one more thing I need to tell you, but I needed to make sure you weren’t just going to turn tail and run, out here you need something to hold on to a virtue find yours and don’t let it go, if you lose your virtu-‘” he was cut short by Trouble his eyes burning with anger.

“Fuck off! Tin Can!” he reached for his pistol belt with unbelievable speed, took out both pistols and blasted Watcher his revolvers roared and threw his hooves backwards the simultaneous shot obliterated the Watcher, the robot exploded and chunks of metal and fibre rolled down the ramp.

Dawn was lost for words but Trouble spoke first his face grim chest heaving.

“Fuck him...” he holstered his pistols and began to walk on all fours again preceding down the ramp his pace quickening Dawn shadowed behind him

“You can’t just do that!” Dawn objected.

“Your right I can’t, but I did it anyway, my bad.” She had nothing, what could she possibly say to him to make him see the error of his ways? but he’s experienced in the ways of this cruel world he was probably innocent of any crime.

She thought about Watcher’s words, a Virtue what was her virtue? she needed another conversation with Watcher he’s probably fuming about what Trouble did though, but if he knew who Trouble was he should have known he was playing with fire.

It wasn’t until they were half way to Dead Water did Trouble speak again to Dawn.

“What did you say that thing was on your hooves? An exoskeleton?

“Yeah, marvellous piece of tech invented by the Coltic for the Coltic weirdly enough manufactured in Stalliongrad in the war times.”

Black wasn’t entirely sure who the Coltic were or where this Stalliongrad was either, but she continued their dialogue.

“How does it work?” She was confused by its mechanics, it acted as an extension of his being it conceded to his every whim.

“Alot like your Pip-Buck actually.”

“What?” Dawn was confused how did her Pip-Buck work was it fuelled by happy thoughts? Dawn overestimated the capabilities of magic.

“Its quick thinking on the engineer’s part.” Now he was just beating around the bush.

“Yeah, yeah but how does it work, you know what keeps it running?” she was hoping to find a little more about this thing she strapped on her wrist and wanted to balance the benefits with the repercussions.

“To put it simply I keep my exoskeleton running feeds off my bodies energy, as for computer, it has a tank it recharges off of you and can be turned on if it’s been worn recently.”

“Is it safe to take it off?” Dawn asked nervously.

“That’s the lite model you have, you can take it off whenever you please,” Dawn exhaled in relief.

“But there’s a catch.” She fucking knew it.

“Those pins it uses as a jack for recharging run to the bone and bury themselves into you, if you want to take it off I’d suggest a bottle of whiskey and a shot Med-X first.”

She swallowed hard, what if she got an itch?

“Could be worse though.” She couldn’t tell if Trouble was being optimistic or actually was going somewhere with this.

“How?” she had to know if her situation could worsen and if so like she said How.

“Well me for example, you gotta hook up an exoskeleton to the central nervous system if it’s installed or removed incorrectly it could kill ya, or if your unlucky vegetablize ya and take my word for it you need a lot more than a bottle of whiskey to stop you from screaming when these fuckers make an entrance or an exit, the pins are four fucking inches long, constantly relaying information and have a hella lot of volts running through em. Exoskeletons maybe rare that’s because they were scarce due to the war there are plenty of them in the Coltic lands, hell they still make them. I have a mate in New Pegas with one as well. I swear that kid took the pain better than me, I’ll introduce you once we hit the strip.”

Well that was educational. Black wasn’t quite sure she knew what vegetablize meant but it sounded horrible if Trouble a pony who takes lives so his could continue rather die than suffer through it.

“How comes there are so few of them outside the Coltic lands?” at least she had a point of reference without coming across as ignorant or simple minded.

“There was a border between the zebra nations and the Coltic regions, Equestria on the other hand, Zebras had to take to the sea if they wanted to fight on a front, the zebra’s could drop megaspells on Equestria and all the other fronts there, but couldn’t on the Coltic fronts because of the proximity, besides a tonne of zebra’s live there, two of my colthood friends were zebras. And since all the Exoskeletons were issued or made there they sort of stayed.”

Black knew who zebras were there were old propaganda posters in her town, as far as she could tell they were a diabolical race determined to wipe pony kind off the face of Equestria to further themselves in an insatiable power lust.

He continued as to why there were little outside the Coltic lands “They were designed in Marefast the Coltic capital and manufactured in Stalliongrad they’re a stones throw away, they could easily get them to the Coltic fronts but not so much as the zebra ones, ya dig?”

“Yeah, I suppose I dig,” she wasn’t familiar with this slang.”How do you know so much about the war and all that other stuff you go on about?”

“Growing up.” He simply said as if it needed no further elaboration.

“That, really doesn’t answer the question.” Dawn was wishing she actually had social skills now.

“I’ll explain later, but first ya gotta know a few things about my clients, we treat them a respectful, professional manner, you do not make demands, you do not look bored and you do not speak unless spoken to.”

Dawn was curious as to why he was so strict when it came to clients.

“Hey what’s with all the rules?” she figured he was just trying to boss her.

“Professionals have standards, high rollers look for me in these parts, unlike in the Coltic lands, or Germaney, you can only be casual there really. Mainly cuss they buy ya a drink afterwards not so much down here, so do as I do and follow the rules.”

Germaney? That’s a new one Dawn thought to herself.

It was about mid-day when they arrived at Dead Water it was a large town, most buildings were 2 storeys high.

On each building there was wire connecting every building to the next. Hanging on the wire was flood lights, all the buildings were made from wood and metal girders some looked quite beautiful once spruced up others looked run down.

The town split in two at the river there was a wide wooden bridge connecting the two and on the bridge was a market of sorts, stalls littered the sides selling from meat, vegetables to alcohol and munitions.

Trouble headed over to the large building on the end of the street next to the bridge. Tt was only 2 stories high but was built like a mansion. There were polished girders gleaming in the sun supporting the structure and laminated wood acting as the frame it was quite beautiful and on the second storey the windows had stained glass depicting a serene mare in the twilight of her life with a white coat and curled purple mane giving water to the poor and needy whose hooves where outstretched to her she even though being a glass mural she was beautiful.

Trouble and Black approached the door to the building the 2 sentries standing guard stopped them with a raised hoof and a barking of “Halt!”

“State your business.” They said in unison. They were well armed on either of their sides were two automatic rifles held together by a brace and a wire coming below their necks which Dawn guessed to be the firing mechanism.

Dawn seen these before in the NCR some heavy troopers came into town she overheard some pony ask them about their twin rifles were held up by they called it a battle saddle.

“The Good pony and I have a business deal to conclude, my partner and I here require compensation for a contract.” Trouble was being very formal and well spoken.

The 2 sentries nodded at each other one opened the door with an old heavy rusted key and they proceeded inside.

The furnishings inside this place were incredible there were urns made with expert craftsmanship.

Paintings depicting acts of goodness ponies helping one another, acts of charity and selflessness adorned the walls there were book shelves everywhere and this was just the hallway.

Every shelf was filled to the brim with copious volumes ranging from equine history to anatomy it was quite impressive.

The sentry opened a door at the end of the hallway and inside there was an elderly unicorn stallion with a violet coat a greyed mane and a cracked horn, wearing a tuxedo enjoying a glass of red wine and appeared to be enthralled in a book.

Sitting in a lavish red leather armchair that was beautifully decorated.

The elderly unicorn looked up and smiled, he had a horizontal scar going across his left eye leaving it pure white, the pupil was nowhere to be found.

The sentry spoke and beckoned them inside “Introducing, the Good pony.”

“Thank you Haleb, return to your duties I have no need of protection.” The sentry identified as Haleb nodded and closed the door gently behind him. The good pony beckoned for Black and Trouble to take the seats in front of his black polished wood desk, A grandfather clock ticking away in the background.

“Trouble it is my understanding only 6 of the 10 hostages made it out alive, how do you answer for this?” The Good pony’s voice was soft and gravelly it had understanding in it and kindness Black Dawn only heard him speak and she knew she would like him.

“It is to my deepest regret Good pony, they were no longer with us by the time I even arrived at the outpost.”

“And, how do you know this?” the Good pony was so sincere in his speaking voice Dawn was in a trance she could listen to this pony speak for hours.

“We took one alive, Good pony, he said there was only six left.” Where the Fuck did we come from? Before he even saved her he took one alive, maybe he was trying to big her up.

“I, see... I’m grateful for you saving the ponies of this town, but before you receive payment how many ponies died, at you and your partner’s hooves?”

“Approximately three times the estimated amount, Good pony, three dozen.” Black didn’t enjoy seeing Trouble acting like this it was out of his nature. Then again what does she know about his nature she only knew him for a day.

“That’s three dozen less stains wiped from the face of the wastes, good job here is your payment in full, and can I help you with anything else?” The Good pony reached underneath his desk and levitated out 4 small briefcases. Dawn’s eyes were drawn to his horn, a beam of light was visible to the long crack running down his horn after she was down gawking did she see the strain on his face, she felt sorry for the old stallion.

He revealed the contents, inside the briefcase was lined with caps. 50 bags of caps to be precise. Dawn felt a tingling sensation go through her body and felt herself wetting her lips.

“50,000 thousand in bags of 250 in 4 briefcases as requested.” He closed the briefcase and slid all of them over to Trouble; Trouble accepted with a nod and planted the briefcases at the foot of his chair.

Trouble wasn’t done, what was he waiting for? Dawn was excited I mean 12,500! That’s serious money she was growing impatient. Her hoof began jittering fast against the floor.

“I have one more deal to strike with you Good Pony but we are not talking about materials, I need some information and for it, I’m prepared to return half of the payment with a few catches.”

“What sort of information do you require?” What The Fuck? HALF! He was willing to surrender half the money for some fucking information. Dawn was pissed she nudged Trouble and looked at him with confused eyes.

“Don’t worry I’m paying for this with my share.” She let out a sigh of relief the Good pony shot a dirty look at her. His stare had gravity, his eyes were shrp stabbing into her being boring guilt. She suddenly felt ashamed, it was greed no other word for it.

Trouble turned to the Good pony and continued “The sensitive kind, I need some advice and a need to know a little more about you, your past don’t worry about gossip getting around, discretion is an important part of my career.”

The Good pony thought this over in reverent silence.

“I was warned that you were an odd pony when I got the recommendation about you mister Trouble.” Dawn repeated his words in his head Mister Trouble? Coming from any other pony that would have just sounded stupid.

“Watch are the catches’ you spoke of?”

“My partner and I, Miss Black Dawn require accommodations for the night, we would be grateful if you could put us up in the hotel in town. And the second catch is you have to answer truthfully, think about this I implore you sir, think of all the good you could do with twenty five grand, I’ll end up putting it towards arms and munitions you could invest in medicine or education.” Trouble tried to make a humanitarian case, coming from him it was feeble.

The Good pony had another pause just scanning his book over in thought.

“I accept your terms...”

Trouble reached for two of the briefcases and handed them back over to the Good pony Dawn sneaked a briefcase from under Trouble.

“What would you like to know?”

The next while Dawn was only half paying attention her hoof rubbing off against the briefcase she was already spending it in her head, spend it on houses, boozes and whatever else came mind she wasn’t really a drinker but once she got that money she would be set for a good long while, she may as well take up a vice or two.

She was broke from her little daydream when Trouble nudged her he said “Go buy some armor I’ll meet you at the bridge, this advice is only between me and the Good pony.”

Dawn hurriedly got out of her chair and levitated her share into her saddlebags it felt so satisfying she felt gratitude, pride and a lot stronger as if she could left the weight of the world a few more inches off her shoulders.

When she was at the door a thought struck her she turned to Face the good pony and she curtsied.

“Thank you, Good pony.” Trouble looked back and smirked the Good pony had a big grin on his face he nodded and said.

“Enjoy, your earnings miss Black Dawn and please enjoy what this town has to offer.” She made the right choice showing her respect.

She left their company and walked down the hall the two were in hushed conversation. Dawn didn’t care. Fuck ponies, get paid she came into the town once more it was bustling every pony had somewhere to go and every 100 yards was a patrolling trooper.

She closed the door behind her and asked Haleb one of the Good pony’s guards “Hey Haleb right? Where can you buy some armor around here?” he seemed friendly enough. She imagined the Good pony’s staff had to be friendly policing a town.

“On the bridge, our left hand side about half way down you’ll see an old mare, she smokes like a chimney she sells the best armor in Dead Water.”

He was making all sorts of gestures with his hooves in an attempt to give directions, she got most of it.

She arrived at a Alabaster wrinkled old unicorn mare’s stall she was smoking a cigarette and not paying much attention to passer’s by. Most other vendors were calling out to the crowd assuring them the quality and competitive prices of their goods. She was laid back in a chair her hind hooves resting on her stall wearing cool sunglasses and above the Stall there was a plaque that Read “Alanza’s Life Savers.”

Black walked over to her stall and began speaking “Are you the mare that sells armor?”

“Whatta you think?” the mare replied a little patronising for a business pony.

“Well what do you recommend for me?” Dawn really sucked at social skills.

“I fucking recommend you say you’re actually buying something.” The hostility made Dawn feel timid.

“As a matter of fact I’ am.” Dawn said this hoping to get a bit of attention from the Mare.

“I got to warn you though this stuff isn’t cheap you got to put some caps down first.”

Dawn reached into her saddle bags with her magic and planted the briefcase firmly down unto the stall. The mare behind her stall tipped down her shades, Black felt oddly satisfied snatching her attention .

“Will this do?” she opened up the briefcase the mare’s took off her sound glasses her mouth hanging open she laughed to herself.

“Oh yeah that’ll do, follow me.” The mare quickly changed her attitude towards Black. Alanza climbed out of her chair and put a small “Busy” sign on her stall and began to trot across the bridge, she ushered Dawn to follow her.

“Shall we?” Alanza asked.

Dawn followed suit and the two crossed the bridge, when Alanza began small talk.

“Sorry about being rude, you have no idea how many idiots come over thinking they can get my stock for a measly hundred caps or so.”

“Where are we going?” she was still pissed at the mare.

“To my shop I don’t put my stock out on a stall!” she took pride in her work but this was suspicious.

She led Black into what appeared to be an old rundown building on the outside Dawn felt she made a mistake but inside.

It was brightly lit, Sheets of plasticine and racks of Armor hung from the walls and shelves; pieces ranging from light leather to heavy duty lay scattered around. A gallery of armour.

“Welcome to Alanza’s Life Savers!” She said with pride.

“I’m Alanza owner and proprietor of this fine establishment, now how much you willing to spend to save your own life.” Now she was being friendly. Alanza lead Dawn into the middle of the room by the hoof excitedly.

“Eh, I don’t really know.” Dawn couldn’t tell if she would be scammed or not.

“Well what way do you tend to fight.” The mare was looking for a point of reference.

Dawn had only ever been in one of the kind of fights she was talking about and she spent half of that cowering in cover while Trouble did all the dirty work.

“Eh, I suppose Pistols and Sniper’s rifles.” She really didn’t know what to say to her so she shrugged after it.

“hmmm, your small your gonna need something light and strong.” She pounded her hooves together for emphasis.

“I’m going to need more information would you go in guns blazing or avoid them?” she was pretty terrible at both so she tried to play it safe.

“A sort of middle ground you know?” Alanza did know.

“I think I got the perfect piece for you.” She took great pleasure in her work and finding the perfect piece for her clients.

She grabbed Black by the hoof and led her over to an exotic piece, black hardened hide, with metal plates and bracing for ribs, chest and shoulders. A flexible collar and pouches scattered all over the chest and waist of it. Black liked it. Fierce and Practical.

It had hoof pieces as well, knee pads. Hardened hide again with the metal covering the joint in the bone.

“How about that!” Alanza exclaimed like an excited school filly. “

I spent weeks on that y’know see that leather, hell hound hide though as rock light as a pillow cost a small fortune and that crystal fibre. Don’t get me started it, was woven from depleted magical energy crystals they’re unbelievably tough and it’s where you need it too all the soft spots, the danger zones, the hide offers flexibility the crystals offers protection, and style too. And I couldn’t help but notice your pistol’s holster,” she pointed at it jutting out of her saddlebags with disdain.

“I’ll throw in a matching belt for free as an apology for my rudeness earlier.”

Black was started to like her now, she came across as rude on the bridge but she had reason to, she’s actually a little filly infatuated with her own work. Well this little filly was middle aged. But the armor seemed impressive it looked impressive the purple gleam of the metal the darkness of the hide.

“How much?”

“only five thousand!” Alanza said as if it were a small sum.

Black swallowed hard.

Black muttered under her breath it was steep...

“C-can I try it on first?” Dawn said nervously.

“Certainly I’ll help fit it.” Alanza helpfully chimed in.

The next few minutes were spent pulling and fastening and getting everything just right, tying laces pinning buttons and aggressive yanking.

But after much turmoil it was done. Alanza made what only can be described as a fan girl Squee Noise

“It’s Perfect on you!” Alanza shouted drama in her voice. She ran into a back room while Dawn inspected herself it was surprisingly comfortable, fitted well, felt good too.

Alanza scooted back into the room with an elegant mirror.

“Well tell me what you think dear.”

Black liked what she seen it was the right blend of style with intimidation, Casual and serious and practical with aesthetics. “I love it!” she found herself saying, not just like

love.

Alanza smiled she wrapped the belt she promised Black around her waist and fastened it, Dawn felt a little aroused with the yanking and close proximity at this but that’s off topic. Dawn took out Amigo and slid him into the Holster on the belt it was perfect. The silver really stood out against the black leather.

“Now there is the little matter of my, ahem compensation.” Alanza enticingly said.

Dawn was still admiring how damn good she looked in the mirror when Alanza brought it up.

“Oh, yeah.” She reached back into her saddle bags and took out the brief case and counted out her payment “Bags of 250 she assured her, Alanza wasn’t taking any chances, she merely hummed in agreement.

Dawn stood there waiting for what felt like hours when Alanza was done counting the caps. Satisfied she looked at Dawn and said

“Come back anytime.” Dawn threw the considerably lighter briefcase back into her saddlebags and secured Bad News around her back with his sling.

She was in her opinion fearsome. The Black armor with the dark purple armour plates matching her Jet Black coat and contrasting with her shaggy golden mane.

It was getting late now darkness was beginning to fall over the town she wandered back over to the bridge and Trouble was waiting by a closed stall.

He smiled when he seen her and her new armor “Lookin well kid! Lookin well. Alanza’s handy work right?” she nodded, she was quite pleased with herself even if it did almost cut her earnings in half.

“C’mon let’s get something to eat.” And Trouble started off back towards the Good pony’s side of the river.

Dawn looked down at her Pip buck now for the first time since she entered Dead water it read.

Quest Complete: Trouble is a friend of mine.

Footnote : Level up.

New Perk: Foal at heart – unlocks many unique dialogue options with fillies and colts.

Chapter 6:The Ranger

Chapter 6: The Ranger

Trouble and Black Dawn were sitting in the hotel lounge enjoying a meal.

Trouble was eating some sort of Bacon and potato dish while she settled for a salad.

It was the first time she had eaten in two days and still she felt there was too much on the plate, she had always been scrawny. You could always see her rib bones since she was a filly.

A rather aggressive song heavy on the guitar and sung in some foreign language had just finished playing on the radio when a rather suave pony came onto the radio with a musky voice that could talk a wall into collapsing.

“Hello fillies and colts that was Ponistein Mutter and I’ am the Buck himself reporting to you from my humble abode in Marizona and I have here a report just in from the war in the North-West.” This stirred Black’s attention.

“The N.C.R are engaged on all fronts with the griffins in the battle for Wuden’s Valley, I’ve known some ponies who’ve been there, it’s a frozen hell you better pull out while your ahead General Bay that place is worthless there hasn’t been a blade of grass there in over 200 years.”

Fuck. Black didn’t even know N.C.R was at war. “Hey Trouble why are the N.C.R and Griffins are at war?”

Trouble raising his muzzle from his plate sputtered out through a full mouth what could only be deciphered as “B-heats, meah.” She shook her head she wasn’t a fan of the NCR but still she didn’t want them getting killed. Weird how she heard nothing about this where she came from.

The Buck himself continued “Mister Blues would turn in his grave if he seen what this world had become hell so would half of Equestria.” The name rattled in Dawn’s head Mister Blues.

Trouble grunted at the Bartender to grab his attention, the bartender looked up from polishing a cracked glass over to Trouble quizically. Trouble clopped his hoof twice on the table. The bartender muttered something indecipherable under his breath and poured a pint of cider. Trouble gorged on his meal until the pony arived with his brew. After he got the pint Trouble hooked his muzzle on it and gulped it. several loud “Glugs” later he was finished. And tapped twice on the table again. Dawn felt this was going to be a long night.

Trouble guided Dawn to their room drunk, he sheepishly after 3 failed attempts opened the door he stumbled inside one hoof falling in front of the other he hit the light switch upon entry. he drank 2 gallons of cider the only reason he didn’t stay in the lounge is because they ran out.

He then accused the bartender of lying to him and challenged him to a duel before Dawn pulled him away.

He collapsed after he hit the light switch; the room was beautiful.

It had red soft velvet furniture. A huge radio set in the corner a fridge with unreasonably priced beverages in it, and flowery wallpaper. it was all quite cosy.

Dawn picked him up off the ground and with great strain dragged him down the hallway towards the door on the end, she guessed the one other door to be a lavatory.

“Come on big guy.” She heaved him to the door across the main room with the aid of some magic into the bed room. Two single beds. She felt herself relieved by this awkwardly enough, who knows what an old mercenary might try to do late at night with a mare stone drunk. Maybe he might feel like she owed him something.

After she dragged him into the room she threw his limp body onto the bed he was so goddess -damned heavy for a pony who moved so quietly.

She herself was only tipsy she only had one drink, a pint of stout it was too bitter for her liking and she wasn’t really much of a drinker.

Whereas Trouble he drank like a fish, she heard the waiter say on his way back after Trouble’s 11th round “Coltics” in spite followed with tutting.

She got in the bed across from Trouble’s. Trouble was starting to mutter to himself again in his sleep Dawn suspected there were going to be some long night’s travelling with this pony. She climbed into her bed and with her magic hit the light switch she drifted off to what Trouble’s sub-conscious’ message.

“The queen, neva asked fir it, Blues musta had a plan, ol world fire... ta crack the sky. Tha fuckin wall.”

Dawn stood there, all the stuff she had packed for what she felt she would need for her journey. Staring at the hole she had been clawing at for weeks. A small U shape dug at the base of the wall. A way out of this hell. A chance for escape. It was nothing short of a miracle she found this soft soil at the thinnest point along the wall.

She stood for a while just looking at it. Thinking what was worse, here? or the wastes. She spent so much time at this hole it seemed foalish not to exploit it. But all she ever knew was here, and the only stories she ever heard of the outside were those of torture and murder.She heard cries from behind, pleas for help. Some pony was getting a beat down for being in the wrong neighbourhood. She gritted her teeth, Running was the only way she was ever going to live, it’s not enough to just to survive. She cursed this hell one final time and crawled into the small hole and began to smuggle herself out of the NCR.

Thinking of new beginnings far out over the horizon. The ponies she’d meet, the friends she would have. All of that lay in front of her, so she thought.

Dawn was woken by Trouble her head was unpleasantly buzzing Trouble somehow was up before her. She would have thought it impossible his eyes were baggy his face disgruntled he kept pushing the fringe of his black mane back out of his eyes.

Dawn shuffled out of her bed still in her armor she climbed out , and stretched.

Trouble took out his flask and gulped on a few swigs “Avoid Hangovers, stay drunk.” Words of wisdom.

They wandered down back to the lounge a different pony tending from last night. Thank Celestia. The town was coming to life but for the most part it was asleep.

Trouble bought some food from the bar and stashed it in his saddlebags and bought Dawn a canteen of water during this Dawn was organizing her ammo into the pouches in her armor. Magazines for Amigo All in her belt and her 8 magazines for Bad News were worn on her chest.

Trouble still looking like hammered shit when he walked out of the hotel his side resting on the door frame. He called back to Dawn who was resting in one of the luxurious armchairs drifting off once more.

“Come on kid we’re making for New Pegas.”

New Pegas? Dawn thought to herself she often heard tell of it, it’s a huge old war city that served no military function during the war so it was spared a direct strike at least.

It was solely dedicated to vice that’s why thousands flocked there from every corner of Equestria: To gamble, drink, whore and inject their way to happiness for a while. But on the flip side it eats through your caps like acid.

“Why are we going to New Pegas?” Dawn had to ask, we’re they going to blow their pay?

“I’m a V.I.P I own a suite in one o’ them casino’s I need ta restock.” He said it as if it were just a routine casual thing. Dawn couldn’t believe it this tired old groggy mercenary was accustomed to fine living, well if he was anyway he hid it very well.

“You coming with me?” Trouble actually asked her usually it was orders.

“I’d love to go.” She didn’t know what else to say, what else could she say, thanks for saving my life, the caps and a place to stay now fuck off? It was never going to fly not with her at least. She was sort of excited she always wanted to go there, they say you can spot the glowing buildings 20 miles out.

“We should be there in four days if we haul ass, let’s go.” Trouble pushed himself from the wall and walked into the centre of the street to better orientate himself.

Dawn followed him out when she spotted the Good Pony threading sluggishly across the street with a cane supporting him, 2 sentries on either side. One she recognized as Haleb.

“Hey, what exactly does the Good pony do, anyway?” she wondered why they called him The Good pony all he done as far as she knew was hire Trouble to wipe out an outpost and rescue some hostages.

“He more or less built everything you see around you.”

“Most have been a lot of heavy lifting for one pony.” Trouble facehoofed.

“You really need to get out more.” He said exhausted.

Trouble made for the bridge this early in the morning the stall owners were only now getting ready for the usual busy day. So at least she wasn’t swarmed by business ponies shoving their wares down her throat. Trouble walked staright after the bridge, past Alanza’s workshop, past everything into the desert that lay before them. Dawn followed her Guardian into the desert without a shred of doubt, if anything hope. For once in her life she had an equalizer. Somepony to get her on level sittings with everypony else.

Trouble was a friend.

Black felt like they were walking for an eternity but it had been little more than a view hours the conversation was stilted because of Trouble’s hangover.

“Hey, kid can you read or write?” Trouble said relieving their silence.

“Oh, eh, a little.” She picked up a little over the years, here and there but no pony that formally sat her down and taught her.

“What about maths? You know how to add, subtract, multiply?”

“I can’t multiply.” Trouble snickered to himself but it was short lived.

“What about divison, ratios?”

“No.” She felt like an idiot but no pony was ever there to teach her.

“Alright-y then I’ll teach ya a wee something later, you okay with that?” Why was he offering to teach her? First she thought this then she said it.

“What’s with trying to teach me?”

“Take my word for it, ya won’t last out here unless you can work shit out, brains are more valuable then bullets.” Eh, not the answer she was expecting and a little too broad.

There was another silence for a while when Dawn had the urge to ask Trouble a question.

“What age are you?”

“What?” He was caught off guard.

“What age are you?” she repeated maybe she hit a nerve.

“Thirty-eight this year I think maybe thirty-nine.” Trouble wasn’t entirely convincing though, by fuck though Dawn was taking back she guessed 30. Most ponies don’t live past 60 in this harsh world main factors are; disease, how hard they push themselves, dehydration and of course bullets.

Black could hardly believe it. He moved faster and struck harder than most ponies half his age that and he was more than double her age “Wow you wear thirty eight pretty well.” He was older than her father.

“Thanks I suppose, me mother is sixty-seven in a few weeks maybe we’ll pay a flying visit.” Wow long life must run in his family the eldest pony in Dawn’s town must have been forty four when she died.

“Here kid what age are ya anyway? Fifteen, Sixteen?” he was trying not to baby-ify her.

“Sixteen.”

Trouble laughed in nostalgia.

“I remember when I was sixteen had a lot of living ahead of me, a lot of killing too. Everything seemed so clear back then, had my family, had a promising future, buh at the end of the day plans were made to go wrong.” He shrugged it off and laughed although he tried to mask it Dawn could sense the pain in his voice. Dawn wondered about what he said, about plans were made to go wrong. She felt it best not to press him.

The sun was setting now Trouble stopped dead in the middle of the road what was left of it anyway, they had been walking on the remains of a once paved asphalt road. But now it was more of a dirt path from the years of ponies trudging down it. The road was leading into a mountain pass a road carved through it from generations long dead.

They were at the foot of the pass, the snaking and winding road disappearing around numerous corners.

He sniffed the air, pricked his ears and scanned. He turned to face Dawn and whispered “Ya, hearthat? What about the smell?”

Dawn did as Trouble done pricked her ears and sniffed she couldn’t smell anything but she did hear something faint rumblings in the distance carried by the wind.

“Yeah I hear it what is that?”

“That’s Ghouls shrieking, as for the smell, death and gunpowder.” He grimly murmured.

“What’s a ghoul?” she never heard of ghouls, she heard of fuck all to be honest, merc group maybe.

He looked her in the face with an expression that read along the lines of. Where in fucks name have you been the past 200 years?

“Zombies, most of them anyway. There are some ones that are just like me and you. The others are little more than cannibalistic husks of living rotted pony corpses don’t let them in close. Most of the feral ones can’t operate the simplest of tools so you can tell the living ones from the dead ones pretty easily, as well as that the living ones act like ponies and can talk if anything seems off about one blow it in two. Think of it as mercy killing.”

She didn’t like this living dead too unrealistic. Mercy killing eh? Dawn wouldn’t have it in her to mercy kill.Sshe wasn’t sure how she was going to handle this but at least she had Trouble his combat prowess is a force to be reckoned with.

“Didn’t you come through here to get to Dead Water?”

“No, I had to hit a few spots on my way to Dead Water first, some contacts…”

Trouble fitted his mask over his face the visor was glowing once more in the fading light he said through it’s filter that kills emotion “Get ready for hell if we’re lucky we can slip past unnoticed.”

They wandered for a while into the mountain pass the mountains climbing in height as they passed through, becoming a linear route it bore stark resemblance to EverBright canyon especially in the fading light.

Dawn read her Pip-Buck map once more they pass was tagged “Caturi Pass: Residental.”

Dawn had Amigo at the ready, everything was quiet the only thing she could hear was her own hoof steps and the howling off the wind through the pass.

The road’s snaking path intensified corners nearly every fifty yards. Dawn’s eyebrow raised quizzically before them was a housing estate corralled off by an old chain link fence. An old sign swayed in the wind hooked on the fence, it read.

“Caturi Pass: Trespassers will be persecuted. Property of Equestrian Innovations ltd.”

The gate swung limply open in front of them creaking, nothing except the wall of a steep mountain was visible before them. What ever was inside here was around this first corner.

Trouble went in first taking the Red Queen from his duster’s back. He rose onto his hind hooves and threaded inside careful not to touch the squeaking gate. Dawn did the same but remained on her hooves. Ahead of them was a road that lead around another bend, there was nothing in sight just the road.

Trouble slowly threaded ahead of Dawn he came to the corner and pressed his back against the rock face and waved Dawn down to him. Dawn hurriedly skulked up to Trouble and did the same pressing her back against the rock face, she holstered Amigo and levitated Bad News out in front of her chest.

Trouble cornered weapon pressed against his shoulder, he went for a steady pace but stopped dead, The Red Queen dropped to his side. Dawn cornered as well prepared to peer down the scope and fire, she stopped dead just like Trouble.

In front of them were corpses. Ponies of every shade of brown, some still retaining their coats original colour others were brown decomposed hunks of festered meat. Corpses everywhere littering the scene some look like they had been there for months in the sun. Others were fresh. The blood hadn’t even evaporated it was just sticky dark red goo on the sand.

The corpses were far near and wide spread. The stench was unbearable. Sun baked rotting flesh mixed with maggots and festering infections. It made Dawn sick she galloped back around the corner. Her fore hooves muscles locked Vomit raced up her gullet she puked. Ashamed of her own squeamishness. She hoped Trouble wouldn’t notice, she didn’t want him to see her shame, not again. This won’t be like EverBright.

Trouble didn’t slow his pace he walked the snaking road as if it were his own. More bodies old and fresh every few paces significantly less fresh ones. There must have been a grand total of 6 fresh all wearing similar clothing. The old corpses numbered in scores but all the new corpses were stripped bear of weapons and ammo just their clothing remained at their sides spent ammo casings, bad luck.

Mauled 2 headed cows were there also, gutted torso’s ripped opened, very little remained of them. they rounded the final bend of the complex twisty road into a long strait. Trouble froze once more Dawn hated how quiet he got.

There was maybe 40 or two story houses painted with all with small cream picket fences out in the front. All once residential housing very well preserved. All as quiet as the grave.

On the road in front of them was a mass congregation of hulking beings. The stench was over powering here. Dawn froze, her muscles jammed up. Dawn shuddered, time stopped her eye started to twitch.

She was staring at an impossibility, Brown sun baked rotted corpses just like those behind her on the way in. Walking. Dead ponies walking just like Trouble said. she actually thought he was just kidding.

The ribs of the rotted ponies were visible through their blackened and burned coats flesh chunks missing from their frames. Folds of their flesh had curled up doing to contractions. It was sickening. Many of these ponies if you could still call them that’s bones were exposed and turning yellow.

They were all piled over something in the road as Dawn got a better look she seen what they were hoarding.

A mound of fresh corpses. Blood slowly trickling out from underneath their hooves.

They were taking chunks of meat from their bodies yanking it off mulching and mashing and swallowing. Bones broken into little more than powder their jaws retained unnatural strength.

Dawn found she couldn’t look away it was all despicably and diabolically enthralling.

She wondered to herself what kind of goddess would allow this monstrosity to exist.

Trouble ducked into cover behind one of the buildings she was quick to follow him when her trance was broken from the feast. Dawn quivered and dashed towards Trouble trying to stay as close as possible.

Trouble went to the edge of the house and peered around scanned the street side to side he came back and whispered “Shit, we’re in the belly of the beast these fine ponies live in these houses there must be a hundred of them.” Must have been forty in the congregation another 50 dead on the way in maybe they were just sleeping? Dawn feared Trouble was right.

Trouble replaced the magazine in the Red Queen with a poison green one and chambered a round with the same pristine sound she always made.

Dawn levitated Amigo from his holster as quietly as she could manage and pulled back the slide it made a beautiful noise of metal upon metal “Kuin-Kuin.”

Trouble shuffled in close to her and spoke softly through his mask “Here’s the plan, there is no way you can take them with only that pistol, we’re surrounded I know that now check your EFS,” she did there was almost a solid ring of red around her and Trouble

“You got to stick close we push through stop for nothing, let’s go and if they get ya cornered safe a bullet for yourself.” Dawn gulped.

He left from his cover. On his hind hooves once more looking down his weapons sight he was moving at a brisk pace weapon strained on the corpse feast.

Trouble hit the next building and went back into cover. The mound was close now Dawn heard the crunching and snapping of bones and the gaping of the maws. She raced in behind him the noise of the vile beings eating at her like nails on a chalkboard. She just wanted to cover her ears and pretend it wasn’t happening.

Trouble looked at her and signalled for her to follow. He shuffled over to an old stained cracked window and busted it with a swift crack from the Red Queen’s stock.

He vaulted inside Throwing one hind hoof over the other and fell inside crunching on the glass. Dawn followed him in, cutting her hooves on the jagged glass. She winced slightly but she was too sensible to make any noise.

They were a murky kitchen filled with filth, feces and fuck knows what else. The stench in here was just as offensive as on the outside just concentrated, making her eyes water.

Dawn heard choked stuttered breathing, broken inhaling and exhaling.

Trouble stopped at the door frame, he reached into his duster and took out his small black steel axe. He jumped facing into the next room, a corpse looking back at him with a rotted mouth a blank look on it’s face. Before it had time to react, Trouble lobbed his axe. It spun through the air at the pony striking it between the eyes splattering the soft tissue and softened bone. The ghoul fell backwards sprawled out. The ghoul leaked no blood which deeply disturbed Dawn.

Trouble moved into the living room, dark and filthy and retrieved his small axe.

Dawn sheepishly followed him into the room.

Light was seeping in through the door frame. Poorly lighting her immediate surroundings. Trouble moved to the door, and peered through the crack.

Directly outside was the cannibal zombie feast, blood and entrails on the periphery of the buffet, spent bullet cartridges laying scattered all around. The once shiny brass of the bullets stained in crimson.

Trouble backed away from the door, Dawn silently waited for further instruction from Trouble. Trouble skulked over to the window on the far end of the living room. Stained black no light could pierce it. He carefully leveled the Red Queen’s stock with the centre of it and quickly struck it. The glass shattered almost noiselessly. Trouble waited for three seconds before climbing out.

Once out he pressed his back against the white exterior of the house they took refuge in.

Dawn did likewise climbing out carefully, she slipped on the window frame. Trouble grabbed her and pulled her towards him. He spun with her and slammed her against the wall of the house.

Trouble covered her mouth with his hoof and shifted her head. Her heart sank the feasting blood orgy was right next to them. It was nothing short of a miracle they had gone unnoticed. Trouble moved around to the back of the house across from them and tried the door. It opened with a creak.

He ushered Dawn to follow him. She did so without taking her eyes off the mound she seen two ghouls clamped down on a length of intestines gnawing their way closer to one another in a disgustingly romantic way.

They were in the back room of a house two washing machines adjacent to them and a sink. Trouble slowly worked his way in there. Dawn still had Amigo ready to rock and she quickly began to think she wouldn’t have enough them to. They would swarm her in one giant horde and mow here down within seconds. Tear her limb for limb with their impossibly strong jaws.

Trouble came to the door that lead into the living preparing to breach. He put his eye level with the keyhole to gaze into it. When “CRASHH! ARRRRRGGGGHHHH!!!” the door blew apart, a huge rampaging ghoul charged through, knocking Trouble off his hooves. Dawn slipped into the alternate reality of S.A.T.S Amigo fired with a huge kick.

“PWOOOH!” the shot rang out blowing the huge corpse’s cranium in two, spraying Trouble in crusted minerals and long leather solid blood vessels. Outside there was an ear splitting symphony of screeches, howls of the damned rang through the air.

Dawn bite down on Trouble’s duster and dragged him up onto his hooves, adrenaline raced through her. Trouble climbed up and broke into a sprint. They shot into the living room Trouble put one hoof one a small table kicked off of it and used the momentum to carry his shoulder into the door smashing it open.

He rolled on the ground outside and broke into a gallop Dawn chased after him. Trouble was charging down the road roars erupted all around them, he looked over his shoulder at Dawn who was nearly neck and neck with him. He spun on his hooves pivoted and faced the onslaught of the dining horde who know wanted his flesh.

The Red Queen opened fired this was another custom cartridge. Green luminescent glowing sludge fell from the barrel. The shells leaving the action illuminated the ground they hit, upon impact the glowing shotgun pellets ate through their flesh severing limbs leaving huge dug out pits in their torsos. The congregation was wiped out in less than 5 seconds. Leaving the mound isolated, but as they did four more ghouls galloped out of neighbouring houses to feast on the corpses.

Ponies shattered doors all around them chasing after them the number increasing with every passing second. The string of shrieks growing in volume.

Dawn spotted 3 coming from a house to her left she let off shots from Amigo with a vicious crack and hell of a kick they flew backwards the trio of zombies. The rounds hitting them so hard causing them to either hit the wall or spin when hit.

She was finding it hard to keep up with the stronger Trouble, 12 more appeared in front of them Dawn was about to slip into S.A.T.S but Trouble let loose a spray from The Red Queen liquefying the ghouls. Burying them under a sea of green. She looked over her shoulder to see a small army chasing her, ravenous expressions gripping what was left of their faces.

She swung her Amigo over her shoulder and used her magic to tense the trigger. Her weapon loyally doing her biding 5 of the zombies tumbled over with the sheer force their surges towards them cut short causing them to tumble but on the 6th trigger squeeze all Dawn got was a “Click.”

Amigo’s slide was pressed backwards locked until it was fed more bullets like a foal crying out for more food she wasn’t going to starve her baby.

Troubled wiped out the remaining ghouls charging for them with a quick burst from the Red Queen neither of them breaking their sprint Dawn looked over her shoulder what she saw sent fear throughout her body she almost began to cry, nearly 100 corpses were barrelling towards them at speeds she didn’t think corpses could achieve she cried out.

“TROUBLE BEHIND US!!!” Trouble pivoted and fell onto one knee and unloaded into the horde the thunder from the Red Queen echoing through the mountains.

His weapon was glowing a soft green now, ooze hanging from the barrel he emptied the drum into the crowd turning most of them into glowing perforated mush.

He replaced the spent drum with a fresh red one Dawn seen what red does. But before he even thought about firing he galloped on all fours to try and catch up with Dawn. The Red Queen smacking off the hard ground kicking up sparks. Another few in front, Dawn fired wildly into them sending them flying smoke rising from Amigo’s barrel she swapped out her magazine for a fresh one from her belt she was panting hard she couldn’t keep up this pace much longer.

Trouble had caught up with her now. With one fluid motion he was back on his hind hooves his fore hooves rocking the Red Queen back and forth. They were nearing the end of the complex after the gates were 20 more waiting for them.

They charged through the rusted gates into the open mountain pass, the horde behind them only building in numbers like a snowball being thrown down an icy mountain. Gaining in mass and momentum becoming a huge force soon to consume them.

Her eyes were tearing up, her nostrils were burning. She was certain of her demise her lungs burned and cried for air. Trouble sprinted forward his weapon exploding once more fire erupting from its muzzle lighting their proximity a bright red.

Sawing and burning through the corpses obscuring their escape route they both spun in unison to face the horde Dawn slipping into S.A.T.S targeting as many as her mind would allow her 6.

They fired in sync mowing down rows of undead Amigo punching through lines of zombies at a time. The Red Queen cutting down rows down in ablaze of fire and molten metal she emptied Amigo and looked over to Trouble as he emptied the last few rounds of The Red Queen with a distinctive click sound it dropped he dropped her magazine.

Dawn did the same through her blurred vision.

She turned to run once more with Trouble. She tried but her lungs were filled with napalm her head banging, her hooves exhausted.

All she could manage to do was stumble and fall over exerted. She could feel those undead bastards breathing down her neck she cried for help

“TROUBLE!!! HELP!!!” she was pleading. Her lungs dying for air. A legion from the bowels of hell craving for her flesh. She was going to be cannibalised shredded. Trouble stopped his stride and charged back over to Dawn normal rounds were back in the queen now, transparent and gray magazine.

He fired into the horde once more thinning their seemingly endless ranks he yanked out a syringe from some unseen place inside his duster and stabbed Dawn in the heart with it. She let out a gasp and he injected its contents into her blood stream.

He grabbed her and began to drag her along by the hoof. Firing into the horde this whole time. When the Queen’s song ended. Trouble broke into a sprint helping Dawn unto her hooves.

She could breath again her vision cleared she felt like she had just woke up from a 11 hour sleep. Completely recharged she began to sprint faster her head cleared she changed Amigo’s spent magazine and unholstered Bad News. She spun it behind her back with magic and fired.

Cutting through the horde with straight lines of molten high velocity lead. The horde though was gaining on them. They ran for another 100 yards the road back to it’s usual windy and snaking pattern. Trouble never had an opportunity to change his magazine. And Neither did Dawn.

A determined zombie broke ranks from the horde and pounced Dawn with imposiible speed. She hit the ground with a tumble she lost all focus Bad News wildly bounced around Trouble stopped once more.

The zombie had Dawn pinned it forced its nuzzle in to her neck trying to take a bite. Lifeless eyes staring a hole into her soul. She wouldn’t wish this fate on any pony she swung out Amigo and blasted the zombie’s jaw off covering her with rotted tooth powder and dried up gum flesh.

She would have puked again if her stomach had anything more to puke and she attempted to crawl out but was pinned once more she couldn’t reload Bad News like this, another 2 blasts from the 8 Amigo had to offer sent another one flying. 5 more shots left with Amigo then the painful reload.

The Red Queen was back in action regular rounds though, but they were still brutally effective. Trouble fired from the hip spraying into them, giving Dawn breathing space for 3 seconds. She fired into the horde once more it dispersed splintering in an un coordinated encircling manoeuvre towards Trouble he was seen as more of a threat in their collective mind.

The Queen was out of kill juice after mowing down another 50 or more undead.

They swarmed Trouble before he had time to reload, descending upon him he swung the Red Queen onto his back and swapped her out for his two revolvers and let out a battle cry.

Dawn reloaded. Everything was still clear as day, everything made sense whatever he injected her with was good. It stimulated her senses she could work out the finer details of the mountains that funnelled them completely without effort, aiming was hell of a lot easier and her thought processes had accelerated immensely plus time seemed slower than it had before like S.A.T.S but not as effective.

Trouble was blasting them with his revolvers but the rounds were quickly depleted those that got to close he debilitated with a sweeping blow to the head from the hard metal of the revolvers. Dawn was firing at none in particular just trying to help Trouble. She was slowly pacing away trying to keep some breathin space. More than 50 were encircling him and Dawn was left out of the onslaught. They ghouls had their mark and wouldn’t be satisfied until he was dinner.

Trouble had to reload he broke through their ranks taking many swipes scarpering off his armor and ripping his duster.

He swept his revolvers back into their resting place and whipped out his combat knife and axe.

One rose to pounce him he buried the axe into its temple walking backwards on his hind hooves. Dawn was sprinting ahead, she was too low on ammo to get in that sort of combat. 5 broke from the main group to kill her she blasted them with Amigo scoring headshots on 4 with the syringe’s game changing effects.

When Amigo went click It was the most depressing noise in the world. A puppy getting stomped on would be happier. Her head was on tight though. She quickly dodged the zombie’s lunge it went passed her. She swept up its rear and struck Amigo on the back of its head making a whipping sound another one from behind pounced her and pinned her.

Trouble was enwrapped in his own massive battle.

A flurry of swipes and hacks from his melee weapons in graceful movements never staying in the same place for more than one second his blows sending decomposed flesh streaking across the ground and tearing through legiments and tired old muscles.

Dawn was fucked. The zombie was towering over her snapping its jaws in anticipation. She forced away its face with her hooves but it had an unnaturally strong neck. It was inching closer snapping wildly century old saliva trickling from its mouth she couldn’t force it off.

Trouble was taking hits they were bucking and swinging at him he was slowing the blade flurry. The run had taken too much out of him and there were simply too many. Still more than 40 he didn’t have time to administer the same shot he gave Dawn which would have made him twice as deadly.

Dawn mustered some concentration from the drug and it’s empowering effects. It was nothing short of divine intervention. More than one zombie was attacking her she wrapped Bad News in her magical field and bounced the stock hard off the zombie’s head the back of it’s skull broke up with a squishy noise and some foul liquid oozed out.

Two more spotted Dawn recovering. They ravenously galloped from the group around Trouble and ran towards her. She took aim and squeezed a dull click resonated from the rifle she forgot to reload. whoopty-fucking-doo.

Click, her heart sank. Trouble was stumbling they landed too many hits, he couldn’t keep it up much longer. He was covered in head to hoof in brown matter the blood had long dried from these corpses.

Dawn took a hit she was in a grapple, a zombie forcing himself upon her when a faint “Tak” noise was heard. The zombie collapsed a series of “Taks” followed

“Tak- Tak- Tak- Tak- Tak- Tak- Tak- Tak- Tak- Tak” a small group of zombies fell infront of Trouble. Giving him space.

Dawn turned to face the direction these shots were coming from A silver unicorn mare with a silver mane and soft gray eyes was standing 40 paces behind Dawn.

Levitating a small silenced rifle with a collapsible stock, the silencer on it was constituted as the barrel about 12 inches in length the receiver and stock too were about together. The same length as the silencer/barrel. It had a short magazine, a laser sight mounted below the barrel and a scope mounted on the top. Giving it a professional feel it was further proof of size doesn’t matter.

The silver unicorn was wearing a brown jacket and waistcoat with brown spurred cowpony boots and a striking brown cowpony hat with a wide brim and a black band around the crown. A feather propping out from the side of its crown and wearing blue ripped and worn jeans.

She threw a bangle of 4 grenades tied together with string into the horde flying over Trouble’s head he seen them and lunged backwards. While he was airborne the grenades went off.

Sending him surging through the air turning the horde into flying hunks of meat and unholy fluids spat through the air a sickly red mist lingering where the horde had been eviscerated.

Black had been knocked over onto her flank the blast had been severe and she was 30 paces out but Trouble was at the epicentre. There was a large hunk of shrapnel sticking out from Dawn’s chest piece that the armor stopped. Lucky, the wind was knocked out of her but the drug blocked most of the pain out.

Trouble’s duster was singed, smouldering embers at the ends, he wasn’t moving. The mare ran over to him and took of his helmet his eyes were closed she pressed her ear to his mouth to see if he was breathing. She took her head away content and levitated a bottle out from her saddlebags and tipped it gently into Trouble’s mouth.

When she spotted Dawn trying to force herself unto her hooves she galloped over to her and with a sweet voice she said “Easy! I don’t know how you survived that hell but shit! You’re lucky to have met me.”

“Is he alright?” she was still recovering from the blast the drug Trouble induced was beginning to wear off, but she was still riding some of its effects.

“Your friend is fine that’s some goddess damned good armor he’s wearin’ .” the unicorn scanned Black and she gasped when she spotted the hunk of metal sticking out of her chest.

“Oh, fuck is that deep?” she pointed at the shrapnel.

Black shook her head “Stopped at the armor.” The unicorn sighed in relief and helped Dawn up onto her hooves.

“Come on I’m going to need help dragging your friend here somewhere where we can make camp.”

She wrapped Trouble in a telekinetic field and hovered his limp body off the ground and began to walk with it.

“Wait, who are you?” Dawn needed more information than what she was giving her.

“I’m Night Light. I’m a Marizona Ranger.”

Footnote: Level Up.

New Perk: Educated—every time you advance in level you have more skill points to attribute.

Chapter 7: Night Light

Trouble was unconscious for most of the night. It wasn’t until Black and her saviour Night Light set up camp did he come round. They exchanged few words Dawn was never much good at talking.

Trouble clutched at his head groaned and forced himself up onto his flank he looked Night Light up and down confused, then laughed to himself .

“Say ranger, didn’t your mother eva’ teach ya its bad manners to throw a grenade at a pony when they’re within danger close?”

The silver unicorn laughed, Trouble continued.

“What’s a ranger doing out here anyway, the NCR hauled your asses up north.”

Night Light spoke “Not me.” She answered coldly but tried to laugh it off.

“Hey ranger wahs your name?” Trouble was making quite good casual conversation Dawn had hardly managed to get a word from the ranger on their way out of the pass.

“Night Light, and yours?”

“Trouble.”

Night Lights jaw dropped.

“No Shit? The mercenary?” Trouble nodded a bemused look on his face he found it amusing his reputation was found among rangers.

“I’ve heard some pretty grim stories about you.”

“Like wah?”

“Your New Pegas heist.”

Trouble started laughing and Night Light joined in.

“It wasn’t really the grand scheme it was cooked up to be, it did it on impulse, drunk.”

Black butted in. “Eh what are you ponies talking about again.”

Night Light answered.

“Trouble here took over a rather exclusive casino on the New Pegas strip one night he brought down almost one hundred hired guns and made the remaining fifty to surrender.”

Trouble intervened “It was more like thirty dead twenty surrendered.”

“Why?”

Trouble answered for himself this time.

“They would nay let me in on behalf of me accent,” he put on a spiteful look and continued “Despite the fucking fact the casino was called The Luck of the Coltic.”

Night Light spoke after him her face beaming she was star struck by a mercenary legend.

“Do you want to know how he did it? He’s a genius”

Trouble raised his hoof “Anudder time, ranger.”

Night Light nodded and just basked in all of Trouble’s down played glory. Dawn was jealous of Trouble for some reason. He’s getting affection from ponies for what? Killing other ponies? The world seemed to work like that.

The two talked for a while more the two the Ranger and the Merc when Trouble asked.

“Is that a Valkyrie?” He gestured towards her rifle that she used to save him and Black.

“Yeah, take a look.” she levitated it over to Trouble he thoroughly inspected it peering down the sights checking the breach inspecting the stock feeling for its weight and weak points in the frame.

Night Light continued “Kept her in pristine condition as you can see.” She was clearly trying to suck up to him.

Trouble spoke this time after handing back her rifle “Mister Blues, had one o them, said it was da best gun eva made and sure enough after that it started appearing all over the shop.” It’s the Death Dealers and Stalker’s signature weapon.

“Yeah, that’s right hey, weren’t you a Death Dealer?” Black could tell from the expression on her face she knew he was she just wanted him to say something about it. Her over the top ass kissing fan girl act sickened her. But Dawn was going to say nothing she did help them afterall.

“Quite a high rankin one, buh tha was wah twenty years ago? Now I doubt our name still carries the same weight around here as it used ta.” He said it trying not to make eye contact, but there was hurt Dawn could sense it. There it was again though whenever Black dug a little deep into his past he goes from nostalgia to melancholy. Something must have went wrong, tragically wrong.

“I often heard rumours about your cutie mark.”

“Oh?” Trouble replied keen to her more about how awesome he is.

“I heard it was a cracked open skull with a crown made from bullets is that true? Can I see it?” Trouble laughed so hard he feel onto his side.

“I once heard muh cutie mark was a black void that steals your soul!”

The two broke into laughter in unison. The joke shooting right over her head.

Dawn felt left out, a bit of a third wheel.

“Hey Trouble how old are you?”

“thirty eight I think, wah age are you?” their banter was slowing at least.

“I’m only nineteen.”

“Fuck, nineteen and a ranger there’s two years training.” Night Light was glowing, she loved more than anything she just impressed Trouble.

Black butted in there was something on her mind and if she didn’t cut them off now

she was never going to say anything.

“Trouble what was that syringe you gave me?”

“That, my little pony was jet.”

Night Light burst in “You can’t give her jet!” Shocked at her idol.

Oh shit. It appears her butting has killed the harmony.

“We were surrounded by ninety ghouls and she was on the ground collapsed from exhaustion!”

Black was confused what was so bad about this jet.

“Is it bad he gave me it?”

“Yes, it’s a hardcore drug.” Night Light spat out.

Dawn was shocked she had witnessed first hand what drugs did to a pony if they took some high powered ones. It wasn’t pretty they had to put 15 rounds into the pony’s chest before he stopped hacking at his lover’s corpse.

“No, it’s an amphetamine it’s hardly like I’m dosing her up on Stampede! Jet can be controlled.”

Dawn was still confused and Night Light fell silent.

“What’s a amphetamine?”

“It’s something that sups you up, lowers fatigue, reduces pain, sharpens your mind and makes you stronger, its twice as strong as an adrenaline rush and there is no crash when it runs out unlike adrenaline. Unless ya shoot to much of it.”

“Unbelievable...” Night Light murmured.

Trouble didn’t quite catch it but answered back “You don’t get where I am now without breaking a few rules.”

There was an awkward silence for a while Night Light was cleaning her gun Black was gazing up at the sky and Trouble was enjoying a smoke, watching the ranger perofrm her intricate maintenance when he spoke up.

“Ranger, where ya off ta next?”

“Wherever I’m needed I suppose.”

Black knew where this was going.

“Me and the kid are heading for New Pegas wanna tag along?”

Night Lights Gray eyes lit up “I’d love to.”

Oh great now Trouble has fan mare for the road.

The figure was less than pleased with her tale “There are no Marizona rangers out there no more the NCR hauled them off to fight the griffins. Place has been a free-for-all since.” He began to pace around the room again here it comes Dawn thought.

“That’s what Trouble said.” The Figure darted a look at Dawn.

“He said there are no more rangers in Marizona, to me anyway she was asleep. Trouble had her figured for a renegade, one of the rangers that didn’t agree with the treaty.”

“Do you know what treaty that was miss Black?” Dawn merely shook her head.

“The ranger unification treaty. When the NCR tried to expand into Marizona the rangers were their main opposition so they made them an offer join the NCR and serve under them. For the good of the ponies from the NCR and they would make Marizona NCR turf. It would be under their jurisdiction, their military patrolling its borders and keeping it safe. Or else.”

“So what happened the Rangers after they signed it?”

“They were all shipped off to kill griffins,” said the figure grimly “over four hundred years of loyal service to the ponies of Equestria broken because of the NCR. They see the Rangers as expendables. Every last one of them is a walking death threat. Truth be told their the best damned chance Equestria has. They’re training and knowledge are unmatched. If you don’t count their counterparts the Stalkers or the C.P.L.A’s Wolfpack.”

“But in that frozen hell it means very little all that desert training, survival techniques, the area was once safe you know, Marizona. But since the rangers left its been a.”

“Free-for-all.” Dawn finished his sentence.

“Exactly, the NCR didn’t hold up their end of the deal but the rangers don’t know that. If them poor bastards are still alive...” The figure had anger and remorse in his voice.

The figure sat down again.

“So you made camp after the pass had a chat fell asleep, then what?”

“Purists, Gabriel’s trumpet.” Dawn remembered it darkly they were some pretty tough ponies.

“You poor bastards.” The figure stonily sympathised.

Chapter 8:A Band of Angels

Chapter 8: A Band of Angels

It was early morning the sun was lighting up the desert sand. Turning it from a dark brown to reflecting a bright white Night Light and Trouble were already up and eating some canned food, talking while Dawn roused herself from her sleepy state.

“Wah kinda oppostion we looking at now that the desert rats are gone?” Dawn could tell by the sound of his voice he wasn’t expecting a happy answer.

Night Light spoke with her sweet voice in a stern tone “We got Purists in the area, Heavy’s the finest they can throw at us.”

Dawn was on her hooves now joining them Trouble rolled over a can of some tinned fruit 200 year old pears…Yay.

On the front of the pears was a white and brown spotted stallion wearing an eye patch it read “Pip Squeak’s surprise, Scary but Filling!” Dawn had to wonder what that had to remotely do with canned pears.

“What are Purists?” she never heard of them but by the sound of the conversation not the chummiest of ponies.

Trouble answered “They call themselves Angels smug cunts.”

Night Light continued for him “They came from Germaney but when they found out the rangers left they decided to expand. Marizona being in close it seemed like easy pickings, there are a few settlements out here though and their putting up hell of a fight.”

Trouble finished his meal as did Dawn during this talk, it was disgusting but it fills you. Trouble rose onto his hooves and began to trot.

“We got miles yet two more days on the road oh and kid, keep an eye on your EFS.”

They trudged on. The sun rising slowly into the sky it hadn’t disappeared behind the clouds yet. Many hills and sand dunes were still cast in shadow giving it an eerie feel.

Dawn trailed behind her two companions as they walked side by side they were quite intimidating. Trouble with his mane hanging down his back, his duster singed and ripped and Night Light with her spurred cowpony boots and hat plus that jacket looked pretty good too.

Trouble started conversation “Hey, Ranger what kinda armor you got under that jacket.” until now she had it tightly buttoned up.

“Dragon Scale alloy. Only the chest piece mind you. Yours is pretty damn tough too what is that? ”

“Manticore bone infused with weapons grade stubbornite.”

Night Light laughed, “That’s overkill it must have cost what fifty grand?.”

“It was a gift actually for my seventeenth I got it valued all in all at a hundred grand it’s a rare piece.” Night Light whistled in appreciation.

“Them Angels are totting around half an inch at its thickest of depleted energy crystal fibre armor, that’s even tougher than what the steel ranger’s are boasting.”

“You gotta hand it to the Germane’s though, 200 years on and they still got it.” Trouble admired they’re resolve, even though he called them cunts earlier.

“A lot of bad things going on there now.” Night Light said in a sorrowful tone. Trouble nodded in affirmation. Dawn kept quiet this whole time she never has any idea of any of the places they are talking about except New Pegas.

They walked on more and more. Minutes bleed into the road when Trouble stopped and threw out a hoof to beckon the others to stop “Ya hear that?”

“What?” Black inquired, “I don’t hear anything.” Nigh Light affirmated.

“Voices… wind is carryin em I fink.” After a 30 second pause Trouble lowered his hoof back to the desert floor.

“They’ve gone.” They resumed walking Trouble looking concerned and Night Light looking disgruntled.

Dawn was flabbergasted. What was that all about? Voices? Her EFS was showing nothing. But he wasn’t wrong about the Ghouls in Caturi she didn’t figure him to be wrong about this either.

They came to an old burned down linear settlement that lingered after the megaspells hit.

It was little more than some wood walls now but once it must have been 10 houses on either side of the road it was more of a residential abode then settlement really.

Dawn checked her Pip Buck tag “Oasis avenue.” Weird how it does that.

They continued down Oasis Avenue checking inside the houses it was mostly caved in roofs, stone and wood walls the most stable parts of the houses frame remained erect.

At the end of the road was the crest of a rather steep hill. The sun was barely reaching its summit when a dozen ponies twice the size of a regular pony appeared at the top of it.

Trouble and Night Light dove behind one of the walls of the houses they were about house 4 of 10 on the left side. It took Black nearly a full 3 seconds to copy them she was such a dunce.

Trouble looked through a missing wooden plank in the wall at them Dawn stood adjacent and did the same “Oh, Fuck.” Angrily swore Trouble.

The sun shone off the dozen ponies they were clad in glacier blue metal armor that almost doubled their girth. They were wearing battle saddles two belt fed machine guns on either side drawing ammo from their underbelly all 12 of them with the exact same.

Dawn had to admit there was something biblically elegant and heroic about them they’re soft blue glowing visors on they’re helmets.

Trouble swung out The Red Queen and loaded her full of Blue ammo this was curious.

Dawn whispered over to Trouble “Psst, what does blue do?” he never explained what the others did but they were clearly colour coded.

“Range.” He shot back and fitted his mask over his face the visor lit up once fastened correctly.

Night Light unslung her Valkyrie and loading in some rather oddly shaped bullets tipped her hat down and went to the far left of the building and waited at the corner out of sight.

Trouble nodded and turned to face Dawn.

“Okay kid, here’s the plan don’t aim for the chests. Tha fuckin armor is way too strong aim for the visor with your rifle righ?” Dawn nodded briskly this was going to get bloody. The dozen ponies were unmoving completely stoic at the top of the hill still.

“When ah break from ‘cova you dash acroos the street get behind that wall there,” he gestured with one of the exoskeletons digits to a stone wall about 3 inches thick. “Got it?” Dawn nodded and shifted “One more tin, try to hide yourself, them machine guns will be ripping shit up.”

The ponies on the hill in unison formed a battle stance they’re legs arched heads ducked low Trouble looked to both of them and then nodded.

Night Light bolted around the bend up to the next house for cover Trouble stood up on his hind legs and unloaded as Black sprinted across the street.

On the hill sparks were seen flying off the Regulators armor merely causing their shoulders to fly back upon impact the Red Queen was proving ineffective at this range.

“Bull Shit! This is eight gauge High Fucking Velocity Slugs!” he ducked back down.

Dawn was in cover also. She darted a look at Trouble and spotted what most have been 2-dozen laser sights painted around him and his cover. “Oh shit.”

The hilltop erupted with multiple flashes as all 12 ponies unleashed the fury of their belt fed machine guns upon Trouble. He hid behind a chimney stack where the concrete was thickest all around him the bullets were sailing through the bricks kicking chunks of stone from the wall turning them into fine powder. Night Light’s head was still ducked low she was at the corner of house five of ten on the left hand side.

Dawn had to get their focus on her, give Trouble some space. She shimmied over to a breaking in the wood and cement and hovered out Bad News. She rested Bad News’s bipod on one of the planks and carefully took aim. The one on the far right was her target the pony’s soft blue visor; her bull’s-eye.

She squeezed, the pony’s visor exploded their head flew backwards smoke rose from the smash in the visor and blood flowed down the pale blue helmet.

The two closest to the fallen pony turned to face Dawn she jumped out of the way. “Stay hidden.” like Trouble told her. As soon as she moved the wood was vaporized splinter’s shooting everywhere. A pelting of lead slicing it’s way through everything around her.

She felt the warm gust that accompanied the bullets rub off on her, launching her into a panic.

She was shaking again just like the first time. How many bullets were in the haze they sent at us 2000 a minute? She couldn’t keep the field around Bad News so she let him fall to the ground next to her. She was breathing heavy her back against the chimney stack her hooves tucked in close she looked over at Trouble. Dawn’s plan worked they were giving him some breathing space. He swapped out the blue magazine for a yellow one. How many colours does this guy need?

Trouble peered towards Night Light and nodded and she readied herself for something.

Trouble stood up once more and fired but unlike usual, the Queen made the sound of a regular gun not the usual blast and nothing serious came out of the barrel just small projectiles.

Dawn looked through a hole. She was keen to see what effects these rounds had. They seemed entirely unamazing once fired. But when the struck home. Dawn seen through the bullet holes, it was amazing. It struck a pony and exploded off them. Grenade ammo! The pony’s armor was compacted around his chest and hooves and one of his machine guns was blown off he fell over presumed crushed.

They were focused on Trouble again there waves of steel smashing against Trouble’s ropey cover. Night Light was hardly in sight house 7 of 10 now she was closing distance. For what Dawn had no idea.

Dawn had regained some nerve her concentration coming back. She levitated Bad News and crawled fla ton her belly to the corner of the house. Keeping out of their field of fire. So as he could look right down the road at her prey.

She slipped into S.A.T.S she was still pretty shaky so she needed some pre-war wonders.

Bad News found the skull of a pony. The round impacted hard with the pony’s helmet missed the visor by a hairs breath it shook the pony violently though, locking up it’s armor it fell over like a vase rocking. Rendering the angel useless.

The ponies tightened their ranks and began to pace slowly down the hill. They were slowly lifting their hooves and it took several seconds for the same hoof to touch the ground again.

Dawn figured it was the cost of so much armor.

Night Light managed one more house now. 8 out of 10. She was waiting at the side anticipating them. Night Light hovered out a bangle of hand grenades and rested them adjacent her hovering Valkyrie. Ready to spill blood.

Trouble broke from his cover and sprinted across the road towards Dawn. The soft thump of the grenade ammo leaving the barrel at their low velocity. Bullets bouncing all around him snapping against the road and sand narrowly missing him. Some ripping holes in his blowing duster. He crashed hard into the ground next to Dawn swapping magazines yellow for more yellow.

He threw Dawn a syringe and signalled for Dawn to move behind to house no.3 on the right side. She did as directed instantly crouched over moving behind the house bullets whizzing around her. Trouble slung the Red Queen on his back. He took out from both sides of his inner duster two launchers. Dawn thought at first single shot grenade rifles with a rubberised tube underneath for grip and a composite stock with 10 inch barrels. She was surprised when he clipped the two together the rubber tubes beneath clipped as did the stocks. Printed on the stocks was “DK-MK3.”

He cornered to face the hail bearing down on them which was now focused on the street to try and stop any attempts of return fire. He held the weighty weapon at the hip spun round from his cover and fired both barrels.

“VWOOOOMH!!!”

The blast blew Trouble back a whole foot. The flash was immense the barrels glowing red. Dawn never heard a noise like it since the EverBright mills the blast wave formed a dust cloud around Trouble whihc he used to retreat back around cover.

The poor bastard on the receiving end had 2 bullets the length of a fore hoof cleave him in two. In ripped through the armor with a grinding shriek. Gore spattered all over the remaining 8 ponies his head and most of the ponies torso flew 4 feet into the air. Dawn could have sworn she heard one of the ponies scream through the helmet.

Dawn went prone and crawled they were about to pass Night Light. she crawled to the edge the ponies were congregating on Trouble forming a diagonal line to focus on him. When finally the chimney stack gave way he leapt to the ground and started to dart for new cover the ponies keeping track of him as he slithered.

Dawn took off the cap of the syringe and stabbed herself in the leg and injected the game changing agents into her blood stream. She let out an odd groan of pleasure as the enhancing effects of the drug kicked in. Stimulating her senses the fear dissipating from her body.

All the colours now sharpening and contrasting she rested Bad News at the apex of the building. They had Trouble encircled Night Light was about ready Dawn fearlessly strode out from her cover took aim and fired wildly. “Boom-Boom-Boom-Boom-Boom-Boom-Boom! Click.”

She downed three more in this wild spray but she needed a re-up. In her enlightened fearless state she felt no need for cover. Even though four of the ponies now had her in their sights their lasers painting her torso.

“RUT-RUT-RUT-RUT-RUT” They unloaded into her. Dawn didn’t have time to duck. Her small frail body was pounded with machine gun fire. She collapsed into cover unwillingly. Blood was seeping through the punctures in her armor. It was a strange sensation. Lead in her blood stream. She couldn’t breath her, inhaling was little more than stifled gurgling.

Night Light threw 2 bangles of grenades into the crowd they were too slow to outstrip them.

“BAAAAAANNNNNNGGGGG!!!!!!”

the explosion blew 3 of them into mince meat. Smearing the white armor in thick pasty gore. The remaining 3 squirming on the ground like turtles turned on their back.

“KID!” Trouble called out Dawn rolled onto her stomach losing her remaining strength. She felt all her muscles turn lax. The Jet’s effects keeping her conscious without it she doubted she had the strength to inch her perforated body onto the road. Her body flopped onto the hard tarmac every inch of the black aspahlt weathered to a jagged point.

Trouble ran onto the road and blew the brains out of the remaining white clad ponies with 3 double shots to the head with his revolvers.

He flung himself over to Dawn frantically trying to take off his helmet, Night Light joined him a few seconds later. He reached into his duster and slid a small metal box adorned with several butterflies with a red cross in the centre onto the road. It opened softly and inside where various medical apparatus, healing brews and needles filled with weird chemicals.

Blood was trickling from her mouth but she ddin’t feel it as it crept up her trachea. She was losing consciousness her eyesight was darkening in the corners.

Trouble shoved a bottle into her mouth and tipped it in. It slid down Dawn’s neck without resistance it had a sort of minty taste to it but was spoiled due to the saltiness of the blood.

Trouble unfastened her armor’s straps. The plates fell off her chest showing 9 small holes littering her torso blood flooding from them.

His hooves slid up to his head and felt around the dome of his helmet in exasperation and panic. He quickly grabbed some bandages from the first aid box and began applying them.

Night Light just stood behind him a worried look on her face. Trouble was giving himself directions under his own breath. Dawn still had sharpened senses after all. He pulled the bandages tight and gave her another potion and once it was empty he flung it hard into a wall shattering it.

Her vision enhanced things were brightening up when he took a needle in his hooves another syringe of Jet “You may feel a little sick after this.” He addressed her as he jammed the point into her lower spine. She faintly grunted and smiled as she felt the tingling of the contents flowing into her body.

She inhaled slowly. With a jolt her eyesight was clear again. Everything seemed faster, yet slower. She felt amazing, thrilled to be alive. Everything was snappy she felt stronger she could hear Trouble’s steady breathing through his mask and Night Light sigh in relief. She felt a mixture of feelings one being anger the other amuseent and maybe a little sadness as well. Other than that it feels she just woke up fully recharged. No not fully recharged, OVER CHARGED.

Besides a queasiness in her stomach she was in spectacular form. Her head snapped wildly from the two ponies as she got back onto her hooves.

“That was Fucking awesome!” Dawn exclaimed Trouble burst into laughter behind his mask Night Light shook her head and smiled.

“I’m glad ya found it so interessin, come on one of them bastards is still alive.”

Night Light galloped up next to Trouble “What are you planning on doing with em?”

Dawn was positively glowing. She found herself bouncing in circles around the two she never felt so damn happy in all her life.

“I intend to find out some information dear.” He wisely intoned.

“Oh…” she said.

Dawn was still being eccentric. Skipping around hopping and springing around Trouble and Night Light as they proceeded up the hill to the unconscious “Angel”

“Eh, Trouble what exactly did you give her?” Night Light was a little worried by Dawn’s behaviour.

“Life saving stuff.” He laughed he was enjoying Dawn’s behaviour it was quite odd considering not 5 minutes ago there were 9 holes in her chest and blood was trickling from her mouth.

Night Light merely nodded.

“Would that happen to entail Jet?”

“Well Jet is life saving under the right circumstances.” He persuasively threw in.

“Fuck it, Trouble she’s going to get addicted at this rate.” She was angry at his decision to dose her up again but she knew if he didn’t she wouldn’t be here right now.

They came to the top of the hill the downed pony had a large dent in his helmet the bullet jammed in the metallurgy just above the visor. This was the one Dawn took down.

Trouble grabbed his machine guns and ripped them from his being and flung them several feet away. He then clenched around the pony’s helmet and yanked it off revealing a white stallion with a golden mane and a pudgy face.

Trouble slapped him sharply across the face 5 times making the stallion come into consciousness. Dawn’s mood swung from bouncy into a growling battle stance her body chemistry was really messed up.

“Wha’s da crack Angel?” Trouble sneered and punched the stallion in the face his head snapping backwards before lolling forwards.

“Who are you filth? Where are my comrades? They’ll have your heads savages!” The angel said with an elitest accent.

“Big fucking posh voice on him.” Muttered Trouble.

Trouble laughed to himself. The pony’s armor was locked up without his helmet he was rendered useless. He was completely at Trouble’s mercy or lack of mercy.

The haughty Angel looked over to Night Light and eyed her up.

“I thought Starsky’s desert rats pulled out of the area you must be one of the cowardly ones they’re hunting down.” The stallion snidely remarked.

Night Light approached the Stallion and raised her hooves before Trouble threw out his to stop her.

He restrained her and said “I need him to be able to talk! I’ll handle this” she gave up her resistance and backed off with a dark scornful expression.

Dawn merely watched Trouble paced around the pony. His armor in lockdown his body frozen in an erect state.

“Now, boy your gonna sing like a wee fucken canary and I’m gonna tell ya when to stop, where are the rest of ya?”

“I know that accent, you’re on of those Coltic rats aren’t you? You whiskey drinking potato-eating scum. All your good for is drinking and fucking like the mongrel savages you are! With your filthy zebra war paint you wear those marks of shame like badges of honour. We made examples of your kind once you know. We nailed them to a bonfire and threw their detestable lie filled books in that savage tongue in with them.” The stallion seethed hate through his teeth.

Trouble merely took out his flask filled to the brim with his own special brew and took a swig and after that he palmed a cigarette and lit it with the same golden zippo with the blue flame. He went eye level with the stallion and asked “Are ya ah drinkin pony mister?” The arrogant stallion spat mocus in his face. Trouble wiped the saliva off and returned to his hind hooves. The stallion with a smug smile on his face.

Dawn was growling like an animal ready to pounce. She was rather enticed by the bright blue flame that came from Trouble’s lighter in her current state it was one of the most radiant, beautiful thing in all of Equestria.

Trouble spoke “I’ll tell ya wah you and I are gonna play a drinkin game, if I win; you spill your guts to me and if you win; you walk.”

“You still didn’t answer my question. Are you deaf as well as dim-witted? Where are my comrades?” his demanding voice getting to Trouble.

Trouble marched up to him scowling and pointed a hoof down the hill.

“They’re lying in white metal coffins, swimming in pools of their own blood.”

The stallion’s face sank from that smug smile to a scared agape face Night Light smiled “What were you saying about me again?” the stallion shook his head terrified by this change in circumstance. “No, no please, please! I didn’t mean it I never wanted to come here!” pleading like the worm he was.

Dawn’s mood swung once more she felt schadenfreude. She was happy at the pony’s dire predicament as a broad grin snaked across her face Night Light glanced over to her. She was getting more and more bewildered at her sporadic behaviour.

“The only fuckin way your getting outta this mate is if we play the game.”

The stallion swallowed hard “What are the rules?”

Dawn seen the expression on Trouble’s face it read along the lines of “I thought you’d never ask.”

“It’s handy, the first one unable to continue loses. Last pony standin sort of thing.

lets start.” Trouble removed the cigarette from his lips and said “One fir me.” He took a swig of his brew and breathed out a sigh of refreshment “And one for you.”

He poured the brown liquid on the pony’s face “What are you doing?!?”

Trouble took a pull from his cigarette and rubbed it on the pony’s face his face erupted in a pure blue flame “YARRRGHHH!!!!!” the pony let out a heart-rending agonized scream.

Dawn mouthed “Oooo” in amazement at the pure flame her pupils dilated to pin pricks in her eyes. All the colours were much sweeter through her eyes with all this jet.

Night Light recoiled she jumped backwards hat nearly falling off her head. She wasn’t expecting Trouble to lit the pony’s face even if he was a smug asshole.

The flames lasted for 5 Mississippi, smoke rose from the pony’s scorched face his once blonde mane was scorched black and his white face was now red and blotchy in places.

“Ah reckon I can squeeze another 11 rounds each outta this. Then it really starts to get painful.” The stallion was crying. Black tears fell from his face causing steam to rise as the evaporated off the charred flesh.

“For the love of Celestia Trouble, that was a bit fucking much.” Night Light exclaimed she was angry just in shock.

Trouble turned to face her in a casual manner and shrugged “He shouldn’t have said shit about my homeland, it’s cunts like these who caused the great war ya’ know.”

Night Light merely put on a half hearted smile nodded and sat down next to Dawn who was now in a sad mood upon seeing Night Light in a bleak lookout. It really didn’t suit such a beautiful serene looking mare.

Dawn sat her flank next to her and mournfully intoned blocking out the stallions pleas “What’s wrong?” Night Light sighed and spoke so soft only for the Jet boost she wouldn’t have heard her.

“I refused to leave with the rest of Starsky’s desert rats, because the desert rat’s or rangers as we prefer to be called belong in the Marizona desert. We’ve been here for four hundred years. I’m no coward for staying, hell the only reason Starsky even went was because the damn NCR put a gun against his head and said ‘or else’ yet I’m the fucking outlaw? Shit’s fucked up.”

Black got an idea “Talk to Trouble Bout it! He’s great at this kinda stuff.” Night Light looked over to him.

Trouble was busy playing with his new friend. He took another swig the pony was shaking his head “No, No I’ll TALK! Please!!!”

It didn’t stop Trouble though. He poured the brown liquid on the pony’s face once more the liquid splashing off his sensitive face made him scream tearless sobs.

Trouble took one last deep drag from his cigarette and flicked it against his face.

“YAAAARRRRGHHH!!! KILL ME!!!!” the pony shook his head violently desperately trying to fan the blue purging flames.

Tears formed in the corners of Night Light’s eyes the clear liquid visible under the caste shade of her hat against her face she quickly wiped them away.

“You know, I never thought I’d end up like this. On the run from bounty hunters. Trying to help pony’s who think I’m a rogue deserter who just look out for herself,” her voice cracked but she continued “Growing up, I was told of the legends, The pony with the harmonica, the demon, the banjo brothers, hell I even was told stories about Trouble I dunno what I was expecting, a little more honour maybe. But now I’m sitting here watching him burn off a pony’s face.”

The stallion’s face was melting off. It was turning into a red goo, oozing off his skull his lips were slinking past his chin his mane was completely burned off now. His scalp burned black what hair there was left was now smelted into his smouldering skull.

“Alright! Please, no more Please! Anything! Stop!” The pony could only manage hoarse hyperventilation his tear ducts had melted, his eyelids were embedded against his eyes he could no longer blink.

“How many are in Marizona, why are ya here, what divison you in, where are ya based and what plans have you got for Marizona?”

The pony let his head slouch forward steam raising from it. “They’re were sixty of us were down to about forty now. We are here because Gabriel wants to purify these lands also. We have a camp a few miles north of Marizona Springs, we intend to take the town and test their purity.” He hastily spat this out, his armor which now more to be honest his holding cell was rocking back and forth. When Dawn knocked him out with the headshot that dented his helmet his armor locked in an upright stance. There was something poetically ironic about this life saving suit being responsible for not only saving his life but condemning it.

“Ya didn’t say what division your in.” Trouble reminded him

The pony tried to look at Trouble begging but it was hard to convey his face was so displaced “Save yourself some face and jus tell mah.”

Dawn chuckled cruel, but funny.

“Gabriel’s Trumpet, heavy shock troopers.” He was reluctant to part with this information.

Trouble reached into his duster and took out his knife the inscription flashed against the light “Relentless” a grim reminder of what to expect.

“What Are you Doing? I Told you what you want! You Can’t Do this! You said If I Talk You’d Let me Live!”

“I said, if you won the game I’d let you live, you lost.” He swiftly punctured the side of the stallion’s head and drew it back out. Blood shot out and oozed down his scorched face.

Night Light spoke to Dawn once more who was calming down “I have a funny feeling we won’t be in New Pegas within two days.”

FootNote: Level Up!

New Perk: Mysterious Mare-Do-Well—your adventures in the wastes have gained the attention of your own personal guardian angel! Now in combat occasionally your guardian angel will appear with lethal efficency.

Chapter 9: Marizona Springs

Chapter 9: Marizona Springs.

The figure was done with his tough pony act after hearing how Trouble dealt with the prisoner he was soft on her. “Fuck was Trouble always that bad around you?” the figure asked perturbed.

“No, he got worse.”

The figure stopped his pacing and darted her a look she couldn’t see his face in the shadow.

But it must have been along the lines of “No Fucking Way.”

“How did the ranger respond to his… methods?”

“Night Light just sort of knew it had to be done.” Dawn said mournfully. She hated when torture was used. Trouble relished in it before long.

“What happened next, where did you go?”

“Marizona Springs.” She blandly replied

“Were you there for the shootout?”

“We lead the goddess-damned shootout, but we still had a day to go before we arrived and Trouble was nervous.”

The figure took his seat once more and asked one final question before letting Dawn resume.

“How the hell did you win that battle and what happened on the road to Marizona Springs?”

“Nothing really happened on the road we just talked, and we only won that battle because A- Trouble was in charge and B- A dead pony showed up to help.

The Figure shot her a look out of interest.

“The Eraser.”

The Sun was setting over the land. It had been 5 hours since the angels and there was hardly a word spoke between them. Dawn was trotting sluggishly down the road, her head hung low. The Jet wore off and it put her in pit of depression .The weight off all the wastelands sorrows on her shoulders. Her thoughts went back to Trouble torturing that pony. And the worst of all this was the nausea in her stomach. The brown of the wasteland made her want to puke.

She felt remorse sorrow and bitter anger at everything, her companions, her old life her new life, this world.

She felt sick at herself at how pathetic she was. A teary eye for a cutie mark? Give me a fucking break.

She was angry enough to break through the weight on her shoulders and angrily ask Trouble a question to see if she could hurt him. Fucker seems never budge an inch.

And there he was enjoying a drink of that putrid piss he called a drink rewarding himself for burning off a pony’s face who begged for mercy before the end.

“Hey Trouble, were you always an asshole or did you have to work on it?”

Trouble merely sighed and poked softly back “Easy kid, that’s the crash talking you’re not like that.”

Dawn was going to cave in she had to vent this anger somehow so she directed it at the pony she felt deserved it right now.

“How would you know? You’ve known me for what three days? You’ve had it easy. You have no idea what I’ve been through!”

Night Light was still pondering something in her head from when she was speaking to Dawn while Trouble tortured the angel all this was flying right over her head.

“Kid for God’s sake, watch wha ya say to mah, I know this isn’t you but I think you know if you keep it up I’ll do something we’ll both regret.” Trouble was trying to suppress his irritation but it was like a tumour.

“Well Trouble, who the fuck do you think you are? You think you can boss me around? I hate everything about you, you sick fuck!” she was breathing hard now venom in her words she didn’t mean it but she wanted to.

“Kid, shut your fuckin face.” He raised a hoof in the air and shook it Night Light was still in her trance.

“And another thing I’m not a kid, but you’d like if I was wouldn’t you? So you could fuck a filly! I hate you and your stupid accent you drunk! Fuck you!” she smiled in grim satisfaction it felt good to do this. Attack him get under his skin and generally to piss him off.

Trouble stopped walking he turned to face Dawn who was at the back of their little column. His muscles tensing.

He charged over and slapped her hard in the face sending her to the ground blood trailed from her jet-black cheeks. His face seething in anger, she never seen him angry until now usually he was calm under every other situation. His poison green eyes ablze with frustration Dawn trembling at his mercy.

He pointed his hoof accusingly at her as she lay there clutching her cheek. Fear paralysing her body. “Shut up Kid! Shut Up! If I wanted to fuck you I woulda let Brick Jaw have his fun first! Remember him do ya? He was the fuck I stabbed for your ungrateful arse! and so wah if I drink? You’d be a corpse if it weren’t fir mah! And fuck me ya say? Oh ho! Fuck You! More like it. Pull Yourself Together before I rip you in Half!”

Night Lights trance broke she was looking at the two she unconsciously walked ahead of. “Trouble, Dawn what the fuck are you doing?” she had a frightened expression Dawn was lying on the ground covering her face shrinking in fear. Trouble was towering over her ready to give her a beat down. Dawn’s poisonous words frenzied him.

Dawn broke down crying. It had all been too much, the hellish shit from the past few days. Walking Dead, Bullets whizzing passed her head, explosions. she shot up from the ground and squeezed her forelegs around Trouble and cried into his duster. Her only friend.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it! It’s hard, it’s so hard. Please don’t hate me!” She began to ball even harder her tears trickling off his duster “No pony likes me, they all want me dead I hate Me.” he gave up and just hugged her back.

“It’s grand kid, nah worries, I know it’s been a hard couple of days buh I promise ya I’ll let nuffin bad happen ta ya, you have me word. Ya know if anytin’s the matter I’m there okay?” Trouble spoke with understanding he didn’t hate her he actually cared for her. Or at least she thought he did if he saved her life on several occasions.

Dawn weakly nodded her head against where she buried it and broke their embrace she felt better now. That she let it out and some of the darkness that had loomed over her had lifted. She didn’t walk behind them now she walked next to Trouble a sense of comradery about them.

Night Light weakly smiled at them. She kept her thoughts to herself best not to burden them.

After dark they picked a spot along the road to make camp. Night Light found some old twigs and desert plants and got a fire going the desert plants when burned gave off a pleasant aroma making everyone relax slightly. Something was very comforting about a fire on the cold desert nights, when all the heat left the earth for a few hours. Dawn was quickly drifting off, its been a long day for her. So she lay in her sleeping bag facing the fire. While Trouble and Night Light sat up talking awhile longer.

“Shit Trouble I thought you were going to kill her.” Night Light half joked to herself.

“It’s been a rough day, kid jus needed to let it out.” Trouble said in a supportive manner.

“You know what Trouble I’ve been thinking about something.” She inclined.

“Oh, and wahs that?” was the response.

Night Light let out a sigh.

“Do you think I’m a coward for deserting the rangers and staying?”

“Coward?” Trouble’s eyes narrowed like he didn’t quite understand.

“That’s what they all call me. The other rangers they tried to kill me for Celestia’s sake. What was I supposed to do? I-“ Trouble cut her short, she was getting emotional.

“Listen good, you’re the only one of them cunts who isn’t a coward, Starsky should have told the NCR to fuck off. You stayed where they belonged they’re cowards for submitting and abandoning the ponies they swore to protect for the last four hundred years.

In the Death Dealer’s part of our training was psychology, it’s eating at ya, but know this it’s eating at them more. Because right now as we’re speaking they know you were right, they fuckin know they should have stayed. You’re in the right and I won’t let any pony tell ya different.” Trouble said his voice steadily getting sterner.

Trouble’s way with words made her feel better about her situation she smiled her situation has been fucked for a while now and it seemed the world was against her.

“Hey Trouble, mind if I stick around after we reach New Pegas?” she optimistically asked trying not to get her hopes up.

“Night Light it’d be my pleasure.” Trouble smiled back at her.

Trouble by no means was a good pony but by any means he was a understanding one.

Dawn awoke early Trouble and Night Light were fast asleep the sun was still hiding in the east soon to rise. Though Trouble tossed and turned in his sleep mumbling something indistinguishable. An old worn book with brown pages fell out of his duster and rolled upon on the desert floor as his body settled after the tossing and turning.

Dawn’s curiosity got the better of her in all the time she’d been travelling with Trouble she never seen him read, speaking of which didn’t he promise to teach her a few things.

She gently wrapped the book in magical tendrils and levitated it in front of her face it was rather tatty. Looked like some pony dragged it through the desert on a piece of rope and let it trail behind them.

She opened to a random page her horn lighting it enough for her to decipher the letters in the darkness

Advice:

The Good pony revealed to me a lovely little parable involving a dispute. I asked him “Does a good pony take sides?” To which he replied “Never.” As the story unfolds he told me about this deal he was on. It was one of his last deals before he became the Good Pony all I know is it will be nearly impossible to find his old identity enough contractors disappear often enough to be able to tell one from the other.

It was an argument about a shipment he was escorting to a remote settlement somewhere outside New Pegas “It’s ashes now.” he said.

When they arrived with the shipment which was nearly 3 months of provisions medicine, food, ammo usual. As the story unfolds the townies had been in a standoff with a large group of bandits in the territory for months that’s why they had to buy in bulk. But get this.

The deal was made just outside the town at night just under a mile outside of the settlement. After the Good pony arrived with his 3 other friends there were no townies. It was a fucking ambush. The townies could never in 2 years of hard undisturbed labour be able to pay for this haul so they tried to bush whack em.

But the lord beholds the fucking bandits show up! Start firing shots scared the townies off while they were turned tail running back to their little settlement the raiders decided they should be rewarded no more shots need by fired right?

Wrong, when they asked the good pony to hand over the goods as terms of payment he refused. Saying it wasn’t his to give away. There could have been a dozen of them he said of his 3 friends 2 of them were fucking killed in the crossfire.

Just him and one other pony against 12 or so raiders in open ground? That’s fucking suicide.

But he gave them a surprise, something we were thought growing up. The grenade bouquet. It’s a string of grenades with piano wire around the pins in a neat little bundle, he fucked it between the raiders and killed or mortally wounded the entire pack of the bastards, nice trick the fusiliers invented that one if I remember correct.

So it’s him and his buddy left. They way his buddy saw it they were all double crossed they should keep the shipment break the bulk sell it on. Go back to the contractor say it was an ambush and everyone is better off for it.

The good pony didn’t answer his friend. No.

He shot him instead.

He burned the entire shipment it must have been worth a fortune I asked him, why did he shoot his friend? Why did he burn the shipment? Why did he throw away the opportunity? I would have tried to salvage the situation and make a turn over.

Simple really The Good pony explained his logic to how it was the right thing to do.

The raiders were bad ponies preying on the weak and helpless all for the petty wealth they would attain they’re Greed was their undoing.

The townies were out of luck ponies maybe they weren’t evil but they certainly weren’t honest or good they’re Dishonesty was their undoing.

As for his friend, he said his Disloyalty to the job was his undoing.

But the best part is he seen the shipment as a test, an embodiment of all things wrong with the world evil was magnetised to it, he had to purge the world of it. Many ponies wanted it, many ponies needed it but no pony had shown they deserved it.

And that’s how I know I’m nothing. I couldn’t bring myself to do what he done, the weak pony would have given in to the raiders the soft would give it to the townies and the cynical would have kept it for themselves. The Good pony they call him, he earned that name through blood and fire...

Dawn had discovered his journal but this was a recent log not 3 days old. How could it be more, when the hell did he write it? Trouble was a fairly talkative pony this must be very personal to him a guarded secret. She felt like she just betrayed him. This was his deepest thoughts inside his mind and he didn’t want her there to begin with to hear the advice of the good pony.

It cost him 25,000 caps it was for him only she felt like she just stole from him.

Trouble didn’t write like he spoke it was like an entirely different pony was writing this.

This was pretty far into the book about 4/5 of the way in it was filled with logs his adventures his thought processes the lot.

Dawn discretely hovered it over to his sleeping bag she didn’t want him to know she had a look. Out of respect… and a little fear.

The morning came, the sun was slowly climbing into the sky. Night Light was still sound asleep in her small sleeping bag, her hat lying next to her. Trouble was awake the book no longer on the ground he greeted her “awrigh kid.” He said in his accented voice and his weird dialect.

“And good morning to you too.” She merrily replied Dawn kicked herself from her sleeping bag getting used to these early mornings was hard.

Trouble picked up a rock and threw it at Night Light she shot up with a jump looking around her in alarm Trouble laughed at her “Up and at em Ranger,Ha.”

Night Light looked at him first in anger then laughed it off “Trouble, you asshole.”

He smiled back “Would ya have me any other way?”

Dawn spoke up keen to get a word in “Where to now, those Purists and all.”

Trouble spoke “We gotta hit Marizona Springs for some supplies and that.”

Night Light wasn’t pleased with this. She called Trouble over with a hoof and whispered something into his ear Trouble replied in a shout “Fuck them, I’ll sort em out.” This didn’t put her to rest she just looked edgy. Dawn couldn’t help but wonder what that was about but she threw it to the back of her mind.

They walked for a while the drabness of the desert sinking in, the sand. The corpse of the country they were walking through everywhere maggots feasting on it. When coming up on the road was an old fuelling station along the roadside. There were half a dozen or so ponies sitting around there loitering in makeshift armor foundling their poorly maintained gear.

“Eh, Trouble I don’t think these guys want to be friends.” Dawn said nervously they reminded her of the raiders in EverBright.

“Ya got that righ anyway kid, here listen, do nuffin if they start some we’ll give em some.”

Night Light kept silent but Dawn heard her slide the bolt back on her Valkyrie and tip her hat down.

As they walked past they kept their eyes on the road keen not to make eye contact or even acknowledge them. The five ponies were wide eyed, a few grabbed their rifles but other than that kept stalwart. One pulled back the bolt of a rifle at this Trouble spun round his revolvers in his hooves hammers pulled back aiming at the raider who made this fatal error. Night Light’s laser sight painting one raiders fore head Dawn unholstered Amigo way too late.

The raiders all shot up, caught off guard. One reached for his pistol Trouble fixated a revolver on him.

“Don’t be gettin any ideas now fellas.” The pony backed away from his piece the others slowly lowered their rifles Trouble nodding his head.

“Good colt yourself ya, no needta be acting the maggot.” He holstered his pieces and strode on past on his hind legs.

“We jus want the ranger!” one of the ponies called back Night Light was still aiming at one. She wasn’t as keen to leave as Trouble.

“Why?” Trouble asked back stopping in his tracks.

“She’s got a bounty of 5000 on her head, dead or alive we’ll split it.” Night Light shot a nervous look over to Trouble and Dawn.

“Really?” Trouble answered him enthusiastically. Dawn tugged at him confused. He shrugged her off.

“Oh yeah, 50-50 c’mon we can take her.” The speaker pony spoke up. A smile spreading across his face quickly wiped off when Night Light painted her laser over his skull.

“And why would I help you kill her?” Trouble calmly replied way too calmly, Night Light kept on snapping her head back and forth between the two parties.

“We’ll grease her right now, we can have some fun first if you feel like it, and you can have her first think of it as a bonus!.” Dawn seen Night Light’s face she was weighing up the odds a bead of sweat running down her brow, licking her lips.

Dawn pulled Trouble round to her and she whispered out “You can’t be serious, you can’t ju-“ Trouble covered her nuzzle with a hoof and winked.

He twirled round and flamboyantly strutted next to Night Light he rested against her shoulder stood against her with his elbow on her back.

“Nah, I reckon I’ll kill you boys instead or maybe we might have some fun with you first…”

Dawn seen the relief spread across Night Light’s face she almost began snickering if it weren’t for the life-threatening situation. The five ponies shrunk Trouble’s eyes narrowed the speaker pony panicked and dashed for his pistol.

Night Light fired two rounds into his head. Her rifle bouncing up and down “Pffat, Pffatt.” The pony tumbled in mid air. his life ended mid stride. Trouble wiped out the remaining four with two blasts from each of his revolvers their corpses spinning upon impact blood spraying from their corpses as high velocity hunks of lead flew through their beings. Smoke slowly trailed up from the barrels of his magnificent pistols.

He smiled as he holstered his pieces. A perfectly executed play. Night Light burst into fully fledged laughter as if it were some inside joke between the two. Dawn started giggling as well. She couldn’t explain it, Trouble wrapped a shoulder round her and laughed as they went to join up with Black Dawn.

Through the fit of hysterics Night Light uttered something “Ha-ha-ha-ha Trouble that was a sick fucking joke ha-ha-ha.” He just nodded through his own laughs and kept moving.

They walked on for another few miles after this incident when Dawn finally realised something. Trouble made her laugh at ponies getting killed, but first hearing their offer of rape and betrayal. She felt sickened by this. How she found a sliver of laughter, cruel delectable irony in the situation all induced by his superb act. She couldn’t tell if they were bad ponies or if Trouble was a superb comedian.

If you had shown her those ponies being slaughtered in cold blood by a group of other ponies or if the purists happened to pass them by it would have been sick. A haze of bullets would have pelted them, for no good reason but Trouble found plenty of good reasons and made it seem funny.

There was a small blip on the horizon built into the bottom of a mountain. Marizona Springs.

One road leading into town from a hill leading down to where they were, an easily defensible place only two possible avenues of attack the desert or the mountain the town was built at a T junction. The two roads leading one from their perspective going right and the other going straight up the hill.

The town was rather flimsy there was a small cordon at the edge of town. They got through 3 sentries idly standing by carrying old repeater rifles. They walked through with out any hassle, all the buildings were made from scavenged rusted metals rotted wood and whatever else struck the builders fancy.

There were 3 streets in the town all built along the T-Junction. On the road all the town’s people were hurrying along nervously. They walked onto the T in the road. To their left was a large building with a neon light display outside reading “Saloon.” Not very original but it said what it meant.

Outside were 3 ponies talking and smoking crude cigarettes. The saloon looked rather busy inside the noise could be heard from outside. One of the ponies outside approached Night Light “Hey aren’t you that outlaw?” he pointed his cigarette challengingly at her.

His 2 friends backed him up “Oh my fucking goddess it is! Sheriff Cedro!” Night Light aimed her Valkyrie at the lead ponie’s head barrel pressing firmly against his forehead Dawn was surprised how fast she had it out.

4 authoritative looking ponies galloped up the street wearing silver badges on their waistcoats. A cyan stallion with a handle brush moustache and a repeating rifle ran up and pointed his gun at Night Light, as did the other 3. Dawn and Trouble turned to face them. Night Light kept her eyes peering down her scope.

“Now lookey here Missy, we got nuff trouble as it is with them Purists breathing down our necks the last thing we need some gallivanting loose cannon, so your coming down to my office nice nd slow.”

Night Light sighed. She reluctantly dropped her gun it bounced off the worn road. she slowly paced from her piece “Sheriff, for Luna’s sake just listen to what I have to say.”

“Quiet, the purists are attacking at dawn, I don’t need yer excuses.”

Night Light shot back “Don’t you know who I brought here Sheriff?”

The sheriff looked over Dawn and then Trouble much longer than Dawn. Dawn almost felt jealous of Trouble at how he shadowed her presence.

“This is Trouble and his friend.” She gestured to them and winked.

Trouble took the hint and turned to face the sheriff raising onto his hind legs his hooves resting on his pistol belt trying to intimidate and Dawn shadowing in his wake.

The sheriff shrunk a little “Trouble you say…” he said his voice losing its former assertiveness.

“That’s right” Night Light continued.

“To help fight off the purists.”

Trouble spun around to face her as if to say “Are you fucking serious?” all the town was watching now. Passers by stopped overhearing what Night Light was saying in this show down. They broke into spontaneous cheering Trouble looked at Night Light with a face that read “And since when the fuck where you going to tell me this?”

She looked at him with imploring eyes he spat and the sheriff spoke up “Is that true mister?”

He looked back around and fell on all four hooves again and nodded towards the sheriff the sheriff holstered his weapon and smiled “Well alright, Ya hear that Boys? Trouble has come to help! So what’s the plan?” the sheriff and his subordinates looked at Trouble expectantly.

Trouble was befuddled his accent hardened as he fought to think “Ta be honest wiv ya sheriff yer boys knaw more than meself at tha moment, by any chance have ya sent in anay scouts?”

The sheriff beckoned him to follow and they all walked down the street towards the sheriff’s office. Dawn had kept silent all this time and since all attention was on Trouble she asked Night Light a question.;

“Did you plan this?”

“Sort of, but hey it worked right?”

“Trouble is probably going to be pissed.” Dawn cautioned her

“Not until after he helps the town.”Trouble turned round and shot Night Light a furious look her eyes widened.

“Maybe this wasn’t such a hot idea…”

They walked into the sheriff’s office. Inside was a large polished oval shaped table with two dozens chairs around it and behind that several cabinets lined with repeater rifles. And in the far corner was a series of filthy empty cells.

They all took seats at a oval shaped table that could accommodate all of them. Sheriff Cedro’s deputies spoke quietly among themselves for a while until the sheriff spoke “We sent in deputy Beltron here to scout out their camp last night.” He signalled for Beltron to stand. A handsome bronze coated stallion with a blue mane stood up.Dawn was starting to notice most ponies round here have weird names.

“Yessir, Ah counted bout five dozen or more maybe, they’ll be attackin from there mountain there Ah reckon.” Dawn found his accent to be a huge turn off.

The sheriff signalled for him to sit down and spoke himself “We got a message from them this morning bout three hours before you arrived some fancy feller with one o them big old trumpets and speaker systems said theys was attackin at sunrise tomorrow. Said he was gonna purify us.”

Trouble cleared his throat he was back to his normal speaking pattern “Alrigh, lads wah we got in the ways of munitions and pony power?”

The sheriff rolled a bullet to Trouble a small rifle round, Trouble palmed it and rolled it in his hooves the Sheriff spoke “I can roun up maybe a posse of two dozen and we got three dozen rifles that fire that round and plenty o’ ammo.”

Trouble was further inspecting the round “This round has been recycled.” He bluntly observed.

“You got keen eyes mister, uh Trouble we got two fine weapon smiths in town but not a lot in the way of weapons.”

“Here kid show us a round your rifle there would ya?” he held out is hoof in her direction as she telekinetically slipped a round from Bad News from one of her 4 remaining full magazines and placed it in his hooves it was almost twice the size of the Sheriffs.

Trouble held the two rounds erect in his hooves he raised Bad News’ round which her Pip-Buck helpfully instructed her it was a .338 calibre round.

As he raised the .338 he declared “This round ‘ere can only punch it’s way through one of dem cunts visors wah makes you think your rounds can hurt em?”

There was nervous glances exchanged at the table the sheriff spoke “Well what do you…recommend?” Struggling for the appropriate word.

“You boys said ya got weapon smiths in the town ah? Wah bout blast powder, wah you got in he way of demolitions?” Dawn was confused of what he said, ah? As in I oh right I, aye as in Yes? She patted herself on the back for being able to bang rocks together.

“We got plenty o’ blast powder no demolitions though.” The sheriff was keen to now where this was going.

“Have your smiths take out a wee bit of gunpowder and replace it with blasting powder, and ya have yourself tha most basic of high velocity rounds buh it should do ya.”

Trouble threw Dawn her cartridge back for Bad News she reinserted it into her magazine she was concerned over her low ammo she only had 2 full magazines left for Amigo which the Pip Buck labelled as .50(Magnum) maybe it was as easy as going into a store and asking for it.

The sheriff leaned into the ear of one of his subordinates and whispered for him to get the ammo to the weapon smiths.

“I’m supposing you lot are firing from repeaters yeah?” the sheriff nodded.

“Right.” Trouble stroked his chin “I’ll help you, buh the ranger is absolved got it?”

The sheriff looked at Trouble and sighed “We can’t do that.” He told him.

“Why not?” Trouble shot back he’s request was simple.

“She’s a traitor to the rangers traitors get executed, every pony knows that.” As if it was written in stone.

Trouble pointed a finger over to Night Light who was deep in thinking over the sheriff’s words and he started laughing the sheriff after a while interrupted his laughing.

“What’s so funny bout treason?”

“Treason!” Trouble boisterously exclaimed.

“She’s the only fucken one of them cunts who stayed! The rest of em fucked off left ya to rot! You fink Starsky is coming back? He’s already fucken dead! two hundred rangers went up there three months ago! They arrived two months ago and already over eighty are dead! She’s the only one who isn’t a fucken traitor and as far as I’m concerned the rangers desertedmonths ago and their all being slowly executed one by one now by the fucking Griffins no less!”

The congregation shot out of their seats taking offence .Dawn and Trouble remained seated. Night Light was glaring at Trouble not sure to be flattered or infuriated. Dawn was terrified being stared down by a dozen armed ponies inside their town. Trouble sat there scowling when he reached into his duster and drank from his flask. Dawn shuddered when she seen it, she could never look at it as just a flask ever since Trouble burned off that purists face.

He lit a smoke as well. The sheriff and his subordinates staring at him offended then Sheriff Cedro spoke up and pointed a hoof at Night Light “She’s a traitor! And she’ll hang!” he shouted.

“Sit The Fuck Down or I’ll save The Purists the bother!” the sheriff dropped his offensive shocked, as if he remembered that Trouble was trying to help. Dawn was yet to understand why he was so respected, the sheriff beckoned for the rest of his ponies to sit down.

“And the only fuckin reason I’m helping ya is cuz I’m doin it as a favor for the fuckin ranger! If you so much as chamber a round within a mile of her I’ll fuckin kill every one of ya.”

Night Light looked somehow offended and flattered at the same time.

“Alright Trouble we all know what you’ve done and we know you’re a very serious pony when it comes to kills, she lives but she’s stayin for the fighting.”

“I never planned not to be here for the fighting sheriff.” Night Light chipped in.

“Alrigh here’s the plan.” Trouble announced. He stood up and began to walk around the table.

“You boys got blast powder and as well as that any ammo you can give the kid there or the ranger would be appreciated, they’re comin from tha mountain fair nuff, four dozen of em.”

“Five dozen.” Deputy Beltron corrected.

“Four actually, we killed a dozen in our way in.” Trouble casually corrected the deputies bust into chatter amongst themselves the sheriff silenced them with his hoof.

“What are we going to do about them?”

“You have twenty odd ponies at your disposal they have twice that and four times the fire power, but they have two weaknesses we need ta exploit they’re pride and they’re slowness.”

“You gotta aim fir the visor. Only things your bullets can pierce or if your lucky you can lock their armor with a well placed shot to the head anyway.”

“What do you mean lock their armor?”

“We discovered when Dawn here,” he gestured towards her “Shot one of them purists in the head it disabled his helmet which controls his armor. It locks it, becomes a prison they cant use them machine guns they can’t do anything except hope their friends live long enough to get them out.”

“You said their weaknesses were what?”

“Their pride, they will only attack head on and predictably if we play smart we can use that and they are so slow in all that armor. It may be stronger than steel ranger armor but that doesn’t mean its as advanced.”

“They move at a snails pace their LMG’s are our main concern.”

“Them boys got light machine guns?” the sheriff anxiously said.

“Two on each pony, belt fed capable I’m guessin of round 1200 rounds a minute per gun and there is forty-eight of em left.”

“Sweet fucking Luna.” The sheriff said.

“Now we are gonna set up phase lines around the town split your ponies up into suitable positions and sturdy cover and pray, these are heavy shock troopers they are some mean sons of bitches.”

Trouble was walking through the town barking orders at the ponies That the sheriff had round up. They were about half way through setting up the defences. The town had transformed into a makeshift fort within no time, sand bags and makeshift cover was everywhere.

Trouble kept looking over to the mountain where they were due to attack from. Dawn and Night Light followed him not sure what to do.

“Alrigh you three take up spots in that balcony! And Bullets don’t grow on trees for Fucks sake!”

“As for you four! Keep low at the cordon with the other four ponies! We need a tight main front!”

all this time ordering on the move he was advancing to the saloon. As he was at the door he turned to the sheriff “Right sheriff you take her from here I’m gonna grab some rest for later, remember the plan.” As he tapped him on the nose he stumbled inside the place was nearly empty now.

It was murky and rusted. Inside a rotted wooden bar stood at the far wall of the room. Old furniture lay around the room with decks of cards abandoned and empty glasses at them. It appeared over half of the town’s population was chipping in for the defence which left them with about 45 or so ponies poorly armed.

Trouble pulled up at the bar and behind it cleaning a glass was a gray pony with a blue mane the pony serving spoke in an accent that bore resemblance to Trouble’s only much thicker as Trouble exhaled when he sat at the bar did the pony look up.

“Howya Trouble, I see ya dun brough doewn a lawd a fuckin wrath upon tis ere town.”

Trouble responded in their cryptic accent.

“Nah, shure ya know betta than tha Razey, is dem fuckin purists, dis ere town wah be fucked wivout mah.”

The bar pony looked at Night Light and Dawn as usual not much time was spent looking at Dawn but at either the Ranger or Trouble.

“Wahs da story wiv these boyce? Sure tha one thar is a fuckin ranger.”

“Gawd Razey is a laong story righ?”

“Awrigh, fuck me like.” Razey replied

“Giss sum o-dat special brew ya’s got down bee-low ah?

Razey nodded and walked into the back room.

Dawn and Night Light exchanged looks befuddled they hadn’t a clue at what was being said Trouble looked at them and said “Wah? Am I not allowed to have mates from the same place I’m from?”

Night Light spoke to him now since this is the first time they technically had alone

“Trouble, I’m really sorry about this but,” Trouble cut her off.

“Buh fuckin nuffin, ya somehow roped me inta killin roun fifty angels for a bunch of townies unless ya got about a hundred grand in caps we’re at an impasse.”

Dawn spoke up now trying to defuse the hostility “What’s with that other pony Razey right?”

Trouble’s harsh face broke into a casual friendly one “Aye, he’s from Bally na Poni the accent there takes a lil getting used ta.” That was an understatement.

The pony known as Razey re-emerged from the back room carrying a bottle of some golden liquid he poured out 3 double shots Night Light moved to the bar as did Dawn copying her companions. Trouble lifted his glass “Here’s to the fallen.” He downed his shot then Night Light and finally Dawn. she embarrassingly coughed hard after. It tasted like acid, felt like acid going down as well.

It was night now. Night Light and Trouble already powered through an entire bottle of the stuff running up a steep cost of 200 caps Dawn was content with just water the two were shoulder to shoulder having a drunken sung Dawn was getting sick of it.

All this time she sat there quiet, not fitting in. Just thinking about it all. Not listening to whatever they were jabbering on about.

Razey was drunk as well Trouble bought him drinks despite him owning the saloon.

He often joined in with an indecipherable wise crack or with the singing.

“Buddy, you’re a colt make a big noise playin in tha street gonna be a big pony some day you got mud on yo face ya big disgrace kickin yo can all ova the place singin.”

they sung in unison then they began to stamp in a rhythm something about it Dawn found very appealing if performed professionally it would be quite a song. Razey hummed along too drunk to actually sing.

“We will, we will, rock you! Everypony! We will, we will rock you!”

While they sung Trouble raised the empty glass bottle over his head. Dawn seen all the scratches his exoskeleton left on it. Her cheek started burning where he had slapped her, damn those things were sharp.

Dawn was caught up still in her thoughts. This Ranger Night Light was at best a nuisance to Dawn, she hardly even spoke to her. The bitch somehow got her roped into all this town defense crap when neither her or Trouble wanted to be there. And now she was coming to New Pegas with them. Dawn wondered what did the purists mean when they said they were going to purify somewhere.

They all woke up in the corner they fell asleep in, Razey was still asleep behind the bar Dawn shook herself awake Trouble and Night Light were fast asleep still resting against each other Dawn looked out the window. The town was in turmoil.

All the citizens were running around with firearms in tow the sheriff’s deputies barking orders holding their repeaters. The sheriff himself burst into the bar, the slamming of the door and the pounding of it against the wall shot Razey out of sleep with a yelp as he fell out of his chair. The yelp woke Night Light and Trouble.

Night Light clutched her head in pain. Dawn could only imagine the pain her head was in after a night of the stuff they were drinking. Dawn was smart enough to spare herself, the sheriff rushed over to Trouble who was trying to compose himself.

“Trouble you need to see this.” The sheriff grabbed Trouble and led him to the door and pointed him towards the hill Dawn ran out after them.

Oh Shit. On the hill to the east around 40 white clad super sized ponies, armed to the teeth with those fear inducing machine guns. The townsfolk were set up behind dense makeshift cover from hunks of concrete and sandbags ranging from frontier style Cow ponies with repeating rifles to ragged and rough townsfolk with small revolvers.

Night Light ran out to join them freezing at the spectacle on the hill. Her jaw dropped the hill was littered with lines of near bullet proof ponies.

“Mister Trouble, if we survive this we can’t really com-pen-sate you for yer services…” The sheriff slowly said, he was transfixed by the angels.

“It’s grand sheriff, the ranger will see to that.” Dawn could have sworn she heard Night Light gulp.

A trumpet echoed over the town followed by a booming voice “PONIES OF MARIZONA YOUR BECKONING HAS COME YOU CAN ACCEPT US AND WE CAN PURIFY YOU OR YOU CAN PERISH LAY DOWN YOUR ARMS!!!”

The sheriff’s deputies kept glancing back and forth between him and the angels and the sheriff was looking to Trouble. Trouble kept his eyes riveted on the hillside waiting to see what their next move was.

“Lock and load, sheriff it’s gonna be one long day.” The sheriff signalled his men to move up he cocked his rifle and ran on.

Razey appeared next to Trouble with 2 blow back .45 pistols “Ya’know Trouble, ya donn havh hta do this.”

“Well Razey they can’t get by with jus you.” Razey sprinted into the corner of a building his pistols raised next to him in magical tendrils. He waited at the junction in the T.

Waiting.

Night Light ran off somewhere without Dawn noticing.

Trouble rubbed his sleeve against his nose and spoke to Dawn next.

“Kid, get on top of there and keep your head down, save your ammo, bullets don’t grow on trees and there is a radio up there stay in touch.” He gestured towards the saloon’s roof some sandbags were erect with a small gap between them and makeshift scaffolding leading up to it.

She arrived on the roof the sun obscuring her vision she set up the bipod in the gap between the sand bags and took deliberate aim for the centre pony’s visor where she guessed the voice was coming from on his helmet.

Night Light was set up on a solitary position on a roof on the periphery of town closest to the hill. Across from her on a different rooftop a group of 4 with repeaters. The rest of the repeater ponies were set up down by the sandbags with the sheriff and Trouble, who was now wearing his intimidating helmet.

A small rectangular radio with a large antenna and speaker began to buzz. Trouble’s voice came through “Kid ya copy? What about you, ranger?” Night Light had her radio pinned to her jacket “I copy.” Dawn felt it best to copy her more professional friends “Oh, Yeah I copy too.” She babbled out. Smooth.

There was a pregnant pause both sides never made a move besides the odd town pony fidgeting. The angels on the hill were majestically unwavering when Trouble’s voice buzzed through once more “Kid, take the shot.” Dawn didn’t bother responding she raised the scope to her eye.

Decisions. Decisions. Who is to die first?

She picked the middle pony, the speaker. When the said pony made another announcement “You have elected, death!” something was grim in the pony’s voice that echoed throughout the town.

Dawn gently rested the crosshair on his left eye slowly inhaling. She had all the time in the world. It felt right. She squeezed. the bullet soar through the air and blew open the left side of pony’s visor. It ricocheted around his skull not finding enough force to punch through the other end and shot back out the right side. Shredded grey matter oozed from the ponies visor getting caught up on the jagged glass shards.

The angels glanced at their fallen comrade all too slowly with their slow neck joints. When the front line began to advance at a walking pace. The width of their line exceeding the width of the road.

Their laser sights flickered on lighting up the town the remaining half of their force remained stationary.

The two sides erupted into a menacing crossfire thanks to Bad News’s flash suppressor the shooter remained in an undisclosed position. Night Light shot out of her cover and volleyed at the angels the spent cartridges skittering out of the receiver as they spat lead down range.

The angels trudged slowly towards the town sparks skimming and flying off their armor as a town barraged them.

Trouble and the main body were largely suppressed and Razey was yet to make a move. Dawn slipped into the logic defying land of S.A.T.S Her prey’s blue visor was painted. With a loud crack and a smoke plume the pony fell hard to the ground.

The ponies on the hill sent another dozen in behind their comrades leaving 8 or so on the Hill. But there was something different about these ponies their helmets had extra room on the top presumably for horns.

Trouble jumped from his sandbag cover leaning out of it. He fired some of his explosive shells their way causing flashes up on the hill but the subsequent explosions sent the follow up rounds off course falling short or going wide of their targets leaving most of the first line unscathed.

The sheriff’s ponies were not packing as heavy firepower in fact their fire power was minuscule in comparison to Trouble. So far even with their new high velocity rounds it was only denting the angel’s armor maybe with enough concentrated fire they could puncture it.

Trouble was switching magazines once more. Dawn hovered her scope over Trouble to see if this were a new colour and if so how did it violently dismember ponies. He looked up and spotted Dawn aiming at him and made a rude gesture at her. She got back to work it was only yellow, more explosives.

The second line of ponies began to open fire now. Twice the usual barrage was unbearable. Bullets were tearing through the buildings leaving beams of light surging through the dark buildings the sun was still only high enough to adequately illuminate the remaining 8 unicorn angels on the hill side. They were carrying something on their backs a satchel of some description.

The noise was unholy, the constant sound of an orchestra of machine guns firing over a 1000 rounds a minute and well over fifty machine guns was torture. It wreaked havoc on Dawn’s ability to aim it was so discombobulating.

The citizens of the town were beginning to take losses. A foolish colt broke from cover and fired his revolver wildly at the regulators. The rounds dinking off harmlessly against their armor. They focused on him shredding the poor bastard to pieces almost carving his torso in two. When a young mare run out towards his body and tried pulling him back by the mane. The angels perforated her leaving a trail of 20 holes along her carcass.

Trouble volleyed at them once more killing another 2 decapitating one with a lucky shot. Ripped off at the neck his head lolled out still intact with an aghast expression on it.

Dawn smote 3 more with well placed shots and stopped for a mag switch she glanced over at Night Light who was finally successful in killing a regulator leaving a trail of small holes in the visor.

Dawn was on about 30 rounds of ammo left for her rifle. Night Light kept looking at her Valkyrie her magazines were transparent.

The front line was reduced to little more than 4 spread out angels. But the second line were nearly half way to town every pony focused fire on the remaining first wave. Hammering their armor eventually ripping through felling the final four little more than 100 yards outside of town.

The second line were running at full capacity 20 ponies with 8 left on the hill still waiting. Dawn realised the first wave were little more than scapegoats something to use to move up the central body, what a squander of life.

Dawn began to work on the second line she started from left to right her accuracy was getting worse, her sight picture was shaky. It was her nerves. They were giving out again. She let go of her rifle and lay flat behind the sand bags the angels hadn’t even shot at her yet and she was trembling. Maybe it was the fear of having those guns hit her again. She was hyperventilating her chest rose and fell rapidly. Everything was jittery when she looked over to the radio a small head was sticking out from behind it.

Dawn slid it out. She sighed in relief. Jet, Trouble seen something going awry and stashed it here she hastily removed the cap and stabbed herself in the hoof with it.

She moaned in Ecstasy. Relaxation crept across her body but not before the world flashed red around her she began to drift off but then.

She was wired. Her internals went into overkill, her heartbeat must have tripled. Her movements sharp and precise she rolled over to Bad News and once she peered down the scope time slowed. it was moving at half the usual pace her breathing drastically steadied.

She blew out the visors of four more ponies consecutively in 1-second intervals 7 rounds in 4 seconds not efficient but very effective. Their line was thinned to about 13. But blood was building at the town’s barricade. Most of the sheriffs 2 dozen ponies were dead. Those in strategic positions on balconies were dead. In fact they were the first to be targeted.

It was just Dawn and Night Light who remained on the vantage points every other pony was lying in a pool of their own blood or that of their friends. Friendship in bloodbaths.

Night Light was being soloed out 4 or more Angels have their guns strained on her spitting out lead at super speeds. She ducked low most bounced off her solid cover or flew past her head. A bullet whizzed through the crown of her hat jettisoning it off the side of the building. Night Light noticed and collapsed behind her cover shitting herself.

Trouble and the sheriff were in a word. Fucked. Most of the town’s ponies had fled for their lives many of which getting mowed down in the process maybe 2 score remained in the town cowering somewhere there was little more than 12 defenders at the barricade and they were being hit hard.

Most of the inexperienced ponies were frozen rigid with fear too afraid to die and one bleeding to death begging his comrades to finish him off too afraid to live.

Razey peered out now from his cover now pistols in tow the angels were 70 yard out now he galloped up to the barricade blasting his pistols in sync the bullets tearing through the angels ranks slaughtering 2 more. He crashed next to Trouble and reloaded and nodded in affirmation and he pulled a black metallic mask with a tinted black visor and mouth piece out from some unseen place and fastened it around his face.

Razey, Trouble and the sheriffs remaining ponies bombarded the angels to minimum effect Razey was scoring kill shots like never before.

Now the angels were done to maybe 10 on the second line 8 on top of the hill Dawn glanced up at them only to see they were looking right at her. Literally glancing at her looking right down the scope Trouble looked over to her the sun was rising high now her scope was giving off hell of a glint. Trouble waved her down and through the radio “Your Scope! Hide The Fuckin Scope!” Night Light was still pinned down across the way her cover was getting ropey.

The 8 on the hill removed the satchels from their backs and took out from them long cylindrical tubes. With plenty of oddly shaped objects. they erected the tubes with their magic and dropped the objects into them and with a deafening pop and an echo the objects erupted from the tube and towered into the sky and began a descendant with a loud whistling noise.

“MORTARS!!!” Trouble roared through the radio “KID GET OFF THE FUCKIN ROOF!!!” Dawn averted her eyes to the sky. The keenness Jet gave her could distinguish smoke trails.

They were right above her head Night Light jumped from the roof she was on and tumbled onto the ground and reclaimed her filthy hat. Dawn hesitated, the mortars fell from the sky right on top of her surging her high into the air the saloon exploding sending debris, flames and shrapnel everywhere the liquor inside ignited blowing out the first floor with a purging blue flame. She barrelled though the air everything around her was red. Her head was spinning uncontrollably about. She was disorientated she remembers spinning though the air and slapping the ground with a hard thud followed by a crack.

Dawn rolled onto her back. She was breathing shallowly. Her eyes looking straight towards the sky, her head wouldn’t move for her. The Jet kept her organs running at full speed but not much else was working. One of her hooves was definitely broke every part of her was in agony. The whole right side of her body was nearly engulfed in the blast the other side she landed on was not much better. Night Light darted over to her the town was in flames the bombardment hadn’t ceased everypony was retreating or fleeing for their lives. The barricade was in smithereens this situation was fucked.

Night Light slapped her on the cheek trying to rouse her motionless body “Come on Black not now!” she began dragging her with one hoof. Dawn’s head lolled downwards she seen Trouble and what was left of the sheriff’s ponies and Razey running for dear life towards them outstripping a hail of bullets.

“Shite c’mon ta fuck Trouble we’s gots tha a fuckin town ta save!” Razey said after removing his mask, Trouble replied more concerned with Black he rushed over to her and took out 2 healing potions that were at the ready and tipped them into her mouth she was too weak to object.

The potions shot a meagre amount of life into her with a jolt. Her body was jump started she could operate her joints again. She looked to her right fore-hoof, jagged pieces of shrapnel were jutting out of it in a spiral. She couldn’t raise it at all. What she seen was Trouble put his hoof against it and with a quick “Sorry.” He yanked them out. The spiral ripped free Dawn let out a heart-rending cry it was the most painful thing she had ever experienced. Hot metal being ripped from her body tearing even more on the way out. As crimson flowed from where it was lodged down her hoof coating it red. She saw her Pip-Bucks screen.

It showed a rather unhappy pony with suave hair and in a jumpsuit he looked in pain it read percentages around the different part of his body.

Head: 47% Concussion

Troso: 45% 2 Broken Ribs

Right Fore hoof: 2% Crippled

Left Fore hoof: 56% Sprain

Right Hind hoof: 70%

Left Hind hoof: 38% Fracture

Fuck, the healing potions had boosted what the numbers were. And they were steadily improving. Medicine takes time to work after all. She could breathe again but that only intensified the pain. Mortars rained from the sky the second line couldn’t get a clear shot there was too much smoke. The towns people were either bits on the ground or running south towards the Ponave desert. Night Light and Trouble dragged Dawn into some shelter and in the shelter there was Razey the sheriff and 6 others.

They rested Dawn’s back against the wall and let her rest.

Dawn could stand again but she choose not to. Bad News was in a bad way. The scope was smashed. The magazine mangled it’s a miracle the receiver was intact but it was jammed with a bent cartridge.

She could hardly move but still Jet was helping. She sat there propped against a corner while they were arguing amongst each other. Trouble didn’t bother himself with their squabbling Razey did with the sheriff and his ponies as did Night Light.

Trouble got in close with her. Dawn’s breathing had steadied she was about ready to get back on her hooves just the pain pinned her down. He was face to face with her crouched down the mortars pelting down like rainfall outside their little hovel which was nothing more than a two story reinforced concrete building. the only structure capable of taking this kind of shelling. It must have been a mechanic’s workshop, sure felt like it.

He took off his mask and took a swig of his flask and forced it into Dawn’s mouth she didn’t resist even though he knew she thought it tasted like mutant piss from when they first met.

“A lil something fir the pain, eh?” that’s not the first time he’s said that to her.

The drink like before really did numb the pain though it didn’t mix well with the Jet.

Dawn liked Trouble, he knew how to comfort a pony. While they were all arguing about Celestia knows what he was keeping her company. Looking after her.

She got to her hooves. The argument ended Trouble inspected Bad News and sighed “I’ll sort this out later.” He muttered and gently placed it back.

“Razey got any ideas?” Trouble asked the indecipherable pony.

“Ah, do indeed.” Razey replied

“What-the-fuck are you asking him for?” the sheriff butted in trying to take control of the situation.

“He’s just owns a fucking saloon.” He spat at Razey with contempt and disrespect.

Trouble slapped the sheriff hard knocking the hat off his head. The sheriff’s deputies raised guns to Trouble. Dawn noticied that the handsome bronze deputy Beltron was not among them. The sheriff clenched at his bleeding cheek he hit him a lot harder than he did Dawn when ‘she was out of line.’

“That’s the fucking Eraser your talking ta! Razey? Eraser? Fuck sake Razey I thought ya woulda told some pony!” Razey sighed.

Dawn felt it wasn’t the time for a fucking reunion party. The sheriff though was shitting himself on the ground. He should have gotten up a long time ago.

Night Light had a stupified agape face on her. This must be one of them wasteland legends scary sounding ain’t it? “The Eraser.” Dawn had to wonder who the pencil is. Or maybe that was just the Jet and alcohol speaking.

The other ponies lowered their guns and Razey spoke “Fir Fucks sake Trouble why ya gon dun tha now?”

“Enough Bullshitting Lads, we got angels to kill.” Trouble retorted.

The sheriff was in disbelief “Razey I had no idea,”

“Well, too fucken late fir tha now annait.”

Razey took hold of the situation reloading his pistols Night Light who was quiet until now reloaded as well.

“Neow, Lads, we’re furty-fuor shades o fucked righ now, Sheriff you nd your lads git outta ere meself nd Trouble will sort this out. Head one mile south roun up the civies I’ll cach up wiv ya’s” with a nod the sheriff and his remaining six ponies galloped out from cover and south to follow the band of refugees. The smoke from the mortars masked the town now outside their shelter was little more than a white haze.

Razey refitted his mask which drastically altered his voice “Here is the plan, we charge out there like the fearless fuckers we are and wipe them out.” Simple. Dawn wherever her head was. It was in a happier place. She was hardly conscious, the concussion made her head throb painlessly since the painkillers were working so fucking well.

Trouble and Razey went outside. Trouble told Night Light to stay behind look after Dawn. The remaining angels were already inside the town the unicorns ceased their bombardment on those conditions alone.

There was maybe 10 in the town. Holy fuck not far from where they were those angels will be flying blind or not. Those visors might actually have a secondary function. Turns out they didn’t. Whereas Trouble and Razey’s visors actually worked.

The two skulked up opposite ends of the road. The debris which the mortars created made the town tricky to maneouveur. They angel’s formation moving into town had splintered they were wandering aimlessly clumsily against the rubble they created.

Trouble unsheathed his knife “Relentless” and his axe. The two snuck up to their own prey. The angels were oblivious to this. Razey jammed his pistols into the face of an angel and smoked them with a double shot. The angels were at a major disadvantage, they were too blind and too slow for this lightning war.

While Razey killed his angel Trouble was face to face with his. He yanked the helmet off the pony revealing a young mare she let out a scream for help just before Trouble buried his axe between her eyes. He jumped back out disappearing into the smoke and dust.

The other angels fired blindly into the cloud before them. Razey and Trouble skulked low crawling up on their bellies. Razey let loose 3 more double shots felling 3 more angels. They spotted the flashes in the cloud and fired at him but he was already somewhere else in the fog.

Trouble approached another one from the side. He lifted the pony up on to it’s hindlegs the angel panicking started blindly firing into the air the other angels let loose some more random volleys out of fear. He threw the pony to the ground and pulled off their helmet.

With the appearance of a scared sapphire blue stallion the machine gun fire ceased. Before the pony had the wits to scream in terror Trouble broke the pony’s neck with a swift buck to the throat.

The angels finally formed a circle by backing into one another their metallic rumps linking them up. They fired in sync, spray and pray their most common tactic. Trouble and Razey were ghosts. No pony could see them. But they were there.

The unicorns on the hill were still holding fire. Dawn and Night Light were still in the building Dawn felt an overwhelming urge to laugh but hadn’t the faintest idea as to why.

Night Light sat in the far corner with a concerned look stroking her Valkyrie and wearing her ruined hat.

The angels fired and fired but hit nothing. They ceased after nearly a whole minute of deafening machine gun fire spent cartridges in a small mound around them acting like slippery ice.

Razey jumped from a hunk of rubble firing his pistols in unison killing 3 more almost immediately. The circle was dwindling down to 5 now while Razey lay down fire Trouble charged in with his blades letting out a battle cry.

He charged one plunging his knife through their visor. He spun the pony around using it as a shield for the oncoming fire the lingering 4 unleashed the full wrath of their machine guns on Trouble or rather his shield. Razey scored another kill thanks to this diversion and he galloped off towards the hill leaving Trouble to wipe out the last of the second line the angel’s bullets ricocheted off his meat shields armor.

The angel’s machine guns were glowing soft red. Their rate of fire slowed and slowed and slowed.

Until there was nothing more than a soft tapping noise of an overworked hammer of a machine gun.

He dropped his meat shield it bounced off the ground with a loud clang the bullets lodged in its armor falling out with soft dings. The angels pressed their machine guns but they were still cooling Trouble threw his hooves on one of their helmets ripped it off and hacked the jaw off the pony who was wearing it with his axe. The pony let out a loud gurgling noise and Trouble finished him with a knife through his eye.

The next pony he came upon tried rearing up but the armor hampered her too much. He swung his axe through her visor smashing it. Not killing her she let out screams as she was blinded Trouble yanked out his fluid covered axe spun it in his hooves and used the spike behind the head and finished her off driving it deeper into her skull deeper than the head of the axe could reach.

The pony’s screams ceased the remaining two were terrified one tried to flee and slipped on the spent bullets that lay scattered on the ground. The pony landed face first on the ground in a comically slow fashion. Trouble let out a maniacal laugh through his helmet and slowly paced towards the one stupid enough to just freeze up. Trouble pinned this pony to the ground with a pounce and jerked off the helmet revealing a colt little more than one anyway. He had been crying behind his helmet.

“Please, I didn’t ask for this…” the colt coughed out. There was no air in the smoke cloud. Trouble brought his knife to the colts throat. The colt didn’t object he merely began to cry Trouble was doing this too slowly when suddenly “BANG”

Trouble shot a look in the direction of the shot. It was Dawn with Amigo she fired a shot in the air and was now pointing it at Trouble covering her mouth with a rag.

“Dhn’t hdo iht Throuble, ohr I’hll Blhast h-h you.” She was woozy. She could hardly stand that smoke corrupting her lungs she could stand for maybe another 30 seconds. He knew she was delirious, trying to force him to spare his life.

“Kid, only for you. But he’s your problem” He took the bottom of his knife and smacked it hard against the colt’s head knocking him out. He went over to the angel who was trying to stand up after falling. He stood over the pony’s back and took the helmet off he was met with

“AHHH PLEASE DON’T I’LL DO ANYTHING JUST DON’T KILL ME PLEASE!!!” the pony was shaking his head wildly thrashing harmlessly on the ground Trouble spoke gently to this pony.

“Shame, warriors don’t beg for their lives.” He clutched the pony’s head amd forced it against the ground. The pony continued his whaling Trouble carved the pony’s neck moving the knife up and down his neck in quick jerks sanguine pouring from the carving.

Dawn dropped the rag “TROUBLE WHY?!?!” she let off a shot. She missed widely and collapsed. Passed out on the ground the last thing she seen was Trouble kicking Amigo away from her as she drifted into unconsciousness.

Dawn awoke. The sun was setting outside. She was in the place they used for shelter. Razey, the sheriff and a few other ponies were wandering about trying to salvage what they could.

Night Light was watching over her “Trouble she’s waking up!” Trouble came into view.

Dawn’s head was in shambles. She could hardly think or see for that matter. Every part of her ached and she had the worst headache she’s ever had. She lay there in her own bedroll covered in her own sweat. Blurry eyed as Trouble as came into view.

“Ya know kid; I never had you figured for a pony of the people.” Dawn thought he’d be furious “Weird thing ya done, putting a gun to me head tellin mah to let the bastard live.”

Night Light butted in “Go easy Trouble, she’s been through a lot today.” That beautiful voice of hers could talk a wall into crumbling. Trouble though was a lot smarter than a wall, scarier too.

“I will, she’s earned her first proper scars today, I’m proud of her.” He lifted her hoof up so she could see. Her eyes widened. There were a spiral of white scars on her right fore hoof where Trouble pulled the shrapnel from. They were in a word “Earned.”

She didn’t hate them. In fact she kind of liked them besides what could she do about them. They were pretty deep, pretty torn up. She noticed the scars were the same colour as those underneath Troubles right eye white and rippling. So Trouble took a face full of shrapnel it seems.

“Ha-ha but kid, never point a gun at me like that again.” He cautioned her.

Dawn spoke up her throat felt like it was sandpapered. Though so she kept it short “Water…” Night Light hovered out a canteen and slid it over to her Dawn was starting to recuperate a meagre amount of strength. She wrapped the canteen in a faint glow and drank. She never thought water could taste that good every drip made a physical change to her body it was a magnificent feeling.

Now she could talk she only had one question on her mind “What happened to that pony you let live?” she had to know was it in vain.

“The pony you saved ya mean, he’s grand nuff I suppose helping the sheriff, took forever to get him out of that armor though.” Dawn felt relief wash over her body. Trouble was going to kill him and he didn’t seem bothered by him walking around, she couldn’t tell if he was really cold or really warm hearted.

Night Light spoke up now “Sheriff! Come here!” sheriff Cedro came over to the band as did Razey faces covered in filth, dust and blood.

“Yeah, miss ranger?” The sheriff politely said.

“What now, for the town I mean?” there was concern in her voice. She had a point all the surviving ponies had nowhere to go. Their houses were demolished and who’s to say the Angels won’t come back with a bigger force.

“Mister Razey here proposed that we become, er what you say they were called?”

“Travellers, we’s be off wandirin da roads hey, like the gypsies up roun Monaneigh hey, fucken quik finkin hey, we loot these fuckers guns, whael deel em on, their worth a fucken fortune.” Razey seemed pleased with his own ingenuity.

“Like a permanent caravan. Not much left for us here, those of us that are still alive we’ll wander sell on these guns maybe in time set up somewhere else, as long as we got the Eraser that is.” The sheriff signed off on.

Night Light spoke up “It’s about time the Eraser made a comeback,”

Razey took over “Nah, The Eraser wasz a bad fella, we’re gonna nead a raisin fir ponies nah to fuk wiv us The Eraser is it but when this is all over I’m still Razey.”

Dawn noticed now how Razey was dressed. Not the same casual way he was in the saloon now he was clad in black combat armor wearing his pistols across his chest in leather holsters he was quite scary looking now.

Dawn passed out again her head was defunct. Running on minimum capability when she woke it was dark outside. Ponies walked around with lamps burning bright white. Dawn felt much better than she did earlier. Her body was ready to function again she checked her Pip-Buck once more she looked at the map feature it read Marizona Springs (Ruins) how did it know that?

She then checked her vital signs on it her concussion was all but gone her right fore hoof from a 2% went up to a 40% maybe that was from the bandages that were applied when she passed out the second time.

Trouble came into the room with the colt that he was going to kill outside of the smoke cloud he had a maroon coat slightly darker than Trouble’s and a purple mane and outside his armor his cutie mark was well an anvil.

The pony approached Dawn and started to speak “T-Thanks for you know, I’m Screws.” He put out his hoof.

Dawn shook it softly he was happy to be alive but he wasn’t ready to try his luck.

“Screws ere says that the purists have actual opposition, the ponies over at Phoenix are putting up hell ova fight they even hired a Pegasus merc.”

“Pegasus?” Dawn asked back she was taught all pegasi were long sine dead.

Trouble spoke back Screws backed away from him “Ah, got kicked out of the enclave this one, dangerous fucker if ya believe what they’re sayin bout him.”

A couple questions whirled around Dawn’s head like who the fuck are the enclave? And where the fuck is Phoenix? She went with the latter.

“Where’s this Phoenix?” she asked.

Trouble answered but first he said “Screws the ponies down there will get better use of you than we will besides I wanna have words with her alone.” Screws sheepishly nodded and wandered outside.

“Phoenix is north of here closer to Germaney, its home to an organized crime syndicate known as the Prodigies. Jus a name though most of them are fuckin dumber than a bag of hammers, but they basically own a city well the ruins of one anyway. It’s a centre of trade they got three water talismans fuckin three!”

Dawn knew the significance of water out here nothing lives without water.

“Kid, you got a lot to learn, I’m here to make it easier so is Night Light. I fixed your rifle but the scope had to go.” He gestured to the wall there it was polished and cleaned magazine had been removed must have been unsalvageable but other than a missing magazine and scope the gun was immaculate.

“C’mon kid, get some more sleep we’re leaving for New Pegas in the morning oh and I got you a present!”

This roused Dawn’s attention but she was sort of let down when he unveiled a scavenged machine gun but she was once told never look a gift psychotic mercenary pony in the mouth.

Footnote: Level Up!

New Perk: Finesse – You’re Proficiency in combat is outstanding! From now you have a +5% chance of scoring a critical hit

Chapter 10: The Pony with the Harmonica

(A quick note: for this chapter I’m experimenting there is a link in this chapter to some music, give me feedback on what you think, p.s have some earphones ready, love –PistolWhip)

Chapter 10: The Pony with the Harmonica

The figure stood up again not sure how to react,"Fuck kid, you're lucky to be alive. What do you know about trouble before he became Trouble" He's been asking an awful lot about Trouble, Dawn thought to herself, more than any other pony.

“I don’t know his name, all I know is he was with the Death Dealers” Dawn explained.

“Almost every pony knows that. I know his name but truth be told, that pony is long dead, and Trouble is probably dead too.” The figure must have had bad history with Trouble..

“What do you mean?” the figure wasn’t making much sense.

“He was many things; a friend, a fair pony. But Trouble, the early days for Trouble were the worst trying to make a name for himself doing shit the raiders would deem sick.” The figure had remorse in his voice or maybe resentment Dawn couldn’t tell.

Dawn wanted to know how this figure knew so much about Trouble. But something else was eating at her “What’s your name?” the figure stopped pacing.

He took umbrage to this question as if she insulted him “None of your concern. Now what happened after Marizona Springs? You headed south Right?” The figure was looming over her trying to scare her or so she thought.

Yeah, south. Eventually, some bad things happened. We heard this story on the radio about this courier who was raising hell in the Ponave. Brought down two dozen raiders and blew the place sky high just to rescue some hostages. I thought there was actual good in the Ponave. Turns out he was a lone light.”

The figure took his seat once more and the story resumed.

Dawn awoke in the morning, her head feeling clearer than it's ever been for the last two days. She stretched vigorously, getting several cracks from her body before she laid out Bad News before her. Without the scope, it looked nothing more than a beefy assault rifle. The machine gun Trouble salvaged wasn't belt fed, instead it had a drum magazine with plenty enough bullets all the same. She counted two magazines left for each of her guns Bad News and Amigo.

She hoisted the machine gun onto her back. The thing was downright twice as heavy as Bad News, but she was able to manage the weight. When she wandered outside, the town was a dreadful sight. Ponies filtered through the ruins of their homes, searching for belongings that may have survived.

She spotted two fillies pulling at the blood spattered corpse of a mare. They were sisters, crying out for their momma as their father tried to pry them away from her body. Unable to stand seeing them like this, Dawn approached the father and handed them four bags of her pay, each pouch amounting a quarter of a thousand caps. But the further she went onwards she encountered more ponies pining over lost loved ones. She gave them what she could. One bag of her pay was more than enough to proved a months worth of food for a small family. By the time she gave another thousand caps to a mother and foal morning the loss of her husband and son, she was down to less than five thousand caps.But it felt wrong doing nothing.

Trouble appeared next to Dawn, "A wise pony once said, 'The best thing you can do is try and be victorious. The next best thing is go down in glorious defeat. And the worst thing a pony can do, is nothing at all." He smiled appreciatively at Dawn, making her feel a little better about that had transpired. No matter how dark the shroud is over Equestria, there's always a light penetrating the void.

In the centre of town the sheriff and his ponies were gearing up. Night Light and Razey casually chatting away, Night Light jumped to attention when she seen Trouble and Dawn approaching.

“Sheriff Cedro and Razey gave us enough water to make it through the Ponave, but the Buck Himself and Mister Ponave are both reporting new threats.” She informed as she approached the two she pivoted when she meet them and she fell into formation with Dawn and Trouble weird considering they were heading in that direction anyway

"You sure these ponies can afford giving away water at this time?" considering the state of the whole town, Dawn was concerned that they may need it more than it they do.

"Dawn, why the buck do you think they call it Marizona Springs?" Night Light answered in a jovial tone. "There's a fresh spring not far from here, no point setting up a town that can't survive." Yeah, but the town she grew up in calls itself Dry Town, the last thing Dawn would think they have is water which they didn’t. Not a very creative naming system in her opinion. and why let everypony know who have something they’re prepared to kill for?

The sheriff who was caught up in discussion with his remaining subordinates and sending ponies to help the wounded. Ofcourse no pony there had much medical aptitude except maybe Trouble or Night Light. Surely those rangers received something in the way of medical training.

The sheriff silenced the crowd and hired up the radio on a chunk of debris behind them he extended the aerial and the radio burst into life an elderly stallion with a suave and raspy voice came onto the radio.

“Good morning Marizona! I’m the buck himself reporting in for a quick update, the town of Marizona Springs was hit hard yesterday by a band of purists. The whole town was levelled but they still managed to buck their germane asses back across the bridge, with the help of none other than get this, a Ranger, Trouble and The Eraser now isn’t that what you call a wasteland dream team? Also all outstanding bounties placed on Gunnery Sergeant Night Light of the Marizona Rangers are here by withdrawn And finally some darker news,” the pony on the radio let out a long exasperated sigh.

“The town of VDNKh was reported to be hit by the Purists no word of yet how severe it was, but there are no refugees which means either it wasn’t so bad… or was really bad, now I’m leaving you with the music of Pinkie Floyd this is the buck himself signing off… Click”

Night Light pushed her way through the crowd to the sheriff pushing many ponies over furiously.

“Sheriff! Why The Fuck didn’t you tell me?! You fucking Asshole!” she finally reached the sheriff forcing him back over the ruins of a building shaking him. Smashing him with a headbutt to the nose breaking it with a loud crunch.

His subordinates went to restrain her she swung around unholstering her Valkyrie rifle jabbing the barrel in the face of the sheriff forcing it against his cheek “Why The Fuck Didn’t You Tell Me!? See Me Hang First Huh!? Nopony Make A Fucking Move!” Night Light now was a totally different pony. She was usually more level headed, more tactical.

The subordinates tightening in a circle around her one swung at her with his hooves she pivoted around grabbed the oncoming blow. Threw him on top of the petrified sheriff and knocked his teeth out with 3 sharp blows to the face with the butt of her Valkyrie. Sending shards of teeth and blood pouring from his mouth as he lapsed into unconsciousness, Night Light’s fury emanating from her face as she mercilessly beat the subordinate after he was knocked out in her fit of rage.

The rest of the sheriff’s subordinates went to restrain her. Razey slowly backing away declaring neutrality from the whole ordeal, she was pulled backwards falling under a sea of bucks from the sheriff’s ponies in a malicious attempt to hold her down.

She was kicking out frantically busting shins bruising ponies jaws letting out screams of rage. The subordinates barking out insults and orders to one another as two broke from the crowd to tend to the sheriff and the pony who she brutalised. there were a flurry of rifle butts and hooves smashing against her being which had disappeared into the sea of ponies but she was still conscious. Unfortunately for her.

The attack ceased with a loud bang. The sheriff and his ponies turned to face the direction of the blast, it was Trouble firing a double shot into the air with his revolvers. Every pony fell silent and dispersed from around Night Light showing a bloodied and bruised silver coated unicorn with a swollen face.

Night Light climbed off her side reclaimed her trampled Valkyrie she moved towards Trouble spitting the built up blood at the hooves of the sheriff’s ponies some snarling at her but not daring to try Trouble’s keenness when his weapons were drawn.

She fell in behind Trouble clutching at her ribs panting, blood slipping out from her lower lip Trouble spoke first addressing Night Light but not taking his eyes or guns for that matter off the sheriff Dawn has been all this time sheepishly disgruntled.

“Now, Ranger would you be so kind as to tell me why that had to happen?” he casually asked in a slightly snide manner feigning politeness in his voice.

Night Light continued the trend in which Trouble spoke in “Why good sir, that fine fellow of the peace a one sheriff Cedro failed to indulge me in the little detail that, my fucking home was attacked.” Anger rising in her voice on the last sentence.

Trouble put on a fake voice all this while and Night Light tried to as well Dawn could tell there was some social protocol being followed she didn’t quite understand. Trouble seemed all the more ridiculous with his feigned elitist voice while on his hind hooves and his war paint.

“Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. Now sheriff why would you go do a thing like that?” the sheriff chose to remain silent.

Night Light spoke now “This isn’t over Cedro we’ll meet again some day, til next time Eraser.” Razey nodded his head as Night Light turned and began to trot briskly away Trouble lowered his guns most of the crowd’s muscles relaxed from their tensed form scared rigid of Trouble.

Dawn finally followed Night Light and finally Trouble joined them smiling at the sheriff as he holstered his majestic revolvers.

He let out a soft chuckle as he left town.

The road ahead was derelict there was nothing for miles in front of them and only a smoking pile of ruins behind them.

Night Light since had refused one of Trouble’s healing potions but insisted on taking a large helping to his alcoholic brew. He said he couldn’t blame her Dawn was still curious as to why they’ve deviated from their designated route they were supposed to be headed south through the Ponave they were headed east from where the Angels attacked from up the steep hill Dawn felt it acceptable now to bring up the things befuddling her mind searching for clarity.

“Um, hey, Trouble?” she whispered out of earshot of Night Light who was falling behind

“Ah, kid wah?”

“Where are we going?” she felt like such an idiot for asking.

“VDKNh” he said it as if it were the capital of the world and it was obvious where they were going.

Weird name Dawn thought hard to pronounce Vadanke?

She pressed him further “How far away is Vandanke.”

Night Light answered her tone grim she could hear every word Dawn said embarrassingly “It’s pronounced Vid-De-en-Ka sped up, VDNKh, and its 4 hours from here give or take.” She didn’t sound all to pleased by it.

“Ranger we still need to have words about your behaviour of late.” Trouble reminded her in his business pony tone which he used also with the Good Pony.

Night Light grimly replied, “Oh, I know.” gently caressing her Valkyrie with an old cloth.

They eventually came to the top of the hill the unicorns manning the mortars corpses remained, stripped of any valuables their bodies in a neat little line at least the town’s ponies had the decency to close their eyes, what was left of them anyway. Dawn imagined Razey had to blow them out of their skulls. Dawn found it deeply disturbing to see an empty set of eye sockets level with you staring blankly at you, unnerving.

Up past the hill to the left of where they were was a small settlement sticking out from behind a mountain only the periphery of it was visible a few bright neon lights at the edge reading “VDNKh” Dawn couldn’t help but feel 4 hours was exaggerated.

“Seems quiet…” Trouble remarked, to few words for him.

“No travellers, no nothing, too quiet.” She still spoke in a grim melancholic tone.

Which was starting to eat at Dawn’s morale.

They walked in silence a sombre air about them no pony was really in the mood for idle banter there was a darkness above them one observation Dawn had made about out here was it was damn hot, everything was either burned or burning this sort of climate isn’t what she had come to expect outside the wall.

They’d reached level ground now Dawn seen the wispy air around them it was moving hard to describe, but the air in the distance and behind seemed as if you could just reach out and grab it.

In the distance a pony was spawned from the air, Dawn blinked in disbelief but now matter how many times she blinked the pony was still there out of focus but there.

Trouble spoke first and quite alarmed “Kid, you seeing this?” he was transfixed on the pony that was drawing closer whose eyes were averted to the ground.

Night Light froze completely and Dawn answered back.

“Trouble, who is that? Trouble?” Trouble had froze up as well licking his lips in thought. He turned his head to Dawn something about his eyes struck her hard, it was dread.

Night Light’s eyes were drawn to the pony. She was wearing a blank look crossing her face. Trouble spoke up once more.

“Kid, A…” he moved up his pace Dawn followed suit Night Light still trailed behind slowly.

“A what? Trouble!? Who is that?” Dawn loudly hissed she was getting nervous, she never seen Trouble get nervous before he didn’t strike Dawn as the type being so came under pressure.

“Kid, keep calm and canter on…” he whispered back.

Dawn looked over her shoulder Night Light still moving at a snail’s pace transfixed on the pony. Dawn getting increasingly concerned over her companions sporadic and abnormal behaviour and even more frightened of what this pony on the road was.

Then finally the pony came into total focus a unicorn. A tan sandy coat with a long grey mane wearing tatty ripped rags for barding and adorning an old worn, ripped colourless cowpony with a horn sticking through it.

Most ponies dressed like that would seem pitiful. But there was something about a pony like this, maybe the way he carried himself she couldn’t nail it down.

Around his neck he wore a harmonica held on a piece of string fastened around his neck, worn and rusted but it only made him look even more odd, if a pony dressed and equipped so poorly as him was carrying around a harmonica on their neck no less, it gave the instrument a certain gravity.

And finally she spotted what she was looking for a gun it was a remorseful thing held like the harmonica, by a piece of string around his waist this time dangling loosely.

Dawn whispered one more time “Trouble, Night Light she’s,” she was struck hard by what came next paralysing her with dread.An eerie tune blasted through her stunning her, her body locked frozen rigid with fear the pony was hovering a harmonica up to his mouth blowing gently and precisely into it producing an ungodly tune Trouble continued his stride Night Light was catching up now still transfixed and enthralled by this pony.Dawn froze her breathing accelerated she couldn’t will her body into moving, all she could do was be held captive by the ghostly music. Trouble began to stumble flinging one hoof over the other so he rose onto his hindhooves where he blindly stumbled side to side Dawn’s right fore hoof began to shake violently she had regained control of her neck.She peered down at her EFS. Trouble who was now practically dancing was flashing from Blue to Red to Blue to Red he ceased his flailing around with a cry shaking Dawn’s soul. He fell to his knees moaning, turning to face Dawn his EFS marker a solid red tick now, Dawn paralysed with fear tried to flee her body wouldn’t enable her with those rights she glanced at Trouble’s face, Sweet Celestia, he was shedding tears of blood he chuckled softly as blood ran from his eyes, bearing his teeth and on the last laugh a bubble of blood burst from his left nostril pouring down his face as he hit the road with a thump.His tick flicking on and off now, from blue to non-existent to red to non-existent.Night Light kept moving still towards the pony that was now staring into Dawn’s eyes she couldn’t see his eyes yet but Dawn was definitely the target, Night Light fell to the ground close to Trouble shielding her face with her hooves balling her eyes out in tired angry sobs calling out “Why?!? WHY!?”.Dawn’s EFS marked her as Blue to Red.Red to Blue she let out an inane cry and began to buck at Troubles lifeless body hitting the armor gently shifting him as she thrashed. She stopped and settled for tears hunched up on the ground.The pony was in the 20-yard distance, 15, 10, 5 and then finally 1 Dawn’s limbs were bound to the earth beneath them by some unknown force a divine gravity the pony raised his head to hers the breath sailing though the harmonica that scared her stiff was wafted up her nostrils it smelled as what Trouble once described as death. She checked her EFS, it was blank. only the blinking of Trouble and Night Light’s distinct still tick there was nothing moving towards her.The pony’s eyes were old, his face worn down ragged aged terribly by the desert, he had a scruffy beard grey like his mane and golden eyes, deep golden eyes that held within a compendium of hidden knowledge and fear instilling truths.The pony stared into Dawn’s eyes, Dawn’s deep blue eyes unlike his, hers held fear pain long since passed but still at the fore front of her mind, naivety and misery a longing to be part of something bigger than her. more so than a longing a need an obsession for companionship.He lowered the harmonica from his mouth the music echoed and whirred around her head he spoke with a chilling gravely voice that shot a tingling sensation down Dawn’s spine.“You’ve got nothing to fear from death, she has mercy, fear the living they have lost theirs.”With that he smiled. Something was worse about his smile than his music, it felt like when their trio were laughing at the ponies who wanted to turn Night Light in were killed that laughs that they shared over it. He moved in close to her face and planted his lips on hers sucking the lower one. no emotion in it just the cold in this burning hell. his tongue crept into her mouth, it was disgusting slimy icy cold hers pressed hard against the bottom of her mouth rigid with fear but slowly as the pony filled himself with feeling coming from a different source he was merely a medium. Her fear dissipated she found herself kissing him back but not him something that was above him. she didn’t enjoy him though she took pleasure from what was being conducted through him. his slimy saliva mixing with hers, she couldn’t tell if it was a mind game, she didn’t know if it were real but if it didn’t feel good it felt right. She found peace with this mysterious, terrifying pony he understood her, what was coming through him understood even better. she felt something inside her head now something new, an idea not quite an idea but something new a craving, a need.The pony with the harmonica broke their embrace his milky green saliva and Dawn’s clear saliva dripping from his mouth fused together.His smile dropped, he tapped her on the horn with his, a dark and white tendril of magic escaped his horn and slipped into her.Dawn’s body tensed to the point of pain she let out a cry of agony her body contracted and shrank into the foetal position.Her body fell over onto the road the pony with the harmonica moved on. the sand starting to kick up around the fallen trio with a strong gust sailing over them carrying the weight of the desert with it. the last thing Dawn remembers before passing out was that haunting tune, it lost it’s paralysis effect now though, her body relaxed her vision dimmed and finally Blackness even then the music echoed out it’s eeriness throughout the desert she pitied the next band of ponies that encountered him.And envied that they get to experience the privilege of the message he brings, even if they don’t understand it. she did he passed it to her and she intended to spread it’s eerie truth death may seem to be a dark mistress but she is a tender one.Footnote:Quest Perk: Death’s Embrace – You were paid a flying visit, by an emissary of death his lady took favour in you now all attacks deal 10% more damageNew Spell: Death’s Dowry – Death has fallen for you, she’s seen your pain through her emissary’s eyes now she’ll let you see through her eyes, all the secrets and miseries of the world are yours, if you choose to claim them.Be warned death isn’t pretty.

Special Thanks to Dinawartotem(Damhoof) and Agent Kiosce

Chapter 11: VDNKh

The figure wasn’t having it “Bullshit, an old mare’s tale, The Pony with the Harmonica! Death’s emissary!” The Figure. Now waltzing flamboyantly around throwing his hooves into the air for emphasis.

Dawn was getting angry that he was calling her out on it. She didn’t take to kindly to be called a liar, especially when she was what she considered blessed, well blessed would have no doubt been the way she saw it.

All her life she felt like a shit stain on the world, another mindless ant waiting to be crushed by the hate of the world she inhabited.

She thought she was nothing special, no part to play in this world.

That was until she met Trouble he gave her hope, and then by divine coincidence one of the three emissaries of death paid her a visit she had learned about the emissaries in Trouble’s journal. She was never sure what to believe from a foal she had no guidance.

She doesn’t not believe in anything. Only she hasn’t made up her final verdict, luck or destiny call it what you will.

“Death’s emissary visited me, and I don’t give a Fuck! About what you have to otherwise say…” she really didn’t like being called a liar especially by some fucking spook in a suit acting the tough pony.

The Figure laughed to himself or maybe sharing a joke with his invisible audience Dawn to be honest didn’t give a fuck either way.

“Miss Black, you have no idea how many reports we get suggesting a pony emerged from the desert sands, killing ponies with beautiful music. You and your party broke down from noxious desert fumes and dehydration. You say Trouble and the Ranger were acting strange?” the figure challengingly said.

“Yeah Trouble only after he saw the emissary did he start to act strange, and then Night Light, she was just pissed off for Luna’s sake.” She defended.

“Don’t call your hallucinations an emissary that’s like calling a pile of Brahmin shit a masterpiece for fucks sake!” he roared at her “They don’ exist Miss Black Dawn never did, all made up by some bard hoping to squeeze a few caps from the gullible.” The figure began to calm down he cleared his throat he went down to pacing around on all fours.

Black couldn’t care less about what he had to say. He condemns what he does not understand. “You’ll see, soon enough you’ll see…” Dawn muttered beneath her breath.

The figure was tired of this time wasting “Enough bickering! What happened next, when you awoke, where next?” the figure asked.

Dawn thought hard it had escaped the front of her mind during their mini argument. “Eh, VDNKh.” She quickly said, Dawn didn’t want to dive too deep into it.

“I could have guessed that, then where?” The Figure snidely said.

Dawn replied, “South finally, that wasn’t any easier than the road to Marizona Springs.”

The figure finally stood still “ What kind of shit did you met?”

Dawn smiled and looked the Figure where she suspected his eyes were and laughed “The hellish kind of shit.” She felt smart ass remarks were the best way to handle this asshole.

The Figure took offence for her time wasting “For Fucks sake, what happened?” he shook his exoskeletons fingers at her. Fingers unlike the talons Trouble had fashioned his into.

Dawn smiled enjoying that she was making him lose his cool “Alicorns, six if I remember correct.”

Dawn awoke it was late afternoon, she had lost track how many times she had been rendered unconscious since she met Trouble, six maybe more.

She awoke rose onto her side from flat on her back the sun was setting. Sand had swept over her companions but not her. The sand was perfectly at the edge of her silhouette.

As she became more awake her vision sharpened around her everything came from an indistinct blur to a sharp pristine picture.

She looked down beside her. There was a small statuette of sorts little more than 3inches in height. The craftsmanship was amazing. The creator went into minuet detail showing pride in their work.

It was a purple earth pony wearing a black leather eye patch over his left eye, leaving one amber one staring at Dawn. He had a bright green mane scorched in places leaving many chunks burned black and embedded to his skull this rather sinister looking pony was clad in a black cape with a brace on his right hind leg

Underneath the cape were what Dawn guessed was sticks of explosives and grenades all held in a large vest, there were enough explosives on his person to level Dead Water twice.

At the base of the statuette it read “Not one step back.” and above that it read “Trumpet.” Dawn wondered as to why it read Trumpet she guessed Not one step back was this pony’s motto, maybe this pony was Trumpet.

Dawn wrapped the statuette around in a magical field. As her magic touched it, a echoing somewhere in her head was a feminine and affectionate voice. “Good ol’ Trumpet, he was the greatest mind of his generation.” She gently placed the statuette into her saddlebags a voice whirled around her head echoing the quote afterwards in a masculine rough voice “Not one step Back!” from the statuette. Once officially registered as in her PipBuck’s Inventory Manager an electric jolt shot through her body causing her muscles to contract.

Dawn felt a buzzing sensation shoot through her head, the feeling of watching her first mass explosion at EverBright came to the fore front of her mind. Now it wasn’t a loud bright bang that hurt her ears and made her head spin but, a glorious purifying light that incinerated all the horrors that lay inside. All the grim history evaporated leaving only a blank canvas to re sculpt in time maybe. The memory flared behind her closed eyes it felt satisfying, nostalgic she remembered Trouble’s face. He was delighted at the blast and know she understood why. Maybe explosions mean different things to different ponies but to her in that circumstance it was beautiful. Poetic Justice in motion.

Dawn after a moment’s pause rose onto her hooves and froze eyes fixated. Trouble’s diary lying opened on the desert sand, a page lay open inviting her. It was like some voice from above saying “Here have some temptation.”

Trouble was out cold. His head buried against the ground. Dawn’s EFS told her he was alive same with Night Light.

The sun was setting only a few red rays of light lingered Dawn levitated the book over to her face. With combined rays of dwindling sunlight and the soft glow of her horn being just enough for her to be able to read the writing.

Her eyes widened when she saw the heading for the log.

Emissaries: there are these stories out there of emissaries of, I’m not sure of what though, Death some say. They appear to those deemed worthy of the honour, esteemed ponies, not something you can earn but a birthright. Those born into hardship thrown into a world of isolation they’re said to be the ones Death itself or herself as she’s often referred to takes pity on.

Hardship. Shit the Death Dealers was nothing but hardship spent most of my Colthood training make Ma proud ya know? No if you’re reading this it means you’re educated so you probably don’t know to some pissy degree anyway. Not that you’d understand it.

In the south there are 2 emissaries but there are more elsewhere they say all with their own unique traits or so the legends go.

The Pony with the Harmonica identified by tatty clothes sandy coat and a grey mane.

He existed a long time ago just after the invention of the first “modern” firearm the revolver; he was for his time the epitome of fear and death they say. He wielded the ability to paralyse with little more than a rusted old harmonica.

He levelled towns all in some mad hunt for revenge no pony knew his name all they knew was where ever that music was played death was sure to follow. Entire towns emptied all the bodies found in ditches days later. After of course, the town was looted this was before automatic weaponry was even conceived.

Revenge is hell of a thing, this obsession with finding this pony he was after, wiping out towns he suspected to be associated with him, that music rendering ponies harmless until he executes them. No good can come of such an obsession.

This emissary can be found in the southern provinces in and around Marizona-Ponave area.

Maybe he can be found, that is if death deems you worthy enough or unlucky enough, the story goes every time a pony is killed by him they’re usually found on the road frozen rigid wide-eyed, holes in their heads and harmonicas sown to their lips with rusted razor wire.

Next on the list is probably the latest one, the Puppet Pony, classic story of shit going tragically wrong. This is no myth, there is this stable around where VDNKh is. Stable 44 I think it was. So when the bombs fell every pony who had passes for the stables fled for them, same thing happened here even though most of Marizona wasn’t even targeted. So this one pony. No Name. goes to his stable only there is no pony else there.

He figures they must all be inside or something and wanders in a proximity sensor on the door trips and locks him inside.

Alone.

on the inside was an entrance lobby.

There was a crate, a note, a Pipbuck and some barding inside waiting for him the note said (since it was scavenged that and security footage)

“We at Stable-Tec apologize mister XXXXX but this is for the betterment of pony kind. We have seen to it that your every biological need has been met: Water talisman, a thousand years worth of food etc. p.s look in the crate.” His name was blacked off the paper probably done by him at some stage. Or maybe Stable-Tec were trying to cover their tracks.

At first he broke down crying, 3 weeks he spent wallowing in self-pity and all the while he heard the rumblings off the outside world being destroyed. While he was trapped in his cage, he seen on security monitors outside ponies breaking their hooves pounding on the huge door. All this came from camera's hooked up to Stable Tec.

The damn thing was so strong the only way you could hear the pounding it was if you put a stethoscope against it. He tried drowning himself, didn’t work the water never built up in any place not even in the toilets. There was no medicine here but then again there was no way to get sick everything was sanitized so he couldn’t OD.

He tried strangulation wrapping a blanket around his neck; Stable Tec thought ahead Elastic Blankets. When he began to lose strength with lack of air the blankets would snap back into their original form. Bastards. Even while burning in hell they wouldn't let him end it all.

The only glass there wasn’t even glass. It was thin plastic he couldn’t slit his throat with it not sharp enough. No cutlery either it was all dispensed apples. The worst part though was everything was padded the walls, the floor everything.

I'd rather be burned alive then suffer in that hell for the rest of my life.

Stable-Tec predicted he might take his own life by any means necessary. He eventually after months of crying, grieving and failing to end his own life, he opened the crate which was made from cardboard in the entrance lobby. Inside was a small cardboard box with a note on it saying “1 Stable-Tec Puppet Ration.”

He carried it into the main lobby sat down and opened it, inside were 4 hoof puppets.

There was A King puppet, A Hound puppet, A Granny puppet and finally A Stable-Colt puppet.

He decided since there was fuck all else to do. So he started playing with them. They had names too. The king was simply referred to as The King, the hound puppet was named Reverend Hound, the granny was called Granny Smith and the stable colt puppet never had a name.

I fucking hate those Stable Colt pictures, that stupid smile unnerves me and being locked in an underground cage with one as company should be viewed as torture.

Those Stables were never supposed to save any pony.

I wonder if they knew what they were signing up for would they still do it?

Would they rather take their chances in those mechanical cages for the rest of their lives or burn?

If I had to wake up to face the same wall and put up with the same shit I'd fucking decorate the walls with my brains.

He began talking to them; sooner or later they started talking back though. In his mind his sub conscious had created a small community each puppet had it’s role to play, messed up. He started sub consciously smearing messages on the walls with his own shit. Like "Get Out!" or "HELL" in the master bedroom he slept in over his cot he write "KILL ME!"

I'd beg for it too mate.

All those Stables they were just underground covert Cluster Fucks I think I heard of 4 that turned out okay out of all I dunno 300 or so?

This next part in the story proves what I have been saying. There is no inherent goodness in ponies only the morality drilled into you as a foal, at it’s most basic level the pony mind wills for all else but to survive. That’s where greed comes from, ambition, bullying all for your own advancement. Your mind doing it's best to secure your dominance inducing feelings of power a reward mechanism. Angel Eyes was right war doesn't bring out the worst in ponies. It brings out the reality of ponies.

So anyway. The Stable Colt puppet killed the king puppet one night or at least that’s how it goes.

Reverend hound begins the search the sorry son of a bitch locked down. There had finally lost all of his marbles. He confronts the Stable Tec puppet, he admits it but not before suggesting he was an accomplice, the stable dweller eats it up.

They decide to escape but how? The puppet claims to know a way, the plan was hatched. They’d leave that night the puppet would cross the wires short out the door and a fail-safe protocol will force it open. He went in registered as 18 years of age.

The door reopened 34 years after this, according to the logs. All those years I feel he was unconsciously his mind was formulating a plot. He was merely a victim of his own mind.

He spent more time alone in an underground prison than he did outside, that’s enough to send any pony insane. He got out, the fires of the world were burning out, ghouls and mutated creatures were everywhere. Some small bands of pony kind still lingered but they were slavers or raiders and all cannibals. All old world morals disappeared with the rest of Pony Kind either ash in the wind or hidden deep underground cowering. Living in a bubble.

He emerged, his head still had some sense of morality though. His sub conscious was fucked. To himself he seemed alright. He wandered for a long while, he was insane not stupid though he took as much provisions along with him as he could carry. Water, food stuffed into his stable 44 barding.

Outside he met a companion a mutated dog, half way to mongrel hellhound, the dog was supposed to be nearly twice his size. The dog became his loyal mode of transport, he wandered the wastes. He remembered some buildings from the past, which were worth looting.

The radiation at that time was mildly settling but could kill you over years but chances are by the end of your life it would have twisted your genetics up real bad, but not have gone far enough to kill you. And all the while the puppet on his hoof spoke to him giving advice. Just acting as company.

He was roving with his dog across the wastes when a slaver party hit, killed his dog with a hail of rounds and took him alive. The slavers where debating about whether they should eat him or sell him. He was begging them to save themselves the puppet was whispering into his ear that he was going to butcher them. The stable dweller being a good little pony tried to warn them. Who the fuck would believe him?

I don’t know he done it but he managed to slip the ropes they bound him in and massacre heavily armed slavers a band of 4 except one that is. The surviving slaver fled back to the rest. What happened next is how we know it’s not bullshit. See them slavers had a ghoul captive, tied up in the room with them.

the surviving slaver bursts in drenched in blood babbling to his comrades about the puppet pony.

"He killed the others".

"He’s coming for us."

"He let me live."

"He’s coming for us."

“We’re dead.”

“He’s coming for us.”

then that's when the ghoul heard it, 3 knocks on the door to their little building, outside was heavily guarded. Every pony froze the ghoul says he felt the warmth drain from the room.

the survivor pony was paralyzed the others had their guns strained on the door. The ghoul said next he blacked out he said every pony did, he was there with 3 others.

when he awoke the walls were smeared in blood, the corpses of 10 slavers laid in a big mound in the centre of the room stacked high. On the top was a weeping pony in stable barding a large 44 printed on his back. Weeping, cradling the smiling blood spattered puppet asking it, “Why?” Why did you have to kill them?

The stable pony climbed off the small hill of cadavers and freed the few captives, the ghoul had asked him his story, and now we have it. that ghoul only died recently or re-died. The puppet pony disappeared back into the wastes after that, with that puppet. The fucked up part was I think he thought he was the puppet’s sidekick. That he got roped into it over the fucking puppet. He had no choice. He was only along for the ride.

I often heard stories about a puppeteer out in the wastes in stable barding, I shiver every time. these emissaries are only those in the south, there are the rumoured ones in the north, I’ll talk about them more later. right now though the two of the south will suffice.

There are no emissaries in mid land Equestria they say.

If my money is right (Which it usually is.) I say there will be pretty soon. There is this toaster repair pony raising hell, justice killing for what she believes in. Hate and anger for this burned world trying to fix it, a losing battle. DJ Pon3 never stops going on about her, The Buck himself I know for a fact shares Intel reports with DJ Pon3 and he talks about her from time to time too.

An obsession all to similar to that of all the other emissaries, but she is something special. She unlike the others choose this path out of goodness from her own heart. Death must be in love with her. Such fanatical love and devotion to the mistress we must all visit, she choose the others or made deals with them. That toaster repair pony is her apostle.

They say she kills hell hounds in the dozens saves entire settlements without pay, I say she’s doomed, she doesn’t understand how could she? She is reported to have grown up in a stable.

Maybe this hell I call home hit her too hard all at once, it’s a rare thing for me to say I’m scared of some pony but her, she’s not a saviour.

She’s a cleverly disguised psychopath, a liability, an inevitability she’s gonna go off one day. But one of the finest the wastes has to offer that’s why she scares me, she’s going to do something massive. The likes of which even I may have a hard time amounting to. If I get a contract for her. shit I think I might refuse, only way I could take her is in close quarters especially since she’s got her entourage.

No good can come out of such an obsession.

But what about me? What about this tired old stallion who’s seen too much?

What of my obsessions? That wall, which plagues my dreams? This obsession with laughter and saving what isn’t there to save. No good can come of it but I’m a victim of my own fate, this was only ever going to end one way.

All I ever wanted was to go down in applause.

Black once more peered deep into Trouble’s mind. As it just so happens on the very page that gave an explanation of what just happened. She was visited by an emissary of death.

who graced her with gifts, the first of which being a small statuette she already received it.

there was something else though, something the emissary placed or rather embedded into her subconscious. She wasn’t entirely sure what it was but some part of her reassured her in time it would come.

The sand had settled over Trouble encasing him in a blanket Night Light was only lightly covered mainly because she was tossing in her current state.

Night Light shook more and more violently and Dawn watched her.

Until finally Night Light shot up with a gasp, she shot a look at Dawn, she was just making sure she was alright. Night Light although it was hard to tell Dawn was sure she was covered in cold sweat.

Night Light took one look at Trouble her face fell from alerted to desperate. She charged over to his body and flung her fore hooves around him cradling his body.

Dawn had no clue as to why she was acting so weird. Night Light Flipped Trouble onto his back that’s when Dawn remembered. Remembered what the music did to him.

There was streams of dried up blood from his eyes hard to distinguish against his scarlet coat if it weren’t for the sand matted to his face. There was blood from his ears too but significantly less than what came from his eyes. Night Light’s horn shimmered brightly and a canteen of water hovered from her saddlebags, she dunked the clear liquid over his face as fast as she could. The liquid liberating his face from the sand.

Dawn went to speak “Uh...”

Night Light replied “So your just going to fucking stand there?”

Dawn was taken back by this “Healing Potion now!” Night Light barked as she went back to cradling Trouble. Black went to put it in Trouble’s terminology “Buck fuck wild” looking for her 3 potions she swore she had.

She found them levitated one out from her bag and dashed over to Trouble and Night Light.

Dawn undid the cap nervously and tipped the bottle into Trouble’s mouth Night Light muttered under her breath “good...good.” after the last few drips of the liquid reluctantly left the bottle Trouble burst into a coughing fit Night Light’s face burst into a smile.

She lunged towards him wrapping her fore hooves around his wide shoulders Trouble dumbstruck merely hugged back.

“The Fuck happened?” Trouble vulgarly asked fondling inside his jacket looking for his flask and lighter. Night Light broke their embrace and sat on her rump in front of him as he took a swig. “Trouble, that was an emissary of death.” He spat the brown fluid out and looked at her like she just slapped the ice cream out of his hooves.

“Ya, don’t say...” his voice trailed off as he took half a pack of smokes out from his duster and lit one. he continued “Buh wah happened exactly?”

Dawn feeling isolated from the group spoke up “You went crazy, Night Light went crazy and I was knocked unconscious.” she felt that summed it up.

“Last thing I remember was seeing that damn pony, from the nothingness.” Night Light pitched in.

Trouble rose onto his hind hooves and Night Light got off the ground too and he said “I remember the kid sayin sumfink, then the world flashed red and Boom!” he stomped the ground for emphasis “Lights out.”

Trouble gazed at the sun and spoke once more “We can hit VDNKh in an hour or so, lets head.” and with that they were back on the move. Trouble was the voice of authority in the group but then Dawn remembered something.

“Eh, Trouble?” she sheepishly asked again getting annoyed at herself with her lack of social skills. Trouble turned to face her. “What?” his face went blank Dawn’s hoof was gesturing towards his diary.

He without a word briskly marched over to it scooped it up and hide it somewhere in his duster and said to Dawn “Atta girl...”

Dawn piping up some courage asked him something before he turned away “Trouble, I got to ask you something.” she readied herself to cough it up.

he spoke first though “Kid, It’s gone to havta wait til we’re at the strip.” he turned and assumed the head of the column Dawn was a little disappointed she had to ask him about the statuette. As Trouble took the lead Night Light ran up to his side Dawn scowled she was getting tired of her doing that. Condemning her to trail behind Night Light and Trouble where she belonged.

The sun had set, there was no moon tonight even through the clouds it lit the road in front of you. But tonight it was solid darkness, the only thing Black Dawn could see was the soft neon glow of the VDNKh sign. Night Light who was talking to Trouble all the way had grown silent as they drew nearer to the settlement.

Everything was quiet. The sound of silence was misplaced here they were in close proximity to a town for Luna’s sake. They encroached upon the derelict unmanned wall of VDNKh the only thing to be heard was the desert wind and the humming of the lights. In front of them was a small door leading into the town built into the metallurgy of the wall.

There was no sign of violence but that only made it worse, Night Light took the lead. She gently nudged open the door and proceeded in. Dawn couldn’t believe what she saw inside.

Nothing.

Sweet fuck all lay before them. Abandoned houses, pillaged shops, no ponies. Night Light was now panting fury building up in her.She slammed her hoof against an unseen switch and the town before them flooded with light. it was a cramped linear town only one road that had everything on it. Shops accommodations everything. But at the same time. Nothing. They were just buildings now how can it be a home if no one lives there?

The only trace of proof that there was recently ponies here was the blood trails and the small bullet holes that perforated the buildings. They moved deeper and deeper into the town at a snails pace. Trouble remained stoic muttering something under his breath, something about a wall.

Night Light was stunned, as if she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Her breathing was still ludicrously heavy. That’s when it struck Dawn unwillingly her horn burst with magic she had never experienced before. Her eyes shone white Trouble stopped in his tracks and watched keeping silent. Night Light never even noticed.

Dawn was somewhere else now, without having to move. She was there, then and now.

VDNKh.

Her vision was absorbing colours that were three times as bright as they usually were.

It was midday the town was under siege, all around her Dawn seen ponies caught in nets being dragged from their homes by the Angels. At the bottom of the road they were holding executions to those who resisted. Blood ran through the hard dirt streets.

She was invisible though. No pony paid any heed to her she raised her hoof to her face. Nothing was there.

There was little opposition. The towns folk that did have firearms quickly found they lacked the force to even dent the icy Angel armour.

In front of Dawn a small green colt with a rusted tin can as a cutie mark burst from a doorway carrying a flimsy pistol and fired into the angels who were busy subduing or killing the others. He fired six times then his weapons slide blew back and stayed back. Empty.

He ran inside. Dawn moved up to see into the house he had run into, the pony darted into a wardrobe and hoped to hide himself. A single Angel trudged through the door. The Angel took in it’s surroundings ducked it’s head low and kicked off it’s helmet. It was none other than the pony Trouble burned the face off of. His pearl white coat and blonde mane, Dawn would have found him quite attractive, well. Before Trouble burned his face off anyway. Dawn wondered how he kept moving without his helmet, he wasn’t wearing the same armour this was different. His armor now was much thinner and only had small weapons on it’s side. The other armour must have been full battle gear this was designed for light skirmish Dawn guessed.

The Angel approached to where the colt was hiding, a big grin on his face. Dawn knew exactly what the colt inside was doing. Making his peace with Celestia and Luna.

The Angel with an iron hoof bucked in the wardrobe door shattering the flimsy wood that allowed it to hang on the hinges. The colt had shrunk into the corner of the wardrobe shaking violently. The angel licked his lips and rose his left fore hoof drew it back and.

Splat. He drove it deep into the colts head smashing it against the wall. the fragmented skull painted in red and pink now crumbled around his body leaving a hollowed out head.

The worst part though was the colt’s eyes they rolled back into the top of his emptied head and his mouth hung wide. The screams and synchronized gunshots of outside drew the murderer’s attention. Dawn wondered to herself why he done it. The colt was of no threat to him or any pony. Killed him out of sheer meanness. Killed him for the sake of it. Killed him because he could.

Dawn wondered to herself who this colts parents are, were. Not to be found inside. Maybe the colt sought out retribution because his parents had been taken out and shot like so many others. Or maybe they were merely captured. Dawn found the latter unlikely.

She stood there for awhile staring at the corpse of the colt who had his life stolen from him. His body curled up in the bottom of a wardrobe in a single room building.

What a waste.

The world flashed back to normality around her, there she was standing in the exact same room where the colt was killed she was staring at the shattered wardrobe, the blood and brains were there making that weird apparition into a staunch truth.

But there was no body or skull fragments to be found. Dawn was trapped in her own thought bubble until she noticed Trouble was standing right next to her. Dawn heard a banging noise outside.

Trouble leaned in close to her in that dark room and whispered “Wah did ya see?” he had no way of knowing what had just happened but he was experienced in the wastes.

Dawn didn’t know how to respond, the truth sounded absurd in her head and she had trouble finding the words. “What happened here...” she muttered back.

Trouble only had one more question he’d seen the blood on the way in and in the smashed wardrobe and he asked her “Where are the bodies?” Dawn shuddered Trouble took that as a cue to walk on but Dawn stopped him.

She caught him on the way out and the world flashed once more.

Everything flashed blue around her the colours tripled their intensity once more. The town had been taken. The Angels hoarded all the bodies both dead and living into carts once used for carrying cargo.

The ponies in the carts quivering or crying, trying to keep the fluids of their dead family and friends off their coats, as they were being hauled away to an uncertain future.

The Angels had crowded around a greater Angel. This greater angel had Gothic fashioned armour unlike the simple and practical combat design of most of the Angels.

This greater angel’s armor had many spikes and grooves, jags and swirls. Barbs laid into the armour to give him a ferocious demeanour.

His helmet had a jagged crown around it golden filigree of leaves. He stood in the middle of the town and began to speak. The towns folk were all loaded into these carts 5 all in all.

Living mixed with the dead, the main difference being the living still had something worse to come.

The greater Angel spoke. “Friends. Today we have pushed our cause further along towards our ultimate divine goal of our former purity and glory. This is the first of many victories the goddesses have planned for us. I have the utmost faith in you. We stand on the precipice of great change and we’ll be the ones to deliver it! Heed my words. You are the ones to deliver us to the our promised glory hear the cries of the goddesses and our ponies! Kill the Vermin! This is your mother’s prayer! Kill the Vermin! This is the cry of your Equestrian earth! Do not count days! Do not count miles! Count only the number of Vermin that you have killed! Do not waver! Do not Give in! Kill!

Death to our inferiors! Death to the vermin we crush under our hooves! Long live the Pure!”

the crowd chanted back in ecstasy “Long Live The Pure! Long Live The Pure!”

the greater pony gave a nod of his head and the carts carrying the ponies were torched.

Not even they’re screams could silence the crowd with a final cheer the crowd had one last chant. “Long Live Gabriel! The Messenger of Celestia!” with that the greater pony and 3 other angels dressed in similar armour but no where near as beautiful as the greater Angel took their leave of town leaving sixty or more angels left in the town.

Dawn heard a voice whir around in her head. A smooth feminine voice “Gabriel always was a proud fool. Unlike you my dear. You have shown humility. You’ll make me proud yet dear.”

the voice soothed Dawn to relaxation with it’s maternal nature the speech of the greater pony identified as Gabriel was invigorating and exciting but this mare’s voice nullified it.

This voice came deep from within. Dawn wasn’t entirely sure if it was real. but it felt real she had never known her mother. Or what had happened her. Dawn’s father never told her, all she knew is she wasn’t around. there was no friends of the family to tell her but every pony seemed to know. She was taunted about it, so it was known. It always bothered her not knowing who her mother was.

The voice ceased on the ground around where the angels were congregated a large shadow was cast. They looked to the heavens above. Six large winged unicorns were casting shadows over the ground beneath them.

Dawn couldn’t believe what the fuck was going on, she once seen old pictures of Celestia and Luna they were just like them sort of, except green. Dawn tried her best to compute it. The Angels burst into action getting in formation the ponies in the sky were almost 4 times the size of Trouble and he was a big son of a bitch. they banked hard turning right around to face the town.

All half a dozen goddess ponies were armed with the same kind of fire power the Angels had except bulkier. The goddesses unleashed a barrage upon the angels killing none.

The Angel’s returned fire in mass even though the column of flyer's lacked armour all the bullets fell harmlessly upon them.

the world faded away and Dawn sunk back into reality.

Dawn broke her trance in the middle of the street where she had been standing. The bullets from the winged unicorns distinguishable from that of the Angel's she snapped her head back to what she was trying to do before her mind was hijacked.

“Trouble, there was unicorn Pegasuses,” Trouble shot back “Pegasi.”

Dawn shrugged it off now wasn't the time for grammar.

“Your missing the point here, The bodies were burned and those things attacked.” That’s what grabbed Night Light’s attention. That's what sprung her from her pit of anguish.

Night Light practically galloped over to Dawn and pinned her against the wall of the building and she hoarsely whispered to her “Where?” She was hurting Dawn. Anger and hatred welling up in her, just a mask for her sorrow. Dawn thought to make it all the more insulting was the fact the town was remarkably intact. “Easy ranger, we got bigger problems.” Trouble said casually, merely observing his surroundings scanning the sky.

“Where!?” Night Light demanded pounding her hoof just to the left of her face.

“Ranger! Nuff of that carry on righ?” Trouble was not angry at her actions only that she was disturbing his train of thought. Night Light didn’t let up. Dawn was struck dumb by this, she couldn’t find her voice wherever it was hiding. No doubt some remote corner of her mind curled up in a ball crying it's eyes out feeling sorry for itself.

Night Light slammed Dawn against the wall knocking the wind out of her and unslung her Valkyrie chambered a round and jammed it against her cheek in one fluid motion.

“I Said Where! Speak Bitch or I’ll Blow your fucking Jaw off!” Night Light’s face was tense and red, livid with anger unflattering to her natural good looks but she was serious Dawn didn’t doubt for a second she’ll kill her.

Trouble intervened he came up on her like a ghost and rose to his full height. He snatched the Valkyrie from her magical tendrils causing them to disperse. As soon as Night Light turned to face her aggressor or have time to react Trouble grasped the barrel with one hoof and the stock with the other and slammed the butt of the gun into Night Light’s temple splitting the skin, rendering her unconscious.

He preceded to take out the magazine and toss it into the darkness somewhere and pull back the bolt clearing the breach and dropped the gun at his hooves. He let out a sigh took out a cigarette and spoke as if nothing happened to Dawn

“Kid you have no idea how badly I wanted to do that.” He said jovially as he blew out rings of smoke. Dawn couldn’t help but laugh it was becoming a bit of a reflex to whatever Trouble done. Trouble continued as Dawn recomposed herself “She’s been eating at me moral for awhile now, the last thing Trouble needs is a troubled mind to keep him company.”

He smiled at Dawn. She smiled back. Night Light lay on the ground with an open wound and probably a concussion. Dawn spoke in her usual awkward way “Eh, Trouble what are we going to do about Night Light?”

“Easy, She’s pissed off, understandably. She wants retribution for what happened, but retribution was already enacted. She just doesn’t want to accept it. All we gotta do is be there for her.” He made anything sound simple mainly because it was. Dawn was surprised he said "Be there for her" not Dawn's first thought after the stunt she pulled.

“I want to ask you something.” Dawn said to Trouble. He replied in a friendly tone “Fire away.” her original question seemed less important than the new one that popped into her head. “Do you know a pony named Trumpet?” his face dropped he responded in a drone voice “Yeah... what about him?”

“It’s just that I found this here,”

She was cut off by Trouble who looked to the sky and threw away his smoke and roared.

“Incoming!”

He grasped Night Light by the hair shredding her mane with his sharpened exoskeleton talons and dragged her into the building where the colt was killed Dawn followed. Just as Trouble predicted the ground outside was perforated by multiple shots and six green goddesses swooped in.

Trouble dumped Night Light’s body in the far corner took out his helmet and clipped it on.

Dawn getting a routine hovered Bad News off her back and chambered a round she was down to little more than 20 rounds. As for Amigo less than 2 full magazines. But her scavenged machine gun had well over 400 rounds of ammo. But judging what she saw from the memory the machine gun would be worthless against these goddesses.

Trouble chambered a green drum magazine and waited at the edge of the door frame. The sound of silence reigned over the town. Until they heard a distinct flapping noise followed by a thud. They had landed. Trouble without making a noise trotted briskly over to Dawn on his hind hooves. “Ya, gotta know a few tins bout these ere’ Alicorns. One never pull the same shit twice, they learn and two they got some sort of shielding. We need to soften em’ up first. Follow my lead, don’t freeze, keep shooting.” With that he reached into Night Light’s pockets and took the last of her grenade bouquets only 2 remained. But now Dawn knew what to call them, Alicorns. Sounds smooth.

The Alicorns began to march in sync through the town keeping their silence. Trouble was standing at the doorway Dawn behind him ready to gallop. The steady sound of his breathing through the gas filter on his helmet was eerie.

Dawn heard him give a single order through his mask that killed the emotion in his voice he said.

“Begin.”

He rocketed forward on his hind legs duster whipping behind him The Red Queen at his hip facing the Alicorns. The eruption that Dawn was getting used to from the Red Queen nearly burst her eardrums, a sustained burst shot green sludge through the air towards the Alicorns splashing off their shields but obscuring their vision. The Alicorns fired blindly into the road. Trouble was across the road in a different house an ooze hanging from the bayonet of his shotgun.

Dawn waited in the building with Night Light’s unconscious body she bet Trouble was regretting knocking her psycho ass out now “Keeping it real, Trouble.” Dawn muttered to herself.

The sludge slid off the Alicorns invisible shield they all ceased fire and moved slowly forward. Dawn steadied her breathing mimicking Trouble floating Bad News in front of her making sure the barrel wasn’t poking out. According to Trouble the shields were focused on the front leaving the back of their heads open for attack. The plan was he’d draw them in and she’d pop their skulls open.

All six stopped a few feet before the houses Dawn and Trouble were hidden in. Instead a single Alicorn walked ahead of the others and was staring through the wall exactly where Trouble was. The Alicorn approached the doorway. Trouble was hidden somewhere inside.

The Alicorn stood outside staring blankly at the door frame not saying anything not moving. Aimlessly giving the door a thousand yard stare. Dawn hadn’t a clue what to do. If she fired, one down but she’d be compromised. If she didn’t take the shot Trouble would have to contend with those powerhouse machine guns. The more she thought about it the less and less tempted she was to pull the trigger. Finally she tensed her magic around the trigger the Alicorn spun around Dawn fired. The bullet ricocheted off the shield where the Alicorn’s forehead was and bounced back nearly taking a chunk from Dawn’s ear. The Alicorn smiled and whispered “Gotcha.”

Metallic bolts slid backwards with well oiled "Chik-Chiks" chambered fresh rounds into the Alicorn’s dual battle saddle machine guns. Time stopped Dawn’s mind cleared she slipped into the parallel universe of S.A.T.S and she targeted the head of the Alicorn before she could fire. “Bang! Bang!” Double Tap. the shots caused rippling on the invisible shield. While time was still slowed Dawn saw something from the shadows in slow motion. Trouble leaped unto the Alicorns back with Relentless trying to secure the serrated edge around the neck. The Alicorn tossed and bucked out trying to fling Trouble from it’s back. Eventually it turned to face the other Alicorns and dropped its own shields screaming “Kill It!” the other 5 Alicorns honed they’re combined firepower onto their comrade.

Trouble hoisted the Alicorn onto his chest using it as a shield carrying it with his back muscles. since the Alicorn was nearly triple Trouble’s girth the bullets stopping power was massively reduced travelling through the body. Dawn seen sparks where the armour and bullets met.

He continued to back up, his Alicorn shield’s chest was turning into paste. He rested the Red Queen on the shoulder of his shield and fired wildly at them the green pellets and goo slapping off the shields the refuse that hung from the barrel fell unto the open torso of the Alicorn he had captive disintegrating and gnawing at the flesh.

Dawn all this time was keeping her head down watching Trouble in admiration. The Alicorns weren’t moving forward she was stuck in no pony’s land. Trouble found another building that had stalls outside he kicked in the door and dumped the body.

Dawn heard crackling from behind her. Trouble’s voice came through from somewhere in Night Light’s jacket. Her radio was still intact from Marizona Springs. “Kid? Ya breathing or wah?” Dawn dashed over to Night Light telekentically opening her jacket she spotted the radio and pressed the button to transmit and she spoke back to him. “Trouble, we’re fucked.” she said.

“Good ta know, Listen whatever the fuck ya do stay inside keep the radio handy, and ya might wanna cover your ears.”

Trouble made another magazine switch this time to black. He dove out of the building head first onto the ground and fired.

A Thunder rumbled not 20 feet from Dawn the entire town was illuminated in an electric blue light!

Purple tangible tongues of fuck knows what sprang from the barrel of the Red Queen every blast from the weapon covering half the town in a wall of purple inferno. The explosion that resounded from the gun sounded like grenades going off and plenty of them. Much like his Double Barrel weapon he used against the angels to carve one in half in they’re first encounter.

The spread of these shells was phenomenal. Trouble was across the road and down and some of the whatever it was, was tagging the periphery of her house with devastating results. Shattering wood, scorching it without a flame.

The Alicorns were engulfed the spray wrapping around the bubble like aura of those invisible barriers. they fired back in retaliation Trouble was laying flat on the ground head buried in the dirt making himself a small a target as he could manage.

Letting his prized shotty do the work.

The Red Queen was bouncing on the ground beneath her. The blast of her newest trick displacing it. The shells leaving the shotgun were white hot and the barrel was glowing a bright orange. Finally after what seemed like an eternity of deafening gunfire the central Alicorn’s shield shattered like glass, visible wispy shards of it fell to the ground. This unfortunate Alicorn disappeared under a sea of purple not a fraction of a second later. Until the only distinguishable feature about it besides a heap of purple flame was the hooves. The rest of the body was removed from the shins up.

The Red Queen finally went “Click.” after a deafening and devastating volley. The Alicorns ceased fire the tall building at the end of the road behind them was nearly destroyed. The purple “whatever-the-fuck-it-was” lingered on the Alicorns shields. Trouble left the Red Queen to simmer on the ground. He dislodged the magazine and steam bellowed up towards the visor of his helmet making it condensate. He spoke through the radio again. “Kid cover me.”

He whipped his revolvers out of his holster with impossible speed and held them at his hips. The Alicorns were encased they had to drop their shields or wait for the purple “whatever-the-fuck-it-is” to seep through and be incinerated by it or whatever it did.

All at once the Alicorns dropped their shields kicking up a cloud of dust around them ducking out of the way of the purple haze. An alicorn got off one shot and then “POW-POW-POW-POW-POW-POW-POW-POW-POW-POW-POW-POW!”

Trouble sent them all straight to hell. Twelve blasts from his revolvers, two smoking barrels. All in one fluid motion.

He opened up the cylinders and dumped his weirdly shaded spent casings to the ground.

One by one bullet by bullet, he reloaded not taking his eyes off where the Alicorns were.

The dust cloud around the Alicorns was fading. An Alicorn’s silhouette was visible It’s body laying flat on the ground. It’s head facing the air and it spoke “Gah! Pain!” Dawn coughed up the courage to walk outside. Trouble holstered his revolvers. He replaced them with a bouquet of grenades. he swung the strings over his head in a cyclone and lobbed them at the suffering Alicorn. The grenades “Dinked” as they struck the ground next to the Alicorn.

One, Two, Three “BANG! BANG! BANG!” A leg of an Alicorn was blown next to Dawn. She gagged and backed up from it. There was no more Alicorns in this (former) town only ground meat. Dawn looked over to Trouble who was reclaiming his prized shotgun.

Trouble Took a bow, Dawn cracked a smile and clopped her hooves together in applause.

Trouble took off his helmet Dawn seen his beaming face his smile was getting less and less disturbing every time she seen it the scar from his lip extending it up past his eye.

and the burn scars opposite that.

He approached Dawn stowing his helmet and said “As for my next trick, I’m going to scare a ranger shitless.”

he barged inside and said "Or fucking kill her."

Footnote: Level Up!

New Perk: Sniper -- Your chance to score a headshot in S.A.T.S is significantly increased by 20%

Skill Note: Guns: 50 Survival 40 Explosives: 30

Statuette Obtained 1/5 : Trumpet -- +15 Explosives; +1 Perception.

Chapter 13: Night Mare

ACT 2: Family

Chapter 13: Night Mares

“If you think you’re free there is no escape Possible.” The World spun and spun around Dawn. Or maybe she was spinning around it. It didn’t matter. She seen visions of different locales and landscapes whirl past her. Until finally she landed with a thump. she felt lighter than she had in days, all her gear felt like it had been stripped of her.

Definite blackness all around her, she was conscious but to what extent she had no idea. A small whispering could be heard from behind her. She awoke to a staunchly familiar sight.

“Not here.”

“Please Celestia, I was out of here. Imposssible.”

She was home.

Dry Town.

The Figure remained seated thinking to himself.

“Miss Black Dawn I don’t know what to say.”

Dawn just sat across from him, she remembers this part so well. That hell, her face was tense. She was on the precipice of breaking down, all it would take was one small nudge to set her off.

“Then shut up and listen instead.”

Dawn lay there on that cold floor she was so accustomed to. Above her was that old rusted tin roof that had holes the size of a head in it. Light flooding through it. She liked this spot because of the early morning light. Dawn stayed rigid everything around her down to minuet detail. To the hardness of the floor to the disintegration of the roof.

An impossibility. This was insane.

Dawn heard the hauntingly familiar noise of drunken hoof steps on the cracked cement of the shack’s floor. This shit hole had one room. She knew her favourite corner. And she knew ‘He’ was coming.

Dear old dad.

A Blue pony with a filthy stained yellow mane and red eyes stood over her. A ribbon of saliva hanging from his bloody lip.

“Get out bitch.” His breath stunk of cheap liquor and anti freeze.

He slapped her in the face with a hoof. Dawn was in denial, she escaped. She worked so fucking hard! To escape. All to be thrown back into her face.

Her drunken filthy father was enraged by her disobedience. He snarled and slapped her again this time harder. “Bitch Out!” he snapped. Dawn remembered his voice, his always angry voice.

She crawled, her body wouldn’t allow her to stand the weight of the circumstance pinned her down. She crawled on her stomach along the wall of her nearly empty house.

Her father watched her as she slithered towards the door. They called it a door it was some plywood they took on or off, no hinges. It was just a cover.

He busted her lip the bastard, but she came to expect it. She trotted outside to the same familiar sight. Her town was in the shape of a square. A concrete square in the centre was a park of sorts where you went to buy cheap drugs or booze. But the park was encircled by a ring of concrete houses sealing it off from the rest of the town.

Dawn stepped outside into her old isolation. She lived on the right angle of the square. To her right another street ending in another right angle and in front of her another street ending in a right angle. Same sight everywhere. There was something terrible about that. Like no matter where you went you couldn’t escape it. Just more and more right angles.

On the street in front of her was some thugs just talking for now, one eyeing her up for weakness, but everypony at the 600th beating sort of figured she had no money. But that only lessened them slightly. She was the town freak, whipping pole. A sad act with not a friend in the world. She ducked her head low. How could this be happening? Trouble. Where the fuck is Trouble?

She knew what she had to do. Her town was joined up to the wall of the NCR. A large 20 foot high barricade spanning its length. No pony gets in or out without the right documents.

She found a soft spot, and for weeks dug at it, trying to tunnel under the wall. It was just behind her house. Her house was one of the few shacks in the town. There was a small congregation of them on each corner. Shanty homes, their former neighbours froze to death last winter. Her father made her steal their blankets or else she was sleeping outside. She got them alright but she never was given a chance to use them. Her father used them for awhile but when the debt collectors came knocking. That was the night she cried her eyes out, the shame and cold bearing into her and she woke with her cutie mark.

Dawn walked the concrete that lead to behind her house, she heard her father inside. Clopping. He usually did that regardless of her presence.

She found where she had picked at for all those days for all those weeks. The rough loose soil was now solid concrete. Her muscles locked, her breathing intensified.

“FUCK!” Dawn screamed at the wall. She pounded her hoof against it. The metal reverberating hurting her hoof with each connection. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes. she was alone again. The Ranger, Trouble they were gone.

This noise gained Dawn some attention. The thug who was eyeing her up earlier had come to pay her a visit. A small orange coated stallion with a black mane and a baseball bat as a cutie mark came close to her. He wielded a saliva covered metal baseball bat like the one on his flank.

Dawn didn’t know his name, he likely didn’t know hers. He stood there looking at her, Dawn refused to take her eyes off the wall. He approached her, the saliva trickling off his bat onto his hooves, but he didn’t seem to mind.

He was side by side with her, he spoke through the bat.

“That Wall, Big Scary.” He said slowly. Dawn slowly turned her head towards him. In the 16 years of her existence not once did a pony try and make conversation with her. Not fucking one time. Dawn looked at his brown eyes, or tried to. He was wall eyed and gave off the impression of being very slow.

Dawn didn’t know what to say, what could she say. “Who are you?” She asked, her social skills were too underdeveloped for this.

The small stallion replied “Me.”

Dawn wiped the tears from her eyes, and decided to try again.

“What’s your name?”

The wall eyed stallion was still staring at the wall, or at least Dawn thought so.

“Home Run, Who You?” He slowly replied.

Dawn licked her lips not sure what she was going to do next. But she did, like she did before. Escape.

“I’m Black Dawn.” she said back to him, his eyes never left the wall.

“Home Run, do you... like it, here?”

Home Run shook his head.

Dawn took an easy approach with him, especially with that Baseball bat he had.

“Would you like to leave?”

Home Run turned his head to face her, he nodded slowly.

“Would you like to get out of here with me?” Dawn asked optimistically.

Home Run nodded his head.

“Then I’m going to need your help.”

***************************************************************************

The world Flashed White around Dawn and everything dissipated from in front of her. It reappeared, it was midday in the desert somewhere.

She was a spectator now, a spectator to Trouble.

Trouble still had his gear or most of it at least unlike Dawn who was striped bear. In front of him was a small group of NCR soldiers. wearing their distinct army green clothing and helmets. They fired at Trouble with their rifles, the bullets fell harmlessly off him as he thundered towards them.

Trouble growled like Dawn had never heard him do so before. It was feral, deranged.

He reached for a weapon Dawn never seen him use before; a pump action shotgun.

He cocked it in a fluid motion and fired, the pellets tearing through one of the soldier’s thin armour. He fired twice more in less than a second downing the other two, he tossed the shotgun at the remaining soldier who was busy reloading.

The impact stunned him, Trouble darted over ripped the semi automatic rifle from his grip bashed him in the stomach with the stock backed up from him and fired into him. Three shots rang out “Pow-Pow-Pow!” hitting the pony in the chest as he collapsed Trouble took the one spare magazine from one of the other dead soldiers and broke back into a sprint. Charging towards somewhere, over a gradient. Trouble looked over his shoulder.

A trail of bodies littered the road. Gray bodies. Gray lifeless, colorless, inanimate husks.

****************************************************************************

The world flashed again Dawn returned to herself. Wondering what had just happened. she looked around her, Home Run was nowhere to be seen. She looked behind her scratched on the back of her house in bold was a message.

“PARK”

“ESCAPE”

Dawn wasn’t sure where it came from but the message was fresh she knew every inch of her shack. She obeyed. As she walked past her house once more, she heard nothing that either meant her father was out drinking or had feel asleep.

Dawn came back to the right angle and began to trot with her head down. There was one rule with all the gangs in this town; don’t make eye contact. Dawn swung right at her house and trudged down the cracked cement. This way was the safest the ponies guarding the entrance to the NCR were under orders to scare off hoodlums but not to abandon their posts.

Dawn walked on the same side of the road as the wall, it cast a long shadow over the street but she preferred the darkness. A group of thugs across the street spotted her, 3 of them. all of them gray coated and maned. One tall scrawny one, an average sized one and a short stocky one. All stallions. All earth ponies. They just stood there and gawked at her. Dawn didn’t dare move her head an inch. It was considered a challenge to stare back.

She kept moving, the time came to cross the street. As she did the gang closed in on her in silence, no joshing no joking no talking. They drew closer and closer. Dawn picked up her own pace feeling them draw near. The alley way into the park was not much further.

Dawn got to the alley way, the thugs followed her in. Staying in formation they spoke not one word, each building momentum without breaking into a sprint. Dawn knew what was coming, what always came. She moved into the dark waste filled alley into the park. She remembered the Park clearly in her head it was just some weeds poking out of some malnourished soil and all the waste and trash was stacked in the corners. The gangs were always duking it out for the park.

Dawn let out a huge sigh, Home Run was here the only one here curiously and the gang was breathing down Dawn’s back. He stood there plodding around aimlessly with his bat. He seen Dawn or at least she seen him. He moved towards her, his face blank.

Dawn broke into a gallop towards him.

“HELP!” Dawn cried out.

Home Run’s curious face and blank face formed a snarl.

Home Run moved in towards the gang growling. Dawn hid behind him as he moved in. He swung his bat with speed Dawn couldn’t believe possible for such a small stallion. His bat “Dinked” off the skull of the middle pony, dropping him instantly.

Dawn watched as Home Run beat down the thugs. Home Run swung again at the tall skinny one of the group, he dodged and bucked him in retaliation. The buck winded Home Run causing him to stagger. The stocky short one from the group reared up and bucked Home Run in the chest recoiling him further knocking the wind out of him.

Home Run grunted in pain and charged the short one. He cracked down on his skull with a hard downward swipe. Splitting his skull as he fell. The tall one took this opportunity and stomped Home Run’s right Hindleg. Bending it to an impossible angle.

Home Run let out a cry of agonized pain through his bat and swung, limping towards the tall quick one. He hit the grey pony in the ribs, like the others he made no sound. The tall one of the grey gang keeled over. He collapsed to the ground. The tall one unlike the others was breathing his chest heaved up and down. Home Run raised his bat over his head and surged downwards.

The bat broke the tall one’s neck. The three lay there either incapacitated or dead. Home Run moaned in pain, breathing hard through his blood covered bat clenched in his teeth. His knee raised trying to keep the weight off it.

Home Run stood there for awhile stoic until Dawn realised what he was staring at. The flanks of the gang members were blank. Those gray inanimate stallions were all blank flanks.

He looked over to Dawn and began to limp towards her.

“You fix?” He asked dangling his broken limb outwards.

Dawn felt a pang of guilt shoot through her heart. This was her fault. Home Run had an innocence about him Dawn didn’t want to see corrupted.

“No, I can’t.” she said remorse filling her lungs.

“I’m sorry.” She said guilt coursing through her. She felt terrible, not being able to help. she was always in one sense or another helpless. Yet this pony she had only known for what half an hour came to her rescue, and got his knee smashed to pieces for her. And not to mention saved her from a gang.

He limped over to her in jumps. He dropped his saliva covered bat onto the ground. Dawn seen his teeth. They were short and bent in some places. They developed with the Bat’s grooves and curves. Short in some places overgrowing and crooked in others.

Saliva dribbled from his mouth as he came nearer to Dawn.

He came in close to her, he slung his fore hooves around her and hugged her, he was very strong for such a small pony. Dawn hugged him back, she felt he was just misunderstood, Unwanted.

Like her.

Dawn felt his breath on her, his head rested on her shoulder as saliva trailed from his mouth. Dawn didn’t mind.

****************************************************************************

Trouble was moving forward, bullets flew over his ear as he charged onwards.

He slid on the ground turning around he fired his rifle into his attackers.

Behind him was another group of soldiers all in identical uniforms. All gray.

Four of them, Trouble fired and fired. His semi automatic rifle jumped in his grip. the bullets slicing through the flimsy NCR armour. His rifle ran dry. One was still alive covering his stomach wound as he bled to death.

Trouble leaped from the ground and charged the gray soldier. He knocked him flat on the ground with a kick. He reached for the soldier’s hip stealing his small 9mm side arm. Jamming it against his muzzle he screamed at him hate welling inside of him.

“Remember me?! Remember me?! REMEMBER ME!?!”

He punched the soldier hard in the side of the head, flurrying his face with a barrage of metal strikes to the head.

Dawn couldn’t see the soldier’s face anymore only the streaks of blood flying from his head after every lightning strike.

Trouble finished pummeling the soldier’s face to a pulp, he levelled the pistol with the soldier’s gray eye and squeezed. He blew the pony’s eye out killing him instantly all without a sound from the soldier.

Trouble climbed off of him and resumed his sprint. Thundering towards where ever he had to go.

*****************************************************************************

Dawn came back to her reality. It was night time. Darkness had crept over the park, the dealers were out wearing their usual hoodies. Home Run was no where to be found.

Dawn swallowed hard, the gray blank flank thug ponies were no longer there.

she turned to exit the park when she spotted something between the stacked garbage bags.

Another message etched into the wall.

“DOWN HERE”

Dawn filtered through the bags, drawing the gazes of many ponies as she rummaged through them, and levitated others out of her way. she dug through them eager to find what lay beneath.

She got to the bottom of the heap, there lay a small familiar briefcase.

She opened it up, It was a miracle. Dawn had someone up above looking out for her it seemed. It was.

Amigo.

Just as she had found him before, like in EverBright. His beautiful chrome and silver body work. Two sapphires embedded on the grip one for each side, and along the slide of the gun etched into it in Cursive font was Amigo. Next to him lay 3 loaded magazines. Significantly less ammo than what she originally found him with.

Her PipBuck wasn’t there either, nor those two orbs Trouble took with him. But two of the healing potions were. Dawn was excited now, she had a large grin on her face despite being up to her waste in filth.

One of the dealers took notice of her and approached. Taking it maybe as a hidden stash.

“What’cha got there sweetheart?” He asked menacingly. His hoodie concealing most of his face only showing his greedy yellow smile.

Dawn’s face fell, she looked up preparing to face this pony when she seen the rest of the note.

“DOWN HERE”

“KILL THEM ALL”

“ESCAPE”

Dawn’s eye twitched, she sucked in a breath and as incognito as she could manage Hovered Amigo from his case and slotted a magazine into him. She pulled back the large metal slide chambering a monster sized bullet.

The dealer took a step closer hearing the strange sound.

This only enticed him further.

“Got something you want to show me?” he said indignantly.

Dawn laughed to herself, the amount of times she wanted to this before but always lacked the means, but now with the opportunity before her she wasn’t entirely sure what to do.

“Yeah.” she said back coldly.

Dawn rose her head still having Amigo head beneath all the refuse. she turned to face the pony his head hung low.

“Well, lets see what you got.”

Dawn raised Amigo from his case as fast as she could manage and rested his front sights eye level with the dealer.

“Woah! Woah! Woah! Easy!”

Dawn snarled as the dealer cringed in fear.

“This is what I Fucking Got!” She screamed at him.

She tensed around the trigger.

Before the bullet left the barrel the world flashed once more.

******************************************************************************

Trouble was hidden inside a small jagged crevice of a canyon. He was still in his full combat gear but lacking his signature weapons. in his hooves he had cradled a small sub machine gun with a grip on the front and lacking a stock.

There was gun fire raging all around him, but not at him. Two parties were duking it out Trouble merely waiting.

He stood on his hind hooves waiting. The battle ended outside with a large explosion. Hand grenade. The noise only amplified in this crevice. The gunfire ceased. Trouble sprinted to the other side of the canyon. He shimmied along the edge until he came to the end of it.

Trouble peered around and seen 3 corpses. Dawn immediately recognized them, they were the band of raiders she encountered on her first night out here. Right before Watcher told her to run. He was in Ever Bright canyon, Dry Town wasn’t 20 minutes away.

Trouble burst from the canyon wall spotting the band of raiders that attacked them. he fired a three round burst at the large one in the centre with the bulky automatic rifle. The one Dawn remembered referred to her as “That fine piece of flank” all those days ago.

The two other raiders still standing opened fired, missing widely of their target. Trouble fired two more 3 round bursts cutting them down. He speedily made a mag swap, loading in a fresh load. He resumed his sprint his body sagging slightly getting tired.

He was coming for her.

******************************************************************************

Dawn was back in her own body. It was still night time pitch black all around her.

She was carrying Home Run on her shoulder dragging him along. She had no idea how she got here, for some reason she was down by the river that’s used as the town’s toilet.

One sip of that water and you’re good as dead. Or if your lucky your insides will only have third degree burns. Dawn herself was covered in cuts and scratches, Home Run on her side was suffering from a gunshot wound to the stomach yet still carrying his baseball bat, his blood spattered baseball bat. Dawn was crying she hadn’t the faintest idea why, everything was cutting out too fast.

Dawn swung Home Run to the ground, he was moaning in pain Dawn still was carrying around that briefcase. She opened it up sweating and crying. Home Run lay dying on the ground blood staying his coat as he lay there in agony.

“Come on please Please! Don’t let him die! Please!”

She fumbled out the last healing potion the other vanished. In the darkness it was hard to see the bottle, Dawn levitated close to her relying solely on her horn’s glow. she began to unscrew the cap.

“BANG!” A shot rang out through the darkness shattering the bottle into a thousand pieces. The healing liquid falling onto the useless contaminated soil.

Dawn looked up a gray pony was advancing on her pumping a shell into the chamber of a shotgun. she raised Amigo and let two shots ring out.

“POW POW” Both hitting home killing the gray thug instantly. Her strength left her. She looked down. Half a dozen small holes littered her torso. Blood trickled from the holes in her body pouring out like water.

She fell backwards leaving Home Run writhing in pain. Her body began to roll towards the river.

Her thought stream stopped, her muscles grew lax and she became drowsy. Her vision while rolling was: Ground. Sky. Ground. Sky. Ground. Sky. Pony.

Some Pony had stopped her rolling towards the toxic river.

Trouble.

******************************************************************************

Dawn was Trouble once more, looking through his eyes at least. In front of her was the wall. that unnecessarily high, poorly manned wall. There was 2 gray sentries guarding the gateway with those semi automatic NCR military rifles.

Trouble was outside laying in a ditch not 75 metres out, panting. He looked down to his sub machine gun and exhaled. His ears pricked up. Gunshots rang out from behind the wall. the two gray sentries remained stationary.

Trouble snarled and gritted his teeth. He broke from cover spraying wildly at the sentries.

Before either of them had time to react they were mowed down by a pelting of bullets.

Numerous small holes littered their corpses. He only stopped firing after the gun was empty.

He tossed it in his stride. The gate was only a few more metres from him, inside the gunfire intensifying. Trouble threw his shoulder against the gate into Dry Town. He reached down and claimed the rifle and ammunition of one of the soldiers.

All in all he had 60 bullets.

Trouble’s breathing steadied. He braced for the door, not having his helmet to tell him what lay behind. He kicked it with all his force thrusting himself inwards scanning for all threats. The only thing Trouble seen as he entered was a wall eyed stallion pummeling a gray stallion.

He paid no attention to that. His mind was set on something else. He scanned the streets side to side peering down his rifle. Black Dawn came into view, darting out of an alley way. Letting off shots.

“KID!” Trouble cried out, his voice hoarse.

Dawn ceased fire and shot a glance over to Trouble who was waving her in. Dawn galloped over to Trouble.

“Thank fuck!” Trouble cried out as she drew in close.

Dawn charged into him teary eyed, she wrapped her fore hooves around him as Amigo fell to the floor.

“Trouble! I thought- I thought,” He didn’t give her a chance to finish her thought. Her voice was cracking and weeping

“Kid, we gotta tie up loose ends if we wanna get outta here. Now listen I need you to be somewhere else. I’ll hold them off you see to business.” Trouble said brushing her off

“Trouble wait I don’t understand wha,” Dawn stopped talking behind Trouble scrawled onto the gate was.

“TIE UP LOOSE ENDS”

“SETTLE ACCOUNTS”

“ ESCAPE.”

Dawn knew what she had to do. She silently reclaimed Amigo. Home Run was finished brutalising a gray thug and he rejoined her his leg fully healed. Trouble was headed onto the wall.

******************************************************************************

Trouble grabbed Dawn ceasing her rolling downwards into the river. Trouble cradled her in his arms.

“C’mon Kid! Not now! If you die we’re both dead!” Trouble said desperation in his eyes as he rocked her limp body.

He dropped her swinging around with his rifle in tow. Another gray soldier appeared, Trouble fired four shots into him. The soldier cascaded down another two taking his place, Trouble let out a war cry and then.

******************************************************************************

Dawn ebbed closer to her house, Home Run at her side.

“What we do here?” Home Run asked in his slow way. Dawn didn’t devalue him for it, she just seen him as being bad with words. It was actually a little cute.

“Easy Home Run, We tie up all loose ends.” Dawn replied she was no longer levitating Amigo around with her, instead she carried him in her mouth. he was weighty and she never fired a weapon like this before but it had more of a personal touch to it.

“I love you.” Home Run mumbled through his baseball bat. Dawn stopped. A chord pulled tight in her chest, everything slowed around her.

“What?” Dawn asked, she knew what he said but she didn’t know what to say. never in her life had anypony said those words to her.

“I love you. We leave?”He said, he probably hadn’t the faintest idea of the gravity those words had.

Dawn shot a weak smile back, there was still business to settle. Her heart fluttered slightly and on an impulse she replied.

“I love you too, let’s get out of here.” She didn’t know why but this was the happiest she’s been in her life. Home Run and Black Dawn. Dawn liked the sound of that. He was a unique pony in many ways, and the first friend she ever made in this town. If you could call him a friend she knew for a grand total of a few hours. Dawn deeply doubted he meant it as she interpreted it as.

She seen Home Run’s face he was positively beaming beneath that baseball bat, quietly laughing to himself. Dawn thought it was adorable.

******************************************************************************

Trouble was engaged on all fronts he was completely erect returning fire on the combined efforts of the gray thugs and soldiers. Trouble was deadly accurate with his scavenged rifle popping head shots mortally wounding those who weren’t instantly killed.

Trouble took one to the knee.

“GAAAAHHHHH!!!” He swung his body round as he fell onto one knee. And he triple tapped his trigger at the pony who fired the shot. Bullets echoed all around them. Trouble threw himself over Dawn acting as a shield, he grabbed her by the shoulder and began to drag her along.

Firing his rifle at the Gray ponies. All coloured ponies seemed to have just vanished.

Trouble’s rifle ran out. “Click. Click.” He ejected the magazine, before the empty box hit the ground a bullet hit Trouble square in the chest, Dawn seen the round leave his back.

“OWWW FUCK!” Trouble roared. He fitted another magazine into the gun and pulled back the bolt of his rifle. Taking aim once more inching Dawn up the bank towards Home Run.

******************************************************************************

Dawn was at her shack, the plywood cover was up. Her face growing hard with hatred, this was long overdue.

“Home Run, smash that.” Dawn ordered to her infatuated companion.

Home Run swung with all his force against the plywood sheet shattering it. Inside was Dawn’s father cowering his back against the wall. His hindlegs stained with his own semen.

Dawn took difficult aim with amigo in her mouth when her father began talking his voice trembling.

“Woah. Easy, Easy. Please don’t. I-I’m your father. C’mon now put down the gun. I-I Love you don’t do thi- POW-POW-POW” First time the bastard ever said it in his life and he didn’t even has the courtesy to make the lie a convincing one.

Home Run stood there looking at Dawn’s grim face, thinking of how little such a hard look didn’t suit such a soft delicate mare like her.

******************************************************************************

Dawn came back to the present. Trouble was dragging her by the hair now, ripping out locks of her shaggy frizzy golden mane as he tugged her along. Trouble swung the rifle round behind his hip and blind fired, as he did another bullet came. Striking at his side sailing right through his armour. “Fucking Wankers!” he screamed out at the horde of the colourless silent bastards.

He dropped Dawn and fired back at his assailants. Dawn’s vision was nearly completely faded.

All she could hear was Trouble firing away and... and Home Run’s shallow breathing.

******************************************************************************

Trouble was on the infamous wall of the NCR in front of him massing hordes of Gray raiders and soldiers. He scavenged some more magazines from the dead. He rested the rifle on the edge of the wall and took aim, this was going to be hell of a fight.

Home Run and Dawn were leaving the building. Dawn stepped outside, the air tasted sweeter than it had in years. Tied up loose ends. A gray military pony sprang from the alley way with a rifle. Dawn raised Amigo to fire when squeezed the trigger.

“Click.”

Dawn spat out Amigo and ejected the magazine with her magic before she had time to reload the pony got a shot off hitting Home Run in the stomach, he collapsed wailing in pain, his baseball bat falling out from his mouth. Dawn loaded a fresh magazine in a fast and fluid motion and took aim within a split second she had the sights of Amigo level with the military ponies helmet.

“POW!” The Gray pony’s head exploded his body crumbled to the ground. Dawn crouched down next to Home Run. He was trying to get his lips back around his baseball bat. Dawn nudged it closer to him he chomped down on the handle with his teeth and Dawn hoisted him up. Carrying him on her shoulder. He was bleeding bad.

Dawn looked over towards the dead soldier on the concrete wall next to him was etched.

“River.” Dawn repeated struggling to support the heavier Home Run.

******************************************************************************

Trouble was going down, too many hits. He was leaking blood left right and centre. Too exposed down by the river. His torso was perforated if it weren’t for his armour slowing the rounds he would be dead. His reflexes were becoming slower his usual speedy movements and motions were growing sluggish.

He raised the rifle with one hoof and fired, another Gray one dropped. His head hung low.

His grip was slicing through Dawn’s golden mane, her vision was hardly on. Her body had hardly any strength she could hear her own heart beat in her ear slowing, steadily slowing.

Trouble dumped her next Home Run. His eye was twitching slightly, his baseball bat was rocking back and forth in a pool of his own blood.

Dawn felt a pang in her heart, this was her fault. She got him roped into this. His mind easily warped to her all because he was attracted to her. His eyes fell unto hers. His mouth muscles slowly formed a smile. She felt terrible, manipulative she lied to him she told him that she loved him back. He didn’t understand, maybe now he didn’t understand that he was dying. Trouble swapped magazines once more Dawn broke eye contact with Home Run, she looked up at Trouble his pistol belt had something lodged in it.

Amigo.

Trouble Slapped the fresh magazine into his rifle just as he did a final bullet whizzed by and struck him in the chest. He collapsed onto his face.

******************************************************************************

Trouble was on the wall exchanging fire with the advancing Gray bastards. His head was ducked low. The one thing he was going by was just him peeping down the rear sight towards them. The rest of his body taking refuge behind the weird composition of scavenged wall materials.

He was dropping them easily enough one shot one kill. Plenty of time to aim. Bullets whizzed by. One of the Gray soldiers stood onto his hindlegs blasting away in frustration. Trouble dropped a single round through his throat. Dropping him like soap. Trouble looked to his right That pony he seen pummeling one of the gray ones was with her, he was bashing in a door.

Trouble stopped to observe him ducking his head low. An epiphany dawned on him, he looked at the ground beneath him a message was etched onto it.

“KILL THEM ALL”

“ESCAPE”

Trouble bolted down from the wall after Dawn she had to be the one to settle accounts. Or then they went into a darker place. Trouble would have done anything to stay out of there.

******************************************************************************

Trouble crawled on his stomach towards Home Run. Amigo in his hoof. He climbed on top of Home Run, Trouble’s body still taking a barrage numerous holes in his armour.

He jammed it into Home Run’s mouth.

Dawn’s heart sank.

“NOOOOOO!” Dawn screamed out. It couldn’t be all for nothing. It couldn’t end like this.

She mustered her strength, she stole Trouble’s abandoned rifle with her magic levitated the barrel behind his head. She gritted her teeth cursing the bastard. Time slowed everything hinged on this.

“POW!”

The world shattered.

Dawn was transported to a different place. A quieter place.

She opened her eyes her wounds were sealed, she was fully recuperated.

She found her hooves and forced herself up when she opened her eyes. She was shell shocked. Struck in awe.

There was nothing. A blank canvas lay indefinitely before her. She was standing on it moving on it. The ground was the ceiling the horizon everything around her. She turned around.

“Sweet fucking Celestia.”

A large cinder block wall 100 feet high towered above her, Every inch of it graffitied over with messages or murals. It didn’t cast a shadow, It was just there. Blocking whatever lay behind it.

Dawn’s sense of curiosity was sparked by this wall. Everything around her was blank, nothing was definite except this wall. The wall expanding into the horizon going as far as the eye could see and further than that still.

Dawn stood there staring at the wall, what she failed to notice was the pony sitting at it’s base.

A forlorn pony his head hanging limp, he looked defeated.

It was Trouble.

Dawn approached him. He lay with his head in his knees, depressed. He must have heard her drawing closer, even standing on nothing her hooves made a noise.

“Why did it have to be so high?” He asked his voice cracking.

Dawn never thought she would see Trouble like this. He was usually the strong one. The pillar of strength to lean on.

Dawn kept silent. Speechless.

“The Wall. WHY IS IT SO HIGH!!!” He screamed. He burst from his ball slapping his hooves against the concrete. He thrust his head backwards and slammed it against the hard concrete.

He tumbled backwards unto his flank.

He sniffed and returned to his former position, his forehead bleeding. The more she looked at the Wall the dizzier she became. She remembered something.

“Trouble, why did you kill him?” She asked her feelings of pity for Trouble leaving her. After she remembered him killing Home Run.

“Who?” He asked back, he voice not it’s usual assertive and knowing way not it was broken, depression over came it.

“The pony you shot, Remember? Yellow! Black Mane! Brown Eyes! YOU FUCKING SHOT HIM!” Dawn was shaking, if she still had a gun she would turn it on him. But looking at Trouble now, it seems it would release him from this, his own torment.

“Kid, you were told. Tie Up Loose ends.” He said.

“He wasn’t a loose end! He wasn’t anything to do with this! This is your fault, if you didn’t come shooting the place up we would have made it out. We would have escaped. HE FUCKING LOVED ME!” Dawn was furious at him, all this time she thought she could trust him, that he’d pull through for her. Instead she shot her only other friend. and if it weren’t for him maybe more than a friend. All her live she was alone. Was it too much to ask.

Trouble rested his hoof against his head wound and spoke in a grave tone.

“Look around. Does this look like Equestria?”

That hadn’t even crossed Dawn’s mind, she was just so... Tired.

He continued.

“Those messages all those gray ponies, you think it was all coincidence? It was all in your head Black none of this was ever real. Home Run, whoever else you met. We’re trapped now, because I was the one who settled the accounts not you.”

Dawn was confused. “What is this? What do you mean inside my head? Where are we?”

“This is my mind now more specifically my own hell,” He said, He laughed to himself and continued. “It wasn’t always like this, Usually there are others here, usually I’m not so alone and not in such good condition. Maybe because you are here. But they probably will come soon.”

“Trouble, what the fuck are you talking about? Who’s coming? What kind of hell is this? How are we here? How do we get out?” Dawn’s rage was replaced with panic.

“Ghosts are coming kid, to haunt me. And this hell is The Wall. It’s been here for as long as I can remember. As a colt I suffered from frequent nightmares The Wall was always there. I used to be able to find my way out, but ever since they broke me I’m trapped. The only way out is through this wall. I’ve been trying and trying and trying but... We’re stuck.” Dawn seen his face. He was trying to be strong, trying to think of a way out of here for her, but he was defeated.

Dawn licked her lips she still had questions and now was the time to ask.

“How did we get here?”

“Since I killed Home Run instead of you, if you killed him we would be free. But since I killed him the game changed now we are here inside my head. The catch is: If we die in here, we die in reality.”

Dawn gulped, she came dangerously close to death then, as did Trouble all on her account.

“What about Home Run was he ever real and how did we even get here in this situation?”

“Home Run? Imaginary, created by your sub conscious as a self defense mechanism, S for you leaving yourself messages and getting a gun into here, that was something new. I’ve had training for this sort of stuff, the must I could ever get in was my combat gear. To escape you need to figure out how the Night Mare has set up, which are it’s routers. Now you don’t know what that means but I do, your mind somehow knew to leave you tasks telling you that certain ponies were the routers. Sometimes it’s objects, others ponies. You could be in here days at a time. And during that period the Night Mare throws you against a wall and bombards you with opposition. Your mind somehow however re routed all the Gray opposition you were supposed to be facing to me. It even left me a message. Help.”

Dawn was bewildered he was gradually adding everything up for her.

“Nightmare?” Dawn asked. She also suspected something about all her mind done for her sub consciously.

Before Trouble could answer Dawn heard that familiar smooth soothing feminine voice in her head, it was only a weak whisper though but it was there.

“Me and Trumpet seen to that dear, but now. Your in a different ball park and we’re as helpless as you.”

Almost as the voice finished on cue Trouble spoke again.

“Night Mares we call em, to the far north of Stalliongrad and the coltic lands there are living Night Mares. We don’t know what they are, how they breed or where their nest is. Wolf Pack is practically dedicated to their extermination. They are living embodiments of shadow they hijack your mind, from when we sat down to go to sleep we were snared. This one is remarkably gifted if it made it this far south. And very sly making Home Run a router. The only way we are getting out of here is if the Night Mare’s connection is broken before it kills us or breaks us. The one upside is the Night Mare is as vulnerable as we are in reality, in fact it has to be in close proximity to us. Days could pass in here but it would only be an hour in reality, I’m not sure on the ratio. but we can still get out of here all it takes is for some pony to break the trance. anything that would snap the Night Mare out of it’s concentration would be enough.”

Dawn couldn’t fucking believe this. But it all added up, Home Run was never real, she never seen him in all the 16 years she was in that town. She exhaled and sat next to Trouble.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” She asked, it made no sense that he withheld this information.

“Simple, the Night Mare could change scene. Things get cut out, reset. I couldn’t risk another cut out. The more cut outs you have the more time it buys The Night Mare. But here, Ha. Nobody has power.”

Dawn cradled up next to Trouble, she didn’t feel any hatred for him anymore. Now it all made sense. She landed them here though. If it weren’t for her disobedience and idiocy they would have been fine. Dawn forced Trouble’s hoof. If it weren’t for him she’d be dead over and over and over.

“I seen a message though, it said River.” Dawn objected.

“That was the Night Mare getting smart, luring you down somewhere you could easily be killed.” Dawn only now noticed his voice and hers. They were different here. They all spoke perfect Equine no accents no tones nothing. Everything here was clean. Everything except The Wall.

She rested up against his duster as he sat there his head hung low, she didn’t want the conversation to stop. It was too eerie here. Blank. Nothing. There had to be something.

“What’s written on the wall?” Dawn asked, it was cramped with text and drawings writing in blotchy runny black ink.

Trouble sighed. “Messages, all those that came here before me. Usually I’m not the only one here, there are others but a lot of them are long dead.”

Dawn was feeling glum, Trouble feared this place. More than any other horrific place he’s been too. Another thought crossed her mind.

“Where did they get the pens?”

“That’s blood.” Trouble grimly replied.

“I’ve seen others do it, nick themselves with their exoskeleton or teeth. Then smear something on The Wall. I’m yet to think of something worth saying.”

Dawn blinked. A door appeared in The Wall. Dawn’s face lit up.

“Trouble a door! A way out C’mon!” she tugged at him, he was beyond caring.

“Trouble?” she asked.

She looked over Trouble’s shoulder.

Dear Celestia.

A killing field lay behind her. Silhouettes of ponies lay flat on the ground in pools of shadow. Staining the white canvas. Their bodies secured down with chains of shadow and black ooze.

To Dawn’s right were 3 erect ponies, obscured by shadow.

Trouble slowly turned his head to face them. He grinned.

“Usually I can seen them, the dead ones I mean. the ones who are standing only reveal themselves after they’ve died. Do you know who is behind me kid? My family.”

Maybe 200 ponies lay fastened down by chains. This must have included his ancestors.

The canvas cracked beneath Dawn. The crack widened and grew shooting along the canvas leaving the Wall untouched.

Dawn shot up from the ground. Scanning the cracks. Trouble raised his head from the cracks and smiled. “Should have figured. Those desert Rats always Pull through.”

Dawn was dodging around the cracks inspecting them.

“Trouble what the fuck is going,”

“CRASSSSSHHHH!!!”

The world shattered around them like glass. Dawn was in free fall. Tumbling through the air. Trouble and the others were no where to be seen. Neither was the wall. She was barreling through the void.

She left like she entered with a Thump.

Footnote: Level Up!

New Perk: Night Pony -- As a night time Pony You are more awake when the sun goes down. Your Intelligence and Perception are improved at night, But dulled during the day.

Chapter 14: Old School

Dawn woke. It was early morning, the sun was peeking over the horizon, the night had ended and a new day had dawned.

She was still gazing upon the dying radiance of New Pegas as light flooded the air almost as if nothing had transpired in that long night of a war that raged in her mind.

But now things never really were going to be the same between her and Trouble.

Her armour and gear had been restored. Her beloved Amigo felt warm in his holster.

Bad News was how he always was; lean, mean and powerful. She missed the feeling of her armour. The black hardened hide, with metal plates and bracing for ribs, chest and shoulders. The flexible collar and all the pouches on the chest and waist of it. Making her more professional looking than she ever was.

Her head ached, there was an annoying buzzing noise bouncing around her skull, she kicked herself out of Trouble’s sleeping bag with some effort, wondering where he slipped off to.

Dawn forced herself unto her stiff hooves wobbling, they felt like jelly beneath her. Dawn heard grunting from behind. She cornered the old rest station wall she was resting against to see Trouble kicking a sickly looking pony in the ribs.

The pony he was beating was unresponsive to his blows. The pony was a mare with a tatty pale mane large black bags under her eyes, a pale green sick coat with patches of hair missing. The pony was malnourished, scrawnier than Dawn, she could see her skeleton through her paper thin flesh.

Night Light stood opposite Trouble looking confused, Dawn wandered over to them.

Dawn was noticed by Night Light she spoke to her first.

“Hey Dawn! Your sleeping bag is damn heavy.” Night Light hefted it out of her cramped saddlebags underneath her and she flung it over to Dawn’s hooves.

“She anything interesting on the road?” Dawn asked as she stuffed the sleeping bag into her saddle bag.

“I seen a dead knee capped old guy, his family was there. They said they couldn’t save him.” Trouble stopped kicking the pony.

Night Light continued. “They said it wasn’t like he was worth saving, they are headed for Phoenix, gonna join up with the Trottingham Boot Boys. Maybe The Prodigies, hell they said they’d even settle for the Stalliongrad mob.”

Trouble moved in closer to Dawn abandoning the sickly pony he was raising a talon about to speak but Dawn cut him off. “What the fuck is that?” She gestured towards the sickly pony, she could visibly see what Trouble had done to it.

He must have shattered four ribs. She looked over to the other side of her, she had been shot. This mare’s blood was dry against the desert and there was very little of it.

“Tha my dear is a dead Night Mare. See when ya waste em’ they turn back inta ponies, usually they are black as night. As ya musta saw.” Dawn missed his accent, he seemed depleted without it.

“Ranger ah owe ya, we woulda been fucked otherwise. New Pegas ain’t far away, we can make it there shortly. I’ll buy the first round.”

Dawn looked up from the corpse and seen Trouble’s face. He was tired, worn down. His coat was losing it’s scarlet edge and dulling. Over the last few days he has been getting considerably worse looking. But it didn’t seem to slow him in any way.

“Not a problem Trouble, lets see what kind of crib you got in the strip.”

They wandered away from the Night Mare almost as if it didn’t exist anymore, Night Light and Trouble moved onwards Dawn looked back on it. Thinking of what a poor tortured soul it must have been. Then Trouble stopped, and stared back at the Night Mare. Thinking to himself of what a worthy adversary it had been.

The Figure was moving around Dawn in a circle. Thinking.

“I suppose you think I’m lying about that too, correct?” Dawn said snidely staring at her hooves as she slouched in her chair. She remembered how he called her out about the pony with the harmonica.

“No, I’ve had... Run ins with Night Mares before.” The Figure said perturbed.

Dawn raised her head shocked, she didn’t expect that from him. Usually he was quick to shoot down anything out of viability.

“What was it?” Dawn asked therapeutically, it wasn’t easy for her, that memory gave her restless nights. All in the fear of waking up back there. No help this time but stuck there helpless for an eternity. Damned to fail and fail again.

The Figure took on a deep angry voice, keeping it low. “That’s none of your concern.”

Dawn lowered her eyes from his shrouded face striking a nerve, she backed away. She knew how it was to talk about this sort of thing.

The Figure spoke again his mood lightening slightly “What happened next New Pegas?”

Leaning forwards resting his elbows on the table, listening intently.

“By nightfall yeah, but we met some knackers on the road.” Dawn said making good use of her known slang.

“Don’t use that word.” The Figure said.

“What knacker?”

The Figure leaped from his chair and slapped Dawn in the face. The connection of the cold metal and flesh knocked her head sideways reminding her to be grateful that the Figure didn’t sharpen his claws like Trouble when he hit her. It still stung like a bitch.

“Yes that.” The Figure spat.

Dawn re-composed herself, she couldn’t retaliate. She couldn't hope to fight this kind of pony in these quarters without a weapon, Trouble could take him. But then again Trouble wouldn’t have landed himself in this situation. He would never have been taken alive.

Dawn felt the sting linger, red marks hardly visible on her black cheeks. Rage was building inside of her. She was stuck in this small dark cell long enough. These wall were closing in on her, she could feel. Soon enough they’ll crush the life from her body.

“WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT FROM ME?!?” She screamed tears pooling in her eyes. The uncertainty and sense of being caged getting to her.

The Figure shot out of his seat and circled her lapping that small metal table his pace almost breaking into a run.

“We want the facts Miss Dawn simple as. And when we’re done you can go. Why do you think we left you with all your gear?” The Figure said trying to sooth her in an assertive tone.

Dawn cracked a smile, a single tear trailing from her eye her voice quivering.

“Double bluff. I still don’t have my guns. We both no I’m never leaving this room.”

She may not be educated but she knew odds, and hers weren't looking up.

The Figure stopped pacing, stopping dead in his tracks. He sighed.

“Sorry,” He began, remorse and shame in his words “orders are orders, maybe we can work something out, you are after all still an NCR citizen.” His usual cold tone fell, he slowly reseated himself. Dawn never moved an inch, wallowing in her own self pity.

The Figure spoke again, eager to resume. Time was of the essence.

“You met some travellers on your way there what happened?”

Dawn wiped her eyes, no point in not telling him. It was either try and use leverage and get tortured and tell him anyway, or she could tell him now and save herself for now.

“Bare hoof boxers, wild bunch came from Bally an Poni in the coltic lands.”

The Figure went rigid in his chair.

“For what?” He replied.

“Caravan jobs, this was a band of misfit ponies looking for some work they spent their lives on the road so it wouldn’t be hard.”

“Weird.” the Figure remarked.

“Trouble would’ve fit right in with them.” She smiled remembering the animated bunch.

They stood on the edge of the plain. Trouble placed the Night Mare in the rest station that Dawn and him were outside the previous night. Trouble rested the Night Mare on an old flea infested decomposing mattress inside saying that “She done well to get that far.”

Giving that tired old pony a final resting place.

They stood side by side, Trouble the largest in the middle, Dawn to his left Night Light to his right. They stood there on the top of that plain. Trouble with his worn down bullet cracked and burned black filthy duster, his face looked tired and worn down which he probably was, but he never acted like it. Always the pillar of strength leading by example.

Night Light next to him gazing at the city, her jacket buttoned tightly up, her brown stetson with the black band resting on her head the bullet hole from Marizona ripped a hole right above her cranium devaluing her fierce and elegant look, silver mane and coat and grey eyes. She was serene but at the drop of hat she turned into a predator with her prized Valkyrie rifle.

And finally there was Dawn the smallest of the three: Underweight, scrawny, large eyes in a hungry face. The days haven't been kind to her gold mane either, tufts of the frizzy and untamed hair were yanked out and stains were easily visible. But her black and purple armour with it’s various pouches, Amigo at her side and Bad News on her back, she looked mean. Meaner than this delicate mare has ever looked in her life, and in the presence of her companions; her guardian Trouble and the Ranger who was growing on her, she was a contender in this world now at least. She finally had a chance to live.

Dawn was staring at New Pegas she only seen one tower in the distance and the beautiful lights but now she seen what it really was.

In the very heart of the city was a single large arrow straight strip of wide asphalt road, along that road numerous large stocky buildings each differing wildly in design and colour at the very end of the road was the casino that was visible from here. The large tower in the shape of the roulette spinner, it immediately caught her eye. But what she was looking at wasn’t the creme de creme. Radiating out from the strip was urban sprawl.

Rough grey patchy buildings miles thick were spread out from the beautiful luxurious heart, black smoke plumes could be seen from where they were standing. All around the heart a thick slanted wall could be seen, segregating the elite from the riff raff. And on the outside of the slums another tackier and makeshift wall, segregating the riff raff from the wastes.

Dawn’s eyes went from wild with excitement and awe to disgruntled from seeing the jewel of New Pegas and her rusty exterior.

“Whats the place outside that inner wall?” Dawn asked sheepishly, voicing her vague disappointment to Trouble.

“Freeside, it’s wha we call a ‘Ghetto’ rough nuff so it is. Fuckers always tryin ta mug tourists, best way ta put manners on em is a bullet in between da ribs.”

Night Light added “It’s run by drug barons and smugglers, not nice country. The rangers were asked to clean the place up, but the Ponave is outside our jurisdiction. We couldn’t spare the pony power.” Night Light said her voice was sickened. Night Light had morals, Trouble not really Dawn didn’t really know what morals were.

Trouble’s eyes were drawn to the road beneath them, a group of ponies were trudging their way slowly up the rising gradient, he nudged Night Light and gestured towards them.

Dawn was the last to catch on, there was 7 of them all wearing practical yet stylish waistcoats, shirts and long coats with no sleeves.

Trouble spoke before Dawn had time to pose the question. “Stall the ball up here, we’ll see what the craic is with these lads.”

Dawn didn’t even know where to begin, with how she didn’t have a clue what that meant.

“What?” Dawn summarised.

Trouble exhaled tired, “Craic: Slang from where I’m from it roughly means fun, whats going on, good times, fun. Fuck it’s multi purpose right? There is no word for it in Equine.”

He said bored, probably sick of repeating it’s definition to less well travelled ponies.

“And stall the ball?” Night Light said equally as confused.

“Fuck me.” Trouble facehoofed. “Stall the ball, fuckin wait and see. As in Stall-stop and ball as in we’re having a fuckin ball. Hence! The fuckin ball has been stalled. We’s stallin the ball righ?”

“OK.” Said Night Light confidently, Dawn still hadn’t a notion as to the whats going on so she thought it best to play along so she slowly nodded her head agreeing.

They waited until the group waved at them Trouble signalled back waving. He began to strut down the gradient to met them, Trouble taking the lead. The pony on point for the 7 ponies signalled for the rest to stop while he continued up alone. Of all the ponies there Dawn noticed something, there was only one mare among them and there was only 2 unicorns out of all them.

He was a cerulean stallion with black eyes and a yellow mane wearing a black leather waistcoat and brown tweed cap.

He approached Trouble tipping his cap.

“Aye, Aye Mister.” The young stallion said in a largely similar accent to Razey’s except more comprehensible.

“Story Kid?” Trouble replied.

“Where bouts you from our fella? With your stripes n all.” The stallion replied his eyebrow quizzical.

“In nd roun Monaneigh, yourselves?” Trouble replied smiling at the young stallion, the stallion smiling back.

“Fuck, bally an poni around Dealgan, Ya know Dealgan ah?” The stallion getting ecstatic.

“Ah do indeed, ya know Big Jocey?”

The stallion laughed to himself. “Fuckin hell we’re headin with his fuckin cousin!”

The stallion turned around to his halted company he shouted back to them.

“Oi! Bosco yer pony ere’ knows yer cousin Big Jocey! C’mon ya bastards this fella’s from roun Monaneigh!”

A larger than life red coated and red maned pony stepped forward wearing a sleeveless trench coat. He was even bigger than Trouble with all his armour on.

“Oh ah, Big Jocey hey. Fuck you’re one ugly bastard” He said in almost a sing song voice.

Trouble squinted at the red pony he looked him up an down and spoke “You’d know this fucker was a relative of Big Jocey, da fuckin size of him.” The lumbering red stallion chuckled.

His shoulders were broader than Dawn’s head. The party of mostly stallions and one mare trotted on up, with friendly smiles keen to talk to a native of their land.

Trouble clasped the speaker pony on the shoulder and began to walk with him back up the gradient, Dawn and Night Light followed in silence.

“Wah are you boys doin so far from home?” Trouble asked.

“Lookin fir work, nathin up where we are. So we said we’d head fir ere’ heard they need capable ponies nd the like.” The speaker replied, a few ponies behind said “Aye.” in unison.

They were out onto the plain the speaker of the ponies walking alongside Trouble, his friends trailing behind slightly.

The speaker took in the view “I tell ya wah mister, ya any good fir fair fightin?”

Trouble’s eyebrows furrowed.

“Wah Bare hoof? Exoskeleton kid, I’ll kill someone.” Trouble said his voice warning him from himself. His face looking worried.

“No bodge, No bodge. Big fella such as yerself gloves would nay slow ya a-tall.” Trouble didn’t look so serious know. The speaker pony wrapped a hoof around Trouble’s shoulders.

“Ya up fir a wee bit o’ prize fighting boss?” The speaker asked, his voice tempting.

Trouble chuckled.

“Against yer Big fella Bosco Ah?”

The Figure shook his head and his tone of temptation remained the same.

“No, no, no, no nothing like that, a big fella but not as big as the buck himself like. Five Hundirt soun’ fair?” The speaker pony hanging off of Trouble a grin on his face.

“Whats the name kid?” Trouble asked.

“Hoptile.” He replied.

Trouble repeated the name in a muttering.

“Alrigh’ I’ll give your boy a fight.” Trouble replied.

“Ya hear that boys!? Our man ere’ will give young Omelet a figh!” Hoptile hollered back.

The crowd broke into cheering, the one identified as Bosco said something along the lines of

“Scup De Wap, Yeup De Bouy!” Dawn was bewildered, her and Night Light exchanged confused glances as Trouble and Hoptile spoke away.

“Who am I fightin then?” Trouble asked Hoptile leaving his shoulder.

“Oi Omelet!” Hoptile shouted back.

From the crowd a muscular and tall khaki pony emerged wearing a worn down black blazer with a dirty yellow silk waistcoat beneath. His head was clean shaven and his eyes were an army green unlike Trouble’s poison green eyes.

The pony was around the same size as Trouble his cutie mark was visible, it was true to his name an Omelet. He squared up to Trouble, trying to intimidate him. Trouble didn’t return the favour instead he looked him over and smiled, though it was hard to tell if Trouble was being friendly or not.

With that huge scar demonizing his smile.

Hoptile drove a hoof between the two separating them. Dawn couldn’t help but feel attracted to the boxer, Omelet. It would take balls of steel to try and stare down a pony like Trouble, he was a walking death threat this pony was a roving buck looking for work.

Trouble whispered to Omelet “Right then boy, I’ll sort ya out.”

_____________________________________________________________________

The ponies were all in a line along the asphalt road Dawn and Night Light standing beside Trouble, they hadn’t spoken a word since these guys showed up. All around them was those bucks chipping in to match the bet. Omelet was stretching his hooves out on the plain. Trouble before this stashed all his weapons in with the dead Night Mare, he wasn’t sure how they would react to the Red Queen.

Hoptile came over to Trouble grinning, in his mouth was a bowler hat with a mound of caps in it.

“Two-fihfty bhoy, sqhuare muh uhp.”

For the first time in a while Trouble leaned into Dawn’s ear and whispered.

“Are you watching closely?”

She looked at him in confusion her face baffled, he leaned away and winked.

Trouble reached into his saddle bags with the extra reach his exoskeleton gave him and pulled out one of those clear cellophane bags the Good pony paid them in and dropped it in the hat.

The sudden increase in weight made the hat almost capsize but Hoptile held it, muttering profanities. He flipped the hat around on the ground in the middle of the sandy plain.

“Alrigh Lads! No biting, no head butts jus boxing!” The ponies cheered Omelet on.

Night Light spoke for the first time in a while in a hushed whisper. “You got a plan Trouble?”

Trouble began to tussle his black duster off while answering. “Easy, beat him.”

Night Light said back in a muttering looking content with his answer

“Not bad...”

Trouble stood onto his hind hooves, for the first time in her life Dawn seen the length of Trouble’s forehooves and his shoulder armour. The chatting of the travellers ceased when they seen Trouble without his duster.

His forehooves were maimed and mangled. Scars, holes dips and ripples littered the length and breadth of them. Dawn seen straight away the chainsaw scar and so many others. His war paint on his arms was faded and gone in places, cracked in others.

His shoulder armor was layered. Triangular, stacking on each other 3 layers of them and a circular hinge on the joint for flexibility. The once blue paint of it was blown in circular holes Dawn suspected were bullets lacking the force to punch through.

Dawn never seen the entirety of his chest or hind leg pieces either. His chest piece concealed his cutie mark, his tail was short and black and Dawn could see the tip of the exoskeleton, engraved into the back of his neck, she cringed slightly.

His leg pieces were in much better shape than his chest piece. The failed penetration attempts littering it, some rust on the centre, dents and shallow pierces all over it. Scarred just as badly as him, the denim beneath the armour plates was old and musky. The only part of his body that wasn’t littered with scars were his hind hooves.

Scratch that, Dawn shivered, the back of ankles were scarred. A big long scar in the tendons of his ankles. Both of them, 2 matching scars. Dawn didn’t think that was a coincidence.

Trouble presented his duster to Night Light. She sheepishly accepted it, stunned by his grotesque scarring.

The only one who wasn’t phased was Omelet, he was bouncing on the tips of his hind hooves. throwing sharp punches.

Two the approached one another, Hoptile was rummaging through a duffel bag of one of the other ponies, he poked his head out with a pair of old tatty stuffed black gloves. Thick with stuffing design to absorb shock Dawn guessed.

The two stood on the road little more than 2 feet from one another, Omelet’s face determined and steely. Trouble’s face was amused and relaxed. Hoptile spat the gloves out at Trouble’s hooves.

Hoptile stood between them. “Alright your pony here has got armour, so somebody give Omelet a Vest!” He called out, Bosco ducked his head into the same Duffel bag Hoptile did and pulled out a white bullet proof vest. Well there was never such a thing as bullet proof but still the name stood.

Bosco lifted the heavy vest over to Omelet, Dawn seen his neck muscles. Pulsating and pressing against his skin, he was one big SOB. The vest was fitted around Omelet and Trouble fitted the gloves on his hooves with difficulty.

Hoptile beckoned them both in closer, they obliged both jumping up and down on their hind hooves. Everypony was deathly silent.

“Alright lads, ya know the score. I dun wanna see any o’ that Zebra bollocks, none of that boot nd tooth shite neither righ? Clean fair fightin, now shake hooves.”

Trouble extended his gloved hoof forward, Omelet gave it a quick and gentle slap.

“Begin!”

Trouble bounced backwards on his hind hooves, his body leaned forward, his tatty gloves shielding his face, his head ducked down.

Omelet pranced back and forth on his hooves, in a similar stance to Trouble’s only more flamboyant.

Omelet edged closer to Trouble bouncing back and forth on the tips of his hooves.

Omelet stepped in making his move, double left jab. His hooves like rockets through the air, they impacted on Trouble’s guard recoiling them slightly. Omelet followed it up with a heavy right to knock down Trouble’s guard.

Trouble’s left came from nowhere smacking Omelet between the eyes staggering him.

Trouble stepped in, another blinding left to the cheek Trouble drew his right back and swung from the shoulder at Omelet’s jaw.

Omelet seen it coming, he ducked in towards the punch, Trouble’s hoof sailing over his shoulder. He was in close crouched over, he kicked off the ground shooting up with his hoof inbound for Trouble’s chin. As his hoof rose from beneath Trouble jumped back, Omelet’s hoof missing completely.

Omelet was recovering from his failed attack, he re-assumed his guard and began to circle Trouble. The two moved in a perfect circle around each other, neither one taking their eyes off the other.

Neither of the two left the cracked asphalt road, it was in a way their boundary. Omelet jumped in towards Trouble, Trouble blocked but nothing came. He lowered for one second.

Two sharp punches came his way, the bare hooves cracking against his jaw and eye. Much more powerful than Trouble with the gloves on.

Omelet tried to follow it up with a left hook to the temple. Trouble seen it, and leaned backwards, the hoof less then an inch from his head.

Omelet failed to recompose himself, the momentum in his punch carried him forward, leaving him exposed.

Trouble shot in. Left hook to the ribs, Omelet’s head leaned back towards Trouble. another left hook to the jaw. Omelet’s eyes were dizzy, Trouble weaved around to his side, his guard faltered, from his shoulder came an almighty right cross. he threw his body backwards to let the cross fly. His hoof twisting as it flew. The cross hit Omelet in his temple. Trouble snapped back his hoof and recomposed his stance. Omelet keeled over seeing double and with a dumbstruck face. Trouble jumped away from Omelet back dancing on his hooves, 12 paces away, giving him time to recover.

Trouble spoke to his opponent laughing “Didn’t your mother ever teach ya how to fight? C’mon son, I’ll beat ya till you’re good lookin.” Taunting the dazed pony.

Bosco cheered from the sides “C’mon The Omelet!” Hoptile remained silent a worried look on his face. But the others joined in cheering him on, they all broke into song for their broken comrade. Dawn was wondering why Trouble didn’t get in there and put him out of commission.

“We love you Omelet! We Do! We Love you Omelet O’ Yes it’s True! O’ Omelet we love you!” The chant seemed to be working. Omelet was getting back onto his wobbly hind hooves, his shaved head would have been bleeding if it weren’t for those gloves Trouble was wearing.

The chanting got to Dawn she retorted with a flimsy cheer of her own.

“Go on Trouble, kick his flank!” The cheering died instantly, Night Light looked at her with wide eyes and whispered coarsely “Why the fuck did you say that?” Dawn opened her mouth to speak but no words came out.

All the coltic ponies stared from Dawn to Trouble even Hoptile stopped to gawk.

Hoptile slowly rotated his head towards Trouble, his expression blank.

“Are you Trouble?” He asked slowly.

“Aye,” Trouble replied beginning to pull the gloves off of him, strutting towards Dawn and Night Light “I am indeed.”

Hoptile was still struggling for words, Omelet was lying on the road his head lolling around in circles.

“The Trouble?” He asked the words hissing through his teeth.

“The very same, the eleventh Black Joker -- Death Dealer.” Trouble replied casually.

“How do I know you ain’t lying?” Hoptile asked pointing his hoof accusingly at Trouble.

“Take one good fuckin look at me, does everypony look as handsome as me?”

Hoptile backed up towards his mates, his eyes scared. Dawn hadn’t the faintest idea why, but it seems nobody wanted any Trouble today. Hoptile licked his lips.

“Righ, lads it ain’t worth it.” With that Hoptile walked over to the dazed Omelet, he hoisted his friend over his shoulder and began to trot down the road forsaking their belongings, including the hat with the bet. Quietly and reverently the others followed Hoptile and Omelet, Bosco was heading the back of the pack. He was the only one who didn’t give Trouble and Dawn a wide berth, instead as he was passing he cocked his head and clicked his tongue saying

“Fair play, all the good numbers and the best of luck to ya.”

Trouble mimicked his actions swinging his head to the side winking and clicking his tongue in one motion.

“Best of luck to ya our fella, if I’m up roun Dealgan I’ll tell big Jocey ya said well.”

Dawn had been reminded once more who she was travelling with. Trouble.

Big Trouble.

Chapter 14.5:Epiphany

Chapter 14.5: Epiphany

Dawn and Night Light hadn’t a clue about what to do, Trouble was busy reclaiming his gear from the rest stop. The bowler hat with all the caps still lay flat out on the plain, untouched.

Dawn’s curiosity got the better of her, everypony seemed to know Trouble better than her. Everypony seemed to have respect for his name, or maybe it was fear.

“What’s so bad about Trouble?” Dawn asked the Ranger, she remembered her reaction when Trouble revealed his name to her.

“He never told you? Can’t you guess at least?” Night Light replied, baffled as to why Trouble withheld the most basic information about himself to her.

Dawn remained silent, Night Light sighed “He’s a legend, a very very dangerous pony. Like most ponies in his line of work he’s not too big on rules or morals. He’s the guy you call when an army is too big and anything less is too weak.”

Dawn could have guessed that much, she seen what he was capable of but she still didn’t have her answer. “But what did he do? There was no way he was always this,” she thought for the most suitable word “respected.”

“Shit, Dawn I don’t even know where to begin. He was a Death Dealer that much you have to know, Right?” Night Light was borderline appalled with Dawn’s lack of knowledge.

“Yeah, I know he was a Death Dealer, but I don’t know who they are. And what does that make him some sort of god?” Dawn could have guessed the answer.

“In a way, yes, it was a damn shame what happened to them though. I think Trouble should tell you himself, besides he was one of them he could go into detail, I’ve only got the basics.” She left it at that, Dawn felt she was right. It was at Trouble’s discretion what to reveal about himself, not rumors that have spread about him.

Trouble emerged fully geared up, back in black. He walked on past them, snatching up the bowler hat and tipping the contents into his saddle bags. He fell onto all four of his hooves, turned to face his companions and said.

“Next stop New Pegas.”

_____________________________________________________________________

“Finally.” The Figure said exhausted.

“You know about the Death Dealer’s now right?” The Figure asked her.

“Of course, I learned too much over the last two months, but what I didn’t know was how hard things were going to get after New Pegas.” Dawn said, remembering.

“How so?” the Figure asked, he remained seated unlike usual.

“Well, as it turns out the shit at Ever Bright? That’s a small job for him, shit escalated.”

“Shit escalated?” The Figure asked bewildered.

Dawn nodded, “Yeah, you’ll see.”

The Figure threw up his arms and sighed,

“Right, whatever. Did anything happen on the road? Worth mentioning now. We’re running out of time.” The Figure said getting frustrated, Dawn began to think these wall were closing in on him too.

“Nope, not really. We were all fairly quiet till about the time we reached the north side gate. We talked for a while, listened to the news.”

The Figure grunted, “Gimme the short version, every second counts.”

_____________________________________________________________________

The group threaded down the gradient when an urge for conversation swept over Dawn.

“Hey Night Light, how did you get your cutie mark?” Dawn gingerly asked.

“Huh?” Night Light replied caught off guard.

“Your cutie mark.” Dawn repeated.

“Oh, shit it’s a long story.” Night Light said backing away from the topic.

“Sure go on ranger.” Trouble chimed in.

Night Light let out a sigh.

“Fine. It’s an oil lamp.” Night Light said quickly and annoyed.

“What?” Dawn asked confused.

“An oil lamp, you know like the ones you carry around in your mouth?” Night Light’s voice was raising, and quickening warning Dawn off.

Trouble sighed “Don’t mind her ranger, I operate mostly on a don’t ask don’t tell basis. If you don’t want to speak I won’t make you, but feel free to enlighten us.” Trouble said, he could tell Night Light didn’t want to talk about it.

“Thanks Trouble.” Night Light said her voice soothing again, she didn’t look it but Night Light was not to be fucked around with.

Dawn went back into silence, where she belonged. Night Light had something to hide. Something she wanted to keep in the dark. Who doesn’t?

_____________________________________________________________________

The road was long and desolate. New Pegas didn’t seem to be getting any closer, it felt like the further they travelled, the further it felt they were from their goal. Dawn was getting tired of the desert. She had only been out here little over a week and she was already sick of it. It went from Dry Town - Hot, to Marizona - Very Hot, to Ponave - How the fuck could it be this hot!?!

The same damn scenery everywhere, sand with more sand with the odd smearing of blood. She couldn’t imagine how Trouble and Night Light haven’t been driven to insanity over it yet. They were weird but they weren’t insane.

Her mind was trailing back to what Trouble told her after they left Night Light with the young family. That he wanted to ‘Groom her into the next Trouble’ she didn’t know whether to be scared, excited or running. She had only known him for a short while but in that space of time she was: Blown up, shot at, bleeding to death and running for her life.

All in all, an improvement in her standard of living.

The party came to a turn in the road, to their left was a wide road with multiple lanes leading straight towards the magnificent city, the other swung right, to the right was... More Desert, with a few tiny blips in the distance bobbing towards them.

Dawn discreetly turned the safety off Bad News, Trouble snapped his head round to face her his face alert.

“Easy kid, tourists is all. Jus come to bask in the glory of New Pegas, until their arses are broke anyhow.”

His words didn’t but Dawn at ease, she was learning lessons from the waste. She couldn’t afford to be filled with holes again.

They trudged onwards, inching closer towards their ultimate goal. Dawn felt a smile creep it’s way up along her face. She wasn’t entirely sure why, before long she started chuckling for no reason in particular.

It went from silent suppressed chuckles to climbing in frequency and volume. Her shoulders jittering up and down. She finally burst out into full blown laughter, Night Light shot her a confused look.

Night Light raised an eyebrow quizzical, the corner of her mouth twitched the smile spreading.

“What’s the joke?” Night Light asked a smile began to take charge of her face.

Dawn through her fit of laughing replied “ I haven’t a fucking clue.”

Trouble not at the least bit surprised or phased simply smiled and continued walking.

Dawn followed her body wobbly from all the laughter. NIght Light dashed over to Trouble her smile falling.

“Is she Alright?” She asked concerned.

“Probably, ya never went through this nah?” Trouble asked raising an eyebrow.

Night Light shook her head in dismay.

“Weird,” Trouble commented, he let out a laugh and continued “fuck, it happened meself. It was after my very first real firefight, we were out numbered twenty ta two, I fuckin walked out of there laughin’ couldn’t believe me own luck hey. Dawn ‘ere just experienced the wildest fuckin’ week of her life. She’s entitled to a laugh.”

Night Light cocked an eyebrow, a little bewildered.

Dawn’s fit continued, all the ponies she killed, all the ponies that tried to kill her. All those corpses that were behind her. All those poor innocent dead faces. That child in VDNKh whose skull was crushed by that Angel.

Razey who gunned down Angels with ease she remembered how he was suddenly respected after he took a life. She remembered Brick Jaw, where Trouble stabbed him, how he died without a word. The screams of the Angel while Trouble scorched his face.

The undead horde chasing her down in Caturi pass.

Dawn ducked her head down unable to support it with all the laughing, he shoulders bobbing with the hysterics. She remembered those mortars raining down on her, that whistling ordnance that scarred her. She remembered Trouble drunk against the raiders forsaking his weapon just to kill them up close, for fun. How he unloaded a magazine into the last one’s face.

She threw her head in the air with explosive laughter, her lungs were beginning to burn with this amount of hysterics. Tears began to roll from her eyes. That pony with the Harmonica that had Trouble bleeding from the eyes, the ponies who were burned alive in VDNKh.

Trouble spoke again his smile falling.

“Then you start to realise something.”

Her laughs began to falter. The Raider Adonis who had his hind hooves cut off by Trouble, Knick Knack the old raider who sentenced his son to die in his stead. The Night Mare imprisoning her. That Wall Trouble was demoralized by.

Her laughs became sobs, those tears were that of sorrow masked by laughter.

Trouble continued his face grim.

“You realise, what you just done. What you had to do to live another day.”

Dawn’s head hung low, her tears didn’t stop. The weight of the world began to cascade upon her shoulders.

“You realise, that this world is a terrible place and we put ourselves here.”

Dawn’s laughs become moans of a pained past, all the joy she felt had left her, this desert sapped it up like blood on the sand.

“You realise, there is no turning back, not now, you’ll never be the same. You can’t fix dead.”

Dawn felt her hooves begin to tremble, she watched as this hell flashed before her eyes. All the miseries and atrocities she witnessed.

“You realise, your only option is to press on. If you stop this hell will claim you as well. How you are no longer you, but rather a product of your own actions.”

Dawn fell, her knees crumbled from under her, they slowly retracted into a ball as she lay there sobbing. Snot and tears running down her face as the sun high above scorched her.

“You realise, your a shit stain on this planet, born to be wiped from it. Our time has passed, this is a new world that we’re clinging on to... And it doesn’t want us.”

Dawn ceased to move, she lay wallowing in her own melancholy as Trouble’s truth washed over her.

“What a beautiful world we’ve destroyed.”

_____________________________________________________________________

Chapter 15: Pearly Gates

The Figure sat there in silence.

Dawn sat there in silence.

It was just them.

No Trouble.

No Ranger.

No Pony.

Just a little girl who lost her innocence and a faceless bastard asking her how she done it.

“I don’t hate you for this.” Dawn said, avoiding eye contact, she had to tell him.

The Figure raised his head about to speak but Dawn cut him off.

“I know more about you than you think I know. The signs are there, all I did was read them.”

The Figure shifted slightly, his hooves still crossed across the metal table. Dawn extended her hoof to him, he shrunk away.

She shook her head, “He’s not what you think he is, none of them are. He wasn’t the family, only part of it. Just because Trouble adopted me doesn’t mean that I am him, you should know better.” Dawn was never good with words, but she felt this should suffice. She really didn’t hate him, that was no lie to earn sympathy.

The Figure slunk backwards, his hooves leaving the table. He exhaled.

“Don’t tell me about your ‘family’ it was just Trouble trying to re-fabricate the Death Dealers in his own sick little way. You were all just a bunch of misfits and murderers, so I guess in a way he succeeded. And if you think for one second Trouble took you in, you’re wrong. He wouldn’t piss on you if you were on fire. I do know better Dawn, and I act as such.”

Dawn sat there absorbing his less than kind words, she slunk backwards as well, each feeling alien towards one another.

Dawn bit her lip, and came back with a gentle yet short rebuttal.

“Fuck you too.” She said grinning stupidely.

The Figure let out a small chuckle, very out of character for him.

“C’mon lets get this over with.” Dawn said smiling.

“We were coming up into Freeside that place was a fucking dump.”

_____________________________________________________________________

It was late evening, the orange shade the of dusk was cast over the wastes. Infront of them less than 400 yards away was a circular metal fortification. The sun enhancing the already visible rust, a bright burnt orange aura was being given off as they encroached. Behind the shabby metalwork black smoke clouds were rising.

The gate to this slum was open, it was a large metal gate that met half way with another metal panel. Easily 10 times larger than a pony at about 60-70 feet in height.

Dawn could see inside if she squinted, the place was lined with ragged ponies loitering in small groups, drinking cheap beer, fondling primitive weapons and huddling around fires they made inside barrels.

Dawn had long since wiped the tears from her face and walked it off, but she felt vulnerable. Trouble at the head of the column turned his head and called back to Dawn and Night Light.

“Safety’s off, I dun nay like these fuckers.” He grunted with disdain in his voice.

They approached the gate, high above the metal slides was written in smashed neon lights in an attempt to make the place less hostile.

“Welcome to Freeside.” Somehow it was the most unwelcoming sight Dawn could imagine for this place.

They walked inside, all around them was bleak grey ruins littered with vagrants and other undesirables. They were surrounded by thugs trying to look tough. Many stared at them with contempt, trying to look unimpressed. Many squatters lay among the crumbling debris of the buildings, one of them a small pink filly the stains on her coat contrasting with her bright coat was coughing up blood.

Others nudged each other and pointed in awe towards the armed ponies ambling boldly amongst them.

Trouble kept his eyes centred on the road all the while, his ears twitching the odd time. Night Light was scanning the streets with narrowed eyes, Dawn could have sworn she was counting.

Dawn felt intimidated. These destroyed high rise structures, street urchins darting around alleys. This overcrowded slum was making her nervous. All those eyes riveted on her, as they walked the murky streets. All the while there was a deafening permanent background noise, cries or gunshots, or idle chatter. The occasional malicious laugh echoing throughout demolished streets.

Dawn felt a chill creep down her spine, all these ponies were beyond the point of caring, how could they live in this filth? In this hellish pit of sickness and poverty? In her heart she knew the answer, but didn’t want her brain to accept it.

To their right the street was riddled with kiosks and single story shops brightly lit inside. Most of what they were selling was junk, putrefied meat and dirty water. All the ponies here had filthy faces, their coats and manes stained. At the end of the road was a burnt out building and a T-Junction.

At each corner of the road was a hooded character slinging something in cellophane bags to eager customers.

They came to the junction, Dawn had an overwhelming urge to just unload into the fucking crowd, but she knew better. The horde of sick and impoverished ponies would be upon her in seconds, and maybe not even the Red Queen’s level of bloodshed would be enough of a deterrent.

There was others like them, travellers poorly armed shuffling through the streets trying to avoid attention. Dawn wanted to do what they were doing but Trouble had an air of confidence about him, she always found it best to follow his lead. Just do as he does and you’ll be fine.

There was a band of 3 travellers ahead of them. Insecure of their surroundings, hurriedly shuffling along. Concealed by black filthy cloaks from the long road.

Four of the thugs approached the travellers, adorning ripped clothing and makeshift weapons. Crowbars, lead pipes and baseball bats. One beige unicorn pony stepped forward as the leader. He spoke with a jumpy voice.

“Watcha hauling?” His voice excited and uneasy.

The beige unicorn’s head was twitching, cocking while he made weird ticking noises.

The travellers ignored the sporadic unicorn and increased their speed.

The thug thundered in front of them, blocking their path, he halted them with his bat. Swinging it out to the lead pony’s chest.

“Nuh-uh, cough up. Pay the toll fucker, everything ya got. Or me and my boys here will waste you sorry sons of bitches. Ya dig?” The unicorn asked his voice giddy, you could almost see the excitement seething from between his brown teeth.

The cloaked ponies stopped, forming a tight band. The thugs encircled them. Dawn felt her lip quiver, she reached for Amigo but Night Light stopped her, shaking her head in silence.

They stopped to watch the scene unfold.

The unicorn leader fuming stepped up “Hey! You Deaf! Pay the fuck up!” He jabbed the cloaked pony in the chest with his bat.

The pony staggered, a feminine grunt came out. To which the beige unicorn laughed.

“Hehehe, too easy, pay up skank. Or I’ll make a real mare outta you.” He moved in close to her, breathing on her concealed face.

She began to shake at what Dawn assumed was fear, she spoke.

“When somepony tries to block, show them that You Rock!” The Mare growled.

She snatched the bat from the Unicorn’s grasp with her teeth and swung it into his big mouth, with a sickening crack shards of shattered teeth flew from his bloody maw.

She spat out the bat and ripped free of her cloak, exposing a lime coated earth pony mare with a blond mane in a black 3 piece business suit. Wrapped around both her shoulders was a holster holding a sleek well preserved pistol, Dawn could see from where she was. Boldly printed on it’s slide M1911.

All at once the other concealed ponies burst from their cloaks, revealing two more sharply dressed ponies; one sand coloured earth pony stallion with an oiled back brown mane and goatee with an identical suit and guns. And the last concealed pony was a blue unicorn mare with a fiery red mane, she was much smaller than the others but just as fierce. She was in a hunched position snarling in a suit identical to the others and the guns to match.

The thugs all at once backed down, one even fled from the ponies. They in unison reached for their pistols, they small unicorn going for both, growling as she did.

The lead mare aimed for the the lead thug’s head “Tsk, tsk you should know how to treat a lady.” She snidely said.

“BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG” The ponies unloaded into the thugs, two shots from each, killing all four. Precision shooting from the immaculate ponies.

Dawn looked to Trouble for guidance, shocked and in awe of these ponies, he had a ridiculous smirk on his face.

“Show Ponies.” He began “ Assassins from the ‘Thundering Herd’ watch and learn kid, these ponies are professionals.” He concluded, energized.

One of the corner gangs, a shifty group of 6 pulled rusted machine pistols breaking ranks, before they even had them to chamber a round the Show Ponies were upon them. With one unified motion they unloaded into the gang swiftly cutting them down, the slides of the immaculate pistols expelling bullets at a phenomenal rate. The bellowing of the pistols silenced the entire street, the muzzle flash flaring their stoic faces.

Smoke rose from the piping hot barrels and the retracted slides of their pistols, the ponies stood watching the murdered group for no clear reason.

Dawn’s mouth hung agape at their speed and combat prowess. They were a magnificent spectacle, those well groomed shooters. As soon as they began to lower their weapons a trio burst from a nearby building. Headed by an obese middle aged stallion smoking a cigar carrying a pump action shotgun.

He and his companions, two grizzly ponies wearing bent out of shape sunglasses pulled sub machine guns from their backs, the grossly overweight stallion pumped a shell into the breach. With that solid and unmistakable noise, the small unicorn hit the deck with her two emptied pistols as the other two Show Ponies reached for their secondaries spitting out the empty pistols.

The two Show Ponies threw themselves forward, diving unto the ground while gripping their spare pistols. The rag tie thugs were too surprised by their actions to think quick enough and “BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG!!!”

The overweight stallion’s body fat was splayed over the ground as the bullets tore through him and his entourage. The Show Ponies slide across the ground came to a dusty halt.

The entire street fell deathly silent, no more gangs made any moves. The Show Ponies slowly and Dawn thought given their position elegantly rose from the dirty street, patting themselves down from the grime.

They reclaimed and reloaded their pistols, all except the small unicorn she was scanning the semi demolished high rise buildings. As if on cue a band of four emerged at windows with rifles peering down upon them, the small mare let out a vengeful cry.

In a split second her guns were reloaded and she frantically fired upon them. The exchange of fire only lasted a moment the small mare cut down all four ponies in a blaze of lead.

She worked from left to right cutting them down 2 shots a piece. All except for the last one, he refused to fall down, the mare screamed and fired into him with venomous fury in her cries. The lead perforated the resilient stallion, chunks of his innards left his body in humongous exit wounds.

Finally the pistols’ slides locked backwards, the peppered stallion, trembled his body began to slouch. The small mare cried up.

“Fall You Fucker!” In an enraged high pitch voice. She was the only one who didn’t pat herself down of all the filth.

The stallion gave in, he fell forward soundlessly off the side. His body landed with a loud “Thud”

The little blue mare smiled in satisfaction.

The Show Ponies had concluded business. All of them were about to reclaim their cloaks and proceed when Trouble started boisterously laughing.

“HAHAHAHAHA! Fillies and Gentlecolts! I give to you, the Show Ponies!” His laughter continued.

The Show Ponies abandoned their cloaks instead they formed up to face Trouble.

The small blue mare was quivering with rage.

She screamed in her high voice “I Amuse You!?”

The Stallion with the oiled hair came forward to try and sooth the small mare.

“Easy, Tyke. He don’t mean nothing by it.” He leaned inward and whispered something into her ear.

Once he began speaking she exploded with pent up anger.

“I’m not gonna let that cunt take the piss outta me!” She roared.

The Stallion backed away looking disappointed.

The little pony stepped forward her cheeks red with rage.

“Who the fuck do you think you are? Do you know who we are!?! Do you have any idea who you’re fucking with!?” She spat at Trouble, his smile never fell. If anything he was enjoying her abuse, he found it amusing. Dawn was shying behind him, getting nervous.

Trouble took out a cigarette, he lolled the butt around in his mouth before lighting it.

He inhaled deeply, the embers draining as he sucked on it. He rose his head into the air and exhaled slowly savouring the buzz that whirled around his head. The little mare went to charge Trouble infuriated by his ignorance of her, before the Stallion restrained her.

At this Trouble began

“I think I’m Trouble, I think I’m a bad bastard. I think your Show Ponies, some other bad bastards, and I think I’m fuckin with professionals, so let’s treat each other as such.”

The small mare calmed slightly, enough at least for the stallion to stop restraining her with his hoof.

Her face was still venomous, Trouble rose unto his hind hooves exposing the length of his armour and flashing his pistols. He settled his hooves on the grips.

The lead mare spoke up “Tyke, chill out! Sorry about this!” The mare called over slightly embarrassed by her comrade’s actions to Trouble.

Trouble chuckled one final time “Nuthin to be sorry fir, nice ta see there are a few professionals still goin’ this ol’ stallion can’t keep runnin’ fir much longer afterall!”

The mare approached them, her companions staying stoic behind her, the stallion attempting to ease the fiery one, Tyke.

She cocked an eyebrow quizzical “Do I know you?”

“Maybe,” He vaguely said “Trouble they call me.” He stagnantly added.

The mare’s face was shocked, or confused, but Dawn recognized it as the exact same face Night Light pulled when Trouble revealed his name to her.

“The Trouble?”She asked skeptically.

“Yeah, why not?” Trouble chimed.

“Eleventh Black Joker? Death Dealer? Belonging to,” Trouble cut her off

“House of Spades yeah yeah, I know my own life story backwards thanks, I pissed off you’re eh ‘little’ friend there, I always liked Show Ponies. I’ll buy ya a round at the Coltic.” Trouble had appreciation in his voice. For what Dawn hadn’t a clue, his ways were still largely a mystery to her. So were the ways of the wasteland in general.

The lead mare smiled, “The name’s Flint Fang, the stallion over there is Blood Letter and the mare is Little Tyke, but for the love of Celestia jus call her Tyke.” Dawn looked behind the mare, out of earshot the one identified as Tyke was having a heated argument with Blood Letter. There was a lot of hoof pointing going on.

Trouble took charge of the conversation returning the courtesy “The kid with the rifle is Black Dawn, she’s my sniper and this ‘ere is Night Light a Marizona Ranger, formerly anyway.” Night Light shot Trouble a dirty look, he looked back at her as if to say “What?”

Flint Fang cleared her throat and cautiously asked “Isn’t she a little... green to be with you?” She gestured to Dawn, she looked over Dawn inspecting her for weakness, her eyes riveted on her scar.

“Nah, she doesn’t look it but the kid’s an artist with that rifle.” Trouble said confidently, Dawn felt flattered. She silently thanked Celestia for her jet black coat so they wouldn’t be able to see her blush. She felt vulnerable enough out here.

Flint Fang began nodding sheepishly when she said “Enough dawdling, you wanna roll with us?”

Trouble shrugged his shoulders “Psshhh Why not?”

“Tyke! Letter! We’re moving with these cats!” she called back to her companions, they shot each other a look before bundling their capes into their suits somewhere, Dawn found it weird that these ponies were forsaking saddlebags.

_____________________________________________________________________

The two bands integrated into one solid unit, mouths hung agape as they strutted down the ruinous streets of Freeside. They were no longer keeping silent or maintaining a low profile, through the Show Ponies valiant performance and strength in numbers.

The loiters and gangs jaws’ were wide as the formidable band of half a dozen wandered through talking amongst themselves.

Dawn had begun her first proper conversation with a stranger... Little Tyke, she found she was a little short fused but generally a likable pony.

“So where you from?” Tyke asked Dawn, making casual conversation as Trouble chatted away with Flint Fang and Night Light with Blood Letter.

“NCR, Dry Town, ever hear of it?” Dawn asked, she was finding this pleasant, it took her mind off where she was. And all those eyes boring into her.

“Can’t say I have, nice country?” Tyke asked her high voice had a certain cuteness to it.

“No, where you from?” Dawn quickly deflected not wanting to dive further into it.

“The Fringe, you probably heard of it.” Tyke replied, Dawn’s lack of general knowledge failed her again, she thought it best to try and play it cool. A.k.a Mimicking Tyke. Or any pony else she gauged as “Cool.”

“Can’t say I have, is it nice there?” Dawn was doing a good job of socialising, it was never one of her strong points.

Tyke let out a sigh “Nope, the Fringe is hell. Or on the edge of it anyway.”

She left it there but Dawn pressed for answers.

“Edge of hell?” asked Dawn baffled.

“To the South west of the Fringe Mountain range is hell, the fiery tundra some call it. We call it hell, I’ll tell you about it when we’re on the strip, over a few drinks maybe...” Tyke’s voice grew quiet, Dawn hadn’t any idea why. Maybe for a fiery pony, she was a shy one and the anger was her way of venting her insecurities.

“Sure, why not.” Dawn said desperately searching in her mind how to make a friend, so far so good though.

Tyke sharply turned her head to face her “Really?” She sounded surprised.

Dawn taken back by her inexperience of how to handle social situations and her inability to read emotions didn’t really know what to do.

“Eh, yeah why wouldn’t I?” Dawn bashfully asked.

Tyke looked her in the eye a little confused, but her eyes quickly jumped to Dawn’s spiralling scar, “How the buck did you get such a sick scar?” Tyke asked a small smirk on her mouth.

“Eh...” dawn replied, she didn’t think her scar looked ‘sick’ she actually thought it looked good. Maybe she was wrong... So instead of answering Tyke she kept silent, Tyke kept looking at her in hopes of a response but got none.

She exhaled at Dawn’s stonewalling “Later than.”

Luckily the awkwardness came to an abrupt end, around the final corner of this shithole Dawn was trying to block out was something of divine beauty.

A gateway. More than that though. This was Celestia’s downscaled version of the outer gate. This straight road was the only angle at which the divinity of the legendary city could be basked in. The walls surrounding the gate were made from stainless chromed metal, there were white steel plates that were adorned with bronze filigree, or was it gold? The Lights on the top were so crystal clear and pure they could have been pure energy, reading

“Welcome to Las Pegas Enjoy your stay!”

Their party stopped all at once, even the hardened Trouble whose seen more than anypony probably should ever have to see halted to admire it. Dawn’s mouth watered slightly, she struggled to crane her neck down to street level, every part of her urned to be there. Behind the Heaven those gates greedily kept from her.

All along the street, were ponies doing the exact same, frozen solid, just staring idly at the brightly lit buildings and their odd impossible beauty this picture of old world glory portrayed.

All this time, this had been her goal. Trouble promised her since Dead Water that she would be here. It wasn’t easy, he never said it would be. Her salvation awaited, her escape from torment was almost complete.

All that stood between her and freedom was the gate, where she would be deemed worthy of release.

All the things that have happened to her over the last week, they were tests. testing her meddle, to see if this whelp had it in her to become so much more. Rebirth awaited beyond that gate.

A new life, free of isolation and torment.

Free of the chains her old life held her by.

Free of her boring, dull, pained existence.

A new dawn.

A new day.

A new life.

And one that was filled with Trouble.

Footnote: Level Up.

New Perk: Stubbornite Skeleton -- You’re one stubborn bastard to kill. With the Stubbornite Skeleton perk you’re limbs only receive 50% of the damage they normally would.

Chapter 16: The Strip

Dawn sat there in silence, caught up in deep thought, slouching lazily in her chair. The Figure expectantly waited for her to continue but was meet with a pregnant silence. In frustration he rubbed his temples to calm himself. Dawdling was not on his agenda.“Go, on.” He said, trying to sound reassuring.Dawn snapped from her trance with the finishing of his sentence.“I have a question.” She said quickly, snapping into a better posture.The Figure rubbed both his temples now, in fast circles, massaging the annoyance from his mind.“We’ve been over this Miss Dawn, I’m the one asking the questions.” He said belligerently.Dawn shot her hoof up, she needed to know.“Don’t worry, it’s not about you, it’s an opinion I’m after.” She said, keeping focused on her goal.“On, what?” The Figure replied cautious.Dawn rocked forward and leaned across the table, The Figure shrunk back keeping his face concealed. Dawn disregarded this and continued.She licked her lips bracing for the question and more importantly the answer. “Who is all this about?” She asked, in her mind the question had more depth than she versed it and against the odds she expected a in depth answer.The Figure thought for a moment and spoke “I’m not sure I know what you mean.”Dawn sighed, “Trouble, me, you. Who is all this about? This story, whose it about? How does it end, what’s the plot? I need to know, I’m I just a pawn in all this? A necessary part for the story? A spectator? Or am I the one to end it all? I need to know.”She looked at the Figure expectantly desperate for the answer. It had been plaguing her too long, she refused to believe Trouble was just a passing chapter in her life. And that she was just going to fade away, that all her achievements had been achieved and she would amount to nothing more.The Figure shrugged “I dunno Dawn, I dunno. I was just told to get the information. You were there from the beginning, you’re the best lead we have.”“For What?” She replied.The Figure leaned in also, still keeping his face shrouded.“Do you have any idea what Trouble and his ‘family’ done? He tried to raise another one with you being the firstborn. A lot of very influential ponies don’t want him alive.” The Figure said quietly the words bleeding out through his gritted teeth.Dawn slunk back into a slouch, she went back into thought. “Unfortunately, rather soon I learned about his past. It wasn’t pretty.” Dawn concluded, demoralized.“The family?” The Figure asked.“No, just what he did after he saved what was left of it.”The Figure cocked his head quizzical._____________________________________________________________________Dawn felt her mouth salivate. A tingling sensation ran through her body from her hooves to her head. A large smile spread across her face, inside her brain was alight, every fibre of her wanted to charge forward into the nirvana behind the gates.Dawn sporadic, reluctantly craned her neck down from the brilliance of New Pegas to the gate. Before her very eyes she seen the guardians of heaven. Towering, shimmering hulking metal guardians. Pillars of strength and at the pinnacle of advancement. Robots, not just any boring old machines though.These were erect malicious monstrosities, robots balancing on a chunky threaded wheel, machine guns mounted on their limbs. A large screen in the carapace of their bodies with a solid and permanent image of a mean old police pony.Huge thick shoulder armor, an antenna mounted on their backs easily 5 times the size of Trouble standing on his hind hooves. A large blanked out light resting above the screen.Ponies were amassing around the robots, waiting, herding into a circle by them. The robots were cold, frightening, you could see it on the faces of all the ponies gathered there, it was pure intimidation.They were waiting. For what though? The answer was unclear to Dawn. Tyke nudged her, snapping her from her trance she whispered into Dawn’s ear.“Securitrons. They’re the vanguards of the Strip. Break the rules and I can guarantee they will break you in half.” She whispered with an air of calmness that seemed misplaced on her.Trouble and Flint Fang lowered their necks from the lights and grandeur of Pegas. Simultaneously gesturing to move forward with a snap of their necks. They walked side by side, the more Dawn studied the two the more she realised how identical they were.Both leaders, both experienced, both heading in the same direction, both travelling in a band of three, both had the exact same band formation and both were exceptionally lethal.They bobbed down the street in silence, Dawn with every passing hoofbeat could hear her heart pounding in her ears. The steady rhythm keeping her locked on her goal.So close now. They were in the jaws of the gate, among the robots, the dull constant hum of their power supplies audible. The robots all peered into Trouble, assessing the threat level.If you were to pick between killing a small dunce of a mare or a hardened heavy weight merc that first target was obvious.“Halt, submit to credit check before passing and please wait till the next opening hour.” It chimed in a mechanical tone.The red light above the screen began to flicker, it flicked on and off several times. The robot shot into a perfectly erect posture, it looked into the distance and spoke.“VIP Protocol engaged, please confirm identity.” It chimed at them, Dawn looked around on confusion before realising everypony was staring at Trouble. He looked around at the group and said “Don’t look at me like it’s a fuckin’ secret.” Trouble said defensively.He reached into his duster clawing about for something a few elongated moments later he slowly revealed something.A small metal plate.Trouble held it down low staring at it, he wiped some dirt from it, Dawn couldn't get a good look at the metal tablet but she could she Trouble’s expression. It was blank, he was just staring at the plate and the small engravings on it, from Dawn’s angle she couldn't see what they were, a mural or depiction of some kind.He held it up to the robot, almost reluctantly. Dawn see the back of it, carved into the silver metal rectangle was a love heart with a scythe behind it. The engraving went into minute detail, around the emblem was a checkered pattern. The emblem itself was solid black, the pattern was a light grey on the silver metal.The red light flickered again, on the sixth flicker it stayed a prominent red.The robot spoke again “Admin privileges granted, directive sir?” All eyes were on Trouble, the weary travellers gazed at him in confusion as did the Show Ponies.Trouble shrugged “Open the gate?” He offered.The red light on the robot flickered 3 times before it stated “Complying.”A screeching noise blasted through the streets, Dawn gritted her teeth at the painfully dreadful noise. The huge metal panels were retracting, everypony shot up to gaze inside. Dawn pushed through to the very front.She peeked through, her heart rate soared. Inside were gallivanting ponies laughing with beaming smiles, all probably intoxicated. Bands of happy ponies sauntered casually along the arrow straight road lined with fabulous and radiant buildings.The doors opened barely enough for Dawn’s shoulders to squeeze through, she darted in forcing her shoulders inwards. Her mouth was watering, she was too close to be asked to wait any longer. It was nothing short of cruelty to have gates that open this slow, since she had come so far.She bullied her way in, pushing against other eager ponies. The greediest always come first. She crashed onto the strip, and took in all its beauty. A sudden relaxation watered across her body, her greedy expression turned into a euphoric grin.Smooth jazz played in the background, adding character and atmosphere.She stood gawking at the tallest, most prestigious building at the end of the road, dwarfing all the others. The huge casino that was visible miles upon miles out. The building had a tall wheel shaped base. There was no windows on this casino unlike all the others. This casino was rather fittingly designed in the style of a roulette wheel. The circular base had Red and Black wall segments with golden diamond shapes on each. At the door of the casino were nearly 2 dozen securitrons. Vanguarding the crowds of eager tourists pouring into it. Brightly wrote above it was“The Red&Black Casino and Lounge” Everything stopped.Dawn’s eye twitched, she suddenly became riveted to the ground, her muscles locking up. Her consciousness or rather her control over herself dissipated, melted away. A new being had invaded and annexed her mind. And she was watching it helplessly.Her teeth began to grind, her face scrunched into a snarl, blood flowed all around her body making her hot with rage. An ungodly rage, making her spine quiver and her vision quake.Her eyes turned to the peak of the spire. At the very top were darkened windows, slanted panes of glass to give the viewer a glorious vantage point over all of the strip. The sweet music that played casually in the background was drowned out by a high pitched whine. The pitch of the buzzing whine intensifying. The noise fueling her rage, her mind teetered on the brink of total anger filled explosion.She breathed out angry hate filled pants, the hijacker spoke, with her voice.“Cheat... Liar... Deceitful...” Her muscles braced about to charge, at the very same moment before take off the hijackers grip was shattered with a quick blow to the head.The high whine ceased abruptly and slowly, the ambient music of Pegas filled her ears once more. Her muscles unlocked themselves becoming lax, she nearly slipped before catching herself. Trouble’s voice came next “I said, you alright?” he said, Dawn could have sworn she heard concern in his voice. Or maybe it was confusion at her actions. “Am I gonna have ta slap ya again?” Maybe not concern after all.Her heavy pants became quick and short ones, her vision blurred before returning to normal, she noticed she was covered in a layer of sweat. “Kid?” Trouble asked again.“Eh, um yeah.” Dawn blubbered out, Trouble disregarded her social awkwardness and weird behaviour, he took her by the shoulder and faced her towards a building to her immediate right.“Home sweet home.” Trouble said elation in his voice.Dawn faced a huge structure, Hexagonal in design. At every angle was illuminous green neon lighting, every side was littered with windows with sharp yellow lights beaming from inside.The doors to this casino were much different to that of Red & Black. The doors here were heavy duty and low down, ponies cued up in an orderly fashion. rather than pour in. the crowd here was much shorter than that of Red & Black. A slot shot back and forth from the doors, ponies dropped their caps and the door next to the slot opened. And the ponies would step on through into a dark hallway and the door would slam shut behind them on pneumatic hinges. An entrance fee, there was no such thing at Red & Black. This was either a sign or greed or class.To the extreme right of all the other doors was an empty lane, boldly stamped on the door was “VIP ACCESS ONLY”Dawn looked up at Trouble, he was smiling wholeheartedly at the building.“That’s us.” he said and gestured to the VIP access before strutting over with clear vain and pride.Dawn gave a trembling smile and dashed after him, Night Light all this time from the moment they arrived at the gate had kept her head ducked low. The brim of her hat shrouding her features.Night Light followed Trouble and Dawn but severely lacking the same zest as the two. The only thing she had done was be wary in Freeside and have a very stilted conversation with Blood Letter due to her nervous behaviour.Dawn and Trouble bounced side by side, drawing many strange gazes from the ponies stuck cueing behind them. Dawn felt a fit of giggles coming about but managed to repress them, it was until Trouble was at the door did he realize the Show Ponies left to join the cue with the rest of the tourists.Trouble rolled his eyes before cupping his hooves and calling over “The Fuck ya Doin’ Over there!? Show Ponies dun fuckin’ cue!” They exchanged looks before trotting briskly over to Their group, once all assembled, Trouble pounded on the door in 3 hard thumps.Flint Fang spoke up “So why the special treatment? You only just met us?” asked Flint Fang suspicion clear and present in her tone.“You’re Show Ponies. Simple as, I own the penthouse. Ya can stay there with us if ya want.” Trouble offered.Flint Fang exchanged glances with her colleagues, she got a shrug from Blood Letter and a brisk nod from Little Tyke.“Why not?”A small tray jutted out adjacent the door. Trouble took out the same metal plate as earlier and gently placed it flat on the tray face down. The slid snapped shut. A few seconds later, the heavy door inches thick swung inwards. Inside was a dark as night corridor, with a door at the very end. a metallic “Clack.” was heard. The metal plate shot out from another concealed tray in the black wall.Trouble quickly reclaimed it and stowed it on his person somewhere. And began to trudge down the derelict hallway. Every hoof beat was pristinely clear in Dawn’s ears. Her breathing steadied. This was it, the week of pain’s reward. Her light at the end of this dark and treacherous tunnel.The door was made from polished wood with a brass handle. Trouble clenched it in his grip, “Welcome home kid.” he said with fatherly affection.He forced the door open, inside was impossible.Everywhere was lavished in chic fabrics and stylish designs and vinyls, sharply dressed ponies walked the floors. Stallions in Tuxedos with beautiful trophy mares at their sides. The general colour scheme of the place was a beautiful bright green and gold.Sounds rang out everywhere of laughing ponies, the sound of dispensed winnings, everyone pleased. No, honoured to be in the lap of luxury. Dawn’s heart melted away as she entered, the floor beneath her hooves was carpeted in a thick fluffy and soft violet coloured fabric.The green and golden vinyls on the wall added more character to the place then anything else. Right before them was a receptionist’s desk, it was a huge polsihed mahogany circle with four ponies in stripped suits working behind it, busily typing away or speaking to patrons with false smiles on their faces.Behind that was endless rows of tables and machines with countless ponies depositing strange circular objects into them and tugging on levers. Some others she recognized to be card games, the corner gangs of Dry Town used to play.All the miseries of the world had no place here, this was a place of fun and enjoyment. A place for friends and lovers to rejoice and escape the woes and weights of the world. Even if just for a single afternoon.To Dawn’s right was a huge dining area with a big stage near the back, closed indigo curtains spanned its entire length. Many ponies were eating at candlelit tables in intimate duos or friendly gangs of four and six being served the finest wine by finely dressed waiters, others occupied booths in large groups lining the walls. Drinking shots ordering food also.To Dawn’s 8 o clock were the ‘regular’ ponies checking in. Well armed and armoured ponies patting them down, mean looking mercenaries and other armed ponies checking in their weaponry, as insurance.The guards of the casino were spaced out pretty well on the first floor, every 20 meters or so was a sentry standing on guard. And there was duos patrolling the gambling area, presumably on the lookout for cheats. All the guards wore the exact same armour, Thick chest and shoulder piece combat armour with a coat of forest green.At Dawns eleven o'clock was a grand staircase leading up onto the second floor, giving a good look out point at the stage from a cozy high class lounge.Trouble stepped forward, Dawn stood with her jaw haging low, her eyes watering at the splendour of this Valhalla. It drove a rod of comfort through her, releasing all the pains and hardship from her mind, she was in a state of perpetual bliss.Night Light brushed passed her grinning, as did Flint Fang and Blood Letter, Tyke nudged her and said “You alright? You're acting... Weird.” Dawn snapped out of it and followed Tyke, Trouble drew near the receptionist's’ desk.Nearly all eyes were drawn to him, or them. Dawn wasn’t entirely sure, but it felt like they were looking at Trouble, she could just tell. The nearest receptionist slowly raised his head, Trouble quickly and silently rose to his hind hooves.The receptionist, a deep green unicorn with a brown mane looked at Trouble without the slightest bit of surprise facing the imposing figure.He smiled, this one wasn’t fake like the others, the receptionist spoke glancing at the group of ponies along with him.“Trouble,” He beamed up at him “what the fuck did you do this time?” the receptionist said jokingly.“Awh, you’re funny aren’t you Inky? And and besides ya wouldn’t believe me if ah told ya.”The pony identified as Inky turned his attention from Trouble to the rest of the group “Hi my name is Inky Pistachio, if you need anything you come to me, okay?” he said in a friendly and mild mannered tone, the opposite to what he used speaking with Trouble.He didn’t address anyone in particular just the group as a whole. He turned his attention quickly back to Trouble “I guess these ponies will be staying with you then?” he asked a little monotonic.“Yeah, any mail?” the two casually went, back and forth.Dawn was a little confused, there was six of them. She was going to ask Trouble but she cast it to the back of her mind. She was loving this place too much.“One letter from House and well...” Inky trailed off.“Wah?” Trouble pressed.“Your brother is here,The Cannibal.”

Chapter 17: The Comedian and The Cannibal

The Figure was sitting there with his chin resting on his hoof, thinking.“His brother?” The Figure asked disenchanted.“Well, he comes from a big family.” Dawn chipped in.“So what happened in New Pegas? Some sort of alcohol fueled rampage across town?” he said in a snarky tone.“Eh, I wouldn’t go that far. We met Trouble’s best friend. Well Trouble kept referring to him as a brother, but he’s just weird like that.” Dawn said relaxed, giving her mare’s take on the situation.“Who?” The Figure asked concerned.“The comedian.”_____________________________________________________________________Dawn looked at Inky in confusion, the Show Ponies exchanged worried glances. Night Light was staring at Dawn her eyebrow cocked up in bewilderment.Trouble stood there, staring at Inky until finally he spoke breaking the silence.“Did you pat him down?” He asked his voice distant from serious.Inky exhaled calmly and replied “Yeah, he has something for you, right now though he’s up in the lounge, you should have a drink with him, Rico is going on stage soon.”“Nice one, comp him everything and give him back his gear.” Trouble added as he began to waltz away.“What?” Inky called back.“You heard muh, no brother of mine is to pay a fuckin’ cap ‘ere so long as I’m alive.” He declared, raising his hoof for emphasis. Inky gave a grin and shook his head going back to his mundane work.Trouble hollered back for a final time “And I wan’ his gear delivered to my suite now. Not later.”Dawn rushed to Trouble’s side as they all followed him upwards, Flint Fang took the spot to the opposite of Dawn.Dawn spoke first and softly, making sure none of the Show Ponies, especally Tyke couldn’t hear her “What’s a cannibal?”Night Light answered, this being the first time she spoke in a long time, “A cannibal is a pony who eats other ponies.” She answered bluntly. Dawn shot an angry glance at Night Light for being so obtuse but then it sunk in.Dawn’s face fell. What the fuck? This was her guardian's own blood. He was okay with this?Flint fang spoke next, her voice riddled with shock and disruption.“You have a cannibal in the family? And you’re just going to roll with that?”Trouble kept stoic, ignoring them.They walked onto the landing of the lounge, in a word it was “Classy.” Dark and sleek, a long bar stretched down the length of the wall, behind it was spirits and liquors of every colour and size. Everywhere was rectangular and circular polished mahogany tables.A sapphire unicorn stood behind the counter, polishing a glass, riveted on his own precision cleaning. The high class lounge was nearly abandoned. All except for one table.Near the railing overlooking the stage was a lonesome pony. Clad in a tatty and worn black cloak, with strange faded designs snaking up and down its length. He sat staring aimlessly out onto the stage, Dawn glimpsed his face, she shuddered.A mask, it was a huge circular mask. Grey in colour spreading back behind the hood of his cloak. The mask was fearsome, for a mouth it had a larger than life grin, spreading ear to ear, wide and inhospitable with spiked teeth, red trickles escaping the corners for extra intimidation. His eyes were terrible, huge slanted eyes as if he had furrowed angered eyebrows. Completing the look of a menacing and murderous smile.Dawn felt her eye twitch. The pony’s neck slowly turned to face them, all Dawn could imagine him doing was chuckling. She hadn’t any idea why. It seemed appropriate for the mask. A icy and empty chuckle for this cold blooded pony.Dawn looked to Trouble, to see his reaction. his eyes were ablaze with glee, that menacing grin he had with that scarring sweeping his face.“Brother!” Trouble called out, overwhelmed with joy. He broke into a sprint, dodging tables, dashing across the lounge on his hind legs. The pony rose from his seat without a word. Trouble flung his hooves around his brother, embracing him, squeezing him in tight.The pony hugged back, Trouble let out a fit of laughs and lifted him up. “Wha the fuck are ya doin’ ‘ere? Last I heard you were down in an aroun’ Germaney.”Trouble dropped him down onto his hooves with a thump, his brother remained stoic and silent. Trouble called back to the disgruntled group “C’mon would ya’s? He doesn’t bite.” Trouble faced away from the group towards his brother and whispered, “That’s a lie if ah ever told one.”The pony broke his silence, a regal and cultured voice replied. “Glad to see you haven’t changed either Trouble.” His accent, the polar opposite of his brother’s._____________________________________________________________________The Figure interrupted Dawn, “The pony you’re referring to is a notorious assassin.” The Figure dimly chimed in.Dawn chuckled “I’m well aware of that, he... Caught me off guard.” Dawn struggled for the correct term.“How so?” The Figure replied.“They’re so different, it’s weird. I figured him to be some sort of heavily armed huge guy who shatters bones with ease. Not what I got. He’s interesting to say the least.”The Figure laid back in his chair “Dawn, he’s killed more ponies than everyone in this Stable combined.”“We’re in a Stable?”_____________________________________________________________________The others pulled chairs around the brother’s table under Trouble’s direction. The brother hadn’t even spoke another sentence yet, he was either not very talkative or waiting till he had everyone’s attention.They all sat around two different tables, side by side. Night Light, Blood Letter and Flint Fang at one. The Brother, Trouble, Little Tyke and Black Dawn at the other.Finally after getting settled Trouble hollered over to the Bartender “Mixer, Giss a round!”The Bartender, Mixer glanced over to Trouble before taking his apron off grabbing his notepad and briskly trotting over.Trouble collapsed into his chair after what felt like an eternity “Fuck me Worthy, take off that mask, you’re making the Show Ponies nervous.” He said joyous.The pony silently reached up to his mask and slowly pulled it off. He gently placed it on the table his head ducked low. He lowered his hood and looked up upon their faces.A snow white earth pony with a green mane, wearing a black leather eye patch over his left eye stared back at Trouble.One big amber eye scanned the group before returning to Trouble, he spoke “Trouble, two things. One, who are these ponies? You never worked with anyone else in like eight years. And Two, I’ve got a letter for you.” Worthy said blatantly.“A letter?” Trouble replied, caught off guard.“Job comes first. As always.” Worthy said routinely. He reached into his cloak and pulled out a small envelope. He slid it across the table to Trouble. Trouble, looking worried opened the letter with one of his sharpened talons, all eyes were on the two. All conversation ceased.Trouble dumped the contents onto the table, with a loud clank a small rifle cartridge bounced off the table along with a small piece of paper.Worthy’s eye widened he went to speak “I knew nothing about that, I swear.” He quickly said, Dawn had no idea why he was so upset about a bullet in an envelope. But she could see the shock in his big amber eye.Trouble, took it in first before reaching for the letter. He unfolded it and half showed it to Dawn. It read:“Kill the pony who hands you this letter, all sins will be forgiven and a place in Celestia’s kingdom is yours.” - Gabriel the ArchangelTrouble laughed, Tyke leaned over to Dawn across the table and whispered into her ear.“A bullet in the mail is a death threat, it means ‘you won’t see the next one coming’.”Trouble placed the letter openly on Worthy’s side of the table, Worthy quickly scanned it and said “So how’s this going to go down? I just got here and I missed my brother.”Trouble shrugged, “Let me answer your other question first, this ‘ere is Black Dawn, she’s a stray buh I reckon she’ll make for a good fighter. That there is Night Light, Marizona ranger, she plays her cards close to her chest, buh she doesn't mean anything by it. As for these fine ponies, Flint Fang, Blood Letter and eh, Tyke.”Worthy looked around the group before nodding and saying “Pleasure, I’m Worthy.”Flint Fang spoke back “So you’re the cannibal, eh?” She said in total deadpan.Worthy let out a chuckle “You have no idea how much a name like that is worth on jobs. But please for the time being just call me Worthy. What are operatives from the Thundering Herd doing here?”“R&R we’re gonna need it to. The noose is tightening around Phoenix. Glascow will have to get by without us.” She replied.“Get by without you maybe. Soon as I get the call I’m going back.” Blood Letter said, he spoke nearly perfectly, but there was definitely a repressed accent there that he never quite lost.Tyke spoke back to Blood Letter “You know it’s never gonna fly Letter. Once the Colonel catches wind of you leaving, she’ll throw a tantrum. Phoenix has to be held.”“We’re not even based in Phoenix right now, most of our forces are in Detrot. Fucking days away. Phoenix is only one city, Glascow is closer to Bearlyn, the line should be there!”Worthy interrupted their argument “Glascow isn’t taking the brunt of the Angels, I know that for a fact.”“Do ya now?” Trouble asked.The Show Ponies like expectantly at Worthy, Blood Letter looked repulsed by Worthy’s interruption.“Yeah I do, I spent the last two months running jobs for those assholes. I spent a lot of time with Gabriel’s right hoof pony, General Rauch Brecher. He knows that every ounce of supplies out here runs through Phoenix, he knows that’s where all the military might is. Glascow is a fraction of the threat, even with the proximity. Phoenix is due for a siege. If Phoenix falls everyone will choke, so Marizona and eventually the Ponave will fall.” He concluded.The Show Ponies were all listening intently. Flint fang posed another question, “What about the Midlands and up North. What about Fillydelphia, Friendship city? Red Eye?”Worthy replied in his regal voice with a tint of bemusement from all the attention “No plans for them as far as I know, Gabriel has a hard on for Red Eye. If you want to know about Red Eye, you’ll have to ask Trouble.”Night Light shot Trouble a dirty look, Dawn hadn’t a notion as to what they were all discussing. She knew of the Angels and heard tell of Phoenix, that was it.Trouble let out a sigh, “Tha was a long time ago. Eight years is a long time for any pony. All I did was do a few jobs for him, he paid good. But he wasn’t getting a little too bossy with me, I don’t take sides. Bad for business. Stay on the fence, it will double your profits and give ponies a reason to not kill you. Remember that kid.” He stared at Dawn the entire time, that response was meant for her more than anything.Luckily the bar pony Mixer arrived, defusing the tension he asked in a grizzly voice to Trouble “What’ll it be boss?”“Giss a pint of lager, give the kid ‘ere a, eh, Red Pegasus and Vodka, she’ll like that. The rest can order for themselves.”“Scotch.” Said Flint Fang.“Bourbon.” Said Blood Letter.“Whiskey.” Said Tyke (oddly enough.)“Double Vodka.” Said Night Light.“Sparkle Cola.” Worthy said. Everypony stared a hole into Worthy’s head. Dawn was surprised, the way Trouble drinks, she would have thought it ran deep in the family.Embarrassed, Worthy said “What? I don’t drink.”_____________________________________________________________________The Figure reached into his suit jacket and yanked out another folder.“This is the file on Worthy.”He splashed the contents of the folder onto the table. The folder lay open in front of Dawn, it was identical to the one about Trouble, his picture pinned to the corner, this one of Worthy had him pose at the edge of a cliff near a camp fire somewhere. Somewhere that had grass, something Dawn identified as a rarity.He was standing to attention, with his rifle at his hip. It was a portrait picture, versus someone taking a quick snap of Trouble in a bar.His base details were laid out the same way also.Name: WorthyAliases: The Cannibal, JawsNationality: ColticSex: MaleAge: 36Affiliations: Death Dealer (former), C.P.L.A Lieutenant, Stalker affiliateThe file on Worthy was nowhere near as thick as the one on Trouble, surprisingly. Although they knew vastly more on Worthy than Trouble.The Figure cleared his throat and began to speak.“You said not long ago you learned about Trouble’s past rather soon. Don’t skip that part. But for now, what next? I find the best place for information is the bar. Ponies are more inclined to talk there.” The Figure said a little cocky with his assertion. Even if a little naively put.“I find that too be true, especially with Rico.”Ricochet. She smiled reminiscently of the times they shared together. He just had a way of deflecting the sadness of the world.“What about Worthy? He talk much?” The Figure asked.“He was a firm believer in ‘Loose lips sink ships’ but once he decided we were trustworthy he spoke as much as any of us.” Dawn remembered how he kept pulling Trouble over to have a “private” word with him.“What next? Ricochet, am I right?” He asked leaning inwards expectantly.“Yeah, Ricochet, as his mother used to call him.”_____________________________________________________________________The drinks arrived, Dawn sat looking into a weird reddish almost brown luke warm liquid wondering what the fuck to do next. Night Light begun conversation with the Show Ponies, and Trouble and Worthy were just starting to speak.“Worthy, where the fuck were you the past year? No pony could nail you down. Me and the kid met a robot who knew my exact location up near Dead Water.” Dawn couldn’t help but notice he brought Watcher up. That was unexpected. He fucking lost it at him after all.“Mother of fuck.” Said Worthy shaking his head with disbelief for himself. An aghast expression on his face.“What?” Trouble asked intrigued. “Don’t tell me it was a repeat of that Hellhound nest we landed in.”“Fuck no, it was easily ten times as bizarre.” Worthy corrected.“Then tell me what happened?” Trouble insisted.“You won’t believe me.” Worthy said deterring Trouble, but at the same time just luring him.“Fuckin’ hurry up and tell mah!” Trouble demanded his accent bleeding back into his voice.“Alright, I spent six months in the company of ; a renegade Steel Ranger scribe, a fucking invincible Canterlot ghoul and a winged zebra.” Worthy quickly and bluntly stated.“What the fuck?” Trouble replied.“Told you, I took a job from some steel rangers to take the scribe back alive, the zebra was just a bonus if I could bring him back. They didn’t warn me about that fucking ghoul, he was a soldier during the war. You should have seen the cannon he was carrying. Crack on it like thunder. It would slice you in half at two thousand yards.” Worthy said, his voice steadily becoming more gratified with every passing sentence.“So what happened?” Trouble asked.“I cornered them, had them lovely in my crosshairs. Crippled the zebra. I thought to myself that she would run out to help him, then I’d nail her, a crying baby draws a lot of attention, but the scribe. Her training at least told her to keep her head down. Got in close with the cloak and knocked her out with the flail, she was a fighter that one. That’s when mister ‘I’m so fucking unkillable’ showed up. He took a crack at me, I cloaked seen his scope glint and dropped a round down his scope into his eye.”Worthy finished by jamming his hoof into his eye patch. Worthy unlike his brother didn’t have an exoskeleton. Dawn found it harder and harder to believe these ponies were even related. Trouble had his own way of speaking in circles or with small sayings, Worthy spoke bluntly and put things in a frank lighting.“How did you get them out? There could have been no way to contact the rangers.” Trouble asked.“Rendezvous at an old safe house, three days away. I poisoned the scribe and let the Zebra slowly bleed out, while I fastened a rope around both of them and had her drag him through the desert. Would have been a lot faster if she didn’t resist, or if her ribs weren’t so badly damaged. But she hauled ass, it’s interesting to see how ponies act when they know they’re on the clock. I told her how long she had to live without her cooperation and with it. A smart girl like her could weigh up the odds well enough.”Trouble just took a cigarette out and lit it, enthralled at what Worthy had to say, Tyke was listening to. She clearly had appreciation for Worthy’s method as did Trouble. Dawn was a little disturbed by it. There was no emotion in his voice. Just the facts, blunt and bludgeoning like an impacting hammer or maul.“Yeah.” Trouble ushered for him to continue.“Three long days, I knew I was being followed. The fucking zebra wouldn’t shut the hell up, always gossiping or antagonizing me, the scribe was too busy dying, she fought back once. She had this beautiful revolver, I told her I might have held onto it. I had to scorch her a little to get her back in line.”Dawn was beginning to find he was a little more...Unforgiving than his brother.“Finally I managed to talk her into obeying me, promised her revolver back if the Steel Rangers didn’t cough up, I never like those cunts anyway. They always underestimate. Always had a high opinion of themselves. So finally we reach the safe house, my choice. Remote, around a bunch of hills and steep gradients. Little cover. I patched up the cargo and waited, the rangers were due in less than twenty four hours. The zebra whimpered when I had to fix his wing. He knew I was toying with him, he should have known better than to try and get to me. I can play rough better than most. He’s lucky I actually qualified as a medic for winged creatures.” Worthy continued, hinting at something on the last sentence.“Fuck off, I don’t like the enclave and there was no griffins in the family. Why bother?” Trouble replied defensively. Worthy got a little satisfactory grin and continued.“Anyway, the scene was set, I was in a vantage point in the hills, a two way radio was set up near the shack the zebra laying subdued out the front, the secondary objective lay before them as a down payment. The scribe with me to settle accounts. Little did they know I jammed the transmit on the radio without affecting the button I heard every word they said.” Worthy said smugly even though he did look a little disgusted as well.“And?” Trouble pressed eager for more.“Rangers showed up, they planned on icing me, not a cap between them. So I got mad, I started quoting that old book, that scribe was there egging me on. She had brains, more than me. I snapped. Freed her and fucking trampled those rangers, they panicked once they remembered they hired a sniper, and an invisible one at that.”Dawn had to wonder what he meant by invisible, he made mention to cloaking to get in close already. Both her and Tyke were intently listening to the story.“I popped one with my rifle and decided I was going to smelt the other ones into their own suits of armor, I dunno why, poetic reasons maybe. The rangers would be at one with their suits making them real steel rangers. Then all of a sudden thunder shows up. Blows the fucking shack to pieces, the bastard was targeting me. At first I couldn’t believe it, my cloak ran dry, I found a hovel. Three inches of rock another five of soil a few feet deep. I found him in my scope, holy fuck. I seen him staring at me through a blown out scope, if you seen his face. I never thought anything could have walked that off let alone tail me for three days.That rifle punched through the rock - through the soil - through my armor plates and right through my bone. The wound was so huge you could have fed rope through it.”“Fuck, what happened next?” Trouble asked a little perturbed and for him, that was odd.“Role reversal, I was their bitch.” Worthy said a little ashamed.“I bet you liked that.” Trouble said laughing.“Fuck off.” Worthy replied, annoyed at Trouble.“Rico has been on for awhile, come on, it’s his new show. I helped him fuckin’ write it. It’s good, kid come here.” Dawn looked over the balcony as Trouble had ushered, on the stage was a brown unicorn with a red mane in a white suit with a microphone.“He’s an old friend.” Trouble said. The pony Dawn could only guess was Rico was on the stage and busy entertaining the crowd, he spoke with a funny accent. It had it’s own weird tone that made him sound a little angry or perplexed on every sentence.He paced around the stage speaking his tone and pitch constantly shifting.“Why do mares watch porn until the very end?” Rico paused. To see if they get married.” Trouble snickered.Rico continued “So I was at the bar the other night and I spotted these two large mares talking, and they had these really strong accents. So I asked ‘Sorry are you two mares from Glascow?’ they said ‘Whales’ and to which I said ‘oh right sorry, are you two whales from Glascow?”Rico got a chuckle fit from the audience who had already been warmed up, Rico continued.“So a drunk rich guy walks into a coltic bar and shouts ‘I’ll give a thousand caps to the first pony to drink twelve pints one after the other without stopping!’ not a word. One pony gets up and leaves... About five minutes later the same pony comes back and says ‘yeah I’ll do it!’ The bartender lines up the twelve pints. The young coltic fella necks ‘em. One after the other. He slams down the last glass, grabs the cash and walks off. The rich guy can’t believe it and shouts ‘You agreed to the bet after you walked out! Where did you go?’The young coltic fella replied ‘Down to the pub around the corner to see if I could do it first.’”Trouble turned to Worthy and said “He really wanted that one in.”“Here’s one for next time you're with the inlaws,” Rico announced to the audience.“what's the main difference between marmalade and jam? I can’t marmalade my cock up your daughters arse.”“Okay enough dark shit.” Rico said.“I was walking through Freeside a few days back, when this thug put a knife to my throat and screamed ‘Give me any recognizable organisations that you have, that provide goods or services to the consumer NOW!’ I couldn’t help but think ‘He means business.” Rico got a clap from the audience for the wit alone on that one.“Now, what I like to do is come up with word caps for me jokes. Like five words for example, here's a headline one. ‘Urine bandit, takes the piss. And a four word joke now.Castration. Balls to that.” Rico got a wolf whistle and another clap from the audience.“I remember my father’s last words. We were all gathered around his deathbed, he opened his eyes for one final time and said right as he was closing them ‘knock knock’. Bastard.” Poetic.“I was accused of being rude the other day, this huge mare came and I got up to offer her my seat. She said to me ‘I’m not pregnant’ and I said yeah but if you lose a few pounds you never know what might happen. I didn’t really, it was really pathetic what I said really. ‘Oh, oh sorry’ then I was walking away and I wondered ‘why am I apologizing? I’m just trying to be nice.’ So I turned and said. ‘Fuck off’, yeah! I was on fire.” He said in a cocky elated voice.“Do we have any Coltic Ponies in tonight?” Rico asked the crowd.A cheer erupted from one of the booths, Rico stopped to stare at them awkwardly, and said.“Glad to see we have the problem contained.” He said.“Cheeky fucking bastard.” Muttered Worthy bemused.Rico froze on the stage staring at the tables he pointed his hoof and said “Holy fuck, there is a wee colt in the audience tonight are these your parents? A wee wholesome colt. Would ya look at that!” Without letting the family reply he continued, leaning in close and sincerly whispering.“Don’t worry... Your mom knows you clop.”“Your mom clops too.”“Sometimes your mom clops with your dad.”“But what they don’t know is, you clop thinking about your mom and dad clopping.”Rico got a fit of awkward hysterics back from the crowd.He started smiling himself.He looked at the colt and said, “For the next few minutes I’ll be abusing you so bad you’ll think I’m a friend of the family.” Tyke herself had a small chuckle, Dawn didn’t get it.While the others were enrapt with the performer Tyke tugged on Dawn, she turned to face her and Tyke casually asked, “Wanna have a drink by ourselves?” Dawn didn’t mind so she gingerly nodded. Tyke without permission grabbed Dawn’s drink and placed it on a table away from the main group, she sat herself down and gestured Dawn over. A little nervous Dawn took her seat opposite Tyke when Tyke asked her, “So how did you get that scar.” while she took a gulp from her drink.“Eh, long story.” Dawn said sheepish while she shrugged.“We’re not going anywhere, I’d like to hear it.” Tyke reassured.“Well,” Dawn began, taking a sip of her drink. The liquid was a blend of strong and sweet, it bit into her almost, as it seeped down her throat. It felt good, so she took another drink, a longer on this time.“I can tell you that, or I can tell you from the point I actually entered the wastes from. Hardly a week ago, it’s hell of a story.” Dawn felt more charismatic now, more confident too. She had no idea where this brashness was coming from, but she suspected it had something to do with the liquid in her glass.“From the beginning is fine with me.” Tyke said.“Well, it started with me digging a hole underneath the wall of the NCR, I spent weeks just trying to get through it. I had to leave, that town was killing me, I couldn’t stand another day there. Every day was just isolation and abuse. There was a choice to be made. Run and try my luck at having a better if not shorter life. Or live a long dark and depressing one. The choice was clear. So on the night, I packed up what little I could scrounge and dived into the unknown. If I had known how rough and bloody and hellish it would be, I would have done it anyway.”Dawn retold all the events of her new life. Tyke listening attentively all the while.“I knew I was fucked, but then, somehow. Trouble showed up and saved me. He wiped them out without making a sound, that was my first lesson with Trouble. He may not look it but he’s as undetectable as a ghost when he want’s to be.”Dawn summarized some parts and went into others in great detail.“That’s when I found these beauties.” Dawn said as she rested her Pipbuck hoof and Amigo on the table, Tyke’s eyes widened as she gawked greedily at the pristine pistol.The story was retold with a few skeptic details left out, but the more Dawn drank the more inclined she was to let them slip.“Next thing I knew, I was flying through the air, shrapnel and a raging fireball spewing everywhere, I was dragged through the streets into a safe place, when I looked down to my hoof, there was a spiral of metal shrapnel stuck in me. And after the fighting I woke up and there it was, the scar.” Dawn concluded the story by raising the wounded hoof high into the air with pride. As if it were a recovered artifact at the end of a crusade. Pride welled up in her. She never really seen it like this before she told Tyke, she coveted this mutilation. In a weird sense she seen it as a memento of her arduous journey.“Thats hell of a story.” Tyke said finishing her fourth drink. Slamming the empty glass down on the table.Dawn was only on her second drink but she was already light headed. The atmosphere in this place was perfect. Dawn thought randomly. Tyke went to speak but a joyous cry came from Trouble behind her.She turned to look, there standing on the landing was the sweaty comedian Rico. Trouble beckoned him over, he stood up to greet him.“Rico, howya keepin!?” Trouble bellowed.The Brown tall stallion smiled back and called over “Still prettier than you, ya cunt.” He spoke now with an accent that was lost on the stage. Dawn better studied this pony now.He was a tall and a little thin, brown unicorn stallion in his youth mid 20’s or so. His mane was a bright red and his eyes were a wild electric blue, He was wearing a sweat drenched suit. the suit lacked a bottom half exposing his flank, he was tilted just enough for Dawn to see it. His cutie mark was a curving bent out of shape rifle cartridge making a perfect ark. Dawn found it a little hard to imagine what his special talent was, or how he earned that cutie mark.“Have a fuckin’ drink with us, ya need ta meet these fuckers!” Trouble said with a strange tone of sincerity despite addressing them as ‘fuckers’.“Why not?” Rico said dashing over to the table. He quickly levitated a chair over, crashing down next to Trouble and Worthy, he threw his hooves into the air with an air of defiance and a thrilled look on his he asked.“What did I miss?” in a total anti-climatic tone, a small mischievous grin on his mouth.Trouble and Worthy exchanged sly glances for a moment before Rico continued.“Worthy! I never seen you in what? Nine months? You alright brony? Trouble who the fuck are these ponies eh?” Rico asked ecstatic.Trouble lit another smoke took a long pull before using it as a pointing stick for all the ponies. He went through them one by one. Flicking his cigarette at each designated them in turn “Blood Letter, Flint Fang, Night Light, Black Dawn and Tyke.”Rico addressing the whole lot of them said charismatically “Pleasure meeting you, Trouble what you doin’ now? I need a favour.”“I’m headin’ up to the suite now, gonna change into something a little more comfortable, then I dunno may come back ‘ere have a few or, ‘ave a few quiet ones in the suite. Wah’s the favour?”Rico looked over his shoulder before quietly saying “Best we discuss it in private, eh china?”Trouble sighed, he forced himself up from his chair and announced “Alright, Show Ponies wanna stay up with muhself? I got plenty o’ room.”Flint Fang shook her head, “We may come up for a few rounds later, we’ll book our own room.”“Righ,” Trouble said a little disappointed “I’ll see ya soon Show Pony, what about you Worthy?”“I thought you’d never ask.” He snidely said.“Alright gang follow me.” Trouble said before breaking into a brisk pace.Dawn hurriedly left her chair as did Night Light, quickly following Trouble. “See you later, yeah?” said Tyke optimistically calling out.Dawn snapped her head around and nodded. Tyke smiled in response and went to join the other show ponies, who all began a hushed conversation. She felt a little gratified with the knowledge she made a new friend or at least, she hoped she had.Worthy and Rico walked parallel with Trouble, Dawn and Night Light had caught up with them before the stairs.Night Light turned to Dawn, “So what did the little Show Pony talk to you about?” She asked with an air of caution.“Not much, just asking me about, me really.” Dawn couldn’t nail down what their conversation was about, it was mostly just her retelling her story since she left the NCR.Night Light looked Dawn seriously in the eye “Don’t trust them, Show Ponies are notorious for their ability to gain the trust of others, they’re looking for something out here. Tell me who did most of the talking, you or her?”“Eh, now that you mention it,” Dawn stammered out before Night Light resumed.“See? Blood Letter kept on asking me about the Ranger presence and about where I stood with the NCR, if they ask you for a favour, or help with something, tell me or Trouble okay?”Night Light more established than asked, she had no love for this place. Dawn didn’t ask why, Night Light had a habit of playing her cards close to her chest.They weaved silently through the gambling tables, drunk ponies cheering and hollering at the games. The drink clouding their reasoning, Dawn had no doubt in her mind none of these ponies were turning a profit.At the end of the gambling den was a metal panel in the wall with a button next to it, one arrow button up the other pointing down. Dawn was baffled to say the least.Trouble jabbed the arrow pointing downwards, it lit up and they waited in silence. Rico spoke “Listen, Trouble. I just need some help with a deal and,” Trouble raised a hoof to cut him off.“It’s private enough to call me away from the bar, what till we’re up in mine. You can tell us then.” Trouble announced still staring at the metal panel.With a ding, Dawn jumped, alarmed by the foreign and disembodied noise. The metal panel slid backwards revealing a tiny box capable of accommodating half a dozen ponies. A solid almost blinding yellow light source was overhead inside the box, casting aside any shadows that strived to survive. Illuminating every inch of cold metal. Trouble and the rest stepped into it, cramming into the small metal coffin.Dawn looked at it, scanning it up and down, she was genuinely nervous by this, there was a small crack between the casino floor and the metal box, it was less than an inch in width, but it may aswell been a mile. She stared into the crack as if it were a bottomless abyss that she would plummet into. And it seemed the crack was staring back into her.She backed away intimidated. Trouble extended his hoof kindly, “No worries kid, no worries. Jus’ step on in. It’s only an elevator.”Worthy rolled his eyes and Rico suppressed a guffaw. Dawn was even more disheartened by their condescending nature, even with Trouble’s support. She didn’t even know these ponies.Trouble looked back at the two “Fuck you two, we’re all on the same boat ‘ere.” he said disgusted by them.Trouble spoke again, trying to comfort her. “Kid,” he said apathetically, Dawn looked up at him, terrified. “Please.” He said as he extended his hoof further. The metal digits were outstretched, nothing could make him look friendly. Or his brother with the eye patch and mask, which thankfully wasn’t adorning his face.Dawn courageously took a step forward. She inched over the gap, careful not to touch it. Her hooves felt like lead, every time she attempted to lift them they weighed an impossible amount. She tried to steady her breathing but to no avail. She had no explanation for her acting this way, but she couldn’t help it. She was overwhelmed by it.Dawn’s nostrils flared as she inhaled quickly, Worthy sighed in anger and bit down on her mane and dragged her in, Dawn let out a shriek, terrified. All too quick, she wasn’t ready, this was too soon. Trouble looked at him in shock “Da Fuck ya think you’re at?” he said in anger.Worthy replied through a mouthful of mane and a squirming Dawn kicking out “Wh-ut ahre yhou wahiting fhor?” Dawn’s hooves slipped on the cold metal as she tried to break free, Worthy was too strong, he yanked her in, just enough that the tips of her hooves were past the crack.Trouble swore under his breath, Night Light stood looking torn, not helping her. Trouble slammed a button and the metal panel slid shut with a ding. But Dawn didn’t hear a ding, she heard a cheerful chirp from a demon receiving fresh meat, she let out a wail as Worthy still held her.“HEEELLLLPPP!” Dawn screamed kicking out. Night Light bit her lip and stepped forward, she shoved Worthy “Let her go you bastard!” She raised her hoof to him, Trouble dove in to stop her. This was while the world was fading away from Dawn, something welled up inside of her.A burst of magic erupted from her horn as the world imploded and was replaced with darkness, the last thing she seen was Night Light taking a swing at Worthy and all hell breaking loose in their tiny metal cell. Turning on each other like dogs._____________________________________________________________________Dawn came around, the scene was very different. She was still in the elevator but this time. She was alone and in the bowels of hell. The polished metal of the elevator now was bloodied and grayed, she lay in the corner not quite feeling anything, no fear, no relief just a state of tranquility. Across from her was a corpse propped up against the corner, a purple pony with a gaping hole in his forehead, whose brains had been splattered on the metal behind him. She didn’t recognize him, he looked like all the other tourists. Sharply dressed, well groomed even if poorly. Dawn tried to rise to her hooves, the elevator was shaky and swaying beneath her. But she felt no weight on her hooves as she rose.The once solid yellow lighting of the elevator was now flickering on and off in an unsteady and dispersed pattern.The humming of the elevator came to an abrupt end, Dawn stood facing the retractable metal panel, it slid opened.Bullets whizzed through the air, the once glistening and lavish casino lay in ruin, feral ponies with guns were firing beserkley at her. Dawn was frozen rigid with fear. Three bullets sailed her way passing harmlessly through her chest. Her teeth chattered. her eyes welded shut, it took her a few seconds to realize something crucial. She wasn’t dead. She wasn’t even there. Disembodied once more, in a spectral state free to traverse. Her body incapable of emotions right now, the casino was in ruins, large gaping holes were in the walls, this was no longer the Haven of New Pegas as she knew it. This was, or is another time. A darker chapter in its history.3 ponies in combat gear poured into the elevator carrying well maintained automatic rifles firing back at the ferals with exquisite form and accuracy, while wearing some of the finest combat armour Dawn has ever laid eyes on. It was sandy in texture with thick pads and vests covering their vitals. It was nowhere near as effective or thick as Trouble’s or her own, but it gave a look of coolness and professionalism. More tatty feral ponies poured onto the casino floor carrying SMG’s and pistols, firing upon the well armed band. The three ponies entered the elevator pressing their backs against the walls, narrowly avoiding the bullets.One of the ponies, a gray earth pony with a black mane slammed the button at the very peak of the button list, the door slid shut, bullets leaving dents and marks. Showering the ponies in sparks.The two ponies opposite the Gray pony, a red unicorn with a khaki mane and a blue unicorn with a yellow mane looked at each other before the brown coated unicorn spoke.“What now, sarge?” he asked terrified, his voice trembling.The gray pony slunk to the floor next to the corpse, tired and worn down. He said “I dunno, Pyrex, I’m not even sure I’m the sarge anymore. Everyone is down, we need to get in contact with somepony, there is bound to be other surviving units.” The gray pony spoke with an air of authority and dwindling confidence.The red unicorn spoke next, his voice just as scared as the soldier identified as Pyrex.“I don’t wanna die sarge.” The pony desperately pleaded. It was pathetic, but dawn knew he was only voicing their mutual feelings.“Nopony else is dying today Goalpost. Now sit easy, we’ll get out of here.” The unidentified “sarge” said reassuringly.The sarge took a deep breath before forcing himself up, replacing the magazine in his sleek black carbine. Pyrex spoke again,“Sarge.” He said devastation clear in his voice. “The others aren’t coming are they?” The expressions of the ponies in the small metal coffin fell, the sarge looked at the corpse in the corner then at him mournfully and said“No, it’s just us. I’m not the sarge. Not anymore. It’s Hotspur until we find out who's left.” He said deflated.Goalpost made a glum counter point “What if we’re all that’s left?” The band of soldiers went into a deathly silence.The elevator came to a halt, and dinged once more, shooting all the ponies into alertness forming combat stances. They strained their rifles on the door, it slid open revealing a dark derelict corridor with a worn down wooden door at the end.The group moved forward in unison keeping their rifles at the ready, they trudged silently down the corridor, Dawn attempted to follow them in her spectral state, as she began to follow in their footsteps the world dissipated from before her and she returned to the darkness._____________________________________________________________________Dawn came back to the present gasping for air. She kicked out in a spasm attack, the next thing she felt was her head banging against...Soft carpet?Her eyes shot open, towering above her was a disgruntled, yet relieved looking Trouble.She smiled up at him, glad the ordeal was over. She looked down the corridor, it was the same one the band of soldiers skulked through, only refurbished. Exquisitely at that.At the end of the corridor was the elevator, it sickened her just to look at it. She lay there begrudgingly staring at it, when Trouble spoke.“Worthy, didn’t know. He’s a good pony, just a little impatient sometimes.” Trouble said apologetically, he blamed himself for what happened. And in a sense he was right to.It was only now did Dawn realize how tired she was, her hooves seemed to suddenly ache and her muscles were burning inside her.She meekly disclosed to Trouble “I’m tired.” she was staving off the temptation to fall asleep again. Trouble grinned and replied.“Healing potions are all well and good, but after a week like that, there is no helping being knackered as fuck. Ya can sleep inside my gaff. You’ll love it, it’ll be just like home.”“Home.” Dawn mouthed as Trouble cradled her into a ball and carried her down the corridor. The powerful Trouble hefted her into his grip with ease, he trudged down the corridor on his hind hooves. Dawn seen an open heavy duty door, light beaming out from behind it. Her head bobbed up and down as Trouble carried her into the light.“Home.” She whispered, smiling the word felt good, alien to her, yet warming. The Light from behind the door shining upon her face, the door slowly swung open, granting Dawn refuge inside.Home.

Chapter 18: Jet Fuel

“So?” The Figure said blandly.

“So?” He said again. Louder and more demanding this time.

Dawn stared at him in confusion.

“So what?” Dawn replied bashfully.

The Figure let out a long sigh. “How much do you know about Worthy?” He asked.

“Enough.” Dawn replied snidely.

“Worthy once smuggled explosive ordnance into a cease fire zone, nearly three hundred kilos of high explosives. With the scarcity of arms in the region, he made a fortune. Would you like to know how he done it?” The Figure asked spitefully.

Dawn remained silent, The Figure continued.

“He stuffed the explosives into the corpses of dozens of ponies and wheeled them into town, he figured the civilized ponies wouldn’t search them. He’d split their stomachs open and scoop out their organs, their intestines, whatever was in his way and replaced it with bags of explosives. Once done he’d stitch the body back up and be on his way. Disgusting, but clever.”

Dawn cringed. She knew nothing was above his “Tactics” but he never regaled her with that business trip.

Worthy had a very different way of handling things versus his brother. Dawn picked up on all these things travelling with them. Trouble had even sat down and explained Worthy’s actions to her.

Worthy is what Trouble called a “Terror Fighter.” It’s all about inducing fear, making yourself seem more horrific and chaotic than you really are. His weapons and dress code were evidence enough of that. Dawn found that out sooner than she would have liked.

“He always had a... cracked morality.” Dawn commented on the story.

“The question I asked myself Dawn was, where did the bodies come from?”

_____________________________________________________________________

Dawn found herself awake and dazed, her head lolling on her shoulders. She was seated in a lavish armchair, sprawled across it. Her vision was unfocused and her hearing was drowned out, all she could glimpse through her dazed state was Trouble raving at a rather intimidated Rico.

“WAH TAH FUCK DO YA MEAN ‘BAD DEBT’!?” Trouble howled at Rico maliciously.

Rico averted his eyes from Trouble’s face and stared at the floor. Dawn’s brain couldn’t handle concentration right now. She scanned the room, with every inch of motion from her head the world blurred around her.

Rico spoke back pathetically “I need your help. Please.”

Worthy sat across from Dawn in a similar armchair. Dawn was beginning to take in her surroundings.

She was in a wide open room, in front of her was a beautiful low lying table with assorted canisters, bullets and 2 large rifles. The first was a pristine wooden bolt action rifle, with a custom gold plated action and humongous scope mounted on the top. The second rifle was burnt black at the muzzle and the rest of the weapon was rusted. It was a regular automatic rifle except various tubes and wires ran along it and underneath the barrel was a canister pressed against it. Secured by bracing. Impressive weapons all the same.

There was four identical lavish red armchairs surrounding the table, for now the table was all Dawn could make out. her focus returned to Trouble and Rico.

“Muh fuckin’ help ah? I’ll give ya tuh back of me hoof!” Trouble roared in vexation.

Night Light’s voice came from a distant corner “It’s his fault for getting mixed up with them, let him sort it out by himself.” She said displeased.

Trouble paced furiously across the room.

Dawn’s vision began to stabilize. Worthy slowly turned his head towards Dawn, she looked back at him and groaned. She hadn’t a clue what else to do.

He cocked an eyebrow before announcing “She’s come around.”

Trouble ceased pacing and approached Dawn on his hind hooves, his fore hooves behind his back. When he came into focus Dawn thought she was hallucinating.

Trouble was wearing a purple jacket and trousers with a black silk tie, waistcoat and and shirt. He was also entirely unarmed, something Dawn never would have expected from him.

Rico let out a sigh of relief as Trouble turned his back, he crouched next to Dawn on his hind hooves, it was amazing the amount of balance he had, he asked inquisitively.

“You awrite kid?”

Dawn’s head ceased lolling for a split second and she muttered out “ You look weird.”

Trouble smirked, Dawn’s head fell backwards into the headrest of the chair and there is stayed, it was cushioning and soft, she let it consume her as her muscles went lax in the chair.

Trouble rose and gently tousled her hair with his hoof, careful not to slice any strands with his sharpened digits.

He said solemnly “Rico. I can’t be runnin’ after you anymore. No more favours like this. I’m sorry.”

Trouble sat opposite his brother and slouched backwards into it. Rico stood looking deeply dismayed, his mouth hanging agape. Looking vulnerable.

“Whaddya reckon Worthy?” Trouble requested.

“What difference will my opinion make?” Worthy answered, staring into space.

“Dun nay play games Worthy, you know better than you let on how much your opinion matters to muh.” Trouble replied, his voice a little vexed.

Worthy shot a look over to Rico and then over to Trouble.

“Well the way I see it, he fucked up. When I fucked up, I lost an eye. Did I beg for a new one? No. I played the hand I was dealt, you wanted to help me Trouble, I refused because I deserved no help. Rico was a boot boy, there is no reason he should be knocked around by a bunch of drug pushers. He landed himself in a pitiful situation and all he will have is my pity. Not my help.”

Rico looked crushed. His red mane fell in front of his demoralized.

Dawn regained some sense, she still hadn’t a clue as to what was going on so she called out sluggishly.

“What!?” She sluggishly called out to nopony in particular.

“I think she’s curious as to what’s going on.” Worthy announced.

“I’ll let Rico explain. Worthy, Ranger I need you elsewhere. Let’s go. Rico you fuckin’ sit tight, we’ll be back soon enough.”

Dawn slipped into a void once more, if only for a second. Her head bounced off the chair, as she was engulfed by the blackness she heard a voice shoot through it. The familiar feminine, endearing voice.

“Fear little one, you lack that which makes the weak valiant. Sweet sweet Worthy, he will show you fear.”

_____________________________________________________________________

The Figure slammed his two hooves on the desk in anger with a crashing noise.

“WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN THERE IS A VOICE IN YOUR HEAD!?” The Figure roared at her.

Dawn snapped back defensively “What do you want me to say!?”

The Figure leapt from his chair and pounded the table.

“The truth.” he grunted.

“You’re getting the truth, but as I’m guessing you know as well as I do. There is always more than just,”

“The truth.” The Figure finished.

_____________________________________________________________________

Worthy, Trouble and Night Light were in the elevator on their way down to the stage, for a “Talk”

“Trouble what's this all about?” Night Light asked, bewildered.

“Show Ponies, Frail Ponies and Fucked Ponies I bet.” Worthy answered.

Perplexed Night Light asked Trouble “ What does he mean by that?”

“He means, the Show Ponies, Dawn and Rico in that order. And he guessed righ’ as he always does.” Trouble concluded a little vexed from the whole ordeal of tonight.

“Your brother attacked Dawn, she fainted from shock. You’re just going to let that slide?” Night Light challenged, annoyed by his complacency.

Trouble pressed his back against the wall of the elevator, just as the soldiers have done. He was going through inner combat, he never mastered it the same way he had with ‘proper’ combat.

His suit bore the same pistol belt he wore on his armour, before he left he was sure to grab it. It finished his look of smooth, suave, dangerous and above all professional.

“He’s family.” He frankly put it.

“You mean to tell me she isn’t? She’d be dead without you. You can’t say she doesnt matter, not after you dragged her through all that. You could have left her at any stage, slit her throat if you wanted you. But you didn’t.”

Trouble stared at Night Light, and she stared back. Worthy broke the silence with a silent affirmation.

“Family, my dear brother. What is life without it? The girl needs a family like a blade needs a whetstone. She’s doomed without it and you are incomplete without it. She will be my sister if she is yours, and by God she will have my unflinching support. What have you got if not your family?”

Night Light swallowed hard. A poignant speech from Worthy striking a chord in her heart. He was indeed an “odd” pony.

The elevator dinged open and they strode out from it in unison.

They brushed past the drunkards and the defiant gamblers onto the area where the stage was. They found themselves in a quiet and remote booth next to the wall. A waiter took their drink orders and zipped away, when Trouble cleared his throat.

“Show Ponies, Dawn, Rico and a proposal.” he declared, counting the topics on his metal digits.

“A minute ago it was just three things. What proposal?” Night Light objected.

“Howled on now, Show Ponies first.” Trouble stated.

“I don’t like it,” Rico began “there is no way they would have left the Thundering Herd for R&R, special forces are too valuable asset to have getting drunk and galavanting across the Ponave, especially with war on the doorstep of Marizona.”

Night Light spoke next “ Colonel Ice Pick never would let it happen, no doubt their story was rehearsed. Commander Starsky would never let us do something like that, especially now. But I dunno, their story is so unbelievable it's nearly believable. And if they need R&R for a war, then why only three? There are at least a hundred Show Ponies, even more Work Horses in the Thundering Herd. What makes them so special?”

“I don’t feel we should be discussing why they aren’t with the rest of the herd, we should be discussing what they are after. Why New Pegas? Maybe some sort of contract with House, or a contact. Maybe a hit.” Worthy contributed.

Trouble gave his take on it next, “Nah, nah, nah. We should try and help them, they ain’t here for any of us. And a good word from a Show Pony is worth it’s weight in gold. Besides, a hit in New Pegas would require subtlety, not three prominent showcase killers. I think they're on either meeting a contact or on a fact finding mission.”

The drinks arrived: A pint of strong cider, a large brandy and a sparkle cola.

“Still don’t like it...” Night Light commented begrudgingly.

“None of us do Ranger.” Worthy said.

“Now Dawn,” Trouble announced, starting the new topic “she’s a kid. But. She’s special, how are we gonna handle her? She was flung into all this, I took her in, I don’t what else to do except make her a bad pony. I don’t want to ruin her. But what will I do? Leave her here to fall into the vices on offer? If I leave her with all my money and belongings. I’ll be bankrupt, she’ll be an addict and probably heartbroken by a con pony who played with her fragile emotions and stole all my shite.”

“My dear brother, you don’t ruin ponies. The family never ruined a pony, we only ever helped them reach their full potential. You can refine her. Make her so much more. She’s delicate I know, I barely know her but the elevator was proof enough her emotions are fragile. Out here, in this tough and rugged world. There is no room for delicate, fragile ponies. Only the hard and brutal make it. As beautiful as such a delicate flower is, it must blossom into a formidable and fierce thing, with a nurturing carer like you brother, I have no doubt about it.”

Trouble shot a confounded look at his brother before saying “You should have been a fuckin’ poet not an assassin. Ranger, whaddya reckon?”

Night Light took a gulp from her drink.

“She’s soft true, but that leaves a pony after you get the shit knocked out of you a few times. She can hold her own, and is very willing to kill. Never seen that before, in my first kill or be killed scenario I locked up, had my flank saved.”

“Does she have any idea who’s rifle she’s carrying?” Worthy asked seriously.

“No. I’m surprised you noticed. Keep it that way, she’ll know when I think she should know.” Trouble answered. Night Light glanced between them in confusion.

“What that rifle she’s toting around?” She asked quizzical.

“It’s a very famous rifle my dear.” Worthy answered.

“Why? Who’s is it?” Night Light inquired further.

“I can’t help but wonder how it got this far south. It was in EverBright before the raiders took over that much is certain.” Trouble said, ignoring Night Light.

“That pistol she’s carrying. We both know who owns it.” Worthy added.

“Found two memory orbs with it as well with the pistol and pipbuck, need ta have a looksee at ‘em later.” Said Trouble reaching for a cigarette.

“What are you talking about? Who owned the rifle? What about Dawn’s pistol?” Night Light demanded getting flustered.

Worthy and Trouble exchanged glances before speaking “A very, Very important family member a long time ago owned that rifle. As for the pistol it’s got history.” Said Worthy.

“What bout Rico?” Trouble started, abandoning the subject.

“If he actually had a brain he’d be twice as stupid. He dug a grave for himself while high on hallucinogens. He lost everything he owned, despite being one of the best paid ponies on the strip. I remember when you bought him that rifle.” Worthy said.

“Another time, another pony.” Trouble commented.

“He needs help you can easily provide, nobody likes to look like a chump I know. But still if you bump off a few dealers who think they run the streets because a friend asked nicely. I think that’ll send a message that you’re not to be fucked with.” Night Light added.

“Ponies already know I’m not to be fucked with. But it will emphasize my point, I’ll help him out on one condition; he joins up with me for a few jobs. It won’t hurt his pride as far as he’s concerned he’s jus’ riding along for a couple o’ jobs, hopefully I can get some caps back in his pocket and sort him out.” said Trouble.

Trouble rose up from his chair “Ranger ya look ridiculous with a hole in hat, Duct Tape will sort tha out fir ya.” He said gesturing towards the hole blown into Night Light’s hat.

“I don’t think duct tape is gonna cut it Trouble.” She said back a tad unsettled.

“No, Duct Tape is a pony. She’s a regular genius when it comes to fixin’ shite up.” Trouble less than elegantly replied.

“What about that proposal you mentioned?” Worthy asked still seated.

“That can wait, besides I wanna see if she patched me duster up yet. I had that thing since I was a young fella. Dawn’s gear won’t take long either.”

_____________________________________________________________________

Dawn awoke into a meagre state of consciousness. She felt lighter and more tatty than she had in days. Her armour and weapons were stripped off of her, her saddlebags laying next to her chair.

She felt vulnerable without all her accumulated belongings. It seemed the more she could call her own the safer she felt. There was comfort in high calibre weaponry.

Sitting adjacent to her, staring intrinsically was a naked Rico no longer clad in his fine suit. He sat there smiling at her, she leveled her eyes on him and he spoke.

“Now, what is a sweet little innocent mare like you doing with this?” He said bemused.

Dawn stared at him in bewilderment for a moment, before she spotted it. in her hazed vision she could hardly see it. A syringe was levitated next to Rico. He found her only shot of Jet.

“I guess you want this?” he asked.

Dawn gave a weak nod. In her crippled state, if there was ever a time for jet. It was now.

Rico removed the cap, slowly he jabbed the needle into dawn’s forehoof and injected the contents into her bloodstream.

Dawn involuntarily let out a moan of ecstasy as the jolt from the jet kicked her. She slouched slightly as the effects took hold.

Her vision was greatly enhanced, her body no longer was running on minimum capacity. And all the tiredness and sluggishness that plagued her was washed away.

Alert, she shot a look to Rico, her curiosity pumping in her veins.

“What happened? What did you do? Why’s everyone mad? That makes me sad. Who are you? Worthy said boot boy. You need help?” She spat out nearly incoherently in one rapid breath.

Rico let out a chuckle “You know, the best way to handle some pony on jet is to answer in single words, which question would you like to ask me first?” He said, joyously enthralled. He rested his head on his hooves and stared in amazement at the jumpy Dawn.

“W-W-What happened!?” She tried to utter bouncing in her seat.

Rico’s grin remained, he rocked his head foolishly in his hooves humming to himself.

“Oh, Trouble’s old. Worthy is being a hard ass as usual and I need a helping hoof.” he said complacently and lazily, just observing Dawn as she fidgeted.

“Help? What with?” She asked sporadically, a bead of sweat trailed down her brow as she felt a strange tingle relay up and down her spine.

“A deal. It would take not even a minute and would mean alot of jet, among other things. All I need is somepony to come along.” he said enticingly.

At the mentioning of jet Dawn’s eye twitched, Rico noticed.

Dawn stammered out “I-I-I could go. One minute right? Right!?” She said getting angered for no clear reason.

“Oh, I dunno. Mean ‘ol Trouble told me to stay here. And you don’t look like much.” He answered totally relaxed.

“Look like much!?” Dawn growled, “Fuck you! I’ve killed ponies! DEAD! I fucking killed!” She howled, pounding the chair with her hooves, her teeth gritted in vexation.

“Bad trip much?” Rico casually commented.

Dawn stopped spasming in her chair. She glued her vision onto Rico, the casual Rico and slipped into a state of provisional calmness.

“What's the plan?” She calmly inquired.

Rico leaned forward, his smile growing “I’m glad you asked.”

_____________________________________________________________________

The Figure averted his eyes to the ceiling in boredom.

“You still shooting jet?” He asked.

“Who isn’t?” Dawn replied.

“Me.” The Figure retorted, he rose his hoof into the air and flexed his joints, getting several sickening resounding cracks from his stiff joints.

Dawn liked the noise, “Rico was on a lot more than just jet.” She commented.

“I could have guessed that. When do you take jet Dawn? Out of curiosity.” The Figure said, only half paying attention, his gaze was riveted on the ceiling.

Dawn was beginning to deeply dislike his mood swings. one minute he was chummy the next he is barking down at her in anger. She began to wonder if his invisible audience was directing his actions. She began to wonder if he was acting on his own initiative or if he was just a puppet. A mouthpiece for somepony less disposable.

“Whenever I need it.” she replied, which was true in a sense. Its main function was performance enhancement, a little boost when you're down. More than a boost it put you into overdrive. Running at 100%+ lethality.

“We both know thats not true, now don’t we? I want to know if you’re still taking it is all.” he spoke with an air of serenity he lacked before. now he was just asking instead of demanding.

“Yeah,” Dawn admitted “I need it when things get a little too hot. I’m not as talented as Trouble or Night Light with dealing with combat. I’m too green Trouble says.”

“That is very much indeed, interesting.” The Figure announced a little distant from the conversation.

“What do you mean?” Dawn asked suspicious.

“Every pony has leverage, that's just the way things are.” He lazily said still staring into space.

“What?” Dawn asked confused.

“Nevermind, carry on.”

_____________________________________________________________________

“The deal is to take place down on the lounge floor, three ponies will be waiting with a briefcase. The guards were already bribed so don’t worry.”

Dawn wasn’t listening, all she could do is bounce up and down in her chair in rhythm with her racing heart beat.

“... All you gotta do is stand there and look pretty.” Rico concluded before smiling at her.

Dawn hadn’t a notion as to what was going on but she understood her instructions. But standing? That was so dull, and look pretty? That was more Night Light’s game. But she’d give it a go.

“You ready?” Rico asked.

Dawn cocked her head before raising an eyebrow “Huh?”

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

Rico left his chair and extended his hoof to Dawn. She sat there on her haunches wondering whether to bite it or, or do something else with it.

Her eye twitched as she sat staring at his outstretched hoof. it made her nervous, just did. Maybe it was going to slap her, she didn't want that. She couldn’t be having that now could she? Best do something very clever.

Nervous, she poked her head out towards the hoof. Rico just observed her baffled yet bemused.

She licked Rico’s hoof. Sticking her tongue out she slid it across his hoof streaking saliva all over it.

“What the Fuck!?” Rico cried out before pulling his hoof backwards.

Dawn grinned in satisfaction, she just showed that hoof what's what. He won’t be pulling any more stunts any time soon.

“Eh, alright then. Follow me.” Rico nervously said, totally baffled.

Rico left for the door, constantly looking over at Dawn, gesturing her over.

She looked at him, there was a plan. She began to wonder if he was part of it. Or just some sick demented lunatic tagging along for the thrill ride of an action packed, fast and furious shootout starring her in the lead role. By Celestia, there was no backing out of it now. She already bought this maniac’s ticket into hell and she was his tour guide. This could not be classed as a mere fuck up. But some kind of divine justice, she had to see it to the end now. There was forces at work she could not begin to comprehend, but she knew better than to go against their will.

Dawn slowly prowled out from the chair towards this Rico character. By Celestia how did he even get in here? This was a rigged game, but the question was; who was to take the hit?

Slowly Rico left the room, swinging right down a flight of stairs Dawn passed out before passing.

She cautiously poked her head out the door and basked in the weirdness of the stairs.

Convoluted and strange things. Rico had mastered them, striding down them at an even pace. Dawn had no time for such tedious and frivolous matters such as simply ‘going’ down the stairs.

Thats what these rat bastards wanted, there was no way in hell she’d play their twisted game. No Way!

A hop.

A skip.

Dawn dived head first down the first flight. Letting out a muffled battle cry as her side crashed against the railing used for support. Rico spun around to look at her collapsing against the cold iron.

“Are you alright?” This shifty character asked her. She could see right through his transparent act, he was one of them, she knew it.

“I’m on to you.” She grunted at him. No doubt he’d panic and scurry off to rally and regroup the others, but he was a cool customer. He stared bewildered at her before proceeding. An unforeseen and tactical play to be sure.

She bounced down the rest of the stairs bruising ribs, but thankfully the mind expanding and body enhancing effects of the jet kept the pain at bay.

After between 14-16 flights of stairs was the entrance back into the casino floor, She took a step out alongside Rico, wearing her tinted black pilot shades. She wasn’t sure where she got them, but she didn’t need an explanation right now. There was too much at stake.

Mother of Celestia, the casino floor was insanity. No other word in the available vocabulary to pony kind was better suited for the sheer grotesque spectacle before her.

Wall-to-Wall spies. Everyone of them ready to pounce, she knew how to handle these characters. These were the right people after all. Reasonable degenerates of peace. Everyone a diplomat in their own right, none of them were to be made a fool of and never to be trifled with.

Rico took the lead, the fearless bastard. He boldly strode amongst them, forsaking any nagging notion of self preservation. Sweet Celestia, the stallion is an inspiration to us all.

Dawn followed the valiant pony, he may have been a twisted and demented soul damned for damnation but still he had some redeeming qualities. Dawn would have felt sorry for that son of a bitch, if he weren’t such a hard ass.

She skulked among them and through them, penetrating the impermeable horde of these mongrel maniacs. Every one of them seen things nopony had any right seeing. She thought back to Trouble and the others, Luna fucking dammit, they were already gone. Absorbed into the horde, walking agents of monotony and inescapable lies and deceit. If she wasn’t careful she’d soon be joining them.

Rico broke free of them, that pony had a sense of navigation unparalleled to any other living organism on this disoriented world. Relief washed over Dawn as she escaped also. That was a once and a lifetime kind of lucky, she didn’t dare try her luck at that again.

These shades were nothing short of a god send. If they seen the fear scratched into Dawn’s eyes, her cover would have been blown. It was already sixty two shades of shit lucky they didn’t sniff her out. Those mongrel fucks.

She still has no recollection of finding these things, she chalked it down as her own ingenuity and cunning when acting under pressure. Planted maybe. By a friend from above, watching over her. Hopefully this friend wouldn’t depart any time soon, she was still propelled into the deep end of this clusterfuck. Without a paddle or water wings to stop her from drowning.

Wading through a river of shit, and if she kept this level of crystal clear excellence up she’d come out the other end smelling of roses.

They made their way through, finally after those hours locked in that maze they reached the staircase. The final hurdle before the grand finale. This was it. What happens now would make or break this entire gig.

Here it comes. Rico calmly and elegantly trotted up the stairs. Keeping that bizarre posture and rhythm. An absurdity if Dawn ever seen one.

She bravely began up the grand staircase. One hoof down. NOW VAULT.

She propelled herself up 3 steps at once, negating the inevitability of unforeseen circumstances and conundrums of 3 entire hoof paces. A masterstroke of strategic ingenuity. All thanks to a little needle.

Little more than 29 to go.

Panting, she reached the summit of the staircase, hitting the Shangri-La of the landing. She looked back upon the monstrous feat she achieved. Most have been 30 maybe even 32 steps. Everyone of them riddled with danger and uncertainty.

She can’t remember most of the trip. She wasn’t entirely sure if she wanted to. Celestia only knows what horrors lay in her wake. And all those fool ponies, ignoring her. Jealousy was unbefitting of them. They were above such nonsense.

Dawn turned, more confident than ever back to the ombudsman of tranquility and carnage himself, shady rat bastard number one: Rico.

He was cool, calm and composed. How he maintained it was a grand mystery to shadow every mystery that has plagued pony kind since the dawn of time and memorial.

They were at the lounge, Dawn recognized it from a past life. A time long since past. Familiar faces were everywhere, even if she didn’t recognize them.

They headed for the bar, waiting there for them was three ponies. Bad ponies, their mothers breed them for this crucial and pivotal moment in Dawn’s life. Dawn hadn’t an idea as to whether this was a stupid suicide mission or an ingenious, valiant crusade.

Rico sat his flank down on a stool to the right of these ponies. Dawn carefully took the seat next to that. No telling what might happen, the whole place could combust sending this collective scumpot straight into oblivion or maybe just maybe She’ll cross the threshold and become enlightened, she could see more truths than nearly all these fuck buckets combined. So she was on a good start. In fact, she was on a roll.

The Bar pony arrived, Dawn straight away identified him. Mixer.

“What’ll it be?” He asked.

Dawn knew she could trust him. He was a friendly, kind and benevolent face in an unfriendly, cruel and evil sea of degenerates. This pony could be counted on. How long has he been stuck here? Days? Months? Celestia forbid, years?

He just by looking at him has clearly adapted. At the drop of a soiled hat he could blend in amongst them. Become one with them. He was her ticket out of here.

“Hrrrgghhh” Gurgled Dawn, the noise came from within her. Deep down she knew it was a coded message from her very soul. One that this blessed soul couldn’t ignore.

What she meant was “I need your help, I’ve been trapped among them for an insurmountable period of time, and desperately need respite from this dreaded marsh of insufferable malcontents.”

“Eh, right then.” He said turning his attention to Rico. That could only mean a single thing.

He took the message, he gave an affirmative in response. Now he was endeavouring to release her from this torment. Turning his attention to the enemy. Dawn felt safe, finally.

He whispered something into Rico’s ear. Rico swiveled to face Dawn “Keep cool.” He whispered to her, before returning to business.

“As I was saying Bad Trip, the money is right here. Now hand over the goods, my friend here is getting jumpy.” Rico said to the pony adjacent him.

Sweet merciful Celestia she was doomed. All this for nothing, the finale was bust. She was blown. Dawn began to shake in her stool. Trembling. The whole damn cesspit of deceit was closing in around her. Her one light had failed her. Any attempt at escape by now was folly, as soon as she made a move she’d have be consumed.

A pony sat next to her, the noose was tightening, she could feel it closing around her neck. This place always was going to be the death of her, bad vibes surged through this place.

“Hey.” A voice rang out, Dawn turned to see the source.

Oh Merciful Celestia the pigs got her too.

Tyke sat looking at Dawn, her gaze struck right through Dawn’s shades. Her last line of defense. Busted. Blown. Caught out.

Maybe. Just maybe be some miracle Dawn could try and reason with the girl. Maybe she wasn’t entirely lost to us yet.

“The whole thing is... fuck.” Dawn uttered as gracefully as she could manage. But it was fruitless, there was no way to communicate on a basic level with these beasts, let alone bargain with one.

“Are you okay Dawn? You don’t look so good.”

Reeling her in, Dawn wasn’t going to fall so easily for some cheap trick.

“I like my glasses.”

“That’s good.” Tyke responded. She was good, too good for this game maybe. This bowl of hellish refinement was all too much. Dawn’s eye was twitching excessively, her nostrils filled with malicious intentions and bad thoughts. The jig was up.

“Dawn, are you high?” Tyke asked her, trying to ring her in.

“Oi Rico, the fuck is all this craic eh!?” Echoed a familiar voice. Dawn spun the stool seat around, there he was. The bad pony, but the best of ponies. Trouble.

Tyke even quietened her seditious mouth. The Trouble barged his way through the tables, maneuvering them with masterful ease. He pushed between Rico and the one they call Bad Trip. A yellow earth pony with a black mane.

“Giss a pint of lager there Mixer. He barked courageously at their single ally. Mixer out of nowhere pulled out a tall pint of yellow liquid. He gulped it down. Bad Trip looking venomous, Trouble exposed the plot, the finale was botched.

“Who the fuck do you think you are? You have no idea who you’re fucking with. If you don’t get out of my face in three seconds I’ll have your legs broken, you hear me?” Bad Trip growled at Trouble.

In response Trouble faced a guilty looking Rico. “This them?” he asked casually.

Rico looking at the ground gave a quick nod.

“Who them? You’re not right friend, watch your back.” Bad Trip tried to stand up, Trouble forced him back into his seat with his fore hoof, his two companions rose, he did nothing to stop them though.

“We’re not done. Not by a fuckin’ long shot.” He whispered angrily into Bad Trip’s face.

“I’m a very powerful pony. I’ve got friends, we run Freeside, I ain’t getting pushed around by no chump.”

“Thats a shame.” Commented Trouble as he took another gulp from his pint, swirling the contents around in the glass.

Rico was shrinking Dawn was sure of it. Everything was shrinking. This pig had more guts than every one of these backstabbers combined. The question was what's the collateral gonna come to?

“Fine by me. You may think you run Freeside, I run this casino. And you jus’ went and pissed me off.”

Trouble slapped Bad Trip on the cheek, stunning him. He clutched his neck in his iron grasp. Bad Trip squirmed for air as a thick red trickle of blood left his cheek. Trouble took a final swig of his pint.

“Bad luck.”

He collided the pint between Bad Trip’s eyes. The glass exploded, splintering. Shards skating into his face. Bad Trip let out a scream of agony and shock. Blood trickled from every inch of his face, falling down the glass pieces stuck in brow, forehead, muzzle cheeks and even eyelids. Trouble slammed the wailing pony’s temple down onto the corner of the bar with immense strength.

All at once with a terrible

Thud

The wailing ceased. Alarmed his two companions bolted up.

“Mixer, Shotty!” Trouble ordered.

The bar pony lobbed a small pump action shotgun out from behind the bar. Trouble pumped a round into the chamber. Time slowed.

Dawn felt an uneasiness build in her stomach. Stress binding her muscles, she tipped out of the stool, slowly watching herself collapse. In freefall, she glanced up at Trouble and a cowering Rico. The shotgun at Trouble’s hip, the two companions with frightened looks dashed across their faces.

BAAANNNGGG!

A flash erupted from the barrel, light strewn pellets left the gun at impossible speeds, connecting with one of the companions, hurling him backwards as the pellets ripped through his innards. Another pump came from the gun ejecting the smoking spent shell.

Before Dawn hit the floor she was caught by somepony.

The jerking of her head was the final push, knocking her out cold.

New Perk: Auto Pilot -- When ingesting Jet the effects double and last twice as long.

Chapter 19: House Rules

The Figure took his eyes off the roof and leveled them back onto Dawn.

“You... what?” He asked totally confounded after hearing the retelling of Dawn’s drug addled misadventure.

“It was a bad trip, what can I say?” Dawn said a little embarrassed.

“Bad? You were convinced of your own nonsensical demise at the hooves of random tourists, taking solace in a bartender. You were off your fucking face.”

“That may have been the case, but it blew over. Eventually.”

_____________________________________________________________________

“Ow.”

The Jet had crashed.

Dawn was laying on something extremely comfortable. No, The most comfortable thing she had spread out on in her entire life.

The only thing subduing every other sensation in Dawn’s body was a sharp searing haziness in her skull. It felt like a beaker of sizzling acid was slowly poured into her skull, painfully gnawing through her brain, hissing away as it burned through her grey matter.

“Rico told me everything.” A voice said, the noise stabbing through Dawn’s eardrums. A high frequency spear plunging into her brain. Agonizing.

Dawn’s eyes were locked shut. She tried forcing them open, to no avail. The voice was clearly Trouble’s. She couldn’t see him, she didn’t care to see, but she knew he was there all the same.

Hoofsteps could be heard, loud and clanging. Two at a time, he was on his hind hooves again. Or as usual.

“You’re on probation. You’re fuckin’ lucky I’ll give ya that.” Trouble continued, “If it weren’t for Tyke you would have a concussion.”

For once Dawn wished he would just shut up and leave her be.

“I know you’re awake. You were shaking all night. I had ta tell Tyke to leave, she was fuckin’ standin guard with a loaded gun.” he was getting flustered, bothered and building anger.

“Shite! Dawn, ya can’t be messin’ with jet. Rico is a sound lad buh don’t be fuckin’ played by him. He’s smarter than he lets on.” the hoofsteps accelerated.Trouble was obviously pacing.

“Say sumfin.” Trouble ordered, his voice stern.

Dawn’s voice reacted on its own accord, her brain verbally reflexing without her consent.

“I’m sorry.” She pathetically offered.

“Nah, not yet.” Trouble replied coldly.

Dawn felt a chilling wave crawl down her spine, jump starting her base functions.

Her eyes slowly opened, the room staying in an unfocused blur. Trouble was still wearing that bright, vibrant suit.

He was pacing in annoyance back and forth, “Ya know, we’re gettin’ an audience with the head honcho of the strip in about two hours. Now, we need to sort ya out. Get your hair done, arm you with some proper kit.”

“What?” Dawn nauseously asked, her brain couldn’t decipher Trouble’s words, they crashed against the impermeable haze inside her head.

“Guns. Very important stuff.” Trouble said childishly, clearly patronising her.

Dawn’s vision started to focus again. She tried pushing herself up with her fore hooves. They shook violently and gave way. Her energy was depleted.

Trouble huffed.

“You may pass out, don’t worry. Ya just need nourishment.”

Dawn glanced around the room, it was lavish. The walls were polished wood with scarlett paint halfway up the wall running to the ceiling high above. A large crystal chandelier swung from the ceiling, illuminating the room.

In the corners were wardrobes, closets and tables with tall bottles of fine liquor . Adjacent Dawn was a night stand on it was a small revolver and a radio set. She expected nothing less.

Trouble approached her, slung one hoof around her and hoisted her over his shoulder.

He pulled her up and carried her to the door. Her head limp, every bounce staggered her vision, pushing her further away from consciousness.

Trouble pushed the door open, as they entered a long hallway with an identical colour scheme Dawn’s vision imploded. The last thing she seen was the length of the hallway, and the vast number of doors lining it.

***

Dawn’s vision pulled through once more, she was seated in another room.

Trouble stood in front of her, unclipping his pistol belt. Her vision wavered but managed to look beyond him, to a shelf high upon the wall. There was a number of glass display cases upon it housing,

Skulls.

***

Dawn came to again. She was being carried down the same corridor leading into Trouble’s suite. Worthy strode out from the darkness, his mask adorned on his face, a voice alterer like Trouble and Razey’s coldly murdering all emotion.

“I’ve been braided already, why the sudden formality? Why am I even asking? I know you better than these clowns, say the word. I’m in.” He declared from the darkness.

“Till I say the word then, stock up. Careful with the nerve agents.”

***

Dawn awoke in the lounge of the casino. The place was calm and quiet compared to last night. Better lit as well.

Dawn was in one of the chairs, sprawled lazily across it. Her eyes were levelled with the table in front of her. Trouble emerged, or the bottom half of his suit did.

He slammed down a pint of water and 2 small pills.

Dawn stared idly at the water, the cold ice filled the clear pint glass. She knew of ice, on cold winters it formed around Dry Town, it was never a good thing. Many ponies froze over in the night, when they were found the next day their bodies were thawing, a sleek shimmering coat of ice covering them.

Ice cubes came with that, they were reserved for those who could afford them, which wasn’t many. They were nowhere near as clean and pure as these.

“Double dose of aspirin and a pint of water. You’re dehydrated ta fuck.” Trouble said as he sat next to her.

Dawn, unable to move, limply sat there.

Trouble sighed, he reached over to the pint, snatched it and brought it up to Dawn’s mouth.

“Don’t gag, it’ll make both of us look bad.”

He tipped the pint into Dawn’s mouth, her head tilting upwards.

The cool water rushed down her throat, the icy torrent of refreshment revitalised her. There was nothing as delicious in this world as this. It was pure. Purer than pure. The ice chilled her lip as the water gushed through her, clearing her head, waking her up.

Trouble removed the pint from Dawn’s maw. The satisfaction came to a close. Dawn leaned in trying to claim more of the sweet water of life.

The pint exceeded her reach, she leaned forward to claim it. Trouble pushed her back down into the chair. He clutched the two pills, and dropped them into the pint of water. A stream of fizz rose from them as the dissolved in the glass.

“Now, drink.” Trouble ordered as he lifted the fizzing glass to Dawn’s lips.

The once pure water now tasted putrid and bitter. Dawn, as Trouble warned her against, gagged, dripples burst from the corners of her mouth as she rejected the corrupt water.

Trouble, reluctantly clutched her cheeks and tipped it in at a higher angle, forcing it into her.

The saltiness was grotesque, but only lasted a short while. Soon the pint was empty.

It came down from her mouth, trails of the powder still visible in the glass.

“Mixer! Another pint of water.” Trouble called out.

Dawn’s vision caved in.

***

Dawn came back to consciousness, her head cleansed of all the haziness, but the exhaustion was still there.

Her coat and mane felt exposed, she shivered. Her eyes opened, she was staring into a mirror, what she was staring at startled her.

Her coat was scrubbed down, she was rested in a saloon chair, a well groomed unicorn mare behind her operating on her mane with surgical tools.

Her mane was very different, no longer shaggy and moppy. Overly long, now it was at an apt length, well treated. Some pony had put blue streaks into it, contrasting with the golden head of hair she was accustomed to.

There was another thing, a lock of her hair was braided, from her fringe running down her back was a thick braid, a swirling blue and gold strand. It looked good. Trouble appeared in the mirror.

A single gold streak was injected into his now oil backed mane. Reminding Dawn of the Show Pony named Blood Letter. His hair was braided at the back also. Dawn began to wonder with what meagre consciousness she had what was happening. Then it struck her.

_____________________________________________________________________

“You were being processed.” The Figure deduced ahead of the retelling.

_____________________________________________________________________

Dawn awoke one final time. Outside the suite, in the familiar corridor. She seen more of this corridor than she has of the inside of the suite. She was alert now, at least.

“What did you do to me?” She hoarsely demanded.

“Fix you.” Trouble grunted back, hefting Dawn down the corridor.

She glanced up at him, he looked better than he has in days, he didn’t look so tired now, so run down. His mane made him look slicker and more contrasting with his personality. His hair was groomed, smooth, and suave. He was rough, rugged and abrasive. But both looked mature.

“I really like your mane.” Dawn said sheepishly.

“Dun worry, you’ll sharpen the longer ya stay awake.” Trouble replied, brushing her off.

Trouble entered his suite, the door left open. Dawn could finally see it as Trouble intended.

The room they entered was huge. Gorgeous.

The colour scheme throughout the suite was the same. Polished wood then scarlett wallpaper leading to a cream ceiling, a massive crystal chandelier swinging from it.

In the middle of the room was the same conference area Dawn was seated at while the argument over Rico ensued, oddly enough that's where her shades were resting. She liked those shades.

To the right was a kitchen, well sort of. it was mostly liquor. but a refrigerator was present, as was a sink and worktop. Plus a long table behind the bar counter.

To the left of the room was a huge screen, a jukebox, shelves of discs and unsurprisingly more alcohol. In the far corner was a radio like the one Night Light used to contact the Buck Himself.

Every wall had weapons on them. Bolt action rifles, old shimmering sabres. Revolvers, all beautifully decorated ornaments. Many of them were probably never fired. All beautifully preserved. They were works of art not tools of demise. Dawn wondered how much they would cost a piece.

One wall piece in particular caught her attention. A golden hilted curved sword, a long velvet tang hanging from the pommel, bright shining steel. Untarnished by time. She wondered if Trouble restored them or bought them as they were.

“C’mon.” Trouble said. Carrying her still, Dawn grounded her hooves. Trouble halted, she got a firm grip and moved with him. It was beginning to become degrading how much she was carried around. Now was the time to reclaim some pride. Her legs trembled beneath her but she managed.

They strolled to a wooden door behind the conference area. Trouble twisted the knob and shoved the door, Dawn noticed claw marks all over it. No doubt from Trouble.

Through the door was the long hallway Dawn was carried out of to begin with. She did a quick count, 8 doors either side. And at the very bottom was a heavy duty door, like the one at the front of the casino. Black coat of paint. Inches of thick steel.

To the right of that was a very strange door. The others were all polished wood, this one was tarnished, had a whitewashed window pane and the wood was close to disintegration.

A big pony like Trouble could bash it to smithereens with one buck.

They treaded down the hallway, Trouble partly walking for Dawn. Four doors down he opened a door.

“This ‘ere is your room. Across from you is one of the bathrooms. I need to show you something before you catch some sleep.”

Dawn felt a string being plucked in her heart, finally a corner she could call her own. One she worked for, one her guardian could provide. It was beautiful finer than anything she ever seen in the wastes. This was hers now, a refuge.

Alas the feeling was short lived. Trouble moved on, Dawn glimpsed in the room one final time. When she awoke it was just a lavish room. Now it was her’s. That made it special. It made it more.

She wanted to nurture that room, make it truly hers. Decorate it, it was hers after all.

Trouble pressed on, to the very last door, the heavy duty one. He gripped the wheel and spun it. The door unlocked and automatically opened.

Inside was paradise. It was original a large bedroom like Dawn’s but was repurposed, stripped out all its luxuries and was now a bank of mayhem,

Shelves, cabinets, workbenches, belts, desks, racks, cases, crates of ammunition and weapons.

Belts of high calibre machine gun ammo draping the room, colourful shotgun shells scattered about. Automatic rifles, handguns, shotguns, swords, knives explosives, launchers, machine guns, sniper rifles.

Magazines sat behind glass panes with their corresponding weapons. Art.

She spotted a gun identical to Amigo, only black as night and this one seemed, soulless compared to Amigo. It was in a rack with 3 of its sisters, magazines and ammo for it lay in boxes adjacent to it.

Large, powerful rifles were mounted on walls. Trunks under benches filled with assorted instruments to sing the sweet song of decimation.

Scopes, laser sights, flashlights, bayonets, under mounted weapons. Anything and everything you can imagine to enhance a weapon was here also.

One weapon stole all of Dawn’s attention.

A tame monster lay on the workbench to Dawn’s left.

6 Barrels.

The length of a pony.

Ammo longer than a scurrying radroach.

Belt fed, and it looked hungry.

Black as night steel construction.

“Tha there is a Vulcan.” Trouble clarified in admiration.

“Vulcans churn out six thousand of those bullets a minute, roughly a hundirt bullets a second. Ery’ last one of those bullets could sail through a foot of concrete and still turn yer head inta paste. If ya want ta fire it ya have to jenny her up to her drum, tha holds twenty thousand rounds. Jus over three minutes of carnage. High explosive ammo, if ya wanna carry this thing inta a fight it would take a four pony crew to carry her, or if you want a three thousand round pack tha can be arranged. It’ll deafen you though. Still three thousand of these bullets could bring down a small city. To fire that gun for ten minutes would cost me over half a million caps.” Trouble said his voice in awe, Dawn stood gawking, her mouth watering.

“Let me put it in context, twenty five millimeter ammo, that’s one inch in diameter. one hundred rounds a second, if this thing swings by you or anywhere near you even for a half a second thats fifty inches of molten explosive ordnance in you, literally sawing you in half. Beware the pink mist kid.” Trouble had a soft spot for this thing.

“Ever use it?” Dawn managed to blurt out.

Trouble was slow to answer “Twice, once was wiping out a small army, the other was a small city. It’s effective to say the least.” There was something in his voice Dawn couldn't pin down.

“Take what you need later, one more room and you can pass out for an hour.” Trouble declared as he carried Dawn out of the armory.

They pushed through to the door to the right, opposite the ruined one.

“My room.”

Inside was Trouble’s pistol belt on a huge four poster Queen sized bed, the beds were identical throughout the rooms.

To the right was the sight Dawn seen when she was passing out. Skulls. Not just pony skulls. Oddly shaped ones, huge ones. A unicorn one. Dawn didn’t know her horn was a bone until now. Griffin skulls, pony skulls and other skulls. Bigger. Much bigger. Nearly a dozen of them.

Dawn gulped, she felt insecure in this room. The bed itself was surrounded by orbs the size of a foals skull wrapped in cord.

Just looking at them put Dawn on edge. They were peculiar things, egg shaped. Glowing a demented green, pulsating. Nearly three dozen of them lining the entire bed, small aerials at each post of the bed. There was something very wrong here, Dawn could feel it.

“Trouble, what is this?” Dawn asked scared. She felt a chill race down her spine.

“If I go, everyone in this city goes with me.” He staunchly answered, this didn’t directly answer the question but was more than satisfactory for Dawn.

Nervously she asked another question “How do they you know. Go off?”

“Det cord hooked to each balefire egg, relaying to those aerials. Remote detonation.” he coldly stated.

“Where’s the detonator?” Dawn asked, a little frightened of the answer.

Trouble dropped her in a nearby chair and rushed over to his bed. He reached under a pillow searching bashfully.

Dear Celestia No.

He yanked out a small handle with a rubber aerial prodding out the top. A small cage around a red button.

He slowly returned to Dawn, fondling the detonator.

He grinned before tossing it at the table next to Dawn.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?” She yelled in panic.

She threw herself into a ball in panic. Little it would have done. The plastic handle bounced onto the table without drama.

“Hahaha do you think I’m that stupid?” Trouble asked giggling.

Dawn puffed out in relief, her heart racing. “Don’t. Ever. Do. That. Again.” She warned, trying to settle her heart rate.

“Stupid? Nah... Crazy? Maybe.” he said in hushed voice.

He looked at Dawn fiendishly and popped the small cage, exposing the red button. A bright green LED on the handle.

He grinned maniacally at her “Do ya have it in you kid? You could blow these fuckers ta bits. Turn ‘em all inta ash, if you’re so inclined. We could ruin this place, together. Shall we? We’re only one push of a button away from ending it all. All this greed, corruption. Gone in one purging flash.” He whispered to her, his voice jumpy. Startling.

Dawn sat there panicked, “Are you serious?” She whispered back horrified of his sudden swing.

He licked his lips and stared at the floor for a few seconds, contemplating it, the digit on his exoskeleton he used for pulling the trigger began tapping the handle.

“Quite possibly.” He replied, chuckling.

He put the detonator between the two, inches from Dawn’s face.

“Don’t tell me you fear death.” Trouble said solemnly.

Dawn remained silent.

Trouble rose his free hoof above the button, preparing to slam down. Blow them all miles high, vaporize them all. The combined blast from his armory would be enough to level New Pegas, maybe all of Freeside too.

His eye twitched, the pale scarring beneath it quibbled for a split second.

“You know, all I ever wanted was to go down in applause.” he softly whispered.

Dawn’s heart stopped. That was starkly familiar but she never heard him say it.

“Trouble!? Where are you?” A voice cried out from the hallway.

Trouble snapped from his trance, he shut the cage and hurriedly galloped back over to his pillow.

Dawn let out a shudder, as her body went lax with relief. That pony could have saved her life.

“The front door was open!”

It was Worthy.

Dawn had nervous energy now, her consciousness was nearly fully returned.

Worthy entered the room, looking curious.

First thing Dawn noticed was Worthy’s lack of his cloak was elsewhere, his whole body was covered in armour plates and flak vests finished in a coat of black paint. Fastened to his chest, on his left side was the large rifle Dawn seen on the table during the conference on Rico. There was a canister mounted beneath the barrel.

His hair, like hers and Trouble’s, had one braid in it, his hair was long like Dawn’s it was wrapped in one long lock running from the centre of his scalp, the loose hair obscuring it.

“What are you doing?” Worthy asked bewildered.

Trouble looked at his brother for about six seconds, thinking of an answer

“Contemplating the destruction of this city.” He honestly and confidently answered.

Dawn looked back and forth between the two, waiting for Worthy’s response. What she expected was Worthy to tackle his brother, or do something badass. But no.

“Again?” Worthy asked exhaling in mild annoyance, babying his brother.

“I’ll do it.” Trouble shot back defensively.

“You’re too level headed these days, maybe fifteen years ago.” Worthy bluntly stated.

“Fifteen years ago? That’s an insult.”

“You were younger, you were wilder.” Worthy offered grinning.

“We were wilder.” Trouble corrected, grinning back.

“I need you for a private word.” Worthy said, cutting to the chase.

Trouble sighed, “Right, let’s talk.”

“Not here.” Worthy objected.

“My room.” He finished before leaving.

Trouble grunted, he turned to Dawn. “I’ll be back soon kid, feel free to drift off. You’ll be meeting the House soon.” He patted her on the shoulder, before disappearing after his brother. Closing the door shut behind him.

Dawn glanced around the room. The place was a death trap. The place was laced with explosives, sharpened objects and firearms.

Dawn glanced to her left, she seen something that caught her interest.

Trouble’s full battle gear. Helmet, Armour, his Duster repaired. The Red Queen, piles of magazines next to her. Dawn felt enticed by such a succulent weapon.

Her heart stopped. Next to the Queen laying open was Trouble’s Journal. Temptation struck her once more. She knew this prying could have some dire repercussions. That didn’t stop her.

Using what little energy she had she mustered the strength to levitate the diary over to her. Carefully enclosing it within vibrant telekinetic tendrils.

She flicked the journal open onto a random page.

The Game:

Been a while since I made an update but something came to me, paid me a flying visit. And those were the rules. The way Momma raised me, the way the family raised me, they always said there were rules hell even “She” said there was rules, truth be told there are only 2 rules and those are:

Rule 1: Rule 2 is the only rule that applies.

Rule 2: There are no Rules.

A wiser pony than I once said what a pony can do is what a pony will do if that so happens to strangle some poor bastard to death in front of his foal then those are the rules.

Sure I kill ponies butcher them, slaughter them, execute them, and torture them but that doesn’t just make me a bad pony no, it makes me a superb player at the game I wouldn’t call myself as bad as the raiders my methods have more finesse. They have no right to call me insane.

If they can’t see the rules for what they are then they should pick a different game.

And I was so very good at the game, but all I ever wanted from it was to go down in applause.

The more she read into his mind the better she understood him. And he was indeed difficult to understand.

_____________________________________________________________________

The Figure stretched his hooves into the air, groaning.

“Very convenient.” The Figure interjected.

“What?” Dawn asked.

“Trouble’s diary, how it’s always just there. His deepest thoughts, you expect me to believe he’s that complacent?” the Figure asked, offended.

“I do. It seemed a little off to me at the start too, you’ll begin to understand.” Dawn reassured him.

“You know more than you let on.” the Figure asserted.

Dawn laughed to herself, “Course I do.”

_____________________________________________________________________

The diary was returned to its old resting place. Dawn pondering her latest glimpse into Trouble’s mind.

She was drifting away. Back into the tranquil void.

Trouble burst back in, he went to speak but caught himself.

Dawn slipped back into unconsciousness.

The last thing she heard was Worthy’s voice. “Remember the Hellhound nest?”

And a familiar feminine voice slyly chuckling in her head.

________________________________________________

Worthy and Trouble stood back to back, encircled in the grim cavern. A dim light permeated the roof of the dark cavern, faintly illuminating the two. Engulfed in the depths of hell. Hell’s waiting room.

Scurrying in the darkness around them was a horde of hellhounds, scampering ravenously around them, looking for a crucial opening to pounce and claim their prey.

Worthy removed his mask and fitted his steel jaws, chomping down on them

“Clank, Clank” They echoed.

Trouble slowly pulled the charging handle on the Red Queen, lodging a fresh monster calibre round into the breach. The familiar black coated drum magazine was always a staunch sight.

Trouble spoke through his helmet “I never planned on goin’ out quietly.” he uttered in defiance.

“I’ve made my peace with the Lord...” He murmured through the tight fitting sharpened metal in his mouth that tore through sinew and bone like a scalpel through butter.

A grievous and heart rendering howl echoed throughout the dark cavern. The constant sound of claws banging off cold stone ceased and was replaced with an eerie silence.

“One more time, for old time’s sake.” Trouble whispered.

_____________________________________________________________________

Dawn woke, back in her bed. more comfortable now than ever. Curious as to what she just witnessed.

Both something less interesting and more startling caught her attention. An IV drip was beside her bed, running into her right thigh.

She pushed herself up to get a better look with strength she lacked not that long ago.

She wasn’t ever going to ever underestimate a needle, especially when it was inside of her.

Dawn decided relax, rest her head on the soft pillow and stare idly at the ceiling. It felt good, the soft blanket, the springy and fluffy soft mattress. Gravity seemed to intensify here, pinning Dawn down under a torrent of comfort.

Dawn sunk into the bed. She could lay there for months. In her moment of tranquility, Trouble quietly entered, gently bringing it crashing down around her.

“Kid, suit up. It’s time.” Trouble announced.

Dawn groaned in reluctance.

“Fuckin teenagers.” Trouble moaned, before trudging over to Dawn.

“C’mon kid.” He encouraged as he pulled the IV from her leg, making her jump.

“Ah! Okay okay! I’m up.” Dawn said startled.

“That’s the spirit, ya need any help gettin’ yer armour on? That rifle and pistol of yours are in livin’ room.”

Dawn remained silent, she rolled off the bed onto her hooves, refreshed. Trouble led her over to the wardrobe and swung it open.

Dawn gasped.

It was her armour, true. Only better.

It had been reinforced, added to. On the tanned black hide was now reinforced with thick tufts of beautiful brown fur covering the collar and patches of her chest, covering the vital organs. The metal bracings were reinforced with rivets and studs, the purple metal armour plates had children. It seemed since there were smaller plates covering her joints now not to mention thicker plating. Her armour had been totally overhauled keeping the same pouches, overall design, and practicality yet enhancing the protective aspect of it.

It was more beautiful than ever. It was tougher, meaner and saltier now than ever. It was growing, like her.

Dawn’s eyes watered, overjoyed and grateful.

“I can manage.” She said, her voice quivering from the overwhelming joy.

_____________________________________________________________________

“A question, what about your caps?” The Figure asked.

“Trouble. He, uh, topped off my stocks. I guess you could say.” Dawn replied with her stunted vocabulary.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Well after I suited up, nearly everything else was waiting for me in the living room. While I was out the others had hours to stock up. Leaving just me.” Dawn began to explain.

“So?”

“Let me explain.”

_____________________________________________________________________

Dawn emerged into the living room to find all the others in full battle gear with the exception of Trouble, idly talking amongst themselves. Worthy was nowhere to be found.

They ceased conversation to stare at the new arrival.

“You look good.” Night Light commented. Her hat had been repaired, her jacket now brandished thick armour plates over her shoulders and lungs, pale blue steel. A bandolier of transparent Valkyrie magazines dangled from her chest rig.

“Damn good.” Rico reinforced. The slim stallion was no longer clad in a casual suit, he wore black and blood red combat armour. He sported gothic shoulder plates like Trouble, and a thick studded and reinforced ballistics vest strapped to his torso. On his hind hooves were a large pair of black square toe boots with metal caps, unusually heavy duty. In a sheath on his right forehoof was a formidable, almost novelty size, knife, spanning nearly the length of his hoof.

In front of her on the table was her gear, saddle bags emptied out. But there was more than what she was carrying on the table, she shot a confused look at Trouble. He understood immediately.

“Topped ya off, you’re mags are topped up plus a few extra, decided on giving ya some meds, eight potions, few rolls of bandages and painkillers. Of course half a gallon of water. And decided on rounding you off to ten thousand caps.” He summarized, Amigo was there, but Bad News was elsewhere.

She beamed at the treasure strewn table as the proud owner of this bounty.

“So we go meet Mr. House now right?” Night Light asked.

Dawn wasn’t listening. She was busy shovelling the new heavier load into her saddlebags.

“Not you, jus me and the kid.” Trouble replied.

Dawn stopped abruptly to face Trouble, why her? Why not Worthy? Why not Rico? Why not Night Light?

She stared in confusion before Trouble clarified.

“Didn’t you not take me seriously when I said you’re going to be the next Trouble?”

Dawn went quiet, the seriousness of her situation has now only crept up on her. This wasn’t a reward or a prize. This was a burden, being asked to put her life on the line for a living was never an ideal existence to her.

“Where’s my rifle?” She responded, ignoring the present moment.

“Worthy’s got it, he’s in the armory.” Trouble answered, his voice tinged with disappointment.

Dawn slowly left the room, only one saddle bag filled. She entered the hallway at a snails pace. Trouble closed the door behind her. Once she heard the sound of the door locking into place her pace instantly quickened.

There was muffled conversation going in the other room behind her. She couldn't care less, she was just glad to be out of there. She briskly trotted down the hall, coming to the armory door. It was already opened.

A black blur whirled around the room, twirling, rolling and whisking about flamboyantly. Weaving and ducking from invisible enemies.

The blur pivoted and spun around to face Dawn falling onto one knee. Aiming at her was a one eyed Worthy, Bad News gripped in his teeth supporting the barrel with an outstretched hoof.

Dawn jumped, she noticed the new scope on Bad News. It was more a telescope with a bamboozling amount of gadgets and odd and ends attached. The scope adjusted itself. The lense retracted and twisted. She was beginning to get nervous having her own rifle levelled on her chest.

Worthy grinned at her peering down the scope. “Bang.” He muttered.

Dawn shrunk a little, slightly fearful of him. I didn't take a genius to work out he was no threat to her here. In his brother’s suite. Even though it was more of a palace. She couldn’t feel safe around Worthy, just looking at him unnerved her, him aiming at her was downright paralyzing.

Worthy didn’t move, keeping fixated on Dawn, she didn’t move either. She was too stiffened with fear to speak. Worthy, after moments of stagnant observation, lowered the rifle.

“Hruumph. I expected more.” He said, move silently by her, carefully laying Bad News next to her hooves as he left.

Noiselessly, Worthy disappeared. Dawn didn’t know where to, but the further he was from her the more her sense returned.

She broke into pants, resting her back against the wall, she empathically looked down at her rifle. There it was, bold, black and brilliant. It was more befitting of Worthy than her.

But it was hers and that wasn’t changing anytime soon.

She quietly levitated the rifle to eye level inspecting the new scope. Dawn was awestruck.

Through the scope wasn’t just a crosshair, there was a distance gauge telling her how far away the wall was, a calibre reader to adjust for velocity, a wind gauge and a small red circle which seemed to move a second behind the rest of the digital display. Impressed, she slung the rifle across her back, feeling pleased with her upgraded optics. Now her reach was as far as the scope allowed her. A sense of power came from that scoped that Dawn clung on to, she couldn't help but smile.

She entered the hall, she planned on returning to the others but froze in the hall. A sense of curiosity hijacking her train of thought.

The tarnished and beaten down door opposite the armory. Trouble failed to inform her of its function. It stood out from the others; the rest of the doors were elite, shiny brick red laminated wood, this was rotting brown wood with cherry red rusted metal hinges and knob.

And it was open, if only slightly. Dawn looked over her shoulder and both ways up and down the long corridor. She felt as if she was on the precipice of wrongdoing, nervous of someone catching her in the act.

She gently pushed in the door, confused by what was before her. A living memoir of history. This room was ruined, filthy and vastly unscathed in the repair process. The paint has melted off the wall exposing a dull grey surface. The floor was strewn with thick dust compacted and compiled with an assorted manner of earth colored filth.

It was a narrow room, more like a storeroom, or an isle in a store. Stacking shelves lined with peculiar orbs.

She seen them before, she vaguely remembered two being inside the same briefcase as Amigo, they were odd things. Blue spheres, they glowed and had a swirling mist of some description perpetually flowing behind the clear glass.

At the very bottom was a large clerical desk, on it was a radio transmitter and 3 large thick iron cast safes. Presented like trophies one resting on a high pedestal, the thickest of them all, another slightly lower than that being of the same scale and density and a lesser one across from that. Dawn hadn’t a clue as to what to think of this room. It was shrouded in a gloomy veil. She had no business here, her very presence was an intrusion of secrecy. She felt the familiar tingling sensation on her horn as magic came forth against her will. She didn’t try and fight it, she was too engrossed by this alien and outcast room.

Her vision flashed and she was thrown into another time. Another world. Through another’s eyes.

***

Dawn emerged just outside the room. The three soldiers were present. The door was the only part of the scene remaining true to history. The brown unicorn, Pyrex pressed his back against the door, his rifle at the ready.

He looked back to his 2 comrades, Goalpost the red unicorn looking jumpy, and the “Sarge” Hotspur nodding reassuringly at Pyrex.

The pony Pyrex kicked the door open, swinging his rifle in the door, scanning for threats.

He gulped, in a tense tone he called back “Clear!”

The three of them entered the grim and gloomy desolate room. As wrecked and decimated as the present time. Only lacking in the mysterious orbs.

Hotspur sighed in relief, the radio was still present. All 3 of them let down their guard simultaneously.

“OK, I got the radio we’ll see who’s active on the emergency comm channels. Keep watch.” Hotspur ordered.

“Sir Yes sir!” The two said getting in defensive stances by the door.

Hotspur galloped over to the radio, he sat himself down in the chair that wasn’t there when Dawn was. His black mane falling over his eyes as he put on the corresponding headset, the radio crackled into life.

“Mayday, Mayday. This is Staff Sergeant Hotspur of the fourth light infantry division, situation critical, is there anyone out there.” Hotspur pleaded into the airwaves.

Hotspur waited a moment for a response, none came. Only the steady static signifying dead air. He repeated more desperately.

“Mayday, Mayday! This is Staff Sergeant Hotspur of the fourth light infantry division, situation critical, is there anyone out there. Respond!”

…

“Please.” He whimpered.

…

***

Dawn returned. A little more melancholic, she offered a silent prayer for the misfortunate soldiers. She hoped against the odds that they made it to a better place, wherever that place may be.

She was back studying the room, the weird orbs, long rows of shelves. One in particular caught her attention. She was drawn to it, just a random orb luring her inwards, identical to others, but this one was drawing her in.

This orb drowned out all the others, third up from the bottom, halfway down the shelf. The corners of Dawn’s vision darkened as she honed in on the orb. Her horn bubbled with magic as her hooves moved towards it on their own accord.

The room darkened, this orb became the only light to her, the bright blue mist leapt forth from the orb, the strange tendrils suspended in mid air around the orbit, Dawn drew close enough for the tendrils to link with her horn.

A jolt shooting down her spine at the connection, but she unconsciously continued. More and more of the tendrils infused with her horn, the bright light becoming more and more intense. Finally her head ducked, her horn gently jabbed the orb and Dawn was propelled into darkness

***

Dawn was drowning in a sea of colours blurs and pulps. The world morphing before her as she remained in a state of suspension, as the world fabricated around her.

Strange shapes conjured around her, unfocused alien surroundings. The world finally fell into place. Dawn was coherent again, confused though. She was stuck, unable to move. Put she was there.

Wherever ‘there’ was. The surroundings focused, she was in a pile of debris, crouched over and waiting. All around her was crumbling and degrading high rise structures. She was hidden in a dark alley, onlooking a derelict street. Her breathing was harsh and steady. She began to realize she wasn’t in control and merely along for the ride.

Finally she let out a long breath and looked down, she had a red coat with yellow stripes running up and down the length of her hooves, with metal digits out reaching from the hooves, gripping the debris.

It’s when it finally sunk in, she was Trouble.

She could feel him, every inch of the pony. She felt the cold bite into her in the lonely and mournful night. Her powerful longs taking deep yet suppressed breaths.

The exoskeleton had actually feeling in it. Dawn could sense the slightest movement, vibration and sensation through them. This was a much younger Trouble, he was naked out here, no armour, no duster, no weapons.

Her gaze averted to the sky. High above in the clouds was a small breach, a translucent light shone through. Moonlight, not the moon itself was visible but her radiance reached forth and shyly illuminated Trouble’s vicinity in a pale eerie light.

He remained there, in the crouched position, staring out from his alley. His breathing remained strong, until his ears pricked up, catching a muffled and distant sound.

Ponies idly chatting away, several. Trouble slunk downwards, his breathing pitch reducing to a shallow inhalation through the noise, making him feasibly soundless.

3 ponies trotted slowly past Trouble’s alley. Two beige earth pony stallions with strange rifles with magazines under the stock instead of near the receiver. Trudging behind a haughty burnt orange unicorn mare. The earth ponies were all clad in a strange green gothic uniform with sparse armour plates. The unicorn was head and shoulders above the others wearing dazzling white combat armour, gothic spines and arches rippling around it, giving it a fierce look.

Trouble muttered something beneath his breath, his voice nowhere near as gruff and grizzly as it is now.

“Three Crucibles, bullpup rifles.”

The two earth ponies were dragging a limp snowy pony, with a tangled and braided flowing green mane with a large oozing gash on his flanks.

Trouble’s vision was riveted on the pony they were dragging, it took Dawn a moment to realize the open and bloody gash on the flank wasn’t a wound. But a cutie mark.

Trouble swore under his breath, from the pile of debris he clutched a large cold cement brick, and darted to the street edge. The ponies were just passing the alley, Trouble skulked up and them unnoticed.

He peeked into the street, following the 3 ponies walking the empty ruined street. The place was impossibly quiet. Trouble’s eyes were riveted on the pony they were dragging, it was Worthy.

A much younger, less intimidating Worthy. His muscles weren’t as toned. He seemed too young to be a cold calm and composed killer, and the most differential thing about this Worthy and the current one was, this one had both his eyes.

He didn’t seem to be the frightening lean, mean stallion Dawn thought him to be here, he was childish as innocent as her. Even though his cutie mark was a hideous open wound.

Trouble gritted his teeth, Dawn felt the sick grinding sound. Trouble turned into the dimly lit street, the moonlight keeping the ponies features distinguishable.

Trouble galloped in total silence, a ghost moving at them at a supernatural speed. He dropped the silence act moments before he was upon them, his silent breaths turned into angered grunts. The earth pony on the left stopped, to look over his shoulder.

Trouble leapt into the air kicking off hard from the ground, the brick raised into the air. He came down on top of the pony, the brick slamming into forehead of the pony bloodying it, a mulching noise came from the pony’s skull as the brick pierced it.

The pony collapsed, falling backwards. Struck dumb before being incapacitated and probably killed by an imploded skull.

The earth pony next to him dropped Worthy startled, and swung his rifle up to Trouble. On its way up, Trouble clenched the barrel, the pony in an impulse of freight let loose a random burst. Trouble tilted the barrel towards the lead unicorn, the bullets piercing her armor as she collapsed screaming in agony.

Trouble yanked the rifle from the terrified pony’s grip, claiming it for himself. He spun the gun in an elegant fashion around with one hoof. The pony was froze rigid in terror. Trouble tucked the rifle under his hoof and let leash a spray of the rifle, six rounds burying deep inside him, throwing the pony backwards. Killing him instantly the holes littering his torso spitting out small trails of blood.

The lead unicorn was writhing on the ground, unable to move. She lay there groaning in agony and fear. Looking into Dawn’s eyes with dread.

Trouble dropped the rifle moving in close, blood dripping from the chipped brick. She telekinetically reached for her pistol on her hip. Just as it left the holster Trouble pounced her, he slapped the pistol away from her. She let out more cries as she lay there tightly closing her eyes.

Trouble slapped her again, snapping her cheek on the road. He forced her head down against the cold asphalt, and brought the brick down onto her still glowing horn.

It splintered and snapped with a sickening “Crack”

“GAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!” The mare cried out, tears trailing down her cheeks.

“Not dead yet!” Trouble yelled coarsely at the sobbing mare.

He snarled, bringing the brick down repeatedly on her temple, smashing through her skull, thick blood smearing Trouble and his brick. Dawn could tell, he was smiling.

The brick crashed and crashed again, turning her head into a bloody mess. Trouble grunted a final time, raising the brick high into the air.

“DIE!” He vainly screamed at the ruined pony.

The brick was brought down with a mighty force, he was strong. Stronger than he looked.

The brick broke through the thick cracked and ruptured skull bone and sailed into her gray matter and stayed there, with a stomach churning “Squelch.” sound.

Trouble climbed off the mare, breathing in and out through angry pants.

he turned to face his unconscious brother, his mood swinging from bloodthirsty and enraged, to worried and dismayed.

He galloped to his side, cradling the unconscious Worthy, his face innocently asleep, filthy from being dragged.

Trouble brushed the air out from his eyes, Smiling lovingly at the limp pony.

“C’mon brony. We got miles to go yet.” He said, slinging his limp brother around his shoulder, he was lighter than Dawn expected. Worthy let out a sub conscious groan.

“That’s wha’ I thought you’d say.” Trouble replied, childishly making out his incoherent groan as a witty remark.

Trouble bent over to grab the bullpup rifle. He held it at his hip scanning the roads for any sign of danger. The happiness of him with his brother crept away, and was replaced with anxiety and vigilance.

The memory faded out, the last thing Dawn seen was Trouble running slowly off into another alley, hefting his brother with him.

There was one thing Dawn was yet to see.

His cutie mark.

***

Dawn returned to the room in a bright flash, breathing heavily. Shocked and puzzled about what she just witnessed, or rather, experienced.

She backed away from the orb, the tendrils no longer present. The room was back to its former terrible lighting, and the orb seemed perfectly in check with the others.

She let out a long breath. Bothered by what she seen. Torn from it, the younger Trouble crashing in domes with a brick. Somehow it was worse than doing it with an axe. There was, something undignified and savage about it.

She couldn't take it in this room. It’s very function was to serve as a hub station, a starting point. A bridge to another time.

What has been happening to her all this time, can be explained by these orbs. She was doing the thing this orb promised to do without a medium, a go between. Or at least, that was her theory.

She had it with this room, she turned to leave and froze, stopped dead in her tracks. Before her was a rather, stoic Worthy. Simply staring at her, his expression; unreadable.

Dawn retreated backwards, stumbling over her own hind hooves she fell onto her rump, panicky. She sat foalishly on the filthy, cold floor.

Worthy without explanation turned and gestured to a banner high above the door that Dawn never spotted, it read:

Remembering is loving the forgotten, forgetting is abandoning the remembered. Remember the forgotten.

The words sunk into Dawn, this room had more value than all the other rooms in this suite. It stood for something more than what this city stood for.

Worthy leaned in close, Dawn didn’t shuffle back in fear. She listened.

“I like you Dawn, and lucky for you, I don’t like talking much. You have my discretion, now lets leave. This place has grown tired of us.”

Dawn didn’t ask questions, there was plenty of time for that later. They left the strange room, Dawn looked back on it one last time, before silently promising to return there again.

_____________________________________________________________________

“Are you serious?” The Figure asked, in total deadpan.

“Do I make that many jokes?” She counter questioned.

“There is a room. In Trouble’s suite. That houses all his memories. Right?” He asked slowly, jabbing the table in rhythm with his words.

“I still want to know what was in those safes. Of all the things Trouble owned, why were they the only one’s that got any protection. I mean he had a button that could level New Pegas under his pillow, but what is in those safes is more, what? Dangerous? Volatile? Precious?” Dawn said, she was bothering The Figure, but what could he do? She was asking genuine questions.

“Worthy let you off scott free? Why?” The Figure questioned, to be fair to him Worthy wasn’t the friendliest of ponies.

“Maybe Trouble told him to look after me, he said he liked me maybe thats why. Maybe he just was in a good mood.” Dawn listed off to The Figure.

“Okay, okay. You got lucky, then what? You had to meet House. Right?” The Figure asked, nearly begging for information.

“It was just me and Trouble going, that was the arrangement. Mr. House is a very strange pony. A very evasive and cunning pony.” She said with an air of sophistication in her vocabulary for once.

“Why?” The Figure asked blatantly.

Dawn leaned in and said “You don’t last as long as House letting every armed pony within a mile of you into your home. Especially with that kind of money. Trouble had a reputation at least, and that meant a lot to House.”

_____________________________________________________________________

Dawn entered the living room with Worthy, Trouble was pacing back and forth before seeing her saying “Finally! Let’s go kid. Worthy, orders will be here within the hour.” He briefly said before guiding Dawn by the hoof to the door.

Travelling past the table, Dawn quickly secured her pilot shades, resting them in one of the many vacant ammo pouches on her body.

Trouble led them into the hall, swinging right down the long staircase.

“Trouble what’s going on with Rico? I haven’t got an answer yet.” Dawn asked, struggling to keep up with him.

“Ugghh,” He groaned “Idiot got in debt to some drug pushers, they took everything, his money, his guns, I remember giving him his rifle as a birthday gift, the arsehole. Fuckin’ fool, I got him one o’ the best venues on the strip and still manages to lose every cap. Now he wants me to fix things, you remember when you were down in the lounge with him?” Trouble spoke quickly and with purpose, hurrying down the stairs.

“Kinda.” Dawn replied.

“I killed two of them and fucked the other one’s face up. As a message mostly.” Trouble briefly summarized.

Dawn was again confused whether to feel safe or weary around Trouble. Killing two ponies and grievously harming another merely on a friend’s wishes. Not to forget, Dawn just witnessed him kill armed ponies with little more than a humble brick. For his brother though, this was different. He had a quick temper.

They charged down the staircase, emerging onto the casino floor, the place was bustling once more. Dapper ponies strutting through the tables, the effects of the drink yet to take hold.

“You said something about a proposal earlier.” Dawn reminded him.

“Indeed I did, after we meet House.” Trouble quickly replied. Weaving through the crowd, many of them staring at the heavily armed, lightly framed mare walking amongst them.

“What was the message from House that Inky told you about?” Dawn vaguely remembered.

“He wants ta meet muh, has a job fir muh. Yer comin’ too I told him. He’s waitin’ fir us in the penthouse of the Red ’n’ Black”

Soon they were back to the thick door back into New Pegas. Going back out the VIP entrance, back down the same black corridor. The large door automatically swung open, something which Dawn found a little suspicious.

They emerged back into the stunning and vibrant colours of New Pegas, the sun setting in the distance, making no impact on the shining city, merely enhancing its beauty. Turning it into a beacon of civilization and fine living.

Dawn finally took the time to observe the other structures and their layout. The whole place was in the shape of a double edged dagger. The Red & Black being the point.

Working left to right:

There was an imposing black and blood red tower to the left of the gate. Huge ceremonial torches adorned the structure, the building thinning as it rose in steps. Tall gothic black tinted windows the whole way up the building.

At the doors were huge bouncer ponies. Chiseled Jaws, vast shoulders, thick chests and hooves like bazookas.

All dressed in black suits with blood red shirts. Many sinister ponies came sauntering to the doors, many relinquishing hidden blades at the door.

Embalmed by a perpetual flame above the doors was “Sodom”

Next to that was a bold and stocky building, brightly coloured with dazzling reds and oranges passing around it in a magical coat of paint that enabled the colours to disperse and float freely around the building.

Black blotches or spots remained in stationary positions along the building often contorting their size.

The doors to this place were flamboyant and unnecessarily tall for aesthetics. White with a gold trim, the guards to this place all wore sleek rodeo pony suits, white with a gold trim. Gruff, rough ponies most wearing frontier style hats were at the doors.

Written above the door in a pretty pearl sign in a sleek cursive font was “Saber Tooth’s”

After that was the Red & Black, their destination. The tall looming building, the main attraction of New Pegas. The securitron guards remaining vigilant over the crowds which we’re not so much as patted down at the door.

To the right of that was a heart stopping casino, a tall castle like building, resembling the old fairy tale fortresses.

The building itself was a blinding yellow covered in glowing green vines with illuminating flowers with dazzling pink, purple and violet blossoms. Burning brightly all around it. The white stone and steel of its frame was lit up gorgeously with the plants adding beauty with the setting of the sun.

At the portcullis into this keep of wonderment stood valliant guards, clad in shimmering knight’s armour. Lances straddled to their sides. Haughty hoity toity ponies in over the top elitist dresses and suits we’re patiently awaiting admission to the castle. Trotting up to the door on a beautiful red carpet. Many mares wore stunning tiaras and jewellery, they looked around themselves at all the other lower ponies scoffing down upon them. Dawn felt a deep dislike for those ponies, even if she was a little envious of the pretty mares.

Elegantly above the portcullis written in arranged flowers was “Shangri La.”

Finally finishing the arch of casino’s was the Luck of the Coltic. Dawn began to wonder how actually ran the casinos, surely this house character can't manage them all, Dawn was soon to meet him, maybe she would find out.

“Okay now,”Trouble began leading Dawn out onto the main road of the strip “I only eva’ meet House once before. Dun nay swear, do nay fart and keep in line, awrite?” He instructed.

“Name a time that I was ‘out of line’. Relax, I got this.” She said back in an air of coolness.

Trouble stared back at her to make sure it was the same pony. She had no idea what came over her, maybe she was finally getting the hang of being social.

They hastily approached the Red & Black, unlike the Luck of the Coltic there was no VIP access point. Just an all access door for every kind of pony. Dawn had to nearly gallop to keep alongside Trouble, she didn't want to be left alone out here.

Dawn spotted small low rise buildings between Casino’s.

Between Sodom and Saber Tooth’s was a small workshop labelled “Duct Tape’s All around repair resort.” Large metal shutters were covering two rectangular entrances. A small office in the front, with many ponies coming and going in fresh and renewed gear, mostly fresh soldier types, inspecting immaculate weapons with grins on their faces.

Between The Luck of the Coltic and Shangri La was another low rise structure, with a bright red cross on the front. It read beneath in neon lighting.

“Doctor Bone Twist’s New Pegas Clinic Open All Hours!”

Dawn found it weird that a doctor’s was advertised more like a bar or motel.

Ponies clutching their stomachs ambled towards the clinic as did many others limping or groups shoulder to shoulder supporting one another. Many more ponies left the clinic looking fresh and rejuvenated eager to hit the casinos once more.

They came to the doors of the Red & Black casino, the crowds pouring into her. The two became caught up in the torrent of ponies, being carried inwards, forced to go with the flow or be trampled under hoof.

Dawn grabbed hold of Trouble’s hoof, so not as to get separated, being whisked into the casino. Once inside Dawn gasped in awe. The whole room was impossibly open, this was not a hotel like the others merely a large atrium of gambling, music, culture, arts and alcohol. There was floors, each designated for a particular service. The high circular based building had a beautiful colouring scheme of red and black studded with golden diamonds. Giving the dome the perfect atmosphere.

The ground floor was gambling, a sea of chips and anxious and ecstatic bidders surrounding tables.

Busy cashier kiosks in the walls, exchanging caps for corresponding Red & Black chips. Dawn found it peculiar, why not just use bottle caps?

There was no reception in this casino, only a large open middle ground with a huge glass elevator rising totally vertically into the roof and beyond. Guarded by two vigilant erect securitrons.

The high spiralling staircases made her head spin. And the sheer number of ponies meant there was constant nearly overpowering background noise, but everyone seemed to love it.

Trouble strutted into the middle ground, Dawn after careful observation noted that it was a roulette wheel numbered and everything. He approached the two securitrons confidently, striding to a halt inches from the glass door. The securitrons pivoted to face Trouble.

The familiar red light above the securitrons screens flickered a few times before they both mechanically chimed “Proceed.”

The glass door whooshed open. Trouble confidently and calmly strode in and faced out into the casino floor. He felt Dawn’s grip drift away from him as she fell behind.That’s when he remembered.

Dawn stood in the edge of the elevator, peering at the inch high step as if gazing into a death drop into a jagged rock quarry.

Her eyes lowered in sadness, her face ashamed and demoralized.

Trouble looked at her, his heart sank for her.

“Its fine you know.” He reassured her. Many ponies stopped to watch the peculiar procession.

She couldn’t raise her eyes to face him. Too petrified by the mountain before her.

“You’re very brave, you know that? You soldiered on and stepped up when most ponies would have just layed down and died. You can do this.” He encouraged her softly.

She shot a glance up to Trouble, only for a split second, before returning to her embarrassing challenge.

Dawn looked around her, many ponies stopped to watch her, gossiping. She seen a group of frilly dress wearing mares giggling incessantly at her. Her cheeks turned bright red from the embarrassment.

She edged away from the elevator, just wanting to gallop away, run from the shame. And this humiliating band of insensitive ponies.

The ambient soundtrack of the bustling casino was muffled out for a moment. Everything slowed, Dawn looked up to Trouble’ his hoof outstretched inviting her in.

Dawn’s senses left her, all feeling and control over her body dissipated. Once again being hijacked. The hijacker smiled devilishly at Trouble, before taking her hoof in his, gracefully striding into the glass elevator in a very lady like fashion.

She twirled around elegantly facing out the casino door. The only audible thing was a high pitch whine bouncing around the walls of her skull. Whatever remote corner of her own mind Dawn was flung into it had a spectacular view.

The hijacker leaned up and gave Trouble a small peck on the cheek, he cocked an eyebrow as his head slowly rotated around to face her. She seductively beamed at him, looking infatuated.

The glass door whooshed shut. The feminine voice that often whispered messages to Dawn spoke, with Dawn’s voice. But Dawn could hear her true voice echoing inside her head. If Dawn had any sense of control she would have been frantic.

“Sorry Trouble dear, best to do that for both our reputations.” she said in a graceful and in a nonchalant tone.

Trouble replied to the imposter “You shouldn’t have to satisfy these clothed vermin,” He said in a sickened tone as the elevator rumbled into life. Carrying them high above all the novelty dressed insects “dear?” he asked in confusion.

The imposter was sly and much more cunning than Dawn “Come now, as if I don’t know what you’re proposal entailed.” Hinting at something.

“Oh, hardy fuckin’ har.” Trouble replied sarcastically. “Wah came over you anyway? This sudden... Swing.” Trouble queried a little confused.

The hijacker seemed to operate on a smoother level of comeback processing, suave and slick. “Something came over me, hijacked me if you will. Don’t worry I’ll be back to normal very shortly, I wouldn’t want to frighten this House of yours.”

“Miss’r House dun do frightened. And only speak if spoken to.” Trouble sternly reminded her.

The hijacker rolled Dawn’s eyes. “Come now, what do you take me for? Some misguided and impertinent street ruffian? I am the very epitome of manner and class.” The imposter almost sang out, dramatically.

“Yeah, yeah.” Trouble said dismissively.

The imposter stared out down into the casino. The beautiful multi stories, the rings all had their own bars and hundreds of packed tables. Dozens of waiters and performers. Packed bars, gourmet dinner tables. A refuge from the harshness of the wastes a sanctuary for all to drown out the woes of the wastes, whether it be with the bottle or with a special friend. All goers had a common goal.

The hijacker smiled mischievously down upon them as the elevator soared higher and higher, playing with Dawn’s hair.

“I love what you did with my mane.” She cooed, stroking the gold and blue interwoven strand. Ignoring the heartwarming spectacle of the casino and focusing on Dawn’s reflection.

Trouble looked at her reflection too, not at the stranger posing as her.

“It’s an old Coltic warrior tradition. All the old warrior clans had them, and when defeated in combat the winning warrior would claim the other’s braid.”

Soon the rose out of the dome, into the blackness of the spinner near the top. The light left them, with the loss of Dawn’s reflection so came the loss of the hijacker.

Dawn returned, she let out a gasp for air and a deep shudder. Panting heavily as her sensors overloaded in this dark glass show case. Ready to shatter at any minute, the darkness engulfing her. Trapped in its powerful jaws, thrashing would be fruitless. Stuck there, waiting for its powerful jaws to snap her in two.

She shook violently as her eyes shut tight. The hum of the elevator as it streaked down the gullet of darkness, into the bowels of the void.

She let out a scared little squee as she buried her head in her fore hooves. Trouble rested a hoof on her shoulder, consoling her.

“Glad to have you back kid.” He said, gladly welcoming her back.

The elevator jumped coming to a halt, making Dawn yelp. In front of them thick metal doors shrieked open ahead of the whoosh of the glass. Dawn scrambled panicky out of the elevator, hyperventilating as she rested on the cold, metal(?) ground.

She looked around her. She was in a dark, cold and desolate entrance. Pale thick metal walls leading into a poorly and sparsely lit hall. Most the lights overhead turned off. Trouble followed Dawn out, a cautious and concentrated look on his face.

He intently and purposefully trotted out into the eerie entrance, gazing at the light passing from around the corner.

He stopped short, a fit of coughs subduing him. The usually well composed Trouble swayed side to side, covering his mouth with his hoof as he coughed violently, a bad rattling in his throat.

Trouble bounced off a all in his fit, gasping for air between coughs. Dawn watched as her mentor became overpowered by a cough. He slid down the wall, hacking up violently, spittle escaping his covered mouth, trailing down onto his suit.

Dawn lay there in freight, panicky. He could have been dying for all she knew. She lay there directionless on what to do or say.

“Trouble?” She queried, getting upset.

She rose to her hooves as Trouble slid down the cold metal wall. She edged closer to him, her head lowered observing him, as the last retches came. Slobber dripping on his now slimy hoof.

His shadowy body went lax. He finally lowered his hoof from his mouth, wiping the saliva off on the metal floor, back and forth, rubbing the pale green refuse lodged between his exoskeleton digits unto the ground.

“Trouble?” She asked again.

“Hey kid.” He retorted, his voice filled with exhaustion. He pushed himself up onto four hooves, ignoring the pile of putrid bodily fluids he spluttered on Mister House’s floor.

“A-are you alright?” She asked, still distressed from between the elevator, the hijacking and Trouble having a fierce and fatal sounding cough fit.

“Fine.” He reciprocated, wanting to move on from the fit.

“What was that? Will you be okay?” Dawn queried, a little jittery.

“I’m fine kid, now hush up.” He insisted.

Trouble strolled into the hall, Dawn quickly shadowed him. Before them lay a derelict hall, a small draft breezing down it. Metal, as the rest of this place. But someone tried to synthesize home. There was night stands with flower pots, plastic roses resting in the dusty porcelain vases. In the hallway there was one solitary overhead light switched on, over a framed portrait and a night stand. Only half-lit the hall, casting most of it in an eerie pale lighting. There was other lights, plenty of them. They were all for an unclear reason switched off.

Dawn felt an icy chill crawl down her spine, there was something terrible off about this place. She could almost feel it... Pulsating. Like the building itself was alive with a thumping heart in its depths.

The stagnant breeze wafted through her mane, coming from an unknown source, maybe the dark end of this hallway. All around her she had the uneasy sensation of being watched.

Trouble proceeded in silence down the eerie hallway, never making a sound. With the way he silently stepped, Dawn made far more noise. She could never figure out how he did that.

Dawn turned her head, inspecting the hall. All around cast in shadows were portraits of very similar if not the same pony. She looked to a musky and aged portrait to her right, mounted high on the wall.

An erect dashing young earth pony was in the portrait. A tall and well toned stallion, quite handsome with a beautiful shiny long black mane, a light green coat with piercing brown eyes, dressed in an illustrious tuxedo, glimmering on the canvas. Looking solemn and serious, the artist captured him perfectly. His physique and posture practically breed the feeling of authority and leadership.

That wasn’t the only portrait. The wall was lined with them, the same golden frame. Some identical to the first one. Others showing older more mature versions of the same pony, greying, adding experience to the sophistication. He kept ageing until he was an old senile pony. Unable to stand, so captured sitting in a wheelchair. Peering wisely at the her, his eyes still as striking as always.

Then something peculiar happened; it returns back to the first portrait. Just fresher, not as aged. This place disturbed Dawn, deeply.

This hallway was littered with painted metal doors trying to emulate wood, all tightly shut.

There was a turn near the end of the hall, no door just leading into a desolate room. Trouble and Dawn turned into it, she took in a sharp breath.

The room was dark, dusty and derelict. Empty of all furnishings just cold metal. This room was overlooking the glorious lights of the strip, a miraculous sight from this vantage point. The lights of New Pegas, barely lighting the periphery of the glass.

Dawn found herself staring at the glass, a thin layer of swirling transparent liquid between the outside and the inside.

Dawn overlooked possibly the most important and significant thing in the room. Despite it being the meekest and most pathetic sight in the dark room,Trouble approached it, only his imposing form bringing attention to it.

A tired old senile pony, a tatty and greyed mane. Deep wrinkling on his face and hooves. Resting in a rusting electric wheelchair, his hooves resting peacefully on the rests. Dressed in an sharp tuxedo with a blanket over his lap. The striking lights of New Pegas illuminating his silhouette. An IV drip resting to his right, being fed into his hoof.

Trouble rested a hoof on his shoulder, alerting him of his presence in a gentle and friendly manner. The old pony turned to look upon the towering Trouble’s face. Giving a wrinkled smile on a light green shriveled worn down old face.

Dawn recognized him as the aged pony from the portrait, barely retaining any of his youthful beauty. Now he was old tired and wise looking. His eyes still were striking. Trouble smiled back at the old meek stallion.

“Trouble, my boy,” The old pony said in a friendly tone with a gravelly and raspy voice.

“Mister House. It’s a privilege, as always,” Trouble said back in his professional tone.

Dawn stood behind the two, baffled as what to say or do once more. She pondered how old this pony must be. 70 seemed like an educated guess.

“Come now, two old boys like us. Can we drop the formalities? One old dog from a dying breed to another.” Dawn’s imagination pictured him exhaling dust through his barely comprehensible withered vocal chords.

Trouble thought for a moment keeping his grin “I don’t even know you’re full name.” He said, a little bothered.

Mister House struggled to clear his throat, his eyes wincing in strain as his throat cleared. as loud as he could manage which wasn’t very he proclaimed “House Rules.”

Trouble grinned even wider, starting to look malevolent.

“How appropriate.”

“But please just call me house,” the elderly pony continued. “I’m afraid I’m only acquainted with your alias, so if you don’t mind me asking, what is your ‘actual’ name?”

Trouble broke eye contact looking out onto the grand city, the hustle bustle far down below. The swirling dazzling lights, enchanting all those who looked upon them, luring them into their grace.

After a moment's contemplation Trouble answered, again his professional tone. “I’m afraid House, that is something I’m not at liberty to reveal.”

“Ah, I see,” House grumbled. “It seems like only yesterday your family was bringing order to the wastes, I do miss them. we rarely done business but, you had character, culture. Something that has unfortunately petered out.”

“Mother always said, you were the shining light of the south.” Trouble replied indulging in some of his own reminiscence. Grinning once more, still staring out into the wondrous shimmering city below, the two giants gazing over their peons below. Ponies from another time, worlds apart but drawn together.

“I’m familiar with your mother, Queen of Hearts. She was a fine mare.” He said fondly.

“Indeed she is.” Trouble reinforced.

“Forgive me, I’m rambling on again.” House said giving a soft laugh to himself.

“We have business to discuss, where is your young protege?” He asked him.

Trouble looked back to Dawn as she stood in the obscure darkness.

“Dawn.” He called out to her. Beckoning her in.

Dawn took a deep breath and nervously approached Trouble.

“Can you bring her in front of me?” House politely requested.

Trouble stepped back letting her through, he gripped her by the shoulder and stood behind her as House looked at her.

His striking eyes looking into hers, she swallowed. Nervous. Feeling uncomfortable being presented like this.

“Ah,” House said, finishing examining her “Black Dawn wasn’t it?” House asked kindly. Looking up at her.

She felt her neck choke up, she tried to speak, as soon as she opened her mouth in the stead of words came only a small “eep.”

She bit her lip in embarrassment. The old caring eyes only smiled endearingly at her, trying to make her feel less vulnerable.

“Y-yes sir.” She managed to blurt out.

House furrowed his brow, “Do I make you nervous, miss Dawn?” He asked her, inquisitively.

Dawn backed up into Trouble, she let out a humiliating and fearful squeak. House laughed at her sporadic behaviour.

“Why should this tired old pony scare you, may I call you Dawn?” He said, slowly coercing her out of her shell.

She gave a stiff nod, “Trouble tells me that you’re quite the shot. Isn’t that right Trouble?” The elderly pony said in a gentle tone.

Dawn felt the pulsing of the building through the floor now, causing her muscles to tense up unwillingly.

“Thats right,” Trouble confirmed trying to relax her by rubbing her shoulders. “a natural, she’s got potential and she’s cut down more ponies than most of the chumps nowadays.”

He said confidently vouching for the petrified little mare.

“It’s so refreshing to see talent in young ponies these days,” the elderly pony said absent mindedly.

He stared blankly out almost through Dawn and he murmured “it’s a sad thing really.”

Trouble spoke up “Shall we get down to business?” He offered, releasing his grip on Dawn, she let out a sucked in breath and scooted off into the darkness, that is she tried. As she tried to retreat Trouble yanked her tail, sending a tight sharp pain coursing through her, she suppressed the urge to yelp. Knowing who done it and why. She slowly backed up, House was onlooking his proudest possession, the last of the great cities. One last fine example of pony kind, unsoiled by balefire and taint.

The elderly pony let out a sigh and a bit of a rusty wheeze “Absolutely.” He grumbled.

“Freeside,” House began his voice tinged with contempt “she has always soiled my city’s beauty. The ugly sister.” He hissed as he turned away in disgust at what lay beyond his pearly gates.

“A slum, a mockery to this place I built I’ve been here,I rebuilt her when she was crumbling. I got the tribes to fall in line, it belongs to me. And now, this gang,” he spat “thinks they can steal her from me.” Dawn could see it behind the meek and withered pony’s exterior, deep behind his eyes there was a fierce hatred building. A long burning passion for Pegas, and the longing for all those who oppose her grace to vanish. At any cost.

“They call themselves the Overlords. Bah, they’re a bunch of thugs, junkies and merc rejects, they have an entire street occupied, where they sling their cheap narcotics. Where the diseased prostitutes filthy and ugly flaunt their wares to the deranged and desperate. There is an epidemic coming soon, and I’m going to have to be the one to save them. But first, I want you to exterminate these ‘Overlords’ down to the last.” The old pony growled, venomous loathing and disdain clear to see.

“Oh, and since this is well, a personal matter, I have a special request for the occasion.” House said beaming.

Trouble raised an eyebrow “And that would be?” He inquired.

House let out a raspy chuckle “Instructions will be dispatched by my underlings if you choose to accept.”

Trouble let out a sucked in breath “Pegas is my home now too, what's the pay? Keep in mind you’re getting a team of ponies. Five trigger units.” Trouble reminded him, extending all the digits outward from his hoof.

House peered at the sharpened metal talons, his brow furrowing as his eyes squinted to see it with his failing vision, “Ah, an exoskeleton. One of the Coltic models, I remember when we went into production. Our model was criticised as a little dainty for the job, put the ping time was much quicker. Life savingly so.” House went on a tangent.

“Excuse me?” Trouble apologized, baffled.

“Equestrian Innovations, it was my first business endeavour. And by far the most profitable. Oh how senile of me, you must forgive me my boy, its the old age you see, we were discussing your pay were we not?” House said, his gaze returning back to Trouble standing before him.

The pony not even bothered by two armed ponies alone, in a dark room, far away. He was more dangerous than he looked, that had to be it. The old weak pony thing is just an act. There could be a panic button under that blanket, or maybe an ultra sophisticated weapon.

Something that would lock onto Trouble and sever his head. Although Dawn could never imagine someone actually getting Trouble, let alone this weak little pony. Then again, he was paying Trouble, and her for that matter to go and shoot a place up.

“Yes, five ponies services you’re engaging remember. Now what's the offer?” Trouble said seriously, cutting to the chase. Probably fearing another tangent.

“Five,” House muttered to himself along with some other unintelligible murmurings “Then my offer for the eradication of the Overlords stands at two hundred thousand caps, if you accept.”

Dawn’s heart stopped beating in her chest.

It was replaced by the dull pulsing of the very tower she stood in, it was in her blood now.

“Transferred into my account upon completion?” Trouble questioned.

House nodded, craning his rigid neck. “Of course, collect at the Coltic your account is already my most outstanding, I’m not going to lie, it will be hairy an entire street will likely come down on top of you.” House cautioned him.

Trouble chuckled “That's why I get paid, I’m what you call in when an army is too big and anything less is too small. I’ll accept the job.” Trouble proclaimed.

“Than our business is concluded, word will be sent to your suite informing you of the details.” House said, his voice fading out. His gaze drifting off.

Trouble gave a nod “As you wish.” He beckoned for Dawn to follow him out of the room. He was deliberately making noise, this was the first time in a long time she heard him make noise as he moved.

“Trouble?” House called out, hearing him pace away.

Trouble froze. “Yes Mister House?” He replied mannerly.

“Shock and awe my boy, make a spectacle of it.” He said back, joyed at the mere thought of it.

“Took the words right out of my mouth, Mister House.” Trouble reassured, pacing away back into the hall, Dawn shadowing him.

Leaving the eerie, shrouded room House called back a final time, his voice glum.

“Trouble?” He called out through the darkness.

“Yes?” He answered.

“You will come back and visit me one of these days won’t you?” He almost pleaded to him.

“Of course I will, good company is so hard to come by. You know where to find me.” Trouble reassured him in a well mannered voice.

Dawn glanced back at the old pony. Frail, she doubted if he could even stand. Subtly begging for company, unthanked for his safe guarding over New Pegas, his clear obsession with it. A lonely and pitiful existence, all the caps that flow through here and it seemed as if not a single one reached him.

He was too high above the stream, a protecting angel, a timeless artifact from another world. High and Dry, playing games us mere mortal underlings couldn’t possibly hope to understand in this lifetime. Dawn pitied him, but more certainly, he pitied himself.

She left the room, following Trouble into the poorly lit hall, this place sending chills down her spine. Her heart was yet to restart.

“A... Mysterious pony ain’t he?” Trouble whispered to Dawn.

Dawn replied in a hushed and jumpy voice “What does he do exactly?” she counter questioned.

Trouble thought for a moment “Kid, I’m not even sure if he knows anymore. The heads of the casinos all take secret orders from him, but the Luck of the Coltic’s head hasn’t been seen in five years. He just disappeared one night. In my head he watches every street, every inch of the city. And beyond. He is god out here. Where only a privileged few are allowed into his kingdom.” Trouble still had his professional coating over his voice. It made his words so much heavier, but none the less true.

Dawn treaded lightly down the hallway, the portraits of the once immaculate pony seeming more melancholy than before.

They returned to an awaiting glass elevator. Trouble strode into the elevator watching her carefully, anticipating her reaction.

This time though, things were different, she planted a wary hoof onto the glass floor, then another stepping into it with ease. Her hooves mildly trembling, her brain going blank as she seamlessly strode in, taking her place adjacent Trouble. Wondering what changed.

She let out a nervous laugh, grinning up at Trouble, to see him smiling back in approval.

“Well done, Dawn.” He said joyous of her momentous triumph over her own fear.

Her eyes watered with pride, it meant more to her than anyone could’ve understood.

“Thanks Trouble,” She said quivering “you’ll always be there when I need you right?” She asked challenging his convictions.

“Always.” He answered warmly.

_____________________________________________________________________

The Figure paced back and forth from wall to wall, keeping in an arrow straight line.

Caught up in deep thought.

“That is indeed interesting.” The Figure breaking the silence.

“I don’t know why I was so... Stilted by him, I don’t know what happened in the elevator. Going up or back down. I never questioned it, not once, I’m not going to start either.” Dawn declared, trying to spare herself from the questions she knew he would ask.

The Figure wiped his snout with the sleeve of his suit. “House, is it all true?” He asked bluntly.

“Every word, from then until the days of strife. Something only I know happened.” She proclaimed. The Figure stopped dead in his tracks.

“How?” He demanded.

Dawn let out a shudder, “Have you any idea how long it was since Equestrian Innovations was wiped off the face of Equestria? And he was there to witness all of it.” she felt shaky just remembering what she saw.

“How!? Dawn, what happened?” The Figure pressed her.

She was too caught up in remembering the scene to care about demands from a faceless fucker.

“I see things,” She coughed up, she told him in detail about what she seen before, but he never took them too seriously. “and one of the things I was shown was him, defiling nature.”

She uttered grimly, upset, it was worse in her mind than all the horrible things she’s ever done, that Trouble told her not to feel guilty about.

“What, exactly?” The Figure pressed once more, desperate for an inkling of information.

Dawn looked up to him, feeling colder than she did before “Let’s cross that bridge when we come to it.” she said, faintly forcing a smile.

The Figure let out a frustrated sigh “Fine, what next?” The Figure asked, eager to continue.

“Well when we got back, there was a small dossier. Trouble handled the small print, I just followed his lead.”

_____________________________________________________________________

Dawn and Trouble entered the suite, inside was Worthy, Rico and Night Light heavily armed with new weapons.

Worthy stood in the centre of the floor, he flexed his shoulder in a jerky movement, from under his cloak sprang the ornate bolt action rifle Dawn seen on the table earlier, when she was blacking out. The large smooth scope meeting his eye, all connected to a strange metallic frame work beneath his cloak.

He snapped it forwards and backwards, jolting in and out of his cloak, spearing the air.

A bizarre contraption.

Night Light too gathered together a few new armanants: A grenade satchel at her hip, a pistol belt around her waist housing a small baby black pistol, with a silencer longer than the barrel itself, an elongated magazine jutting out.

Rico had a sadly familiar weapon, it was the same sleek carbine the soldiers used in this very casino. But more ragtag, a combat scope mounted on the top, an upside down magazine duct taped to the one in the receiver.

Rico peered intently down the scope, slowly scanning the room. Lightning quick he ejected the magazine spun it around in his telekinetic field and jammed it back up into the receiver, all in a split second. Flicking back the charging handle ejecting a round onto the carpet. Dawn was impressed. He handled the rifle with precision and ease, he looked comfortable with it.

They all stopped playing with their toys to stop and stare at the new comers. Night Light spoke first “We got the job details.” She glumly said.

“And?” Trouble responded just as non enthusiastic.

“We’re gonna need a lot of ammo.” Rico declared.

“Righ’ then.” he said “kid follow me.” he concluded striding past them into the long hallway.

They marched purposefully in towards the armory. Trouble pushed open the door, revealing the beautiful spectacle once more, the wide and ranged orchestra. Every conceivable instrument of death available to play.

Trouble spun on his hooves, facing her “For you, something dramatic.” he said with flair, darting off into a remote corner. He galloped full speed over to one of the dozens of workbenches, there was 2 large trunks beneath.

He unclipped one open, he grinned ecstatically into the trunk, he reached in with both hooves, hefting out a heavy tool, Dawn slowly approached him.

With a bit of strain Trouble revealed a stunning weapon, oversized, over the top and designed for no less than overkill.

A huge lumbering monstrosity was in Trouble’s firm grip. Somepony totally insane got the idea to amalgamate two pump action hunting shotguns together into one being.

The black polished steel, the expertly crafted wooden stock duct tape, securing the two don't get disjointed. A small orthodox combat scope mounted between the two on a heightened rail. Dawn loved it.

“I call it, the Black Rook. Its strong, dependable and if anything comes remotely

within your sights, its red paste on the wall a second later.” Trouble said appraising the weapon.

Trouble rested the gun on the workbench as he pulled out a large bandolier cradling dozens of small metal cylinders. “Proper Frag rounds, not like the ones I make, these aren’t improvised. Expensive stuff. One barrel, the pony is dead with a gaping hole in his chest, two barrels and he’s pink mist.” Trouble said grinning as he dropped the bandolier onto the workbench.

Dawn approached the workbench, a twitchy grin on her mouth as she stroked the cold tempered steel. She wrapped it in a telekinetic field, planning on claiming it as her own. With strain she lifted it an inch from the table. He was heavy.

Struggling she swung him up to shoulder level, the large wooden pump stretching across both shotguns in a stout u shape.

She peered down the sights, the front sights were visible down on the periphery od the scope. Low magnification, very old school.

Trouble darted over to the neighbouring workbench, rubbing his hooves in anticipation.

on the table was a cloth covering the contents, he looked over to Dawn a manic smile spread across his face, his eyes looking wild with energy.

“Dawn, I give you Stalliongrad Bagpipes!” He said ready to explode with joy. Squeeing like a little filly, something Dawn never imagined a pony like him to do. She seen why, and he had a very good reason.

On the table is what Dawn could only describe as a bloated out, goliath revolver. Every chamber in the cylinder was large enough to shove a hoof into, it had a thin rifle stock made from some weird composite alloy. A small rifle trigger and handle, and a barrel most unflattering to the weapon. All finished in a forest camouflage layer of paint with a small telescopic sight mounted on the top.

Dawn’s mouth hung agape in disbelief, the ammo for it was right beside it, huge metallic cylinders, like the shotgun ammo only a lot bigger. So big she would be surprised if she could fit one in her mouth.

Trouble had an ecstatic shudder “This ‘ere is a real fuckin’, showstopper semi auto revolving, Grenade Launcher!” He proclaimed thrilled.

He slung a bandolier lined with the ammo for this beast around his shoulder, excited. Dawn though was still more than happy with her fill. She fitted the bandolier around her shoulder, as Trouble had done with the grenades. As he energetically waltzed out of his armory, Dawn falling behind inspecting her new toy.

Moments later she entered the living room, her mind still riveted on her new weapon. She looked around it was just her and Trouble. He was seated in one of the armchairs reading a dossier, his hind hooves crossed on the table.

“Where is everypony?” She asked suspiciously.

“They’re already in Freeside, somehow they convinced the Show Ponies to help us.” He said distant from the chat, enrapt in the reading.

Next to the armchair was a huge stereo, two large speakers on either side.

“As it turns out, House has quite the sense of drama.” Said Trouble finished reading over the dossier, closing it on the table.

“What do you mean? She questioned, annoyed at how he keeps her in the dark half the time.

He reached down and grabbed the stereo, “Let’s go.” he said leaving his chair snatching his Stalliongrad Bagpipes.

“Wait, you only have your pistols and you’re dressed in a suit. What if they have guns?” She objected.

Trouble shrugged “ Oh they will have guns kid, but we’ll have bigger ones.” he stated with total confidence.

“They know were coming don’t they?” She questioned hesitant to leave the room.

“I left one alive in the lounge for a reason.” he answered malevolently

“Its jus no fun otherwise, now is it?” He challenged a deranged smile as he opened the door.

Dawn shot him a concerned look, he didn’t care for it. He was never concerned with his life.

Why would he be?

He was Trouble.

_____________________________________________________________________

Dawn followed Trouble through the bustling Strip, approaching the main gate, almost on cue, the gates opened, eager bright eyed tourists taking in the same awe inspiring spectacle that Dawn experienced. She envied them, the rush and enchantment of the luring lights for the first time.

She reluctantly entered this rat infested slum, Freeside, she glanced around at the tatty and rag tag ponies. Filthy, malnourished a sad sight.

Trouble was already on the move, he swung down a derelict road to the right. This road had two story houses built in against the walls of New Pegas, but the careless owners had let them fall into disrepair. She seen a passed out pony on the porch, happily sleeping as a trail of saliva dribbled from the corner of her mouth, a dirty needle poking out of her wrist.

Dawn had a deep disdain for this barren and hopeless slum. They pressed on, passing groups of vagrants and loiterers huddled around street corners of barrel fires. As the cold Ponave air settled in.

Trouble and Dawn moved down the street, weapons hoisted high into the air, a major deterrent to any ponies feeling lucky.

At the bottom of the road at a T-Junction one street heading street into a dead end, the other swinging back around left. Dawn could distinguish the highly distinguishable Show Ponies, clad in their immaculate suits, pistols at the ready.

She could spot also, Night Light. Her cow pony hat stood out among all these patchwork wasters.

She couldn’t find Worthy or Rico. The two were both dressed in black last time she checked. And we’re probably lurking about somewhere. Clouded in the dark slum.

Night Light waved them in, tonight there wasn’t the usual; cries or gunshots carried out on the wind, just a misplaced silence. A calm, making this whole poorly explained plan seem worse by the second.

Trouble and Dawn linked up with the group, waiting for time in silent eagerness, tension building. Tyke was there, approaching Dawn “Hey, Dawn.” She said cautiously, looking over her shoulder.

“Hey, Tyke, what’s going on?” Dawn asked being friendly hoping somebody would lay down a plan.

Tyke leaned in close and spoke gently, clearly uncomfortable in this place “Well,” she said hesitantly “Rico and Worthy are trying to negotiate the return of Rico’s stuff and all of their best product, we’re on backup.”

“Backup?” Dawn questioned looking around the packed street. There was definitely a higher concentration of ponies here than anywhere else.

“Yeah,” she started up again, constantly looking over her shoulder “of the thugs themselves, not many of them got guns and those that do, their not very good quality. A lot of the ponies in that crowd are packing knives and other edged and blunt weapons. This is where they go to get their fix, and they will kill for it.” She said timidly. Or eager with nervous energy, Dawn couldn't be sure.

“So, Worthy and Rico are somewhere in this street?” Dawn asked, looking at the congregation, not a single pair of eyes was upon them.

Tyke spun around and pointed to the house right in the centre of the road, the density of ponies at its thickest at that point. The gangs all seemed to radiate out from there.

“Well what's the plan?” Dawn pressed her.

Tyke licked her lips, the others in hushed discussion. “Rico and Worthy roll in, make demands, Rico really wants his rifle and uzi back. Once that's secured Worthy lets off some nerve gas.” She said excitedly.

“And what does that do?” Dawn queried, just the phrase unsettled her. Nerve gas.

“Basically, it fucks you up. In a serious way.” Tyke said grinning.

“Show time.” she fiendishly chimed.

_____________________________________________________________________

Worthy and Rico sat in the rat infested building, on a mouldy uncomfortable couch, the fabric torn out in chunks from it. Errant springs jabbing out from it.

Worthy sat in serene silence, his mask fitted onto his face. Creeping out the three guards in the room, burly ponies, thick set all carrying small rusted pistols. Across from them in a wrecked and worn armchair was Bad Trip, his face bandaged from when Trouble shattered the glass into his face. The blotches of crimson behind the dense bandaging revealing the extent of the damage.

“So, just the guns? You’ll never see us again, and we won’t see you or your friends, right?” Bad Trip asked, constantly shooting terrified glances over to Worthy.

“Yeah mate, yeah. Course. But Trouble wants all your Jet, Stampede, Hydra. All amphetamines and uppers you got. Sorry.” Rico said sheepishly biting his lip in anxiety.

Bad Trip’s face couldn’t be read behind the bandaging but his voice was fearful, not of Rico, but of the malevolent dark being adjacent to him, keeping stoic.

Bad Trip could’ve been angry for a moment, but it was overcome by fear as he said to Worthy his voice quivering “ We do this and your brother will leave us alone yeah?” He said with a shaky hoof.

Worthy all too slowly nodded his head stiffly. “Okay then.” Bad Trip said.

Bad Trip looked to his body guards giving a stout nod, the burly pony entering the next room, reappearing a moment later with a black leather stuffed briefcase. “The drugs.” bad Trip announced.

The bodyguard returned into the back room, returning with a black large burlap sack “Your guns.” his voice sounding defeated.

Rico wrapped both in a telekinetic field, hoisting them into his orbit.

“Now get out of here.” Bad Trip meekly barked.

Worthy rose in silence and strode out the door, his cloak whipping behind him as he soundlessly left the room.

Rico followed suit, hurriedly shuffling out the door behind his ghoulish companion.

_____________________________________________________________________

Dawn spotted Worthy and Rico leaving the building. Worthy slowly scanning the crowds as Rico burst out behind him looking flustered.

“That's our cue.” Trouble declared.

The Show Ponies unholstered their pistols in unison, Tyke spinning her two pistols in the air above her, “Lets do this.” she growled eagerly.

Trouble caught the large stereo on his shoulder, resting the Stalliongrad Bagpipes at his hip. Night Light swung her Valkyrie to the ready, loading a road into the chamber.

As Worthy and Rico briskly returned back towards the group, Rico searched the sack, the loiters giving him wanton stares with greedy expressions, like they could sense the drugs.

From the sack he revealed a stunning weapon.

A black long rifle, more of a sniper rifle than an automatic carbine. Covered in a digital coating with a gold line along the barrel and receiver, the long line ran the whole way down to the stock, where it rose up to write in a bold script “Overture.”

Overture was a bigger more surgical version of the rifle he had earlier. The magazine even had a gold finish as did the large combat scope on the top. Rico smiled at the weapon tucking it low against his chest as both him and Worthy dispersed from the congregation.

Rico’s face returned to a warm cocky calm the group behind him he subtly charged the weapon and gave a brief nod to the encroaching party.

“Time for a little drama.” Trouble smirked as his exoskeleton forced a button on the stereo as it came to life.

A triumphant classical piece blasted through, stimulating Dawn for the glorious and tremendous task at foot. She felt ready for it. Excited it for it.

The music rang down the street bringing attention to the band of heavily armed ponies trotting boldly down the street. Bad Trip from his ‘office’ faintly heard the overwhelming music, he ran to his window. Sticking his head outside into the street.

“Oh, shit.” he stammered out.

Coasting boldly down his street was a band of fearless ponies, with enough weaponry to level a small country

He turned to face his two bodyguards. “Send the word out, get our guys shooting!” He barked to his body guards.

Bad Trip hung out the window, the crowd looking up at him with hungry eyes.

“What the fuck are you waiting for!?” He howled at them, they stared back in confusion, Bad Trip swung a hoof at the advancing column “Kill those assholes!”

At once the horde of gangly ponies turned in unison to face the group. Dawn felt a chill race around her body as the blank faced, hungry eyes ponies stared at them, contemplating.

Dawn charged both rounds into the chambers of her heavy shotgun, pulling back the heavy pump with strain. A bead of sweat trailed down her brow.

Then it happened. From all the houses along the street, ponies rose from the top story windows with rifles, aiming for the group.

Trouble tilted the grenade launcher at the first cement house, with a loud thumping sound a grenade was spat out of the stout barrel, whirling through the air. A moment later the building splashed out onto the street, a concussive fiery blast scattering it in small chunks across the road.

All hell broke loose, from the crowd gunshots syphoned, many ponies unsheathing hidden knives from around their waists. Savage cries being let out as a mob barreled down upon them.

“Open fire!” Trouble cried out, launching another grenade as the stereo boomed in his ear. The snipers in the windows sprayed their inaccurate weapons at the group, Night Light cutting them down just as the grenade impacted the building, hurdling bricks dust and debris high into the air. Showering the charging horde in dust and chunks of rebar and cement, knocking a few out. Large chunks of debris landing on ponies as they crumbled beneath it.

Shots burst from the crowd, whistling past the group. Night Light sprayed into the crowd, cutting ponies down, ripping their bodies apart, the crazed mob not even caring for the blood of the fallen splattering across their manic faces.

Dawn finally had the sense to go for her shotgun, Black Rook. As she hefted the weapon into firing position The Show Ponies shelled the crowd, their fast firing triggers, pelting the crowd with deadly efficiency with thought out shooting.

The streaking pistol rounds slicing through the ponies, Trouble let another grenade spring out from the barrel. The racing high explosive cylinder blowing the building apart, ripping fiercely through the concrete. This time the round doused the crowd in high velocity rock and debris. Knocking out most of the front line. Sweeping them off their hooves, cracking necks and compacting spines in a hail of hard rock.

Dawn pressed the stock of the Black Rook tightly in against her shoulder, peering down the sights. she picked a pony at random, a pale yellow mare, with a greasy orange mane flopping on her head, a rusted jagged kitchen knife gripped in her teeth.

Dawn tensed both triggers, the barrel erupted in a horrendous explosion, the recoil kicking the gun high above Dawn’s head. The two shells left the barrel in the flash both striking the mare in the chest. At the moment of impact the shells detonated. Turning the sickly mare into a red haze as her torso became a dense mist. Dawn shuddered at the immense power, that she now wielded.

Trouble fired another grenade, finally he worked his way towards the building Bad Trip was cowering in. He carefully imagined the grenade’s flight path. “Thump!” The launcher rang out.

The grenade whistled through the air, spinning towards its target. The grenade impacted behind the window, blowing the rickety building outwards. Hunks of churned up pony meat splaying out with it in a streak of red. From the building rose a thick smog, the combusted narcotic gas seeping from the wreckage.

Trouble finally tuned the grenade launcher onto the rapidly approaching crowd. The grenade struck a savage crazed pony square in the chest. The grenade exploded, ravaging the crowd, twenty ponies at once vaporized by the fiery blast.

Splotchy body parts glistening with bodily fluids showered the crowd, the blood cloud rose into the air, ponies being struck down by flying body parts. Pony shrapnel.

Smoke gently rose from the barrel of Trouble’s grenade launcher as he rose it high into the air. Firing a single grenade high into the air. It rose with a high whistling noise, plummeting back down onto the earth into the very heart of the crowd.

The impact erupting the crowd in a red wave covering them all in a bright red paste splash. All of the crowd stilted at once, as ponies gagged and sucked in the dense blood fog they were engulfed in. Coughing violently. Suffocated under a red sea.

The crowd’s momentum buckled, ceased as the front line was deterred by a mixture of bullets and the ponies behind them decorating most of their body.

The crowd panic stricken ran off, dispersing frantically in all directions. Letting out fearful and tormented cries as their new red coats streaked and dripped behind them as they fled.

Leaving only fatally wounded crawling out from the blood spray, hacking up puffs of red. as they lay writhing on the ground. The street decorated in a bright red coat, thanks to them.

Dawn looked upon the sight with disgust, the stomach churning spectacle before her. Rico and Worthy never so much as fired a shot, but merely looked on. She could only see Rico’s aghast expression, his teeth gritted as he looked on in disdain.

The music replaced by the loud drone of ponies groaning in agony, wailing in torment and violent coughing.

Dawn averted her gaze, unable to bear the scene before her. The first deed of her new life. Bloody and horrific, all in the name of caps.

She raised her PipBuck to her face, reading the display, anything to take her mind off what Trouble done, what she done.

A new screen one she never seen before was before her.

Quest Complete: House Rules.

Clean up Freeside of the Overlords for Mister House

Clean up, wouldn’t have been the exact wording she would have used.

“Lets go.” Trouble grunted quietly turning his back on the sight. The others following him back to the Pearly gates of New Pegas. Leaving her standing there, Tyke tugging on her to follow.

“Dawn, don’t worry. Let’s get out of here.” She said reassuringly, dragging her away.

She never took her eyes off the column of red gas, wondering how many ponies were disposed of to make it. She didn’t know when it started, but she felt the familiar feeling of salty tears rolling down her face, as the wind carried the red mist away.

Footnote: Level Up.

New Perk: Bloody Mess -- With the Bloody Mess perk, characters and creatures you kill will often explode into a red, gut-ridden, eyeball-strewn paste. Fun! Oh, and you'll do 5% more damage with all weapons.

Chapter 19.5: Proposal

**Authors Note**

(Hey guys, sorry its been awhile since I posted, this chapter has been done for quite some time, but a commission is on it’s way, once its done its being posted on this chapter and a subsequent one along the way, next chapter is a bit of a doozy. I’m looking to increase overall length and content per chapter so there might be a few of these .5 things every so often, thanks for reading - Pistol Whip)

Chapter 19.5: Proposition

“Beware the red mist.” The Figure recited.

The memory sent shakes down Dawn’s left forehoof, “The red mist, probably, was one of Worthy’s top five weapons.” Dawn concluded nodding her head, thinking of how the pony loved the sight of a fine sanguine cloud.

“Weapon?” The Figure questioned.

“It wasn’t our bullets that scared off the mob, or Trouble’s grenade launcher scattering debris on top of them. It was that mist, they instantly knew what it was.” Dawn stated, her stomach feeling uneasy just remembering the pungent smell, the true odour of ponies.

“That they were breathing in their friends, that they were engulfing them, becoming part of them. How would you react If suddenly all the ponies you ever knew turned into a puff of red smog, thick droplets of their own bodily fluids and meat.” She hissed through her teeth in contempt.

“That didn’t stop you though, you still followed him into the depths without hesitation.The Figure accusingly pointed a digit of his exoskeleton at her. “Don’t sit there and pretend you didn’t have a choice.”

“I did have a choice, you’re right, Trouble offered me my share up front, plus the ten thousand he rounded me off to earlier, giving me a cozy fifty thousand and letting me be on my way.” Dawn clarified resting her chin on her scarred hoof.

“But you went along with him anyways.” The Figure pointed out.

“Obviously. I don’t know why. If you asked me then I might have had an answer, but now...” she said trailing off with dwindling confidence, “Trouble offered more than anyone has ever offered me before. He gave me what nopony would ever have given me, and more. Maybe it was gratitude, maybe I wanted to know more, maybe I wanted more. Maybe I realized, that Trouble wouldn’t be just a week in my life.” Dawn rambled.

“So what happened?” the Figure queried.

“We returned and the Show Ponies disappeared. It was just us, all gathered around in Trouble’s suite. Talking, until he brought up the offer.”

_____________________________________________________________________

The group were all back in the suite. Rico revealed his other weapon that had been confiscated to repay his debts. It was a black metal sub machine gun, an Uzi he called it. It was his sidearm, he was still cuddling the briefcase, running the blade of his oversized knife along the leather. Soothingly caressing it, a tranquil look on his face as he stroked it.

Worthy had removed his mask, and was busy smoking a cigarette with his brother, who had slipped back into his combat gear; he didn’t look complete without it. Worthy didn’t drink but he sure as hell smoked.

Trouble had Worthy give him a manecut it seemed, despite just recently getting it cut, maybe it was a New Pegas thing but now all his hair was in a tight braid at the back, leaving only a thick linear strip running down the middle of his head. Making him look like more of a punk, tough pony. Night Light was speaking to Rico, idly chatting away as Dawn was left in the armchair listening in.

“Marizona ranger huh?” Rico asked her.

“Hell yeah, ever since I was a filly it was all I wanted to be, growing up in VDNKh.” She said, her voice filled with remorse at the mention of the town.

“I heard about what happened there. Sorry.” Rico sympathized.

“Not your fault, I’m over it. It was those fucking purist bastards that done it. One of the reasons I’m tagging along is I’m hoping to kill a few more of those cunts. There were good ponies in that town. Everything was good there, until the NCR built that damn station there.” Night Light angrily spat at the mention of the NCR.

Dawn couldn’t help but remember Trouble telling her to come along. That she owed him, Not her merely tagging along like she had a choice in the matter. Night Light generally had two moods, stoic or angry. She did both very well. Dawn thought she was taking all this very well. Too well in fact. Dawn remembered in VDNKh the large building at the end of the road, the tape she found. The two bottles of vodka and Night Light radioing in a report.

“There’s bound to be work for Angels, especially after their invasion of Marizona. Ponies will be bidding left, right and centre for Trouble to march into Germaney and skull fuck Gabriel to death. We’ll be doing a lot of trigger work.” Rico clarified.

“Good.” Night Light replied angrily.

Worthy and Trouble approached the table, the former taking a seat as the latter stood over them all. Trouble cleared his throat, and spoke in his professional tone.

“I have a proposition for all of you. Today you all earned your share of two hundred grand, forty grand each way. You can take it now, everyone pays, or you can listen to my offer.” Trouble began.

Dawn listen attentively as did Night Light, but Rico lay back relaxed in the armchair. Two fucks were too many to give for him.

“This whole fuckin’ region is on the brink of total war, Ponave will see what Marizona has seen, and Marizona is going to be hit again. Only much harder.” he said pounding his hooves together for impact “There will be a slight break in the action, for ponies to put down their chips. I’ve already been contacted for another job. This one is good pay. But I’m not offering you a job, I’m proposing something much more: A family.” Trouble concluded.

“What?” Quired Night Light and Rico in unison, baffled. Dawn had figured he would say something like this.

“We make bonds, take care of one another, pool resources, supplies, caps, assistance. Everything that is mine will become yours, everything that is yours will become mine. I’m getting too old to keep this up solo, I need a team. Worthy is in, he’s always been family.” Trouble continued resting a hoof on Worthy’s shoulder.

“Count me in.” Dawn blurted out. All her life she longed for something more than her lonely depressing existence, travelling with Trouble was dangerous, terrifying, and at times unbearable. But, it was the best decision she ever made.

Night Light and Rico shot alarmed glances to the grinning mare. Trouble was smirking back at her, elated.

“I knew you would Dawn.” Trouble commented.

Rico almost reluctantly slowly nearly painfully raised his hoof into the air “You never let me down yet, and I need the money.” He moaned.

“Night Light?” Trouble questioned. All eyes bearing in down on her.

She rolled her eyes, and shrugged. Biting down on her lip she asked “Are we going to be killing Angels?”

“As many as we can.” Trouble answered coolly.

“I’m in.”

Trouble smiled maniacally at them. Nearly giggling. He dropped his professional tone instantly, squatting down onto the armrest of the chair.

“Okay, there is a pegasus up in Germaney workin’ fir the Trottingham boot boys methinks.” Trouble began, “Thing is, he’s gone missing. Last I heard he was spotted near Flankfurt, our job is to go in, and detonate an arms factory and get the pegasus out.” Trouble said, stamping the ground conclusively.

“A pegasus?” Night Light asked.

“Yeah, I don’t know his story. You’ll have to ask him. We aren’t being paid to get him out alive, buh it's a nice thought. Plus a pegasus would help our odds as a team.”

“You plannin’ on recruiting him?” Rico asked.

“Wings are invaluable. So, we take the job?” Trouble consulted his new ‘family’.

“Sure, Dad.” Dawn answered. Enthusiastically

“Uh, kid. I’m not yer dad, by family I didn’t mean it like that. Buh, whatever floats yer boat.” he said back still upbeat about the new order of things.

Dawn blushed terribly, feeling like a foal. She quietly thanked Celestia for giving her a black coat. She pretended it was nothing.

“Hell yeah.” Rico chipped in.

“Sounds fun.” Night Light added.

“I’m with you, as always.” Worthy said.

“Follow me. It’s about time you seen how we’re going to get around.” Trouble declared walking out into the hall. Rico gave a snicker before climbing out of his chair. Night Light and Dawn exchanging confused glances.

“Best ya all know, I accepted the job before I told any of you.” He said on the way out.

_____________________________________________________________________

Trouble lead them to Duct Tape’s All Around Repair Resort. The low rise building between Sodom and Saber Tooth’s.

They followed him into the small office in the front. Inside was an old, but well-maintained old workshop. Cans of motor oil lay scattered about, tins of turpentine and canisters of WD-40 were everywhere.

A young unicorn mare sat behind a workbench, acting as a makeshift counter. She had a short brown mane to keep her hair out of her eyes and a thick burgundy coat. On her flank was a long roll of silver tape.

She sat on a stool, tinkering with a small mechanical contraption with a surgical screwdriver. Engrossed on the task at hoof, her red eyes straining on the miniscule detail. A blue bandanna keep the sweat off her brow, oblivious to the newcomers.

She gently twisted the screwdriver as she bit down on her tongue. An audible click could be heard, the mare threw her head back and let out a sigh of relief, she turned and addressed the visitors.

“Hey Trouble.” She addressed him, eyeing up the others.

“Duct Tape! How’s me motor?” He asked casually.

“Oh, she’s fine. I changed the oil, fitted new spark plugs. Rico told me of the new paint job you wanted.” She remarked, wiping her oil covered face with a filthy rag.

“Wah paint job?” Trouble asked in monotone, his expression falling. Rico sniggering behind Dawn.

“Eh...” Duct Tape said, she gestured him into the next room as she sat there. Trouble burst into it, Dawn following him, Rico pushing past to get the first look.

“Awesome.” Rico declared.

Dawn would have chosen words to those effect.

The garage housed a huge armored mechanical machine lay in there. Armoured plates shielding the back, no roof, a huge machine gun resting in a back carriage lined with seats against the metal plates, leaving the middle open. The machine gun itself was mostly barrel, a huge ammo box at its side, with bigger rounds than Dawn has ever seen. In the front was a steering wheel and proper seating for a driver and shotgun.

The vehicle sat on four huge thick studded tires. The body was finished in a purple coat with a vibrant yellow trim, boldly stamped along the length of the vehicle was “ The Rap Mobile.”

“The fuckin Rap Mobile?” Trouble exclaimed.

He spun to face Rico, clearly displeased. A goofy smirk stretched across his face. Dawn didn’t see the fuss, she never saw anything like this before. Plus she thought it looked cool.

“The Rap Mobile.” Rico repeated.

Trouble facehoofed. “Of all the fuckin things, why The Rap Mobile?”

“I updated your music selection.” Rico sniggered.

“Arsehole.” Trouble murmured.

“Before any of you come rolling out with me, you’re getting a medical.” he said definitively “And” he added glaring at smirking stallion “I’ll tell Bone Twister there is something up with your colon if you don’t shut up Rico.”

_____________________________________________________________________

They were back on the Strip standing outside the white clinic building. “Doctor Bone Twist’s New Pegas Clinic Open All Hours!” sat Between Shangri-La and The Luck of the Coltic.

The group entered, inside was a pristine white building with polished white tiles, clean marble flooring covered in a coat of varnish. A tall unicorn stallion walked out from a door in the back. He was middle aged, he had a charcoal coat, a mint green mane, and wore a long lab coat. He was inspecting a clipboard that hovered in front of him, scanning through it intently. Mumbling a few words to himself before finally looking up to see the group.

The stallion gave a warm grin. “Trouble.” he calmly addressed him.

“Doc.” Trouble retorted.

“Rico.” The Doctor addressed.

“Doc.” Rico retorted.

“Worthy.” The Doctor addressed, nodding off to him.

“Doc.” Worthy replied.

Dawn began to feel a little uneasy with all these unnecessary and tedious formalities.

“What seems to be the problem?” The doctor politely inquired.

“Well, Bone Twist,” Trouble began “I need you to check up on my crew ‘ere. I’m not bringing a sick pony into the fight. Compile the results and have them sent up to me suite.”

“No problem Trouble, maybe your young mare friend here would like to accompany me?” The inappropriately named doctor Bone Twist asked, gesturing towards Dawn.

“Uh.” Dawn uttered.

“Sure, go ahead Dawn. I’d trust this pony with my life.” What about hers?

Dawn followed the doctor into the room he came out of. It was a small medical office, only a small fraction of the entire clinic.

Inside the side office was various medical apparatus; from stethoscopes, to heart monitors and band aids.

“Now, what's the name?” Bone Twist politely asked.

“Black Dawn.” she answered shifting uncomfortably.

“Black Dawn, eh?” he said, jotting down her details. “It’s a nice name. Much better than a doctor named Bone Twist. So how did you meet Trouble?” He casually chatted away.

“Eh, he helped me out.” She vaguely put it.

“No, saved me.” She corrected herself, feeling it wrong not to do his actions justice.

“Saved by him? I saved him once, as thanks he bought me a damn clinic. I don’t have to tell you how expensive property is in such a small place like this.”

“You saved Trouble?” She asked.

“Yeah,” he began as he channeled magic through his horn “found him in the desert, it's a miracle he survived. I never seen a pony so torn up before. I took over half of my stock to bring him around.” he said, as a soft glow emerged from his horn.

Dawn felt a tingling sensation race up and down her body, “Easy, it’s just a examination spell.” Bone Twist reassured.

Dawn wanted to know more about what Bone Twist knew “Why’d you do it?” She questioned. Dawn figured surely if you found a pony like Trouble unable to move and dying. You wouldn’t think twice about looting him, or just putting him out of his misery. Maybe just leave him to rot, but knowing the wastes, maybe toy with him first.

“Save him? I have too much compassion, to just watch ponies die, even if I can't do anything to save them. When I seen Trouble, my brain warned me, he looked like well, trouble. But when I woke him up three days later, he swore to me I’d be rewarded. Now I’m Pegas’s premier doctor.”

Dawn found this pony very interesting. He had a lot to say, and was quite polite. A rare trait out here.

“When was this?” Dawn inquired.

“Oh, a lifetime ago it seems. Fifteen years this year I think, I met him a few months before his casino takeover. I didn’t get the clinic right away, he vanished leaving me with a stack of caps. A few years later a courier tracks me down and says Trouble has a gift. It's hard to forget a pony like him. We travelled for a bit after that.”

Dawn listened intently, keeping her mind off the tingling that made her want to flail like a lunatic.

“Travelled?” Dawn asked, wanting to bite down on her hoof with the perpetual tingling.

“Not very far, to the nearest town. He’s good company, but back then he was a lot... Wilder than he is now. Mellowed with age. All that smoking and drinking has taken a heavy toll on his body, though he’s still a Ursa Major of a stallion.” Bone Twist’s horn ceased to glow. Gently and thankfully, the annoying tingling sensation seeped out of Dawn’s body. She gave a shiver glad to be back to normality.

“I mean, he’s not even forty, but not many ponies in his line of work reach that age. Hmm, as far as your well being is concerned you’re a well developed sixteen year old mare, a little malnourished. But other than that you’re fine.” Bone Twist summarized.

“You know my age?” Dawn asked, there was no way he could have guessed so accurately, unless.

“The spell can determine when you were born and, well, when you expire.” Bone Twist said a little sheepishly.

“And?” Dawn asked hesitantly.

Bone Twist chuckled “Relax, your life expectancy is only a rough guess. The spell only gives a rough estimate unless you’re terribly ill. You’ve got plenty of years ahead of you.”

Dawn wasn’t put at ease by his words, one thing she always dreaded to consider was her own mortality. Who isn’t scared to die?

“Thats all Black Dawn. I’ll compile the detailed report later tonight.”

“Uh, thanks.” Dawn managed to blurt out.

She left the office and Trouble brushed past her “So how’d she do Doc?” he asked as he shut the door behind him.

_____________________________________________________________________

The check ups had been completed. All in all they went well, nobody came out sobbing.

Which was a good thing. Worthy came out with a blood pack, which made everyone except Trouble uneasy it seemed.

They all returned to the Luck of The Coltic in the lounge, and shared a few drinks until the stack of reports arrived. Everypony except Dawn and Worthy. She settled for water and Worthy outright refused service.

Inky Pistachio was the delivery pony. “I got those reports you were waiting on Trouble and that business dossier made up.” Inky said. He dropped them is separate piles on the table, one thick folder, and 5 thin ones.

Inky quickly departed when Night Light asked “Business Dossier?”

“Its our business card, our details, experience. Usual shit clients are interested in. Within two weeks every major player in Marizona, maybe even Equestria will have their hooves on a copy of this.”

Trouble flipped open the large dossier. He turned it over to Dawn and nodded for her to read. She wondered if his response would be encouraging about her prying into his diary.

Dawn scanned the document, it was all above board. It was a profile set.

Trouble

Age: 40

Nationality(P.O.B): Coltic

Sex: Male

Type: Earth Pony

Height: 6ft 4in

Weight: 440 lbs

Coat: Scarlet

Hair: Black

Eyes: Green

Exp: Death Dealer (Monarch, ret.), C.P.L.A (Captain, ret.), PMC, Stalker affiliate, Wolf Pack(Former)

Qualifications: Trained in Hoof to Hoof, Demolitions, Marksmanship, Weapon Handling, Infiltration, Chemical Handling, Munitions Manufacturing, Tactical and Strategic Education.

Roles: Explosives, CQC, Direct action, Bio-Warfare, Command.

Worthy

Age: 37

Nationality(P.O.B): Coltic

Sex: Male

Type: Earth Pony

Height: 6ft 1in

Weight: 360 lbs

Coat: White

Hair: Green

Eyes: Amber(1)

Exp: Death Dealer(Reserve Operative, ex.), C.P.L.A (Lieutenant, reserve.), PMC, Arms Dealer, Inmate(‘The Labyrinth’), Sanguine Brother(ex), Stalker affiliate.

Qualifications: Stealth, Infiltration, Hoof to Hoof, Weapons Handling, Field Medicine, Munitions, Chemical Handling, Marksmanship(Advanced), Terror Tactics.

Roles: Sniper, Scout, Fear Unit, Brawler, Infiltrator, Guerilla, Medic.

Ricochet

Age: 27

Nationality(P.O.B): Trottingham(Nationalized Marizona)

Sex: Male

Type: Unicorn

Height: 6ft 5in

Weight: 310 lbs

Coat: Brown

Hair: Red

Eyes: Blue

Exp: Trottingham Boot Boy(Marizona), PMC, Bodyguard, Chemist, Razor affiliate.

Qualifications: Marksmanship, Chemistry, Social Skills, Field Medic.

Roles: Medic, Marksman, Chemist, Negotiator.

Night Light

Age: 19

Nationality(P.O.B): Marizona

Sex: Female

Type: Unicorn

Height: 6ft

Weight: 315 lbs

Coat: Silver

Hair: Silver

Eyes: Grey

Exp: Marizona Ranger(Ex.), PMC.

Qualifications: Survival, Stealth, Improvised Weapons, Marksmanship.

Roles: Scout, Survivalist, Direct Action, Marksman.

Black Dawn

Age: 16

Nationality(P.O.B): N.C.R

Sex: Female

Type: Unicorn

Height: 5ft 9in

Weight: 265 lbs

Coat: Black

Hair: Gold

Eyes: Blue

Exp: PMC, Apprentice to Trouble.

Qualifications: Learning in field, getting salty.

Roles: Sniper, Direct Action.

That was the opening pages, this thing was nearly an inch thick. She began to wonder if the ponies named here were in any particular order. As list neared the end the ponies experience and qualifications were getting measlier and measlier, with her being the lowest common denominator.

“Tah’s a fuckin’ team.” Trouble said.

“Getting salty?” Dawn questioned, seeing the odd comment in her qualifications.

“My usual clients would get it. Dun worry.”

Dawn flicked onto a random page on the dossier, amazingly she landed on her own first page. There wasn’t much on her, but, she was interested.

Synopsis:

Black Dawn, served with Trouble from the age of sixteen.She’d never killed a pony until the day she met him. She grew up in Dry Town, on the periphery of the NCR and left to try her luck in the trigger business.

Her first experience in the field was with Trouble in the demolition of Ever Bright mills. There, she exceeded in natural ability and soldiering potential. A superb shot despite being inexperienced, she can keep a level head in combat.Having killed more ponies than some mercs twice her age already, she fought alongside Trouble and Night Light in the defense of Marizona Springs, serving as a sniper. Within her first week within the wastes she earned an excess of 12,000 bottle caps. More than the average annual wage of most mercenaries.Her skill set is rapidly increasing, she’s proven in the field already. An investment of a mercenary, in five years, she’ll be one of the greats. A natural killer being honed by a trained killer, the next Trouble.That was the synopsis of Dawn, there was more pages. Through reading it she realised that a lot of her details were somewhat embellished to her. And that ponies reading it already need knowledge of Trouble and what he does, or what he done.Which, by no stretch of the imagination, was easy to believe. Dawn yearned for more information on Trouble’s past. Him simply introducing himself has stopped ponies in their tracks. Not surprising, even his looks are a deterrent.While Dawn was busy reading, the others flicked through their medical reports. The odd time commenting on the results.“Under-fucking-weight?” Rico read from the sheet in annoyance.“Mine is just saying I’m getting old.” Worthy commented.Trouble, from his sealed report, pulled out a small plastic cylinder of pills. With a suppressed uttering of a few curse words, he quickly glanced over his report.“Hmph!” He grunted, placing the report face down on the table.“I’m gettin’ older, weaker ‘n’ stupider, not ta mention ‘e gave me these,” he said jangling the pill bottle in annoyance.“Fir me stamina. All the fags and booze slowin me down.” he said, turning his head away with a pissed off face, his hooves crossed in a childish huff.“Yours kid is jus’ put on some weight, too dainty. A breeze would knock ya over.”Night Light spoke up “When do we roll out? The longer we sit here, the more Angels will mobilize.”“We lock and stock the, ugh...” Trouble grimaced, “...Rap Mobile, with guns, supplies, munitions. Everything. Then we roll.”“What do we call ourselves?” Rico asked.Dawn flipped shut the dossier reading the boldest and biggest line of text on the cover.“The Family.” Dawn answered, in unison with Trouble.She looked up at him, he looked back. She wondered to herself, what thoughts were racing behind those eyes of his. He was probably thinking the exact same thing she was.“You ponies head on up, I need Dawn for one final thing, gather up all the gear we’ll need. Or that you’ll want.” Trouble said, not breaking eye contact with Dawn. Worthy silently rose and left. Rico followed suit, and Dawn couldn’t help but pick up on the fact these ponies were bound to have history. Night Light gave a worried glance to Dawn before leaving with the others.It was just the two of them. Like it was in the very beginning. The foal in the palm of the giant. Him saving her, in a godforsaken place. Now their circumstances were drastically altered. He was still saving her, only now, she didn’t need so much saving, she had a family at her back, even if none of them really believed they were one. She didn’t need the others, not with Trouble as a friend.“What is it?” Dawn asked sincerely.He finally broke eye contact, turning his head to the side, His new haircut seemed fitting, no sides to it, only one tight pulled back strip running into a thick braid, it suited him.“Am not entirely sure you know what you’re going in ta.” He answered back.“What?” Dawn asked, flabbergasted.“Do ya know wah the braids represent kid?” Trouble questioned.“No.”“Where me and Worthy come from, the braids were a sign of a warrior. A warrior clan, a family. My stripes, do you know what they represent?” Trouble continued posing questions, Dawn had wondered why he painted himself in the way he did.“No.” She again responded.“Zebras, hundreds of years before Equestria was settled, it was us and them. We fought over everything, for anything, food, land, water, for sport. They were fantastic fighters, as were we. They adopted our braids, and we adopted their stripes.” he continued.“Why are you telling me this?” Dawn inquired, it made no sense to have them alone for him to say this.He brought his gaze back to Dawn, his eyes half shut. His scarred face, every time she looked at it, it made her uneasy. Maybe she’d never get used to it.“You’ve earned a braid, you’ve not earned your stripes. And,” he said raising a talon for emphasis, “with your stripes comes an exoskeleton. If you want it, that is.”She sat there confused. She didn’t know what she wanted, she recalled Trouble telling her the pain was excruciating having the exoskeleton ‘installed’ but she knew the benefits of one. But, it couldn’t have been that great, after all his brother didn’t have one.The thought of the stripes though, they seemed, appealing.“What have I got to do?” she asked.“Kill, kill, kill. Hurt ponies, burn them, stab them, blow them up. And learn.” he clarified.She got all of it, save the last part “Learn?”“Me and Worthy, Rico too. You’re green. We’ll show you things. Get your qualifications, roles and experience up. Your resume is too weak right now. Even with me on it.”“So, why am I here with you?” Dawn asked, wanting to cut to the chase.“You're the next me, so, time to make it official.” Trouble rose from his chair. Rising to his full height on his hind legs.“What?” it feels all she is ever able to say to him is that stupid word ‘what’.Trouble extended his hoof to her. “There’s somepony I’d like you to meet, in this very casino.”She clasped it confidently. Trouble rounded the table, pulling her up as he walked with her. Her hoof above her shoulder as Trouble towered above her, he led her into a back room. Behind the bar. The bartender Mixer was there saying not a word.Inside the darkroom was a tired, elderly unicorn mare staring at a blank canvas. Her coat colour had faded to the point of a dull gray. Her mane was the same colour, her eyes were hardly open. The life had faded from them, retaining the same colour as the rest of her body.The only thing in the room besides the mare and her canvas was a round table and a small chair. The mare slowly craned her neck to the visitors. Her expression blank.“This Dawn, is... Well, she doesn’t have a name. She usually never speaks, only to those she deems worthy. Us around here call her, Feeble.”This mare struck Dawn as... She lacked the capacity to interpret her, as she looked over her she felt a pang in her heart. Her tatty dress sparsely covering her body. She couldn’t speak, not in the presence of such a pitiful pony. She reminded her of House. Only, more... Pony.Trouble guided Dawn by the hoof into the the small chair, the old wood creaking as she rested herself in it. He stood behind her, releasing his grip on her hoof and firmly grasping her shoulder.Feeble’s dreary eyes slowly drifted over to them. She blinked, remaining stoic.“Immortalize this moment.” Trouble commanded.Feeble gently closed her aged and wrinkled eyes, her horn faintly coming into life.“This is where your new life officially begins.” Trouble whispered to her.She felt herself grinning as she rested her hooves up onto the table relaxing. She still hadn’t a clue what she was here for. Trouble removed Bad News from her back and rested the rifle it on the table, its name plate facing up.“Didn’t I promise nothing bad would happen to you?”“This kid, is where it all begins.” Trouble said, strangely mournful.“For you at least, this is where it all escalates.”“Are you ready?” He asked her one final time.“It’s going to be hard isn’t it?” She asked back serenely.“Yeah.” came the response“We could all die.”“Yeah.”“I’m ready, as long as you're there, I’m ready.” she said definitively.“I promised nothing bad was going to happen to you, as long as I’m around nothing will, the wastes won’t get you like they got everyone else, I’ll kill them all before they touch you,” he said grimly.“What do you call a step down from Trouble?” he asked himself.“Mischief.” he whispered into her ear. His demon smirk spread across his face.Quest Started: The Family

Chapter 20: Road Trip

{{Author’s Note: Hey guys PistolWhip here, Respawn is undergoing another revision and the next chapter is going to be a while, a good while. But I’d like you all in the mean time to check out a friend of mine’s story. I firmly believe it’s better written than Respawn and the author has edited my last few chapters, without him the chapters would be noticeably worse. Like Respawn it starts out a little slow, but it’s phenomenal.Here’s the link:

http://www.fimfiction.net/story/13002/Fallout-Equestria%3A-Shades-of-White

Its a heavily underrated fic, and I feel it should be given a little more attention, Celestia knows it’s earned it. Anyway, enough rambling, here’s the chapter.}}

Chapter 20: Road Trip

“This is where it officially earns my interest Dawn, the pegasus.” The Figure began “we all know what happened in Flankfurt, not many know what happened after that.”

“We were very clever.” she responded smirking.

“We even got a copy of that business dossier, on paper it was not a bad team.” the Figure said.

“Out there in the wastes, it plays with your mind. Tougher ponies than me have cracked, if you have no one, once you fall nopony is there to pick you up. Thats how we survived, family. Not in any literal sense, we just loved each other.” Dawn wasn’t sure on what other way to word it.

“Death Dealer shit, that’s what they told you: to love each other, kill for each other, castrate some poor bastard for each other.” The Figure listed, visibly angered.

“It wasn’t like that!” Dawn objected defensively herself from his ignorant assumptions, “We hurt together, we bled together, we had fun together. Without each other, we’d be dead or insane.”

“Is that what he told you?” the Figure questioned in monotone.

Dawn felt her eye twitch “I saw it, I read it, he told me about it. We were friends, Night Light finally opened up. Whenever I got depressed they were there. They. Were. There.” she replied, her nostrils flaring in frustration.

“I have no doubt you were friends. I know if a pony is alone, they’re vulnerable, the mind can’t take all of it at once. Why do you think he was dead set on reinforcing the feeling of family, and love? It was brainwash.” The Figure asserted slamming the table with his exoskeleton digits tightened into a ball.

“It helped. It helped me, I needed help.” she slowly sounded out through gritted teeth.

“Where are they now? When you actually need help, eh?” he snidely asked, leaning forward.

Dawn leaned forward in her chair squinting. She wetted her lips and spoke “Six feet two inches, about three fifty pounds, brown hooves so obviously a brown coat.” she said confidently.

“What?” The Figure asked baffled.

“Well,” Dawn began leaning back with a smirk “I’m not as sweet and innocent as I once was, or as stupid either. You.” she declared pointing a hoof at him, “Look at you, sharply dressed, clearly higher up in the ranks. You have a very rare exoskeleton, pre war model; a very distinct mark. You let it slip you’re operating inside a Stable, and that you’re not a lone operator. Your clique has left their hoofprints all over this place. Once my family can nail down your clique, you won’t be hard to find.” she concluded, a wide grin stretched across her face.

“Mischief, huh?” The Figure asked in a casual and dismissive tone, “When we took you in, I expected a tough little filly with more guts than sense, a violent and reckless mare. I made an assumption, and I was wrong. You’re cunning, level headed. Worthy and Trouble, you may have only been with them for a short time, glad to see the time was well spent.” the Figure finished, bemused, maybe even impressed.

“I’ve got a lot to learn.” Dawn added.

“That you do. You’re young, a lot of living is ahead of you. Wisdom comes with age.”

“You know odds are I’m not making it out of here alive. It’d suit you better to put twelve grams of lead in my head than turn me loose, but you said that.” she said dolefully.

“I did, didn’t I?” he replied remorseful, he let out an exasperated sigh.

“Right, enough bullshit, what next?” The Figure asked, cutting to the chase.

Dawn cleared her throat “We gathered our shit together and hit the wastes at high speed.”

“Any hassle on the way to Flankfurt?” he inquired.

“Some ‘old acquaintances’ of the Death Dealers paid us a flying visit.” Dawn answered.

_____________________________________________________________________

Trouble and Dawn entered the suite to find the living room littered with weapons, explosives and munitions, being dumped on any surface available. Rico entered the room levitating a heap of ammo boxes. Rifles lay scattered on the ground, shotguns in piles, scopes magazines, grenades. Everything.

Rico dropped the pile on the floor, noticing their return. “The fuck were y’all?” he asked huffing from the heavy lifting.

“Rico, you fucked with my car. Instead of smackin’ you upside the head, I’m going to let you take as much gear as you want. The fuck is up with you? Your momma raised you better.” Trouble replied in annoyance.

Night Light re-entered toying with a reinforced metal munitions box filled full of cylinders with pins “Your brother says this stuff causes ponies to spasm, collapse, shit and piss themselves, rupture their heart and fill their lungs with blood. Any of that true?” she questioned, grinning as she bounced one up and down playfully.

“Tah is some very potent nerve gas ranger. Don’t play with it.” Trouble cautioned, causing Night Light’s vindictive grin to spread even further, pocketing one for quick use.

“Wah we got laid out so far?” Trouble asked them.

“Uh,” droned out Rico, scratching behind his head, mentally taking stock “Lots of health potions, I’m talkin’ in and around fifty, maybe two score, roughly.” he stopped to let out a struggled breath “Er uh. We’re talking a about just under a tonne of ammo, forty kilos of that weird buttery explosive brick you use, a half gallon of liquid nitroglycerin. Ammo for all of us that is, uh grenades, gases, equipment like flares and other stuff, silenced weapons. Long range rifles, combat shottys, my pick of your carbines, pistols. Damn whatever brony, it's there.” he finished with confidence.

Trouble rolled his eyes “Ranger?” he directed the standing question to her.

“We got plenty of ammo, buckshot, slugs, birdshot, flechette for twelve gauge, all your coloured mags to. Revolvers with silencers, from forty-four magnum to nine m-m we got plenty of everything. SMG’s, M60’s, anything we deemed useful, rope, flares, napalm, grenade launchers, all in crates.” she summarized, still smiling.

Worthy entered the living room, a large wide wheelbarrow in tow, his hooves outstretched to bear it. You could easily pile eight ponies in it, with a bit of luck all this gear.

“I’m set.” Worthy declared, dropping the wheelbarrow to don his mask. The huge dark wide slanted eyes, the dagger maw forming a ear to ear smile was intimidating to say the least.

“Get some rest, all of ya. We roll out at daybreak. Hit em hard, hit em fast, and encourage some repeat business. You all got yer rooms, see ya all in the mawgun.” Trouble declared, heading for the hallway, stopping to whisper something to his brother, before proceeding.

The group stopped to exchange looks, save Worthy, who, after a moment's pause dropped the wheelbarrow and left for his room.Rico shrugged and followed, leaving Dawn and Night Light alone in the room. The mare was still toying with the gas grenade, resting in a armchair with a bemused grin on her face as she inspected it.

“You, uh, alright?” she awkwardly asked her.

“Oh, don’t mind me Dawn, I’m fine and dandy.” she replied slowly, slowly rotating the grenade with a vindictive grin, her eyes transfixed on the cylinder.

Dawn stared at her, wondering what was going on behind those pretty eyes of hers; she was very secretive. Hiding something, everything, her feelings, her opinions, her past. All this time she always just seemed to be just there. Never in the centre of things. She had cards to play, Dawn was sure of it. Keeping it close to the vest. As for her feelings, maybe she thinks the others will think she’s weak. Weak. Dawn knew that feeling.

“Hey Night Light?” she asked nervously.

“Yep.” came the chirpy response.

“Wanna, uh, talk about anything?” she asked timidly.

“Nah Dawn, nah. I got nothing to say.” she said, her tone distant.

Dawn gave a nod, looking back at the mare as she left the room, she longed to know more about her, she was too remote. Gallant, stoic, and angry: That was Night Light.

Dawn let out a sigh and gladly returned to ‘her’ dark room.

She felt warmed by the embrace of the lavish space. Its walls not so much restricting or corralling her, but being a fortress to the woes of the world outside. Her bed, the huge four poster comfort palace, was before her. She was relieved by the very sight of it and trudged over.

She flung herself onto it, gear and all, and let herself drift into the void. Dawn wound herself into a tight ball as the darkness engulfed her, and drifted to sleep.

_____________________________________________________________________

“A lot of hardware.” The Figure commented.

“We lost most of it I’m afraid, we used about,” she stuck her pink tongue out of the corner of her mouth, resting her hoof under her chin while she was caught up in deep thought, straining her recollective ability. “half.” she finished, uncertain of her own assertion.

“To be honest Dawn, I don’t give a fuck.” The Figure bluntly stated, “Just get on with it.”

Dawn rolled her eyes in contempt “Ok. She. Came. To. Me.” she sounded out.

_____________________________________________________________________

The door to Dawn’s dark room creaked open, the bright hallway lights highlighting the silhouette of a pony. The figure skulked in, quietly sealing the door shut behind itself. Concealed under a veil of shadow it approached Dawn, hunched over. From the darkness, a metallic “Clack.” echoed, gently rousing Dawn from her sleep.

She blinked furiously a dozen times, her eyes adjusting to the darkness, the only thing to be seen was the faint silver shimmering glow of a unicorn’s horn, reflecting off the polished steel of a short silenced weapon. Night Light.

Dawn could barely distinguish her features, it was the first time she ever seen her without her hat on, a long flowing silver mane had poured over her facial features and horn, salty trails were visible down her silver cheeks; she had been crying.

Dawn snapped to alertness after studying the mare, keeping her silence, but righting herself on the bed. Night Light drew in closer. Dawn backed up on the bed as Night Light sat her rump down on the end of the duvet, Valkyrie in tow, resting it on her lap.

The mare sat there in silence, petting her Valkyrie.

They remained in the darkness, in total silence, one waiting for the other to take the initiative. Night Light wiped her nostrils with a sleeve of her jacket and sniffed.

“Real fucked up, right?” Night Light uttered in a distressed hushed tone.

“What?” Dawn whispered back.

Night Light hid her face in her hooves, her body rising and falling in deep breaths, “Dawn, you seen it, you were there. Marizona, it’s in fucking flames. Everypony is dead.” She sobbed out.

Dawn was baffled, dumbstruck. “I-I-I... Night Light-” she stammered out before being cut off.

“-In my imagination, my mind has always been this impenetrable fairy tale castle,” she said with watering eyes, raising her head from her hooves to look at Dawn, “and you know what? I was the queen, and no matter what, that castle could withstand any siege, for better or worse the castle stood in defiance.” she said sorrowfully, swallowing “Now I sit in my throne and its crumbling around me.” She sobbed, covering the salty tears pooling in her hooves.

“I-I don’t know what to say.” Dawn timidly said, baffled by the mare’s sudden, collapse.

“Say something.” Night Light sternly demanded through pitiful whimpers.

Dawn searched around her mind desperately for something to say to sooth the frazzled mare, “Any, relatives? Friends?” Dawn shyly queried.

“VDNKh.” she coldly replied.

Dawn’s felt a pang in her heart, her soul sinking for the mare. She remembered when she was shown how they died, how could she forget? The scene replayed vividly back to her before her eyes. The five carts of bloodied, damned and demoralized ponies, not a smile between them. Keeping their silence, already dead. Silence, at least, before they torched the carts, reducing them to nothing more than ash in the searing desert breeze.

“I remember,” Night Light began, her voice crushed under the debris of her mental implosion “you said, how, the bodies were burned. How do you know?”

“I seen it.” she sheepishly answered, licking her lips.

“You didn’t, now how do you know?” Night Light repeated monotonically, her tears ceasing being replaced by coldness.

“I...” Dawn began, hesitant “see things.” she concluded, her own voice hinting she wasn’t even sure of her own story.

“What?” Night Light firmly questioned.

“I know how they died, who done it, believe me.” Dawn meekly answered, her eyes watering in the corners.

“Tell me.” she ordered.

Dawn gave a shudder, swallowing before she spoke “Rounded them up,” she began, gazing at the sullen and downtrodden mare, the red trails still visible from where the tears streaked down, “carts.” her voice cracked, she covered her mouth, Night Light turned her head, staring into Dawn with her dead grey eyes.

“Go on.” she mechanically droned, nodding her head.

Dawn searched around inside her skull, scraping every detail she could from her memory bank “They called him Gabriel.” she confidently stated.

Night Light’s eye twitched “Go, on.” she reinforced, her voice dripping in suppressed anger.

“The others, loved him, he gave the order, torch.” She stopped, biting her lip.

Night Light stared right through her, the odd time blinking slowly.

“I-I’m s-sorry.” Dawn stammered out.

Night Light turned away, staring into the darkness “Mother, uncle, my brother was already dead. My friends are long gone, some ponies care to remember me. Dad was murdered by a raider before I was born.” she sullenly said to the shadows.

The tired, sulking, mournful ranger slowly craned her neck back to Dawn, “I’m all alone.”

Night Light soundlessly left the room, trudging out of the room, drunk with sorrow. As if remembering she had a rendezvous with misery.

She turned to Dawn one final time, at the maw of the bright hallway, her silhouette highlighted, her features clouded in shadow. The mare stood staring at Dawn for a moment, or maybe it was a minute, before finally shutting the door gently, leaving Dawn, alone, in the darkness.

The lovely welcoming void, Dawn’s eyes were riveted on the door long after her departure, her brain taking in and breaking down the visitor’s message.

Time skulked by, crawling on and on, Dawn, slipping away with it.

_____________________________________________________________________

“You know what?” The Figure asked.

“What?”

“The more I listen, the less of a pony I view you as.” The Figure declared in a somber tone, “Night Light, you, it was almost cruel, the kind pony would have tried to comfort her, the sensitive would have told a lie to her. She didn’t need to hear that.”

“I’m different.” Dawn objected defensively.

“Oh, I’m well aware of that. To me it seems you're a class A Schizophrenic.” The Figure said confidently.

“What?” Dawn questioned in bewilderment, or disbelief.

“Oh, it’s just that well,” he began, “you hear things that don’t exist,” he started listing on his digits, point for point, “you have unusual thinkings and feelings. You have these fears and suspicions that don’t make sense, some of things these you believe in are strange and senseless! A lack of emotional response, lack of speech, you don’t even know what's real or imaginary. You’ve been sick for a while is my guess, I bet Trouble didn’t have any of you psychologically examined.”

“No, no he didn’t.” Dawn bluntly confirmed.

“Then tell me Miss Dawn, was there ever a point when you enjoyed squeezing the trigger?” he crudely asked.

“Yes.”

“I’m not surprised, the company you were in. Its Trouble’s favourite past time. That Rico, he was probably hopped up on enough drugs to make torture seem like a jigsaw, as for-” he was cut short, as a scarred black hoof flew for his nose, impacting on his nostrils, recoiling his head, the reserved mare snarling.

“Don’t. You. Dare. Talk about Rico like that.” she hissed venomously, her eyes ablaze with suppressed fury.

The Figure, shrouded in the shadows reached his hoof up. He yanked down, with a sickening crack he righted his nostrils, noiselessly wiping the blood on the table.

“Maybe I overstepped myself with my assertion.” he murmured calmly, “But Dawn,” he continued.

She looked up to stare him in the face, as she did he pulled her hoof forward, dragging her chest over the table, with his free hoof he smacked the back of her head down onto the hard metal table, with a resonating “Bang!” as her head bounced. Stunned her body was allowed to slither back, her head foggy as blood seeped from her left nostril.

“I’mvery good at fighting, I’ve been killing since you were an itch in your deadbeat dad’s balls. You hit me, I hit you harder, are we clear?” he asked keeping his calm voice steady, unphased.

Dazed, Dawn righted herself in her seat, the blow caused her eye to water and made her head foggy, the dull throbbing in her head annoying her. Corrupting her train of thought.

She gave a brisk nod, rubbing her temple with her Pipbuck hoof.

“Good, now enough of this shit, what next?”

“Uh.” she began, searching for the displaced words “Germaney, we crossed the badlands, derelict, Trouble said that was weird, usually activity. We found out why.” she blurted out.

“What?” the Figure questioned.

“Caravans were locked down, travellers and locals displaced due to, uh, fighting and fear. We ran into some, enemies of Trouble and Worthy.”

“Who?”

“Grosavics.”

_____________________________________________________________________

Dawn awoke in her bed, rejuvenated, replenished. The night’s unpleasantries in the back of her mind. Standing in her doorway was that cloaked and masked pony, Worthy, standing stoic, watching her.

Her strode into the room, his hoofsteps as silent as his brother’s inexplicably silent. Dawn remained frozen, paralyzed by an unknown force, she thought for a moment Worthy was inducing it, those evil eyes locking her in place with their vindictive glare.

“The room, Trouble’s little corner of, remembrance.” Worthy began, the mask killing his emotion, turning his voice into a chilling mechanical chime “It’s interesting, no?” he asked, keeping a grim yet strangely pleasant demeanour.

“I-I guess.” Dawn timidly answered, shying away from him.

“He said he wants me to tutor you, make you more. Now, he happens to have a very strict policy on that room, not even I’m allowed in it. Or else, now where does that leave you?” he questioned, leaning over the bed to jut his masked malicious face inches from hers.

“Uh.” Dawn droned out, drawing increasingly uneasy.

“I’ll tell you,” Worthy began “I want something back from Trouble for this, but I’m not telling him. I’ve agreed to even lend you the tapes from when I was in prison, but you get even more,” Worthy paused to draw one of the orbs from the room out from his cloak, “these, it's only right you get to actually ‘see’ who we are.” he finished, stashing the orb.

“So, you’re going to be, teaching me?” Dawn sheepishly asked.

Worthy gave a long nod, “How to master that rifle of yours and how to become,” he searched for the appropriate term for a moment “more.”

“Does, this mean. That, you’re sticking your neck out for me?” Dawn shyly asked, squinting at him, for no clear reason.

“I guess it does.” Worthy confirmed leaving the bedside, taking his leave “We’re leaving.” He announced before striding back out into the hall.

After what felt like several long moments of staring at the door Dawn forced herself up, the gravity seemed to be magnified as she lay on the soft fabric. The heavy weaponry she donned weighed too damn much, a little mare like her shouldn’t be packing this kind of kit. That heavy over the top shotgun “Black Rook” weighting at least thirty five pounds on her back, next to Bad News, another hefty hunk of metallic murder. Amigo may have been a big boy but he was manageable at least.

Her armour over time has come to feel almost sculpted for her body, moulded into her, becoming one, in some weird unspoken sacred pact. Her life, in exchange for purpose.

Her pipbuck forever alive on her hoof, the same green light perpetually glowing, as long as her heart pumped blood, her pipbuck glowed, as Trouble once informed her, even if not in that exact wording.

With a groan she launched herself off the bed, swaying on her hooves as she struggled for balance. Retaining a somewhat normal posture as she entered the hall, she took a deep breath, taking a long stride into the hall. Calmly trying to ready herself for the day, leaving this wonderful place for the hell of the wastes, all in some mad gambit for small metal circles that determined who lives, who dies, who starves and who feasts.

Before her hoof fell onto the the soft fabric a pony cried out “Heads!” she snapped her head around in alarm, her mouth opened in a silent shout as the brown blur barrelled into her at speed, knocking her off her hooves onto the soft floor with a thud, knocking the wind out of her. But it seemed to have knocked the brown blur down too.

“Sorry.” Rico groaned, Dawn got another good look at him, his black and blood red combat armour was all in a mess. His gothic shoulder plates jangled unfastened on his body, the straps were undone on his thick studded and reinforced ballistics vest. And only one of his large black square toe boots was laced properly.

“Uh, no problem.” Dawn awkwardly told him, climbing onto her hooves, she offered her hoof, Rico gladly accepted, he pulled himself up. He may have been tall, but he felt like he weighed practically nothing.

“Thanks Dawn, we’ve got a beautiful friendship ahead of us I hear.” Rico said in an energized voice.

“Huh?” she shot back bewildered, “you hear?” she questioned.

“Thats what the voices in my head are telling me, that and to bake cakes.”

“What?” Dawn pressed, confused.

“Then again the price of sugar around here is preposterous, and friends always end up passed out on the floor while I play a song on the flute.” he continued.

“What?” Dawn repeated, totally baffled.

“Usually with my old hoof ball boots draped around my neck, while those damn kids are outside listening to their rap music, loitering, of course the constables never heed my council.” he ranted on, it was at this point Dawn shook her head and gave up trying to make sense of what he was saying.

“Rico I haven’t an idea what you’re talking about.” Dawn interjected, shaking her head.

“Of course my philosophical standpoint on the police is to fuck them. As handed down through the generations.”

“Huh?” Dawn blurted out, kicking herself for egging him on.

“Fuck the Police!” Rico barked out, his face flared up in spontaneous aggression.

Dawn just stared up at the tall stallion, totally flabbergasted. After a moment of solemn silence Rico looked back, breaking into a broad bemused grin.

“Yeah, you’ll get used to that.” he reassured, beaming brightly at her.

Dawn just kept staring at him, totally lost for words. Resigning to awkwardly smiling up at the thin stallion.

The two entered the room together, already up were all the others, fully armed and ready to go, the wheelbarrow loaded to half capacity, nearly half the gear returned to the armoury.

Trouble acknowledged the two with a nod.

“We eat on the road, its a long haul, I told Duct Tape to bring roun’ me ride.” he told her, hefting the wheelbarrow off the ground. Dawn looked over to Night Light, the mare was back to ‘normal’, her hat proudly adorned on top of her head, tilted down, her Valkyrie polished on her back.

Worthy was how he always seemed to be with that mask on, despite her only knowing him a short time, dark and foreboding, she didn’t like it to say the least.

Rico was busy scrambling to fit his gear back on “Back exit right?” He asked Trouble, stalling more than anything, this ‘back exit’ sparked Dawn’s interest.

“I have permission to use it.” Trouble confirmed, pivoting the wheelbarrow with strain to face the door.

“What’s this about a back exit?” Night Light queried, beating Dawn to the punch.

“Next to Duct Tape’s is a not so secret retractable wall panel, they use it for bringing in the heavier shipments, from the ‘serious’ suppliers.” Worthy answered.

“Serious?” Dawn asked raising an eyebrow.

“He means the big fuckin armoured convoy yokes, bringing in petrol from Bastion, thousands of miles away, or huge food shipments.” Trouble answered for him, waiting for the door to be opened for him it seemed.

“Anypony? Nah?” He asked looking back at his companions in annoyance.

Worthy did what Dawn interpreted as an eye roll before hurriedly opening the door for his brother, proceeding down the hallway to call forth the elevator.

“Everypony on me, and don’t fall behind.” Trouble announced, backing himself into the elevator so as to have a quick and smooth exit. They all squeezed tightly into the elevator, pressed against the walls in a small circle around the wheelbarrow, forming a rudimentary buffer between the gear and the outside world. Trouble, the largest and bulkiest of them hefting it. Dawn took position to the right of the wheelbarrow, in front of her was Night Light, across from her was Worthy and behind him across from Dawn was Rico, Trouble taking up the rear.

The elevator doors slid shut and with a “Ding!” the lift began its descent, thinking back Dawn hadn’t the faintest clue why this little metal box petrified her. It was nonsensical and absurd, but it happened. She threw the thought into the back of her mind, bracing herself for the dapper crowd of the casino.

“Righ,” Trouble began, flexing his shoulders “I reckon this is a four day job max, if we haul some real fuckin’ arse we’ll be at the bridge in twelve hours, then there will be some serious hardcore action.” he said confident in himself.

“Details?” Night Light asked absent mindedly.

“All for the road.” he answered.

The elevator dinged open on the ground floor, as the metal panels retracted they revealed a fierce spectacle, ponies with bemused faces, mildly intoxicated glanced over to see the newcomers, nearly all the noise in the room died.

Hushed gasps could be heard from the crowd, one stallion even dropped his drink, the glass shattering with a clear crack sound, embellished by the silence that fell over the crowd.

All at once in a proud stride the group left the elevator, the ponies backing away, making room for the walking death threats. Dawn kept ranks with the group, feeling too exposed, but she glimpsed their faces, a terrified awe.

Rico tried desperately to beat down his grin, it flickered on and off his face, straining himself not to chuckle. Worthy didn’t seem to care or really notice, Night Light merely ducked her head, obscuring her features with the brim of her hat. Trouble done what Dawn expected him to do, be taking the largest and most ‘don’t fuck with me’ steps he could manage as he hauled the wheelbarrow full of munitions through the casino floor.

The group strode gallantly past the main reception desk, Inky was there, giving a sly chuckle as the group left the door, the crowd dumbstruck by them.

They pushed into the VIP way, the dark corridor the door at the end of the hall automatically opened without prompt, the mystifying lights of New Pegas dazzling Dawn yet another time.

The sun was only creeping over the horizon, the day had only begun and the strip was still flooded with drunken happy ponies. This city had a strange trait of perpetually keeping ponies intoxicated.

Down the steps to the Coltic was the Rap Mobile, the familiar burgundy mare was at the wheel. With her tongue stuck out of the corner of her mouth she honked the horn several times, pressing her hoof firmly against the centre of the steering wheel.

The mare chirply dismounted the vehicle, her greasy fringe slicked back on her head.

“Ooh, I seen happier funeral processions!” She joked staring at the group.

“And I’ve killed worse than you.” Worthy hissed.

Duct Tape’s face fell, she backpedalled clumsily, Dawn could’ve swore she shrank a little, looking at Worthy, the vindictive grin of the mask. She’d be scared of him too. To be honest as it stood, she was downright unnerved by him.

“Worthy, play nice.” Rico said, looking warmly at the malicious pony.

“Duct Tape your grand.” Trouble reassured, resting the iron cast wheelbarrow on the ground.

“Uh, sure then.” Duct Tape sheepishly replied, a single bead of sweat trailing down her brow.

She gave a feeble attempt at shrugging it off, turning her attention to Trouble

“Keys are in the ignition, I reinforced the engine bay like you asked, and there is more than enough fuel in the back, even with all your crates.” she informed him.

“Storage units?” He questioned in response.

“It was hard but I managed it, under the seats on a slide, you just pull it out, floor panels too, round the turret. Hidden and plenty of room.” the mare proudly said, wiping her furry chest with her oil stained hoof.

“Ya always pull through Duct Tape, admirable.” Trouble commented, lifting the wheelbarrow, rolling it down past the mare coming round to the rear. Duct Tape hurried over, pulling down the back panel to allow Trouble to dump gear on the car. In a fluid motion she slid out the storage she was speaking of from the seats by reaching under them.

Two long compartments the length of the vehicle shot out on metal rails on either side of the vehicle.

“That all?” Duct Tape asked, perched on the edge of the vehicle’s side armouring.

Trouble swung a heavy crate of weapons over his shoulder “Skedaddle.” he casually said, puffing out strained breaths hauling all the gear into the vehicle. Duct Tape leapt from the vehicle, returning to her workshop, waving over her shoulder to the group, not looking back.

Soon the gear was loaded in the sides, there wasn’t even a need for the panels beneath the heavy turret Duct Tape referred to. But admittedly, it’d take quite some time to filter through that gear to find the stuff you were after to begin with. All backed away in crates and what not, apparently they were numbered, but Dawn never seen proof of that.

They were all mounted up, a wall of spectators had built around the vehicle, watching with beverages, sharing hushed murmurs amongst themselves. Worthy, the cloaked menace was on the oversized machine gun with the gigantic barrel, Dawn noticed that he had the good eye’s visor peering through the shielding.

Dawn and Night Light were sitting opposite one another, in the seating near the turret, the shielding covering their bodies if they hunched over, or it could be used as a good firing position if they stretched themselves over the seats and floor.

Rico was riding shotgun with Trouble, the Red Queen between seats, supposedly for the passenger. Grey magazine loaded into the upturned shotgun, regular load. Dawn was kind of disappointed, she was beginning to really like the different flavours of carnage on offer in such a wonderful weapon.

“Oh fuck!” Night Light yelled out in alarm, jumping from her seat.

Dawn leapt up, startled, too busy trying to block out the stares of the crowd.

“Wah?” Trouble called back, as he put the vehicle into gear, looking over his shoulder back at the mare and past her onto the road.

“I need to use your radio, I forgot to report in to the Buck Himself.” she pleaded, clearly stressed. Dawn was afraid for a moment she’d have a repeat of last night.

“You’ll be grand.” Trouble replied, looking past the mare. With a jolt the wheels screeched to life and the engine gave a formidable roar as it propelled itself backwards, knocking Night Light off balance, causing her to stumble back into her seat, as she crashed into her seating she looked around her frantically. Glancing around the crowd, humiliated she tipped her hat down to hide her flustered and blushing face.

Dawn felt a knot tie in her stomach with the sudden motion, forcing her insides around, propping them all against the wall of her body, leaving one half of her body hollowed.

In a fluid motion Trouble span the wheel around, spinning the car around in a perfect one hundred and eight arc, rocking Worthy on the turret, his hooves tightly wrapped around the grips, for Dawn it felt like she was just bucked between the ribs.

She bent over, ducking her head low, pretending she was fine. Her malnourished stomach gave a displeased gurgle against her will, causing a wave of nausea.

Trouble slammed his hoof down onto the throttle, rocketing them forward, causing their heads to lol on their shoulders, all except Night Light’s. Crowds hurriedly dispersed before them, fleeing from the lumbering metal beast, growling at them.

Trouble pulled right past the Red & Black casino, stomping on the brakes between it and Shangri-La inches from the huge metal wall spanning the length of the strip in a wide circle, shielding it from the darkness and misery of the outside world. The car was halted at the wall for a moment, a boring moment. For the crowd it seemed that the driver had made a blunder and was too embarrassed to realign himself, but Trouble kept face, waiting.

Two securitrons wheeled over and took places on either side of the Rap Mobile, a moment later the screech of metal on metal flooded the strip, overwhelming the ambient noise, Dawn gritted her teeth, the noise made her want to rip her ears off. The metal wall literally pulled apart, the chrome metal slipped away and retracted on invisible hinges. Exposing a very strange stretch of road.

It was freeside, but, not overcrowded, not diseased and not so desperate. Just a grey stretch of road, maybe a mile in length running right out of Freeside, no gate, just open road. The place was still the usual dark destitute shade of grey, all junctions and side roads were cordoned off, and more importantly at every street corner was two securitrons as if any ponies looking to try their luck needed any more of a deterrent.

Trouble revved the engine several times, prodding the beast for its aggravated response. The angered engine giving a deep rumble, letting its master know it was ready.

Trouble slammed his hoof onto the throttle, the beast joyously rocketing forward, Dawn felt another fierce buck between her ribs. Her innards crying out in objection, the momentum unsettling them, it felt, off.

Rico stood from his seat, kneeling on the leather, the wind whipping his red mane back in fluid locks, he threw his hooves out, catching the wind as the barreled at speed out of the slums into the open desert on a cracked asphalt road, thundering towards the sun.

The stray rays of light catching on Rico’s silhouette, “Woo!” He cried out thrilled, before dropping himself with a bounce back onto his seat.

“Time for zee tunage.” he declared, fiddling with a small stereo beneath the CB radio Trouble had between the driver and passenger’s dashboard.

“Oh yeah, you’ll love the music I added.” Rico chimed, grinning mischievously up at Trouble, with a click the stereo burst to life, Trouble groaned as the music began to blare through the speakers that Dawn couldn’t see. Rico bobbed his head with the beat, Dawn found the music took her mind of the war waging inside her, that could have a explosive climax.

“Lets check the air waves, maybe there is a bus full of supermodels in distress out here.” Rico optimistically spoke, fiddling with the CB on the dash, the radio burst into static life.

“Meh, dead air.” Rico groaned, deflated, right before a spark of genius struck him, he leaned over into the speaker, clearing his throat.

“Rap Mobile motherfuckers!” Rico yelled out at the wastes as they sailed at high speed through the brown sea. Back in the wastes, Dawn gazed forlornly back at the lights of Pegas, the ambient beauty, she already longed to be there once more. Her eyes drifted to the pinnacle of the Red & Black casino, the pitiful old stallion, alone, in his dark ivory tower.

_____________________________________________________________________

“So, the road. You said Grosavics hit, I wasn’t aware they had Ponave operations.” The Figure said, intrigued.

“They had the hit planned, no telling how they found out, but, they hit in force. Griffins, ponies, we even had a few other vehicles to contend with.” Dawn informed him, remembering the insanity of the whole thing. And more than anything how many times she puked, she was surprised her stomach had that much to throw up, considering how little she ate.

“They’re on the rise again, still a shadow of themselves though. And of course the most obvious targets are what’s left of the ageing Death Dealers. All three of em’.” He snidely said, but not to her, just the stupidity of the Grosavics, Trouble and Worthy buried the hatchet long ago, they couldn’t care less for them. Trouble said so himself, and Worthy, well, he hinted at it.

“Four Death Dealers.” Dawn corrected, “Trouble, Worthy, Queen of Hearts and Eight of Clubs.” she listed.

“Very good.” The figure responded, impressed “But, I bet you know the Eight of Spades disowned the family, leaving three in our books.”

“Not in the Death Dealers.” Dawn objected, giving a single laugh.

“The Death Dealers are dead and disbanded, Trouble and Worthy are just two washed up has beens that are at the end of their working lives. Dirty consciences and even dirtier hooves, they may live in luxury, feared and respected, but its a filthy existence.” The Figure hissed in disdain for them, Dawn over and over in her head wondered why this pony loathed them so much. It was clear for this reason alone he was the perfect interrogator, they done a lot of bad things, the Death Dealers didn’t have many friends, and even fewer enemies, but still, they killed for money, serious money. Maybe he lost somepony to them, or maybe Trouble or Worthy ruined his life so by association he hated them all. It was all being decrypted in Dawn’s mind, but for now it was still a mystery.

“Enough of my ranting, continue.”

Dawn let out a sigh, slouching in her chair lazily “We were miles out, I refused to eat, travel sickness, not uncommon. We were running the line between the Ponave and Marizona, running east right towards Germaney.”

_____________________________________________________________________

The sun was high past the cloud cover by now, everyone had eaten, bar Dawn, her innards were in flames, throwing two hundred year old preservatives will be like tipping a keg of gunpowder on top of a bonfire.

Rico was still in charge of the stereo, playing his music. Dawn didn’t mind it, Worthy was sitting next to Night Light busy retelling a story, to which Night Light was enrapt.

“You choke Bastion, you choke all of Baltimare.” He continued, the story had only begun but Dawn was only paying half attention.

“How?” Night Light asked during Worthy’s pause.

“Simple really, Bastion is the only oil source left in Equestria, its a fortress, a city, before the war it was an oil refinery built into an old Gyrphonian ruin, they grow the petrol and diesel rapeseed underground, underground fields of it, stretching for miles and miles. Without it everything and everypony would freeze, its probably the most powerful independent city left, with the money that flows through there alone they could hire every faction in Equestria to wipe each other out.” Worthy spoke coldly through his mask, the mechanical tone making his words poignant and memorable.

“Why don’t they?” Night Light interjected, engrossed in the chat.

“It’s not wise to kill your number one customer, anyways like I said the Germaney’s top brass paid me to wipe out some amateur gunponies who were harassing their oil flow, Germaney is an industrial powerhouse again, they’ve got three arms factories up and running and one vehicle depot, if the oil stops, Germaney stops. The ponies in Marizona will do well to remember that, if not I could sell them that info.”

“What happened?” she asked, her face eager for more.

“As it turns out the ponies hijacking the oil flow were some up and coming hustlers from Trottingham, with the help of some Glascow smugglers they were shifting the oil on at fifty percent mark down, in exchange for the discount the Stalliongrad mob provided the gear and guns to the ponies. One of the three Phoenix families on your side is more of an advantage than an entire armoury loaded with high end magical energy weapons.”

“Yeah but what happened to them?” Night Light almost pleaded.

“I had a nice long chat with one of them, very polite young stallion, he squealed on his friends, their whole operation, which to be frank was raking in caps by the barrel, so I chopped his head off and went to visit his friends. In a word, pushovers, once the barrels of petrol started exploding, they started panicking, it was all over within a few hours, General Rauch Brecher kept me on as his secret weapon, once they started executing expats and expanding I made copies of as many of his plans as possible and took a final job, the envelope for Trouble, I was never supposed to come back from that.” Worthy concluded in his regal voice barely detectable through the mask.

“The death threat? What did the letter itself say?” Night Light asked, not yet satisfied.

“Kill the pony that hands you this letter, ya-da-ya-da-ya-da-ya-da Celestia’s kingdom is yours, bullshit-bullshit-bullshit, love Gabriel.” Trouble answered inattentively.

“That.” Worthy confirmed nodding at his brother “You should've seen what they were building, huge war machines, bigger than those tanks the Thundering Herd still float about in, I even heard their developing flying ones, gunships they’re calling them.”

“And the two princesses raise the sun and set the moon everyday, watching over us as we work play and sleep right?” Night Light countered in an obtusely sarcastic tone.

“Heh,” Worthy chuckled mirthlessly “you’re probably right, bullshit like that always floats down the river, try to spread fear through the enemies ranks, we’re going to be hitting the bridge, so I guess we’ll see.”

“You said you made copies of ‘General what's-his-name’s’ plans, we’re are they now?” she asked, beginning to badger Worthy.

“Under the eye patch, I didn’t want to tell those Show Ponies, no telling how they’d react.” Worthy calmly answered, Night Light’s eyebrows shot up in alarm.

“Their in your eye socket!?” she exclaimed in disbelief.

“Well its a lot more comfortable then keeping them up my ass.” Worthy countered defensively leaning in to Night Light’s face.

Rico gingerly raised his hoof “I can vouch for that.”

Worthy slowly craned his neck over to look at Dawn, her coat had a green tint as she sat there hunched up, a docile expression on her face.

“Trouble pullover, Dawn here looks like she’s about to blow.” Worthy called to his brother.

Trouble looked back at his brother raising an eyebrow, he rose from his seat slightly, scanning the landscape. All around them was a vast expanse of brown, small hills dips and rises in the ground all around them, not a soul or a building for miles, they were in the asshole of nowhere, complete with every shade of brown detectable to the naked eye.

“Uhh,” he droned out “anywhere in particular?”

“Roadside picnic.” Worthy answered.

_____________________________________________________________________

“Now this is where they hit.” The Figure confidently asserted.

“Bingo, scores of them, hundreds, ponies trying to run alongside, some did, griffins circled overhead. By the time Worthy spotted them, we were already zeroed in on, those hills were littered and lined with Grosavics, runners backed by shooters and constant aerial harassment. It was a nightmare.” Dawn recalled dismally, close calls. Too many.

“How many griffins?” The Figure inquired.

“I dunno, they swooped down, from the cloud cover. This was my new life, funny considering how close I came to death.” Dawn said, giving a weak smile.

“Just bring me through it, I want the facts, the details.” The Figure seriously told her.

“Damn long day, damn long. By the end of it, the car floor was filled with hot brass and puke.”

_____________________________________________________________________

The group had halted at the roadside, resting on the cracked asphalt, Rico was brewing something up with all the strange drugs and syrettes from the briefcase into a small pot they had set up, in the pot was a pale minty green goo that was being heated by a small bunsen burner that came with the briefcase.

Dawn rocked back and forth, the pain in her stomach subsiding, Trouble was slurping from his hip flask, idly chatting away to Worthy, Night Light occasionally adding something, then Dawn picked up on the conversation topic.

“Then tha fuckin kid somersaulted off the top of the exploding saloon, mortars jus’ pounding the sense out of us, I thought for a moment she was dead, holy shit a few more seconds she woulda been, she has a mean scar to show fir it.” Trouble banged on, enthusiastically retelling the tale to his brother.

“Night Light dragged her sorry arse into our wee hidey hole, that was some real hardcore action, fuckin Eraser like, still that was only one column, fuck knows how many Angels flooded Marizona.” Trouble concluded.

Worthy sat there listening intently, his mask off, he looked between Dawn and Trouble, the gears in his mind working away “How about I give her one of my tapes now?” Worthy asked, changing topic, his amber eye baring malevolently into Dawn, putting her at unease.

“Work away.” Trouble said waving a hoof at the mare, Worthy rose and strode over to Dawn, “I have something to show you.” he said to her, towering above where she sat, casting a long shadow.

“Uhhh.” Dawn droned out, at loss for words.

“Follow me.” Worthy ordered, going around the back of the purple Rap Mobile, Dawn shot looks to both Night Light and Trouble pleadingly. Trouble gave a stiff nod, turning his attention to Night Light. Dawn sheepishly rose to her hooves, swearing under her breath, Worthy gave her the creeps, and the fact Trouble condoned him dragging her away from the group felt like a bitter betrayal.

She reluctantly followed the cloaked pony behind the car, the folds from his cloak trailing behind him, the dirt and dust staining its edges. They stopped at the back panel that could be pulled down to become a mounting position instead of mere cover.

There he was, leaning up on the car, standing on his hind hooves, tinkering at something on top of the Rap Mobile, a small red cassette tape player, a small set of old headphones connected, the thin worn wire snaking up in a coil.

“Put them on, and listen.” Worthy instructed her, offering the headphones.

Dawn let out a nervous sigh and nodded, taking the headphones from Worthy, fitting them around her ears, the frame was uncomfortable and poor fitting, Dawn gave a long nod, awaiting Worthy’s ‘tape’. Dawn vaguely recalled him telling her he’d ‘lend her his tapes from when he was in prison’. Worthy jabbed the play button and a crackling audio filled her ears. A pony with funny sounding accent spoke harshly, a stallion no doubt.

“What is your preferred weapons set, and why?”

“Anything that makes a spectacle, and that can be controlled. You see all these soldiers strutting about the place, carrying a twenty five pound hunk of metal capable of spitting out a thousand rounds a minute. Why?” Worthy began, he was merely voicing a stream of thoughts aloud.

“There is no, punchline to it. No, how can I put it? I like nothing faster than semi automatic, why? Because some idiots get caught up in the moment. Semi automatic offers control, it has precision and a sense of omnipotence, what's worse? Some idiot screaming at the top of his lungs as he fired 30 rounds at you, missing and going astray, or one cool, silent shooter, dropping five rounds a minute at you, all gaspingly close to your head? The bolt action provides me for what I need, terror. Another favoured weapon is the flail, a flail is better than any sword, lance, energy weapon, blade you got.”Worthy paused for a breath before continuing “I get in close, all they see is a heavy hunk of metal spinning wildly on a chain before I knock the brains out of their skull, it makes a bloody mess too. Usually they’re too frozen in fear to do anything to stop me, the blood... Explodes over me, drenching me. Making me out to be far worse than I could ever hope to be, same with the rifle. Other than that we got my flamethrower, or you got my flamethrower I should say, that is a real weapon, no not weapon. What am I saying? Its a tool, like any other, my most efficient I dare say, I don’t use it for efficiency. The shrill screams from that you cannot get from any other weapon, as their sizzling in their own fat all they can do is scream in agony, have you any idea what that does to other ponies watching? Its a million times better to watch them be butchered with an axe than suffer that fate. But, there is always, my teeth. Or my metal jaws, which you confiscated. There is something so terrible about that to other ponies, that I weaponized my teeth, what I did was make sure ponies were watching then bite a hoof off, its not hard if the jaws have been sharpened, the screams, the roars. They make you stronger, better. Fear is my only weapon, I channel it through my tools, it does worse things to ponies than your ‘firearms’ could ever hope to. Blood is my special talent after all, right?”The crackling ceased along with the audio, Dawn stared up at Worthy and he stared back, he slowly leaned into her, whispering sullenly into her ear “I’m on your side, a lot of hatred and anger is on your side, you may not appreciate it now, but in time, you’ll come to love me like a brother.” he chillingly reassured her. Dawn wasn’t sure when it started, her scarred hoof was trembling violently.“Now though,” he started again “you’re probably loathing me.” he gave a mirthless laugh, leaning away from her, he left her with one final message before striding off once more “You and I, we’re going to learn so much together.” he said to her, smiling.Back with the group Rico was pouring the boiling liquid into small bottles, thickening as it was left to cool in a small satchel to which the tiny bottles were fitted to.Dawn rejoined them, her stomach settling “What are those, things?” She asked jabbing a hoof at the bottles.“Some very fine shit,” Rico answered, smiling up at her “back in Phoenix I was apprenticed to a local drug tycoon, I learned the blends, uppers, downers, some shit that’ll make you damn near unstoppable, this is the stuff that makes you unstoppable, I call it ‘Demon’.” he finished proudly levitating a bottle before him. The pale green goo hardening quickly in the transparent bottles.“But, its.. hard goo.” Dawn awkwardly objected.“Nah, nah, nah, once its hard you grind it into powder and snort.” Rico explained.Dawn literally recoiled in confusion, that was a new one. “So, once you do that thing, what happens?” she asked curious about the concoctions’ traits.Rico sighed “Snort, sniff it up. It takes usually seven seconds and then it boots you into hyper drive!” Rico joyously exclaimed beaming, Trouble shot him a dirty look “Pain is jammed, you could be shot and shake it off, your brain is just rocketed into like supermode, its better than mintals, makes you so sharp, every ounce of you is faster, sharper and deadlier, all in one long flash. But the crash is... Hard to say the least.”Dawn’s jaw was hanging low, her eye twitched, it was perfect. Just what she’d need if things came down around her, make her less like Dawn and more like what she was supposed to be, Mischief.“Last time I took a hit of that shite I was down for twenty four hours.” Trouble commented.“Well,” Rico began thinking for a counter argument, so he switched his gaze to Dawn “would you rather be down for a day or for an eternity?”Fair point.“Still, it’s only to be as a last resort,” Rico added, his smile dropping “last thing we want is a damn demon in our midst when we’re trying to be diplomatic.”“Diplomacy? With my brother?” Worthy sneered “Call yourself a comedian.” Worthy tutted.“Fuck off.” Trouble interjected, gulping from his flask.“You always were the charmer weren’t you?” Worthy asked Trouble, shaking his head at his brother’s gruff attitude.“I’m fuckin forty! I didn’t last this long on charms and good looks.” Trouble pointed out, annoyed at Worthy’s sarcasm.Worthy turned his eyes to the skies, “We got company.” he bluntly stated in a slow, cold voice.The entire group looked to the sky, high above were several specks circling above them. Trouble burst into action, stashing his flask, a hoof firmly against the grip of his white revolver as he hurriedly moved over to the Rap Mobile on his hind hooves, mounting it.“Worthy, get them fliers ID’d, kid, give em a hoof, Rico, yer ridin shotty, Night Light saddle up!” Trouble barked up, firing the beast up. The engines howling in anger. Worthy’s strange deployable rifle ejected from under his cloak on its strange scaffolding brass frame, he rubbed the dusty lens with his muzzle in a small circle before peering down the lens.“Three griffins, big ones.” Worthy called out, Dawn did the same with Bad News, scanning the sky. She spotted three imposing silhouettes circling high in the sky, bigger, bulkier and more muscular than any pony she ever seen. She had only ever seen one griffin, and even then it looked formidable with its wings tucked in, outstretched, it put them to scale.“Uniforms?” Trouble called back.“I can’t see they’re in the sun, we’re being zeroed!” Worthy declared in alarm.Dawn was still gazing up at the dark silhouettes, they looked to be armoured, it was hard to tell, the small pinpricks jutting out from their huge wingspans were feathers, a small whipping tang with a bulb of sorts at the end had to have been their tails.“Dawn C’mon!” Worthy gruffly ordered, dragging her towards the Rap Mobile, startled she nearly dropped Bad News, coming to her senses she hurriedly threw it into the Rap Mobile ahead of her as Worthy mounted, adorning his mask as he climbed. Night Light helped pull them up, her Valkyrie readied at her side, everyone seemed to be on high alert bar Dawn, she didn’t see what the panic was about.She took Night Light’s hoof and was pulled into her old seating position, Night Light slammed the back panel shut and yelled back “Drive!” Hurling herself into her old seating position, ducked low. Worthy hooked his hoof under the bolt of the machine gun and pulled it back, the heavy mechanism giving a solid “Chuk-Chuk” in response.Trouble slammed the car into gear, taking off at a heart jumping pace, instantly knocking Dawn’s gut back into a traumatic state. She looked to the heavens, the three specks in the sky had multiplied into three dozen, sailing through the air in a elegant V shaped formation.The flock soared through the sky, taking a drastic turn they plummeted from the heavens, the light catching them “Oh Shit!” Rico cried out, readying his rifle, Overture. The griffins were clad in a sickly green armour with a blue trim, run of the mill thick combat armour, it wasn’t their armour Dawn saw first, it was their guns, the best she had seen so far bar Trouble’s own stock, finely polished and refined weapons, combat shotguns, exotic assault rifles, dual wielding machine pistols, all carried by huge feathered monstrosities.“Hit the deck!” Night Light cried out, hurling herself onto the floor of the Rap Mobile as the griffins swooped in, Worthy span the turret around to face the oncoming griffins, Dawn in a heart thumping panic flung herself down with Night Light, throwing her hooves over her ears and shutting her eyes tight in fear.

The griffins levelled out, thundering towards them, a second later a splash of sparks bounced off the turrets shielding, denting the metal with a shrieking “CLANG-CLANG-CLANG!”

Worthy clamped down on the grip trigger, the cannon burst into thumping life, a round entered the chamber from the belt, spat out almost immediately, used up in a heart stopping “THUMP-THUMP-THUMP!” The colossal rounds flashing through the vents in the barrel in a bright blur for a moment of a second before being propelled at insane speed and strength at the griffins, filling the floor of the Rap Mobile with hot brass.More bullets bounced around the Rap Mobile, slapping harmlessly against the back panel’s thick armour, or being embedded in the side plating. The gun pounded away, Worthy scoring a lucky hit, exploding a griffins skull, the bullet tearing his wind pipe, down though his ribs mulching sinew and bone before finally exploding out its muscular hind leg, in a flash of bright plush brown feathers and blood.The griffins dispersed, streaking overhead, breaking ranks and retreating upwards at tremendous velocity. Dawn timidly opened one eye, looking around her panicking, she wasn’t used to these ‘things’, it didn’t help that her stomach had her immobilized, she was very much out of her ‘comfort zone’.Night Light climbed up, pressing her hat down onto her head, scanning the landscape. Turning her back to Dawn she peered over the side plating into the hills that were undoubtedly beginning to funnel them as they rose in steepness and frequency, the field of view was visibly beginning to narrow.“Awh shit!” She swore venomously, “The hills! Shooters in the hills!” she spat out begging for attention, Dawn peeked her head up an inch, she wasn’t lying. All over the brown hills were little heads and black barrels peeking up, waiting.“Fuck! Rico grab the Queen and work on those Griffins! Worthy start trimming those shooters! Ranger, Kid you support that stupid cyclops I call my fuckin’ brother!” Trouble barked out, pulling a panel of thick cast iron up where a door window should have been on a small lever, a little retractable slot to fire from locked tightly head level with him.The shooters rose from the dirt simultaneously as Dawn remained glued to the cold metal floor of the Rap Mobile, the spent casings bouncing up and down with every pump in the road. Dawn intestines screaming out in objection for every bounce of a spent bullet.Worthy tilted the turret around, seeing the line of ponies taking aim. In one insane trade off the two sides exchanged searing hot metal like greetings between old friends.The machine gun pounded again, ringing out like deafening thunder, flashing like bright dazzling lightning. The rounds impacted hard into the hillside, the ponies hurled themselves into cover, most did. One was knocked several feet back as the round struck his chest. Night Light ducked low behind the side plating on her side, getting in a proper combat cover stance.The noise, the panic, the bullets, the hellish ride, it all became too much for Dawn. Her stomach finally mutinied against her, she felt it. Everything in her vacating at once, she choked out for air as the putrid bile rushed up her gullet, with a sickening belch and splatter her yellow tepid puke sprayed out onto the metal flooring, trickling through small seeps, covering the bullet casings in a coat of sick.Dawn’s chin was laced with it, the corners of her mouth stained with the bile as the bitter residue left a lingering taste in her mouth.“Dawn!” Night Light groaned, kicking the gooey vomit off the bottom of her hooves, her beautiful face scrunched up into an expression of disgust and resentment.“Sorry.” Dawn meekly apologized, her vision unfocused as the strength dissipated from her body, seeping away, being replaced with a numbness as her head fogged up. Turning the whole scene into a blurry haze.Worthy kept the fire up, the ponies on the hill finding some balls and gaining accuracy. The bullets banged and clanged sharply off the shielding, all just missing Worthy’s head as he blared his cannon back at them, sawing ponies in half with piping hot lead, booming away.Night Light popped up from her cover, her Valkyrie’s scope pressed against her eye, it “Tak-Tak-Tak” ’d away. The rounds slowly ejected the breach, launching up with every silent tap of the trigger, switching targets constantly, she found it difficult to hit shit at this speed, a bullet whistled over her shoulder, striking fear into her she ducked back down. Swearing harshly under her breath.“I need a bigger gun!” Night Light cried out through gritted teeth. Aggravated and inflamed at her lack of effect.“Under the seat cushions!” Trouble shouted back, his head ducked low. Rico was next to him, pressed against the dash, his hind hooves jammed into the corner of his seat.The Red Queen rested between his arched knees, jutting up, watching the high six of the car. There was a concentrated and determined expression on his face.The desert sand kicked up, gusts of the hot waves washed up onto the Rap Mobile as the road ceased. The searing hot powdery grains splashed against the metallic floor. The grains dinging as they impacted, the sand thickening the vomit puddle in the car, made denser by the smoking casings being spat from the machine gun.The wave caked Night Light in the nearly baked white grains. She growled in frustration as she nearly slipped in the thickening puddle trying to pry open the cushions as the bullets whizzed around her. Finally the seat cushions sprang open and Night Light leaned into the small opening. a second later she let out a victorious cheer, she sprang out a wide grin spread across her face.Wrapped in her shimmering silver telekinetic field was a bulky belt fed machine gun, a sleek thing of brutish beauty: heavy black metallurgy, a bipod tucked away under the barrel and a large combat scope mounted on the top.“M-bucking-Sixty!” Night Light exclaimed in glee. She flicked the bipod free from under the barrel, banging it down onto the side plating. Hooking the bipod onto the plating as she rested herself as comfortably as she could, which wasn’t very. The sand waves beating down into her causing her to lose sight picture on the ponies. She grunted in frustration, popping the collar of her jacket to keep the annoyance of the sand free from her eyes.Muzzles flared through the sand cloud, even as Worthy ceased fire. Night carefully took aim, trying to lead her target. A few seconds passed. Tired and fed up of waiting Night Light let loose a large maintained burst, the machine gun hammered away, Night Light wildly sprayed at where the flashes came from. The heavy thumping from the M60 ceasing the bright flares with its own loud, overwhelming sparks.Dawn felt another deep rumbling in the pit of her stomach, some remnants of her insides rallied for their freedom.Her stomach rioting inside her, banging on the walls of her battered stomach. The curdling sensation causing Dawn to coil up as the puke slowly seeped around her, cocooning her in her own vomit sand stew.Another wave of nausea kept her pinned down to the floor. The internal battling progressed and accelerated inside her, the aggressors battled their way out of her gut, the feeling vanishing for a split second, reappearing a second later at high velocity, barreling out her mouth. The vomit erupted from her half open mouth, splashing onto Night Light’s hooves. The runny bile trickled down on her hind hooves.“Dawn! Stop puking! It’s disgusting!” Night Light roared at the fainting mare. Dawn’s vision flickered on and off, clinging to consciousness. The cloud of dust passed over them, finally coming back onto the solid road, the bumpiness of the road lessening slightly.Worthy’s machine gun banged away and the gunfire between the two sides escalating once more. The ponies on the hill stood high and proud, in defiance to Worthy’s shelling. The lines of dozens of ponies fell to the ground, as the rounds sailed through the air, accompanied a second later by a splash of scarlet, hurdling a crumbled pony backwards through the air.The V formation reappeared, disbanded into single cells and swarming the car as the griffins whirled around them in. Rico pumped a round into the Red Queen, his face curling into a snarl. “OK! Lets play Rough!” He roared. Pressing his back firmly against the dash he squeezed the trigger. The Red Queen erupted in a hateful roar, the pellets forming walls in the air. An unfortunate griffin whizzed past the barrage of pellets, immediately turning into a hunk of flying mush. The meat had an elegant glide through the air, coming to a majestic meaty splat into the desert sand, rolling into a runny red ball coated in a thin layer of brown.Night Light continued firing on the hillside ponies, rarely hitting her target as they dropped low as soon as the bullets surged upwards towards the shooters.The griffins whipped around in circles overhead, narrowly dodging the Red Queen’s walls of high velocity metal flying at them. Another griffin more foolish or suicidal than the others made a tight swoop, rushing the Rap Mobile with two machine pistols in its talons. Rico narrowly adjusted the Red Queen onto her, firing a single overwhelming burst. She desperately tried to rise up into the air, but to no avail. The pellets struck hard into her, shredding her wing in a puff of feathers and sanguine cloud. The downed flier let out a high, ear-splitting squawk of agony as it tumbled into the Rap Mobile. Crashing into the thick puke puddle, splashing it into Dawn’s face. Too weak to respond, she lay there immobilized.Night Light kicked out in further disgust, spinning in alarm as the griffin squawked and cawed. In agony, it writhed and flailed in pain, splashing the puke around as it fought against an invisible foe.The griffin let out panicked bursts from her machine pistols. The small pistols rounds hissed from the barrel in alarming doses. Night Light turned in panic, M60 at the ready her face curled into a malicious snarl. The griffin glanced at the murderous mare with frantic and frightened eyes. She instinctively kicked the puddle as hard as she could, splashing the thick stewy bile up into Night Light’s face. The Ranger dropped the machine gun with a yelp, the sandy vomit stinging into her eyes. Night Light cried out in shock as she began to claw at her face with her hooves, wiping the frothy puke free of her beautiful features.The griffin rolled in the puke and raised a machine pistol to Night Light, letting loose a spray of lead. The pistol tapped away, the slide bouncing back and forth as the it spat fire at Night Light. The mare’s snarl fell into an expression of weariness as she tumbled backwards onto the seat. The machine pistol’s slide stayed locked in place; Night Light’s jacket was littered with bullet holes.Worthy finally broke his focus on the hillside, realizing what had just happened. In a fluid motion he leapt from the turret, pouncing on the downed griffon .The griffin kicked out in objection, cawing further as Worthy nailed her front paws to the floor, loosening her grip on the machine pistols. In a single powerful movement Worthy threw his hooves up, clapped them together and slammed down onto the griffin’s throat, severing the windpipe, the griffin’s eyes widened as it tried to suck in air, her muscular protruding chest, heaving and convulsing as her body pressed her for air, Worthy climbed off her, quickly brushing Night Light down onto the seat, as if she could be sleeping. The edges of Worthy’s cloak were stained by the sickly green-yellow vomit mixture.The griffin gasped and clawed at her own throat, rocking on the ground, the griffin rocked onto her side, looking Dawn in the eye with her own wide quivering hazel eyes as she choked, her eyes began to roll behind her eyelids as its blood mixed with puke and sand, adding a tint of red to the thickening slimy liquid. The griffiness finally gave out. Her body finally caving in, the whites of her eyes pressed before Dawn. She was too sick to feel disgusted, or scared, only numb and weary.“Ranger’s down!” Worthy cried out, leaving the mare where she was. He returned to the heavy machine gun, the smoke rising from the glowing red barrel. Bullets were whizzing overhead and all around, Worthy’s black turret shielding had at least eighty bright pimples in its skin.Trouble looked back to see the limp Night Light, the incapacitated Dawn and the dead griffin laying there, shredded wings outstretched, inches from Dawn’s head. “Awh Fuck!” Trouble swore loudly, everything going to shit around him.“Rico, give the kid a shot of jet and keep the Ranger alive!” Trouble sternly ordered.Rico leaned up, staring back into the rear of the Rap Mobile. He gagged when he saw the scene; the limp bodies, the sandy puke with the blood infusion with a sprinkling of brass cartridges as Worthy desperately fended off the onslaught.Appalled, he cried in objection “It’s fucking disgusting! I ain’t going back there!”“YOU FUCKING GET BACK THERE AND SAVE HER LIFE! OR I’LL GUT YOU MYSELF!” Trouble roared, pissed off by everything, feeling helpless.Rico complied, more fearful of Trouble’s venomous rage than the bullets sailing overhead. Rico hurdled over his seat landing into the back of the Rap Mobile, wading through the pool of puke. He hunched over, grimacing as he kicked the sticky goo off his boots. He reached Dawn, figuring she’d be the better pony start with, readying a small syringe of jet.Dawn’s vision flickered off and on, as the little lingering lights in her brain began to flick off one by one, lulling her into a mesmerizing sleep.Rico uncapped the syringe, using his brown telekinetic wrap to tap the needle’s head several times. He jammed the syringe into her scarred hoof, forcing the miracle concoction into her veins.He ripped the empty syringe free, lifting Dawn’s chin free of the hardening sticky puddle. Rico slapped her gently on the cheek “C’mon Dawn, c’mon, shit’s going down! C’mon!” The jet seeping into her blood, slowly creeping up on her, the sense still going from her body.Then, the jolt hit. The numbness dissipated from her body, combusting into raw blood-pumping energy through her body. The energy coursing through her body, energizing every inch of her, jump starting her senses, bringing her back to the world.Her vision sharpened dramatically. Every line, every blade of fur, every speck of sand and sweat was perceivable on Rico’s frazzled face. Dawn inhaled deeply through her nose, breathing in the putrid bitter stench and greedily sucking in the air. Nails dropping in the bit of her stomach with every ounce of air, now with a renewed dosage of energy she could push past the nausea, the pain, and utilize her much needed Jet induced finesse.She forced herself up, her muscles supple and powerful, more so than ever before. Her eyes locked on to a black dot whirling through the air, coming in for a swoop. Her brow furrowed, sweeping Amigo free of his belt, chambering a round, she pushed past Rico, startling him, slipping into the stilted world of SATS, picking her shots. Two high calibre rounds were propelled down range, knocking the speck out of the air at incredible distance. The speck crashed into the ground in a puff of dust, the tension in Dawn’s face relaxed a brief moment as she reached for Bad News, reacquainting herself with her familiar friend, chambering a large round, ducking low on her side of the side armouring. Rico smirking at her in disbelief at how she simply with a single needle turned into a fierce warrior, from pitiful semi-conscious mare.Rico refocused, his face growing concerned and serious as he loomed over the sleeping wounded, maybe even dead ranger. Rico rested his hoof on her neck, waiting several seconds before declaring “She’s alive!” he ripped open her perforated jacket, underneath was a forest green thick combat vest littered with the tiny bullets, none visibly piercing.“In fact, she’s fine!” Rico cried out, relief spreading across his face “Just out, nothing for that.” he grinned, before quickly thinking, Rico shoved Night Light’s M60 next to Dawn as he pushed past Worthy back to his seat “Keep heat off us!” he shouted back to her, swinging one hoof over the seats, sluggishly climbing back in, exposed, a bullet slammed into his side, knocking him dumbstruck as he tumbled back into his seat, the Red Queen bouncing next to him. Coming to his senses a minute later, only aware of what had happened as he clutched his side and winced, grinding his teeth as he tightly shut his eyes, writhing in pain.“Rico!” Trouble cried out in alarm, seeing his passenger bleed, the bullet just hitting a gap between his armour plates “Fack Mah Fackin Life, You Fackin’ Silly Cunts!” Rico raged in a gruff accent, his forced grammar and etiquette evaporating, rolling on the ground, covering the wound with his vomit smeared fore hoof.He pushed himself up, grunting with every pain inducing movement, forcing himself onto his seat, he reached for one of the small bottles of ‘Demon’ levitating it up by his head “I’m too fackin nice, enough a’ this bollocks!” he growled smashing the bottle on the dash, the glass shattering into a million tiny crystal shards, the gunk inside the tube crumbled into powder, sticking to the dash. Rico swung his head whacking it firmly into the dash, rubbing his nostrils into the small mound of pale powder, sweeping his head side to side, snorting and sniffing until he worked his way down to the warm hard dash.He threw his head up, eyes burning with a new flair, his face from the lips up masked in the pale powder, giggling maniacally, his brain burning, all his senses in flames as the overwhelming warmth flooded his body.“A WHOLE LOT OF PONIES GONNA DIE!!!” Rico triumphantly roared at the top of his lungs, reaching for his beautifully crafted carbine ‘Overture’ swinging her into the skies as he stood high and proud on his seat on his hind hooves, holding his forehooves outstretched proudly, a quivering manic grin on his face.“Fillies And Gentlecolts! The moment you’ve all been waiting for!” he cried out ecstatically.One griffin from the pack took a shot at him swooping inwards, the bullet struck his left shoulder, recoiling him, but not much else.Rico’s grin turned into a hellish snarl “DON’T FUCK WITH ME!!!” He roared hoarsely, Overture tapped into life, firing a single controlled round at the griffin, decapitating it as it crashed into the dust tracks behind them. Rico giggled through gritted teeth, a moment later swivelling his rifle telekinetically all around him, his eyes not moving, the rifle homing in on all the griffins, tapping away with a beautiful ring from the rifle, the skulls of the swarming griffins snapping back as each round cracked their skulls, sending them tumbling into the dirt with insane accuracy. Rico giggling to himself, his chest heaving, his outstretched hooves almost presenting the show, the falling angels, plummeting to the earth from their perch atop the heavens.The swarm dispersed, fleeing high back into the sky “As for me next trick!” Rico yelled out joyously, ejecting the magazine from his rifle, quickly topping up at an amazing pace, before the empty mag had hit the floor a fresh round was injected into the chamber.Dawn got to work on the hillside ponies, climbing over Night Light, resting on her place, the Jet guiding her every squeeze, every twitch of the scope, with deadly results, tapping away at the trigger in bursts, smiting the ponies down, collapsing over, Worthy proving less efficient than her. His heavy machine gun glowing a bright red, its rate of fire lowering with every passing shot, Worthy struggling more and more as the road narrowed, more and more targets appearing.Dawn felt a nagging sense, something making her feel at unrest, maybe it was the jet, but maybe it was. Dawn threw her eye away from the M60’s scope, the glass cutting her neck a half a second later later as the glass exploded, a bullet piercing the lens.Dawn collapsed onto the seat, shaking, dropping the M60, looking out on the clear side, breathing steadily, listening to the thumping of her heart in her ears. The constant disorienting drone of gunfire making her teeth itch. The jet made the gunk pooled on the floor seem colourful, pleasant. The constant rippling as the puddle turned to jelly, every fresh round from Worthy being absorbed into the hive.She smiled to herself, the rounds banging into the side armouring behind her, barely covering her skull, she looked up to Rico, the stallion was busy basking in the moment, enjoying the praise by an invisible audience. Autonomously snapping his neck to the right he cried out “There they are!” twisting his body to face ‘they’.Dawn turned her head slowly to see to whom he was referring to, her eyes widened, taking in the spectacle, her pupils shrinking in her head as the gears behind her eyes spinning wildly. A horde of charging ponies in shabby sickly green armour with a blue trim, same as the griffins, except, much more worthless, it consisted of a green and blue dirty shirt and a small metal panel around their shoulders, fastened with belts acting as poor, primitive armour. Waves of them, toting around small pistols in their mouths, others with nothing visible at all, instead carrying saddle bags, the unicorns among them (Which numbered very few) carried pairs of pistols, all galloping towards the Rap Mobile.Rico faced them, fearlessly, Overture at his side “C’mon, c’mon, I know what you got for me, just show it, c’mon.” he murmured, sweat pouring down his face, merely staring at the oncoming waves, the scattered group homing in, barely keeping pace alongside the Rap Mobile. Dawn amazed they weren’t outstripped after seconds.One of the ponies reached his head into his saddlebags, still galloping full speed to catch up, his head emerging a second later, a grenade in his maw “Bout Fackin Time!” Rico exclaimed.The first line of the unarmed ponies all revealed their munitions, all Rico done was look at them bemused, the pistol wielding ponies firing wide shots, missing drastically, spraying aimlessly. And all Dawn did was watch Rico watch them, as Worthy slaved away on the hillside shooters.The line moved in closer and closer to the Rap Moble, keeping close proximity to each other, all of them terrified. Knowing any second their lives could be ended, all it would've taken was Dawn to pop her head up, but she didn’t. Rico shrugged firing another single round from Overture into the maw of the closest of the grenade ponies. The bullet whistled through the air, striking the grenade.“tink”The entire line erupted in a concussive blast, black smoke billowing high into the sky as all the air seemed to be sucked from Dawn’s lungs, then thrown back at her, winding her. The entire wave of ponies disappearing, the boom rocking Dawn’s vision, shaking the Rap Mobile, disabling her eardrums replacing all sound with a high pitch ring.The blast wiping out every thought stream that was running through her jet fuelled brain, crashing her train of thought in a fiery wreck.She found out where the bodies disappeared to.Thick red drops of rain showered from the sky, drenching her in sanguine, the red rain washing into the vomit. Less than twenty four hours ago she was squeaky clean, now she was doused in gore, trudging in her own vomit, rocking a jet ride as a thousand rounds a second whizzed all around her brain.Rico was blown backwards in the concussive shock wave, hurled into the bottom of his hoof room, giggling like a fool to himself, the red rain splashing off the Rap Mobile’s interior.“Oh for fuck’s sake! I just got this out of the bastarding garage!” Trouble angrily swore, beating his steering wheel in frustration.The blood shower ended as quickly as it began, the punishment on the Rap Mobile at least halved since the red rain fell from the heavens. Rico jumped back up onto his high stance on his seat, taking triumphant bows, a smug satisfied expression on his face.The rain had stained Dawn’s newly coloured mane, turning the illustrious gold and striking blue braid into a wet bright red. That bothered her, she looked down to Night Light, the mare was caked in blood and sand, caking the sanguine to her body.“She’s going to be mad when she wakes up.” Dawn muttered to herself, still sitting idle, waiting for her brain to reboot.“Rico! the griffins!” Trouble reminded the stallion, Rico abruptly ceased his bravado performance, averting his gaze to the heavens, his pupils reduced to pinpricks in his eyes.They were soaring back down, the remaining dozen or so, looking for vengeance against their decimated brethren. Swooping down in a long dive in two separate columns. Rico swivelled Overture in a single blur over to the Griffins, the gun lowered top his hip.“Duck Hunt! Rico declared in an electrified voice.Overture tapped into life, the precision weapon began to thin the ranks on both columns, switching in quick snaps between the two, scoring headshots non stop, dropping them like flies.The griffins speed magnified as they levelled out, dashing alongside the Rap Mobile, Rico struggling to keep up as Dawn sat mystified, mouthing “Ooohh.” with wide eyes.Rico’s grin turned to a fierce scowl as they overwhelmed him and outstripped his rifle, only 4 remaining. The hillside ponies ceased their bombardment as the line ran out, Worthy spun the turret around to face the griffins, slowly twisting, or maybe the Jet made it seem that way.Rico’s rifle clicked, the magazine spent, alarmed Rico dropped the rifle reaching for his Uzi. A griffin revealed a small metal tube with a wooden stock “Brace!” Worthy cried out.The griffin slammed itself into the ground as brakes and fired the tube with a loud “Ta-hump!” a small cylinder propelled forward, striking the undercarriage of the car. Launching the Rap Mobile into the air.The world blurred as everything at once shook violently, toppling, tumbling and capsizing, Dawn’s ears rang as the world deformed before her. Her weight lift her, being replaced by the rush of wind and heat. The putrid puddle splattering into an exploding pulp. The bullet casings suspended in the air, a large shadow cast itself over everything in this disoriented contorted world, followed by a harsh metallic screech and then. Blackness._____________________________________________________________________Dawn was in a void, blackness, aware of the blackness, only a tiny flicker of consciousness, a small spark of sense and light in the dark nonsensical void. All that could be heard was the deafening sound of silence.In the far distance of the void, miles upon miles away, out past the horizon was a tiny speck of light, a single ray penetrating the darkness. Sound accompanied it, a muffled drone, stuttered noises, the ray intensified, crawling closer and closer, igniting Dawn’s senses.Dawn’s was hurled back into her body, her eyes unfocused. Her entire body aching terribly, being dragged along, shoulder to shoulder with a familiar striped red stallion.“You need ta stop fuckin droppin’, its getting anooyin’.” Trouble grunted out, hefting her along, his voice barely comprehensible through her drowned out eardrums. Her vision sharpened, the jet still running strong in her blood, but she was still disoriented.She took in her surroundings, all around her was the puke puddle over the coarse desert sand, she was somehow in a ditch being dragged back to the road, she craned her neck up, her neck straining with the effort. The Rap Mobile had been knocked onto its side, the wheels still spinning.Trouble dumped her against the thick metal hood of the car, back propped up as her head lolled on her shoulders, dazed and confused. Trouble drew both his revolvers, the white and black pair, Dawn looked to her left, the group was all there.Worthy, his cloak stained with vomit, blood and sand, his mask was no longer equipped, he was busy tending to the unconscious Night Light.Rico was giggling like a fool, pacing back and forth about as bullets struck the undercarriage of the Rap Mobile, his rifle and the Red Queen missing.“Y’all grand?” Trouble asked, wiping sweat and blood from his brow.“Fine, as is the Ranger.” Worthy answered, his hoof holding up Night Light’s chin as he inspected her.“Grand? Nah, don’t be a wanker China, I’m fackin mint! I’m gravy mate, fackin gravy.” Rico exclaimed ecstatically, jumping up and down on the spot, a wild look in his eyes.Trouble crouched down low to Dawn, sitting on his haunches, he looked her sincerely in the eye, slapping her gently on the cheek, trying to rouse her “Kid, geddup, dun nay fuck us ‘ere.” Trouble uttered, resting Amigo into her lap, taking the Black Rook for himself.Dawn’s body slowly booted up, her awareness crawled back into place after such a hard hitting displacement. She let out an involuntary moan as the pain stepped up a notch with every light coming back on in her brain.“Atta girl.” Trouble said happily, clapping her on the shoulder, pulling her onto her hooves. Every inch of her felt weaker than it should’ve felt, no single shot of Jet would suffice, she’d need a second dose.Rico greedily licked the powder mask off his face. rubbing the powder off in a cloud with his hoof, licking it up, his eye twitching at the ingestion.Rico picked his Uzi up off the ground, yanking the bolt back, ejecting a round. He peeked around the corner, he let out a gleeful giggle “Allo, allo,” he jovially said.“What?” Trouble asked, staring seriously at Rico.“We got hostile motors Bruv, fackin plenty of em, fourish.” Rico declared, lines of shooter ponies building on the road, in prone positions firing randomly at the Rap MobileDawn swayed as she struggled to control her balance on her hooves. Hovering Amigo at her side, Bad News still on her back.“Fuck my life.” Trouble muttered under his breath “Okay! Rico start dropping em, Worthy flank em’! Kid you with me?” he whispered to her.The fog in Dawn’s head began to thin, the gunfire elevated in volume as the gravity of the situation sank in.She sluggishly slung Bad News from her back, slowly chambering a round, her horn burning with the most minimalist of performances.“Are you with me!?” Trouble repeated, shaking her this time. Knocking her further from her swamped, clouded mind.Dawn gave a brisk rigid nod, back in the game, the jet the only thing keeping her afloat. Without it she’d be out, maybe dead, it made her function normally, like rousing from sleep.“Start fuckin’ shootin!” Trouble ordered. Growling, Dawn looked around her, Worthy had vanished, Rico was pacing angrily about, waving his hooves out in anger, riling himself up, stomping the ground, waving his Uzi about.“Rico, ya pumped!?” Trouble shouted out, pumping both barrels with the explosive shells.“The whole fackin team is pumped! Me, Myself and I!” Rico exclaimed, riding the flames of the demon burning inside him. The blood pouring down onto his armour, giving the black armour a glistening crimson shine, maybe it was Dawn’s imagination but, it was sizzling.Rico peeked around the corner, his uzi prodding out. He beamed ecstatically, a harsh rumbled could be heard drowning out the gunfire, four rusted vehicles screeched to a halt, ponies wearing proper combat armour dismounted, nine a vehicle. One on the turret.The vehicles were long, poorly armoured and maintained, longer than the Rap Mobile and boasted an LMG on a tripod.“Rico! Draw some fuckin’ fire, Imma melt the fuckin line! Kid give em help!” Trouble declared, hunched over on his hind hooves, facing out past the hood of the Rap Mobile.Dawn complied, Rico ducking back behind the Rap Mobile, crouching on the lopsided seating, licking his lips, giving the puke at his hooves a thousand yard stare. “Rico?” she quietly asked timidly.He slowly twisted his neck to stare at her, his expression unreadable. “Allo, Dawn.” he nonchalantly answered her.“I don’t think I can do this.” she shyly told him shaking her head. Every gunshot chiselling away at her confidence. The drugs addling her, reducing her expressive capabilities.Rico chuckled happily to himself, rising up, stretching, flexing his shoulders, Uzi hovering next to him, barrel turned to the air. He gingerly approached Dawn, disregarding the situation, smiling warmly at her as he planted a reassuring hoof on her shoulder.Rico cleared his throat, his smile never faltering. Dawn found herself smiling back, calmed by the stallion, a friendly stallion.Rico let out a shallow breath, “You know what Dawn?”“What?” she asked him, bemused by his little game.Rico’s pupils flared up, his grip on her shoulder tightening, “We’s gonna die! Hahaha!” Rico roared furiously, laughing maniacally, he leapt backwards, Dawn in tow out of the cover crashing into the dirt in the open. Dawn rolled off Rico panicking, the jet launched into supersonic speeds, invigorating Dawn, the stallion giggling on the ground exuberantly.Dawn climbed up, Bad News readied, Amigo drawn at her hip, there were scores of them, ponies clad in the shabby green and blue armour. Pissy poor quality weaponary, old bolt actions held together by duct tape and aged adhesive gels, they reminded Dawn of the rifle Brick Jaw carried on her first day out here. the ones by the vehicles were clad in proper combat armour like Rico’s only thicker at the chest and thinner at the extremes like the Griffins.The vehicle’s turrets homed in on them, all four at once narrowing in on Dawn, her heart thumping powerfully in her chest, Bad News span in a wide circle, firing away wildly. The semi automatic weapon pounded away killing all turret gunners in a single split second, Dawn herself quivered with the raw adrenaline surging through her.Rico’s eyes shot wide open, his horn flaring to life in an overglow. The side compartment of the Rap Mobile sprang out, the long rail Duct Tape showed off, filled with their gear, the metal bottom providing cover for the prone stallion, laying like a plank on the desert floor.Bullets struck home hard on the metal, their gear thankfully facing them. Dawn dropped into the desert floor, smacking her cheek on the scorching sand. The bullets whistling through the air over her head, the warm breeze heating her to an uncomfortable temperature.Trouble was in the clear, all guns were pinned on the two behind the metal covers. Trouble took several breaths, focusing up. The straps on his pistol belt undone, revolvers cocked in their holsters.He kicked off the ground, propelling himself forward, leaping into the ground, time slowed.There was dozens, dead ponies on the turrets of his targets, jutting out from the undercarriage of the poor vehicles was a hung low metal tank. His breathing low and steady he levelled the clunky scope’s crosshairs onto the tank of the car to his far left, all them sitting pretty in a neat little line.Mid air he squeezed both barrels, the shotgun blasting him backwards off course as the two silver cylinders sailed from the shotgun, inbound for the tank. The two cylinders piercing the thin corroded metal, the impact striking the small detonators on the shells.The vehicle flipped several times, shooting high up into the air in a purging fireball. Metal ripped free of the corpse car, the heated scrap shooting out of the vehicle in all directions, striking down, wounding and disorienting the ponies. The fireball consuming all those unfortunate enough to be near it as the car crashed back down to earth, the screech of tearing metal as the car was pancaked into the asphalt.Trouble still in a concentrated trance pumped the weighty weapon, injecting two more silver cylinders into the breach. Taking aim for the next vehicle, confident he squeezed the triggers, crashing into the ground, having been blown drastically off course with the sheer force of the weapon.The shells destroyed their mark, the car propelled forward, spinning wildly in a beautiful fiery circle, the jagged metal spitting free of it, crashing down a moment later on a line of poor disorientated shooters in the shabby armour, crushing the poor bastards, their screams of terrified objections cut short by the bodywork compressing their bodies, shattering every bone in their bodies.The ponies were in disarray, scampering and scrambling desperately about, many discarding their rifles, the combat armoured ponies with their better weapons kept their collective heads.Trouble spun on the ground, rising to one knee, pumping the Black Rook when the ponies finally took notice of him. Trouble fired a single barrel at a pony who had him in his sights, vaporizing his chest as the pony’s disconnected limbs shot outwards from him.The blood spray causing the pony next to him to recoil in horror as the gore stained him. Shutting his eyes in disgust let out a high pitched whine as he tumbled over, flailing in repulsion.Trouble rose onto his hind hooves, taking aim for the next car’s gas tank, taking careful aim. The gunfire dying out with the confusion and carnage. Until.“BANG!”“Bang-Bang!!!”Trouble dropped the Black Rook to his side, the bullets knocking the wind out of him as he staggered back behind the Rap Mobile. Two griffins passed overhead, one carrying a combat shotgun, the other a pair of pistols. Trouble slid down the hood of the car unto his rump, the pellets from the shotgun blast lodged in the skin of his armour. The pistol rounds digging deeper, cracking his rips.Dawn saw the flyers, still on the ground she kicked herself around, peering down the silver sights of Amigo, the ever decreasing flying specks shrinking in her sights. Slipping into the magic of SATS.“Bang! Bang!” She let two shots ring out, the SATS performing as it always did, wonderfully. The griffin on the left plummeted from the air, crashing in an undisclosed location far from her, the other broke away, rising back high up past the cloud cover.The cloaked pony reappeared behind the lines of ponies, the calm malevolent dark figure, standing unnoticed amongst the fearful ponies. His cloak brushed back exposing a small tongue of blue flame burning perpetually as it slobbered burning hot liquid.“Worthy! Burn em!” Trouble howled out grinding his teeth in anger.A second later the figure complied, Worthy’s grin matching that of his mask’s, the small tongue jutting from the cloak erupting in a cleansing green and blue flame, the colours entwined as the jets engulfed the ponies, high pitch screams ringing out as the squeals were cut short as their vocal chords were scorched to cinders in their throats.Worthy whipped around, spraying the purifying flame in a wide wave, covering the lines, the vehicles, the shooters, the desert in a coat of impossibly hot flame. The combusted gel that doused them sticking to their bodies as they flailed and floundered, cascading to the ground in a flaky black burnt pile in a puff of ash.The searing flames were mere feet from the Rap Mobile and Dawn was overwhelmed with the heat, sweat developed into a pool around her, saturating the desert sand beneath her.The flames ceased, the pretty blue and green jets disappeared, suspended in the air a moment before disappearing, all that lingered was the small tongue just hovering from Worthy’s cloak. All the power retreating backwards, like the small little flame merely threw a tantrum and was back to being soothed as it snuggled against its master’s cold embrace.Trouble pushed himself onto his hind hooves, resting the Black Rook against the hot hood of the Rap Mobile, the purple paint trickling in thick droplets off the body work with the immense heat waves generated by Worthy. A thick black smoke column rising up from the scorched earth, the ponies amalgamated into it, bound eternally to the earth they were born into.Dawn climbed onto her hooves, the smoke stinging her eyes as she struggled to breath, the smoke forcing pressure on her lungs. In the midst of the smoke was the dark figure striding from the sullen plumes, the fierce eyes drilling into Dawn’s mind, haunting her.Trouble rounded the Rap Mobile, entering a ditch, appearing a moment later with his beloved Red Queen cradled in his forehooves as he sauntered back onto the road on his hind hooves, brushing the dirt off the flame vinyl attentively.Meeting his brother on approach, Worthy offering him Overture in a clenched hoof, Trouble refusing it. “Why ‘o’ why did that happen?” Trouble began moaning “A: we just fucking hit the road and B: I thought we killed the fuckin’ Grosavics.”Worthy replied “Not all, there was word of them rising up, still as inept and overconfident as always.”“Look at her.” Trouble said forlornly walking around his battered and bruised car.He rested a sympathizing hoof on her, ignoring the heat “She was jus’ outta the shop, spruced up and prettier than ever. Now look at her.” more melancholy over his tarnished ‘Rap Mobile’ than the mound of scorched ponies behind it.“The Lord works in mysterious ways Trouble.” Worthy commented resting a reassuring hoof on his brother’s shoulder.“Really? Looks like shite luck to muhself.” Trouble responded defensively.“Blessed are they who maintain justice, who constantly do what is right. It ain’t luck brother, its divine judgement.” Worthy confidently recited.“Fuck you and that old book, gi’ss us a hoof preacher.” Trouble said, bracing to push the Rap Mobile off its side.Worthy got alongside his brother in an identical stance.“Three, two, Heave!” Trouble groaned, shoving the car with strained muscles, veins pressed against his skin. Worthy forcing the car with his shoulder, his hooves dug firmly into the dirt.The Rap Mobile creaked and moaned in objection, before finally, giving. Crashing back down to its proper four wheeled position, bouncing on its thick heavy duty tires. The rail near the rear Dawn and Rico used for cover sprang up and down, the gear almost being jettisoned free.Rico climbed off the dirt, inhaling deeply, sucking in the noxious air. The burning behind his eyes petering out, matted in his own blood and that of the blood rain. Night Light’s unconscious body falling onto the desert floor.Trouble moaned, rolling his eyes as he picked up the mare, her body caked in blood and sand, slinging her over his shoulder he dropped her over the high side plating onto the seats with a loud “THUD”Rico strutted flamboyantly over to the two brothers, swaying with each step.“Smells like vict-” he abruptly was cut off as his body halted all operations, his head facing the sky as his eyes rolled into the back of his head, his body impacting limply onto the hard cracked asphalt.Trouble moaned even louder this time, throwing his eyes in a wide over the top roll, twisting his neck “Fuckin’ young fellas can’t handle their substances.” he complained, scooping the tall yet light stallion into his grip.“Awh, he’s bleedin’ all over muh!” Trouble moaned, despite being covered in dirt, blood, puke and sweat tossing Rico into the back after Night Light, Dawn couldn’t help to find that funny yet cruel.Dawn looked into the horizon approaching the brothers, too awkward to make eye contact, the sun was falling out of the sky, it seemed they spent the entire day under heavy fire, back to the wasteland then. Only now, things were escalated.Worthy and Trouble were standing idly at the passenger door to the Rap Mobile, Trouble leaning over peering in the back, a pained expression on his face.Dawn opened her mouth about to speak before Trouble cut her off “Fuck-a-duck kid, how the fuck does a mare so small puke so much?” he complained in disbelief, grieving for his car. Dawn peeked over into the back, well, it wasn’t THAT bad.The puke puddle had been more or less removed in the flips, only a few hardened lumps here and there, the seats were covered in blood patches from the rain, and it was only after she pulled away did she realize her chin and lower face was still covered in hardened bile.Rico and Night Light lay on top of one another in a lifeless pile, the turret was splashed in the yellow vomit giving it a sickening, stinking coat, the M60 was fine, she didn’t know how, but there it lay, looking cold, black and fierce.She sank down back below the side plating, unable to stop herself she sank lower still, crumbling down onto her haunches, Worthy’s eyes tracking her all the way down.Dawn managed to rest herself against the bodywork of the Rap Mobile, resting her head on the still warm metal armour. Uneven and rough with its bullet cracked skin, almost every inch of it littered with crushed metal rounds.“Annnnnd, there she goes.” Worthy said in anticipation of Dawn’s implosion. She didn’t understand, she felt fine, it just. Her body, stopped.Trouble broke his attention off the mess in his car to Dawn, unlike the others he crouched down low, checking on her, lifting his chin, gazing into her eyes.“Exhaustion.” Worthy diagnosed.“Yeah, we’ll feed her when she comes around.” Trouble declared, dropping her chin, her head lolling down onto her chest.“Girl done good right?” Trouble asked optimistically.“No, but, if you say she’s ‘it’ I guess she is.” Worthy answered, instantly deflating his brother.“She’ll come into her own soon, she’s a natural. I’m going to tune into the Buck Himself and you can get me some damn food, starved.” Trouble announced, climbing into the Rap Mobile, fiddling with the radio. Dawn heard it crackle to life as her vision darkened in the corners. Her thought stream coming to a close.“You’re as hopeful and deadly as you are fat and old.” Worthy joked, chuckling mechanically.“Yeah yeah, you won’t be saying that when you’re the only one crying at my funeral.” Trouble countered, everything becoming silent as the grave as the familiar raspy and suave voice filled the air.“Got more news today, none of it good, sorry folks.” the pony forlornly stated, clearing his throat “The battle for the ‘Bridge’ is ongoing, Purist forces have been putting up heavy resistance as the battlefield and I quote has become ‘FUBAR’ casualties estimated in the hundreds already. In other news, reports of Grosavics in the Marizona region have been put to rest as an entire battle group was sighted bombarding Route Forty Three on the road to Germaney from Pegas. Their target unknown, but it’s suspected that a special forces team were deployed to spearhead the attack on Germaney, details remain sketchy. This is the Buck Himself, signing off.” The broadcast ceased, Dawn’s vision along with it, the final thing she heard before drifting off was the echoing voice of Trouble.“Ya know what? I’ve missed total war.”Quest Completed: “Back in the Saddle”Quest Added: “The Bridge”

Chapter 20.5: Roadside Picnic

“You’re fucking disgusting.” The Figure remarked, appalled.

“It's hardly my fault my stomach is so soft.” Dawn defended shrugging.

“Nopony, nopony has a stomach like you, fuck me.” The Figure moaned burying his head into his crossed forehooves.

Dawn just lay back in her chair, popping several joints in her neck from her poor posture.

She had to have been here days by now, double digit hours at least. Hunger was settling in but she was used to it. There was no time in here, just the darkness and the Figure’s willingness to continue.

The Figure lifted his head, throwing Dawn’s horrific performance to the back of his mind

“Right now I’m guessing Jet Stream enters. Correct?”

“Yeah, soon anyway. He was doing sweeps of the bridge, giving all the others some aerial cover. Us too for a while.” Dawn answered making meaningless gestures with her forehooves.

The Figure sighed wearily reaching into his jacket pocket exposing another brown folder.

Dawn had to wonder ‘How many of these things could he fit in that suit!?’

The Figure splashed the folder open on the table, scattering the contents, exposing a short profile and a small picture. Dawn hoofed the picture over to her, she squinted down at it.

Dawn instantly smirked, It was him alright.

It was a picture of a passed out maroon pegasus limp in a wooden chair, a huge white mohawk weighing his head down. Drooling a trail of saliva from his agape mouth, the same turbine on his flank just barely visible. He was naked in this photo, one of his hazel eyes half open. Dawn had to wonder what kind of pony went up and took a snap of him passed out on a bender.

She quickly glances over his profile synopsis

Name: Jet Stream

Aliases: Nil

Nationality: Unknown (Suspected Marizona)

Sex: Male

Age: Presumed 18

Affiliations: Trottingham Boot Boys

Sounded like him alright, these profiles just seemed to be stolen and watered down accounts from the business dossier Trouble had distributed. Then it hit Dawn, her own stupidity.

When she first woke up she denied claims of knowing Trouble, of course they fucking knew about her and him, half of Marizona did. ‘Well... I dun goofed.’ she thought.

“Of course he was always a...” The Figure thought for the appropriate wording “Lets call him a ‘problem child’, all he seemed to do for your ‘Family’ was stir shit and cause problems.” The Figure stated.

“He was still Family.” Dawn responded disinterested in the Figure, still gleaning over the profile.

The Figure snorted, “What ever you say.”

“We done gossiping?” Dawn asked looking up, a serious expression on her face.

“Hmph, that's more like it. Take us to when you woke up I wan-” The Figure cut himself off, raising one of his black steel digits to his ear, turning his head.

He began mumbling quietly in response “Yes, yes, I see. Unavoidable, unexpected, roger... Right.” he straightened himself up, clearing his throat.

“Your buddies Donn and Jet Stream have been reported in Phoenix.” The Figure randomly stated, was that what the call was about?

“Huh?” Dawn cocked an eyebrow in bewilderment. The fuck were they doing there!? Where the fuck was Trouble!? Night Light!? The Goddessforsaken Worthy!? None of this made sense! Why the sudden split? The sudden abandonment?

“As for Trouble and the Ranger, they’re still off the map.” he added, “Now take me to when you woke I want to kno-”

“Woah woah woah,” Dawn quickly interrupted, cutting him off with a raised hoof “What about Worthy? Where were they last spotted? The Rap Mobile? anything.” She pleaded desperate for any information.

The Figure huffed “Worthy was last spotted in Pegas, before you went out on your last ‘mission’.” he said making quotation marks with his digits.

“Before you were lifted, Trouble vanished and so did Night Light , she wasn’t with you when we got you. Now I’ve already told you too much, now you tell me something.” he ordered sternly.

Dawn smirked “See? Meeting each other halfway.” she happily put it, gently fitting both her forehooves together smiling up at the Figure sweetly.

“Yeah, yeah, cut your shit and tell me what I want to know, a proper account of The Bridge, not the usual embellished bullshit from bars.”

“You’ll have it, the assault lasted fucking hours, we were all in pieces after it, I found out why we were packing so much gear. Really” she smirked ”You’d like it.”

_____________________________________________________________________

“Ow.” Dawn groaned as she came back to the bleakness of the world, her brain shattered.

She was sitting comfortable in the front passenger seat of the Rap Mobile, her head rested on the hard dash as a tendril of cold saliva tethered her to the machine.

Her muscles cried out for respite as they burned inside her, she wasn’t in the mood for their moaning. Her eardrums slowly came out of lock down, the muffled sounds that bounced off her ears slowly permeating into sharp syllables.

“No no, the real killing will be in drugs, strong and undiluted product.” rang out a voice Dawn identified as Rico, her brain was still decrypting it all through the haze.

“No, best watered down everything, more product marked up prices, higher profit. I still stand that all the money is going to be in gun running, the Hero Maker is going to be all over this place soon, we need a competitor to make ourselves look better.” Worthy interjected.

Dawn was slowly deciphering the topic of the conversation.

“Stronger product, I stand by it. All it would take is one good drug pony to know what we’re doing, but if we give them a hard hit, repeat business is guaranteed and our competitors undermined. It's best to be the best.” Rico countered.

“Point stands, we’re in Pegas in the Ponave, they’re in Phoenix Marizona, if we’re dealing, it’s in bulk. Either that or we go through trading companies.” That was Trouble, she was sure of it.

“We sell guns then by the unit versus the kilo.” Worthy asserted audibly stomping his hoof against the side of the Rap Mobile.

“What's the difference between the kilo and the unit?” Rico asked a little unsure.

“A unit is the weapon and one full load of ammunition, there is differing rates for the different units on offer, whereas if we sell by the kilo the heavier weapons will go for more and ammo sold separately, but it will be at a universal set rate per kilo.” Worthy comprehensively answered.

“I got fuck all of that Worthy, Trouble? Can you help me out?” Rico responded puzzled.

“I dunno, I never fucking took economics.” he answered.

Worthy groaned “Well excuse me for bothering my ass studying, trust me with the guns, I’ll let you handle the drug end of things.”

“I can’t believe you guys are serious about this!” That was Night Light, shocked and disgruntled.

“The price of assistance and support from the family is the continued and combined effort of supporting and assisting the business of the family.” Worthy simply stated.

“You point a hoof I’ll kill the pony, but if we need cap flow, you cannot stop us. You want to kill all the purists you can get your hooves on, I want as many caps as I can get my hooves on, now lets go back to business.” That was Worthy in a flat and serious tone.

Dawn lifted her head an inch from the dash, her neck trembling terribly under the strain, her muscles pulled taught, putting severe pull on her joints, with a jolt of strength she threw herself back into the chair. Groaning involuntarily as her back impacted on the soft leather as she sank into it. Her aches melting away.

“Dawn’s up.” Rico spotted, testing around to look over the exhausted small mare, “Best we leave her in the dark ‘bout this.”

“No,” Trouble objected “she deserves to know.”

Dawn twisted her neck around painfully to face the group, it was the three stallions standing in a triangle speaking, Night Light was sat on the hood of the car, the blood mopped off her, everyone was cleaned. Even her, she had no idea when or how it happened, but her armour was practically glistening.

“Tell her we wasted half our water on her ability to puke.” Rico added. Well, that cleared things up.

Dawn’s vision finally sharpened up, bringing everything into a meagre focus. They were somewhere else, a flat expanse of desert, the searing breeze carrying the white hot specks of sand in the gust. The large scarlet and yellow striped stallion she knew neared her, approaching on his hind hooves, a small crumpled cigarette in his cupped grip.

“Howya hangin’ kid?” he asked in his usual strange jovial accented voice.

Dawn’s eyes tracked him as her mouth hung agape, her mind still clouded and cast in a shroud of... Mind fuzz.

“Nuuughhh.” she groaned, her brain unable to form words.

Trouble’s eyebrows rose, his face reading ‘Oh Really?’ he took out the familiar flask and offered it to her. Before rolling his eyes at his own stupidity, forcing the nozzle into her mouth, she couldn’t resist.

She hated this damn drink, but it always ended up in her mouth. The same bitter hard kicking drink burning her throat, overloading her tongue. The overwhelming fluid ran down her throat without resistance, gushing down into her stomach, like a match plummeting into a barrel of oil.

Her stomach revolted, as if it hadn’t been through enough already. The drink did what it always did though, besides taste like acidic piss; ease her up and numb the pain.

The liquid speared the haze in her head, clearing a narrow passageway of interpretation.

She coughed half a dozen times after the first wave of it, Trouble quickly pulled it out, stowing it on him once more, he slapped her on the back, helping her get it all up.

“Thats it! Get it up.” Trouble encouraged enthusiastically.

Dawn began to get a steady breathing pattern, she stretched out her hooves, the joints creaking like rusty hinges, popping and cracking. She yawned loudly, finally realizing: It was nearly dusk.

She was back in the world, barely, but back.

“What?” She replied, snapping out of a small trance.

“Can you get a fire going? I don’t want to cook on a chemical one.”

Night Light nodded and leapt off the car, wandering into the expanse, Rico pulled himself out a small bottle of beer and sat his rump down on the sand, enjoying a pleasant desert afternoon. Worthy let out a tired sigh, his hood pulled down, he slowly rounded to the back of the Rap Mobile to get what he needed.

“You awrite?” Trouble asked her sincerely, climbing into the driver’s seat.

She nodded briskly.

“Good, we were, jus’ discussin’, shite, of the, business, nature.” he slowly informed her, finding the best way to word it, which was poorly.

“Huh?” she asked in confusion.

“Talkin’ business with the gang.” he said more confident now.

“Oh, right. And?” she asked still foggy and sheepish.

“Well, why do you think I packed all those guns?” he tested her.

“Its... I dunno.” she shyly admitted.

“All those guns, most of them back in Pegas too, I sell them. I have no need for that many weapons, there are ponies all over Equestria who pay by the barrel for those things. And wartime is the happiest time on my calendar.” he smiled, coming across as a little vindictive.

“Well...Then how’d you get so many?” was the only question that sprang to her mind.

“Simples,” he began “I sell to the ponies I’m most likely to kill, all I do is recycle and take new stock from corpses. I get paid to sell the guns, I get paid to get them back. No matter what, I win.” he finished, his voice laced in suppressed pride.

Dawn kept her silence, unsure of what to say, when she remembered.

“And what about the drugs?” she timidly asked.

“Oh.” Trouble sounded out, caught off guard “Rico’s idea.” he said, sighing.

“I never liked Drug dealers, especially the ones who sell to anyone. I hate to see the stuff around kids, if we’re going ahead with that, the drugs are going to the right ponies. The Lord knows there are fuck all ‘right ponies’ in Equestria.” Trouble said a little angry.

“Like Jet or something?” she asked through the haze, the first thing springing to mind.

Trouble gave her a concerned look “Yeah, yeah that’s right.” he answered, unsure of his own words.

“Trouble,” she began “what exactly are we going in to do?”

“Easy, we go to the Bridge, link up with some of Marizona’s finest, make a push, try to slip in and blow the arm’s dump a mile high. And afterwards, get that pegasus. The bridge, I ain’t going to lie. Its going to be some of the most fucked up action you’ll ever see. That's why at all times, Worthy is never more than fifty metres from you.”

Dawn was thrown into a world of confusion and doubt, not being helped by her hazy mind. She struggled to formulate a sentence “Before, huh? Wait,” she stammered, Trouble waiting patiently while she reasoned out the best question to ask first “why Worthy?” she finally reasoned.

“Well,” he started rolling his head shoulder to shoulder “He’s fitter than me, younger, healthier, better on overwatch and a medic.”

“Huh, I see.” Dawn meekly accepted, still unnerved.

“You good with it?” Trouble asked, noticing her attitude.

“Uh, yeah, yeah.” she nodded, not believing herself.

Trouble cleared his throat, exposing the small cassette tape player Worthy played the log back to her on “Worthy wanted you to hear the next one.” he said stiffly, forcing a smile as he fitted the old rickety headphones on her.

It began. The same harsh, funny sounding stallion opening it.

“What is fear? You keep going on about it.”

“Fear? There is no such thing. It's an illusion conjured up by ponies like me to make something fierce from something weak. I’ve been called fear, I strive to become your personal monster. Haunting you, plaguing you. Eating at your very fucking soul!” He roared, anger welling up.Panting heavily he continued. “But no, I’m no monster, as much as they’d like to call me one. As much as I’d like to be one. I’m not. I’m flesh and blood like all you other pathetic excuses for life. I always seen through the mist of morality, another illusion. Morality is the chains that we bind ourselves, self restrictions, why? It's absurd, it's redundant. You’re redundant. This prison, these inmates, these guards. All mockeries of our very existence. Fear is the bloody horror of murder, my bravado, a display. An act, it never existed, it never will. Fear is fabricated in our own minds, we can choose to ignore it. But we don’t, but I do.” He stopped for thought.“You only fear what you do not understand, you don’t understand the darkness. You don’t understand pain. You don’t understand me. How can you possibly hope to understand me, when you can’t understand yourself?”The tape clicked to a halt, Dawn slowly removed the headphones from her head, looking up at Trouble with unnerved eyes her pupils trembling. Worthy. He really was not a very nice pony.Trouble looked back and sighed, breaking eye contact “Worthy was always a good kid.” he remarked, staring out at the long flat straight road ahead of them. “Jus... Dealt a bad hoof.”He slowly turned his head to look her in her wide timid eyes, he chuckled his face lighting up.“A lot like you.”_____________________________________________________________________Worthy had a small fire going, or, Night Light did. She returned with bundles of brush and twigs and even got the fire going, all Worthy did was drop some slabs of red meat in a pot, Night Light was levitating over the fire.They all sat around the fire, basking in the warmth as the sun fell behind the horizon, Worthy was eager to return to the business matters.“There is as it stands five of us. This gig would be a whole lot smoother if we worked in teams on jobs and have others working business back in Pegas.” Worthy said, doing his best to persuade the group.“Gun running is dirty business, drug dealing is a dirtier business.” Night Light threw in.Worthy groaned “It’s a dirty world, only the fool would try and stay ‘clean’.”“Best leap head first into the shit.” Rico added, grinning.“We should hand the guns over to Phoenix to help the war, and give the drugs to a hospital.” Night Light asserted.Dawn just sat docile listening to the proceedings. She had nothing to add, she didn’t quite understand Night Light’s objections. She has no problem with guns or drugs, they both saved her on a number of occasions, giving them away though, it seemed fair. Ponies need it, but money and what not. She was new to the concept of ‘business’ but she was trying to learn.Worthy and Rico looked at Night Light like she just let one rip, “What?” they asked in unison.Worthy chuckled “Eh, Ranger, what do you think this is?”“What?” she asked confused.“What do you think this is?” he repeated, serious now.“I dunno, a paramilitary gig.” she bluntly put it.“No, its a family, and we’re conducting family business. Not charity work.” Worthy corrected.“Its sickening, extorting ponies for drugs, fueling the fires of a war.” she objected, her anger building.Worthy and Rico exchanged glances, Trouble was sitting away from them all, busy scribbling something down in his old book with a cracked and rusted fountain pen. Dawn tried not to gawk at the book, every time she saw it she yearned to gleam over it, scrape some secrets from it. He was in a weird trance like state, in a different world as he wrote, all this was going right over his head.“Ranger, we’re not the good guys, we’re not the saviours of Equestria, we’re not moral, we’re not righteous, we’re not even fucking grateful. We’re angry greedy ponies, who kill for caps and firmly believe in the tenets of family and respect. It’s us, holding each other above the sharks, one pony’s business is our business, we all benefit from each individual member. There is no low we won’t sink to...For family.” Worthy finished in a somber tone, every one of his words sinking into the group. Dawn had to say, Worthy if anything, was a fine speaker. He uplifted her, his words were. Staunch and empowering.“...You’re an awful prick sometimes Worthy.” Rico commented.“And you were always too easy going.” Worthy countered.“As long as we kill every Germane motherfucker we cross, I’m willing.” Night Light said darkly.“Thats the spirit, and as for Dawn. Well, this is practically work experience, ain’t that right Dawn?” Rico jutted in.“Uhhh.” She droned out, defeated by his question.Worthy rolled his one remaining eye, “Dawn, I got something else to show you.” he said, getting up. Dawn cringed at his words but got up all the same, trying to hide the worry on her face. She had enough of his grim dark self already.Worthy wandered around to the rear of the Rap Mobile, the sun barely lighting it as it fell behind them into the west, the orange orb still giving her sufficient vision. Worthy yanked down the back panel and dunked one of the familiar strange blue orbs on it. The strange perpetually flowing mist inside, swirling about.Dawn approached, she remembered an orb identical to this one in Trouble’s strange room.“Tap it with your horn.” Worthy ordered.Dawn silently complied, she drew near.The orb’s mist began to pour out from it, the pale blue fog suspended in mid air, the tendrils swirled and began to tether to Dawn’s horn, her shuddering at the touch.Worthy recoiled in bewilderment, on looking the proceedings with growing alarm and interest. A jolt raced down Dawn as more of the tendrils latched on to her, and more and more appeared, her horn inching towards it.The orbs fluorescent light intensified as all the burning orange sun rays faded from her vision, the orb becoming the only shining light left in her existence, her horn jabbed the orb and she was propelled into the darkness from this world.***Dawn was drowning in a sea of colours blurs and pulps. The world morphing before her as she remained in a state of suspension, as the world fabricated around her.Strange shapes conjured around her, unfocused alien surroundings. The world finally fell into place. Dawn was coherent again, confused though. She was stuck, unable to move.The world came into a sort of focus, a poor one but still.She was in... Something like the Rap Mobile, except with a solid roof. She was looking out of a digital display, through a helmet visor, her breathing was steady and strong, the cold icy breath hung for a second in the air before vanishing.The world was still coming into focus, she noticed her hooves, a long thick purple coat with padded sleeves outstretched leading to two black leather gloves firmly gripping a steering wheel. These weren’t regular gloves, these had small extensions for digits to slot into, it took a moment to register but she definitely had claws.She, or, her host was staring out the windscreen into a dark horizon, grey balls of snow falling from the invisible sky above, gently settling on the hood of the car, casting it in a snowy blanket. The gentle rumble of the engine, waiting tranquilly for its master’s prod.A thin sheet of frost laced the glass pane her host stared through, contorting and changing their perception of the world into a glistening rippling landscape. She was seated comfortably in her seat, wearing warm padded bulky clothes. Sweaty and itchy inside, it was annoying her, but the host wasn’t bothered in the slightest as the world settled in.The host let out a long relaxing breath, her head sagging. She was clad in all purple clothes for winter, with thick black boots, and a grey fur collar around her neck. Large, weird green bulbs with rods(?) At her side.The host looked up again inhaling deeply, she glimpsed the mirror. The helmet she identified straight away, the blood red visor with the open maw painted across the filter of the mask. Trouble.“Fifteen secs out Red Joker.” he mechanically chimed through the mask, his own voice echoing statically in his own ears.He slowly twisted his head to the right, next to him was a pony identically dressed with a very similar helmet, only in a coat of bright red, on their shoulder was a large wood and metal tube, a funnel like opening hear the end, two iron cast triggers/ grips just ahead of the shoulder and a large army green bulb acting as a head. A small scope mounted on it.“Fuckin’ hell. Do we ‘ave ta keep up tah fuckin military shite?” An annoyed mare’s voice shot back, heavily accented like Trouble, her voice crackling in his eardrums as it was electrically conveyed as well with slight lag. The pony made an over the top eye roll so he knew she was doing it behind the helmet.“Yeah, we does. Callsigns, Red, fuck me.” Trouble shook his head.“Let’s rock.” she confidently said, her voice excited and itching for action.Trouble sighed, “Fire when ready.”The mare chuckled, Trouble kept eyes on her. She pulled herself out of the window, perching her rump where the window pane should’ve been, aiming down the small scope on the long tube.“Target spotted.” she declared coolly.The tube was tilted at a long angle, wherever they were, it was high up.“Ready when you are Red.” Trouble responded.The mare identified as Red tracked something through the scope, both her gloves around the triggers. She tensed the triggers simultaneously, as her grip tightened around the triggers the bulb at the front of the rocket soared to life, screeching as it was launched, a jet of fire coming from its rear as it whistled through the air, a large smoke plume jettisoning from the rear of the tube. The mare leapt back into her seat“Drive! Drive!” she barked, a moment later a thundering bellow could be heard along with the shrieks of torn metal below.Trouble slammed the car into gear, the wheels spinning on the frozen ground struggling desperately for grip, the engine roaring in anger as they took off with a jump, Trouble swinging the wheel to the extreme left the car rocketing forward down a steep gradient catching several seconds of tense air, the wheels spinning frantically, gagging for some surface to scald with hot rubber.They crashed down hard on the snowy ramp, Trouble’s vision sharpened, the car skidded down a steep slope, his mind racing, the car slipping and sliding, losing control, his entire body tensing as he flicked the wheel side to side constantly correcting the path.Tall icey blue pillars of frozen over trees shot past as the powerful headlamps engaged, illuminating brightly everything before them. The car narrowly missed huge frozen boulders as it slipped and slid down the slope, a blur Trouble managed to see clearly through.The car crashed onto the flat surface of the snow with a hard smash, their bodies propelled forward as the car walloped the frozen ground, stalling the engine.“Not good enough Black!” The mare snapped, almost slamming her head on the dash.Trouble glanced up, ahead on a dark frozen over cracked asphalt road was a convoy of three open top jeeps moving along the road, a hard top in their midst a jagged pale white cliff face to their left and a dark impermeable maze of frosty blue pillars to their right.Trouble’s eyes automatically locked on the hardtop, the convoy was in an odd shape and it didn’t take a genius to figure out why.Trouble quickly turned the keys in the ignition, the engine coughing into life, hacking meekly before giving out.“COME THE FUCK ON BLACK!” The Mare roared, Trouble quickly glimpsed the rear view mirror, behind them was the fiery wreck of a blown up car, a smoke column rising from its smouldering corpse.Trouble tried the ignition again, punching the steering wheel the engine came triumphantly back to life, growling in enthusiasm.“Floor it!” The mare ordered. Trouble complied, forcing the car in gear and his hoof down on the throttle launching the car forward onto the slippery road. Coming strongly up the rear of the convoy, their head lights lighting up the convoy clear as day.“Nade’ me!” she ordered, extending an open gloved hoof, Trouble dropped his left shoulder tossing one of the green bulbs over to the mare, she caught it and forced it into the tube twisting it into a locked position. She pulled herself back out of the car onto her perch.“Hold her steady!” she demanded, the electric voice stinging Dawn’s ears.Trouble kept the vehicle arrow straight on the road, the glistening blue coat on the road melting as the vehicles tracked through them.Another bulb was launched down range, shooting far ahead of the vehicle at a remarkable speed, the bright flame lighting up the frozen dark landscape as it whistled past. The head exploded against the rear of one of the open tops, the vehicle went up in flames, incinerating all the passengers as it somersaulted through the air, crashing on its roof as it skidded down the road upon landing, the metal screeching against the jagged asphalt.The two remaining open top jeeps occupants jumped up from the rear, several ponies in each with automatic weapons, the finer details of their faces visible from the powerful headlights.Trouble clutched the mare by the midsection and yanked her in, bullets whizzing past and crashing harmlessly against the windshield, the small crushed metal balls staying lodged in the thick glass pane.The mare let out a nervous breath “Thanks.”Trouble didn’t take his eyes off the road, offering her another one of the large explosive bulbs. She accepted it, loading it into the tube, her jacket soaking. One thing Dawn found amazing was Trouble’s calmness, his cool had been maintained without break. Thats just the way he was she guessed.A bullet broke a tiny hole through the windscreen, tumbling past Trouble’s ear in a high whistle, his heart skipping a beat.“Imma have ta get evasive Red!” he grunted angrily, gritting his teeth he began to swing the car from side to side, the bullet intake of the vehicle drastically reducing as the two passengers swayed from side to side.The low frustrated growl of the mare could barely be heard through the radio in Trouble’s helmet.She perched herself up on the window once more, the occasional stray shot drawing close to her, she didn’t seem to mind, keeping her focus entirely down the scope.Another bulb was launched by her, the car she aimed for swivelled out of the way, taking a dangerously outside line on the road. The explosive bulb bounced off the asphalt and continued another dozen feet before exploding. The concussive blast was enough to capsize the car, barreling it on it side, the occupants tumbling out with high screams, their weapons firing as they locked up, the car lopsided onto its roof, crushing the gunners as it ground to a halt, the wheels still spinning.Only one open top remained. The barrage had strangely stopped, the mare took her seat once more sighing, Trouble passing her another bulb.“The fuck are these eejits at?” she asked disinterested in the proceedings as she locked it in place.The gears in Trouble’s head were turning, it seemed as if.“Pull yer socks up!” He roared sinking low in his chair, making sure his head was below the door, just as he sank the open top car stamped on its brakes, the cars lining up side by side, the three gunners reappearing at their flank. The mare threw herself down across Trouble in the nick of time as a volley shattered the glass, sailing right through the passenger’s open window. Her head uncomfortably close to his groin.The open top crashed hard into their side, the jolt knocking the wind out of Trouble and causing the mare to yelp. Trouble leaned away from the window, he rose a bulky black pistol identical to the one the show ponies used and rested it on a broken glass fragment. A M1911 it was called, he tapped the trigger wildly, the slide blowing back and forth eight times before locking in place, trying desperately to cling to the road.“Red Do Sumfin!” Trouble cried out, pulling the empty pistol back as he ejected the magazine.The mare leapt up and fired the bulb, the jet of fire leaving soot on Trouble’s helmet, the explosion knocked their car back to the edge of the road, the open top a fiery bundle as it impacted into the cliff face with the force, the blast leaving Trouble dazed, a high whine in his ears as his vision became unfocused and blurry.Trouble righted himself back in his originally seating position, his head sagging as drowsiness overcame him. The mare punched Trouble’s shoulder. He snapped out of it, quickly snapping his head over to her.“Gun it Black!” she ordered.Trouble came back to his sharp senses, stomping on the throttle, getting them on a steady path on the road once more, only the hard top remained.They quickly made up the ground, keeping a safe distance behind. This car was more armoured than the open topped ones.“‘Nudder’ RPG or wah?” he asked nonchalant, Dawn found it incredible, he was totally casual about all of this, his heart beat steady and slow. His mind thinking simple processes through in a calm manner.“Yeah, Imma capsize the fucker.” she answered nearly disinterested.Trouble tossed another ‘RPG’ into her outstretched gloved grasp. She loaded it in one final time, breathing loudly and slowly. She slowly pulled herself back onto her perch, taking careful aim.Trouble subconsciously reloaded his pistol, keeping his eyes on the rear of the hard top jeep. The mare launched another whistling bulb down the road, gliding low onto the ground, the RPG skimming along the road before exploding inches from the rear of the car, launching the weighty jeep onto its roof in a fiery wave, the engine cutting out instantly.“Righ, lets verify and bag the bastard.” The mare groaned climbing back in, tossing the tube in the rear of their car.Trouble gently braked on approach to the capsized car, the paint scorched or scratched from the body, exposing pale chrome wounds on the car’s body. He came to a halt feet from the car, the mare dismounted revealing a small silenced submachine gun with a retractable stock, like a downsized rifle.Trouble dismounted from his side, the cold wind howling around them, the gently falling snow melting on touch with their warm clothes.The gentle rumble of the car as it continued to cast the jeep in a blinding light. The mare crouched down, opening the passenger side door of the upturned car on her haunches. She jammed the submachine gun in and sprayed, blood splashing onto the driver’s side window Trouble was rounding, blocking out the view in a sanguine tint as the thick fluid trickled down the glass.Trouble got on his haunches opening the driver’s side rear door, his pistol aimed towards the inside as he yanked the door opened. Inside was a limp blue stallion with a tidy black mane in a blood stained, torn and messed business suit. Trouble took his gun off him, grabbing him by the shoulder he threw him out onto the cold road. The stallion’s pudgy face was swollen and bloody, most of the blood was the driver and passengers, he got away with a few scratches.The mare rounded over to Trouble and the stallion, both of them on their hindhooves towering over the unconscious stallion, he writhed in pain as he gritted his teeth, his eyes tightly shut as he sucked in air with a hiss.“This him ah?” Trouble asked, studying the stallion. His identically dressed companion answered “Aye, tis.” enthusiastically, a small photo in her grip.The stallion roused, lifting off the ground on his shoulder blades, jutting out his chest. Coming to a meagre form of consciousness as he hacked up blood.Trouble didn’t care, he swung the pistol at him and squeezed the trigger effortlessly. The loud bang echoed throughout the frozen landscape. A smoking burnt hole in the stallion’s brow as he stopped fidgeting, lying limply on the ground. Hot blackish red fluids leaked from the wound, travelling in thick waves.The night was so clear Trouble could even make out the sound of the spent case of the pistol ding off the hard asphalt beneath.“Another job well done.” Trouble chirped smiling up at his companion. The mare stepped over the stallion in large strides, wrapping her free forehoof around Trouble’s shoulder as she ushered them back towards their vehicle.“Little too easy for the Jokers don’t ya reckon?” she asked, her voice happy but serious.“Amount of fuckin plannin for it, nah.” he answered confidently.“Jus sayin’ I was expecting a fuckin’ shite storm.”“There will be if we don’t fuck off in a hurry.” Trouble pointed out.“Noted. I know we jus made Joker buh I thought it would be a lot more fuckin’ hardcore.”“Hard-fucking-core?” Trouble exclaimed “Who do ya think you are? Pony Montana?”The mare slapped the back of Trouble’s helmet, taking her hoof off from around his shoulders “Shaddup before I knock your teeth out ya big lumbering cunt.” she responded casually. Which Dawn found rather bemusing.“Fuck off, the cheek of ya.” Trouble moaned, shaking his head.The mare chuckled “I’m glad it was you who was the next Black Joker, fuck knows I woulda went mental if I was stuck with some other cunt.”“Cunt none the less.” she added.The world began to lose its focus as the two paced casually back to the car, a flood of thoughts and questions flooding to the front of Dawn’s mind. This mare, Red Joker. He was Black Joker, she was an earth pony clearly from the helmet. And the helmet was just a red version of his. She liked her, Trouble was still a big son of a bitch and she had no reserves on him. She openly called him a cunt.More than anything though Dawn had no clue where they were, snow never fell this deep, never. Everything was coated in a shimmering blue layer of thick frost, iced over centuries ago. And they were in a car, obliterating other ponies in cars.She had some questions.And she knew who had answers.***Dawn was back, little to no time seemingly passing. They weren’t even eating yet by the fire, and Worthy was still looming over her, unwavering. His dreadful aura seeping into Dawn’s bloodstream, evaporating her strong curiosity with whispers of doubt.Worthy kept his silence.Dawn kept hers.“Uhhh,” she droned out, the words abandoning her.“Questions?” Worthy offered.Dawn bit her bottom lip, her face giving away her nervousness. She couldn’t speak, her throat was plugged by fear.Worthy briefly stared at the ground before sighing. Sweet fucking Celestia, even his sighs were cold.“That was one of the first jobs Trouble got as Black Joker. It was a very important position in our family, and his partner was a sister of ours. Real psycho she was. The Red Joker and The Black Joker, they were a team tasked with the longest and most volatile jobs, and I promise you Dawn you will be seeing a lot more of them.” he leaned in close to her face “The only way you’ll ever understand him, is to understand what made him how he is, he was not a lot older than you by that stage.” Worthy turned away from her, twisting his vision over to his brother who was furiously scribbling away in a trance like state.Worthy turned back to her “That's all for one night, tomorrow, I’ll show you how to really use that rifle of yours.”_____________________________________________________________________The Figure cleared his throat, uneased from the information “That was very ‘sensitive’ stuff you were shown miss Dawn.”Great, now he’s back to calling her miss.“Sensitive?” she asked furrowing her brow.“Yes, and I feel it should go without asking you relay all of these ‘Joker’ accounts back to me in minute detail.”Dawn yawned “Yeah, fine.” she uttered wearily, rubbing her face in her hooves.“Need some rest?” The Figure asked. Isn’t that sweet of him?“One more thing.” she said raising a hoof.“What?”“Worthy, his time in prison.”_____________________________________________________________________They all sat in a crude circle around the fire, Dawn sitting back, she hardly ate a bite. Her stomach stabbing out at her for every morsel that fell into its pits. She never really like meat anyway.Worthy had his mask off, stroking it in his lap as he sat hunched over in an odd posture, his hind legs in an almost pretzel shape. Night Light was intently listening to him, Rico was half paying attention, whispering something to a distant Trouble from time to time.Dawn’s gaze was on her so called mentor, she felt too insecure around him like this. Knowing she was staring right into his secretive and obscure past, often prying into his mind, which she was beginning to find more and more addicting.“Next thing I know, I’m awake in the bowels of a fake hell, a copy, an imposter. It made me feel sick, that pissy emulation.” Worthy venomously spat out.“What the fuck was down there?” Night Light asked perturbed.“Darkness, miles and miles of dark walls, dark figures, consuming darkness. Soon that darkness just ‘leaks’ into you.” Worthy shuddered. The bright orange rays of the fire lighting every detail and contour in his disgusted face.“But WHAT was down there?” Night Light pressed again, more seriously this time.“Down there, along with the inmates. Are these ‘things’ we called them Pulps, the guards called them Changelings. They were... Cruel.” Worthy sullenly spoke, his one amber eye staring aimlessly at the desert floor as the crackling fire was the only other sound for miles in the dark desolate desert night.“Strange, twisted things. You could always hear their shrieks, echoing the winding walls and paths, you could always hear the soft scratching of claw on stone as the scurried about, causing your teeth to itch.” Worthy growled out, his tone grim and chilling. Night Light engrossed in it.“They found you, they always did. Warped and contorted, using a sickly magic they change themselves into.” he cut himself off, reliving it inside his head, the hot anger inside him mixing with deep hatred and toxicity.“Into what?” Night Light slowly asked.“The ponies you care about, always the same. It's never them though, they’re always busted up, bleeding, that fucking stare... Drives nails into your head, killing over and over. They keep the form they die in, only way you can break it is put them to sleep. Everyday, killing family... There was no way to know what was real anymore.” his voice gradually became lower and lower, until it was nothing more than a hoarse whisper. “One thing kept my sanity, one thing I knew.” he said speaking up confidently, raising his hoof.“What was it?” Worthy chuckled darkly to himself.“They taste nothing like us.”_____________________________________________________________________Dawn’s head sagged, her body becoming limp as all the sounds around her ceased. Her cheek falling onto the cold metal table as her world slipped away from her.The Figure silently rose from his chair, speaking to his invisible audience before vanishing into the darkness “We keep this one alive... She knows too much to live not enough to die."

Where we Stand

Where we Stand:

The room was dark, a void, lacking life, lacking joy, lacking sound, nothingness. Dawn, poor little Black Dawn, sixteen lay limp in the cold metal chair awaiting her personal demon, the faceless and demanding Figure to continue the story.

Only a flicker of light remained inside her head, a flicker of her entire being solely dedicated to the decryption of her life, the voice, the events, her strange magic fits that propelled her into a dark corner of a place or pony’s past.

Sixteen, she was no saint, she was no monster either. Sitting on the fence of morality as her ‘Family’ descended into the darkness, the one she identified as her brother in the pits of it with his vindictive grin, his malicious brother standing darkly at his side, the pair drawing her into the void, good intentions at heart.

At the fence alongside her is Night Light, the young unicorn mare beautiful silver maned and coated, flawless and soft features matched with a pitch perfect silky voice, clad in her thick padded brown jacket with the matching waistcoat underneath hiding a thick armoured vest, she wore toughened brown spurred cowpony boots the dust of the trial beaten into them and a striking brown cowpony hat with a wide brim and a black band around the crown. A black feather propping out from the side of its crown tucked tightly into the band and on her hind legs wearing blue ripped and worn jeans. Ragged and worn contrasting with the soft and beautiful. A live wire, reluctant and protective of her past with a bad temper and trigger itch. All that hatred and anger behind those soft grey eyes.

Standing just ahead of them pacing slowly to the promising words of the two brothers was Rico, known as Ricochet to his mother. The tall and slim brown unicorn clad in his gothic and well balanced combat armor the black and crimson design with all its studs and shielding. On his hind hooves were the two heavy duty bulky black boots. They looked ridiculous on such a thin frame but, he treated them like a badge of honour.

Her life has no clear meaning or objective, it just persists. Aimlessly and blindly following her mentor, on the flanks on the path into the darkness are ponies. She can see them clearly, or their silhouettes, their outlines. Three were visible already, they were the closest the fence. And it was a long walk into the darkness.

The two on the left were the first and third, the first was impossible to forget. The pony with the harmonica, A tan sandy coat with a long grey mane wearing tatty ripped rags for barding and adorning an old worn, ripped colourless cowpony with a horn sticking through it. Dangling from his neck on a old piece of string was holding an tarnished rusted over metal harmonica.

He was staring aimlessly forward, his dead emotionless face gazing at nothingness.

Next to him on the path was Mister House, the pitiful old cripple. His light green coat losing its vibrancy and colour the tired old senile pony, a tatty and greyed mane. Deep wrinkling on his face and hooves. Resting in a rusting electric wheelchair, his hooves resting peacefully on their corresponding rests. Dressed in a sharp tuxedo with a blanket over his lap. His expression was tranquil as he gazed aimlessly across the plains of Dawn’s mind.

Across from those two was the pony in second place, Dawn almost forgot he existed. She seen him only once before, he wasn’t even aware of her existence in all likelihood.

The greater Angel, from VDNKh his armor was fashioned and flamboyant versus the plain and practical design of the others.This greater Angel’s armor had many spikes and grooves, jags and swirls. Barbs laid into the armour to give him a ferocious demeanour. All the spires and bulk of his armor rising upwards to make him seem large, imposing and powerful. His helmet was like all the others except it had a jagged crown around it golden filigree of leaves circling his skull, ear to ear.

Gabriel, that was his name, the feminine smooth voice she had always heard in her head guiding her had told her. Every time she spoke to Dawn her words sank deep “Gabriel always was a proud fool. Unlike you my dear. You have shown humility. You’ll make me proud yet dear.” her words came to the forefront of Dawn’s mind. All within this flicker of light was the playing field.

She was still on the fence, the small wooden fence staring at the downhill descent into the darkness, she couldn’t twist her neck behind her back, she could never look behind her. Her vision remained forward, steadily into the darkness.

Next the suave radio presenter ‘The Buck Himself’ whispered gently across the plain of thought, a very old broadcast she overheard in Dead Water. Every syllable replayed in perfect detail, crisp clear

“The N.C.R are engaged on all fronts with the griffins in the battle for Wuden’s Valley, I’ve known some ponies who’ve been there, it’s a frozen hell you better pull out while you're ahead General Bay that place is worthless, there hasn’t been a blade of grass there in over 200 years.”

The flicker had only a fraction of the pieces so far. Dawn never put thought into it, not until her capturing, not until she was thrown into this dark lonely cell did the pieces begin to fall in place.

This is where she was in the retelling, the recollection jogging her mind into gear helping her further decrypt it. Crack through the nonsensical haze of the world and for once she things as they truly are.

So far in the retelling of Dawn’s story the so called ‘Project Respawn’ is yet to be mentioned, but the events leading to it are critical to its relevance and where the pieces stand now.

Three ponies are lining the passage to darkness, many more do but are indistinguishable, its a long journey, but hey, At least it’s downhill. And if, or when she finally climbs off the fence, it's not like she won’t have company.

Chapter 21: The Bridge

((Special thanks to Adder1 for editing this messy pile of words to the point of mediocrity.))

When Dawn finally came back around, the Figure was sitting there patiently waiting for her, a small smoke trail rising from an invisible cigarette. Only the aggravated embers shone as he sucked on it, a small cloud developing overhead.

“Miss Black Dawn, we must continue. Time is of the essence,” he said in a serious, business like tone. It felt more and more like he was urging her to show her money before browsing some shoddy goods at a ridiculous price.

Dawn groaned, her eyes adjusted to the darkness, the hot, stinking smoke stinging at them. Her stomach begged and lashed out at her for food. She had no idea how long it's been since her last meal; time was non-existent here. It was just blackness, a secluded alcove from the stream of time they could settle in.

“Fine, fine,” she complied, waving her hoof at him in dismissal as she clutched at her forehead, coming slowly to life. She sucked in some air, refueling. Her body instantly denied the respite as she choked on the smoke filling the small room.

“Do you have to smoke in here?” she asked in a slightly hoarse voice.

“Yes. Now please, what happened after where you stopped? As I recall, your group had been around a fire and Worthy had been retelling his prison days.”

“Oh yeah, well there was some idle chit-chat and what not,” she said, making small circles with her hoof, her eyes straying to the invisible ceiling. “We talked for a while and junk,” she shrugged, “I wasn’t really paying attention.”

The Figure sighed, knowing her short attention span may have cost him some critical information. “So when did you pay attention?” he asked condescendingly, blowing a smoke plume into her face.

Dawn coughed as the smoke flooded into her eyes and nostrils, causing her to wince and hack weakly. She rubbed her face, annoyed. “I was woken up in the middle of the night asshole,” she snapped back.

“Do tell.”

“Well, we just settled for the night. The plan the next day was to hit the bridge and I heard something about ponies from Phoenix. I dunno; I wasn’t really listening,” she rambled onwards, “I didn’t really know what ‘The Bridge’ was either, and then for some reason Worthy left saying something about scouting I think and then-” The Figure rose a brown hoof with five black, metal digits to halt her.

“Enough; that all means little without details. Can we please cut to the fucking chase? I asked ‘when did you pay attention’ and you said ‘when you were woken up’. Now cut to the waking up!” he ordered, puffing smoke from both nostrils, the cigarette quickly burning out.

Dawn got comfortable giving him a scowl. “Fine then,” she retorted in vexation.

“It was I dunno, a few hours before first light. Everyone else was down for the night, myself included.”

_____________________________________________________________________

Dawn was in a light snooze, her mind too active to allow her to sleep soundly, a perpetual niggling and tingling inside her skull to jab her away from the chalice of deep, nerve dulling sleep.

The sounds of the world around her seeping into her inner brain, echoing and watered down noises that passed through her ears into the far recesses of her consciousness. The noises vibrated and bounced, wall to wall, ricocheting inside her head gradually gathering momentum and volume, stirring her senses.

Her eyes finally cracked open, the noise level resumed to its normal volume, her blurred sight line slowly came into focus as her eyes adjusted to the weak light. Only the smouldering, crackling embers of the fire giving her any visibility at all.

Her head slowly craned to what woke her, snuggled in the sleeping bag that was donated to her. It was Rico, mixing and shaking compounds and supplements from the briefcase in shakers and beakers, heating one with a lighter. Dawn watched with avid curiosity at the strange experiment he was performing.

Rico mixed and whirled the various containers about, dumping colourless goo into one, shaking it about then suddenly pouring green crystals into another, swapping them constantly over the small blue flame he had going.

After moments of quick smooth movements in a calculated and learned rhythm, Rico was done. He had a small glass jar of bioluminescent green crystals as a final product. he inspected them through the glass, his red eyes riveted on every curve and contour on them. Thoroughly scanning them, Dawn watched him in interest.

Rico sighed in content. Placing the jar next to him, he sat staring aimlessly into the dying fire before his eyes crossed over Dawn, his expression stayed the same, unreadable. He stared at her, she stared back. Moments passed, both exchanging blinks.

Rico finally got up on his tippy hooves and gingerly pranced over to her, scooching in low and close. “Ello, ‘ello, ‘ello,” he greeted her in a low hushed voice.

“Uh, hi,” Dawn responded, wide awake.

“So uh, were you watching me make those crystals there?” he said gesturing to the glowing jar.

Dawn just nodded. He didn’t seem all too concerned, so why lie?

“Know what it is?” he asked he asked with a sly grin.

Dawn shook her head.

Rico swallowed and quietly cleared his throat. “It’s commonly known as Bruiser, or Death’s Lantern depending on where you are,” he began in a very ‘manner of factly’ tone. “If you want a pony to fight joyously till they die, that's what you give em. Usually they live riding the psychotic thrill waves.” He laughed quietly, Dawn listening intently.

“Oddly enough, it’s in a sense how me and Trouble over there met,” he said pointing to the large, sleeping stallion mumbling to himself with his back to the fire. “Would you like to hear the story?” He asked, the tall stallion smiling down at her. Dawn could only give one answer.

“Sure.”

“It was six years ago. I was twenty and already a fucking rocking chemist. I was the Mintage around Phoenix. I was independent too- I didn’t sling product on someone’s account.” Rico started making gestures with his hooves that Dawn didn’t quite get.

“Wait, you were a chemist? Like a doctor?” she asked halting the stallion.

Rico found this amusing. “Drug dealer.” He grinned.

“Oh,” Dawn replied as if it were a surprise.

“Sure, I was making caps, but I was on the Prodigies’ turf. They didn’t take kindly to that. Me and my crew were out slinging one day when they jumped us. I don’t mean bats, knives and bricks- I mean automatic rifles,” he snorted.

“And as it turns out, Trouble was around. He just helped the losing side. Mowed them down,” he whistled waving his hoof across the both of them as he rubbed shoulders with Dawn, their backs placed against the Rap Mobile.

“By that stage, I was the only fucker left standing. My crew was dead and we had like, maybe two minutes before all hell splashed our assholes with hot lead.” Dawn gave a soft laugh to that.

“We had only one real option: to take my strongest drug -in this case Bruiser- and berserk our way through them. Insane, but feasible.”

Rico straightened himself to continue. “You see, Dawn, Bruiser is the wildest ride of a damn narcotic I know. There is no such thing as a good trip on Bruiser. It’s just blind adrenaline and fear washed down with a bucket of nails and chaos.”

“Then why take it?” Dawn asked, the damn thing sounded straight out of some pony’s nightmare or maybe from a Night Mare. It’s blood or something. Brain juice perhaps.

“Cuz, it’s the best thing ever if you wanna fight. Just raw blood drive. Your reflexes are razor sharp, pain just evaporates, you hit harder, move faster, and it feels like you're floating, but the shit going on inside your head,” he chuckled. “It’s some real heavy stuff.”

“How is it, um, taken?” she timidly asked eying the crystals.

“You can either chew the crystals- tastes like ass- or you can grind em up finely and snort it.” It vaguely reminded Dawn of that ‘Demon’ stuff Rico took earlier.

“So we took the Bruiser, one hit each, and charged through the damn city back to Boot Boy turf. It was bloody and messy, and unforgettable,” he sighed. “I’m keeping it vague. The shit was crazy. Ask me for the full story another time.” He mumbled out.

“Why not now?” she asked, a little let down that he started but didn’t bother to finish.

“Another time. I got a question for you,” Rico said turning to look Dawn in the eyes.

“Uh, sure,” she said unsure of herself. Personal questions made her a little anxious.

“You’re sixteen, right? When and who was your first kill, and with what?” he asked her in a serious tone. Dawn was caught completely off-guard. She hadn’t expected that. She was expecting something mundane, not so morbid.

“Uhh...” She droned out thinking. “Not long ago, when I uh, met Trouble.” She stopped to swallow thinking back. “It was a raider, and uh, it was with a, eh, pair of pistols,” she answered, the events replaying in her head.

“You still have the pistols?” Rico asked her, Dawn began to wonder if he was going anywhere with this.

Dawn shook her head.

“My first kill was at sixteen too.” He smirked at her. “I still have the knife,” he said patting himself down. A moment of rummaging later he took out a small talon-like knife, curved and short- a weapon clearly designed for slashing and concealing.

“Any coward can use a gun. Any bitch can detonate a bomb. Only a real killer can stab a pony till they die, watching the life drain from their eyes.” He eyed the blade, spinning it on his hoof. “My father told me that on the day of my sixteenth birthday, he would let me pick the knife and he told me to go and kill a pony who spoke shit about our family,” Rico sighed.

“I-I’m sorry.” Dawn managed to murmur out. “Sounds awful.” She added.

Rico laughed at her sympathy, “Nah, it’s tradition in my family. All my cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews went through it. You gotta prove yourself to the family.”

“Huh?” Dawn cocked her head in bewilderment.

Rico smiled at her. “Oh, I come from a very ‘interesting’ family.”

“What do you mean?” Dawn furrowed her brow. Rico’s smile broadened. He got up onto his hooves and tousled her mane. “Get some sleep Dawn.”

Dawn rolled her eyes. “Night,” she said, resting her head again. She slipped back into her middle ground of not quite awake but not asleep neither, waiting for whatever warzone awaited her the next day.

_____________________________________________________________________

“Before you go on a rant, we know all about Ricochet’s dirty little crook family and their businesses, slaves, drugs, whores and anything else under the sun that’s got dirt on it,” the Figure spat.

“I dunno,” Dawn shrugged, “his needles were pretty clean.” She laughed.

The Figure snorted. “I like that,” he remarked. “I’ll steal that for later. Now get a move on.” He waved his cigarette wielding-hoof in circles creating a smoke ring.

“Sure, sure. We got up, and I had a small chat with Worthy,” she sighed. “He’s persistent, I’ll give him that.”

_____________________________________________________________________

They were all up and about. Everypony seemed to have a task with the exception of Dawn. Trouble and Rico were joking and laughing and speaking to a pony over the radio. Night Light had decided to hold onto the M60, keeping her Valkyrie on her back. She took a small belt filled with those canisters she toyed with back in the penthouse. Gas grenades, if Dawn remembered correctly.

And Worthy, Worthy had stolen her from the group to have a few ‘words’ with her. Every day that passed it seemed the further she drifted from Trouble. There was just too many of them to have true one-on-one time.

“OK, listen up Dawn,” he started, his beautiful bolt-action rifle out of its scaffolding. He slowly loaded chrome-coated bullets into it. It seemed he wasn't the only one in his family with a thing for colouring cartridges.

Dawn snapped to attention, she was busy... Wasting time, his mask was off, his one eye looking lazily over his rifle as he puffed on a cigarette. “We’re up against the regular ramble, not those juggernauts you had to contend with,” he said, sliding the bolt back into place. He stopped to face her.

“These guys are just peasants with guns hoofed to them and given a bit of cloth to cover their backs and mind-fucking drugs,” he spat.

“Huh?” Dawn asked in bewilderment. Half the stuff he was saying going right over her head.

“There is a class system in Germaney, or there is now. Basically high-born fuckers are given the best shit, regardless if they’re fucking idiots or cowards. And you saw how they fight- in a fucking line! That passes over to the lower classes, who usually have just rifles and pistols. But they got raw numbers, plus they’re producing their own firearms, if only a little.” He stopped to wipe his nose.

“Gabriel is a good speaker and is good with fear. How he came to power is one hell of a fucking story.”

“How’d he do it?” Dawn interjected.

“Meh,” he said, waving a hoof at her, “I’ll tell you another day Dawn. It’s going to be a long night. If I get my way you’ll be on sniper detail.”

“Why, what’s going on ‘exactly’?” she asked. Nothing really made sense.

“Like we said, we’re helping in the effort to take The Bridge. The Bridge is all that links Germaney to the mainland, at least without a long ass detour. It’s going to be critical.”

“What will like, happen?” she struggled to ask, cocking her head.

“Trouble told me you got that scar there from mortar fire,” he said gesturing to the long spiraling scar on her forehoof. “They’re probably going to try and block us at a fixed point, flood us with troops and then pop some flares, and blow the shit out of us with mortars.”

Dawn was speechless, but Worthy anticipated her next question. “And we can’t blow it, we just can’t. There ain’t enough fucking explosives in Marizona. It’s a three-mile-long steel engineering wonder. It survived an apocalypse, so it can take some Coltic scum bags like me and my brother.”

Dawn exhaled slowly. “Ok... anything else?” she asked, hopeful of something a little less dire.

“The plan is fairly straightforward. We help with the main push as Trouble goes in from the water. I said I should be the one to go, but he insisted I stayed... because he’s a stubborn jackass- I ain’t gonna lie- we could be fighting for days straight. Every inch of ground is going to be a marathon through hell,” he snorted, puffing two jets of smoke out his nostrils.

“I’ll be giving a proper rundown on their unit composition and gear specs at the rendezvous point,” he said resting his elbow on the car.

“What’s a rendezvous?” Dawn asked raising an eyebrow.

“Meetup,” he retorted instantly.

“Oh.”

“Yeah, we’re leaving the car. We don’t want it getting blown to hell. We’re hoofing a lot of guns over to these rent-a-kills we’re attacking with.” He stopped to sigh out a relaxing jet of of smoke.

“You’re from the NCR right?” Worthy asked on an entirely unrelated note.

“Uh, yeah, I guess I am,” she answered a little unsure of her own words.

“That’s West coast. Germaney is East. You just crossed the breadth of the land mass.” He smirked.

Wow.

Dawn... wasn’t entirely sure what to think of that. She was a little astounded to be honest. She never saw the coast, but she always thought Equestria to be... bigger. So all she did was blink a few times, waiting for Worthy to continue.

“Whereabouts in NCR you from exactly?” he asked.

“Uhh, a place called Dry Town,” she answered scratching the back of her mane.

“I know the place. It’s a fucking hell hole.” He spat on the ground. “No offense,” he added.

“Oh, none taken. It is like you said ‘a fucking hell hole’. I fucking hated it,” she quickly replied to him.

Worthy snorted, “No school, no clinic, no nothing. They just needed a place to put up their fucking wall. You ever been to the Capital, like, Chicacolt?”

Dawn blinked. She knew nothing of NCR Geography. “Uh, no, never left Dry Town.”

“It’s nice. Coltsboro is nicer, that is, if you can avoid the packed, overcrowded ghettos,” Worthy said, extinguishing his cigarette on the side of the car, leaving a black smudge on the paint.

A lot of this was going right over Dawn’s head. “What’s a ghetto?” she asked next, feeling a little foolish.

Worthy again answered without pause, “An alarmingly impoverished and deprived town or area. Dry Town is a ghetto. More of a slum really.”

Okay No.2 for her next question. “What is Coltsboro?” she asked.

“Spectacular. It’s essentially run by Rico’s cousins. Real proud motherfuckers. His cousins are ‘made’,” he said making sure to mouth out the ‘made’.

“What do you mean by made?” she asked, furrowing her brow.

Worthy didn’t even so much as sigh .“They run a very successful business and are rather wealthy. My brother has money. Most of it he’s never seen, but they got serious caps. Rico is too proud to admit it, but his family branch has failed.”

Worthy’s eye trailed over to Rico as did Dawns’, the tall stallion laughing uncontrollably along with a sniggering Trouble.

“His mother is living in Prance now,” he sighed, looking back at Dawn. “Interesting bunch. You know how many ponies were in me and Trouble’s family?” he asked, testing her. Dawn just shook her head, his voice keeping her silent. “There was forty-six of us at one stage, now there is three confirmed as alive.” He broke eye contact to stare over the desert. “Maybe a fourth,” he mumbled.

“There is me, Trouble and his mother. And she’s retired,” he snorted. “Funny to think there would be at least one of us to die of old age.”

“Why is that?” Dawn peeped up. It’s a horrible thought to think everyone out here was doomed to die a grotesque and degrading death.

Worthy was snapped out of a slight trance as if he all this time were just thinking aloud. “We were raised to be able to achieve more than an entire company of troops by ourselves. Sounds impossible. Usually is. That's why the creativity, bullets, chemicals, planning, and the best of us get insane money... and since most of us are now dead that just means less marginals for Trouble.” He looked back over the desert.

“What, why, your family, I mean,” she stammered out, confused. “Why?” She finally reasoned was the best word for it.

“It’s... a fucking long story,” he chuckled, “dating back to the Great War.” He gave a slight grin. Dawn had to admit she was warming up to the stallion. He didn’t seem so chilling anymore. In fact, he had stated over and over he wanted to help her, if not directly. Maybe directly- she just had difficulty trusting him.

“Great War?” she asked baffled. She heard the NCR was in a big one at one time before she was born.

Worthy straightened up and waved his hoof across the air. “Look around, a vast sea of desolation, destruction and despair with the bones of an old, broken world left in its wake.” He always had a way with words.

“Uh, K then. ‘How’ did it happen?” she said, entirely unphased. To her this was just the world as it was, it’s hard to miss something you never had.

“Big bombs- no, the biggest bombs. Balefire they called it. Just threw them at each other like rival school children with rocks. Fucking idiots,” he grumbled.

Trouble spoke up, “Saddle up! We’re movin’ out,” he proclaimed turning the key to the ignition, the Rap Mobile hacking up weakly before being prodded into a deep defiant rumble.

Worthy climbed into the back, assuming his position on the large turret with the bullet-cracked shielding. Dawn sighed and climbed in after him, a slight sense of dread creeping down her spine.

_____________________________________________________________________

They drove on and on. The closer they came to their destination the more ruined buildings and pillaged land they encountered. Ash covered patches of the waste and smouldering ruins of already ruined buildings.

Dawn was offered another tape from Worthy, which she declined for now. The last thing she wanted right now was to be set even more on edge than need be. She was expecting any moment a trail of corpses, but she suspected it wasn’t just crops they turned to ash.

They drove on and on, Dawn in a world of her own until finally Night Light spoke up, “So that’s what it looks like, huh?” she droned in a disgusted tone.

Dawn’s ears perked up as her tiny mental world collapsed. Roused she looked up and around then finally behind herself where Night Light was gazing with a disgruntled expression. Dawn’s eye twitched at the spectacle. She hunched over as her stomach churned.

It was an endless sea of fermenting brown and khaki sludge. The salty, musky stench struck her nostrils. It reminded her of death. She looked over it, the endless eternity of it. Her heart sank in her chest and her ears fell, deflating her entirely.

“That’s the glorious Germane sea for ya!” Trouble cried out enthusiastically.

Dawn was transfixed by it. Uglier than any corpse, more deflating than a shotgun blast to a balloon and more saddening than a sixteen-year-old mare being carted off to war with a band of misfits and given a ragged, old mercenary that was closest thing she ever had to a father as a guide.

She scanned to the left. Her eyes widened and her mouth fell open as the pungent ocean breeze dried her mouth. Their goal.

Even in the distance it was colossal- The Bridge, ‘THE’ Bridge. It stood high and proud. The thick bulging supports rose from the sick sea to hold the large standing road. Tall pillars rose with suspension tendrils gripping it all up from the support pillars, the metal rusted and tarnished by time but standing firm. The most complete engineering work of art left behind from the Old World.

Smoke columns rose from random sections of the bridge, turning the cloud cover above a darkish grey as the cloud mixed with the dark smoke.

“There it is.” Worthy smiled at Dawn getting off the turret to sit next to her. “Death’s obstacle course,” he snorted.

They drew closer and closer. In the far off distance high dust clouds were visible from conjoining roads. “Look.” Worthy pointed at the rising dust. “That’s our support, or rather, we’re their support.

“From what I’ve gathered, we’ve got five squads not including us joining in with us. One crew whose leader is a guy named Bull Dozer- I heard he’s bigger than my brother- another squad belongs to this lunatic named Shell Shock, he sent his ‘Sick Squad’ to help, and along with that we got an elite squad from all three of the Phoenix factions: Prodigies, Boot Boys and the Mob.” Worthy quickly summarized. Night Light listened in too.

“A lot of familiar names in there Worthy,” she idly remarked.

“Know any of them?” Worthy asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Shell Shock, that motherfucker, gave the rangers more grief than I care to recall. Never heard of this Bull Dozer guy and everyone knows the families.”

“Factions.” Worthy corrected her. “They ain’t families.”

“Sure, whatever. As I was going to say -- those guys in the so-called ‘Sick Squad’ are a bunch of bona fide raiders, complete with numerous rapes and pillages under their belt and every one of them has taken part in a certified mass murder,” she chirped with feigned enthusiasm.

“Then we’re in good company!” Rico piped up a wide grin plastered on his face.

“As for this Bull Dozer guy, I dunno about him.” Night Light shrugged.

The air seemed thicker now to Dawn. She couldn’t explain it, but she could feel the world compacting and shrinking. Compressing her thoughts as they grinded to a halt regardless, there was a tingling sensation in her tummy. None of this felt ‘right’ to her.

When was it ever right?

Everypony resigned to silence. There was an eerie, out-of-place silence for this place. The only thing that could be heard was the perpetual rumbling of the engine and the soft, sucking, bubbly, sound of the sludge waves rubbing and retreating off the beach they drove alongside. They kept away from the putrid marshy sand, condemned to have that nauseating frothy liquid washed over it for all eternity.

It felt like there should have been more. All of it just seemed like a build up, just stacking and stacking waiting all to be released in a mighty wind that would blow them all away. And nopony even spoke about it.

Only thought.

Black clouds formed overhead, casting an ominous shade of grey light around them, a foreboding omen.

And all they could do with all the power in them was just think.

Dawn had a lot of thinking to do. Her thoughts varied from ‘Why was the sea so wrong?’ to ‘I think it’s going to rain’ and the ever green ‘You know, maybe I’ll just hide.’ Worthy noticed her angsty behaviour. She was staring aimlessly at The Bridge, her eyes unmoving as they drew closer and closer, the imposing structure becoming larger and larger.

A little Jet would go a long way here.

Worthy nudged her with his hoof. Her neck snapped around to meet him in alarm. The creepy mask was back on his face. Joy. The bloodchiller pointed ahead of the car. Dawn turned to look, peeking up.

Ahead of them stood a band of vastly varying ponies, ranging from black, gothic-styled armor like Rico’s to thick, stocky combat armour (kind of like Trouble’s) to a few smaller ponies clad in leather armour that bore resemblance to Dawn, only shabby in comparison.

Trouble slowed, causing the car to jerk, sending lances into Dawn’s stomach. It was nothing short of a miracle she kept her food down- must just be a thing you adapt to.

The Rap Mobile drew to a halt, the ponies awaiting them scanning it, looking over the various crushed metal clumps lodged in the armour. Trouble gripped The Red Queen, resting it on his shoulder as he stood high onto his hind hooves. He dismounted the vehicle, dropping to the ground.

Worthy sighed through his mask and hopped off the back cover panel onto the asphalt beneath, his cloak whipping behind him on the vault. Silently, he jerked out the hidden stock railings. He caught Dawn staring at him and gave her a gesture of the head to Trouble, doing his most over-the-top eye roll behind the mask so she knew exactly what he was doing. Dawn couldn’t help but think that as a cyclops behind a mask, that was a bit redundant.

She rolled her own eyes in retaliation before looking to Trouble. Shit. Him and Rico were already joined in the large congregation of ponies awaiting a leader to step up for words. Night Light got up from her seat with a grunt, hefting the M60. “C’mon Dawn, time to make some friends.” Night Light vaulted over the side cover, landing gracefully below, her hooves splashing up a small dust cloud.

Dawn took in a rustling breath. She hated crowds of ponies. The thought of mingling or even exclusion terrified her. She exhaled slowly. With a small grunt she vaulted over her side cover panel.

Awh fuck. She left her shotgun behind. No matter. She took a deep breath, the air puffing out her cheeks as she took baby steps forward. She didn’t want to look like a fool in front of these ponies. Everyone of them had a fiercer demeanour and even carried themselves better than this timid out-of-place mare.

Night Light recognized faces, none of them benevolent agents for pony kind. Shell Shock’s ponies stood out, all clad in their desert camouflage combat armour. All of em carried a big automatic weapon of one kind or another as well as an oversized machete or axe at the hip.

There was half a dozen of those guys packed in a rusted, poorly-armoured jeep- no turret, not even an engine cover. Now they were loitering about, big grins plastered on all their ragged, ravenous faces, hungry for a little anguish.

Night Light sized them up. Nothing she couldn’t handle. She scanned the other crew that arrived by jeep. This Bull Dozer, he came with nine others. They looked a lot more ‘clean cut’ in her opinion- a lot fitter and more professional for the job, tactical shotguns, advanced assault rifles and carbines and one with...

No. Bucking. Way. Night Light’s left eye twitched once. Her mouth slowly fell open in disbelief as she blinked furiously.

Her eyes were locked on one stallion in the entire group, standing idly by their jeep.

He was young, early twenties or so, a unicorn. The top of his horn was chipped off, leaving a jagged spike rising from his skull. He had a charcoal coat and frosted, spiked-up mane. He wore a milky-coloured, thick armour vest with a tan jacket over it and dome-like shoulder pads over the jacket. On his back was a long tube with a scope mounted on it. He carried a Valkyrie as his primary weapon, identical to Night Light’s.

The stallion kept to himself, while the others conversed he rested against the car, head ducked low. Night Light cringed a little when she seen what had happened to his face.

What have they done to you?

The entire right side of his face was a pasty white, the skin droopy and wrinkled, melted. His right eye was discoloured, the pupil turned milky. The supposed white of his eye was black, like looking into a puddle of murky water.

The corner of his mouth had no lip, just two strips of flesh meeting, uneven. Night Light suspected what had happened- the flames welded them together and- if this was the stallion she knew- he didn’t hesitate to split them apart. Night Light averted her eyes and ducked her head low, hiding behind the brim of her hat. This could wait.

Trouble and Rico met with three ponies in the middle ground between the factions. The three squads from Phoenix had one representative dressed in light, black armour wielding a hefty assault rifle with a grenade launcher mounted under the barrel. On the pony’s head was a very peculiar mask with two tubes running into a mouthpiece with glowing yellow dots for eyes.

The first over to them was a huge stallion, dressed in a composite metal armour that enhanced his size, a tactical shotgun on his back. He was an earth pony with a blue coat and tight cut black mane in head-to-hoof armour plating. He was wider than Trouble and taller than Rico. “Family huh?” he asked in a gruff voice, wiping his nose.

“You’d be your fella, Bull Dozer, ah?” Trouble asked nonchalantly.

“Yep.” Bull Dozer confirmed with a nod looking over the Rap Mobile. “You meet some trouble on the way in? No pun intended.” He added the last bit raising a large hoof that could easily cover Dawn’s entire face.

“Grosavics, still gunnin’ for me!” Trouble chirped with a smirk.

The bigger-est stallion gave a small chuckle and a grin. The representative of the Phoenix factions arrived at their lil’ congregation. The pony pulled off the thick helmet exposing a middle-aged earth pony mare. She had a green coat and a tight, violet mane coming into a ponytail running down her back. She had small dark bags under her angry eyes, her face in a permanent frown.

She spoke up in a strange accent. “Pryvet.” She nodded to Trouble. “I’m Cigaro and these are my suka,” she said gesturing to the collection of ponies clad in combat armour, packing a little light. “You must be de Trouble my soup-eriors informed me of. We have secured a boat for you and we can all but guren-tee your infiltration.”

“You a Stalliongrad Stalker or something?” Rico asked raising an eyebrow.

“Eeks-Stalker. Now I’m running these bitches for better paying bitches,” she snorted.

“Speed Ball! Get your stoo-pid ass over here!” she cried over to Shell Shock’s ‘Sick Squad’. All their laughter and chit chat ceased as the entire group glared daggers at Cigaro. She just turned to stare back.

Night Light and Dawn hung back, waiting at the front of the car for Rico and Trouble to do whatever it is they were going to do, listening in instead. Night Light hung her head low, covering her face with the brim of her hat. Dawn did her best to mimic her. Remembering those pilot shades she found in Pegas, she put them on and looked down at the asphalt beneath, occasionally glancing up at the proceedings. She felt foolish. If it wasn't for her black coat, everyone would've spotted the light burning in her cheeks.

A muscular, well-toned, orange unicorn stallion approached the group from the Sick Squad. He had a dark red mullet and was carrying a large machine gun on his back- nothing compared to the M60 Night Light was carrying.

“So, so, so, so guys, these are the guys me and my guys and the guys over there are waiting on? And those guys are gonna get a taste of these guys when our guys and hitting their guys. Sound about right, guy?” The stallion who was assumed to be Speed Ball stammered in a jumpy excited voice.

“Does,” Trouble plainly answered with a nod.

“Trouble, my sukas need de firepower you promised us. I was told you are a stallion of your word,” Cigaro said, her words coming more like hisses and purrs.

“Around the back. My brother will sort yer bitches out.”

“Beeches! Report to de rear of their Automobile!” she howled over to the ponies from the factions. They broke into hushed conversation as they passed Dawn. She couldn’t tell if they were scared of Cigaro or loyal to her. She seemed like a bit of a bitch.

“We ‘ave some intel- former boy on the inside, me brother.” Trouble added to the group. Speed Ball seemed disinterested, paying more attention to scratching his nethers through armour than to the conversation.

“Go on.” Cigaro made small circles with her hoof to prompt him to continue.

“Worthy!” Trouble yelled out behind him. A moment later the cold figure appeared, still wearing his vindictive mask.

“He’s got their unit composition, unit specs, crew sizes, playbooks,” Trouble said turning to his brother to allow him to proceed.

Worthy looked around the leaders conference. “Best wait. Assemble everyone. I’ll address them then,” he coolly stated.

When Night Light could, she glimpsed over at the stallion. She had to be sure it was him.

Trouble spoke next to the group. “ ‘Ere lads, it’s fucking night fall in the next few hours. I say briefing at dusk, we all chip in what we know and what we’re at. Now where is the pegasus?”

Cigaro groaned, “That pussy! We gave him the biggest gun we could fucking think of giving a pegasus like him, and he’s fucking terrified of coming out during the day. He’ll be showing up tonight in the skies.”

Trouble and Rico looked to each other before Trouble sighed. “Gather everyone roun’, we’ll have a wee show’n’tell.”

_____________________________________________________________________

“Roughly how many ponies were there, including yourselves?” The Figure asked, his cigarette snubbed on the table, leaving a small black stain on the pale metal.

“I’d say around three dozen.” Dawn nodded with a fair amount of confidence. She didn’t count, but that seemed about right.

“Three dozen ponies to push into The Bridge? Sounds likes suicide,” The Figure snorted.

“Well, it was high risk. But like, all the guys there. We were on big caps if we could pull it off.”

“Essentially a suicide job then,” The Figure sighed. “It was evening when you arrived. Start again from the briefing.”

“Right, sure thing.” Dawn cleared her throat. “It was about dusk. We told all ponies to take a knee and anyone who had anything to contribute would step up. This one time, I listened.”

_____________________________________________________________________

All the ponies were gathered around in a semicircle facing the bridge, crouched down as one by one the ponies with something to contribute stood and addressed the group as a whole.

Night Light was nervously glancing to the black stallion with the mutilated face. He was just seated in front of her. She was acting worse than a school filly with a crush.

Dawn just hung at the back of the pack, out of sight and hopefully out of mind. The large Bull Dozer was erect before the group. He cleared his throat and began to recite some intel disinterestedly, looking everywhere but the faces of the ponies he was speaking to.

“The average Germane sniper has an effective range of six-hundred-and-fifty yards. Their rifle of choice is a bolt-action three-thirty-eight calibre rifle. The range is largely to do with the poorly-trained operator. If one of my crew were to commandeer said rifle we reckon we could kill a pony at approximately... what did you say it was, Way Paver?” he said looking to the charcoal stallion with the melted face.

The pony being addressed sighed and spoke in a lazy and tired voice, “Eight-hundred yards, and they’d never hear the bullet that killed them.”

“That.” Bull Dozer nodded to the stallion, going back into his respective place in the crowd.

Dawn watched as Bull Dozer scooched in next to ‘Way Paver’, starting hushed conversation with him.

Next up was Cigaro. The stern, snappy mare she scanned over the group. “OK, my beeches know the score! But for those stoo-pid ash-holes here, let me explain!” she barked.

“Trouble is going with those pricks in the boat we got under The Bridge. He go in, he go arms factory, arms factory go boom, we make hold on Bridge, we wait for reinforcements, we kill ponies. Good?” she asked in her harsh and stern voice.

“Yes ma’am.” Half the ponies droned submissively.

“O-kay,” she sounded out, stomping back to her seating position.

Worthy got up next, taking long strides before the group. He looked over them before briskly beginning a fast speech. “I got a few things you all should know,” he began in his cold, emotionless tone. “There will be more ponies holding here than many of you have ever shot at in your lives. The base plan for the holding of the bridge is to clear it of all cover and hold it through sheer numbers and the fortified elevated catwalks essentially making the entire thing one gigantic killzone.”

That last part sparked some conversation. “Quiet beeches!” Cigaro barked, a wave of silence passed over the group.

Worthy continued beginning to pace up and down. “With the exception of various checkpoints, they are sparse and too minimal for a force such as this. I recommend allowing us to set our sniper detail on the first catwalk, which to my understanding is clear, and blow the subsequent ones. The resulting debris will prove to be sufficient cover and a line to hold.”

Cigaro nodded to herself, pleased with the suggestion.

“The Purists have cleared most of the cars from the bridge, stripped down for metal for their mills or parts for their industry. They will have no shortage of ammunition and we can expect constant and heavy harassment.” He stopped momentarily to let that last part sink in.

“The Purists’ forces comprised of columns of thirty peasant fighters they called ‘Serviles’. Their most base fighter, nearly no training and no medic and, most importantly, no armour, these are just conscripted fools with rifles. Very high-end assault rifles at that. They’re trained to kill their wounded instead of evacuating them- only if they’re not fit to carry a weapon. In theory that is a sound concept. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and the enemy is undoubtedly weaker fending for their incapacitated comrades. But, let’s take into consideration their circumstance- most forced into fighting, most incapable of fighting due to lack of training, and odds are they’ll be killing more of their own soldiers than ours.” Dawn’s opinion of these ‘Purists’ was rapidly changing. She looked to Night Light. She was unfazed, beyond caring.

“Next up we got some more serious combatants, called ‘Crusaders’. These are trained soldiers, many of whom come from a line of soldiers before Gabriel seized powe, so it’s generational. Their training is good- not outstanding, but good. They have fairly decent armour. It’s basically light combat armour but just as effective due to their technological superiority. Expect maybe some magical energy weaponry along with advanced tactics. These are proper soldiers. Their experience is questionable, though. They may not be used to real hardcore combat like most of us here.” Some of the more rowdy ponies in the crowd cheered, most from the Sick Squad.

“There is also the threat of Angel-tier forces in that armour, but my brother and his crew decimated their most elite unit in one day at Marizona Springs. They probably do NOT want to chance losing more of those suits. The suits in question are primitive beyond belief and come in two specs, the first being the heavy model. It’s only capable of walking, has slowed joint movements, heavily restricted field of vision, and it’s power supply is weak and only lasts about fifty hours. The entire suit is dependant on the processor in the helmet. If that gets impacted, suit locks and game over. However, it is practically bulletproof, and on an open field like this, that's a major fucking, fucking problem. Trouble was fortunate enough to only encounter Gabriel’s Trumpet without their logistical support due to overconfidence. Any other day and grenades and missiles would have been their weapons of choice,” he said staring over the crowd, a little uneasy by the prospect of that tier of hurt.

“The other model is the ‘light’ model and in my opinion the superior one. The light model can function without the helmet, but accuracy and overall performance suffers from it. The ponies wearing it can move at a brisk job at least and the armour is still tough as fuck, but I doubt we will be facing them. Our main concern is their unit specifically designed for the holding of the Bridge.”

“What ou-nit is this!?” Cigaro cried out standing up.

“Gun Wall. It’s a large thick wall of armouring with machine guns mounted in slots to fire from. It comes up at around a seventy degree angle and has a six pony crew- two machine gunners, four pushers. It’s only a wall on wheels, but on this Bridge, it may as well be a fucking Squad. Once deployed, the pushers turn into reserve gunners, another fine example of pony expenditure,” he snorted.

“And last of al,l but most importantly, beware of their mortars. If you hear that pop and a whistle, run. Scatter and make them lose their lock, then regroup for another attempt. You’re no good to any pony if you’re mince.”

“That’s all. One final thing. If one of us goes down, regardless of loyalty of creed, we help them out. We’re in this together.” Worthy concluded, stepping away from the group.

Cigaro assumed the lead of the entire group, standing ahead of them all, staring right down The Bridge, the catwalks, the miles of concrete and steel. The sun was setting behind them, casting their lengthened silhouettes across the cold, pale concrete.

“Let’s kill some sukas!” she growled.

“Yes ma’am!” the three squads from Phoenix syphoned in unison.

“Trouble, you follow me! I show you something!” Cigaro snapped gesturing him to follow. Trouble looked to Rico. The stallion nodded. Trouble rose onto his hind hooves. He looked back to Dawn, giving her a reassuring small wink as he followed the angry Cigaro on his hind hooves, resting The Red Queen on his shoulder.

Worthy galloped frantically to his brother, skidding to a halt before him offering him a small bag. They exchanged a few inaudible words and Trouble accepted, stowing it in his duster somewhere.

Cigaro lead him onto the beach and under The Bridge, the whole undercarriage cast in darkness. Waiting for them was a small, wooden boat with the white paint flaking off of it. Inside the boat were two ponies operating disintegrating oars.

“These is your ticket in and probably ticket out,” Cigaro chimed in her odd accent. “Team goes now, other boat on other side for you, we checked.”

“Awrite then,” Trouble mumbled.

“You know arms factory when you see it, big fucking building, smoke stacks,” she said, slapping him on the back. “Good luck.”

Trouble laughed to himself, “Whoop-de-fucking-do.”

Cigaro smiled. “Go kill something for us.”

“I plan on it dear,” he said, stepping into the boat, setting himself next to the two ponies operating the oars. He examined them.

Both were earth ponies dressed in tight leather armour, lightly camouflaged. At their sides were small compact SMGs. They both looked tired, both worn down and drunk on fatigue.

“You’re Trouble then, huh?” the one on the left asked.

“I am.” He nodded.

“So, that’s cool.” He yawned

Trouble studied the two a while longer. They were about to drop any fucking minute and they were his fucking ride.

“You guys, scouts or something?” he asked, hoping to glean some information and make casual chat.

“Eeyup,” the one on the right drawled out.

“Why aren’t we going?” Trouble asked quickly, getting bored of the scouts.

“We were told to wait for gunshots.” The one on the left shrugged.

Trouble facehoofed. “Right then, we’ll wait.”

Above, the troops were already marshalled. All stood in their groups, readying their weapons. Dawn, Night Light, Rico and Worthy all stood by the Rap Mobile, going over the plan.

“Alright, me and Dawn hang back on the catwalk. As far as we know we’re the only snipers available. As for you two, you’ll be heading with the rest of them. We’ll cover you best we can.” Worthy’s mask was on. He did his best to try and sound sincere but he was failing.

Night Light was in a world of her own, thinking, scheming. The one thing making her nervous was Way Paver.

“Ranger, you alright?” Rico asked giving her a light nudge.

“Yeah, yeah,” she mumbled, staring down at the ground.

Worthy nudged Dawn, pointing to the orange evening sky. “See it?”

Dawn followed his hoof to where he was pointing. It was a speck, barely visible. She had to squint to make it out. Whatever it was, it was sailing rapidly through the sky, bouncing up and down at a distance.

“What is it?” Dawn asked. She already knew.

“That pegasus. My suspicion is that he’ll prove useless.”

“Why do you think that?” Dawn asked, losing the speck and turning back to Worthy.

“He’s an idiot,” he simply said, wandering away.

“Well, I guess it’s time,” Rico sighed, following him leaving the two girls alone.

Dawn stared at Night Light. The ranger was distant, perturbed. It was clear on her face.

“Night Light?” Dawn timidly spoke. “What’s wrong?”

Night Light glanced shyly up at Dawn, her grey eyes glistening as the last red rays of sunlight struck them. “Just, an old friend,” she sheepishly smiled.

“His name is Way Paver,” she continued, looking back down to the ground. “He was a ranger too, but... I thought he died.” She gave a hollow chuckle.

“Oh fuck, Dawn,” She pleaded, “you should see his goddess damned face.” Her voice cracked as she shook her head, laughing a mirthless and empty laugh.

“Why don’t you just go and... say hi?” Dawn timidly offered, not sure of what else to say.

Night Light shook her head. “He hasn’t recognized me yet. He was one of the six of us who told the NCR to fuck off. I don’t think he wants to see me,” she murmured in a forlorn tone.

“Night Light, what happened?” Dawn asked, cutting to the chase.

Night Light was silent for a moment, rubbing her forehoof. “I’ll tell you another time, K?” She weakly offered, giving Dawn a strained smile.

Dawn hated to see her like this. It broke her heart. She sighed in defeat, “Fine, fine.” She nodded, matching Night Light’s smile.

“Ok,” Night Light mumbled quietly. “I should say something, anything just to let him know.”

“Know what?” Dawn asked curiously.

Night Light sighed, “So he knows he isn’t alone, not yet.”

_____________________________________________________________________

“Way Paver- he was assumed KIA but his corpse was never found,” The Figure remarked.

“Uh, yeah, whatever,” Dawn replied, not really caring. “We got in our groups. The Bridge was clear for a bit. Far enough to the first catwalk or overhead barricade. Or whatever you wanted to call it.”

“Right then. So between Night Light and Way Paver, what happened?” The Figure asked.

“Well, she didn’t speak to him for a long while. We’ll get there. Night Light and Rico were moving up ahead of us. Me and Worthy were all back of the pack, out of earshot.”

“Why?”

“It’s the way Worthy liked it.”

_____________________________________________________________________

The group moved along the concrete path. The only sound for miles was the quiet pitter patter of their hooves on the hard, ancient surface, the constant stinking breeze defiling their sense of smell- a constant annoyance. The wafting, stomach-churning gust formed a lump in the pit of Dawn’s stomach.

Rico and Night Light were in the midsection, keeping themselves in the centre of the group, just blending in. Dawn and Worthy were falling behind the main group, strolling casually side by side.

It wasn’t long before they crossed the source of the distant, black smoke columns, all but burned out. Charred carcasses, dusty piles of them at the sides of The Bridge.

The entire group passed by, barely giving it any notice. Night Light glanced at one. Spotting a scorched limb, she turned her head, forming a dark scowl and quietly chambering a round into her Valkyrie.

Dawn shuddered. The smoke jammed her nostrils up, the ash being gently carried away by the breeze into her coat. She grimaced, her hooves trembling as she struggled lifting them. She slowed with every step. Her teeth chattered loudly against her will.

Enough!

She stopped, stopped everything, stopped thinking, stopped moving, and stopped fucking shitting herself. Her head sagged, muscles locked up. Worthy halted alongside her, they weren’t far from their spot- third catwalk, the last free one. Every seven-hundred yards there was another catwalk, or garrisonable position

He kept his silence, staring at their position. It was just an overhang, some makeshift stairs up and a bunch of metal panels and sandbags to rest on. That’ll do perfectly.

Worthy looked to the mare at his side. There she was, small, weak, too skinny, too inexperienced and too dumb. Yet. She had braids and a finely crafted piece of armour. She had a rifle he desperately craved, and she had lasted this long.

What Trouble seen in her, he was slowly beginning to understand. The group moved on. Worthy didn’t care for them. It was her that enthralled him, the rigid mare who just decided to lock up.

The cold stallion wrestled off his mask, inspecting her with his own eye, pacing around her. Her muscles tensed, planted firmly into the ground, her head hung low in defeat, the utter deflation keeping it down.

Worthy halted. He could wonder, or he could ask. She had business being here. Not yet.

“What do you want Dawn?” he asked, resuming his pacing.

She kept her silence, unable to speak.

“You wanna be raw? A killer perhaps? Maybe not? Maybe so?” he sighed. “Let me rephrase, what do you ‘need’?”

Dawn kept her head down. “I don’t know.” She admitted in a low, frail voice.

“Maybe you want to need something.” He offered.

Dawn didn’t answer. If he wanted to be ominous and speak in riddles she’d let him, but it doesn’t mean she’d answer him.

“I don’t think you understand a thing,” he began. “You’re scared, feeling lonely, feeling depressed.”

Dawn raised her head, breathing slowly, not able to face Worthy. She only glimpsed his hooves as he passed.

“You WANT to be able to kill, you WANT to be needed, but you’re scared of dying, scared of what’ll it take or what they’ll do to you. It’s the only reason you’re here. You want glory, a better life.”

Dawn took a deep breath, the air unlocking several of her joints. Listening to Worthy’s voice.

Worthy chuckled, “You know, when I was young, very young, I used to check every alcove and dark corner I could think of before going to bed. I was petrified of being attacked by a monster in the depths or a hidden assailant from my nightmares.”

Dawn’s breathing quickened, her heart thumping gradually faster in her chest, causing an uneven rhythm. Her soul sunk in her chest, the hooves stopped right before her. She glanced up, her panicky state causing her teeth to chatter loudly as her entire body quivered.

Worthy was staring right into her, a dark grin on his face. He continued with another chuckle. “But, after I killed for the first time, I stopped. I noticed that I stopped. I was only a kid, very young.” He nodded, keeping his tone even, reliving the events behind his big amber eye.

“I stumbled upon something very... true.” He broke eye contact, looking around in thought. The stallion sighed, leaning in close to whisper. His chilling breath on her neck caused her entire being to shiver.

“We stopped looking for the monsters when we realized the monsters were inside of us,” he laughed quietly. “It’ll be our secret.”

“But I know all about your monsters, and I’m gonna give you some advice,” he whispered to her, pulling his head away,. Dawn looked up to him, her body still shaking. Worthy laid a comforting hoof on her shoulder.

“Become the monster,” he firmly told her, turning to walk away, leaving her to think.

The feminine voice spoke to her again, cooing in an affectionate tone, “Even monsters have the right to live, my dear.”

Her thoughts cleared. She looked to the ash pile to her left, the half-ash limbs jutting up from the heap, the burned black bones poking out.

Not me.

She wouldn’t allow them to reduce her to ash, not now, not ever. Not so long as she had breath in her lungs and blood in her veins. All these ponies have done was kill and destroy. And all she had done is kill and destroy. There was no difference anymore, only who was better at it.

Her fear turned into determination. Worthy was ahead of her, stepping up onto the catwalk as the group moved ahead. She gulped down her fear and galloped after him. Fuck all of it. She could kill. She was more ready to kill than any cutthroat or thug in the whole NCR.

And she was eager to prove it. Let them come, let them fire their guns, she’d fire back and then we’d all see who’s left standing.

“Worthy!” she panted, skidding to a halt next to him. The dark stallion turned his head to look back. “I’m ready,” she spoke between breaths, giving him a stiff nod.

The stallion smiled to himself. “Pay close attention and do as I instruct.” He firmly asserted stepping up the metal staircase, his hooves clanking down on the creaky metalwork.

Dawn nodded briskly, following Worthy eagerly up. Her mind racing, thoughts of violence spurred her up. Angry threats and promises of death cycled through her psyche.

Worthy flexed his shoulder. With the loud clank of metal locking in place, his bolt-action jumped out from his cloak folds. Dawn hadn’t really paid it much heed till now, but it was quite beautiful.

The black, laminated wood, polished and glistening, the gold-plated barrel and action that by some miracle dulled enough to not quite catch the light but maintaining its beauty. Worthy clamped his teeth down on the rifle and yanked it, the rifle ripping free with a loud ‘clank’ followed by the shifting rustling of springs.

He gently placed the rifle against on the lowest cover available, the sandbags in the centre of the catwalk. Ducking low just so his head was below the cover, Dawn watched curiously, still behind the tall metal sheets.

“Come here, duck low, plant your rifle alongside mine and stay to my left,” Worthy ordered.

Dawn nodded, crouching low, carefully planting each hoof. A metallic note chimed with every hoof she placed. She slowly levitated Bad News adjacent to the bolt-action, keeping to the left half of the sandbags as instructed.

“Seven-hundred yards from here is another catwalk. We’re going to make sure it’s empty. It’s alongside a barricade, one of the few checkpoints left. It’s going to be a struggle. Once we take it out, we sprint to catch up and set up once more. Then the real fighting breaks out,” Worthy confidently stated. Dawn nodded in compliance.

“Odds are the hostile snipers - if any are active - are staring right at us, and if that’s the case, as soon as either of us pokes our heads up, one of us will die or come very close to at least,” he told her calmly, his tone staying even and confident.

Dawn swallowed and licked her lips, nodding again.

“Take your rifle,” he ordered her.

Dawn did as she was told, hurriedly snatching it, awaiting her next order.

“Now, press your back against the cover and duck her head low, resting the rifle on your lap,” he instructed her calmly.

Dawn did as instructed, scooching in awkwardly against the bags. She looked to Worthy expectantly.

“Your scope has a digital display. Do you see the knobs on the scope? The big one on the top is range. Since this is a more sophisticated scope, the onboard systems do most the calculations. Look down the scope and twist the knob to the right till it’s set to seven-hundred yards or about five-hundred metres.”

Dawn did as she was told without a word. She pressed her right eye against the scope. It definitely wasn’t glass she was looking through- it was a perfect display. Tiny lines were apparent on the display as they moved horizontally across, giving it a tiny but insignificant amount of blur. On the crosshair was a red dot bobbing around. She reserved her questions, twisting the knob as instructed, the scope magnifying making a low, squeaking noise as it adjusted. In the top right corner of the display a small counter appeared:

400 yds *Squeak*

450 yds *Squeak*

500 yds *Squeak*

550 yds *Squeak*

The scope continued its squeaky, grind-like noise as the picture intensified up to 700 yds the display studying the finer details of a scratch on the metal panels.

“It’s set,” she said in an exhale.

“The red dot, that’s roughly where the bullet will hit, roughly where. I’ll take the first shot,” Worthy told her, easing his rifle to rest on the sandbags, the stock pressed firmly against his shoulder, nestled against his cloak. His movements slow and careful he rubbed the lens with his muzzle, clearing it off dust.

“Step one, control your breathing. Slow and steady- you’re in no rush,” Worthy murmured soothingly, aiming down his scope.

Dawn inhaled deeply through her nostrils, letting the air fill her lungs to capacity, a steely calm determination sweeping over her body as she was slowly coerced into obedience by Worthy.

“There are no snipers, good. I can see the barricade. They got sandbags set up at ground level as well as machine guns on the catwalks, heavily fortified, a rudimentary wall. Have a look, but don’t shoot. There’s plenty of time for that,” he cooed gently.

Dawn slowly turned, raising her rifle only to gently lower it onto the sandbags. She telekinetically flicked out the legs of the bipod mounted underneath, moving into a more comfortable position.

A barricade, like Worthy described. Some diligent ponies went to the great effort of erecting a large, catwalk-integrated checkpoint building turned into a miniature fort complete with metal walls to stop bullets and machine gun positions .The machine guns in question were identical to the ones the Angels used in Marizona.

Through her scope she saw it all, even to the most minute detail. It felt like she was standing little over twenty yards out. Through the powerful scope, she could go as far as to study the finer features of a pony’s face with ease.

The sandbags were lined up to allow passage on The Bridge and only to choke little over half of it. The small portcullis under the midsection of the catwalk stood three times higher than any pony alive.

Dawn finished her survey with a quick glance over the guards- two dozen or so, half a dozen on the catwalk lazily pacing around in boredom, the rest packed behind the sandbags down below, bunched together in cliques paying no heed to the road.

They all wore the same uniform, a pale-blue tunic with a blood-red ballistics vest, if a poor one. They carried the same weapons too, a stocky, scrunched-up-looking assault rifle that the earth ponies wore at the side, mounted to a battle saddle.

Dawn kept her eye pressed against the square-shaped lens, waiting for Worthy to decree judgement.

“Eyes on the catwalk,” Worthy began in a hushed tone.

Dawn swivelled her view onto the overhang, scanning for the threats.

“Step two, ID targets and prioritize. The machine gunners are the main threat. Inside the checkpoint is a pony operating a radio. As soon as shots go off they’ll radio for backup... nothing we can do about that.” He assured her in a soft tone.

Dawn accepted this. It was getting bad regardless. Her smaller world was a slower one and calm as long as she gazed through that scope and listened to the voice of reason next to her, guiding her aim.

“Step three, take aim. Use the red dot to line your shot up. Aim for the nape of the neck or breast. No need to try and blow their skulls apart, that’s for the show-offs, when you get better you may. A well-placed shot to the body is just as effective- in some cases, more so. Your target is the machine gunner on the left side of the catwalk. He’s at his turret.” Dawn found her target, a pony perched on the sandbags with its back to her. Sexless, she couldn’t determine the gender, only the base features.

“Do you have the target in your sights?” Worthy asked in a calm tone.

“Yes,” she murmured in response.

“Study the target. Track their movements, even to the most subtle degree- their figure, their frame. Learn to be able to spot them from a crowd of thousands,” Worthy hissed, his voice stimulating her senses.

Earth pony, medium sized.

Blue mane, long mane.

Grey coat, scruffy, flea ridden - constant scratching.

The pony turned its head to the side, looking disgruntled over the sea from its viewpoint.

Mare.

Blue eyes, like me.

Sad eyes.

No.

Lonely.

Dawn rested the red dot that hung under the crosshair on the broad of the mare’s back. She exhaled slowly, apologetic for what she was about to do.

“Do you feel for her?” Worthy asked in a deflated hiss.

“Yes,” Dawn sighed. It pained her to admit it. This mare didn’t have it coming.

“That’ll leave you, in time. I’ll count you in. On my mark, her life will end.” Worthy promised keeping his even calm, soothing voice.

“Are you ready?” he asked in a whisper.

“Yes.” Dawn swallowed. He was making this hard. Maybe it was never supposed to be.

“Three.”

Dawn steadied her aim, picking a higher, protruding bone in the mare’s spine.

“Two.”

The mare yawned loudly, rubbing her tired blue eyes, looking back down to the ground.

“One.”

The mare’s ears perked as she turned, looking over her shoulder in alarm, her eyes growing wide in terror as she spotted the band approaching.

“Fire.”

Sorry.

Dawn tensed the trigger. With a jump of the rifle, the resonating bang of the powder, and the flash from the muzzle, the mare tumbled backwards off the sandbags, plummeting to the hard concrete below as a cloud of sanguine erupted from her front. Her entire body went limp instantly, impacting on the thick surface, her body scrunching up as her innards were compacted and forced around, bones bending with the sudden force. She lay with a crumpled body in a pool of her own building blood.

“Perfect,” Worthy purred in grim satisfaction.

Dawn inhaled deeply again, sucking the air through her nostrils. The whole world was slowed and slurred, motions impeded and made sullen.

She turned her head to the guiding voice. His eye was an inch from the scope, his face pulled in an expression of raw concentration. The rifle rocked back, punching into his shoulder as a loud crack syphoned and a blaze burst from the barrel.

Worthy ducked low, bringing his rifle back down to its resting place. He grabbed Dawn’s hoof and yanked her down. Shrill, panicked cries rang out, followed by loud bursts of gunfire. It was on.

He held her down. Dawn didn’t object. Worthy dropped out a small two-way radio and pressed to transmit. “Trouble, you moving?”

The scrambled, crackling voice of Trouble answered on the other end, “We’re moving, thanks for the silencers.”

“I’ll keep her out of the fire like you asked, and for you, Flankfurt is huge but the factory is the biggest building in the place. There’ll be troops, guards, plenty of civilians and children, and the factory is gonna go up with hell of a bang. Quickly and quietly, keep to the outskirts. There are plenty of abandoned buildings,” Worthy instructed him. The pause between conversation was filled with loud cracks of high-powered weaponry.

“Where’s the pegasus?” Came the unfazed and disinterested response.

“Not here, and odds are never will be.”

“It’s grand. Just keep ‘em fucking busy and once it’s blown, leave. Our job is done. They can fend for themselves.”

Worthy looked to Dawn, his brow furrowed in thought. “Right, we make contact again at dawn.”

“Agreed, out.”

Worthy sighed, “Looks like we won’t be here as long as I thought?”

“We’re just going to leave them!?” Dawn exclaimed, astonished that Trouble, the pony who dragged her halfway across the world to safety, could so easily abandon ponies like this.

“Regrettable. We done our part. We got them the guns they requested and once my brother deals with the factory, our job is done. If they want extra, they’ll have to pay for it.” He smirked, finishing in a smug tone.

“Less work, more money?” Dawn shyly offered.

“Exactly.” Worthy gave her a genuine smile. “You learn quick. Now let’s get back to work.”

Dawn nodded, clutching Bad News as Worthy loosened his grip on her. “Listen to my voice. It’ll speak louder than any of the guns. It’ll guide you through this,” Worthy spoke back in his soothing and reassuring tone, lifting his rifle once more.

“Our ponies, they’re contending with reinforcements,” he told her, scanning the scene through his scope. “Kill only those foolish enough to try to operate the machine guns unless I tell you otherwise.”

“I will.” She promised in a sincere tone, raising the square digital lens to her eye. Packs of ponies were shifting clumsily behind the cover on the catwalk, too scared to lift their heads- and with good reason. Below them on the ground, the ‘Sick Squad’ were at the sandbags, a pile of corpses behind the cover. They had sustained wounds, bloodied hooves and holes in their armour. None of them seemed to care.

Dawn kept her red dot hovered over the machine gun, inhaling slowly through her nostrils, gently exhaling through her mouth. “Patience, Dawn. They are already dead.”

They're already dead.

She waited, and waited. The ground levels were cleared. The portcullis was flooded with corpses as the Purist forces were funneled through to die. A few made it into the structure and were putting up a tenacious resistance.

She blinked.

What the fuck!?

The entire line behind the catwalk cover was shredded, a heap of mutilated flesh and gore, a stream of thick soup like blood dribbled through cracks in the cover, staining the bottom of the sandbags crimson.

“That’d be our air support,” Worthy chuckled.

A pink blur whirred past Dawn’s scope. She swivelled the bipod rapidly to track it. The blur was moving at an incredible speed, ducking and diving, swirling through the air. Dawn watched as bright tracer rounds chased it through the air, the bright flashes illuminating the sky as the sun sank, the day turning dark.

The Sick Squad ponies were the first in the structure itself, clearing the rooms in seconds with long sprays from their machine guns, the echoes reverberating back to their position.

“What now?” Dawn asked, the voice’s guidance absent for too long.

“We take a walk, catch up and set up,” Worthy proclaimed snatching his rifle up as he stood tall, heading across the catwalk down the stairs.

Dawn took a deep breath and followed, keeping Bad News at the ready.

The gunshots perpetually rang out, the dull loud bangs, the

DU-DU-DU-DU-DU-DU-DU!! ‘s

and the

KA-KA-KA-KA-KA-KA-KA!! ‘s droning out for an eternity.

Dawn followed Worthy along The Bridge at their moderate pace, the shots increasing in volume as they drew closer, decibel by decibel, step by step.

She looked over her shoulder a final time, the last rays of the sun’s burning, orange radiance was falling behind the horizon leaving them alone in the dark.

This is going to be a long night.

_____________________________________________________________________

Trouble sat slouched over in the boat as the two tired scouts rowed with difficulty through the dense sludge. Above them was the echo of battle, the distinct sound of gunshots, the crack of the sniper’s rifle and the occasional shriek of terror and agony.

Trouble sighed. He just got off the radio with Worthy. He held in his hooves his ornate revolvers, two long silencers on the end of them- courtesy of Worthy. He gazed past the scouts to his distant goal.

Flankfurt was another four miles from the bridge. He could either round the edge of the coast and try to enter via the harbour or test his luck and walk in the front door... or...

“Here, would you lads know if the sewers are still standing?” Trouble asked, furrowing his brow, leaning forward.

The scouts blinked simultaneously, which deeply unsettled him for some strange reason.

“We dunno. We found an entrance but it stunk ‘a’ shit,” the one on the left answered.

“No shit.” Trouble rolled his eyes.

“No, there was plenty of that inside mister.” The one on the right objected.

He was clearly among scholars whose intellect far surpassed his own. He best weave his next words into a delicate but sophisticated sentence, so best to lull them into a firm state of trusting and reassurance.

“You lads are a pair of fucking idiots.” He deadpanned with the utmost good faith.

The two scouts went silent, staring at the burly, aging stallion with the metal talons and revolvers in his grip. Yeah, they weren’t dumb enough to give him back chat.

The coast on the other side was barely visible. It was going to be a while yet, especially since these guys had two speeds: Dog slow or Full stop.

“What are your names?” Trouble asked, palming a cigarette.

“Well he’s Dog Slo-” Trouble halted him with a hoof.

He spat, “Say. No. Fucking. More.”

Why are the stupid ones always alive?

Trouble lit up the smoke, taking a short puff.

This was going to be a long night.

_____________________________________________________________________

Dad was right. I should’ve stuck with the drug dealing.

Rico pushed up behind the group. The barricade was liberated. The entire group pushed through in the seconds of silence they had before gunfire sparked up once more.

Night Light was behind him. The mare’s shoulder was aching from using the M60, but she had to press on. Way Paver still hadn’t noticed her. Maybe he did but was keeping his distance.

Rico rushed through, following the single file line that had developed. They burst through the other side. It was pitch-black now. He couldn’t see the hooves of the pony next to him.

The cover here matched that of the other side- sandbags and a view from the catwalk with lowered cover, but this side lacked machine guns.

They emerged to the other side, ceasing their rushed movements and momentum. It was clear, or clear enough, the corpses of the mowed down soldiers filling the road, the constant sound of hooves splashing in the puddles filled the night air along with the smell of gunpowder, sweat and fear.

Maybe this was it for the nigh-

BAMM!!!

The distant crack came. Rico ducked down as a head exploded next to him, showering him in gore. Rico recoiled in shock and disgust, a smudge of grey matter striking the corner of his eye, temporarily blinding him as he tumbled into cover.

Gunfire started up triumphantly. Ponies dashed to cover, letting loose a volley or two, some taking hits with others throwing themselves to the ground or dragging the few wounded. Night Light skidded next to Rico.

“Hey Rico!” she yelled over the deafening bangs and ignition of gunpowder. “You good!?” She slapped his shoulder popping up from the sandbags to fire a burst into the darkness, the sparks and ejected cartridges falling onto Rico below.

“Fucking dandy!” He shouted back in frustration, rubbing his eye furiously, his hoof matted in the gooey substance.

“That’s the spirit!” Night Light cheered, spotting muzzle flashes and focusing her fire.

Rico rolled onto his elbows and knees, squeezing the eye tightly shut he sluggishly rose pressing his eye to the scope of his rifle ‘Overture’ he spotted a distant flash, a bullet whizzed over Night Light’s shoulder, gaspingly close to her throat, a jolt of panic ran through her, she ceased fire immediately to get down behind the cover, panting heavily watching as a lock of her hair wafted downwards gently onto the ground by her hooves.

Rico fired a single round back at the offending markspony. His rifle gave a chime as the round sailed through the darkness. He fell back to his knees, unsure and not caring if he hit his mark, splashing a canteen of water onto his face. He smeared it into his eye just to get the fucking viscera covered shit out of his eye!

It made sick, sucking, squelching noises. He groaned. He could open his eye with ease before long. The gunfire escalated on the defending side from the darkness. He was waiting for their defense to step up. This firefight had escalated into a battle.

Rico got pressed against the sandbags next to Night Light. “I fucking hate this place already.” he swore angrily.

“Look on the bright side,” she chirped. “Think of the number of the cunts we killed already!” She laughed over the gunfire, popping up to fire another burst.

Night Light ducked back down low afterwards, getting an idea. She flicked the bipod out and rested the M60 on the midsection of the sandbags, ponies either side of her firing into the night in their uniforms. On their side was Bull Dozer’s crew and the Sick Squad. Way Paver was at the end of the cover, six ponies separating him from a good look at her.

Night Light drew a deep breath, drawing it up to fire a continuous burst at the blazing muzzles firing back. Her bright lead shone through the void. Loud dinks rang out as metal struck metal, her rounds exploding into a shower of dazzling sparks as the machine gun fire persisted and drew closer.

“Gun Wall!” Cigaro barked in her strange accent.

Night Light ducked back behind cover, the spray from the approaching machine guns running over their cover. A pony from the Sick Squad fell down next to her, a dozen holes in his chest.

“Asphalt!” a mare screamed in terror, falling onto the fresh corpse, breaking into tears as the mare clung to the stallion’s perforated body.

Night Light’s expression softened. No pony would hold her corpse.

Hard Luck.

The bulky Bull Dozer threw his shotgun onto the sandbags and blind-fired. “Ranger! Fucking blow it!” he yelled furiously.

Night Light looked to Bull Dozer as if there was some mistake.

“Covering fire!” Way Paver shouted, rising up with the large tube on his shoulder. Bull Dozer’s ponies obliged. They rose in unison to lay down fire for Way Paver. The machine guns kept firing, their accuracy harshly affected.

The bullets smacked into the barricade behind with loud ‘Clanks’ or into the sandbags with soft ‘Pfumps’.

A loud hiss came from the tube as a large jet of smoke and a fiery warhead was launched from it. The warhead shrieked through the air, leaving a blazing trail as it soared, smacking against the invisible wall, momentarily illuminated by the fire before a blinding flash accompanied by a deafening boom reduced it to scrap metal.

Nearly everypony stopped shooting to stare up at the smug-looking Way Paver, a satisfied grin plastered on his face as he triumphantly held the tube on his shoulder.

Even the mare cuddling the corpse stopped to look up with glistening, teary eyes.

Way Paver casually lowered the tube, resting the launching end of it on the ground as he opened the rear end. A jet of smoke bellowed out as he slowly removed the spent -

Bamm!

Way Paver hit the ground, hard. He was propelled two feet backwards as he lay on the broad of his back, writhing in pain, the tube at his side. The distant crack was heard only after he had fallen.

Ponies rushed frantically to Way Paver’s side, including the large Bull Dozer.

The metal round was embedded in his chest armour, but the concussive force alone launched him. He mumbled to himself as they pulled him back onto his hooves.

On cue with a mechanical loud chime, the entire Bridge was bathed in a powerful wash of blinding light. Flood lights- the powerful rays were suspended on the tendrils high above holding The Bridge upright.

It was as if some strange god created their own bubble of day so they could fight in clearer fields. Rico squinted up at the dozens of tiny suns beaming down on him. He peeked up from his cover.

He immediately regretted it.

A small horde was moving up, the burlier of them carrying sandbags and deployable metal sheets as cover.

The approaching group steadily paced forward, laying down perpetual covering fire on the group. Night Light was drawing a total blank, stumped. Blinded by the overpowering lights, deafened by the overwhelming noise, panicked by the death and blood around her hooves like wet mud.

She gritted her teeth, her frustration building and building. Sick of all this shit, it would be an injustice to shit to call it shit.

Her horn glowed faintly, flickering weakly in a silver glow. She, just, couldn’t, FOCUS!

She shut her eyes tightly, dropping everything, the fucking gunfire was too distracting!

She jammed her hooves into her ears, blocking what she could, barely muffling the booming gunfire.

With a loud mechanical crank the lights on the Purist occupied sections of The Bridge fell under a cloak of impermeable darkness, returning to the rest of the world.

Know we didn’t even know what we were shooting at! The ineffective nature of their return fire lead to another pony dropping, the wails of pain scrambling her thoughts.

This was unfair, insane, desperate. They may aswell marched in with sparklers up their asses and neon crosshairs on their chests.

Night Light managed a steady glow, her magic feeling out the immediate area for all light sources, there were plenty. Even if they got to shooting them, it didn’t matter. They were running at 100% times X didn’t matter if they blew ten, they’d still be perfectly illuminated.

She forced herself, grinding her teeth as a bead of sweat trickled down her brow from the strained concentration. She began to grunt loudly, her entire body tensing up, the glow on her horn intensifying, building in radiance and flair.

The pressure on her temples hurt her skull, forcing her hooves deep into them, the lights flickered momentarily casting the group in darkness for a fleeting second.

C’mon bitch! Nearly there!

Night Light howled through clenched jaws, her face scrunched into a snarl, in a full on sweat, her horn’s overglow beaming brightly even under the scrutiny of the floodlights.

She let out a final howl, the strain of the spells’ exertion causing her entire being to convulse and knot, the horn’s magic collapsed with a resounding sonic wave, all at once the flood lights flared their powerful white lights burning with such intensity it bathed the group in a severe heat, the lights exploded with their own force. Each a dazzling explosion blinding any onlookers as the glittering glass fragments trickled down all around them, matting the road in a glistening layer of miniscule shards.

the magnitude of the casting generated a sonic boom, the force rendered Night Light limp, all the strength drained from her body as her head rolled on the neck joint, dazed and disoriented, back in the protection of the blackness. She played one of her few cards, she’d need a breather before she could play another.

Perfect. Her brain was in a hazy mess, if she could see actually see(apart from the flashing muzzle fire) she’d know her vision was blurred, the stock of the M60 was rested against her shoulder, she’d have to get back on that, wouldn’t she?

Way Paver was crouched down, stepping away from the combat to stare at the limp silver mare at the sandbags who just cast them in the cloak of darkness, the valkyrie on her back, the brown cowpony hat with a purple feather in the black band.

His discoloured eye twitched, he couldn’t have been that blind, could he? They took one eye, but that shouldn’t have meant the other could miss the obvious.

His ribs ached sharply and his chest felt tight around his organs, it pained him to breath, but that didn’t matter. She was little less than ten feet from him, a reunion, would have to wait.

Rico poked his rifle and head up, quickly taking aim he tapped the trigger several times at the source of several flashes. He didn’t risk checking to see if he scored kills, he was waiting, any minute now before they started getting explosives out, then this tightly grouped gang of expendables will be royally fucked.

Rico glanced down, Night Light was still laying there, staring aimlessly into the metal walls of the barricade. He couldn’t even get a laugh out of her right now, he got onto his knees and pulled her up the sandbags , bullets slamming into them, it was only a matter of time before they burst. Rico lifted her chin to look her in the eyes, twisting her head around.

Her blank, dazed and sweaty face looked right through him, Rico grunted in frustration, scrunching his face up, he gently slapped her cheek.

“Ranger! Snap out of it!” He ordered, his face scrunched up rapidly slapping her cheek. No luck. Just a small moan of objection from the mare, her brain too hazy and foggy to even register his words, let alone jump start a body in combat mode.

Her brain couldn’t, but he could.

Half a hit, no, quarter hit. Keep her somewhat in control, Bruiser may be too volatile for this situation, but what choice did he have?

Rico hurriedly fumbled out the small jar, pressing his back against the sandbags, in the same ninety degree position as Night Light, only a little less slumped.

The jarred glowing green crystals stood out in the absolute darkness, he arched his knees and rested the glass container on his stomach, this was one of the dumbest times ever conceived to prepare a drug to be fit for ingestion, specifically tailored for a down and out mare.

He’d only need a little, Rico gently broke of a single spike from a crystal and telekinetically rose it from the jar. The twinkling star rising from the depths of the darkness, if he were high he probably would’ve broke down in tears.

He gently placed the glowing green star in the flat of his outstretched hoof, drawing it in close to himself to best view the process.

He brought his other hoof down on top of the star, the small sound of the glass like composition shattering pierced his ears, he twisted his hooves around, the grainy, crunching sound of the small star being reduced to dust stood out to him. His ears trained to make out the distinct tell tale signs.

He parted his hooves, on his left was a blanket of twinkling star dust, the mystifying green powder glistening on his hoof. He looked at the starkly beautiful powder drug with an odd appreciation of it. With a small grin he turned to the mare on his right who was only sharpening up now, her brain duller than a cup of murky water.

Smashing.

Best get this over with, he parted her mouth by wedging his free between her teeth, she’d either be really pissed, or really glad. With the other hoof he gently tipped it onto her tongue, the dry grains cascading down, illuminating the walls of her cheeks and gums.

Okay now for the water, Rico telekinetically rounded his large canteen of water around to the mare, uncapping it and resting it on bottom lip in one quick motion. He tipped the water in, the pure translucent liquid gushing in, sweeping up and mixing with the star dust creating a glowing green whirlpool in her mouth.

He closed her mouth with his hooves and shook her head up and down, mixing it all up with the meaty sound of water being pushed around the mouth.

“Please, please swallow.” he pleaded out in exasperation, the last thing he wanted was for her to choke. And oddly enough, it’s not the first time he ever begged a mare to swallow for him.

He tilted her chin up high, Night Light’s body subconsciously gulped down the water, even if it was infused with a rather unsuspecting drug. The fluid landed in the bit of her stomach, he would’ve dissolved it and had her shoot it in a needle if he could, or if she could snort it, even easier.

A minute, a minute before it took effect. Rico took a deep breath, stowing the jar on his person along with the canteen, not before taking a healthy gulp for himself.

He calmly put it away, for a moment the raging battle around him dissipated, he could think, what was there to think about? His mother? His family? outside Trouble’s usual dumb dreams of loyalty and brotherhood inside this paramilitary gig of course. Not that it all mattered now, from slinging drugs on a street corner, to busting heads with his hooves, to busting slugs with his guns, one thing stayed the same. He needed the fucking money.

He looked to the mare he just gave half a hit of Bruiser to. Why was she here? A ranger, a proud self righteous fool with dreams of morality and harmony. Fighting alongside scum like him, she loved the sound of a stack of jangling caps as much as the next son of a bitch that waved a gun around for a living. But he doubted it was her main motive, the rangers were gone, long gone. She wasn’t even out of her twenties by the look of it.

Maybe she’d turn on them, she would wait for the ideal time and then pop them off, one by one, all unsuspecting like. Only time woul-

BOOM!!!

The wind rushed from Rico’s lungs, the concussive blast beating into his ribs, all sounds muffled apart from the high pitched ringing in his ear drums, the blinding flash leaving its imprint on his left eye, and a corpse to his left.

That was the grenade he was waiting on.

Now was a good a time as any to actually pick his rifle back up and start thinning their ranks, he glanced over the corpse to his side with disgust, the son of a bitch was wearing armour just like his. Another fucker from Phoenix, dead.

He snatched up Overture, peeking over the cover to see to what extent their cover was deployed.

Extensively.

In the shroud they stowed away in the industrious bastards had managed to erect a miniature labyrinth of sturdy cover, ponies behind each wall of metal, or bag of sand.

They’d have to start taking ground.

Rico picked out the continuous flashes, timing it to interrupt a burst. He tapped the trigger, a single shot cycled, the rifle’s acoustics chiming as the fire from the rifle ceased. He blinked, breathing shallowly in through his nostrils. From above, hot brass casings fell, the metal chiming a pure note as they rained down on the hard concrete beneath, a group of four managed to occupy the catwalk, spraying wildly into the field of cover.

The pegasus had vanished, either that or gotten himself killed. No line of sight, for either the racing airborne pony or the defenders.

Night Light’s vision shook, a sharp pain developing behind her eyes, she groaned loudly, a sudden wave of heat washing over her body, the blood heating in her veins. Her breathing became harsh and deliberate, her chest rising and falling rapidly.

Her coat was drenched and glistening in sweat, her heart beat began to throb in her ears and her face began to turn red with exertion. A high shriek burned her eardrums, internal, a feral beast inside her head, thrashing and foaming at the mouth, giving bloodlust howls and shrieks of insanity.

The pain behind her eyes was unbearable. She grit her teeth, the sound of the tooth on tooth grinding infuriating her further. She shut her eyes closed, the gunfire meant nothing now, only the beast inside of her, howling its high pitched, ear ripping shrieks.

The beast behind her eyes was flailing and flound’ring frantically like it was cast in fire or lime. The scrawny, malnourished fiend. Its body covered in gaudy scars and lash marks,

ribs visible through it’s dull and flaking silver coat, clumps torn out of the scruffy, frazzled silver mane.

Thrashing out at the darkness, bitter howls of distraught and grovelling for release to live out sick fantasies of carnage, all incomprehensible, all understood.

Freedom.

That’s what it was so desperately craving.

Promises of pain and death and ecstasy came with more shrieks and shrill screams.

And all it would take, was for her to open her eyes. The beast went silent, fading into her being, fusing itself into her, resuming control. Her eyes cracked wide open, all the howls and shrieks replaced with an unrivalled clearness.

Night Light was gone.

The monster inside her was free now.

She kicked off the ground snatching her M60 up. She fearlessly vaulted over the cover dashing into the darkness in one impossibly quick blur. Her horn sparked brightly as a bolt of pure radiant silver shot high into the air, exploding into a shimmering beacon of radiant light, dazzling silvers and pearly whites shone down on the Purists, casting them all under a beautiful light.

Many stopped to admire the light, bask in its purity and beauty as the beast thundered forward, the pins were pulled on two of the gas canisters she was carrying, telekinetically hurled into the labyrinth.

Two plumes of a sickly yellow smoke raced across the air, lingering till they sullenly ascended into nothingness. The canisters landed in the very heart of the cover, the shimmering light overhead allowed the silhouettes of the guttering and choking ponies to be witnessed as they danced the desperate and terrified dance of death, convulsing and flailing as they collapsed, clinging desperately to life, falling one by one.

The beast’s face was curled into a furious snarl. It’s harsh breathing and blood lust outweighing the sensations of fatigue, fear and panic.

It barreled towards the first wall of metal, firing wildly at the ponies standing behind it. The M60 bounced uncontrollably around, one lucky stray hit a pony through the windpipe, dropping them hard. The beast was thrilled at the blood splatter, the sanguine fluid stimulating its drive, more fuel to the furious flames.

The beast crashed against the cover, shoulder first, swinging the M60 over to spray the bastards cowering behind, the force of the large round in this proximity triggered small spurts of blood to launch out the backs of the now butchered bastards.

The attackers efficiency was massively stepped up, spurred on by the rampaging beast that broke cover to take the fight further to them, the stark beauty of the burning silver flare overhead guiding their aim.

Night Light threw herself hind legs first over the cover, landing on the soft cushiony corpses, firmly planting her hooves to break into another blurry gallop. The survivors from the gassing dragged themselves from the cloud hacking blood and bleeding from the nose and eyes, they’re bodies convulsing as they’re entire system shut down.

Only by sheer force of will and luck alone she managed to get a final glimpse of the radiant beacon before gunning down any son of a bitch that stood between her and the end of this fucking Bridge.

One leapt up in a blind fit of bravery letting a burst off into her, the rounds struck her chest, staggering her, the beast ignored it, pounding the shooter with a continuous volley, the sheer volume of force and flimsiness of his armour standing no chance, chunks flew from him as he staggered backwards, stumbling six paces before finally keeling.

The resistance began to show cracks.

The disheartened fighters gave less and less effort to aim before randomly firing, too scared of joining their dead comrades, or the ones they shot themselves to stop the whimpering and wailing. As the thick gas cloud diluted and spread outwards, many purist fighters in a blind panic opted for galloping away from it, into the incoming fire. They fared no better than those unfortunate enough to inhale it.

The beast hurled another canister, spraying another line of cover, screaming an indecipherable battle cry filled with profanity and rage. She threw herself over the cover catching one of the ponies square on the chest with a double hoofed buck. The M60 swiveled around the line, gunning down the alarmed and frightened soldiers, if you could call them that.

The beast rose to continue fire into the labyrinth, chucking another toxic gas canister into its midst. A bullet grazed her neck, stumbling her slightly, but she stepped forward, gunning him as a dozen rounds punched clean through his torso.

In one swoop, the flying blur cleared another line, the bodies tumbling over as the aerial pony’s rounds impacted hard into the concrete. Zipping back into the darkness a fraction of a second later.

The best chuckled menacingly to itself as it moved up to the clear line, laughing maniacally at the ground it took single hoofedly, the gas clouds further in masking her as her rounds tumbled through the haze.

There was no return fire, no pony who dared to challenge her, the long draping of ammunition around her was running low, hundreds upon hundreds of spent casings littering the path of death.

The only fire was theirs. Others following the gallant bloodthirsty mare, why wouldn’t they? She had cast them in the safety of darkness, lit their path and led the charge. No fear, no remorse and no mercy.

_____________________________________________________________________

The row boat below the bridge had stopped, a restless Trouble on his seventh cigarette. The small red embers the only light for miles on the putrid sea ‘water’ around them.

The scouts had stopped for some midnight munching of bread and water.

Trouble sat across from them scowling. This was taking way too long. He was beginning to understand why Cigaro had these assholes in a boat instead of up there fighting. They wouldn’t be any fucking good in a fight. Incompetent, lazy and a waste of resources. These guys had two perfectly fine SMGs and he could see the safety was off and they were poorly maintained. If he had a place among their ranks, he swore to himself he’d either kill them, or make soldiers out of them.

Trouble let his head sag backwards, he was gonna fucking snap at them otherwise. He focused on the raging battle above. Not so long ago was an explosion, a loud one. He guessed it as around a 84mm recoilless rifle.

But who was on the receiving end?

The place not so long ago was burning brighter than a napalm piss pot. Then blackness, the gunshots never ceased, perpetually droning throughout the night. There was a split second of silence not so long ago. Some genius had the idea of packing illumination rounds, or a flare gun.

He couldn’t help but wonder what the battle would be like with him up there. Maybe Worthy should have taken his place, The Red Queen was an undeniable edge. He may have been an ageing, fat, drunk with a drinking and smoking addiction, but he knew war longer than most of his family members.

Worthy was a good, no, he was an excellent killer. But direct action was never his strong suit, he was unbelievably proficient at night, well, when he isn’t in a bottle neck. Once the gunfire takes a nap for the night a lot of those poor bastards won’t wake up.

Trouble blinked, snapping from his bored state, there he was.

The pegasus.

Look at that son of a bitch move. The pegasus was a blur, whizzing through the air, rising and falling effortlessly evading the incoming fire. Bending his body to just narrowly escape oncoming fire, rolling and dipping. It was impressive, beyond impressive.

He had a weakness though, Trouble didn’t need an optician to know he couldn’t see for shit. If it weren’t for the illumination round he would have never have shown his face, Or rather, grace them with aerial support.

A good set of eyes would have been capable of working their densely packed lines] down, with whatever weapon he was boasting. Still, his prowess in the sky was compensation enough. Nimbler than any griffin he’s ever seen. Faster too.

There hasn’t been any cracks of a sniper’s rifle in a long while, must be too hot for them at the moment. It wouldn’t have come as a shock to him if Dawn had just shot some jet. She needed a long break from that stuff, the last thing he wanted was for her to become dependant on a drug.

The girl had strength, not like him, more like Worthy.

Trouble watched the tracer rounds fly out fruitlessly towards the pegasus, he was just too quick.

Until.

A twin flak cannon sent huge rounds up at the pegasus, the gun echoed louder than any other, it was stationed far back on The Bridge and by Celestia it was loud. The flak rounds were getting the best of the pegasus.

He began to lose his grace and balance, he nose dived, trying to swoop under The Bridge to escape, despite being fast, he wasn’t fast enough.

His body went limp, momentarily visible as the flak rounds exploding feet from him. He plummeted into the darkness, his body in a downward tumble.

“Ah fuck!” Trouble snapped, stiffening up.

The two scouts looked up from their meagre meal disinterestedly. Their heads snapping to the side as the pegasus impacted into the sea with a loud ‘Sploosh’ sending rippling waves through the liquid.

Trouble turned to the two scouts, biting down on his cigarette hard enough to segregate the butt from the tobacco, his face was alarmed and unforgiving, he spat the butt out pointing to where the pegasus fell “Get the fuck over there!” he ordered.

The two scouts turned their heads back to Trouble, shrugging in unison before returning to eating.

Trouble’s eye twitched, “Are you fucking deaf as well as daft!? Row this hunk of shite over there now!” he barked at them, his hooves trembling in contained rage.

“He’s already dead.” the one on the right reasoned nonchalantly.

Trouble had enough, fuming at them, he pulled his white revolver and cocked the hammer, the long silencer making the pistol less than five inches from his stupid head.

“Get the fucking boat over there, now.” he warned in a dark and serious voice.

The scout didn’t so much as blink. Trouble didn’t appreciate his stoicism one bit.

The scout with the gun to his head sighed “We’re here to get you to the other side, not go fish out a corp-”

Phfump

“Gaaaaahhhhhh!” The scout screeched, Trouble fired a round through his kneecap. He didn’t need a knee to row.

He cocked the revolver, the loud mechanical click spoke more effectively and clearly than he ever could, he slowly turned his sights on the other scout, the fool was petrified in fear, staring right down the sights back to Trouble.

The other scout broke down in anguished cries and tears, writhing around clutching his devastated knee.

“Row.” he plainly stated, the malicious intents conveyed clearly if he were to repeat he’s idiot partner’s mistake.

The other scout forced his partner to take the oar, the two together, despite one groaning in agony with every stroke were moving faster than they ever had before, the limp body of the pegasus was resting on the top of the sea, face down. The liquid that covered his back stuck to him.

Trouble grimaced, these cunts could’ve killed him.

The boat quickly pulled up alongside the pink pegasus. The limp body was clad in a shabby metal armour altered to accommodate wings. Trouble gripped the poor bastard by the shoulders and pulled him aboard.

He covered his mouth with his sleeve. Turning his head in disgust.

Sickly green worms had worked their way into the alcoves of his armour, one trying to tunnel itself through his thankfully closed lips. His front was matted in the putrid liquid. If there was one place he’s never want to be in his life, it would be at the bottom of the Germane sea.

Trouble wiped his eyes clear of the sludge for him, flicking the sickening liquid off his digits.

Trouble took out his flask of his own personal favourite drink, it was 95% alcohol but he left his fucking water behind.

He rested his hoof on the stallion’s jugular vein, it was selfish, but he didn’t want to waste his drink on a corpse, there was a pulse, it was dark but he was fairly positive he was breathing.

He uncapped the canteen and slowly poured the clear liquid into the stallion’s face, kid couldn’t have been twenty. He had a stupidly large snow white mohawk haircut, he was amazed the flak didn’t trim it for him. It washed off most of the worms, the tainted insects writhed and wriggled on the floor of the boat, the powerful alcoholic drink scorching them.

The armour was heavily impacted, shrapnel littered it’s skin, chunks of molten metal and concussive impacts had ruined it. How this kid’s face was intact was nothing short of divine intervention.

Trouble wrestled at the fastenings, freeing the pegasus of his metallic prison, he tossed the metal plates at the scouts and took a healthy swig from the flask himself.

He rested the pegasus gently against the side of the boat, staring at him. He was light, he guessed him to be about 285 pounds, forty below the 325 pound par for stallions. He had decent muscle tone, and above average body fat.

He was small, just about an inch or two taller than Dawn, sub sized stallion. But that contributed to his nimbleness and agility.

Trouble looked from him back to the two scouts, his expression hardening.

“What are you waiting for? Get rowing you cunts.”

_____________________________________________________________________

Back on The Bridge, Rico worriedly followed Night Light’s charge, gunning all those panicked fighters who leapt so eagerly from cover to try and unload a magazine into her.

Night Light had been raving and yelling indecipherably the entire time she was blocked from progressing due to the gas cloud. Firing frustrated bursts through, her cries of vexation escalating as they received no rebuttal.

The only thing that had been heard was the boom of the flak cannon that made short work of their air support. He was assumed dead and the only thing to honour his memory was a few disgruntled murmurings.

Worthy had halted Dawn at the barricade, waiting for the firefight to blow over, from the sounds alone Dawn severely began to have doubts about her own odds of survival let alone this plan pulling off.

The radiance of the light had put her in a state of sorrowful wonderment. This situation was desperate, dire and soul shredding. That light, whatever it had been, was beautiful beyond comparison. She wished it would linger forever, but even now it was slowly petering out, the beacon sullenly descending from its heavenly perch. Dying.

It struck a chord deep within her, it made her think of her mother, what she would’ve been like if she survived her, what she looked like, what her name was.

All she has... Had, was an abusive father, who never wanted her to begin with, and constantly reminded her of that sickening fact every day of her worthless existence.

Worthy, the cold calculated killer even stopped to admire it. Silence reigned, only the quiet sizzling sound of the star hovering above them mattered, the screaming and howling of one particularly horrific pony died out, along with the bursts of heavy machine gun fire.

Worthy patted her shoulder, snapping her from her trance, he made a head gesture for her to follow. The cloaked pony made off through the barricade in a brisk stride, silently running through. Dawn followed sheepishly, still in an emotionally sensitive state.

She carefully sidestepped the blood puddles, dabbing her eyes with her hooves she gingerly avoided the corpses... There was so fucking many of them.

All their eyes dead and devoid of any life, the fires of their life blown out by the brisk wind of a rifle round. She wondered who cared for these ponies, who’d cry for their corpse, cry for their lack of life, cry for their hopeless and dead eyes.

She had to block these thoughts out, she swallowed her sadness, now was not the time for tears, now was the time for actions, it was her or them.

Her or them.

What gave her the right to be more deserving of life than ten, or twenty or even a hundred of them? Marizona Springs was a massacre, but these ponies, they did nothing. Warranted no such death.

She began to think, maybe the corpse pyres weren’t just for the attackers.

Goddesses, there was a lot of blood. Worthy zipped up the stairs for the catwalk, it was unoccupied for now, at least, not by anything living.

Worthy stomped over the corpses, Dawn had a little more respect for the dead, she stepped over them, careful not to lay a hoof on them, or look them in the eyes. Worthy got to the edge where the metal walls turned to sandbags, he instead doing as before, skulking out low, he slid down the metal wall onto his rump.

“What are you doing?” Dawn whispered anxiously, she was half afraid if she spoke too loudly she’d wake the dead.

“Resting.” Came the immediate answer.

Dawn cocked an eyebrow “Resting?” she asked in bewilderment.

“It’s been a long night, it’ll be even longer tomorrow, depending on my brother’s work rate.” Worthy said as informatively and kindly as he could manage to voice it.

“I can’t sleep here!” she objected in a hiss.

Worthy rose an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue.

Dawn shuddered, “There’s... ponies, everywhere.” she whispered through clenched teeth, scanning the catwalk for the blood and bodies.

Worthy sighed, “I was going to suggest making a bed of corpses for you, but I suppose that’s out of the question now, isn’t it?”

Dawn blinked, he couldn’t have been serious.

Worthy stared at her for several seconds, she was very squeamish for a ‘killer’.

“OK, if ‘I’ as in ‘me’ go down into the building sections, clear the corpses for you and let you sleep on a desk would you be happy?” he asked almost threateningly.

“That’d be perfect.” she answered without thinking, adding a nod for good measure. She slept on rougher, pointier things than desks.

“Great.” Worthy grumbled to himself getting less than elegantly back onto his hooves.

Dawn smiled to herself, or maybe it was Worthy that made her smile, no matter, the disgruntled stallion stomped down the steps into the office below, Dawn gingerly followed. The majority of the group were on the edge of some kind of sick yellow cloud, cast in the pure light. She imagined the sleeping alcoves would be rather cramped. She grimaced at the thought of sleeping in the same cold secluded metal wall room with twenty bloodied soldiers, the stifling heat from their breath and the perpetual fidgeting. One or two pairs may even get... frisky.

That’d be awkward, she didn’t know much about that stuff, or how it really worked. But the sounds are rather... discomforting.

Worthy was dragging a corpse out by the mane with his teeth, jerking the corpse over to the sandbags.

“Things I fucking do for family.” he grumbled quietly, going back for another corpse.

Dawn looked at him curiously, a mixture of disdain and appreciation. Dragging bodies with his teeth, teeth.

“Beeches! Help the sniper with the fucking corpses! Over the edge!” Cigaro barked from behind her, Dawn turned to look at her. Damn. The green middle aged mare’s left cheek had a large gash on the bone, the fluid building on her jaw line before running off her chin.

She stomped over, slinging a corpse over her back and carting it off, she was totally devout to the task at hoof. A dozen ponies from Phoenix in their distinct black armour got to hauling away the perforated defenders in droves. The once pale tunics of the soldiers now matched their weak blood-red ballistics vests in colour, leaving a trail as they were dragged off.

Cigaro dumped the body she was carrying over the railing of The Bridge. That was hell of a drop.

“Twelve ponies on watch!” she snapped, her face curled into a snarl, “Shift sleeps in four hours! Any twelve! That goes for you private fuckers too!”

“Yes ma’am.” the phoenix ponies droned in a disheartened unison.

Where were Rico and Night Light? Dawn looked around herself, among the crowds of tired, dreary ponies drunk with fatigue she didn’t spot the two.

She looked back to the gas cloud, standing there was the silhouettes of several forlorn figures, one broken down on its knees, the one to its right, hunched over, giving a comforting hoof on the shoulder with the one on her left standing stoic, watching the proceedings.

Dawn blinked, in thought, she slowly lifted a hoof to begin trotting over to them before she was halted by Worthy, his grim mask back on.

“I got your accommodations.” his voice sending a chill down her neck, the mask murdering all goodness and emotions from his tone. Even a sentence so lackluster as that creeped her out.

She gave a stiff nod, glancing back at the trio before following Worthy back into the quickly filling structure.

Night Light was on her knees, her body heavily exerted to the point of pain. Every fibre of her being ached from the taxing quarter hit of Bruiser. She had the worst migraine of her life, the radiant light she produced driving nails through her eyes.

Her knees and elbowed trembled under her, the beast was gone, it fell asleep, not before beating the inside of her skull bloody.

She groaned in exhaustion and anguish.

Rico at her side chuckled, every note of merriment causing her to grit her teeth as lances of pain surged into her temples. If she had an ounce of energy she would’ve bashed his crotch with the M60, then she’d have her turn to laugh.

“And that was a QUARTER of the regular dose!” he joyously exclaimed. Night Light shut her eyes even tighter.

“Do you have to yell?” she whispered in a hoarse voice.

Rico leaned in close, pulling a understanding smile, rubbing her shoulder gently. He drew her short breath an inch from her ear “Yes!” he shouted before breaking into a fit of laughs. Night Light lost balance, falling flat out on her torso, her limbs shooting out from under her.

She didn’t have it in her to reply, or strike out against him, all she could do was feel bitter anger at his antics and swear to herself her revenge would be swift and sweet.

“So who’d you say you were again, handsome?” Rico asked the charcoal stallion across from him with the mutilated face with a wide grin.

Way Paver snorted, smirking “I’m, or was a Marizona Ranger, one of the six that revolted, along with that mare you just drugged.”

“Well shit,” Rico rose his eyebrows, “this is a heartfelt reunion.” he sarcastically intoned rolling his eyes.

“I didn’t think she made it out alive.” Way Paver remarked looking at the down and out mare, she must’ve passed out by now.

“I only met her like, two or three days ago, she seems pretty OK. Maybe a little too hot for this shooting game.”

Way Paver gave a soft laugh “Don’t chance saying that to her face buddy, what’s your name?” he asked slowly approaching Rico, keeping his one good eye on the unconscious mare, if Rico wasn’t standing right next to him he would’ve dived into her, hugged her tightly and tell her how much he missed her.

Too bad she was already out cold, best contain himself, for a while longer at least.

“Rico,” he said offering his hoof, “or as it will say on my tombstone ‘Ricochet le dèmon’, dumb name I know.” he smiled.

Way Paver took his hoof and shook it “Way Paver, just Way Paver.” He furrowed his brow, staring at Night Light’s limp body “What the fuck was that stuff you gave her? A quarter hit of what?”

“Bruiser,” he chirped, “I hate to be the drug hipster but unless you spend a lot of time in the back alleys of Phoenix, then I doubt you’ve heard of it.”

“Bruiser eh?” he mumbled to himself scratching his chin. Rico continued without prompt “A full hit puts you in a deep twenty hour sleep after it, and the stuff you see and hear and even think is just... Grim.”

“And you gave this to her, why?” he asked narrowing his eyes.

The corners of Rico’s lips curled into a small smile “It was hardly like I craved some intimidating sex, she was exhausted after the flood lights, so I gave her a little boost.” he articulated with a slight grin.

Way Paver had enough of this mock interrogation, his next question was ‘why not you?’, but honestly, the last thing he wanted was for a team member of Night Light’s to assume he was trying to get a rise out of him.

“Let’s get her inside.” Way Paver sighed, hefting her up by forehooves to dump her across his back, “Just like old times.” he mumbled quietly smiling nostalgically back at the mare.

“Ain’t you cute?” Rico snorted grinning at him.

“I was a vet when she joined, never seen a mare go up the ranks so quickly. She had a tendency of getting riddled or blown up.” he laughed, lost in his reminiscing.

“Well as far as I know, she only kept the ‘getting riddled’ part. That armour she’d wearing is some tough shit.” he drawled out, nodding on the last two words for emphasis.

“Nothing but the finest for our rangers.” he sighed, trotting off towards the barricade with her on his back.

Rico stood alongside him, matching his pace, “So, what are you going to say to her?”

“I’m going to say... anything that comes to mind, I thought she was dead, and I’d like to think the feeling was mutual.” Way Paver answered, keeping his voice friendly and calm.

A loud rumble was heard from above, signalling a sudden powerful downpour. The two stallions averted their gaze to the sky, the clouds dousing them in the heavy slugs of water, falling in innumerable quantities. Thunder rumbled, and lightning crack, sending a radiant bolt of blue lightning over the sea.

The droplets diluted the drying blood, the gathering water with a pinkish tint to it as it ran past their hooves, the two stallions looked to each other, no words need be exchanged.

Inside the left side of the barricade Dawn was curled up into a ball on a small metal desk in the far corner, there was about a dozen in with her, ponies running frantically to and fro to drop sandbags at the entrance to the metal hut, stopping the rain from flooding their sleeping space. Worthy sat next to her, back rested against the wall beneath her, mask on, staring at the rushed ponies, the pinkish water slowly seeping towards him.

Dawn listened to the ponies shouting out, barking orders at one another over the sound crushing power of the rain, the thunder rumbling and the lightning cracking, the gentle pitter pat of rain on the metal above relaxing her.

Worthy’s brooding presence stopped others from coming too close to their corner, Dawn watched as ponies paired off once the cover was sufficient, observing in curiosity as they chose a spot and got in very close proximity to one another, holding each other tight as they exchanged nuzzles.

It was... Thought provoking.

Ponies from all factions, it didn’t matter, one would approach the other, have a few short words, smile and lay down together.

Worthy remained stoic next to her, unwavering.

All the ponies in their hut had paired off, the view to the hut across the way was scrambled by the heavy rain, all but one cyan earth pony stallion was laying down. Poor guy, he stood isolated in the very centre of the room looking around himself at the various couple enjoying each others warmth. His soaked two tone green and yellow cropped mane. He was one of the few who dashed outside for the sandbags.

His downtrodden expression flickered with hope as his teal eyes fell on Dawn, a ray of hope in his eyes perking up instantly.

Her heart stopped.

Oh.

The stallion forced a smile, tugging at his tight combat armour’s collar. He approached her, doing his best to keep his eyes off the dark and brooding figure that gave off an air of belligerence as he drew near.

Dawn was nervous, her body stiffened as she rose her head off the table readying herself to speak to him, but she wasn’t just nervous, she was a little excited and hopeful too.

“Hey.” he nervously greeted her, with a more natural smile.

Dawn blinked, finding her own lips twitching upwards “Hey.” she greeted quietly in response.

“So uh, I was wondering,” the stallion anxiously began scratching behind his mane as he gave nervous laughs.

“Yeah?” Dawn asked, raising herself a little, smiling broadly.

“If, you, uh,” he looked her in the eyes, a small blush barely visible on his cyan cheeks.

“Touch her, I’ll break every bone in your limbs and hurl you off the side of this Bridge.” Worthy warned in a very serious tone, his head slowly tilting up to look the stallion in the eyes.

Worthy startled him, causing him to jump and back pedal, his heart sank and his ears fell low and timid soon as he stared into Worthy’s mask. The menacing teeth and eyes, he was his own frightened reflection in the tinted visor.

“S-sorry.” he meekly apologized before heading to the furthest corner of the hut, to lay alone in solitude, hugging himself tightly, facing the wall, away from the coupled and Worthy’s glare.

Dawn deflated, giving a soft sigh.

Why did he have to do that?

“You’re sixteen, and this is a loveless battlefield, you need to learn that your weapon is all the comfort you need. My apologies, but this,” he said looking over the room, “is not how it is truly. They should be scared, sleeping with their backs to the wall, facing the door. Weapon at the ready.” Worthy whispered.

Dawn sighed again, covering her face with her hooves.

A moment later the uncomfortable headphones from the red tape player were secured over her head, she didn’t look up. A moment later the soft crackling of the headphones filled her ears, along with the strange accented voice.

“Some would say you are obsessed with death, how do you comment?”

Worthy chuckled mirthlessly to himself, turning into a fit of weak coughs, he cleared his throat before speaking.

“I’d say they’re right. Dead right. They’ve never been righter had they said blood is red and that shit stinks. That fire is warmth and ice is cold, I. Am. Obsessed.” he drawled out in a dark, raspy voice.

“I did a job once, it was a long time ago against some baron of capitalism, rich, vindictive genius who exploited the weak and made a fortune from their toil, I admired him.” he finished before breaking into meek hacks.

He gasped to hurriedly regain what air he could before continuing, “I spent a year gunning for him, he devoted one percent of his focus to me, he knew there was a shadow in his wake, but didn’t have time to waste killing it with light. A year. Twelve long grueling months, and I couldn’t kill him, every day he came that one inch closer to me, closing in on me even as I licked the wounds from another failed attempt. Part of me didn’t want to kill him, couldn’t.”

“Why Not?” The peculiar accented voice asked.

“He was a genius, and he had so much to teach me. I studied how he conducted business, it was art, like a finely crafted instrument, a well oiled machine, a work of art. I could have aborted the job, cut my losses and made the same money offered in four months. But no.” Worthy stopped to take a few rattling breaths.

“I am. Obsessed. And my latest obsession, is this place. The darkness, the blood, the battle for survival, the inmates are often bigger beats than those that lurk in its depths. I like it here, out there I’m hated and abused, outcast and rejected from society. But in here, I’m the monster I always wished I could be.”

“I realized something here, and I thank you, thank you deeply for it.”

“I used to think, I could only ever act like a monster, that I’d never truly be one.”

“But, I realized, the monster was never conjured in my mind or yours, no, it was born by those who labelled me as such.”

“I am what I always wanted to be.”

“And you, the righteous and moral of the world, created me.”

“What have you done?”

Dawn lifted her head from her hooves, small streams of tears pouring from her eyes, she blinked them away looking for Worthy, he was gone.

A howling wind had picked up outside, rustling the loose metal as it swept the rain sideways. Past the rumbles of thunder, through the cracks of lightning, beyond the howls of the wind and muffling rain, far away screams echoed.

Her mouth hung open as her ears strained to distinguish them from the noises of the raging elements, faint and desperate, poor souls far away, were contending with a monster.

And she pitied them.

Footnote: Level up.

New Perk: Commando -- While using a rifle (or similar two-handed weapon), your accuracy in S.A.T.S. is significantly increased.

Chapter 1: Intro

Fallout Equestria : Project Respawn

Chapter 1: Prologue

This is the story of great ambition and good intentions of the failures and monsters of a generation and those that came before.

"The function of wisdom is to discriminate between good and evil"

Our story starts off where it nearly ends. With Black Dawn a small framed, dainty, odd jet black unicorn. Just barely gone into her marehood from the New Coltorado Republic

the largest, most corrupt faction in western Equestria, securely concealed from the harshness outside by a 20 foot wall extending along the length of this sub nation.

When she started out she had a long and shaggy golden mane, a small dainty and malnourished frame, with large deep dark blue eyes, the road has been mean to her but this is how she looked as her journey began. She is shackled to an uncomfortable steel frame chair, placed in front of a metal table, in a dark room with bleached white tiles, traces of blood still apparent in the shady, dark corners.

A burlap sack fastened securely around her neck. Constricting her breathing, a dark figure in an immaculate suit towering above her limp body. The figure reaches down over the table, flicking a lamp to life and shines it at her face, fully illuminating it.

It begins

“Wakey Wakey.” The figure said in a snide tone as he yanked the burlap sack off Black Dawn’s head exposing her dazed face.

“It appears they were less than polite in her capture eh?” he said, addressing an invisible audience.

He slapped her gently across the cheek with his gloved hoof as she rose to a meagre form of consciousness. She looked up with foggy eyes, a swollen and parched tongue, how long had she been out? A minute ago she was... Thats out of the window now. She stared up at the dark figure whose face was shrouded and obscured in darkness.

“Who the fuck are you?” Dawn demanded through a hoarse parched mouth, every word felt like swallowing a rusted nail.

The figure rose to stand on his hind legs and began to pace with his gloved fore hooves behind his back.

“I’m the one asking the questions for now, and you only speak if you're told to do so.” the figure retorted in a monotonic voice.

“Where the fuck am I?” Dawn spat out through her swollen tongue. Big mistake. The figure gently removed his gloves with his teeth exposing a brown hoof with five black steel digits uncoiling from against his hoof, as he pulled back the sleeve of his suit Dawn glimpsed at the inscription on its central beam along his arm “Equestrian Innovations.”

Black Dawn was hardened enough in combat to know this pony knew what he was doing, a play with gloves and a suit hiding an exoskeleton was a smart move she only ever seen creativity like that once before.

(Exoskeleton in what corner of Celestia’s vermin infested playground did he get one of those in such good condition?) Black Dawn thought to herself as the figure yanked back her hair, she let out an involuntary moan as her eyes were forced to the gaze upon the void that was the ceiling and the figure smacked her forehead into the table with a loud

“Twang”.

She tried to clutch at her now throbbing, ringing head but found to her deep unhappiness she could not move her hooves more than half an inch off the arm of the chair she was shackled to.

She was hating this more and more with every passing second.

“My name is not important, and you are in no position to negotiate that is where the Fuck you are my friend!”

He paused to regain his composure and cleared his throat.

“Now down to business, you were at the research/internment facility eighty miles north of Stalliongrad four days ago with two accomplices correct?”

The figure asked with the anger and impatience welling up inside of him becoming evident. Black wasn’t stupid enough to beat around the bush. But she figured she should defend herself, go on the defensive and play dumb after all he didn’t scare her. Yet.

“You aint got shit on me I-I-I don’t know anything about a research facility!”She winced after saying these hoarse words the pain in her voice magnifying every time she speaks.

The figure reached into the inside of his suit and pulled out a folder he opened, and threw it on the table exposing the contents.

Inside was several pictures held to the top corner of it. A rather muscular scarlet stallion earth pony wearing yellow stripped war paint with an amalgamation of disfigurement and scarring beneath his left eye spreading down to his jaw line. And spreading from the right side of his lip up his cheek there was a massive dug out scar giving him an intimidating permanent menacing smirk seemingly caused by shrapnel and ripping.

The top of his right ear was missing and in his smile of the profile picture.(which was him sitting in a chair inside a rather murky tavern which to Black seemed familiar.)

He had three golden teeth in the back of his mouth.

He was clad in a black, filthy and worn duster with armoured shoulders. Inside there was thick combat armour which has evidently stood the test of time with its numerous failed attempts of penetration littering its skin.

The armour itself stopped after the flank to conceal his cutie mark. He too like the figure wore an exoskeleton snaking down from his central nervous system which if removed incorrectly lead to a quick and excruciating death.

Which compared to the figure’s exoskeleton seemed rather tatty and flimsy its colour had faded and it seemed to be getting rickety but unlike the Figure's his had sharpened digits.

Black Dawn would have facehoofed, but given her current predicament she settled for a suppressed uttering of “shit” instead. Underneath the picture lay his profile.

Name: Unknown

Aliases: Trouble

Nationality: Coltic

Sex: Male

Age: Unknown (Presumed 40+)

Affiliations: Death Dealers (former)

“Oh ,but we got shit on your friends though.” The figure snidely said followed by a chuckle. Dawn tried to keep her cool it wasn’t working.

“I-I-I don’t even know this pony what makes you think I’m even his friend or as you said accomplice.” Dawn stammered out the nervousness seeping into her voice.

“You never seen him before in your life huh?” inquired the figure.

Dawn sheepishly nodded her head. “Then why the fuck was he spotted travelling the road with you? Sharing supplies with you and spilling blood with you? Fucking pulling bullets from your body with his teeth! Don’t bullshit us kid we can tell you what you had for breakfast!”

There was an pregnant silence in which Dawn thought over her position and in what way she may best improve it. During her reflection the dark figure pulled a chair from the darkness and sat opposite Black Dawn. The fingers of his exoskeleton resting on the elbows of his crossed hooves tapping in anticipation. Dawn spoke first.

“Alright then you have me by the balls, what do you want to know?” She could have sworn she seen the shrouded face of the dark figure form a satisfactory smile.

The figure rose from his chair and started pacing on all fours now not just his hind legs and said “Take us back to the beginning, which did you meet first the Ranger or Trouble?”

“Trouble” she said with a sigh.

“I’ll tell you everything on two conditions one is this is my story so you’ll hear all of it, relevant or not and catch two get me a pint of fucking water.” Dawn interjected, in an attempt to assert herself as no door mat.

The dark figure went over to her and reluctantly unshackled her fore hooves. She even in close proximity couldn’t see his face as Trouble once said “You’re gonna have a hard time seeing a pony who really doesn’t want to be found.”

“Where did you meet Trouble? More importantly How did you meet Trouble?” said the dark figure.

Black Dawn was still greedily gulping the last of her second pint of water it was hard to talk and drink after all. When she was finished she wiped her mouth and said

“Up round Dead Water just outside the NCR’s jurisdiction I was running away from, from.” she faltered memories of months gone passed flooded through her head and she found the ones in the early days the most painful of the lot.

“What were you running from, Law, Vendetta?”Asked the figure hoping to squeeze something out of her.

“My old life, My family. My enemies all of it, hated it, because they hated me they all wanted to chase me down and beat me. And they did, often, you can’t be different in a world that demands perfection.” she said tears beginning to well up .

She could recite about how she blew open a raider’s skull but she can’t talk about her schoolyard bullies and family abuse she couldn’t help but remember the Ranger’s words

“Don’t give what you can’t take.”

“Ha, so you left one of the safest places in equestrian borders because you were getting bullied, so you left for bandit country HA! Oh very smart move genius.” Black was getting sick of his unfunny snide act in a hurry.

The Figure whom now was leaning against the arm of his chair seemed a little unsatisfied with her answer he said to her. “Go on...” with a gesture of his head “I left that piece of shit town and headed the only way I could go, East.”

“Right into bandit country.” The figure remarked.

Black Dawn let out a sigh and shrugged her shoulders “Yeeaah but I thought all those stories about what happens in there was bullshit, like who would skewer a unicorn decapitate it, and rape it with its own head? That and NCR was out of the question. ”

The figure chuckled and grew closer and took his seat again “If there is one thing I have learned miss Black Dawn it is that there is countless ways to decimate a corpse, and the raiders turned it into an art form.” said the figure finally opening up a little to her, hell its the first time he actually addressed her by her name.

“First few miles were easy, I wasn’t even thinking of raiders, there was nothing out there. I was thinking of what can I do for caps, what about water, what about food, what about,”

She was quickly cut off by the figure who now was raising his hoof to silence her. “Enough, NCR patrols go as far out as a mile okay? And just get on with what happened and try not to ramble. ”

“Right, okay” Dawn said slightly embarrassed. “Anyway after about two miles I saw some ponies at a camp fire, they were wearing some makeshift armour and carrying knives, hammers and all the usual shitty raider junk plus a couple of rusty pieces, I went over to them it’s hard to tell on your first time out in the world, our town was walled up on the edge of NCR turf I didn’t know what was out East, wish I didn’t.”

Black Dawn was just outside the view of her town’s meagre lighting and wandering into bandit country, Marizona. She was smart enough to pack a few essential supplies in her saddlebags. Foremost being a small stack of bottle caps aka her family’s life savings which amounted to a grand total of 60 bottle caps , 2 rusted canteens of dirty water and some old half eaten scraps of food, there wasn’t much else in her house worth taking. Nothing sentimental, nothing worth remembering.

She was 45 minutes along the road when she seen a small campfire with several ponies around it, basking in the meagre heat just outside the entrance of a V shaped Canyon. The steep jagged walls of the canyon blocking any other way around, funneling ponies into it. It was already late at night and the cold was settling in over the sandy wastes.

“Probably just travellers or something... maybe.” Naively remarked Dawn to herself, trying to suppress her nerves.

She overestimated the NCR’s grip of the territory, drastically. She casually strolled towards the camp fire expecting a warm welcome. The ponies sitting there grew aware of her presence. They all stared at her confused and then quickly snapped into conversation.

There was a lot of hoof pointing involved. But they grew silent as she approached, shifting and fidgeting slightly. Dawn began to regret her decision as she got a better look at the ponies, they were wearing tattered armour (if you could call it that.) and they were all totting around rusty old kitchen knives. The big lumbering one wielded a hammer and had a Neanderthal demeanour about him, the other carried a rusted revolver, had a dirty face with a ravenous expression, Dawn would be surprised if his revolver even fired. And the clear leader of the group recognized by the fact he had the biggest gun, a high calibre fully automatic rifle, quite a clunky thing and tarnished by time, there was something odd about the group all them were earth ponies usually the ratio was 1:1 for unicorns and earth ponies. This leader also had the very Best of the bad armour and the others looked at him for direction.

The leader spoke first “Welcome Friend!” his sniggering didn’t help. “Please share our. Camp with us, uh, it’s a bad idea to wander these roads in this, uh blistering cold!” The other ponies had to cover their faces to hide their cracked up expressions. The bad act crushing Dawn’s confidence about this whole plan.

Dawn knew there was no backing out of the grave she happily dug for herself. She nervously replied when she was little more than twenty paces away forcing a toothy smile “T-thank you but I really must get going so I uh.” she stammered out.

The ponies were on their hooves now advancing towards her the one totting around the revolver had a particularly greedy expression, she slowly backed pedaled clumsily away from them, her head racing for a solution, what the fuck was she gonna do? She was going to get raped, murdered, decapitated then get her horn shoved between her hind legs then put on display, that’s what the fuck she was going to do.

She was cursing herself for being stupid enough to go near the fire, stupid enough to leave the town, stupid enough to...”KA-KA-KA-KA!”

Gunshots erupted from behind about 70 meters out. The muzzle flash lighting up a band of heavily armed raiders with their crosshairs fixed on the camp fire.

The raiders hit the ground. Dawn panicking, followed their lead, hurdling herself into the dirt, her heart thumping in her ears, hyperventilating when a voice called out “ What now you fucking Cunts!? We’ll be Taking that FINE Piece of Flank you found there and all your gear too, we won’t hurt you much, YA FAGGOTS!!”

Another burst of fire erupted, bullets bouncing around every pony’s silhouettes, the raider with the hammer was unlucky enough to have his head poking up at the time hoping to find a flank route or sturdier cover a split second later his dome was blown in two, with a straight line being drawn through it as if with a pencil, while his grey matter and fluids leaked out and matted the desert sand.

Black Dawn was struck by horror as the fluid seeped closer to her. she covered her face with her hooves panicking, trying to block all this out, when the leader of the former trio now duo roared enraged “YOU FUCKS!” he broke from the prone position along with his remaining companion and gunshots erupted.

Bullets whizzed all around, whistling as they sailed over head or crashed into the ground around them, tracers soared passed the raiders as they exchanged fire. Black Dawn heard a faint buzzing and then a third party voice began to whisper to her.

“Run for the canyon, I’ll meet you there stay in the shadows, stay safe.”

Dawn just nodded, tears pooling in her eyes as she climbed up frantically and sprinted in the direction of the canyon, she looked over her shoulder and seen one of the raiders pulling out a metal apple from the carcass of the fallen raider. The battle was only intensifying. She didn’t know who the voice was, what it wanted, or where it came from it didn’t want her dead, that was good enough for her.

Chapter 12: End of the Beginning

Chapter 12(Part1): Radio chatter

The Figure absorbed the most recent part of the retelling of Dawn’s story with growing interest.

The Figure all this time wasn’t seated but rather standing in one of the dark corners of the room.

Dawn wondered to herself was he going to call bullshit again. Try to blow holes in the logic of her story. But his next question caught her off guard “In Trouble’s diary was there ever any name dropping?” he asked with the utmost importance in his voice.

“Tonnes.” Dawn replied.

“Any mention to Death Dealer name dropping?”

“Only their call signs,” She said in a semi disappointed tone.

The figure let out a breath but Dawn continued “But he kept coming back to one pony in particular.”

The Figure shifted approaching his chair “Eight of Clubs.”

The Figure took his seat once more hanging on her every word “Why?” he asked generically.

“Trouble travelled with him for a bit, after their downfall. But he disappeared, Trouble keeps going back to him wondering where he is. He’s convinced he’s still alive. Just in hiding or operating under a pseudonym. He said he’d call him out one day. He just hopes he’ll answer.”

The Figure spoke fast and quizzically “What was so important about this Eight of Clubs? We can’t even nail him down. And we found you in a frozen tundra.”

“We?” Dawn retorted.

The Figure let out a sigh “We’ve been over this. Just answer my question.”

Dawn was let down by how this Figure kept stone walling her but she obliged him all the same.

“Trouble said he was the best knife fighter he ever seen. He could have made Ace or even King of clubs. That and he’s one of the three survivors from the siege of Ar Dun Dearg. That’s The Red Fort in Equestrian.”

The Figure might have actually been impressed with her. he asked her another question.

“How many languages do you speak?” he casually asked her.

“Equestrian and a tiny bit of Trottingham slang.” The Figure laughed.

“I’d hardly call Trottingham slang another language but it damn seems that way.

I speak four languages Equestrian, Coltic, Germane and the Stalliongrad vernacular”

Dawn was bewildered by the last one Stalliongrad Vernacular?

“What’s the Stalliongrad vernacular?” she never actually caught the name of the language they spoke.

“In Stalliongrad there are six or seven languages the vernacular is a cross between the lot. the one thing every region of this land is they all speak Equestrian but you might get the odd pocket who only speak Coltic, that’s where I come in. These guys need a trigger man who can negotiate as well as kill.” The Figure put one of the fingers of his exoskeleton to his ear and went silent.

The Figure cleared his throat and put his cold tough pony act back on “Alright time is of the essence, next was New Pegas right?”

“I guess.” Dawn idly replied.

“What the fuck do you mean you guess? Where in fuck’s glorious name did you go?” The Figure’s voice was raised, a transparent act to Dawn act this stage.

“Well we headed south for the glorious name of fuck.” she snidely replied.

“And?” The Figure asked.

“The trip south was weird, what Trouble said when we arrived on the doorstep to New Pegas stuck with me. But first things first VDNKh.”

It was morning before Night Light came around in that small house. Trouble spent most of the night cleaning Night Light’s Valkyrie and The Red Queen. Dawn dozed off leaving Trouble to his tasks, he was still up before her Dawn doubted if he actually got any sleep.

Night Light let out a groan and forced herself up onto her rump holding the bandages Trouble wrapped around her head wound. Dawn woke about the same moment.

Trouble was holding her Valkyrie in his hooves she looked over at him dismayed. He pulled back the bolt on her Valkyrie chambered a round into the gun from the fresh magazine. He put on his business pony voice and spoke addressing the weapon more so than her.

“The Valkyrie Personal defense weapon. Manufactured in Stalliongrad, pre-war. Continued manufacturing post war as well. approximately nine hundred rounds a minute with twenty to forty round magazines. Muzzle velocity in and around fifteen hundred feet a second. Uses the nine by thirty calibre rounds. Range of five hundred metres without training nine hundred with training. Integrating a silencer based barrel for the gun renders the weapon nearly undetectable when firing and it’s light weight body and collapsible stock means it’s very maneuverable and easy to carry. Favoured weapon of many C.P.L.A commandos and Stalliongrad Stalkers.”

Night Light sat dumbstruck at the lecture dawn was silently impressed with his freaky knowledge of firearms.

Trouble waited in silent anticipation cradling the Valkyrie against his chest. Night Light spoke.

“Trouble I,”

“Shut the fuck up!” Trouble roared. He was just waiting to drop that in.

“Why did you try to get the kid here to give your gun a blow job?”

“What? I,”

Trouble dropped his business pony voice and let his proper voice slip back.

“Ya fuckin owe muh ranger! Wah? Ya mad bout the shite that carried on ere’? Dem regulator purists bastards are corpses now! I cleared your name, I fuckin helped ya save a town. The bounty fir ya was wah? five grand? Me standard fee is roughly forty grand. Not to mention those lovely fellas we blasted who wanted to hand you over remember them? And when I had to knock your ass out six alicorns showed up, and plus reparations, damages and danger pay.” he started counting on his fingers. “Either you pull sixty grand outta your arse or we have problems.”

“What? Trouble you gotta,” Night Light babbled.

“Here’s is wah the fuck we’s goin ta do bouts it, since I’m a lovely fella and you’ve grown on me. I’ll let you keep your life but your arse belongs ta me. Until I’ve decided you’ve worked back the debt you can’t walk away, if ya run I’ll gun you down. You will be compensated with a share from the jobs and your share will be around twenty five percent, you will receive the promised twenty five percent and that amount will be deducted from what you me. So you can be absolved and rich after a mere five or six big jobs. Deal?”

Night Light cleared her throat and spoke quietly, petrified of Trouble “...Deal...”

Trouble threw her Valkyrie back at her it bounced at her hooves. Night Light silently slung it around her back. She got up onto her hooves “Trouble I’m sorry about y’know.”

“Ranger your apologizing to the wrong pony.” he pointed towards Dawn who was still lying flat in the opposite corner of the room in her sleeping roll.

Night Light looked over at Dawn apologetically feeling a little like a bitch Night Light opened her mouth to speak but Dawn raised a hoof in objection “No need Night Light, it’s cool with me.”

Night Light smirked back, a genuine smirk, maybe Dawn was developing social skills after all.

“There is something we got to do before we leave.” Night Light announced.

“And whats that?” said Trouble.

“Got to call this in to the Buck himself, confirm the reports.”

“Ya might wanna hold your breath, walking down that street.”

Night Light raised an eyebrow “Why is that?”

Trouble looked over to Dawn and winked “You’ll see.”

Outside the damage wreaked by The Red Queen was apparent almost everywhere the place was painted in some weird purple crystal. the goo hardened over night. And it fucking stunk.

It was the worst thing Dawn had smelt in her short life. The crystals where the goo had been stuck filled gaps in walls that had been gnawed at.

And little more than twenty yards in front of them was a pile of Red and Purple the ground meat that was the alicorns. Purple maggots had spawned over night the carcasses had putrid blood infused crystals mounted on them. It appeared the purple stuff ate away at the flesh crystallized after it found a nice alcove. Maggots came from it somehow and began eating some more. Dawn just stood there gawking at it not sure what to do.

Night Light sniffed the air as she walked out. When she saw the bloody mess she gagged

“Ah, Holy Fuck! What did you do to them? That Damned stench is making me sick!” Said Night Light disgusted, burying her head into her sleeve.

“I fucked em’ up beyond comprehension. What I do best.” Replied Trouble smiling at his work.

He began walking, Dawn followed appalled but it didn’t really strike her as hard as Night Light.

“How did you do that?” Night Light’s nose was still buried in the sleeve of her jacket but she couldn’t take her eyes of the sickness of the scene the maggots tunneling through the meat growing, frolicking, devouring.

“Black grade ammunition Ranger, my mother taught me her secret recipe but I’m afraid it’s a family secret.” Trouble said with a humongous smile.

“Keep your secret recipe! It fucking stinks! And by Celestia where did those damn maggots come from?”

“If I told you, I’d have to kill you.” his smile kept on widening every time she whined about it.

“Forget about it, I’m trying to.” Night Light finished with a muttering.

They approached the door to the building at the end of the road. It was a large 3 story building with a concrete and steel frame. It would have been a rather decent building before it was scorched and matted with Purple crystals. Trouble came up to the door to be precise it was a large stinking crystal door with a jammed up lock.

Trouble whipped out his white revolver pressed the barrel against the lock and blew it apart with a resounding “BANG!” echoing in the Ghost Town. He gently nudged the door it swung backwards without resistance. He holstered his revolver and strutted inside keeping his fore hooves on his Pistol belt the Sharpened digits of his exoskeleton petting them.

He walked into the center of the room taking in his surroundings, Dawn just followed him and Night Light making sure to avoid the door as much as possible entered as well and finally lowered her nose from her sleeve and walked into a different room that had a staircase in it.

trouble followed her satisfied with his analysis he went back onto all fours.

The room was pitch black you could only make out the silhouettes of most the random miscellaneous materials in there. Empty bottles, Plates, Glasses and Clipboards.

“Trouble you got anything to make it brighter?” She bucked herself in the head for her shit sentences.

“Hold out your forehoof.” she silently complied holding out her right forehoof with the spiraling scar on it. She almost forgot about that. Trouble let out a sigh “The other one.”

Dawn feeling a little foolish. She put out her other hoof Trouble rested her hoof in his grip and started to tinker with her PipBuck. He mashed a few buttons Dawn didn't see exactly what he was doing.

“Hmmmmm” Trouble said.

“Eureka!” He exclaimed.

“What? Dawn replied.

He jabbed a button with one of his talons and the screen of her Pip Buck exploded with light making the HUD impossible to read, to look at it just blinded her so instead she looked at Trouble squinting. His face was almost perfectly lit. A perfect Mugshot of him she noticed another scar under his chin, a small circular one but deep enough to have new hairless flesh seal it up.

It was hard to see from most angles and the fact that the rest of his face was practically carved open really shadowed it. The light shining onto his face was like a little filly trying to look spooky with a flashlight under the chin. Except Trouble looked legitimately scary.

The rays of light highlighting the trenches of his scars and the thin long one that ran from his cheek stood out, pale. Haunting smirk engraved into his being then the deep scarring underneath his eye. That Dawn suspected was caused by shrapnel with its resemblance to hers. The light bounced off of it, found grooves in it. The wound healed poorly over the years, rippling with no definite shape the dips and out-croppings in his skin. The missing pinnacle of his right ear catching the traces of the light.

Dawn shuddered, instantly regretting it.

Trouble looked at the ground and licked his lips. He let out a sigh and made eye contact with her.

He ran his free hoof that wasnt holding Dawn’s along the thin scar that reached from lip to ear.

“Do you wanna how I got this scar?” The eerie green glow of the Pip Buck lighting him up, as he licked his 3 golden teeth at the back of his mouth. Dawn was at a loss for words, her protector her guide through this hell, Trouble. was the most hellish pony she ever met.

There was anvils in her throat weighing her words down, choking her up. She nodded.

“A Chainsaw got my cheek a griffin charged me with it.” He rolled the sleeve of his duster up 4 inches. “I stopped her, the only way I could,” He held his hoof up Dawns eyes widened she felt herself take in a sharp breath.

His hoof before the elbow was mulched and mutilated, the skin was waved and rippled grey, wrinkly skin where the teeth of the saw met the flesh was visible a large dip stopping half way through his hoof.

Trouble’s eyes broke contact with Dawn for a moment observing the grim reminder.

“I caught it with my left fore hoof the teeth of that fuckin saw grinding me up.” Dawn took her eyes off his grotesque wound and looked at his face his brow was slanted, his eyes riveted on his hoof reliving it in his head grinding his teeth in anger.

“So, I grabbed my knife...” Trouble put his hoof down and reached for his sheath. Dawn was unable to break eye contact hypnotized by his stare as his exoskeleton talons wrapped around the knife’s handle. “And put it against her ear.” He yanked the knife out holding it with two talons and levelled it with Dawn’s temple. She felt her muscles lock petrified frozen by fear. “And drove it way the fuck into her head,” He stopped to lick his golden teeth again. “Blood and hair everywhere it’s not how I lost my teeth though. That griffin bitch never seen my knife coming,” He let out a sigh “By fuck I used to be fast back then, getting too old now.” With that he sheathed his knife and began to trudge up the stairs towards Night Light.

Leaving Dawn standing there to think about what she was told reflecting on it she imagined the griffin, she only ever saw one once a mercenary passing through her town on some expedition south to a contact. He was huge and intimidating, white and Brown feathers and a yellow beak they’re nearly twice the size of a big pony. Then Dawn’s train of thought crashed and was blown to smithereens. Magic welled up in her and burst from her horn in an over glow, her eyes shone white and everything faded before her.

She blinked all around her was darkness. Colours came from the darkness before her. Taking shape from a pulp of red, yellow and blue to form a being.

It was Trouble.

But not Trouble as she knew him, he was much younger, much more animated. The Red Queen against his shoulder firing at the darkness. He staggered backwards, sparks flew from his armour his helmet was no where to be seen. Dawn was not there like she was in VDNKh a ghostly spectator to the massacre. Now she was the air swirling around, she wafted through the darkness not tied down or limited to a being. She found this to be deeply disturbing. But she decided to roll with it. She turned to face the direction Trouble was firing at.

The Red Queen bouncing up and down noiselessly in his grip. The weapon still flashing the shells leaving it disappeared, evaporated into the blackness. She saw Trouble’s face the only scarring he had was underneath his eye his cheek was still unscathed.

He was busy focusing at whatever was in front of him ducking and returning fire from various odd postures and poses.

When something new came from the nothingness. Colours forming behind Trouble.

A Griffin.

The colours formed around the griffin while it was moving. A tall female griffin wearing dark green combat armour with a chainsaw in her grip walking on her hind legs. She was skulking up on Trouble moving cautiously her face, determined. The Red Queen stopped flashing. Dawn felt out of place in this contorted reality. She was accustomed to the humongous boom that accompanied The Red Queen and the loud click letting her prey know they can let out a sigh of relief .

Trouble spun around pushing his back against an invisible wall. He let the magazine drop, it evaporated into nothingness. He reached into his duster as the griffin pulled a cord and the chainsaw burst into life.

Trouble looked up surprised caught off guard. The griffin charged letting out a soundless cry. The griffin ran for him, the chainsaw held over her head she was upon him in less than a second.

She swung at his head from over the shoulder. Trouble raised The Red Queen to block the swing. Sparks flew as the two weapons connected. The Red Queen flew from his grip skiting away from him as the connection imploded with the momentum and energy, the griffin raised the chainsaw again swiping downwards.

Trouble lowered against the wall his knees bent he raised his hoof to shield his face.

The chainsaw connected with his hoof. His face went from baring his teeth to anguished the chainsaw ripped his wrist sending blood and sinew spurting, spinning around the teeth of the weapon. Staining the griffins white feathers with every rotation of the serrated spinning teeth.

Trouble let out a noiseless roar as it connected with his face. He fell onto the ground back still pressed against the invisible wall. The Griffin broke the connection with his wrist mercifully and raised the saw high above her head ready to plunge it downwards and maul his intestines.

But Trouble before she brought the chainsaw down on him he bucked her between the legs,hard. Her body formed a sideways V. She dropped the chainsaw Trouble slapped it out of the air with a buck and wrapped his wounded hoof that was about to fall off his body around her head and pulled her in tightly.

Her head was buried against his chest while she was still stunned, he reached for his knife “Relentless”

the black steel flashing through the darkness and buried it inside her ear. If it weren’t for the ten inches of steel lodged in her head the two could have been cuddling.

Trouble rolled on top of her to help me stand. Her eyes had rolled back into her skull as Gray matter seeped from the hole in her head. He picked himself up keeping his injured hoof tightly pressed against his waist. He snatched The Red Queen up keeping his head down presumably the firefight was still ongoing, though without sound or a view of what was going on it was hard to tell.

With the Red Queen on his back he reached for one of his revolvers. The white one. He had his hooves crossed as he trudged the way the griffin came the hoof carrying the revolver keeping pressure on his injured one that was against his waist.

His cheek was torn open flapping with his every movement blood flowing down onto his neck or dribbling onto his duster and his eye above it was twitching bizarrely. The last thing Dawn seen before the scene faded was Trouble taking aim with the revolver and pulling back the hammer his balance faltering, his body going into shock.

She returned to the dark room above her she heard the crackling of a radio. Her PipBuck lighting up the room. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted something underneath a desk.

A safe almost identical to the one in EverBright where she found Amigo and her PipBuck 3000 lite.

She got to work with the screwdriver and bobby pins Trouble gave her what seemed like an eternity ago. She strained to remember what he showed her. Screwdriver and bobby pin wedged into the lock, she fumbled around with it a few times felt it gave way at certain angles until finally with a crisp “Crrrk.” the safe door swung open.

Inside were two bottles of Vodka a small tape and a syringe of Jet. Dawn placed the two bottles on the desk above the safe. Hid the Jet deep in her saddlebags, that was for later. The tape Dawn didn’t know what to make of that. Her Pip Buck screen flashed she looked at the screen squinting. (DOWNLOADING AUDIO LOG 87%)

She was entirely sure how it knew that. She just chalked it down as magic and left it at that.

The log auto played, a mare’s voice came from her PipBuck she lacked an earpiece the voice echoed through the room.

“We’re getting reports from our agents Trouble is in the area. Put our operators on high alert, also that rogue ranger she’s our primary target. Alive we can ship her north we cant get much use off a corpse now can we? Roger sir. I’ll dispatch an agent to Dead Water. May I suggest at least waiting til Trouble rescues the hostages sir? Understood. Oh and finally sir we’re getting reports the Purists are on the move. The thing is sir they’re heading here in force. Understood we’ll pull out tonight.”

The message ended Dawn for the first time wondered what this building was. A hub for some ponies not sure who but they had some sort of hierarchy Night Light was bound to know.. Dawn headed upstairs to join her companions.

Upstairs consisted of one giant room with scattered paper clips and other junk lying around. In the corner was Night Light sitting in a wheeled seat. The room was fairly well lit since the light was shining in the smashed in windows the purple crystals stunk the room out though.

“The Buck Himself, come in. I’m looking for the Buck himself. This is Beaver, over.” Night Light spoke into the Radio’s microphone.

A response came back over the air waves “This is the Buck himself. I read you, whats your twenty?”

“VDNKh.” Night Light said back.

“Damn, we thought you ponies were goners Beaver gimme a sitrep, over.”

“Every pony here, ain’t. Purists. Lots of em same party that attacked Marizona Springs, over.”

“Ten four Beaver. Clean sheet at VDNKh, I’ll spread the word.”

“Keep your ears on Beaver, expect a collect call.”

“Negative making my way to the Big P, gimme a sec over.”

Night Light’s grip over the Microphone loosened and she asked Trouble.

“Hey Trouble you got a CB?”

“Yeah, callsign Trouble I’ll make first contact.”

Night Light nodded and her horn glowed again. “Collect call Beaver same A.F over and out.”

“Roger Beaver, all the good numbers. Over and out.”

Night Light let out a sigh as the crackling of the radio ceased with a click. NIght Light sat there for a while merely staring at the floor. Trouble clapped a hoof on her shoulder. Night Light made eye contact with him holding for several seconds. Dawn interrupted their moment.

“Ahem...” she said trying to catch their attention. the two looked at her she hovered out the bottles of Vodka “Found these in a safe downstairs thought you might appreciate them is all.”

Trouble giggled to himself as he walked over and snatched a bottle “Kid, I think I may be rubbing off on you after all.”

A note to all my readers: The next chapter is going to be the end of act one so please be patient I will be revising previous chapters to improve their quality.

Chapter 12(Part2): Who’s the Bad Guy?

The Figure got out of his chair routinely and said “So what you hit up the Buck himself called it in then what? Let me guess Trouble got drunk off his ass right?” Dawn let out a sigh.

“Trouble likes his drink. We hit a few snags in the road and Trouble showed a rather interesting side of himself.”

The Figure took up a remote corner of the bleached tiled room and pressed his back against it.

“And what side would that be miss Black?”

Dawn broke into a soft chuckle reminiscing “The bad guy side or at least what I thought at the time was, he got worse before he got better.”

The Figure rushed over to his seat and gestured for Dawn to continue.

The road had been short. They were already distancing themselves from VDNKh it was well out of sight. Night Light refused to drink Dawn had a little sip here or there she never really had much of a taste for hard liquor.

Trouble was drunk unsurprisingly. He staggered on his hind legs from side to side on the old road. Less than half a two litre bottle remained yet he was still carrying both his exoskeleton scratching the glass of the bottles. singing some indistinguishable song she could not tell if it was so indistinguishable because he was drunk or because it was in a different language either or it was starting to bug her.

The sun had set long ago ahead of them lay a long stretch of road according to Night Light that ran straight to New Pegas. Dawn had been playing around with her Pip Buck since then she discovered it had a Geiger counter and according to it she was relatively free of radiation.

And the radio functionality she picked up multiple broadcasts three Trouble tipped her off the best one was 105.7 The Buck Himself. Good Music, Reliable news.

Night Light was keeping her head down caught up in thought the last time she was so focused on steering her own train of thought she nearly overlooked Trouble slapping Dawn in the face after she had the post Jet crash.

Dawn simply focused on the radio trying to block out Trouble’s antics a song had just wrapped up and a the stallion with the musky voice came on “We have confirmed reports that VDNKh is down, I’ll say that again VDNKh is a ghost town. We suspect it was down by the purists and as far as we know there were no survivors,” The radio stallion let out a sigh “Bad things are going down... it used to be so much easier, This is the Buck himself leaving you with some tunes...”

The stallions voice faded out and was replaced with light hearted music thankfully. Dawn checked her mapping feature on her PipBuck out of boredom and checked all the new points registered on it behind her was VDNKh (Ghost Town) and not far from that was Marizona Springs (Ruins) she was impressed at how it somehow knew this and yet she was sad.

Sad at how fast the world was going to shit around her two entire settlements cleaned out in less than a week of her leaving the NCR.Without a doubt in her mind she knew it was going to get a whole lot worse before it got better. Or maybe the worse had passed and by some miracle the NCR launch a counter offensive. Or maybe it was just round one against the purists and the ponies of Marizona should be on high alert.

She would have voiced her thoughts to Trouble if he weren’t in his current state of intoxication.

And with Night Light in her trance it would be folly to even ask her. The were walking up a steep gradient that Trouble slipped and fell unto several times muttering a stream of curses under his breath.

On the third then he staggered forward and fell slamming his face on the road and didn’t attempt to get back up Dawn galloped over to him alarmed Trouble rolled over onto his back and Dawn stood next to him blood pouring from his nostrils.

“Kid... Ya hear that?” he slurred out.

“No... Come on get up.” Dawn replied she knew from experience never to humour a drunk.

She went to grab his sleeve with her teeth and haul his sorry ass but as her head lowered he snatched her muzzle gripping tight his sharpened exoskeleton scratching her face she pulled backwards panicking but his grip was too firm she tried to yell out but failed to open her jaw a millimeter.

Trouble leaned in close “Listen...”

Dawn felt the cold metal keeping her in place she could feel the bead of sweat trickling off her fore head and she could hear Night Light walking by like nothing was happening then she heard it.

Gunfire.

Lots of Gunfire.

“Kid, do you hear that?”

Dawn did her best to nod with Trouble keeping her head trapped and all. He released his grip and clumsily found his way onto all four of his hooves. He galloped as best he could up the hill involuntarily swaying and zigzagging.

He made a note of slapping Night Light’s flank on the way up though which seemed to break her trance and made her jump with a yelp.

He reached the top of the hill and looked down the road. He still perfectly without missing a beat took out the Red Queen like he was sober and signalled for the others to catch up.

Night Light broke into a brisk trot and reached him in no time as did Dawn. Dawn arrived at Trouble’s side and looked where his eyes were locked.

There was multiple flashes in the distance exchanging flashes on either side of the road two groups shooting it out. Night Light Levitated out her Valkyrie and chambered a round.

“What now?”

Trouble spoke slowly and slurred “Easy, let em’ waste each other off than kill the survivors.”

Dawn shot Trouble a look in shock. Was he really planning on that? Or was he joking?

Night Light looked at Trouble dumbstruck “What?”

“Some pony has gotta win righ? We jus kill the fuckin winner let em soften each other up.”

Night Light gritted her teeth and looked through her scope down at the firefight.

“For Celestia’s sake Trouble they got foals down there. we gotta do something. They’re losing ponies!”

Trouble fell on his rump the Red Queen falling to the ground next to him.

He reached into his duster found himself a cigarette lit it up with his zippo took a deep pull on it exhaled and exhaled gently.

“Relax foals shouldn’t take more than a bullet each.”

“You sick fuck!” Night Light roared.

Trouble broke into a coughing fit blowing plumes of smoke shooting out his nostrils.

“Who dies today ranger? your call.”

Night Light swore under her breath as Trouble merely sat on the ground watching the fire fight with grim amusement.

Dawn approached Night Light not sure what to do, this far she had always put her money on Trouble but that may change.

“Night Light what are we going to do? We cant just let them die, can we?”

“No Black. We’re going to do something bout this even if he wont.”

Trouble let out a groan “Fir Facks sake! Righ then I’ll help, gimme a scope.”

Night Light’s horn had a faint shimmer as a small combat scope hovered out from her saddlebags and landed next to Trouble.

“Kay, Ranger do us a favor and ID targets, kid set up your machine gun I’ll sort shit out.”

Trouble sluggishly slid the small scope on a rail in front of The Red Queen’s rear sights he twisted a knob on the top of it and peered down.

“Red dot reflex four times magnification.” He muttered to himself.

He rose to his full height with great effort and clipped his helmet on.

The visor glowing blood red again just making the painted on teeth on the gas filter visible, everything Trouble did had a factor of intimidation about it. His armour, his weapons, his face.

He switched the magazines out on his weapon from grey to blue (Range.) And sprinted on his hind hooves down the hill as if he were sober. Night Light peered down her scope at the ensuing battle. Her horn glowed and the radio on her jacket buzzed into life.

“The ponies on the left save them, raiders on the right....”

“Ten four, weapons free.”

“Dawn! Hit the dirt and lay down some Lead!”

Night Light’s Valkyrie with its soft “Pfft, Pfft, Pfft.” blasted away the rounds disappearing into the darkness. One pony’s muzzle flashes ended abruptly signifying a kill.

But the star of the show was the Red Queen as usual. she exploded into life the high velocity slugs veering towards the gun battle the slugs puncturing the ground upon impact. There was eight or maybe nine raiders and five ponies returning fire Night Light said there was foals among them. Dawn fell unto the ground as instructed levitating out her machine gun resting it on the ground in front of her.

Trouble’s booming shotgun made impact with a raider blowing the raider’s torso into pieces, Night Light was also having success a fast flick into fully automatic peppered another raider sending rounds through her side killing her almost instantly.

Dawn took careful aim the raiders were still focused on the group making them easy static targets. Dawn fired “RUT-RUT-RUT-RUT-RUT-RUT-RUT-RUT” the machine gun bounced wildly, spent casings flying from the weapon. She ceased fire immediately surprised by the weapons kick in slight disbelief Bad News didn’t have this much kick.

She kept up the suppression trying to keep sight picture with the jumping gun.

But she noticed something, or rather the lack of something. The Red Queen was no longer firing and Dawn had long since lost sight picture of Trouble. Dawn shot a glance at Night Light who was firing semi automatic on her Valkyrie.

After nearly a whole minute of Dawn firing this ridiculous weapon it finally went “Click, Click.”

A tunnel of smoke rose from the barrel. After the weapon was emptied Night Light lowered her Valkyrie.

“Why did you stop?” Dawn asked confused it sure shit wasn’t over.

“They’re already dead, they just don’t know it.” She solemnly replied.

Trouble was closing in on the raiders the flat plain littered with Dawn’s wide shots, there was four raiders still standing Trouble had all his weapons holstered.

He walked past the corpses of the fallen raiders and approached an earth pony raider with a bolt action rifle in his grip. The raider resumed fire after the volley ceased unaware of his presence. Trouble wrapped one hoof under his chin the other around his dome and twisted the raiders neck it snapped with a crunch the raider fell lifelessly to the desert floor.

One of the raiders noticed his take down, a unicorn mare carrying a small SMG she swiveled to get a shot, but Trouble was upon her all to soon. He grabbed the SMG out of the air shots ringing from it as he twisted the barrel into the air. He swung his hoof upwards catching her throat and he lifted her into the air. His exoskeleton’s talons digging into her Jugular vein, he applied pressure. Tiny little droplets of blood began trickling onto his sleeve. The unicorn mare gritted her teeth and her hind hooves began to twitch.

With a final tensing of his muscles her vein was severed and she made a croaking noise splaying blood from her neck as the life left her eyes, her whole body went limp. Trouble’s kill caught the attention of the other two they turned to face him. One was an earth pony stallion with a small revolver in his teeth, the other an earth pony mare with a blow back pistol.

They fired at Trouble who quickly swung the dead mare in his clutches around as an improvised shield, the bullets shredding the corpse but lacking the stopping power to hurt Trouble.

The pony with the revolver emptied his load he tried to fire but all he got in response was a mournful “Click.”

Trouble took the body he was using as a shield and threw it hard at the mare who still had ammo knocking her off her hooves. Trouble charged the stallion who panicking only managed to stay frozen in terror. Trouble formed a fist and punched the stallion in the jaw. Hard. Blood and teeth shot out from the mouth of the stallion as his head snapped sideways with the force.

Trouble followed it up by grabbing the pony’s ears getting face to face with him and smashing his helmet’s forehead against his nostrils. He pounded the face of the raider several times crumbling his muzzle showering his helmet in blood. The raider lay dazed and semi conscious on the ground.

Trouble stood up to his full height and hit one sharp buck he crushed the raider’s wind pipe.

The raider pony’s eyes widened, he gasped for air but the only thing to be heard was a harsh gurgling noise as he desperately tried to take a breath.

Trouble let out a chuckle through his mask and moved on to the pinned pony. The mare was recovering from having her dead raiding partner knocking the wind out of her, she seen Trouble slowly advancing she reached for her pistol but Trouble when seeing her do this picked up his pace.

She got her gun in her mouth about to take aim, but Trouble pounded down on her head with his fore hoof knocking her onto the ground sending her limbs flying outwards, the pistol still in her grip.

He swung his hind leg back swung forward and kicked her hard in the ribs sending her onto her back.

He must have easily broken two ribs with that, he snatched the gun from her mouth and climbed on top of her. He spun the handle of the pistol around in his hoof and grabbed the barrel and swung with the handle for her face.

He smacked her with the hard steel of the grip shattering her teeth and cracking her jaw.

The metal made an audible connection with the bone with eight sharp strikes “Kun-Kun-Kun-Kun-Kun-Kun-Kun-Kun.”

He spun the pistol round once more pointing the barrel between her eyes as she coughed up blood and shards of her teeth. He leveled his face less than 5 inches from her eyes and said to her “Bad Luck.”

He unloaded the magazine into her face, spraying grey matter blood and other fluids over his helmet five shots “PA-PA-PA-PA-PA.” each one digging a deeper crater into her skull. The slide of the pistol blew backwards and stayed there. Spent. Thankfully.

He climbed off the mare with the now unrecognizable face and his voice came over the radio. Through Night Light’s jacket.

“Ha, who’s the sick fuck now?”

Dawn and Night Light were helping the survivors of the attack stack the bodies of the dead bodyguards and claiming the raiders weapons as spoils. Dawn didn’t think to highly of looting the dead this far she’s avoided it. Thought it was disrespectful to filter through a pony who gave their life for you pockets.

apparently they were a caravan on its way to Dead Water from Phoenix. There was 4 survivors a Stallion and a Mare couple travelling with their two fillies, all their bodyguards were killed, they said the fighting waged for over an hour before they showed up.

There was the mother Orchid a unicorn with a pink mane and cream coloured coat and her husband was called Raw Hide a brown coated earth pony with a blue mane. The couple weren’t much older than Night Light in their mid twenties. But their fillies Flora and Fauna weren’t much older than five. Six maybe.

Trouble sat in the middle of the road smoking, staring at the road that lay before him, whereas Night Light and Black Dawn were making conversation with the couple as the fillies fell asleep after their hellish night near a camp fire they had set up after the firefight.

The night crept over time the only thing to be heard was the crackling of the fire as the adrenaline wore off. And the losses of the day set in.

“So, why are you heading to New Pegas?” Orchid asked trying to get a conversation started.

Dawn answered “It’s where Trouble is headed.” and she nodded over to him as he lazily sat there blowing out rings of smoke.

The couple’s eyes grew wide and they stared over at Trouble. “That son of a bitch is Trouble?” asked Raw Hide.

“Keep your voice down.” Night Light replied.

“Why?”

“Because if I were Trouble I’d be listening in.”

“You can’t be serious he can’t even walk in a straight line.” Raw Hide exclaimed.

“No but he just killed four raiders in hoof to hoof.”

One of the fillies woke up and cradled herself against her mother and asked.

“Mommy who’s Trouble?”

“One of the bad guys dear, now go back to sleep.” She ushered her little foal behind her back.

“Bad guy huh?” Trouble emerged from the darkness asking.

Dawn swore she seen the couple shrink a little.

“What a funny thing to call the pony who just saved your life.” He had his mask on again after abandoning his smoke. He still didn’t wipe the blood from his helmet

“What makes me the bad guy?” He asked.

Raw Hide spoke up “You murder ponies.”

“So do you, I just do it on a larger scale.” He vaguely replied.

“I don’t murder ponies in cold blood like you, what about those towns you sunk? Foals you’ve killed?”

Trouble laughed through his gas mask killing its emotion “What did you do today? Killed for business and you’re life. I didn’t kill all those ponies out of spite, I was hired.”

“You still took the job.” Raw Hide accused.

“When you kill, do you blame the gun? No I’m merely the medium the go between. I take the jobs no other guns have the balls to take, so what I’m a bad guy? I’m a necessary evil.”

“DJ Pon3 even says your a bad guy, killing ponies for money.”

“You kill to live, I kill for a living we’re the same and by fuck don’t believe everything you hear on the radio.”

“We’re nothing alike! I don’t shoot foals, level towns.”

“You Also Don’t Rescue Hostages! Take out Raiders and Slavers! So what if I’m the bad guy what does that make you?”

Raw Hide was speechless so Trouble continued “Ponies like you need me! So you can point your Fucking hooves and say. That’s the Bad Guy! So what that make you eh? Good? You’re not good. All the good guys are dead. All that’s left is me so... Take a good look and remember me. Because it’s the last time you’ll ever see a bad guy like this again.”

Trouble stormed off into the night leaving the couple sitting there stunned with Dawn and Night Light.

Every pony was asleep around the camp fire the sun was on the precipice of starting a new day when Dawn woke up in a cold sweat, panting. All the others were asleep; the small family and NIght Light. When a voice came through her head the same one that spoke of Trumpet and it said “Find Trouble... Something you need to see...Move...”

Dawn didn’t question this she discretely slipped out of her thin sleeping bag and began to trot the road Trouble had left for.

The road was cold and desolate, eerie to walk alone. She trotted on only now wondering why she so obediently listened to the 3rd party voice in her head.

She walked for the better part of an hour searching the road the sun was going to disappear behind the eternal cloud cover soon. Then she spotted him in a ditch along the side of the road passed out helmet still on.

She smiled to herself as she approached “Hey Trou,” She cut herself off short next to his hooves was his diary on an open page it read.

Vice and Virtue: fuck me every pony out here in this abominable shithole believes in virtue. It’s absurd. it’s redundant maybe once we followed virtues but they can be turned against you all to easily same with vices just less so. Morals get you killed you can’t limit yourself out here why set up self restraints? Easy it’s what it’s always been something to make it easier on yourself, to help you believe yourself that you won’t be lost to the wastes.

The wastes claims what it wants. It’s everywhere around us, it’s in me it’s in you it’s just waiting. Manifesting itself so one day we will become a part of it’s hell that’s where I’ am at. In it’s jaws breaking it’s teeth salvation awaits me outside I can see it.

Others all around me, familiar faces getting mulched in the vices of the maw of the wasteland. Pounded up, wounded. Their faces look tired, worn down before their finally swallowed whole tough ponies some better than me.

I had a virtue once, I think I wonder if I have It still, the wasteland swears by vice New Pegas an entire city dedicated to it survived the apocalypse nearly unscathed.

Virtue’s are an abstract concept they’re what we’re thought is right what’s engraved in our skulls from a young age they aren’t inherent in us. Vice on the on the other hoof day one from foalhood: greed, ambition it’s built into you because it’s a natural defence to want for your own betterment violence to, a need to be dominant Vice saves you from others Virtue saves you from you but you alone cannot save yourself.

None of this ever mattered to me though, all that mattered was family. I cant tell if it’s a failing in my character or not, but all I have eve wanted from this world was to go down in applause.

“Trouble.” Dawn said to herself.

“The Bad Guy.”

Chapter 12(part3): Family Business

The Figure sat in his chair in reverent silence staying stoic. “Interesting.” The Figure dully summarised.

“That was the tip of the iceberg you witnessed Miss Black.”

“I know.” Dawn replied she seen what he was capable of first hand.

The Figure sighed and moved out of his chair scraping the ground, like fingernails on a chalk board.

He didn’t pace on his hind legs now like he had done before, he just trotted on all of his hooves.

“There is one thing I can say for Trouble.” Dawn said.

“Ha, and what’s that?” The Figure asked amused.

“He takes care of his friends.” Dawn said staring into space.

The Figure let out a soft chuckle and said back to her.

“Ain’t that the truth.”

Dawn nodded her head in silence.

Dawn placed the diary closed next to Trouble’s limp body, trying to dispel any inkling of suspicion about her viewing his inner most thoughts.

And on cue Trouble’s body began to quake, his muscles rebooting. With great strain and a groan he forced himself up onto his hooves. He turned round and jumped, startled by Dawn’s presence. But it quickly wore off.

“Awri kid?” he asked with his outlandish accented voice that was really starting to grow on her. It was present even though that helmet killed it’s unique tone.

“Hello to you too, I guess, Trouble what the buck was last night all about?”

He undid the clips on the back of his skull that fastened his helmet, it fell to the ground. He muttered obscenities as he scooped it up and stashed it somewhere on his person.

“Usual shite far as I remember, saved some fuckin band of ingrates, ah?”

His face looked worn down and tired, more so than usual. Dawn thought how best to answer without trying to cross Trouble she owed him too much. And she couldn’t imagine he’d be in a great mood after waking up in a desert with his head buried in a ditch.

“A small family caravan moving to Dead Water, you wanted to kill them.” She said feeling a little nervous about her wording.

Trouble laughed aloud “Kid if I wanted em dead, they would be. Musta been before I knew wah was happenin nd’ another thing that MG is doin ya no favours, toss it, actually sell it.” he said pleased with his base ingenuity as his head’s basic functions restarted.

Dawn stared at the ground for awhile before speaking again. “You said for the foals they’d only need a single shot, that we’d kill the survivors.”

Trouble forced himself onto his hind hooves and cracked his back he groaned in relief and spoke again. “The only reason I’m still alive after all this time is because...” Trouble thought for a while and and finished his own sentence “Probably because shooting me only makes me mad.” He laughed to himself and began to walk on, forsaking the fact Night Light was probably only waking up now. But that really didn’t answer her question.

“Trouble, what about Night Light?” Dawn asked frazzled, she left her sleeping bag there after all.

“She’s a big girl.” He replied.

(Thank you so very fucking much for the analysis professor.) Dawn thought to herself.

She wouldn’t voice her thoughts though, Trouble had done more for her than anyone had ever done in all her life. He gave her opportunities, he gave her equalizers and most importantly he gave her someone to watch her back.

Trouble didn’t stop moving, he just kept on walking while Dawn just stood there, then she remembered. His journal was still lying there. She wondered for a second whether or not to tell him. maybe she could keep it, get a better grasp of Trouble maybe even find out his identity. Besides his alias. But maybe Trouble might seek it out and what would he do if he found she was hiding it. Dawn seen how he handles those he deems ‘Hostile’

“Trouble!” Dawn called out.

He stopped and turned snapped from whatever trance he was in “What?!?” He said pissed off at his crashed train of thought.

Dawn levitated the journal up to eye level Trouble broke into a gallop back over to her. She stood rigid not sure what to do besides just stand there. He snatched it out of the air and stowed it he nodded his head at her and made a signal for her to advance with him.

So they walked, deep into the blistering desert that lay ahead.

They walked for hours under the heat of the desert. The humidity cutting into them. Trouble seem less than bothered by it, despite the fact he was wearing much thicker and heavier gear than her and a duster on top.

Trouble removed his flask from inside his duster and took a deep drink nourishing him, Dawn couldn’t understand how he could take that intoxicating piss over water in this hell. Hell being the optimum word in the sentence. Right behind piss.

The day had been rolling by fairly smooth usually disaster strikes and there is a shoot out, but not today. The only thing weird about today was the lack of Night Light, but when she asked Trouble about her on the road he said. “She’ll find us, she’s that type.”

Dawn remembered something she was meaning to ask Trouble about the small statuette she found. The one of Trumpet.

“Trouble do you know a pony named Trumpet?” she said.

“I’m wonderin` how ya know who he is. He was an old soldier, one of the original Death Dealers.”

“Who were the Death Dealers?” Dawn asked she could have sworn Trouble had made mention to them or someone had.

“Coltic mercenary group or rather we were. Got wiped out twenty two years this year I think, only three of us survived. Enough about that for now wanna hear more about Trumpet?”

Dawn replied “Alright, but I’d like to hear more about the Death Dealers later.”

“Dun worry bout tha, Travelin with muh ya can’t help but hear bout em`. Trumpet was a member of Mister Blue’s special team known as The Squad, I’ll tell ya more bout him later. Trumpet was a genius, and the best kinda genius. The psychotic kind. He made devices the size of apples that could blow up half a town, he was an artist with explosives. He came up with the invincible pony idea. That pony was my inspiration, he had half of his mane scorched inta his head from experiments and this brace roun his hindleg locked there from playin with chemical weapons, he couldn’t move fast at all and famously never took cover. But he didn't need to, he often made himself bulletproof.”

Dawn wondered what he meant be making himself bulletproof and all this invincibility stuff. “What do you mean the invincible pony idea?”

“Think kid, how do ya make yourself invincible?”

Dawn thought for a moment then shrugged she imagined it to be some overkill armour like the purists’ just more sophisticated. “I dunno.” she eventually said.

Trouble smiled and answered “It’s obvious, ya make it in every ponies best interest that you don’t die.” He laughed to himself. “And how you do that is by strapping a fuckin ludicrous amount of high explosive ordnance to yourself, this bein’ Trumpet twas no bother fir him, he used ta hold onto this detonator and if his grip lessened it’d go off, and let’s say by some miracle you shoot him and the detonator is a dud, there was enough liquid nitroglycerin on his person that if one fragile bottle breaks same result. That’s how you make yourself bulletproof. But it doesn’t work in every circumstance like if they just attack you without knowing. The main reason it works is because you get inside their heads. Make them feel like they are in the presence of a vengeful god. And if they feel brave, everyone pays, if one hero wants to kill you I doubt his friends share the opinion so much so they are ready to kill for it they’d shoot the pony who suggested shooting you, like it was almost blasphemy, turning on each other like starving timber wolves. And it works every time. Clever right?”

Dawn was lost for words. She just discovered the secret to making herself within reason, bulletproof. She chuckled Trumpet was indeed “Clever...”

“Did he have a motto?” Dawn asked remembering the inscription.

“He did indeed. Not one Step Back!” Trouble shouted with passion.

“Beautiful, he said it during a speech during a direct confrontation during the great war, outnumbered and outgunned against an army of griffins and dragons to the north, he had to raise moral. He fired the first shot and let me tell ya, his shots hurt.”

“What do you mean by that?” Dawn asked.

“He played Stalliongrad Bagpipes like nopony else.” Trouble nickered and pressed on leaving Dawn to wonder about these Bagpipes.

The miles dragged on, the air in front of them looked wispy, in the distance the air seemed palpable. Like you could catch it in a bottle and sell it as a curio. But it was merely a trick of the eye. When something else appeared.

Trouble stopped dead in the road and muttered something to himself. When he spoke “What ya reckon?” he said shaking a hoof in that direction.

Dawn strained her eyes, she wasn’t too happy about what she saw.

Bodies.

“I dunno, w-what you think?” she said back, she was still an amateur to the wastes.

Trouble licked his lips “I think two sides got in a shootout in some sorta bush whack and no pony won.”

They drew closer to the bodies Dawn was busy looking at Trouble who was busy looking at the bodies. Maybe ten or so of them. “I dun like this.” He said to her.

He stopped.

“Nah can’t be right...” he said.

Dawn was flabbergast she didn’t want to go inspecting cadavers but she knew when Trouble was nervous he had good reason to be.

“What? What can’t be right?” she asked getting flustered.

“Nah enough blood...”

“The fuck are you talking about?” She said

There was a body laying propped up against the corpse of a decapitated or double decapitated Brahmin's body.

The body was that of an orange elderly unicorn stallion who carried a sawn-off shotgun at his hip and had a long grey beard running down to his chest.

“Follow my lead.” He said.

He drew his revolvers as slowly as he could manage took aim at the elderly stallion.

“What are you doing?” Dawn asked

Trouble screamed a reply not at her but at the bodies. “THESE FUCKERS AIN’T DEAD!”

He let out a shot at the elderly stallion hitting him in the hind leg slicing right through both of them.

The old stallion’s torso rocketed forward letting out a cry of agony. Half of the bodies sprang into life. Trouble moved forward keeping his guns on the group nearly none of the ponies ran over to the old stallion rather they all froze up instead caught off guard. All except for one.

Dawn levitated out Amigo but kept the barrel facing the sky above, these ponies didn't seem like much of a threat.

She checked her EFS all their registered signs appeared blue. Trouble was in close enough now maybe thirty yards out, Dawn not far behind. The old stallion with an empty bottle for a cutie mark called out to him “You Son of A Bitch!” he said through withering pain.

The younger ponies bunched together. Not sure what to do, Trouble must have figured him as the leader.

“Very fuckin funny. Playin’ dead jumpin the boys that come close.” One of the ponies there, an earth pony reached for his gun.

Trouble pulled back the hammer of his white revolver “Ah-Ah-Ah-Ah, don’t do anything stupid.” The pony decided it might be better to not play hero.

The elderly stallion who was now rocking back and forth spoke again.

“You fucking shot me!” He yelled showing his rotten teeth.

“And I’ll shot ya again if ya don’t shut the fuck up son.” He threatened.

The only one of the younger ponies that was near the old stallion was inspecting his wounds a yellow one with a black mane and a smashed bottle for a cutie mark spoke.

“Oh shit! Pa what are we gonna do?”

the elderly stallion replied “We do whatever we’re told now shut up!”

Dawn just stood behind Trouble waiting for instructions,she received none.

“Now listen, I don’t wanna kill ya, but by fuck make a dodgy move and I’ll ghost ya.”

The elderly pony went silent no longer groaning and nodded his head. He waved a hoof to the band across the road, they all relaxed slightly Trouble whispered to himself “Good, good.”

The elderly pony spoke again “Alright, hows this going to go down?”

Trouble’s face curled into a smile “The easy way, you fuckers leave don’t care where jus go, and another thing there is a ranger coming this way, keep your heads down. If I hear gunshots you’re dead.”

The elderly pony nodded his head, the pony standing next to him began nuzzling him.

“Okay whatever you want.” The elderly pony said, Dawn noticed the bodies that didn’t jump up 4 ponies in cheap clothing their pockets emptied lay dead their bodies looted long ago.

Dawn prodded Trouble to get his attention and she gestured towards the corpses “Trouble, what about those there.” Trouble laughed to himself. “Thanks kid.”

“Old timer, for those dead there I’m afraid some pony is going to have to pay.”

The elderly pony furrowed his brow “What do you mean?”

“Pick some pony to pay and I’ll leave, will it be you?.”

The old stallion shook his head.

“Then pick.”

Dawn felt a chill shoot down her spine, in all viable senses she just sentenced somepony to death.

The elderly pony beckoned the black maned pony who called him Pa over. The elderly stallion embraced him in a tight hug and spoke into his ear.

“Tic Tac how much to do you love your old man? Your brothers and sisters need me son, come on. The buck he called Tic Tac his son, had a rough and gravelly voice even though he was still quite young.

He spoke slowly and nervously “Pa, what are you saying?”

Trouble spoke up “So it’s him? Over you?”

Dawn went to object, feeling responsible, but as she advanced Trouble stopped her with his hoof.

He stared at the old stallion who was still hugging his son asking the impossible.

The yellow pony who called himself Tic Tac broke the embrace.

He was shaking slightly the old stallion landed on the ground with a thump.

“Take him, he’s my choice.” the old stallion said.

Dawn felt like she should have shot him, condemning his own son, then she would have shot Trouble for doing this, the bastard, and then herself for mentioning it. All for what the dead?

“Wah’s your name ol’ fella?” Trouble asked.

“Nick Knack.” the old stallion replied.

Tic Tac was shrinking back, all his other what Dawn guessed was family members were quiet as the grave. No pony objecting. Tic Tac looked at his brothers and sisters in dismay pleading from the eyes for help. But Dawn reckoned to them he was already dead. It reminded Dawn of the town she came from, every pony for themselves except they often had friends to help them take what they want, or who they want, she had no one. The world was fucked up like that.

Her father probably would have played the same card send her to die instead, he was a fucking drunk, she never knew him, except well if you count when he hit her, to shut her up. Or for fun. Or when he offered her as payment when the debt collectors came knocking. Dawn still remembered his name he probably didn’t remember hers. Her mother gave the name to her, she died shortly after giving birth. She was called that by the debt collectors anyway, her father usually just called her bitch, that was still painful too painful to remember.

Dawn didn’t even know her mother’s name. Dawn often wondered was it because her mother died that sent her father that way, but the older she got the more she began to think he was always a bastard. She always had a sensation of guilt every time she even thought about it.

Trouble was still in dialogue with the old stallion “Ya sure ya wanna send him ? Not no one else ah?”

Knick Knack nodded his head, his son began to back away even more, a solitary bead of sweat rolling down his brow. Tic Tac screamed “FUCK YOU!” he went for his sub machine gun that was at his side he got into his mouth when Trouble adjusted his aim, closing one eye as he peered down the sights and squeezed, blowing Tic Tac’s flimsy weapon in two while in Tic Tac’s mouth making him double over and cry out in agony.

His cheeks were gashed open giving him an involuntary elongated smile like Trouble’s except on both sides. Tic Tac crawled backwards his father and siblings staying stoic. Dawn dropped Amigo losing control over her telekinetic power since she was so consumed with what was happening. She panicked. She expected some pony to make a move. Nothing happened so she just holstered Amigo, content. Disgusted.

Tic Tac covered his mouth with his hoof biting down on it, suppressed howls coming through. Trouble loomed over him casting his disfigured face in shadow. Trouble bucked him in the face rendering him unconscious. He still had his revolvers out, one on the band of smaller siblings and one on Knick Knack.

Trouble walked behind the limp form of Tic Tac and bit down on his mane and began to drag him away, grunting through his hairs as he hefted him away from his family and closer toward the grave.

Dawn followed suit taking quick strides to catch up with Trouble and before long the family were nothing more than dots on the horizon and Trouble was still going steady revolvers at the ready.

Trouble dragged and dragged him and Dawn just watched, what else could she do, chunks of hair were missing from Tic Tac’s head pulled out slowly from his long mane.

When finally Trouble let his grip loosen.

Tic Tac was spread out on the ground, it’s been nearly an hour since they left his family with him and he was beginning to come back toreality. Trouble took out some small reel of power cord from his duster and began binding Tic Tac’s hooves together.

Tic Tac shook his head and opened his eyes he tried to flex, when he couldn’t he spasmed in alarm stuck curled up by the power cord. He erupted into a rant.

“I’m alive? Are You Gonna kill me? Who are you anyway? What did I do to deserve this!? My mouth is killing me!”

Tic Tac was raving Trouble replied slowly and seriously.

“Stop asking questions, you’ll live longer.”

“Oh sweet fucking Celestia! I didn’t have this coming! Please my face it burns!” Tic Tac pleaded. Squirming and tossing trying to slip the cord, but all he done was cut himself on it.

Dawn felt sorry for Tic Tac he looked pathetic pleading for his life rolling on the scorched earth. condemned by his father.

“Trouble?” She asked shyly looking at the ground in front of her, the words in her throat being weighed down by an invisible anvil.

Tic Tac was panting, trying to force his way out of the power cord, his eyes were tearing up.

Dawn couldn’t stand it. The guilt to much.

“Let him go.” she demanded. he just ignored her.

Tic Tac ceased moving looking at Dawn a shred of hope in his eyes.

Dawn looked back sympathetically.

“Tic Tac do y’know why you’re in your current pre-fucking-diciment? Trouble said waltzing back and forth gone at his side making small circles with his wrist.

“I-I-I.” he replied stumbling over his words.

“Trouble.” Dawn said trying to grab his attention he just quickened his pacing, she felt her heart in her throat.

“Cuz your father fucked ya, your family fucked ya and most importantly I fucked ya. And do you know why I fucked ya? Cuz ya tried to fuck me! Nobody fucks me without my permission! Nobody! Not even me!”

Tic Tac was sobbing, sand began to slip into his ripped open cheeks, Dawn couldn’t imagine what was going through his head as hoof-fulls of tears mixed into his wound.

“Trouble I mean it!” her threats fell on deaf ears Trouble was circling Tic Tac frightening him.

“Now Tic Tac I’ll ask ya this once who killed who?” Trouble demanded towering over him.

Tic Tac calmed a little accepting it maybe. “Not you...” Tic Tac’s eyes were raw red and nearly all of a sudden the stream of tears ceased, stopped by an epiphany.

Trouble smiled “Then who? Who killed you?” his voice softening for every syllable it lowered a dozen decibels.

Tic Tac swallowed an expression of melancholy took hold on his face.

“My father.”

“Your father what?” Trouble replied.

“My father killed me.” He said in a low tone, it seemed to Dawn he thought he was already dead.

Trouble smiled but Tic Tac spoke not pleading anymore or squirming he just asked a simple favour.

“When I’m dead, kill him.” He rested his head flat on the sand beneath him, waiting for it.

His now was unreadable, either his emotional train had ceased maybe overburdened just resorting to a poker face.

Dawn’s muscles tensed infuriated at how he had to scare him, how he had to tell him how he wasn’t responsible, she snapped. Dawn drew Amigo and jabbed it against Trouble’s temple. Tic Tac didn’t move just blinked he seen his death as inevitable. Then she spoke.

“I’m not letting you kill him! I’m not letting you!” She forced the gun into his temple it was nudging his head slightly. Trouble in response lined his black revolver’s front sights with Tic Tac’s eye.

Trouble’s expression remained the same focused on Tic Tac.

“Me kid? I’m not gonna kill him.”

Tic Tac’s eyebrow shot up quizzical.

Dawn asked slowly “What do you mean?”

“I had to be sure.”

“Sure about what? You’re not making any sense!”

Trouble inched away from Amigo’s barrel and faced Dawn his face muscles lax.

“Sure about him, and sure about you.”

Dawn brought amigo closer towards her but kept it level with his head.

“What are you talking about?” Dawn asked.

Trouble sighed and holstered his revolver, he looked Dawn in the eye and began to speak.

“I’ve been searching for someone, someone very special, to help me find another special someone. I’ve been looking for nearly fifteen years and I need help. I think you’re the means to the end. And him lying there, he isn’t going to die, he never was. Not today at least, he reminds me too much of me.”

Dawn slowly lowered Amigo, Trouble had sincerity in his voice. Something he rarely portrayed, Dawn asked him “You think I’m special?” her voice cracked on the last syllable. Being called that was a first for her.

“First time out here is always rough,” Trouble said looking at the ground then he looked at her. “You rolled a six nd’ a half, found me, found that sprite bot. Your first kill is hard, I remember you terrified in Ever Bright, scared shitless.” Dawn lowered her head in shame remembering how much of a coward she was after accepting his offer, but she still killed for her pay and remembered how good that cash felt in her hooves.

Trouble went on talking “But once you dropped your first, you changed, you unlocked something, the fact of the matter is you’re a killer. A better one than me, in time.”

Dawn was taken back. She always considered Trouble a giant, that could squash her with no effort, what he is saying is he expects her to be groomed into a ferocious mercenary like him.

“You’re special, you had the guts to stay at Marizona Springs with me. You don’t want to kill this fucker, a pony who tried to bush whack us but rather me, the one who has saved your live too many times now all because of how pitiful he is and you see an opportunity to save some pony who you felt was just dealt a shitty hand.”

Dawn’s expression fell.

“Trouble I,”

He spoke over her. “When that trippy shit happened with that fucking harmonica playing pony you came out with a spell that let’s you see things, I’m guessing here, but that makes you worth more than ten Troubles or thirty Night Lights, you have to survive this. You have to help me survive this.”

Dawn was confused “What do you mean?”

Trouble’s face was gloomy like her own she had no idea why, she didn’t know what he was talking about. “Kid, all I can do is make sure you reach the finale in one piece. Then you got to help me, this can’t all just end one way.”

“Your still not making sense finale of what? what’s going to end one way? Dammit Trouble!”

Dawn was slightly scared of him he never spoke like this what had he planned for her?

“Kid I dunno even know whats coming, but when it all falls into place we’ll be there to see it. That’s all I can say for now, I promised nothing bad will happen to you I intend to keep that promise, but first we got to get things in order, we’re going to need help.”

Dawn was flabbergast, not sure what to make of this. But her thoughts went back to Tic Tac who just lay there watching, not looking grateful that Trouble said he was going to spare his life not looking like anything, the unreadable expression stuck.

“Trouble I don’t know what you were trying to say but what about Tic Tac?”

Trouble snapped out of whatever he was thinking about and turned to Tic Tac.

“Kid pass me your MG.” He held out a hoof expecting it, Dawn obliged him and hovered the hefty piece of equipment into his grasp.

“Tic Tac, what about your family?” Trouble asked.

Tic Tac let out a sigh “I don’t have one anymore.”

Dawn felt a pang in her chest, those words struck her hard nearly all at once she had been reminded of her old life she suppressed the feelings, now wasn’t the time to dwell on it.

Trouble unsheathed his knife and got to work on the power cord, after a long 30 seconds it snapped with a loud “Twang”

Tic Tac stretched out his limbs calmly looked up at Trouble and asked. “What now?”

“You go to Phoenix sign up as a guard, tell them Trouble sent ya, with a face like that and a machine gun like this and with those purists on the rise they won’t turn you down.”

He dropped Dawn’s MG at Tic Tac’s hooves.

Tic Tac shifted slightly and lazily slung the MG across his back, his wounded cheeks filled with sand, his cheeks almost glued back together by the adhesive of sand and blood and tears.

“Why?” Tic Tac asked.

“Leave.” Trouble replied he pointed his hoof to the distance and said “That way.”

And with that Tic Tac trotted away but on his way past Dawn felt him slap her on the flank, and a chuckle afterwards, she blushed, he wasn’t the same pony as he was little more than an hour ago, she should know better than anyone Trouble has that effect in ponies.

Trouble was already back on the road walking away and Dawn was glad he didn’t see that. She galloped to catch up with him feeling better about herself.

The Figure rocketed out of his chair sending it crashing against the wall.

he slammed his hooves on the table “What Aren’t You Telling Me!?”

Dawn remained stationary she wasn’t even startled, instead she giggled.

“Hahaha what? You think you scare me?”

The Figure formed a fist tensing up in anger and shook his head.

“Pom!” he punched her in the face, his hoof crashing against her left eye, she recoiled.

The Figure reached behind his back and swung out two large black steel leafed knives and held them in a scissor shape against her throat.

“Don’t fuck with me Miss Black, what did Trouble have planned?”

Dawn hadn’t a notion he disappeared, leaving just her and Night Light before she was taken here. Dawn didn’t mind being given a black eye, she’s had plenty of them and in a dark room like this it made no difference.

“No idea, he jetted off after we entered the facility where you kept all those griffins, got what he was after I guess.” Dawn said not at all interested.

“What was he after!? What did he mean Finale!?” The Figure demanded.

Dawn shrugged her shoulders “I don’t know you’ll have to ask him.”

The Figure swore loudly before finally he gave up got his seat and took his position across from Dawn.

Dawn smiled to herself, the Figure made a minor slip up. “You’re NCR aren’t you?”

The Figure let his shoulders go slack, trying to cool off he spoke through gritted teeth.

“I told you, that it’s none of your business who I work for what makes you think I’m with the NCR?”

Dawn was never happier to catch somepony off guard “I noticed how you didn’t object when I said where you keep all those griffins, Trouble taught me on how to catch ponies out Heh clever isn’t he?”

The Figure lightened his mood slightly Dawn could only base this off his voice.

“Ahhh, so he’s been tutoring you?”

Dawn didn’t answer instead she posed a counter question.

“Shall we continue?”

“Go on.” The Figure said.

The Road lay ahead of them, still no sign of Night Light. The sun was retreating to the west coming out from it’s cover in a mad dash to fall back over the horizon and find some rest, and to send the world spiralling into darkness. The road ahead of them composed of what it was the past hundred miles or so; Barren land, covered in sand and tired old cracked asphalt guiding ponies 200 years after we lost guidance.

There stood Black Dawn and Trouble, walking through this perilous hell towards salvation.

Dawn and Trouble exchanged few words since Tic Tac left their company, Dawn thought about him wondered if he’d make it. Wondered if he’d actually go to Phoenix or just go back to his family. Or murder them.

“Hey kid you ever see an automobile?” Trouble asked out of nowhere.

“Whats an automobile?” Dawn replied.

“Do you know what a train is?” Trouble asked trying to nail down the scope of her knowledge.

“No.” She heard of them but hadn’t the faintest clue as to what one looked like.

“They are basically a way of getting around fast, they can carry any number of ponies depending on how big it is. I have one, sort of, being repaired, It’s got a turret and all.”

Dawn was intrigued by this and wondered why she never heard of them.

“How many of them are there?” she asked

“I think what you meant to say was how common are they, the answer is not very mine is military spec and that cost me a fortune, but luckily there is a guy who patches em up in New Pegas.”

Dawn was interested in what he had to say about it but she had more pressing matters on her mind like once they reach New Pegas then what? they say their goodbyes?

She dropped the current topic and decided to voice her worries.

“What happens after we reach New Pegas?” She was secretly dreading the answer, the past few days were hell but this hell is a lot more interesting from the hell she was escaping.

“What do ya mean?” Trouble replied.

“Well, me and you were partners, right?” Dawn spoke nervously this far she had been relying on Trouble. He was the only reason she was still breathing after all.

“Actually kid, I was hoping to groom you into well, the next Trouble.”

Dawn stopped “What?”

Trouble let out a sigh “I’m getting old, and I don’t have any kids that I know of so,”

“That you know of?” Dawn replied before he got a chance to finish his sentence

“Well there has been plenty of mares over the years maybe one of those flowers bore fruit.”

Dawn cringed slightly, she never really did know what she was: Gay, Straight, Bi she didn’t know, all her life she went wondering she never really cared for anypony, except for maybe one. She remembered one of the early days, one of the bad early days, she closed her eyes tightly like she taught herself to do and suppressed it.

“You okay kid?” Trouble looked at her oddly as her eyes were pressed tightly closed.

Dawn recomposed herself and answered.

“Fine, I’ll take you up on your offer but what is the plan for New Pegas?”

“Well I sorta took over a casino a few years back and,”

“You took over a casino? How?”

Trouble shrugged “Explosives and booze lead to some very interesting results, I woke up the next day with a headache and a casino.”

Dawn had found herself some very interesting company.

“New Pegas should be in sight soon.” Trouble announced.

They were approaching a gradient a large hill, there was lots of randomly scattered hills throughout the wastes that have geographical business being there but just are, this was one of them.

They trudged slowly up it, the hill took up most of the ground in front of them it was just a sudden rise that lead to a plain on the top large impossibly steep mountains either side of them narrowing it. Maybe that plain above them was the original version of this road, maybe they were walking along the belly of a crater.

Once at the summit Dawn seen it, in the distance something she mistook for the sun rising.

A soft glow in the distance beautifully radiating the horizon, a flurry of reds and greens and yellows and blues all highlighting the presence of a glorious civilization.

Dawn could only see above the city, the lights was all she could make out except a large tower or the very tip of it, in the shape of a roulette spinner that loomed over all the city and was adorned with lights of every brilliant colour.

dawn felt her eyes widen at the spectacle that lay before her, in a word magnificent.

Trouble looked at her face, her jaw hanging open, her eyes wide.

“Wait till you actually get there it’s even scarier than it looks.” Scary? It was the most beautiful sight in the world, Salvation.

They were at the middle of the plain stopped with their backs against an old rest stop on the road just outside of it facing the lights of New Pegas, Trouble had donated his sleeping bag to Dawn since it was sort of his fault for her not having her own. She lay there snuggled up inside the sleeping bag taking it all in, just staring at it. The closer they got the better it became. And the more this mystical paradise became a reality. Dawn hardly even blinked transfixed by the city’s beauty.

Trouble was faced away from her, asleep. He shifted over to face her subconsciously in his sleep and as he did an old worn down Biro pen fell from his grip as well as his journal. This was one of the few things that could have broken Dawn’s trance on those ever shifting lights.

She looked towards the diary hovering it over to her gently using the light from the distant city as a reading aid.

The Joke: Laughter is a powerful thing it brings joy it brings fear it can bring any amount of feelings I love it I swear by it if we can’t have a laugh every now and again then what’s the point of continuing in misery.

I use it when killing to scare to intimidate but I use it for fun for friends as well truth be told in this lifetime I’ve been 3 ponies the most recent being Trouble I used to go by other names once.

There was this monk in the mountains not sure which ones though he left for meditation one day left his family left his life behind and disappeared because all the years of his life something was eating at him a notorious question “What is the meaning of life?”

Everyone comes to a different conclusion in the end because every one finds different levels of meaning and understanding in different things but he came to the pan ultimate conclusion the definite article.

30 years into his meditation 30 fucking years alone he woke up from another night of pondering the cave in which he slept had writing all over it all trying to link it up.

When he awoke it finally stroke him what had plagued him what had hijacked his his sentenced on the mountain was served he burst into laughter and he couldn’t stop laughing either and his realisation was “There is no point in.” with a great crack erupted from the sky a thunderous bellow.

As if some divine voice somewhere was saying so you finally get the joke.

That’s why laughter is so important because it’s all really a joke we can all enjoy, that’s what causes my laughter why everything is hysterical from irony to firing a shotgun its all a joke and the ponies that burned the world all those years ago didn’t get the joke…

But Mister Blues he did and he followed it up with one of his finest…

Maybe one day I will get to use his joke and go down in applause.

Dawn finished the log, and put the worn down old book back where it belonged in Trouble’s possession. And not a moment to soon, Trouble started tossing and turning back and forth violently, muttering.

His hooves flailed outwards until he shot up in a cold sweat licking his lips, eyes darting from side to side. He seen his journal and hid it in his duster none the wiser to Dawn’s invasion of it.

His eye twitched and he kept making small circles with his wrist.

“Dawn, EFS Now!”

Dawn was frightened not even the soothing spectrum of lights in the horizon would be able to negate it, Trouble never called her by name. She complied and loaded up her EFS once it lit up Trouble yanked her wrist, peering down at it.

Trouble’s expression dropped from frantic to, Dawn didn’t know what until it struck her Tranquil. She took a look at her own EFS and seen what Trouble must have seen.

Celestia only knows.

RED-BLUE

Flashing all over it, Dawn looked all around her and seen nothing but the lights were moving, she began to panic, she looked to Trouble but all he was doing was looking at the lights of their far away sanctum.

When those lights began to fade.

A blanket of darkness began to dim it, shrouding and obscuring its radiance. But New Pegas wasn’t being extinguished, they were being cut off. A bubble of blackness around them, Trouble broke his silence.

“Kid, it’s been real, now we got to burst our little bubble, we may not make it.”

Dawn looked at him quizzically but she remembered when he acted like this before.

The Harmonica, except this time it was more focused, more surreal.

“Trouble what the fuck is going on?” Dawn was going to fucking hit him, this was weird, a cover of darkness consumed them all around them was blackness, and Trouble exhaled.

Steam rose from his chilled breath, the usual heat of the desert dissipated and all that was left was bone chilling cold.

“Nightmares don’t last forever.” Trouble announced as his eyes stayed locked on where New Pegas was, he calmly clipped his helmet onto his head the blood red visor the only visible light source around them, and it seemed the darkness even obscured that.

Trouble rose up onto his hind legs and as he did a strong wind arose from the darkness causing his Duster to blow wildly. Dawn stared at him in awe, he was in a word fearsome a bold pillar of strength defying death daily.

“Darkness is the absence of Light, now we must cast aside the darkness.” Dawn rose up inspired but fear still gripped her muscles. She tried to levitate out Amigo his golden sheen to guide her, Amigo trembled in her grip and almost faltered about to be carried away by the gust, but Trouble grabbed it and slid it back into it’s holster and said.

“Those weapons won’t save us now, follow me.”

He began to walk off into the plain and Dawn followed. The wind pelting against her face carrying sand and small pebbles in the gust. Trouble joined his two fore hooves together and bowed his head as he walked through the darkness.

Dawn struggled to keep her balance, all around her everything was turning dark even the ground at her hooves, then she remembered.

Her Pip-Buck light.

She bit the knob that controlled her Pip-Buck’s screen brightness and twisted, her immediate surroundings lit up.

The sand at her feet was trembling, her skin felt prickly and all she could see clearly of Trouble was the end of his duster when, he stopped.

Trouble swung back his fore hoof and dragged Dawn to his side, she didn't resist him.

In front of them was a small mare just like Dawn lying on the ground same coloured coat only the eyes and mane were different, but the starkest thing about it was; it lacked a cutie mark.

It’s mane unlike Dawn’s bright gold one was Black and limp her eyes sent chills down Dawn’s back.

Soot Black with no pupils.

And there this small mare lay, on the ground with it’s eyes wide open. Trouble crouched down and embraced it in a hug. The mare’s head resting on his shoulder.

Dawn watched as Trouble remained crouched holding this mare sincerely not moving an inch. When Dawn froze, she couldn’t explain it but her muscles locked up. She stood there rigid, and the voice that spoke to her before that sweet soothing feminine voice spoke once again as it did when she found Trumpet’s statuette.

“I can help you little one, I’ll guide you, as I always have.”

Then suddenly the wind died. The Black Mare’s head turned slowly on Trouble’s shoulder and looked at Dawn blankly. It blinked.

All around her the world faded into darkness Trouble stayed rigid caressing the mare. And the mare stayed looking at her. The voice inside her spoke again.

“Follow the signs, and never forget... Don’t go looking for Trouble, Trouble will find you.”

End of Act1

Thanks everyone, love you all.

Hey guys, uhm. Bad news.

I don’t want to write Respawn anymore. It’s more like I lost the will to go on with it. I just, don’t really see point anymore, in fact I’m not sure there ever was a point. I’ve slowly come to lose interest in it because I just don’t feel it’s up to scratch with the rest of the Fallout Equestria world.

The early chapters of Respawn were poor at best and it did even out to decency but, I can stare at the document but I don’t care for the words on it. Maybe in time I’ll pick it back up, I probably will. I have been feeling to re-write it, maybe from a first person point of view or multiple perspectives. Like it would transition from the first person of say Trouble then back to Dawn etc. I’m trying to write, but, for the effort put in all I seem to get out of it is... nothing note worthy anyway.

I will make good on the promise to edit the earlier chapters, tidy them up and increase the overall quality and standard, but for now, the gears have essentially stopped. I might go work on some other projects, might. The Hero Maker could use some working on it, or maybe a new story all together.

I’ll be back guys, Pistolwhip.