Zoner: Shadow of Cherneighbyl

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4

Chapter 1

I gazed out of the train window, watching the scenery whiz past. It was another lovely day in Equestria; the sun was shining brightly and the sky was dotted with the occasional cumulus cloud. I was buzzing with excitement; my parents decided we'd spend a weekend exploring Canterlot as a celebration for my acceptance into a local university (back home) to study magic. It took me so long to gather the courage to apply. Too long.

I’d always wondered what the Capital was like. Maybe I’d even get to see Princess Celestia! Or Luna... she’d do too. We even took the new high-speed train; Manehattan to Canterlot in under an hour, one of the more recent modern technological marvels since Equestria's great technology explosion. I still detected the faint whiff of newness from the pleather seats.

Canterlot Station soon started rolling past the window as we slid to a halt; everything was so new, so shiney. My head drifted towards the window as I peered outside, drinking in the cavernous space, the ornate pillars and– Dink! I recoiled in shock, blinking in confusion and rubbing my horn with a hoof. My ears swivelled towards a soft chuckling coming from the seat opposite me and my gaze shifted to the unicorn responsible. Thanks dad, I thought sarcastically. “Equestria to Moonlight, come in, Moonlight. Is there anypony out there?” he taunted. I felt my cheeks heat up. It was always light-hearted with him, but still…

“Oh, leave her alone," mum chided, lightly batting dad with a hoof, "We really should be going, though.” I smiled and nodded as I returned to the real world, grabbing my saddlebags from the seat next to me. Now that we had finally arrived, I started to feel nervous. Sure, it was exciting, but I’ve always been shy and found comfort in the familiar. I stood up, throwing my saddlebags over my back with my hooves. My magic tended to get erratic when I was emotionally charged like this.

We slipped into a gap between the groups of disembarking ponies and trotted out into the station. I grunted in frustration; I'd twisted a strap while putting my saddlebags on and the chafing was already bugging me. Then it hit me, sensory overload: ponies rushing around, the glass ceiling way overhead allowing natural light to flood the cavernous space; the echoes of thousands of hoofsteps on the solid marble floor.

An automated announcement boomed through the concourse, the echoes making it slightly difficult to understand. I felt my lips quirk up in amusement. She spoke so properly, but emphasised the most insignificant words. "The next train to Manehattan leaves from platform three in five minutes." They could build all this, but couldn't get something simple like that right.

I saw platform three just up ahead, with another sleek, high-speed train full of ponies waiting to go to Manehattan. My attention shifted back to my parents, who had managed to get ahead of me. “Come on, hon,” I just managed to make out mum saying as she gestured to me to keep up. I pushed forward, dodging around various ponies on their own journeys and felt that infernal strap digging into my back again.

I stopped and took my saddlebags off, I could catch up later. I wasn’t about to let this darned thing ruin my first day in the Capital. As I carefully donned my saddlebags, I was able to get a close-up look at the rear of the high-speed train. It really looked like something out of a science-fiction comic, so streamlined and futuristic. I started forward, getting a glimpse of mum and dad, who were already nearly at the next platform.

There was some distant shouting as I saw ponies ahead turn to look at some commotion; I trotted forwards to move around the locomotive so I could get a look. I certainly did hear a mare scream “FOR EQUESTRIA!” before the whole world shook with a terrifying BANG.

I instinctively dropped to the floor, covering my ringing ears with my forelegs and managed to sputter a weak shield spell into being around myself. Shards of glass rained from above, each piece randomly catching the sunlight as they menacingly tumbled towards the floor and anypony in between. I felt my shield take some hits, but it held.

What the hay just happened?! I knew, of course, I just couldn’t understand. I trotted forwards on shaky legs; I had to find my parents, they had to be alright. All these ponies on the floor were just sleeping, they’d get up eventually, and everything would be fine. The train had buckled, and been pushed off the tracks from the force of the blast; I was lucky it had been between me and the explosion. The carriages closest to the carnage were nothing more than a mass of twisted metal and flame; the stench of burning hair assaulted my nostrils.

The ringing in my ears started to subside, but I still felt numb all over as I pressed on. A few other ponies were rushing forward, trying to help whoever they could, but I barely noticed them. There! I recognised dad’s ultramarine coat and rushed over to him, nearly slipping on a shard of glass on the way. “Wake up, dad!” I held his head in my hooves; he was completely limp. I felt his neck with my pastern, but there was no pulse. “Daddy! Please just wake up,” everything started to get blurry. He was just sleeping! Heartbeats get weaker during sleep, that’s all.

I gently placed his head back down and blinked away my tears; he looked fine, apart from some dirt on his coat. “I’m just going to get mum, she’ll know what to do,” I said to him, mainly to reassure myself.

I left dad behind and searched for mum. A large pool of blood loomed ahead; a once-bright white coated pegasus lay in the middle. My stomach fell– I knew who she was. I stepped forward slowly; her neck had been nearly completely severed. I needed to vomit, to scream… to wake up.

***

My eyes opened with a start; my body still shaking. It wasn’t so much a nightmare as it was a replay of a memory. It happened, what, three months ago? Or was it four? I remember the day clearly, but since then, the days had blurred together. Today is going to be a bad day, I thought to myself.

No, I told myself, I have to calm down; I haven’t even started my day. My bedroom was nearly pitch black, just how I liked it. The ceiling was littered with little glow-in-the-dark stars and planets, my night-time companions since fillyhood. Princess Luna’s moon glowed cheerfully from directly above me. My favourite piece, however, was a representation of Haylley’s comet which I had made myself.

My lips curled into a small smile as I remembered dad pointing the real thing out to me when I was a very young filly; we’d stand outside and admire it on every clear night until it faded away. I was mesmerised by its beauty and rarity– apparently Luna only decorated her night sky with a comet on very rare occasions. The night always appealed to me, the world quieted down and I felt somehow safer. Kind of ironic, that I looked up to Princess Celestia more than I did Luna.

My shaking had died down somewhat. “Okay, time to get up,” I mumbled to myself. Rolling out of the sweat-dampened bed, I grumbled as I felt a hideous crust under my eyes. I needed to clean myself up, but first I wanted to get something to eat and drink. Something comforting. I passed my parents’ bedroom on my way downstairs to the kitchen. It was empty. I let out a sad sigh as I continued on. They were gone, but that didn’t stop an aching hope from flaring up deep inside me every morning.

I made myself a cup of tea and some porridge as I thought about the rest of the day. I had another meeting with the bank to discuss the ‘fiscal situation regarding the business’ as they so emotionlessly put it. This was to be the third such meeting. I had taken over my parents’ bakery after they… left, but it had been a struggle to make ends meet. I had to pay my assistant, Sweet Glory, in addition to the bills for both my home and the business. I wanted to study magic! I wasn’t a businessmare, that much was painfully obvious.

After making myself look somewhat presentable, I headed out for the bank, walking alongside the modern road. Such ugly things, I thought to myself, at least we still have grass walkways here in the suburbs of Manehattan. The concrete ones in the city center did awful things to hooves.

***

The banker looked straight in my eyes, and I couldn’t keep them from sliding down to his desk. “Ms Moonlight,” he said in a level tone, like a teacher to an obstinate foal, “This is our third meeting regarding your business. It seems you’ve fallen even further into debt.”

“I… I know, I’ve been trying, I really have! Please, I just need more time,” I protested. It was the truth; I’d committed myself fully to running the business, baking produce and serving customers. I had to keep it going. If their bakery was still running, my parents weren’t truly gone.

“More time? It’s been over six months,” he continued. Six months? Has it really been that long already? My face fell and I noticed his expression soften. “I tried to help you make your bakery more profitable, why didn’t you let me? With a bit of investment, you could have modernised and increased your productivity massively.”

“Modernise?! Let soulless machines churn out the same stuff every other sell-out of a bakery does?” My voice started to quaver, “We always did things the traditional way. You lose some magic when you let a machine do all the work. I can’t let that happen! This was mum and dad’s bakery; they put their lives and their love into it!”

“So you’re saying you’re an artisan baker? So why didn’t you charge the prices to match?” He threw back at me. I couldn’t do that, we… I had regular customers, not all of them could afford such prices. Plus, it hardly seemed fair to hike the prices up so much for the same produce. In truth, I also had doubts that I’d be good enough to justify being called an 'artisan baker'.

My mouth opened and closed several times as I tried to formulate a convincing argument, but I heard him sigh. “I’m sorry, I really am, but my hooves are tied. Given how far in debt you are, and how you’re projected to go even deeper in the future, the bank has decided to take the bakery from you.” My eyes went wide and his form started to blur. I could have sworn that the temperature in the room had just dropped ten degrees.

“You… you can’t! Please! I’ll turn things around, I promise! What about Sweet Glory? What about me?!” I pleaded with my forelegs in desperation.

“The decision’s been made,” he said with a tone of finality. “Look, I shouldn’t really tell you this, but I think you deserve to know. We’ve already done a deal with Hoofis bakery, they are branching out, setting up small franchises in addition to their factories. They will take on your former assistant, Ms Glory.” I couldn’t believe I was hearing this. A part of me was glad that Sweet Glory wouldn’t be out of a job, but… my bakery… gone. Just like that? “I can try to put in a word for you. You’d be serving customers and operating the baking systems. You could do that.”

Something suddenly snapped inside me. “How dare you! How dare you?!” I yelled at him. Well, it was loud for me. “You take my business from me, hoof it over to some big, soulless corporation and expect me to happily work for them? I put my life into that place! Mum and dad, too!” I glared, taking in his boring grey mane and his boring brown coat and his boring bloody suit. This buffoon, this thief had the gall to make it sound like a favour?

His expression hardened. “Very well, Ms Moonlight, you have made your position perfectly clear. You may leave now,” he said, returning to his professional tone. As I started out of his office, my ears swivelled to catch his next comment, “I do hope you have some plan for the future. I’d hate to have to take your home from you, too.” My ears pinned themselves to my skull as I hurried outside.

I galloped home. How long would it still be mine for? Tears streamed down my face, I just had to get somewhere safe, and I could figure this out.

***

My pace had slowed to a steady canter– I was out of breath. My tears had been spent, though I could feel the old ones drying into my fur. I was so distraught that the odd looks I’d attracted from other ponies didn’t even bother me.

“Hey, Moonlight!” I heard somepony call out to me. Her voice barely registered until I saw her yellow, almost gold coat. My best friend, Blossom Sunrise. I quickened my pace. Please not now, I thought, I just want to be alone.

“Hey Blossy! Sorry, awfully busy right now, gotta go,” I blurted out, my voice still unsteady. In a sudden flash, she appeared right in front of me and I stopped instinctively, blinking in confusion. My mind finally caught up– she had just teleported right in front of my face. I looked up at her, as she was easily a full head taller than me.

“No! You’re always ‘busy’, we’re talking right now,” Her tone brooked no argument. I looked away, ashamed. She took on a concerned expression. “Woah, Moony, you look a mess. Are you alright?”

“Sure, I’m fine,” I chirped, “Just lost the bakery, nothing to worry about, haha!” That laugh may have sounded a little more manic than I intended. She threw her forelegs around me in a tight hug and I weakly reciprocated.

“C’mon, you’re staying with me; the last thing you need is to be alone right now.” We disentangled and she led me to her home. She was right, my mind was going to some pretty dark places, and I had missed being around her.

We made it to her home, which wasn’t far off from being a mansion. The entrance hall was a large open space with a wide, sweeping staircase. It wasn’t overly ornate, just tasteful. Not that I really cared to appreciate the decor right now.

“Hello Blossom. Oh, and hello to you too Moonlight. I wasn’t expecting you back so soon, did you forget something?” a grey pegasus asked. My ears flicked upwards to the mare– my friend’s servant, as she walked down the stairs, her hoofsteps being muffled by the plush carpet. She made eye contact with me and I tried to put on a brave face. It mustn’t have worked, as she took on a concerned expression. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

Blossy looked up at the pegasus. “Hey Daisy, could you get us something to eat please? We’ll be in the garden.”

Daisy beamed me an encouraging smile, “I’ll get right on it.” She gave me a wink before heading off.

I’d always liked how informal things were here; the atmosphere was always warm and welcoming.

“So Moony, what happened? I’ve barely seen you these past few months,” Blossy asked as we made our way to the garden. Did I really abandon her like that? I supposed I had been pushing my friends away. Blossy was the only one who hadn’t given up trying to talk with me. My eyes started watering; I’d been dreading this.

“I’m sorry; I really didn’t mean to push you away, I… I just had to keep the bakery going, for mum and dad, for their memory… so they’d still be here with me, in a way,” I tried to explain in a flurry of words. “But I failed,” I continued, “Failed to keep the family business, failed to keep my friends, and soon… I’ll fail to k-keep my home.” Tears ran down my cheeks in tiny rivulets. It had just hit me, how hopeless my situation had become.

“Hey, you’re not a failure at all. And last I checked, we’re still friends,” she said in a firm tone, frowning, “I won’t let you lose your home; if I have to, I’ll pay whatever you need. And if you ever need a place to stay, you’re always welcome here, for however long you need. Hay, I’ve said it before- you could move in, if you wanted.” Even after I’d pushed her away for so long, she still had my back. I’ll never take you for granted again, I promise.

“Thanks, but… I couldn’t ask that of you, I–”

“– No. No buts. I can help you, it’s a drop in the ocean to me,” she interrupted, “I will not just watch as you lose your home! Let me help you, I won’t take no for an answer! I felt humbled as I let my head droop lower. I never liked accepting help, but… I really did need it. I sighed.

“Thank you, I… I don’t even know what to say. Thank you!” My eyes were still streaming, but the reason had changed. I do have a future. It’s not all over. “It’s not easy for me, accepting help. I don’t care how rich you are, I don’t want to become some parasite to you.”

“Don’t mention it,” she said with a smile, “I’ll get in touch with my accountant, he’ll make all the arrangements.” She opened the last door and we headed into the garden. “And don’t worry, you’re not a parasite, and you never will be. Besides,” she adopted a lighter tone, “you’ve put up with me since we were little fillies, you deserve a little something for that.”

I rolled my eyes and let out a little snort in response to her blithe comment. The world seemed to brighten up and get more colourful as I started to calm down. Of course, part of that could be down to the fact that we were now in the perfectly maintained garden. There were flowers of all kinds, growing neatly in carefully planned arrangements. It really was beautiful, the vivid colours worked together to create a kind of work of art. My mouth watered; I was hungry and they looked and smelled absolutely delicious.

We sat next to the centrepiece of the garden; a lovely waterfall feature with a pond at the bottom. I gazed into it, admiring the way the water sparkled as the sunlight caught it, the soothing sound of the water making its way down the rocks, only to be sucked back up by some magic-powered pump thingy–

“Heh, you always did like that.” I blinked, snapping back to reality. “I see you’re just as fascinated by it as when you were a little filly,” the yellow unicorn grinned cheerfully.

I felt my cheeks warm up slightly, “Yeah, simpler times.” I took a moment to wipe my cheeks with a hoof. Stupid tears.

Blossy looked like she was trying to think of how to say something, her expression had turned pensive. I allowed the gentle trickling of the water relax me further, giving her the time she needed. As I was relaxing, I noticed how her coat seemed almost radiant in the sunlight, and I felt a little pang of jealousy– it was so bold and full of life, just like the pony it belonged to. Her neat, fiery red mane was even more eye-catching with its streaks of bright pink giving a nice bit of extra contrast. That long, slender horn of hers poked through her mane, giving her a regal, but overall understated appearance.

I hated the term ‘horn envy’, but truthfully, I did sometimes fall victim to it around Blossy. My horn wasn’t bad, though! I was clumsy already; if mine were that long, I’d always be accidentally goring things. So in that respect, mine is actually better! I tried to console myself, albeit failing somewhat.

The unicorn finally spoke up, “Look, this is all my fault. I thought after your…” she cringed, “after you took over the bakery, it’d be best if I gave you some space. I should have known you’d throw yourself into your work like that; the same happened to father when mom passed away, back when I was a little filly.” Her ears pointed downwards and I wanted to say something to comfort her, but I knew she needed to get this off her chest. “He became obsessed with making more and more money, to ‘secure my future’. I hardly ever see him anymore. Maybe he really is that crazy about ‘securing his legacy’, or maybe I remind him too much of mom.”

I placed a supportive hoof on one of hers as she continued, “I should have been this forceful when you first told me your bakery was in trouble. I could have saved you this grief, if I paid off your debts and didn’t take no for an answer. I’m sorry, Moony, I really should have known.” Did she really think that? I wondered.

I shook my head, “Absolutely not, Moony. I stand by that decision. You’d become my boss, and I really wouldn’t want that. Even if you told me otherwise, I’d still have seen you as my boss. You’re too important a friend for me to let that happen; if I had to choose between your money or your friendship, it’s a no-brainer for me.”

“I wish more ponies were like that, Moony. You’re the only true friend I have,” she looked down sadly, “everypony thinks being rich can only be a good thing, but it can be lonely.”

I gave her a questioning look, but it was starting to make sense, how she always had so much time for me. It dawned on me just how rough these past few months must have been for her, too. “But you’re a wonderful pony! I couldn’t ask for a better friend; you never fail to make me feel better.” Something else was niggling at the back of my mind… “And what about those dates you had? You just stopped after a while, but I noticed there was always interest for you.”

“You don’t get it, do you? They wanted my money; they weren’t actually interested in me. I stopped dating because… it hurt. I’d open myself up to somepony and later I’d find they were just after a few damned bits.” She snorted contemptuously. “Yes, I do have other ‘friends’, but it’s all so… artificial, they’re just a bunch of sycophants. They aren’t like you, you don’t care about my money. You’re genuine.” Her words hit me like a sledgehammer and made me feel small and foalish. My mind drew a blank, what could I say to that?

“Sorry, I guess I needed to rant a little bit.” She looked at me apologetically, “You shouldn’t have had to hear all that, especially not right now.” I started to see her in a new light– I had no idea things were so complicated. I wished I could help her, reassure her somehow.

“Anyway, this was supposed to be about you. I could have supported you without becoming your boss; I could have been your investor, or… something!” I appreciated the sentiment, but even she didn’t sound confident with that argument.

“That would still have made you my boss. Besides, I’m no businessmare; I was in over my head.” I sighed. “It feels horrible to say this, but… a part of me actually feels relieved it’s over.” I felt disgusted at myself for saying that, but it was true. What kind of pony feels relief from losing their parents’ business?

Blossy looked thoughtful for a moment. “You know what, maybe you’re right. Perhaps this needed to happen, that place was sucking the life out of you, Moony. It may seem callous, but it’s fine to feel relieved when a burden is lifted from your back.” Her words did put things into a new perspective for me, and did help to put my mind more at ease, but I wasn’t really comfortable in thinking of the bakery as a burden. “You’ve been through so much, hay; I can’t even imagine what it must have been like for you. But you pulled through and I got my best friend back. You’re stronger than you think.”

“Thanks, Blossy. It means a lot to hear you say that.” Those last words resonated in my mind: I am stronger than I think.

Daisy appeared and placed a tray to the side of us with a wing, “Lunch is served! Well, late-lunch, I suppose. Sorry it took me so long, but I think it’ll be worth the wait.” A part of me suspected that it was intentional, to give Blossy and I time to talk things through. We both thanked her and she trotted away.

Blossy passed the food, floating a steaming bowl of soup, a cup of green tea and an empty side plate my way with her bright blue magic. “Woah, she really went to town with this. Help yourself,” she gestured to a plate on the tray, stacked with buttered baguette slices. The bowls of ice-cream certainly didn’t escape my notice, one of which was quite a bit fuller than the other. I must have been staring because I heard her take on a mock-scolding tone, “You can have your dessert after you’ve eaten your main meal, missy,” I rolled my eyes, but smirked anyway. The mood had already lightened, which I was grateful for; I was feeling rather drained.

“Ooh! Pea and mint, one of my favourites,” I exclaimed in surprise after my first taste. Blossy simply gave me a warm smile as she levitated her own soup-soaked bread. It really was delicious, and it tasted all the sweeter now that we’d put the past to rest. The bread wasn’t bad either, if a little underbaked– but it could have been raw dough for all I cared. This was the best meal I’d ever had.

With the soup finished, Blossy levitated the used dishware back to the tray and served the ice-cream bowls. “Now, I suspect Daisy intended the… somewhat larger portion for you, so here you go.” She set the bowl down in front of me. Vanilla and caramel with chunks of chocolate– yummy! Tiny vanilla seeds dotted the ice-cream, only adding to the allure. “After all, I must ‘watch my figure’,” Blossy grouched.

We both finally tucked in, it was absolutely sublime. The sweetness of the caramel gave way to the light, creamy-vanilla, finishing with the deep richness of the chocolate as it melted in my mouth. Ice cream makes everything better. “Is that offer to move in still open? I think I just fell in love with Daisy,” I remarked.

“Sure thing!” Blossy giggled, “When are you going to tell her? Ooh! Or do you want me to set you up on a date? I can totally do that!” There was a mischievous glint in her eyes. She didn’t think I meant it seriously, right? I mean, sure, Daisy was nice, but she was quite a bit older than me. Then again, maybe that wouldn’t such a bad thing. Why am I even considering this?

“Uh, I uh…” I stammered. Great, now she thinks I’m infatuated with her servant. I felt my cheeks burning, which only spurred her giggling fit to turn into full-on laughter. Of course, when all I needed was one witty remark, my brain failed to deliver.

“Oh relax. I know you're not interested in her,” Blossy calmed down a bit more, “your face, though, priceless!” I couldn’t help my mouth from twisting in mirth. I could feel my spirits lifting, despite embarrassing myself.

All too soon, the ice-cream was finished and we got to our hooves. “That was lovely, I really must thank Daisy. I feel so much better now. Thank you too, Blossy, for not giving up on me. It’s good to be back, as it were,” I flashed her a relaxed smile.

“What’re friends for? Anyway, why don’t you clean yourself up? Feel free to use the shower and make yourself at home. Meet up in the living room when you’re finished?” she suggested.

“Sounds good.” I nodded in agreement.

***

I stepped out of the bathroom, feeling like a new mare, if a little languorous. It was amazing how much better one can feel after a shower and a bite to eat. I made my way to the living room, enjoying the soft plushness of the carpet under my hooves. My mane was still a bit damp- half of my vision was obscured by drooping violet hair. I flicked my head back to clear my vision. It’ll do for now.

I looked down at my forelegs. My normally soft fur felt positively velvety after using Blossy’s no doubt expensive shampoos. Not only that, it seemed to have helped bring out that slight periwinkle lustre to my white fur. I wondered if that’s how my friend managed to get her coat to sort-of glow, the way it did.

I found said mare lounging on the sofa, staring at a large screen on the wall opposite her. From the sounds of it, she was watching some kind of news programme. I crept up to her and caught a snippet from the television, “– and despite the presence of the Zone, relations with the gryphons continue to warm. However, experts warn that it could change at–” I reared up and flopped my forelegs down on the backrest behind the oblivious unicorn, “RAWR!”

She jerked forward, turning her neck to face me with an expression of mild surprise. “Oh, hey Moony,” she casually remarked. “Have a nice shower?” Her horn flared and the television blinked off.

“Aghr! How do you do that?!” Couldn’t she at least have the decency to at least pretend to be scared?

She tittered, “You don’t exactly have the voice for it. Or the volume.” Her smile became menacing. “Perhaps I ought to show you how it’s really done.”

I shook my head emphatically, “Nope, I’m good. Thanks for your kind offer, though.” I moved around to sit on the comfortable sofa.

“Alright. At least for now,” she said with a mischievous gleam in her eyes. I silently gulped– that sounded ominous. “I was beginning to worry you’d gotten lost. Even for you, that was a long time,” Blossy teased.

It didn’t feel that long. “Sorry, it would seem somepony forgot to provide me with a map,” I retorted. “I guess I kinda zoned out for a bit. I think there’s something about that shampoo that makes me feel so relaxed,” I said in a lighter tone.

“Heh, it’s alright, as long as you’re okay. On the bright side, it did give me time to get in touch with my accountant. He has everything in hoof, nopony’s going to be taking your home from you.” She beamed at me and I breathed a sigh of relief.

“Thank you! I don’t know what I’d have done without you,” I said as my eyes started to water again.

“Hey, it’s alright,” she reached over and nuzzled me. I closed my eyes and let the feel of her smooth fur against mine calm me down. We quietly shared a happy moment together before she pulled away.

My friend was the first to break the silence, “You know what, Moony? Why don’t we just sit back and watch a movie? I’ve got the latest Colt Eastwood one; you still like him, right?”

I nodded in affirmation, “That sounds great, Blossy.” A bit of passive entertainment sounded perfect right about now. “After all”– I prepared my best gravelly voice –”I’m feelin’ lucky.”

She rolled her eyes and groaned, but she had a big smile plastered on her face. What? I thought it was a pretty good impression.

***

I woke up from a dreamless sleep to a new day. A better day! I was feeling more relaxed than I had in months; it was nice, not having anything looming over my head anymore. I clambered out of the luxurious bed, trying to make it somewhat neat before brushing my bed-mane at the dressing table. I gave myself my typical demure smile in the mirror– not bad!

I made my way to the living room to see if I could find my friend, ruminating on what she had told me yesterday on the way. I’d never realised she was so lonely– she must have been so strong to have been able to hide it so well. Was I a bad friend for not noticing? I certainly didn’t help these past few months… I wished I could talk to her dad to tell him how stupid he’s being! Not that I could really judge him after I did essentially the same thing. It just seemed like such a waste; they still had time to make memories together.

Not everypony could say that.

“Oh look! It lives!” Huh? That sounded like Blossy. I shook my head, dispelling my gloomy thoughts and I realised that I was already in the living room, my friend and Daisy looking like they were in the middle of a conversation. “You know, most ponies get up in the morning,” Blossy continued with her taunting.

I felt my cheeks warm up from the embarrassment of how oblivious I must have looked. “Hey, um, good… afternoon?” I stammered, my brain still catching up. Just at that moment, my stomach let out a grumble. Because I wasn't already embarrassed enough. My friend just giggled at my predicament.

“I’ll go and get you something to eat, Moonlight; do crêpes sound good to you?” Daisy asked with a sympathetic smile as she rose from the sofa.

“Yes, that sounds lovely, thank you,” I replied with an eager nod.

“What?!” The yellow unicorn exclaimed indignantly, raising her forelegs. “How come she gets to have nice, tasty food, while I get stuck with the boring healthy stuff all the time?”

“Well, somepony has to control your diet for you. Don’t think I don’t know about your chocolate stash, missy! And it wouldn’t be a bad thing if Moonlight were to put on a bit of weight, either,” the grey mare scalded my friend before stepping out of the room. I couldn’t tell if that was a dig at me, too. At least, I didn’t think I looked scrawny. Though, she was kind of spoiling me, so I couldn’t complain.

Blossy crossed her forelegs with a huff. “What! She’s supposed to work for me! I swear it’s the other way around, sometimes.” I let out a snicker at my friend’s little strop.

“Oh come on, it’s not like you have it bad. She’s just watching out for you,” I began, but she stuck her tongue out at me. “Besides,” I continued regardless, ”you wouldn’t want to end up like Mrs Heartley, would you?”

Mrs Heartley was our old history teacher, back when we went to school together. I spent most of my lessons trying not to notice how her body jiggled as she made the slightest of movements.

“Oh, Sweet Celestia, no!” My friend blurted out, aghast. “I’ll eat salad every meal for the rest of my life if I have to!” She shook her head, no doubt trying to get rid of the image I just painted in her mind. “You know, you seem to take Daisy’s side an awful lot… Are you sure you don’t fancy her?” She suggested with a sadistic grin.

Great, now my face is on fire. I pointedly ignored her, looking intently at the cream-coloured carpet. It was a very nice carpet. Soft, clean, and accompanied by the sound of Blossy sniggering. “Too easy, way too easy.”

***

I felt much better after the meal. Nothing could beat crêpes smothered in maple syrup for breakfast! Or rather, lunch. My friend also looked a bit more cheerful after Daisy came in with an extra one for her.

“So!” Blossy declared as she lounged back on the sofa. “Any ideas on what you wanna do yet? Still wanna study magic? I could get us on a course at university, though we’d have some catching up to do.”

“I’d love to, but… I’m not sure I’m really ready,” I said, feeling guilty. I knew she wanted to as well, but I had to be honest. Lying to myself hadn’t exactly worked out too well in the past. “Plus, I want to do it properly, not rush through things to try to catch up. Next time, we’ll do it,” I promised. “I think maybe I need a change of scenery, to get away from Manehattan. The memories…” I trailed off.

I noticed my friend biting her lip apprehensively. I gave her a questioning look, hoping to get her to open up.

“Well, I was thinking about going somewhere. Maybe we could go together?” she said, her demeanour unusually subdued.

“Ooh, where did you have in mind?” I asked, my interest piqued.

“The Zone,” she stated simply.

I just stared at her. Did she really just say that? Judging by the flat look she returned me, yes, she did just say that. “Why the hay would you want to go there?!” I asked, utterly baffled. I was supposed to be the one who’d lost her marbles, not Blossy!

The unicorn just looked sad. “I… I…” she hesitated. There was a pause as I let her piece together what she was about to say. “It’s not your fault, please don’t blame yourself, but, the past few months have been really… lonely.” What? How could that not be my fault? I all but cut her out of my life! I felt my face fall. I will not cry again, not again.

With a sigh, my friend continued, “Look, remember when I mentioned about not having any other real friends?” I gave a nod in reply. “Well, I wanted to go somewhere where maybe my money wouldn’t matter to anypony, or at least they wouldn’t know about it. Maybe I could make some friends there…”

I felt truly rotten. She said it wasn’t my fault, but if I hadn’t cut her off, maybe she wouldn’t have felt the need to go to what was probably the most dangerous place in Equestria. “I’m sorry, I had no idea… You can’t seriously still want to go there, can you?” I asked, aghast.

“I told you, it’s not your fault,” she said with a sigh. “But yes, I would still like to go. It’d be a big adventure, you know? A place full of mysterious things that nopony understands… Sometimes, this place” -she waved a hoof around the room- “just feels like a gilded cage. There’s no excitement.” Once again, it hit me, just how hard things must have been for her to feel the need to go to such a place. “You know, we could make a thing of it, go together? It’d be a change of scenery for both of us…” she trailed off.

My stomach dropped. She wanted me to go with her to that place? I wished I could help her, after what I put her through, but I couldn’t go there! “I don’t know, Blossy, the Zone sounds really dangerous. Aren’t there weird mutant creatures that’ll try to eat your face?” I asked, fishing for a good excuse to say no. “I’m not sure I could hurt another creature, even in self-defence.”

“From my research, we could avoid most of them. We’d just have to be careful,” she said thoughtfully as she stroked her chin with a forehoof. “But yes, we’d probably have to fight some. But we’d be putting them out of their misery; they aren’t like the creatures here in Equestria, they’re wild, savage, even. Their mutations probably put them in a lot of pain, too.” She added softly.

I still didn’t like the idea of harming other creatures, but I supposed she had a point; would I even want to live, if I had such horrible disfigurements? I shivered at the thought. “I… I’m sorry, I just don’t think I can do it, Blossy. It sounds scary and dangerous,” I said timorously, looking down at my hooves. I’m letting her down again.

“Hey, it’s okay, Moony,” she said in a tender tone. “I got my best friend back, that’s more than enough for me.” I felt a hoof on my withers and I looked up to see Blossy smiling at me, which only made me feel even more guilty. “Say, I’ve heard there’s a fair on at the Manehattan Central Complex today, we could go there if you wanted. It’d get us out of this place for a bit, at least,” she suggested.

I mentally stomped my guilt into submission and tried for a smile. “Sure, that sounds nice,” I nodded. Maybe we’d get a few ideas on how to occupy ourselves until the next university courses started, too. “Um, won’t we need tickets, though?” I asked.

“Oh, don’t worry about that,” my friend said confidently. “They’ll make an exception when they find out who I am.”

***

I looked out the window of the taxi my friend and I were taking, watching the world pass me by. As the magical engine quietly whined, pulling us closer to the center of the city, I noticed the buildings getting taller and the grass walkways replaced by hard, grey pavement. Ponies were walking on that pavement, going about their lives. Their colourful coats contrasted starkly with the depressing grey of the urban jungle.

It just occured to me, I didn’t even ask what this fair was about. “Hey Blossy, what’s going on at this fair?” I asked, feeling a bit foolish at not having the presence of mind to ask this earlier.

She looked at me with a smile. “It’s a technology fair! They’re showing off the latest and greatest gadgets, that sort of thing. That sounds cool, right?” she said enthusiastically. No, not really. I couldn’t stop a sour expression from taking hold on my face. “What’s wrong, Moony?” My friend asked.

“Nothing, nothing,” I replied with a sigh, turning to look out of the window again, but I was stopped by a hoof touching my shoulder. The yellow unicorn’s bright blue eyes bore straight into my own.

“Please, don’t push me away again. Tell me what’s wrong. Maybe I can help,” she said in a serious tone. “Do you not like technology?” she probed.

“It’s not that. Not really. I just… Do you ever think we’re moving too fast? When I was a foal, before this mad rush for new technologies, ponies were calmer. Things were just… nicer,” I said wistfully, breaking eye contact. “Now, everything’s all about the latest machines that can do all these wonderful things, and nopony gives a damn what it does to those who lose their livelihoods to those stupid machines,” I continued, trying to keep my voice steady. “I’m worried. I’m worried we’re losing who we are, as a people.”

My friend looked at me sympathetically; she knew where I was coming from. “I care,” she stated simply. Those two words started me off, sobbing. I know you do, Blossy. I just wish everypony else did, too. “You know what I think? I think we just need to find our hooves. It’ll take time, but we’ll put things right. Technology can’t change who we are, deep down,” she said with conviction. Maybe she is right, she really seems to believe that. I felt the seeds of hope take root in my mind. At least it had stopped my sobbing. “You do know this is all necessary, right?” she pressed.

“Yeah, we were taught this at school,” I sighed again. “The gryphons had their own technology drive. They had guns while we still only had throwing weapons and magic, and they started to get more and more aggressive towards us. So we tried our best to catch up and level the playing field,” I repeated from my fillyhood lessons.

The gryphons saw us as prey– just like the old times, before the Princesses. With their large technological edge, they took a more aggressive stance in their dealings with us. Didn’t they also make some threats against the Princesses? Those lessons seemed so long ago, now.

“That’s right, we had to catch up to protect ourselves,” Blossy replied with a nod. “And the developments from our own tech drive filtered down into everyday life. You gotta admit, life is better now. Yeah, I suppose so. Equestria had effectively been shrunk with the advent of faster and more efficient modes of transport. When I looked at things through Blossy’s perspective, it actually seemed kind of exciting. Think positive, Moony…

“So what kind of things are gonna be at this show?” I asked, slightly curious. I wasn’t about to start extolling the virtues of technology, but I supposed I could give it a chance.

She gave me a warm look, sensing the mood lift. “Well, I didn’t read too much about it, but I do know they’re showcasing a new kind of mobile telephone,” she said, glancing up at the ceiling of the taxi as she tried to recall what she’d read. I couldn’t help but feel disappointed. A telephone? How mundane. “Apparently, it can think. They’re calling it the Interactive Intelligent Mobile Telephone,” my friend finished, looking proud at herself.

Huh, a thinking telephone. Why not? I doubted it would ever catch on, though.

***

We made our way towards the imposing Manehattan Central Complex as our taxi whirred away. This building was huge. Well, huge by my standards. All the buildings around the city center were massive, giving an almost claustrophobic feeling to the place. There was a large concrete plaza before the complex, with sitting areas, a few fountains and some lonely-looking trees. I supposed somepony out there thought it was nice. The clopping of hooves on concrete filled the air as ponies trotted about their business.

“Hehe, did you see the look on the driver's’ face when I paid him?” Blossy said with a giggle. I just rolled my eyes, but felt myself smirking anyway.

“You gave him a one-hundred bit note and told him to ‘keep the change’,” I said flatly. The fare had only been ten bits. That was probably the biggest tip he’d ever had. “So, do you think you’ll check out that new Smart Telephone, or whatever it’s called?” I asked, trying not to not get bothered by how little sky I could see.

“Interactive Intelligent Mobile Telephone,” she corrected me. “But hey, I like ‘Smart Telephone’, you could say it has a nice ring to it." Blossy beamed at me, but I just looked at her flatly. When it was clear I wasn't going to acknowledge her clever pun, she carried on, "Oh fine, that was terrible. Anyway, I’m thinking it might be kinda cool– I wonder what it can do.”

“Make calls?” I suggested, only a little sarcastically. The edifice loomed ahead of us, even more imposing now that we were nearly there. At least it wasn’t one of those hideous skyscrapers. I trotted a little closer to my friend, all the same. This place was very good at making a pony feel small.

Blossy turned her head to look at me, “Har-har, ever the skeptic. Just you watch, in a few years–” her next words were drowned out by a deafening ROAR. A bright flash of orange and a shockwave rolled over us, blowing our manes back. Then a corner of the complex crumbled before my eyes, spewing dust out.

Suddenly, ponies were bolting for their lives, faces frozen in terror. I couldn’t feel my legs at all. I tried to run, but instead I threw myself to the hard concrete ground. I was no longer in Manehattan. I was back in the Canterlot train station. My hearing recovered, but the panicked screams made me wish it hadn’t. I don’t want to see mum and dad again… no, this is just a dream. It has to be. A yellow unicorn stood in front of me, yelling at me. She’s not there, she can’t be. None of this is real. The tears flowing down my cheeks certainly felt real, though.

I looked up, expecting to see a shower of glass falling on me– oh no, I forgot my shield! My horn flared up, starting to weave the spell desperately, but I got interrupted by a pair of forelegs vigorously shaking me.

My eyes focussed on the mare in front of me, with that brilliant red mane and those fearful blue eyes staring into me. “B-Blossy?” I asked dumbly while my brain rebooted.

I noticed a short look of relief spread out over her features, but she never lost that expression of fear. “Yes, I’m here, Moony. Are you okay?” she asked, her voice raised. I nodded weakly, standing up on shaky legs. “Okay, good. Come on, we’ve gotta help!” my friend yelled as she turned to gallop towards the rubble. I also noticed there were a few other ponies doing the same. I just wanted to curl up and cry, but I had to be strong– my friend was right.

I trotted after her uneasily, my legs not really cooperating. Thankfully, the dust cloud had mostly dissipated, though I still felt it getting into my fur and mane. And my nose– damn, I hated the dull, lifeless smell of it.

Unfortunately, the clearing of the dust cloud also revealed a scene of utter carnage. A whole section of the complex had collapsed; the remaining support columns stretching up and holding onto only small patches of ceiling. Dull, grey dust coated the surrounding area, leeching away what little colour there already was. I was dimly aware that the nearby buildings had their windows blown out, too.

As I got closer, I had to dodge around ever larger chunks of building that had been flung from the explosion. Another attack? It had to have been, but I couldn’t see how a pony-portable bomb could do this. I looked upwards at a nearby pitted column; it seemed fairly secure, though the occasional shower of dust did little to reassure me. At least there were no fires. I carried on.

A pile of rubble with an oddly shaped piece of building grabbed my attention. It looked a bit like a pony’s leg. That’s because it is a pony’s leg! I nearly missed it thanks to the dust that coated the limb, making it blend in. I rushed over, feeling a single purpose fill my mind- I had to free them!

My heart pounded through my whole body as I used my telekinesis to fling chunks of rubble behind me. “Come on, be alive… Please be alive!” I prayed out loud to anything that would listen. I heard sirens in the distance; the emergency services must have been arriving already.

Another leg revealed itself, though my stomach lurched at the sight. Forelegs were not meant to bend that way. I kept picking away at the rubble, finally exposing a buck’s face; eyes closed and his muzzle caked with dusty blood. I worked myself into a frenzy, my violet magic grabbing several chunks at a time and launching them behind me.

I gazed apprehensively at the exposed Earth pony before me. Okay, I needed to check if he was… alive. Dread welled up inside me as I carefully stood next to him and placed my pastern to his neck. Just like I did with dad. I shook my head, no! I’m not back at the station. All I could feel was the pounding of my own heartbeat. Okay, now I had to check his breathing. I leant down and put my ear in front of his muzzle. I couldn’t feel his breath; he was silent. Nothing. Just like dad.

I sat back and bawled my eyes out. Why did this have to happen? What’s the bloody point?! Rage and sorrow blazed in my breast. A stab of fear shot through me too, at the realisation that once again, it could have been me. Even worse, it could have been Blossy. If we were a bit earlier…

Hoofsteps from behind broke my line of thought and I turned to find a lilac pegasus mare wearing the green uniform of the paramedics. I couldn’t make anything else out through my blurry vision though. “He’s” I croaked, my voice giving out. Dead. He’s dead. I couldn’t say It. I didn’t want to say it.

“Hey, let me check. We might still be able to help him,” she said softly. Not unless you have a cure for death, I thought snidely. She quickly moved up and I heard a weak cough. From the buck? Dead ponies couldn’t cough… But from the look on the pegasus’ face, she heard it too.

Immediately, she rushed to the buck’s side and checked him over with practiced hooves before gently nursing a healing potion to his muzzle. “Hello, mister?” she asked him, only getting a murmur in response. “I don’t know if you can hear me, but you're going to be okay; we’re just going to take you to the hospital,” she said in a maternal tone.

The paramedic pressed a button on the foreleg of her uniform and spoke into her sleeve, “Requesting a stretcher at my location, over… Thank you, out.”

“I’m sorry,” I said timidly, tearing up again. “I checked him after I cleared the rubble but I couldn’t f-feel anything.” I nearly gave up on somepony who was actually alive. If she hadn’t come along…

“Don’t be, his pulse was very weak, it’s no surprise you missed it,” she replied. Maybe I wouldn’t have if I wasn’t such a waste of space. “Do you know him?” the mare asked as she kept an eye on her patient.

“No,” I stated. My horn was aching from throwing bits of building and I felt shaky all over. “I… Is he going to be alright?” I asked. I hoped he would be. One less unnecessary death, was that really so much to ask for?

“I believe so. He’s stable,” she said with a hint of a smile. “We got to him in good time, and Earth ponies are tough. They’ll be able to fix his leg, good as new, back at the hospital.” Good. I just hoped he wouldn’t lose anypony thanks to this. I knew all too well what it’s like.

An image of my mum, lying in a pool of her own blood flashed through my mind. No! I’m not back there! It’s ancient history now. I’m past that. I snapped out of my grim trance to find the paramedic looking at me, her face creased in concern. “I’m actually more worried about you, right now. That shaking- you’re in shock. I’d like you to follow us back to the ambulance,” she said delicately but with authority.

“I’m fine! I wasn’t even in the blast! He’s the one who needs your help! I almost shouted, pointing a hoof in the buck’s direction. The pegasus gave me a sympathetic look and my anger dissolved. I couldn’t stop the shaking, no matter how hard I tried. My cheeks were soaked from all my tears; I must have looked terrible. “I’m fine,” I lied in a whisper.

Her eyes bored into me with understanding. “Okay, I believe you, you’re fine. But I’d still like you to come with us. You can see him”– she gestured to the peaceful buck –”safely off. That’ll be nice, right?” I got the impression that I was being manipulated. I needed to go and help others! But a part of me also needed to see that poor buck saved. I nodded my head half-heartedly, ashamed at my own weakness.

Rapid hoofsteps sounded out behind me as another paramedic arrived; an Earth pony buck with an elongated pack on his back. ”You called for a stretcher?” he asked in a deep voice. His gaze swept over us, stopping at the unconscious buck. Without waiting for a reply, he slung his backpack off, opening it up into a stretcher.

“Yes, he’s stable, but we need to get him to hospital,” the mare says as she helped with the stretcher. “We’re going to have to lift him slowly and carefully, watch your step,” she instructed the new arrival. He acknowledged with a curt nod.

At this point, I was starting to feel like a spare part, just watching them as they got ready to lift him onto the deployed stretcher. “Um, I could help with my magic, if you wanted?” I said timidly, but sick of being useless.

The lilac mare looked at me, uncertainty in her eyes. “Are you sure you can do this?” she asked. I gave a determined nod. My magic would be less likely to cause any more damage than physically handling him. “Okay, then. We’ll be ready, just in case,” she said with a glance to her colleague.

I could do this… Closing my eyes, my horn flared up as I concentrated, wrapping my telekinetic field around the unconscious buck’s body. I gradually increased the upward force and gently levitated him upwards. I felt the paramedic’s limbs in my magical field, ready to support him if I failed. I opened my eyes and kept feeding magic into the spell as I carefully moved him over to the stretcher. I grit my teeth as the aching in my horn steadily got worse. Come on, nearly there! I finally managed to set him down on the stretcher as if he were made out of delicate glass. With a sigh of relief, I slumped down- I’d never lifted a whole pony before.

“Nicely done,” the first paramedic complemented, her Earth pony colleague also gave a nod of approval. Together, they lifted the stretcher between them, each end hooked around their barrels. We moved off, presumably to an awaiting ambulance. Away from the devastation. The pegasus talked to her taciturn co-worker about various medical things and I found myself switching off, running on autopilot. I suddenly felt very tired.

“So, may I ask your name?” a female voice asked. “I’m Tenderheart.” Wait, was that directed at me? Emergency services vehicles littered the plaza at a safe distance; their colourful lights blaring in my eyes. “Hello?” the voice prodded.

“Oh, um… I’m Moonlight,” I replied quietly once her words registered. I took in the scene ahead of us: uniformed ponies rushed around, trying to restore order and help those in need, while less-severely injured ponies sat around, some with bandages, others awaiting treatment or loved ones. Then there were the very still forms lying on the ground, with more animated ponies sobbing nearby. It didn’t escape my notice that some of the still-looking ponies were just fillies and colts.

I also noticed some guards, standing attentively. I supposed if this were an attack, there could well be a follow-up. That would be a sickeningly cruel thing to do, but I wouldn’t have put it past whoever caused this. Everywhere I looked, faces were set in grim expressions. I was no exception.

“That’s a nice name,” the pegasus said, somehow managing to not sound patronising. “Well, Miss Moonlight, I’d like to thank you for helping us. You did good.” Good. Right. I only fell to pieces and nearly left somepony to die, that’s good. Apparently.

She must have sensed I wasn’t convinced, because she continued, “Look, you dug him out and got him free. If you hadn’t done that, we may have missed him entirely. At the very least, you let us get to him earlier than if you hadn’t been there. And that’s important; every second counts.” Maybe she had a point. I didn’t know anymore, I was just sick of death and misery and pain following me around like some horrible spectre.

“I wish I could have done more. I… I still feel like I'm just a filly,” I muttered as I watched them load the injured buck into the ambulance, the male paramedic getting in with him after giving us a respectful nod. Tenderheart, now free, looked directly at me.

“You’ve already done more than enough. Trust me, ponies like you do make a difference,” she said. The stallion in the back of the ambulance closed the door with a loud CLANG that made me jump, and the vehicle accelerated away. “You see that?”– Tenderheart pointed her hoof at the departing ambulance, and I gave a little nod –“You helped make that possible,” she said solemnly.

I played a part in saving a life. A small part, maybe, but it was something. He was going to be alright. Despite everything, that did make me feel a little better. “Th-thanks,” I stammered. It was all I could think of saying at that point.

“I’m sorry, but I’ve got to get back and see if I can help anypony else. Are you going to be alright?” the lilac pegasus asked with a concerned look in her eyes.

“Yeah, I’ve got a friend. She also went out to help, but I lost track of her,” I stated.

“Good,” Tenderheart nodded, appearing somewhat relieved. She fished out a piece of card from a pocket in her uniform and gave it to me. “Here, if you need anything, just get in touch. I’ll try to help however I can. Whatever you do, please don’t suffer alone. Take care, Moonlight.”

“Thanks, Tenderheart. Good luck,” I responded. I got a little smile from her before she turned and rushed back to find more ponies to help.

I sat down, staring at the half-destroyed building; I must have looked like a lost soul.

After… I didn’t know how long, my friend trotted into my vision, making a beeline for me. She looked tired and dusty, but there was still energy in her eyes and movements. How did she do it?!

“Hey, Moony,” she said with an undertone of fatigue. “Are you okay?”

“I…” my voice caught in my throat. I was about to lie. I was sick of lying. Tenderheart’s comment flashed through my mind: Don’t suffer alone. “No. I’m not okay,” I said. I was totally drained, both physically and mentally, and my horn ached painfully. My friend looked down as if she were ashamed.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t think. I should’ve realised how horrible this must be for you,” Blossy looked back up at me, her face creased in worry.

“No, you did the right thing.”– I shook my head –”Because of you, I was able to help somepony. A buck. I lost track of you when I saw his leg sticking out from some rubble.” Normally, this would have been where my friend teased me mercilessly, perhaps asking me how many foals I was planning to have with him. Instead, she looked… proud? Of me?

“That’s great, Moony. I told you, you’re a strong mare. I’m still sorry I left your side, though. It won’t happen again, I promise,” she said solemnly, giving me a quick nuzzle. I’d almost forgotten what it was like to feel. The warmth of her fur helped me pull myself together a bit more. “Come on, let’s get out of here. There’s nothing else we can do.”

We slowly walked away from what was the Manehattan Central Complex, my friend using her decidedly unintelligent mobile telephone to request a taxi. We never did get to see what was so special about a telephone that could think. Both of us waited for our transport in silence, lost in our own thoughts.

Finally our ride arrived and we got in. Blossy did all the talking, like usual. The driver had his radio on in the background and I heard a formal voice reporting the news: ‘... Earlier this morning, an explosion devastated the Manehattan Central Complex, where one of the largest technology events of the year was taking place. According to the Equestrian Guard, there is strong evidence to suggest that the terrorist group known as the Technophobes were responsible- the same group behind the unprecedented attack on the Canterlot rail station over six months ago–A shiver ran down my spine at the mention of that attack. –’a full investigation is already underway, in an attempt to uncover how the additional security measures had been bypassed…’

“Damned Technophobes,” the driver spat out, shaking his head. Blossy held my foreleg and I responded with a grateful look. Deep inside me, though, anger flared up. Why?! Why did they have to do this?

‘Technophobes’ was the derisive term given to the anti-technology terrorist group. Ponies who had lost everything to the march of technology and let their desperation and hate take over. Usually, their attacks involved suicide bombings against high-technology targets; they had nothing left to lose, after all. The term was a way of making them seem less of a threat. Less dangerous and more ridiculous.

The part that really sickened me, though, was that I understood. If Blossy hadn’t been there for me, I’d have lost everything, too. Would I have become one of them? No. No, I wouldn’t. Hurting ponies isn’t the answer. They took my mum and dad away from me; they were the catalyst for my nearly losing everything. They weren’t making a point, nor encouraging change for the better. All they did, all they ever did was cause pain and misery. No, I don’t understand them. I despise them.

My anger only burned more fiercely as we came to a stop. I’d made up my mind. “Thank you, here, keep the change,” my friend told the driver tiredly as she paid the fare. We both clambered out of the taxi and slowly walked the rest of the way to her home.

“Blossy… Let’s go to the Zone. Let’s do it,” I said. She looked back at me, her features creased in worry. “I can’t stand this! We’re not safe anywhere– I feel helpless. One moment, everything’s fine. The next, ponies are dying around me. It could have been us under that rubble.”

She still looked sceptical. “Moony, maybe we should wait a bit, let you calm down. We’ve been through a lot. Especially you,” she replied softly.

She was right, of course. But I was sick of being treated like I was made out of glass. I wanted to fight back, against something. Anything.

“No, I want to do this. I need to get away from here, please!” I replied, desperation tinging my voice. “For once, things were feeling like they were looking up. Then, suddenly, I’m scrabbling around in rubble. I’m sick of being defenceless, Blossy.”

The yellow unicorn sighed. “Okay. I’ll make the arrangements. But if you change your mind at any point, promise me that you’ll tell me,” she said firmly.

“I promise. If I change my mind, I’ll say so… And Blossy? I don’t want to go by train. Please, let’s not go by train.”

Chapter 2

I didn’t change my mind. It took a couple of days for Blossy to set things in motion, which we used to rest and recover from the Manehattan Central attack, and to do a bit more research on the Zone. Not that we were able to find out anything new, though.

Daisy had been relieved to see us return after the bombing. She thought we were just going for a nice holiday. I still felt guilty about that; a lie by omission is still a lie. She was a good pony, she didn’t deserve to be lied to. Ultimately, however, this was something that both my best friend and I wanted to do. We both needed to get this out of our systems.

We opted to fly by Pegasus Airlines since trains were out of the question. Flying was faster anyway– Manehattan to Stalliongrad in just under two hours.

Once more, I found myself looking out of the window of a taxi, watching the unfamiliar city pass me by. The architecture here made me feel like an outsider, the distinctive onion domes reaching out to the sky. Even the air smelled different, foreign.

I was a long way from home. A shiver of apprehension shot through my spine. Now was not the time to get cold hooves! I remembered the words my friend told me: ‘You’re stronger than you think’. Time to prove her right.

The buildings started to thin out and get smaller as we approached the outskirts of the city. “Hey Moony, you okay?” I heard from beside me. “You’ve been awfully quiet, even for you.”

“Yeah, I’m okay, I think. Just… never really travelled much, you know? I don’t feel like I belong here,” I responded, trying to put on a brave face as I fidgeted with my forehooves.

“D’aww, you’re getting homesick!” Blossy teased. She shuffled a bit before looking at me more seriously. “Sorry, I shouldn’t really be poking fun at you right now. Remember what I said? If you want, we can turn around right now. But once we commit to actually going into the Zone, coming back out will be harder.”

“No, let’s do this. Besides, how bad can it be?” I smiled at her, and she reciprocated. As long as I was with her, it would be alright.

“Ah, here we are.” My friend paid the driver with her usual cheerful ‘Keep the change!’ and we both vacated the vehicle. I stretched my legs and looked at our destination: The Equipped Equestrian. The building had a faint military style to it. Well, apart from the store’s logo of a bullet-riddled gryphon.

“Um… After you,” I said, feeling shy. Blossy just shook her head with a smile before leading us through the entrance to the shop. A shop that sold weapons. You know, ‘shop’ didn’t really seem like the right word for such a place. One buys clothes or food from a shop. Not guns and armour.

Immediately I was hit by the smell of metal, oil, and some sort of chemical, too. The cold lighting highlighted the various hardware in stark detail: Armour, both bulky and sleek types, some being showcased on ponyquins; deadly-looking blades of all kinds lined a wall, while guns of wildly different sizes and configurations covered the largest section of the store; and at the back, a large brown earth pony sat lazily behind the counter. His gaze washed over us and he grinned widely. I almost felt violated in some way, but I had no idea why.

“Welcome to the Equipped Equestrian, the finest place for all your self-defence needs,” the heavyset pony called out in a thick Stalliongrad accent. Somehow, he made that sound a tad sarcastic– maybe it was just a Stalliongrad thing.

My friend beamed a friendly smile and I let her take the lead as we made our way to the stallion. “Thank you. My friend and I are here for a nice trip to an exotic location,” she said as she floated out a card with a furtive glance over her withers. Really, Blossy? You’ve been watching too many cheesy films.

The broad stallion inspected the card, then nodded, apparently satisfied. “So you’re the mystery mares who want to go to the Zone,” he said in a hushed tone. I didn’t notice any other customers around, but I knew this wasn’t exactly legal. “Your essentials are already paid for, but if you’re really serious about this, I strongly recommend you get some armour and weapons to take with you. Trust me, where you’re going, you don’t want to cheap out.”

“Don’t worry, we can afford it,” Blossy said confidently. The wide smile she got in reply made me think we’d just made a new best friend. Eurgh, this guy made my hide crawl.

“Excellent! By the way, the name’s Iron Anvil, though you can just call me Anvil,” he boomed jovially.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Blossom, my friend here is Moonlight,” my friend politely introduced us. She was keeping her tone friendly, but there was none of her usual warmth.

“Um, hi,” I muttered.

Anvil nodded in acknowledgement before holding his hoof up for a moment and turning his head to look at the door behind him. “Ratchet!” he boomed over his shoulder.

After a short pause, I heard a slightly nasal voice reply, “Yes boss?” A slim, green unicorn buck came trotting through the door, his orange eyes lingering on me. Please stop looking at me. Please? I felt my cheeks heat up, and I shuffled to put Blossy between the two of us.

“Watch the store while I tend to our special customers,” the large pony heaved himself to his hooves. I was struck by his size– he may have been overweight, but there was plenty of muscle driving him. He casually threw a set of large saddlebags over his back and secured them with typical earth pony dexterity.

“Ooh, yes boss,” I heard Ratchet reply.

“Alright, well… let’s get you two ladies kitted out for your little… holiday,” the chunky stallion gestured us to follow, leading us to the armour section of the shop. My friend started moving, which gave Ratchet a clear line of sight to me again. I smiled self-consciously at the staring buck and awkwardly turned and trotted after his boss.

“So, what kind of armour do you recommend, Anvil?” Blossy asked as we walked past a ponyquin decked out in grey camouflaged armour and a pair of long-barrelled guns mounted on either side, their flexible ammunition feeds flowing from their receivers to the armoured saddlebags installed further back. Pouches housed thick protective plates over the front, while thinner plates protected the sides. Even though it was just a ponyquin, I was more than a little intimidated by the arrangement.

We came to a stop and our host explained, “Well, it’s a personal choice. Lighter models obviously don’t protect as well, but they’re easier to move around in. Heavier models will of course offer strong protection, but can be difficult to handle and will wear you out if you’re not in top shape. Some models are even self-powered, but I don’t have the right contacts to source such armour. Not that I’d get away with selling military-grade gear anyway. Hrmph,” his face darkened as he vocalised his latter thought, but brightened up again as he continued, “Other than that, spend as much as you can afford on your armour– it’s more important than having a great weapon.”

“Oh, we shan’t be skimping out, Anvil. Only the best for my friend and I. I’ll not have our equipment fall apart on us at the first sign of trouble out there,” my friend replied in a stern tone.

“Of course,” Anvil said, beaming. He stroked his chin, his stubble rasping against his hoof as he looked at my friend appraisingly, before pointing to the ponyquin we recently passed. “I think this armour would be a perfect match for you, Blossom. My top-end medium model, has fully replaceable and thick protective plates where they’re needed the most,”– he pointed at the armour’s breast area –”while using thinner plates and tough fabric in the less vital areas, to keep the overall weight and bulk down. It will feel a bit cumbersome at first, but you look like you’ll be able to handle it.”

Blossy gave a nod of approval, “I’d like to try it on, just to make sure.”

“Certainly! The stallion picked out a fresh set of neatly folded grey armour from a nearby shelf and passed it to the unicorn. “The changing rooms are over there,” he said, pointing his hoof to the nearby stalls.

“Alright, I’ll be right back” Blossy said eagerly as she trotted to the changing rooms. Which left me with this giant stallion. By myself. Yay.

Said stallion then turned his head to look at me, “So, are you really sure you two want to make this trip, Moonlight? No offense, but you don’t seem the type. Especially you.” His severe look made me balk. Was I really out of my depth here? Were we?

Memories of the bombings flashed in my mind’s eye and I felt my expression firm up. “Yes, I’m sure. This is something we need to do.” I looked up at the earth pony, noticing one of his eyebrows raise. Scepticism? Concern? Or just curiosity? “We have our reasons,” I said, my gaze switching to the floor.

“Fair enough. Just look out for each other out there. From what I’ve heard, it’s a rough place,” he sighed, his deep voice sounding gentle for a change.

“So have I. But there’s nopony I’d rather go with. Blossy’ll have my back. She always does,” I replied softly with a smile.

“Hrm, well, why don’t we find some armour for you, while your marefriend gets changed?” Anvil asked.

“Sure, sounds good,” I replied. I blinked when I realised what he just said. “Wait! I’m not, uh…” I fumbled for words, feeling my face burning. As if it wasn’t bad enough with Blossy always playing matchmaker with me. “Um, armour sounds good,” I said lamely.

I heard Anvil snort, “Could have fooled me, with the look on your face when you were talking about her. Heh, anyway, let’s see… Ah!” His yellow eyes lit up, “I just recently received a batch of new ultra-lightweight armour, should be ideal for you.” He moved over to another shelf, the folded armour looking much less bulky than Blossy’s model.

Despite my relief at the change in subject, I felt a little disheartened by his suggestion. “Oh.” I was sure I could have handled normal light armour!

“It’s actually a really nice bit of kit,” he said as he unfolded a jet-black set. “Uses a new type of ballistic fibre– very strong and light.” There are no bulky plates to slow you down or restrict your movement; instead you’ve got extra padding in the vital areas.” He held out a leg of the suit, pointing at the hoof, “Special rubberised hooves give you good grip and cut down on noise– I think that’s right up your street. And the whole suit has been treated to absorb some measure of magical radiation. It’s no hazmat suit, but it’s a nice feature,” he finished his summary with an appreciative smile.

I, however, had some doubts. “Are you sure it’s going to be strong enough? It doesn’t look anywhere near as protective as Blossy’s.”

“Like I said, it’s up to you. You could get a set of the same, but you’re not built as strongly as her," he observed. "You ask me, you don’t want to be fighting your gear as well as whatever’s out there.”

An image of myself waddling into the Zone, looking like the Michelin Mare, popped into my mind. A pack of vicious mutant dogs rushing me, effortlessly staying out of my reach before diving in and tearing me to shreds. I shivered at the thought– sometimes I really hated my imagination. “Yeah, I’ll take a set,” I nodded towards the armour.

“Alright,” he said, quickly folding the suit and placing it on his ample back. “You’re making the right choice. I wouldn’t have suggested it if I didn’t think it would work best for you.”

I had to admit, I was starting to warm to him. He really seemed to care about his customers. Or maybe that’s just because we’re buying his most expensive products. Still, he didn’t seem all that bad.

That’s when I noticed a grey form trot out from the changing stalls. The imposing figure headed towards us, armoured hooves thudding against the floor. My jaw hung open– Blossy really looked like she meant business!

An appearance she utterly destroyed when she turned to the side, wiggled her hindquarters and asked with a grin, “Does my plot look big in this?” I heard a soft slap as Anvil facehooved. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes– typical Blossy.

“Oh come on,” she said, still grinning. Then she noticed my suit on the stallion’s back, her eyes lighting up, “Ooh! You simply must try yours on, Moony! I feel like a new mare in this!” The armoured mare stretched out experimentally. “Though it could do with a bit of tailoring. The legs in particular don’t feel quite long enough.”

“Mares,” I heard Anvil mutter under his breath as he unfolded my set once again. “I’ll get Stitches to take a look at it for you, once we’re done picking your gear,” he said more openly. “In fact,” he continued as he held my armour beside me with a smirk,” Stitches had better do yours too, Moonlight. The built-in magical auto-resizing can only do so much.” A sigh escaped my lungs. Obviously it wasn’t worth trying it on right now. Couldn’t they make a size for the smaller pony?!

Some kind of framework around my friend’s flanks caught my attention, “Hey, what’s that for?” I asked, pointing a hoof at it.

The big stallion followed my hoof with his eyes. “You mean the weapon mounts?” Oh, right. “All good quality armour comes with them as standard, and also have a basic magical-neural interface so that the wearer can fire them with just a thought.”

“Huh, is that really necessary? I mean, we’re unicorns, can’t we just levitate any weapons we need?” I asked, marvelling at just how much effort had been put into creating something with the express purpose of causing harm.

That earned me a patronising look from the store owner. “And if you were an Earth pony or a pegasus?” Ah, point taken, I thought as I sheepishly looked up at our host. “This system was designed to allow everypony to be able to fight with similar effectiveness, should open war with the gryphons ever break out. A lot of unicorns suddenly found out that they weren’t the most valuable asset in the Equestrian Armed Forces anymore, when these started to get issued,” he explained with a hint of smugness. I deflated a little– it’s so easy to take magic for granted when you have a horn on your head.

“Anyway,” the stallion continued, going back into lecture mode, “this kit is useful for unicorns, too. It provides a good, stable platform for weapons that are too much for you to handle with your magic. Now, speaking of weapons, shall we take a look?” He lifted a hoof, gesturing to the other side of the shop.

“Sure,” Blossy said and I gave a tentative nod.

We followed Anvil across the store, walking past a relatively small section filled with melee weapons. My gaze fixated on a slightly curved sabre on the top row and I stopped in my tracks. The shiny blade had a subtle wavy pattern on the cutting edge. It would have been just as well-suited to being a piece of art as it was a weapon.

“Moony?” my friend called out, snapping me out of my reverie. “You see something you like?” she asked as she trotted back to me, following my gaze.

I heard a deep chuckle. “You sure have expensive tastes,” the huge stallion reared up and deftly grabbed the sword with a forehoof. He held it out so we could get a better look. The ripple pattern in the metal grabbed my eye again– it really was beautiful. I tore my eyes away from the blade and saw the greedy grin on his mouth.

Only now did I register the price tag, ten thousand bits?! Surely, they accidentally added a zero on the end! “No, no. Just looking! Besides, we’ll be getting guns. Not much point in buying some obsolete sword if I’m gonna be able to just shoot from a distance, right?” I replied self-consciously.

“Don’t be so quick to discount a good melee weapon,” Anvil said with a reproachful look. “Guns can run out of ammo. And since you’re a unicorn, you could use it over a distance, if your magic is good enough.”

My sceptical look turned curious. “But why’s it so expensive?”

“Well, that's because it was made by a master swordsmith, and contains an enchanted gem that self-hones and sharpens the blade after every use. You could cut down a hundred gryphons with it and it will still be good as new,” he said with a glint in his eye.

It seemed today was ‘making Moonlight look like a foal day’. If I had a bit for every time I’d been corrected by this guy, I’d probably have been as rich as Blossy. “I suppose you have a point,” I conceded. “It would make for a good backup weapon at the very least.” And it’s really pretty, I mentally added. I wisely kept that last thought to myself, though. “May I?” I asked, gesturing towards the sword.

“Go ahead. Be very careful, though,” the stallion rumbled.

I wrapped my violet magic around the sabre, mentally feeling the razor-sharp edge, and gently lifting it as Anvil watched me very intently. I carefully floated the sword into an open space, giving a few careful, experimental swings. It was almost too easy to control; as though it was eager to respond to my thoughts. I quickly developed a profound respect for the weapon. And to think, I’d written it off as obsolete…

I bit my lip as I looked at Blossy for permission. She rolled her eyes with a lopsided smile, “Sure, add it to the pile.” I pulled the matching sheath down from the display shelf with my telekinesis and slid the sword home before passing it back to Anvil, who briefly gave me an inscrutable look. “My friend has a proclivity for shiny things, you see,” the unicorn explained to the earth pony.

“I do not!” I hastily replied with a mild blush. “I just happen to appreciate quality when I see it!” Blossy giggled at my little outburst, the mischievous look in her eyes wordlessly saying: ‘gotcha!’

I let out an indignant huff. To be fair, I was halfway grateful for her teasing. It was one thing to read about the Zone, but our trip was starting to get very real indeed.

The deep rumbling of a throat clearing turned our attention back to our host. “Now that we’re done, shall we move on to the guns?” he suggested impatiently. Right, yes, let’s not annoy the nice, giant stallion who has a whole arsenal at his hooftips.

I saw a flash of annoyance on my friend’s face at his shortness. Instead of complaining, though, she asked, “Yes, of course. What do you think is best for us to take? Again, we can afford the best you have to offer.”

The earth pony guided us to the guns with a wide smile; he was going to be making a lot of bits today. “Well, it’s not that simple. Let’s start with mounted weapons. For example, a carbine can work great at medium-short ranges, but will lose its effectiveness at longer ranges and against toughened targets.” We came to a stop, surrounded by various guns mounted up for display.

“Then you’ve got to consider the weapon generation. First gen weapons are typically lacking stopping power, but are cheap, reliable and easy to handle. The second generation was rushed out after it was found that the G-1s weren’t as powerful as expected. Unfortunately, they tend to be fairly high-maintenance, and the bigger rounds they fire meant they weigh more and have stronger recoil,” the stallion told us. “There’s also a third generation, but since that’s the current military standard, I can’t even acquire them,” he finished with an almost mournful tone.

Ugh, why couldn’t anything ever be simple? “Isn’t there a gun that just does everything?” I asked, rubbing my temple with a forehoof.

“Well, the closest you’ll get is the assault rifle. This one –” Anvil replied as he grabbed a longish gun from the wall to show to us “– is one of the best I have available. It’s a G-2, so it has a fair punch, and as long as you keep to either single shots or short bursts, is accurate out to a good range. It’s a little cumbersome at very short-range, mind. You might struggle with the recoil, so it might be a better choice for Blossom.”

I rolled my eyes. I’m going to end up with water pistols at this rate, I just know it. I hoped mutants really hated water.

My friend looked at the assault rifle with interest. “A good all-rounder, huh? Sounds promising. I’ll take it,” she said with a quick nod. “So what about something for close-up?”

Yellow eyes gleamed as the burly pony placed the assault rifle in one of his saddlebags, the barrel pointing out the top. “Ah, I’ve got just the thing!” He turned around and walked over to another section of the wall, pulling another, more chunky gun off of it. “My personal favourite– a G-2 fully automatic shotgun. Utterly devastating at short range,” Anvil said eagerly with a fond glance at the weapon. “And if buckshot doesn’t have enough range for you, it can also fire dart rounds.”

Okay, I could understand having an interest in something, but this guy was way too enthusiastic about guns. I shuddered as I imagined a big dart exploding out of that barrel at high speed. It seemed unnecessarily nasty.

The unicorn considered, her eyes going distant. “Alright. I think that will round out my armament quite well,” she said after a moment.

“You’ve got good taste,” Anvil said as he put the weapon in his other saddlebag. “Now, it would be a good idea for you to get a freehoof weapon, too. Mainly just as a backup,” the Anvil suggested. “They were mainly designed for unicorns to use, but they can, with some difficulty, be used by those of us who weren’t blessed with the ability to do magic.”

Another gun? That raised my suspicions– was he trying to milk us, now? I wasn’t sure. He apparently cared enough to help us personally. Plus, he put the effort into explaining his reasoning.

My friend nodded and we allowed ourselves to be led to another, smaller gun section. The whole gamut of weapons sat on just this section of wall; going from small to large, the higher up the wall I looked. “How about this?” she asked while floating out a thick-barrelled pistol with her light-blue magic from low on the wall. “I think I’ve got something that can hold it on my foreleg.”

Anvil’s mouth twisted into a smile, his eyebrows raised slightly. “Good choice, a silenced pistol will complement your mounted armament well. And yes, you’re absolutely right; your armour was designed to accommodate a side-arm for easy access,” he responded as he pulled out a slightly more refined-looking gun of the same type. “This is a slightly better model. Still a G-1, but you’ll want the extra ruggedness that comes with it. You don’t want your emergency weapon jamming when you need it.”

“I’ll have that one, then,” the unicorn gestured to the pistol Anvil pulled out. “So, I think that’s me done?”

“Yes, I’d say so… Now,” both ponies looked at me. I could only smile back weakly. “Your turn,” the big pony said to me with a grin. “See anything you like?”

I looked at the wall in front of me. Okay, my magic’s pretty good, so if I can’t handle a powerful gun attached to my barrel, perhaps my horn can? I craned my neck up, a gun with a scope catching my eyes. It was like Blossy’s assault rifle, only bigger and more slender. I fired up my horn, carefully taking the weapon off the wall. I suppressed a gulp as it became apparent just how long it was- it was nearly as long as me!

I heard a whistle and I looked back at my audience with a bashful smile. Anvil was wearing a look of surprise while my friend just smirked. Yeah, I must have looked pretty silly. “You sure you can handle that?” she asked.

I brought the sight up to my eye and pressed the padded buttstock firmly against my shoulder, awkwardly closing my other eye. The blurry form of the other end of the store filled my vision. Oh, wait, it’s just like my old telescope! I fiddled around with the little knob on the scope and the store came into sharp focus. The magnification didn’t seem particularly high, but it did give a very clear view.

“Hm, it actually looks like she can,” the bemused stallion stated.

I pulled the weapon away, blinking a few times as my vision returned to normal. I hated having to close one eye like that. “Um, is there any chance you have a sight that lets me use both eyes? Like binoculars?” I asked.

That earned me a little chuckle from Blossy and a flat look from the big stallion. “I can honestly say I’ve never heard anypony ask for a binocular-scope before,” he commented, shaking his head.

My face fell. Such a thing would look a bit silly, sure. But it’d be so much easier to look through! “I suppose I can try to get used to it,” I grouched.

“Well, if you’re sure. You’ll want to be careful when firing it; it has quite a sharp kick, as you’d expect from a second-gen sniper rifle. Long-ranged, very powerful. Needless to say, it’s too cumbersome for short-range work.”

I looked the rifle over as I mulled it over. Being able to stay at range sounded ideal– the further from trouble I could stay, the better. “Right, I think I'll have it, then,” I declared.

Anvil took the rifle and rested it on his back. “Alright. Now, we need something that’s going to cover you over medium and short ranges. Let’s take a look at the mounted weapons again.”

I marvelled at how he managed to keep the armour and rifle securely on his back as we went. Whenever I tried balancing things on my back, they’d always slide off. My mind snapped back to the present and I wondered out loud, “Did you say something about a carbine before? Wouldn’t that fit the bill?”

“That’s right, good idea.” We came to a rest and the burly stallion plucked a more modest-looking gun from a shelf. It almost looked like a filly’s version of my friend’s assault rifle. “Yes, this should do. A G-1 light carbine. The 5x35mm rounds don’t have much punch, but it can spit them out at a good rate and the recoil is easy to manage. Also, that ammo is dirt cheap and lightweight, so you should have no problem keeping it fed.”

I chewed my bottom lip. I supposed my options were somewhat limited, but I’d rather be able to control my weapons, even if that meant sacrificing power. Considering that the first generation weapons were supposed to be more reliable and relatively low-maintenance, I found myself warming to the prospect.

“Okay, I may as well go for it,” I reply, my mind made up.

“Good! Now, for your other side, hmm. I’m partial to shotguns, but…” Anvil muttered away to himself.

“Um, why don’t I just get two of these?” I asked, pointing a leg at the light carbine.

“Heh, I like the way you think!”

***

After finally picking our gear out, Blossy took off her armour and we went to the desk to pay. Or rather, she paid and my jaw hung open when I heard Anvil ask for one hundred and eighty-something thousand bits. The unicorn didn’t even bat an eye as she dug out the cash she’d withdrawn in advance. I’d never seen so many platinum bits before; it even took my mind off the freaky stare Ratchet was giving me again.

Currently, we were standing before a red unicorn who was sitting behind a desk covered with neatly folded fabrics, various tools and a heavy-duty sewing machine. She looked up in annoyance, her pink-eyed gaze switching from myself, to Blossy and then Anvil. “Da, what now?” Her sharp tone cut through before the stallion had a chance to speak.

“Got some armour for you to adjust, stitches. Make these your top priority. The ultra-light armour is for Moonlight,”– Anvil gestured to me, and then to my friend –”and the medium is for Blossom.”

The red mare got up with a huff, standing to face us properly. “More work. Wonderful,” she drawled sarcastically, her accent even thicker than the brawny stallion’s. With a resigned huff, she rolled her eyes and levitated the armour off of the stallion’s back. “Very well, let’s see…”

“Alright, while you’re doing that, I’ll go get your Zone essentials ready. Have fun, ladies!” With that, the big smirking stallion left us with possibly the strictest armour-mare in Equestria.

After a slight pause, the unicorn pointed a hoof at me. “You, little filly!” I let out a quiet meep in response. “Stay still. Will measure now.” Her intense eyes locked onto me as her horn glowed and enveloped me in her matching pink aura. I stood stock-still, not wanting to get on her nerves as she jotted on her notepad. After an awkward eternity, her magic faded away and she turned to look at my amused friend.

“Your turn, supermodel mare,” Stitches stated forcefully before starting the same process with Blossy. Yes, it really does seem as though sarcasm is a Stalliongrad pony thing.

“Ooh, does that mean you want me to pose for you?” my friend teased.

Blossy never was easily intimidated. Usually that was a good thing, but not always. This seemed like one of the exceptions. I cringed as I waited for the world to explode.

However, Blossy balked from the death-glare the shorter unicorn gave her. If looks could kill… “Um, right. Standing still! Yes, I can do that,” she placated the strict mare.

I bit my lip to suppress a giggle. The only other pony I knew of who could bring the normally ebullient unicorn up short was Daisy.

After some more scribbling on her notepad, Stitches released her magic and sat back at her desk, grabbing my armour.

My friend and I looked at each other, unsure if we were still needed. Neither of us dared to speak up or move.

Unfortunately, staying still won’t hide one against certain predators, and the scary unicorn glared up at us. “Why still here? Get out!” she snapped.

We nearly stumbled over each other in our escape from that room.

Out in the corridor, we came face-to-face with Anvil, who grinned knowingly once he took our expressions in. “Heh, don’t worry, she’s all bark, no bite. I’ve never met a pony who could work armour like her, though, so you’re in good hooves,” he said in a hushed tone. No doubt to ensure the fiendish mare didn’t overhear him.

He led us down the corridor to a fairly barebones lounge. In the center, some sitting cushions surrounded a coffee table with various magazines strewn over the top. We walked over to one side of the room, where more sitting cushions lay before a long table against the wall. I noticed our weapons and some other gear on the desk, neatly set out.

“Right, here's the plan,” Anvil addressed us. “In a few hours, we’re going to get you each into a crate, which will head for the EAF base just inside the Zone. Once there, wait for my contact to get you out. Do not, under any circumstances, try to get out before then. If they catch you, they will arrest you.” I felt a lump form in my throat at that. “Now, if you get cold hooves and decide not to go, that’s fine by me. I mean that; if you change your minds, speak up. I can refund you your weapons only, if you wish. But once you get inside those crates, there’s no going back. Do you understand?”

My friend and I locked eyes, and she gave me a small smile. “Yes, I understand,” she said confidently.

After her look, I gained the confidence to add, “So do I.” We’re going together; we can do this.

“Okay. With that being said, let me show you your new toys,” Anvil said, plucking a computer tablet device from the table. “This is your PDA. It will be your lifeline out in the Zone. All your information, your money, everything, is handled by this. It has a full magical neural-interface and can integrate with the servos built into your weapon mounts to provide advanced eyesight-tracking functionality. You can access most of the features with thought alone, but if you can’t get used to that, the screen is touch-sensitive as well. Are you with me so far?” he asked.

We both nodded in reply. I had no idea technology had come so far– I wondered if the thinking telephones we never got to see were actually derived from this technology.

“What if it gets damaged, though? I don’t like the sound of being so dependent on one device,” Blossy asked with a touch of concern.

“Well, it’s essentially military technology, just… repurposed for Zoners. Inside, there’s a magical regenerator which will fix it up, should it get damaged. It stores its essential programs in your brain, which can also be used as a processor if necessary,” Anvil explained. He rolled his eyes at the look of horror on our faces. “Don’t worry, it won’t change who you are or mind-control you or anything. It just ensures that you’ll have the important functions like weapon tracking if your PDA gets smashed.”

Of course he would be casual about it. He wasn’t the one who was about to have a computer go rummaging through his brain.

Blossy shot me an apprehensive glance. “Um, Moony, are you cool with that? I uh… I don’t know.”

My face scrunched up as I gave it some thought. “Actually, I’m starting to think I am,” I replied after a pause. “It’s just using magic to transfer information. It’d be like if we learned to talk to each other telepathically. I think.”

“Right. I guess I can live with that. Sort of,” the unicorn said hesitantly. “But I don’t get how it using our brains allows us to keep using things like the weapon tracking feature if the PDA gets trashed.”

“Or, you can do what most ponies do: forget about it and let it do its thing,” Anvil offered helpfully. “As for how it works, I don’t know. I doubt many outside of the military do.”

“I suppose since it uses the brain it could propagate the link through a pony’s intrinsic magical field,” I postulated. I had no idea as to the specifics of how that would be achieved, but it seemed superficially plausible. Everypony looked at me like I’d grown an extra head. “What? Magic’s fun!” I blurted out defensively.

It could also be scary and unpredictable, as I found out when I tried to teleport my hoofball, back when I was at school all those years ago.

“If you say so,” Anvil muttered quietly. I didn’t think he realised I had good hearing. “Anyway, like I said, your PDA is absolutely vital. Once you’ve gone through the setup process, it will be yours forever; nopony else can use yours, even if you become separated from it or die. Not that you should be planning to do either,” the earth pony continued in deadpan. “Now, these will come preloaded with the bits you’ve already paid for: fifty-thousand each. I recommend you take some time to familiarise yourself with your device after I’m done with you.” He returned the PDA to the table.

“Alright, next we’ve got: your basic combat knife, useful for self-defence and prying things open; gun cleaning kit; sleeping bag, which has a nifty magical self-packer, and finally your potions,” he said, pointing to each item, finishing on some clear pouches with different coloured liquids inside them. “Red for healing, yellow for magical radiation.”

“Wait, those are potions?” I asked, my voice etched with doubt. “I thought they would be in proper bottles.”

Anvil let out a snort. “Maybe a couple of decades ago. We’re not in the middle ages anymore,” he drawled sarcastically. Hey! I remember they still had glass-bottled potions when I was a filly, the cheeky… “These pouches are much more resistant to damage, and they won’t leave you with shards of glass sticking in your hide if they do get ruined,” his deep voice cut off my mental indignation.

“Anyway, nearly done, now. You also get binoculars…” the big pony paused, giving me an odd look. Ooh, binoculars! I wonder– “Don’t even think about duct-taping them to your rifle, Moonlight. Seriously, that scope has been engineered specifically for the job,” he said sternly.

It was almost as if he read my mind! “I wasn’t thinking of doing that. Not at all.” My cheeks burned as I noticed Blossy biting back a smirk.

“Just, don’t.” The stallion let out an exasperated sigh. “Anyway, lastly, you get a pack of bolts.”

My eyebrow quirked at that. “Bolts?” both my friend and I questioned together. We stared at him incredulously for a short moment, but nothing, no trace of mirth to indicate a joke. “What the hay would we want a pack of bolts for?” I asked.

“Simple, to help you spot anomalies. Your PDA has a feature that will beep more rapidly as you approach one, but apparently some can be hard to see,” Anvil explained. “Anyway, that’s pretty much it for now; I’ll get Stitches to see you once she’s finished with your armour. I’d better get back to tending the shop. Feel free to make use of the facilities here, and if you have any questions, come find me, alright?”

“Of course. Thank you, Anvil,” Blossy answered.

The stallion exited the room. I felt nervousness creep into my mind once again, now that I knew there wouldn’t be another lecture to occupy me.

“Heh, that guy sure likes the sound of his own voice, don’t you think?” Blossy said to me. I could only manage a wan smile in response. I was going to be properly dangerous with all this gear. Me. It was a scary thought. “Hey, are you alright?” she asked when no reply was forthcoming.

“I’m just… scared,” I admitted. Why couldn’t I be brave, like her?

The unicorn leant in and nuzzled me, the gentle contact bringing me back to the here and now. “So am I, Moony. I don’t think anypony could do this without feeling some degree of apprehension.” Her subtle, reassuring scent filled my nostrils before she slowly pulled away with an encouraging smile. “We can still call it off, if you’re having doubts. You know I don’t care about the bits.”

It was so tempting to wimp out and be my usual, weak self… “No, we both need to do this. And, as long as I’m with you, it’ll be alright,” I said, gaining confidence as I looked into her strong, blue eyes. “Besides, we can get ourselves smuggled back out as soon as possible if it’s really bad.” It seemed like a good plan.

“Exactly, we will have the bits for it. And Moony, there’s no way we’re splitting up. We’ll do this together, every step of the way,” Blossy said confidently. “I suppose we’d better let these PDA things burrow into our brains, huh?” She shuddered at the thought.

“Oh, how bad can it be? In fact. I’m more worried for the PDA’s sanity. I dread to imagine the things it’ll be privy to, in there,” I teased with a smirk.

“Psh! Please…” She looked at me knowingly. “Yours will have it far worse. Everypony knows the quiet ones are the worst,” the unicorn retorted with a suggestive wink. My entire face felt like it was on fire. Oh, for the love of Celestia, why did I have to try to tease her? It never ends well for me.

“Right, so PDA, here we come!” I blurted out. Without waiting for a response, I levitated mine in front of me, the display activating as my magic made contact. It displayed a simple prompt:

Tap next to begin user integration.

“Ooh, one day you’ll simply have to tell me what’s going on in your head. Given your avoidance, it must be juicy,” Blossy continued. Nope! Not gonna give you the satisfaction of a reaction- this screen is far too interesting, anyway.

“Heh, alright, let’s get this started,” my tormentor finally relented. I saw her take her own device from the corner of my eye.

I let out a calming breath, feeling the excess blood drain from my face. Well, here goes nothing. I pressed the tip of my hoof against ‘next’ and… bright green text appeared right in the center of my vision?

Success! This setup wizard will guide you through the basic functions of Combat PDA 2.3. Tap the screen to continue.

Ooh, this is weird. I subconsciously sat down. No matter where I looked, that text was always there, even if I closed my eyes! I tore my attention from the invasive words and noticed my friend pawing her hooves at the air in front of her. I held back a snigger; she looked ridiculous, but honestly, I had to resist the urge to do the same. I tapped the screen.

***

Well, I survived what had to be the strangest experience of my life. I decided to leave the so-called ‘Augmented Reality HUD’ up so I could try to get used to it, even if some functions weren’t available yet. Strangely, I found myself adapting quite quickly to using the device, soon abandoning using the screen and instead opting to use mental commands to navigate the PDA.

At the bottom-right of my vision was a blank panel ready to display information about my weapons, above that was a single bar for magical radiation levels (thankfully empty); in the bottom-left, a little panel with the profile of a pony, whose posture changed to match my own. It even had bars either side for how much noise I was making and how visible I was. Finally, in the top-left corner was a little blank minimap, which also had a red/blue compass pointer. The map itself would function when I reached the Zone and my PDA could connect to ZoneNet.

While I was already mostly feeling at home with the system, the perfect focus of the HUD elements in my peripheral vision did feel a bit jarring. Blossy, however, wasn’t having such an easy time adjusting, judging by her pinned ears and the sickly pallor of her face.

“Ugh! I don’t know how you’re okay with this; I’m seeing things that aren’t there!” the queasy mare complained.

“Well, you’ve either got it or you haven’t,” I replied with a smug smile. It felt good to have something over her, for a change. Her flat expression told me she didn’t quite share the sentiment. “Okay, okay, why don’t you just disable the HUD for now? Just close your eyes and imagine telling it to switch off.”

Blossy scrunched her eyes closed for a moment, her face relaxing as she reopened them. “It worked! Oh, thank Celestia,” she exclaimed. No, you’re supposed to thank me, Blossy, I mentally snarked. I was about to voice that thought, but the door swung open suddenly, yielding to Stiches’ rather forceful telekinesis.

Both my friend and I immediately jumped to our hooves at the appearance of the red mare, who levitated out sets of armour towards us with surprising care. She fixed us with a no-nonsense glare. “You try armour now.” She certainly didn’t beat about the bush.

I took my armour in my own magic, unfolding it. I bit my lip nervously; I’d never put armour on before. “Umm,” I muttered uncertainly.

“Is problem? Little filly need big mare to dress her, hmm?” Stitches prompted with a smirk. She was enjoying this, the sadist.

“No! I’m fine, really! Please?” I quickly responded. Oh, please don’t, Stitches. Blossy would never let me forget it. A loud snort erupted from said mare, which drew the red unicorn’s intense gaze.

My friend pretended to cough, smiling nervously. “Ah, sorry. Just got something in my throat. Ahem!” After a few more blatantly forced coughs she made a show of being very interested in her own armour.

“Look here,” Stitches said with a huff, taking my suit with her pink magic and pointing at a flap of fabric that ran the entire length of its underside. Pushing her hoof under the flap, she separated the velcro seal, revealing a heavy-duty zip. “Undo, then climb in. Head first, legs after.”

“Oh, thanks,” I said sheepishly as I unsealed the rest of the velcro strip and the zip underneath. I pushed my head through the densely padded neck-sock, shaking my head when I finally got through. Ugh, this is going to make a mess of my mane, I thought sourly.

Thankfully, my legs slipped into their respective parts more easily, and, after zipping myself back up and patting the velcro strip secure, I was all suited up. Almost every inch of my body was covered, barring my head and tail, the latter of which mercifully had a hole for it to poke through. A new blue-filled bar popped into existence in my HUD, letting me know my armour was in perfect condition. How my PDA managed some of its functions was beyond me.

I had to admire the thought that went into this design; there was no reason an earth pony couldn’t put this on by themself. Even the handle on the zip was designed to be just big enough to be able to poke the tip of one’s hoof into, so it could be operated with relative ease without magic.

“Is good fit, da? Try walking around,” Stitches suggested, casting a critical eye over me.

I had to admit, it did feel pretty good. Certainly heavier than anything I’d ever worn, but not unbearable. I was not used to having my entire neck encased in thick padding, but it seemed to yield easily enough to my movements. I walked experimentally across the room, each step softened by the rubber hoof soles. The near silence of my perambulation caught me off-guard; I was so used to the reassuring clop of my hooves against the ground. I returned to Stitches and my friend, who had donned her bulkier suit already. I felt like I was gliding across the floor. “Yeah, I… It feels good. Thanks!” I finally replied.

The elder unicorn responded with a curt nod; and perhaps a trace of a genuine smile, too. “Good. Will have helmet ready soon. Little filly has big ears, will make adjustments,” she told me seriously before turning her attention to Blossy. “Supermodel mare, better fit, da?”

I touched my ears self-consciously; they aren’t that big!

“Oh yes, much better. You did a fine job,” the yellow unicorn answered. “I doubt my couturier could work such heavy clothing so well.”

“Is armour, not clothing,” Stitches said scornfully with a frown. “Will get Anvil and bring helmets later. Stay!” She stormed out of the room, which seemed to be her normal method of locomotion. She may have been a tad overbearing, but she wasn’t bad, really.

My attention drifted to the remaining unicorn, who was biting back a smirk. “Shut up! I pre-empted her.

“I didn’t say anything!”

“You were going to, though.”

“Oh, alright. You can probably hear what I’m thinking anyway,” Blossy quipped, sticking her tongue out at me.

“I hate you.” I sighed, slumping in defeat.

“Heh, anyway you look good in that armour!” my friend said, admiring my outfit. “I almost want to get a set for myself.”

I offered her a grateful smile. Even little comments like that helped boost my confidence.

“Well well, I told you that Stitches could work magic with armour. Looks like she outdid herself this time.” That deep voice could only belong to one pony. I twisted my neck around, fighting the ribbed fabric of the neck-armour, to find Anvil standing behind us. “Well, I’d better make sure you ladies know what you’re doing with your weapons and gear.” The chunky stallion made his way closer towards us. I sensed another lecture incoming.

When we were ready, he began, “Okay, there’s a special transparent pocket in your left foreleg; it’s designed to protect your PDA while still allowing you to use it.” Both Blossy and I slipped our PDAs in the aforementioned pockets as Anvil carried on. “You’ve also got special pouches for artefacts. Something about their material allows them to interact with a pony’s magical field, so be very careful what you put in these ones. You can tell them apart by their blue flaps. As for the rest; whatever you want: bolts, potions, food, magazines, et cetera.”

A slight tingle shot down my spine at the mention of artefacts. We’d read some very vague things about them when we were doing our research on the Zone. Things that could magically affect their owner, yet nopony knew how they worked, or even why.

Anvils voice boomed on. “All armour has its own saddlebags built in. Yours have smart features that allow seamless integration with your weapons, and will integrate with your magical-neural interface for inventory management and mounted weapon ammunition selection.” The stallion walked over to the table, taking one of my carbines. “Now for the fun stuff: weapons!” he said with a big grin, brandishing the gun.

Blossy’s eyes met with mine. Yes, he’s way too enthusiastic about guns, we wordlessly agreed.

“Alright, first, we need to make sure you’ve both disabled your weapon tracking,” Anvil said, eagerly waiting for us to do so.

A few quick thought commands, and I was ready. Unlike a certain yellow unicorn, who was jabbing her hoof at the screen of her PDA through the pocket. I hummed impatiently, and was rewarded with an indignant glare when she finished.

“Please proceed, Anvil. Thank you for waiting patiently,” she said pointedly.

“Good. Now, weapon changing is best done by somepony else. Somepony you trust,” the stallion said gravely.

***

It turned out that mounting weapons wasn’t that hard; it was mainly a case of ensuring the weapon was securely affixed to the mounting frame, and attaching the flexible ammunition feed to the underside of the same-side saddlebag. A quick check to ensure the ammunition feed isn’t snagged on anything and flows smoothly and you were good to go.

After our crash course in equipping weapons, we were guided to the firing range where Anvil gave us some rounds and explained about proper ammunition stowage in our saddlebags. He also gave us a run-down on the basics of aiming and weapon safety.

I was starting to feel like a one mare army. A rapid-firing carbine sat each side of me, while my rifle and sword scabbard (with matching sword) were secured on my back. Blossy also looked rather terrifying, with her larger mounted weapons and holstered pistol compounding the imposing impression of her armour.

“Right, Moonlight, why don’t you start us off?” Anvil gestured downrange. “Let’s make sure those carbines work, eh? Nothing fancy, just aim for center body mass as I explained before.” The stallion passed around some ear defenders, which we all donned. “Weapons hot!” his voice a muffled bellow.

Too nervous to speak, I merely nodded before stepping up to the booth. With a quick thought command, I reactivated the weapon tracking feature. A little white crosshair appeared in the center of my vision and I could feel the carbines shifting to follow. I turned to look off to the side, the crosshairs split into two; one getting stuck pointing straight ahead of me and turning black while the other continued to track with my vision. Okay, so at least it looks like I won’t accidentally shoot my head off if I’m not lined up properly. Good to know.

The panel in the bottom-right of my HUD updated itself:

G1 Light Carbine/G1 Light Carbine
5x35 std [A]
25/25

Standard rounds, twenty-five for each gun, fully automatic firing mode.

My apprehension had me sweating, making my fur uncomfortably damp and cold. I brought my attention back to my paper target: an all-black silhouette of a gryphon against a plain white background. A pair of dull ‘clicks’ rang out as I mentally disengaged the safeties. Lining my crosshairs up with the center of the target, I braced myself. Sorry, mister gryphon…

With a mental ‘fire both’ command, my carbines flared to life either side of me, spitting hot lead downrange. I was aware of a dull rumble as tracers stabbed out towards the unfortunate piece of paper, as if hungry to puncture it. The recoil of my dual guns tugged backwards at my frame, but it was perfectly manageable, even for me. I stopped thinking the ‘fire’ command about a second later; noticing that my ammunition counter had reduced to just thirteen rounds each.

I just stood there wide-eyed, buzzing from the thrill of sending twenty-four bullets past the sound barrier via little explosions. A part of me really enjoyed that.

Clicking the safeties on, I looked back towards Anvil and my friend, the former beaming and the latter offering an encouraging smile. The big stallion took off his ear defenders, and we did the same. “Ah! I love that smell. Just try telling me you don’t feel alive right now!” he exclaimed.

His enthusiasm was almost palpable, and I couldn’t help but allow a lopsided smirk form on my lips. “That sure was… wow,” I responded dumbly. After a few slow breaths, I was calm enough to ask, “Um, how did I do?”

A big brown hoof pushed a button on the pillar beside my booth, and my target whirred forwards. “See for yourself. Be a bit less heavy with the triggers– you want short, controlled bursts, but you seemed to handle it well.” Anvils yellow eyes focussed behind me, inspecting my target. “Looks good to me. You can’t expect great accuracy when going full auto, but most of your rounds landed in the black, so your mounting is working well, and you kept on target.”

I looked over at my hole-ridden target sheet, nodding in agreement. “Not bad,” I said, unable to come up with anything else. Some of the holes looked singed, and I got a faint whiff of burnt paper.

“Now, let’s see how you handle that sniper rifle, shall we?” Anvil trotted forward, and I slinked away, letting him replace the target. The way he said that, it sounded almost like a challenge. Stepping back, he smacked the button, sending the fresh target all the way to the very end of the firing range. Oh. It looks so small! “Take it easy, don’t rush your shots. You’ve got three rounds, make them count, okay?” he offered.

“Yeah, you got this, Moony!” My friend interjected. Thanks, Blossy.

I turned to fully face my new target with a gulp, floating the rifle off my back. A new panel appeared in my HUD, pushing the one about my carbines up and shrinking it:

G2 Precision Rifle
9x45 std [1]
3/0

“Alright, ears on, everypony!” Anvil rumbled.

I slipped my ear defenders on and the rest of the world faded away. It was just me and the target again. I tried to swallow, only to find my mouth had gone dry. Safety off. Slowly, deliberately, I brought the long rifle up to my shoulder, pushing the padded buttstock against myself. Lowering my head, I rested my cheek gently on the guard and peered through the scope. After scrunching my other eye closed, I could see my target more clearly. I carefully lined up the crosshairs with the center of the gryphon with small adjustments to my levitation field.

Remember what Anvil told me. The violet glow on my rifle grew more intense as I strengthened the magic holding it. Smoothly exhaling, I gently pulled the trigger back with my magic. Keep pulling…

SNAP!

A sudden flash filled my vision and the rifle immediately jerked back against my magic and rammed against my shoulder. “Gyah! I let out in surprise as I stumbled, shoved backwards by the sharp kick of the recoil. Wow! Without the benefit of Anvil’s instruction, I was sure I would have been left with a nasty bruise and a very achy shoulder.

I took my position again; I had two more shots. A look through the scope revealed a sizeable bullet hole in the gryphon’s neck– it went high. I fought the urge to aim low this time; I was told to aim at the center, regardless of where it went. Knowing exactly what to expect this time, I followed the same process as before.

SNAP!

The harsh report of my rifle was apparent even through my ear protection. I allowed my body to rock backwards slightly, moving with the rifle to lessen the blow of its recoil. Better, at least it must have looked more dignified than stumbling like the first time.

Last shot! I took aim again, picking up the pace, but without rushing. Line it up; exhale and pull…

SNAP!

The rifle barked one last time and I floated it away, giving me room to work my shoulder. While it didn’t hurt, I suspected it would be feeling tender for a while. I flicked the safety on and returned the weapon to its holster on my back.

I turned around with a triumphant grin. If Equestria ever gets invaded by paper gryphons, I’m your mare! My spectators seemed happy enough, their mouths flapping about– but they seemed awfully quiet. I gave them a gormless expression… was this another of Blossy’s little pranks? She looked like she was shouting.

I felt something being pulled off the top of my head and the world slipped back into audible focus. Ohhh… “Aaand she totally ruined it,” the unicorn said with a smirk. “You know, you actually looked kinda cool, until just now.”

My cheeks warmed up.

“Heh, either way, nice going. You seemed to handle it quite well, Moonlight. It’s nice to see somepony who takes my advice to heart for a change,” Anvil boomed, his voice grating after my previous isolation. He gestured behind me. “Pretty nice grouping, though it looks like you’re firing a bit high. I’ll show you how to adjust the scope later. But for now, I think we’d better let Blossom have a go.”

I hadn’t even realised he’d recalled the target. These bullet holes were clearly much larger than those my carbines made. All three rounds hit the neck area. Ouch.

I stepped out of the booth to let Anvil replace the target sheet with a fresh one for the waiting mare. He set my most recent target on a nearby table with care as my friend tentatively stepped up. “Hey, it’s a piece of cake, Blossy. You’ll be fine,” I said, noticing her hesitation. It seemed to mollify her a little. I sat down to give my shaky legs a rest as I watched my friend.

"Alright, why don't you start off with your pistol? We'll save the big guns 'til last," Anvil suggested as he sent the target out. Upon seeing the yellow unicorn nod in response, he declared, "Show that gryphon who's boss! No need for ears."

"Okay, here goes," Blossy said before turning her head back to her target. A light-blue aura enveloped the holster on her leg and floated the pistol up in front of her face. She took aim through though the holographic sight on the weapon, adjusting. I braced myself, just in case it wasn't quite as silenced as we were led to believe.

Pfft. Pfft-pfft. I relaxed slightly; it wasn't so bad. There were no tracers from this gun, just the target twitching from each impact gave any hint as to where the bullets were ending up. I didn't know what I was expecting, but it sounded rather weedy, even if the pressure waves from each shot felt somewhat uncomfortable against my ears.

Blossy holstered her pistol before stepping out of the booth with a grin. "That was actually pretty fun! I was worried it would be much more violent."

The target drifted towards us and Anvil spoke up, "Heh, don't be fooled by that little pistol; it may not sound it, but it's a deadly weapon, up close." Blossy's target came to rest, and I saw six holes punched through the paper, two of which were outside the gryphon. "Hmm, looks like you could have taken a bit more care with your aiming. I know it can be tempting to rush your shots, but try not to," the large pony advised.

My friend nodded thoughtfully at that. "Yes, I think you're right. I think it might be because it's so small and easy to handle with my magic."

Anvil nodded at her response before replacing the target with a new one. "Alright, now for the good stuff! Give us a few bursts from your assault rifle, then let loose with the shotgun," he said, sending the fresh target whirring out. When Blossy nodded and took up position again, he declared, "Ears on!"

Once again, my ear defenders isolated me from the world.

Given the lack of screen-tapping, Blossy was giving the neural interface a try. After a few moments her weapons shifted, no doubt tracking where she was looking. With the weapons pointing steadily, her assault rifle unleashed a storm of bullets downrange; the bright orange tracers more prominent than those from my little carbines. After a pause, she opened up again, the rifle rapidly rattling off several short bursts. A small flame flared into life, slowly eating away at the gryphon from the inside. Even from back here, I could see several more of the holes smouldering away.

Blossy seemed to relax for a moment, before tensing up. Suddenly, her shotgun blared into life, blasting the target three times. I could even feel that thing firing; shaking my lungs, and even up through my insulated hooves. The unicorn looked like she'd been taken off-guard by the sheer force of the weapon as it jerked her body backwards with each shot. She took a moment to collect herself, then let loose with another rapid burst of fire at the target, the blasts thudding though my ear defenders.

My gaze switched to her target. Well, what was left of the utterly shredded sheet– the bottom half had fallen away entirely, and a shower of confetti was fluttering its way down to the floor.

Blossy pulled her ear defenders off as she faced us with a wide smile, and the rest of us followed suit. I rose to my hooves with a daft grin on my face; even watching others shooting was more fun than it had any right to be.

“Hah! Shotguns never get old! And you even managed to start a flame in that gryphon’s heart, eh?” The animated stallion cheered. He depressed the button, bringing the tattered target towards us. “Well, from what I could see, it looked like you were nicely on-target with the rifle. You might want to brace your stance a little more before letting loose with the shotgun, though; I could see you fighting with it.”

My friend blew a stray strand of mane from her eye. “Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind. That was… certainly thrilling!” I felt a little pang of jealousy at witnessing my friend’s ability to maintain her composure. At least her mane was a little shaken up from those shotgun blasts.

“Heh, glad you liked it. Now, unless either of you wish to try something different, we'd better see if the lovely Stitches has finished with your helmets.” When neither of us objected, Anvil lead us out of the firing range.

Blossy sidled up beside me. “So, you really enjoyed that, huh?”

“Well, yeah, it was pretty exciting!” I replied.

“Yeah, I can tell. Your tail hasn’t stopped wagging since you fired your first shot.” The yellow unicorn chuckled.

Now that she mentioned it, I could still feel my tail swishing from side-to-side, which I immediately stopped. “Oh…” I said dumbly, my face flushing like a ripe tomato. Quick, change the subject! “Ahem, so… we’re about to get our helmets! Yay?”

“You know, I’ve never seen you move your tail for anything else. Even Daisy,” she whispered in a silky tone.

“I do not fancy her!” I hissed at my tormentor, hopefully not loud enough to be heard by Anvil. I stumbled, feeling light-headed as more blood rushed to my face. “She’s a nice pony, and I respect her. Also, I have a sniper rifle!”

“And I have a shotgun. And we’re at close range.” The unicorn stuck her tongue out at me.

I let out a defeated sigh. The sooner I get to hide behind that helmet, the better…

***

I stood before the wooden crate. Anvil was briefing us. It was time.

We had been kitted out fully: my pockets were full of potions and nutrient-rich snack bars and magazines for my rifle; my saddlebags held my other supplies, including several hundred rounds for the carbines. My not large ears poked up out of my adjusted helmet, while the clear plastic visor sat in front of my eyes. I’d never felt so prepared… so dangerous.

Or so apprehensive.

“Remember, when you’re in the crate, do not move or make a sound. Wait for my inside pony to get you out. If you get caught, nopony will be able to help you… Alright, that’s everything. If you don’t want to go, now’s the time to say so. Once you get inside that crate, there’s no going back,” Anvil said solemnly.

I hesitated. My mouth ran dry, and I felt cold all over. Should we really be doing this? We could turn around and head home right now…

I looked to Blossy, who looked more serious than usual. “What do you think, Moony? Please, don’t just go along with this for my sake,” she said.

Why was everypony looking at me? Why did they keep asking me whether I wanted to go through with this? Even you, Blossy… You look at me as though I’m some weak little filly– like I need to be protected.

At that point, it came into clear focus. If I turned back now, I’d always be that weak little filly. In my own mind, as much as Blossy’s. She wouldn’t even resent me for it, I knew. But this was my opportunity. This will be what makes a mare out of me. And maybe, just maybe, I’d be able to look at Blossy as my equal, even though I’d still have to look up at her physically.

“Let’s do this,” I said firmly with a nod. What if she doesn’t want to go, now? “Unless you’re having second thoughts?”

“Not at all,” came the reply. “We’ll be fine if we stick together.”

“Alright, then. See you on the other side?” I managed a smile, but it felt hollow.

“Heh, sure thing.” Blossy’s gaze switched to the waiting stallion. “Thank you, Anvil, for your help.” I just nodded in agreement.

“Don’t mention it. Look after yourselves out there,” his boomy voice replied.

I crawled into my crate as Blossy went into her own. I didn’t envy my friend– the space was tight, even for me. I shuffled around and caught a glimpse of Anvil’s face before he went to work. He looked… sad?

I shook my head. No, this is the right thing. I’m taking control of my life. I’ll be better and stronger after this. I should have felt excited– we were about to embark on an adventure…

So why do my guts feel like jelly?

Chapter 3

I’d completely lost track of time, lying down in my wooden box. The heat had become stifling within minutes of being sealed in, and the darkness was even worse. This was not a comforting kind of darkness like in my bedroom; there were no gently glowing stars or planets to keep me company here. Sometimes the blackness seemed like a physical thing, pressing in on me, crushing me, suffocating me. Closing my eyes didn’t help, either– I couldn’t even tell the difference. I had to settle for gritting my teeth and distracting myself with the virtual HUD. I could not afford to panic. If I were to be found out, they’d surely find Blossy, too. My fur and mane had become clammy, and not just from the heat– this was illegal. Technically, sneaking into the Zone made me a criminal. I’d never felt so alone. Or so helpless.

After a while, I tried to fall asleep, finding some comfort in the rumble of the vehicle’s engine, though the shifts in direction made it difficult. I may have drifted off at some point, but a sudden crash put an end to my rest. Did they hit something?! Or maybe we’ve arrived? My stomach tightened in dread..

The latter thought was proven wrong as I heard an engine fire up, then felt acceleration once again. The tightness in my stomach receded slightly, but I just wanted this to be over. I felt like screaming; anything to get me out of this damned crate. I wanted fresh, cool air, and to be able to see, and some bloody space! My jaw started to ache as I grit my teeth, and clawed my hooves against the base of the crate. Just a little longer, just hang in a bit longer. If Blossy can deal with it, so can I. She didn’t even get the luxury of a larger crate to match her larger form.

The engine had stayed at a fairly constant note by now, and I didn’t feel many changes in direction. We must be on a long, straight road; perhaps the final leg of the journey? I remembered seeing a straight line going towards the Equestrian Armed Forces base cordoning off the Zone on one of our maps. It was the only way in or out from our side– the rest of the borders consisted either of impassable mountains or was walled off by the EAF, who had erected regular guard towers and performed frequent patrols to prevent anypony from sneaking in, or anything from getting out. The Zone also cut into gryphon territory a small way, but from what Blossy and I had uncovered, they were no less thorough in isolating the disaster area from their lands.

A bump in the road broke me out of my thoughts, bringing me back to the bleak reality of being stuck in a box. I was at my wits’ end/ I needed to do something. I was hungry, thirsty, tired, hot, sweaty, and scared.

I could at least remedy the hunger and thirst. But first… if no light can get in, surely none can get out. It was a risk I was willing to take at this point, regardless. I concentrated, weaving a weak light orb spell, and was rewarded with the ability to see the wooden interior of the crate. The orb floated companionably, a short distance from the tip of my horn.

With a mental command, a drinking pipe flicked out from the neck of my armour, and I sucked down some lukewarm water. While it wasn't ice cold, it at least quenched my thirst. I clicked the pipe back into place and dug out a ration bar from one of my pouches with my magic. I carefully peeled the wrapper, not wanting to make any noise, and levitated the bar towards my mouth. It was surprisingly tasty, consisting of a dense mix of baked seeds, nuts and oats, all bound together with honey.

The bar was certainly very filling, leaving me feeling somewhat overfaced. Of course, they’re designed for soldiers who’re burning a lot of calories, not small mares who have never even undergone physical training.

A gentle pull signalled our deceleration; my ears pricked up- this had to be it. We came to a stop. My heart began to beat faster. I made out some muffled voices… and we were moving again, pulling a series of manoeuvres. A mechanical rattle sounded out from behind, and the vehicle moved a short distance before coming to a final rest. The rumble of the engine died away. I gulped. This was it.

My orb! I immediately cut my magical link to my bright companion. Deprived of its magical power source, it faded before winking out completely. The muggy darkness enveloped me again.

What if Anvil’s contact forgot or fell ill? How long would I be stuck in here? What if they think to check inside? I gulped again as my worries swirled around in my head.

I could hear indistinct noises. Things were happening, but I couldn’t tell what. If only I could see what’s going on out there. I’m sure I could figure out some kind of scrying spell. However, this wasn’t a good time for magical experiments. I didn’t know if there would be any audible or visible side-effects to the spell. Or if my first attempt wouldn’t result in something entirely different. No, it was best to lie still and wait.

Slowly, carefully, I covered my ears with my forelegs to make the noises go away. Shallow breaths and my pounding heartbeat dominated my hearing. I felt vibrations through the floor, and it seemed to rock slightly. My whole body was tense, rigid. Just hang on a little long– my crate suddenly lurched and I let out a squeal as my forelegs instinctively thudded back onto the floor. A shock of panic surged through me; oh no! Please, don’t have heard that. I held my breath, waiting for them to open my wooden prison and find me.

Only, my crate lurched again and again, with some kind of mechanical whirring in the background. By the time I’d been set down, as I gathered, I was almost due for another taste of that ration bar.

I lay in wait, hearing that mechanical whir recede. The hoofclops I was dreading never came; they mustn’t have heard me. I remembered to breathe again, and warm, stuffy air filled my lungs. Calm down, Moonlight, it’s going to be alright. The various CRASHES, SCRAPES, BANGS and shouts kept me on edge, despite my efforts. It was a constant reminder of my precarious situation. All that separated my friend and I from capture was a thin wooden panel.

The background sounds died down and a stallion’s voice bellowed, “Room, atten-shun!” Hooves clopped smartly, almost sounding as one. “Alright everypony, that’s the last one for today, see you tomorrow. That’s oh-seven-hundred, Dopey. As you were.” I heard ponies’ hoofclops receding, and found myself pitying whoever had the misfortune to be called ‘Dopey’. Who would call their foal such a thing?!

Soon enough, I heard somepony approaching. Clop-clop, clop-clop. My nostrils flared as I involuntarily exhaled– this is it. This is the contact. Or what if it isn’t? Maybe it’s just somepony doing some checks.

BUMF-BUMF! The wooden panel in front of me boomed, eliciting a surprised squeak from me while my heart lurched. “I’m with our mutual friend, stay calm while I get you out,” a pony directed his voice at me. It sounded like the stallion who addressed the room before. “Shit, are we smuggling in fillies, now?” I just managed to hear him mutter under his breath. I was too worked up to feel indignant at that comment. Just get me out of here.

The wood made a series of tortured noises before a red glow enveloped the panel right in front of me, yanking it off. Bright light blinded me, making me shield my eyes while cold air flooded in, making me shiver. It sure felt good to breathe fresh air, though. Well, relatively fresh– I could smell and taste dust. My eyes slowly adjusted to the light, and I could make out the form of a pony in front of me. “H-hi?” I stammered.

“Right. Come out of there. I’ll get your fellow Zoner out,” he said curtly. The stallion’s form moved out of my vision.

“Ugh!” I grunted, trying to stand. My hindlegs wouldn’t co-operate, though. I managed to shuffle/crawl out of the crate in a rather undignified manner. By now, my eyes had mostly adapted to the harsh lighting in the… warehouse. Rows of massive storage racks greeted my vision, pallets of various equipment, crates and boxes resting on them. A pair of forklift trucks sat next to a breezeblock wall, cables running from nearby panels to them. Big boxy units hung high overhead, projecting warm light downwards.

Looking up made me feel dizzy; after being cooped up in such a tight space for so long, the sheer size of this place felt daunting.

Wood creaked and groaned as the stallion worked on another crate. A cold ache rolled through my legs and flanks as I stood up successfully this time. “Ooh, ahh,” I sighed as blood started circulating again. I decided to try making my way back to my crate, so I could lean on something as I recovered. Bad idea– my legs were leaden and I lost my balance, sending my head into the wooden panel with a loud BANG.

“Ow! Fu-fudge!” I yelled as I fell in a heap, my voice faintly echoing in the warehouse. I was expecting it to hurt, but my helmet took the blow well.

“Quiet the fuck down!” the stallion hissed at me. “I am not getting caught because of some clumsy bint.”

“S-sorry,” I said in a small voice. Once my head stopped spinning, I carefully stood up once again and got a proper look at the stallion. His orange coat contrasted with the blue coveralls he wore, and his mane was cut short in the usual military fashion. I noticed a clear pouch on his left foreleg which housed a PDA, much like my own. On his other was a holstered pistol. His foreleg sleeves had golden three-chevron symbols on them.

His horn glowed red as he telekinetically ripped off the panel he was working on, to reveal my friend lying down. She didn’t look comfortable. “Come out, and be quiet about it,” the stallion said. “The sooner I get you two out of here, the better.”

The mare groaned as she shuffled out of her crate, bleary-eyed. “Oh, my legs. That is not an experience I’d care to repeat anytime soon,” she grouched.

“Hey Blossy,” I said, stiffly walking over to her. A smile spread across my lips– it was so good to see her after being alone for what felt like an eternity. My heartbeat started to calm down. I offered a hoof and helped pull her up.

“Thanks, Moony,” she replied with a wan smile. “I thought I would never get out of that thing.”

I opened my mouth to reply, but the stallion cut in before me, “You can hug and kiss later. Right now, we need to get you out of here. Follow me.” With that said, he trotted to a nearby door. His eyes scanned the warehouse as he waited for us to catch up. Upon reaching him, he tapped his PDA a few times, and waved it in front of the panel by the door. A CLICK sounded out from the door, which then swung open. He guided us into the small, empty room, standing before a metal marehole cover. The door automatically shut behind us.

“Thank you for doing this for us, Mister?” Blossy said, prompting the stallion for a name.

“Sergeant to you. And don’t thank me. I’m not doing this out of the kindness of my heart,” he replied. Well, isn’t this a warm reception, I thought sarcastically. A bit of Stalliongrad must have rubbed off on me.

“Now, when we go through that“– he gestured to the marehole cover –”you will follow me closely at all times. If you stray too far from me, the defence systems will make dog food out of you. This tunnel will lead you into the Zone, out of sight of this base. Any questions?” His red eyes flicked between Blossy and myself.

“N-no,” I echoed my friend. How casually he talked about us dying did nothing for my confidence.

“Good.” A red glow surrounded the marehole cover, unscrewing it before lifting the thick metal hatch up and setting it aside. I could see it took a lot of effort for him to do, and I doubted my own magic was strong enough for such a feat. Sergeant tapped his PDA some more, and I saw the words ‘Confirm maintenance mode’ flash up on the screen. After a final tap, he fed his hindlegs through the hole in the floor, and made his way down the ladders. Blossy followed, albeit less certainly.

I peered down the hole and saw coldly-lit grey concrete along with two ponies looking up at me. My stomach lurched; I was never fond of heights. Why ladders?! What’s wrong with a nice, easy ramp?

I took note of the metal steps of the ladders, which had indentations to secure one’s hooves in. I swung around and gingerly lowered myself while gripping the floor with my forelegs. Finding those indentations, I slowly worked my way down. I heard an impatient sigh from below.

Finally, I ended up in the tunnel, all four hooves on solid concrete. The air had an unwelcoming chill to it. The tunnel stretched out before us, long and straight. Harsh lighting beat down from the ceiling, and pipes and cables ran high along the walls. “Now, stay close, both of you,” Sergeant said before starting off down the tunnel.

We passed a pair of guns hanging from the ceiling as we followed the stallion. They looked much like our mounted weapons, only significantly larger, and with armour plates protecting them from the front. That certainly gave context to Sergeant’s warning.

“So, why did the EAF build a tunnel out into the Zone like this? It seems like a liability more than anything else,” my friend asked. Thank you, Blossy. Something to take my mind off of those guns pointing at my behind.

“We didn’t build them,” Sergeant said with an undertone of irritation. Clearly, he wasn’t one for conversation. “They were here as part of the original facility. It was decided to secure this tunnel, rather than destroy it, just in case. There is only one place it leads to, and that’s where we’re heading.”

We passed another set of turrets, and soon after, some faint beams which projected across the tunnel from devices attached to the walls. Fortunately, whatever Sergeant did, it stopped anything from happening.

***

After trotting though... well, a lot of tunnel, we came across another set of ladders leading up to a hatch. The tunnel beyond had caved-in; chunks of concrete piled up to the ceiling, thick metal rebar stabbing out from the rubble. Our guide remained silent after his explanation of the tunnels. Neither Blossy nor I felt like attempting any further communication with him, and the remainder of our journey was eerily quiet.

“Right, once you climb up here, I recommend you head bearing north-northwest for about eight klicks; you’ll find a little settlement with your fellow Zoners. You should make it before sundown, if you don’t dither about,” Sergeant instructed. He moved over to a control panel on the wall and entered a code, which sent a metallic CLICK from the hatch above.

“Now go, before anypony notices I’m missing. I’ll lock the hatch behind you, and the defences will be active, so don’t even try coming back. Good luck,” he said as he shoved open the hatch with his magic.

Blossy and I exchanged a look, and I gestured for her to take the lead. She climbed ahead of me, her red and pink-streaked tail wafting in front of my face. The vivid colours contrasted starkly with the mute palette of concrete, metal and armour. Fortunately, climbing was easier than descending, and my friend was able to help me up into… the Zone.

Just as I was about to drink in the scene before me, the hatch swung shut with a loud CLANG!– which nearly made me jump out of my skin. That was it; no going back.

A weak, warm breeze blew at us as we looked around at the environment we were now, at least for a while, stuck in. I was greeted by a dead, grey sky. Clumps of slightly darker cloud drifted slowly overhead. I was sure I could see faint ripples up there, too; almost like heat distortion, but that could have just been my eyes playing tricks on me. My attention drifted down to the wiry grass which crawled on the ground, coming up in occasional tussocks.

A far cry from what grows in the rest of Equestria. This stuff doesn’t even look edible.

Thick-trunked trees dotted the uneven landscape, the tips of their balding branches stabbing up at the sky. Wildly growing bushes grew in patches; their leaves, much like the grass, a muted, dull green. It was an ugly and uninviting place.

There was something else, too; a niggling sense of dread that had taken root in my mind since we arrived at the EAF base, which only grew more acute now that we were out in the open. Inside the Zone. Where we shouldn’t be.

“Well, here we are. I must say, this is an awfully drab place. Not that I’m unhappy to be out of that crate, mind,” Blossy said after a moment. Her tone suggested she also felt it, but her expression only hinted at disappointment with what she saw. “Regardless, now that we may actually talk, how’re you holding up, Moony?”

“I… guess I’m okay. Scared, mostly,” I replied.

“Hey, it’ll be alright,” she said softly, her determined eyes locked onto my own. “We’ve got each other’s backs, and we have the best equipment that bits could buy.”

Blossy’s earlier words echoed in my mind: You’re stronger than you think. I worked up the best smile I could. “Yeah. I think… I just need to get used to this place. But perhaps we ought to find that Zoner settlement?” I suggested. “I don’t like the idea of having to sleep out in the open.”

“Good point,” my friend nodded. “Now, which way is north-northwest?”

“I’m sure our PDA’s will be able to tell us. Probably a good idea to wake them back to active mode now that we’re free of the base,” I said, regaining a bit of confidence.

“Ugh, alright. At least I was starting to get used to that weirdness before we got boxed-up.”

I prodded at the screen of my PDA and it immediately lit up, asking whether I wanted to fully wake the device. I tapped ‘yes’, and once again when it asked for confirmation. The HUD popped up in my vision, with green text appearing in the center.

ZoneNet detected. Autoconnecting……… Success!
Welcome to the Zone.
Downloading and installing updates: 1 of 23………

A bar appeared, filling up and emptying as each update did its thing. “Uhm, are you getting updates, too? It’s right where I’m trying to look at, too!” Blossy grouched.

“Yeah, I am. If it’s bothering you, just give it a mental command to shift it elsewhere. Or you could make it transparent,” I suggested. I was surprised as how flexible these things were– I wondered what else I could do with mine. Shame they don’t come with manuals.

The unicorn scrunched her eyes up for a moment, before experimentally looking around again. “Yeah, that’s better. Thanks,” she said gratefully. “You seem to have really gotten the hang of using this techno-magical weirdness.”

“No problem. I don’t know why. I just… think things and it works.”

My attention switched back to the green text:

Downloading and installing updates: 23 of 23………
Congratulations, all updates successfully applied!
Downloading maps……… Success!

With that done, the text and bar disappeared, and the map in the top-left of my vision filled with a depiction of the local topography. I wonder, can I make the map big? Yes, I could– an expanded map covered my entire view, slightly transparent. A little arrow was at the center, with a green dot next to it. Must be myself and Blossy, respectively, I reasoned. I could zoom in and out, and pan the view around. Scrolling northwards, I found what looked like a collection of buildings, and a tunnel going into the side of a hill. That must have been the Zoner settlement Sergeant mentioned. I imagined placing a marker in the middle of those buildings, and was rewarded with an icon appearing right there.

Out of curiosity, I zoomed way out. At the moment, we were on the outskirts of the Zone– small clusters of buildings being separated by swathes of untamed land. As I panned north, the landscape became more and more built-up, almost like a town, or a small city. Finally, I came to the Cherneighble facility itself, a huge structure of hard straight lines and right-angles. Even this virtual representation sent a tingle of apprehension through my spine. If I was reading the map right, it would easily dwarf even the largest edifice back in Manehattan.

Okay, that’s enough, we’re miles away from that. Best get back to the here and now. Small map? Suddenly, my vision returned to normal. I noticed the minimap had a little arrow pointing me towards my marker, almost lining up with the red pointer of the compass.

“Uh, right. Mine’s finished. Red’s north on a compass, right?” Blossy asked, scratching her head. Only, her helmet got in the way. She put her hoof back on the ground as though everything went to plan, but her face flashed with irritation for a moment.

Oh Blossy, don’t ever change.

“Yeah. It’s okay, I set a marker in what looks like the settlement though. We can just follow that,” I said. There was even a distance in the minimap– 8.3km, which matched up with what we were told.

“H-how do you do that?” Blossy asked, her jaw hanging open. She shook her head. “Actually, no, tell me later. When I’ve stopped wanting to claw my eyes out.”

“So, um –” I spun around to get the grey arrow pointing upwards and gestured with a foreleg “– if we head this way, for eight-point-three kilometers, we’ll be right in the middle of the Zoner settlement.”

“Well, we’d better get started, hadn’t we!”

***

The journey so far had been quiet. Neither Blossy nor I said much as we plodded across the depressing terrain, too busy keeping a lookout for anything dangerous. I once spotted a black bird of some kind gliding well above us, which turned sharply away before it got close to one of those weird distortions. My momentary inattention punished me by getting a hoof snagged on a clump of tough, wiry grass, which nearly sent me face-first into the ground. I didn’t allow my eyes to drift away from the ground ahead for very long after that.

Six kilometers still to go, and we found ourselves having to wind around trees and bushes more often. Fortunately, we had a pointer to keep us on track. A calm breeze blew at us from the north.

As we rounded another tree, we came upon a wide, open space with a cluster of vegetation a fair distance ahead at the base of a hillock.

“Hey Moony, stop, get down,” Blossy warned, lying down. “Do you see those?” She gestured ahead at the vegetation in the distance.

I immediately hugged the ground, a lump forming in my throat as I saw several brown shapes moving among the bushes and trees. I gulped. “Y-yes.” I had to fight the urge to bolt– had they seen us? There didn’t seem to be much urgency to their movements, but it was hard to tell from here. I pulled open a pouch and levitated my binoculars up to my eyes.

“What d’you see?” Blossy asked.

The green blob turned to a crisp, close-up view of one of the bushes in the distance as I adjusted the focus. I scanned until I caught one of the brown forms. “I see… it” My stomach lurched as the image registered, and burned itself into my mind. A dog, bigger than usual. Its brown skin was wrinkled and had unsightly pink blotches, while dark fur grew in random patches. The flesh around its mouth was peeled back, exposing sharp teeth in a constant, menacing snarl. It was horrible. Yet, I somehow couldn’t tear my gaze away from it.

“What is it?” my friend prompted.

“It… they’re dogs. Or they used to be,” I replied. It was then that I noticed something else. Or rather, a lack thereof. I scanned for another creature to check, confirming that it wasn’t just one of the beasts. “Oh my goodness, they don’t have eyes, Blossy!” I said, my voice thick with horror. How awful, to suffer such an existence. Is this what the Zone does to life? Is this what it will do to me?!

“Hmm.” Blossy looked thoughtful. “Maybe we should skirt around them. Perhaps we could even just… walk through them? I mean, they can’t see,” she mused.

“I don’t think that’d be a good idea. They don’t look friendly. And, they’ve survived so far, so they must be able to find food and protect themselves without needing to see,” I suggested. Trying to sneak through the pack of mutant dogs seemed like a terrible idea, even if it would save time.

“Good point. Alright, we’ll –” Blossy immediately pulled out her own binoculars and floated them up to her eyes. “Oh no.”

Another form was making its way down the hillock. I peered through my binoculars; it was a pony! A pale blue unicorn; she was poorly equipped, wearing only an olive drab overcoat. She didn’t even have any mounted weapons. There was a lethargic quality to her movements, and her face was weary. And she was heading right towards those mutants, who had by now split up, putting the foliage between themselves and the oblivious pony. Suddenly it dawned on me: we were their food.

“We… we have to help her,” I said, my voice trembling.

“Yeah. I’ll need to get closer, but you could stay back and use your rifle. We can regroup afterwards– you’re the green dot on the map, right?”

“Y-yes. Are you sure this is a g-good idea?” I asked, doubt creeping into my small voice.

“It’ll be fine, I won’t be going that far,” Blossy replied with a confident grin. “Besides, I'm the one with the heavier armour.”

There wasn’t time to argue, we needed to act before that mare blundered into the mutant pack. “Okay. Be careful, Blossy. Please,” I begged. I didn’t like this. Not one bit.

My friend got to her hooves and made her way forwards, her hooves thudding against the ground. I stashed my binoculars away before floating my rifle off of my back. My HUD updated, and information panel for my rifle expanded; fifty rounds in reserve, ten in the magazine.

I peered through the scope, but clumps of grass were getting in the way, and this posture was different to how I had practiced. I stood up and lifted the rifle once again, getting into the familiar position. This time I got a clear sight of the mare; she was getting close– it wouldn’t be long before the mutants set upon her.

I took aim at a dog hiding behind a bush, facing away from me. Center body mass, just like Anvil taught me. My crosshairs lined up just underneath the thing’s skinny tail. With the pull of a trigger, I could take its life. I’d be a killer.

Killing is wrong. I never wanted to hurt anything. My heart started pounding in my chest and I felt a cold sweat build up in my fur. If I don’t, somepony could die. It might be Blossy. And it’d be my fault. My magical grip on the rifle started to shake. Do it, you haveto! My aim was shaking like a leaf, but I started to apply pressure to the trigger anyway. I have to.

Suddenly, the dog turned, its ears flopping about– Blossy must have caught their attention. The sudden movement further thew my aim off. SNAP! The tracer struck the ground near the mutant, sending dirt flying upwards. Damn it!

The rifle smacked into me, my unsteady magical hold on the weapon failing to counter the recoil as well as it should, and I let out a yelp of surprise and pain. On the plus side, it served as a wakeup call. Focus, Moonlight. Get it right.

I could hear barking interspersed with the distinctive thunderous booms of Blossy’s shotgun and the more distant-sounding pap-pap-pap of a pistol. I tried to ease the tension in my muscles and looked through the scope again.

The dogs seemed to be concentrating on the Zoner rather than my friend. There! I lined up one that was loping around the blue unicorn’s flank. My magical grip was more steady than before. Lead it slightly, exhale… my rifle let loose with another loud SNAP! This time I struck true– a red mist exploded out the opposite side of the dog and the force of the impact sent the animal tumbling away. It didn’t get up again.

My gaze swept back over Blossy, who was advancing carefully, blasting anything that ventured near. Several bodies already littered the ground, torn to shreds by her buckshot. She’d almost reached the other mare, but vegetation separated the two.

The blue mare’s face was a picture of terror as she spun around, trying to keep the dogs in front of her. But it was a futile effort; there were too many, and they would dart in and out of the foliage while trying to surround her. I saw one break off from the circling manoeuvre and dart towards her. I took aim. That’s right, lead it, exhale… SNAP!

In my haste, the round fell short and pelted chunks of dirt at the dog, which jumped and spun at the source, snapping its jaws. The mare saw the opportunity and raised her pistol, planting three rounds into the confused mutant.

Unfortunately, another dog took advantage of the distracted mare and darted in to sink its teeth into her flank. Her scream kicked up a strong urge in me to run away. I grit my teeth hard and suppressed that urge. I took aim at the dog that had latched onto her, towards its hindquarters to minimise my chances of hitting the mare. She was trying to kick the dog away, but her angle was wrong. Steady, exhale… SNAP!

The round hit a little low, tearing off a hind leg and staining the grass underneath a dark crimson. The mare stumbled free, but fell shortly after. Others darted in for the kill. My stomach churned. There were simply too many for me to deal with.

That was when Blossy stalked around the vegetation and swept the beasts back with her shotgun– BLAM-BLAM-BLAM! Three of them dropped in a heap from the barrage. The rest suddenly broke, rushing through the bushes to escape. One was slower than the rest, holding up an injured foreleg as it ran on only three legs. I took aim. It would be an easy shot, and good practice, to boot.

What the hay am I doing?! It’s a living thing, and I’m thinking of it as target practice? What have I done?!

I dropped my rifle as though it were contagious. I stared at the weapon, reliving the shots and sights over again. An explosion of red mist and a tumbling animal, a leg being torn off and blood painting the ground, a pistol riddling another beast with bullets, buckshot tearing others to bloody shreds.

A nasty headache was developing, and my jaw was hurting from being clenched so much.

I knew it might come to this. I knew I might have needed to cause harm. But so soon? I’d never thrown my hoof in anger in my entire life. I was not prepared for this.

I remembered the conversation I had with Blossy before we set off and shook my head; no, it needed to be done. We probably put them out of their misery. I saw them with my own eyes, the horrible disfigurements. They didn’t even have eyes anymore!

My stomach lurched decisively, giving me just enough warning to make it to the tree just behind me before it voided itself. The ration bar definitely tasted better the first time. I balked at wiping my muzzle on my foreleg, instead opting to tear off a bit of medical bandage to do the job. I had plenty more in my saddlebags, anyway.

Gingerly, I took a drink of water, swirling it around my mouth in a vain attempt to get rid of that taste. I shuddered as I felt a half-digested oat slide back down my gullet when I swallowed. Bleh! At least the pressure in my head was letting up now.

With my head relatively clear, I went back to pick up my rifle. I shouldn’t have dropped it, I admonished myself. I hesitated a moment before sliding it onto my back. Just touching it with my magic made me feel dirty.

I immediately set off in pursuit of Blossy and the other mare, following the green dots on my minimap. There were two of them, and they were both moving slowly towards me, so that was a good sign.

The corpses of mutant dogs littered my path as I got closer. I gave them as wide a berth as possible. I also tried to avoid paying them too much attention after I saw the first body; its face was red and ragged, nearly completely flayed by buckshot.

The two mares came around the thick bushes in front of me, and I breathed a sigh of relief. It meant I wouldn’t have to witness the results of my killing up close. More importantly, though, both mares were standing on their own hooves. My friend looked fine, but her face was grim. The other mare looked haggard, and her overcoat was shredded and stained from the attack.

I gulped. “H-hey, are you alright?” I asked, even though she didn’t look it.

The pale blue mare summoned up a wan smile. “Yeah, thanks to you two. I… I thought I was...” she trailed off. The smile disappeared and her face took on a haunted look. She shook her head vigorously. “A-anyway, Blossom here gave me a healing potion. My flank’s sore as shit, but they didn’t do anything lasting.”

“Good, I’m glad you’re okay,” I said. She might be better if I could actually shoot straight, though. “How about you, Blossy?”

“I’m fine, thanks. They didn’t even get close.” Her usual cheerful lilt was missing. “Are you? You’re looking kind of peaky.”

“I… yeah. It’s just… it was rather intense,” I said lamely. I didn’t want to say what happened in front of a stranger. “I never thought it’d be like this.” Blossy nodded in agreement. I could see it had affected her, too, but she was much better at hiding it.

“Shit, are you newbies?” the blue mare suddenly asked. When we both nodded, she added, “Well, fuck me. You guys are better kitted out than half the vets I’ve seen.” She frowned for a moment. “Look, I can’t give you anything for saving me, but let me make a suggestion: come with me to the EAF base and we’ll turn ourselves in.”

“Wh-what?” I echoed Blossy. “But they’ll arrest you. You’ll end up in jail!” I said. I couldn’t believe she’d willingly do that.

“Yeah, yeah. I really don’t give a fuck anymore,”– she gave an insouciant shrug –“I’m done. If going to prison is what it takes to get me the fuck outta here, that’s a small price to pay.” She sounded so tired now. “Just… trust me, you don’t want to stay in the Zone. Whatever you’re here for, it’s not worth it.” That haunted look crept onto her face again.

“I’m afraid we’ll have to decline your offer,” Blossy said. “But I wish you well.”

The blue mare simply nodded. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. Well, thanks again. And… good luck. You’ll need it.” With a wince, she trudged off in the direction we’d come from.

Blossy and I exchanged an anxious look. Would we be like that mare by tomorrow, or perhaps the day after?

***

The remainder of our trek was relatively uneventful. Talk was kept to a minimum as we concentrated on scanning for more mutants. There wasn’t much to look at, either, barring the odd field which looked like it might once have been farmed, their old furrows nearly smoothed out by the passage of time. One such field even boasted a wooden fence, falling apart. A section of the fence had been smashed inwards, as though a vehicle had been driven through it.

Another field had a tractor sitting in it, numerous pulsating distortions surrounding it. We thought better of going to investigate, given that it was getting noticeably darker by that time.

I found myself replaying the previous events in my mind. Each shot. Each... kill. Before we even got kitted out for this adventure, I was aware it might be necessary to use lethal force. I thought I’d at least be able to get settled into the Zone before that came to pass. Would that have made it any easier? No, probably not. It was all just so quick. So violent.

I was scared. I’d barely been in the Zone an hour before I had to take a life.

I kept trying to tell myself: it was necessary; It was ‘just’ a mutant; I was putting them out of their misery. It still felt wrong. Doubt started to take root in my mind– what were we doing here, really? It was patently obvious that this was not a place for a mare like myself.

Eventually, we came across a road which swept around towards our destination. We kept off and to the side since actually using the road might make us overly conspicuous. The crumbling asphalt was a reminder that this place was once inhabited by civilisation. Not only that, some of the brightest minds in Equestria came here to help with the Cherneighbyl Power Plant project. It was to be the ultimate solution to all of Equestria’s power demands– an unprecedented step forwards, and a clear message to the Gryphons that we’d not only caught up, but surpassed them. Only, something went wrong. Something went very wrong. And now we were here, trotting through this wild land that had already made me into a killer.

The road rolled over another gentle hill, straddled by warped guard rails. Even from a distance, I could see the red-brown rust bleeding into the asphalt below. Upon cresting the hill, we saw what must have been the settlement. The main road branched off into the cluster of buildings. In the fading light it was difficult to make out much detail, but they looked like old decrepit houses. A crude fence surrounded the space; the only way in was along the road. Only the largest structure had any artificial light pouring out of its windows. Some of the smaller houses sported orange glows, matching the campfire that was burning near the center of the shanty town.

“Well, this looks… cozy?” Blossy remarked as her hooves clopped on the road into the village.

My own steps were almost silent by comparison. From what I was seeing, her appraisal seemed rather generous. Now that we were closer, I noted that several of the building’s rooves had caved in. “Yes… home sweet home,” I replied sarcastically. A pile of bricks lay where once a house’s wall stood.

We made our way to a pony who seemed to be standing guard. He eyed us suspiciously, but allowed us to approach. The stallion wore a suit of crude olive green armour that looked as though it had been cobbled together. He boasted a single mounted weapon on his left side, which seemed to be something between one of my carbines and Blossy’s assault rifle.

“Ah, excuse me, is there a place we can stay here?” my friend asked the guard.

One of his eyebrows quirked. “Yep,” his gruff voice cut through the air. He rolled his eyes and added, “Go see Misty Hooves in teh big buildin’. An’ disable yer weapon trackin’! Nopony likes havin’ a gun pointin’ at ‘is face.”

“Of course, thank you,” Blossy responded, putting a touch more effort into her elocution. After doing as we were told, we headed into the settlement.

“Yeah, really cozy. And the locals are so very pleasant,” I grouched when we were out of earshot. That was snide, but my aches from the long trek were getting the better of me. Blossy merely snorted at the comment.

We turned to the right, coming before the ‘big building’. It seemed to be the most solid structure here, but it still had a ramshackle feel to it. The door had clearly been replaced sometime in the past– it was made out of sheet metal welded together. It was also one of the only buildings blessed with intact windows.

As usual, I let my friend lead us inside. Immediately, the savoury smell of cooking vegetables filled my nostrils and my stomach let out a growl to remind me that I hadn’t replaced what it had rejected before. Bright light beat down from overhead while various ponies sat at tables, chatting away. Some of the ponies eyed us as we trotted up to the bar that was the focus of the room.

A burst of laughter erupted from my side, startling me. The three ponies looked quite well-equipped, compared to the others, though their gear looked well-used. The grey stallion among them caught me looking, but just winked at me and rejoined the conversation. It was the warmth in here that lit my cheeks up. Yeah, that was it.

The teal mare behind the bar spotted us and gave us a friendly smile. The earth pony was almost as short as me. “Heya, what can I getcha?” the earth pony asked cheerfully.

“Hi, we were told we could get a place to stay here. I take it you’re Misty Hooves?” Blossy said. I had to make an effort to hear what was being said thanks to the background noises that permeated the room.

“The one and only! And yeah, I’ve got rooms you can stay in. Only ten bits a night for a basic single-bed room, the nicer room is available for fifty.”

“Okay, um… how do I give you fifty bits?” My friend asked uncertainly.

Misty gave an understanding smile. “Heh, I didn’t think you guys were vets– your gear’s too clean. Anyway, just look at me, and give a mental command for giving money. You’ll see a little window pop up in your vision so you can see the amount you’re offering,” she instructed.

“Do you want me to do this, Blossy?” I asked.

“Nah, thanks, I really should get comfortable using this.” After a short moment she furrowed her brows. “So… did that work?”

“Yeah, that’s it,” Misty replied, looking to her own PDA. “I’ve got your trade request. Check it on yours, press ‘accept’ if you’re happy, then tap your PDA against mine.” After tapping her own screen, she held out her foreleg to allow Blossy to complete the transaction. With that done, she continued, “Thanks! I know, it’s a bit of a pain. But it stops you from making mistakes, or having to lug around a load of actual money.”

“You’re telling me…” Blossy grumbled.

The teal mare’s silvery mane gleamed in the artificial light as she grabbed and held out a key card for us. Blossy took it in her magic and slid it into a pouch. “Here ya go. When you’re ready, head through that door,”– she pointed out a set of metal double doors behind us –” turn left at the end, then go down into the basement. You’re number four.”

“Our room is underground?” I asked incredulously.

“Yup! Nice and secure, and trust me, you’ll be grateful of it if a storm hits. These old walls literally shake from the thunder,” came the reply. “There’s a lot of underground stuff around here, though most of the tunnels have caved-in.”

“Why would they have built so much underground?” I wondered out loud. “Especially out here, we’re not even close to the CPP.”

“Beats me, I just tend this place.” Misty shrugged. “And like I said, the underground parts here have been isolated from the rest by tunnel collapses. Still, from what I’ve heard, figuring out a new power source wasn’t all they were up to, back when this place was in its prime.”

That piqued my interest. What else could they have been doing? Or were they just supporting projects related to the CPP? However, I wasn’t sure I wanted to stay in the Zone long enough to find out. That niggling sense of dread still hadn’t left me. It wasn’t just my own cowardice. It was something else.

Unfortunately, my stomach had its mind set on something else and let out another growl. Even worse, it happened during a lull in the background noise. Misty heard it, too, if her widening smile was any indication. “Heh anyway, you guys want something to eat? There’s still plenty of my vegetable stew left, made from veggies me and my hubby grow right here in the Zone!”

“Um, I don’t mean to be rude but… we won’t get magical radiation poisoning from it or anything, will we?” Blossy asked hesitantly.

Misty didn’t look offended at all. “Nah, we wouldn’t grow our veggies in a pocket of high magical radiation. Most of the Zone is actually fine in these parts.”

At this point I was inclined to trust the earth pony. Her customers looked… well, they didn’t look like they were suffering from poisoning. “I’ll take some, please. Can I also have some water?” I asked. Hopefully a hot meal would stay down better than a ration bar, too.

“Well, alright– same for me, please,” Blossy added.

“Coming right up! Just gimme two ticks.” Misty trotted away from the bar, towards a stove at the back which held a huge pan.

I looked back at the rest of the ponies in the bar as I waited. The three veterans were making a move and strode out of the inn. It didn’t seem wise to me, heading out so late. But they did look like the most experienced ponies here. A mare and a stallion sat in the far corner, playing cards. Others were engaged in their own conversations, while another young mare sat alone, staring vacantly into her bowl of stew.

“‘Ere ya go!” Misty called out to us. In a display of earth pony dexterity, she unloaded two bowls of steaming vegetable stew off her back, along with two mugs of water. “On the house, since you’re new here. If you want seconds, you’ll have to pay.” It smelled… okay, actually. I brought my muzzle close to the surface– it was clearly far too hot at the moment.

“Thanks. But how do you manage to get anything to grow? The plant life around here looks like it’s barely holding on,” I said. Having to raise my voice to be heard was starting to get tiresome, but I wanted to find out.

“Ah, well, we earth ponies have a way with these things. Plus my hubby, Green Hoof is, well, a bit of a green hoof!” she chuckled at her own little joke. How does a pony like this survive in the Zone?! “Sure, it takes a lot of care, but it also allows us to make a few extra bits, while you guys can get cheap food. Win-win!”

“You seem rather cheerful, Misty, considering the locale,” Blossy observed.

Misty nodded eagerly. “Yup! The Zone is a pretty horrible place, but I try not to let it get me down. We Zoners have enough things to be grim about, so I like to think I can offset that a bit.”

I found a small smile forming on my lips. She reminded me of how most ponies were when I was a filly. Back when life was slower and more relaxed.

We said our thanks, and the mare started serving some other ponies.

The noise was getting a bit much, and the muggy warmth in this place reminded me of being stuffed in the crate. “Shall we eat outside?” I suggested to Blossy.

“Yeah, alright.”

It was almost a relief to get outside again, despite the dim light. There was still a blanket of cloud up above, which only contributed to the gloom. Cool air washed over me as we trotted, levitating our food and drink ahead of ourselves. We decided to make use of the campfire not far down the road.

It turned out that the campfire was actually a metal barrel stuffed with bits of wood, presumably from the nearby trees. Still, it gave us some warmth and light as we sat around it. We both took our helmets off, and I shook out my mane. Such a mess. Feels good to get some air, though.

I tucked into my stew; it was fairly plain, but I eagerly gulped it down. Hunger is the best sauce, as they say. My friend was making slower progress. “Blossy, are you alright?” I asked after a few mouthfuls. “You seem kinda down.” Not that I was the embodiment of merriment, either, mind.

She gazed into the fire. “Yeah, I just… I guess I’m still a bit in shock over that encounter, with the mutants. It really hit me, afterwards. When I saw what I’d done.” Blossy switched her gaze to me. “The thing is, it was so easy. Just get my crosshair lined up, shoot, then they’d fall.” Worry tinged her voice.

So it wasn’t just me. “I understand. I hated it, too. But if we didn’t do anything, that mare would have… you know,” I said. I didn’t have the answers, but at least I could let her know she wasn’t alone in her feelings.

“I know,” she sighed. “These things aren’t like the animals in the rest of Equestria. They’re… vicious, wild.”

“You got that right,” a third, deeper voice cut in. “Mind if I join you?” A grey pegasus stood waiting, his orange eyes shining vividly in the firelight. He wore some basic-looking armour, but was actually equipped with a pair of mounted weapons. There was no helmet to obscure his short, deep-blue mane.

“Sure,” Blossy said. He didn’t seem threatening, and didn’t really need to ask, given that we were the newcomers here.

“Thanks. Just waiting for my shift to start,” he said, sitting a respectful distance from us. “Name’s Cloudy Shadow, by the way. Most ponies just call me ‘Shadow’ though.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Blossom, my friend here”– she gestured to me –”is Moonlight.”

Shadow stroked his chin. “Hmm, haven’t seen you around before, and you look spotless. New here?”

“Yeah, we just got here today,” Blossy said after a mouthful. I was content to listen and finish off my own stew uninterrupted for the time being.

“Ooh, I see.” He gave us both an appraising look. “So, you’ve already met the local wildlife. Not nice, huh?”

“Yeah,” Blossy agreed.

Shadow nodded sympathetically. “I remember my first encounter. Scared the hell outta me. I wasn’t as well-equipped as you gals, though.”

“How do you deal with it? The guilt?” she asked, her voice small.

Shadow snorted. “Ain’t no guilt here. It’s like you said before: these beasties ain’t like the animals back in normal Equestria. They don’t want to be your friend. They don’t even want to just leave you alone. They want to kill you. You’re their next meal. So yeah, I got no problems defending myself, and neither should you.”

My friend sighed. “I see.” She unenthusiastically put another spoonful in her mouth.

“Just give it time, and try not to beat yourselves up about it. Every mutant you put down means one less that can hurt anypony else,” he said in a gentler tone.

Everything he said made sense, but I didn’t feel much better about what I’d done.

“I’ll try to keep that in mind.” It seemed Blossy wasn’t entirely mollified, either, but when she lifted her eyes, I noticed some of her old energy had returned. “Anyway, you said you were waiting to start your shift? Does that mean you’re a guard?”

Shadow nodded. “Yup, that’s right. The trader, Swift Bit, offers a few bits to those who are willing to guard the place. Pay’s crap, but I’ve been saving up, and I’ve been learning from it. I’ll be striking out on my own soon, though. Been here long enough.”

“Do you get much trouble around here, then?” Blossy asked.

“Nah, not really. Sometimes we need to drive off a few mutants, but that’s about it. Just a few days ago, a boar smashed up some of our fencing– just ploughed right through it. Had to put it down before it ruined Misty and Green’s vegetable patch, which wasn’t too easy. Unless you hit ‘em in the head, they can take a real beating, and they’re fast,” Shadow recalled with a sigh. “‘Course, the smell of blood drew a pack of blind dogs before long, so I was fending them off while the fence was fixed.”

Boars, too? I supposed I should have been grateful we didn’t encounter those. However, I took note of what the stallion told us: aim for the head. I looked down at my nearly empty bowl and had a new appreciation for what it must have taken to make its contents. It really was a case of them or us. Kill or be killed. But even here, ponies were working together to eke out a living.

At the look on my friend’s face, Shadow continued, “Heh, it could be worse. Not like you’re alone here. And this place, while it doesn’t look like much, it’s important for the new guys to get acclimated.”

Blossy frowned. “Like that mare we met earlier? She nearly got herself killed trying to get away.”

Shadow glanced at his hooves, his expression softening. “She really went for it, then. Yeah, not everypony has what it takes to make it in the Zone. It’s a hard, brutal life. She okay?”

Blossy filled him in on what happened, and I also joined in after finishing my meal. He smiled when we told him about giving the mare a healing potion. “Good, that’s good. It’s so easy to turn bad in the Zone. Keep that compassion– it’s what makes us ponies,” Shadow said after we’d finished our story.

Heavy hoofsteps sounded out from behind. “Oi, Shadow. Yer’up,” a gruff voice called out.

“Alright, alright,” Shadow replied as he got up. “Well, it’s been nice meeting you, but I got some bits that need earning.” He threw a few chunks of wood on the fire from the nearby pile. “Take care.”

“Thanks, Shadow. You too,” Blossy replied.

I echoed her thanks, and watched him trot away. He seemed like a good pony, but was it really possible to still be good while being a killer? This was something I had never thought about before. I hadn’t needed to think about it. Will I be like that mare some day? Willing to do anything to get out of the Zone? I know I’m not strong enough.

Blossy was looking at me. “You alright, Moony? You’ve been quiet, even for you.”

But then, I don’t have to be strong enough as long as I’m with her. We’ll pull each other up and get through this, properly.

“Yeah, sorry. Just had a lot on my mind.” I bit my lip. “Do you think Shadow was right about not feeling guilty?”

“I… do. If some mutant comes up to us, I’m not holding back. It might feel wrong afterwards, but it’s more important that I protect us. If I dwell on it, I might hesitate. I can’t let that happen,” she said solemnly.

“Yeah,” I said, but it felt hollow. I breathed in steadily, trying to calm my thoughts. Relax. You’ve done nothing wrong. We sat in a companionable silence and my friend finished her meal.

As I stared into the fire, I realised what had been bothering me ever since we had arrived in the Zone. It was subtle, just on the fringe of my senses. I could almost feel it.

“Blossy, have you been feeling anything since we entered the Zone?” I asked suddenly. “It’s almost like a… vibration or something. I think it’s why I’ve been feeling so… uneasy.”

She looked thoughtful for a moment, and closed her eyes. “No,” she finally said, opening her eyes again. “But I know what you mean. I don’t feel… comfortable. Now that you mention it, I think it did start when we reached the Zone.”

“Hmm, perhaps it’s magical in nature…” I pondered aloud. Yes, that seemed to fit better. Focussing on my magical sense, it became slightly clearer, though it still felt fuzzy, indistinct. However, on a base, instinctual level, I knew that I did not want to connect with it. A cold shiver ran down my spine and I tried to dull my sensitivity to it. “Yeah, I think it is something magical,” I finished.

My friend visibly concentrated, but shrugged. “Still nothing. Though if anypony could sense it, it would be you. You always had an instinctive grasp of magic– you even have the Cutie Mark to prove it. Heh, remember that day?”

A smile worked its way onto my lips as the memory came to the fore. Simpler times. “Well, duh! It was the day I got my Cutie Mark.”

My Mark was a simple affair– a sparkling magical ribbon, the same deep violet as my magic. Ribbons of fabric were formless until given shape, a purpose. Magic was much the same– I could weave it intuitively, without studying all of the rigid mechanics like many unicorns needed to. That was my take on it, at any rate. In my darker moods, I’d take it to represent my weakness. My inability to stand on my own hooves.

“It was our third practical magic class –”

“– Second, it was the second magic class.” Blossy interrupted, facehoofing. “‘Hurr durr, I’m Moony, and I can’t remember my Cutie Mark day!’”

“Oh, shush, I was close enough! I was too excited about being able to do magic to take notice of what exact day it was.” I stuck my tongue out at her. Just like that, we were fillies again.

“Typical Moony…”

“Hmph! So, it was the second class,” I started again. "That was when I discovered that I could 'feel out' the spell. The next thing I knew, my pen was hovering in front of me."

“Oh, so you did start off on something small, like the rest of us mere mortals. The first I saw of you, you had half of the contents of your desk in the air.”

I rolled my eyes. “I wasn’t trying to show off. I just wanted to see how far I could take it. Keeping track of things with different masses and dimensions took all of my concentration– it wasn’t easy, back then!”

“Heh, I know, you never liked being the center of attention. But ponies tend to take notice of things like that, and it was before anypony else so much as tickled anything with their magic,” Blossy said.

“Well, I actually kinda liked it. It was nice, having half the class cheering for me when Miss Stardust pointed out the ribbon on my flanks.” I remembered the tingle on my flanks, and the rush of euphoria that went with realising I’d earned my very own Cutie Mark.

“You know, I was kinda jealous when I saw that,” My friend admitted.

That surprised me. “You, jealous? Of me?”

She smiled sheepishly. “Yeah. I was… quite an ambitious little filly. I had my heart set on being the first to do magic, and the first to earn her Cutie Mark. Then I saw you manage both before I even got my horn to work.”

My ears folded back. “I had no idea. Sorry. I didn’t mean to steal your thunder.”

Blossy chuckled. “You don’t need to apologise for that! I probably needed to be taken down a peg, anyway.”

“Well, at least it wasn’t long before you got your own Mark,” I said, trying to keep the conversation more upbeat.

“Yeah, it’s a good thing I went to the bathroom after that class. I just wanted some time alone, you know? I was rather put out.” Blossy’s muzzle scrunched up in disgust. “But then I heard those ponies laughing, and you yelling for help. When I saw them pushing you into the toilet bowl –” she hesitated, sighed. “I have to admit… a small, bitchy part of me wanted to join in.”

An image of the white porcelain bowl, water sitting menacingly at the bottom, flicked through my mind. A tightness formed in my throat as I remembered the barking laughter, the rough pressure on the back of my head, the water getting inexorably closer, the feeling of desperate helplessness. ‘Spite, get ready to flush!’ I remembered Lemon commanding, her voice full of malice.

“But you didn’t,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Yeah. That horrible little part of me got drowned out by this rush of anger. I couldn’t let that happen, you know? That was the first time I’d ever hit a pony.” Blossy sighed heavily. “Sorry, I’ve wanted to get that off my chest for so long. It must have been awful for you. You never had a chance, and I know how you hate getting dirty.”

“It’s okay. You stopped me from… you-know-what. That’s what’s important.”

“Well, after they hoofed it out of there and I found you huddled in the corner, I just knew I did the right thing,” Blossy said.

Even back then, she towered over me. But after a moment, she bent down and hugged me. It was exactly what I needed at that moment. When my tears had subsided, I also noticed Blossy’s own Cutie Mark had appeared. When I pointed out the gleaming shield to her, her face lit up. We just sat there, hugging in the bathroom, not a care in the world.

I smiled. “And then a certain somepony had a nice shield stuck to her flanks.”

Blossy returned the smile. “It was something, huh? I had a strong feeling that we’d stay close friends after that day. Cutie Marks seem to have a way of bringing ponies together. But still, it could have happened under nicer circumstances.”

“Nope, I wouldn’t change it for the world. I got my best friend for life out of it,” I said.

“Oh come on, please? At least let me not have gotten my Cutie Mark in the school bathroom!” she begged.

“Nope!” I repeated adamantly.

“Some ponies are so ungrateful…” Blossy huffed. “Well, it’s not a glamorous story, but it is ours.”

“Heh, it sure is,” I agreed.

“So how did you end up in that situation, anyway? I can’t imagine you just walking up to them after the way they’d treated you.”

I shifted self-consciously, my cheeks warming up. “I uh, sorta did. I was so giddy with my Cutie Mark that I thought Lemon Twist and her little gang had a change of heart and wanted to congratulate me.” I snorted– stupid filly. “I was such a dork.”

“Hey! You’re a good pony. I like that about you.” Blossy’s tone cut through the air. When I ducked my head, she rested a forehoof on my withers. “Besides, you still are a dork.”

“Gee, thanks.” I rolled my eyes when I saw my friend’s goofy grin, and couldn’t help one settling on my own lips. I batted her foreleg away playfully. “So anyway, do you know what actually happened to Lemon and her friends? That day was the last I ever saw of them.”

Blossy scratched the back of her head, messing her mane up even more. “Ah, that was father’s doing. When I told him how I got my shield, he was livid. I’d never seen him so mad. He wanted to pull me out of that school then and there– he always wanted me to go to a private school anyway– but mom talked him out of that. The following day, he barged into school and had some… demands for the headmistress. No sane pony says ‘no’ to father, so they ended up expelled.”

Well, that answered that. He probably saved us a lot of trouble. “How come you didn’t start in a private school, anyway?” I asked.

“That was mom’s doing,” she said, sadness creeping into her eyes. “She thought going private would turn me into a snobby, stuck-up brat. Father relented, but only after mom agreed that they’d hire a home tutor for me, to make sure my education was ‘of a high standard’.”

“Well, I’m glad you ended up in my school.” I said, putting a hoof on hers. The gesture was all I could think of; I knew she was sensitive about her mother, who had passed away not long after she earned her Cutie Mark. At least she got to see her daughter get that brilliant shield, I thought.

“Yeah, me too, Moony. Me too.”

We lay in front of the crackling fire for… I don’t know how long. A chill started nipping away at my hindquarters, and when I looked away from the fire, the buildings were only black silhouettes against the tenebrosity of the night. Fortunately, light was still pouring out of the inn’s windows. A forlorn howl called out from beyond the settlement, which made the chill feel worse.

“Maybe we should call it a night,” I suggested to Blossy, who nodded in agreement.

The inn was much less busy than before, and we set our empty bowls and mugs on the counter. Misty thanked us and wished us a good night. We headed through the metal double doors opposite the bar into a wide corridor. We trotted past the hanging light and the doors on our right, turning left at the end of the corridor as instructed.

A flight of stairs took us underground into a concrete room. Old-looking lamps were spaced high up on the walls periodically, bleeding an orangey light onto the concrete. On the other side of the room, I saw a tunnel flowing away, but it had collapsed and was completely impassable. Doors surrounded us; many of which looked like later additions. It was an eerie and damp place.

Number four boasted what looked like an original metal door– which itself more resembled a hatch. Blossy fetched her key card and ran it through the rusty card reader. A light blinked green and a metallic CLACK rang out from the door, which made my heart miss a beat. Blossy gave me a look before pushing the thick door inwards. I took a breath before following her in.

Our room wasn’t what I’d call homely, but an effort had been made. Two double beds sat on either side of the room, and there was a threadbare rug between them. “Well, this is… nice. At least we don’t have those horrible orange lights in here,” I commented. It’s a horrible cold white light, instead.

“Clearly they made the best with what they had,” Blossy said as I gravitated to the far bed. “Though I wouldn’t have minded an en-suite room.” She closed the door and ran the card through the reader inside the room, locking it with another CLACK.

I worked myself out of my armour, leaving it in a heap by my bed. My fur was a mess, but it was good to be free of the suit. “Something just feels off about this. I can’t put my hoof on it. It almost feels claustrophobic” I observed.

Blossy was getting out of her own heavier armour, but took a moment to scan the room. Realisation dawned on her face. “I got it– there aren’t any windows.”

“That’s it, yeah. I suppose it’s a lot safer this way,” I said, climbing into the cold bed and pulling the sheets over myself. A stray spring poked at my back and I had to wiggle to get… not uncomfortable.

“Yup. Also, windows wouldn’t be of much use, underground,” Blossy said wryly.

There was that, too, I thought, mentally facehoofing at myself. Tiredness started to overwhelm me as I lay in bed, and my jaws parted to allow for a wide yawn. I hadn’t realised how exhausting the day had been for me.

“Heh, somepony’s tired,” my friend observed. When I looked over, I saw she was already out of her armour and standing by the switch between our beds. “Okay, lights out. Good night, Moony.”

“Good night, Blossy,” I answered.

With a flick of a switch, the room was plunged into darkness. Just like the crate, only bigger, and cold. I noticed the light switch had a little indicator light to show where it was.

I shut my eyes and drifted off.

***

A familiar nightmare graced my dreams. Canterlot train station. As our trained rolled to a halt, I already knew what was going to happen.

But this is different. I felt more in-control this time. I was also dimly aware that I was actually lying down. I followed mum and dad out of the train and into the expansive station with its marble columns. Mutant dogs rushed between the milling ponies, playing with each other.

I trotted onwards and felt the strap digging into my back, but this time I ignored it and kept close to my parents. A bark caught my attention and I got another glimpse of a mutant dog. Wait, they shouldn’t be there.

I must have stopped in my bewilderment, because the next thing I knew, I was hearing shouts, then the BANG of the explosion. Mum, dad! I should have been with them!

I took shelter under my magical shield, protecting me from the raining glass.

Something urged me forward, and I walked towards the scene as I had done many times before. I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to see them again. I carried on, anyway. The stench of burning hair assaulted my nostrils, and the roar of the fire filled my ears. I can just turn away now, I don’t have to…

But I did.

A unicorn stallion with an ultramarine coat laid before me– dad. I started to choke up. Not again. Please.

But something wasn’t right, he looked… wrong. His fur only grew in patches, and his bare hide looked discoloured and wrinkly.

Movement ahead caught my eye– a Pegasus was shuffling to her hooves. Blood dribbled from her back, staining her fur a deep crimson. I stared in horror as she shuffled in my direction, her head dangling from a thin strand of flesh. No, please no. I tasted bile at the back of my throat. Not you, mum.

Dad twitched. No, it’s not dad, not really. I tried to back away, but was transfixed by the horror of it all. He suddenly lurched to his hooves–

I woke up with a start. My heart was pounding painfully in my chest. I was cold, but that wasn’t the only reason I was shivering. What the hay was that?

At some point, I must have kicked off my duvet, but I didn’t want to move to find it again. Calm down– it wasn’t real. Just a stupid nightmare. Breathe in, 1… 2… 3… 4… and out…

When the pounding in my chest had subsided somewhat, I heard… whimpering? Blossy must also be having a nightmare, I concluded. I made out the word ‘mom’, but that was all.

I quietly pulled myself off the mattress and followed the sound of my friend’s whimpering. I wasn’t sure what I expected to achieve when I reached her, but if she was experiencing anything like my own nightmare, I wanted to help somehow.

“Moma, please… stay,” she mumbled under the noise of rumpling sheets.

“Shh, it’s okay. I’m here,” I whispered soothingly to her. I felt stupid, but she seemed to settle down. “I’m with you now.”

I sighed quietly. I’m too old to be doing this, but screw it. We used to sleep together as fillies all the time, and I think we could both use the comfort. I climbed into her bed, careful not to disturb her, and settled down, glad for the warmth.

Having Blossy next to me helped calm me down, and I felt my eyelids getting heavier. I dreaded what I might see if I fell asleep again, but I knew I would need the rest for tomorrow. I let my eyes close, and allowed sleep to claim me once more.

Chapter 4

I groaned as I woke. Somehow I had wrapped a blanket over my face but left my muzzle exposed for fresh air. I also seemed to be hugging a pillow.

I started working my way free, my movements slow and clumsy. Thankfully, I didn’t have to endure another nightmare, but I still had far too little sleep.

“A rare beast, this sloth-pony hybrid finally emerges from her slumber, ready to tackle a new day. Or at least, what little is left of it,” I heard Blossy say. She had adopted a softly-spoken, formal accent.

Ugh, it’s too early for this. I kicked away the sheets and cold, damp air washed over me.

“The beast breaks free of her cocoon. Her extrication necessitates the destruction of the habitat, however, since she merely occupied the bed, it is of no great loss to her.”

I groaned again, rolling over to get a look at the annoying pony narrating my wakeup routine. I opened my mouth, but was interrupted by a wide yawn; my legs shot out instinctively, stretching.

“It takes a long time for these animals to regain all of their faculties. Even now, she may only issue primitive grunts –”

“Blossy,” I growled.

“Yeees?” she answered innocently.

“Stop… that.”

“Aww, I was just getting into it. I’d make a pretty good Everfree Wildlife narrator, don’t you think?” Blossy sat down, beaming up at me.

My only response was to glare daggers at her until that cheeky smile receded. Hopefully, my grogginess magnified the effect.

Finally, she gave in. “Oh alright. Do you know how boring it is, waiting for you to wake up?”

I managed to sit myself up, stifling yet another yawn. “Well, it’s not my fault that some ponies are allergic to sleep.”

“I think it’s more a case of some ponies having an allergy to being awake,” Blossy said pointedly.

I stumbled out of the bed, dragging myself to my side of the room. “Wha?” I asked dumbly, pointing at my neat bed.

“Oh, I took the liberty of clearing up after you. You’re an incredibly messy mare,” my friend chuckled. “Speaking of which, imagine my surprise when I awoke to find you drooling on my fur!”

“I do not drool!” I shot back, my voice squeakier than I intended. I tried to discreetly wipe my muzzle. Just in case. Blossy’s grin only grew wider. “I just… got cold last night, that’s all.”

The unicorn raised an eyebrow. “That tends to happen when you kick your comforter off. I take it you didn’t sleep well?”

I sighed and made my way over to my friend. I knew how this would sound, but I was essentially an open book to her anyway. “I had a nightmare. A really bad one. Mum and dad…” I trailed off.

Blossy froze, her eyes open just a little wider than normal for a fraction of a second. If I hadn’t known her so well, I would have missed the crack in her countenance. “You really miss them.”

“Yeah. It’s like… I keep expecting to see them again. I’d walk into a room with a question on the tip of my tongue, only to find… nopony there.” I pawed at the concrete floor aimlessly. “What I wouldn’t give to taste mum’s cooking again, or even just have dad teasing me one more time…”

A yellow hoof appeared on top of my own. I looked up at Blossy’s soft expression, eyes pouring empathy. “I understand.”

I know you do, Blossy. I know you do.

I decided to move things along before I started to tear up. “Did you sleep okay?”

“Oh, could have been worse,” Blossy answered, waving her hoof dismissively.

I wished I knew how to tell her that she could confide in me. That she didn’t have to hide her own problems for my sake. I lunged forward and hugged my friend tightly. At least I could show that I appreciate her.

“H-hey! What’s this for?” Blossy asked, hesitantly returning the hug.

“Just, you know… for being you. And being with me.” I pulled out of the embrace and returned to my sitting position.

A bemused smile settled on the unicorn’s muzzle. “No need to thank me for any of that. I care about you.”

I looked up into Blossy’s bright blue eyes. Always so full of energy, so strong. A surge of hope rushed through me, and my heart started to race.

Maybe I could… no, I should! I opened my mouth to speak.

Only, nothing came out. Whatever words I was going to say died before even a sound had formed in my throat. The hope that I had felt only moments ago had evaporated, leaving cold reality to slap some sense back into me. No, no I can’t. Never mind. My ears had drooped, and I realised I was staring at her hooves.

“So anyway, I was thinking we should go see the trader after having a bite to eat. I had the opportunity to chat to some ponies while you were zonked out. Apparently, he should be able to get us smuggled out of the Zone.”

“Huh?” I shook my head clear. “But I thought you wanted adventure? Or at least to get an artefact? Hay, I wouldn’t mind one of my own.”

The unicorn fidgeted. “Yeah, but, honestly, I’m worried about you. The Zone is way more than we bargained for, and I can tell it’s affected you already.”

“Blossy, I’m sure I can stick it out for a while longer. You don’t have to cut this short because of me.”

Blossy gave me a sad smile. “No, we really need to leave. Look, it’s painfully obvious that we’re out of place, here. And”– she looked down –“I don’t want to have to use my weapons again, you know?”

“Yeah, I can relate to that.” I sighed. At least I wasn’t the sole reason for us ending our adventure so soon. “Alright, let’s get out of here. Let’s go home.” It was surprising, how merely saying that lifted my spirits.

***

After taking care of our morning ablutions and gearing up (we decided to leave our helmets in our saddlebags– better to have the improved situational awareness and not need the extra protection, we figured), we bought our breakfasts from Green Thumb, who was running the inn at that time. While not so talkative, he served us with a genuine smile. I supposed it would be hard to not smile, with a wife like Misty. Even living in a place like this, her general cheeriness was bound to catch on.

Unfortunately, my breakfast wasn’t able to put a smile on my face. Despite how empty I felt, I just couldn’t stomach much of the bland, congealing mass of oatmeal. What I wouldn’t have given for some sea salt and maple syrup to liven this up. As things were, ground oats and water (not even milk!) made for uninspiring fare indeed.

Fortunately, none of this would matter anyway– we were going home soon!

We returned our bowls (mine with a guilty smile), said our thanks, then headed outside. The sky was a lovely shade of… grey. Albeit a brighter shade than yesterday. In the distance, off to the west, I could see part of the snow-capped mountain range that acted as a natural barrier between the rest of Equestria and the Zone. Even if a pony were able to climb such steep terrain, I doubted they would last long in the icy conditions on the peaks. Well, probably long enough for an EAF patrol to spot and apprehend them.

In the noticeably dim light of day, I also had a clearer view of the Zoner settlement. To put it plainly, the extra light was not flattering. Time had taken its toll on the buildings; wood had rotted and parts of some of said buildings had collapsed.

It must have been a small village, before the Zone sprang into existence. Judging by the underground constructions, they were related to the Cherneighble project somehow. Tunnels were not a common feature of pony housing, after all.

Blossy and I set off towards the tunnel entrance that we were told belonged to Swift Bit. It had been built into the side of a hillock at the other side of the village.

On the way, I popped open a packet of dental gum. A refreshing, minty flavour washed over my mouth, and already I could feel the tingling of the gum’s cleaning spells doing their work. It was quite a relief, given that I had neglected to clean my teeth last night. I could see how helpful this would be for soldiers– it must be much more convenient than trying to use a toothbrush out in the field. It would even dissolve after a few minutes of chewing, and was safe to swallow. Ostensibly.

We passed a grubby pony who was making his way to the inn. He wore an old overcoat, tattered at the edges. A quick, jaded glimpse at the two of us, and he lowered his head, resuming his journey. The sound of hammering caused my ears to swivel to a house on the left, where a unicorn was boarding up one of the windows. She looked tired.

Then I heard something that seemed wildly out of place– laughter. Childish laughter. A pair of fillies burst out between two of the houses, the larger chasing the smaller. They skidded to a halt when they saw us, their eyes wide.

“Woah!” The fillies trotted up to us. Annoyingly, the taller one was almost level with me. “You guys sure are kitted out well. You’re so clean, too!”

“How deep have you been? Have you seen the Wish Granter?” The smaller of the fillies asked, full of wonder.

The flurry of attention took even Blossy off-guard. Or perhaps it was the fact that there were fillies in the Zone. I was having trouble with that, myself. Before either of us could reply, their questions devolved into arguing.

“Don’t be silly, Rain!” The elder filly scowled. “Nopony can get past the Scorcher.”

“Nu-uh! I bet these Zoners could!”

“Rose Burst, Raindrops, get over here this instant!” A mare ordered from the doorway of the house behind the fillies.

The fillies flinched, ears flattened. “Yes mom,” they chorused, hanging their heads low as they trotted towards their mother.

The mare gave us a worried look. “I’m so sorry about this.”

“It’s really not a bother,” my friend replied with a smile.

“What have I told you about bothering strangers?!” the mare admonished her fillies as they marched over to her. “Inside. Now.” She gave us a nervous glance before disappearing back inside.

My heart went out to the ponies living here. Those fillies, especially. Hay, life was hard enough in the normal world, as I found out. I couldn’t imagine living here, or even worse, growing up in the Zone. And just five minutes ago, I was criticising how bland the food was. I felt a pang of shame for that.

“Well, that happened,” Blossy said. “I wonder what a Wish Granter is. Or a Scorcher.”

“Probably just some game they were playing,” I shrugged the question off. “I’m more concerned about there being children in the Zone. I mean just… why? How?”

Blossy smirked. “Ah, I think I can help you out there. You see, when a mare and a stallion love each other very much–”

“–I know how procreation works, thank you,” I cut in, rolling my eyes.

“Ooh, you do, do you? Who was the lucky stallion?”

“Bwa?! N-no, I haven’t…” My cheeks burned fiercely. “Ahem, no, I’ve not had any practical experience. I know the theory, though; the mare and stallion kiss and will the baby into existence,” I deadpanned.

Blossy looked at me and tilted her head in confusion. “I really can’t tell if you’re being serious.”

“Oh, come on! Give me some credit.”

“Nah, it’s way more fun this way.” The unicorn stuck her tongue out at me.

I harrumphed and turned up my nose, comfortable in the knowledge that the perfect retort would come to me in several hours.

A Zoner trotted back and forth near the entrance. The unicorn nodded at us as we approached, going back to keeping watch without a word. He wore an overcoat with pockets sewn into it, presumably housing some kind of protective plates or pads. The various stains and marks covering his outfit actually made for pretty effective camouflage.

I let my friend take the lead as we stepped through. I eyed the opened metal door which was like the one to our rented underground room, only much larger, and even thicker.

An old light shone from above, casting the world in a deep orange hue. It even leached the colour out of Blossy’s tail, which was wafting in front of me. I caught a hint of her scent; while I could detect the floral notes of her perfume, there was an undertone of raw mare now. The tunnel took a turn to the left, and the floor formed a ramp, taking us deeper underground. I reached out with my mind, magically feeling the pitted surface of the concrete walls. It was almost comforting to use my magic as an extra sense as we trotted towards our fate.

It wasn’t long before we reached the trading counter, which blocked off the rest of the tunnel. Behind it sat a dark brown stallion with a steely grey mane and a large belly. In the background, I could hear a mare absolutely murdering some song, her whiny voice grating at my ears. A secure metal hatch at the side looked to be the only way for a pony to get through, but it was firmly closed.

The earth pony’s eyes flicked up to greet us; his grey gaze was piercing. “Ah, fresh blood. My name’s Swift Bit. I could give you gals the welcome spiel, but you look like you know what you’re here for. So, what can I do for you?” he said in a thick Stalliongrad accent. He actually reminded me of Iron Anvil. A fatter, greasy version of Iron Anvil.

“Well, I’m Blossom, my friend here is Moonlight, and we are looking to get ourselves smuggled out of the Zone. I’m sure it’s not a trivial ask, but we’re willing to pay,” Blossy said, stepping up to the counter confidently. I followed beside her, eager to not draw attention to myself.

Swift’s eye twitched. “Just out of interest, how much are you offering?” the stallion asked slowly.

“A hair under one hundred thousand bits for both of us. Hay, if necessary, we’ll give all our gear, too.” My friend looked at me and I nodded in agreement. Anything to get us out of here.

The trader looked heartbroken. “I wish I could accept, but my pony-smuggling contact has gone dark lately. Dammit! Unreliable, useless grunts. Fucking typical.”

My heart sank. I started to go numb and feel sick. We were trapped.

“There has to be something you can do! Look, once we’re out, I can even arrange for an extra reward for you. I’m quite wealthy, I assure you,” Blossy persisted.

Swift sighed heavily. “It just doesn’t work like that. It could be tomorrow, or it could be weeks, or even months before I get a new contact who is able to smuggle ponies out of the Zone. Believe me, if I could, I’d happily accept your offer.”

“Um, but we did just get smuggled in, yesterday. Surely the reverse could happen?” I pressed.

“I’ve already told you, I don’t have the right contact anymore, I can’t make it happen right now. But”– the stallion stroked his chin and his muzzle twisted –”tell you what, you do something for me, and I’ll point you to somepony who might be able to help you out.”

Blossy sighed. “What do you need?”

“Nothing you two shouldn’t be able to handle. There’s a couple of old farm buildings that a group of Zoners would like to settle in, but apparently, there are some mutants occupying them. You go in, clear out the mutants, and I’ll give you your lead.”

I didn’t like the sound of that. Neither did Blossy, from the way she shifted. “Maybe we could just pay you for the information. I’m sure you can find some other ponies to do this,” she said.

Swift tapped his hoof on the desk slowly as he considered my friend’s counteroffer. After a pregnant pause, he said, “No. Most Zoners around here are poorly equipped, and it’d be seriously dangerous for them to do this, but you gals shouldn’t have a problem. Besides, I’m willing to bet that you’ll do pretty much anything to get a shot at going home. So, you clear out these buildings for me, and I give you the information you want. Do we have a deal?” The stallion’s grin made my stomach turn– he had us figured out, and he was willing to exploit that.

“Fine,” Blossy said through gritted teeth. “We will do it.”

“Excellent! Here, I’ll send the mission details to your PDAs. This will also let me track your progress; when your PDA detects the mission is complete, I’ll receive a notification, and I’ll contact you remotely.” The trader tapped away at his own device. After a few moments, in the top-left of my vision and underneath my minimap, a line of text appeared, saying:

New mission received: Clear Area of Mutants. See map for more details.

I mentally acknowledged the notification, causing it to disappear. Blossy was tapping her own PDA, probably taking the long way around what I just did.

“Alright, you should be set. Is there anything else?” The stallion asked.

“Um, why do you want us to do this so much?” I asked. I wanted to at least know why we were going out there with the intention of killing.

Swift focussed his stony gaze onto me. I wilted self-consciously, shrinking back. “N-nevermind. Sorry I asked,” I said weakly.

“No, my friend raised a good question. Why do you want us to do this, exactly?” Blossy asked, her voice firm.

Swift paused. He didn’t appreciate having his motives questioned, it seemed. “It’s simple– what’s good for the Zoners is good for me. If they manage to set up another safe area, it means more ponies surviving, and more of them in the area, which means more goods coming back to me, and more demand for what I sell. Now, are we done?” he asked testily.

Blossy looked to me, and I nodded. I still wasn’t happy about this, but at least it might help ponies in the future. “Yes, I believe so, thank you.” Blossy said. She turned to leave, but looked back at the trader. “Oh, and Mister Bit? If I find that you’re sending us on a wild goose chase, we’re going to have problems.” Her tone was polite, but the promise behind it made me uncomfortable.

The stallion looked up, eyebrow raised. “I’ll let that slide since I like you– we’re actually quite alike, you and I. You will see, I’m true to my word.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Blossy replied. We started for the exit.

“Oh, and Ms Blossom?” Swift’s deep voice rolled over us. “Don’t ever threaten me again. Because if you do, we will have a problem, and my problems don’t last long.”

Yes, it was definitely time to go.

***

My back was still prickly after the exchange with the trader. No matter how much I shifted as we walked, I just couldn’t shake it off. We were on our way to our first (and hopefully only) mission. All we had to do was follow alongside the main road that had guided us to the Zoner settlement, then take a short diversion to the left, which would be several kilometers to the north.

“He’s playing us! Using us! I can’t stand ponies like that,” Blossy was ranting to me. Knowing her, it also irked her greatly to not get the last word in.

“I know, but at least he will help us find a way out of the Zone,” I offered, trying to placate my friend.

“So he says,” Blossy countered. “I don’t trust him, Moony. He expects us to risk life and limb for him, yet only grudgingly offers any kind of justification for it.”

“Well, with any luck, we won’t ever have to deal with him again after this.”

Blossy sighed. “This is my fault. I let him see right through me. I wanted to keep us out of trouble as much as possible, and I failed at that. Look, I’ll go do this stupid mission myself. You can wait somewhere safe.”

“Hey!” I exclaimed. “What happened to us sticking together?! I know I’m not as strong as you, but I’ll be damned if I let you shoulder all the risk! If we do this, we do it together.” That came out more strongly than I had intended.

My little outburst stunned Blossy– her eyes widened slightly, then she looked away. We walked on in silence.

To our left, the gently rolling landscape was littered with those distortions like we’d seen yesterday. I cursed myself for not thinking of asking about them while we were in the Zoner settlement. Trees and bushes were dotted around the area somewhat more densely than normal. I pulled out my binoculars and scanned the area; one tree looked like it had been exploded from the inside– the trunk was a mess of splinters, and the top half had fallen to the side.

“Did you see anything?” Blossy asked, breaking the silence between us.

“No, just more of those distortion thingies. They’re weird– I can’t even see anything that could be causing them. They just… exist,” I replied, floating my binoculars down so I could see normally.

“Oh. Um, I… I’m sorry, Moony,” Blossy said, scraping an armoured hoof against the ground, ears pinned. “I didn’t mean to patronise you. I feel like I’m constantly on edge, and Swift didn’t help.”

It was unusual to see my friend so tense. Truth be told, I found that profoundly unsettling, even more than the freaky distortions and mutant dogs. “Don’t worry about it. And, I’m sorry I shouted at you,” I said, putting on my best brave face.

Blossy snorted gently. “That wasn’t shouting, Moony. Well, okay, maybe for you it was.”

At least that got a hint of a smile out of her. “I did mean what I said, though; we’re going to have to rely on each other. You can’t take everything on for the both of us, nor do I want you to.” I bit my lip. “And… I–”

–Barking sounded out in the distance, cutting me off. My ears swivelled to the right slightly, towards the source. A bassy growl rolled out from the same direction, and I noticed a pair of large forms running away from a pack of smaller ones. We seemed to be at a safe distance, for now.

“Um, Blossy…” I said, pointing towards the mutants with my foreleg.

My friend looked over to where I indicated, and levitated out her binoculars. “I see them. Must be those mutant boars Shadow told us about. They’re big.”

I brought my own binoculars back up, the scene in the distance slipping into focus. The dogs, I was already acquainted with, not that it made them any less horrific. The boar, however, was a great mass of muscle and tusk, easily double my height. Thick, wiry hair ran along its back and under its belly, and its darker hide wasn’t as marred as the dogs, but there were still discoloured patches of fur randomly strewn about its body. The prospect of being charged down by one of these beasts did not appeal to me.

They were heading towards the field of distortions, which fortunately kept them at a reasonable distance to us. The dogs seemed content with chasing the larger mutants for the time being, barking loudly as they tailed the pair. Perhaps it was a territorial thing, and the boar were being chased out? After all, the dogs didn’t seem to be interested in actually attacking them.

The lead boar made a turn away from us, but a group of dogs broke off and surged forward, cutting it off. I watched as the lead boar turned back, continuing on its old course, and dodging past the first of the distortions.

Then the dogs became more aggressive, darting in and snapping at the larger mutants while nimbly slinking around the odd pulsations, trees and foliage. There was a sudden flash and a powerful THWUMP, ending in a wet-sounding crunch as the lead boar’s head exploded in a crimson haze of gore. The corpse skidded to a halt, blood gushing out of its severed neck. I had to close my eyes for a moment after witnessing that. My stomach tied itself into a knot, and a sense of dread closed in on me; this could happen to me. To us. It wasn’t enough to simply lose your life here, the Zone wanted you to end in as undignified a way as possible.

The pack now focussed their efforts on the remaining mutant, which was now lashing out at any dog that chanced an attack. Sharp tusks savagely scythed around as the boar wildly tossed its head, slashing deep into one unfortunate dog’s neck. It wasn’t enough, though; each bite was taking its toll, and the beast’s movements became more and more laboured, its fur matted with blood.

I could only watch on, transfixed. I had underestimated what these mutant dogs were capable of. I suspected our first encounter went so well because we were able to surprise them. If Blossy and I had stumbled into a pack, however…

The remaining boar was now charging in a blind rage. It knows it’s done for, it’s just trying to take as many down with it as possible, I thought sadly. Another charge, right at a dog standing in front of a pulsating distortion, only the dog dodged aside and the charging boar careened forward. The surrounding terrain illuminated in a flash, grass flattening from the explosion and another bassy THWUMP ripped out across the land.

A long squeal stabbed at my ears; even at this distance, it had a piercing quality. A large part of the boar’s side had collapsed in a gruesome deformation. The beast lay down, thrashing about, somehow still alive. The dogs saw fit to change that, swarming in and taking deep bites, twisting their heads for better purchase. The boar squealed one last time, an expression of pain that died out with its owner.

I stored my binoculars away– the dogs were busy enjoying their kills, and we were far enough away. Besides, I didn’t want to see any more. I simply felt cold inside. While I knew those boar would have happily killed me, nothing deserved a fate like that.

“Did you see that? It’s like they were corralling those boar into that field.” Blossy observed, putting her own binoculars away.

“Unfortunately, yeah,” I responded. At least they weren’t ponies, I tried to console myself. “It was uncanny, how they were able to avoid those exploding things.”

Blossy nodded. “I wonder how they did that without even being able to see.”

Normally, my keen curiosity would want to know that too. But I didn’t care anymore. I just wanted to get out of here. I found myself truly empathising with the first Zoner mare we met; if not for my friend, would I be turning myself in? As much as I aspired to be strong, to be brave, I suspected I knew the answer.

“Let’s… let’s move on.” I said, wanting to keep us working towards our escape.

***

We continued following the road, keeping to the side so as to make us less obvious. As we trotted through the desolate landscape, my mind wouldn’t stop replaying the hunt we witnessed earlier. I hoped I never found myself in the boar’s hooves.

After another kilometer or so, the road dipped slightly and ran under a bridge which spanned a gap between an embankment that cut out perpendicular to it. Part of the bridge had collapsed, one of the abandoned train’s freight containers tilting precariously into the hole. We had to walk under that. The fact that it looked like it had been like that for years didn’t make me any more comfortable with the idea.

Makeshift barricades had been constructed out of rubble, and several freight containers rested under the bridge, beside a heavily rusted barrel. There was also an early tracked industrial digger lying in the road, badly bashed up. Presumably, it had been onboard the train originally.

“It doesn’t look like anypony’s home,” Blossy commented.

I nodded. Curiosity got the better of us and we started poking around– somepony might be in trouble, after all. I made my way past the digger, its yellow paint chipping away. Thick sections of aluminium with deep channels cut into it were built into the engine area; those early magical engines must have put out a lot of heat. Overall, despite the battering the machine had taken, it was still in one piece, and may have even been in working condition.

My friend investigated the containers, while I trotted over to what looked to be the campsite. I looked up nervously– seeing that container right above me made me feel nauseous. I peered into the rusted barrel, if only to keep my mind off of my potential doom from above. Only ashes resided in there, and I could feel a faint heat radiating onto my muzzle as an ashy scent flooded my nostrils.

“No, there’s nopony here anymore. All I found were some old mattresses in these containers,” Blossy said, rejoining me.

“Yeah,” I agreed. The only vaguely interesting thing I’d found was an empty Cossacks vodka bottle sitting on a metal box near the barrel; ‘Stalliongrad’s finest,’ it proudly proclaimed. “There definitely was somepony here though. Not long ago, either– the barrel’s still warm.”

“I guess we should carry on. At least if we need shelter, we know this place exists.”

I nodded in agreement, and we pressed on, leaving the encampment under the embankment behind us.

A short trot later, we happened upon an old truck, which had crashed into a tree beside the road. It looked like it had been heading the same way we were. The grass underneath had been stained a reddish-brown, from years of rust being washed down. The back of the truck was open to the elements– only the warped ribbing structure remained, the fabric cover having long since disintegrated. Crates sat in the back, apparently undisturbed for years.

The door on the driver’s cabin had been left open, leaving me an unobstructed view inside. Pony bones were strewn about the cabin; some poking out of some old, rotting overalls, others had fallen to the hoofwell. The skull was pinned against the headrest by a branch that viciously lanced out from the tree into its eye socket.

I shuddered, not the eyes! My stomach lurched, but settled down surprisingly quickly. Had I already become so jaded? Or perhaps it was because I hadn’t eaten enough. I found myself wondering about the driver of this truck– what was he transporting? Did he even know? Did he know what was going on here? I at least hoped his demise hadn’t taken long enough to be painful.

A hoof touching my withers shook me out of my daydream. “Moony, you okay?” Blossy prompted.

I blinked a few times, gathering my wits. “Yeah, just… I dunno. I’ve never seen a pony’s skeleton before. A real one.”

Blossy’s eyes dipped. “It’s not pleasant, no.”

“I wonder if there’s anything in there?” I pondered aloud, pointing at the crates. “Maybe something that might explain what’s going on around here? Why this pony died?”

“I don’t know… there’s probably a good reason it’s been untouched for so long,” Blossy said uncertainly.

“I’ll take a quick look. Don’t worry, I’ll be careful,” I said. Though I didn’t know what I had to be careful of.

I trotted closer, but an ominous click… click-click filled my hearing. I immediately pulled back to safety. “Woah, keep back, Blossy! My radiation detector just went off,” I warned my friend. I felt prickly all over, but my radiation indicator hadn’t budged from a null reading.

Blossy looked at me, worry etched into her features. “Are you okay? Here, I’ll get you an antirad potion.” The mare immediately started rummaging through her pockets.

“No, I’m fine thanks, it didn’t even register on my meter,” I reassured my friend, who stopped looking through her pockets. She still looked concerned, though. “Really, I’m fine. We can worry about it when I grow an extra leg or something,” I said, trying to lighten the mood a little.

Blossy’s muzzle twisted in disapproval. “Alright, but... please don’t joke about that, Moony. Your health is not a subject for frivolity.”

“Right, sorry,” I said, bowing my head. She was right, of course; I wouldn’t have liked it if she had joked that way about herself. “I could try levitating one of them off the truck, instead?” I offered, still curious as to what we might find. Surely the ponies who lost their lives deserved to have their story known?

Blossy shook her head. “And if that’s radioactive, too? No, let’s just do what we need to get out of here. It’s not worth the risk, and we don’t know if there are any long-term effects to being irradiated, even after taking antirad potions.”

I had to admit, my friend made a good point– it would be awful to get out of the Zone, only to suffer some horrible aftereffect years down the line. “You’re right, I guess I’m getting too wrapped up in things. Let’s go. It’s not too far, now.”

***

We finally had our ‘mission’ in sight– two modest buildings made out of white bricks with a dirt path that led back to the main road. Some strange metal apparatus had been constructed on the side of the more distant building, but since farming wasn’t one of my interests, I had little idea what its purpose was.

We had decided to circle around from our initial approach to the nearest elevated ground, so that we could get a better view of the environment before going in. Each building seemed to have two entrances– a larger one that fed out into the dirt path between them, and a smaller, side entrance that faced our initial approach.

“What do you think?” I asked Blossy.

The mare stroked her chin. “I’m thinking I should go in, while you set up here. It’s a good place for a sniper rifle, and if any mutants try to run away, you can get a good line of fire on them. Sound good?”

Once again, she wants to put herself in harm’s way so I don’t have to. “Actually, what if they don’t try to run away? What if you need help? We don’t even know what mutants we’re fighting. If you take the main entrance and I take the side one, we can box them in, and we’ll be able to help each other if need be,” I countered.

The unicorn chewed her lip, clearly unhappy. “Very well,” she finally said. “I’ll go in first; when you hear my first shot, head in.” Her voice was oddly subdued.

“Sounds like a plan. But first, I’d like to try my hoof at a scrying spell, so we at least know what we’re fighting.”

Blossy’s eyes went wide. “You know a scrying spell?”

“Well, no, not exactly.” I deflated a little. “Couldn’t hurt to try? If it works, it could give us the upper hoof.”

My friend rolled her eyes. “Alright, just try not to burn the building down if it goes wrong– there are Zoners who’d like to use it after we’re done,” she said with a small, nostalgic smile.

“That was one time!” I narrowed my eyes. “And it was only a ball. Seriously…” I huffed at Blossy’s smirk before setting my mind to the task at hoof.

I cleared my mind as much as possible, beating that old image of my ball in flames into submission. I closed my eyes and my other senses dulled as I connected more deeply with my magic, trying to figure out a pattern that would form a spell that would allow me to see from somewhere that wasn’t my own eyes.

‘Simulating’ a new spell made it much easier to manipulate it, and it took a lot less magical energy than with a live spell. I played with the fabric of my magic, weaving it into a pretend likeness of the new spell. In addition to the scrying spell itself, I had to add a locational element to tether it, and a directional element for where I was going to look at; best make them easy to adjust, too. It seemed like it would work; it felt… right. I didn’t know how long this process took me– my sense of time had dulled along with my other senses, but I thought I had it. Time to try it for real.

This time, I formed the live spell, allowing it to draw on my magical reserves as needed. Casting an unfamiliar spell was often inefficient, but I was taken by surprise as an overglow erupted around my horn, siphoning my energy into the spell at an alarming rate. Something clicked, and I opened my eyes.

For a moment, I thought the spell had failed, but I noticed my vantage point was a bit higher than I was used to. A swirling darkness framed my vision, giving me a second clue that the spell had worked. A third clue was that the colours I was seeing were somewhat desaturated.

I tilted my view downwards, which caused an increased strain on my magic. I could see the top of my head! An intense, deep violet glow enveloped my horn, and my mane was becoming a mess– I really needed to get my hooves on a brush. My attention latched onto my opened eyes, which had become entirely jet black. That wasn’t unnerving at all.

I tore my attention away from my own eyes, and moved my spell to get a look at my friend. She was watching me, or rather my body, intently. Her brow was furrowed, and I could see the worry dripping from her eyes. Eyes that flicked up to where I was scrying from. Blossy frowned, and pointed towards the objective.

Right, yes. I need to check those buildings out. Already, the spell was taking its toll on my reserves– I needed to hurry. With a blink, I found myself much closer to the nearest building. Unfortunately, moving the spell further away also increased the energy draw, and my horn started to ache.

The windows were all boarded up, so I slid towards the small entrance, the movement feeling as though I were wading through syrup. I started to be able to see inside, but the swirling darkness was creeping in from the edges. I had to get closer, get inside. I snuck around the frame, into the building and– my spell fizzled out.

I was overcome by dizziness as my normal view asserted itself. The entire world wobbled before me, and my ears filled with a disorienting tintinnabulation. A pair of forelegs wrapped around me as the ground rushed up, and I was forced to sit down.

“Hey, take it easy Moony. Are you alright?” Blossy said, giving me some space.

“Um. Just a bit… thingy,” I said slowly. “Thanks. For catching me.” I popped the drinking straw out, hoping some water would soothe my swimming senses.

“Think nothing of it. So, did it work? I saw a… well, it was like a little swirling cloud, the same colour as your magic.”

“Yeah, but it was weird.” I knew I wasn’t being very helpful, but simply speaking took considerable effort at the moment.

“You know, I wish I could make a new spell up like that,” Blossy said. Was that a touch of jealousy I heard?

“On the plus side, at least you didn’t nearly get a mouthful of dirt,” I grouched. “My spell failed when I entered the building, so I didn’t get to see much. If I’d been able to cancel it, I probably wouldn’t be so out of it.”

“Are you alright? I hope you didn’t push yourself too hard.” Blossy looked like she was itching to do something, but there wasn’t anything that could be done to help another pony experiencing magical burnout.

I shrugged. “I’m getting there, don’t worry. I should have been able to hold the spell for longer, though,” I reassured my friend. “I think the spell failed when I moved out of direct line of sight with… me.” If my reasoning was correct, that rather limited the usefulness of the spell. Not that I’d have much use for such a spell outside of the Zone. I bit my lip– or would I?

“Well, at least I don’t have to worry about a certain somepony scrying on me while I’m in the shower when we get back home,” Blossy said with a smirk.

I blinked. “What?! I wasn’t thinking about anything like that! And if I were to use my spell, it’d be for purely educational observation,” I said, with a prim nod. It was only a half lie. “Besides, I’ll figure out how to fix that limitation,” I added, with a hint of smugness.

Blossy groaned. “I’m sure you will. I just have concerns over what you’ll consider ‘educational’.”

“Oh, you know, stuff that will help me learn. Stuff.”

My friend rolled her eyes. “Anyway, do you think you’re up to this? The sooner we clear the place out, the sooner I can start worrying about my privacy.”

I experimentally got to my hooves and took a look around. I felt pretty much okay, just a dull ache still persisted in my horn. “Yeah, I think so. Let’s get this over with.”

We stalked to the nearest building. A sense of apprehension nagged at me as we closed in. It’ll just be a group of dogs and we’ll take them by surprise. It’ll be fine, I tried to reassure myself.

Blossy whispered in my ear, reminding me to go in after she had opened fire. I nodded my understanding, and we split up. I crept up to the entrance, standing beside it, next to the wall. My legs didn’t feel like they were my own anymore. My heart pounded in my chest as I waited.

And waited. I hadn’t heard any trouble, but– BLAM! The sudden blast made me jump, and my heart lurched painfully. I moved up, only dimly aware that I was drawing breath noisily.

I edged through the doorway, cautiously. Since this was going to be fairly close-quarters, and my magic was depleted, I had selected my twin carbines. My readout indicated that I had three hundred rounds for each. My eyes frantically darted around the interior, and I felt my weapons stir as they tried to track my vision.

A wall separated me from the majority of the rest of the interior– I was in a small corridor. It was dark inside, so with a mental command, I activated the lights on my armour. Two beams shot out from my left and right, pushing back the gloom. I regretted leaving my helmet in my saddlebag– its light was more powerful, and it wouldn’t be restricted to where my body was facing.

I trotted up, my eyes fixed on the end, dreading what might come around. BLAM-BLAM! I flinched from the sudden barks of Blossy’s shotgun, and my guts tightened from the scratchy squeal that followed.

I could hear something– not quite hooves, but something– beating out a four-legged pattern. I edged around the corner, cold sweat making parts of me itchy. A large room spread out before me, walls made of more white bricks.

The room was empty– except for a bloody mess in the far corner. I refused to acknowledge that the leg and neck I could see were pony-like. It was dark, and my eyes were playing tricks on me. And that fabric must have been there before. Something shifted in the darkness.

I immediately turned, my beams illuminating a… thing. A thing that promptly turned and started towards me, with a shrill, distorted shriek. I stared dumbly for a moment, paralysed by the horribly mutated visage of whatever this creature was. Its face was set directly into its round, lumpy body, a loose eye wobbling as it locked onto me. A revolting mix of blood and saliva dribbled from its mouth. The thing’s sheer bulk gave it an imposing profile; while its face was of a height with my own, pillowy flesh towered above it.

It’s coming straight for me, I thought, snapping myself out of it. I actually had trouble looking directly at the creature– it was so horribly disfigured. I let loose a burst from my twin carbines, the rapid rattle echoing loudly off the nearby walls. My unwillingness to look directly at my target meant the rounds that did hit only punched into the spongy flesh of its body, merely causing it to grunt and flinch back.

I started backing up, and my eyes widened in horror as I caught a glimpse of the mutant’s legs. Four knife-like appendages stabbed out at the ground, their wicked cutting edges glistening against my lights and ending in sharp points. My carbines rattled again, but the little 5mm rounds once again were swallowed up by spongy flesh. I could have sworn one of my rounds bounced off of a blade-like leg.

My rump collided with the doorframe, and a stab of panic shot through me– I was trapped! The mutant was getting awfully close. I forced myself to look into the thing’s face, and let off a long burst. Flesh tore open, spewing black fluid, and the beast collapsed in front of me. It smelled foul.

I quickly scanned the room, thankfully clear. I gave myself a moment, breathing slowly and deliberately to calm my nerves. “Okay, I’m okay,” I told myself. What wasn’t okay was the fact that my carbines had used twenty seven rounds. Each. Be disclipined, Moonlight. Short, controlled bursts, like Anvil told me.

Light danced around the second doorway to the room, and the familiar thudding of armoured hooves approached. It had to be Blossy. But just in case, I kept my attention on that entrance, crosshairs right in the center.

To my relief, I was correct– my friend carefully edged around the corner. I had to fight an instinctive urge to open fire at her moving form. My close-call must have set me on edge. Unfortunately, this was also when I found out that her lights were much more powerful than my own and my world turned a painful, blinding white.

“Turn it off!” I whimpered, shielding my eyes with a foreleg.

The thudding stopped. “Oh, sorry,” Blossy said. A moment later, the tortuous beams shut off. I heard her trot around the mutant’s corpse and to my side, getting out of my own lights. “We’re clear, from my approach.”

I tried to blink away the afterimage that was stained into my vision, but a giant turquoise blob dominated all I could see, only slowly receding. “Yeah, same. This is the only mutant I found,” I replied. “Next building, then?”

Blossy agreed, and we headed back outside. “Okay, let’s do the same thing– it seemed to work well enough first time.”

I acknowledged the plan. “Be careful, Blossy,” I pre-empted her.

A small smile flashed across my friend’s lips. “You too.”

I stood waiting outside my entry point, ready to go in on Blossy’s signal. My mind worried over the mutant I had killed. What the hay could cause that kind of disfigurement? I couldn’t even figure out what it used to be. Would my armour protect me from a slash or stab from those legs? Could any organic material really be hard enough to– BLAM!

That was it! I rushed into the entrance. I came face-to-face with another mutant.

Instinct took over, and I let out a panicked neigh. I reared up onto my hind legs, reflexively. Thanks to the weight distribution of my gear, I lost my balance and came crashing down on my back.

Ouch! This time, I really regretted not wearing my helmet. My rifle and sword made for an uncomfortable mattress, too. I glanced down, across my belly, to the mutant that was charging at me. My carbines couldn’t track at that angle!

“HELP!” I screamed.

I fired up my telekinesis, trying to free my sword without slicing myself apart. I just couldn’t get a good grip with my magic– terror, desperation and an aching horn conspired to make me flounder. It dawned on me: I’m going to die! I’m going to die to this horrible, stinking thing!

BLAM-BLAM! BLAM!

A scratchy squeal, and a soggy-sounding impact. A sour stench assaulted my nostrils. I dared to open my eyes. A heap of spongy flesh sat mere inches from my hindquarters. Then Blossy appeared, and I’d never been happier to see those beautiful blue eyes scanning down at me.

“Oh no, are you hurt? I don’t see anything wrong. Oh, please be alright!” Blossy’s verbal barrage carried a hint of distress.

“Y-yes, I’m fine,” I responded, waving a foreleg. It was shaking.

“Oh thank Celestia,” My friend sighed, relief flooding her features.

“Actually, thank you,” I commented dryly, to which Blossy rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Um, a little help, please?”

As my friend helped me back up, a notification appeared under my minimap, stating that the mission had been completed. However my PDA detected the mission completion, it certainly worked. Unfortunately, my legs were a little less functional, shaking like leaves in a stiff breeze.

“So what happened?” Blossy asked. She was clearly still worried about me.

“Oh, I uh…” I looked at the mutant that had nearly claimed me as its next lunch. Blossy’s shotgun had taken great bites out of the thing’s flesh. The grievous wounds oozed a sticky, black ichor. I really didn’t want to tell her the truth– I must have already been pretty pathetic, in her eyes.

A high-pitched beep interjected itself into the lull, and a stallion’s deep voice cut directly into my mind –“Swift Bit here, I see you’ve cleared those buildings for me. Just give me a moment to upload your co-ords.”

Blossy looked around, frantically. It was a fruitless effort, though. The sound wasn’t coming from outside our heads. “Hello? What’s going on?!” She said, her voice gaining an uncanny echo.

“I said I’d be in touch; I’m holding up my end of the bargain, Blossom,” the voice stated. I imagined the stallion was smirking as he said that. “Alright, I’ve sent you a new waypoint, it will guide you to the other main trader in the Zone. If anypony can arrange to smuggle you out, Barkeep can. You may have to pay the guards to pass, but that shouldn’t be a problem for you.”

A new arrow appeared in my minimap, presumably for the new waypoint. I groaned when I saw that it was nearly twenty kilometers away.

“You’ll need to go through the Scrapyard. Things have been heating up around there, so be careful,” Swift warned. I thought it went without saying to be careful going anywhere in the Zone.

“So, there’s no guarantee that this ‘Barkeep’ pony will be able to get us out?” Blossy asked.

“No, but he’s honestly your best bet. Good luck, Zoners!”

I muttered my thanks before Swift cut the line with another high-pitched beep. Blossy gave me a funny look. In hindsight, I wasn’t sure why I thanked Swift, either. I was still shaking thanks to what he put us through.

Blossy and I decided to press on. Barkeep wouldn’t get any closer, otherwise. It took a while for my shaking to subside, and my walking speed suffered as a result. I badly needed to eat something to help replenish my magical reserves; physical energy also drained from me as I came down from my adrenaline high, however, images and smells of the latest mutant horrors flashed in my mind and thoroughly killed my appetite.

***

Checking our maps, we continued to follow the main road to the north. The thought of coming back home was the only thing giving me any energy to carry on. My stomach had finally given up trying to tell me I needed nourishment, thankfully. I wasn’t even feeling all that hungry anymore, anyway.

I made a note in my PDA to check over my rifle when we next took shelter. I doubted falling ontop of it did the weapon any favours, and the last thing I needed was for it to fall apart or explode when I needed it most. As Anvil had explained, G2 weapons were more highly-strung than the other weapon generations.

We spied a small pack of dogs, padding along the road ahead of us. We decided to hang back and rest our legs for a bit. When they stalked off into the wilderness, we carried on, keeping a wary eye out in case they returned. A pair of run-down Zoners passed us the other way, and Blossy warned them about the pack. They gave us their thanks and we went our separate ways.

According to my map, we were nearing the edge of the ‘Cordon’ area. After a little checkpoint, the concrete walls and metal gate of which we could see in the distance, it would be a few kilometers before we entered the Scrapyard.

Off to the side, a lone distortion pulsated above scraggly grass. This was as good a chance to investigate these things as any– for the moment we were clear of any trouble, and as far as I could see, there was only one of them. Remembering what they did to those boar, I thought it was a good idea to try to learn a bit about them, before we found ourselves having to traverse an entire field full of them. Blossy agreed, and we made our way closer.

A deep rumbling sound rolled out from the odd feature, making me uncomfortable. I still couldn’t actually see the source. It was just… open air.

“Hey, Moony, remember when Anvil gave us those bolts?” My friend spoke up.

“Um, yeah?” I stared dumbly at the unicorn.

“Well, he said they were to help spot anomalies. What if this is an anomaly? It is hard to see, after all,” Blossy reasoned, seeming pleased with herself.

How could I have not made that connection already? My brain felt leaden, thoughts coming slowly. “Well, yeah, that sounds reasonable, actually.”

“I have my moments,” Blossy said, with a smile.

“Hm, shall I test your hypothesis, Professor Sunrise?”

“Very well, my faithful assistant.” Blossy waved her foreleg imperiously. “You may proceed when ready.”

Oh, she was way too good at that. With an indignant huff, I levitated out one of my bolts. While I wasn’t going to be achieving any great feats with my magic anytime soon, I was at least able to control it properly, again.

I gave the bolt a sudden, sharp shove towards the possible anomaly, feeling a strange tingle in my horn just as I released my magic. The bolt flashed, and soared away, glowing red-hot, almost like it bounced off of something. The anomaly itself then flashed, and I felt a pressure wave crash over me with a great KRSHWUMP!

My ears popped and we both jumped back, but thankfully we were already a safe distance.

“Well, I’d certainly say that bolts help in finding them,” Blossy observed, shaking her head clear. “For now I think it’s safe to assume that these are the anomalies we were told about.”

“Yeah. There was something, though… let me try another one,” I said, levitating out another bolt.

This time, I floated the bolt towards the anomaly. That tingle buzzed along my horn again, getting stronger as the bolt neared the anomaly. The tingling suddenly ramped up into an agonising resonance. It tore along my horn and bored right into my head. A raw scream erupted from my throat as my world turned to black.

Grass. Horrible, wiry, blurry grass. I must have fallen down when I blacked out. I must have sneezed, too, since my muzzle felt wet. My head pounded, feeling as though it were about to explode. I picked myself up, slowly.

For the second time this day, my friend helped me up. “Oh my gosh, Moony! What happened? You didn’t even set the anomaly off.”

I took a moment to process what had been said. “Um–”

“–You’re bleeding!” Blossy was a blur to me. She seemed to be shuffling about. “Here, drink this healing potion.”

Something pressed against my mouth, and I sucked greedily at the nub. It tasted medicinal, even though they had tried to mask it with a citrus flavour. Almost immediately, a soothing coolness washed against the pain in my horn and head, and my vision began to clear.

A ripping sound caused my ears to flick towards Blossy. What the hay was that? I finished guzzling the potion, panting for air. I felt awful, but at least the potion seemed to be helping me keep together. The empty potion pouch was pulled away from me, and a short length of bandage came up and smothered my muzzle.

“Mrrmph?!” I tried fighting it, but my forelegs were weak and heavy.

“Shh, relax. I’m just clearing that blood up,” Blossy said, her gentle voice calming me back down.

The bandage rubbed around my muzzle, which tingled slightly. It was then withdrawn, blotches of crimson stained into it. Blood. My blood.

“How do you feel?” my friend asked.

“Pretty bad. But better. Thanks, Blossy,” I replied with a weak smile. “It was like some sort of magical feedback. At first, it wasn’t bad, but when the bolt got closer, it… hurt, so much.”

“Alright. Do you think you can make it to the checkpoint?” Blossy asked, her voice gentle. “It’ll be safer for us to rest in shelter.”

I nodded, wincing from the pain the sudden movement caused. “Ow, yeah. But we should really push on. I don’t need to rest.” I wanted to get out of the Zone as soon as possible.

“No,” Blossy stated, flatly. “I don’t want to even hazard a guess as to what just happened to you, but we’re going to take a break so that healing potion can do its work.”

“Fine,” I sighed. Truth be told, I didn’t have the energy to argue with her. I resigned myself to the increasing likelihood of being in the Zone for another day.

Progress was slow– fatigue dragged at my every movement. But each step brought me closer. Closer to rest. Closer to home. All of my attention and all of my energy was spent on keeping moving. I didn’t even bother keeping a lookout for any hostile mutants. Hay, I wasn’t even aware of what was ten meters ahead of me.

We finally made it to the checkpoint. I took a moment to actually look at it– solid metal gates, left ajar, were flanked by concrete walls. A small guard tower poked up from behind the grey barrier, and the Zoner inside shouted down at us.

Blossy did the talking (or rather, shouting– my ears clamped down against the pain-inducing noise), and we were let in. My friend slipped through the gates with her usual grace; I knocked my saddlebag against one. Even that unexpected contact nearly had me tasting the concrete courtyard.

We walked past an early model of armoured pony carrier on our way to the modest structure. If I were feeling better, I’d have been feeling a lot more curious about the piece of military technology. The APC rested on four wheels on either side, each wheel dwarfing me. Armour was sloped to deflect incoming fire and painted a camouflage green, and there was domed a turret on top, housing some kind of autocannon.

I let Blossy lead us into the building. I had to admit, it was nice to get out of the wind and daylight. There was a group of Zoners, talking. Loudly. Ugh. Beyond that, I didn’t care to pay anymore attention to them. My friend was right, I did need rest. One of them came over to us, but it was up to my friend to interact with him in any meaningful way– I was zoning out again.

I was guided over to an old, musty mattress, which I gratefully collapsed on. I was able to pick up snippets of the conversation as Blossy force fed me another healing potion.

“Woah, what happened to her?” A stallion asked.

“She did what?!” the same stallion exclaimed, after Blossy’s answer.

“There are less painful ways to end it,” another darkly muttered.

I finished the potion, and let my eyes slide shut. The conversation shifted to something about these Zoners resting up before striking out into the Scrapyard. We were even welcome to join them for when they would be setting off, in about an hour’s time. My grip on consciousness slipped, and I dozed off.

***

I awoke with a groan. That caught Blossy’s attention, and she stopped tapping at her PDA. I felt considerably better, though definitely still on the fragile side.

My friend ceased her activities with her PDA and looked up at me. “Hey,” she said with a relieved smile. “You feeling better?”

“Hey. Yeah,” I replied, sitting up. “Still a bit rough, but I feel… functional.” Weird choice of word, Moonlight.

The mare snorted softly at that. “That sounds more like the Moony I know. You had me really worried, you know?”

My ears flattened against my skull. “Sorry. I didn’t know that would happen.”

Blossy sighed. “Neither of us knew. What’s important is that you’re okay. I couldn’t live with myself if –” her voice caught in her throat, and she turned away. I managed to glimpse the wetness in her eyes, though. My friend faced me again, her composure regained. “Nevermind. I’m glad you’re okay,” she finished with a small smile.

“Thank you, Blossy,” I said, throwing myself into a hug with the unicorn. “I owe you so much.”

When we withdrew from the embrace, I noticed Blossy’s eyes were downcast, her shoulders slumped ever so slightly. Something’s bothering her. I really wish she wasn’t so good at hiding what she’s thinking. I also wished I knew what to say to get her to open up, but without being excessively blunt, I came up short.

I could at least take her mind off of whatever was bothering her. “Hey Blossy, weren’t there a bunch of Zoners in here not long ago?”

The unicorn looked up, regaining her focus. “Yeah. They left a while ago, why?”

“But. Didn’t they offer to let us go with them?”

“Yes, they did.” Blossy must have sensed what I was thinking, because she continued, “I wasn’t going to wake you up just so we could go with them. You needed to heal, and the tone of those Zoners suggested that… well, what you did was dangerous.”

“Okay, fair enough,” I said, raising my forelegs in acquiescence. I silently cursed myself for costing us not only time, but the company of some friendly Zoners who could have made our journey safer. “Should we trot on to Swift’s co-ordinates? If I wasn’t out for too long, that is.”

“As long as you’re sure you’re up to it. We could make it, as long as we don’t get really bogged down.”

Like this, I finished for her. “Yeah, I’m a lot better now.” My aches had reduced a fair bit, and my horn and head were throbbing with numbness, rather than splitting pain. “Let’s get out of here.”

We left the checkpoint behind us, once again following the road that had been our near-constant companion for our time in the Zone. As we racked up the distance, there was a subtle change in the land– the scraggly grass became more sparse, and the brown tones of earth started to assert themselves more. The sky had also darkened somewhat, clouds gathering threateningly as a distant mutant’s growl echoed ominously across the land.

I took a sip of water and withdrew a ration bar. The wrapper crinkled merrily at me, but I couldn’t bring myself to open it. I needed food, but my appetite refused to return. I returned the bar to my pocket. I’ll have it later, I told myself.

We had to wind our way around a few clusters of anomalies. At one point, I got close enough to set off a conspicuous beeping sound in my head. The sudden noise startled me, and I continued towards the anomaly for a moment, which made the beeping quicken. Blossy unceremoniously yanked me backwards, and I gave her a sheepish smile. Still, it was good to know that we had more than just bolts to help us find anomalies.

A cluster of trucks loomed ahead, acting as a blockade to the Scrapyard. A short distance from either side of the road, radiation signs had been hammered into the ground, slowly rusting as they warned of the invisible but deadly hazard. The heavens chose this moment to open, small droplets falling all around me. Wonderful.

We threaded our way around the rotting trucks (thankfully without any skeletons in their cabins), and found ourselves before a group of Zoners. There was a decaying bus opposite us, and several other vehicles were dotted around, abandoned. This bunch were somewhat better equipped than most of the ponies we encountered in the Cordon, mostly sporting shotguns or smaller weapons like my carbines. We quickly became the center of their attention.

One of the Zoners trotted forward, his gruff voice calling out to us, “Hello, fellow Zoners! What a wonderful day it is, no?” The unicorn’s tattered black overcoat had a hood, which obscured his mane, while a shortened double-barrelled shotgun was holstered on his foreleg.

Blossy gave me a sidelong glance before putting on an artificial smile. “Why, yes it is. What, may I ask, are you up to, here?”

The stallion stood before us, a wide grin on his face. “We keep the roads safe, of course! Any mutants that come near get sent packing with a lead lunch.”

Something about this pony’s demeanor made me uncomfortable. I also noticed all of the Zoners here were wearing either simple, dark armour, or black overcoats with armoured segments sewn into them. Mud stained most of their clothing, and many of them looked as though they hadn’t washed in a long while.

I heard somepony hawk up a mouthful and spit it out loudly. My mouth pursed in disgust.

“Well, that’s a most laudable endeavour. How about I send you some bits, as a token of our appreciation, and we’ll go on our way?” Blossy offered amicably.

I did a double-take. Why was she offering them money?! I didn’t even see any dead mutants lying around, just bits of rubbish and smashed bottles!

“Now that’s an offer I can’t refuse!” the Zoner laughed. “Why don’t you lovely ladies get out of the rain and we’ll get things sorted?” He gestured to the bus behind himself.

Blossy paused, once again glancing sideways at me. My stomach tied itself into a knot– this didn’t feel right. My ears flicked about nervously as rain softly pattered against the ground and trucks. I entertained the idea of suggesting we turn back, but my voice had left me.

“Very well,” my friend finally said. A tenseness crept into her voice as added, “Lead the way.”

“Excellent! It really means alot to us, let me tell you.” The stallion gave a nod towards a pair of ponies who had been flanking us, before leading us to the bus. I followed close behind Blossy. I didn’t like the way these ponies had fallen in beside us.

My ears flicked toward a pair of Zoners who were leaning against a truck, and I was able to catch a snippet of their conversation.

“... so gonna destroy the little one,” one said

“Heh, fine by me. Don’t look like there’s no fight in that one anyway. I prefer havin’ to break ‘em in,” said the other dismissively, to which the other chuckled.

A shuffling sound caught my attention, and I turned my head towards it– a sudden impact cracked against the back of my head. I passed out before I hit the ground.

I drifted in and out of consciousness, too weak to act or shout for help. Waves of nausea crashed through me, my stomach threatening to empty what little it contained. One moment, I was being dragged along the ground, which was starting to get muddier in the worsening rain. The next, I heard shouting, and I was dumped… somewhere. I managed to slide my eyes open long enough to get a glimpse of Blossy. She was out, cold. I wanted to reach out to her, but my foreleg wasn’t responding.

Gunfire was the next thing I became aware of, but it all sounded so far away. Tinny rattles, bassier thuds and punchy blasts that shook my lungs punctuated the battle, while screams and shouts made for a terrible melody.

Rain fell from a cold, grey sky. The sound would have been soothing, if it weren’t for the impacts on my face. Hoofsteps squelched in the mud. The best I could manage was a weak moan. The hoofsteps halted.

“Aww, sweet! A live one!” I mare’s voice exclaimed. She trotted over to me and took my foreleg in her grip.

“‘Elp,” I croaked out pathetically. I got a short look at her before my eyelids became too heavy again. A pretty unicorn with a blue coat, dark green mane, and eager, yellow eyes.

“I’ll help myself, alright. Thanks for the offer,” the mare sneered. She started tapping at my PDA with my spare hoof and whistled. “Fifty thousand bits! Holy crap, you just made my day!”

Words appeared in my blackened vision, but they were just a jumble of letters to me. After a few more taps, they disappeared, and my forelegs were allowed to drop into the mud.

Hooves started rummaging around my back. “What the fuck is this, a sword? You think you’re some kind of ninja pony? Fat lotta good that did you,” the mare snorted derisively. “Yeah, you can keep that. Nice sniper, though!” My rifle was roughly yanked off of my back. I needed to do something, I needed to stop her, but I felt my consciousness start to slip away again.

I caught barking in the distance. “Ah, shit. I guess I got enough already.” I felt… lips?! press against my own. “That’s for being so generous. I’d best be going, though. Ciao!” The mare’s playful tone echoed over in my mind as I drifted off.

Cold. I felt cold. Sickness continued to worry away at my stomach. Teeth rended flesh, the wet tearing noise striking up a dim terror in me. The cold was making me numb. At least I wouldn’t feel it, right?

A burst of gunfire ripped out, and the dogs started barking. Several more rapid bursts, and the barking turned to whimpering. Still barely awake and shivering profusely, I heard hoofsteps approach. Did the mare return to finish what she’d started? Did I even care anymore?

The last thing I remembered, I felt muscles rhythmically shifting underneath me, like I was on somepony’s back. Wherever I was being taken to, there was nothing I could do about it. The steady movements sent me back into the blissful embrace of nothingness.