Fallout Equestria: Black Smoke

Chapters

Chapter One: Bar
Chapter Two: Dirt
Chapter Three: Flood
Prologue

Chapter One: Bar

Chapter One: Bar

“If I may give you some advice, never look back.”

It was raining.

The silver clouds have never rested with their endless streams of water. I was trotting in woods, making my way to a nearby town when first raindrops splashed on my hat. You really wanted to find a cover when clouds burst out their rage. And that's exactly what I did.

I hid in the nearest cave and pushed some dirt to the entrance. This area was quite often flooded even before the war and if I didn't want to wake up swimming with fish, it was the best thing I could do. The cave was big enough for me but I was wet and it was getting cold. I sat down and put down my saddle bag, which was full of junk. I managed to find some paper and notes and put them on the ground...

Sound from somewhere in the woods. It didn't sound close, but the cave make it sound pretty loud. I froze and held my breath. I was in no condition to fight. Even a small bloatsprite could take me out at this moment. My hooves were freezing. I kept my breath in for a few more seconds, trying to pick up any kind of sounds but nothing.

I sighed and broke down a bullet, then I poured the powder over the paper and made a spark. The fire made a long loud squeal and fire was born! Hell yeah! I threw some clothes and more papers into the fire and watched the rain. There was nothing more calming than the rhythm of depressed weather. I had a feeling someone was watching me. I tried to shake off the sensation.

There was nothing alive, no sounds. Only me. I pulled out Glint, my father's revolver.

Dad gave it this name because of the light of a torch that was reflecting from it the day he found it. This golden engraved gun with black lines on a mouth grip was like a mirror, that's why I had to put a rug around it in my holster. Bandits and thieves could smell valued things from miles. The cylinder was scratched a bit from the spinning. I used it quite a lot in my job...

No, I'm not doing it anymore. Past is in the past.

I looked at the barrel. An old colt or a young tan stallion with brown mane was staring at me through the lines of a curled wind. His cowpony hat was burnt on the edges. His eyes were full of memories which were slowly killing him. I saw the cloth around his body. His orange eyes were stabbing into my own. I saw myself.

“Good evening, Hollow Point,” I talked to my reflection, “looking more miserable than ever.”

I caressed the revolver. Glint and my cowpony hat were the only memories of my dad. The ragged cloth around my body was supposed to keep me from getting a cold while working on the farm but my mom have never finished it. Now it keeps me from getting a cold while sleeping in caves.

I miss my parents.

They left me five years ago or I left them. Maybe we just left each other. I don't remember, I was just a colt back then. Innocent little colt. My whole world was just a little corn farm. I remember how I used to run in circles every time my parents told me that traders are coming. They always had awesome stories; some of them even tried to teach me how to read, others how to carve figures from small pieces of wood. But what I loved the most were the legends and stories. I worked twice as hard so I could spend more time listening to fairy tales about Princess Celestia and her sister, about Twilight and her friends, about the great Crystal Empire and the list goes on.

I still remember that one day when I learnt traders are coming. I galloped outside to meet them. I was smiling and I kept shouting “Traders!” so swiftly I had to slow down a bit to catch my breath. Then I saw them but before I realized that these traders didn't have any brahmins or that they wore spiked armour, it was too late...

Ugh, i don't want to think about that now. The rain's not stopping any time soon. I think I could take a little nap.

I wrapped myself in the cloth my mom made and stared into the fire. The revolver cradled in my hooves was burning as well. Tiny flames danced on the barrel and cylinder and projected lights on the walls of the cave. I was so tired...but I couldn't sleep, not yet.

The fire could attract anything with normal eyesight. I could hear only drops of water splashing against trees and soil. I wasn't wet anymore, but the evening was still cold. I had to get some energy thought for the trip though, the town, or the ruins of town were really close. I know it because I was here about two years ago.

I curled against the wall as last of the hot flashing lights faded away.

*** *** ***

The morning was exactly how I expected it. Water was absolutely everywhere. It looked like a lake has spilled all over the place. I tried to step into the water.

“Sonuva-,” I gasped when I felt the cold water mixed with a slighty burning sensation.

I gritted my teeth and stepped into the water. It felt really uncomfortable at first but the longer I stayed and didn't move, my legs seemed to adjust to it. I trotted forward and soon the water was up to my knees. I had absolutely no idea where I was, but I knew where to go.

Tiny droplets of water were diving on my hat and in the water below. Dead trees stood like guards who lost their pride, but not their resolve. Maybe there would be birds singing if I was here centuries ago. Maybe trees would be blooming and everything would be bright green, just like in the stories I heard.

I was getting hungry and I had no food. It was time to move forward. I waded through the water in the direction where I remembered the town. I kept Glint in alert because I never knew if something would jump at me from somewhere. The mouth grip was soft and the trigger was very light. If something appeared in front of me, the next second it would vanish into the water.

Luckily, there was nothing on my way to the town. No creature likes cold water. Only I am crazy enough to walk this way. I tried to trot as fast and as quiet as I could. If there were no monsters here, there was always an option of a bandit ambush.

Hill appeared and I could finally step out from the pool. There was a path that led to the place I wanted go to. You know, even when this place looked creepy as hell and not friendly, it still had some beauty in it. Rocks and trees were all around the dirt path. I could see three fallen trees. There was something suspicious about them. They were in the perfect strategic position and I saw faded tracks for dragging them.

I put my revolver back into the holster on my side, this was too risky. I grabbed my hat and waved as high as I could, looking at the fallen trees. Suddenly, one head popped out. Then another, and another. Soon, the forest had dozen or so ponies who were aiming at me.

“State yo' business!" one of them shouted. He had an orange bandana tied around his neck.

Another thing I should get. The dust was just annoying. I looked around. Three figures behind the fallen trees, two on a tree behind me, dark silhouette lying on the ground covered with dirt and few straws of grass moved even when there was no wind. This was already lost fight, no point in making things more aggressive.

“Trade!” I shouted back and waved my saddle bag to him.

One of the ponies behind the tree moved to the stallion who was talking to me before and whispered something. The stallion whispered back and meanwhile they were talking, I was trying to locate everyone in the forest. Ponies on the tree had rifles of some kind, the pony hidden in the dirt had something small, probably SMG. I didn't see anyone in the grass, but I expected them to have pistols or shotguns.

“Let him through!” the stallion shouted and everyone came out of their covers.

Suddenly, there were a dozen more ponies around me. Not everyone had a gun, but every one of them had an armour. I trotted forward, trying to not look surprised. The stallion was waiting in front of me. He had a red mane and yellow coat. The bandana around his neck was in the same shade as his mane and tail. His cutie mark was a rolled paper with a compass and a ruler.

“G'morning, trader!” he smiled like he wasn't pointing a rifle just seconds ago, “Sorry fo' the welcome. We're not expecting traders any soon because of the flooding.”

I waved a hoof. “Don't worry about it. You did the good thing. What's your name?”

He put his right legs in front of his left ones and bowed. “Muh name is Wrench Leap, I arrived in the Rockside last year."

“Rockside?”

“Eyup. After I arrived, the town look desolated. Buildings were falling like card castles. Ponies wanted to go away, so Ah helped them rebuild it. Rockside has established trading routes to other places. But we also had to set up defences. One of our scouts saw a light last night in the forest. We thought those raider folks are comin'. Everything you see here is the half of the town. What do you say 'bout this? Were you surprised?” he blabbered so fast it take me a while understanding what he was asking.

“It was quite... impressing,” I saw little stars in his eyes, “excuse me but I need to go to Rockside now. I have got quite heavy saddle bags.”

“Oh, let me show you around the town!“ he was already trotting forward.

I sighed and followed him. “Excuse me but I already-”

He pointed forward and suddenly I forgot what I wanted to say. The city I remember had two ruined buildings and about four or so ponies who were willing to give their leg for some food. This city had lots of small wooden structures, ponies were walking back and forth, talking about silly stuff that made them laugh. This city actually look like a city! Wrench caught my confused look and smiled widely.

“Excuse you but you already what? he asked.

“Just lead me.” I groaned.

We stepped into the maze of low buildings. Ponies weren't paying any attention to us. Or they were ignoring us. I watched everyone from below my hat warily. I didn't trust anypony here.

“Over here we've the city hall. It doesn't look like those fancy buildin' before the war and it can hold up only six ponies includin' the mayor but it's better than nothin'!”

He pointed his hoof to the left. “That buildin' with two floors? That's our bar. A place where we can relieve our stress from everyday stress.”

That caught my interest. I definitely have to visit that later. “Umm, Wrench? The shop? Trading stuff? Remember?”

“Oh right! This way,” he lead me to a small brown structure with a big sign saying ‘Pap's caps’, “if you need anything, old Pap has it. I will wait outside.”

I trotted inside and I think I heard hooves dancing on a wooden plank outside. As my eyes adjusted to the dim light inside, I was greeted by sacks of food and shelves full of things. I saw weapons in some locked cases. I took a closer look. I recognised a nine-millimeter pistol and SMG, both in pristine quality. One gun looked a lot like a shotgun, but it was made from steel and shorter. I also saw a thin knife. I don't know how anyone could use that. It was so thin it could fall through a hole in my saddle bag. Or maybe I just don't know anything about anything and it's just a very big toothpick.

“Ya buyin' anythin'?” a voice made me jump in my mind as I looked behind the counter. A very old stallion appeared; tired magenta eyes were watching me through thick glasses, and few remains of something that I thought was mane once around his horn. His dark green coat almost merged with the wooden wall behind him. I'm not sure if I just overlooked him or he trotted there.

“Actually, I wanted to sell some things,” I tapped my saddle bag, my eyes still on the locked cases.

“Ah well,” he lifted a paper and a piece of a brick which he intended to write with, “whadaya got?”

“Cooking pots, dishes, duct tapes, ammo and stuff like that,” I said while figuring out what the hell I was looking at. This gun looked like a revolver, but the barrel was so big I could stick my hoof in it.

“Ah think we could make a use of som' of it,” he nodded, “what's yo' name?”

“Name's Hollow Point.”

I heard the brick and paper falling down. I turned my head and saw his eyes were filled with fear. I raised my eyebrow as his horn glew. Then it struck me.

I jumped to the side and drew Glint. He levitated his shotgun and aimed right at me.

“Yo' bastard,” he cried, “you killed my son! I still remember yo' fucking glowing eyes! Yo' end now!” His eyes were filled with tears.

I bit Glint and Wrench rushed in. “What in the-” The old unicorn was watching me with his blazing eyes and I thought those eyes will burn me alive. I couldn't kill him. I begged in my mind for him to pull the trigger. Do it. End my sad life.

But he didn't.

The longer I stared into his eyes, the more I started to remember what happened when I was here the last time.

It was just like this. I had this exact stance and he was looking at me with those same eyes. My eyes were different. No mercy, no pity. I had no business with him. I just got paid for the one that was sleeping on the ground, wrapped in the crimson blanket of Death. I had no regrets back then. Only caps.

I regret everything I've ever done. I thought this moment would wake my soul from the endless nightmare of my short life. I thought this moment was my redemption.

But it wasn't.

I felt pressure in my mouth as an orange glow surrounded Glint and Pap's shotgun. In a second, both of our weapons were in the air, aiming where nopony stood.

“What the hay is going on here?!”

A greyish mare was standing in the doors. She had amber curly mane and her horn glew in the same colour as Glint and the shotgun. Her brown eyes twitched with exhaustion. Her body was covered with black armour. Pap collapsed on the floor and broke down into sobs. I pushed my hat deeper into my face and sighed.

The mare bit her lower lip in frustration and returned the shotgun to Pap, then she pointed at me and gestured me to follow her. I pulled the belt holding my saddle bags and took some .357 ammo for Glint. I loaded the ammo into a bandolier that was wrapped around my left hoof so I could reload faster. Then I left my saddle bags in the shop and followed the grey mare. It was the least I could do for a father whose son's life I took.

The mare wasn't talking. She just trotted towards the City Hall with Glint floating beside her. Ponies around were watching us. I tried to look as much uninterested as I could and it was working. She didn't talk to me or look at me.

She opened the door with her magic and we stepped inside. The whole place was bigger on the inside than it seemed. I saw at least four ponies sitting behind desks and writing with pieces of bricks. I could only guess if they were approving shipments of supplies or they were playing Tic Tac Hoof. There was a small separated room. The mare I assured was a security of some kind stopped in front of the doors into the small room and leaned towards me.

“Stay here. Don't go anywhere,” she hissed.

“Like I had a place to go,” I hissed back, my eyes glared into hers dangerously as she disappeared with Glint into the small room.

I closed my eyes and focused on the door in front of me. I heard some soft rumbling. Two ponies were arguing about something. I heard hooves smashing angrily against the desk and then nothing. I opened my eyes and doors opened at the same time.

“Get in, don't try any funny business,” she simply said and smashed doors closed behind her, she hadn't had Glint with her anymore.

I did as she said. I trotted into the room; dark brown desks were taking most of the room, there were a few pre-war posters and one closet. I saw a dark blue unicorn stallion sitting behind the desk. He was quite fit and young with confidence in his eyes, yet he still seemed older than me and he had trustworthy yellow eyes. His grey mane was cut short and I couldn't see his cutie mark because he had a cloth over it.

“Good morning, please have a seat,” he pointed at a chair in front of the desk and actually smiled, “I heard quite a lot about you on the radio.”

I’ve been on a radio? “What exactly did you hear about me, if you don't mind me asking?”

He crossed his hooves and rested his chin on them. “Truth be told, not nice things. Youngest bounty hunter in the Equestrian Wasteland that could make professionals fold their ears. DJ-PON3 then had a twenty-minute long speech on how education is important for children.”

“So, you know who I am. What do you want from me? I'm not doing any of these stuff anymore,” I said and glanced at Glint.

“I heard you scared the old Pap to death,” he smiled.

“Your past always catches up with you,” I said quietly.

He chuckled and looked out of window that was behind him. The whole city was on a hill and this window had a nice view on the forest below.

“My name is Rising Leap. I assume you already met my brother?”

Wait, what? They were brothers? But they didn't look anything alike! And Wrench was an earth pony. He caught my look and shook his head.

“When my brother and I arrived here last year, this place was a mess. I don't think I have to describe it to you since you've been here already?”

I shook my head. He really didn't have to. Before I arrived here two years ago, the population of this town was four ponies. After I left, it was minus one. His face, tears streaming down his cheeks, it all keeps coming back to me... but it wasn't the worst I've ever done.

“Listen, ‘Hollow’, I need help,“ the way he said my name crawled down my spine, “I know you are quite young, but I also know you know how to handle your gun.”

He pushed Glint towards me. “I don't care about your past. Past is there to teach you how to make your future right. What do you want from life?”

I took touched the golden revolver's barrel and looked at Rising. “I'm not in a mood for deep questions.”

“Your life is in front of you, Hollow. Don't let it slip away just because you dropped it a few times,” he said as he stroked his forehead. I think he was as exhausted as that security pony.

I took Glint and put it into the holster on my left side. Maybe he was right, but I really didn't want to think about it now. I turned and walk to the door.

“One more thing,” I stopped, “like I said, we could really use your help. If you feel like making caps or two, stop by here. I will tell you more. Have a pleasant day in Rockside.”

“Thank you,” I said and walked outside.

*** *** ***

The town was blooming. I strolled down the dirt street and looked around. It was really lively. I could see ponies walking from house to house, ponies trading, I could see carts being pulled into and out of the town by muscular stallions. I passed the shop I was in before. Nopony was inside. I tried to remember where the bar is.

There was happiness all around me but it couldn't reach me. I could make this happiness greater or longer. I could somehow make up for what I did to that old trader in the past. But did I really deserve that? Did I deserve Pap to forgive me? I killed way too many ponies. It didn't matter if they were healthy or sick, rich or poor, good or bad, old or...

Stop thinking about that, Hollow.

I finally found the biggest of the small buildings around. The bar. It was made from wood and as I guessed, it was built on the base of the original building that was here two years ago. The place around me just seemed a bit similar. I stepped inside and warmth wrapped around my body. The first thing I saw was a stone fireplace on my left, it was placed right in the corner of the room right next to the stairs to the second floor. The surroundings of the fireplace were made from stone as well. There were tables with chairs everywhere and I saw a counter sticked in the middle of the wall on the right. There was an unicorn behind it.

Of course there was an unicorn! It was like the unicorns got all the important jobs in this city. Just because they could grab things with magic and earth ponies were needed for jobs that... Wait, that actually made sense. Nevermind.

I trotted towards the counter and sit on one of bar stools that were in front of it. The unicorn was a bit old as Pap and he seems familiar as well as this place.

He had a light grey coat deformed in some places from injuries. He had a red mane that almost completely covered his horn, he also had a moustache in the same colour. His green eyes were focused on a dirty glass when he finally looked at me. I noticed something wrong with his eyes; I know he was looking at me, but it seemed like he didn't see me, like there was a fog in his eyes.

I moved my head a little back and his eyes followed it. Okay, so he could see me. “Hello.”

“Why hellow there,” he smiled, “you must be that Hollow fella.”

So, everypony in this town knew about me now?

“Yes, I am,” I expected him to throw that dirty glass at my head, “how do you know?”

“Ah well, news are spreading around this town like a group o' ghouls on a dead brahmin,” okay, mental image, go away, “what can I get cha?”

“Give me something to kill the thirst,” I said.

He didn't even move. He wrapped his magic around a clean glass and a bottle of honey-like colour liquid. He poured some into the glass and put both the glass and the bottle in front of me. “So, you here to do d' business?”

I didn't look at him. I examined the glass of golden liquid carefully. “No, I'm not doing things like that anymore. I wish I never was,” I said quietly.

His smile didn't fade a bit. “Somethin' happened?”

“Lots of things happened,” I sighed, “I guess you're one of the former citizens?”

“Yep, I'm surprised yo' remember me.” he said, but he didn't looked surprised at all, he just kept smiling.

“Then why?” I looked into his eyes, but I don't think he could see my eyes.

“Why what?” he asked as purple-glowing cloth rubbed the dirty glass back and forth.

“Why aren't you freaking out? I'm sure you know how I killed Pap's son. I met him a few hours ago and he broke down. Almost killed me. I wish he had,” I hissed quietly and the barpony rose his eyebrows. I wished he wouldn't look like a father to which son is complaining about stuff.

“Why should I? I know how it feels to regret things. I was a bandit before, I killed, robbed, raped mares and even after it all I got my second chance. Why shouldn't you get one too?

“A bandit?”

He nodded. “T'was long time ago. I was with a group of other fellas. Ah don't want to say I was forced into becoming a part of them because the vision of food, supplies and safety was tempting as hell fo' me. But ah also don't want to say I sympathised with things they were doing. Yo' still with me?”

I took a sip of the drink that was laying in front of me. It tasted sweet, with a little bit hint of alcohol. “I'm still with you.”

“I didn't sympathised with those things at all, but Ah still was doin' them. Sometimes I enjoyed it, sometimes a bit of guilty bit into me,” his horn glowed as his purple magic lifted a glass of black liquid to his lips and he drank it whole with a sigh, “but one day, I was alone.”

“One day, my ‘friends’ were nowhere to be found. Ah was sick and so thirsty I drank my piss to stay alive. Once you sneezed, you were the enemy. O' course they were so kind they didn't kill me in muh sleep. Or maybe they just wanted me to suffer. I crawled through the wasteland till I met Pap and his son. They both helped me and when I came to my mind, I told them who I am. They didn't care at all.”

I poured the sweet gold drink into my glass again and drank it whole, he did as well. “They just saw a pony in need of help. At that time, I realized that everything I've dun in muh life is just big pile of horseshite. I got my second chance here, and then another chance when those two Leap fellas came here. I worked my coat off. So dun'th tell me you don't deserve a second chance. It's not up to you to decide. You just do everything you can to deserve it. While we are at it, why don't yo' tell me your story? It will ease up yo' chest”

He took the empty bottle I left there and took another one. I wasn't drunk, but I felt good. Really good. “Last year I went to a town. I don't remember the name, but there was a big board with bounties. I took one. There were lots of things written on the paper. Nice sketch of the pony, age, where he lives and stuff like that. It seemed like fast caps, so I took it. It was just a few-hour trot to the place. As far as I know he wasn't even armed. But so many things went wrong that day. I was in his house and he was looking at me. Right into my eyes. He hadn't had a fancy house, it was just a small wooden structure. Quite like these in this town.”

I took another sip to water my throat. “I was aiming at him with Glint. He closed eyes and I pulled the trigger and then-”

I stopped as I heard doors slamming on the right of me. A group of ponies walked inside the room. I didn't turn my head that way, I just saw them with the corner of my eye. I heard hooves trotting behind me and up the stairs. Four hooves stopped behind me. I saw one stallion and one mare in front of the doors and one stallion trotted to me.

“Hollow Point?” the stallion asked. I saw he was an unicorn.

“May I help you?” I asked, not looking away from my drink.

“We would like to hire you,” he was speaking quite loudly.

“And if I refuse?” I said and I finally looked at the light yellow stallion. He was wearing dark blue armour with many pouches. His snow-white mane was cut short and his eyes were glaring at me with turquoise light. I know he wasn't messing around.

“We didn't give you a choice,” he said evenly as before.

I looked around. Two ponies at the entrance held rifles. The one pony I heard trotting was staring at me from the second floor, he also had a weapon. Box-shaped weapon. I had no idea what kind of weapon that is. Behind me, there was one bulky stallion about twice as high as me. He didn't have any weapons but I think his main weapon were his hooves. I saw one unicorn mare sitting at a table on left of me, wearing the same armour as them.

A group of seven ponies. Suddenly I was in the same situation I was in the late morning. I sighed and looked at the barpony. He just kept smiling.

“Just do what you have to do,” he said. I noticed his horn was glowing faintly.

“Alright, alright, I'm coming,” I said as I finished my glass and I stood up.

Then I kicked the bar stool and sent it flying right into the face of the pony behind me. The white-maned stallion's eyes widened as he watched the bulky stallion collapse. I kicked the bottle of the sweet goodness I drank earlier into him as I was turning and I drew Glint out quickly.

He dodged it but I didn't stop turning. I used the momentum of my body and raised my head. The pony on the second floor was getting into my aim. He was already aiming at me as I sent a bullet into his head. The mare at the table was just getting up, I ignored her and let the gravity get me back, facing the unicorn in front of me.

He was drawing out a combat shotgun, but he still wasn't my target. I jumped to the side as two rifle bullets came at me. First one hit the counter and the second one teared into my shoulder. At the same time I sent two bullets at the ponies in front of the door and sprayed the wall behind them with blood.

I jumped back and shotgun shell peppered the place I was standing second ago. I turned my head and fired at the unicorn stallion's head. Before he could fall to the ground, I kicked the table behind me in the direction where the unicorn mare was. That little motion saved my head from a nine-millimeter bullet. As the wooden table fell down to the ground, cracked from the bullets of the magenta unicorn mare’s pistol, I already had her in my sights. I pulled the trigger with my tongue as my bullet drilled into her hoof.

I heard hooves launching themselves from the wooden floor and then a gunshot. As I turned, the bulky stallion fell on the ground with a large wound in his side. The barpony grinned as I looked at him and a shotgun floating beside him. I couldn't help myself but smile.

It all took ten seconds.

The mare I shot in her hoof was screaming in pain. I trotted to her, aiming Glint at her head. At closer look I saw that her magenta coat had a reddish shade. Her crimpy orange mane covered half of her dirty face. The light-pink look of her uncovered eye was piercing me through. Her armour was much lighter than those of others.

“P-please don't,” she gasped, tears rolling down her cheeks.

“Tfell me one good reasen tu not tu,” I said with Glint in my mouth.

She just looked down and weeped. I sighed and holstered my gun. I was no better than her. I took the pistol away from her and shouted at the barpony. He rushed with an yellow box with pink butterflies on it. He smiled at me before he started wrapping the mare's hoof with healing bandages.

I looked at the mess behind me. Today I took five lives and spared one. I sighed and made my way to the white-maned unicorn who was talking to me earlier and searched him. I found some shotgun shells and one healing potion. There was something on his hoof that caught my interest. Some kind of green device. It looked like its batteries were out. I tried to push the device out of his hoof, but it didn't even move.

“Excuse me? I need a hoof here!” I shouted at the barpony, he finished patching the mare up and whispered something to her. She just hugged her tail and lay there.

“Ahm here, I'm here. By the way, muh name is Broken Bottle. Yo’ can call me Bottle,” he said as he trotted to me.

“What's this?” I asked and pointed at the strange hoof device.

“Oh this. This is a Pip-Buck. A device used in Stables to ease up life,” he said as he examined it closely.

So, Stables were real? “So, what does this Pip-F”

“Pip-Buck”

“Yeah, that, what does it do? What is its value?” I asked while searching other bodies.

His horn glew as he wrapped his magic around a screwdriver of some kind. In a minute, the Pip-Buck was off the unicorn's hoof. “Ah wouldn't sell it. This little thing can make yo' life a lot easier. It sorts your saddle bags, shows your injuries, has got a map, a radio, it helps you with aiming and stuff like that.”

He put the Pip-Buck on the counter and trotted upstairs for something. I made a small pile from everything I got from them. Then I sat at the counter and examined the device. It had a green screen and a few buttons. Nothing more. It looked more like a toy. I flipped it over and saw the lock on it. It could be opened with a special kind of key. I wondered where Bottle got that his.

Bottle came back with a pair of saddle bags. “Here, take these. I know you left yo’ in Pap's shop.”

I accepted them without hesitation and put the Pip-Buck into them. “Thank you for helping me, Bottle.”

“Muh pleasure,” he said and put the loot from the bodies into them as well, “drop by anytime.”

“Oh, and one more thing, Hollow?”

I looked at him while I was strapping the saddle bags on me.

“Ah would go visit a doc with that,” he said in a worry.

Wait, wha-? I suddenly felt a stab in my shoulder. As I looked down I saw a pool of blood underneath me. My head was feeling lightheaded and my vision was fading away quickly.

“Oh, shucks,” I managed to say before I blacked out.

Chapter Two: Dirt

Chapter Two: Dirt

“'Cause we need that grub to live on.”

A beautiful sunny day.

I watched two ponies, a mare and a stallion as they pulled a covered cart. They waved at me and I waved back. I saw the stallion's cowpony hat. It had a belt with steel apple sign; the mare, a rug over her body. They both were smiling. They both were trotting away.

I knew where they were heading. I knew what would happen. I opened my mouth to scream but no sound came out. I tried to stand up but my hooves were glued to the ground. I was smiling and waving, my body was moving against my will.

I saw the couple turn their heads towards me as they talked about something. They both smiled at me and I was smiling back because nothing was wrong.

They disappeared into a fog and I could finally move my body - fear empowering my mind. I was smiling. I tried to force out tears but I chuckled instead. I galloped after them.

Everything is fine. Why are you running?

Nothing is fine. This is wrong.

“Why?” I asked as I galloped faster. Wind was blowing against me. I wasn't supposed to be here.

Everything is fine. Everything is as it supposed to be. Go back. Wait. Don't think about this nonsense. Stop running.

But I didn't stop - I ran faster. I was still smiling as I finally reached them all. They heard me coming and looked at me again. They were smiling. There were ponies behind them. Big ponies. They were smiling. I was smiling. Everything is fine.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to warn them. I was shouting on top of my lungs but they just kept smiling and looking at me. They were smiling. I was smiling. Everything is absolutely fine. Everything is as it supposed to be.

The faster I galloped, the farther they were. I wasn't supposed to be here. Everyone was smiling. The pony with a box with many tubes on his side was smiling. They were smiling. The big knife in stallion's mouth was smiling. I was smiling.

Everything was fine. Go back. The mare was smiling. The knife in her throat was smiling. Everyone was smiling. I wanted to cry. I was smiling.

Big ponies faded away. Stallion was smiling. Mare's head on the ground was smiling. I felt tears running down my cheek. I was smiling. Everything was as it supposed to be.

Stallion was trotting towards me; his muzzle was painted red. He probably ate too many berries. Everything was fine. I was smiling. Stallion was smiling. Glint was smiling. Bullet was smiling. The hole in stallion's head was smiling.

Everything was fine. Everything was as it supposed to be.

“Kill me. Please, I beg you. Please,” I said as I looked into the my reflection on the barrel of Glint. The reflection was smiling, I was not.

“Why?” the reflection asked, “Everything's fine.”

I wanted to scream ‘Nothing is fucking fine’, but no voice came out because I was smiling. Many corpses behind me were smiling. Big ponies were smiling. Bullets stuck in crimson coats were smiling.

Everything is fine. Everything is as it supposed to be.

*** *** ***

I woke up screaming and sweating, cold tears on my burning face. It was the middle of the night and I had no idea where I was. I touched my shoulder and felt a flaming dagger stabbing into it. I let out a gasp of pain. Everything around me was covered in a black curtain.

I heard hoofsteps. Somepony entered the room with lantern in their mouth as I was blinded by the fire trapped in a glass box. My body shook as a pony silhouette was getting closer and closer. I reached for Glint, but the golden revolver just wasn't there. The pony figure was right next to the bed I was lying on. I closed my eyes as I felt hooves reaching out for me. I thought this was the time.

But it wasn't.

Those hooves wrapped themselves around my neck and held me close - warmth was coming back to my body and I began to cry. My tears were falling down on their legs, but they didn't care, they just held me. No words had to be said.

Those hooves caressed my mane. I could smell the scent of a day.

“Shhh,” a mare's sweet voice whispered in my ear.

My head was getting heavy and I collapsed again, but I felt safe. No more bad dreams would come. Those hooves protected me from everything bad; I closed my eyes and night drifted away once more.

But I wasn't afraid.

*** *** ***

Light woke me up. I still felt hooves around me but nopony was in here. And where exactly was here?

The room was quite small. There was a one window, one bed, one small table and a door. I pushed the blanket off my body and tried to stand up. My head spinned around and my left leg felt like I stepped on glass, but I stayed up. I always covered my cutie mark with the cloth. A flying golden bullet black curly signs on it and wind curling around it. I hated my cutie mark.

I walked towards the doors and peeked outside the room - a small hall with three doors. I stepped outside and limped towards the door that I assumed was the exit. I opened the door and was greeted by a cold air.

It was a late morning. I couldn't see anypony anywhere and my things were nowhere to be found. I took a deep breath to wake myself up, trying to remember what exactly happened yesterday. I was fighting. I spared a mare. I was shot and then I passed out. Ugh, I have to be more careful.

I came back to the wooden house and searched it for my stuff. Nothing. This house was empty. No notes or anything.

“Anypony here?” I tried to ask. No answer.

I sighed and trotted outside again. I think it would be reasonable to find the mayor. What was his name? Oh right, Rising Leap. Closing the door behind me, I walked through the empty dirt paths.

I loved the sound of silence. Only thing I could hear was my heartbeat. I knew that everyone was probably sleeping, but at a time like this it seemed like this place was abandoned, desolate. My mind was coming back to the night. Who was that mare? Why did I wake up in a empty house?

I knocked. No answer. I slowly opened the door and peeked inside. No one. I noticed light coming out from the small room. I walked in and knocked on the door.

“Come in!” a familiar voice said.

I opened the door and trotted in. “Hello there, Hollow,” he sounded really tired.

“Good morning, Rising,” I said as I sat down on a chair.

He rubbed his eyes. “Hollow, you're not making my position in this town any easier. In one day you made more mess than anypony could in the whole year.”

“Hey, I'm sorry I scared Pap. I admit it was my fault, but that thing that happened in bar wasn't my doing. It was them or me.” I said quietly.

“I'm not blaming you,” he sighed, “I think you did right, but it's too much on my head now.”

“I'm going to help you,” I said with confidence.

“Not to menti-, say what?” his tired eyes brightened up a little, “you mean it?”

“I was thinking about what you said earlier and you were right. I want to make up for what I did.”

Ponies were starting to wake up. I heard hoofsteps and greeting outside. Rising rested his head on his hooves and let out a sigh of relief. “Thank Celestia...”

“But before that, where are my things?” I asked.

Rising pointed at a closet next to him and I trotted to it. The blue unicorn used his magic to open it. The shine of Glint illuminated dark parts of the room - I hated it when I was separated from it. In a few minutes holster with Glint was around me, my bandolier was wrapped around my left hoof, cloth around my body and cowpony hat on my head. I felt good, but something was missing.

In the lowest part of the closet was Bottle's saddle bags with Pip-Buck in it. Do I really deserve that kind of kindness? Do I really deserve a second chance? I know what I said to Rising few seconds ago, but I still had my doubts. I reached for dark brown saddle bags and strapped them on me. It felt... right? I felt complete, that's for sure.

“So, what can I do for you?” I asked as I pushed my hat up.

Rising levitated a paper and looked into it. I couldn't really read and it would be awkward if he levitated the paper to me.

“Our main problem right now is water,” he began, “our water talisman is cracked and slowly breaks. We need a new one.”

“And where exactly I could find one?” I asked. I had my second thoughts about this since water talisman is a really specific thing to find in a haystack of the Wasteland.

“We already found one, or at least our scouts say so. We sent some ponies to retrieve it, but they never came back. I'm not willing to send more of them there. I need security for town to be safe, y'know.”

“I’ll do it, just tell me where can I find it?”

He smiled. “I heard Bottle gave you a little present.”

The Pip-Buck? What does it has to do with anything? “Yeah... It's in my saddle bag”

Rising levitated it out with the key-thingy. Bottle must've put it in there while I wasn't looking. He examined it for a while and then looked at me.

“Could you please stretch your right hoof forward?”

“Oh no no no no no. You're not putting that weird thing on my hoof. I don't know how to use it. I've never even pushed a button on a terminal,” I said in a hurry. I didn't want to be fettered by anything, not even some kind of super-useful device.

“You will get use to it,” Rising said patiently, “you need this ‘weird device’ to help you so you can help us. It would be suicide without a Pip-Buck. Those woods are dangerous and unfathomable.”

Funny, a few hours ago I would accept that kind of risk as a deliverance from my life. “We need you alive. You can't help us dead.”

I sighed and lifted my right leg. Rising wrapped the Pip-Buck around it and locked it with that special key, then he put it back into my saddle bags. It felt... weird. I wasn't used to having something more than bandolier on my hooves. This thing was quite massive, but light.

“It seems it's out of energy,” I said lamely as I waved my Pip-Buck cuffed hoof in front of my face.

“You're its new owner, it has to do some calibrations before it can fully operate,” he pushed turned some buttons on the Pip-Buck and the screen came to live.

Calibration is ready. Proceed?

Y/N

“The calibration process takes a while, you don't have to do it right away, but the Pip-Buck won't work till the process is done.”

Having something on my hoof that doesn't belong there certainly felt weird. I switched the huge green bracelet off. “And how exactly do you know all of this?”

“Father of my father was a Pip-Buck Technician when he was young,” he responded and sat down behind the big brown desk.

“Fairynuff.”

I always thought that Stables are just fairy tale things. Things ponies made up to explain how this world was created. I've never seen one, but I've met some ponies who wore these devices. I'd like to visit a Stable. I mean if they really exist, just to see how ponies lived before the time. What did they talk about while Equestria was dying? What were they eating while everything burnt to ashes? What did they tell to their children about the World Before? What is a legend and what is the truth?

“Hollow?” Rising's echo woke me up from my thoughts.

“Yes?”

“Did you really have to kill them all?” he asked and looked right into my eyes.

Did I? I saw tiny flames dancing in his yellow eyes, but he didn't look angry. He looked worried. “No, I didn't have to kill them all, and that's why I didn't do it. Where is that mare?”

“Everypony say they were threatening you, so we locked her up. We don't know what to do with her, we have no laws or anything to solve this, we don't even know who these ponies were,” he replied, rubbing his eyes.

“Where can I find her?”

“On the edge of the town,” he sighed tiredly, “Miss Baton takes care of the jail. It's not really a jail because we never had any serious problems here, it's just a normal building without windows, locked.”

“Thank you.” I said as I stood up, “One more thing. I woke up in this house and...”

But he was already asleep. I trotted out of the building.

Ponies were waking up. I wonder how this city look like in sunlight. How would the whole Wasteland look like if skies weren't closed? And are there really ponies with wings above the grey curtain?

I checked the cloth around my body and trotted into small crowds on the dirt street. Everyone was watching me very warily. Bottle was right, news really do spread fast here.

I heard whispers about yesterday's events behind me. He killed five ponies. Is that really him? I heard he was a bounty hunter. Is he here for a bounty? Stay away from him, sweetie.

I didn't mind it at all. This is what I deserved. I didn't really think yesterday much.

*** *** ***

“What do you mean you forgot?!” A mare's voice echoed through the district.

I hesitated a bit before entering the jail building. It really wasn't big. The doors were already opened so I could see into the room. There were two mares, I recognised the grey security mare from before. She looked even more tired and furious than the last time we met. The other mare was a lot smaller. Her coat was white and dark blue mane was falling into her face. She didn't have any armour so I could see clearly her hoofcuffs cutie mark.

Was I really just checking out a mare who's on the edge of crying? I stepped inside and coughed. Both of the mares looked at me.

“What the hell you want?!” the amber-maned unicorn shouted at me.

“Excuse me, what happened?” I tried to ask politely through her screaming.

“What happened?! We lived peacefully till you came here. You arrive and suddenly Pap gets almost a heart attack, six bandits appear in our bar, you turn five of them into corpses and let one of them live from our supplies! Oh yeah, and Mistress Baton here forgets to lock her doors.”

I saw tears streaming down the other mare's cheek. “I know I locked them!” she said weakly.

“Oh yeah? Why they weren't locked then?”

“I don't know!” Baton screamed.

The big grey security mare leaned towards Baton and hissed. “One more fuck up and you're out of this building and this work, you got me?”

She just nodded weakly and as the security trotted past me, she broke down crying.

I walked to Baton. “Excuse me, Miss, but where can I find-”, she pointed towards the steel door and gave me keys. She didn't want to speak, she just cried.

I took the keys and pushed my hat deeper into my face. I didn't know what to say. The steel key slipped into the keyhole and I twisted it. There was a click and door opened. The mare I spared yesterday was sitting on the ground, facing the corner; her armour was missing so I could clearly see her cutie mark. It looked like a shining green diamond, or emerald? No idea, I've never seen anything like it, but I'm sure it was a gem. She didn't even raise her head as I closed the door behind me and sat on the ground.

“Came here to finish the job?” she asked quietly.

“I never meant to kill you.”

“You sure as hell enjoyed it,” it looked like she's speaking into the wall in front of her.

She turned her towards me a bit. “What do yo want?”

“Do you want to get out?” I said and I noticed her ears perked up.

“I'm really sorry for what happened, you gave me no chance. I knew you were there to kill me. You were stalking me for past few months. You don't have to explain anything. I'm just asking you,” I stood up and trotted next to her, “do you want to get out?”

“Why? I won't tell you anything.”

“I don't expect you would. I just need help. Actually, this town needs help,” I said simply.

She finally turned her whole face towards me and glared at me with pink light. “You know I can still fulfill my task and kill you, right?”

I stood up, pulled out Glint and put it in front of her, then I took a few steps back. “Then do it, I think it's a fair thing to do.”

I couldn't tell what her expression was. Shock mixed with fear? The magenta mare stood up as well and wrapped Glint with her magic. There was nothing else to do than to close eyes and wait. Was this the end of my suffering? I can't really tell, I wish it was. But it wasn't. She put Glint back into my holster and trotted beside me. She was quite bigger than me.

“Fine, I won't kill you in your sleep if you promise me the same. And don't expect me to stay with you for too long.”

I actually smiled to that.

“I'm going to need my barding and guns,” she didn't return the smile, but she didn't look angry either.

Author's Note

(I want to thank Lettuce for correcting my mistakes for every chapter. You're the best, Letty)

Chapter Three: Flood

Chapter Three: Flood

He’s blocking your path. What are you gonna do about it?

“Look out!” I shouted.

The orange-maned mare looked up, frowned and jumped back. Her blue barding was reflecting light, that was shining from the angry grey sky. She was light as a breeze, fast as wind and furious as a gale. Her orange whirly mane was dangerously waving in the wind as her pink eyes burnt in fury.

One moment later, a huge lion-looking thing with wings stabbed it's sting into the ground, where she was standing before. I already had Glint in my mouth, I don't even know when I pulled the shining revolver out. My Pip-Buck shown me it's called ‘Manticore’.

It was two days since I arrived in Rockside. Yesterday I helped the mare out from the jail. I helped her out, even though I knew she wanted to kill me; even though I killed her team that was sent to kill me. I got her past the big grey wrathful security pony.

I blinked, jumped and the manticore's tail swished right under me. I saw how the mare galloped around the manticore to get its attention. Her magic was wrapped around a nine-millimeter pistol and she was shooting at it, but bullets were just pinging off its hide. It was really pissed off.

I noticed the monster was covering its eyes every time the mare started shooting. Idea struck through my head.

“Folloh mh!” I shouted with Glint in my mouth at the mare. She hissed and we both galloped through the forest we were in.

The manticore's roar was spreading among trees. From tree to tree, it was jumping right behind us. I could feel its hunger for our bodies, I could feel its bloody lust. Luck was on my side again. The ground was lifting up into a hill.

“Shoot it naew!” I shouted and the mare stopped and started peppering manticore's body.

The monster covered its eyes and didn't even stop. If my plan didn't work, it would tear up the mare's body into billions of little red crystals. I had to hurry. The lion hybrid was closing in fast. I was still running up the small hill. Soon I was above the level of mare's head. The manticore was few steps away from the mare and the mare started running away, screaming. In that moment, I turned around and jumped and quickly hit SATS. The time stopped and the manticore's face was right in front of me. It was quite a height below me.

I locked SATS on manticore's face, queued three shots and executed the command. The time unfroze and manticore's face exploded in greenish rain. The manticore and I hit the ground at the same time. As I lay there, the mare came back.

“You're the craziest pony I've ever met” she said. It was the first time she spoke to me since Rockside.

“Wasteland's top quality” I hissed in pain as I tried to get up. She could finish me right there, if she wanted to.

But she didn't. She opened one of my saddlebags, lifted up one of our health potions and placed it in front of my muzzle. I drank it and soon the stings in my side went away.

Our supplies... It was yesterday's evening. I was calibrating and learning how to use Pip-Buck, when Pap came to me with my saddlebags full of food and potions. Yo' are trying to help our town, he said, Ahm not that selfish to leave tis' place to its fate. I forgave you. I can just imagine that the person, who killed my son, was just a little colt who looked exactly like you.

Which is the truth, take this with yo' and bring that water talisman. Yo' finally stood on the right path. I waited a bit before he left and then a huge waterfall of emotions streamed down my face. I couldn't stop. Maybe I could change.

It was getting cold and the soil was soaked from flooding as I stood up. We had to find a shelter. The mare and I scanned our surroundings to find a place where we could sleep. Soon we found an abandoned wooden structure on the edge of the forest. My Pip-Buck beeped and a little square appeared on the map, ‘Carrot Top's Cottage’.

It was a small, cozy-looking building. From this angle, it looked like the hill behind it was part of it. Dead trees stood around the cottage. Maybe it was just me, but the trees looked like they were... waiting? I didn't feel good and the mare behind me must've felt it, because she kept really close to me. I still didn't get it. I killed her whole team and she's acting like nothing happened. It was driving me crazy. At least if she tried something during night! I wouldn't even defend myself. Now I just have to have the feeling that she's plotting something to change my miserable life to even worse.

Vines were wrapped around the building like they wanted to keep it safe. The closer we were, the more I started noticing strange things about the house. Wooden walls were rotting away and tree branches grew into the house, keeping the roof from collapsing. Another thing I noticed was that vines were actually green. It seemed that the cottage couldn't keep itself together if it wasn't for its surroundings.

And that's exactly where we were headed.

Four red bars appeared on my EFS. “Careful now,” I whispered to the mare before I bit Glint, “we might have some company soon.”

The magenta mare pulled out a nine-millimeter pistol from one of her pouches on the blue barding and we were approaching the cottage more slowly now. There were no lights inside it but the golden revolver was still shining with a dim light. The door was trapped with dark green vines. If someone was inside, they had to take a different way in.

“What's your plan?” the mare whispered to me. It looked like she isn't mad at me anymore.

I put Glint back into the holster on my left side. “Plan?” I smirked, “Stay alive.”

I tore down vines with almost no resistance. The doors collapsed into the house. If someone was in, they had to know we were in now. I already had Glint in my mouth again when we trotted inside, but he red bars didn't move a bit though.

The air was quite heavy and dark inside. Everything was covered in a big layer of dust. Even the floor! Nopony was here in centuries. Dark wooden furniture was merging with walls behind them in the darkness. The floor was making loud squeals as we walked farther into the cottage. The living room and kitchen were connected into one big room, and a few half-broken doors were decorating the wall in the back.

We decided to split up; the mare agreed that she will guard the living room while I'll be searching rooms. It was supposed to be easy. Red bars still didn't move, but they were seemingly farther from each other now. I was getting close to one of them. I placed my tongue on Glint's trigger and slowly entered one of the rooms. Besides a big bed, a cupboard and lots of flower pots, there was also that red bar. I was sure of it.

I could feel my pounding heart. Glint was the only light in this room, yet I could still see everything clearly. I moved towards the bed, because according to my Pip-Buck, red bar was hiding there.

Something small crawled from underneath the covers and creeped towards me swiftly. Pip-Buck told me it was a ‘Radroach’. I bucked it into the wall next to me, but it only shook and crawled even more swiftly.

The tiny insect looked really hungry, because it was drooling. I waited for it to try to bite my leg and when it let its guard down, I crushed it with my hoof. Its leg twitched under the weight of my hoof and one red bar disappeared from my EFS.

It was when I turned around to shout at the mare when I heard a high-pitched scream.

Red bars have surrounded a yellow one. I rushed to the living room with Glint ready to fire, but I holstered it again when I saw what's going on. The orange-maned mare was standing on a table, spinning around and lifting her hooves alternately. I could see radroaches around the table, snapping their pincers at her.

“Kill them kill them kill them kill them!” she screamed.

“They are just-”

“I don't care, just crush them, kill them, do something!” she was clearly panicking.

I pushed my head deeper into my face and sighed. She's fighting a giant poisonous lion-bird hybrid thing, thrice as big as her and she's scared of little disgusting creatures? I stomped the the three insects and rubbed my hoof against a rug on the ground. The mare relaxed, but it took her many convincing till she stepped down from the table.

“Thank you, Hollow” she finally said, “My name is Gleam.”

“It was about time to know the name of the mare I'm travelling with” I smiled.

“You've never asked” she countered and returned the smile. It was one of the happiest moments that I witnessed so far.

Who knew it wouldn't last very long.

We cleared the place from the dust so we wouldn't suffocate while we sleep. I checked the cupboards. I was right, no one was here for whole two hundred years. I found some .32 ammo, 9mm ammo, some books, cups, spoons, little statue of a pony bucking apples and some clothes. I put everything into my saddlebags and my Pip-Buck sorted everything for me. Ammo was on the top for fast use now. Pip-Buck...

We were walking for the whole day and according to it, we weren't even halfway to the place. Bottle was right, this thing is indeed very useful. It had some kind of emergency learning spell that helped me understand text in my vision. I knew the text was part of a spell, that the text I could see wasn't really there, but even then I kept trying to reach it. I've must have looked like a Jet lowlife. The whole thingy on my hoof ran on magic.

At least, that's what it told me when I was trying to calibrate it. There was some kind of teaching text that helped me get familiar with everything around the Pip-Buck and my vision. I could see a little compass and Pip-Buck told me it's called Eyes Forward Sparkle. Red and yellow bars were flashing there every time something alive was near. I couldn't get use to seeing things that aren't exactly there.

It was getting dark. We couldn't sleep on the bed because it was rotten and munched on by Radroaches, so we settled on the table. It wasn't as bad as it looked; it was large enough for both of us, mainly because I was a bit smaller than the mar- I mean Gleam.

“Why did you want to kill me?” I broke the silence when we finally lied down.

Gleam was silent. She just looked down and folded her ears a bit. I couldn't bare the silence after this question.

“Why don't you want to kill me now?” I asked again, “Your friends didn't hesitate at all”

“They weren't my friends” Gleam whispered so quietly I almost thought it was the breeze outside.

“Do you want to talk about it?” I asked looking at her, but she just shook her head.

“I can tell you about my past, if it helps you trust me more,” I watched how her ears perked up.

“I was a bounty hunter,” I started, “but before that I was a farmer. I still remember the smell of wet corn in the morning. It all seems like a dream I had long time ago. One day, that dream fade into nightmare.”

Gleam's hooves twitched like she wanted to move them, but she struggled to keep them where they are. I was used to the story because I was living with it every day, but I realized this was something new for her. I wondered...

“Hey, Gleam, you lived in Stable before, didn't you?” I looked at my hooves.

I felt her glare on the back of my head. I don't know why I asked it, she didn't want to talk about it anyway.

“Why do you think so?” she asked.

“Just a guess. I always thought Stables aren't real. Your armour looks kinda like those I heard from the stories about Stables.”

She went silent for a bit. “I've never lived in a Stable, but they are real,“ she said slowly, “I'll tell you about it some other time, I'm really tired now.”

I turned to my side and put saddlebags under my head. She said some other time. That gave me hope that she would actually stay with me. I felt better when someone had my back. Something about her made me trust her.

I feel bad for hurting her. It was just a self-defence, wasn't it? Was it necessary? Why are my hooves shaking? I don't want her to leave. I need someone to stand beside me. I won't survive. I don't want to survive. Why am I shaking? She will leave. I'll be alone again. Don't cry. You can't bring back lives you took. You're a murderer, a monster. You don't deserve to live. Why don't you just-

I felt a hoof poking my side.

“Hey, you alright?” the mare who was shooting at me two days ago asked with worry in her voice. The mare whose friend I killed without thinking. The mare which I trusted more than myself at this moment.

“Yeah, I'm good,” I said with a smile.

“I'm sorry” I whispered quietly when she looked the other way.

*** *** ***

“... but how the fuck did they get in?” a stallion's voice woke me up, “Those fuckin' vines poisoned Root's ass!”

I heard some mumbling. “I don't care if someone's fucking in. I want to skin their faces and force them to eat it! How does that fucker of cukers dare to not die!”

I put my hoof on Gleam's mouth and poked her. We both opened our eyes, but there was complete darkness around us. My Pip-Buck showed me it's early in the morning.

“If there are unicorns, saw off their horns! If anything else, I want their teeth,” the stallion shouted.

I was already on my hooves and I tried to move quietly to the window. Thankfully, stallion's shouting covered the floor’s grinding. Gleam has readied her pistol and I wrapped cloth around Glint. I wanted to kill them. Anger was was blazing through my body. I could hear faint buzzing in the distance, but I paid no attention to it.

I noticed that the shouting stallion had a necklace made from little horns and ears. I gritted my teeth; this was too much.

“They will hurt more ponies if we let them,” I whispered.

“I'm not afraid of these insects!” Gleam hissed, “Same plan as before?”

I prepared Glint in my holster for a fast draw and bit down a kitchen knife I found. “Yeah.”

“You're a terrible strategist.”

“I will pretend that I know what that word means if,” a horrible realization struck me, “if you promise me you won't die.”

I heard hoof-steps behind the broken door. I stuck to a wall next to the door and waited, Gleam hid behind a couch. A horrible rasping deep voice echoed through the house.

“Here pony pony pony.”

I saw a light of someone's torch behind the door. One of the stallions had to touch the door because they fell right into the house. In a second, I jumped, pushed the knife into stallion's throat. Warm blood washed over my face, but I wasted no time. I pulled the knife out and hid behind the wall again. Another second, gunshots filled the air.

Gleam's pistol was barking dangerously, but it was no match for the purr of guns outside. It was too late when I noticed the fire. Adrenaline made me forget that stallion I just killed was carrying a torch! Oh Celestia, I'm so dumb. I had to find a way out quickly, because the fire was munching on rotten wood really fast. Soon, the whole front was on fire. There was no way we could make it across the flaming wall.

“Hollow, over here!” Gleam shouted. She wrapped her magic around a table and threw it through a window, making our way out.

I tried to crawl into the window, but humming bullet didn't let me through.

“Aight, you sunovadumps, you asked for it” I took a few steps back, then galloped forward, jumped through the window and hit SATS.

Time froze and I could see two unicorns and one earth pony in spiked armours, aiming their shotguns and pistols at me. I've set the aim at the unicorn with shotgun floating beside her, two shots into her chest, then two more at the two who were standing beside her. Time went back to normal and I let the spell take over my body. One unicorn and the earth pony fell down to the ground before I did. I hurt my side again, but before the last unicorn could drill more holes into me, Gleam jumped through the window and shot her head. Nine-millimeter bullet went through her eye.

I rose up to my hooves and we run into the forest. Bullets were buzzing around my head. I wanted to stop, turn around and return the hot steel, but my hooves couldn't stop. I just ran. My side hurt and bullets flying around us weren't making our escape any easier.

I wanted to stop and shoot back, but my legs had mind of their own. Something was burning on my side every time I just thought of stopping.

I couldn't stop. I would die if I stopped right. All I have to do is follow Gleam. Just Follow... Wait, where is-

Something cold and steel crashed into me and sent me flying. I felt blood dripping from my nose. I didn't notice what crashed into me because everything went black quickly. The last thing I could hear was a big explosion.

I was sure I was dead.

But I wasn't.

*** *** ***

For past few years, I didn't care about anything. Neither my life, nor lives of others. I hated this world and everyone on it. I hated raiders for their bloodlust. I hated traders for their stories of better times and junk. I hated my parents for letting someone kill them. I hated myself for being so weak to save my parents.

I hated my cutie mark. The golden bullet with the same pattern as Glint had. What I hated the most was the way I got it. Only raiders would love cutie marks that connects with killing. The more brutal it looks, the better for them.

Ugh, even thinking hurt me. I tried to lift my heavy eyelids; everything around me was blurry. I could smell smoke. I struggled to focus on a tree before me and I noticed a floating ball. I rubbed my eyes and it floated closer to me. It was a robot!

Instinctively I wanted to pull out Glint, but it wasn't there. It looked like the robot was reading my mind and it started floating around one tree. Something was shining from a hole in the tree. It was Glint.

I rubbed my head to scratch off my confusion. Was this piece of junk with or against me? I opened my mouth to say something, but I couldn't hear any words coming out. Then a horrible realisation struck me.

I can't hear anything at all.

Prologue

Long time ago, hatred was roaming among pony and zebra kinds, taking lives of both hating and hated, ponies and zebras, guilty and innocents. The land was poisoned by greed and animals were starving.

The whole world was suffering.

Those who were supposed to be heroes were blinded by hunger for success and victory.

But there was one who knew what was happening. When everyone was busy tearing pieces of wealth of the world for themselves, she was spending her whole time trying to do better. Thus kindness of a single pony created a powerful megaspell to protect the most precious thing to every living creature - life. This megaspell could heal any scratch, any wound...

But it couldn't heal the darkness buried deep in hearts.

Soon, hatred and greed took the opportunity and changed the life-giving spell into the deadliest weapon on the world by fusing it with burning anger.

One day, this spell was set free...

And on that day, Equestria was betrayed and burnt in green fire.

Raging flame consumed everything and everyone in its reach as wings flopped silently in the air. Soon, the sky was closed and the surface was left to its fate. Ponies trying to escape from the green hell found shelter in underground vaults called Stables.

Time was flowing like a river. The poison was spreading through soil and water, transforming both everything living and not living. Every life had a choice. Adapt to the new environment or fall into endless dream.

Creatures became bigger, stronger and more aggressive. Ponies who were touched by the green invisible fog for some time could live longer than anything. But their skin was rotten and most of them were driven insane from the never-ending circles of radiation, pain and memories.

Two hundred years later, ponies started leaving Stables to face the Equestrian wasteland.

The greed was always a part of a pony heart. Many couldn't handle the new world and chose the easiest way on how to get everything. They became slavers, bandits or raiders. However, not everyone sympathised with it.

The wasteland has grown into a warzone where everyone fought for themselves. Until fractions were formed. Many groups wanted the wasteland to be a safe and prosperous place. On the other hoof, there were lots of groups, who slaughtered everyone they met.

Me? I was in the middle of it at first...