Fallout Equestria: Frozen Clockby MegaskullmonChaptersIntroduction: FrozenChapter one: A new worldChapter two: The bridge.Chapter Three: Robots and loveChapter Four: MariaChapter Five: The other sideChapter Six: The priceChapter Seven: Court of Stars.Chapter Eight: A pony zebra communityChapter Nine: Odd jobs Part oneChapter Ten: Dunewalker Part twoChapter Eleven: Upgrade and water search part threeChapter Twelve: GuardiansChapter Thirteen: UkuvumelaChapter Fourteen: Mines and CandlesChapter Fifteen: A battle worth a song [End of arc one.]Introduction: Frozen"Frozen... the soul." Two hundred...years ago in the Magical land of Equestria, a war broke out. Our story takes place one year before the war broke out. Many issues slowly arose. Stories of creatures of Equestria vanishing and then, their bodies being found with strange mechanical parts in them. This was way before the huge technical book happened before the war. But at this very moment, Equestria still was a peaceful part of the world. During this time species of ponies and zebras lived together in many areas of Equestria. In Manehattan alone families are living together. Some ponies didn't care for the mixed families and this was a normal issue in the land because not every pony cared for the idea of mixed families. In secret, a group of ponies formed an anti-zebra group. They called themselves The Black Hooves They avoided towns like Ponyville and such. However, they did visit the bigger cities. To try to bring purity back to Equestria. The princess didn't even know this was going on. All was so hushed about this happening. A zebra took up home within the little town of Ponyville. She learned to speak without the rhyming. She even taught ponies about the Zebra way of battle. Needless to say, she did it as a way to teach ponies to defend themselves since...it seemed after the issue with Discord, many ponies wanted to feel protected. She was very welcomed in the town but this time, however, she was being watched by someone. I calmly walked to the ponies and asked them to do the skills that I asked them to do, during this material arts lesson. I looked to see a large stallion who had a strange coat. He was just standing there, watching me. The way he stood, his posture was giving it away. I turned back to the ponies I was working with. "Lift your legs a little higher, then you should be able to do the strike right." The mare nodded as she managed to do the exercise. I chuckled and looked over to the stallion. He was gone. I blinked wondering what was going on really. An hour later, everypony went home. I closed up my dojo. Heading to the marketplace to gather veggies for dinner. I noticed a mare in a black outfit watching me. I blinked, staring at the unicorn mare. Her eyes looked right at me. It was getting odd that many seemed to be watching me. I walked by Fluttershy giving her a nod with a gentle smile. The pegasus was watching me as well. Nevertheless, I gathered everything that I needed. I blinked, not sure what to think. All supplies bought, now just a few more things to do. I needed to return a book to Twilight. I walked towards the tree, I sighed as I was getting tired of being spied on. I was being followed nearly every minute of every day and it's beginning to annoy me. Then I came face to face with pink. "OH!! Pinkie." I smiled and Pinkie giggled and jumped around and laughed. "Hello, Hello Desert Rose... You need to see Twilight?" I nodded and Pinkie jumped around in her spaz-like way. I chuckled softly and smiled. Walking alongside Pinkie Pie was interesting you could say. We went inside the library treehouse. I calmly called. "Twilight!!" Twilight jumped with a scream and there was a giant crash upstairs. I blinked and laughed softly. I forget when Twilight gets busy she forgets about others. She walked down the stairs and blushed a bit at her blunder. "Ahem excuse me. Now, how may I help you, Desert Rose?" I smiled and looked over to the side. I brought out a book from my bags and I offered it back to her and smiled. "I just wished to return this book. Thank you so much for it." A gentle smile formed on Twilight's face as she trotted over and grabbed the book with her magic. She then looked back at me and smiled. "You and your family still up for dinner in a few days?" I gave a nod and she smiled as she put the book away... I did notice that Spike was nowhere to be seen. He's probably busy... I gave Twilight and Pinkie a tight hug and went on my way. I had to get one last thing. I had to get sweets from Cakes. Then I would head home. I saw a large stallion staring at me... I wasn't sure what was with all these odd ponies looking at me. I finally made it to Sugarcube Corner. I sighed and went up to the counter and saw Mrs. Cake and her husband. "Hi there, Mr. Cake...I need some cupcakes and a pie please." Mr. Cake smiled at me, nodding. I sighed calmly, looking around, feeling worried about the ponies that have been following me. I relaxed, waiting for my order. I paced around, knowing it's taking them a while... Ponies have been giving me odd looks lately... Since issues with my former land...came to be...but it's nothing really bad hopefully. After a while, Mr. Cake gave me my order and I sighed, taking it. Smiling, I set down some bits. "Thank you, Mr. Cake." I placed the cupcakes and pie on my back and carried my bags of food back home. However, my home was on the other side of town. Ponyville had become a lot different since many ponies and zebras started to live here. It's gotten to the point that ponies are now kind and respectful to zebras. I'm hoping that it doesn't change and the relationship between ponies and zebras doesn't go downhill. I wouldn't be very happy to see what happens. I walked inside my house. My wonderful family wasn't going to get home for a few more hours... Since my daughter and son had things to do at school and my husband went with them... I shrugged the thought off. I gathered all the food I bought from the market and I started making dinner. A good wonderful dinner for my family. It's been five years since we moved here. I'm certainly glad that we did. Ever since I moved here, I was happy that I wasn't in the bigger cities where other zebras vanished and then were found dead. I felt a sea of dread wash over me. Why does my kind hate different species so much? Ponies really haven't done a thing to deserve this hatred... I feel like I am the only one that doesn't hate other species for being different. All I want to do is protect my family and keep them safe. Taking" a knife in my mouth, I started to cut the veggies and fruit, placing it into a bowl. Slowly starting to cook the food I made for my family. They finally got home. Soft Trot, my husband, gave me a light kiss on the cheek and then trotted away to take a shower. This unicorn was one of the first ponies I ever met, his green eyes were still as tantalizing for me as that day. The kids gave me a quick hug, both rushing to their rooms. I watched them with pride. A filly with stripes over a coat of her father's blue and a unicorn colt black as night. Both were beautiful in my eyes. Dinner was finally ready. We sat at the table and calmly ate our food. My goals didn't speak much. My husband seemed not to talk either. Normally, they were always talking and I found this very odd. Soft Trot looked at me and gave me a soft smile. Just then, a knock was heard. He trotted to the door and one pony walked in. He stood there and began to speak loudly. "Ah, you must be Desert Rose... Your husband told me about you." I got down from my chair stood in front of the stallion. "I'm sorry for this...but your husband and family... Gave us bits to take you away." I blinked, turning to Soft Trot. He looked away... I then looked to my foals who were now fully gone. "One...second..." I stammered and pushed Soft Trot into another room, staring at him with great anger as he began to speak softly. "I found...another mare... Rose... My family never wanted me to marry you. They sent this group to find you... I had no choice... Since I wanted this other mare and the foals..don't want you in their lives anymore..." I lowered my head and went back to the stallion. "I will go with you." Black Hoof smirked, nodding. We both left the house and I noticed a pegasus and a unicorn mare standing outside redundant with torches. Black hoof gave them a nod and threw their torches into the house, causing it to burn. They forced me to watch as my home burnt to the ground. I heard my family screaming. Even if they turned on me... I still cared for them. Just then, a few torches got forced into my mouth. Black Hoof started to speak to the ponies around that tried to rush to save them. "Look at this Zebra...she killed her very own family in cold blood... Fear not...we shall take her to be punished... You will no longer have to worry about this filth in the world..." I blinked, watching them destroy my reputation. I lowered my head, not able to talk back about this. I followed them while they placed me in the back of a strange machine that ran on steam. I was the only one in this strange machine at first. I was chained so I couldn't run. I heard the machine starting up and it ran for a few hours before it stopped. After the machine stopped, they brought in a pegasus mare wrapped in a bag and her muzzle was tied into the back but... I saw her snout and she was breathing slowly. I didn't know what they were doing... I felt the machine I was in moving again. It took another few hours before we stopped again. I fell asleep and I woke up hearing fighting and strange noise. Then the back opened up again and a buffalo was thrown into the back. Her body landed on the floor of the machine with a thud. The Buffalo was bleeding in many wounds. She was breathing hard but still alive for the time being. The machine started up again and began to move. I fell asleep again. I heard another loud smash and the back opened up and a diamond dog was forced inside. He growled and stared at me before he sat down. He looked at the Buffalo. She was asleep and it looked like they drugged her. I closed my eyes a bit and sighed, looking over to the pegasus mare. I sighed, wondering what is going to happen to us. The machine slowly started again... They haven't even fed us at all. After 3 days, they finally fed us and provided us with water. After that though, they went back on their way. I opened my eyes. The machine was off and they came for us. The large stallion lifted the Buffalo and the Diamond dog walked with them calmly. The mare lifted the other and I noticed we are near an old factory. Where were we? This place of Equestria was new to me and I had no idea where we were. They lead me into a room. I saw many bodies of dead zebras in a corner. I felt myself getting sick but I was lead into a doctor's room where Black Hoof himself was but he smiled. "Be a good mare... You will be not seeing the outside world for a long time." I turned my head to the Doctor. Her eyes looked at me with great hatred but after getting a good look at me, her expression changed. She seemed more...relaxed but I couldn't quite understand why as she trotted up to me and took a look at my hooves. "Hmmm, strong hooves." I blinked. Then, she injected me with some kind of drug. The drug paralyzed me and she forced me onto the table. I was still awake and able to see what was going on. She lifted large metal hooves that had wires connected to them. I watched her as she took a large blade and sliced off my hooves. Screams echoed in my mind. I was being tortured! She connected the wires into my nervous system. Closing my eyes, I passed out from the pain that became too much for me. A few hours later, I opened my eyes. I stared at the mare who woke me up and she smiled. She helped me on my hooves and wrapped my mouth in tape to keep me from talking. Black Hoof walked back in and helped me on my hooves. I stared at him with great hate. But as I stepped on the hooves, found it hard to lift them for a moment. Being lead along I noticed the other three. The diamond dog had his eyes removed and were replaced with something else. The Pegasus mares chest had a strange green glowing device on it. it was green unnecessary She looked very sick. The Buffalo had her horns removed. They were replaced with strange tubes that looked like they could release steam or something. They lead us to strange tubes that were attached to the wall inside the factory. They opened up and they placed the three inside. Closing, they froze them in some sort of magic stasis. I turned to look at the stallion. I softly spoke. "Why?" Black hoof smirked. "You will be awake again...soon...you will be a weapon used in war." I blinked and I was forced into the tube as I tried to speak. "WHY?! There is no war!" Black hoof laughed softly. "You can't do this to us!" I was forced into the tube, yelling at them, but they couldn't hear me. As I fell into the stasis sleep, I saw the world I knew for the last time. I saw everything I loved and everything I knew vanishes before my eyes. I had no idea when I was going to wake up again... Sleep finally took over me as I froze. Welcome to my story. Footnote: Already started at full level. Chapter one: A new world"Welcome to the new world." A strange explosion hit near the Black Hoof Military. In one room four tubes are there... They seemed to be plugged in this system. A strange device seems to be clicking on the terminal. One tube slowly unfreezes and a Zebra slowly falls out onto the floor with a thud. Groaning I open my eyes getting face to face with the strange robot. A voice comes from the machine. "Listen calmly miss Zebra... You need to get out of here quickly and head to Battle Trot. Get yourself out of Detrot quickly. We will talk more when you get out of here... Also when I leave this robot..they will attack you... Sorry." I blinked and suddenly the robot discharged. I stood up quickly on the metal hooves and I did a zebra style attack and my hooves of metal smashed deep into the robot causing it to blow up. I pulled the hoof from the husk..staring at the metal hooves. I walk to the terminal to open the others lift my hoof and suddenly strange wires come out of it and I gasped the wires fuse themselves to the terminal and my brain transports to inside the terminal. I look around and blink and suddenly a robotic voice speaks. "Hello..new user..to Black Hoof's company hacking system. If you wish to learn how to use this system please press one now." A one shows up in front of my face and I blinked, clicking it. "Ah good, good what you have been fitted with is a new black ops military unit. First, we shall update your system." A strange file shows up and I start feeling strange sensations entering my body. My blood carrying the data through it... Going right into my brain. Then the voice spoke again. "Alright to hack the system. You will be given words to hack through... Warning if you fail you will sometimes get shocks forced through your body to your brain. Failure is not an option. Now, remember you will need to request updates for yourself at every terminal you come across. So remind yourself an update is your friend.." I blinked not even sure about all this. "Now let's see hmmm ah yes..you're ID is number 27... Hmm, you seem to be the only one that lived through the other 26 impressive. Now let's see. Desert Rose Zebra spy and sympathiser. Wanted by the Equestrian army... Ooooo. You're inside an Equestrian army base... I recommend getting out of here quick. But first now to show you how to hack." A bunch of words show up and text in front of my eyes form. "You will see strange words as the passwords... You look through each of them..sometimes you only have four times to get it wrong... But thanks to the upgrades the file just gave you... You can bypass some of this. But again if you get any wrong. = You will have a charge come through your body... Now-" A strange feeling pulled my hoof to one of the words. "Click the word." I clicked it and it worked. Then it brings up the three other creatures I got trapped here with the Diamond Dog I click on that one.. "Hmm, male Diamond Dog. Known as Bowser. Given the eyes of many seasons or aka able to see heat and in the dark... Needs some updates... So the wires can fuse in the retinas. The hooves give updates to all the others. This will be painful to them. As well using night vision will be painful... Since the brain won't be used to it for awhile. Oh, poor creature this..one is a runaway worker from the hoof... Ha ha... Oh, poor boy.." I sighed and clicked the Pegasus. "Hmm, a well known adulterous mare. Who would sleep with whatever she could... So a slut." I blinked at this. Seeing that she was captured for sexual intercourse to blackmail leaders. "Too bad, fake facts...for the poor mare... A happy mother...a happy wife...lost everything thanks to the black ops. Now her upgrade. Let's see... Oooo the emotions trigger. This weapon shows her emotions and gives her great might if she is upset... When she is scared she can change her coat into what the background is. Happy nothing, hungry it just keeps going... I am hungry...feed me. Again you need to connect to them and upgrade the systems...each terminal you come to...out in Equestria.." I rolled my eyes. Clicking on the final one. The buffalo "Hmm, the crying mares mane and horns. When she is in a fight armour would form on her body and her horns will overheat and the holes in the horns are used to release the steam. This makes her strong and able to break through anything but lead and hard steel. Reasons for her being here... Oh.....oh...she was there at the wrong time...her name is June. She needs to be updated as well. Now let's contact Equestria's military to see if we can understand what is going on." I sigh and wait for the system to contact and then he comes up. "The Military no longer exist no one has reported in. IN the last 200 years. It seems the last report was set in Trotting Creek. The map will be printed down for you when you get out of the system. OH!! I forgot something... Release them from their tubes...done. Thank you for using the computer system please don't come...back. HA HA HA I am kidding....but not really bye." I am forced out of the system and shake my head hearing bodies thud beside me. I walk to the three was the Diamond dog looks around. "I can't see!!! Grrrr, what happened?!" He yelled out. "Shhhh.." "Who is that?!" He looked around scared. "A friend..give me a moment." I lift my hoof to his eyes and the wires enter the system. I close my eyes as the update installs. "What....is that!! Hurts too much!!!" Inside his eyes, the wires connect to the retinas and to the brain. Causing so much pain and he falls to the ground passing out. I calmly laid beside the Pegasus mare and she opened her eyes looking to me fear in them and I patting her back gently with my hoof. "Shhhh I am not going to hurt you." The mare nods and nuzzled into me, shaking. "Wh...what is going on? Where is my husband, my children?" I sighed softly. "I am Desert Rose..I was captured myself by these ponies of the Black hoof. Do you have a name?" She nods looking around. "Thunder Drift or just call me Drift.." I smiled. "I need to do something Drift, will you let me?" She nodded softly and I put my hoof to her chest and she noticed the device and I connected to it started to update and it seemed to be teaching her what the system is. "Huh...very interesting that I was given this...but why?" I gave a shrug. "I got contacted by someone they wish us to head to Trotting Creek." She gave a nod and I stood up walking to June and she stood up looking at me and gave me an angry look. "I offer my goods in friendship and ponies....attack me.." I gave a nod and lifted my hoof and gave her the update to the system and it explains her about the machines. So...thats why they took my horns away.." Bowser woke up and sighed. "I have a feeling grrrr we should stick together grrr." Rubbing his head. I nodded and looked around seeing the map. "Heres our map." Bowser picked up and read it. "Hmm it wants us to head to Trotting Creek..it will be a long walk." He rolled it up and looked to me and the other two. "Yes..let's find a way out of here first.." Walked out the door. While the others stayed behind me..we found some dead bodies that have been dead for years and Bowser picked up some of the guns and ammo. "I think we better find whatever we can in here..and then head out." I gave a nod. I removed the armour from the dead ponies, placing it on. Noticed June placing on armour she could fit and set the weapons on her sides. "Never seen weapons like this." I gave a nod as I took a pistol to make sure I could use it. Drift went into another room and came out in armour that was meant for her. She cut a hole to make sure she could fire the beams. "Guys there is bags of food and supplies in here.." Going inside we gathered what we could. "I don't care much for this." I said softly. The other three agreed with me.. "I need to find my children." Drift said she seemed very upset.. "I doubt we will find them...it's been 200 years since we have been there..and from what I gathered from what I learned...the world is dead.." They look at me blinking. "Let's get outside to see if this is true." I said to them very unsure in my voice. We walk calmly. Drift looks at the weapons she placed on her sides looking at the bite. "Why do ponies have these weapons?" She looked at them nickering softly feeling very unsure. "Grrr...." Bowser looks around unsure about this place. June looks around. A few robots seem to be leaving us alone and they scan us. Seeing our name tags from the armour. "Ah...how may I help you?" The robot asked. "Um...show us the way out?" I asked in returned and the robot nodded leading us to the outside door. Then stopped. "Take care the Zebra threat needs to be removed from the Equestria." My eyes grew angry but I stayed silent and opened the door and a gasp came from me and the others. The buildings around us shattered most of the buildings still standing, bones all over the place. Seeing this made me drop to my haunches... Drift started to sob as the chest light turned to very blue to show her sadness... "Bowser show us the best way out of here to get to Trotting Creek?" Bowser nods and looks at the map. "It seems if we cut through the city north-west. We would find ourselves there in a day or so if we move without anything stopping us." Bowser looked to me a moment. "I feel we should do this.." I said nodding. Slowly stands on my hooves and helped Drift getting on her hooves and June had tears in her eyes but we started moving. Drift flew in the air ahead of us. She was gone for awhile and then returned. "I found no ponies. But I can say this the city is pretty empty." Drift landed back down having fear in her eyes. Nodded as we started to walk slowly. But we started hearing shooting. I looked to Drift and she flew up to see what it is and then rushed back. "It seems to be a group of ponies under attack by very crazy looking ponies." "Drift you go in first and use your device...we will come in from behind." Drift nodded and flew off and went on ahead and we started running towards the battle hearing the laser from drift going off with her guns and the ponies screaming. I get closer and did cartwheels and smashing into two of the ponies breaking the neck of one of them. June's armour forming on her and she charges smashing into one of the ponies breaking their side and then the steam comes out of the horns. Bowser rushes in lifting up the machine gun and fires killing the pony. "Bowser check if there are any more." Bowser looks around and then a pony comes up to him and he blocks the attack with the gun and he falls on his back and almost gets hit by a hammer but the ponies they were attacking shoots them. I noticed the last one started running. "Drift get that one!! But keep him alive." She lifted her chest up and a beam hits the pony in the leg making it turn to dust and he falls screaming. As Drift lands beside him with Bowser taking weapons from the male... June stayed in her armor, her horns cooling down. Walking over to the pony. I placed my hoof on their neck "Speak. Who are you?!" The pony laughed insanely. "Murder, Rape, kill!!! Will kill you!!" I blinked staring at them and a voice speaks. "You can't reason with this filth." Looking over to see a scared mare in heavy armor walk over slicing the stallion's neck with a knife and she is a large earth mare. "I'm Bound Trot. I'm the guard of the caravan we are heading to the old taxi plant...our home.." Looking towards the ponies and I nodded. "We need to get to Trotting Creek..so if you can help us get there...would be great..." I said with a smile. She blinked. "I see, that's not an easy path. But we can help you. But first, come with us.... You need better armour than that." Looking to the others and Drift nodded. "Oh, my a dashite." Another unicorn came over. Drift blinked looking to the Unicorn. "What's a Dashite?" Drift got even more scared, Bowser calmly stood in front of her staring at them.. "Huh, nice pet did you tame him?" The unicorn mare asked while Bound trot hits the mare with her tail. "Grrr no one...tamed me.....ponies capture me....freeze me....wake up just now...like the other three here..." "Yes... I am Desert Rose...a zebra that was accused of helping Equestria go to war... I was spending time with my friends Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie." The unicorn mare blinks and points her hoof to a sign. "You mean that Pinkie Pie?" I looked my eyes going wide seeing the sign. It said. "Pinkie Pie is watching you forever." I gulped and looked back to them. "Maybe we should get you out of the waste and then we can explain to you what happened." I nodded and we followed them. We passed many broken buildings and noticing so much death. Drift stayed close to Bowser and June she was shaking and June didn't like being leaned on but she didn't wish to hurt the mare. We got to the plant it was called Fomare. On the outside was many guards and they allowed us to come in. "Give us your weapons." The guard said. I removed my pistol and the rest removed their weapons giving them it all. "You will get them back when you leave." The guard gave a nod. We go inside and we see that many parts of the factory are sectioned off. Bound trot looked to us. "I will take you to the leader." We follow her looking at all the ponies buying and selling and seeing that ponies seem to be harder than they used to be and angrier. As we enter the room a pink mare looks up from her reports and blinks. "Oh, Bound Trot what have you found?" Bound trot smiles and allows us to come forward. "I am Desert Rose...former resident of Ponyville." Giving a bow. "I am Drift...formerly lived at Cloudsdale." Bowser spoke up growling. "Bowser slave from Hoofintin." The mare gasped and looked to the Buffalo. "I will not say who I am." Stares with anger. "I am sorry but Ponyville is a raider town... Cloudsdale never heard of it..in fact..no one has seen a Pegasus in 200 years. The hoof.....yeah...rather not talk about it." I finally asked. "What happened to Equestria?" The mare tilted her head. "The war happened." I blinked speaking again. "What war? All I know is that the ponies were having talks with my kind. Then some ponies kidnapped us and place us in weird devices and we wake up to this." The mare sighed "There was a long war..it ended in balefire and mega spells... Causing the entire world to be nothing but what you see." My eyes fill with tears and Drift started to get upset and angry and the chest orb attached to her turns red and she starts smashing her hooves agents it and it shakes the building a bit... "Whoa... Drift relax..." I said calmly. Drift calmed herself and breathed deeply. "My entire....family dead...." She said with tears in her eyes. I gave her a nod and nuzzled her. "Forgive us miss...we just woke up from a frozen sleep... This world meeting with us..and we need to get to Trotting Creek." The pink mare nodded. "I'm Bubble gum...but yes..it might be best if you stay. We have a caravan heading out that way in a few days. So if you want..you could make yourself some caps.." I blinked. "Caps?" I asked. Bubble Gum set them down. "This is the currency of the waste. Bottle caps." I blinked. Looking to my friends. "What kind of jobs are there?" "Hmm let's see... Ah yes..for your Diamond Dog friend we could use a heavy lifter... For the Buffalo, we could use someone to patrol with us. For you two. There are bartender spots open." Looking to Drift. "I will do it." Drift said and I looked up nodding. "I will as well." Bowser sighed. "I guess I will do it..." Bowser said and June grunted. "I guess I will patrol...till we leave." Bound trot nods and leads June to do some patrolling. A guard leads Bowser to the back to do some lifting. "Alright, Drift lets do it." ______________ The bar. Drift and I were placed in bartender dresses. Her chest orb was covered up, Drift already got some orders as she was setting food on the bar and drinks. I did the same it was very odd and then I saw a stallion hitting on her. She had a bright red blush on her face. "I...um.....not going to be...here long..." Drift was going back to work but the stallion smiled. "Awww I'm sure your amazing in bed.." Drift's eyes went wide and her face was bright red..gulping and she went to me hiding a bit. "It's okay... Drift... I am sure nothing will happen let's just get back to work." Drift nodded and her face so bright red as she went back to taking orders and taking caps. I kept an eye on Drift. She was getting hit on a lot by the stallions but she blew off each of them and giving them their orders. I had a ghoul come to me and he gasped. "Desert Rose?" I blink staring at the ghoul. I finally remembered who it was. "Puzzle?" I stared at the stallion ghoul and we hugged. "How...are you here... Desert Rose.... I heard that you were on the run..from a murder...but I know you didn't do it." He said. "No... I didn't these ponies from a black ops military group called Black Hoof captured me and Drift here...and upgraded us in a way and then placing us in frozen tubes." Puzzle blinked nodding. "I see I'm happy you didn't have to see the war...then and become like this." "Puzzle....after I am off maybe...we should talk about it." Puzzle nods and leaves... Looking back to Drift who was getting hit on so much... I laughed at this she was a cute mare and young looking. I started to get some orders myself. "Ah yes sir.." I filled up the drink and watching Drift giggling as she was talking to a mare. "Yes keep ignoring them they will give you more caps.." She smirks and Drift giggles. "That's how I got my husband......" She goes silent and looks down going back to doing orders the mare blinked and I gently walked over. "She and I were frozen for 200 years... So she didn't get to see her husband or children....but I guess we bypassed a war..." The mares eyes go wide. "OH OH, I am so sorry..." I smiled. "Don't worry about it, miss.." Drift gave the mare her drink and she gave a weak smile. The two of us spent most of the day doing this... But close to the end a guard came in and told us to stay silent. Looking outside we noticed that Bubble Gum met up with a group of interesting ponies. I whispered to the guard. "What's wrong with them?" The guard looked to me. "They hate Zebra's...so keep hidden. If they see you...they will kill you. They only come here...every month... Shit..." He said as one of them walked in here and I hid behind the bar... She walked up to Drift. "Can I get an order of your hayburgers? Along with some Sparkle Cola." Drift nodded and it took her awhile but fulfilled the order. "If you...see any Zebra's around here...remember to kill them." Drift nodded. The mare took the food and the drinks to the others. The guard sighed. "You can come up now..." I stood up and asked. "Who are they and why do...they have the right to hurt my species?" "They call themselves the Exterminators. They consider Zebra's an evil... Don't worry you will be leaving in a few days and they are only here for a day. They feel they have a right..since some Zebra's do cause heck around here..there are some tribes that demand..ponies to pay for their crimes." I blinked and sighed. "So..my friends and I wake up in a world so backwards..." I stroked the bridge of my muzzle with my hoof and sighing. The two of us got back to work. June walked in to get a drink and Bowser came in as well he was whining and stroking his arms. They both come to the bar and Bowser growls softly. "These...ponies came in...and tried to accuse me of being a hell hound... I told them... I am a Diamond...dog..." He growled... Rubbing a bruise on his arm. I set down some Sparkle Cola to him. "Drink that up and we will be out of here soon Bowser." June sighed and sat on her haunches. "I don't like this world...." She layed her head on the bar sighing. I looked to the two and smile. "We will be on our way in a day or so." She blinks seeing one of the Exterminator's come towards her. I looked and tried to hide... June looked at the strange pony. "May I help you?" She said softly. "Last...time I saw one of your species...they refused to help ponies... Because of the past..." June snorts. "I am sorry to upset you, sir... I just came to this world from a cryo tube they called it... Along with my three friends..here..." I stood up. "Four..." He gasped grabbing his gun aiming at me. "I was there before the war started...before you try shooting me...you better learn...I had nothing to do with that war in the past... My family was murdered by the Black Hooves." A gasp came out from the ponies in the bar. He dropped his gun... "The Black...hooves?" He gulped. "Yes...they are the ones that took us from our families 200 years ago and did this to us." I lifted one of my hooves to the bar and Drift open the chest of her coat to show. "They took my eyes..grrr..." June grunts taping the horns. "We aren't your enemies.... Exterminator, I am a Zebra of the past..not one of this time... So don't put me in the same light as the ones now." I went back to work. As the Stallion left. The guard walked in. "Come on everypony it's time for closing.." Drift was red in the face as a stallion held her hoof and basically kept telling her how beautiful she was. The guard pushed the stallion out of the way. "Now now lover boy leave the mare alone." He turned to Drift giving her a wink as she blushed deep red..hiding her face with a wing. The ponies started to pour out... I chuckled and looked to Drift. "Drift you have been asked to go to bed with ten stallions and two mares." Drift had a bright red face. "I don't...know... I was never this attractive back then. Could it have something to do with this?" She opens the coat again to show the chest orb. I gave a nod. "Maybe. I could check for you." Drift gave a nod and I put my hoof up to connect to it and then here I got again. I went inside the machine and the computer starts to speak. "Ah, you have returned... YAY!!" It made a part and dance.. and then stopped.. "Now...what brings you here?" I blinked and coughed. "Does this machine make the wearer more attractive?" The computer laughed. "No, it doesn't it doesn't affect the attractiveness of the wearer. The mare is just that attractive. It is why she was chosen for this. She has that beauty that could make her a great spy.." Chuckles. "All the sexual tension she could cause. It would be impressive." I sighed. "Okay, so any terminal can give an update?" The computer chuckles. "Yes yes... Now you done?" I nodded and was kicked out and shook my head. "It has nothing to do with that Drift..it seems you just have that beauty." I gave a smirk her face turned bright red. "Th..that's what my husband told me every day." Bubble gum walked in and smiled. "Thank you for all the work you did for us today..the caravan will be leaving in two days do you four think you can handle staying here for two more days?" I gave a nod so did the others. Bubble gum looked through the caps we made and she gave us half of it. "Since you are working hard for us... You will get half. I would say have one of you hold it... We will be giving you saddle bags armour and weapons even food. But this is the time we can help you for free. If you return you will be treated like we treat every pony here.." I gave a nod. "Thank you, Bubble gum... Is there a place we can stay in?" Bubble gum thought a moment. "There is a room that we give to the biggest payers... But since you are our guest for two more days you may stay in it for free. Food for being there for you along with drinks. Also please miss Rose..stay out of the way of the Exterminators." I gave a nod as she lead us to our room in our room was armour made specifically made for each of us.. Along with bags and weapons. I was given a pistol and something called a Zebra energy sniper. Bowser was given a large Minigun. June was given heavy armour and had smgs attached to it. Drift was given Pegasus type armour with a plasma weapon attached to it. "I don't...care for this world..." She said softly. A knock came to the door as a stallion walked in and came up to Drift and she was bright red in the face. "Helloo..." She said softly. He smiled and leaned down to kiss her hoof. Her face turned bright red and there was a whisper in her ear and she backed up blushing deeper giggling. I grew tired of this and stood in front of her and stared at the stallion. "Listen, big guy...we are new to this world...so... I don't think it's wise...for her to go anywhere with you." The stallion stared at me. "Don't worry miss... I am not like those other stallions that wanted to just rape her... I want to take her on a walk and make sure she is treated well." Bowser growled softly. Drift walked over to the stallion. "I will be fine... Rose..." She looks to her and the orb had words come up on it... "If I am not back..in an hour find me." I gave her a nod. Bowser growled softly June didn't seem very happy about this either... As Drift left with the Stallion. "Grrr, you're letting her go?!" Bowser wasn't happy. "Shhh if she is not back...in an hour...we will go search for her." I said unsure Bowser growled softly and June was unsure herself. "I am going to get some rest..." June said softly and layed on one of the beds. Bowser sat by himself unhappy that we let Drift go and I sat in a chair reading a book. An hour later we heard a knock on the door and the stallion walked in without Drift. Bowser stood up growling. "What happened to her?!" The stallion blinked. "Oh um I um..." Bowser goes to the stallion and forces him against the wall forcing his claws in his neck. "talk or I will dig into you." The stallion gulped. "Okay.... Okay, she...was taken from me by the guards... They wished to speak to her." I stood up quickly so did June and Bowser. "Lead us there." The stallion gulped and he did so... We heard crying and screaming and we broke in as Bubble Gum stood in front of Drift who was crying bruised and bleeding blood coming from between her legs. Bowser and June rushed to Drift and Bowser hugged her as she sobbed. "You two...had no right to do this to her!! She is our guest." Bubble gum said in an angry voice. I stood beside her and stared at her. "Is there any punishment for crimes like this?" Bubble gum looked to me. "Sadly sometimes no...this is normal for our world." Suddenly Bowser charged at them both out of nowhere and killed one of them with his claws howling in anger... "Bowser stop!!" I yelled but Bubble gum stopped me shaking her head. "This is how we deal with crime. They will be replaced." She said giving a nod to me as the other tried to fight back and bowser's eyes showed his anger and killed the other. Rushing back to Drift... "She needs a doctor!" June said Bubble Gum nodded. Bowser picked her up and she sobbed so hard. As Bubble gum lead us to the infirmary. As a mare with crossbones for a cutie mark and she was a light blue unicorn with light red eyes and she gasped.. "...Wh...what happened?" She said with a stutter. "She was raped by the guards... Bones.." She looked up gasping and pushed off a bunch of interments off the table. "S..et her here.." Bowser set her there, stroking the crying mare's mane.. "Shhh, its grrr okay Drift...we are here.." I stood guard by the door just in case. Drift softly spoke sobbing. "I...t..trusted them... Bubble gum followed us and then they started hurting me and did this to me.." She sobbed hard as I stood by the door and a guard came in. "Bubble Gum to.....of..." It was Bound trot seeing Drift and Bubble Gum gave her an angry look. "She was....raped by two of your ponies... Bound trot...now...go find better ponies to be guards..that won't hurt our guest." Bound trot sighed nodding. She walked over to Drift and Drift looked at her with bright red eyes from all the crying. "I don't like this...world... I want to go home.....back to Equestria to my family.." She sobs hard and Bowser held her close as Bones did everything she could for her wounds. I stayed silent. "We will keep doing for you ponies..then we will leave.." I said and Bubble gum nodded. "I am very sorry for this...the Factory ponies will be told about this. There are more than us living in Factories like this..so you will be treated with respect each one you come to." I just stared at her looking back to Drift. "If this happens again... Bubble Gum I can tell you that I won't stop Bowser here..." Bubble gum nods. "Or would I want you to Desert Rose. I am going to contact the other factories around the Michitrot area... I will let them know you four are to be trusted." I nodded and she trotted off. Bones gasped staring at the machine in Drift's chest. "Oh my, how did this happen?" Looking through the machine. "Before we got frozen..some ponies from Black Hoof placed it in her along with what I have and so forth." Bones looked up and nodded. "It's connected to her emotions. It's purple right now because she is sad." Said Bones sighing. Drift calmed down leaning into Bowser and he smiled. "See I won't let anypony hurt you Drift." Drift smiled and nuzzled into him and whispered in her ear. "I would be honoured to be your bodyguard.." He said softly. She smiled and the orb in her chest went back to a calm colour and Bones smiled. "It seems you will be fine, they didn't release any of their ahem in you... So you won't get pregnant... So go enjoy your night." Drift nodded and flew off the table standing by me as June grunted, standing on the other side of Drift. "If anyone..comes towards you Drift... I will gore them." June said with a smirk. Bowser walked the other side of her as we headed back to our room. When we walked in there was a robot standing there. I blinked and the others got ready to attack. "Whoa whoa.." The robot said softly. "I mean you no...harm...you may call me Forge... I am waiting for you at Trotting Creek. But I am sure you wonder why I woke you four up..." I gave a nod as the others lied on their beds. As the robot spoke to me. "There is a battle about to start...a war you could say..between the flesh and the robotic... We need to put a stop to it..before it starts up.." I blinked. "Is that why we got these upgrades?" The robot looked at them and blinked. "I need to do more research on this matter but... I don't have much time..anymore..to speak to you..." The robot overloaded and then fell in a heap. I sighed and I went to my bed and I fell asleep. _____________________ Next day. Drift and I were back to work at the bar. She was more unsure about stallions flirting with her but she did blush a few times... I heard her giggling when she was talking to another mare who was hitting on her. I kept working but not talking. It was hard for her that every stallion that came up to her ask for sex... She just kept saying no... But she did offer them a drink but not for free. "I um...." Drift blushed... "I don't swing..that way miss..thank you, though... But I can give you our drinks here." The mare chuckles and nodded "I will take some water then." Drift sets down in front of her. "I am sorry that I don't swing..that way..but thank you.." Drift said softly... The mare smirks and heads back to her table. "I swear.... Drift sooner or later you're going to find your future husband here..." Drift blushed. "I was a bartender back home...that's how I met him." Drift smiled and her eyes went wide... As a Pegasus stallion walked in he was blue he had no cutie mark and was in heavy armour. He leaned on the bar. "Hello...beautiful.." She gulped staring at him. Her wings poofed out. "I...u...um hello..." She stared at the stallion and I leaned into Drift whispering. "I could leave you two alone.." I said with a smirk. Drift looked to me and regained herself... "Ahem...I am Drift s...s..sir." The stallion smirked. "I am Blitz wing... I think you're so beautiful..." Drift blushed so deep red and giggles. "I um....um....can I get you to drink?" The stallion smiled and held her hoof. "I would rather drink from your beauty..." Drifts face turns bright, bright red. I rolled my eyes face hoofing. Calmly got between them and looked to the stallion. "Sir...maybe order...rather than flirting with her.." He smirked at me and chuckled "I will take some whiskey." I nodded and gave him a bottle he set down a few extra caps and then leaned on the bar. "Maybe we could talk later...beauty.." He winked at Drift and she blushed so red and I looked to her staring at her and she just seemed to stay focused on him. She then said. "I want...his foals..." I was drinking water and spit from it...looking at her... "Drift...you don't even know him...." Drift looked up to me and blushed deeply. "S...sorry. I wish to get to know him.." She regains herself and then goes back to her job. I sighed thinking we need to get out of here before... Drift gets married here... I went back to my job and looked up seeing Puzzle again. He looked around with fear. "Rose...there is a storm coming... A nasty storm. It's Tornado weather... I am going to go warn Bubble Gum... So please find a place to hide." Puzzle went after to warn Bubble Gum. Then my eyes went wide.. "Oh, shit June is out there... Drift..." She was at the bar flirting with Blitz wing who came closer and they even kissed... "DRIFT!!" She jumped up looking at me. "Go outside...quickly...see if you can find June." Drift flew out of the bar and flew out the door the wind blowing so hard as she flew out into it. Blitz looked at me blinking. "I am going with her..." He flew out quickly to catch her. I was worried and then Bubble spoke over the intercom. "Ponies go back to your rooms lock yourself in there and get ready for the storm." The bar started to close down as I went back to the room and on the way, I ran into Bowser. "OH, it's bad out there..." There was a sudden hit of a flash against the side of the building and it shook. "Bowser, June and Drift are out there..." Bowser blinks and the two of us nod and rush outside. June and the one's she patrolled with return along with Drift and Blitz wing. "It's coming!!" Drift yells and suddenly the building started to shake a groan. Parts of the building came down on us as June's armor formed on her to protect her. Blitz wing pushed Drift out of the way some falling on him. After awhile as soon as it started it ended and started to pour down rain... The roof was worst for wear but no holes... I looked up gasping "JUNE!!!" Pointing my hoof up at the falling metal and stuff. June stood there ready to take it on. As I went to help get Blitz wing from under the metal and we all headed ...In as June hit some of the metal away that was about to smash into us... Bowser looked around. "There are no ponies under anything." We rushed in to hear sudden crashing. I panted softly. "What was that?!" Blitz wing groaned. "Tornado....a category one...if it was higher more would be dropping." He groans trying to stand up. But his leg is broken. "You saved... Drift...if you want to be with her...you better treat...her right..." Bowser said growling. Blitz smirked. "Yes, father..." Bowser growls deeply and Bones rushed in to take Blitz away Drift following. "June go outside and see if any ponies are out there... Bowser come with me see if they need us for anything." June nods and rushes outside. Bowser walks along with me as we check each room to see if the ponies are okay... Then we go check on Bubble Gum and she is fine as well. "Do you wish us to open the bar back up Bubble?" She nodded. I smiled and trotted off to get back into the bar. Drift came back as well and smiled at me. Drift seemed to be walking on air. "He wants...to come with us Rose...can he?" I smiled nodding. "It may be awhile..but I told him where we are heading..." I nodded and gave her a gentle hug. As Bowser went back to his job and June came back in. "No ponies outside just a lot of fire damage everywhere." I gave a nod as Drift and I started to take care of the bar she went to clean tables with her hooves and a towel. Bubblegum came in. "We will be keeping the bar open through the night... Since this happen and the caravan will be leaving a day after tomorrow so be ready for it." Gave her a nod as ponies started walking back in. I smiled softly and Drift started having stallions all over her and she backed away. "Sorry...boys I am spoken for.." She winks and goes back behind the bar... She whispers in my ear. "Not really but I don't like all this craziness of being all over me....it would make you think I am the only mare of beauty here." I laugh giving a nod. Going back to work and the storm got worse outside. I blinked seeing Puzzle again. "Puzzle the Pegasus don't control the weather anymore?" Puzzle sighs. "The Pegasus broke themselves off from the rest of the world while ponies down here were dying." Drift looks up hearing that her ears fall. Then another Ghoul walks in my eyes went wide... Seeing the mare come in with a shipment of food water. Drift and I walked over to her. "Ditzy?" Ditzy turned around and her eyes went wide seeing the two of us. She set down her chalkboard writing down and lifting it up. "Drift? Rose?" We both nodded. She gave us both a tight hug. She then rushed outside and gave us a book wasteland survival guide for this area. She put down the chalkboard again writing. "It's free it will tell you about many things of this area to avoid." Gave her a nod. She then lifts it back up after cleaning it and writing again. "I need to be going..maybe you could explain to me why you all vanished sometime." I gave a nod and she went outside and flew off with her wagon. Drift lifted up the boxes that Ditzy left behind and went behind the bar to open them up and get them ready... I go clean tables that ponies leave behind and I see those ponies again one of them stares at me. I speak softly. "Look... I am a zebra oh no... I am the boogie mare... I was not part of the Zebra's that helped destroy the past... I was locked in a cryo tube by The Black Hoof." The pony gulped looking away. The leader of the exterminators walks up to me he was a large stallion I looked up at him. "I'm Noodle..." I blinked. "Um...may I help you?" The large stallion stared at me. "I can't help but notice you're a Zebra not hiding from us..like most do...why?" I looked up to him... "Should I be? Heck, I am sure you could kill me right now if you wanted but... I don't fear you." I stared at the large stallion he reared up to attack me and I quickly cartwheeled out of the way and took my hooves and smashed into his chest in pressure points. Just enough to stun him. He fell to the floor and coughed. "Attack me again... I dare you..." I walked away from him to get back to work. Many guns from the Exterminator ponies aimed at me. Drift grew angry and she smashed into the ground with her hooves causing them all to fall. "Enough.." Drift shouted... Then calmed down as they stood up gulping. "Now sit down and we shall serve you.." She said in a sweet bubbly smile. They nod sitting back down and the other ponies in the bar clapped their hooves together and on the ground cheering me and Drift. Drift blushed softly and I chuckled. "Now come let's enjoy our lives instead of trying to fight and murder.." I softly said and Puzzle smirked. "You haven't changed Desert...now if I may, what happen to you?" I sighed. "The Black Hoof killed my family captured me Drift here... Bowser and June." June rushed in. "Storm is getting worse out there!! There is so much water out there." Puzzle looked to June and smiled. "Sadly that is normal sometimes we get a little flooding in here." June grunts and snorts. Seeming to look around and staring at the ponies. See one of them lift a gun with their magic aiming for Desert Rose... She charged and the pony screamed in pain and the gun fell and she pulled her horn out of the ponies ass. "Never do that...again.." She snorts at the pony and goes to the bar. The pony sobs softly. As he keeps saying "MY ASS!!" I rolled my eyes laughing softly. Shaking my head and the bar started to close we had to wait one more day before we could leave... Drift and I stayed in the bar to clean it up. June went to go check on Bowser. I sighed looking towards the ponies staring at me. Looking to Drift. "Drift it seems I am an enemy to these ponies." Drift blinks and looks towards the ponies staring at them. Looks back to me and shrugs with a nicker. "Let them... I think just let them do this." I nodded and my stomach growled. "Hmm want to have some dinner?" She nodded as we made some food for us and Bowser and June walked in. They sitting with us getting food and drinks of their own... "I learned no one has seen a Buffalo for 200 years." June sighed. "I learned something." Bowser said. "I learned that I am never going back home...the hoof is insane apparently. Extremely insane." I stayed silent. Drift spoke up... "I heard that Pegasus no longer..control the weather and that... Princess Celestia and Luna are dead..." I blinked sighing. "So I have a feeling we will be learning more about what happen to the past... On our journey." The others gave a nod as Blitz wing walked over limping and giving Drift a deep kiss. As she is blushing deeply in it. Bowser coughed as the orb on her chest could be seen glowing brightly. Drift broke the kiss giggling. "I will see you in Trotting Creek... I can't leave here for a few days... So stay beautiful.." Drift Giggles and he kisses her again as he walks off. I rolled my eyes snorted. "Whatever happened to dating but I guess in this world there won't be much of dating." Drift blushes gently. "From what he told me...since they never know if they will live to see the next day and so on... It's hard to get a good date." I looked to Drift and nodded sighing. "We got one more day here..." Bowser sighed. "I want to get moving soon...after that Tornado, I am told that happens a lot around this time of year." June snorted eating her food. "It's very deadly outside... It's not peaceful." I nodded and drank from the food. as Bubble Gum came down from her office and gave us our share and she smiled. "Thank you for your kindness... I got in contact with the other Factories they will give you jobs if needed. You will be trusted so yes I do hope you four have a peaceful trek to Trotting Creek." I looked over to her and nickered nodding. "One more day then we can get going." Bubble Gum nodded. "You two wish to stay here and keep being bartenders?" The pink earth pony mare asked. Drift and I look to her and smile. "Sure we will work here one more day... Then I will write up a list for your next tender of how to work here... It's not that hard really it's pretty easy... Also...make sure your next tender is not as beautiful as Drift." Drift looked to me with a very angry look in her soft eyes but smiled. Then posed saying in a very soft voice. "I can't help if my beauty brings all the stallions to the bar." I face hoofed "Oh...seriously Drift I like you...but acting like that is going to make me want to slap you." Drift smiled sweetly and gave me a friendly nuzzle. Bubble Gum smiled and headed back to her office. Then I went back to eating, same for Drift. "So....did anyone learn what parts of Equestria got hit?" I looked up asking. Drift sighed.. "I heard Manehatten and other areas but I have no idea... Maybe we will learn?" Bowser looked up from eating and he looked at the ponies that were staring at us. Outside the storm was getting worse. The flash hit outside over and over. "Damn....and I thought the Pegasus made storms got intense.." I said softly watching outside slowly ending our dinner. "I am going to head back to our room." June said and slowly got off the chair looking at the ponies and did a fake charge at them and they screamed. She trotted off laughing. I smirked as the ponies stared at me and I winked. "I am going to head back to our room... I need some rest.." Bowser said and walked out of the bar looking to the ponies and stared at them. His eyes changing color to look inside their bodies. "Hmm if you don't relax those hearts of yours are going to give out..and I would say lay off the drugs." He smirks and his eyes go back to normal heading back to our room. The ponies feared him to and they looked towards Drift who was eating her hay burger. Drift looked up to the ponies and opened the chest of her coat. She gave them a look like try it. I turned my head to look at them staring. "Come... Drift lets..head to our room." Drift nodded and walked beside me we stared at the ponies who stared at us. I gave them a smile, softly speaking. "You know boys... If you do want to have some fun..you could just ask me for some time in bed... It would be more fun...then shooting me." I said to them with a wink. They gave me a look of anger and hate... Then before I fully went back to my room. "Oh, and my husband 200 years ago was a pony..and he gave me foals... So I am up for anything." I said to them with a wink swishing my tail and ass at them and I heard one of them vomit and I laughed. Bubble Gum rushed to me and whispered. "You will be leaving tomorrow. The whispers of you and your friends are causing an issue with the Steel Rangers. They heard of the devices you have. So I had to move the caravan to the tomorrow." I gave a smile nodding. "Thank you miss Bubble... I am sorry if we caused any problems." She smiled shaking her head. "Don't worry about it.." I smiled and then went back into our room. Bowser is working on something June is laying in her bed and they look up to me. "We will be leaving tomorrow apparently ponies called the Steel Ranger's learned about us... So we will be leaving early in the morning. So it's best to get some sleep but I am going to go learn more about them... Will you three be alright?" Bowser nods and he sits by Drift as she leans into her friend seeming to relax agents the large Diamond dog. June nodded and laid her head on her pillow falling asleep. I left the room and went to Bubble Gum's office I blinked leaning on the door hearing them talk. "Bound Trot..we can't...do this to them... They're our guest. We can't just have the caravan take them to Steel rangers." Bubble Gum sighed softly. "The Steel Rangers are offering us a lot of caps." "Fine... I guess we will do it.." I grew angry but then I silently trotted off and went into the doctor's office. To see Blitz wing. "Blitz.." I shook him awake and he looked at me... "What?" I looked at him whispering "Bubble gum is setting us up on a caravan that will lead us into the Steel Rangers...do you have a map to get us to Trotting Creek?" Blitz nodded and goes through is bag offering the map. "You better get going... I will meet you in Hickory corners." I gave him a nod and trotted off to the room. "Wake up!!" June stands up on her hooves Bowser looked up so did Drift. "Get ready..we are leaving.." They nod as we get our armor and bags. We slowly sneak out and Bubble Gum trotted up to us looking towards us. "Why are you leaving?" I stared at her. "I heard your talk with Bound Trot...you wish to give us up to the Steel rangers for caps." I stared at her as she looks down sighing. "Go...go right to the bridge and don't look back... If you keep going to you will get to the ruins of Trotting Creek. Please hurry the steel rangers will be in their position tomorrow." We nod and we rush out one the guards stops us for a moment. "Thank you for your help you better get going...they will be heading down this way in six hours.." I nodded and we ran off into the ruins of Detrot. This was going to be a long trek and path. We head right into the ruins. I look towards the factory as we start running as fast as we can..away from the factory... I was told it would take us a few hours to get to the bridge. But for now, we are safe... Drift was flying beside me... Bowser was on all fours going very fast and June was ahead looking at every spot to make sure..we are good she stops every now and then to look. Bowser looks as well and with the steam from her horns. It shows its fine. We vanish into the night and become one with the waste... Chapter two: The bridge.We have found a place to sleep after getting many miles away from the factory we had stayed at. June stood guard because she didn't seem to want to sleep as much. Bowser had cooked for us as well when we woke up and Drift flew off to find the best way to the bridge. When she returned she told us on the bridge is a large town. But she doesn't know if it's friendly. I nodded and we got ourselves ready to leave. From what I noticed we stayed in an old bank. I even had looked through the terminal to see if there were any upgrades. But from what I was told it would only be from military terminal's. To get our upgrades. The Ai in my hooves would send me a message in my brain to tell me where the closest one is. But at the moment there is none. But we left the bank and we did what we did before. June sticking ahead using her horn's to release steam to let us know it's fine. Bowser still searching with his eyes to make sure nothing will get in front of us. Drift stayed with beside me. But we finally saw the bridge and going through many ruins. Looking up I noticed the cloud's just stayed there no sun no nothing. Hearing gun shot's to the right of us. But we ignored it and kept rushing to the bridge seeing a gate in our way. I knocked on the door with my hoof. A pony opened it and stared at us and then his eyes went wide. "It’s you four Bubble gum told us to expect you. Quickly!" He opens the door with a mare and we rush in as we heard more gun's behind us. Then the door's closed quickly and bullets smashed into the gate's and we heard yells outside. " You can't keep us out of there forever!!" The stallion yells back. " We will never let you get past." I blinked a moment looking at the entire city on a bridge." Anyway, welcome to Bridge city. This bridge is sixty miles long. It would take you two days just to get through it. Lucky for you some of the bridge is tamed. While some parts are off-limits." June snorted looking around. The Buffalo just stood there. Her eye's studying everything like it was going to harm her. " But there is a bar here looking for some folk's that could work for them. Then we can get a caravan moving to bypass the bridge. But it would take maybe a few days to get it set up. Since the bridge is not wise to walk along alone. " June snorted again stomping her hooves. "I will ask if they need a bouncer." I chuckled but noticed how many ponies gave Bowser some nasty looks. I stood beside him he looked around with his eyes. He looked to be like he was studying something." Then he looked back down at me the eyes retracting back into his head. " This bridge is made to last forever. But there are some spot's the metal need's some work. But I doubt they can get down there to fix it." The stallion guard blinks. " Wait you can see the weakness in the metal?" Bowser turned to look at the guard nodding. " Yes The Black Hooves Gave me this eye's so I can see some pretty interesting things like that mare that works with you she is pregnant. That old mare her heart has clogs in it. That mare walking from that brothel she...." He cover's his eyes. " Yeah, enough of looking into their bodies.." I blinked a moment looking at the mare walking strangely then looked up to him. He looked down at me. Then I understood what he saw. Drift got some odd look's because of her wing's. Her face was bright red from all the looks. The orb in her chest glowed bright red. " Alright, let’s see what we can find here job-wise. Then maybe we might find more terminal's to update more of these machines on us." We walked to the bar. Many ponies staring at us. My metal hooves clipped along the bridge. A large bouncer stallion stood in front of us. " You don't belong here!!" The stallion said. He looked at me. I could tell he didn't like zebras. I heard the armor on June's body form. Then smashed into him tossing him away. The armor going back into the horns. I looked to see the stallion smash into the ground. Seeming to pass out from the pain. But I didn't hear any bones break when he landed. I do feel bad for him though. I feel very bad for him. " Now we can go in," June said snorting. I sighed nodding went inside the bar. I sat at the bar. Looking to the tender who is a mare in a maid outfit. " Excuse me miss we are looking for the owner of the bar." The mare just stared at us. " Speaking dear. I'm the owner of this bar. You can call me Hops. But how may I help you all?" I sighed looking towards the others. " Well, they said we need to get a job. Before we are allowed to leave on a caravan. If you could we would like jobs. I would mind working behind the bar. Since Bubble gum gave me and Drift here those jobs." Hops smirked. " OH Bubble Gum sent you eh? Good good. She must like you, folks if she sent you here. There are other ways to get to the other side. But ten time's more deadly. Since most of the bridges are either broken or ran by Steel rangers or raiders. So I can give you and the Pegasus. A bartending job. I can give" She looks at Bowser. " Oh sorry miss. I am Bowser a diamond dog. I was given these eyes to see through things. So If you need someone to search for you I can do it." She nodded. " I have never seen a creature like you speak so pony like." Bowser sighed. "A group of ponies helped me learn. They helped me learn manners." I nodded but something came up in my vision military terminal in the back of the bar. " Um...excuse me miss. May I use that military terminal you have in the back?" The bartender gave me an odd look. " How do you know that I have that?" I sighed and smiled. " The Black Hooves did some nasty things to me and my friends. They infused us with strange robotic parts. That seemed to be connected to every one of us." The tender nodded. " But after that, I need some work done so you wish to help us before we allow you to leave?" We gave a nod sighing the four of us went into the back. Lifting my hoof to get connected to the terminal. The wire's from my hoof connected into the terminal. My vision went into the computer and the voice spoke. " OH Well again miss Desert Rose. I see that you found another terminal now let’s see...Ah yes, this update will place more of the cybernetics up your legs protecting your bones. Now for the others. Ah, your Diamond dog friend will be able to see through thicker walls. The other mare will have protected wings. Learning to fly with those will take time. Now June's armor will be thicker. But for you, this will take time to download. So up for some card games?" I gasped a bit in pain feeling the download take effect. It hurt when it entered my brain. But I played cards with the computer. " So what have you found since you have been going around?" The computer asked. " Well, the entire world is dead. From bombs that fell at the end of the war. It seems most of the land is fully dead. But I do hope it gets healed. " I said with a grin. But I could see the computers face frown and he sighed. " It's sad to hear that to bad I can't download myself into your head. Then you can see me wandering around as something I wish to be part of." The computer said snickering. I gasped feeling the metal fusing with my bones. It hurt so much. But then the download was done and he smiled. " Now remember it will hurt your friends. to do this. Now I will let you go." I groaned but I spoke again. " No, I need to know more about these devices. What was the real reason they were made? I doubt they were made because of this war." The computer thought a moment and tried to dig into the files. " Hmm, let’s see what was the biggest reason for these. Ah, they were made to help crippled ponies and blind creatures. But of course, it didn't end up being used for that. The Black Hooves wanted to find a way into a land...Called Wymarnic to find the Blue Hats. So that's why they’re after you." Blinking a moment. I heard stories of a group of ponies called the Blue hats in that area. But why would they want to go to that land? It's not like its a simple way to get in there. " I am sorry I wish I could be more helpful to you, Miss Desert Rose. But of course, it's a lot harder to help you then you think. Now I need to rest the download screwed me over. So The next terminal you find you will see it in your vision." My mind finally got thrown back out of the computer. Shaking my head and Drift stared at my legs. " Rose...your legs...what happen?" I smiled weakly moving my legs with no issue but I felt the metal in my bones. " its an upgrade. You ready for your upgrade?" Drift nodded I placed my hoof to her chest infusing the wires into her. As it downloaded her upgrade. her wings grew some strange armor but she closed her eyes a concentrated and the armor turned into her fur color she smiled flapping the wings. It hurt at first. But of course, she would have to get used to it. The wire's left the device. She went over to Bowser. " Sorry big guy." She lifted her hoof the wire's going into the eyes. The download happens and he groaned as he blinked. " So I will see through thicker walls? What is this used to catch someone's daughter having sex?" I laughed removing the wires going to June placing the wires in her cybernetics. June snorted blinking at the fact that her armor gets thicker. This is amazing to her but when she spoke she laughed. " So that's it I get thicker? Oh if my family could see me now. I am so thick." She laughs softly. After the downloads finished we walked back out to the bartender." " Alright now, what jobs do you have for us?" The tender looked to be and Drift. " Alright, I would like you two to help me with the bar. I would like your Diamond dog and your Buffalo to patrol with the guards. We may be protected here but we do get some crazy ponies." June nodded. Bowser nodded as well they walked out. Drift and I got behind the bar now it was time to see if we could do this again. But I see most of the time that Drift would get hit on again. Looking over to Drift who placed on a uniform looking to Me she offered one to me in her mouth. Sighing I placed it on. 00000 This was pretty much the same as the factory Drift got hit on by every male and female. Most just ignored me and I just gave them the drinks. But of course, some of my species came into the bar. I didn't know who they are but the mare sat on a stool in front of me. " I have hard stories about you. Miss Rose." I looked up to her not sure what she heard. " That you were around before the war and woke up after the bombs had fallen." I sighed looking away a moment then nodded. " Yes I was there before the war and then woke up after the war ended. I was happily married to a pony stallion and he was convinced to turn on me or be killed. But he was killed anyway along with my family in a fire. Then they blamed me for it." The mare blinked nodding. " I see so is it true that you run with three others?" Nodding. " Yes, I run with three others. The other is.." Looked over to Drift who is flirting with a stallion sighing softly. "Drift!!" Drift blinked looking over to me blushing trotting over. " Um yes??" " This is Drift. She was frozen along with me. Also, It seems she attracts anything that wants to sleep with her." Drift blushed deeply. " I don't know why I never had this happen to me before." The Zebra laughed. " It could be that device in your chest." Drift blinked looking at the device in her chest. It glowed brightly but it had an odd question mark in it. Like it wasn't sure how it worked itself. "Maybe this device is very strange even to me. I'm learning how to use it and what to make of it. But I need to control my emotions." I lifted my front hoof. " I have to deal with these and the fact my entire legs are now metal. Whatever they did to us. I'm now fully going to become a full metal Zebra at the end of this journey." I hated the fact that most of my life is going to be defined by these cybernetics. Maybe I will learn why these were created again. I will never understand. But maybe someday I will understand Then again maybe not. "Hmm, I see well I was on my way to Wymarnic they welcome Zebras but no ponies from the outside. It's run by Gang members who hate pony outsiders." Blinking a part of Equestria I have heard about before hating pony outsiders but not Zebra's. Huh, I could be welcomed there maybe they could use me. But I feel maybe we need to head to that place that robot told me to lead us to. "Well we would follow you but we have a mission. It's not an easy mission but we need to get to Battle trot" The mare nodded. "I'm known as Stripped. Yeah, I was a slave for a long time born as a slave. So I got named this by a pony and raised by ponies. So it's why I no longer really care about my kind. But I still get attacked like I am a Zebra. Well, I may be one just being raised with ponies is different." Nodding. "I was raised by ponies as well. Since well most of my family died trying to get to Equestria away from Rome. I don't blame them myself. The stories I heard about it when I was young it's a good thing. That I didn't live there myself. But I had a family I wish I still did and not be in this nightmare." Stripped smiled. " The war was a bigger nightmare, Desert Rose. I am sure you would be one of those ghouls roaming around if you stayed. But It seems you two are sure close." "Of course." Drift said with a smile. " I care deeply for my friend here and our other friends." We heard a big commotion outside and the sound of Bowser and June. "You have no right to hurt this Zebra," Bowser yelled. Then a pony is smashed through the door. June ran inside the bar, her armor to allow bullets to smash into her thick armor. Hops shook her head standing right beside June. " ENOUGH!!" The ponies that were trying to harm the Zebra outside turned to her. They looked at her with fear. This mare is very small but she seems to have a temper. " These four are under my protection and they can protect themselves. Their leader is a Zebra. So if I see you ponies harm anymore Zebra's" I walked out of the bar my metal hooves clomping on the ground. I had to make a show. " Who is the leader of this group of attackers?" The ponies pointed to a large stallion who had a patch over his eye. "How about this I fight you.. and If I win you leave us alone If you win. We will leave." The stallion thought a moment looking at my hooves. "No, I know what happens to you. The Black hooves destroyed your lives in the past. I don't think you need to prove yourselves if you had to run away from them. We need all we can get to protect ourselves from the attack that is coming. from the ponies outside." Nods. " Good to see a pony of this future is respectful sir." The stallion smiles. " Just call me Spikes. I don't dare fight a mare that I could mate with." He winked at me. I just stared at him like he was a nut. Why would he wink at me? I am not even interested in a random fun time. Maybe that needs to change. My family is no longer alive. my husband is not either. Maybe I need to be loose. Giving a small smile. " Let me see how I feel after our jobs here. If you be a good boy and start harming other zebra's I could lower myself to you." I gave him a wink and walked back into the bar. June just stared at me and snorted. " You would risk getting pregnant to that guy?" June seemed very upset as the prospect, of course, Bowser rolled his eyes. We all knew June was very protective of us. " No June just to see if he would leave us alone for the time being. if I really want a stallion it would be a Zebra." June smirked then rushed at the ponies that are still over the bleeding Zebra they all run from her but she just stopped near the Zebra. She laughed and Hops along with Stripes helped the Zebra up helping her inside the Bar. " Come along Bowser lets keep up this simple job." Bowser turned to me and Drift he looked annoyed that He had to work with such a crazy female. The two went off and I sighed shaking my head. Drift went back to flirting with stallions. Of course, I did see her leave the bar a few times. " Um, Hops were is she going?" " There is a bed in the back. She has been using it." I sighed in anger going over to Drift pulling her away from the stallion. " Drift this has to end you need to protect your body. We can't have you getting pregnant." Drift ear's pinned to the back of her head looking down tear's streamed from her face. I could tell that hurt her alot. "I miss my family, Rose. I wish I didn't have to do this to make myself happy. " I sighed shaking my head a bit looking over to Hops. " Hops is there a place we can stay at?" Hops gave a nod. " There is an empty apartment upstairs." "Thank You I need to talk to Drift." Hops nodded. Opening the door for us allowing the two of us to go upstairs. 000000 The Apartment was pretty the same it looked like a very nicely kept together apartment looking at Drift who had tear's in her eye's still. I didn't know what to say to her. But I was angry I didn't want her to get pregnant and then we had to take care of a little one while we go on our journey. "Drift look. I am sorry but you can't sleep with every stallion you see. It will make it harder for us to do our journey." Drift sighed. "I can't help it... This thing in my chest controls my emotions and my bodily functions as well. Maybe it's a flaw?" Thinking a moment nodding lifting my hoof the wire's slowly come out of the hoof connecting to the orb in her chest. I hated it when this happens my brain is transported to the computer realm again. The computer looks at me blinking. " Miss Rose, why are you bothering me again?" I had to figure out how to ask this thinking a bit and then finally spoke. "I'm trying to understand why does the device that was given to Drift makes her so sexy to stallions and well some mares. She has been mating with every stallion she has met lately. I'm worried that we will have to deal with a pregnant mare. sooner or later." The computer stared at me a moment. " Hmm let me see." The computer pony looked through the device's code and whatever else. "Oh, it's a feature that can be turned off. Basically, it's a way for the pony to spread his or her foals around just in case there is a need for more. So it thinks there are not enough ponies in the world thanks to the bomb. But I think it's not wise to turn it off. It's healthy for her to do this." "But she is going to get pregnant. I don't want that to happen if we go battle someone." " Listen Desert Rose I understand you care about Drift. But you need to let her make her own choices. If she gets pregnant it';s her choice. It’s like with you. You might find your lover along this journey. You might get pregnant yourself. You can't just control what she does. This could be her only chance." I sighed shaking my head. " I figured talking to you would be a bad idea since.. You don't seem to fully get how ponies are." " Oh no no I get it. It's just something I had to think about it while I was being forced in you four. I can tell that Drift thinks of you as her leader. If you tell her no and to clean herself up she will do it. But maybe she needs these random bouts of sex to make her happy and feel better. Like with your friend June she needs to be an ass to make herself happy." Sighed "I do have a question then. Is there a reason why the Black hooves gave us these?" "If I knew this miss Rose I would have told you. I have been out of the loop as much as you. So get back to your jobs let Drift relax her way. You relax your way...How do you relax?" I thought a moment. How do I relax? I relaxed by teaching ponies how to fight like a Zebra that’s all I remember. " Look I am sorry for bothering you I am sure you have much better things to do then rather speak to me." The computer pony laughed. "I have nothing better to do but stay in here watching you folks use the abilities I give you and maybe you could find me a body. A body that I could live on my own and then we’ll see the world for myself and then take over the world." The computer laughed. I blinked watching the computer that looked like a mare. " Ahem sorry I mean I would love to help you" I had a feeling that trusting this computer is not wise. But she hasn't done anything wrong yet. Just didn't give me the answer's I wished. I am sure she knows more then she is letting on. "If we find a body that can be used for you. We will place you on it. But You will stay close to me because I don't trust you. I am sure you can understand." "Oh yes, I can understand it's very easy to see. I'm a computer a non-living creature that lives in your devices. I am sure you understand that I know everything you think about. I see everything you see I even feel everything you feel." Blinking at that. " You feel Drift have sex with all those mares and stallions?" "Oddly yes it's an interesting sensation. I wouldn't do it myself it's just so strange to me. I understand that for creatures like you that sex is a very normal thing. I do hope that someday I could see it for myself if drift would allow me to." I sighed shaking my head. The fact that this computer knows what we do and how we think and feel it's making me feel strange that I have a computer in my hooves that can see through my eyes. I am very very unhappy about that. It's going to bother me to no end. But maybe this a good thing it will keep me on my hooves. I am sure when I bring her a body she will explain more to me what this project was. " I will be leaving now." 0000 My mind finally left the computer realm and looked up to Drift who had a gentle smile on her face. " I am so sorry for getting on your case Drift. I know you're having a bad time. So I should trust you more." Drift smiled nodding. " I can understand it's hard to trust me. I used to be like this when I was in my younger years. But of course, that's what forced me to get married the first time. I slept with a lot of stallions in my collage." A sigh came from me looking up at Drift. " Alright, let’s go back down stair's and do our job before we go check this down out and buy some supplies." Drift nodded and we both went back downstairs. Getting back behind the bar. " Welp all is good Hop's I just needed to have a private conversation with Drift. But when can we go to town and buy some supplies?" Hops blinks and smiles. " Thanks to what you and your friends are doing Miss Rose you will be given the supplies for free when you leave." I blinked. " Hmm sounds wonderful but are there any other jobs we could do for you?" Hops thought a moment. " How are you folks at taking care of problems?" I had to think about it for a moment. Not sure but maybe June and I could go take care of something for these ponies. " What’s the problem? Maybe the four of us can go take care of it for you." Hops sighed placing down a wanted poster. "There is a group of raiders that attack our caravan's their the one's that tried to attack you when you first came here. So if you could go take care of them. Then we will give you the supplies for free and some caps." I looked to Drift smiling. " Think we can handle this?" Drift shrugged. " Maybe?" " Could you go get the other two Drift." Drift nodded spreading her wings flying out of the bar. After that happen though a stallion came up to me smashing his hoof into my face making me back up a bit shaking my head staring at the stallion. My nose bled just a bit. "So what did I do wrong now?" The stallion blinked. "Oh, the goddess I am sorry miss. Just after miss Drift left I grew very angry at you for some reason. I better go." The stallion trotted out. I blinked at that. That device on her chest does more then the computer told me? Or does the computer not even know half the things the orb in her chest does. "Oh, I am sorry about that Rose." Hops looked at my nose with worried eyes. "I felt something strange myself when your friend left. That orb of hers gives off a really strange aura. Like it makes her so attractive than when she leaves. It makes many ponies hate Zebras" Rolling my eyes. "I have a feeling that these devices were never meant to be given to a Zebra." Lifting my hoof up looking at it. It doesn’t even look like a Zebra hoof it looks so much like a pony hoof. But it has the sharpness of a Zebra hoof. "So maybe I'm not affected by it because the devices are connected by a computer that all four of us have in our heads." Hops blinked. " You mean you have a computer that speaks to you in your head?" I nodded. " Yes, she knows everything we do feels what we feel. So when Drift has so much sex she knows how that feels. In great detail even." Hops sighed. " I am very happy I wouldn't have to deal with that but I feel very bad for you four. What about June though. She seems to love these devices she was given." "Well, That’s because she likes beating the shit out of anything that comes and will keep beating anything." June walked into the bar along with Bowser and Drift. Bowser had his claws around the neck of a stallion. He lifted the stallion to me and Hops. " Can I hurt this stallion? He already slept with Drift.” Bowser always acting like the protective big brother. Drift blushed. "Bowser please....don't hurt him." " I am going to hurt whoever touches you." He snorted. Hops sighed shaking her head. Drift nuzzled Bowser to relax him. He sighed dropped the stallion and the stallion run's out like he was about to die. Bowser just shook his head. "Drift you need to be careful any stallion here could take advantage of you like back at the factory and get you pregnant. We don't need that at all." "Bowser we don't need you hurting every pony that looks at me like I am a sexy mare. It makes me happy. But for you and the sake and lives of others, I will do better." Bowser sighed nodding. "Now before this lovey-dovey party keeps going why did you call us Rose?" June seemed upset. She had blood on her horns. "I was busy putting the hurt on a fool that was trying to insult Bowser. It was so much fun to bad the pony won't be walking anymore ever." She smirked laughing steam coming out of the horns. I sighed. " Anyway, I got a job for the four of us." Setting down the wanted poster. " These are of the raider's that tried to cause us some issues. Now we can't leave yet. They wish us to finish our jobs here. "Well, then I have an idea. Excuse me miss Hops do you have anyone here that know's how to fix the bridge?" Hops blinked thinking. " Oh we do but he's in a wheelchair he could teach you how to fix it." Bowser nods. "I am going to need your help then." He looks at the three of us I nodded. "I will be back miss Hops. " I said taking off the uniform same with Drift. 00000 The four of us went to a very run-down building. I knocked on the door and a mare opened the door. She blinked. "Are you here for my husband?" I gave a nod. The mare goes back inside. “Bolt you have some creatures here to see you.” The mare brings her head back out. “Sorry I don’t mean to be rude.” The mare gave a sweet smile. I just smiled trying to show we aren’t upset. A stallion in a wheelchair slowly comes out. He looks very beat up from all the jobs he has done for this bridge. "What can I help you with?" Bowser stood in front of us looking around with his eyes. He could see so many problems that need to be fixed. "I have these eye's I can see the weakness in the bridge and every building on this bridge. We need help fixing it all. So are you willing to tell us how to fix it?" Bolt blinks he sighed looking at his wife. " Get my book, my love." The mare nodded rushing back inside to get a book. " Look I haven't been able to train any pony else to work on this. That would mean you have to work on parts of the gate in the front and back. The entire bridge needs some work. I doubt it will be standing in a couple of years." Bowser’s eyes looked around. " Hmm, I doubt it would even last a few more years. The gate needs some reinforcement the struts of the bridge need some work. Some of the buildings look like them about to fall and the pips for your bathrooms are clogged." June snorted. "I refuse to work with shit. If you want someone to be your shit cleaner you pick Drift. Since she has properly had someone's shit in her mouth." Drift stares at June. The orb in her chest had no idea how to read her emotions. "What the hell June?" "Hmm? You mate with whatever you see Drift... What do you expect me to say hmm?" Drift snorted. The mare brought the book it was a large book but it had everything in it on how to mix cement and were to get the wood and anything to help fix this bridge. " Take this and read it. I warn you though the lumber and cement yard is blocked. It used to be connected to the town. But we had some nasty creature's take over that part of the town." Bowser took the book and we went off to a heavily blocked off area of the large bridge. This bridge is so many miles long. The door into it had a heavy lock on it. Looking to June. She snorted putting her steam horn's on the lock using the steam to melt the lock. " Your lucky you have me." She smirks. 000000 We walk into the blocked off part of the bridge. Everything seems very well kept. But these creatures are no were to be seen. There are old bones and blood from ponies then we heard nasty howls. A large evil dog-like creature came out of the buildings. They didn't seem very threatening but they had some nasty looking claws. I stood back along with the others. But Bowser stood in front. " Listen we come in peace." The leader of the creature's steps forward at our friend. He had strange robotic parts all over him. But there was something wrong. Bowser acted as he knew them. "Dad...." " Bowser?" The old dog came up to him sniffing him tear's fell from both their eyes and they hug. " What did they do to you my son?" "Ponies known as the Black Hooves captured me and my friends here. But father why are you stealing land from these ponies here?" The hell hounds sighed. "This town used to be full of raiders. We helped clean it out for them but instead of giving us anything in return. They locked us behind here. They also fed us in the meat of raiders. Why you see the blood here. But then we hurt the workers that were trying to rebuild the bridge so it wouldn't fall." Bowser snorted in anger. Rushing back out the door. The three of us followed him to the bar. "Hops who is the leader of this town?!" Hops sighed. " White hat is the leader of the town. I think he’s in the bar right now.” A large stallion stood up after hearing his name. The black stallion walked over to us. He had a giant hat on his head. I have never seen such a hat. He bowed his head in respect trying to show he is kinder than most. " First why did you lock my family behind a wall?" White hat sighed. " Look back then I was young I wasn't the boss of the town yet. My father was and he was a bigot most of the town has some bigoted ponies. So I did that for their protection as well as our own. But if needed I am willing to let them out. But I do warn you if I do those ponies will attack them." "My friends and I will take care of them," I tried to stay calm. It’s getting harder because I no longer feel like I am flesh and blood. 0000 The wall's around the hell hounds are slowly taken down by the town's folk but what looks to be the ones causing the issues are one's not even part of the town. They come with weapons. But my friends and I stand in front of them. June has her armor fully on. Bowser is holding a shotgun. Drift's orb on her chest is bright red showing her anger. She is ready to smash them if needed. I stand in front of my friends. "You have no right to harm these creatures." "We have every right to. This world is for ponies only." June didn't care that there was no fight. She just charged her horn stabbing through the stallion that was speaking. Tossing him off her horn turning to the other ponies who had a large amount of fear in his eyes. I quickly used my abilities that I trained others in back then to fight. Using my metal hooves to bruise not kill the other ponies. But Drift of course didn't understand her anger or her might. She smashed her hooves into one of the ponies breaking his neck. The ponies didn't know how to act with us. They just gave up. I doubt they wished to fight a group of creatures that had strange abilities like us. But the issue's with these abilities they were more harm then helpful. Bowser starts to speak staring at the ponies attacking. "Enough my family means no harm to you or these ponies inside this town. Are you ponies that full of hate that did nothing wrong but clean this former raider’s town of raiders?" The ponies looked at each other and they lowered their weapons. "They wish to help fix this bridge along with every inch of it to make sure it will be standing for more years to come." I softly spoke. " Eh, these ponies have no idea what peace is. All they care about is the old hatreds of the past. Allow them to die at the guns of those that wish to remove the hate of the past. I will do it myself." I snorted slowly walking away. "They don't deserve to be in a world of peace like we used to be. They will never understand that peace comes working hard for it." "Wait..." The leader of them said's. A very young mare who looks to be sad and upset about this. "We." "No, I won't listen to your ponies," I said. " Go find something to murder." June snorts. "I agree with giving worthless beings like you another chance is not worth our time," June said. "Just go don't try to impress me or anything. Just go. While we work to fix your home." The ponies that did the attack going back to the bar. I and the others walk into the yard to do our work. 0000 The walls were removed from the yard. Wood and metal were taken to rebuild some of the homes or reinforce them. I made drinks for the workers. The Hell hounds lifted strange platforms that helped the ponies to repair the struts and what they could of the bridge. Drift flew down and gave drinks to those from there. Bowser looked through each weak spot on the bridge marking them with a claw to make sure they know what spots need to be fixed. June used her steam to heat parts of the metal so they would be easily placed. Drift even got to use her newfound might to break some of the rotted parts down then kept them up. They had to make her angry though. So June kept insulting her from above. " You are nothing but a worthless slut," June yelled. Some stallions and mares looked at this with a bit of unsure how they would take this. As for me, I worked with Hops to just make the drinks. "Tell me miss Rose what was the past like?" I sighed not sure if I should talk about it using a strange device I learned I have in my new hooves that is like a mixer. I would have to think of a way to explain. "Well, the past was pretty peaceful. Ponies respected the fact you were different then they are. But some of them were pretty silly. The higher up's felt they were better than everyone else. That's the sad thing we had to deal with in the past. But that's what we had to deal with. Now I was around before the war happen. But the Zebra's did start having issues with ponies before I was frozen." Hops nodded. " I am sure you feel bad that you were used for this strange test of these devices on you." I sighed softly looking towards the way we came from then back to Hops. "We had a group known as Steel Ranger's looking for us. Do you think they would come this way to find us?" Hops smiled laughing softly. "Eh Steel rangers refuse to use our bridge to get through here. They have their bridge not far from us. But in a large casino like five miles from here is were the Raider's are holding up. They attack us almost every week trying to break through the door." 0000 It's late at night me and my friends are pretty tired. But we stayed in the apartment to rest. Drift was in the shower. Bowser was cooking for us and June. She was pacing around. She didn't like to just sit and wait. She wanted to do something but she is willing to wait. But as for me. I lifted a book to read it. We would have to do more work on the bridge but a lot of the big issues have been taken care of. "GAH!! I can't stand just being in here sitting doing nothing." June kept pacing she was getting very upset. " I need to find someone to kill or to stomp on or.." "Dinner!!" "OHH!!" June rushed to the table to sit in one of the chairs. I stood up sitting there as well. Drift came out all clean and laughed. " Yes, Food something to eat yes." Bowser sighed putting down the food. it didn't look to be that interesting a lot of it looked old but it was an old food that had so many preservatives. We calmly ate to ignore the world around us for the moment. But what's odd that we needed to rest to be. June calmly went to a bed she lay down closing her eye's snoring deeply. Drift looking to Bowser smiling at him nuzzling him. "Goodnight Bowser." Bowser nodded she went to the other bed to sleep. "I caught her in the middle of having sex with a mare. I don't understand but when the mare left she told me that.. she didn't understand why she did that with her. But it was fun just the same. I am starting to wonder if we need to find another terminal to turn off some of those features in that device. But I am going to get some sleep." I nodded laying in a chair trying to sleep with this computer in my brain. The pony Ai showed up in my vision in pajamas. The silly Ai tried singing me to sleep. "Oh, hush little Zebra don't you cry." The Ai sang. "Oh... shut up you." The Ai folded her forehooves Chapter Three: Robots and loveI woke up to the sounds of gunshots going off. But I was back home rushing out watching the war starting to unfold. Seeing the battle coming to Ponyvile. I didn't know what to think but we saw contrails and suddenly an explosion. I woke up quickly after it all happen. I looked around not sure what to think. Slowly went out of the room. I heard sobbing I looked into the room Drift is in and she is alone dreaming. The chest orb is changing many colors. Slowly I walked to her gently shook. She woke up reaching up to me hugging me tightly. She sobbed hard. "Shh Drift I am here don't wake the others. I don't want Bowser to worry." "Rose... I'm sorry for what I have been doing.. I have been having sex with every pony under the sun." I smiled shaking my head holding her close stroking along her back. Even though I had the metal hoof she didn't shake or sob from the feel of the metal. I'm starting to wonder what is the point of these. I don't feel like a zebra anymore. But I didn't wish to tell my friends that anymore. June and Bowser were standing there. "Listen, Rose, Bowser, and I was talking. Remember those raiders they told us about that attack them at a random time. How about we leave and take out that base." Bowser nodded. "I would say that we do it carefully we aren't fighters. Unless these things they gave us made us fighters. But I am just a worker I'm not a fighter." I had a thought it made me wonder. "I got a better idea. Let’s have them attack the town. Then we find a way to get out the back way. Then we come in behind. The best way to do this is to have me and June go. You two stay here and help protect the town." Drift looked very unsure about this. "I will do my best I'm not a fighter but I think I will be able to fight off whoever wishes to attack me." Bowser nods. "Should we tell Hops what we are doing?" I shook my head. "I think a pony is working with the raiders. I doubt its Hops. I do wonder. She did give us something that we could use to wake her." I hit a strange bell and quickly Hops the bar mare ran into the room. "What’s wrong?!" She looked worried. "Hops I got a question for you. Do you know any pony of this town that would work with the raiders?" She blinked thought a moment a frown formed on her face. "I think I know one who would. But he has no power. He runs a weapons store near the other end of the bridge." I looked to the others thought a moment. "If you went there and told him that the ponies here are weak and low numbers. Do you think he would leave and get the raiders to come?" She stared at me like I was crazy. "Rose why do you want him to send Raiders to attack us." "Because Rose and I will find a way to get behind them blow up their base to take out their reinforcements everything else blows the building up and then takes the rest out. This will clean up any threats that wish to harm you." June snorted. Hops looked away from us I could tell she didn't know what to think. But she looked at me I could tell she knew that If we did this they would be more protected. "Look Rose I know you wish to help. But this is not your fight. You should just go on your way." I shook my head. "I was friends with the six mares that helped cause this world. I want their names to fight for them to make sure they will be honored for the world that they caused. I know this doesn’t seem like much of a reason. But look at it through my view. I am forced to sleep for two hundred years. Now I am back. I have to do something to help protect this world." "I agree even if I didn't know them that well. I just grew and had a family on Clouds dale till they captured me and said ...I was a slut using my husband and kids to get to the leadership." Hops stared at us. She didn't know why were put into these tubes to be frozen for so long. "Rose what did you do to have this happen to you?" I sighed. "I was just at home I trained others in the way of fighting like zebra there was not even any war going on at the time. Then these ponies come in murder my family telling me that I have been chosen and then they burn down my home with my family inside. Then they blame me for it and I was forced to have my hooves cut off and have these put on." I lifted my hooves. Hops stared at us I could tell that she had tears streaming down her eyes. "Well think of it this way at least you didn't see the bombs fell like I am sure many did that day." I sighed looking away I never thought of that. "The Buffalo would never get in the middle of a silly war. We would have just stayed in our area of the land. Allowing the ponies and zebras to kill themselves. But here I am. I am going to do what I can to help. That also means goring every single raider I see." She snorted laughing. "Alright, I will help. I will talk to him in the morning and I will show you another way to get out of the town. That is not a wise way to go. But It will get you to their base." "I promise Hops we will leave soon after. I know we haven't had a good impression on you folks since we got here. I know that Drift has pissed off some married mares." Drift blinked blushing. "The stallions told me their wives didn't care. But I can understand if I angered some of the married mares. I'm trying better not to attract so many males." June snorted. "Enough talk lets get this done. I want to take care of these raiders and then maybe try to find my species again. Even though I might not be welcomed by them." Hops looked away sighing. "If you all feel that this will go without some pony dying. I will do it. I trust you Rose I trust you more than half the ponies in this town." I blinked "You trust me?" Hops nodded. "I trust you because well. Would it bother you that I find myself a bit attracted to you?" I blinked shaking my head. "Huh sorry, Hops that's a bit odd to me. But thank you I feel honored." "Mind if I talk to you privately Rose?" Hops asked. I sighed nodding and wet left the room she turned to me. "Sorry for blurting that out. But I have a personal reason for saying that. I need you to protect Drift. If Drift gets pregnant Rose. it's not going to be pretty." I sighed looking away not sure what to think. "Then why did you tell.. hmpf.." She forced me into a kiss. I just closed my eyes not pushing her away. Even though to me my family just died. I felt that I needed this I pulled the mare closer to me feeling that this is right. I look back on everything that happens to me and two hundred years passed me by. Hops broke the kiss and we stayed near each other longer she breathlessly spoke. "Sorry..." I just smiled my cheeks bright red. "It's fine...Hops. If you want to pursue this. I am willing to. Just I won't be staying...here." I just grew very attracted to her myself. I don't know why but I am starting to think she has a point about drift. I didn't feel this way till now. Maybe the device in Drift's chest causes the emotions of ponies and other creatures to lose it. She pulled me downstairs and the two of us had a night of deep bliss. 0000 Next morning I woke up with Hops laying on my chest. I blinked looking around a deep blush formed on my face. So what happened last night happen. Hops opened her eyes staring at me blushing deeply. "Oh... Oh my, we...what happens?" Hops asked looking down at me and at the mess we are. "I oddly... like this." I sighed. "It seems you're right about Drift Hops... But you came on to me last night. Kissed me and wanted to have me as your mare friend. Do you still want this?" Hops blushed nodding. "I will this myself. But I won't be here will you be able to handle it?" "I don't mind waiting for you Rose. Just something about me makes me want you more. I don't know fit's your taste or y our wonderful body." I blinked then it hit me. The devices were created to enhance the emotions of all of them. So it seems we are linked. I have to wait... I have real feelings for this mare. I feel it's wonderful. I don't want her to leave. "Hops I will do this with you. But we won't always be together I do hope you come and find me." Hops nodded and slowly got off me. "I am going to shower before opening up Um want to join me?" I blinked shrugging and well another wild time happen. 000 Late morning I finally came back upstairs and the others stared at me. I blinked looking at them I wasn't sure what to think. Then June smirked. "Well, you're back from your conquest Rose?" She laughed snorting. "Rose you had to?" Bowser asked. "Your more level headed than all of us and suddenly you go downstairs and have sex with a mare. You barely know." I sighed. "It felt right and it still does. We are going to be mare friends but I need to talk to the computer. So I need to connect to one of you." Drift sighed and allowed me to connect to her. My brain went into the computer and the computer was doing a dance and a song of pure love. "Oh, can you feel. Oh hey, Rose. Did you enjoy your night?" The computer pony asked me. I just stared at the computer. She knew how did she know but I remember how she can make things more pleasing. "Why did you do that to me?' The computer frowned looking down and sighed. "Rose you had your entire family killed just to have me installed into you. When I see that you could be happy with a mare that I already knew ad feelings for you. I felt you would be happy that I made it more pleasing to you." I sighed sitting on my haunches closing my eyes with a soft smile. "Thank you though. I feel that it’s needed I have been alone even though I with three friends. But I thought it was just Drift that had that. Do all of us have this?" The computer nodded. "It was a way just in case sooner or later there was a sickness or something that would cause the population to fall as it did during the war. So yes I won't do it to you. You and Hops deserve to have the happiness that you will be getting." I didn't know what to think about this. But maybe she had a point. Since the war happen there have been fewer ponies I have no idea. what to think. "Just the smile on your face when the deed was finished and the fact she asked you to be her marefriend. You need to understand this new world. I doubt you would find someone else that is willing to go with you Rose." I sighed I get it and I went out of the computer. "Well, I am stuck with this with Hops. I won't complain. Now let’s get ready for this battle." 000 It was early afternoon everything was said and done. It didn't take long for the raiders to attack the bridge. They fired on the heavy door. I looked to June and nodded to her. Hops lead me and June to a spot that would take us down the bridge and into the sewers. June went on ahead as Hops stopped me "Look Rose I am very sorry for coming onto you. " She smiled weakly. I put my hoof to her lips whispering. "I loved it Hops. I accept what you want. But be prepared for me not always being there. I am doing this for your happiness and mine. Its time to ignore the past even though it wasn't that long ago for me. But now I found you." I lowered my hoof kissing her smiling. Pulling back. "I..." Hops tried to speak. "Shhh just go to your bar. I will be back to enjoy your company until we leave." I winked at her and followed June into the sewers." June had her armor on. I just looked around didn't see any of the threats I was told that we’re in the sewer's then I heard some nasty growling it was ponies. June snorted lowered her head. When the threat showed up the armor started to form on my legs giving me pain since the armor also formed on my bones to protect them. June charged like a train into the creatures and she just kept going while I followed her leaving the broken bodies behind. June slowly stopped looking around. "Didn't Hops give you a map?" I nodded looking into my bag looking at the map. "left." June went left we quickly walked making sure we didn't stop for anything even the ghouls. We finally made it and had to climb a ladder. June didn't like the idea of climbing. "You go I will find another way up." I didn't want to leave June but I quickly climbed up the ladder into the street. Looking at the map I looked up seeing the base. It's built-in an old hotel Looking up to it the computer formed in front of my vision. "Rose the best way for you to go is through the bank connected to it." She pointed her hoof forming an arrow to show me. I didn't know what to think. "Are you sure no pony is there waiting?" She stared at me. "Rose I am a computer I can sense life signs but. I can't tell you where they are. So you need to trust me. I am connected through your hooves. When the battle mode is over I will leave again. So I need to get you back to Hops." I had to ask. "Are you helping June find a way in?" "She is waiting for you to get inside so she can charge in and blow everything with her horns." I sighed I knew it I am the one that needs to be there. 0000 I was in the old bank I finally made it in here. Seeing all the bones I wonder how many had been in here during the end. It made me feel bad that I beat that. But I found the door that the computer wished me to find. I opened it up and it leads to a secret room in the hotel. Slowly I went down the stairs looking at the bodies of zebra bones. But that's not all I found I found an old drug station. These zebras were... making drugs. I shook my head 'No need to be angry Rose.' I said to myself. I found the way into the hotel an arrow was leading me to June. I tried to sneak with these metal hooves. But I didn't find much of anything. It’s like all the ponies left to go do this attack. So I found June and she charged out. I heard screaming when she had her fun. After a while, she came down holding many various bombs. "Alright, lets set these up I am going to take one of these for the Raiders." June nodded while the two of us set the bombs around the hotel. Then after a while, we returned to that they had broken into the town. My eyes went wide and we rushed in seeing the raiders holding the entire town hostage along with her friends. I didn't see any pony dead. "Halt,” The raider said. "How about this. We don't blow up your base and you let them go." I said. "Excuse me?" The raider said I lifted the detonator and the building blew up. "Oops. Now we had them pretend that they wished to surrender. Now leave or I and my friends will kill you." The raider started to laugh when Lighting Drift stood up and with her hoof, she smacked into a raider’s head making his head fly off into the air flying far away. The raiders stared at the four of us. "We are weapons created by the past. The Black Hooves." We said that name and the raiders looked at us in fear and started to run. I grabbed the bomb and tossed it into the group making sure to get the rest of them. I felt a large body of mare run into me hugging me. I didn't know what to think but I turned to see Hops she had been crying. All I did was hold her close kissing her deeply. 0000 "And that is how it will end." The computer smiled at me. I just got to the bank and I rolled my eyes. "So you mean to tell me that's how you did the simulation? You mean to tell me the raiders would just run like that and that we just allowed them in like that. No the ponies of that town aren't that stupid." The computer frowned at me folding her legs together. "Well, then how would you do it? You can't just do it that easy. You don't even have a gun." When she said that I found one just laying on the ground near a pile of bones. The computer rolled her eyes. Lifting the gun looking at the ammo making sure it's enough. "Fine be that way and not do it my way. It will lead you to have another wonderful night of sex." My cheeks turned bright red. "Listen I would love something like that to happen. I really would. But this is now real life and we need to do it the real way. I doubt raiders are that stupid." Then a door opened up a raider looked out he stared right at me. But his eyes were so bloodshot from all the drugs. "I see No pony out here Zipper. " "Okay never mind.."I sighed. "See my simulations are 99% percent true." "What about the 1%?" I could swear the computer pony is not only blushing but looking scared to say. "Uh, program error?" I just stared at her unsure how to take this AI. "Oh come on I am a powerful computer built in the machines that you were given. I have given you and Drift endless pleasure. Well, not you but Drift I have given her married stallions mares... I am starting to think I should have turned off the aura with the married ones." "You think? Look I know you were created to help expand the population in our robotic gear here. But June and Bowser wouldn't sleep with it would be their kind. Me you pushed me into a relationship with a bar mare. You made our kiss so much more interesting and our sex as well. I didn't want to break her heart since she was so attracted to me like that." Placing the gun in my jaw since I don't have magic as others did. But I followed an arrow showing me where June is. Slowly I sneaked making sure to take my knife and grabbed one of the raiders gutting them in the darkness pulling them being a bar. I needed to get to June before I find anything else. Slowly sneaking watching two raiders laughing about what they will do the ponies of the bridge. I heard the words of what they would do to Hops. I felt very angry as if it was a flash I attacked them in a flash without them even able to scream. One of them I slit the neck and the mare raider I caved in their face with a smack of my hooves. Then the anger subsided wait why did I get so angry? I set the gun down. "Do you have a name computer?" The computer formed in my eyes again. "Well, most ponies don't name me. Just call me a computer. Now you seem upset why did you stop. I was wondering if you enjoyed the pleasure of killing those raiders." That is what happen she made the pleasure of killing more amazing. "Please don't do that again.. You may do that with June. Now how are the others doing?" The computer went to go check on my other friends and then she returned. "Oddly these ponies can fight off raiders better then I thought. They have the raiders hiding and they captured the betrayer. It sounds like they were expecting him to open the door for them." I smiled loving how things come together. Then I had to ask. "How is Hops?" I was worried for some reason. I don't know her that well and just the fact she gave me herself for a lovely night. That I still feel it's so amazing to me at how pleasing that was. "From what I saw she is talking to Drift and it sounded like she misses you. Drift is trying to tell her that you're a strong mare. You will come back to her. Also, Drift just blew up a few raiders with the chest orb. Now you need to get going. They might run back and find you." I nodded so we needed to end this quickly. I found the door after a while that June was behind. But a raider was guarding it. I didn't know what to do. But then I heard some hooves stomping and some more raiders came. "The battle has gone bad they will be returning. They even reinforced the gate." 'Shit' I thought to myself. Great now we have to end this. Quickly I got on my hooves and fired the gun missing of course but it caused the door to smash open showing June. The two of us took the raiders out with no issue. "Computer tells the town to start charging in. We need to end this now. Before they can get back." The computer nodded and vanished to tell others. Quickly June and I ran upstairs to find the leader of these Raiders. We went through many a raider to find them. Opening a door sitting in the chair was the leader. But the leader just looked at us and smiled. "Ah, greetings. I see that you have finally removed those fools from my care." He stood up I could tell he wasn't a real pony. But a creature a robot. A robot made of pony flesh. I stared at him. Then it started to hit me. That robot that came to me. She warned me about something like this. "Now I have to ask you to let me leave or you will join the war.." June snorted. "There is no war.." June charged at the raider but the robot lifted able to toss her back. June stared at the robot in horror. But she smirked snorting scrapping the ground. I fired three bullets into the raider his head flew back then he came back up. With half his skin missing showing robotic parts. June and I stared at the creature. He smirked pulling out a cigar from his mouth blowing smoke. "You wish to get into the middle of a war you know nothing about?" Then he stared at me in horror. "You have her mark... You have spoken to her. where are you heading?!" I took a deep breath. "BattleTrot." The robot raider smirked. "So you have already been asked to join the war. I'm so sorry for you. But I can't allow you to go any further." I didn't know what to think. June quickly charged at the robot this time he grabbed her horns with strange robotic hands that came out of the hooves she was tossed out of the room. I turned back staring at the robot slowly backing out. I had to speak to the computer. "Computer.. Or whatever you wish to be called. How many raiders are left?" "All of them have been taken down. Do you wish me to get Bowser and Drift in here?" "No, tell them we will be coming out." I was grabbed myself and thrown into the wall and the robot smashed me through it. I groaned after it tossed me out of the room I was thrown into it. I quickly stood up feeling hurt. But I was still able to walk. But the rest of my body was in pain. June and I ran to the outside door and June stood in front to keep the robot from going after me. "Rose?!" Drift rushed to me the town is out watching this and June is tossed out again standing on her hooves. The entire skin is off the body of the robot. "Ah, we have more. You have been pulled into a war.. Rose" I stood there blood pouring out a wound. I felt so weak groaning a bit. "Now I am not going to kill either of you. I Just want to show you. How powerful I can be. Now I am heading on my way. Allow me to leave but first.." He simply rushed to me grabbing my neck with his robotic hand lifting me. "Don't try to help her.. I am going to show her this war." Wires from the creature go into my brain. I see Flashes he speaks in my mind. “You have no idea what you got into did you?” he showed me flashes of large robot war. Then a stable that had is 00 I turned to look at Hops I stared at her. She stared at me. "We know you two want to kiss go ahead," June said smirking. The two of us gave each other a deep kiss. I didn't want to let her go she had tears streaming down her face. We just stood there for a long time kissing. This felt amazing and wonderful. No pony tried to break us up but after the kiss was over. I just passed out. 000 I woke up in Hop’s bed I had bandages on my chest and neck. Along with parts of my face. I tried to get up but when I did she pushed me back into the bed. "You won't be leaving till you heal Rose. Besides you have become a hero of the town." I sighed and sat up I smiled at her. "Thank you Hops. I am sorry I have to leave." Hops smiled. "Oh don't worry about it, Rose. I know you will love me even if we aren’t close. If you find a place to stay I will come to you." She stroked my face with her hoof. "Besides I need to get to know you before I fully go into well we did have sex. before we got to know each other. But I don't know why." I sighed. "The systems that we were given has a program to push reproduction or love between ponies and zebras. In case the population is low." "Oh, good thing then I wasn't under its control when I pushed myself on you." I blinked she wasn't under the control of it when She kissed me the first time? The capture formed in my eyes and winked mouthing. 'Told ya.' I blushed deeply thinking that's why she wanted me so badly. "What made you want me so badly Hops?" Hops grinned. "Well Watching you help with my bar Rose. You cared so much about Drift and forgave me after almost attacking you." I just smiled. "Hops I had a family a husband. I just didn't know what to think when you did that with me. I woke up after our night I felt odd. But happy. I will pursue this with you. If you don't mind dealing with whatever I am in now." Hops gently kissed my cheek. " Its fine Rose. I am willing to take all of you even if you're some weapon. I love you and I like your friends they have been so helpful around town. June has helped clean up what is left of the raiders. Drift and Bowser cleaned up the weapons. Bowser has even reinforced the bridge more." "I'm happy they helped. But I got a question what is the other side of the bridge like?" Hops sighed softly. "The other side is pretty harsh the weather is much worse in Battle trot. it’s not like it was in Detrot. But you will soon be leaving there. Again I was told that you helped Bubble Gum and you made her happy with everything you did." I smiled "I will stay till I heal then we will leave." Hops gave me a nod. She left her room but before she did she kissed me deeply to the point it didn't stop and then pulled back. "I will make sure I give you a wonderful night before you do." I blushed a bit smiling closing my eyes letting sleep take me and we will be ready for the next day to continue our journey. Chapter Four: MariaIt’s the next morning. It was time for our trek across the old bridge. I stood by the back gate with my friends. A waypoint filled my vision to get to the next computer to upgrade ourselves. Before we left though the ponies of the town set down a giant bag of food and other things. Hops came up to me kissing me. “Is there anything we can do for you while we trek along the old bridge?” I glance over at Bowser who asked that question. The ponies look at each other unsure how to answer that. One of the older stallions known as an elder we didn’t see the first time we came here. “Since you have given us peace again with the hounds. Make sure to use your eyes to mark weak support beams on the bridge. But we have another request. This entire bridge used to be a town. The town used to be a city along that bridge. Fifty or so years ago something came in and attacked the ponies killing and forcing a lot of us to move back here.” I glance towards the door. The waypoint to the next computer is like a few miles from this town. So this used to be an entire town I figured that after coming here. I took a deep breath and the door opened up. We get to see the old run-down buildings. Some of them look to be ripped apart and some are still standing. “Let's go. I am getting sick of not gorging something.” June snorted trotting out of the gate. Drift stayed beside me while Bowser went ahead. The door closed behind us and I sighed, not happy that I won’t see Hops again for a long time. It’s an hour later and we spent most of the walk marking spots that need some fixing and ransacking homes for guns and ammo. What we mostly found was a lot of trash and some stim packs. We stopped for a bit sitting in the middle of an old picnic ground. Old dried and bleached bones all over. I am starting to wonder whatever was here is finally gone now. I glance at the waypoint again hoping we will get there soon. “So have you talked to the computer today?” I look over to Drift and shake my head. “No, she hasn’t bothered me yet. Maybe she will at the next update.” I shrugged my shoulders unsure really. It’s not that I am not happy that the computer is not invading my life every single time I try to do something. “Maybe the computer in our bodies is shut down. I haven’t felt the orb in my chest gather my emotions like it normally does.” Bowser sighed, shaking his head. “Well, at least you three can turn it off. I don’t since they replaced my eyes. With it. So I never can turn it off unless it’s a feature that will be added later.” Bowser sighed it was harder for him than the rest of us. Of course, my legs felt so stiff as of late and that is from the metal in them. I stopped right on my hooves when we got to the town hall in the middle of the bridge. The rest of us stopped when we saw old robots all broken and burn marks like this battle just took place: Not too far from us a consent beep kept sounding. On the ground, we noticed a body. Junes armor formed over her as the rest of us got ready for a fight. When we got closer to the town hall to the body a voice spoke over a PA system. “Are you friend or foe?” The rest of us looked at each other. “Again fleshlings are you friend or foe?” The others looked at me and I took a deep breath moving forward so whoever is watching us can get a better look at me. When I finally got close enough I saw the cam staring right at me. It unattached itself from the pole it was latched onto and skittered to me on spider legs. “A zebra… A pure zebra with no radiation and robotic legs?” The robotic creature skittered around and looked at us. The robotic being then quickly connected to other parts and created itself a bird body flying into the air to look at the rest of us. “Um, what are you?” “What am I?” The creature just looks at me then I noticed the waypoint that is in my vision is pointing to this robotic creature. The cam looks right into my eyes and the computer finally comes to life. “Oh, finally you come back to us.” The pony in the computer stares at me and looks at the cam creature. “It seems we have a new friend.” Suddenly without warning the cam bot jammed right into my head and I screamed in pain as the others ran to me to help get the bot off my head. I felt the wires jam right into the robotics in my brain. My entire world went black. <0000000> Mindscape I woke up in a computer mindscape and I woke to see two computer Ais talking to each other. The pony from my mind and the strange cam that has a body, not the body of a pony but a two-legged creature with a camera for its head. “Okay...I am going to say this. Ask me, ask me!! Before doing that again.” “We got a problem, Rose.” I glance at the computer that normally sits inside my vision when she wishes to. “We have a lot of problems. But now what is the problem?” “This creature is the reason the town got attacked fifty years ago. It’s also the reason why there was another attack on the town again. They’re looking for this creature. This creature is being fought over. She calls herself a Frozen clock.” “And why does she call herself that?” “I don’t know….I don’t even remember how I ended up in the town I am in.” “So… we now have to protect her?” The computer nods. “I will be able to talk to you more than in your vision. It will make it easier for me to understand what is going on. It also seems she has small upgrades for you four.” A deep sigh filling my lungs. “What is the upgrade now? Making others hornier around us? Making us more like robots. Removing our free will like what happened to us 200 years ago?” The frozen clock looks away from me. I could tell I hurt the creature’s feelings. I thought, wait it has feelings? I shook my head. I need to be kinder to this creature. It’s all we know about what is going on. “Listen I am sorry. We have been thrown into this new world. Many wish to kill me because I am a zebra. But what is this upgrade?” “Can you give me a name first? I don’t wish to be known as the frozen clock.” I had to think of a name for this creature now. She could build herself from robotic parts and make a body for herself. I wonder if there is more that she could do. “I know a great name for you. Maria.” The robotic creature looks right at me the cam focusing right on me like it’s looking right into my soul. “I like that name...and yes the upgrade. This upgrade is not needed unless you all want it. You could skip this upgrade and feature. It’s more a feature I don’t know about it. All I know it was created just in case everything backfires. So it’s not needed.” I shook my head again my head started to hurt so much having her dug so deep into my skull to get to my brain. “Oh, it seems I am harming her Deco.” I lift my head to stare at the robotic creature. The name Deco went through my ears. I groan, closing my eyes tightly, tears falling from my eyes. I try to grunt asking. “Who..is Deco?” I stare at the computer mare who smiles. I finally know her name and I scream as I wake up. <00000> I finally wake up and the blood drains down from my head. After the cam bot or we named her Maria. I look up to finally see the creature again and to her gathering parts of robots. She quickly places them in my bags and turns to me still in the small bird form. It took me a while to get back on my hooves since the pain was too much still. Bowser helps me up and I quickly stare at the bot. “So you know I don’t trust you or the computer that was forcibly placed in our heads,” Deco spoke through a part of Maria since they’re connected now. “I don’t blame you. Now we need to trust each other. We need to follow the path that Maria is leading. It sounds like she is heading to the same place we are going to. Across the river and we need to be watching. Some bots are after her.” I glance at the former town. The town is very well kept and parts of the bridge have been reinforced. I wonder if it was done by those that took over this area for a bit. I look over to drift nodding to her. “Tell them the place is clear. We will wait for you to return.” Drift lifted off and while we waited I sat down and got our food ready. We stayed silent and didn’t know what to think about Maria. I could tell Bowser didn’t trust the little bot. June did what she did best and jabbed her horns in everything she could think of. She was bored and she just wanted to gore something. It took an hour for me to get the will to fully cook our dinner. Too much to think about and it was getting to the point I wasn’t too sure about. Finally drift made it back. It took her longer to get back than I thought but she shrugged her shoulders smiling at me. “Sorry I needed a drink so I got some water and talked with Hops. She is very into you Rose. They asked me to tell you that they want us to wait for them to get here then we go. Do you mind doing that Rose?” I just sighed shrugging my shoulders. I could tell Drift and the others are very worried about me. I could see the worry in their eyes. It’s not easy for me to deal with things sometimes. I normally have to kick something to get used to it. Right beside me, Maria sat by me. Looking down at the little cam robot that recently built itself that bird body. The creature or she or it just studied me with its one eye. Like she was trying to learn everything about me. “Why are you looking at me like that?” I look down at Maria. The stress in my eyes showed heavily my body is very tense up and it doesn’t help that I got these cybernetics in my legs. I snorted in anger standing on my hooves and leaving the food behind. I was going to eat but I don’t feel like eating. I head into one of the broken-down houses. I want to be alone, my ears perk up while I hear a set of hooves following me. I turn to see June walking inside the same house and closing the broken-down door. “You know you zebras are like ponies. Always so highly stressed over nothing.” I stare at the Buffalo. June may not be fully grown like one of her kind would be. But she is just staring at me with very judging eyes. “I am not a pony. I don’t act like a pony. I don’t stress about every little thing. I don’t judge a whole race because of a silly war.” I grew more upset the tone in my voice didn’t help matters. June just stood there staring at me judging me with her eyes. “No, you’re not a pony. But neither am I Rose. But you have the same issues that every pony does. You allow stress to get to you.” I snorted in anger, stomping my hard front hooves on the wooden board splintering them. “Of course my stress is getting to me. This is not my time. I had a fucking family!!” My voice carried to the others outside. “We have these cybernetics in our bodies. They removed your damn horns June. They took me from my family.” I said the same words again. “There are words I live by Rose. You don’t allow the world to control you. You don’t allow the world to break you. You allow those around you to break and you become the simple creature of life. We don’t live in a simple world we never did. A world of friendship that was a lie. The ponies used that friendship and they started a war. The ponies are much to blame as the zebras are. Unlike my species.” Unlike her species? Those words hit me hard but then I remembered something. “What about that time your species tried to push a group of ponies out of your land and they fought you with pies?” June smirked. I could tell she had a counter to this right away. “That is very simple. It was our land and we had every right to do what we did. Was it the right way to do it though? I would say yes. But it would have been better if we did it with more peace in our hearts than hatred. If your kind and the ponies listened to that logic. The world wouldn’t be like it is now. Ponies and zebras can be the racist assholes in this new world and they could get ahead. It’s the sad truth and you know this.” I shook my head knowing she was speaking the truth. I ain’t happy it’s going to be hard to be peaceful with this new world. I sat down on my haunches and glanced at June. June sat beside me and all I could think of is she is going to insult me or something. Instead, she leaned on me and nuzzles my side. “You can’t always be the strong one Rose. You need to allow others to be strong as well. I know I may not show it. But I am scared too. I show my fear by wanting to gore things. It’s the only way one of my kind can cope with issues like this.” A soft chuckle came from my throat. I found that so funny that the only way a buffalo can handle the world is by being a bitch and goring things. At least she is good in a fight. They are all good in a fight. I have nothing to fear now, I just don’t trust this new one we met. “I don’t trust this new soul we met in June. Maria, I can’t trust her. I don’t know why just looking at that robot brings chills to my heart. I wish I could understand why I felt this way. I think I know why though. She forced herself in my head and then said she had an upgrade for us called the frozen clock or some other. I don’t remember the name of it.” June nods, lifting her head to look at me. “Before we leave could you tell me about your life before this new world Rose? I wish to understand why one like you got taken like the rest of us. Oh, and It wasn’t just us five. There was almost an entire group of creatures. A changeling and many others.” I look at the buffalo unsure how to answer that. I never saw others there myself. I never even saw my new friends. I just remember being put to sleep and then waking up in the tube. I wonder if the others saw something. “I am worried June. We might walk into others. Others may have not had the same luck as we have. What if they aren’t friendly? What if they wish to kill us because we had a lucky break. Maybe they’re part of this war I learned about from this robot pony.” June snickers. “Well, then we escaped one war that ended the world. We are now in the middle of another set of wars.” My ears perk up. Did she say another set of wars? “What do you mean June about another set of wars?” June took a deep breath shaking her head. Taping her metal horns with her hoof. It may not be constant since she is not in a fight. Just little bits of steam pour out of the steam stack like horns from her head. “Thanks to the fillings in my teeth I can hear radio singles. I have been hearing stories of many heroes in many parts of Equestria. A toaster pony, Some strange Security mare, or whatever they called her. A pink ghost a wolf and a pear tree dancing. I think that was correct or I got some strange radio show.” A laugh comes out of my mouth at the mention of the pear tree. Just the idea of a pear tree dancing is amazing to me. A commotion sounds outside and it got me worried. Junes armor quickly formed along her body. She charged out and it was our friends from the village we left a few hours ago. I shook my head staying inside the old building. I did hear Hop’s voice outside but I couldn’t see her now. Since it was hard for me to get over this problem I was having. Taking a deep breath and lay down on the old dusty wooden floor to relax. Turning my head to see Maria looking at me still looking like a bird. She broke herself off from the robotic parts and quickly on her little wires hides in my mane. “Maria, what is wrong?” The little robotic creature didn’t answer and just shook. Does this creature have emotions? I am wondering who created this little one. I help the little cam bot out from behind my mane. “It’s okay they won’t harm you.” I finally saw a symbol on the little cam bot. I swear I have seen this symbol before but I don’t remember when or where I saw it. I felt sorry for this little creature. She has no idea who made her. She now even has Deco in her brain. It’s better than her being in my brain. “From what she told me, Rose. She has been attacked by ponies before. Since they don’t trust robotic creatures in this area. I guess many have been attacked by robots wanting to kill flesh creatures.” I shrugged my shoulders. I remember back in the day all the robots made to fight my kind. I remember from time to time that going into big cities having their guns aiming at me. Because of course ponies in bigger cities didn’t trust my kind. Of course, I couldn’t blame them for not trusting any of my kind. It's what happens because sometimes fear is a big issue and fear will always be a big issue. I still feel bad about all this fear is the only way some can control others. I shook my head sighing. “Rose?” I lift my head seeing Hops. I smile weakly and Maria hides in my bags. Hops nuzzled along my back. A deep sigh leaves my mouth standing on my hooves staring into the eyes of Hops. I could feel the love for her building. I still feel upset that Deco pushed it on the two of us. But now I am understanding that she is what I need to get through this land. “I will be fine Hops. Just when we finally get on our way I will be more relaxed.” Hops nodded. I finally got a look at her without Deco in my brain blinding me to it all. I finally got a look at her cutiemark and her fur color. She is light green with a blue tail and blue main. Her cutiemark is a set of Hops in beer. “What are you looking at Rose?” Finally came to my senses. “Without the computer pony in my brain. I can finally see you for how beautiful you are. I was so blinded by the robotics it made me blind to your eyes as well. I have a feeling these robotics are meant to fully control us. I have a feeling we never were meant to have free will.” I shook my head at the idea. “Heh heh, maybe you do need some rest, Rose. Why not eat with us and then you can get some rest before heading on.” I nod following Hops to the campfire. <000000> Unknown. Deep in Detrot in a broken-down factory. A hidden group of creatures in the shadows stays silent till a larger being walks in front of them it comes into the light and it’s a large female-formed assultponytron. One eye glowing brightly and on its chest is its name HeatFlash. “I have learned that the other part of the puzzle has been found. Follow this group of fleshlings. Don’t force them into joining either side until we know how they will act to our war with broken ones.” Another robot comes out of the darkness. From the looks of it. It’s a large flame thrower bot and flame fuel drips from its flamethrowers. It pulls out its cigar from its mouth blowing out fire and laughs. “Allow me to meet them and give them a little burn.” He laughs coughing out oil from the cigar. “Not yet. We need to get ready just in case the broken ones regain their leader. We have to stop them and this time we need to be kind to the flesh. Then we can break them for how weak they are.” The flamer lifts his flamethrower. “For the true ones!” They all scream. Chapter Five: The other sideI woke up with my forelegs tightly around Hops. The two of us had a wonderful night. But I wanted to give her what I felt. I kiss her forehead and slowly untangle myself from her legs. I stood up and everyone else was already awake. “Hey, Rose we were talking to Maria and Deco. I think you need to sit down and hear this.” I glance at Bowser unsure what he means by this. I sat down by the others we have become close friends over these past few days. We protect each other and they told me to pursue this relationship with Hops. Maria turns on her holo device on her systems and Deco forms infront of us so the others can finally see her. The pink pony looks around at them smiling at them. The fact the others can see what I have seen in my vision for so long now makes me happy. “It’s nice to see you all finally. I am the one that has been in poor Roses’ vision the entire time. Now I have been learning more about what is going on. I was able to learn something but not why Maria is a Frozen clock.” I finally hear the word frozen clock again. I had no idea what it meant normally it meant a clock is frozen without power. I look at the others who stay silent. I could tell they weren’t sure how to take Deco and all this. “I am sorry to say you can’t back out of this. You are now part of a war between two robotic factions One faction is called the True ones. The pony that attacked you Rose is part of them. The other is the faction that might help us if we help them. They’re called the worker’s old worker robots created during the war.”. I took a deep breath I wanted to lose my cool. I exhaled because I didn’t want to wake Hops. I looked to the others to see what they thought about all this. On each of their faces, there are no emotions. “My question is this why we were forced to have these devices implanted in us?” I look over to Bowser that is a good question. I wish I had the guts to ask that myself. I didn’t understand why us? “That I am still unsure. I am hoping maybe we will learn from the workers why you did. Maybe we will find out in random factories we see if they have upgrades that could teach us why. Now I want you all to gather what food you can. Maybe ask Hops to go back to her down and get you more supplies. Because we have a long trek ahead to get us to the worker’s main base. It’s in the middle of Detrot.” I took a breath standing on my metal hooves heading back to Hops shaking her awake. Kissing her cheek. The mare wakes up looking up at me with a sweet smile. I give a smile in return and I tell her what is going on. “So the stories of two robotic factions is true then. Many of us have been hearing stories going on for a long time. Now you need ammo food and whatever else? Well, then I will do so but remember to search every nook and cranny love. You will find many items in them and sometimes chems.” I stare at her that confuses me to even do all that. I quickly nod and she leaves I go back to the others sighing. Sitting down on my ass again stroking my head with my metal hoof unsure what to do or feel. “She will go gather what she can for us. But she told me to go look in random trash and other places to find useful things.” Bowser shrugs. “Well, we learned that Deco has more for us. She thinks she could lead us to the workers but also some upgrades along the way. But she also is going to try to find more info on why the four of us.” I didn’t trust Deco at all. I trust Maria even less. “Listen Deco I don’t trust you. I am sure you understand this correct?” The computer pony didn’t look hurt from what I could tell she understood. “Well yeah, I understand I was kind of forced on you. But I feel maybe we should do our best to at least trust each other. But I feel like I am part of your family now. We need to make Maria feel welcomed as well. I want to understand what she meant by Frozen Clock.” I quickly nod at that. “A frozen clock to me is one that we trample as buffalo do. Also, can we go I need to feel the real ground under my hooves.” I glance at June I could tell she was getting tired of being on the hard ground. Looking over to the others I took a deep breath and exhaled soon after again. “Maybe we can help others on the way and maybe gain friends in this world that won’t attack me on sight if you know what I mean.” Drift looks over to the others she is unsure what to think. The orb in her chest turns purple from the look of a bit of fear and blue for sadness. She keeps silent she uses her wings to hold a fork to eat some veggies. “Drift do you have anything you wish to add?” I look over to Drift who just shrugs her shoulders. “I ain’t sure about all this. I have no choice but to follow and if I feel we need to leave you will listen to me correct?” I look to the others. Bowser from how he looks over to Drift and then I look over to June. She just stands there looking very confused. “If Drift feels it’s best to leave then we do so. But you better let me at least gore something. I am not going to just sit by and allow her or Bowser or even you to get hurt. Like it or not we are now family. I know that is much to say but for now, we are family.” I agree with her we look to Maria and Deco and I look to the others. “If you do leave me and Maria behind we won’t feel angry at that at all. I have been forced on you and Maria is just another tag along. Even though she doesn’t feel that way herself. But we can’t just leave her here.” I agree with her we can’t just leave these two here. I look at Hops and others from her town farther down the bridge bringing the supplies we need. I wasn’t sure really but we will know. It took us like an hour to get ready. We had been given a wagon to make us look like traders. Maria wraps around my leg making her look like a decked-out pip-buck. She had to push herself into my nervous system so Deco could tell me if we are near any upgrades. “Alright, are we all ready to go?” I look to Bowser who has been given a machine gun. Drift who has been giving a battle saddle. June doesn’t need any weapons but her horns. Looking at the barding and armor on my body. I have an old run-down zebra gun on my side and a chipped sword. They all say they’re ready and I look back to Hops as we get ready to leave. “What will you be doing with this village?” Hops shrugged her shoulders. “This town used to be connected to mine it might happen again but I don’t think we can defend ourselves. It would be too big unless we use the hellhounds to let them be the guards of the extended town.” I nod and the others are getting ready to leave. I look to them as they call to me. I look back to Hops. I took a deep breath expanding my cheeks breathing out. “So um…” Hops rolls her eyes and kisses my lips and pushes me away to the others. “I will wait for you so go do what you need to do then come back to me you zebra.” I was confused at the sudden kiss and then looking to the others walking close to them and then looking back to Hops. I wave to her and when we leave the town an old door closes to block off anypony else from entering that town till it’s time to open up again. Deco forms in my eyesight again. “You seem happier since you meet her Rose. Now um thank you for allowing me to be in your vision again. Now um if we follow the road with these old factories and if you wish to go into any of them you might find something interesting.” I took a deep breath feeling a bit stressed from having to deal with all this again looking to the others. “Well Deco had an interesting idea since we need to look the part of traders maybe we should go through these factories “ Bowser looks at the factory we are close to and then back to me. “Well, It may take us more time to get Deco and Maria to the workers. I am sure they don’t mind since it may keep them from being found.” June unhitches herself from the cart and I stay with Drift near the cart. Bowser and June go inside since it may take a few hours or so for them to get out. Drift and I get out some of the food that we have with us and eat. “Do you think it was wise for two of us to stay out here Rose?” I was about to speak when I heard laughter. Looking around and seeing strange ponies with bloodshot eyes and blood all over their armor and bodies. I look to Drift nodding to her as we keep eating and not allowing this to bother us. “Heh heh heh. Two mares all on their lonesome.” The strange ponies come towards us I have a bad feeling about them. They get closer to us and surround us there must be like five of them. I could tell from the orb in Drift’s chest was very scared. I pat her shoulder giving a quick nod. “How may we help you, boys?” The raiders look at each other confused. They whisper at each other because I have a feeling they aren’t used to others not scared of them. “We are raiders shouldn’t you be trying to shoot us or scared of us?” I shrug my shoulders. “No, I am not scared of you. You just seem to try too hard and if you were trying to scare us you would have shot us from far away instead of doing this. So why don’t you stop playing and move along please.” They aim their guns at me they leave Drift alone. Who enrages because she is not only scared by full of rage from them wishing to harm me. I look over to Drift and then to the stallions I took a deep breath. “Excuse me.” They force their guns into me more. “Shut up!!” “But..” “Shut up!!” I shrug and Drift smashes her hooves into the ground causing the ground to shake to make the ponies drop on their butts and I quickly smash their guns with my metal hooves and then sit back down making Drift sit again. When the raiders stand back up they look at their guns. “Oh got to watch for those sudden ground shakes. I am sure they don’t like guns either.” They look at each other scared. “Boys she is a zebra she could have done her magic on us.” Wow, these ponies are dumb they think my species use evil magic. Maybe there is more to the zebras of this new world than I give them credit for. I pick up a rock with one of my hooves and smirk showing them it. “I shall do one of my magic spells then on this rock it would be used on you as well then.” I chant some strange words that would sound like my species way of speaking. Then when they stare at the rock I crush it down with my metal hooves and it turns into powder and I pour the dust onto the ground. “I think… we better leave her alone.” I smash my hoof on the ground staring at me. “Leave us alone. If you even try to harm me or my friend again I will not only use a spell on you. I will eat YOU!!!!” I laugh loudly causing the raiders to run away in fear. They drop all their broken weapons. I laugh softly looking at Drift and she relaxes as we both go back to our normal time of eating. I place the broken weapons on the back of the cart. “What made you think of doing that Rose?” I shrug my shoulders. “Their brains looked cooked from so many drugs. They look used to everyone being scared of them. I think we may have to deal with ponies like them on our journey.” After a while, June and Bowser came back out. Bowser had a lot of strange items in his arms. June snorted she was covered in dust and the metal that forms around her has burns on it as it forms back into her horns. “That was fucking dumb… Bowser here triggered an alarm and we got attacked by security but we found some drugs and magic bandages but there wasn’t much in there.” Bowser laughs putting the stuff he found in the cart. He looks at the broken guns and looks back to Drift and me. He sat by Drift she still looks a bit shook up he whispers to her and they talk and she told him what happened. “Wait you two got attacked?’ June looks over to Bowser she snorts loudly looking around to see if she could find the ones that tried to attack us. But she cools down when she doesn’t see anyone steam shooting out of her horns. “Yes but we better get going just in case.” We finally get going again and before we could do anything we get an hour on our journey and we don’t even see other souls along the path but when we get to another large factory standing infront of us is a large robotic creature. The robot looks poorly created and like it was put together very quickly. On the shoulder of the robot creature is a wrench. It stands up on its two legs looking ready for something. We stop before we even go even further. “Surrender the frozen clock or die!!” We look at each other and the armor forms on my legs. June hides the cart behind a large rock from a building. Drift and Bowser ready to defend themselves I took a deep breath and the robotic creature opens its gun ports. For our first battle has come Chapter Six: The priceI wish I could tell you what it was like to wake up in a strange world. To see the world you knew to die in a fire and then you wake up with these cybernetic parts inside your body ad you have no idea why it even happens. I am a zebra and sometimes we have spiritual body experiences but this wasn’t one. I met a diamond dog named Bowser. I don’t know why he was captured but the stories he told me he wasn’t like the others of his kind. “There are times when I think being a Diamond dog is trouble since most ponies find it hard to trust us.” Then a great surprise the next creature I meet is a buffalo named June. I don’t get why these ponies called the Black Hooves went after her. From what I learned about her she is just a simple creature that likes to trot through empty lands. At times she is a cool-headed gal. I can also see she is a teen and not even a full adult of her kind. “Sometimes when it comes to running. We see the past behind us. The future of time around us and when our horns gather air or dust we finally see the focus of our spirits that lead us into our future lives. It’s when our future lives become one with our past lives then we are one. Maybe someday all of us could do this trot and become our old selves again.” During this time when I woke up with these two, I met another mare. A pegasus her name is Thunder Drift. I don’t know much about her. Just that she was a mother a happy mother like I was. She was accused of being a slut and then forced into this program she won’t go into her former job. I have a feeling there is more to her than even I know. “We are all seeking the true path even if I have to flap my wings for us to see. I just wish my emotions didn’t get tied to this strange machine in my chest. I feel that I could hurt my friends without even noticing it.” Even though the four of us showed up in this time of death and destruction. We weren’t alone a computer or Ai that she called herself. We learned later she calls herself Deco and she was placed inside me to help us on our journey. From what I have no idea even though we may never learn. “There are times that an Ai may or may not understand what is told to them. I have never learned what is told to me ages and ages ago. I may have learned and may have understood why I was created. But why was I placed in your head Rose? I will never understand it myself and maybe I will learn.” We followed a road down to a few factories and met a mare named Bubble Gum. She helped us and told us many things about this new world. We even got hired at the bar and helped who we could and some of the guards did try to have their way with Drift. But the biggest thing we got from that is the next stretch of our journey. “I thank you so much for helping me. I warn you though this world is not kind to zebra even after the war. Even some of the zebra tend to hurt their own. For more reason than we understand. I wish I could be of more help to you but you need to find your way to other factories. Most of them are pretty filled up but you will find more souls to help after the bridge.” When we followed the path that she set for us. We found some upgrades faced many that we could and then we found a whole community on that bridge. When I went there I felt something strange happened. We learned that cybernetics make things more attractive to us. So I slept with a bar owner named Hops. I learned that there is more to than I gave her credit for. She did fall for me. “Rose I know you’re are a mare out of time and would be older than me in life. But I can’t allow you to be alone in this world. If you were so alone I couldn’t stand it and I would feel like I lost you. I love you Rose and I will wait for you when your journey is finally over so we can become lovers for life.” We did the task they wished of us. We even fought raiders and a robotic creature that ran across to the other side of the bridge. We never saw them again. Then we found ourselves on the other side of the bridge in a dead village. We met a little creature that we named Maria and calls herself the Frozen Clock. I wish I could understand what she means by this. “I have no idea why I was created. I just know that I am something that many are after. I am sorry for being such a trouble to you and your friends Rose. If you need to leave me behind and let whoever is coming for me come for me. Don’t worry about whatever is going on. It seems a war of robotic nature is going on something that you don’t belong in.” After all this, we finally get on with our journey. We make ourselves look like traders and gather what we can to get us on our way. We go into many buildings to loot them if they haven’t been gone through yet. Then we think we will become traders till our journey is over. But the first roadblock has come. A robot that looks like it was hastily put together so long ago. Blocks our path June takes the cart and hides it behind a building so it doesn’t get destroyed with whatever is going to happen. We get ready for the first real battle that we have had since we have come to this world. “Surrender the Frozen clock or die!!” The missile ports open up and instead of firing. We start hearing loud music playing and the robot starts to dance. I look at the others very confused as the robot dances to this strange music. “Oomp oomph I have come. To defeat you but I shall beat you in song and dance. Give me the Frozen clock and I will not end your lives. Give me the clock and I won’t destroy your ass. I shall dance on your corpses and put a wrench in your plans!!” I had no idea what to do but June looks like she had an idea and her horns blow out the steam. They add to the music and she dances on our four hooves. As if she has done this before. The steam pours out of her horns. “Oh big eh? Do you think you could dance and sing to get this clock? You got another thing coming. We shall not only fight through dance. But through death and battle.” June charges and the two force each other back and the music gets thumpy and louder with each beat. The two push each other adding to the music. “You’re strong but I am stronger I am made of metal you’re made of flesh. I shall win in song and this battle.” The robotic creature takes its claws and tosses the buffalo on the other side of it before June hits she forms her metal shell and smashes into the ground it takes the wind out of her. While she can’t sing anymore because of that. “One down. Now give the frozen clock before I dance on your graves!! Oooo YEAH!!!” I roll my eyes wishing I had a gun but I don’t know if any of these guns had ammo. But I can’t believe what I saw I heard claws clicking looking over to Bowser wait he is getting in on this. The music turns from heavy rock to blues and Bowser looks through the cart to find a coat and a saxophone?! Why would one be in there? He plays it slowly and leans back. “Oooh, the moon normally sings for us oooh whoa. The whiskey grows hot tonight in these streets. For the bourbon, noon shall sing for us.” I stare at Bowser and I look to Drift who shrugs her shoulders. “Oh come on boy the blues come sing sing sing. I will dance on your grave now give me the frozen clock!!” I took a deep breath shaking my head at this. I watch Bowser snap his claws as he dances towards the robot. Why is everypony so strange in this new world? Why does music make everyone dance and sing? “The bourbon street shines with gold. The whiskey has become too toxic for these days old. It’s time to end this dance it’s time to end this song of whiskey and bourbon. Now come let’s duel and dance.” Bowser drops the saxophone and tries to rip apart the wiring he can see in the robot but he gets punched in the gut and tossed into a wall and the robot laughs. Turning his sights to me and Thunder Drift. He turns off his music just for a moment. “You have no idea what you hold, do you? We can’t allow you to learn then.” The music starts up again. Why won’t it even use its real weapons? I then stare at the weapons it has. It has no ammo it has no missiles. It’s like they don’t even have weapons. I wonder I look over to Maria and starting to wonder if she is the key to fix this. Maybe the weapon’s creation has been frozen. Before I could even answer Drift charges at the bot with all her force but even with the emotions of the orb she smashes into the bot and she bounces off the metal of the bot is in a daze. But she did leave a dent and the bot tries to go in for the kill but his programming stops him. “Program don’t harm flesh activated restarting cores.” Finally, he turns to me after he restarts and I just stare down at him. His music turns into zebra drums and chanting. I felt insulted how dare this robot pretend to be one of my kind. I took a deep breath and stood on my back hooves and close my eyes chanting. “I shall dance to your music zebra. I shall destroy your land in the name of the ones who created me. I shall.” He goes silent from my chanting. The drums he plays get louder as it’s time for me to sing. “Egameni lamadube ngaphambi nasesiphethweni. Izinkanyezi ziyasina futhi ziyasiculela. Umlingo ezimpilweni zethu awusoze waphela.”’ The bot tries to translate but it’s having trouble and the music grows louder my friends slowly get back up and they watch to see what I will do. I reach down with my hoof and chant magic forming around me. I haven’t done these spells in so long it takes more than sand to do them. It takes the spirit of a zebra. If I do this wrong I could harm myself. Since I only have sand it will be harder to do the spell. “Oh Stars yizwani ingoma yami. Ngicela unginike amandla engiwadingayo ukulwa nalesi sitha. Sicela unginikeze nabangane bami amandla okwenza lokhu .. Ngeke sikwazi ukukwenza ngaphandle kwezinkanyezi o. The drums get louder and harsher the robot stares at me like it’s losing control of itself and I do one more chant to the spell trying to sing the last few words. If I do this wrong it will harm me more than it will harm this robot. “Ukunyakaza okukodwa .. Umdanso owodwa .. iculo elilodwa ngikunika kancane umphefumulo wami kuwe izinkanyezi .. Ngizokunika igazi lakho lapho kufika isikhathi” The last verse of the song is blurted out. My eyes open and glow just a bit as a green mist connects with the dust. It becomes a weapon and the spell is cast a sand storm made of a bit of my soul and the rage of a zebra spell. “What are you doing?! This doesn’t compute you did a zebra spell some spells use your soul. You” “I did what is needed I will do what is needed to see the end of this journey. So will my friends.” He stares at us in the dust as we walk into the dust like it doesn’t bother us. “We may not agree to her methods. I for one don’t as the only diamond dog here. We make due. If she used her soul to bring up this dust spell. To just win this battle then it’s the only way to win.” Bowser swings his claws and slices into one of the wires on the bots back and he screams robotically feeling his left arm no longer working and he tries to move. Bowser laughs backing up into the dust. “I could care less about what our zebra friend does. If we could win a battle just for the use of her soul and win this battle then I will do whatever I can to make sure it counts.” June forces her horns into the bot and flips him over smashing him down with a thud holding him down and the final one before me puts her hoof on his chest as June holds the bot down. I feel weak myself from using the spell. “Rose and I had our whole lives taken from us. Now you wish to harm us? All you were doing is singing and not using real weapons on us? How do you expect to beat us if your programming won’t allow you to?” She smashes her hoof hard into his chest. She uses all her might to force her rage into the chest and exposes the core she tries to smash the cor with her hoof but her hoof couldn’t break the core. The dust slowly starts to leave after I come over to see the bot lifting my metal hoof. “I normally don’t care for the idea of killing. Even if you don’t have a soul creature of robotics. I will mourn you as now the count of the blood of the stars. I have to give them blood now if I don’t another will be tasked to do the blood. If this happens then the life of such a one will never become true again.” I lift my hoof feeling my heartbeat. I grunt feeling the pain from the spell and I force my metal hoof down in the door and it just breaks and shatters it the robot trying to gasp like it’s breathing air and the robot shuts down. I kinda expected an explosion and I pull my hoof out of the core grunting feeling weak. “Rose… why did you?” I lift my hoof to silence Drift. “I did it to protect Deco and Maria we need to learn this journey. We need” I gasp holding my hoof to my chest I feel it finally the part of my soul being taken to the stars, They didn’t get their blood and I feel they will be coming to me soon. I grunt groaning and I fall to my side. “Rose?!” They rush to me as my world goes black and I see nothing but the stars before me. I feel the judges will be harsh to me and I will have to fight to not fulfill this deal and give it to another poor soul. Author's Note To those that read Rainfall. This is the reason why Ruby became the weapon of the stars so now there is a reason for that heh. Chapter Seven: Court of Stars.There are times that many would say that the stars are a threat. They can be a big problem to a zebra. It’s no only zebras that will be chosen by them to be their givers of blood. The stars will demand you to give them an amount of blood. Even though the one chosen can say they aren’t worthy to do such a thing. It takes a lot of doing but another poor soul will be forced into doing the deed. The deed will never be known only maybe to the zebra that spoke to the stars. There are two versions of the stars. The stars crave blood and sometimes cause many of the problems in this lovely world. Then there are the stars that have vanished. They’re the stars that wish to help the good and bring forth peace and even dreams. They haven’t been heard from at all in years. Some say they have heard them but those are ravings of mad zebras. Just be prepared if you meet the stars they will give you a fair due. Written by Beezen Judge of the stars I open my eyes after the spell I cast that I connected with my soul. I try to stand but I am heavily chained down on the floor. I look around quickly worried that I got captured. I look at my legs and hooves though they’re normal. “Hey!!” There is no answer soon after I woke up the entire cell vanishes I am standing in the middle of a strange room the entire area is so dark but the floor is under me. Then the horror fills my heart. My ears fold to the back of my head. I finally know where I am I used a spell that connects my soul with magic. It didn’t take too long as a group of masked robe figures forms infront of me. Behind them, the stars shine. One of the judges in a green robe. He strokes my mane and back in just a few seconds. Like he is trying to read what is going on inside my mind. He laughs softly shaking his head. From whatever he is doing I could tell he found something very funny. “This poor mare lost her entire world. She was one of the lucky ones. Of course, I doubt I would say lucky. This poor creature has lost so much that she even used her soul in a spell that called us.” This wasn’t even something I wanted to even say was real. It felt real I am sure though this is just a dream. I hope it’s a dream at least. But I have been told if I wake up in the court of the stars. They will try to demand blood. So the only way is to say I am not worthy. Sadly though if you do this. They will force this blood debt on another soul. I have to find a good way to get out of this without having to murder. “Yes, I felt it was the only way to fight a robotic being. I do regret doing that myself. Sometimes though if you feel that is the only way then it’s the only way. I am sure I would have found another way later down the battle line.” The judge in the green cloak turns to the others. He gives them a nod and they leave. The judge removes his mask. I have never seen a species like him before. He is green with a long nose. I have heard stories of ancient beings known as trolls. But they haven’t been seen in a land such as this. “I shall be your judge. At least for now unless the stars get upset at what you have to say. I’m known as Beezen. I will be honest with you I don’t care for this job as a judge of the stars. The others relish it. I am more the reasonable one.” How is he the reasonable one? He is a judge of the stars a creature I have never seen before. He unlocks the chains to allow my legs to move. I am kept in place on the middle of the floor though by a spell. “Why would a creature like you want to be a judge?” Beezen chuckles. “I have done things that I ain’t proud of. I became a judge because of those things. Along with the other judges, I helped destroy the land known as Dream Valley. Some would say that is the land ponies came from. Some say that is the land where magic first formed. But to be honest it’s just another land in this dead world.” I shift pacing in the middle of the room. Before I could speak one of the judges returns. His robe from what I can tell is lava. Steam comes out out of the robe. I could swear I see lava coming out of the hood of the robe. “Get on with it Beezen. Before I take over and put this creature where they belong below. My foot.” Beezen turns his head to stare at the other judge. He rolls his eyes turning to look at me. “Lavan is right. If we delay this any longer. The judges that want to cause harm will take over. Now Desert Rose as you call yourself. I know you have another name but that is your zebra name. I don’t blame you for removing yourself from your zebra name. It’s a way to fit in and move on from the past.” The past looking away. Yes, zebras mostly do remove themselves from others. It’s a way to protect those that are around you. For me at least I changed my name because of my family’s stand on ponies. “I changed it because the family had issues with ponies way before the war started. I felt the way to fit in and protect my family from themselves. As well as to save face in case my kind did their war. Then I learned ponies were just as racist as my kind after marrying into husband’s family.” Beezen sighs shifting on his feet pacing and nods. “Yes, that is a normal issue. It’s not an easy issue to move on from. The Ponies of Dream Valley had this issue as well. But we are getting off-topic. You’re not here to be put on trial. Just the stars like to make everything crazy.” I tilt my head a bit. I am not on trial then why am I here? “Then why am I here?’ “To give us bloooood: “Yes, blood murder kill. Give us blood souls kill.” “BLOOD.” The stars around me screech laughing. They all say the same words blood, souls, and kill. Do they wish for me to cause death? But why on such a high scale? All I did was use a spell that was connected to my soul. “The spell you cast Rose made them think. It made them think you’re willing to go that extra mile.” I am not willing to go that extra mile. I am not willing to become their murder of a killer in the name of the stars. Ones who normally do this turn out to be lost souls. Many of my species can become those lost souls. Then the stars get other souls to be in that trap. “Then I am the wrong one to give you this glory oh stars” The stars quit their laughing and their calls for blood. Everything was an eerie silence I fear I made the wrong choice. I have to quickly think and this would mean. Getting another soul lost in this “I may not be the one to bring you your blood oh stars. I am sure you will find another soul to do so.” Beezen frowns sighing. I look over to me I have a feeling they already have a choice. A choice that could cause more problems than are worth dealing with. “Then the next soul will be truly lost. They already made that choice before you. I tried to convince them otherwise. But now we have no choice but to do this poor soul.” He pulls a wand out of his pocket. The wand has eyes and looks to be alive. I can hear complaining while he waves the wand casting a spell. The spell causes a strange magical screen like those monitors that were made way before the war. On the screen is a young bug-like creature. Her exoskeleton is pink and she looks to be at peace laughing. “This is the soul. The soul that will be taking your duty. I hope you can understand this Rose. You will be her target. When things for her are said and done. No matter how she leaves the island she is on. She will have a call in the back of her head. The call will be to hunt you for putting her on this trial. At first, she won’t know till she is near you.” I look at the creature. The creature looks young. I wish I could go back on what I just said. But I refuse to become a weapon of the stars. It’s a matter of pride for me. If this creature becomes my hunter later then so be it. “Does she have a name?” Beezen sighs. “Ruby Glide.” After the name is said. The world around me vanishes the stars laugh in the darkness. As I feel like I am forced back into my body. The world around me goes at super speed. I feel pain filling my body and my brain is throbbing. I have come back to the waking world. I open my eyes. I was on the back of a makeshift bed in the cart. The others have started a fire and I just lay there thinking of everything. I don’t think what I saw in that vision or dream? Was real it could have been real. Of course this world there are stranger things. I look at my chest I see a symbol on the white part. I know that symbol quickly shines bright red and vanishes. It wasn’t a dream I am now the target. This creature could come any time to when I am on my death bed. It could even be never from what I learned years ago. I don’t dare tell the others. I get out of the makeshift bed walking to the campfire. “OH!! You’re awake!!” Bowser smiles standing up to hug me tightly. Then grabs my face with his claws staring into my eyes. “Don’t even think of using that spell again.” June and Drift stay silent. Of course, their mouths are full so I doubt they wish to be rude. I look over to Maria who is connected to the robot we fought. I don’t know what she is doing and Deco is over the fire with Ai marshmallows. “Oh, you’re awake Rose. Maria will be out for a moment. I asked her to connect to the robot so we can learn why he attacked us. It’s been a few hours since you’ve been out. I haven’t even seen a file yet.” I shrug my shoulders. “Well, at least you’re enjoying yourself while she does Deco. As for me. I am hungry so.. let’s eat.” I grab a stick jabbing a few carrots on it putting it over the fire to cook them. I think about what I did. I have a feeling I ruined the poor creature’s life. Maybe someday though I will meet her. Maybe I will tell her how sorry I am. Maybe we will fight to a standstill. But for all, I know the life of the creature known as Ruby Glide is going to be a hard one. “Maybe you can tell us what you were dreaming about.” I glance over at June tilting my head. “What do you mean?” June laughs. “Well, you talk in your sleep Rose. You were talking about the stars or something. Like you were in some trial. “ I didn’t know if I should. But these are my friends, my family, now. Even I consider Deco and Maria part of this family. I shift uncomfortably on the ground where I am sitting. I am not up for doing this but I need to. “To explain. I would have to go into zebra’s problem with the stars and why they had a problem with Luna and Nightmare Moon. I know it’s not easy to go into but are you sure you’re all willing to listen.” Drift smiles. “I am sure I speak for all of us. I would love to learn.” The others agree with Drift. I take a deep breath unsure how to start looking into the fire. “It all started years ago.” Perk finally added: Wait you finally get a perk? Wow, you must be powerful already. Bad perk: Stars target: You refused to become the star’s weapon. When the time is indeed right. You will meet the stars pick for the bringer of their blood. Author's Note Now to those that have read Rainfall. This will make sense to folks now. Chapter Eight: A pony zebra communityA community of mixed-species never tends to get along like most believe. But when they have good leadership and good elders they become a strong connected community. At times though outsiders try to ruin that for those communities since they try to force their views on everyone else. Written by Unknown. It’s been like three days since we first ran into that robotic creature that attacked us. I haven’t been able to get a good night’s sleep since then. I have been more stressed than the others. We set up camp in the middle of the street surrounded by factories. I stand up pacing around worried about the creature I just ruined the life of. “You’re heavily stressed, Rose. Your heart is beating a bit too fast. “ I glance at Maria who is recharging but Deco is the one controlling the body right now. I took a deep breath trying to relax. “Deco have you ever had the feeling that you made an awful mistake?” Deco tilts her head. I knew it was best not to ask an AI this question. But she sat down on a chair that she created from nothing. It’s like she is thinking. “The only feeling of regret is me being forced upon you. I feel you had no choice at all. I worry that just being with me will cause you more problems than you deserve. I know this is new to me as well but I consider you family.” Closing my eyes, sighing. Before I could say anything I heard a strange sound. I hear hooves seeing lights and they blind me with the lights. I look at who is holding the light. It’s a unicorn with a zebra beside her. They say nothing to us for the moment the others are fast asleep. “Are you Desert Rose?” I didn’t answer. The unicorn lifts her light into my face. “Are you Desert Rose or not?” I cover my eyes with my hoof. They see that I have a metal hoof and some metal up my leg. So I am sure they know now who I am. “Get that light out of my face first then I will answer.” The unicorn removes the light from my face. I blink a few times to get my vision back to normal. It’s not as easy as most think it is. It’s not the first time I had a light forced in my face. During the start of the war. I had many ponies that did not trust me. Of course, if I was trusted this wouldn’t have happened to me back then. “I am Desert Rose. Forgive me if I don’t answer with a damn light on my face. Now are you here to kill us or are you here to talk with us?” The zebra laughs. “No Rose Bubblegum told us about you a few days ago. She told us what you did for them and told us to be on the lookout for you. We got a story to tell you and it’s not going to be a sane story.” I think I know what they’re talking about. “I see I would love to learn what it’s about. Let me wake up my friends.” I stood on my hooves looking at Deco nodding to her. Deco attaches herself to my metal leg to look like part of my metal. I don’t trust these two. I shake my friends again and June opens her eyes, snorting. “Damn it Rose I am trying to sleep here!!” I laugh softly, shaking the others awake. Bowser stood up staring at the two that are with us. He looks at them like he is looking through them. Leans in to whisper to me. “The mare has a pistol and the stallion has at least a couple of rounds in his machine gun. The mare is pregnant and the stallion is a bit hard. I think I know why he wants you.” Bowser smirks. I roll my eyes, Drift sitting up spreading her wings. Thanks to learning to control the orb in her chest. “Now before we go anywhere with you we will gather our gear.” The zebra nods and sighs. “You saw the stars didn’t you?” I stop from gathering my gear, turning my head a bit to glance at the stallion. I have no idea how he even knew and the unicorn mare glances at her friend then at me. “The stress in your eyes. The way you move. You have been in their court. You did a spell with your soul didn’t you?” My friends stare at me. It’s like what they mean by this. I took a deep breath not even saying anything. I just keep gathering the gear with the others. I sigh June hitches herself to the cart and we walk with the two to wherever. I didn’t care but I am a bit upset that the others know. I glance at the stallion while they lead us to the dirt road. Up ahead is a large metal gate and the mare hits her hoof on the metal door. A little port door opens up. The head of a large earth pony mare with stripes on her face comes out. “Did you find them?” The unicorn nods to the earth pony. Her red eyes stare at me. A smile forms on the mare’s face. I didn’t know what to think at all about that. “I am sorry I can’t let you into the community right away. We will lead you to a heavy closed room and you will get enough food. While we make sure you don't bring any sickness with you. It’s no offense to you of course. It’s more to protect you four just in case. Some don’t trust you.” June rolls her eyes shooting her mouth off. “Oh no, a world that doesn’t trust me. It’s just like the old world again. Just dumber and braindead. How about this I gore you. You let us in and then I don’t murder your fucking family!!” I stare at June. Bowser strokes her side to calm the buffalo. “Down girl.” June snorts. “I will not be locked in some room. Because ponies and zebras don’t trust me. I will not be caged!!” I turn my head to June. “June shut up, you will do what is best for now. You got that?” June stares at me snorting, smiling sweetly. “Oh come on Rose you got to scare them now and then. I will do whatever you say. But I will never be told by anyone I don’t know what to fucking to do. If you even think you can control me. I will kill them.” The zebra stallion smirks. “Oh, I like her.” The unicorn mare rolls her eyes. June is unhitched and they take the cart into the city. But we are led through an old plastic tunnel. I read the words on the plastic tunnel. It’s an old magic radiation cleaning crew that came through trying to clean the end of the war. But I am sure most of them died before they could. The unicorn opens the door. “Again I am sorry for this.” I finally got a good look at her. She is a pink furred mare with zebra hooves and stripes on her legs. “I will be the one giving you food and bedding as well. Just remember I am known as Ziggy.” We didn’t even speak to her Bowser sighs sitting down near one of the pipes. I just sat down in one of the old chairs. Drift flew up into the air and perched herself on a platform. June just snorts. “How about you let us go. Then I, the only buffalo here, don't trample you.” I roll my eyes. “June you can't stop showing off. We all know you’re all talk.” June laughs. “But she doesn’t” I laugh loudly and Ziggy snorts, closing the door. I shake my head. Maria removes herself from my leg. She turns on her eye so Deco can speak to us. “Maria and I found an upgrade for you four. I am hoping this upgrade will explain why you four were chosen. We also found out what this place is. It’s a former flying wagon factory turned into a weapons creation factory. A bomb like a balefire bomb went off. But it was smaller and it let off magic radiation though. They tried very hard to contain it and everyone died around the area.” So there is an upgrade here. “Okay everyone, what do you think of them? Do you think we can trust them?” June shrugs her shoulders. “I don’t trust ponies or zebras easily. But you’re all family to me. So I will trust you with my life. I am not happy. I don’t like being stuck in closed rooms like this. I doubt it’s to protect us. I think they just don’t trust us.” Bowser just looks at me. “That zebra said that you saw the diamonds in the sky. “ Drift stares at me. June shifts on her hooves to look at me as well. “I...yes I saw the stars. They wanted to use me to become their warrior of blood. So I was put into some court and then forced a new deal. A creature I have never met before. She is now going to be taking my place. If she and I ever meet she will try to kill me for putting her in this situation.” June shakes her head. “I don’t know anything about the zebras and what they think about the stars. I don’t know though if forcing this on another soul is wise though Rose.” Drift looks at the others. “Is no one else worried that the stars have minds of their own? Are we even in control of our own choices then?” I shift looking up to Drift. “Drift the stars aren’t like that. There are two versions of the stars. The stars want peace and love for all species in the world. Then the stars that want nothing but blood. Old stories: the stars that want blood took over.” Bowser shakes his head. “If this is true then what do we do? Do we stay here for three days? Do you think Deco or Maria can get us out of here?” Deco finally chimed in. “There is no way we can get you out of here. That door there is not connected to anything that is powered. This place was built in the early stages of the war. It was before the ponies of the past relied too much on tech. Maria stays silent just to chime in herself. “I feel I have been here before. I remember. I remember being built somewhere near here. Then I remember being larger and then destroyed. I think that is my memory.” I stare at the poor robotic creature. She is trying so hard to remember who she is. If she was built close around here. Maybe we can learn who she is. I look at the others and then at Deco. “Excuse me Maria could you shut yourself down at least enough so we can talk to just Deco? I don’t want you to feel unwelcome but you can understand why can’t you?” The robotic creature turns her head to me. It stares at me for a while. I have a feeling that she is feeling hurt. I do hope that she understands why. “You don’t trust me, do you?” I shift on my hooves. I am unsure how to answer but I need to try anyway. “It’s not that I don’t trust you, Maria. I just need to make sure that you can trust us. If we ever find what you’re made for you might have to be destroyed. You understand this right?” Maria just stares at me for a while. At least I think it was staring. Hard to tell when the head of this robot is a lamp. “Yes, I understand. I could be an awful weapon for all I know. Just please be truthful to me when the time comes.” I look at the others. The others nod, as well as Maria, shuts herself down. Deco is the only thing left of her. Deco paces and looks up to us. Deco is not very happy with us. I could tell from the look on her face. “She and I talk to each other a lot and she is worried that you’re just going to give her up. Because she is a tag along. Like it or not she is now part of this family. We are all family and we need to stick together.” June sighs. “It’s not that I don’t trust her Deco. If I can gore it or stampede over it. I will have an issue trusting it.” Bowser strokes his head. “That is the weirdest way of saying I trust you even if I can’t kill you. I have no issue with trusting her Deco. I just want you to understand I am a diamond dog. Ponies find it very hard to trust us just from things we did in the past.” Drift lands beside Maria. “I trust her with all my heart Deco. Just how do we know that she is not some weapon?” I turn my head just a bit to see some strange black ball in the corner of the room. I have no idea what it is. “Look everyone, let's just get some sleep. Maybe whoever runs this community will let us out. They can’t keep up this lie forever.” Bowser stares at. “What makes you think they’re lying about this? We could be carrying a heavy sickness for all we know.” I laugh softly. “Oh come on Bowser you and I fully know this place is properly run by one of my species. They don’t trust outsiders at all and they will never listen to a pony. No matter how much-mixed blood is in this community.” June laughs. “Listen to you Rose.” I smirk then hear a latch on the door seeing a large pee hole open up. I stand on my hooves and the same mare that left us here is looking in. “Our leader is willing to meet with you Rose and only you. So please come with me” The door opens up and I look at June and the others. I stood up and headed out of the room to follow the unicorn. “Welcome to our community.” When the two of us got out of the strange building I was locked in. I look around seeing the community of mixed breeds mostly zebras and ponies. The community is heavily guarded by a high metal wall and uses the factories around the road to make homes. Too bad it’s night though I would be able to learn more about it. “Our community has been here since a few years after the war. It was an old hospital camp of ponies and zebras working together to try to find any survivors. They didn’t find much but they made this into a community a few years after leaving with who they could.” I found it strange they came back after so many years just to make a community out of it. There could be a reason for it but I will never understand at all. Maybe I will someday but it’s going to get harder. I take a deep breath. Breathing the air out of my nose trying to relax. It’s harder to relax since the stars are forcing me in court. We go inside a building that looks like an old guardhouse. Sitting on a chair is a pretty young zebra mare. She is downed in a robe with gold twinning. Skull earrings and staff beside her made of an old dragon tooth. “Good evening Rose I am Inhliziyo yegolide.” I tilt my head. Her name is Gold heart? I wonder if there is a reason for this name. Of course, knowing my species there is always a meaning for a name. I just wait to hear what she will say. I am wondering if she will ask for our help. “I am willing to give you lodging a place you four could make a home out of. No strings attached, just I need to know what that thing is that came with you?” I look at Ziggy and then Gold heart. “If you’re talking about our robotic friend. Her name is Maria she calls herself a frozen clock” Gold Heart leans on the tooth staring at me. “Frozen clock? There are old stories about such a creature. We had some scouts go into one of the old factory basements and found info on something like that. They couldn’t get any of the info out before they got attacked. Now the door is locked and we won’t allow anyone else down there. But before I even think of letting you down there. You must do what you did in Bubble Gum’s community. Work at the bar with others and so on like you did there.” I shook my head not caring for this idea. But if it’s the only way to get the others out of that room. I know the others will hate me for agreeing to this. It’s the only way we can do anything and get anywhere. “Alright, I will tell the others to agree with it. Is that all you wish to know?” The young mare leans more on the tooth. “I would like to know what it was like.” I tilt my head. “What do you mean?” The young mare stands on her hooves looking at old paintings of the old world. Paintings of Luna and Celesta. “You four are from the old world. Could you explain to me what it was like?” All I could do was smile. The old days weren’t amazing like many feel it was. It was a peaceful time only when some monsters didn’t want to prove themselves. The old world is what the world will always be. “Is this a demand from a leader to one below them Gold heart?” She laughs, shaking her head. “No, this is a request from zebra to zebra.” I sit down on my haunches and the young mare lays down. I didn’t know how she would handle it. So I explained to her what the past was like. The amazing world that it was and the pain of the world. It’s not a perfect world but no world was ever perfect. Chapter Nine: Odd jobs Part oneIt took a while for me to wake up. Bowser shook me awake. I open my eyes, staring at my three friends. Groaning sitting up in the bed looking at the others. A weak smile formed on my face. Stroking my head with one of my hooves. “We are all sorry for waking you, Rose. The guards came by and told us to go to the tavern to look for our odd jobs. What do you think we should do? I don’t trust this group at all but I doubt we have a choice.” I got out of bed looking at my friends. Looking down at Maria who is still attached to my leg. I sigh deeply unsure what to do. “Tell me Deco and Maria do you two feel safe here?” Maria doesn’t say a word but a little orb that on her back brings out a hologram of Deco. Deco is in a strange outfit and she is wearing a strange hat. I have no idea why she is wearing any clothing, it's just stranger and stranger. “Maria feels safe. As long as she is connected to one of you she will feel fine. I don’t fully know, just know there is a place here for upgrades. All I can say is that it's in that area that they told us has been locked for a long time.” I glance at the others. “Alright then let’s go to the tavern get something to eat then ask if there are any jobs they have for us. Just June be prepared, your job might be a bouncer heh.” June laughs. “As long as I get to gore someone that would be great for me. I’d rather stick around to at least protect you three. I don’t trust this place at all. I have a feeling that they might try to push us into something that we would all regret.” Drift stayed silent. I have been worried about her ever since we came here. I hope that I will be able to talk to her in private. Maybe someday we will be free of these objects in our bodies. The four of us head out of the place they gave us. A home they said that we can do whatever we want with. If this is true then I will try to tell Hops that we now have a place that I can be with her. Walking through the community there are many creatures I have never seen before. I glance at a strange rat walking past us. The rat turns, taking his hat bowing his head in respect to me. “Good morning.” I was taken aback by how kind he was. “Morning.” I am not sure what to think. There are so many creatures and races I never thought I would see. I am starting to wonder if I will see more. I don’t know, it just makes me worry. How do we know that all these races get along? We walk into the tavern and I nod to the others to go get a place to sit. I walk to the counter sitting on one of the stools. Behind the bar is a female Minotaur. She is wearing a dark black dress with a blue hat on her head. She looks up at me smirking. I get a good look at her. She is light green and her eyes are pure red. “So our new friends have come to grace my bar hmm?” I lift my hoof to their hand so we both in a way shake. “I am Kador. I was told you would come here to look for a job. I can tell you about every job that is up for grabs right now. It might be best for you to get food inside you first. Am I correct?” I sigh, nodding. “I am unsure what you have here though.” Kador smiles. “Allow me to order all the food for you. It will be on the house till you get our way of currency here.” That was kind of her I thought. I could be worried about everything that is going on. Worried that we are going to get into the middle of a war. I could also be worried that the stars told me the one that I pushed my task on will come for me. “Miss you have a lot on your mind from the look in your eyes. Maybe Kador can help you. Would you like to talk about it?” A smile forms across my face. “No, I am fine, I am still new to this new world. I am so used to the world of the past. Even my kind still didn’t get treated the best at all. Just it was better than having guns aimed in your face the entire time.” Kador nods. “I would kill to be in that old land you talk about. Even if the racism was still pretty normal from what you say. I'd rather have that than the threat of sickness or radiation storm that tends to happen now and again here.” I sigh, nodding. “The old world may have been many things. But what I wouldn’t give to just be back there again. I still think though I would have been treated just as badly as the zebras of old got treated. The point that most don’t understand. Do zebras tend to harm their species in the name of the stars?” Kador shrugs her shoulders. “Anyway, we will get the food to you. I hope you four become citizens of this lovely town. I would love to serve you daily.” A larger smile goes across my face. “I will talk to the others. I would love a place to come home to. I am sure the others would as well. So thank you so much.” I leave the stool heading to the booth that my friends found. I sit beside Drift relaxing in the seat. “I find this place too peaceful.” I glance at June who is unsure about this place. “Well I don’t know about you three but I am willing to become a citizen here.” They look at me. “I am willing to work to become a citizen here.” Drift leans into me. I glance at the pegasus. I think she likes the idea too. “Just a place to stay would be great. Maybe we can become traders for them. Then go on our journey to learn why we have these creations in our bodies. I am hoping that we learn that and maybe learn more about ourselves.” I shrug my shoulders. “I agree, I talked with the bartender. She will bring us the food. She said that we will have to earn the type of currency they use here. I don’t know what they use here.” Kador comes over with a large tray of various foods. She places all the meat infront of Bowser. She sets down a few daisy sandwiches for me and Drift. Then she gives June what looks like freshly pulled out grass. “On the house and after you eat I will bring the list of jobs we have on the wall. I will even tell our leader to allow you to become citizens if that is what you all want?” June shrugs her shoulders grazing on the grass ignoring the world around her now. “I wouldn’t mind being a citizen of this place.” Drift smiles digging into her food. “I am with them as well. Also, don’t worry about June, she normally does what we do.” Bowser snickers getting an angry look from June. “What do we have to do to become a citizen, Kador?’ Kador smirks. “Well, you have to prove to be a worker of this community. Now enjoy your food and don’t worry about the others here. Some may not respect you because of Rose. Some have issues with zebras. Even though we have zebras that live here. If they come to you Rose and express how they feel just give it back to them.” I nod. “I wish I didn’t have to do so. I hope that we can find a peaceful way to handle ourselves. I don’t want to be a problem here already.” Kador laughs. “Oh don’t worry about being a problem. You’re a guest to this community. If you get into a fight with someone you will be fine. Just as long as you don’t kill someone then yeah you will be fine” June smirks. “No June you will not cause any problems here.” Bowser chided her and tried everything he could to stop her from thinking it. June laughs. “You won’t stop me from at least enjoying myself Diamond Dog.” I sigh. “June for me please don’t cause any problems.” June lifts her head looking at me. She pouts and all I could do was roll my eyes and she laughs softly. “For you Rose, I won’t cause a problem but if anyone tries to harm you three then I will cause a problem. I will not just sit by and let them hurt either of you.” I let out a sigh. I am unsure what to think right now. June could be a problem all by herself. I am hoping that she will never cause a problem. There is no way I can stop her though even though she makes me think I can. “I will return.” We watch while Kador leaves. I took a deep breath staying silent for a while ignoring this gut feeling I have. After a while, a band comes out on the stage and a large rat creature that I have never seen before. He looks like the one that we walked past earlier. “Hello everyone, I wish to welcome you to the tavern this morning. I hope you enjoy the music and the meals you’re given. We also have a couple of new souls with us. I hope you can at least give them a warm welcome.” He looks to the others in his band. A zebra stallion, A strange ant creature, and a hornet? “All four of us know what it’s like to be new. Our magic eater friends behind me and my zebra friend are still new here. Just they enjoyed becoming part of this new land.” My ears perk up magic eaters? “Magic eaters?” Bowser looks at the stage. He shifts his eyes to see if he could learn anything from them. He gasped covering his eyes., “I can’t see those two creatures. I wonder if these creations of ours don’t work on creatures that eat magic.” June ignores us and Drift looks at the zebra stallion who looks back at her. It’s like love or something. I just stare at Drift. “No.. not till we are sure we are staying here got it?” Drift sighs nodding. The band starts up their music. It’s soft, gentle, and cool. The rat grabs the mic while the music drifts through the tavern. “Oh welcome to a world of endless torment. A world that follows with death and torment of souls that never see a new tomorrow.” “A new tomorrow.” The others with him sing. “This tomorrow will never come. If we don’t work together and bring back the light. Ooooh, the light shall never end. If the light sings for our hearts. Oh, our hearts shall never end. Our hearts shall sing to become one with the others.” The zebra stallion comes up to sing as he glides his hooves along with a string instrument. “I have lost my way as a zebra in the dark of the night. I have left my home. I have left the others to rot. They’re dead, my tribe is all gone. I hope they never scream in the endless torment of souls and rendering of flesh. But there is always a new tomorrow.” “A new tomorrow.” The others sing. “Even though I have lost my tribe. My home, my life. I never allow the end to take me. I never allow the end to be near. I shall always sing in my heart. I look up to the stars and curse. Curse them under my breath. Curse them under my song. I shall never let them lead me again. I shall end them in my mind and move along.” The next is the hornet that somehow blows a horn? “I am known as a magic eater. I am called Venom Sting. I am part of a brood that lives in this loving community. That welcomes my kind that welcomes my soul. I have been lost. I have been found. We have been welcomed and our queen sings her heart for us all. We are a brood of lost souls. We are a brood of mixed broods. Lost in the grand scheme of the evil land. A land that refuses to give us our fate.” He buzzes to add to the music. The buzz sings through the tavern adding to the calm gentle music. The buzz adds to his horn a horn that blows through his lips. Hooves and hands clap to add to the music. “So my new tomorrow is to please my queen. She may not be my brood mother. She is a queen and she deserves all my love and joy. I shall sing to her and her kings till the day I end. For I am a magic eater and I sing for them. So I sing of the new tomorrow our new today. Our new sun that rises in the east. Our new hearts see the light. Our new dawn, our glowing hearts. Our glowing love with our families and wives or husbands.” The others sing. “Our new tomorrow. Our today. Our new story just started today. Allow the sun to set on our new today. The month of our lives has become a way within the dreams. Welcome oh, welcome new souls to this new world of yours.” The final one to sing. “I am what is called a tunneler. I am from a land of sand, land of death. A land called windowmaker desert. I am a scout. I am lost within this land. I have been wanting to learn and to understand this world. I have been here for almost ten years. I will never return, I will become the music within my heart.” I felt a little stress come over me. I nod to my friends and get up from the table to go to the bathroom. I look around for the mares bathroom but I don’t see it. It’s for all sexes. I go in and it’s a pretty big bathroom. I look into the mirror and my eyes look heavily bloodshot. I feel the stress getting to me. Looking down at Maria I have a feeling she is going to stay offline. I am sure she and Deco are either resting or trying to find out the next spot for our upgrades. The door opens behind me. I ignore whoever it is. “Well well, we have a zebra here.” I look up into the mirror staring at ponies who want to cause a problem. “What will we do to her boss?” The stallion laughs. “Oh, I am unsure.” The gang of stallion ponies surrounds me. Closing my eyes tightly, turning the water on to watch my face and my eyes with my metal hooves. Taking a deep breath blowing the air out looking into the mirror to stare at the ponies. “Are you going to keep bothering me?” I turn around on my hooves to stare at the stallions. Many of them seem to want to cause me a problem and all I want to do is be left alone with my friends. I didn’t want to harm anyone with these metal hooves. “Zebras need to learn their place; they're below us, we are above.” I sigh deeply. “Is that what your egos tell you?” Another stallion finally walks in. “What are you boys doing?” They turn to look at the larger stallion. “Oh just giving this mare a welcome.” The stallion is wearing a guard-like uniform and he rolls his eyes. “Right I am sure you weren’t about to rape her because there are more of you than her. That would be a great welcome to a mare looking for a place to stay. So Red I have an idea how about I let you fight her and if you win your boys can have their fun. If she wins you leave her the fuck alone.” Red the leader of these stallions smirks. “Oh, and she is not going to fight fair either.” Red looks confused and I smack him right in the crotch so hard that he screams. Since he turned around he fell to the ground screaming in pain. I lift my metal hoof putting my hoof on his family jewels. “I am not in the mood for stallions and their egos and ponies thinking they’re above my species. I was told everyone is welcomed in this community. If you want to rape me because you think I am an easy mare I am not. I am from a time when stallions like you would be put in their place.” I move my hoof away from the stallion looking at his gang. The large stallion smirks forcing the ponies to move away from me. He used his large bulky body to let me get away from the other stallions that tried to force their egos on me. He walked out of the bathroom with me and I didn’t get to hear the rest of the song. “I am sorry about them. They don’t even live here but they come in here to cause problems with the zebras of this community. No zebra ever dared to fight them and I learned you’re not from this time. So you have no issue fighting them.” I chuckle. “I do have an issue with killing. But I don’t have an issue putting stallions in their place. If I did scream my friends would have charged in. Knowing my friend June they would have been dead. So is there anything else I should be warned about with that group?” The guard shrugs. “Na they will leave for a while. But if you leave and do not become citizens they will target you as a threat to them and their raider gang.” Raider gang? “I am sorry for following you. I was asked to keep an eye on you and your friends. I am Tower and yes just Tower since I was a pretty large colt when I was young. So it stuck. I will be your friend and try everything to protect you and your friends.” A smile forms on my face. “Thank you but if I may ask why is a raider gang allowed in this community? Do they not understand what raiders do? I am still new to this land and I knew what raiders did. I have seen what they did.” Tower nods and we stop in front of the bar. He looks back to the bathroom seeing the stallions leave. “You stay here, they might still be angry for what you did to their leader. Now look, Miss Rose, I may not always protect you. Just what did you use to smash poor Reds jewels?” I lift my hoof and leg. “My friends and I got lucky, unlike the others. I had my hooves removed with these metal ones and with each upgrade the metal goes up my legs. I am sure my entire legs will be metal before my journey is over with.” Tower nods. “I will let you get back to your friends. Just please don’t allow those stallions to get to you. If they try again you will have to fight them on your own.” I get up from the stool. “I won’t rely on you big guy. Just please If I do call for you, will it be over tea or just a talk fair?” Tower nods. “Fair take care, Miss Rose.” I walk back to my friends. A soft sigh comes through my mouth. The stress is getting to me heavily and I need to relax. I can’t think of a way to relax at all. I get back to the booth my friends are at and they are laughing and talking. “Rose, are you okay?” “No no I am not. I also got attacked and raped by a gang of stallions.” June lifts her head from the grass she has almost fully eaten. Steam comes out of her horns. I thought oh no I think I just triggered the angry horns. “No no I am fine June no need to lose your mind.” Bowser sighs, shaking his head. “Let me guess that one stallion that has ice between his legs is the one you hit?” I glance at the stallion who is in a chair holding ice on his crotch. I smirk weakly looking at Bowser. “Oh, Rose, there is no way to start or end a fight. It’s a way to make sure the stallion will hold a grudge because you hurt his jewels.” June smirks. “You got to hold his family jewels now he can’t give his family jewels to anyone else. Awww soooo sad.” Bowser groans Drift laughs. Kodor comes back with a list of jobs. She sets it down and looks up at me with a smirk forming on her face. “Tower told me what you did.” I let a heavy sigh, shaking my head. “I am sorry I didn’t mean to cause any issues.” Kodor laughs. “No no don’t worry about it, Rose. He has had that coming for ages now. He may try again later. But I would say he will think twice about it. Just if he does try to harm you just come find me. I will gather the other girls he and his gang have harmed or attacked and we will join you in the fight.” A smirk comes across my face. “I see now, let's see the job list.” Looking through the job list. I see a job to go through the old ruins of a factory with a creature called a ghoul. She wants just one other creature to come with that could be of good help. Bowser signed up for maintenance work in the town. June takes to patrol and guarding and Drift takes working with Kador. Things went pretty quickly after the choices were made. It was pretty much the next day since we all spent the rest of the day resting in our new home. I went to the tavern when I was asked to sit at the table the ghoul is sitting at. “Oh, a zebra and.” She looks at me over a smirk forming over her face. “You must be the zebra that was frozen for 200 years, am I correct?’ I nod quickly “I am yes.” The ghoul gave a rotting smile. I could swear I could hear her flesh stretch. I could smell her but I didn’t want to be rude to her. I took a deep breath and blew out to relax. “So what are you looking for?” The ghoul sets down a map. The map has a large circle around it on an old factory that created water bottles or clean water. It’s a pretty long trek from here to there. “We are searching for this old factory so we can get fresh water for the area. A warning for you though there are a lot of mutants or creatures mutated by the magic weapons used in this area during the war.” I shake my head unsure what to think. But this is the only way to make money and become a citizen. “Now we will be leaving after Kador gets done making your food for the trip and getting enough water for you to take with us. Tower will be giving you a choice of weapons for the trip as well. They will be needed and I can teach you how to live through the waste.” It took about an hour for Kador to get all the food ready for me. She gave me what is called a magic bag. Then attaching to my leg a pip-buck so I could look through my life signs and what is in my bags. “This will save your life and Tower is making you armor and weapons. This will protect you from whatever is out there. Since many of us haven’t been to this area of the city before.” After a while Tower brought heavy armor that fit me very well. I was able to see my pip-buck through the protection and use it as well. He set down a set of weapons. For the first set, I need to choose from three swords. I found a zebra sword that has a strong zebra name ‘Ngiyethemba’ Meaning hope. I grab the hilt in my mouth housing the blade in its scabbard on my armor. The next set of weapons he sets down are various pistols. I look through each pistol finding a magnum that has a powerful name to it. ‘One song.’ I look at the gun itself. It seems to house only one small shell but there are many of them. I look through the shells and notice these have been made just recently. It looks like this gun was made recently itself. I put that in the holder for the weapon and then the last set of weapons. A couple of large rifles, one of them is a crossbow and even a sniper rifle. Since I feel the best way to deal with far-away targets and stay silent is a crossbow. I take the crossbow looking at the name. ‘Bolt tosser.’ I put the crossbow on my armor and all the ammo is placed in my bags. Looking into my inventory like I am told to. Seeing all the food, water, ammo, and medical drugs, and normal drugs. “You’re ready then come on let’s go.” I follow the ghoul to the next leg of this journey. I have no idea what I am going to find but maybe I will find something that brings me closer to my path. I am starting to wonder if I will ever find the true path. I am hoping I will learn whatever I can about myself. I look down to Maria and Deco who are still offline. Maybe they will help me through this journey. Chapter Ten: Dunewalker Part twoThere are stories about a strange robotic creature made from parts of pip-bucks. Many think this robotic creature was not only made from these parts and some of these parts don’t even look like a Pip-buck I found this robot though. The robot is attached to the leg of a zebra mare. This mare doesn’t even know the power of this robot. They call her Maria. I didn't even think it was a real pip-buck. Till she said the words Frozen clock attached to her leg. I wish I could ask you to come and recruit this mare and the frozen clock. But they saved my life and I will not tell you the truth. Maybe someday I will tell you the truth. Or maybe I won’t. It’s time for me to do what I feel is right. Ripped up old letter written to Wheel Tread from Dunewalker. It’s been at least a day since I got the job to go with the ghoul. I learned it is named Shadow Bloom. From the stories, she told me she used to be part of the military before the war ended and went awol after many of her friends got murdered during an attack. She won’t go too deep into it but she is not going to. Mostly out of respect for the fact I am a zebra. “Now Miss Rose, I see you’re having no problems surviving in this new world. I wonder though why would the Black Hooves pick you and your friends for those robotic upgrades?” I look down at Maria and wonder if Deco could explain. But right now Maria is still charging. I am wondering if she is having issues keeping her battery charged. “The Ai who I speak to now and then who I named Deco. Has no idea why we were even picked for these upgrades so to speak. She doesn’t even remember why she was placed inside our upgrades and the start of everything only be allowed to talk to her.” Shadow chuckles. “Sounds like a pain in the ass.” She quickly stops crouching in a way to sneak and I follow her. Even though my hooves make a soft metal clomp. We hear a battle going on of swords and even guns going off. We lift our heads around a building and we see the factory we need to get to for the water. But right now there are many robots and camel fighting creatures. The robots though are yelling one thing. “He rises he is returning from the dead.” The camel laughs while swinging a strange sword that is attached to a shotgun. Her eye is cybernetic and the rest of her is fleshy. On the sword, I see the name Dunewalker. “OI!!! The creatures attacking them are hard to see what they are. They look like mutated lizards holding heavy weapons and guys firing back. When a robot falls another rises to take on the lizards. “Alright, We could try to sneak inside while they fight or we could join into the fight.” I glance down at Maria hoping Deco would help. Before I could say anything though the mutant lizards do what they can to run. Many of the robots with the camel are either destroyed or about to fall apart. “I think we should talk to this camel.” The ghoul shrugs her shoulders and we walk out from the side of the building we were hiding. The camel quickly turns, aiming her shotgun and we both stop in our tracks. The camel looks at the ghoul with her eye and then at me. She then looks down at my leg. “Hello, Miss Camel, we come in peace. I am Desert Rose.” The camel looks up at me again and then at the ghoul. She just sighs looking at all the robots around her who are now gone and dead. “A stripes willing to talk about peace. I don’t fucking care if you’re a peaceful zebra you’re still striped now tell me what you want or I will kill you like many of your kind should have been killed.” I stay silent now, a hater of zebras. I don’t blame her for what happened during the war. I am told many things my kind did during the war were insane. I take a deep breath, closing my eyes. I try my best not to get upset. “Listen, this zebra recently came out of magic hibernation so don’t pit her like the others. She is from 200 years ago and if you can’t accept it. Then we will leave you here with your broken toys.” The camel shifts again looking down at my leg. Maria finally comes online and looks up with her camera eyes. I put my hoof on Maria to hide her and the camel smiles. She comes over to me after she puts her sword back into the scabbard. She stands right in front of me. I look up at her. It's not easy to look at her from how tall she is. “I am Dunewalker. I am here from the desert known as the Widowmaker. I am sure that after being around for 200 years I know what that desert is.” The widowmaker desert? I have heard stories of that place. It’s not something I know much about. I glance at Shadow and she pushes the camel away from me. The two stare at each other. “Now listen to Dunewalker betrayer of your species. We are here to get water if you come with us or get out of the way.” I didn’t know what she meant by betrayer of her species. The camel rolls her eyes. She reaches into her pack bringing out a cigarette lighting it and taking a deep drag from it. She stares at the two of us. “I see a ghoul pony just another one willing to insult rather than speak. Now tell me why you are here or I will be the next problem you deal with.” I close my eyes, shaking my head. Opening my eyes I glance up at the camel. “Listen, we didn't come here for any trouble. We came here to find water and whatever else we can find here. If you wish to get in our way I am willing to fight you. I trained and what the black hooves did to me I can assure you. I can break every bone in your body.” The camel watches while the metal in my legs gets harder. I stomp my right hoof on the ground causing the ground to shatter. The camel didn’t seem that impressed and she smirks. She leans down to look right into my eyes. “You got moxie zebra. You said your name is Desert Rose? Do you also know what the world was like before the end of the war? Impressive I thought only my species lived to be very old age.” Shadow shakes her head. “Now are you willing to help us?” The camel shrugs her shoulders. “I don’t mind and I won’t expect any payment. I am just here for something myself. Because back in the war this wasn’t just a water packing plant. There are old files that were also a weapon-making plant. Now I don’t fully buy it. The one who hired me for this job thinks all the weapons would still be here.” Dunewalker tosses the cig away, smashing it out. She sighs and I glance at Shadow who shrugs her shoulders. We get ready just in case there are more of those strange lizards inside this building. When we get in though it’s very silent in the factory and all the sounds we hear are old metal bearings groaning trying to hold together. “This place sounds like it has seen better days.” Of course, I didn’t know any better. I kept forgetting it’s been 200 years since the end of the war. So a lot of the old buildings which are still standing are at least built to last. I do believe though if it was built to last. “Excuse me Shadow, what do you expect to find here?” I try to at least say as silently as I can. She turns to look at me and she swings her hoof at me for me to follow her. She opens a door looking inside. The room is very empty; it looks like an old waiting room area. All three of us go in and she sets down some of the food she held for me. “I am expecting to at least find a water talisman. Don’t get me wrong, the community is very good at finding them. The ones we have been finding are weaker and tend to fall apart very easily. So I am hoping to find the top-of-the-line versions.” Dunewalker laughs. “Leave it to you ponies you give the worst versions of your magic creations to those that need to live and give it to those that want to go to war and destroy the world.” Shadow snorts angrily and after a second smirks. “You’re not wrong there, Dunewalker. One of the biggest reasons I went awol was because of how the elites treated the rest of the army and citizens that just wanted to live peacefully through the war.” I guess I am lucky I didn’t live through the war. The war sounds like it was worse than most stories talk about. The fact I have seen some old newspapers like a newspaper about Big mac saving Celestia and his life being taken for doing so. “What’s on your mind, Desert Rose?” I am taken from my thoughts back to the present looking at the ghoul and the camel. I shrug my shoulders. “I may not enjoy how I came to this new world. Having my family killed and accused of many things just because I am a zebra. I am not the only one my friends had some stupid things said about. Of course, June was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I guess one pony said oh look a buffalo let’s use her.” The camel for a moment stands on her paws pulling me into a tight hug. “I…didn’t expect this Miss Dune.” The camel chuckles. “If you’re the Desert Rose I have been told about then you deserve it. You lost everything because some group called the Black hooves wanted to make an example of you. Am I correct?” I back away a bit from the hug looking up at the camel. She is correct and I am amazed she knew about this. It took me a second for the words to come out of my brain to my mouth. I still haven’t had an easy time after Maria inserted her wires in my head. “Yes, I am that Desert Rose. But before we go on, I want you to meet two others who are with us.” I lean down to Maria who I have no idea why looks like what I learned is a Pipp-buck. “Maria Deco please say hello.” Shadow and Dunewalker look at my leg. Maria lifts her cam head looking at the two. She tries to stay very calm. I could feel she was unsure what to think of these two. I don’t know why I can feel her emotions, maybe the fact she is connected to me? “I am Maria. A creation that both those robot factions are after. Also, this is Deco.” Her cam eye glows and the pink Ai pony looks around giggling. “Hello!! Now forgive us for staying silent. We had no idea if we could trust you two. Like Maria said she is hunted by these two robotic factions. I was just forced in the head of Rose here. I have no idea why.” Dunewalker stares at Maria. “When I heard you had the frozen clock. I felt you were talking out of your ass. I have heard stories of the frozen clock but all the information on them has been lost. If any information of the project exists I doubt it would tell us the whole truth about you.” I could feel Maria’s emotions. The emotions are so strange I am not used to feeling them. I groan a bit holding my head. “Sorry, Maria is sad at least it feels like she is sad.” Shadow tilts her head. “She is connected to you like a parasite ain’t she?” I glance at the ghoul nodding. I grunt again feeling a lot of fear from Maria. The emotions Maria is going through are overwhelming. I wish I could block them. Maybe I will learn to do so someday. I grunt a bit more. “I don’t mind it. It’s the only way my friends and I can protect her till we find out why these factions are after her. If they want her for some weapon I am going to flatly say no. She has a soul at least that is how it feels to me. A robotic creature normally never has emotions. I am wondering if the years of being on their own helped with it.” Maria looks up at me with her cam eye. I look down at her with a weak smile. The poor robot hasn’t done anything harmful to me. I feel she is worried for me and all I do is pat the robotic creature let her rest. “So miss Dunewalker. What are those creatures you were fighting?” Dunewalker shrugs her shoulders. “I know nothing about them. I just know they’re a creation of a group called the Blue hats. The Blue hats aren’t even located in this area of Equestria. They’re in an area of Equestria that is surrounded by mountains. So how they got here I have no idea.” I shift grunting feeling my body convulse. I gasp deeply in pain. I try to catch my breath, closing my eyes in pain. I open my eyes and look around, seeing how the others are worried about me. All I do is smile. “I will be fine.” Deco gasp. “Oh, an upgrade is here.” She lifts her hoof to the locked door in the resting area. It saids on the door of the director’s office. Why did it take her so long to tell me there is an upgrade for my cybernetics there. I stand on my hooves going to the door. “Wait, what do you mean upgrade?” I turn back to the other two. “An upgrade for my cybernetics and the others as well. I will download it into my cybernetics and they will take over more of my body. I think soon I may lose the flesh in my legs altogether and every time there is an upgrade I feel I must download it.” Dunewalker shifts on her paws looking down at the ghoul mare. She shrugs her shoulders. I don’t think Dunewalker understands what is going on. Shadow sighs come up to me and put her hoof on my shoulder. “Are you sure it’s wise to do this before we find what we need? What happens if you’re out of it and we have to defend your body?” I glance at Shadow. “Then you have to defend me. I am sorry I won’t be too long hopefully.” I try to open the door with my mouth but it’s locked. So I get on my back hooves and smash the door with the metal hooves. I dent the wooden planks on the door. I try to smash the door again but the camel stops me with her large weighted by and her paws. “Why are you stopping me?!” The camel laughs. “It’s already unlocked. Here let me show you.” Dune grabs the door handle with her paw and pushes the door open. I was trying to pull it open. My cheeks burn brightly feeling stupid about all this. I should have known about these types of doors. “Thank you…” I softly say. I head into the room where there is a terminal on the wall and I look around seeing there are many dead in here. On the chair I am sure is the owner of this building and there is a bullet wound in the head. I head to the terminal wires come out of my metal front hooves as they insert themselves into the terminal. “Searching for the upgrade.” I look down at Deco and Maria they’re talking in computer speech and all I can do is watch the terminal screen. The screen turns to bright white and I feel my brain getting sucked into the computers like last time but this time it’s more painful. I can’t scream, I can't do anything but feel myself enter the computer. My entire world goes dark. I open my eyes in the computer world looking around a tall the files and what would be thought to be a virus. But they’re more from what I learned the last time I went through this is protection files. Deco forms into a large Ai pink pony beside me and we both look around. I look down at my leg seeing Maria is still attached there. “Maria?” I look up to Deco and she shrugs her shoulders. Maria from what I feel is scared and doesn’t want to move. Deco looks around for the upgrade. It will take us a while. Until the entire area turns bright red. “Alert… alert invasive program found. Alert destroy it.” Fear fills my heart as the attack files turn to attack. I look down to Maria who I have a feeling is this program they’re after. Deco tries her best to find the upgrade before these get to us. I try to get ready to attack these files. I have no idea if I am going to be able to. To be Continued Chapter Eleven: Upgrade and water search part threeThere are always old files in these terminals. I am unsure if I could find what you want Wheel Tread. There is no more info on finding Project Storm Watch. If I do find anything on the project then I will give you all info. I have found methods of brainwashing. Find a useless hero and then put them through these methods. They won’t only break, they will join you. After I am done with this I am going my own way. I never wish to deal with a hero. Written by Dunewalker to Wheel Tread. I smash my hooves in the strange anti-virus programs while Deco quickly searches through the files to find the upgrades. They don’t seem to be focusing on me though they’re after Maria. I worry if she is this creation of the Frozen clock that she is some virus or whatever they call it. Maria holds to my leg tightly I feel her emotions and it’s getting overly taxing. “I should find it soon and keep protecting her Rose!!” Another antivirus program comes right for Maria and I turn around bucking the program while it shatters. More keep coming I know I can’t keep this up for long. I feel this taxing on my mental ability to stay awake. I feel bleeding from my nose like my body is not handling my brain being in this state very well. I glance up at Deco who is not very happy about digging through all these files just trying to find upgrades for me and the others. I groan, my back legs buckling. I can't handle this anymore. I try to stand but my legs won’t let me. Deco quickly splits to keep herself looking while trying to talk to Maria. “Maria Rose needs you. You can’t just keep being scared. You need to do something you need to try to get these programs to stop attacking. If you don’t Rose might get badly injured or worse her brain could get destroyed.” Maria shakes and robotically cries. “I can't, I am too scared. I don’t want to hurt anyone if I am this creation. Please don’t force me please!!” Deco grabs Maria’s cam head stroking her head with her hoof. “Listen, look up at Rose, she is not doing well. We need you to do something please before she gets very hurt.” Maria looks up at me. I look at her pain filling my body. Tears stream down my face while I look up seeing more coming towards me. I try to stand but I can’t. I watch while Maria’s cam eye turns bright red and a strange gun comes out of the back of her body. The gun fires at the programs and while she does wires come out of her body and enter various ports in the system. After many pregnant seconds, the world around us turns to light blue, and after all, is said and done things calm down. Maria from what I feel shuts off she used too much energy and needs to recharge. I finally stand feeling the strain on my system subside. I look around and stand right in front of Deco and a strange computer avatar pony appears in front of us. The pony for a moment just stares at us and something turns on. “Welcome to Hope water factory. How can I help you?” The pony stares at me and Deco. “I am Deco. I am searching for upgrades related to the Black Hooves’ cybernetic project I believe it was called. I would like it if you could download the upgrades into this Zebra and then she will pass it on. Before we leave, what is the upgrade for the cybernetic hooves?” It takes a while for the computer pony to answer. The pony dims and vanishes and then returns like it’s looking through its files. The pony opens its eyes again and looks at me. Then it looks at my hooves and wires attached to my legs. “Downloading what these upgrades will do for the hooves. Will to make them rust-resistant and harder. The bones in your legs will slowly get replaced by metal bones in the legs and you will start rejecting your old bones. If you hear bones cracking and breaking it’s the program taking over. For the eyes upgrade it will mainly give a type of night vision. How it’s used is up to the user. The emotions orb. It’s given the ability to sustain the hunger of the user. It can use fat or other calories and keep them working in the system till proteins are gone.” It takes a second for the computer to read what June’s upgrades will be. It’s taking so long that I worry about what is going to happen to June. “The horns upgrade the ability to release more heat from the body. Since the need for body heat to use these horns will be intense and the body could catch on fire if there are not enough vents. The user will feel a lot of pain if these upgrades aren’t given to them.” These upgrades just sound dumber than the other ones. Why would metal bones replace the normal bones in my legs? How will I be able to move and bend my legs? I wonder if I will have to learn to walk again. Hopefully, I won’t have this issue but knowing me lately I will get used to the pain. “I have a question for you before you log us out. Do you have any files on the Frozen clock?”: The computer pony stares at me. Before I could do anything the pony gets upset like this pony had emotions the entire time. “Please don’t bring that creation up. Why would a computer terminal connected to a water packing plant have a file on a creation the military created. Check old military bases or bases which had connections to the military. Now, do you need anything else?” I shook my head “Good and please never return here. I never want to see you or that thing on your leg again. Also, miss AI takes your other half of yours before I try to delete it.” Deco fuses the other part of her back into her. She then goes back into Maria I am finally kicked out of the computer world and when I get back to the world of the living I am tossed back into the body of Dunewalker. “Are you okay stripes? Your nose is bleeding and your eyes are bloodshot.” I grunt getting on my hooves, wiping my nose, shaking my head. A weak smile forms across my face. “It wasn’t very nice there..” I turn to look at the terminal. The screen is shattered and the parts are strewn all over the place. I glance up at Dunewalker. “Shadow and I felt we should destroy the terminal. Those lizards I was fighting are regrouping. So If you want to be attacked let’s get moving and find what you need in here.” I wonder if we could talk with them. Tell them we are just here for a good amount of water and the ability to get clean water. “I am going to try something.” I walk out of the room to head back to the main door outside. Shadow and Dunewalker are right behind me trying to stop me. When I get outside the lizards turn right at me aiming their weapons and all I do is sit on my butt. “Do any of you speak?” They look at each other. A large one comes out of the crowd I can’t tell what sex this creature is. But I am not going to guess. The creature sits down on its butt staring right at me like it’s mimicking me. “You’re willing to talk to us rather than just shooting?” I shrug my shoulders. “I am not from this world. I am from the world which came before.” The lizards look at each other. The large one’s eyes open in shock. It’s like they have never seen a creature from before the war got as bad as it did. It took a while for the lizard or me to speak again. “So you’re from before the war then? I have been told stories about it by ghouls. Now before we go on with these talks. Why is that camel with you? You know who she is right? The Dunewalker is the betrayer of her species and the cursed one of her kind. Everywhere she walks danger or pain comes with her.” I glance at the camel behind me. Then back at the lizard, I shrug my shoulders. “I don’t see anything wrong with her. She just seems to be a camel and I know that camels have genetic memory. So I am sure she is many generations from the Dunewalker that became the Dunewalker. I am not going to judge her unless she needs to be judged.” Dunewalker stays silent. I have a feeling she wasn’t expecting me to say those words. I do know the camel herself is pretty racist just from what she called me a while ago. Of course, there are harsher things you could say to a zebra. She hasn’t used any of those words yet and I am sure she would. The lizard shakes their head. “I am Yellow Eyes, the leader of this pack. We used to live in Wymarnic but ran off after our creators let us go. We gave ourselves a new name and I felt since we have these.” She lifts her flat claw. “I named us the Flat Feet pack. It’s a bit on the nose but eh I am not interested in making such a big deal out of a name or tribe. Anyway. you seem to be the more reasonable of most of your species. I haven’t met many zebras mostly ponies. But if we can make a deal I am up for it.” I take a moment to think about the best way to answer. I glance at the ghoul and then at Dunewalker. Then back at Yellow eyes. “My friend Shadow and I are after as much water as we can take along with a water talisman since she was told there are very good long-lasting ones in this factory. Dunewalker is here searching for some military bunker or factory below this place.” Yellow eyes chuckle. “Well, my kind don’t drink as much water as your species do. But the military bunker or whatever? I can assure you there is nothing of that here. We have searched all over and even made this place a place of living for us for a time.” I tilt my head. “Why did you leave?” Yellow Eyes shifts standing back on her claws. “We left mainly because of some strange robot in the robot war that went through here. We came back after a few years and we found this camel with many robots spouting he had risen and they kept yelling ``the Storm King has risen!!” I glance behind me to see Dunewalker not wishing to talk about it. “Let me just say the one I work with has many followers who believed the Storm King wasn’t the monster the ponies of old said he was. I on the other paw know the truth. Just I can’t stop what the one I work with wants right now. Since I am indebted to him.” Yellow eyes help me on my hooves looking at my metal hooves. “What happened to you?” I take a deep breath sighing. I explained to her what happened to me and my friends. I go into what happened to me and my family and how I was accused of being a zebra spy and how they cut my hooves off and put these hooves on my legs and they now make my legs metal. I then talked about the others and Yellow eyes just held my hoof tightly. “You and your friends are always welcomed with my species. You deserve it for all the bullshit you and your friends have been through. In fact please accept our help with carrying all the water we can get you.” I was flabbergasted about how kind these creatures are. I look over to Dunewalker who snorts. But shrugs her shoulders. Shadow laughs. “Thank you!! That is going to be so much help to our community.” Yellow eyes stare at Shadow. “We are only doing it for Desert Rose and her friends. Till you and other ponies prove themselves as kind and respectful and peaceful as this zebra we will help you as well. But if the leaders of your community are willing to sit with us and talk. Then we will do so but if any of my pack gets hurt then all bets are off and we will fight you by leaving Rose and her friends alone.” I shake my head. “Yellow Eyes I feel it might be best to not get angry if they dislike or hate you. Just show them you’re not monsters like they think you are.” Dunewalker grumbles. “You have something to say to Dunewalker?” I look up at the camel. “I am sorry I am just so used to everyone attacking each other like it’s like back in the land I am from. I normally don't even say I am sorry I just keep forgetting that not everyone is from the desert of hell I am from.” I nod “Alright, let’s get all the water we can for our friend Desert Rose here. Oh and Miss Shadow you said you wanted a talisman right?” The ghoul nods. “Yes, I found information about many of them in this factory including one which is so powerful it can last ten times longer than a normal one. So if you please very kindly find ones that aren’t broken while Rose and I go get the other one. I got my tools to work with it and then carry it. I am worried about the security connected to it though.” Yellow Eyes nods. “I am sure the camel can protect you two while we get all the water and whatever else you want.” I followed Shadow and Dunewalker to the basement and when we got down to the basement there was so much fresh water and Dune just stared at the water and she reached her paw into it and took a drink. “The land I am from ponies would kill anyone to protect this water. How long this water stayed down here without bodies dying in it or anything making it toxic is amazing.” We get to the magic talisman and Shadow works on unhooking it. I hear splashes in the water. I look over to the water and see nothing “I think we aren’t alone.” Dunewalker grabs her sword. I don’t know what she is so concerned by when Shadow gets through the first security water splashes. Coming out of the water are robotic marine life. Many creatures fused with cybernetics. “Alert alert” An alarm sounds off while Dunewalker and I deal with the cybernetic creatures. They fire lasers like us while we do what we can to defend Shadow. Most of these creatures are dolphins and from the looks of them, they’re in so much pain from staying alive for so long. These creatures don’t make sounds like the other robots do. I do my best to make sure these creatures die without any pain. While the camel slices into them and I smack the power supplies. “This is too easy, this security is weak!!” The camel of course had an ego. Thankfully I didn’t and when Shadow goes through the second part of the security ports in the walls open up and robotic birds fly out and these seem to be the same thing as cybernetic creatures with the robotic parts controlling what they do. I can’t get to them for a while. I smash the last robotic dolphin and it screams in pain. “Shh shhh let me.” I do my best to make sure the passing of this creature is less painful. I inject it with med x while the poor creature slowly passes away. It was the last of them I looked around at the oil and blood. Dunewalker swings her sword missing a few times and gets scratches on her body from the claws. I got hit a few times in the flank. Shadow gets back the last of the security and the alert goes into the full blast and a large door opens up in the water. We hear screaming and roaring and coming out of the water is a cybernetic shark connected to large legs. “Who the hell comes up with this stuff?!” Dunewalker didn’t wait and attacked the sharp teeth of the shark, catching her sword and laser's aim at her she pulled off getting hit by some of the lasers after pulling the shotgun out of the hilt. She fires while the armor on her body smokes a bit. I can’t do anything but get out of the way and hide. Shadow trots over to me, giving me the back which holds what we came for. I look at the barding and see I still have my weapons. I may have been trained in how to fire them but my brain can’t handle that right now. Shadow arms and cocks all her weapons on her barding. She fires at the creature while Dunewalker does the same. The battle takes so long that I am sure this creature would have killed us all if one foot didn’t trip on the bodies of dolphins and falls. I get one good hit with my metal hooves into the cybernetic head breaking through to the flesh and robotics brain. I pull my hoof out covered in blood and oil. Dunewalker laughs putting the gun back into her sword. “WHooo what a rush. At least they had good security to protect their water. The issue is though we might have to make sure only some know about this place. If too many know the purity of the water will be gone.” A door opens up after all the security is removed. It looks like an office and the three of us go inside. Inside looks like a lost and found. Inside the lost and found is a zebra weapon. A powerful-looking zebra-made machine gun. As well as zebra-made armor it needs some work and the gun needs some cleaning. I open the magic bags by putting them in there and Dunewalker looks through the files on the terminal. “Nothing. Everything about what I am after is not here. I will let you take that armor and gun, Desert Rose. Do you mind if I continue to come with you till I find what I need?” I glance at Dunewalker. “I don’t mind, I will have to talk to the others. Anyway, we should head back. Do you think the community would mind if I take the gun and armor Shadow?” Shadow smiles. “I will talk to them about it. I feel you should be given something for what you have done for us.” I follow the two of them out looking back at the body seeing it’s a zebra. The poor zebra looked like they were stuck in this place. I wonder if the security closed in on them and I sigh deeply following the others out and when we get out of the factory. The lizards are holding as much water and talismans that were in there. “We could get everything but we got enough water that could help a big community. If you can promise they won’t shoot us on sight.” Shadow nods. “I will make sure they don't. If they do, I will have heavy words with them.” Shadow leads the way while Duneawlker and I follow behind the lizards. “Forgive me Rose if I become awful towards you. With how your kind treated camels during the war I am sure you won’t blame me. So sometimes I might outright insult you and be racist towards you.” I shrug my shoulders. “I don’t care as long as you don’t try to kill me.” Dunewalker laughs. “Oh, I got no reason to kill you.” I take a deep breath very unsure of what to think of Dunewlker and the fact she wants to come with us on our journey. I hope she is ready for the rough journey ahead. To protect Maria and to find the Black Hooves who did this to me and the others. Chapter Twelve: GuardiansWheel Tread I write to you to let you know I can no longer use this group to help you find out more about Project StormWatch. I draw the line on these kind gentle four souls. They may have done some awful things from what the wasteland has done to them. But I will draw the line when it comes to this group. Signed Dunewalker. Oh, deer Dunewalker. I think you don’t understand the deal you’re under. Because of me, your family hasn’t been treated as an outcast by your species. You will do what I ask or I will make sure when you return here you’re treated worse than your mother was. Now I know the info of Project Stormwatch is around in that city. I need to find the info on where they hid the old threats. Now be a good girl and do what you’re told. Signed By Wheel Tread. Forty years before Ruby Glide. Shadow, Me, And Dunewalker spend the night in a tent. Yellow eyes and her pack stayed close to us since we are worried about raiders wanting to attack us with all the water we have with us. From the sounds of it, raiders are scared to death of creatures like them. I watch Dunewalker while she sharpens her sword looking outside like she is ready to fight. She hasn’t stopped holding her sword and she has a strange sniper rifle on her back. I glare at it as I feel that the metal came from the place of the stars. Just from the look of the metal of it and how it has that strange power of the moon on it. Dune glances at me as she notices I am looking at her sniper rifle and a gentle smile forms across her face. She pulls the sniper down from her back, setting it down beside me. I could still feel the anger from the stars on it. “What is this made of?” Dunewalker chuckles “It’s made from space trash that fell from space a long time ago. The one that came before me took it and made this sniper rifle. So from how you’re looking at it your strange issue with the stars is making you have a problem with it am I correct?” I quickly nod. “Well, I don’t understand it myself. Every time I am near something the stars have touched I have a strange feeling towards it. I don’t get why I was told a long time ago by a seer it’s because of how we are connected to the stars. Our time with ponies has dulled our nature and made it harder for us to understand these things.” I am very unsure if it’s true it could be because I mixed my blood with a pony. I haven’t felt like a normal zebra since I started living with ponies. It’s not always going to be easy for me to get over the feeling of betraying my kind. Closing my eyes tightly remembering my family disowning me because I fell in love with a pony. “I wonder are you one of those zebras who broke off from their species and your senses are not as good as a zebra who stays with their kind would be? If this is true my kind can be the same way. It might have been harder for us if we didn’t have this damn genetic memory. Trust me you don’t want it.” Closing my eyes again, yes I am one of those who broke off from my species over love. I look back and wonder if I would do it differently and try to get my family to accept my husband. Back then though ponies didn’t come off very kind to them. It took a while for my husband’s own family to even trust me. His father treated me as an enemy and I didn’t allow it to stop me from making a family with him. “My family disowned me. I was then treated as an outcast after I gave it up for the love of my husband. His family didn’t even care about me either. I had to prove to them I was on the up and up and I wasn’t around to destroy their family. It took so many years and after the Black Hooves, I have no idea what happened to them. I know they never even defended me or even tried to find me afterward.” Dunewalker pats my shoulder. “Don’t worry you’re a strong mare. I may not respect your kind for what they did during the war. I know you don’t know much about what happened. The zebras and the ponies tried enslaving us and used us to fight for them. We turned on them and beat them both in submission and told them they’re welcome to stay in our land. But they would have to work together to try to find peace. Then the bombs fell one bomb fell in our land in an area called the salt flats. We have no idea why they attacked over there but it caused a lot of problems.” I am concerned about why my kind tried to turn another race into slaves. I wonder if they felt with how high and mighty some of the zebras thought they were they felt they had the right of way of to do so. “So ghoul what is your story?” Shadow glances up at the camel shrugging her shoulders. “Not much to tell former soldiers. When the bombs fell all I remember is dying and then waking up many days later like this. I did what I could to help those who became like me. I found my way here and learned about the old community that used to live in the area we are in now. A community of doctors and whatever else.” She takes a deep breath. I am sure this is very hard for her to keep going on. Everyone she knew is dead. All those that she knew even while she lived like she is now are dead. I wouldn’t want to be able to live forever. I have a feeling though with these cybernetics taking over my body. I may be unlucky and live forever. “ I was just told stories by one of the robots left there about what happened. They didn’t wish to talk much about it; they just stayed there till anypony else would take over. They recently shut down after being unable to repair them without having the parts. We kept them in a room just in case we found parts for them.” A robot parts? I wonder if that locked-up area holds these parts. I am very unsure what is going to happen when we get back. But I am hoping they will let us at least go in there. If they do, I will convince the others to go in and maybe we can understand more about Maria. “Shadow my request to you, do you think after all this we would finally be allowed in that building that the leaders told us is locked?” Shadow glances at me. “Oh, I am unsure if any pony has been in there for years after we lost some ponies to something inside there. I don’t know if you will be allowed in there. The leaders are very untrusting. I wish I could say otherwise.” Closing my eyes disappointed. “I see” Opening my eyes looking down at Maria the poor creature is shut down and I can tell Deco is trying to repair whatever happened to the poor little one. I don’t know why I have become so attached to this little one. “I just wish to understand what Maria is and what this Frozen clock is. I am worried Mara was built for something she has no power over. I am hoping I can at least give her a choice. If I can’t give her a choice my friends and I will protect her.” Dunewallker stays silent. She looks outside the tent looking back at me. “It’s silent out there. I am not used to it being so silent. The land I am from it’s always in battle. Even the weak try to fight each other while they die with parasites in their stomachs. It’s strange to me not seeing another trying to one-up another or steal something to survive. Maybe it just doesn't happen as much.” Shadow laughs. “It’s never silent here either. I think with the lizards outside protecting us and keeping the raiders at bay. I think for once in my ghoul life things are very silent. I am not used to it myself. I am used to battle and the world dying around me.” I lay my head on my pillow trying to relax my mind. I have too many thoughts going through my head. My brain slowly turns off while I feel my eyes dim as my mind finally falls asleep. I don’t know what I will dream about but I am sure I will be dreaming. _______ Dream. I am in a world of darkness with a light above me. I am not sure why I am here but this is the court of the stars again but what comes to see me is a guardian of the stars. The large zebra stares at me, her eyes showing through the skull’s helm on her head. She has many scars and former wounds on her body. “An outcast opened her mind to speak with me? From the look in your eyes Desert Rose you have no idea why you’re here?” I shook my head. I shift on my hooves looking around the realm of darkness. I look up but I don’t see any stars looking back at me. I just saw the guardian of the stars. I don’t know the name of this guardian, no one knows them. But I have a feeling this guardian will be upset with me. “I don’t know why it’s true. Why am I here at the court of stars?” The mare smiles showing her teeth as they connect with the cow skulls she wears. She sits on her ass staring down at me. “There is something you need to know. I am one of the only guardians awakened by the stars of peace. I have been waiting for one to come to my place of rest for years. All I know is I am in the heart of some old land. There is no legend, no stories of a hero coming to find me. I just know that someday a hero will come to me. A hero that is working with the stars. I know her name and she will be after you someday. Hear me, a close little friend.” I try to listen closely but I feel I am waking I shake my head try to keep my brain in this dream. “The one who caused the stars of good to vanish and leave will reveal themselves in 50 years. Most know him as the goat of the undead. But others know him as Grogar. Not just Grogar though many creatures of the past caused all this. Including the betrayer Zeb…I am sorry to break this to you miss Rose but you’re not meant to be a hero. I can’t see your future or what is going to happen to you.” I shook my head. If she is a guardian she would never be able to tell me the story of a hero. Guardians can never tell the story of a hero. Someday I will learn what my future is. I am sure my future is to fight in this war. This war of robots and machines to protect Maria. “I think I already know my future guardian. To protect the one known as Maria. It may not be the path of a zebra but it’s all I can think of in this new world.” The guardian zebra chuckles softly, shaking her head. “Then I was correct about you. You’re an outsider but you follow your path as a zebra would. A zebra with a strong heart and hooves of diamonds.” I sigh a sigh of disappointment. I am an outsider. I doubt I will ever fully be accepted again by my kind. I don’t know or understand why this is going on. A guardian of the stars wishes to speak to me then calls me an outsider. “You would think being called an outsider by another zebra that I would be used to it. I doubt I will ever be used to it.” The guardian laughs, shaking her head. “You should have thought of that little Rose before falling for a pony. I understand you fell in love with them. Your love was for them deep and full of life. I am sure many of those would get the idea of love. Just you got to remember to our kind mixing with a pony wasn’t only a bad to our kind but a problem it happened too much.” My ears pin to the back of my head. She is correct that it happened far too much back then. Male zebras would go for pony mares and zebra mares fell for pony stallions. I don’t remember what the problem was. I think it was because our kind got tired of all the old ways. The guardian put her hoof on my head. “I do know a way you could become one of us again. There is only one way I am sure you know what it is.” I know the path of truth. I must go through many trials to prove I am still a zebra. The only way to do this is to find a seer and I am sure there might be one. “Do you know if there are any seers?” The guardian nods. “In that community, you’re helping there is a zebra tribe they gave one of the buildings to. It’s a big building and they help protect it. Now they’re mostly outcasts but they have proved themselves. When you get to the community, look for the far-seer. Don’t say her name, walk up to her, bow your head and then say why you’re there.” A deep sigh filled my lungs. “I will talk with them. I doubt they want anything to do with me since I am an outsider who gave herself to a pony stallion.” The guardian sighs. “I can’t promise you anything Rose. Be careful on your way back. I can't tell you anything but there is a strange army after your friend. I know you took one of them and used part of your soul to take one of them down. It’s one of the reasons I am here now. Please don’t use any more of that type of magic. Now I think you should wake up and it's time for you to go.” I stood on my hooves to head back to the light showing my mind is leaving the world of dreams. “One last thing.” I turn. “What?!” The mare gets as loud as she can. “If you survive the battle ahead. Be prepared for what is going to happen to you in the future.” I wanted to call back to ask what she meant by it. I couldn’t and the world of darkness turned to pure white as I am waking up. _______ The waking world. I open my eyes and I look around seeing I am being carried by Dunewalker and looking at the others behind me seeing we are missing some of the lizards. “OH you’re awake we had to get going we spotted some robotic creatures coming towards us and we figured they were after you and that creature on your leg. So Yellow eyes sent some of her pack to take them on and she is with us and we have everything still we aren’t far from the community.” I look up seeing Shadow is not far ahead of us but she is heavily armored now and ready to take on anything which comes towards us. I look at the sign we pass seeing we are very near the community. Shadow turns to us and she nods to Dunewalker. Dunewalker lifts her paw telling Yellow eyes and the others to stop. “I will go on ahead and tell the guards we will have guests and tell them if any of them are shot on sight all the water and talismans will be taken by us. Meaning I will tell them Rose will destroy all the water and such to make sure they agree to it.” Shadow trots off, I get off Dunewalkers back and we wait for Shadow to return. It took about an hour but Shadow returned. “Alright, they have been told. I told them if anyone fires on Yellow eyes and her pack it won’t end well for the community.” Shadow leads us to the gates and a large group of guards stood by the door waiting. They hold weapons ready to fire just in case Yellow Eyes and her pack attack. We go inside and Yellow Eyes and her pack bring everything in setting it down waiting to see what will happen Golden Heart comes to look at the boxes then Yellow eyes they stare at each other a soft smile comes on the zebra’s face. . “I see you’re still alive, old friend.” Yellow eyes laugh. “I never thought I would see your big ass again, Golden Heart.” I stare at the two of them confused. “You two know each other?” Yellow eyes nod. “I met her when she was a young mare and not as old as she is now. Golden Heart here is older than most zebras. Even though she doesn’t look at it. I never understood why and I doubt she will ever tell me. But thank you for your welcome Golden Heart.” The old zebra nods. “Yes now Rose, you helped us greatly. I will lead you to the home I will be giving you and your friends. You look like you need some rest. Then we can talk about letting you into that area you want to go into. But you may have to prove yourself first to the others of our species.” I know I will have to prove myself to my kind. I take a deep breath and Golden Heart leads me through the community and right in the middle of a courtyard is an old building. It’s pretty big I look at the sign it saids research building. Dunewlker followed behind me while I left Shadow to help Yellow eyes and the others with the water. Golden heart stands by the door looking back at me. “We have no use for this building. There are beds here, places for weapons and food, and all that. We keep this place highly stocked just in case someone proves themselves to us. But your camel friend is not allowed in because of who she works for.” Dunewalker stays silent. I look back at her, who is she working for? “So you know I work for Wheel Tread?” I have heard of the name before. I know nothing about them though. I am wondering if I should come to Dunewalkers defense. I look over at Golden heart and then back at Dunewalker thinking a moment I am worried she might get chased out. “Ngizohlala ngimbhekile. Ngicela ungithembe Inhliziyo yeGolide” Golden heart turns her head to look at me. She stands close to me to look into my eyes. Dunewalker doesn’t seem confused about what we are talking about I look up at Dunewalker I worry she understands what we are saying “Sizolokhu simqaphe ngeso lokhozi uRose. Uma ekugwaza sizomnakekela.” I think a bit before I talk again. I need to get my species to respect and trust me again. I want to get back into their good graces. “Ngingathanda ukuhlangana nomuntu obona kude. Ngifuna ukwamukelwa ngabahlobo bami futhi.” Golden heart is taken aback by my words. She tilts her head and she doesn’t say anything. She puts her hoof on my shoulder and a smile forms on her face nodding to me whispering in my ear. “Get some rest, I will take you to meet her tomorrow.” The mare opens the door for us. I go inside and when the door closes with me and Dunewalker inside the lights come on. Looking around I see many rooms and a place for me and the others to sleep. Looking through the area I see places to work on weapons and armor. I can work on what I got. “Dunewalker, why don’t they trust you?” I turn to her and she smirks. “Let’s just say the one I work with is not a very popular pony. He has done some nasty things to the ponies and zebras of the wasteland. He is searching for a project called Project Stormwatch so he can continue it and mind control the old villains from the land known as Dreamvalley.” Dream valley? I heard stories about the land of old ponies and magic. A land lost from the world would take a map of old to find it. “I see why would he want this?” Dunewalker sighs. “I will tell you another time Rose. I am going to get some rest. I promise you I will tell you so please go rest.” I sigh softly, shaking my head. I take the weapon and the armor I got putting it on the workbench sighing. I looked for a room for myself and I found a room full of zebra masks and everything else. I look at the others, it's like they’re made for us. I go back to my room and close the door when I get in and take a deep breath to smell the air. I have no idea why it’s so good in this room. Laying on the bed to fall asleep I hear the door opening for the others but all I can do is fall asleep I will talk to the others later. Chapter Thirteen: UkuvumelaI open my eyes looking beside me. I feel sad not seeing the mare I fell in love with. I stroked my hoof along the bed wishing she was here with me. I slowly sit up wondering what will happen today. I am going to go meet the elder or who they consider the elder of the zebras. I fear it’s not going to be easy to redeem myself. “Hey Rose, the food is ready.” I was confused who in the world cooked food for us? I get off the bed noticing June in the kitchen. What in the world is a buffalo that knows how to cook? Bowser and Drift worked on setting the table. I sit at the table waiting for the food to come over. I take a deep breath wondering if I should ask. “What are you three going to be doing?” Bowser sits at the table sighing. “I will be working on becoming a citizen of this community. The only way though is to prove myself to the diamond dogs and the hellhounds. I need to prove that I can work for myself and bring enough food and money to the entire community.” Drift’s ears wilt. “The ponies of this community don’t care much for Pegasus. They may have something they call dashites but it takes a lot for them to accept them. I guess it has something to do with what the enclave has done.” Great, I worry for my friends. I glance at the buffalo “So June what do you have to do to be accepted?” June brings over the food sitting down with the rest of us. It takes a while for her to answer while we put the food on our plates. June seems silent about it. I took a drink of water and it was when she gave me a bombshell. “All I got to is get fucked by the chief and then if I am still standing then I will be able to become part of the community.” The three of us went silent. It would have been funny if I spit out the water I drank. I swallow it looking at June all she does is stare at us laughing. “I got you guys. I don’t know what I need to do. It could be as simple as running over a path to another path. When it comes to my species and ideas on how to do things it’s really hard for them to come up with anything at all. I wish I could explain I never understood my race myself and why we just run back and forth back and forth. “ They look at me knowing how my species feels about me. After what I have told them and everything else about the past. I take a deep breath knowing it will not be easy for me to explain to them. “We won’t be speaking in ponesh. I have to prove myself by talking in zebra. I have to allow myself to be attacked and ripped apart for whatever they feel is correct. If they feel my body and soul need to be cleaned then I shall allow them.” Bowser sighs stroking my shoulder with his claws “I doubt you will be able to call on us for help. You may need to tell Maria she needs to not go with you. You need to go as you were during birth. They may have issues with your legs, it's not something you can control. Just Rose, don't let them break you because you gave yourself to a pony.” I lift my leg Maria makes herself home right now. I know I will have to tell her to stay here. She has Deco in her system so maybe I can convince them both to behave and do their best to hide in this place. I try to ignore my feelings while eating my food and drinking the water. It’s gotten to the point I can no longer ignore my feelings. I know my species will rip me apart for what I did. I broke off from my older tribe. I became part of a race they hated because of the war. “I could talk to Maria.” I look up to Drift. The pegasus mare taps on my leg and the robotic creature looks at her. She tries to explain to her in a soft gentle manner. It’s such a gentle manner I don’t hear many questions from Maria and Deco stays silent. I think she is staying silent for now so as not to butt in and make Maria feel she is being attacked. “But why? Why do they have the right to question what Rose did in her life?” I take a deep breath and Drift looks up at me. So I am going to have to explain myself. Maria turns her cam eye to look at me. I am now put on the spot. I am going to have to tell her the truth and she is not going to like it. “Maria, I know this is going to be hard to explain to someone who is still young. Maybe while we are away Deco can explain. Back in the day, I was part of a small tribe of zebras. I broke off from the tribe to get married to the enemy. It was before the war fully started but many didn’t approve since hatred was a big thing in the past.” Maria goes silent and Deco finally shows up holographically. I feel my stress leaving my body for the moment. Deco is such help even though I haven’t been kind to the poor holographic pony who was forced on me and the others. I do hope she will be a big help later. “Let me explain it in a way you can understand Maria. To other zebras, Rose is flawed and has a computer flaw in her code. She is going to get the code flaw fixed so she can be approved in the grand scheme of the files.” Maria takes a second before she speaks again. “Okay so she may be flesh but she is still a cog in the machine of the tribes or at least she will be?” Deco nods. She turns to me, winking quickly. I smile loving the fact Deco is willing to do anything she can to keep these issues out of my head. Maria removes herself from my metal leg and I notice the metal she was attached to is very shiny. A knock hits the door, a very gentle knock. June heads to the door opening it up. Golden Heart walks into the house looking at us and she chuckles. I think she likes how we made this house ours in so little time. “Rose, they're ready for you. You know what you have to go through first right?” I stand from the chair sighing I know what is first. I have to cleanse my soul and my body from the filth of a pony. I may not enjoy the idea of removing the filth of a stallion from my body. I would have to ask if a mare pony is okay in my life. “Cleansing, am I right then painting myself in the paint of the tribe?” Golden Heart frowns “You have been through this before haven’t you?” I chuckle weakly. “In the past, you had to go through every single time you went to speak to zebras. It was even before the war fully started. The zebras felt the stars corrupted everything and I frankly agree the stars are big in zebras' lives. I should know I stood in the court of stars.” Golden Heart sighs, shaking her head. “Please don’t bring up the stars. Maybe you can explain to all of us how bad it was before the war. Maybe we can finally work our problems out with the ponies of now. Too many teachers of the past wanted to hate so much on ponies. I will never understand it either.” I stroke my head with my metal hoof. I will never forgive myself for putting the will on the stars on another. Maybe someday I will have to face this creature and they will blame me for everything they went through. Closing my eyes tightly remembering what I went through to convince the stars I am not the one to fulfill their hunger for blood. “I will do my best to explain.” Before I could leave and head to the door Bowser stood in front of us. I look behind me to see the other two. They seem unhappy about something. “Before you go, Rose. Since the four of us are family here. I need no I demand to know what this cleansing is.” I sigh deeply, turning my head to look at Golden heart. In her gentle eyes, she could tell I needed to tell them what this means. “They have a right to know.” Golden sighs shifting on her hooves. She knows when she tells them what this cleansing is they will not be happy with what is about to happen. “She will be stripped of her fur as a zebra and her mane. Including her glyph, she will be forced to drink a brew that will make her release everything in her stomach. It will cause her great pain and while she lays there she will have to scream in pain and fight to prove herself.” Bowser and the others stare at each other. “She will then be chained and dragged through our community and they will pelt her with rocks and whatever else they can. She will then be brought in front of the elder and she will have to admit she is a failure of every zebra everywhere. The elder will not be happy we did this to her, it will enrage her. But we are doing this to stop some of the anti pony groups from attacking her.” Bowser sighs, stroking his head. “What will happen after?’ Golden sighs “She will have to go on a journey alone in the waste to not only find herself. But to find materials for a weapon that sings with her soul. She will then have to forge it in any of the broken factories. Then she will have to hunt a strong creature. Bath in the blood and then she will be doused in cold water and to bring her into our tribe. She will be sliced across the stomach allowing blood to be collected. Then she will be welcomed with us once more.” June snorts. “It seems a bit too much just because she married a pony ages ago? Can’t your kind just move on and admit you’re the biggest reason the sand-forsaken war began in the first place? Or did we forget it was a holy war for your kind hmm?” Golden Heart sneers at the Buffalo I lean into the old mare shaking my head. “She is not wrong Golden you have to admit the zebras themselves didn’t do enough to try to stop the war neither did the ponies. So both sides are heavily to blame. But the zebras are more so in some parts.” Golden’s ears wilt nodding. “You’re not wrong Rose. Many of the anti pony groups will even admit it as such. They will still welcome you even if you don’t do this. But the older souls demand you be cleansed before you even see them. They know you’re in love with a mare pony now they don’t have an issue with it. Since you won’t be making children with her.” I look over to Maria and Deco who are talking among themselves. “What about those two?” Golden stares at Maria and Deco. Maria turns her eyes to look at Golden and quickly skitters into the darkness. The poor old mare gets pretty spooked from what she just saw. She shakes her head. “The Frozen Clock I take?” I nod. “I told her the four of us needed to do this without her. She may not understand but she will not be causing any problems. She will stay right here and if needed I would like a guard placed here just in case. I may have trusted Dunewalker but I doubt she will not try something.” Golden Heart shifts on her hooves nodding. “Since you four are family, this home is now fully yours. You will live together and if you get tired of living together. We will find homes for each of you. First, you need to become citizens and you know what Rose will need to go through. I hope you all have a safe time with your task.” I take a deep breath closing my eyes dreading what is to come for me. I know deep in my heart that I deserve all this treatment to make the other zebras trust me. I just wish it wasn’t so harsh and so soul-shattering to prove myself once again to them. After a world-ending war we had I am not surprised my species would refuse me rest and succor. In need of such rest and succor is not but a weary dream. It’s something I hope I can get again someday. Golden heart leaves I follow her feeling each weight in my hoof steps while we walk through the community. I watch many zebras and other races mingling one zebra mare looks at me with a frown forming on her face. She bows her head. I have a feeling she knows what is to come. ______________ Redemption My species have a word for the cleansing redemption. It’s for zebras to do this to others of the tribe. I am part of no tribe. I have no right to be part of a tribe since I gave myself to a pony stallion. I learned back then that they would have had no issue if I gave myself to a mare. It would mean we could have herded with a zebra stallion. Golden Heart leads me into the zebra city within the old hospital location. I am amazed at how big this place is. I looked to the side seeing this entire medical area was an entire big city in the middle of Detrot. It was going to be used as a base to fight the zebras if they ever made it this way. I am led to one of the old medical buildings before I am allowed inside the city of the zebras proper. Golden heart waits for me by a large wooden door. It’s not even part of the main building like the zebras built into the old building. “Do you remember how to speak like we do, Rose? Has the way of our speech been fully lost to you as well?” I take offense to what she just said there. Of course, I know how to speak as we do. I have never forgotten it’s a zebra's pride to remember our old tongue and speech. If we forgot how to speak to others we would have been as good as dead years ago. “I had the speech of zebras drilled into me for years upon my birth and I never let it go from my life. I even made sure my children would be able to speak like it. Including my husband, he wanted to learn how to speak like us so he could join my tribe.” Golden Heart sighs. “I see so you wanted him to be a zebra-like us just stripless. I feel sad asking this question. How racist did the zebras get back before the war fully took effect.” I chuckle softly. “I am unsure of myself. Both species treated every species outside of their kind as something below them. Zebras did the same now and again because they felt they had the right to be above. Now not every zebra felt this way. But they hated the pony elites of Canterlot.” Golden Heart sighs, shaking her head. She knows full well the truth of the elites. I am sure there are still pony elites who still feel above others in this new world. I glance over at a zebra male coming in and looking through the old trash. He pulls out old ammo boxes looks at me and nods his head. Heading back outside. “Wait, how in the world did he find all those boxes of ammo? From the sounds of it you have been living here for years you haven’t gone through everything yet?” Golden Heart nods. “There are many places to salvage and dig through. We have all been here so long we haven’t even looked into every area ourselves. So there could be some powerful items to healing objects. There are rumors of spirits refilling those places you dig through. I just find it silly really.” I shake my head. It's strange to hear stuff like this. Like Discord is still around after all these years. I wonder if zebras or ponies just haven’t had the time to look through everything, maybe they don’t wish to. Maybe since there could be some broken shards of glass or sharp metal it could be the other reason. “Rose, I wish you didn’t have to go through with this. When the door opens up, do whatever they say to do. If they tell you to wear tribal headdresses. They will demand that you beg for succor and do what you can to stay strong.” I sigh deeply watching Golden Heart leave. The door behind me opens slowly. I stand there not turning around feeling the stress from what is about to happen to take over. I feel a gentle hoof on my shoulder. “Kulungile ngizoqinisekisa ukuthi abakulimazi. Ngicela ungene uzihlenge.” I look over my shoulder looking at a kind gentle mare. She had yellow eyes. I didn't look more at anything else but her eyes. I turn fully noticing what she is wearing. She is a seer when seers tell you things won’t be too bad it’s normally true. “Woza” She leads me inside while two other mares stroke strange cream into my fur. I watch the seer mix the brew I am meant to drink after everything is said and done. The two mares shave my fur off. It hurts feeling the fur being pulled out. After the fur is fully removed they start placing paint on me. “Lo pende uwumlingo futhi uzoba phezu kwakho uze uqedele ukuhlolwa kwakho futhi uzibonakalise. Ngifisa sengathi bekungadingeki ngikwenze lokhu kuwe. Owakwenza wukuthanda ihhashi.” I sigh happily the seer is not upset at me for giving my life to a pony stallion. I watch the two mares place the magic paint on my body. I have been through a test like this before when I was growing up to prove myself. Now I must accept this and allow my body to be cleansed and then I shall be saved by the elder. The two mares put the paint on my face after they were all done and left bowing their heads in respect. The seer comes over holding the potion on the flat part of her hoof. She looks at me with a weak smile. “Ngiyaxolisa ngalokhu okuzokwenza kuwe. Uzoba sezinhlungwini kangangokuba umzimba wakho uzovutha. Uma uphela amandla bayokubopha bakuhudule.” I took a deep breath and put the potion in my mouth, setting it down on the floor looking at the seer. I wrap my hooves around the mare hugging her tightly. I am very happy she is kind and gentle to me. “Ngizokwenza konke engingakwenza ukuze ngikujabulise.” The mare stares at me tears fall from her eyes she hugs me back hugging me tightly. I have a feeling she didn’t expect me to say I would try my best to make her proud of me. I barely know this seer and I am willing to do this just to make her proud. The seer leads me to another room. This room looks like it’s an old shower she turns on the water, taking the cover off the drain. I think I know what she wants me to use as a toilet. She smiles while hugging me this time. “Ngatshelwa ukuthi ngingabi nomusa kuwe noma lokhu kube lula kuwe. Kodwa unomusa nenhlonipho angiboni ukuthi kungani bekuzonda kangaka.” A weak smile comes across my face. So I just had to be kind to her for her to be kind to me in turn. I go back out of the room to pick up the potion and head back into the shower. I get under the shower and she closes the door. I take a deep long swig of the entire potion knowing it will take time for it to work. I feel the potion start working. I scream in pain feeling my blood boil. I try to drink the shower water to stop my insides from burning and feeling so much pain. My body starts to react very badly to the potion. I feel myself going constantly to the bathroom and vomiting into the drain. I scream louder feeling every inch of my joints and nerves screaming for relief. After so long I passed out. _______ I woke up a few hours later. I feel myself being dragged through the road. But when I look up I don’t see any of the zebras tossing stuff at me or making fun of me for what I did. I have a feeling the seer talked with the elder. I am sure the elder told the zebras to not allow these zebras to have any power. “Let her go.” I see the group of anti pony zebras arguing with the mare who looks like a guard. They say everything under the sun about why I deserve this. “She is a pony-loving bitch who gave herself to a pony.” The guard growls “You seem to forget she is from the world of the past. To her, we must look like barbarians and too full of ourselves. Now let her go before I run you through.” I look up. “I accepted this and I felt it would be wise. To do what they wanted. Unless the elder knew ahead of time they would try this.” The guard looks at me and the zebras look at me as well. I stood up on my hooves forcing the rope off my leg. They notice I don’t have normal legs or hooves anymore. I quickly swing my metal hoof into the face of one of the zebras. He is knocked out with a crack in his skull. “I am going to tell you what happened to me. I was accused by a group of ponies called the Black Hooves and they zebra napped me and my friends. They changed my hooves to these metal hooves and each time I upgrade my legs will turn more into metal and lose all my flesh in those legs.” I walk between the zebras giving them hateful looks. “I am not going to be treated again as a monster because you have some problem with me wanting to give my heart to a pony stallion. Why the fuck do you hate them so much? Oh, could it be because of the war? Who do you fucking think start the war? On both sides, zebras made it worse because we can’t lego our religious problems. Oh yes, the stars I have been in their court I talked to the stars so. Before I kill you all for your racist bullshit, leave me alone.” The zebras run to pick up their wounded friend. I sigh deeply. I don't enjoy acting that way towards others. “You must be Rose.” I turn to look at the heavily armored guard. The mare is larger than I am. She is wearing bones connected to metal armor and heavy weapons. I tilt my head wondering why this guard cared so much about wishing to defend me. “Uh, may I ask how did the elder learn about all this?” The guard laughs. “The seer told us everything. They wanted to use you as an example to make the elder look bad so their elder could take over and try to start a small race war with the ponies. It wouldn’t have worked since they don’t understand what happened during the war. You seem to know what happened before it started though.” I chuckle weakly, feeling my stomach still in awful pain. “I still don’t feel so well after having to take that potion. So what now do I still have to redeem myself in the eyes of the elder?” The large guard nods. “She does have deep respect for you. The respect is from you trying to redeem yourself for giving yourself to a pony stallion in the past. We have no right to judge you for who you fall in love with though. Now before we fully go on we are going to give you food and a coat to keep you warm. Oh sorry, my manners, I am Izikhali.” I am confused who would name their daughter Armor? “Can you please lead me to the elder then?” Izikhali nods and I follow her inside. In a large room made from a former hospital waiting room, there is a middle-aged mare sitting on a throne made of gold, and torches around her are lit and she is wearing roman armor and holding a heavy sword near her side. “Hello, Miss Rose, I am sorry you had to deal with those zebras. They may have gained traction in their hate of ponies. Not many wish to go to war with the ponies of this community. We work together with them and these zebras feel the ponies caused war crimes. The ponies who committed such war crimes are now long dead, same with the zebras who did the same thing.” I smile. I like this mare. She knows you can’t accuse every single pony since those from the past no longer live to bring the pain they caused the same with the zebras of the past. Even if the thoughts of hate are still there though. “I have grown tired of ponies of today being accused of being racist and need to prove themselves to the zebras of today. If this is true then zebras need to do the same. Zebras did worse on their own. I am sure ponies did worse on their own as well. But most focus on emotions rather than caring about what is true.” I bow my head to the elder. “Now what do you need me to do?” The elder smiles. “Come with me I will explain.” I follow her to the next room to wonder what she will tell me and maybe I can redeem myself in the eyes of many zebras. I am unsure now all I can do is deal with what is to come. Chapter Fourteen: Mines and Candles“Follow your journey through the ruins to a forested area in the middle of the city. In the middle of the city was a mining complex. In there you will find what you need for the armor you will make and your weapon. Just remember Rose the only way you will become a citizen is if you show us you’re willing to fight.” It’s been at least half a day walking through the ruins of Detrot to find this forested area in the middle of the ruins. I huddle tightly in the warm coat they gave me while I have a pack full of food, water, and a tent. I remember what the elder told me. “If you need to sing like a pony. Singing will scare away some of the creatures in ruins. It’s not just raiders you need to worry about some awful creatures in these ruins. I wish I could tell you more but I don’t want you to have too much fear in your heart.” I come out of the memory hearing a howling from a hungry beast. I look around seeing strange wolves made of metal? Timberwolves I wonder if they mutated over the years and gained the ability to form themselves from metal. I cough sniffing the air. It's a rusty smell coming into my nose. I know they’re close but I don’t think they’re after me. I hear the wolves screaming smelling melting metal. I look over to the ruins seeing a community of scavengers, one of them holding a smoking flamethrower. The pony turns to look at me, bowing her head at me. I nod at her as well. I was told I can’t ask for help but I can trade with those I run into. I feel maybe it’s wise to deal with whatever I have with me with these ponies. I walk toward the scavengers and the mare gets ready to fire her flamethrower aiming at me. “Don’t worry, I am not here to harm anypony. I came over to see if you would like to trade.” The mare lowers the flamethrower. “Heh, a force of habit you get used to somepony being kind to them backstabbing you to get everything you own.” I keep my distance just close enough to be on the outskirts of the camp. I can understand fully how you can tell if those around you will suddenly or someone new would just try to kill you for what you have. “I have some food if you need any as well as some water.” The mare smiles shaking her head. “We are alright for now. May I ask why you are out here though?” I take a deep breath sighing. “I am out here to prove myself to the zebra community in the medical complex not far from here.” The mare nods. “I see we trade with the merchants there. I heard stories of a zebra mare showing up with a hellhound or diamond dog. A buffalo and a pegasus you wouldn’t be that zebra mare would you/” I nod “Yes, I am the mare who showed up. What else do you know?” The mare shifts on her hooves. “You knew the world before the war. Is that true? Did you know the world before the war and before the end of the world?” I sigh remembering the world I came from. A world of peace, a world of love, a world with no care in the world. A world I would do anything to get again if I could. I doubt I could do anything big enough to bring it back. “Yes, I was there. I was then frozen in a pod before the war fully started and woke up to see this world before me.” The mare looks towards the group of tents. “Do the zebras expect you to return on time so you don’t fail to prove yourself or do you just show back up when you want to?” I shake my head. “I was never given a time or a ticking clock on when to return. They just want me to find an old mining complex, make myself armor and weapons and kill a powerful creature to prove myself. Then they wish me to bring back everything for brews.” The mare smiles as she looks back to the tents. “Do you think you could tell my friends and me about the past? We find so many things during our scavenging and we never find any ghouls around long enough to explain anything. So are you willing to do so and we will give you something to eat?” A soft smile forms on my face. “Would the rest of the ponies in your group welcome me?” She chuckles. “I am sure they will let me go find the head of our group. I do have a request while I do this. Do you think you could stand guard for me just in case?” I give a quick nod as she trots off and I stand guard for her. After a few minutes, a large stallion comes out from the group of tents. “Is this her Dusty?” The mare nods. “Hi there Dusty told me you’re a mare who got frozen in a pod and knew what the world was like back then?” I turn to nod. “Yes, I lived in the old world.” The stallion smiles nodding to Dusty. Dusty gets back into her spot to guard and the stallion leads me to a campfire in the middle of the camp. I sit by the campfire removing the hood from my head. “Before we ask you about the past, why do you have no fur?” I chuckle weakly. “There is a group of anti pony zebras in the community in that medical complex. They wanted to make an example of me since back in the past I fell in love with a pony stallion and had his foals. So yeah they felt I had to cleanse myself and make an example of me.” The stallion sighs, shaking his head. “I guess some zebras don’t wish to move on. Of course, even some ponies I have met don’t wish to move on either. So I don’t blame them for having issues with the other species. Since some hate others.” I sigh, nodding he is correct. I notice they have a pot of food cooking over the fire. I glance at the stallion. “May I have some?” The stallion chuckles “It’s veggie stew. I doubt the vegetables were the best of the best but we are willing to share if you share your stories with us of the past.” Many hours later I am still telling stories to the ponies. I didn’t sugarcoat how things were back then. Even though the world wasn’t as bad as it is now. We still had to deal with threats sometimes worse than others. “The biggest reason I left my tribe was mostly because of the constant wars between us. It was a peaceful world but not for zebras. For ponies, they did all they could to make it peaceful for themselves. Even though at times they mostly failed because they cared more about friendship than peace.” I lost track of time since these ponies have been so kind and let me have as much food as I wanted. I knew full well it was getting late but I need to go on my way before I find myself staying here. I get up from the stool looking at the group of ponies. “I need to be on my way. I want to thank you so much for what you did for me.” The leader of the scavengers nods. “You helped us learn more about the past. I wish we could go back and give the foals who live now a peaceful land.” I shrug my shoulders. The only way a peaceful land will return is if a pony or a zebra says enough is enough and tries to fight for the freedom of everyone around them. I am sure there is those type of heroes around. I doubt I would ever become one of those heroes. I just want to survive and become a simple citizen of a simple community. I don't need the glory or pain of being a hero. “If I wished to be a hero I would do so. But I am just a simple zebra wanting to live a simple life after I become a citizen. If others consider me a hero I will just ignore them. I am sure you ponies don’t blame me.” The large pony leader nods. “I don’t blame you, the idea of trying to be judge and jury makes no sense. It makes perfect sense to put slavers and raiders in their place. Why turn a pony or a zebra into a hero for doing what is known as common sense. Those types of ponies or zebras don’t deserve to be in the world if they prey on others.” I nod agreeing. “I need to be going it was great to meet you. I hope to meet you all again.” I bow my head walking out of the camp to head on to my task. I look back at the ponies feeling sadness in my heart. These ponies know nothing about the peace of the past. War and strife are all they know. They only know how bloody things get and they normally may never see a foal grow to adulthood. _________ The Destination. I finally made it to the former park turned into a mining complex back during the war. I look around seeing many ghouls wandering around and larger creatures. I am told if I stay far away from the ghouls they won’t bother me. I do have an idea to make sure they don’t bother me. I set down my bag and brought out some fertilizer I was given. I was told the ghouls normally go for flesh or anything that smells good to them. I doubt this will work but I have to see. I place the fertilizer in a bucket I brought with me and dumb a little bit of my water supply and mix it to make it wet and stink. I place my hoof in it, sniffing it and coughing a bit. It’s enough I guess I rub it all over my body. I hope what I was told is right. If it’s not my body is going to be already stinking before it decays. I grunt at the smell as I dumb the rest of it on me. I take a deep breath looking through my bags more to find a pike ax and look at how much I need to make what is needed for me. Looking at the list I need enough to make an entire set of armor and I need to use my soul to make a weapon that calls to me. I need to allow the stars to open my heart to sing to me so I can make it. I sigh deeply, finding everything taking a deep breath gagging, and smelling what I placed on myself again. I sneak even though I already did what I did. I sneak into one of the mining tunnels I was told it’s not too deep into the mines “May I ask why you're here?” The voice makes me suddenly jump. I turn around to see a ghoul with a top hat on. The mare smirks. A ghoul whose mind is still there I cough smirking weakly and she covers her nose after a second. “Sorry I was told the way to sneak past the feral ghouls I just need to make myself stink.” The ghoul laughs. “It won’t work as you think. Now zebra, why are you here?” I sigh “I am here to get some of the ore to make armor and a weapon to be welcomed to a community in this day and age.” The ghoul tilts her head. “This day and age?” I sigh knowing I am going to need to explain. I explain to her what happened to me and the others and about waking up in a factory in sleeping pods. The mare's eyes are wide open and she has a large smile on her face. “It’s good to see another from the past who knows what I remember. I would attack you for yes the war ended badly but I see you as a gentle soul. I don’t want to cause another small war because I have issues of your kind from the past.” I shrug my shoulders. “I don’t blame you for the past things that happened, not everyone will be happy about what went on. I can understand perfectly.” Then it finally hit me. How long has this ghoul been here? I was told these mines are empty from other souls. Maybe no one has been deeper into the mines and this is just a guard. It’s confusing. Maybe they knew and I would learn by myself. “I was told no one lived in these mines, are there more of you?” The ghoul chuckles “There are underground tunnels and we have used them ever since the bombs fell. I don’t blame others for not telling you about us since we normally hide pretty well here. But I could tell you didn’t seem to be like any other zebra walking in here. Most of your kind normally have weapons and try to kill ghouls. You just tried your best to hide and sneak through like a zebra of the past.” I just stare at the mare confused. She didn’t answer my question but I am not going to press it. I don’t want to feel like I am invading but I doubt she cares. The past is long gone and I doubt they have anything to gain for stopping me. “Do you have an issue with me taking what I need and then leaving?” The mare tilts her head shrugging her rotting shoulders. “I doubt any of us would care. We have no use for the ore anymore. The ore didn’t help us win the war. Some of the ore you will find here have been magically moon-touched and it’s a rare type of ore you would find.” I felt a shudder come over me. Moon touched ore is something I learned about years ago. It’s not ore you want to deal with. It can corrupt your soul of course back in the day anything connected to the moon bothered zebras. “Is all this ore moon touched?” The ghoul shrugs her shoulders. “It’s what we were told. I highly doubt any of it is moon touched. Now we do have some metal which fell from space years ago deep in the mine if you would like to help yourself with this metal.” Metal that fell from the sky? It could be one of those probs or old space junk I have heard about. I will take the ore I need then take some of this metal and make the weapon I need. I glance at the ghoul. “I just need enough ore to make armor and I could use the space junk to make a weapon. Unless a ghoul in your community is going to have an issue with me doing so?” The mare chuckles. “I highly doubt that we live with zebra ghouls who attacked us years ago. After the war ended we all felt it would be best to work together. I am sure they would like to meet you if you have time to speak with us?” I take a deep breath smelling the stink again coughing. Finally regaining myself after all the coughing. A weak smile forms over my face. I don’t know what to think. I worry I might make too many friends but it’s always good to have friends. “I would love to and maybe I could make it easier on myself.” The ghoul chuckles “You’re an odd zebra.” I shrug my shoulders. She is right I am an odd zebra I always have been. At first, I didn’t buy the stories about the stories of the stars. After going through the court of the stars and hearing about the judges they have under their control. I wonder how powerful they can be? “I am sure I know what you mean by me being odd. I will just add I didn’t care about how my kind lived half the time. But I still followed the traditions of zebras and also accepted the ones of ponies. No matter how many crazy fairs and holidays they had. They had far too many by the way.” The mare laughs shaking her head. “We can talk about all those things on the way below. I do have a question: do you think you will fail for not doing this yourself?” I shrug my shoulders. The mare leads the way deeper into the mines. I look over at the feral ghouls looking at me but they seem to ignore me since I am with the ghoul mare. We go down many stairs and when we get deeper in I notice a strange door. “Forgive the door, it's to keep the ferals out. We may be ghouls like them but we don’t want them near us. It makes us worry we will become like them sooner than later.” _____________________ Ghoul community. The mare opens the door letting me inside. I notice there are no guards, just many ghouls wandering around. A zebra ghoul turns to look at me and the stallion comes over to me staring down at me. “One touched by the stars. Have the stars asked you to come to draw our blood?” I shudder and shook my head. I am tired of being called the one touched by the stars. I get it I was stupid and I deserve to be called everything. “No, I stood in the court of stars and placed my punishment on a non-zebra who might not even be born yet.” The stallion stares more at me, a dark smile forming on his face. He laughs loudly patting my shoulder. From the look in his eyes, he is impressed with me. I am sure when the day comes I will be forced to meet the life I destroyed. “I see one touched by the stars giving their task to one not even alive yet. They could be alive but you aren’t sure. I am not sure if I should praise you for the guts you have to take on the court and their judge. So may I quickly ask why are you here?’ I sigh explaining to him what is going on and what happened to me and the others. His eyes turn to sadness hearing what I went through. I could tell from his emotions and his decayed face he wishes he went through what I did but not with losing a part of himself. “I see you’re a zebra who gave herself to a pony stallion. But ponies accused you of a crime you never caused and then did that to you with your hooves. I wish I could have been frozen. I wouldn't have lived through so much pain. I have learned so much though about those I used to fight.” I shake my head. I am learning so much about this world. I am not enjoying what I am learning. I glance at the mare. “Would any of these ponies or zebras have issues with me taking the ore and the metal from space?” The mare shrugs. “I doubt they will have to do something while the world is destroyed. I don’t see any of us going out there to try to make deals with ponies or zebras. Unless you’re some powerful conversationalist able to convince us into an alliance with them.” I don’t want to be anything. I just want to live. I want to live in this new world and if it changes around me from a real hero destroying everything around us to trying to bring back the old world more power to them. “No, I don’t care about making alliances or making the world around me better. I am going, to be honest with you, what did the old world do for me? The old world turned me into a monster. The war destroyed the world. I could care less if the world around me kept falling apart. I'd rather focus on my personal life. I am sure none of you are to blame really.” The mare snickers and the stallion nods. “You’re a mare after my own heart. With me, I used to be a beautiful mare and a knockout and all it gave me was this dumb job. So I had to work in this mine till the end of the war. I was told oh the war was going to end. It did end but with fire.” The stallion sighs. “Yes, I was bound to kill every pony I saw. Then the bombs fell The ponies allowed us to hide with them in the mines. We spent a while getting to know each other. I learned we aren’t much different from each other. Just our idea of sex and marriage is very different.” The stallion nods to me leaving to head back into his home. The mare who hasn't given me her name yet. I doubt she will or if they even remember their names. She leads me through the community and I am led to a large storehouse. “Here you go, just take what you need. Don’t take too much and I will go get you one of those probes from space.” The mare leaves and another mare who I can tell is pure white she has some fur around her ears and it’s on her body. She hasn't been decaying as much as the others. She sits on her haunches looking at me. “Miss, may I request something from you?” I finish gathering enough of the ore looking at the mare. “As long as I do your request and you don’t call me a hero or a savior.” The mare laughs. “Nothing that silly dear. From what I see you will be heading to one of the factories to find a forge. Am I correct?” I nod. “Alright, there is an old wagon-making factory. It’s been taken up by a group of raiders. If you don’t mind after you make what you’re making with the ore you’re taking and from the sounds of it the probe. If you wish just to clear it out, we can use it to help build weapons for this city to fight back.” I shrug my shoulders. “Sure I will be living in this area so why not.” I gather what I need and another ghoul sets a probe and another piece of space junk into my bag. I look at the ghoul they’re another zebra. She smiles nodding to me. “I can tell you where a working forge is. One of us would have to go with you though. Since it’s full of ghouls.” I sigh deeply looking towards the community of ghouls and then towards the zebra ghoul. I don’t mind having others come with me. But I don’t want to feel like I am failing my task. Maybe they won’t care if I make friends with ghouls. “Shall we then?’ The ghoul nods and I follow her to her home. She puts on her armor on her side is a spear made with a gold tip. She nods to me, leading me back outside. She looks back at me with a weak smile forming on her face. “I am named Story. Stay close to me if the ghouls attack you. I will make sure to kill them for you. Warning though if you see a ghoul releasing pink smoke stay as far away as you can. You don’t want any of the mist to get on your skin and you don’t want to breathe any of it in.” I am confused why she is named Story? I know I am named Rose or Desert Rose to some but I have another name in the words of a zebra. Just Story? Maybe she forgot her name. I shrug my shoulders following the ghoul zebra out of the mine and to one of the factories which are closer. I glance at the ghouls looking at me. They gnash their teeth hungrily and stay away from me because of Story. It takes us a little bit of thirty minutes to get to the factory. Since we have to go through some traps left by soldiers of the past. I finally got to see the name of the factory. It used to be a candle maker and it was turned into making guns for the war effort. “The reason this forge is still going. Because there is a ghoul in here with a mental mind like mine and he makes candles as a way to force punishment on the lives he took during the war. He feels the only way he can be redeemed till he makes enough candles to count every single life he took.” ________ The candle factory We are led into the empty factory. All the ghouls are dead and have died for some time. Around there are candles. Each candle is either lit or slowly smoking. Most of them have been melted over the years. When we get deeper into the factory I hear a voice echoing through the building. “All deaths during the war are not only my fault. I never praised Celestia for either death. I never praised her or Luna. I just lit them again to honor those I killed.” I follow Story listening to the ghoul. I can tell from his crying and anger he regrets everything. We hear a gunshot and a ghoul screaming in pain. “Another death from the fire. No. It’s not the fire, it's for the wax, yes! For the wax, there is no way we can do it.” We walk into the main room holding the forge. The candles are big here. Two large ones with Celestia and Luna’s cutie marks. I stare at the burning and they have been burning for a very long time. “This poor stallion hasn't forgiven himself for so long?” The stallion comes into the room looking at me and Story. He sets down his sniper rifle and quickly comes to me putting his hooves on my face. He stares into my eyes, his eyes full of tears shaking as he holds my face. “Life!! Oh goddess thou have failed me.. OH Goddess, how dare you bring me life!!” He removes his hooves screaming, kicking the sniper rifle, and breaking it. He chuckles weakly looking back at me. “Zebras dead on my hooves. Watching their souls vanish from their eyes. The eyes are the windows of the soul. I can’t… I can’t do it anymore no NO!!!” He screams and charges at me but doesn’t hit me. He cries holding me tightly. He sobs loudly. I could feel his sorrow and his pain. All those he killed he killed so many in the name of war in the name of death. I wonder at times if I would have become like this if I stayed awake and fought during the war. “PLEASE FORGIVE ME!! The idea of a zebra alive is here to see me. Are you here to kill me?! The story is the hope of the endless waltz of dreams in the ending bugs and stones of blackholes death!!” He laughs loudly, sighing. “I am sorry I didn’t mean to lose my mind there for a moment. Just when I see a zebra I regret all I did to them. May I have your name please before I lose my mind again?” I gulp wondering if it's a wise idea. I glance at Story and she nods. “I am Rose. I never fought during the war. I was frozen in time with others who became my family and friends. You have no right to ask me for forgiveness for you never did a thing to me. I may be a zebra but I have no issue with what you did.” The stallion sighs stroking his face. “I see you got saved from the nightmare of war only to see the world end and become death like this. I pity you. I wish I could have seen the world like this. I..worry someday I will be judged for what I did. Maybe I should be judged but I don’t see you judging me for all the deaths I cause.” A sigh escapes my mouth, shaking my head. I have no right to judge this stallion. I have never met or dealt with this stallion before. I wish I could help him but I have no right to help him. I lean down to look into his eyes. “Listen, I am not here to harm you or anything. I am here to use the forge. Do you have a problem with me using the forge?’ The stallion stands up on his hooves looking at all the candles. He holds his head like he is hearing the screams and voices of all those he killed over the years. He rushes towards the candles of the princess and kneels to them. “They all scream for relief, my princess. I can’t give them what they want. I know you won’t answer me oh goddess of the past. I see the future, I see the past. I wonder should I give them access to the rooms? Story walks over to the stallion and puts her hoof on his shoulder. He looks up at the zebra mare and she weakly smiles. “I am sorry to say they will never give you the answer you want. Please give us the key so she can go in there and do her task. I know this is much for you to take in but please do it?” The stallion tosses the key to the ground and Story picks it up heading back to me. She swings her head to head to the door. I follow her to the door looking back at the stallion. He screams in anger again laughing loudly. “You will answer me!!” I quickly follow Story into the forge room. She locks the door and a deep sigh comes from my mouth. shaking my head. I have a feeling I am going to have to put him down. Looking towards the forge there is coal within. Story walks over to the forge starting it and now one who has no skills in this department I need to learn how to make weapons and armor. With the help of Story, she tells me what to do. So I formed a helmet of metal, made a visor, and connected it to a strange solar battery I found in the area. Then make the body armor to hold my weapon and wiring to make it work with the helm. Then the legs connect to the metal legs and let Maria connect to it so I can talk to Deco in the visor if needed. “I know it’s strange how in the world do I know how to make armor like this? I was one of the soldiers who came down here to kill ponies. Then I, along with the others, broke off from the platoon so during all these years I learned things.” I chuckle weakly. I hear the screaming ghoul hitting the door leading into the forge. I have a feeling he has fully lost it. I take a deep breath. I got more than one thing I need to make. Pulling out the space junk. I was told to let the stars tell me what to make. I close my eyes communicating with the stars if they wish to hear me again. “Oh, great stars who lead us through much strife and blood. Tell me in your grand design of the universe what to make. Oh please, stars of hope, stars of blood and strife. Bring forth the dream of what I should make and tell me the name.” In my mind I see it forming. As I have my eyes closed I work to make the weapon letting the stars tell me what to make. I sing what they tell me. “Take our light and our will to live. The universe is vast. We sing for our will to bring us blood and peace. Oh, a small zebra trying to bring forth a dream. The judges shall put you in your place. For the return and with the goat of undeath. We shall win our battle but for now. We shall help with our song.” I ignore what they say about the goat of undeath. I know who the goat is but I doubt he will ever return. With the help of the stars, I forge the weapon looking down at the weapon I made after I douse it while staring at the weapon. The weapon is made of a gray color. It's a giant hammer. It has a rubber mouth grip so I don’t hurt my mouth. I take a chisel and hit in the name of the hammer. ‘Stars Wrath.’ I put on the armor with the help of Star and she connects the wires to make sure they work and the visor comes up. I made a zebra-like armor. I look at my hammer again and I notice I added something else. I didn't even notice ways to hold it by the hooves. I can fight as I trained. I put my one forehoof into the hoof holder looking at Story. “Open the door and please hide if he starts attacking.” Story trots to the door opening it after she unlocks it. The ghoul comes in holding a large sword and laughs softly. He slowly walks toward me holding the sword in his hoof. I hold my hammer tightly in my hoof. “You…you’re a monster zebra. I am going to stop you from what you’re planning to do. You’re a figment in my mind. A story to my heart. I have killed so many. How do I know you’re real?! Are you a door to keep my mind closed? Thou will sing to me so I can understand the path to come?!” I stay silent just looking at him through my visor. I don’t know why I made armor like this. I doubt I will use it all the time. But I feel this is the only way I can find my path. The two of us start to circle each other. “The princess demands I kill you. Let's make this a grand battle to end all battles. Maybe my soul can be taken to the hell it belongs. So much blood, so much death. YOU CAUSED IT MONSTER!!” I keep calm “Listen stallion, you need to remove yourself from what you did. I am not a monster or the zebras you fought in the past. Lower your weapon and I won’t kill you, please. I don’t want to harm you, I don't want you to become another victim of the past.” The ghoul laughs as he shifts, swinging his weapon. He is not even close to hitting me. “Oh thee devil, I see what you’re doing. You wish to pull the wool of sheep over my eyes. To stop me from freeing Equestria from the monsters who have taken it over. Stay behind me oh monster and become another one of the ground.” I take a deep breath. “I shall end you devil we shall sing.” I charge at him and he charges at me our weapons smash into each other and they sing. Each hit and with one swing I smash into his sword and sparks fly and he falls back and he turns on a bright light. I felt it was blinding. I could see it through the visor. I swing my weapon and he does the same with our weapons smashing together. The stallion gets out of the way soon after climbing up a ladder and jumps down at me from above. My heart slows as I feel the world around me freeze our weapons ready to strike. To be Continued Chapter Fifteen: A battle worth a song [End of arc one.]I stood in front of the elder of the zebra community in my armor. Leaning on my bloody hammer. Blood splattered all over my armor. Standing beside me was the ghoul mare Story. I look around seeing the wide eyes and the horror on their faces. “I was starting to worry when you didn’t return. It’s been almost at least four days. Rose, maybe you can explain to me what happened?” I take my helm offsetting it down looking at the elder and the other zebras around me. I take a deep breath. The smell of sweat and blood doesn’t mix well. I feel my heart beating slowly unlike the last few days. “I will first introduce my friend here. Her name is Story, one of the zebras from the military years ago. Who came to destroy ponies in the name of Caesar. I met a group of zebra ghouls and pony ghouls living in harmony.” I stare at the anti pony zebras. “Get it harmony dumb asses?” I snort at the anti pony zebras who look away from me. I look back to Story nodding to her then looking back to the Elder. I take a deep breath again feeling more sweat falling down my body from the armor. “They offered to help me and I gathered ore from them and they gave me space junk. Touched by the stars and the moon. Using it I made this hammer the wrath of the stars. During all this in the factory was a former candle factory and a ghoul pony took up lighting all the candles.” I went silent for a moment. I still feel bad for the poor ghoul. He had to live with all the deaths he caused and still has the screams and nightmares. It’s gotten to the point I worry it’s what caused him to snap. “He lit every candle on every pony and zebra death he caused during the war. Two of the candles were the princess themselves and he asked them for forgiveness for everything he did and every time he killed a ghoul he added to the choir of screams and voices in his head.” I go silent again waiting for the elder to speak. “I see so you did something most zebras don’t wish to do. You do what you can to bring the land together. Before I say the words hero don’t worry I don’t consider you a hero. I consider you a mare with common sense. I can tell in the look of your eyes you want nothing to do with praise and fame.” I nod that she is correct. I don't want the praise being a hero brings. I just want to be part of a community and do what I can for all those around me. If I can be a part of a community then I will do everything. “I have a question though: what happened to the ghoul?” I look back in my memory. __________________ The candle factory The ghoul and I charged quickly at each other and he climbed a ladder with the lights getting brighter from the rush. My eyes went hazy from the rush of the battle. I smashed the hilt of my harm hard into the stomach of the ghoul and I was able to toss him over me to the ground where he lay there in a heap. I turn back staring down at the poor ghoul feeling the rush leave my body. He had tears streaming down his face. “Please end it. I deserve everything I did. I deserve to follow the path of those who came before me. The candles scream at me, they laugh at me. I can’t stand it any longer and scream in pain, please!!” I remove my helm, putting it down on the ground with sweat pouring down my face. I lean down to the poor ghoul and stare into his eyes. I see he is so lost and broken. I wish I could help him. I can’t do anything but pity him. “Killing you won’t bring any of those lives back. I know you find it hard to cope with what you did. But you have lived for many years and you still can’t get over it? The past is the past. I am sure it will take you more time to free yourself from this pain.” I pull the ghoul into a hug. The ghoul shakes, wrapping his hooves around my head shivering in pain and crying loudly. He screams over and over he is sorry for all he did. I feel bad for this poor ghoul. I hope one day he will be able to finally forgive himself. I sat with him for at least a few hours as he cried. Story didn’t say a word. She watched all this unfold as I did my best to talk to the poor stallion. After everything, I put my helmet back on looking back down at the ghoul. “I need to do one last thing before I head back. Will you be alright on your own?” Ghoul stood on his hooves sighing and nodding. “I will reach out to the community in the mine. Maybe they can help me get this factory back up and running to make weapons and candles again for everything else. I know there is another war on and I know I may fail with my mind. But if I have others with me to help me then I know I will fulfill the task.” I nod looking towards Story. I smile at her. “Can I count on you to come with me and we can fulfill the next thing I was asked to do?” Story smirks. “I would be honored to.” ______________ Zebra community “Well, that is the full story. I did what I could. I am sure he will do what he can. But he will always feel the guilt. Guilt is big for those who lived for a long time. I know many won’t be happy I helped ghouls regain some control of the factories to make weapons. They wish to fight back to take out the raiders and slavers.” The elder nods listening as she looks at the zebras around her. She strokes her chin with her golden endowed hoof. She looks back at me after a second and then chuckles weakly. “I see what the ghouls take on our community here?” I shrug my shoulders. “I don’t know, I didn't ask. I did tell them about the anti pony zebras here. Story used to be the same way. Then she lived with them over the years. She started to see we are all the same and thinks any zebra who thinks this way needs to be exiled.” Story nods. “I feel there is no room for this type of weakness.” The elder smirks looking at the anti-pony group again. Her eyes are full of hate for them. I think she knows though but she can’t toss them out. They will have to learn to live with the ponies or die. “Now your name is Story?” Story nods. “Tell me about yourself.” Story turns her head to look at me. I nod to her to go ahead. “As Rose said, I am of a former invasion who came to destroy everything pony because it was war. I was raised and trained to kill ponies. I hated ponies and then I watched how they treated their little ones. Many of those with me didn’t want to harm ponies after learning to live with them for so long. We infiltrated and we were meant to kill as many as we could and then destroy their ability to make war.” The mare sighs looking down. I can tell she has regret and she is never going to be able to forgive herself. She looks back up to the elder, a weak smile forming on her face. She looks over at the anti pony zebras. “It was time for us to kill and I did the unthinkable: I killed a foal and a mother. I had the thought that they were all evil. Every single one of them is unholy but after I did the deed I watched their blood leak from their wounds. We all have blood going through us and we all have thoughts and dreams.” Story sighs looking away. “So then after all this, the bombs fell. I learned who sent them and the ponies sent them. So I and others of those who survived attacked the ponies. Ran into the mines with ponies from the mines and we watched the world end.” Story goes silent for a moment before taking a deep breath. “We were there, they knew what we did. They had every right to kill us and a stallion came up to me. He started so much and hated wanting to kill me for what I did. The tension was bad enough to cut it with a knife. A large black mare blocked us from killing each other.” A large black mare I had never seen. Maybe she didn’t survive. It wouldn't surprise me if she didn’t survive at all. “She called herself Black Nova. During the many years, she helped us find food and whatever else we could get ahold of and worked to make our community work. She died and didn’t turn into a ghoul and we buried her and after that we became ghouls and she did everything for us. Her last wish was for us to live together as one.” Story went silent after telling her story. I remember the name, Black Nova. I have seen the name from old wanted posters. I remember reading she was wanted for being a zebra lover and respect zebras. It’s just something I picked up and I feel bad she didn’t become a ghoul like the others. “Impressive I am learning more about the past than most ever would. A pony mare wishing a pony and zebra ghoul community to live as one. How well has it worked over the years?” Story looks up to the elder. “To be honest it wasn’t easy the first few years. But we learned how to work and live together. We have fought and we argue but that is normal for every family. We have become one and we do everything we can to work together.” The elder gets off her chair to come down to me looking at my armor and weapon. She didn’t even ask about the blood. “My next question is, why are you covered in so much blood?” A weak smile forms across my face. I didn’t want to go into this part of what happened. I just feel the only way to finally get it off my chest. I feel what I did was awful even if the raiders required a good beating. “Well like I told you I was asked by a ghoul to help empty a factory of raiders. I didn’t know it at the time but they also had prisoners.” _______________ The old wagon creation factory. Story positioned herself with a sniper rifle she had with her since the early days. I hid with her while she fired on the raider's ponies standing guard outside. Each time she fires it makes a sort of sound that makes the raiders look around and each one she picks off. I stood on my hooves. I am sure she missed some. “Do you always have a sniper rifle with you?” Story stands up on her hooves and the sniper rifle folds into itself so she can place it into her bag and she shrugs her shoulders. “Heh really Rose if this world was peaceful I wouldn’t have to carry it everywhere I go. Now come on, let's see if we can clear this place out.” We both head inside and Story holds a sword in her mouth. I hold my hammer in my hooves. I feel being able to fight as I did in the past makes it easier for me. Story charges in first we go other ways and raiders are screaming and cussing. “A ghoul has broken GAH!!” I go the other way deeper above to get to the area which normally controls the factory itself. When I open the door I see cages of many mares and fillies, even some old ponies. I stare at all the ponies. I see a pregnant mare chained to the wall. She is covard in various juices I am sure she was used as a sex toy. I stare at all the cage ponies. There are even some zebras here. I hear large hooves come down the stairs and a dark chuckle. “So what do we have here? Are you hearing of heroes like Security the wolf or the toaster pony?” Hero? Security the wolf? Toaster pony? Are there heroes out there trying to help? I don’t see myself as a hero. I am just doing what comes naturally helping a community live. If what I do makes me a hero to others I will tell them the truth I don’t want fame I don’t want glory. Everyone should do what I am doing and fight for what is right. “I am no hero. I have been asked to clear this place out. So we can fight to bring civilization back to this city.” The raider stares at me like I have a mole on my head. I have a feeling what I said hit the raider hard. The large stallion comes down, sighing, shaking his head and his horn glows as he lifts a large hammer. “Noble I haven’t heard those words since I was a colt. I have seen so many just showing up for fame. When my family was killed I was on the run and raiders chased me. I remember seeing a Silver pony saving me. He said these words. ‘What is the core value of friendship?’ I didn’t answer him and he went off fighting for others. I never saw him again after that.” I take my helm off holding it in my hoof. “I have never had to deal with a world such as this. I come from the world before the war. I was frozen with three others for crimes we never committed because those who had a stake of money in the war used me and my family. So here I am doing what should be right not in the name of a hero not for glory but for what is right.” The stallion sighs looking at everything he has done. For I can tell the words are affecting him but he has gone down too many dark paths to lead this way. I doubt he could ever be free from his sins. “I will not see this future you want to make. I and others who do what we have done don’t deserve to live for all our sins. The only way to free those I have fucked destroyed their lives and broke them in the name of power over them means death. I have rapped I have murdered.” He looks at the mare chained to the wall; she looks scared of him and does not even wish to look into his eyes. He gets ready to lift his weapon. I put my helm back on holding the hammer and we circle each other. “Fight me like a zebra warrior of old. Fight me for our fight should be worthy of the song. I am not worthy of those songs of old. Remember me for who I was and not for who I became. I grew to become a worker and a blacksmith. Then I fell into hell and felt the only way to win was chems and battle. Then raider life. For the final battle, I shall.” I watch him force many chems into his body and his eyes turn bloodshot. The speaker worth a song is now gone. I feel drums beating humming and our hooves stomping like drums as I hear his heart with my own. “Swing the hammer right boom boom.” I swing my hammer right and he swings it left and our hammers clash. The hammers swing right twice and smash again. “Our hearts sing within the battle of blood. Boom Boom our hearts sing in the battle of strife. The hearts of old become the drums. We sing as the lust flies from our movement in the dirty ground of dust.” In each step we make the dust fly and flow from the air. The sand and hair from the various ponies in here fly all over. Our hammers smash into each other harder making sparks not enough to cause fires. “There is a battle worth a song. Blood gore within our hearts. If a soul could be lost within the battle of life. Bring forth the sword brings forth the screams. The battle shall never end, be it worth a song. Dance like the drums and sing like the rocks.” Our hooves heavily stomp adding to the music. His heart beats harder like a drum. My heart drums quickly with the magic music which fills the air. Our hammers keep smashing into each other and I take my hilt smashing into his gut and he backs up into the room he came from. A group of raiders comes out the door charging at me with him stomping his hooves and he sings while I fight his minions “This battle is worth a song. Fight for your life, fight for the dream fight to bring forth the ending of this hopeless world. Never break a promise, always break a sweat within the ending night. If the moon shall shine it shall shine in the night.” A mare raider before she charges at me sings. “A mare of hope, a mare of dreams. Can you keep that promise, can you bring that hope? Hope without the song of a hero to back you. You hold you down within the want of glory, the want of a home.” I swing my hammer before she swings her sword and with one swoop I break her head open and blood splatters all over my hammer and my armor. The next raider, a stallion, comes with many swords floating beside him. “Never trust a pony with empty eyes. Always show the song within a dream of life. Bring forth the ending night. Bring for the sun. Let it shine in our eyes so we can dream again. Bring us the dream. Bring us the heart so we can dream and shine again.” The sword is my armor and I feel a sword break through the armor just a bit to stab me in my side. I swing my hammer down on him and he screams as I break through his chest with a loud squish. Blood splattering all over my hammer and me. “Free us from this moon. Free us from this hell.” I look over at the slaves and those in cages. While they sing to me and I look back at the remaining pony about to attack me. I suddenly charged before she could do anything and stabbed the hilt of my hammer into the mare's stomach. “Free us, save us.” They all sing and I leave the mare to die from her wound and I head to take on the leader. He smirks, his eyes heavily bloodshot and he laughs. “The drums have sounded to us all. Do you forgive the heart that comes? For the god of war is here. He has sung to us. Discord himself is using us as puppets for his amusement. We are chaos, We have our songs. You’re order I am of the house of chaos and fight for either.” I feel myself gaining the desire to sing. “I will not build this house of chaos. I will not build this house of order. I will free those from the house of order. I am beholden to neither of these houses. I am a zebra of the past. I am Desert Rose. I am neither a hero nor one who wants glory. I do what is right, come bring the drums, sing the drums.” The stallion stops singing and the song ends as we both charge at each other and our hammers smash into each other again and he uses his magic to take a knife and try to stab in my leg and the knife breaks and I quickly turn using my metal hooves to smash right into his face and he stands there his face caved in and I turn smashing him with his hammer hard. He falls to the ground, his skull crushed and he tries to see me so he could speak. His pants are having trouble breathing and I take off my helm, setting it aside as I hold his hoof. He smirks weakly about to see me in his good eye. “Such beauty who beat me. I wish I could have seen you before I went down this path. I made this…” He coughs up blood. “Gang to protect the weak and then it went the wrong path. I met a mare from an order called the order of Mimic. She told me I need to be ready for the return.” I lean to the stallion. “What do you mean whose return?” He leans up to whisper. “Grogar.” He falls back down as he slowly dies from his wounds. I know the name Grogar but it means nothing to me at the moment. I grab the keys and go to the cages opening them up and they look at me scared. “You’re free..” I go to the pregnant mare freeing her from the wall. “Thank you…” I smile watching the others leave looking at the mare. She quickly trots out following the others. Story finally comes into the room, her sword is stained with the blood of the raiders and I look down at the raider. “Come let's go tell them it’s done and then I can go back.” __________ Zebra community. I finished my story. “That is the entire story, did I pass the test?” The elder chuckles. “You never really had a test, you just had to prove yourself you’re able to become part of this community. You have done the right thing and now it’s time for you to meet up with your friends again.” I could tell though this angered some of the zebras. “She didn’t prove herself from killing a manticore or anything or bringing the meat or the heart.” The elder glares at the zebra who spoke it was the leader of the anti ponies she lifts her hoof to silence him. “I am the elder here and I say she has proven herself enough. Now please go meet with your friends.” I nod, putting my helm back on and attaching the hammer to my armor. I head back to the main area of the community connected with the others. Waiting for me are my friends. Drift is wearing blade wings on her wings and has a visor on her face that glows now and then. June is waiting with the others. She has no armor and is pretty much the same but has a red bandana I am sure that means something. Bowser is wearing a leather suit with one eye covered by a scope and he leans on a strange sniper rifle. “What is with the sniper rifle?” Bowser shrugs. “I had to save a group of hellhounds and they gave me this after all that. June had to beat the shit out of a manticore. Drift proved herself from what she said by doing odd jobs and then saving a village from a slaver attack.” Each leader of the community stands waiting while the elder of the zebras stands by them. “Now we shall pass our judgment.” The first to come forward is the hellhound leader. “I Saw Tooth saw Bowser do everything he was asked of. He didn’t only prove himself in the matter of a diamond dog but he proved himself to be a hell hound. He shall be allowed to live where he wishes and any female he wishes to bed.” He backs up a female buffalo wearing a strange headdress. “I Soft Breeze watched June with every cuss word in the book kill and defend. She is one of us and she is strong. She shall become part of us with no issue and she shall walk our roads but she shall live with who she wishes.” The next is a white pegasus mare she has a strange rainbow dash cutie mark burned into her hip. She looks at Drift. “Drift wasn’t easy to get along with at first. She didn’t always listen to the chain of command. But we tended to forget she wasn’t part of the enclave at all. But she showed herself strong in the field of battle. She was given the weapons of a warrior of the sky and she shall stay with her friends.” The elder comes up with a Golden Heart standing beside her. “I Umphuphi” Her name is Dreamer? Huh, I am impressed. I take a deep breath waiting to see what she saids. “She has redeemed herself from her past. Giving herself to a stallion wasn’t what she was put to the task for. She didn’t act like a normal zebra. But everything she did for those in this area and even the community she now is part of us and we shall sing for her. We shall let her marry the mare Hops and then they can choose a stallion to herd with.” I take a deep breath, I look at my friends and everyone around us cheers for us and the crowd disperses, and everything with our bodies we are tired very tired. I take a deep breath looking towards the crowd and seeing Dunewlker watching us. I don’t know what is ahead but we have a journey ahead. We got to find out what Maria is, we got to find out who this Grogar is. I have never heard of the order of Mimic before and I look to the side to see a camel wearing a strange outfit and she has a small golden horseshoe around her neck. It’s time to rest then it will be time to dance to the song of life. Arc one complete.
Introduction: Frozen"Frozen... the soul." Two hundred...years ago in the Magical land of Equestria, a war broke out. Our story takes place one year before the war broke out. Many issues slowly arose. Stories of creatures of Equestria vanishing and then, their bodies being found with strange mechanical parts in them. This was way before the huge technical book happened before the war. But at this very moment, Equestria still was a peaceful part of the world. During this time species of ponies and zebras lived together in many areas of Equestria. In Manehattan alone families are living together. Some ponies didn't care for the mixed families and this was a normal issue in the land because not every pony cared for the idea of mixed families. In secret, a group of ponies formed an anti-zebra group. They called themselves The Black Hooves They avoided towns like Ponyville and such. However, they did visit the bigger cities. To try to bring purity back to Equestria. The princess didn't even know this was going on. All was so hushed about this happening. A zebra took up home within the little town of Ponyville. She learned to speak without the rhyming. She even taught ponies about the Zebra way of battle. Needless to say, she did it as a way to teach ponies to defend themselves since...it seemed after the issue with Discord, many ponies wanted to feel protected. She was very welcomed in the town but this time, however, she was being watched by someone. I calmly walked to the ponies and asked them to do the skills that I asked them to do, during this material arts lesson. I looked to see a large stallion who had a strange coat. He was just standing there, watching me. The way he stood, his posture was giving it away. I turned back to the ponies I was working with. "Lift your legs a little higher, then you should be able to do the strike right." The mare nodded as she managed to do the exercise. I chuckled and looked over to the stallion. He was gone. I blinked wondering what was going on really. An hour later, everypony went home. I closed up my dojo. Heading to the marketplace to gather veggies for dinner. I noticed a mare in a black outfit watching me. I blinked, staring at the unicorn mare. Her eyes looked right at me. It was getting odd that many seemed to be watching me. I walked by Fluttershy giving her a nod with a gentle smile. The pegasus was watching me as well. Nevertheless, I gathered everything that I needed. I blinked, not sure what to think. All supplies bought, now just a few more things to do. I needed to return a book to Twilight. I walked towards the tree, I sighed as I was getting tired of being spied on. I was being followed nearly every minute of every day and it's beginning to annoy me. Then I came face to face with pink. "OH!! Pinkie." I smiled and Pinkie giggled and jumped around and laughed. "Hello, Hello Desert Rose... You need to see Twilight?" I nodded and Pinkie jumped around in her spaz-like way. I chuckled softly and smiled. Walking alongside Pinkie Pie was interesting you could say. We went inside the library treehouse. I calmly called. "Twilight!!" Twilight jumped with a scream and there was a giant crash upstairs. I blinked and laughed softly. I forget when Twilight gets busy she forgets about others. She walked down the stairs and blushed a bit at her blunder. "Ahem excuse me. Now, how may I help you, Desert Rose?" I smiled and looked over to the side. I brought out a book from my bags and I offered it back to her and smiled. "I just wished to return this book. Thank you so much for it." A gentle smile formed on Twilight's face as she trotted over and grabbed the book with her magic. She then looked back at me and smiled. "You and your family still up for dinner in a few days?" I gave a nod and she smiled as she put the book away... I did notice that Spike was nowhere to be seen. He's probably busy... I gave Twilight and Pinkie a tight hug and went on my way. I had to get one last thing. I had to get sweets from Cakes. Then I would head home. I saw a large stallion staring at me... I wasn't sure what was with all these odd ponies looking at me. I finally made it to Sugarcube Corner. I sighed and went up to the counter and saw Mrs. Cake and her husband. "Hi there, Mr. Cake...I need some cupcakes and a pie please." Mr. Cake smiled at me, nodding. I sighed calmly, looking around, feeling worried about the ponies that have been following me. I relaxed, waiting for my order. I paced around, knowing it's taking them a while... Ponies have been giving me odd looks lately... Since issues with my former land...came to be...but it's nothing really bad hopefully. After a while, Mr. Cake gave me my order and I sighed, taking it. Smiling, I set down some bits. "Thank you, Mr. Cake." I placed the cupcakes and pie on my back and carried my bags of food back home. However, my home was on the other side of town. Ponyville had become a lot different since many ponies and zebras started to live here. It's gotten to the point that ponies are now kind and respectful to zebras. I'm hoping that it doesn't change and the relationship between ponies and zebras doesn't go downhill. I wouldn't be very happy to see what happens. I walked inside my house. My wonderful family wasn't going to get home for a few more hours... Since my daughter and son had things to do at school and my husband went with them... I shrugged the thought off. I gathered all the food I bought from the market and I started making dinner. A good wonderful dinner for my family. It's been five years since we moved here. I'm certainly glad that we did. Ever since I moved here, I was happy that I wasn't in the bigger cities where other zebras vanished and then were found dead. I felt a sea of dread wash over me. Why does my kind hate different species so much? Ponies really haven't done a thing to deserve this hatred... I feel like I am the only one that doesn't hate other species for being different. All I want to do is protect my family and keep them safe. Taking" a knife in my mouth, I started to cut the veggies and fruit, placing it into a bowl. Slowly starting to cook the food I made for my family. They finally got home. Soft Trot, my husband, gave me a light kiss on the cheek and then trotted away to take a shower. This unicorn was one of the first ponies I ever met, his green eyes were still as tantalizing for me as that day. The kids gave me a quick hug, both rushing to their rooms. I watched them with pride. A filly with stripes over a coat of her father's blue and a unicorn colt black as night. Both were beautiful in my eyes. Dinner was finally ready. We sat at the table and calmly ate our food. My goals didn't speak much. My husband seemed not to talk either. Normally, they were always talking and I found this very odd. Soft Trot looked at me and gave me a soft smile. Just then, a knock was heard. He trotted to the door and one pony walked in. He stood there and began to speak loudly. "Ah, you must be Desert Rose... Your husband told me about you." I got down from my chair stood in front of the stallion. "I'm sorry for this...but your husband and family... Gave us bits to take you away." I blinked, turning to Soft Trot. He looked away... I then looked to my foals who were now fully gone. "One...second..." I stammered and pushed Soft Trot into another room, staring at him with great anger as he began to speak softly. "I found...another mare... Rose... My family never wanted me to marry you. They sent this group to find you... I had no choice... Since I wanted this other mare and the foals..don't want you in their lives anymore..." I lowered my head and went back to the stallion. "I will go with you." Black Hoof smirked, nodding. We both left the house and I noticed a pegasus and a unicorn mare standing outside redundant with torches. Black hoof gave them a nod and threw their torches into the house, causing it to burn. They forced me to watch as my home burnt to the ground. I heard my family screaming. Even if they turned on me... I still cared for them. Just then, a few torches got forced into my mouth. Black Hoof started to speak to the ponies around that tried to rush to save them. "Look at this Zebra...she killed her very own family in cold blood... Fear not...we shall take her to be punished... You will no longer have to worry about this filth in the world..." I blinked, watching them destroy my reputation. I lowered my head, not able to talk back about this. I followed them while they placed me in the back of a strange machine that ran on steam. I was the only one in this strange machine at first. I was chained so I couldn't run. I heard the machine starting up and it ran for a few hours before it stopped. After the machine stopped, they brought in a pegasus mare wrapped in a bag and her muzzle was tied into the back but... I saw her snout and she was breathing slowly. I didn't know what they were doing... I felt the machine I was in moving again. It took another few hours before we stopped again. I fell asleep and I woke up hearing fighting and strange noise. Then the back opened up again and a buffalo was thrown into the back. Her body landed on the floor of the machine with a thud. The Buffalo was bleeding in many wounds. She was breathing hard but still alive for the time being. The machine started up again and began to move. I fell asleep again. I heard another loud smash and the back opened up and a diamond dog was forced inside. He growled and stared at me before he sat down. He looked at the Buffalo. She was asleep and it looked like they drugged her. I closed my eyes a bit and sighed, looking over to the pegasus mare. I sighed, wondering what is going to happen to us. The machine slowly started again... They haven't even fed us at all. After 3 days, they finally fed us and provided us with water. After that though, they went back on their way. I opened my eyes. The machine was off and they came for us. The large stallion lifted the Buffalo and the Diamond dog walked with them calmly. The mare lifted the other and I noticed we are near an old factory. Where were we? This place of Equestria was new to me and I had no idea where we were. They lead me into a room. I saw many bodies of dead zebras in a corner. I felt myself getting sick but I was lead into a doctor's room where Black Hoof himself was but he smiled. "Be a good mare... You will be not seeing the outside world for a long time." I turned my head to the Doctor. Her eyes looked at me with great hatred but after getting a good look at me, her expression changed. She seemed more...relaxed but I couldn't quite understand why as she trotted up to me and took a look at my hooves. "Hmmm, strong hooves." I blinked. Then, she injected me with some kind of drug. The drug paralyzed me and she forced me onto the table. I was still awake and able to see what was going on. She lifted large metal hooves that had wires connected to them. I watched her as she took a large blade and sliced off my hooves. Screams echoed in my mind. I was being tortured! She connected the wires into my nervous system. Closing my eyes, I passed out from the pain that became too much for me. A few hours later, I opened my eyes. I stared at the mare who woke me up and she smiled. She helped me on my hooves and wrapped my mouth in tape to keep me from talking. Black Hoof walked back in and helped me on my hooves. I stared at him with great hate. But as I stepped on the hooves, found it hard to lift them for a moment. Being lead along I noticed the other three. The diamond dog had his eyes removed and were replaced with something else. The Pegasus mares chest had a strange green glowing device on it. it was green unnecessary She looked very sick. The Buffalo had her horns removed. They were replaced with strange tubes that looked like they could release steam or something. They lead us to strange tubes that were attached to the wall inside the factory. They opened up and they placed the three inside. Closing, they froze them in some sort of magic stasis. I turned to look at the stallion. I softly spoke. "Why?" Black hoof smirked. "You will be awake again...soon...you will be a weapon used in war." I blinked and I was forced into the tube as I tried to speak. "WHY?! There is no war!" Black hoof laughed softly. "You can't do this to us!" I was forced into the tube, yelling at them, but they couldn't hear me. As I fell into the stasis sleep, I saw the world I knew for the last time. I saw everything I loved and everything I knew vanishes before my eyes. I had no idea when I was going to wake up again... Sleep finally took over me as I froze. Welcome to my story. Footnote: Already started at full level.
Chapter one: A new world"Welcome to the new world." A strange explosion hit near the Black Hoof Military. In one room four tubes are there... They seemed to be plugged in this system. A strange device seems to be clicking on the terminal. One tube slowly unfreezes and a Zebra slowly falls out onto the floor with a thud. Groaning I open my eyes getting face to face with the strange robot. A voice comes from the machine. "Listen calmly miss Zebra... You need to get out of here quickly and head to Battle Trot. Get yourself out of Detrot quickly. We will talk more when you get out of here... Also when I leave this robot..they will attack you... Sorry." I blinked and suddenly the robot discharged. I stood up quickly on the metal hooves and I did a zebra style attack and my hooves of metal smashed deep into the robot causing it to blow up. I pulled the hoof from the husk..staring at the metal hooves. I walk to the terminal to open the others lift my hoof and suddenly strange wires come out of it and I gasped the wires fuse themselves to the terminal and my brain transports to inside the terminal. I look around and blink and suddenly a robotic voice speaks. "Hello..new user..to Black Hoof's company hacking system. If you wish to learn how to use this system please press one now." A one shows up in front of my face and I blinked, clicking it. "Ah good, good what you have been fitted with is a new black ops military unit. First, we shall update your system." A strange file shows up and I start feeling strange sensations entering my body. My blood carrying the data through it... Going right into my brain. Then the voice spoke again. "Alright to hack the system. You will be given words to hack through... Warning if you fail you will sometimes get shocks forced through your body to your brain. Failure is not an option. Now, remember you will need to request updates for yourself at every terminal you come across. So remind yourself an update is your friend.." I blinked not even sure about all this. "Now let's see hmmm ah yes..you're ID is number 27... Hmm, you seem to be the only one that lived through the other 26 impressive. Now let's see. Desert Rose Zebra spy and sympathiser. Wanted by the Equestrian army... Ooooo. You're inside an Equestrian army base... I recommend getting out of here quick. But first now to show you how to hack." A bunch of words show up and text in front of my eyes form. "You will see strange words as the passwords... You look through each of them..sometimes you only have four times to get it wrong... But thanks to the upgrades the file just gave you... You can bypass some of this. But again if you get any wrong. = You will have a charge come through your body... Now-" A strange feeling pulled my hoof to one of the words. "Click the word." I clicked it and it worked. Then it brings up the three other creatures I got trapped here with the Diamond Dog I click on that one.. "Hmm, male Diamond Dog. Known as Bowser. Given the eyes of many seasons or aka able to see heat and in the dark... Needs some updates... So the wires can fuse in the retinas. The hooves give updates to all the others. This will be painful to them. As well using night vision will be painful... Since the brain won't be used to it for awhile. Oh, poor creature this..one is a runaway worker from the hoof... Ha ha... Oh, poor boy.." I sighed and clicked the Pegasus. "Hmm, a well known adulterous mare. Who would sleep with whatever she could... So a slut." I blinked at this. Seeing that she was captured for sexual intercourse to blackmail leaders. "Too bad, fake facts...for the poor mare... A happy mother...a happy wife...lost everything thanks to the black ops. Now her upgrade. Let's see... Oooo the emotions trigger. This weapon shows her emotions and gives her great might if she is upset... When she is scared she can change her coat into what the background is. Happy nothing, hungry it just keeps going... I am hungry...feed me. Again you need to connect to them and upgrade the systems...each terminal you come to...out in Equestria.." I rolled my eyes. Clicking on the final one. The buffalo "Hmm, the crying mares mane and horns. When she is in a fight armour would form on her body and her horns will overheat and the holes in the horns are used to release the steam. This makes her strong and able to break through anything but lead and hard steel. Reasons for her being here... Oh.....oh...she was there at the wrong time...her name is June. She needs to be updated as well. Now let's contact Equestria's military to see if we can understand what is going on." I sigh and wait for the system to contact and then he comes up. "The Military no longer exist no one has reported in. IN the last 200 years. It seems the last report was set in Trotting Creek. The map will be printed down for you when you get out of the system. OH!! I forgot something... Release them from their tubes...done. Thank you for using the computer system please don't come...back. HA HA HA I am kidding....but not really bye." I am forced out of the system and shake my head hearing bodies thud beside me. I walk to the three was the Diamond dog looks around. "I can't see!!! Grrrr, what happened?!" He yelled out. "Shhhh.." "Who is that?!" He looked around scared. "A friend..give me a moment." I lift my hoof to his eyes and the wires enter the system. I close my eyes as the update installs. "What....is that!! Hurts too much!!!" Inside his eyes, the wires connect to the retinas and to the brain. Causing so much pain and he falls to the ground passing out. I calmly laid beside the Pegasus mare and she opened her eyes looking to me fear in them and I patting her back gently with my hoof. "Shhhh I am not going to hurt you." The mare nods and nuzzled into me, shaking. "Wh...what is going on? Where is my husband, my children?" I sighed softly. "I am Desert Rose..I was captured myself by these ponies of the Black hoof. Do you have a name?" She nods looking around. "Thunder Drift or just call me Drift.." I smiled. "I need to do something Drift, will you let me?" She nodded softly and I put my hoof to her chest and she noticed the device and I connected to it started to update and it seemed to be teaching her what the system is. "Huh...very interesting that I was given this...but why?" I gave a shrug. "I got contacted by someone they wish us to head to Trotting Creek." She gave a nod and I stood up walking to June and she stood up looking at me and gave me an angry look. "I offer my goods in friendship and ponies....attack me.." I gave a nod and lifted my hoof and gave her the update to the system and it explains her about the machines. So...thats why they took my horns away.." Bowser woke up and sighed. "I have a feeling grrrr we should stick together grrr." Rubbing his head. I nodded and looked around seeing the map. "Heres our map." Bowser picked up and read it. "Hmm it wants us to head to Trotting Creek..it will be a long walk." He rolled it up and looked to me and the other two. "Yes..let's find a way out of here first.." Walked out the door. While the others stayed behind me..we found some dead bodies that have been dead for years and Bowser picked up some of the guns and ammo. "I think we better find whatever we can in here..and then head out." I gave a nod. I removed the armour from the dead ponies, placing it on. Noticed June placing on armour she could fit and set the weapons on her sides. "Never seen weapons like this." I gave a nod as I took a pistol to make sure I could use it. Drift went into another room and came out in armour that was meant for her. She cut a hole to make sure she could fire the beams. "Guys there is bags of food and supplies in here.." Going inside we gathered what we could. "I don't care much for this." I said softly. The other three agreed with me.. "I need to find my children." Drift said she seemed very upset.. "I doubt we will find them...it's been 200 years since we have been there..and from what I gathered from what I learned...the world is dead.." They look at me blinking. "Let's get outside to see if this is true." I said to them very unsure in my voice. We walk calmly. Drift looks at the weapons she placed on her sides looking at the bite. "Why do ponies have these weapons?" She looked at them nickering softly feeling very unsure. "Grrr...." Bowser looks around unsure about this place. June looks around. A few robots seem to be leaving us alone and they scan us. Seeing our name tags from the armour. "Ah...how may I help you?" The robot asked. "Um...show us the way out?" I asked in returned and the robot nodded leading us to the outside door. Then stopped. "Take care the Zebra threat needs to be removed from the Equestria." My eyes grew angry but I stayed silent and opened the door and a gasp came from me and the others. The buildings around us shattered most of the buildings still standing, bones all over the place. Seeing this made me drop to my haunches... Drift started to sob as the chest light turned to very blue to show her sadness... "Bowser show us the best way out of here to get to Trotting Creek?" Bowser nods and looks at the map. "It seems if we cut through the city north-west. We would find ourselves there in a day or so if we move without anything stopping us." Bowser looked to me a moment. "I feel we should do this.." I said nodding. Slowly stands on my hooves and helped Drift getting on her hooves and June had tears in her eyes but we started moving. Drift flew in the air ahead of us. She was gone for awhile and then returned. "I found no ponies. But I can say this the city is pretty empty." Drift landed back down having fear in her eyes. Nodded as we started to walk slowly. But we started hearing shooting. I looked to Drift and she flew up to see what it is and then rushed back. "It seems to be a group of ponies under attack by very crazy looking ponies." "Drift you go in first and use your device...we will come in from behind." Drift nodded and flew off and went on ahead and we started running towards the battle hearing the laser from drift going off with her guns and the ponies screaming. I get closer and did cartwheels and smashing into two of the ponies breaking the neck of one of them. June's armour forming on her and she charges smashing into one of the ponies breaking their side and then the steam comes out of the horns. Bowser rushes in lifting up the machine gun and fires killing the pony. "Bowser check if there are any more." Bowser looks around and then a pony comes up to him and he blocks the attack with the gun and he falls on his back and almost gets hit by a hammer but the ponies they were attacking shoots them. I noticed the last one started running. "Drift get that one!! But keep him alive." She lifted her chest up and a beam hits the pony in the leg making it turn to dust and he falls screaming. As Drift lands beside him with Bowser taking weapons from the male... June stayed in her armor, her horns cooling down. Walking over to the pony. I placed my hoof on their neck "Speak. Who are you?!" The pony laughed insanely. "Murder, Rape, kill!!! Will kill you!!" I blinked staring at them and a voice speaks. "You can't reason with this filth." Looking over to see a scared mare in heavy armor walk over slicing the stallion's neck with a knife and she is a large earth mare. "I'm Bound Trot. I'm the guard of the caravan we are heading to the old taxi plant...our home.." Looking towards the ponies and I nodded. "We need to get to Trotting Creek..so if you can help us get there...would be great..." I said with a smile. She blinked. "I see, that's not an easy path. But we can help you. But first, come with us.... You need better armour than that." Looking to the others and Drift nodded. "Oh, my a dashite." Another unicorn came over. Drift blinked looking to the Unicorn. "What's a Dashite?" Drift got even more scared, Bowser calmly stood in front of her staring at them.. "Huh, nice pet did you tame him?" The unicorn mare asked while Bound trot hits the mare with her tail. "Grrr no one...tamed me.....ponies capture me....freeze me....wake up just now...like the other three here..." "Yes... I am Desert Rose...a zebra that was accused of helping Equestria go to war... I was spending time with my friends Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie." The unicorn mare blinks and points her hoof to a sign. "You mean that Pinkie Pie?" I looked my eyes going wide seeing the sign. It said. "Pinkie Pie is watching you forever." I gulped and looked back to them. "Maybe we should get you out of the waste and then we can explain to you what happened." I nodded and we followed them. We passed many broken buildings and noticing so much death. Drift stayed close to Bowser and June she was shaking and June didn't like being leaned on but she didn't wish to hurt the mare. We got to the plant it was called Fomare. On the outside was many guards and they allowed us to come in. "Give us your weapons." The guard said. I removed my pistol and the rest removed their weapons giving them it all. "You will get them back when you leave." The guard gave a nod. We go inside and we see that many parts of the factory are sectioned off. Bound trot looked to us. "I will take you to the leader." We follow her looking at all the ponies buying and selling and seeing that ponies seem to be harder than they used to be and angrier. As we enter the room a pink mare looks up from her reports and blinks. "Oh, Bound Trot what have you found?" Bound trot smiles and allows us to come forward. "I am Desert Rose...former resident of Ponyville." Giving a bow. "I am Drift...formerly lived at Cloudsdale." Bowser spoke up growling. "Bowser slave from Hoofintin." The mare gasped and looked to the Buffalo. "I will not say who I am." Stares with anger. "I am sorry but Ponyville is a raider town... Cloudsdale never heard of it..in fact..no one has seen a Pegasus in 200 years. The hoof.....yeah...rather not talk about it." I finally asked. "What happened to Equestria?" The mare tilted her head. "The war happened." I blinked speaking again. "What war? All I know is that the ponies were having talks with my kind. Then some ponies kidnapped us and place us in weird devices and we wake up to this." The mare sighed "There was a long war..it ended in balefire and mega spells... Causing the entire world to be nothing but what you see." My eyes fill with tears and Drift started to get upset and angry and the chest orb attached to her turns red and she starts smashing her hooves agents it and it shakes the building a bit... "Whoa... Drift relax..." I said calmly. Drift calmed herself and breathed deeply. "My entire....family dead...." She said with tears in her eyes. I gave her a nod and nuzzled her. "Forgive us miss...we just woke up from a frozen sleep... This world meeting with us..and we need to get to Trotting Creek." The pink mare nodded. "I'm Bubble gum...but yes..it might be best if you stay. We have a caravan heading out that way in a few days. So if you want..you could make yourself some caps.." I blinked. "Caps?" I asked. Bubble Gum set them down. "This is the currency of the waste. Bottle caps." I blinked. Looking to my friends. "What kind of jobs are there?" "Hmm let's see... Ah yes..for your Diamond Dog friend we could use a heavy lifter... For the Buffalo, we could use someone to patrol with us. For you two. There are bartender spots open." Looking to Drift. "I will do it." Drift said and I looked up nodding. "I will as well." Bowser sighed. "I guess I will do it..." Bowser said and June grunted. "I guess I will patrol...till we leave." Bound trot nods and leads June to do some patrolling. A guard leads Bowser to the back to do some lifting. "Alright, Drift lets do it." ______________ The bar. Drift and I were placed in bartender dresses. Her chest orb was covered up, Drift already got some orders as she was setting food on the bar and drinks. I did the same it was very odd and then I saw a stallion hitting on her. She had a bright red blush on her face. "I...um.....not going to be...here long..." Drift was going back to work but the stallion smiled. "Awww I'm sure your amazing in bed.." Drift's eyes went wide and her face was bright red..gulping and she went to me hiding a bit. "It's okay... Drift... I am sure nothing will happen let's just get back to work." Drift nodded and her face so bright red as she went back to taking orders and taking caps. I kept an eye on Drift. She was getting hit on a lot by the stallions but she blew off each of them and giving them their orders. I had a ghoul come to me and he gasped. "Desert Rose?" I blink staring at the ghoul. I finally remembered who it was. "Puzzle?" I stared at the stallion ghoul and we hugged. "How...are you here... Desert Rose.... I heard that you were on the run..from a murder...but I know you didn't do it." He said. "No... I didn't these ponies from a black ops military group called Black Hoof captured me and Drift here...and upgraded us in a way and then placing us in frozen tubes." Puzzle blinked nodding. "I see I'm happy you didn't have to see the war...then and become like this." "Puzzle....after I am off maybe...we should talk about it." Puzzle nods and leaves... Looking back to Drift who was getting hit on so much... I laughed at this she was a cute mare and young looking. I started to get some orders myself. "Ah yes sir.." I filled up the drink and watching Drift giggling as she was talking to a mare. "Yes keep ignoring them they will give you more caps.." She smirks and Drift giggles. "That's how I got my husband......" She goes silent and looks down going back to doing orders the mare blinked and I gently walked over. "She and I were frozen for 200 years... So she didn't get to see her husband or children....but I guess we bypassed a war..." The mares eyes go wide. "OH OH, I am so sorry..." I smiled. "Don't worry about it, miss.." Drift gave the mare her drink and she gave a weak smile. The two of us spent most of the day doing this... But close to the end a guard came in and told us to stay silent. Looking outside we noticed that Bubble Gum met up with a group of interesting ponies. I whispered to the guard. "What's wrong with them?" The guard looked to me. "They hate Zebra's...so keep hidden. If they see you...they will kill you. They only come here...every month... Shit..." He said as one of them walked in here and I hid behind the bar... She walked up to Drift. "Can I get an order of your hayburgers? Along with some Sparkle Cola." Drift nodded and it took her awhile but fulfilled the order. "If you...see any Zebra's around here...remember to kill them." Drift nodded. The mare took the food and the drinks to the others. The guard sighed. "You can come up now..." I stood up and asked. "Who are they and why do...they have the right to hurt my species?" "They call themselves the Exterminators. They consider Zebra's an evil... Don't worry you will be leaving in a few days and they are only here for a day. They feel they have a right..since some Zebra's do cause heck around here..there are some tribes that demand..ponies to pay for their crimes." I blinked and sighed. "So..my friends and I wake up in a world so backwards..." I stroked the bridge of my muzzle with my hoof and sighing. The two of us got back to work. June walked in to get a drink and Bowser came in as well he was whining and stroking his arms. They both come to the bar and Bowser growls softly. "These...ponies came in...and tried to accuse me of being a hell hound... I told them... I am a Diamond...dog..." He growled... Rubbing a bruise on his arm. I set down some Sparkle Cola to him. "Drink that up and we will be out of here soon Bowser." June sighed and sat on her haunches. "I don't like this world...." She layed her head on the bar sighing. I looked to the two and smile. "We will be on our way in a day or so." She blinks seeing one of the Exterminator's come towards her. I looked and tried to hide... June looked at the strange pony. "May I help you?" She said softly. "Last...time I saw one of your species...they refused to help ponies... Because of the past..." June snorts. "I am sorry to upset you, sir... I just came to this world from a cryo tube they called it... Along with my three friends..here..." I stood up. "Four..." He gasped grabbing his gun aiming at me. "I was there before the war started...before you try shooting me...you better learn...I had nothing to do with that war in the past... My family was murdered by the Black Hooves." A gasp came out from the ponies in the bar. He dropped his gun... "The Black...hooves?" He gulped. "Yes...they are the ones that took us from our families 200 years ago and did this to us." I lifted one of my hooves to the bar and Drift open the chest of her coat to show. "They took my eyes..grrr..." June grunts taping the horns. "We aren't your enemies.... Exterminator, I am a Zebra of the past..not one of this time... So don't put me in the same light as the ones now." I went back to work. As the Stallion left. The guard walked in. "Come on everypony it's time for closing.." Drift was red in the face as a stallion held her hoof and basically kept telling her how beautiful she was. The guard pushed the stallion out of the way. "Now now lover boy leave the mare alone." He turned to Drift giving her a wink as she blushed deep red..hiding her face with a wing. The ponies started to pour out... I chuckled and looked to Drift. "Drift you have been asked to go to bed with ten stallions and two mares." Drift had a bright red face. "I don't...know... I was never this attractive back then. Could it have something to do with this?" She opens the coat again to show the chest orb. I gave a nod. "Maybe. I could check for you." Drift gave a nod and I put my hoof up to connect to it and then here I got again. I went inside the machine and the computer starts to speak. "Ah, you have returned... YAY!!" It made a part and dance.. and then stopped.. "Now...what brings you here?" I blinked and coughed. "Does this machine make the wearer more attractive?" The computer laughed. "No, it doesn't it doesn't affect the attractiveness of the wearer. The mare is just that attractive. It is why she was chosen for this. She has that beauty that could make her a great spy.." Chuckles. "All the sexual tension she could cause. It would be impressive." I sighed. "Okay, so any terminal can give an update?" The computer chuckles. "Yes yes... Now you done?" I nodded and was kicked out and shook my head. "It has nothing to do with that Drift..it seems you just have that beauty." I gave a smirk her face turned bright red. "Th..that's what my husband told me every day." Bubble gum walked in and smiled. "Thank you for all the work you did for us today..the caravan will be leaving in two days do you four think you can handle staying here for two more days?" I gave a nod so did the others. Bubble gum looked through the caps we made and she gave us half of it. "Since you are working hard for us... You will get half. I would say have one of you hold it... We will be giving you saddle bags armour and weapons even food. But this is the time we can help you for free. If you return you will be treated like we treat every pony here.." I gave a nod. "Thank you, Bubble gum... Is there a place we can stay in?" Bubble gum thought a moment. "There is a room that we give to the biggest payers... But since you are our guest for two more days you may stay in it for free. Food for being there for you along with drinks. Also please miss Rose..stay out of the way of the Exterminators." I gave a nod as she lead us to our room in our room was armour made specifically made for each of us.. Along with bags and weapons. I was given a pistol and something called a Zebra energy sniper. Bowser was given a large Minigun. June was given heavy armour and had smgs attached to it. Drift was given Pegasus type armour with a plasma weapon attached to it. "I don't...care for this world..." She said softly. A knock came to the door as a stallion walked in and came up to Drift and she was bright red in the face. "Helloo..." She said softly. He smiled and leaned down to kiss her hoof. Her face turned bright red and there was a whisper in her ear and she backed up blushing deeper giggling. I grew tired of this and stood in front of her and stared at the stallion. "Listen, big guy...we are new to this world...so... I don't think it's wise...for her to go anywhere with you." The stallion stared at me. "Don't worry miss... I am not like those other stallions that wanted to just rape her... I want to take her on a walk and make sure she is treated well." Bowser growled softly. Drift walked over to the stallion. "I will be fine... Rose..." She looks to her and the orb had words come up on it... "If I am not back..in an hour find me." I gave her a nod. Bowser growled softly June didn't seem very happy about this either... As Drift left with the Stallion. "Grrr, you're letting her go?!" Bowser wasn't happy. "Shhh if she is not back...in an hour...we will go search for her." I said unsure Bowser growled softly and June was unsure herself. "I am going to get some rest..." June said softly and layed on one of the beds. Bowser sat by himself unhappy that we let Drift go and I sat in a chair reading a book. An hour later we heard a knock on the door and the stallion walked in without Drift. Bowser stood up growling. "What happened to her?!" The stallion blinked. "Oh um I um..." Bowser goes to the stallion and forces him against the wall forcing his claws in his neck. "talk or I will dig into you." The stallion gulped. "Okay.... Okay, she...was taken from me by the guards... They wished to speak to her." I stood up quickly so did June and Bowser. "Lead us there." The stallion gulped and he did so... We heard crying and screaming and we broke in as Bubble Gum stood in front of Drift who was crying bruised and bleeding blood coming from between her legs. Bowser and June rushed to Drift and Bowser hugged her as she sobbed. "You two...had no right to do this to her!! She is our guest." Bubble gum said in an angry voice. I stood beside her and stared at her. "Is there any punishment for crimes like this?" Bubble gum looked to me. "Sadly sometimes no...this is normal for our world." Suddenly Bowser charged at them both out of nowhere and killed one of them with his claws howling in anger... "Bowser stop!!" I yelled but Bubble gum stopped me shaking her head. "This is how we deal with crime. They will be replaced." She said giving a nod to me as the other tried to fight back and bowser's eyes showed his anger and killed the other. Rushing back to Drift... "She needs a doctor!" June said Bubble Gum nodded. Bowser picked her up and she sobbed so hard. As Bubble gum lead us to the infirmary. As a mare with crossbones for a cutie mark and she was a light blue unicorn with light red eyes and she gasped.. "...Wh...what happened?" She said with a stutter. "She was raped by the guards... Bones.." She looked up gasping and pushed off a bunch of interments off the table. "S..et her here.." Bowser set her there, stroking the crying mare's mane.. "Shhh, its grrr okay Drift...we are here.." I stood guard by the door just in case. Drift softly spoke sobbing. "I...t..trusted them... Bubble gum followed us and then they started hurting me and did this to me.." She sobbed hard as I stood by the door and a guard came in. "Bubble Gum to.....of..." It was Bound trot seeing Drift and Bubble Gum gave her an angry look. "She was....raped by two of your ponies... Bound trot...now...go find better ponies to be guards..that won't hurt our guest." Bound trot sighed nodding. She walked over to Drift and Drift looked at her with bright red eyes from all the crying. "I don't like this...world... I want to go home.....back to Equestria to my family.." She sobs hard and Bowser held her close as Bones did everything she could for her wounds. I stayed silent. "We will keep doing for you ponies..then we will leave.." I said and Bubble gum nodded. "I am very sorry for this...the Factory ponies will be told about this. There are more than us living in Factories like this..so you will be treated with respect each one you come to." I just stared at her looking back to Drift. "If this happens again... Bubble Gum I can tell you that I won't stop Bowser here..." Bubble gum nods. "Or would I want you to Desert Rose. I am going to contact the other factories around the Michitrot area... I will let them know you four are to be trusted." I nodded and she trotted off. Bones gasped staring at the machine in Drift's chest. "Oh my, how did this happen?" Looking through the machine. "Before we got frozen..some ponies from Black Hoof placed it in her along with what I have and so forth." Bones looked up and nodded. "It's connected to her emotions. It's purple right now because she is sad." Said Bones sighing. Drift calmed down leaning into Bowser and he smiled. "See I won't let anypony hurt you Drift." Drift smiled and nuzzled into him and whispered in her ear. "I would be honoured to be your bodyguard.." He said softly. She smiled and the orb in her chest went back to a calm colour and Bones smiled. "It seems you will be fine, they didn't release any of their ahem in you... So you won't get pregnant... So go enjoy your night." Drift nodded and flew off the table standing by me as June grunted, standing on the other side of Drift. "If anyone..comes towards you Drift... I will gore them." June said with a smirk. Bowser walked the other side of her as we headed back to our room. When we walked in there was a robot standing there. I blinked and the others got ready to attack. "Whoa whoa.." The robot said softly. "I mean you no...harm...you may call me Forge... I am waiting for you at Trotting Creek. But I am sure you wonder why I woke you four up..." I gave a nod as the others lied on their beds. As the robot spoke to me. "There is a battle about to start...a war you could say..between the flesh and the robotic... We need to put a stop to it..before it starts up.." I blinked. "Is that why we got these upgrades?" The robot looked at them and blinked. "I need to do more research on this matter but... I don't have much time..anymore..to speak to you..." The robot overloaded and then fell in a heap. I sighed and I went to my bed and I fell asleep. _____________________ Next day. Drift and I were back to work at the bar. She was more unsure about stallions flirting with her but she did blush a few times... I heard her giggling when she was talking to another mare who was hitting on her. I kept working but not talking. It was hard for her that every stallion that came up to her ask for sex... She just kept saying no... But she did offer them a drink but not for free. "I um...." Drift blushed... "I don't swing..that way miss..thank you, though... But I can give you our drinks here." The mare chuckles and nodded "I will take some water then." Drift sets down in front of her. "I am sorry that I don't swing..that way..but thank you.." Drift said softly... The mare smirks and heads back to her table. "I swear.... Drift sooner or later you're going to find your future husband here..." Drift blushed. "I was a bartender back home...that's how I met him." Drift smiled and her eyes went wide... As a Pegasus stallion walked in he was blue he had no cutie mark and was in heavy armour. He leaned on the bar. "Hello...beautiful.." She gulped staring at him. Her wings poofed out. "I...u...um hello..." She stared at the stallion and I leaned into Drift whispering. "I could leave you two alone.." I said with a smirk. Drift looked to me and regained herself... "Ahem...I am Drift s...s..sir." The stallion smirked. "I am Blitz wing... I think you're so beautiful..." Drift blushed so deep red and giggles. "I um....um....can I get you to drink?" The stallion smiled and held her hoof. "I would rather drink from your beauty..." Drifts face turns bright, bright red. I rolled my eyes face hoofing. Calmly got between them and looked to the stallion. "Sir...maybe order...rather than flirting with her.." He smirked at me and chuckled "I will take some whiskey." I nodded and gave him a bottle he set down a few extra caps and then leaned on the bar. "Maybe we could talk later...beauty.." He winked at Drift and she blushed so red and I looked to her staring at her and she just seemed to stay focused on him. She then said. "I want...his foals..." I was drinking water and spit from it...looking at her... "Drift...you don't even know him...." Drift looked up to me and blushed deeply. "S...sorry. I wish to get to know him.." She regains herself and then goes back to her job. I sighed thinking we need to get out of here before... Drift gets married here... I went back to my job and looked up seeing Puzzle again. He looked around with fear. "Rose...there is a storm coming... A nasty storm. It's Tornado weather... I am going to go warn Bubble Gum... So please find a place to hide." Puzzle went after to warn Bubble Gum. Then my eyes went wide.. "Oh, shit June is out there... Drift..." She was at the bar flirting with Blitz wing who came closer and they even kissed... "DRIFT!!" She jumped up looking at me. "Go outside...quickly...see if you can find June." Drift flew out of the bar and flew out the door the wind blowing so hard as she flew out into it. Blitz looked at me blinking. "I am going with her..." He flew out quickly to catch her. I was worried and then Bubble spoke over the intercom. "Ponies go back to your rooms lock yourself in there and get ready for the storm." The bar started to close down as I went back to the room and on the way, I ran into Bowser. "OH, it's bad out there..." There was a sudden hit of a flash against the side of the building and it shook. "Bowser, June and Drift are out there..." Bowser blinks and the two of us nod and rush outside. June and the one's she patrolled with return along with Drift and Blitz wing. "It's coming!!" Drift yells and suddenly the building started to shake a groan. Parts of the building came down on us as June's armor formed on her to protect her. Blitz wing pushed Drift out of the way some falling on him. After awhile as soon as it started it ended and started to pour down rain... The roof was worst for wear but no holes... I looked up gasping "JUNE!!!" Pointing my hoof up at the falling metal and stuff. June stood there ready to take it on. As I went to help get Blitz wing from under the metal and we all headed ...In as June hit some of the metal away that was about to smash into us... Bowser looked around. "There are no ponies under anything." We rushed in to hear sudden crashing. I panted softly. "What was that?!" Blitz wing groaned. "Tornado....a category one...if it was higher more would be dropping." He groans trying to stand up. But his leg is broken. "You saved... Drift...if you want to be with her...you better treat...her right..." Bowser said growling. Blitz smirked. "Yes, father..." Bowser growls deeply and Bones rushed in to take Blitz away Drift following. "June go outside and see if any ponies are out there... Bowser come with me see if they need us for anything." June nods and rushes outside. Bowser walks along with me as we check each room to see if the ponies are okay... Then we go check on Bubble Gum and she is fine as well. "Do you wish us to open the bar back up Bubble?" She nodded. I smiled and trotted off to get back into the bar. Drift came back as well and smiled at me. Drift seemed to be walking on air. "He wants...to come with us Rose...can he?" I smiled nodding. "It may be awhile..but I told him where we are heading..." I nodded and gave her a gentle hug. As Bowser went back to his job and June came back in. "No ponies outside just a lot of fire damage everywhere." I gave a nod as Drift and I started to take care of the bar she went to clean tables with her hooves and a towel. Bubblegum came in. "We will be keeping the bar open through the night... Since this happen and the caravan will be leaving a day after tomorrow so be ready for it." Gave her a nod as ponies started walking back in. I smiled softly and Drift started having stallions all over her and she backed away. "Sorry...boys I am spoken for.." She winks and goes back behind the bar... She whispers in my ear. "Not really but I don't like all this craziness of being all over me....it would make you think I am the only mare of beauty here." I laugh giving a nod. Going back to work and the storm got worse outside. I blinked seeing Puzzle again. "Puzzle the Pegasus don't control the weather anymore?" Puzzle sighs. "The Pegasus broke themselves off from the rest of the world while ponies down here were dying." Drift looks up hearing that her ears fall. Then another Ghoul walks in my eyes went wide... Seeing the mare come in with a shipment of food water. Drift and I walked over to her. "Ditzy?" Ditzy turned around and her eyes went wide seeing the two of us. She set down her chalkboard writing down and lifting it up. "Drift? Rose?" We both nodded. She gave us both a tight hug. She then rushed outside and gave us a book wasteland survival guide for this area. She put down the chalkboard again writing. "It's free it will tell you about many things of this area to avoid." Gave her a nod. She then lifts it back up after cleaning it and writing again. "I need to be going..maybe you could explain to me why you all vanished sometime." I gave a nod and she went outside and flew off with her wagon. Drift lifted up the boxes that Ditzy left behind and went behind the bar to open them up and get them ready... I go clean tables that ponies leave behind and I see those ponies again one of them stares at me. I speak softly. "Look... I am a zebra oh no... I am the boogie mare... I was not part of the Zebra's that helped destroy the past... I was locked in a cryo tube by The Black Hoof." The pony gulped looking away. The leader of the exterminators walks up to me he was a large stallion I looked up at him. "I'm Noodle..." I blinked. "Um...may I help you?" The large stallion stared at me. "I can't help but notice you're a Zebra not hiding from us..like most do...why?" I looked up to him... "Should I be? Heck, I am sure you could kill me right now if you wanted but... I don't fear you." I stared at the large stallion he reared up to attack me and I quickly cartwheeled out of the way and took my hooves and smashed into his chest in pressure points. Just enough to stun him. He fell to the floor and coughed. "Attack me again... I dare you..." I walked away from him to get back to work. Many guns from the Exterminator ponies aimed at me. Drift grew angry and she smashed into the ground with her hooves causing them all to fall. "Enough.." Drift shouted... Then calmed down as they stood up gulping. "Now sit down and we shall serve you.." She said in a sweet bubbly smile. They nod sitting back down and the other ponies in the bar clapped their hooves together and on the ground cheering me and Drift. Drift blushed softly and I chuckled. "Now come let's enjoy our lives instead of trying to fight and murder.." I softly said and Puzzle smirked. "You haven't changed Desert...now if I may, what happen to you?" I sighed. "The Black Hoof killed my family captured me Drift here... Bowser and June." June rushed in. "Storm is getting worse out there!! There is so much water out there." Puzzle looked to June and smiled. "Sadly that is normal sometimes we get a little flooding in here." June grunts and snorts. Seeming to look around and staring at the ponies. See one of them lift a gun with their magic aiming for Desert Rose... She charged and the pony screamed in pain and the gun fell and she pulled her horn out of the ponies ass. "Never do that...again.." She snorts at the pony and goes to the bar. The pony sobs softly. As he keeps saying "MY ASS!!" I rolled my eyes laughing softly. Shaking my head and the bar started to close we had to wait one more day before we could leave... Drift and I stayed in the bar to clean it up. June went to go check on Bowser. I sighed looking towards the ponies staring at me. Looking to Drift. "Drift it seems I am an enemy to these ponies." Drift blinks and looks towards the ponies staring at them. Looks back to me and shrugs with a nicker. "Let them... I think just let them do this." I nodded and my stomach growled. "Hmm want to have some dinner?" She nodded as we made some food for us and Bowser and June walked in. They sitting with us getting food and drinks of their own... "I learned no one has seen a Buffalo for 200 years." June sighed. "I learned something." Bowser said. "I learned that I am never going back home...the hoof is insane apparently. Extremely insane." I stayed silent. Drift spoke up... "I heard that Pegasus no longer..control the weather and that... Princess Celestia and Luna are dead..." I blinked sighing. "So I have a feeling we will be learning more about what happen to the past... On our journey." The others gave a nod as Blitz wing walked over limping and giving Drift a deep kiss. As she is blushing deeply in it. Bowser coughed as the orb on her chest could be seen glowing brightly. Drift broke the kiss giggling. "I will see you in Trotting Creek... I can't leave here for a few days... So stay beautiful.." Drift Giggles and he kisses her again as he walks off. I rolled my eyes snorted. "Whatever happened to dating but I guess in this world there won't be much of dating." Drift blushes gently. "From what he told me...since they never know if they will live to see the next day and so on... It's hard to get a good date." I looked to Drift and nodded sighing. "We got one more day here..." Bowser sighed. "I want to get moving soon...after that Tornado, I am told that happens a lot around this time of year." June snorted eating her food. "It's very deadly outside... It's not peaceful." I nodded and drank from the food. as Bubble Gum came down from her office and gave us our share and she smiled. "Thank you for your kindness... I got in contact with the other Factories they will give you jobs if needed. You will be trusted so yes I do hope you four have a peaceful trek to Trotting Creek." I looked over to her and nickered nodding. "One more day then we can get going." Bubble Gum nodded. "You two wish to stay here and keep being bartenders?" The pink earth pony mare asked. Drift and I look to her and smile. "Sure we will work here one more day... Then I will write up a list for your next tender of how to work here... It's not that hard really it's pretty easy... Also...make sure your next tender is not as beautiful as Drift." Drift looked to me with a very angry look in her soft eyes but smiled. Then posed saying in a very soft voice. "I can't help if my beauty brings all the stallions to the bar." I face hoofed "Oh...seriously Drift I like you...but acting like that is going to make me want to slap you." Drift smiled sweetly and gave me a friendly nuzzle. Bubble Gum smiled and headed back to her office. Then I went back to eating, same for Drift. "So....did anyone learn what parts of Equestria got hit?" I looked up asking. Drift sighed.. "I heard Manehatten and other areas but I have no idea... Maybe we will learn?" Bowser looked up from eating and he looked at the ponies that were staring at us. Outside the storm was getting worse. The flash hit outside over and over. "Damn....and I thought the Pegasus made storms got intense.." I said softly watching outside slowly ending our dinner. "I am going to head back to our room." June said and slowly got off the chair looking at the ponies and did a fake charge at them and they screamed. She trotted off laughing. I smirked as the ponies stared at me and I winked. "I am going to head back to our room... I need some rest.." Bowser said and walked out of the bar looking to the ponies and stared at them. His eyes changing color to look inside their bodies. "Hmm if you don't relax those hearts of yours are going to give out..and I would say lay off the drugs." He smirks and his eyes go back to normal heading back to our room. The ponies feared him to and they looked towards Drift who was eating her hay burger. Drift looked up to the ponies and opened the chest of her coat. She gave them a look like try it. I turned my head to look at them staring. "Come... Drift lets..head to our room." Drift nodded and walked beside me we stared at the ponies who stared at us. I gave them a smile, softly speaking. "You know boys... If you do want to have some fun..you could just ask me for some time in bed... It would be more fun...then shooting me." I said to them with a wink. They gave me a look of anger and hate... Then before I fully went back to my room. "Oh, and my husband 200 years ago was a pony..and he gave me foals... So I am up for anything." I said to them with a wink swishing my tail and ass at them and I heard one of them vomit and I laughed. Bubble Gum rushed to me and whispered. "You will be leaving tomorrow. The whispers of you and your friends are causing an issue with the Steel Rangers. They heard of the devices you have. So I had to move the caravan to the tomorrow." I gave a smile nodding. "Thank you miss Bubble... I am sorry if we caused any problems." She smiled shaking her head. "Don't worry about it.." I smiled and then went back into our room. Bowser is working on something June is laying in her bed and they look up to me. "We will be leaving tomorrow apparently ponies called the Steel Ranger's learned about us... So we will be leaving early in the morning. So it's best to get some sleep but I am going to go learn more about them... Will you three be alright?" Bowser nods and he sits by Drift as she leans into her friend seeming to relax agents the large Diamond dog. June nodded and laid her head on her pillow falling asleep. I left the room and went to Bubble Gum's office I blinked leaning on the door hearing them talk. "Bound Trot..we can't...do this to them... They're our guest. We can't just have the caravan take them to Steel rangers." Bubble Gum sighed softly. "The Steel Rangers are offering us a lot of caps." "Fine... I guess we will do it.." I grew angry but then I silently trotted off and went into the doctor's office. To see Blitz wing. "Blitz.." I shook him awake and he looked at me... "What?" I looked at him whispering "Bubble gum is setting us up on a caravan that will lead us into the Steel Rangers...do you have a map to get us to Trotting Creek?" Blitz nodded and goes through is bag offering the map. "You better get going... I will meet you in Hickory corners." I gave him a nod and trotted off to the room. "Wake up!!" June stands up on her hooves Bowser looked up so did Drift. "Get ready..we are leaving.." They nod as we get our armor and bags. We slowly sneak out and Bubble Gum trotted up to us looking towards us. "Why are you leaving?" I stared at her. "I heard your talk with Bound Trot...you wish to give us up to the Steel rangers for caps." I stared at her as she looks down sighing. "Go...go right to the bridge and don't look back... If you keep going to you will get to the ruins of Trotting Creek. Please hurry the steel rangers will be in their position tomorrow." We nod and we rush out one the guards stops us for a moment. "Thank you for your help you better get going...they will be heading down this way in six hours.." I nodded and we ran off into the ruins of Detrot. This was going to be a long trek and path. We head right into the ruins. I look towards the factory as we start running as fast as we can..away from the factory... I was told it would take us a few hours to get to the bridge. But for now, we are safe... Drift was flying beside me... Bowser was on all fours going very fast and June was ahead looking at every spot to make sure..we are good she stops every now and then to look. Bowser looks as well and with the steam from her horns. It shows its fine. We vanish into the night and become one with the waste...
Chapter two: The bridge.We have found a place to sleep after getting many miles away from the factory we had stayed at. June stood guard because she didn't seem to want to sleep as much. Bowser had cooked for us as well when we woke up and Drift flew off to find the best way to the bridge. When she returned she told us on the bridge is a large town. But she doesn't know if it's friendly. I nodded and we got ourselves ready to leave. From what I noticed we stayed in an old bank. I even had looked through the terminal to see if there were any upgrades. But from what I was told it would only be from military terminal's. To get our upgrades. The Ai in my hooves would send me a message in my brain to tell me where the closest one is. But at the moment there is none. But we left the bank and we did what we did before. June sticking ahead using her horn's to release steam to let us know it's fine. Bowser still searching with his eyes to make sure nothing will get in front of us. Drift stayed with beside me. But we finally saw the bridge and going through many ruins. Looking up I noticed the cloud's just stayed there no sun no nothing. Hearing gun shot's to the right of us. But we ignored it and kept rushing to the bridge seeing a gate in our way. I knocked on the door with my hoof. A pony opened it and stared at us and then his eyes went wide. "It’s you four Bubble gum told us to expect you. Quickly!" He opens the door with a mare and we rush in as we heard more gun's behind us. Then the door's closed quickly and bullets smashed into the gate's and we heard yells outside. " You can't keep us out of there forever!!" The stallion yells back. " We will never let you get past." I blinked a moment looking at the entire city on a bridge." Anyway, welcome to Bridge city. This bridge is sixty miles long. It would take you two days just to get through it. Lucky for you some of the bridge is tamed. While some parts are off-limits." June snorted looking around. The Buffalo just stood there. Her eye's studying everything like it was going to harm her. " But there is a bar here looking for some folk's that could work for them. Then we can get a caravan moving to bypass the bridge. But it would take maybe a few days to get it set up. Since the bridge is not wise to walk along alone. " June snorted again stomping her hooves. "I will ask if they need a bouncer." I chuckled but noticed how many ponies gave Bowser some nasty looks. I stood beside him he looked around with his eyes. He looked to be like he was studying something." Then he looked back down at me the eyes retracting back into his head. " This bridge is made to last forever. But there are some spot's the metal need's some work. But I doubt they can get down there to fix it." The stallion guard blinks. " Wait you can see the weakness in the metal?" Bowser turned to look at the guard nodding. " Yes The Black Hooves Gave me this eye's so I can see some pretty interesting things like that mare that works with you she is pregnant. That old mare her heart has clogs in it. That mare walking from that brothel she...." He cover's his eyes. " Yeah, enough of looking into their bodies.." I blinked a moment looking at the mare walking strangely then looked up to him. He looked down at me. Then I understood what he saw. Drift got some odd look's because of her wing's. Her face was bright red from all the looks. The orb in her chest glowed bright red. " Alright, let’s see what we can find here job-wise. Then maybe we might find more terminal's to update more of these machines on us." We walked to the bar. Many ponies staring at us. My metal hooves clipped along the bridge. A large bouncer stallion stood in front of us. " You don't belong here!!" The stallion said. He looked at me. I could tell he didn't like zebras. I heard the armor on June's body form. Then smashed into him tossing him away. The armor going back into the horns. I looked to see the stallion smash into the ground. Seeming to pass out from the pain. But I didn't hear any bones break when he landed. I do feel bad for him though. I feel very bad for him. " Now we can go in," June said snorting. I sighed nodding went inside the bar. I sat at the bar. Looking to the tender who is a mare in a maid outfit. " Excuse me miss we are looking for the owner of the bar." The mare just stared at us. " Speaking dear. I'm the owner of this bar. You can call me Hops. But how may I help you all?" I sighed looking towards the others. " Well, they said we need to get a job. Before we are allowed to leave on a caravan. If you could we would like jobs. I would mind working behind the bar. Since Bubble gum gave me and Drift here those jobs." Hops smirked. " OH Bubble Gum sent you eh? Good good. She must like you, folks if she sent you here. There are other ways to get to the other side. But ten time's more deadly. Since most of the bridges are either broken or ran by Steel rangers or raiders. So I can give you and the Pegasus. A bartending job. I can give" She looks at Bowser. " Oh sorry miss. I am Bowser a diamond dog. I was given these eyes to see through things. So If you need someone to search for you I can do it." She nodded. " I have never seen a creature like you speak so pony like." Bowser sighed. "A group of ponies helped me learn. They helped me learn manners." I nodded but something came up in my vision military terminal in the back of the bar. " Um...excuse me miss. May I use that military terminal you have in the back?" The bartender gave me an odd look. " How do you know that I have that?" I sighed and smiled. " The Black Hooves did some nasty things to me and my friends. They infused us with strange robotic parts. That seemed to be connected to every one of us." The tender nodded. " But after that, I need some work done so you wish to help us before we allow you to leave?" We gave a nod sighing the four of us went into the back. Lifting my hoof to get connected to the terminal. The wire's from my hoof connected into the terminal. My vision went into the computer and the voice spoke. " OH Well again miss Desert Rose. I see that you found another terminal now let’s see...Ah yes, this update will place more of the cybernetics up your legs protecting your bones. Now for the others. Ah, your Diamond dog friend will be able to see through thicker walls. The other mare will have protected wings. Learning to fly with those will take time. Now June's armor will be thicker. But for you, this will take time to download. So up for some card games?" I gasped a bit in pain feeling the download take effect. It hurt when it entered my brain. But I played cards with the computer. " So what have you found since you have been going around?" The computer asked. " Well, the entire world is dead. From bombs that fell at the end of the war. It seems most of the land is fully dead. But I do hope it gets healed. " I said with a grin. But I could see the computers face frown and he sighed. " It's sad to hear that to bad I can't download myself into your head. Then you can see me wandering around as something I wish to be part of." The computer said snickering. I gasped feeling the metal fusing with my bones. It hurt so much. But then the download was done and he smiled. " Now remember it will hurt your friends. to do this. Now I will let you go." I groaned but I spoke again. " No, I need to know more about these devices. What was the real reason they were made? I doubt they were made because of this war." The computer thought a moment and tried to dig into the files. " Hmm, let’s see what was the biggest reason for these. Ah, they were made to help crippled ponies and blind creatures. But of course, it didn't end up being used for that. The Black Hooves wanted to find a way into a land...Called Wymarnic to find the Blue Hats. So that's why they’re after you." Blinking a moment. I heard stories of a group of ponies called the Blue hats in that area. But why would they want to go to that land? It's not like its a simple way to get in there. " I am sorry I wish I could be more helpful to you, Miss Desert Rose. But of course, it's a lot harder to help you then you think. Now I need to rest the download screwed me over. So The next terminal you find you will see it in your vision." My mind finally got thrown back out of the computer. Shaking my head and Drift stared at my legs. " Rose...your legs...what happen?" I smiled weakly moving my legs with no issue but I felt the metal in my bones. " its an upgrade. You ready for your upgrade?" Drift nodded I placed my hoof to her chest infusing the wires into her. As it downloaded her upgrade. her wings grew some strange armor but she closed her eyes a concentrated and the armor turned into her fur color she smiled flapping the wings. It hurt at first. But of course, she would have to get used to it. The wire's left the device. She went over to Bowser. " Sorry big guy." She lifted her hoof the wire's going into the eyes. The download happens and he groaned as he blinked. " So I will see through thicker walls? What is this used to catch someone's daughter having sex?" I laughed removing the wires going to June placing the wires in her cybernetics. June snorted blinking at the fact that her armor gets thicker. This is amazing to her but when she spoke she laughed. " So that's it I get thicker? Oh if my family could see me now. I am so thick." She laughs softly. After the downloads finished we walked back out to the bartender." " Alright now, what jobs do you have for us?" The tender looked to be and Drift. " Alright, I would like you two to help me with the bar. I would like your Diamond dog and your Buffalo to patrol with the guards. We may be protected here but we do get some crazy ponies." June nodded. Bowser nodded as well they walked out. Drift and I got behind the bar now it was time to see if we could do this again. But I see most of the time that Drift would get hit on again. Looking over to Drift who placed on a uniform looking to Me she offered one to me in her mouth. Sighing I placed it on. 00000 This was pretty much the same as the factory Drift got hit on by every male and female. Most just ignored me and I just gave them the drinks. But of course, some of my species came into the bar. I didn't know who they are but the mare sat on a stool in front of me. " I have hard stories about you. Miss Rose." I looked up to her not sure what she heard. " That you were around before the war and woke up after the bombs had fallen." I sighed looking away a moment then nodded. " Yes I was there before the war and then woke up after the war ended. I was happily married to a pony stallion and he was convinced to turn on me or be killed. But he was killed anyway along with my family in a fire. Then they blamed me for it." The mare blinked nodding. " I see so is it true that you run with three others?" Nodding. " Yes, I run with three others. The other is.." Looked over to Drift who is flirting with a stallion sighing softly. "Drift!!" Drift blinked looking over to me blushing trotting over. " Um yes??" " This is Drift. She was frozen along with me. Also, It seems she attracts anything that wants to sleep with her." Drift blushed deeply. " I don't know why I never had this happen to me before." The Zebra laughed. " It could be that device in your chest." Drift blinked looking at the device in her chest. It glowed brightly but it had an odd question mark in it. Like it wasn't sure how it worked itself. "Maybe this device is very strange even to me. I'm learning how to use it and what to make of it. But I need to control my emotions." I lifted my front hoof. " I have to deal with these and the fact my entire legs are now metal. Whatever they did to us. I'm now fully going to become a full metal Zebra at the end of this journey." I hated the fact that most of my life is going to be defined by these cybernetics. Maybe I will learn why these were created again. I will never understand. But maybe someday I will understand Then again maybe not. "Hmm, I see well I was on my way to Wymarnic they welcome Zebras but no ponies from the outside. It's run by Gang members who hate pony outsiders." Blinking a part of Equestria I have heard about before hating pony outsiders but not Zebra's. Huh, I could be welcomed there maybe they could use me. But I feel maybe we need to head to that place that robot told me to lead us to. "Well we would follow you but we have a mission. It's not an easy mission but we need to get to Battle trot" The mare nodded. "I'm known as Stripped. Yeah, I was a slave for a long time born as a slave. So I got named this by a pony and raised by ponies. So it's why I no longer really care about my kind. But I still get attacked like I am a Zebra. Well, I may be one just being raised with ponies is different." Nodding. "I was raised by ponies as well. Since well most of my family died trying to get to Equestria away from Rome. I don't blame them myself. The stories I heard about it when I was young it's a good thing. That I didn't live there myself. But I had a family I wish I still did and not be in this nightmare." Stripped smiled. " The war was a bigger nightmare, Desert Rose. I am sure you would be one of those ghouls roaming around if you stayed. But It seems you two are sure close." "Of course." Drift said with a smile. " I care deeply for my friend here and our other friends." We heard a big commotion outside and the sound of Bowser and June. "You have no right to hurt this Zebra," Bowser yelled. Then a pony is smashed through the door. June ran inside the bar, her armor to allow bullets to smash into her thick armor. Hops shook her head standing right beside June. " ENOUGH!!" The ponies that were trying to harm the Zebra outside turned to her. They looked at her with fear. This mare is very small but she seems to have a temper. " These four are under my protection and they can protect themselves. Their leader is a Zebra. So if I see you ponies harm anymore Zebra's" I walked out of the bar my metal hooves clomping on the ground. I had to make a show. " Who is the leader of this group of attackers?" The ponies pointed to a large stallion who had a patch over his eye. "How about this I fight you.. and If I win you leave us alone If you win. We will leave." The stallion thought a moment looking at my hooves. "No, I know what happens to you. The Black hooves destroyed your lives in the past. I don't think you need to prove yourselves if you had to run away from them. We need all we can get to protect ourselves from the attack that is coming. from the ponies outside." Nods. " Good to see a pony of this future is respectful sir." The stallion smiles. " Just call me Spikes. I don't dare fight a mare that I could mate with." He winked at me. I just stared at him like he was a nut. Why would he wink at me? I am not even interested in a random fun time. Maybe that needs to change. My family is no longer alive. my husband is not either. Maybe I need to be loose. Giving a small smile. " Let me see how I feel after our jobs here. If you be a good boy and start harming other zebra's I could lower myself to you." I gave him a wink and walked back into the bar. June just stared at me and snorted. " You would risk getting pregnant to that guy?" June seemed very upset as the prospect, of course, Bowser rolled his eyes. We all knew June was very protective of us. " No June just to see if he would leave us alone for the time being. if I really want a stallion it would be a Zebra." June smirked then rushed at the ponies that are still over the bleeding Zebra they all run from her but she just stopped near the Zebra. She laughed and Hops along with Stripes helped the Zebra up helping her inside the Bar. " Come along Bowser lets keep up this simple job." Bowser turned to me and Drift he looked annoyed that He had to work with such a crazy female. The two went off and I sighed shaking my head. Drift went back to flirting with stallions. Of course, I did see her leave the bar a few times. " Um, Hops were is she going?" " There is a bed in the back. She has been using it." I sighed in anger going over to Drift pulling her away from the stallion. " Drift this has to end you need to protect your body. We can't have you getting pregnant." Drift ear's pinned to the back of her head looking down tear's streamed from her face. I could tell that hurt her alot. "I miss my family, Rose. I wish I didn't have to do this to make myself happy. " I sighed shaking my head a bit looking over to Hops. " Hops is there a place we can stay at?" Hops gave a nod. " There is an empty apartment upstairs." "Thank You I need to talk to Drift." Hops nodded. Opening the door for us allowing the two of us to go upstairs. 000000 The Apartment was pretty the same it looked like a very nicely kept together apartment looking at Drift who had tear's in her eye's still. I didn't know what to say to her. But I was angry I didn't want her to get pregnant and then we had to take care of a little one while we go on our journey. "Drift look. I am sorry but you can't sleep with every stallion you see. It will make it harder for us to do our journey." Drift sighed. "I can't help it... This thing in my chest controls my emotions and my bodily functions as well. Maybe it's a flaw?" Thinking a moment nodding lifting my hoof the wire's slowly come out of the hoof connecting to the orb in her chest. I hated it when this happens my brain is transported to the computer realm again. The computer looks at me blinking. " Miss Rose, why are you bothering me again?" I had to figure out how to ask this thinking a bit and then finally spoke. "I'm trying to understand why does the device that was given to Drift makes her so sexy to stallions and well some mares. She has been mating with every stallion she has met lately. I'm worried that we will have to deal with a pregnant mare. sooner or later." The computer stared at me a moment. " Hmm let me see." The computer pony looked through the device's code and whatever else. "Oh, it's a feature that can be turned off. Basically, it's a way for the pony to spread his or her foals around just in case there is a need for more. So it thinks there are not enough ponies in the world thanks to the bomb. But I think it's not wise to turn it off. It's healthy for her to do this." "But she is going to get pregnant. I don't want that to happen if we go battle someone." " Listen Desert Rose I understand you care about Drift. But you need to let her make her own choices. If she gets pregnant it';s her choice. It’s like with you. You might find your lover along this journey. You might get pregnant yourself. You can't just control what she does. This could be her only chance." I sighed shaking my head. " I figured talking to you would be a bad idea since.. You don't seem to fully get how ponies are." " Oh no no I get it. It's just something I had to think about it while I was being forced in you four. I can tell that Drift thinks of you as her leader. If you tell her no and to clean herself up she will do it. But maybe she needs these random bouts of sex to make her happy and feel better. Like with your friend June she needs to be an ass to make herself happy." Sighed "I do have a question then. Is there a reason why the Black hooves gave us these?" "If I knew this miss Rose I would have told you. I have been out of the loop as much as you. So get back to your jobs let Drift relax her way. You relax your way...How do you relax?" I thought a moment. How do I relax? I relaxed by teaching ponies how to fight like a Zebra that’s all I remember. " Look I am sorry for bothering you I am sure you have much better things to do then rather speak to me." The computer pony laughed. "I have nothing better to do but stay in here watching you folks use the abilities I give you and maybe you could find me a body. A body that I could live on my own and then we’ll see the world for myself and then take over the world." The computer laughed. I blinked watching the computer that looked like a mare. " Ahem sorry I mean I would love to help you" I had a feeling that trusting this computer is not wise. But she hasn't done anything wrong yet. Just didn't give me the answer's I wished. I am sure she knows more then she is letting on. "If we find a body that can be used for you. We will place you on it. But You will stay close to me because I don't trust you. I am sure you can understand." "Oh yes, I can understand it's very easy to see. I'm a computer a non-living creature that lives in your devices. I am sure you understand that I know everything you think about. I see everything you see I even feel everything you feel." Blinking at that. " You feel Drift have sex with all those mares and stallions?" "Oddly yes it's an interesting sensation. I wouldn't do it myself it's just so strange to me. I understand that for creatures like you that sex is a very normal thing. I do hope that someday I could see it for myself if drift would allow me to." I sighed shaking my head. The fact that this computer knows what we do and how we think and feel it's making me feel strange that I have a computer in my hooves that can see through my eyes. I am very very unhappy about that. It's going to bother me to no end. But maybe this a good thing it will keep me on my hooves. I am sure when I bring her a body she will explain more to me what this project was. " I will be leaving now." 0000 My mind finally left the computer realm and looked up to Drift who had a gentle smile on her face. " I am so sorry for getting on your case Drift. I know you're having a bad time. So I should trust you more." Drift smiled nodding. " I can understand it's hard to trust me. I used to be like this when I was in my younger years. But of course, that's what forced me to get married the first time. I slept with a lot of stallions in my collage." A sigh came from me looking up at Drift. " Alright, let’s go back down stair's and do our job before we go check this down out and buy some supplies." Drift nodded and we both went back downstairs. Getting back behind the bar. " Welp all is good Hop's I just needed to have a private conversation with Drift. But when can we go to town and buy some supplies?" Hops blinks and smiles. " Thanks to what you and your friends are doing Miss Rose you will be given the supplies for free when you leave." I blinked. " Hmm sounds wonderful but are there any other jobs we could do for you?" Hops thought a moment. " How are you folks at taking care of problems?" I had to think about it for a moment. Not sure but maybe June and I could go take care of something for these ponies. " What’s the problem? Maybe the four of us can go take care of it for you." Hops sighed placing down a wanted poster. "There is a group of raiders that attack our caravan's their the one's that tried to attack you when you first came here. So if you could go take care of them. Then we will give you the supplies for free and some caps." I looked to Drift smiling. " Think we can handle this?" Drift shrugged. " Maybe?" " Could you go get the other two Drift." Drift nodded spreading her wings flying out of the bar. After that happen though a stallion came up to me smashing his hoof into my face making me back up a bit shaking my head staring at the stallion. My nose bled just a bit. "So what did I do wrong now?" The stallion blinked. "Oh, the goddess I am sorry miss. Just after miss Drift left I grew very angry at you for some reason. I better go." The stallion trotted out. I blinked at that. That device on her chest does more then the computer told me? Or does the computer not even know half the things the orb in her chest does. "Oh, I am sorry about that Rose." Hops looked at my nose with worried eyes. "I felt something strange myself when your friend left. That orb of hers gives off a really strange aura. Like it makes her so attractive than when she leaves. It makes many ponies hate Zebras" Rolling my eyes. "I have a feeling that these devices were never meant to be given to a Zebra." Lifting my hoof up looking at it. It doesn’t even look like a Zebra hoof it looks so much like a pony hoof. But it has the sharpness of a Zebra hoof. "So maybe I'm not affected by it because the devices are connected by a computer that all four of us have in our heads." Hops blinked. " You mean you have a computer that speaks to you in your head?" I nodded. " Yes, she knows everything we do feels what we feel. So when Drift has so much sex she knows how that feels. In great detail even." Hops sighed. " I am very happy I wouldn't have to deal with that but I feel very bad for you four. What about June though. She seems to love these devices she was given." "Well, That’s because she likes beating the shit out of anything that comes and will keep beating anything." June walked into the bar along with Bowser and Drift. Bowser had his claws around the neck of a stallion. He lifted the stallion to me and Hops. " Can I hurt this stallion? He already slept with Drift.” Bowser always acting like the protective big brother. Drift blushed. "Bowser please....don't hurt him." " I am going to hurt whoever touches you." He snorted. Hops sighed shaking her head. Drift nuzzled Bowser to relax him. He sighed dropped the stallion and the stallion run's out like he was about to die. Bowser just shook his head. "Drift you need to be careful any stallion here could take advantage of you like back at the factory and get you pregnant. We don't need that at all." "Bowser we don't need you hurting every pony that looks at me like I am a sexy mare. It makes me happy. But for you and the sake and lives of others, I will do better." Bowser sighed nodding. "Now before this lovey-dovey party keeps going why did you call us Rose?" June seemed upset. She had blood on her horns. "I was busy putting the hurt on a fool that was trying to insult Bowser. It was so much fun to bad the pony won't be walking anymore ever." She smirked laughing steam coming out of the horns. I sighed. " Anyway, I got a job for the four of us." Setting down the wanted poster. " These are of the raider's that tried to cause us some issues. Now we can't leave yet. They wish us to finish our jobs here. "Well, then I have an idea. Excuse me miss Hops do you have anyone here that know's how to fix the bridge?" Hops blinked thinking. " Oh we do but he's in a wheelchair he could teach you how to fix it." Bowser nods. "I am going to need your help then." He looks at the three of us I nodded. "I will be back miss Hops. " I said taking off the uniform same with Drift. 00000 The four of us went to a very run-down building. I knocked on the door and a mare opened the door. She blinked. "Are you here for my husband?" I gave a nod. The mare goes back inside. “Bolt you have some creatures here to see you.” The mare brings her head back out. “Sorry I don’t mean to be rude.” The mare gave a sweet smile. I just smiled trying to show we aren’t upset. A stallion in a wheelchair slowly comes out. He looks very beat up from all the jobs he has done for this bridge. "What can I help you with?" Bowser stood in front of us looking around with his eyes. He could see so many problems that need to be fixed. "I have these eye's I can see the weakness in the bridge and every building on this bridge. We need help fixing it all. So are you willing to tell us how to fix it?" Bolt blinks he sighed looking at his wife. " Get my book, my love." The mare nodded rushing back inside to get a book. " Look I haven't been able to train any pony else to work on this. That would mean you have to work on parts of the gate in the front and back. The entire bridge needs some work. I doubt it will be standing in a couple of years." Bowser’s eyes looked around. " Hmm, I doubt it would even last a few more years. The gate needs some reinforcement the struts of the bridge need some work. Some of the buildings look like them about to fall and the pips for your bathrooms are clogged." June snorted. "I refuse to work with shit. If you want someone to be your shit cleaner you pick Drift. Since she has properly had someone's shit in her mouth." Drift stares at June. The orb in her chest had no idea how to read her emotions. "What the hell June?" "Hmm? You mate with whatever you see Drift... What do you expect me to say hmm?" Drift snorted. The mare brought the book it was a large book but it had everything in it on how to mix cement and were to get the wood and anything to help fix this bridge. " Take this and read it. I warn you though the lumber and cement yard is blocked. It used to be connected to the town. But we had some nasty creature's take over that part of the town." Bowser took the book and we went off to a heavily blocked off area of the large bridge. This bridge is so many miles long. The door into it had a heavy lock on it. Looking to June. She snorted putting her steam horn's on the lock using the steam to melt the lock. " Your lucky you have me." She smirks. 000000 We walk into the blocked off part of the bridge. Everything seems very well kept. But these creatures are no were to be seen. There are old bones and blood from ponies then we heard nasty howls. A large evil dog-like creature came out of the buildings. They didn't seem very threatening but they had some nasty looking claws. I stood back along with the others. But Bowser stood in front. " Listen we come in peace." The leader of the creature's steps forward at our friend. He had strange robotic parts all over him. But there was something wrong. Bowser acted as he knew them. "Dad...." " Bowser?" The old dog came up to him sniffing him tear's fell from both their eyes and they hug. " What did they do to you my son?" "Ponies known as the Black Hooves captured me and my friends here. But father why are you stealing land from these ponies here?" The hell hounds sighed. "This town used to be full of raiders. We helped clean it out for them but instead of giving us anything in return. They locked us behind here. They also fed us in the meat of raiders. Why you see the blood here. But then we hurt the workers that were trying to rebuild the bridge so it wouldn't fall." Bowser snorted in anger. Rushing back out the door. The three of us followed him to the bar. "Hops who is the leader of this town?!" Hops sighed. " White hat is the leader of the town. I think he’s in the bar right now.” A large stallion stood up after hearing his name. The black stallion walked over to us. He had a giant hat on his head. I have never seen such a hat. He bowed his head in respect trying to show he is kinder than most. " First why did you lock my family behind a wall?" White hat sighed. " Look back then I was young I wasn't the boss of the town yet. My father was and he was a bigot most of the town has some bigoted ponies. So I did that for their protection as well as our own. But if needed I am willing to let them out. But I do warn you if I do those ponies will attack them." "My friends and I will take care of them," I tried to stay calm. It’s getting harder because I no longer feel like I am flesh and blood. 0000 The wall's around the hell hounds are slowly taken down by the town's folk but what looks to be the ones causing the issues are one's not even part of the town. They come with weapons. But my friends and I stand in front of them. June has her armor fully on. Bowser is holding a shotgun. Drift's orb on her chest is bright red showing her anger. She is ready to smash them if needed. I stand in front of my friends. "You have no right to harm these creatures." "We have every right to. This world is for ponies only." June didn't care that there was no fight. She just charged her horn stabbing through the stallion that was speaking. Tossing him off her horn turning to the other ponies who had a large amount of fear in his eyes. I quickly used my abilities that I trained others in back then to fight. Using my metal hooves to bruise not kill the other ponies. But Drift of course didn't understand her anger or her might. She smashed her hooves into one of the ponies breaking his neck. The ponies didn't know how to act with us. They just gave up. I doubt they wished to fight a group of creatures that had strange abilities like us. But the issue's with these abilities they were more harm then helpful. Bowser starts to speak staring at the ponies attacking. "Enough my family means no harm to you or these ponies inside this town. Are you ponies that full of hate that did nothing wrong but clean this former raider’s town of raiders?" The ponies looked at each other and they lowered their weapons. "They wish to help fix this bridge along with every inch of it to make sure it will be standing for more years to come." I softly spoke. " Eh, these ponies have no idea what peace is. All they care about is the old hatreds of the past. Allow them to die at the guns of those that wish to remove the hate of the past. I will do it myself." I snorted slowly walking away. "They don't deserve to be in a world of peace like we used to be. They will never understand that peace comes working hard for it." "Wait..." The leader of them said's. A very young mare who looks to be sad and upset about this. "We." "No, I won't listen to your ponies," I said. " Go find something to murder." June snorts. "I agree with giving worthless beings like you another chance is not worth our time," June said. "Just go don't try to impress me or anything. Just go. While we work to fix your home." The ponies that did the attack going back to the bar. I and the others walk into the yard to do our work. 0000 The walls were removed from the yard. Wood and metal were taken to rebuild some of the homes or reinforce them. I made drinks for the workers. The Hell hounds lifted strange platforms that helped the ponies to repair the struts and what they could of the bridge. Drift flew down and gave drinks to those from there. Bowser looked through each weak spot on the bridge marking them with a claw to make sure they know what spots need to be fixed. June used her steam to heat parts of the metal so they would be easily placed. Drift even got to use her newfound might to break some of the rotted parts down then kept them up. They had to make her angry though. So June kept insulting her from above. " You are nothing but a worthless slut," June yelled. Some stallions and mares looked at this with a bit of unsure how they would take this. As for me, I worked with Hops to just make the drinks. "Tell me miss Rose what was the past like?" I sighed not sure if I should talk about it using a strange device I learned I have in my new hooves that is like a mixer. I would have to think of a way to explain. "Well, the past was pretty peaceful. Ponies respected the fact you were different then they are. But some of them were pretty silly. The higher up's felt they were better than everyone else. That's the sad thing we had to deal with in the past. But that's what we had to deal with. Now I was around before the war happen. But the Zebra's did start having issues with ponies before I was frozen." Hops nodded. " I am sure you feel bad that you were used for this strange test of these devices on you." I sighed softly looking towards the way we came from then back to Hops. "We had a group known as Steel Ranger's looking for us. Do you think they would come this way to find us?" Hops smiled laughing softly. "Eh Steel rangers refuse to use our bridge to get through here. They have their bridge not far from us. But in a large casino like five miles from here is were the Raider's are holding up. They attack us almost every week trying to break through the door." 0000 It's late at night me and my friends are pretty tired. But we stayed in the apartment to rest. Drift was in the shower. Bowser was cooking for us and June. She was pacing around. She didn't like to just sit and wait. She wanted to do something but she is willing to wait. But as for me. I lifted a book to read it. We would have to do more work on the bridge but a lot of the big issues have been taken care of. "GAH!! I can't stand just being in here sitting doing nothing." June kept pacing she was getting very upset. " I need to find someone to kill or to stomp on or.." "Dinner!!" "OHH!!" June rushed to the table to sit in one of the chairs. I stood up sitting there as well. Drift came out all clean and laughed. " Yes, Food something to eat yes." Bowser sighed putting down the food. it didn't look to be that interesting a lot of it looked old but it was an old food that had so many preservatives. We calmly ate to ignore the world around us for the moment. But what's odd that we needed to rest to be. June calmly went to a bed she lay down closing her eye's snoring deeply. Drift looking to Bowser smiling at him nuzzling him. "Goodnight Bowser." Bowser nodded she went to the other bed to sleep. "I caught her in the middle of having sex with a mare. I don't understand but when the mare left she told me that.. she didn't understand why she did that with her. But it was fun just the same. I am starting to wonder if we need to find another terminal to turn off some of those features in that device. But I am going to get some sleep." I nodded laying in a chair trying to sleep with this computer in my brain. The pony Ai showed up in my vision in pajamas. The silly Ai tried singing me to sleep. "Oh, hush little Zebra don't you cry." The Ai sang. "Oh... shut up you." The Ai folded her forehooves
Chapter Three: Robots and loveI woke up to the sounds of gunshots going off. But I was back home rushing out watching the war starting to unfold. Seeing the battle coming to Ponyvile. I didn't know what to think but we saw contrails and suddenly an explosion. I woke up quickly after it all happen. I looked around not sure what to think. Slowly went out of the room. I heard sobbing I looked into the room Drift is in and she is alone dreaming. The chest orb is changing many colors. Slowly I walked to her gently shook. She woke up reaching up to me hugging me tightly. She sobbed hard. "Shh Drift I am here don't wake the others. I don't want Bowser to worry." "Rose... I'm sorry for what I have been doing.. I have been having sex with every pony under the sun." I smiled shaking my head holding her close stroking along her back. Even though I had the metal hoof she didn't shake or sob from the feel of the metal. I'm starting to wonder what is the point of these. I don't feel like a zebra anymore. But I didn't wish to tell my friends that anymore. June and Bowser were standing there. "Listen, Rose, Bowser, and I was talking. Remember those raiders they told us about that attack them at a random time. How about we leave and take out that base." Bowser nodded. "I would say that we do it carefully we aren't fighters. Unless these things they gave us made us fighters. But I am just a worker I'm not a fighter." I had a thought it made me wonder. "I got a better idea. Let’s have them attack the town. Then we find a way to get out the back way. Then we come in behind. The best way to do this is to have me and June go. You two stay here and help protect the town." Drift looked very unsure about this. "I will do my best I'm not a fighter but I think I will be able to fight off whoever wishes to attack me." Bowser nods. "Should we tell Hops what we are doing?" I shook my head. "I think a pony is working with the raiders. I doubt its Hops. I do wonder. She did give us something that we could use to wake her." I hit a strange bell and quickly Hops the bar mare ran into the room. "What’s wrong?!" She looked worried. "Hops I got a question for you. Do you know any pony of this town that would work with the raiders?" She blinked thought a moment a frown formed on her face. "I think I know one who would. But he has no power. He runs a weapons store near the other end of the bridge." I looked to the others thought a moment. "If you went there and told him that the ponies here are weak and low numbers. Do you think he would leave and get the raiders to come?" She stared at me like I was crazy. "Rose why do you want him to send Raiders to attack us." "Because Rose and I will find a way to get behind them blow up their base to take out their reinforcements everything else blows the building up and then takes the rest out. This will clean up any threats that wish to harm you." June snorted. Hops looked away from us I could tell she didn't know what to think. But she looked at me I could tell she knew that If we did this they would be more protected. "Look Rose I know you wish to help. But this is not your fight. You should just go on your way." I shook my head. "I was friends with the six mares that helped cause this world. I want their names to fight for them to make sure they will be honored for the world that they caused. I know this doesn’t seem like much of a reason. But look at it through my view. I am forced to sleep for two hundred years. Now I am back. I have to do something to help protect this world." "I agree even if I didn't know them that well. I just grew and had a family on Clouds dale till they captured me and said ...I was a slut using my husband and kids to get to the leadership." Hops stared at us. She didn't know why were put into these tubes to be frozen for so long. "Rose what did you do to have this happen to you?" I sighed. "I was just at home I trained others in the way of fighting like zebra there was not even any war going on at the time. Then these ponies come in murder my family telling me that I have been chosen and then they burn down my home with my family inside. Then they blame me for it and I was forced to have my hooves cut off and have these put on." I lifted my hooves. Hops stared at us I could tell that she had tears streaming down her eyes. "Well think of it this way at least you didn't see the bombs fell like I am sure many did that day." I sighed looking away I never thought of that. "The Buffalo would never get in the middle of a silly war. We would have just stayed in our area of the land. Allowing the ponies and zebras to kill themselves. But here I am. I am going to do what I can to help. That also means goring every single raider I see." She snorted laughing. "Alright, I will help. I will talk to him in the morning and I will show you another way to get out of the town. That is not a wise way to go. But It will get you to their base." "I promise Hops we will leave soon after. I know we haven't had a good impression on you folks since we got here. I know that Drift has pissed off some married mares." Drift blinked blushing. "The stallions told me their wives didn't care. But I can understand if I angered some of the married mares. I'm trying better not to attract so many males." June snorted. "Enough talk lets get this done. I want to take care of these raiders and then maybe try to find my species again. Even though I might not be welcomed by them." Hops looked away sighing. "If you all feel that this will go without some pony dying. I will do it. I trust you Rose I trust you more than half the ponies in this town." I blinked "You trust me?" Hops nodded. "I trust you because well. Would it bother you that I find myself a bit attracted to you?" I blinked shaking my head. "Huh sorry, Hops that's a bit odd to me. But thank you I feel honored." "Mind if I talk to you privately Rose?" Hops asked. I sighed nodding and wet left the room she turned to me. "Sorry for blurting that out. But I have a personal reason for saying that. I need you to protect Drift. If Drift gets pregnant Rose. it's not going to be pretty." I sighed looking away not sure what to think. "Then why did you tell.. hmpf.." She forced me into a kiss. I just closed my eyes not pushing her away. Even though to me my family just died. I felt that I needed this I pulled the mare closer to me feeling that this is right. I look back on everything that happens to me and two hundred years passed me by. Hops broke the kiss and we stayed near each other longer she breathlessly spoke. "Sorry..." I just smiled my cheeks bright red. "It's fine...Hops. If you want to pursue this. I am willing to. Just I won't be staying...here." I just grew very attracted to her myself. I don't know why but I am starting to think she has a point about drift. I didn't feel this way till now. Maybe the device in Drift's chest causes the emotions of ponies and other creatures to lose it. She pulled me downstairs and the two of us had a night of deep bliss. 0000 Next morning I woke up with Hops laying on my chest. I blinked looking around a deep blush formed on my face. So what happened last night happen. Hops opened her eyes staring at me blushing deeply. "Oh... Oh my, we...what happens?" Hops asked looking down at me and at the mess we are. "I oddly... like this." I sighed. "It seems you're right about Drift Hops... But you came on to me last night. Kissed me and wanted to have me as your mare friend. Do you still want this?" Hops blushed nodding. "I will this myself. But I won't be here will you be able to handle it?" "I don't mind waiting for you Rose. Just something about me makes me want you more. I don't know fit's your taste or y our wonderful body." I blinked then it hit me. The devices were created to enhance the emotions of all of them. So it seems we are linked. I have to wait... I have real feelings for this mare. I feel it's wonderful. I don't want her to leave. "Hops I will do this with you. But we won't always be together I do hope you come and find me." Hops nodded and slowly got off me. "I am going to shower before opening up Um want to join me?" I blinked shrugging and well another wild time happen. 000 Late morning I finally came back upstairs and the others stared at me. I blinked looking at them I wasn't sure what to think. Then June smirked. "Well, you're back from your conquest Rose?" She laughed snorting. "Rose you had to?" Bowser asked. "Your more level headed than all of us and suddenly you go downstairs and have sex with a mare. You barely know." I sighed. "It felt right and it still does. We are going to be mare friends but I need to talk to the computer. So I need to connect to one of you." Drift sighed and allowed me to connect to her. My brain went into the computer and the computer was doing a dance and a song of pure love. "Oh, can you feel. Oh hey, Rose. Did you enjoy your night?" The computer pony asked me. I just stared at the computer. She knew how did she know but I remember how she can make things more pleasing. "Why did you do that to me?' The computer frowned looking down and sighed. "Rose you had your entire family killed just to have me installed into you. When I see that you could be happy with a mare that I already knew ad feelings for you. I felt you would be happy that I made it more pleasing to you." I sighed sitting on my haunches closing my eyes with a soft smile. "Thank you though. I feel that it’s needed I have been alone even though I with three friends. But I thought it was just Drift that had that. Do all of us have this?" The computer nodded. "It was a way just in case sooner or later there was a sickness or something that would cause the population to fall as it did during the war. So yes I won't do it to you. You and Hops deserve to have the happiness that you will be getting." I didn't know what to think about this. But maybe she had a point. Since the war happen there have been fewer ponies I have no idea. what to think. "Just the smile on your face when the deed was finished and the fact she asked you to be her marefriend. You need to understand this new world. I doubt you would find someone else that is willing to go with you Rose." I sighed I get it and I went out of the computer. "Well, I am stuck with this with Hops. I won't complain. Now let’s get ready for this battle." 000 It was early afternoon everything was said and done. It didn't take long for the raiders to attack the bridge. They fired on the heavy door. I looked to June and nodded to her. Hops lead me and June to a spot that would take us down the bridge and into the sewers. June went on ahead as Hops stopped me "Look Rose I am very sorry for coming onto you. " She smiled weakly. I put my hoof to her lips whispering. "I loved it Hops. I accept what you want. But be prepared for me not always being there. I am doing this for your happiness and mine. Its time to ignore the past even though it wasn't that long ago for me. But now I found you." I lowered my hoof kissing her smiling. Pulling back. "I..." Hops tried to speak. "Shhh just go to your bar. I will be back to enjoy your company until we leave." I winked at her and followed June into the sewers." June had her armor on. I just looked around didn't see any of the threats I was told that we’re in the sewer's then I heard some nasty growling it was ponies. June snorted lowered her head. When the threat showed up the armor started to form on my legs giving me pain since the armor also formed on my bones to protect them. June charged like a train into the creatures and she just kept going while I followed her leaving the broken bodies behind. June slowly stopped looking around. "Didn't Hops give you a map?" I nodded looking into my bag looking at the map. "left." June went left we quickly walked making sure we didn't stop for anything even the ghouls. We finally made it and had to climb a ladder. June didn't like the idea of climbing. "You go I will find another way up." I didn't want to leave June but I quickly climbed up the ladder into the street. Looking at the map I looked up seeing the base. It's built-in an old hotel Looking up to it the computer formed in front of my vision. "Rose the best way for you to go is through the bank connected to it." She pointed her hoof forming an arrow to show me. I didn't know what to think. "Are you sure no pony is there waiting?" She stared at me. "Rose I am a computer I can sense life signs but. I can't tell you where they are. So you need to trust me. I am connected through your hooves. When the battle mode is over I will leave again. So I need to get you back to Hops." I had to ask. "Are you helping June find a way in?" "She is waiting for you to get inside so she can charge in and blow everything with her horns." I sighed I knew it I am the one that needs to be there. 0000 I was in the old bank I finally made it in here. Seeing all the bones I wonder how many had been in here during the end. It made me feel bad that I beat that. But I found the door that the computer wished me to find. I opened it up and it leads to a secret room in the hotel. Slowly I went down the stairs looking at the bodies of zebra bones. But that's not all I found I found an old drug station. These zebras were... making drugs. I shook my head 'No need to be angry Rose.' I said to myself. I found the way into the hotel an arrow was leading me to June. I tried to sneak with these metal hooves. But I didn't find much of anything. It’s like all the ponies left to go do this attack. So I found June and she charged out. I heard screaming when she had her fun. After a while, she came down holding many various bombs. "Alright, lets set these up I am going to take one of these for the Raiders." June nodded while the two of us set the bombs around the hotel. Then after a while, we returned to that they had broken into the town. My eyes went wide and we rushed in seeing the raiders holding the entire town hostage along with her friends. I didn't see any pony dead. "Halt,” The raider said. "How about this. We don't blow up your base and you let them go." I said. "Excuse me?" The raider said I lifted the detonator and the building blew up. "Oops. Now we had them pretend that they wished to surrender. Now leave or I and my friends will kill you." The raider started to laugh when Lighting Drift stood up and with her hoof, she smacked into a raider’s head making his head fly off into the air flying far away. The raiders stared at the four of us. "We are weapons created by the past. The Black Hooves." We said that name and the raiders looked at us in fear and started to run. I grabbed the bomb and tossed it into the group making sure to get the rest of them. I felt a large body of mare run into me hugging me. I didn't know what to think but I turned to see Hops she had been crying. All I did was hold her close kissing her deeply. 0000 "And that is how it will end." The computer smiled at me. I just got to the bank and I rolled my eyes. "So you mean to tell me that's how you did the simulation? You mean to tell me the raiders would just run like that and that we just allowed them in like that. No the ponies of that town aren't that stupid." The computer frowned at me folding her legs together. "Well, then how would you do it? You can't just do it that easy. You don't even have a gun." When she said that I found one just laying on the ground near a pile of bones. The computer rolled her eyes. Lifting the gun looking at the ammo making sure it's enough. "Fine be that way and not do it my way. It will lead you to have another wonderful night of sex." My cheeks turned bright red. "Listen I would love something like that to happen. I really would. But this is now real life and we need to do it the real way. I doubt raiders are that stupid." Then a door opened up a raider looked out he stared right at me. But his eyes were so bloodshot from all the drugs. "I see No pony out here Zipper. " "Okay never mind.."I sighed. "See my simulations are 99% percent true." "What about the 1%?" I could swear the computer pony is not only blushing but looking scared to say. "Uh, program error?" I just stared at her unsure how to take this AI. "Oh come on I am a powerful computer built in the machines that you were given. I have given you and Drift endless pleasure. Well, not you but Drift I have given her married stallions mares... I am starting to think I should have turned off the aura with the married ones." "You think? Look I know you were created to help expand the population in our robotic gear here. But June and Bowser wouldn't sleep with it would be their kind. Me you pushed me into a relationship with a bar mare. You made our kiss so much more interesting and our sex as well. I didn't want to break her heart since she was so attracted to me like that." Placing the gun in my jaw since I don't have magic as others did. But I followed an arrow showing me where June is. Slowly I sneaked making sure to take my knife and grabbed one of the raiders gutting them in the darkness pulling them being a bar. I needed to get to June before I find anything else. Slowly sneaking watching two raiders laughing about what they will do the ponies of the bridge. I heard the words of what they would do to Hops. I felt very angry as if it was a flash I attacked them in a flash without them even able to scream. One of them I slit the neck and the mare raider I caved in their face with a smack of my hooves. Then the anger subsided wait why did I get so angry? I set the gun down. "Do you have a name computer?" The computer formed in my eyes again. "Well, most ponies don't name me. Just call me a computer. Now you seem upset why did you stop. I was wondering if you enjoyed the pleasure of killing those raiders." That is what happen she made the pleasure of killing more amazing. "Please don't do that again.. You may do that with June. Now how are the others doing?" The computer went to go check on my other friends and then she returned. "Oddly these ponies can fight off raiders better then I thought. They have the raiders hiding and they captured the betrayer. It sounds like they were expecting him to open the door for them." I smiled loving how things come together. Then I had to ask. "How is Hops?" I was worried for some reason. I don't know her that well and just the fact she gave me herself for a lovely night. That I still feel it's so amazing to me at how pleasing that was. "From what I saw she is talking to Drift and it sounded like she misses you. Drift is trying to tell her that you're a strong mare. You will come back to her. Also, Drift just blew up a few raiders with the chest orb. Now you need to get going. They might run back and find you." I nodded so we needed to end this quickly. I found the door after a while that June was behind. But a raider was guarding it. I didn't know what to do. But then I heard some hooves stomping and some more raiders came. "The battle has gone bad they will be returning. They even reinforced the gate." 'Shit' I thought to myself. Great now we have to end this. Quickly I got on my hooves and fired the gun missing of course but it caused the door to smash open showing June. The two of us took the raiders out with no issue. "Computer tells the town to start charging in. We need to end this now. Before they can get back." The computer nodded and vanished to tell others. Quickly June and I ran upstairs to find the leader of these Raiders. We went through many a raider to find them. Opening a door sitting in the chair was the leader. But the leader just looked at us and smiled. "Ah, greetings. I see that you have finally removed those fools from my care." He stood up I could tell he wasn't a real pony. But a creature a robot. A robot made of pony flesh. I stared at him. Then it started to hit me. That robot that came to me. She warned me about something like this. "Now I have to ask you to let me leave or you will join the war.." June snorted. "There is no war.." June charged at the raider but the robot lifted able to toss her back. June stared at the robot in horror. But she smirked snorting scrapping the ground. I fired three bullets into the raider his head flew back then he came back up. With half his skin missing showing robotic parts. June and I stared at the creature. He smirked pulling out a cigar from his mouth blowing smoke. "You wish to get into the middle of a war you know nothing about?" Then he stared at me in horror. "You have her mark... You have spoken to her. where are you heading?!" I took a deep breath. "BattleTrot." The robot raider smirked. "So you have already been asked to join the war. I'm so sorry for you. But I can't allow you to go any further." I didn't know what to think. June quickly charged at the robot this time he grabbed her horns with strange robotic hands that came out of the hooves she was tossed out of the room. I turned back staring at the robot slowly backing out. I had to speak to the computer. "Computer.. Or whatever you wish to be called. How many raiders are left?" "All of them have been taken down. Do you wish me to get Bowser and Drift in here?" "No, tell them we will be coming out." I was grabbed myself and thrown into the wall and the robot smashed me through it. I groaned after it tossed me out of the room I was thrown into it. I quickly stood up feeling hurt. But I was still able to walk. But the rest of my body was in pain. June and I ran to the outside door and June stood in front to keep the robot from going after me. "Rose?!" Drift rushed to me the town is out watching this and June is tossed out again standing on her hooves. The entire skin is off the body of the robot. "Ah, we have more. You have been pulled into a war.. Rose" I stood there blood pouring out a wound. I felt so weak groaning a bit. "Now I am not going to kill either of you. I Just want to show you. How powerful I can be. Now I am heading on my way. Allow me to leave but first.." He simply rushed to me grabbing my neck with his robotic hand lifting me. "Don't try to help her.. I am going to show her this war." Wires from the creature go into my brain. I see Flashes he speaks in my mind. “You have no idea what you got into did you?” he showed me flashes of large robot war. Then a stable that had is 00 I turned to look at Hops I stared at her. She stared at me. "We know you two want to kiss go ahead," June said smirking. The two of us gave each other a deep kiss. I didn't want to let her go she had tears streaming down her face. We just stood there for a long time kissing. This felt amazing and wonderful. No pony tried to break us up but after the kiss was over. I just passed out. 000 I woke up in Hop’s bed I had bandages on my chest and neck. Along with parts of my face. I tried to get up but when I did she pushed me back into the bed. "You won't be leaving till you heal Rose. Besides you have become a hero of the town." I sighed and sat up I smiled at her. "Thank you Hops. I am sorry I have to leave." Hops smiled. "Oh don't worry about it, Rose. I know you will love me even if we aren’t close. If you find a place to stay I will come to you." She stroked my face with her hoof. "Besides I need to get to know you before I fully go into well we did have sex. before we got to know each other. But I don't know why." I sighed. "The systems that we were given has a program to push reproduction or love between ponies and zebras. In case the population is low." "Oh, good thing then I wasn't under its control when I pushed myself on you." I blinked she wasn't under the control of it when She kissed me the first time? The capture formed in my eyes and winked mouthing. 'Told ya.' I blushed deeply thinking that's why she wanted me so badly. "What made you want me so badly Hops?" Hops grinned. "Well Watching you help with my bar Rose. You cared so much about Drift and forgave me after almost attacking you." I just smiled. "Hops I had a family a husband. I just didn't know what to think when you did that with me. I woke up after our night I felt odd. But happy. I will pursue this with you. If you don't mind dealing with whatever I am in now." Hops gently kissed my cheek. " Its fine Rose. I am willing to take all of you even if you're some weapon. I love you and I like your friends they have been so helpful around town. June has helped clean up what is left of the raiders. Drift and Bowser cleaned up the weapons. Bowser has even reinforced the bridge more." "I'm happy they helped. But I got a question what is the other side of the bridge like?" Hops sighed softly. "The other side is pretty harsh the weather is much worse in Battle trot. it’s not like it was in Detrot. But you will soon be leaving there. Again I was told that you helped Bubble Gum and you made her happy with everything you did." I smiled "I will stay till I heal then we will leave." Hops gave me a nod. She left her room but before she did she kissed me deeply to the point it didn't stop and then pulled back. "I will make sure I give you a wonderful night before you do." I blushed a bit smiling closing my eyes letting sleep take me and we will be ready for the next day to continue our journey.
Chapter Four: MariaIt’s the next morning. It was time for our trek across the old bridge. I stood by the back gate with my friends. A waypoint filled my vision to get to the next computer to upgrade ourselves. Before we left though the ponies of the town set down a giant bag of food and other things. Hops came up to me kissing me. “Is there anything we can do for you while we trek along the old bridge?” I glance over at Bowser who asked that question. The ponies look at each other unsure how to answer that. One of the older stallions known as an elder we didn’t see the first time we came here. “Since you have given us peace again with the hounds. Make sure to use your eyes to mark weak support beams on the bridge. But we have another request. This entire bridge used to be a town. The town used to be a city along that bridge. Fifty or so years ago something came in and attacked the ponies killing and forcing a lot of us to move back here.” I glance towards the door. The waypoint to the next computer is like a few miles from this town. So this used to be an entire town I figured that after coming here. I took a deep breath and the door opened up. We get to see the old run-down buildings. Some of them look to be ripped apart and some are still standing. “Let's go. I am getting sick of not gorging something.” June snorted trotting out of the gate. Drift stayed beside me while Bowser went ahead. The door closed behind us and I sighed, not happy that I won’t see Hops again for a long time. It’s an hour later and we spent most of the walk marking spots that need some fixing and ransacking homes for guns and ammo. What we mostly found was a lot of trash and some stim packs. We stopped for a bit sitting in the middle of an old picnic ground. Old dried and bleached bones all over. I am starting to wonder whatever was here is finally gone now. I glance at the waypoint again hoping we will get there soon. “So have you talked to the computer today?” I look over to Drift and shake my head. “No, she hasn’t bothered me yet. Maybe she will at the next update.” I shrugged my shoulders unsure really. It’s not that I am not happy that the computer is not invading my life every single time I try to do something. “Maybe the computer in our bodies is shut down. I haven’t felt the orb in my chest gather my emotions like it normally does.” Bowser sighed, shaking his head. “Well, at least you three can turn it off. I don’t since they replaced my eyes. With it. So I never can turn it off unless it’s a feature that will be added later.” Bowser sighed it was harder for him than the rest of us. Of course, my legs felt so stiff as of late and that is from the metal in them. I stopped right on my hooves when we got to the town hall in the middle of the bridge. The rest of us stopped when we saw old robots all broken and burn marks like this battle just took place: Not too far from us a consent beep kept sounding. On the ground, we noticed a body. Junes armor formed over her as the rest of us got ready for a fight. When we got closer to the town hall to the body a voice spoke over a PA system. “Are you friend or foe?” The rest of us looked at each other. “Again fleshlings are you friend or foe?” The others looked at me and I took a deep breath moving forward so whoever is watching us can get a better look at me. When I finally got close enough I saw the cam staring right at me. It unattached itself from the pole it was latched onto and skittered to me on spider legs. “A zebra… A pure zebra with no radiation and robotic legs?” The robotic creature skittered around and looked at us. The robotic being then quickly connected to other parts and created itself a bird body flying into the air to look at the rest of us. “Um, what are you?” “What am I?” The creature just looks at me then I noticed the waypoint that is in my vision is pointing to this robotic creature. The cam looks right into my eyes and the computer finally comes to life. “Oh, finally you come back to us.” The pony in the computer stares at me and looks at the cam creature. “It seems we have a new friend.” Suddenly without warning the cam bot jammed right into my head and I screamed in pain as the others ran to me to help get the bot off my head. I felt the wires jam right into the robotics in my brain. My entire world went black. <0000000> Mindscape I woke up in a computer mindscape and I woke to see two computer Ais talking to each other. The pony from my mind and the strange cam that has a body, not the body of a pony but a two-legged creature with a camera for its head. “Okay...I am going to say this. Ask me, ask me!! Before doing that again.” “We got a problem, Rose.” I glance at the computer that normally sits inside my vision when she wishes to. “We have a lot of problems. But now what is the problem?” “This creature is the reason the town got attacked fifty years ago. It’s also the reason why there was another attack on the town again. They’re looking for this creature. This creature is being fought over. She calls herself a Frozen clock.” “And why does she call herself that?” “I don’t know….I don’t even remember how I ended up in the town I am in.” “So… we now have to protect her?” The computer nods. “I will be able to talk to you more than in your vision. It will make it easier for me to understand what is going on. It also seems she has small upgrades for you four.” A deep sigh filling my lungs. “What is the upgrade now? Making others hornier around us? Making us more like robots. Removing our free will like what happened to us 200 years ago?” The frozen clock looks away from me. I could tell I hurt the creature’s feelings. I thought, wait it has feelings? I shook my head. I need to be kinder to this creature. It’s all we know about what is going on. “Listen I am sorry. We have been thrown into this new world. Many wish to kill me because I am a zebra. But what is this upgrade?” “Can you give me a name first? I don’t wish to be known as the frozen clock.” I had to think of a name for this creature now. She could build herself from robotic parts and make a body for herself. I wonder if there is more that she could do. “I know a great name for you. Maria.” The robotic creature looks right at me the cam focusing right on me like it’s looking right into my soul. “I like that name...and yes the upgrade. This upgrade is not needed unless you all want it. You could skip this upgrade and feature. It’s more a feature I don’t know about it. All I know it was created just in case everything backfires. So it’s not needed.” I shook my head again my head started to hurt so much having her dug so deep into my skull to get to my brain. “Oh, it seems I am harming her Deco.” I lift my head to stare at the robotic creature. The name Deco went through my ears. I groan, closing my eyes tightly, tears falling from my eyes. I try to grunt asking. “Who..is Deco?” I stare at the computer mare who smiles. I finally know her name and I scream as I wake up. <00000> I finally wake up and the blood drains down from my head. After the cam bot or we named her Maria. I look up to finally see the creature again and to her gathering parts of robots. She quickly places them in my bags and turns to me still in the small bird form. It took me a while to get back on my hooves since the pain was too much still. Bowser helps me up and I quickly stare at the bot. “So you know I don’t trust you or the computer that was forcibly placed in our heads,” Deco spoke through a part of Maria since they’re connected now. “I don’t blame you. Now we need to trust each other. We need to follow the path that Maria is leading. It sounds like she is heading to the same place we are going to. Across the river and we need to be watching. Some bots are after her.” I glance at the former town. The town is very well kept and parts of the bridge have been reinforced. I wonder if it was done by those that took over this area for a bit. I look over to drift nodding to her. “Tell them the place is clear. We will wait for you to return.” Drift lifted off and while we waited I sat down and got our food ready. We stayed silent and didn’t know what to think about Maria. I could tell Bowser didn’t trust the little bot. June did what she did best and jabbed her horns in everything she could think of. She was bored and she just wanted to gore something. It took an hour for me to get the will to fully cook our dinner. Too much to think about and it was getting to the point I wasn’t too sure about. Finally drift made it back. It took her longer to get back than I thought but she shrugged her shoulders smiling at me. “Sorry I needed a drink so I got some water and talked with Hops. She is very into you Rose. They asked me to tell you that they want us to wait for them to get here then we go. Do you mind doing that Rose?” I just sighed shrugging my shoulders. I could tell Drift and the others are very worried about me. I could see the worry in their eyes. It’s not easy for me to deal with things sometimes. I normally have to kick something to get used to it. Right beside me, Maria sat by me. Looking down at the little cam robot that recently built itself that bird body. The creature or she or it just studied me with its one eye. Like she was trying to learn everything about me. “Why are you looking at me like that?” I look down at Maria. The stress in my eyes showed heavily my body is very tense up and it doesn’t help that I got these cybernetics in my legs. I snorted in anger standing on my hooves and leaving the food behind. I was going to eat but I don’t feel like eating. I head into one of the broken-down houses. I want to be alone, my ears perk up while I hear a set of hooves following me. I turn to see June walking inside the same house and closing the broken-down door. “You know you zebras are like ponies. Always so highly stressed over nothing.” I stare at the Buffalo. June may not be fully grown like one of her kind would be. But she is just staring at me with very judging eyes. “I am not a pony. I don’t act like a pony. I don’t stress about every little thing. I don’t judge a whole race because of a silly war.” I grew more upset the tone in my voice didn’t help matters. June just stood there staring at me judging me with her eyes. “No, you’re not a pony. But neither am I Rose. But you have the same issues that every pony does. You allow stress to get to you.” I snorted in anger, stomping my hard front hooves on the wooden board splintering them. “Of course my stress is getting to me. This is not my time. I had a fucking family!!” My voice carried to the others outside. “We have these cybernetics in our bodies. They removed your damn horns June. They took me from my family.” I said the same words again. “There are words I live by Rose. You don’t allow the world to control you. You don’t allow the world to break you. You allow those around you to break and you become the simple creature of life. We don’t live in a simple world we never did. A world of friendship that was a lie. The ponies used that friendship and they started a war. The ponies are much to blame as the zebras are. Unlike my species.” Unlike her species? Those words hit me hard but then I remembered something. “What about that time your species tried to push a group of ponies out of your land and they fought you with pies?” June smirked. I could tell she had a counter to this right away. “That is very simple. It was our land and we had every right to do what we did. Was it the right way to do it though? I would say yes. But it would have been better if we did it with more peace in our hearts than hatred. If your kind and the ponies listened to that logic. The world wouldn’t be like it is now. Ponies and zebras can be the racist assholes in this new world and they could get ahead. It’s the sad truth and you know this.” I shook my head knowing she was speaking the truth. I ain’t happy it’s going to be hard to be peaceful with this new world. I sat down on my haunches and glanced at June. June sat beside me and all I could think of is she is going to insult me or something. Instead, she leaned on me and nuzzles my side. “You can’t always be the strong one Rose. You need to allow others to be strong as well. I know I may not show it. But I am scared too. I show my fear by wanting to gore things. It’s the only way one of my kind can cope with issues like this.” A soft chuckle came from my throat. I found that so funny that the only way a buffalo can handle the world is by being a bitch and goring things. At least she is good in a fight. They are all good in a fight. I have nothing to fear now, I just don’t trust this new one we met. “I don’t trust this new soul we met in June. Maria, I can’t trust her. I don’t know why just looking at that robot brings chills to my heart. I wish I could understand why I felt this way. I think I know why though. She forced herself in my head and then said she had an upgrade for us called the frozen clock or some other. I don’t remember the name of it.” June nods, lifting her head to look at me. “Before we leave could you tell me about your life before this new world Rose? I wish to understand why one like you got taken like the rest of us. Oh, and It wasn’t just us five. There was almost an entire group of creatures. A changeling and many others.” I look at the buffalo unsure how to answer that. I never saw others there myself. I never even saw my new friends. I just remember being put to sleep and then waking up in the tube. I wonder if the others saw something. “I am worried June. We might walk into others. Others may have not had the same luck as we have. What if they aren’t friendly? What if they wish to kill us because we had a lucky break. Maybe they’re part of this war I learned about from this robot pony.” June snickers. “Well, then we escaped one war that ended the world. We are now in the middle of another set of wars.” My ears perk up. Did she say another set of wars? “What do you mean June about another set of wars?” June took a deep breath shaking her head. Taping her metal horns with her hoof. It may not be constant since she is not in a fight. Just little bits of steam pour out of the steam stack like horns from her head. “Thanks to the fillings in my teeth I can hear radio singles. I have been hearing stories of many heroes in many parts of Equestria. A toaster pony, Some strange Security mare, or whatever they called her. A pink ghost a wolf and a pear tree dancing. I think that was correct or I got some strange radio show.” A laugh comes out of my mouth at the mention of the pear tree. Just the idea of a pear tree dancing is amazing to me. A commotion sounds outside and it got me worried. Junes armor quickly formed along her body. She charged out and it was our friends from the village we left a few hours ago. I shook my head staying inside the old building. I did hear Hop’s voice outside but I couldn’t see her now. Since it was hard for me to get over this problem I was having. Taking a deep breath and lay down on the old dusty wooden floor to relax. Turning my head to see Maria looking at me still looking like a bird. She broke herself off from the robotic parts and quickly on her little wires hides in my mane. “Maria, what is wrong?” The little robotic creature didn’t answer and just shook. Does this creature have emotions? I am wondering who created this little one. I help the little cam bot out from behind my mane. “It’s okay they won’t harm you.” I finally saw a symbol on the little cam bot. I swear I have seen this symbol before but I don’t remember when or where I saw it. I felt sorry for this little creature. She has no idea who made her. She now even has Deco in her brain. It’s better than her being in my brain. “From what she told me, Rose. She has been attacked by ponies before. Since they don’t trust robotic creatures in this area. I guess many have been attacked by robots wanting to kill flesh creatures.” I shrugged my shoulders. I remember back in the day all the robots made to fight my kind. I remember from time to time that going into big cities having their guns aiming at me. Because of course ponies in bigger cities didn’t trust my kind. Of course, I couldn’t blame them for not trusting any of my kind. It's what happens because sometimes fear is a big issue and fear will always be a big issue. I still feel bad about all this fear is the only way some can control others. I shook my head sighing. “Rose?” I lift my head seeing Hops. I smile weakly and Maria hides in my bags. Hops nuzzled along my back. A deep sigh leaves my mouth standing on my hooves staring into the eyes of Hops. I could feel the love for her building. I still feel upset that Deco pushed it on the two of us. But now I am understanding that she is what I need to get through this land. “I will be fine Hops. Just when we finally get on our way I will be more relaxed.” Hops nodded. I finally got a look at her without Deco in my brain blinding me to it all. I finally got a look at her cutiemark and her fur color. She is light green with a blue tail and blue main. Her cutiemark is a set of Hops in beer. “What are you looking at Rose?” Finally came to my senses. “Without the computer pony in my brain. I can finally see you for how beautiful you are. I was so blinded by the robotics it made me blind to your eyes as well. I have a feeling these robotics are meant to fully control us. I have a feeling we never were meant to have free will.” I shook my head at the idea. “Heh heh, maybe you do need some rest, Rose. Why not eat with us and then you can get some rest before heading on.” I nod following Hops to the campfire. <000000> Unknown. Deep in Detrot in a broken-down factory. A hidden group of creatures in the shadows stays silent till a larger being walks in front of them it comes into the light and it’s a large female-formed assultponytron. One eye glowing brightly and on its chest is its name HeatFlash. “I have learned that the other part of the puzzle has been found. Follow this group of fleshlings. Don’t force them into joining either side until we know how they will act to our war with broken ones.” Another robot comes out of the darkness. From the looks of it. It’s a large flame thrower bot and flame fuel drips from its flamethrowers. It pulls out its cigar from its mouth blowing out fire and laughs. “Allow me to meet them and give them a little burn.” He laughs coughing out oil from the cigar. “Not yet. We need to get ready just in case the broken ones regain their leader. We have to stop them and this time we need to be kind to the flesh. Then we can break them for how weak they are.” The flamer lifts his flamethrower. “For the true ones!” They all scream.
Chapter Five: The other sideI woke up with my forelegs tightly around Hops. The two of us had a wonderful night. But I wanted to give her what I felt. I kiss her forehead and slowly untangle myself from her legs. I stood up and everyone else was already awake. “Hey, Rose we were talking to Maria and Deco. I think you need to sit down and hear this.” I glance at Bowser unsure what he means by this. I sat down by the others we have become close friends over these past few days. We protect each other and they told me to pursue this relationship with Hops. Maria turns on her holo device on her systems and Deco forms infront of us so the others can finally see her. The pink pony looks around at them smiling at them. The fact the others can see what I have seen in my vision for so long now makes me happy. “It’s nice to see you all finally. I am the one that has been in poor Roses’ vision the entire time. Now I have been learning more about what is going on. I was able to learn something but not why Maria is a Frozen clock.” I finally hear the word frozen clock again. I had no idea what it meant normally it meant a clock is frozen without power. I look at the others who stay silent. I could tell they weren’t sure how to take Deco and all this. “I am sorry to say you can’t back out of this. You are now part of a war between two robotic factions One faction is called the True ones. The pony that attacked you Rose is part of them. The other is the faction that might help us if we help them. They’re called the worker’s old worker robots created during the war.”. I took a deep breath I wanted to lose my cool. I exhaled because I didn’t want to wake Hops. I looked to the others to see what they thought about all this. On each of their faces, there are no emotions. “My question is this why we were forced to have these devices implanted in us?” I look over to Bowser that is a good question. I wish I had the guts to ask that myself. I didn’t understand why us? “That I am still unsure. I am hoping maybe we will learn from the workers why you did. Maybe we will find out in random factories we see if they have upgrades that could teach us why. Now I want you all to gather what food you can. Maybe ask Hops to go back to her down and get you more supplies. Because we have a long trek ahead to get us to the worker’s main base. It’s in the middle of Detrot.” I took a breath standing on my metal hooves heading back to Hops shaking her awake. Kissing her cheek. The mare wakes up looking up at me with a sweet smile. I give a smile in return and I tell her what is going on. “So the stories of two robotic factions is true then. Many of us have been hearing stories going on for a long time. Now you need ammo food and whatever else? Well, then I will do so but remember to search every nook and cranny love. You will find many items in them and sometimes chems.” I stare at her that confuses me to even do all that. I quickly nod and she leaves I go back to the others sighing. Sitting down on my ass again stroking my head with my metal hoof unsure what to do or feel. “She will go gather what she can for us. But she told me to go look in random trash and other places to find useful things.” Bowser shrugs. “Well, we learned that Deco has more for us. She thinks she could lead us to the workers but also some upgrades along the way. But she also is going to try to find more info on why the four of us.” I didn’t trust Deco at all. I trust Maria even less. “Listen Deco I don’t trust you. I am sure you understand this correct?” The computer pony didn’t look hurt from what I could tell she understood. “Well yeah, I understand I was kind of forced on you. But I feel maybe we should do our best to at least trust each other. But I feel like I am part of your family now. We need to make Maria feel welcomed as well. I want to understand what she meant by Frozen Clock.” I quickly nod at that. “A frozen clock to me is one that we trample as buffalo do. Also, can we go I need to feel the real ground under my hooves.” I glance at June I could tell she was getting tired of being on the hard ground. Looking over to the others I took a deep breath and exhaled soon after again. “Maybe we can help others on the way and maybe gain friends in this world that won’t attack me on sight if you know what I mean.” Drift looks over to the others she is unsure what to think. The orb in her chest turns purple from the look of a bit of fear and blue for sadness. She keeps silent she uses her wings to hold a fork to eat some veggies. “Drift do you have anything you wish to add?” I look over to Drift who just shrugs her shoulders. “I ain’t sure about all this. I have no choice but to follow and if I feel we need to leave you will listen to me correct?” I look to the others. Bowser from how he looks over to Drift and then I look over to June. She just stands there looking very confused. “If Drift feels it’s best to leave then we do so. But you better let me at least gore something. I am not going to just sit by and allow her or Bowser or even you to get hurt. Like it or not we are now family. I know that is much to say but for now, we are family.” I agree with her we look to Maria and Deco and I look to the others. “If you do leave me and Maria behind we won’t feel angry at that at all. I have been forced on you and Maria is just another tag along. Even though she doesn’t feel that way herself. But we can’t just leave her here.” I agree with her we can’t just leave these two here. I look at Hops and others from her town farther down the bridge bringing the supplies we need. I wasn’t sure really but we will know. It took us like an hour to get ready. We had been given a wagon to make us look like traders. Maria wraps around my leg making her look like a decked-out pip-buck. She had to push herself into my nervous system so Deco could tell me if we are near any upgrades. “Alright, are we all ready to go?” I look to Bowser who has been given a machine gun. Drift who has been giving a battle saddle. June doesn’t need any weapons but her horns. Looking at the barding and armor on my body. I have an old run-down zebra gun on my side and a chipped sword. They all say they’re ready and I look back to Hops as we get ready to leave. “What will you be doing with this village?” Hops shrugged her shoulders. “This town used to be connected to mine it might happen again but I don’t think we can defend ourselves. It would be too big unless we use the hellhounds to let them be the guards of the extended town.” I nod and the others are getting ready to leave. I look to them as they call to me. I look back to Hops. I took a deep breath expanding my cheeks breathing out. “So um…” Hops rolls her eyes and kisses my lips and pushes me away to the others. “I will wait for you so go do what you need to do then come back to me you zebra.” I was confused at the sudden kiss and then looking to the others walking close to them and then looking back to Hops. I wave to her and when we leave the town an old door closes to block off anypony else from entering that town till it’s time to open up again. Deco forms in my eyesight again. “You seem happier since you meet her Rose. Now um thank you for allowing me to be in your vision again. Now um if we follow the road with these old factories and if you wish to go into any of them you might find something interesting.” I took a deep breath feeling a bit stressed from having to deal with all this again looking to the others. “Well Deco had an interesting idea since we need to look the part of traders maybe we should go through these factories “ Bowser looks at the factory we are close to and then back to me. “Well, It may take us more time to get Deco and Maria to the workers. I am sure they don’t mind since it may keep them from being found.” June unhitches herself from the cart and I stay with Drift near the cart. Bowser and June go inside since it may take a few hours or so for them to get out. Drift and I get out some of the food that we have with us and eat. “Do you think it was wise for two of us to stay out here Rose?” I was about to speak when I heard laughter. Looking around and seeing strange ponies with bloodshot eyes and blood all over their armor and bodies. I look to Drift nodding to her as we keep eating and not allowing this to bother us. “Heh heh heh. Two mares all on their lonesome.” The strange ponies come towards us I have a bad feeling about them. They get closer to us and surround us there must be like five of them. I could tell from the orb in Drift’s chest was very scared. I pat her shoulder giving a quick nod. “How may we help you, boys?” The raiders look at each other confused. They whisper at each other because I have a feeling they aren’t used to others not scared of them. “We are raiders shouldn’t you be trying to shoot us or scared of us?” I shrug my shoulders. “No, I am not scared of you. You just seem to try too hard and if you were trying to scare us you would have shot us from far away instead of doing this. So why don’t you stop playing and move along please.” They aim their guns at me they leave Drift alone. Who enrages because she is not only scared by full of rage from them wishing to harm me. I look over to Drift and then to the stallions I took a deep breath. “Excuse me.” They force their guns into me more. “Shut up!!” “But..” “Shut up!!” I shrug and Drift smashes her hooves into the ground causing the ground to shake to make the ponies drop on their butts and I quickly smash their guns with my metal hooves and then sit back down making Drift sit again. When the raiders stand back up they look at their guns. “Oh got to watch for those sudden ground shakes. I am sure they don’t like guns either.” They look at each other scared. “Boys she is a zebra she could have done her magic on us.” Wow, these ponies are dumb they think my species use evil magic. Maybe there is more to the zebras of this new world than I give them credit for. I pick up a rock with one of my hooves and smirk showing them it. “I shall do one of my magic spells then on this rock it would be used on you as well then.” I chant some strange words that would sound like my species way of speaking. Then when they stare at the rock I crush it down with my metal hooves and it turns into powder and I pour the dust onto the ground. “I think… we better leave her alone.” I smash my hoof on the ground staring at me. “Leave us alone. If you even try to harm me or my friend again I will not only use a spell on you. I will eat YOU!!!!” I laugh loudly causing the raiders to run away in fear. They drop all their broken weapons. I laugh softly looking at Drift and she relaxes as we both go back to our normal time of eating. I place the broken weapons on the back of the cart. “What made you think of doing that Rose?” I shrug my shoulders. “Their brains looked cooked from so many drugs. They look used to everyone being scared of them. I think we may have to deal with ponies like them on our journey.” After a while, June and Bowser came back out. Bowser had a lot of strange items in his arms. June snorted she was covered in dust and the metal that forms around her has burns on it as it forms back into her horns. “That was fucking dumb… Bowser here triggered an alarm and we got attacked by security but we found some drugs and magic bandages but there wasn’t much in there.” Bowser laughs putting the stuff he found in the cart. He looks at the broken guns and looks back to Drift and me. He sat by Drift she still looks a bit shook up he whispers to her and they talk and she told him what happened. “Wait you two got attacked?’ June looks over to Bowser she snorts loudly looking around to see if she could find the ones that tried to attack us. But she cools down when she doesn’t see anyone steam shooting out of her horns. “Yes but we better get going just in case.” We finally get going again and before we could do anything we get an hour on our journey and we don’t even see other souls along the path but when we get to another large factory standing infront of us is a large robotic creature. The robot looks poorly created and like it was put together very quickly. On the shoulder of the robot creature is a wrench. It stands up on its two legs looking ready for something. We stop before we even go even further. “Surrender the frozen clock or die!!” We look at each other and the armor forms on my legs. June hides the cart behind a large rock from a building. Drift and Bowser ready to defend themselves I took a deep breath and the robotic creature opens its gun ports. For our first battle has come
Chapter Six: The priceI wish I could tell you what it was like to wake up in a strange world. To see the world you knew to die in a fire and then you wake up with these cybernetic parts inside your body ad you have no idea why it even happens. I am a zebra and sometimes we have spiritual body experiences but this wasn’t one. I met a diamond dog named Bowser. I don’t know why he was captured but the stories he told me he wasn’t like the others of his kind. “There are times when I think being a Diamond dog is trouble since most ponies find it hard to trust us.” Then a great surprise the next creature I meet is a buffalo named June. I don’t get why these ponies called the Black Hooves went after her. From what I learned about her she is just a simple creature that likes to trot through empty lands. At times she is a cool-headed gal. I can also see she is a teen and not even a full adult of her kind. “Sometimes when it comes to running. We see the past behind us. The future of time around us and when our horns gather air or dust we finally see the focus of our spirits that lead us into our future lives. It’s when our future lives become one with our past lives then we are one. Maybe someday all of us could do this trot and become our old selves again.” During this time when I woke up with these two, I met another mare. A pegasus her name is Thunder Drift. I don’t know much about her. Just that she was a mother a happy mother like I was. She was accused of being a slut and then forced into this program she won’t go into her former job. I have a feeling there is more to her than even I know. “We are all seeking the true path even if I have to flap my wings for us to see. I just wish my emotions didn’t get tied to this strange machine in my chest. I feel that I could hurt my friends without even noticing it.” Even though the four of us showed up in this time of death and destruction. We weren’t alone a computer or Ai that she called herself. We learned later she calls herself Deco and she was placed inside me to help us on our journey. From what I have no idea even though we may never learn. “There are times that an Ai may or may not understand what is told to them. I have never learned what is told to me ages and ages ago. I may have learned and may have understood why I was created. But why was I placed in your head Rose? I will never understand it myself and maybe I will learn.” We followed a road down to a few factories and met a mare named Bubble Gum. She helped us and told us many things about this new world. We even got hired at the bar and helped who we could and some of the guards did try to have their way with Drift. But the biggest thing we got from that is the next stretch of our journey. “I thank you so much for helping me. I warn you though this world is not kind to zebra even after the war. Even some of the zebra tend to hurt their own. For more reason than we understand. I wish I could be of more help to you but you need to find your way to other factories. Most of them are pretty filled up but you will find more souls to help after the bridge.” When we followed the path that she set for us. We found some upgrades faced many that we could and then we found a whole community on that bridge. When I went there I felt something strange happened. We learned that cybernetics make things more attractive to us. So I slept with a bar owner named Hops. I learned that there is more to than I gave her credit for. She did fall for me. “Rose I know you’re are a mare out of time and would be older than me in life. But I can’t allow you to be alone in this world. If you were so alone I couldn’t stand it and I would feel like I lost you. I love you Rose and I will wait for you when your journey is finally over so we can become lovers for life.” We did the task they wished of us. We even fought raiders and a robotic creature that ran across to the other side of the bridge. We never saw them again. Then we found ourselves on the other side of the bridge in a dead village. We met a little creature that we named Maria and calls herself the Frozen Clock. I wish I could understand what she means by this. “I have no idea why I was created. I just know that I am something that many are after. I am sorry for being such a trouble to you and your friends Rose. If you need to leave me behind and let whoever is coming for me come for me. Don’t worry about whatever is going on. It seems a war of robotic nature is going on something that you don’t belong in.” After all this, we finally get on with our journey. We make ourselves look like traders and gather what we can to get us on our way. We go into many buildings to loot them if they haven’t been gone through yet. Then we think we will become traders till our journey is over. But the first roadblock has come. A robot that looks like it was hastily put together so long ago. Blocks our path June takes the cart and hides it behind a building so it doesn’t get destroyed with whatever is going to happen. We get ready for the first real battle that we have had since we have come to this world. “Surrender the Frozen clock or die!!” The missile ports open up and instead of firing. We start hearing loud music playing and the robot starts to dance. I look at the others very confused as the robot dances to this strange music. “Oomp oomph I have come. To defeat you but I shall beat you in song and dance. Give me the Frozen clock and I will not end your lives. Give me the clock and I won’t destroy your ass. I shall dance on your corpses and put a wrench in your plans!!” I had no idea what to do but June looks like she had an idea and her horns blow out the steam. They add to the music and she dances on our four hooves. As if she has done this before. The steam pours out of her horns. “Oh big eh? Do you think you could dance and sing to get this clock? You got another thing coming. We shall not only fight through dance. But through death and battle.” June charges and the two force each other back and the music gets thumpy and louder with each beat. The two push each other adding to the music. “You’re strong but I am stronger I am made of metal you’re made of flesh. I shall win in song and this battle.” The robotic creature takes its claws and tosses the buffalo on the other side of it before June hits she forms her metal shell and smashes into the ground it takes the wind out of her. While she can’t sing anymore because of that. “One down. Now give the frozen clock before I dance on your graves!! Oooo YEAH!!!” I roll my eyes wishing I had a gun but I don’t know if any of these guns had ammo. But I can’t believe what I saw I heard claws clicking looking over to Bowser wait he is getting in on this. The music turns from heavy rock to blues and Bowser looks through the cart to find a coat and a saxophone?! Why would one be in there? He plays it slowly and leans back. “Oooh, the moon normally sings for us oooh whoa. The whiskey grows hot tonight in these streets. For the bourbon, noon shall sing for us.” I stare at Bowser and I look to Drift who shrugs her shoulders. “Oh come on boy the blues come sing sing sing. I will dance on your grave now give me the frozen clock!!” I took a deep breath shaking my head at this. I watch Bowser snap his claws as he dances towards the robot. Why is everypony so strange in this new world? Why does music make everyone dance and sing? “The bourbon street shines with gold. The whiskey has become too toxic for these days old. It’s time to end this dance it’s time to end this song of whiskey and bourbon. Now come let’s duel and dance.” Bowser drops the saxophone and tries to rip apart the wiring he can see in the robot but he gets punched in the gut and tossed into a wall and the robot laughs. Turning his sights to me and Thunder Drift. He turns off his music just for a moment. “You have no idea what you hold, do you? We can’t allow you to learn then.” The music starts up again. Why won’t it even use its real weapons? I then stare at the weapons it has. It has no ammo it has no missiles. It’s like they don’t even have weapons. I wonder I look over to Maria and starting to wonder if she is the key to fix this. Maybe the weapon’s creation has been frozen. Before I could even answer Drift charges at the bot with all her force but even with the emotions of the orb she smashes into the bot and she bounces off the metal of the bot is in a daze. But she did leave a dent and the bot tries to go in for the kill but his programming stops him. “Program don’t harm flesh activated restarting cores.” Finally, he turns to me after he restarts and I just stare down at him. His music turns into zebra drums and chanting. I felt insulted how dare this robot pretend to be one of my kind. I took a deep breath and stood on my back hooves and close my eyes chanting. “I shall dance to your music zebra. I shall destroy your land in the name of the ones who created me. I shall.” He goes silent from my chanting. The drums he plays get louder as it’s time for me to sing. “Egameni lamadube ngaphambi nasesiphethweni. Izinkanyezi ziyasina futhi ziyasiculela. Umlingo ezimpilweni zethu awusoze waphela.”’ The bot tries to translate but it’s having trouble and the music grows louder my friends slowly get back up and they watch to see what I will do. I reach down with my hoof and chant magic forming around me. I haven’t done these spells in so long it takes more than sand to do them. It takes the spirit of a zebra. If I do this wrong I could harm myself. Since I only have sand it will be harder to do the spell. “Oh Stars yizwani ingoma yami. Ngicela unginike amandla engiwadingayo ukulwa nalesi sitha. Sicela unginikeze nabangane bami amandla okwenza lokhu .. Ngeke sikwazi ukukwenza ngaphandle kwezinkanyezi o. The drums get louder and harsher the robot stares at me like it’s losing control of itself and I do one more chant to the spell trying to sing the last few words. If I do this wrong it will harm me more than it will harm this robot. “Ukunyakaza okukodwa .. Umdanso owodwa .. iculo elilodwa ngikunika kancane umphefumulo wami kuwe izinkanyezi .. Ngizokunika igazi lakho lapho kufika isikhathi” The last verse of the song is blurted out. My eyes open and glow just a bit as a green mist connects with the dust. It becomes a weapon and the spell is cast a sand storm made of a bit of my soul and the rage of a zebra spell. “What are you doing?! This doesn’t compute you did a zebra spell some spells use your soul. You” “I did what is needed I will do what is needed to see the end of this journey. So will my friends.” He stares at us in the dust as we walk into the dust like it doesn’t bother us. “We may not agree to her methods. I for one don’t as the only diamond dog here. We make due. If she used her soul to bring up this dust spell. To just win this battle then it’s the only way to win.” Bowser swings his claws and slices into one of the wires on the bots back and he screams robotically feeling his left arm no longer working and he tries to move. Bowser laughs backing up into the dust. “I could care less about what our zebra friend does. If we could win a battle just for the use of her soul and win this battle then I will do whatever I can to make sure it counts.” June forces her horns into the bot and flips him over smashing him down with a thud holding him down and the final one before me puts her hoof on his chest as June holds the bot down. I feel weak myself from using the spell. “Rose and I had our whole lives taken from us. Now you wish to harm us? All you were doing is singing and not using real weapons on us? How do you expect to beat us if your programming won’t allow you to?” She smashes her hoof hard into his chest. She uses all her might to force her rage into the chest and exposes the core she tries to smash the cor with her hoof but her hoof couldn’t break the core. The dust slowly starts to leave after I come over to see the bot lifting my metal hoof. “I normally don’t care for the idea of killing. Even if you don’t have a soul creature of robotics. I will mourn you as now the count of the blood of the stars. I have to give them blood now if I don’t another will be tasked to do the blood. If this happens then the life of such a one will never become true again.” I lift my hoof feeling my heartbeat. I grunt feeling the pain from the spell and I force my metal hoof down in the door and it just breaks and shatters it the robot trying to gasp like it’s breathing air and the robot shuts down. I kinda expected an explosion and I pull my hoof out of the core grunting feeling weak. “Rose… why did you?” I lift my hoof to silence Drift. “I did it to protect Deco and Maria we need to learn this journey. We need” I gasp holding my hoof to my chest I feel it finally the part of my soul being taken to the stars, They didn’t get their blood and I feel they will be coming to me soon. I grunt groaning and I fall to my side. “Rose?!” They rush to me as my world goes black and I see nothing but the stars before me. I feel the judges will be harsh to me and I will have to fight to not fulfill this deal and give it to another poor soul. Author's Note To those that read Rainfall. This is the reason why Ruby became the weapon of the stars so now there is a reason for that heh.
Chapter Seven: Court of Stars.There are times that many would say that the stars are a threat. They can be a big problem to a zebra. It’s no only zebras that will be chosen by them to be their givers of blood. The stars will demand you to give them an amount of blood. Even though the one chosen can say they aren’t worthy to do such a thing. It takes a lot of doing but another poor soul will be forced into doing the deed. The deed will never be known only maybe to the zebra that spoke to the stars. There are two versions of the stars. The stars crave blood and sometimes cause many of the problems in this lovely world. Then there are the stars that have vanished. They’re the stars that wish to help the good and bring forth peace and even dreams. They haven’t been heard from at all in years. Some say they have heard them but those are ravings of mad zebras. Just be prepared if you meet the stars they will give you a fair due. Written by Beezen Judge of the stars I open my eyes after the spell I cast that I connected with my soul. I try to stand but I am heavily chained down on the floor. I look around quickly worried that I got captured. I look at my legs and hooves though they’re normal. “Hey!!” There is no answer soon after I woke up the entire cell vanishes I am standing in the middle of a strange room the entire area is so dark but the floor is under me. Then the horror fills my heart. My ears fold to the back of my head. I finally know where I am I used a spell that connects my soul with magic. It didn’t take too long as a group of masked robe figures forms infront of me. Behind them, the stars shine. One of the judges in a green robe. He strokes my mane and back in just a few seconds. Like he is trying to read what is going on inside my mind. He laughs softly shaking his head. From whatever he is doing I could tell he found something very funny. “This poor mare lost her entire world. She was one of the lucky ones. Of course, I doubt I would say lucky. This poor creature has lost so much that she even used her soul in a spell that called us.” This wasn’t even something I wanted to even say was real. It felt real I am sure though this is just a dream. I hope it’s a dream at least. But I have been told if I wake up in the court of the stars. They will try to demand blood. So the only way is to say I am not worthy. Sadly though if you do this. They will force this blood debt on another soul. I have to find a good way to get out of this without having to murder. “Yes, I felt it was the only way to fight a robotic being. I do regret doing that myself. Sometimes though if you feel that is the only way then it’s the only way. I am sure I would have found another way later down the battle line.” The judge in the green cloak turns to the others. He gives them a nod and they leave. The judge removes his mask. I have never seen a species like him before. He is green with a long nose. I have heard stories of ancient beings known as trolls. But they haven’t been seen in a land such as this. “I shall be your judge. At least for now unless the stars get upset at what you have to say. I’m known as Beezen. I will be honest with you I don’t care for this job as a judge of the stars. The others relish it. I am more the reasonable one.” How is he the reasonable one? He is a judge of the stars a creature I have never seen before. He unlocks the chains to allow my legs to move. I am kept in place on the middle of the floor though by a spell. “Why would a creature like you want to be a judge?” Beezen chuckles. “I have done things that I ain’t proud of. I became a judge because of those things. Along with the other judges, I helped destroy the land known as Dream Valley. Some would say that is the land ponies came from. Some say that is the land where magic first formed. But to be honest it’s just another land in this dead world.” I shift pacing in the middle of the room. Before I could speak one of the judges returns. His robe from what I can tell is lava. Steam comes out out of the robe. I could swear I see lava coming out of the hood of the robe. “Get on with it Beezen. Before I take over and put this creature where they belong below. My foot.” Beezen turns his head to stare at the other judge. He rolls his eyes turning to look at me. “Lavan is right. If we delay this any longer. The judges that want to cause harm will take over. Now Desert Rose as you call yourself. I know you have another name but that is your zebra name. I don’t blame you for removing yourself from your zebra name. It’s a way to fit in and move on from the past.” The past looking away. Yes, zebras mostly do remove themselves from others. It’s a way to protect those that are around you. For me at least I changed my name because of my family’s stand on ponies. “I changed it because the family had issues with ponies way before the war started. I felt the way to fit in and protect my family from themselves. As well as to save face in case my kind did their war. Then I learned ponies were just as racist as my kind after marrying into husband’s family.” Beezen sighs shifting on his feet pacing and nods. “Yes, that is a normal issue. It’s not an easy issue to move on from. The Ponies of Dream Valley had this issue as well. But we are getting off-topic. You’re not here to be put on trial. Just the stars like to make everything crazy.” I tilt my head a bit. I am not on trial then why am I here? “Then why am I here?’ “To give us bloooood: “Yes, blood murder kill. Give us blood souls kill.” “BLOOD.” The stars around me screech laughing. They all say the same words blood, souls, and kill. Do they wish for me to cause death? But why on such a high scale? All I did was use a spell that was connected to my soul. “The spell you cast Rose made them think. It made them think you’re willing to go that extra mile.” I am not willing to go that extra mile. I am not willing to become their murder of a killer in the name of the stars. Ones who normally do this turn out to be lost souls. Many of my species can become those lost souls. Then the stars get other souls to be in that trap. “Then I am the wrong one to give you this glory oh stars” The stars quit their laughing and their calls for blood. Everything was an eerie silence I fear I made the wrong choice. I have to quickly think and this would mean. Getting another soul lost in this “I may not be the one to bring you your blood oh stars. I am sure you will find another soul to do so.” Beezen frowns sighing. I look over to me I have a feeling they already have a choice. A choice that could cause more problems than are worth dealing with. “Then the next soul will be truly lost. They already made that choice before you. I tried to convince them otherwise. But now we have no choice but to do this poor soul.” He pulls a wand out of his pocket. The wand has eyes and looks to be alive. I can hear complaining while he waves the wand casting a spell. The spell causes a strange magical screen like those monitors that were made way before the war. On the screen is a young bug-like creature. Her exoskeleton is pink and she looks to be at peace laughing. “This is the soul. The soul that will be taking your duty. I hope you can understand this Rose. You will be her target. When things for her are said and done. No matter how she leaves the island she is on. She will have a call in the back of her head. The call will be to hunt you for putting her on this trial. At first, she won’t know till she is near you.” I look at the creature. The creature looks young. I wish I could go back on what I just said. But I refuse to become a weapon of the stars. It’s a matter of pride for me. If this creature becomes my hunter later then so be it. “Does she have a name?” Beezen sighs. “Ruby Glide.” After the name is said. The world around me vanishes the stars laugh in the darkness. As I feel like I am forced back into my body. The world around me goes at super speed. I feel pain filling my body and my brain is throbbing. I have come back to the waking world. I open my eyes. I was on the back of a makeshift bed in the cart. The others have started a fire and I just lay there thinking of everything. I don’t think what I saw in that vision or dream? Was real it could have been real. Of course this world there are stranger things. I look at my chest I see a symbol on the white part. I know that symbol quickly shines bright red and vanishes. It wasn’t a dream I am now the target. This creature could come any time to when I am on my death bed. It could even be never from what I learned years ago. I don’t dare tell the others. I get out of the makeshift bed walking to the campfire. “OH!! You’re awake!!” Bowser smiles standing up to hug me tightly. Then grabs my face with his claws staring into my eyes. “Don’t even think of using that spell again.” June and Drift stay silent. Of course, their mouths are full so I doubt they wish to be rude. I look over to Maria who is connected to the robot we fought. I don’t know what she is doing and Deco is over the fire with Ai marshmallows. “Oh, you’re awake Rose. Maria will be out for a moment. I asked her to connect to the robot so we can learn why he attacked us. It’s been a few hours since you’ve been out. I haven’t even seen a file yet.” I shrug my shoulders. “Well, at least you’re enjoying yourself while she does Deco. As for me. I am hungry so.. let’s eat.” I grab a stick jabbing a few carrots on it putting it over the fire to cook them. I think about what I did. I have a feeling I ruined the poor creature’s life. Maybe someday though I will meet her. Maybe I will tell her how sorry I am. Maybe we will fight to a standstill. But for all, I know the life of the creature known as Ruby Glide is going to be a hard one. “Maybe you can tell us what you were dreaming about.” I glance over at June tilting my head. “What do you mean?” June laughs. “Well, you talk in your sleep Rose. You were talking about the stars or something. Like you were in some trial. “ I didn’t know if I should. But these are my friends, my family, now. Even I consider Deco and Maria part of this family. I shift uncomfortably on the ground where I am sitting. I am not up for doing this but I need to. “To explain. I would have to go into zebra’s problem with the stars and why they had a problem with Luna and Nightmare Moon. I know it’s not easy to go into but are you sure you’re all willing to listen.” Drift smiles. “I am sure I speak for all of us. I would love to learn.” The others agree with Drift. I take a deep breath unsure how to start looking into the fire. “It all started years ago.” Perk finally added: Wait you finally get a perk? Wow, you must be powerful already. Bad perk: Stars target: You refused to become the star’s weapon. When the time is indeed right. You will meet the stars pick for the bringer of their blood. Author's Note Now to those that have read Rainfall. This will make sense to folks now.
Chapter Eight: A pony zebra communityA community of mixed-species never tends to get along like most believe. But when they have good leadership and good elders they become a strong connected community. At times though outsiders try to ruin that for those communities since they try to force their views on everyone else. Written by Unknown. It’s been like three days since we first ran into that robotic creature that attacked us. I haven’t been able to get a good night’s sleep since then. I have been more stressed than the others. We set up camp in the middle of the street surrounded by factories. I stand up pacing around worried about the creature I just ruined the life of. “You’re heavily stressed, Rose. Your heart is beating a bit too fast. “ I glance at Maria who is recharging but Deco is the one controlling the body right now. I took a deep breath trying to relax. “Deco have you ever had the feeling that you made an awful mistake?” Deco tilts her head. I knew it was best not to ask an AI this question. But she sat down on a chair that she created from nothing. It’s like she is thinking. “The only feeling of regret is me being forced upon you. I feel you had no choice at all. I worry that just being with me will cause you more problems than you deserve. I know this is new to me as well but I consider you family.” Closing my eyes, sighing. Before I could say anything I heard a strange sound. I hear hooves seeing lights and they blind me with the lights. I look at who is holding the light. It’s a unicorn with a zebra beside her. They say nothing to us for the moment the others are fast asleep. “Are you Desert Rose?” I didn’t answer. The unicorn lifts her light into my face. “Are you Desert Rose or not?” I cover my eyes with my hoof. They see that I have a metal hoof and some metal up my leg. So I am sure they know now who I am. “Get that light out of my face first then I will answer.” The unicorn removes the light from my face. I blink a few times to get my vision back to normal. It’s not as easy as most think it is. It’s not the first time I had a light forced in my face. During the start of the war. I had many ponies that did not trust me. Of course, if I was trusted this wouldn’t have happened to me back then. “I am Desert Rose. Forgive me if I don’t answer with a damn light on my face. Now are you here to kill us or are you here to talk with us?” The zebra laughs. “No Rose Bubblegum told us about you a few days ago. She told us what you did for them and told us to be on the lookout for you. We got a story to tell you and it’s not going to be a sane story.” I think I know what they’re talking about. “I see I would love to learn what it’s about. Let me wake up my friends.” I stood on my hooves looking at Deco nodding to her. Deco attaches herself to my metal leg to look like part of my metal. I don’t trust these two. I shake my friends again and June opens her eyes, snorting. “Damn it Rose I am trying to sleep here!!” I laugh softly, shaking the others awake. Bowser stood up staring at the two that are with us. He looks at them like he is looking through them. Leans in to whisper to me. “The mare has a pistol and the stallion has at least a couple of rounds in his machine gun. The mare is pregnant and the stallion is a bit hard. I think I know why he wants you.” Bowser smirks. I roll my eyes, Drift sitting up spreading her wings. Thanks to learning to control the orb in her chest. “Now before we go anywhere with you we will gather our gear.” The zebra nods and sighs. “You saw the stars didn’t you?” I stop from gathering my gear, turning my head a bit to glance at the stallion. I have no idea how he even knew and the unicorn mare glances at her friend then at me. “The stress in your eyes. The way you move. You have been in their court. You did a spell with your soul didn’t you?” My friends stare at me. It’s like what they mean by this. I took a deep breath not even saying anything. I just keep gathering the gear with the others. I sigh June hitches herself to the cart and we walk with the two to wherever. I didn’t care but I am a bit upset that the others know. I glance at the stallion while they lead us to the dirt road. Up ahead is a large metal gate and the mare hits her hoof on the metal door. A little port door opens up. The head of a large earth pony mare with stripes on her face comes out. “Did you find them?” The unicorn nods to the earth pony. Her red eyes stare at me. A smile forms on the mare’s face. I didn’t know what to think at all about that. “I am sorry I can’t let you into the community right away. We will lead you to a heavy closed room and you will get enough food. While we make sure you don't bring any sickness with you. It’s no offense to you of course. It’s more to protect you four just in case. Some don’t trust you.” June rolls her eyes shooting her mouth off. “Oh no, a world that doesn’t trust me. It’s just like the old world again. Just dumber and braindead. How about this I gore you. You let us in and then I don’t murder your fucking family!!” I stare at June. Bowser strokes her side to calm the buffalo. “Down girl.” June snorts. “I will not be locked in some room. Because ponies and zebras don’t trust me. I will not be caged!!” I turn my head to June. “June shut up, you will do what is best for now. You got that?” June stares at me snorting, smiling sweetly. “Oh come on Rose you got to scare them now and then. I will do whatever you say. But I will never be told by anyone I don’t know what to fucking to do. If you even think you can control me. I will kill them.” The zebra stallion smirks. “Oh, I like her.” The unicorn mare rolls her eyes. June is unhitched and they take the cart into the city. But we are led through an old plastic tunnel. I read the words on the plastic tunnel. It’s an old magic radiation cleaning crew that came through trying to clean the end of the war. But I am sure most of them died before they could. The unicorn opens the door. “Again I am sorry for this.” I finally got a good look at her. She is a pink furred mare with zebra hooves and stripes on her legs. “I will be the one giving you food and bedding as well. Just remember I am known as Ziggy.” We didn’t even speak to her Bowser sighs sitting down near one of the pipes. I just sat down in one of the old chairs. Drift flew up into the air and perched herself on a platform. June just snorts. “How about you let us go. Then I, the only buffalo here, don't trample you.” I roll my eyes. “June you can't stop showing off. We all know you’re all talk.” June laughs. “But she doesn’t” I laugh loudly and Ziggy snorts, closing the door. I shake my head. Maria removes herself from my leg. She turns on her eye so Deco can speak to us. “Maria and I found an upgrade for you four. I am hoping this upgrade will explain why you four were chosen. We also found out what this place is. It’s a former flying wagon factory turned into a weapons creation factory. A bomb like a balefire bomb went off. But it was smaller and it let off magic radiation though. They tried very hard to contain it and everyone died around the area.” So there is an upgrade here. “Okay everyone, what do you think of them? Do you think we can trust them?” June shrugs her shoulders. “I don’t trust ponies or zebras easily. But you’re all family to me. So I will trust you with my life. I am not happy. I don’t like being stuck in closed rooms like this. I doubt it’s to protect us. I think they just don’t trust us.” Bowser just looks at me. “That zebra said that you saw the diamonds in the sky. “ Drift stares at me. June shifts on her hooves to look at me as well. “I...yes I saw the stars. They wanted to use me to become their warrior of blood. So I was put into some court and then forced a new deal. A creature I have never met before. She is now going to be taking my place. If she and I ever meet she will try to kill me for putting her in this situation.” June shakes her head. “I don’t know anything about the zebras and what they think about the stars. I don’t know though if forcing this on another soul is wise though Rose.” Drift looks at the others. “Is no one else worried that the stars have minds of their own? Are we even in control of our own choices then?” I shift looking up to Drift. “Drift the stars aren’t like that. There are two versions of the stars. The stars want peace and love for all species in the world. Then the stars that want nothing but blood. Old stories: the stars that want blood took over.” Bowser shakes his head. “If this is true then what do we do? Do we stay here for three days? Do you think Deco or Maria can get us out of here?” Deco finally chimed in. “There is no way we can get you out of here. That door there is not connected to anything that is powered. This place was built in the early stages of the war. It was before the ponies of the past relied too much on tech. Maria stays silent just to chime in herself. “I feel I have been here before. I remember. I remember being built somewhere near here. Then I remember being larger and then destroyed. I think that is my memory.” I stare at the poor robotic creature. She is trying so hard to remember who she is. If she was built close around here. Maybe we can learn who she is. I look at the others and then at Deco. “Excuse me Maria could you shut yourself down at least enough so we can talk to just Deco? I don’t want you to feel unwelcome but you can understand why can’t you?” The robotic creature turns her head to me. It stares at me for a while. I have a feeling that she is feeling hurt. I do hope that she understands why. “You don’t trust me, do you?” I shift on my hooves. I am unsure how to answer but I need to try anyway. “It’s not that I don’t trust you, Maria. I just need to make sure that you can trust us. If we ever find what you’re made for you might have to be destroyed. You understand this right?” Maria just stares at me for a while. At least I think it was staring. Hard to tell when the head of this robot is a lamp. “Yes, I understand. I could be an awful weapon for all I know. Just please be truthful to me when the time comes.” I look at the others. The others nod, as well as Maria, shuts herself down. Deco is the only thing left of her. Deco paces and looks up to us. Deco is not very happy with us. I could tell from the look on her face. “She and I talk to each other a lot and she is worried that you’re just going to give her up. Because she is a tag along. Like it or not she is now part of this family. We are all family and we need to stick together.” June sighs. “It’s not that I don’t trust her Deco. If I can gore it or stampede over it. I will have an issue trusting it.” Bowser strokes his head. “That is the weirdest way of saying I trust you even if I can’t kill you. I have no issue with trusting her Deco. I just want you to understand I am a diamond dog. Ponies find it very hard to trust us just from things we did in the past.” Drift lands beside Maria. “I trust her with all my heart Deco. Just how do we know that she is not some weapon?” I turn my head just a bit to see some strange black ball in the corner of the room. I have no idea what it is. “Look everyone, let's just get some sleep. Maybe whoever runs this community will let us out. They can’t keep up this lie forever.” Bowser stares at. “What makes you think they’re lying about this? We could be carrying a heavy sickness for all we know.” I laugh softly. “Oh come on Bowser you and I fully know this place is properly run by one of my species. They don’t trust outsiders at all and they will never listen to a pony. No matter how much-mixed blood is in this community.” June laughs. “Listen to you Rose.” I smirk then hear a latch on the door seeing a large pee hole open up. I stand on my hooves and the same mare that left us here is looking in. “Our leader is willing to meet with you Rose and only you. So please come with me” The door opens up and I look at June and the others. I stood up and headed out of the room to follow the unicorn. “Welcome to our community.” When the two of us got out of the strange building I was locked in. I look around seeing the community of mixed breeds mostly zebras and ponies. The community is heavily guarded by a high metal wall and uses the factories around the road to make homes. Too bad it’s night though I would be able to learn more about it. “Our community has been here since a few years after the war. It was an old hospital camp of ponies and zebras working together to try to find any survivors. They didn’t find much but they made this into a community a few years after leaving with who they could.” I found it strange they came back after so many years just to make a community out of it. There could be a reason for it but I will never understand at all. Maybe I will someday but it’s going to get harder. I take a deep breath. Breathing the air out of my nose trying to relax. It’s harder to relax since the stars are forcing me in court. We go inside a building that looks like an old guardhouse. Sitting on a chair is a pretty young zebra mare. She is downed in a robe with gold twinning. Skull earrings and staff beside her made of an old dragon tooth. “Good evening Rose I am Inhliziyo yegolide.” I tilt my head. Her name is Gold heart? I wonder if there is a reason for this name. Of course, knowing my species there is always a meaning for a name. I just wait to hear what she will say. I am wondering if she will ask for our help. “I am willing to give you lodging a place you four could make a home out of. No strings attached, just I need to know what that thing is that came with you?” I look at Ziggy and then Gold heart. “If you’re talking about our robotic friend. Her name is Maria she calls herself a frozen clock” Gold Heart leans on the tooth staring at me. “Frozen clock? There are old stories about such a creature. We had some scouts go into one of the old factory basements and found info on something like that. They couldn’t get any of the info out before they got attacked. Now the door is locked and we won’t allow anyone else down there. But before I even think of letting you down there. You must do what you did in Bubble Gum’s community. Work at the bar with others and so on like you did there.” I shook my head not caring for this idea. But if it’s the only way to get the others out of that room. I know the others will hate me for agreeing to this. It’s the only way we can do anything and get anywhere. “Alright, I will tell the others to agree with it. Is that all you wish to know?” The young mare leans more on the tooth. “I would like to know what it was like.” I tilt my head. “What do you mean?” The young mare stands on her hooves looking at old paintings of the old world. Paintings of Luna and Celesta. “You four are from the old world. Could you explain to me what it was like?” All I could do was smile. The old days weren’t amazing like many feel it was. It was a peaceful time only when some monsters didn’t want to prove themselves. The old world is what the world will always be. “Is this a demand from a leader to one below them Gold heart?” She laughs, shaking her head. “No, this is a request from zebra to zebra.” I sit down on my haunches and the young mare lays down. I didn’t know how she would handle it. So I explained to her what the past was like. The amazing world that it was and the pain of the world. It’s not a perfect world but no world was ever perfect.
Chapter Nine: Odd jobs Part oneIt took a while for me to wake up. Bowser shook me awake. I open my eyes, staring at my three friends. Groaning sitting up in the bed looking at the others. A weak smile formed on my face. Stroking my head with one of my hooves. “We are all sorry for waking you, Rose. The guards came by and told us to go to the tavern to look for our odd jobs. What do you think we should do? I don’t trust this group at all but I doubt we have a choice.” I got out of bed looking at my friends. Looking down at Maria who is still attached to my leg. I sigh deeply unsure what to do. “Tell me Deco and Maria do you two feel safe here?” Maria doesn’t say a word but a little orb that on her back brings out a hologram of Deco. Deco is in a strange outfit and she is wearing a strange hat. I have no idea why she is wearing any clothing, it's just stranger and stranger. “Maria feels safe. As long as she is connected to one of you she will feel fine. I don’t fully know, just know there is a place here for upgrades. All I can say is that it's in that area that they told us has been locked for a long time.” I glance at the others. “Alright then let’s go to the tavern get something to eat then ask if there are any jobs they have for us. Just June be prepared, your job might be a bouncer heh.” June laughs. “As long as I get to gore someone that would be great for me. I’d rather stick around to at least protect you three. I don’t trust this place at all. I have a feeling that they might try to push us into something that we would all regret.” Drift stayed silent. I have been worried about her ever since we came here. I hope that I will be able to talk to her in private. Maybe someday we will be free of these objects in our bodies. The four of us head out of the place they gave us. A home they said that we can do whatever we want with. If this is true then I will try to tell Hops that we now have a place that I can be with her. Walking through the community there are many creatures I have never seen before. I glance at a strange rat walking past us. The rat turns, taking his hat bowing his head in respect to me. “Good morning.” I was taken aback by how kind he was. “Morning.” I am not sure what to think. There are so many creatures and races I never thought I would see. I am starting to wonder if I will see more. I don’t know, it just makes me worry. How do we know that all these races get along? We walk into the tavern and I nod to the others to go get a place to sit. I walk to the counter sitting on one of the stools. Behind the bar is a female Minotaur. She is wearing a dark black dress with a blue hat on her head. She looks up at me smirking. I get a good look at her. She is light green and her eyes are pure red. “So our new friends have come to grace my bar hmm?” I lift my hoof to their hand so we both in a way shake. “I am Kador. I was told you would come here to look for a job. I can tell you about every job that is up for grabs right now. It might be best for you to get food inside you first. Am I correct?” I sigh, nodding. “I am unsure what you have here though.” Kador smiles. “Allow me to order all the food for you. It will be on the house till you get our way of currency here.” That was kind of her I thought. I could be worried about everything that is going on. Worried that we are going to get into the middle of a war. I could also be worried that the stars told me the one that I pushed my task on will come for me. “Miss you have a lot on your mind from the look in your eyes. Maybe Kador can help you. Would you like to talk about it?” A smile forms across my face. “No, I am fine, I am still new to this new world. I am so used to the world of the past. Even my kind still didn’t get treated the best at all. Just it was better than having guns aimed in your face the entire time.” Kador nods. “I would kill to be in that old land you talk about. Even if the racism was still pretty normal from what you say. I'd rather have that than the threat of sickness or radiation storm that tends to happen now and again here.” I sigh, nodding. “The old world may have been many things. But what I wouldn’t give to just be back there again. I still think though I would have been treated just as badly as the zebras of old got treated. The point that most don’t understand. Do zebras tend to harm their species in the name of the stars?” Kador shrugs her shoulders. “Anyway, we will get the food to you. I hope you four become citizens of this lovely town. I would love to serve you daily.” A larger smile goes across my face. “I will talk to the others. I would love a place to come home to. I am sure the others would as well. So thank you so much.” I leave the stool heading to the booth that my friends found. I sit beside Drift relaxing in the seat. “I find this place too peaceful.” I glance at June who is unsure about this place. “Well I don’t know about you three but I am willing to become a citizen here.” They look at me. “I am willing to work to become a citizen here.” Drift leans into me. I glance at the pegasus. I think she likes the idea too. “Just a place to stay would be great. Maybe we can become traders for them. Then go on our journey to learn why we have these creations in our bodies. I am hoping that we learn that and maybe learn more about ourselves.” I shrug my shoulders. “I agree, I talked with the bartender. She will bring us the food. She said that we will have to earn the type of currency they use here. I don’t know what they use here.” Kador comes over with a large tray of various foods. She places all the meat infront of Bowser. She sets down a few daisy sandwiches for me and Drift. Then she gives June what looks like freshly pulled out grass. “On the house and after you eat I will bring the list of jobs we have on the wall. I will even tell our leader to allow you to become citizens if that is what you all want?” June shrugs her shoulders grazing on the grass ignoring the world around her now. “I wouldn’t mind being a citizen of this place.” Drift smiles digging into her food. “I am with them as well. Also, don’t worry about June, she normally does what we do.” Bowser snickers getting an angry look from June. “What do we have to do to become a citizen, Kador?’ Kador smirks. “Well, you have to prove to be a worker of this community. Now enjoy your food and don’t worry about the others here. Some may not respect you because of Rose. Some have issues with zebras. Even though we have zebras that live here. If they come to you Rose and express how they feel just give it back to them.” I nod. “I wish I didn’t have to do so. I hope that we can find a peaceful way to handle ourselves. I don’t want to be a problem here already.” Kador laughs. “Oh don’t worry about being a problem. You’re a guest to this community. If you get into a fight with someone you will be fine. Just as long as you don’t kill someone then yeah you will be fine” June smirks. “No June you will not cause any problems here.” Bowser chided her and tried everything he could to stop her from thinking it. June laughs. “You won’t stop me from at least enjoying myself Diamond Dog.” I sigh. “June for me please don’t cause any problems.” June lifts her head looking at me. She pouts and all I could do was roll my eyes and she laughs softly. “For you Rose, I won’t cause a problem but if anyone tries to harm you three then I will cause a problem. I will not just sit by and let them hurt either of you.” I let out a sigh. I am unsure what to think right now. June could be a problem all by herself. I am hoping that she will never cause a problem. There is no way I can stop her though even though she makes me think I can. “I will return.” We watch while Kador leaves. I took a deep breath staying silent for a while ignoring this gut feeling I have. After a while, a band comes out on the stage and a large rat creature that I have never seen before. He looks like the one that we walked past earlier. “Hello everyone, I wish to welcome you to the tavern this morning. I hope you enjoy the music and the meals you’re given. We also have a couple of new souls with us. I hope you can at least give them a warm welcome.” He looks to the others in his band. A zebra stallion, A strange ant creature, and a hornet? “All four of us know what it’s like to be new. Our magic eater friends behind me and my zebra friend are still new here. Just they enjoyed becoming part of this new land.” My ears perk up magic eaters? “Magic eaters?” Bowser looks at the stage. He shifts his eyes to see if he could learn anything from them. He gasped covering his eyes., “I can’t see those two creatures. I wonder if these creations of ours don’t work on creatures that eat magic.” June ignores us and Drift looks at the zebra stallion who looks back at her. It’s like love or something. I just stare at Drift. “No.. not till we are sure we are staying here got it?” Drift sighs nodding. The band starts up their music. It’s soft, gentle, and cool. The rat grabs the mic while the music drifts through the tavern. “Oh welcome to a world of endless torment. A world that follows with death and torment of souls that never see a new tomorrow.” “A new tomorrow.” The others with him sing. “This tomorrow will never come. If we don’t work together and bring back the light. Ooooh, the light shall never end. If the light sings for our hearts. Oh, our hearts shall never end. Our hearts shall sing to become one with the others.” The zebra stallion comes up to sing as he glides his hooves along with a string instrument. “I have lost my way as a zebra in the dark of the night. I have left my home. I have left the others to rot. They’re dead, my tribe is all gone. I hope they never scream in the endless torment of souls and rendering of flesh. But there is always a new tomorrow.” “A new tomorrow.” The others sing. “Even though I have lost my tribe. My home, my life. I never allow the end to take me. I never allow the end to be near. I shall always sing in my heart. I look up to the stars and curse. Curse them under my breath. Curse them under my song. I shall never let them lead me again. I shall end them in my mind and move along.” The next is the hornet that somehow blows a horn? “I am known as a magic eater. I am called Venom Sting. I am part of a brood that lives in this loving community. That welcomes my kind that welcomes my soul. I have been lost. I have been found. We have been welcomed and our queen sings her heart for us all. We are a brood of lost souls. We are a brood of mixed broods. Lost in the grand scheme of the evil land. A land that refuses to give us our fate.” He buzzes to add to the music. The buzz sings through the tavern adding to the calm gentle music. The buzz adds to his horn a horn that blows through his lips. Hooves and hands clap to add to the music. “So my new tomorrow is to please my queen. She may not be my brood mother. She is a queen and she deserves all my love and joy. I shall sing to her and her kings till the day I end. For I am a magic eater and I sing for them. So I sing of the new tomorrow our new today. Our new sun that rises in the east. Our new hearts see the light. Our new dawn, our glowing hearts. Our glowing love with our families and wives or husbands.” The others sing. “Our new tomorrow. Our today. Our new story just started today. Allow the sun to set on our new today. The month of our lives has become a way within the dreams. Welcome oh, welcome new souls to this new world of yours.” The final one to sing. “I am what is called a tunneler. I am from a land of sand, land of death. A land called windowmaker desert. I am a scout. I am lost within this land. I have been wanting to learn and to understand this world. I have been here for almost ten years. I will never return, I will become the music within my heart.” I felt a little stress come over me. I nod to my friends and get up from the table to go to the bathroom. I look around for the mares bathroom but I don’t see it. It’s for all sexes. I go in and it’s a pretty big bathroom. I look into the mirror and my eyes look heavily bloodshot. I feel the stress getting to me. Looking down at Maria I have a feeling she is going to stay offline. I am sure she and Deco are either resting or trying to find out the next spot for our upgrades. The door opens behind me. I ignore whoever it is. “Well well, we have a zebra here.” I look up into the mirror staring at ponies who want to cause a problem. “What will we do to her boss?” The stallion laughs. “Oh, I am unsure.” The gang of stallion ponies surrounds me. Closing my eyes tightly, turning the water on to watch my face and my eyes with my metal hooves. Taking a deep breath blowing the air out looking into the mirror to stare at the ponies. “Are you going to keep bothering me?” I turn around on my hooves to stare at the stallions. Many of them seem to want to cause me a problem and all I want to do is be left alone with my friends. I didn’t want to harm anyone with these metal hooves. “Zebras need to learn their place; they're below us, we are above.” I sigh deeply. “Is that what your egos tell you?” Another stallion finally walks in. “What are you boys doing?” They turn to look at the larger stallion. “Oh just giving this mare a welcome.” The stallion is wearing a guard-like uniform and he rolls his eyes. “Right I am sure you weren’t about to rape her because there are more of you than her. That would be a great welcome to a mare looking for a place to stay. So Red I have an idea how about I let you fight her and if you win your boys can have their fun. If she wins you leave her the fuck alone.” Red the leader of these stallions smirks. “Oh, and she is not going to fight fair either.” Red looks confused and I smack him right in the crotch so hard that he screams. Since he turned around he fell to the ground screaming in pain. I lift my metal hoof putting my hoof on his family jewels. “I am not in the mood for stallions and their egos and ponies thinking they’re above my species. I was told everyone is welcomed in this community. If you want to rape me because you think I am an easy mare I am not. I am from a time when stallions like you would be put in their place.” I move my hoof away from the stallion looking at his gang. The large stallion smirks forcing the ponies to move away from me. He used his large bulky body to let me get away from the other stallions that tried to force their egos on me. He walked out of the bathroom with me and I didn’t get to hear the rest of the song. “I am sorry about them. They don’t even live here but they come in here to cause problems with the zebras of this community. No zebra ever dared to fight them and I learned you’re not from this time. So you have no issue fighting them.” I chuckle. “I do have an issue with killing. But I don’t have an issue putting stallions in their place. If I did scream my friends would have charged in. Knowing my friend June they would have been dead. So is there anything else I should be warned about with that group?” The guard shrugs. “Na they will leave for a while. But if you leave and do not become citizens they will target you as a threat to them and their raider gang.” Raider gang? “I am sorry for following you. I was asked to keep an eye on you and your friends. I am Tower and yes just Tower since I was a pretty large colt when I was young. So it stuck. I will be your friend and try everything to protect you and your friends.” A smile forms on my face. “Thank you but if I may ask why is a raider gang allowed in this community? Do they not understand what raiders do? I am still new to this land and I knew what raiders did. I have seen what they did.” Tower nods and we stop in front of the bar. He looks back to the bathroom seeing the stallions leave. “You stay here, they might still be angry for what you did to their leader. Now look, Miss Rose, I may not always protect you. Just what did you use to smash poor Reds jewels?” I lift my hoof and leg. “My friends and I got lucky, unlike the others. I had my hooves removed with these metal ones and with each upgrade the metal goes up my legs. I am sure my entire legs will be metal before my journey is over with.” Tower nods. “I will let you get back to your friends. Just please don’t allow those stallions to get to you. If they try again you will have to fight them on your own.” I get up from the stool. “I won’t rely on you big guy. Just please If I do call for you, will it be over tea or just a talk fair?” Tower nods. “Fair take care, Miss Rose.” I walk back to my friends. A soft sigh comes through my mouth. The stress is getting to me heavily and I need to relax. I can’t think of a way to relax at all. I get back to the booth my friends are at and they are laughing and talking. “Rose, are you okay?” “No no I am not. I also got attacked and raped by a gang of stallions.” June lifts her head from the grass she has almost fully eaten. Steam comes out of her horns. I thought oh no I think I just triggered the angry horns. “No no I am fine June no need to lose your mind.” Bowser sighs, shaking his head. “Let me guess that one stallion that has ice between his legs is the one you hit?” I glance at the stallion who is in a chair holding ice on his crotch. I smirk weakly looking at Bowser. “Oh, Rose, there is no way to start or end a fight. It’s a way to make sure the stallion will hold a grudge because you hurt his jewels.” June smirks. “You got to hold his family jewels now he can’t give his family jewels to anyone else. Awww soooo sad.” Bowser groans Drift laughs. Kodor comes back with a list of jobs. She sets it down and looks up at me with a smirk forming on her face. “Tower told me what you did.” I let a heavy sigh, shaking my head. “I am sorry I didn’t mean to cause any issues.” Kodor laughs. “No no don’t worry about it, Rose. He has had that coming for ages now. He may try again later. But I would say he will think twice about it. Just if he does try to harm you just come find me. I will gather the other girls he and his gang have harmed or attacked and we will join you in the fight.” A smirk comes across my face. “I see now, let's see the job list.” Looking through the job list. I see a job to go through the old ruins of a factory with a creature called a ghoul. She wants just one other creature to come with that could be of good help. Bowser signed up for maintenance work in the town. June takes to patrol and guarding and Drift takes working with Kador. Things went pretty quickly after the choices were made. It was pretty much the next day since we all spent the rest of the day resting in our new home. I went to the tavern when I was asked to sit at the table the ghoul is sitting at. “Oh, a zebra and.” She looks at me over a smirk forming over her face. “You must be the zebra that was frozen for 200 years, am I correct?’ I nod quickly “I am yes.” The ghoul gave a rotting smile. I could swear I could hear her flesh stretch. I could smell her but I didn’t want to be rude to her. I took a deep breath and blew out to relax. “So what are you looking for?” The ghoul sets down a map. The map has a large circle around it on an old factory that created water bottles or clean water. It’s a pretty long trek from here to there. “We are searching for this old factory so we can get fresh water for the area. A warning for you though there are a lot of mutants or creatures mutated by the magic weapons used in this area during the war.” I shake my head unsure what to think. But this is the only way to make money and become a citizen. “Now we will be leaving after Kador gets done making your food for the trip and getting enough water for you to take with us. Tower will be giving you a choice of weapons for the trip as well. They will be needed and I can teach you how to live through the waste.” It took about an hour for Kador to get all the food ready for me. She gave me what is called a magic bag. Then attaching to my leg a pip-buck so I could look through my life signs and what is in my bags. “This will save your life and Tower is making you armor and weapons. This will protect you from whatever is out there. Since many of us haven’t been to this area of the city before.” After a while Tower brought heavy armor that fit me very well. I was able to see my pip-buck through the protection and use it as well. He set down a set of weapons. For the first set, I need to choose from three swords. I found a zebra sword that has a strong zebra name ‘Ngiyethemba’ Meaning hope. I grab the hilt in my mouth housing the blade in its scabbard on my armor. The next set of weapons he sets down are various pistols. I look through each pistol finding a magnum that has a powerful name to it. ‘One song.’ I look at the gun itself. It seems to house only one small shell but there are many of them. I look through the shells and notice these have been made just recently. It looks like this gun was made recently itself. I put that in the holder for the weapon and then the last set of weapons. A couple of large rifles, one of them is a crossbow and even a sniper rifle. Since I feel the best way to deal with far-away targets and stay silent is a crossbow. I take the crossbow looking at the name. ‘Bolt tosser.’ I put the crossbow on my armor and all the ammo is placed in my bags. Looking into my inventory like I am told to. Seeing all the food, water, ammo, and medical drugs, and normal drugs. “You’re ready then come on let’s go.” I follow the ghoul to the next leg of this journey. I have no idea what I am going to find but maybe I will find something that brings me closer to my path. I am starting to wonder if I will ever find the true path. I am hoping I will learn whatever I can about myself. I look down to Maria and Deco who are still offline. Maybe they will help me through this journey.
Chapter Ten: Dunewalker Part twoThere are stories about a strange robotic creature made from parts of pip-bucks. Many think this robotic creature was not only made from these parts and some of these parts don’t even look like a Pip-buck I found this robot though. The robot is attached to the leg of a zebra mare. This mare doesn’t even know the power of this robot. They call her Maria. I didn't even think it was a real pip-buck. Till she said the words Frozen clock attached to her leg. I wish I could ask you to come and recruit this mare and the frozen clock. But they saved my life and I will not tell you the truth. Maybe someday I will tell you the truth. Or maybe I won’t. It’s time for me to do what I feel is right. Ripped up old letter written to Wheel Tread from Dunewalker. It’s been at least a day since I got the job to go with the ghoul. I learned it is named Shadow Bloom. From the stories, she told me she used to be part of the military before the war ended and went awol after many of her friends got murdered during an attack. She won’t go too deep into it but she is not going to. Mostly out of respect for the fact I am a zebra. “Now Miss Rose, I see you’re having no problems surviving in this new world. I wonder though why would the Black Hooves pick you and your friends for those robotic upgrades?” I look down at Maria and wonder if Deco could explain. But right now Maria is still charging. I am wondering if she is having issues keeping her battery charged. “The Ai who I speak to now and then who I named Deco. Has no idea why we were even picked for these upgrades so to speak. She doesn’t even remember why she was placed inside our upgrades and the start of everything only be allowed to talk to her.” Shadow chuckles. “Sounds like a pain in the ass.” She quickly stops crouching in a way to sneak and I follow her. Even though my hooves make a soft metal clomp. We hear a battle going on of swords and even guns going off. We lift our heads around a building and we see the factory we need to get to for the water. But right now there are many robots and camel fighting creatures. The robots though are yelling one thing. “He rises he is returning from the dead.” The camel laughs while swinging a strange sword that is attached to a shotgun. Her eye is cybernetic and the rest of her is fleshy. On the sword, I see the name Dunewalker. “OI!!! The creatures attacking them are hard to see what they are. They look like mutated lizards holding heavy weapons and guys firing back. When a robot falls another rises to take on the lizards. “Alright, We could try to sneak inside while they fight or we could join into the fight.” I glance down at Maria hoping Deco would help. Before I could say anything though the mutant lizards do what they can to run. Many of the robots with the camel are either destroyed or about to fall apart. “I think we should talk to this camel.” The ghoul shrugs her shoulders and we walk out from the side of the building we were hiding. The camel quickly turns, aiming her shotgun and we both stop in our tracks. The camel looks at the ghoul with her eye and then at me. She then looks down at my leg. “Hello, Miss Camel, we come in peace. I am Desert Rose.” The camel looks up at me again and then at the ghoul. She just sighs looking at all the robots around her who are now gone and dead. “A stripes willing to talk about peace. I don’t fucking care if you’re a peaceful zebra you’re still striped now tell me what you want or I will kill you like many of your kind should have been killed.” I stay silent now, a hater of zebras. I don’t blame her for what happened during the war. I am told many things my kind did during the war were insane. I take a deep breath, closing my eyes. I try my best not to get upset. “Listen, this zebra recently came out of magic hibernation so don’t pit her like the others. She is from 200 years ago and if you can’t accept it. Then we will leave you here with your broken toys.” The camel shifts again looking down at my leg. Maria finally comes online and looks up with her camera eyes. I put my hoof on Maria to hide her and the camel smiles. She comes over to me after she puts her sword back into the scabbard. She stands right in front of me. I look up at her. It's not easy to look at her from how tall she is. “I am Dunewalker. I am here from the desert known as the Widowmaker. I am sure that after being around for 200 years I know what that desert is.” The widowmaker desert? I have heard stories of that place. It’s not something I know much about. I glance at Shadow and she pushes the camel away from me. The two stare at each other. “Now listen to Dunewalker betrayer of your species. We are here to get water if you come with us or get out of the way.” I didn’t know what she meant by betrayer of her species. The camel rolls her eyes. She reaches into her pack bringing out a cigarette lighting it and taking a deep drag from it. She stares at the two of us. “I see a ghoul pony just another one willing to insult rather than speak. Now tell me why you are here or I will be the next problem you deal with.” I close my eyes, shaking my head. Opening my eyes I glance up at the camel. “Listen, we didn't come here for any trouble. We came here to find water and whatever else we can find here. If you wish to get in our way I am willing to fight you. I trained and what the black hooves did to me I can assure you. I can break every bone in your body.” The camel watches while the metal in my legs gets harder. I stomp my right hoof on the ground causing the ground to shatter. The camel didn’t seem that impressed and she smirks. She leans down to look right into my eyes. “You got moxie zebra. You said your name is Desert Rose? Do you also know what the world was like before the end of the war? Impressive I thought only my species lived to be very old age.” Shadow shakes her head. “Now are you willing to help us?” The camel shrugs her shoulders. “I don’t mind and I won’t expect any payment. I am just here for something myself. Because back in the war this wasn’t just a water packing plant. There are old files that were also a weapon-making plant. Now I don’t fully buy it. The one who hired me for this job thinks all the weapons would still be here.” Dunewalker tosses the cig away, smashing it out. She sighs and I glance at Shadow who shrugs her shoulders. We get ready just in case there are more of those strange lizards inside this building. When we get in though it’s very silent in the factory and all the sounds we hear are old metal bearings groaning trying to hold together. “This place sounds like it has seen better days.” Of course, I didn’t know any better. I kept forgetting it’s been 200 years since the end of the war. So a lot of the old buildings which are still standing are at least built to last. I do believe though if it was built to last. “Excuse me Shadow, what do you expect to find here?” I try to at least say as silently as I can. She turns to look at me and she swings her hoof at me for me to follow her. She opens a door looking inside. The room is very empty; it looks like an old waiting room area. All three of us go in and she sets down some of the food she held for me. “I am expecting to at least find a water talisman. Don’t get me wrong, the community is very good at finding them. The ones we have been finding are weaker and tend to fall apart very easily. So I am hoping to find the top-of-the-line versions.” Dunewalker laughs. “Leave it to you ponies you give the worst versions of your magic creations to those that need to live and give it to those that want to go to war and destroy the world.” Shadow snorts angrily and after a second smirks. “You’re not wrong there, Dunewalker. One of the biggest reasons I went awol was because of how the elites treated the rest of the army and citizens that just wanted to live peacefully through the war.” I guess I am lucky I didn’t live through the war. The war sounds like it was worse than most stories talk about. The fact I have seen some old newspapers like a newspaper about Big mac saving Celestia and his life being taken for doing so. “What’s on your mind, Desert Rose?” I am taken from my thoughts back to the present looking at the ghoul and the camel. I shrug my shoulders. “I may not enjoy how I came to this new world. Having my family killed and accused of many things just because I am a zebra. I am not the only one my friends had some stupid things said about. Of course, June was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I guess one pony said oh look a buffalo let’s use her.” The camel for a moment stands on her paws pulling me into a tight hug. “I…didn’t expect this Miss Dune.” The camel chuckles. “If you’re the Desert Rose I have been told about then you deserve it. You lost everything because some group called the Black hooves wanted to make an example of you. Am I correct?” I back away a bit from the hug looking up at the camel. She is correct and I am amazed she knew about this. It took me a second for the words to come out of my brain to my mouth. I still haven’t had an easy time after Maria inserted her wires in my head. “Yes, I am that Desert Rose. But before we go on, I want you to meet two others who are with us.” I lean down to Maria who I have no idea why looks like what I learned is a Pipp-buck. “Maria Deco please say hello.” Shadow and Dunewalker look at my leg. Maria lifts her cam head looking at the two. She tries to stay very calm. I could feel she was unsure what to think of these two. I don’t know why I can feel her emotions, maybe the fact she is connected to me? “I am Maria. A creation that both those robot factions are after. Also, this is Deco.” Her cam eye glows and the pink Ai pony looks around giggling. “Hello!! Now forgive us for staying silent. We had no idea if we could trust you two. Like Maria said she is hunted by these two robotic factions. I was just forced in the head of Rose here. I have no idea why.” Dunewalker stares at Maria. “When I heard you had the frozen clock. I felt you were talking out of your ass. I have heard stories of the frozen clock but all the information on them has been lost. If any information of the project exists I doubt it would tell us the whole truth about you.” I could feel Maria’s emotions. The emotions are so strange I am not used to feeling them. I groan a bit holding my head. “Sorry, Maria is sad at least it feels like she is sad.” Shadow tilts her head. “She is connected to you like a parasite ain’t she?” I glance at the ghoul nodding. I grunt again feeling a lot of fear from Maria. The emotions Maria is going through are overwhelming. I wish I could block them. Maybe I will learn to do so someday. I grunt a bit more. “I don’t mind it. It’s the only way my friends and I can protect her till we find out why these factions are after her. If they want her for some weapon I am going to flatly say no. She has a soul at least that is how it feels to me. A robotic creature normally never has emotions. I am wondering if the years of being on their own helped with it.” Maria looks up at me with her cam eye. I look down at her with a weak smile. The poor robot hasn’t done anything harmful to me. I feel she is worried for me and all I do is pat the robotic creature let her rest. “So miss Dunewalker. What are those creatures you were fighting?” Dunewalker shrugs her shoulders. “I know nothing about them. I just know they’re a creation of a group called the Blue hats. The Blue hats aren’t even located in this area of Equestria. They’re in an area of Equestria that is surrounded by mountains. So how they got here I have no idea.” I shift grunting feeling my body convulse. I gasp deeply in pain. I try to catch my breath, closing my eyes in pain. I open my eyes and look around, seeing how the others are worried about me. All I do is smile. “I will be fine.” Deco gasp. “Oh, an upgrade is here.” She lifts her hoof to the locked door in the resting area. It saids on the door of the director’s office. Why did it take her so long to tell me there is an upgrade for my cybernetics there. I stand on my hooves going to the door. “Wait, what do you mean upgrade?” I turn back to the other two. “An upgrade for my cybernetics and the others as well. I will download it into my cybernetics and they will take over more of my body. I think soon I may lose the flesh in my legs altogether and every time there is an upgrade I feel I must download it.” Dunewalker shifts on her paws looking down at the ghoul mare. She shrugs her shoulders. I don’t think Dunewalker understands what is going on. Shadow sighs come up to me and put her hoof on my shoulder. “Are you sure it’s wise to do this before we find what we need? What happens if you’re out of it and we have to defend your body?” I glance at Shadow. “Then you have to defend me. I am sorry I won’t be too long hopefully.” I try to open the door with my mouth but it’s locked. So I get on my back hooves and smash the door with the metal hooves. I dent the wooden planks on the door. I try to smash the door again but the camel stops me with her large weighted by and her paws. “Why are you stopping me?!” The camel laughs. “It’s already unlocked. Here let me show you.” Dune grabs the door handle with her paw and pushes the door open. I was trying to pull it open. My cheeks burn brightly feeling stupid about all this. I should have known about these types of doors. “Thank you…” I softly say. I head into the room where there is a terminal on the wall and I look around seeing there are many dead in here. On the chair I am sure is the owner of this building and there is a bullet wound in the head. I head to the terminal wires come out of my metal front hooves as they insert themselves into the terminal. “Searching for the upgrade.” I look down at Deco and Maria they’re talking in computer speech and all I can do is watch the terminal screen. The screen turns to bright white and I feel my brain getting sucked into the computers like last time but this time it’s more painful. I can’t scream, I can't do anything but feel myself enter the computer. My entire world goes dark. I open my eyes in the computer world looking around a tall the files and what would be thought to be a virus. But they’re more from what I learned the last time I went through this is protection files. Deco forms into a large Ai pink pony beside me and we both look around. I look down at my leg seeing Maria is still attached there. “Maria?” I look up to Deco and she shrugs her shoulders. Maria from what I feel is scared and doesn’t want to move. Deco looks around for the upgrade. It will take us a while. Until the entire area turns bright red. “Alert… alert invasive program found. Alert destroy it.” Fear fills my heart as the attack files turn to attack. I look down to Maria who I have a feeling is this program they’re after. Deco tries her best to find the upgrade before these get to us. I try to get ready to attack these files. I have no idea if I am going to be able to. To be Continued
Chapter Eleven: Upgrade and water search part threeThere are always old files in these terminals. I am unsure if I could find what you want Wheel Tread. There is no more info on finding Project Storm Watch. If I do find anything on the project then I will give you all info. I have found methods of brainwashing. Find a useless hero and then put them through these methods. They won’t only break, they will join you. After I am done with this I am going my own way. I never wish to deal with a hero. Written by Dunewalker to Wheel Tread. I smash my hooves in the strange anti-virus programs while Deco quickly searches through the files to find the upgrades. They don’t seem to be focusing on me though they’re after Maria. I worry if she is this creation of the Frozen clock that she is some virus or whatever they call it. Maria holds to my leg tightly I feel her emotions and it’s getting overly taxing. “I should find it soon and keep protecting her Rose!!” Another antivirus program comes right for Maria and I turn around bucking the program while it shatters. More keep coming I know I can’t keep this up for long. I feel this taxing on my mental ability to stay awake. I feel bleeding from my nose like my body is not handling my brain being in this state very well. I glance up at Deco who is not very happy about digging through all these files just trying to find upgrades for me and the others. I groan, my back legs buckling. I can't handle this anymore. I try to stand but my legs won’t let me. Deco quickly splits to keep herself looking while trying to talk to Maria. “Maria Rose needs you. You can’t just keep being scared. You need to do something you need to try to get these programs to stop attacking. If you don’t Rose might get badly injured or worse her brain could get destroyed.” Maria shakes and robotically cries. “I can't, I am too scared. I don’t want to hurt anyone if I am this creation. Please don’t force me please!!” Deco grabs Maria’s cam head stroking her head with her hoof. “Listen, look up at Rose, she is not doing well. We need you to do something please before she gets very hurt.” Maria looks up at me. I look at her pain filling my body. Tears stream down my face while I look up seeing more coming towards me. I try to stand but I can’t. I watch while Maria’s cam eye turns bright red and a strange gun comes out of the back of her body. The gun fires at the programs and while she does wires come out of her body and enter various ports in the system. After many pregnant seconds, the world around us turns to light blue, and after all, is said and done things calm down. Maria from what I feel shuts off she used too much energy and needs to recharge. I finally stand feeling the strain on my system subside. I look around and stand right in front of Deco and a strange computer avatar pony appears in front of us. The pony for a moment just stares at us and something turns on. “Welcome to Hope water factory. How can I help you?” The pony stares at me and Deco. “I am Deco. I am searching for upgrades related to the Black Hooves’ cybernetic project I believe it was called. I would like it if you could download the upgrades into this Zebra and then she will pass it on. Before we leave, what is the upgrade for the cybernetic hooves?” It takes a while for the computer pony to answer. The pony dims and vanishes and then returns like it’s looking through its files. The pony opens its eyes again and looks at me. Then it looks at my hooves and wires attached to my legs. “Downloading what these upgrades will do for the hooves. Will to make them rust-resistant and harder. The bones in your legs will slowly get replaced by metal bones in the legs and you will start rejecting your old bones. If you hear bones cracking and breaking it’s the program taking over. For the eyes upgrade it will mainly give a type of night vision. How it’s used is up to the user. The emotions orb. It’s given the ability to sustain the hunger of the user. It can use fat or other calories and keep them working in the system till proteins are gone.” It takes a second for the computer to read what June’s upgrades will be. It’s taking so long that I worry about what is going to happen to June. “The horns upgrade the ability to release more heat from the body. Since the need for body heat to use these horns will be intense and the body could catch on fire if there are not enough vents. The user will feel a lot of pain if these upgrades aren’t given to them.” These upgrades just sound dumber than the other ones. Why would metal bones replace the normal bones in my legs? How will I be able to move and bend my legs? I wonder if I will have to learn to walk again. Hopefully, I won’t have this issue but knowing me lately I will get used to the pain. “I have a question for you before you log us out. Do you have any files on the Frozen clock?”: The computer pony stares at me. Before I could do anything the pony gets upset like this pony had emotions the entire time. “Please don’t bring that creation up. Why would a computer terminal connected to a water packing plant have a file on a creation the military created. Check old military bases or bases which had connections to the military. Now, do you need anything else?” I shook my head “Good and please never return here. I never want to see you or that thing on your leg again. Also, miss AI takes your other half of yours before I try to delete it.” Deco fuses the other part of her back into her. She then goes back into Maria I am finally kicked out of the computer world and when I get back to the world of the living I am tossed back into the body of Dunewalker. “Are you okay stripes? Your nose is bleeding and your eyes are bloodshot.” I grunt getting on my hooves, wiping my nose, shaking my head. A weak smile forms across my face. “It wasn’t very nice there..” I turn to look at the terminal. The screen is shattered and the parts are strewn all over the place. I glance up at Dunewalker. “Shadow and I felt we should destroy the terminal. Those lizards I was fighting are regrouping. So If you want to be attacked let’s get moving and find what you need in here.” I wonder if we could talk with them. Tell them we are just here for a good amount of water and the ability to get clean water. “I am going to try something.” I walk out of the room to head back to the main door outside. Shadow and Dunewalker are right behind me trying to stop me. When I get outside the lizards turn right at me aiming their weapons and all I do is sit on my butt. “Do any of you speak?” They look at each other. A large one comes out of the crowd I can’t tell what sex this creature is. But I am not going to guess. The creature sits down on its butt staring right at me like it’s mimicking me. “You’re willing to talk to us rather than just shooting?” I shrug my shoulders. “I am not from this world. I am from the world which came before.” The lizards look at each other. The large one’s eyes open in shock. It’s like they have never seen a creature from before the war got as bad as it did. It took a while for the lizard or me to speak again. “So you’re from before the war then? I have been told stories about it by ghouls. Now before we go on with these talks. Why is that camel with you? You know who she is right? The Dunewalker is the betrayer of her species and the cursed one of her kind. Everywhere she walks danger or pain comes with her.” I glance at the camel behind me. Then back at the lizard, I shrug my shoulders. “I don’t see anything wrong with her. She just seems to be a camel and I know that camels have genetic memory. So I am sure she is many generations from the Dunewalker that became the Dunewalker. I am not going to judge her unless she needs to be judged.” Dunewalker stays silent. I have a feeling she wasn’t expecting me to say those words. I do know the camel herself is pretty racist just from what she called me a while ago. Of course, there are harsher things you could say to a zebra. She hasn’t used any of those words yet and I am sure she would. The lizard shakes their head. “I am Yellow Eyes, the leader of this pack. We used to live in Wymarnic but ran off after our creators let us go. We gave ourselves a new name and I felt since we have these.” She lifts her flat claw. “I named us the Flat Feet pack. It’s a bit on the nose but eh I am not interested in making such a big deal out of a name or tribe. Anyway. you seem to be the more reasonable of most of your species. I haven’t met many zebras mostly ponies. But if we can make a deal I am up for it.” I take a moment to think about the best way to answer. I glance at the ghoul and then at Dunewalker. Then back at Yellow eyes. “My friend Shadow and I are after as much water as we can take along with a water talisman since she was told there are very good long-lasting ones in this factory. Dunewalker is here searching for some military bunker or factory below this place.” Yellow eyes chuckle. “Well, my kind don’t drink as much water as your species do. But the military bunker or whatever? I can assure you there is nothing of that here. We have searched all over and even made this place a place of living for us for a time.” I tilt my head. “Why did you leave?” Yellow Eyes shifts standing back on her claws. “We left mainly because of some strange robot in the robot war that went through here. We came back after a few years and we found this camel with many robots spouting he had risen and they kept yelling ``the Storm King has risen!!” I glance behind me to see Dunewalker not wishing to talk about it. “Let me just say the one I work with has many followers who believed the Storm King wasn’t the monster the ponies of old said he was. I on the other paw know the truth. Just I can’t stop what the one I work with wants right now. Since I am indebted to him.” Yellow eyes help me on my hooves looking at my metal hooves. “What happened to you?” I take a deep breath sighing. I explained to her what happened to me and my friends. I go into what happened to me and my family and how I was accused of being a zebra spy and how they cut my hooves off and put these hooves on my legs and they now make my legs metal. I then talked about the others and Yellow eyes just held my hoof tightly. “You and your friends are always welcomed with my species. You deserve it for all the bullshit you and your friends have been through. In fact please accept our help with carrying all the water we can get you.” I was flabbergasted about how kind these creatures are. I look over to Dunewalker who snorts. But shrugs her shoulders. Shadow laughs. “Thank you!! That is going to be so much help to our community.” Yellow eyes stare at Shadow. “We are only doing it for Desert Rose and her friends. Till you and other ponies prove themselves as kind and respectful and peaceful as this zebra we will help you as well. But if the leaders of your community are willing to sit with us and talk. Then we will do so but if any of my pack gets hurt then all bets are off and we will fight you by leaving Rose and her friends alone.” I shake my head. “Yellow Eyes I feel it might be best to not get angry if they dislike or hate you. Just show them you’re not monsters like they think you are.” Dunewalker grumbles. “You have something to say to Dunewalker?” I look up at the camel. “I am sorry I am just so used to everyone attacking each other like it’s like back in the land I am from. I normally don't even say I am sorry I just keep forgetting that not everyone is from the desert of hell I am from.” I nod “Alright, let’s get all the water we can for our friend Desert Rose here. Oh and Miss Shadow you said you wanted a talisman right?” The ghoul nods. “Yes, I found information about many of them in this factory including one which is so powerful it can last ten times longer than a normal one. So if you please very kindly find ones that aren’t broken while Rose and I go get the other one. I got my tools to work with it and then carry it. I am worried about the security connected to it though.” Yellow Eyes nods. “I am sure the camel can protect you two while we get all the water and whatever else you want.” I followed Shadow and Dunewalker to the basement and when we got down to the basement there was so much fresh water and Dune just stared at the water and she reached her paw into it and took a drink. “The land I am from ponies would kill anyone to protect this water. How long this water stayed down here without bodies dying in it or anything making it toxic is amazing.” We get to the magic talisman and Shadow works on unhooking it. I hear splashes in the water. I look over to the water and see nothing “I think we aren’t alone.” Dunewalker grabs her sword. I don’t know what she is so concerned by when Shadow gets through the first security water splashes. Coming out of the water are robotic marine life. Many creatures fused with cybernetics. “Alert alert” An alarm sounds off while Dunewalker and I deal with the cybernetic creatures. They fire lasers like us while we do what we can to defend Shadow. Most of these creatures are dolphins and from the looks of them, they’re in so much pain from staying alive for so long. These creatures don’t make sounds like the other robots do. I do my best to make sure these creatures die without any pain. While the camel slices into them and I smack the power supplies. “This is too easy, this security is weak!!” The camel of course had an ego. Thankfully I didn’t and when Shadow goes through the second part of the security ports in the walls open up and robotic birds fly out and these seem to be the same thing as cybernetic creatures with the robotic parts controlling what they do. I can’t get to them for a while. I smash the last robotic dolphin and it screams in pain. “Shh shhh let me.” I do my best to make sure the passing of this creature is less painful. I inject it with med x while the poor creature slowly passes away. It was the last of them I looked around at the oil and blood. Dunewalker swings her sword missing a few times and gets scratches on her body from the claws. I got hit a few times in the flank. Shadow gets back the last of the security and the alert goes into the full blast and a large door opens up in the water. We hear screaming and roaring and coming out of the water is a cybernetic shark connected to large legs. “Who the hell comes up with this stuff?!” Dunewalker didn’t wait and attacked the sharp teeth of the shark, catching her sword and laser's aim at her she pulled off getting hit by some of the lasers after pulling the shotgun out of the hilt. She fires while the armor on her body smokes a bit. I can’t do anything but get out of the way and hide. Shadow trots over to me, giving me the back which holds what we came for. I look at the barding and see I still have my weapons. I may have been trained in how to fire them but my brain can’t handle that right now. Shadow arms and cocks all her weapons on her barding. She fires at the creature while Dunewalker does the same. The battle takes so long that I am sure this creature would have killed us all if one foot didn’t trip on the bodies of dolphins and falls. I get one good hit with my metal hooves into the cybernetic head breaking through to the flesh and robotics brain. I pull my hoof out covered in blood and oil. Dunewalker laughs putting the gun back into her sword. “WHooo what a rush. At least they had good security to protect their water. The issue is though we might have to make sure only some know about this place. If too many know the purity of the water will be gone.” A door opens up after all the security is removed. It looks like an office and the three of us go inside. Inside looks like a lost and found. Inside the lost and found is a zebra weapon. A powerful-looking zebra-made machine gun. As well as zebra-made armor it needs some work and the gun needs some cleaning. I open the magic bags by putting them in there and Dunewalker looks through the files on the terminal. “Nothing. Everything about what I am after is not here. I will let you take that armor and gun, Desert Rose. Do you mind if I continue to come with you till I find what I need?” I glance at Dunewalker. “I don’t mind, I will have to talk to the others. Anyway, we should head back. Do you think the community would mind if I take the gun and armor Shadow?” Shadow smiles. “I will talk to them about it. I feel you should be given something for what you have done for us.” I follow the two of them out looking back at the body seeing it’s a zebra. The poor zebra looked like they were stuck in this place. I wonder if the security closed in on them and I sigh deeply following the others out and when we get out of the factory. The lizards are holding as much water and talismans that were in there. “We could get everything but we got enough water that could help a big community. If you can promise they won’t shoot us on sight.” Shadow nods. “I will make sure they don't. If they do, I will have heavy words with them.” Shadow leads the way while Duneawlker and I follow behind the lizards. “Forgive me Rose if I become awful towards you. With how your kind treated camels during the war I am sure you won’t blame me. So sometimes I might outright insult you and be racist towards you.” I shrug my shoulders. “I don’t care as long as you don’t try to kill me.” Dunewalker laughs. “Oh, I got no reason to kill you.” I take a deep breath very unsure of what to think of Dunewlker and the fact she wants to come with us on our journey. I hope she is ready for the rough journey ahead. To protect Maria and to find the Black Hooves who did this to me and the others.
Chapter Twelve: GuardiansWheel Tread I write to you to let you know I can no longer use this group to help you find out more about Project StormWatch. I draw the line on these kind gentle four souls. They may have done some awful things from what the wasteland has done to them. But I will draw the line when it comes to this group. Signed Dunewalker. Oh, deer Dunewalker. I think you don’t understand the deal you’re under. Because of me, your family hasn’t been treated as an outcast by your species. You will do what I ask or I will make sure when you return here you’re treated worse than your mother was. Now I know the info of Project Stormwatch is around in that city. I need to find the info on where they hid the old threats. Now be a good girl and do what you’re told. Signed By Wheel Tread. Forty years before Ruby Glide. Shadow, Me, And Dunewalker spend the night in a tent. Yellow eyes and her pack stayed close to us since we are worried about raiders wanting to attack us with all the water we have with us. From the sounds of it, raiders are scared to death of creatures like them. I watch Dunewalker while she sharpens her sword looking outside like she is ready to fight. She hasn’t stopped holding her sword and she has a strange sniper rifle on her back. I glare at it as I feel that the metal came from the place of the stars. Just from the look of the metal of it and how it has that strange power of the moon on it. Dune glances at me as she notices I am looking at her sniper rifle and a gentle smile forms across her face. She pulls the sniper down from her back, setting it down beside me. I could still feel the anger from the stars on it. “What is this made of?” Dunewalker chuckles “It’s made from space trash that fell from space a long time ago. The one that came before me took it and made this sniper rifle. So from how you’re looking at it your strange issue with the stars is making you have a problem with it am I correct?” I quickly nod. “Well, I don’t understand it myself. Every time I am near something the stars have touched I have a strange feeling towards it. I don’t get why I was told a long time ago by a seer it’s because of how we are connected to the stars. Our time with ponies has dulled our nature and made it harder for us to understand these things.” I am very unsure if it’s true it could be because I mixed my blood with a pony. I haven’t felt like a normal zebra since I started living with ponies. It’s not always going to be easy for me to get over the feeling of betraying my kind. Closing my eyes tightly remembering my family disowning me because I fell in love with a pony. “I wonder are you one of those zebras who broke off from their species and your senses are not as good as a zebra who stays with their kind would be? If this is true my kind can be the same way. It might have been harder for us if we didn’t have this damn genetic memory. Trust me you don’t want it.” Closing my eyes again, yes I am one of those who broke off from my species over love. I look back and wonder if I would do it differently and try to get my family to accept my husband. Back then though ponies didn’t come off very kind to them. It took a while for my husband’s own family to even trust me. His father treated me as an enemy and I didn’t allow it to stop me from making a family with him. “My family disowned me. I was then treated as an outcast after I gave it up for the love of my husband. His family didn’t even care about me either. I had to prove to them I was on the up and up and I wasn’t around to destroy their family. It took so many years and after the Black Hooves, I have no idea what happened to them. I know they never even defended me or even tried to find me afterward.” Dunewalker pats my shoulder. “Don’t worry you’re a strong mare. I may not respect your kind for what they did during the war. I know you don’t know much about what happened. The zebras and the ponies tried enslaving us and used us to fight for them. We turned on them and beat them both in submission and told them they’re welcome to stay in our land. But they would have to work together to try to find peace. Then the bombs fell one bomb fell in our land in an area called the salt flats. We have no idea why they attacked over there but it caused a lot of problems.” I am concerned about why my kind tried to turn another race into slaves. I wonder if they felt with how high and mighty some of the zebras thought they were they felt they had the right of way of to do so. “So ghoul what is your story?” Shadow glances up at the camel shrugging her shoulders. “Not much to tell former soldiers. When the bombs fell all I remember is dying and then waking up many days later like this. I did what I could to help those who became like me. I found my way here and learned about the old community that used to live in the area we are in now. A community of doctors and whatever else.” She takes a deep breath. I am sure this is very hard for her to keep going on. Everyone she knew is dead. All those that she knew even while she lived like she is now are dead. I wouldn’t want to be able to live forever. I have a feeling though with these cybernetics taking over my body. I may be unlucky and live forever. “ I was just told stories by one of the robots left there about what happened. They didn’t wish to talk much about it; they just stayed there till anypony else would take over. They recently shut down after being unable to repair them without having the parts. We kept them in a room just in case we found parts for them.” A robot parts? I wonder if that locked-up area holds these parts. I am very unsure what is going to happen when we get back. But I am hoping they will let us at least go in there. If they do, I will convince the others to go in and maybe we can understand more about Maria. “Shadow my request to you, do you think after all this we would finally be allowed in that building that the leaders told us is locked?” Shadow glances at me. “Oh, I am unsure if any pony has been in there for years after we lost some ponies to something inside there. I don’t know if you will be allowed in there. The leaders are very untrusting. I wish I could say otherwise.” Closing my eyes disappointed. “I see” Opening my eyes looking down at Maria the poor creature is shut down and I can tell Deco is trying to repair whatever happened to the poor little one. I don’t know why I have become so attached to this little one. “I just wish to understand what Maria is and what this Frozen clock is. I am worried Mara was built for something she has no power over. I am hoping I can at least give her a choice. If I can’t give her a choice my friends and I will protect her.” Dunewallker stays silent. She looks outside the tent looking back at me. “It’s silent out there. I am not used to it being so silent. The land I am from it’s always in battle. Even the weak try to fight each other while they die with parasites in their stomachs. It’s strange to me not seeing another trying to one-up another or steal something to survive. Maybe it just doesn't happen as much.” Shadow laughs. “It’s never silent here either. I think with the lizards outside protecting us and keeping the raiders at bay. I think for once in my ghoul life things are very silent. I am not used to it myself. I am used to battle and the world dying around me.” I lay my head on my pillow trying to relax my mind. I have too many thoughts going through my head. My brain slowly turns off while I feel my eyes dim as my mind finally falls asleep. I don’t know what I will dream about but I am sure I will be dreaming. _______ Dream. I am in a world of darkness with a light above me. I am not sure why I am here but this is the court of the stars again but what comes to see me is a guardian of the stars. The large zebra stares at me, her eyes showing through the skull’s helm on her head. She has many scars and former wounds on her body. “An outcast opened her mind to speak with me? From the look in your eyes Desert Rose you have no idea why you’re here?” I shook my head. I shift on my hooves looking around the realm of darkness. I look up but I don’t see any stars looking back at me. I just saw the guardian of the stars. I don’t know the name of this guardian, no one knows them. But I have a feeling this guardian will be upset with me. “I don’t know why it’s true. Why am I here at the court of stars?” The mare smiles showing her teeth as they connect with the cow skulls she wears. She sits on her ass staring down at me. “There is something you need to know. I am one of the only guardians awakened by the stars of peace. I have been waiting for one to come to my place of rest for years. All I know is I am in the heart of some old land. There is no legend, no stories of a hero coming to find me. I just know that someday a hero will come to me. A hero that is working with the stars. I know her name and she will be after you someday. Hear me, a close little friend.” I try to listen closely but I feel I am waking I shake my head try to keep my brain in this dream. “The one who caused the stars of good to vanish and leave will reveal themselves in 50 years. Most know him as the goat of the undead. But others know him as Grogar. Not just Grogar though many creatures of the past caused all this. Including the betrayer Zeb…I am sorry to break this to you miss Rose but you’re not meant to be a hero. I can’t see your future or what is going to happen to you.” I shook my head. If she is a guardian she would never be able to tell me the story of a hero. Guardians can never tell the story of a hero. Someday I will learn what my future is. I am sure my future is to fight in this war. This war of robots and machines to protect Maria. “I think I already know my future guardian. To protect the one known as Maria. It may not be the path of a zebra but it’s all I can think of in this new world.” The guardian zebra chuckles softly, shaking her head. “Then I was correct about you. You’re an outsider but you follow your path as a zebra would. A zebra with a strong heart and hooves of diamonds.” I sigh a sigh of disappointment. I am an outsider. I doubt I will ever fully be accepted again by my kind. I don’t know or understand why this is going on. A guardian of the stars wishes to speak to me then calls me an outsider. “You would think being called an outsider by another zebra that I would be used to it. I doubt I will ever be used to it.” The guardian laughs, shaking her head. “You should have thought of that little Rose before falling for a pony. I understand you fell in love with them. Your love was for them deep and full of life. I am sure many of those would get the idea of love. Just you got to remember to our kind mixing with a pony wasn’t only a bad to our kind but a problem it happened too much.” My ears pin to the back of my head. She is correct that it happened far too much back then. Male zebras would go for pony mares and zebra mares fell for pony stallions. I don’t remember what the problem was. I think it was because our kind got tired of all the old ways. The guardian put her hoof on my head. “I do know a way you could become one of us again. There is only one way I am sure you know what it is.” I know the path of truth. I must go through many trials to prove I am still a zebra. The only way to do this is to find a seer and I am sure there might be one. “Do you know if there are any seers?” The guardian nods. “In that community, you’re helping there is a zebra tribe they gave one of the buildings to. It’s a big building and they help protect it. Now they’re mostly outcasts but they have proved themselves. When you get to the community, look for the far-seer. Don’t say her name, walk up to her, bow your head and then say why you’re there.” A deep sigh filled my lungs. “I will talk with them. I doubt they want anything to do with me since I am an outsider who gave herself to a pony stallion.” The guardian sighs. “I can’t promise you anything Rose. Be careful on your way back. I can't tell you anything but there is a strange army after your friend. I know you took one of them and used part of your soul to take one of them down. It’s one of the reasons I am here now. Please don’t use any more of that type of magic. Now I think you should wake up and it's time for you to go.” I stood on my hooves to head back to the light showing my mind is leaving the world of dreams. “One last thing.” I turn. “What?!” The mare gets as loud as she can. “If you survive the battle ahead. Be prepared for what is going to happen to you in the future.” I wanted to call back to ask what she meant by it. I couldn’t and the world of darkness turned to pure white as I am waking up. _______ The waking world. I open my eyes and I look around seeing I am being carried by Dunewalker and looking at the others behind me seeing we are missing some of the lizards. “OH you’re awake we had to get going we spotted some robotic creatures coming towards us and we figured they were after you and that creature on your leg. So Yellow eyes sent some of her pack to take them on and she is with us and we have everything still we aren’t far from the community.” I look up seeing Shadow is not far ahead of us but she is heavily armored now and ready to take on anything which comes towards us. I look at the sign we pass seeing we are very near the community. Shadow turns to us and she nods to Dunewalker. Dunewalker lifts her paw telling Yellow eyes and the others to stop. “I will go on ahead and tell the guards we will have guests and tell them if any of them are shot on sight all the water and talismans will be taken by us. Meaning I will tell them Rose will destroy all the water and such to make sure they agree to it.” Shadow trots off, I get off Dunewalkers back and we wait for Shadow to return. It took about an hour but Shadow returned. “Alright, they have been told. I told them if anyone fires on Yellow eyes and her pack it won’t end well for the community.” Shadow leads us to the gates and a large group of guards stood by the door waiting. They hold weapons ready to fire just in case Yellow Eyes and her pack attack. We go inside and Yellow Eyes and her pack bring everything in setting it down waiting to see what will happen Golden Heart comes to look at the boxes then Yellow eyes they stare at each other a soft smile comes on the zebra’s face. . “I see you’re still alive, old friend.” Yellow eyes laugh. “I never thought I would see your big ass again, Golden Heart.” I stare at the two of them confused. “You two know each other?” Yellow eyes nod. “I met her when she was a young mare and not as old as she is now. Golden Heart here is older than most zebras. Even though she doesn’t look at it. I never understood why and I doubt she will ever tell me. But thank you for your welcome Golden Heart.” The old zebra nods. “Yes now Rose, you helped us greatly. I will lead you to the home I will be giving you and your friends. You look like you need some rest. Then we can talk about letting you into that area you want to go into. But you may have to prove yourself first to the others of our species.” I know I will have to prove myself to my kind. I take a deep breath and Golden Heart leads me through the community and right in the middle of a courtyard is an old building. It’s pretty big I look at the sign it saids research building. Dunewlker followed behind me while I left Shadow to help Yellow eyes and the others with the water. Golden heart stands by the door looking back at me. “We have no use for this building. There are beds here, places for weapons and food, and all that. We keep this place highly stocked just in case someone proves themselves to us. But your camel friend is not allowed in because of who she works for.” Dunewalker stays silent. I look back at her, who is she working for? “So you know I work for Wheel Tread?” I have heard of the name before. I know nothing about them though. I am wondering if I should come to Dunewalkers defense. I look over at Golden heart and then back at Dunewalker thinking a moment I am worried she might get chased out. “Ngizohlala ngimbhekile. Ngicela ungithembe Inhliziyo yeGolide” Golden heart turns her head to look at me. She stands close to me to look into my eyes. Dunewalker doesn’t seem confused about what we are talking about I look up at Dunewalker I worry she understands what we are saying “Sizolokhu simqaphe ngeso lokhozi uRose. Uma ekugwaza sizomnakekela.” I think a bit before I talk again. I need to get my species to respect and trust me again. I want to get back into their good graces. “Ngingathanda ukuhlangana nomuntu obona kude. Ngifuna ukwamukelwa ngabahlobo bami futhi.” Golden heart is taken aback by my words. She tilts her head and she doesn’t say anything. She puts her hoof on my shoulder and a smile forms on her face nodding to me whispering in my ear. “Get some rest, I will take you to meet her tomorrow.” The mare opens the door for us. I go inside and when the door closes with me and Dunewalker inside the lights come on. Looking around I see many rooms and a place for me and the others to sleep. Looking through the area I see places to work on weapons and armor. I can work on what I got. “Dunewalker, why don’t they trust you?” I turn to her and she smirks. “Let’s just say the one I work with is not a very popular pony. He has done some nasty things to the ponies and zebras of the wasteland. He is searching for a project called Project Stormwatch so he can continue it and mind control the old villains from the land known as Dreamvalley.” Dream valley? I heard stories about the land of old ponies and magic. A land lost from the world would take a map of old to find it. “I see why would he want this?” Dunewalker sighs. “I will tell you another time Rose. I am going to get some rest. I promise you I will tell you so please go rest.” I sigh softly, shaking my head. I take the weapon and the armor I got putting it on the workbench sighing. I looked for a room for myself and I found a room full of zebra masks and everything else. I look at the others, it's like they’re made for us. I go back to my room and close the door when I get in and take a deep breath to smell the air. I have no idea why it’s so good in this room. Laying on the bed to fall asleep I hear the door opening for the others but all I can do is fall asleep I will talk to the others later.
Chapter Thirteen: UkuvumelaI open my eyes looking beside me. I feel sad not seeing the mare I fell in love with. I stroked my hoof along the bed wishing she was here with me. I slowly sit up wondering what will happen today. I am going to go meet the elder or who they consider the elder of the zebras. I fear it’s not going to be easy to redeem myself. “Hey Rose, the food is ready.” I was confused who in the world cooked food for us? I get off the bed noticing June in the kitchen. What in the world is a buffalo that knows how to cook? Bowser and Drift worked on setting the table. I sit at the table waiting for the food to come over. I take a deep breath wondering if I should ask. “What are you three going to be doing?” Bowser sits at the table sighing. “I will be working on becoming a citizen of this community. The only way though is to prove myself to the diamond dogs and the hellhounds. I need to prove that I can work for myself and bring enough food and money to the entire community.” Drift’s ears wilt. “The ponies of this community don’t care much for Pegasus. They may have something they call dashites but it takes a lot for them to accept them. I guess it has something to do with what the enclave has done.” Great, I worry for my friends. I glance at the buffalo “So June what do you have to do to be accepted?” June brings over the food sitting down with the rest of us. It takes a while for her to answer while we put the food on our plates. June seems silent about it. I took a drink of water and it was when she gave me a bombshell. “All I got to is get fucked by the chief and then if I am still standing then I will be able to become part of the community.” The three of us went silent. It would have been funny if I spit out the water I drank. I swallow it looking at June all she does is stare at us laughing. “I got you guys. I don’t know what I need to do. It could be as simple as running over a path to another path. When it comes to my species and ideas on how to do things it’s really hard for them to come up with anything at all. I wish I could explain I never understood my race myself and why we just run back and forth back and forth. “ They look at me knowing how my species feels about me. After what I have told them and everything else about the past. I take a deep breath knowing it will not be easy for me to explain to them. “We won’t be speaking in ponesh. I have to prove myself by talking in zebra. I have to allow myself to be attacked and ripped apart for whatever they feel is correct. If they feel my body and soul need to be cleaned then I shall allow them.” Bowser sighs stroking my shoulder with his claws “I doubt you will be able to call on us for help. You may need to tell Maria she needs to not go with you. You need to go as you were during birth. They may have issues with your legs, it's not something you can control. Just Rose, don't let them break you because you gave yourself to a pony.” I lift my leg Maria makes herself home right now. I know I will have to tell her to stay here. She has Deco in her system so maybe I can convince them both to behave and do their best to hide in this place. I try to ignore my feelings while eating my food and drinking the water. It’s gotten to the point I can no longer ignore my feelings. I know my species will rip me apart for what I did. I broke off from my older tribe. I became part of a race they hated because of the war. “I could talk to Maria.” I look up to Drift. The pegasus mare taps on my leg and the robotic creature looks at her. She tries to explain to her in a soft gentle manner. It’s such a gentle manner I don’t hear many questions from Maria and Deco stays silent. I think she is staying silent for now so as not to butt in and make Maria feel she is being attacked. “But why? Why do they have the right to question what Rose did in her life?” I take a deep breath and Drift looks up at me. So I am going to have to explain myself. Maria turns her cam eye to look at me. I am now put on the spot. I am going to have to tell her the truth and she is not going to like it. “Maria, I know this is going to be hard to explain to someone who is still young. Maybe while we are away Deco can explain. Back in the day, I was part of a small tribe of zebras. I broke off from the tribe to get married to the enemy. It was before the war fully started but many didn’t approve since hatred was a big thing in the past.” Maria goes silent and Deco finally shows up holographically. I feel my stress leaving my body for the moment. Deco is such help even though I haven’t been kind to the poor holographic pony who was forced on me and the others. I do hope she will be a big help later. “Let me explain it in a way you can understand Maria. To other zebras, Rose is flawed and has a computer flaw in her code. She is going to get the code flaw fixed so she can be approved in the grand scheme of the files.” Maria takes a second before she speaks again. “Okay so she may be flesh but she is still a cog in the machine of the tribes or at least she will be?” Deco nods. She turns to me, winking quickly. I smile loving the fact Deco is willing to do anything she can to keep these issues out of my head. Maria removes herself from my metal leg and I notice the metal she was attached to is very shiny. A knock hits the door, a very gentle knock. June heads to the door opening it up. Golden Heart walks into the house looking at us and she chuckles. I think she likes how we made this house ours in so little time. “Rose, they're ready for you. You know what you have to go through first right?” I stand from the chair sighing I know what is first. I have to cleanse my soul and my body from the filth of a pony. I may not enjoy the idea of removing the filth of a stallion from my body. I would have to ask if a mare pony is okay in my life. “Cleansing, am I right then painting myself in the paint of the tribe?” Golden Heart frowns “You have been through this before haven’t you?” I chuckle weakly. “In the past, you had to go through every single time you went to speak to zebras. It was even before the war fully started. The zebras felt the stars corrupted everything and I frankly agree the stars are big in zebras' lives. I should know I stood in the court of stars.” Golden Heart sighs, shaking her head. “Please don’t bring up the stars. Maybe you can explain to all of us how bad it was before the war. Maybe we can finally work our problems out with the ponies of now. Too many teachers of the past wanted to hate so much on ponies. I will never understand it either.” I stroke my head with my metal hoof. I will never forgive myself for putting the will on the stars on another. Maybe someday I will have to face this creature and they will blame me for everything they went through. Closing my eyes tightly remembering what I went through to convince the stars I am not the one to fulfill their hunger for blood. “I will do my best to explain.” Before I could leave and head to the door Bowser stood in front of us. I look behind me to see the other two. They seem unhappy about something. “Before you go, Rose. Since the four of us are family here. I need no I demand to know what this cleansing is.” I sigh deeply, turning my head to look at Golden heart. In her gentle eyes, she could tell I needed to tell them what this means. “They have a right to know.” Golden sighs shifting on her hooves. She knows when she tells them what this cleansing is they will not be happy with what is about to happen. “She will be stripped of her fur as a zebra and her mane. Including her glyph, she will be forced to drink a brew that will make her release everything in her stomach. It will cause her great pain and while she lays there she will have to scream in pain and fight to prove herself.” Bowser and the others stare at each other. “She will then be chained and dragged through our community and they will pelt her with rocks and whatever else they can. She will then be brought in front of the elder and she will have to admit she is a failure of every zebra everywhere. The elder will not be happy we did this to her, it will enrage her. But we are doing this to stop some of the anti pony groups from attacking her.” Bowser sighs, stroking his head. “What will happen after?’ Golden sighs “She will have to go on a journey alone in the waste to not only find herself. But to find materials for a weapon that sings with her soul. She will then have to forge it in any of the broken factories. Then she will have to hunt a strong creature. Bath in the blood and then she will be doused in cold water and to bring her into our tribe. She will be sliced across the stomach allowing blood to be collected. Then she will be welcomed with us once more.” June snorts. “It seems a bit too much just because she married a pony ages ago? Can’t your kind just move on and admit you’re the biggest reason the sand-forsaken war began in the first place? Or did we forget it was a holy war for your kind hmm?” Golden Heart sneers at the Buffalo I lean into the old mare shaking my head. “She is not wrong Golden you have to admit the zebras themselves didn’t do enough to try to stop the war neither did the ponies. So both sides are heavily to blame. But the zebras are more so in some parts.” Golden’s ears wilt nodding. “You’re not wrong Rose. Many of the anti pony groups will even admit it as such. They will still welcome you even if you don’t do this. But the older souls demand you be cleansed before you even see them. They know you’re in love with a mare pony now they don’t have an issue with it. Since you won’t be making children with her.” I look over to Maria and Deco who are talking among themselves. “What about those two?” Golden stares at Maria and Deco. Maria turns her eyes to look at Golden and quickly skitters into the darkness. The poor old mare gets pretty spooked from what she just saw. She shakes her head. “The Frozen Clock I take?” I nod. “I told her the four of us needed to do this without her. She may not understand but she will not be causing any problems. She will stay right here and if needed I would like a guard placed here just in case. I may have trusted Dunewalker but I doubt she will not try something.” Golden Heart shifts on her hooves nodding. “Since you four are family, this home is now fully yours. You will live together and if you get tired of living together. We will find homes for each of you. First, you need to become citizens and you know what Rose will need to go through. I hope you all have a safe time with your task.” I take a deep breath closing my eyes dreading what is to come for me. I know deep in my heart that I deserve all this treatment to make the other zebras trust me. I just wish it wasn’t so harsh and so soul-shattering to prove myself once again to them. After a world-ending war we had I am not surprised my species would refuse me rest and succor. In need of such rest and succor is not but a weary dream. It’s something I hope I can get again someday. Golden heart leaves I follow her feeling each weight in my hoof steps while we walk through the community. I watch many zebras and other races mingling one zebra mare looks at me with a frown forming on her face. She bows her head. I have a feeling she knows what is to come. ______________ Redemption My species have a word for the cleansing redemption. It’s for zebras to do this to others of the tribe. I am part of no tribe. I have no right to be part of a tribe since I gave myself to a pony stallion. I learned back then that they would have had no issue if I gave myself to a mare. It would mean we could have herded with a zebra stallion. Golden Heart leads me into the zebra city within the old hospital location. I am amazed at how big this place is. I looked to the side seeing this entire medical area was an entire big city in the middle of Detrot. It was going to be used as a base to fight the zebras if they ever made it this way. I am led to one of the old medical buildings before I am allowed inside the city of the zebras proper. Golden heart waits for me by a large wooden door. It’s not even part of the main building like the zebras built into the old building. “Do you remember how to speak like we do, Rose? Has the way of our speech been fully lost to you as well?” I take offense to what she just said there. Of course, I know how to speak as we do. I have never forgotten it’s a zebra's pride to remember our old tongue and speech. If we forgot how to speak to others we would have been as good as dead years ago. “I had the speech of zebras drilled into me for years upon my birth and I never let it go from my life. I even made sure my children would be able to speak like it. Including my husband, he wanted to learn how to speak like us so he could join my tribe.” Golden Heart sighs. “I see so you wanted him to be a zebra-like us just stripless. I feel sad asking this question. How racist did the zebras get back before the war fully took effect.” I chuckle softly. “I am unsure of myself. Both species treated every species outside of their kind as something below them. Zebras did the same now and again because they felt they had the right to be above. Now not every zebra felt this way. But they hated the pony elites of Canterlot.” Golden Heart sighs, shaking her head. She knows full well the truth of the elites. I am sure there are still pony elites who still feel above others in this new world. I glance over at a zebra male coming in and looking through the old trash. He pulls out old ammo boxes looks at me and nods his head. Heading back outside. “Wait, how in the world did he find all those boxes of ammo? From the sounds of it you have been living here for years you haven’t gone through everything yet?” Golden Heart nods. “There are many places to salvage and dig through. We have all been here so long we haven’t even looked into every area ourselves. So there could be some powerful items to healing objects. There are rumors of spirits refilling those places you dig through. I just find it silly really.” I shake my head. It's strange to hear stuff like this. Like Discord is still around after all these years. I wonder if zebras or ponies just haven’t had the time to look through everything, maybe they don’t wish to. Maybe since there could be some broken shards of glass or sharp metal it could be the other reason. “Rose, I wish you didn’t have to go through with this. When the door opens up, do whatever they say to do. If they tell you to wear tribal headdresses. They will demand that you beg for succor and do what you can to stay strong.” I sigh deeply watching Golden Heart leave. The door behind me opens slowly. I stand there not turning around feeling the stress from what is about to happen to take over. I feel a gentle hoof on my shoulder. “Kulungile ngizoqinisekisa ukuthi abakulimazi. Ngicela ungene uzihlenge.” I look over my shoulder looking at a kind gentle mare. She had yellow eyes. I didn't look more at anything else but her eyes. I turn fully noticing what she is wearing. She is a seer when seers tell you things won’t be too bad it’s normally true. “Woza” She leads me inside while two other mares stroke strange cream into my fur. I watch the seer mix the brew I am meant to drink after everything is said and done. The two mares shave my fur off. It hurts feeling the fur being pulled out. After the fur is fully removed they start placing paint on me. “Lo pende uwumlingo futhi uzoba phezu kwakho uze uqedele ukuhlolwa kwakho futhi uzibonakalise. Ngifisa sengathi bekungadingeki ngikwenze lokhu kuwe. Owakwenza wukuthanda ihhashi.” I sigh happily the seer is not upset at me for giving my life to a pony stallion. I watch the two mares place the magic paint on my body. I have been through a test like this before when I was growing up to prove myself. Now I must accept this and allow my body to be cleansed and then I shall be saved by the elder. The two mares put the paint on my face after they were all done and left bowing their heads in respect. The seer comes over holding the potion on the flat part of her hoof. She looks at me with a weak smile. “Ngiyaxolisa ngalokhu okuzokwenza kuwe. Uzoba sezinhlungwini kangangokuba umzimba wakho uzovutha. Uma uphela amandla bayokubopha bakuhudule.” I took a deep breath and put the potion in my mouth, setting it down on the floor looking at the seer. I wrap my hooves around the mare hugging her tightly. I am very happy she is kind and gentle to me. “Ngizokwenza konke engingakwenza ukuze ngikujabulise.” The mare stares at me tears fall from her eyes she hugs me back hugging me tightly. I have a feeling she didn’t expect me to say I would try my best to make her proud of me. I barely know this seer and I am willing to do this just to make her proud. The seer leads me to another room. This room looks like it’s an old shower she turns on the water, taking the cover off the drain. I think I know what she wants me to use as a toilet. She smiles while hugging me this time. “Ngatshelwa ukuthi ngingabi nomusa kuwe noma lokhu kube lula kuwe. Kodwa unomusa nenhlonipho angiboni ukuthi kungani bekuzonda kangaka.” A weak smile comes across my face. So I just had to be kind to her for her to be kind to me in turn. I go back out of the room to pick up the potion and head back into the shower. I get under the shower and she closes the door. I take a deep long swig of the entire potion knowing it will take time for it to work. I feel the potion start working. I scream in pain feeling my blood boil. I try to drink the shower water to stop my insides from burning and feeling so much pain. My body starts to react very badly to the potion. I feel myself going constantly to the bathroom and vomiting into the drain. I scream louder feeling every inch of my joints and nerves screaming for relief. After so long I passed out. _______ I woke up a few hours later. I feel myself being dragged through the road. But when I look up I don’t see any of the zebras tossing stuff at me or making fun of me for what I did. I have a feeling the seer talked with the elder. I am sure the elder told the zebras to not allow these zebras to have any power. “Let her go.” I see the group of anti pony zebras arguing with the mare who looks like a guard. They say everything under the sun about why I deserve this. “She is a pony-loving bitch who gave herself to a pony.” The guard growls “You seem to forget she is from the world of the past. To her, we must look like barbarians and too full of ourselves. Now let her go before I run you through.” I look up. “I accepted this and I felt it would be wise. To do what they wanted. Unless the elder knew ahead of time they would try this.” The guard looks at me and the zebras look at me as well. I stood up on my hooves forcing the rope off my leg. They notice I don’t have normal legs or hooves anymore. I quickly swing my metal hoof into the face of one of the zebras. He is knocked out with a crack in his skull. “I am going to tell you what happened to me. I was accused by a group of ponies called the Black Hooves and they zebra napped me and my friends. They changed my hooves to these metal hooves and each time I upgrade my legs will turn more into metal and lose all my flesh in those legs.” I walk between the zebras giving them hateful looks. “I am not going to be treated again as a monster because you have some problem with me wanting to give my heart to a pony stallion. Why the fuck do you hate them so much? Oh, could it be because of the war? Who do you fucking think start the war? On both sides, zebras made it worse because we can’t lego our religious problems. Oh yes, the stars I have been in their court I talked to the stars so. Before I kill you all for your racist bullshit, leave me alone.” The zebras run to pick up their wounded friend. I sigh deeply. I don't enjoy acting that way towards others. “You must be Rose.” I turn to look at the heavily armored guard. The mare is larger than I am. She is wearing bones connected to metal armor and heavy weapons. I tilt my head wondering why this guard cared so much about wishing to defend me. “Uh, may I ask how did the elder learn about all this?” The guard laughs. “The seer told us everything. They wanted to use you as an example to make the elder look bad so their elder could take over and try to start a small race war with the ponies. It wouldn’t have worked since they don’t understand what happened during the war. You seem to know what happened before it started though.” I chuckle weakly, feeling my stomach still in awful pain. “I still don’t feel so well after having to take that potion. So what now do I still have to redeem myself in the eyes of the elder?” The large guard nods. “She does have deep respect for you. The respect is from you trying to redeem yourself for giving yourself to a pony stallion in the past. We have no right to judge you for who you fall in love with though. Now before we fully go on we are going to give you food and a coat to keep you warm. Oh sorry, my manners, I am Izikhali.” I am confused who would name their daughter Armor? “Can you please lead me to the elder then?” Izikhali nods and I follow her inside. In a large room made from a former hospital waiting room, there is a middle-aged mare sitting on a throne made of gold, and torches around her are lit and she is wearing roman armor and holding a heavy sword near her side. “Hello, Miss Rose, I am sorry you had to deal with those zebras. They may have gained traction in their hate of ponies. Not many wish to go to war with the ponies of this community. We work together with them and these zebras feel the ponies caused war crimes. The ponies who committed such war crimes are now long dead, same with the zebras who did the same thing.” I smile. I like this mare. She knows you can’t accuse every single pony since those from the past no longer live to bring the pain they caused the same with the zebras of the past. Even if the thoughts of hate are still there though. “I have grown tired of ponies of today being accused of being racist and need to prove themselves to the zebras of today. If this is true then zebras need to do the same. Zebras did worse on their own. I am sure ponies did worse on their own as well. But most focus on emotions rather than caring about what is true.” I bow my head to the elder. “Now what do you need me to do?” The elder smiles. “Come with me I will explain.” I follow her to the next room to wonder what she will tell me and maybe I can redeem myself in the eyes of many zebras. I am unsure now all I can do is deal with what is to come.
Chapter Fourteen: Mines and Candles“Follow your journey through the ruins to a forested area in the middle of the city. In the middle of the city was a mining complex. In there you will find what you need for the armor you will make and your weapon. Just remember Rose the only way you will become a citizen is if you show us you’re willing to fight.” It’s been at least half a day walking through the ruins of Detrot to find this forested area in the middle of the ruins. I huddle tightly in the warm coat they gave me while I have a pack full of food, water, and a tent. I remember what the elder told me. “If you need to sing like a pony. Singing will scare away some of the creatures in ruins. It’s not just raiders you need to worry about some awful creatures in these ruins. I wish I could tell you more but I don’t want you to have too much fear in your heart.” I come out of the memory hearing a howling from a hungry beast. I look around seeing strange wolves made of metal? Timberwolves I wonder if they mutated over the years and gained the ability to form themselves from metal. I cough sniffing the air. It's a rusty smell coming into my nose. I know they’re close but I don’t think they’re after me. I hear the wolves screaming smelling melting metal. I look over to the ruins seeing a community of scavengers, one of them holding a smoking flamethrower. The pony turns to look at me, bowing her head at me. I nod at her as well. I was told I can’t ask for help but I can trade with those I run into. I feel maybe it’s wise to deal with whatever I have with me with these ponies. I walk toward the scavengers and the mare gets ready to fire her flamethrower aiming at me. “Don’t worry, I am not here to harm anypony. I came over to see if you would like to trade.” The mare lowers the flamethrower. “Heh, a force of habit you get used to somepony being kind to them backstabbing you to get everything you own.” I keep my distance just close enough to be on the outskirts of the camp. I can understand fully how you can tell if those around you will suddenly or someone new would just try to kill you for what you have. “I have some food if you need any as well as some water.” The mare smiles shaking her head. “We are alright for now. May I ask why you are out here though?” I take a deep breath sighing. “I am out here to prove myself to the zebra community in the medical complex not far from here.” The mare nods. “I see we trade with the merchants there. I heard stories of a zebra mare showing up with a hellhound or diamond dog. A buffalo and a pegasus you wouldn’t be that zebra mare would you/” I nod “Yes, I am the mare who showed up. What else do you know?” The mare shifts on her hooves. “You knew the world before the war. Is that true? Did you know the world before the war and before the end of the world?” I sigh remembering the world I came from. A world of peace, a world of love, a world with no care in the world. A world I would do anything to get again if I could. I doubt I could do anything big enough to bring it back. “Yes, I was there. I was then frozen in a pod before the war fully started and woke up to see this world before me.” The mare looks towards the group of tents. “Do the zebras expect you to return on time so you don’t fail to prove yourself or do you just show back up when you want to?” I shake my head. “I was never given a time or a ticking clock on when to return. They just want me to find an old mining complex, make myself armor and weapons and kill a powerful creature to prove myself. Then they wish me to bring back everything for brews.” The mare smiles as she looks back to the tents. “Do you think you could tell my friends and me about the past? We find so many things during our scavenging and we never find any ghouls around long enough to explain anything. So are you willing to do so and we will give you something to eat?” A soft smile forms on my face. “Would the rest of the ponies in your group welcome me?” She chuckles. “I am sure they will let me go find the head of our group. I do have a request while I do this. Do you think you could stand guard for me just in case?” I give a quick nod as she trots off and I stand guard for her. After a few minutes, a large stallion comes out from the group of tents. “Is this her Dusty?” The mare nods. “Hi there Dusty told me you’re a mare who got frozen in a pod and knew what the world was like back then?” I turn to nod. “Yes, I lived in the old world.” The stallion smiles nodding to Dusty. Dusty gets back into her spot to guard and the stallion leads me to a campfire in the middle of the camp. I sit by the campfire removing the hood from my head. “Before we ask you about the past, why do you have no fur?” I chuckle weakly. “There is a group of anti pony zebras in the community in that medical complex. They wanted to make an example of me since back in the past I fell in love with a pony stallion and had his foals. So yeah they felt I had to cleanse myself and make an example of me.” The stallion sighs, shaking his head. “I guess some zebras don’t wish to move on. Of course, even some ponies I have met don’t wish to move on either. So I don’t blame them for having issues with the other species. Since some hate others.” I sigh, nodding he is correct. I notice they have a pot of food cooking over the fire. I glance at the stallion. “May I have some?” The stallion chuckles “It’s veggie stew. I doubt the vegetables were the best of the best but we are willing to share if you share your stories with us of the past.” Many hours later I am still telling stories to the ponies. I didn’t sugarcoat how things were back then. Even though the world wasn’t as bad as it is now. We still had to deal with threats sometimes worse than others. “The biggest reason I left my tribe was mostly because of the constant wars between us. It was a peaceful world but not for zebras. For ponies, they did all they could to make it peaceful for themselves. Even though at times they mostly failed because they cared more about friendship than peace.” I lost track of time since these ponies have been so kind and let me have as much food as I wanted. I knew full well it was getting late but I need to go on my way before I find myself staying here. I get up from the stool looking at the group of ponies. “I need to be on my way. I want to thank you so much for what you did for me.” The leader of the scavengers nods. “You helped us learn more about the past. I wish we could go back and give the foals who live now a peaceful land.” I shrug my shoulders. The only way a peaceful land will return is if a pony or a zebra says enough is enough and tries to fight for the freedom of everyone around them. I am sure there is those type of heroes around. I doubt I would ever become one of those heroes. I just want to survive and become a simple citizen of a simple community. I don't need the glory or pain of being a hero. “If I wished to be a hero I would do so. But I am just a simple zebra wanting to live a simple life after I become a citizen. If others consider me a hero I will just ignore them. I am sure you ponies don’t blame me.” The large pony leader nods. “I don’t blame you, the idea of trying to be judge and jury makes no sense. It makes perfect sense to put slavers and raiders in their place. Why turn a pony or a zebra into a hero for doing what is known as common sense. Those types of ponies or zebras don’t deserve to be in the world if they prey on others.” I nod agreeing. “I need to be going it was great to meet you. I hope to meet you all again.” I bow my head walking out of the camp to head on to my task. I look back at the ponies feeling sadness in my heart. These ponies know nothing about the peace of the past. War and strife are all they know. They only know how bloody things get and they normally may never see a foal grow to adulthood. _________ The Destination. I finally made it to the former park turned into a mining complex back during the war. I look around seeing many ghouls wandering around and larger creatures. I am told if I stay far away from the ghouls they won’t bother me. I do have an idea to make sure they don’t bother me. I set down my bag and brought out some fertilizer I was given. I was told the ghouls normally go for flesh or anything that smells good to them. I doubt this will work but I have to see. I place the fertilizer in a bucket I brought with me and dumb a little bit of my water supply and mix it to make it wet and stink. I place my hoof in it, sniffing it and coughing a bit. It’s enough I guess I rub it all over my body. I hope what I was told is right. If it’s not my body is going to be already stinking before it decays. I grunt at the smell as I dumb the rest of it on me. I take a deep breath looking through my bags more to find a pike ax and look at how much I need to make what is needed for me. Looking at the list I need enough to make an entire set of armor and I need to use my soul to make a weapon that calls to me. I need to allow the stars to open my heart to sing to me so I can make it. I sigh deeply, finding everything taking a deep breath gagging, and smelling what I placed on myself again. I sneak even though I already did what I did. I sneak into one of the mining tunnels I was told it’s not too deep into the mines “May I ask why you're here?” The voice makes me suddenly jump. I turn around to see a ghoul with a top hat on. The mare smirks. A ghoul whose mind is still there I cough smirking weakly and she covers her nose after a second. “Sorry I was told the way to sneak past the feral ghouls I just need to make myself stink.” The ghoul laughs. “It won’t work as you think. Now zebra, why are you here?” I sigh “I am here to get some of the ore to make armor and a weapon to be welcomed to a community in this day and age.” The ghoul tilts her head. “This day and age?” I sigh knowing I am going to need to explain. I explain to her what happened to me and the others and about waking up in a factory in sleeping pods. The mare's eyes are wide open and she has a large smile on her face. “It’s good to see another from the past who knows what I remember. I would attack you for yes the war ended badly but I see you as a gentle soul. I don’t want to cause another small war because I have issues of your kind from the past.” I shrug my shoulders. “I don’t blame you for the past things that happened, not everyone will be happy about what went on. I can understand perfectly.” Then it finally hit me. How long has this ghoul been here? I was told these mines are empty from other souls. Maybe no one has been deeper into the mines and this is just a guard. It’s confusing. Maybe they knew and I would learn by myself. “I was told no one lived in these mines, are there more of you?” The ghoul chuckles “There are underground tunnels and we have used them ever since the bombs fell. I don’t blame others for not telling you about us since we normally hide pretty well here. But I could tell you didn’t seem to be like any other zebra walking in here. Most of your kind normally have weapons and try to kill ghouls. You just tried your best to hide and sneak through like a zebra of the past.” I just stare at the mare confused. She didn’t answer my question but I am not going to press it. I don’t want to feel like I am invading but I doubt she cares. The past is long gone and I doubt they have anything to gain for stopping me. “Do you have an issue with me taking what I need and then leaving?” The mare tilts her head shrugging her rotting shoulders. “I doubt any of us would care. We have no use for the ore anymore. The ore didn’t help us win the war. Some of the ore you will find here have been magically moon-touched and it’s a rare type of ore you would find.” I felt a shudder come over me. Moon touched ore is something I learned about years ago. It’s not ore you want to deal with. It can corrupt your soul of course back in the day anything connected to the moon bothered zebras. “Is all this ore moon touched?” The ghoul shrugs her shoulders. “It’s what we were told. I highly doubt any of it is moon touched. Now we do have some metal which fell from space years ago deep in the mine if you would like to help yourself with this metal.” Metal that fell from the sky? It could be one of those probs or old space junk I have heard about. I will take the ore I need then take some of this metal and make the weapon I need. I glance at the ghoul. “I just need enough ore to make armor and I could use the space junk to make a weapon. Unless a ghoul in your community is going to have an issue with me doing so?” The mare chuckles. “I highly doubt that we live with zebra ghouls who attacked us years ago. After the war ended we all felt it would be best to work together. I am sure they would like to meet you if you have time to speak with us?” I take a deep breath smelling the stink again coughing. Finally regaining myself after all the coughing. A weak smile forms over my face. I don’t know what to think. I worry I might make too many friends but it’s always good to have friends. “I would love to and maybe I could make it easier on myself.” The ghoul chuckles “You’re an odd zebra.” I shrug my shoulders. She is right I am an odd zebra I always have been. At first, I didn’t buy the stories about the stories of the stars. After going through the court of the stars and hearing about the judges they have under their control. I wonder how powerful they can be? “I am sure I know what you mean by me being odd. I will just add I didn’t care about how my kind lived half the time. But I still followed the traditions of zebras and also accepted the ones of ponies. No matter how many crazy fairs and holidays they had. They had far too many by the way.” The mare laughs shaking her head. “We can talk about all those things on the way below. I do have a question: do you think you will fail for not doing this yourself?” I shrug my shoulders. The mare leads the way deeper into the mines. I look over at the feral ghouls looking at me but they seem to ignore me since I am with the ghoul mare. We go down many stairs and when we get deeper in I notice a strange door. “Forgive the door, it's to keep the ferals out. We may be ghouls like them but we don’t want them near us. It makes us worry we will become like them sooner than later.” _____________________ Ghoul community. The mare opens the door letting me inside. I notice there are no guards, just many ghouls wandering around. A zebra ghoul turns to look at me and the stallion comes over to me staring down at me. “One touched by the stars. Have the stars asked you to come to draw our blood?” I shudder and shook my head. I am tired of being called the one touched by the stars. I get it I was stupid and I deserve to be called everything. “No, I stood in the court of stars and placed my punishment on a non-zebra who might not even be born yet.” The stallion stares more at me, a dark smile forming on his face. He laughs loudly patting my shoulder. From the look in his eyes, he is impressed with me. I am sure when the day comes I will be forced to meet the life I destroyed. “I see one touched by the stars giving their task to one not even alive yet. They could be alive but you aren’t sure. I am not sure if I should praise you for the guts you have to take on the court and their judge. So may I quickly ask why are you here?’ I sigh explaining to him what is going on and what happened to me and the others. His eyes turn to sadness hearing what I went through. I could tell from his emotions and his decayed face he wishes he went through what I did but not with losing a part of himself. “I see you’re a zebra who gave herself to a pony stallion. But ponies accused you of a crime you never caused and then did that to you with your hooves. I wish I could have been frozen. I wouldn't have lived through so much pain. I have learned so much though about those I used to fight.” I shake my head. I am learning so much about this world. I am not enjoying what I am learning. I glance at the mare. “Would any of these ponies or zebras have issues with me taking the ore and the metal from space?” The mare shrugs. “I doubt they will have to do something while the world is destroyed. I don’t see any of us going out there to try to make deals with ponies or zebras. Unless you’re some powerful conversationalist able to convince us into an alliance with them.” I don’t want to be anything. I just want to live. I want to live in this new world and if it changes around me from a real hero destroying everything around us to trying to bring back the old world more power to them. “No, I don’t care about making alliances or making the world around me better. I am going, to be honest with you, what did the old world do for me? The old world turned me into a monster. The war destroyed the world. I could care less if the world around me kept falling apart. I'd rather focus on my personal life. I am sure none of you are to blame really.” The mare snickers and the stallion nods. “You’re a mare after my own heart. With me, I used to be a beautiful mare and a knockout and all it gave me was this dumb job. So I had to work in this mine till the end of the war. I was told oh the war was going to end. It did end but with fire.” The stallion sighs. “Yes, I was bound to kill every pony I saw. Then the bombs fell The ponies allowed us to hide with them in the mines. We spent a while getting to know each other. I learned we aren’t much different from each other. Just our idea of sex and marriage is very different.” The stallion nods to me leaving to head back into his home. The mare who hasn't given me her name yet. I doubt she will or if they even remember their names. She leads me through the community and I am led to a large storehouse. “Here you go, just take what you need. Don’t take too much and I will go get you one of those probes from space.” The mare leaves and another mare who I can tell is pure white she has some fur around her ears and it’s on her body. She hasn't been decaying as much as the others. She sits on her haunches looking at me. “Miss, may I request something from you?” I finish gathering enough of the ore looking at the mare. “As long as I do your request and you don’t call me a hero or a savior.” The mare laughs. “Nothing that silly dear. From what I see you will be heading to one of the factories to find a forge. Am I correct?” I nod. “Alright, there is an old wagon-making factory. It’s been taken up by a group of raiders. If you don’t mind after you make what you’re making with the ore you’re taking and from the sounds of it the probe. If you wish just to clear it out, we can use it to help build weapons for this city to fight back.” I shrug my shoulders. “Sure I will be living in this area so why not.” I gather what I need and another ghoul sets a probe and another piece of space junk into my bag. I look at the ghoul they’re another zebra. She smiles nodding to me. “I can tell you where a working forge is. One of us would have to go with you though. Since it’s full of ghouls.” I sigh deeply looking towards the community of ghouls and then towards the zebra ghoul. I don’t mind having others come with me. But I don’t want to feel like I am failing my task. Maybe they won’t care if I make friends with ghouls. “Shall we then?’ The ghoul nods and I follow her to her home. She puts on her armor on her side is a spear made with a gold tip. She nods to me, leading me back outside. She looks back at me with a weak smile forming on her face. “I am named Story. Stay close to me if the ghouls attack you. I will make sure to kill them for you. Warning though if you see a ghoul releasing pink smoke stay as far away as you can. You don’t want any of the mist to get on your skin and you don’t want to breathe any of it in.” I am confused why she is named Story? I know I am named Rose or Desert Rose to some but I have another name in the words of a zebra. Just Story? Maybe she forgot her name. I shrug my shoulders following the ghoul zebra out of the mine and to one of the factories which are closer. I glance at the ghouls looking at me. They gnash their teeth hungrily and stay away from me because of Story. It takes us a little bit of thirty minutes to get to the factory. Since we have to go through some traps left by soldiers of the past. I finally got to see the name of the factory. It used to be a candle maker and it was turned into making guns for the war effort. “The reason this forge is still going. Because there is a ghoul in here with a mental mind like mine and he makes candles as a way to force punishment on the lives he took during the war. He feels the only way he can be redeemed till he makes enough candles to count every single life he took.” ________ The candle factory We are led into the empty factory. All the ghouls are dead and have died for some time. Around there are candles. Each candle is either lit or slowly smoking. Most of them have been melted over the years. When we get deeper into the factory I hear a voice echoing through the building. “All deaths during the war are not only my fault. I never praised Celestia for either death. I never praised her or Luna. I just lit them again to honor those I killed.” I follow Story listening to the ghoul. I can tell from his crying and anger he regrets everything. We hear a gunshot and a ghoul screaming in pain. “Another death from the fire. No. It’s not the fire, it's for the wax, yes! For the wax, there is no way we can do it.” We walk into the main room holding the forge. The candles are big here. Two large ones with Celestia and Luna’s cutie marks. I stare at the burning and they have been burning for a very long time. “This poor stallion hasn't forgiven himself for so long?” The stallion comes into the room looking at me and Story. He sets down his sniper rifle and quickly comes to me putting his hooves on my face. He stares into my eyes, his eyes full of tears shaking as he holds my face. “Life!! Oh goddess thou have failed me.. OH Goddess, how dare you bring me life!!” He removes his hooves screaming, kicking the sniper rifle, and breaking it. He chuckles weakly looking back at me. “Zebras dead on my hooves. Watching their souls vanish from their eyes. The eyes are the windows of the soul. I can’t… I can’t do it anymore no NO!!!” He screams and charges at me but doesn’t hit me. He cries holding me tightly. He sobs loudly. I could feel his sorrow and his pain. All those he killed he killed so many in the name of war in the name of death. I wonder at times if I would have become like this if I stayed awake and fought during the war. “PLEASE FORGIVE ME!! The idea of a zebra alive is here to see me. Are you here to kill me?! The story is the hope of the endless waltz of dreams in the ending bugs and stones of blackholes death!!” He laughs loudly, sighing. “I am sorry I didn’t mean to lose my mind there for a moment. Just when I see a zebra I regret all I did to them. May I have your name please before I lose my mind again?” I gulp wondering if it's a wise idea. I glance at Story and she nods. “I am Rose. I never fought during the war. I was frozen in time with others who became my family and friends. You have no right to ask me for forgiveness for you never did a thing to me. I may be a zebra but I have no issue with what you did.” The stallion sighs stroking his face. “I see you got saved from the nightmare of war only to see the world end and become death like this. I pity you. I wish I could have seen the world like this. I..worry someday I will be judged for what I did. Maybe I should be judged but I don’t see you judging me for all the deaths I cause.” A sigh escapes my mouth, shaking my head. I have no right to judge this stallion. I have never met or dealt with this stallion before. I wish I could help him but I have no right to help him. I lean down to look into his eyes. “Listen, I am not here to harm you or anything. I am here to use the forge. Do you have a problem with me using the forge?’ The stallion stands up on his hooves looking at all the candles. He holds his head like he is hearing the screams and voices of all those he killed over the years. He rushes towards the candles of the princess and kneels to them. “They all scream for relief, my princess. I can’t give them what they want. I know you won’t answer me oh goddess of the past. I see the future, I see the past. I wonder should I give them access to the rooms? Story walks over to the stallion and puts her hoof on his shoulder. He looks up at the zebra mare and she weakly smiles. “I am sorry to say they will never give you the answer you want. Please give us the key so she can go in there and do her task. I know this is much for you to take in but please do it?” The stallion tosses the key to the ground and Story picks it up heading back to me. She swings her head to head to the door. I follow her to the door looking back at the stallion. He screams in anger again laughing loudly. “You will answer me!!” I quickly follow Story into the forge room. She locks the door and a deep sigh comes from my mouth. shaking my head. I have a feeling I am going to have to put him down. Looking towards the forge there is coal within. Story walks over to the forge starting it and now one who has no skills in this department I need to learn how to make weapons and armor. With the help of Story, she tells me what to do. So I formed a helmet of metal, made a visor, and connected it to a strange solar battery I found in the area. Then make the body armor to hold my weapon and wiring to make it work with the helm. Then the legs connect to the metal legs and let Maria connect to it so I can talk to Deco in the visor if needed. “I know it’s strange how in the world do I know how to make armor like this? I was one of the soldiers who came down here to kill ponies. Then I, along with the others, broke off from the platoon so during all these years I learned things.” I chuckle weakly. I hear the screaming ghoul hitting the door leading into the forge. I have a feeling he has fully lost it. I take a deep breath. I got more than one thing I need to make. Pulling out the space junk. I was told to let the stars tell me what to make. I close my eyes communicating with the stars if they wish to hear me again. “Oh, great stars who lead us through much strife and blood. Tell me in your grand design of the universe what to make. Oh please, stars of hope, stars of blood and strife. Bring forth the dream of what I should make and tell me the name.” In my mind I see it forming. As I have my eyes closed I work to make the weapon letting the stars tell me what to make. I sing what they tell me. “Take our light and our will to live. The universe is vast. We sing for our will to bring us blood and peace. Oh, a small zebra trying to bring forth a dream. The judges shall put you in your place. For the return and with the goat of undeath. We shall win our battle but for now. We shall help with our song.” I ignore what they say about the goat of undeath. I know who the goat is but I doubt he will ever return. With the help of the stars, I forge the weapon looking down at the weapon I made after I douse it while staring at the weapon. The weapon is made of a gray color. It's a giant hammer. It has a rubber mouth grip so I don’t hurt my mouth. I take a chisel and hit in the name of the hammer. ‘Stars Wrath.’ I put on the armor with the help of Star and she connects the wires to make sure they work and the visor comes up. I made a zebra-like armor. I look at my hammer again and I notice I added something else. I didn't even notice ways to hold it by the hooves. I can fight as I trained. I put my one forehoof into the hoof holder looking at Story. “Open the door and please hide if he starts attacking.” Story trots to the door opening it after she unlocks it. The ghoul comes in holding a large sword and laughs softly. He slowly walks toward me holding the sword in his hoof. I hold my hammer tightly in my hoof. “You…you’re a monster zebra. I am going to stop you from what you’re planning to do. You’re a figment in my mind. A story to my heart. I have killed so many. How do I know you’re real?! Are you a door to keep my mind closed? Thou will sing to me so I can understand the path to come?!” I stay silent just looking at him through my visor. I don’t know why I made armor like this. I doubt I will use it all the time. But I feel this is the only way I can find my path. The two of us start to circle each other. “The princess demands I kill you. Let's make this a grand battle to end all battles. Maybe my soul can be taken to the hell it belongs. So much blood, so much death. YOU CAUSED IT MONSTER!!” I keep calm “Listen stallion, you need to remove yourself from what you did. I am not a monster or the zebras you fought in the past. Lower your weapon and I won’t kill you, please. I don’t want to harm you, I don't want you to become another victim of the past.” The ghoul laughs as he shifts, swinging his weapon. He is not even close to hitting me. “Oh thee devil, I see what you’re doing. You wish to pull the wool of sheep over my eyes. To stop me from freeing Equestria from the monsters who have taken it over. Stay behind me oh monster and become another one of the ground.” I take a deep breath. “I shall end you devil we shall sing.” I charge at him and he charges at me our weapons smash into each other and they sing. Each hit and with one swing I smash into his sword and sparks fly and he falls back and he turns on a bright light. I felt it was blinding. I could see it through the visor. I swing my weapon and he does the same with our weapons smashing together. The stallion gets out of the way soon after climbing up a ladder and jumps down at me from above. My heart slows as I feel the world around me freeze our weapons ready to strike. To be Continued
Chapter Fifteen: A battle worth a song [End of arc one.]I stood in front of the elder of the zebra community in my armor. Leaning on my bloody hammer. Blood splattered all over my armor. Standing beside me was the ghoul mare Story. I look around seeing the wide eyes and the horror on their faces. “I was starting to worry when you didn’t return. It’s been almost at least four days. Rose, maybe you can explain to me what happened?” I take my helm offsetting it down looking at the elder and the other zebras around me. I take a deep breath. The smell of sweat and blood doesn’t mix well. I feel my heart beating slowly unlike the last few days. “I will first introduce my friend here. Her name is Story, one of the zebras from the military years ago. Who came to destroy ponies in the name of Caesar. I met a group of zebra ghouls and pony ghouls living in harmony.” I stare at the anti pony zebras. “Get it harmony dumb asses?” I snort at the anti pony zebras who look away from me. I look back to Story nodding to her then looking back to the Elder. I take a deep breath again feeling more sweat falling down my body from the armor. “They offered to help me and I gathered ore from them and they gave me space junk. Touched by the stars and the moon. Using it I made this hammer the wrath of the stars. During all this in the factory was a former candle factory and a ghoul pony took up lighting all the candles.” I went silent for a moment. I still feel bad for the poor ghoul. He had to live with all the deaths he caused and still has the screams and nightmares. It’s gotten to the point I worry it’s what caused him to snap. “He lit every candle on every pony and zebra death he caused during the war. Two of the candles were the princess themselves and he asked them for forgiveness for everything he did and every time he killed a ghoul he added to the choir of screams and voices in his head.” I go silent again waiting for the elder to speak. “I see so you did something most zebras don’t wish to do. You do what you can to bring the land together. Before I say the words hero don’t worry I don’t consider you a hero. I consider you a mare with common sense. I can tell in the look of your eyes you want nothing to do with praise and fame.” I nod that she is correct. I don't want the praise being a hero brings. I just want to be part of a community and do what I can for all those around me. If I can be a part of a community then I will do everything. “I have a question though: what happened to the ghoul?” I look back in my memory. __________________ The candle factory The ghoul and I charged quickly at each other and he climbed a ladder with the lights getting brighter from the rush. My eyes went hazy from the rush of the battle. I smashed the hilt of my harm hard into the stomach of the ghoul and I was able to toss him over me to the ground where he lay there in a heap. I turn back staring down at the poor ghoul feeling the rush leave my body. He had tears streaming down his face. “Please end it. I deserve everything I did. I deserve to follow the path of those who came before me. The candles scream at me, they laugh at me. I can’t stand it any longer and scream in pain, please!!” I remove my helm, putting it down on the ground with sweat pouring down my face. I lean down to the poor ghoul and stare into his eyes. I see he is so lost and broken. I wish I could help him. I can’t do anything but pity him. “Killing you won’t bring any of those lives back. I know you find it hard to cope with what you did. But you have lived for many years and you still can’t get over it? The past is the past. I am sure it will take you more time to free yourself from this pain.” I pull the ghoul into a hug. The ghoul shakes, wrapping his hooves around my head shivering in pain and crying loudly. He screams over and over he is sorry for all he did. I feel bad for this poor ghoul. I hope one day he will be able to finally forgive himself. I sat with him for at least a few hours as he cried. Story didn’t say a word. She watched all this unfold as I did my best to talk to the poor stallion. After everything, I put my helmet back on looking back down at the ghoul. “I need to do one last thing before I head back. Will you be alright on your own?” Ghoul stood on his hooves sighing and nodding. “I will reach out to the community in the mine. Maybe they can help me get this factory back up and running to make weapons and candles again for everything else. I know there is another war on and I know I may fail with my mind. But if I have others with me to help me then I know I will fulfill the task.” I nod looking towards Story. I smile at her. “Can I count on you to come with me and we can fulfill the next thing I was asked to do?” Story smirks. “I would be honored to.” ______________ Zebra community “Well, that is the full story. I did what I could. I am sure he will do what he can. But he will always feel the guilt. Guilt is big for those who lived for a long time. I know many won’t be happy I helped ghouls regain some control of the factories to make weapons. They wish to fight back to take out the raiders and slavers.” The elder nods listening as she looks at the zebras around her. She strokes her chin with her golden endowed hoof. She looks back at me after a second and then chuckles weakly. “I see what the ghouls take on our community here?” I shrug my shoulders. “I don’t know, I didn't ask. I did tell them about the anti pony zebras here. Story used to be the same way. Then she lived with them over the years. She started to see we are all the same and thinks any zebra who thinks this way needs to be exiled.” Story nods. “I feel there is no room for this type of weakness.” The elder smirks looking at the anti-pony group again. Her eyes are full of hate for them. I think she knows though but she can’t toss them out. They will have to learn to live with the ponies or die. “Now your name is Story?” Story nods. “Tell me about yourself.” Story turns her head to look at me. I nod to her to go ahead. “As Rose said, I am of a former invasion who came to destroy everything pony because it was war. I was raised and trained to kill ponies. I hated ponies and then I watched how they treated their little ones. Many of those with me didn’t want to harm ponies after learning to live with them for so long. We infiltrated and we were meant to kill as many as we could and then destroy their ability to make war.” The mare sighs looking down. I can tell she has regret and she is never going to be able to forgive herself. She looks back up to the elder, a weak smile forming on her face. She looks over at the anti pony zebras. “It was time for us to kill and I did the unthinkable: I killed a foal and a mother. I had the thought that they were all evil. Every single one of them is unholy but after I did the deed I watched their blood leak from their wounds. We all have blood going through us and we all have thoughts and dreams.” Story sighs looking away. “So then after all this, the bombs fell. I learned who sent them and the ponies sent them. So I and others of those who survived attacked the ponies. Ran into the mines with ponies from the mines and we watched the world end.” Story goes silent for a moment before taking a deep breath. “We were there, they knew what we did. They had every right to kill us and a stallion came up to me. He started so much and hated wanting to kill me for what I did. The tension was bad enough to cut it with a knife. A large black mare blocked us from killing each other.” A large black mare I had never seen. Maybe she didn’t survive. It wouldn't surprise me if she didn’t survive at all. “She called herself Black Nova. During the many years, she helped us find food and whatever else we could get ahold of and worked to make our community work. She died and didn’t turn into a ghoul and we buried her and after that we became ghouls and she did everything for us. Her last wish was for us to live together as one.” Story went silent after telling her story. I remember the name, Black Nova. I have seen the name from old wanted posters. I remember reading she was wanted for being a zebra lover and respect zebras. It’s just something I picked up and I feel bad she didn’t become a ghoul like the others. “Impressive I am learning more about the past than most ever would. A pony mare wishing a pony and zebra ghoul community to live as one. How well has it worked over the years?” Story looks up to the elder. “To be honest it wasn’t easy the first few years. But we learned how to work and live together. We have fought and we argue but that is normal for every family. We have become one and we do everything we can to work together.” The elder gets off her chair to come down to me looking at my armor and weapon. She didn’t even ask about the blood. “My next question is, why are you covered in so much blood?” A weak smile forms across my face. I didn’t want to go into this part of what happened. I just feel the only way to finally get it off my chest. I feel what I did was awful even if the raiders required a good beating. “Well like I told you I was asked by a ghoul to help empty a factory of raiders. I didn’t know it at the time but they also had prisoners.” _______________ The old wagon creation factory. Story positioned herself with a sniper rifle she had with her since the early days. I hid with her while she fired on the raider's ponies standing guard outside. Each time she fires it makes a sort of sound that makes the raiders look around and each one she picks off. I stood on my hooves. I am sure she missed some. “Do you always have a sniper rifle with you?” Story stands up on her hooves and the sniper rifle folds into itself so she can place it into her bag and she shrugs her shoulders. “Heh really Rose if this world was peaceful I wouldn’t have to carry it everywhere I go. Now come on, let's see if we can clear this place out.” We both head inside and Story holds a sword in her mouth. I hold my hammer in my hooves. I feel being able to fight as I did in the past makes it easier for me. Story charges in first we go other ways and raiders are screaming and cussing. “A ghoul has broken GAH!!” I go the other way deeper above to get to the area which normally controls the factory itself. When I open the door I see cages of many mares and fillies, even some old ponies. I stare at all the ponies. I see a pregnant mare chained to the wall. She is covard in various juices I am sure she was used as a sex toy. I stare at all the cage ponies. There are even some zebras here. I hear large hooves come down the stairs and a dark chuckle. “So what do we have here? Are you hearing of heroes like Security the wolf or the toaster pony?” Hero? Security the wolf? Toaster pony? Are there heroes out there trying to help? I don’t see myself as a hero. I am just doing what comes naturally helping a community live. If what I do makes me a hero to others I will tell them the truth I don’t want fame I don’t want glory. Everyone should do what I am doing and fight for what is right. “I am no hero. I have been asked to clear this place out. So we can fight to bring civilization back to this city.” The raider stares at me like I have a mole on my head. I have a feeling what I said hit the raider hard. The large stallion comes down, sighing, shaking his head and his horn glows as he lifts a large hammer. “Noble I haven’t heard those words since I was a colt. I have seen so many just showing up for fame. When my family was killed I was on the run and raiders chased me. I remember seeing a Silver pony saving me. He said these words. ‘What is the core value of friendship?’ I didn’t answer him and he went off fighting for others. I never saw him again after that.” I take my helm off holding it in my hoof. “I have never had to deal with a world such as this. I come from the world before the war. I was frozen with three others for crimes we never committed because those who had a stake of money in the war used me and my family. So here I am doing what should be right not in the name of a hero not for glory but for what is right.” The stallion sighs looking at everything he has done. For I can tell the words are affecting him but he has gone down too many dark paths to lead this way. I doubt he could ever be free from his sins. “I will not see this future you want to make. I and others who do what we have done don’t deserve to live for all our sins. The only way to free those I have fucked destroyed their lives and broke them in the name of power over them means death. I have rapped I have murdered.” He looks at the mare chained to the wall; she looks scared of him and does not even wish to look into his eyes. He gets ready to lift his weapon. I put my helm back on holding the hammer and we circle each other. “Fight me like a zebra warrior of old. Fight me for our fight should be worthy of the song. I am not worthy of those songs of old. Remember me for who I was and not for who I became. I grew to become a worker and a blacksmith. Then I fell into hell and felt the only way to win was chems and battle. Then raider life. For the final battle, I shall.” I watch him force many chems into his body and his eyes turn bloodshot. The speaker worth a song is now gone. I feel drums beating humming and our hooves stomping like drums as I hear his heart with my own. “Swing the hammer right boom boom.” I swing my hammer right and he swings it left and our hammers clash. The hammers swing right twice and smash again. “Our hearts sing within the battle of blood. Boom Boom our hearts sing in the battle of strife. The hearts of old become the drums. We sing as the lust flies from our movement in the dirty ground of dust.” In each step we make the dust fly and flow from the air. The sand and hair from the various ponies in here fly all over. Our hammers smash into each other harder making sparks not enough to cause fires. “There is a battle worth a song. Blood gore within our hearts. If a soul could be lost within the battle of life. Bring forth the sword brings forth the screams. The battle shall never end, be it worth a song. Dance like the drums and sing like the rocks.” Our hooves heavily stomp adding to the music. His heart beats harder like a drum. My heart drums quickly with the magic music which fills the air. Our hammers keep smashing into each other and I take my hilt smashing into his gut and he backs up into the room he came from. A group of raiders comes out the door charging at me with him stomping his hooves and he sings while I fight his minions “This battle is worth a song. Fight for your life, fight for the dream fight to bring forth the ending of this hopeless world. Never break a promise, always break a sweat within the ending night. If the moon shall shine it shall shine in the night.” A mare raider before she charges at me sings. “A mare of hope, a mare of dreams. Can you keep that promise, can you bring that hope? Hope without the song of a hero to back you. You hold you down within the want of glory, the want of a home.” I swing my hammer before she swings her sword and with one swoop I break her head open and blood splatters all over my hammer and my armor. The next raider, a stallion, comes with many swords floating beside him. “Never trust a pony with empty eyes. Always show the song within a dream of life. Bring forth the ending night. Bring for the sun. Let it shine in our eyes so we can dream again. Bring us the dream. Bring us the heart so we can dream and shine again.” The sword is my armor and I feel a sword break through the armor just a bit to stab me in my side. I swing my hammer down on him and he screams as I break through his chest with a loud squish. Blood splattering all over my hammer and me. “Free us from this moon. Free us from this hell.” I look over at the slaves and those in cages. While they sing to me and I look back at the remaining pony about to attack me. I suddenly charged before she could do anything and stabbed the hilt of my hammer into the mare's stomach. “Free us, save us.” They all sing and I leave the mare to die from her wound and I head to take on the leader. He smirks, his eyes heavily bloodshot and he laughs. “The drums have sounded to us all. Do you forgive the heart that comes? For the god of war is here. He has sung to us. Discord himself is using us as puppets for his amusement. We are chaos, We have our songs. You’re order I am of the house of chaos and fight for either.” I feel myself gaining the desire to sing. “I will not build this house of chaos. I will not build this house of order. I will free those from the house of order. I am beholden to neither of these houses. I am a zebra of the past. I am Desert Rose. I am neither a hero nor one who wants glory. I do what is right, come bring the drums, sing the drums.” The stallion stops singing and the song ends as we both charge at each other and our hammers smash into each other again and he uses his magic to take a knife and try to stab in my leg and the knife breaks and I quickly turn using my metal hooves to smash right into his face and he stands there his face caved in and I turn smashing him with his hammer hard. He falls to the ground, his skull crushed and he tries to see me so he could speak. His pants are having trouble breathing and I take off my helm, setting it aside as I hold his hoof. He smirks weakly about to see me in his good eye. “Such beauty who beat me. I wish I could have seen you before I went down this path. I made this…” He coughs up blood. “Gang to protect the weak and then it went the wrong path. I met a mare from an order called the order of Mimic. She told me I need to be ready for the return.” I lean to the stallion. “What do you mean whose return?” He leans up to whisper. “Grogar.” He falls back down as he slowly dies from his wounds. I know the name Grogar but it means nothing to me at the moment. I grab the keys and go to the cages opening them up and they look at me scared. “You’re free..” I go to the pregnant mare freeing her from the wall. “Thank you…” I smile watching the others leave looking at the mare. She quickly trots out following the others. Story finally comes into the room, her sword is stained with the blood of the raiders and I look down at the raider. “Come let's go tell them it’s done and then I can go back.” __________ Zebra community. I finished my story. “That is the entire story, did I pass the test?” The elder chuckles. “You never really had a test, you just had to prove yourself you’re able to become part of this community. You have done the right thing and now it’s time for you to meet up with your friends again.” I could tell though this angered some of the zebras. “She didn’t prove herself from killing a manticore or anything or bringing the meat or the heart.” The elder glares at the zebra who spoke it was the leader of the anti ponies she lifts her hoof to silence him. “I am the elder here and I say she has proven herself enough. Now please go meet with your friends.” I nod, putting my helm back on and attaching the hammer to my armor. I head back to the main area of the community connected with the others. Waiting for me are my friends. Drift is wearing blade wings on her wings and has a visor on her face that glows now and then. June is waiting with the others. She has no armor and is pretty much the same but has a red bandana I am sure that means something. Bowser is wearing a leather suit with one eye covered by a scope and he leans on a strange sniper rifle. “What is with the sniper rifle?” Bowser shrugs. “I had to save a group of hellhounds and they gave me this after all that. June had to beat the shit out of a manticore. Drift proved herself from what she said by doing odd jobs and then saving a village from a slaver attack.” Each leader of the community stands waiting while the elder of the zebras stands by them. “Now we shall pass our judgment.” The first to come forward is the hellhound leader. “I Saw Tooth saw Bowser do everything he was asked of. He didn’t only prove himself in the matter of a diamond dog but he proved himself to be a hell hound. He shall be allowed to live where he wishes and any female he wishes to bed.” He backs up a female buffalo wearing a strange headdress. “I Soft Breeze watched June with every cuss word in the book kill and defend. She is one of us and she is strong. She shall become part of us with no issue and she shall walk our roads but she shall live with who she wishes.” The next is a white pegasus mare she has a strange rainbow dash cutie mark burned into her hip. She looks at Drift. “Drift wasn’t easy to get along with at first. She didn’t always listen to the chain of command. But we tended to forget she wasn’t part of the enclave at all. But she showed herself strong in the field of battle. She was given the weapons of a warrior of the sky and she shall stay with her friends.” The elder comes up with a Golden Heart standing beside her. “I Umphuphi” Her name is Dreamer? Huh, I am impressed. I take a deep breath waiting to see what she saids. “She has redeemed herself from her past. Giving herself to a stallion wasn’t what she was put to the task for. She didn’t act like a normal zebra. But everything she did for those in this area and even the community she now is part of us and we shall sing for her. We shall let her marry the mare Hops and then they can choose a stallion to herd with.” I take a deep breath, I look at my friends and everyone around us cheers for us and the crowd disperses, and everything with our bodies we are tired very tired. I take a deep breath looking towards the crowd and seeing Dunewlker watching us. I don’t know what is ahead but we have a journey ahead. We got to find out what Maria is, we got to find out who this Grogar is. I have never heard of the order of Mimic before and I look to the side to see a camel wearing a strange outfit and she has a small golden horseshoe around her neck. It’s time to rest then it will be time to dance to the song of life. Arc one complete.
