Inside of a collapsing building, Ace, Dusty, and Lilly where setting up camp. Lilly had started a fire to make soup for all of them, and Dusty was looking around the building. Dusty was no longer skinny, and dying of malnutrition he was also wearing the small suit that Ace had woken up with. Looking around Ace was looking out of the windows of the building to make sure that all of them where safe.

"Hey Lilly, the food almost done?" Dusty asked as he bounced up and down in excitement.

"Almost Dusty, don't worry." She replied in a soft tone. "Why don't you go and make sure Ace needs some help?"

"Okay!" Dusty ran to Ace and followed him as he patrolled the building. "Hey big bro, see anything?"

Ace looked at Dusty and smiled at him. Ace had met Dusty and Lilly a few weeks ago when he had helped a town get rid of their raider problem, Dusty was orphaned by the raiders, or more accurately, the mayor and her husband. Petal Candy, and Ground Earth where two ponies that where out for themselves, they pretended to provide protection to their town with taxes, they made lots of enemies like that, Dusty's parents didn't pay the taxes, so they where killed. Ace had found out about it and managed to get the raiders out of that area, but at the cost of Lilly's parents, he was forced to kill them, so he now travels with Dusty, and Lilly.

"No I didn't see anything yet little bro." He patted Dusty on the head.

"Okay, boys come here, food's ready." Lilly called to them.

"Come on, let's go eat." Ace said as he and Dusty went to Lilly to eat. The smell emanating from the pot was an amazing smell, potatoes smothered in what would seem to be carrot mush.

"Wow, it smells so good!" Dusty said as he waited for his food.

"Here you go." Lilly grabbed a bowl from her bag, poured some of the soup into it, and handed it to Dusty.

"Thank you!"

"You're welcome." Lilly got a bowl of it and handed it to Ace.

"Thanks." Ace said with a smile at the fresh food.

"Now dig in everypony." Lilly said. Ace, and Dusty started eating the soup, the flavor of potatoes and carrots filling their mouths. Sounds of eating filled the small building.

"So Dusty, did you find anything?" Ace asked.

"Yeah, I found you some ammo for King, some for Queen, and I also found some food and water to take along with us." Dusty replied with his mouth full.

"That's cool, but what about any armor for you and Lilly?"

"Well I did find some armor, but none small enough for me." Dusty said with a sad tone.

"I could modify the armor to fit you." Lilly said after she finished her food.

"Really, you'd do that for me?"

"Of course I would, then all of us could be protected."

"Okay, i'll give you the armor I found later." Dusty smiled and finished his food. "So good."

"It really was, thanks Lilly." Ace finished his food. "It's pretty late, why don't you two go to bed, and i'll keep watch."

"Okay, thank you Ace." Lilly said as she put out the fire. "Come on Dusty, off to bed."

"Okay Lilly." Dusty said as he went to his bedroll.

"Goodnight, Ace." Lilly said as she gave him a kiss on the cheek, and then went to bed herself.

"Goodnight, Lilly, Dusty." Ace said softly as blood rushed to his cheeks from the kiss he got from Lilly. 'Why did she kiss me?' He thought to himself.

It was around midnight a pony was walking out in the wastes with a rifle strapped to his back. His sea blue coat shinning in the moonlight, an eye patch to cover his right eye. He looked around and noticed a small collapsing building that would offer shelter for the night. 'That place might work.' He thought as he walked towards the building, unaware that there where already ponies inside of it.

Ace kept watch and he then heard a twig snap from outside, thinking quickly Ace took out Queen and aimed it outside. 'Damn, it's too dark to see anything.' He thought to himself, though he kept his rifle pointed outside. Another twig cracked in the darkness and Ace aimed at the sound.

BANG

Ace had fired at it allowing him to briefly see what had made the sound, it was a pony crouching down, so the bullet had missed, but it also allowed the pony outside to see Ace's position, so he ducked under the windowsill. Another twig crack, but it was farther away, which made Ace think that the pony was fleeing. A minute later and a gunshot was heard, whizzing overhead making Ace panic.

"Ace, what's wrong?" Lilly asked as she walked towards him, her head visible from the window.

"Get down!" Ace yelled as he tackled her to the ground and a round was fired off where Lilly's head was. "That was close, you oka-" He cut himself off as he looked down at Lilly, as he was pinning her down to the ground, a huge blush spread across his face.

"A-a little bit t-too early for something like this, d-don't you think Ace?" She asked, her face as red as the spikes of Ace's mane. "W-while I do a-appreciate y-you t-trying to make a move, w-we haven't k-known each other long enough yet."

"I-I, umm, w-well you see the-" Ace was cut off from another gunshot through the window. "That, there's a pony trying to kill me."

"Oh my, well i'll go wake up Dusty, and we'll sneak out of the building while you deal with it."

"Right." Ace rolled off of Lilly, allowing her to crawl away to go get Dusty. "Good luck."

"Don't worry, we'll be fine, it's you I worry about, but." Lilly pulled Ace into a hug. "be safe, okay?"

"I will." Ace hugged back. "Now go!" Ace said as he let her go.

Outside the pony that was shooting to try to kill Ace was lying in wait.

'Hmm, did I get him?' He thought as he stood up to go into the building. The pony started walking towards the building noticing that it had gone silent. 'Maybe I did get him.' He got inside and looked around for Ace's body.

'Okay, he's inside.' Ace thought to himself as he laid down in the shadows, waiting for the chance to strike at the pony who had just entered the building.

Ace was able to hear hoofsteps getting closer to where he was, and when it had finally stopped, the pony was standing right in front of him, Ace bolted up quickly to try to grab the pony but had just missed. The pony turned to where he heard Ace and shot, again the attack just missing. A quick swing and Ace was holding onto the pony's neck with King pointed at his head. With magic the pony used his rifle to smack away his attacker, landing a pretty solid blow to his side.

Staggering backwards letting go of the pony Ace regained his composure at the new information of the pony he was fighting being a unicorn, it made the fight very uneven against him. Another swift blow with the stock, it then landed to the side of Ace's head, making his vision blurry, and his steps spastic. Ace not waiting a second swung at the pony but had missed due to his blurred vision.

The unicorn seeing he had crippled the pony he was fighting raised his rifle high and got ready to swing it down on Ace's head. A quick and precise blow landed on the top of the head of the pony, causing him to collapse to the floor barely conscious. Ace was at the complete mercy of the pony who had overpowered him with magic and a rifle stock.

"Any last wishes?" The unicorn asked as he stood over Ace, who now had blood dripping down his head.

"Y-yeah, I do." Ace replied as he slowly started to reach for King. "I want to know, who are you?"

"I am Long Shot." The unicorn replied. "But why would you want to know my name if I am going to kill you?"

"Simply because, I know i'm going to live through this." Ace said with a smirk on his face. Long shot looked confused, but Ace soon pointed his gun and shot at Long Shot's leg, making him wince in pain and fall to the ground, the pain causing him to lose his magic grip on the rifle, and he dropped it onto the ground. Ace slowly got back up with a grunt at the pain he was in, and he slowly walked to one of the windows and signaled Lilly and Dusty to come out from where they had hid, and to get back in the building.

"So, why'd you try to kill me?" Ace asked Long Shot as Lilly bandaged up him head, the fire re-lit as to be able to see what was going on.

"It's because you tried to kill me first." Long Shot had lashed out, but they had tied him to a pillar along with ting his horn. "I mean seriously, wasn't that obvious, I walk towards this building, then I get shot at, I thought you where a raider!"

"I thought that too, so that's why I fired into the dark, I had to protect these two here." Ace pointed at Dusty and Lilly.

"Oh, I get it, just protecting the misses and your son." Ace and Lilly blushed deeply after he said that.

"S-she's not my wife, and he's not my kid!" Ace protested. "I just promised somepony i'd watch over Lilly."

"Big bro!" Dusty had called as he ran to Ace's side. "Look big bro, Lilly made the armor smaller for me to wear."

Ace smiled at Dusty and patted his head. "That's neat, now try not to yell, my head hurts, so it needs to be pretty quiet, okay?"

"Okay, big bro." Dusty gave Ace a hug and ran off to the other room.

"You're protecting your brother?" Long Shot asked.

"Well, yes i'm watching him, bu-"

"I see, you know maybe you're not so bad after all." Long Shot had cut off Ace before he could finish saying what he wanted to. "Listen, I don't normally believe in second chances, but i'm willing to try this time."

"Wait, does that mean?" Ace started.

"Yeah, i'm going to travel with you, and help you protect your brother, and your marefriend."

"Hey thanks alo-" Ace had finally realized what Long Shot had said and then blushed once more. We are not a couple."

The sun had risen making it safe for the small group to travel once more, Ace had gotten a concussion in the fight, and Long Shot was walking with a limp, down a dirt road.

"How's the leg?" Ace had asked Long Shot.

"It still hurts, but it's better, thanks for patching me up and allowing me to join you guys." Long shot had replied.

"It was no problem, Ace is trusting you, and wants to give you another chance, so I know you'll be a nice guy." Lilly had said while walking next to Dusty.

"Yeah, and since big bro's such a nice pony, he would obviously know a nice pony when he sees one." Dusty said.

"These guys really like you Ace." Long shot had looked at Lilly, and Dusty, but then went back to looking at Ace. "Why's that?"

"I helped Lilly's town with a raider problem, and I avenged Dusty's parents." Ace replied.

"Wait, so you and Dusty are orphans?"

"Him, yes, me, i'm not sure." Ace replied confusing Long Shot.

"Wait, but aren't you two brothers?"

"Not technically, you see Ace had adopted Dusty as his little brother after he took out the raiders." Lilly said.

"Oh, well that makes sense I guess, and what about you Lilly, why are you here and not in your town?"

"My parents made a lot of enemies, and since the raider where gone they knew their enemies would try to kill them, so they ran off, sending Ace back to town to get me." She replied. "So now I travel with Ace in hopes of catching up to my parents."

"Oh, hey Ace, that true?"

"Yup, every word of it." Ace said, he walked a bit faster as to hide his face from the other three, Ace was sad, he knew the real truth about Lilly's parents, and it made him even sadder knowing that he'd have to stay with her until the day he died.

"Well that's nice of you." Long Shot gave a half smile.

"Come on, let's go." Ace said.

Ace was walking down a path with his three as a small band of four, down a dirt path. On the side of the path there is a unicorn laying down taking a nap, to the group of ponies it looked like she was hurt.

"Look big bro." Dusty said as he pointed to the mare.

"She's probably hurt." Ace said as he walked over to her. "Lilly bring over the med kit."

"Right, Ace." Lilly walked over and stood by the mare.

"Okay, now let's see." Ace placed his hoof on the mare's forehead near her horn. "She feels alright."

"And look, she's breathing." Long Shot pointed out.

"Right, hmm, wait Long Shot, try to see if you can use your magic to see if she's hurt?"

"Hello!" The mare on the ground said, causing Ace and Lilly to jump back.

"Whoa!" Ace said in surprise.

"You're awake!" Lilly said.

"Hiya!" Dusty said.

"Give me the word." Long Shot pointed his rifle at the mare on the ground.

"AH!" The mare stood up and took a look at Long Shot's rifle. "Custom paint job, modified to sound like thunder, it's awesome!"

"Umm, thanks?" Long Shot said in confusion.

"Excuse me, miss?" Ace asked.

"Name's Tinkerton." The mare replied. She had a dark brown coat and an even darker brown mane, her cutie mark was of a gear.

"Well, i'm Ace." Ace said. "This is Lilly and Dusty." He pointed to them. "And finally Long Shot."

"Cool names."

"So Tinkerton, why where you on the side of the road?"

"I was taking a nap, and then I heard ponies speaking, so I woke up."

"Do, you have a group?"

"Nope, but I do have a lot of friends." Tinkerton smiled brightly. "Raiders, townsponies, and many others!"

"Raiders!" Long Shot yelled in anger. "That means you're one too!"

"No, i'm not a raider, I just have them as friends."

"And, how do you make friends with them?" Ace asked.

"I give them everything I have when they ask!"

"Wait, you let them rob you?"

"No, I just give them stuff when they ask, cause that's what friends do."

"Do you know how to use a gun?"

"Yes, I even have a specially made gun, just for me, by me." Tinkerton took out a rifle that looked like a bunch of trash put together.

"That's some gun." Ace said as he looked at it thinking it was just trash.

"Yeah, I know, it's so cool."

"Do you have anywhere to go?" Lilly asked.

"Nope, i'm all by myself." Tinketon replied with a big smile.

"Listen Tiinkerton, why don't you come with us?" Ace asked.

"Okay!"

"That was fast." Long Shot said.

"I agreed cause you guys are my friends, and now we're traveling together!" Tinkerton bounced around giddy.

"Okay, looks like our little group has another addition." Ace smiled. "Come on, let's keep going."

They all nodded and started walking down the path again. Lilly was talking with Tinkerton about past events before they met. Dusty was talking to Long Shot about Ace. Ace was leading the group down the road, paying close attention to the surroundings. A new beginning for two new ponies, and new friends for the other three.

"Subject Delta Five Oh was in this building." Seven Three Two said as he looked around the building Ace was in not too long ago.

"Is there any confirmation?" The command pony asked.

"Evidence of a fire, and sleep." Seven Three Two walked from room to room. "There are also bullet holes and a couple casings."

"Maybe a fight?"

"Maybe, but i'm not sure, I was sure i'd find him this time."

"Do not be discouraged, you'll find him soon enough."

"Thanks for the words of encouragement."

"Hang on, i've got to go, i'm about to be wired." The voice on the comm went silent.

"Well, seems like we're being hacked, I should move." Seven Three Two left the building and walked down a dirt path, leading in the opposite direction of Ace and his friends.

Author's Note

New friends, and a threat that's tracking Ace down. Who are the ponies hunting Ace, and why do they want him? All will be answered as the story progresses.