Fallout Equestria: New Beginnings

Charity and I walked through White Rattlers tunnel for what had seemed like a darkened eternity, passed the occasional radroach that tried to harm us, that is, until we exterminated them, Charity was walking two hooves in front of me, leading, after the fight at Filly Correctional, her entire demeanor changed.

"Charity?" I called, "Are you alright with what you did at the correctional facility?"

"Define ‘alright’, Charity looked at me, “I just shot every pony who defiled me over the years whom also welcomed me as family,” Charity surmised halting to a stop.

“But the more I think about it I did what I had to do, they had that coming and to be honest, it was hard to put all those ponies down, even with your help, Thundershot and the other ponies grew on me, It was like shooting and eating my parents all over again, except this time there's relief after the storm. They're gone, giving me freedom, you gave me my freedom, Hazy, I don't think I could ever express how grateful I am for that."

The silence that came was filled with the drip dripping of the water that found it's way down into the tunnels, Charity suprised me with a hug, one that seemed to last forever.

"So why did you want to get out of there so quickly, Charity, What happened back there?”

"Back where?," Charity quizzed, realizing where I mean't, "Something that was uncalled for," Charity looked up in embarrassment.

"Don't tell me, she tried?" I laughed as I took the lead out of the tunnel.

"Yes, she did, When everything was going so well, she tried to seduce me, On the wall," Charity mumbled.

Wow Clover, that’s sneaky. I snickered.

Charity's face grew red enough to glow in the darkness of the tunnel, "Shut up! That isn't funny," Charity shouted.

I stopped immediately, at the sound of beeping electronics, explosions and gunfire interrupting Charity’s ranting, as she bolted around the bend in the tunnel, following suit I caught up to her hiding behind mountains of barrels and garbage.

"Turrets," Charity mumbled shaking her head.

"What? Wait!" I exclaimed as I got closer to see what was going on.

“Fall back” we heard as more shots were fired.

Large metallic machines on the ceiling were shooting at ponies in metallic suits, hitting every target.

"Enclave soldiers."

"En who?" I questioned, confused.

"Shh, Get down," Charity pushed my head down against the pile of rust we were using as cover, coating my nose in the stuff as I tried to breath in.

A smell too familiar to forget, all it needed was the blood, a Pegasus flying by was shot by a turret locked onto him, turning his head into explosion confetti showering me in gore, my eye began to twitch as the memories of Stable Eighty-Nine, Happy, Filly Correctional and the stored memories came flooding my mind, I gasped for air, coughing out rust with each respiration.

Charity grabbed me by the shoulders and pulled me back around the corner, looking into my eyes, my mind was so clouded with emotion that I couldn't think straight as my body was pushed flat against the wall.

"Hazy, I'm sorry." Charity Chortled as she hit me straight in the face with her hoof, I must have gone unconscious because when I came to, Charity was gone.

Charity! I called, but no answer returned, I was alone, numb, cold and in the dark.

Taking the few extra steps to reach the exit of the tunnel I called Charity's name again, but the same, no return, kicking an enclave soldiers body, I searched through it, gathering any weapons and bullets I could, doing the same with the rest.

The dirt path I followed away from the tunnel headed into irradiated forest that had little to no visibility. I could hear my Pipbuck click click clicking away as I kept up my pace.

I couldn't help but look up at the canopy above me, It was so green and bright it reminded me of my Pipbuck light.

" It's peaceful and quiet out here," I marveled, as I kept walking, "a little to quiet," I put in noticing the surrounding fog rolling in, and I could very faintly hear the sound of hoof steps, "Hello, who's there?" I asked, as my voice echoed off into the distance, the last word echoing into the great expanse of thickening fog.

"I'm here," chimed a familiar voice.

"Who," I questioned as water droplets gathered themselves together like a large puzzle, materializing into a shape that I could recognize, It was a pony, clear but distinct in shape.

"Like you were so long ago," He said in a loud booming voice.
"Father is not going to be happy Hazy, how could you just shoot me like that and leave me behind to rot?!" He yelled, stomping a hoof.

"I don't know, I don't remember," I conceded wincing at the sheer volume of this things voice.

"Oh that's right you're the wastelands greatest bad ass bandit, weren't those your words?!" He boomed.

I stammered trembling as I tried to reason with this thing.

"He put a hoof up to silence me, before continuing "Keep telling yourself that little brother and you might just believe it," the pony figure dared puddling back to the ground before disappearing leaving me within the white expanse, feeling a tingling sensation, I decided to get out of here and fast, but which way did we come from, damn it, "This stuff is unnatural." I grumbled in frustration, moving forward through the fog's thickness, each step taking me in the right direction based on the coordinates on my pipbucks map, even though I couldn't physically see where I was going, at least the map was working in such a dangerous area,

I stumbled into a small run down shack that I didn't see it until I was at the door the fog was so thick, the windows were broken and the door was busted open, from when bandits must have raided the place, but it was something, walking inside I closed the door, the entire shack filled with fog, leaving me in a blank white space just like before, but this time even my breathing was being echoed in here, I didn't even bother to say anything, because I already knew what was coming, or rather who.

“Hazy?” called a soft elegant familiar voice.

“Hello, who’s there?” I spoke trying to find the source, quickly turning my head in all directions a faint shadow in the distance caught my eye and I focused on it, as it came closer the shadow took on characteristics of a pony’s shape, coming a bit closer the colors of the ponies features became familiar, Clover Hoof.

“What are you doing out here Clover” I asked shocked to see her.

“Why aren't you asking yourself the same” Clover asked smooth as her smile.

Alright, this makes no sense, Clover told us to head this way hours ago, did she follow us, something is off

"So, what" Clover kissed me on the muzzle and I kissed Clover Hoof back holding her around her neck, feeling something sticking to my hoof as I let go, I saw what it was, blood, It was covering my entire arm that was around her.

The strange feeling I had turned to fear, "Clover you're bleeding" I stuttered.

She just stared at me coldly.

"Who are you really?" I queried, frightened and curious.

"My name isn't known by many who survive me" Clover said giving me a wicked smile.
"And the same goes for you, now that I've got you trapped, I know your true desires," Clover said as she grew dark black limbs and a pitch black horn to levitate me with, she slit her own throat with a rusty knife she fabricated out of thin air, blood sprayed out from her neck splattering all over me, before she cut me open, ripping apart my ribs and tearing out my guts.

"It's time for you to die" Clover said in a demonic voice.

Oh goddesses no, this was not happening, I tried to scream, but this thing just wasn't letting me produce any vocal sound.

"Your screaming will do you no good here little pony," Clover continued, as the white scenery turned to rust encrusted metal and darkness that made all kinds of crashing sounds as it changed, "You desire death and death to all who surround you, so be it."

"No, I don't," I said screaming, only to have it come out as a faded whisper.

"Oh?," Clover said twisting the grip she had on my internal origins before releasing them to hang outside me.

“I know your deepest desires, don’t you dare tell me I’m wrong.”

"You desire to kill and destroy what is left of this world," Clover claimed throwing me to the ground with such force that I slid.

"What, I have no desire to do that," I stormed to her, guns ready as the metal beneath my hooves creaked and swayed.

Don’t lie to me, I can see right through you!

"What are you saying, If i haven’t yet, that I will?" I questioned, giving her the answer she was looking for.

Clover's smiled grew even more wickedly, I should have just stuck my hoof in my mouth right then and there.

"Damn it, No!" I commanded shooting into this fake Clover.

"Yes, You you get it now don't you, go on then, I want to hear you say it," Clover said blocking the bullets with one hoof.

"No!" I yelled trying not to let into the lies.

"Then you will be trapped here forever," Clover darkened the scenery.

“I won't say it,” I repeated.

"Say it or die," Clover taunted, levitating me high above the ground again, readying her knife she let go, Clover was going to slice me in half, but as she was Clover faded with the fog.

I wasn't waking up, no not this time, this wasn't a dream, everything became clear.

Was it, gone?

The darkness night sky made way to the sun coming over the horizon.

It was time to get moving, on my way out I saw a familiar scarf laying on the planks of the shack, I picked it up wrapping it around my neck, It was Charity's, and if the same thing that came after me came after her, I could see how she managed to leave it behind.

Climbing the steep hill I escaped the cold and wet mud of the swamp, at the same time I stumbled upon what appeared to be an abandoned base of some sort, My Pipbuck was telling me that this was Enclave Pegasus Air Base five, I opened the door to the base’s Main Building, the building itself was intact and seemed safe, excluding the few frayed wires that were hanging down from the ceiling, the hall of the building I entered emptied into a large room containing office cubicles lined around a support beam holding up the building, illuminated by the dust covered windows on the far wall, Checking three terminals out of many in the cubicles, I noticed the pattern that all of them said, 'Welcome to Enclave Pegasus Air Base V'. Under that were more details about the base itself, even a map that I drew up for future reference.

Using the map, I was able to locate the locked door leading to the Main building's head office.

"locked, surprise" of course I wasn't really surprised, I pulled out my pistol shooting the keyhole to the locked door, opening it, I was surprised that even worked, pushing the door a bit more I trotted inside.

Posters hung up on the wall, one portraying 'The Shadowbolts, best fliers in equestria,' And another with an Enclave soldier standing over a pile of zebras and ponies heroically. 'The war needs you', behind the desk, lay an entire ponies skeleton in ratty old red rags.

Remembering how fruitful it was searching other dead ponies bodies, I went through this dead pony's belongings, pulling out two memory orbs and a key that had a skull with fangs at one end, I closed the door, sticking the key into my barding, before I layed down to the two memory orbs I just found.

I prepared myself before touching my horn to the orb to be dragged into another memory.

OoOoOoOoOoO

The building was in was bustling with Pegasi, one passing another in the offices of the Air base when the door closed.

"Are you listening soldier?" the pony before me queried.

"Huh, What?" I stuttered refocusing, fidgeting in my seat.

"That's what I thought," She groaned.

The name on the plaque in front of me was, Frozen Dart.
"We need more ponies like you agent” Frozen Dart said hesitating to finish her sentence.

“I told you before, my name isn't important, but I know what is, to you anyway," I explained feeling the fear that this pony was going through as the sweat was beading on the back of my hosts neck.

"Well, It's good to know where your priorities are, but come on you must give me a name, something to call you on our business negotiations," Frozen Dart insisted walking around her desk to stare at her office posters.

"You've been supplying me for some time now and I still haven't gotten a name out of you," Frozen Dart said poking her desk.

"Ugh fine, call me Courier," My host said laying a hoof to his face.

"That's not much of a name," Frozen Dart chuckled pointing to me.

"To bad, that's all I'm giving you," I pulled.

"Well, I suppose it will have to do," Frozen Dart answered.

The door opened to a operative soldier, "Sir He is here."

"So 'He' managed to do it," Frozen Dart queried widening her eyes.

"I assume so sir, otherwise he wouldn't have come back, like you ordered, sir," the operative soldier choked between breaths.

"Very Good," Frozen Dart said sitting in her chair, please, bring him in, Frozen Dart smiled rolling her hoof in the air.

“Yes sir”, the operative soldier saluted her out of respect before walking out to bring in a more stern black stallion wearing a Pipbuck.

Frozen Dart looked him over from her desk, only to get up and pace around him making sure he wasn't going to try any tricks.

"No one remembers and you're sure you weren't followed, Hijack" Frozen Dart asked, curious as to what the answer might be.

“Yes sir, and no I wasn't followed I made sure of that,” Hijack responded .

“Frozen Dart, what is the meaning of this!?” I raged furious, as I shot up out of my seat.

“Sit down 'Courier ' and shut up, or I will shoot you,” Frozen Dart ordered annoyed, readying her pistol.

I sat back down, glaring at the black stallion that just came waltzing into Frozen Dart’s office, my attention drawn to his barding, wait a second his barding.

"So what is my next task?" Hijack queried.

"Sir this is an escapee from stable two, what are you doing with him" I shouted as my host’s stomach flip flopped, knowing he has just stepped out of line.

"Shut up Courier!" Frozen Dart hissed ready to strangle, just to keep me quiet.

"No I can't, This is, this pony has to be sent back to his stable," I said growling.

Frozen Dart simply gave a nod in my direction.

Shooting out of my seat once more, I was surprised by a soldier that stunned me with a smack from the butt of their gun making me fall to the floor blurred and dizzy.

Frozen Dart dragged my body behind her desk before sitting down to refocus her attention towards her black coated guest.

"Sorry about that, where were we?" Frozen Dart asked kindly.

"Our next task," Hijack reminded Frozen Dart.

"Right."

I took out a memory orb without either of them noticing me, that or they didn't care.

"I need you to earn the trust of a secret society located in Tenpony tower," Frozen Dart said leaning on her hooves.

" Simple enough, Hijack claimed," trying to stand still.

"Simple?, ” Frozen Dart shook her head.
“You apparently don't know anything about them then, these ponies are very secretive and elusive, they will make sure you don't find them."

"My job is to find out how to make them come out of hiding and earn enough of their trust to become one of them, is that it then?" Hijack insisted.

"Yes," Frozen Dart smiled

"Okay, then what?" Hijack asked patiently.

"You will decide that when the time comes, but for now that is your task," Frozen Dart stated calmly.

"And what about him?" Hijack quizzed Frozen Dart.

"Don't worry, I will take care of him, your secret isn’t going to get out, It’s safe with me, Hijack," Frozen Dart insisted.

"Thank you, sir" Hijack replied.

"Your welcome, now be on your way,” Frozen Dart coaxed, pushing Hijack out the door closing it adjust.

“Now where was I?” Frozen Dart menaced around her desk once more to throw her gaze at me on the floor, My body was shaking from fear, the cold stare I was getting from her was something to bear witness to.

"I'm going to tell you what's going to happen after he gains the Twilight society's trust and becomes one of them, He is going to take position as head of your society, rising a rebellion to make everything fall, and the best part is, your society will never suspect one of your own to do such a thing."

"But he can't, they would stop him," I choked trying to catch my breath through Frozen Dart’s hoof hold.

"Oh but you're wrong there, you don't know my clever friend, he know's how to be very clever pony," Frozen Dart said whispering into my ear, pulling out her pistol to shoot me, she shot me in the neck and both back legs, leaving me in my tomb.

I was bleeding out in pain.

" I have only one chance at this, Courier said through grit teeth, If anyone comes to find this, please help us, help us all," With a soft glow of his horn he touched the memory orb he crawled to before everything faded to black.

OoOoOoOoOoO

I got up from my trance, gathering the memory orbs and taking the red cloak from Courier. I put it on, placing the memory orbs into the my barding.

"Don't worry, I will carry out your last wishes you have my word." I smiled at Courier’s bones.

The door slowly creaked opened to a pony cloaked in purple robes as I held out the new gun I picked up at the door.

"Who are you and what are you doing here, I asked quickly as I could, keeping my aim on this pony.

“Whoa! Packing some heat there?” questioned the new arrival.

“Yeah and if you don't want to see any of it I suggest you start talking,” I assured ready to shoot.

“Well, If you're going to put it that way,” He turned to leave.

My gun left a welt mark on the door jam.

"Okay, fine," he turned back to face me.
"I came to find you," you insidious prick.

"Find me for what?" I asked with great caution.

As far as I know Hijack could have sent this pony, but the question in turn would be, why?

I lowered my gun.

Who are you? I questioned.

"I cannot share my name with you it must remain a secret for now, until we meet again at Ten-pony tower," this pony moved closer to me inside the room, " and I see you found the one who betrayed us, Courier was a foolish pony to disobey our orders to stay in secret, anything you find on him I suggest you ignore it for your own safety,“ he explained walking out the door.

"Wait," I said apologetically.

"What is it?"

"This isn't the real reason why your here is it?"

"Yes you're right, I did come to look for you my little pony, but I did not expect to find you alive, but here you are alive and, well, surviving.

“Do you know what they particularly had in mind?”

“To find you to aid us in a mission we can't complete on our own, our greatest secret has traveled further west than we expected, captured in fact, and we need your help to find it and set it free."

"Why me.

"You, because we feel that you are the only one who can save us from our new coming threat of darkness, we can feel a new war upon us, and if too many of us leave Tenpony tower, it will be unprotected making it vulnerable to attack, DJ-Pony has been missing for the past week and the last time we heard from her was right before our secret traveled to far west, so please, we need your help."

“A rescue mission, this is going to be fun”

"What's in this for me?" I questioned hoping for something more.

"Access to Tenpony tower out in Manehattan, that's all I can give you for now, meet me at Tenpony tower when this is done, and I'm sorry I have to do this but I was instructed to keep myself unseen.

“I'm activating all the robot's in the air base to destroy themselves so you better hurry up and get out while you can, there is no telling if they actually do so based on their wiring, it can falter at times." He clattered a device towards me that had the words Stealth Buck One written on it.

I didn't say a word, as I activated the stealth buck and moved through the building as fast as I could remain undetected.

The robots were shooting at each other and crushing themselves into the walls decimating themselves before exploding but I was making good progress, the building began to collapse.

Come on! I have to get out of here!

The doors busted open as my body slamed against them, it collapsed a split second after I hit the ground outside, landing right in the middle of a robot battle royal, one robot was at the other cutting pieces off.

I made it off the air base just as my stealthbuck wore off landing me fairly close to my destination.

I could smell the fire through the brush and muck, as I worked my way through, signs of radiated water were around my hooves, and my pipbuck was tick-clicking as a reminder that we shouldn’t be in the water for too long
up the bank we came to the village Clover had talked about, it was worked up the trunk of a large magical tree, and even through the large canape.

“This must be the place,” I whispered, as I noticed the Elevators that were moving up and down on the vines that were growing on the tree.

Walking into the village the ponies and zebras hid, backing away, looking at me like I was some sort of freak, hoping onto an elevator I went up the vine drawn elevator as it swung in the breeze.

Reaching the Zebra community at the top was an amazing sight, the entire canopy of the tree held up boards fastened to the large limbs allowing the Zebras to be secluded high above the world below.

The vine drawn elevator was anchored down allowing me to set hoof into the town, but as we did, the zebras themselves seemed frightened by my presence.

“Does anypony here know where Clew and Klide's shack is?” I asked all the staring eyes hoping for an answer, all of them just pointed at a house that had a windmill at the top and brews hanging down from the roof around it.

"Thank you", I spoke moving towards the pony who could help solve most of my problems.

I opened the door to a pony mumbling some brew he was making, in the cauldron.

"Hello?" I called softly.

He kept on mumbling.

Hello? I spoke again watching this pony walk around the cauldron to me.

"Shh, don't talk," He said grabbing my muzzle before going back to the cauldron mumbling to the brew he was working on. drawing books from a bookshelf in his home he flipped through the text to find what he needed.

"Sir, are you Clew or Klide?" I asked, questioning if this was the right place.

"Shh," he said, dropping everything "He, is listening."

"That didn't exactly answer my question sir, who is listening?" I told him confused.

"Klide," he whispered in a creepy voice.

I walked backwards out the door at the creepiness of his voice

"Ah new visitors."Klide said settling down.

What the fuck?, I just became disturbed at what I saw take place.

"We don't get many new faces around here due to the fact that we are five hundred kilometers up in a tree, that I made up a magical brew to enhance its growth and size, quite fascinating if I say so myself" Klide said drinking from a teacup he pulled out of his barding.

“So what can I do for you, young mare?” Klide questioned stuffing the cup back into his barding.

I didn't realize my mouth dropped to the floor, until I went to pick it up, Did this stallion call me young? Well he has no idea, and let's keep it that way.

"I was sent by Clover Hoof to see you," I said, still trying to fathom how this pony functioned.

"Ah yes, yes, It has been some time since I have spoken to Clover, How is she?" Klide asked, taking another sip from the cup he pulled back out of his barding.

"She's great," I smiled, Young, pretty, and always trying to get another mares, something moved that caught the corner of my eye, It rolled over, tearing the covers off, her.
Charity! I yelled leaping for her in happy glee.

"hm, you saying that tells me that nothing much has changed down there, she didn't by chance try to," the expression on my face gave it away, "Oh, she did, didn't she?" Klide said laughing and shaking his head over to the bookshelf, "Hey, you gotta be careful with her, she's one of the few ponies that came back from the Arctic North while the Great War was going on, nopony knows how she did it, but she escaped with just her looks and seductive nature, As for your friend over there I'd have to guess she has some great power herself," Klide added, swirling his hoof at her, you two were meant to meet each other.

Wait, this wasn't Charity.

"hm, yes, Xepher brought her up here from the ground below, she almost made it here on her own, and so she rested up here and left this morning.

"Could you kindly put me down before I snap your neck," Xepher warned me as I let go, my thoughts went back to Charity.

Charity, why are you doing this?

"Well, thanks for being so informative,I really need to get going now."

"Wait, don't you want to know more about your cutie mark?" Klide called, catching my attention.

Yes what do you know about it? I stormed back to him.

Well, it's safe to say I haven't seen a time turner quite some time, the last pony I'd seen with a cutie mark like that was a crazed doctor living out in New Pegasus.

"Okay thanks," I sighed walking out.

The next pony who tried to tell me anything about myself is going to, my thoughts were cut short as I bumped into a rusty red pony wearing a desperado hat, battle saddle, "whoa. Howdy there partner, the name's Calamity and this is my partner Velvet Remedy," he spoke helping me off the ground.

"I didn't think anyone from Glyph Mark or Zebra Town survived the enclave attack on canterlot, Velvet Remedy said to Calamity.

"Calamity, Velvet Remedy, is that you?" Xepher rang coming out of Clew and Klide's hut to see what was going on.

"Xepher, what are you doing here?" Velvet questioned.

Xepher, took in a deep breath, deep enough for an extended conversation.
"They found this tree, in the midst of the swamp that surrounds us below, using our knowledge of potion making we were able to make it grow quickly in size, making it quite a nice place to plant our roots,"

Do you know this pony, Xepher glanced at me.

"Uh, actually we just met her" Calamity put in.

Come, I can tell we need to speak, Xepher noted leading all of us into a back ally one roomed home, stopping me.

"Not you" Xepher sassed closing the door in my face.

I couldn't hear a word they were saying in there, even with my ear to the door, well, now is a good time as any, I pulled the other memory orb I had out of my barding, sat down and readied myself.

OoOoOoOoOoO

My environment was a deep grey, all around, the floor, the ceiling, the walls, even the piping was grey, but hey you know what they say, grey is the new color spectrum.

“Day in day out they might say,” my host sighed working on a pony’s new mechanical limbs.
“But the next time I have to give another pony a new arm or leg just because they cut it off with a mister gutsy saw blade, I'm taking it to their forehead, unlike myself who was actually attacked by a malfunctioned robot within the stable,” my host mumbled working away on his patient.

"Blake!" Called some pony who came through the lab door.

"Hm?" I replied with a angry look, Oh great, it's my brother, Michael, Ugh, he probably wants another tune up.

"I called your name like five times already you know,” Michael stated lifting his hoof.

“No, I didn't know, I was to deep in thought with my work,” Blake barked at Michael as he was trying to concentrate.

"Oh come on, you know that will only go as far as you can put hoof on that stable door." Michael taunted hiss brother sticking his hoof in the air pretending to touch something before smirking.

“Your point being, what do you want.” Blake suggested.

"For you to stop every once in awhile and come hang out with me," Michael complained, crossing his hooves, away from his brother, It's not like we have that much more time to hang out if your going to go through with your plan,"

"I suppose you're right, Michael, I will be right out of the lab, just let me finish up with this patient." Blake said giving another sigh and a face hoof out of exhaustion.

“Fine, but I won't be waiting for long,” Michael coaxed his brother as he walked himself out of the lab.

"Likewise," Blake whispered, with the last few turns of a screwdriver and installation of mechanical fluids.

The patent's mechanical parts emitted a powered up glow.

"I don't expect you to just jump off this table and be able to stand, so try it here just in case I have to make any adjustments to your new limbs," Blake spoke to his patient waking up.

Sitting up the pony moved her new mechanical leg back and forth letting it cinch that mechanical sound whenever it moved.

“Thank you” she said, gratefully before hopping off the table and moved towards the door.

“Yeah, get out of here before I make it worse,” Blake joked around in a dark tone.

"Blake!?" Michael called.

"I said give me a minute!" Blake yelled back, quickly turning off the lights before walking out the swinging doors of the lab, Michael was on the other side waiting on an old wood bench with his head turned toward me.

"There you are I thought you were never going to finish in there," Michael complained.

"Well, I'm sorry Michael, I needed to see if I any adjustments needed to be made on that patient, I can't leave them if they can't walk after I replace their body parts with wires and mechanical parts,”Blake said explaining.

"You've helped out more ponies in the mechanical clinic than you've hung out with me," Michael claimed in frustration, now let's go do something, Michael nagged getting up to pull on Blake's hoof.

"Like what?" Blake questioned curious .

"Oh, I have a few ideas,” Michael said.

“Like watch the fights in the battle arena!?" Michael sputtered with excitement.

"What, Michael, you know how I feel about that, especially since the arena is underneath the stables unsound structure." Blake said cold and slow.

"So, it's just one tunnel leading into the caves, It's not like it's going to collapse or anything,”Michael said sweeping what appeared to be old dust off his stable barding.

"Look, this stable was built on a sand pit the cave walls are not sound as it is, of course I'm worried that it's going to collapse!," Blake said shaking his head and sighing, I mean look at this, do you see that crack in the wall, that is bad, Blake pointed out to Michael.

"You know what, forget I said anything about it, go," Michael said crossing hooves in front of Blake.

"Forget it, no, because I know you're going to go down there regardless of what I say, You just pushed the guilt of the situation into my hooves at this point I can't forget you said anything." Blake yelled hoping to get through to Michael.

"Gotcha," Michael smirked.

"Damn it Michael," Blake cried.

"Fine I will go, but only because I don't want this hanging over my head." Blake said pointing a hoof at him.

Blake was led down the corridors of stable one hundred one to a set of stairs that Michael crawled under, entering the hole dug into the concrete Michael and Blake used the rope that was tied to the stairs into the darkness below.

The tunnel itself wasn't very long but it was pitch dark, making it seem like the tunnel went on for an eternity.
Blake and Michael saw the shadows of ponies dancing on the wall of the cave from lit torches, as they made it clear of the tight tunnel, touching the floor of the cave we walked over to take our seats in the stands of the underground arena.

The cave was large, sandy orange and the walls of the cave were smooth and wet, carved by time.

The pit was before us, two ponies enter, one pony comes out victorious, the announcer was in the center of the pit, using his magic he project his voice louder than he normally could, Scree!

"Alright since our last match there have been some complications with the winner coming back to show us all a grand old time, So we will just point and pick ponies from the crowd to fight in the ringer, Alight, you," The announcer pointed to my brother, Michael.

"Hey,' Michael bumped me with his shoulder, "At least now you'll know why they call me Duel Dagger" Michael smiled pulling out two daggers as he walked down to the arena.

" And you," He pointed to Terrible Luck, also known as 'Shit Luck because he doesn't have any luck whatsoever and which is why he was mostly cyber pony, he got the front of hatred when things went wrong while working in the mechanics unit.

"Both of you get your asses down here, the announcer yelled."

Duel Dagger was always a bit of a show off, no matter how subtle he tried to be about it, he almost kills his opponent every time.

Both of them met in the middle with the announcer between them, I fine tuned Terrible Luck's Cyber parts myself, though, so I know who is going to win this.

"Fight!" The announcer moved back to a barred area in the side of the arena and closed the door, The two of them began to spar. One side of the arena's stands was chanting,

“Shit Less Luck” while the other was chanting,

“Dual blades” over and over.

Watching the first few seconds of the fight, I decided to go get some rest back in the stable, touching the rope I felt the sudden rumble of a cave in.,dust rained down from the ceiling.

“Michael!” I turned calling out, but it was too late. the cave's ceiling collapsed sealing him away, crushed beneath the rock and rubble

"If only, If only I had stayed a bit longer I would be dead with him " I cried, I could barely climb the rope as I climbed crawling back into the safety of the stable, to the safety of my room, out of that dangerous death trap, the fathomable fact that my brother was gone, unreachable, untouchable, crushed beneath the rocks, crushed my heart and made me numb, not even knowing what caused the collapse wouldn't change the fact that my brother was dead, I lay in my bed awake until the heaviness of my eyes overtook me.

It's all a bad dream.

The next morning, my body shot upright from the sound of the morning loudspeaker telling everyone it was time to wake up.

"Good morning stable one hundred one, today is going to be a delightful day within the stable, oxygen levels as well as our water is a little higher than usual but that is nothing to worry about, have a nice day." The loudspeaker cut out, probably due to how old it was.

The halls of the stable were empty, in the residential part of the stable I noticed the stable population was a little thin, foals were crying as well as small fillies wanting their parents, It was real, it was all real, how could I have let this happen to them, the falling ceiling replayed in my host's eye.

"I can't stay here any longer, I have to leave, there is no way I can prepare myself for what is out there, but I also can't stay in here with this guilt either, it's too much."

pulling the stable door switch, the door began to grind screech and squeal open, revealing a dark and chilling wind that carried hoof steps in from the darkness the door opened up to.

"Hello? Who's there?" Blake queried.

"Your Worst nightmare” called a pony covered in tattered red robes.

"What, hey your," Blake shouted, stopped by a small box that lit up in a red flash.

OoOoOoOoOoO

The memory ended, as the door in front of me was opened, Xepher nodded me inside.

"So, my question to you, young one, why are you here," Xepher questioned ready to fight.

"I was sent here to learn more about my cutie mark," I suggested, observing where Velvet and Calamity were.

"and is that all, or is there something else at stake here?" Xepher insisted, noting my every move.

"The Twilight Society asked me to find one of their greatest secrets out here that has been captured, and set it free."

Velvet put a hoof over her mouth, crying into Calamity's chest.

"There, there Velvet," Calamity comforted allowing her to press deeper into his chest.

"Spike," Calamity spoke in a stern voice.

I cannot say for certain, but as it stands, somepony is playing the puppeteer, it's just a matter of time before we know who it is. Xepher stated staring into the candle's flame that sat on the rooms table.

Is there anything we can do, Calamity asked Xepher.

Yes, help her on her mission Xepher responded.

"Are you ready for this," Calamity questioned me.

"Ready for what, what am I getting myself into," I queried fast.

"That Twilight Society secret, is a Full grown dragon," Calamity explained slowly.

I gasped, dying twice over.

"What the hell do they need a dragon for," I yelled, switching between the three of them, falling backwards in my attempt to back out the door.

The black outs, was this one of them?

"Just stop you won't succeed."

"The world's a disaster already don't you see that"

"Everyone is just going to kill each other, join them in the fun"

"No, it's alright Hazy"

What? I whispered

"Get up" a hoof extended over my body waiting for me to grab it.

"What is this place," I questioned the little filly in front of me.

"That doesn't matter here, I wanted to grow big and strong remember, just like you are now" huh, this grey filly seemed so familiar.

Those blue eyes, that purple and pink streak, that cute fun filled smile. Now I remember, this was before the end.

"Come with me, I need to show you something," she levitated herself with magic, selecting a good area, she filled the air with bright pink magic that showed not a map of the Wasteland, but of Equestria as it once was before the war, before anything started.

Do you see that right there, that house in the valley, that is where we used to hang out with daddy, do you remember Hazy?

I just shook my head no, I was being honest.

"Oh, that's alright, just remember to visit there, it's important, but not as important as friends, do you have any friends Hazy? the grey filly questioned with glee."

"I had one," I stuttered in sadness.

"Aw, what went wrong?"

"I don't know, she knocked me unconscious and ran off."

"Well what are you doing you need to go find her."

"I can't, she's gone forever," I whispered sitting on my haunches.

"Nopony is gone forever, you just need to look under your muzzle."

"Thanks for the optimism but, hey, what's going on?" My vision came to when I woke up in Xepher's bed, being taken care of by Velvet remedy.

You really need to be more careful with yourself, Velvet spoke wiping my forehead with a cool wet cloth.

Yeah, was all I could manage, looking through my coordinates log, finding it, the coordinates to my fillyhood home.

Here I come pappy, I'm coming home.