Ch 1: The Princess and the Pauper (Edited)
Harsh heat beat down on the Equestrian wastes, the town of Ponyville quiet and empty. A single mare wandered among the destroyed cars, a pegasus of blonde coat and crimson and orange mane. She held her nose close to the ground as she sniffed about in search of edible grass; a loose definition that everypony defined differently. Some ate the dried tufts of grass that the sun made like leather, others were pleased to eat the first green they found.
Finding a patch of suitable vegetation she began to eat. Lips picked over the stalks gingerly as teeth severed grass from it's roots. The sun shone on her back, free of the overhanging clouds above for a brief moment. In an hour's time the cloud cover would resume and the warmth would dessipate into a balmy lukewarm chill. Not enough to require a jacket, but Caldera found the evenings to be chilly. The weather around the Everfree forest was always the most unwelcoming. Some even reported it still snowed when the later months rolled around.
The sound of tin cans falling caused her ears to fold back on her neck, head lifting instantly. Her eyes were wide as she stood deathly still. Turning her head around slowly she listened again for the sound. With no other ponies, or monsters, in site the pegasus took to a wrecked house that was twenty feet to her left. Opening her large wings she gave a single beat into the air, landing on the remains of the house's second floor. Peering out if a window her purple eyes observed the town for life. For several minutes there was silence before the head of a grape colored pony poked her head out of another house. She crouched and folded her wings close. Wanting to be as small as possible she observed in silence.
"A vault dweller ey?" She mused, tilting her head in an attempt to read the number. No luck at this angle.
The small handgun floated out of the door, magenta aura holding it lopsided in front of it's caster. Not hearing any shots or voices she poked her head out; Nothing but the sun. With slow steps she made her way out the door, her pipbuck's Hostile Detection System, or HDS for short, lit up to show one Allie in her vicinity. The green blip went unnoticed as she made her way outside of the house she had been picking for supplies.
"Minuette..." She said aloud, reading the mailbox as she passed it. Looking to the left she saw another house, a small corner of the second floor visible through the wall. It was sagging dangerously close to the ground. Still, the front door was wide open, prompting her to briefly trot inside.
"Oh." The house elicited from her, the second floor very clearly collapsed minus whatever was over the entry way. Going in as far as possible the unicorn found there was no more house to explore. Turning towards the door she caught sight of the radar. Wysteria perked her ears up and looked towards the door, unaware of the pegasus flattened against the floor just above her. "The school..." She mumbled, opening the door and running out. In her head the pipbuck was just pointing her forward.
The school before her stood three stories high with bright red walls and wooden accents. Windows had been blown out years ago, a skeleton or two half hung out of the higher stories. A section of the building had collapsed, exposing several classrooms to the elements. A hoof pressed on the large grey double doors and pushed in, the stench of decay and blood hitting her nostrils hard. She coughed violently for a moment before the sound of a voice caught her attention.
"Hey, was that you?" It was gruff and sick sounding.
"No I thought that was you?"
"What about Prick?"
"HEY PRICK!"
Lifting up her hoof Wysteria took note of the red ticks scatted across the readout of her pipbuck's radar. She gulped, realizing that the mark she had followed in here could have been a malfunction. Surveying the scene she noticed she was in the school's entryway, a large cage in the dead canter of the room. The remains of ponies long since decayed were piled in the center, school supplies and scavenged items scattered among the skeletons.
Slowly Wysteria made her way to the desk, eyes focused on the doors for any activity. So far the raiders were content with figuring out who coughed so loudly. She found a container of Mentalins and an old pin for the "Ponyville Pylons." The sound of clicking made her quickly stash the items in her saddle bags, ducking behind the desk.
Silence.
The mare lifted her head in time for the door to swing open finally, a rather tattered brown stallion charging through with a shotgun in his mouth. He had seen better days, body covered in scars and mane half gone. Whinnying behind him was a mare with a blood red coat, she laughed.
"Come out come out where ever you are little mouse..." Her voice was sickeningly sweet, false, and a little too loud. She floated a knife in front of her, ready to stab whatever she found.
"Maybe there's nothing here?" The brown stallion retorted, letting his gun down for a second.
The mare jumped up on the counter and twirled around to better seen the room. She made a quiet motion with her front hoof. The other quietly picked up his gun and began to sneak.
Wysteria, who had ducked in time, was silently counting her bullets. She had enough to take them out for sure but did she have time to reload? What if the stallion shot first? A shaky exhale escaped her lips, the sound confirming what the enemies had heard.
"Got you you piece of shit!" The shotgun was swung around the counter, the stallion leaping up after. His prey squeaked, dropping her gun in surprise. "Beg for me!"
Wysteria opened her mouth as she reached for her gun with her magic. Blindly she picked up the remains of an ashtray and pointed at her foe. Ears flattened as she realized her mistake, the shotgun knocking it out of her aura.
"Aw, look at how terrified she is!" The raider mare laughed, " We should sell her to Rusted Shank! I bet he'd pay big for a mare like that!"
Neither had time to react as the stallion collapsed loudly on the counter in a loud crunchy snap. In his place a yellow pegasus stood, her hooves planted into his now lifeless corpse. Purple eyes stared the raider mare down before she slapped her with a wing and jumped at her. For a moment the fight was a flurry of yellow and pink and loud swearing. A shot was fired and a crack was heard, the unicorn mare falling to the floor limp.
Wysteria stared at her savior, her gun finally held in front of her. Her mouth was agape and her eyes were wide as they could get illiciting a laugh from the pegasus.
"Calm down I'm not going to kill you." She mused, sitting on her haunches and searching her kill for supplies. She manually sorted through piles of junk until she found enough usable supplies fo satiate her need. "Check the stallion, you'd be surprised what you find." A cigarette was held between two of her feathers as she pulled a lighter from her saddle bags.
"Wha-hah...ah...you!" The purple unicorn stuttered, standing cautiously and holding out her gun.
"Check your radar..." Caldera mused, exhaling a puff from her cigarette.
"Radar?"
Eyes rolled as she tapped her forehoof, a pipbuck of her own attached where she touched. She used a feather to point to a blip on her own, "That's you..."
"Oh! The HDS..." Wysteria replied, lifting her leg to read her own. Green; non-hostile. Looking again at her sudden acquiantence she tilted her head a bit, the gun still held aloft. "Why?"
"Why what? I haven't killed you yet?" She mused, putting the half smoked cigarette out on the rancid tile floors. "Curious really. I mean I'm a courier not a raider." Lies, but then again she couldn't think of a good reason either.
"Well..."pink eyes breifly darted around in mixed emotions. "Thanks..." Standing cautiously she looked over the body of the stallion; A few shells for the shotgun, a crude knife, a stimpack and some med-x. Something on his leg caught her attention, a golden bracelet inlaid with a single glimmering diamond. She pulled it off with her magic and examined it, her pegasus company gasping. She gave a nod and handed it over without commuting, the gasp enough for her.
"Well shit, where the hell did you find one of these..." She mumbled, turning it over in her hooves.
"T-the corpse." Wysteria replied. She was met with a rather apethic look of 'really?' She coughed, "I mean...what is it?"
"Unicorn Levitation magic embued into a spell containing matrix." She smirked and looked on her hoof for a place for it, her legs already covered in the black and metal barding of her armor. She removed the black glove over her hoof and placed the bracelet over her fur. The glove covered it perfectly, the clasp sitting just below where the bracelet sat. "Perfect!"
"So it let's you use a levitation spell?" The unicorn mused.
"Yes, essentially. That's how that stallion used his shotgun like that. I don't think he knew how to use it though, it still feels...full?" She ended on a question, unsure how to answer.
Wysteria made a sound before bouncing back on her hooves. She lifted a cup," Here! Imagine you're picking it up with your hooves but you're not. Like...feel like you want to without doing it..."
Caldera stared at the other, tilting her head. This was a bad place to learn a new skill.
"HEY! What the fuck is taking so long Prick!" A voice called from down the hall, both mares realizing they had gotten distracted. The sound of the cup shattering echoed through the room soon there after.
"What the fuck was that?" Another voice asked.
"Ah shit the raiders..." Caldera mumbled, looking for a way out. A door behind Wysteria got her attention, reaching to open it up with haste. "Get in!" She hissed, shoving the unicorn inside.
"What are we doing?" She asked as she was pushed, the sond of hoofsteps not too far behind. Shutting the door behind Caldera she stared at the other in the dark. "What are we doing?"
"Hey asking twice doesn't make me work faster. Where's that shotgun?"
"Outside I think."
"Fuck..."
"Hey what the hell? They'de dead!" The sound of another raider exclaimed on the other side of the door.
"Fuck we have intruders! Go tell Deathtoll and the others."
"Ok ok, we can take these two on. Open the door!"
"WHAT?!" She nearly shreiked, covering her mouth.
"Luna Dammit..." Caldera scolded, "look turn that pretty ass of yours around get ready to buck something, hard."
The door was swung open violently, two raiders turning to the door behind them that had swing open.
"I'm gonna wear your hide like a trophy when we're done with you! "
"Ooh hoo hoo can I have their teeth?! They'd make such pretty ne-" she stopped mid sentence as she walked in when two purple hooves made contact with her skull. Her partner crumpled with her as the two mares succeeded in their attack.
"Oops..." Caldera muttered as her target bled in large quantities at her hooves. "Come on! And get that shotgun!" The pegasus galloped out of the office, her unicorn companion following after with the shotgun in tow.
--------------------*~*~*-----------------------
With one last crack of her gun the final raider occupying the schoolhouse collpased. His corpse now a lifeless shell bleeding out onto the floorboards before her, barding intact save one hole in his chest.
"Anything good on him?" Caldera asked, trotting up with a package of preserved snackcakes in one hoof. It had been opened and already half eaten.
"No idea, just...killed him." It felt so alien to say, something she never imagined would leave her mouth. She noticed her partner had nothing to say to that, a gentle look on her face reassuring the doubt in her tone. " So...what now?"
The pegasus stopped mid bite at the questions, " What do you mean what now?" She played off of Wysteria's guilty look, " You mean you left the vault for shits and giggles with no plan and no idea about the outside?"
"Well no I-" She silenced at the other's raised wing, biting her lip.
"Why are you out here?" Caldera's voice was calm and gentle, coaxing her into trust.
"To find my sister...Moonlily. " She paused to inhale, " She left the vault this morning, Wild Indigo let me know. He helped me escaped but..." She paused to catch her breath, " I don't have anything else to go on I saw the sign for Megatin but how am I supposed to know if they're friendly i mean what if I just go in and they kill me or if I get captured I mean do people even do that out here how am I-"
"Woah Woah woah hold on!" Caldera cut her off and put a hoof to her mouth. "Chill, let's take this one step at a time. You're looking for your sister?"
"Uh huh, Moonlily. She's about my height, much lighter purple coat and-"
"Do you have any idea why she left?"
"No...no I don't." She hung her head and let her shoulders slump.
"Let's get you to Megatin then, I'm sure they'd be willing to help."
"But how do you know it's safe?" Her ears raised at the others idea, tilting her head in confusion.
"I don't, but the folks I just handed a package to were fairly polite. If they wanted me for slavery i think they would have taken me while they had me indoors." Now that she thought about it she got very lucky.
"That's a terrible counter-argument..."
"Yeah well it's better than yours! " She huffed and flattened her ears momentarily. "Caldera by the way."
"Calde-" She stopped to realize they had never exchanged names. " Wysteria! With a 'y.'"
"Pleasure 'Wysteria with a Y,' now that we got THAT out of the way. Let's get out of here." She whinnied and stood, wings folding close.
Wysteria nodded and trotted After her companion, eyes wandering to the walls. She had never really payed much mind to them earlier. Some of the posters had been posted in her own school room including one of a purple alicorn with her wings spread wide. The text, she noticed, was different from the ones she grew up with.
"These always give me the willies..." Caldera mumbled, Wysteria's attention brought to a poster that depicted ponies of all breeds in uniforms with guns. It read 'VOLUNTEER!' In bright red letters at the bottom. She made no comment other than getting closer to the other.
"We have these in the vault! They don't say Volunteer though. They say things like 'Eat your veggies!' and 'Help The Overseer!'" Wysteria chimed. "Do all of the posters out here have Princess Twilight Sparkle on them?"
"Who?" Caldera asked.
"Princess Twilight Sparkle." Wysteria answered. " The purple alicorn on the poster back there."
"Oh! I...don't know? I've never paid attention before. " Caldera stopped to open a door that was ajar. " Hold on a moment, I want to check this room for supplies."
Wysteria followed Caldera into the room, a single terminal on the desk catching her attention. Trotting over she began to pick through the entries to read while Caldera fiddled with a locked supply closet.
January 17th, 16 LY
Twilight Sparkle came to see the class today, it was good to talk to her again. It made me feel old, but she brings a smile to everyone's face. She looked so tired, the poor thing must be working hard in Canterlot. She mentioned to me she had big news...
January 17th, 16 LY
As it turns out the news is about those vaults they've been installing along the west coast. Ponyville is getting one just on the ridge to the east of the cannery. This is big news, I wonder how long before my students start to realize what this means. I worry it will do in the coming months to my attendance numbers.
"Huh..." Caldera mumbled
"Hm..." The distracted tone of Caldera drew Wysteria's attention to her. Walking over she found the other ankles deep in sorting junk.
"Uh..."
"Junk, mostly. However I can salvage this old terminal for scrap and parts. Looks like the screens been busted for a long time." She waved about the remaining husk of
The terminal as the screen fell out, Wysteria jumping back. "Megatin probably has a need for these." She began to stockpile items into her saddlebags," so what's up?"
"Oh! I found an old terminal, it looks like it has pre-war entries on it." Her voice was soft and shy," it starts with the announcement of Vault 75..."
"Sounds really cool! You'll see a lot of those out here."
"Vaults?"
"Old terminals with pre-war entries. Well and Vaults too, but not as many!" She nickered and tightened her packs.
"C-could I continue to read them?" The terminals back home were always overwritten when someone passed away, the only exceptions being the overseer, the medical staff, and maintenence. She briefly recalled an old entry from some pony named Nurse Redheart, but for now the contents skipped her mind.
"Well, you could but it's possible someone else may found this place. I don't exactly know how desolate it is here. Someone else may find this place.” Trotting over she tightened the other's saddlebags. " Let's head out to Megatin, they always have a few communal beds open to sleep in."
Wysteria nodded and took a moment to transfer the files to her pip-buck. With the data in place, she pulled the wire and trotted out behind Caldera. The halls were quiet save for the sound of their hooves.
"What do you think it was like?"
"Where?"
"Here...in school," she adjusted the question in accordance to Caldera's bewildered expression. " I mean before the war, when everything was intact and new!"
"Who knows, must have been nice to not fight for your life."
Wysteria's ears fell, her partner opening her wings as they stepped outside. Flapping once it took to the sky and began to circle around.
"Hey!" She looked up, " Don't worry about it!" Smirking she followed her new pegasus companion in the direction of town. As she walked she passed an old stone statue; A tall alicorn with the longest hair she has ever seen and a cutie mark of the sun. She paused to observe it before walking on after Caldera. She had seen that mare plenty of times in her life, this would not be the last either.
--------------------*~*~*-----------------------
Megatin was impressive to say the least, the entire town was built out of the remains of an old tin can factory. A small road led up to the settlement, a few Coronas still in the place their owners left them. From where they stood Wysteria could see the tail of a plane embedded into the far wall. A single pegasus with a rust colored coat waved them in, the large metal doors sliding up and out to reveal an entryway.
Inside the doorway was the most impressive thing Wysteria had seen so far. Elevated paths and small homes had been made out of the large factory floor before her. Shops were marked clearly with lit up Marquees and old neon signs salvaged from elsewhere. Ponies of all species, shapes, and sizes were present here, even foals which Wysteria found surprising.
" Well well well, so the horn was right! A vault dweller, here, in my own town." A voice pulled both mare's attention to an earth Stallion who had appeared before them. He wore a cowboy hat and a rifle, the latter holstered with the remains of what had once been a Brahmin.
"Hello?" Wysteria replied, "and who might you be?" She looked to Caldera for help, instead she was nodded to continue the conversation.
"Ah excuse me," he replied, catching sight of Caldera and bowing briefly, " I am Barley Sam. I'm the Sheriff here, and mayor too when they need one. "
"Ah! The pleasures mine, I'm Wysteria." She bowed back. Her mane falling into her face.
"Caldera," she added, nodding towards him and extending her wings. “I believe we met earlier today actually."
“Ah, so we did. You’re the courier from the Moojave over out where New Pegasus is located. I remember you had a delivery for Marwari.”
“Yes I-”
“SO this is Megatin?!” Wysteria interjected, her hoof out before her. Caldera eyed her and laughed, stepping back to let her talk to Sam.
Sam raised his ears before stepping aside. "Yes Ma'am. So what exactly brings you our way."
Wysteria took the invitation and walked alongside him as Caldera walked behind. "I'm looking for my sister, Moonlily. She left the vault this morning."
"Missing sister huh? Your best bet is the saloon on the upper level. If you need supplies there's a store on the mid-level by the old science lab." He pointed out the locations he mentioned with his hoof slowly.
"Upper level?" She repeated, following the directions he pointed starting with the saloon on the upper level. Few pegasus flew about, maintaining the strings of lights that were strung along the roof. The orange glow of dusk filtered in from holes in the factory roof and bathed town in a warm brilliant glow. A large sign reading "Marwari’s Pub" stood out among the buildings on the upper pathway. It was lit up with old bulbs and two halves of a sign that had seen better days.
"Yeah, Marwari’s. I'm sure you've seen that big neon sign already. There's also a restaurant on the opposite side. They make really good brahmin stew if you're interested. It's not Vault fare but it's the best thing you'll have for miles!" He pointed with his hoof to the small building, a sign that once had been for a truck stop nailed to wall.
"Wow..." Was about all she could whisper as her eyes wandered more. Strings of lights were strung along pipes and the rails in front of houses. Even walkways made of old train cars held a few bulbs for lights. It was impressive to say the least. The store sign of the general store was lit up as well, the name "Conveyor Line Supply" visible from where she stood.
"Wow indeed, we've had quite the system built up around here! Now, I have to get going back to my duties but you ladies come find me if anyone gives you any issues."
Caldera nodded a thank you and began her way up a walkway towards the general store. Wysteria waved and said a loud thank you as she galloped after her.
“You never said this place was so beautiful Caldera.”
“Well, I’m not much of the describin' type. I’m more of a...show n' tell mare.”
“Uh huh…”
Caldera stopped to looked back at her, "What? You think I was going to hold your hoof and tell you fanciful stories of the wastes? We just met.”
“Well, you’re right...and you are being very kind to me.” She perked her ears up. “ Why did you follow me anyway? I could have been a raider.”
“No raider has a vault suit that clean and intact.”
“Do they?”
Caldera rolled her eyes, smiled, and gently pushed Wysteria aside as she continued up the ramp. "Come on, let's get you on your way to find your sister."
Wysteria stumbled and yelled out "Hey!" Before laughing and following. Today had been eventful and informative, she hoped however that tomorrow would be less dangerous. At least she had Caldera, and that helped quite a bit.
Ch 2: Sweet Apple Acres (edited)
Conveyor Line Supply was, to say the least, an impressive use of the space within it's confines. True to it's name conveyors from the factory line jutted it's way through the structure along the two longest walls. A cash register and safe had been set up behind the one closest to the door while goods ranging from food to robotic parts lined the other. Shelves erected around the metal walls showcased everything to offer, a guard standing int he far corner to make sure none of it was stolen. There was a curtain adjacent to this guard, a single red fabric strung up over an old shower rod. The pony behind the counter, a reddish brown mare with hair pulled tight in a bun, greeted Caldera as she entered.
"Welcome to Conveyor Line Supply! What can I do ya for?" She waved a hoof in their direction and continue counting caps.
"Any kind of barding we can modify hers with?" Caldera jabbed a hoof at Wysteria who had found something to be preoccupied with in record time; A bear trap with old blood and bits mingled in the teeth.
"Ooh! A vault dweller. You know someone came in earlier with the same number on it not too long ago. " she nodded in Wysteria's direction and turned to look at one of her shelves for the armor in question.
"Wait someone else came in?" Caldera's ears perked up at the mention of another vault dweller, her eyes shifting to Wysteria.
"Yeah, said she was looking for someone. Why she a friend of yours?" She gingerly slammed a pair of leathers on the counter. "100 caps."
"That's a little steep for leathers with plasma gun damage..." Caldera pulled out a purple coin purse and began to count her caps.
"So you caught that?" She snickered. "I can't say I can make them cheaper but..." She watched as Wysteria set off a bear trap only to open it again and watch the parts move. "I can definitely make a trade. I'm writing a book and I need help. Finish it and I'll give a rebate. Hey I'll even throw in information on your friend, hows that sound?"
"What kind of help?" Caldera had heard the trap and turned to watch the other pony in the room.
"Well, I can't really leave the store on account of being the only one really qualified to run it. Not that anyone can't run a store but it takes skill not to run you business into the floor. Especially when you're the hot spot in town. " She took Caldera's caps and grinned as wide as possible" Sooo I need help writing my book. I've been reading up on some old pre-war magazines and Uncle's Orchard Grocery Mart appear to have been the place to get goods back in the day. I need someone to scout the one just north of here and report if they're still good places to find supplies! I'd send you to sweet apple acres but I figured you'd want something more interesting to do."
"I mean I could tell you, I just went through there on my way in." Caldera took the leathers with a rather deadpan look. "We'll check Sweet Apple Acres."
"Way in? Oh that's right you're from up by Las Pegasus." She waved a hoof in excitement before leaning over the counter. "Check the farm and tell me EVERYTHING and I'll exchange it for what I mentioned earlier."
"Eh..." Caldera looked back at Wysteria before turning back around. "Sure, we'll take the job."
"Fantastic! Here, I'll mark it on your pipbuck for you!" She reached over the counter and began to fiddle with the knobs on the device.
"Great, I'll mark hers too then Miss..."
" Ivory Spice."
"Ivory Spice?"
The mare nodded and leaned on her hoof, " I'm sure your name is just as charming!"
Caldera eyed Ivory and trotted over to Wysteria. Lifting her leg, she began to work to mark the spot on her companion's own pipbuck map, " I bartered us some info for a job. You in?"
"A job?" Wysteria tilted her head at the other, " How many caps are we getting an hour? What is our work week like? Do we get a pension?" Wysteria leaned in close, staring Caldera down.
"A...pension? What?" Caldera pushed Wysteria back, " It's just a quick errand, there's no...pen-shon." Trotting to the door she help it open, catching a glance at Murky giggling. " What the hell do they teach you in those vaults anyway?"
"Economy, Government, Histo-"
"I was being facetious Wysteria."
The unicorn frowned and trotted through the door, her tongue sticking out at Caldera.
"Good Hunting!" Ivory Spice called after them, waving enthusiastically as the door closed.
--------------------*~*~*-----------------------
Silence dominated as the two companions walked below the remains of a concrete overpass. Skeletons of old cars and delivery trucks littered the top as old electricity wires hung below. A few cars balanced over the sides, the remains of old ponies frozen in their last moments of life in the driver seats. Wysteria was more interested in the ponies within the cars than the cars themselves. The more she stared the longer her expression got.
"What's with the frown Sugarcube?" Caldera called back, having been in front of Wysteria for most of the walk.
"I've just been thinking about a few things." She replied, pulling her line of sight from the cars to the dirt.
"Like?" Caldera had a good feeling where this was going, it was just a matter of coaxing it our of her. A pregnant pause followed her question, the pegasus looking forward. If her companion wasn't ready to be questioned then she wouldn't pry.
"Like why?" Wysteria replied, the sound of her hooves stopping.
Caldera walked a few feet before she caught it, turning around to face her. Wysteria had sat on her haunches, head hung low and tears dripping down her muzzle.
"Why would she leave...it's so much safer in there. " Her voice was quiet and shaky. " Everything was fine, we were fine. We were safe. She was safe...I" She licked her lips and looked up at Caldera. There was a desperation in her eyes, a longing look that wanted answers. She looked to Caldera for them who, in turn, could only stand and watch.
"let's move on yeah? We're vulnerable here."
Wysteria sighed and nodded, slowly getting to her hooves. She wiped away the tears on her face and walked up to Caldera.
The land between the overpass and sweet apple acres was barren and empty. Evidence of heavily wooded forest could be seen, the pathway turning into cobblestone. Caldera chose to take to the sky to better see the area. Wysteria remained quiet, her head full of worries and questions.
--------------------*~*~*-----------------------
The site of Sweet Apple Acres was still as impressive as it had been before the world came to an end. The main house, a barn styled abode with three levels, stood tall among the horizon. The white picket fence had seen several better days, years even, as what was left of it surrounded only the front of the house. Behind the house at a distance was the brightest red barn either mare had ever seen in person, the doors wide open to the world. Acres of treas cascaded out behind the barn into fields that had once been the only source of Zap Apples and Sweet Brilliant Reds.
Wysteria approached the door of the barnhouse, pulling out of her saddlebags a screwdriver and a very fine hoofpick. Testing the door she found it locked; perfect, a new skill to hone in on.
"Where did you learn to lockpick?" Caldera chimed in, trotting past her to look at the barn.
"Watching you at the school. I figured I'm not always going to have you around so I might as well learn. " Wysteria replied, carefully turning the lock. Coaxing the mechanism halfway several times she gave in. "Damn..." She'd have to have Caldera guide through it, there was something she just wasn't doing right. She decided to follow to the barn for now, prospects for finding loot a little more hopeful for her unskilled hooves.
The inside of the barn was dark, the smell of centuries of dirt and rot prominent in the air. Piles of what had once been hay were stacked around the building in piles. A cow skeleton lay melted to the remains of a plow near the doorway.
"Anything good?" Wysteria asked Caldera, the latter on the second floor balcony already.
"Not yet, but there's a terminal up here!" A loud crash followed. "Terminal and a safe..."
Wysteria giggled and placated herself exploring the ground floor. The space beneath the second floor space had several boxes strewn across the floor. A few crates were stacked under one of the windows.
Crack!
Wysteria whipped around violently; nothing.
"Was that you?" She called.
"Huh uh...sure." Was the response she got. It was clear her pegasus friend was thoroughly distracted.
She turned back to the boxes that had been knocked over, kicking them aside to better explore. A few old tin cans fell out of them with a loud clank. Make shift tents that had since collapsed were crammed into the back of the barn along with a few skeletons. Leaning forward her horn lit up to better examine in the dark. Carefully she lifted the top of each tent to better view inside. The first tent held nothing but a stain of a corpse that had once been. The second held a holotape that Wysteria put aside for later. The third was as empty as the first. Disappointed with her finds she rather carelessly lifted the fourth tent, a weight causing her horn to pull her forward off balance. For a moment she spent time lifting the tent to ensure she wasn't just dreaming it had a weight to it. With care she opened the front of the tent in case whatever she had disturbed was still alive in inside.
Wrapped in blankets was the corpse of a pony whose fur had long sloughed off leaving the naked skin. A cutie mark was barely visible as mold grew across the flanks making Wysteria gag and back up. The sight was one to behold for someone who had never seen the effects of the wastes up close. Coughing outside of the tent she returned to get a pulse, gently turning it to check for wounds. She was curious, going through her head what Moonlily had taught her about medicine. This cadaver was perfect, lifting the head to inspect the eyes. As she stared into them with her horn lit up bright they centered back at her. For a moment there was absolute stillness before Wysteria threw the corpse back down. Never had she backed up so quickly and away from something. The site in itself was disturbing, but not as disturbing as when it began to kick it's legs!
"Caldera?" She called, eyes fixed on the moving tent.
"Hm?" Caldera replied," you find something?"
"Y-y-you could say that, yes..." Wysteria replied quietly, watching as the corpse of the pony came stumbling out of the tent. It's mouth dripped with a dark ichor as it freed itself. Legs shivered and shook as it struggled to support itself. The skin had receded around the mouth enough to leave the monster's teeth visible at all times. It's eyes were glossed over and milky, the stare unfocused. Silence hung for a time before it came to properly; Teeth bared, body tensing, and a sound of snarling roared through the air as the monster ran.
With every centimeter this thing jumped at her Wysteria's tone escalated from quiet to a scream. Somewhere in the noise was Caldera's name being called. In a bright flash of light the unicorn curled up and let her lungs empty.
"Whoa! Whoa! Enough with the screaming! "Caldera retorted, pulling out her gun and knocked on the bubble shield.
Wysteria looked up and stared at her, tears streaming down her face. Her tail was curled between her hind quarters, her ears as flat as they could go. She was panting and making a rattling cry with each exhale. She was backed up against the far end of her shield, the body of the ghoul pressed against it at the neck. The other half of the neck, which had the head attached to it, was stuck inside the bubble with her.
"You ok?" Caldera asked.
Wysteria opened her mouth to speak several times before she simply sat and nodded. Her breathing was beginning to slow down now that Caldera was there.
"Alright," she pulled her gun out and held it before her, trigger at the ready. "Drop it."
Swallowing loudly Wysteria did as requested. A shimmering pop resounded through the barn, silence following after. The head fell with a sickly plop, the body following. Black and brown ichor oozed from the meat, a smell slowly wafting up to the two ponies. Wysteria blinked rapidly and moved to cover her nose, retching a few times into her hoof. Her fear quickly changed into disgust.
"Oh Gods that smells awful! What is that thing?" She stepped back a few more paces away.
"A ghoul," Caldera replied, walking forward and nudging the head with her hoof," they're what happens when high exposure to radiation doesn't kill you. Think of it like nuclear preservation; you gain immortality and radiation immunity but you lose what identifies you most." A sickening pop followed her sentence. " Sometimes even your brain goes..." She turned to look at Wysteria, their eyes locking before walking away.
For a moment there was quiet between them until Wysteria's ears perked up.
"Brain goes...like Alzheimer's?"
"Alzheimer's? " Caldera stopped at the ladder that lead upstairs.
"Yeah it...it's a disease we learned about in the Vault. It's where your 'brain goes.' You lose yourself...like you said. You forget your memories, your friends, like time wound back for you."
"Oh," Caldera's ears swiveled back, " No, that's not the same thing." She waved a hoof, " I guess I should have described it better. " She rubbed her chin, " I guess the name gives it away. We call them Feral Ghouls!"
"Couldn't you have just said that in the first place?" Wysteria looked every so slightly annoyed at this simple revelation.
"Yes and no. Not all ghouls are feral. Some are just as they were before they changed, they just look different."
Wysteria tilted her head before the pop from before caused her to whip around. "Hey...I don't think we're as alone as we thought. " The pop sound echoed again, a pile of hay rustling as another followed.
"Yeah that's not surprising. Come on let's get out of here. " Caldera galloped towards the door. The twin barrels of a shotgun meeting with her face at the entryway. Behind it was an earth pony who had definitely seen better days. A ghoul, just as Caldera had described. A distracted Wysteria bumped into her companions rear end, falling back with a squeak. Caldera turned to help her up, the other rubbing her head.
The gun was lowered, " Breathers huh?" He stared at Caldera's uniform, specifically at the pin on her collar. " Come on, the farmhouse is safer than the barn. "
Quickly they galloped behind the ghoul who led them into the farmhouse. He slammed the door and locked it, barring both inside. Not soon after came the sound of pounding, rotting hooves against the door.
"This is both highly coincidental and convenient. Does this happen often to you?" Wysteria said, then asked.
"Well I'd be lying if I didn't say yes. So yes."
"Quiet both ah' you. What're you doin' in the barn?" The ghoul interrupted, slamming his shotgun on the dinner table.
"Scavenging for supplies. We saw it from up on the hill, decided to check it out. " Caldera replied, a wing extended in front of Wysteria.
The ghoul lit an old cigarette and smoked it. " Want one?" He offered. Caldera took it and leaned in to light it. Wysteria chose to scrunch her nose. "Now Ah'd have taken your story as truth, but'chyou ain't from 'round these here parts." He eyed Caldera and inhaled his cigarette deeply, exhaling out the side of his mouth where a tooth had once been. "Aren't you a lil' far from the Moojave?" He watched them with his one 'good' eye, the other nothing more but a hallowed space in his skull.
"I had a delivery at Megatin." Caldera replied, " then I was hired on as protection."
He looked back and fourth between the two before inhaling his cigarette again deeply.
"Bullshit," He replied on an exhale, the smoke crawling out between his teeth thickly. "She's got no radiation n' her. Why she's as clean as a newborn foal in pre-war Canterlot, hell I'd even say she's probably never seen outside." he stepped forward," No Vault Dweller's got enough caps to give what'yer askin' for protection." He leaned in close and blew smoke in the Pegasus' face, her ears pressed against her head.
"Hey! That's very rude of you!" Wysteria intervened, stepping up but not between the two of them. Caldera snorted at the Ghoul before he began to laugh and back up. They both looked at each other in confusion.
"Yer right, ain't none of my business anyhow. Com'on, we're no good in the kitchen. Best let them git bored before I let you two go back out there." He walked towards the entrance to the kitchen, picking up his gun on the way out.
Both girls stood still a moment before Wysteria wrapped a foreleg around Caldera's. Slowly they kept pace together and followed. By the looks of things they'd be spending the night here, and they had a lot to catch up on.
