Fallout: Equestria - Last Legacy

Chapter Three: The New Wasteland

"Daylight."

The Wasteland.

As I looked out upon the vastness before me, I was reminded of Tranquility, where I often wondered what it could feel like to venture further than the town borders... if there were any dreams awaiting me in those mountains, or beyond. It was a thought heavily discouraged by the townsfolk. Nopony ever left town, so nopony talked about leaving, so nopony thought about it, so nopony did it, and so on and so forth. There were a lot of things that the townsfolk discouraged that I never understood; rules, regulations, restrictions that never really quite added up. But if there was one thing I did understand in that moment, as the sun peaked brilliantly over the horizon behind the endless waning hills, it was this.

I could do anything. Be anything. Pick a direction and keep running. There were no limits now, no borders to hold me back.

And just like that, the world became alive. Tragic and frightening, yes. But alive. And fighting. And hopeful. And for the first time in my life, I felt something stirring deep within me. A calling. A voice behind my thoughts, a power behind my will. At last, I had something to fight for. Because for once... I was free. Truly. Completely. The only thing that could stop me now were the holes kicking up dust from the ground around me.

So I fled. Ran faster than I'd ever run before. Each great galloping stride brought me farther and farther away from the bombardment of death and into the open arms of the world. Little did I know I was in for a rude awakening.

**  **  **

The hills got rougher. The grass turned to stubble on the land, reduced to nothing more than weeds. And as the sun took its position high in the sky, I eventually lost the urge to run off into nowhere. A few of the guards had tried to give chase before I outran them entirely, and now I found myself completely alone. The land stretched out before me yet again, and this time, I didn't feel so alive. All around me was a topography I'd never been acquainted with.

Rocks. Rocks everywhere. The hills became stony cliffsides that sloped and twisted all around me, the entire panorama a series of crevices and indents. Suddenly, all at once, I realized that I may have jumped out of a frying pan. Maybe I should have thought this through.

I started thinking about Hornstead. My nerves bundled up when I remembered Ukulele. Her face as she stood there, smiling.

Something moved behind me. It skittered quickly, little feet tickling the road, but I turned and saw nothing. Another noise to my left, on the other side of a few large rocks. Pebbles shifting. Something was trying to get around me. Maybe a small animal. Or a foal. Maybe I wasn't the only one out here!

I jumped on the boulder, gazing down to what I had expected to be something resembling a pony, when I was greeted by another sight entirely. Below me, staring up with beady, bulging eyes, was a creature that looked like something between a rabbit and a small dog. Its fur had fused to its skin, the underlying muscle now clearly visible through its transparent outer layers. Before I knew what was happening, it leaped at me, gnawing rabidly with an overgrown pair of front teeth. However, its anatomy betrayed it, and the stubby claws on its scampering feet were too dull to make it up the steep side of the rock.

Backing away to hop down and run, I spotted more closing in from the surrounding rocky terrain. The one currently biting wildly in my direction was attracting them with the ruckus. In a blur, I heard the mutated creature's foot pads finally catch on the rock, and I faced it in horror as it climbed up near me. There was almost something peaceful in its eyes when it finally got up, as if eating me alive were some great triumph. Sadly, my hoof had other plans. With a swift kick, it bounced back with a meaty thud against a neighboring boulder, so hard that I heard a muted snap before it squealed and writhed. Its front legs kicked every which way, trying to drag its back half away as it stopped biting altogether. It was suffering. It was helpless. And it knew it.

That's all it took for me to change my mind. It no longer mattered to me what it would have done. I had turned its life into agony. And for what? Trying to nibble me? Its teeth weren't even that sharp! At most it would have been an inconvenience... but now, the creature lay there and whimpered as its head jerked every which way, trying to find an escape route, and all I could do was watch as the others of its kind surrounded me. Watch as blood came pouring out of its mouth. As its front legs gave out and it fell limply to the ground. It twitched and let out a long breath.

My cheeks began to burn.

The other deformities became more aggressive now, more desperate, as a member of their kin died. They erupted into a chorus of shrieks as they all struggled to push up to the front of the group. Little yammering jaws snapped at me as they climbed atop one another.

"Stop!" I yelled, "Please! I don't want to hurt you!"

But they didn't. Again and again they scratched and climbed, searching for a foothold to get an advantage. My circle of safety grew smaller and smaller as they made a steady progress to reaching me. Finally, one of them grasped the rock and pulled up into a kill-jump, when a hole appeared in its neck, flinging it a yard to my left and knocking off its head like a piñata. I looked toward the source of the sharp crack that corresponded with the hole.

f

A mare. Standing alone. A metal, cylindrical object floated at her side, smoking from the tip. So those were what made the holes. She flipped it expertly, bearing a wicked smirk as she pointed it again. I ducked, trying my best to cover myself as another one of the creatures fell dead. The others scattered after the third went down, rapidly burrowing into the earth. The mare kept the cylinder pointed towards me, her unicorn magic holding it incredibly still. Suddenly, a stallion approached from behind her.

"Who are ye?" he called.

I peaked up from the cover of my hooves, pretending to —

"Don't pretend like you can't hear me! Three seconds ta answer!"

"Um... Everdawn! My name's Everdawn!" I blurted.

"Don't care for yer name! What's yer business?" I was having a hard time answering as I saw the mare's young (and more than likely reckless) age. One wrong tug of her magic could kill me. "Speak!"

"I'm lost!" I answered. "Do you know where I could find somewhere to get my bearings?"

The stallion said something to the side of the young mare, causing her to drop the weapon. Again, he looked up to me. "You come 'ere nice and slow now! No sudden movements!" Apprehensively, I plopped down from the boulder, now just as wary of attack from ahead as below. As I made my way over to the duo, their faces became much more clear. Each bore a scar across their left eye, in the same strange pattern. "Town's just down the road and over that there hill. If you so much as think about makin' trouble, we'll be on you like rads on ghouls." Ghouls. Huh. Another word added to the list of vocabulary I needed to know.

"I'll... take your word for it."

"Get a move on," the stallion said without so much as a glance back at me. Sure enough, a sign lay a small distance up the road, advertising the words, "Welcome too Singe, home of the Star Cap!" and then under it, "No scavengers aloud!" By now my legs were feeling the wear and tear of the previous day. My eyes too. Pretty much everything, actually. Bruises hidden by my thickly padded leathers ached and burned as I walked on, and the constant pull of my clothes didn't help.

Two years later, when the path finally met the town threshold, I was reminded deeply of home. It was small. Remote. Quiet. When you've lived in a place like that all your life, you just know another one like it when you see it. To be honest, it was a welcome break from the size of Hornstead... not counting the added measure of not having to avoid hole-shaped death.

Trotting through what I presumed to be the center, I was graced with the sight of a bronze statue that poured out muddy brown water, erected in the name of some stallion named Brighter Star, the "Undesputed King of Bottlecap Collecting." Okay then. My ears perked up at the sound of commotion from a nearby storefront. An older mare told a younger stallion (with very adult words) that he would be missing certain exterior organs if he ever showed his face inside her store again. He cried out to give him another chance, and was met with a door slamming shut in his face. I watched him hang his head and plod down the street.

Against whatever common sense I possessed, I entered the store and immediately heard conversation. She was speaking to somepony. As I stood there to listen, I was suddenly greeted with a threat that I deduced was for the stallion I'd seen. Peaking around the corner of a bookshelf, I spotted the older mare, who seemed relieved that I wasn't him. Her shop was an interesting one, to say the least. After all my time in Tranquility, not much had ever changed in the way of the town buildings' interior designs. It was considered an oddity that my parents and I would often rearrange furniture to suit the need for a new look. So when I looked inside the shop and caught a glance at everything, I couldn't help but be caught off guard. The various tables and shelves that lined the store held hundreds—neigh, thousands—of trinkets. Medallions, pendants, necklaces, bracelets, tiaras. And that was just the jewelry side of the shop. The other side hosted any number of strange items. Feathered beads and little fur-and-bone ornaments. I felt like I could dance around a cauldron and chant. To the left of the store, a wooden staircase led up to a walkway that held primarily books, in stacks by the dozens. This was a... collector's shop of some kind. It was amazing. For a moment I stopped focusing on the task at hoof just to gawk at the sheer volume of the sight.

The mare sighed, letting her shoulders fall a little. "How can I help you, Miss?" I stepped into view, and she inspected me. She saw my hesitation. "I'm guessin' you saw what happened. Well, don't worry. I don't bite, unless yer that cap-hoarding scoundrel. I swear, that colt wouldn't know how to tell the truth if it jumped up and gelded 'im. Well... I guess I'm bein' a tad bit harsh, but..." She snapped back to reality. "Whaddya want, anyway?"

"I was just hoping to ask for some —"

"Ask."

"Directions." I approached her, standing in front of her desk. A dull metal rectangle pinned on her shirt read 'Marmalade'. "I'm looking for a town called Tranquility Mane." She gave a buggy look. "It's in the mountains. Forests. About 80 ponies. There's a lake. Do you know where I could find it?" She rubbed her chin.

"Only place I know that sounds anythin' like that is Brigmound. Up by the Delamare. But the folks there ain't exactly lookin' to make friends, especially with shoobies like yourself. They got their own problems."

"Brigmound?!" A sudden thought appeared. Did I get sent back in time? Maybe this was the future. I sure hoped it wasn't.

"And there ain't a lake there no more. Dried up ages ago."

My jaw dropped. "What?" Definitely not the past. "When did that happen?"

"Almost a... decade now! Whew, time flies," she muttered, then noticed my face. "Well, whatcha expect? With the water shortage an' all, ponies had ta conserve. Those poor folk up in the mountains probably ain't never fairin' much better'n we are, so how could ya blame 'em?"

This had to be a joke! This couldn't be real! The ponies of my town couldn't be in that bad of condition, so deprived of resources, as to take away the one thing we all loved so much. The lake was the source of activity for the town. It was the swimming hole, it was a host for our beloved seaweed delicacy, it was the place where the little fillies and colts skipped rocks! It was what made our home livable! How on earth could we ever let something like this happen? How would the mayor ever have allowed it?

"I have to get there right away," I said to her. "It's urgent. Do you have a map?"

"Sure do..." She held one out to me, but snatched it away when my hoof reached out. "... if you've got the caps for it."

I deadpanned, but then felt a sort of familiarity with the word, like I'd heard it before. "Caps?" It must have something to do with the Brighter Star statue. No... it had a larger implication. The poor ponies I had seen as Lily and I walked through Hornstead were begging for them. But I still didn't know what they were. A sort of food, maybe?

"Okay, you're a tourist, but I know ya ain't stupid."

"What if I am?"

She glared at me. "You're not. Why don't you come back when you have somethin' to bargain with? Otherwise, it ain't none of my concern where you gotta go." I sighed, and trudged out. She waited until I had almost left the store to add, "But off the record, I'd be happy ta give that flank o' yers a spin for a lot less."

I exited the shop a lot faster than a pony who hadn't just heard that, and soon enough my mind wandered to its newest objective. First, I needed to get a map, but in order to do that, I had to find these 'caps' everypony seemed to like, and if I wanted those, I had to... shucks, I don't know, ask for them? Or I could just go find somepony who would give me a map for free. There were enough ponies in this town that I was sure Marmalade wasn't the only one who could give me something useful.

Easier said, especially with how exhausting this day had already been.

After a half-hour of scouring the streets, all I got were wayward looks and the silent treatment. What in Tranquili—er, the Wasteland was wrong with these ponies? Did they not trust me? Well, why not? Couldn't they see my bright, hopeful grin? Was my deflated, berated spirit really that obvious? Another stallion leaned away from me upon seeing my fake smile, which brought me to a small vendor across the road. Strewn across the table were a few jars of colored powder, along with some plants I didn't recognize. However, one thing was missing from the stand—the vendor himself. Oh, no, there he was. Curled up in a bawling heap behind the counter.

My immediate instincts told me to keep walking, to escape the newfound awkwardness of the situation and find somepony else before my patience was tested thin. I was just looking for a map. Not a grown, sobbing stallion.

"Um... hello?"

He perked up, staring wide-eyed at me. "Oh hmm? Sorry... H-How may I help you?" His hoof wiped a stray tear.

"I was just looking to buy a map. I don't suppose you... I dunno, have one?" He shook his head. "Maybe you could give me a few 'caps' then?"

He glared daggers at me. "Lady, do I look like a stallion with caps to spare?" I took a step back. "I'm sorry. I just... you don't know the day I've had." Oh really, I don't know? "I'm dead broke. Again."

Broke? Wait. Currency! Caps were currency! The more you know!

"You were the stallion Marmalade was... speaking to." He nodded. Ugh! More introductions!

"Yeah? What's it to you?" But he sure had an attitude, didn't he?

"I need to buy a map from her, and I can't seem to find anypony in town willing to give me the time of day. Is there any chance you could talk to her for me? I've had a pretty long day myself, and it would mean a lot."

He scoffed. Then snorted. Then guffawed. "I think you'd have better luck getting something out of One-Cap Jack."

"Then point me in the right direction and I'll be out of your hair."

He repeated the bundle of expressions. "You can't be serious. Do you even know who he is?"

"Do I need to?" I didn't have time for this! I was tired and desperate and alone, and this stallion was just giving me more questions to ask!

His eyebrows almost disappeared into his mane. "Do you need to? Well, shucks, just as much as you'd need an antidote for radscorpion poisoning. One-Cap Jack practically owns this town. He's in charge of all the income, and believe me when I say that he's a cap-pinching bastard. He sends his goons out to collect monthly payments from us, and if you don't have any, you better make your stay in town a quick one."

"Sounds like a butt-munch," I said bluntly, earning a squint and a scrunched nose.

"Um... sure. But if you think you can actually get something out of him, you're welcome to be my guest."

"I'm not leaving until I have a map. Now either you have something for me or you don't. Either you talk to Marmalade or you don't. Either you show me where this... 'One-Cap Jack' is, or you don't. But I'd like it if you picked one of the three soon so that I don't have to regret losing my patience."

Was that a threat?

He seemed taken aback, but quickly recovered. "So long as you send me a postcard from whatever harmony-forsaken place he sends you to."

Maybe I should reconsider. If I was going to have to run errands, it would take time away from getting back, and if the ponies back home were really doing as badly as Marmalade had said, it was time I didn't have. Maybe try and get a map from the next town? Not when I could take a little more time to think it over. Mom and Dad could wait just a little longer, couldn't they?

Would they? If they were in my horseshoes? Would they wait?

"Take me to him."

It was enough. The stallion got up, stretching his legs a little. "I hope you know what you're getting yourself into."

I didn't. But did I really need to tell him that?

The walk wasn't long, anyway. In fact, I was surprised. Considering the distance I'd had to put between myself and Hornstead, this wasn't much more than a short stroll. Right down the road from town square was a small walking path that lead to a little wooden building. The stallion—named Basil—called it a chapel. He said it was used way back when when ponies would worship the Princesses. Funny, why didn't we have one in Tranquility? Mom and Dad used to tell me stories about the Princesses, about how they were always watching over us, even though they were in some faraway land. It would have been smart to have a place where we could learn about them... not that I would have gone or anything.

But this building didn't look like it still served its purpose. The windows had been boarded up, and the wood was old and decaying.

Basil stopped in front of the doors. "He's right inside." I took a cautious step toward the entrance, placing an ear up against the wood. "You sure about this? I don't want to see another body outside the town borders."

I never replied. "I don't hear anything."

It was like the last word of the sentence was the trigger for the knife to come through the wood. It missed my ear by half an inch. This prompted a scream, which was accompanied by laughter inside the chapel. I backed away from the entrance as a stallion opened the door. He was by far the most raggedy out of those I had seen in the past day, and now I was starting to get a feel of why Basil may have been afraid of him. Though absolutely filthy and harboring the most intense smell out of anypony I'd met, he was also scarred, burned, bruised, and downright malicious looking.

"O-One-Cap Jack!" my little voice piped, "I'd like to have a word with you!" The stallion's wicked grin turned into sincere confusion before giving way to cackling snorts. "What? What's so funny?"

Basil was the one to speak up. "Wrong one, Everdawn." He pointed me to the head of the chapel, where a strange-looking pony reclined on a couch, surrounded by a cloud of pink, arid smoke. His ears were long and dangly, almost hanging off the sides of his head at odd angles. The stallion in front of me was just an associate? An evil henchpony of some sort, if I had to guess. He stood aside to allow my passage, figuring that a mare must not be much to handle.

I watched Basil's face transform from expressionless to concerned just before the doors closed behind me.

"Boss'll see you now," the stallion said, glaring at me.

The (I don't want to say "pony") at the head of the chapel watched my approach with a calm gaze. He puffed out another cloud of pink, letting it stream from the sides of his mouth. His muzzle was longer, and his face was looser, leading the entirety of his features to turn into a frown. His head bore a strange resemblance to an egg, and once I got closer I noticed that he was, indeed, bald. The entirety of his features seemed to direct into a frown.

"M-Mr. Jack?"

"Just tell me what you want before I put one through your head." That didn't sound good.

"Everdawn. My name is Everdawn. I'm looking for a way home."

His goons laughed. "'A way home,' she says. Getting lost in the Wasteland? You retarded or something?"

"I-I just need a map, or a couple of caps," I told him firmly... sort of.

"Don't got any." He was lying. Even an idiot like me could tell. "Now scram."

I looked around, unsure of what to do with this behavior. A bar sat on the right side of the chapel, and rounded tables hosted a number of different ponies who sat smoking and drinking. The dim lights in the room illuminated them in a sinister glow. All eyes turned towards me, menacingly.

I stepped forward. "I just need your help! I've been looking everywhere and —"

"You are retarded! When I tell you to get lost, slut, you get the fuck lost!" he threatened. "Do you have any idea how many ponies I gotta deal with? Twelve! But that's eleven too many, 'cause the only mule I should have to worry about... is me!" Slut?! He didn't even know me! Why would he say something like that? What kind of a stuck-up jackass...? Did all mules look and act like this one?

I stared at him for a long moment. Would they have given up on me?

"No."

That didn't make him happy. "What did you say to me?" He looked around, meeting the gazes of several ponies in the room who went wide-eyed to their leader. "I'm sorry, but you're in my house, bitch! You're standing under my roof, and these are my rules, and you get the fuck out when I say you do! In fact," he pulled out a metal cylinder, "I'm gonna give you to the count of three to get that stupid ass out that door!" He held it in his mouth, rasping the word 'one'. I knew what the holes did. He was threatening to kill me. Put one through your head.

But then I realized it. When I was a filly, my parents always had the hardest time getting me to bed. I'd wave my toys around like weapons, and in the end, before my temper got out of control, they'd simply take the toys and sit down with me, sweeping me up in a great big hug. Now, granted, I wasn't about to hug this... mule... but if he was going to act like a child, why not deal with him like a child? I wouldn't have to use violence. Just take the hole-maker, sit down with him, and talk nicely, one-on-one. Simple. All I'd have to do was make it up there before he said three... or end up like Preacher.

The steps walking toward him were quickened as he readjusted to aim at me. "Twur!"

I hopped up near him as he aimed again, gaining a killer look in his eyes at the clear target in front of him. All I had to do was take the gun. I reached out my mouth, biting down to grab the barrel of the tubular device, when I heard a horrid sound. Well, two. One was a crunch accompanied by a wretched pain in my mouth that literally stunned me. The other was a squeak that left a picture of shock on Jack's once-smug face. I immediately let go and staggered backwards. I'd bitten harder than I thought.

As I looked over to where he was staring in horror, I met his eyes, and he almost seemed to guide me to the cylinder that was now completely bent and crushed halfway down the barrel. I felt a bit of liquid ooze out of my mouth as my tongue licked over the reforming curves of my shattered teeth. Looking down, I saw white bits on the floor, surrounded by mucous. It didn't even hurt—probably a delayed reaction that was due in the next couple of minutes. The look on his face now told me that he wasn't so focused on killing me as he was trying to get away. He backed up, dropping his smoke-filled pipe as I carefully advanced. The others in the room seemed equally surprised as they watched the scene unfold.

Upon closer inspection, the throne he maneuvered around was covered in a number of stains and rusty needles. And... was that a pair of dentures? I shook my head. At least I could have something to replace my destroyed teeth with... goddess-dammit.

"Lithen, I don't want to thtay here long. Pleathe, can we jutht talk?" I attempted with my recently destroyed teeth. If I was going to feel the brunt of it later I might as well make progress while I still could.

He backed away further. "You just bit my fucking gun! Who does that?!"

Then, another voice sounded throughout the chapel. "Chipper, get the hell off the altar." Everything went silent, and I stopped to turn around.

A lone figure stood in the doorway. Gruff, stout, is beard hung down to his knees, swaying back and forth as he walked towards me. I'd never seen so much facial hair on someone in all my life. He wore a ragged fisherpony's hat that practically dangled on top of his head, as if the slightest breeze might carry it away. It gave his face ample shade in the already-darkened building. As he drew nearer, it suddenly dawned on me. This was the real One-Cap Jack. 'Chipper' was apparently just a regular old jackass. (Pun intended.)

"Mithter Jack?"

"In the flesh," he said tiredly, walking straight past me and sitting down on the throne chair. "What did you do, Chipper?"

The mule came over. "She's fuckin' crazy, Jack! Bit my gun in tw—"

"You better siddown before I use this hoof to turn you into a pony-shaped lollipop!" he shouted, prompting the donkey to take a seat at the makeshift bar. Jack looked at the bent gun on the floor. "Damn thing hasn't even worked in years, you idiot!" A couple of Chipper's friends laughed and patted his back as he joined them on the bar stools. The old pony turned back around. "Never seen somepony actually bite a gun. What are those, aug'd teeth or somethin'? Nevermind, don't answer. What do you want? Why'd you want to see me?"

So that's what the hole-makers were called. "Pleathe," I said. "I'm jutht looking for home."

The answer surprised him. There was a pregnant pause from the room as he finally sat back. "Well damn. Where's that?" It sounded odd hearing an old pony curse. I had to fight back a smile, despite the recent tension.

"That's what I needed to know."

"Well, ain't no place in the Wasteland called Home. In fact, Home's a lot of places to a lot of ponies. So which place is yours?"

"It's a town..." I remembered what Marmalade had called it. "Brigmound."

He studied me, eyes roaming to my ears, my hair, my hooves, my jacket, and lastly to my eyes. Finally, he laughed, as if I'd told a joke. "I like you." He looked around, fervently searching around the altar. "Where the hell's my charcoal?" He dug through a nap sack behind the seat. He finally found it, and twisted back around. "I take it you've met Basil?" I nodded. "He's one of our cap-collectors. Been working for us for years. Some of the town residents don't take kindly to his job, but he never fails to generate income." He held out his hoof, and on it was a piece of paper folded in half, attached to a leather bag containing something that chinked. "There's a mare in the center of town named Marmalade. She handles most of the small merchandise for this town—trinkets, rare items and the like. Get Basil to show you where her shop is if you don't already know, and give this to her. She'll know what it means, and she'll send you on your way. Think you can handle that?" He smiled.

I returned it. "Yeah... thank you." And just like that, the tension of the day melted off my shoulders. "Thank you so much."

He waved a hoof. "Welcome," he grunted. "Now get outta here, before I'm sober and change my mind." He looked reluctant for a moment as I took the note and sack, as if parting with it may be a generosity he soon regretted. Before I left, he stopped me, looking into my eyes very seriously. "You owe me." I blinked. "Doesn't have to be now. I'll give you some time, since you scared the shit clean out of Chipper. But I'll expect you to come back to repay me somehow. Got it?" I nodded, suddenly much less appreciative of the 'favor'.

I walked out of the chapel, seeing Basil nowhere in sight. Following the trail back to the town was simple enough, and the view wasn't so bad. Most of the landscape was dry and rocky, with patches of grass here and there. Nothing special, but it was unique enough compared to Tranquility. After years of seeing the mountains over and over again, it lost its magic just a little bit.

My thoughts suddenly shifted as I remembered Ukulele again. Was she really the traitor Rogue had mentioned? One thing I knew for certain was that a pony who was about to be caught for doing something illegal didn't smile like that. She looked all too happy watching headquarters get blown away. She'd watched it happen, standing there, soaking it in like eye candy. And all I could do was run. What did that make me? She didn't seem like the type to betray anypony. But neither did Basil, and look how easily he tricked me. Was I really so gullible? I swear, that colt wouldn't know how to tell the truth if it jumped up and gelded 'im. Marmalade had been right. I would have to be more careful around the ponies I met.

Other matters aside though, I was now facing Marmalade's shop. The morning sun was brighter now, and I could see the letters of her sign more clearly. Real Rarities. Quaint.

I walked inside half expecting her to hurl something at me. If One-Cap was who Basil was collecting for, and the event with him and Marmalade wasn't just for show, then she wouldn't be happy to figure out that I'd been talking with him. Especially once I gave her the note.

"Marmalade?" I asked before I peaked around the corner of the bookshelf near the entrance. She was asleep at her desk.

I smiled as I walked over, placing the note and bag on the table with a soft chink. She woke up, eyes still clouded with a dream as she oriented herself to an overly erect posture, as if to pretend like she'd been awake the whole time. "Oh, you again. What's this? Come back to trade with something?"

"Actually," I pushed the bag to her side of the counter, "I do." I smiled, happy to finally be getting somewhere with this day. I'd be back in Tranquility—er, Brigmound (?)—in no time, and then this nightmare could finally be over.

Marmalade looked at the sack on the counter after having read the note, and gave me a skeptical glance, as if I'd just lost a piece of her trust. She suddenly seemed much more on edge.

"Jack send ya?"

"He did."

She looked to me with caution, then down at the bag. She sighed, putting it somewhere behind the counter before turning around and getting climbing up to a trinket above one of the bookshelves, getting on her hind legs and reaching. I couldn't help but try and see what the fuss was about before she flipped her head around. "Turn around," she ordered. I obliged, and heard a series of metallic clicks before some kind of locking mechanism opened. She got down off the counter, finally giving me permission to turn around.

In her hooves was something that I really can't describe all that well... but I'll try. Imagine a fat metal bracelet with a screen on top. Three buttons on the bottom, a dial, and some kind of a meter where a pointer faced the green area of a scale that went to yellow and red, ending in dark maroon. The object was old, worn down, faded. It had collected its fair share of scratches, dents, and dust, and looked more like a missing piece of clunky machinery than anything.

Marmalade beckoned me forward as she held it out, leaning over the counter. I looked at it closely before she told me to give her my hoof. The screen appeared to be more oriented to the right side of my body, so I stuck that hoof out. "I don't suppose you know what that is?" I asked sheepishly. She took the half of the object that swung limply and wrapped it around my leg to meet the side with the screen, clicking it into place. Just like that, the fat bracelet was rooted in place, as if held by my very skin. After a small eternity of silence, she finally spoke.

"Take care of that. It'll get you wherever you need to go."

We stared at one another. I looked down to check the screen. Maybe there'd be some directions on how to use it. I pressed one of the buttons, but the screen remained stagnantly blank. "How?"

"Follow the road until you see a town. And if you see anypony on the way... not a word about where you got it."

I asked how far it was, but she didn't answer. "Okay, well, thanks, I guess." I turned to leave the shop when she suddenly raised her hoof to her forehead at an awkward degree, sweeping her other hooves together in perfect unison. I could see the strain in her aging body as she saluted.

"It's been an honor." As she said it, a single tear fell from her eye. And just like that, I walked out of the shop and started on my way down the road.

"The hell was that about?" I asked nopony in particular. What was on that note? My leg's flexibility was left surprisingly intact, even with the big metal object stuck to it. I looked down, glancing down at the letters to the left of a turner that had been smoothed by use.

"'PipBuck'?"

**  **  **

For yet another time today, I found myself walking. The road, it seemed as I trailed down the path further, only grew slimmer and more rugged. Soon, the only decipherable feature of the walk was the presence of boulders on either side of a certain direction.

My hooves fumbled with the occasional rock as I traversed the new terrain. In Tranquility, the roads were mostly dirt. Traveling was easy, made simple by the smoothed paths that wound through and around the town. They were clear-cut swaths that forked and bridged in between the treelines of Tranqility's borders. They were easy. But this... this was different. The shifting rocks were unsettling, completely defiant of my expectations. And once again, I found myself knowing what it felt like to be lost.

Could this really be the future? Somehow, it didn't seem so absurd, as if all the little details added up. Sure, I'd dabbled in fiction books back at the town library, but most of the old things were either ludicrous tales of a place called Equestria or cheesy love stories written by one of the Elders. I missed all that. And it only made this that much more real. All of the things I'd seen over the past day were a part of my life now. Tranquility might not ever be the same again. I certainly wouldn't be. But maybe that was okay. Maybe I didn't have to see the world the same way forever. Maybe I deserved to know something more. Really though... what more did I know? And better yet, what could I hope to do with it? It's not like I could protect those closest to me from the entire world. For all I knew, the ponies of my town were already long gone. But I couldn't afford to think like that now.

What did I know though? Weird animals. Bad ponies. Death. Hardly a book's worth of info. But it did lead to some interesting questions. For instance, what the hell did 'TRP' mean? The little letters were scratched into the surface of the PipBuck, just underneath the right side of the screen. I'd have to ask Marmalade if I ever returned to Singe.

My mind was left to wander for only a second before the first building of the town peaked up over one of the hills. Although, it certainly didn't look like any building I'd ever seen before. The chapel in Singe at least resembled some sort of house. The structure was shaped like a cone, with a skeletal frame. And that's when I saw it. The body hanging on top.

I stopped dead in my tracks, staring forward. It was a hundred yards away, but the smoldering remains of the corpse were clear as day. It was impaled by the framework of the hut. It barely even resembled a pony anymore, to be honest. I'm still surprised I noticed it.

"H-Hello?" I yelled, drawing closer. It was becoming even clearer what had happened. The wind began to pick up, scattering whatever ashes remained from the gruesome scene. It was enough to finally topple the structure, leading the body to crack loudly against the rocks and break apart, splitting several limbs off and rolling them awkwardly. All around lay more remains, burnt to a crisp. Several of them were children.

I threw up. Violently. There wasn't much to get out, but it was enough.

And then, out of the blue, I thought about it. Stinging pains in my stomach brought up the idea. I hadn't had a thing to eat since I arrived here, had I? Preacher probably found a way to feed me while I was asleep, but as I rose to my hooves on weak legs, I became fully aware that it wasn't enough. I finally knew hunger. Real hunger. And then I remembered what Lily had said as we were passing those ponies in the streets.

They're starving. A lot of ponies are.

Was I... starving? From what Abeth had said, they didn't have a lot of supplies to spare, which meant whatever they'd given me to tide me over couldn't have been very much. But it was enough to puke out now. I looked up to the picture of death and felt my breaths tripping over one another, nerves tense as I began to shake. The explosions at the ceremony, the ponies burning, the attack on headquarters, it was all coming back. All at once.

I inhaled deeply, tasting new bile. Where were my parents to help me through this? I just wanted Mom and Dad! I couldn't do this by myself! All alone! I would end up like this pony on the ground and no one would ever know!

No. Not now.

I had to peel my eyes away from the horrific sight to keep moving, when something crunched loudly under my hoof. I kept moving. I didn't need to know.

**  **  **

It took another half an hour to run into something resembling pony civility. A mare holding the reigns for a... for the life of me, I couldn't describe the creature. It was big, hairy, and seemed oddly bovine. The two heads were where I stopped understanding what I was looking at.

I greeted her with great relief, and she took a step back, aiming a... gun... at me. "Please," I said, "I've been walking forever, and I just need directions to the next town." She didn't seem so obliged.

But she considered me for a moment. "Hooves grounded. No sudden movements." I obeyed her. "I don't know how you got this far away from the frontier, but if you're looking for the next town, you're headed in the wrong direction."

"What? What do you mean?" I almost approached her, but she readjusted her aim straight to my head. I fumbled back.

"Didn't you hear me the first time?"

"Please," I leveled.

She looked at me strange. "Little place by the name of Singe. Should be a quarter-day's walk from here. No more than 10 miles. Famous for cap-hoarders and chem traders. Wouldn't stay there too long if I were you though." She kept her gun pointed firmly at my face.

"No, no that can't be right. I just came from Singe, what about the town down this road?"

She looked puzzled, cracking a smile. "Town? There isn't a town in that direction for more than a hundred miles. All that's left after the desert is the Badlands."

"Badlands? But Marmalade said..." I trailed off while she kept talking.

"Don't know 'bout the Badlands?" she said, "I reckon you aren't from around here, are you?" Her grip on the gun loosened a little. I still couldn't believe I'd been lied to, twice in one day nonetheless!

"Can't say I am." Ponies in Tranquility didn't lie.

"Then you probably shouldn't stay any longer than you have to."

I grew solemn. "Believe me, I'm trying not to."

She stared at me a moment. "Look, if I were you, I'd head back to Singe and get to the frontier, go back to wherever you came from. Nighttime around here is when the raids happen. Just a little friendly advice." Raids? "Now, I'm on a bit of a tight schedule. Would you mind?"

I was in her way. I apologized and stepped aside. "I don't suppose you'd know the way to Brigmound, would you?"

"Nope," she said, and walked off without another word. My eyes followed her until she disappeared with the creature in tow.

More wandering, I suppose. This time in another direction; away from the 'Badlands'. Felt right. So long as I didn't have to keep going back to lies. I'd been told a fib too many to want to go back, no matter how hungry... or tired... or miserable... I was. If you can't trust anypony, why would you want to?

The rocks were getting more jagged, jutting out like sore spots. Their shadows grew longer. It must have been nearing afternoon by now. My heart fluttered in the heat of the day. Somehow, my jacket was just thick enough to keep the rest of my body sheltered while the exposed leather baked along with my face and neck. The sun had never hurt his bad back in Tranquility. Brigmound. Whatever.

Somewhere along the way I decided to take a breather under a rather large rock with some even larger skeletons of ungoddessly creatures. Extra limbs, heads, and eye sockets within. The corpses of the abominations almost looked more like props to a fantastical stage reading than anything that was formerly alive. It freaked me out at first, but the shade was cool and inviting enough to keep me rooted as I stared at the spectacle. I started to wonder when I might meet another pony again. Despite the lies, it was still exciting to see a new face, even if the feeling wasn't often returned. Something about meeting a pony you'd never met before just excited me, especially since I could walk forever and never get the opportunity again. The possibility of dying still lingered.

A cool draft blew through the rocky canyon as my break ended out of sheer boredom. Hard to believe right? How could a pony be bored at a time like this? Hours of walking through the middle of nowhere, that's how. I could practically hear the clock ticking from my living room wall as I sat underneath that boulder. I pictured the white noise, clicking my tongue to the imaginary cadence until I'd finally had enough. The pain in my stomach was getting worse. Could hunger kill you? I sure hoped not.

I walked for another hour. Then two. Then I lost track of time altogether, mostly due to a migraine that soon became a crippling throb in my temples. I lamented, asking the Princesses why such a thing was happening to me. It got so bad that I said a prayer. Which is a lot coming from me. Growing up, our town had been mostly firm believers in the Goddesses, Celestia and Luna. I'd learned a fair deal about them in fillyhood, but never had any real conversations regarding them. It was more peer pressure than an earnest desire for spiritualism. Nothing ever went wrong in Tranquility Mane. Ever. So the ponies of the town always thought it was a sure proof that our sweet Princesses were watching over us, keeping us safe. Even if we couldn't see them. Or hear them. Or know they were there at all. And my parents? They just told me to trust in whatever I chose to believe in, no matter what it was.

Where were my Princesses now, I wondered.

The sun began to wane. I'd been awake for a whole damn day. Now that was something, wasn't it? I'd lasted a day here, and yet it felt like so much more. Mom had always said time flew when you were having fun. How about when you were scared to death? It couldn't do the same there?

Before too long, I began counting in hopes of a distraction. Maybe looking for things of an odd color! Green... nope. Pink? Nope. Green? Oh, wait I said that already. Hmmm...

While looking around, I spotted something in the distance. I wouldn't have thought to look for it if I hadn't been color spotting. It was a patch in the winding rocky hills that looked darker, settled... like a camping area. Maybe they had food, or water! Water sounded good too! I approached in a jog, quickly making my way over. For a moment, I drew caution. What if this was like earlier? Would I find another horrorscape once I arrived? It didn't seem to be the case. I couldn't spot anything else around the dark spot. Good. Come to sweeten the deal was more shade casting over the area. My burning skin quickened my pace for me.

As I reached the abandoned site, I found several layers of blankets on one side of a collapsed tent. Ponies had been staying here. The firepit in the middle was cold and dry, all the way to the bottom. Whoever set this up was long gone. That was probably a good thing though, knowing what I did. I made myself at-home on one of the blankets, settling deep into the fabric as I felt security for the first time in a solid day. That was the last thing I remember before my eyelids won me over.

**  **  **

I woke up shivering. For such a scorching place during the day, the Wasteland sure got cold at night.

I had rolled off of the blankets sometime during my "nap," and now found myself on a pile of rather uncomfortable stones. Shifting my back, I sat up, suddenly wide-eyed as my gaze met the endless abyss. Nighttime in the Wasteland. More stars than I could count. An explosive magnitude of twinkling starlight that dwarfed all of existence in its array. If I had died right there, I couldn't have cared less. The volume of the sight before me sent chills through my every nerve. And for a moment, my trivial little life didn't matter to me. All that mattered was this thing, this world, that held meaning like I'd never known. The answers were out there, written in the glimmering specks of the Great Beyond.

Somehow I got the courage to stand up, and for a moment it felt like I was more in danger of falling upwards. I was taken down to earth by an unearthly throbbing in my head. My temples screamed in pain as I realized just how dry my mouth was. I picked myself up, looking around for some source of water. Maybe a bowl or something. If hunger or thirst could kill, I had a feeling I might find out soon. I gurgle in my stomach told me I should get a move on. I searched the entirety of the camp site, only finding fabric and cartons of white paper cylinders before I finally struck gold. A canteen sloshed invitingly inside one of the bags in the tent, and as I took a desperate gulp, I realized that whatever was inside was not the fluid I was looking for. It burned going down my throat, making me cough and spittle as I reeled and shuddered, clutching my head.

Deciding I'd had enough of feeling like dung, I climbed up to the higher rocks illuminated by the moon. Sure enough, off in the distance, an orange light rose up from the ground, and my heart sank. The memory of what had happened yesterday, at the ceremony, jumped into my stomach instead of the water I needed. At this point, I'd take anything, so long as my temples stopped beating like drums, so long as my belly stopped stinging, so long as my throat didn't feel so raw. Whatever was in that canteen had made it worse.

I began my descent from the higher rocks before I realized that I could no longer see the light. I kicked myself. Climbing back up was dizzying, but I could see the orange glow again, which meant there was some hope of making the pain stop. The ponies of Singe weren't so willing to give up product without proper payment. Maybe these ones would be different. Or maybe I had another horrific ash pile waiting for me.

The rocks became unusually steep as I neared the source of the light, forcing me to jump down and scout ahead in the little canyons leading up to my objective. The throbbing in my head was keeping up with my hoofsteps now. I just squinted and hissed through it, focusing on what it would feel like to finally get something in my stomach. I looked down to the PipBuck on my forehoof. Still nothing. Clicking a few buttons elicited the same response. I pushed forward. I'm starving! I would say. Do you have anything to eat or drink?

As I pulled around another bend in the rocks, I finally spotted the flickering light of the fire on the wall of the cliffside. I thanked the Goddesses and picked up my pace. Fervently. Carelessly.

If I had rounded that corner saying my rehearsed lines, I would have died. Instead, I practically skipped around the corner to find a picture not worth describing. The first thing that reached my nostrils was the smell.

I would have cried a river if my eyes were capable of producing tears. The thoughts pounding in my head utterly drowned out my migraine, and my stomach? To say a butterfly knot wouldn't give it justice. I didn't scream though. What good would it have done? The likeness of burning hair soon became apparent as I turned around and started back down the trail, unable to process. I stepped on something, because just as my hoof hit the ground, I heard a chink and a snap as something hit my leg, hard. Looking down, I stared, mortified, at a set of metal jaws clamping firmly around the PipBuck on my right leg. Each 'tooth' had been sharpened, but the clunky piece of equipment hadn't taken so much as a scratch. So engrossed was I with the fact that I had almost lost a leg that I didn't even hear the ponies stop eating. I started hitting my nearly-snared leg against the ground in an effort to get the wretched mechanical device off, when I heard something behind me. Like a wicked snicker.

I turned around in just enough time to pull my leg free as the group of ponies closed in on me. One of them had a gun. Most were armed with what appeared to be sticks of jagged metal. The glow of the fire behind them illuminated just enough of their faces to give me nightmares for months. Red, twisted grins and cackling erupted as I faced them in pure horror, eyes dropping to something underneath each of them. I screamed as I realized they all had five legs—four regulars and a fifth that hung between their back two. They laughed, as if my knowledge of their common deformity excited them.

That was when I realized they set the metal jaws for me. Earlier. Before I got here. The device must have been waiting. I would have seen it if I had been more cautious. Just a little more aware.

"P-Please, we can talk about this!" I yelled, "You don't have to do this!" They responded by continuing their advance. It was enough of an answer for me to know what I had to do.

My left hoof fumbled with the contraption for a moment before I started backing up, trembling now. Would the same fate await me? Would I still be... alive for it? Of all the emotions flooding my mind, fear reared its ugly head the worst.

After backing up for a moment, I got an idea. If they could use this blasted device as a weapon, why couldn't I? It was genius! I would turn their sneaky ensnarement against them and escape! My mind reeled at its own brilliance as I thought of a way to get it off first. One answer stood most prominently: throw it.

Stepping back, I stood on my hind legs, winding up the pitch. If I could just swing my front leg hard enough, the contraption would be sent flying off and land on one of them instead! The plan came together as I put all of my strength into hurtling the thing off of me. I swung, the dangerous night wind whipping through my mane as I closed my eyes, fired like a cannon shot with all my might and...

... heard a heavy thunk on the ground a few yards in front of me. I opened my eyes. The ponies just stared at the iron jaws on the rocky floor of the canyon, dripping blood. I felt a small sting, and when I looked to my leg, I saw all I needed to before I let out a howl. The device had gripped the end of my leg when I'd thrown it, and all that slowed it down was my skin. Eight wide, identical gashes ran down my hoof, screaming with pain as it bled profusely. Genius.

There was only one option left: run. I could make it if I just didn't put too much pressure on my right leg.

They were waiting for it. The moment I took off, they cackled, as if they'd rehearsed this act a dozen times. Giving chase, the one with the gun began to shoot at me. Holes appeared in the walls of the canyons nearby. Clearly they were done playing around. It was time to ramp up my speed. I kicked my legs harder, generating more momentum as I leapt on top of rocks here and there, hardly making a difference; the trails I followed upwards were the only real ways out. They were still following me, although I'd gained a fair bit of distance.

And I just had to have hope, didn't I?

I hit a dead end. It was too steep. All rocks, small and unstable. The slope was near-vertical. I looked behind me, desperate as I began my ascent. The group caught up, sure enough. A shot here, a shot there. I was pushing harder and harder to get up the slope, but the force of my legs was pushing the rocks down faster than I could get up. They were grinding against the open wounds on my leg, and I couldn't help but notice when a pebble would lodge itself in the tissue. The ponies started to climb behind me as another shot rang out, this time hitting a rock right next to me. I tried evening my stance out a little, which only got me sliding downward. I could hear them behind me. They were gaining on me. Easy for them—they had five legs!

I kicked another hooful of rocks down under me, frantically searching for solid ground to kick off of when it finally happened. The small mountain of pebbles exploded at the top as boulders rolled down, each bigger than the last. We must have knocked them loose with all the commotion. I took the opportunity to gain some leverage and paid dearly, receiving a blow to the jaw that sent me sprawling. The ponies below me were too busy avoiding the rocks to focus on me now. I felt drops of blood down my muzzle as I looked up at one last big rock peaking over the crest of the pile. I waited for it. This was it. I heard a scream as one of the ponies below got his fifth leg crushed under a rather sizable boulder. He cried out in agony, flailing frenziedly in an attempt to get the boulder off. I turned back around. The big rock was headed straight for me. It looked a lot bigger in person.

Narrowly avoiding it, I pushed off of the pile and climbed on top. The rock descended even faster now, and I charged my legs up for a jump. It served as an adequate launch pad as I landed near the top of the pile. Struggling over the crest of the small mountain, I caught my breath, heaving as I heard another scream and then a heavy, distinguishable crunch. I was suddenly much more aware of my own injuries as I forced my leg to curl up against me protectively. Blood was getting everywhere now, dripping from my hoof and face.

The four others called after me, "Bitch!", "I'll fucking kill you, whore!", and other comments of similar nature. They started to climb, one aiming the gun at me and firing again. I'd already started in another direction by the time the shot rang.

Thankfully I was no longer confined to canyon walls. Instead, the rocky landscape was hilly and navigable. I began running at a three-legged pace away from the canyon walls and away from the continuous obscenities being shouted my way, most of which I'd never heard of before. I started looking for a place to hide. They must have been up the slope by now, even if they'd made up for half the time I had getting away.

I stopped, hearing nothing but silence. Then, "The cunt went this way!" I looked up to the stars, realizing how tired I was. My lungs were burning, my stomach was trying to find the strength to throw up, and me... I was ready to succumb to the pounding rhythm in my skull. Twinkling specks made their way into my vision as a cold heat crawled up my body, and my sight went red. Bright red. I squinted. Too bright. Then, out of nowhere, the red of my vision turned into a dot that crept along my nose, down my neck, and then to my chest. The fluorescent red point sat there, and then, just like that, it disappeared. That's when I heard company coming.

I heaved myself forward, trembling steps breaking into feeble stumbles. I was drawing hoofsteps in the dirt. The thought occurred to me: I'd have to stand on rocks to conceal my location. The biggest, most immediate presence of them was just ahead. So when I looked up and spotted the mouth of a cave surrounded by boulders, you could imagine my relief. I hobbled up the nearest rock, climbing to the next one, and the next one, until I reached the hill that rose up to the cave. The ponies were practically right on my tail.

Collapsing entirely, I began to sob, not a single droplet of moisture coming to my eyes as my fatigued form fought for life. I could just give up here, couldn't I? Looking at it from a rational standpoint, I'd come far enough to make any parent proud. I'd gone through hell and back to try and get home, and now I wasn't ever going to see them again. I'd been dripping blood all the way up here. They could track me. They would find me. I was going to die out here, alone, in the middle of nowhere, no matter what. Violently. Horrendously. Painfully. Somehow, I knew that if I wanted, I could just let go, and my body would do the rest. Maybe I would just go home again. Maybe...

Be a strong mare, Everdawn.

...

Maybe these worthless piles of dung could go narf themselves!

I'm gonna live through this, Mom! I will! And not just to get home! I'll make it through all of this, *all of it! And I'll survive because* narf this world and all its narfed up nonsense! I'm a stronger mare than this! I'm a stronger mare... you BULLIES!!

I willed my legs to pick me up, and when they didn't, I made them. Getting up to all fours on a slope was only the beginning. I began to climb, my ears ringing from my headache as the effort tested every fiber of my being. My body was breaking down though. Slowly losing consciousness. And just when I thought I might be wrong for having hope, the cave mouth greeted me. A veil of darkness was draped over the entrance, and I had almost gone in when I was met with the barrel of a gun. The ponies were searching all around the bottom of the hill for more tracks. They hadn't seen the blood. Thank you, Goddesses.

I didn't have another choice. "Please..." I gasped with a sob, "Please, help me..." The gun remained for a moment, before retracting into the dark of the cave. I waited for only a second or two, before pushing forward. The moment I entered, I heard a shuffling to my right.

And then everything went black.

Hoofnote: Level Up

New Perk: Passive Aggressive — Dealing with ponies isn't always easy, but you've learned that making your moves under a firm hoof and an even firmer tongue can make all the difference.  You gain +2 Charisma and +1 Perception when facing enemies of a lesser Intelligence, nullified once they are 3 or more levels below you.  (Note: This perk does not stack with the Smooth Talker perk.)

Soundtrack Unlocked: The Wasteland

Singe

Sent to the Next Town

Starstruck

Raiders