Days Past And A Time Lost

After turning in a circle a couple times, our host sat down on one of the full body pillows in the Library.

"So, I suppose you have questions little one." He looks me right in the eyes and smiles with an ironic wolfish grin.

"And quite a few, I can bet. How about we start with introductions, yes? I admit I am quite curious about you and your friends."

This being my first chance to get a close look at his... Normal form. I realized he didn't look a day older than twenty. Quite tall for a pony his age. Seemingly laid back, but speaks and walks with the knowledge and wisdom of an old Apple Ranger Scribe.

After a moment Royal simply shrugged and I start nod my head in agreement, before pausing, thinking of what he said.

"Wait, friends? How did you know there were more of us?"

"Ahh, guess I forgot. The cat's out of the bag, then. I admit I've been watching you and your friends the last two days. There's you two, and the other two. The Pegasus and the unicorn with the large black bundle."  He waves his hoof (or is it still considered a paw?) to motion an etcetera meaning.

"But that's in the past, this is now. My name is Delilah."

"As you noticed I'm not exactly... Well, normal. You seem well read enough to be getting a few ideas in your head, there. But looking at  your feathery friend's stupid-looking face." Again motioning with his hoof. This time at my friend. And without skipping a beat stood up and contined speaking. "I'll give you the extremely abridged edition. I have what some would call a curse called Lycanthropy."

Royal rolls onto his back. Looking at the two ponies with in innocent  upside down, grin.

"Light-Can-Ropey? Is that some kind of fetish?"

Delilah gives me an odd look,

"He's a bit of a Naffin, isn't he?"

I snicker, taking a glance at the Pegasus. Whom is still curled in the blankets, only now with a scrunched face, the indecisive look if whether to be insulted or not plastered across his face.

"Royal? Calling him a Naffin is being generous."

"But to answer that, no. Lycanthropy means he is what the ponies of old called a Werewolf."

As he realizes this, the look of confusion is wiped off his face. Only to be replaced with a large grin.

"Like. A pony that turns into a giant wolf when the moon is full? Cool!"

Royal then made it his highest priority to thoroughly examine Delilah like a tinker would an old PonCo Robot.

With a slightly worried look Delilah uses his magic to separate Royal from his forehoof.

I failed horribly to hold back my chuckle.

"Uhh, sure. That will have to do for now. Anyway, Charlemane. Why did you choose to drop in on this Mountain Hermit? Quite literally, indeed." He chuckles in self amusement. And turns back to me.

"And depending on how honest you are with me I might just help you find your way."

"Sounds fair to me. But it's also a long story. Maybe as long as yours." I sit down on one of the large body pillows. "We came to these mountains to find what is left of Princess Luna's school to either find books on- or find barriers that contain magical radiation from the incident. You see, back about three years ago a mare came out of a Stable by the name of Littlepip. and in less than three months managed to pave the road to activate a device that brought life back to equestria."

"The problem this brings is for the Ghouls like Ditzy Doo. The writer of the wasteland guide from getting radiation to help keep the lucid Ghouls healthy and... lucid. This means having to travel to the lands further from Equestria and surrounding lands like Cattlerado and Caledonia.

Delilah seemed quite understanding of our quest. Watching me in content while I explained.

"And the importance of this knowledge brings you to the mountain range for what purpose?"

"Well this is where me and my three friends come in. We want to magically re-enchant stables to keep radiation in. This along with overloading the backup generators to leak will make what I like to call, "ghoul saunas". Both keeping them alive, giving scientists more time to find ways to slow down or stop the feral process entirely. All while keeping it contained from the New Wasteland."

"And this reformed wasteland. With what I'll assume has hundreds. If not, multiple thousand ponies that inhabit it sends only four ponies for something this important?"

I find myself rubbing the back of my head with my hoof.

"No. We were doing this ourselves to be... Uh, how do I put this? "Accepted into society?" I lower my hoof.

Royal interjects: "You see, we're outcasts."

I turn and lift my light armor cloak over my cutie mark. Around my mark of a Scalpel, Surgical Scissors and a Bonesaw: A large Butterfly, burned into my hide. With a Crescent Moon sitting inside across my mark.

Delilah quickly stood with a sense of urgency

He trots over and looks at my mark beginning to mumble to himself, "This is like those Dashite marks, But your cutie mark isn't completely burned away. In fact, it goes... around it?"

Looking to my eyes my host firmly puts a hoof on my shoulder.

"Who did this to you?!" The concern in his voice obvious.

"I did. When I left the Enclave. Shortly after I saw their true colors after The Falling."

For the first time since I met him Delilah showed confusion and maybe... Horror in the look he gave me upon hearing my response. not even needing to ask the question I explain; "Even above the cloud barriers there is one thing the Enclave cannot change or prevent."

Reaching into my nearby Saddlebags I pull a magically enchanted necklace with an emblem of a star next to a storm cloud. A Rainbow over both. And slide it to him.

"Genetics. Before the Zebra threat, or the Balefire bombs. Ponies weren't nearly as racist as now when it comes to... reproduction. what might have been a couple dozen half Pegasi after the bombs dropped. Hundreds of years later, half the Pegasi population in Equestria has mixed blood in their genes."

"Me and my sister are living examples that the Enclave wastes nothing. They assigned "Half Bloods" like us to medical and science facilities. and we lived above the clouds with these enchanted amulets made by the Magic and Awesome Ministries."

Taken aback by the revelation. The pony in front of me seemed to ponder his next question as if it was his last.

"Wow, he muttered. So the four of you are ex Enclave? How did you get down here? And what do the brands mean?"

Feeling cramped, I stretch out on the large pillow. "We were deployed in the Class B Airship Carrier  The Dweller was captured on and escaped mere days after my Commanding Officer Harling saw what the Grand Enclave superiors were doing to Wasteland ponies. he gathered me from the Medbay and my sister from the Science Wing. And then I got Royal and Storm together on the ship, and together we found about thirty others who wanted to get away from the real Enclave and into the Wastes."

"Somehow Harling managed to get a few Vertibirds and an official order for a "procurement mission" to locate an Enclave Scout that deserted and recover a weapon Prototype She stole that sounded like some kind of... Electrical Cannon to me... Well, let's just say those Vertibirds had an unfortunate 'accident'. but we never found the deserter, we were actually hoping to recruit her."

"But what about the Branding. And what about the other ponies that left with you?" He prodded. "I want the whole story!"

"Okay, okay. Hold your hay. The rest of us simply live in a large Stable complex we found and rebuilt near the Cattlerodan border. I'd tell you more about the stable itself but It would break my confidentiality orders."

Delilah nods, "okay, can you tell me about the brand, and why you put it on yourself?"

"Sure I can. After we found our Stable and Cleared the place of Roaches we wanted to set up a failsafe government. We chose to found a Constitutional Republic with Branches. These seven branches that each manage a Pillar of the Society we built with the nearby locals and co-inhabitants of the Stable. Each branch is named and it's goals based after the elements of harmony. And the Lunar branch that manages military supply and training, with two representatives in each of the seven to keep those branches true to their original purpose with checks and balances.

Everyone in the vault chooses the branch they want to be in when they come of age. And if they pass initiation and choose to stay in the Branch they take Med-X and numbing medication before they brand the insignia on themselves. It seems so... Traditional and Civilized until the actual procedure, doesn't it?"

"Back on subject, I'm the Medical Branch Officer and second Branch Representative, and Royal here is the first Lunar Branch Representative."

--Then I quickly add "Oh, yeah. And I promise. We aren't run like the Ministries."

Looking back to Delilah I wasn't sure what to think. He had a blank look on his face. My worry was sated when he smirked as I finished my drawn out explanation of the year I joined the real world. And the home we made for ourselves.

"I have to say you've colored me impressed. I believe you. But if I could ask one more question. Why are you so forthcoming with so many details?"

"That's easy to answer" I replied. "Not only would I be a frozen chunk of meat without your help. But we believe that the best chance of our group reuniting with equine kind in the wasteland is honesty, kindness, generosity, happiness, loyalty, friendship, and  most importantly. Sacrifice."

I sigh, (quite the mouthful, eh? - oh shaddup brain)

"So yeah, that's pretty much everything I'm allowed to tell ya, friend."

At this point Royal fell asleep while watching the two talking long ago. Before being interrupted from his nap by Delilah as he stood up and curved his ears behind him.

"Sounds like my story will have a few more listeners."

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"Your friends. I hear them opening the Blast Door. Now the question is how do we greet them. And how many of them will try to touch my books? I swear if they damage even one I will throw them outside to freeze in the snow--"