Shimmer moaned softly as another healing potion was magically lifted to her lips. She lay across Rocket’s back as they made their way forward towards the clinic. Old and new blood coated the unicorn’s armor and coat, but that was nothing compared to Shimmer’s state. Her wounds wouldn’t close, despite having drunk nearly their entire supply of healing potions. With each bottle brought a wave of warm sensations that quickly were replaced by the strange grip of coldness.

Zephyr looked over his shoulder at the caravan of underfed and exhausted ponies behind them. Twenty-seven in total survived in the Raider camp. Many faced injuries that slowed them. They promised to catch up and insisted that Shimmer be taken to the clinic as soon as possible. The stubbornness simply baffled him as they crossed the wastes.

“Just hold on, we’ll get you fixed up!” Rocket called out as she began to increase her pace. Shimmer’s only reply was that of a pained groan.

“Easy, any more jolts and her injuries could get even worse.” Zephyr warned as he looked ahead. A small building painted in yellow with fading pink butterflies grew closer and closer in his view. If it wasn’t so bright and cheerful against the background of the Wasteland, the giant red heart on top definitely was a sure sign. The Fluttershy Medical Clinic, Shimmer’s old workplace.

“Zephyr, can you take her? I’m going to go ahead and warn them that we’re coming,” Rocket said as she looked down at him. Her expression was one of concern, but the tone of her voice indicated something more.

Zephyr nodded. “Make it quick, I don’t know how much longer she’s got without their care. Healing potions aren’t going to do the trick.”

Rocket nodded as she lifted a groaning Shimmer in her magic and gently placed her across Zephyr’s back. “They’ll be ready,” she said with a firm nod before galloping off. She looked over her shoulder and sighed as she paused for the briefest of moments. A hoof reaching up to her neck and gently depressing a small green button, a moment later a burst of static filled the air.

“Well it’s about fucking time!” A hoarse voice called out over a tiny speaker on her collar. “I’ve only been calling you for twenty minutes!”

“If you hadn’t heard, we’re in a bit of a spot!” Rocket replied as she continued to gallop.

The voice chuckled softly. “Yes, and it’s your own Goddesses damn fault too. What part of, ‘She’s to remain unharmed and alive. And bring her to me.’ did you not understand Rocketina?” Rocket ground to a halt as she reached up with both hooves. The collar around her neck sent rapid waves of electrical shocks throughout her body. As the intensity grew, she collapsed down on her haunches and desperately attempted to claw at the collar around her neck.

“I didn’t have a-“ She was cut off as another surge of electricity penetrated her. She screamed lightly as she began to writhe on the ground.

“You dumb cunt. You don’t give her an option!” the voice called out angrily. “You’re fucking lucky I don’t just blow your head off right now and send someone else to collect!”

Gradually the electrical current ceased and Rocket pushed to her hooves. She coughed wildly as she attempted to catch her breath. “We’re not alone you bastard.” she wheezed as she began to gallop towards the clinic once more. “I can’t just drag her to you without drawing suspicion!”

“You’re going to have to do better. Remember, I own you bitch, I can end you just as easily as track you,” the voice calmly said with a light chuckle at the end. “Just remember what’s at stake here.”

With a small pop the speaker shut down and the red light in the center of the collar died to a dull crimson. She sighed as she closed her eyes tightly as the arcane device powered down. As she galloped her thoughts drifted from the present to the past.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Five years ago, Rocketina traveled with her family. The trek from Hoofington was a long one. Especially after the intense turmoil that gripped the land. The tales of the Security Mare, Blackjack, the Core, and all other worries left behind. Her mother held her close as they walked. The wind howling in their faces as the wild winter began.

The ground was littered with patches of snow and ice. Their hooves hurt from the cold, but onward they marched. Rocketina’s father squinted, attempting to pierce the snow with his gaze. Navigating had simply become impossible as the snow fell. Instead, he focused on trying to find shelter from the harsh weather. He smiled wide as he spotted a small shack in the distance.

“There’s hope! Follow me!” he called over the howling winds.

Rocketina smiled as she looked up at her mother. Her soft green eyes peered down at her as she nuzzled Rocketina forward. “Stay with Daddy little one,” she said through a multitude of shivers. Rocketina quickly caught up to her father and playfully bit down on his tail. He looked back with a smile as he continued to march through the snow.

They reached the cabin and he pushed the door open slowly. He stuck only his head inside, examining the area for any kind of danger. The cabin was smaller than it even appeared outside. On one side of the cabin were two beds and some assorted sheets. The other side contained a very small kitchen space that looked untouched by the horrors of the Wasteland. Nearest them however was a small table that contained a small lamp and two bowls.

Rocketina pushed past her father and giggled as she began to jump up and down on the bed. “Daddy! This is fun! Come play with me!” she called out to him through happy giggles.

Rocketina’s mother smiled and looked at her husband. “Even now, with the horrors behind, she still manages to have fun with the littlest things.”

“Not all of us are faced with sorrow,” he replied as the two stepped inside the cabin, the winter weather forgotten as the door closed behind them. They shook their bodies rapidly, depositing snow all about them. Rocketina, however, continued to bounce up and down on the bed before speeding off to look at the mirror nearby.

She frowned as she looked herself over. “I’m so dirty and my mane is a mess,” she whined as she sat down and attempted to straighten her mane. Her mother moved in behind her and gently pushed her hooves down, taking her mane in her magic and gently removing the debris that coated it and straightening the frayed curls. Her father moved towards the small kitchen area, looking it over, determining if it was still usable.

After a few moments he nodded with approval as he opened the nearby drawers. Inside the top drawer were a small hooful of matches. He looked about and found a few old unused scrolls and tossed them inside the small fire stove. The pile of old logs resting nearby began to slowly levitate and enter inside the stove. He struck the match with his magic and brought it to the old scrolls, fire leaping upwards instantly, catching the logs moments later.

As the heat rose he brought up his bags. After digging about the bag for a moment he pulled out three amazingly preserved baking mixes. He smiled as he also pulled out a small canteen. He then frowned as he shook it, empty.

“I’ll be right back,” he said as he made his way to the door. He took the door handle in his magic and pushed it open. The snow blasted him in the face at breakneck speeds as he closed his eyes tightly and stepped outside. He groaned as he took the cover off of the canteen and used his magic to stuff snow inside. He then squinted as he placed the cover back on the canteen before he turned to head inside. Suddenly, darkness filled his vision as the butt of a rifle smashed into his face.

The door to the cabin burst open as Rocketina’s father was sent hurtling through the air to crash into the small table. Rocketina and her mother screamed as they attempted to squeeze their way into the back corner of the cabin. In the doorway, a tall figure blocked the door and a rueful chuckle filled the air as the door slammed closed again.

“Well well… If it isn’t my lucky day.” The figure chuckled as he slowly made his way forward, “I find three trespassers in my cabin. A weakling unicorn, a mare, and a stupid little filly that can barely keep her scent down,” he said as he approached Rocketina and her mother.

“What do you want with us?” Rocketina’s mother cried out as she pushed Rocketina behind her. Her eyes filled with fear as she glanced downward on the approaching ponies’ rear legs. His cutie mark resembling that of a collar with a red dot and chains interlaced around it in an infinity-like symbol. She dared let her eyes wander further south and her eyes filled with a renewed horror at the sight.

The stallion slowly moved forward, his tongue running along the length of his lips as he grinned. “Well, I figured I’d have a bit of fun,” he said as he moved closer. Rocketina did her best to try and hide behind her mother but the stallion towered over them both. “Don’t even try to hide or run, no one will find you, no one will hear you.” He paused for a moment and smirked. “Well, besides me.”

Rocketina’s mother scowled up at the stallion. “You bastard… She’s just a filly!” she screamed loudly as she attempted to push him back; only to find herself being introduced to a pair of rear hooves to her face. His buck sent her sprawling across the room and onto one of the beds. She groaned as stars filled her vision. Her eyes went wide as suddenly, uninvited warmth invaded her. She screamed and attempted to buck him backwards. But the gesture was futile as her head was jammed forward by his forehooves.

Rocketina cried as she curled into a ball, hiding her face with her tail. Her mother’s face strewn with tears as she looked down at her, calmly saying through the pain, “Look away baby, it’ll be okay.” The stallion just smirked as he jammed her head forward. He silenced her with the mattress as he pushed downward on her neck. She began to choke as her ability to breathe was cut off.

With each passing moment her body began to contort as her lungs began to burn. Her eyes slowly turned red as she attempted to twist her head and inhale the thing that gave her life. Instead the stallion pressed down even harder, her eyes snapping open wide as with a loud crunch, he collapsed the bones in her neck. Her body went limp underneath him and she gasped several more times before the life left her eyes.

For several minutes, the stallion ignored this until he finally pushed off of her corpse. He then looked down at the shivering Rocketina. He took her in his magic and lifted her so that her face was less than an inch away from his. His tongue slowly moved along the side of her face, which contorted in disgust, and in return he chuckled once again.

“You’ll learn respect little bitch,” he said smirking. “Oh, you will learn, and you will learn to like it.”

In a weak voice, Rocketina’s father slowly croaked, “Leave her-“ He was quickly silenced with a loud bang. A magnum pistol floated next to the stallion, it’s barrel smoking after the recently expended round made itself a home in Rocketina’s father's skull. The stallion put the magnum back into his pack and looked back at Rocketina who had begun to shiver uncontrollably. Beneath her a small pool of yellow had formed against the white floor of the shack.

The stallion smirked as he held her in front of him. “Oh, and manners will be needed too.” Rocketina slowly opened her tear soaked eyes, her gaze meeting his, and anger filling those moments later. “Oh yes, little Rocket, you will learn. You will be useful,” he said with a final chuckle as he touched his horn to hers and the world faded to black.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rocket squeezed her eyes shut, the memory temporarily pushed back into the back of her mind. Her forehooves leaped upwards and forwards as she pushed open the doors to the Fluttershy clinic. The few ponies that were on duty jumped as the blood stained unicorn approached them.

“Are you okay?” one asked as she looked Rocket up and down.

Rocket nodded a few times. “I’m fine. But I have an injured pony and several malnourished ones on the way. Twenty five or so in total.”

The two mares stared at her in horror. “We can’t nearly help that many! We don’t have the supplies!” the orange mare stated as she shook her head hard. “You’ll have to take them somewhere else.”

Rocket frowned at them. “We’re willing to compensate you, but you NEED to save the injured mare though in order to do that!”

“Just how could you possibly compensate us for that many?” The blue mare asked skeptically as she looked out one of the nearby windows. Zephyr, Shimmer, and the caravan were approaching rather quickly.

“You’re having trouble getting into the sub-basement?” Rocket asked quickly as she followed her gaze.

The orange mare eyed her once again. “How’d you know that?”

Rocket shook her head hard as she put her hooves on the mares’ shoulders, “I PROMISE I’ll explain later. Save the mare. We’ll get the sub-basement open for you when she’s better.”

The mare looked as if she was about to object when Zephyr burst through the door. His eyes were wide as Rocket floated Shimmer onto a gurney. “She’s stopped breathing!” he shouted at the two mares. They glared at Zephyr and Rocket and then moved to the gurney.

“This better be worth it!” the orange one called out as they wheeled Shimmer past a set of double doors. The small caravan of ponies slowly made their way into the clinic and collapsed into different corners. Some simply fell asleep where they fell and others sat down and talked. Some of them still stunned that they were freed from the torment of the Raiders.

Rocket looked at Zephyr who simply nodded and made his way back outside. Her gaze turned at the double doors. She sighed as she gently made her way over to a small bench and collapsed down on top of it. Her thoughts going out to Shimmer as she quietly hoped that she would pull through.

The small collar speaker popped back on and the stallion spoke one sentence. “She had better live or else.” And then the speaker popped and shut down once again. Rocket squeezed her eyes closed as she hung her head, her mind creeping back in time again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rocket groaned as she collapsed down on the dirty red bed. Her mane was a sweaty mess as she panted and attempted to steady her breathing. The mare behind her giggled drunkenly as she patted Rocket’s flank. Annoyance covered Rocket’s face as she slowly stood and adjusted the uncomfortable collar on her neck.

“Sweetie that was the best!” The mare said between drunken giggles and hiccups. Rocket’s face scrunched into a neutral expression as she rose to her hooves. She gathered up her few belongings in her magic and starting for the door. The mare behind her fell backwards in a drunken sleep.

Rocket rolled her eyes as she stepped out into the dirty common area of The Dancing Pony. The place had once been a highlight club in the Crystal Empire. But now, the club played host to The Ball and Chain Gang, made of cutthroats and slavers. And thanks to their leader, Rocket had been made the highlight ‘attraction’ for ponies interested in ‘blowing off steam.’

Rockets eyes glazed over the countless number of mares and colts in the common area. The place reeked of booze and smoke. The floor was once a shining crimson, indicated by small clean patches near the rear exit, but for the most part had become a stained black with all the dirt and grime. Rocket pushed past several ponies and made her way to the nearby stairs. At the top sat a single door with a red sign reading ‘Manager.’

As she reached the door she looked down at all the ponies dancing and mingling. Yearning for the day she could be free. Even praying that someone come along and buy her so she could get away. But that was not today.

A colt cried out as she pushed open the door to the office and a earth pony landed nearby the door. His nose and lips bleeding profusely. The stallion that killed her parents towered above him as he drove a hoof down on his neck.

“Fail me again you fuck, and I’ll do more than beat your ass! Now get out!” he shouted as Rocket moved quickly to the side. The stallion gave a swift jerk with his hoof and sent the colt barreling down the stairs. He lay there for a moment writhing in pain before finally and extremely slowly began making his way out of The Dancing Pony.

The stallion looked down at Rocket and huffed. “So, how much did she give you?”

“Fifty caps,” Rocket replied as she dropped a small pouch out from under the bundle of clothes she carried. The small metallic discs jingled as they impacted the ground.

The stallion looked anything but pleased. “Only fifty? Did she have more?

“She spent them on drinks first,” Rocket said as she moved away from him and deposited the dirty clothes into a small bin. “Trust me, I could taste the booze well before she even got close to me.”

The stallion huffed once again and collapsed onto a black couch. “Perhaps I should sell you to make up for that loss? Maybe that’d help.”

Rocket turned and glared at him. Which, in turn, prompted him to scowl back. His horn lit up and a small device floated off of his desk and activated. The collar around her neck began to emit an extreme jolt of electricity throughout her body. She reached up and tried to claw the collar off of her neck as she collapsed to the ground. She screamed loudly in pain as the electrical shocks grew in intensity.

“Don’t get smart with me bitch! I own you!” the stallion shouted as he towered over her. He began to laugh as she twitched in many different directions with each passing second. The electrical shocks became less and less bearable, simply causing her bladder control to simply disappear, and a small pool of wetness appeared around her flank.

The stallion allowed the shocks to continue for several more agonizing moments. Then he slowly allowed the electrical current come to a halt inside the collar. Rocket gasped for breath as she sat motionless. The pain was severe but now her body simply felt numb. She quietly sobbed as she slowly regained control of her muscles and contorted into a fetal position.

The stallion tossed the device on the couch and glared down at her. “I can barely stand the sight of you,” he hissed as he spat on her face. “I’ll have to come up with a better use for you.”

The door to the Manager's office burst open and a crème colored mare with a spiked red mane entered. Her face was covered in blood, with a very deep gash running down the length of her face across her left eye.

“The slaves in pen six got out and away!” the mare called out loudly as she limped towards the stallion. “I got a few of them back in their cages but the rest are gone. Some fucker decided to pick the locks on their collars. We can’t track them.”

The stallion roared in anger, “What the hell!?” He bucked his rear legs and sent an old lamp across the room. “How many!?”

The mare took a cloth to her face and wrapped the gash. “Seven! But we can’t spare anyone to chase them down.”

Rocket looked up at the stallion. “I’ll go! I’ll track them down and bring them back!” The stallion and mare looked down at Rocket and blinked.

The stallion laughed. “You? Seriously? Do you think I’m a fool?”

Rocket frowned at him. “No, you’re not a fool. I’m wearing a collar, track me, if I do something you don’t approve of, zap me or kill me. I don’t care.” She rose to her hooves, “But if I do this, I want to earn my freedom. I get you what you want and you let me go.”

The stallion rubbed his hoof against his chin. “And if you fail?”

“Then I die or whatever you feel free fit to do with me. Either way, you win,” she said firmly as she looked at him with very serious eyes. He looked back at her with just as serious a gaze. The mare slowly pulled a cigarette from her bag and lit it.

“Fine, it’s on your head now,” The stallion said as he turned to face the crème colored mare. “See that she’s given a few previsions and some weapons. Nothing too crazy, I want those slaves returned in good if not healable condition,” he said lifting a bottle of whiskey to his lips and taking a very long drink from the bottle, “And make sure that her collar has a radio attached, she’s gonna know if she’s fucked up or not.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rocket looked up from where she sat and sighed as she looked at the double doors Shimmer had disappeared behind. It had been three years and she still wasn’t free. She frowned as she looked down as best she could to see the slave collar around her neck. It wasn’t fair.

She pushed off the small bench and moved towards the small huddled crowds of broken families. Some were no older than three years old; others were just a few years older than her. But they all shared the same frightened yet relieved expression on their faces. Their first taste of true freedom and she so desperately wished she could join them.

From her entire core she dreamed of freedom. From the day the Slaver took her parents to right now in the Clinic she prayed to be free. She turned from them and squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to hold back her tears.

Her attempt was successful, but only thanks to the rushing forward of the Stallion that had left previously. He marched right up to Rocket and lowered a facemask with his magic.

“She’s lost a lot of blood, we’re gonna need your help,” he said, grabbing her with his magic before she had a chance to protest and bringing her towards the double doors.
Rocket crossed her forelegs and frowned. “I can walk you know!”

“No time!” the stallion replied as he began to gallop. Rocket watched as several small empty rooms passed her vision. Her eyes locked on the double doors in front of them however, ‘Surgical Ward.’ The stallion’s magic pushed open the double doors and Rocket’s eyes went wide. Lying there in the center of the room was Shimmer.

Blood slowly pooled around her body from the multiple gunshot wounds. Some of the wounds were closed; others were in the process of being closed. But none the less, she looked dead. The only sign of life was a slow deep breath that raised and lowered her sides. The stallion dropped the telekinetic spell and Rocket landed on her hooves.

She quickly moved forward before one of the nurses stopped her. “You can’t get any closer, you could make her sick,” the mare said softly as she held Rocket back, “Stay here and we’ll get you hooked up.”

“Hooked up?” Rocket asked as she watched the mare move off to her right. “Hooked up to what?”

Rocket immediately regretted asking the question. The mare slowly pushed a large machine between her and Shimmer. Long tubes lined its sides and several pumps and dials littered its front. She took one of the tubes in her magic and began floating the end towards Shimmer. It was made of a small silver needle and dial.

The nurse looked closely before nodding and gently sliding the needle through Shimmers skin and into her right foreleg. “What the hell is it?” Rocket asked as she looked on in horror as the second needle began floating towards her.

“It’s a blood transfer machine. We’re going to pump some of your blood into your friend here to keep her alive,” the nurse said, beckoning for Rocket to sit and present a foreleg. “Without your blood, she’ll certainly die.”

Rocket looked at the needle, then at Shimmer, and then groaned loudly, “Shimmer… You owe me big!” she said, a frown covering her face as she raised her right foreleg.

“This is going to pinch.”

Rocket groaned as she looked down and watched as the needle penetrate her coat and skin. She gagged instantly and shook her head with another groan. “Yeah, pinch, just lovely!” she said, shaking her head again in disapproval rather than disgust.

She watched as the nurse moved to the front of the machine and pressed a few buttons. The back glowed red as the ancient spark battery came to life. The small black pumps on either side of the machine began slowly extending and retracting. Two large wheels in the center began to spin.

Rocket nearly screamed as she watched as her blood began to fill the transparent tube leading into the machine. The nurse placed a hoof on her shoulder and shook her head slowly, “Don’t scream. What you’re doing is good. Unicorn blood is compatible with Earth and Pegasi Ponies.”
Rocket watched as her blood pooled inside the wheels and then began to fill the tube leading to Shimmer. Rocket watched as her blood slowly disappeared inside of Shimmer and she felt a smile filling her face. Shimmer may be close to death but, something just felt good saving her like this. Rocket blinked in confusion as she continued to watch the machine pump her blood.

“I plan to turn her over to the slaver… I shouldn’t feel happy… Why do I feel happy?” she thought as she sighed loudly before turning to the stallion and asking, “How long is this going to take?”

The stallion looked up as he began to speak only to be cut off by a strange bright purple light emerging from one of the gunshot wounds. “What the hell?!” he managed to say as the light intensified from the wound in Shimmers side. Then another wound began to glow brightly. Followed by another until finally all of her gunshot wounds were glowing and shimmering purple.

Several bright specks began floating from the wounds as Rocket stared on in disbelief. “Doctor, what’s going on?” Rocket asked in a small panic as she watched the wounds slowly beginning to close on their own.

“I… have no idea…” the stallion barely managed to say as one after another, the wounds finally closed. He slowly began running a hoof against Shimmers hide, “There’s no scar…” he said quietly before leaping backwards, “What the hell!?”Rocket’s jaw dropped as she got a good look at his hoof. Coating it was a sticky slimy liquid colored purple. The same shade of purple that Shimmer had vomited up several times before. The only noticeable difference was that this liquid, whatever it was, shimmered in the light as the doctor moved his hoof about.

Rocket’s stare was broken only after she heard Shimmer sigh. Quickly yanking the needle from her foreleg she moved around the table to face her. Amazingly, she was waking up, looking as if she had only gone down for an extended nap.

Shimmer rubbed a hoof against her eye as she smiled up at Rocket. “Heya. Did we get the families to the clinic okay? Are the Raiders taken care of?”

Rocket didn’t reply as all she did was look at the stallion and stare at him. He stared right back in utter confusion. Shimmer raised one of her eyebrows as she looked between them, “What? What happened?”

Rocket looked down at her and sighed, “I honestly don’t know…”

Author's Note

Thank you deeply for Kkat for creating Fallout Equestria!

Thank you also to Aeluna who makes sure my writing makes sense and isn't full of too many clichés! (Then again, two flashbacks in one chapter...I don't plan on that again!)

As always thanks for reading and please share and like the story! Enjoy!