Chapter 9: Little Ruby Lie
I awoke the next morning to hushed voices in the room behind me. After the fight I found that one of the buildings had been some kind of bunkhouse that the raiders had been sleeping in. I had pulled the two survivors into the back and had, myself, slept in a reception area in the front. Sleeping on an old mattress laid over a desk wasn’t the best nights rest I’d ever had still I had other things to worry about.
Trotting over to the door I listened to the voices of the two young ponies just behind it. I considered drawing a weapon but figured it would be counterintuitive; I didn’t want to fight them if I could help it. So instead I lifted a hoof to the door and knocked.
The ponies inside immediately went quiet before a tiny, terrified voice floated through the door “H-hello… who’s there?”
“My name is Snowy Flanks and I’m not going to hurt you. So long as you don’t try to harm me all I want is to talk.”
I wasn’t sure they would believe me but I had to try anyway. Pushing the door open the two foals backed away slowly, their eyes full of fear. Slowly levitating my combat harness off I flung it back into the next room saying “See now I’m unarmed to so why don’t we just talk for a while.”
Standing in front of his younger sister the brown colt tried to put on a brave face, though the affect was ruined by the shaking in his legs “What d-do you want from us then? Everypony else is dead and we don’t have anything of value anyway.”
“Well I don’t know about that, the rocket launcher they used on us has to be worth some bottle caps. Besides I’m not here for valuables I just want to know what you two are doing out here with raiders.”
At this they seemed confused “Raiders… what are you talking about Princess?”
I felt ice stab my chest “They… t-they weren’t raiders? But… I…” But what? The only proof I had that they had been raiders was the word of a mare I didn’t know and the fact that they shot at me which wasn’t really all that much to go on.
Before I could get to worrying to badly the little pink coated filly finally spoke “Come on Dusty they may not have been riders but they weren’t much better. Remember the time they let that mare die because she was an earth-pony.”
The brown colt turned sharply to face his sister “Well ok that’s true but what were we supposed to do! They may not have been good ponies but they’re the only ones who were trying to give that bitch what she deserves.”
Not wanting to watch two foals fight and still needing some answers I stepped in-between them “Ok hang on then, if they weren’t raiders then who were they?”
The small filly replied nervously “They were members of the Free Horntown Militia.”
Horntown… I remember the name, vaguely, from the sign next to the path to Green Meadows. So if that was a town what was their militia doing raiding trade from the mayor? I still needed more answers before I could get anywhere.
Slumping tiredly onto one of the torn beds slipping my head between my hooves “Listen I don’t mean to sound rude but could you please slow down and explain things. I have a lot on my mind right now.”
“Uh sure Princess, I guess we should explain why we’re here.”
*** *** ***
After listening to their story I managed to piece together that Horntown was a settlement made entirely of unicorns. That would explain why there were only earth-ponies in Green Meadows but judging from what I heard former was in much worse shape than the latter.
That still left the problem of what to do with Dusty and Shimmer. The made it clear they didn’t want to go back home and I wasn’t about to just leave them out here, regardless of whether Sidewinder was telling the truth or not I didn’t think the Vanguard would leave them alone.
So that meant I’d have to take them with me. Not something I was looking forward to since I was going to try and get somepony to talk to the one group she didn’t want to see.
Part of me wanted to go question the mayor to see just how much she knew about this but the fact was I didn’t have the time, blood, or ammunition to go charging off after another mystery. If there were groups of unicorns trying to destabilize the Mayor’s hold of the area it wasn’t exactly my problem, and I had enough of them to go around anyway.
Turning back to the two foals “Alright then listen. I’m not going to leave you two here so you’re going to come with me to the south.”
“T-to the south why are we going there?”
They seemed unsure and really who could blame them, I had just literally swooped in and told them they were coming with me.
Wanting to allay their worry I decided to explain “There’s a pony there I have to talk to and it’s a safe place for you two to stay.”
Dusty looked about ready to refuse when the little filly behind him took a step forward “Dusty I think we should go with her.”
The colts jaw just about hit the floor as he rounded on his sister “But why!?”
“I know that you’re upset at mom and dad and want to fix things but we can’t keep doing this. This group of ponies didn’t want to hurt us but what if that weren’t the case or even worse what if they wanted us to kill other ponies?”
I could tell by the look on his face the colt hadn’t thought of that. Still with things more or less resolved now I could get them to a place of, relative, safety while I tried to find a more permanent solution.
Letting them take the time gather up their things if stepped back into the front office and pulled my own gear back on before looking over the meager loot I’d pulled from the unicorns outside.
Most of it was in poor repair and just about all of the weapons were low caliber pop-guns. Still the launcher was still worth some caps even without any rockets and I could use their worthless armor to patch up the new holes in my own abused set. Thankfully the group had hat least managed to get their hooves on a real treasure, an I.F. 46 Falcon.
It was an improvement on my rifle in just about every way, it had a larger magazine and was more accurate and that particular model even had a rail system for mounting attachments.
Setting down to work on my armor I checked over the gun, I would need to replace the barrel with the one in my current rifle but other than that it was in remarkably good shape. Putting it aside from now I got back to the task at hoof, my armor was thrashed once again and this time their wasn’t that much I could do. The leather plates were at this point more patch than leather and most of the straps were in tatters.
Unfortunately I didn’t have too many options for a replacement, though when I thought about it I was kind of glad. Back in the stable I never would have even thought about wearing something made from animal skin, just another sign that I had changed.
Finishing up what repairs I could on my gear I had just turned around to see the two foals step into the room behind me when the sound of flapping wings and red bars on my E.F.S. alerted me to our impending company.
Something about the wing-beats was odd though, they seemed slower and heavier than a pony’s. Unlike the shop I had been in yesterday the building we were in now only had one window in the front, close by the door so after telling the two foals to step back into the bedroom I crawled my way over the said window.
Sitting underneath the window I listened to the flapping stop as our uninvited guests landed with an odd clattering noise. Hearing the sound of guns priming I took a second to peak outside and I finally realized what our company was… and why we were screwed.
*** *** ***
Griffins… the first one I had ever seen up-close had been dead after nearly succeeding in blowing my head off. Now there were four of them and if the symbols on their armor were any indication they were also from Talon-company.
Seeing the worry in the eyes of my newest companions I tried my best to find a way out. I really didn’t want to fight the Talons but I couldn’t just sit there and wait, desperately shuffling through my inventory I found something I had almost forgot about… Angle’s Mercy.
Ruby had given me the gun when I left for Ponyville and I hadn’t even thought about it till now. Though I wasn’t used to using energy weapons it was the only thing I had to could end the confrontation quickly.
While I readied the weapon the griffins steadily approached the door. I only had a few spare spark batteries and without any healing potions I wasn’t going to be flying anywhere.
Inserting one of my six total batteries I heard the comforting hum of the gun charging up when suddenly one of the mercs shouted “We know you’re in there so why don’t you come on out. I found Claudia; since you actually took the time to bury her I promise ill make it quick and clean.”
I on the other hoof had other ideas, listening to them step closer I motioned for the foals hide and flung the door open.
My adversaries were surprised by the sudden movement, giving me the moment I needed point the gun in the general direction of one of them and push what I hoped was the trigger.
There wasn’t any recoil when it fired and the pinkish-red beam arced out, catching one of the griffins full in the face and dropping him.
The other three reacted instantly, opening fire on the door with a roar of thunder. I tucked my head back inside as the doorframe erupted in splintered wood.
Personally I’d have liked stay in cover but I couldn’t just let them keep shooting at us. Flicking my shield back on I slipped back around the corner and peppered the three remaining griffins, managing to bring down another before the remaining two returned fire.
Instead of falling back however I pressed forward under the onslaught, waiting till one of them reloaded before firing the last of the energy from the gun’s spark-battery and taking down the third griffin leaving only the fourth with the light machinegun standing.
My shield sparked and stuttered dangerously and Angle’s Mercy dropped to the ground as I concentrated all my remaining magic on keeping my protection up. I continued my forward charge, I didn’t have the strength to levitate up another gun and since I couldn’t fly that left only one option. As I cleared the last few feet my shield finally broke and several bullets tore into my body but I wasn’t about to be turned away now, pushing with all the strength I had left in my hind legs I launched myself at the started bird-lion.
The sickening sound of pierced flesh greeted me as I thudded, horn first, into the startled griffin. I can still remember the shock in his eyes as he stared down at horn sticking out of his throat, he gargled out something unintelligible as his gun fell with a clatter.
Pulling my horn out with a yank I took a few shaking steps back from the wounded griffin. Surprisingly he wasn’t dead, through sheer chance I had managed not to mortally wound him though he was bleeding out fast.
I wasn’t very far behind him to be honest, after taking several more pieces of led into my body I wasn’t going to be running any marathons.
That being said I didn’t want him to die like that so I rushed forward and began franticly searching through his belongings. Luckily I managed to find a healing potion quickly and though I didn’t give it to him so much as drain it into his open throat the wound began closing none the less.
Satisfied that I had managed to keep the thing from dyeing I turned around to find my new companions when everything started to get… fuzzy. I didn’t know it at the time but I had lost so much blood at that point from my wounds that I came very close to dyeing anyway. Not that any of that mattered to me at the time as I was much too busy passing out.
*** *** ***
I awoke sometime later lying back on some sort of sled and watching the, very blurry, cloud ceiling float by “Ugh… wa… what happened?”
Looking above me I saw the two foals I’d met earlier pulling me down the road, albeit slowly. Hearing my groan Simmer looked behind herself nervously “You’re awake Princess we were really starting to worry about you.”
Dusty grimaced and looked over at his sister “Speak for yourself sis I wasn’t worried at all.”
I got the feeling he was lying but let it slide, motioning for them stop tried to get to my hooves. My head swam and it was lucky that I hadn’t eaten anything lately or I might have thrown up but in the end I managed it.
Walking on shaky legs I helped the two little ponies unhitch themselves from the sleds harness and traded places with them. From the light outside I had been out at least a day and the two foals had pulled both me and all our gear the whole time, they were dead on their hooves and needed to rest.
Slipping myself into one of their harnesses I urged the foals onto the sled and started up where they had left off.
“So exactly how long have I been out anyway?”
Shimmer turned to look up at me while her brother merely grunted and rolled over “About a day and a half as far as we can tell princess.”
“Any sign of the griffons that attacked us?”
The filly shook her head “Not anything so far. How long are they going to be asleep for anyway?”
“I don’t have a clue but I doubt it would be this long so guess we got away. Regardless you just worry about getting some sleep ok?”
Nodding to me the little filly did just that and all at once I was alone. Pausing in my forward walk I lifted up my pipbuck and checked the map, we had skirted around the edges of Green Meadows while I was till out and were well on our way back to Ruby’s. I started walking again as I brought up my E.F.S., there wouldn’t be any more surprises.
While I walked I started checking over my H.U.D. the health bar on my left was at a rather dangerously low number, though with how I felt it wasn’t too surprising. My body felt weak and achy and while I hadn’t tried I didn’t think it would go over to well if I used any magic.
The pace was slow and careful, I still couldn’t fly and I wasn’t about to leave the foals even if I could. Regardless we still made decent time through I soon found myself in front of a familiar building.
The clinic looked the same was when I left but the small strawberry garden beside it was a very welcome change. With a smile I waved a hoof at Barricade as the stallion came towards us from the little shack in front of the door “Snowy! Where in the hay have you been?”
*** *** ***
I wasn’t sure when I passed out in this particular instance but I awoke in a hospital bed, that and a familiar white unicorn at my bed made me think it could have been worse “You know you really should try and get shot less.”
“It’s good to see you too Ruby.”
The mare chuckled and levitated over a tray of food saying “I know you don’t need to eat but you’re going to anyway. Did you know that thanks to, if the foals that came here with you are truthful, two brutal bouts of combat you lost so much blood that were it not for your alicorn heritage you would be dead right now?”
I nodded slightly and levitated up a daisy sandwich, thankfully I didn’t have another burnout but my magic was all weak and sparky. Still the sandwich was good and the water that followed was even better “So I guess I should add another part to the list of times I almost died?”
“Suppose that’s the case but… Snowy where’s Glitter?”
My heart tightened up a tiny bit but I had to be sure “Wait Strawberry and Petunia are here aren’t they?”
“Yes Glitter brought them in about a week ago and then went looking for you but hasn’t come back yet.”
Which meant two important things, firstly that my ghoul friends were ok. Secondly, if my timing was right, it meant that the Glitter I met when I was resting in the farmhouse was an imposter too, probably the same changeling I’d run into in Green Meadows.
Wanting to bring Ruby up to speed I filled her in on everything that had happened in my week long absence, leaving out the part about sidewinder of course.
“It’s… it’s good to know you’ve been keeping busy at least. So you’re saying a changeling was impersonating Glitter… if that’s the case why come back here, other than to drop off the foals?”
I took my time in answering; it gave me time to scope out the room. It looked the same as when I left but I didn’t see Petunia or Strawberry anywhere which probably meant that they and the foals were sleeping on the second floor. To my right I saw a small stand holding what looked like a mostly empty bag of blood, it was probably the reason I was conscious at the moment.
Looking back to Ruby’s nervous face I sighed, it wasn’t going to go well but there wasn’t any point in stalling “I… I need your help Ruby, after I took the job from the mayor and killed most of the… ponies there I was about to be shot when I was saved by a group of Vanguard led by somepony named Sidewinder. He told me that Emerald was in trouble and in order to help him I would have to get somepony Sidewinder wanted to talk to… and that somepony was you Nightshade.”
Ruby paled even whiter at the name and stared at me “So… he let my old name slip did he? Listen, Snowy I… I can explain..”
“Good then do so.”
She tilted her head in confusion “You really want to hear what I have to say?”
“I trust Sidewinder about as far as I can throw him with his armor on, so yes I’ll listen to your explanation but you better not leave anything out.”
Ruby sighed and shifted in her chair to get more comfortable “Very well I guess I should start at the beginning, my real name is Nightshade but I gave it up after I left the Vanguard. Before you ask, I lived there all up until a decade ago.”
“So you grew up in the Vanguard and then left and came out here? If you don’t mind can I ask why?”
The unicorn held up a hoof “Hold on Snowy I’m getting there. The reason I left all has to do with my job in the Vanguard. To… put it bluntly, nightshade is a flower that is used for a deadly poison… which I used often as an assassin.”
I couldn’t believe my ears, the pony who gave me Angles’ Mercy and ran a medical clinic was a killer, it didn’t seem possible. I held my tongue however as she continued “You have to understand in the Vanguard is a lot different than out here. We’re taught from foalhood that the world outside the walls of our cities is nothing but sickness, starvation, and cannibalistic ponies.”
“Fair enough Ruby… but what does that have to do with you being an assassin?”
The unicorn slumped slightly in clear shame “Not everypony believes that the wasteland is all bad, but they are in the minority and the reigning regime doesn’t like hearing any other points of view. There are ponies like me who were used to enforce the ruler’s views on others.”
This was a lot to take in at once but I still had a few questions left “So were you just used on the leader’s political rivals?”
“Unfortunately not so much, we were sent to kill everypony from political activists to bothersome raider leaders. I was picked at a young age for my special talent.”
Ruby turned to her side and looked over at the cross emblazoned on her flanks “This isn’t my real cutiemark you know, I used a spell to change it after I left home. My special talent is actually herbology, mixing plants and fungi together to make all kinds of healing mixtures and lethal poisons. When the military found out about me they snapped me up into their training program.”
I had to admit of all the reasons I expected the Vanguard to be after her this wasn’t one of them. Reaching over I laid my hoof on the unicorn “Look I don’t care what you did in the past. Still I would like to know what you saw that made you leave.”
“Truthfully it had been a long time in coming, at first I believed in the propaganda forced into our minds over and over again. But after while something started to nag at me, all of the ponies we were sent to kill were supposed to be very dangerous but more often than not they just seemed like normal ponies. The breaking point though was much later, when I was sent out to kill a very special target.”
She paused for a moment and I could tell something was getting her very worked up. I didn’t really want her to continue but I needed to know what happened to her so I pressed a hoof to her shoulder and let her gather her thoughts “I should have figured it out when I got my target location, whenever went after “separatists” it was in the rich part of the city but this was in a small residential sector.”
“Ruby I think I know where this is going and I don’t like it.”
She smiled sadly “Exactly… imagine my surprise when I found myself standing in front of my own home. It’d been so long since I’d been there I forgot where it was on a map, never the less mom was there waiting for me like I was a little filly just home from school.”
*** *** ***
“You mean they sent you to kill your own mother?!”
The unicorn nodded shakily, she looked like she was barely keeping herself together but she did her best to keep talking “Yes, I wasn’t given the name of my target beforehand in case I got captured but nopony else lived there so it had to be her. Even worse was that she knew, she shouldn’t have known but when I got there she was waiting for me… and… and she was smiling!”
“Did you find out how she knew you were coming?”
“Yes actually, when I figured out what was going on I just about died on the spot but she hugged me and welcomed me inside. We sat down on the couch and she started explaining, one of her friends had found out that she was my next target and told my mother I was coming. Apparently my bosses thought I was starting to show regret for my actions and questioning my orders, two things you were not allowed to do in my profession, so they had sent me after my own mother to prove my loyalty. Her friend had given her a way out of the city, complete with a place to go to, and urged her to run. She hadn’t though, instead she was sitting opposite me in a chair and telling me my whole life was nothing but a big lie.”
She laughed bitterly and started to tear up “A-all the ponies I had killed had just been for the benefit of the ruling members of the ministries. I wasn’t totally convinced but everything she said made sense… I didn’t know what to do… what can you do when everything you believed was wrong? I wasn’t sure when I started crying b-but when I finally got control of myself my head was in her lap and she was brushing my mane; it felt like I was a little filly again, like somehow she would make it all ok.”
As the mare before me completely broke down I reached over and wrapped her in my hooves. I couldn’t know exactly how she felt but I did know what it was like to find out everything you had been told all your life was nothing but a lie. It was… had to move on past something like that, but she must have to be here so there was still a story to tell. That said I wasn’t about to push her to continue till she’d gotten out her emotions, I may have hardened after leaving the stable but I was far from heartless… at least I hoped I was.
It took her a while to calm down but eventually she regained her composure. Looking up at me she gave a small sad smile saying “Thank you Snowy but I can see the look in your eyes.”
Before I could deny my own thoughts she spoke them aloud “You want to know if, after everything I learned, I still killed my mother.”
“I… did you?”
“No I didn’t have to. We talked for hours and for a moment it felt like I was still a young mare just visiting with my mother, still I knew there was something I was supposed to do. But I couldn’t, not before we talked and centrally not after. I tried to tell her but she just waived it off, she gave me the location she was supposed to get to after leaving the city and then she… s-she.”
She was shaking like a leaf and it looked like she was moments from breaking down completely. I was about to tell her to stop when she wiped a hoof across her eyes and sat herself back up “You have to understand when I move on a target I check the room for anything my target could use as a weapon b-but I didn’t check this time. There was a gun sitting on the end table, it was lying out in the open plain as day and I didn’t even notice, then she took it and said goodbye a-and she… and she…”
*** *** ***
It took several hours for Nightsha… no Ruby to get back her composer. I’d stopped her from continuing; I knew what she was going to say and defiantly knew I didn’t need to hear it, so instead I pressed a hoof to her mouth and pulled her into a tighter hug.
There were still some questions I wanted answered but the mare was in no state to indulge my curiosity and besides I needed to check on everypony else. Slipping out of bed I managed to find the other four ponies staying here out in the new garden by the clinic, Strawberry was tending to some of the tiny plants while Petunia was keeping the little ones entertained with tales of the old world.
The mare noticed my approach and waved me over “Morning Princess it’s good to see ya back on your hooves.”
“Petunia I told you not to call me princess!”
Her mouth cracked into a smile “Ah know that sugarcube but Ah just love the way yoa blush”
I hadn’t realized I had been till she said something and afterward I felt the urge to blush even harder. Pushing it aside I embraced the mare, I was surprised to realize how little it mattered to me that she and her husband had tried sell me out but with the way things were out here and that they didn’t have any choice it didn’t seem like much of an issue.
Pulling away from the mare looked me over saying “Well Ah’m no medical pony so take from this what ya will but ya still look like hell Snowah. Anyway from what the little ones was telling me ya gone and lost Glitter somewhere.”
“Yes unfortunately, from what I can tell she disappeared after she led you back here. Speaking of here I have a favor to ask.”
“Snowah consideren ya didn’t just shoot us or leave to them ruffians Ah’ll do anything ya need ifen ah can.”
I pulled her aside so the little foals wouldn’t hear us “I’m going to be heading back up north tomorrow, and hopefully Ruby will be joining me. I’m not about to send those foals with me so I was hoping you and Strawberry could look after them till I get back.”
“Sure thing sugarcube Ah think we could Berry an me can handle a few little ponies fer a few days.”
For the moment almost everything was settled, I wasn’t sure they would want to stay here with the two ghouls but it was the safest place for them.
As if reading my mind I turned around to find Dusty three inches from me “Hey listen… uh I kinda need to talk to you so… uh follow me.”
The little cold trotted around the building and I slipped around behind him, I wasn’t sure what he could want but I wanted to find out. Rounding the corner I found the brown colt nervously kicking at the dirt “Look P-princess I… I just wanted to say I’m sorry.”
Well that sure made everything clear “Sorry? What in Equestria are you sorry for Dusty?”
“For how I’ve been acting ok… I was behaving like a mule. I was just worried for my sister but she was right, it was a bad idea to work with the militia.”
Sure Dusty had been a tittle gruff but I didn’t think he needed to apologize. Before I could say anything however the colt had sprinted off back around the building.”
I hadn’t a clue what his issue was but I felt confidant he’d tell me in time. Besides I need to get back inside, my wing looked a lot better with the fresh bandages on if but it itched like crazy and I didn’t know how long it would take to heal.
Once back inside I found Ruby sitting at her desk gazing wistfully at a picture of a cutely plump silver mare with a kind cheerful face. Catching me standing next to her Ruby blushed and looked away “Ruby is that your mother?”
The mare sighed softly, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes “Yes her name was Sterling Silver, one of the only mares in my family who bucked the trend and became something other than a nurse.”
Come on say something to cheer her up.
“I can see where you got your good looks from.”
Smooth Snowy real smooth.
Ruby sniffled a bit but did crack a smile “Thanks dear though I think you probably could have said that better.”
“Ya… eheheh sorry about that.”
“It’s all right, at least it was heartfelt. Anyway I’m sure you didn’t come find me to talk about my looks, I know you have more questions about my past but you’ll have to wait to get them answered, for now we need to head up north and find the Vanguard.”
I was stunned “Wait your actually going to come with me?” I had hoped she would but I never thought it would be that easy.
Ruby sighed and slipped the picture back into her desk “Of course I am Snowy, preferably I’d like to keep as far away from them as I can but this isn’t just about me anymore.” She smile ruefully “besides if I don’t go with you who’s going to patch you up when you get shot again?”
“Hey! It’s not my fault ponies like to shoot me ok… ugh fine but I don’t have much ammo left and my armor has bit the big one so we’re going to need fresh supplies.”
The white unicorn nodded saying “I think I have something that could help with the armor problem but for ammo we either need to back to Baleville or head up to Horntown. For now though you get some rest while I get my own gear ready.”
I nodded and trotted out of the room towards the bed.
A few strides from the door my horn lit with magic as Ruby’s voice floated out after me “And don’t even think about scratching that wing!”
Shutting off my magic I blushed and quickly headed for the infirmary.

Author's Note

Hey there Everypony its good to be back. Sorry about taking so long on this chapter, I hit a wall made out of writers blocks.